<p>Spooky season hit one Florida community early after a woman admitted to killing a neighborhood cat and drinking its organs after blending them together like a smoothie, investigators say.</p>
<p>Officials say 21-year-old Juliana Alyssa Brown was arrested Wednesday on one felony count of aggravated animal cruelty causing excessive pain or death after she admitted to holding the cat captive for several days in May 2024 before killing it while her family was on vacation, according to <a href="https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/crime/pasco-woman-killed-cat-blended-drank-organs-animal-cruelty/67-dd36a6e0-9a1f-4a3c-afb3-82e181e11701">10 Tampa Bay News</a>.</p>
<p>Pasco County investigators learned of Brown&#8217;s confession from a mandatory clinical reporter on Sunday, Oct. 11, according to the outlet.</p>
<p>Brown then told investigators that the cat&#8217;s screams of pain caused her to become &#8220;sexually aroused.&#8221; She said the animal survived the stabbing and an attempt to crush it between her legs before she ultimately drowned it in her bathroom, according to the affidavit.</p>
<p>The disturbing account didn&#8217;t end there. After Brown killed the cat, deputies say, she put the animal in her refrigerator to hide its body from family members.</p>
<p>Brown then &#8220;skinned the cat, dissected its organs, placed them in a blender, and drank them,&#8221; according to the affidavit.</p>
<p>&#8220;The defendant told patrol deputies she later decapitated the cat and removed the face off of the head which she held onto for several months after preserving it in alcohol,&#8221; the affidavit stated.</p>
<p>During an interview, Brown showed investigators a Polaroid labeled May 5 depicting a cat skinned from the head down with its organs removed, according to the affidavit. She also showed detectives a photo of the same cat alive on May 3.</p>
<p>Brown also produced a knife she identified as the one used in the attack, pointing to damage from &#8220;hitting the bones,&#8221; according to the affidavit.</p>
<p>Her family confirmed they had been on a vacation in May 2024. Deputies determined that Brown held the cat hostage and killed it between May 3 and May 5 of that year, per the outlet.</p>
<p>Brown also told deputies she had fantasized about killing animals since she was three years old, according to the affidavit.</p>
<p>The deputy who wrote the affidavit requested a high bond for Brown &#8220;due to an enhanced fear of public safety.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;I understand that cruelty to animals is often a precursor for individuals who go on to carry out mass attacks or acts of targeted violence against individuals,&#8221; he wrote.</p>
<p>The Daily Wire has reached out to officials at the Pasco County Sheriff&#8217;s Office for more information.</p>


Credit: Pasco County Sheriff’s Office

Woman Admits To Killing Cat, Blending And Drinking It’s Organs

animal cruelty

crime

florida

pasco county

<p>Victoria’s Secret model Barbara Palvin returned to the runway Sunday nearly six weeks after giving birth to her first child.</p>
<p>While her quick return has drawn attention online, the 33-year-old supermodel felt ready to strut her stuff, saying “it’s really not that big of a deal” and joking that her job is simply to walk down the runway.</p>
<p>“I’m going to be six weeks postpartum tomorrow, which I think in the U.S. most people have to go back after six weeks,” Palvin told <a href="https://people.com/barbara-palvin-not-big-deal-to-walk-victoria-secret-runway-postpartum-12181563">PEOPLE</a>. “So nothing major here, I’m just doing what every woman does in America.”</p>
<p>Palvin sported a pink slip on the runway for her first look before dazzling in the signature Victoria&#8217;s Secret angel wings and a white corset complete with a train.</p>
<div id="attachment_1201491" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1201491" class="size-large wp-image-1201491" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/10/Untitled-design-2026-10-19T123403.353-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/10/Untitled-design-2026-10-19T123403.353-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/10/Untitled-design-2026-10-19T123403.353-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/10/Untitled-design-2026-10-19T123403.353-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/10/Untitled-design-2026-10-19T123403.353.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /><p id="caption-attachment-1201491" class="wp-caption-text">Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Victoria&#8217;s Secret</p></div>
<p>“I’m feeling great. I think it’s very empowering that the Victoria’s Secret team is having me at the show and we’re supporting women,” Palvin said.</p>
<p>Palvin, who is married to former child star Dylan Sprouse, welcomed a little girl, Sylvie, last month, introducing her to the world in a September 28 post captioned, “we took Labor Day seriously this year.”</p>
<p>Models prep for months for the annual fashion show, but Palvin said she didn’t stress about bouncing back after birth. Backstage Sunday, she shared with <a href="https://pagesix.com/2026/10/18/style/barbara-palvin-talks-returning-to-victorias-secret-fashion-show-2026-6-weeks-after-giving-birth/">Page Six</a> how she got show-ready in six weeks.</p>
<p>“Funny enough, my body bounced back — luckily — really quickly, and I think it’s because I’ve never been healthier,” Palvin said.</p>
<p>“During pregnancy, I really wanted to make sure baby girl was healthy, so I only did organic foods. And now postpartum, because I’m breastfeeding, I wanted to make sure I was eating good. So that’s how I prepped: I just let my body heal on its own and did some light exercises, but nothing crazy.”</p>
<p>While baby Sylvie didn&#8217;t make an appearance at the show, Sprouse was in the crowd cheering loudly for his wife.</p>
<p>The Hungarian model described motherhood thus far as a “rollercoaster.”</p>
<p>“It’s been a ride, like a fun one, but also scary. It’s like a roller coaster, I guess,” she said.</p>
<p>Helping matters: the way her husband has taken to fatherhood.</p>
<p>“Dylan’s great. He always wanted to be a dad, and I think he’s amazing as a girl dad,” Palvin said. “I think he was meant to be a girl dad. He didn’t know it before, but he was meant to be one.”</p>
<p>If showing up for each other is the measure of “couple goals,” these two have a pretty good case. Sunday night was no exception.</p>
<p>&#8220;Proud of my missus, jumping right into the vs fashion show post birth,” Sprouse wrote. “Built different. I don&#8217;t know where you find the energy but damn!&#8221;</p>
<p>No slowing down for this family. With the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show behind her, Palvin said she&#8217;s planning a special first Halloween for baby Sylvie.</p>


Credit: Taylor Hill/FilmMagic

Victoria’s Secret Model Returns To Runway Six Weeks After Giving Birth: ‘Nothing Major Here’

barbara palvin

dylan sprouse

lifestyle

model

pregnancy

victoria's secret fashion show

<p>In a world where women make content, music, even careers off hating men, country singer Emily Ann Roberts is eager to &#8220;change the narrative.&#8221;</p>
<p>The bubbly &#8220;Whipped&#8221; singer known online as YeeHaw MeeMaw told John Crist on his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wO-dUpEJWKU">Net Positive</a> podcast that she is over men constantly being ragged on.</p>
<p>&#8220;I personally am so tired of the man hater topic,” Roberts said on the podcast. &#8220;I don’t hate men. I love my husband. I love my dad. I have great uncles. My whole band is just a bunch of boys and they’re my best friends in the whole world.&#8221;</p>
<p>Since finishing as the runner-up on &#8220;The Voice&#8221; back in 2015, Roberts has cut her teeth in Nashville as a songwriter and singer, never forgetting her East Tennessee roots.</p>
<p>She married her high school sweetheart, Chris Sasser, who is often seen on the couple’s social media accounts, including &#8220;<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@sasserhouse?lang=en">The Sasser House</a>,&#8221; and she’s never strayed from her strong faith. Marriage and faith are recurring themes in her music, especially in her songs &#8220;Whole Lotta Little&#8221; and &#8220;Find Me A Man,&#8221; which showcase Roberts’ commitment to living a traditional life even in the spotlight.</p>
<p>During her rise in Music City, she’s noticed a pattern of artists coming for men instead of embracing what they bring to society.</p>
<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t want to make like a guy who comes to my concert. I don&#8217;t want him to leave and be like, &#8216;Golly, I hate myself,'&#8221; Roberts said.</p>
<p>But according to Roberts, that&#8217;s how her brother-in-law felt after attending the 2024 CMT Next Women of Country showcase. He hadn&#8217;t done anything to deserve it, she said, but left feeling beaten down by songs bashing men.</p>
<p>&#8220;He said, &#8216;I think that I feel horrible about being a man,&#8217; and I was like, &#8216;You know what? Can we change the narrative?&#8217; If I was a dude I would think it would be kinda cool for a girl to like hype up her man.&#8221;</p>
<p>There is no shortage of hype in the Sasser house. Between his support for her career and their glimpses of home renovations, crocheting, and gardening, the two make marriage look fun.</p>
<p>Isn’t that the whole point?</p>
<p>&#8220;Do you want your girl to belittle you and make fun of you and act like he’s an idiot all the time?&#8221; Roberts said.</p>
<p>Despite the &#8220;men suck&#8221; mindset plaguing a large part of the country, several celebrities are happy to celebrate their husbands. Taylor Swift, Millie Bobby Brown, Sofia Richie, and Hailey Bieber have all publicly embraced married life.</p>
<p>Roberts knows it&#8217;s harder to write music that is strictly about positivity, but she’ll still choose to lift up her husband, walk the red carpet with him on her arm, and tell the world she’s got a good man.</p>
<p>As a female country singer, she knows her audience is primarily women, but Roberts said playfully that maybe more men would show up to women’s shows if they changed their tune.</p>
<p>&#8220;Maybe more girls would sell to men if girls weren’t being so hateful about men,&#8221; Roberts said with a laugh.</p>
<p>She’ll have plenty of opportunities to put that approach into practice. Her remaining 2026 schedule includes opening dates for country stars Thomas Rhett and Cody Johnson.</p>


Credit: Ethan Miller/Taylor Hill/Getty Images

Country Singer Emily Ann Roberts Has Had Enough Of The Man-Bashing

country music

emily ann roberts

marriage

nashville

the voice

<p>Nick Saban for President?</p>
<p>The greatest football coach of all time has received write-in votes in Alabama for years, but the retired legend doesn&#8217;t sound interested in a run for the White House.</p>
<p>&#8220;Why would I want to get thrown in that briar patch?&#8221; Saban said at the 2026 Nick Saban Legacy Award Presentation in August. &#8220;I like what I’m doing now. I speak, I got businesses, I love being on ESPN. I have a great group of guys to be around every Saturday.&#8221;</p>
<p>But Saban does have something he wants Washington to tackle: the problems facing college sports.</p>
<p>The seven-time national championship coach is pushing for the Protect College Sports Act, arguing that the legislation, like democracy, is imperfect but better than the alternatives.</p>
<p>Saban has been a prominent advocate for the bill in Washington. The legislation would set rules for college athletes&#8217; name, image, and likeness deals, prohibit pay-for-play arrangements, establish a five-year eligibility limit, restrict transfers, and protect Olympic sports.</p>
<p>&#8220;I think a lot of the issues that we have right now could be resolved in this bill if people would get on board with it,&#8221; Saban said.</p>
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<p>The ESPN College GameDay analyst acknowledged that the legislation would not fix everything, but said it would improve the current system.</p>
<p>&#8220;The thing about it is democracy is not perfect, but it’s better than everything else,&#8221; Saban said in August. &#8220;Tell me something better.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;This bill is not perfect, but it’s better than everything else and it’s certainly better than what we have now and probably solves 80% of the problems.&#8221;</p>
<p>Saban argued that opponents should focus on the problems the legislation would solve rather than those it would leave unresolved. The bill has faced opposition from both Democrats and Republicans.</p>
<p>Saban said the bill would be successful if it solves the transfer chaos and controls NIL to some degree.</p>
<p>The bill passed the Senate in late September and now awaits a House vote. Lawmakers remain divided over issues like conference realignment and whether the federal government should intervene to fix the NCAA’s problems.</p>
<p>The legislative calendar presents another hurdle: The House has only 20 legislative days remaining this year.</p>
<p>Saban could have an opportunity to make his case directly to President Donald Trump this weekend in Tuscaloosa. Saban most recently introduced Trump at the University of Alabama’s graduation ceremony in May 2025.</p>
<p>Trump said he plans to attend Alabama’s game against Georgia on Saturday, but weather could complicate his plans. He said Wednesday that Hurricane Isaias will decide whether he goes. The National Weather Service expects the hurricane to bring rain and gusty winds to Tuscaloosa.</p>


Credit: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Nick Saban Has A Message For College Sports Reform Critics

college sports

donald trump

name image and likeness

nick saban

politics

protect college sports act

<p>Former &#8220;American Idol&#8221; contestant and worship pastor Caleb Flynn was sentenced Monday to life in prison without parole for murdering his wife, Ashley, in their Ohio home in February while their two daughters were in the home.</p>
<p>&#8220;By the way I don’t plan on coming to see you,&#8221; his 12-year-old daughter, Alyssa, wrote in her victim impact statement read in court by Ashley’s mother, Jill Smith.</p>
<p>Flynn, who was convicted last week, maintained his innocence at the sentencing, saying, &#8220;I did not kill my wife.&#8221; He cried as Ashley&#8217;s mother and brother-in-law read his daughters&#8217; letters aloud.</p>
<p>&#8220;Dear Daddy, I don’t even know where to start. How can you do such a thing. I looked up to you and loved you with all of my heart,&#8221; his daughter Ava wrote.</p>
<p>&#8220;Mommy was the perfect person. What did she ever do to make you hate her so much?&#8221;</p>
<p>Both girls addressed their father&#8217;s affair with his former worship partner, Alleigha Botner. Ava called Botner a &#8220;dirty girl,&#8221; and Alyssa wrote that he had thrown everything away for a &#8220;girl who was half your age.&#8221;</p>
<p>Ashley’s sister, Kayla, and her husband, Matt, are raising the two girls along with their own two daughters.</p>
<p>Members of Ashley’s family said in the Ohio courtroom that they had forgiven Flynn and were focused on caring for his daughters.</p>
<p>&#8220;I want to show them what a loving honest and faithful father looks like and what a God-centered servant hearted marriage can be,&#8221; Matt told Flynn.</p>
<p>In his lengthy statement to the family, Flynn asked Matt to care for his daughters and &#8220;love my girls as hard as you know how.&#8221;</p>
<p>Flynn&#8217;s parents asked the judge for mercy, but Judge Jeannine N. Pratt said he could have ended his marriage without killing Ashley.</p>
<p>&#8220;You could have walked away… and left her here on this earth to let her be with the people who need her and love her,&#8221; Pratt said. &#8220;Instead through your greed, your selfishness and your lust… you took Ashley’s life.&#8221;</p>
<p>Pratt also ordered Flynn to pay Ashley&#8217;s parents $20,000 in restitution for funeral expenses.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>


Credit: Pool Feed

Daughter Gives Brutal Parting Shot To Sobbing ‘American Idol’ Killer Sentenced To Life

american idol

caleb flynn

murder

ohio

<p>A Texas mother shot and killed her 4-year-old daughter after losing a custody battle with the child’s father earlier this week.</p>
<p>Cibelle Savella was supposed to hand over her daughter, Vivian, to her ex-husband, Aaron Savella, Tuesday night, but instead, she killed her little girl before turning the gun on herself. Cibelle died from the injuries a day later.</p>
<p>&#8220;There was a custody hearing earlier today that didn’t go well for the mother,&#8221; Houston Police Lt. Larry Crowson said.</p>
<p>Houston police are investigating the incident as a murder-suicide. When officers arrived on the scene, they found the 4-year-old on the third floor of the house, suffering from a gunshot wound. Other people were also inside the home when Cibelle shot her child, KHOU 11 reported. The witnesses heard gunshots and then forced their way into Vivian’s bedroom. The girl was pronounced dead at the scene, per <a href="https://www.khou.com/article/news/crime/vivian-savella-mother-dies-houston-murder-suicide/285-e433adfb-9906-4126-b0b6-bea2daf55b2d">KHOU 11</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our family is devastated,&#8221; her family said in a statement released through attorneys Wednesday, adding, &#8220;She was loved without limit by her father, Aaron, and by everyone whose life she touched.&#8221;</p>
<p>The child slaying comes just weeks after Lindsay Clancy&#8217;s triple-murder trial gained nationwide attention before ending in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lindsay-clancy-trial-ends-in-mistrial-after-defenses-hail-mary-attempt">mistrial</a>. Clancy strangled her three young children to death while her husband was out of the house, but she claimed that she was suffering postpartum psychosis.</p>
<p>Clancy also tried to take her own life after killing her kids by slitting her neck and wrists and jumping out of a window, but she survived. The case has resulted in a wave of support for Clancy, mostly from women.</p>
<p>The attorney representing Vivian&#8217;s father told KHOH 11 the family never thought the custody hearing would end in such a tragedy.</p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve been practicing family law for 28 years and have never experienced anything like this,&#8221; Charlotte Rainwater said. &#8220;The family is devastated by this outcome.&#8221;</p>
<p>The attorney added that nothing during the hearings indicated the mother would do the unthinkable to the 4-year-old.</p>
<p>&#8220;And I don’t think anyone in this courtroom on Tuesday contemplated this could be the outcome,&#8221; Rainwater said.</p>
<p>The father, Aaron, was cooperative with the court process and was working &#8220;patiently&#8221; through the custody process before he was granted primary custody of his daughter, per KHOU 11.</p>
<p>Originally from Brazil, Cibelle divorced Aaron in November 2024 after they were married for four years. A custody battle over their daughter then ensued, <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/10/02/us-news/texas-mom-shoots-daughter-4-in-murder-suicide-hours-after-losing-custody-battle/">the New York Post</a> reported.</p>
<p>During the Tuesday hearing, Cibelle was banned from speaking to her daughter in her native Portuguese unless a supervisor was present who could speak the language. The mother was also barred from any school performances and extracurricular activities, per the Post.</p>
<p>Cibelle was also ordered to pay child support and cover 50% of any out-of-pocket medical expenses.</p>
<p>Now, Aaron is left to grieve the inconceivable loss.</p>
<p>&#8220;We ask the public to remember that there are fathers everywhere who fight quietly, patiently, and within the law to protect their children,&#8221; the family said. &#8220;Their stories are rarely told, and they should be. We are grateful to everyone who has reached out with kindness. We ask for privacy as we grieve.&#8221;</p>


Credit: Facebook

Mom Murders 4-Year-Old Daughter After Lindsay Clancy Case Rocks The Nation

custody battle

houston

lindsay clancy

murder suicide

<p>WNBA player Sophie Cunningham is once again saying what other athletes won’t. This time, she’s addressing the female outrage toward actress Sydney Sweeney’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sydney-sweeney-hits-back-at-nude-sports-ad-outrage-without-saying-a-word">risqué sports gambling ad</a> for the company Novig.</p>
<p>&#8220;Why are girls mad?&#8221; Cunningham asked on her podcast &#8220;No Hesitation&#8221; on Thursday.</p>
<p>Multiple female athletes, from amateurs to Olympians, denounced Sweeney’s naked performance in the sports betting advertisement, arguing that the 42-second commercial is setting women’s sports back. The furious group rushed to social media to share videos of themselves competing or training, saying that they represent what women&#8217;s sports look like, not Sweeney&#8217;s ad.</p>
<p>The only problem is Sweeney wasn’t trying to be an athlete. She was promoting an app that is only for sports gambling.</p>
<p>Thankfully, Cunningham — who often has the common-sense opinion — saw through the performative outrage.</p>
<p>&#8220;That is literally what she does. Why is anyone mad? It is a gambling ad: men, sports, pretty much naked women. Of course, that’s going to draw attention,&#8221; she said.</p>
<p>Cunningham made it clear that she isn’t encouraging girls to strip down, adding that there are actual issues setting women’s sports back, and Sweeney&#8217;s ad isn’t one of them.</p>
<p>&#8220;Do I agree with it? Morally, I think it’s kind of weird, but each to their own. Go do your thing, sis,&#8221; Cunningham said.</p>
<p>Sweeney did her thing, and apparently no one was forcing her to.</p>
<p>Novig CEO Jacob Fortinsky said Tuesday while speaking on a Front Office Sports panel that the actress was the one who pushed for the ad to be as spicy as it was. He said it was Sweeney &#8220;driving a lot of the visuals and the messaging.&#8221;</p>
<p>He then reiterated what some athletes couldn’t comprehend: that the ad had nothing to do with women’s sports.</p>
<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re hugely supportive of women&#8217;s sports. I think it&#8217;s a huge component of our platform,&#8221; Fortinsky said. &#8220;We never intended to portray female sports.&#8221;</p>
<p>Women’s sports have been all the talk for the last couple of months thanks to Cunningham sticking up for female athletes, unlike her WNBA counterparts.</p>
<p>In July, she told <a href="https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/49306657/sophie-cunningham-finger-point-indiana-fever-wnba">ESPN</a> that she believes women’s sports are for biological women.</p>
<p>&#8220;I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn&#8217;t have to go against biological men,&#8221; Cunningham told ESPN.</p>
<p>That simple truth set the WNBA world on fire as multiple WNBA players and coaches had a meltdown over a statement in defense of women&#8217;s sports. Cunningham’s lifelong friend and former podcast host, West Wilson, even spoke out against the Indiana Fever star.</p>
<p>The former Summer House cast member said trans athletes are a &#8220;borderline non-existent issue.&#8221; Wilson is no longer podcasting with Cunningham.</p>
<p>But like with the other haters in her life, Cunningham ignores the noise and continues to speak out about what she believes is right.</p>
<p>&#8220;I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think with that love is truth, being honest.&#8221;</p>


Sydney Sweeney/Sophie Cunningham

Sophie Cunningham Picks A Side On Sydney Sweeney Nude Ad Controversy

gambling

sophie cunningham

sydney sweeney

wnba

women's sports

<p>The only way Aaron Rodgers is taking shots is at other people via media appearances. His latest came this week on his teammate Cam Heyward’s podcast &#8220;Not Just Football.&#8221;</p>
<p>The Steelers quarterback has been outspoken about Dr. Anthony Fauci and vaccines, but lately he’s opened up about his disdain for the way some media handles topics, specifically ESPN, calling the worldwide leader in sports a &#8220;gutless&#8221; organization.</p>
<p>&#8220;They spend so much time on certain issues, but you won’t talk one second on the Dianna Russini situation,&#8221; Rodgers <a href="https://x.com/TMZ/status/2098109502885146818?s=20">claimed</a>.</p>
<p>Rodgers contrasted ESPN&#8217;s treatment of the controversy involving former NFL reporter Dianna Russini and New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel with its prominent coverage of San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York.</p>
<p>&#8220;The owner of the [49ers] solicited a prostitute for $140 in Ohio. That literally was the number one topic when you click on ESPN dot com,&#8221; Rodgers said. &#8220;That was the featured story. So you bring in how many millions of eyes to that situation. Why do you want to throw Jed York under the bus? I don’t know.&#8221;</p>
<p>York pleaded no contest in August to disorderly conduct and possessing criminal tools after authorities said he responded to an online ad and agreed to pay $140 for sex in a sting operation. An initial charge of engaging in prostitution was reduced under a plea agreement.</p>
<p>Rodgers questioned whether the Russini controversy presented a more serious conflict because of her role as an NFL reporter and awards voter.</p>
<p>&#8220;Does that have the same effect as a reporter who you know has intimate relations with a coach, who has a vote for MVP, has a vote for coach of the year? I don&#8217;t know if she&#8217;s on the Hall of Fame [committee] or not, but there&#8217;s voting stuff,&#8221; Rodgers said. &#8220;How many more inside stuff was shared?&#8221;</p>
<p>Photos published in April showed Russini and Vrabel hugging, holding hands, and spending time together at an Arizona resort. Both are married to other people, but each denied rumors of an affair.</p>
<p>Russini resigned from The Athletic as the New York Times-owned outlet investigated whether the relationship presented ethical issues related to her journalism.</p>
<p><strong>RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/married-nfl-reporter-resigns-after-poolside-photos-with-coach-spark-scrutiny">Married NFL Reporter Resigns After Poolside Photos With Coach Spark Scrutiny</a></strong></p>
<p>Despite Rodgers&#8217; criticism, ESPN has covered the controversy. The network <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/48486392/dianna-russini-resigns-athletic-following-mike-vrabel-photos">reported</a> on Russini&#8217;s resignation, The Athletic&#8217;s investigation that <span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">found she <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49812214/athletic-investigation-dianna-russini-mike-vrabel-violate-standards">violated</a> newsroom standards, and published a <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49833532/mike-vrabel-dianna-russini-new-england-patriots-offseason-nfl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lengthy report</a> on</span> the scandal&#8217;s fallout earlier this week.</p>
<p>Rodgers&#8217; attack on ESPN is particularly notable because he is a regular on &#8220;The Pat McAfee Show,&#8221; which is independently produced but distributed across ESPN&#8217;s platforms. He revisited his August appearance on the show, when he criticized ESPN while appearing on the network&#8217;s own airwaves.</p>
<p>&#8220;ESPN is really scared&#8230; because I can speak up and speak my mind,&#8221; Rodgers said. &#8220;And that McAfee thing rattled their feathers, because I didn&#8217;t just say that on McAfee&#8217;s show, who is, honestly, I love Pat, and he&#8217;s done more for that network than any other horrible show they have on there.&#8221;</p>
<p>Entering his final NFL season, Rodgers hasn’t held back on his buddy’s daily show. Back in August, Rodgers took a dig at Dr. Anthony Fauci, calling him a &#8220;coward&#8221; after the former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director chose to plead the Fifth to every question during a congressional hearing about how he handled the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>
<p>It looks like the signal caller is poised for some polarizing interviews during his farewell campaign.</p>
<p>Rodgers and the Steelers open their season Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons.</p>


Credit: Joe Sargent/Getty Images

Aaron Rodgers Calls ESPN ‘Gutless’ Over Scandal That Rocked NFL Media

aaron rodgers

dianna russini

espn

jed york

mike vrabel

sports

<p>There’s one night a year when you’ll find University of Alabama coaches surrounded not in red, but in blue. In a sea of navy tables and cerulean lights, the coaches sport blue sneakers for a cause. Former Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive was a uniter, but I think he would even be shocked at the amount of Bama fans in blue. It’s all for the late sports exec&#8217;s foundation and the Blue Shoe Ball that raises money for prostate cancer research.</p>
<p>Slive was a numbers guy. (You kind of have to be to run arguably the greatest conference in college athletics.) But a stat you won’t find in any box score is that prostate cancer affects one out of eight men. In black men, it’s one out of six.</p>
<p>The longtime SEC leader started the SEC Network, which nearly doubles the next conference TV channel in viewership, but I think the number he may be most proud of now, if he were still here, would be the more than $5 million raised through his foundation thanks to his vision being carried out by his daughter, Anna, and a whole lot of sports legends who loved Mike.</p>
<p>It’s my fifth year in a row attending the Blue Shoe Ball in Birmingham, Alabama, and my second year hosting this marquee event for cancer research. We have fun, we dress up, we take pictures, and we talk to the coaches and athletes who make our Southern sports world go &#8217;round.</p>
<p>This year I hosted alongside ESPN’s Jay Harris, a prostate cancer survivor, and Greg McElroy, whom I’m sure you heard this past weekend call the Ole Miss-Louisville game if you’re a football fan.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div id="attachment_1174355" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1174355" class="size-large wp-image-1174355" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/09/Untitled-design-98-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/09/Untitled-design-98-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/09/Untitled-design-98-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/09/Untitled-design-98-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/09/Untitled-design-98.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /><p id="caption-attachment-1174355" class="wp-caption-text">Credit: RDMoore Photography</p></div>
<p>Standing alongside two household names in sports, who are taking time out of the busiest sports season of the year to raise awareness for a type of cancer men don’t love to talk about, showed me how sports do so much more than entertain. They change lives.</p>
<p>&#8220;While we raise money for prostate cancer research and pray for a cure, men, let us do the one thing that costs us absolutely nothing… Let&#8217;s talk,&#8221; Harris said to a ballroom full of men and women all in blue shoes, representing the color associated with prostate cancer.</p>
<p>Harris, through his own story, taught the crowd at Regions Field how to have a conversation about prostate cancer. It’s not as exciting as prop bets, but it’s way more important.</p>
<p>&#8220;Prostate cancer is nothing to be ashamed of … even the side effects from the surgery or radiation is nothing to be ashamed of; erectile dysfunction is nothing to be ashamed of,&#8221; Harris said.</p>
<p>His story with prostate cancer is truly a family affair. His dad had it, but that’s about all Harris knew about the cancer at the time — until he got his positive test back. Then he put on his reporter boots and went to work to learn everything about this disease that he came to know killed two of his uncles and some of his cousins.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div id="attachment_1174339" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1174339" class="size-large wp-image-1174339" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/09/Untitled-design-2026-09-08T145340.466-864x576.png" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/09/Untitled-design-2026-09-08T145340.466-864x576.png 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/09/Untitled-design-2026-09-08T145340.466-300x200.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/09/Untitled-design-2026-09-08T145340.466-768x512.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/09/Untitled-design-2026-09-08T145340.466.png 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /><p id="caption-attachment-1174339" class="wp-caption-text">Credit: RDMoore Photography</p></div>
<p>Harris said he knows that outcome shouldn’t have happened.</p>
<p>&#8220;I shared my story with my younger brother. I said, &#8216;Please make sure your doctor checks your [prostate-specific antigen levels] the next time you go for your annual physical.&#8217; And he did,&#8221; Harris said. “They drew the blood and they tested it and guess what? Prostate cancer. His is not aggressive, and I hope it stays that way.&#8221;</p>
<p>That conversation could have saved his younger brother’s life because of early detection.</p>
<p>My friend’s dad also had early detection thanks to former Auburn coach Bruce Pearl and the Mike Slive Foundation setting up testing centers at an Auburn basketball game. One conversation between Mr. Jerry and his wife about getting tested before tip-off changed his life. That early detection helped him fight off the disease.</p>
<p>&#8220;Who knew you could effectively fight cancer with a conversation?&#8221; Harris asked.</p>
<p>Several men in attendance at the Blue Shoe Ball credited their wives with getting them to the doctor&#8217;s office. I get it, we women love to talk! Whether it&#8217;s about our kids, spouse, or that high school classmate that we keep tabs on through Facebook, we aren&#8217;t afraid to discuss the good and the bad, and that goes for health issues too.</p>
<p>Sure, sometimes we ladies can go over the top talking about our bodily issues, but Harris recognized this as a strength. We do our yearly appointments, as invasive as they are, and tell our friends, and go about our days. Harris said men could learn something from women and mammograms.</p>
<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s what y&#8217;all do every year, and you just go and you talk about it and you just go,&#8221; Harris added. &#8220;Men, it&#8217;s a blood test.&#8221;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div id="attachment_1174363" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1174363" class="size-large wp-image-1174363" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/09/Untitled-design-99-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/09/Untitled-design-99-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/09/Untitled-design-99-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/09/Untitled-design-99-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/09/Untitled-design-99.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /><p id="caption-attachment-1174363" class="wp-caption-text">Credit: RDMoore Photography</p></div>
<p>I was in awe of Harris’ candor last Thursday. He knows his face is on national television, but he wanted to make his testimony personal.</p>
<p>&#8220;Men, anything we have to do below the belt, they might mess with our sexual prowess, and we don&#8217;t like it. You know what else messes with your sexual prowess? You being dead. I ain&#8217;t never seen a dead person have sex,&#8221; Harris said with a laugh.</p>
<p>That’s banter you won’t see on SportsCenter, but the veteran broadcaster made his point clear that men don’t have to die from the most common cancer.</p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m a prostate cancer survivor, and I want other people to be the same way.&#8221;</p>
<p>Jay Harris isn’t scared to have a conversation. Mike Slive wasn’t scared to have a conversation; anyone who got to talk to him at the legendary Salem’s Diner in Homewood knows that much.</p>
<p>What a good reminder during the time of year when most men will spend more time talking in group texts thanks to fantasy football and DraftKings, that talking about prostate cancer may be the one conversation that keeps them in the game.</p>
<p>&#8220;Let&#8217;s keep talking and keep living,&#8221; Harris said.</p>


Credit: RDMoore Photography

How Sports Legends Are Tackling A Taboo Health Crisis Head-On

bruce pearl

cancer research

health

mike slive

prostate cancer

southeastern conference

<p>A Georgia police officer has been placed on administrative leave after fatally shooting a family&#8217;s baby donkey while searching for a missing child early Sunday.</p>
<p>The baby donkey, named HeeHaw, was shot after officers entered a pasture at Elsberry Riding and Farm in Polk County around 12:45 a.m., <a href="https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1V2UWvu4Vy/">according</a> to local authorities and the animal&#8217;s owner.</p>
<p>Officers from the Cedartown Police Department were assisting Polk County police in the search for a missing child when they entered the pasture, authorities said. The child was later found safe at a church near the pasture.</p>
<p>Farm owner Hannah Israel said officers entered her property without permission or warning before encountering HeeHaw, a bottle-raised donkey that regularly interacted with people at local petting zoos.</p>
<p>&#8220;He never knew a stranger,&#8221; Israel wrote on Facebook. &#8220;And [he] was shot and killed in his OWN pasture for doing what donkeys do. &#8230; Alerting to a stranger.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;He was my son,&#8221; she added.</p>
<p>Cedartown Police Chief Jamie Newsome confirmed that an officer shot the donkey during the search and said the officer has been placed on paid administrative leave while the shooting is investigated.</p>
<p>Authorities have not identified the officer or publicly explained what happened immediately before the shooting.</p>
<p>The Polk County Sheriff&#8217;s Office stressed that its deputies were not involved in the incident, saying officers from the Polk County Police Department and Cedartown Police Department were conducting the search.</p>
<p>&#8220;We extend our sincere condolences to the family and everyone affected by this unfortunate incident,&#8221; the sheriff&#8217;s office said. &#8220;We understand the concern and sadness surrounding what occurred.&#8221;</p>
<p>Israel started a GoFundMe to help with legal fees. So far, nearly $100,000 has been raised. A user named &#8220;Justice For HeeHaw Solana&#8221; donated $10,000 to the cause.</p>
<p>&#8220;He was a loved member of our family and did many petting zoos and made many people smile,&#8221; the message read on the GoFundMe page.</p>


Credit: Elsberry Riding and Farm

‘He Was My Son’: Police Kill Beloved Baby Donkey In His Own Pasture

animal welfare

cedartown police department

georgia

police shooting

polk county

<p>Northerners are paying upwards of $12,000 for &#8220;rush coaches&#8221; to get their daughters into a Southern sorority. It may sound crazy, but that&#8217;s just the price of admission to college&#8217;s most prestigious social clubs.</p>
<p>Now before you call me &#8220;dumb&#8221; or &#8220;out of touch,&#8221; I did not pay for any type of sorority coach, but I didn’t need to. I was from the South, went to school in the South, and had connections out the wazoo with girls already in sororities at Auburn University. But to be clear, I <em>still</em> got dropped by some sororities I liked (I’m looking at you Chi O).</p>
<p>It’s already hard enough to get into a sorority at the University of Alabama, Auburn University, or Ole Miss if you are from the South. You need spotless social media, recommendations from friends, an over-filled resume, and frankly some luck to get in. Coming from the North? Who are you? That’s what these sorority girls will be asking. So yes, these “rush coaches” give the skills needed to have a chance at joining one as an out-of-state girl eager to live that SEC sorority girl life.</p>
<p>Here is some inside ball. Sororities know exactly who is coming through those doors during recruitment week — if you are from Birmingham, Alabama; Atlanta, Georgia; Montgomery, Alabama; or Mobile, Alabama. Before rush even starts, the girls on the other side of the sorority house have been locked up for a week, without sunlight, learning everything about the top girls who will walk through that door once rush week starts.</p>
<p>But not every PNM (that stands for potential new members — sorority slang) gets spotlighted. Only the girls who are known to members already in the sorority or come highly recommended by an alumna are in this slideshow where the current members can get to know your face and some fun facts about you.</p>
<p>It always cracked me up that if you were from a small town you were grouped with other small town girls and affectionately called &#8220;small town trash.&#8221; Was that just my school? Probably not. Look, not everyone can hold it down in Birmingham or Atlanta; someone has to hold it down in Alex City.</p>
<p>Now if you are coming from far out-of-state, especially out-of-the-South, you are starting this sorority journey already down by a touchdown. (We love a good football metaphor down here.) And only if you make a splash during rush are you then known as a &#8220;discovery,&#8221; and boom you have someone on the other side fighting for you, which is huge. But that is not the rule; it’s the exception.</p>
<p>Girls up North have known this for a while thanks to the absolute TikTok mania that surrounds rush every year, and now the parents are catching on. Lindsay Lookingbill is a teacher from Maryland who at first thought her daughter was silly for asking for a professional rush coach, but the mother later told Bloomberg it was necessary.</p>
<p>&#8220;You’re not going into another world. You’re not going to Mars,&#8221; she told <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-10/what-is-sorority-rush-and-why-are-parents-paying-6-500-for-coaches">Bloomberg</a>. &#8220;But you are going into a different culture.&#8221;</p>
<p>Growing up in Alabama, girls know how big of a deal it is to get into sorority. In Birmingham even high schools have them!</p>
<p>We had mock &#8220;ice water tea&#8221; parties (what the first rounds of sorority recruitment used to be called) after church on Sundays, résumé classes, a handbook telling you everything you need to know about the sororities and how to get alumni to write you recommendations — it was intense.</p>
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<p>Trisha Addicks, the author of &#8220;The Rush Bible,&#8221; understands the amount of prep that goes into sorority recruitment. It’s why she started her business, It’s All Greek To Me, back in 2017 long before &#8220;RushTok&#8221; (sorority videos on TikTok) was even a thought. This company charges $6,500 for a one-year coaching program. Starting this fall, she’s launching the two-year Legacy Mentorship package for $12,000, and people are buying.</p>
<p>&#8220;The response has been overwhelmingly positive,&#8221; Addicks told The Daily Wire. &#8220;Clients tell us again and again how relieved they are to have found &#8216;The Rush Bible&#8217; and/or our team at It&#8217;s All Greek to Me, especially our clients from the North.&#8221;</p>
<p>There has always been a need to prep for sorority recruitment for us ladies below the Mason-Dixon line, but with the influx of Northerners sending their kids down South after the pandemic (hello 30% increase in five years <a href="https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/sorry-harvard-everyone-wants-to-go-to-college-in-the-south-now-235d7934">per</a> the Wall Street Journal), businesses like Addicks&#8217; have exploded.</p>
<p>&#8220;RushTok and social media completely changed the landscape of sorority recruitment,&#8221; Addicks said. &#8220;Girls are seeing the hype online and they want in, and our business has grown exponentially because Northern families know what they don&#8217;t know.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Rush is hard everywhere, especially in the South. Most Northern families haven&#8217;t navigated it before, and even families who think they know rush from their own experience find the Southern process is a different world.&#8221;</p>
<p>A rush coach like Addicks is going to clean up your social media, wardrobe, accent, manners, and résumé. Yes, Southern sororities do care about what you wear, how you talk, and what is on that résumé. No one knows who you are, so you have to nail the first impression.</p>
<p>&#8220;Rush is a high-stakes goal like any other, and you cannot show up and wing it,&#8221; Addicks said. &#8220;You prepare for it the way you would for any major interview or competition.&#8221;</p>
<p>Now before you say this is stupid, let me make one thing clear: Sororities provide structure, accountability, community, and connections during formative years. You have to have good grades and cannot be caught making out with everyone at the bar or posting alcohol on social media when you’re under 21. Put that drink in a red cup!</p>
<p>&#8220;At the end of the day, I didn’t pay Mindy to help my daughter through rush,&#8221; Lookingbill said. &#8220;I paid Mindy for life skills development that will help [my daughter] throughout life.&#8221;</p>
<p>Once you know how cutthroat the process is, it’s no surprise that parents are paying so their daughter isn’t the one during recruitment talking to a member that gives the “come rescue me signal.” Yep, that’s how calculated rush is. Members have a distress signal that basically means, &#8220;I can’t talk to this person anymore, come relieve me.&#8221;</p>
<p>My friend put it simply: &#8220;I would pay $5,000 just so my daughter doesn&#8217;t have to be the girl no one wants to talk to.&#8221;</p>
<p>Here is my rush advice: When a girl asks about your summer during the first rounds, you better sound busy. Volunteer work, summer job, playing sports, competing in pageants — sound like you were filled to the brim with commitments. No one wants a couch potato anti-social weirdo.</p>
<p>Use manners. Look the girls in the eye, ask questions back to them about what they like to do, say thank you, and just be polite. Nothing says “cut” like talking to a PNM with an attitude.</p>
<p>Dress respectfully. This is not a nightclub; it’s a sisterhood with standards. Cover up and look nice and modest.</p>
<p>And here is some advice from Addicks herself.</p>
<p>&#8220;For rush, highlight that you are a girls&#8217; girl, a genuine friend, and someone who wants to be involved and active in your sorority,&#8221; Addicks said.</p>
<p>&#8220;Do this through intentional, thoughtful social media posts. Show yourself with friends and family and participating in activities you love. Avoid too many photos alone or with a significant other, and archive the solo bathing suit photos.&#8221;</p>
<p>Boom. And all that was for free.</p>
<p>***</p>
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<p>Kurt Busch is opening up about his brother and fellow NASCAR legend Kyle Busch, in the final moments of his life, while also explaining how illness is handled in the competitive racing world.</p>
<p>Kurt, a NASCAR Hall of Famer, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XQVtkDQROI">appeared</a> on the Today show Friday, where he opened up about his brother&#8217;s final moments before his sudden passing in May.</p>
<p>Kurt was in the hospital as Kyle took his final breaths. Friday marks three months since Kyle’s passing. Through tears Kurt was able to share those final words with his brother.</p>
<p>He told Today&#8217;s Craig Melvin, &#8220;I said, &#8216;I got you, man. Come on. I got you. Come on. Be strong.&#8221;</p>
<p>Kurt chose to be at Kyle&#8217;s side at the end. Their father, Tom Busch, chose not to.</p>
<p>&#8220;I was there at the hospital,&#8221; Kurt said. &#8220;I was there all day, hoping, praying, hoping for a turnaround. My dad wanted to remember him in the way that he wanted to remember him. That&#8217;s how people could choose if they wanted to or not.&#8221;</p>
<p>Kyle died May 21 after an undiagnosed bacterial infection in his lungs turned septic and moved through his body with brutal speed, killing within hours, his family said.</p>
<p>&#8220;Just wasn&#8217;t fair,&#8221; Kurt added.</p>
<p>During the emotional interview, Kurt opened up about Kyle’s pneumonia on a larger scale and explained how racecar drivers often push through certain illnesses because they feel like they have to in order to not lose their driver’s seat.</p>
<p>&#8220;To be bluntly honest, yeah…I mean, we&#8217;re independent contractors. We don&#8217;t have a union. So there&#8217;s a concern that if you don&#8217;t get in there, someone else fills in for you,&#8221; Kurt said.</p>
<p>The NASCAR community has paid tribute to Kyle in a big way throughout the season, but that’s not where Kurt feels closest to his brother, instead it’s a small local track where Kyle’s son, Brexton, races.</p>
<p>&#8220;He&#8217;s a prodigy. He was on the gas even before all of this,&#8221; Kurt said. &#8220;He can be a big star in the world of motorsports. He&#8217;s 11, but he&#8217;s already racing like an 18-year-old. So it&#8217;s time to be around a bit more.&#8221;</p>
<p>Bonding with the 11-year-old is a way of keeping his brother alive. But outside of the racing bubble, Kurt talked about how the grief hasn’t gotten easier.</p>
<p>Kurt and Kyle were brothers, and drivers, and they grew up on the track together as competitors, but always family.</p>
<p>&#8220;Him and I were carbon copies of each other. I just miss the on-track camaraderie. We could speak on track without saying a word,” Kurt said. “Like, &#8216;you pass me here, I&#8217;ll draft with you here.&#8217; You know, short track, like, &#8216;hey man, did you change that shock?&#8217; Yeah, I miss the words that we never spoke to each other and the vibe that we had on track. There&#8217;s usually going to be a discussion when I see someone, but it&#8217;s all right. We&#8217;ll get through it. Time heals.&#8221;</p>


Credit: Chris Trotman/Getty Images

Kurt Busch Breaks Down Recalling His NASCAR Legend Brother Kyle’s Final Moments

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