The 2026 NFL draft needs some juice because it simply doesn't have the stirring traits that typically turn drafts into memorable moments we recall decades later. What's missing?  There aren't a lot of big-name quarterbacks on the board. Outside of presumptive No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza — and even he's skipping the party in Pittsburgh next Thursday — we aren't having a 2024 redo when a record-tying six quarterbacks were selected in the first round. There's not enough talent to fill a future Pro Football Hall of Fame induction roster. Well, nobody is predicting this will rival the 1983 draft when seven future Hall of Famers were selected in the first round and eight players from the draft ended up in Canton. There's also no compelling story that captures the imagination. There is no polarizing Shedeur Sanders in this draft. No enigmatic Randy Moss. And no Laremy Tunsil once he donned his gasmask. The expectation for multiple trades is so high that even...

Americans will hear a lot of speeches this year marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence , but it’s hard to imagine anyone topping the one Justice Clarence Thomas delivered at the University of Texas at Austin. If one is inclined to believe that the majesty of our founding documents, and the ideals enshrined therein, still resonate in the hearts of Americans, then Justice Thomas’s speech was a clarion call to conscience, a summons to the courage and clarity that animated the American Revolution. Thomas praised Dean Justin Dyer and UT’s new School of Civic Leadership, saying it was his sincere hope that their work "to revitalize the teaching and research of Western civilization and the American constitutional tradition will lead the way in the reform of our nation’s colleges and universities" — a generous note of gratitude for those who labor, often anonymously, in the vineyards of civic virtue. Thomas’s reverence for the Declaration of Independence ...

President Donald Trump's push to extend the government's controversial warrantless surveillance powers suffered a minor setback early Friday morning after a group of conservative lawmakers rejected a compromise deal that would have extended the program for five years while incorporating some minor reforms intended to appease GOP privacy hawks. Shortly before 2 a.m. Friday, the House of Representatives approved a two-week extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), giving lawmakers until April 30 to reach a deal. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., voiced confidence that his conference can come to an agreement by the end of the month. "We were very close tonight. There's some nuances with the language and some questions that need to be answered and we'll get it done. The extension allows us the time to do that," he said. JOHNSON FACES GOP REVOLT OVER WARRANTLESS SURVEILLANCE POWERS AHEAD OF KEY VOTE The short-term FISA ext...

Bravo Sarah Isgur. And thank you. The "bravo" is for Isgur’s new book: "Last Branch Standing: A Potentially Surprising, Occasionally Witty Journey Inside Today’s Supreme Court ." Isgur is a superb communicator, a Harvard Law School-trained lawyer and a practiced observer of the Court as she and New York Times columnist David French demonstrate with every episode of their much listened-to podcast "Advisory Opinions."  If Isgur has a discernible judicial philosophy/ideology, it’s probably best described as a merger of Chief Justice John Robert’s and Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s, with a dash of the other four "conservatives" on the Court thrown in.  But as Isgur explains at length and in useful detail, every label used in every discussion of the Court is at least very oversimplified and usually misleading. She’s Sarah Isgur. She runs on common sense, good humor and an appreciation for the complexity of Supreme Court proceedings. If you want to kno...

The leaked hot tub photos were embarrassing, no question about it. There was NFL reporter Dianna Russini of the New York Times – part of its sports unit The Athletic – getting quite cozy with New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel. Other shots obtained by the New York Post’s Page Six showed the pair, who are both married, locked in an embrace on the roof of a private bungalow, and holding hands at a luxury hotel in Sedona, Ariz . More details in a moment, but the bottom line is a tale most foul, as familiar as civilization itself. DIANNA RUSSINI RESIGNS FROM THE ATHLETIC AMID MIKE VRABEL CONTROVERSY The woman takes the fall, and nothing happens to the guy. Russini was forced to resign from the Times, and Vrabel, for now, has emerged unscathed. This is not to suggest that Russini is some innocent victim. She is absolutely tone-deaf about the seriousness of what she has done. She covers the Patriots ! That is, along with the league’s other teams. On what planet is this not out o...

Two people were taken into custody on Wednesday after a shooting that killed a 15-year-old and wounded two others in what police described as a gang-related shooting at Eisenhower Park on Long Island in New York . The shooting occurred around 8:20 p.m. near Hempstead Turnpike and Merrick Avenue, the Nassau County Police Department said. Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder told reporters that gang members saw an invitation on social media for a barbecue at the park, according to CBS New York. MAN CHARGED IN FATAL SHOOTING OF US MARINE IN NORTH CAROLINA HAD CRIMINAL RECORD SPANNING THREE DECADES Two people then became involved in an argument and shots were fired, Ryder said. Three people, including the 15-year-old boy, were struck by gunfire. The three victims were transported to a local hospital, where the teenager was pronounced dead . TEEN GIRL GUNNED DOWN IN POSH CHICAGO ENCLAVE AS POLICE RUSH TO NAB HER KILLER The two other victims were listed in stable condition,...

Donald Trump is nothing if not impulsive – and there’s often a method to his seeming madness. At times that means going way over the line – consciously, deliberately – and at others it’s just rash. Whether he’s dealing with Iran, the Epstein files, mass deportation or the leader of the Catholic Church, the president busts through the usual guardrails of decency and compassion. I know this is often intentional, because the president has acknowledged it to me. Ripping others may bring him negative publicity, but Trump doesn’t mind that if it gets the pundits and the public chattering about the issue he wants driving the media agenda. EX-TRUMP ALLY MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE JOINS LEFT-WING CALLS FOR THE 25TH AMENDMENT AS IRAN DEADLINE NEARS Trump posting a user’s AI image of himself as Jesus Christ , healing a patient with glowing hands – and adding a demon in the background – was such a fiasco that he deleted it 12 hours later, which he almost never does. It was striking to hear him b...