Skip Bayless to reunite with Stephen A. Smith on ESPN as First Take's ratings slip

For the first time in nearly a decade, Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith will debate each other on ESPN’s "First Take" this Friday.

On Monday, the network announced Bayless will join Smith for a "one-time reunion" in Los Angeles. Bayless last appeared on the show in June 2016, before leaving ESPN for FS1.

The dynamics this time are different. "First Take" used to be Bayless’ show. He personally asked Smith to join him as a full-time debate partner in 2012. At the time, Smith had just returned to ESPN as a radio host and did not have a television platform. Today, Smith is one of the biggest names in sports media, while Bayless no longer has a television show after leaving FS1 in 2024. He is now a contributor to Gilbert Arenas’ YouTube platform.

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Notice the wording ESPN used to promote Bayless’ appearance, calling it a "one-time reunion." That phrasing appears to shut down speculation that Bayless could return to "First Take" as a full-time host or a weekly contributor, like Chris "Mad Dog" Russo.

Still, Smith previously said he had moved on and had no interest in reuniting with Bayless. Plans and visions change.

As OutKick reported last month, most of ESPN’s shows are up double digits year over year. It is no coincidence that this surge coincided with the network toning down political and racial dialogue. However, "First Take" is the outlier.

"Get Up" airs directly before "First Take" and is up 18%. "The Pat McAfee Show," which follows "First Take," is up 16%. And yet, "First Take" is up just 5%, which falls below the standard Big Data + Panel bump.

In an industry where showing growth is paramount, ESPN management and Smith are certainly aware of "First Take’s" trends.

They hope Bayless can provide a much-needed bump, but we aren't so sure he will.

Bayless is no longer the needle mover he was when he left ESPN 10 years ago. Near the end of his run at FS1, "Undisputed" averaged just 30,000 viewers. He also recently stopped recording "The Skip Bayless Show" podcast, which drew only a few thousand views per episode on YouTube.

Further, Bayless cannot be the answer if Smith is the problem.

Since signing a record $100 million contract last year, Smith has appeared increasingly uninterested in the content. His rants are often predictable, repetitive and riddled with errors. Over the past year, he has repeatedly misidentified players or discussed players and coaches who are no longer active.

Perhaps Smith’s political commentary has become a distraction for him. If so, he should no longer host a daily two-hour sports debate show on ESPN.

Skip Bayless will not change that. If anything, known for his obsessive preparation, Bayless will further highlight Smith’s lack of command of current sports topics and make him look worse.

In other moves to boost viewership for "First Take," ESPN says rapper Cam’ron on May 5 and comedian Kid Mero on May 7 will also debate Smith next week.

For now, Bayless is excited for his return.

"CAN’T WAIT FOR FRIDAY," he posted on X. "MORE SOON."

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Supreme Court temporarily blocks appeals court ruling on abortion pill, restores wider access to drug

The Supreme Court on Monday temporarily blocked a federal appeals court ruling that would have sharply restricted access to the abortion pill, restoring, for now, the ability of patients to obtain the drug through telehealth, mail and pharmacies.

The order signed by Justice Samuel Alito temporarily allows women seeking abortions to obtain the pill without an in-person visit to a doctor, a temporary legal victory for abortion activists.

A federal appeals court had imposed new restrictions on the abortion pill last week.

"It is good to see SCOTUS issue this stay to immediately restore access by mail to mifepristone," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said, responding to the ruling on X. "But this fight is just beginning."

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"We will stop at nothing to prevent the Republicans from putting a national abortion ban into effect," he added.

The majority of abortions in the United States are obtained through medications, usually a combination of mifepristone and a second drug, misoprostol. The availability of those drugs has blunted the impact of abortion bans that many Republican-led states have sought to enforce since a 2022 Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade.

Louisiana sued to restrict access to mifepristone, asserting that its availability undermined the ban there.

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The administrative stay remains in effect until at least May 11 at 5 p.m., giving the state time to respond to requests for a longer pause, and for the high court to take up the case on the merits.

"This ruling is not final — keep watching," Center for Reproductive Rights President and CEO Nancy Northup wrote in a statement. "Getting abortion pills through telehealth has been a lifeline for women since Roe v. Wade was overturned. There is no reason people shouldn’t be able to get mifepristone at a pharmacy or through the mail.

"Louisiana's attempt to restrict access is political and not based in science or medicine. Americans deserve access to this critical drug that has been FDA approved for 25 years."

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Manufacturers of mifepristone filed emergency appeals asking the Supreme Court to step in.

Kristan Hawkins, president of the anti-abortion group Students for Life, decried Monday’s decision.

"Pill pushers receive every benefit of the doubt, including today, as Justice Alito allows pill traffickers and big pharma to operate temporarily while arguments are sent to the Court," she said in a statement.

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After Friday’s ruling from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, some groups that prescribe abortion pills by telehealth had planned to switch to misoprostol-only regimens.

Dr. Angel Foster, founder of The Massachusetts Abortion Access Project, said her organization was preparing to send misoprostol only on Monday afternoon but was able to switch back.

"Regardless of what happens with this regulatory issue, we and other groups will continue to provide high-quality abortion care to patients in all 50 states," she said.

The appeals court decision would have required the Food and Drug Administration to reimpose tighter limits on mifepristone access while litigation continues.

Fox News' Bill Mears, Shannon Bream and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Minnesota T-Wolves at San Antonio Spurs best bet for Game 1 of the 2026 Western Conference Semifinals

The second round of the 2026 NBA PLAYOFFS starts Monday with two games that weirdly overlap. Thank God for YouTube TV's controllable multi-view feature.

Nonetheless, I'm here to handicap Game 1 of the Minnesota Timberwolves at San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Semifinals.

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Minnesota was 2-1 straight up and against the spread vs. San Antonio during the regular season, and the total was 2-1 to the Over.

But, due to load management and tanking, you have to take the regular season with a grain of salt when betting on the playoffs. With that in mind, I'm fading the regular-season results in the Timberwolves-Spurs series opener.

Let me explain why this series could turn into a rock-fight. First of all, San Antonio ranked third in defensive efficiency during the regular season and Minnesota ranked eighth. Again, the regular season isn't the end-all, be-all, but this matches the eye test.

Furthermore, the average pace for the three Timberwolves-Spurs games was 96.0 possessions per 48 minutes. For context, 99.4 was the average pace during the NBA regular season. The average pace for the 2026 NBA Playoffs is 95.5. So, if those averages hold up, we’re looking at a roughly 92.1 Pace for this series. 

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These teams will have to hit mad 3-pointers and/or get to the foul line often for the Over to cash. Well, the T-Wolves allowed the fewest made 3-pointers per game during the regular season and the Spurs led the NBA in defensive FT/FGA rate.

Minnesota All-Star SG Anthony Edwards was upgraded to "questionable" for Game 1. Personally, I think that’s more likely to be a "smokescreen" and we don’t see Ant-Man until this series heads to Minneapolis for Game 3.

Plus, T-Wolves SG Donte DiVincenzo is out for the season and breakout combo guard Ayo Dosunmu missed their close-out win vs. the Denver Nuggets in Game 6 of the first round and is "questionable" for Monday. DiVincenzo and Dosunmu are great shooters and their absence hurts Minnesota’s floor spacing. 

Yet, the Timberwolves went from +14.5 underdogs on the opener down to +12.5 after the Edwards injury news, so maybe he does play Monday. Regardless, even if Edwards does, San Antonio is the second-toughest defense to play in your first game back from injury, besides the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Spurs have long, athletic wings to throw at Edwards, with the greatest defensive basketball player ever, Victor Wembanyama, backing them up. Also, without Ant-Man, the Timberwolves will probably run their offense mostly through PF Julius Randle in Game 1, and I don’t see that going well for him.

I say that as a New York Knicks fan who absolutely loves Julius. Because he was their best player, Knicks fans held their postseason shortcomings from 2021-24 against him. When, in reality, you’re never a title contender if Randle is your best player. That’s not his fault. That goes on the NYK’s organization.  

However, he tends to play too much iso-ball and take guys off the dribble. Because Timberwolves C Rudy Gobert can’t shoot, Wembanyama doesn’t have to leave the paint. Hence, Randle will have to make hard, contested jumpers or score against Wemby inside the paint. Good luck, dude.

Lastly, the Spurs are double-digit favorites, so the market expects a lopsided game, and "blowouts are where Overs go to die".

Teams play with less urgency in blowouts and there is no reason to foul down 10+ points in the final minutes. The Under cashed in four of the five games in the San Antonio vs. Portland Trail Blazers series, and the Spurs were double-digit favorites in three of those Unders. 

Prediction: Spurs 113, Timberwolves 98

_____________________________

Follow me on X @Geoffery-Clark, and check out my OutKick Bets Podcast for more betting content and random rants.

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Feds open probe into New York City's anti-Israel teachers

New York City Public Schools are under investigation by the Trump administration over allegations that a group of anti-Israel teachers sought to sow "hatred towards Jewish students" during classroom instruction.

The Education Department's Office for Civil Rights announced its investigation into the nation's largest public school system nearly two weeks ago after receiving reports that teachers were organizing seminars propping up the Palestinian resistance and labeling Zionists as "genocidal white supremacists."

"No child should be taught by his or her teachers to hate their peers. Neither should Jewish children be taught that being Jewish somehow makes them inherently guilty or proponents of hate and violence," Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey said in a statement. "Discrimination has no place in our schools, and, unlike the previous Administration, the Trump Administration will not turn a blind eye to antisemitic harassment."

The Education Department's investigation into New York City Public Schools comes as Mayor Zohran Mamdani enters his fifth month in office. Mamdani has been heavily scrutinized for his anti-Israel rhetoric, having accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of committing war crimes and saying Palestinians are facing a "genocide" perpetrated by the Jewish state. He also revoked an executive order that blocked New York City officials from boycotting or divesting in Israel and another executive order that expanded the definition of antisemitism.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani's office.

At the center of the Education Department's investigation is a group of educators known as NYC Educators for Palestine. The group's mission statement centers on the belief that "education should be a tool for liberation not occupation" and that teachers should work "both inside and outside the classroom" to achieve Palestinian justice.

The Education Department noted the group's teaching seminars focused on "Palestinian, Zionism, and Resistance" as a potential Title VI violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. During these seminars, which were taught to children as young as 5, the educators focused on the "contemporary and historical Palestinian resistance." Complaints alleged that the seminars depicted Zionists as "genocidal white supremacists" and that it gave credence to support Hamas and its "martyrs."

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NYC Educators for Palestine also organized a "Teach-In for Palestine" set for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The "teach-in" was advertised for students as young as 6.

Fox News Digital reached out to NYC Educators for Palestine for comment.

A spokesperson for New York City Public Schools denied the group's affiliation with the school district.

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"The group referenced is not connected to New York City Public Schools," a spokesperson said.

But a parent told Fox News that it seemed teachers were "so radicalized and so focused on sending messages like this [anti-Israel] rather than focusing on really crucial skills like literacy and critical thinking."

The Education Department's investigation into New York City Public Schools is just the latest investigation into allegations of antisemitism running rampant in public school districts across the country in the wake of the Gaza war.

Last August, the Trump administration launched an investigation into Baltimore City Public Schools for alleged antisemitic harassment. The investigation is still ongoing.

More than 60 colleges and higher education institutions have been notified by the Trump administration of pending investigations into the schools' failures to properly address antisemitism on campus.

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'Independence One' brings back golden age of air travel for America’s 250th anniversary

Southwest Airlines is marking America’s upcoming 250th anniversary with a new patriotic aircraft and a partnership aimed at boosting volunteer efforts nationwide.

The airline announced the launch of "Independence One," a specially designed plane featuring red, white and blue elements tied to the nation’s founding.

The aircraft includes visual references to American history, including "1776" displayed in script, 13 stars representing the original colonies and the phrase "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" from the Declaration of Independence, the airline said in a press release.

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Independence One joins two other America-themed planes in Southwest’s fleet, including Freedom One, introduced in 2021, and Liberty One, another recently unveiled aircraft.

"With our new 'Independence One' and 'Liberty One' aircraft, we honor this important milestone in our nation’s history," Southwest CEO Bob Jordan said in a statement.

The airline also announced a partnership with America250, the organization leading the nationwide celebration of the country’s semiquincentennial.

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As part of the initiative, Southwest said it will contribute up to $250,000 through a "We Serve Together" grant program, supporting nonprofit organizations connected to employee volunteer efforts.

The funding builds on more than 180,000 hours of volunteer service logged by Southwest employees in 2025, according to the company.

"As America marks its 250th anniversary, Southwest Airlines’ legacy of connecting people and communities reflects the spirit of freedom and opportunity that defines our nation," Rosie Rios, chair of America250, said in a statement.

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The new jet entered service last week, with its first flight departing from the airline's hometown of Dallas and heading to Philadelphia, a city closely tied to the nation’s founding.

The aircraft will continue to fly routes across the country throughout the year as part of the broader America250 celebration.

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The airline, which has operated for more than five decades, said the initiative reflects its long-standing mission of connecting communities across the United States while honoring the country’s history.

Fox News Digital reached out to Southwest Airlines for further comment.

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Meryl Streep had secret 'beef' with Goldie Hawn while filming '90s horror comedy film

Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn weren't always on the best of terms.

In a new interview with Vanity Fair, the "Devil Wears Prada 2" star, 76, reminisced about the time she starred in the '90s horror film, "Death Became Her," alongside Goldie Hawn and explained why she had a "beef" with the iconic actress.

"Goldie, she was always late to set," Streep said. "And I’m always on time, you know, and annoying."

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"But she was so adorable," she added. "She had a red convertible, I remember, and she’d drive herself to set. So that was probably the problem. She’d drive herself to set. She had her hair all… ‘Oh gosh, sorry!’ And everybody thought, ‘Oh, she’s so cute.’ Yeah. So I had a beef with her."

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Despite the friction, said Streep, their time together on set was "silly and fabulous."

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"We just laughed," Streep said. "We just had a lot of fun. And she’s the best laughter in America, really. She laughs like, ‘Hahaha!’ And then they have to stop shooting. But that part was fun."

Streep clarified that the two didn't actually have a beef, but were actual "buddies" and have remained close friends ever since.

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"Over the years, we’ve had some laughs about that movie because people love it. I thought it was like a documentary on Beverly Hills," Streep said.

The film follows Madeline Ashton (Streep) and Helen Sharp (Hawn), who compete over their shared love interest, Dr. Ernest Menville (Bruce Willis).

"Oh, Bruce was divine," she said.

"I guess he was a bad boy on certain sets, and came with a little reputation for being difficult, but we had so much fun with him," she added. "He was such a gent, and so game, and willing to be ridiculous. I just thought he was wonderful."

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David Beckham shows off his abs in shirtless workout session with wife Victoria

Victoria Beckham gave her husband David Beckham some credit during a recent couple's workout session, posting a video on her Instagram stories of the dad of four doing pull-ups shirtless as she watched, writing, "He actually does work really hard."

The former Spice Girl later playfully pokes fun at him.

In the Instagram post, Victoria can be seen showing off her toned arms and strength as she did a number of pull-ups. David's voice can be heard behind the camera telling his wife how great her hair looked, as he slowly zoomed in on her backside.

"While some of us work hard in the gym …….. @davidbeckham 🤣🤣🤣🤣," Victoria captioned the post.

The next slide in the post shows David squatting in front of the mirror in the gym with his head in his hands.

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"David crushing on his wife is the best thing 👑," one fan wrote in the comments section. Another added, "Just a loving husband admiring his beautiful wife 🙌❤️."

She kept the compliments going by posting a shirtless photo of the athlete laughing as he lounged shirtless in the gym, telling her fans, "you're welcome," before keeping him grounded with a photo of herself stretching, asking, "But can he do this??"

David and Victoria got married in July 1999, after meeting for the first time two years before when she attended a Manchester United match with the Spice Girls that David was playing in.

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The couple shares four children together, Brooklyn Peltz Beckham, 27, Romeo, 23, Cruz, 21, and Harper, 14.

Over the course of their marriage, David and Victoria have dealt with a number of hard times, one of them being when David was accused of having an affair in 2003, with the singer calling that era "the most unhappy I have ever been in my entire life" in the 2023 Netflix documentary.

More recently, she managed to sidestep a question about how the alleged affair affected her while on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast in October 2025.

"Do you know... we’ve had so much thrown at us, and we were talking about it because we’ve recently celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary and, by the way, people said it wouldn’t work.... Twenty-six years," she added. "We’ve had so much thrown at us, and we’ve always just been there together and just ridden the storm. Ridden the d--- storm."

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She then quickly transitioned the topic back to a discussion about her eating disorder.

More recently, the couple are dealing with the breakdown of their relationship with their oldest son, Brooklyn, after he accused them of only caring about the family name and their brand and not their children's well-being.

"I have been silent for years and made every effort to keep these matters private," Brooklyn began. He said his parents had gone to the press, which left him with "no choice" but to address the family rift publicly.

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"I do not want to reconcile with my family. I’m not being controlled, I’m standing up for myself for the first time in my life. For my entire life, my parents have controlled narratives in the press about our family," Brooklyn wrote.

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