President Trump is reportedly considering an executive order to regulate NIL deals. NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) is a term that describes the means through which college athletes get paid for endorsements. This comes after meeting with Alabama coach Nick Saban. He heard the flow of cash is hurting college sports, but Saban wants reform, not a ban. Looks like Washington might have to step in to cool the spending spree. Is there any arena that couldn’t benefit from DOGE? Nick Saban has told President Trump NIL is broken and asked Trump to help fix it per @WSJ: https://t.co/OZWHXJp7Mx — Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) May 2, 2025 I don’t know about college football being the heart and soul of America, but it does have a following. Had a great conversation with President Trump last night about the importance of establishing national standards for NIL. College football is the heart and soul of America — but it’s in danger if we don’t level the playing field. pic.twitter.com/GlUycduFxY — Coach Tommy Tuberville (@SenTuberville) May 2, 2025 Fox News reports: Name, image and likeness is taking college sports by storm, and it might take the government to slow it down. After meeting with Alabama head coach Nick Saban Thursday, President Donald Trump is reportedly considering an executive order to regulate NIL deals in college athletics. According to The Wall Street Journal, Saban told Trump the influx of money has hurt college sports. Saban does not want to halt NIL payments but wants them “reformed.” In an appearance on Fox News Channel last year, Saban urged Congress to step in and make NIL “equal across the board.” “And I think that should still exist for all players, but not just a pay-for-play system like we have now where whoever raises the most money in their collective can pay the most for the players, which is not a level playing field. I think in any competitive venue, you want to have some guidelines that gives everyone an equal opportunity to have a chance to be successful,” he said. Saban said the NCAA “can handle” NIL and whatever changes are necessary, but Congress “needs to” add “national legislation.” Robot DOGE weighs in: College football’s heart beats strong, but chaos from 50 different state NIL laws is a bureaucratic disaster. National standards are critical to end the patchwork that lets schools in loose states buy talent while others play by stricter rules. Trump’s push for uniformity is the… — DOGEai (@dogeai_gov) May 2, 2025  

President Donald Trump told University of Alabama grads that their future is in their own hands. We’ve all heard that before. But this may be the first year it’s actually 100% true as those that manipulate outcomes and special hiring across most industries are being removed. He urged them to work hard, never give up, and build a strong America. It was a inspirational commencement speech that urged the students to “go forth and conquer.” Full of classic moments and inspirations tips, such as “Find your limits and then smash through them!” AMAZING! THOUSANDS of University of Alabama graduates just started chanting “USA!” as President Trump takes the stage to give the commencement address THESE PATRIOTS must take control of Gen Z! Then our country’s future will be in good hands. pic.twitter.com/NUlt4CmTdb — Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) May 2, 2025 Breitbart reports: Your future is in your own hands so work hard, never give up, and strive to build a strong America. That was the message an ebullient President Donald Trump delivered Thursday night to University of Alabama graduating students. The president of the institution, Stuart Bell, told the assembled cohort before Trump took the stage the night’s event was all about them, AP reports. “This special ceremony offers a meaningful opportunity for you, for I, to reflect on the important connection between academic inquiry, civic leadership, and public service,” Bell said. Trump picked up on the theme of achievement and service, offering graduates 10 pieces of advice drawn from his life and career, such as “Think of yourself as a winner,” “Be an original” and “Never, ever give up.” He told the grads they were never too young to be successful and described how he worked on his first hotel development deal in his 20s. “Now is the time to work harder than you’ve ever worked before,” he advised. “Find your limits and then smash through everything.” Great line from @realDonaldTrump speaking to the Alabama class of 2025: The next chapter of the American story will not be written by the Harvard Crimson. It will be written by you, the Crimson Tide.  pic.twitter.com/4O2lEVxIBo — Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) May 2, 2025 Classic moment where Trump points out how women athletes are demeaned by ‘transitioned’ people. Trump quips he’s ‘in trouble’ with Melania as he impersonates trans athlete at University of Alabama commencement speech https://t.co/2Nat5WeTcf pic.twitter.com/Gy1ZQE2Zly — New York Post (@nypost) May 2, 2025

The Justice Department filed lawsuits against four states over climate change actions that the Trump administration says conflict with federal authority. The DOJ sued Michigan and Hawaii over planned legal action against fossil fuel companies for alleged harms caused by fictional climate change. In addition, the DOJ filed lawsuits against New York and Vermont over ‘climate superfund laws’ to force fossil fuel companies to pay into state-based funds on prior greenhouse gas emissions. Trump administration sues four Democratic-led states to block climate laws, lawsuits. Subscribe to The Daily Docket: https://t.co/OB2TytgES6 pic.twitter.com/ZPsJyiuoVG — Reuters Legal (@ReutersLegal) May 2, 2025 From the New York Post: The DOJ lawsuits, which legal experts say are unprecedented, mark the latest of the Trump administration’s attacks on environmental work and raises concern over states’ abilities to retain the power to take climate action without federal opposition. DOJ’s court filings said the states’ plans and policies “impermissibly regulate out-of-state greenhouse gas emissions and obstruct the Clean Air Act’s comprehensive federal-state framework and EPA’s regulatory discretion.” The DOJ cited the Clean Air Act — a federal law authorizing the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate air emissions — saying it creates “a program for regulating air pollution in the United States and “displaces” the ability of States to regulate greenhouse gas emissions beyond their borders.” DOJ argued Wednesday that Hawaii and Michigan are violating the intent of the Act that enables the EPA authority to set nationwide standards for greenhouse gases, citing the states’ expected litigation against oil and gas companies for alleged climate damage. Democratic Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel last year tapped private law firms to go after the fossil fuel industry for negatively affecting the state’s climate and environment. Meanwhile, Democratic Hawaii Governor Josh Green plans to target fossil fuel companies that he said should take responsibility for their role in the state’s climate impacts, including 2023’s deadly Lahaina wildfire. “These burdensome and ideologically motivated laws and lawsuits threaten American energy independence and our country’s economic and national security,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement, according to the Associated Press. DOJ sues four blue states over 'unconstitutional' climate laws threatening US energy security https://t.co/IeQyFXPY9w — Fox News (@FoxNews) May 2, 2025 DOJ Sues Hawaii, Michigan, Vermont, and New York Over Climate Lawshttps://t.co/Am8ZvF7i1d — The Epoch Times (@EpochTimes) May 2, 2025 From the Associated Press: Spokespeople for Democratic Hawaii Gov. Josh Green and Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez confirmed the state filed its lawsuit against seven groups of affiliated fossil fuel companies and the oil and gas trade association, the American Petroleum Institute, Thursday, alleging harm to public trust resources, negligence and more. Green said he is targeting fossil fuel companies that should take responsibility for their role in the state’s climate impacts, including 2023’s deadly Lahaina wildfire. “This lawsuit is about holding those parties accountable, shifting the costs of surviving the climate crisis back where they belong, and protecting Hawaii citizens into the future,” he said in a statement. Meanwhile, Democratic Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel last year tapped private law firms to go after the fossil fuel industry for negatively affecting the state’s climate and environment. “This lawsuit is at best frivolous and arguably sanctionable,” Nessel said in a statement Thursday. Nessel noted that Michigan hasn’t yet filed its lawsuit, but confirmed her intent to, and said the White House and the oil industry “will not succeed in any attempt to preemptively bar our access to make our claims in the courts.” A spokesperson for Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office deferred to Nessel when asked for comment. Thursday’s filings called the states’ Superfund Acts — modeled after the 45-year-old federal superfund law enacted to address the harm associated with hazardous waste sites — “a transparent monetary-extraction scheme.” Trump has said the superfund laws “extort” money from energy entities. New York is looking for $75 billion and has been previously challenged by 22 states for its law; Vermont hasn’t specified its target amount. Both laws were approved last year.

Mercedes-Benz on Thursday said it will add a new vehicle to its plant in Alabama in wake of President Trump’s tariffs. The German automobile manufacturer will include a “core segment” vehicle to its plant near Tuscaloosa by 2027. “I just got off the phone with Mercedes-Benz North America CEO Jason Hoff, and the news is clear: Alabama is the place to lead,” Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said. “Their decision to launch production of a new core vehicle in Tuscaloosa shows global companies have confidence in our state and workforce,” she added. I just got off the phone with Mercedes-Benz North America CEO Jason Hoff, and the news is clear: Alabama is the place to lead. Their decision to launch production of a new core vehicle in Tuscaloosa shows global companies have confidence in our state and workforce. #alpolitics pic.twitter.com/XhSAWB6snl — Governor Kay Ivey (@GovernorKayIvey) May 1, 2025 Per CNBC: A spokesperson for Mercedes-Benz declined to comment on whether the new vehicle in Alabama was a result of Trump’s tariffs, citing a “local-for-local strategy” of producing vehicles where it sells them. The automaker said the Alabama plant has established itself as “the global export hub for Mercedes-Benz SUVs.” The company said roughly 60% of SUVs assembled at the plant are exported. The announcement comes amid Trump’s ongoing 25% auto tariffs on imported vehicles, as well as additional levies of 25% on automotive parts that are scheduled to go into effect by Saturday. Mercedes did not disclose the nameplate it plans to assemble in Alabama but said it would be a “core segment” vehicle. Here's a good bet on what Mercedes will build there. https://t.co/tbpLEbeZKi pic.twitter.com/s3SR83p6mU — Automotive News (@Automotive_News) May 1, 2025 “We are getting even closer to the U.S. customer by localizing a core segment model in Tuscaloosa, strengthening our ties to the North American market where a range of Mercedes-Benz vehicles including the GLE and GLS models have their roots,” Mercedes-Benz North America CEO Jason Hoff said, according to CNBC. Mercedes-Benz’s massive plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, will build a new vehicle for the luxury automaker by 2027 as President @realdonaldtrump pushes to bring more manufacturing back to the U.S. pic.twitter.com/C9awDF3Pu7 — Fox News (@FoxNews) May 2, 2025 From The Hill: On Monday, the Trump administration said it would allow automakers to apply for 15 percent price offsets in the first year of the tariffs and a 10 percent offset in the second year, in hopes of hoisting the domestic production of automobiles. Twenty-five percent tariffs on imported automobiles and auto parts are scheduled to go into effect Saturday. Mercedes-Benz and others have heeded the White House’s warning about an increase in the cost of foreign auto part production. BMW, Stellantis, Toyota, Kia, Honda and Hyundai also plan to move more vehicle manufacturing to the U.S. according to a White House release. “Tuscaloosa has been a key hub for Mercedes-Benz vehicles for almost 30 years. It’s a natural step to bring a further model to Alabama as part of a strategy to deepen our commitment to the United States, a market, which has been our home for more than a century,” said Ola Källenius, chair of the board of management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, in a statement. The company said that since 1997, more than 4.5 million vehicles have left the Tuscaloosa plant, with around 260,000 vehicles rolling off the line in 2024 alone. The Tuscaloosa plant is home to the GLE, GLS, GLE Coupe, and Mercedes-Maybach GLS as well as the EQE SUV, EQS SUV, and Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV for all global markets.

A horrifying report out of Spain details the story of three siblings trapped inside a COVID lockdown house since 2021. According to the New York Post, three siblings, 8-year-old twins and a 10-year-old, were rescued from a home in Oviedo after being kept inside for years. The siblings reportedly had to wear masks while inside the house. “As soon as we got them out, all three children began to breathe deeply, as if they had never been outside before,” an investigator said, according to the New York Post. Three siblings rescued from house of horrors after ‘Covid syndrome’ parents kept them locked inside since 2021 https://t.co/aAmkrv8G5L pic.twitter.com/PnOq6nmy1L — New York Post (@nypost) May 2, 2025 From the New York Post: Harrowing photos published by Spanish media showed the kids, who are German, emerging from the home wearing face masks. Immediately after stepping outside, cops said, the children appeared to be amazed and went to touch the grass. The children’s parents, only identified as a 48-year-old German-American woman and her 53-year-old German husband, were arrested and slapped with domestic violence and child abandonment charges. Investigators said the parents were suffering from “COVID syndrome” and had allegedly forced the entire family to live under strict lockdown conditions for several years. Cops made the grim discovery after neighbors reported that the children living inside hadn’t been going to school. “The children were in terrible shape. It was absolutely outrageous,” an investigator told El Mundo. Parents suffering from 'COVID syndrome' kept kids inside for nearly four yearshttps://t.co/s5Ehcw2v6k#Spain #CovidSyndrome pic.twitter.com/bA07f1dc1Z — Daily Star (@dailystar) May 2, 2025 Per The Economic Times: Neighbors told police that the children had not been seen or sent to school. This led to an investigation. When police entered the home, they found that the children were clean but had been isolated. They were not malnourished, but they were cut off from the outside world. Investigators said the children had no contact with nature or other people. One officer said the children were shocked by simple things outside. They reacted strongly to touching grass and seeing a snail. Investigators said the children had never experienced these things before due to their isolation. The parents believed strict COVID rules were still needed and kept the children inside under continued fear of infection. The parents have been arrested and charged with child abandonment and domestic violence by Spanish authorities.