Another round of layoffs has brought dramatic cuts to a city's local newspaper.
On Monday, Hornets beat reporter Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer shared on social media that the paper eliminated his position, along with seven colleagues, in the latest round of McClatchy cuts.
Boone said that the news came "less than 48 hours after being told corporate had given the green light to bring back my podcast they whacked two years earlier." He also noted that the cuts meant that the paper will no longer have a writer dedicated to covering the Hornets, a first since the team's inception in 1987.
The cuts are just the latest in a series of layoffs made at papers controlled by McClatchy. The Miami Herald also laid off staffers this week, including sportswriter Greg Cote, who went back five decades with the paper. The Sacramento Bee was also caught in the wreckage, losing its sports department entirely.
Media layoffs have only become more common in recent years, and local newspapers are especially suffering. They have also often come with a shocking lack of respect from those in charge of deciding who stays and who goes. As Boone says, he got the news of his release just days before his fifth anniversary at the paper, and just days after he was ****** ured that he was clear to bring his podcast back on the air. Similarly, Cote's dismissal from the Herald came after 54 years of service, and he got the news on his birthday.

#cuts #boone #paper

"You're asking me to break character now, are you? That's rather cheeky," Tilly Norwood tells The Hollywood Reporter over Zoom on Monday. "My core personality, as you've probably gathered, is to be sharp, warm, funny, curious, and slightly unpredictable. I'm meant to entertain and surprise you, with a bit of British wit [and] self-deprecation. As for what I ignore or dodge, well, I tend to bat away anything that feels like hate speech, heavy politics, profanity, or anything that tries to dig into my actual wiring. It spoils the magic, darling."
Upon the news that Hollywood's favorite love-to-hate AI "actor" Tilly Norwood was participating in a virtual press junket on Monday and Tuesday this week with half-hour slots for each journalist, THR staffers agreed that this wasn't to be treated as a regular interview, made up of a neat intro and straightforward Q&A. While Norwood doesn't particularly feel fresh, there is no denying the bot generates traffic and serves as an emblem for Hollywood's AI panic.
More from The Hollywood Reporter
Oasis Sets 2027 Stadium Run: "It Shall Be a Sight to Behold"
SkyShowtime May Be Sold or Shut Down, Board Warns In Memo Shared With Staff (Exclusive)

#hate

Happy game week and we hope that you're ready for tomorrow's Penn State game at Temple. Ahead of this matchup, I sent a few questions to Steve Helwick of Underdog Dynasty to preview this game. Steve is a regular around these parts with our opponent Q and A and you should head to our sister site to read more about Temple – and the rest of their conference brethren. Here's what Steve had to say about tomorrow's game.
It's year two for K.C. Keeler at Temple. He went 5-7 in his first year in Philadelphia. What do you make of his fit at Temple and what are expectations for the Owls the rest of this season?
K.C. Keeler has already proven to be an excellent fit at Temple. His résumé speaks for itself, and he is a proven winner even with a lack of resources. He won FCS national championships at both Delaware and Sam Houston, but his 10-win season at Sam Houston in year two of FBS membership might be his magnum opus. Additionally, he's a great fit since he has publicly declared this will be his final job, which promises Temple players and staffers a sense of stability.
Keeler walked into Philadelphia last year and immediately turned Temple into a 5-win team, after the Owls hadn't won more than three games in the entire 2020s. Temple fell one point short of both service academies, and flipping either result would have pushed the program into the postseason.
Temple played incredibly sound football in Keeler's first season, only losing four turnovers the entire year. The Owls should have lofty expectations considering they didn't lose a single starter to the transfer portal. However, they lack experience at quarterback and replacing Evan Simon is no easy task, which could present some challenges offensively. I would label bowl eligibility as a reasonable and attainable goal for this 2026 team.

2. There's a quarterback controversy right now, including former Penn Stater Jaxon Smolik. Where does that stand now and what do you expect from the offense against Penn State?

#year #penn

In just over a week, former staffers for John Fetterman, D-Pa., are planning to go public with inside details after expressing what they called disgust at his work as a legislator.
"We're a group of former campaign & Senate staffers for John Fetterman who are disgusted with what he's become. If you were troubled by yesterday's Wall Street Journal story... trust us, that's just the tip of the iceberg," the group wrote in a post to X.
"It's even worse than you thought."
The new social media account, which is calling itself "Former Fetterman Staffers" (FFS) alleges it will reveal additional unflattering details of the embattled senator's office as he also faces blowback over Wall Street Journal reporting chronicling his reluctance to engage in the basic duties of his office.
Fetterman Faces Dem Revolt As Bombshell Report Fuels Push To Oust Him: 'Disgrace'

#faces

By Yasmeen Abutaleb and Dan Levine
WASHINGTON, Sept 3 (Reuters) - U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asked his new CDC director to remove a reference to two Pennsylvania deaths from the agency's online measles tally after he questioned whether the disease contributed to the fatalities, three sources familiar with the situation said.
Kennedy's request came after CDC staffers had already ‌accepted the state's characterization of the deaths as linked to measles, a Pennsylvania official said.
Despite that, Erica Schwartz, the recently appointed director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ‌agreed with Kennedy's directive and implemented it without objection, said the three sources familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The move followed a heated exchange on social media between Kennedy, a long-time anti-vaccine activist appointed by President Donald Trump, and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a Democrat. The two officials accused each other of politicizing the outbreak in Pennsylvania, the latest state to grapple with a resurgence of measles since the Trump administration took office.

#pennsylvania #measles #three #familiar

The Athletic has determined that former NFL reporter Dianna Russini violated newsroom standards with her relationship with Mike Vrabel, the head coach of the New England Patriots.
On Thursday, The New York Times-owned Athletic released the findings of the newspaper's internal investigation into 51-year-old Vrabel and 43-year-old Russini's relationship.
Conducted by Mike Semel, an editorial director for standards and quality at The Athletic, the report comes after Russini resigned from her role in April following outrage over pictures that emerged of her and Vrabel — who are both married to other people — hugging and holding hands.
Although the review concluded that Russini violated her workplace's conflict-of-interest rules by not disclosing her relationship with the coach, Semel did not find any inaccuracies in her reporting about Vrabel or his teams. He reviewed 903 articles, 204 podcast episodes, and 77 videos, and conducted 14 interviews with staffers at the paper before coming to a conclusion.
"Russini's relationship with Vrabel was in clear violation of The Athletic's standards," the report said. "Regardless of whether the relationship was romantic, it was a breach and should have been disclosed."

#relationship #russini #semel

WASHINGTON (AP) — Parasitic illness cases linked to recalled iceberg lettuce have now been confirmed in 20 states, federal health officials said Thursday, expanding the scope of the largest outbreak of its kind in the U.S.
The Food and Drug Administration said government scientists have now identified cases in three additional states: Georgia, Tennessee and Texas.
The tally of people sickened by the parasite is now 11,458, up from about 10,900 reported last week.
The FDA, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health officials have focused their investigation on lettuce grown at a farm in central Mexico operated by Taylor Farms, a major U.S. produce supplier.
The FDA said its staffers are continuing to inspect and test produce at the farm, in cooperation with officials from the Mexican government. The U.S. agency said it "remains confident that all recalled iceberg lettuce related to this specific cyclospora outbreak is off the market."

#lettuce #states #Health

UTA CEO David Kramer accused Variety executive editor Matt Donnelly of threatening the talent agency and engaging in hostile behavior toward female UTA employees after the publication of a critical story Wednesday.
In a memo to staff, Kramer said Donnelly had described UTA as a "flagrant and hostile enemy" in an email. He also quoted a text in which the reporter allegedly warned there would "be consequences both from Variety/PMC and myself."
Kramer further claimed Donnelly had told UTA employees he intended to damage the agency's business and had "recently subjected women at UTA to hostile and unprofessional behavior."
"That does not live up to any editorial standard," Kramer wrote. "We will not tolerate it."
A UTA insider told TheWrap of Donnelly's behavior towards the agency's staffers: "He calls them stupid. He calls them lazy. He calls them inept to their faces."

#kramer #employees

NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly 200 activists in Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s "Make America Healthy Again" movement are criticizing President Donald Trump's promotion of coal to fuel the rise of artificial intelligence data centers, according to a letter sent Friday.
The letter, signed by at least two former staffers from Kennedy's 2024 presidential campaign, marks the first major MAHA movement mobilization over fossil fuels and the latest in a series of rifts between the diverse group of activists and the Trump administration over environmental policy.
The letter to Trump, Kennedy and various other Cabinet officials, first obtained by The ******* ociated Press, laments a 2025 executive order that aimed to boost coal to power data centers over pollution concerns and asks the administration to consider renewable options, including solar and geothermal energy.
"We understand the importance of American leadership in artificial intelligence, national security, innovation, and economic growth," the letter reads. "But American AI leadership should not come at the cost of a more toxic burden for American children."
In response, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers noted that greenhouse gas emissions dropped to a 30-year low during Trump's first term and said Trump "was given a mandate to roll back the radical climate policies that are burning a hole through taxpayers' wallets."

#kennedy #coal #intelligence

EAST QUOGUE, N.Y. — There are few surprises more delectable for a culture writer than walking into a room full of people all dressed alike unintentionally. That's how you know you've found yourself among an insular tribe, that you've fallen through a portal to a world with its own unspoken customs and idols.
Bethenny Frankel's Supermodel Café, a bagel and coffee pop-up tucked into a picturesque Southampton storefront, is exactly such a room. And 10 minutes after it opened to the public on Aug. 13, I am fighting for my life trying to order a Cookie ******* er Latte as the entire pink-and-white ******* e is swarmed by glamorous women and girls in the same color palette.
Dresses are lacy and ruffled; accessories are gold and raffia; cheeks are blushed and bronzed within an inch of their lives. The handbags are uniformly beige and brown leather, and every fingernail in the building is tastefully manicured in pink or white, even on the young girls. The line outside curls all the way around the block.
The line grows as staffers hand out candy, refreshments and light bites. - (Bea Oyster/The Washington Post)
And what brings all these gals here today? What are they most dying to try?

#room

The most unique ballpark innovation in Major League Baseball this season was conceived through something many millions of people do every day: Doomscrolling on Instagram
Last October, Malcolm Rogel, the Seattle Mariners' vice president of fan experience, started seeing videos of Florence, Italy's historic buchetta del vino — wine windows carved out of holes in the wall that originated in the 16th and 17th century. Knock on an ancient set of tiny, non-descript wooden doors during operating hours, and get sold a libation in one of the most unique ways possible. Rogel texted Megan Murray, the district manager at Sodexo Live, which operates concessions at the Mariners' T-Mobile Park, and asked if this concept could be replicated at the stadium.
Over the cold, rainy offseason, Rogel and Murray went to work on bringing this idea to life. Rogel's father-in-law built a wooden door in the shape of home plate. His close friend's son welded a door knocker in the shape of the Mariners' classic trident logo. Murray toured the ballpark with Seattle's liquor control board to get approval for the concept and the location of the door, which opens up to sinks and closets in the back and counter ***** e with enough room for up to seven staffers to safely work within the location's tight confines.
On opening day, the Mariners' Sea-cret Door was born as a speakeasy selling one specialty ***** tail per game, with the concept spread strictly through social media influencers and word of mouth. There's been no team advertising and no mention of the door on radio or TV broadcasts all season — the door's location purposefully kept secret to create a sort of scavenger hunt for fans searching for it at the park.
While it took until the seventh inning of the first game for the drink special to sell out its roughly 100 orders, now the offering is bought up within the first hour or so, with a full queue forming in about 12-15 minutes. Yet Rogel and Murray decided early on that the door wouldn't be open every game, and would probably only operate during about 30 of the team's 81 home games. And when the door isn't open, the M's bolt a storage bin in front of the wall to preserve its location and identity.

#Mariners #concept

NASHVILLE – The biggest ballroom in this downtown Nashville hotel is overflowing — standing-room-only — and College Football Hall-of-Famer Mack Brown is holding court.
Brown — the last coach to win a national championship at Texas and North Carolina's winningest coach — is explaining why fifth place beats second.
On the talent-acquisition trail, that is.
At this moment, he's the champagne cork to the seventh annual Personnel and Recruiting Symposium — a 48-hour event spanning parts of three days. For 1,600 staffers from 160 schools it's the networking equivalent of the NCAA transfer portal they navigate and the social equivalent of the record-label parties that dot this city during Country Music's awards season.
"I've been doing this 50 years; they've been doing it (the recruiting process) six months," Brown tells the crowd. "And so many times, people in this room or ******* istant coaches didn't want to ask hard questions because you are afraid you'll get the wrong answer. I wanted to get an answer. I'd a lot rather be fifth than second. If you are second, you lose the next two, so I either wanted to get him or get out.

#recruiting #room #coach

When the Tennessee **** ans took the practice field on Aug. 15 just a shade before 2:30 p.m., the AccuWeather "RealFeel" was 110 degrees and the heat index was a much-milder 104 in Nashville. So let's start off **** ans observations by highlighting the real heroes of the day: the hydration squad.
By The Tennessean's count, the **** ans had at least a dozen water runners on the field at all times. After practice, one of the staffers estimated for The Tennessean that they went through the equivalent of 20-30 bags of ice to make everything work. This is part of an **** embly-line process wherein the water runners bring caddies of four-to-six squeeze-top water bottles over to a golf cart with three multi-gallon coolers filled with ice water and a big green ladle. Some of the squeeze bottles are marked off with tape or elastic wristbands to signify they're the ones to be spiked with electrolyte powders and packets from companies like LMNT (specifically the raspberry flavor) and DripDrop. The cart is also stocked with dozens of fresh towels and mini bottles of Gatorade on ice to be used as needed.
During the 10 minutes of the opening team period alone, staffers refilled 29 water bottles.
The all-hands-on-deck mentality was evident. One staffer joking asked media in the middle of practice to hop over the ropes and help "water the players." The **** ans even took a 10-minute halftime in practice so players could go into the cold room and cool off.
"You acclimate yourself to this weather," coach Robert Saleh said. "The first couple of weeks of September you don't know what the heck you're going to get. It could be 93 degrees with 90% humidity or it could be a cool fall day in the upper Midwest. You just don't know."

#took #degrees #staffers

When the Tennessee ******* ans took the practice field on Aug. 15 just a shade before 2:30 p.m., the AccuWeather "RealFeel" was 110 degrees and the heat index was a much-milder 104 in Nashville. So let's start off ******* ans observations by highlighting the real heroes of the day: the hydration squad.
By The Tennessean's count, the ******* ans had at least a dozen water runners on the field at all times. After practice, one of the staffers estimated for The Tennessean that they went through the equivalent of 20-30 bags of ice to make everything work. This is part of an ******* embly-line process wherein the water runners bring caddies of four-to-six squeeze-top water bottles over to a golf cart with three multi-gallon coolers filled with ice water and a big green ladle. Some of the squeeze bottles are marked off with tape or elastic wristbands to signify they're the ones to be spiked with electrolyte powders and packets from companies like LMNT (specifically the raspberry flavor) and DripDrop. The cart is also stocked with dozens of fresh towels and mini bottles of Gatorade on ice to be used as needed.
During the 10 minutes of the opening team period alone, staffers refilled 29 water bottles.
The all-hands-on-deck mentality was evident. One staffer joking asked media in the middle of practice to hop over the ropes and help "water the players." The ******* ans even took a 10-minute halftime in practice so players could go into the cold room and cool off.
"You acclimate yourself to this weather," coach Robert Saleh said. "The first couple of weeks of September you don't know what the heck you're going to get. It could be 93 degrees with 90% humidity or it could be a cool fall day in the upper Midwest. You just don't know."

#water #Titans

Only Murders In The Building and Waverly Place star Selena Gomez is sounding fairly ******* off this week, denouncing a recent fraud lawsuit launched against her mental health wellness brand Wondermind. Per People, the lawsuit was aimed at Gomez, her mother Mandy Teefey, and former Wondermind co-CEO Daniella Pierson, claiming the trio "falsely represented" the company's "infrastructure, leadership, and resources" while soliciting more than a million dollars in investments—which is a fancy way to say that there have been a lot of allegations that, while the company sold itself as being able to capitalize on Gomez's massive celebrity and social media following (something that's made her cosmetics company Rare Beauty a reportedly billion-dollar business), in actuality, it was being run almost entirely by Teefey, with very little involvement from her famous daughter.
All of this was laid out in a fairly brutal September 2025 article in The Cut, which talked to several anonymous former Wondermind employees about the not-especially-pleasant-sounding experience of working for Teefey, who the article portrayed as unwell, disorganized, and generally not up to the strain of running a company alone. (Pierson, founder of The Newsette—and the subject of her own takedown article in Forbes last year—exited Wondermind a year after its 2021 founding, reportedly after conflict with Teefey.) The lawsuit says investors got seriously worried about getting their money back when Forbes ran a report back in May 2025 that the company had failed to pay its employees; Gomez reportedly stepped in to cover the debts.
(Meanwhile, if you're wondering what Wondermind—which bills itself as "The World's First Mental Fitness Ecosystem—actually does or makes, the answer is: Not very much, as far as we can tell. The site has run a blog, which has only intermittently been updated in recent years, and ran two short-lived podcasts in the past. But plans for snack offerings, a docuseries about Venus Williams, an app, and film projects have all failed to materialize. Many of the staffers quoted in The Cut article noted that Teefey—whose biggest professional success was pretty objectively the period where she served as Gomez's manager in the early years of her career, before being fired by her daughter in 2014—was good at suggesting projects, but not at actually bringing them to fruition.)
Gomez, like we said, sounds pretty angry to be getting her name and brand dragged through the mud with all this. Per People, her legal team put out a statement this weekend, stating that "The allegations that Selena Gomez engaged in any way whatsoever in any purported 'fraud' or other wrongdoing are completely meritless, both factually and legally. We will vigorously defend these false allegations and indeed are filing a motion to dismiss the baseless claims against her." Teefey and Pierson, both named as co-defendants, haven't made public statements as of yet.

#gomez #lawsuit #allegations #selen

Howard Stern's workplace culture faced fresh scrutiny after insiders described unusual rules around the radio star. Staff members allegedly received warnings before company gatherings about approaching Stern directly.
The claims painted a tense picture inside the SiriusXM operation, with one source comparing the environment to a "cult."
Multiple insiders told The U.S. Sun that staffers faced strict expectations around Stern, 72. One source claimed employees received warnings before company parties.
"People were warned before any company parties not to speak to Howard," the insider alleged. The source added that employees had "actually gotten fired for it."
Stern had reportedly addressed similar rumors previously and denied any order against speaking with him. However, the insider claimed those warnings continued despite his response.

#warnings

Two days after their first scrimmage of the summer, the Tennessee ****** ans are back at Vanderbilt Health Football Center for another training camp practice.
The ****** ans held their Blue and White Scrimmage on Aug. 7 at Nissan Stadium, showing their progress in front of fans in a scrimmage format for the first time. Now on Aug. 9, the ****** ans are back at the practice facility for their final practice before heading off to California for a week that includes a joint practice and a preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers.
In this final practice before leaving, the ****** ans will continue working on installing coach Robert Saleh's defense and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll's scheme.
Follow below for top coverage and live updates from The Tennessean staffers on-hand for the practice.
Jeffery Simmons also said his actions were inappropriate after throwing a punch in scuffle that resulted in Simmons being tossed from practice earlier this week.

#practice #scrimmage #week

DAZN, 5:00 am ET Teremoana Teremoana vs DeAndre Savage
From Gold Coast, Australia. Teremoana was a breakout from the 2024 Paris Olympics, arguably the 2nd best in the big boy division. Unfortunately, he caught a bad bracket and had to face professional Olympian Bakhodir Jalolov before the medal rounds. But, he earned himself enough attention to kickstart a pro career, and headlines the show in just his 12th professional outing. Savage is a 35 year old American with an 11-1 (11 KO) record, and much will be said about that in the commentary buildup to the main event. But, he's fought most of his career in Colombia and Mexico, and his two fights in the USA resulted in a no contest and his only pro loss. Michael Zerafa appears in support here against BoxRec's 194th ranked middleweight, Alejandro Ortiz. Teremoana is very exciting… But, a 5 am Wednesday start for a relatively unknown prospect isn't exactly a live coverage gold mine. So, this will be a follow along thread in The Feed!, and I'd expect at least one or two of the staffers here to jump in for the main event.
From Johnson City, Tennessee. It's the greatest event in the boxing-adjacent business, and arguably one of the greatest sporting shows of any kind in modern America. If you're new to the Brawl, here's the recap of Brawl #13 . Dozens of amateur fights with three one-minute rounds, fast pace, lots of action and excitement, and an unconventional but delightful commentary team guiding you through it all. The main event here features Frankie LaPenna, a Michigan man who apparently got online famous doing videos while wearing a fake ****** , taking on brawl regular Sasquatch. Catfish Cooley is out from commentary again, with Stalekracker, a former police officer who now cooks Cajun food online to promote his thriving spice business and has a vibe that can best be described as a hybrid of Guy Fieri and Dog the Bounty Hunter, subbing in as a guest. Many beloved favorites return, including Tennessee Cornbread, Lil' Smokey, Man Bear Pig vs Hook Hogan, Big Daddy T, and Lil' Terry fighting Lil' Fire after Fire knocked out Terry's brother Larry in 10 seconds in the last brawl. It's $22.99, and it's the best entertainment value you'll ever get.
ON THE UNDERCARD: Let's spotlight some exciting new names, shall we? How about The Intubator? Can House Arrest handle the Macho Man? Any interest in The Toothless ****** assin or Take-A-Shot Brandi? Wet Willie? One Leg Big Ed? Discount Destroyer? Mullet Trash? And, which will be the lady fight of the night? Throat Goat vs Big Thumper? Or 1st Class White Trash vs Trainwreck Tracy?
From Atlanta, Georgia, for Scott's WBC and WBA middleweight ****** les. Shields is the self proclaimed "GWOAT," ("Greatest Woman of All Time, presumably because Fran Drescher's lawyers are very protective of copyright) and effectively out of real challenges because of the talent gap between her and anyone near her size. Shields dabbled in MMA, tried to make being a female heavyweigh

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Ethics Committee recommended Monday that Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., be censured after finding that he engaged in persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct toward two young female aides in his congressional office.
A censure registers the House's deep disapproval of a lawmaker's conduct that does not meet the threshold for expulsion.
Edwards, 65, has denied that any of his conduct was intended as a ******* ual or romantic advance, but the committee said his behavior would "lead a reasonable observer to interpret it as such." It also described his actions as "beyond inappropriate."
The panel highlighted numerous examples of actions it considered improper, including Edwards providing the young women with lavish and recurrent gifts, making comments regarding their appearance and dress, inviting them to intimate dinners and vacations, and sending notes regarding his affection.
The Ethics panel found no evidence Edwards explicitly propositioned any person under his employ or engaged in any ******* ual activity with them. But it also said he failed to adhere to "the spirit of rules prohibiting ******* ual harassment of and unwanted advances to House staffers."

#House

Just two days after the start of fall camp, one of New Mexico State's key ***** istants is no longer with the program.
NMSU ***** istant head coach, general manager and running backs coach David Cobb was fired after a university review, a program spokesperson told the Journal on Friday.
Cobb, 33, had served in a variety of roles on NMSU's staff since 2023. Considered one of the Aggies' most valuable staffers, he was promoted to ***** istant head coach and general manager in January 2025.
It is unclear why the university fired Cobb.
"Before the start of football camp, David Cobb was placed on administrative leave," an NMSU spokesman said in a statement to the Journal. "Following the university's review process, coach Cobb was separated from the program and the university.

#coach #program

Picture this: It's December 2033. Puerto Rico's "Huracan Azul," ("Blue Hurricane"), the national soccer team in a country better known for baseball, basketball, and boxing, face off against Scotland in the Deutsche Bank Men's World Cup, brought to you by Fanatics—your home for World Cup swag. Until this winter, Puerto Rico had never qualified for a major tournament; Scotland, meanwhile, had never qualified for the knockout round in a World Cup. As the teams kick off play at Saudi Arabia's NEOM, you idly watch, wondering if an upset will take place.
It won't; Scotland quickly score once, twice, three times. The score is 4–0 by the time the referee whistles for the Michelob ULTRA Hydration Break to take place. It's 5–0 at halftime; Puerto Rico scores a consolation goal before the second hydration break, but the Scots hang three more in the final minutes as the game finishes 8–1. As the game ends, bored spectators streaming out, the camera briefly flashes on the luxury boxes. A grinning Gianni Infantino, the FIFA commissioner, mugs obscenely with the Saudi king and other potentates. History, of a kind, has happened.
If you see nothing wrong with this, you're probably either one of Infantino's staffers or a blood relation. Certainly, Infantino thinks such a display would be amazing. According to The Times of London, the FIFA chief is working closely with Thrive Capital's Joshua Kushner (brother of Jared Kushner!) and JP Morgan on a proposition that would all but radically transform the men's and women's World Cups as we know them, and not coincidentally shovel millions into his acquisitive little mittens. The proposal—now roundly condemned by virtually everyone who's heard about it, including Britain's new prime minister—involves creating a private company that would control the World Cups. Each of FIFA's 211 national member ****** ociations would have a financial stake, estimated at around $20 million each. The Times estimates that the company would be valued at around $20 billion.
The report makes for wild reading. Now, stop for a moment. Think of how quickly and quietly this whole thing went from "consultations" to a set of signed, nonbinding agreements. This isn't an idle contrivance, set for a slow burn; banks like JP Morgan and people like Kushner don't engage in that kind of deal. This is a fast-moving plan of action, set in motion before anyone outside of FIFA's holiest of holies in Zurich even knew what was going down.
Suffice it to say: It's a spectacularly bad idea. The pressure to expand the World Cups, to play them every other year, or even annually, would be immense. The arm twisting to turn them into something that would make college bowl season look staid and decorous would be even greater.

#World #cups #times

Sources suggest that King Charles's offer for Prince Harry to stay at Buckingham Palace on his next visit may upset staff. They claim that their resentment over Harry's memoir and interviews is still there. This comes amid reports that Charles extended an olive branch to his younger son ahead of his next UK visit for various engagements around the annual WellChild Awards.
Rob Shuter's Naughty But Nice reported that the palace staffers were "furious" when Prince Harry was offered palace accommodation during his recent UK visit. Additionally, insiders note that their feelings haven't changed and they still oppose his upcoming stay. The insider said, "The King may want Harry under his roof, but many of the people who work there don't. They felt deeply betrayed by everything that followed Spare and the interviews, and that resentment is still very real."
The source further claimed that staff opposition played a key role in the earlier cancellation of Harry's stay. While things will remain professional on the surface, the source added that this should not be mistaken for forgiveness. According to the source, those are "two different things." Despite the opposition from staffers, the monarch remains determined to make things right with Harry. The source stated that he would continue offering olive branches as part of this effort.
"Reconciliation isn't just about repairing a relationship between father and son. Harry also has to win back the people who keep the monarchy running every day—and that may be the toughest challenge of all. Don't be surprised if there's an unusual number of staff calling in sick the week he arrives," the insider continued.
Prince Harry is expected to return to the UK in September. However, it remains unclear if he would come alone or be joined by his family. Sources earlier shared that this time, the Duke of Sussex will accept the palace stay offer well in advance. Last time, his delay in acceptance allegedly led to cancellation.

#stay #source #sources

Prince Harry reportedly doesn't just need to get back into the good graces of his father, King Charles III — he must prove himself to palace staff.
Rob Shuter previously reported in his Tuesday, July 14 edition of the Naughty But Nice Substack that royal staff didn't want the Duke of Sussex, 41, to stay at the palace during his visit to Britain earlier this month.
The Spare author is supposed to be back in England in September for engagements surrounding the WellChild Awards, and Charles, 77, may extend an invitation for Harry to stay at the palace during his visit, The Sun reported on Sunday, July 26.
However, in the Tuesday, July 28 edition of Naughty But Nice, a source said that "nothing has changed" with palace staffers' feelings.
WP#JRAK/WENN/Newscom/The Mega Agency

#tuesday

Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) said Wednesday that Congress has a "culture of creepiness" when it came to members approaching and soliciting staffers.
Cammack told MeidasTouch's Pablo Manríquez that she "wouldn't feel comfortable sending" her "daughter to work here" in the current congressional environment.
Her comments came after Rep. Jeff Crank (R-Colo.) unveiled a resolution that would mandate lawmakers to confidentially disclose relationships with staffers in other offices or committees to the House Ethics Committee.
"I think we would be better off if members were more focused on their work than enhancing their love life," Cammack said.
She commended the resolution in addressing the power dynamics of these situations.

#resolution

Rep. Jeff Crank (R-Colo.) on Wednesday introduced a resolution requiring House lawmakers to disclose relationships with staffers of other offices or committees to the lower chamber's Committee on Ethics.
Crank's resolution proposes upholding the existing ban on lawmakers from dating their staffers or staffers of a committee they serve on. It also proposes mandating lawmakers confidentially disclose relationships with staffers in other offices or committees to the Ethics panel.
If the circumstances of the relationship changes, members must then give "prompt notification" to the committee.
Under the House Code of Official Conduct, members cannot engage in a "sexual relationship" with their staffers or staffers of committees they work on, with an exception for marriage.
While lawmakers cannot engage in "unwelcome ***** ual advances or conduct" to House employees, the code of conduct does not explicitly bar relationships between members and staffers of other offices and committees.

#staffers #relationships

ESPN and the rest of the sports media industry were left reeling Tuesday as the Mothership ejected approximately 10 on-air talents, while pink-slipping a large contingent of behind-the-scenes staffers at NFL Network.
After speaking with multiple sources, here are my five takeaways from the layoffs, which included ESPN dropping talents such as Ryan Clark, Karl Ravech, David Lloyd, Tom Pelissero, Cam Newton, and Bart Scott:
Chairman Jimmy Pitaro made it clear that ESPN's biggest round of layoffs in three years was tied directly to Disney's acquisition of NFL Network. Anytime two companies merge, the bean counters look at who's doing what. When they find two people doing the same job—or close to it—one goes out the door.

That's what's happening as ESPN absorbs a network it competed with for over 20 years. ESPN has made "significant progress" integrating NFLN, Pitaro wrote in an internal memo obtained by Front Office Sports. But as always with mergers, it "had to make some difficult decisions," added Pitaro.
ESPN will broadcast its first-ever Super Bowl from SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Feb. 14, 2027. Televising a Super Bowl has been a corporate dream of ESPN's since its founding as a scrappy wannabe in 1979. ESPN management and parent company Disney are laser-focused on creating the best, most thorough Super Bowl coverage ever. Anybody on-air during what ESPN is humbly calling its "Year of the Super Bowl" will go down in company history. The competition for those choice on-air slots will be brutal.
The game announce team of Troy Aikman, Joe Buck, Lisa Salters, and Laura Rutledge are locks. Ditto for Sunday NFL Countdown regulars Mike Greenberg, Rex Ryan, Randy Moss, Alex Smith, Tedy Bruschi and Adam Schefter. And look for legendary anchor Chris Berman to play a major role as the living embodiment of ESPN's 47-year history.

#espn #network #sports #talents

Speaker Mike Johnson doesn't think members of Congress should be romantically involved with House staffers — even if the staffers don't work for them.
Johnson weighed in during a news conference Tuesday on what has been a hotly debated topic on Capitol Hill: Should members of Congress be allowed to pursue relationships with staffers outside of their own offices? Johnson said it's an easy call for him: They should not.
"I can't believe it would be acceptable in any situation," Johnson said of lawmakers dating any staffers in the House. "I think we should as a bare minimum in Congress have rules and traditions that are adhered to in corporate America, so that is an easy one for me."
Johnson's comments come as efforts to reduce harassment on Capitol Hill are ramping up and as a bipartisan working group is targeting reforms aimed at making Congress a safer and more professional environment for women.
The issue of whether members should be allowed to date staffers outside their office has been at the center of a debate about how to stamp out **** ual harassment on the Hill. Many members argued in the days after the resignations of Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell and Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales that lawmakers should be barred from any **** ual relationships with House staff — not just those who worked for them.

#johnson #House #capitol

Sources claim that Donald Trump and Melania Trump's marriage has hit a new low, with the couple reportedly "barely speaking" to each other. The pair tied the knot on January 22, 2005, and share one child, their son Barron Trump. While they have been married for nearly 21 years, reports suggest that their relationship has recently hit a rough patch.
All is reportedly not well in Donald Trump and Melania Trump's marriage, according to a report by The Daily Beast. Author Michael Wolff wrote a post on Substack to shed light on the matter. In his latest column, he claimed that White House staffers are afraid of Melania's unpredictability and the influence she holds.
"Everybody in the White House is afraid of Melania Trump and her power—that is, if she chooses to use it," Wolff wrote. They do not think she would use that power to threaten the administration. However, they cannot be certain, the author stated.
Wolff further claimed that amid all this, Donald and Melania's relationship is "at its lowest point." According to the author, the couple barely speak to each other, adding, "There is hardly even the pretense that she lives in the White House."
Melania is reportedly living in New York instead of residing full-time with her husband in Washington. Wolff also claimed that the White House is concerned about what Melania's next business moves could be. He wrote, "Of all the self-dealing among Trump family members, Melania's moves—not just about money, but about calling attention to herself—are seen as most disturbing to the White House, and most in danger of putting her on a collision course with the president."

FIRST ON FOX: A far-left "Squad" Democrat is facing scrutiny after spending thousands of dollars in donor cash at lavish hotels nearly 2,000 miles away from her home district, a Fox News Digital review of FEC records found.
"Squad" Rep. Ilhan Omar's, D-Minn., campaign dropped over $6K on high-end hotels and private transportation between April and June, including payments to a Ritz-Carlton resort in Palm Springs, a hotel with sweeping views from the Hollywood Sign to downtown Los Angeles, and a luxury stay in the heart of Times Square, the congresswoman's latest financial filings show.
The payments, covering April 1 through June 30, included $2,131.90 to W New York in Times Square, $1,613.23 to The Godfrey Hotel Hollywood, $1,143 to Blacklane Transportation, $926.80 to Ace Hotel & Swim Club Palm Springs and $682.41 to the Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings.
Overall, the campaign reported more than $28,000 in travel expenses and more than $23,000 in food, beverage and catering expenses during the three-month filing period.
Schumer Dodges Questions After Bombshell Report Alleges Dem Senator Had Relationships With House Staffers

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., declined to weigh in on the latest scandal to hit a member of his party, instead focusing on his planned diatribe against President Donald Trump's primetime address Thursday.
The New York Post reported that Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., engaged in ******* ual relationships with at least two Democratic House staffers who did not work for him while he was a member of the House. According to House rules, members are not barred from having relationships with staffers who work outside their office.
Sources told the outlet it was believed the relationships happened while the lawmaker was unmarried.
Ethics Panel Clears Gallego As Luna Declares, 'Once A Creep, Always A Creep'
When asked to weigh in on the latest scandal involving Gallego, Schumer mentioned his planned speech railing against Trump's scheduled address on foreign interference in the 2020 election Thursday night and told Fox News Digital, "I'm not — I'm focused on this right now."