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Toby Keith topped the most streamed songs on Spotify in America on Independence Day 2025

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 10:02:26 -0400

Americans were blasting Toby Keith's music over the weekend to celebrate the 4th of July.

The beautiful country we are blessed to call home celebrated its 250th birthday on Saturday, and it was an epic moment.

People fired up their grills, cracked open plenty of beer and celebrated the greatest country on the planet.

LEE GREENWOOD SAYS HE'S 'VERY PROUD' TO STAND NEXT TO TRUMP DURING AMERICA'S 250TH CELEBRATION

What do you need for a great Independence Day? A fire playlist, and that includes Toby Keith.

Toby Keith dominates streaming on the 4th of July.

Toby Keith's legendary song "Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue (The Angry American)" was the most streamed song on Spotify in America on the 4th of July, according to Chart Data.

Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A." was second and Ella Langley's "Choosin' Texas" took the number three spot.

COUNTRY SUPERSTAR ELLA LANGLEY PULLS OFF INCREDIBLE CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENT ON THE MUSIC CHARTS

It shouldn't surprise anyone that Toby Keith's most famous song dominated Spotify on the 4th of July. It's an incredible song.

"Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue" will make you want to run through a brick wall to celebrate America. It's patriotism at its best and that's what Independence Day is all about.

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It's also a bit funny because I tweeted this on Friday night, and I meant it!

AARON TIPPIN SAYS PATRIOTISM IS 'VERY STRONG IN AMERICA' AHEAD OF FORT CAMPBELL 4TH OF JULY SHOW

What music did you have fired up on the 4th of July? Let me know at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.

Member of 1994 USA World Cup team knows how much soccer can grow if this year's team keeps up its success

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 09:43:15 -0400

The United States men's national team has an opportunity to make history on Monday night by reaching the World Cup quarterfinals in a game played on its home soil.

With a win on Monday over Belgium, Team USA will be one of the "elite eight" remaining in the World Cup, making it the furthest they've gone since 2002.

Soccer's popularity grew immensely when the 1994 USA team made it to the knockout stage on home soil, and John Harkes, one of the members of that team, which is the focal point of FOX ONE's "Summer of '94" docuseries, believes this year is a "full-circle moment."

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"I was with my son and his wife and our grandson and my wife at the (Round of 32) game, and the national anthem always hits me hard, and the emotions come. You look back on the years that we played and what we contributed to the game back in 1990 and '94. It was massive being here. Thirty-two years on now, it's really important for us to tell the stories because these are new audiences, and they need to know the stories. They need to know the history of the game, and that's part of the education that goes on in our country," Harkes told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.

"We're always trying to tell those stories the right way and have those platforms. The best way to do that is to win. And now we have guys that are competing and playing all over the world with great talent, great skill, and we're seeing them now. But the emotions that come out in the stadium at these games are unreal for me to really control. But I love it. I'm just so excited and happy that this is happening."

Harkes admitted to feeling the added "pressure" of trying to grow the game in his home country, all while competing for soccer's most coveted trophy. But it was something they had to "accept." They did that with the help of defeating Colombia to get into the knockout stage, and this year's team is on the path to doing the same after last week's thrilling 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.

LANDON DONOVAN RECALLS LIFE-CHANGING WORLD CUP MOMENT AMID PLAYERS' 'RESPONSIBILITY' OF GROWING GAME IN USA

"When you do something like that, that wakes up a nation," Harkes added.

Harkes is now a technical director at McLean Youth Soccer in Virginia and an assistant coach for the USA U15 team, and as the sport grows, he wants respectful coaches to grow, as well.

"We are building platforms for these kids to not just have fun and compete but to have life skills. We need to be mentors. It is a mentorship that you take on, and when you take on that responsibility, you are there for the player, you are there for the kids, and you're also there for the parents too," Harkes, a part of the "Yes, Coach!" team, said. "We're in a really good situation right now across the game in this country where coaches need to step in with full responsibility, clear communication, and be good role models. If you can become that good role model and help mentor other coaches to be good coaches where they are putting the player first, these are the life skills that they need, and they need to be able to understand the game and respect the game.

"We see too many coaches that want a win-at-all-cost mentality. I see them yelling from the sideline at kids, and kids are second-guessing everything. They're not even having fun. It's not work. It's supposed to be a sport. It's supposed to be for fun, for them to be together as a team, to have camaraderie, to understand what sacrifice means for the player next to you, your friend, and that you grow in these relationships. So the more that we can mentor coaches to understand that part and their roles and what they do with these children is the most important part of the game, and there's no better platform than to do it right now."

Harkes knows what the 1994 World Cup did to soccer, and he also knows how much more this year's event can do.

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"That summer of '94, it was incredible. It was unprecedented what we did in '94, to be honest with you..." Harkes said. "And we've got this opportunity now, we've created so much passion around the men's game. These stories are now preserved from the past. People know who they are. We carry that forward into the game today and what they're doing on the field. It's just a perfect match. It really is. So a lot of success is coming out of that. And I'm really excited about what we've done in the past and what we're doing now. So let's keep supporting our U.S. team and push them on as far as they can go."

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Europeans are crying over Team USA getting Balogun back, America went hard for the 4th & beaches are overrated

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 09:28:48 -0400

How am I feeling on this Monday morning after vacation and the historic Fourth of July weekend? Look, I'm not going to lie, I'm a little groggy, and we could get POUNDED by an historic rain event off of Lake Erie today, but I'm fire up for Monday Screencaps.

We're officially in that dead period where we have the World Cup, the Tour de France, the MLB All-Star break and maybe some NASCAR, if you're desperate, before we open NFL training camps later this month. This is when the cream of the content world rises to the top.

With that in mind, let's start this morning with the Euros crying over Team USA getting it's goal threat, Balogun, back for tonight's game against Belgium. I know many of you are furious that I would dare write about soccer, but we have to address this, because now the Euros are crying over the U.S. in soccer.

ESPN WRITER HATES TEAM USA GETTING FOLARIN BALOGUN BACK, SAYS ANY WORLD CUP SUCCESS IS NOW 'TAINTED'

Let this sink in. These guys have never cared about American soccer, especially the men's team. We were the team with the dorks wearing rubber bands in our hair. We were the MLS dorks with the dork fans in the stands trying to act Euro with our chants and those dorky scarves that woke dorks would hold up during matches.

Now we have Trump possibly getting in the middle of a red card situation and it's instant tears from fans around the world who used to laugh at us.

What a pivot it's been. The rubber band dorks are gone. The scarf dorks are in hiding. Trump's political power is being thrown around and this country truly seems to be on a legitimate trajectory in this sport. Will I care about soccer the minute this all ends? No chance.

DEMOCRATS REPORTEDLY FORCED TO 'GRAPPLE UNCOMFORTABLY' WITH WORLD CUP SUCCESS UNDER DONALD TRUMP

I am just loving that Megan Rapinoe, her fellow miserable fans, and the Euros whiners have to sit there and watch the men's team succeed. I'm literally rooting for these guys HARD as a giant f-you to Rapinoe, and you should, too. Trust me, it feels good.

Contact me!

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Observations on life after barely touching my phone for about 9 days

Screencaps Jr. continues to amaze me with his love of running. He had us up at 5 a.m. Saturday morning so he could run a 4-mile 4th of July race with his cross country buddies and then proceeded to finish 61st out of 624 runners and took home 2nd place in his age group with a 28:18. I know nothing about 4-mile times, but I have Gemini and my AI assistant says that time is "outstanding."
Let's rank Sunday on the couch days: 1. Rainy late October/early November Sunday with a low cloud deck, the NFL Ticket on the basement TVs, a light rain outside with a pot of chili on the stove2. Sunday after Thanksgiving3. Sunday after 4th of July when it falls on a Saturday Someone is going to email and say Super Bowl Sunday, but I would argue that's not a couch day. I think a couch day is a recovery day. Super Bowl Sunday is all about being dialed in and moving around a little bit. A couch day should be where you are napping for an hour, eating, napping again, maybe taking a leak, back to a nap.
Is there more road construction than normal around you? There are like eight projects going on within a three-mile radius of our house. It feels like an abnormal amount of road construction right now.
My 14U rec team's league tournament starts tonight with an 8 p.m. first pitch in a town 30 minutes from here. 8 p.m. games on Monday nights after a 4th of July weekend should be illegal.
Our team finished the year winning four straight. Some are saying we could go on a run in this 16-team tournament. One more week of baseball and then it's finally over.
How do so many emails that I had in my Gmail 'Promotions' folder suddenly get pushed to my 'Primary' folder when I go on vacation? Is Google selling 'Primary' access to companies? My email account is an absolute mess.
13 year old boys could break me financially if I allowed Screencaps Jr. to have his buddies over more than once a month. I've never seen a box of Costco chocolate chip cookies get destroyed so fast.
They're also going to break me financially via chlorine when none of them get out to take a leak during a 4-hour pool day. SMH.

Now this is how you do content behind a post-NASCAR race set!

Like I was saying, this is the time of the year when you guys have to get creative with the content until we get to football season. WATCH THIS!

Wasn't I just having this beach conversation with you guys like 3 months ago?

I'm still not convinced that people read books at the beach. I believe books are just a social resume flex where people take photos of themselves reading at the beach because it looks good on social media like when LeBron had those books in his locker room.

I don't really know how to use gaslighting in a sentence, but I'll try --- people pretending to read books at the beach feels like gaslighting.

'What's in the bag?' and what's your thermostat set at?

– Britt asks: Great golf trip recap! I think you’ve sent before, but we need a "What’s in the Bag" recap for you, with a picture and associated listing (no headcovers). I think it would also be fun to hear about (and see a similar pic) of the clubs the best player who went on the trip uses. Guarantee most of us readers play something more like what you do than what that guy does! Would also love to see other readers’ clubs.

Further on the golf trip, some of those courses are just tough. I shot 106 at Ballybunion as a 10 HDCP. I think the best player with us was a 2, and I think he shot 94. We wanted weather in Ireland, and we got it. (Fun fact: Karen T played about 6 times on an Ireland golf trip….and used one ball; I think I had to buy more when I was over there).

Thermostat in Northern VA upstairs set to 68, main level at 72 (is 102 today). Costs what it costs. I’d rather spend my money on that than anything else. I’m looking into buying an ice- and water-filled portable AC for my garage….because I’m an idiot who has the most awesome basement ever, but like to watch TV in my awesome garage (Karen T designed all of both, so I get no credit for anything other than spending time in both). Best buy has a ton for anyone who might be interested in what I am looking at (#not sponsored).

USA! USA! USA! Great choices on the ladies today. Ivanka forever, Jenna is awesome, Heather still getting it done, and Megan can sing a little (she’s terrific) while also being "kinda cute" haha.

Thanks, Joe. Glad you had a great trip.

Kinsey: I use Cleveland irons and wedges (graphite shafts) and a no-name driver I bought for $40 at the Toledo Golf Show like six years ago and a no-name 3w I bought with the driver. My most recent purchase is a Cleveland 7w with 23-degree loft that was a great buy off eBay. It literally showed up at my door the day I was leaving to go Up North.

What happened to the Reds?

– Jase rubs it in: What has happened to your Reds? I thought they'd at least contend for a playoff berth this year, but it looks like they will be lucky to stay out of last place in the NL Central. Do you think they can still turn it around?

– Kinsey: Jase, it was fun while it lasted. I had one month of fun before reality set in as the schedule got harder. No, they're no turnaround coming. Have you seen what MY Reds are facing in the NL Central? Their offense is useless against the pitching they'll face down the stretch. MY Reds face the toughest remaining schedule in Major League Baseball (.535%). This isn't going to be good.

##############

And that is it this morning as we all try to get back into the groove. There will be one more vacation at the end of the month before I hunker down for football season and the long run all the way to the winter holidays.

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It's back to Zoom meetings and trying to figure out how to take OutKick to the next level.

Let's get after it.

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Trump says he 'immediately overturned' decision to cancel July 4 festivities in DC

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 09:22:27 -0400

President Donald Trump said in a Sunday Truth Social post that he had "overturned" a decision to cancel festivities in Washington D.C. on Saturday due to weather.

"The Crowd at 7:05 in the evening was 422,000 people! All were forced to leave because of the weather, the event was cancelled, and everyone was gone because of lightning. When I heard that it was cancelled, I immediately overturned that decision, and waited a while for people to come back. Incredibly, at least 150,000 people returned, and it was an even more spectacular evening than it would have been as normalized! It showed work under pressure," Trump declared in the post.

"Congratulations to the Secret Service and Law Enforcement on being able to get so many people back into the Arena in such rapid fashion! It was an amazing evening made even more spectacular by the fact that, immediately after the Great Fireworks ended, the rains came down, full blast!" he added.

TOP HIGHLIGHTS FROM TRUMP'S LATE NIGHT JULY 4 ADDRESS: 'NO DREAM IN HISTORY IS BIGGER'

People flocked to attend Independence Day festivities in D.C. as Americans around the nation celebrated the country's 250th anniversary, but attendees were asked to evacuate and take shelter on Saturday evening.

"Due to approaching severe storms, Freedom 250, United States Secret Service, United States Park Police, National Park Service, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and all public safety partners are asking all guests to evacuate event grounds and seek temporary shelter in a nearby building," Freedom 250 spokesperson Danielle Alvarez noted in part of a Saturday evening statement.

TRUMP SHARES NEWS OF 'CRYSTAL CLEAR' REFLECTING POOL, CALLS FOR VANDALISM SUSPECT'S ARREST

But in another post on X later that night, Freedom 250 declared, "At President Donald J. Trump's direction, gates to the National Mall will reopen at 9:45 PM."

Trump ultimately delivered a speech later on Saturday night, which was followed shortly thereafter by a massive fireworks show that began at about midnight.

AMERICA 250 KICKS OFF IN NATION'S CAPITAL AS AMERICANS BRAVE WEATHER TO CELEBRATE INDEPENDENCE DAY

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"I would like to congratulate Freedom 250, a Great White House Commission, and Pyrotecnico, on producing the Most Spectacular Fireworks Show I have ever seen, and I’ve seen them all. Congratulations on a job well done!" Trump declared in a Truth Social post on Sunday.

Forrest Galante says most shark bites are a case of mistaken identity as Florida attacks lead the US

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 09:21:56 -0400

Shark attacks and sightings are once again making headlines across the United States. And with summer beach season in full swing, it can feel like every other day brings another report of a shark encounter somewhere along the coast.

But are there actually more sharks? Are more people being attacked? Or are we all just paying closer attention?

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According to wildlife biologist, TV personality and Shark Week host Forrest Galante, the answer is D) all of the above.

"It's a little bit of everything," Galante told OutKick Outdoors. "Shark populations in a lot of places, like California and Florida, have rebounded because historically, 20, 30, 40, 50 years ago, we had overfished a lot of that area, and the sharks had moved out. So with good conservation efforts, the predators are coming back."

In other words, seeing more sharks in some areas is not necessarily a sign that something has gone wrong. It may be the opposite, actually. But at the same time, there are also more people in the water, more cameras capturing every encounter and more media attention any time something happens.

"We have cell phones, so the media around it is happening," Galante said. "Summertime is when sharks like to hunt coastally and come close to the beaches, which is of course where and when we're swimming. So when you put all these factors together, that's why we see this spike in shark bites every single summer."

Watch Forrest Galante's full interview with OutKick Outdoors here:

According to the Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File, researchers confirmed 65 unprovoked shark bites worldwide in 2025, slightly below the 10-year average of 72. Nine of those bites were fatal. The United States recorded 25 unprovoked bites, the most of any country, with Florida leading the nation at 11 reported incidents.

No surprise there, given how much time Floridians spend in the water.

That said, the numbers don’t suggest sharks are suddenly hunting people in record numbers. In fact, the Florida Museum noted that U.S. shark bite numbers have decreased overall during the past five years. That’s despite more sharks in U.S. waters.

The recent headlines, however, have been hard to miss.

In early June, a Navy base employee was critically injured by a suspected bull shark while swimming near a marina in Panama City, Fla. Just days earlier, a child swimming in knee-deep water at WaterColor, Fla., suffered wounds to the leg, prompting a 5-mile double-red-flag beach closure.

And outside the U.S., a 38-year-old man was killed in May after being bitten by a large great white shark while swimming at Rottnest Island off the coast of Western Australia. In mid-June, a 34-year-old school teacher was also critically injured while swimming at a heavily patrolled beach in Sydney.

TrackingSharks.com, a privately run shark-safety and journalism site, had recorded 30 shark attack bites worldwide in 2026 as of July 5 — including seven fatal incidents.

SHARK SIGHTINGS SPIKE NEAR AMERICA'S BEACHES AS JULY 4 CROWDS HEAD TO SHORE FOR WEEKEND

Still, this doesn’t mean we all need to run terrified from the beaches this summer. Galante stressed that most shark-human interactions do not end badly.

"It's nothing to do with the sharks wanting to eat us," he said. "It's everything to do with this perfect confluence of situations that lead to more interactions in general, and it's a fraction of a percent of those interactions that end up being negative. That is what we're all talking about."

That may be the part that gets lost in the panic. Sharks are predators, yes. The ocean comes with risk, obviously. But humans are not generally on the menu.

"They say that something like 99% of shark bites are a case of mistaken identity," Galante said. "You see a flash from a sparkly bit of jewelry or something, and the shark goes, ‘Oh wow, is that food?’ Unfortunately, when a shark asks the question, ‘Is that food?’ they do so by taking an investigative bite."

And unlike a curious dog sniffing your hand, a shark's "investigative bite" can have devastating consequences.

"They don’t have hands," Galante said. "They can’t feel it, so that investigative bite can be very, very damaging and, in some cases, fatal. So when they’re trying to figure out if something is or isn’t food, that can be a problem. Most of the time, we’re not even on the menu. They’re just trying to figure out if we are."

Galante knows sharks better than most. He’s spent plenty of time diving with them and studying their behavior.

His upcoming Shark Week special, Alien Sharks: Untamed America, premieres July 29 on Discovery. The special follows Galante across the United States in search of some of the strangest and least-known shark species living in American waters.

The project is tied to America’s 250th anniversary, and Galante said one of his goals is to remind viewers that the United States has extraordinary wildlife right in its own backyard.

"People that live here think that you have to travel to the far reaches of the globe to see cool wildlife," he said. "We have some of the most incredible, most iconic wildlife on the entire planet right here in the United States, none more so than our amazing diversity of sharks and stingrays."

In the special, Galante said he highlights everything from glow-in-the-dark swell sharks to bonnethead sharks, to school-bus-sized basking sharks and sawfish that look like something out of Star Wars .

"We have some of the coolest, the largest, the smallest, the weirdest and the most bizarre and incredible sharks right here in the United States," he said.

Of course, appreciating sharks does not mean ignoring basic beach safety.

Galante said beachgoers can reduce their already slim chances of a negative shark encounter by being smart about where and when they get in the water.

"Don’t go in the water at dawn or dusk," he said. "Don’t swim near river mouths. That’s when sharks are feeding. Don’t go swimming by yourself. If you see no one on the beach, that’s usually not a good place to go swimming, and on the flip side of that, don’t go swimming where people are fishing and throwing bait in the water."

There are also smaller details many people may not consider.

"The crackling of a water bottle or even the crunching of a beer can sounds a lot like the crunching of fish bones to a shark, and it can make them come and investigate," Galante said. "Wearing something highly shiny, like jewelry or sequins or anything with those little mirrors that put out light, can look like a school of bait fish."

Enjoy your vacation. Enjoy the ocean. Just make sure to respect it, too.

"Just taking a few very simple precautions can greatly reduce your already very slim chance of having a negative encounter," Galante said.

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So yes, shark stories are everywhere right now. But there’s no need to panic.

Unless of, of course, you hear that creepy cello music from Jaws. Then it’s time to pack it in.

Love all things wildlife and outdoors? Follow OutKick Outdoors on Instagram and TikTok!

Smithsonian's National Museum of American History promotes 'extreme political activism,' WH report alleges

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 09:05:04 -0400

A sweeping new White House report concluded that the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History (NMAH) has become a taxpayer-backed institution of "ideological capture" and "extreme political activism."

"The report concludes that the Smithsonian Institution, and the National Museum of American History in particular, under its current leadership and current interpretive ideology, cannot be trusted to tell America’s story honestly and in a way that is inspiring, unifying, and worthy of our great republic," the White House Domestic Policy Council wrote in its July 4 report following up on President Donald Trump’s March 27 executive order. "By the intention and at the direction of current Museum and Smithsonian leadership, NMAH has become subject to institutional capture by a radical, activist ideology that is fundamentally opposed to telling the noble, honest story of the great country we know and love."

According to the 162-page "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History" report, delivered on America's 250th birthday, NMAH treats the American story as a political tool rather than a shared national inheritance.

"At the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, visitors young and old should encounter the story of the United States told with honesty, seriousness, and pride," the report's executive summary began. "In particular, it should help the American people understand where America came from, what makes it distinctive, and why it is worth preserving."

TOP HIGHLIGHTS FROM TRUMP'S LATE-NIGHT JULY 4 ADDRESS: 'NO DREAM IN HISTORY IS BIGGER'

Instead, the museum has moved "away from straightforward historical education and scholarship" and toward activism, the report found.

"Anthea Hartig, NMAH’s director since 2019, has explicitly stated that she sees history as a 'prime tool of social justice' and one of her roles as connecting 'research and scholarship to activism and advocacy,'" the summary noted.

TRUMP'S MOUNT RUSHMORE ADDRESS FEATURES 28 MINUTES OF ICONIC WORDS, 23 MINUTES OF DAZZLING LIGHT, FIREWORKS

"Hartig has also stated that 'we work to reframe the traditional celebratory narrative of U.S. history for visitors.' She claims to have had a personal head start 'propped up as I was and I am by the cushions of whiteness and the pillows of the bourgeoisie,'" the report said. "These are not the words of an objective historian, but rather those of an activist advancing an ideological agenda contradictory to the Museum’s founding purpose of fostering patriotism."

THE REVOLUTIONARY LANDMARKS WHERE WASHINGTON, ADAMS AND JEFFERSON CHANGED AMERICA

The report made five key conclusions about the museum:

It attempted to "subvert" America's founding and cancel America's founders, with only mentioning them in the context of ties to slavery.
It "'problematized' the 250th anniversary of America’s founding."
It changed the words to loaded modern political activist terms and not ones from history.
It "abandoned historical scholarship for political activism."
It failed "obligations" to American people.

"One of the most significant findings in this report concerns what is missing," the report stated. "A visitor to the Museum today will find no major exhibit dedicated to America’s Founding era, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, other Founding Fathers, the Continental Congress, the Pilgrims, the Puritans, or major moments of the American Revolution, such as Washington’s crossing of the Delaware.

"Instead, visitors will find Founders, such as Benjamin Franklin, introduced chiefly through their connection to slavery while their decisive roles in building the Republic and their anti-slavery efforts are minimized or ignored."

TRUMP HAILS AMERICA AS 'MOST EXCEPTIONAL NATION EVER TO EXIST' IN MOUNT RUSHMORE SPEECH

The NMAH presented revisionist history, using terms that exist now but not then, including "a popular term-of-art to 'Critical Social Justice,'" the report found.

"The Museum is not merely neglecting America’s central story," it stated. "It is intentionally withholding and subverting it."

Noted was the political revision of "its mission statement under current leadership, which replaced the phrases 'infinite richness' and 'American history' with language about empowering people to create 'a more just and compassionate future' by exploring 'the complexity of our past.'"

"The Museum has shifted from scholarship to activism," the report read, "pointing to Museum leadership's own public statements tying 'research and scholarship to activism and advocacy,' dismantling inherited narratives, using history as a 'prime tool of social justice,' calling for American history to be 'reframed,' and describing museum work in terms of 'reparations,' 'restorative history,' 'systemic intervention, 'decolonization, 'social justice.'"

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The report also criticizes the museum’s approach to race, immigration, gender and sexuality, alleging that exhibits and programming have been shaped by modern activist priorities rather than neutral historical scholarship.

The Smithsonian Institution receives more than $1 billion annually in taxpayer support and its ideology does not comport with Trump's executive order and initiatives to remove political influence in government entities, according to the Domestic Policy Council.

"As this report shows, confirmed in the words of Museum leadership, this ideological capture has moved the Museum’s mission away from straightforward historical education and scholarship toward an extreme political activism that seeks to transform our country," it wrote.

Banned former FIFA president criticizes organization's decision on Folarin Balogun

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 09:02:45 -0400

Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter reacted to the soccer organization’s decision to suspend USA World Cup star Folarin Balogun’s red card ban ahead of the squad’s match against Belgium.

Blatter was banned twice by FIFA after a corruption investigation and remains suspended from participating in organization activities until 2027. Current FIFA President Gianni Infantino ultimately replaced Blatter as the head.

ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

Balogun received a red card during the U.S. win over Bosnia and Herzegovina for stepping on the ankle of a defender while trying to corral a ball. The card was issued after a VAR review. Amid the uproar, a source told Fox News that President Donald Trump called Infantino and asked that FIFA review the play. On Sunday, the reversal was announced.

"Red cards are not overturned by political phone calls," Blatter wrote on X. "They are overturned by rules, evidence and independent bodies. If a U.S. President intervenes with the FIFA President — and a player is suddenly cleared before a World Cup knockout match — the question is unavoidable: Quo vadis, FIFA?

"Football must never become a playground for political power."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Trump, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik and White House task force leader Andrew Giuliani put together a team of lawyers outside the White House to challenge the use of slow-motion replay to give Balogun the red card, according to OutKick founder and Fox News contributor Clay Travis.

It’s unclear how much FIFA took the approach into account.

Belgium reportedly was granted the right to appeal the decision and asked FIFA for a comprehensive explanation on why the suspension was put off.

The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said it was "astonished" and Belgium coach Rudi Garcia mocked FIFA’s ruling.

"I didn’t know that in the offices of FIFA the fifth of July was the first of April in Europe," Garcia said through a translator. "The Belgian federation does not defend itself, it does not protect the national team. She defends football in general, she defends her integrity, her ethics. I think it’s the first time in the history of the World Cup that there is this kind of decision."

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UEFA also said that FIFA’s decision "crossed a red line."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

'Game of Thrones' star says she mistook psychiatric hospital for a palace after joining wellness cult

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 09:00:41 -0400

After Hannah Murray's mental health crisis landed her in the hospital, the "Game of Thrones" actress — who had joined what she described as a wellness cult months earlier in 2017 — was so deeply immersed in its beliefs that she was convinced the psychiatric institution was a palace.

In her new book, "The Make-Believe: A Memoir of Magic and Madness," the 36-year-old detailed the intense circumstances surrounding her 28-day stay at Gordon Hospital in Bloomsbury, London and explained how she was able to begin to break free from the influence of the group's leader, whom she describes as leading an "evil cult."

"I had met a man who I believed was God, and I was ready to join him, to rule the world at his side, to travel to other dimensions and universes," she wrote, recalling her awakening at the hospital. "But now I saw that I had misunderstood."

CARA DELEVINGNE ADMITS SHE USED PARTY DRUG GHB DAILY BEFORE TERRIFYING SEIZURES FORCED HER SOBER

Murray, who played Gilly on "Game of Thrones," was first introduced to the cult through an "energy healer" she had met on the set of her 2017 movie "Detroit," in which she played an 18-year-old who was sexually assaulted by the police.

Because the "violent and dark" subject matter of the film took a toll on Murray, she sought guidance from an energy healer she referred to as Grace.

Murray said she first participated in a $150 "healing" session that eventually led the actress to attend more classes with other members of the organization — which she did not name.

Eventually, Murray met the cult's leader — a man she referred to as Steve.

"He exuded power in a way I had never known anyone to exude it," she wrote in her book, out now. "Magical power… I knew I was in the presence of a magician."

Murray's intense hallucinations during a 5-day retreat in London with fellow cult members led to her psychotic break and hospital stay.

"Where am I? I am in my chariot. The chariot has just arrived outside the palace. I enter the palace. I enter the room. Where is he?" she recalled asking, while detailing the hospital room in her book. "But the room feels like heaven. The room feels like him. The air is tingling with a warm energy. There is a sofa and chair and they are both blue. The blanket I am wrapped in is blue. And, of course, this is the color, because the last time I saw him was in a room with blue carpet, blue chairs, blue wallpaper and his blue eyes."

"The door to the room opens. A man enters the room. He is a Black man, bald and overweight. He is dressed in uniform. Blue uniform, a blue lanyard that reads ‘NHS.' But I know he is a magician. I know he can appear in disguise. I approach the man and try to kiss him. He does not let me kiss him. Then no. It is not Steve."

Murray recalled drinking her own urine at one point as part of a cult "ritual".

"I am alone in the room again, and I urinate into the cup and drink that too," she wrote. "I am a Ritual Master. And this, drinking my own urine, is a powerful ritual. This is all I need now to survive. It is the most potent of potions I can drink. I am a self-contained, utterly self-sufficient being. I will never need to eat again. I survive on liquids and air and Light."

After days in the hospital and after seeing her family and friends, Murray said she began to see glimpses of her old self and question Steve's intentions.

"I begin to understand this is all a lot more complicated than I thought," she wrote.

"There is no other way to describe it. My mind turning inside out and crumbling, the earth shaking beneath me, my vision shattered by jagged black lines. Steve was there for that, talking to me with an intense urgency and telling me, Magic is real. It felt like I was dying, but it felt like more than that. It felt like the end of everything, the end of life as we know it."

"The return of my phone was like a window opening. A window onto the world, letting in fresh air and light and a little more reality," she added.

From there, she began to question Steve via text.

"I need some more f---ing clarity on what the f--- has happened to me," she allegedly wrote in a text to Steve.

"‘If I run an evil cult, I am the worst cult leader in history,’" Murray alleged Steve wrote back to her. "‘I don’t have a compound to put people in. I don’t control people’s sleep or eating patterns. And I tell people to get their own life in order instead of being people’s ‘guru.’’"

Murray said she was still "not well" when she was discharged from the psychiatric ward 28 days later.

"I was not well when I left hospital. This is not the story of my recovery — or at least not a simple, straightforward one. I did not enter ill and leave well. I entered extremely psychotic and left somewhat less so," she wrote.

In an interview with The Guardian, the English actress opened up about her troubling experience and detailed how she was able to escape the organization.

"There's not enough critical thought about wellness, particularly the way it’s been transformed into an industry," Murray told the outlet. "It's easy to go, ‘Well, that would never happen to me,' but we do ourselves a disservice when we start saying that, because you don't know."

"I was well-educated, from a middle-class family; everything should have been fine," she continued. "I thought, ‘I'm smart. I make good choices.' Well, I made terrible choices. But it's important to understand why people do these things, rather than going, ‘Oh, they must be idiots.' Or, ‘How stupid could you be?'"

These days, Murray is no longer acting and is wary of anything wellness-related.

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"I hear so much, 'We need to talk more about mental health,'" she told the outlet. "What they mean is, like, anxiety and depression. We're all happy to talk about that. But there's such a taboo around the idea of people who are sectioned. They are beyond the pale."

"It felt really important to say, 'I went through this,'" she added. "Lots of people go through this. That doesn't mean they are bad or f---ed up forever."

Trump bets on former NATO troublemaker as Turkey's strategic value surges

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 08:54:51 -0400

President Donald Trump says he's attending the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, for one reason: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

"I'm going because of Erdoğan," Trump told reporters June 24, calling the Turkish leader "a friend" and "a respected leader" while signaling that closer defense cooperation between Washington and Ankara could be on the horizon.

The summit will begin Tuesday in Ankara, Turkey.

The remarks underscore a striking shift in the relationship between Washington and Turkey. Just a few years ago, after Turkey took delivery of Russia's S-400 air defense system in 2019, Washington expelled it from the multinational F-35 fighter program and, the following year, imposed sanctions on Turkey's defense procurement agency, cementing its reputation as one of NATO's most difficult allies.

TRUMP'S TURKEY ARMS SALE PROPOSAL SPARKS CONGRESSIONAL QUESTIONS BEFORE NATO SUMMIT

Today, despite many of those disputes remaining unresolved, Turkey has become increasingly difficult for the alliance to sideline as NATO confronts Russia, instability across the Middle East and an increasingly contested Black Sea, analysts and former officials say.

"Turkey is crucial to the Trump administration," former U.S. Ambassador to Turkey James Jeffrey, who served as Trump's special representative for Syria during his first term, told Fox News Digital.

"President Trump has a great relationship with President Erdoğan of Turkey, who has been an incredible partner in the region," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital in a statement, adding that Trump would have a bilateral meeting with Erdoğan at the NATO Summit.

Jeffrey said Trump's affinity for Erdoğan is genuine but reflects more than personal chemistry.

TRUMP'S PERSONAL FEUDS WITH ALLIES FROM ITALY TO ISRAEL REVEAL HOW PERSONALITY DRIVES HIS FOREIGN POLICY

"The first reason, which is unique to Trump, is he really likes Erdoğan, and Erdoğan likes him," Jeffrey said. "It's the idea of a tough guy who is decisive."

But Jeffrey argued the strategic rationale extends well beyond the relationship between the two leaders, describing Turkey as "essential to maintaining the U.S. perimeter around Eurasia" because of its military strength, geographic position and willingness to project power.

NATO is returning to the fundamentals of collective defense after decades focused largely on counterterrorism, said Hudson Institute think tank Senior Fellow Can Kasapoğlu Kasapoğlu, placing renewed pressure on allies to bring significant military capability to the table.

"When the alliance is back to its Cold War default, the question of what you are bringing to the table is getting more important," he said.

"The nations bringing hard-power capability to NATO are going to get VIP treatment."

NATO agreed to a defense spending target of 5% of GDP for all allies in 2025, after years of Trump complaining that European allies and their weak defense spending were "ripping off" the U.S.

Both Trump’s attacks on NATO and the Russian war on Ukraine changed the calculus.

Turkey fields NATO's second-largest military after the United States. It controls the Bosporus and Dardanelles, borders Syria, Iraq and Iran, and has built one of NATO's largest defense industries.

"There is no real security for NATO without full integration of Turkey," Rich Outzen, a former State Department advisor and nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said during a recent NATO summit preview.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine, instability across the Middle East and the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria have only heightened Turkey's strategic value, analysts say.

Jeffrey argued Turkey "has been essential to Ukraine staying in the fight," citing Ankara's enforcement of the 1936 Montreux Convention, which prevented additional Russian naval reinforcements from entering the Black Sea, its early provision of Bayraktar drones to Kyiv and its role as an intermediary between Ukraine and Russia.

"You can't contain Russia in the Black Sea without Turkey," Jeffrey said.

The collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime also has brought Washington and Turkey into closer strategic alignment after years of disagreements over Syria.

Jeffrey argued Turkey played a central role in backing the opposition that ultimately toppled Assad, dealing a major blow to both Iran and Russia.

"One of Iran's big losses in the past three years has been Syria—and that's all Erdogan," he said.

Not everyone is convinced Turkey's growing strategic value should outweigh those concerns.

Critics argue Turkey's foreign policy has increasingly diverged from that of many NATO allies under Erdoğan. They point to Turkey's vocal support for Hamas following the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, its continued possession of the Russian-made S-400 air defense system, and its efforts to deepen ties with non-Western blocs such as BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, organizations in which China and Russia play leading roles.

"Turkey is the only member country inside of NATO that has applied for membership in entities such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS," Sinan Ciddi, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said during a press briefing Wednesday. He also argued Turkey is unique within the alliance in openly supporting Hamas while seeking expanded access to advanced U.S. defense technology.

Erdoğan repeatedly has defended Hamas and rejected efforts to classify the group as a terrorist organization, putting Turkey at odds with Washington and many other NATO allies. Critics argue that position complicates efforts to deepen U.S.-Turkey defense ties — despite Trump’s personal affection for the Turkish leader.

"The only thing that really stands in the way against Erdoğan's wishes is essentially the United States Congress," Ciddi said.

The Trump administration faced congressional pushback, largely from Democrats, over its decision to move forward with a $700 million arms sale to Turkey.

The administration already has faced congressional pushback over the proposed $700 million arms sale.

Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, accused the State Department of failing to justify the decision or adequately address concerns about Turkey's continued possession of the Russian-made S-400 system.

The Turkish embassy could not immediately be reached for comment.

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Jeffrey said the proposed $700 million sale of F110 fighter engines is a more manageable issue than restoring Turkey to the F-35 program, arguing the latter remains constrained by the S-400 because operating the Russian air defense system alongside America's most advanced stealth fighter could compromise sensitive technology.

"The F-35 is a different issue," Jeffrey said, arguing that operating the Russian-made S-400 alongside America's fifth-generation fighter presents a technical — not merely political — problem because it could expose sensitive U.S. technology.

NASCAR winner's pro-America message will make the left fume, Bubba Wallace's Fourth of July memo & fans fight!

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 08:51:30 -0400

With all due respect to soccer and baseball, you ain't getting much more American than winning a NASCAR race on Fourth of July weekend.

I know the series ain't what it used to be — Lord knows you guys tell me all the time — but some things never change. And NASCAR being the most Pro-America sport on the planet is one of them.

Chase Briscoe won in the series' return to Chicagoland Speedway Sunday night, and he did it in the red, white & blue Bass Pro Shops Toyota.

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Would I have preferred it be a Ford or Chevy? Of course. But, beggars can't be choosers. He won, it looked incredible, and Briscoe made it clear he loved this great country after taking the checkers. You'll see.

What else should we talk about today? Dealer's choice. I'm coming off a holiday weekend, so I'm in a good mood!

How about Austin Hill channeling his inner-Kyle Busch and giving Shane Van Gisbergen some payback in Kyle's old RCR Chevy? Not sure Hill comes out looking great here, but I still appreciate the effort.

I've also got Bubba Wallace' Fourth of July message dividing fans (stunner!), a FIGHT breaking out behind the NASCAR on TNT set after the race (I use that term loosely), and our newest Cup winner, Corey Heim, turned 24 over the weekend so we'll check in with him and Taylor Reimer on the way out.

Mainly Taylor, though. It's been too long.

Four tires, enough fuel to get us safely out of crime-riddled Chicago without being shot, and maybe a big 'ol Foster's for SVG and Austin Hill so they can work this thing out ... Monday Morning Pit-Stop — the 'Happy Birthday, America!' edition — is LIVE!

Chase Briscoe shows us how to properly win a NASCAR race on America's 250th birthday weekend

Look, we're not gonna hem and haw today. We got a good finish last night, but the race itself wasn't the best thing I've ever seen. So, the #content ain't exactly flowing today.

We're gonna get down to business, celebrate this great country, and then move on with our weeks. Sound good?

Good!

Chase Briscoe won for the first time in 2026, holding on for dear life over the final few laps because Christopher Bell was coming. If this race was another mile or two, I think we have a different winner today.

Luckily, though, it wasn't. And instead of Christopher Bell in Victory Lane, we got THIS:

SVG vs. Austin Hill ain't exactly Bobby vs. Cale

"I feel so American, winning in the Bass Pro Shops Red, White and Blue car, Fourth of July weekend, 250 years. Man, what an unbelievable race car," Briscoe said after the race before oozing out more patriotism in the media center later on.

"I feel like that’s the most American I’ll ever feel in my life," he continued. "Just the whole Bass Pro Shops group. It's a huge thing, obviously they so big on being proud to be an American. To win on this weekend, it means a lot to all of us."

Lordy. Not that they needed an endorsement, but if you weren't shopping at the Bass Pro Shops already, maybe swing on by there today and pick you something out.

Plus, they have an incredible fish tank in the back that's mesmerizing.

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As for Briscoe, he wasn't done shoving NASCAR's big weekend down the Libs' throats:

Pro-American AND Pro-God? I mean, did Chase Briscoe nail this one, or what? A prayer before the race, a prayer after it, and praising America?

Maybe NASCAR's back? I don't know. I'm feeling things right now. I'm feeling tingly. Stay tuned!

OK, let's hop back on the track and check in with Austin Hill, who is now in Kyle Busch's remastered No. 33 Chevy, and SVG.

Austin wrecked (allegedly) SVG a few weeks back at San Diego, and it appears (allegedly) Shane retaliated in Chicago:

More fighting, Bubba's birthday message & Taylor's, too

Well ... thoughts? First impressions?

I think Austin Hill may be in trouble here. I think he was fine until the end, when his team told him to bring the car around to the garage and stay on the apron, only for him to slide up the track and ram SVG's right-front.

A couple little radio nuggets:

"Just wait," he says after getting wrecked, which was ominous.
"Don't talk about it," replied his crew chief (or spotter). Remember, we learned earlier this year that NASCAR won't do anything if you don't incriminate yourself on the radio.
Which is why SVG said nothing beyond "still a little tight" after he wrecked Austin. Veteran move by SVG. You have to respect that.
Richard Childress getting on the radio and saying the wreck was blatant. It was, but, I fear, NASCAR won't see it that way. We'll see.
"He jut grunts" is an insult I've never heard before. Interesting.

OK, couple quickies on the way out. First up? If you all thought that fight was good, wait till you see what happened after the race:

Incredible. A totally real fight between two totally real, totally sober dudes. God, I love this country. Absolute patriots.

The random kick. The delayed water-spit. The punching. It was all top-notch stuff. What a fanbase. What a series.

Next? Where do we stand on this Fourth of July message from Bubba Wallace? Some fans are FIRED up about it, for different reasons:

250 years. This country is beautiful, complicated, and a work in progress. Which is a massive privilege, and is exactly what makes it so great. The freedom to use our voices, challenge the status quo, and responsibility to shape the future can easily be taken for granted. You don't have to agree with someone to have the same pride in the country we share. Real progress happens when we realize staying unified is bigger than our differences. USA!

I think it's fine, for what it's worth. Now, the only issue I can see is the predictable "Happy birthday, America, BUT ..." structure that Bubba went with here.

"This country is beautiful, complicated, and a work in progress." Could he have just stopped at "This country is beautiful"? Sure.

Fans, shockingly, noticed:

Yikes. Not great! Again, though, I have no issue with 99% of it. Frankly, it could've been a lot worse. Lord knows we've seen worse.

A decent amount of the comments were positive, which is an anomaly when it comes to Bubba posting about anything, much less the U S of A.

You've done and said a lot of things that I find wrong. But this one? Bubba, you nailed it. Happy 4th sir!
Well said and not overly agenda based. You're a great father very proud to see you grow up in this sport and turn into a leader.
Amen brother! Happy 4th Bubba!

See? It's not all bad! This one, though, was easily my favorite. You ready for a wild little ride?

I don’t think it’s worth celebrating July 4th. It really is white people freedom and that’s it. I celebrate Juneteenth as that is the real freedom for all but I get what you are saying. I’m black and Native American-my family has been really hurt by this country.

Yes, these people really do exist, and they're incredible. Imagine, just for a second, waking up and actually thinking those things? Imagine how miserable of an existence that must be?

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Not me. Not you. We're all sane. Like Chase Briscoe, we love this great country.

Now, take us home, Taylor Reimer!

Sources corroborate whistleblower claims of corruption, quid pro quo culture inside powerful NYC union

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 08:35:13 -0400

FIRST ON FOX: A scathing whistleblower letter alleges corruption inside New York City’s powerful hotel workers union, including claims that union leaders accepted gifts from hotel executives, manipulated lease arrangements and improperly influenced union business in a culture of quid pro quo dealings — claims that were corroborated by union sources who spoke with Fox News Digital.

The letter, reviewed by Fox News Digital, asserts that top officials within the New York Hotel Trades Council and UNITE HERE Local 6, including President Richard Maroko, participated in actions that violated internal policies, fiduciary obligations and possibly federal law. The union denies all allegations of impropriety and organized two internal investigations carried out by third-party lawyers who found the whistleblower's claims to be unsubstantiated.

Fox News Digital spoke with the whistleblower and multiple sources with knowledge of the union’s inner dealings but is not identifying them by name due to fear of retaliation.

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"Mr. Maroko had personal knowledge of, and either directly participated or directed others to misappropriate millions of dollars of retail income," the letter states. "He accepted and allowed his Elected Officers to accept gifts of Hotel Rooms, Liquor, Gourmet Food and Electronic Items from Hotel Officials on a Quid Pro Quo System."

‘Completely tossed’

A source with intimate knowledge of union operations told Fox News Digital that there was a sudden shift in HTC’s culture after Maroko ascended to the presidency in fall 2020.

"For 25 years, maybe 24 years, there was a standard then that was really adhered to. [The former president] was very disciplined about it as far as receiving gifts and what you did and didn't do," the source, who has decades of experience working with the union, said. "And the past five years when the new president came in, that was completely tossed."

"Pretty soon," the source said, referring to when the rules were relaxed when Maroko took over. "It wasn't like they flipped the switch, but … it just wasn't important to him. I brought a bunch of things to his attention that he just wasn't interested [in]."

Crain’s New York Business reported in June that the Hotel Association of New York City, a trade group representing hotel interests, retained former Southern District of New York public corruption chief Brendan McGuire to investigate allegations contained in the letter.

"Two exhaustive, independent investigations, including one by a former federal prosecutor, have concluded that these anonymous claims are frivolous, lack any factual basis, and were clearly an attempt to derail contract negotiations between the union and hotel management," HTC spokesman Austin Shafran told Fox News Digital. "Thankfully, these efforts failed as our union secured the best contract in its history that will provide unprecedented wage increases and benefits to tens of thousands of hotel workers. Nothing will ever deter the union from working every day to better the lives of our members and their families."

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Key components of the letter are supported by documents and accounts from multiple individuals with firsthand knowledge and insight into the day-to-day operations inside the union’s 8th Avenue headquarters in New York City, a Fox News Digital review found.

The whistleblower letter alleges that hotel industry figures, including former Highgate labor executive Robert Lafferty and former Hyatt labor executive Michael Grosso, provided union officials with gifts including food, top-shelf liquor and electronic items.

The two investigations organized by the union, however, found no evidence of improper gift-giving.

Highgate is one of the largest lodging operators in the nation and Hyatt is a major hotel owner.

‘Hundreds of millions of dollars’

In addition to providing gifts to union officials, a former union leader told Fox News Digital that the duo of hotel executives served as "inside guys" who could keep HTC union leadership informed about what was going on in boardrooms so that they could protect their own power.

These favors, according to the longtime union leader, preceded contracts that benefited hotel owners to the detriment of workers.

"If I could cut away one department [from being unionized], you’re talking about millions of dollars per year over the life of a contract, and if Lafferty could deliver that to the owners, then what he’s now doing is changing the entire economic structure of hundreds of millions of dollars in a real estate transaction," the former union leader told Fox News Digital.

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"The union’s ability to make your property profitable or not is all its leverage. So that’s the inside that’s what’s going on there," they continued. "If you look at every time Lafferty made a deal with [Maroko] on one of these new properties, you’re going to see that all these weird deals are made where bargaining unit members are cut out. How come at your properties there’s no front desk agents? How come at your properties food and beverage isn’t under the union contract, but it is everywhere else?"

'Eating lobster rolls at the union office'

Fox News Digital has reviewed photos that appear to show hotel industry figures or their associates entering union offices with shopping bags. Two people familiar with the union’s internal operations told Fox News Digital the gift-giving was not isolated and that accepting items from hotel management would have violated longstanding union norms and policies.

Two internal investigations conducted by third-party lawyers on behalf of the union could not corroborate claims of improper gift-giving made by the whistleblower.

The longtime union member and leader attested to an unusual relationship between Lafferty, Grosso and the HTC’s leadership when speaking with Fox News Digital.

"What I witnessed was Lafferty would come upstairs and have, like, really different access than most people," the source said. "You don’t get buzzed in and meet me at the conference room. That doesn’t happen … This is like the count room in a casino. You don’t just get to walk around."

The source explained that allowing someone like Lafferty to have such open access to union offices is unheard of as management and labor have conflicting interests, and access would enable the former to potentially outmaneuver the latter in negotiations. Union leadership, per the source, allowed Lafferty into their legal office, where he could have seen plans for organizational activity.

Fox News Digital could not independently confirm that Lafferty viewed union plans or that he used them in labor negotiations.

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The former union leader went on to explain that, while they initially thought Lafferty was simply "moving up in the world" with his frequent visits, they eventually noticed that he would often bring over luxury food items from an establishment operated by Highgate to share with union officials.

"In what universe does that look good, a bunch of union reps hanging out with management eating lobster rolls at the union office?" the source said.

Another source, who had worked with the union for decades, confirmed the former leader’s account.

"They had unfettered access to the building, which I couldn't believe, they just came and went and that was just so like opposite of what we're about and any business for that matter," the source told Fox News Digital. "And they had unfettered access to the, I used to call it the Bermuda Triangle, they would go to legal, they would go to the union officials and they would go to [Maroko.]"

The HTC spokesman denied that there was anything unusual about the meetings.

"Yes, the union regularly meets with hotel management for negotiations and to resolve issues, and those individuals had no different access than any other hotel representative," Shafran said.

The longtime union leader said that it is inappropriate for union officials to accept meals paid for by management as it may create an appearance of impropriety or amount to an illegal gift if not properly reported. Neither Grosso nor Lafferty have been convicted of illegal gift-giving as of publishing.

Photographs reviewed by Fox News Digital also appear to show Grosso carrying large shopping bags into union offices.

The HTC acknowledged the veracity of these photographs, but claimed that the bags only contained a pie, not expensive food and drink.

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Following his allegedly uncharacteristically cozy relationship with union leadership, Lafferty was given a job as the chief operating officer of HTC’s Health Benefit Fund where he pulls in a total compensation of over $650,000 per year, according to the most recent financial disclosures.

"Lafferty underwent a rigorous background check and was supported equally by both union and management representatives, as well as the CEO of the Funds," the HTC spokesman told Fox News Digital.

Before Lafferty left Highgate, the whistleblower’s letter alleges that Lafferty and Maroko pressured an arbitrator on the union's independent conflict resolution board to render a decision favorable to Highgate. A federal district court later upheld the arbitrator’s rationale in the matter as well-grounded.

Maroko allegedly threatened the job of both the arbitrator and his son unless he ruled that Highgate would be absolved of monetary obligations to union members after it ceased managing a property, passing those obligations to the financial institution seeking to take over the hotel.

Maroko’s newly minted compensation package, worth nearly $1 million annually, has also come under scrutiny recently by the Center for Union Facts, an organization critical of labor unions. CUF argues that Maroko is using his members’ dues for self-enrichment.

Also in contention is Maroko’s decision to rent a building owned by UNITE HERE Local 6 to HTC at a rate allegedly far below what the space would go for on the open market. Maroko, who leads both labor entities, is accused of depriving UNITE HERE Local 6 of up to $3 million in rental revenue by allowing HTC to use its real estate at a severely discounted rate, according to the whistleblower letter.

Two sources told Fox News Digital that the lease was not approved by the union’s executive board.

"The lease was signed over 40 years ago and renewed over 20 years ago," Shafran, the HTC spokesman, told Fox News Digital. "The current administration had nothing to do with this lease and, notwithstanding that, the terms are fully legal. The lease payments were accurately and routinely reported in public filings and consistent with applicable federal law."

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‘No evidence’

Fox News Digital is also told that the union launched an in-house investigation into the letter, which it received months ago. Sources who spoke with Fox News Digital say it was a farce that dismissed the seriousness of the situation and left out key information while the union maintains the review clears it of any wrongdoing.

Vincent Pitta, the chairman of the law firm that conducted the first investigation, declined to comment on it, stating that it was "created after a preliminary and expedited review" of the whistleblower's allegations pending the union's retention of a former prosecutor to conduct another investigation. Pitta also said that the document "was a client-attorney privileged document which was stolen from our client’s offices."

A copy of the union’s in-house investigation obtained by Fox News Digital claims that its lawyers questioned 16 people across 23 total interviews, reviewed reams of documents and found that the allegations within the whistleblower report were "completely devoid of merit" and "frivolous."

The internal review purports to have found no evidence of internal gift-giving.

"We found no evidence during our investigation that supported the allegations that HTC and/or Local 6 officers accepted gifts of free hotel or discounted hotel rooms, expensive bottles of liquor, gourmet food or electronics from hotel management representatives," the report reads. "This provision of a pie and other pastries by a hotel representative during business meetings with the Union did not constitute any improper conduct whatsoever on the part of any Union or hotel management representatives and is permissible under federal laws and regulations."

Additionally, the review claims to have found that the allegedly below-market rental agreement offered to HTC was actually determined by a third-party firm and was thus not set by Maroko.

"Our investigation revealed that just two years ago, the lease between Local 6 and the Funds was re-negotiated based on a market value study conducted by an outside company retained by the Funds. The Funds’ management trustees then retained another outside company as an independent fiduciary to review all terms of the proposed, re-negotiated lease," the union review claims.

Pitta declined to provide documentation showing how his firm came to these conclusions.

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Regarding the arbitration process, the internal investigation claims that the whistleblower conflated two separate arbitration processes as one alleged scheme that involved highly technical questions and produced no damages or penalties, did not lead to later lender-liability awards and did not harm hotel lending. It also said all relevant witnesses denied coercion and that the arbitration process gave both sides a fair chance to present evidence, citing a federal court ruling.

"Because the [arbitrator] acted within the scope of his authority and did not exhibit a manifest disregard for the law or issue an Award that violates public policy, the Court finds that the Award should be confirmed," a federal court wrote, explaining why it upheld the findings of the arbitration process.

One union source close to the situation who claims to have had direct knowledge of the alleged misconduct, however, told Fox News Digital that they were not interviewed as part of the internal probe.

"I kept on saying, 'When are they going to interview me?' and [Maroko] wanted no part of that. They wouldn't interview me because, from the beginning, I explained to him that it's all true," they said.

Shafran, however, maintains that the whistleblower never came forward and thus could not be interviewed.

UNEARTHED FILING SHOWS TOP TEACHERS UNION FUNNELING MILLIONS TO FAR LEFT ORGS

The summary of a second internal investigation conducted by a third-party law firm obtained by Fox News Digital further maintains that the whistleblower’s letter is factually unfounded. Citing internal messages and interviews with union leadership, the investigation acknowledges that a hotel industry representative entered the union’s office, but maintained that the bag of purported gifts he brought only contained a "pie or cake."

Additionally, the investigation purports to have interviewed three people involved in the arbitration dispute, all of whom denied foul play. The report concluded that the allegations may have been a plot to provide the hotel industry with leverage during labor negotiations.

A union representative declined to provide Fox News Digital with the primary source evidence supporting the findings of either of its investigations.

Fox News Digital reached out to Grosso and Lafferty for comment.

‘Not shocking’

A veteran hotel industry leader who has dealt extensively with HTC told Fox News Digital that the allegations detailed related to improper gift-giving in the whistleblower letter were "not shocking." They did, however, call the allegations of arbitration tampering "surprising and alarming."

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"It’s a letter, it’s not signed, it’s allegations, it’s not proof positive," the industry veteran went on, speaking about the whistleblower letter generally. "But its allegations are alarming, and it should absolutely be looked into because if any or all of these are true, it’s a big deal."

To date, the allegations made by whistleblowers have yet to be corroborated by any independent review or legal authority. Neither Grosso nor Lafferty have been charged with crimes connected to their alleged misconduct.

Heel Turn: Pro wrestling fans hit with cold dose of reality about top stars and more

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 08:27:39 -0400

Pro wrestling fans were reminded last week about how close their favorite superstars are to the end than the beginning.

It first happened on "Monday Night Raw." Seth Rollins came out in the last segment to challenge Roman Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam. The prospect of Reigns and Rollins going head-to-head again may have seemed a bit tiresome on the surface, but Rollins explained to Reigns that it could be one of the last times, if not the last time, they ever do battle in the ring again.

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"This may be your last chance to close that loop. You and me, we came into this company together. We came through that crowd. We knocked down the door. The kicked the old generation to the curb. We made this place our own. We created the greatest generation in the history of this industry. You and me. We did that together," Rollins said. "My man, we are much closer to the end than we are to the beginning. And just like it was when we came in, young, hungry, ready to take over there is a new generation of young men and women coming in and ready to do the same thing to us.

"So, I say again, this may be our last chance to do this dance, brother. What do you want your legacy to be? When you are retired, you will go down as one of the greatest of all time. No doubt about it. Probably No. 1. You are a sure-fire Hall of Famer. Hell, they should just give you your own Hall of Fame show. You’d be the only one and I might even be there to induct you. But if you don’t accept this challenge, you will never be able to escape the ghost of Seth Rollins."

Rollins and Reigns are each in their 40s and have, at points, shown they could perform for longer than people expect. But Rollins has experienced several injuries since the build-up to WrestleMania 40. He knows better than anyone about how much longer it takes to recover from the injuries.

On All Elite Wrestling’s "Dynamite," the hint of pro wrestling stars come into the twilight of their careers was a little more subtle.

Omega agreed to the stipulation to go up against MJF for the AEW World Championship on next week’s "Dynamite." If he loses to MJF, he will no longer we allowed to challenge for the title.

"There’s been no greater passion, no greater pleasure than stepping through these ropes and giving you people everything that I have," Omega said. "Whether it be when I was a 14-year-old boy or a 42-year-old broken down man, you still get the same 100% Kenny Omega every single time. I’ve won titles. I’ve broken records, records that may never be broken again. I have a career I could probably hang my hat on and be proud of, look back upon fondly, but you see, there’s this selfish part about me that knows it just isn’t enough.

"There’s this part of me that thinks there’s still a little bit left in the tank. There’s a part of me that thinks if I can believe, if Will (Ospreay) can believe, if the Young Bucks can believe, if you people can believe just one more time, then I know I could be a champion that each and every one of you can be proud of and I could stand on the greatest stage that AEW has ever stepped foot on in Wembley Stadium and I can represent All Elite Wrestling where the best wrestle, where I can face Will Ospreay, the winner of the Owen Hart Cup."

The moments are a reminder to fans that the generational talents that have built professional wrestling for the last two decades are slowly breaking down. It’s a reminder to bask in the glory of the greats while they are still around.

Reigns vs. Rollins will be at SummerSlam while Omega takes on MJF this Wednesday.

Cody Rhodes gets another title shot

Sami Zayn pulled off a shocking win at WWE Night of Champions to close out June and it left a few people on the WWE roster trying to climb over each other to get a chance at the Undisputed WWE Championship.

Jey Uso lost to Oba Femi and decided to waltz over to SmackDown to try to get a shot at Zayn’s title. Cody Rhodes, however, was pinned by Zayn to lose the championship Uso and Rhodes would be forced to battle it out to earn the No. 1 contender spot.

Rhodes hit multiple Cross Rhodes maneuvers on Uso before pinning him for the win.

Zayn and Rhodes will meet for the Undisputed WWE Championship on "Monday Night Raw" in Chicago.

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New TBS champion crowned

Willow Nightingale going down with an injury left two major holes in AEW. She was forced out of the Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament and needed to drop the TBS Championship.

AEW announced a Survival of the Fittest match to crown the new TBS champion. Hikaru Shida, Harley Cameron, Kris Statlander, Maika, Persephone and Queen Aminata each qualified for the match, which took place Wednesday night on "Dynamite."

Persephone looked strong has she eliminated two opponents but she ran into Statlander, who rolled her up and pinned her. Persephone got her revenge on Statlander when she hit her with the TBS title belt. Shida put Statlander into a submission hold and the referee called the match as Statlander was knocked out.

It’s Shida’s first reign as champion.

Kendal Grey’s first promo

Kendal Grey defeated Lola Vice for the WWE NXT Women’s Championship at The Great American Bash. On Tuesday, she cut her first promo as champion.

Grey came off as relatable, acknowledging that she’s not the best on the microphone but vowed to wrestle like the champion she is.

"I know I might not look like your normal champion. I mean, last week, I sat across the table from Lola Vice with her designer dresses, her heels, being all glammed up. And I thought to myself in that moment, ‘That’s what a champion looks like.’ But that’s not me. That’s not my style. I mean I can’t even sit in the makeup chair for five minutes without going crazy. And to be honest with you guys, I wipe off half the makeup they put on me before I come out here every time.

"So, yeah, I’m probably not going to be comfortable dressing up like a ‘Barbie.’ And I’ll probably be nervous as hell every time I talk to you guys and I can’t guarantee that every time I talk I’m going to sound like a champion but when the bell rings, I’m damn sure gonna wrestle like a champion. I’m ready to take this division to another level – a level that no one has seen before. And if this title puts a target on my back, good. I welcome that target. I thrive under pressure. I thrive in the competition and when you step in the ring with Kendal Grey, it’s my match, it’s my tempo, it’s my pace and all the other girls in the locker room right now sooner or later are gonna find out that they just can’t keep up with Kendal.

Grey certainly has a target on her back.

Kali Armstrong wanted to be Grey’s first opponent and GM Rob Stone told her that "actions speak louder than words. Armstrong took it to heart when she attacked Grey later in the night. Still, it didn’t seem to be enough to get that title shot right away.

Grey will ahve her first title defense opportunity this week against Nattie Neidhart.

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Pro wrestling news and notes from the week:

MJF defended the AEW World Championship against Mark Briscoe.
Kevin Knight defended the AEW TNT Championship against Lio Rush.
Trevor Lee captures the MLW Southern Crown Championship in a bunkhouse stampede match over Andrew Everett, Diego Hill, Festus, Ikuro Kwon, Jesus Rodriguez, Josh Bishop, Matthew Justice, Paul Walter Hauser and The Beastman.
Mascara Dorada and Mistico won the Ring of Honor World Tag Team Championship against Sammy Guevara and The Beast Mortos.
Rey Fenix defeated El Hijo del Vikingo to retain the AAA World Cruiserweight Championship.
Fabian Aichner became the No. 1 contender for the TNA X Division Championship.
Japanese women’s wrestling promotion, Stardom, reorganized and will now fall under Bushiroad’s Live Entertainment Unit.
Nikki Blackheart made her debut on NXT. She attacked Tatum Paxley after her match against Kelani Jordan to close out the show.

Starship delivery robots leave campuses for cities

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 08:09:44 -0400

Those little white robots that once rolled across college sidewalks with lattes, fries and late-night snacks are getting a new assignment. Starship Technologies recently announced that it will wind down its U.S. university campus operations and redeploy more than 1,200 robots toward grocery chains and hot food delivery in cities across the United States and Europe.

If you have ever watched one of these robots patiently wait at a crosswalk like a polite cooler on wheels, you know why students got attached. They became part campus convenience, part mascot. Now, the company is moving from a controlled campus setting into a much tougher public test.

CHINA'S ROBOT-RUN HOTEL OPENS TO PUBLIC IN 2027

That raises the bigger question: will these cute campus robots be just as welcome when they start sharing crowded city sidewalks with you?

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Why Starship is pulling robots from college campuses

Starship says the decision comes down to focus. The company says its grocery delivery operations are on a 10x growth trajectory over the next two years, driven by demand from major retailers in the United States and Europe.

In Finland, Starship says its robots already complete roughly one in five grocery deliveries. That gives the company a real-world model it wants to repeat elsewhere. To support that expansion, more than 1,200 robots from U.S. campus fleets will be moved into grocery delivery. For Starship, that is a major pivot. Campuses helped the company build its brand in the U.S. They also gave the robots a place to learn.

Why college campuses were the perfect robot testing ground

Starship made a big U.S. splash at George Mason University in 2019, when the school became the first U.S. university to offer autonomous robot deliveries from Starship. From there, the robots spread to dozens of campuses. That made sense. College students are often hungry at odd hours. Many live without a full kitchen. They also tend to be open to new tech, especially when it brings food to the dorm without small talk.

During the pandemic, contactless delivery became even more appealing. A robot that could roll up with lunch while limiting person-to-person contact suddenly felt useful in a very different way.

The campus pullback will not happen overnight

Starship says it has worked with its university campuses and industry partners to keep service running through the 2026–2027 back-to-school season, with transition plans in place to reduce disruption. So, this does not appear to be an instant shutdown where every campus robot disappears at once. Instead, the company is moving away from the university model while preparing its fleet for a bigger push into grocery and restaurant delivery.

For students who loved the bots, it may still feel like the end of an era. For Starship, though, it is a move toward the market where the company believes the economics are stronger. Starship CEO and co-founder Ahti Heinla says the company's robots can deliver groceries at a cost $3-$4 lower per delivery than traditional courier fulfillment. That is the kind of claim that gets the attention of retailers trying to make last-mile delivery less expensive.

ZOOX ROBOTAXI REDESIGN BRINGS BIG RIDER UPGRADES

Why city sidewalks could be a tougher test

The next phase could get messy. Delivery robots have to share sidewalks with people who are walking, pushing strollers, using wheelchairs, carrying groceries or trying to catch a bus. That means every design choice matters. A robot that blocks a curb ramp can create a real problem. A robot that pauses in the wrong spot can turn from cute to irritating fast. If one reverses unexpectedly or gets stuck near a crosswalk, the novelty wears off even faster.

There have already been warning signs. Reports have described delivery robots bumping into people, getting stuck in odd places and raising accessibility concerns. Chicago has also seen local pushback and safety concerns around sidewalk delivery robots, which shows Starship still has work to do if it wants city residents to embrace them. That is the challenge Starship now faces. The same robot that felt charming on a campus may feel like clutter on a narrow sidewalk.

What grocery delivery changes

Grocery delivery is a different business from campus food delivery. A college order might be a sandwich, a soda or a late-night snack. A grocery run can involve heavier items, more frequent routes and customers who expect reliability every time. If Starship can make that work, the payoff could be huge. Grocery stores want cheaper local delivery. Customers want speed without sky-high fees. Cities want fewer cars clogging short delivery routes.

Starship says the global food delivery market is now worth $650 billion and needs delivery systems with higher autonomy levels. The company also says it has completed more than 10 million deliveries, which gives it a sizable head start in the sidewalk robot category.

However, the public will need convincing. People may welcome a robot bringing milk and eggs on a rainy night. They may also get annoyed if that same robot blocks a sidewalk during the morning rush. That will all decide whether sidewalk robots become normal or face more local limits.

Why Estonia still matters to Starship

Starship was founded in Tallinn, Estonia, in 2014 by Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis. Estonia remains home to the company's core engineering and AI development team. That is important because this shift is not only about where the robots operate.

The big question for robot delivery

Starship's move shows where the delivery robot business is headed. College campuses helped make the robots likable. Grocery delivery may determine whether they become profitable. Still, the sidewalks belong to the public. That means companies need more than clever machines. They need trust, clear rules and designs that respect people who move through cities in different ways.

A delivery robot should never make a sidewalk harder to use for someone with a cane, stroller or wheelchair. It should not turn public space into an obstacle course. If companies want these robots to feel normal, they need to prove they can operate without making daily life more frustrating.

ARE HUMANOID ROBOTS NOW COMING FOR RETAIL JOBS?

What this means to you

You may start seeing more delivery robots near grocery stores, restaurants and apartment-heavy neighborhoods. If that happens, pay attention to how they behave in your area. Look for whether they yield to pedestrians, avoid curb ramps and handle crowded sidewalks well. Also, check whether your city has rules for personal delivery devices. Some places allow pilot programs, while others limit where these robots can operate.

If a robot causes a problem, document it safely. Take a photo or video, note the location and report it to your city or the delivery company. That is important because local officials need real examples, not vague frustration, when they decide what rules should apply. There is also a privacy angle. These robots use sensors and cameras to navigate. Companies may say the data supports safe operation, but you still deserve clear answers about what gets collected, how long it is kept and whether law enforcement can request it.

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Kurt's key takeaways

Starship's campus exit feels like the end of a quirky era, especially for students who got used to seeing the little robots rolling around campus. But this shift also tells us something bigger about where autonomous delivery is going. The next battle will happen on city sidewalks, not college campuses. If these robots save money and reduce short car trips, they could become very useful. But if they crowd walkways or create safety headaches, people will push back hard. To me, the real test is pretty clear. Robot delivery needs to work for everyone on the sidewalk, including people who never ordered anything.

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Would you be ok with a delivery robot on your block, or would you rather keep your sidewalks robot-free? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.

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Ancient inscription revealing Christianity's clash with mysterious cult decoded by researchers

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 08:00:20 -0400

Archaeologists recently unveiled rare written evidence of Christianity's rise over a Roman mystery religion. They found an ancient inscription, written in the same language that was spoken by Jesus Christ.

The engraving was found at an underground Mithras temple at Zerzevan Castle, a Turkish fortification roughly 40 miles north of the Syrian border.

The inscription dates back 1,700 years and was written in Aramaic, which was widely spoken across the ancient Near East, including by Jesus Christ.

ARCHAEOLOGISTS UNEARTH ANCIENT TREASURE CACHE AT BIBLICAL CITY CONNECTED TO GENESIS

The temple was dedicated to Mithras, a deity worshiped by followers of a "mystery cult" associated with light and cosmic order.

During the second and third centuries A.D., Mithraism was widespread throughout the Roman Empire — and the Zerzevan underground sanctuary is regarded as one of its best-preserved temples.

The inscription is located at the entrance of the temple, along with a depiction of a cross. Its meaning had eluded researchers since it was discovered in 2017.

The engraving is the first known Aramaic inscription documenting the closure of a Mithras temple, Mardin Artuklu University professor Mehmet Sait Toprak told Turkish state news outlet Anadolu Agency (AA), which first reported the discovery.

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Toprak analyzed the inscription's language and letter forms to determine its meaning.

Comparing it with Old Syriac and Aramaic inscriptions from the second and third centuries A.D., he concluded the inscription dates to the third or fourth century A.D.

The inscription mentions both Mithras and Jesus Christ — symbolizing the shift from one faith to the other, according to Toprak.

The professor told AA the engraving also contains references to the Holy Cross.

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"This is an extremely important archaeological discovery," Toprak told the outlet.

Excavation director Aytaç Coşkun told AA that earlier coin discoveries had suggested the temple was abandoned in the third or fourth century, but the newly deciphered inscription provides new direct evidence that it was closed and symbolically sealed by Christians.

He added that, once fourth-century Roman emperors embraced Christianity, Mithraism was seen as a rival religion.

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The latest discovery is one of many early Christian finds resurfacing in Asia Minor.

Last summer, archaeologists excavating the ancient city of Olympus uncovered the remains of a fifth-century Christian church, bearing an inscription hidden for more than 1,000 years.

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The same year, archaeologists excavating Kaunos found the remains of a Roman hospital that was later transformed into a Christian sanctuary.

New York Harbor whale strike sinks fire rescue boat after July 4 celebrations

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 07:51:23 -0400

A surfacing whale struck a New Jersey fire department boat Friday, forcing firefighters to abandon the vessel as it returned from a July 4 marine security assignment in New York Harbor, officials said.

The Carteret Fire Department said Marine Unit 2 was returning to Carteret waters around 4:30 p.m. Friday after assisting with a regional special operations marine security detail in the New York/New Jersey Port area when a whale breached beneath the vessel's stern near the mouth of Raritan Bay.

The department said the whale strike caused catastrophic damage to the boat, which immediately began taking on water, giving firefighters only seconds to abandon the vessel.

PILOT DECLARES MAYDAY BEFORE SEAPLANE COMES DOWN IN NEW YORK CITY’S EAST RIVER

All firefighters aboard escaped without injury, according to the department.

Officials said a nearby recreational jet ski operator and another boater immediately came to the firefighters' aid before members of the Perth Amboy Fire Department's marine unit arrived and helped rescue the crew from the water.

A nearby recreational vessel reported seeing multiple whales breaching before and after the collision, the Carteret Fire Department said.

THREE DEAD, 7 RESCUED IN BOATING TRAGEDY AS SEVERE HOLIDAY WEEKEND STORM RAVAGES WISCONSIN TOURIST HOT SPOT

The circumstances surrounding the incident remain under review, and officials said additional information will be released as it becomes available.

Mayor Dan Reiman described the incident as a "harrowing experience" in a public statement, saying the surfacing whale struck the vessel beneath its stern and caused catastrophic damage.

"While the Carteret Fire Department Marine Unit regularly trains to rescue civilians from the water and respond to marine emergencies, fires, and vehicle incidents, an event of this nature is something no one anticipates," the fire department said. "Understandably, it has left those involved shaken, but we are incredibly thankful that everyone returned home safely to their families."

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The department used the incident to remind boaters, jet ski operators and kayakers to wear properly fitted life jackets, noting that every firefighter aboard was wearing one when the boat was damaged.

Officials have not identified the species of whale involved. It was not clear whether the animal was injured.

Far-left House candidate ripped for 'disgusting' vote on misgendering bill: 'Disqualifying'

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 07:00:44 -0400

Manny Rutinel, a far-left state legislator and House candidate in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District, voted in support of a bill that instructed courts to take pronoun use into consideration as a factor when deciding child custody cases.

In particular, the Kelly Loving Act required courts to deem "deadnaming" and "misgendering" as a kind of coercive control

"A court shall consider reports of coercive control when determining the allocation of parental responsibilities in accordance with the best interest of the child," the bill initially read when Rutinel voted for it.

MAMDANI COMPARISONS FOLLOW COLORADO DEMOCRAT INTO PIVOTAL HOUSE RACE AFTER PRIMARY WIN

Rutinel’s vote in favor of the package is drawing scrutiny as he wages a bid to unseat Rep. Gabe Evans, R-Colo., in one of the country’s most competitive congressional races, raising questions about his position on parental authority when it comes to issues like gender.

To at least one Republican strategist, the vote speaks for itself.

"Far-left liberal Manny Rutinel wants the government to take away your kids if you don’t adopt his radical transgender agenda. Disgusting and disqualifying. Rutinel will be resoundingly rejected by Coloradans this fall," Zach Bannon, a spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Rutinel’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the bill or what led him to support it.

The Kelly Loving Act, named after a 40-year-old transgender woman who was one of the five victims in the 2022 Club Q mass shooting in Colorado Springs, deals largely with how the state plans to handle preferred pronouns.

It would allow residents to change the sex designation on official documents like birth certificates and state identification and, for schools that make policies about names, instruct education providers to include "all reasons" that a student might adopt a name different from their legal one.

BILL REPLACING 'MOTHER' AND 'FATHER' WITH GENDER-NEUTRAL TERMS PASSES IN NEW YORK, HEADS TO HOCHUL'S DESK

The bill would also make it a "discriminatory practice" and unlawful to publish materials that misgender a person.

The bill passed out of the Colorado House of Representatives, 40-24.

At the time of its passage, the bill drew criticism from groups like the Colorado Parent Advocacy Network that filed lawsuits against the bill, citing First Amendment concerns.

"The Act’s new definition of ‘gender expression’ is unconstitutionally overbroad," their lawsuit read.

"Because it covers any treatment based on the use of a ‘chosen name’ or other forms of preferred ‘address,’ it punishes many forms of constitutionally protected speech."

Notably, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, like Rutinel, did not issue a statement at the time of its passage despite controversy that had made it a matter of national attention.

Although the bill passed both chambers of the Colorado State legislature and was signed into law in May 2025, some of the most controversial provisions, including misgendering, were stripped out weeks after Rutinel's vote. A number of cases, including the one from Colorado Parent Advocacy Network, are still under consideration.

COLORADO SUPREME COURT ORDERS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL TO RESUME GENDER TRANSITION TREATMENTS FOR MINORS

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Having clinched the Democratic nomination for his congressional bid last week, Rutinel will face off against Evans in the state’s general election on Nov. 3.

Evans won his seat in 2024 in a 49% to 48.2% victory over Democratic incumbent Rep. Yadira Caraveo, D-Colo.

Media attacks Donald Trump's Fourth of July celebration, claiming it 'sullied' America 250

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 07:30:31 -0400

Mainstream media and media pundits accused President Donald Trump of ruining America 250 and July 4 celebrations over the last week, even prior to nationwide celebrations.

A direct example came on Friday when The New York Times opinion writer Robin Givhan wrote her op-ed titled "Trump Ruined the Fourth of July for Me."

"But this year, I can barely tolerate the sight of red, white and blue," Givhan wrote. "When combined into a maximalist display of nationalist cheerleading, the colors make my heart ache. The flags on federal buildings are grand, but they hang alongside banners featuring President Trump’s scowling face."

BILL MAHER TELLS LIBERALS TO STOP 'PARTISAN SULKING' AND JOIN AMERICA 250 PARTY

The negative sentiment against Trump was also present in an article from The Atlantic on Wednesday. Staff writer Anne Applebaum described how Trump "inevitably" had "destroyed the nation’s 250th-anniversary celebrations" based on his partisan stance.

"This year is different, because the White House is inhabited by people who don’t believe in the 'abstractions' that we usually celebrate on the Fourth of July," Applebaum wrote. "And this affects the rest of us, whether we want it to or not. Congress’s celebration, planned for a decade, has been usurped by the president’s celebration, funded by private donors and featuring a political speech by himself. Other institutions in and around Washington postponed or reduced their 250th celebrations, so as not to get in the way of the president. Many people who might have participated will not attend, pay attention, or care."

Though less critical, The Washington Post reporters Natalie Allison and Cleve R. Wootson Jr. made similar comments in their piece on Saturday, claiming that Trump had made himself "central" to the America 250 celebration.

HOLLYWOOD CELEBRITIES CRASH AMERICA'S 250TH BIRTHDAY WITH A GRIM HOLIDAY WARNING ABOUT TRUMP

"As he has throughout the anniversary celebration, Trump cast himself as central to the story he wants the country to tell about itself: that America was diminished before him, revived by him and is now celebrating its founding through his restoration — a promised 'Golden Age.' At Mount Rushmore on Friday night, he told the crowd that he 'saved, almost single-handedly,' the Second Amendment and that he was going to 'give our country its identity back,'" they wrote.

Former NBC host Chuck Todd was more livid at Trump's role in the America 250 celebrations during his show on Saturday. Todd went as far as to claim that Trump not only ruined July 4 celebrations but the image of America itself.

"Trump’s doing all of us a favor by selfishly trying to steal this anniversary from us. We now see who he really is. So no, it’s not the celebration we deserve. It’s not the one we could have had. But we get a mirror, and the mirror is telling us something. The country is a lot bigger than Donald Trump. It is bigger than any president, and it’s obviously bigger than any political party. And there’s no one definition of patriotism," Todd said.

MS NOW GUEST ADMITS 'GREAT TREPIDATION' ABOUT CELEBRATING AMERICA'S 250TH, CLAIMS COUNTRY IS BEING DESTROYED

He continued, "But it still needs leaders who understand that it still needs citizens who insist on it. And it still needs people willing to say that the national story belongs to all of us, not just whoever happens to hold power at any one moment. America at 250 may be a lost opportunity. Donald Trump has absolutely sullied the brand of America. But America 275 does not have to be."

Todd also said he felt angry and "betrayed as an American," and that Trump "cheapened" the country.

"This is why I’m so p----- off. Not because I love the country less, but because I love the idea of America enough to resent seeing it cheapened by this man. America deserved better at 250. Some day, I believe it will get better. But it's in your hands," Todd said.

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Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.

Trump celebrated America's 250th birthday with a 28-minute speech at Mount Rushmore followed by a 23-minute fireworks display.

"The American dream still lives, and the American flag still flies more proudly than ever before over the people who will not quit," Trump said. "The nation that will not fail, the country that will not fall no matter how hard the enemy tries, we cannot be beaten."

Accused Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson fights back against state's evidence and more top headlines

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 07:25:36 -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. Accused Charlie Kirk assassin fights back as prosecutors' sprawling case comes into focus

2. Belgium reportedly granted right to appeal FIFA's decision on USA World Cup star

3. NYC health officials sound the alarm as disease outbreak grows near Central Park

MAJOR HEADLINES

FOR CLICKS — Man accused of mowing down two girls in alleged double murder exposes twisted reason he kept streaming. Continue reading …

SIGNS OF LIFE — Toddler’s morgue miracle after pool scare leads to possible felony charges. Continue reading …

AIR SCARE — Fireworks mortar strikes Delta jet during holiday descent into major airport. Continue reading …

LEGAL RECKONING — Ex-NFL Pro Bowler, 'Real Housewives' husband charged with domestic battery. Continue reading …

NO JOKE — Rob Reiner cameo meant to needle Trump instead sets off online uproar. Continue reading …

POLITICS

CALLING IT QUITS — Major twist shakes up Michigan Senate race just weeks before primary. Continue reading …

SPARKS FLY — Clinton rips Trump in America 250 speech, warns of 'serious threats' to democracy. Continue reading …

MIND THE GAP — Gavin Newsom's 'fishing expedition' claim has a serious timeline problem. Continue reading …

AMERICAN DREAM LOST — Refugee from communism reveals 'vicious cycle' playing out in US socialist rise. Continue reading …

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MEDIA

HOME PRIDE — New survey reveals America's most and least patriotic states. Continue reading …

FREE SPEECH PAYOUT — Teacher receives almost $300k settlement over Charlie Kirk assassination post. Continue reading …

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ESPN writer hates Team USA getting Folarin Balogun back, says any World Cup success is now 'tainted'

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 07:19:15 -0400

Team USA is hours away from its biggest home-soil match in a generation. ESPN has somehow decided it's the villain.

Instead of building excitement for Monday night's World Cup Round of 16 showdown against Belgium in Seattle, ESPN senior writer Mark Ogden spent the eve of the match explaining why Team USA shouldn't feel too good about getting Folarin Balogun back.

His headline says it all: "Nobody benefits from FIFA letting Balogun off the hook -- not even the USMNT."

FIFA MAKES FINAL RULING ON US SOCCER STAR FOLARIN BALOGUN'S CONTROVERSIAL RED CARD SUSPENSION

Rather than seeing a controversial decision corrected, Ogden argues the reversal hurts the tournament, hurts FIFA and, somehow, even hurts Team USA.

A VAR review turned what many viewed as an accidental step on an opponent's ankle into a straight red card for Balogun during Team USA's 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The decision was immediately criticized as excessive, with Mauricio Pochettino among those arguing it never warranted a straight red.

FIFA's disciplinary committee ultimately suspended the automatic one-match ban under Article 27, clearing Balogun to play Monday.

President Donald Trump spoke with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, arguing the punishment was unjust before FIFA reversed course, a source told Fox News.

That should have settled the matter.

Instead, Ogden argued that correcting the decision is what hurts the integrity of the World Cup.

He writes:

"If the U.S. defeats Belgium on Monday, the global soccer community will not view it as a hard-fought, tactical triumph... Instead, it will forever carry an asterisk, tainted by the perception that the host nation used corrupt, backroom political maneuvers to alter the tournament's rules."

That's quite the way to preview the biggest American soccer match in decades.

Rather than seeing an overly harsh punishment reversed, Ogden is warning fans that any victory should come with an apology attached.

He doubles down from there, arguing FIFA has "damaged the credibility of its own tournament," warning the decision creates "a dangerous precedent," and concluding that "nobody benefits" from Balogun being allowed to play, not Belgium, not FIFA and "not even the USMNT."

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Rather than celebrating the overturning of a controversial suspension, Ogden is telling Team USA fans they should feel bad if their team wins.

The column also argueed FIFA would never have made the same decision for a smaller nation, treating American influence as a moral failing instead of acknowledging a reality that has existed for decades: host nations enjoy advantages. Home crowds matter. Host nations have advantages. That's international sports.

If FIFA ultimately concluded an obviously controversial call deserved another look, that's an indictment of the original officiating, not the United States.

So Monday night, Team USA will field its best eleven players, exactly as it should.

ESPN can keep clutching its pearls.

USA by a million.

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Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela

Here's the unique, little-known rule that FIFA used to overturn Folarin Balogun red card suspension

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 07:12:32 -0400

When Folarin Balogun received a red card in the U.S. men's national team match against Bosnia and Herzegovina after VAR review, it was immediately controversial.

The contact between Balogun and the Bosnian player was clearly incidental, with both going for the ball, leading to the awkward foot placement. Players, coaches, and analysts all agreed that the red card was harsh at best, and inaccurately given at worst.

Mauricio Pochettino said it was unjust.

Weston McKennie said something similar.

"Obviously the referee made a decision that he made, but I think it’s questionable," McKennie explained. "I think there’s been many other plays like that throughout the tournament on other players that a card wasn’t given at all. It’s disappointing."

YES, THE UNITED STATES WAS TREATED UNFAIRLY BY THE CONTROVERSIAL FOLARIN BALOGUN RED CARD DECISION

And a former top-level referee wrote that the entire process was against FIFA's own rules.

"VAR made their recommendation to the referee based on slow-motion and still replays, which is not aligned with VAR protocols, as these should be used for only point-of-contact purposes in a red card tackle situation," said Andy Davies, a referee who worked in the Premier League and Championship and was a Select Group referee for over 12 seasons.

On Sunday, FIFA apparently agreed.

News broke that FIFA had overturned Balogun's red card suspension, allowing him to play against Belgium in Seattle on Monday night, despite there being no process allowing the USMNT or US Soccer to appeal the card. So how did this happen?

An arcane rule, known as Article 27, the "Suspension of Implementation of Disciplinary Measures," allowed for FIFA to review the automatic red card suspension, and essentially delay it for a year.

"By operation of Article 27 FDC, the implementation of the automatic suspension for USA player Folarin Balogun is suspended for a probationary period of one [1] year," the soccer governing body said in a statement. Article 27 says that "1. The judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure. 2. By suspending the implementation of the sanction, the judicial body subjects the person sanctioned to a probationary period of one to four years."

TRUMP CALLED FIFA PRESIDENT TO REVIEW FOLARIN BALOGUN'S RED CARD AHEAD OF USA-BELGIUM MATCH, SOURCE SAYS

Should Balogun receive another red card however, that "suspension shall be revoked by the judicial body and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement."

Presumably, FIFA, encouraged by President Donald Trump and the White House team, used Article 27 in part because of the apparently improper process used by the VAR referee to recommend a review by the on-field ref.

And while European fans, and the Belgian soccer federation, are furious about the overturn, FIFA used this same protocol to allow Cristiano Ronaldo to play for Portugal.

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Ronaldo received a red card against Ireland in a World Cup qualifier in 2025, leading to a three-game suspension. But FIFA used Article 27 to delay his punishment for up to a year. He sat out one pre-tournament match, then chose to defer the final two until after the World Cup.

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Regardless, the wrong of Balogun's red card has been righted. And he'll make the USMNT that much more dangerous on Monday night against Belgium.

Zelenskyy pressures US and Europe for more 'air defense' assistance amid ongoing war with Russia

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 07:07:56 -0400

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is pressuring the U.S. and Europe to provide more missiles to help Ukraine defend against Russian attacks.

"Last night, Kyiv came under a massive Russian attack. Russia launched 68 missiles and 351 attack drones," Zelenskyy noted in part of a Monday post on X.

President Donald Trump is slated to attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Ankara, Turkey, this week.

Zelenskyy is calling for the U.S. and European allies to emerge from the meeting "with strong decisions in support of" Ukraine's "air defense."

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"Our warriors performed well today in intercepting drones and cruise missiles, but unfortunately not Russian ballistic missiles. And the reason lies in the insufficient supply of interceptor missiles. It is critically important that the world – first and foremost the United States and our European partners – come out of the NATO Summit in Ankara with strong decisions in support of our air defense, and thus the protection of ordinary people’s lives," he noted in the post.

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"As long as Patriot missiles remain in our allies' stockpiles, Russia is only encouraged to keep 'vanquishing' residential buildings. The United States and Europe have enough strength to stop this terror," he asserted.

Zelenskyy's comments come amid the years-long war between Russia and Ukraine.

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Reuters reported that Zelenskyy, new South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are expected to have dinner with NATO leaders on Tuesday.

England player injures wrist hopping over ad board during team's World Cup victory celebration vs Mexico

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 07:06:27 -0400

England was jubilant after taking down Mexico in their Round of 16 World Cup match on Sunday night, but a small slip-up amid a celebration after the 3-2 win may have cost them a player.

English midfielder Jordan Henderson was taken to the hospital after he injured his wrist, coach Thomas Tuchel said. Henderson suffered the injury when he tumbled over an advertising board during the post-match celebration.

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"I have mixed feelings; I am sad because Jordan injured his wrist and it is quite serious. It just does not fit with the evening that Jordan is not with us," Tuchel said. "I do not know the procedure; the doctor told me that he is in the hospital."

Henderson slipped as he put his hand on the board to hop over it. Henderson’s teammates immediately called over for medical trainers to tend to him. He was stretchered off the field.

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It was Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane who lifted England over Mexico. Bellingham scored two goals 98 seconds apart in the first half. Then, Kane converted a penalty to give England a two-goal lead.

"It was a crazy game. We had to fight," Kane said. "I can't really talk, but the occasion, the team, everything against us, we found a way."

The defeat handed Mexico’s first World Cup loss at Estadio Azteca.

"We’ve done something incredible tonight, no doubt about it, and we’ll enjoy it. And we’ll sing songs until we lose our voices on the plane and whatnot, but we’ll have a couple of days recovering, then it’s straight back to business in terms of facing Norway," Bellingham said.

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England will play Norway in the quarterfinals on Saturday in Miami Gardens, Florida.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Doctors say 8 forgotten habits could help fight stress, obesity and chronic disease

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 07:00:48 -0400

Rates of chronic disease, obesity and stress continue to rise across America.

Experts warn that some of the healthiest habits from the nation's earlier centuries may have fallen by the wayside.

From walking as a way of life to eating seasonal foods and spending more time outdoors, they say some of these forgotten routines are worth reviving.

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"America needs to get back to its roots healthwise," Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, told Fox News Digital.

Check out this smart list.

No. 1: Walking everywhere

Dr. Kenneth J. Perry, a physician based in South Carolina, said walking has decreased as people have moved to the suburbs.

"As Americans moved further out of the city center for more space and larger homes, they spent more time sitting in a car rather than walking to work," he told Fox News Digital.

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A study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine showed that prolonged commuting times have been directly linked to increases in BMI (body mass index), waist circumference and overall decrease in metabolic health, the doctor noted.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week (about 30 minutes a day, five days a week), which would include brisk walking.

Only about one in four U.S. adults meet the recommended guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activity, per the CDC.

"We are a country of wide open spaces and beautiful vistas – we need to walk more and breathe our fresh air," Siegel added.

No. 2: Getting morning sunlight

Exposure to morning light has been shown to support circadian health and better sleep, and sunlight is the body's primary natural source of vitamin D.

"Some individuals may have severe difficulty with sleep, and therefore are having difficulty regulating their personal day-night cycles," Perry said.

"It is well-known that early sunlight helps to regulate the circadian rhythm of animals and may be helpful in regulating sleep patterns."

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Sunlight exposure can also have positive effects on health, the doctor said. "The hormonal balance that is regulated by the circadian rhythm can also lead to better weight management and blood pressure control."

No. 3: Spending more time outdoors

Surveys show that nearly half of U.S. adults spend less than five hours per week in nature – but time outdoors is known to be a natural health-booster.

A landmark study of nearly 20,000 adults found that people who got at least 120 minutes per week in nature were significantly more likely to be in good health than those who spent no time outside.

Another review found that combining exercise with time outdoors was more beneficial than just exercise or nature exposure alone, with improvements seen in mental health and chronic disease risk.

No. 4: Going to bed earlier

There are some health benefits to turning in earlier, research has shown.

Observational studies have found that people with very late bedtimes often have higher risks of heart disease, metabolic disorders and mortality.

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"As we know that the only steadfast way to lose weight is to be in a calorie deficit, if an individual is using the late night hours to overindulge, going to bed earlier may help maintain better overall health," Perry added.

The National Sleep Foundation recommends seven to nine hours of sleep for adults aged 18-64 and seven to eight hours for adults 65 and up.

No. 5: Eating seasonal, minimally processed foods

Americans now get more than half of their daily calories from ultraprocessed foods, according to NIH-supported research.

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"We know that excess calories, specifically calories from extra sugar in the diet, can lead to diabetes, obesity, hypertension and a multitude of downstream health problems," Perry said. "Local, minimally processed foods are going to be much better for the overall health of society."

Siegel echoed the importance of embracing more whole foods.

"We are a country of farmers – we need to eat our own fresh produce more and not the chemically laced products that can give us cancer and heart disease," he told Fox News Digital.

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"We need to eat more at home, and treasure our great home chefs, who make everything from turkey to apple sauce, to fried chicken, to big healthy salads, to good old apple pie."

Gardening and growing food has also been linked to improved mental well-being, increased physical activity, reduced social isolation and better overall health outcomes.

No. 6: Performing manual household tasks

A study published in BMJ Open found that older adults who performed more light and heavy housework had better physical performance — including faster chair-rise times (a measure of lower-body strength) and improved balance — than those who did less housework.

Encouraging older adults to perform more household activities could help ensure that they meet physical activity recommendations, particularly for those who don’t participate in regular exercise routines, experts say.

"Performing more household tasks can help individuals maintain strength and mobility. This is especially helpful for elderly individuals to maximize their physical strength and decrease the risk of being sedentary," said Perry.

No. 7: Sharing community meals

Records show that communal meals were once a routine part of American life rather than just happening on special occasions.

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The health benefits of being social are "innumerable," Perry said.

"We know that social connections can minimize depression, reduce the incidence of dementia and actually lead to longer lives," he told Fox News Digital. "Eating a meal with a group of people is a deeply powerful human event that can help improve lives."

Siegel agreed, advocating for going back to "sharing kindness and goodwill with each other at community meals that are non-political."

He added, "We need to take pride in repairing our own houses the way we always have."

No. 8: Observing regular fasting (religious or practical)

Intermittent fasting has been shown to contribute to decreased obesity, better glucose management and overall improved health, Perry confirmed.

"There are some anecdotal reasons for this, given the evolutionary pressures that our species has had to endure," he said.

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"We are now in a world where food is plentiful, but for much of our history, we had to search for food, and it was often scarce. This type of eating pattern mimics the pattern of our ancestors, which is directly connected with our innate metabolism."

While not all historical habits were healthier, these evidence-backed practices from earlier generations may still offer lessons for modern Americans, experts agree.

The numbers don’t lie. Young Americans are falling in love… with socialism

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 07:00:20 -0400

The socialist takeover of the Democratic Party is no longer theoretical.

In New York, three radical candidates backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a self-described socialist, recently won Democratic congressional primaries. The candidates — Brad Lander, Claire Valdez, and Darializa Avila Chevalier — defeated establishment-backed opponents and proved again that the far left’s influence is not confined to college campuses, activist organizations or online echo chambers.

Some conservatives will dismiss these victories as a "New York problem." They shouldn’t. New York is just the tip of the iceberg. Across the country, self-described socialists have been gaining increasingly more power at the local, state and federal levels.

DSA’S THIRD MAJOR PRIMARY WIN DEEPENS DEMOCRATS’ FIGHT OVER THE PARTY’S FUTURE

For example, 29-year-old socialist Melat Kiros just defeated Rep. Diana DeGette in the Democratic primaries for Colorado’s 1st Congressional District. DeGette has been in Congress for nearly three decades.

The disturbing truth is that socialism is becoming more mainstream. It is no longer viewed by many Americans as a failed ideology responsible for poverty, tyranny and misery. It has been effectively repackaged as the answer to housing costs, student debt, medical bills, corporate power, artificial intelligence, loneliness, inequality and nearly every other anxiety facing younger generations.

That does not mean young voters are experts in Marxist theory. They aren’t. But they do believe that the American Dream is slipping away, and the loudest voices on the left have convinced many that free-market capitalism is to blame.

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They are wrong, of course, but conservatives should not ignore why young Americans are attracted to socialism.

In 2025, The Heartland Institute and Rasmussen Reports conducted a series of national surveys of young American voters, and the results are both terrifying and deeply informative.

In the September survey, 53% of likely voters aged 18 to 39 said they want a Democratic Socialist to win the 2028 presidential election. Even more alarming, 76% agreed that "major industries like health care, energy, and big tech should be nationalized to give more control and equity to the people."

MAMDANI RIPPED FOR CLAIMING VICTORY OVER CAPITALISM AFTER NYC'S MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR TAXPAYER FUNDED BAILOUT

Those results were confirmed in another Heartland/Rasmussen survey, released in November. It showed 51% of young voters want a Democratic Socialist to win the presidency in 2028, including 27% of those who voted for President Donald Trump in 2024.

The same poll found that 52% of young voters have a favorable view of Mamdani, although his policies were even more popular. Sixty-two percent said they support expanding his proposals for more government housing and rent freezes nationwide, and 58% support expanding his plan for government-owned grocery stores to every town in America.

This is the part conservatives cannot afford to miss: Socialism’s appeal is driven less by abstract ideology than by a deep and growing belief that the U.S. economy can no longer deliver a decent life to younger people.

Housing is the clearest example. In the October/November poll, 74% of young voters said the cost of housing in America has reached a crisis level. In the September survey, when young voters who wanted a Democratic Socialist president were asked why, 31% said housing costs are too high, the most common answer.

That finding fits the broader pattern. In the September survey, 62% said the American economy is unfair to young people. Thirty-six percent said they are struggling financially or in crisis. And 55% support a law that would confiscate Americans’ "excess wealth"—including second homes, luxury cars and private boats — to help young people buy their first home.

The deeper issue, though, is not whether young people are embracing socialist ideas. They are. The real question is, where are these ideas coming from?

In many homes, workplaces, classrooms, churches and online communities, younger Americans are being told a simple and fallacious story: They cannot afford a home because capitalism failed. They cannot build wealth because capitalism failed. They cannot get ahead because capitalism failed. They cannot trust Congress, corporations, banks, employers, landlords or even the Constitution because the entire American system is supposedly designed to benefit the rich and powerful at everyone else’s expense.

That narrative is false, but it remains powerful because it contains just enough truth to sound plausible.

Many young Americans certainly are struggling. Housing, healthcare, groceries and higher education are too expensive. Large corporations have benefited from cronyism, subsidies, bailouts, regulatory favoritism and special privileges. And for many voters under 40, the promise that hard work will lead to the American Dream feels increasingly hollow.

The answer to these problems is not socialism. The solution is to restore the conditions that make the American Dream possible.

That means increasing the supply of housing by removing unnecessary zoning restrictions, streamlining permitting rules, and stopping state and local governments from using regulations to make homebuilding slow, expensive and politically impossible.

It means cutting reckless government spending, reducing inflationary pressure, lowering energy costs, reforming higher education and ending policies that have increased tuition, housing and everyday expenses.

It means attacking crony capitalism. Young Americans are right to be angry when powerful corporations use government to protect themselves from competition, secure special benefits or impose political agendas.

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The political opportunity for both parties is astounding. In the October/November poll, 42% of young Democrats said they would vote for a Republican presidential candidate if he or she offered the best plan to reduce housing costs. Forty-five percent of young Republicans said they would vote for a Democrat for the same reason. That should be a wake-up call for both parties.

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Conservatives will never defeat socialism if they pretend everything is fine. It is not enough to repeat slogans about capitalism while millions of young Americans believe they will never own a home, build wealth or live better than their parents.

The way to defeat socialism is to prove that freedom still works.

Chris Talgo is a research fellow at The Heartland Institute and the managing editor of StoppingSocialism.com.

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UEFA issues blistering statement over FIFA's Folarin Balogun's decision

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 06:28:14 -0400

European soccer’s governing body issued a blistering statement on Monday after FIFA suspended the red card ban issued to USA World Cup star Folarin Balogun.

UEFA said FIFA’s decision to suspend the implementation of Balogun’s one-game suspension "crossed a red line."

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"Football, like any other sports, relies on rules, which are the basis for fair, honest and transparent competition," UEFA said. "Sometimes rules are open to interpretation. In this case not. A minimum automatic suspension of one match following a red card is not a discretionary option and does not require the decision of a competent body to be enacted. It is a principle embedded in regulations, which cannot be made subject to exceptions, let alone in the middle of a tournament where several other players have been in the same situation and regularly served their suspension."

UEFA expressed concerns with setting a precedent in the tournament and adding questions to the "integrity of the game."

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"Football is the most loved sport in the world because it is a beautiful game and is trusted because it is played everywhere with the same laws," the statement continued. "A tournament is never a pure standalone and, if the tournament in question is the World Cup, it has the power to drive positive or negative consequences on the game as a whole.

"We express our disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision."

Balogun will be available to play on Monday in the Round of 16 match.

President Donald Trump called FIFA President Gianni Infantino to ask for a review of the decision, a source told Fox News.

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Belgium was reportedly granted the right to appeal the decision.

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ESPN writer hates Team USA getting Folarin Balogun back, says any World Cup success is now 'tainted'

Here's the unique, little-known rule that FIFA used to overturn Folarin Balogun red card suspension

Zelenskyy pressures US and Europe for more 'air defense' assistance amid ongoing war with Russia

England player injures wrist hopping over ad board during team's World Cup victory celebration vs Mexico

Doctors say 8 forgotten habits could help fight stress, obesity and chronic disease

No. 1: Walking everywhere

No. 2: Getting morning sunlight

No. 3: Spending more time outdoors

No. 4: Going to bed earlier

No. 5: Eating seasonal, minimally processed foods

No. 6: Performing manual household tasks

No. 7: Sharing community meals

No. 8: Observing regular fasting (religious or practical)

The numbers don’t lie. Young Americans are falling in love… with socialism

UEFA issues blistering statement over FIFA's Folarin Balogun's decision