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Kansas City Chiefs kicker defends controversial commencement speech

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Kansas City Chiefs kicker defends controversial commencement speech


In his first public comments following a controversial speech at a recent college commencement, Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker defended his address and emphasized his Catholic faith.

“If it wasn’t clear that the timeless Catholic values are hated by many, it is now,” Butker said during a speech at the “Courage Under Fire” gala in Nashville on Friday night.

The Nashville speech was posted to X by right-wing media outlet The Daily Wire.

This is the first time the three-time Super Bowl champion has spoken publicly about his commencement address at Benedictine College, a small Catholic college in Kansas, on May 11. During his address, Butker made comments interpreted by many as homophobic and sexist, including calling Pride Month a “deadly sin” and saying that a woman’s accomplishments in the home are more valuable than any academic or professional goals, among other things.

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Friday night’s gala was hosted by Regina Caeli Academy – a hybrid campus/homeschool Catholic school group with several locations across the country. The gala boasted several other speakers including right-wing media personality and host at the Daily Wire, Matt Walsh.

“Over the past few days, my beliefs, or what people think I believe, have been the focus of countless discussions around the globe,” Butker, who is on the school’s board of directors, said.

Regina Caeli Academy did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.

“At the outset, many people expressed a shocking level of hate. But as the days went on, even those who disagreed with my viewpoints shared their support for my freedom of religion,” Butker said Friday.

Butker reaffirmed his commitment to his Catholic faith, saying, “Our love for Jesus and thus our desire to speak out should never be outweighed by the longing of our fallen nature to be loved by the world.”

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During his speech, Butker referred to Saint Daniel, the biblical prophet who was thrown into a lion’s den for committing to prayer to God, despite a law that condemned worshipers to death.

“I can’t help but tremble at the thought of the courage many saints have shown in their lives,” Butker said.

Daniel was spared by God due to his commitment to faith, according to the Old Testament.

“Would I be so bold if the repercussion was what Daniel faced in being fed to lions? In reality, any courage I’ve shown will lead to some small suffering. And it will lead to some people maybe never liking me, but that could be God’s will,” the Chiefs kicker said.

The NFL issued a statement earlier this month, saying Butker’s comments don’t reflect the views of the league.

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Butker’s May 11 speech sparked criticism from LGBT advocacy organization GLAAD, which called his comments “a clear miss” and “woefully out of step with Americans about Pride, LGBTQ people and women.”

The sisters of Mount St. Scholastica monastery, a founding institution and sponsor of Benedictine College, also distanced themselves from Butker’s message. “The sisters of Mount St. Scholastica do not believe that Harrison Butker’s comments in his 2024 Benedictine College commencement address represent the Catholic, Benedictine, liberal arts college that our founders envisioned and in which we have been so invested,” they said in a statement. “Instead of promoting unity in our church, our nation, and the world, his comments seem to have fostered division.”

Fellow Chiefs star, Travis Kelce, recently responded to the commencement address, saying he does not agree with “just about any” of Butker’s views but values him as a teammate.

“I cherish him as a teammate. I think Pat (Mahomes) said it best where he is every bit of a great person and a great teammate,” Kelce said on the latest episode of the “New Heights” podcast he hosts with his brother, Jason.

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Extra slice, extra time: Kansas inmate’s pizza grab lands him 16 more months in prison

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Extra slice, extra time: Kansas inmate’s pizza grab lands him 16 more months in prison


LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (KCTV) – A Kansas inmate will spend more time behind bars after a dispute over an extra slice of pizza turned physical.

Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson announced on Wednesday, March 25, that Wyatt C. Parnell, 42, an inmate at Lansing Correctional Facility, was sentenced to 16 additional months.

Prosecutors indicated that the sentence is the result of an attempt to assault a corrections officer during a December 2019 dining hall confrontation.

What Happened

Court records noted that the incident happened around 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 26, 2019 – the day after Christmas – in the facility’s maximum-security dining room.

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According to prosecutors, Parnell entered the dining hall, picked up a dinner tray and grabbed an extra slice of pizza from a separate tray.

A corrections officer repeatedly ordered him to put the tray down and leave the area; however, court documents revealed that Parnell refused.

Wyatt C. Parnell, 42(Kansas Department of Corrections)

When the officer moved to retrieve the tray and again ordered Parnell to leave, prosecutors said he yanked the tray away and threw it on the floor.

Parnell then tried to push past the officer to reach the serving line for another tray, according to court records.

The officer reported that they attempted to detain Parnell, but he resisted, leading to a physical fight.

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The Charges & Sentence

Court records indicated that Parnell pleaded no contest to attempted aggravated battery. His new sentence will run consecutively – meaning it is added to the sentence he is already serving.

“Correctional facilities rely on order and compliance to maintain safety for both staff and inmates,” Thompson said. “This sentence reflects the seriousness of disregarding lawful commands and engaging in behavior that puts others at risk.”

Parnell’s Criminal History

Corrections records show that Parnell was already serving time for:

  • Kidnapping
  • Aggravated battery
  • Two counts of criminal threat

Prison records also show a lengthy disciplinary history, including violations for:

  • Contraband possession
  • Fighting
  • Threats
  • Lewd acts
  • Entering restricted areas

Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.



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Kansas firefighters rescue chubby cat trapped in massive recliner while trying to hide from the vet

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Kansas firefighters rescue chubby cat trapped in massive recliner while trying to hide from the vet


This cat was feeling stuck.

A fat cat was nearly devoured by an unforgiving reclining chair as it desperately tried to evade its owner and got stuck ahead of an annual visit to the vet — forcing rescuing firefighters to destroy the lounger.

The Garfield lookalike summoned all its strength to avoid its owner ahead of a trip to the veterinarian on Saturday, when it somehow managed to wedge itself in the metal base of a mechanical recliner — which was full of sharp springs and hinges, photos shared by the Overland Park Police Department show.

Kansas firefighters pried a cat out of a reclincer chair. Overland Park Police/Instagram

It appeared to be mewling for help while one firefighter cradled its hind legs and another tended to one front paw. The pussycat then clung to the metal grate with its other paw, not daring to take its beady eyes off a screwdriver in the firefighter’s hand.

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The cat’s pudgy belly, jutted out as the recliner’s leg threatened to crush its chest.

Firefighters had to saw the chair in half to free the feline with assistance from animal control.

Police assured that, once the cat was safe, it “arrived to the vet for its annual checkup.”

Feline fanatics weren’t surprised by the orange cat’s brainless bolt for freedom.


Firefighters rescuing an orange and white cat from under a recliner.
Firefighters had to destroy the lounger to save the cat. Overland Park Police/Instagram

“Glad the kitty was safe!!! They will do anything to avoid a visit to the vet!!!!” one woman commented on the police department’s Instagram post.

“Anyone who has an orange cat knows this is just standard #oneorangebraincell life,” another added.

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“RIP mechanical recliner,” one user mourned.

In 2024, a 38-pound rescue cat named Crumbs got stuck in a shoe rack while trying to break out of fat camp.

In the viral snapshot of Crumbs’ ignominy, it laid face-down in a blue Croc shoe while its bulbous belly hung between the slots in the rack.





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Travis Kelce’s $77K watch has a sweet connection to Taylor Swift

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Travis Kelce’s K watch has a sweet connection to Taylor Swift


Travis Kelce wore a special watch to sign a multimillion-dollar deal with the Kansas City Chiefs Monday. Instagram/@chiefs

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift always know what time it is.

The football player signed a deal to return to the Kansas City Chiefs yesterday (a reported three-year, $54.735 million contract at that), and debuted a special timepiece for the occasion.

Along with his colorful Nike soccer shirt and Chiefs hat, 36-year-old Kelce wore a Santos de Cartier Skeleton watch featuring an open (or “skeletonized”) dial, which retails for a whopping $77,000.

He wore a colorful Nike soccer shirt and a Santos de Cartier Skeleton watch in gold. Instagram/@chiefs
Pictured here with Eric Bieniemy, Kelce reportedly inked a three-year deal with the Chiefs.. He will return for his 14th season this fall. Instagram/@chiefs
The Santos de Cartier Skeleton watch retails for $77,000.

While this appears to be the first time the Super Bowl winner has worn the style (he’s partial to Rolexes), his fiancée owns a different watch from the Santos de Cartier collection.

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In December 2024, she showed off a Santos Demoiselle featuring a diamond bezel — and later wore the discontinued style when Kelce proposed in August 2025.

It’s unclear if the watch was a gift from Kelce, but she began wearing it after her milestone 35th birthday. Sources told Page Six at the time that Kelce “showered” her with presents for the occasion — including engraved jewelry.

Taylor Swift wore a vintage Santos Demoiselle when Kelce proposed in August 2025. Taylor Swift / Instagram
Her Cartier style was first introduced in 2008 and later discontinued in 2022. Taylor Swift / Instagram
The diamond-covered version the pop star wears retails for around $25,000 on the secondhand market.

The Demoiselle was launched in 2008 and discontinued in 2022 — so whoever purchased Swift’s bling got it on the secondhand market, where similar pieces go for around $25,000.

As if the coordinating Cartier wasn’t enough, Kelce proved Swift was on his mind when he signed up for his 14th season with the Chiefs, taking the time to acknowledge a photo of his fiancée in Arrowhead Stadium as he walked in to seal the deal.

Perhaps the couple will choose Cartier Love rings as their wedding bands.

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