On a notable Monday, Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic contender for the Michigan Senate seat, stood firm on a controversial comment he had made about Senator John Fetterman from Pennsylvania during their last debate before the upcoming primary election.

Throughout his campaign against Representative Haley Stevens of Michigan, El-Sayed has been vocal about his strong opposition to Israel. During the debate, a past Zoom meeting remark was highlighted: El-Sayed had labeled Fetterman, a committed advocate of Israel, as an “ogre” whom he figuratively wished to see “on a pike.”

Moderating the discussion, Roop Raj from Fox 2 News, Detroit, noted, “That statement seemed to rattle many and brought up a significant issue regarding the tone you’ve been criticized for in this race.”

Raj then posed a direct question, “Do you have any regrets about the comments you’ve made?” offering El-Sayed an opportunity to retract his previous harsh words.

El-Sayed, a former health official, instead of backtracking, reinforced his critique of the Pennsylvania senator, showing no signs of backing down from his stance.

“I was referring to a guy named John Fetterman, who’s a senator from Pennsylvania who has done terrible things,” El-Sayed said.  

“He got elected on a set of values and is now completely throwing those values in the mud,” the Senate hopeful continued.

“And I do think it’s important for any senator in Michigan to have a relationship with folks who are in the US Senate, and if those folks are not actually acting in accordance with what they got elected on, I think it’s important for all of us to have an honest opinion about what we’re going to do to make sure that our Senate looks like the people it represents.”

During the Zoom call with Democratic donors, audio of which was obtained by Politico, El-Sayed argued that Fetterman should face a primary challenge in 2028 and, if successful, it would serve as a warning to Democrats who don’t tow the party line.  

“Primarying people like John Fetterman, I have no problem to do that,” he said on the call. “Ideally you put one ogre on a pike, and then everyone else gets the message, and all of a sudden starts to sound a lot different.” 

Fetterman, who is 6 feet 8 inches tall and has often been mocked over his physical appearance, responded by telling the outlet: “I pick being Senator Shrek over being the Pontiac Platner any day.” 

Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary election will be held on August 4.

In Massachusetts, a somber murder trial unfolded as a mother, accused of the unthinkable—strangling her three young children—broke down in tears. The courtroom was gripped by emotional testimony delivered by her ex-husband.

Lindsay Clancy, age 35, stands trial for the alleged murder of her three children: five-year-old Cora, three-year-old Dawson, and eight-month-old Callan. The chilling events transpired in their Duxbury home in January 2023.

While Clancy does not dispute the tragic deaths, she has entered a plea of not guilty.

She argues that she was not mentally responsible at the time due to suffering from postpartum psychosis, which she claims was exacerbated by a potent mix of medications prescribed for her depression.

Her attempt to end her own life failed, yet it resulted in life-altering consequences, leaving her paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair.

Her murder trial opened on Monday with the defense and the prosecution presenting vastly different descriptions of Clancy and her actions on the day she killed her children.

The prosecution argued the killings were intentional and well planned, while Clancy’s lawyers claimed she was suffering a mental health crisis. 

Her ex-husband, Patrick Clancy, was the first witness called to the stand, where he often became overwhelmed with emotion while talking about his children. 

‘Cora was into princesses. She had a lot of friends. She just liked taking care of people,’ he said while becoming choked up and breathing heavily.

Speaking about Dawson, the grieving father said: ‘He was into firefighters and trucks. He liked Paw Patrol.’

When asked to describe eight-month-old Callan, he said: ‘He was a happy baby.’

As Patrick spoke, his ex-wife grabbed a tissue and covered her face with her hair.

Patrick, who has since remarried, has publicly forgiven Clancy and is expected to testify in her defense.

He has filed a wrongful death lawsuit accusing multiple doctors and healthcare providers of overmedicating his wife and causing her to spiral out of control.

On the stand, Patrick then described his final moments in the house before he left to pick up the takeout food that Clancy had ordered on the day of the murders.

‘I came upstairs, I took Callan for a minute. I rocked him by my knees, kissed Cora on the head, and I said I’ll be right back,’ Patrick said.

He said Dawson was eating chicken nuggets on the couch when he left.

When Patrick returned from collecting the food, Clancy had strangled the children with exercise bands, then used multiple methods to try to end her own life.

In his opening statements, Clancy’s defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, described her as a loving mother who struggled with mental illness. 

He displayed graphic images of Clancy’s injuries to push back on the state’s previous comments that it was a ‘fake suicide attempt.’

‘You’re going to hear evidence that she flung and threw herself out the window, striking her head on the ground, causing what is known as a Jefferson fracture of her neck,’ he said.

‘She shattered, exploded her thoracic spine. Shattered her cervical spine first disc. Broke every rib.’

The images included photos of Clancy’s cuts on her neck and wrist, as well as photos of her in the hospital.

The Daily Mail is not reproducing them because of their disturbing nature. Other images showed splattered blood around the house. 

However, the prosecution used its opening statement to argue that Clancy was not suffering psychosis when she killed her children.

‘This is not a case about the Lindsay Clancy that sits before you today. This case is about the Lindsay Clancy on January 24, 2023, at the time of the crimes,’ said Plymouth Assistant District Attorney Shanan Buckingham.

‘This was not a woman in the throes of psychosis on January 24, 2023. This was a woman who acted intentionally, rationally and swiftly to achieve a very specific goal. To kill.

‘The evidence will show you she was not psychotic that day.’

Patrick testified that Clancy started showing signs of anxiety in September 2022, about a month before she was supposed to return to work after giving birth to Callan.

He said that she did not exhibit signs that made him want to commit her to a psychiatric facility, but added she was under a lot of stress.

Patrick also testified that  Clancy told him she started experiencing thoughts of hurting their children and herself, and when she began a new medication in December 2022, she began to spiral.

‘That was really where her big spiral started. She started to lose a lot of weight, and she became very depressed. She was having a really hard time,’ Patrick said.

‘She described thoughts of hurting the kids or them having some sort of ailment.’

‘She was very nervous that when Cora had a stomach ache, she became overly worried that she had a liver problem or something much more dramatic than it was.’

He added, ‘I never saw Lindsay harm the kids.’

If you or someone you know needs help, please call or text the confidential 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US on 988. There is also an online chat available at 988lifeline.org.

In a captivating scene at Santa Cruz beach, a child was caught in treacherous, tsunami-like waves, triggering an urgent rescue by a courageous teenage lifeguard.

Fillings hearts with both awe and gratitude, the brave effort belonged to a mere 16-year-old high schooler, hailed by those present as a true hero. According to NBC Bay Area, witnesses identified the guardian angel as Ryder. A woman, asserting to be his mother, confirmed his name in a heartfelt social media post.

Reports also indicate that the child Ryder saved from the clutches of the ocean is estimated to be around 10 years old.

Stunning footage shows the electrifying moments as beachgoers, along with another lifeguard, scrambled to reach the child. However, the relentless waves proved overpowering, submerging their attempts beneath their force.

“It caught a lot of people off-guard,” Vander Dussen, who filmed the video, said. “Unfortunately, this young man was overwhelmed and swept out in just a moment’s time.”

In the video, the 16-year-old lifeguard was seen diving into the water and battling powerful swells to bring the child back to shore.

Wave after wave, Ryder appeared to strategically gulp air before ducking beneath each crashing breaker.

He would then emerge each time still gripping tightly to the child.

As the pair kept getting swallowed by the waves, multiple beachgoers attempted to help, often without success.

The lifeguard ultimately pulled the boy onto shore. According to NBC Bay Area, the child was reunited with his family and was evaluated by paramedics.

Witnesses commenting on the video said the struggle against the waves lasted much longer than the footage shows, adding that Ryder never let go of the child despite the relentless surf.

Ryder’s mother, thanking supporters for the outpouring of praise, responded to requests for a GoFundMe page by saying her son was simply doing what he loves.

“I am blown away by the love, kindness, gratitude and respect you’re sending his way!” she said.

“A few people have asked about a GoFundMe – but honestly he was just doing the job that he absolutely loves.”

Instead, she encouraged those wishing to support Ryder to donate to the Santa Cruz County Parks Department’s Junior Guards program, where she said Ryder and many of his fellow lifeguards trained before becoming old enough to serve.

She also argued that lifeguards should be recognized as first responders because of the dangerous surf conditions they face along the Santa Cruz coastline.

Eric Trump also reposted the rescue video with praise.

“Give this 16-year-old lifeguard the highest civilian honor. This is truly the best of America! Well done!,” he said.

Vita Vea’s recent request for a trade has opened up a tantalizing possibility for the San Francisco 49ers to engage in talks with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

According to the NFL Network, Vea’s decision stems from stalled negotiations over a contract extension. As he approaches the last year of his contract, carrying a hefty $17 million base salary, the two-time Pro Bowler presents San Francisco with a golden opportunity to bolster one of their more precarious positions with a player renowned for his impact.

It seems that the 49ers could align with Vea’s preferences. Football analyst Ted Nguyen shared via X, referencing a source, that Vea has expressed a desire to join a team in California or potentially the Raiders. Returning to the Bay Area would likely be an attractive prospect for Vea, who previously attended Milpitas High School before being drafted 12th overall in 2018.

The most compelling reason for San Francisco to consider adding Vea is straightforward yet powerful: Last season, he nearly equaled the pressure production of the entire 49ers interior defensive line.

In 2025, San Francisco’s defensive tackles collectively amassed just 45 pressures, ranking them 25th in the league. Their pressure rate of 7.76% placed them at 31st, allowing quarterbacks an easy escape whenever their edge rushers like Nick Bosa managed to break through from the outer flanks.

Vea generated 44 pressures on 479 pass-rushing snaps, including 4.5 sacks, 13 quarterback hits and 31 hurries. His 9.19% pressure rate and 9.39% pass-rush win rate placed him among the league’s most disruptive interior defenders.

That production was not an outlier.

Vea recorded 49 pressures, seven sacks, 13 quarterback hits and 10 tackles for loss in 2024. His 10.96% pressure rate ranked among the top 10% of interior defensive linemen.

At 6-foot-4 and 347 pounds, Vea is far more than a traditional run-stuffing nose tackle. He can overwhelm single blockers, absorb double teams and collapse the pocket on passing downs. He has also produced at least 15 third-down pressures in each of the past two seasons while showing the versatility to execute stunts and loops across the defensive front.

He would strengthen the run defense as well. The 49ers allowed 4.06 yards per carry on runs through the A and B gaps, but Vea would give them a true multi-gap anchor.

San Francisco’s current interior options have upside, but none combines Vea’s production, power and availability.

Alfred Collins generated 10 pressures on 281 pass-rushing snaps last season, producing a 3.56% pressure rate before dealing with a shoulder injury. Mykel Williams is recovering from a Week 9 ACL tear and will likely miss the first month of the season, while Bosa is attempting to return from his own season-ending knee injury.

Vea’s durability therefore carries added value. The 31-year-old has missed only three games over the past three seasons and played all 17 in 2025, logging 827 defensive snaps. More than half of his 21 career absences came during the 2020 season because of a major ankle injury.

San Francisco’s depth could also help preserve him. The 49ers could rotate Vea with Osa Odighizuwa, Collins and their younger tackles before featuring him on third downs and in the red zone.

The need becomes even more urgent when considering the NFC West.

The Rams strengthened their secondary and added Myles Garrett, while speculation continues about a potential Aaron Donald return. Seattle won the Super Bowl behind Mike Macdonald’s defense, and both rivals should field dangerous offenses in 2026.

The likely trade cost should not end the conversation. Veteran defensive tackles seeking new contracts typically command Day 2 compensation. Seattle, for example, sent a second-round pick and a fifth-rounder to acquire Leonard Williams.

Few trades could elevate the 49ers’ defense as quickly.

And nothing would elevate the 49ers Super Bowl chances more than adding pass rush juice.

Earlier this month, the ever-charismatic Ryan Reynolds took center stage at Fanatics Fest in New York City. Amid the electric atmosphere of enthusiastic Marvel enthusiasts, he delivered news that thrilled the crowd: the much-anticipated return of his beloved, sarcastic alter ego, Deadpool.

And what an exciting return it promises to be. The upcoming film marks the fourth chapter in the phenomenally popular Deadpool series, which already includes the breakout 2016 film, its 2018 sequel, and 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine—a franchise that has collectively raked in nearly $3 billion across the globe.

Yet this exciting announcement also served as a strategic diversion from the ongoing drama surrounding Reynolds’ wife, actress Blake Lively. She is currently embroiled in a legal battle with her former It Ends With Us colleague, Justin Baldoni, which has become a public spectacle.

While Lively has been navigating one challenge after another as the controversy unfolds, Reynolds, despite his own entanglement due to being named in Baldoni’s now-dismissed defamation case, seems to be forging ahead with unyielding momentum.

“He’s amassed a formidable reputation over the years and exerts significant influence in Hollywood circles – a fact well known to those around him,” a Hollywood insider revealed to the Daily Mail.

‘Ryan makes people so much money, which is why his businesses don’t seem to be affected by the lawsuit.’ 

Lively, 38, sued Baldoni, 42, and his Wayfarer Studios production company in December 2024 for alleged sexual harassment on the set of It Ends With Us and defamation.

Baldoni responded the following month with a $400 million defamation lawsuit against Lively, Reynolds and the New York Times, which had first published her claims. All parties denied the allegations against them.

Then, in October 2025, a judge dismissed Baldoni’s case. In May of this year, after a judge dismissed most of Lively’s claims, she agreed to settle the matter and later requested that Baldoni pay her more than $8 million in legal fees, which he has called ‘excessive.’

Still, Reynolds, 49, did not emerge from his wife’s contentious legal battle completely unscathed. 

As the Baldoni drama hit fever pitch in late 2025, Paramount – despite its first-look deal with Reynolds’ production company Maximum Effort – dropped three Reynolds-linked projects amid Paramount’s August 2025 merger with Skydance, which prompted a shake-up of the studio’s film slate.

Those included Area 51, a sci-fi film produced by Reynolds and directed by Colin Trevorrow; a Ferris Bueller’s Day Off spin-off; and Eloise, a children’s book adaptation that has since moved to Netflix. 

‘There are some studios who are still stepping back from Ryan,’ one studio executive told the Daily Mail. ‘They think he’s a really nice guy and a great actor. He’s actually really pleasant to work with. But his fee is high and they don’t want to deal with the baggage in the press that he comes with right now because of the lawsuit.’

They added: ‘That’s not to say that there aren’t some people that don’t mind, but there are definitely still companies distancing themselves from him at the moment because of his wife.’

A separate insider, who has worked with Reynolds on a handful of productions, echoed the sentiment, saying: ‘There’s no question the situation has dented his image to an extent, but Ryan is confident he’ll recover more quickly the more he focuses on his own projects and lets his work speak for itself.’

And while Reynolds has quietly distanced himself from his Aviation American Gin, trimming the company’s name from his Instagram bio, the brand itself also seems to have hit a rough patch, with the Oregon distillery and visitor center shutting down this month after only three years. 

Even so, Reynolds has hardly been left outside the velvet rope. Warner Bros, Amazon, Netflix and Disney are still backing Maximum Effort-produced projects like Animal Friends, Aunt Roxie, Rachel Nevada, Boy Band and Reality Vice.

As one source close to Maximum Effort put it: ‘His production company still operates as status quo. It doesn’t seem like people are unwilling to work with him from a film perspective.’

Indeed, Maximum Effort still has its first-look deal with Paramount through the end of 2026, with more titles yet to be announced. 

Meanwhile, Reynolds, for his part, is still hoping the blowback from Lively’s legal dispute doesn’t haunt him. 

‘Ryan believes that over time he’ll be able to separate his films, business ventures, and public image from Blake’s legal issues,’ said our source who worked on productions with Reynolds. ‘In his eyes, much of the public fatigue is centered on the dispute itself and the people directly involved, while he still maintains a great deal of goodwill and respect within Hollywood.

‘While the ongoing legal battle has had some impact on him simply through association, the bigger career fallout has been on her side.’

Lively has had a far rougher ride, with the rancorous battle apparently taking a toll on her career and leaving her detached from projects she was once very much connected to.

Her turn as Lily Bloom in It Ends with Us was meant to be the big comeback after stepping away from acting to raise the couple’s children: daughters James, 11, Inez, nine, Betty, six, and three-year-old son Olin.

Before that, she had been building her own empire behind the scenes, co-founding production company B for Effort with Kate Vorhoff in March 2020 under her married name, Blake Reynolds.

Lively, who held the roles of CEO, CFO and secretary, then announced a slew of TV and film projects – Dark Days at the Magna Carta, The Making Of, Lady Killer and We Used to Live Here – but most of them never made it off the treatment page, with IMDb updates stuck at January 2025.

The stall wasn’t limited to those in-house projects. She was once attached to sci-fi thriller Proxy, but she is no longer listed on the project. Then came Seconds, the graphic novel adaptation she was announced to direct in 2022, with a completed script yet no update since January 2025.

Even The Husband’s Secret has turned into a bit of a mystery of its own. Lively was announced for the lead years ago, but in August 2024, author Liane Moriarty appeared to pour cold water on that casting, telling The Kyle and Jackie O Show: ‘Blake Lively was attached to it, but I don’t know if she’s now detached.’

The only project that actually seems to be moving is The Survival List, the rom-com she will star in and produce.

Meanwhile, her consumer brands also seem to have taken a hit, with Betty Booze and Blake Brown reportedly suffering major setbacks after facing public backlash the last two years.

Lively herself said in her original lawsuit that Blake Brown suffered ‘depressed retail sales by 56–78 percent’ after what she described as a ‘social manipulation campaign.’ Betty Booze also vanished from the Whole Foods coolers that once stocked it, while her non-alcoholic mixer brand Betty Buzz was quietly shuttered.

Even her personal life suffered a blow after popstar Taylor Swift – once one of Lively’s best pals and the godmother to her children – was dragged into the drama. 

Baldoni claimed Lively tried to intimidate him when Swift, 36 – who allowed her 2020 track My Tears Ricochet to be used in the movie – turned up at a private meeting about edits Lively had made to a scene.

Unsealed text messages filed in the case then made things even uglier, showing Lively asking Swift to endorse a revised version of the script, with Swift allegedly replying: ‘I’ll do anything for you!!’

Other messages allegedly showed the women scheming to help Lively usurp Baldoni, with Swift referring to him as a ‘b***h’ who got out his ‘tiny violin.’

And more explosive texts from Baldoni’s complaint revealed Lively had called Swift her ‘dragon’ in a bid to intimidate him over the doomed film.

By the time the legal matter was settled, the damage was already done. Swift has been trying to keep her distance from the scandal – and Lively – ever since. 

That has included icing the Gossip Girl star out of her inner circle, with her husband Travis Kelce unfollowing Reynolds on Instagram. And neither Lively nor Reynolds were in attendance at Swift’s Madison Square Garden wedding on July 3.

Though, despite it all, Reynolds is still keeping his chin up.

‘He doesn’t view this as a situation where his own actions have put his career in jeopardy. Rather, he sees himself as a husband who has supported his wife through a difficult chapter,’ said the insider who has worked with Reynolds.

Of course, he has no intention of talking about it publicly, per the insider, but he will do what he needs to do to get audiences back onside – especially the ones who may have soured on Lively.

And that could mean leaning hard on his crown jewel: Deadpool.

‘From his perspective and Hollywood execs, all it would take is another Deadpool film or a well-received comedy or action project for audiences to fully embrace him again,’ the insider continued.

But Reynolds also knows he can’t exactly make a clean break. After all, he is still firmly hitched to Lively.

‘He knows it’s a delicate balancing act, but he believes it’s entirely possible to move forward professionally while remaining loyal to Blake,’ they said.

‘And despite everything that’s happened, he’s optimistic that, given enough time, both of their careers will eventually find solid footing again.’

The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Lively and Reynolds for comment.