In the midst of sunshine and a summer breeze, in the land of the free and home of the brave, sit three men, all immigrants who fled their "Third World" countries running on the "nightmare" of socialist policies. 

"The record in my city was once that we ha[d] three days long without electricity. There were shortage[s] of water like every day. … It's a disaster," Emmanuel Rincón, who fled Venezuela in 2017, told Fox News Digital. 

"If you live in the USA … you are never going to experience that, and you're never going to be able to understand that.

"I have spent almost all my life under the Chavismo [Hugo Chavez] rule, and my family were always in opposition of the regime. So, I always understand the nightmare that socialism is."

TRUMP EXPANDS CUBA SANCTIONS BEYOND US COMPANIES IN MAJOR CRACKDOWN ON FOREIGN ENABLERS

"In Cuba, there is no water, no electricity, no freedom, no food, no salary, no clothes, no shoes, nothing," Eliécer Ávila, a Cuban immigrant living in Florida who fled the island in 2017 said. 

"And the little that there is is what [families living in the U.S.] send from here."

Ávila and his family were heavily censored, and they were fired from their jobs and banned from Havana, the capital of his home island, after a video was leaked to the BBC of him asking a series of "uncomfortable questions" to Ricardo Alarcón.

Alarcón is the former minister of foreign affairs in Cuba who was, at the time, the president of the national assembly of the country.

DEMOCRATIC GROUP LAUNCHES $15M WAR ON DSA AFTER SOCIALIST PRIMARY WINS: 'MORTAL DANGER'

"I was persona non grata inside the capital in my own country. From there, I started a movement of young people and students that were pro-democracy … which put me in jail more than 40 times," Ávila shared.

During that time, he was invited to a Latin American Studies Association (LASA) event with activists and human rights defenders from around the world. 

"After I came back [from that trip], the dictatorship didn’t let me enter back in, and they put me in one of the 50 most wanted terrorists. Me, who doesn’t even have a traffic violation, just because I wanted freedom for Cuba," he said.

EXPERT WHO FLED CUBA WARNS OF ‘VICIOUS CYCLE’ THAT WILL LEAD TO ‘COMMUNISTS IN DOUBLE DIGITS’ IN CONGRESS

Gene Maine, an immigrant who escaped the Soviet Union with his mother in 1981, expressed a similar sentiment. 

"[Growing up] I started noticing that all the propaganda on TV — the two channels that we had — didn't look right. It seemed like it was a lie. We grew up in what turned out to be the Third World," Maine said.

"All the trumpeting on the street of how great this is, how this is the best, how evil America is, how evil Western Europe is and how evil capitalism is. People realized that they couldn't speak freely.

"There was no religion. The only religion allowed was communism, which is a religion. Let's not have any doubts about it. It is a religion, it replaces Christianity, Judaism. That's the environment I grew up in," Maine said.

"These are not only dictators. They are also narco-terrorists. These are really dangerous people," Rincón added about Venezuela.

"I ha[d] to take out all my family from Venezuela. This is my history, but there are millions of histories like this in Venezuela. These are the things that the people in the USA (don't) really understand about socialism."

The Justice Department is accusing Duke University School of Law of favoring Black and Hispanic applicants over White and Asian applicants with the same academic records in its admissions process, which the Trump administration argues the law school used to meet its "diversity goals."

"Duke Law School doesn’t get a free pass to discriminate against white and Asian students simply because it thinks it has good intentions," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said.

In 2023, the Supreme Court ruled in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (SFFA) that it was unconstitutional for colleges and higher education institutions to consider a student's race in their admissions processes. The decision prompted the Trump administration to open investigations into alleged race-based discrimination at dozens of colleges and universities.

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ZEROES IN ON UCLA FOR ALLEGED ILLEGAL DEI ADMISSIONS AS ELITE SCHOOL CRACKDOWN EXPANDS

The Civil Rights Division, which began investigating Duke Law in April 2025, found that Black applicants who applied in 2025 had roughly 3.5 times the chance of admission as Asian applicants with the same academic credentials, according to a Justice Department letter sent to Duke Law. Investigators found that the median LSAT score for accepted Black applicants was lower than the median score for rejected Asian and White applicants.

"This consistent difference in the test scores between students of different racial groups is substantial and cannot be explained by a coincidence," the letter stated. "The magnitude and durability of these preferences across multiple cycles (including post-SFFA) confirm intentional discrimination."

The Trump administration’s review of internal communications found that the law school began preparing for the Supreme Court’s SFFA ruling so its admissions process could continue "to meet the Law School's goals for a broadly diverse student body."

For instance, Duke Law's post-SFFA guidance for admissions allowed officials to "consider applicants' discussion of how race affected their life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise." Applicants provided these discussions in short-answer essays, where admissions officials could then "tag" the responses to provide context for weaker academic records when evaluating applicants.

COAST GUARD ENDING RACE-BASED ADMISSIONS FOR OFFICER COMMISSIONING PROGRAM UNDER TRUMP DEI CRACKDOWN

Duke Law states that it values "students with a wide range of experiences, backgrounds, and interests that may not be directly related to their legal ambitions," encouraging applicants to "highlight different elements" of who they are.

"Using ‘diversity’ essay questions to identify preferred races for admission is still illegal discrimination based on race, and this Department is committed to eliminating it everywhere we find it, including in our nation’s law schools," Dhillon said in a statement.

After SFFA, Duke Law admissions continued to release reports highlighting the school's diversity and its efforts to achieve "race-neutral" admissions standards. In a May 2024 annual review, the associate dean of admissions highlighted the diversity of the incoming fall 2023 class, including the number of Latino, Black and Asian or Asian American students.

In the school's 2025 Annual Review Memorandum, the admissions dean suggested that the law school can gauge the diversity of its student body by observing students on campus rather than compiling formal statistics.

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A Duke University spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the university is aware of the Justice Department's allegations.

"The Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division issued a letter of findings related to Duke Law’s admissions practices. We are reviewing the letter and its conclusions carefully. Duke is committed to complying with the law and will continue to do so in a manner that is consistent with our academic mission," a Duke University spokesperson said.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Justice Department for additional comment. 

Long before Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham challenged the conversation surrounding women's sports, Payton McNabb was living its consequences.

A high school volleyball match changed McNabb's life. Years later, she sees Cunningham taking on a fight that has followed her all the way to Capitol Hill.

WATCH PAYTON MCNABB'S FULL INTERVIEW WITH OUTKICK:

After suffering a traumatic brain injury and partial paralysis on her right side from a ball spiked by a biological male opponent, McNabb took her fight from a North Carolina volleyball court to Washington, where she has testified before lawmakers in defense of women's sports and Title IX.

JD VANCE PRAISES SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM FOR 'SAVE WOMEN'S SPORTS' ACTIVISM

Now 21, McNabb sees that same battle reaching the WNBA and believes the league's response is exposing a glaring double standard.

Speaking exclusively with OutKick, McNabb applauded Cunningham for taking a stand, ripped Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve over her support for transgender inclusion and explained why Caitlin Clark's voice could carry enormous weight with the next generation of female athletes.

"I started speaking out when I was 18," McNabb told OutKick. "I'm 21 now, but within the last few years, why have I had to go in front of Congress and explain that there's a biological difference between a man and a woman? It makes no sense, and it sounds like such a dumb argument."

Cunningham's willingness to speak out has particularly impressed McNabb, especially as the Fever guard's profile has soared.

"What we've seen through Sophie Cunningham has been so courageous," McNabb said. "I just applaud her so much because it takes a lot to say this, unfortunately, and it shouldn't, but it does."

"For her to say it now and not wait until it's safe ... and her career is really taking off, I think it just adds a whole other layer on top of how special it really is," McNabb continued. "We don't really have a lot of big-name athletes willing to say it, and that's really unfortunate, but that's just the way it is. But it's because of how they get treated."

McNabb pointed to the backlash Cunningham has received as evidence of that risk.

"She's getting vilified or villainized for literally just saying what everyone already knows and thinks, but are just too afraid to admit," McNabb said. "It's just crazy because there wouldn't be a WNBA. We wouldn't know who [Lynx coach] Cheryl Reeve is or even Sophie Cunningham or any of these girls if it wasn't for Title IX."

CHERYL REEVE SENDS CLEAR MESSAGE TO SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM WITH ‘TRANS KIDS BELONG’ SHIRT DURING FEVER-LYNX GAME

McNabb had far less praise for Reeve, who has publicly defended trans participation in sports and wore a Trans Kids Belong shirt during a matchup against Cunningham and the Fever to prove it.

"It just seems like women like Cheryl Reeve who were fighting against other women and girls, I just will never understand that," McNabb said. "You have little girls who are showing up to the game and excited about their favorite player standing up for them and wanting the same opportunities that she has to be in place for them. And the coach seems to be pulling up the ladder."

McNabb called out the glaring hypocrisy of demanding empowerment for female athletes while simultaneously opening the door for biological men to take their spots.

"You can't complain on one hand about not getting as much as the men or not getting as many opportunities or viewers ... and then on the next, you're encouraging men to take over the very category you're wanting separate from them," McNabb said.

McNabb predicted the league's virtue signaling will evaporate the second a biological male steps onto a WNBA court and forces players to face reality.

McNabb pointed to Julie Tétart, a 6-foot-3 biological male dominating a French women's league who (with the help of OutKick's Joe Kinsey and founder Clay Travis) recently signaled interest in making the jump to the WNBA.

"I think it's gonna have to take this dude from France to come in here and like dunk on Angel Reese and then maybe they'll be like, 'Oh, maybe this isn't allowed,'" McNabb said. "I don't know. It's going to have to affect them personally."

Make no mistake: McNabb isn't rooting for biological men to wreck the WNBA. She wants these athletes protected, even if they won't fight for themselves.

CLAY TRAVIS SETS SIGHTS ON FRENCH TRANS PHENOM JULIE TETART FOR PROPOSED 'INCLUSIVE' WNBA EXPANSION TEAM

"Of course, I don't want that to happen," she said. "I'm fighting for the girls that are even going against us because I want them to have the protections and the opportunities whether they like it or not."

McNabb challenged the league's progressive establishment to put its money where its mouth is: if biological males belong in girls' high school athletics, they belong in WNBA coaching spots, too.

"I want transgender coaches," McNabb said. "I think that there should be a transgender coach taking Cheryl Reeve's place because that will be just as much of a woman as she is. ... If they're saying this is okay for the high school girls, then it should be okay for them."

Then there's Caitlin Clark.

THE LEFT WANTS CAITLIN CLARK, SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM TO SHUT UP AND DRIBBLE WHEN IT COMES TO TRANS SPORTS

McNabb understands why the Fever superstar has largely kept the focus on basketball rather than wading into another contentious issue.

"She gets a lot of backlash for literally no reason, from jealousy," McNabb said. "I could imagine not wanting more of that would probably be ideal."

Still, McNabb believes Clark's enormous influence makes her part of the Title IX debate whether she addresses it publicly or not.

"Whether Caitlin Clark likes it, she's a part of the conversation, and it would just mean so much to the next generation," McNabb said. "To all the little girls in the stands that are wearing number 22, it would mean a lot to them."

THESE FEMALE ATHLETES NEED TO SPEAK UP ABOUT KEEPING WOMEN'S SPORTS FOR WOMEN, LIKE SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM DID

Few voices in women's basketball, McNabb argues, could carry more weight.

"She's the best player in the WNBA, and for her to be able to take a stance and say something, that would be huge," McNabb said. "She's where she is today because of Title IX, and she needs to be able to acknowledge that and accept that and want that for the next generation of girls."

For McNabb, the issue remains deeply personal.

More than three years after the volleyball injury that changed her life, McNabb said her health has finally reached a significant turning point.

"The doctors didn't know if I would ever get back to how I was, and they said it could take three years before I could see real progress," McNabb said. "It's so weird, because it actually took exactly three years for me to see a difference in coming back and bouncing back with my health."

The teenager who once failed public speaking has since testified before Congress and become an Independent Women ambassador, using the injury that changed her life to try to prevent other girls from enduring the same thing.

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"I wasn't planning on going into politics, really had no idea what was going on at all," McNabb said. "I just had a genuine story that happened to a real person and affected a real family and community."

"I've really just tried to use the story to spread awareness in hopes no other girl has to go through what I went through."

Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela

Welcome to the latest edition of True Romance. It's the first Thursday of August and the Hall of Fame game takes place later today.

If that doesn't sound romantic to you, seek medical attention. I know it's not going to be a great game, but it's more about what the game represents.

Football is back, and we're still in the beginning stages of the season. The butterflies are there, and we haven’t been crushed by the team we love yet.

ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

It's a lot like a relationship. We haven’t reached that point where the butterflies are long gone, and we can't stand to be around one another but keep powering through for the kids. We'll get there.

Speaking of love and football, last week I congratulated Justin Herbert and Madison Beer on their engagement. Finally, a real love story in the NFL between a singer and a star player.

That was before the developments this week at Chargers training camp. I'm talking, of course, about the lack of focus on display by Herbert. He's not locked in. He's on the field after practice with his fiancée.

I get it. As a hopeless romantic, it pains me to say this, but the franchise quarterback can't look like he's part of a teenage couple at a summer job. Do this stuff away from the field.

NOTHING TO SEE HERE: COWBOYS QUARTERBACK DAK PRESCOTT AND HIS EX'S BRIDESMAID ARE JUST FRIENDS

Hit up an IKEA showroom bed if you want. Just like a couple, we'll get to in a second, but there's enough romance in football itself that there isn't a need to bring your significant other to work.

Let's get to less disappointing couples, shall we?

Go follow True Romance on Twitter and Facebook. Send your emails here: sean.joseph@outkick.com (anonymously if you prefer).

As promised, we're going to take a closer look at the couple who apparently decided that they needed to take an IKEA showroom bed for a test drive. An obvious case of letting romance get away from them.

The couple took their shoes off, got on the bed, and according to the Daily Star, were caught on camera as they "explored each other's bodies."

The two, who turned the showroom at the IKEA location in Taiwan into a different kind of showroom, "seemed completely lost in the moment," witnesses said.

The video taken by an understandably upset mom went viral on social media. She had no sympathy for the two who allowed romance to get the best of them on a showroom bed.

She did, however, have some solid advice to pass along to them. She wrote, "Go home, get in the car, or rent a room."

If only they had that advice ahead of time. Even a sign, one serving as a reminder, something to say, "Hey, this is a bed, but you're not in a home. Keep everything packed away until you get home, get in a car, or are able to rent a room."

The couple, while there reportedly hasn't been an official statement from IKEA or the local police, could find themselves in hot water under Taiwan's public indecency law.

Punishments of up to a year in prison or a fine could be heading their way. Even if that isn’t the case, we can always hope that a lesson is learned from this.

The lesson, others before them have had to learn, is about conducting such intimate business in much more private settings. It could be difficult for some to understand, but not everyone wants to watch you bump uglies.

Grab a sheet or get under the covers. Something.

Follow True Romance on Twitter and Facebook.

From one inappropriate setting for intimate business to another. School bus drivers in one Georgia county are under investigation for having sex while on the clock again.

Channel 2 Action News reports that Gwinnett County Public Schools has reopened an investigation after a school bus driver admitted under oath to having sex on a school bus with another bus driver.

Several other bus drivers for the county were aware of the allegations made against their coworkers and told the outlet that district officials were provided with "stone-cold evidence."

The allegations were initially investigated by the district in 2025. That investigation, according to Gwinnett County Public Schools, didn't find any of this so-called stone-cold evidence.

They said in a statement, "no evidence was found to substantiate the claims." Channel 2 was able to find some.

They obtained an audio recording allegedly of a female driver who said she met a man during work hours in a church parking lot. They positioned their buses so they would avoid being seen on their cameras.

If you take away the setting and boil it all down, it is a little romantic. They're putting in a lot of effort to spend time with one another. Effort that you don't always find with couples who aren't meeting up on the clock.

The male bus driver's testimony under oath confirmed that he was doing more than driving a bus on the clock. An attorney asked, "Some of the sexual acts actually took place at the workplace on the bus, correct?"

He, according to the local outlet, responded, "Yes."

Again, I don’t want to discourage romance. That's the last thing I want to do, but you can't drive off a cliff because the navigation told you to turn right.

You have to allow romance to lead you. We all know that. You also have to avoid those turns right off a cliff. Romance can be tricky.

How about secret kids and "surprise gifts?" There's that and there's bizarre eating and grooming habits.

If you had to pick, you may go with something more in the eating and grooming habits category. But those darkest secrets aren't any fun.

Let's have mistresses you don't know about until the divorce proceedings and cheating with his brother's girlfriends. Those are entertaining.

All that and more from the folks on Reddit who enjoy oversharing:

- not likely to love again writes:

I was married for 38 years. To my knowledge, quite happily. She is 11 years my junior. Right after my 70th birthday she dumped me like last night's meatloaf.

Turns out, she was knocked up as an underage teen by a married man. Her first "love." They decided to abort the result. She married him one year after throwing out our entire family (two grown kids).

Now, at 81, my only goal left in life is to out live her, so I can deficate on her grave.

Signed...not likely to love again.

SeanJo

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Romance is messy sometimes. If "not likely to love again" has his way, it will get a little messier before all is said and done. Best of luck to you.

- Anonymous writes:

Sean,

Ran across this lady on Instagram this week. She's hilarious. Even my wife thinks so.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Dal0702B2o8/

SeanJo

The instagram post wasn't embeddable, but she is funny and who doesn't want to hear about blue collar men flirting?

-------------

That's it for this week. I know the song isn't a perfect fit this week, but it will do. Keep the song of the week suggestions coming. You can reach me, anonymously if you prefer, at sean.joseph@outkick.com.

Barry Manilow canceled his Kentucky show on Tuesday just 45 minutes before it was scheduled to start.

"Due to unforeseen circumstances tonight’s show in Lexington has been rescheduled," Manilow, who was diagnosed with lung cancer last year, wrote on X ahead of the concert. No other explanation was given.

While some slammed Manilow as "disrespectful" for the late cancellation, others were quick to offer him words of encouragement.

BARRY MANILOW, 82, GIVES UPDATE ON HIS CANCER BATTLE AS HE CANCELS MORE TOUR DATES

"Sending hugs x take care and remember you must come first," one user wrote on X.

"I'm so sorry you've had to reschedule tonight's show," another added. "Please look after yourself Barry, sending much love and healing energy from across the pond."

In December, Manilow revealed he had been diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer after doctors discovered a cancerous spot on his left lung following a bout of bronchitis.

"As many of you know I recently went through six weeks of bronchitis followed by a relapse of another five weeks," Manilow wrote on Instagram at the time. "Even though I was over the bronchitis and back on stage at the Westgate Las Vegas, my wonderful doctor ordered an MRI just to make sure that everything was OK. The MRI discovered a cancerous spot on my left lung that needs to be removed. It's pure luck (and a great doctor) that it was found so early. That's the good news."

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"The bad news is that now that the Christmas A Gift of Love concerts are over I'm going into surgery to have the spot removed," he continued. "The doctors do not believe it has spread and I'm taking tests to confirm the diagnosis. So, that's it. No chemo. No radiation. Just chicken soup and I Love Lucy reruns."

In February, Manilow announced he was rescheduling additional February and March dates on the tour after a "very depressing visit" with his surgeon.

That same month, the "Copacabana" singer detailed a tough conversation he had with his doctor.

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"He said, ‘Barry, you won’t be ready to do a 90-minute show. Your lungs aren’t ready yet,’" Manilow continued.

"You’re in great shape considering what you’ve been through, but your body isn’t ready. You shouldn’t do the first arena shows. You won’t make it through."

Manilow continued, "I had a feeling he’d say that. Deep down… my body knew what my heart didn’t want to admit: I wasn’t ready... When I do come back, I will COME BACK!!!"

In May, Manilow announced that while he had to cancel his "Hits Come Home" residency dates that month at Westgate Resort in Las Vegas, he's "making great progress" with his lung cancer treatment and plans to return to the stage sooner rather than later.

"Good news! I went to the doctor yesterday and he said I’m making great progress and look great! Well of course I do! Thank you very much!" he wrote on X. "All the training and exercising I’ve put in is paying off."

"He did say, however, that I’m not quite ready for Vegas. That means I won’t be able to return for our May shows at @WestgateVegas. But the good news is he said I will be ready for my June arena shows in the UK. It’s going to be great to see you all in the UK. Westgate Las Vegas is my home away from home… and I’ll see you all in July. In the meantime… come to the UK! We’ll be there in June and hope you will be too! See you then… Barry."

Fox News Digital's Ashley Hume contributed to this post.

French trans basketball player Julie Tétart is waiting for a call from one of the inclusive WNBA teams who needs a 6'3 scoring and rebounding machine.

During the 2025-26 season for a club team in Monaco, Tétart dominated the second-tier French women's basketball Ligue 2 by dropping 21 points per game while grabbing 20 rebounds. The biological male, who came out as trans in October 2021, led the league in both categories. It was as season unlike any the Ligue 2 had ever seen.

With those numbers, the WNBA should be knocking down Tétart's door, right?

SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM SPEAKS OUT TO PROTECT GIRLS AS WNBA ALL-STAR INITIATIVE BACKS ‘GENDER-EXPANSIVE’ GROUP

"If they contact me, I won't say no. But you have to be realistic: I'm old, and there are far better players than me!" the overly humble 34-year-old Tétart told OutKick in French over Instagram direct messages on Monday.

Far better? Are you sure?

Tétart's season was so dominant that French media was stunned when the shredded center didn't win league MVP honors. The season was still good enough to win Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Domestic Player of the Year.

Woke WNBA fans swear there's no clear and present trans danger to biological women. They swear this is some sort of delusion cooked up by MAGA.

RILEY GAINES SAYS WNBA IS 'HELLBENT' ON BEING AN ACTIVIST ORGANIZATION OVER A BASKETBALL LEAGUE

Meanwhile, Tétart destroyed Ligue 2 so badly that there were collusion allegations being made against league captains and coaches who voted on the MVP award.

Those same voters are alleged to have excluded 43-year-old trans player Aurore Pautou (14.4 PPG, 7.7 RPG) from winning postseason awards. French trans groups are furious. "Despite top-tier athletic performance on the court during the 2025/2026 season by Julie and Aurore, voters for the Ligue 2 Féminine de Basket Awards deliberately decided not to grant them any awards," activist group TRANSpire cried on Instagram.

Former WNBA player Audrey Sauret, who's French, spoke out in April after the MVP drama and sounded a warning to leagues around the world as to what's coming if they don't protect biological females.

"Ligue 2 serves as a kind of testing ground, to introduce trendy ideas, but by allowing them to participate in professional competitions, we create unfair competition, especially for younger players," Sauret wrote. "This can close doors and discourage aspiring athletes. This situation risks becoming commonplace, even if it’s regulated. Men and women aren’t built the same way. Changing hormones doesn’t erase gender differences. I regret that this issue wasn’t addressed much sooner."

TRANS ATHLETE WINS NEW YORK STATE GIRLS' SHOT PUT TITLE, BEATING SECOND PLACE BY MORE THAN 2 FEET

During a March game that should've been a trans showdown, Tétart had 21 points and 30 rebounds, which was a new league record, breaking the previous record of 25 rebounds (Tétart held that record, as well), but Pautou didn't play.

The question we had for Tétart was simple: Would you ever consider trying out for the inclusive WNBA? The trans scoring and rebounding machine seemed confused at first before realizing we were 100% serious.

"Obviously, it's a childhood dream just like for any female basketball player, but unfortunately, it's not possible," the French native wrote back.

Wait a minute, why not? The WNBA is inclusive. What are we missing here?

WNBA COMMISSIONER VOWS TO CRACK DOWN ON 'RACISM, MISOGYNY,' DODGES BIG QUESTIONS AT ALL-STAR PRESS CONFERENCE

"The league, yes. The country, no, haha," Tétart fired back while hinting at some sort of problem with Donald Trump's presidency.

When pressed on what would need to change politically in the U.S., Tétart stopped playing games with me, finally admitting that if a WNBA call came, it would be time to talk business: "I won't say no."

As for Sophie Cunningham's stance that biological males need to stay out of women's sports, I gave Tétart a chance to respond. "Aucun," the French stat stuffer replied.

Translation: "None."

Imagine a Tétart vs. Cunningham matchup in 2027. It's time for the WNBA to once and for all prove just how inclusive it is. Tétart's DMs are wide open.

Netflix has replaced Kay Adams with former ESPN host Elle Duncan as its lead NFL studio host for the upcoming season.

On Monday, the streamer announced its studio team for the Week 1 broadcast on Sept. 10, when it will exclusively stream the 49ers vs. Rams from Melbourne, Australia. Duncan will host alongside desk analysts Michael Irvin, Nick Foles, and Clay Matthews.

While Netflix signed Duncan earlier this year to be the face of its sports division, there was at least some question about whether she'd also take over NFL hosting responsibilities, a role Adams held the past two seasons.

The decision is also questionable.

Kay Adams is a fan favorite and one of the best NFL hosts in the industry. If a network with NFL rights were building for the future, it'd likely rank Adams second only to ESPN's Laura Rutledge as its ideal lead host.

By contrast, Duncan is a toxic figure. She is best known at ESPN for reportedly convincing executives that Sage Steele was "not black enough" to participate in a social justice special, protesting Florida's "Don't Say Gay" law live on ESPN, and encouraging fathers to support their daughters' abortions from the SportsCenter set.

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

Last week, Duncan blamed Caitlin Clark and her fans for the ongoing turmoil surrounding the WNBA, just days after USA Today shamefully suggested Clark's on-court antics could lead to the lynching of Black people.

Duncan then criticized Clark for not telling fans not to "use her name" to spread hate, despite Clark doing exactly that.

"People should not be using my name to push those agendas. It's disappointing. It's not acceptable," Clark said in 2024. "Treating every single woman in this league with the same amount of respect, I think, it's just a basic human thing that everybody should do."

Notice Duncan hasn't called on Angel Reese to condemn those using her name to justify similar bigotry, namely the racially charged attacks directed at Clark and her fans.

Duncan is a bad-faith actress. She is dishonest. And her presence on Netflix inevitably politicizes the broadcast.

Netflix has already faced deserved criticism for its sports coverage, often turning live events into infomercials for its entertainment division.

ELLE DUNCAN BLAMES CAITLIN CLARK, HER FANS FOR MEDIA SMEAR CAMPAIGN WHILE IGNORING FACTS

Longtime sports radio host Dan Patrick criticized the company's approach during the Home Run Derby last month.

"I'd like to think I'm at least socially aware of sporting events, but I had no idea," Patrick said. "And then all of a sudden, it's like Netflix, and then you had Will Ferrell show up, you had Bonds and Pujols, and I'm like, OK. They're trying. Netflix is trying, trying different things. Now, sometimes you can try too hard. Sometimes you can try to dress something up, and you really don't need to."

Adams, at least, kept the focus on football, a sport she has covered for years. Duncan has little connection to the leagues Netflix carries, namely the NFL and MLB.

Fans will already be annoyed that they need yet another streaming service to watch Week 1 of the NFL season. Wait until they finally log in and hear Duncan screeching, probably about the fact that the Rams-49ers game features two White quarterbacks and head coaches.

Yes, she is one of those.

Adams is a good football host. Replacing her with Duncan raises questions about how much merit and audience preference factor into Netflix's programming decisions.

We suspect not much.