Gwen Rid

[Gwen Rid @griddler]

One of Broadway’s finest with some great advice!

[Hadestown @hadestown]

Today we say goodbye to our original man with feathers on his feet. Keep climbing, @Andre_DeShields.

[Catholic University Athletics @CatholicU_Cards]

209 Cardinals were named to the @LandmarkConf Winter/Spring Honor Roll, it was announced today!

#TrustYourWork #MakeYourMark

https://t.co/ASIhZjd0sy

[Luke Rosiak @lukerosiak]

Update: Fairfax County School Board member Kyle McDaniel embezzled $175,000 from his employer and spent it at strip clubs, on his election campaign, and for personal luxuries, a lawsuit alleged.

McDaniel chairs the Budget Committee of the $4 billion school system.

[Saundra Davis – Braddock District @SaundraDavisVA]

I present to you the chair of the Fairfax County Public Schools budget committee, overseeing a $4 billion budget.

[Oscar the Grouch @OscarTheGrouch]

My #NewYears resolution?
Be grouchier. Now scram!

[Parade on Broadway @paradebway]

Introducing the Parade tour cast.

[Asra Nomani @AsraNomani]

🚨 BREAKING @FairfaxTimes: Friday Night Lies

@FCPSNews leaders, including @FCPSSupt Michelle Reid, received at least 35 warnings from at least 19 whistleblowers, starting in February 2024, about a football scandal at Hayfield Secondary School in Alexandria, VA, warning about a "toxic culture," illegal recruiting, bullying and shady operations but they dismissed the warnings at every turn. It turns upside down the script of the Netflix series, "Friday Night Lights," featuring high school sports in a Texas small town.

See thread 🧵for the warnings from the whistleblowers. Read the article by @SravanGNews and me here: https://t.co/MmWhUmyNV6

Read the timeline below. What does this scandal reveal to you? While the spotlight often shines on alleged corruption at the federal level, this story reminds us of the adage, "all politics is local." It underscores the critical role of vigilant local journalism in exposing the issues that directly impact communities.

By bringing these stories to light, the media ensures accountability and transparency where it matters most—in our own backyards. This project is a collaboration between the the Fairfax County Times and the @DPearlProject, which I founded to support investigative journalism in the spirit of my colleague and friend, Danny Pearl. He once said to me: "Sports is a democracy!"

19 Whistleblowers: Guardians of the Game
📢 3 moms
📢 1 dad
📢 7 FCPS staffers
📢 8 FCPS football coaches

Timeline: At least 35 Whistleblower Warnings
Feb. 13 - New football coach: FCPS announced Darryl Overton as new head football coach at Hayfield.

📢 Feb. 22 - Mom Ruby Beckwith, U.S. Marine veteran: Had call with and raised issues about illegal transfers.
📢 February - Regina Dorsey, U.S. Army Senior Supply Sergeant: Asked athletic director about new coach and was told “there was nothing illegal going on with the new Coaching staff ( recruiting, and money issues).” Feb. 28, Emailed Overton about how information was “being distributed”? May 21, Filed complaint with @VHSL_ Ty Gafford about transfers; May 22, met with Hayfield Principal Darin Thompson, athletic director Monty Fritts over “recruiting students,”May 28, emailed Thompson about “revenge” against her son. May 30 - Emailed FCPS Director of Student Activities and Athletics Bill Curran and his No. 2 Tom Horn, who work at FCPS central office.
📢 March 13 - Anonymous Hayfield other of three: Emailed the principal that son was quitting football amid unwelcome environment with the transfers.
📢 About April 1 - Anonymous Hayfield staffer 1: Faculty Advisory Council complaint - “Influx of new students…from Freedom HS…to play football…This is not the Hayfield way.”
📢 About April 1 - Anonymous Hayfield staffer 2: Faculty Advisory Council complaint - “why can’t all other sports openly recruit as well?”
📢 April 16 - Anonymous Hayfield faculty member: Complaint to FCPS ombuds, which is overseen by FCPS Chief Experience and Engagement Officer Lisa Youngblood Hall, about “...influx of students transferring from Freedom High School…”
📢 April 23 - FCPS interim administrator Dale Eaton text to FCPS's Bill Curran: “The optics on this situation is really getting bad and some people are going to be in trouble.”
📢 Early May - Hayfield Director of Student Services Erin Crowley: Said to have raised questions about residency requirements of transfer students with Thompson.
📢 About May 1 - Anonymous Hayfield staffer: Faculty Advisory Council complaint - “...been told by many that the football team has their own ‘hang out’ room with x-box or what ever.”
📢 June 24 - Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Greg Keeney: Contacted Fritts, Thompson; July 1, wrote to VHSL, Reid, 12 school board members, state lawmakers.
📢 Late June 29 - Staff member sent message to FCPS Ombuds and Reid: “Toxic culture” at Hayfield, Thompson a “dictator”
📢 Nov. 18 - 6 head football coaches Mike Doughterty, Lake Braddock Secondary School; Chad Lewis, Edison High School; Chadwick Louisville, West Potomac High School; Gerry Pannoni, South County High School; Anthony Parker, West Springfield High School; Trey Taylor, Fairfax High School: Cosigned Nov. 18 coaches’ letter to Reid from six coaches expressing concern over transfers.
📢 Nov. 19 - Anonymous football coach: Provided Monty Fritts texts to Reid at coaches' meeting.
📢 Nov. 21 - West Potomac High School assistant coach Derek Radoski, defensive coordinator: Spoke to the Fairfax County Times – got reprimanded by FCPS for speaking to the Fairfax County Times

Accountability
Nov. 25 - Principal and superintendent withdraws Hayfield from playoffs one day after Fairfax Times reveals text messages from athletic director.
Dec. 2 - Hayfield athletic director Monty Fritts resigned.
Dec. 5 - School board meeting where 3 board members and parents and coaches are expected to ask for accountability.

[Sesame Street @sesamestreet]

We all face moments when things feel overwhelming, and that’s okay. Remember, you are not alone.

[Arnold Schwarzenegger @Schwarzenegger]

I don’t really do endorsements. I’m not shy about sharing my views, but I hate politics and don’t trust most politicians.

I also understand that people want to hear from me because I am not just a celebrity, I am a former Republican Governor.

My time as Governor taught me to love policy and ignore politics. I’m proud of the work I did to help clean up our air, create jobs, balance the budget, make the biggest infrastructure investment in state history, and take power from the politicians and give it back to the people when it comes to our redistricting process and our primaries in California.

That’s policy. It requires working with the other side, not insulting them to win your next election, and I know it isn’t sexy to most people, but I love it when I can help make people’s lives better with policies, like I still do through my institute at USC, where we fight for clean air and stripping the power from the politicians who rig the system against the people.

Let me be honest with you: I don’t like either party right now. My Republicans have forgotten the beauty of the free market, driven up deficits, and rejected election results. Democrats aren’t any better at dealing with deficits, and I worry about their local policies hurting our cities with increased crime.

It is probably not a surprise that I hate politics more than ever, which, if you are a normal person who isn’t addicted to this crap, you probably understand.

I want to tune out.

But I can’t. Because rejecting the results of an election is as un-American as it gets. To someone like me who talks to people all over the world and still knows America is the shining city on a hill, calling America is a trash can for the world is so unpatriotic, it makes me furious.

And I will always be an American before I am a Republican.

That’s why, this week, I am voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.

I’m sharing it with all of you because I think there are a lot of you who feel like I do. You don’t recognize our country. And you are right to be furious.

For decades, we’ve talked about the national debt. For decades, we’ve talked about comprehensive immigration reform that secures the border while fixing our broken immigration system. And Washington does nothing.

The problems just keep rolling, and we all keep getting angrier, because the only people that benefit from problems aren’t you, the people. The only people that benefit from this crap are the politicians who prefer having talking points to win elections to the public service that will make Americans’ lives better.

It is a just game to them. But it is life for my fellow Americans. We should be pissed!

But a candidate who won’t respect your vote unless it is for him, a candidate who will send his followers to storm the Capitol while he watches with a Diet Coke, a candidate who has shown no ability to work to pass any policy besides a tax cut that helped his donors and other rich people like me but helped no one else else, a candidate who thinks Americans who disagree with him are the bigger enemies than China, Russia, or North Korea - that won’t solve our problems.

It will just be four more years of bullshit with no results that makes us angrier and angrier, more divided, and more hateful.

We need to close the door on this chapter of American history, and I know that former President Trump won’t do that. He will divide, he will insult, he will find new ways to be more un-American than he already has been, and we, the people, will get nothing but more anger.

That’s enough reason for me to share my vote with all of you. I want to move forward as a country, and even though I have plenty of disagreements with their platform, I think the only way to do that is with Harris and Walz.

Vote this week. Turn the page and put this junk behind us.

And even if you disagree with me, vote, because that’s what we do as Americans. https://t.co/eHFZ723I4H

[Gwen Rid @griddler]

@newheightshow Youngblood - hockey and blood

[Kerry Kennedy @KerryKennedyRFK]

I am sharing a personal statement that my family and I have made in response to my brother’s announcement.

[Edinburgh Tattoo @EdinburghTattoo]

The stars of @outlander_starz joined us to watch #Journeys tonight! #EdinTattoo

[Barack Obama @BarackObama]

Governor Walz doesn’t just have the experience to be vice president, he has the values and the integrity to make us proud. And as we saw last night, @KamalaHarris and @Tim_Walz make a great team. 

Now let’s do everything we can – volunteer, donate, organize – from now until November to help them get elected. https://t.co/spJ8IbtoBX

[USA Rugby @USARugby]

A finish for the ages.

Unbelievable effort to bring home bronze!

[New Heights @newheightshow]

Jason’s Olympic fits just get better and better @ilona_maher

[USA Rugby @USARugby]

Into the medal rounds 🥇

Women’s Olympic Quarterfinal • Jul 29, 3:30PM ET • @eentertainment & @peacock

[Jennifer Hudson @IAMJHUD]

I had to do it : it just hit my spirit ! I got to sing in the Chateau de Versailles !!! I turned around and everyone was crying!

[USA Rugby @USARugby]

Just a bunch of Eagles 🦅

[Premier Rugby Sevens @prsevens]

USA has a women’s rugby team?

When female rugby players introduce themselves, they often hear, “Women play rugby?”

We’re here to stop the questions and make it a statement. Women. Play. Rugby. Not only do they play rugby, but they are about to take this sport to new heights 📈

🔗 https://t.co/cPZJHZWcg3

#WomenPlayRugby

[NBC Sports @NBCSports]

ILONA MAHER COMING THROUGH. 💥

#ParisOlympics

[The Olympic Games @Olympics]

It wouldn't be an #Olympics without a Tom Daley knitting-in-the-crowd cameo! 🧶

#DailyDaley I #Paris2024 I @WorldAquatics I @TomDaley1994 I @TeamGB