What to know the mysterious deaths in New Mexico linked to unknown substance

MOUNTAINAIR, N.M. (AP) — Investigators in New Mexico are trying to identify a mysterious substance that may have contributed to thedeaths of three peopleand led to more than a dozen first responders being briefly quarantined.

Authorities were called to a suspected drug overdose Wednesday and found four people who were unresponsive inside a home east of Albuquerque, in the rural town of Mountainair. Three of the people who were in the home died and the fourth was being treated at an Albuquerque hospital, police said.

Some first responders began coughing, vomiting and experiencing dizziness, authorities said.

The mayor said Thursday that officials were awaiting tests results.

Here’s what to know about deaths and the investigation.

First responders were decontaminated

It was not clear exactly how many first responders experienced symptoms.

Nearly two dozen people — mostly responders — were decontaminated and checked by medical workers, the University of New Mexico Hospital said. Hospital officials said three patients were being monitored Wednesday evening.

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Antonette Alguire, a volunteer firefighter in Mountainair, said she saw some emergency medical technicians and firefighters coughing, and vomiting.

Hospital officials said most of the people evaluated had no symptoms and were discharged.

Drugs were found in New Mexico home

Mountainair Mayor Peter Nieto said he spotted drugs at the home that sits along a dirt road and pointed to that as a possible factor in the deaths. He did not say what type of drugs he thought they were.

He dismissed carbon monoxide or natural gas exposure as possible causes for the health issues that the first responders experienced.

New Mexico State Police spokesperson Wilson Silver said there was no threat to the public and that investigators do not believe the substance was airborne.

New Mexico has a high number of overdoses

New Mexico had the fourth-highest rate of drug overdose deaths of any U.S. state in 2024, with 775 deaths, according to the most recent data available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Residents around Mountainair, a town with less than 1,000 people, have voiced frustration about drug use in the community and elsewhere.

The mayor posted on social media that the town’s law enforcement officers and first responders work daily to protect the community and respond to difficult situations.

byAlex Forten

in

May 21, 2026

What to know the mysterious deaths in New Mexico linked to unknown substance

MOUNTAINAIR, N.M. (AP) — Investigators in New Mexico are trying to identify a mysterious substance that may have contributed to thedeat...

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Fantasy Baseball: 'Avoid selling high' on CJ Abrams — skill vs. luck verdicts for key hitters

When a hitter is performing well or struggling, the first question I ask myself is, “Why and how?” Then I ask, “What’s going on under the hood?” It’s easy to get lost in the weeds with all the advanced metrics available, but the goal is to make this information digestible. Have these hitters been fortunate or unfortunate? Or have any skills changed within their profile? Will these hitters continue finding success? Or will they bounce back from their struggles?

Reach out on X (@corbin_young21) if you’re interested in me diving into specific hitters.

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CJ Abrams, Nationals (98% Rostered)

After nearly averaging 20 home runs and 30 stolen bases over the past two seasons, CJ Abrams could surpass that in 2026. Abrams has been fortunate, with a career-high BABIP (.336), supporting a career-best batting average. Interestingly, Abrams’ contact rate was a career low (72.6%), making us wonder whether his 10% walk rate can be sustained with similar chase and swing rates in 2026 compared to the career averages. For context, Abrams had a 77.9% contact rate and 35% chase rate throughout his career.

Speaking of luck, Abrams’ home run rate (HR/F) reached a career-high at 16.9% in 2026, mainly supported by his 6.8% barrel rate per plate appearance. Besides the increased barrel rate, Abrams has shown consistent bat speed, pull rates and flyball rates, evidenced by a 21-22% pulled air rate over the past few seasons. Like the rest of Abrams’ profile, his barrel rate was a career high, two percentage points above his career average (4.8%).

byAlex Forten

in

May 21, 2026

Fantasy Baseball: 'Avoid selling high' on CJ Abrams — skill vs. luck verdicts for key hitters

When a hitter is performing well or struggling, the first question I ask myself is, “Why and how?” Then I ask, “What’s going on under t...

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Who should the Boston Celtics sign with the midlevel exception?

Who should the Boston Celtics sign with the midlevel exception? The Celtics are set to start retooling the roster after a stinging early exit from the 2026 NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at the hands of thePhiladelphia 76ers. Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens made it clear changes are coming, and the full nontaxpayer midlevel exception of about $15 million is a tool the front office is very likely to use to such an end.

The size of the deal will make it possible for Boston to stay under the luxury tax for the second season in a row to shed its repeater status and enable greater spending for the future. What are the team's positions of need -- and which players might be able to fill them at this salary level?

The folks behind the "Green With Envy" YouTube channel put together a clip from a recent episode talking about this issue. Check it out below!

Listen to "Havlicek Stole the Pod" on:

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Blue Wire:https://tiny.ee/CdKp

iTunes:https://tiny.ee/RK47

YouTube:https://tiny.ee/cOW3

This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire:Who should the Celtics sign with the midlevel exception?

byAlex Forten

in

May 21, 2026

Who should the Boston Celtics sign with the midlevel exception?

Who should the Boston Celtics sign with the midlevel exception? The Celtics are set to start retooling the roster after a stinging earl...

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Jimmy Kimmel urges viewers to boycott CBS after Stephen Colbert's final show: 'Don't ever watch it again'

Jimmy Kimmel slammed CBS hours before Stephen Colbert will air his final episode of The Late Show.

Key Points

• "Don't ever watch it again," Kimmel told viewers of the network.

• Colbert's show is ending over what many suspect was political pressure.

Jimmy Kimmelhas urged viewers to boycott Paramount-owned CBS afterStephen Colbert's finalLate Showbroadcast later Thursday evening.

Hours before the longtime Donald Trump critic's last episode — following what many speculated was CBS' politically motivated cancellation of the show — Colbert's fellow late-night host came to his defense.

"I think you know how I feel about the fact that they're being pushed out," Kimmel told his audience in his monologue for Wednesday night's episode of his own talk show,Jimmy Kimmel Live. "I hope the people who did the pushing feel ashamed of themselves tonight, although I know they probably won't."

He continued, "But, that being said, I think it's most important to congratulate Stephen and the team at theLate Showfor all the great work. It has been a pleasure to work alongside you. I will be watching tomorrow night."

Kimmel then told his audience to turn CBS off for good after Colbert's final episode. "Don't ever watch it again, but watch tomorrow night to wish Stephen and our friends at theLate Showa fond farewell," he said.

"Now let's talk about the a--hole that forced them off the air," he continued, referring to Trump.

Earlier in the monologue, Kimmel praised Colbert and his team for their professionalism over the years.

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"Everyone at that show has always been very gracious to us. We never felt like we were competing against them," Kimmel said. "It was nothing like the old days of late night."

CBS announced in July 2025 that it was canceling theLate Showafter it spent 33 years on the air, and after Colbert regularly criticized Trump and his administration.

Though the network maintained that the cancellation was a "financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night," a slew of celebrities spoke out against the move, which came amid Paramount's merger with David Ellison's Skydance media group. Many speculated that the end of Colbert's show was the result of political tensions — an effort to minimize complications with the Federal Communications Commission amid the merger deal.

David Letterman, who recently visitedThe Late Showto help Colbert say goodbye, slammed CBS in a series of remarks onThe Barbara Gaines Showin 2025, referring to those in charge at the network as the "goons at CBS."

Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with ourEW Dispatch newsletter.

"They did not do the correct thing," he said. "They did not handle Stephen Colbert, the face of that network, in the way he deserves to have been handled. That's what I think."

Entertainment Weeklyhas reached out to a representative for CBS for comment.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

byAlex Forten

in

May 21, 2026

Jimmy Kimmel urges viewers to boycott CBS after Stephen Colbert's final show: 'Don't ever watch it again'

Jimmy Kimmel slammed CBS hours before Stephen Colbert will air his final episode of The Late Show. Key Points ...

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The United Nations' top court will issue an advisory opinion on the right to strike

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The United Nations’ top court is set Thursday to issue a landmark advisory opinion on the right to strike, clarifying whether employees are lawfully allowed to walk off the job.

The 15 judges at theInternational Court of Justicewere asked in 2023 by the International Labor Organization, a U.N. agency, to settle an internal dispute over whether one of the ILO’s conventions gives workers the right to strike.

The convention has been ratified by 158 countries and is incorporated into U.N. labor standards, guidelines from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and international trade agreements. The United States is a member of the ILO, but hasn't ratified the convention.

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Advisory opinions aren't legally binding but carry significant weight and the decision could have a worldwide impact on labor regulations.

A number of U.N. agencies can ask the ICJ to weigh in on legal questions and issue advisory opinions. Last year, the court said ina landmark advisory opinionthat countries could be in violation of international law, if they fail to take measures to protect the planet fromclimate change.

During hearings in October, the court in The Hague heard from 18 countries and five international organizations, including the ILO, with a number of other countries submitting written arguments. The majority of participants favored the right to strike.

byAlex Forten

in

May 21, 2026

The United Nations' top court will issue an advisory opinion on the right to strike

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The United Nations’ top court is set Thursday to issue a landmark advisory opinion on the right to strike...

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Rashee Rice's jail stint could derail knee surgery rehab and cost him millions in contract money

If you thought the worst part about Rashee Rice's poor conduct wastesting positive for marijuana, which broke a condition of his probation and resulted in him being sent to jail, then you'd be wrong.

Yes, spending 30 days in jail is obviously not a good experience.

But Rice's timing is atrocious.

And self-defeating on multiple levels.

Rashee Rice Jailed For 30 Days And It Could Get Worse

That's because Rice is spending the next few weeks in the Dallas County jail until his scheduled release on June 16 at a time he needs to be rehabilitating from knee surgery that he had last week, Fox News and OutKick have confirmed.

Read On The Fox News App

The surgery was a cleanup procedure on his right knee to remove loose bodies that were causing theKansas City Chiefsreceiver inflammation and discomfort. The rehabilitation from the surgery was expected to keep Rice out of the team's offseason program including OTAs and mandatory minicamp for the next two months.

Patrick Mahomes Says He Has To Be Held Back From Pushing So Hard In Injury Rehab, Shares Hopes For Week 1

Rice was nonetheless expected to be ready for thestart of training campin July.

But that was assuming he could stick to the prescribed rehabilitation program that is typical for world-class athletes needing to regain total function of a knee following surgery. That means diligent, intense work with trainers and on equipment not found at most people's homes or gyms.

And certainly not in the Dallas County jail.

Rice is in jail the first month of his rehabilitation program and that could adversely affect his timeline for a complete recovery from what was an otherwise routine procedure. One medical source said if it was known Rice would miss the first month of rehabilitation, doctors would have advised he wait on the surgery until after his jail time.

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All of this is happening to Rice because he got caught violating conditions of his probation. Riceknewhe must submit to random urine samples "to determine the use of illicit drugs or alcohol."

Heknewhe was not allowed to "possess, consume, or purchase any alcoholic beverages, or illegalcontrolled substancesduring the term of supervision."

And yet, he tested positive for THC (marijuana).

Rice's probation stems, of course, from his2024 automobile wreckin which he was speeding and left multiple people injured, and his 2025 conviction on two third-degree felony charges — causing a collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing bodily injury.

The receiver was sentenced to 30 days in jail and five years' probation for his role in that fateful multi-car crash and the sentence he is serving now is the 30 days from the original sentencing.

The timing of this probation violation and how it may affect Rice's recovery from surgery is also going to affect his wallet.

The receiver has faced multiple setbacks during his time with the Chiefs. He's had toserve a six-game NFL suspensionbased on his conviction and missed most of the 2024 season with a knee injury.

Click Here To Download The Fox News App

All that no doubt caused the Chiefs to discuss whether or not to give Rice a contract extension this offseason as he heads into the final year of his rookie contract. The possibility of that extension is on hold, at least for now, per a league source.

That means in a league that is paying top 10 wide receivers anywhere from $30 to $42 million per season on average, Rice has hurt himself.

He's cost himself some trust within the Chiefs organization, he's possibly cost himself the ability to be ready for the start of training camp, and he's likely cost himself millions of dollars.

Follow Armando Salguero On X: @Armandosalguero

Original article source:Rashee Rice's jail stint could derail knee surgery rehab and cost him millions in contract money

byAlex Forten

in

May 21, 2026

Rashee Rice's jail stint could derail knee surgery rehab and cost him millions in contract money

If you thought the worst part about Rashee Rice's poor conduct wastesting positive for marijuana, which broke a condition of his pr...

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Taylor Swift had a perfect Jerome Bettis description, per Travis Kelce

Taylor Swift may not have been a football expert before starting to date Travis Kelce, but she's becoming one now. The 14-time Grammy winner and 3-time Super Bowl champ started dating in the summer of 2023 before getting engaged in August 2025. Swift has been a mainstay at Kansas City Chiefs home games, turning into the type of fan that yells at big plays andhas opinions on the team's draft picks. Now she's learning about NFL legends like former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis.

Kelce relayed a story on the most recent episode of theNew Heightspodcast about running into Bettis at dinner in Florida. "I was like telling Tay about him like, 'That dude was a [expletive] beast.'" Kelce told his brother Jason, who agreed vociferously with the description. "He was [expletive] running dudes over."

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Travis then said he showed his fiancée old highlights of Bettis'. "She was like, 'Why does he look like an offensive lineman running with the football?'"

"Because he was THE BUS," Kelce finished saying. Nailed it in one, Taylor.

This article originally appeared on For The Win:Taylor Swift told Travis Kelce about Jerome Bettis description

byAlex Forten

in

May 20, 2026

Taylor Swift had a perfect Jerome Bettis description, per Travis Kelce

Taylor Swift may not have been a football expert before starting to date Travis Kelce, but she's becoming one now. The 14-time Gram...

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Barney Frank, a liberal congressman and trailblazer for gay rights, dies. He was 86

WASHINGTON (AP) — Barney Frank, the longtime Democratic congressman and leading liberal who brought new visibility to gay rights and crafted the most significant reforms to the financial system in a generation, has died. He was 86.

Obit Barney Frank

Frank died late Tuesday, according to Jim Segel, Frank’s former campaign manager and close friend.

After representing broad swaths of Boston's suburbs in Congress for 32 years, Frank and his husbandmoved to Ogunquit, Maine. He entered hospice there in April with congestive heart failure and is survived by his husband, Jim Ready, and sisters, the longtime Democratic strategist Ann Lewis and Doris Breay, along with brother David Frank.

A self-described “left-handed gay Jew,” Frank was known for his acerbic wit, combative style and focus on marginalized communities. He represented the party's left wing while keeping close with Democratic leaders who sometimes frustrated progressives.

He is best known as a pioneer forLGBTrights. After decades of grappling with his sexuality, he publicly came out as gay in 1987, the first member of Congress to do so voluntarily. With his 2012 marriage to Ready, he became the first incumbent lawmaker on Capitol Hill to marry someone of the same sex.

But in an April interview as he entered hospice, Frank said he hoped he would be remembered for advocating a brand of politics that embraced progressive ideals without forcing them on voters prematurely. It is an approach he feared was being rejected as Democrats prepare for what could be a rollicking primary as they hope to retake the White House in 2028 and move past the Trump era.

“I hope I made the point that the best way to accomplish the improvements in our society that we need, particularly in making it less unfair economically and socially, is by conventional political methods,” Frank said. “The main obstacle to our defeating populism and going further in the right direction is that mainstream Democrats have to make it clear that we oppose that part of the agenda of our friends on the left that is politically unacceptable. They're right about a lot of things but you have to have some discretion.”

“You should not take the most unpopular parts of your agenda and make them litmus tests," he added. “And that's what my friends on the left have been doing.”

Frank's path to public life

Born in 1940 in Bayonne, New Jersey, Frank wrote in his 2015 memoir that he was drawn to public life afterEmmett Till, a Black 14-year-old from Chicago, was lynched by white men in Mississippi. Frank would volunteer in Mississippi during the Freedom Summer of 1964, though he acknowledged the fast-talking style was a challenge in the Deep South.

“My direct organizing of Mississippi voters was limited by the fact that my accent (to this day more New Jersey than New England), my poor diction, and my rapid speech, especially when I got excited, rendered me largely incomprehensible to rural Mississippians of both races,” he wrote.

He entered politics in 1968 as an aide to Boston Mayor Kevin White before winning a seat in the Massachusetts House in 1972. Frank was elected to Congress in 1980, an otherwise dismal year for Democrats as the party lost dozens of seats in the U.S. House and Republican Ronald Reagan won the White House.

Frank's pragmatic style surfaced early in his congressional career. He joined the liberal Democratic Study Group to help push then-Speaker Tip O'Neill, D-Mass., to respond more aggressively to the Reagan administration. But Frank said he found himself more often agreeing with O'Neill's less confrontational approach.

Years later, as Congress prepared to pass a massive tax overhaul package, Frank intended to vote “no,” opposed to the bill's lowering of top tax rates. He changed his mind, however, when he worked out a deal boosting affordable housing tax credits.

“I was happy to sacrifice my ideological purity to improve legislation that was going to become law with or without me,” he wrote.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the California Democrat and former House speaker, called Frank an “idealist to the nth degree.”

“The goals, the vision, the promise of it all,” she recalled in an interview. “Nobody could ever surpass what he brought to the table in that regard.”

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Making history in Congress

Through his early years in Washington, Frank led something of a double life.

Privately, he socialized in the city's gay circles and had relationships but did not publicly acknowledge his sexuality. The media at the time rarely reported that someone was gay unless that person was involved in a scandal. When Frank in 1987 invited a reporter to his office to formally ask whether the congressman was gay, Frank responded, “yeah, so what?”

Other elected leaders, perhaps most notably San Francisco's Harvey Milk, had come out years before. Members of Congress, including Rep. Gerry Studds, D-Mass., were previously outed through scandal.

Frank's approach made him the most prominent gay leader in national politics for much of the 1980s and 1990s. He helped secure AIDS funding and pressed the Democratic Clinton administration, unsuccessfully, to lift a ban on gays serving in the military.

But there were low points, too, most notably an overwhelming 1987 House vote to reprimand him for poor judgment involving a male prostitute he hired in 1985. Rep. Newt Gingrich of Georgia, the Republican whip at the time, pressed for the more severe punishment of censure, which was rejected by a large margin.

Frank became something of a punch line among conservative Republicans, with House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas, calling him “Barney Fag” in 1995. Armey said he misspoke and later apologized from the House floor.

Along the way, Frank became known as one of the most quotable lawmakers in Congress.

Regarding abortion, he said Republicans believed “life begins at conception and ends at birth,” criticizing the party's push to curb social programs. After Ken Starr released a report describing President Bill Clinton's relationship with Monica Lewinsky in sometimes intimate detail, Frank said it required “too much reading about heterosexual sex.”

Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., entered Congress the same year as Frank and he recalled his former colleague: “You may get a blow, but it was softened by the humor that came with it."

To Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass, Frank's "one-liners were wicked and wickedly funny. Barney delivered for working people, and the world is a poorer place without him.”

Presiding over a financial overhaul

By 2007, Frank was the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, where he would leave his lasting policy mark as the U.S. economy careened toward collapse. He worked with the Republican Bush administration to pass a rescue package, providing vital support to financial institutions but spurring a populist revolt that still courses through American politics.

Once the initial crisis eased, Frank helped develop the most significant reform legislation since the New Deal. Working with then-Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd, D-Conn., the Dodd-Frank Act would enhance consumer protections, impose new capital requirements for banks and boost the ability of regulators to monitor risk.

“Barney and I shared a fantastic relationship," Dodd said. "I had many good moments in those 36 years in Congress, but none more significant, joyful, or productive than those almost two years working with Barney on our banking bill.”

During President Donald Trump's second term, his Republican administration has worked to roll back many of the legislation's provisions, arguing they were too onerous.

Frank faced his toughest reelection campaign in years in 2010 as the tea party wave swept over American politics. He opted against running again in 2012, though remained engaged in politics long after leaving Congress, including spending time as a contributor to the conservative Newsmax network.

He remained a fierce critic of Trump. Asked for his prediction on who might succeed the president, Frank said “unfortunately I won't get to vote for it.”

byAlex Forten

in

May 20, 2026

Barney Frank, a liberal congressman and trailblazer for gay rights, dies. He was 86

WASHINGTON (AP) — Barney Frank, the longtime Democratic congressman and leading liberal who brought new visibility to gay rights and cr...

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NFL regression candidates: Patriots and Bears will have a tough time repeating in their divisions

It doesn’t seem like only 16 months ago that the Washington Commanders were the talk of the NFL.

The Commanders, with then-rookie Jayden Daniels, upset the No. 1 seed Detroit Lions in the playoffs and then lost in the NFC championship game to a fantastic Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles team. When a magical season like that happens, the natural thought is to believe a team has arrived and the next step will be forward.

That’s not always the case. It certainly wasn’t for the 2025 Commanders. They crashed back to earth as the roster got old in a hurry, some luck in close games ran out and injuries hit. They went 5-12, a huge disappointment for fans who believed their big season was the start of something big.

Find NFL tickets on Gametime|More NFL team schedules

Regression is a strong force, and it’s bound to hit some of the breakout teams from last season. Here are the top five candidates to regress back to the mean this season, with the biggest reason for the pessimism:

Chicago Bears: Turnover differential

There’s one big factor here that could negate all of the regression factors working against the Bears, and it’s Caleb Williams.

Williams still hadaccuracy issueslast season, but showed significant growth and it’s reasonable to think there’s a big leap coming. If he was an MVP candidate in his third season, it wouldn’t be a big surprise. But plenty of regression indicators are not kind to the Bears.

Start with turnover differential. The Bears were +22 last season, which was five better than any other team and nine better than third place. That’s likely unsustainable. There’s also the difference between the Bears’ 11-6 record and their Pythagorean win total, which calculates what a team’s record should have been based on their point differential. The Bears, who had a +26 point differential, had a three-win gap between their adjusted Pythagorean win total and actual win totalaccording to TheOddsBreakers.com, the most fortunate mark in the NFL. Eight wins in one-score games, including one in the playoffs, helped. Also, the Bears go from the seventh easiest schedule in the NFL (calculated by DVOA) to the sixth toughest this season (calculated by SharpFootball.com, using oddsmakers’ win totals).

There are other metrics that say the Bears won’t repeat as an 11-win team. Williams’ improvement could even that out, but he might have to improve a lot to overcome some impending regression.

New England Patriots: strength of schedule

We all know about last season’s strength of schedule for the Patriots, which was one ofthe easiest in recent NFL history.And if that was the only thing working against the Patriots, who went 14-3 last season, it would be significant but maybe not too much to overcome.

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That’s not the only reason though. The Patriots were the luckiest team in the NFL last season when it came toadjusted games lostdue to injury, a metric from FTN Fantasy’s Aaron Schatz. That was a massive advantage and very hard to repeat. Seven wins in games decided by seven points or less is also going to be hard to repeat. New England had a great season and has a young core, with a quarerback in Drake Maye who nearly won NFL MVP and should still be improving. But a pullback is practically inevitable, it’s just a matter of how many fewer wins the Patriots get.

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Denver Broncos: record in close games

Picking a bunch of teams that went 15-2 or 14-3 last season to regress and then doing a victory lap when they don’t win 14 games again is very low-hanging fruit. Of course a 14-3 team like the Broncos are very likely to win fewer games, what other way could they realistically go? But it’s also reality that the Broncos have regression coming.

The Broncos won 14 games last season and went 11-2 in games decided by eight points or less. They were 6-2 in games decided by three points or less. Having a fantastic defense and a great coach in Sean Payton gives Denver an edge in close games, but a record that lopsided in close games is not repeatable. We saw with the 2025 Chiefs that a record far above .500 in close games can sharply turn around the next season.

Jacksonville Jaguars: plexiglass principle

Famed baseball analyst Bill James invented a concept decades ago called the“plexiglass principle,”which simply states that a team that improves greatly one season is bound to come back to the pack the following season. The Jaguars went from four wins in 2024 to 13 in 2025. Not much about Jacksonville’s 13-4 record was fluky, but it also will be very hard to replicate.

Here are two more tangible reasons: The Jaguars did almost nothing to improve the roster this offseason, and they had great fumble luck last season. This offseason, the Jaguars signed the fewest free agents (six) for the least amount of money ($33 million) around the NFLaccording to Spotrac, and also didn’t have a first-round pick in the NFL Draft due to the Travis Hunter trade in 2025.

In addition, the percentage of fumbles recovered is almost entirely luck, and Jacksonville recovered64.3% of fumbles last season, the second-luckiest mark in the NFL. That drove a +13 turnover differential that was third in the NFL. It’s hard to see a roster that had more losses than gains in the offseason being better in 2026.

Carolina Panthers: overachievement

We remember the Panthers as being on the rise because they were in the playoffs and then played the Rams tough in the wild-card round, but it’s not like Carolina was very good last season. They went 8-9 andonly got into the playoffs because of a result elsewhere in the divisionon the final Sunday.

The Panthers also overachieved to get eight wins. Of those eight wins, seven came by seven points or less and six were by three points or less. They were outscored by 69 points. They finished 25thin DVOA, ranking 25th on offense and 21st on defense. They were 26th in EPA (expected points added) per play on offense and 23rd in EPA per play allowed on defense. On top of not being a very good team last season, the Panthers now get the third toughest schedule in the NFLaccording to SharpFootball.com.

Carolina did spend some money on defensive help in free agency and it is a fairly young team that could improve from last season, but also don’t be surprised if the Panthers take a step back.

byAlex Forten

in

May 20, 2026

NFL regression candidates: Patriots and Bears will have a tough time repeating in their divisions

It doesn’t seem like only 16 months ago that the Washington Commanders were the talk of the NFL. The Commanders, with then-rookie ...

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Meet Rod Stewart's Children! All About His 4 Sons and 4 Daughters

Rock legend Rod Stewart has eight kids: Sarah, Kimberly, Sean, Ruby, Renee, Liam, Alastair Wallace and Aiden Patrick

NEED TO KNOW

• The singer welcomed his children with five different women

• In November 2021, Stewart told PEOPLE that what makes him "happiest" is seeing his kids with "big smiles"

Rod Stewarthas been a rock legend — and a father — for well over five decades.

The "Maggie May" singer shares eight children with five mothers. He is a father to four daughters — Sarah,Kimberly,Rubyand Renee — and four sons —Sean,Liam, Alastair Wallace and Aiden Patrick.

Stewart welcomed his eldest child, Sarah, with ex-girlfriend Susannah Boffey. He shares daughter Kimberly and son Sean with his ex-wifeAlana Stewart, and daughter Ruby with his ex-girlfriendKelly Emberg. While married to ex-wife Rachel Hunter, Stewart had two more children, Renee and Liam. He welcomed his two youngest kids, sonsAlastairand Aiden, with his current wife,Penny Lancaster, whom he wed in 2007.

Stewart is also a grandfather to several of his children's own kids.

In a November 2021 conversation with PEOPLE, Stewart spoke about fatherhood and said that "seeing all my kids and my wife with big smiles on their faces" is what "makes me happiest."

In May 2024, all eight of Stewart's children reunited atLiam's weddingto Nicole Artukovich in Croatia. And a year later, Kimberly, Sean, Ruby, Renee and Liam presented their dad with theLifetime Achievement Awardat the 2025 American Music Awards.

"Congratulations, dad, we love you," Kimberly said into the mic before handing Stewart his award.

Here's everything to know about Rod Stewart's kids.

Sarah Streeter, 62

Stewart and his ex-girlfriend Boffey welcomed their daughter, Sarah Streeter, in November 1963. Sarah was raised by adoptive parents but formed a relationship with Stewart decades later.

In October 2010, Stewart spoke about getting to know his eldest child onThe Joy Behar Show. "She was put up for adoption when I was 17 or 18, I think," he said of Sarah, perTODAY. "I was absolutely stone broke … and so she was put up for adoption."

The rocker continued, "Since her mum and dad have died, we've tried to come together and be close together, and it's working out pretty well. I never felt like I was her dad, because I didn't take her to school, change her nappies, there was no paternal thing there, but I'm trying."

Speaking toThe Mirrorin October 2018, Sarah said their relationship has "evolved a lot" in the last few years.

"It's taken its time because he's not just my dad, is he?" she said. "He's a big star. So, of course, that makes it difficult. But over the years it has become much more relaxed and now he's just Dad to me."

She added, "You can't get away from the fact that he's Rod Stewart, the star, but when we're together I put that at the back of my mind."

Kimberly Stewart, 46

The "Forever Young" singer and ex-wife Alana welcomed daughter Kimberly Stewart on Aug. 20, 1979.

Following in her mother's footsteps, Kimberly is an actress and held roles inLost LakeandPacific Blue. She also starred in her own 10-episode reality TV show,Living with Kimberly Stewart, which followed her journey of finding a new roommate for her London home.

She's also a celebrity closet organizer, running her own luxury lifestyle, organizing and curation company, The Realm. Speaking to PEOPLE in February 2021, Kimberly said that she was inspired to start her business after organizing her dad's Palm Beach home during quarantine.

"During the quarantine, Icouldn't stand looking at the chaos going on in my dad's pantryand kitchen so I got to work," she explained. "I posted it on my Instagram for fun, and the response and feedback were phenomenal. I got direct messages from people asking me to come do their houses. At that point, the idea came to life, and I realized that I needed to reorganize closets professionally."

Kimberly has a daughter of her own — Delilah — whom she shares with actorBenicio Del Toro. The proud mom often shares sweet snaps of her child on Instagram, including several photos of Delilahposing with her grandpaRod.

In March 2025, Kimberly announced that she was expecting her second child with a post onInstagram. While sharing maternity photos that showed off her bump as she posed in a pink floral dress, she wrote, "Baby boy coming soon 🩵."

She has not yet announced the arrival of her second child.

Sean Stewart, 45

Stewart and Alana's second child, Sean Stewart, was born on Sept. 1, 1980.

Like his elder sister Kimberly, Sean has also gone down the Hollywood route. He has starred in a few reality TV shows, includingStewarts & Hamiltons, andSons of Hollywoodalongside Randy Spelling. More recently, he's poured his heart and soul into getting his clothing company, Dirty Weekend, off the ground.

In February 2023, PEOPLE confirmed that Sean hadmarried Jody Weintraubin an intimate ceremony in Las Vegas on Valentine's Day.

"Sean asked her while they were out to dinner at Catch. They married shortly after getting their marriage license at 10 p.m. at Little Church of the West," a source close to the couple explained. "They just went back to the hotel after. It was kind of like, 'Holy s---, we just got married,' but they were so, so excited and didn't regret one thing. Their relationship and connection is solid."

The couple eventuallysplit in early 2024. “It just wasn't working with Jody,” a source told PEOPLE in July 2024. “They tried but are in the process of divorcing and haven't really been together for months.”

It is unclear if their divorce has been finalized.

Ruby Stewart, 38

Stewart's fourth child, daughter Ruby Stewart, was born on June 17, 1987. The British rocker shares Ruby with ex-girlfriend Emberg.

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Ruby has inherited the music genes from her dad and has gone on to have a successful singing career. She was a part ofThe Sisterhood, a country music duo that disbanded in 2021 after the release of one album. Now, Ruby is a solo artist who has often performed alongside her dad. In June 2022, Stewart posted a video ofhimself and Ruby singinga rendition of his 1998 hit "Ooh La La."

Also a model, Ruby has appeared in campaigns for the likes ofVogue Italia,Glamour ItaliaandThe Nashville Edit.

In January 2023, Ruby started off the new year by announcingher first pregnancy.

"Out of all of the things that happened in 2022 you were by far the most beautiful…We can't wait to meet you…Baby boy Kalick coming in April… 🤍" she wrote in an Instagram post, along with a moving ultrasound image.

The same month, Rubyannounced her engagementto partner Jake Kalick.

Stewart joined his ex-wife Emberg tocelebrate their pregnant daughter at a baby showerin February 2023.

On Mother's Day 2023,Ruby announced Otis Stewart Kalick's birth on Instagram. "This love… unlike any other love I've ever known," she captioned a carousel post of baby photos. She also wrote that the baby was born on May 9 at 3:36 p.m. and weighed in at 8 lbs., 8 oz.

In May 2026, Ruby announced onInstagramthat she and her fiancé areexpecting their second child.

Renee Stewart, 33

The musician and ex-wife, New Zealand model Hunter, welcomed their daughter Renee Stewart on June 1, 1992. Renee was born in London and grew up in Los Angeles.

She returned to London for her studies, where she graduated from The London Contemporary Dance School with a bachelor's degree in 2016.

According to Renee'swebsite, since graduating, she has worked as a freelance performer and founded on-demand platform The Movement Leader.

She is also a yoga teacher and offers yoga, breathwork and meditation group classes, private classes and retreats around the world. In 2019, she completed her 500-hour yoga teacher training in India.

Per her site, she is based between London, Ibiza and New Zealand.

Liam Stewart, 31

Stewart and Hunter's second child together, son Liam Stewart, was born on Sept. 5, 1994.

Liam is a professional ice hockey player and has played for the Spokane Chiefs, Alaska Aces and theMilton Keynes Lightningas a forward.

In May 2023, Liam and his then-girlfriend, Nicole Artukovich, welcomed a son named Louie Mark Roderick Stewart. The couple got engaged shortly after and eventuallywed in May 2024. All of Liam's siblings, along with his parents, attended the nuptials in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Liam and Artukovich's family grew again in March 2025 with thearrival of their daughter, Elsie Skylar Stewart.

Alastair Wallace Stewart, 20

On Nov. 27, 2005, Stewart and Lancaster welcomed their first son — and Stewart's seventh child — Alastair Wallace Stewart.

Alastair is close to his dad, and the two often pose together for Instagram snaps. Not immune to a cringe-worthy moment or two, the musician told PEOPLE in November 2021 that he had a funny conversation with Alastair when he sat him down to talk about sex.

"My 15-year-old is dating girls, so Ihad to give him a sex lesson. I just told him what he should and shouldn't do, but he's on top of it," he revealed at the time. "He was like, 'Dad, I've got the internet. I know everything.' "

The father of eight couldn't be prouder of the now 20-year-old, who is finding his footing within the modeling industry, having starred in abillboard campaignfor luxury clothing brand Palm Angels. The images adorned buildings across Milan in June 2022.

"Love @palmangels and that my boy 'wears it well' #fashion #streetwear #milano," the singer wrote in anInstagrampost.

Aiden Patrick Stewart, 15

Stewart and Lancaster's second child, Aiden Patrick Stewart, was born on Feb. 16, 2011.

A few months after Aiden's birth, Stewart told PEOPLE, "I'm trying to make more time now that I've carved out my career. I want to enjoy my kids. We're all planning a massive vacation somewhere. It's hard to get them all together because they are all off in different directions. But I am so proud of them."

In December 2022, Stewart opened up aboutAiden's health scarewhen he was rushed to the hospital after "going blue and unconscious" while playing a youth soccer game.

"We thought my boy had a heart attack," Stewart told FourFourTwo. "He was going blue and was unconscious until he calmed down. It was scary, but it turned out to be a panic attack."

"The lad wanted to do well, pulled on the Hoops in Scotland for his dad," he added.

More recently, Aiden and his brother Alastairposed with their dad backstageat one of the rock legend's November 2025 shows.

Read the original article onPeople

byAlex Forten

in

May 20, 2026

Meet Rod Stewart's Children! All About His 4 Sons and 4 Daughters

Rock legend Rod Stewart has eight kids: Sarah, Kimberly, Sean, Ruby, Renee, Liam, Alastair Wallace and Aiden Patrick NEED TO KNOW...

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US offers new relationship to Cuba in Rubio message

WASHINGTON, May 20 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered to forge a new relationship between the U.S. and Cuba on Wednesday in a video message ‌to the Cuban people, proposing $100 million in aid and blaming Cuba's leaders for shortages ‌of electricity, food and fuel.

"We in the U.S. are offering to help you not only alleviate the current crisis, but ​also to build a better future," Rubio said in a State Department message on Cuban Independence Day.

The Trump administration is expected to announce criminal charges against former Cuban president Raul Castro on Wednesday, in a move that would mark a step-up in Washington's pressure campaign against the Caribbean island's communist government.

In ‌his video address delivered in Spanish, ⁠Rubio blamed the country's current problems on greed and corruption in its leadership.

"The real reason you don't have electricity, fuel, or food is because those ⁠who control your country have plundered billions of dollars, but nothing has been used to help the people," Rubio said.

He said the United States is offering $100 million dollars in food and medicine to the ​Cuban people, ​but it must be distributed by the Catholic Church ​or other trusted charitable groups.

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In a ‌response Wednesday morning, Cuba's embassy in the U.S. said Rubio had lied and that the United States was subjecting the island nation to cruelty.

"The reason the U.S. Secretary of State lies so repeatedly and unscrupulously when referring to Cuba and trying to justify the aggression to which he subjects the Cuban people is not ignorance or incompetence," the embassy said in a post on X. "He ‌knows full well that there is no excuse for ​such cruel and ruthless aggression."

President Donald Trump has been seeking ​regime change in Cuba, where communists ​have been in charge since Raul Castro's late brother Fidel Castro led a ‌revolution in 1959.

The charges against Castro, 94, ​are expected to be based ​on a 1996 incident in which Cuban jets shot down planes operated by a group of Cuban exiles, a U.S. Justice Department official told Reuters last week on the ​condition of anonymity.

The U.S. has ‌effectively imposed a blockade on the island by threatening sanctions on countries supplying it ​with fuel, triggering power outages and delivering blows to its already fragile economy.

(Reporting by ​Doina Chiacu, Katharine Jackson; Editing by Doina Chiacu)

byAlex Forten

in

May 20, 2026

US offers new relationship to Cuba in Rubio message

WASHINGTON, May 20 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered to forge a new relationship between the U.S. and Cuba on Wed...

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Brian Flores' legal team served subpoenas to 25 NFL teams as part of racial-discrimination lawsuit against league

Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores filedsubpoenas to 25 NFL teamsas part of his racial-discrimination lawsuit against the league, according to ESPN.

Court filings revealed that, in addition to those subpoenas, Flores’ legal team has also “served more than 1,000 discovery requests” in an attempt to acquire hiring records and communications from teams. Court filings did not reveal the 25 teams that were subpoenaed by Flores and his team.

The NFL and the three teams included as defendants in the lawsuit — the Denver Broncos, Houston Texans and New York Giants — claimed those requests were “punishingly overboard,” per ESPN. Flores attorneys argued the information those findings could produce are necessary to prove discrimination in league hiring practices.

Flores, 45,originally filed his lawsuitagainst the league and those three teams in 2022. At the time, Flores was weeks removed from being fired as the Miami Dolphins’ head coach. It wasa surprising decisionby the team. Despite a poor start, Flores’ Dolphins rallied in the second half of the 2021 season, nearly making the playoffs after going 1-7 to open the year.

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Though he turned in a promising tenure with the Dolphins, Flores failed to claim another head coaching job during the offseason. That eventually led to his lawsuit, which claimed the Giants and Broncos interviewed Flores for their job openingsdespite having no interest in hiring him, among many other accusations. The Houston Texans were later added to the lawsuit after Flores claimed the teamtook him out of head-coaching considerationafter he filed his lawsuit. Eventually, both Steve Wilks and Ray Horton joined Flores’ lawsuit against the league.

In addition to Flores’ recent court filings, Judge Valerie E. Caproni approved a schedule for future briefing and court filings moving forward. Flores was set to file an amended compliant Wednesday. Motions to dismiss will need to be filed June 5. Additional briefs will be due in July and August, per ESPN.

Those filings will determine whether Flores’ claims are strong enough to proceed.

Following his firing by the Dolphins, Flores signed on as a defensive assistant with the Pittsburgh Steelers. After one season with the team, he joined the Vikings as their defensive coordinator. Flores has held that role since 2023, and has turned the Vikings into one of the more feared defenses in the NFL over that period.

While Flores did get some head-coaching interest over the offseason, he eventually signed an extension to remain with the Vikings.

byAlex Forten

in

May 20, 2026

Brian Flores' legal team served subpoenas to 25 NFL teams as part of racial-discrimination lawsuit against league

Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores filedsubpoenas to 25 NFL teamsas part of his racial-discrimination lawsuit against...

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