DAYS AFTER SAYING HE WANTS TO CALL A SPECIAL SESSION TO ADDRESS ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, FLORIDA GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS DETAILED SOME OF HIS PROPOSALS ON HOW HIS STATE CAN HELP INCOMING PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION PLAN OF MASS DEPORTATIONS.

DESANTIS WANTS LOCAL AND STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT TO HAVE FULL ABILITIES TO ENFORCE IMMIGRATION LAWS INCLUDING ARRESTING AND DETAINING UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS.

HE ALSO SUGGESTS APPOINTING A STATE IMMIGRATION OFFICER – DEDICATED TO OVERSEEING COORDINATION WITH FEDERAL IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES.

THE FLORIDA GOVERNOR ALSO PROPOSES IMPLEMENTING A CRIMINAL PENALTY FOR ANYONE WHO COMES INTO THE STATE OF FLORIDA ILLEGALLY. ENTERING THE COUNTRY ILLEGALLY IS CURRENTLY ONLY A FEDERAL CRIME.

“WE SHOULD DO THIS SO THAT WE HAVE AN ABILITY TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE IN WAYS,” GOVERNOR DESANTIS SAID. “AND MY THING ON THIS WHEN PEOPLE SAY ‘OH, WELL DEPORT THE CRIMINALS.’ THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS IF SOMEBODY IS HERE AND THEY’RE IN A GANG AND THEY HAVEN’T COMMITTED A CRIME YET, ARE YOU JUST SUPPOSE TO SIT THERE AND WAIT UNTIL SOMEBODY IS VICTIMIZED? NO, YOU’RE ILLEGAL ENTRY INTO OUR STATE WAS A CRIME. WE GET THAT ON THE BOOKS AND THEN WE SEND YOU BACK HOME WHERE YOU BELONG. SO WE NEED TO DO THAT.”

DESANTIS SAYS HE’S NOT CONFIDENT THAT CONGRESS WILL BE ABLE TO PASS IMMIGRATION REFORM SO IT’LL BE UP TO STATE LEADERS TO STEP UP AND HELP THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WHEN TRUMP IS BACK IN THE WHITE HOUSE.

SOME FLORIDA STATE LAWMAKERS HAVE SAID THEY’RE NOT INTERESTED IN A SPECIAL SESSION SO IT’S UNCLEAR IF AND WHEN A SPECIAL SESSION WILL TAKE PLACE.

MEANWHILE OTHER STATE LEADERS ARE PREPARING TO EITHER GET ON BOARD WITH TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION PLAN OR THEY’RE PLANNING A DEFENSE AGAINST MASS DEPORTATIONS.

AS WILDFIRES RAGE ON IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM IS CONVENING A “TRUMP-PROOFING” SPECIAL SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE.

ON MONDAY, CALIFORNIA STATE SENATOR SCOTT WIENER ANNOUNCED AMENDED LEGISLATION TO ALLOCATE $25 MILLION DOLLARS FOR LEGAL AID TO THOSE IN THE STATE AT RISK OF DEPORTATION.

LAWMAKERS ALSO PROPOSED ALLOCATING $25 MILLION FOR STATE AND LOCAL LAWSUITS AGAINST PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP’S ADMINISTRATION.

“SENATE DEMOCRATS ARE PARTICULARLY PROUD TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR PROVIDERS OF LEGAL AID SERVICES, WHICH KNOW OUR COMMUNITIES’ NEEDS BEST AND ARE BEST POSITIONED TO DEFEND AT SCALE THE MILLIONS OF INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES THAT WILL BE IMPACTED BY THE INCOMING ADMINISTRATION’S EXTREME AGENDA,” SENATOR WIENER SAID IN A STATEMENT.

IN IDAHO LAWMAKERS INTRODUCED A BILL TUESDAY THAT – IF PASSED – WOULD ALLOW LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TO ARREST AND CHARGE UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS.

ACLU OFFICIALS SAID THEY WILL CHALLENGE THE LEGISLATION IF IT BECOMES LAW ARGUING THE PROPOSED BILL IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND COULD LEAD TO RACIAL PROFILING.

IN NEW YORK GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL SAID SHE WILL CONTINUE PROTECTING MIGRANTS WHO’VE BEEN WORKING AND LIVING IN THE COUNTRY FOR YEARS, HOWEVER, SHE SAID UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS WHO COMMIT CRIMES SHOULD BE DEPORTED.

“IF SOMEONE BREAKS THE LAW,” GOVERNOR HOCHUL SAID. “I’LL BE THE FIRST ONE TO CALL UP ICE AND SAY ‘GET THEM OUT OF HERE.’”

NEW YORK CITY MAYOR ERIC ADAMS ALSO SHARES THE SAME SENTIMENT AS GOVERNOR HOCHUL.

MAYOR ADAMS SAT DOWN WITH TRUMP’S INCOMING BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN – FOR A MEETING LAST MONTH AND SAID THEY BOTH HAVE DESIRES TO GET CRIMINAL MIGRANTS OFF THE STREETS OF NEW YORK.

“WE’RE GOING TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF IMMIGRANTS IN THIS CITY THAT ARE HARD WORKING, GIVING BACK TO THIS CITY IN A REAL WAY,” MAYOR ADAMS SAID AFTER HIS MEETING WITH HOMAN. “WE’RE NOT GOING TO BE A SAFE HAVEN FOR THOSE THAT COMMIT REPEATED VIOLENT CRIMES AGAINST INNOCENT MIGRANTS, IMMIGRANTS AND LONG-STANDING NEW YORKERS.”

AND IN TEXAS GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT’S ADMINISTRATION IS OFFERING UP LAND TO THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO BUILD DETENTION FACILITIES TO HELP TRUMP CARRY OUT MASS DEPORTATIONS.

HOMAN, THE PERSON TRUMP TAPPED TO HELP FACILITATE THE DEPORTATIONS – HAS SAID THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS A “ZERO TOLERANCE” POLICY WHEN IT COMES TO UNLAWFUL MIGRATION AND EMPHASIZED THAT SANCTUARY CITIES AND STATES UNDERMINE THE RULE OF LAW. HE WARNED DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS IN NOVEMBER “TO GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY” IF THEY GO AGAINST TRUMP’S DEPORTATION PLANS.

TRUMP HAS SAID HE PLANS ON IMPLEMENTING HIS MASS DEPORTATION PLAN ON DAY ONE IN OFFICE.

TRUMP WILL BE INAUGURATED ON MONDAY.

LAUREN TAYLOR: Senator Ted Cruz introduced a bill Thursday that would make one of President-elect Trump’s major policy proposals a reality: the No Tax on Tips Act.

Cruz reintroduced the bill, which is similar to one he proposed last July. But this time, the bill has the support of Nevada’s two Democratic senators, making it a bipartisan proposal.

The bill would change the federal tax code to allow people to claim a 100% deduction on income collected via tips from federal income tax.

The bill would not exempt the money from being factored into other taxes, like the payroll tax that gets withheld from workers’ paychecks.

Cruz said in a statement along with the bill’s introduction that “this bill is an important step to ensure we are addressing the economic needs of working Americans.”

President-elect Trump introduced the proposal on the campaign trail last year and his Democratic opponent Vice President Kamala Harris also later adopted the proposal.

But while Republicans, many Democrats and labor unions back the proposal, economists aren’t so sure it will have as positive of an effect as the bill’s supporters hope.

One issue raised is that not many workers earn tips, and a substantial amount of those who *do* earn tips don’t make enough to pay any federal income tax.

An analysis last summer from the Yale Budget Lab found that only 2.5% percent of American workers are in jobs where they earn tips. And that more than a third of tipped workers had incomes low enough that they didn’t face any income tax.

Economists also raise questions about the fairness of promoting tip-based jobs like serving and bartending over other similar-paying jobs that don’t collect tips.

Conservative economist and former Republican-appointed Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Holtz-Eakin criticized the proposals when they first gained traction last summer, writing, “there is no particular reason to treat one kind of labor income differently than another” and that “It is not an effective way to promote work.”

One effect that restaurant owners may hope passing a “No Tax on Tips” bill would have is stopping efforts to end the practice of tipping by evening out the minimum wage. The federal minimum wage for tipped workers is more than 70% lower than it is for non-tipped workers.

Eight states and the District of Columbia have passed laws eliminating or phasing out that gap between tipped and non-tipped workers in their state minimum wages.

But a bill eliminating taxes on tips could lead workers to push for opportunities to make additional tax-free income.

For Straight Arrow News, I’m Lauren Taylor.

And for all the latest updates on this and other top stories, download the Straight Arrow News app or visit SAN.com.

[Simone Del Rosario]

With less than a week before the Biden administration’s time in Washington runs out, regulators sued John Deere over farmers’ right to repair their own equipment.

The Federal Trade Commission, along with Illinois and Minnesota, claim Deere prevents farmers from being able to repair their own equipment or use independent shops. Instead, they say Deere forces owners to use authorized dealers, which increase farmers’ costs while boosting the company’s profits.

Nathan Proctor:

specifically what they say John Deere is doing is that they’ve designed the equipment to require the use of John Deere service advisor, software tool to complete the repairs for a certain number of repairs, and that tool is completely restricted to dealerships

My name is Nathan proctor. I am the senior right to repair campaign director for the PIRG network. PIRG is PIRG stands for Public Interest Research Group, we’re a national nonprofit.”

Simone Del Rosario:

Over the last couple of decades, we’ve seen farming equipment becoming more and more reliant on computers. Equipment owners claim it makes it nearly impossible to diagnose and fix issues on their own.

Nathan Proctor:

If you’re a farmer and your equipment breaks, the only place you can take it where you know they’re going to have all of the necessary parts, tools and information to complete the job is the dealership, and that is by design.

Simone Del Rosario:

Deere called the lawsuit “meritless,” saying, “The complaint is based on flagrant misrepresentations of the facts and fatally flawed legal theories, and it punishes innovation and procompetitive product design.”

Deere says they support customers’ abilities to maintain and repair their own machines. The company announced earlier this week it was launching “additional self-repair capabilities.”

Nathan Proctor:

Deere has been at least for the last six years, has come out with a whole number of partial steps towards, hey, we’ll let you do this configuration now. Hey, we have a new you can buy a manual. It’s a little bit easier to get the manual. But at the end of the day, there are repairs where the only possible way to conduct or repeat or, you know, complete the repair is by plugging in a dealership computer. There is no option.

Simone Del Rosario:

The FTC says Deere’s Production and Precision Agriculture segment, which includes those large tractors and combines, raked in $7 billion in operating profit in 2023.

The agency claims by pushing farmers to authorized dealers, farmers are then sold name-brand replacement parts, which bolster Deere’s profits.

FTC chair Lina Khan says, “Unfair repair restrictions can mean farmers face unnecessary delays during tight planting and harvest windows. In rural communities, the restrictions can sometimes mean that farmers need to drive hours just to get their equipment fixed.”

Nathan Proctor:

Their whole livelihood depends on the ability to operate equipment in a timely way, and when that equipment is only fixable by a dealership. And there’s a lot fewer dealerships now, and they’re consolidating, and everybody in your area is using the same kind of equipment at the same time of year, it creates these huge bottlenecks.

Simone Del Rosario:

The commission voted 3 to 2 to bring the lawsuit, with both Republican commissioners dissenting.

Notably, one of those is Andrew Ferguson, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for FTC chair.

Deere seized on comments made by the incoming chair, like, “‘appears to be the result of brazen partisanship,” “lends to the suit the stench of partisan motivation,” and appears “taken in haste to beat President Trump into office.” Ferguson went on to say, “we simply do not have the evidence to file this Complaint with any real confidence of our ultimate chance of success.”

Nathan Proctor:

There wasn’t a single substantive objection he made to the actual facts of the case. And in fact, he even said, you know, maybe more research needs to be done, but maybe that’ll happen in the course of the lawsuit, which obviously implies that he’s expecting this to continue to move forward.

Simone Del Rosario:

While Deere continues to contend the FTC is relying on “inaccurate information and assumptions,” Proctor says there’s a simple solution to the accusations Deere faces.

Nathan Proctor:

There’s a software tool that you need to complete the full range of repairs. That’s the software tool that should be available to independent mechanics and to farmers.

Simone Del Rosario:

Right to repair extends beyond tractors and big machinery. Advocates in the space have called for consumer tech manufacturers, like Apple, to make it easier to repair your devices. And in 2022, the FTC took action against Harley-Davidson and Weber grills. Proctor says the movement has made significant strides in the past seven years. For SAN, I’m SDR.

SOME MEDIA REPORTS ARE SUGGESTING META’S NEW POLICIES ARE LEADING TO BOYCOTTS AND A POTENTIAL MASS EXODUS OFF FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM.

OTHER REPORTS SUGGEST META’S RECENT DECISIONS HAVE SENT GOOGLE SEARCHES TO “DELETE FACEBOOK” **SOARING.

BOTH OF THESE REPORTS – HAVE LIMITATIONS IN ITS DATA.

FOR THE REPORT ABOUT USERS SEARCHING “HOW TO DELETE FACEBOOK” WENT “SOARING” –

ITS RELIANT ON GOOGLE TREND DATA –

WHICH DOES **NOT OFFER ACTUAL “SEARCH VOLUME NUMBERS.”

WHICH MEANS WE DON’T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE ACTUALLY SEARCHED HOW TO DELETE THEIR FACEBOOK.

AND NBC’S REPORT CITING USERS CALLING FOR A BOYCOTT –

RELIED ON NBC NEWS’ REVIEW OF WHAT IT CALLED “HUNDREDS OF POSTS AND COMMENTS”.

BUT THAT IS A SMALL SAMPLE SIZE COMPARED TO META’S OVER 3 BILLION ACTIVE USERS. 

META CEO MARK ZUCKERBERG RESPONDED ON INSTAGRAM’S MESSAGING APP “THREADS” TO THE IDEA PEOPLE WILL LEAVE OVER META’S NEW POLICIES.

SAYING “I’m counting on these changes actually making our platforms better. I think Community Notes will be more effective than fact-checkers, reducing the number of people whose accounts get mistakenly banned is good, people want to be able to discuss civic topics and make arguments that are in the mainstream of political discourse, etc. Some people may leave our platforms for virtue signaling, but I think the vast majority and many new users will find that these changes make the products better.”

ZUCKERBERG’S RECENT POLICY CHANGES AT META HAVE ALSO LED TO QUESTIONS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES OVER WHETHER THE RECENT CHANGES ALREADY IMPLEMENTED IN THE U.S. WILL SOON BE BROADLY IMPLEMENTED TO OTHER NATIONS.

THE CHANGES – INCLUDE AN END TO FACT-CHECKING – INSTEAD – OPTING FOR USERS TO ADD COMMUNITY NOTES TO POSTS.

AND IT ALSO LOOSENS RESTRICTIONS ON CERTAIN TOPICS PREVIOUSLY NOT OPEN FOR DISCUSSION ON FACEBOOK OR INSTAGRAM – SUCH AS GENDER AND SEXUAL IDENTITY.

THESE CHANGES HAVE BEEN PRAISED BY CONSERVATIVES IN THEIR CALLS FOR REIGNING IN REGULATIONS OVER FREE SPEECH.

BUT THE CHANGES HAVE ALSO BEEN DENOUNCED BY SOME ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE POLITICAL AISLE – AS THEY CAUTION IT COULD LEAD TO A SPREAD OF “DISINFORMATION”.

BRAZIL – A COUNTRY CURRENTLY WITH A LEFTIST GOVERNMENT UNDER PRESIDENT LULA DA SILVA –

ASKED META IF ITS NEWLY ANNOUNCED POLICIES WILL APPLY TO THEIR COUNTRY.

META RESPONDED THAT ITS FACT-CHECKING IS ONLY GOING AWAY IN THE U.S. – FOR NOW – AS THE COMPANY RUNS TESTS ON ITS “COMMUNITY NOTES” SYSTEM.

META CONFIRMED LOOSER RESTRICTIONS ON CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS SUCH AS DEBATING SEXUAL IDENTITIES – **WILL APPLY IN BRAZIL – TO ALLOW FOR “BROADER CONVERSATION ON TOPICS THAT ARE PART OF CURRENT DISCUSSIONS IN SOCIETY.”

BRAZIL’S ATTORNEY GENERAL AND OTHER LEADERS – UPSET OVER META’S DECISIONS –

DECIDED IT WOULD HOLD A HEARING TO DISCUSS THEIR NEXT STEPS –

AND WHETHER THE NEW POLICY VIOLATES THEIR “HUMAN RIGHTS LAWS”.

BRAZIL’S COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER SAYING – META’S NEW MEASURES “…violate fundamental rights and national sovereignty, promoting a digital Wild West.”

ZUCKERBERG HAS DEFENDED HIS DECISIONS.

SAYING – ITS FACT CHECKERS WERE POLITICALLY BIASED – AND LED TO “TOO MUCH CENSORSHIP.”

AND SAYS IT WILL CONTINUE TO REMOVE THREATS OR CONTENT THAT INCITES VIOLENCE.

THE DATE OF BRAZIL’S HEARING HAS NOT YET BEEN ANNOUNCED.

THANKS FOR WATCHING OUR NEWS UPDATE.

FOR MORE STORIES THAT MATTER TO YOU –

CHECK OUT THE SAN MOBILE APP OR VISIT US ONLINE AT SAN DOT COM. 

[Chris Francis]

WHEN WASHINGTON COMMANDERS PLACEKICKER ZANE GONZALEZ KICKED A 37-YARD FIELD GOAL LAST SUNDAY TO GIVE HIS TEAM ITS FIRST PLAYOFF WIN SINCE THE 2005 SEASON – IT WASN’T JUST THE “DOINK” OFF THE UPRIGHTS NBC CAMERAS CAPTURED.

AS GONZALEZ READIED TO SEND HIS TEAM INTO THE DIVISIONAL ROUND, A NATIONAL AUDIENCE WAS BROUGHT INTO HIS PREPARATION – MANY NOT FULLY UNDERSTANDING WHAT THEY WERE WATCHING.

FROM ADJUSTING HIS SOCKS TO TOUCHING HIS HAIR REPEATEDLY – THE SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL COMMENTATORS AND VIEWERS AT HOME SAW WHAT THE 29-YEAR-OLD TEXAS NATIVE HAS BEEN DEALING WITH MOST OF HIS LIFE. A CONDITION KNOWN AS OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER – COMMONLY REFERRED BY ITS ACRONYM O-C-D.

THOUGH GONZALEZ HAS BEEN SHOWN ON CAMERA BEFORE WHEN GOING THROUGH HIS PRE-KICK ROUTINE – WITH HIM PLAYING IN AN NFL POSTSEASON GAME – MORE EYES WERE ON HIM THAN EVER BEFORE – GIVING A BIG PLATFORM FOR THE CONDITION THAT AFFECTS MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

THE MAYO CLINIC DESCRIBES O-C-D AS A DISORDER THAT “FEATURES A PATTERN OF UNWANTED THOUGHTS AND FEARS KNOWN AS OBSESSIONS. THESE OBSESSIONS LEAD YOU TO DO REPETITIVE BEHAVIORS, ALSO CALLED COMPULSIONS. THESE OBSESSIONS AND COMPULSIONS GET IN THE WAY OF DAILY ACTIVITIES AND CAUSE A LOT OF DISTRESS.”

ACCORDING TO THE INTERNATIONAL O-C-D FOUNDATION –

ABOUT 1 IN 40 U.S. ADULTS HAS O-C-D OR WILL DEVELOP IT AT SOME POINT IN THEIR LIVES.

THAT’S APPROXIMATELY 8 POINT 2 MILLION PEOPLE.

AND ON AVERAGE 1 IN 100 CHILDREN HAVE OCD.

GONZALEZ HAS BEEN DEALING WITH OCD SINCE HE WAS A CHILD.  HE BEGAN TO OPEN UP ABOUT MANAGING THE CONDITION WHEN HE WAS A FRESHMAN AT ARIZONA STATE.

AFTER BREAKING AN NC-DOUBLE-A RECORD FOR FIELD GOALS IN A CAREER —  HE WAS NICKNAMED ‘LEGATRON’ BY ASU FANS AFTER ALL — THE SUN DEVILS KICKER BECAME AN NFL PLAYER WHEN HE WAS SELECTED BY THE CLEVELAND BROWNS IN THE 2017 DRAFT.  HE HAD TO WAIT FOR THAT MOMENT THOUGH — IT WAS THE SEVENTH ROUND AND GONZALEZ WAS THE 224^TH PICK.

ESPN REPORTED THAT YEAR, QUOTE “IT’S POSSIBLE GONZALEZ SLIPPED DOWN THE DRAFT BOARD DUE TO HIS HONESTY ABOUT HIS OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER.”

A FEW MONTHS AFTER THE DRAFT GONZALEZ TOLD THE NETWORK – AS A FOOTBALL PLAYER WITH O-C-D “IT MAKES YOU A PERFECTIONIST AND MORE DETAIL-ORIENTED. OFF THE FIELD, IT’S A PAIN IN THE BUTT.”

NO MATTER THE ROUND HE WAS DRAFTED, GONZALEZ WAS IN THE NFL AND HE PRESSED ON AS HIS CAREER TOOK HIM TO ARIZONA, DETROIT, CHARLOTTE, SAN FRANCISCO AND — JUST THIS PAST NOVEMBER — TO WASHINGTON – MERE WEEKS BEFORE HIS GAME-WINNING KICK.

IN 2021 – HE SPOKE TO THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER ABOUT COPING WITH OCD.

SAYING “It affected me a lot more as a young kid. … It’s just little thoughts, little funny habits that I do…Specifically, sometimes I rinse my hands before kicks. … And I was kind of curious about that.

But that’s one of the most common things that people with OCD do. It instantly makes you just feel relieved. I don’t know why, if it’s just a placebo effect.

“It’s not something I love having. But it just is what it is, and I’ve learned to deal with it.”

THE NFL KICKER JOINS SEVERAL OTHER PRO ATHLETES SPEAKING PUBLICLY ABOUT THEIR O-C-D EXPERIENCES.

AS A YOUNG ADULT — NEW ZEALAND OLYMPIAN TRACK CYCLIST SAM DAKIN FIRST BEGAN NOTICING O-C-D SYMPTOMS IN 2018 – JUST A FEW YEARS BEFORE COMPETING IN HIS FIRST OLYMPIC GAMES IN TOKYO.

SHORTLY AFTER RETURNING HOME FROM THE GAMES – HE SPOKE TO THE MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION OF NEW ZEALAND ABOUT HIS O-C-D STRUGGLES.

“I was 22 years old…and then woke up one day and just… boom. There’s just one thought on repeat. It started for an hour a day and then eventually just got worse and worse. And then it was 16 hours a day and I could only escape it when I slept, which was just horrific.”

JUST LAST WEEK – DAKIN SAT DOWN WITH THE GOOD DAY MATRIX PODCAST ABOUT HOW AN ONLINE COMMUNITY HELPED HIM IN DEALING WITH THE CONDITION.

[SAM DAKIN  | NEW ZEALAND OLYMPIAN TRACK CYCLIST]

“I started just scrolling the internet and Googling this thing that was going on in my head and eventually one day I was on Reddit and I found this like feed of pure OCD and these people just described exactly what I was feeling. It was just like this just relief I was like I’m not alone yeah other people have gone through this it’s actually relatively normal but not many people have talked about it so for me once I found that which was the day before I left for my first world championships in Berlin.”

[CHRIS]

LIKE GONZALEZ, DAKIN SAYS HE’S NOT SHY ABOUT SPEAKING ABOUT OCD – AND HOPES HIS WORDS CAN HELP SOMEONE ELSE GOING THROUGH WHAT HE DID.

[SAM]

“I was just like, man, this can help so many people and I feel comfortable to talk about it. And if I can talk about it more then it’ll help others and it’s just kind of grown from there really. I have tried to do it in a way that’s really me and really organic and not shoving it down people’s faces.”

[CHRIS]

MILLIE FARROW, A UK PRO SOCCER PLAYER CURRENTLY PLAYING WITH SYDNEY FC, ALSO KNOWS WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BATTLE OCD WHILE LIVING OUT YOUR CHILDHOOD DREAMS.

SHE TOLD THE NEW YORK TIMES IN 2023 QUOTE  “IT IS A VERY STRANGE PLACE TO BE — BEING CONTROLLED BY A THOUGHT IN YOUR HEAD.”

FARROW TOLD THE TIME SHE WOULD SEE SOMEONE SHE DESCRIBED AS “CONTAMINATED” TOUCHING A CERTAIN SURFACE AND WOULD QUOTE “BE ASSESSING IT, ANALYZING IT.”

FARROW SAID WITH A DIAGNOSIS AND THERAPY STARTING AT AGE 14 – SHE HAS BEEN ABLE TO GET HANDLE OF HER OCD –

SAYING QUOTE “ “IT IS SOMETHING I WILL HAVE FOR THE LENGTH OF MY LIFE, BUT IT CAN BE DEALT WITH AND CAN BE UNDER CONTROL. THAT’S THE PLACE I’M IN NOW…”

AND NOW AS A PROFESSIONAL SOCCER PLAY SHE SAYS “I’M SO GLAD I DIDN’T GIVE UP.”

AND ANOTHER SOCCER STAR – ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS TO PLAY THE GAME  – DAVID BECKHAM – OPENED UP IN A 2023 NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY SERIES – ABOUT HOW O-C-D AFFECTS HIS LIFE IN RETIREMENT.

CHOOSING HUMOR TO DISCUSS HIS SYMPTOMS – HE WENT INTO DETAIL WHILE PROMOTING THE SERIES ON JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE.

[DAVID BECKHAM]

“Yeah I’m a little bit OCD.”

“A little bit, I mean the carpet could have been vacuumed in a little straight but in in all honesty you know that that is what I’m like. Victoria always jokes because when we our friends around for dinner or drinks you know I start turning like lights off and cleaning the candles.”

“It’s not just the wicks, it’s outside the candles too.”

[CHRIS]

FOR THE MILLIONS DEALING WITH OCD, IT MAY NOT BE HUMOR THAT GETS THEM THROUGH BUT FINDING SOMEONE TO RELY ON.

DAKIN’S ADVICE IS TO “FIND SOMEONE THAT YOU TRUST AND YOU FEEL YOU CAN LEAN ON, AND IN TURN THEY’LL UNDERSTAND AND THEY’LL WANT TO BE THERE TO HELP YOU.”

AND FOR OTHERS IT WAS THAT GAME-WINNING KICK THAT MADE THEM FEEL A SENSE OF CONNECTION – AS PGA TOUR AND SIRIUSXM HOST JEFF EISENBAND WROTE ON X “AS SOMEONE WHO HAS DEALT WITH OCD MOST OF MY LIFE, I HAVE SUCH IMMENSE RESPECT FOR ZANE GONZALEZ BEING ABLE TO PERFORM IN THE CLUTCH LIKE THIS. HATE SEEING PEOPLE TRY TO DRAG HIM FOR IT.”

AND SPEAKING TO THOSE WHO POKED FUN AT ZANE GONZALEZ’S PRE-KICK ROUTINE WITHOUT KNOWING THE FULL STORY – HIS WIFE LIZZY POSTED A TIKTOK VIDEO USING A VIRAL MEME TO SEND THEM ALL A MESSAGE.

AS FOR ZANE GONZALEZ — 2024 WAS A YEAR OF CELEBRATION FOR THE COMMANDERS KICKER. HE GOT MARRIED LAST APRIL AND THE COUPLE THEN WELCOMED THEIR FIRST CHILD IN DECEMBER. NOW, GONZALEZ IS LOOKING FOR THE GOOD TIMES TO CONTINUE IN 2025. NEXT UP — WASHINGTON MEETS DETROIT IN THE DIVISIONAL ROUND – AND AFTER THE HEADLINES HIS WILD CARD KICK MADE – HE’S PROBABLY GOT A FEW NEW FANS ROOTING FOR HIM THIS WEEKEND.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M CHRIS FRANCIS.

FOR MORE OF OUR SPORTS STORIES, DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP.

[Craig Nigrelli]

ACCORDING TO MULTIPLE REPORTS – BOTH PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP AND OUTGOING PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN ARE CONSIDERING ACTIONS TO SAVE TIKTOK. TRUMP IS REPORTEDLY CONSIDERING STEPS TO DELAY THE APP’S LOOMING BAN, JUST DAYS BEFORE ITS CHINESE PARENT COMPANY, BYTEDANCE, FACES A DEADLINE TO SELL ITS U.S. OPERATIONS. WHILE AT THE SAME TIME THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS REPORTEDLY ALSO EXPLORING WAYS TO REDUCE THE BAN’S IMPACT, ADDING COMPLEXITY TO THE PLATFORM’S UNCERTAIN FUTURE.

THESE REPORTS COME AS TIKTOK CEO SHOU CHEW IS SET TO ATTEND TRUMP’S INAUGURATION, JOINING TECH LEADERS LIKE ELON MUSK AND MARK ZUCKERBERG. THIS MARKS A SHIFT FOR TRUMP, WHOSE FIRST ADMINISTRATION SOUGHT TO BAN THE PLATFORM OUTRIGHT. REPORTS SUGGEST TRUMP’S VIEWS ON TIKTOK EVOLVED AFTER HIS CAMPAIGN SAW A SURGE IN POPULARITY ON THE APP DURING LAST YEAR’S ELECTION.

THE BAN, SET TO TAKE EFFECT NEXT WEEK, STEMS FROM A LAW PASSED BY CONGRESS REQUIRING BYTEDANCE TO DIVEST TIKTOK’S U.S. ASSETS DUE TO NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS. WITHOUT A RESOLUTION, THE BAN WOULD BLOCK UPDATES AND NEW DOWNLOADS, GRADUALLY MAKING THE APP UNUSABLE. TIKTOK HAS CHALLENGED THE LAW IN COURT, ARGUING IT VIOLATES FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS, BUT THE SUPREME COURT APPEARS LIKELY TO UPHOLD IT.

TRUMP IS REPORTEDLY CONSIDERING AN EXECUTIVE ORDER TO EXTEND THE DEADLINE BY 60 TO 90 DAYS TO ALLOW FURTHER NEGOTIATIONS, THOUGH LEGAL EXPERTS QUESTION ITS ENFORCEABILITY. MEANWHILE, BIDEN’S ADMINISTRATION HAS EXPLORED TEMPORARY MEASURES TO KEEP TIKTOK OPERATIONAL, LEAVING THE FINAL DECISION TO TRUMP.

WITH 170 MILLION U.S. USERS, TIKTOK IS A SIGNIFICANT CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC PLATFORM. CREATORS HAVE VOICED FEARS OVER THEIR LIVELIHOODS, WHILE LAWMAKERS CITE SECURITY RISKS TIED TO BYTEDANCE’S OWNERSHIP. TRUMP’S INCOMING NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER, MIKE WALTZ, SAID THE ADMINISTRATION PLANS TO PRESERVE THE PLATFORM WHILE PROTECTING USER DATA.

TIKTOK OFFICIALS HAVE INDICATED READINESS TO COMPLY WITH A NEGOTIATED SOLUTION BUT WARN THAT A BAN WOULD HAVE SERIOUS IMPLICATIONS.

FOR MORE OF OUR UNBIASED, STRAIGHT FACT REPORTING – DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP TODAY, OR LOG ON TO SAN.COM.