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MORNING GLORY: Dems’ Bernie-backed oyster farmer hands Susan Collins a massive 2026 advantage

Published

2 hours ago

May 5, 2026

“Extreme Makeover” is a brand of reality show that has succeeded both when applied to participants who needed to change their health habits, hygiene and clothing choices, as well as when applied to participants’ homes, which had disrepair or structural issues that needed fixing.

The programs “worked” because the premise is simple: People and domiciles — no matter how messed up — can change, can be made attractive and functional with the right amount of attention, care and craftsmanship.

Now comes a new offshoot: “Extremist Makeover.”

While not yet a reality show on a streaming platform, this reboot is far advanced in development within the Democratic Party.

MICHIGAN DEM REP DECLINES TO SUPPORT PLATNER AFTER RESURFACED RAPE COMMENTS

The Democratic candidate for the United States Senate seat in Maine — currently occupied by perhaps the most moderate, intelligent, trusted, hard-working and admired senator on both sides of the aisle, Sen. Susan Collins — is going to be oysterman Graham Platner.

Platner is not a “liberal.” He’s not a “leftist.” He’s an extremist. Platner is from that land “beyond the fringe” in American politics that occasionally throws up onto the election beaches a candidate from the wacky left or wacky right after an intra-party primary campaign, a nominee who simply doesn’t play within the “10s,” much less the “40s,” of American political football.

The extremists luck out in the primary for a variety of oddball reasons, and then their parties pretend to be surprised when their oddball nominees get thumped in the general election.

SUSAN COLLINS SHRUGS OFF ATTACKS BY DEMOCRATS AND TRUMP, SAYS MAINE VOTERS ‘DON’T VOTE PARTY LINE’

So, I predict, it will turn out with Mr. Platner, whose many, er, idiosyncrasies have been tumbling into public view for a couple of months now.

Platner’s most famous “eccentricity” thus far is his “Totenkopf” tattoo of the death’s head worn proudly during the Nazi era by Hitler’s Schutzstaffel (SS), particularly by the SS-Totenkopfverbaende, one of the original three branches of the SS, along with the Allgemeine SS and the Waffen SS. The SS-Totenkopfverbaende were guards at the concentration-extermination camps. Of many vile symbols of that regime, this is the equal of any of them when it comes to projecting evil purpose and deadly, arbitrary killing. Asking for that tattoo is a deliberate choice. Keeping it for years and years is another.

So, too, are the many Reddit posts Mr. Platner has made over his life, which cover the waterfront of bigotries and what we used to quaintly call “hate speech,” but which Democrats now call either “opportunities to grow,” or, more truthfully, auditions.

DAVID MARCUS: WILL THE NORMAL DEMOCRATS PLEASE STAND UP?

Sen. Collins has faced leftist Democrats before in past elections. In her most recent campaign, in 2020, Democrats nominated the very left-wing Speaker of the Maine House, Sara Gideon. Despite being outspent by more than 2-to-1 (pro-Gideon spending was just shy of $48 million, while Collins’ war chest was $23 million) and being behind in nearly every single major poll from start to finish, Collins won her race by nine points, even though then-candidate Joe Biden beat President Donald Trump by the same margin. So nearly 20% of Mainers in 2020 switched from voting for a Democrat at the top of the ticket to a Republican on the next line in the Senate race.

That’s not just because Collins is genuinely liked and admired across Maine, which she is. Collins is also the powerful Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and thus in a position to help Mainers across the board, from every employee at Bath Iron Works, to every lobsterman or fisherman beset by ridiculous federal regulations, and every year-round Mainer beset by soaring heating costs in the winter because of Democrats obstructing pipeline permitting that would significantly lower the cost of getting energy to the Pine Tree State.

And it’s also not just because Collins is so widely respected that she is on the Senate’s Intelligence Committee, where only the most trusted senators from both parties serve, superintending the nation’s most secretive programs.

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It is also because Collins is a superb politician, always out and about across her state asking Mainers for their vote.

Collins is from “the County,” the enormous and farthest-north Aroostook County, which is as authentically Maine as one can get. Collins is also the equal of any example of a gracious and welcoming elected official who understands that the job of senator is to serve her constituents, not grandstand on far-left podcasts.

Collins and Platner could not be more different. It is possible that “normal” and welcoming Maine wants a radical, verbal bomb-throwing extremist as its next senator. But I don’t think so.

It’s rare to have a Susan Collins represent your state from positions of power and influence and do so with class and humility. To trade that in for a death’s skull and online bigotry doesn’t seem like a bet Mainers are going to make, no matter how many millions of dollars the Antifa-adjacent pour into the race from the far-left spread across the country.

Hugh Hewitt is a Fox News contributor and host of “The Hugh Hewitt Show” heard weekday afternoons from 3 PM to 6 PM ET on the Salem Radio Network, and simulcast on Salem News Channel. Hugh drives Americans home on the East Coast and to lunch on the West Coast on over 400 affiliates nationwide, and on all the streaming platforms where SNC can be seen. He is a frequent guest on the Fox News Channel’s news roundtable, hosted by Bret Baier weekdays at 6pm ET. A son of Ohio and a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Michigan Law School, Hewitt has been a Professor of Law at Chapman University’s Fowler School of Law since 1996 where he teaches Constitutional Law. Hewitt launched his eponymous radio show from Los Angeles in 1990. Hewitt has frequently appeared on every major national news television network, hosted television shows for PBS and MSNBC, written for every major American paper, has authored a dozen books and moderated a score of Republican candidate debates, most recently the November 2023 Republican presidential debate in Miami and four Republican presidential debates in the 2015-16 cycle. Hewitt focuses his radio show and his column on the Constitution, national security, American politics and the Cleveland Browns and Guardians. Hewitt has interviewed tens of thousands of guests from Democrats Hillary Clinton and John Kerry to Republican Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump over his 40 years in broadcasting. This column previews the lead story that will drive his radio/ TV show today.

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NBA legend torches Magic after embarrassing playoff exit

Published

10 minutes ago

May 5, 2026

Addison Blake

Basketball Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady spent four years with the Orlando Magic, earning All-Star selections and a Most Improved Player of the Year Award while with the franchise.

As a former Magic star, McGrady was dismayed with how their 2025-26 season ended – a first-round playoff exit after going up 3-1 in a series against the Detroit Pistons. Orlando ended up firing head coach Jamahl Mosley on Monday and McGrady fired off criticism about the roster.

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“What they have on their roster right now, what you see on their bench, they gotta go,” McGrady said during NBC’s playoff coverage on Monday. “I’m sorry. They ain’t good enough. They need to improve this roster if they wanna be a team in the East that’s gonna compete.

“New York ain’t going nowhere. Boston isn’t going nowhere. Detroit ain’t going nowhere. You have to improve this roster.”

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Orlando was in great position to upset the No. 1-seeded Pistons in the first round. The Magic had three games to get the job done, but couldn’t pull it off. In one of those games, the Magic saw a 24-point lead evaporate at home. In Game 6, Orlando missed 23 consecutive shots.

The Magic built a core around Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs and Desmond Bane, who are all under contract for the foreseeable future. The organization clearly feels that a new voice on the bench may help elevate the franchise.

Orlando improved dramatically over the course of Mosley’s tenure, but have still failed to get out of the first round of the playoffs.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Latest

Instantly upgrade your streaming: At home and when traveling

Published

10 minutes ago

May 5, 2026

Addison Blake

It happens to a lot of us when we travel abroad. You land, open your streaming app and realize the shows you watch are gone. The library has changed, and some of what you expect to see is suddenly unavailable. It is one of those inconveniences that may rarely cross your mind before a trip. Still, it happens to millions of travelers every year. But the streaming problem is just one part of a bigger issue.

Whether you are at home or on the other side of the world, the way you stream says a lot about how exposed your data is, how fast your connection runs and how much control you actually have over what you watch. Most of us have never thought about any of that. Although we probably should.

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WHY YOUR HOME WI-FI NEEDS MORE THAN JUST A STRONG PASSWORD

Every time you fire up a streaming app, your device sends and receives a large amount of data. That data passes through your internet provider, through various servers and sometimes through networks like hotel Wi-Fi that are far from secure.

Your internet provider can see what you stream and when. On public or shared networks, that visibility can extend further. In the background, your IP address gets logged by every service you connect to, quietly building a record of your habits.

Most people assume streaming is passive. From a data standpoint, it is anything but.

A VPN encrypts your connection before it leaves your device. That means your internet provider cannot see what you are watching, networks you connect to cannot monitor your activity, and the IP address shared with streaming platforms isn’t your real one.

For everyday home streaming, that is a meaningful privacy upgrade that most people have never applied to their TV habits. The benefits become even more noticeable the moment you travel.

Not all VPNs are built for streaming. Performance matters here. A VPN that protects your connection but slows your speed misses the point. Buffering isn’t an acceptable trade-off.

The best options use high-speed networks and optimized servers designed for streaming. That helps HD and 4K content stay smooth, even when your connection routes through servers far from your location.

IS YOUR VPN ENOUGH WITHOUT ANTIVIRUS PROTECTION?

When you are abroad and want to watch the content you subscribe to at home, like local news, sports or your usual streaming lineup, a VPN lets you connect through a server back home and stream as if you never left.

With servers located around the world, including across the United States, your subscriptions stay within reach wherever you are.

It also means you avoid relying on hotel or airport networks for security. Your connection stays encrypted end to end, which matters more when you are away from your home network than almost any other time. For the best VPN software, see my expert review of the best VPNs for browsing the web privately on your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at CyberGuy.com.

Traveling puts your devices on networks you do not control, which makes a few simple habits go a long way. If you want to keep your streaming private and your accounts secure, start here:

Airport and hotel networks are convenient, but they are also the easiest places for your data to be exposed or intercepted.

Turn on your VPN before joining any network, so your connection stays encrypted from the moment you go online.

Logging into streaming services on shared or hotel devices can expose your login details long after you leave.

Updates often include security fixes that protect against known vulnerabilities and exploits.

BEWARE OF FAKE WI-FI NETWORKS THAT STEAL YOUR DATA WHEN TRAVELING

Your device can automatically reconnect to saved networks without you realizing it, which can increase your exposure if those networks are unsecured or impersonated. Turn off auto-connect in your settings to stay in control of when and where you connect.

If you do sign in on a shared device, make sure you fully log out and clear the browser if possible.

Streaming has quietly become one of the biggest data pipelines in your daily life. Most people focus on content, not on what happens behind the scenes. Once you understand how much data moves every time you press play, the case for adding a layer of protection becomes much clearer. A VPN does more than unlock content while traveling. It gives you more control over your privacy, your connection, and your overall experience. That applies just as much on your couch as it does in a hotel room halfway around the world.

If you pay for streaming every month, should you also have more control over who can see what you watch and where you can watch it? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.

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Trump turns Obama-era youth health policy on its head as school fitness benchmark returns

Published

10 minutes ago

May 5, 2026

Addison Blake

FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump will sign a presidential memorandum Tuesday restoring the Presidential Fitness Test Award, according to the White House, reviving a competitive school-based fitness program phased out during the Obama administration.

The signing will be attended by members of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition, as well as National Fitness Foundation board members including high-profile athletes including golfer Bryson DeChambeau, retired professional golfer Gary Player, Baltimore Ravens cornerback Amani Oruwariye and MLB pitcher Noah Syndergaard.

The move reintroduces a performance-based benchmark for student fitness, echoing the Trump administration’s broader “Make America Healthy Again” push.

Trump first signed an executive order to reestablish the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition and the Presidential Fitness Test last year, with the memorandum on Tuesday paving the way for the administration to restore the test and awards at all American schools, Fox News Digital learned.

TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER TO REESTABLISH PRESIDENTIAL FITNESS TEST

The revitalized award emphasizes measurable athletic performance standards similar to earlier versions of the test, which ranked students based on physical achievement, according to a copy of the National Physical Fitness Award obtained by Fox News Digital.

The original Presidential Physical Fitness Test was phased out during former President Barack Obama’s second term and replaced with the Presidential Youth Fitness Program, part of the “Let’s Move” initiative. Critics at the time argued that the test focused too much on performance and competition, discouraging less athletic students.

The President’s Council on Youth Fitness was first established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower after studies showed American children were less physically fit than European peers. Schools began administering a fitness test under President John F. Kennedy, launching the President’s Council on Physical Fitness.

WHOLE MILK HEADED BACK TO SCHOOL CAFETERIAS AFTER TRUMP SIGNS LAW AS EXPERTS TOUT BENEFITS

The Obama-era Presidential Youth Fitness Program focused “primarily on assessing health versus athleticism for America’s youth,” according to the Let’s Move website.

Fox News Digital reached out to the office of President Obama for comment.

More than 21% of Americans ages 2 to 19 were classified as obese between 2021 and 2023, while 7% of American youths had severe obesity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

SCHOOL MEALS RAISE EYEBROWS AS MAHA ADVOCATES URGE ‘DIFFERENT CHOICES IN THE LUNCH LINE’

Trump is expected to sign the memorandum in the Oval Office, followed by an event on the South Lawn with families and children to mark National Youth Sports and Fitness Month, Fox News Digital learned.

Cabinet secretaries including Dept. of War Secretary Pete Hegseth, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner, and Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon will also be in attendance.