Well, this isn’t going to help ESPN beat the allegations.It’s something of an open secret that ESPN wants the SEC to be the dominant powerhouse in college football. Now that ESPN is the home of most SEC television broadcasts, along with the producer of the SEC Network, it’s become abundantly clear that they have a vested interest in promoting the conference and its teams.The more SEC teams are ranked in the polls, the more “games between ranked teams” they can advertise. The more teams that reach the College Football Playoff, the better for the network. Potentially in terms of future promotion and current ratings. Their advocacy has real meaning, both in terms of fan perception and, as many believe, with the playoff selection committee.INDIANA’S CURT CIGNETTI ROASTS THE SEC AS ESPN STARTS THEIR PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGN ALREADY: ‘WE DON’T WHINE’ Former Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn said as much last season, arguing that the Alabama Crimson Tide were included after a blowout loss to Georgia primarily because ESPN worked so hard, with Greg Sankey and several coaches, to sell the narrative that even reaching the SEC Championship Game was an unimaginable accomplishment. Ignore that non-competitive loss to an awful Florida State…

A C-17 Globemaster III that was facing two years out of service is airborne again after the U.S. Air Force built a replacement part itself, using a robot.The airlifter, tail number 01-0194, assigned to the 445th Airlift Wing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, was parked overnight at Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport in Texas on March 4, 2025, when severe storms and microbursts of up to 80 mph sent two private Bombardier Challenger jets careening into it.Video shot that morning showed one of the business jets come to rest beneath the C-17’s wing. The same storm system damaged numerous aircraft at airports across the metroplex.The collision damaged the C-17’s left-side door, fuselage and nose. The crew flew it home with a Boeing-qualified and Air Force-approved temporary nose panel and landing gear down.Back in Ohio, maintainers repaired the door and fuselage but determined the left nose panel had to be replaced, which is where the job stalled.Boeing was unable to find a vendor willing to build tooling for a single nose panel, according to the Air Force. After an unsuccessful repair attempt, the jet was looking at a year in storage followed by another year of repair work, sidelining…

The right handbag pulls any outfit together, and Kate Spade Outlet’s latest sale makes it easy to refresh your bag collection or just your general wardrobe for less. Save up to 73% on bestselling crossbody bags, work-ready totes and more, with select styles discounted by more than $300.Original price: $279 The Lenox Mini Crossbody has earned a 4.9-star rating from reviewers. Made from pebbled leather, the structured silhouette has room for your phone and a small wallet, while the removable strap converts it into a clutch for evenings out. One reviewer wrote, “Love this little bag. Holds more than I expected, but not so much [that] I’m weighted down. … A definite must-have.”Original price: $379 Save $270 on the Juliette Leather Medium Tote, a classic work bag with room for an iPad, Kindle and other daily essentials. The zip-top closure adds extra security, making it a practical choice for commuting and travel. One reviewer wrote, “I bought this stylish bag to go on vacation. It’s the perfect size for carry-on luggage on a flight, is comfortable to wear and has a deep pocket with a zipper.”Original price: $189 The Gemini Mini is available in rich green suede, while the remaining colors feature…

Former NFL star wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. set the record straight: He is not controversial.Smith, 47, said he is perceived as controversial for his takes, but all of them are rooted in what he believes.”I don’t think I’m controversial. I just see and say what I see. And I’m not interested in being convinced when I know what it’s supposed to look like,” Smith said during a recent appearance on OutKick’s “Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich.”ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW! Smith, who is now at ESPN as a football analyst, said he used to be concerned with blowback. Now he is at the point where he holds himself accountable for his takes.”Today I’m at the place where I really try to work on not being lazy. And this is me. This is my worst. Sometimes if I say a guy sucks, that’s me being lazy. Just flat out. I call myself out. That’s just being flat,” Smith, who spoke on behalf of Forzet, said.”Now what I have been working on that I do care about is I now want to make sure if I am saying something that…

The Department of Veterans Affairs is launching research to determine whether psilocybin — the psychoactive ingredient in “magic mushrooms” — can be used safely and effectively to address veterans’ treatment-resistant depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.The trial, known as the Psilocybin Intervention for Veterans Overcoming Treatment-Resistant Depression,” or PIVOT, study aims to include at least 240 veterans, all of whom have difficult-to-treat major depressive disorder and some who also have PTSD.The study will take place at five VA medical centers through June 2031 and will assess patients’ levels of depression before and after treatment, side effects and overall response among participants.“Far too many veterans are living with mental health conditions that don’t respond to available treatments,” VA Secretary Doug Collins said in a statement. “Under President [Donald] Trump, VA is pursuing all avenues to evaluate new treatments and offer meaningful relief for those who have worn the uniform. This clinical trial reflects another step toward this goal.”Last month, researchers with Ohio State University’s Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education published the findings of a small, 12-person study on the safety of using psilocybin to treat severe PTSD in veterans. After receiving eight hours of psychotherapy and two doses of synthetic…

Custom knife maker Gabriel Berthelemy is the creative mind behind a brand new Boker Plus model, the Kazy. Built along proven dimensions and with tried-and-true user-friendly philosophies, the Kazy has broad appeal. Time makes fools of us all. Just the other day we remarked on the prevalence of the 3+ inch EDC knife, and, as if on cue, the Kazy crosses our desk with a very compact footprint – we’re looking at a 2.64 inch blade here. Boker’s copy positions the Kazy as a tactical piece, and there are certainly elements of that design school here: the aggro clip point blade with high-flown swedge in particular. There is also a slight recurve to the edge, which, while not solely seen on tactical knives, probably appears most commonly on releases in that genre. The Kazy’s color scheme stands out All of that being said, if we may venture an opinion of our own we’ll say that the Kazy looks like a great candidate for standard everyday carry. The blade length and geometry are just right for overcoming all the usual matter separation concerns of day-to-day life; moreover Boker chose to make the Kazy from Nitro-V steel, a winning formula that, although…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! New York socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani is being mocked after many say he was humiliated by being booed off stage while attending one of the city’s biggest pro-police celebrations on Staten Island.Mamdani attempted to address about 3,500 residents and families attending the New York Police Department’s 43rd Patrol Borough National Night Out Against Crime event on Tuesday. His remarks, however, lasted less than a minute as loud boos, jeers and chants of “get out of here” and “nobody wants you” drowned out his voice.The mayor attempted to continue speaking for a short time, but the jeers drowned him out. After the boos continued, Mamdani thanked the crowd with his signature hand-over-his-heart gesture, waved and walked offstage smiling. As he exited, the crowd continued to berate him, with some yelling expletives. An organizer attempted to regain control of the event, but the crowd persisted, booing and shaking their fists at Mamdani.”Mamdani tried to deliver a speech at a New York Police event in Manhattan but was VICIOUSLY booed and jeered off stage,” reacted conservative pundit Eric Daugherty on X. “He walked off in SHAME.”MAMDANI WALKS BACK PLAN TO INCREASE NYPD HEADCOUNT FOLLOWING DSA…

U.S. Southern Command has activated Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere, a new operational headquarters the command says will synchronize U.S. military operations with allies and partners across the region, replacing Operation Southern Spear.Gen. Francis L. Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command, directed the activation Tuesday, describing Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere, or JTF-WHEM, as a purpose-built joint task force that will provide unified command and control at the tactical and operational levels, while integrating military capabilities with the 18 partner nations of the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition, or A3C.SOUTHCOM Media Relations Officer Steven McLoud told Military Times the activation of JTF-WHEM “represents an evolution from Operation Southern Spear,” reinforcing the command’s whole-of-government, multinational approach to defending the homeland while building on the successes of Operation Southern Spear.McLoud said JTF-WHEM serves as SOUTHCOM’s “action arm,” focused on what he described as imposing “total systemic friction” against threats across the hemisphere. He said the task force builds on Operation Southern Spear, which employed “precise kinetic strikes and maritime interdiction operations” to disrupt illicit trafficking and undermine entrenched criminal networks, by advancing efforts to disrupt, dismantle and defeat narcoterrorism networks.According to McLoud, JTF-WHEM coordinates U.S. military actions targeting cartels and narcoterrorist networks while…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) announced 12 additional red U.S. House districts the organization intends to target in November, on top of the 46 it had already designated as possible flips.The DCCC identified seats held by Reps. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, French Hill of Arkansas, Mike Flood of Nebraska and several other Republicans as being “in play” for Democrats in the midterm elections.”House Democrats are expanding the battlefield deep into Trump terrain because we have a winning message focused on fighting for an Affordable America,” DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene said in a statement on Wednesday.”At the same time, MAGA Republicans who historically have considered themselves ‘safe’ have let down the people they were elected to represent, passing disastrous policies that are crushing working families and our communities,” DelBene added. “Democrats are going to win in November and make Hakeem Jeffries the next Speaker of the House.”FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: DEMOCRATS LEAD IN THE HOUSE, BUT REDISTRICTING KEEPS THE GOP IN THE GAME Fox News Digital reached out to the DCCC for more insight into why certain candidates were listed as vulnerable.Many of the Republicans the DCCC have previously targeted for ousters are…

The official in charge of tracking the Navy’s finances mocked the smell, weight and appearance of subordinates and made hiring decisions that appeared to show bias in favor of other African American women, a new report from the Pentagon’s top watchdog finds.The 42-page probe concludes that Donjette Gilmore, auditor general of the Navy Audit Service, made a habit of harassing and belittling subordinates, creating a hostile work environment and reducing some employees to tears. Of 27 witnesses interviewed by the Inspector General, 23 said they had personally witnessed, experienced or heard about this behavior.Specific comments alleged by witnesses included, “Oh, your perfume stinks. She stinks. You stink;” “Oh, my God, you look like a witch;” “No. Let’s take the stairs because [you need] the exercise;” “Your clothes are too tight;” and “You need to stop eating cookies [because] [y]ou don’t need to eat cookies,” among others.Employees reported being berated and told to “shut up” in staff meetings and mentioned instances in which two single parents were targeted with derogatory comments. “Nobody told you all to have kids,” Gilmore allegedly said.Additionally, according to the report, she created a culture of fear around reporting alleged misconduct.“Witnesses told us that they and their…