Wesleyan College student Ethan Norton argued in an op-ed for The Washington Post that Democrats were missing the point in their effort to win back young voters. "Democrats talk endlessly of courting young voters, but are losing my generation because they miss the point entirely. They don’t just have a young voter problem — they have an attention problem," he wrote, noting the finger pointing within the party after former Vice President Kamala Harris' loss. "It’s not just what they’re up against, but how they’re communicating. Crying ‘constitutional crisis’ won’t win votes — it’s hardly enough to get likes." Norton wrote that he's a college senior and said he studies media and film. The Wesleyan student wrote that he found himself scrolling past "lifeless Democratic content," and noticing conservative content that was more engaging. "It’s like eyeing your dinner companion’s unhealthy meal — you know it’s not good for you, but it looks so much better than what’s on your plate," he said. CORY BOOKER ADMITS DEMOCRATS 'FAILED IN MY GENERATION' IN SCATHING ASSESSMENT OF HIS OWN PARTY The student specifically pointed to Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his website. "Take the website of Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, which looks frozen in the 1980s: A slow, blurry photo montage cycles through images of the New York Democrat from a podium or a news conference. At the top, a line of text: 'See where Chuck has been and what he’s been doing,'" Norton wrote. He mocked that nothing got Gen Z fired up like a weekly itinerary. "Schumer’s approach is dead on arrival. In the words of every content creator ever: bungle those first few seconds and your audience vanishes," he continued. JAMES CARVILLE SAYS DEMOCRATS MUST REALIZE YOUTH ARE NOT A STATIC VOTING BLOC The student also pointed to a headline written on Schumer's website in all caps that read, "SCHUMER SOUNDS ALARM: AS TRUMP STRIPS STAFF FROM 9/11 HEALTH PROGRAM AND REASSIGNS THEM TO ICE, SENATOR DEMANDS IMMEDIATE REVERSAL TO PROTECT 140,000 SURVIVORS." "The irony? There’s no alarm. Just too many words in all caps. It’s bureaucratic and inert. Why not create actual visual urgency? Make it scrollable with ambient noise. Layer in 15-second clips that tell human stories about survivors before anyone scrolls," Norton argued. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE Schumer's office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. The New York senator has been mocked several times by comedians and commentators in the last two years in his efforts to counter President Donald Trump. Norton gave some examples of Democrats who were more engaging online, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Rep. Alexandria Ocaiso-Cortez, D-N.Y., in addition to Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT. "Even Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) — hardly a digital native — shows up daily with YouTube videos, Instagram clips and shareable quotes," he said. Norton also called out Harris over the missed opportunity to appear on Joe Rogan's podcast during the 2024 presidential campaign. He said podcasts like Rogan's get clipped, retweeted and "memeified," therefore creating a stream of content. Norton charged that the GOP didn't have an ideological grip on younger voters, but they had their attention. View the full article

A new Ipsos poll finds Americans are increasingly getting news from online personalities and comedians instead of traditional TV or newspapers. The survey says nearly 70% get news online in a given week, versus 55% from TV and 25% from newspapers, with figures like Joe Rogan, Greg Gutfeld, Sean Hannity, and late-night hosts ranking prominently depending on political leanings. From the Hollywood Reporter: The poll, which was conducted in March, actually found the conservative politicians and cabinet members, including President Trump, were the top news influencers. When politicos were excluded, Joe Rogan led the list, followed by Fox News personalities Greg Gutfeld and Sean Hannity, and then TuckerCarlson and Ben Shapiro. The only three influencers to crack 10 percent were Trump, Rogan, and JD Vance. Among people who voted for Kamala Harris, the top news personalities were late night hosts, led by ABC's Jimmy Kimmel, followed by CBS Late Show host Stephen Colbert, and Daily Show host Jon Stewart. Just under 70 percent of respondents said they get their news online in a given week, compared to 55 percent for TV, and 25 percent for newspapers. [...] Of traditional media outlets, TV dominated, with Fox News, the broadcast networks, and CNN topping the list of sources. Facebook, YouTube and Instagram were the most popular online news sources. "On these platforms opinionated personalities and comedians appear to drown out anyone who would fit in the traditional journalist category," said assistant professor of practice and Jordan Center Executive Director Steven L Herman. "Even in the late 19th century and early 20th centuries, sensationalist and polarizing voices in print and later on air were among the most influential in the political landscape -- such as political satirist Mark Twain and populist Father Charles Coughlin." Read more of this story at Slashdot. View the full article

Former USWNT star Megan Rapinoe and WNBA legend Sue Bird have announced they are splitting up after nearly a decade together. According to Yahoo Sports, the two sports stars got together in 2017. But, despite having similar backgrounds and pretty similar political views, they couldn't make it work. "There really is no smooth or easy way to share this news. After a lot of thought, we’ve made the decision to separate as a couple," the now-former couple said in a joint Instagram post (It's 2026, how else would they do it?). "This hasn’t been an easy decision but it’s one we’ve made together, with so much love, respect and care for each other. We’ve shared a whole life over the last decade, through big moments and in quiet ones, and that is something we’ll always carry with us." Man, the last thing I was expecting on this beautiful Friday afternoon was to have the conscious uncoupling of sports' biggest lesbian power couple come sliding across my desk. Honestly, though, if I were expecting it, and it happened, I wouldn't be writing this. I'd be out buying Powerball tickets as we speak. Now, ‘round these parts, you’re not going to find too many Megan Rapinoe fans thanks to her, uh, "outspoken" (read: bats--t insane) nature. That said, I'm never going to cheer on someone's marital failures. That's just cool. Something like this isn't just tough on the two people involved; it's tough on their friends and family, too. You can disagree with people and still wish them pleasant personal lives. See, it's not hard, is it? So, all the best to these ladies as they move on to whatever's next. But there was one question I had as soon as I got word of this relationship's demise: what's going to happen to their podcast? The two have a podcast together where they — but let's be honest, usually Rapinoe — deliver their takes on hot-button issues like how members of the US Men's hockey team are a bunch of clowns for celebrating with Kash Patel or how the IOC got it wrong when they finally put their foot down and said, "Alright, that's enough fellas in ladies' sports." Unfortunately (especially for us here at OutKick), they said that they will no longer record on a weekly basis. View the full article

A British bride has battled depression and has been unable to work in the nearly two years since she was drenched in black paint by her spiteful sister-in-law. The attack occurred moments before she was slated to walk down the aisle to wed her childhood sweetheart — the climax of a revenge attack amid an ongoing feud. Gemma Monk, 35, a mother of two, was looking forward to marrying her now-husband, Ken Monk, in May 2024. She was walking with her father on a cream-colored carpet at the venue in Maidstone, England, when someone called out her name. Seconds later, she was splashed with black paint, she told Kent Online in an article published Friday. Realizing the attacker was her sister-in-law, Antonia Eastwood, who is married to Gemma’s older brother, Ashley, Gemma grabbed her by the hair, but Eastwood managed to get away. The bride was left distraught and in tears. JEALOUS EX-BOYFRIEND ACCUSED OF ‘VICIOUS’ ACID ATTACK THAT LEFT COLLEGE STUDENT SEVERELY BURNED: DA "This has had a dramatic impact on my life," Monk told Kent Online on Wednesday, after Eastwood was sentenced by a British court for two offenses of criminal damage. "Even while I was providing this statement at the police station, I got extremely emotional and started crying while talking about the incident. "Since the incident, if it wasn’t for my children or my family, I don’t think I would even get out of bed to care for myself," she added. "I have lost all my dignity and good habits in life. I have lost who I used to be. This has turned the most special day of my life into the worst memory — one I will never forget, and neither will my family." The attack occurred after Monk had lost significant weight during a cancer scare. Though she has since been given a clean bill of health, Monk said her sister-in-law knew about the medical struggle at the time but "still decided to ruin the most important day of my life and put me at risk." Eastwood, 49, had been banned from the wedding following a feud that stemmed from her own nuptials, during which Monk was accused of "trying to trip up" Eastwood. MICHIGAN WOMAN ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY STARVING, TORTURING DISABLED SISTER-IN-LAW SHE LOCKED IN BASEMENT In court, Eastwood was handed a 10-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months. She was also ordered to perform 160 hours of community service. "This was meant to be a special day for Gemma Monk and her family. Courtesy of your conduct, it turned into a nightmare," Judge Oliver Saxby told Eastwood before imposing the sentence. Eastwood's husband, Ashley, was once Ken Monk's best friend and actually introduced him to Gemma when she was only 14. Despite the attack, Gemma scrubbed the paint from her face and body in the changing room and borrowed a dress fetched by an usher so she could marry her partner of more than 20 years. "We had waited for that day for so long. Nothing was going to stop me," she said. "I did not think twice; I would have walked down the aisle in my knickers and with black paint over my face if I had to." However, Monk, a mental health worker, has since suffered from depression and has been unable to work. In a statement to the court, she said the incident changed her outlook on life and "made me question whether I had done something really bad, whether I had done something wrong." The couple also called off a planned honeymoon to the Maldives because Gemma "wasn't up to it." "I had a gut feeling—a bad feeling that something was wrong—when I got out of the car with my dad," Monk said. "But he said it must be nerves." "I will never accept her apology," she added. "I thought the sentence was too light. She should have received at least 23 months for the wait we have had to get this to court." View the full article

Friday morning, news broke that the San Diego Padres organization had officially been sold. And that news effectively ended much of the debate, disagreement, and complaints about the market size disparities in modern Major League Baseball. For over a decade, the Seidler family, primarily the late Peter Seidler, owned and operated the Padres. And they turned a perennially bottom-feeding franchise into a juggernaut. How? By treating a competitive sport like a competitive sport, and investing heavily in the on-field product. Now? It's been sold to billionaire José E. Feliciano and his wife Kwanza Jones, owners of the English Premier League team Chelsea. For a staggering and record-setting $3.9 billion. RELATED: San Diego Padres To Be Sold For Record $3.9 Billion Deal Nearly $4 billion for a team located in one of the smallest markets in Major League Baseball. A team that's never once won a World Series, and hasn't won the National League West in quite literally 20 years. That team sold for $4 billion. Just six years ago, Steve Cohen bought the New York Mets for $2.4 billion. The New York Mets. In New York City. The largest media market in the country. And the Padres just sold for 63% more, six years later. This is why all the whining and complaining from small market teams across the sport is manipulative nonsense. What makes this price even more stunning is that the Padres currently do not have a television deal with a regional sports network. While much of the focus and criticism of the Los Angeles Dodgers' spending habits rests on their agreement with Spectrum, Padres games are produced exclusively by MLB. Fubo and DirecTV+ carry the Padres "channel," but for most fans, they are forced into buying the team's package of games through MLB.tv. And they're still worth $3.9 billion. How can this be, when teams like the Pirates and Marlins relentlessly cry poor, despite raking in huge amounts of revenue sharing dollars? The Marlins even play in a significantly larger market than the Padres. San Diego County has roughly 3.4 million people, while the Miami metropolitan area has 6.4 million. Yet the Padres can routinely run payrolls at or above $200 million, while the Marlins spend under $100 million. Why? Because the Seidler family, particularly Peter, spent money to build a competitive product, taking advantage of the window of opportunity that the Chargers' move to LA offered. Seidler, who had serious health issues for years, invested in the team in hopes of winning a World Series before he died. They signed big name free agents like Eric Hosmer, Xander Bogaerts, and Manny Machado. They were aggressively in trades, bringing in stars like Blake Snell, Josh Hader, Mason Miller, Dylan Cease, and Juan Soto. They signed key players to extensions, like Yu Darvish, Jackson Merrill, and Fernando Tatis Jr. And what do you know, fans appreciated the effort. Petco Park is routinely sold out, and currently ranks second in average per game ticket sales with 42,395. Turns out, the old adage of spending money to make money is accurate. This sales price shows that the owners complaining about not being able to compete with big market teams are, to put it mildly, wrong. Money is pouring into the sport, and there's more to be made when teams try to win. Fans buy tickets when ownership shows they take winning seriously. Fans buy jerseys when they have star players to support. And fans will spend money to buy a package of baseball games when there's a reason to watch. Instead, we have owners like Bob Nutting in Pittsburgh, who hasn't signed a free agent to a contract longer than two years in decades. Literally decades. We have the Marlins, who have taken a community of rabid baseball fans, as the electric atmosphere at the World Baseball Classic demonstrated, and spat in their face by demonstrating a commitment to spending as little as possible. We have the Milwaukee Brewers, who, while competitive, trade every single big-name player they have as soon as possible to avoid long-term contracts. But the Padres sale demonstrates that despite the excuses and gaslighting, the fastest way MLB owners could increase their franchise values is by spending money on players. If you build it, they will come. View the full article