49ers GM John Lynch skeptical of Rams' decision to draft QB Ty Simpson with No. 13 overall pick

The San Francisco 49ers traded out of the NFL Draft’s first round on Thursday, so general manager John Lynch didn’t have a player to discuss when he met with reporters. No problem, because he started talking players a couple of division rivals drafted.

And it was fascinating.

No. 1 PICK FERNANDO MENDOZA TASKED WITH RETURNING RAIDERS TO GLORY

Lynch commented on what the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams did. And here’s the kicker:

Lynch clearly loved the Cardinals selecting running back Jeremiyah Love. But the Rams drafting quarterback Ty Simpson? With the No. 13 overall pick, no less?

Nope, not a fan.

Lynch was asked directly about the impact Simpson might have for the Rams next season. That was the question. Talk about Simpson's impact, John.  

"Well, first of all," Lynch began through a Cheshire Cat grin, "I think another team in our division, they got a player who is going to have an impact, and I am talking about Jeremiyah Love -- a fantastic player."

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So, the Cardinals and Love get the seal of approval from Lynch. But the Rams picking Simpson, not so much.

"Ty Simpson is a good football player," Lynch said, his words contrasting his enthusiasm for Love. "I think there was a lot made as to where he would go and what teams would do.

"It probably surprised everybody, but one thing I've learned over the years is that with quarterbacks, people will do those types of things, and they certainly did. So, we'll see."

Lynch just slimed what the Rams did in the most diplomatic way possible.

He made the point that picking Simpson that high was a surprise to "everybody," but teams do unorthodox things with quarterbacks.

(The 49ers did an unorthodox thing with their starting quarterback in that they selected Brock Purdy with the final pick of the 2022 draft, which seems like a much better value than picking Simpson at No. 13).

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Simpson, by the way, isn’t expected to play much in the coming season because Matthew Stafford is the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player and the club’s starter. The only way Simpson is pressed into starting duty is if something goes terribly wrong with Stafford.

And that’s perfect for a rookie that, by all accounts, needs to develop because he’s started only 15 collegiate games and comes with good although not necessarily spectacular athletic gifts.

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What makes Simpson’s early selection by the Rams curious is that they are in win-now mode. They want to maximize talent around their 38-year-old quarterback before he retires.

Simpson doesn’t do that. He’s a pick made with eyes on the future. So, the logic of the pick at the lofty spot it was made is questionable.

As 49ers general manager John Lynch basically just told us.

Follow Armando Salguero on X: @ArmandoSalguero

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Ilhan Omar vinegar attacker changes plea after chaotic onstage rush

The Minneapolis man who sprayed Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., with vinegar during a January town hall is changing his plea to guilty on federal charges.

Anthony James Kazmierczak's alleged assault on Omar occurred weeks after Renee Good was killed by an ICE agent, which heightened tensions between federal officials and Democratic state leaders. Democratic leadership called for federal agents to leave Minnesota.

In March, Kazmierczak pleaded not guilty to one federal count of assaulting a United States officer, but an April court filing from his attorney, John Fossum, said Kazmierczak will change his plea to guilty after they have "reached a settlement" with federal prosecutors. Kazmierczak's change-of-plea hearing is scheduled for May 7.

The details of the settlement are unknown. Fox News Digital reached out to Kazmierczak's lawyer for comment.

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Video of the Jan. 27 town hall showed Kazmierczak rushing the stage as Omar spoke. She was calling for Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to step down and for ICE agents to leave Minnesota.

He pulled out a syringe filled with apple cider vinegar and water and attempted to douse the congresswoman with the liquid before an officer stepped in.

"She’s not resigning," Kazmierczak said in the video, referring to Noem.

Kazmierczak also pointed his finger at Omar, screaming, "You’re splitting Minnesotans apart."

Omar was not injured and continued her town hall after Kazmierczak was arrested.

"I’m ok. I’m a survivor so this small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work. I don’t let bullies win. Grateful to my incredible constituents who rallied behind me. Minnesota strong," Omar wrote in a post on X at the time.

KRISTI NOEM, TRUMP RESPOND TO SHOCKING CROSS-DRESSING PHOTOS TIED TO HER HUSBAND

Since the incident, Kazmierczak has been held in custody. A magistrate judge ruled that the "exceedingly serious and dangerous circumstances" of the assault allegations make it impossible to ensure that public safety is not at risk if Kazmierczak is released on bail.

During the investigation, an FBI agent interviewed an associate of Kazmierczak, who claimed Kazmierczak once said "somebody should kill" Omar.

"Assaultive behavior and acts of intimidation directed at officers and employees of the United States will not be tolerated," said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. "Persons who engage in this criminal conduct can expect a swift response from law enforcement and federal prosecutors.

Fox News Digital reached out to the United States Attorney's Office District of Minnesota for comment.

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Shocker! Kyle Brandt-Seth Rollins on-set spat was staged

For those of you who aren't sickos like the rest of us and didn't pay attention to every piece of pre-draft media that came your way, there was a little bit of a tiff on the set of Good Morning Football at the site of the NFL Draft Thursday morning.

Host Kyle Brandt and WWE superstar Seth Rollins were discussing the differences between being a professional wrestler at age 39 and an NFL player at 42, and things got a little heated.

Rollins stormed off the set, leaving Brandt and the rest of his co-hosts stunned, with the latter begging the former to return and finish his segment.

Social media caught wind of this and it blew up into a full-on feud between Brandt and Rollins.

STEPHEN COLBERT, CBS AND THE FCC: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE HEATED MEDIA FEUD

Or, at least, that's what they wanted you to think, because on Friday morning following the first round of the NFL Draft, the two supposed enemies shared the GMFB stage in Pittsburgh and had a nice, hearty chuckle about the whole incident.

Apparently, the whole thing was staged, and only a few people in addition to Rollins and Brandt knew about it, so much so that even the production team was in the dark about the two of them essentially cutting a promo on live television.

COMEDIAN TONY HINCHCLIFFE PUT ON NOTICE BEFORE ROAST OF WRESTLEMANIA

Shock and awe! Who could have seen this coming?

Well, apparently, a lot of people, because several of the comments under the original video on X claim that the two of them are doing a bit, and this was before anyone else knew it was a work between the host and wrestler.

Okay, we get it! You guys are so much smarter than everyone else on the internet.

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In fairness to them, it's easier to just assume everything is either staged or AI these days, so it was probably prudent to just say it's fake and play the odds.

Hell, everyone still thinks the Will Smith-Chris Rock Oscars slap was staged.

Plus, Kyle Brandt is a former reality star, so if anyone was going to pull off something like this, it would be him.

Well played, gentlemen.

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'The View' host Ana Navarro boycotts White House Correspondents’ Dinner, says 'no way in hell'

"The View" host Ana Navarro said she would not attend the White House Correspondents' Dinner while President Donald Trump was in office for his second term, even as she acknowledged the legitimacy of media organizations like ABC and Disney continuing to support and participate in the event, according to remarks made on the "Behind the Table" podcast on Thursday.

"There is no way in hell. I would have to be dragged against my will, blindfolded by a hundred horses for me to go sit through this this year," Navarro said.

The annual dinner, hosted by the White House Correspondents Association, has historically raised funds for journalism scholarships and honored members of the press, and Trump will attend this year after declining to appear during his first term.

THE VIEW’S ANA NAVARRO ‘FURIOUS’ AT VENEZUELANS AND CUBANS WHO SUPPORT TRUMP AMID DEPORTATIONS

A White House correspondent told Fox News Digital that Trump's presence had heightened interest in the event.

"I think people are almost universally excited and curious what President Trump will say in his speech," the correspondent said. "Even if you don’t like the president, the president appearing at the dinner makes the dinner a much more significant event."

Navarro framed her refusal as a broader rejection of what she described as the current political climate.

WHITE HOUSE REPORTERS RESPOND AFTER BEING CALLED OUT FOR WEAK COVERAGE OF BIDEN'S DECLINE AT WHCD

"I cannot normalize the abnormal. I cannot normalize the cruelty and inhumanity," Navarro said. "I am glad that Disney is supporting this because let’s remember… the funds raised at this event go towards scholarships."

"The View" executive producer Brian Teta also pointed to the event's role in recognizing journalism, including coverage critical of the administration.

"They give awards to journalism," Teta said on the show's "Behind the Table" podcast. "Many of these awards are being given to people that wrote unflattering portrayals and stories about Donald Trump."

FLASHBACK: FIVE OF THE MOST POLITICALLY-CHARGED MOMENTS AT THE WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' DINNER

Teta emphasized the importance of defending press freedoms despite Navarro's decision not to attend.

"I do think it’s important to stand up for the First Amendment and to support the journalists that are there," Teta said.

On a Friday episode of "The View," co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin defended attendance as part of the event’s broader mission.

"They should show up. Let’s remember the White House Correspondents Association," Griffin said. "It’s first and foremost about protecting the First Amendment and rallying around journalists who do incredible, important work informing all of us."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

"My colleague and Ana’s colleague Kaitlan Collins is receiving an award for her coverage of the White House," Griffin said.

Navarro, however, argued that Trump’s participation should come with expectations.

"If he is going to show up, he should sit there while Kaitlan Collins gets her award," Navarro said. "Having Donald Trump speak at the White House Correspondents Dinner where the free press is honored is like having a cannibal host a vegan event."

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Postal Service thrust into mail-in ballot fight as Trump order gets tied up in court

EXCLUSIVE: A conservative legal group urged the U.S. Postal Service this week to carry out President Donald Trump’s executive order on mail-in ballots, saying the USPS has an obligation to block possible "fraudulent ballots" ahead of this year's midterms.

America First Legal laid out in a petition filed with the USPS and obtained by Fox News Digital that the postal service has the independent authority to impose restrictions on mail-in ballots, including by requiring barcode tracking on ballot envelopes and cross-checking ballot recipients against federally-approved voter registration lists.

The petition comes as part of a broader push by the Trump administration to tighten election security rules over concerns about ineligible voters casting ballots. It aims to ramp up pressure on the postal service to use its regulatory authority to unilaterally advance those efforts as the president’s executive order faces multiple lawsuits brought by blue states and voting rights groups.

TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER OVERHAULING MAIL-IN VOTING IN MAJOR ELECTION INTEGRITY PUSH

"Federal law gives every interested individual the right to file a petition for rulemaking with federal agencies," America First Legal senior counsel James Rogers said in a statement. "Our petition gives the Postal Service the authority to implement these common-sense reforms, even in the face of this frivolous litigation against President Trump."

AFL’s petition came after Trump issued an executive order last month directing the USPS to work with states on mail-ballot procedures tied to state-submitted voter eligibility lists, while separately calling on DHS and the Social Security Administration to help states verify citizenship data.

The executive order, titled "Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections," also required the Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration to coordinate with states to create a master list of registered voters. The order has become the subject of intense litigation.

SENATE GOP EYES BLAME GAME AS TRUMP-BACKED SAVE ACT HEADS FOR DEFEAT

Voting rights groups immediately sued, calling it "an extraordinary and abusive assertion of executive power over the administration of federal elections" and arguing that the Constitution gives states, not the president, authority over federal election administration.

While the White House has framed the executive order as an effort to bolster election integrity, other lawsuits, brought by a coalition of blue states led by California, Democratic lawmakers and national Democratic campaign committees, accused Trump of attempting to reduce mail-in voting. Voting by mail has become more prevalent since the COVID-19 pandemic, when states expanded voters' ability to cast ballots by mail because of what they said was a public health emergency. Trump called the policy changes an effort to "rig" the 2020 election, which he lost to former President Joe Biden.

"President Trump has tried again and again to rewrite election rules for his own perceived partisan advantage. If only he could ban mail voting—a favorite scapegoat for his 2020 electoral defeat—and impose other voting restrictions, he has proclaimed, Republicans will 'never lose a race—for 50 years,'" one of the lawsuits, led by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, read.

Trump and Republicans have zeroed in on noncitizen voting, which is illegal, and have long argued it is a widespread problem. In addition to his executive order, Trump has been urging Congress to pass the SAVE Act before the 2026 midterms to impose a physical identification requirement on people registering to vote, though the bill lacks the needed support from Democratic senators to advance.

Fox News Digital reached out to the USPS press office for comment on AFL's petition.

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Pirro warns car theft ring used new tech to quickly access vehicles: 'Gone in 60 seconds'

A high-tech car theft ring that can steal vehicles in under a minute — without keys, smashed windows or hot wiring — has been exposed in a sweeping federal indictment, exposing a sophisticated pipeline that moves stolen cars from U.S. streets to overseas black markets.

U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro on Wednesday announced a 15-count federal indictment targeting the ring, which she said uses an electronic device called an Autel to rewrite a vehicle’s internal computer, allowing them to program a blank key fob instead of using more traditional methods to steal cars.

"They don't need keys, and they don't need hot wiring," Pirro said. "No smashed windows, no drama.... In under a minute, the car's brain is rewritten. The car is gone in 60 seconds."

Pirro said the crews have acted in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Pennsylvania to steal a wide range of vehicles, from higher-end Corvettes and Camaros to one of America’s most popular vehicles, the Honda Civic.

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Once stolen, the suspects allegedly disabled tracking systems, including GPS and Bluetooth, to avoid detection, and "cooled off" vehicles at locations where license plates were swapped — including a parking garage at a Maryland Marriott. They allegedly then loaded them onto transport carriers at ports in Savannah, Georgia, and Baltimore, Maryland.

The stolen cars are hidden in containers labeled as furniture to avoid scrutiny, Pirro said. Investigators say the vehicles were then sent overseas, primarily to Africa, where they were sold on the black market for high profits.

"This isn't joyriding," Pirro said. "These are high-end vehicles that are then loaded on transport carriers ... shipped across the ocean to Africa, where demand is sky high and profits are enormous."

DESERT STREET RACING CIRCUS CRUSHED — COPS SWARM LATE-NIGHT TAKEOVER, SUSPECTS HAULED OFF AND RIDES SEIZED

"Welcome to the new world of car theft," Pirro added.

The indictment identifies more than 20 stolen vehicles worth nearly $1 million, but investigators believe the operation may be far larger — potentially tied to over 100 thefts in Washington, D.C., and more than 30 in Prince George’s County, Maryland, with a total value approaching $4 million.

The five men charged so far include Jacob Hernandez, David Coby, Dustin Wetzel, Chance Clark and James Young. They face multiple federal charges, including conspiracy, possession and transport of stolen vehicles, as well as related offenses.

Authorities said the investigation is ongoing and warned the public that modern car theft rings are increasingly using advanced technology to bypass traditional security measures.

Metropolitan Police Department’s Interim Police Chief Jeffery Carrol said citizens can take steps to prevent this new kind of car theft, including keeping key fobs inside a faraday bag — a bag that prevents the electronic signal from emanating from the fob — and "old school things" like club manual devices to lock a steering wheel.

"I know a lot of people will think those things are outdated, but they're not," Carrol said. "They're good devices that prevent vehicles from still being driven" even if someone uses an Autel device to access the car.

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Illegal immigrant Israel Flores Ortiz gets 360 days for groping girls at Fairfax County Va. High School

Israel Flores Ortiz, 18, an illegal alien, was sentenced to 360 days on Tuesday after being convicted for groping several female classmates in Fairfax High School hallways earlier this year.

With time served and the calculations for a misdemeanor, he has 135 days left in prison.

Judge Melinda Vanlowe delivered the sentence, calling it a "very difficult case," adding the actions were "targeted" and representing a "pattern" of "deplorable" behavior. 

Fairfax County public defender Jamie Hospes asked Judge Vanlowe for a sentence of 9 days, calling the offenses just "butt-grabbing," adding, "sometimes we arrest people for that, sometimes we elect them to be president of the United States."

ILLEGAL ALIEN ALLEGED GROPING OF MINOR GIRLS AT HIGH SCHOOL BEING INVESTIGATED BY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

Flores Ortiz wore a green prison jumpsuit and listened to the proceedings through an interpreter.

He read a statement in Spanish, saying he apologized to the girls he had grabbed and their families. 

"I hurt them," he said, also apologizing to his own mother and father.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ACCUSED OF EASTER KIDNAPPING, SEX ASSAULT IN COLLEGE TOWN; ICE RIPS SECOND ATTACK IN WEEKS

Flores Ortiz was charged as an adult, but he was tried in juvenile court because most of the victims were minors. He was convicted in nine cases, acquitted in three and had one charge dismissed. He had originally been accused of assaulting 13 female classmates, according to the Fairfax Police Department.

The case had heightened concerns among parents about student safety after years of former President Joe Biden's open borders policy.

Flores Ortiz, originally from El Salvador, is in the country illegally, having reportedly arrived in 2024.

TWICE-DEPORTED HONDURAN ACCUSED OF STABBING PASSENGER ON CHARLOTTE LIGHT RAIL FACES FEDERAL CHARGES

The defense asked the court to impose just nine days of incarceration, arguing Flores Ortiz’s age should weigh heavily in sentencing. Counsel said his "brain is physically not as developed" as that of a 25-year-old and argued his actions were not driven by sexual gratification.

Instead, the defense characterized the assaults as immature behavior, telling the court Flores Ortiz acted "for fun" and that "it was like a joke or prank." 

"Only a teenager would think like that," counsel said.

TRUMP'S DHS SAYS BIDEN RELEASED 'BARBARIC' ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT NOW ACCUSED OF HEINOUS CRIME

After the hearing, an attorney representing one of the teenage victims rejected the political framing. 

"This should not be politicized," the attorney said.

The defense said the defendant "is sorry" for his actions and "he agrees it was deplorable; he agrees it was a pattern."

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Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano, who has been under fire for this case, as well as other high-profile crimes committed by illegal immigrants in Northern Virginia, spoke to the media after the sentencing. He called Fairfax County, "The safest large jurisdiction in the country."

Prosecutor Jenna Sands read from a letter written by one of the victims who said for her this was not about immigration, but about "a guy who made me feel unsafe."

"I want to back to being a normal kid," the victim added.

SEXUAL PREDATORS, DRUG TRAFFICKERS AMONG ICE'S 'WORST OF THE WORST' ROUNDUP IN VIRGINIA

The judge allowed Flores Ortiz and his attorney to remain seated during sentencing, then sharply rebuked him as she laid out the impact of the assaults and his conduct after being confronted by one of the victims.

Referring to the evidence, the judge said that on March 4, "one of the students actually confronted you," and made it "very clear it hurt her." 

Despite that, the judge said, Flores Ortiz went on to assault another victim two days later.

BIDEN-ERA ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CONVICTED OF GROPING TEEN GIRLS AS CRITICS BLAST SOROS-BACKED PROSECUTOR

The judge said that for the victims, the offenses had "adjusted how they move through life," underscoring the lasting effect the assaults had on the students involved.

After serving his sentence, Flores Ortiz will be placed on two years of probation. The judge also ordered him to undergo a psychosexual evaluation and complete any treatment recommended as a result.

Addressing Flores Ortiz directly, the judge struck a more measured tone at the close of the hearing, telling him, "I absolutely believe in redemption" and, "this does not define you."

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She added, "You can go on to do great things."

Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano told reporters after the hearing that he was "happy with the outcome," and said prosecutors "stand ready" if Flores Ortiz chooses to appeal.

The case stems from a series of incidents in crowded school hallways that prosecutors said involved Flores Ortiz groping female students. The allegations sparked scrutiny in Fairfax County over school supervision and hallway safety.

Both Jake Gibson and Peter Pinedo reported from the courtroom.

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