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Red Sox-Braves spring training game ends in tie due to pitch clock violation

February 26, 2023 Published by Fox News

Spring training games ending in ties are not uncommon because managers don’t want to use up pitchers in extra innings in February. But history was made in Saturday’s Grapefruit League tie between the Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves.

It’s every ballplayer’s dream (maybe not in spring training, but you get it): bases loaded, two outs, full count, tie game. However, the Braves’ Cal Conley struck out without even seeing a pitch on a 3-2 count to end the game.

How?

He wasn’t set in the batter’s box in time.

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A view of the scoreboard at CoolToday Park prior to a Grapefruit League press conference Feb. 16, 2020, in North Port, Fla. (Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

New MLB rules give pitchers 20 seconds to deliver a pitch with runners on base. But batters have just eight seconds, whether there are base runners or not, to get set. If pitchers do not oblige, a ball is called. If hitters don’t, it’s a strike. Since Conley was not ready, strike three was called, and the game ended in a tie after nine innings.

While tightening the pace of play is necessary for the sport, doing so at the expense of the literal ending of the game might be just a stretch.

Manny Machado became the first victim of the pitch clock rules Friday. He was not set in time and immediately fell into an 0-1 hole.

“I’m gonna have to make a big adjustment. I might be 0-1 down a lot this year,” Machado said afterward. “It’s super fast. There’s definitely an adjustment it’s gonna be.”

PADRES’ MANNY MACHADO BECOMES FIRST VICTIM OF MLB’S NEW PITCH CLOCK

The changes come after test drives in the minor leagues, where MLB says games have been shortened by an average of 26 minutes.

Two games were played Friday between MLB teams. The game between the San Diego Padres and the Seattle Mariners took two hours and 29 minutes, while the game between the Texas Rangers and the Kansas City Royals took two hours and 33 minutes.

Manny Machado of the San Diego Padres bats against the Los Angeles Angels during an MLB spring training game at Peoria Stadium March 23, 2022, in Peoria, Ariz. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

It’s a sample size considering it is early in spring training. And plenty of minor leaguers, who are well-accustomed to the faster pace, are playing. So maybe it isn’t the best indicator. But if baseball wants a quicker pace to games, it’s off to a hot start, and the sample size from the minors is surely quite large.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred speaks during the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Clark Sports Center July 24, 2022, in Cooperstown, N.Y. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

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Last season, Major League games lasted three hours and three minutes on average, and the average length hasn’t been under three hours since 2015 (2:56). You have to go back to 1978 for the last time the average game took less than 2½ hours.

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Anthony Albanese becomes first Australian Prime Minister to take part in Mardi Gras

February 26, 2023 Published by CNN

CNN
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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has become the first leader of the country to take part in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in the event’s 45-year history.

In other parts of the world, Mardi Gras is held the day before the Christian fasting season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, which occurred earlier this week.

However, in Australia, the annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras this year is taking place between February 17 and March 5.

It celebrates LGBTQIA+ identity and diversity, champions creative expression and challenges injustice, according to the organizers. Thousands are estimated to have attended.

Mardi Gras in Australia celebrates LGBTQIA+ identity and champions creative expression.

“When the first Mardi Gras march was held in 1978, you could still be arrested for being gay,” Albanese tweeted on Saturday.

At that event police arrested 53 people and the celebration ended in violence.

“In the decades since, people dedicated their lives toward the campaign for equality,” the Prime Minister added.

“To be accepted as equal and recognized for who they are and who they love,” he continued.

“I’ve been proudly marching in Mardi Gras since the 80s. This year I’m honored to be the first Prime Minister to join the march,” Albanese said.

Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull attended Mardi Gras in 2016 but did not march, according to the Australian Associated Press.

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Alabama's Brandon Miller gets standing ovation before first home game since new revelation in deadly shooting

February 26, 2023 Published by Fox News

While playing in South Carolina, Brandon Miller was hit with “Lock him up” chants amid his link to a deadly shooting in January.

Now that the Alabama Crimson Tide are back home, Miller is being showered with support.

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Brandon Miller, #24 of the Alabama Crimson Tide, flies to the basket for a slam-dunk during the second half against the Florida Gators at Coleman Coliseum on February 8, 2023, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Brandon Sumrall/Getty Images.)

Upon coming onto the court for warmups before Bama’s game against Arkansas, the Crimson Tide student section gave the freshman phenom a standing ovation.

Miller also received an ovation from the full crowd upon warmups.

It’s been revealed that Miller transported, although allegedly never handled, the murder weapon to his ex-teammate Darius Miles, who legally owned the gun and gave it to Michael Davis. Miles and Davis have both been charged with capital murder, while police have said there is nothing they can charge Miller with.

“On January 14th, Brandon played in a basketball game in the afternoon and later was asked by Darius Miles for a ride to the Strip area to go to a nightclub,” Miller’s attorney, Jim Standridge said in a statement, via the Tuscaloosa Patch. “Mr. Miles brought his legal handgun and left it in the backseat of Brandon’s vehicle. Brandon never saw the handgun nor handled it. Further, it is our understanding that the weapon was concealed under some clothing in the backseat of his car.”

Brandon Miller, #24 of the Alabama Crimson Tide, after defeating the Auburn Tigers at Neville Arena on February 11, 2023, in Auburn, Alabama. (Michael Chang/Getty Images)

NCAA HITS MIAMI WITH FIRST NIL SANCTIONS AFTER TIKTOK-FAMOUS BASKETBALL PLAYERS MEET WITH SCHOOL BOOSTER

The statement also said that Miller never met with Davis or Janae Harris, the woman who was killed.

Despite the latest news, Miller has continued to play, a decision that head coach Nate Oats has consistently defended, as Miller is not in any legal trouble.

“We’ve been taking it very seriously from day one. The first minute that I got the information, I called [athletic director] Greg [Byrne], and we talked about it and the severity of it,” Oats said at a news conference on Friday. “Greg, I thought, did a great job addressing those comments on Wednesday, and I really don’t have much to add to it.

“We feel like we’ve done the right thing in this case. So I’m going to leave it at that with Greg’s comments.”

Head coach Nate Oats gives coaching advice to Brandon Miller, #24 of the Alabama Crimson Tide, during a first period time out against the LSU Tigers at Coleman Coliseum on January 14, 2023, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Brandon Sumrall/Getty Images)

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Against South Carolina, despite the rowdy crowd, Miller dropped 41 points, including the game-winner, in a 78-76 overtime victory. He is likely to be a top-five pick in this summer’s NBA Draft and could even go in the top three.

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Rep. Scott Perry was 'persistent' in contacting executive branch around 2020 election, court documents reveal

February 26, 2023 Published by CNN

CNN
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The seized cell phone of Rep. Scott Perry contained 930 records where the Pennsylvania Republican often tried to cajole executive branch officials around the 2020 presidential election, according to newly released court papers in the fight over his cell phone data.

“Rep. Perry’s communications with Executive Branch officials, as reflected in the responsive records, demonstrate that he welcomed, rather than resisted, and indeed often initiated these communication [redacted],” Chief Judge Beryl Howell of the DC District Court wrote in one of four unsealed opinions, after she had reviewed the records and decided to release them to prosecutors.

Around the 2020 election, the Pennsylvania lawmaker had been in touch with President Donald Trump and powerful Trump backers, including White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark and others who pushed false claims of election fraud.

His communications with the executive branch, she wrote, were “proactive, persistent and protracted.”

The newly available court records provide more insight into the scope of the ongoing fight over Perry’s phone, which is part of special counsel Jack Smith’s criminal investigation around January 6, 2021. In total, Howell on Friday unsealed four opinions with redactions that she wrote related to the Justice Department’s ability to access more than 2,200 records on the congressman’s cell phone, after the FBI seized the device last year.

Howell also called Perry’s phone compendium a “multi-pronged push for Executive Branch officials to take more aggressive action,” likely in response to suspicions of election fraud, and deemed those cell phone records not covered by congressional protection.

In another part of her rulings, Howell wrote how Perry’s communications with private individuals shouldn’t stay secret from investigators, either – including almost 700 records showing his interest in election security and electors as well as contact with Trump campaign attorneys.

“What is plain is that the Clause does not shield Rep. Perry’s random musings with private individuals touting an expertise in cybersecurity or political discussions with attorneys from a presidential campaign, or with state legislators concerning hearings before them about possible local election fraud or actions they could take to challenge election results in Pennsylvania,” Howell wrote.

While Howell ultimately let Perry keep about 161 of his records from investigators under the Constitution’s Speech or Debate Clause – a provision that shields legislators from certain law enforcement actions targeting conduct related to their legislative duties – she ordered that the 2,000 other records be given to Justice Department investigators.

The inquiry is now part of special counsel Smith’s January 6 investigation.

Perry has appealed her ruling, managing to keep secret all 2,000 records for almost seven months since his phone’s seizure, and the DC Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments in the case on Thursday.

Because some of those arguments were public, Howell released redacted versions of her opinions and orders in the case Friday night.

She largely rejected Perry’s arguments for privacy, calling his approach to the case an “astonishing view of the scope of the legislative privilege” that would “truly cloak Members of Congress with a powerful dual non-disclosure and immunity shield for virtually any of their activities that could be deemed information gathering about any matter which might engage legislative attention.”

The unsealed court orders also provided more insight into the search itself, and how the case came to be.

After Perry’s phone was seized and copied by FBI agents on August 9, the Justice Department returned to court for a warrant to review the contents of his phone.

Nine days later, Howell approved the warrant, “finding probable cause that a crime was committed” and that evidence of the crime would be found on Perry’s phone, according to the unsealed opinions.

Perry had 44 days to argue to the court his Speech or Debate privileges as a member of Congress, which could protect records of legitimate legislative activity from the federal investigation. He told the court his phone contained “communications with his staff, members of Congress, and others” – then logged records on his phone, including “Notes,” by date, recipient, sender and subject matter for a judge to consider.

Howell then went through those records.

Perry has not been charged with a crime.

Howell last November showed concern that Perry’s team was trying to “unilaterally delay” the criminal investigation.

The court fight itself has put on hold DOJ’s ability to access the content of Perry’s phone. And, Howell accused Perry’s team of slow-walking the work on the case, as their review of the contents of the phone last fall went slowly as the litigation moved forward.

His team was reviewing his phone records for possible privilege assertions at a rate of 265 documents a day, the Justice Department told the judge, while the court had ordered them to review records at a rate of 800 a day, according to one of the opinions released Friday.

“If Rep. Perry has indeed significantly deviated from the pace required under the Perry Privilege Log Order, and he continues to slow-walk producing privilege logs to the government … he risks forfeiting his right to assert his privilege,” she wrote in November. “Rep. Perry is now on notice to speed up his review.”

The timing of his documents review didn’t arise again in Howell’s future opinions, according to the redacted now-released court records.

This story has been updated with additional details.

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Migrant encounters at southern border hit 1,000,000 mark for FY 2023, outpacing prior year: sources

February 26, 2023 Published by Fox News

Migrant encounters at the southern border have already surpassed the one million mark for Fiscal Year 2023, multiple Customs and Border Protection (CBP) sources tell Fox News, marking an unprecedented pace for encounters.

As of Friday, the total migrant encounters at the border were at 1,008,217 for the fiscal year, which began in October. Of those, 87.8% were single adults. Just 328,454 were expelled under Title 42 — the pandemic-era protocol that allows border agents to rapidly expel border crossers.

There were more than 1.7 million encounters overall in FY 2021 and over 2.3 million in FY 2022. The first months of FY 2023 have outpaced those of the prior fiscal year. This time last year, numbers for FY22 through March 1 were 839,819 — well under the 1 million mark.

Meanwhile, there have been 328,454 known “gotaways” — illegal immigrants who have evaded Border Patrol agents but have been detected on another form of surveillance. In FY 2022, there were nearly 600,000 gotaways.

GOP REPS TO LAUNCH NORTHERN BORDER SECURITY CAUCUS, AS OFFICIALS TACKLE SURGE IN MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS

Nov. 3, 2022: Migrants cross into the U.S. in Normandy Texas. (Fox News)

Despite the high number of encounters, the Biden administration has pointed to a sharp drop in numbers from the historic high of 251,000 in December to over 156,000 in January. While that figure is the highest on record for the month of January, officials still linked the drop to a number of measures rolled out by the administration last month — including a humanitarian parole program that allows 30,000 migrants from four nationalities into the U.S. each month.

CBP sources tell Fox that early indications for February’s numbers suggest that encounters are down again and could come in at around or under the 150,000 mark once the numbers are fully counted. Last February there were 166,000 migrant encounters.

However, hitting one million so early has some agents concerned that if numbers pick up again in the spring, as often happens, then it could bring yet more record-breaking numbers.

“Agents know leadership throughout the agency and the administration will celebrate two months of lower numbers instead of acknowledging the daunting task of being tasked at the border with yet another historical and preventable situation,” an agent told Fox News.

AT ARIZONA BORDER, JUDICIARY COMMITTEE HEARS FROM OFFICIALS ON MASSIVE MIGRANT SURGE

The Biden administration this week announced a new rule that would automatically make illegal immigrants who passed through another country without claiming asylum ineligible for asylum in the U.S. That has sparked some pushback from left-wing activists and some Democrats, while immigration hawks have feared the loopholes will make it irrelevant.

The administration has been calling on Congress to pass sweeping immigration reform, including an amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants already in the U.S., and provide additional funding at the border.

FORMER BIDEN OFFICIAL SAYS ADMIN’S LATEST ACTION ‘NORMALIZES’ WHITE NATIONALIST BELIEFS ABOUT MIGRANTS

“America’s border problems won’t be fixed until Congress acts. If we won’t pass my comprehensive immigration reform, at least pass my plan to provide the equipment and officers to secure the border. And a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, those on temporary status, farmworkers, and essential workers,” Biden said in State of the Union address to Congress.

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Republicans held a hearing this week at the border in Yuma, Arizona, and visited El Paso, Texas, as they seek to showcase what they say is a border crisis caused by lax policies by the Biden administration.

Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., told “America’s Newsroom” on Saturday said the trip to Yuma, Arizona, showed her the impacts that the “failed policy” of the administration are having on Americans.

“We are dealing with a crisis down there and the Biden administration is only exacerbating it and making it worse every single day,” she said.

Adam Shaw is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital, primarily covering immigration and border security.

He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter .

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Biden administration moves to establish 'guardrails' for telehealth prescriptions

February 26, 2023 Published by CNN

CNN
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The Biden administration has proposed new rules that will require patients to have an in-person medical evaluation before being prescribed most prescription medications by their doctors, with limited exceptions, according to a statement released on Friday.

Under the new rule proposals from the Drug Enforcement Agency, patients would still be able to get less-addictive medications, such as antibiotics or birth control, prescribed to them by their doctors via telehealth.

Prescriptions for other drugs – to help with pain or sleep, for example – could be prescribed via telehealth but a patient would need an in-person evaluation before obtaining a refill. Schedule II medications, a classification reserved for the strongest drugs, necessitate an in-person appointment before any prescription can be written.

When Covid-19 struck, federal regulators relaxed previous rules mandating that doctors evaluate patients in person before prescribing any controlled substances, allowing telehealth appointments to be used by patients to obtain needed prescription medications. With the federal Covid-19 public health emergency set to end in May, this proposal would establish a permanent regulatory framework for doctors prescribing medications via telehealth to patients.

DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said in the release that her agency “is committed to the expansion of telemedicine with guardrails that prevent the online overprescribing of controlled medications that can cause harm.”

Drug-related deaths in the United States reached record levels during the pandemic, with over 110,000 Americans dying of drug overdoses in the 12-month period ending in March 2022, although that has slowed slightly since. As of July 2022, drug overdose deaths were up 25% over two years prior and more than 50% higher than five years ago.

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra highlighted the proposed change’s continued flexibility when it comes to buprenorphine, which is used to treat opioid use disorder, saying in the Friday statement that “improved access to mental health and substance use disorder services through expanded telemedicine flexibilities will save lives.”

Becerra also acknowledged the difficulty rural Americans face in accessing health care, noting, “We still have millions of Americans, particularly those living in rural communities, who face difficulties accessing a doctor or health care provider in-person. At HHS, we are committed to working with our federal partners and stakeholders to advance proven technologies and lifesaving care for the benefit of all Americans.”

The Associated Press reported earlier on the proposed rule changes.

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Police arrest subway surfing teen amid alarming social media trend, deaths

February 25, 2023 Published by Fox News

Police arrested a 17-year-old who was subway surfing around New York City Wednesday following the death of a 15-year-old who died while doing the same.

The unnamed teenager was found latched onto the back of the 7 train at the Queensboro Plaza subway station around 10:15 a.m., an NYPD spokesperson said.

Police have charged the teen with a misdemeanor and released him into his parents’ custody.

Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) CEO Janno Lieber said the NYPD will station officers at stations to catch teens trying to take part in the surfing trend popular on social media, NewsNation Now reported.

“They haven’t charged every one, but they apprehend the kids who are doing this, and they get in touch with the parents,” Lieber said. “They are doing what they can.”

IN NEW YORK CITY, E-BIKE BATTERIES BLAMED FOR 22 FIRES, 2 DEATHS SINCE JANUARY

The New York City skyline behind trains arriving and departing the Queensboro Plaza subway station Dec. 23, 2005. (Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The heightened awareness and caution of the trend follows the death of Zachary Nazario, 15, who was subway surfing on a train crossing the Williamsburg Bridge when he fell to his death Monday. Nazario was standing on top of the J Train when he hit his head and fell.

NEW YORK CITY EMPLOYEE WHO KILLED ALLEGED ROBBER HAS MURDER CHARGE DROPPED

NYC Transit President Richard Davey warned of the dangers of subway surfing in a statement obtained by the New York Post.

MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber speaks during an announcement by Gov. Kathy Hochul at the LIRR Concourse at Penn Station. (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

“We cannot stress enough how dangerous it is to ride on the outside of trains,” Davey said. “Our hearts go out to loved ones at yet another tragic time. We implore other families to speak with their children on the real dangers of what can seem like a thrill but is too often deadly.”

CARDI B LIVE-TWEETING HER COMMUNITY SERVICE GOES VIRAL: ‘DON’T COMMIT CRIMES!’

Nazario was the second teenager to die while riding on the outside of a subway train. Another 15-year-old in December fell and hit the third rail of the J train, FOX 5 reported at the time.

An NYC teen died while subway surfing on a train crossing the Williamsburg Bridge Monday (Getty Images)

Another boy in August 2022 fell from a train while trying to subway surf and lost his arm.

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The MTA reported 206 incidents of people illegally riding on the outside of train cars in 2021, a number that jumped to 928 in 2022.

Fox News Digital’s Pilar Arias contributed to this report.

Peter Aitken is a Fox News Digital reporter with a focus on national and global news.

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Ray Liotta’s daughter shares famous tough guy’s soft side: 'He was like a big teddy bear'

February 25, 2023 Published by Fox News

Ray Liotta’s daughter Karsen Liotta paid tribute to her late father as he was honored with a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The 24-year-old actress accepted the star on her father’s behalf at the ceremony, which was held on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles on a rainy Friday morning.

After the ceremony, Karsen told Fox News Digital her father was very different from the tough guy roles he was known for playing over his decades-long career.

“He was like a big teddy bear,” Karsen said.

RAY LIOTTA REMEMBERED BY HIS ‘GOODFELLAS’ CO-STARS AND HOLLYWOOD PEERS: ‘GOD IS A GOODFELLA’

Ray Liotta’s daughter Karsen Liotta accepted her late father’s posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. (Getty)

“And he’s always on my back. Always. I told him everything. And he was my best friend. He was there for me until the end.

“He always was, and he always will be.”

The “Hubie Halloween” actress shared that accepting her father’s star “meant the world” to her.

“It really does,” she said. “I know he’s looking proud and thankful that I’m here. And looking down at the star, proud and thankful.

“And so it feels amazing. And it feels finally — it’s about time.”

Karsen and Liotta’s fiancée Jacy Nittolo attended the ceremony Friday. (Fox News Digital)

Karsen added that she hoped her father would be remembered for his hard work and the person that he was when the cameras weren’t rolling.

“He was an amazing person, and he loved what he did, and he loved the people that he did it with,” she told Fox News Digital.

“He worked really, really hard to get to where he was. And he deserved every minute of it. And besides all of that, he’s even a better guy off screen. And that’s what is most important.”

Liotta shared Karsen with his ex-wife Michelle Grace, to whom he was married from 1997 to 2004.

The “Goodfellas” star died in his sleep at the age of 67 in May in the Dominican Republic, where he was filming the upcoming thriller “Dangerous Waters.” Liotta was engaged to Jacy Nittolo, 47, at the time of his death.

During the ceremony, Karsen gave an emotional speech before Liotta’s star was unveiled.

“I’m so touched to be accepting this honor on behalf of my dad. I couldn’t be more proud of him,” the “Shades of Blue” alum said.

“If you have a Ray in your life, you’re lucky. I love you so much. Thank you for your work and the imprint you left on me and all of those who love you. Everyone deserves a Ray in their life.”

Other speakers at the ceremony included Elizabeth Banks, who directed Liotta in one of his last film projects, the recently-released comedy horror movie “Cocaine Bear,” and Taron Egerton, who co-starred with the actor in the Apple TV+ crime series “Black Bird.”

During her speech, Banks, 49, reflected on her “special bond” with Liotta as she recalled being “blown away” when she met him for the first time on the set of their 2011 movie “The Details.”

“I always admired his acting, but I genuinely enjoyed him as a human,” she said.

“Although he’s known for playing tough guys, I found him to be charming and a little mischievous, which made him charming as an actor and as a man and truly perfect for ‘Cocaine Bear.’

“When any actor of Ray’s caliber puts trust in you as a director, it’s a gift. But Ray gave me so much more. Ray’s respect for me as a director, as his boss on set, meant everything to me because if you can direct Henry Hill, you can do f—ing anything in this town.”

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“The Hunger Games” alum also shared the story of how Liotta discovered his Irish heritage while filming “Cocaine Bear” in Ireland. She told the crowd that Liotta, who was adopted, had always believed he was Scottish and Italian. However, while addressing the cast and crew during a speech after the film wrapped, Liotta said that a genealogy test revealed that he was “85 percent Irish.”

“I’m heartbroken that he isn’t here enjoying this with us and laughing at this rain,” she said. “But I’m grateful to the Chamber of Commerce for marking this spot with his name. And I’m grateful that I got to hug Ray a couple of weeks before he passed, and I got to show him our zany movie.

“And boy, am I grateful that he laughed and said, ‘Good job.’’

Egerton paid tribute to Liotta, who played Egerton’s character’s father in the miniseries “Black Bird.” (David Livingston/Getty Images)

In his speech, Egerton, 33, recalled being inspired by Liotta when they worked together on “Black Bird.” In the series, Liotta played the father of Egerton’s character, Jimmy.

“He was one of those rare artists that brought all of himself into his work, all of his intensity, all of his vulnerability and, in the case of our show, all of his love,” he said. “I was deeply inspired by Ray. He was the epitome of an actor’s actor.”

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Liotta was honored with the 2,749th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Feb. 24 was proclaimed “Ray Liotta Day.”

“Cocaine Bear” opened in theaters Friday.

Ashley Hume is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter: @ashleyhume

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Molson Coors' funny ad went too far, regulator says

February 25, 2023 Published by CNN

New York
CNN
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Beer ads try to be funny, but a regulatory group has determined that Molson Coors went too far with a recent ad that compares rivals’ light beer to water.

The National Advertising Division, which is part of the Better Business Bureau, sided with Anheuser-Busch, which challenged a 2022 ad for Miller Lite that uses the phrase “light beer shouldn’t taste like water, it should taste like beer.” The agency said that Molson Coors should “discontinue” the ad because is “not puffery or a mere opinion.”

In the 15-second spot, a cyclist takes a break from riding uphill, cracks open a beer and douses himself with it. No specific beers were mentioned, however the beer uses a similar blue color that adorns Bud Light packaging. NAD said that it “determined that tasting ‘like water’ is a measurable attribute” and that customers might “reasonably expect that the statement is supported by such evidence.”

A screenshot from the Miller Lite ad that Anheuser-Busch ad took issue with.

NAD said the ad should be discontinued because Molson Coors “did not submit evidence supporting the claim that any other light beers ‘taste like water.’”

In response, Anheuser-Busch said it “appreciates” NAD’s decision.

“True stewards of the beer industry should be working together to strengthen the beer category instead of resorting to misleading attacks that denigrate products enjoyed by millions of beer drinkers,” an Anheuser- Busch spokesperson said in a statement.

Molson Coors is appealing the decision, saying it “vehemently disagrees with this decision because we believe light beer should taste like beer, not water, and we are well within our right to share that belief.” A spokesperson also questioned to Anheuser-Busch’s “sudden concern” with the ad since it hasn’t aired since last August.

NAD’s decisions aren’t legally binding, however most advertisers comply with their decision. If an advertiser doesn’t comply, the ads are referred to the Federal Trade Commission for further scrutiny.

This isn’t the first time Molson Coors and Anheuser-Busch, which are the top-selling beer makers in the US, have challenged each other. Molson Coors sued Anheuser-Busch in 2019 over Super Bowl ads that accused the Miller Lite and Coors Light maker for saying its beer was sweetened with rice rather than corn syrup. The case was dismissed.

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Erin Brockovich torches East Palestine, Ohio disaster response from government: 'Not going to gaslight me'

February 25, 2023 Published by Fox News

Environmental advocate and legal consultant Erin Brockovich traveled to the epicenter of the Norfolk-Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, where vinyl chloride and other extremely caustic chemicals were released into the ecosystem earlier this month.

Residents and local officials have been pleading for substantive help from the federal government, while the two affected states’ governors – Ohio Republican Mike DeWine and Pennsylvania Democrat Joshua Shapiro – have been visible in the aftermath.

Brockovich told Fox News there appears to be attempts to “gaslight” the locals into believing “nothing’s wrong” and that the water is safe to drink and air is safe to breathe, despite reporting to “Tucker Carlson Tonight” that schools have shuttered drinking fountains and some private wells have locks on them.

“It’s very obvious something’s really gone wrong out here. I’ve been out here down on the ground. and they’re really frustrated. Why? They don’t feel that their agencies or their administration cares about what’s happened to the communities,” she said.

PENCE TORCHES ‘AWOL’ BIDEN OVER TRAIN SPILL RESPONSE

“So it is very apparent they are concerned and not being seen or heard,” said Brockovich – who was the subject of the 2000 film starring Julia Roberts that dramatized the advocate’s 1993 probe into effects from a groundwater contamination near Barstow, Calif.

Brockovich said residents’ own observations do not often reconcile with what they are being told, particularly in regard to freshwater.

“It’s like, oh my gosh, come on — we’re out here — 44,000 fish are dead? We’ve seen them. We’ve seen them out here today aerating the creeks. They’re removing stuff – The wellheads are locked — What’s up?” she said.

Brockovich said reports of fishkills are the East Palestine equivalent to the “canary in the coal mine” test used decades ago to determine whether the air in mineshafts was safe for miners.

“You’ve sent a horrible mixed message to this community: Drink the water. Don’t drink the water. Safe, not safe — it’s horribly confusing and extremely frustrating to them,” she said.

GABBARD TOURS OHIO DERAILMENT ZONE, PRAISES COMMUNITY WHILE CALLING OUT ‘FAILURE OF LEADERSHIP’

Former President Donald Trump, with Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, visits East Palestine, Ohio. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

“You can explain it away all day long to me, that’s nothing’s wrong. But I see what’s going on here. You’re not going to gaslight me.”

Former President Donald Trump flew in pallets of bottled water and cleaning supplies during a visit earlier in the week, and former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani – who led the 9/11 recovery – met with East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway shortly before Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg visited as well.

DeWine and U.S. EPA Administrator Michael Regan recently visited Ohio residences, sampling tap water to show locals it is safe to drink.

Across the line in Beaver County, Pa. – only a few miles from the epicenter – Pennsylvania State Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Gettysburg, visited affected areas and videotaped creekbeds he said gave off a chemical sheen and “butane smell” when lightly disturbed.

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Pete Buttigieg speaks during a news conference near the site of the Norfolk Southern train derailment (Matthew Hatcher/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Shapiro, who defeated Mastriano in the 2022 gubernatorial contest, announced earlier this week a “criminal referral” had been lodged in relation to the catastrophe that also affected his state.

The State Senate’s Emergency Preparedness Committee – chaired by Mastriano and Democrat Katie Muth of Royersford – held a hearing in the area Thursday, where the Republican leader prominently represented the absence of Norfolk-Southern executive Alan Shaw as an invited witness with an empty chair and nametag.

Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital.

He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant.

Charles covers media, politics and breaking news, and has covered the annual CPAC conference for Fox News Digital.

Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to [email protected].

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