When Gyokeres opened the scoring in the ninth minute at Emirates Stadium on Saturday, it brought up his 20th goal of the season and made him the first Arsenal player to score 20 or more goals across all competitions in their first season at the club since Alexis Sanchez in 2014-15 (25 goals).
It has been a pivotal week for Gyokeres with his performance in the Champions League setting Arsenal up nicely for the second leg against Atletico on Tuesday.
Saturday was also the first time that he has scored a goal and provided an assist in the first half of a league match since joining Arsenal.
“He had a great performance,” manager Mikel Arteta said when asked about Gyokeres’ impact this week.
“I think in Madrid, especially the first half, he was really good, and today, all the minutes that he’s played as well, his contribution with the goals…
“Every attacking action he was involved – scored two great goals. Position-wise, timing-wise as well – it’s something that we’ve been working on.
“It’s going to give him a big boost of energy to him and confidence to the team as well.”
Bukayo Saka was back to his best after making his first start since March after an Achilles problem, and, alongside his goal to double Arsenal‘s lead, he assisted Gyokeres’ opener, the first time the winger has assisted Gyokeres in the Premier League.
Arteta acknowledged that the pair “haven’t played together much” because of injuries, but there were signs the pair could be clicking at the perfect time.
“I have liked Gyokeres all season,” former England striker Wayne Rooney told BBC Match of the Day.
“I think he does so well for the team. He occupies defenders and I think his goal tally has been good this season. This is when you need him now, during the run-in.
“This is what you need when you bring a number nine into the club. This is when you need them most.”
It was also the first time Gyokeres has been involved in three goals in a match for Arsenal.
“The best I have seen him play. He reminded me of a [Erling] Haaland,” former Arsenal player Paul Merson said on Sky Sports.
“I thought the players trusted him a lot more.
“I have given him a lot of stick. If they win the league, he has been a brilliant buy. If they don’t, maybe he hasn’t.
“He was put in the team to make sure they beat the lesser teams, and he has done. You want your striker to get 20 goals and he has done that.
“He was really good today and that is what they bought him for. Those performances haven’t been there week in and week out, but if they are for the next four weeks – then money back.”
The San Diego Padres have reached an agreement to sell control of the team to an investor group led by Kwanza Jones and José E. Feliciano.
The family of late owner Peter Seidler formally announced the deal Saturday. The sale must still be approved by Major League Baseball.
The deal with private equity billionaire Feliciano and his wife took shape last month at an MLB-record valuation of $3.9 billion. The Padres’ announcement of the deal didn’t give specifics on the members of the investor group or the purchase price.
“The Padres are more than a baseball team; they are a unifying force in San Diego, rooted in community, connection and belonging,” Jones and Feliciano said in a joint statement. “As life and business partners, and as a family, we are honored to lead this next chapter together. We have worked hard for everything we have achieved, and we have built it together. We see that same spirit in this team and its fans, and we know what it takes to win. We are committed to showing up, listening and earning the trust of this community while building on the strong foundation established by the Seidler family.
“This is about more than baseball — it’s about boosting the pride, energy, and connection that define the Padres, investing in community, deepening belonging and ensuring this team remains accessible and endures for generations. We are all in — with the goal of bringing a World Series championship to San Diego.”
“When I became control person, my goal was to continue building on our recent success in pursuit of a World Series championship for the city of San Diego and our faithful fans,” John Seidler said in a statement. “As I pass the baton to Kwanza and José, I do so with full confidence that they share that vision as well as the Padres’ deep commitment to San Diego. It’s what the team, our fans and the community deserve. Our family loves this team.”
Peter Seidler joined the Padres’ ownership group in 2012 when John Moores sold the team for $800 million to a group headed by Ron Fowler. Seidler took over and immediately endeared himself to San Diego’s fans with his aggressive financial backing of general manager A.J. Preller, who built a team that has reached the playoffs in four of the past six years.
The Padres have been a hot ticket for several years as San Diego’s only team in the four biggest North American sports leagues, ranking second in the majors in attendance last season. Preller’s roster is off to another strong start this season, sitting second in the NL West at 19-12 heading into a home game against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday night.
Jones and Feliciano already got a start on their new endeavor last month when they traveled to Mexico City to watch the Padres’ international series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The couple was spotted sitting with Padres CEO Erik Greupner.
Feliciano will become the second Latino owner in baseball, joining Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno. Latino and Hispanic players comprise roughly 30% of major league rosters.
Ellereported Friday that Zendaya will miss the New York City ceremony to take a break from the spotlight after doing two near-simultaneous press tours for The Drama and Euphoria season three.
Meanwhile, the Daily Mail reported this week that Meryl Streep was rumored to have turned down a co-chair role at the Met Gala because of Bezos and Sanchez’s involvement.
Streep can currently be seen playing Miranda Priestly — a character inspired by longtime Met Gala chair and Vogue editor Anna Wintour — in The Devil Wears Prada 2, and appears on the May 2026 Vogue cover.
Zendaya (left) and Meryl Streep (right) are among the A-listers to miss this year’s Met Gala, which is sponsored for the first time by Lauren Sánchez and Jeff Bezos (Getty/PA)
Zendaya is reportedly taking a break from the spotlight after promoting ‘The Drama’ and ‘Euphoria’ season three back-to-back (Reuters)
Her representative told The Independent: “Meryl has been invited to the Met Gala for many years but has never attended. While she appreciates Vogue, Anna, and her incredible imagination and stamina, it has never quite been her scene.”
Nevertheless, Streep’s daughters, Grace and Mamie Gummer, are attending, as are her Devil Wears Prada 2 co-stars Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci, according to Page Six Hollywood sources.
The Independent has contacted representatives for Zendaya and Streep for comment.
The flyer campaign was organized by the British political activist group Everyone Hates Elon, which describes itself as anti-billionaire. The group’s name is inspired by the Tesla tech mogul Elon Musk.
Wintour has attempted to quell the backlash over the couple’s involvement, telling CNN in November: “I think Lauren is going to be a wonderful asset to the museum and to the event. I’m very grateful for her incredible generosity, and she’s a great lover of costume and obviously of fashion, so we’re thrilled she’s part of the night.”
Bezos and Sánchez were named as lead sponsors and honorary co-chairs of the Met Gala in November last year (AFP/Getty)
A flyer campaign in New York City was organized by the British political activist group Everyone Hates Elon to protest Bezos’s sponsorship (Reuters)
The couple’s sponsorship of the Met Gala breaks precedent by having a legacy fashion house as the primary sponsor.
The dress code for the 4 May event is “Costume Art,” which explores the “centrality of the dressed body” through depictions and interpretations of the human form in the Met’s extensive collection.
The dress code is said to encourage guests to think about how they can use their bodies as a blank canvas.
“What connects every curatorial department and what connects every single gallery in the museum is fashion, or the dressed body,” Andrew Bolton, the curator in charge of the Costume Institute, said in a statement.
“It’s the common thread throughout the whole museum, which is really what the initial idea for the exhibition was.”
This year’s co-chairs, who act as honorary hosts for the fundraiser, are Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman and Venus Williams. Members of the Gala Host Committee — co-chaired by Anthony Vaccarello and Zoë Kravitz — include singer Sabrina Carpenter, musician Doja Cat, ballerina Misty Copeland, Girls creator Lena Dunham, singer Sam Smith and One Battle After Another actor Teyana Taylor, among others.
Kentucky Derby weekend is a spectacle of tradition, where thundering hooves, elaborate hats and the refreshing chill of a mint julep converge.
As America’s most famous horse race unfolds at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, the sheer scale of mint julep consumption is staggering.
More than 125,000 of these iconic cocktails are consumed annually during the two-day festival. This monumental feat requires an estimated 10,000 bottles of Kentucky bourbon, 2,250 pounds of freshly harvested mint, and a colossal 475,000 pounds of ice, according to the event’s website.
Yet, enjoying this classic American libation doesn’t necessitate a trip to the track; its simple elegance, a mix of sugar, water, fresh mint, crushed ice, and bourbon, makes it easily replicable at home.
While mint juleps have been a fixture at the Kentucky Derby since its inception in the late 19th century, their status as the race’s signature drink truly solidified in the 1930s. This pivotal moment occurred when the Derby introduced commemorative cups for the cocktail, which quickly became coveted souvenirs.
Martha Dalton, co-founder of Never Say Die bourbon, recounts how the organizers embraced this trend.
“Instead of kind of fighting against that, they embraced it. And so from then on, (the mint julep) really became completely synonymous with the Derby,” she explains.
Dalton’s company itself draws its name from a Derby-winning racehorse, famously said to have been revived with a shot of whiskey as a foal. The julep’s lineage, she notes, stretches back to ancient Persia, where a sweetened rose water tonic known as “gulab” was valued for its medicinal properties.
This tradition evolved through medieval Europe, where alcohol was introduced, eventually making its way to the American South, a region blessed with an abundance of both mint and bourbon distilleries.
While mint juleps have been a fixture at the Kentucky Derby since its inception in the late 19th century, their status as the race’s signature drink truly solidified in the 1930s (AP)
The enduring Southern charm of the mint julep lies in its subtle complexities, according to Angelos Bafas, bartender and co-founder of London’s Cato bar.
“Every sip is slightly different,” Bafas, whose bar is named after 19th-century Manhattan bartender Cato Alexander, who is credited with popularizing juleps, explains.
He adds, “The ice dilutes and the aromatics of the bourbon open up as the day proceeds.”
For those looking to recreate a traditional mint julep at home, Bafas emphasizes the critical role of stirring the ice. This technique is essential for achieving the perfect balance of coldness and dilution, with stirring continuing until the outside of the cup develops a frosty sheen.
“People tend to forget that water is an ingredient, and it’s actually one very active and important ingredient when it comes to juleps as it allows the bourbon to shine through. And also it allows the drink to be more palatable,” he advises.
When it comes to the mint, Bafas suggests a gentle approach. Plucking leaves from a homegrown plant and lightly brushing them against the cup, he stresses that mint should be “slapped” – a light tap – rather than “muddled” or mashed.
“The mint has to release the delicate aromas,” he explains, warning that muddling “can give you this kind of grassy very chlorophyll flavor.”
To further elevate the classic mint julep, Bafas suggests incorporating a few drops of aromatic bitters, which he says “give a bit of flavor and to bring some body to the game.” F
or those inclined to experiment, the classic cocktail offers ample room for creative twists. Bafas himself crafts a “London Julep,” a variation that uses slightly less bourbon and introduces elderflower liqueur.
This results in a sweeter, more accessible version of the drink, imbued with a distinctively English character. He also proposes a highball julep, achieved by simply adding a splash of soda. Bafas playfully describes this as “technically a mojito made with bourbon, but you know, it’s based on the DNA of juleps.”
Cato Classic Mint Julep Recipe:
Single Serve
Ingredients:
2 oz bourbon whiskey
0.5 oz filtered water
0.5 oz simple syrup
3 dashes Angostura bitters
10 fresh mint leaves
4 drops of mint tincture (optional)
Crushed ice in a metal cup
Directions:
Pour the whiskey into a julep cup, lightly slap the mint leaves to release their aroma, and add them in. Stir briefly, then add the remaining ingredients and crushed ice. Stir until the cup turns frosty on the outside, then top with more crushed ice, garnish with a fresh mint sprig, and serve with a straw.
The ultimate challenge, then, is to savor your meticulously crafted drink for longer than the legendary Secretariat’s 1973 race record of 1 minute 59.40 seconds.
A common household frustration sparked an idea for James Dyson. He spent fifteen years developing a bagless vacuum cleaner. Dyson applied principles of cyclonic separation, a scientific technique. Image Credits: via Wikimedia Commons
All of us have experienced such a scenario when we find ourselves in our living room with a noisy vacuum that is no more effective than the noise it makes in picking up anything at all. To many of us, it may just be a moment of frustration before we continue with the rest of our day. However, in 1978, while taking an afternoon break in the middle of harvesting season, Dyson was struck with a fascination with this problem that went on for almost 15 years. What he found was simply ironic; the bag, intended to hold in the dirt, was the cause of the vacuum’s inefficiency.Instead of following the next version of his product, Dyson decided to look into how huge factories were able to process large amounts of waste. Dyson remembered the gigantic cyclone tower at the local sawmill, where centrifugal force could pull sawdust from the air. Was it possible to apply such a powerful mechanism at home on a smaller scale? This was quite a bold step since it meant giving up the dominant bag system, which had been used for a century. Analysing household issues from the standpoint of engineering tasks, a new way of thinking opened the door for future developments.Physics of the bagless innovationFrom a persistent irritation to a fully-functional device was not a fast journey at all. The process took its course, frequently alone, a period of experimenting and making mistakes. As per the corporate history by the Cambridge Judge Business School, Dyson took about ten years developing his unique concept of a bagless vacuum cleaner while holding down a part-time job in addition to further developing previous inventions. According to him, he tried no fewer than five thousand prototypes before finding the optimal design. This highlights one important principle: “overnight success” is a fiction. For Dyson, it took fifteen years of diligent experimentation from 1978 to 1993 until the invention became marketable.The key to his innovation was the application of an exacting scientific technique called cyclonic separation. While Dyson did not invent the laws of physics, he was the first to realise that they could be applied to solve the problem of clogging bags inside the vacuum cleaner. The use of centrifugal force allowed the dirt to be ejected from the air stream by spinning it out to the outer wall of the container and letting it fall into a collection canister.
This innovation transformed suction power and airflow. His perseverance led to a revolutionary product that is now a standard feature in modern vacuums. Image Credits: Eva Rinaldi, via Wikimedia Commons
The effectiveness of technical reasoning can be seen in recent research that continues exploring the way these mechanisms work. A study published by the ACS Omega journal confirms that these technologies are quite good at controlling particles and airflow. Taking all that into consideration, it can be noted that Dyson’s prototype of 1978 could be viewed as an example of putting well-established scientific concepts into practice. It was clear to him that vacuum bags were not the best option for filtration, so he replaced them with a separator. It was not an accident but rather an attempt to solve an existing problem.Lab tests and worldwide successWhen Dyson’s vacuum was finally put into production at the beginning of the 90s, it attracted attention by virtue of its unique design and effectiveness. What is more important, it made such a strong impression on users that medical practitioners became interested in it. Such a dramatic change in suction and airflow made people adjust themselves to a revolutionary product.The success of the brand was achieved due to the fact that the product design solved one specific problem of consumers. The failures in the operation of tools are noticeable, and vacuum cleaners without suction ability are particularly problematic. The fact that Dyson was able to solve only one problem led to the development of a useful product rather than a purely visual one. According to the historical data provided in the sources, Dyson’s perseverance during the 1980s allowed him to remain financially independent. In order to prove his concept, he had to be not only an inventor but also an enterprising entrepreneur who could defend his patents and perfect his product designs.In the case of James Dyson, the simple question of “Why do we fail in this?” is all it takes to make an invention revolutionise the industry. While most others would have overlooked such a trivial issue in everyday household use, he chose to view it as one that needed at least fifteen years of his life to be solved. Indeed, what was once considered the height of engineering is now a commonplace feature in all modern vacuum cleaners, showing us that innovation sometimes results from looking at a malfunctioning device and deciding to create something even better.
In 1969, Donald Fisher’s frustration with finding well-fitting jeans led him and his wife to establish a store catering to the youth market. Photo Credits: Instagram/@gapinc
There have been times when we have found ourselves in a department store fitting room, trying on a pair we really like, but which is too loose around the waist or too long. Most people just shrug their shoulders, discard the heap of jeans they brought to try on, and exit the store without buying anything. However, way back in 1969, there was an American real estate developer by the name of Donald Fisher who had his light bulb moment after spending what seemed like ages in San Francisco looking for a perfect fitting pair of Levi’s.At that time, clothing stores had no particular design or layout and offered few choices concerning sizing. Fisher’s basic but uncompromising philosophy was: if an adult male with money cannot find quality jeans, something must be missing from the market. Therefore, along with his wife, Doris, they aimed to improve the shopping experience and eliminate the problem by establishing a shop where men could purchase pants without much hassle. What seemed like an individual frustration for the couple became the foundation of the global fashion industry.Why it is important to fill a market voidOne of the key reasons behind the success of the Fishers’ venture was that they targeted a genuine customer need instead of following a trend. During a revealing interview with Sonia Syngal, former Chief Executive Officer of Gap Inc. with the Stanford Graduate School of Business, it is clearly evident that the roots of the Gap brand are firmly planted in the generation gap of the late sixties. Don and Doris realised that a new type of consumer, the youth, had emerged due to the generation gap, and no stores were catering specifically to the new generation.The first store that was set up on Ocean Avenue in San Francisco was quite different from the normal boutiques. It was very bright and cleanly organised, with all sizes of Levi’s jeans lined next to a mountain of music records meant to attract the youth market. The combination of “records and retail” would prove to be quite clever in narrowing the culture gap. One of the things that came out clearly during the interview was that from the onset, the company had been committed to ensuring convenience for its customers. They were committed to making sure that if a person entered the store with a particular size in mind, they would get it.
Their focus on solving the “fit issue” and offering convenience democratized fashion, evolving from selling other brands to creating their own philosophy of accessible style for everyone.
This concentration on the need that the customer had allowed the brand to grow at a tremendous rate. They were not simply selling the jeans anymore, but providing the relief of being able to find a pair that stayed up without the help of a belt or a tailor to hem. This is because by focusing on solving the “fit issue,” the Fishers provided a base of trust for the firm to expand from being a local store to becoming a nationwide household name.Fashion democratised by simplificationWith the growth came evolution in more ways than just size. According to Forbes, Gap developed from simply selling other clothing brands to forming its own brand philosophy. The theme remained the same, and that was the idea of providing the freedom of fashion to everyone, regardless of who they are or what their body type is. With this theme, they made sure to cater to jeans, khakis, white t-shirts, and even hoodies.Democratisation was very appealing, as it removed the elitism associated with clothes stores. It can be noted that through focusing on simple and elegant designs, Gap became an empty canvas for individual expression. Whether you were a technology magnate or a university student, there would always be something in Gap that would suit your lifestyle. This is the highest level of evolution that Donald Fisher had envisioned when he first became frustrated with his shopping experience.These days, we do not bat an eyelid at a “big box” apparel retailer. Still, going as far back as 1969, the very concept of allocating a space to one single type of product, denim, was revolutionary. For Donald Fisher, it seemed impossible to find a pair of jeans that would suit him, and out of this little difficulty grew not only a different wardrobe but also an entirely new attitude towards shopping. This case demonstrates that some of the most successful enterprises on earth start with a fitting room experience of looking at yourself in the mirror and thinking that there must have been a better way.
New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. became a talking point on the internet because fans thought he was wearing an AirPod in the field.
Chisholm, 28, clarified that it was actually a piece of cotton in his ear canal because of an earache. In the Yankees’ win over the Texas Rangers on Monday, Chisholm took a grounder to the head. When he tried to field a ground ball, it kicked off his glove and clocked him in the head.
“It gave me an earache for like three or four days,” Chisholm told The Athletic.
New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. reacts after initially being called out before a replay overturned the call, resulting in an infield single during the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York, on May 1, 2026.(Vincent Carchietta/Imagn Images)
Chisholm said he could barely hear out of his right ear and wore actual AirPods in the clubhouse to block out the noise. He used the noise-cancellation mode, trying to keep things as quiet as possible.
“Right now,” he said, “I’m feeling better. … My right ear was ringing for like three days.”
Chisholm has not missed any time and said he didn’t think it affected him. As the conversation continued to rage on about the cotton in his ear, he took to his Instagram Story to show it wasn’t an AirPod.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees looks on during a game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on April 28, 2026.(Kelcee Skoug/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
“All y’all just ain’t the smartest,” Chisholm captioned his picture with a shrug and laughing emoji.
He said the conversation around the cotton in his ear was “not smart.”
“I think that’s not smart at all,” Chisholm said. “I think no umpire would let it go through. No coach would let that happen. You know what I mean? I just feel like … and you would have seen a phone in my back pocket or something. I mean, AirPods don’t reach that far. So for me, it’s just like, I just didn’t think it was a smart thing. I feel like everything I do is on the media. I don’t mind it.
New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. and first baseman Ben Rice fist-bump as they run off the field after the eighth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on April 27, 2026.(Raymond Carlin III/Imagn Images)
“If you guys love me that much, s—. I don’t mind it. I have no problem with it.”
Chisholm is off to a slow start this season but has started to pick it up lately. He has a .205 batting average with three home runs, 10 RBI and nine stolen bases.
Earlier this year, more than 25 million Americans began receiving letters from a company most of them had never heard of. The sender was Conduent Business Services, a contractor that processes benefits records and human resources data for state Medicaid programs, employer health plans and government agencies. Between October 2024 and January 2025, ransomware operators pulled names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, home addresses, medical diagnosis codes and health insurance claim numbers out of Conduent’s systems. In February 2026, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton called it the largest data breach in U.S. history.
The letters ended the way most of these letters end, with an apology, a phone number and an offer of one year of free credit monitoring. Once your data is already out, can you realistically protect your identity on your own, or has it become something most people are better off outsourcing?
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Massive data breaches continue to expose sensitive personal information, leaving millions at risk of identity theft.(Daniel de la Hoz/Getty Images)
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What you can do for free today
Federal law and tools from the Federal Trade Commission cover more ground than many people realize. None of these cost anything. When used together, they close the most common entry points fraudsters target.
1) Freeze your credit
Start by freezing your credit at all three bureaus. A freeze blocks new accounts from being opened in your name. It has been free at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion since 2018. You can lift it temporarily when you need to apply for credit.
2) Get an IRS Identity Protection PIN
Next, get an Identity Protection PIN from the IRS at irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/get-an-identity-protection-pin. This six-digit code blocks fraudulent tax returns filed using your Social Security number. The IRS issues a new one each year.
3) Check your credit reports regularly
You should also check your credit reports regularly. Equifax, Experian and TransUnion now offer free weekly access through AnnualCreditReport.com. Checking once every few months can help you catch suspicious activity early.
4) Use IdentityTheft.gov for recovery
It also helps to bookmarkIdentityTheft.gov. The site creates a personalized recovery plan, generates the affidavit creditors require and provides prefilled dispute letters.
5) Opt out of prescreened credit offers
Another simple step is opting out of prescreened credit offers. This removes you from mailing lists lenders use for unsolicited credit and insurance offers. You can do this online at OptOutPrescreen at optoutprescreen.com, which is run by the major credit bureaus. The process takes just a few minutes. Choose a five-year opt-out for a quick fix, or print and mail the form for a permanent opt-out. Once processed, you should see fewer “pre-approved” offers in your mailbox.
Free tools can help protect your identity, but they often require time, effort and ongoing attention.(Nastasic/Getty Images)
6) Turn on two-factor authentication
Finally, turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) for every financial, government and benefits account. Even if someone steals your password, they cannot access your account without the second factor.
For many people, these steps create a strong baseline.
When DIY identity monitoring falls short
The do-it-yourself approach works until something goes wrong. That is where the gap becomes clear.
According to the Identity Theft Resource Center’s 2025 Consumer Impact Report, the average victim spent more than 200 hours and $1,343 out of pocket recovering from identity theft. About one in five reported losses above $100,000. Many also reported significant emotional stress.
The financial impact adds up quickly at a national level. A February 2026 report from the U.S. Senate Joint Economic Committee estimates identity theft tied to major data broker breaches has cost Americans more than $20 billion over the past decade. That estimate includes incidents like Equifax, Exactis, National Public Data and TransUnion.
Free tools also have clear limits. They will not monitor the dark web for your data or remove your personal details from data broker sites. They also cannot contact creditors or dispute fraudulent accounts on your behalf.
Instead, you handle every step yourself. IdentityTheft.gov gives you a roadmap, but you still have to make the calls, file the paperwork and follow up repeatedly.
For anyone whose data was exposed in a breach like Conduent or National Public Data, free tools alone leave real gaps. That is where paid identity protection services come in.
These services run continuous scans for your name, Social Security number, email and bank accounts on the dark web, as well as across data broker and people search sites that resell your home address and family ties. They submit opt-out requests on your behalf and repeat the process when your information shows up again. When fraud happens, many services assign a case manager who works with credit bureaus, banks and creditors to help resolve the issue.
Some plans also include identity theft insurance and dedicated fraud resolution support, which can help cover certain losses and reduce the time it takes to recover.
Paid services have limits. No service can prevent every breach, and even the best monitoring only helps shorten recovery time. The do-it-yourself approach can still work if you are comfortable managing your own checklist. However, for families, for anyone already exposed in past breaches and for those who want less hands-on involvement, adding a paid service on top of free protections can make the process easier to manage.
See my tips and best picks on Best Identity Theft Protection at CyberGuy.com
Paid identity protection services can monitor, alert and step in when fraud happens, helping reduce the burden on you.(Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto)
Kurt’s key takeaways
Most people can handle the basics of identity protection on their own, at least at first. Free tools cover the biggest risks and help block common types of fraud. However, the situation changes once your data is exposed in a major breach. At that point, monitoring, cleanup and follow-up can turn into a long and frustrating process. That is where paid services can make a real difference. They reduce the workload, track exposure across more sources and step in when fraud happens. Still, no service eliminates risk completely. The decision comes down to how much time you want to invest and how much support you would need if something goes wrong. For many households, a layered approach works best. Start with the free protections, then decide if adding a paid service fits your situation.
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Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.
When former New York Giants’ placekicker Younghoe Koo completely missed the ball on a field goal attempt against the New England Patriots last December, the broadcasters weren’t the only ones laughing.
Mark Toothaker, a stallion sales manager for Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, was on the couch cracking up with his wife, Malory, about the whiffed field goal and consequential turnover.
Then, he felt something strange.
“I felt a shock in my left arm, and then I never felt anything else. Had no pain, anything after that,” Toothaker said.
He didn’t wake up for 25 minutes and was told at the hospital that he suffered a seizure.
Doctors also revealed the shocking news that he had a brain tumor the size of a tennis ball.
Luckily, his wife Malory is a nurse.
“Just happened at absolutely the right place if it had to happen,” Toothaker said. “I could have died, I mean, I’m on the road all the time.”
The tumor was benign, and Toothaker was home from the hospital after a whirlwind 24 hours.
But as he prepares for this year’s Kentucky Derby, where he’s hoping to be in the winner’s circle with Spendthrift’s horse, Further Ado, he still thinks about Koo, and the whiff that led to the tumor’s discovery.
Toothaker reached out to the kicker, who made the Pro Bowl and led the NFL in points with Atlanta in 2020.
“I’d love to have him come to the races, or come visit Spendthrift,” Toothaker said. “If he wants to go racing, we’ll go racing. If he wants to come out and see the mares and foals, it’d be my honor to come out and show him around this beautiful farm that we have here in Lexington, Kentucky.”
SOLARES, Spain — Spain’s foreign minister on Saturday called for the immediate release of an activist detained by Israel after an aid flotilla bound for Gaza was intercepted by the Israeli navy in international waters.
Saif Abukeshek, a dual Spanish-Swedish citizen of Palestinian origin, was detained for questioning in Israel on Saturday along with Thiago Ávila of Brazil. A legal aid group said both men had launched a hunger strike.
Dozens of other activists were picked up by the Greek coast guard following the Israeli action and taken to the island of Crete.
“This is a case of illegal detention in international waters, outside the jurisdiction of Israeli authorities. I have made this clear to my Israeli counterpart,” José Manuel Albares said in an interview with public radio.
An Israel-based legal advocacy group, the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, or Adalah, said it had visited the two men at a detention site in the Israeli port city of Ashkelon. It said both reported being on a hunger strike after allegedly being repeatedly beaten while in custody.
“Adalah maintains that the treatment of the two activists, including the use of isolation, prolonged blindfolding and physical beatings, constitutes a grave violation of international law,” the group said.
In an online post, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said Abukeshek and Ávila were being questioned for possible links to the armed group Hamas. It said the two men had been granted consular visits.
Abukeshek’s detention has further strained relations between Israel and Spain, which has been an outspoken critic of the war in Gaza and formally recognized Palestinian statehood in 2024.
On Friday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez took aim at his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, while speaking at a campaign event for upcoming regional elections in southern Spain.
“Now that Netanyahu has taken foreign citizens, including a Spanish national, and brought them to Israel, I have a few things to say to Prime Minister Netanyahu,” Sánchez said to applause from supporters of his Socialist party.
“First, Spain will always protect its citizens. Second, we will always uphold international law — and this is yet another violation of it,” he said. “And third, we demand the release of the Spanish citizen who has been illegally detained by the Netanyahu government.”
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Hazboun reported from Jerusalem. Renata Brito in Barcelona, Spain contributed.
