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How Saudi Arabia’s crown prince became a central player in US-brokered peace talks between Russia and Ukraine

Saudi Arabia has emerged as a central player in the pursuit of a U.S.-brokered peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, in large part due to the political capital it wields with its massive oil reserves.

President Donald Trump suggested Riyadh as a meeting place to kick off face-to-face talks between himself and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin agreed the location was acceptable. To some it might seem a curious choice, but the Middle Eastern kingdom has reasons to involve itself in finding an end to the conflict happening thousands of miles from its borders.

For Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, mediating peace negotiations would help to solidify his standing as a global leader. It also offers him a leg up on Qatar, which was heavily involved in negotiations between Israel and Hamas. Qatar has also, since 2023, helped facilitate the return of dozens of Ukrainian children taken to Russia during the war.

Trump cited both his and Putin’s relationship with the Saudis in his remarks. “We know the crown prince, and I think it’d be a very good place to be,” he said.

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Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS)

It’s why Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff has taken a front-row seat to the U.S. dealings in Eastern Europe. Witkoff jetted off to Moscow this week and returned home with Marc Fogel, an American teacher who had been detained by the Kremlin on charges of bringing medical marijuana into Russia in 2021. Witkoff credited Prince Mohammed for his “instrumental” role in mediating the release.

Trump said in a Truth Social post Wednesday he’d designated Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of the CIA John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and Witkoff to lead peace negotiations but failed to mention the special envoy he originally hired for the task, retired Gen. Keith Kellogg. The post came after he spoke by phone with both Putin and Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelenskyy.

The Saudi kingdom is the largest exporter of oil in the world and plays a critical role in setting global prices. Higher oil prices generate more revenue for the Kremlin from Russia’s own exports.

In 2024, Russia made $108.22 billion from oil and gas sales, 26% more than the previous year, according to Reuters.

Trump suggested Riyadh as a meeting place to kick off face-to-face talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Mikhail Metzel/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump has repeatedly pressed nations in the OPEC alliance to flood the market with oil and lower the global price, believing Russia would be more open to negotiations if its war coffers are hit.

“Right now the price is high enough that that war will continue,” Trump told executives at the World Economic Forum at Davos last month.

“You got to bring down the oil price,” he said. “That will end that war. You could end that war.”

The Trump team is far closer to the Saudis than the Biden administration was, though relations may strain over Trump’s plan to move Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip and into neighboring nations and take over the territory. Still, bin Salman has pledged to invest as much as $600 billion in the U.S. over the next four years.

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Trump and Zelenskyy (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Trump, who spoke to bin Salman just ahead of his Davos remarks, said he would be asking “the Crown Prince, who’s a fantastic guy, to round it out to around $1 trillion.”

The Saudis and Ukraine have a common enemy in Iran, which has long been providing Russia with Shahed drones and other munitions.

“The [Iran-backed] Houthis have deployed Iranian weaponry against Saudi Arabia, targeting critical infrastructure, including oil pipelines and airports,” said Daniel Balson of the advocacy group Razom for Ukraine. “In fact, repeated Houthi attacks against highly urbanized targets like Khamis Mushait in Saudi Arabia have served as a prelude for Russia’s use of drone warfare against Ukrainian cities.”

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In May 2023, bin Salman invited Zelenskyy to speak at a meeting of Arab leaders in Jeddah. Later that year, Zelenskyy and bin Salman held closed-door talks with diplomats from 40 countries on ending the war, but Russia did not participate.

Putin thanked Saudi Arabia in August for its role in negotiating the most extensive prisoner swap since the Cold War, securing the release of 26 people.

February 14, 2025
Ex-UConn basketball player, 28, charged with murdering mother

A former college basketball player has been arrested in Florida and charged with the murder of his 51-year-old mother, who was found wrapped in a blanket in the backyard of a Jacksonville home, police said Tuesday.

Eric Christopher Cobb, 28, was arrested and booked into the Duval County Jail and is facing one count of murder in the second degree after police say he was caught attempting to flee a home where his mother appeared to have been fatally shot.

Connecticut Huskies forward Eric Cobb holds up his jersey and is honored before the game against the Temple Owls at Gampel Pavilion on March 7, 2019. (David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports)

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said it responded to a “disturbing scene” in the Mid-Westside area on Monday where they discovered Erika Winford “unresponsive, wrapped in a blanket and towels in the backyard” of the residence.

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Law enforcement said Winford appeared to have suffered a gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Cobb was arrested shortly after while attempting to flee the home, the sheriff’s office said.

According to the CT Post, neighbors reported hearing multiple gunshots and a woman screaming on the previous night. The following day, a friend of the victim came to the home to check on her after not being able to get in contact with her. When she arrived at the home, she found large areas of blood outside the home and what appeared to be a body wrapped in a blanket.

Arizona Wildcats guard Dylan Smith (3) passes the ball against Connecticut Huskies forward Eric Cobb (0) in the second half at XL Center on Dec. 2, 2018. (David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports)

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“Your JSO will work closely with the State Attorney’s Office to seek justice for Ms. Winford’s family in the wake of this tragic crime,” law enforcement said in a news release.

Cobb played basketball at the University of Connecticut from 2017-2019. In his junior year, he had five starts in 15 games, averaging 1.7 points and 2.7 rebounds. The following year, he appeared in 32 games, averaging 3.7 points and 3.8 rebounds.

He previously played one season at South Carolina where he appeared in 24 games and averaged 1.1 points and 1.9 rebounds.

Connecticut Huskies head coach Dan Hurley talks with forward Eric Cobb (0) as they take on the Cincinnati Bearcats in the first half at XL Center on Feb. 24, 2019. (David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports)

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According to online records, Cobb remains in custody awaiting trial.

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February 13, 2025
Suns’ Kevin Durant becomes 8th player in NBA history to score 30,000 points in loss to the Grizzlies

Kevin Durant continues to etch his name into NBA history books.

Durant, 36, became the eighth player in NBA history to score 30,000 points when he hit a free throw late in the third quarter in the Phoenix Suns’ 119-122 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday.

Durant joins LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki and Wilt Chamberlain in the 30,000-point club.

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Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant salutes fans after scoring his 30,000th career point during the Memphis Grizzlies game at Footprint Center. (Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images)

Julius Erving also surpasses the 30,000-point mark when you combine his points scored in the NBA and ABA.

“It’s a true honor to be in the same category as those players who helped shape the game and pushed the game forward,” Durant said. “That’s always been my goal is to get the most out of myself every day, get the most out of my career. To be mentioned with those guys, I must be doing something right.”

The 14-time All-Star is averaging just over 27 points per game this season, shooting a fantastic 52.8% from the field and 40.4% from beyond the arc.

Durant, listed at 6-foot-11, has carved up defenses his entire 17-year career with supreme shooting ability while also dominating in the paint.

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Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant and Suns forward Kevin Durant shake hands after their game, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

The four-time scoring champion was drafted by the Seattle Supersonics with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft and has lived up to the hype.

In nine seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder franchise, he scored 17,566 points. In three seasons with the Golden State Warriors, he scored 5,374 points.

During three seasons with the Brooklyn Nets, he scored 3,744 points, and with the Suns he has scored 3,324 points over three seasons in Phoenix.

Durant won the MVP in 2013-2014 when he led the league in scoring, averaging 32 points per game.

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Memphis Grizzlies forward GG Jackson guards Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant at Footprint Center. (Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images)

“It’s special for everyone who’s around him every day,” Suns coach Mike Budenholzer said. “I think we’re amazed by him, the way he comes to work, the time he puts in, the attention to detail, the effort. It’s translated to 30,000 points. He’s just a special player and a special human being.”

Durant scored 34 points on 12-18 shooting in the Suns’ loss.

The Suns are 11th in the Western Conference at 26-27 and will look to turn things around when they play the Houston Rockets at 8:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Ryan Canfield is a digital production assistant for Fox News Digital.

February 13, 2025
Steelers player makes it clear he wants Aaron Rodgers to stay away from Pittsburgh

Aaron Rodgers’ impending departure from the New York Jets has his future in the NFL up in the air.

Rodgers played his best football down the stretch of the 2024 season, but New York only won five games as he returned from a torn Achilles injury. FOX Sports reported on Sunday the Jets told Rodgers they would move on from him – whether it is a trade or an outright cut.

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New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, #8, throws against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

There would only be a few teams where Rodgers could realistically go and start. The Pittsburgh Steelers are among the handful of teams that will have a decision to make with their quarterback situation – do they bring back Russell Wilson or Justin Fields or do they turn their attention to the free-agent market and go after someone like Rodgers?

Steelers safety DeShon Elliott made clear he does not want Rodgers in black and gold.

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Pittsburgh Steelers safety DeShon Elliott, #25, reacts as he take the field against the Baltimore Ravens at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on Nov. 17, 2024. (Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images)

Elliott responded to an Instagram post that said Rodgers was a betting favorite to land in Pittsburgh.

“Leave his a– at the retirement home,” he wrote before apparently deleting it.

The NFL world made sure to screenshot the remark before it went away.

Rodgers has yet to say one way or the other that he will play one more season. He will turn 42 next December.

The 10-time Pro Bowler had 3,897 passing yards, 28 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions in his lone full season with the Jets.

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, #8, spins the ball on his finger during warmups before a game against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium. (Brad Penner-Imagn Images)

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He has not thrown for at least 4,000 yards since the 2021 season with the Green Bay Packers.

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

February 12, 2025
Ex-NY Giants player is helping deported migrants in Guatemala, blames Biden for the problem

EXCLUSIVE: Retired New York Giants safety Jack Brewer and his global ministry are on the ground in Guatemala City this week, helping officials receive migrant families deported from the U.S., providing food, support and prayer as they essentially start life anew.

Brewer and his Jack Brewer Foundation have years of experience working in impoverished areas of the world like Haiti, Malawi and Central America, which Brewer said has allowed him to work closer than most and interact with the returning families.

While it is President Donald Trump and border czar Tom Homan enforcing U.S. law and deporting illegal immigrants, Brewer said it is clear former President Joe Biden’s “broken” policies are truly to blame for the heartache and hardship.

“Three years ago, I started to follow the fatherlessness crisis that is happening right here in Guatemala, where a lot of men were leaving their households and coming to Joe Biden’s open borders – and just seeing it literally devastate families.”

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Jack Brewer on the Giants’ sideline in 2004. (Getty)

Brewer said Guatemala was losing much of its workforce and that a lot of those poor families trying to get to the U.S. actually did not know a “legal” immigration route existed, and they instead took the cartels and others at their word and paid thousands of dollars to be trafficked north.

“They’ve been told by coyotes and different people that you can just come [to the U.S.], and if you come here, if you bring your child, they’ll just let you in,” Brewer said.

“And so, you know, there’s a huge education gap there on the ground.”

Brewer also met with Raul Berrios from CONAMIGUA – the National Council for Attention to Migrants of Guatemala – as well as Sergio Samuel Vela-Lopez, head of the Guatemala Penitentiary Department.

Berrios, Lopez and others are trying to create an effective system for welcoming the migrants and processing those who are innocent families versus those who may have criminal records or other issues requiring government attention, according to Brewer.

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Former NFL safety Jack Brewer hands out food and supplies to deported migrants in Guatemala. (Jack Brewer Foundation)

Many families returning to the capital city live hundreds of miles into the countryside and have no established way of getting there. Some buses, however, have been hired to take migrants closer to home, and Brewer visited one of them and spoke to its driver.

“It’s really a unique perspective, I think, and just some of the things that we’ve witnessed since we’ve been here,” he said, adding stories ranged from familial hardships to reports that more than a dozen people have been burnt alive by Mexican cartels for failing to pay for passage.

“It’s just pretty tough to see and witness and watch.”

When a U.S. military plane arrived carrying migrants, Brewer was on the tarmac.

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Guatemalan families and children arrive in Guatemala City. (Jack Brewer Foundation)

“We were able to provide them with food and, most importantly, with Bibles, and we preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Brewer said the Guatemalan Migration Authority is focusing its efforts on children ages 8 and under. Many of these children have been “lied to,” Brewer said.

“They’re told it’s their life’s mission to migrate to the U.S. illegally,” he said, recounting stories told by some returning migrants of children on the backs of cartel coyotes and others drowning in rivers.

Then-Vice President Kamala Harris made her own trip to Guatemala City in March 2024, seeking to understand the “root causes” of illegal migration.

Jack Brewer visits a command center in Guatemala. (Jack Brewer Foundation)

“When you look at the root causes, we’re also looking at issues of corruption. Again, we’re looking at the issue of climate resiliency and then the concern about a lack of economic opportunity,” Harris said in 2021.

Brewer rejected that Harris’ work made any difference, saying she and her then-boss’s policies “empowered human traffickers” and that half of Guatemala still lives in extreme poverty with little education.

Jack Brewer meets deportation flights holding Guatemalan migrants (Jack Brewer Foundation)

He said the former leadership at the State Department “misguided resources” through USAID, a practice that Trump is now aggressively cutting back on.

“We need to first put our resources into addressing the issues that are fueling a multibillion-dollar human trafficking industry. Walls, deportations and enforcement are a must, but educating indigenous populations on the truths of coyotes will deliver a devastating blow to the modern human slave trade,” Brewer said.

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Jack Brewer meets with Raul Berrios of the National Council for Attention to Migrants of Guatemala. (Jack Brewer foundation)

“Guatemala is not enforcing their migration issue in the country. Haitians and Venezuelans are warned of the dangers of migrating, but there is no enforcement at the time.”

“There needs to be arrest and enforcement, but they require resources. Guatemala prisons are already overcrowded, and they don’t have immigration beds available for enforcement,” added Brewer, who said he also visited those prisons and saw conditions for himself.

Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital.

He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant.

Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.

Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to charles.creitz@fox.com.

February 12, 2025
ESPN star warns Chiefs’ Travis Kelce about turning into ‘diminishing player’ ahead of eventual retirement

The Kansas City Chiefs’ bid for a third consecutive Super Bowl title came to an abrupt end Sunday. The Chiefs’ offense was mostly ineffective against the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl.

Patrick Mahomes was sacked six times and finished the game with 257 passing yards. Travis Kelce, one of Mahomes’ most trusted targets, accounted for just 39 of those yards.

The Super Bowl loss also brought Kelce’s 12th NFL season to a disappointing end. He finished the regular season with 823 receiving yards, which marked the second consecutive year the star tight end did not reach the 1,000-yard receiving mark.

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Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce walks off the field after losing to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

He will also celebrate his 36th birthday during the 2025 season. While Kelce did receive Pro Bowl honors for a tenth straight year and remains a productive player, his age and lackluster showing in the big game continued to fuel questions about when he may decide to step away from the game.

Last month, during an appearance on “The Stephen A. Smith Show,” Kelce admitted his thoughts on retirement tend to fluctuate, but he plans to “reevaluate” during the offseason. As the Chiefs’ offseason begins, former NFL player and current ESPN analyst Ryan Clark cited Jason Kelce’s dilemma after last season and compared it to his brother’s current situation.

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“Isn’t Trav sort of in the same place our colleague and friend, his brother, Jason Kelce, was in last year?” Clark asked. “Still feeling like you can still do it and you still have it, but you know you don’t have it like you used to. And it’s gonna be based on whether or not Travis Kelce understands he’s a diminished player and is comfortable with that.”

After the Eagles were eliminated from the playoffs last season, reports surfaced that Jason informed his teammates he had decided to retire. Several weeks later, the offensive lineman confirmed his retirement in an emotional speech.

“When you’re at the highest of highs, when you’re the best pass-catching tight end in the history of the National Football League, it’s hard to go into a game last night, have two drops, not have any impactful catches or impact on the game,” Clark said. “Can Travis Kelce go forward in 2025 and be that person? Especially when so many lucrative opportunities await him in his second career.”

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce waves to the crowd after a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Kelce’s four receptions Sunday were enough to secure the record for most career Super Bowl catches with 35. Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice held the previous mark with 33. Kelce has also recorded more postseason receptions than any other Chiefs player in history.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce after making a catch during warmups before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Nov. 4, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann, File)

Clark suggested Kelce would weigh the “sort of player he wants to be” before making a final decision about retirement.

“Travis Kelce is going to have to take some time, sit down and know what sort of player he wants to be and what sort of life he wants to live, but he’s earned the right to take his time in doing so,” Clark added.

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Kelce has 12,151 career receiving yards and 77 touchdowns in 12 NFL regular seasons.

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Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

February 11, 2025
Chiefs player speaks out after Patrick Mahomes skipped him while greeting teammates during Super Bowl loss

Toward the end of the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl loss Sunday, Patrick Mahomes greeted some of his fellow offensive players, giving high-fives and sharing hugs.

But one player — running back Samaje Perine — was noticeably left out despite standing up as Mahomes approached him.

Mahomes greeted JuJu Smith-Schuster and Hollywood Brown before embracing Isiah Pacheco. Next on the bench was Perine, who stood up, but Mahomes instead approached Travis Kelce, and the two shared a long embrace.

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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) passes to running back Samaje Perine (34) against the San Francisco 49ers during the fourth quarter at Levi’s Stadium. (Kyle Terada/Imagn Images)

People noticed the apparent snub, and in an Instagram post highlighting video of what happened, many called out Mahomes for a lack of leadership.

However, according to the New York Post, Perine commented on the post and said people were making something out of nothing.

“Lol I actually stood up to untie my pants string, no one blamed anybody,” Perine commented. “It’s not that deep.”

Perine, third on the running back depth chart behind Kareem Hunt and Pacheco, caught a pass from Mahomes in the AFC championship against the Buffalo Bills, which sealed their victory and sent them to their third straight Super Bowl.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Samaje Perine (34) during a press conference in advance of the 2025 Super Bowl at the New Orleans Marriott. (Stephen Lew/Imagn Images)

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He was used mainly in the pass game out of the backfield, catching 28 passes for 322 yards and one touchdown for the Chiefs during the regular season. He also had 92 rushing yards on 20 carries with a score.

In the 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Perine had just one carry for eight yards.

The loss halted the Chiefs’ quest for a three-peat, which would have been the first in Super Bowl history.

It’s the Eagles’ second Lombardi Trophy after winning the 2018 Super Bowl.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) of the Kansas City Chiefs hands the ball off to RB Samaje Perine (34) during the Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. (David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Sunday’s game was a rematch of the Super Bowl two years ago, which the Chiefs won, 38-35.

Fox News’ Scott Thompson contributed to this report.

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February 11, 2025
Former NFL player, coach Dick Jauron dead at 74

Dick Jauron, the former head coach of two different NFL franchises, died Saturday. He was 74.

The Chicago Bears confirmed the death. Jauron was the Bears’ head coach from 1999 to 2003.

He was previously diagnosed with cancer, The Daily Item in Massachusetts reported.

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Dick Jauron, head coach of the Buffalo Bills, watches from the sideline against the New England Patriots on September 10, 2006, at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

He became the Buffalo Bills’ head coach in 2006, a role he maintained until 2009. The next season, Jauron was named the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive backs coach under Andy Reid.

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Reid and the Eagles will meet the Kansas City Chiefs in New Orleans on Sunday for Super Bowl LIX.

Jauron was a two-sport star at Yale in the early 1970s, and he was drafted by both the Detroit Lions in the NFL Draft and the St. Louis Cardinals in the Major League Baseball amateur draft. He ultimately made football his lifelong pursuit, beginning with five seasons as a defensive back in Detroit and three more with the Cincinnati Bengals before his retirement in 1980.

Head coach Dick Jauron of the Buffalo Bills looks on during the game against the Miami Dolphins on December 9, 2007, at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, New York. (Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

The well-liked Jauron moved into coaching and five years later was hired by the Bills as a defensive backs coach. He went on to coach defensive backs in Green Bay and became friends with Reid, who was an assistant offensive line and tight ends coach.

Jauron had just one winning record in five seasons with the Bears, winning the NFC North in 2001 before losing to the Eagles — then coached by Reid — in the divisional round of the playoffs.

He finished with a 60-82 record and one playoff berth over parts of 10 seasons as a head coach.

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Oct. 1, 2006; Orchard Park, NY: Buffalo Bills head coach Dick Jauron during pre-game at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, NY. (Craig Melvin-USA TODAY Sports)

Jauron’s death came just two days after the Bears announced the death of Virginia Halas McCaskey, who inherited the franchise from her father, George Halas, and spent four-plus decades as the principal owner.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

February 8, 2025
SJSU president responds to federal investigation into university’s transgender volleyball player scandal

San José State University President Cynthia Teniente-Matson has addressed an investigation into the university by the U.S. Department of Education over its handling of a transgender volleyball player.

SJSU will be investigated for potential Title IX violations over its handling of transgender athlete Blaire Fleming, the DOE told Fox News Digital earlier Thursday.

Teniente-Matson provided a statement to Fox News Digital saying the university is prepared to cooperate in the investigation.

“San José State University is committed to ensuring that all of our students, including our student-athletes, are treated fairly, free from discrimination, and afforded the rights and protections granted under federal and state law, including privacy rights.

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“We follow policies and regulations set forth by the California State University system and applicable law, and we recognize that, at times, these laws and policies may intersect in complex ways. In navigating these frameworks, our focus remains on upholding our responsibilities while supporting our students.

“Recently, we were notified that the U.S. Department of Education has initiated a directed investigation related to Title IX in light of President Trump’s executive order with respect to athletics participation. As with any federal inquiry, we will fully engage with the process, follow established procedures and remain transparent in our compliance with all applicable laws.

“While we adhere to legal and regulatory requirements, San José State will continue to act within our authority to uphold the values that define us as an institution. Our focus remains on our values, including fostering an environment that cultivates compassion, where every student has the opportunity to thrive. We remain steadfast in our role as a place of learning, respect and opportunity for all.”

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Fleming played three seasons on the women’s team, from 2022-24, as one of the Mountain West’s top hitters, leading the team in kills. However, SJSU administrators allegedly withheld the truth about Fleming’s birth sex from other female players on the team, according to a lawsuit filed by 11 Mountain West volleyball players and a former SJSU assistant coach.

Former Spartans co-captain Brooke Slusser leads that lawsuit and alleges San José State administrators and volleyball coach Todd Kress actively prevented her from knowing Fleming’s birth sex while assigning her to share bedrooms with the transgender athlete on most road trips during their first season together in 2023.

The controversy involving Fleming prompted five of SJSU’s opponents in 2024 to forfeit a total of eight matches. The final forfeit was a Mountain West Tournament semifinal against Boise State, which had already forfeited twice to the Spartans in the regular season.

That forfeit sent Fleming, Slusser and SJSU to the conference final, where they lost to Colorado State. The plaintiffs in Slusser’s lawsuit filed for an emergency injunction in November prior to the tournament in an attempt to have Fleming removed from competition and all losses by forfeit wiped from their opponents’ records. However, federal Judge Kato Crews, who was appointed by President Joe Biden in January 2024, ruled Fleming could play.

The situation became so volatile the team needed regular police protection for its home and away matches. Slusser previously told Fox News Digital the experience was “traumatizing.”

“This season has been so traumatizing that I don’t even have a proudest moment,” Slusser said.

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Former San José State University assistant volleyball coach Melissa Batie-Smoose, who was let go from the program, was suspended from the program Nov. 2 after she filed a Title IX complaint against the university regarding its alleged handling of the situation involving Fleming. The complaint included allegations that Fleming had conspired with an opponent to have former SJSU co-captain Brooke Slusser hit in the face during a match in October.

Batie-Smoose’s complaint alleges Fleming provided a scouting report to an opponent to ensure a Colorado State competitive advantage and allegedly established a plan to set up an opponent with a clear lane to spike Slusser in the face during a match.

Slusser was never spiked in the face during that match, but Colorado State did win in straight sets.

A Mountain West investigation into Batie-Smoose’s allegations did not find sufficient evidence to discipline any player named in the allegations.

Slusser’s attorney, Bill Bock, later provided a statement to Fox News Digital insisting that the investigation had been “infected with bias.”

SJSU transgender player Blaire Fleming, left, and teammate Brooke Slusser went to a magic show and had Thanksgiving together in Las Vegas despite an ongoing lawsuit over Fleming being transgender. (Thien-An Truong/San Jose State Athletics)

“Because the MWC’s investigation was inadequate, and anything but thorough, and because the MWC’s close-out letter is riddled with errors, the undersigned is issuing this rebuttal and demands that the MWC immediately and publicly release: (1) the investigative report prepared by its investigator(s), and (2) all documents connected to the MWC’s claimed ‘thorough investigation’ and upon which the MWC’s decision not to proceed further was based,” Bock’s statement said.

Nearly every one of the players on SJSU’s 2024 team that has remaining NCAA eligibility has entered the NCAA transfer portal, Fox News Digital previously reported.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday to prevent transgender athletes from competing in women’s and girls sports. The NCAA announced Thursday it is amending its gender eligibility policy to fall in line with Trump’s executive order.

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Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.

February 6, 2025
NBA player Dennis Schroder included in reported major deal after wild ‘modern slavery’ claim

NBA guard Dennis Schroder was included in a blockbuster trade on Wednesday night that saw Jimmy Butler go from the Miami Heat to the Golden State Warriors, according to multiple reports.

Schroder will reportedly be moved to the Utah Jazz as part of a multi-team trade that also included the Detroit Pistons. The guard’s inclusion of the deal came after he compared the trade deadline to “modern slavery.”

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Golden State Warriors guard Dennis Schroder, #71, brings the ball up the court against the Utah Jazz during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

He made the eyebrow-raising remarks in an interview with NBC Sports Bay Area, lamenting the lack of the control a player has on where they’re going in such deals.

“It’s like modern slavery,” he told the network. “It’s modern slavery at the end of the day. Everybody can decide where you’re going, even if you have a contract. Yeah, of course, we make a lot of money and we can feed our families, but at the end of the day if they say, ‘You’re not coming to work tomorrow, you’re going over there,’ they can decide that. They got to change that a little bit.

“But still grateful that we’re here and that we can live this every single day. I think everybody who’s in here is blessed. But if you really think about it, it is kind of crazy that the organization can tell you, ‘We want you to be team-first, but you’re going over there.’ It’s a lot.”

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Golden State Warriors guard Dennis Schroder, #71, shoots against Utah Jazz forward Brice Sensabaugh, #28, during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Schroder added that control being out of the players’ hands and left to the NBA owners is something the guard wanted the league to eventually figure out. The veteran was already traded earlier in the season from the Brooklyn Nets to the Warriors. The latest reported trade would be the sixth time he’s been traded in his career.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr suggested the trade deadline be moved to the All-Star break as his rotations were thrown off with the trade before their game.

“I think the league should consider making the trade deadline at the All-Star break just so you don’t have to face these games where guys are getting traded half an hour before a game and you’re trying to process the emotions and trying to win a game,” Kerr said. “I don’t know if it’s possible.”

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr gestures during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025 in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

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The trade deadline is at 3 p.m. ET on Thursday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

February 6, 2025