Former college football star Tim Tebow posted an emotional message to his X account on Thursday, sending a prayer and thoughts to those in California who are battling wildfires.
"Like so many of you, I’ve been watching the news lately with a heavy heart. Last week, it was the tragedy in New Orleans. This week, it’s the wildfires in California. Quite honestly, in times like these, I don’t know what else to do but pray," Tebow wrote on X.
"And so, Lord, we humbly ask You to bring rain to California. Protect our first responders and give them strength & courage. Comfort those who have lost loved ones, their homes, or their businesses. Make Your presence known among people who desperately need hope.
"And help us all to remember in times like these, that you are the same God today that you have always been – with us, and for us, always."
The wildfires have affected the sports world, with two games located at Crypto.com Arena this week being postponed. Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick also lost his house after his family evacuated.
The NFL has also issued a contingency plan for Monday night's Vikings-Rams playoff game, which is set to be played in Englewood but could move to Glendale, Ariz.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the last time it rained one-tenth of an inch in the city was back on May 5.
Five deaths have been reported due to the Eaton fire, which also burned down a clubhouse at a local golf course.
President Biden met with California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday, while Florida governor Ron DeSantis also offered help.
Newsom deployed the National Guard on Wednesday to help fight the fires as nearly 100 schools in the Los Angeles area were closed.
The late former President Jimmy Carter reportedly held the 1971 John Lennon hit "Imagine" as his favorite tune. But its use as a song at his state funeral ceremony has set a firestorm on social media from critics saying it wasn't fit for use in what in a memorial service in a Christian church.
On Thursday, the tune was performed by fellow Georgian Trisha Yearwood and her husband Garth Brooks during Carter's Washington National Cathedral funeral service. One year earlier, Brooks and Yearwood performed it at former first lady Rosalynn Carter’s wake, as well. The country star couple previously worked with Carter on several Habitat for Humanity home projects, according to reports.
Social media lit up later Thursday, calling into question the performance of the song, given its lyrical rejection of religion.
"Imagine there's no heaven / It's easy if you try / No Hell below us / Above us, only sky," the first line goes.
On X, several observers, including top conservative figures, questioned the use of the song, while others differed.
"Having Joe Biden lecture us about what a strong Christian Jimmy Carter was before the crowd sits through ‘Imagine’ with the lyrics ‘Imagine there's no heaven /It's easy if you try’ makes me question the authenticity of the assertion," said commentator Erick Erickson, who also served on the Macon City Council in Carter’s home state.
"Imagine there is no heaven -- Sung for someone who is a devout Southern Baptist," one X user added.
"I don’t think Jimmy would appreciate the ‘no religion’ part," another said.
Self-described "Trumpocrat" Steve Carlson, a perennial Minnesota Democratic candidate now running for governor in 2026, wrote that it is an "insult" to have "Imagine" played at Carter’s funeral.
"Why would any Christian have that sung at their funeral? Imagining there is no heaven and no Christianity at a Christian funeral is dark, indeed," said Mollie Z. Hemingway, Federalist editor and frequent "All-Star Panel"-ist on Fox News’ "Special Report with Bret Baier."
A prominent member of the Catholic clergy also chimed in on X, saying he was "appalled" by the performance.
"Under the soaring vault of what I think is still a Christian church, they reverently intoned, ‘Imagine there’s no heaven; it’s easy if you try" and "imagine there’s no country; it isn’t hard to do. Nothing to kill or die for, and no religion too.’ -- Vested ministers sat patiently while a hymn to atheistic humanism was sung," said Bishop Robert Barron, prelate of the Catholic Archdiocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota.
"This was not only an insult to the memory of a devoutly believing Christian but also an indicator of the spinelessness of too much of established religion in our country," the bishop said.
The National Review’s Jim Geraghty said the fact "Imagine" asks the listener to imagine the absence of heaven is a "de facto concession" that it exists, in an apparent defense of the rendition.
"Otherwise, there would be no need to ask us to envision otherwise," Geraghty said.
Lennon himself had a complicated view of Christianity and organized religion, but notably corresponded with Christian preachers like Oral Roberts.
"I was brought up a Christian and I only now understand some of the things that Christ was saying in those parables," Lennon also has been quoted as saying. "God is a concept by which we measure our own pain."
Former New York Giants punter Sean Landeta wasn't too pleased with one of his former teammates after he revealed what Landeta called a false and "embarrassing" locker room story from their time playing together.
During an interview with a Philadelphia radio station, Landeta was asked about former Eagles wide receiver Freddie Mitchell’s claim that Landeta, who played with the Eagles from 1999-2002, would groom his "under regions in the sauna" in front of other players.
The two-time Super Bowl champion remained calm but was clearly irked by the question.
"Now, my first thing is – you wanna call me during primetime radio in Philadelphia and talk to me about something like that? Are you kidding me," he said in response to 94 WIP host Spike Eskin.
"I like Freddie. Good teammate and all. But what he said was absolutely false. I totally deny being in the sauna with Jon Ritchie. That never happened.
"I’m disappointed in Mr. Mitchell. I’m going to have to speak to him about that."
But Landeta, who won both championships with the Giants, turned his attention back to the radio hosts.
"You call it having fun, but it's one guy embarrassing another guy talking about stuff. Believe me, I understand how that works. Very disappointed that he would say that, especially when it's not true."
Landeta went one step further to say the question was an attempt at a ratings grab.
"I would think with the Eagles having a playoff game coming up they wouldn’t be talking about guys in saunas," Landeta said.
Landeta spent the majority of his more than two-decade career in the NFL playing for the Giants. He also spent time with the Eagles, Rams and Buccaneers.
Comedian Shane Gillis revealed a heated conversation he had with legendary college football coach Nick Saban after the former suggested the latter’s Alabama Crimson Tide had cheated while he was there, on ESPN’s "College GameDay."
Gillis spoke on the "Talk of the Town" podcast, where he broke down what led to the situation where the comedian said Saban "spazzed on me."
First, Gillis told Saban’s "College GameDay" colleagues Pat McAfee and Kirk Herbstreit that he thought Alabama had dominated college football because they had been paying players before it was legal to do so through NIL deals.
"After I said that, we had to go into the stadium to sit at the desk, and I got in there, and he [Saban] was like, ‘I heard what you said,’" Gillis said. "And I was like, ‘Holy s–t,’ and then McAfee and Herbstreit were like, ‘He’s just breaking your b---s, dude.’
"’He loves messing with guys. Like he’s literally just f---ing with you,’ and I was like, ‘Oh, alright. I’ll f--- with him back.'"
Gillis’ antics weren’t received well by Saban, as the comedian doubled down during his Dec. 20 appearance at the Notre Dame-Indiana College Football Playoff game.
"I was just joking around. I don’t think the SEC paid players ever," Gillis said on the broadcast. Is this not a fun show? Is this a serious show? Alabama Jones is looking very serious."
"Alabama Jones" referred to Saban, who was wearing a hat that resembled the one worn by Indiana Jones.
Saban had a retort to Gillis, and he was certainly being serious.
"I do believe in integrity. I always tried to run the program that way so players had a better chance to be successful in life," Saban said. "We make more money in the NFL than any other school, 61 players in the league. That was how we cheated. We developed players."
After the cameras were off, Gillis said that Saban was actually upset after McAfee and Herbstreit said to go talk to him.
"So, I went up to him after, he was like, ‘You think the SEC dominated cause we cheated? That’s bulls---.’ He spazzed on me," Gillis said.
Saban is well known for his six national titles during his time in Tuscaloosa, as the Crimson Tide became a college football powerhouse. He also led the LSU Tigers to the BCS National Champions Game after the 2003 regular season.
Two Democrats in the 2025 race to succeed term-limited New Jersey Gov. Philip Murphy did not cast votes this week in Congress on the Laken Riley Act, leading them to be lambasted by gubernatorial candidates from both parties.
The House Clerk’s office recorded Reps. Mikie Sherrill of Essex and Josh Gottheimer of Bergen County recorded as "not voting" on the landmark bill, which would require illegal immigrants convicted of theft-related crimes be detained by municipal and state authorities.
The bill takes its name from a young woman murdered by an illegal immigrant in Georgia who had been previously arrested and released on lesser charges.
Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop exclaimed, "This is cowardly," in an X post.
"We lose elections when we don’t have any core convictions… when we can’t explain why we have a view and why we believe in it. Hiding is not an answer that wins elections," the Democrat said.
"Mikie and Josh are the same again – If you don’t have the courage to vote for a bill then what does that say about your courage to lead as Governor?" Fulop added.
Meanwhile, former Republican Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli slammed the two lawmakers from their right.
"Shame on [Josh and Mikie] for gutlessly ducking a vote on the Laken Riley Act today," said Ciattarelli.
On X, Ciattarelli said Riley "fought till her last breath against a murderous illegal immigrant, but Josh/Mikie didn’t have the courage to stand up to their extreme far left base."
Ciattarelli ran against Murphy in 2021 and nearly defeated him by Garden State standards, losing by less than three points. In November, President-elect Trump only lost the state by four points, leading the GOP to signal their optimism about flipping Trenton red this fall.
When the bill last came up for a vote, Gottheimer voted "yea," and a spokesman told the Philadelphia Inquirer he would have supported the bill this week if he had voted.
New Jersey’s three Republican congressmen – Reps. Christopher Smith, Jeff Van Drew and Tom Kean Jr. – all voted for the Laken Riley Act.
Democratic Reps. Nellie Pou, Frank Pallone, Herbert Conaway, LaMonica McIver, Donald Norcross and Rob Menendez Jr. all voted against it.
Republican Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia – who is not running for governor – torched the pair on Wednesday with a quip:
"The Road to Drumthwacket is paved with flat squirrels who couldn't make a decision," she said, referring to the historic governor’s mansion near Princeton.
State Sen. Jon Bramnick, a GOP gubernatorial candidate, told Fox News Digital on Thursday that a lawmaker’s first responsibility is to their constituents, not their next campaign.
"I think you have to have campaign activities come secondary to your responsibility," Bramnick said when asked about Gottheimer’s and Sherrill’s non-votes.
"The key question is – if you’re going to run – campaign activities must be secondary to your voting," adding that systemically it seems "the more [someone] campaigns the less they vote."
Bramnick, who is also an attorney in Plainfield, added that he couldn’t assume what was on the two Democrats’ minds in terms of their vote, but that immigration is a hot issue and often difficult to navigate.
With the Laken Riley Act scoring 48 Democratic "yea’s," Bramnick said immigration is a bipartisan issue.
If elected governor, he said he would "follow the law" when asked how he would approach President-elect Trump or border czar-designate Tom Homan.
"Unfortunately, the Congress hasn’t done anything to [create] a path to citizenship for people who may have an opportunity to stay here," he said, discussing those who have lived in the U.S. for many years as otherwise law-abiding members of their communities.
"If America doesn’t like the law, change it, but state-by-state shouldn’t change the law based on how they feel on the issue."
Sherrill and Gottheimer did not immediately respond to inquiries made via their campaigns.
Another Democrat in the race, Ras Baraka – mayor of the state’s largest city, Newark – also did not respond.
Baraka, however, separately indicated he would have voted against the Laken Riley Act if he were in Congress.
Margarita Komarova and Colin McDarmont are devastated by the loss of their six embryos and are suing a pharmaceutical company whose since-recalled solution was used in their IVF cycle.
Courtesy of Rita Komarova
Margarita Komarova and Colin McDarmont, were desperate to start a family and underwent IVF.
They were shocked after learning six embryos fertilized during their fourth cycle had to be discarded.
The couple claims it is the victim of gross negligence by a pharmaceutical giant.
Margarita Komarova and her husband, Colin McDarmont, were thrilled to learn their fourth round of IVF had produced six promising embryos.
Komarova, 37, who works in tech, told Business Insider that "everything was tracking positive" following the procedure in November 2023.
But seven days after the fertilization, their doctor called to say none of the embryos had gone on to develop and were suitable for transfer.
"We were devastated," Komarova said, noting that they were discarded almost immediately. "We thought we'd done everything right before the retrieval."
The couple had eaten healthily and reduced stress by doing acupuncture and yoga as part of the process. The period in which she'd had to inject herself with fertility medication had been particularly taxing, Komarova added.
"You find yourself searching for answers," she said of their despair. "We started to blame ourselves — and each other —because we didn't know what had gone wrong."
The pair received an email from their fertility clinic three weeks later. It alerted them to an issue concerning the IVF "culture media," the liquid used in the technique to grow embryos. It said the outcome of their particular cycle "may have negatively impacted."
"It was confusing," Darmont said. "We had a lot of questions."
In January 2024, they learned of a recall notice issued to IVF clinics across the US by CooperSurgical, the giant pharmaceutical company that manufactured the solution used in their procedure. It was later established that three lots of the liquid had been missing the important ingredient of magnesium. The essential nutrient is key to the development of embryos in the lab, typically in a petrie dish.
Komarova and McDarmont have filed a $15 million lawsuit
A year on, Komarova and McDarmont are suing Cooper for $15 million, claiming they may have lost their chance of having children. The suit said the firm failed to implement proper testing and quality control during manufacture.
"We're hoping this will force them to provide actual information and details in terms of how this happened, and more importantly, the safeguards to prevent it from ever happening again," McDarmont, a 52-year-old product manager, told BI.
The lawsuit said that Cooper's "reckless disregard" had severely impacted the couple's ability to have a biological baby, leaving them "distraught they may never be able to start the family they imagined."
It said Komarova had suffered depression and McDarmont "continues to experience severe emotional distress as a result of the incident."
The would-be mom said her body had taken nearly a year to recover
According to the filing, Cooper "failed to adequately monitor their manufacturing system" when "it knew, or should have known, the inclusion of magnesium in the culture media is critical to embryo development."
Business Insider has contacted CooperSurgical, which has not immediately responded.
Komarova, an only child who'd always wanted a big family, told BI that she and her husband had spent tens of thousands of dollars trying to get pregnant since they got married in 2020.
She said that every month that passed without them conceiving felt like a lost opportunity, made more pertinent because of their age.
It had taken almost a year for her body to recover from the ordeal of the impacted procedure before she underwent IVF for the "fifth and final time" last October.
"It was hard to rebound from the failed cycle and prepare for the next," Komarova said. "It's not something where you can just jump in and do another one."
The lawsuit said she had struggled with abdominal pain for weeks, weight gain from the hormonal injections, and fluctuating moods after the attempt.
It said she had undergone "significant physical strain due to the original wasted cycle, as well as the new cycle necessitated" made by Cooper's "faulty product."
Meanwhile, it said the couple continued to experience "deep sadness, guilt, hopelessness, shame, disappointment and anger."
McDarmont said the recall notice read as if it was a product recall of cereal boxes
Komarova described how she and McDarmont — who'd previously spent tens of thousands of dollars on three attempts at IVF — had meticulously prepared for the 2023 retrieval.
"You do everything you're supposed to do, like eat organic food and reduce the amount of stress you're under," she told BI. "Then you do the procedure, the results come in, and it's a punch to the gut."
McDarmont said he was infuriated by the outcome, which, he said, could have been avoided if Cooper had followed the correct protocol. "The despair, disappointment, and anger haven't gone away."
He said the recall notice was cold and perfunctory. "It sounded like it was a recall of something like cereal boxes or furniture items," he told BI.
The couple filed the lawsuit in Bridgeport, Connecticut — the city where CooperSurgical is headquartered — and asked for a jury trial. They are seeking at least $ 15 million in damages.
Meanwhile, Komarova and McDarmont were relieved to discover that their fifth cycle of IVF has been successful — at least so far. It resulted in a number of embryos that remain frozen.
Still, Komarova told BI she found the thought of the "next chapter" — which will involve the transfer of an embryo into her body — "scary."
There are a few design elements I wouldn't add to my bathroom.
Joseph Hendrickson/Shutterstock
As an interior decorator, I avoid design choices that make bathrooms feel sterile or cheap.
I think matching towel sets and themed bathroom art lack personality and feel dated.
Matte paint and unprotected wallpaper can easily succumb to water damage.
As an interior decorator, I love creating tranquil, well-coordinated rooms inside the home. However, there are a few design elements I wouldn't put in my bathroom.
Here are 1o things I would never have in my bathroom.
Floor-to-ceiling tile looks too sterile.
Floor-to-ceiling tile is hard to update.
Gunter Kremer/Shutterstock
I've found that a bathroom with floor-to-ceiling tiles usually comes across as cold and sterile instead of luxurious.
Though I think the look works for a walk-in shower or feature wall, decorating all over with tile is an expensive choice that's difficult to update as trends change.
Plastic bathroom accessories bring down an elevated design.
Plastic bathroom accessories can look cheap.
Siyapath/Shutterstock
Consider upgrading plastic accessories, such as shower-curtain rings, soap dispensers, and trash cans, to nonplastic options for an elevated design.
Higher-quality metal or ceramic finishes can give your bathroom a luxurious appeal while adding color, texture, and charm to the space.
Black toilets kind of scare me — plus they can be hard to keep clean.
I always pass on the black-toilet trend.
Flipser/Shutterstock
Black toilets remind me of the uncomfortable feeling of using portable toilets — in which you really don't want to see the bottom.
A black toilet might seem like a chic, modern choice, but the color can make it harder to clean. Though a white toilet shows dust, watermarks, and smudges, a black one hides all the grime and buildup.
If you want to bring a moody-chic look into the bathroom, do it with black towel rods and fixtures rather than a toilet.
Matching towel sets are uninspiring.
I think matching towel sets are too boring.
Andreas von Einsiedel/Getty Images
Using towels with the same color throughout the bathroom creates a stagnant design and doesn't bring much fun into the space. Even patterned towel sets typically lack visual variety and color contrast.
I prefer mixing different towel colors and patterns that work well together and coordinating them with floor mats and shower curtains. The finished look appears more dynamic and personalized.
Unprotected wallpaper can get wet and moldy in a bathroom.
Most wallpaper doesn't react well to steam and moisture.
John Keeble/Getty Images
Wallpaper is an awesome choice for smaller spaces but not all options will work in the bathroom. I prefer to use a peel-and-stick variety as its vinyl material is more water-resistant than the paper-based alternatives.
If you love a traditional wallpaper design, you might get away with using it in a powder room or half-bath, where there isn't a shower. But I still recommend treating the paper with a protective coating to keep it from getting damaged after installation.
Tile countertops can lead to grimy grout that stains easily.
The grout on a bathroom counter can easily become dirty.
Stella/Getty Images
Though grid tiles are trending, I don't recommend using them for bathroom vanities or other high-traffic areas because the grout tends to quickly accumulate dirt.
I also find that the hard-to-clean grout will eventually stain from things like colored soap, makeup, and lotion.
If you're determined to incorporate this trend into your bathroom, consider using the tiles as a backsplash or on shower walls where they're less likely to see spills.
Art doesn't need to be bathroom-themed.
If you wouldn't have shark-themed decor in other parts of your home, don't put it in the bathroom.
Vostok/Getty Images
Instead of choosing themed artwork you think works in a bathroom or spa, treat your wall decor as you would in any other room.
Pick elevated artwork that inspires you and uses colors from your home decor to make your bathroom an extension of your space's aesthetic.
Just be sure to choose art that can withstand the steam to avoid mildew forming on paper-based products.
Pedestal sinks are a wasted opportunity for storage.
Bathrooms with pedestal sinks often need other storage devices.
MarioGuti/Getty Images
Though pedestal sinks are a classic silhouette, they just aren't practical for most homes. The lack of storage and counter space means they're only useful for washing hands.
Unless you have space for additional storage options, I wouldn't even use these sinks in the powder room, as they can't store extra supplies for guests.
Matte paint doesn't typically hold up in a steamy bathroom.
Matte paint usually absorbs moisture.
Suleyman Ozkan/Getty Images
Matte paints aren't ideal for bathrooms because they have a tendency to absorb moisture. I recommend a semigloss to high-gloss paint option to better protect the drywall from moisture damage.
If you love the matte look, you can try using limewash paint, instead. It has a similar look, but it's supposed to be naturally mold-resistant and antibacterial.
Frameless vanity mirrors can feel dated.
Frameless mirrors look unfinished.
FluxFactory/Getty Images
Though they're a neutral option, I find frameless mirrors, especially those with a beveled edge, look dated.
A framed mirror is an opportunity to add stylistic personality to your space, much like hanging art. I suggest tying your color palette and existing hardware finishes into your mirror to bring the space together.
This story was originally published on September 17, 2023, and most recently updated on January 9, 2025.
When I was working remotely in 2021, my boyfriend and I packed up and traveled to 22 countries across Europe and Latin America.
Although these were some of the best days of my life, I quickly learned that a lot of the videos I saw on social media that glorified full-time travel didn't always showcase the downfalls of the lifestyle.
More and more people are becoming digital nomads — countries like Italy have even implemented specific visas for remote workers. However, during my nine months abroad, I learned that the lifestyle isn't all it's cracked up to be.
Here's why I wouldn't travel full time again.
I kept looking for places and experiences that felt like home
While traveling full time, I found myself constantly looking for places and experiences that felt like home.
In some ways, it was cool to feel like a local in a new city. However, when I returned home and took shorter vacations, I started to value the places I was visiting for their differences rather than trying to find some semblance of home.
Nowadays, I like having a home base. Shorter trips help me to break up the monotony of life without sacrificing the comfort of home.
It felt like I was constantly thinking about money
I often had to remember that I wasn't on a never-ending vacation.
Dasha Kofman
When I was traveling full-time, I was on a strict budget. I either drained my wallet or ate cheap food to maintain some sort of financial security while on the road.
I talked myself out of going to every museum I wanted to and purchased cheap meals for dinner instead of indulging in local cuisine that might have been out of my budget.
The moments I would slip up on my spending were when I forgot this wasn't a never-ending vacation, but rather, my new everyday life.
During the first two weeks of our trip, I wanted to go to all of the must-try restaurants in Paris. However, I soon realized that came at the cost of establishing a strict daily budget for the remainder of our three weeks there.
Of course, it was worth it in the end to save money so I could travel for nine months. However, now that I take a few shorter trips a year, I have more flexibility to make them everything I want them to be.
My friendships at home changed, and the new ones I made were fleeting
I think what travelers yearn for the most is community. When I was traveling, it was really hard to find the same quality of friends I have at home.
When I did meet friends abroad, it was often short-lived. I found that many people traveling full time were only in a city for a few days. Even when I did find someone I connected with, it was hard to maintain a long-distance friendship.
Traveling full time also took a lot out of my friendships at home, as it seemed like they learned to live without me.
When I returned home, it felt like we didn't have as much in common as we used to. It took me months to get my friendships back to where they were before I left.
I missed having a space to call my own
When I returned home, I was able to create a space that was inspired by my love of travel.
Dasha Kofman
While traveling, I stayed in 25 different places across nine months. Although seeing so many new places was cool, I missed having a space to call my own.
After spending so many nights in beds that weren't my own, it was an indescribable feeling to come back home. In fact, when I got back, I was able to create a space that took inspiration from the places I'd been.
I think traveling is something everyone should prioritize, but there are ways to see the world that don't involve doing it full time.
Nowadays, I plan to take at least four international trips a year, ranging from one to two weeks. This allows me to live a travel-filled life without giving up the comforts of home, career, and relationships.
This story was originally published on April 26, 2024, and most recently updated on January 9, 2025.
Bengals wide receiver Jermaine Burton was allegedly involved in a domestic dispute where he choked and hit his ex-girlfriend, according to a police incident report.
Major League Soccer apologized on Thursday for posting an erroneous story on its website with the wrong name of a player that was purportedly being transferred to one of its clubs.
Second-half goals by Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo helped Real Madrid to a 3-0 win over Mallorca in the Spanish Super Cup semi-finals on Thursday and set up a final showdown with Barcelona.
David Moyes is on the verge of sealing a return to Everton after talks with the club's new owners, who fired manager Sean Dyche on Thursday, sources have told ESPN.
Cristiano Ronaldo opened his account for 2025 at the first attempt on Thursday, marking the 24th year in a row that he has scored in professional football.
Former Houston Dynamo FC designated player and recent Toluca signing Héctor Herrera must fulfill a three-game ban he received at the end of the last MLS season for spitting at the ref in the Dynamo's playoff game against the Seattle Sounders.
The wife of former Mexico international Carlos Vela has stated that the player and family are safe after their Malibu home burned down in the devastating Palisades Fire in Southern California.
Following the last update in December, Android 15 QPR2 Beta 2.1 is rolling out to Pixel devices. It addresses some of the bugs that testers have encountered.
AirTag 2 is launching this year, about four years after AirTag first debuted. There are some nice upgrades coming to AirTag 2, but what I really want is for the company to expand the lineup: it’s time for an AirTag Max.
