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Swalwell was dubbed the ‘Snapchat king of Congress’ years before sexual misconduct scandal emerged

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Disgraced former Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., was once dubbed the “Snapchat king of Congress,” years before his career was derailed by newly surfaced sexual misconduct allegations.

Swalwell resigned from Congress and suspended his California gubernatorial bid amid the fallout of damning reports alleging sexual harassment and sexual assault. 

In his public statements, Swalwell has fiercely denied the criminal allegations but admittedly suggested he had acted inappropriately outside his marriage in the past.

Among the allegations are accusations he sent unsolicited photos of his genitalia to women he had met in professional settings on Snapchat, the popular social media platform known for allowing messages and images to disappear.

‘THE VIEW’ CO-HOST CLAIMS SHE PERSONALLY WITNESSED TROUBLING BEHAVIOR FROM SWALWELL

In 2016, Swalwell was the subject of a glowing report from The Hill by tech journalist Taylor Lorenz about his use of the platform, which at the time was seldom used by politicians.

“Imagine a typical Snapchat user, and you probably don’t think of a 35-year-old straight-laced congressman from California,” Lorenz began the report. “But in a few short months, Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) has skyrocketed to success on the app, using the platform to connect with constituents and grow his base.

“The result is an entertaining feed of short videos, photos and an unfiltered peek into the daily life of a congressman. He snaps photos of his daily commute, shoots videos from his hometown in northern California, and documents his daily meetings as a representative of California’s 15th district,” she wrote.

REP. LUNA WARNS OF POTENTIAL JAIL TIME FOR ERIC SWALWELL FOLLOWING SERIOUS CRIMINAL ALLEGATIONS

In an interview with Lorenz, Swalwell mentioned how “so many of our constituents” were on Snapchat and not just “young people.”

“That’s when I realized that a lot of people are really going there, whether it’s for getting news, staying in touch with friends, just cool, fun, interesting things that disappear in 24 hours,” Swalwell said at the time. “We just realized that this was another way to communicate directly with constituents.”

Swalwell boasted his growing following on the platform, telling Lorenz, “People now come up to me at the grocery store or in our community and say, ‘Hey, I like your Snapchat.’

“I want people back home to know that I haven’t forgotten about the responsibility of sharing what I do here as the person they elected.”

SWALWELL’S MOUNTING SEXUAL MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS THREATEN CAREER BEYOND POLITICS, EXPERTS WARN

According to the report, Swalwell offered “personal Snapchat lessons” to colleagues on Capitol Hill and even “carried around a stack of homemade Snapchat flyers that he hands out on the House floor.”

“It may seem strange for a member of Congress to be so enamored with a social media messaging app, but Swalwell says he is passionate about mobile technology and the opportunities it provides,” Lorenz wrote.

Looking back at her report nearly a decade later, Lorenz told Fox News Digital, “I’m horrified and disgusted by the stories coming out about his behavior. The fact that someone in his position of power was allegedly using social media to groom young women is very disturbing. I think we are all probably reading this story about his Snapchat use in a new light.”

Swalwell’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. 

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Blue Panther and Último Guerrero steal the show at CMLL’s first-ever US event in Las Vegas

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Mexican pro wrestling legends Blue Panther and Último Guerrero have been through the wringer and then some in their careers.

Panther, 65, made his wrestling debut in 1978, left Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) in 1992 and then returned in 1997. Guerrero, 54, started his career in 1990 and joined CMLL in 1997. 

The two have won multiple championships with the company and, on Thursday night, made more history.

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Panther and Guerrero were a part of the first solo CMLL show in the U.S. The company made its way to Las Vegas for the event for the first time in its 92-year history. They competed against each other in a legends match that turned into a must-see wrestling performance.

The two Lucha Libre giants turned back the clock to deliver a phenomenal performance. Guerrero broke out hurricanranas and a superplex from the top rope. Panther matched him with multiple suicide dives. When Guerrero stepped away from the third one, Panther hit a crossbody from the middle rope onto the floor.

Panther capped off the match with a toss from the top rope. He then pinned Guerrero for the win.

Fans who packed the Pearl Theater at the Palms Casino Resort shouted “Muchas gracias” to the two superstars, who didn’t feel like they were close at all to hanging up their boots.

RISING PRO WRESTLING STAR PERSEPHONE TO BE PART OF HISTORIC CMLL SHOW AT SLAM FEST, REACTS TO TONY KHAN PRAISE

The show featured Persephone defending her CMLL World Women’s Championship against Tessa Blanchard, a one-time CMLL tag-team champion and former Total Nonstop Action (TNA) world champion and knockouts champion.

Blanchard entered the venue as the ultimate heel and heard the boos from the crowd because of it. But she was not timid against the rising star Persephone. She went to work on Persephone, targeting her knee throughout the match.

Persephone would pull out all the stops to take care of Blanchard. After receiving a cutter on the apron, Persephone hit Blanchard with a gnarly German suplex.

As the match wore on, Persephone got the upper hand in the corner. She was able to reverse Blanchard’s attack and nailed her with a crucifix powerbomb for the win. She’s 3-1 against Blanchard all time.

Persephone will have a chance to win more gold Friday night when she makes her Maple Leaf Pro (MLP) debut as part of the Slam Fest event

She’s challenging for the MLP Women’s Canadian Championship against titleholder Gisele Shaw and Shotzi Blackheart.

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Miami Catholic Charities loses $11M contract providing care for migrant children under Trump administration

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The Trump administration canceled a longstanding contract with Catholic Charities in Miami, citing a drop in illegal immigration as a factor amid tensions between the president and the Pope.

On Wednesday, Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski wrote an op-ed for The Miami Herald lamenting the loss of an $11 million contract to help care for unaccompanied minors and migrant children programs, which has been active for more than 60 years. Without funding, Wenski warned, services would not even last the rest of the year.

“For more than 60 years, the Archdiocese of Miami’s services for unaccompanied minors have been recognized for their excellence and have served as a model for other agencies throughout the country,” Wenski wrote. 

“Our track record in serving this vulnerable population is unmatched. Yet, the Archdiocese of Miami’s Catholic Charities’ services for unaccompanied minors has been stripped of funding and will be forced to shut down within three months.”

STEFANIK CLASHES WITH CNN HOSTS OVER TRUMP’S POPE COMMENTS, WHILE ACCUSING SWALWELL OF ‘CRIMINAL’ CONDUCT

According to The Miami Herald, the administration informed Catholic Charities last month that funding would be canceled, prior to President Donald Trump’s comments criticizing Pope Leo XIV for disagreeing with U.S. military action in Iran.

Department of Health and Human Services press secretary Emily G. Hillard informed The Miami Herald that the decision was made because the number of unaccompanied minors crossing the border was now “significantly lower” than it was under the Biden administration.

’60 MINUTES’ ACCUSED OF USING LEFT-LEANING CARDINALS TO BAIT TRUMP INTO FEUD WITH VATICAN

“[The Office of Refugee Resettlement] is closing and consolidating unused facilities as the Trump Administration continues efforts to stop illegal entry and the smuggling and trafficking of unaccompanied alien children,” Hillard said.

In a comment to Fox News Digital, White House deputy press secretary Kush Desai pointed to an X post calling the article “fake news,” adding that the administration informed 49 charities, only two of which were Catholic, last year that it would be cutting grants towards care for migrant children.

“Our historically secure border means fewer border crossings. This is good stewardship of taxpayer dollars made possible by common-sense border policies that keep the American people safe and protect our sovereignty,” Desai wrote.

CATHOLIC NUNS CARING FOR DYING PATIENTS FIGHT NEW YORK TRANS RULE, FACE JAIL TIME

In Wenski’s opinion piece, he pushed back against the argument that fewer unaccompanied minors was an acceptable reason to discontinue funding.

“It is true that the number of unaccompanied minors entering the country has decreased. It is also understandable that some programs may be scaled back or even eliminated. But given the history and reputation of Msgr. Bryan O. Walsh Children’s Village, it is baffling that the U.S. government would shut down a program that it would be hard-pressed to replicate at the level of competence and excellence that Catholic Charities has achieved if and when future waves of unaccompanied minors reach our shores,” Wenski wrote.

The Archdiocese of Miami pointed Fox News Digital to Wenski’s op-ed when reached for comment.

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Former SMU cornerback Teddy Knox faces $2.88M judgment for crash linked to Rashee Rice’s Lamborghini race

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Kansas City Chiefs star receiver Rashee Rice isn’t the only one facing discipline for a March 2024 car crash in Dallas.

Theodore “Teddy” Knox, a former SMU cornerback and teammate of Rice’s in college, was driving a Corvette while racing Rice’s Lamborghini on a Dallas highway before it caused a multi-car crash.

Knox has been hit with a $2.88 million default judgment in a lawsuit from one of those crash victims, Kathryn Kuykendall, according to ESPN.

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Knox was ruled “grossly negligent” by Judge Kim Bailey Phipps, and a default judgment comes when a lawsuit has no response or a party does not appear in court. In this case, it was reportedly the latter.

“We’ve asked the court to grant the default judgment because we’re ethically required to as a matter of diligence,” Kuykendall’s attorney, Marc Lenahan, said in a statement to ESPN when the motion was filed. 

“Personally, it pleases us that Teddy hasn’t made further mistakes that we’re aware of. If a team gives him a chance to prove that he’s walking the right path now, we’ll be rooting for him.”

PATRIOTS STAR STEFON DIGGS PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO FELONY STRANGULATION CHARGES DAYS AFTER SUPER BOWL

This marks the third default judgment issued against Knox from the March 2024 crash. He was also ordered to pay $1.99 million to Irina Gromova and $1.63 million to Edvard Petrovskiy in combined damages.

Knox and Rice pleaded guilty to charges from the crash, and Knox was sentenced to 30 days in jail and five years of probation. Knox was charged with causing a collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing bodily injury.

Rice had similar charges, receiving five-year deferred probation and 30 days in jail as a condition of the probation. His jail time was said to be flexible, according to the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office.

Rice was also required to pay the victims for their out-of-pocket medical expenses, which totaled around $115,000, as part of his plea agreement.   

Rice was also suspended six games for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy, which he served last season.

The 25-year-old receiver said in a statement issued by his attorney at the time of the league’s decision that he’s had “a lot of sleepless nights thinking about the damages my actions caused, and I will continue working within my means to make sure that everyone impacted will be made whole.”

Knox was suspended by SMU, and he hasn’t been in college football ever since. He began his career at Mississippi State before transferring to SMU.

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