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Without question and rightfully so, the Oklahoma City Thunder are heavy favorites to repeat as NBA champions in 2025-26. They return all their key players, including regular-season and Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

However, there hasn’t been a repeat NBA champion since Golden State in 2017 and 2018, and a team hasn’t even played in back-to-back Finals since the Warriors in 2018 and 2019.

The NBA has never been more wide open.

Several teams in the West will push the Thunder. On paper, the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets all improved in the offseason.

And the East is for the taking. Consider that 2025 finalist Indiana is without Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles); 2024 champion Boston is without Jayson Tatum (Achilles), Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis (both traded); and 2023 finalist Miami is far from contention.

Which teams made offseason moves that elevated themselves to contender status for the 2025-26 NBA season?

Houston Rockets

This is as obvious a team as you’ll find on this list. The Rockets added Kevin Durant, 3-and-D wing Dorian Finney-Smith, guard Josh Okogie and center Clint Capela, while re-signing center Steven Adams — who thrived in Houston’s double-big lineup — and key contributors Fred VanVleet and Jabari Smith Jr. (rookie extension). All the while, Houston didn’t lose much. With their size, length and athleticism at the wing, and with their ferocious defensive identity, the Rockets are built to stop a team like the Thunder. Now, with Durant’s scoring, they have the offense to match, too.

Denver Nuggets

Since winning the title in 2023, the Nuggets failed to advance past the second round in 2024 and 2025, and the team is intent on trying to win another title while center Nikola Jokic is playing at an MVP level. With a new coach (David Adelman) and new front-office leadership (Ben Tenzer and Jonathan Wallace), the Nuggets made the moves that can put them back in the Finals (they lost in seven games to Oklahoma City in 2025). Denver traded for Cam Johnson in a deal that sent Michael Porter Jr. to Brooklyn, brought back Bruce Brown, signed Tim Hardaway Jr., and acquired Jonas Valanciunas, giving the Nuggets depth and versatility to better compete with the Thunder and other top teams in the West.

New York Knicks

They were already a conference finals team, and — while they didn’t necessarily add that much — their roster continuity should go a long way, particularly in a wide-open Eastern Conference. Getting veteran bench scorer Jordan Clarkson on the cheap should ease the scoring burden and help the team put up points during the non-Jalen Brunson minutes. But, more than anything, new coach Mike Brown should have no reservations about relying on Clarkson and New York’s bench, something Tom Thibodeau was hesitant to do.

Los Angeles Clippers

‘Thirtysomething’ was a popular TV drama in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It’s also how Clippers front-office executives Lawrence Frank and Trent Redden believe the team can contend for a title – with thirtysomethings James Harden, 35; Kawhi Leonard, 34; Nic Batum, 36; Bradley Beal, 32; Kris Dunn 31; and Brook Lopez, 37, plus one fortysomething in Chris Paul. They also have John Collins, Ivica Zubac, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Derrick Jones Jr. The Clippers are fast approaching a rebuild with the contracts of Leonard and Harden expiring after the 2026-27 season and trying to maximize these two seasons.

Detroit Pistons

The Pistons minimized the losses of Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dennis Schroder in the offseason by acquiring Duncan Robinson, signing Caris LeVert, re-signing Paul Reed and getting Jaden Ivey back in the rotation after an injury sidelined him for 52 games last season. The growth of Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Ron Holland II, Ausar Thompson and veterans such as Tobias Harris could make the Pistons the breakout team in a wide-open East. The Pistons made a giant leap from 14 victories in 2023-24 to 44 victories in 2024-25 and should be moving into the 50-win territory in 2025-26.

Orlando Magic

Again, in a wide-open East, the Magic might have done just enough to elevate into a contender. The big move was to find another shooter and scorer in Desmond Bane, who averaged 19.2 points per game for Memphis last season. Orlando’s identity has been on defense, and Bane instantly takes the pressure off of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Getting Tyus Jones was another solid move, one that shores up the backup point guard slot. And No. 25 overall selection Jase Richardson could also provide a little scoring bump off the bench.

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The Indiana Fever are again collaborating with the Netflix series ‘Stranger Things’ to bring alternate uniforms, which they will wear Thursday, July 24, in their game against the Las Vegas Aces.

The team first wore the jersey with the ‘Stranger Things’ font on the front in 2021.

‘Stranger Things’ – which is set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana – will stream its final season on Netflix in three parts starting on Nov. 26. The jersey will also feature Demogorgon claw accents, and ‘011’ on the waistband, referencing the character, Eleven, portrayed by actress Millie Bobby Brown.

The team also plans on wearing the jersey in home games on July 30 vs. the Phoenix Mercury, Aug. 9 vs. the Chicago Sky, Aug. 12 vs. the Dallas Wings, Aug. 26 vs. the Seattle Storm, and Sept. 9 against the Minnesota Lynx.

The only road game where the jersey is scheduled to be worn is against the Sparks in Los Angeles on Aug. 29.

The Fever are 12-12 and in seventh place in the WNBA standings after Tuesday night’s loss to the New York Liberty. Indiana is still without star Caitlin Clark as she is nursing a groin injury.

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Historically speaking, the Cleveland Browns don’t win all that much. But, man, can they dominate a news cycle.

The latest example occurred Wednesday, when the team revealed a new, mostly brown alternate helmet for the 2025 season, one that will be worn in combination with the club’s brown jerseys and pants. Not only that, the Browns got their new so-called “Alpha Dawg” helmet sponsored by … DUDE Wipes − the company even providing a statement and, um, ‘stunt’ in conjunction with the announcement.

‘As the kings of keeping things clean, we’re here to back the Browns as they embrace a bold new look this season − with the launch of their all-brown alternate helmets,’ said Ryan Meegan, co-founder and CMO of DUDE Wipes.

‘We’re pumped to team up with the Browns for one of the most iconic helmet reveals the league has ever seen.’

Alright, pal. It’s a helmet. And an(other) ugly one, devoid of the creativity which would likely be quite welcomed in an alternate uniform. And based on online fan reaction, seems like most of them think the “Alpha Dawg” looks like, well, you know.

There’s more.

Per the Browns, “as the presenting sponsor of ‘Alpha Dawg,’ DUDE WIPES initiated a one-of-its-kind stunt on Lake Erie with a covered object on a 20-foot barge 100 yards offshore from Huntington Bank Field (Tuesday). Following the announcement of the alternate helmets today, the object was unveiled to be a large inflatable DUDE WIPES x Browns brown helmet to help bolster excitement for fans.”

Have a look …

(This Lake Erie mishap occurred seven years after former coach Hue Jackson took a plunge into its waters to fulfill a promise after the team’s 0-16 2017 season.)

As you might imagine – and you don’t need an active imagination – the internet has taken it from there, and one can probably guess which direction the digital conversation has taken. As for the fan “excitement?” Harder to find.

But you’ve got to hand it to the Browns. Has any team coming off a 3-14 season ever generated this many headlines in an offseason? (And, for the record, these are also the same self-proclaimed alpha dawgs who have played more seasons – 56 – than any team, save the Detroit Lions, without reaching a Super Bowl.)

First, their best guy, 2023 Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, kicked off the week leading up to Super Bowl 59 by requesting a trade after eight ringless years. Garrett even composed something of a goodbye letter, writing: ‘As a kid dreaming of the NFL, all I focused on was the ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl – and that goal fuels me today more than ever.

‘My love for the community of Northeast Ohio and the incredible fanbase of the Cleveland Browns has made this one of the toughest decisions of my life. These past eight years have shaped me into the man that I am today. … While I’ve loved calling this city my home, my desire to win and compete on the biggest stages won’t allow me to be complacent. The goal was never to go from Cleveland to Canton, it has always been to compete for and win a Super Bowl.

‘With that in mind, I have requested to be traded from the Cleveland Browns.’

Six weeks later, Garrett signed a $40-million-a-year contract extension, the club’s mud money evidently slaking his thirst for a Lombardi Trophy. Don’t be surprised if it’s a decision both parties regret in time.

A few weeks later, owner Jimmy Haslam copped to the mistake that set the organization on fire, a la the Cuyahoga River … as if the rest of the world couldn’t see the folly of the 2022 trade for dirtbag quarterback Deshaun Watson, whom Haslam doubled down on with a fully guaranteed, five-year, $230 million contract. (Incidentally, that deal provided the kindling that helped set the NFLPA, formerly led by Browns center JC Tretter, ablaze itself last week.)

‘We took a big swing and miss with Deshaun,’ Haslam said at the league’s spring meeting in late March.

‘We thought we had the quarterback, we didn’t and we gave up a lot of draft picks to get him. So we’ve got to dig ourselves out of that hole. (It) was an entire organization decision and it ends with Dee and I, so hold us accountable.’

Give him credit for the mea culpa, and there are certainly plenty of owners in the league who wouldn’t have offered one. It came three years after Haslam and his wife were supportive of Watson, who also cost the Browns three first-round draft picks, despite his rampantly lurid behavior at Houston-area massage parlors that led to two dozen lawsuits and an 11-game suspension from the NFL, which also mandated that Watson undergo evaluation and counseling. His acquisition caused many supporters to turn in their fan cards and also necessitated the trade of incumbent quarterback Baker Mayfield, a Pro Bowler the past two seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Then came the draft. Oh, the draft.

After GM Andrew Berry had sent unmistakable signals – perhaps smoke signals – in the days leading up to it that he’d likely draft dual threat Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter with the No. 2 overall pick, once he got on the clock, he instead traded it to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Some Browns fans were as aghast at the decision as they were upon seeing those Alpha Dawg helmets. Others applauded Berry for picking up a Round 2 choice plus a first-rounder in 2026 while only having to move down from No. 2 to No. 5 this year. The jury will get a few years to render its verdict, but the deliberations will continue in the interim.

Yet even that blockbuster was mere prelude to Cleveland’s involvement in the 2025 draft’s overarching plotline: the free fall of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders … which ended when the Browns took him in the fifth round with the 144th overall selection. Neither Berry nor head coach Kevin Stefanski looked thrilled by the Sanders pick once it was made based on their on-camera reactions provided by draft telecasts. Berry claimed Day 3 fatigue was to blame, while Stefanski said that the video didn’t truly align with the selection in real time. Still, they seemed far more exuberant in the moment about the quarterback they took 50 spots earlier, Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel.

(A word about Stefanski and Berry. The former is a two-time Coach of the Year. The latter has constructed two playoff teams – in Cleveland no less – despite being stripped of all those first-rounders by the Watson deal, a transaction both he and Stefanski seemed to endure through gritted teeth as it was being hailed by Haslam in 2022. Makes you wonder if taking Sanders was their idea.)

Whew.

Since then, it’s been pretty quiet. (Not really.)

Stefanski announced he’d be conducting a competition between former Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco, veteran Kenny Pickett, Gabriel and Sanders to find his starting quarterback for 2025 – a four-way battle at pro sports’ most important position that, cough, typically happens with most NFL teams in a given year.

Sanders was ticketed twice for excessive speeding in Ohio. Fellow rookie Quinshon Judkins was arrested on a misdemeanor domestic violence and battery charge, and the team is now waiting to sign him.

Hall of Famer Charles Woodson joined the Browns’ ownership group as a limited partner. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed a budget infusing Haslam’s plan for a new suburban stadium with $600 million. Just last week, the Browns even helped high school flag football for girls become sanctioned as a sport in Ohio – and, hey, give them deserved credit where it’s due, like in this instance.

But not Wednesday, when … brown crowns.

If you believe the cliché that there’s no such thing as bad publicity, then the Browns are a burgeoning buzz dynasty. Yet despite all the attention they’ve generated in recent months, they’re likely headed for another last-place finish that will (again) leave them well short of the Super Bowl and quite possibly looking for yet another quarterback in 2026.

In time, maybe Stefanski and Berry can elevate the on-field product to a level on par with the team’s PR acumen. It’s just going to take perseverance and a little luck.

But until then? (DUDE) wipe, rinse and repeat.

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Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, are asking Attorney General Pam Bondi to appoint a special counsel to investigate newly declassified information about the Obama administration’s intelligence assessments about Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Graham and Cornyn’s call for a special counsel, which Fox News Digital learned they are announcing Thursday morning, comes the day after the Department of Justice (DOJ) created a ‘strike force’ to investigate the evidence, which was declassified by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard this month.

Graham and Cornyn, both senior members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, did not address the strike force but indicated in a statement that special counsels, who are outside officials brought in to oversee politically sensitive cases, operate independently of the attorney general.

Fox News reached out to the DOJ for comment on the special counsel request.

‘As we have supported in the past, appointing an independent special counsel would do the country a tremendous service in this case,’ Graham and Cornyn said.

Gabbard’s declassified intelligence shed new light on the Obama administration’s determination that Russia sought to help President Donald Trump in the 2016 election. Gabbard alleged Wednesday during a press briefing that Obama and his intelligence officials promoted a ‘contrived narrative that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help President Trump win, selling it to the American people as though it were true. It wasn’t.’

Graham, who previously served as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led the Senate’s inquiry into the FBI’s investigation into alleged Trump-Russia collusion and released a tranche of documents in 2020 suggesting the bureau had a flimsy basis for opening its investigation into Trump.

‘With every piece of information that gets released, it becomes more evident that the entire Russia collusion hoax was created by the Obama administration to subvert the will of the American people,’ Graham and Cornyn said.

Their remarks follow Trump accusing former President Barack Obama of ‘treason’ this week and after the DOJ opened criminal investigations into former CIA Director John Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey. 

Critics say Gabbard’s claims have been contradicted by past congressional reviews, some of which were led by Republicans. Obama, meanwhile, issued a statement in response to the wave of headlines suggesting he attempted to hurt Trump’s election chances.

‘Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response,’ Obama spokesperson Patrick Rodenbush said. ‘But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one. These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction.’

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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Passing President Donald Trump’s agenda was a team effort between the Senate and House, but one Senate Republican was key in smoothing over differences between the two chambers.

‘There’s an inherent mistrust between senators and representatives,’ Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., told Fox News Digital in an interview. ‘There’s a deep, deep mistrust, and it’s like we’re playing shirts and skins with our own team.’

‘And trying to break down that barrier and let people know, ‘Hey, we’re all on the same team,’ is a little tougher than what people think,’ he continued.

House Republicans were dead set on crafting one, colossal package, while Senate Republicans preferred splitting the bill into two — even three — pieces. Then there were disagreements over the depth of spending cuts, changes to Medicaid and carveouts to boost the cap on the State and Local Tax Deduction (SALT).

And while the House GOP worked to craft their version of the massive, $3.3 trillion tax cuts and spending package that eventually made its way to the Senate, Mullin was a crucial figure in bridging the roughly 100-yard gap between both sides of the Capitol.

But it’s a job he never really wanted.

Mullin, who has been in Washington for over a decade, got his start in the House before being elected to the Senate in 2021. He wanted to maintain ‘lifelong friendships’ with his House colleagues, but becoming the de facto liaison between the chambers was more a decision of practicality than one he truly desired.

‘The first couple of deputy whip meetings we had when [Senate Majority Leader John Thune] was whip was discussing what the House is going to do, and no one knew,’ Mullin said. ‘And I was like, ‘Man, it’s just down the hall, we can go walk and talk to them.’ So the first time I did that, I went to the [House GOP] conference and just talked.’

‘And then it just turned into me going to Thune and saying, ‘Hey, why don’t I just become a liaison between the two?’ So I didn’t, I never envisioned of doing that, other than just keeping a relationship, but it was a natural fit,’ he continued.

That role began when former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who Mullin had a longstanding relationship with, led the House GOP, and has continued since House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., took the helm in 2023.

And it paid dividends during the six-month slog to draft and pass Trump’s budget reconciliation bill, which required full buy-in from congressional Republicans to do so given that no Democrats were involved in the process.

Markwayne said that before the bill even made it to the Senate in early June, he played a role in ensuring that House Republicans didn’t ‘dump a ton of stuff in there’ that would be nixed by Senate rules.

He effectively ping-ponged back and forth between the chambers, jetting from morning workouts to speak with lawmakers, meeting with House Republicans during their weekly conference confabs or holding smaller discussions with lawmakers, particularly blue state Republicans concerned about changes to SALT, to get everyone on roughly the same page.

Much of it broke down to explaining how the Senate’s Byrd rule, which governs reconciliation and allows either party to skirt the Senate filibuster to pass legislation, worked.

‘I mean, even though I spent 12 or 10 years in the House, I never understood the Byrd rule, but why would I? I didn’t have to deal with it,’ he said. ‘So really getting to understand that, and breaking down that barrier helped.’

The flow of information wasn’t just one way, however. His discussions with House Republicans helped him better inform his colleagues in the upper chamber of their priorities, and what could and couldn’t be touched as Senate Republicans began putting their fingerprints on the bill.

SALT was the main issue that he focused on, and one that most Senate Republicans didn’t care much for. Still, it was a make-or-break agreement to raise the caps, albeit temporarily, to $40,000 for single and joint filers for the next five years, that helped seal the deal for anxious blue state House Republicans.

‘Just keeping them informed through the process was very important,’ he said. ‘But at the same time, talking to the House, and when we’re negotiating over here, I’d be like, ‘No guys, that’s a killer,’’ he said. ‘We can’t do that if you, if you touch this, it’s dead over there for sure. Guaranteed, it’s dead.’

Over time, his approach to the role has changed, an evolution he said was largely influenced by Thune.

A self-described ‘bull in a China cabinet,’ Mullin said that for a time his negotiating style was arguing with lawmakers to convince them ‘why you’re wrong.’ But that style softened after watching Thune, he said, and saw him talking less and listening more.

‘I took his lead off of it to let people talk,’ he said. ‘Sometimes you’re going to find out that they’re actually upset about something that had nothing to do with the bill, but they’re taking that, and they’re holding the bill hostage to be able to let this one point be heard.’

‘I don’t think it was a good indication that we were butting heads. Everybody was very passionate about this. I mean, they’ve been working for a long time. We looked at it as maybe a once in a generation opportunity for us to be able to get this done,’ he continued. ‘We wanted to get it right, but everybody wanted to have their fingerprint on it and at the end of the day, we knew we [had] to bring it to the floor.’

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House Republicans are calling for more scrutiny on the roughly 1,500 commutation orders signed by President Joe Biden toward the end of his term after revelations that an autopen was used for a significant number of them.

‘Americans deserve accountability of their leaders. If an autopen was used to pardon hundreds of people, thousands of people, including the president’s son, who made that decision? Was it Joe Biden? Or was it some staffer that used an autopen?’ Ways & Means Committee Chair Jason Smith, R-Mo., said in a brief interview with Fox News Digital.

The New York Times reported earlier this month that autopen signatures were used on clemency orders in the last few months of Biden’s White House tenure.

Biden told the outlet he made ‘every decision,’ and the report details a meticulous process from Biden making his decision to that decision being recorded by aides and passed through a chain of email communication – suggesting the then-president had final signoff.

But the report notes, ‘The Times has not seen the full extent of the emails, so it is impossible to capture the totality of information they contain or what else they might show about Mr. Biden’s involvement in the pardon and clemency decisions.’

Rep. Mark Messmer, R-Ind., suggested pardon decisions carried out in the late hours of the day should be looked at in particular.

‘I think we need to highly scrutinize the use of autopen signatures that were initiated at 10.45 p.m., well beyond the president’s normal day of cognitive activity, need to be brought into question,’ Messmer said.

The report noted one instance where the final word on a particular set of clemency orders was sent just after 10:30 p.m.

The Times had reported in July 2024, before he dropped out of the presidential race, that Biden said he would stop scheduling events after 8 p.m. due to the need for sleep.

Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, argued lawmakers need more information on who was in control of those signatures for public trust.

‘What people want is accountability. They want to know that what was done in the name of our president who was elected, that he actually bears responsibility for that,’ Gill said.

Another lawmaker suggested courts should even look at nullification.

‘Maybe some of the pardons and things like that can be rolled back,’ Rep. John McGuire, R-Va., said. ‘We’ll leave it to the courts to figure that out.’

Rep. Andrew Cylde, R-Ga., went a step further: ‘That has to be corrected. It has to be investigated. And those people, really, in my opinion, should be prosecuted for stepping outside the bounds of the Constitution.’

The House Oversight Committee, led by Chair James Comer, R-Ky., is already investigating the Biden administration’s use of autopen and whether former top White House aides concealed evidence of the then-president’s mental decline.

Ex-White House Chief of Staff Ronald Klain is the latest person expected to appear before House investigators, with a voluntary transcribed interview scheduled for Thursday morning.

Democratic allies of Biden have blasted the probe as a political spectacle rather than an honest fact-finding mission.

But all the Republican lawmakers who spoke with Fox News Digital argued to at least some extent that Americans want accountability, though some suggested it would be beneficial to focus efforts on the future.

‘I have to balance my thoughts on this. I think that, you know, it’s good to know what happened, to keep it from happening…but on the other hand, I really want to be focused on the future,’ said Rep. Troy Downing, R-Mont. ‘But I will tell you, the speculation – although I obviously don’t know 100% what’s true or not – I think the speculation is very probable, just seeing who Biden was at the end of his tenure and knowing that that didn’t happen overnight.’

Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, vice chair of the House GOP Conference, told Fox News Digital, ‘As far as the previous administration, what’s done is done, but it’s also good to highlight to the American people, okay, you were in some cases lied to.’

Notably, autopen is a standard and legal practice that’s been used by officials in many past cases, including by President Donald Trump. House investigators are looking into whether Biden really made the final sign-off himself on key decisions, however.

The office of former president Joe Biden was contacted for comment.

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The Justice Department has formed a ‘strike force’ to assess the evidence publicized by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard relating to former President Barack Obama and his top national security and intelligence officials’ alleged involvement in the origins of the Trump–Russia collusion narrative.

The Department of Justice (DOJ), Wednesday evening, announced the formation of the ‘strike force,’ to investigate potential next legal steps which may stem from Gabbard’s recent declassification of records suggesting that Obama administration officials ‘manufactured’ intelligence to form the narrative that then-candidate Donald Trump was colluding with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election.

Justice Department officials told Fox News Digital that the DOJ takes the alleged weaponization of the intelligence community with ‘the utmost seriousness.’

A source familiar with the strike force told Fox News Digital that everything is being reviewed and that no serious lead is off the table.

The source told Fox News Digital that the National Security Division of the Justice Department will ‘likely be involved in the investigation.’ 

‘The Department of Justice is proud to work with my friend Director Gabbard and we are grateful for her partnership in delivering accountability for the American people,’ Attorney General Pam Bondi said.

‘We will investigate these troubling disclosures fully and leave no stone unturned to deliver justice,’ she said.

The strike force consists of teams made up of investigators and prosecutors that focus on ‘the worst offenders engaged in fraudulent activities, including, chiefly, health care fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud, money laundering offenses, false statements offenses,’ and more, according to the DOJ.

The formation of the strike force comes after a slew of developments related to the origins of the Trump–Russia investigation.

Earlier in July, CIA Director John Ratcliffe sent a criminal referral for former CIA Director John Brennan to the FBI.

The referral came after Ratcliffe declassified a ‘lessons learned’ review of the creation of the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA). The 2017 ICA alleged Russia sought to influence the 2016 presidential election to help then-candidate Trump. But the review found that the process of the ICA’s creation was rushed with ‘procedural anomalies,’ and that officials diverted from intelligence standards. 

It also determined that the ‘decision by agency heads to include the Steele Dossier in the ICA ran counter to fundamental tradecraft principles and ultimately undermined the credibility of a key judgment.’ 

The dossier — an anti-Trump document filled with unverified and wholly inaccurate claims that was commissioned by Fusion GPS and paid for by Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s campaign and the DNC — has been widely discredited. The review marks the first time career CIA officials have acknowledged politicization of the process by which the ICA was written, particularly by Obama-era political appointees. 

Records declassified as part of that review further revealed that Brennan did, in fact, push for the dossier to be included in the 2017 ICA.

FBI Director Kash Patel received the criminal referral and opened an investigation into Brennan.

Patel also opened a criminal investigation into former FBI Director James Comey.

The full scope of the criminal investigations into Brennan and Comey is unclear, but two sources described the FBI’s view of the duo’s interactions as a ‘conspiracy,’ which could open up a wide range of potential prosecutorial options. 

The FBI and CIA declined to comment.

Neither Brennan nor Comey immediately responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Days later, Gabbard declassified documents revealing ‘overwhelming evidence’ that demonstrated how, after Trump won the 2016 election against Clinton, then-President Obama and his national security team laid the groundwork for what would be the yearslong Trump–Russia collusion probe.

Gabbard said the documents revealed that Obama administration officials ‘manufactured and politicized intelligence’ to create the narrative that Russia was attempting to influence the 2016 presidential election, despite information from the intelligence community stating otherwise.

The new documents name Obama, top officials in his National Security Council, then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, then-CIA Director Brennan, then-National Security Advisor Susan Rice, then-Secretary of State John Kerry, then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch, and then-Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe, among others.

Gabbard, on Monday, sent a criminal referral to the Justice Department related to those findings. DOJ officials did not share further details on whom the criminal referral was for.

And on Wednesday, Gabbard declassified documents that showed that the intelligence community did not have any direct information that Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted to help elect Trump during the 2016 presidential election, but, at the ‘unusual’ direction of Obama, published ‘potentially biased’ or ‘implausible’ intelligence suggesting otherwise.

That information came from a report prepared by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence back in 2020.

The report, which was based on an investigation launched by former House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., was dated Sept. 18, 2020. At the time of the publication of the report, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., was the chairman of the committee.

The report has never before been released to the public, and instead, has remained highly classified within the intelligence community.

Meanwhile, Fox News Digital, in 2020, exclusively obtained the declassified transcripts of Obama-era national security officials’ closed-door testimonies before the House Intelligence Committee, in which those officials testified that they had no ’empirical evidence’ of a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia in the 2016 election, but continued to publicly push the ‘narrative’ of collusion.

The House Intelligence Committee, in 2017, conducted depositions of top Obama intelligence officials, including Clapper, Rice and Lynch, among others.

The officials’ responses in the transcripts of those interviews align with the results of former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation — which found no evidence of criminal coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia in 2016, while not reaching a determination on obstruction of justice.

The transcripts, from 2017 and 2018, revealed top Obama officials were questioned by House Intelligence Committee lawmakers and investigators about whether they had or had seen evidence of such collusion, coordination or conspiracy — the issue that drove the FBI’s initial case and later the special counsel probe.

‘I never saw any direct empirical evidence that the Trump campaign or someone in it was plotting/conspiring with the Russians to meddle with the election,’ Clapper testified in 2017. ‘That’s not to say that there weren’t concerns about the evidence we were seeing, anecdotal evidence…. But I do not recall any instance where I had direct evidence.’

Lynch also said she did ‘not recall that being briefed up to me.’

‘I can’t say that it existed or not,’ Lynch said, referring to evidence of collusion, conspiracy or coordination.

But Clapper and Lynch, and then Vice President Joe Biden, were present in the Oval Office July 28, 2016, when Brennan briefed Obama and Comey on intelligence he’d received from one of Clinton’s campaign foreign policy advisors ‘to vilify Donald Trump by stirring up a scandal claiming interference by the Russian security service.’ 

‘We’re getting additional insight into Russian activities from (REDACTED),’ read Brennan’s handwritten notes, exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital in October 2020. ‘CITE (summarizing) alleged approved by Hillary Clinton a proposal from one of her foreign policy advisers to vilify Donald Trump by stirring up a scandal claiming interference by the Russian security service.’

Meanwhile, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power, according to the transcript of her interview to the House Intelligence Committee, was asked whether she had or saw any evidence of collusion or conspiracy.

Power replied: ‘I am not in possession of anything — I am not in possession and didn’t read or absorb information that came from out of the intelligence community.’

When asked again, she said: ‘I am not.’

Rice was asked the same question.

‘To the best of my recollection, there wasn’t anything smoking, but there were some things that gave me pause,’ she said, according to her transcribed interview, in response to whether she had any evidence of conspiracy. ‘I don’t recall intelligence that I would consider evidence to that effect that I saw… conspiracy prior to my departure.’

When asked whether she had any evidence of ‘coordination,’ Rice replied: ‘I don’t recall any intelligence or evidence to that effect.’

Meanwhile, former FBI Deputy Director McCabe was not asked that specific question but rather questions about the accuracy and legitimacy of the unverified anti-Trump dossier compiled by ex-British intelligence officer Christopher Steele.

McCabe was asked during his interview in 2017 what was the most ‘damning or important piece of evidence in the dossier that’ he ‘now knows is true.’

McCabe replied: ‘We have not been able to prove the accuracy of all the information.’

‘You don’t know if it’s true or not?’ a House investigator asked, to which McCabe replied: ‘That’s correct.’

After Trump’s 2016 victory and during the presidential transition period, Comey briefed Trump on the now-infamous anti-Trump dossier, containing salacious allegations of purported coordination between Trump and the Russian government. Brennan was present for that briefing, which took place at Trump Tower in New York City in January 2017.

The dossier was authored by Steele. It was funded by Clinton’s presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee through the law firm Perkins Coie.

But Brennan and Comey knew of intelligence suggesting Clinton, during the campaign, was stirring up a plan to tie Trump to Russia, documents claim. It is unclear whether the intelligence community, at the time, knew that the dossier was paid for by Clinton and the DNC.

The Obama-era officials have been mum on the new revelations, but a spokesman for Obama on Tuesday made a rare public statement.

‘Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response,’ Obama spokesman Patrick Rodenbush said in a statement. ‘But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one.’ 

‘These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction,’ Obama’s spokesman continued. ‘Nothing in the document issued last week undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully manipulate any votes.’

He added: ‘These findings were affirmed in a 2020 report by the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee, led by then-Chairman Marco Rubio.’ 

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A senior former Biden administration official arrived on Capitol Hill for a closed-door interview with House investigators on Thursday.

Ronald Klain served as former President Joe Biden’s chief of staff in the first half of his term, from the beginning of his term in January 2021 until early February 2023.

He did not answer shouted questions from reporters before disappearing for his voluntary transcribed interview with the House Oversight Committee.

Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., is investigating whether Biden’s top White House aides concealed signs of mental decline in the then-president, and if that meant executive actions were signed via autopen without his knowledge.

‘I think he’ll be forthcoming. I mean, he’s at the top of the organizational chart for the Biden administration,’ Comer told reporters on his way into the closed-door deposition. ‘I think everyone in America is wondering whether or not Joe Biden was mentally fit to be President of the United States, especially during the last six months of his administration.’

Reps. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., were also seen entering the room for the interview, which is expected to be staff-led.

Biden maintained he ‘made every decision’ in a recent interview with The New York Times.

Klain is the sixth ex-White House official to appear as part of Comer’s probe, and the third to appear on voluntary terms.

Former White House physician Kevin O’Connor, as well as senior advisors Annie Tomasini and Anthony Bernal, all appeared under subpoena.

Each also pleaded the Fifth Amendment to avoid answering questions.

Ex-staff secretary Neera Tanden and longtime Biden advisor Ashley Williams both appeared for voluntary transcribed interviews, like Klain.

Both of their interviews lasted over four hours, though House GOP investigators appear to have gleaned little new information.

Before serving as Biden’s chief of staff, Klain worked in the same capacity when the Delaware Democrat was vice president during the Obama administration.

He also served as a top advisor on Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign.

Most critical to investigators, perhaps, is the prominent role Klain reportedly played in preparing Biden for his disastrous June 2024 debate against now-President Donald Trump.

Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., a member of the Oversight Committee, shared some of the information he hoped would be gleaned from Klain’s sitdown.

‘Did you ever see a question of cognitive ability in the president? Were you aware that he was not making these decisions? Was he being led?’ Burlison asked.

Fox News Digital’s Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report.

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Sen. John Fetterman may be a Democrat, but on the issue of banning cashless-only businesses, he’s 100% right – and every small business owner, working-class American and financial realist should take note.

As a financial planner and entrepreneur, I’ve seen how pushing the U.S. toward a fully cashless society doesn’t just inconvenience people – it hurts them. It widens the wealth gap, excludes millions from daily commerce and puts Main Street businesses at a competitive disadvantage.

When Fetterman says, ‘It’s simple – it’s legal tender. If you accept money, you have to accept all money,’ he’s not just making a populist statement. He’s standing up for every American who gets punished simply for trying to pay with the money they earned.

Let’s look at the numbers:

5.9 million U.S. households are unbanked (FDIC).
18.7 million more are underbanked, relying on check cashers, prepaid cards and money orders.
13% of Americans use cash for all or most purchases.
Nearly 40% of Americans couldn’t cover a $400 emergency.

When a store refuses cash, it’s essentially telling millions of people – especially seniors, low-income earners and minorities – that their money isn’t welcome.

As the Pennsylvania senator put it, ‘We can’t let stores discriminate against people just because they don’t have a credit card or a smartphone.’

This push toward a cashless economy is driven by tech elites who assume everyone has digital access.  Aren’t you sick and tired of the guilt tipping button that now asks you for 20 or 25 or 30% tip with a server watching over you to see what you are going to give them. But this isn’t Silicon Valley – it’s America. Here, you should be able to buy lunch or medicine with a few bucks in your pocket.

And for many Americans, cash isn’t optional – it’s essential.

As someone who works with business owners every day and having owned a concrete driveway installation company, I can tell you, going cashless is bad for business. Here’s why:

Swipe Fees Eat MarginsEvery card transaction costs businesses 1.5% to 3.5%. On tight margins, that’s real money – especially in food, retail and service sectors.
Fewer Impulse BuysStudies show people are more thoughtful when using cash. That’s good for consumers – and helps prevent overreliance on credit.
System Outages Kill SalesWhen the power goes out or internet fails – like during the 2021 Texas storm – only businesses accepting cash could stay open. In emergencies, cash is king.
Customer LossMany older adults and working-class families still use cash daily. Turning them away is just bad business.

Every digital transaction is tracked. Your location, purchases and habits are cataloged and monetized by Big Tech and banks.

Cash, on the other hand, protects privacy. No monthly statements, no tracking, no algorithms.

The more we give up cash, the more control we give away – to institutions that charge fees, track behavior and limit access.

Cities like Philadelphia, San Francisco and New York have already banned cashless-only retail. It’s time to go national.

Fetterman’s proposed federal law would:

Require all physical stores to accept U.S. currency.
Impose penalties on violators.
Allow exceptions for online-only or high-security federal locations.

It’s not about resisting innovation – it’s about ensuring inclusion. Legal tender should mean what it says: legal for all debts, public and private.

Once we lose cash, we lose a piece of our freedom. We become more dependent on banks, apps and companies that profit off our transactions and control access to our own money.

Fetterman nailed it: ‘We’re going to keep pushing until every American – regardless of income – can walk into a store and buy what they need with a few bucks in their pocket.’

He’s right. And if we care about fairness, privacy and keeping Main Street open to all, we need to get behind him.

Because cash isn’t just currency. It’s economic liberty – and it’s worth protecting.

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Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark is not expected to play in Thursday’s game against the Las Vegas Aces.

Clark has been dealing with a right groin injury.

The team did not practice on Wednesday but Clark was not listed as a probable starter for Thursday’s game on the team’s website.

Fever coach Stephanie White told reporters on Sunday that Clark was going to get another opinion from a doctor regarding her injury. White spoke to the media again on Tuesday before the Fever’s game against the New York Liberty, saying that Clark had visited a doctor in the morning but did not have any other updates.

How was Caitlin Clark injured?

Clark suffered the groin injury during the final moments of a game against the Connecticut Sun on July 15. 

She was voted as a team captain for the WNBA All-Star Game, but was unable to play, stating, ‘I have to rest my body.’

Clark has had other muscle-related injuries this season (left groin, quad tightness, quad strain). She’s missed 11 of the Fever’s 24 games this season, as well as the Commissioner’s Cup title game victory over the first-place Minnesota Lynx.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY