New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's recent admission that he lacks the legal authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has done little to ease ongoing tensions between himself and the Jewish community. Jewish leaders told Fox News Digital that they are still concerned about the mayor's rhetoric, which they believe deepens divisions at a time of heightened concern over antisemitism.

Israel has remained one of the defining points of tension between Mamdani and the Jewish community in New York City since his campaign. When running for mayor, Mamdani said that he would seek to arrest Netanyahu, despite many pointing out that he did not have the authority to do so, which he ultimately admitted on Tuesday.

The issue resurfaced this week after Mamdani released a video explaining that while City Hall lacks the authority to arrest Netanyahu, he believes the prime minister should be held accountable under the International Criminal Court's warrant.

MAMDANI GOES BACK ON CAMPAIGN PROMISE, SAYS NYC CAN'T ARREST NETANYAHU

In a video posted on social media, Mamdani called Netanyahu "a war criminal" and "the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people."

"My administration has reviewed every avenue available under applicable law to determine whether New York City could execute the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant if Benjamin Netanyahu came here. It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant," he said.

Nevertheless, he added that the Israeli leader was "not welcome in New York City."

Jewish leaders who spoke with Fox News Digital said the mayor's legal concession did little to address the community's concerns about Mamdani's rhetoric, which they believe fuels division.

Additionally, during a news conference Wednesday, Mamdani was asked how he believed New Yorkers should respond to Netanyahu's expected visit for the annual United Nations General Assembly in September.

"I think the bedrocks of our city is protest. It is something that has been a part of what makes our city so special, that New Yorkers can express themselves, whether they are in support or in opposition, no matter on whatever topic," he said.

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Orthodox Union Executive Vice President and COO Rabbi Dr. Josh Joseph said the remarks were especially concerning given recent protests over the Israel-Hamas war.

"We know that the protests in the last few years have gotten violent at times," Joseph told Fox News Digital. "So, he's willing to risk inciting further violence based on misinformation."

Manhattan Jewish Experience (MJE) Founder and Director Rabbi Mark Wildes said that the mayor's remarks demonstrated a broader hostility toward Israel rather than criticism of a government official.

"What's upsetting to us in the Jewish community is that he's saying these things just to continue to drum home his message that the Jewish state, the state of Israel, has no right to exist," Wildes told Fox News Digital.

Wildes said that Mamdani's criticisms, in his view, have "nothing to do with Netanyahu's policies" and rather it was about "the Jewish people's right to defend themselves after being attacked, which is the only thing which is being done in Gaza and Lebanon."

The MJE leader added that the mayor's comments, particularly his sentiment that Netanyahu was "not welcome," risk further alienating Jewish New Yorkers at a time when they already feel vulnerable and disconnected from City Hall. He said the remark encapsulated how Jewish New Yorkers were feeling.

"For a leader in New York to say, 'You're not welcome here,' is upsetting, obviously, but it's consistent," Wildes said. "There's nothing he's saying that's inconsistent with the way he ran, with the kind of agenda that he has, he's been pro-Hamas, pro-terrorism since day one, and he's just showing his true colors."

Mamdani has been critical of Hamas — he condemned anti-Israel protesters chanting in support of the terrorist group earlier this year — but he has been criticized for being more strident in his rhetoric against Israel.

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Joseph similarly warned that Mamdani needed to "remember that his words matter" as the leader of New York City.

Despite their criticism of the mayor, both Wildes and Joseph remain confident in the resilience of New York's Jewish community. Wildes argued that the heightened political tensions would not deter the Jewish community's connection to Israel or New York City.

"Am Yisrael Chai is not just a slogan. Am Yisrael Chai means the Jewish people are alive. Israel is thriving, and Israel is continuing to grow," Wildes said.

Mamdani's office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Rising country music star Waylon Wyatt is recovering after a life-threatening battle with sepsis forced him to cancel several major career milestones.

In his latest video, Wyatt showed off his debut record, writing in his social media caption, "We shot this before I bout died but Dustpiles Vinyl are available to order now!! Get ‘em while they’re hot!"

Earlier this week, the 19-year-old singer shared a health update with fans, revealing he was discharged from a Montana hospital and is in Nashville seeking additional medical care.

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"Hey y'all wanted to give a little update on everything," Wyatt wrote on Instagram. "I got out of the hospital in Montana earlier this week and have been in Nashville with family seeing specialists this week. I'm so grateful to be on the mend and can't tell y'all how much I appreciate all y'alls support through this. 

"It broke my heart to have to cancel the dustpiles release show, UTBS [Under the Big Sky Festival] and my Opry debut that was supposed to be tonight. Those were bucket list shows for me but I'll do everything I can to get back to big sky and we'll have a new Opry date for y'all soon."

The frightening diagnosis came July 17, the same day Wyatt released his debut album, "Dustpiles."

Instead of celebrating the milestone on stage, the singer shared a video from his hospital bed.

"Album's still dropping tonight," he said. "Ya boy's got sepsis."

Wyatt remained hospitalized until earlier this week before traveling to Nashville, where he is now continuing treatment alongside his family.

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Despite the devastating setback, the teenage country singer remained focused on thanking the fans who helped launch his career.

"There's so many people I want to thank rn," he continued. "First of all to you guys I wouldn't be where I am without y'all and the fact that I'm even able to tour and put music out in the first place is such a blessing and wouldn't be possible without you. My mom and pops I wouldn't be here without y'all and I'll never have the words to thank you properly I love y'all so much and thank you for being here with me through everything."

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The health scare comes as Wyatt's career continues to gain momentum. 

The Oklahoma native is a rising star in the country music world. The viral success of his song "Everything Under the Sun" on TikTok boosted the 19-year-old's career into the country music spotlight.

Fox News Digital reached out to Wyatt’s representatives for comment.

WNBA star Sophie Cunningham ruffled plenty of feathers with her recent comments regarding protecting women's sports.

Several media personalities and even some fellow WNBA colleagues were quick to bristle at her statement about keeping biological men out of girls' sports, but the Indiana Fever guard has not backed down.

The latest person to take umbrage with Cunningham's comments is a familiar and unlikely one, though, as childhood friend and podcast co-host, West Wilson, took to X to voice his displeasure with "right wingers" turning the trans in women's sports debate into a mountain of an issue.

WHITE HOUSE DEFENDS WNBA STAR SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM AFTER SHE SPEAKS OUT IN SUPPORT OF PROTECTING WOMEN'S SPORTS

"Transgender athletes in American sports is such a borderline nonexistent issue that right-wingers have convinced a massive portion of people in our country that these people are a threat to sports in America when mathematically, that's not the case at all," Wilson said.

He continued by claiming that by platforming the issue, politicians in particular are sowing divisiveness and "isolating" trans people.

"There is, like, 10 transgender athletes in all of the NCAA," Wilson said. "I think there are unique questions that can be handled on individual bases, but to allow this to take our attention from housing, healthcare, wars, all the other actual harmful s–t in our country is dumb."

MEGAN RAPINOE SAYS EFFORTS TO BAR TRANS ATHLETES FROM WOMEN'S SPORTS ARE 'ATTACK ON WOMEN IN SOCIETY'

There are plenty of things wrong with what Wilson said, namely that transgender athletes in female sports is solely a "right wing" issue.

Plenty of sane people on both sides of the aisle have voiced their displeasure with biological men invading female spaces, so to paint this as a fringe right crusade is disingenuous.

It's also worth noting that he goes out of his way to mention NCAA athletes but nothing about youth or high school sports.

MICHIGAN FATHER ALLEGES BOMB THREAT TO HOME AFTER DAUGHTER SPOKE UP ABOUT FACING TRANS ATHLETE WITHOUT KNOWING

While the issue of transgender athletes in college sports is still an issue worth fighting, many people are far more concerned with this happening at the youth and high school level, something that OutKick has covered extensively in the past.

Finally, it seems we've gone from "this isn't happening" to "it's only happening a little," representing a classic slide down the proverbial slippery slope.

What's perhaps even more interesting in all of this is how Cunningham and Wilson will work around this difference of opinion.

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Cunningham has made her stance pretty clear and even doubled down on it, while Wilson appears to be completely on the other side.

While some political differences like tax rates can be amicably disagreed on, the transgender issue continues to be a hot-button one.

It remains to be seen how the two will handle their differences, but suffice to say it doesn't sound like either will be budging anytime soon.

Riley Gaines, the host of "The Riley Gaines Show," torched USA Today writer Nancy Armour over her recent and controversial Caitlin Clark column.

In the opinion piece published earlier this week, Armour compared the lynching of Emmett Till to Caitlin Clark putting "Black" and "queer" WNBA players "in danger."

"It shouldn’t need reminding this country has an awful history of Black people being harmed, even killed, in the name of 'defending' White women. The irony of the WNBA's All-Star Game is that it's happening this weekend in Chicago, the hometown of Emmett Till, who became an icon of the civil rights movement after his tragic murder," Amour wrote.

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"The local art gallery is currently hosting an exhibit imagining his life if he hadn't been lynched. While it’s incumbent on the WNBA to do more to protect its players, there also should be an expectation on Clark to recognize the broader implications of her actions being weaponized. "

Of all the bad takes about Clark, Gaines said Armour’s was the "worst one by a mile," adding that she was dumbfounded by the comparison.

"Do you realize what Nancy Armour is doing there? She's connecting Emmett Till's lynching to Caitlin Clark's talent and skill set and behavior on the basketball court. Excuse me?" Gaines said on a recent episode of "The Riley Gaines Show."

Gaines continued her excoriation of Armour, calling the writer "insane" for comparing Till’s lynching to Clark’s actions on the basketball court. Till was a 14-year-old Black teen who was abducted, tortured and eventually lynched in 1955 Mississippi after an accusation from a White woman

USA TODAY REPORTER APOLOGIZES FOR INVOKING EMMETT TILL IN COLUMN ABOUT CAITLIN CLARK AFTER UPSETTING THE WOKE

"These people are insane," Gaines said. "They have lost their ability to think rationally. That is literally dead and gone. In what world do those two things connect? Honestly, even after reading the piece I don't know where she's going with this."

Gaines proceeded to call Armour an all-time "rage-baiter."

"Maybe it's just like all-time rage bait. Like dropping Emmett Till's name in an article about the WNBA All-Star game, that's got to be an all-time rage baiter. I don't know, maybe I'm falling for it. Maybe this is what Nancy Armor wanted," Gaines said.

Armour apologized for invoking Till in her column and called it an "inartful comparison."

"In my recent column, I made an inartful comparison with the murder of Emmett Till. I intended to connect the issues the WNBA is currently facing with its All-Star Game being hosted in Till’s hometown of Chicago," Armour wrote in an apology posted Thursday on Bluesky.

"I obviously did not provide enough context for that."

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The drama that shadowed coach Mike Vrabel during the offseason due to his relationship with NFL reporter Dianna Russini was nowhere to be seen Friday when New England Patriots players reported for training camp.

Vrabel must feel he's not only survived but surmounted the ongoing nature of the saga because, well, the thing is not a public topic now as his team gets ready for its first practice on Saturday.

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Vrabel, in his second year as the Patriots coach, met with reporters for more than 14 minutes on Friday to kick off the start of camp.

And he fielded not one question about the Russini scandal or anything connected to it.

It was all football – which Vrabel deftly handles like Ted Williams did fastballs back in the day.

Vrabel was asked about the status of second-round draft pick Gabe Jacas, who remains unsigned. Reporters indeed concentrated six of their 20 or so questions to Vrabel on the Jacas topic.

How's the contract negotiations?

How's his health?

Football stuff.

But, again, nothing about the coach and the overriding issue he faced starting April 7 when the New York Post published photographs of him and Russini, then working for The Athletic, enjoying private time at a pool, and in a hot tub, and holding hands and embracing at an Arizona resort before the NFL annual meeting.

Those photos kicked off consistent national coverage that sometimes bordered on cringey – including other photos of the pair at a bar or other events while their spouses were not present. They also predictably led to something of a crisis within the Vrabel family.

Vrabel, in fact, removed himself from the final day of the NFL draft so that he could be with his family and said he was taking time to seek counseling.

But on Friday, nobody asked if the counseling sessions are over or continue.

One would think that if a Super Bowl contender's coach is in counseling, which he made public, someone might wonder if the sessions continue during a hectic training camp.

Or possibly bleed into the season.

Somebody might want to know if Vrabel thinks the counseling succeeded. Or failed. Like, what has changed for Vrabel as a result of those sessions he so publicly announced he was about to undergo?

There was no question to Vrabel at the podium about any of that or anything else having to do with the Russini saga.

We already know Vrabel isn't going to be fired, or even disciplined, for being part of the embarrassment and unwanted attention he brought on himself, the Patriots, and the NFL as a result of this story.

But Friday's presser sealed the fact Vrabel has successfully avoided a major distraction to start training camp.

That actually is his first victory of the season.

Russini, meanwhile, has clearly lost. She resigned from her job at The Athletic and the media company has apparently replaced her with a new so-called insider. She remains at the heart of an internal investigation by the New York Times, which owns The Athletic, with the results of that not yet published.

So barring more facts coming to light, such as the publication of the investigation, Vrabel skates. If he didn't get asked about his counseling sessions and family status on Friday, the chances that happens going forward shrink daily.

So, yes, Vrabel is 1-0 already to kick off training camp.

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It's a little late in July for a fireworks mishap — those are typically centered around the Fourth of July weekend festivities — but a minor league baseball team's pyro display went sideways in the most literal way imaginable on Thursday.

The Richmond Flying Squirrels — Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants — were hosting a fireworks display on Thursday night after their 3-1 loss to the Hartford Yard Goats.

I think there's a compelling case for benching pre-planned fireworks if you lose, but that's for another time. Despite the L, the Flying Squirrels went ahead with their display over CarMax Park, and the aftermath has been making the rounds on social media.

CANADIAN POLICE POLITELY ASK PEOPLE TO STOP BRINGING THEM UNEXPLODED WWII GRENADES

Now, most importantly, no one was hurt, which is, personally, how I like my fireworks mishaps.

If we're going to have them, let's keep it safe.

Sometimes I see videos of fireworks mishaps, and it can be a little hard to see when something goes wrong, because there's just so much happening.

But in this case, I think we can definitely say that the first sign of a problem was when some of those fireworks started traveling parallel to the ground.

That's suboptimal for many reasons.

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A lot of fans who stuck around to watch some post-game pyro did exactly what I would've done, and that is high-tail it to the relative safety of the concourse. Maybe do a shoulder roll behind a Dippin' Dots cart for safety.

But I'm impressed with how many people didn't move an inch even after fireballs started careening into the bleachers. I wish I had that kind of composure. If one firework went off even remotely off axis, I'd be out in my car before you could say, "Hey, where did that ruggedly handsome gentleman who was sitting right next to us go?"

According to WRIC, the team and the company that put on the show, simply called "Pyro Shows," are investigating what caused the incident.

'Nightcaps' is a daily column that catches you up on the biggest sports, news and culture stories you may have missed while pretending to do work at your desk. It runs Monday–Friday on OutKick.com.

Penultimate Friday of July, and the final weekend of the month on tap.

Who has it better than us right now? Nobody. We are ROLLING to close the month. The momentum is there, and it's growing.

ESPN cleaned house this week. Nancy Armour is getting absolutely dragged across the internet. Sophie Cunningham is fighting back. Football practices are underway.

I mean, goodness gracious. What a blessing. What a country. What a time to be alive.

Let's roll.

Welcome to a Friday Nightcaps — the one where ESPN's SEC host Alyssa Lang puts an internet troll in his place after a dominant week at SEC Media Days.

What else? I've got a couple big anniversaries to celebrate today, Nick Saban is back on my TV and it's been wonderful, and Nick Bosa tweeted for the first time in four years specifically to celebrate Ryan Clark's firing.

Amazing.

Grab you a Busch Light like a true patriot, and settle in for a Friday 'Cap!

It's a Friday. We're gonna keep it light and loose around here. I didn't get to mow the lawn yesterday, so I'm also gonna keep it short because the afternoon thunderstorms are right around the corner and I can't afford to let this jungle go another day.

Before we start, the price of beer at sporting events is truly absurd. Ryan is spot-on with his above analysis saying that Busch Light costs nearly $16 at Wrigley Field.

Frankly, I'm more impressed that Wrigley serves Busch Light. I respect them for that. Didn't think a place like Chicago had that in them. Well done.

That being said, here's your one-month warning that NASCAR returns to Daytona at the end of August and the Busch Light costs $9 in the infield. They also serve it on draft, for those interested (all of you).

God, I love this state. Still pricey, but that's the best you're gonna get at a sporting event in 2026 (non-Augusta).

They also label all of their "domestic drafts" as "American drafts" at Daytona, for those who needed even more of a reason to come on down for the Firecracker 400.

What a track. What a sport.

OK, that's your Ted Talk for the day. Let's get this class started with ESPN's Alyssa Lang not only surviving this week's roster cuts, but then putting a body-shaming internet troll in his place over on Elon's X.

"Just a little off season pudge she’s gonna have to lose if she wants to keep her job."

"Those are actually called abs, in case you haven’t seen your own recently."

Lordy. What a takedown. Alyssa spent the summer traversing Europe, and now she's back in midseason form ready to roll. Been a brutal week at ESPN (all self-inflicted, by the way), but this is the way forward. Alyssa Lang, Tim Tebow, Finebaum, and some SEC football.

All is right with the world. Good to have college football back (sort of). Let's get through these next few weeks and get this season rolling.

Can't wait.

Speaking of college football, Nick Saban returned to our airwaves this week and wasted no time giving Bristol producers a panic attack by letting it rip on live TV with new UF coach Jon Sumrall:

"I’m a Florida resident now, down there amongst the Gators… and I want you to know I’m kind of a semi-Gator. So if you don’t get your s–t together, I’m gonna be in the middle of it."

As one of OutKick's resident Florida fans — along with Austin Perry — Nick is right, by the way. There won't be a ton of patience for Jon Sumrall. Believe me. The Gators have STUNK for years now, and it's been unacceptable.

We don't want to hear about NIL deals and transfers and "trust the process." They need to win — or at least show they can score a freaking touchdown — pretty quickly.

"Two Bits! Four Bits! Six Bits! A Dollar! All for the Gators, stand up and holler!"

OK, let's stick with Saban and rapid-fire this Friday class into a big Friday afternoon of laying down stripes on the yard.

Where do we stand on this comment?

Here's what I know ...

The OutKick audience is overwhelmingly pro-SEC. I know this, because I see the reader emails every day after Ian Miller writes another article dumping on the SEC.

PS: Ian's a good dude, I promise!

I'm also pro-SEC. Duh. I've lived in it my whole life. I agree with Saban when he says the national champion shouldn't automatically define the best conference. Miami very well could have won last year and we all know the ACC ain't good.

But, it's also not the best time for Saban to make this argument given the Big Ten has had the upper hand in recent years. The SEC also went 4-10 in bowl games last season. Not great (at all).

The argument is valid. The timing is ... poor.

Thoughts? Lemme know!

Next? The lefties most-feared NFL player, Nick Bosa, hopped BACK on Twitter with an original tweet for the first time since 2022, and it was a direct shot at Ryan Clark:

Amazing. For those wondering, yes — Nick Bosa hates Ryan Clark. This isn't confirmed, but I'd imagine it stems from when Clark went on his awful podcast and cried because Bosa wore a MAGA hat during an NBC postgame interview:

"When you say Make America Great ... Again ... what was so great about it before? What part of America are you trying to get to?"

Goodness. What a loser. Frankly, it's stunning it took ESPN this long to cut ties. Good riddance, Rhino!

OK, that's it for today — and this week. I leave you all with two very special anniversaries on the way out.

First? This week marks six years since we started the insufferable COVID baseball season with Dr. Fauci throwing, easily, the worst first pitch in the history of baseball.

Second? TODAY is the 26-year anniversary of Varitek and A-Rod throwing hands in arguably the most consequential baseball fight of all time.

I remember watching it live like it was yesterday. We were on vacation at our old cabin in North Carolina. I was mesmerized. It's when I truly became a Red Sox fan.

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Simpler times. Better times.

See y'all Monday.

Thoughts on Saban? Email me at Zach.Dean@OutKick.com.