Team’s execs react to drafting Shedeur Sanders — and they’re raising eyebrows online for it

The Cleveland Browns pulled the trigger on taking Shedeur Sanders after his historic slide in the NFL Draft. 

But some fans are skeptical about the team’s enthusiasm for the player based on the reactions of Browns leadership after the selection. 

ESPN footage of Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry showed light golf claps with blank facial expressions in the team’s war room after the pick of Sanders was announced. 

Berry slouched with a half frown.

NFL DRAFT QUARTERBACK MISTAKES THAT SHAPED LEAGUE LANDSCAPE

Many fans on social media questioned how enthusiastic team brass actually was about taking the controversial prospect. 

“They look thrilled. Did someone force their hand?” one X user wrote in response to the footage. 

Another user expressed concern over Sanders possibly being on a team whose leadership doesn’t value him. 

“This is even more disrespectful than NOT drafting him. No way these guys treat Shedeur fairly,” the user wrote. 

GET FULL 2025 NFL DRAFT COVERAGE WITH REAL-TIME PICKS, EXPERT ANALYSIS AND CAN’T-MISS MOMENTS

On bold critic even suggested Berry and Stefanski gave a “reaction of shame,” while pushing a conspiracy theory involving NFL collusion. 

“This is a reaction of shame, they are embarrassed that they decided to participate in this collusion, participated in knowingly and obviously screwing this kid yet end up drafting him,” that user wrote. 

Berry and Stefanski later explained the selection of Sanders to reporters in a press conference. Berry suggested that drafting Sanders “wasn’t necessarily the plan” after taking quarterback Dillon Gabriel in an earlier round, and he didn’t think Sanders would be available in the fifth round. 

“It wasn’t necessarily the plan going into the weekend to select two quarterbacks, but, you know, as we talk about, we do believe in best player available. We do believe in positional value. And we didn’t necessarily expect him to be available in the fifth round,” Berry said. 

“So, we love adding competition to every position room. So, adding him to compete with the other guys who are already in there, that was the appropriate thing to do.”

While discussing the strategy behind drafting Sanders, Berry said it was something Browns officials started to consider entering the third day of the draft. 

“It was something, going into day three of the draft with him still on the board, it was a thought like, ‘Well, you know, depending on how far he goes, that would be something that we would be interested in potentially taking him off the board,’” Berry said. 

“As names kept coming off the board, and we saw how we were positioned, we just felt like the value was there.”

Berry added that the interview experience with Sanders was “positive” amid reports the quarterback interviewed poorly for multiple NFL teams.

Before Saturday, the relationship between the Browns and Sanders family wasn’t all flattering compliments. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Shedeur’s father, Colorado football coach and NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, once suggested a young quarterback should refuse to play for Cleveland in 2018, the way Eli Manning refused to play for the Chargers in 2004. 

“I love what the Browns have done this offseason but if im a young QB ain’t no way im going to Cleveland. I would pull a ELI MANNING If possible,” Deion wrote in a March 2018 Twitter post. 

However, Deion also disputed the notion that Shedeur might not play for the Browns after a rumor surfaced last season. 

“A Lie don’t care who tells it. Please stop trying to become relevant by misrepresenting my son. God bless you,” Deion wrote in response to a post circulating the rumor. 

o

Man charged with murder after garage collapses on fire captain who rushed to put out inferno

A man accused of setting a fire that killed Chicago Fire Department (CFD) Capt. David Meyer Wednesday was charged with murder.

Chicago Fire Union Local 2 President Patrick Cleary told FOX 32 Chicago it was “pretty evident” suspect Charles Green, 44, started the fire.

CHICAGO FIRE CAPTAIN KILLED IN LINE OF DUTY AFTER GARAGE COLLAPSES FOLLOWING EARLY MORNING INFERNO

The garage fire was called in just after 4 a.m. Wednesday, and after firefighters extinguished the flames, the garage collapsed during salvage and overhaul, according to CFD Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt.

A mayday alarm was immediately called in just before 4:20 a.m. and Meyer, 54, was taken to a hospital.

DELTA PASSENGERS IN ORLANDO EVACUATE PLANE DUE TO ENGINE FIRE

He was later pronounced dead.

Meyer is survived by his parents, wife, three daughters and one son, according to Nance-Holt.

The 28-year Chicago fire veteran was assigned to Truck 29 on the west side and previously served as a lieutenant on Truck 35.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

University of Iowa Police helped ensure one of Meyer’s daughters, who attends college in Iowa, was able to return home quickly.

Actress says she’s ‘truly relapse-free’ after terrible 7-year health battle

Selma Blair shared a positive health update on her battle with multiple sclerosis.

The 52-year-old actress, who first announced she had been diagnosed with MS in 2018, revealed Thursday she is “truly relapse-free” from symptoms of the chronic, autoimmune disease.

“I am doing amazingly well. I’ve been feeling great for about a year,” the “Legally Blonde” star told People magazine. “But I am finally well enough to really, genuinely … I always try and feel my best, but now that I actually have stamina and energy and getting out and going out isn’t so scary.”

Now that her health has improved, Blair told People she is putting more thought into what she hopes to accomplish in the future. 

SELMA BLAIR EXPLORES MS DIAGNOSIS IN DOCUMENTARY

“It’s funny. I haven’t spent enough time having dreams. And now it’s like, ‘What are my dreams?’” she said. 

“I think maybe since the diagnosis … you’re just tired all the time. I spent so much of my life so tired from being unwell that I think I just was trying to get through the day,” Blair explained.

“And now it’s like, ‘Wait, I realize I don’t know what my goals are.'”

LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

The “Cruel Intentions” star shared that her current plans are “much more career-oriented,” telling the outlet she “would love” to return to acting and already has a few projects lined up.

In January, Variety reported Blair was making her acting comeback in three upcoming movies, including the Israel-Hamas war drama, “Stay Forte,” the supernatural thriller “Silent” and “There There,” a drama about twin brothers directed by real-life twins Michael and Mark Polish.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

In addition to acting, Blair, who authored her 2022 memoir “Mean Baby: A Memoir of Growing Up,” told People she has plans to write a “young adult book” in the fantasy genre.

Since revealing her diagnosis, Blair has been open about her struggles with MS, and she has used her platform to raise awareness and support others suffering from the disease. 

While speaking with People, the actress said she will continue “advocating for people with chronic illness and getting better and what that looks like when you haven’t made your wishes. How do we give ourselves a new life force?”

In August 2018, Blair revealed her MS diagnosis in an emotional Instagram post.

“I have #multiplesclerosis. I am in an exacerbation,” she wrote in part. “By the grace of the lord, and will power and the understanding producers at Netflix, I have a job. A wonderful job. I am disabled. I fall sometimes. I drop things. My memory is foggy. And my left side is asking for directions from a broken gps.

“But we are doing it,” she continued. “And I laugh and I don’t know exactly what I will do precisely but I will do my best.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Blair has been in remission from MS since 2021, after she underwent stem cell transplantation to treat the condition.

The actress previously chronicled the ups and downs of her battle with the disease in her 2021 documentary, Introducing Selma Blair.” 

Schiff offers dire warning to Dems after what happened to him during San Francisco visit

President Trump tears into Putin shortly after meeting with Zelenskyy in Rome

President Donald Trump has expressed doubts that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to end its war with Ukraine which has raged for more than three years.

Trump took to Truth Social on Saturday to express his growing frustration with the Russian leader in a week that saw Russia launch a deadly missile attack on Kyiv. The Thursday attack on Ukraine killed 12 people and injured at least 90, including children.

“There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days,” Trump wrote, shortly after he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Vatican on Saturday for Pope Francis’ funeral. 

TRUMP INSISTS UKRAINE-RUSSIA PEACE DEAL IS CLOSE, BUT MISTRUST IN PUTIN LEAVES EXPERTS SKEPTICAL

“It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions?’ Too many people are dying!!!”

The post comes as a peace deal appears nowhere in sight despite ongoing negotiations and Trump repeatedly claiming on the campaign trail that he would end the war within 24 hours of taking office. 

Trump said Saturday that the killings in the war are “worse than anything since World War II.”

ZELENSKYY SPEAKS OUT AFTER PUBLIC SPAT WITH TRUMP, VANCE, SAYS DUSTUP ‘BAD FOR BOTH SIDES’

On Thursday, Trump pleaded with Putin to end the war.

“I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5,000 soldiers a week are dying. Let’s get the peace deal DONE,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The attack on Kyiv came a day before Special Envoy Steve Witkoff’s fourth visit to Moscow. 

Trump had expressed hope over Easter that Russia and Ukraine could reach a deal this week, saying that once an agreement was reached, they would be able to “start to do big business with the United States of America…”

Trump met face-to-face with Zelenskyy in Rome on Saturday, the first time since their infamous Oval Office spat in February. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Neither Ukrainian nor White House officials gave many details on the meeting; however, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said it was “a very productive discussion.”

Trump also took aim at former presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama in his Saturday post, blaming Biden for the war taking place under his watch and Obama for Russia taking Crimea.  

“This is Sleepy Joe Biden’s War, not mine,” Trump raged. “It was a loser from day one, and should have never happened, and wouldn’t have happened if I were President at the time. I’m just trying to clean up the mess that was left to me by Obama and Biden, and what a mess it is.”

What’s the most popular beer in America? Find out which brand reigns supreme

America loves beer. 

From IPAs to lagers, America’s preference for beer varies across regions and states, though one brand seems to stand out from the rest.

HOOTERS DITCHING BIKINI NIGHTS FOR OVER-60 CROWD AND FAMILIES

In a recent study by Coffeeness, a German coffee-focused website that publishes beverage-related studies, analysts compiled a ranking of the most popular beer in each state.

Using data from YouGov’s popularity ratings, as well as search data from Google, the study provides a “comprehensive picture” of America’s beer preferences.

MAN CRAFTS WORLD’S LARGEST BEER TRAY COLLECTION OF 1,500 ITEMS: ‘PART OF HISTORY’

“Our analysis reveals some surprising patterns and confirms a number of long-held assumptions,” the study stated.

America’s favorite brand is Miller, which ranked as the most searched beer in 30 states, representing 60% of the country. Miller ranked the highest in states on both coasts, from Washington to Maine, plus Alaska and Hawaii.

“Miller’s widespread appeal likely stems from its accessibility, consistent flavor profile and strong marketing presence,” Coffeeness wrote in the study.

GRATEFUL DEAD AND NEW BEER CELEBRATE ‘LONG STRANGE TRIP’ TOGETHER

Coors ranks second, a favorite of eight states, including Arizona, California and Texas.

Three states – Georgia, New Jersey and South Carolina – put Guinness at the top of the list.

Budweiser and Bud Light only led searches in four states combined, despite massive advertising campaigns. 

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

“The 2023 controversy surrounding Bud Light may have had something to do with this,” according to the study.

Budweiser was the top choice in Missouri and New Hampshire, while North Carolina and Ohio preferred Bud Light. (Anheuser-Busch, which owns Budweiser and Bud Light, is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.)

A few other brands are top choices in only one or two states, reflecting localized popularity.

Blue Moon is top of the barrel in Colorado. The craft-style beer is produced by parent company Coors, which also calls Colorado its home state.

“This suggests that Coloradans may appreciate the more craft-oriented offering from their local brewing giant,” Coffeeness wrote.

Corona ranked highest in only one state: Connecticut.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“The Mexican lager’s association with beach relaxation and lime-garnished refreshment may resonate with coastal Connecticut residents,” the researchers stated.

McDonald’s is adding a crispy brand-new item to its US menu — and it’s permanent

McDonald’s has a new permanent menu item, McCrispy Strips, coming to its U.S. menu.

The fast-food giant revealed that participating restaurants across the country will have McCrispy Strips as a permanent offering by May 5. Some locations, however, are beginning to offer it to customers on Thursday.

A “savory, sweet and tangy” creamy chili sauce is launching alongside them, McDonald’s said. 

As the McCrispy Strips arrive, they will become McDonald’s first new permanent menu item in about four years, according to the company. They also mark the latest chicken offering that the chain has rolled out.

MCDONALD’S CEO GIVES 3 PREDICTIONS FOR RESTAURANT BIZ IN 2025

“The demand for chicken strips has been remarkable to see across the industry, so we knew we had to deliver something so craveable that it was worth the wait,” Alyssa Buetkofer, McDonald’s chief marketing and customer experience officer, said in a statement. “We took our time, listened to our fans, and created a product we knew they would crave.”

The McCrispy Strips consist of “chicken strips made with juicy, 100% white meat, coated with crispy golden-brown breading and bursting with a bold, new black pepper flavor,” the chain said. 

McDonald’s will sell them in counts of three or four. The former will be paired with one container of Creamy Chili Dip sauce, while the latter will offer two, according to McDonald’s. 

Their launch comes roughly two-and-a-half months after CEO Chris Kempczinski told analysts and investors in February that McDonald’s was looking to introduce chicken strips to U.S. restaurants.

The company also has a comeback of its Snack Wraps in the pipeline for the U.S. “along with a few other markets” this year, Kempczinski said at the time. It has been about nine years since McDonald’s offered that item in its American restaurants. 

MCDONALD’S TEASES THE RETURN OF SNACK WRAPS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

He detailed other plans for McDonald’s chicken business, too, including increasing the availability of its McCrispy sandwich from its current 70-plus markets to “nearly all” by the end of 2025 and continuing to “pulse in” the Chicken Big Mac “as a limited time-only offering over time.” 

“We’re excited about the significant opportunity we see within our chicken portfolio and see the potential to add another point of chicken market share by the end of 2026,” Kempczinski said in February. 

MCDONALD’S PLANS MORE CHICKEN OFFERINGS

In its annual report, McDonald’s said its chicken moves are among its “planned innovations and new menu offerings” that “reflect the Company’s ability to meet evolving customer preferences.” 

In 2024, the company generated $25.9 billion in revenues, and its annual net income was $8.2 billion.

5 quotes from Cardinal Robert Sarah, touted by conservatives as a top papal candidate

Cardinal Robert Sarah – championed by conservatives as reflecting the doctrinaire and liturgically minded papacies of Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI – is among those being considered to replace Pope Francis.

An African cardinal from Guinea, Sarah, 79, is viewed as a spiritual and theological standard-bearer for conservative Catholics, as critics of Francis have argued the late pope was too heavily influenced by modern secularism. 

Sarah previously headed the Vatican’s charity office Cor Unum and clashed with Francis on many occasions. 

Their ideological divide most seriously came to a head when Sarah and Benedict – who retired as acting pope in 2013 – co-authored a book titled “From the Depths of Our Hearts: Priesthood, Celibacy and the Crisis of the Catholic Church.” The 2020 book advocated the “necessity” of continued celibacy for Latin Rite priests and came out as Francis was weighing whether to allow married priests in the Amazon to address a priest shortage there. 

WHERE WILL THE NEXT POPE COME FROM? ANALYSTS SAY IT COULD BE AFRICA’S TIME

As a result, Francis dismissed Benedict’s secretary, Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, from his papal household job, and several months later retired Sarah after he turned 75. The prospect of a retired pope trying to influence a reigning one created the scenario that canon lawyers and theologians had warned of when Benedict decided to retain the white cassock of the papacy in retirement as “pope emeritus.” The scandal died down after Benedict removed himself as a co-author.

It’s actually Sarah’s 2019 book that’s causing more of a stir with conservative Christians in the wake of Francis’ passing. 

Sarah has described “The Day Is Now Far Spent” as his most significant book. In it, the cardinal decries how Europe and Western civilization have turned away from Christianity and suffer from ideological challenges brought by mass migration. 

By contrast, Francis had openly contradicted the Trump administration and Vice President JD Vance – a Catholic convert – over their crackdown on illegal immigration. 

Vance, one of the last dignitaries to meet with Francis on Easter Sunday before his passing, has referenced Pope John Paul II – ideologically more similar to Sarah – in recent public addresses. At the Munich Security Conference, Vance praised John Paul II as “one of the most extraordinary champions of democracy” when emphasizing the importance of Western values. The vice president also celebrated John Paul II’s call for new evangelization at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C.

Sarah co-authored two other books – “God or Nothing: A Conversation on Faith” in 2015 and The Power of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise in 2017 – both with French journalist Nicolas Diat. 

Here are some key quotes by Sarah being highlighted ahead of Francis’ funeral later this week. The papal conclave will convene in the coming weeks to choose a new leader of the Catholic Church. 

1. The West cut itself off from its ‘Christian roots’

Sarah argued that the West has cut itself off from its Christian heritage in “The Day is Now Far Spent.” 

“The West no longer knows who it is, because it no longer knows and does not want to know who made it, who established it, as it was and as it is. The West refuses to acknowledge its Christian roots.”

“By losing its faith, Europe has also lost its reason to be. It is experiencing a lethal decline and is becoming a new civilization, one that is cut off from its Christian roots.”​

VANCE WAS ONE OF POPE FRANCIS’ LAST VISITORS

2. Gender ideology is ‘Luciferian’

Sarah argued that gender ideology is an affront to God’s creation and cannot fundamentally change whether a person is male or female in “The Day is Now Far Spent.” 

“Gender ideology is a Luciferian refusal to receive a sexual nature from God.”

3. Called mass migration a ‘new form of slavery’

In a March 2019 interview with the French publication “Valeurs Actuelles,” Sarah reportedly criticized the role of the Catholic Church in supporting mass migration policies in Europe, noting the harm caused to the migrants themselves. 

“All migrants who arrive in Europe are penniless, without work, without dignity,” Sarah reportedly said. “This is what the Church wants? The Church cannot cooperate with this new form of slavery that has become mass migration.”​

4. Calls modern distractions ‘the devil’s tool’

In “The Power of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise,” Sarah argues that modern distractions separate humankind from God.

“Distraction is the devil’s tool for cutting man off from God.”

5. Calls Christians to refuse loyalty to popularity or politics

In “God or Nothing: A Conversation on Faith,” Sarah asserts that one’s loyalty must be to Christ – rather than to popularity or politics – and repeatedly argues against moral relativism in family and societal norms. 

“The Church is not a human organization. She is not subject to the fashions of the day or the winds of doctrine. She must be faithful to Christ.”

“God or nothing: there is no other choice. Those who choose God have everything. Those who choose nothing are lost.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“If truth no longer exists, if everything is relative, then man becomes a slave to his passions.”