A disgraced San Antonio cop who was fired — twice — for allegedly giving a homeless man a sandwich stuffed with dog poop is now heading up a different police department in another Texas town.
Matthew Luckhurst was promoted to police chief in Benavides, about 150 miles south of San Antonio, three years after the department hired him despite the stink of his past, according to city records and reports.
Matthew Luckhurst was promoted to police chief in Benavides in April. KENS 5 / YouTube
He took over his new role on June 1 after city council members voted to appoint him as the area’s top cop during an April 30 meeting, the San Antonio Current reported.
Luckhurst will earn $28 an hour in the small city of about 1,100 people, council records show.
Benavides officials did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
Luckhurst had his San Antonio badge yanked in 2016 after a fellow cop alleged he put street feces on bread in a Styrofoam container and left it for a snoozing homeless man. KSAT
Luckhurst had his badge yanked in 2016 after a fellow cop alleged he put street feces on bread in a Styrofoam container and left it for a snoozing homeless man – who never ate the soiled sandwich.
The troubled cop maintained his innocence from the outset, insisting he gave the vagrant the poop-stuffed meal to throw away, not consume.
He took over his new role on June 1 after city council members voted to appoint him as the area’s top cop. cityofbenavides.org
Bizarrely, that same year, Luckhurst – a five-year veteran at the time – was accused of defecating in a San Antonio Police Department women’s restroom and smearing a “brown substance” on a toilet seat, the outlet reported.
He reportedly never denied being behind the bathroom incident.
He was also fired in Floresville before getting hired as a police officer in Benavides in 2023. KRIS 6 News
Luckhurst successfully appealed his firing in 2019 and briefly returned to the force before a judge upheld his dismissal in 2020. He was back in uniform by February 2022 in nearby Floresville, where he worked for 10 months before being canned when his rancid past resurfaced.
He was hired by then-Benavides Police Chief Andrew Hines in 2023, who said the appointment “reflects the department’s commitment to honesty and accountability.”
After conquering the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Saturday (June 13) and earning their first NBA championship since 1973, the New York Knicks are being honored with a ticker-tape parade through downtown Manhattan
Team icons like NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson, Karl Anthony Towns, and OG Anunoby will make their way toward City Hall, where the team is expected to receive keys to the city from NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, per The Athletic.
For those living outside of the Big Apple, those who can’t make it to the parade, or for those just wanting to avoid the traffic downtown, here is more on how to stream the Knicks parade.
What Time is The Knicks Parade On? Knicks Parade Start Time:
The Knicks ticker-tape parade begins at 10 a.m. ET.
Photo: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Where Does The Knicks Parade Start? Knicks Ticker-Tape Parade Route:
According to New York City’s official website, the Knicks ticker-tape parade kicks off near Bowling Green in Lower Manhattan. The parade route continues through what is known as the “Canyon of Heroes,” and should wrap up around City Hall, as noted by NBA.com
Where To Watch The Knicks Parade On TV:
According to the NBA’s official website and The Athletic, those in the New York area can tune in on local stations like ABC 7, MSG Network, NBC 4, CBS 2, My9, and SNY (regional). People outside of the New York area can watch stream the parade on NBA TV. You can also stream the Knicks ticker-tape parade on fuboTV.
Ashley Phillips, 30, vanished after she went on a hiking trail while a devastating storm struck.
The body has not been confirmed to be Phillips. A video showed harnessed rescuers taking a body out of a river in the country.
“Their beloved daughter and sister, Ashley Phillips, has been missing in Costa Rica after severe weather caused flooding and mudslides during a hike.” THE WILD PLUM
Her family is devastated but takes some solace in knowing her potential body will come home. Costa Rican authorities previously told them that it was likely she disappeared in a “water-related accident.”
She has been missing for more than two weeks, as search efforts, which were initially underway, were once paused due to the torrid conditions before they resumed.
A GoFundMe set up on June 9 said: “For the past seven days, the Jonkey and Phillips family have been living through every parent’s and sibling’s worst nightmare.
“Their beloved daughter and sister, Ashley Phillips, has been missing in Costa Rica after severe weather caused flooding and mudslides during a hike.”
The body has not been confirmed to be Phillips. A video showed harnessed rescuers taking a body out of a river in the country. Benemerito cuerpo bomberos de costa rica
The fundraiser has a goal of $20,000 and has raised more than $18,000 as of Thursday.
In another update posted on June 12, the family marked 10 days since her disappearance, noting search efforts had become difficult because of the weather.
It continued: “Today marks 10 days since Ashley went on a hike and did not return. Due to ongoing severe weather conditions in Costa Rica, the search efforts have been temporarily paused.”
It added: “However, the search is expected to resume once conditions improve and the drier season begins.”
Jeffrey Phillips, her father, said Ashley was staying in an “isolated area” where emergency services would be limited. Ashley Phillips appeared happy, and last spoke to her father about a little baby pineapple that was growing on a pineapple bush.
The woman was aiming for a restorative stay at HOME Farm (which stands for “Heaven On Mother Earth”) in Costa Rica’s Diamanté Valley, a regenerative sanctuary nestled in the heart of the rainforest resting on 55 acres of lush tropical jungle and sitting atop the Nauyaca waterfalls.
England lose their first wicket as Ben Duckett is run out for 36 by New Zealand’s Nathan Smith on day two of the second Test at The Oval, with the home side 45-1 in their first innings.
After a 53-year wait, the Knicks are marching up the Canyon of Heroes to receive the Key to the City! We are bringing you exclusive backstage access, player arrivals, and the complete official ceremony live from the steps of City Hall.
If you’ve been holding out hope that “Project Hail Mary” would hit streaming soon, it’s your lucky day.
Not only is the Ryan Gosling-led sci-fi epic streaming on MGM+ as of today, June 18, it’s also available to stream for a fraction of the standard subscription price for a limited time only.
As part of an early Prime Day streaming deal, you can get your first two months of MGM+ for just $0.99/month. That’s just $1 to watch one of the biggest movies of the year so far (and a ton of other great titles in the MGM+ library).
The film, inspired by Andy Weir’s novel of the same name, stars Gosling as Dr. Ryland Grace, a middle school science teacher who wakes up on a spacecraft with no memory of who he is, why he’s alone and why he’s orbiting in deep space. Through flashbacks, we learn he’s been given an impossible task: save Earth’s sun, which is being eaten by a mysterious microorganism, from dying.
With the help of an unexpected alien friend named Rocky, whose planet is also plagued with the same impending doom, Grace finds he may not have to save the world on his own.
MGM+ is available as an add-on subscription through Prime Video, and unlike other add-ons, you don’t need to be a paid Amazon Prime member to take advantage of this deal. You’ll just need a basic, free Amazon account.
With the Prime Day deal, you’ll get two months of MGM+ for $0.99/month. All of the streamer’s content will be accessible directly inside the Prime Video app or website, and when the two month period is over, your subscription will automatically renew at the standard $7.99/month price.
‘Project Hail Mary’ trailer
‘Project Hail Mary’ cast
Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace, a middle-school science teacher and former molecular biologist
Sandra Hüller as Eva Stratt, the head of the international task force behind Project Hail Mary
James Ortiz as Rocky, an alien Grace encounters on his journey. Ortiz led a team of five puppeteers to control Rocky’s movements while also providing Rocky’s voice
Lionel Boyce as Carl, a security personnel
Ken Leung as Yao Li-Jie, the Chinese commander of the Hail Mary spacecraft
Milana Vayntrub as Olesya Ilyukhina, a Russian engineer on board the Hail Mary
Priya Kansara as the voice of Mary, the Hail Mary’s onboard computer
Malachi Kirby as Martin Dubois, the original scientist of the Hail Mary
Liz Kingsman as Annie Shapiro, a backup scientist of the Hail Mary
This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.
The Knicks haven’t stopped celebrating their NBA title win as they prepare to ride up the Canyon of Heroes in New York City. While it may be too early, even for them, to look forward to next season, sportsbooks have already told us what they think.
The Spurs and Thunder — supposedly the “real” NBA Finals teams —find themselves atop the betting odds board as co-favorites to win the 2027 NBA championship after stellar seasons that fell short.
The choice echoes a sentiment that many in the sports world believe to be true despite the outcome we just witnessed: the Western Conference is the league’s superior conference. That narrative isn’t new.
NBA talking heads have clung to the idea that the Eastern Conference is the junior varsity of the NBA for more than two decades (read: since Michael Jordan retired … the second time) despite evidence that the league is more balanced than ever before.
We know the last eight NBA champions have all been different, but what isn’t discussed as much is the fact that the Eastern Conference has won four of those championships: Raptors in 2019, Bucks in 2021, Celtics in 2024, and Knicks this season.
Yet bet365 sportsbook has the Western Conference listed as a -185 favorite to produce next year’s champion, while the Eastern Conference is listed at +145. Those odds translate to a 61 percent chance for the West and a 39 percent chance for the East.
We haven’t even reached the NBA Draft, let alone the free agency and trade season that will come later in the summer, but after watching the Finals, it feels like the sportsbooks are undervaluing the East’s contenders and overvaluing teams in the West.
Yes, the Thunder and Spurs are young and likely to get better with internal growth alone, but the rest of the conference can’t say the same.
Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder look om during Game Seven of the NBA Western Conference Finals. NBAE via Getty Images
The Nuggets, Lakers, and Rockets all have rosters built around aging superstars and have major holes to fill if they hope to compete with the teams at the top.
The Timberwolves appear to be at a crossroads with Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert as the next best players behind Anthony Edwards. The rest of the conference can’t be considered legitimate threats unless they make major improvements in the offseason.
The East has talent at the top and more interesting depth in the middle. Clearly, the Knicks are the best team in the conference, but the Celtics and Pistons are legitimate contenders as well.
The Magic, flawed as they are, were dangerously close to pulling a series upset against the Pistons, and Orlando tapped former Spurs assistant coach Sean Sweeney to be their head coach. Their team is already talented and could be a top-four team in the conference next season.
Betting on the NBA?
Then there’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is rumored to be interested in the Heat and Celtics as trade destinations. Wherever Antetokounmpo lands, he will instantly make his new team more formidable, if he can stay healthy.
Again, it’s extremely early to be talking championships when Broadway hasn’t yet been cleaned up from the ticker-tape parade. But if this season has taught us anything, it’s that the league is more balanced today than it was in the 2010s.
Right now, you can make the case for more teams winning the championship than ever before, and it just so happens that more of those teams are east of the Mississippi.
The Pick: Eastern Conference to win NBA championship (+145, bet365)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Malik Smith has been immersed in the sports betting industry since 2017. He’s a data nerd with a particular focus on the NBA and combat sports. He spends his weeknights in the winter looking for edges on plus-money NBA player props.
Fajita fans can skip the sizzle — an embarrassment — with Taco Bell’s new drama-free Tex-Mex items.
Gone are the days when the quietest person at the table fears the sound of crackling meats as the chain is “ditching sizzling fajita theatrics” by turning them portable.
Now available for a limited time, the new Fajita Street Chalupas and Chicken Fajita Nacho Fries offer an easier way to enjoy a classic.
Taco Bell
The Fajita Street Chalupas feature the traditional tender peppers and onions seasoned with tangy, savory notes of chili, onion and garlic all inside Taco Bell’s cheesy Street Chalupa shells for $5.99. Diners can choose marinated steak or slow-roasted chicken and Creamy Jalapeño sauce and an onion-cilantro blend.
For $5.49, the Chicken Fajita Nacho Fries can be the star of the show or a side dish and come with peppers and onions on top of its golden, crisp Nacho Fries. Of course, fans will get a heaping of nacho cheese sauce, the new Creamy Jalapeño sauce and a dollop of reduced-fat sour cream.
“Fajitas have a way of making an impression, and we wanted to bring that same excitement and unmistakable flavor to the menu in a way fans can experience wherever they are,” said Luis Restrepo, Chief Marketing Officer at Taco Bell, in a statement.
“To us, it’s all about centering the savory peppers and onions that make fajitas so iconic and bringing that flavor to formats fans already love, so they get everything they crave without the sizzling spectacle,” Restrepo added.
Street Chalupas aren’t new for the fast food behemoth.
Earlier this year, it rolled out the Chicken Bacon Ranch style of the Street Chalupa, and fans went crazy. The dish had roasted chicken, crispy bacon, and a signature creamy avocado ranch in a toasted cheddar Street Chalupa shell.
The Taco Bell storefront in Valencia, Spain, with the iconic Taco Bell logo Road Red Runner – stock.adobe.com
Back in 2024, Taco Bell invented the dish that started it all — the Cheesy Street Chalupas. These were inspired by street tacos and packed with fresh cilantro and diced onions and paired with premium protein like chicken or steak.
And fans have been begging for the taco chain to bring them back. “Ngl I don’t really care [for the] fajitas, but I’ll take any excuse to get the street chalupas back again,” a foodie wrote on X.
“I don’t know what kind of sorcery they do with those chalupas but those are one of my fast food weaknesses,” another said.
“Guess I’m finally eating my way through the summer, one $6 masterpiece at a time,” a hungry fan said on X.
Not all are impressed by the $6 item, however. “You can get a real steak street taco at any food truck for $4 lol..” as the price seems a bit steep for them.
President Trump blasted critics of the Iran deal as “fools” for not thinking he was tough on Tehran, describing them as “either jealous, bad people, or stupid.”
He pointed to the stock market, which rose on news of the deal, and the price of oil, which fell under $80 a barrel for the first time since March.
Trump blasted his critics for slamming his Iran deal. Pierre Teyssot / SplashNews.com
“These fools, who think I haven’t been tough enough on Iran, when the Stock Market Just Hit A RECORD HIGH, and Oil prices are “tumbling” down, are either jealous, bad people, or stupid,” he wrote on Truth Social, shortly after he returned to the White House from his trip to Europe.
Several Republican lawmakers publicly trashed the plan, complaining that the US gave too many concessions to Iran.
“Reagan is rolling over in his grave,” retiring Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said.
