THE NEWS

Reality television personality Spencer Pratt appears on track to clear a key hurdle in Los Angeles’ mayoral race as he seeks to unseat incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in November.Bass, who has led the city since 2022 amid a turbulent stretch rocked by her response to wildfires, advanced to a runoff after failing to secure a majority of the vote in Tuesday’s primary election. With no candidate surpassing the 50% threshold, the top two finishers will face off in a November runoff.The anticipated runoff is a symbolic blow to Bass, who was endorsed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., and former Vice President Kamala Harris and has spent decades serving California in a series of elected Democratic offices.Pratt, a first-time candidate known for the MTV reality show “The Hills,” was running in second place as of Wednesday morning.REALITY TV STAR SPENCER PRATT TESTS LA VOTERS’ APPETITE FOR POLITICAL OUTSIDER”Obviously, God wanted five more months of me exposing the failures of our mayor,” Pratt gloated to reporters as the returns came in Tuesday evening. Pratt has relentlessly hammered Bass on issues that have long plagued the city, including fire recovery, street homelessness and crime. The insurgent candidate holds Bass personally responsible for devastating wildfires that destroyed more than 18,000 structures in the city, including his Pacific Palisades home. Pratt’s surge appears to have shut out Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman, a former ally of Bass who challenged the incumbent from the left and was once viewed as a threat to her bid for a second term. Raman is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America and has argued for steering the city in a more progressive direction.Raman has not yet conceded despite running well behind Bass and Pratt as of Wednesday morning.Pratt, a registered Republican, faces an uphill battle to defeat Bass in November if he advances to the runoff election.Less than 20% of voters in the heavily Democratic city identify with the GOP, though Los Angeles’ mayoral contest is officially nonpartisan. KAREN BASS GRILLED OVER BROKEN HOMELESSNESS PROMISE, BLAMES BUREAUCRACY FOR SLOWED PROGRESSRep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., who represents a San Diego-anchored seat, told Fox News Digital that Pratt has won a following in the mayoral contest due to widespread voter discontent with Bass’ leadership.”He’s catching fire among ardent historic Democrat voters because Karen Bass has been so ineffective,” Issa said in an interview. “And every time she opens her mouth, she’s talking about more of the same to people who have seen their streets, both crime-ridden and in fact … ineffectively managed.” Bass, conversely, argues that her leadership is leading Los Angeles in the right direction.”Los Angeles is at a turning point. After decades of rising homelessness, under-built housing and a shrinking police force, it’s Mayor Karen Bass who finally stepped up to change how City Hall works,” Bass’s website reads.”Homelessness is down, more housing is being built, and the LAPD is hiring new officers,” it also claims.Fox News Digital’s Leo Briceno contributed reporting.

Credit: The White House
President Donald Trump announced a sweeping new crackdown on the financial infrastructure supporting illegal immigration, revealing that his administration will move to shut down bank accounts used to facilitate illegal immigration, human smuggling, cartel activity, and even accounts used to store welfare benefits received by illegal aliens.
The Gateway Pundit reported last month that in a new executive order, the Trump administration directed the Treasury Department to increase scrutiny of financial activity tied to illegal immigration, including potential payroll tax evasion, concealed account ownership, off-the-books wage schemes, labor trafficking, and the use of Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) without verified legal presence documentation.
Banks will now be pressured to strengthen customer identification requirements and think twice before handing out accounts, loans, credit cards, or any financial services to those here illegally.
In a fiery Truth Social post on Tuesday, President Trump declared that illegal immigrants and foreign fraudsters are stealing billions of dollars from American taxpayers every year and vowed that his administration would use every available tool to stop it.
Trump wrote on Truth Social:
Illegal Immigrants and Foreign Fraudsters steal BILLIONS every year from the American Taxpayer.
As part of my Administration’s Historic effort to end FRAUD and reverse MASS ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, I recently signed a powerful new Executive Order, which will be led by the Treasury Department, to stop Banks, Credit Cards, and Financial Institutions from being used to facilitate Human Smuggling, Drug Trafficking, Illegal Immigration, and the Criminal Cartels who orchestrate these activities.
Access to our Nation’s Financial Systems must be limited to those who have a Legal Right to be here, and who are engaged in Lawful and Legitimate Commerce.
Bank Accounts being used to enable Illegal Immigration, or to store the Welfare received by Illegal Aliens, will be shut down, and funds will ultimately face Impoundment and Seizure so they can to be returned to Taxpayers. It is not ludicrous, but profoundly dangerous, that any Illegal Alien can simply present a Blue State Drivers License, or Biden Border Document, and have unrestricted access to the U.S. Financial System.
This also sends a clear message to the anti-ICE rioters that your violent disruptions are only strengthening our resolve.
My Executive Order will also allow us to stop Billions in leaving our Country in all manner of criminal activity. It has been said this measure we are taking is the most effective means of reversing Biden’s Border Invasion. We shall soon find out!

The announcement builds upon President Trump’s Executive Order, “Restoring Integrity to America’s Financial System,” which directs the Treasury Department and federal regulators to strengthen customer identification requirements, target illicit financial activity, and address financial risks associated with illegal immigration.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has been tasked with leading the effort.
Read more:
Trump Moves to Squeeze Illegal Aliens Out of the U.S. Financial System with New Executive Order Targeting Banking Loopholes

The post President Trump Orders Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to FREEZE and SEIZE Illegal Alien Bank Accounts in Historic Assault on the Cartel-Backed Border Invasion appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

In a ruling Friday, District Judge Christopher Cooper ordered the cessation of all repair plans for the Kennedy Center and the removal of Trump’s name from the building within two weeks. It is a detailed and comprehensive opinion, but I believe Judge Cooper is wrong about halting the repairs.I previously expressed skepticism over the claim that the board could order such a change unilaterally. At that time, I raised the very issues that Judge Cooper cited in his rejection of the right to rename the center without congressional approval.I agree with the court on its standing decision, which is hardly a surprise given my past writings in favor of broader standing.FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS TRUMP’S NAME REMOVED FROM KENNEDY CENTER, SAYS ONLY CONGRESS CAN RENAME ITHowever, the opinion becomes more challengeable when the court addresses the decision to close the center for two years to carry out major renovations. The opinion is rife with digs at President Donald Trump for his social media postings and his unilateral plan for a ballroom. Judge Cooper editorializes that “Especially after the demolition of the East Wing of the White House — which occurred out of the blue a few months after President Trump pledged that construction would not ‘interfere with’ and would ‘pay total respect to the existing building’ — there has been understandable concern that the Kennedy Center may be the next target of the wrecking ball.”Judge Cooper accepts that the center is long overdue for major renovations and that the board had the authority to order them. He further rejects the sweeping claims of litigants that Trump was planning to effectively raze the center: “The evidence before the Court does not demonstrate that the Center is poised for wholesale destruction and rebuilding, à la the East Wing.”However, Cooper rules that the board could not have given the decision sufficient time or attention in carrying out the plan. He declared that “None of the board members had sufficient information in advance of the March 16 meeting to make a well-considered decision to close the center.”The court’s tight analysis is lost in supporting the cessation of repairs. While he acknowledges that such repairs have long been planned and studied, he cites differing statements on the plan to continue operations before a later decision to close the center. The court finds that the record illustrates a failure to fulfill the fiduciary duty of the board and chair:BOARD VOTES KENNEDY CENTER TO BE RENAMED ‘TRUMP-KENNEDY CENTER,’ LEAVITT SAYS”Whatever happened during that purported four-month incubation period, Board input was, most evidently, an afterthought. Trustees learned about the plan to close the Center at the same time as the general public, by social media post. Deprived of time and information, they had no meaningful opportunity to consider perhaps the most momentous decision in the Center’s lifetime since it opened in 1971.”That analysis is heavily laden with assumptions about the lack of consideration by the board. The same approach could be used to set aside an array of board decisions that do not evidence sufficient concern or scrutiny to the satisfaction of a judge.Judge Cooper seems to recognize how far the court was taking its own authority in countermanding the decision:MORNING GLORY: MANY FEDERAL JUDGES ARE OVERSTEPPING THEIR POWER, BUT ‘IMPEACHMENT!’ IS NOT THE ANSWER”The Court appreciates that, in both the charitable and corporate spheres, board meetings are often scripted affairs. … The Court should not be heard to suggest that trustees must scrutinize every piece of prefatory work that has been done, or labor through the night debating the relative merits of their decisions in order to discharge their fiduciary duties — especially where, as here, a board is large and comprised of members who may not be well schooled in the subject matter before them.”Yet the court still concludes that this board “seems to have fallen grossly short of prudent decision-making.” That seems like far too subjective and fluid a standard for federal courts to micromanage executive branch decision-making.For example, Judge Cooper recognizes that lawyers were present at the critical meeting, but suggests that they were not relied upon enough due to the lack of direct statements preserved on the record. Since when is there an obligation for counsel to speak and be memorialized in such records? The court writes:TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER’S BOARD VOTES UNANIMOUSLY TO APPROVE $257M RENOVATIONS AND TWO-YEAR CLOSURE”Where were the lawyers? The answer appears to be ‘nowhere.’ The Center’s General Counsel and Associate General Counsel were present at the March 16 Board Meeting but, according to the minutes, did not speak. There is, further, nothing in the record to indicate that the Board relied on any legal advice in reaching the closure decision. It goes without saying that, for all his background in project management and construction, Mr. Floca is no legal expert.”Yet the court answered its own question. Where were the lawyers? They were there. There is simply no record of their views expressed in this meeting, as opposed to other conversations or inquiries. Moreover, lawyers give advice, not commands, to political appointees. The court seems entirely adrift in reading the lack of such references as proof that the decision was made without legal guidance or consultation. Finally, given the thrust and tenor of the decision, I seriously doubt that a notation reading “the lawyers stated that they agreed with this plan” would have made any material difference to the court.CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINIONFor his part, President Trump was equally sweeping and unrestrained in his response. He declared that he would order the Commerce Department to transfer the center to Congress “so they can make a determination as to what to do with it.”Given that Judge Cooper’s order on the cessation of repairs may be reversed, it is unnecessary unless the naming of the center is the overriding consideration. In either case, it would make little sense for the center to be placed under the supervision of Congress. It would be appropriate for Congress to address the naming question as well as potentially weigh in on the need for a closure.In the end, I thought that the court’s cessation analysis conveyed ample reasons why Judge Cooper himself, and others, may be unhappy with how the decision was made. It is less clear why that should matter. There are ample reasons to close the center to facilitate what the court acknowledges will be extensive and major renovations. That construction can only be facilitated and expedited if there is not a simultaneous need to keep a substantial part of the center operating for the public.The administration should appeal the decision and may soon be able to resume work on the center, regardless of its name.CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM JONATHAN TURLEY

1990s rap icon Vanilla Ice refused to play the game when CNN anchor Brianna Keilar tried to guilt him into dropping his performance at the Trump administration-backed Freedom 250 concert series celebrating America’s 250th anniversary.
The “Ice Ice Baby” star delivered a straightforward and patriotic response during a CNN interview with host Brianna Keilar when asked why he still plans to perform at the Freedom 250 celebration while other artists are dropping out.
Keilar pressed the rapper on why he was continuing with the performance after numerous musicians announced their withdrawals from the Great American State Fair and Freedom 250 events.
Keilar pressed him on camera:

“Tell us why you’re still planning on performing even though we’ve heard that from the president when so many other performers are deciding not to.”

Vanilla Ice didn’t flinch. He fired back with a direct, unapologetic defense of American pride and common sense:

“I don’t know, I can only speak for myself and I’m proud to be an American. I was born here and raised here and this is my country and I don’t like anybody telling me I really can’t be proud of it. And this is a huge honor to play the birthday. It’s one in a lifetime, you know, 250. So I’m honored and I just, you know, I, I respect everybody else. I know there’s a lot of tension everywhere.
This whole world is like a snow globe, but it shouldn’t be that. And music is here to bring people together, man. And, you know, it shouldn’t be that this music is dragged into politics. It’s not fair. You know, I’m— I don’t even vote. I’m not a politician. I don’t have anything that— I don’t even have the first thing to say about how to run a country or do anything like that. I think this is a huge honor, and, uh, and I’m wanting to celebrate the country I was born and raised in, man.”

WATCH:

Vanilla Ice shuts down CNN
CNN: “Why are you still performing at Freedom 250 while so many others are canceling?”
Vanilla Ice: “I’m proud to be an American. I was born and raised here. This is my country, and I don’t like anyone telling me I can’t be proud of it.”
Ice Ice… pic.twitter.com/ZmnoRxCdNa
— Reverend Jordan Wells (@WellsJorda89710) June 1, 2026

In previous interviews defending his participation in the event, Vanilla Ice emphasized that he performs for fans regardless of politics, saying he doesn’t vote and would perform for anyone because “music is not political” and is meant to bring people together.
The comments come as Freedom 250’s concert lineup has been targeted by activists and critics, leading numerous performers to withdraw from the celebration. Artists including Martina McBride, Bret Michaels, Young MC, Morris Day, and others have exited the event amid controversy surrounding its association with President Trump and America’s semiquincentennial celebration.
Yet Vanilla Ice remains one of the few major performers standing firm.
The rapper has repeatedly described the event as a celebration of America’s birthday rather than a political rally and says he is looking forward to helping commemorate 250 years of American history.
The Gateway Pundit readers will remember Vanilla Ice bringing the house down performing “Ice Ice Baby” at Mar-a-Lago on New Year’s Eve alongside Stephen Miller and Kristi Noem. He’s been consistent. He loves this country and isn’t ashamed to say it out loud.
The post Vanilla Ice SHUTS DOWN CNN Host For Trying To Politicize Patriotic Performance on America’s 250th Birthday Celebration: ‘I’m Proud To Be An American!’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

SpaceX Reportedly Targets $135 IPO Price As Morningstar Says Valuation Should Be Halved

Last week, Elon Musk called Bloomberg’s “SpaceX Said to Cut IPO Value” story “false,” marking the latest clash between Musk and the MSM over coverage of his companies.

Reuters has released a new report, which, based on sources, says SpaceX is planning an IPO at a price of $135 per share, aiming to raise a record $75 billion by selling about 555.6 million shares at an estimated $1.75 trillion valuation.

SpaceX’s roadshow is expected to begin Thursday, with a potential Nasdaq debut under the ticker SPCX on June 12. Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, BofA, Citigroup, and JPMorgan are leading the deal.

Sources said the IPO is “structured as an all-primary offering,” which means the proceeds will go to SpaceX rather than existing shareholders. Musk will reportedly be subject to a 366-day lock-up period.

At a $1.75 trillion valuation and projected 2025 booking revenue of $18.67 billion, SpaceX would trade at roughly 94 times trailing sales. The company also reported a $4.94 billion net loss in 2025, compared with a prior-year profit, with Starlink internet as the major profit engine.

Beyond Reuters’ reporting, there was a separate report from Morningstar analysts stating that SpaceX’s valuation should be less than half of the $1.75 trillion figure, and closer to $780 billion.

Morningstar equity analyst Nicolas Owens wrote in a note that his team “doesn’t see Grok as one of the leading AI labs today,” adding:

“We think the company has been significantly overvalued and investors will have opportunities to buy the stock at more attractive levels after the IPO.”

Polymarket odds for “SpaceX IPO closing market cap above ___ ?” currently stand at 89% for a market cap above $1.8 trillion.

SpaceX IPO closing market cap above $1.8T?
Yes 89% · No 12%View full market & trade on PolymarketRelated:

SpaceX IPO Update: New Filing Reveals Friends & Family Share Allocation, Anthropic AI Deal, And Water Risk
SpaceX is preparing a record-setting IPO that would test public-market appetite for Musk’s empire, space, and AI. This listing is expected to pave the way for other mega IPOs, such as those of chatbot makers OpenAI and Anthropic.

Tyler Durden
Wed, 06/03/2026 – 09:00

A Carnival Cruise Line passenger is being praised as a hero after jumping into the water to help an elderly man who fell from a pier during a cruise stop in Mexico.The incident occurred May 19 while Carnival Jubilee was docked in Costa Maya.Carnival Cruise Line confirmed the incident to Fox News Digital, saying an elderly guest fell into the water while returning to the ship.PASSENGER’S STUNNING $5K CASH TIP LEAVES CRUISE WORKER IN TEARS IN SHOCKING VIDEO”Our security team responded immediately, and the guest was safely recovered and transported to the ship’s medical center for care,” the cruise line said in a statement. “He debarked the ship in Galveston at the end of the cruise.”Video of the rescue later circulated on social media — showing a passenger identified only as Myron removing his shoes and jumping into the water after spotting the man struggling near the ship.Myron’s wife, Amy, said on social media the man was face down in the water when her husband sprang into action.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTERMyron reached the man and kept him afloat until help arrived, the wife said.”Without a moment’s hesitation, my husband [leaped] into the water,” she wrote in a TikTok post describing the rescue.”He managed to grab hold of the elderly man, lift him onto his shoulder and cradle him safely until assistance arrived to lift them both out of the water,” the wife, Amy, added.CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIESThe rescue also drew praise on social media, with many users applauding Myron’s quick actions and willingness to help a stranger.”The fact that he tried to walk off without any recognition just shows what an amazing human he is, humble and kind,” one user wrote.TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZOthers described the cruiser as being in the right place at the right time.One commenter wrote, “I’m a firm believer that the right people are always exactly where they should be.””He’s truly a hero,” another user added. “Not many people would do what he did!”Amy later shared that the couple received recognition onboard, including commemorative pins, a complimentary dinner at the ship’s steakhouse and a thank-you message from their stateroom attendant.

Jana Kramer says there’s life — and even joy — after heartbreak.The actress and singer told Fox News Digital that getting out of “toxic” relationships helped her become “a better person” and gave her a renewed appreciation for second chances — both on and off-screen.The country star, who has publicly navigated heartbreak, divorce and rebuilding her life, told Fox News Digital that walking away from unhealthy situations ultimately helped her become “a better person” — a lesson that mirrors the themes of her new Lifetime movie, “Where the Heart Lands.”JANA KRAMER SIZZLES IN BARELY-THERE DENIM LOOK DURING WILD WESTERN GETAWAY”Getting out of something really toxic… negative and bad helped me become a better person and a happier person… a lighter person,” Kramer told Fox News Digital.The 42-year-old star said she often hears from people navigating divorce and major life changes, and her message is — don’t be afraid of a fresh start.”Starting over can be one of the scariest things ever and one of the best things ever,” Kramer said.”I don’t wish divorce on anybody. It is awful. And there is so much beauty and love on the other side of it.”Kramer, who has been candid about her own relationship struggles over the years, said too many people stay stuck in situations that impact them emotionally.”Holding on to the negative and toxic relationships … it just drains you… then you just start losing yourself, and that’s not the way to live.” Kramer’s comments come after years of publicly navigating heartbreak.WATCH: JANA KRAMER EMBRACES SECOND CHANCES AFTER ESCAPING ‘TOXIC’ PASTThe singer and actress shares daughter Jolie and son Jace with ex-husband Mike Caussin. The former couple divorced in 2021 after six years of marriage, with Kramer later alleging that Caussin had cheated on her with more than 13 women during their relationship.Kramer has since said she believes if she had stayed in the marriage, Caussin would have “cheated forever.”JANA KRAMER HAS TAKEN JOBS THAT CHALLENGED HER ‘MORAL COMPASS’ TO PAY FOR CHILD SUPPORTKramer has since moved on with former professional soccer player Allan Russell. The pair married after six months of dating and share son Roman together.Now raising three children — Jolie, Jace and Roman — Kramer said leaving unhealthy relationships behind ultimately allowed her to create the life she wanted.She said difficult chapters can become the foundation for something better.”I think second chances are beautiful,” Kramer told Fox News Digital. “I get so, so excited, because… like ashes are soil that get to grow into wildflowers. Like, this is great.”The theme of rebuilding after loss is front and center in “Where the Heart Lands,” on Lifetime.The film stars Kramer opposite Tyler Johnson of “The Young and the Restless” and follows a Los Angeles real estate agent who unexpectedly inherits a dozen racehorses in rural Kentucky. What starts as a disruption to his carefully planned future turns into an unexpected shot at love when he meets Charlie, a fiercely independent horse trainer played by Kramer.WATCH: JANA KRAMER SADDLES UP WITH KENTUCKY RACEHORSES IN NEW FILMKramer told Fox News Digital she immediately understood Charlie’s fear of losing everything she had worked for.”I related so much to my character, Charlie, because she’s like, ‘I’ve worked so incredibly hard, there’s not many opportunities, and I don’t want you to take that away from me or ruin my reputation.'”Meanwhile, the “One Tree Hill” alum said filming in Kentucky’s horse country came with its own rewards.Kramer, whose daughter recently started horseback riding lessons, said she has always felt a connection to horses.”I love being around horses,” she said. “There’s something very free about riding a horse.”CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTERThe actress spent weeks working alongside racehorses that had recently competed at Keeneland, an experience she called both educational and inspiring.”These were legit racehorses that just raced Keeneland, and they were beautiful horses,” Kramer said. “It was an honor to work with them.”LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSShe also pointed to the emotional intelligence of horses, noting why equine therapy has become increasingly popular.”They’re powerful animals. And they’re very smart. That’s why there’s equine therapy. They’re also very healing.””Where the Heart Lands” also stars John Schneider, Charlene Tilton, Alex Barone and Jessica Szohr. Directed, co-written and produced by Haylie Duff, the movie closes out Lifetime’s “Love of a Lifetime” spring slate.”Where the Heart Lands” is available to stream on Lifetime.

Jack Nicklaus is saying the quiet part out loud when it comes to the current and likely future makeup of the PGA Tour schedule.Speaking to the media ahead of this week’s Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village, the Tour event Nicklaus has hosted for decades, the 18-time major champion was asked about the signature events on the schedule and how others may, or may not, stand out.Nicklaus immediately said that he did not want to comment on the Tour’s schedule because he was “not exactly in favor of what they’re doing” at the moment. Seconds later, however, he was teeing off on the current setup of the calendar and how events are being laid out.”I mean, I hate to see tournaments bunched too much together with too many big tournaments too close together. That’s a problem, I think. And I think that’s going to be a problem for the TOUR in the future,” Nicklaus explained.”I probably shouldn’t have brought it up here. I’ll get chastised for that later. Anyway, I think it’s harder for your tournaments to stand out,” the 86-year-old continued. “I mean, if you looked at the schedule, we’re involved in the Cognizant down in Florida, and, you know, we have Pebble Beach and Los Angeles, Tiger’s event, and then Cognizant, and then we had Bay Hill and The Players. I mean, what chance does that tournament have? I mean, it sits right in the middle of those. They don’t have a chance.CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGE”The other tournaments also say, you know, I got four out of five. It’s hard for guys to play that. See, the problem is not so much from the standpoint of players, it’s hard for the players to really be focused to play that much and be on top of their game. And that, to me, is — I look at it from the way I was as a player. I could play a couple weeks in a row, maybe three weeks in a row, but I needed some time off to be able to recharge the batteries. And I think everybody needs to recharge their batteries.”Nothing Nicklaus said about the current makeup of the Tour’s schedule is profound — the majority of players, media and fans seem to agree with him — but the words of arguably the greatest golfer ever, who has a hand in certain events on the calendar, carry a bit of extra weight.The Tour’s introduction of signature events during the 2023 season was a direct response to LIV Golf and the circuit’s high-purse, no-cut structure. The events were, and still are, an incentive to keep the biggest names on Tour content.In 2026, however, the signature events have become overwhelming.ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!On paper, eight signature events on the calendar do not feel like too many, but the placement of them is where the issues and complaints arrive.In February, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am marked the first signature event of the year, only to be followed by another signature event, The Genesis Invitational, the very next week. From there, you have the Arnold Palmer Invitational leading into The Players, essentially another set of back-to-back signature weeks.The signature RBC Heritage, coming the week after the Masters, lacked juice lacked juice, and then there was the most baffling stretch of them all with back-to-back signature events of the Cadillac Championship and Truist Championship leading into the PGA Championship in May.From June to the end of August, when the FedEx Cup Playoffs wrap up, no more back-to-back signature events remain, although the signature Travelers Championship comes the week after the U.S. Open later this month.As for the fix, it’s not a simple one, nor will it check every box for all involved in the golf world. For starters, eliminating signature events the week after major championships feels like an easy initial step, but from there, PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp has his hands full.

Mike Vrabel and A.J. Brown were winning on Tuesday because the long-rumored trade that reunited them was finally complete. Brown was free of his recent unhappiness with the Philadelphia Eagles, while Vrabel spoke easily and smartly about how his Super Bowl team was getting better.It was one lovely victory lap for everybody.Except for Dianna Russini.MIKE VRABEL BREAKS HIS SILENCE ON DIANNA RUSSINI CONTROVERSYYes, this is about her as much as Vrabel and Brown. Those three names will be linked for a long time in NFL circles based on what happened going back as far as September of 2025, and then definitely through this offseason that was about, well, the relationship between the coach and the reporter.If you aren’t up to speed on that relationship, you’ve got homework. And you will probably catch up easily because the reference material is everywhere — the photos of Russini and Vrabel together, the denials of anything untoward between two married people, the collapse of the professional friendship narrative, and everything after.So, to the uninitiated, you’re excused. Go now and read the soap opera’s opening chapters. Because this might be the saga’s end, barring a major surprise.And let me cut to that end:Brown wins. He’s wholly unscathed, in fact, and happy as a clam with a new team he grew up adoring.Vrabel wins, too. Yes, he took some lumps, suffered some humiliating moments in front of reporters and had some family conversations he termed “very difficult,” but he’s ultimately none the worse for wear.And then there’s Russini. She lost. Big time.FORMER NFL REPORTER MICHELE TAFOYA WEIGHS IN ON WHY RUSSINI’S CREDIBILITY IS GONEIt was saddening to watch Vrabel’s presser because it was Russini who first reported teams were calling the Eagles about Brown back in September of 2025. She first reported the Eagles weren’t interested in trading Brown.Russini called it when she told everyone the Patriots were interested (so were the Los Angeles Rams, by the way). And she was right again when she said earlier this year that Brown wouldn’t be traded around the start of the league year in March but watch out for June.She was dead-on accurate with practically all of it.But everyone has surmised all that information came out of her relationship with Vrabel. All that insider work came from other alleged inside work.Russini’s information was great but how she seemingly attained it eventually led to her resigning from The Athletic. And sullying her professional reputation.Losses.MIKE VRABEL STEPS AWAY INDEFINITELY TO SEEK COUNSELINGVrabel? He seemed just fine on Tuesday.About the hardest thing he had to do was answer a question about Brown’s obvious displeasure last year in Philly.”I don’t know what happened,” Vrabel said. “I’m not trying to figure out what happened in Philadelphia. I’m trying to focus on what’s going to happen here and trying to get him acclimated to what we do and how we do it.”Vrabel, during this press conference, congratulated a reporter for winning a marathon. He thanked Executive Vice President for Player Personnel Eliot Wolf for making the trade happen. And he took a bunch of football questions.There was not one question about whether he indeed for months leaked to Russini details of where the Patriots and Eagles talks were. Not one question about how his family “counseling” sessions are going or if his marriage is certain to survive.There was nothing uncomfortable because it seems the local media lost interest or its curiosity on a day the story that Russini beat them on for months was laid bare before them.And, the thing is, if Vrabel didn’t have to sweat this occasion, he’s probably in the clear. He’s not likely to get tough questions about the whole affair (pardon the pun) again unless more facts come out that raise the issue from the grave.So, yeah, Mike Vrabel has survived. He’s won.FOLLOW ARMANDO SALGUERO ON X: @ARMANDOSALGUERO

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., attacked Maine Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner as a “creeper” and a “Nazi sympathizer” in light of his latest scandal on Tuesday.Speaking with reporters in Washington, D.C., Fetterman expressed frustration after it was reported over the weekend that Platner had sent explicit messages to at least six women despite being married and maintained an active profile on Kik, an anonymous chatting platform notorious for lax identification methods that have enabled the proliferation of child sexual abuse material. “What kind of a creeper has spent a decade on a platform like Kik, and send a dozen explicit kinds of messages and who knows what else?” Fetterman told CNN.CORY BOOKER ADMITS GRAHAM PLATNER ‘HAS QUESTIONS TO ANSWER’ FOLLOWING LATEST SCANDALFetterman also repeatedly referred to Platner as “P-Hustle” in reference to Platner’s username from his old Reddit account where he made several controversial comments about minimizing sexual assault, masturbating in public facilities and claiming a wounded soldier “didn’t deserve to live.”The Pennsylvania senator also referred to the scandal surrounding Platner’s now-covered-up tattoo that resembled a Nazi symbol, which he had kept uncovered for 18 years.DEM REP DENIES THAT GRAHAM PLATNER’S TATTOO IS ‘DISQUALIFYING,’ SAYS CANDIDATE ‘TOOK RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT'”All I’m saying is when I was growing up, if someone had a clear Nazi tattoo on them, you probably could conclude that they’re a Nazi sympathizer,” Fetterman said. “Are you going to continue to defend that or dismiss that?”However, Fetterman stopped short of supporting Platner’s presumptive Republican opponent, Maine Sen. Susan Collins, over Platner, adding that “we’ll all have to work together” if Platner wins the general election.SUNNY HOSTIN SUPPORTS GRAHAM PLATNER DESPITE CALLING HIM ‘A LIAR, A RACIST, AN ANTISEMITE’Fox News Digital reached out to Platner’s campaign for comment.During the day, Fetterman also called out Democrats for refusing to condemn Platner’s growing list of scandals.”I’m saying that the last time Democrats leaned in on a guy that was sending, you know, [these] kinds of messages to women, I think that was like Swalwell, you know,” Fetterman said. “I don’t know, that’s not someone I’m ever gonna carry water for.”