NFL issues security alert after homes of Mahomes, Kelce burglarized
The NFL has issued a warning for players Thursday, Nov. 21, after thieves burglarized the homes of two of its biggest stars in the league. Kansas City Chiefs players Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce had their homes broken into within days of each other last month in the Kansas City metro area.
“Obviously it’s frustrating,” Mahomes said during a press conference on Nov. 13. “It’s disappointing. But I can’t get into too many of the details because the investigation is still ongoing. But obviously it’s something you don’t want to happen to, really, anybody, but obviously, yourself.”
The NFL put out a security alert Thursday saying the criminals target players’ homes on days the athletes have games. Players were told to take precautions and implement home security measures to reduce the risk of being targeted.
And it’s not just NFL players. Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley Jr. also became a victim when his home was burglarized while he attended a Vikings game.
“It’s legit,” said one source familiar with the situation told NFL.com. “It’s a transnational crime ring, and over the last three weeks, they’ve focused on NBA and NFL players, and it’s all over the country.”
NFL officials recommended players avoid updating social media with check-ins or daily activities until the end of the day and refrain from posting expensive items on their accounts.
Trump picks Bondi after Gaetz withdrawal; Hegseth responds to police report
President-elect Donald Trump wasted no time replacing his embattled attorney general nominee Matt Gaetz with Pam Bondi. We’ve got the details of her background. And a volcano in Iceland, once dormant for 800 years, has erupted again — for the seventh time this year. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Friday, Nov. 22, 2024.
Trump picks Bondi after Gaetz withdrawal; Hegseth responds to police report
Bondi served as Florida’s first female attorney general from 2011 to 2019. A year later, she was one of the lawyers who defended Trump during his first impeachment trial where he was ultimately acquitted by the Senate. She also served on Trump’s Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission during his first term.
Bondi and Trump’s connection came under scrutiny in 2013 when she did not join a lawsuit against Trump in connection to fraud allegations toward Trump University. At the time, Trump’s foundation made a $25,000 donation to a campaign group backing Bondi. Both denied any impropriety.
The 59-year-old Bondi currently leads the legal arm of the conservative think tank America First Policy Institute, which worked with the Trump campaign to help shape policy for his upcoming administration. If confirmed by the Senate, she would oversee the Department of Justice.
In announcing his pick on his platform Truth Social, Trump said, “For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans – not anymore. Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting crime, and making America safe again.”
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) November 21, 2024
Gaetz, who resigned from Congress shortly after Trump nominated him, released a statement earlier in the day saying his confirmation was “unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance transition.” He also called Trump’s nomination of Bondi a “stellar selection.”
The former Florida congressman had been the subject of a House Ethics Committee investigation regarding allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, including accusations he had sex with a 17-year-old girl. He has denied any wrongdoing and the panel did not agree on Wednesday, Nov. 20, on whether to release its report.
Now attention is turning to Trump’s pick for defense secretary, war veteran and former Fox News host Pete Hegseth. He met with Senators on Thursday as a newly released police report detailed allegations about an alleged sexual assault in 2017.
The report was released to media outlets in response to public records requests. No charges were filed in the case and Hegseth has said the encounter was consensual.
Hegseth spoke to reporters about the allegations Thursday.
“As far as the media is concerned, I’ll put it very simple: the matter was fully investigated and I was completely cleared and that’s where I’m going to leave it,” he said.
Hegseth’s attorney said the allegations are false and Hegseth settled in 2020 only out of fear that he would lose his job at Fox News if the woman’s accusations became public.
Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey concedes to Republican rival Dave McCormick
The Associated Press called the race in favor of McCormick two days after the election.
It was one of the closest races in the state’s history — so close, it triggered an automatic recount under state law. Despite Casey conceding, the recount is still going on and results are expected Wednesday, Nov. 27.
Senator Bob Casey dedicated his career to bettering our commonwealth. Dina and I want to extend our sincere gratitude to Senator Casey, Terese, and their family for their decades of service, hard work, and personal sacrifice.
This is Pennsylvania’s fourth recount since 2004. None of the previous ones changed the outcome.
With McCormick’s victory, Republicans will control the U.S. Senate by a 53-47 margin, picking up four seats in the 2024 election.
Alabama carries out nation’s 3rd nitrogen gas execution
An Alabama prisoner became the third person in not just the state, but the U.S. to be executed with nitrogen gas Thursday night. Carey Grayson, 50, was one of four men convicted of murdering a female hitchhiker in 1994 when he was a teenager.
In a controversial move, Alabama began using nitrogen gas this year to carry out some executions. It entails the inmate inhaling pure nitrogen through a mask until he suffocates. Critics say it is inhumane and painful, but the state maintains the method is constitutional.
NFL issues security alert after homes of Mahomes, Kelce burglarized
The NFL has issued a warning for players after thieves burglarized the homes of two of its biggest stars in the league. Kansas City Chiefs players Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce had their homes broken into within days of each other last month in the Kansas City metro area.
The NFL put out a security alert Thursday saying the criminals target players’ homes on days the athletes have games. Players were told to take precautions and implement home security measures to reduce the risk of being targeted.
NFL officials also recommended players avoid updating social media with check-ins or daily activities until the end of the day and refrain from posting expensive items on their accounts.
Volcano on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula erupts for 7th time this year
In Iceland, a volcano has erupted for the seventh time just this year. This latest eruption happened late Wednesday night in Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula.
Tourists had to be evacuated from the Blue Lagoon, Iceland’s most famous tourist attraction. Iceland’s official tourism site said this most recent event, which created a nearly two-mile fissure, was significantly smaller than the last eruption in August which opened a 2.5-mile fissure.
Experts said the volcano had been dormant for 800 years before it became active again in 2021. Since then, a total of 10 eruptions have happened, including this latest one.
Ohtani, Judge named MLB’s most valuable players
Baseball superstars Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge both had award-winning seasons, and now, both have been named MVPs of their respective leagues.
For the second straight year, both MVPs have won unanimously!
2023 and 2024 are the only two times that both MVPs were unanimous selections. pic.twitter.com/tkmu3IHmem
In a unanimous decision on Thursday, the Dodgers’ Ohtani, who became the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in one season, claimed his third MVP title. It’s his first in the National League. He joins Hall of Famer Frank Thomas as the only two players to get MVP honors in both leagues.
Judge received his second American League MVP in the last three years.
The two culminated their MVP seasons by meeting in last month’s World Series, where Ohtani and the Dodgers walked away with the championship.
Australian Parliament considers law banning kids under 16 from social media
Australia’s communications minister has officially introduced a law that would ban children under 16 from social media. If passed, the law would be the first of its kind in the world.
The communications minister said government research shows 95% of Australian caregivers say online safety is one of their “toughest parenting challenges.”
When introducing the bill, she also told Parliament almost two-thirds of Australian teens 14 to 17 years old have viewed “extremely harmful content” online, including posts involving drug abuse, suicide or self-harm and violence. She added a quarter have been exposed to content promoting unsafe eating habits.
The bill has wide political support and is expected to become law. Social media companies would have one year to figure out how to implement the age restriction, if passed.
The platforms would also face fines of up to AU$50 million if they misuse the personal information users give them for age verification purposes.
The age restriction law wouldn’t apply to messaging services, online games or platforms that “substantially support the health and education of users.”
A government statement added Australia is looking for ways to prevent children under 18 from accessing online pornography.
Digital media may be fueling a global boredom crisis: Study
Despite constant access to entertainment, boredom is increasing worldwide, especially among young people. Researchers blame digital media for creating overstimulation, fragmented attention and shallow engagement that leaves people unfulfilled.
A new study published in Communications Psychology reveals that boredom levels among U.S. adolescents and Chinese college students have risen significantly in the past 15 years.
One survey of over 100,000 U.S. adolescents found a steady increase in self-reported boredom beginning in 2011, with girls being more affected than boys.
Similarly, Chinese college students scored 14% higher on the Boredom Proneness Scale between 2009 and 2020, indicating more frequent and intense boredom.
Getty Images
Experts say digital media plays a significant role in this trend. Social media provides constant stimulation, but it’s often predictable, fragmented, and shallow, leaving users feeling unsatisfied.
Dr. James Danckert, a cognitive neuroscientist, explained that boredom serves an important purpose, it pushes people to explore the world and seek meaningful experiences. However, scrolling through digital feeds does not meet these needs, making life feel less engaging.
The study’s authors conclude that learning to handle boredom in a meaningful way is more important than ever, especially as digital media continues to dominate daily life.
Instagram testing algorithm reset feature to improve teen safety
Instagram is testing a new feature that’s allowing users to reset their algorithm. Meta, Instagram’s parent company, said the update was launched specifically with the safety of teens in mind.
“We want to make sure everyone on Instagram, especially teens, has safe, positive, age-appropriate experiences and feels the time they’re spending on Instagram is valuable,” a company blog post Tuesday, Nov. 19, said.
This comes as multiple studies have shown the harmful effects social media can have on teens. That includes research by the Journal of the American Medical Association that found teens who spend more than three hours a day on those platforms can double their risk of depression and anxiety.
Instagram said the new feature will allow users to be able to clear the recommended content across their explore, reels and feed tabs with a manual reset.
The app will then start suggesting more personalized topics that may be different from what users usually see.
It will also help users improve the algorithm recommendations by offering an “interested” and “not interested” feature.
While the algorithm reset is only in a testing phase now, Instagram plans to roll it out globally.
It’s not clear exactly when the company will implement the feature.
1 in 5 Americans get their news from social media influencers
While it’s no secret more and more people have been getting their news from social media in recent years, a new study shows just how many people regularly forgo traditional journalism. According to the Pew Research Center, 21% of American adults say they prefer to get their news from social media “news influencers” first.
That’s especially true for people 18 to 29 years old; 37% of them said they do.
Pew classifies news influencers as people who regularly post about current events and civic issues on social media and have at least 100,000 followers.
The study found when it comes to their followers, there’s no real distinction between Democrats and Republicans, with 22% of Democrats and 21% of Republicans favoring news influencers.
When it comes to who Americans choose to get their news from, about two out of three news influencers are male. And about half of all influencers don’t express any clear political orientation.
Backlash after UK police investigate columnist over social media post
Essex Police are under fire after launching an investigation into a social media post by columnist Allison Pearson. Critics are calling the probe an overreach that infringes on free speech.
The investigation centers on a year-old tweet about the Gaza conflict and has drawn widespread condemnation from political and civil liberties figures.
Pearson, a columnist for The Telegraph, revealed two Essex police officers arrived at her home on Remembrance Sunday, Nov. 10, to investigate the tweet. However, they couldn’t tell her what specific post they were investigating or who had filed the complaint.
Police categorized the tweet in question as a “non-crime hate incident.” This designation doesn’t result in criminal charges but is recorded in police databases. Some have labeled the tweet as inciting racial hatred.
The case has sparked a broader debate about the role of law enforcement in policing online speech. However, the controversy surrounding Pearson’s case is not isolated.
Earlier investigations into “non-crime hate incidents” have involved individuals being questioned over posts or statements that others found offensive. In one such instance, police investigated feminist writer Julie Bindel after a transgender activist filed a complaint about a tweet.
The Home Office has ordered a review of guidelines for investigating non-crime hate incidents. Officials said this is to ensure they aren’t being misused to restrict free speech.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper acknowledged the need for a balance between protecting individuals from harmful speech and safeguarding the right to express lawful opinions.
RFK Jr. pick: Democratic governor ‘excited,’ conservative outlet opposed
President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet picks are dominating the news cycle this week. One of the most anticipated announcements came Thursday, Nov. 14, with Trump nominating Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for secretary of Health and Human Services.
The reaction is mixed and crosses party lines. For instance, a right-leaning news outlet has come out against Trump’s pick, while a Democratic governor has expressed support.
Gov. Jared Polis, D-Colo., posted a message on X, saying he was “excited” that Trump would appoint Kennedy.
“Before you mock him or disagree, I want to share with you some quotes that, if he follows through, show why I’m excited,” Polis wrote.
I’m excited by the news that the President-Elect will appoint @RobertKennedyJr to @HHSGov. He helped us defeat vaccine mandates in Colorado in 2019 and will help make America healthy again by shaking up HHS and FDA. I hope he leans into personal choice on vaccines rather than… pic.twitter.com/cILtTYplcn
Polis highlighted Kennedy’s plans to reduce drug prices, overhaul the FDA’s nutrition department and shift away from pesticide-intensive agriculture.
“He will face strong special interest opposition on these, but I look forward to partnering with him to truly make America healthy again,” Polis wrote.
Some Republican lawmakers, including Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, have praised Kennedy’s potential appointment, calling him “brilliant.”
However, some Democratic lawmakers, including Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey, have criticized the nomination, calling it “dangerous.”
Some of the media, both left-leaning and right-leaning, have expressed concerns over Kennedy’s nomination, with coverage centering on his controversial remarks about vaccines.
The Associated Press labeled Kennedy as “an anti-vaccine activist,” while PBS described him as someone who “has promoted vaccine misinformation.”
The AP’s article highlights a podcast interview in July, when Kennedy said, “There’s no vaccine that is safe and effective.” The AP added Kennedy “still believes in the long-ago debunked idea that vaccines can cause autism.”
The New York Post’s editorial board also came out against the nomination, saying, “Putting Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in charge of health breaks the first rule of medicine.”
The Post’s editorial reads, “The overriding rule of medicine is: First, do no harm. We’re certain installing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head Health and Human Services breaks this rule.”
In his endorsement of Kennedy, Gov. Polis cautioned Kennedy not to ban vaccines but to “lean into personal choice on vaccines.” In a later interview with MSNBC, Kennedy said, “I’ve never been anti-vaccine” and wouldn’t take vaccines away.
He reiterated in a 2016 interview with NBC that vaccinations should be a matter of personal choice.
The nomination has also affected the stock market. Following the announcement, shares of vaccine makers dropped sharply. Moderna fell 6%, Pfizer dropped more than 4% and Novavax declined by over 2%.
Satirical paper The Onion wins bid to take over Alex Jones’ Infowars
The satirical news outlet The Onion has won the bankruptcy auction for Alex Jones’ Infowars media company. Infowars, which has hosted controversial content, including Jones’ claims that the Sandy Hook massacre was a hoax, was sold after a defamation lawsuit led to a $1.5 billion judgment against Jones.
The Onion’s winning bid puts it in control of the future of Infowars. The deal was financially supported in part by the families of Sandy Hook victims, which made the acquisition possible.
Jones was forced to sell the company as part of a court ruling in June that found him liable for defamation and emotional distress due to his false claims about the Sandy Hook shooting.
Following the judgment, Jones filed for bankruptcy, and a judge ordered him to sell his assets, including everything under the Infowars brand, to help pay the damages owed to the victims’ families.
After news of the sale broke, Jones expressed his frustration on X and promised to pursue all legal avenues to challenge the deal.
“The Connecticut Democrats with The Onion newspaper bought us,” Jones said. “They changed all the betting rules, made it secret a few days ago. I had a bad feeling. I told you that.”
The sale price for Infowars hasn’t been disclosed. As part of the deal, The Onion will acquire not only the Infowars website, trademarks, and video archive, but also its social media accounts, Austin-based studio, equipment and mailing list.
“We were told this outcome would be nearly impossible, but we are no strangers to impossible fights,” Robbie Parker, a Sandy Hook parent, said. “The world needs to see that having a platform does not mean you are above accountability. The dissolution of Alex Jones’ assets and the death of Infowars is the justice we have long awaited and fought for.”
The sale marks the end of Jones’ 25-year reign over Infowars. With The Onion now in control, the future of the platform, once a major voice in the conservative ecosystem, is uncertain.
However, The Onion has already secured its main advertiser, Everytown for Gun Safety. The Onion said it will use Infowars’ channels to raise awareness about gun violence prevention.
Teen ‘serial swatter’ behind hundreds of hoax threats pleads guilty
A prolific teenage “serial swatter” from California, has pleaded guilty to making hundreds of hoax calls about mass shootings and bomb threats to schools, religious institutions and government officials nationwide. The Department of Justice announced Wednesday, Nov. 13, Alan Filion, 18, pleaded guilty in a Florida federal courtroom to four counts of making interstate threats. He faces up to 20 years in prison, as each charge carries a five-year maximum sentence.
Officials said from August 2022 to January of this year, Filion made more than 375 swatting and threat calls in various parts of the country including Maryland, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Washington, Texas and Florida. Filion was 16 at the time he placed the majority of the calls.
“Swatting” is when someone makes false accusations to send a large number of law enforcement rushing to a location where there is essentially nothing going on. Prosecutors said Filion formed a business out of “serial swatting,” advertising his services on social media for a fee.
On Jan. 18, Filion, then 17-years-old, was arrested in California on Florida state charges arising from a May 2023 threat he made to a religious institution in Sanford, Florida. In that threat, the DOJ said he claimed to have an illegally modified AR-15, a Glock 17 pistol, pipe bombs, and Molotov cocktails. He said that he was going to imminently “commit a mass shooting” and “kill everyone” he saw. Filion pleaded guilty to making that threat and three others.
“Alan Filion not only intended to cause as much harm as possible, but he also attempted to profit from these criminal activities by offering swatting-for-a-fee services,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “Swatting poses severe danger to first responders and victims, wastes significant time and resources, and creates fear in communities. The FBI will continue to work with partners to aggressively investigate and hold accountable anyone who engages in these activities.”
The FBI and U.S. Secret Service are investigating the case. Filion faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each count. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 11, 2025.
