Trump reportedly considering NCAA payment limits through executive order following meeting with coach Nick Saban



The president has told his team to start looking into writing an executive order to limit the amount of money in college sports, a new report has claimed.

President Donald Trump met with legendary college football coach Nick Saban last Thursday when the president was in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to give a commencement speech at the University of Alabama.

According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, Saban spoke to the president about "NIL" deals and told him he thought the influx of money into college sports has been damaging.

Trump reportedly agreed with Saban and said he would have his aides begin to study what a potential executive order could look like.

Furthermore, Saban's suggestions allegedly did not include ending NIL payments, but "reforming" them, according to a person who was said to have direct knowledge of the meeting. Saban reportedly suggested the NIL payments were causing an uneven playing field and have resulted in an arms race among the bigger schools.

This echoed Saban's comments from January, when he claimed on a radio show that the NIL "model is unsustainable."

'There's some parity. Now that everybody can pay their players.'

It should be noted that Saban has been widely criticized for hoarding talent when he coached in Alabama and that name, image, and likeness rules have since leveled the playing field so that players at other schools can still receive compensation.

Even comedian Shane Gillis, a staunch Notre Dame supporter, said in January that Saban was sensitive to criticisms that he is upset that other schools can now pay their players.

"This feels different. Feels like we can win it. You know? There's some parity. Now that everybody can pay their players, Notre Dame has a shot. It's not just the SEC. It's not Coach Saban," Gillis said at the time.

The comedian revealed weeks later that Saban did not care for the comments when they both appeared on an episode of "ESPN's College GameDay."

Gillis said Saban exploded when he approached him, saying, "You think the SEC dominated because we cheated?! That's bulls**t!"

"He spazzed on me," Gillis laughed.

Shane Gillis said Nick Saban was not happy with accusations of the coach paying players. Photo by Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images

The NCAA declined to comment to the Wall Street Journal regarding a potential executive order. However, the outlet cited NCAA spokesman Tim Buckley, who said the governing body was confronting some of the challenges facing college sports.

The vast majority of the NCAA's money does not come from college football, though. As Blaze News reported, over 85% of the NCAA's revenue comes from college basketball's March Madness tournament. However, college football has some of the country's biggest young stars, who now generate impressive revenue streams for themselves through endorsements.

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Young mother dying next to her 5-year-old son texted one word to reveal her killer in final moments, police say



An Alabama mother and her 5-year-old son were killed in a deadly shooting. The woman gave investigators one last hint of the identity of her killer in the final moments of her life, according to police.

Around 5 p.m. on July 13, 2024, police received a 911 call about a car accident in the Echo Highlands neighborhood of Birmingham, Alabama.

"She loved her baby so much. Everything he wanted, he had. Everything he needed, he had."

Officers with the Birmingham Police Department responded to the scene and discovered a blue Nissan Maxima that had jumped a curb. The sedan was reportedly riddled with bullet holes. There were allegedly three shooting victims found dead inside the vehicle.

Investigators reportedly found 28-year-old Arkia “Kia” Berry in the driver's seat, her 28-year-old boyfriend, Eric Ashley Jr., in the front passenger seat, and her 5-year-old son, Landyn Brooks, in the back seat on the driver’s side.

Investigators recovered between 20 and 30 shell casings at the crime scene.

During a preliminary hearing on April 17, Birmingham homicide Det. Jarvelius Tolliver testified to a judge that investigators had located evidence found on Berry's cell phone.

Police went months without arresting a suspect. However, investigators discovered the mother's final one-word text message that allegedly directed cops to a suspect.

AL.com reported that Berry texted the word “Jaco” to a friend at 5:09 p.m. on the day of the deadly shooting. "Jaco" is the reported nickname of 25-year-old Jacorrian McGregor.

One of the homes in the neighborhood where the shooting took place had a surveillance camera that captured an image of a lime green Kia Soul at 5:07 p.m.

At 5:08 p.m., the blue Nissan Maxima driven by Berry is seen on video.

At 5:09 p.m., Ashley’s phone made a call to McGregor at the exact same time that Berry texted "Jaco" to a friend.

At 5:10 p.m., the Kia Soul was reportedly caught on camera speeding out of the neighborhood.

Tolliver noted the Nissan Maxima was not seen after that.

Police said the Kia Soul seen in the video was stolen.

The owner of the Kia allegedly told police that the car had been stolen five or six days before the shooting, but she never reported it stolen.

Police found the Kia Soul set on fire after the fatal shooting.

Tolliver said that McGregor and Ashley exchanged text messages earlier in the day that indicated they were planning to meet up.

Officer Tolliver noted that most of the text messages on McGregor's cell phone from the day of the shooting had been deleted.

Tolliver said of McGregor, "But he was having several conversations with people where they were talking about the incident that had taken place, and there were people telling him to lay low, stay out of sight, stay hidden.”

McGregor’s attorney, John Robbins, was asked if there were any witnesses who could connect McGregor to the Kia, and Tolliver replied: “I would say that Miss Berry was a witness. She texted his name right before she died.”

Police Officer Truman Fitzgerald told AL.com last year, "We believe some sort of interaction took place between the occupants of the victims’ vehicle and the suspects’ vehicle."

Jefferson County District Judge William Bell ruled there was enough probable cause to send the case to the grand jury.

McGregor was ordered to remain in the Jefferson County Jail without bond.

Aniya Berry, Arkia's cousin, previously told WVTM-TV that the slain mother and son were like "two peas in a pod."

"She loved her baby so much. Everything he wanted, he had. Everything he needed, he had. She took care of her baby the way she was supposed to," Aniya said.

Officer Fitzgerald stated at the time of the shooting, "Anytime we have a homicide, it affects us. But when you have a child, it affects you differently. In this case, we have a small, school-aged child that got caught up in the violence that’s taking place in our city. We have to ask the question, ‘When is enough going to be enough?'"

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School employee makes shocking confession to police about sexually abusing student: Court docs



A school employee in Alabama was arrested after making a shocking confession to police officers about sexually abusing a student, according to court documents.

Amy Nicole Wigginton — a 41-year-old school worker from Rogersville — was arrested Friday and has been charged with two counts of a school employee engaging in a sex act or deviant sexual intercourse with a student.

Wigginton allegedly admitted to having sex with a student under the age of 19 on March 7 as well as on March 31. The Daily Mail said the encounters occurred at her home.

According to the Lauderdale County High School faculty and staff website page, Wigginton was listed as working in the "Child Nutrition Program."

The Daily Mail reported that Wigginton is a married "lunch lady" who "often shared images to social media with her husband and children."

Wigginton reportedly has been placed on administrative leave following her arrest, according to the Lauderdale County School District.

Citing court documents, WAAY-TV reported that Wigginton waived her Miranda rights during police questioning and confessed to engaging in sexual acts with a school district student on two separate occasions.

Wigginton allegedly admitted to having sex with a student under the age of 19 on March 7 as well as on March 31, according to court docs. The Daily Mail said the encounters occurred at her home.

The age of consent in Alabama is 16 years old, according to Alabama state law. However, victims up to the age of 18 cannot consent to sex with a school employee.

The Lauderdale County School District said in a statement: “The Lauderdale County Board of Education is aware of the allegations, and the employee has been placed on administrative leave."

"We will continue to cooperate with law enforcement officials, and have no further comment on this matter," the school district stated.

The Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office told WAFF-TV that the case is still under investigation, and the LCSO has no further comment.

Wigginton was booked into the Lauderdale County Jail, where she is being held on a $100,000 bond.

You can watch a local newscast from WAAY-TV here on the allegations against the school employee accused of child sexual assault.

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Husband, wife, 3 children asleep when intruder breaks window, enters their home after midnight. So husband grabs his gun.



Police said a husband, wife, and their three children were asleep when an intruder broke a window and entered their home in Spanish Fort, Alabama, around 12:15 a.m. Saturday.

“The homeowner was awakened by his wife, who believed she heard somebody make an entry into the house,” Spanish Fort Police Chief John Barber told WALA-TV. Spanish Fort is about 15 minutes southeast of Mobile.

'The homeowner took what we believe was a reasonable step to protect himself and his family.'

Barber added to the station that the homeowner fired one shot and hit the intruder in the upper abdomen, after which the homeowner immediately called 911.

Turns out the intruder is a 17-year-old male, WALA added.

“Our officers were able to apply chest seals to the individual that was suffering from the gunshot wound,” the chief explained to the station. “It was a substantial wound. He was airlifted to University Hospital. At this time, we believe he is critical, but stable.”

Barber told WALA the teen appeared to have broken in through one of the front windows of the home on Caisson Trace. He added to the station that the teen and homeowner don't know each other and that the incident appears to be random.

“Based on the initial investigation, we believe the teen was under the influence of some substance — we’re not sure exactly what ... but we do believe he was under the influence of something,” Barber told WALA. “Earlier that night, he was at a residence on that street with some of his friends. He left that residence and made entry into this other one. We were not able to talk to him and find out what he was thinking or not thinking because he was, again, wounded, so that’s going to be a part of the investigation.”

The chief called the situation a "tragedy" for all parties, the station said.

“A husband and a wife, three kids, who were asleep in their house,” Barber told WALA. “Your house is your castle. The wife awakens to shattering glass — what a scary situation it is. So the husband [is] protecting his home — doing what he did."

The station said Alabama's Stand Your Ground Law allows individuals to use force — including deadly force — if they believe they are in imminent danger and that deadly physical force is being used or is about to be used against them in a place they're legally allowed to be.

“Inside your residence, you don’t have to retreat,” Barber told WALA. “The homeowner took what we believe was a reasonable step to protect himself and his family. Eventually this will be presented to a grand jury to make sure this was the case, but that’s the initial investigation.”

The chief noted to the station that investigators are working to determine the teen’s charges and that "we hope that he pulls through.”

You can view a video report here about the incident.

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'Truly dark times': C-SPAN inauguration coverage interrupted with complaints about College Football Playoff



A caller is going viral for his hilarious interruption of political discussions on C-SPAN during President Trump's inauguration.

As cameras panned the Capitol just before 11:00 a.m. on Monday morning, Trump's administration and Cabinet members were all smiles as they waited for the president to arrive.

At this point, a C-SPAN host took a call purportedly from "Graham in Jersey City, New Jersey," who claimed to be a Democrat.

'I'm a bit more disappointed in the selection committee.'

"Hi. I want to wish everyone a happy MLK Day. I hope everyone's staying warm," the caller politely began.

The male continued, "Bit disappointed how the election turned out. I think it would have been great to see a female president inaugurated today."

The caller then revealed his true intentions for calling, which were to complain about college football.

"While I'm disappointed in the American people and their desire to see another four years of Trump, I'm a bit more disappointed in the selection committee for not picking Alabama for the College Football Playoff finals. Instead, picking inferior teams like SMU and Indiana," the caller explained.

"Truly dark times in America," the caller concluded, somehow without laughing.

The host quickly blew by the comments and declined to acknowledge anything the caller said:

"That's OK. Graham there. We got pictures of the president's hopeful Cabinet."

Alabama was ranked No. 11 in the nation but was passed over in favor of Clemson, which was ranked No. 16.

Arizona State, which was ranked No. 12, actually got a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff and was remarkably placed as the fourth-seed but lost their first game to Texas.

Viewers were not convinced about caller Graham's origin story either, with one X user saying it was "quite clear he was not from New Jersey and even more clear [he's] not a democrat."

😂 it’s quite clear he was not from New Jersey and even more clear not a democrat.
— 𝕱𝖆𝖎𝖓 🤬 (@Faino) January 20, 2025

Another viewer joked the caller was talking about the "wrong SEC," purposely confusing the Southeastern Conference in college football (where Alabama plays) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

"Wrong SEC, sir."
— Sean - Go Steelers Go Pens Go Gators (@seanhbytes) January 20, 2025

Alabama fans seemingly got their revenge as both lower-ranked teams, Clemson and Arizona State, lost to Texas in the playoffs.

However, Texas lost to Ohio State University in the Cotton Bowl, with Ohio State going on to beat Notre Dame 34-23 in the National Championship after the inauguration.

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GOP states sue ESG 'cartel': BlackRock, Vanguard, State Street accused of manipulating energy market



A coalition of 11 Republican-led states filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against BlackRock, Vanguard Group, and State Street Corporation, accusing the three asset managers of violating antitrust laws.

According to the complaint, the companies' promotion of environmental, social, and governance standards resulted in less coal production and higher energy prices.

Companies 'formed a cartel to rig the coal market.'

The lawsuit stated that the financial institutions "artificially constrained the supply of coal, significantly diminished competition in the markets for coal, increased energy prices for American consumers, and produced cartel-level profits" for themselves by leveraging their power.

Reuters reported that the three financial institutions have more than $26 trillion in assets under their management.

The companies have pressured coal companies to reduce their carbon emission by more than 50% by 2030, the complaint noted.

"Competitive markets — not the dictates of far-flung asset managers — should determine the price Americans pay for electricity," it read.

The coalition of states — including Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, West Virginia, and Wyoming — was led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R).

Paxton accused the asset managers of "illegally conspiring to manipulate energy markets."

"These firms also deceived thousands of investors who elected to invest in non-ESG funds to maximize their profits. Yet these funds pursued ESG strategies notwithstanding the defendants' representations to the contrary," he claimed.

The lawsuit accused BlackRock of "actively deceiving investors about the nature of its funds" by using all of its holdings, even those in non-ESG funds, to advance its climate goals.

Paxton told Turning Point USA founder and CEO Charlie Kirk that the reduced coal production forces the U.S. to purchase more energy overseas.

"It's affecting consumers in all kinds of ways," he said.

Paxton wrote in a post on X, "Texas will not tolerate the illegal weaponization of the financial industry in service of a destructive, politicized 'environmental' agenda. BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street formed a cartel to rig the coal market, artificially reduce the energy supply, and raise prices. Their conspiracy has harmed American energy production and hurt consumers. This is a stunning violation of State and federal law."

BlackRock said in a statement to Bloomberg that the lawsuit "undermines Texas' pro-business reputation."

"The suggestion that BlackRock invested money in companies with the goal of harming those companies is baseless and defies common sense," the company said.

Vanguard Group and State Street Corporation did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters or Bloomberg.

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