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Today β€” 15 January 2025Main stream

Ex-Notre Dame coach opens up on Caitlin Clark backing out of commitment: 'I may still be coaching if she came'

15 January 2025 at 12:53

Former Notre Dame women's basketball coach Muffet McGraw has revealed the details of Caitlin Clark's decommitment from her program during the star's recruiting process in 2019.Β 

McGraw appeared on the "Good Game With Sarah Spain" podcast on Tuesday, and said that if Clark followed through on her commitment to Notre Dame, then McGraw might still be the coach there. McGraw retired from coaching in April 2020, just months ahead of Clark's freshman year.Β 

"I may still be coaching if Caitlin Clark came to Notre Dame," McGraw said.

McGraw says she received a verbal commitment from Clark to play at Notre Dame, but it never felt certain.Β 

"She committed to us, but I had a feeling it was kind of a soft commitment when she did, because she couldn't decide, couldn't decide," McGraw said. "And then finally she said, 'I want to come.' But it wasn't like 'I'm coming!' It was kind of like β€˜I made the decision.’"

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Then, after a tense and dramatic wait, McGraw found out she would miss out on Clark, who announced her commitment to Iowa on Nov. 12, 2019.Β 

"After that, we waited and waited for her to announce it, because as you know, we're not allowed to announce anything. The players have to do that themselves," McGraw said. "So she made the announcement a long time after that, I kept saying 'When is it coming out?' And then when she made the announcement, she was going to Iowa. But of course she called me to tell me."Β 

McGraw's retirement came shortly after the end of the 2019-20 season, five months after finding out she wouldn't be coaching Clark, ending a 33-year run that included two national championships in 2001 and 2018.Β 

McGraw went on to call Clark's decommitment from her program in favor of Iowa, "probably a pretty good decision."Β 

Clark previously told ESPN that her own family wanted her to play for the Fighting Irish.Β 

"My family wanted me to go to Notre Dame," Caitlin said. "At the end of the day they were like, you make the decision for yourself. But it's Notre Dame! 'Rudy' was one of my favorite movies. How could you not pick Notre Dame?"

USC'S JUJU WATKINS OPENS UP ON CAITLIN CLARK'S WHITE PRIVILEGE COMMENTS AND EMBRACING CONTROVERSIAL NEW FANS

Clark then spoke about her experience visiting Notre Dame and her consideration of playing for the Fighting Irish during an interview on the "New Heights" podcast on Jan. 2. She said she ultimately made the decision not to play there because of a feeling in her gut.Β 

"I could feel it in my gut, I was like β€˜Ahh, I’m not supposed to go there,'" Clark said.Β 

"I basically narrowed it down pretty early on when I was going through my college recruitment that I wanted to be like in the Midwest, just kind of a homebody. Family person. Just wanted to stay fairly close to home. So that narrowed a lot of stuff down."

Clark then played her entire four-year college career for the Hawkeyes, where she broke multiple program and NCAA records, including the all-time leading scoring record among all college basketball players, men or women, in history.Β 

Clark also met her current boyfriend, Connor McCaffery, while at Iowa. McCaffery played on Iowa's men's basketball team for his father, head coach Fran McCaffery.Β 

Meanwhile, without Clark, Notre Dame fared OK, but not nearly as well as Iowa. Under the leadership of current head coach Niele Ivey, the Fighting Irish made the NCAA tournament three years in a row from 2021-24, but they lost in the regional semifinal all three times, while Clark led much deeper tournament runs in 2023 and 2024.Β 

Clark led Iowa to two straight national championship game appearances, en route to becoming the No. 1 overall selection by the Indiana Fever in the 2024 WNBA Draft. McCaffery was already in Indiana working on the Pacers' coaching staff, and they are still in the city together as he now works on Butler's men's basketball coaching staff.Β 

Clark was named WNBA Rookie of the Year, was selected to the All-Star team, led the WNBA in assists, and helped lead the Fever to the playoffs in her rookie season.Β 

Clark was also named Time magazine’s Athlete of the Year for 2024.Β 

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Tubi will exclusively stream Super Bowl LIX for free on its platform

15 January 2025 at 12:45

Tubi will stream Super Bowl LIX in February for free on its platform using FOX’s feed of the game, the company announced.

Viewers will be able to watch the game on Feb. 9 when they sign up via email registration. There will be no Multichannel Video Programming Distributor authentication or credit card sign-up needed to be able to watch it.

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The FOX Sports pregame show will also be available for fans tuning in to watch the game. A second stream on Tubi will also include the Tubi Red Carpet event, hosted by Olivia Culpo at 3:30 p.m. ET, and the FOX Deportes Spanish language feed.

The Super Bowl's kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. ET.

The ability to have a free and easy way to watch the Super Bowl would try to cut into the illegal streams that are set up for the game. About 17 million people watched the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVIII victory over the San Francisco 49ers illegally last year.

REGISTER FOR TUBI HERE

Additionally, those who have to work on game day will be able to watch from their mobile phones or tablets. About 28 million will be working on Super Bowl Sunday when the game kicks off at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.Β 

Those who have cut cable out of their lives will also have a new avenue to watch the game as well without committing to another subscription.

It’s unknown which two teams will be playing in the game, but it’s sure to draw a large audience as it does every year. The NFL said last year that 123.4 million viewers tuned in for the game across all platforms.

Follow Fox News Digital’sΒ sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Canadiens rookie Emil Heineman hit by car walking in Utah, expected to miss 3-4 weeks with injury

15 January 2025 at 12:38

Montreal Canadiens rookie Emil Heineman was hit by a car while walking downtown in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Monday.

Heineman, 23, is expected to miss three to four weeks with an upper-body injury suffered from the incident.

The Canadiens were in town to play the Utah Hockey Club, who they beat 5-3 on Tuesday.

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Salt Lake City police said in a news release they received a 911 call around 3 p.m. Monday, and officers were dispatched to the scene and checked the area but could not find the pedestrian or the passerby who reported the incident.

Police said officers received information later in the evening from a nearby business, which said it had info likely associated with the crash.

After discovering that Heineman was the pedestrian, police said the Swedish hockey player did not show any signs of serious injuries and was being attended to by team doctors.

PENGUINS STAR EVGENI MALKIN HAS 3 STANLEY CUP RINGS STOLEN IN HOME BURGLARY

It was not immediately clear what Heineman’s injury was.Β 

Police identified all parties involved and said they could not release any additional details. The Utah Highway Patrol is investigating.

Heineman played four games last season with the Canadiens, and has become a regular this season, playing 41 games this season.

Heineman is third among rookies in goals scored with 10 this season, along with having seven assists.Β 

The left-winger was a second-round pick by the Florida Panthers in 2020 who was traded to Calgary Flames in 2021 and to Montreal in '22.

The Canadiens' next game is on the road against the Dallas Stars on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.Β 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.Β 

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Trump inauguration will reportedly include Muslim cleric who refused to condemn Hezbollah as terror org

15 January 2025 at 12:37

A Muslim cleric who has praised Iran and refused to call Hezbollah a terrorist organization was reportedly tapped to deliver a benediction at President-elect Trump’s inauguration.Β 

Husham Al-Husainy is a well-known Iraqi-American imam in Michigan, overseeing theΒ Karbalaa Islamic Education Center in Dearborn.Β Al-Husainy was among a swath of Muslim voters in Michigan who indicated ahead of Election Day that they would support Trump instead of the Democratic Party's ticket in November. Β 

"I lean towards Mr. Trump because I found him closer toΒ the Bible, the Torah, and the Quran. Because I support peace, no war," he said back in October, Fox News Digital reported at the time. He added that the country "deserves to have a strong leader where he can bring peace in this world."

Before he indicated support for the former and upcoming president, Al-Husainy reportedly made a series of questionable comments. A Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, the Middle East Media and Research Institute, for example, reported this week that the Muslim cleric praised Iran in a 2022 interview.

TRADITIONALLY DEM LEADERS IN KEY MICHIGAN VOTING BLOC DITCH HARRIS, ENDORSE TRUMP

"Thank God We Have the Islamic Republic of Iran; Its Light Goes to Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, and All Over," he said in the interview, the nonprofit posted on X.Β 

The conservative nonprofitΒ The Middle East Forum described the cleric as a "radical antisemitic, pro-Hezbollah Shia imam," who reportedly hosted aΒ 2015 rally in Dearborn where he "wished death upon Saudi Arabia" amid the Saudi-led intervention in the Yemeni civil war.Β 

ABANDON BIDEN CAMPAIGN RELAUNCHES, TARGETS HARRIS IN KEY SWING STATES

In 2007, Al-Husainy joined Fox News’ Sean Hannity on the "Hannity & Colmes" program, where he was pressed on whether he considers Hezbollah a terrorist organization. The cleric joined the program following his invitation to theΒ DNC’s winter meeting that year to deliver the invocation.Β 

"I'll ask you again. Is Hezbollah – this is a yes or no question. Is Hezbollah a terrorist organization? Yes or no?" Hannity asked the imam.Β 

"Now if – I give you a time to ask me a question. Now give me time to answer it, please,"Β Al-Husainy said.Β 

"Yes or no?" Hannity continued.Β 

"First of all – first of all, Hezbollah is a Lebanese organization. And I've got nothing to do with that. But there is a biblical meaning of Hezbollah. It is in Judaism and Christianity and Islam meaning people of God and that means yes," the imam responded.Β 

WALZ PICK DOES LITTLE TO PERSUADE DEARBORN’S ANTI-BIDEN/HARRIS VOTERS

Later in the segment, Hannity again asked if Hezbollah is a terrorist organization.Β 

"​​This is – your idea of a political or… you know what Hezbollah means? I support the people of God,"Β Al-Husainy said.Β 

The State Department has recognized Hezbollah as a terrorist organization since 1997.Β 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Trump transition team regarding the invitation and Al-Husainy’s previous comments, but did not receive a reply.Β 

Matt Foldi, the former congressional candidate and current editor-in-chief of the Washington Reporter, shared a photo on X this week reportedly showing the official program of Inauguration Day, including that Al-Husainy, a Catholic priest, the Rev. Frank Mann, Rabbi Ari Berman and a Detroit pastor, Lorenzo Sewell, are slated to deliver benedictions.Β 

IMAM AL-HUSAINY REACTS TO DNC FLAP

Fox News Digital also attempted to reachΒ Al-Husainy via theΒ Karbalaa Islamic Education Center, but did not immediately receive a reply.Β 

Dearborn, Michigan, is home to theΒ proportionally largest Muslim population in the U.S. and became the birthplace of theΒ "Abandon Biden" movement last year as Arab voters spoke out about the administration’s handling of the conflict in Gaza. The movement morphed into "abandoning" Vice President Kamala Harris after Biden dropped out of the race in July, and ultimately endorsed Trump on Election Day.Β 

Muslim voters overall favored Harris by 32 percentage points in the 2024 election. Trump won 32% of their vote, while Harris won 63%. In 2020, Biden had won 64% of the Muslim vote, and Trump had won 35%. Trump faced mixed support from Muslim and Arab American voters, but in swing states like Michigan, their support became especially crucial.Β 

Arab American voters in Dearborn said following the election that they voted for Trump over Harris in protest of her stance on the Israel-Hamas war.Β 

"They didn’t vote for Trump because they believe Trump is the best candidate," Arab American News publisher Osama SiblaniΒ told Politico in November. "No, they voted for Trump because they want to punish the Democrats and Harris."

Fox News Digital's Michael Lee contributed to this report.Β 

Bondi claps back at Hirono amid questions about political prosecutions: 'Refused to meet with me'

15 January 2025 at 12:34

Pam Bondi, President-elect Trump’s nominee for attorney general, engaged in a tense exchange with Democrat Sen. Mazie Hirono during her confirmation hearing on Wednesday that resulted in praise from conservatives on social media.

"You have an incoming president who said, β€˜I have the absolute right to do what I want to do with the Justice Department,’ and in fact, President-elect Trump considers the DOJ to be his law firm," the Hawaii senator said to Bondi on Wednesday. "I ask you this: If President-elect Trump asks, suggests or hints that you as attorney general should investigate one of his perceived political enemies, would you do so?"

"Sen. Hirono, I wish you had met with me. Had you met with me, we could have discussed many things and gotten to –" Bondi began to respond.

Hirono then interrupted by saying, "I am listening to you now, could you please respond to the question?"

DEM SENATOR WHO BASHED HEGSETH'S QUALIFICATIONS STANDS BY DOD SEC WHO OVERSAW BOTCHED AFGHAN WITHDRAWAL

"You were the only one who refused to meet with me but what we would have discussed is that it is the job of the attorney general," Bondie said before being interrupted by Hirono again.

"I'm very happy to listen to your responses under oath, Miss Bondi," Hirono said.

"So I think it's really important to us that the attorney general be independent of the White House, and you have a president-elect who considers the AG’s office his law firm. I would like to know whether if the president suggests, hints, asks, that you, as attorney general, should investigate one of his perceived enemies."

FRESHMAN GOP SENATOR SETS SOCIAL MEDIA ABLAZE WITH 'BEST' RESPONSE TO HEGSETH’S ANSWER ON GENDER QUESTION

Bondi responded, "I certainly have not heard the president say that. But what I will tell you is two-thirds of Americans have lost faith in the Department of Justice, and its statements like that, I believe, that make people continue to lose faith."

Conservatives on social media praised Bondi for her handling of Hirono’s questions.

"Pam Bondi CLAPS BACK," Abigail Jackson, communications director for GOP Sen. Josh Hawley,Β posted on X.

"Pam Bondi isn't playing with these far-left Senators," the Media Research CenterΒ posted on X.

"Pam Bondi obliterates Sen. Mazie Hirono for refusing to meet with her," conservative commentatorΒ Paul SzypulaΒ posted on X. "This was spectacular."

"Common @PamBondi W," the Trump War RoomΒ posted on X.

"Imagine thinking Maxie Hirono is qualified to be a U.S. Senator but Pam Bondi isn't qualified to be U.S. Attorney General lol," conservative commentator and former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines posted on X.Β 

Bondi is expected to be confirmed by the Senate, and some have speculated that she will earn some votes from Democrats.Β 

Galaxy S25 β€˜Slim’ is probably thicker than β€˜iPhone 17 Air’ as leak reveals 6.4mm design [Gallery]

15 January 2025 at 12:21

Samsung and Apple are both preparing to launch new, thinner smartphones in 2025, but it sounds like Samsung’s Galaxy S25 β€œSlim” won’t match what’s rumored for the β€œiPhone 17 Air” per a new leak that reveals how thin the device is.

more…

Key takeaways from Trump's energy secretary pick's confirmation hearing

15 January 2025 at 12:05
Chris Wright, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for energy secretary, told senators during his confirmation hearing Wednesday that he would promote all sources of American energy, while also acknowledging the burning of fossil fuels causes climate change

Β© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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