What's the point? Why one area in Wisconsin has a very specific speed limit

It’s not a typo.

One Wisconsin county has set one area's speed limit to 17.3 mph in an eye-catching move aimed at jolting drivers into staying alert in a high-traffic work zone.

Officials in Outagamie County rolled out the unusual speed limit at the county’s Recycling and Solid Waste facility, where a constant flow of trucks, contractors and residents creates a busy and sometimes hazardous environment.

County leaders say the oddly specific number is intentional — and psychological.

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"Why 17.3? Because it makes you pause. It makes you look twice," officials said in a social media post announcing the change. The goal, they say, is to snap drivers out of "autopilot" and force them to pay closer attention to speed and safety while behind the wheel.

The site sees steady traffic from large hauling vehicles and smaller passenger cars, often moving in tight quarters.

The county believes the unconventional speed limit is a small change that will get drivers to slow down, stay alert and watch out for others.

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Whether it catches on elsewhere remains to be seen, but for now, 17.3 mph is turning heads in Wisconsin.

"Worked last weekend when I was there. Made us laugh," one user replied to the post.

Other users, however, were skeptical of the move.

"Sounds like something outagamie would do," another user wrote. "Plus you’ll get speeding for 17.4 and impeding traffic at 17.2, everyone gonna be paying up."

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House passes Senate DHS funding bill after Johnson reverses course on 76-day shutdown standoff

Congress took a major step toward ending the record-breaking Department of Homeland Security shutdown on Thursday as the White House warned hundreds of thousands of federal employees were on the verge of missing paychecks amid the 76-day funding lapse.

The House of Representatives approved by voice vote a Senate-passed spending measure covering most of the department’s appropriations through September.  

President Donald Trump is expected to swiftly sign the measure into law, restoring funding for the Secret Service, Coast Guard, Federal Emergency Management Agency and Transportation Security Administration, among other agencies.

The vote came after the Senate's DHS funding bill had stalled in the lower chamber for more than a month as House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., declined to put the bill on the floor over objections to language he said defunded law enforcement. The speaker's opposition reflected the views of many in the Republican conference, who viewed the bill as a dead letter when the Senate passed it unanimously in March.

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Johnson changed course this week after the White House appeared to side with the Senate and urged swift passage of the upper chamber’s bill. 

"We’re not defying the White House," Johnson told reporters Wednesday. "Everybody understands what we're doing. We're all one team."

In an internal memo sent to Hill offices and obtained by Fox News Digital, the White House warned it would not be able to pay employees starting in May if the House did not pass the Senate’s partial DHS bill. The administration since early April had been using existing funds to cover six weeks of back pay and a new pay period for DHS employees — but warned that money was quickly depleting.

"If this funding is exhausted, the Administration will be unable to pay DHS personnel beginning in May, which will once again unleash havoc on air travel, leave critical law enforcement officers—including our brave Secret Service agents—and the Coast Guard without paychecks, and jeopardize national security," the memo states.

Republicans are in the beginning stages of writing a separate party-line package to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). But that legislation will not advance before lawmakers leave Washington for the upcoming recess period. 

Trump has requested top Republicans send the immigration enforcement measure to his desk by June 1.

Johnson said he dropped his objections to the Senate bill after his chamber took the first step toward funding Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda late Wednesday.

"We had to ensure that they could not isolate and eliminate those two critical agencies," Johnson told reporters. "That was critically important for us to ensure that we’re going to protect the homeland."

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Some Republicans argued that failure to move the Senate’s DHS bill prior to leaving Washington for a planned recess was untenable.

"We have got to fund DHS, even if it's 80% of DHS," Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital in an interview. "We're in a dangerous position with funding levels right now. We have to get this done before we even think of leaving on a recess."

Langworthy sent a letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, to Johnson earlier in the week imploring the speaker to put the Senate’s DHS bill up for a vote. 

"What other avenue of approach are you going to have?" Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital when asked about whether the House would take up the Senate’s languishing DHS bill. "This is hurting families of individuals willing to serve their communities, their nation, their state. Why wouldn't we?"

The prolonged funding lapse created financial distress for a vast swath of DHS employees who were forced to report to work for weeks at a time without pay. More than 1,000 TSA agents quit their jobs during the shutdown, DHS announced this week.

Democrats, who initially sparked the shutdown over objections to funding immigration enforcement, supported the Senate measure because it did not include funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

"Bring the bipartisan Senate-passed bill to the House Floor today, and it would fund the Department of Homeland Security in its entirety with the exception of ICE and the violent Republican mass deportation machine," Jeffries said at a news conference on Monday.

House conservatives did not ask for a recorded vote on the Senate DHS bill despite warning about the precedent of passing an appropriations bill that isolates immigration enforcement funding from the rest of the department. 

"That vote was going to pass if there was a suspension vote, so we agree to let it go by voice [vote]," Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, told reporters Thursday.

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US eyes first-ever hypersonic Dark Eagle deployment as Iran pushes beyond strike range

The U.S. military has explored deploying its new Dark Eagle hypersonic weapon to the Middle East, according to a report, as the Army begins fielding the long-range system after years of delays.

U.S. Central Command has requested deployment of the Army’s Long Range Hypersonic Weapon, known as Dark Eagle, to the Middle East, according to a Bloomberg report citing a person with direct knowledge of the matter.

A defense official told Fox News Digital the system has reached initial operational capability, marking the first time the U.S. has a land-based hypersonic weapon available for potential use.

The request was driven in part by concerns that Iranian ballistic missile launchers have been moved beyond the range of existing U.S. systems, including the Army’s Precision Strike Missile, which can strike targets more than 300 miles away, according to the Bloomberg report.

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It reflects growing concern that existing U.S. strike capabilities may not be sufficient to reach key Iranian missile assets, while also highlighting a major milestone for the Army as it fields its first land-based hypersonic weapon. If deployed, Dark Eagle would significantly expand the U.S. military’s ability to strike distant, hard-to-reach targets with little warning, marking a shift in how the Pentagon can project power in the region.

The Army began fielding the system to one of its multidomain task forces in December 2025 following testing and live-fire exercises, according to the official, placing the weapon within specialized units designed to carry out long-range precision strikes across multiple domains.

Individual Dark Eagle missiles are estimated to cost around $15 million each, though earlier analyses have placed the cost significantly higher, while a single battery — including launchers and support equipment — is estimated at roughly $2.7 billion.

No deployment of the system to the Middle East has been publicly announced, and officials have not confirmed any request. The U.S. and Iran are still currently adhering to a ceasefire in hopes of broader negotiations on Iran's nuclear program.

Dark Eagle is designed to travel at hypersonic speeds while maneuvering in flight, allowing it to strike targets at much longer ranges — potentially exceeding 1,700 miles — and with far less warning than traditional missiles.

That combination of speed and range makes it particularly suited for targeting mobile or hardened systems, such as missile launchers, that are difficult to reach with existing weapons.

Unlike traditional ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons can maneuver in flight, making them more difficult to track and intercept.

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The reported request comes as the Pentagon continues efforts to accelerate its hypersonic weapons programs amid concerns about competition with China and Russia.

The U.S. has spent years developing hypersonic weapons, though some programs have faced delays, testing constraints and shifting priorities as the Pentagon works to advance the technology.

China and Russia already have fielded hypersonic systems, underscoring the growing importance of weapons designed to travel at extreme speeds while maneuvering in flight, making them more difficult to detect and intercept.

"Fielding and scaling hypersonic weapons is a top priority for the War Department — and we are delivering at a  rapid speed," a Pentagon official told Fox News Digital. "'Scaled hypersonics' has been designated as one of the Department’s critical technology areas by Chief Technology Officer Emil Michael to focus resources on delivering cost-effective and lethal hypersonic solutions to the warfighter." 

"The Department’s Test Resource Management Center (TRMC) is working to upgrade test facilities and establish new, nontraditional testing locations," the official said. "Simultaneously, the Department is placing its acquisition system on a ‘wartime footing’ to forge a robust, responsive industrial base capable of rapidly delivering these advanced technologies."

U.S. Central Command declined to comment to Fox News Digital. 

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Speaker Johnson one step closer to renewing controversial spy program after conservatives fall in line

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is one step closer to averting a lapse in a controversial surveillance program after GOP privacy hawks fell in line to back a procedural measure amid weeks of infighting.

House lawmakers approved a test vote teeing up a three-year extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) for a vote on final passage as early as Wednesday evening. The procedural measure also includes a Senate-passed budget resolution funding immigration enforcement for the rest of President Donald Trump's term.

GOP leadership held the vote open for more than two hours as they worked to flip dozens of conservative holdouts. In order to get the rule adopted, leadership agreed to punt consideration of a third piece of legislation known as the farm bill, which includes agriculture and nutrition priorities.

Every Republican present ultimately voted yes during the marathon session in a major victory for Johnson. He could afford to lose just a handful of GOP defections given House Republicans’ razor-thin majority.

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The successful procedural vote came after a sustained lobbying campaign from the Trump administration and Republican leadership to sell GOP privacy hawks on an extension of the spy law.

"This is by far the most collaborative effort that I've seen on FISA, and we've had a number of these kinds of fights," Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, a leading FISA skeptic, told reporters earlier this week. "So I think it's a very collaborative work product, and that's why I say I support it."

"It's not to say I don't think there's other reforms that I would support, but I think this is a good win, and we should focus on a broader set of reforms that apply way beyond the scope of 702," the Ohio Republican added.

House conservatives also appeared to soften their opposition after leadership included language permanently banning central bank digital currencies (CBDC) in the procedural measure.

GOP privacy hawks have long pushed for adding a CBDC ban to a legislative vehicle, casting it as a necessary effort to ward off government surveillance.

But Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has warned that any FISA renewal bill with CBDC language is "dead on arrival" in the Senate. 

"They know that," Thune told reporters Tuesday, referring to House Republicans.

The Senate could also move to pass a rival FISA plan and force the House to swallow it ahead of Thursday’s deadline to extend the spy law.

"FISA is critical to our national defense and our national security," Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., told Fox News. "If we lose FISA, we lose the ability to defend this country the way that it should be defended. We use that information to find out what the bad guys are doing, where they're at, what they're looking to attack, what their strategies are."

"I know we've got folks out there that are concerned about protecting Americans and so forth," Rounds added. "We really need them to take a look at the other side of this, which is, are you going to hurt Americans?"

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Johnson is also seeking to clear the Senate budget resolution as soon as Wednesday evening.

Leadership has scheduled a vote on the measure, but it is not clear if House Republicans will support the resolution without modifications. Democrats are expected to line up in opposition to the measure, citing concerns about funding immigration enforcement absent sweeping reforms.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., is still vowing to strip out controversial pesticide language from the farm bill, arguing it would block lawsuits against some pesticide manufacturers.

"On behalf of all the moms and dads that aren’t in office, I am not going to be bullied into supporting a bill that is providing protections and immunity to corporations that are responsible for giving children and adults cancer," Luna wrote on social media. "This is literally above party affiliation."

Trump has urged House Republicans to quickly pass the Senate’s budget blueprint to fund immigration enforcement.

"It is imperative that Congress immediately fund DHS and its critical operations to protect the Homeland," the White House Office of Management and Budget wrote in a memo to Hill offices on Tuesday that was obtained by Fox News Digital. "Failure to pass the budget resolution will jeopardize paychecks for the DHS personnel that keep the Homeland safe."

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US Middle East ally strips citizenship from 69 in crackdown on pro-Iran support

Bahrain stripped citizenship from dozens of nationals Monday after accusing them of promoting pro-Iran sentiment online, marking the latest use of a controversial law that allows the government to revoke nationality for security concerns.

The interior ministry said 69 people — including some relatives of those accused — lost their citizenship for allegedly "glorifying" hostile Iranian actions and maintaining ties with foreign entities.

Bahrain said the revocations were carried out under Article 10(3) of its nationality law, which allows authorities to strip citizenship from individuals deemed to have harmed the kingdom’s interests or violated their duty of loyalty. Officials said those targeted — along with some of their family members — were all of non-Bahraini origin, a category that typically includes naturalized citizens rather than native-born nationals.

The move follows a directive issued days earlier by Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, who ordered officials to act against those who "betrayed the nation" or undermined its security and stability, including reviewing whether individuals should retain their citizenship.

The Kingdom of Bahrain Tuesday sentenced five people to life in prison and 25 more to 10 years on charges of spying for Iran. The prosecution said 25 others were separately sentenced to 10 years each for supporting Iran’s "terrorist acts" in Bahrain.

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The decision comes as Bahrain grapples with fallout from Iran’s recent missile and drone strikes across the Gulf, including attacks on U.S. military assets in the kingdom. Officials have cast the citizenship revocations as a national security measure aimed at suppressing domestic support for Iran and cutting off suspected ties to foreign networks.

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Relations between Bahrain and Iran long have been strained, with Bahrain accusing Iran of backing militant networks and unrest inside the kingdom. The two countries severed diplomatic ties in 2016, and Bahrain’s role as host of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet has placed it on the front lines of the current confrontation, with Iranian strikes hitting near the base during recent retaliatory attacks.

Bahrain also is home to a sizable community of citizens of Iranian descent — often referred to as the Ajam — estimated to number in the hundreds of thousands.

Authorities have linked the crackdown to a wider campaign against what they describe as Iran-backed influence operations, including arrests of individuals accused of sharing videos of Iranian strikes, posting pro-Iran content, or communicating with foreign groups. Bahrain also has reported uncovering cells tied to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which officials say were tasked with gathering intelligence on sensitive sites inside the kingdom.

Similar crackdowns have been reported across the Gulf since the start of the conflict, with hundreds of people arrested in countries including the United Arab Emirates for posting videos, images or commentary about Iranian attacks. Authorities have cited national security and public order laws, warning that even sharing footage of strikes could expose sensitive information or fuel unrest.

The measures come amid a broader regional trend of governments tightening citizenship rules on security grounds. Kuwait, for example, has revoked nationality from more than 70,000 people since 2024, with officials there saying the program is aimed at addressing fraud.

The move has drawn criticism from the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, whose advocacy director Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei called it "the beginning of a dangerous era of repression" and said the decisions were imposed without legal safeguards or the right of appeal.

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Panera workers slam new menu item as 'huge waste' as customers question value

Panera Bread's latest menu item is drawing backlash online, as employees of the chain are claiming the new item leads to perfectly good bread and extra salad being tossed in the trash.

The fast-casual chain's new Salad Stuffers, which launched April 8, are marketed as "a bread bowl for your salad." 

But workers posting on Reddit claim the offering requires throwing away significant portions of Italian bread — and in some cases, leftover salad — according to an article in Today.com.

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In Panera's announcement earlier this month about the new category, chief marketing officer Mark Shambura said guests in testing "couldn't get enough" of the new roll, and called the concept a fresh spin on the chain's signature bread bowl.

The reaction online, though, has been less enthusiastic.

"The core of the bread is thrown out, and a good chunk of the salad gets tossed in the trash, too," someone claiming to be an employee at the chain wrote on Reddit's Panera forum. 

"These are a huge waste of money and food. ... I wouldn't recommend spending your hard-earned cash on them."

Another poster shared a photo on the same Reddit community, showing a tray piled with hollowed-out bread pieces. 

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The person wrote, "My manager went to a meeting about menu changes and was told these scraps cannot be given to customers or fed to birds."

Some commenters also questioned whether the item represents a true innovation — arguing it closely resembles a standard sandwich with minor changes.

"What's a Salad Stuffer roll? They shove a salad into a hollowed-out roll? Isn't that just a sandwich then?" one Reddit user wrote.

Another chimed in, "Why not just make a sandwich??"

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Others suggested ways the leftover bread could be repurposed to reduce waste.

"We made croutons and had a snack," one commenter wrote — while another said, "I will be making French toast casserole with these scraps."

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Said yet another person, "If the CEO were a smart man, these would be the new croutons.

Someone else added, "They should bake the dough with a tinfoil thing inside so the bread is hollow and doesn't need to be wasted!!"

Others suggested a bread pudding dessert or stuffing.

One commenter simply exclaimed, "I want my bread guts!"

Outside reviewers have also raised questions about whether the product is worth the price, adding to criticism from some customers.

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In a review, Tasting Table said Panera's Salad Stuffers were "meh" as expected. The outlet praised a few heartier combinations, such as the Steakhouse Salad Stuffer, but argued against the value.

The review ultimately recommended that customers just order a half salad, take the free baguette on the side and make their own version.

Some critics have also pointed out that the item bears a resemblance to offerings from Bread Zeppelin, a Texas-based chain known for its salad-stuffed baguettes, Today.com reported.

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Bread Zeppelin also leaned into the comparison.

"Hey @PaneraBread, Zeppelin's walked, so Stuffers could ... try," the company posted on social media. 

It also promoted a limited-time deal encouraging customers to bring in a Panera receipt to receive a free salad-stuffed baguette to compare the two.

The chain has also emphasized that it repurposes leftover bread into items like croutons and bread pudding.

But not everyone was so quick to toss the Salad Stuffer. 

One Reddit commenter said the item was "delicious" and described it as "like a Panera version of a wrap."

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Fox News Digital reached out to Panera, which is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, for comment.

In its announcement about the new Salad Stuffer item, the brand said, "Panera chefs and bakers innovated the new Italian Stuffer Roll to deliver the ideal balance of fluffy, soft bread and a freshly prepared dressed salad in every bite. Guests can make any salad on the menu a Stuffer, from classics like the Green Goddess Cobb Salad with Chicken or Caesar Salad to two bold, chef-crafted options created specifically for this new innovation, available at participating cafés."

Panera Bread first opened in 1987. As of March 31, 2026, there were 2,251 bakery-cafés in 48 states, in Washington, D.C., and in Ontario, Canada, the company said in its release. 

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Valerie Bertinelli says she missed narcissistic red flags in relationships: 'Made me question my self-worth'

Making it clear she’s in no rush to get back onto the dating scene, Valerie Bertinelli explained this week that she now actively looks for narcissism "red flags" when meeting men.

In her "Getting Naked" podcast on Wednesday titled "Know Your Narcissist," Bertinelli revealed that she didn’t even realize she was dealing with narcissism in her own romantic relationships until several years ago after first recognizing it in the fraught political climate.

"I don’t want to throw anybody that’s been in my life under a bus, I just want to talk about experiences that have been challenging and made me question my self-worth," the "One Day at a Time" star told her guest Dr. Ramani Durvasula, a psychologist and author.

"When we know who we are, Valerie, when someone is coming at us like the way that narcissistic people do, we can be a lot more steadfast," the doctor advised. "The only way a narcissistic relationship works is if we abandon ourselves."

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Bertinelli agreed with her assessment, admitting that in the narcissistic relationships she’d been involved in, "I totally abandoned myself to a point where my family was like ‘Where are you? We need you? Come back to us.’"

She said while she was in the relationships, she didn’t feel that way.

"You feel truly like you’re just going to make this person happy," the 66-year-old explained. "You know you can do it. ‘I know I can make them happy. I know if I work hard enough, I can make them happy. I know that I don’t want to be selfish. I don’t want to hurt them, so if they’re telling me that I’m doing these things. I can make myself better.’"

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When Durvasula noted that it’s human to want "intimate relationships," Bertinelli joked: "Well, I did. I'm not so much want[ing] that right now."

Durvasula revealed that "a lot of the core of narcissism is this insecurity, this fragility."

Bertinelli interjected to say that the narcissists she’s known, though, "seem like they're not insecure. They're so like — it's magnetizing to see someone that sure of themselves," and Durvasula explained that narcissists "are good at what we call expressed self-confidence," essentially being know-it-alls.

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The doctor further explained that the traits of a narcissist encompass low empathy, arrogance, entitlement, grandiosity and pathological selfishness.

"They can only center [around] themselves," she added. "They're status seeking. So, they want whatever is going to make them look powerful to the world. They are not able to tolerate things like frustration, disappointment, stress, or anything that doesn't sort of prop up that grandiose sort of fantasy of them. They're driven very much by power, domination, control. They need to be the ones on top."

And those traits, she explained, show up as "manipulation, invalidation, dismissiveness, gaslighting, rage, silent treatment, competitiveness, making us small so they can feel big, betrayal, promising things that they never follow through on."

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Prefacing her analysis of her own past relationships with "I can only speak about my own experience and being very careful not to," Bertinelli said: "I would never ever think that that person had any of those traits, but the way that they showed up was, oh boy, all of the things you said."

She added that she wanted her podcast to help people from "falling into that trap."

"I have a little joke that it's just like, ‘OK, somebody's got to tell me every single different kind of narcissist there is out there because I need to know what to not fall into.’" she said. "Again, I even talked to my therapist. I said, 'Please tell me what red flags are exactly so I can keep an eye out for them.'"

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She noted that in a past relationship someone she didn’t name had repeatedly told her she was a narcissist and that she was hurting them.

"And I was like, ‘Well, I don't want to be hurting people. I don't want to be selfish. I don't want to do all these things. Please, God, tell me.’ And I'm like, at a certain point, I said: ‘I don't understand why you're with me. Like I can't do anything right,’" she said.

But the doctor explained to her that person was manipulating her.

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"‘You will be lovable if you do the things I'm telling you to do,’" she said a narcissist would tell her. "That's the twist."

Bertinelli also suggested the person had told her she prioritizes her son, Wolfgang Van Halen, too much, which Durvasula described as a great example of low empathy, when a romantic partner can’t understand that a relationship with your child is a different kind of love.

She added that when Bertinelli thought she was building intimacy with the person by opening up, "you were basically filling an armory with weapons that they were going to use against you."

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Bertinelli said now if she sees any sign of "love bombing," where people flatter the other person to manipulate them, she can’t tell if it’s genuine affection or not.

"Because there is a point where like getting love notes or being spoken beautifully to and telling — like there's a point of letting someone know how you feel about them, and then there's the love bombing and the like it get moving fast," she said.

The doctor replied: "Idealization is not a place for a relationship to start. And to all you romantics out there, suck it because I'm going to tell you right now, it is just not."

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Bertinelli also specified the "insidious" isolation she had experienced in a relationship.

"It starts — it's not ‘Don't see your family.’ It's when you are with your family, they'll be constantly texting and constantly and starting an argument through texts and calling. And I'm like, ‘I can't talk right now,’" which she said left her feeling like she couldn’t see her family because it upset her significant other.

After breaking up with her boyfriend of 10 months in late 2024, following her divorce from her second husband in 2022, Bertinelli explained at the Los Angeles Time Festival of Books last weekend that she was "really scared of dating right now."

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She continued, "I've had, you know, two — I'm just scared."

Bertinelli told Fox News Digital at the panel that she realized for the first time through writing her memoir, "Getting Naked," "I didn't give myself enough credit for the strength I already had inside me. And that I'm — that I don't have to listen to people be negative to me."

The star said that she was "surprised that I was able to learn that. Finally! That I don't have to listen to people be horrible to me. I don't have to tolerate intolerable behavior."

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She added to Fox News Digital that when she wrote her 2022 book "Enough Already" she thought she had learned that lesson, "but I still put up with intolerable behavior after that."

"It wasn't until I really dug down and got to the root of my shame and the dark side that I made friends with it," she said. "Then I thought, ‘Now I'm done. Now I can just say, f--- you. That's it, I'm done. I'm out,’ you know?"

After divorcing her first husband, Eddie Van Halen, in 2007, she married businessman Tom Vitale in 2010. At the end of their marriage, Bertinelli began to refer to Vitale as "the narcissist," saying that he emotionally abused her, calling her "fat and lazy."

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She also called being officially divorced from Vitale the "second-best day of my life."

Bertinelli began dating writer Mike Goodnough in 2024 and said she was in love, but by year’s end, the relationship had fizzled.

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A year ago, Goodnough claimed Bertinelli was "playing a one-woman tennis match thinking there is someone on the other side of the net" after their breakup, accusing her of falsely making his social media posts about herself and "lashes out angrily" at him.

He also accused her of "hostile, dishonest, and uncalled for backhanded swipes."

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"Valerie is in a war with her ghosts. I’m just the guy who catches the bullets. And that isn’t new," he added.

After their breakup, Bertinelli said in an Instagram post she had been "irreversibly changed by him for the better" and said that she had "fumbled the last true good man I met."

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Cincinnati Reds debut City Connect uniforms and they are an abomination

MLB teams have been trying out uniforms across the league labeled as the "City Connect" collection. Some are cool, some are lame and some are... the Cincinnati Reds.

Full disclosure: I am a Reds fan. It's a painful existence, to be certain (Cincinnati hasn't won a playoff series since 1995 when I was 6 years old). But I'm not sure that I've seen anything as disgusting on the field as the uniforms the Reds wore on Saturday night against the Detroit Tigers.

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Prior to the game, the Reds welcomed the team's 2026 Reds Hall of Fame Class, including Brandon Phillips, Lou Piniella, Aaron Harang and Reggie Sanders. And then they subjected those team legends to the worst uniforms in franchise history. A history that also includes many sleeveless jerseys, by the way.

For the squeamish among us, I'd encourage you now to either shield your eyes or go read another story (preferably not that one, retention time is important for me).

Seriously, what the heck are these uniforms? The all-red is atrocious. The logo is huge and ugly. And, you might not be able to tell, but there are also faint pinstripes on the jersey, the pants and the helmet. Why? It's as if the designer's direction was "Hey, can you make the ugliest uniforms in Reds history?"

"Done and done."

And just to be clear, this is the actual plan: an all-red City Connect 2.0 set with faint pinstripes and a darker red sleeve. It's not a one-off mistake.

For the record, here's what the Reds official website says about the uniforms:

"A perennial favorite of both Reds fans and players alike, pinstripes have been featured on various Reds uniforms throughout history. City Connect 2.0 brings back this classic element to a new generation, but in a modernized tone-on-tone style. The sleeve is a darker shade of red and the jersey’s pinstripes [are] intentionally cut off at the shoulder, a nod to the popular vest-style uniforms last worn two decades ago."

Why in the world are they reminding people about the "vest-style" uniforms? Those were terrible too!

SMALL MARKET MLB TEAMS ARE OUTPERFORMING BIG PAYROLLS, UNDERMINING OWNERS' PUSH TO CANCEL 2027 SEASON

With all the discussions about the New York Yankees looking to finally add an alternate uniform, I think it's time the Reds went the opposite direction. Cincinnati is the oldest franchise in MLB history. They should have simple, classic uniforms. I get it, I sound like a mid-30-year-old trapped in the mind of an 80-year-old. Fine.

Give me the classic Reds uniforms all day over this "modern" abomination.

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Kimmel calls Melania Trump an ‘expectant widow’ before White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting

Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel mocked President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump in a White House Correspondents' Dinner parody this week, calling her "an expectant widow" and joking about her marriage, just days before the dinner was disrupted by a shooting.

"Our First Lady, Melania, is here. Look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow," Kimmel said in his parody of the event on Thursday.

WNBA STAR'S 1-WORD RESPONSE AFTER OBAMA ACCUSES TRUMP ADMIN OF TAKING 'CANCEL CULTURE' TO 'DANGEROUS LEVEL'

The White House Correspondents’ Dinner is an annual gathering hosted by the White House Correspondents’ Association to honor journalism and fund scholarships. This year’s event, which took place on Saturday in Washington D.C., drew outsized attention because Trump attended in person for the first time while in office, though the evening was later overshadowed by violence.

Kimmel also used the parody to mock the Trumps' relationship, portraying distance between the president and the first lady.

"Oh, by the way, Melania, this is Donald. Donald, this is Melania," Kimmel said.

CNN COMMENTATOR SAID TRUMP ‘WANTS US DEAD’ MINUTES BEFORE WH DINNER SHOOTING SCARE

The comedian pivoted to the first lady's April 26 birthday and imagined how she would mark the occasion.

"She’s planning to celebrate at home the same way she always does, looking out a window and whispering, ‘What have I done?’" Kimmel said.

WHO IS COLE ALLEN? CALIFORNIA MAN NAMED AS SUSPECT IN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' DINNER SHOOTING

Kimmel’s segment aired just days before the annual Correspondents’ Dinner was thrown into chaos when authorities said 31-year-old Cole Allen of Torrance, Calif., rushed a Secret Service checkpoint at the Washington Hilton armed with multiple weapons and opened fire on an officer.

Fox News Digital reported the officer was struck in a ballistic vest and taken to a hospital, while agents returned fire and detained Allen, who was also transported for treatment. Trump, first lady Melania Trump and senior administration officials were then rushed from the venue by Secret Service agents.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and ABC for comment but did not immediately hear back.

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WWE legend touts 'very, very high' ceilings for rising stars Kendal Grey, Kali Armstrong

Kendal Grey and Kali Armstrong are two pro wrestlers who represent the future of WWE's women’s division.

Each rising superstar was able to attain WWE Evolve Women’s Championships during their time at the developmental promotion and have made a major impact since being called up to the NXT brand. Grey won the Women’s Iron Survivor Challenge and Armstrong put Lola Vice on notice that she was coming for the NXT Women’s Championship.

WWE Hall of Famer Booker T analyzed Grey and Armstrong’s meteoric rise in the company so far in a recent interview with Fox News Digital.

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"She’s proved that she’s special man. She’s a special talent just in her infancy stages already. Then again, I wouldn’t want to push Kendal too quick because right now she’s being highly touted as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, women’s wrestler to come to the WWE system," he said.

"I don’t want her to get a big head or anything like that because she is so young to the business and she’s picked it up so quickly. But then again, psychology. When she learns that, oh man, she’s gonna be hell to deal with. She’s going to be something very, very special. But she’s gotta really lean into learning that side of it."

Booker T said that Armstrong has the ability to be great as well. However, there were still certain skills that she needed to hone before her greatness could be achieved.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

"She’s a very, very special talent. The first Evolve women’s champion. And then she lost that championship to Kendal Grey. I told her, ‘There’s a reason why you lost that championship. We gotta figure that out.’ You gotta put yourself into a position where, if you do lose it, it comes right back to you," he said.

"Again, there are those building blocks that we gotta work with Kali. Me, personally, I’m going to be working with Kali person-to-person, on a one-on-one perspective, to just hone that skill, to let her know those details. I always say what you do before and what you do after … She’s got it all. She checks off so many boxes but making her complete is something I’m so looking forward to."

Grey was an amateur wrestling star in high school and was on Team USA’s national wrestling team at one point.

Armstrong was a track and field star in college before she signed with WWE.

"But as far as the ceiling, very, very high for both of those ladies," Booker T added.

Both Grey and Armstrong will be among the talent appearing on Season 3 of "WWE Legends and Future Greats" on A+E. The new season begins Sunday night at 10 p.m. ET.

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Caitlin Clark pens heartfelt message to boyfriend Connor McCaffery as they celebrate relationship milestone

Caitlin Clark is used to celebrating milestones on the court, but her most recent one came off the floor.

Clark, 24, posted a heartfelt message to Instagram to celebrate her three-year anniversary with her boyfriend, Connor McCaffery.

"Three years with my fav," Clark captioned her post alongside two white heart emojis. "You’re the best."

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In the post, Clark was wearing a blue dress and looking at McCaffery, who was in a suit. The 27-year-old McCaffery took to his own Instagram account to celebrate the milestone.

"3 years with the most beautiful best friend," McCaffery posted, with a red heart and infinity emoji.

McCaffery’s post showed the couple together in a golf cart.

Clark and McCaffery began dating in April 2023 when the couple met at the University of Iowa. Both played college basketball, as Clark rewrote the history books during her legendary career, while McCaffery played six seasons.

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McCaffery’s six seasons playing basketball all came with his dad as the team’s head coach.

As Clark has ascended into superstardom with the Indiana Fever in the WNBA, McCaffery is following in his father’s footsteps. Following his playing days at Iowa, McCaffery spent one season with the Indiana Pacers as a team assistant in an entry-level position before joining Butler as an assistant coach.

Clark is entering her third season with the Fever and is looking to get back on track after an injury-plagued second season. As a rookie, she burst onto the scene, winning Rookie of the Year and coming fourth in MVP voting.

However, last season, she played just 13 games while battling a litany of injuries.

The Fever’s first preseason game is against the New York Liberty at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday.

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Video shows alleged car thief dangle under bridge after wild chase, sparking tense standoff with police

A wild police chase through San Francisco took a jaw-dropping turn when a suspected car thief ditched his vehicle on the Bay Bridge and climbed underneath the span, at times dangling from crossbeams high above the water in a desperate attempt to avoid arrest.

The April 1 incident began after the San Francisco Police Department received a report of a stolen vehicle near 8th and Market streets. Officers quickly confirmed the car was stolen, and a police drone located it within minutes.

When officers attempted to pull the driver over, he refused to stop — triggering a pursuit through city streets and onto the freeway.

Authorities deployed spike strips, but the suspect maneuvered around them and kept going, leading police on a chase that lasted nearly 30 minutes before heading onto the Bay Bridge. California Highway Patrol units then took over as the pursuit moved onto the span.

SUSPECT ACCUSED OF HURLING CHAINSAW AT DEPUTIES DURING CHAOTIC STOLEN CAR CHASE CAUGHT ON VIDEO

The suspect eventually stopped near Treasure Island, but instead of surrendering, he got out and climbed over the edge of the bridge.

"He’s on the crossbeams, under the bridge," an officer could be heard saying on body camera video, as a drone tracked the suspect below.

Video shows the man straddling narrow beams under the bridge, suspended above the water and at one point, even dangling from the structure as he moved along the span.

17 CHARGED ACROSS NEW ENGLAND AFTER MASSIVE COORDINATED STREET TAKEOVER WREAKS HAVOC IN SUBURBAN BOSTON TOWN

Officers noted he appeared to be heading eastbound toward one of the bridge towers while clinging to the beams.

Multiple agencies rushed to the scene, including marine units, a fire boat, a CHP helicopter and additional drones, all working to keep sight of the suspect. Crews began preparing for a possible rescue operation as the suspect continued moving beneath the bridge.

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Crisis Intervention and hostage negotiation teams were also called in, working to communicate with the suspect as he briefly hid inside a hollow support beam.

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After several tense minutes, the suspect climbed back onto the roadway and was taken into custody without incident.

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SFPD Officer Robert Rueca told KTVU that the suspect ultimately gave himself up and credited drone technology with helping officers track him safely throughout the ordeal.

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"The voters of San Francisco have allowed us to use this technology to make the streets as safe as we can," Rueca told the outlet.

Police have not released the suspect’s identity.

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49ers GM John Lynch skeptical of Rams' decision to draft QB Ty Simpson with No. 13 overall pick

The San Francisco 49ers traded out of the NFL Draft’s first round on Thursday, so general manager John Lynch didn’t have a player to discuss when he met with reporters. No problem, because he started talking players a couple of division rivals drafted.

And it was fascinating.

No. 1 PICK FERNANDO MENDOZA TASKED WITH RETURNING RAIDERS TO GLORY

Lynch commented on what the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams did. And here’s the kicker:

Lynch clearly loved the Cardinals selecting running back Jeremiyah Love. But the Rams drafting quarterback Ty Simpson? With the No. 13 overall pick, no less?

Nope, not a fan.

Lynch was asked directly about the impact Simpson might have for the Rams next season. That was the question. Talk about Simpson's impact, John.  

"Well, first of all," Lynch began through a Cheshire Cat grin, "I think another team in our division, they got a player who is going to have an impact, and I am talking about Jeremiyah Love -- a fantastic player."

NFL DRAFT HAS A 'SPECIAL PLAYER' GENERAL MANAGERS SAY

So, the Cardinals and Love get the seal of approval from Lynch. But the Rams picking Simpson, not so much.

"Ty Simpson is a good football player," Lynch said, his words contrasting his enthusiasm for Love. "I think there was a lot made as to where he would go and what teams would do.

"It probably surprised everybody, but one thing I've learned over the years is that with quarterbacks, people will do those types of things, and they certainly did. So, we'll see."

Lynch just slimed what the Rams did in the most diplomatic way possible.

He made the point that picking Simpson that high was a surprise to "everybody," but teams do unorthodox things with quarterbacks.

(The 49ers did an unorthodox thing with their starting quarterback in that they selected Brock Purdy with the final pick of the 2022 draft, which seems like a much better value than picking Simpson at No. 13).

BAKER MAYFIELD OPENS UP ON EX-TEAMMATE SAM DARNOLD, REVITALIZING CAREER, AND KEVIN STEFANSKI JOINING NFC SOUTH

Simpson, by the way, isn’t expected to play much in the coming season because Matthew Stafford is the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player and the club’s starter. The only way Simpson is pressed into starting duty is if something goes terribly wrong with Stafford.

And that’s perfect for a rookie that, by all accounts, needs to develop because he’s started only 15 collegiate games and comes with good although not necessarily spectacular athletic gifts.

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What makes Simpson’s early selection by the Rams curious is that they are in win-now mode. They want to maximize talent around their 38-year-old quarterback before he retires.

Simpson doesn’t do that. He’s a pick made with eyes on the future. So, the logic of the pick at the lofty spot it was made is questionable.

As 49ers general manager John Lynch basically just told us.

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Ilhan Omar vinegar attacker changes plea after chaotic onstage rush

The Minneapolis man who sprayed Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., with vinegar during a January town hall is changing his plea to guilty on federal charges.

Anthony James Kazmierczak's alleged assault on Omar occurred weeks after Renee Good was killed by an ICE agent, which heightened tensions between federal officials and Democratic state leaders. Democratic leadership called for federal agents to leave Minnesota.

In March, Kazmierczak pleaded not guilty to one federal count of assaulting a United States officer, but an April court filing from his attorney, John Fossum, said Kazmierczak will change his plea to guilty after they have "reached a settlement" with federal prosecutors. Kazmierczak's change-of-plea hearing is scheduled for May 7.

The details of the settlement are unknown. Fox News Digital reached out to Kazmierczak's lawyer for comment.

JUDGE ORDERS ILHAN OMAR ATTACK SUSPECT TO REMAIN IN CUSTODY PENDING TRIAL

Video of the Jan. 27 town hall showed Kazmierczak rushing the stage as Omar spoke. She was calling for Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to step down and for ICE agents to leave Minnesota.

He pulled out a syringe filled with apple cider vinegar and water and attempted to douse the congresswoman with the liquid before an officer stepped in.

"She’s not resigning," Kazmierczak said in the video, referring to Noem.

Kazmierczak also pointed his finger at Omar, screaming, "You’re splitting Minnesotans apart."

Omar was not injured and continued her town hall after Kazmierczak was arrested.

"I’m ok. I’m a survivor so this small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work. I don’t let bullies win. Grateful to my incredible constituents who rallied behind me. Minnesota strong," Omar wrote in a post on X at the time.

KRISTI NOEM, TRUMP RESPOND TO SHOCKING CROSS-DRESSING PHOTOS TIED TO HER HUSBAND

Since the incident, Kazmierczak has been held in custody. A magistrate judge ruled that the "exceedingly serious and dangerous circumstances" of the assault allegations make it impossible to ensure that public safety is not at risk if Kazmierczak is released on bail.

During the investigation, an FBI agent interviewed an associate of Kazmierczak, who claimed Kazmierczak once said "somebody should kill" Omar.

"Assaultive behavior and acts of intimidation directed at officers and employees of the United States will not be tolerated," said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. "Persons who engage in this criminal conduct can expect a swift response from law enforcement and federal prosecutors.

Fox News Digital reached out to the United States Attorney's Office District of Minnesota for comment.

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Shocker! Kyle Brandt-Seth Rollins on-set spat was staged

For those of you who aren't sickos like the rest of us and didn't pay attention to every piece of pre-draft media that came your way, there was a little bit of a tiff on the set of Good Morning Football at the site of the NFL Draft Thursday morning.

Host Kyle Brandt and WWE superstar Seth Rollins were discussing the differences between being a professional wrestler at age 39 and an NFL player at 42, and things got a little heated.

Rollins stormed off the set, leaving Brandt and the rest of his co-hosts stunned, with the latter begging the former to return and finish his segment.

Social media caught wind of this and it blew up into a full-on feud between Brandt and Rollins.

STEPHEN COLBERT, CBS AND THE FCC: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE HEATED MEDIA FEUD

Or, at least, that's what they wanted you to think, because on Friday morning following the first round of the NFL Draft, the two supposed enemies shared the GMFB stage in Pittsburgh and had a nice, hearty chuckle about the whole incident.

Apparently, the whole thing was staged, and only a few people in addition to Rollins and Brandt knew about it, so much so that even the production team was in the dark about the two of them essentially cutting a promo on live television.

COMEDIAN TONY HINCHCLIFFE PUT ON NOTICE BEFORE ROAST OF WRESTLEMANIA

Shock and awe! Who could have seen this coming?

Well, apparently, a lot of people, because several of the comments under the original video on X claim that the two of them are doing a bit, and this was before anyone else knew it was a work between the host and wrestler.

Okay, we get it! You guys are so much smarter than everyone else on the internet.

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In fairness to them, it's easier to just assume everything is either staged or AI these days, so it was probably prudent to just say it's fake and play the odds.

Hell, everyone still thinks the Will Smith-Chris Rock Oscars slap was staged.

Plus, Kyle Brandt is a former reality star, so if anyone was going to pull off something like this, it would be him.

Well played, gentlemen.

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Scientists uncover identity of mysterious 'golden orb' discovered miles underwater in 2023

A strange "golden orb" pulled from more than two miles beneath the Gulf of Alaska, once rumored to be everything from an alien egg to an unknown species, has finally been identified after a yearslong scientific investigation.

Researchers with NOAA and the Smithsonian announced the unusual object, first discovered in 2023 during a deep-sea expedition, is a remnant from a rarely seen giant deep-sea anemone called Relicanthus daphneae, specifically part of the organism that anchored it to the ocean floor.

The discovery was made using a remotely operated vehicle exploring about 3,250 meters (over 2 miles) deep, where it encountered the odd golden structure attached to a rock.

The strange, mound-shaped mass with a small opening stunned scientists at the time, who admitted they had no idea what they were looking at.

SCHOOLBOY SPOTS AMERICAN REVOLUTION WARSHIP ON BEACH AFTER STORM UNCOVERS 230-YEAR-OLD WRECK

"Was it an egg case? A dead sponge? Had something crawled into it … or out of it?" scientists asked.

The unusual find quickly captured public attention, fueling speculation online and within the scientific community. But determining its identity turned out to be anything but simple.

Dr. Allen Collins, a zoologist and director of NOAA Fisheries, said scientists needed to go beyond their routine processes and enlist the expertise of multiple people to solve it.

SHOCKING DISCOVERY IN FLORIDA WAREHOUSE LEAVES OFFICIALS SEARCHING FOR WHAT WENT WRONG

"This was a complex mystery that required morphological, genetic, deep-sea and bioinformatics expertise to solve," Collins said.

Scientists initially struggled because the object lacked recognizable animal features. But closer analysis revealed it was made of fibrous layers packed with stinging cells, pointing to a connection with cnidarians — the group that includes corals and anemones.

CAPT William Mowitt, acting director of NOAA Ocean Exploration, said that the "golden orb" was just one of many "captivating mysteries" hidden in the deep ocean.

"This is why we keep exploring — to unlock the secrets of the deep and better understand how the ocean and its resources can drive economic growth, strengthen our national security and sustain our planet," Mowitt said.

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Catching your wife in bed with the neighbor took the fun out of swinging, and how soon is too soon to move on?

It’s Thursday again and on Thursdays at OutKick we set aside a few minutes for romance. Not just any romance, True Romance. I’ve been at it for a little over two years now, the first column dropped back on April 11, 2024, and they haven’t told me to stop doing it yet.

So here we are headed back into the woods of romance. We have a couple of heavy hitters leading the way and getting the path ready for us to follow. Kim Kardashian, an obvious romantic at heart, packed on the PDA in the ocean in Malibu with Lewis Hamilton this week.

How did the photographers know they were going to be there? That’s not my focus. All I know is I’m glad the call was put in so that we could have such a moment on the books. This is the real Kim K. She’s a lover, not a fighter.

I said that we have a couple of heavy hitters leading the way and I meant it. No, the other heavy hitter isn’t Lewis Hamilton. He can frolic in the ocean all he wants, but it takes more than that to be considered a heavy hitter in the eyes of this hopeless romantic.

The other one is Sydney Sweeney. Lost in all the Euphoria headlines and goings on as it relates to her lingerie line lately, was a significant development in her personal life. She finally went Instagram official with her boyfriend Scooter Braun.

What a day romance had when that finally took place. It’s hard not to smile at that news, and not just because she’s dating a guy named Scooter.

LPGA STAR NELLY KORDA SIZZLES ON THE BEACH, DEMS WON'T STOP DANCING & GIA DUDDY WHIPS UP A BIKINI LUNCH

Admittedly, it’s not on the level of two women brawling next to the casket at their lover’s funeral, but not much is. That’s why we go on these journeys each week.

This week is one of reflection. We have questions that need to be answered.

Should catching your spouse in bed with the neighbor take the fun out of swinging? And how long should you wait after your long-term relationship ends to have the new special someone move in?

Before we dive into that, go follow True Romance on Twitter and Facebook. Send your emails here sean.joseph@outkick.com (anonymously if you prefer) and you can me on Instagram and Twitter.

How could this have all gone wrong? A married man with four years of swinging with his wife under his belt is now looking for a boring one-on-one relationship again.

He was first introduced to the swinging scene by a former boss who invited the couple to one of his "special parties," the husband wrote to the Daily Star. The couple was shocked at first, but then joined in on one of the "games" at the party after being won over with flattery and have been into swinging ever since.

That was until he caught his wife in bed with a neighbor of theirs. Lines have been crossed, there are hurt feelings, and the two of them can't see eye-to-eye anymore.

"Things got unpleasant and complicated at the end of last year when my wife started a secret affair with one of our swinging neighbors. I caught them red handed together in our bed and hit the roof," the husband explained.

"She’d broken our bond and gone behind my back, which is not how we roll. I accused her of being secretive and cheating even though I’ve had sex with dozens of people right in front of her."

Behind his back and in their bed. How could she have done this? What about the bond and how they roll? They don't sneak around for action with other people. They do it at parties with others like adults. Or so he thought.

His wife is now accusing him of having double standards and he can't help but agree. He has been with others, but he's always been open and honest about it. She's the one who started a secret affair, not him.

Is the solution to go back, if they can, to a traditional old school relationship? That sounds reasonable, but won't that need for adventure eventually get the best of them both? They'll just end up cheating on one another, right?

I have a better solution. Okay, maybe not better but I have a solution. These two have come too far to turn back now. They need to dive deeper into it. What do they have to lose? Not the marriage. He didn’t go anywhere when he uncovered his wife's secret affair. They're going to make it work and I, for one, am rooting for them.

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A couple in their mid-20s, he's 26 and she's 25, just couldn’t make it to seven years together. The seven-year itch was too strong and they broke up the day before their anniversary.

They had purchased a home together last summer and it was the boyfriend who ended it. Although, she got the impression that they "were just going to be on a break."

That was until she took a look at the security cameras and saw a new girl that he's handsy with bringing things into their house just three days after they had broken up.

"He said that he had made it clear we are not together and that he needs a roommate. He was bowling with her in his league and saw her at the bar the day after we broke up and asked her to move in," she wrote on Reddit about asking him what was going on.

KYLE BUSCH SENDS HAMLIN CHILLING THREAT, NASCAR WIFE IS 'AMERICA'S MOST BEAUTIFUL' & 1ST BLACK FEMALE WRECKED

"On the phone they both insisted that he never cheated on me. But then she bragged about cooking in our kitchen for him and giving him sexual favors on my couch."

His new special someone is a 34-year-old divorced mom of three. In other words, she'a a catch. She had her own relationship end with an ex-boyfriend of hers and might have some personal issues that makes it seem like she doesn’t have custody of her kids.

It sounds to this hopeless romantic like there might be more to this story.

Three days doesn’t, on paper anyway, appear to be enough time to put a seven year relationship in the rearview. That's, of course, ignoring what some people say about the abilities of a divorced woman in her thirties with kids to make you forget about your ex-girlfriend in just a few days.

Long story short, she flushed seven years down the drain. I'm confident there were many, many signs that her ex wasn’t the right one, but I'm equally as confident that she was able to repeatedly ignore them without skipping a beat. Sometimes your boyfriend breaks up with you to be with an older divorced mom and that's a good thing.

Let's wrap this week's column up with another question. Why not? This question is one that's been debated, and will continue to be debated, until the end of time. Is there something to happy wife, happy life?

Here's some of what they're saying about it on Reddit:

-------------

That's it for the latest True Romance. We'll do it again next Thursday. In the meantime, feel free to reach out and answer any of the questions. Or send anything else you want to share, anonymously if you prefer, at sean.joseph@outkick.com. Also, go follow along on Twitter and on Facebook. The DMs are always open.

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Common sweetener may trigger fat buildup in ways experts didn’t expect

"Drinking your calories" is typically discouraged where weight loss is concerned, as sweeteners in soda, coffees and other beverages are known obesity drivers.

A new review by researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz suggests that fructose alone may drive metabolic disease via sugar consumption.

The study, published in Nature Metabolism, took a closer look at the role of certain sweeteners, like table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, in obesity and metabolic disease. Both types contain glucose and fructose.

BMI IS WRONG WAY TO MEASURE OBESITY, RESEARCHERS SAY — HERE’S WHAT THEY RECOMMEND INSTEAD

Glucose ingestion may lead to obesity by stimulating insulin secretion, but fructose has "unique metabolic effects that promote triglyceride synthesis and fat accumulation," according to the study authors.

Triglyceride synthesis is the process by which the body builds triglycerides, the main form of stored fat.

"Under modern conditions of overnutrition, chronic excess fructose drives features of metabolic syndrome," the authors wrote. "Emerging evidence further links fructose to cancer and dementia." (In this context, "overnutrition" means the body is consistently getting more calories and nutrients than it needs.)

In a university press release, lead study author Richard Johnson, MD, professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz, confirmed that "fructose is not just another calorie."

"It acts as a metabolic signal that promotes fat production and storage in ways that differ fundamentally from glucose," he wrote.

YOUR DAILY DIET SODA COULD BE AGING YOUR BRAIN FASTER THAN YOU THINK, STUDY FINDS

The report suggests that fructose may contribute to disease because it skips important steps in how the body processes energy. This can lead to more fat production, lower cellular energy, and the buildup of a compound associated with metabolic dysfunction.

"Over time, these effects may contribute to metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that includes obesity, insulin resistance and cardiovascular risk," the researchers confirmed.

The authors added that fructose can also be produced internally from glucose, which suggests that its role in disease may be bigger than previously assumed.

"This review highlights fructose as a central player in metabolic health," Johnson commented. "Understanding its unique biological effects is critical for developing more effective strategies to prevent and treat metabolic disease."

As this research is a review, it only interprets existing evidence instead of proving a new result, posing a limitation to the findings.

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In an interview with Fox News Digital, certified holistic nutritionist Robin DeCicco shared that fructose is processed differently than other sugars, as it is mostly pushed through the liver, placing more of a burden on the organ.

"Unlike glucose, fructose metabolism … [can] make the liver turn the sugar into fat more easily, which is why the study said that it can lead to triglyceride regeneration," said the New York City-based expert. "Triglycerides are fat deposits in the arteries."

Another reason fructose may contribute to insulin resistance, blood sugar spikes and diabetes is that increased fat buildup in the body can interfere with insulin signaling, according to the nutritionist.

"Your pancreas doesn't know how to keep up with the signaling of insulin, so it has to produce more and more insulin, and that's what turns into diabetes," she said.

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DeCicco noted that fructose can be found in processed sugars, as well as natural foods like fruits and vegetables. The healthy qualities of whole foods — like high-fiber apples or asparagus — help promote fullness and are less likely to spike blood sugar.

Some natural sweeteners, like stevia and monk fruit, do not contain fructose. These may serve as better alternatives for people keeping a close eye on their metabolic health, such as those with diabetes or obesity.

Sweetening recipes with natural sugar byproducts, like apple sauce or apple juice, is another healthy alternative, DeCicco noted.

"Yes, there's fructose because it is derived from apples, but you're also getting antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fiber," she said.

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Maple syrup also has less fructose than honey, DeCicco added, and rice malt and glucose syrup have zero fructose.

"I'm not saying someone should go out of their way to use those, but if they already have a bad liver, if they're overweight, if they're diabetic … and if they need to bake or have something sweet, I would use one of those alternatives," she said.

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Don’t fall for the trap: Why the Raptors cover Game 3 vs. the Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers (2-0) and Toronto Raptors (0-2) head north of the border for Game 3 of their first-round 2026 NBA Playoff series Thursday. Tip-off at the Scotiabank Arena is 8 p.m. ET and will air on Amazon Prime.

Toronto needs this game to avoid a historically insurmountable 3-0 deficit. Cleveland won and covered the first two games of the series: 126-113 in Game 1 and 115-105 in Game 2.

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Cavaliers All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and James Harden have torn the Raptors apart in the first two games. Mitchell is averaging 31.0 points per game (PPG) on 55.8% shooting, and Harden is adding 25.0 PPG on 53.1% shooting.

The Raptors have gotten good games from forwards Scottie Barnes (averaging 23.5 PPG) and R.J. Barrett (scoring 23.0 PPG). But their regular-season leading scorer, Brandon Ingram, has been awful, putting up just 12.0 PPG on 33.3% so far this series.

Given that Cleveland smacked Toronto in Games 1-2, doesn't "Cavaliers -3.5" feel like a trap line? I mean, the Cavs only need to win by 4+ points to cover when they've won the first two games by double digits. That said, the "Raptors +3.5" almost has to be a contrarian play.

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Furthermore, it's not all bad for Toronto because it's splitting the "four factors" with Cleveland. The Raptors need Cavaliers SF Max Strus, Mitchell, and Harden to cool off a bit, but players typically shoot worse on the road.

Speaking of which, I'm expecting Ingram to have a bounce-back game at home, where he plays much better. Ingram averages nearly four points per game at home and shoots better from everywhere on the floor.

Evan Mobley is Cleveland’s only good defensive starter, and no other Cavalier besides him can shut down Ingram. If the Raptors do a better job of getting him one-on-one against Harden and Mitchell, Ingram will get going, and Toronto can get back in this series.

Raptors starting PG Immanuel Quickley has been injured for the first two games of this series and is "questionable" for Game 3. I'm banking on Quickley returning Thursday because it's "all hands on deck" for Toronto. He averaged 16.5 PPG and 5.9 assists during the regular season.

Ultimately, the Cavs aren't that much better than the Raptors, and won't go up 3-0, which is basically a sweep. Or maybe Cleveland is, and Toronto still covers the spread.

Prediction: Raptors 113, Cavaliers 108

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Follow me on X @Geoffery-Clark, and check out my OutKick Bets Podcast for more betting content and random rants.

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What Virginia’s redistricting vote really means for Democrats and Republicans

Virginia Democrats got their number last night. But what they got was not a mandate, it was a margin. A razor-thin, 3-point squeaker that cost them $64 million in dark money to pull off, in a state where the governor won by 15 points just one year ago. If this is what victory looks like for Democrats, Republicans should be encouraged.

Let's be honest about what happened on April 21. Voters across Virginia were asked to ratify an amendment that a sitting circuit court judge had already declared void, not once, but twice, calling it a "blatant abuse of power." They were sold the word "fairness" on the ballot while Democrats designed a map that hands them 10 of Virginia's 11 congressional districts. They were told this was about the people's voice, funded by $93 million in largely anonymous cash, with $40 million flowing from House Democrat leadership's own political operation. If they were doing the right thing, they wouldn't have had to buy the election.

And the people of Virginia, particularly in rural communities, saw through it. Early voting was up across 70+ rural Republican localities. Lee County, Scott County, Alleghany County, communities that rarely make national headlines, turned out in force to say no to a gerrymander designed in a backroom by the same Richmond politicians who raised taxes and cultivated failing schools. That energy is real, it's not going away, and we are going to need it in November.

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But Democrats’ celebrations of the vote might be premature. The vote is not the final word.

The Virginia Supreme Court has already told both sides exactly what comes next. Before allowing the referendum to proceed, the justices wrote that "if the electorate approves the proposed amendment, we then must exercise our constitutional duty to review lower courts' declaratory judgments... and address de novo what equitable remedies, if any, are appropriate." In plain English: the court reserved the right to strike this map down, and it set a briefing deadline for tomorrow, April 23. The legal fight is not over.

The constitutional defects here are not minor. Democrats jammed this amendment through a special session that was called exclusively to address the state budget, then expanded it to rewrite the rules of congressional representation. They skipped the required 90-day public notice. And they passed the amendment while over one million Virginians were already casting ballots in the 2025 general election, a direct violation of Virginia's constitutional requirement that amendments pass before an election takes place. A judge found all three violations. The Supreme Court of Virginia must now decide whether it will enforce its own constitution or stand down because Democrats ran a successful, and expensive, public pressure campaign.

Now, we have to trust the court to do its job.

And if the court does its job, Republicans must be ready to fight the next battle. The RNC, the NRCC and Congressmen Ben Cline and Morgan Griffith filed suit because the process was corrupt from the start, not because Republicans are afraid of competition. We are not afraid of competition. We are afraid of a system where constitutional guardrails are demolished whenever the other side decides they're inconvenient. Today it's Virginia. Tomorrow it's your state.

This is the broader war Democrats have declared. When President Donald Trump and Republican governors used the legal redistricting process to draw competitive maps in Texas, Missouri and North Carolina, Democrats screamed about gerrymandering. Then they turned around and drew a map in Virginia that is, by any objective measure, the most aggressively gerrymandered congressional map in the country. It splits Prince William County across five separate congressional districts as well as Fairfax County into five separate congressional districts.

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Republican women across this country need to understand what is at stake. If this map stands, Democrats could pick up four House seats in Virginia alone, potentially enough to flip the majority and end the legislative agenda that is delivering for American families.

So here is my message to Republican women in Virginia and across the country: last night was a setback, not a surrender. The courts must consider the referendum’s wobbly constitutionality. Our lawyers are still fighting. Our voters showed up in record numbers in places no one expected. And when the Virginia Supreme Court issues its ruling, potentially within weeks, we need to be ready to mobilize, organize and amplify whatever comes next.

They spent $64 million to win by 3 points in a friendly state. We need to spend our energy making sure that investment never pays off.

Fight on.

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