The 2026 FIFA World Cup will introduce one of the most noticeable in-game rule changes in modern tournament history: Mandatory hydration breaks in every match. For the first time, players will be required to pause twice per game, once in each half, for a three-minute water break, regardless of weather conditions or stadium location across the United States, Mexico and Canada. Under the new format, referees will stop play at roughly the 22-minute mark of each half. Players will remain on the pitch, where they can hydrate while coaches are able to talk strategy with their team, essentially making this a timeout like us Americans are used to in our major sports. There aren’t team-issued timeouts like in the NFL, NBA, and NHL by the way. Just a quick reminder for you Americans that only get excited about soccer when the World Cup rolls around, like myself. WATCH THE WORLD CUP FINAL ON FOX ONE An important note is that the stoppage time will be added back at the end of each half, ensuring the total playing time remains unchanged. FIFA has framed the change as part of its broader emphasis on player welfare, particularly given the expectation of high temperatures in several host cities during the summer tournament. I just hope European fans take much-needed water breaks in the stands too. A group of English soccer fans posted a video talking about how hot it was for the England vs. New Zealand friendly at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, home of the Buccaneers. It’s quite funny. As for the response to FIFA’s decision, it has certainly sparked debate among fans and analysts, not only because of its impact on match rhythm, but also because it effectively standardizes interruptions that previously occurred only under extreme conditions. Critics like U.S. men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino claimed the breaks "cut the rhythm of the game," which has long been defined by continuous, uninterrupted halves. While Belgium coach Rudi Garcia was more positive, saying the breaks are useful because they allow coaches to "discuss strategy mid-game." FOX ONE’S NEW WORLD CUP VIEWING EXPERIENCE This decision is why FOX Sports soccer analyst Alexi Lalas made the joke, "At the end of the first quarter it’s Mexico-1 South Africa-0." Soccer now feels a lot more like quarters due to the water breaks, again which Americans are used to in our major professional sports. You might be thinking, "Wait a minute. I specifically remember water breaks in the 2014 World Cup hosted by Brazil." You’d be right, but the rules in 2026 are much different. WORLD CUP PLAYERS WHO COVER THEIR MOUTHS DURING CONFRONTATIONS COULD GET RED CARDS During the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, FIFA implemented "cooling breaks" for the first time in tournament history. Those stoppages were not mandatory, though, like they are in every match in 2026. They were instead triggered by extreme heat conditions, typically when the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) exceeded safety thresholds. In those cases, breaks occurred around the 30th and 75th minutes and were primarily focused on player safety in the intense humidity and heat. The key difference in 2026 is consistency. Rather than being an occasional response to weather conditions, water breaks will now be built into every match as a permanent structural feature. FIFA officials argue this removes ambiguity for referees and ensures equal conditions across all matches, while also addressing modern concerns about player workload and heat stress. Though FIFA does not explicitly say "this is an advertising break" in the laws of the game change, it’s fair to assume this is a way to generate more advertising dollars. It’s extremely valuable advertising real estate for broadcasting partners, similar to the Super Bowl. As you watch games, you’ll see split-screen advertising during these hydration breaks. It’s safe to say FIFA wouldn’t agree with Coach Boone from Remember the Titans when he said, "Water is for cowards. Water makes you weak." The United States kicks off its first World Cup match on Friday night against Paraguay at 9 p.m. ET. View the full article

One of the government’s most powerful surveillance tools will go dark this weekend, and lawmakers aren’t sure what that means for the nation’s intelligence-gathering authorities. Democrats rejected attempts in the House and Senate to extend Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) in an act of defiance against President Donald Trump, who tapped housing chief Bill Pulte to temporarily oversee the nation’s intelligence services. But there are differing trains of thought on the ramifications of failing to renew the program. Some lawmakers argued that an extension was not necessary given that FISA courts had authorized continued intelligence gathering until March 2027. SPY PROGRAM CREDITED WITH STOPPING TAYLOR SWIFT TERROR PLOT BARRELS TOWARD EXPIRATION Others say that it opens up the possibility for telecommunications and major tech companies like Google to decline handing over information without explicit direction from Congress. "We don't know the answer to that," Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said. "But it is, obviously, a high-risk proposition." Boiled down, the Section 702 program allows the U.S. government to collect intelligence on foreigners abroad who are using U.S. communication systems, and it serves as a major part of Trump’s daily intelligence briefing. But it also sweeps up communications from Americans who are talking to foreign suspects — a key issue that threatened reauthorization among privacy hawks in both parties well before Pulte’s appointment. CONSERVATIVE FISA REVOLT POSES FRESH TEST FOR SPEAKER JOHNSON "That is a gray area, and it's one of the things that we're going to have to work through," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., told Fox News when asked whether providers would still continue to share information with the government if the program was not authorized. "What is clear is that we are going to have to address the issue of extending surveillance authority legislatively. And the problem is that the Trump administration has decided to toss this hand grenade into the middle of sensitive negotiations," he added, referring to Pulte. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., contended that there were already thousands of FISA certifications approved, it’s just that new certifications wouldn’t be allowed until the program was reauthorized. "It's not like that will be the end of our ability to surveil foreign terrorists," Kennedy said. The standoff is not expected to end soon. Trump’s decision to nominate former Securities and Exchanges Commission Chairman Jay Clayton to serve as the permanent director of national intelligence also failed to soften Democrats’ opposition. Many lawmakers remain unwilling to back a renewal of the program while Pulte continues serving in the acting role. THE TOP 3 FACTORS HEIGHTENING THE RISK OF TERROR ATTACKS ON THE HOMELAND "Nobody disputes that FISA has been used to stop terrorist attacks on our homeland here," House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told Fox News Thursday. "And why would anybody vote to end that tool is beside me." Meanwhile, the House is scheduled to begin a week-long recess next week, meaning that even if there is a resolution in the Senate in the coming week, the program will likely remain dark until they return. The program's expiration marks the first extended lapse since it was enacted in 2008. The Trump administration has argued that the surveillance authority is a critical national security tool, crediting it with helping foil a mass-casualty terror plot targeting a 2024 Taylor Swift concert in Austria and combat North Korean hackers, among other successes. The uncharted territory comes amid a heightened threat environment as the war with Iran continues and large-scale events, such as the World Cup and America 250 celebrations, are beginning to ramp up. Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Tom Cotton, R-Ark., argued on the Senate floor in his bid to extend the program that there was a bipartisan bill waiting to be passed, but in the meantime, lawmakers should pause the partisan animosity and support an extension. "If we don't extend it for at least a few weeks while we continue to try to work on our differences, the consequences could be severe," Cotton said. "The consequences, to be frank, could be fatal." Still, Democrats counter that had Trump not appointed Pulte, or at least waited until the reauthorization was completed, Congress would not be in the current logjam. "I cannot stress enough to you that none of this, none of this needed to happen," Warner said. View the full article

The two brothers of a Mississippi teen accused of killing an elderly couple allegedly attempted to gun down a sheriff's deputy, who police said will "never walk again," in a separate incident just days later. Cordarius Hobbs, 17, allegedly broke into the home of 74-year-old Billy Blair and his 71-year-old wife Virginia Carol Blair on June 3 in Mendenhall, Mississippi, and killed them, WLBT reported. Just days later on June 8, Cordarius Hobbs' brothers, Cortavious and Cortavion Hobbs, allegedly tried to kill a Covington County, Mississippi, deputy. Covington County Chief Deputy Sheriff Ricky Lott told Fox News Digital the two men fled from deputies after a traffic stop that led to both Cortavious and Cortavion allegedly firing their weapons. All three people are brothers, Mississippi Department of Public Safety Media and Public Relations Specialist Bailey Martin told Fox News Digital. SEND US A TIP HERE Lott said Cortavious and Cortavion were initially pulled over by Deputy Yates Rodney for a seat belt violation, saying the suspects were initially "cordial, friendly and light-hearted," adding the two men were coming back from a fishing trip. The deputy sheriff also said that Cortavious and Cortavion had marijuana in the car, stating that Yates could see a blunt inside. When he questioned Cortavious and Cortavion about the drugs, Lott said the situation began getting tense. LISTEN TO THE NEW 'CRIME & JUSTICE WITH DONNA ROTUNNO' PODCAST A 2-to-3-mile-long high-speed chase ended when the driver got stuck in the mud, Lott said, adding that Rodney was shot in his shoulder. The deputy sheriff said the doctor told Rodney that he "will never walk again," saying the bullet nicked his lungs and spine. MISSISSIPPI SHERIFF'S DEPUTY SHOT, KILLED WHILE RESPONDING TO DOMESTIC CALL: 'DIED A HERO' Lott said Rodney has only been with the agency for around six months and recently got married. A GoFundMe set up for the injured deputy states that he "faces a long and challenging road to recovery." LIKE WHAT YOU'RE READING? FIND MORE ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB The deputy sheriff said Cortavious and Cortavion both have juvenile criminal records, but couldn't give any more details. Cortavious and Cortavion were charged with attempted capital murder and hindering prosecution, and Cortavion is also charged with felony fleeing. The shooting happened just days after the suspects' brother, Cordarius, allegedly killed Billy and Virginia Blair. Deputies with the Simpson County Sheriff's Office were called to the couple's home at around 12:24 p.m. on June 3 after family members couldn't reach the couple. Once at the house, according to officials, the deputies were met with gunfire. Cordarius is charged with two counts of capital murder, one count of burglary, four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, four counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and two counts of aggravated assault over 65 years old. View the full article

Sylvester Muigai Ndung'u was in Nanyuki to fetch a school uniform on Tuesday, his mother says.View the full article

I know what you are thinking. Why on earth would Google want to release millions of mosquitoes? That was my first reaction too. Usually, when we hear "Google" and "bugs" in the same sentence, we think about software. This time, the bugs are real. Google's Debug project is asking federal regulators for permission to release sterile male mosquitoes in New Jersey, California and Florida. The goal is to reduce mosquito populations that can spread disease. Now the big question is whether this is a smart new way to fight mosquito-borne disease, or a tech-backed experiment that needs much more public scrutiny. GOOGLE’S DARK SIDE: 5 SEARCH TERMS TO AVOID AT ALL COSTS Google's Debug project says it is using science, automation and engineering to fight disease-carrying mosquitoes. The idea comes from a method called the sterile insect technique. Here is the basic version. Scientists raise male mosquitoes that cannot produce viable offspring. Then they release those males into the wild. When the sterile males mate with wild females, the eggs do not hatch. Over time, the local mosquito population can shrink. That part is important. Male mosquitoes do not bite. Female mosquitoes are the ones that bite and can spread disease. So Google isn’t trying to release more biting mosquitoes into neighborhoods. It is trying to release males that can help stop future generations from hatching. Google's Debug project sees mosquito control as a public-health and technology challenge. The team says it wants to use engineering, automation and AI tools to reduce disease-carrying mosquito populations. The idea is to stop "bad bugs" with "good bugs." That may sound strange, but the science behind it has been studied for decades. Sterile insect releases have been used against other pests, including fruit flies, screwworms and codling moths. Mosquitoes are harder. They are fragile, difficult to raise at a massive scale and challenging to sort by sex. That is where Debug says Google's technology can help. Debug says the process starts by raising sterile male mosquitoes. One approach uses Wolbachia, a naturally occurring bacterium found in many insects. The bacteria can make males incompatible with wild females that do not carry the same Wolbachia strain. When they mate, the eggs fail to develop. After that, Debug has to separate males from females. This step matters a lot. If the project releases too many females by mistake, the whole idea becomes much harder to trust. That is where Google's tech background comes in. Debug says its team is using sensors, algorithms, automation and monitoring tools to raise, sort, release and track mosquitoes at scale. In other words, this is mosquito control with a Silicon Valley twist. STOP GOOGLE FROM FOLLOWING YOUR EVERY MOVE Mosquito-borne diseases are a serious global health problem. Some mosquitoes can spread dengue, Zika, yellow fever, chikungunya, West Nile virus and other illnesses. Traditional mosquito control often depends on pesticides. Those can help, but they can also raise environmental concerns. Mosquitoes can also become harder to control over time. That is why sterile male releases interest some researchers. The approach targets a specific mosquito population. It also avoids spraying more chemicals into the environment. If it works, the local mosquito population drops because fewer eggs hatch. That could mean fewer disease risks in areas where these mosquitoes are a problem. Even with the science behind it, the public concern is easy to understand. Nobody likes the phrase "release millions of mosquitoes." It sounds like the start of a bad summer, not a public-health project. Some residents also worry about control. Once living insects are released, people want to know what happens next. They want to know who monitors the program, who pays for follow-up work and what happens if the results are not what scientists expected. Those are fair questions. There is also a trust issue. A project like this can feel very different when a private tech giant is involved. People may support disease prevention and still feel uneasy about a corporation playing such a large role in local ecosystems. The success of this idea depends on precision. Male mosquitoes do not bite. Female mosquitoes do. So the sorting process has to be extremely accurate. Debug says it is working on technology to separate males from females quickly. That may include sensors, algorithms and engineering systems that spot biological differences between them. However, this is the part many people will focus on. If the public is told only males will be released, they will want proof. They will also want clear oversight from regulators. When you are dealing with living insects, "close enough" isn’t the most reassuring phrase. NEW GOOGLE TOOL MAKES REMOVING PERSONAL INFORMATION EASIER The EPA is reviewing Google's request for an experimental use permit. The filing involves Wolbachia pipientis contained in live adult male mosquitoes. The purpose is to test whether Debug's male mosquitoes can mate with wild females and suppress the population. The EPA will decide whether to approve or deny the request. If it approves the permit, it can also set conditions for how the project must operate. Even if you do not live in one of the proposed release areas, this is worth watching. If Google's project works, more communities may look at sterile mosquito releases as another tool against disease. That could be good news in areas dealing with mosquito-borne illnesses. At the same time, it raises a larger question. How much public-health work should depend on private companies with their own funding, technology and long-term goals? For many people, the science may sound promising. The setup may still feel uncomfortable. Both reactions can be true. Google releasing mosquitoes may sound strange, but the goal is real public health. Debug wants to use sterile male mosquitoes to cut down populations that can spread disease. There is a reason scientists are interested. Male mosquitoes do not bite, and sterile insect releases have been studied for decades. Still, communities deserve more than a promise that everything will go as planned. They need clear answers about monitoring, safeguards, costs and what happens if the project fails. Fighting mosquito-borne disease is important. But once living insects are released into the wild, trust and oversight have to come first. Would you trust Google to help control mosquitoes in your community? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com. Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved. View the full article