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Superstar designated hitter and pitcher Shohei Ohtani reportedly makes more in endorsements annually than entire rosters of several other teams.The Japanese player is already the recipient of the biggest contract in MLB history, with his 10-year $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.However, a new report from the Athletic detailed the shocking numbers behind Ohtani's endorsement deals that, if true, would place that income higher than the total payroll of five MLB teams.'He has blossomed.'According to the Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, a well-known baseball journalist, Ohtani is nearing a whopping $100 million annually in endorsements. Speaking to a person described as an industry source who was briefed on Ohtani's earnings, Rosenthal said he learned that the figure could also exceed the $100 million mark in the near future.What's possibly more shocking is the speed at which Ohtani has reached these figures. In March 2023, the player topped Forbes' list of highest-paid athletes, noting at the time that he was taking in $35 million from endorsements. At the same time, nine other players on that list were making $13.2 million in endorsements combined.A year later in March 2024, Sportico bumped that number to an estimated $65 million annually in endorsements. That figure made his endorsement income higher than the salary of any major-league player.Fast-forward just a few months to July, and Ohtani's new alleged figure of $100 million in endorsements would have him making more money than the entire rosters of several teams. The Cleveland Guardians, Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Rays, Pittsburgh Pirates, and the soon-to-be-moving Oakland Athletics all have sub-$100 million payrolls.Ohtani would eclipse at least 10 more teams if his salary weren't back-loaded to the end of his contract. Instead, he makes an annual $2 million with the Dodgers until the end of 2033. When his contract ends in 2034, when he is 39, he will get a massive $68 million per year for 10 years."He has blossomed," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "He's become way more independent, way more open, which is ironic given that the person he trusted most deceived him. We've seen his true personality come out. I think with that, he's happier than he's ever been."The funny thing about Ohtani becoming way more open is that he barely speaks at all, but his numbers speak louder than words.At the time of this writing, Ohtani is fourth in the league in hits, second in home runs, fourth in RBIs, fourth in batting average, second in slugging percentage, and second in OPS — all with an elbow injury.Few players have delivered the way Ohtani is delivering, with no sign of slowing down. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The Pennsylvania man who attempted to kill former President Donald J. Trump at an election rally July 13 used a laptop computer to search the internet for information on “how far away was Oswald from Kennedy?” FBI Director Christopher Wray told a U.S. House committee on July 24.Wray told the House Judiciary Committee that would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, generally had a high level of interest in public figures but turned his attention in earnest to Trump around July 6.Wray’s statement about the Google search done on a laptop associated with Crooks was among the biggest disclosures to date about the shooting of Trump at the Butler Farm Show Inc. fairgrounds in Butler, Pennsylvania.Crooks’ alleged search was a reference to gunman Lee Harvey Oswald and the shots he fired from the Texas School Book Depository at President John F. Kennedy as Kennedy’s motorcade rode through Dealey Plaza in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963. Kennedy died from wounds suffered in the shooting.Wray also told the committee that Crooks was flying a drone in the area of the Trump rally more than two hours before the shooting. A drone recovered from Crooks’ vehicle flew in an area approximately 200 yards from the Trump speaking stage for 11 minutes, starting around 3:50 p.m., Wray said.Crooks appeared to be live streaming video from the drone, Wray said, but he did not say whether anyone was watching the video stream.No still images or video from July 13 were recovered from the drone, he said. The FBI was able to “re-engineer” the drone’s flight path, Wray said.To date, the FBI has not found "any evidence" of coconspirators or others who might have assisted Crooks in his plan to attack the former president and his supporters, Wray said.Wray disclosed that the FBI recovered three “relatively crude” explosive devices: two from Crooks’ vehicle and one from the Crooks family residence.A transceiver recovered from under Crooks’ body on the roof of Building 6 at the American Glass Research complex north of the fairgrounds likely could not have detonated the devices found in Crooks’ auto, Wray said.The FBI has recovered a roughly five-foot ladder that Crooks purchased at Home Depot the morning of the shooting, Wray said. The ladder was not found on site or in Crooks' vehicle, Wray said.This is a developing story that will be updated as news unfolds.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Ava Kris Tyson — a biological male born Chris Tyson before transitioning — was a costar of the MrBeast YouTube channel, which is massively popular with children. However, the 28-year-old transgender YouTube star permanently quit after grooming allegations. Tyson has denied the accusations. Last month, allegations surfaced in a YouTube video and accused Tyson of grooming a 13-year-old. At the time of the alleged grooming, Tyson was age 20. The alleged victim — who is now an adult — has recently come out to deny the grooming allegations against Tyson. "These videos are massive lies and twisting the truth," the alleged victim said. "Ava never did anything wrong and just made a few edgy jokes. I was never exploited or taken advantage of."On Tuesday, Tyson also denied the accusations in a post on the X social media platform: "I would like to apologize for any of my past behavior or comments if it hurt or offended anyone. It was not my intent. Seeing recent events we’ve mutually decided it’s best I permanently step away from all things MrBeast and social media to focus on my family and mental health. To lump these two factors together to create a narrative that my behavior extended beyond bad edgy jokes is disgusting and did not happen. In past years, I have learned that my old humor is not acceptable. I cannot change who I was, but I can continue to work on myself. I don't want these accusations to impact the hundreds of people who work at MrBeast, which is why I have stepped away."The MrBeast account features videos of challenges, extravagant stunts, pranks, and philanthropy. The star of the channel is Jimmy Donaldson – who is MrBeast. 'I am a woman! She/her. I've never said that publicly, but I've been fully confident in that decision for over a year now.'Tyson and Donaldson were childhood friends and both had been involved in the MrBeast YouTube account since it started garnering popularity. The MrBeast channel is far and away the most popular YouTube account in the world with more than 305 million subscribers and over 55 billion views. According to an informal poll with over 1.5 million responses on the official MrBeast X account conducted in 2023, roughly 42% of the MrBeast audience is age 20 or younger. Tyson married influencer Katie Tyson in 2018 before welcoming a baby in 2020.Tyson reportedly came out as bisexual in 2020. In a since-deleted tweet posted in 2023, Tyson allegedly said, "For a little over a year now me and Katie have been separated. We are finalizing things soon but these things take time."Tyson started hormone replacement therapy in February 2023. During an interview conducted in July 2023, Tyson claimed to be a woman. "I am a woman! She/her. I've never said that publicly, but I've been fully confident in that decision for over a year now," Tyson declared. Donaldson and Tyson did not respond to a request for comment by the BBC.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Dan Bongino – former Secret Service agent turned conservative political commentator – was sounding the alarm on the problems with the Secret Service “decades ago.” He even wrote a book about it: “Protecting the President: An Inside Account of the Troubled Secret Service in an Era of Evolving Threats.” “You're going to think, ‘Gosh, did he write this 10 minutes ago?’ No, I wrote it 10 years ago,” he tells Glenn Beck, shedding light on the longevity of the internal issues within the Secret Service. Back in August of 2023, Bongino warned on his show that he was receiving “information from high-ranking Secret Service sources” regarding “the minimal security posture applied to Donald Trump.” But when he predicted “that Donald Trump was likely going to be hurt or killed,” the mainstream media “attacked [him] as a conspiracy theorist.” Those same people who falsely call themselves journalists are now eating their words, as Bongino’s hypothesis was proven correct on July 13. “You have inside connections,” says Glenn. “Does your gut tell you this is just more of the same incompetence times a thousand or is something nefarious going on?” "They Basically Let Him Get Shot”: Secret Service Vet Dan Bongino Demands Firings After Trump Attack www.youtube.com “I can tell you the level of incompetence leads naturally to the second question; you're not crazy to ask it,” Bongino responds. As for the “stunning” incompetence, however, Bongino has some questions. “Why was President Trump on ... what we would call the X? Why was he out on the podium at all” considering they “knew there was a threat up to an hour out, potentially 18 minutes out?” he asks, adding that “there is absolutely zero chance the command post did not get information that they were working a suspicious male surveilling the outside of the perimeter with a rangefinder.” “They just let the line-of-site threat exist, and the countersurveillance vulnerability assessment — which is a piece of paperwork the countersurveillance team looks at — will show that they knew that was a vulnerability and yet they did nothing about it,” he continues. “They basically let him get shot.” As for that document, “They’re going to claim it’s classified,” says Bongino, but “it’s not.” The Secret Service has also given other excuses to justify their actions, such as it was “too hot,” the “roof was sloped,” and that they manned the building from inside on the first floor. To hear Bongino’s response to those rationalizations, watch the clip above. Want more from Glenn Beck?To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

"Star Wars" actor Manny Jacinto argued that there aren't enough Asian people in Hollywood movies and therefore people should write more stories for their own races.Jacinto, who has starred in the heavily criticized "Star Wars" series "The Acolyte," reflected on his time filming "Top Gun: Maverick" in an interview with GQ.He commented on how the majority of his lines were left on the cutting room floor, an outcome he generally connected to the idea that producer and star Tom Cruise is making movies for white people.'At the end of the day, Tom Cruise is writing stories for Tom Cruise.'"It's flattering that there was a little bit of an outcry, but it wasn't shocking to me," Jacinto said regarding his reduced role in the film."There was this sense of where the film was going [on set], like I can see them focusing the camera more on these [other] guys and not taking so much time on our scenes. Fortunately, it still was a great experience — you get to see this huge machine at work, see how Tom Cruise works, and you get to be a small part of this huge franchise," he explained.Jacinto said an experience like that "fuels you" because "at the end of the day, Tom Cruise is writing stories for Tom Cruise.""It's up to us — Asian-Americans, people of color — to be that [for ourselves]. We can't wait for somebody else to do it. If we want bigger stories out there, we have to make them for ourselves.""The Acolyte" seemingly meets those diversity initiatives, according to Jacinto, who said he felt that actors of his race in the "Star Wars" series proved to be meaningful."I know there are plenty of 'Star Wars' fans that look like you and me already [in 'The Acolyte']," he told GQ's writer, who is also Asian. "But it's exciting that in this new iteration we have Lee Jung-Jae, myself, Amandla [Stenberg], [and] Jodie Turner-Smith," he added. "Even more people of color will be able to relate to and celebrate and see themselves in this entity that is 'Star Wars.'""Star Wars" projects that were released during Jacinto's youth — Episodes I-III — were most certainly diverse, but apparently not to the degree that Jacinto found satisfactory."I remember watching all of the movies with my parents growing up, [but] if I'm completely transparent with you, ['Star Wars'] was cool, it was something I admired, but almost from afar. Maybe because I didn't see anybody like me in 'Star Wars,' it was never something I aspired to be in, the way I'd watch a Jackie Chan film or something and go, 'Oh, I want to do that.'"Creator George Lucas addressed this issue of diversity and representation at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival."They would say, 'It's all white men,' [but] most of the people are aliens!""The idea is you're supposed to accept people for what they are, whether they're big and furry or whether they're green or whatever. The idea is all people are equal," he continued, per the Independent. "In the first [movie] there were a few Tunisians who were dark, and in the second one I had Billy Williams, and the [prequels], which they were also criticizing, I had Sam Jackson. He wasn't a scoundrel like Lando. He was one of the top Jedi."Fending off more criticism, Lucas also addressed complaints that the women in his films appeared too typically feminine."You can't just put a woman in pants and expect her to be a hero. They can wear dresses; they can wear whatever they want," he said, noting that female characters were the drivers of the films.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Earlier Tuesday morning, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation raided the Long Island home of a former aide to New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D), the New York Times reported.Linda Sun's five-bedroom, $3.5 million residence, which she shares with her husband, Chris Hu, is located in the gated community of North Shore.FBI 'conducted court-authorized law enforcement activity.'From September 2021 through November 2022, Sun served as Hochul's deputy chief of staff. Prior to that, she was the deputy superintendent for intergovernmental affairs and chief diversity officer under former Governor Andrew Cuomo (D), the Daily Voice reported. Sun also worked as the chief of staff for Representative Grace Meng (D-New York) when she was a New York Assembly member.A spokesperson for the FBI told the Times that its New York office "conducted court-authorized law enforcement activity" at Sun's home before dawn on Tuesday. The FBI did not elaborate on the nature of the search. Prosecutors from the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney's Office obtained the warrant for the raid, but no arrests have been made, and Sun has not been charged with a crime.WNBC reported that Sun's husband declined to comment when reached by phone. A number of other news outlets noted that Sun did not respond to a request for comment. Hochul's office also did not respond to a request for comment, the Washington Examiner and Crain's New York Business reported.Anything else?In March, the FBI raided the homes of Winnie Greco, a top aide to New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D), Blaze News previously reported. Greco, who worked for Adams for over a decade, was placed on leave following the news of the search. The aide had been probed by the city's Department of Investigation for allegedly using her government position for personal benefit.According to the Associated Press, Greco is at least the third Adams aide to be targeted by the FBI. Late last year, federal agents also searched the Brooklyn home of Brianna Suggs, a top fundraiser for the mayor.Adams is currently facing a federal probe over potentially illegal campaign donations from straw donors. As part of the investigation, FBI agents seized his electronic devices in November. A grand jury is reportedly reviewing all of the evidence, but the mayor has not been charged with a crime. Adams has maintained that he has "nothing to hide."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

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