THE NEWS

We live in an age where cameras are everywhere, and when someone starts throwing around accusations of wild behavior — y’know, like allegations of shoving a ball girl at the French Open — there will probably be some video evidence to prove or disprove that claim.Well, lucky us, we have an example of this.Spain’s Rafael Jodar had just won a five-set match over American Alex Michelsen, but the talk afterward had to do with claims that he shoved a ball girl.ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!A reporter brought this up during his post-match press conference, and Jodar vehemently denied the claim.TENNIS STAR IGA SWIATEK LAMENTS ‘CONSTANT JUDGEMENT’ AFTER FACING HARSH CRITICISM FOR NEARLY HITTING BALL BOYJodar said that the ball girl simply tripped over a rolled-up tarp when he was walking by her, on his way to get something from his dad during a bathroom break (this sounds like something that would happen in Little League).So, let’s look at the tape. He says he didn’t shove a girl who’s just there to chase tennis balls and whatnot, and this reporter thought it looked enough like he did to ask him about it.To the tape!By which I mean social media clip…Yeah… unless he used the Force to do it, I’m going to go ahead and say he didn’t push her.I think this is simply a matter of timing and perspective. It’s clear that Jodar never actually makes contact with his hand, but the timing of the play and the difficulty of judging depth make it look possible — at least on first watch.If you re-watch it even one more time, it’s clear as day, in this humble and handsome writer’s opinion, that he absolutely did not push her.Which raises the question: Why didn’t the reporter watch this a little closer before putting Jodar on blast and making him defend himself?We can give the benefit of the doubt and assume that not all the angles were available yet or hadn’t been posted online. But there was at least one angle clear enough to make the reporter think we had an ol’-fashioned ball girl pushin’ on them clay courts at Roland-Garros.

Screencap of Twitter/X video.
There has been a lot of talk about Spencer Pratt’s AI campaign ads. They’re technically not even from his campaign, they’re being made by supporters, but they’re so well done that they get a lot of attention.
The newest one is very funny.
In the ad, a mother arrives at a hospital with her daughter who she claims is sick. You soon discover that the ‘sickness’ she is suffering from is that she has realized that Spencer Pratt is the most logical choice for mayor of Los Angeles.
The doctor consults with the mother about the daughter’s media consumption habits and hilarity ensues.
Watch the whole thing below. Be sure to watch to the end for all of the funny moments:

Sick of it? Vote Spencer Pratt? pic.twitter.com/3J8Mgjaeg1
— Gene Parmesan (@dsonoiki) May 29, 2026

The ad is getting a lot of praise.

These Spencer Pratt videos by @dsonoiki are better than 99.9% of political consultant ads. He does it again. pic.twitter.com/hemFACa8xZ
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) May 29, 2026

“it starts with a mild cough and then, next thing you know, you hate seeing homeless drug addicts inject your kids”
SO good https://t.co/y3HS0PL93q
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) May 29, 2026

There is a sly self-deprecating satirical feel to these ads which goes unappreciated. They make sophisticated subtle fun of LA’s own self-deluding superficiality, including that of Pratt’s own milieu. This self-awareness is what makes them such striking popular art — and… https://t.co/JT6TDuaAWD
— Walter Kirn (@walterkirn) May 29, 2026

“Its starts with a cough… 6 doses, 6 doses of the LA times”
Something tells me this campaign is beta of what we are about to see in 2028.
You think the ai ads will be wild?
— Jack Diven (@JackDiven) May 29, 2026

Less than a month ago, Pratt seemed like a total longshot. Very few people had ever even heard of him.
Now he is a viral sensation and he is surging in polls. Some celebrities are even getting on board, not that it should make a difference, but it’s remarkable.
All you need to know about Pratt’s success is that Jimmy Kimmel is now attacking him on his unfunny show. That proves that word has gone out. The left is definitely nervous, and they should be.
The post Spencer Pratt’s Newest Viral Campaign Ad Will Make You Laugh Out Loud (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Thursday on “The Alex Marlow Show,” Breitbart Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow talked about the DOJ. Marlow said, “I think when the Justice Department is done investigating E, Jean Carrol, they need to look at the judge.” The Alex Marlow Show, hosted by
The post ‘Breaking the Law’ Author: DOJ’s E. Jean Carroll Investigation Legit; Blanche Should Go After Judge appeared first on Breitbart.

Thursday on “The Alex Marlow Show,” Breitbart Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow talked about Texas. Marlow said, “He said we could have a future like ‘The Jetsons’ if we only acknowledged climate change at the same moment that it seems like all the
The post Talarico Promises Future Like ‘The Jetsons’ if We Fight Climate Change appeared first on Breitbart.

Thursday on “The Alex Marlow Show,” Breitbart Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow talked about the media. Marlow said, “The fraudulent Jake Tapper book that didn’t expose anything, it’s so right. … Halperin is seen as trusted by all sides. So, hopefully that gets
The post Halperin: ‘Fraudulent’ Jake Tapper Book Didn’t Expose Anything About Joe Biden’s Known Decline appeared first on Breitbart.

A federal judge issued a ruling blocking the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts from closing for repairs, and also ordered Trump’s name removed from the institution.
The post Judge Blocks Kennedy Center from Closing for Repairs, Orders Trump Name Removed From Venue appeared first on Breitbart.

Israeli Ambassador to Australia Hillel Newman said on Wednesday that renewed military action against Iran is possible if Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities are not neutralized by a prospective peace deal with the United States.
The post Israel Suggests Renewing Iran Military Strikes if U.S. Deal Does Not Materialize appeared first on Breitbart.

This week the economy failed to get indigestion from the high price of gas, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told us about getting fed at the Fed, Trump put something new in the app stores, and everyone started dreaming about putting a couple of Donalds in their wallet.
The post Breitbart Business Digest: Stacking Those $250 Trump Bills appeared first on Breitbart.

Iranian Opposition News Outlet Got $800 Million In Debt Relief: Report

Via Middle East Eye

An $870m debt-relief deal suggests that Iran International, an Iranian opposition outlet, has ties to Saudi Arabian investors, according to a Financial Times report on Thursday. The links stem from documents related to a debt-for-equity swap that Iran International conducted in December to shore up its finances. Iran International has spent hundreds of millions of dollars since its founding in 2017 by British-Saudi investors, the FT reported.

According to the report, Iran International’s parent company, Volant Media UK, has lost more than $550m over the past five years, and it owes related entities about $645m. Those numbers came from documents that the FT reported as covering the financial year ending December 2024.
via AFP

Iran International says it is the “most popular Persian speaking foreign based news channel in Iran”.It employs 700 people and broadcasts into Iran from London via satellite, radio and social media outlets.

Iran International has been accused by critics of promoting “regime change” in Iran and advancing the position of the former shah’s son, Reza Pahlavi, for a return to power. The outlet has long denied links to Israel or Saudi Arabia.

Iran International reported heavily on protests that struck Iran at the beginning of this year, sparked by a cost-of-living crisis brought on, in part, by US sanctions.

In January 2025, the news site reported that more than 36,500 people were killed in a crackdown on protests. Those numbers were significantly higher than those estimated by the US and other western-based human rights groups.

US President Donald Trump cited casualty numbers similar to those reported by Iran International days before launching a war on Iran on February 28, but did not disclose where he had gotten the death toll number.

Links

A New York Times report from April said that Israel also lobbied Trump to intervene in Iran, citing the protests that engulfed the country. Israel told the US that Mossad, Israel’s intelligence service, could assist in “fomenting” further riots and rebellions to collapse the Islamic Republic.

According to the FT, Volant Media issued an allotment of 648 million shares, valued at about $870m, on December 13.

On that day, all of Volant’s original 50,000 shares were transferred from British-Saudi film executive Adel Abdulkarim Alabdulkarim, who is Volant’s company director and secretary, to Info-Cast Cayman Limited, an offshore company, the FT reported.

Alabdulkarim has “significant control” of Volant, the FT reported, citing his ability to appoint or remove the majority of the company’s board of directors. But Info-Cast Cayman was listed as the immediate parent company at year-end 2024.

Saleh Hussain Aldowais is the sole director of Info-Cast Cayman, the FT reported, citing Cayman corporate records. A person with that name is the chief operations officer at the Saudi Arabian state-backed Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG).

SRMG is a publicly traded company in Saudi Arabia that operates over 30 media companies and news outlets, including ASharq Al-Awsat, Arab News and Asharq News, which has a partnership with Bloomberg.

A spokesperson for Iran International told the FT that no new funds were injected into the company as part of the debt-for-equity deal.

They said the network “has never received funding from any government or state entity – including Saudi Arabia or Israel – whether directly or indirectly”.

“Where individuals associated with the business hold other external commercial roles, those interests are entirely separate… held in a personal capacity and have no bearing on the editorial, operational or financial independence of the network,” the person added.

Tyler Durden
Fri, 05/29/2026 – 21:45

A district court judge in Lubbock, Texas, will take center stage Monday afternoon as attorneys for Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby seek a landmark injunction against the NCAA that could allow him to play this season after admitting to placing thousands of bets over the past four years, including on his own team.The gambling saga involving the Red Raiders’ currently ineligible star quarterback has caught the attention of the college athletics world, with his time at Texas Tech potentially coming to an end after just five months.Now, in Lubbock district court documents obtained by OutKick, attorneys for Brendan Sorsby are laying it all on the line in hopes of a judge granting him an injunction to play, and they are basing a portion of their case on the diagnosis of a doctor based at an Arizona rehabilitation center.ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!In hopes of getting a judge to rule against the NCAA, Sorsby’s legal team provided a plethora of information to the court on Friday, including how the quarterback was able to place so many bets while enrolled at Indiana, Cincinnati and Texas Tech.ESPN’s David Purdum was first to report the amount of money wagered.According to a 111-page affidavit filed, the quarterback had placed $90,000 worth of bets over the past four years, dating back to his first year playing for the Indiana Hoosiers. Sorsby, per his attorneys’ filing, used multiple betting apps to place wagers, including FanDuel, Underdog, Hard Rock Bet and PrizePicks.BRENDAN SORSBY ADMITS TO GAMBLING ON HIS OWN TEAM, SUES NCAA IN LUBBOCK COURT FOR INJUNCTIONBut, he did not do this on his own, getting help from friends to place bets on different sports that included the NBA, PGA Tour and MLB, along with college football.The quarterback admitted to transferring at least $60,000 to friends who were placing bets for him.And, the most consequential of them all might have come while he was a scout-team quarterback at Indiana. Sorsby, through the filing, admitted to placing at least 2,900 wagers for over $30,000 during his time in Bloomington.Wagering on his own team cost the Texas Tech QB his eligibilityThe damaging bets came during the 2022 season, when Sorsby says he placed at least 40 different wagers on his own football team during the redshirt season. The court filing says that the quarterback was making bets that ranged from $1 to $114 during a two-month period from September to October of that year.In his defense, Sorsby claims that he only bet on the Hoosiers to win, and that he stopped placing bets prior to playing in his Indiana debut that came against Penn State that season. According to NCAA rules, a player can participate in up to four games and still preserve a redshirt season.But also, NCAA rules prohibit a student-athlete from wagering on any sport that also has a championship game at the collegiate level. This means, betting on your own team to win is obviously against the rules. For this, along with thousands of other bets placed on different sports, the NCAA has deemed Sorsby ineligible for the upcoming 2026 season.In a previous motion, attorneys representing Sorsby blamed the NCAA for not supporting the quarterback during this situation, and rather using his gambling addiction against him.”Mr. Sorsby is currently ineligible to play for Texas Tech due to prior violations of the NCAA’s sports gambling rules. Rather than support a student-athlete’s recovery from a gambling addiction, the NCAA has weaponized his condition to shore up a facade of competitive integrity,” the complaint read.While Sorsby contends that he “never bet on the Indiana team and/or individual members of the team in a game in which he participated. He did not engage in any activity designed to influence the outcome or integrity of an intercollegiate contest or in an effort to affect win-loss margins”, he is fighting an uphill battle.Gambling only continued with the Red Raiders, using friends to place betsThere were questions as to whether Sorsby had stopped gambling after enrolling at Texas Tech, but the quarterback admitted in the filing that his addiction continued to spiral while in Lubbock.Documents state that Brendan was using accounts belonging to two friends to place bets, while admitting to sending $5,000 to those same friends so they could gamble on MLB, NBA and PGA Tour events for him.”Given the money I had and earned from NIL, the total amount of money I made from 2022 to 2025 was not a big deal to me. I never kept track of my betting over time, but I’m pretty sure I lost more than I won,” Sorsby said in the filing.TED CRUZ, MARIA CANTWELL UNVEIL BIPARTISAN COLLEGE ATHLETICS BILL AMID NIL CHAOS, LAWSUITS, ‘LANE KIFFIN RULE’But, given everything that has transpired over the past four years, with Sorsby recently completing a 35-day stint at a rehabilitation clinic in Arizona, the quarterback is still receiving support from Texas Tech.In a letter to the NCAA on Friday revolving around his fight for reinstatement, the school continued to suggest a two-game suspension would be enough punishment for the crime.”By imposing a two-game suspension on Sorsby and allowing him to continue his final season of eligibility, the NCAA would not be creating bad precedent, nor flouting existing precedent,” the school noted. “This is a case of first, and perhaps last, impression.”Has the NCAA ever had an athlete who admitted to placing thousands of bets, and the only bets on his former team were for his team to win when he was not suited up for the game and when the student’s physician indicated he placed those bets due to an adjustment disorder with anxiety that caused him to place those bets to feel part of the team?”Is the punishment fitting for the crime? Red Raiders fight for SorsbyYes, Texas Tech believes a two-game suspension would be sufficient punishment for Sorsby admitting to placing bets on his former team while he was on the roster.And, the Red Raiders, along with Brendan’s attorneys, are essentially painting the NCAA as the bad guys.”Imposing a career-ending sanction on Sorsby will send the message to current and future athletes hiding in the shadows of the stigma of mental health challenged and addiction that they need to stay silent and never seek help or treatment because the NCAA will take a punitive approach by automatically applying the maximum sanction,” Texas Tech argued.It should be noted that Brendan Sorsby did not come forth with his problems with gambling until the NCAA was made aware of his past transgressions, along with Texas Tech not knowing about the issue when he enrolled at the school. It was a tip to the NCAA that started this investigation.Now, Sorsby, along with Texas Tech and the entire collegiate athletics world, awaits a district court’s ruling that could shake the entire foundation of which we currently live in.