Airline CEO who counted cards now bets premium perks can win over fliers

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has argued that travelers will pay more for a better overall flying experience, and United’s numbers suggest his theory is correct.

Years ago, Kirby was a serious and successful gambler who learned to count cards. He’s still banned from several casinos in Las Vegas, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Kirby has worked in the airline industry for decades and still approaches business decisions with a gambler’s mindset, according to the Journal. His strategy for United centers on investing in upgraded aircraft, more premium seating options, improved onboard internet (the company is partnering with Starklink), upgraded food and drink options and a useful mobile app that makes flying less stressful.

Kirby spent seven years as president of US Airways (2006–2013) before becoming president of American Airlines following its merger with US Airways in 2013. He later joined United Airlines as president in 2016 and became CEO in 2020.

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While American Airlines remains the nation's largest carrier by passenger volume, Delta has been at the top of industry rankings for years. Forbes Travel Guide named it the best U.S. airline in 2025, citing its food and drink offerings, customer service and complimentary Wi-Fi as reasons for the accolade. Forbes also bestowed Delta with several other "best of" awards for its perks, including some planes' memory-foam-padded recliners, flat-bed seating and toiletry kits.

The outlet also named Delta’s One Lounge at JFK Airport the "best U.S. Airline lounge" for its luxurious three-course meals, shower suites, relaxation pods with massage chairs and spa treatments.

The Wall Street Journal named Delta the best airline in the U.S. for four consecutive years (2021–2024), though it fell behind Southwest Airlines and Allegiant Air in the Journal's 2025 rankings.

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In taking over United, Kirby announced the "United Next" growth strategy. At the time of its launch in 2021, the company announced in a press release that it would be purchasing 270 new Boeing and Airbus aircraft, "the largest combined order in the airline's history and the biggest by an individual carrier in the last decade."

The release also said the initiative included plans for a "nose-to-tail" retrofit of "100 percent of remaining mainline, narrow-body fleet to transform the customer experience and create a new signature interior – a roughly 75% increase in premium seats per North American departure, larger overhead bins, seatback entertainment in every seat and industry’s fastest available WiFi."

United touted "the best customer experience in the industry." The company’s executive vice president and chief commercial officer, Andrew Nocella, said the company would "offer the most premium seats in North America, taking a different, more customer-friendly approach."

"The more we invest, the more we win," Kirby told the Journal.

According to the publication, "United's stock has doubled since 2021, and together United and Delta accounted for more than 90 percent of U.S. airline industry profits last year."

Kirby wasn’t always so invested in providing customers with a premium experience, according to the Journal. At US Airways, he reportedly advocated for charging customers for water.

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"I can do 180 degrees in a second," Kirby said. "If the evidence changes, I can change my mind."

Several Reddit forums are dedicated to discussions comparing United and Delta. Many commentators contrasted the airlines’ credit card rewards and the likelihood of upgrades with each one.

"At the end of the day, they’re basically the top two airlines in the country," wrote one Redditor. "It’s entirely your taste... Many of my friends fly for Delta and absolutely love it. I can only say great things about both companies."

"I have good experiences with both and not so good to absolutely horrible with both," wrote another. "Air travel these days is a roll of the dice."

Kirby himself said he's been surprised at "how much difference you can make by investing in all of those things."

Kirby also said he did take inspiration from Delta, "But we long ago stopped copying them." He said he tells United executives, "Your job is wow," meaning he wants the company's initiatives to impress customers.

Delta’s CEO Ed Bastian said United copying his company is "smart."

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The Journal profile of Kirby said he is "audacious" with "grand ambitions." It noted that he publicly discussed the possibility of a merger with American Airlines, though President Trump said he didn’t like the idea of a merger between the two rivals.

"American's public comments make it clear that a merger like this is off the table for the foreseeable future," Kirby wrote in a release issued by United in April.

"I do think it's worth taking the time to describe in some more detail what this could have looked like," he added to the lengthy statement.

Delta and United will have plenty of opportunity to compete for passengers, it appears. Americans set a record for domestic air travel last year, as TSA screened 2.57 million more passengers in 2025 compared to 2024, FOX Business reported.

The Bureau of Transportation reported in May 2026 that aviation fuel in March was up 56.4 percent, consumption increased 19.5 percent, and fuel cost per gallon was up 30.9 percent compared to February 2026. Kirby said in a March interview with Bloomberg TV that ticket prices could consequently surge 15-20%.

Fox News Digital reached out to United Airlines for comment.

source https://www.foxnews.com/travel/airline-ceo-counted-cards-bets-premium-perks-win-fliers

Numerous Knicks fans arrested, cop injured during Game 2 NBA Finals celebration near MSG

The NYPD reversed its ban on New York Knicks watch parties for the NBA Finals, but after Game 2, it may be regretting that decision.

Fans got so rowdy during the Knicks' Eastern Conference Finals run that the NYPD put a stop to watch parties outside Madison Square Garden. But when the Knicks clinched their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999, the department said the party was back on.

The Knicks will come home with a 2-0 series lead on Monday, but Game 2's victory, the biggest for the Knicks in a generation, brought about unruly behavior outside the Garden.

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After the Knicks' 105-104 victory over the San Antonio Spurs, ABC7 reported that 17 people were arrested, including one on charges of allegedly striking a police officer and injuring him.

Police said fans became "increasingly disorderly" as the game went on, the outlet reported.

The officer who was injured was the victim of punches by a fan who entered and then refused to leave a restricted area.

KNICKS' KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS PRAISES NYPD AMID ROWDY WATCH PARTIES DURING NBA FINALS RUN

One person accused of selling counterfeit merchandise was also charged with possessing a loaded firearm.

The department said fans stopped traffic on Seventh and Eighth avenues between 31st and 35th streets and climbed on light poles, subway entrances and food vendor carts.

Madison Square Garden also hosted watch parties inside the arena for each of the first two Finals games.

The Spurs fought back from a 14-point deficit to take the lead in the final minute of the fourth quarter, but with the game tied at 104, Victor Wembanyama threw a pass off an unaware teammate's back and Jalen Brunson stole the ball. Brunson was fouled and hit one of two free throws to take the lead. Wembanyama then took a potential game-winning shot but missed the mark.

Game 3 will be Monday night in New York, with President Donald Trump slated to attend.

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World Series champion John Smoltz reveals what it takes to win the American Century Championship

Most people know Baseball Hall of Famer John Smoltz for his prowess on the mound, but the 59-year-old has also become quite the golfer.

Smoltz qualified for the U.S. Senior Open in 2018 and is hoping to do so again this year. He said his game is in the best place it has ever been and credited his health for where it is today.

"The game is in its best place. The goal is you always wish you could play tomorrow when the game is in its best place, but that's the beauty of golf. You know, you got to have it when it counts," Smoltz told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.

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"The game is at a point now at 59 where I trust some of the things that I can do because I'm physically more able with two new hips and some procedures done. I'm at a point where I know that if I can continue to get a little bit better around the green, I'm going to play the kind of golf I want to play."

Smoltz will be competing in this year’s American Century Championship, which takes place July 10-12 at Edgewood Golf Course in Lake Tahoe. The Atlanta Braves legend has come close to winning, finishing in second place last year to NHL great Joe Pavelski, but has never won.

The American Century Championship uses a Modified Stableford scoring system rather than traditional stroke play, which means that instead of counting total strokes, players are instead awarded points based on their score for each hole.

An albatross is worth 10 points, a hole-in-one is worth eight points, an eagle is worth six points, a birdie is worth three points, a par is worth one point, a bogey is worth nothing and anything two over par or worse is worth minus two points.

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Smoltz said he has not started nearly fast enough in the first round, forcing him to play catch-up.

"I get off to a slow start. Every tournament I rally second and third round with too big of a hole. I make a ton of pars. It's so frustrating to say that I make a ton of pars. That would be normally good, but it's not in this tournament. I think at one point I made 29 pars in a row in one tournament and it was nauseating. It was like I'd rather bite the head of my putter off because you only get one point for a par," Smoltz said.

Smoltz attributed his slower starts to a conservative mindset and stressed the importance of making birdie putts.

"You get three times the value for a birdie. So, like last year, I think I made seven or eight birdies the last round to finish second. Couldn't chase down Pavelski, but I'm like, where has that been? Where's those birdies in the first round?" Smoltz said.

"So, I definitely have to get off to a better start. I kind of am too conservative in a first round of a three-round tournament, which always puts me in the mix, but doesn't give me the best fighting chance to maximize a round when I'm hitting the ball pretty good."

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Smoltz played in the American Century Championship in 2000, when he underwent Tommy John surgery and missed the whole season, and got permission from his late, legendary manager Bobby Cox to go play.

"I had a sneak preview of it when I was playing. I had Tommy John surgery. I had the greatest manager in the world in Bobby Cox. He let me play because I was out all year and that was when it was stroke play back in the day, when Michael Jordan and all those high-level athletes were playing in stroke play. I did okay. I hung my own," Smoltz said.

The World Series champion called the event something you mark on your calendar and said it’s a great event.

"American Century is unbelievable. They do a great job putting on the event all these years. It's a mark on your calendar and nothing-better-get-in-the-way type event. But I think the biggest thing about the golf course and just the whole thing is I get so excited to play and want to win so bad that I have to temper all of that when I get there," Smoltz said.

The tournament has raised more than $8 million for regional and national charities. American Century Investments donates 40% of its profits to the Stowers Institute for Medical Research and activates fundraising at the tournament to drive direct donations to Stowers each year.

The tournament will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock.

The eight-time All-Star spent 21 seasons in the big leagues, 20 of those with the Braves. He spent his last season with the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox.

Smoltz has a career record of 213-155, an ERA of 3.33 and 154 saves, as he converted to a reliever for a few seasons after his Tommy John surgery.

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Todd Blanche 'honored and humbled' by Trump's AG nomination after explosive week of federal arrests

Following a wave of high-profile arrests, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said he is "honored and humbled" by President Donald Trump’s decision to nominate him as the permanent head of the Department of Justice.

Speaking on "Saturday in America," Blanche outlined the department's efforts to fulfill Trump's campaign promises on public safety and highlighted several recent DOJ arrests.

"Look, executing on the president's priorities that he has talked about since he was running for president, and that's making this country safe again. And so we're doing that every day at the Department of Justice," Blanche said. "I'm honored and humbled that President Trump has asked me to become the permanent attorney general."

On Wednesday, Trump announced plans to nominate Blanche to permanently lead the DOJ, following the departure of former Attorney General Pam Bondi in April. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles subsequently congratulated Blanche online, writing, "Todd is a friend and I look forward to continuing our work together."

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Blanche took over the acting role in April following the departure of former Attorney General Pam Bondi, who faced criticism from some conservatives over her handling of the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.

The news comes as Blanche and the DOJ announced a series of arrests. Among them was the dismantling of a drug-smuggling tunnel stretching from Mexico to California, which Blanche described as "very sophisticated" and equipped with a rail system and electricity.

"Now that the borders are closed, they have to find other ways to get drugs in this country. And this was one way they were trying to do it," Blanche said.

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Blanche also highlighted the recent indictments of three individuals accused of providing support to ISIS, describing their anti-American rhetoric as "very disturbing" while praising the swift work of federal authorities.

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"It’s a good reminder to the Americans that this fight is not over. There are still a lot of people that want to inject harm into this country and our citizens," he said.

Blanche previously served as Trump’s lead criminal defense attorney during multiple cases involving the president, including the New York hush money case and cases brought by former Special Counsel Jack Smith.

Earlier this week, Blanche announced the DOJ would not be moving forward with a nearly $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund. According to the DOJ, the fund was part of a settlement in President Donald J. Trump v. Internal Revenue Service after Trump, his family members and the Trump Organization agreed to forgo monetary damages stemming from the release of their tax returns.

The fund faced legal challenges, and the DOJ announced Monday it would comply with a court ruling temporarily blocking the fund. At a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing Tuesday, Blanche confirmed the administration would not be pursuing the idea further, saying, "We're not moving forward with the fund, period."

source https://www.foxnews.com/media/todd-blanche-honored-humbled-trumps-ag-nomination-after-explosive-week-federal-arrests

Bill replacing 'mother' and 'father' with gender-neutral terms passes in New York, heads to Hochul's desk

New York Democrats recently passed a bill that would remove the words "mother" and "father" from parts of state law, sending the legislation to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s desk for final approval.

Under the new bill, targeting state child custody and parental laws, "mother" becomes "gestating parent," "father" becomes "non-gestating parent," and "paternity" becomes "parentage."

It passed in the state Senate this week after progressing through the Assembly in March.

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Democrats who drafted the legislation claimed the wording shift would promote "inclusivity," while critics claim the change is unnecessary, with the legislative session having ended for the year on Thursday, FOX 5 New York reported.

Hochul said during a news conference that she isn’t familiar with the proposal, but promised to review it.

"I have until the end of the year to review them and make a decision, so I won't be commenting on pending legislation," Hochul said.

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Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman shared multiple posts responding to the bill on social media Friday.

"In Kathy Hochul’s New York, 'mom' is now defined as 'gestating parent,'" Blakeman wrote. "Not when I’m Governor! I’ll stand up for moms and dads against this insanity."

"This bill is a continuation of Hochul’s war on families, and I won't stop fighting until we take New York back," he added.

Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., reacted to the bill on X Thursday, saying, "The party that can’t define a woman is now rewriting New York law to erase mothers and fathers. Only in Albany could 'mom' and 'dad' become too controversial."

source https://www.foxnews.com/politics/bill-replacing-mother-father-gender-neutral-terms-passes-new-york-heads-hochuls-desk

Kyle Busch's wife, Samantha, breaks silence two weeks after NASCAR driver's stunning death

Samantha Busch, the wife of NASCAR driver Kyle Busch, made her first public comments Friday, just over two weeks after his stunning death.

Busch, 41, died May 21 after a battle with pneumonia turned into sepsis. The two-time NASCAR champion collapsed during a simulator session ahead of the Coca-Cola 600, and was rushed to the hospital. He died the next day.

A private memorial was held for Busch earlier this week.

Samantha Busch took to Instagram Friday for the first time since her husband's death, thanking fans for their support in a lengthy post:

NASCAR, RACING WORLD REACTS TO KYLE BUSCH'S SHOCKING DEATH AT 41: 'CANNOT COMPREHEND THIS NEWS'

"As a family, we wanted to take a moment to say thank you. The prayers, messages, flowers, meals, hugs, and countless acts of kindness have carried us through the most heartbreaking days of our lives. While our hearts are absolutely shattered, we have felt God’s presence and arms wrapped tightly around us through each and every one of you.

"The love that has surrounded our family during this unimaginable time has brought comfort in the middle of so much pain. Knowing the impact Kyle had on others and seeing how they are honoring him through each unique act of generosity is a true testament to how special Kyle is to so many people.

"There are moments when the weight of this loss feels impossible to carry, yet time and time again God, through you all, has shown us we are not alone. From family and friends to fans and complete strangers, thank you for showing up for us. Thank you for loving our family so well. Thank you for loving Kyle. Thank you for honoring him.

"We may never find the words to fully express what your support has meant to us, but please know that we are deeply grateful."

Busch was a two-time Cup champion and undoubtedly a future Hall of Famer. He'd been in the Cup Series since 2004, making 762 career starts with 63 wins.

The 41-year-old won the championship in 2015 and 2019, and had 234 victories across all three NASCAR national series.

Busch is the all-time record-holder for wins in both the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series (102) and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (69).

Busch's 234th and final NASCAR win came at Dover one week before his death, when he led 147 laps in a dominating Truck Series victory.

"You never know when the last one is," Busch said after the win.

Busch made his mark in NASCAR during his time with Joe Gibbs Racing, where he spent the majority of his career and won the two championships. He left JGR for Richard Childress Racing after the 2022 season, and won three times during his first season.

Busch's last Cup Series win came in June 2023. While he struggled for much of this season, he did start on the pole in February's Daytona 500 and was coming off a season-best finish of eighth four weeks ago at Watkins Glen.

Kyle's 11-year-old son, Brexton, returned to the racetrack earlier this week for the first time since his dad's death.

Richard Childress Racing announced last month that Busch's No. 8 would be suspended permanently unless Brexton wanted to use it should he enter the series.

source https://www.foxnews.com/sports/kyle-buschs-wife-breaks-silence-nascar-driver-death

Sunny Hostin breaks with 'The View' co-hosts, calls America a ‘failed experiment’

Sunny Hostin said America was a "failed experiment" Friday on "The View" as the panel debated President Donald Trump, national pride and America's approaching 250th anniversary.

Hostin said her criticism went beyond embarrassment with the current administration.

"Why I am conflicted about this country because I feel that it is at this point a failed experiment, quite frankly," Hostin said. "I am also discouraged by how this country is viewed by the rest of the world."

The comment came after the co-hosts discussed Trump's plan to host a UFC event on the White House lawn as part of America's 250th birthday celebration. The conversation turned to whether Americans could be ashamed of Trump and his policies while still feeling proud of the country.

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Hostin listed several reasons she said she was embarrassed by the United States.

"I’m embarrassed at our government," Hostin said. "I’m embarrassed at our lack of healthcare. I’m embarrassed on the assault on the press. I’m embarrassed of our Congress. I’m embarrassed by the criminal felon president that is in the Oval Office that has a UFC cage on the White House lawn."

She said the country's global standing was also part of her concern.

"I’m embarrassed about all those things, and I’m also embarrassed at how America is now seen across the globe," Hostin said.

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"I don’t think that many Americans understand that we are part of a wonderful global community, and when you look at our ally, our allies are now giving us a one-star rating as a country."

Alyssa Farah Griffin pressed Hostin on whether she believed the country could recover.

"You think it’s beyond redemption at this point?" Griffin asked.

Hostin reiterated that the country was not merely struggling, but failing.

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"I think at this point it is failing," Hostin said.

When Griffin asked whether elections or a change in leadership could bring the country back, Hostin referenced a private conversation with former President Bill Clinton.

"I spoke to President Clinton when he was here off camera, and he believes that it’s going to take this country decades to recover from what has been done," Hostin said.

Hostin's comments contrasted with the rest of the panel, who criticized Trump and the government but said they remained proud of America.

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Ana Navarro said she could separate her view of the country from her view of the current government.

"I think you can separate feeling proud of America, feeling proud of being an American, feeling proud of the exceptionalism and resilience of this country and feeling really ashamed and embarrassed and horrified by the American government right now," Navarro said.

"So, yes, yes, dammit, I am ashamed of it, but I will never stop being proud of being an American," Navarro said.

Sarah Haines also said she remained proud of the country while calling it imperfect.

"It’s an imperfect social experiment and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else," Haines said.

Griffin said she counted herself among Americans who were proud of the country.

"Count me among the two-thirds of Americans who are very proud to be American," Griffin said. "I don’t think that means you can’t acknowledge our country has tremendous flaws and call this country an experiment in democracy because it’s not guaranteed."

The White House responded to Hostin's remarks in a statement to Fox News Digital.

"Sunny Hostin is an extremely unlikable, talentless hack with a poorly rated TV show who clearly suffers from a severe and incurable disease known as Trump Derangement Syndrome," White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said. "I lose brain cells every single time I have the displeasure of hearing her speak."

source https://www.foxnews.com/media/sunny-hostin-breaks-the-view-co-hosts-calls-america-failed-experiment