Members of the organization distributed vegan hot dogs to people along the boardwalk, all while hundreds of Nathan's franks were being prepped for the competitive eaters.
Prior to the event, PETA said to Fox News Digital that "Tommy Tofu and his PETA pals will be right there at Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, distributing hundreds of tasty vegan hot dogs as they challenge hungry spectators to enjoy a free, flavorful Fourth that is also animal-friendly."
"Vegan hot dogs are delicious and kind, and who really wants to support slaughterhouses -- the word is enough -- by buying what comes out of them," PETA executive Tracy Reiman said in a statement. "PETA encourages everyone to let freedom ring for all by leaving animals in peace this Fourth of July and beyond."
Chestnut returned to the competition after missing last year due to partnering with a plant-based brand, Impossible Foods.
He looked almost as good as ever, downing 70.5 dogs and buns in the 10-minute span. It was his 17th victory in his last 18 tries (he lost to Matt Stonie in 2015), and it was the seventh time he eclipsed the 70-wiener mark.
The PETA presence did not compare to the protester that Chestnut put in a headlock back in 2022, but it's yet another appearance from the animal activist group. Last year, PETA planned to "bombard the competition's spectators" and brought a truck to encourage fans to go vegan.
Mexican boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. was arrested by ICE on Thursday for deportation. The arrest came just days after Chávez's loss to YouTuber Jake Paul in Anaheim, California, on the last weekend of June.
Chávez was arrested for overstaying his visa and lying on a green card application. He was being processed for expedited removal, according to U.S. authorities.
News of the arrest set the fighting community into a frenzy, with Chávez Jr. suddenly emerging as a prominent figure in the nation's ongoing deportation saga.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Chávez Jr. has been charged with several crimes while in the U.S.
On Jan. 22, 2012, California Highwaay Patrol arrested Chávez and charged him with DUI alcohol/drugs and driving without a license. On June 23, 2012, the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, convicted Chávez of the offense of driving under the influence of alcohol and sentenced him to 13 days in jail and 36 months’ probation.
On Jan. 14, 2023, a District Judge issued an arrest warrant for Chávez, for the offense of organized crime for the purpose of committing crimes of weapons trafficking and manufacturing crimes, in the modality of those who participate in clandestinely bringing weapons, ammunition, cartridges, explosives into the country; and those who manufacture weapons, ammunition, cartridges, and explosives without the corresponding permit.
On Jan. 7, 2024, the Los Angeles Police Department arrested Chavez and charged him with Illegal Possession of an assault weapon and manufacture or import short-barreled rifle. The court convicted Chavez of these charges.'
DHS also suspects Chavez is allegedly believed to be an affiliate of the Sinaloa Cartel, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. Chavez’s application was based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen, who is connected to the Sinaloa Cartel through a prior relationship with the now-deceased son of the infamous cartel leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, according to DHS.
Meanwhile, Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said Friday that Mexico hadn’t previously arrested boxer Chávez Jr. on a 2023 arrest order, because he had been mostly in the U.S. at that time.
"The hope is that he will be deported and serve the sentence in Mexico," Sheinbaum said during her daily news briefing Friday, referring to charges that Chávez faces for arms and drug trafficking.
The boxer was nearly cast out of the country months ago.
According to DHS, in December 2024, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services had made a referral to ICE that Chávez was an "egregious public safety threat," but Chavez was allowed to reenter the country on Jan. 4, 2025 after records indicated the Biden Administration had not made him an immigration enforcement priority.
After the Biden administration allowed Chavez to reenter the country and paroled him into the country at the San Ysidro port of entry, per DHS.
Chávez Jr.'s father, Julio César Chávez Sr., is a multiple-time world champion in three different weight divisions. Chávez Sr. reportedly grew up in an abandoned railroad car with his five sisters and four brothers, according to a 1993 article by the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
The father is considered one of the most beloved athletes in Mexican history and a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
During Chávez Jr.'s childhood, his father would regularly take him and his brother into the ring before fights.
However, Chávez Jr. has also posted multiple videos on TikTok in which he accuses his father of abuse.
Chávez Sr. struggled with drugs, especially alcohol and cocaine.
"At first I [could] control it, but I just needed more alcohol and more cocaine and more and more," Chavez Sr. told NPR in a 2015 interview. "That's when the problems really started. That's when the failures began, the defeats."
Chavez Jr. also developed a drug habit.
In 2009, Chávez Jr. tested positive for furosemide, a diuretic that can be used for weight cutting or as a masking agent for other substances. This resulted in a suspension and fine. In 2012, after losing to Sergio Martinez, he tested positive for marijuana. He received a fine and a nine-month suspension. In 2017, he tested positive for marijuana before a fight with Canelo Alvarez.
Then in 2020, Chávez Jr. was suspended indefinitely for refusing to take a drug test.
When Chávez Jr. was arrested on gun charges in January 2024, he was later freed on a $50,000 bond on the condition he go to a residential drug treatment facility.
Chávez Jr. won his first title in 2009 in the World Boxing Council Latino super featherweight division. The next year he won the vacant WBC silver middleweight crown, defeating John Duddy by unanimous decision.
In June 2011, Chávez Jr. won his greatest victory at that point, defeating Sebastian Zbik by majority decision in the WBC middleweight title in Los Angeles.
He then successfully defended the crown three times against Peter Manfredo Jr., Marco Antonio Rubio and Andy Lee.
Chávez Jr. made his pay-per-view debut in 2012 against Sergio "Maravilla" Martinez of Argentina, who is 11 years older than Chavez Jr., but it proved to be his first loss. Martinez defeated Chávez by unanimous decision.
After the fight, Chávez was suspended for nine months and fined $900,000 by the Nevada State Athletic Commission after he tested positive for marijuana.
In 2017, Chávez Jr. fought Canelo Alvarez in Las Vegas in his second pay-per-view fight, but lost that one too by unanimous decision.
He stopped fighting for two years, and then in 2019 he lost to former middleweight champion Daniel Jacobs in Las Vegas. Chávez Jr. then fought again in Mexico, including a loss to former mixed martial arts champion Anderson Silva by split decision in 2021.
After a three-year break from the ring, in which Chávez Jr. was dealing with his legal and substance issues, he returned last July, beating Uriah Hall in Tampa, Florida.
Then came his highly-anticipated match with Jake Paul in Anaheim last weekend, where the YouTuber won by unanimous decision to earn an official WBA cruiserweight ranking.
And then after news of the Mexican's arrest on Thursday, Paul took to X to post an American flag emoji.
Chestnut downed 30 dogs in the first three minutes, already well ahead of his competition, and he never looked back. He was well on pace to shatter his record of 76 dogs and buns in the 10-minute time frame, downing 46 in the first half of the competition.
He began to slow down, putting down just 11 in the next two minutes, but he had practically already clinched the win. For reference, he ate 58 hot dogs, the winning number last year, in the first seven-and-a-half minutes. Now, it was a chase for the record.
Fatigue set in, and he fell short of his record by five. But, it was the best performance in the event since he set the record back in 2021. It is the seventh time Chestnut cracked the 70 mark.
This was Chestnut’s 20th appearance in the event, tying the all-time record.
Last year's champ, Patrick Betoletti, finished with 46.5 dogs and buns.
Chestnut was not eligible to participate in last year’s event after he signed a deal with Impossible Foods, a rival of Nathan’s.
But last month, Chestnut announced that he and the organizers had found common ground on sponsorships.
"I’m thrilled to be returning to the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest. This event means the world to me. It’s a cherished tradition, a celebration of American culture, and a huge part of my life," Chestnut wrote on X.
"While I have and continue to partner with a variety of companies, including some in the plant-based space, those relationships were never a conflict with my love for hot dogs. To be clear: Nathan’s is the only hot dog company I’ve ever worked with.
"I respect that there were differences in interpretation, but I’m grateful we’ve been able to find common ground. I’m excited to be back on the Coney Island stage, doing what I live to do, and celebrating the Fourth of July with hot dogs in my hands! Stay hungry!"
Chestnut was obviously the overwhelming favorite to win it all – he set a popcorn-eating world record back in May.
Fox News’ Scott Thompson contributed to this report.
Kay cited, at the time, a +4 run differential for Toronto against a +105 for the Yanks - so, when the Jays officially jumped New York in the standings, the guys at SportsNet had a field day.
"I can think of a certain Yankee broadcaster, in fact, who is gonna have to go on his show tomorrow and admit that the Blue Jays are a first-place team, because the standings prove it," Jamie Campbell said while holding a broom.
It was the first time in Blue Jays' history that they had a four-game sweep of the Yankees in their own home ballpark.
The Bronx Bombers are 6-14 in their last 20 games and have squandered a seven-game lead in the division - they now trail the Blue Jays by a game, who also own the tiebreaker with their 5-2 record against New York this year.
It has been a massive struggle for the Bronx Bombers - in this 20-game stretch, their .174 batting average with runners in scoring position ranks dead last. Since last Saturday, their bullpen's 9.86 ERA is also ranked 30th.
Fortunately for Kay, he will not be on his ESPN New York radio show Friday afternoon, since he has another ballgame to call.
The Yanks begin another edition of the Subway Series on Friday at Citi Field with the Mets, who too are in a tough stretch of their own - they are 5-14 in their last 19 games.
Ben Shelton was serving for the match at the Wimbledon Championships on Thursday, but he had to wait until the next day to do so.
That's because his second-round bout against Rinky Hijikata was suspended due to darkness.
Shelton was leading, 6-2, 7-5, 5-4, when the match was called, and he clearly was not happy - play was suspended at 9:29 p.m. local time, and both players had made arguments to suspend play earlier in the match.
Shelton approached the umpire and had to be held back by another official to calm him down.
Well, Shelton and Hijikata returned to the court early Friday morning to finish the match - and it took one minute to do so, as Shelton advanced to the third round.
"It was difficult. At that point, we kind of knew that we were playing in conditions that weren't ideal for tennis. For me, it was like, ‘what’s one more game at that point?' Shelton said after the match. "I understand the tournament's gotta make whatever decisions they make, and the players gotta live with that. For me, I live with it. I came out today, and I did what I do.
"I hadn't gotten broken the whole match. I haven't gotten broken since my first set in my first round, and I felt confident coming out here having one service game to finish it."
Shelton said he was unsure of his plans for the day, debating whether he should practice, considering Friday was originally scheduled to be an off day for the 10th-ranked player in the world.
"It's different. I warmed up for 30 minutes, then spent one minute on the court. A lot more time was spent in the preparation than the actual match," he said.
Shelton will face Marton Focsovics of Hungary in the third round on Saturday. His best finish at Wimbledon was lasting to the fourth round last year - he has made the semifinals in both the Australian and U.S. Opens.
The Kansas City Royals need all they can get if they want to return to the postseason - thankfully, they have Bobby Witt Jr.
Witt Jr. is not putting up the same numbers he did last season that got him a second-place finish in the AL MVP vote (behind only Aaron Judge), but his athleticism and eye-popping ability is still there.
In the top of the seventh, tied at one against the Seattle Mariners, Vinnie Pasquantino was at the dish with Jonathan India on third and Witt Jr. on second.
Witt is one of the fastest people in the league, so a base hit in all likelihood was going to be a two-run lead. However, it did not come as easily as expected. Pasquantino found a hole past the right side of the infield which was playing in - which certainly helped the Royals in this case. And Witt Jr. was obviously on the move.
The throw, however, beat Witt Jr., but a tag was never made.
That's because Witt avoided it by sliding outside, and beyond the plate, then contorting his entire body to reach back out behind him with his right hand.
Lucas Erceg and Taylor Clarke got two outs each, and Carlos Estévez pitched 1 1/3 innings to get his 24th save. Estévez gave up a leadoff homer to Dominic Canzone in the ninth and had runners on second and third after a wild pitch with one out, but struck out Julio Rodríguez and got Raleigh to ground out to end the game.
Witt Jr. has now hit safely in his last 23 road games, breaking Hal McRae's 42-year-old Kansas City record.
Kansas City (41-47) is now 13.0 games back of the Detroit Tigers, who are coasting in the AL Central, for the division lead.
However, with Witt Jr. at short, there will always be a chance.
However, Chestnut will be joined by the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
In a press release sent to Fox News Digital, PETA said that "Tommy Tofu and his PETA pals will be right there at Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, distributing hundreds of tasty vegan hot dogs as they challenge hungry spectators to enjoy a free, flavorful Fourth that is also animal-friendly."
"Vegan hot dogs are delicious and kind, and who really wants to support slaughterhouses -- the word is enough -- by buying what comes out of them," PETA executive Tracy Reiman said to TMZ. "PETA encourages everyone to let freedom ring for all by leaving animals in peace this Fourth of July and beyond."
Chestnut has actually dealt with a protester during the competition before. About halfway through the 2022 event, protesters rushed the stage — at least one wearing a Darth Vader mask — while carrying signs that read "Expose Smithfield Deathstar." Smithfield is a major food processing company out of Smithfield, Virginia, specializing in pork products. Nathan’s Famous is an all-beef frank.
All with a cast on his leg from a ruptured tendon, Chestnut put a protester in a headlock and dropped him to the ground. He still managed to put down 63 dogs and win the event convincingly, although he claimed it cost him five wieners.
Chestnut is, obviously, the overwhelming favorite for Friday's event, as he has won 16 of the last 17 contests he has competed in, only losing to Matt Stonie in 2015. His record is 76 dogs and buns.
The Boston Red Sox are in Washington, D.C., for a three-game holiday weekend series against the Nationals, and they opted to be VIP tourists during their off day.
The Sox didn't have a game on Thursday, so several players took a trip to the White House to visit President Donald Trump.
Trevor Story, Justin Wilson, Abraham Toro, Romy Gonzalez, Connor Wong, Greg Weissert, Wilyer Abreu, Garrett Whitlock, Brennan Bernardino and Rob Refsnyder all shook hands with Trump in the Oval Office.
"The team toured the White House today as part of their family road trip to D.C.," a team spokesperson said, via MassLive.
Normally, a team visiting the White House to visit the president is saved for celebrating a championship, but apparently, an exception was made.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora has been critical of Trump in the past - so much so, to the point that he opted out of visiting the White House in 2019 to commemorate the team's World Series title from the year prior.
During an interview on "The Mayor's Office" podcast back in January, Cora admitted that he skipped out on meeting Trump because he wanted to prioritize his home country of Puerto Rico. When the Red Sox visited the White House in May 2019, Puerto Rico was still recovering from the destruction of Hurricane Maria in 2017, and Cora wasn't satisfied with the federal government's response.
"One of the things that — it's not that I regret, but I think I should've been more clear — it was a visit to the White House," Cora said. "I have nothing against the President at that moment. It was Donald Trump at that moment, President Trump, but I felt me celebrating something at that stage, while [Puerto Ricans] were still suffering, it was bad. I didn't feel comfortable doing it."
Cora says he would have felt "awkward" celebrating at the White House, given the state of his country at the time.
"We are part of the United States," he continued. "What they do for us is amazing — the funding, all of that — but there was still work to do. And I felt very awkward, like, 'let's celebrate this at the White House' right while a lot of people suffered here. People took it like politics. No. My thing is sports and my family, right?"
Mookie Betts also opted to skip that year's visit, but he did attend the celebration earlier this year for the reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Sox-Nats series begins at 11:05 a.m. on Friday.
Jake Paul took a second win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. this week.
Paul earned an official WBA cruiserweight ranking after defeating the boxing legend's son over the weekend in a unanimous decision - on Wednesday. Just four days after the bout, Chavez Jr. was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Paul, as usual, talked plenty of trash ahead of the fight, and after the news of the arrest circulated, Paul dropped the mic one final time on Chavez Jr.
After the news went around, Paul took to X to post an American flag emoji.
Paul's business partner, Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian, said in an interview with Fox News Digital shortly after Chavez Jr.'s arrest that the team knew "zero" about Chavez Jr.'s situation prior to his arrest.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the arrest on Thursday, noting Chavez Jr. was being processed for "expedited removal from the United States."
Chavez Jr. was arrested in Los Angeles in January 2024 and later convicted of possession of an assault weapon, and manufacturing or importing a short-barreled rifle, according to the statement. He had a prior U.S. criminal conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol in 2012.
He also has an active arrest warrant in Mexico for his alleged involvement with the Sinaloa Cartel — trafficking firearms, ammunition and explosives, according to DHS officials.
While Chavez Jr. entered the U.S. legally in August 2023 on a B2 tourist visa, it expired in February 2024.
In April 2024, he filed an application for Lawful Permanent Resident status.
However, his application was based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen who is connected to the Sinaloa cartel through a prior relationship withthe now-deceased son of the infamous cartel leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, according to the statement.
In December 2024, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services made a referral to ICE that Chavez Jr. was considered "an egregious public safety threat."
DHS said Chavez Jr. reentered the country in January through the San Ysidro port of entry. However, after "multiple fraudulent statements on his application to become a Lawful Permanent Resident," he was deemed to be in the country illegally and removable on June 27.
Chavez is a former WBC middleweight champion and the son of the boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez, who held five different world titles in four different weight classes.
Paul's win on Saturday resulted in him being ranked for the first time, coming in at No. 14 in the WBA cruiserweight rankings, now making him eligible for a title bout.
Scott Thompson and Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.
The 2025 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest will feature the legendary competitive eater Joey Chestnut back on the Coney Island boardwalk after missing the 2024 competition.
As a result, many believe he will reclaim his belt.
Chestnut’s partnership with Impossible Foods caused an issue last year, and it ended up keeping him out of the competition. This year, though, Chestnut announced that he and the organizers had found common ground on sponsorships.
"I’m thrilled to be returning to the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest. This event means the world to me. It’s a cherished tradition, a celebration of American culture, and a huge part of my life," Chestnut wrote on X.
"While I have and continue to partner with a variety of companies, including some in the plant-based space, those relationships were never a conflict with my love for hot dogs. To be clear: Nathan’s is the only hot dog company I’ve ever worked with.
"I respect that there were differences in interpretation, but I’m grateful we’ve been able to find common ground. I’m excited to be back on the Coney Island stage, doing what I live to do, and celebrating the Fourth of July with hot dogs in my hands! Stay hungry!"
Chestnut is hungry to be a champion again, and sportsbooks don’t have anyone remotely close to beating him.
Last year’s winner, Patrick Bertoletti, who ate 58 hot dogs in 10 minutes, has big odds to defeat Chestnut and the rest of the field.
If he does win, Chestnut would extend his record for the famous contest to 17 yellow belts.
Although he didn’t participate in last year’s competition, Chestnut did go up against another legendary competitive eater, Takeru Kobayashi, in a Netflix special event called "Unfinished Beef." He ate 83 hot dogs, which marked the most eaten in the history of competitive eating without being dunked in water.
On the women’s side, Miki Sudo, who has won three times in a row now, is expected to get her 11th pink belt in Coney Island for her career. Her biggest competition will be Domenica Dee and Michelle Lesco, the latter of whom snapped Sudo’s win streak in 2021.
For those unaware of Nathan’s rules, the time limit is just 10 minutes in both the men’s and women’s contests.
The contestant who not only consumes, but also keeps down, the most hot dogs and buns within the 10-minute limit is determined the winner.
In the rare event a tie occurs, the contest will go to an untimed "eat-off," where the first contestant to put down a specific number of hot dogs, with the buns, wins.
The last time there was an eat-off was 2008, where Chestnut won by eating five hot dogs and buns in 50 seconds.
The women’s contest will occur first at 10:45 a.m. ET before the men take the stage at noon on July 4.
President Donald Trump announced a UFC fight will take place at the White House next year to celebrate America’s upcoming 250th birthday.
"Every one of our national parks, battlefields and historic sites are going to have special events in honor of ‘America250’ and I even think we’re going to have a UFC fight," Trump said in a speech at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on Thursday in an address on the eve of the 4th of July.
"Does anybody watch UFC? The great Dana White? We’re going to have a UFC fight. We’re going to have a UFC fight — think of this — on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land there.
"We’re going to build a little — we’re not, Dana is going to do it. Dana is great, one of a kind — going to be UFC fight, championship fight, full fight, like 20,000 to 25,000 people, and we’re going to do that as part of ‘250’ also."
The match would appear to take place on the White House lawn, though no formal permits or logistical details have been confirmed.
The National Park Service, which manages the White House grounds, has not publicly commented. UFC has not released a statement confirming or denying the plan.
Trump, who is a known close friend of UFC CEO Dana White, attended a UFC fight Newark in June.
A thunderous roar befell the sold-out crowd at "The Rock" when Trump walked into the building with White ahead of a UFC 316 stacked main card on June 7.
Trump did his signature dance as he walked along the arena floor, greeting UFC fans as he made his way to his seat ringside.
This was a similar welcome he got at the Kaseya Center in Miami at UFC 314, where he had a large entourage with him, including his granddaughter Kai Trump and FBI Director Kash Patel, among others.
Former NBA guard Ben McLemore was found guilty of rape by an Oregon jury Thursday.
The jury in Clackamas County found McLemore, the 32-year-old ex-Portland Trail Blazers player, guilty of raping a woman in 2021 after an 11-day trial.
McLemore, who pleaded not guilty to all counts, was found guilty on one charge of first-degree rape, one charge of first-degree unlawful sexual penetration and one count of second-degree sexual abuse.
The jury also found him not guilty on an additional count of second-degree sexual abuse.
"We recognize there are those who fear individuals with celebrity status or a position of prominence can avoid prosecution. Not in Clackamas County," Clackamas County District Attorney John Wentworth said in a statement, according to ESPN.
"This case demonstrates my office prosecutes criminal acts regardless of the offender's community status."
The incident occurred in Lake Oswego, Oregon, in October 2021, when McLemore was identified as a suspect by authorities after the woman’s complaint.
In February 2024, a Clackamas County grand jury listened to evidence in the case, which included the woman’s testimony saying McLemore assaulted her. McLemore was arrested two months later by U.S. Marshals.
During the trial, Scott Healy, a Clackamas County prosecutor, told the jury the woman passed out on a living room couch around 2 a.m. after drinking heavily. She regained partial consciousness the next morning, when McLemore sexually penetrated her with his fingers and then proceeded to have sex with her.
McLemore’s team of attorneys disputed the claims, saying she initiated sexual contact and consented to it. The lawyers also claimed the woman was sober enough to consent to sexual contact.
McLemore, a Kansas product, played nine seasons in the NBA, five with the Sacramento Kings, who took him seventh overall in the 2013 NBA Draft.
He bounced around the league toward the end, playing for the Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and, finally, the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2021-22 season.
Cleveland Guardians starter Luis Ortiz was placed on non-disciplinary paid leave hours before he was scheduled to take the mound against the Chicago Cubs Thursday, MLB announced.
While MLB didn’t disclose the nature of its investigation, ESPN reported it was related to gambling.
Two pitches thrown by Ortiz during a start are being scrutinized.
In June, betting integrity firm IC360 relayed the two pitches to sportsbooks, according to ESPN, and the first was on June 15 against the Seattle Mariners.
The firm flagged unusual betting action on the first pitch thrown by Ortiz in the bottom of the second inning to be a ball or hit batsman. Ortiz spiked a slider into the ground far away from the strike zone.
Then, on June 27, more unusual betting action came in on a pitch from Ortiz in the top of the third inning against the St. Louis Cardinals. Once again, the bets were on a ball or a hit batsman, and Ortiz proceeded to spike another pitch the catcher couldn’t handle.
While instances like this happen to even the best of pitchers, the league is looking into the situation.
The bets came in from Ohio, New York and New Jersey, according to ESPN.
The non-disciplinary leave for Ortiz is scheduled to run through the MLB All-Star break, with games resuming for the second half July 18.
The Guardians released a statement on the matter after MLB’s announcement.
"The Guardians have been notified by Major League Baseball that Luis Ortiz has been placed on leave per an agreement with the Players Association due to an ongoing league investigation.
"The Guardians are not permitted to comment further at this time and will respect the league's confidential investigative process."
Ortiz has pitched 16 times for the Guardians this season, recording a 4.36 ERA and 96 strikeouts.
The Supreme Court agreed to hear two cases involving transgender athletes in women's and girls sports Thursday and will make decisions on state laws that prevent biological males from competing on girls and women's sports teams.
The two cases, Little v. Hecox and State of West Virginia v. B.P.J., have been brought by former NCAA women athletes who have witnessed the fallout from biological males in women's sports.
Former Idaho State University cross-country and track runner Madison Kenyon got involved in Little v. Hecox after having to compete against a trans athlete her freshman year in 2019.
"My coach sat us down in the room and told us that we would be competing against a male athlete at a specific meet and just let us know. And I remember sitting there and kind of like, looking around the room being like, 'Well, what do my teammates think about this? What do we do?’" Kenyon told Fox News Digital.
"So, for us, it was not a matter of whether I'm going to compete or not. I'm going to put everything out there that I have and see what happens. And sure enough, this male athlete beat me, beat all my teammates and that continued to happen the entire season. So, that's when I said, 'This isn’t fair.'"
The Little v. Hecox lawsuit was initially filed by Lindsay Hecox, a trans athlete at Boise State University who wanted to join the women's cross-country team. Hecox was joined by an anonymous cisgender female student, Jane Doe, who was concerned about the potential of being subjected to the sex dispute verification process.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho granted a preliminary injunction, blocking the law from being enforced because it found the plaintiffs were likely to succeed in proving the law unconstitutional. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the injunction, but now the Supreme Court will have an opportunity to intervene.
Former Stetson University women's soccer player Lainey Armistead, who is involved in the State of West Virginia v. B.P.J., felt compelled to join a legal battle over the issue after being informed about it and a way to contribute to a lawsuit in the Mountain State.
"I heard about the girls and women whose scholarships and opportunities and places on the podium were being taken from them, and I also heard that West Virginia decided to do something about that. And they created the Save Women's Sports Law, and I knew that I wanted to defend that, because, not only for myself, but also forward looking for future girls,"
The West Virginia v. B.P.J. lawsuit was brought against the state of West Virginia by a trans athlete, referred to as B.P.J., who was initially granted a preliminary injunction allowing the athlete to participate on the school's sports teams. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the law violated Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause. Now the Supreme Court has agreed to hear the state's appeal.
Arimstead and Kenyon joined their respective lawsuits at a time when national momentum wasn't necessarily trending toward their cause as it does in 2025. But now their efforts have resulted in a chance to influence history on the issue with a pending Supreme Court decision.
The Supreme Court's decision in the cases could cast a sweeping precedent whether states have the right to ban trans athletes in women's sports. However, an attorney representing Armistead and Kenyon, John Bursch of Alliance of Defending Freedom, suggested the firm won't lean on the argument that trans athlete laws should be a states' rights issue.
He would argue the bigger picture issue.
"I don't think we need to do that," Bursch said of making the states' rights argument. "It's clearly the right result under Title IX, under the equal protection clause and under common sense, that men and women are different.
So far, 27 states in the U.S. already have laws in place to keep trans athletes out of girls sports, and President Donald Trump signed an executive order in February to apply the same mandate nationally. Bursch believes a Supreme Court decision could ensure his side of the debate maintains momentum.
"I think that this trend will continue to grow, and assuming the Supreme Court rules in favor of the states here, you'll see more states adopting these types of protections to keep women safe and level the playing field."
No hearing dates have been set for the case, but Bursch expects the first hearing at some point in January.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta released a legal opinion Thursday that indicates daily online fantasy sports platforms in the state are now illegal.
Bonta's 33-page opinion states that fantasy sports platforms are illegal because they involve betting on sports. The seemingly only applies to daily fantasy sports, but not season-long fantasy sports leagues.
"Like traditional sports wagering, daily fantasy sports games enable participants to win or lose money based on the outcome of sporting events played by third-party athletes," the opinion says.
"Just because the operator is not betting against the players does not mean that the players are not betting against each other."
Sports gambling has been illegal in California, but fantasy sports has been a legal gray area. But online fantasy sports platforms have operated in the state for more than a dozen years, and the product has generated billions of dollars in that time.
In a 2022 state election, voters overwhelmingly rejected a measure to legalize online sports betting. Then in 2023, California GOP state lawmaker Scott Wilk sent a letter to the state's Department of Justice, requesting a legal opinion on daily fantasy sports.
Now, that opinion has been released, and it could bring about disruption to the state's fantasy sports industry.
Famed Mexican boxer and criminal illegal immigrant Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Wednesday, just four days after fighting Jake Paul at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the arrest on Thursday, noting Chavez was being processed for "expedited removal from the United States."
Chavez was arrested in Los Angeles in January 2024 and later convicted of possession of an assault weapon, and manufacturing or importing a short-barreled rifle, according to the statement. He had a prior U.S. criminal conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol in 2012.
He also has an active arrest warrant in Mexico for his alleged involvement with the Sinaloa Cartel—trafficking firearms, ammunition and explosives, according to DHS officials.
While Chavez entered the U.S. legally in August 2023 on a B2 tourist visa, it expired in February 2024.
In April 2024, he filed an application for Lawful Permanent Resident status.
However, his application was based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen, who is connected to the Sinaloa Cartel through a prior relationship withthe now-deceased son of the infamous cartel leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, according to the statement.
In December 2024, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services made a referral to ICE that Chavez was considered "an egregious public safety threat."
"However, an entry in a DHS law enforcement system under the Biden administration indicated Chavez was not an immigration enforcement priority," DHS wrote.
DHS said Chavez reentered the country in January through the San Ysidro port of entry. But, after "multiple fraudulent statements on his application to become a Lawful Permanent Resident," he was deemed to be in the country illegally and removable on June 27.
"It is shocking the previous administration flagged this criminal illegal alien as a public safety threat, but chose to not prioritize his removal and let him leave and COME BACK into our country," Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin wrote in a statement. "Under President Trump, no one is above the law—including world-famous athletes."
"Our message to any cartel affiliates in the U.S. is clear: We will find you and you will face consequences," McLaughlin added."The days of unchecked cartel violence are over."
Chavez's fight against Paul ended in defeat, with judges giving the Youtuber-turned-boxer a unanimous victory after 10 rounds.
Chavez was a former WBC middleweight champion and the son of the boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez, who held five different world titles in four different weight classes. Paul's win on Saturday resulted in him getting ranked for the first time, coming in at No. 14 in the WBA cruiserweight rankings.
Los Angeles Dodgers legend Clayton Kershaw reached rarefied air on Wednesday night, becoming the 20th player ever to reach 3,000 strikeouts for his career.
It was a suspenseful night at a sold-out Dodger Stadium considering Kershaw had just two strikeouts against the Chicago White Sox when he entered the sixth inning. He had 2,999 strikeouts, and had already gotten two outs in the frame with his pitch count reaching triple digits.
But, on that 100th pitch, Kershaw got Vinny Capra to strike out and the crowd went ballistic.
Kershaw was able to savor the moment, as play stopped with a full standing ovation from both dugouts and the crowd to celebrate the occasion.
"It’s a little bit harder when you’re trying to strike people out," Kershaw said after the 5-4 victory by Los Angeles, per ESPN. "I never really had to do that before."
The victory was also a come-from-behind effort, with Freddie Freeman delivering a walk-off single in the ninth inning when the Dodgers needed three runs to win.
After the game, Kershaw was seen with a champagne flute in the clubhouse, where ESPN reported he told everyone that his accomplishment wouldn’t mean anything without them celebrating with him.
In the hallowed 20-man group, Kershaw is only the fourth left-hander to have reached 3,000 strikeouts. He joins Randy Johnson, Steve Carlton and CC Sabathia on that list.
Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander are the only active pitchers with Kershaw to have accomplished the feat.
Manager Dave Roberts made it a point to let Kershaw go as long as he could to make sure he accomplished his goal at home.
"I was going to give him every opportunity to do it at home," Roberts said.
It took him awhile – Kershaw said he "would’ve rather just gotten it done in the first" – but the satisfaction was clear on Kershaw’s face after Capra was set down on strikes.
Two years ago, Justin Thomas found himself struggling the most he ever had in his career.
He was just a few months removed from his second major victory – a PGA Championship title at Southern Hills. But in the 2023 season, he didn't even make the FedEx Cup Playoffs, cracking just four Top 10s in 21 events.
He missed the cut in all but one major that year – the one he didn't miss, the PGA Championship, he finished T65.
He has since bounced back, finishing in 14th in the standings last year, and he enters this weekend in fifth, behind only Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Sepp Straka and Russell Henley.
Majors have still been a struggle. Ever since winning the PGA Championship, he has missed seven of 13 cuts, and his other finishes have been T37, T53, T65, T8, T31, and T36.
But Thomas took home the RBC Heritage in April, then followed up with a T2 finish at the Truist. He has five other top-10s to his season.
"I think there are a lot of different ways you can kind of go about it, especially if you're fortunate to have a long career in any sport. In golf, you have plenty of ups and downs, and it's kind of how you use them, right?" Thomas told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.
"How you grow on the good years and how you also grow on the bad years and how you can learn from them. So, I feel like I try to use the good and the bad from all my years on Tour and obviously have more than of them than others in particular seasons. But yeah, I feel like I am working on the right stuff, and I like how the season's gone. I wish I would’ve played a little better in some of the majors earlier in the season, but you know have a big stretch here to capitalize on some big events."
Thomas, who founded his own WearSPF sunscreen, plans on being outside quite often for the remainder of the summer – even including the fall for some Ryder Cup action at Bethpage Black on Long Island. So, it seemed like a perfect time to collaborate on GarageBeer, owned by Travis and Jason Kelce (who just introduced BeerBed, which is exactly what it sounds like), to come out with a new sunscreen.
"It’s such a unique opportunity, and I felt like being able to partner with them, being outdoors, spending my life on the golf course, we obviously have plenty of opportunities as well of being outdoors. Whether it is just hanging out or whatnot during off-weeks and having that opportunity, it's good to collaborate with brands and guys like them who I admire and respect them and every kind of persona and image they have. So, it's cool it was a great and easy opportunity for them and me to get to learn more about."
Thomas currently holds an automatic bid for the Ryder Cup – two years ago, he was on the outside looking in, but was selected by then-captain Zach Johnson. Before that, he also has one more major overseas and a shot at the $25 million FedEx Cup prize.
Sunscreened out, Thomas is fine-tuning the little things to get back to the top of his game.
"I'm doing a lot of things really well. It's not like I need to reinvent the wheel by any means, but I just feel like for me, if I could just drive the ball a little better, keep those bad days a little bit sharper and not let them get away from me, because I have a lot of belief and know that I can go low any given day. But it is just about keeping myself there and in contention. So just sharpening up a couple things here and there and try to have some fun."
Fox News' Connor McGahan contributed to this report.
The latest episode of Travis and Jason Kelce’s "New Heights" podcast featured legendary actor Brad Pitt, who not only stars in the new "F1" movie but is also a die-hard Kansas City Chiefs fan.
Well, that Chiefs fandom was on full display at the moment he had to tell the guys about as it involved another die-hard football fan, Bradley Cooper, who reps Jason’s Philadelphia Eagles.
During his time on the podcast, he started to tell a story about how he was presenting the Outstanding Performer of the Year award to Cooper for his film ‘Maestro’ at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
Pitt couldn’t help but take a dig at Cooper at the moment about his Eagles fandom in February 2024.
"I’m friends with Bradley Cooper. He’s your prime Eagles fan," Pitt began his anecdote. "I’m not saying that I have the power to affect a game in any way. I don’t adhere to that kind of hubris, but I did say last year after the Eagles went out [of the playoffs], Chiefs were on their way to another [Super Bowl] victory, and he was getting the award for ‘Maestro’ – still probably one of the best movies of this decade. I was giving him this award. He's been nominated like 18 times for Oscars…It was at the Santa Barbara Film Award, and I closed with, ‘Listen, he’s been nominated [for the] 1900th time. If he doesn’t get it, it’s OK, he’s used to it. He’s a Philadelphia Eagles fan.’"
Cooper’s reaction after Pitt said that went viral, as video caught him saying off-screen, "Man, that’s f---ed up."
But after beating the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX this year, Cooper has bragging rights over Pitt now.
"We didn’t talk for two months. He gracefully let me hurt in my psyche," Pitt said when the Kelce brothers asked what happened following the 40-22 victory in New Orleans, where Cooper presented the NFC-champion Eagles coming out of the tunnel before the game.
Pitt, who was born in Oklahoma but grew up in Springfield, Missouri, discussed his Chiefs fandom a bit with the Kelce brothers, saying this last decade has been amazing for obvious reasons with his favorite team.
"You feel this sense of pride instead of life’s always out against us," Pitt said. "So, it’s kind of extraordinary the way we live through our teams, you guys and what it means to us."
He also made sure to tell Travis to wear oven mitts until the season starts, to keep his hands warm for what he and the rest of Chiefs Kingdom hope is another run to the Super Bowl, this time for some redemption.
International Boxing Association (IBA) President Umar Kremlev is demanding that Algerian boxer Imane Khelif’s Olympic gold medal be stripped in an effort to achieve "transparency and openness."
Khelif won a gold medal in women’s boxing at the 2024 Paris Olympics under heavy scrutiny from the IBA, which was derecognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2023 amid concerns about the organization's governance, financial reliance on Russian state energy firm Gazprom and the integrity of the bouts.
Khelif was previously disqualified from the IBA for failing a gender eligibility test. Kremlev claimed at the time that unpublished DNA test results showed Khelif had XY chromosomes.
The IOC defended the results of the Paris Games, stating that Khelif and another boxer that faced gender eligibility concerns were the victims of a "sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA." Khelif has also publicly denied being transgender.
In February, World Boxing was provisionally recognized by the IOC as the sport's governing body – a move that gave way to the organization later announcing a new gender eligibility policy that requires athletes to undergo mandatory sex testing.
The policy change comes as the United States prepares to host the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. However, for Kremlev, the possibility of Khelif missing international competition is not enough. In an interview with The Sun, he called for the boxer’s gold medal to be revoked.
"I truly believe that a medal should be truly deserved. We must protect athletes and give them the best conditions," he said. "I am here for truth, transparency and openness. And now the truth has been revealed.
"There should be no unfair fights in boxing and the international federations should take care of their athletes."
Khelif did not compete in an international boxing tournament in the Netherlands last month after failing to register in time before the applications closed.
Kremlev’s comments follow a bold statement from new IOC President Kirsty Coventry, who said last month that there has been "overwhelming support" to protect women’s sports categories.
"We understand that there'll be differences depending on the sport … but it was very clear from the members that we have to protect the female category, first and foremost to ensure fairness," Coventry said.
"But we need to do that with a scientific approach and the inclusion of the international federations who have already done a lot of work in this area."
Fox News Digital’s Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.
