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Trump's remarks on recruiting LeBron James to women's basketball resurface amid WNBA trans athlete debate

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 08:38:36 -0400

The WNBA is in the midst of a firestorm as sports fans have rallied around Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham and her stance that women and girls shouldn’t have to compete against males.

WNBA coaches, columnists and media pundits have continued to miss the mark on Cunningham’s comments and have said everything from sports should be inclusive to labelling Cunningham "anti-Black" and against transgender people.

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In the midst of the heated conversations on social media, President Donald Trump’s comments about being a WNBA coach resurfaced on Tuesday night. Trump was making a speech at the America First Policy Institute in July 2022 and said he would be the greatest women’s basketball coach ever because he’d ask LeBron James if he had any "desire to be a woman."

"I’ll tell you what – I’d be the greatest women’s basketball coach in history. Because, I don’t like LeBron James. I like Michael Jordan much better. But I’d go up to LeBron James, it doesn’t matter, I’d say, ‘LeBron, did you ever have any desire to be a woman? Because what I’d love you to do is star on my team that I’m building up. I’ll have the greatest team in history. They’ll never lose. Nobody will come within 70 points of this team,’ Trump said at the time. "No, we have to change that. We have to make it OK to talk about it."

The clip took new life ahead of the Fever’s game on Wednesday night against the New York Liberty. It will be the Fever’s second home game since her remarks were published in an ESPN feature.

NCAA SOFTBALL PLAYER REVEALS ALLEGED ENCOUNTER WITH PRO-TRANS COUNTERPROTESTERS AT SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM RALLY

Since then, women’s sports activists have rallied around Cunningham and have held events in support of her outside of arenas.

The latest was in Minneapolis ahead of the Fever’s 108-100 loss to the Minnesota Lynx. Pro-tans activists seemingly got wind of the rally and attempted to shout down at those in support of Cunningham.

One man waved a sign with a derogatory message toward those in support of Cunningham.

Still, Cunningham has not backed down from her comments.

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"I said what I said. I think it’s kind of common sense," she said back on July 22. "I think I’ll always believe in that. I think it’s really important to protect children and that’s little girls who are also involved in that category. So, I stand on what I said and I’ll always believe that."

Angel Reese put up one of the worst basketball shots of all time, and then something amazing happened

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 08:32:43 -0400

Angel Reese saw all the attention Sophie Cunningham has been getting the past few weeks, and decided to let her play on the court do all the talking.

And buddy, that has proved to be just an awful strategy.

Reese, who earlier this week claimed no black Barbie dolls existed when she was a kid (they've been around since the Carter Administration), went viral Monday night after putting up one of the worst basketball shots in the history of the game.

That's right. I'm not talking about just the WNBA. I'm talking about all of basketball. WNBA. NBA. Pee-wee. Rec league. Neighborhood court.

You name it. You will be hard-pressed to find a worse shot attempt than this:

Angel Reese finishes the play with a bang

My God. I can't stop watching. What a sight. What a shot. What a league.

Man, is the WNBA the best, or what? I think they should just cancel football season and let us watch the WNBA for the next five months.

Just kidding. Please don't do that. The country would burn.

Reese, by the way, finished Monday's loss to the Aces with respectable numbers. Better than that, actually. She put up 23 points on 10-19 shooting, and added 16 rebounds.

One of those rebounds, and two of those points, came after this incredible shot, by the way.

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They don't call 'em "MeBounds" for nothing, you know:

I mean, it's just perfect. Everything about that clip is perfect.

The blind dart throw to the rim. The mebound. The put-back. The yelling and shouting and screaming, all while losing by 20.

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It's just perfect. Is Angel Reese a content machine, or what? I can't get enough of her. Between the play on the court, and the absolute nonsense off of it — including her comments before Monday's "Barbie Game Day," which celebrated Reese's signature Barbie doll — I'm all in.

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"Honestly, I didn’t have a lot of dolls because I didn’t have dolls that really looked like me much," Reese said before the loss. "That’s why I kind of really wanted to make sure this was super intentional, because now that they have a doll that looks like you, nails and hair, but also you can be a killer on the court as well."

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Again, Mattel introduced Christie, a Black character in Barbie’s world, in 1968. The first doll officially named Black Barbie arrived in 1980, more than two decades before Reese was born.

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What a wonderful time to be alive.

A real college football team is letting one fan call plays in an actual game this season

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 08:20:54 -0400

One brave college football team is letting all you armchair quarterbacks out there put your money where your mouth is this season.

The Akron Zips announced this week that they will let one fan call plays during the team's first offensive series in the Sept. 12 home-opener against Robert Morris.

Yes, you read it right. No, it's not a typo.

An actual Division I FBS college football team is letting an actual fan call actual plays against an actual opponent.

What a wonderful time to be alive:

Akron Zips are letting the common man in

"We're always looking for new ways to bring our fans closer to the program," Akron AD, Dr. Andrew T. Goodrich, said. "This is about giving one of our most loyal supporters a seat at the table, right alongside our coaching staff, on the biggest night of the season."

The promotion, aptly titled "Offensive Coordinator of the Game," is for season ticket holders only. Every current season ticket holder will be automatically entered into a random drawing for the promotion, with every season ticket counting as an entry.

Here's the real kicker: Season ticket holders will also receive additional entries for every new season ticket holder they successfully refer.

Now, I know what everyone's thinking ...

"Of course it's only for season ticket holders. Us common folk can't afford that. The rich get richer!"

Wrong.

A quick scan of Akron's website shows me that season tickets range from $75 to $181, depending on the seats. That's it! This ain't Alabama or Ohio State.

This is Akron. No offense to the Zips, who are a staple of Mid-Week MACtion every season, but you know what I mean.

You can essentially call an actual offensive series for the price of YouTube TV. What a deal!

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I'm all in, by the way. Some folks think this will end horribly. No shot. This is a win-win spot for the Zips, and, more importantly, for America.

All we do is complain all season about horrible play-calls. Now, we — the common men and women — have a chance to prove to these teams that we know what we're talking about.

I'm talking flea-flickers on the first snap of the game. I'm talking end-arounds and fake punts and triple reverse wide receiver passes on third and one.

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I'm talking NEVER punting the football. Never, ever. I don't care if it's 4th and 100.

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We've all played a college football video game at one point in our lives, right? I led dozens of programs to a national title back in the day as a lazy middle school coach. I was absolutely LETHAL with the option attack in NCAA 06 when Pat White and the West Virginia Mountaineers were an absolute MACHINE.

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And now, we have the chance to put all our years of hard work and dedication to the actual test next month against Robert Morris.

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What can go wrong?

Fun fact: The moon has traces of rust on its surface

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 14:25:51 -0400

Scroll through the slideshow and be amazed

WATCH: Smithsonian director admits she sees history as ‘tool’ of ‘social justice’ in resurfaced 2025 clip

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 05:00:26 -0400

After an explosive series of congressional hearings on alleged woke "ideological capture" at the Smithsonian, a resurfaced video of a presentation by National Museum of American History Director Anthea Hartig shows her calling "history as a practice" a "prime tool of social justice."

In a series of July hearings on Capitol Hill, Hartig defended the Smithsonian’s record of objectivity and nonpartisanship. However, in a resurfaced presentation to University of California, Los Angeles students in February 2025, Hartig described "a number of ways in which your National Museum of American History is taking an equity-based, justice forward, community driven and necessarily humble approach to public history and to service."

Later in her presentation, Hartig asserted that the "United States’ long and violent racial history continues to be present in our reckoning, if you will."

She said that "redress in the form of reparation, of course, goes beyond acknowledgement of wrongdoing; it should leverage responsibility, it should think about the act of correction, as we pursue restorative justice and, for us [on the call], restorative justice through history."

TRUMP V. SMITHSONIAN: A TIMELINE OF HOW THE WHITE HOUSE FIGHT OVER 'WOKE' HISTORY UNFOLDED

During her testimony on Capitol Hill last month, Hartig stated: "Our work is governed by the Smithsonian standards of scholarship, accuracy, independence and nonpartisanship." She said, "the museum does not take sides in America's political debates," but instead, "We preserve and document the evidence of American life in all of its breadth, so that the public can encounter the past and draw their own conclusions."

However, in her presentation to UCLA, she asserted that "history as a practice … is for me a prime tool of social justice."

Hartig began her talk with a land acknowledgement and a slide showing a picture of an American flag defaced with words that appeared to read "Defund the Police." Her caption said the photo was from a Black Lives Matter protest in Washington, D.C., in 2020. Another photo Hartig showed later in the presentation depicted a protester holding a sign that read, "America loving you is complicated."

She remarked that the museum opened in 1964 as "this kind of Cold War, you know, ‘We’re going to be the best and most technologically advanced country in the nation, and we’re going to show everyone how we did that’ … We clearly have moved away from that."

TRUMP ORDERS SIGNS OUTSIDE SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM AMID ROW OVER ITS DEPICTION OF AMERICAN HISTORY

Instead, Hartig highlighted what she called the museum’s "bold new vision" to become the "most accessible, inclusive, relevant, and sustainable public history institution in the country." This, the vision states, will allow the museum to "serve an audience that reflects the full racial, class, gender, ethnic, and geographic demographics of the United States."

To this end, Hartig said the museum "joined a very collaborative Smithsonian-wide collecting effort around Black Lives Matter … to document and preserve and share objects focused on Black Lives Matter to show the history of the movement starting in 2012."

She shared a picture of protest signs outside the White House from the summer of 2020 and spoke highly of "these phenomenal, ephemeral statements, signs … expressing that kind of very heartfelt and incredibly poignant [message]."

Hartig also praised an anti-ICE organization called "Tsuru for Solidarity" as a "truly remarkable group," highlighting its collaboration with the Black Lives Matter movement.

According to its website, Tsuru for Solidarity is a "nonviolent, direct action project of Japanese American social justice advocates and allies working to end detention sites and support directly impacted immigrant and refugee communities that are being targeted by racist, inhumane immigration policies." Its website also states, "We stand on the moral authority of Japanese Americans who suffered the atrocities and legacy of U.S. concentration camps during WWII and we say, ‘Stop Repeating History!’"

FORMER DEMOCRATIC STAFFERS, DEI LEADERS SHAPE SMITHSONIAN LEADERSHIP AMID POLITICAL FIRESTORM

Besides the Black Lives Matter initiative, Hartig said the museum is pursuing a "proactive multilingual strategy to support language justice."

She explained that "the idea, of course, [is] that everyone has the right to communicate in the language in which they feel most comfortable to be understood and to understand."

To this end, she said that since the fall of 2019, "all exhibitions and signage and digital projects will be at least bilingual in English and Spanish and a number of them in more languages depending on the project and communities of origin."

Hartig asserted, "We’re under attack for speaking complicated truths" and urged students to "raise your voices and speak them together."

She said, "It continues to grow resolute in my mind, [history] is the key that unlocks the mysteries of humanity, of meaning, of place, of conquest, of love, power, authority and self."

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"We are tellers of stories and seekers of truths, hopefully embracers of nuance, ambassadors of empathy and defenders of inalienable rights," she said.

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Fox News Digital reached out to the National Museum of American History, the Smithsonian Institution, Black Lives Matter and Tsuru for Solidarity for comment.

Archaeologists uncover sprawling Roman estate buried for centuries beneath farmland

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 08:00:51 -0400

Archaeologists in the United Kingdom recently uncovered the remains of a sprawling ancient Roman villa dating back over 1,600 years.

The fourth-century villa was found on farmland between the villages of Halberton and Sampford Peverell in Devon.

The excavation was led by the Saving Halberton's Ancient Roman Environment (SHARE) project, a partnership between the University of Exeter and Cotswold Archaeology, as news agency SWNS noted.

RARE PAGAN MASTERPIECE EMERGES NEAR WHERE ST PAUL SPREAD TEACHINGS OF CHRISTIANITY

The star of the excavation was an ornate Roman mosaic made of thousands of tiny stone cubes arranged in a floral pattern.

"The polychrome mosaic is the most westerly example to have been found in a villa in Roman Britain," said Bill Horner, county archaeologist and historic environment manager at Devon County Council.

Horner added, "This, and the other trappings of Roman civilization and evidence of affluence that have been found, show how much even this far-flung part of the province had been integrated into the Roman Empire."

Photos released by officials show the mosaic, as well as ancient pottery and other artifacts unearthed after centuries underground.

SHAKESPEARE'S MISSING LONDON HOME PINPOINTED AFTER CENTURIES-LONG MYSTERY, RESEARCHER SAYS

The red, white and dark blue cubes were used to form a stylized flower with eight overlapping petals.

Alongside the villa, archaeologists excavated two additional stone buildings: one believed to have been a bathhouse and another that was likely used for agriculture.

Archaeologists also found a delicate copper-alloy bracelet, a fine silver-plated spoon and a beaker used for serving drinks, as well as a collection of pottery fragments and an engraved gemstone depicting the goddess Victory.

Britain was part of the Roman Empire from A.D. 43 until the early fifth century. Experts said the colorful mosaic is the westernmost example ever found at a Roman villa in Britain.

HIDDEN UNDERGROUND CHAMBER REVEALED BENEATH HOME OF LEGENDARY ROMAN EMPEROR

The discoveries indicate the villa was once home to a wealthy Roman family, archaeologists said.

Project leader Susan Greaney, an archaeology professor at the University of Exeter, said her team "did not expect to find such an elaborate bathhouse."

"At the outset, we knew this villa, and its surrounding working areas, was an important site for understanding the Romanization of Devon," she said in a release.

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"But from day one, it has offered us a wealth of interesting and sometimes surprising finds in addition to this striking polychrome mosaic. ... This villa was undoubtedly home to people of wealth and high standing."

The site first came to light in 2004, when local metal detectorist John Hill discovered Roman remains.

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Officials are now working to carefully transport the mosaic to the local Tiverton Museum of Mid-Devon Life.

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The latest find is one of many remarkable Roman discoveries made across England in recent years.

Last summer, archaeologists uncovered an extensive 2,000-year-old Roman settlement in the Cotswolds after an amateur metal detectorist's chance discovery.

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This summer, archaeologists working ahead of a British railway project unearthed a rare Roman coin and a trove of ancient artifacts.

Ariana Grande sets record straight after announcing break from spotlight

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 08:00:10 -0400

Ariana Grande is taking control of her own narrative.

While performing in Chicago on Monday, the Grammy Award winner addressed concertgoers directly after news broke that she plans to take a break from all public appearances and performances once her "Eternal Sunshine Tour" wraps up next month.

"Sometimes when a story comes out that's not directly from me, things can get a little blown out of proportion, so I just wanted to speak to my fans directly tonight because I love you so much," Grande told the crowd, according to multiple videos shared on social media.

"The announcement that was made yesterday was not a reactive or impulsive thing. It was something that I had decided, it's a plan that I had quietly made a long time ago. It was a decision that was made from a thoughtful and empowered place. And I want you to know that many things can be true at the same time."

ARIANA GRANDE FIGHTS BACK AGAINST BODY-SHAMERS AS CRITICS COMMENT ON HER WEIGHT DURING 'WICKED' PRESS TOUR

Grande's comments came one day after her representative confirmed to People magazine that the singer will step away from the public eye for a while.

"Ariana will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the ‘Eternal Sunshine Tour’," Grande's representative told the outlet. "She looks forward to finishing the tour and ending it on a high note, both healthily and happily, and then taking a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances, which has led to endless, ongoing public scrutiny."

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"This tour has been a beautiful experience for her. She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much," the representative added.

The planned hiatus is already affecting Grande's schedule. According to People, the singer will no longer appear in the West End revival of Stephen Sondheim's "Sunday in the Park with George" next summer.

Addressing fans in Chicago, Grande acknowledged that many had worried the decision was fueled by negativity.

"I just have to say that could not be more the f--- opposite," she said. "This is not what that is."

She continued, "Multiple things can be true at the same time: boundaries need to be set, human beings can need a break sometimes… and also, this can be and will continue to be the greatest experience of my professional and creative life."

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Grande ended the emotional moment by calling the tour "the most healing, beautiful, corrective, magnificent, special experience of my life."

While the singer insisted the break had been planned long before it became public, PR expert Steve Honig believes the timing could ultimately strengthen her career.

"Stepping back from the spotlight can strengthen Ariana Grande's brand because she has reached a level of stardom where she can take a break without hurting her career," Honig, founder of The Honig Company, told Fox News Digital. "In today's nonstop media environment, Grande's scarcity will build anticipation and give audiences a chance to miss her. From a public relations standpoint, a strategic absence can create more value than constant visibility, making her eventual return feel like an event."

According to Honig, only a select group of entertainers can successfully disappear from public view without losing momentum.

"Whether stepping away from the spotlight helps a celebrity's career depends largely on how established they are and the strength of their personal brand," he explained. "Celebrities who have reached high levels of fame can afford to take a break because they have built loyal audiences and lasting relevance. In many cases, absence really does make the heart grow fonder."

Grande's announcement follows months of online discussion surrounding her appearance, something the "Wicked: For Good" star has addressed publicly on multiple occasions.

Last year, Grande reshared a previous message on her Instagram Story urging people to stop commenting on others' bodies.

SUPERMODEL SLAMS GLP-1 TREND, SAYS WEIGHT LOSS SHOTS ARE A 'SMACK IN THE FACE' TO BODY POSITIVITY MOVEMENT

"Resharing this from last year as a loving reminder to all," she wrote alongside a clip of a December 2024 interview with Cynthia Erivo.

In the video, Grande reflected on growing up in the spotlight.

"I've been doing this in front of the public and been a specimen in a Petri dish really since I was 16 or 17, so I have heard it all," she said. "I've heard every version of it, of what's wrong with me, and then you fix it, and then it's wrong for different reasons."

She added that criticism about a person's appearance can be damaging regardless of their level of fame.

"It's hard to protect yourself from that noise," Grande said. "It's something that is uncomfortable no matter what scale you're experiencing it on."

Honig said Grande's previous comments underscore one of the biggest branding challenges celebrities face when public attention shifts away from their work.

"When the conversation shifts from a celebrity's work to their appearance, regaining control of the narrative becomes much more difficult because appearance becomes the basis for discussion," he said. "The best way to change the conversation is not by responding to every criticism, but by addressing the issue with facts and giving people something else to focus on."

He added that prolonged speculation can ultimately reshape how audiences perceive a celebrity if left unanswered.

"The biggest branding challenge is maintaining a clear and consistent brand identity when public attention is focused on the wrong thing," Honig said. "Instead of being known for their talent, the celebrity risks becoming associated with superficial distractions that dilute their brand."

Still, Honig believes Grande's decision to address the speculation directly during Monday's concert was the right move.

"In the majority of cases, it is better for a celebrity to directly address any sort of negative speculation," he said. "By doing this, the celebrity will pretty much shut down the speculation, replacing it with facts. Left unanswered, speculation often takes on a life of its own and can become accepted as truth simply through repetition."

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For Grande, however, Honig believes the planned hiatus won't diminish her career in any way.

"Stepping back only works when a celebrity has reached the point where they have earned the luxury of being missed," he said. "Ariana Grande is one of those celebrities."

PGA Tour 2026: Wyndham Championship best bets, 'horses for the course' for the Sedgefield Country Club

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 07:23:08 -0400

As the PGA Tour regular season reaches its thrilling conclusion, players head to Greensboro, North Carolina, for the 2026 Wyndham Championship. First held in 1938, the Wyndham is the final chance for golfers to make the top 70 of the FedExCup standings and secure their spots in the upcoming playoffs.

Standing in the field's way is Sedgefield Country Club, a short par-70 Donald Ross venue under 7,100 yards that rewards strategy over strength. Drivers can be kept in check, but iron accuracy, smart placement, and clutch putting on fast Bermuda greens are non-negotiables for surviving Sedgefield.

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Even though this has been the golf betting year from hell, I'm officially on a heater after profiting for a second straight PGA TOUR event at last week's Rocket Classic. Unfortunately, I need to hit three straight outrights to get out of the hole: -49.79 units (u) this season.

For the Wyndham, I'm risking 2.06u on outrights and 3u on placements. Without further ado, here are my horses for the course at Sedgefield.

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Wyndham Championship 2026 Bet Slip

The following odds are based on my previous bets on the golfers listed below. Subject to change.

🇰🇷 Tom Kim +3600 at DraftKings (0.56u) and Top-20 with ties +152 at Kalshi (0.75u)

🇰🇷 Sungjae Im +5100 at DraftKings (0.39u) and Top-20 with ties +165 at Kalshi (0.75u)

🇺🇸 Davis Thompson +5800 at DraftKings (0.34u) and Top-10 with ties +398 at Kalshi (0.25u)

🇺🇸 Ben Kohles +5800 at DraftKings (0.34u) and Top-20 with ties +207 at Kalshi (0.5u)

🇺🇸 Blades Brown +7694 (0.26u) and Top-20 with ties +252 (0.5u), both at Kalshi

🇺🇸 Billy Horschel +11500 at DraftKings (0.17u) and Top-20 with ties +398 at Kalshi (0.25u)

Tom Kim

Simply put, Kim has longer odds than guys he is playing better than. In fact, the only reason Tom’s odds aren’t shorter is that he won too recently and the market doesn’t think he can win twice in a short span. But, winning begets more winning.

Furthermore, the South Korean is leading this field in total strokes gained (SG) over his last five starts, according to DataGolf.com. During that stretch, he has a third at the U.S. Open, a win at the Genesis Scottish Open and a T20 at the 3M Open in his last tournament.

Kim won the 2022 Wyndham on debut and withdrew last year in his only other visit to Sedgefield. Bermuda greens are his best putting surface over the last 12 months, per Betsperts Golf. He is leading this field in SG: Approach over the last 36 rounds and ranks third in Par 4 scoring. When you put all that together, anything above +3000 is a good bet for Kim.

Sungjae Im

It’s been a tough year for Im, especially with the irons, as he ranks 149th in SG: Approach on TOUR this season.

However, Sungjae has gained strokes on approach in five of his seven career Wyndhams. He’s made the cut in all seven; Im finished T14-or-better in four of his first five appearances at Sedgefield, with a T6 in 2019, T9 in 2020 and T2 in 2022.

And while Sungjae is having a down year by his standards, he does have several nice finishes, such as T4 at the Valspar Championship, T5 at the Truist Championship, T14 at the British Open and a T15 at the Rocket Classic his last time out.

Finally, Im’s odds at Bookmaker are +3919 at the time of writing, which is important because Bookmaker has a sharp golf betting market.

Davis Thompson

After cashing a top-20 ticket for me by tying for eighth at last week’s Rocket Classic, I’m investing in Thompson again at the Wyndham. He’s improved year over year in his four visits to Sedgefield: Missed cut in 2021, T22 in 2023, T12 in 2024 and T11 last year.

The Georgia Bulldog has gained strokes around-the-green in his four Wyndhams, and he has struggled chipping this year. Thompson has picked up strokes off-the-tee in his four appearances at Sedgefield and he’s gained strokes in driving accuracy in three straight.

Thompson ranks 123rd in putting on TOUR this season, but he has gained strokes on the greens in the last two Wyndhams. Again, the 27-year-old enters this week with good lead-in form: T7 at the 3M Open two weeks ago and T8 last week.

Ben Kohles

Kohles is first in my model at Betsperts Golf. He leads this field in driving accuracy over the last 36 rounds, ranks third in SG: Approach and eighth in Par 4 scoring. Over that span, Kohles has a T23 at the U.S. Open, T3 at the John Deere Classic, T15 at the ISCO Championship and ninth at the 3M Open.

While he has historically been a terrible putter, Kohles has gained strokes on the greens in five of his last six starts, including four straight. If he keeps that up, he’ll be in the mix at Sedgefield this weekend.

OUTKICK SPORTS CARTOON OF THE DAY

Because, again, Kohles is one of the most accurate drivers in golf and dialed in with his irons and putting, approach play and driving are the three most important skills for Sedgefield.

Blades Brown

There has been a youth movement on TOUR in the last two weeks. Jackson Koivun, one of the best college golfers ever, and Michael Thorbjornsen, 2024 PGA TOUR University valedictorian, both broke through for their first wins on TOUR at the 3M Open and Rocket Classic in the past two tournaments.

Brown is another name golf fans should get used to. He is just 19 years old and received a special temporary membership June 2. Brown has been tearing it up on the Korn Ferry Tour and has finished T18-or-better in six of his eight starts on the PGA TOUR this year.

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He’s gained strokes across the board (driving, irons, chipping and putting) in his last two PGA TOUR starts: T12 at the John Deere Classic and T11 at the Corales Puntacana Championship. Brown narrowly missed a putt to shoot a 59 at The American Express in his first start this year.

Billy Horschel

This is another guy with fantastic course history at Sedgefield. Horschel has six T11-or-better finishes in his past seven Wyndham and has gained strokes putting in his last five. Billy Ho has missed the cut in four of his last five starts, including last week’s Rocket Classic.

But Horschel had an eight-tournament streak of gaining strokes on the field with his irons snapped last week, and he’s gained strokes with driving accuracy in six straight, so he was hitting the ball well. Plus, Billy Ho has 10 international wins with eight on the PGA TOUR and two on the DP World (European) Tour.

The bottom line is Horschel’s win equity is much better than his betting odds indicate. He’s a proven winner who has recently flashed the skills needed to win at Sedgefield, hence his strong finishes here.

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2026 Wyndham Championship 'One-and-Done' Pick: Tom Kim

Mayo Cup season standings: 4,442nd with $5,432,536

_____________________________

Follow me on X @Geoffery-Clark, and check out my "OutKick Bets Podcast" for more betting content and random rants.

Takeaways from crucial primary elections across the country and more top headlines

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 07:19:34 -0400

Good morning and welcome to Fox News' morning newsletter, Fox News First. And here's what you need to know to start your day ...

TOP 3

1. Takeaways from crucial primary elections across the country

2. Trump calls Tehran's denial of direct diplomacy 'such a lie'

3. Smithsonian director admits she sees history as ‘tool’ of ‘social justice’

MAJOR HEADLINES

TRIAL BY CLICKS — Luigi Mangione's livestream stunt aims to get influencers to 'pressure' jurors. Continue reading …

ON THE RECORD — Lindsay Clancy strikes evidence deal as fingerprint gap opens trial debate. Continue reading …

DESERT SECRETS — Nancy Guthrie's Tucson neighborhood searched again after monsoon shifts landscape. Continue reading …

PULPIT POWER — Megachurch pastor scores primary win in Kansas, heads for big money showdown. Continue reading …

OFF THE MENU — Nation's largest food distributor makes crucial decision after deadly outbreak. Continue reading …

POLITICS

'MORE THAN WE NEED' — Trump responds to report that Army burned through key missile stockpiles. Continue reading …

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Navy's Blue Angels were the stars of the Seattle Seahawks' first 'Hard Knocks' episode: 'America!'

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 07:07:18 -0400

The Seattle Seahawks are allowing the NFL's annual "Hard Knocks" series to take us behind the scenes and the first episode with the defending Super Bowl champions gave us a peek of the first day of training camp, the first day of padded practice, and the Navy's Blue Angels stealing the show.

The Blue Angels typically play no role in an NFL training camp.

But somehow, at the climax of Tuesday night's episode, there they were roaring across the sky over the Seahawks and making some of the millionaire professional athletes and coaches react like wide-eyed kids.

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More of that in a minute. But firstly, you should know that it is rare for the defending Super Bowl champs to allow dozens of cameras to be placed throughout their training facility and have players and coaches mic'd up so the viewing public (and opponents) can watch their meetings and practices, while listening to typically private conversations.

But the Seahawks are graciously allowing it this year and we saw plenty in this episode, from insights on practice fights, to intel on contracts.

And then we got to Seattle's first padded practice. The last time the Seahawks put on their pads?

"In San Francisco" for Super Bowl LX, coach Mike Macdonald said.

The shot then cuts to the Seahawks, on their field in pads, thudding each other up and perhaps being a little more physical than that ... until you hear the roar of jet engines overhead.

Players and coaches look skyward and six blue and yellow F/A-18s scream past in formation, a trail of white smoke in their wake.

"Yes, America!" Macdonald exclaims. "Blue Angels, baby, let's go!"

"America!" linebacker Ernest Jones IV exclaims.

And this is the moment we see that admiring fans have come to watch the Seahawks practice. And the admiring Seahawks are instead watching the Blue Angels practice for their Aug. 1-2 Boeing Seafair Air Show.

"How can you not watch the Blue Angels?," Macdonald asks rhetorically.

The Navy flight that buzzed the Renton, Washington training facility on the Southeastern shore of Lake Washington lasted much of the football team's first padded practice.

It seemingly served as the soundtrack to the workout.

"Man, we got football, an air show ..." Jones said.

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It was awesome. And when it was over, Macdonald gathered his players in a huddle and delivered a message.

"Tell you what, men, that was a helluva practice," the coach said, "Ain't it great to be back in pads, playing football? It doesn't get better than this, little Seahawks style, America. We got the freaking Blue Angeles!"

The annual HBO series will follow the Seahawks all the way through training camp, the preseason, and until the final roster cuts. The series airs every Tuesday evening and then streams after that.

This 2026 premiere was obviously a little different than most because this episode closed with about two solid minutes of the Blue Angels preparing for their flights instead of the Seahawks preparing for more football.

Priorities.

America.

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Americans deserve to know healthcare prices before the final bill arrives

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 07:00:57 -0400

In an era of political gridlock, at least one clear area of bipartisan common ground continues to exist — the desire for real healthcare price transparency. In fact, a 2025 poll showed 96% of Americans across the political spectrum are in favor of the commonsense idea that you deserve to know the price of healthcare before receiving it. And finally, tangible progress is being made in both chambers of Congress to build upon numerous executive orders and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) rules and make healthcare price transparency the law of the land.

But why is healthcare price transparency so important?

First, healthcare price transparency is a needed initial step to fix the broken healthcare market. It allows for better, more accurate price signals, empowering patients with key information that allows them to shop for non-emergent healthcare goods and services. It also puts public pressure on care providers to justify prices, which may or may not be reasonable. I say let the market work. Ultimately, this drives up competition, which — in turn — lowers prices. In every other industry, we’ve seen this benefit the American consumer — why not healthcare?

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And it is no question that competition driven by transparency is needed. Currently, prices for the exact same procedure can range nearly 10 times, and even the same procedure within a given hospital can have wildly different prices based on backroom negotiations and often arbitrary price tags. But the problem is amplified when the prices not only differ within and across hospitals but are secret to those receiving, and ultimately paying for, the care until the bill arrives weeks to months later. With over 40% of Americans with healthcare debt and more than 40 million Americans on high-deductible health insurance plans, the opaque nature of healthcare billing is simply unacceptable.

Second, we spend about one in every five dollars on healthcare in our economy. That’s a huge amount of money -– about $5.3 trillion. But inherently, spending so much money on healthcare isn’t bad — the better question is: what do we get for the money we spend?

We don’t know.

And a large proportion of our country’s spending is healthcare coverage, including over 150 million Americans who have insurance through their employers. Healthcare is one of the largest costs for employers, if not the largest. But even they don’t know what they get for the money they spend for their employees, nor do they know the price tag of healthcare goods and services up front. And are their employees healthier?

MEDICARE IS ONE OF AMERICA’S GREATEST SUCCESSES — AND A FISCAL TIME BOMB

Healthcare price transparency can improve employer plan management and strategy, removing one element of the "healthcare unknown" and eliminating bureaucratic and inefficient frustrations and waste. The focus for employers can then move to demanding insights on quality of care, a logical next step to build upon price transparency. Healthcare price transparency is a signal that secrecy within healthcare will no longer be tolerated. By marrying both transparent prices and the push for transparency around the clinical outcomes most important to patients, employers can ensure they are getting the most value for their money spent.

And this doesn’t just help employers. Savings on employer health insurance plans mean more money in employee pockets through higher take-home wages not spent on coverage. With a family of four spending about $27,000 per year on health insurance, that’s a lot of money families across America desperately need.

Lastly, healthcare price transparency efforts will not only help everyday Americans today but accelerate innovation. When competition exists, innovation follows, as organizations try to differentiate themselves and get an edge over our competitors. From care delivery model improvements, including the use of AI, to entrepreneurs making the healthcare price transparency data easier for everyday Americans to quickly digest, the possibilities are numerous.

Not only does healthcare price transparency give power back to the healthcare consumer, but the data on savings are clear. Studies demonstrate the potential savings are in the billions of dollars, with one study from the University of Minnesota estimating savings between $17 billion to $80 billion. Another study from Brown University estimates about $120 billion (with a plausible range of $25 billion to $270 billion) of savings over time.

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The evidence continues to grow in support of healthcare price transparency. It’s a bold, necessary start in "fixing" healthcare. So, now Congress must act.

It is past time for healthcare price transparency to be the law of the land, not just a collection of executive orders and CMS rules. And nearly all of America agrees.

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The opinions, thoughts, and ideas expressed in this article are those of the authors only and not necessarily those of any employers or institutions of which they are affiliated.

5 reasons more Americans are cutting off their own parents, according to psychologist

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 07:00:45 -0400

Cutting off family members is becoming more and more common, leading experts to consider the drivers of the division.

A 2025 YouGov survey found that 38% of U.S. adults are estranged from at least one family member, including siblings, parents, children or grandparents.

Based on his research and work in the field of family estrangement, Dr. Richard L. Blake, a British psychologist and author based in Austin, Texas, shared the following five factors that he believes commonly contribute to fractured family relationships.

'DOORMAT MOM' CUT OFF BY DAUGHTER AMID ESTRANGEMENT TREND: ‘COMPLETELY BLINDSIDED’

No. 1: Political and value differences

A longstanding study of more than 2,000 mother-adult child relationships found that "value dissimilarity" was a strong predictor of estrangement, suggesting that differing beliefs may play a large role in family rifts.

"That could be political values, that could be gender ideology," Blake told Fox News Digital.

"There were people more likely to cut off someone for having a different opinion than for people who have done serious violent crimes," he said. "So certainly, political differences are a big problem."

No. 2: Social media influence

Heavy social media use has been linked to poorer parent-child relationships. A study of nearly 9,800 teens found that spending more than two hours a day on social media was linked to significantly greater odds of negative relationships with one or both parents.

Blake believes social media may also normalize family estrangement by exposing users to viral "no contact" stories and encouraging what he described as "word-of-mouth mimicry."

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"Someone might see a video on TikTok — 'I cut off my parents, and I'm much happier now. They were toxic narcissistic boundary crossers. And now I'm great,'" he said. "And people mimic that. Or they think, 'Oh, this person's getting a lot of attention.'"

Although he acknowledged that there are no long-term studies that have definitively documented an increase, "that doesn't mean absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence."

According to Blake, society has shifted away from what he described as a "dignity culture" toward one that places greater value on "victim culture."

"So now it's a race to the bottom," he said. "If you don't have enough victim status because of the way you were born, you can create a victim status by suggesting your parents abused you or neglected you … and therefore you have value, a reason to cut them off."

No. 3: ‘Therapy culture'

The expert also pointed to what he described as "therapy culture," claiming that changing attitudes toward trauma and abuse have influenced how some people view relationships with their parents.

"Another justification is, ‘I cut off my parents to protect my mental health’ — and this is a sort of false belief," he told Fox News Digital. "There is this huge bias that if you're struggling in your adult life, it must be because your parents did something they shouldn't or didn't do something."

Blake argued that family relationships remain one of the strongest protective factors for mental health.

"Families are one of the most evidence-based buffers against mental illness," he said. "There’s this myth that families are not important."

The psychologist pointed to a well-known Minnesota study of adopted twins, which found that twins often resembled their biological parents more than the adoptive parents who raised them.

BECKHAM FAMILY FEUD: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT BROOKLYN'S WIFE, BILLIONAIRE HEIRESS NICOLA PELTZ

He also cited a 2024 study led by German sociologist Karsten Hank, which found that adults estranged from parents or siblings reported lower life satisfaction and more depressive symptoms than those who maintained family relationships.

"So it seems like it's certainly a health event for parents who get cut off, and it's probably a negative health event for the kids or the adult children who are doing the cutoff," he said. "It's this lie they're getting sold on social media: ‘Cut off your parents and your mental health will be better.’"

No. 4: Communication breakdowns

The way families communicate during conflict can determine whether disagreements escalate into long-term estrangement, according to Blake.

It’s important to listen first, he said, noting that "hostage negotiation" can be useful in these scenarios.

"[That means] listening to the other person and then repeating back what they said as you understood it and validating that … and then waiting until that person's really finished before you give your side of it."

Blake also raised the issue of "moralized language," or "therapy words" that get thrown at parents — "such as abuse, toxic, boundaries, narcissists, gaslighting."

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"When you use moralized language like that, compromise becomes far more difficult," he said.

"So I tell parents to pause before they really react ... and then say back, ‘Okay, you've used the word toxic. Can you describe the behavior or behaviors that you consider to be toxic?’ Then you're dealing with facts and events, rather than who’s a better person or who's the worst person."

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The psychologist also recommends starting with "I" statements rather than using the word "you," and also avoid using the words "always" and "never."

No. 5: Outside influences

Finally, Blake said that outside influences — including romantic partners and evolving parenting philosophies — can also contribute to family estrangement.

Those outside influences may differ by gender, he noted, with romantic partners often playing a larger role for men.

As an example, Blake pointed to public figures such as Brooklyn Beckham and Prince Harry, suggesting that romantic partners can sometimes influence how people view their relationships with family members.

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Conflicting parenting philosophies may also strain family relationships, as adult children and grandparents sometimes disagree over how children should be raised, according to Blake.

"Parenting styles are obviously different, and they've changed a lot over the last few years," he said.

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"If you look at the outcomes of the gentle parenting or the permissive parenting that we've slipped into, we have the most mentally ill generation in history, the least fit for adulthood," Blake suggested. "Perhaps we should be learning from our grandparents more than the therapists."

Back to school should not mean back to fear for Jewish students

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 07:00:24 -0400

It’s back to school time and many Jewish families are worried about much more than just shopping for new shoes and school supplies. They are concerned that their children may not be safe because they are Jewish.

Alongside math and reading, school is where children learn where they fit into society and whether the surrounding adults will protect them, but the recent rise in antisemitic threats and violence is putting all of that in jeopardy.

According to the New York Police Department, antisemitic hate crimes increased by 8.5% in New York City in the first seven months of 2026. The majority of hate crimes in the city were anti-Jewish, despite Jewish New Yorkers being only a tenth of the population.

ANTISEMITISM CONTROVERSY ERUPTS AT ELITE NY HIGH SCHOOL AFTER ISRAEL FLYER FOUND IN URINAL

But it’s not just a New York problem.

Recent FBI statistics show that, although Jews make up only 2% of the U.S. population, they were the victims of 16% of all reported hate crimes and nearly 70% of all religion-based hate crimes.

And 10% of those crimes happened in schools. Antisemitic incidents at K-12 schools have increased 434% since 2020.

While rising antisemitism has resulted in real-world violence that directly impacts the Jewish community, it is a problem for our entire society and requires a whole-of-society response, with our cultural and political leaders stepping up.

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Online platforms must enforce their own rules against incitement and threats. Research has found that 74% of Americans who encountered antisemitism saw or heard it online or on social media. Two thirds of Jewish adults who experienced this did not report it because they did not think anything would be done.

Imagine how much more profound this is for both Jewish and non-Jewish children. Students often carry what they see online into their real lives. A culture that excuses online antisemitism eventually meets students at the school locker, the bus stop and the classroom.

Schools cannot solve every social failure, but they can set the standard for how a free society responds to hate.

The U.S. Department of Education issued a letter reminding schools "Title VI protects all students, including students who are or are perceived to be Jewish, from discrimination," and that "schools must take immediate and appropriate action to respond to harassment that creates a hostile environment."

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Administrators should say plainly that antisemitism is unacceptable, whether it appears as a threat, a slur, a swastika, harassment over Jewish identity or intimidation tied to Israel or Zionism.

Further, education must be more than a one-off assembly after an incident. Students should learn what antisemitism is, how it mutates across political movements, conspiracy theories and social media trends and why targeting Jews corrodes civic life for everyone.

Schools and law enforcement should coordinate before a crisis. Every school that serves Jewish students should have a clear plan for reporting threats, preserving evidence, communicating with families and protecting students who are targeted. This means treating credible threats and hate crimes as serious matters from the start.

Importantly, safety has to be treated as a public responsibility, not a private surcharge on Jewish families. My organization, Teach Coalition, has found that Jewish schools spend more than $400,000 a year on security, more than $1,000 per student, money that could otherwise support teachers, scholarships, mental health services and academic programs.

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Public funding must meet the scale of the threat. The FEMA Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) helps nonprofits at high risk of terrorist attack, providing $274.5 million for security measures last year. But only 27% of 2025 applications were approved.

If threats are rising and three-quarters of qualified applicants are turned away, Congress should quadruple NSGP funding to a billion dollars and make the process faster and more predictable.

Leaders should stop treating antisemitism as someone else’s problem. School boards, governors, mayors, clergy, union leaders, parent associations and cultural figures all shape the norms children absorb.

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A whole-of-society response means better education, stronger security, lawful accountability, responsible technology and the moral clarity to say that Jewish students should never have to hide who they are in order to learn.

Suspects in deadly Connecticut home invasion arrested in attack that rocked beach town

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 07:00:20 -0400

A suspect involved in a deadly home invasion in a coastal Connecticut beach town was captured by U.S. Marshals in New York following a two-month investigation.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Marshals New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force (NYNJRFTF) announced they had arrested Ivan Barias-Florimon, 24, in the Bronx after they identified him last week as the second suspect involved in the June 3 shooting death of Frederick Raymond Werner, 69.

Werner and his wife were shot inside their Milford, Connecticut, home on June 3 after police say Barias-Florimon and another suspect, Stuar Lopez-Reyes, 25, broke into the couple's home on East Broadway and began shooting at the victims.

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Werner's wife was shot in the head, and is still recovering in the hospital, FOX61 reports.

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Barias-Florimon is facing charges of:

Felony murder
Conspiracy to commit murder
Home invasion
Attempted murder
First-degree assault on an elderly person

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Milford Police said the attack was not a "random act of violence" and may have been targeted.

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U.S. Marshals, along with Milford and New Haven police, arrested Lopez-Reyes on Thursday in connection to the crime.

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An obituary for Werner said: "Fred embraced life to the fullest. He loved spending time on the golf course, boating on the water, relaxing by his pool, and soaking up the sunshine. The ocean was one of his favorite places, where he found peace and happiness."

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New York Criminal Court records indicate Barias-Florimon was arraigned Tuesday, when a judge ordered that he be remanded without bail. He is due back in court Aug. 18.

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As for Lopez-Reyes, he is being held in a Bridgeport, Connecticut, jail cell on a $3 million bond and is due to appear in court on Aug. 11.

Werner is survived by his wife, his sister, two daughters and three grandchildren.

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The investigation into the case is ongoing.

NCAA softball player reveals alleged encounter with pro-trans counterprotesters at Sophie Cunningham rally

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 06:58:12 -0400

Kendall Kotzmacher returned from college to her home state on Sunday to attend a Sophie Cunningham rally in Minneapolis.

She made the trip home to Minnesota just more than year after her final high school softball game in the state ended in a championship defeat to a transgender pitcher, who also hit a double to help win the game.

Kotzmacher, who is set to play for Colorado Christian this upcoming year, stood alongside Riley Gaines, Michelle Tafoya and Jennifer Sey, as they led the the third rally in support of Cunningham in the span of one week. Counterprotesters had appeared the previous two rallies for Cunningham. But Sunday saw a different degree of agitation compared to the first two.

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Kotzmacher was caught right in the middle of it.

A pro-transgender protester at the rally allegedly approached with a megaphone and unleashed insults at the group. One remark was directed at Kotzmacher in front of her mother and sister.

"He had a megaphone and was just yelling everything about how awful people we are," Kotzmacher told Fox News Digital. "At one point, I got told that I should’ve been aborted when I was younger."

Kotzmacher said she had previously received hostile messages online after speaking publicly about competing against a transgender athlete. Sunday marked the first time she encountered that level of hostility in person.

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"I’ve gotten so many hate texts, death threats, people commenting on my posts, all of that stuff," she said. "So at this point, I’m kind of used to it, but it was definitely weird for them to be able to hear it and be like, ‘Oh, people are actually like this. Someone has enough to say this out loud to a person.’

"They have no rebuttal to what we’re standing for," she added. "They have nothing to go against what we’re trying to say, and so they just go back to calling us names."

The confrontation allegedly grew more physical when Gaines arrived shortly before the game. Kotzmacher said Gaines had initially planned to attend the entire rally but delayed her appearance because of safety concerns.

Kotzmacher alleged police officers nearby did not intervene and said a male bystander started to push people around.

VALKYRIES COACH NATALIE NAKASE DEFENDS TRANS ATHLETES IN WOMEN'S SPORTS AS CULTURE WAR ENGULFS WNBA

"A man, just a bystander, had to push him out of the way while the cops watched all this happen," she said.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Minneapolis Police Department for a response.

Kotzmacher said she and her family took precautions before traveling into Minneapolis, including parking near the arena and making sure no one walked alone. Once she joined the larger crowd, however, she felt safer.

"I remember talking to my mom, and I was like, ‘Okay, we need to make sure that we’re being smart. We’re parking near where we’re walking, making sure that we’re never alone,’" she said. "Once we got there and I was in a big enough group, I was like, ‘Okay, I’m with a crowd. I’m going to be okay.’"

Another women's sports activist who was there, Amy Sousa, had her own experience with the counterprotesters, and even claims to have had a civil conversation with one.

"The opposition in Minneapolis showed up as they always do, trying to drown out women’s voices with megaphones and sound machines. This time, as I calmly stood in front of this woman with her megaphone, I simply asked her to tell me what she thinks I believe so I could tell her what I actually believe," Sousa said.

"After explaining that I’m a Democrat and my position is pro-women and girls on the basis of sex she admitted 'that’s a little bit different,' than what she thought. She ended up agreeing with me. My colleague Kara Dansky has always said, 'if we can be heard, we will win.' And this conversation proves that’s true.

And despite the confrontations, Kotzmacher said rally supporters received more positive feedback, privately.

"There were so many people that were supportive of us," she said. "I got so many compliments on our shirt. Everyone got so many compliments on what we’re doing. But in the media, they go to show everyone against us, which is kind of funny to see, because if you were there, it wasn’t that way at all."

The dueling demonstrations continued inside Target Center. Cunningham was booed when she touched the ball, while fans wearing shirts supporting transgender athletes appeared throughout the arena.

Kotzmacher, who sat in the upper level, alleged the arena’s video board repeatedly featured fans with pro-transgender messages but avoided showing Cunningham supporters and their shirts.

"Every time that the jumbotron was on, it was showing people with pro-trans signs or shirts, or anything like that, of them cheering," she said. "Even when Sophie was getting booed, they would put the jumbotron on people booing her."

RILEY GAINES SAYS TARGET CENTER STAFFER TRIED TO SHUT DOWN HER SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM SIGN

Kotzmacher argued that the presentation did not reflect the full reaction inside the arena.

"There were so many people that cheered for her, but the media only paid attention to the negative parts," she said.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Lynx for a response.

She also said the atmosphere became more welcoming after rally attendees entered the building. Fans stopped Kotzmacher to praise her shirt, while others asked to take pictures with Gaines.

"Once we got in there, most people stopped," Kotzmacher said of the hostility. "So many people stopped us to say, ‘This is great what you’re doing,’ or even to take pictures with Riley. So once we got in, it was really supportive."

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But the hostility resurfaced after the Lynx defeated the Fever. Kotzmacher said people leaving the arena pointed, laughed and taunted her group over Indiana’s loss and Cunningham’s performance.

"Someone’s like, ‘Ha, you lost,’" Kotzmacher said. "We got pointed at or laughed at. Individuals were like, ‘Ha, you guys lost. How many points did Sophie have today?’"

Kotzmacher thought back to her final high school softball game in the state championship.

The trans pitcher held Kotzmacher's team to just two runs on seven innings, then hit a double in the final inning to set up the winning run.

Kotzmacher fell into her little sister's arms sobbing after the walk-off loss. The loss later ignited the feud between Simone Biles and Riley Gaines last June after Gaines posted about the championship that same day.

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Kotzmacher has since gone on to do multiple televised interviews about her experience, and has signed a brand ambassador deal with XX-XY Athletics as an NIL athlete.

Now, as Kotzmacher continues her college softball career at Colorado Christian, she plans to continue advocating for the protection of women's sports.

Hillary Clinton appears mesmerized by WNBA team's dancing elephant mascot

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 06:49:41 -0400

Love it or hate it, there are a lot of eyeballs on the WNBA these days, and where there are eyeballs, you can be sure Hillary Clinton and her armada of pantsuits are going to show up at some point.

That point was on Monday, with the former first lady, secretary of state, senator and 2016 presidential election loser showing up to watch the New York Liberty take on the Seattle Storm.

But Clinton may not even remember a basketball game taking place, because it sure looked like her favorite part of the night involved the Liberty's dancing elephant.

Clinton sat next to team owner Clara Tsai in some courtside seats during the game. She also took some time to chat with stars like Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu.

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But the biggest star of all was Liberty mascot Ellie.

Yes, Ellie the Elephant ... they must have been up against their lunch break when they were working on that name.

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But, Ellie is one of the WNBA's premier mascots, up there with What's-its-name, and that other one.

And, when you see what this hoops-loving pachyderm can do — and more importantly, Clinton's reaction to it — you'll understand,

Now, that was very impressive mascottery... but I've also seen the clip of Clinton reacting to falling balloons at the 2016 Democratic National Convention as if she had just walked into Willy Wonka's factory.

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She looked like she was having the time of her life. I bet if you asked her, she'd tell you that person in an elephant costume doing a headstand was the best show she has seen since she went to see "Some Like It Hot" on Broadway and stayed until the end even after someone ripped a deuce in the aisle.

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But I think we can all agree: the Broadway adaptation of a Marilyn Monroe classic is now an anthropomorphic elephant waving its legs in the air at halftime of a WNBA game ... it might be better.

Sports cartoons of the day

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 11:08:52 -0400

GOP governor endorses candidate challenging Trump-backed congressman in Republican US House primary

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 06:03:17 -0400

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee endorsed former state Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, the candidate running against President Donald Trump-backed U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles in a Republican U.S. House primary.

"Charlie Hatcher and I have been friends for 25 years," Lee said in a video, noting that "for seven years, he served as my commissioner of agriculture. I know Charlie. I know his conservative values and how much he loves our country."

Lee asserted that Hatcher "has stood with President Trump since day one."

TOP TRUMP ALLY WARNS SUPER PAC BANKROLLED BY DEM BILLIONAIRE IS MEDDLING IN HIS GOP PRIMARY

The governor's last-minute endorsement on Tuesday came just ahead of the August 6 primary but after early voting in the contest had already ended.

"Join me in voting for Charlie Hatcher this Thursday, August 6," Lee said in the video.

In part of a Facebook post that featured the governor's video, Hatcher noted, "I am deeply honored to receive the endorsement of my longtime friend, Governor Bill Lee. Bill and I have known each other for decades, and I have tremendous respect for his faith, his leadership, and his commitment to serving the people of Tennessee.

TRUMP ALLIES NOTCH REDISTRICTING WIN AS JUDGES FIND NO 'SMOKING GUN' TO SCRAP RED STATE MAP

"I especially appreciate the faith he placed in me when he appointed me to serve as Tennessee’s Commissioner of Agriculture. It was an honor to serve in his administration and work on behalf of Tennessee’s farmers, families, and rural communities," he noted in the post.

Ogles has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since early 2023.

HOUSE REPUBLICAN SAYS STAFFER 'REPRIMANDED' OVER 'HURTFUL' POST SLAMMING HOMOSEXUALITY DURING PRIDE MONTH

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Trump endorsed him for re-election last year, calling him "a Conservative Warrior."

Century-old Italian ice recipe is creating childhood memories for a whole new generation

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 06:00:51 -0400

What started in 1915 as a neighborhood Italian ice shop without a sign is ready to expand nationwide by offering franchises.

"It was one of those, 'If you know, you know. It's that little green shack,'" DiCosmo's Italian Ice owner Eileen O'Connor told Fox News Digital of the original Elizabeth, New Jersey, location.

Now a community institution in Metuchen, New Jersey, DiCosmo's is hoping like-minded businesspeople will carry on their tradition by opening Italian ice shops in other places, with particular interest in franchises along the Eastern Seaboard and in warm-weather states, where shops can stay open longer.

$20 FROZEN YOGURT? PROTEIN-PACKED DESSERT CRAZE HAS CUSTOMERS LINING UP

O'Connor's great-grandparents emigrated from Italy and settled in New Jersey.

"The story goes that it was a particularly hot summer, and my grandmother was looking for something similar to the granita she had had in Italy," O'Connor said. "She wanted something refreshing."

Granita is an icy dessert made with water, sugar and flavorings, such as lemon, coffee or almond. It's popular in Sicily, where it's commonly eaten for breakfast with a sweet, warm brioche bun.

The DiCosmo family had a little corner store in Elizabeth. It was there, O'Connor said, that her great-grandmother came up with a recipe to recreate the granita she missed using the fruits available at the local market, which happened to be lemon, the traditional flavor in Italy.

The original recipe, a hand-squeezed and hand-churned mixture of fruit, water and sugar, hasn't changed in four generations.

AMERICA'S FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR REVEALED AS ONE CLASSIC TOPS EVERY STATE

"I can't mess with an 111-year-old lemon-ice recipe," O’Connor said. "We have generations of customers who are coming [to the shop]. They'll know."

DiCosmo's simple, high-quality ingredients, the company's authenticity and its family heritage are what's led the business to endure, O'Connor said.

"I squeeze every lemon by hand, and [the Italian ice] is made in small batches," she said. "The quality control is bar none. We use real fruit, sugar and water, and that's what you taste. The fruit bursts in your mouth with flavor. It's not overly sweet."

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The longer the mixture is kept cold, the bigger the ice crystals get, resulting in a different texture, O'Connor said.

Because the icy treat is made fresh throughout the day, it maintains its smooth consistency, she said. It's also the reason DiCosmo's is seeking franchisees — not space in the freezer aisles of retailers.

"There are no stabilizers or emulsifiers; that would make [the ice] freeze solid," she said.

"That's not what we're known for. We're known for our really clean, authentic fruit flavors and that texture where it melts in your mouth. To maintain standards, the same flavor and consistency, it has to be made fresh at each location."

O'Connor's parents transitioned the family store to an exclusive Italian ice shop, and new flavors, along with a machine to churn the ice mixture, were added along the way.

"If I stop doing this — and I love what I make — DiCosmo's stops," O'Connor said that she recalled one weekend while working at the shop prior to taking over the family business.

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DiCosmo's is "a true, fun, summertime experience," O'Connor said.

"It's nostalgic. It tastes like something you might have had in your childhood."

Creating a satisfying treat that people enjoy "motivates me," she added.

"It makes me feel proud," she said, crediting her "great team of employees" with the business' success.

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Being a welcoming place for the community to gather is "so satisfying," she said.

"I didn't know it's what I wanted to do from the start, but I'm so glad I was born into this family where I can do this," O'Connor said.

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Since offering franchise opportunities recently, DiCosmo's has received several inquiries, O'Connor said.

Luigi Mangione's livestream stunt aims to get influencers to 'pressure' jurors: former prosecutor

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 06:00:50 -0400

Luigi Mangione's push to livestream his murder trial isn't about transparency, it's a stunt designed to pressure jurors, a former federal prosecutor is arguing.

Lawyers for the accused UnitedHealthcare CEO assassin argued in a Friday filing that the media access rules for his state trial are unconstitutional, and said the proceedings should be livestreamed.

Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Mangione's attorney, said that her team wasn't consulted on media access for the upcoming September trial, and only became aware of a document titled "Media Access: PSNY v. Mangione" from an independent journalist on X.

MANGIONE LAWYERS SAY MEDIA LIMITS AT MURDER TRIAL ARE UNCONSTITUTIONAL, FEAR COURT WILL 'HAND-PICK' PRESS

Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani, president of West Coast Trial Lawyers, told Fox News Digital he believes Mangione's attorneys want all trial proceedings to be livestreamed to pressure jurors, noting it's unusual for defendants to want more publicity.

"The conventional wisdom is that the defense usually doesn't want high-profile cases broadcast. It can put implicit pressure on jurors to return a guilty verdict," Rahmani said. "Mangione is probably the most popular accused murderer that I've ever covered in the past 25 years. Has a fan base. There's upwards of 10 to 20 percent of the people who have been surveyed who believe that even if he did it, it was justified. And I think the defense knows this, and they know that more attention creates the possibility of jury nullification, or maybe even an acquittal."

PALISADES FIRE DEADLOCK FUELS FEAR THAT IDEOLOGY IS CREEPING INTO JURY BOX — AND MANGIONE COULD BE NEXT

Rahmani said the defense is counting on influencers to do what a courtroom sketch never could: keep the case viral.

"Obviously, those handwritten sketches, they're not as interesting as clips that you can post on TikTok or Instagram Reels. The defense knows this, and they want to take advantage of that influencer content and those viral videos," Rahmani said.

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Rahmani's argument tracks with the behavior of Mangione's supporters, who have lined up outside federal and state courthouses for a chance to see the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. One woman, Ashley, part of a group calling itself "The Mangionistas," told the New York Post she camped outside the court in December, and said it wasn't her first time.

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"I froze my a-- off last time so I brought a heater, a tent, everything," another individual said.

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Rahmani said the strategy by Mangione's attorneys is to hopefully get enough influencers talking about the case to the point where it impacts jurors.

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"Jurors are supposed to decide the case solely based on the facts and evidence in the case, and they certainly shouldn't be on social media or AI or Google getting information about the case. But jurors are ordinary people, and they can't help but be influenced by these outside voices," he said. "And the defense knows this, and they know that more media attention likely means pressure on the jurors or potentially people that may be stealth jurors that may want to get on the panel to actually free Luigi in this case."

MANHATTAN DA'S OFFICE SAYS LUIGI MANGIONE DEFENSE SPREAD FALSE CLAIMS ABOUT MURDER TRIAL MEDIA PLAN

While Rahmani said it's clear what the defense is trying to do, their entire argument for getting the trial livestreamed is a stunt because New York state law prohibits it.

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"There's no world where the defense is gonna get its request unless New York law changes or the judge does something extraordinary," Rahmani said. "People will think that there's some sort of cover-up because they've seen other high-profile trials livestreamed and they think that people may think that Luigi Mangione is not getting a fair trial because there's a lack of transparency."

Fox News Digital reached out to Mangione's attorneys for comment.

Mamdani faces questions over ties to outlet accused of antisemitic tropes

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 06:00:12 -0400

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing questions about his relationship with Uncivilized Media, a Qatar-based controversial outlet that has been accused of spreading antisemitic conspiracy theories.

Mamdani sat with the Uncivilized Media in 2023, and Fox News Digital found that he was still following the account on Instagram as of July 24, 2026. However, he appeared to have unfollowed the account, and as of July 27, 2026, he was no longer listed as a follower on Instagram. However, clips from his interview with Uncivilized Media were shared as collaborative posts on Instagram, meaning they appeared on both Mamdani's account and the outlet's account.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and other experts on online antisemitism say that Uncivilized Media has produced content accusing Jews and Israelis of seeking global domination, being inherently colonialist and controlling the media, among other conspiracy theories. The organization noted several examples of what it said was Uncivilized Media pushing antisemitic tropes, including a July 2026 video in which Uncivilized Media accused Israelis of attempting to "colonize the world."

MAMDANI’S ‘DERANGED’ ISRAEL TAKE RESURFACES AS HE TARGETS NETANYAHU

Oren Segal, the ADL's senior vice president of counter-extremism and intelligence, told Fox News Digital that Uncivilized Media routinely promotes "classic tropes about Jews" in its content. He said that while the outlet's interviews with Mamdani did not focus on these conspiracies, some Jewish New Yorkers have wondered how exactly the mayor's views diverge from those held by the outlet.

"When one appears on any platform, it kind of normalizes the rest of the content that is out there," Segal told Fox News Digital, adding that neither he nor the ADL were accusing Mamdani of promoting or endorsing all of Uncivilized Media's content.

"What we are saying is that the connections between him and this particular digital entity raise questions for many New Yorkers who are curious as to whether the rest of the programming on there is something he believes in," Segal added.

In his interview with Uncivilized Media, which was originally posted on Sept. 11, 2023, Mamdani said the issue of the Palestinians was "central to my identity," framing it as a struggle for freedom.

"We say we care about freedom and justice and self-determination and yet, for some reason, we draw a line when it comes to Palestinians," Mamdani said.

He also spoke about how his background played a role in his views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"When you grow up as someone especially in the Third World, you have a very different understanding of the Palestinian struggle. It is one that is framed in terms of empathy and solidarity," Mamdani, who moved to New York at age seven, told the outlet.

In another video, which was posted days after the first clip, Mamdani said that progressive views and Muslim beliefs were in "inherent solidarity." He also identified himself as a socialist and "not simply progressive."

MAMDANI DOUBLES DOWN ON DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM WHILE INSISTING WALL STREET, BUSINESS LEADERS CAN WORK WITH HIM

"What we also have now is a fight over what it means to be Muslim and what those Muslim values are. And I think that there is an attempt to frame those values [in opposition] to certain core progressive tenets," he said. "This idea of a single story that Muslims stand in opposition to queer rights, it attempts to flatten out a community whose history goes beyond hundreds of years in more than hundreds of countries."

The resurfacing of Mamdani's appearance with the outlet sparked concerns among some Jewish New Yorkers who believe their community's relationship with City Hall has deteriorated. Segal suggested that Mamdani could put worried New Yorkers at ease by publicly denouncing Uncivilized Media's spreading of antisemitic conspiracy theories.

"If Mayor Mamdani claims that he is building a better New York when there's many Jewish residents who consistently feel unheard, I think it's fair to ask him to clarify whether this program, that he has appeared on, represents his views on Israelis more broadly in terms of their content," Segal said.

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The renewed scrutiny of Mamdani came after his statement last month on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In a video announcing that he did not have the legal authority to arrest the Israeli leader, Mamdani accused Netanyahu of being "a war criminal" and "the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people."

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Neither Mamdani's office nor Uncivilized Media responded to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

10-year-old boy recounts near-drowning as family reveals friendship with California teen lifeguard hero

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 06:00:02 -0400

The 10-year-old boy who nearly drowned after being swept into monster surf in Santa Cruz, California, late last month is sharing new details about the harrowing rescue that led to an unlikely friendship between his family and the teenage lifeguard who pulled him from the water.

Speaking to Fox News Digital, Nathaniel Rai said he lost consciousness and stopped breathing as 16-year-old California State Lifeguard Ryder Williams pulled him from the raging surf in a dramatic rescue captured on viral video. After being brought back to shore, Nathaniel began coughing up sand.

"Two more seconds in the water, he would be thrown another 15, 20 feet out," Nathaniel’s father, Sumit Rai, said. "And at that point, he'd be so far out, you can't see him, let alone rescue or retrieve him. And so he was in a near-death scenario."

Sumit said he is now Ryder's "biggest fan," adding that both families were contacted by the White House about honoring the teenager. He said he would fully support any recognition for Ryder, whom he now considers part of their "extended family."

TRUMP SAYS HEROIC TEEN LIFEGUARD WHO SAVED BOY FROM TOWERING WAVES DESERVES WHITE HOUSE HONOR

According to the Rai family, the terrifying ordeal unfolded during what was supposed to be a relaxing beach vacation from Dallas with Nathaniel, his mother, Annam, and his 8-year-old sister.

Nathaniel said he was at the shallow end and had no intention of going deeper when a massive wave suddenly crashed over him.

"I started screaming for help," Nathaniel said. "I think I saw the lifeguard and then passed out."

Sumit said Ryder then swooped in with extreme determination, maintaining a firm grip on Nathaniel throughout the rescue, knowing that even a momentary loss of control could have sent the boy farther out into the dangerous surf.

"He was limp and unconscious in the water at that time when Ryder was holding him, which is really difficult to do, because he's carrying about 100 pounds of essentially dead weight through that current and those water forces," Sumit added.

By the time Nathaniel was brought back to the beach, he had regained consciousness and was breathing again, but he was coughing up sand that had entered his lungs. Emergency personnel evaluated him and warned the family about "secondary drowning," potentially life-threatening complications that can develop hours after a drowning event.

Sumit said he was in Dallas when he learned what happened, but the viral video of the rescue added another layer of shock to the frightening ordeal.

"It was terrifying," he said. "When you look at that, you look at him submerged under the water, you look at the water conditions, the rip tides, the rip currents, the undertows, the 10-foot waves. I mean those are deadly water conditions."

CALIFORNIA LIFEGUARD SPEAKS OUT ON HEARTSTOPPING OCEAN RESCUE: 'I LOVE WHAT I DO'

The father said he remains deeply grateful for Ryder's courage and determination, adding that he has become the teenager's biggest supporter, especially after President Donald Trump publicly suggested honoring him for his heroic efforts.

"I'm a fan of every single medal, award, honor, or recognition that he can get," Sumit said. "I'm 1 billion percent behind it. I am by far his biggest fan, and so I'd love to be there and advocate for him and support him."

After Nathaniel returned to Texas, the two families have reportedly developed a close bond, with Sumit saying Ryder and his family now feel like an extension of his own.

Sumit reportedly connected with Ryder's father, Shane, for a lengthy phone call, and the two have remained in daily contact.

Both parents have also discussed attending a UFC fight together after discovering their shared passion for UFC and MMA. Nathaniel has trained in MMA since he was 4 years old and is a Jiu-Jitsu champion at the U.S. Open Jiu-Jitsu World League.

"He liked UFC fights, like me and my dad and his dad," Nathaniel said.

"One of the things we're planning to do is all go to a fight together and meet up for that. So the four of us will go," his dad added.

According to Sumit, Ryder's father, Shane, is a retired firefighter, while Ryder hopes to follow in his father's footsteps and become one.

Coincidentally, Sumit runs Cancer Check Labs, a charity and business that screens firefighters for cancer risks associated with their profession.

Nathaniel has also been involved with the organization for several years, participating in lab work, exhibitions and even conferences, his father said.

"There were just multiple areas that we were connecting," Sumit said. "I think that's a bond that we're going to have for the rest of our lives. I think of them like an extended family at this point. Even I haven't even met them, which is kind of surreal. I'm looking forward to meeting them soon."

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Nathaniel, who is preparing to enter sixth grade, said he is happy to be back in Dallas spending the rest of the summer with his father. In his downtime, he enjoys playing chess, watching movies and playing board games like Monopoly with his dad.

Iran’s regime won’t negotiate in good faith. Trump must break its grip

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 05:00:47 -0400

At Camp David, President Donald Trump signaled that Washington is entering a more dangerous phase in its confrontation with Iran. The objective is seemingly no longer limited to dismantling Iran’s nuclear infrastructure; it is now to weaken the Islamic Republic’s ability to govern, sustain itself and ultimately survive.

America’s strategy toward Iran is undergoing its most significant shift in decades. The objective is apparently no longer simply to destroy Tehran’s nuclear program, but to systematically degrade the regime’s capacity to govern and sustain itself. At Camp David, President Donald Trump said the United States is prepared to intensify military pressure, warning that Washington would "hit them very hard" until the regime reaches a point where it "can’t go on anymore."

Trump’s repeated cancellations of planned large-scale strikes have raised questions about U.S. credibility and strategic coherence. Meanwhile, Tehran — backed by Moscow and Beijing — is exploiting that uncertainty, while Trump appears to be placing his hopes on a faction within Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

IRANIANS SPEAK OUT OVER POSSIBLE TRUMP-REGIME DEAL

Many Iranians would welcome the ruling establishment’s humiliation, defeat and eventual surrender. Although disrupting the regime’s critical infrastructure would impose temporary hardships, many opponents of the Islamic Republic see such suffering as the pain of childbirth — a difficult but necessary transition that could ultimately bring about the regime’s collapse.

Meanwhile, Tehran’s propaganda machine has threatened broad retaliation, warning that attacks on critical infrastructure will provoke a severe response. These statements indirectly acknowledge the regime’s preparation for a wider confrontation with the United States and Israel. They also raise the possibility that Tehran could activate dormant terrorist cells and other asymmetric assets in the United States and across the West — an arena in which the Islamic Republic has decades of experience.

The Iranian people are entering an even deeper period of hardship as the regime steadily loses control over large parts of the country. It could spiral into chaos at any moment. If, after the regime's collapse, a figure such as Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi does not lead a transitional government, Iran could face a bloodbath. The remnants of the Islamic Republic are likely to regroup through mosques and underground terrorist networks, preserving their ideology and continuing their campaign by other means. This risk cannot be ignored.

The current White House has shown no serious commitment to regime change in Iran. Defeating Islamist terrorism requires political resolve, strategic clarity and a clear understanding of the threat. More than two decades into the 21st century, Washington has failed to defeat a regime that continues to serve the strategic interests of Moscow and Beijing, while much of Europe remains detached from reality. Israel alone has recognized that its security — and the emergence of a new Middle East — depends on regime change in Iran.

TRUMP KEEPS NEGOTIATING WHILE IRAN PLAYS THE LONG GAME AMERICA KEEPS MISSING

President Trump’s objective appears to be forcing Tehran back to the negotiating table. In my view, the ideological rigidity and fanaticism of the Shiite clerical establishment make that outcome unlikely. The regime has repeatedly shown that it would rather see Iran devastated than abandon its revolutionary ideology. This is no longer a conventional military campaign but a form of system warfare in which the regime’s critical vulnerability is no longer the IRGC or its nuclear facilities, but the infrastructure that enables it to survive.

The regime’s critical vulnerability now lies in its electricity grid, oil refineries, fuel distribution networks, command-and-control systems, communications infrastructure and the institutions that sustain government. Disrupting these systems would have consequences far beyond physical destruction. The IRGC would struggle to coordinate nationwide operations, provincial control would weaken and pressure on an already bankrupt government would intensify. This is the strategic logic behind targeting the regime’s infrastructure.

For 48 years, the Shiite clerical establishment has turned Iran into a military garrison and an ammunition depot. In pursuit of its revolutionary ideology, it has devastated the economy, plundered the nation’s wealth and sacrificed Iran’s development for ideological expansion. For decades, much of the world ignored Israel’s warnings about the Islamic Republic. Only now is the international community beginning to recognize the scale of the security threat posed by Tehran’s state-sponsored Islamist terrorism.

IRAN IS NOT A NORMAL NATION YOU CAN MAKE DEALS WITH; IT’S A NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT

America’s years of negotiating with Iran’s ruling clerical regime have produced little beyond delay, allowing Tehran to buy time while advancing its strategic objectives. Diplomacy with a regime built on terrorism and ideological expansion has repeatedly failed to deliver lasting security. Rather than seeking compromise, Tehran has used negotiations to outlast successive U.S. administrations. The result is a Middle East that continues to pay the price for Washington’s hesitation, while Israel confronts a threat it has long understood.

The Tehran regime and its military and intelligence institutions — including the Supreme National Security Council — have repeatedly threatened operations against the United States and Israel. Within the regime’s ideological worldview, mass-casualty attacks such as September 11 and October 7 are treated as instruments of political intimidation and ideological warfare. Khomeini and Khamenei may be gone, but the ideology they institutionalized endures. To preserve the regime, its leaders have repeatedly shown a willingness to commit acts of violence and repression.

The current White House has shown little commitment to pursuing regime change in Iran. Yet as long as Tehran continues to serve as a strategic partner of Moscow and Beijing, the challenge extends far beyond Iran itself. Israel has long recognized that lasting regional security depends on ending the Islamic Republic’s rule.

The path forward is clear: dismantling the infrastructure that sustains the Islamic Republic is the only way the United States and its allies can force a strategic recalibration in Tehran — or hasten the regime’s collapse. Anything less will allow the mullahs to continue their campaign of terrorism, instability and ideological expansion. The next phase of this conflict will determine whether the Middle East remains hostage to a dying dictatorship — or finally breaks free.

CENTCOM’s strategic objectives may also require reassessment. Rather than focusing primarily on military facilities, its strategy should target the pillars that sustain the regime: cutting off the IRGC’s financial networks and proxies, disrupting its command-and-control capabilities, exposing the leadership’s corruption and hidden assets, denying access to surveillance technologies and expanding secure communications for the Iranian people.

At the same time, lower-ranking military and security personnel should be told that those who refuse to repress civilians will have a future in a post-Islamic Republic Iran. External pressure without a credible transition plan risks producing chaos rather than change. The objective should be to dismantle the machinery of repression while preserving the Iranian people's ability to determine their own future.

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Limited U.S. support could help spark a new popular uprising, accelerating the regime’s collapse. As Iran’s leaders remain hidden in tunnels and the regime’s security apparatus grows increasingly fragmented, Washington should prioritize coordinated covert clandestine operations, stronger protection for opposition figures and a long-term transition strategy over election-driven diplomacy. Closer strategic coordination between the CIA and Mossad may also be essential to better understand and confront the ideological and operational roots of the radical Islamist threat that has spread since 1979 — a challenge successive U.S. administrations have too often underestimated. The people of Iran and Israel are already paying the price for a prolonged war of attrition. Unless Washington recognizes that the regime’s ideology leaves little room for compromise, the consequences will extend far beyond Iran.

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The next phase of this conflict will determine not only the future of Iran, but the future balance of power across the Middle East.

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Did Fauci properly take the Fifth? The Senate could put that claim to the test

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 05:00:25 -0400

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the point man for America’s pandemic response who was once the doyen of Hollywood (see here and here), turned in a less-than-stellar performance before the Senate Homeland Security Committee. After giving a short, entirely self-serving opening statement during which he accused Committee Chair Sen. Rand Paul of having an "unhinged obsession" with him, Fauci invoked the 5th Amendment Self-Incrimination Clause, which allows a witness to refuse to answer questions if doing so might incriminate him, 111 times to avoid answering questions. But was his invocation proper, and, regardless, what can the Senate do about it?

Several factors suggest Fauci’s invocation was improper. Two are critical.

The first is Fauci’s pardon. Prior to leaving office, Joe Biden issued a blanket pardon to Fauci for any federal crimes he might have committed "from January 1, 2014, through [January 19, 2025] arising from or in any manner related to his service as Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, as a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force or the White House COVID-19 Response Team, or as Chief Medical Advisor to the President."

CAN FAUCI HIDE BEHIND THE FIFTH? GAME-CHANGING BIDEN PARDON MAY NOT PROVIDE COMPLETE COVER, EXPERTS SAY

The second is time: Fauci retired in 2022, making it unlikely that any state crime he might have committed would fall within the applicable statute of limitations, assuming any state could credibly claim that he committed a crime or that venue was proper in that state. In Hoffman v. United States (1951), the Supreme Court said the privilege against self-incrimination protects against real dangers, not remote or speculative possibilities.

Two other things are clear. First, a witness can refuse to answer questions that might implicate him in a crime, not to avoid embarrassment. The Fifth Amendment is available only to avoid criminal exposure, not public ridicule. Prior to the hearing, Sen. Paul released over 1,000 pages from Fauci’s diary in which he chronicled fawning media stories about him as well as conversations with politicians, media personalities, and celebrities who heaped praise on him. They also suggest that he directed staff members to nominate him for various awards that netted him around $900,000. There are also entries suggesting he did not believe several of the public statements he made at the time about the virus’s origin or the efficacy of the measures he implemented to prevent the spread of the disease. Second, a witness cannot invoke the Fifth Amendment because he thinks he will be charged with perjury even if he provides truthful testimony.

On the other hand, there are factors in Fauci's favor. First, President Trump and several Republican congressmen are arguing that Biden’s last-minute pardons, which would include Fauci’s, are null and void because, they claim, Biden’s staff used his autopen to sign those pardons without Biden’s knowledge or approval. If Fauci’s pardon is invalidated, he could be prosecuted by the Justice Department for federal crimes he might have committed during the period covered by the Biden pardon. Second, several state attorneys general have now said they are initiating investigations to see whether Fauci committed any state crimes related to his government service. Perhaps they envision a perjury charge for deposition testimony Fauci provided in Covid-related litigation. That effort might end up going nowhere, but Fauci is certainly entitled to take them at their word that he still faces legal jeopardy. These statements alone make it far more likely that a judge would ultimately determine that Fauci’s invocation of the Fifth was proper.

Now that Fauci has invoked the Fifth and refused to answer the Senators’ questions, what can Congress do about it? Well, it has several options.

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: WHY FAUCI'S 111 FIFTH AMENDMENT PLEAS COULD END UP BEFORE THE COURTS

The one they are currently contemplating is voting to hold him in contempt of Congress. This would require a majority vote by the Committee and by the full Senate. Since Republicans are in the majority, it is possible, if not likely, they have the votes to do that. If so, the matter would be referred to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia (currently, Jeanine Pirro) to decide whether to seek charges against Fauci. If that happens, a judge will decide whether Fauci properly invoked the Fifth, using the standard established by the D.C. Circuit in Ellis v. United States (1969).

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Another alternative would be to grant Fauci use and derivative use immunity, in which case Fauci would have to testify, but if he was subsequently charged by either a state or the federal government, the prosecutor would have to prove that none of the evidence introduced against him was derived directly or indirectly from his compelled testimony. It was the prosecution’s failure to establish this that resulted in Oliver North’s conviction being overturned.

Congress could vote to give Fauci transactional immunity, meaning he could not be prosecuted for any of the conduct that is the subject of his testimony, full stop. Of course, if he were to lie after receiving immunity and being compelled to testify, he could still be prosecuted for perjury.

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In short, this saga still has a few more episodes to go.

John G. Malcolm is a former federal prosecutor and is Vice President of the Meese Institute for the Rule of Law at Advancing American Freedom.

AMB GORDON SONDLAND: America's aid to Israel isn't charity — it's a bargain for US security

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 05:00:15 -0400

Every few years, Americans ask the same question: Why do we send billions of dollars to Israel?

Given a national debt approaching $40 trillion and an annual defense budget of roughly $1 trillion, it is a fair question. Every dollar spent overseas deserves scrutiny. But the debate almost always focuses on one side of the ledger — what America gives Israel — while largely ignoring the other: what America receives in return.

That is the wrong way to evaluate any investment.

THE US-ISRAEL STRATEGIC ALLIANCE – PARTNERSHIP, NOT CHARITY

Before making my case, let me disclose my own perspective. I am a cultural Jew, but not a practicing one. I don’t keep kosher. I rarely attend synagogue. I raised a family that is half Jewish and half Christian. I have no financial interests in Israel. My support for Israel has never been based on religion or ethnicity. It rests on a far simpler question: Does this alliance make America stronger?

After serving as a U.S. ambassador and spending a lifetime in business, I believe the answer is unequivocally yes.

The United States has many indispensable allies. Britain provides extraordinary intelligence cooperation through the Five Eyes partnership. Japan anchors our strategy in the Indo-Pacific. South Korea deters aggression on the Korean Peninsula. Australia is an increasingly important military partner as China expands its reach. Poland has become one of NATO’s strongest front-line allies. Every one of those relationships advances American interests.

Yet Israel occupies a category almost by itself.

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Few allies combine world-class intelligence, battlefield-tested military innovation, cutting-edge cyber capabilities, missile-defense development, entrepreneurial technology and democratic resilience while sitting at the crossroads of the world’s most volatile region. If Israel did not exist, the United States would spend decades — and likely hundreds of billions of dollars — trying to recreate the strategic advantages it provides.

That relationship did not emerge overnight. President Harry Truman recognized Israel within minutes of its declaration of independence in 1948, but the modern strategic partnership evolved over decades. During the Cold War, Israel became a dependable democratic partner in a region where Soviet influence was growing. After the Cold War, intelligence cooperation expanded dramatically as terrorism replaced superpower confrontation as America’s primary security concern. More recently, Israel has become an indispensable partner in confronting Iran, developing advanced missile defenses, countering cyber threats and fostering the regional cooperation reflected in the Abraham Accords. The alliance has endured under Republican and Democratic presidents alike because it has consistently served American interests, not because any administration gave Israel a free pass.

Critics understandably point to the roughly $3.8 billion America provides annually in security assistance to Israel. Standing alone, that figure sounds enormous. Put into context, however, it represents well under half of 1% of America’s annual defense budget. Judged solely by cost, it is easy to criticize. Judged by return, it is remarkably inexpensive.

Consider what America receives.

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Israeli intelligence has helped expose terrorist plots, monitor Iran’s military and nuclear programs, disrupt weapons trafficking, and deepen America’s understanding of one of the world’s most dangerous regions. Joint research has produced advances in missile-defense systems such as Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow, while cooperation in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, unmanned aircraft, electronic warfare and battlefield medicine has strengthened both militaries. Israel often confronts emerging threats years before they reach American forces, giving the United States the opportunity to adapt technologies and tactics without paying the far greater price of learning those lessons on future battlefields.

Nor is this simply a transfer of taxpayer dollars overseas. Much of the assistance ultimately returns to the United States through purchases and co-production of American aircraft, precision-guided weapons and other defense systems, supporting American workers and helping sustain the defense industrial base upon which our own armed forces depend. Israel is not merely a recipient of American assistance; it is an active contributor to America’s security, technological leadership, and military readiness.

There is another reason the relationship stands apart.

Israel remains the Middle East’s only durable liberal democracy. Governments change through elections, not coups. Courts challenge the executive branch. Journalists aggressively scrutinize political leaders. Arab citizens vote, serve in parliament, sit on the Supreme Court, attend universities, own businesses and participate throughout Israeli society. Israel, like every democracy, has imperfections, but it remains fundamentally different from the authoritarian systems that dominate much of the surrounding region.

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That does not mean Israel deserves a blank check.

Friends should tell one another uncomfortable truths. America should criticize Israel when it believes Israel is wrong, apply diplomatic pressure when necessary and insist that its closest ally uphold the highest standards. We have disagreed with Britain, France, Germany, Japan and Turkey at various moments in history without questioning the value of those alliances. There is a profound difference between correcting an ally and abandoning one. Mature alliances survive disagreements because they are rooted in enduring strategic interests, not the controversy of the day.

If Israel were ever to cease to exist, the consequences would extend far beyond its borders. Iran would almost certainly emerge as the dominant military and ideological power from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean. Hezbollah and Hamas would claim a historic victory, emboldening extremist movements around the world. Moderate Arab governments would lose a critical intelligence and security partner. Russia and China would rush to expand their influence throughout the region. The United States would almost certainly find itself deploying more ships, more aircraft, more intelligence assets, and perhaps more troops to contain a Middle East that had become dramatically more dangerous.

The irony is difficult to miss. Those who believe abandoning Israel would save America money almost certainly have the arithmetic backward. Replacing what Israel contributes—in intelligence, innovation, deterrence, military cooperation, and regional stability—would cost far more than sustaining the alliance we have today.

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Foreign policy is not an exercise in sentiment. Nations do not choose allies because they are perfect; they choose them because the relationship advances their own security and prosperity. America should continue to challenge Israel when it believes Israel is wrong. But it should never confuse disagreement with abandonment.

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Good allies are valuable. Great allies are rare. Measured not by headlines or politics but by long-term return on investment, few alliances have contributed more to American security than the partnership between the United States and Israel. That is why, despite its costs, it remains one of America’s best foreign policy investments.

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