regrets

Former Vice President Kamala Harris offered a spirited defense of her short, unsuccessful 2024 presidential bid, lamented the loss of voters’ faith in institutions and urged Democrats to not become dispirited on Monday as she spoke at the first hometown celebration of her new book about her roller-coaster campaign.

She appeared to take little responsibility for her loss to President Trump in 2024 while addressing a fawning crowd of 2,000 people at The Wiltern in Los Angeles.

“I wrote the book for many reasons, but primarily to remind us how unprecedented that election was,” Harris said about “107 Days,” her political memoir that was released last week. “Think about it. A sitting president of the United States is running for reelection and three and a half months before the election decides not to run, and then a sitting vice president takes up the mantle to run against a former president of the United States who has been running for 10 years, with 107 days to go.”

She dismissed Trump’s claims that his 2024 victory was so overwhelming that it was a clear mandate by the voters

“And by the way, can history reflect on the fact that it was the closest presidential election?” Harris said, standing from her seat on the stage, as the audience cheered. “It is important for us to remember so that we that know where we’ve been to decide and chart where we are.”

Trump beat Harris by more than 2.3 million votes — about 1.5% of the popular vote — but the Republican swept the electoral college vote, winning 312-226. Other presidential contests have been tighter, notably the 2000 contest between Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore. Gore won the popular vote by nearly 544,000 votes but Bush won the electoral college vote 271-266 in a deeply contentious election that reached the U.S. Supreme Court.

Harris, faulted for failing to connect with voters about their economic pain in battleground states in the Midwest and Southwest, criticized former President Biden about his administration’s priorities. She said she would have addressed kitchen table issues before legislation about infrastructure and semiconductor manufacturing.

“I would have done the family piece first, which is affordable childcare, paid leave, extension of the child tax credit,” she said, basic issues facing Americans who “need to just get by today.”

Harris spoke about her book in conversation with Jennifer Welch and Angie “Pumps” Sullivan, the hosts of the “I’ve Had It” podcast and former cast members of the Bravo series “Sweet Home Oklahoma.”

Attendees paid up to hundreds or thousands of dollars on the resale market for tickets to attend the event, part of a multi-city book tour that began last week in New York City. The East Coast event was disrupted by protesters about Israeli actions in Gaza. Harris is traveling across the country and overseas promoting her book.

The former vice president’s book tour is expect to be a big money maker.

Harris’ publisher recently added another “107 Days” event at The Wiltern in Los Angeles on Oct. 28.

The Bay Area native touched upon current news events during her appearance, which lasted shortly over an hour.

About the impending federal government shutdown, Harris said Democrats must be clear that the fault lies squarely with Republicans because they control the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives.

“They are in power,” she said, arguing that her party must stand firm against efforts to cut access to healthcare, notably the Affordable Care Act.

She also ripped into Trump for his social media post of a fake AI-generated video of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. The video purports to show Schumer saying that Latino and Black voters hate Democrats, so the party must provide undocumented residents free healthcare so they support the party until they learn English and “realize they hate us too.” Jeffries appears to wear a sombrero as mariachi music plays in the background.

“It’s juvenile,” Harris said. Trump is “just a man who is unbalanced, he is incompetent and he is unhinged.”

Harris did not touch on the issues she wrote in her book that caused consternation among Democrats, such as not selecting former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to be her running mate because she did not believe Americans were ready to support a presidential ticket with a biracial woman and a gay man. She also did not mention her recounting of reaching out to Gov. Gavin Newsom after Biden decided not to seek reelection, and him not responding to her beyond saying he was out hikinG.

Harris lamented civic and corporate leaders caving to demands from the Trump administration.

Among those Trump targeted were law firms that did work for his perceived enemies.

“I predicted almost everything,” she said. “What I did not predict was the capitulation of universities, law firms, media corporations be they television or newspapers. I did not predict that.”

She said that while she worked in public service throughout her career, her interactions with leaders in the private sector led her to believe that they would be “among the guardians of our democracy.”

“I have been disappointed, deeply deeply disappointed by people who are powerful who are bending the knee at the foot of this tyrant,” Harris said.

Harris did not mention that her husband, Doug Emhoff, is a partner at the law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher that earlier this year that reached an agreement with the White House to provide at least $100 million in pro bono legal work during the Republican’s time in the White House and beyond.

In April, the firm reached an agreement with the Trump administration, with the president saying their services would be dedicated to helping veterans, Gold Star families, law enforcement members and first responders, and that the law firm agreed to combat antisemitism and not engage in “DEI” efforts.

Emhoff, who joined the law firm in January and also is now on the has faculty at USC , has condemned his law firm’s agreement with the administration.

Emhoff, who was in attendance at the event and posing for pictures with Harris supporters, declined comment about the event.

“I’m just here to support my wife,” he said.

Booking a holiday in September can often be tempting, with cheaper prices and fewer crowds, but be careful as the weather isn’t always quite as it seems

September is often advertised as the perfect time for a getaway. The heat has eased up, the prices have dropped, and you can often pick up a package deal for a bit of a bargain. Many of the destinations are still geared up for your trip there, but without the masses of families from the school holidays, the thinned-out crowds can be a dream.

One place that sums this up perfectly is the island of Capri, just off the Italian coast near Naples. With stunning views of the Mediterranean, rugged cliffs, and plenty of lemon trees, it’s the perfect place to extend your summer for a few weeks.

However, for many recent visitors to the country this September, nature crashed the party. Across Italy, violent storms and unexpected downpours have left even the sun-soaked southern islands drenched, leaving visitors battling with flooded roads, power cuts, landslides, and ferry cancellations.

Tourists hoping to dodge the worst of high-season chaos have now been caught off guard by weather that is showing no mercy.

Capri, one of Italy’s most beloved jewels, has had its share of trouble. Storms of rain have hit, sometimes dumping more than 100 millimetres in an hour, turning streets into rivers.

But before they hit the island earlier this week, when one group of tourists booked that dreamy dinner terrace overlooking the sea, it seemed safe enough until the sky decided to open up.

Just as the antipasti arrived, rain hammered down, lightning flashed, and the storm forced diners inside, leaving their pizza on the soggier side.

Posting to TikTok, the dramatic scenes were all caught by one traveller, Karim TZ, who posted a video, “They told me, go to Capri at the end of summer, it’s wonderful,” followed by videos of violent rain and floods.

In one clip, a person sat outside a restaurant, and the water can be seen barrelling down a nearby path and running straight through the outdoor seats of a restaurant. Leaving everyone submerged up to at least their ankles.

Other locals seemed completely unfazed despite the deluge, happily sipping on an Aperol Spritz as the water floods behind them.

In another clip, the ferry back to Naples can be seen bouncing up and down on the waves as the rain continues to bellow down.

If there’s one lesson from this summer in Capri, it’s that when you try to beat peak prices by travelling late, you might just be trading one risk for another.

One commenter on the video even warned: “People remember you can enjoy Italy till the 10th of September. After that, this happens.”

The rain in September doesn’t seem to be a one-off experience either, as another person posted: “Hahahah I had the same tragedy last year in the same place.”

But for anyone still looking to see the stunning suits of Capri and the Amalfi coast, make sure you check the forecast, and don’t be scared to bring a brolly.

In this podcast, Motley Fool contributors Rick Munarriz, Lou Whiteman, and Jason Hall discuss selling decisions they wish they could take back. They also look at some stocks that could thrive in the new normal. There’s also a sporty look at some of this year’s biggest winners and losers.

To catch full episodes of all The Motley Fool’s free podcasts, check out our podcast center. When you’re ready to invest, check out this top 10 list of stocks to buy.

A full transcript is below.

This podcast was recorded on Sept. 08, 2025.

Rick Munarriz: Don’t go on a path to sell destruction. Motley Fool Money starts. I’m Rick Munarriz, and today I’m joined by two of my favorite voices in Fooldom, Jason Hall and joining us for Hidden Gems, Lou Whiteman. We’re going to take a look at some stocks that we believe will head higher in the coming months. We’re also going to play a new game called Double Trouble. But first, investors spend a long time treating their stocks as soul mates. Sometimes they should be treated as cell mates. We spend a lot of time discussing meat cutes when it comes to stock ideas. Today, I want to talk about breakups. More to the point, what’s the decision to sell that you regret the most? Mine is easy, but I want to start with you, Lou. Like trying to figure out what to do with a blank spreadsheet square, let’s talk about your worst sell decision.

Lou Whiteman: I’m a terrible person to ask this because it’s so boring, Rick. Not because I’m brilliant, not because I don’t have terrible mistakes, but rather I don’t tend to dabble in the early stage companies that get these great explosions later higher. I assure you, if I would have owned Amazon or if I would have owned Tesla back in the day, I would have sold them, and I would have regretted them now. But I do have a lot of regrets, and I do think there’s a lesson there because I share a theme. Two really good companies I sold years ago. One, Axos Financial, the online bank. I think it’s up like 200% since then. I really regret that. The other is Loews, not the home improvement company, but the financial hotel conglomerate. It’s almost a double since then. The similarities, the reason I regret them, these aren’t the oh, my gosh, I’d be a trillionaire now, but I’ll be honest, I sold them without any good reason. I had no magic process. I had no guiding principle. I basically got bored with them, and I saw something shinier and flashier, and that is the worst reason to sell. Not dramatic declines. This just eats at me because this is the danger of acting on the whim instead of with real intent. Every time I look at those, I get a little sad inside.

Rick Munarriz: A lot of real world relationships end for the same reason, Lou. Jason, what’s on your plate?

Jason Hall: I could go with one that Lou mentioned. I could go with Tesla. I bought I believe in around 2016. I sold a couple of years later for a decent little profit. Stocks up 2,000% since I held. Rule Breaker investors that that followed the Rule Breakers portfolio have enjoyed 16,000% in wins owning Tesla. Now, clearly a financial mistake, but not sure that I regret it because I didn’t sell it for concerns about the business as much as just concerns about Elon Musk’s ability and interest in staying focused on Tesla, and concerns about the company’s ability to deliver more than just EVs and maybe batteries. I could also go with selling half of my Nvidia stake about two years ago. Stock is up 446%, and it’s never been below the price that I sold. I don’t really regret that though because I sold it at this point in my financial life where I’m thinking about position sizing, and it had become such an out-sized position in my portfolio. I’m still OK with that decision even though maybe I should have let that problem become a much bigger problem. But the one that I really regret, Rick, I even wrote about it on fool.com in August of 2013, and that was selling Microsoft, and it was right as Steve Ballmer was leaving and set to be replaced by Satya Nadella. I sold entirely because I just ran out of patience at really the absolute wrong time to have been running out of patience with Microsoft, and it’s been an 18-bagger since I wrote that article and since I sold my shares.

Rick Munarriz: Ouch, Jason. I have a story to share too. Invest long enough, and you’ll get a 10-bagger. If your aim is true, you may even wind up with 100-bagger, 1,000-bagger, a 10,000-bagger, or understandably even more rare. I have 100,000 bagger in my portfolio, and it’s killing me. I bought 500 shares of Netflix in October 2002 when it was a broken IPO, just a few months after hitting the market. After a pair of stock splits, I would have 7,000 shares worth $8.7 million today. Unfortunately, I have sold 99% of my shares over the past 23 years. I sold 80% just a couple of months into my shareholder tenure, and I regret that a lot more than the other 19% I paired back much later as the position became a larger part of my portfolio.

Lou Whiteman: My heart goes out to all of us, and terrible stories. Also, I don’t think we should be afraid to sell. If anything, I feel like I should be more open to selling for the right reasons. I think you can make bad decisions if you refuse to sell. But again, I come back to, looking at mine, you have to have a reason. You have to have a process and stick with it. If the thesis has changed, you should probably sell. If you don’t believe it anymore, it’s selling because you actually want to use the money for a life event, if you’re going to get married or you have kids. Look, that’s a reason to sell. We’re going to use the money. I’ve tried to work on being more purposeful to slow things down, to not react, not look for shiny objects. I think you can avoid the worst regrets by just have a plan, stick to it. It’s just, gosh, Jason, there’s so much stimulus coming at us. How do you stay on a plan?

Jason Hall: Yeah, Lou, you’re right. I think regret minimization is something that as investors, we have to sharpen that skill and really build that muscle. That doesn’t mean ignoring mistakes and pretending like they don’t happen. You have to learn from them. But one of the things that I’ve learned to do is to build a framework that helps me reduce the unforced errors, basically making short term decisions with long term investments. That’s a lot of times the things that leads us to sell too soon, and better align my actions with all of my financial goals, whether they are the long term ones, but also the short term ones too. Aligning those decisions based on what the asset itself is can be one of the most important steps to take. It’s certainly the one that’s helped me avoid most of the worst mistakes. You know what? My heart doesn’t go out to you, Rick. My heart doesn’t go out to you, Lou. I don’t feel sorry for myself here because I look at my portfolio, and overall, mistakes are part of the process, and I know all three of us have done quite well and we’re set out to reach all of our short term and long term financial goals. It’s part of the process, and hopefully, sharing these stories with others that have made mistakes. Fools listening, I hope this helps you out a little bit too.

Lou Whiteman: Yeah.

Rick Munarriz: My lesson is that you should never buy a stock just because it goes down. By the same metrics, you also shouldn’t sell a stock just because it goes up. I agree with you both, not dwelling on the selling, learn something and move on. Or in the words of Nicole Kidman as she walks into an empty AMC theater, somehow heartbreak feels good in a place like this. Coming up next, we shift gears to talk about stocks we like right now. Lou, Jason, we’re not a boy band yet, but like NSYNC, we’re going to go over some buy-buy-buys.

The market came under pressure on Friday after a week jobs report made it even more likely that the Fed will start to cut rates later this month. Every move creates an opportunity. I want to go around the room and see what stocks is on your radar as a potential buy ahead of what could be three months of small but potent rate cuts. Jason, what’s one stock you think will rise in the fall?

Jason Hall: I’m going to go on a limb here, and I’m going to bring up one that I don’t think that rate cuts directly are the reason that the stock is going to go up, and I’m going to give you a hot take on Starbucks. I’m going to give it to you in a lot less time than it would have taken you to get your favorite cup of caffeine from that coffee giant over the past couple of years. Starbucks’ shares are basically on a six-year highly volatile losing streak. Revenue growth has stalled. Tons of legit competition has emerged all over the world. We’ve got another IPO that’s coming up pretty soon in that coffee space. I know that sounds like a terrible stock to expect to go up, right, Rick?

Rick Munarriz: Yeah, but you had me percolating, Jason. Why do you think Starbucks will rise in the fall?

Jason Hall: In short, Starbucks looks like it’s finally working through years of problems that have hurt the business, and these problems were happening before we realized they were problems. The collision of too much technology that was driving a ton of orders ran into too much complexity behind the counter, along with a number of other poor operational decisions, hurt the customer experience, hurt the company’s relations with its workers. Here’s a stat. Starbucks hasn’t had a positive quarter of comps. That’s that important measure of retail of sales at stores that have been open for at least one year. Hasn’t had a positive comps quarter since the end of 2023. That’s seven straight negative comp quarters, seriously. Now, Brian Niccol, I believe is the best operator in the restaurant industry, was brought in just 13 months ago to fix really a broken business that’s attached to an incredible brand. There have been signs of life the past couple of quarters. Comps have still been down, but much less worse than prior to Niccol’s implementing the Starbucks’ Back to Starbucks initiative. When we combine that positive momentum over the past six months with a really brutal comp period that was last year’s fall quarter. It was particularly bad, comps were down a brutal 7%. I think the combination of low expectations and a low bar for what could look like pretty good results that sets Starbucks up to beat expectations when it reports in October, and I think there’s going to be momentum that can drive the stock up.

Rick Munarriz: Yeah, let’s hope so. Lou, tell us about a stock that you like here.

Lou Whiteman: Conventional wisdom has it that small caps do better in a rate cut environment because the cost of borrowing should come down, and smaller companies tend to be more on the edge when it comes to debt. With that in mind, what I’m watching is a stock called Montrose Environmental, ticker MEG. They’re only about $1 billion market cap. They’re a roll up, and they’re an active acquirer, so they have a lot of debt, specifically 330 million debt compared to just 11 million in cash. They’re the type of company that gets a longer lifeline or life gets a lot easier for them if their cost of debt can come down.

Rick Munarriz: Lou, I remember you writing about Montrose a couple years ago when it was a beneficiary of COVID-related testing. Why do you think it will rise in the fall?

Lou Whiteman: Yeah, that was more of a distraction. What they do at a core, they provide necessary services with environmental cleanup and environmental air quality monitoring, water quality monitoring. These are long term needs, Rick. These are things that we just any administration, whatever’s going on, there’s a need for this. Montrose has a lot of patents in areas like neutralizing micro plastics and getting them out of the water. What sets them apart from me is this roll up. It is a risk, but in an industry full of, basically, small and regional players, they are a national player. They’ve been a consolidator. They have the scale to take on bigger projects, and also large corporate customers that have operations all over the country. They have the option with Montrose to just do business with one vendor. If you’re a mining company, you can work with them nationwide instead of having to find a partner in every market they operate. This is no sure thing, but it’s intriguing, and if they can get borrowing rates down, their odds of success improve.

Jason Hall: One of the things that’s so compelling about what you’re talking about, Lou, is the market is littered with these sleepy little underappreciated companies in markets like that that are massively fragmented that have a good record of rolling up and consolidating. I think that’s worth taking a look at.

Lou Whiteman: It’s just expensive, and if the debt gets cheaper, just life gets easier.

Rick Munarriz: Yeah, find a consolidator in a fragmented sector, and you can make a lot of money that way. My stock is Zillow Group. There are two classes of shares here, but I’m going with the Class A voting stock trading on the ticker symbol ZG. Zillow operates the leading residential real estate portal with 243 million average monthly unique users.

Jason Hall: Wow, housing, not a beautiful market right now, Rick. What’s got you thinking that Zillow can rise in the fall?

Rick Munarriz: If financing rates start moving markedly lower in the coming months, it’s going to breathe new life into the depressed residential real estate market that has seen its transaction volume inch just 1-2% higher over the past year. Demand will spike as homebuyers cash in on getting more bang for their mortgage buck. Supply will also finally start to ease once homeowners aren’t afraid to cash out of their low rates on existing digs. Zillow lights the housewarming candle on both ends. The surge in demand creates more app and website traffic, and that’s a dinner bell for the real estate agents and other advertisers paying for exposure to this lucrative audience. More homes hitting the market will make it even more important to pay up to stand out on the platform. Zillow’s stock is beating the market over the past year, but it’s also flat with where it was five years ago. It doesn’t seem fair. Zillow is back to posting double-digit revenue growth, and adjusted earnings is growing even faster. It’s doing well now. It should really be doing well a few months from now.

Lou Whiteman: Rick, I love the stock idea, but I’m more intrigued with the three of us as a boy band. We need to talk about that more after this is over.

Rick Munarriz: We will, in harmony. When we get back, I break out a new game to see if Jason and Lou can sort this year’s biggest gainers from its biggest losers. Stick around. We’ll end the show in sync.

Jason, Lou, from our culture Exchange Program with Hidden Gems, let’s play Double Trouble. Let’s go over the rules because it’s a brand new game. I will mention a stock that’s been on the move this year. If you think it has more than doubled, say double. If you think it’s lost more than half of its value in 2025, say trouble. Simple enough, let’s go. First one, Freshpet, FRPT, the company behind refrigerated dog and cat food. Double or trouble, Jason?

Lou Whiteman: I’m going to say trouble. I hear about it so much, but maybe. I was going to say double. Well, just let’s have fun.

Rick Munarriz: We are having fun. But Jason is right, trouble, down 63%. Freshpet is still posting double digit sales growth, but it began the year with a steep valuation that’s high even in dog years. Next up, Wayfair. ticker symbol W, online furniture retailer. We probably know this company. Double or trouble, Lou?

Lou Whiteman: I haven’t personally bought anything in a while, but I think other people have. I’ll say double here.

Jason Hall: I think it’s bounced back. It’s struggled so much coming out of the pandemic. I think there’s been a little bit of a recovery.

Rick Munarriz: Yeah, it’s been quite a recovery, at least for the stock. Up 103%, so a double, you’re both correct. Wayfair is getting market share during a cyclical downturn, but in its latest quarter, adjusted earnings nearly doubled. Third up, we’re traveling far away for Banco Santander, SAN is the ticker symbol, Spain’s largest bank. Double or trouble? Start with you, Jason.

Jason Hall: Man, I think I’m wrong here, but I’m going to say double because I know European banks have just taken it on the chin, but I think there’s some life coming back into that sector.

Lou Whiteman: Yeah, definitely double for me, just where Europe’s going.

Rick Munarriz: Yeah, up 110%. The banking giant has been expanding across Europe and Latin America for some time, and early this year, it formed a partnership with Verizon to boost its presence in the US. Next up, C3.ai. Ticker symbol, AI. A provider of AI software tools for the energy industry and other enterprises. Double or trouble, Lou?

Lou Whiteman: This is trouble.

Jason Hall: Yeah, absolutely trouble. I don’t want to get sued, so I’m not going to say anything but trouble.

Rick Munarriz: Yeah, down 55%, net losses keep widening, and revenue is now going the wrong way. Having some challenges there, despite its awesome ticker symbol for the times. Finally, Newegg Commerce, NEGG, consumer electronics retailer. Double or trouble, Jason?

Jason Hall: I’m going to say double. I’m making a wild guess here. Completely coming from the perspective of a consumer of computer electronics, they’re still the gold standard.

Lou Whiteman: They were crazy a while ago. They’ve come back to Earth. It’s not trouble. It’s got to be a double.

Rick Munarriz: Yeah, not just a double. Up 452%.

Lou Whiteman: Still, wow.

Rick Munarriz: Yeah, revenue growth has turned positive in 2025 after three years of decline. That’s the good thing. But what’s really carrying it is mostly the fact that it’s riding the new wave of meme stock, so that’s happening right now for that stock. But clearly, the company that’s fundamentals at least are starting to turn the corner. Jason and Lou, thank you for going over the highs and lows of investing and price moves with me today. If you want to give the boy band a shot, we can try try try.

Lou Whiteman: Rick, I’m bullish on you. You’re a double.

Rick Munarriz: That sounds like trouble. Thank you. Thank you to the two of you. A double dose of wisdom to my me them. As always, people on the program may have interest in the stocks they talk about, and the Motley Fool may have formal recommendations for or against, so don’t buy or sell stocks based solely on what you hear. All personal finance content follows Motley Fool editorial standards and is not approved by advertisers. Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. To see our full advertising disclosures, please check out our show notes. For Jason Hall, Lou Whiteman, and the entire Motley Fool Money team, I’m Rick Munarriz. May your days be sunny and your life, Motley Fool Money.

Having retired in 1999 and then working as a TV pundit, Becker coached Novak Djokovic for three years between 2013 and 2016, helping the Serb win six of his 24 Grand Slam titles.

The 57-year-old, who has written a book about his time in prison, says he took comfort from Djokovic’s 2022 success at Wimbledon.

“I was supporting Djokovic at the time I saw him on the TV, when he was winning matches and ultimately winning the title against Nick Kyrgios,” he said.

“That was very inspirational for me and in the end very emotional for me. My brother Novak is there and I’m in one of the worst prisons in the world. So it puts life into perspective.”

Becker was deported from the UK following his release.

“I was too comfortable. I had too much money. Nobody told me ‘no’ – everything was possible. In hindsight, that’s the recipe for disaster,” he said.

“So you take accountability for your actions, which is very important because you cannot look back any more. You cannot change the past. You can only change the future because you live in today.”

CHICAGO — Saying he would do more if he were in Congress today to support LGBTQ rights — which he opposed when he served — former U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock (R-Ill.) came out as gay Thursday in social media and web posts.

In the postings on Instagram and a web page, the 38-year-old also describes his anguish at being rejected by members of his deeply religious family, including his mother, after they learned last year he was gay.

The longtime Republican laments that he opposed same-sex marriage while representing his conservative congressional district in central Illinois, noting that Democrat and fellow Illinoisan Barack Obama once stopped short of outright opposition.

“That fact doesn’t make my then position any less wrong, but it’s sometimes easy to forget that it was leaders of both parties who for so long wrongly understood what it was to defend the right to marry,” he writes.

He adds: “The truth is that if I were in Congress today, I would support LGBTQ rights in every way I could.”

The onetime rising GOP star and prolific Republican fundraiser garnered national attention after appearing on the cover of Men’s Health showing off his six-pack abs. He successfully marketed himself during six years in Congress as an unwavering fiscal conservative.

Schock resigned from Congress in 2015 amid scrutiny of his spending. He was indicted a year later on charges that accused him of illegally dipping into campaign and government coffers to subsidize a lavish lifestyle. But all charges were dropped in 2019 amid criticism of how prosecutors handled the case.

Schock confirmed the posts’ authenticity in a text message to the Journal Star in Peoria, the heart of the congressional district he represented for six years.

As he composed the social media posts, Schock said he knew he could expect sharp criticism from the community to which he said he now wanted to belong.

“Where was I, they will ask, when I was in a position to help advance issues important to gay Americans?” his posting says.

Many longtime supporters of gay rights blasted him on social media Thursday, including Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims.

“Anyone can be gay. Everyone who is should be out,” Sims, a Democrat, said in a Facebook posting. “But to be a part of a Community, especially one you’ve attacked, you better start with an apology, make amends …”

Schock now understands, he said, that he is indebted to those activists who supported rights he opposed for so long.

“I can live openly now as a gay man because of the extraordinary brave people who had the courage to fight for our rights when I did not,” he writes.

Schock starts the postings on both Instagram and the web page with the words: “I am gay.”

He said he began driving to his mother’s house from Los Angeles to tell her that last year. But she had learned of it before he arrived, and when he spoke with her on the phone en route, “she told me to turn around and go back to LA,” he writes.

He adds, “I’ve come to terms with the fact that it might take my loved ones more time than I would like. And I realize some might never come around.”

He said he still receives occasional emails from family members “trying to sell me on conversion therapy,” the widely debunked notion that someone who is gay can, with therapy, become heterosexual.

Schock described growing up in a conservative Apostolic Christian Church where members even considered “watching TV to be sinfully idle,” he writes. He said he doesn’t think he was aware there were other gays in his midst.

“I understood that the teachings of my upbringing were pretty clear on the matter,” he said.

The ambitious Schock began buying real estate in high school, became a member of the local school board at 19 and an Illinois legislator at 23, then entered Congress at just 27.

He said the fact he is gay wouldn’t be a revelation for many who know him, adding that coming out publicly as gay is “just one of those things in my life in need of explicit affirmation … to finally validate who I am as a person.”

“In many ways,” he writes, “I regret the time wasted in not having done so sooner.”

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson expressed regret Sunday night for shoving a Buffalo Bills fan in the stands after the fan had slapped the helmets of Jackson and teammate DeAndre Hopkins as they celebrated a touchdown next to the stands at Highmark Stadium in upstate New York.

“I seen him slap D-Hop … and he slapped me and he talking, so you know I just forgot where I was for a little bit,” Jackson told reporters following the Ravens’ surprising 41-40 loss to the Bills on “Sunday Night Football”.

“But you got to think in those situations. You have security out there. Let security handle it. But I just let my emotions get the best of me. Hopefully, it don’t happen again. I learned from that.”

In a matchup between the two most recent NFL MVPs — Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen in 2024 and Jackson in 2023 — Hopkins made a spectacular one-handed touchdown catch late in the third quarter to give the Ravens a 34-19 lead. Hopkins and Jackson were among a number of Baltimore players who exited the back of the end zone to celebrate the score.

As several of those players walked past the stands, a fan reached out and slapped Hopkins on the helmet, then did the same to Jackson. The four-time Pro Bowl player, who also won the league’s MVP award in 2019, responded by shoving the fan hard with both hands, which knocked the fan backward.

The Bills reported that the fan was ejected from the game. Jackson was not disciplined during the game. The Times reached out to the NFL and the Ravens about whether Jackson might face any discipline for his role in the incident and did not receive immediate responses.

While he regrets his actions in this instance, Jackson told reporters he doesn’t see the need to stop celebrating so close to opposing fans.

“I’ve never seen our fans do that, so I’ll probably do it again [when] we score a touchdown,” Jackson said. “But it’s nothing against the fans, you know? I’m just celebrating my teammate scoring a touchdown.”

There wasn’t any celebrating to be had by the Ravens at the end of the game, however, after they squandered a 40-25 lead in the final four minutes. Allen capped a 10-play, 80-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Keon Coleman to pull the Bills to within eight.

Two plays later, Baltimore running back Derrick Henry, who rushed for 169 yards and two touchdowns, fumbled the ball away to give Buffalo possession on the Ravens’ 30. The Bills scored on a 1-yard Allen run but missed on the two-point conversion to trail 40-38 with 1:58 remaining.

The Ravens went three and out on the next possession, and the Bills drove 66 yards in nine plays to set up a 32-yard, game-winning field goal by Matt Prater as time expired.

Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibbin says he has “no regrets” over joining LIV Golf.

McKibbin made the switch to Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII LIV team despite securing his PGA Tour card in November.

Alongside Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton and Caleb Surratt, the 22-year-old helped Legion XII win the teams’ title and had a best individual finish of joint-fourth place.

“I’m very glad, I’ve enjoyed it a lot. I’ve learnt a lot and I feel like my game has improved a lot,” McKibbin told BBC Sport NI ahead of the Irish Open at the K Club.

“I’ve no regrets. I love being there, and being able to come and play some events over here is really good as well.”

After signing up to the lucrative LIV Golf, McKibbin says he is “fortunate” to be a multi-millionaire at only 22 years of age.

However, while he says the financial aspect of the Saudi-backed golf league is a plus, his motivation when he steps out on the tee is to try and win.

“With how golf is now, there is a lot of money around it. To be part of it and be able to benefit from it is good, but I want to let my golf do the talking and that’s more important,” he said.

“I want to win more. It is life-changing and to be fortunate enough to have that is nice, but hopefully I can get a few more wins.”

McKibbin is eligible to play at the Irish Open as the conflict between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf has yet to be resolved.

That meant he has been able to retain his DP World Tour membership while playing under the LIV banner.

The Holywood golfer says he hopes there is a resolution so he can continue to play at the Irish Open and other tournaments in the coming years.

“I think everyone just wants it to work out and play together,” said McKibbin.

“We’re all hopeful it can happen, so hopefully this isn’t my last one [Irish Open] for a while.

“I’ve still got membership and status here, and I’d love to play whenever I can. It’s good to come back to events like this.

“There’s some big tournaments and national Opens to play. I want to try and win those, so there’s definitely something important for me still here.”

NO REGRETS: As Republican former Superior Court judge Judith M. Ryan challenges Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove), another jurist says his race for Dornan’s seat six years ago was well worth it, even though he lost. Superior Court Judge David O. Carter was beaten in the Democratic primary but says he has “nothing but positive things to say about the political process.” He says he liked getting out and talking to the voters and may run again someday.

The last Red Roses camp before the Rugby World Cup squad is named will be in Treviso, Italy in July.

It is the first foreign camp England’s women have been taken on, but despite the excitement the head coach is promising it will be one the toughest and hottest they have experienced.

“The heat will in itself create its own duress” said Mitchell, with temperatures in the region averaging around 30C in the summer.

“I think our tournament might be hot, so I think we’ll benefit from that. It will probably be our most uncomfortable training camp of all of them because it will be hot and you’ll get bothered.”

After England lost the last Rugby World Cup final after an early red card for wing Lydia Thompson, the coaches are keen to ensure no stone will be left unturned to prepare the side for all eventualities.

“The amount that we’ve layered on our game will put them under a lot of questions through scenarios,” said Mitchell. “The unfairness that comes in the games through the cards, those sorts of things. The play-to-rest ratios will be probably a little bit lower as well. We can create a really quite niggly camp if you like.

“We want to be ready for any form of unfairness and it will come at some point. Look at the way cards and HIA’s (Head Injury Assessments) have advanced the game in that area.

“We’ve definitely got to do it because it’s going to come in the tournament. I’d rather be ready for every eventuality and even then, we probably won’t be ready for every eventuality.

“If we don’t create that exposure, then we’re probably going to let ourselves down like the last World Cup.”

JUST 18 months ago she was flashing her diamond engagement ring on a sun-soaked holiday in Mauritius, toasting a future with the man she called her ‘King’.

But today Lioness Millie Bright is sporting a very different ring on her finger, with her life having seemingly been upended in the space of a week.

6

6

It began with her shock withdrawal from the Euro 2025 squad due to not being able to “give 100 per cent mentally or physically” – a decision she admitted was “one of the hardest I’ve ever had to make”.

Physically, defender Millie is recovering from knee surgery which saw her miss a date with Prince William yesterday to collect her OBE from Windsor Castle.

On a personal level, this week it emerged she’s split from husband-to-be Levi Crew and fallen for married personal trainer and dad-of-seven, Dave Zetolofsky, 39.

She’s also been spotted with a new diamond ring on her little finger – though there’s no suggestion it’s an engagement ring. 

Meanwhile all mentions of Levi have been swiftly deleted from Chelsea captain Millie’s social media accounts, including that Christmas Day engagement post.

But people who know Millie, 31, are not remotely surprised by this single-minded determination to do what’s right for her. 

“Millie is not the type of woman to be troubled by self doubt or regret,” said a source, adding that she makes tough decisions, and sticks to them.

An onlooker said: “Millie’s had a chaotic few weeks with news of her split and pulling out of the England squad. But she’s as tough in real life as she is on the pitch.”

It’s arguably this ruthless, resilient mentality that has got Millie so far in life – going from earning £25 a week in a Yorkshire pit village to a historic victory in the 2022 Euros, leading the women’s national team to the 2023 World Cup final, winning 19 trophies with Chelsea and living in a Surrey mansion worthy of glossy magazine spreads.

Up until recently she shared this immaculate home with Levi, whom she was so devoted to that she proudly displayed a tattoo of his eye on her left arm, along with a tiger because “he gave her core strength through thick and thin”.

She raved about her “perfect kitchen” after it was fitted by high end designers Howdens to include a bespoke pet space under the breakfast bar for her beloved French bulldogs Zeus and Hera, named after Greek gods.

And the garden boasts an Explore ice bath which she uses for her post game ritual.

Millie is thought to have met heavily inked former pro kickboxer and martial arts enthusiast Dave in February.

She joined 21st Century Combat, the gym he co-owns with his wife Katie close to her Surrey mansion, and signed up to his gruelling exercise classes.

There is no suggestion that Millie or Dave cheated on their partners.

Eyes on the prize

6

6

From an early age, Millie always had her eyes firmly fixed on the prize. 

Growing up among the Derbyshire collieries, little Millie’s childhood was quite idyllic. 

She first sat on a horse when she was one, and was riding by the age of three – insisting that horses were her “life rather than a hobby”.

Determined and dedicated, Millie would rise early and be out working in her family’s stable yard by 6am most mornings before school, rain or shine.

She competed every weekend, and the owl Millie has tattooed on her arm is a likeness of the one that flew back to her parents barn every year. 

But suddenly, at the age of nine, she decided to sacrifice it all after stumbling across football by accident.

Millie’s had a chaotic few weeks with news of her split and pulling out of the England squad. But she’s as tough in real life as she is on the pitch

Source

Bored while watching a friend train one morning at her local club, Killamarsh Dynamos, she decided to join in the session.

That was the moment everything changed, and from then on Millie’s life revolved around the Dynamos. 

Millie was such a key player that the club would later name their pitches after her.

Inevitably she outgrew the Dynamos and a few years later – dressed as one of the mustachioed runners from the 118 118 directory enquiries service for a charity run – she seized the opportunity to introduce herself to Paul Green, then manager of Doncaster Belles. 

He recalled that her handshake was so strong that day it took him aback.

Unable to refuse her, her contract was quickly a done deal.

‘Diamond in the rough’

6

Another former Doncaster manager, John Buckley, remembers Millie as a diamond in the rough.

“From the minute she came in she was totally involved, a cracking girl,” he said.

Back then women’s football was not the big business it is today, and her wages were just £25 a week. 

Undeterred, Millie juggled two part time jobs – working as a fitness instructor and a horse groom at Esberger’s Yard in Todwick – to supplement her meagre income. 

In 2019 she recalled in an interview with the BBC how an ankle injury at that time not only robbed her of her earnings from football, but left her claiming benefits because she could not work her two other jobs either. 

From the minute she came in she was totally involved, a cracking girl

John BuckleyDoncaster manager

Ever supportive, her parents Nicola and Steve forked out for private surgery and the club paid for her rehabilitation.

“She was always so driven and eventually, she knew what she wanted to do – which was to play professional football,” said Sheila Edmunds, the president of the Doncaster Rovers Belles.

A family friend added: “It was always blood, sweat and tears with Millie, she would play until her entire body hurt.”

As her football career grew more demanding in her teens, Millie was forced to make another tough choice.

She had to abandon the stables for good – and now Millie is barred from horse riding at all by her insurers.

After that of course Millie soared to greater heights and spells in midfield meant she was a direct opponent of England legend Jill Scott, then at Everton. 

In one press conference Scott said: “The girl I played against tonight, that young girl – she’s the most aggressive player I’ve ever played against.” 

Millie’s mum and dad were in the stands at every game, along with her no-nonsense grandparents Margaret and Arthur.

Arthur Bramall, a tough former coal miner who spent his career at the Rossington colliery in Doncaster, is the person Millie relies on the most for honest feedback about her performance on the pitch.

Bitter blow

6

Her decision to withdraw from the Euro 2025 squad as they began preparations for the tournament in Switzerland next month was a bitter blow for fans.

Millie admitted: “The demands of it are incredibly high and I would see it as a little bit selfish to take up an opportunity in a position from somebody else when I’m not 100 per cent there.

“It wasn’t an easy decision. I gave it a lot of thought. 

“But ultimately, I thought this was the best decision for the team, but also for myself and using this summer to really just zone into mentally, physically, getting myself back in tip-top condition and just happy again, all round, just feeling like myself. It’s obviously hard.”

Fans have rallied to support Millie on social media, as have her teammates, with Arsenal striker Chloe Kelly writing: “Proud of you always”.

Aston Villa‘s Rachel Daly posted: “Couldn’t be more proud. With you through everything my girl,” and a message on the official Lionesses account read: “We’re all with you, Millie.”

England manager Sarina Wiegman said: “She has to take care of herself. We will stay in contact and I hope she feels better soon.”

While she’ll no doubt find it difficult watching her team play on without her, Millie’s new love certainly provides a big shoulder to cry on.