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Mamdani sets internet ablaze with video explaining cave on plan to arrest Netanyahu: 'What a joke'

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 14:16:42 -0400

New York City socialist mayor Zohran Mamdani was widely mocked by conservatives on social media Tuesday after announcing that one of his campaign platforms, arresting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, isn’t a tool he has at his disposal.

In a video post on X that was viewed over 36 million times, Mamdani called Netanyahu a "war criminal" while conceding that New York City could not enforce the International Criminal Court's warrant for the Israeli leader’s arrest on its own, despite the mayor saying he had looked at exploring avenues to do so.

Mamdani has often said on the campaign trail and as mayor that he wanted to arrest Netanyahu over what the mayor calls a "genocide" in Gaza.

While Mamdani’s post was well received by many on the political left, conservatives on social media quickly mocked the mayor over the situation while taking issue with his determination to enforce the ICC warrant, which the United States government does not recognize.

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

"Trying to find where Mamdani called for the arrest of the Hamas terrorists who plotted the October 7th attacks," Arkansas Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders posted on X. "Disgusting and Disgraceful. "

"This may be the most horrific package of lies against the State of Israel ever promoted by a government official," former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David M. Friedman posted on X. "Even Hamas does not lie to this extent! It is despicable and entirely unbecoming a mayor of New York City. To those who voted for this Jew-hater, shame on you. "

"Zohran Mamdani calling Benjamin Netanyahu a war criminal is utterly ridiculous," Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., posted on X. "The same crowd that rushes to condemn Israel never has much to say about the terrorists who started the war, massacred civilians, raped women, kidnapped children, and still hide behind their own people. Mamdani wants the headline that comes from attacking Netanyahu, not the consistency that comes with confronting Hamas."

MAMDANI CALLS OUT DEMOCRATIC PARTY AS 'WELL-PAID CONSULTANTS AND BIG MONEY INTERESTS'

"The mayor of New York is just straight up promoting antisemitic blood libel courtesy of Hamas propaganda from an official government social media account tonight," New York City Republican Councilwoman Vickie Paladino posted on X.

"As I was saying… he doesn’t have the authority," US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz posted on X. "More political theater."

"I had a dead homeless body in front of my apartment, but the mayor’s focused on playing Model UN," Sam Raus, David Boaz Resident Writing Fellow at Young Voices, posted on X. "What a joke."

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"Zohran Mamdani admitted tonight that he has zero legal right to arrest Netanyahu," political commentator Eyal Yakoby posted on X. "Like everything that he does, it was all just an act for clicks on social media."

Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s office for comment.

Although Mamdani acknowledged he could not arrest Netanyahu as mayor, he called on the federal government to execute an International Criminal Court's arrest warrant if the Israeli leader visits New York.

"I want to be equally clear: Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal at large," he said.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Sinkewicz contributed to this report.

Phillies star JT Realmuto makes inexplicable base-running blunder to end the game, leaves manager dumbfounded

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 14:13:33 -0400

Every once in a while, a big leaguer looks like a little leaguer on the diamond.

Unfortunately for the Philadelphia Phillies, star catcher J.T. Realmuto’s Little League-esque blunder ended the game.

In the bottom of the ninth inning of the Phillies’ 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies had runners on second and third with one out.

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Justin Crawford, who pinch-ran for Alec Bohm, was on third base, while Realmuto was on second base. Right fielder Brandon Marsh was up against closer Tanner Scott.

Marsh hit a weak ground ball to third base, and Crawford started to go home but stopped after a few steps.

Interim Phillies manager Don Mattingly said postgame the contact play was on, which means Crawford was supposed to run home no matter what. However, Crawford said the contact play was on unless the ball was hit to third base.

So Crawford, now caught between third base and home plate, got in a rundown. Realmuto ran to third base but inexplicably turned around to go back to second base when he saw Crawford run back to third base.

ANGELS THIRD BASEMAN BRINGS BASKETBALL ONTO THE DIAMOND, TURNS SLICK DOUBLE PLAY WITH UNCONVENTIONAL MOVE

Mookie Betts tagged Crawford out and then whirled and fired to second baseman Tommy Edman to nab Realmuto going back to second, completing a chaotic 5-2-6-4 double play to end the game.

Phillies announcer John Kruk was in disbelief after seeing Realmuto run back toward second base.

"Oh no, JT! Oh no," Kruk said.

Realmuto said postgame it was a bad baserunning play.

"Just a bad baserunning play, really," Realmuto told reporters postgame. "We were going on seeing it through there, and once (Crawford) gets in the rundown and I'm on third base, there’s no reason for me to go back to second. Just a lack of judgment. You can't make two outs on that play. I’ve just got to stay in scoring position."

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"Just a lapse in judgment. I thought Crawford could get out of the rundown for some reason. The chances of that are so small, you just can't take that chance there of making two outs on one play."

Realmuto said he should have played it through in his head before it happened and been more proactive in his preparation. Mattingly said he wasn’t sure what his star catcher was thinking.

"I don’t know what JT was thinking there, honestly, because he got to third," Mattingly told reporters postgame.

"With contact on," Mattingly said, "just hoping (Crawford) stays in (the rundown) long enough to get Marsh to second, and you end up in the same spot."

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"I’m not quite sure what he’s thinking. I don’t know if he thought that (Crawford) was going to get back or they were going to let him get back. It’s something we’ll talk about."

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The baserunning blunder comes in the midst of a down season for Realmuto. The three-time All-Star catcher is hitting just .215 with seven home runs, which well below his career batting average of .268.

The Phillies (56-46) will look to bounce back from the tough loss and take the third game of the three-game set against the Dodgers (64-38) on Wednesday at 6:40 p.m. ET.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

FOX News Deals Newsletter: Our top Nordstrom Anniversary Sale picks, beach day essentials and more

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 14:00:25 -0400

Welcome to your weekly shopping guide, specifically curated by the FOX News Deals team

FOX News Deals may be compensated for or earn a commission if you buy through our links.

Treat yourself to the Barefoot Dreams CozyChic throw blanket while it's on rare sale during Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale. The incredibly soft and lightweight knit adds warmth and texture to your couch or bed. Choose from taupe, navy, pink or light green while it's 40% off.

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

There are plenty of notable sales happening right now. Since I shop for a living, I've sifted through thousands of deals to find the best beauty buys, luggage and kitchen essentials truly worth your money. — Caitlyn Martyn, Commerce Editor

Refresh your beauty routine with La Mer skin care minis, the Dyson Airwrap and Clinique's best-selling moisturizer.

Upgrade your travel gear with Delsey Paris luggage, Samsonite spinner sets and Béis carry-ons.

Stock your kitchen with premium cookware and cutlery from Le Creuset, Wüsthof and Our Place.

DEAL OF THE WEEK

Editor's Pick: Ebern Designs wicker patio conversation set: $315.99 (72%)

Why we love it: Create a comfortable outdoor seating area with this all-weather patio set. The PE rattan frame, water-repellent cushions and tempered glass tabletop are built to withstand everyday use, while the compact design fits smaller patios, balconies and decks. Find more deals here.

3 ITEMS WE BOUGHT THIS WEEK

Here are the three products our team bought this week — and recommend.

Jaclyn Kaufman, Associate Production Editor: "This Elemis cleansing balm hydrates as it removes makeup, and this large jar will last forever."

Moriba Cummings, Director of Commerce Content: "I've tried more than 10 white tees over the past two years and this 100% cotton, heavyweight Buck Mason pick is the one I keep reaching for."

Jenny Op’t Holt, VP of Commerce Partnerships: "I needed new rain boots, so I bought these Hunter Chelsea boots while they’re marked down by $45."

Check out our "Add to Cart" series to see what else we bought recently.

SMART BUYS UNDER $25

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ARTICLES WORTH YOUR ATTENTION

If you’re looking for a range of deals, all in one place, check out this week’s most noteworthy shopping articles.

The best back-to-school deals of 2026: laptops, backpacks, dorm essentials and more

The travel essentials you'll wish you packed this summer

40% off or more: Save on Amazon beach essentials, from coolers to cover-ups

Back-to-school Apple deals: Up to 78% off MacBooks, Pencils, AirPods and more

IndyCar teams come to terms on the series' first-ever charter sale, which shakes up the grid for 2027

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 13:40:04 -0400

The NTT IndyCar grid is going to look a little different in 2027 with news that the first sale of an IndyCar charter has been completed, and it will bring a new team to the grid.

Albeit one that fans are very familiar with.

On Wednesday, it was announced that Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing had agreed to sell one of its three charters to Drewy & Reinbold Racing, with the transaction subject to IndyCar approval.

TRUMP TOUTS INDYCAR DRIVERS' 'SPECIAL' ABILITY AT FREEDOM 250 GRAND PRIX SHOWCASE, SEEMINGLY ENDING HOT DEBATE

It's the first sale since the charter system was introduced in 2024, and it will see RLL dropping from a three-car operation down to a two-car operation, and DRR rejoining the egrid full-time with a single car.

Dreyer & Reinbold last competed in IndyCar full-time back in 2012 and has become a regular fixture in the Indianapolis 500. They had two cars in this year's field, which were driven by Conor Daly and Jack Harvey.

This news comes just weeks after the death of DRR founder and owner Dennis Reinbold on June 13.

TRUMP TOUTS INDYCAR DRIVERS' 'SPECIAL' ABILITY AT FREEDOM 250 GRAND PRIX SHOWCASE, SEEMINGLY ENDING HOT DEBATE

"I want to thank Bobby Rahal, Mike Lanigan, David Letterman and Jay Frye for the way they approached this from our very first conversation," DRR CEO Derek Reinbold said in a statement. "They treated this as a partnership between two organizations that want to see each other succeed, and this announcement today reflects that.

The teams did not name any drivers or which of RLL's three cars' charters will head to DRR.

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RLL currently fields the No. 15 Honda driven by Graham Rahal, the No. 35 Honda driven by Louis Foster, and the No. 47 driven by rookie Mick Schumacher.

According to FOX Sports' Bob Pockrass, both Rahal and Foster are under contract for next season, while Schumacher is not.

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That has led to speculation that Schumacher is the odd man out. He is, however, coming off a season-best finish at Nashville.

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After the race, he told Pockrass that he feels there's a high chance he will be on the grid in 2027.

We'll see how it shakes out, because this has already been one of the crazier IndyCar silly seasons in recent memory, with even the likes of Christian Lundgaard — who has two wins on the year and his fifth in the standings — hunting for a new ride for 2027.

Memphis pizza shop says business is booming after refusing service to National Guard troops

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 13:33:09 -0400

A Memphis pizza restaurant that drew national attention after refusing to serve National Guard members says business is booming instead of busting, with supporters flocking to the restaurant in what some have dubbed a "buy-cott" after conservative activists called for a boycott.

Miles Tamboli, owner of Tamboli's Pasta & Pizza, said he refused to serve the Guardsmen on July 11 because he opposes the federally led Memphis Safe Task Force, arguing the use of National Guard troops in local law enforcement has made the city less safe rather than more secure.

The company faced severe backlash online after refusing service to four uniformed members of the Memphis Safe Task Force. Tamboli told Fox News Digital July 15, "I stand behind that decision completely." The Guardian reported Tuesday that the response locally has been supportive.

MEMPHIS PIZZA JOINT SPARKS BACKLASH AFTER OWNER REFUSES TO SERVE NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS

"The Italian 'junt' (in Memphis parlance) opened with a full house and had a line waiting by 5.30pm," The Guardian reported. "Waitstaff said the shop was never that crowded that early; extra crew was brought in to help. Business is up ‘a great amount,’ Tamboli said. The packed house on Friday was evidence."

One customer, Sarah Jones, said, "While I do not blame the National Guard for being in Memphis since it was not their choice, I stand by businesses refusing service as a form of resistance and protest."

Another customer, Carol Bigam, a retired FedEx worker, said, "If you have a business — a small family-owned business — that says, ‘You know what, I’m sorry, I can’t serve you, I just don’t believe you should be here,’ it really should be OK. Is he not allowed free speech? He was very professional about it. Give me a break, man."

ICE RESUMES NATIONWIDE TRAFFIC STOPS UNDER NEW POLICY REQUIRING BODY CAMERAS

Tamboli told Fox News Digital July 15 that he opposes the Memphis Safe Task Force, a federally led initiative established in September 2025 by President Donald Trump to stop violent crime in the city.

The task force combines local police with agents from various federal agencies, the Tennessee National Guard and state troopers to enforce public safety laws.

"What the Task Force has actually done is make this city harder to live in," Tamboli said. "Its own records show that the overwhelming majority of its arrests began with routine traffic stops, not violent crime. Families in this city are now afraid to drive to work, afraid to take their kids to school, afraid to be seen. Our own schools reported that fear drove children to stop showing up to class.

"And this month, a 20-year-old Memphian named Tyrin Johnson was shot and killed by National Guard troops during a foot chase, with no body camera footage and no answers for his family," he continued. "None of that makes us safer. It makes us less safe, and it does the most damage to the people who were already struggling."

BAKERY OWNER WHO WENT VIRAL WITH RESPONSE TO CRITICAL INFLUENCER SPEAKS OUT ON WHY SHE DEFENDED HER BUSINESS

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Tamboli said, "Business the week after roughly doubled our normal volume. It was the busiest stretch we've had in this building, with a line out front before we opened most nights. I hear the real question in yours, whether this is a blip, and it isn't. The support hasn't slowed down, I expect it to last, and I'm running my business like the lasting increase it is. The records exist, and I stand behind every word of this, and I'm not going to turn my private sales reports into a public document."

He said he does not believe conservative customers have stopped coming to his restaurant.

"I see every message, every email and every phone call that reaches this place, and I have not heard from a single regular customer telling me they won't be back," Tambolia said. "Not one. I don't track anyone's politics and my register doesn't record it, and I serve every guest who walks through my door the way I always have. The one exception is the uniformed deployment, and that was the entire point.

"Here is what I'd rather you spend your ink on. Four people are dead at the hands of this task force since it came to Memphis, in a city where violent crime had already fallen to a 25-year low before they arrived. One of them, Tyrin Johnson, was 20 years old. Another, Jonah Neal, was in the middle of a mental health crisis when a federal agent killed him, and I'd bet most of your readers have never heard his name.

"If a president sent soldiers and federal agents into your town, and four of your neighbors ended up dead, you would not be asking a pizza owner about his Friday sales," Tambolia continued. "You would be asking why it happened, and you would be furious and you would be right to be. That is the outrage this deserves, and it is missing only because it is happening here and not somewhere the country is used to watching.

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"A small business owner using his First Amendment right to run his place by his own conscience is about as American as it gets," he added. "The people trying to punish that speech, the ones review-bombing me and the ones cheering the government on, are the ones who walked away from the Constitution they claim to love. You do not get to wave the flag and boo free speech in the same breath."

Wisconsin woman's honeymoon ruined by diarrhea after she came down with Cyclosporiasis

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 13:27:54 -0400

We all have stuff that comes up in our lives that we file away in a keep-to-ourselves section of our brain. Having a horrible case of diarrhea that ruins your honeymoon isn't one of them.

That's a story you not only tell everyone, it's one that you run out and make sure the news is aware of. Otherwise, you're faking it through answering the question "how was your honeymoon?"

Nobody wants to put themselves in that situation. The moment you let it slip to one person that you had diarrhea so bad you ended up in the hospital, everyone is going to want to know about it.

STOMACH BUGS SURGING AS DOCTORS SAY CERTAIN TRAVEL ESSENTIALS COULD SAVE YOUR TRIP

Getting the news involved makes that far less awkward of a situation. Now, instead of your friends and family being the only ones who know that your marriage got off to a crappy start, the whole world can learn about it.

It's some personal housekeeping mixed with a public service announcement. Newlywed Gretchen Pleuss is the hero most of us aren't brave enough to be.

She caught Cyclosporiasis during her honeymoon at Yellowstone National Park and a couple of days into the camping trip was glued to the toilet with a bad case of the runs.

"It was just like incessant diarrhea. It was watery and constant," she told 12 WISN. "I felt fine until we got out here, and a couple days into camping here, I started having symptoms."

CYCLOSPORA OUTBREAK: IS IT STILL SAFE TO EAT AT RESTAURANTS? HERE'S WHAT TO KNOW

Pleuss' symptoms included stomach pain that got so bad it landed her in the hospital. That's where doctors confirmed that she had the Cyclospora parasite.

She wasn't about to let the incessant diarrhea keep her from trying to enjoy her honeymoon. Sure, it was ruined by constant trips to the bathroom and a visit to the hospital, but the couple was staying positive.

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"It's still our honeymoon, so we're making the best of it," Pleuss said. "Our vows said in sickness and in health, so we're just getting an early start on that."

They're also getting an early start on having some stories to tell. For as long as they're married, they'll always remember their diarrhea-filled honeymoon, a marital test right out of the gate.

Charlie Woods' shot at the U.S. Junior Amateur ruined by clueless golf fan's phone: 'Really, dude?'

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 13:26:05 -0400

At least he didn't confiscate the phone like Rory.

Charlie Woods, the son of Tiger Woods, attempted to win the 2026 U.S. Junior Amateur ended on Wednesday during a 14-for-2 playoff at Saucon Valley Country Club. But a camera click on a fan's phone threw off Woods' concentration, causing him to chunk a shot out of the thick rough.

According to Golf Channel, the incident took place on the first hole of the playoff which was to determine the final two match-play participants. "Really, dude?" Charlie, 17, responded after hitting his third shot on the Par 5 from the deep stuff.

JORDAN SPIETH SAYS GAMBLING IS FUELING ROWDY GOLF CROWDS AND WANTS THE SPORT TO ADDRESS IT SOON

Charlie was left with a 35-foot chip for birdie, but he finished with a bogey and his dream of winning the Junior Amateur was over after carding a +5 over two days.

If there's good news from this situation, it's that the Charlie Woods' detractors didn't get another f-bomb to use against him like they got on Tuesday when Tiger took a page out of his playbook by dropping a massive f-bomb on the par-3 11th hole.

"Oh, f–k you," Charlie responded to his tee shot. It's unclear what the problem was with the shot. He made par on the hole.

SERGIO GARCIA DESTROYS HIS DRIVER IN FRUSTRATION AT THE MASTERS, RECEIVES CODE OF CONDUCT WARNING

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As for the phone going off, the golf community seems to be split on how this played out. "Golfers are so lame. Guys can hit 95mph cut fast balls with 50,000 people screaming. A little noise doesn't impact your ability to swing a stupid golf club at a ball that isn't moving," one Twitter analyst observed.

There seems to be a deep belief that Tiger needs to drill Charlie on how to battle through such nonsense. "Tiger's Dad would have berated Tiger if he let a camera click affect him...He used to do everything possible to piss Tiger off during a round to get him to focus," another fan noted.

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It's not like Tiger hasn't tried to rattle his son for moments like he faced Wednesday. Remember, Earl Woods famously used to throw golf balls and coins at his son to throw off his concentration. Charlie has faced similar warfare.

TIGER WOODS BREAKS MONTHS-LONG SILENCE WITH PATRIOTIC MEMORIAL DAY MESSAGE, SALUTE TO LATE FATHER

However, after the way this Junior Amateur ended, Tiger needs to start snapping his iPhone camera in his son's backswing. It's back to the drawing board for the Woods' family.

Florida coach brings laughs, no filter and Lane Kiffin comparison rebuttal to first SEC media days

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 13:17:03 -0400

TAMPA, FL- While Lane Kiffin was contemplating his move to LSU from Ole Miss, Jon Sumrall was making a different decision on his coaching future beyond Tulane.

Sure, while they both were deciding whether to take a different job, the circumstances surrounding the moves were not on the same wavelength in terms of coaching in the SEC.

The conversation surrounding the coaching carousel will be discussed for decades, most likely being taught in business ethics classes on college campuses in the future.

Greg Sankey addresses SEC breakaway talk as Michigan tries to steal spotlight with AD Warde Manuel decision

For Kiffin, he had to decide on whether taking the LSU job was worthy enough for him not coaching Ole Miss through the college football playoff.

As for Jon Sumrall, he was making a decision on which opportunity in the SEC would be the better fit.

Was it going to be Auburn, or Florida? Obviously, we know how that part turned out, with Sumrall now entering his first season as the Gators' head coach. Taking to the podium on Wednesday morning in Tampa, the conversation about whether both Kiffin and Summrall were dealing with the same type of dilemma was spurned by a question about his decision to leave Tulane.

While Kiffin and Sumrall have discussed the situation numerous times since last December, there was one part of the process that the two coaches did not agree on.

They were not the same situations, at all.

"I'd say no two decisions are alike, right," Sumrall noted. "Lane and I are friends, and talked several times during the process in October and November about what it was looking like about how things were going to unfold.

"Lane said 'you and I are going through the same thing' and I'm like, 'No Lane, we're not. If you leave, you're leaving an SEC school to go to an SEC school'. I was leaving Tulane. But, it was challenging to do it, but I wouldn’t have done it any other way. I wanted to make sure I left Tulane the right way. If any university told me I couldn't coach in the playoff game I don't think I would've taken the job just because I couldn't leave the team I had coached all year."

No, he's not wrong, though I'm sure Kiffin will have a rebuttal on Thursday when he takes the podium as the LSU head coach.

Sumrall had jokes, as phone starts playing music during news conference

If the incident that transpired during the Florida head coach's news conference had taken place during a team meeting, the reporter whose phone started playing an interesting choice of music would have been kicked out of the room in Gainesville.

Luckily, this hilarious moment took place during the third day of SEC news conferences, far away from the meeting rooms just up the road from Florida's campus.

Kentucky football coach channels Curt Cignetti, delivers SEC Media Days quote everyone will remember

While speaking on his decision to leave Tulane, it just so happened that a reporter was away from his computer, and could not make it in time during Sumrall's press conference to turn it off. This led to a funny exchange with the Gators head coach, while he was also poking fun at Lane Kiffin.

"You would be kicked out of our team meeting, I swear," Sumrall said to the room. "Like you're lucky I'm not going throw this podium right now. That drives me crazy. I would say who is that, but I'm not going to embarrass anybody."

There was no bleep button for Sumrall

There might not be a more authentic coach in the SEC, besides Pete Golding, then Jon Sumrall, as both of them make their conference debuts this season.

Also, if you thought either coach was going to get through a press conference without cussing at least once, you most certainly lost that bet on Wednesday in Tampa.

Georgia coach sounds off: If Congress won't act, SEC should just break away from NCAA and govern themselves

While speaking about Golding, the Gators head coach had nothing but praise for the Ole Miss ball coach, while also making light of Tulane being destroyed by the Rebels twice last season with two-different head coaches.

"Pete is going to be himself. He's not going to change," Sumrall mentioned about Pete Golding. "I have an appreciation for that. You have to be authentic. I think he's going to do a phenomenal job. Really do. Happy for his opportunity there.

"Watching him, those teams to me...you know, we played them the first time at Tulane and they beat the sh*t out of us. We played them the second time, different head coach, still beat the sh*t out of us."

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I for one welcome the coaches who don't put a filter on their words. Give me an authentic coach, no matter the situation, and I'll show you a guy that will at least become a popular leader among fans.

We'll see what Golding has in store, but the SEC clearly forgot the dump button during their Media Days this week, thank goodness.

Pat McAfee announces debut album 'The Diary of a Polarizing Figure' with Aug 14 release date

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 13:14:48 -0400

Pat McAfee announced significant details Wednesday about his upcoming album.

McAfee has become arguably the biggest power player on ESPN and in sports media on YouTube due to his absurd success with "The Pat McAfee Show."

The former Indianapolis Colts punter has had the smoothest pivot from professional athletics to media that we've ever seen.

EXCLUSIVE: COLIN COWHERD OPENS UP ABOUT SELLING THE VOLUME, SCALING BACK THREE-HOUR SHOW, AND RETIREMENT

Now, he's entering the music industry.

Pat McAfee announces details for upcoming album

McAfee hopped on Instagram on Wednesday morning to reveal details of his upcoming album, "The Diary of a Polarizing Figure."

Nailed the name at a minimum.

COUNTRY STAR WYATT FLORES ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM 'SCARED OF HEIGHTS,' NEW SONG OUT FRIDAY

"For as long as I can remember my mere existence has made people hate my guts.. literally since elementary school. Teachers, administrators, other parents, you name it.. I didn’t understand it as a child but throughout my life I’ve come to realize that this is just how it’s gonna be," the former NFL star wrote.

He continued, "I’ve been writing songs about it all for 20yrs. It’s time to let them aht.. There’s A LOT of headlines & narratives about me.. if I was to die, I’d like my kids to know exactly who and what their dad is. The Diary Of A Polarizing Figure. With incredible assistance from @ernest and many other INSANELY talented musicians in Nashville, my words have come to life. I’m very proud of what we’ve put together."

McAfee also revealed the album will be released Aug. 14.

COUNTRY MUSIC STAR ANNOUNCES MAJOR CAREER NEWS, FIRES UP FANS WITH VIRAL VIDEO FOR NEW ALBUM

You can check out the full post below, and let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.

McAfee's growing presence and platform is proof that authenticity pays dividends in a fashion nothing else does.

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The man went from punting for the Colts to being one of the most powerful figures in the media and did it a shockingly short period time.

Now, he's putting himself out there again with an entire album. If you're going to swing, you might as well swing for the fences and that's what McAfee is doing.

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It will be fascinating to see what comes on Aug. 14 with McAfee albums. The one guarantee is it will generate plenty of attention. That's a guarantee you can take to the bank.

Let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.

Reporter's Notebook: House's final sprint puts SAVE America Act and Iran funding in play

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 10:31:36 -0400

Late Sen. John Warner, R-Va., once said to me that "we don’t do a lot in Congress. But when we do it, we do it all at once."

That is kind of where we find the House of Representatives these days.

Wednesday is the penultimate day in the House before the August recess. In fact, the House may not be here much at all until after the election.

So that’s why the House is trying to cram EVERYTHING in right now.

HOUSE GOP VOTES TO PUNT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN BATTLE TO AFTER NOVEMBER MIDTERMS

Here is the laundry list of major items:

A stopgap government funding bill known as a CR. That’s short for continuing resolution. Then there’s the annual defense policy bill. The Senate just blocked that a few weeks ago. There’s "Reconciliation 3.0" which deals with money for Iran, agriculture and an effort to approve the SAVE America Act. House Republicans really want Reconciliation 3.0 before the midterms. They desperately need a major legislative achievement to hang their hats on. Particularly since the One Big Beautiful Bill was last year. Polling on that bill isn’t terribly rosy. Part of the mix is the SAVE America Act. It requires proof of citizenship in order to vote. And there’s a plan to ban Congressional stock trades.

Whew.

So let’s do a deep dive into each of these individual areas.

We begin with what the House approved late Tuesday night. The House passed a stopgap spending bill, renewing all funding at current levels to avoid a fall shutdown in October. The bill would run through Dec. 4.

Fiscal conservatives liked the bill because it "kind of" saves money by simply renewing the current spending. By nature, these temporary bills do just that. They don’t tack on new spending. So – in a way – that kind of holds the fiscal bottom line.

But looming over everything is the touchstone of the GOP’s agenda. That’s the SAVE America Act. The House plans to advance a budget framework and prospectively include the SAVE America Act later on. The Senate must also adopt the same framework so it can use the special budget reconciliation process – which is immune from filibusters – and eventually take on the same measure. But the House and Senate can’t get to the meat and potatoes of the bill without adopting the framework. That’s why the framework is crucial.

What’s in "Reconciliation 3.0?" House Republicans will likely dump the SAVE America Act into the actual bill later They will also load up the bill with tens of billions to cover the war in Iran and restock the Pentagon with munitions. Money for agriculture programs will be in there, too.

SENATE PLOTS PERMANENT END TO GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWNS WITH BIPARTISAN PUSH

But here’s the rub. House and Senate Republicans aren’t on the same page. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., says his body will likely consider the House-approved government funding plan in the next couple of weeks. But that needs 60 votes and is subject to a filibuster. Most Democrats will reject the House’s interim spending plan since they weren’t involved in drafting it.

But that’s where Reconciliation 3.0 comes in.

"We will hold that, subject to obviously, being able to move a continuing resolution to fund the government. It's a possibility, that if necessary, we could pull that budget resolution passed by the House and use it to fund government," said Thune when pressed by yours truly yesterday.

In other words, the Senate won’t take up the House’s Reconciliation 3.0 plan any time soon. Many Senate Republicans have been cool to another reconciliation plan from the get go. But Thune knows Senate Democrats will balk at the House’s stopgap spending bill. So he may use the reconciliation package to bypass Democrats and fund the government this fall.

Remember that reconciliation is NOT subject to a filibuster. Thus, 60 votes are unnecessary.

However, this is something of a negotiating tactic by Thune. He knows Democrats don’t want Republicans to pass their own spending plan via budget reconciliation. He also believes it’s a bad precedent to resort to reconciliation to green light appropriations bills to keep the government open. So, he will hold the reconciliation ball for now.

This means that money to plus-up depleted programs and pay for the war in Iran is stalled for months. Maybe until at least December. That could be a problem at the Pentagon if the conflict drifts on.

The defense bill is an interesting legislative creature this year. That’s because Congress usually approves it on a bipartisan basis. Not this year. In fact, Senate Democrats blocked consideration of the measure. Iran looms large over this year’s defense measure. Also, House Republicans are tacking the SAVE America Act to this measure as well.

Finally, the House plans to vote on a separate bill to ban its Members from trading stocks. Congress passed – and President Obama signed into law – the STOCK Act 14 years ago. That law prohibits lawmakers and aides from using "inside information" collected on the job to play the market.

However, today’s bill goes a step further. It outright prohibits House Members from trading stocks.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., opposes this version of the bill. That’s because he wants a stock ban to apply across all of government. But that’s not what the House is poised to tackle.

Just getting here has been a major legislative lift for the House Republican majority. A crew of recalcitrant House Republicans locked up the floor for weeks, blocking colleagues from considering a host of unrelated bills. Much of it was a protest about sending the SAVE America Act to the Senate. A little bit of it focused on a promise by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to consider a plan to make President Trump’s border security plans permanent.

TRUMP INTERVENES AS HOUSE GOP REVOLT PUTS SAVE AMERICA ACT AT CENTER OF SPENDING SHOWDOWN

Upset Republicans demonstrated much of their insubordination to GOP leaders on a procedural vote called "the rule." The House must first debate and approve a "rule" in order to bring most bills to the floor.

In another Congressional universe, rule votes were quotidian, administrative matters. But not here. This is where a small group of rebels flexed their muscles and often took down "rules," thus preventing the House from ever considering underlying bills.

The House witnessed only 11 rules fall between the late 1980s - under the leadership of late House Speaker Tom Foley, D-Wash., - to Johnson. But the House has defeated a staggering nine rules since Johnson clasped the gavel in the fall of 2023.

So this is an especially ambitious period in the House. Money for the Iran war and SAVE America Act swing in the balance. And if you’re wanting to understand what Congress may face this fall, this week’s action will give you a clue.

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It is messy. It is confusing. It is difficult. But it is all at once.

As John Warner might say, it’s about the only way that Congress rolls.

10-foot great white shark spotted swimming dangerously close to young people

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 13:06:07 -0400

A 10-foot great white shark was spotted swimming alarmingly close to a group of young swimmers along the Southern California coastline — with the children appearing completely unaware of the predator nearby.

The encounter was captured on drone video by Carlos Gauna, a wildlife photographer known as the "Malibu Artist," who said it was one of the few times he felt genuinely uneasy while observing sharks.

"I don't often get nervous, but this was one of those rare instances where I did," Gauna wrote on Instagram. "The young swimmers had no idea."

SHARK SIGHTINGS TRIGGER BEACH ALARM AFTER SWIMMER IS BITTEN DURING SUMMER SPIKE

The shark had a large boat propeller strike wound across its back and dorsal fin, Gauna said — which he believes may have affected its behavior.

"My observations showed the shark to be rather active," he wrote, adding that he watched it breach twice in one day.

"Because of the injury, I don't know if it's searching for easier prey or if it's more alert," Gauna also wrote. "Either way, this shark does approach humans at a higher frequency. At least by my observations."

The wild video sparked hundreds of comments — with many viewers saying they would immediately leave the water if they noticed a drone hovering overhead.

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"If I'm swimming and see a drone over me, I'm out of there," one user commented.

Others said the footage showed that great white sharks often investigate people without attacking.

"It just proves they aren't interested in us," one viewer wrote. "It went to see what the splashing was and turned away. It still had my heart racing, though."

Several commenters also suggested that beachgoers should be alerted when sharks are spotted nearby, with some proposing warning lights or audible signals to help swimmers safely exit the water.

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Fox News Digital previously reported that shark experts have urged beachgoers to stay alert this summer as sightings increased along several U.S. coastlines.

Marine biologist Mike Heithaus of Florida International University told Fox News Digital that shark bites remain unusual, even during the busy summer beach season.

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"People should always be aware of local conditions and listen to lifeguards, but shark bites are very rare," he emphasized.

He recommended that people avoid murky water, that they stay away from areas where large schools of fish are visible and that they avoid places where other people are actively fishing.

Nolan Wells independent autopsy doesn't point to foul play, former medical examiner says

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 13:01:53 -0400

Attorney Ben Crump revealed that the results of an independent autopsy into Nolan Wells' death are "inconclusive" as a former medical examiner said the findings aren't consistent with a "cover up" or any wrongdoing.

Crump announced the independent autopsy's results on Wednesday at the NAACP National Convention in Chicago, stating that an area of "red discoloration" was found on Wells' head. He said Dr. Roger Mitchell, who performed the autopsy, couldn't come to a conclusion "pending further investigation." The official autopsy hasn't yet been completed.

"Why is this dark red here in the back of his head?" Crump said. "This pathologist cannot rule out if any intervening non-accidental factors contributed to or caused the death of Nolan Wells."

When asked by Fox News Digital about the case, forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden said the head injury doesn't point to foul play.

"So that could be from bumping into something in the water. There's a lot of debris in the water, for example. It depends how deep it is, but it's describing a really superficial impact that could have happened before death or after death," Baden said.

SEARCH CALLED OFF AFTER BODY MATCHING MISSING TEEN NOLAN WELLS FOUND OFF MISSISSIPPI COAST

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"What he's describing is a minor injury that could be... totally innocent," Baden said.

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Baden said Mitchell was "reaching for straws" in the independent autopsy report, adding that the findings are consistent with accounts from local law enforcement that his death was accidental and no foul play was involved.

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Wells, 18, initially disappeared July 4 after he went with friends on a boat trip to Horn Island, which is a barrier island off Mississippi's Gulf Coast. Officials and search crews searched for two days before a National Park Service ranger located his body on July 6 while on the island's northwestern tip.

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Officials haven't released a cause of death as officials continue to investigate.

Mamdani dodges on ‘political theater’ of empty Netanyahu arrest threat, calls for US action and NYC protests

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 13:01:35 -0400

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani declined Wednesday to say when he learned the city had no authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after repeatedly campaigning on a promise to detain the Israeli leader if he came to New York.

Pressed over whether the now-abandoned arrest threat amounted to "political theater," Mamdani said his administration had reviewed the applicable laws and concluded that only the federal government could execute the International Criminal Court warrant.

"It’s clear that the city does not have the authority to execute this warrant," Mamdani admitted at a New York City Hall news conference Wednesday, urging the federal government to act on the ICC warrant even though the U.S. is not a member of the ICC and does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction in the U.S. or over Israel, which is also not a member.

With the Trump administration already fully rejecting his call to arrest Netanyahu for being a "war criminal," Mamdani called for New Yorkers to take to protest "if anyone feels a level of frustration or opposition."

MAMDANI GOES BACK ON CAMPAIGN PROMISE, SAYS NYC CAN'T ARREST NETANYAHU

"I believe that this is an arrest warrant that should be executed, and also that I would follow the laws that we had, and I would be respectful of those laws," he added. "And that is why I asked my administration to review of all applicable laws. And I believe, however, in that same finding, that the United States government does have the ability to both joining the International Criminal Court and executing that work, and that is something that I want to see happen."

Short of that, Mamdani suggested that people protest when the Israeli leader visits for the United Nations General Assembly, potentially in September.

"This is a city where, if anyone feels a level of frustration or opposition, protest is something that we will always respect," Mamdani told reporters. "I leave it to New Yorkers themselves to make that decision."

The mayor was repeatedly asked why he did not resolve the legal question before taking office, given that experts had challenged the legality of his arrest pledge during the campaign.

HAMAS, HEZBOLLAH FLAGS FLY AT ANTI-ISRAEL PROTEST MINUTES AFTER MAMDANI CONDEMNS TERROR PLOT AGAINST JEWS

Mamdani would not provide a date for when his administration informed him that the city lacked the power to carry out the ICC warrant.

"That’s a review that I asked them to do," he said. "They made it clear that this is not possible through applicable law."

Mamdani said Palestinian New Yorkers disappointed that he cannot fulfill his arrest promise had reason to be frustrated, declaring that Netanyahu would no longer be welcomed by City Hall.

"I understand it because we are talking about someone who has been charged with crimes against humanity, someone who has visited the city on many an occasion and who has been welcomed by previous mayors," Mamdani said.

"I want to make it very clear that that welcome ends with me," he continued. "I will not be welcoming Benjamin Netanyahu or any other war criminals when they come to this city."

NYC REPUBLICAN LAWMAKER SLAMS MAMDANI ANTISEMITISM OFFICE AS A ‘BLACK HOLE’ LACKING PUBLIC-FACING RESOURCES

Mamdani also faced questions over criticism that his focus on Netanyahu created a one-sided account of the Israel-Hamas war.

Asked directly whether he considered Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack to be genocide, Mamdani did not use that term.

"I consider Oct. 7 to be a horrific war crime," he said. "I’ve considered it to be something that should be deeply opposed with every single fiber of our being."

Mamdani said his approach was rooted in what he called the "universality of humanity," arguing that officials should not "pick and choose which crimes against humanity we oppose."

The mayor also said he would support honoring ICC warrants against Hamas leaders as well as Netanyahu.

"My interest in executing that warrant is not specific to Benjamin Netanyahu, but to anyone who they put a warrant towards for war crimes and crimes against humanity," Mamdani said.

He accused Netanyahu of having "orchestrated this genocide" in Gaza and described the Israeli prime minister as a "war criminal." Israel has repeatedly rejected genocide allegations and condemned the ICC case as illegitimate.

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Mamdani said he remained committed to protecting Jewish New Yorkers, including those who disagree with his position.

"My responsibility to them is to ensure that they are cherished, they are celebrated and they are safe in their city," he said, "and that never are they made to feel as if their opinions on any one issue is the precondition for that safety."

WATCH: Tlaib tells Mamdani to 'call me' for help arresting Netanyahu as Democrats remain divided

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 13:01:22 -0400

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s abandoned pledge to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu divided House Democrats, with some backing his proposal while others said the mayor lacked the legal authority to carry it out.

"Arrest him," Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., told Fox News Digital. "He’s a war criminal."

Throughout Mamdani’s campaign, he repeatedly insisted that he would order the New York Police Department (NYPD) to enforce the warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and arrest Netanyahu for his role in the war in Gaza.

MAMDANI GOES BACK ON CAMPAIGN PROMISE, SAYS NYC CAN'T ARREST NETANYAHU

But Mamdani finally acknowledged his inability to do so as the city lacks the "independent legal authority" to do so. On Tuesday night, he took to social media with a video calling on the federal government to execute the warrant by the ICC to arrest Netanyahu, also stating to be "equally clear" that the prime minister is "not welcome in New York City."

"I think that whether or not he has the authority about it, I don’t really have an opinion on," Rep. Summer Lee, D-Penn., said. She continued, "But I do think that Netanyahu is a war criminal."

"I wish that we had a country that didn’t excuse war criminals," Lee said.

Tlaib also offered Mamdani help with the arrest as she wasn’t sure if he had the authority to complete the arrest.

"I don’t know if it applies to citizen’s arrest," she said. "If he needs help, tell him to call me."

CNN LEGAL ANALYST CALLS OUT 'UTTERLY RIDICULOUS' CLAIM BY MAMDANI ABOUT NETANYAHU ARREST

Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., was one of the few House Democrats that Fox News Digital spoke with who immediately shut down the idea that Mamdani would be able to pursue this arrest under any avenue explored by the city, arguing it would violate a treaty with the United Nations.

He said, "There's a treaty under which the U.N. is lodged in the United States. Pursuit to that treaty, any diplomat can come to the U.N. and be immune from process."

The U.N. Headquarters Agreement is a 1947 treaty between the United States and the United Nations that governs the legal status of the U.N. headquarters in New York and provides protections for foreign officials attending U.N. meetings.

MAMDANI SAYS NYC IS EXPLORING WHETHER IT CAN ARREST NETANYAHU IF ISRAELI LEADER VISITS FOR UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

The U.S. is not a member of the ICC, nor is it a party to the Rome Statute, which requires member countries to arrest individuals wanted under ICC warrants.

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Mamdani’s call on the federal government to arrest Netanyahu comes after President Donald Trump posted to Truth Social on Monday that the prime minister "will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio also recently threatened to "dismantle" the ICC as he claims the court’s force of international law is overreaching its powers and "threatens every aspect of our political and legal system."

FCC Chairman Carr says spectrum auction will make wireless faster, cheaper while raising billions for Treasury

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 13:01:13 -0400

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Wednesday took a major step toward setting up the United States to be the global leader in wireless innovation, which Chairman Brendan Carr believes will make wireless both faster and cheaper for consumers.

The FCC voted to adopt rules to auction 160 megahertz of spectrum in the Upper C-Band by July 2027, which combines terrestrial wireless operations across the entire C-Band to create a single "super-band" spanning 440 megahertz (3.70-4.14 GHz) of prime, mid-band spectrum. While the details are technical for most Americans, Carr said he is simply fulfilling the Trump administration’s agenda.

"One of the things that President Trump did right off the get-go was restore U.S. leadership in wireless. During the Biden years, we fell drastically behind other countries when it came to making spectrum available," Carr told Fox News Digital.

HOW THE US MESSED UP ITS NEW 5G ROLLOUT: ‘IT WASN’T OUR FINEST HOUR’

Indeed, the U.S. fell behind countries like China during the 5G rollout during the Biden era. But Carr said the passage of Trump’s Working Families Tax Cut authorized and directed the FCC to bring more airwaves into the commercial marketplace, in order to both increase speeds and drive down prices.

"When most people pick up their smartphone, they usually don't think why it works or what it takes to make it faster or better. But the FCC is now poised to do exactly that by bringing more spectrum, usually invisible airwaves that your phone actually operates on, and push more of that into the commercial market, so we get more competition, faster speeds, more downward pressure on prices," Carr said.

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The order adopts competitive bidding procedures, allowing wireless providers to bid on wireless licenses.

"That's expected to raise many billions of dollars for the U.S. Treasury, anywhere between $30 to $60 billion or more," Carr said.

"So, it's going to be a good win for consumers in that they get faster speeds and better price services," he continued. "It's also a win for the government as well, because we're raising significant revenues by doing that."

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, also celebrated the move, saying it will "result in better coverage and faster speeds for consumers."

FCC CHAIR HAS NO REGRETS OVER THE DRAMATIC JIMMY KIMMEL SAGA LAST YEAR

The order reconfigures 160 megahertz of the Upper C-band in the contiguous United States for terrestrial wireless flexible use in 3.98–4.14 GHz, with a 20-megahertz guard band at 4.14– 4.16 GHz, according to the FCC. It also folds the Lower C-band and Upper C-band into a single 3.7 GHz Service from 3.7–4.14 GHz in the contiguous United States for terrestrial wireless flexible use and largely harmonizes the licensing, operating and technical rules across the entire band.

The FCC said this promotes "a successful co-existence environment with adjacent band radio altimeters through the adoption of specific technical measures and a carefully coordinated timeline for the introduction of terrestrial wireless operations in the Upper C-band starting in December 2030 that aligns with forthcoming radio altimeter retrofit requirements to be issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)."

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Sophie Cunningham sparks social media meltdown by speaking out to protect women's sports

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 12:55:53 -0400

WNBA star Sophie Cunningham sent shockwaves in the ongoing culture war over the WNBA and trans athletes in women's sports on Tuesday after revealing her stance on the issue to ESPN.

Cunningham's recent statements sparked debate on social media after she revealed she is in support of protecting women's sports.

"I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I'm like, 'I never once said that,'" Cunningham said.

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"I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think with that love is truth, being honest. And I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn't have to go against biological men."

Many prominent figures praised Cunningham for speaking out.

GOP politicians, including Ted Cruz and Eric Schmitt, even chimed in.

Cunningham's statement also garnered praise from athletes and activists involved in the "save women's sports" movement including Riley Gaines, Jennifer Sey and Martina Navratilova, as well as other conservative influencers.

However, Cunningham's statements also prompted some backlash from those who believe biological male trans athletes should be allowed to compete in women's sports.

Some users compared Cunningham's take to that of Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve, who recently told reporters that she opposes bans on trans athletes in women's sports.

Cunningham previously garnered backlash from the left in March 2022 after re-sharing a tweet from CBS Sports host Josh Pate about the controversy surrounding former Penn transgender swimmer Lia Thomas competing on the women's team.

"Female collegiate athletes deserve so much better than this," Pate’s tweet said.

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Cunningham faced so much backlash over the re-share that she released a statement.

"To my teammates, friends, family, supporters and fans, you know that I stand with all people, especially my fellow athletes. I do not judge, but support all races, religions, sexual preferences and gender equity. We all have a place in this world to compete and I hope we are able to grant everyone that opportunity fairly." she wrote.

Cunningham has emerged as one of the biggest stars in the WNBA over the last year, especially among conservatives.

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Riley Gaines, who tied with Thomas at the 2022 NCAA women's swimming championships, told Fox News Digital on the last day of June, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to uphold state laws that keep biological males out of women's sports, that she hoped the ruling would be a "clarion call" for athletes like Cunningham to speak out in support of protecting women's sports.

"Let this be a clarion call, not just to Simone, but to every, I think especially elite female athlete, professional female athlete, the likes of Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham, Serena Williams, to link arms," Gaines said.

Former NFL player gets funding from sports notables, including Roger Goodell, for AZ primary race

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 12:55:35 -0400

Jay Feely, who spent 14 seasons as an NFL kicker for six teams, took a big step toward becoming a United States congressman representing a district that includes parts of Phoenix and most of Scottsdale by winning an Arizona Republican primary Tuesday night.

Feely defeated former state Rep. Joseph Chaplik and businessman John Trobough in a race in which he had the endorsement of President Donald Trump but was accused by his opponents of not being conservative enough.

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Feely will face the winner of a still-uncalled Democrat primary between former state Rep. Amish Shah and former broadcast journalist Marlene Galán-Woods in the general election.

"Why did I decide to run for office? It is a desire to leave this country better for our children and our grandchildren," Feely told his supporters at his victory celebration. "That's it in its core.

"You know, what we're doing is fighting for the future of this country. I truly believe that. When you look at the two parties, they've never been further apart ideologically. Never. And the Democrat Party has embraced Democratic socialism.

"They have chosen to move further to the left. They are talking about abolishing the border. They're talking about abolishing the police department. They are talking about abolishing the Senate now. They want to get D.C. and Puerto Rico statehood.

"The things that they are talking about are changing the very foundation of this country, and what has made it great for 250 years. And we're not going to let it happen."

The Democrats spent approximately $7 million in their primary race, which illustrates how important they believe getting the right candidate to face off against Feely would be.

Feely, making his first bid for public office at age 50, was also well funded for his primary battle and, not surprisingly, at lot of that cash came from the sports world.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell contributed $7,000, which is the legal maximum for an individual.

Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill similarly gave $7,000 to lead a handful of owners joining the Feely cause. Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank ($3,500), New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft ($7,000), Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross ($5,000) and Denver Broncos owner Rob Walton ($7,000) all contributed.

Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam also donated.

Former players similarly helped fund Feely's campaign. Former quarterbacks John Elway, Rich Gannon and Trent Green contributed. So did Jeff Saturday, Todd Heap, Richie Incognito, and Pro Football Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher.

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And this: Charles Barkley contributed the maximum $7,000.

Feely should expect a tough campaign and close race in the coming months regardless of his opponent.

District 1 was reliably red from 1953 to 2009, but massive population growth over the years and a 2022 redrawing of the district's lines turned it into a race Democrats won five times starting in 2013 and believe they can flip this year after losing in 2022.

Follow Senior NFL Writer Armando Salguero on X: @ArmandoSalguero

Kelsey Grammer warns of chilling danger facing Americans who forget nation's founding history

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 12:49:03 -0400

Actor Kelsey Grammer issued a warning about the state of American education, arguing that citizens who fail to learn the nation's founding history risk being manipulated.

Speaking on "Planet Tyrus" Tuesday, Grammer called for an overhaul of the nation's education system while pushing back against critics who dismiss the Founding Fathers as "old White guys in wigs."

"If you don't know where you come from, you don't know who you are. If you don't know who you are, you can be controlled," Grammer warned.

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"There's a whole bunch of things that just have got to stop with our educational system, and we got to retool it. There's no question," he said.

Grammer recently starred in the film, "Young Washington," which follows the Founding Father before he became the nation's first president. Grammer also hosted the six-episode Fox Nation series "The Patriot War," narrating key points in the American Revolution ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary.

The former "Frasier" and "Cheers" actor said America's past serves as a blueprint for its future — one he believes many young people are dismissing.

KELSEY GRAMMER URGES AMERICANS TO LOOK TO FOUNDING FATHERS FOR GUIDANCE AS NATION FACES DEEP DIVISIONS

"Yeah, I'm pretty tired of the old White guy in [a] wig thing," Grammer told Tyrus. "I mean Thomas Jefferson was 33 when he wrote what is arguably the most important political document in the history of man," he said.

Grammer emphasized that the American Revolution was fought on radical ideas rather than identity and called for a stronger push to teach early American history.

"It never had anything to do with the way you looked," Grammer said. "It had everything to do with the way you thought and the way you dreamed, and that's all America."

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He argued the Founding Fathers did not claim America would be perfect but envisioned an evolving quest for better.

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"The land of the possible. Yeah, absolutely. It's always [going to] fall a little short, but that's just it. It's the world of becoming. We're becoming a more perfect union, always, rather than we just are one," Grammer said.

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Grammer said that most of the 56 people who signed the Declaration of Independence "ended in ruin" by sacrificing everything for the nation. He added, "Some of their children were murdered, some of their wives were raped," and said their spirit of resilience in hard times remains today.

"They paid the ultimate sacrifice, the ultimate one. And they would probably do it again. And I think that sort of character is what still is in most of us. I believe in America that way," Grammer said.

Jason Alexander apologizes after Courtney Stodden says 2012 comedy sketch objectified her as a minor

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 12:33:21 -0400

Jason Alexander is taking accountability for his past mistakes.

The 66-year-old actor recently apologized to Courtney Stodden for participating in a 2012 Funny or Die sketch in which he held a cellphone up to her chest and made comments about her body when she was a minor.

"Looking back at the comedy sketch in which Ms. Stodden and I participated in 2012, I completely agree that it was inappropriate and I truly regret it," he told Fox News Digital in a statement. "But more importantly, I am deeply sorry for any harm or distress it has caused Ms. Stodden. I offer her my sincerest apologies."

His apology comes one day after Stodden called out Alexander on Instagram as one of the writers of the sketch, adding, "As an adult, that fact has become harder—not easier—for me to understand."

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In the Instagram post, she shared a photo of her and Alexander in the sketch, in which she is wearing a bikini, and the actor is rubbing a cellphone across her chest.

"I was 17 years old in this photo. The older I get, the more impossible this is to understand," she wrote. "During this comedy sketch, Jason Alexander repeatedly rubbed his phone across my breasts while saying there was 'no signal' in my head but 'plenty of signal' in my chest. Later in the sketch, he joked that when I turned 18 he’d like to take me behind the couch and 'have his way' with me."

She added that as a minor she "didn’t have the legal power to decide whether I wanted to participate" and that "the contracts were signed by adults."

At the time, she was married to Doug Hutchison, who she tied the knot with when she was 16 and he was 51, noting the paycheck for this appearance went to him.

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"I was the only child in the room. I felt so alone," she added. "Looking back now, I don’t see comedy. I see a 17-year-old girl whose body became part of an adult joke. People still say, 'You chose to be there.' Legally, I couldn’t make those decisions for myself. That’s the point."

She ended the post by acknowledging that while she isn't able to change what she went through, she finds herself asking, "How did so many adults look at a minor and decide this was acceptable?"

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"That’s exactly why I speak out today," she concluded. "Children deserve laws that protect them. They shouldn’t have to become adults before realizing the law should have protected them all along."

The caption also included a call to support California Assembly Bill 1267, which aims to permanently end child marriage by setting the minimum legal age for marriage in California to 18 with no exceptions.

Stodden and Hutchison got married in 2011 despite their 34-year age gap. They split up and got back together a few times before officially calling it quits in 2016, although divorce papers were not filed until March 2018, with the divorce being finalized in March 2020.

She announced their divorce in an Instagram post featuring her wedding photo, calling it "an emotional day," but assured her fans "it’s for the better."

"I look back at this picture and feel absolutely taken advantage of," she wrote. "I’ve been scared to even speak up about feeling groomed or being verbally abused during the almost 10 year marriage because I was a child and he was 50 when we married but I’m a woman now and it’s time for me to put my big girl pants on and speak on this matter."

She continued: "I’ve felt completely trapped, manipulated and at times abandoned by adults // growing up in such an environment — it became a lonely and dark place."

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JONATHAN TURLEY: Judge Boasberg whines about Trump’s power and then gets caught exceeding his own

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 12:31:36 -0400

Chief Judge James Boasberg is frustrated ... and he is not alone. Recently, the D.C. federal judge reportedly groused that the D.C. appellate court had ordered him to reconsider a case about whether the D.C. government engaged in biased enforcement against political graffiti. Conversely, the litigants are equally irked over what they see as Boasberg's bias after he responded by, again, dismissing their claims without a trial.

For a second time, Boasberg has barred pro-life groups from access to a jury after members were arrested for writing in chalk, "Black Pre-Born Lives Matter" on a sidewalk while Black Lives Matter writings were left untouched.

I wrote earlier about the emerging body of "Boasberg's Law," cases in which the judge has increasingly shown an untethered and expansive view of his own authority. Recently, Boasberg was found to have committed an "abuse of discretion" in twice finding that the Trump administration was in contempt of court for failing to turn around deportation flights.

DC APPEALS COURT ORDERS JUDGE BOASBERG TO HALT TRUMP CONTEMPT PROBE OVER DEPORTATION FLIGHTS

My disagreements with Boasberg are not over the underlying issues, but rather the court's rejection of basic limits on its own authority. While chastising President Donald Trump for exceeding his authority, Boasberg has been reversed for exceeding his own.

In the earlier case, Boasberg dismissed grand jury subpoenas in the probe of Fed Chair Jerome Powell. I have been critical of that probe, but Boasberg's refusal to allow the subpoenas to be executed was based on an opinion that was rife with open hostility for Trump, dubious sources and biased observations.

I have similar reservations in this latest case. During the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, streets in Washington were covered with BLM graffiti and the police watched as protesters wrote slogans and slurs on stores, streets and sidewalks. The government itself even commissioned a massive painting of the message on a street near the White House.

GOP LAWMAKERS URGE SUPREME COURT TO STRENGTHEN FIRST AMENDMENT PROTECTIONS FOR STREET PREACHERS

However, when the Frederick Douglass Foundation and Students for Life of America wrote their pro-life version of the slogan, they were immediately arrested and the chalk protest removed.

The D.C. Circuit's reversal of Boasberg in the case was a major victory for free speech. Boasberg had applied the wrong standard to kill the case, holding that the group could not challenge the selective enforcement of the laws. In reaching that conclusion, Boasberg applied the wrong standard, imposing the heavy burden of proving that the city was engaged in "invidious enforcement." While that standard was used correctly to dismiss an equal protection claim, it is not the standard for a free speech challenge.

The court did not hide its dissatisfaction with the thrust of Boasberg's opinion in dismissing the First Amendment claim:

"The First Amendment prohibits government discrimination on the basis of viewpoint. 'To permit one side … to have a monopoly in expressing its views … is the antithesis of constitutional guarantees.' The protection for freedom of speech applies not only to legislation, but also to enforcement of the laws."

The appellate court sent the case back to Boasberg with the opportunity to apply the correct standard and to create a substantive record before issuing a ruling on the free speech claim.

Boasberg took the case and ruled again that the groups would not be allowed a trial. The new dismissal was issued despite the standard that, in seeking such a dismissal before a trial, the court must accept all material facts in favor of the nonmoving party or, in this case, the pro-life and pro-free-speech litigants.

Boasberg rejected the factual claim that they were "similarly situated" to the BLM protesters. The litigants presented the results of discovery on the point, but Boasberg dismissed the claim on his own subjective view of the evidence.

They have now filed again with the appellate court to appeal his order.

Some of Boasberg's factual findings are baffling. For example, he maintains that the groups did not show that MPD officers "even witnessed any specific defacement during [Black Lives Matter] protests." However, the groups presented such evidence as bodycam video of officers watching as a protester spray-painted 'I can’t breathe' on the street near the White House two weeks after the arrests of the pro-life protesters. They submitted other video evidence of officers watching protesters spray-paint BLM messages outside of the Department of Justice.

Moreover, they presented what they claimed was guidance from Assistant Chief of Police Jeffery Carroll, in charge of the Metropolitan Police Department's Special Operations Division, in the application of different treatment for graffiti.

Carroll reportedly admitted to being "present" at BLM protests featuring "defacement" of property, public and private, and Lt. Jason Bagshaw admitted that he also saw defacement "related to" BLM protests.

This does not mean that a jury would rule for these litigants, but rather that the court cannot substitute its judgment for a jury when a credible and supported claim has been made by litigants.

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Boasberg declares that no such credible evidence was presented. The fact is that a reasonable jury could conclude that there was different treatment shown in the enforcement of these laws based on the content of the speech.

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The biased enforcement of laws to crack down on speech is a common reality in other countries where courts enable such selective enforcement. In countries such as Iran and China, no level of evidence is sufficient to overcome the bias of courts in showing a preference for one side.

Judge Boasberg has had a distinguished career that is now being undone by a lack of restraint in these decisions. Again, I believe that the judge has been on solid ground in some of these conflicts, including criticizing the use of "intemperate and disrespectful" language in filings and demanding compliance with his orders. However, while Chief Judge Boasberg has described the president's claim of expansive powers as "awfully frightening," the same can be said about a judge who substitutes his own judgment for juries and disregards legal standards for disfavored groups. The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution."

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Former Bernie Sanders official accuses senator of pushing most antisemitic candidates 'in a generation'

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 12:27:59 -0400

Former campaign official for Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Joel Rubin called out the Vermont senator last week for pushing the "most categorically anti-Israel, antisemitic candidates" he's seen in recent years.

"I think what Sanders and the Sanders operation have done is shove into our system the most categorically anti-Israel, antisemitic candidates that we’ve seen in a generation — if ever, certainly within the Democratic Party — and it’s by design," Rubin said in an interview with Jewish Insider.

"The goal is to undermine Democratic unity and even rationality on Israel at this stage," Rubin said.

SANDERS UNDER FIRE FOR PROPPING UP PLATNER AS DEMS TORCH HIS TOXIC ENDORSEMENT 'PATTERN'

Rubin, who was also a State Department official under President Barack Obama, previously led Jewish outreach for Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign. However, following Sanders' past support for former Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, who sported a tattoo resembling a Nazi "totenkopf," a skull-and-crossbones design, Rubin has since concluded that his former boss is now intentionally pushing antisemitism.

Rubin went as far as to refer to Sanders as an "outright hostile actor" pushing a "hate-based narrative" surrounding Israel along with several rising Democratic politicians.

"I’m extremely disappointed. I feel like it violates the goals of promoting peace in the Middle East and the two-state solution, and I believe that it exacerbates the pain and distress that the American Jewish community is experiencing right now in Israel policy," Rubin said. "I had higher hopes for a senator who is Jewish, and his team who knows very well what’s out there."

FETTERMAN DEMANDS BERNIE SANDERS APOLOGIZE FOR BACKING ALLEGED 'PREDATOR' GRAHAM PLATNER IN MAINE SENATE RACE

He warned that these efforts would leave Democrats vulnerable in elections against the Republican Party, particularly as support for Israel appears to be a new breaking point for progressive candidates.

"I don’t know what’s going on inside that operation. There is no line. There is no bottom. There is no low," Rubin said. "And what it’s doing now is gutting American Jewish confidence in the Democratic Party, which is not a way to win elections, and it’s unethical as well, considering American Jews have been a bedrock community supporting the Democratic Party."

"We need leadership, and the progressive community needs to stop scapegoating Jews for all problems in the world," he added.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Sanders' office for comment but did not immediately hear back.

Along with Platner, Sanders has campaigned for and endorsed Melat Kiros in Colorado and Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, who have both criticized Israel for committing an alleged "genocide" during its war in Gaza.

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Sanders was also one of several Democratic members of Congress who have supported efforts to cut $3 billion in aid to Israel.

Dem Rep Seth Moulton says party has no immigration plan, is only ‘opposition to Trump’

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 12:18:53 -0400

Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., acknowledged Tuesday on MS NOW's "Money, Power, Politics" that Democrats have failed to give voters a clear immigration plan and rely too heavily on opposition to President Donald Trump, as he discussed the party's challenges in Arizona's gubernatorial primary.

"We don’t have a plan for immigration. We’re not able to say what, actually, Democrats should do to fix the problem," Moulton said. "All we are is opposition to Trump."

The Massachusetts congressman and U.S. Senate candidate said he had tested voters' understanding of the party's position during town halls across his state.

BIDEN ADMINISTRATION FORCED A FALSE CHOICE ON AMERICANS ABOUT IMMIGRATION

"I’ll ask people, ‘How many of you are opposed to Trump’s immigration enforcement?’ Every hand in the room goes up," Moulton said, adding, "Like, I’ve asked thousands of people in Massachusetts this question."

The congressman also faulted Democrats for dismissing other voter concerns, including inflation, during former President Joe Biden's administration.

"Under Biden, we said inflation is not really a big deal. It’s transitory. It’s going to go away," Moulton said. "The point is we have this history of kind of just like washing over problems and not addressing real concerns that voters have."

DYING FORMER CONGRESSMAN BARNEY FRANK TELLS DEMOCRATS THEIR FAR-LEFT MESSAGING IS COSTING THEM VOTERS

Fox News Digital reached out to the Democratic National Committee for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

When host Stephanie Ruhle noted that Republicans benefited from having a defined immigration approach, Moulton contrasted Trump's enforcement agenda with his party's response.

"This is criminal what Trump is doing," Moulton said. "And the fact that we don’t even have an answer to that is a real problem."

HOUSE REPUBLICANS MOVE TO MAKE TRUMP'S BORDER POLICIES PERMANENT

Moulton outlined his own approach, calling for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), prosecution of officials who break the law and reforms encouraging legal immigration.

"So, yes, abolish ICE, prosecute these people for breaking the law, but then show how we’re going to fix the problem," he said.

The congressman said the current system made the legal route unnecessarily difficult.

"Right now, it’s easier for people to come across the border than to go through the bureaucratic process," Moulton said.

Moulton's congressional website states that he supports comprehensive immigration reform that secures the border, curbs illegal immigration, expands legal pathways and provides a path to citizenship. In January, he backed legislation intended to allow ICE officers to be prosecuted for misconduct.

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Rep. Moulton is challenging Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., in the state’s Sept. 1 Democratic Senate primary. A University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll conducted June 18-23 found Markey leading Moulton 41% to 35% among likely Democratic primary voters, with 23% undecided. The poll had a 5.1-point margin of error.

Sheriff investigating Nancy Guthrie disappearance hunting suspect in separate Tucson home invasion

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 12:11:29 -0400

An Arizona manhunt is underway after a woman was sexually assaulted during a home invasion about 30 miles from where Nancy Guthrie vanished nearly six months ago.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, whose office is investigating both cases, told Fox News Digital there is "nothing to indicate the cases are related."

The attack happened shortly after 2:40 a.m. Monday at a home in the 12000 block of West Vegas Drive, near Taylor Lane and Ajo Way, according to the Pima County Sheriff's Department.

PIMA COUNTY SHERIFF ISSUES ALERT FOR KIDNAPPING SUSPECT LESS THAN 10 MILES FROM NANCY GUTHRIE'S HOME

Deputies with the sheriff's San Xavier District responded to the home after receiving a report of an assault.

Authorities said the intruder entered through an unlocked door, physically and sexually assaulted the victim, then tried to burglarize the home before fleeing. No arrests had been announced as of Tuesday.

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The suspect is described as either Hispanic or White, about 5 feet 10 inches tall with a thin build. He has gray in his beard and was last seen wearing an oversized green shirt.

The home invasion occurred about 30 miles from the Catalina Foothills home where 84-year-old Guthrie, the mother of "Today" co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, disappeared on Feb. 1 in a case that remains under investigation by the FBI and the sheriff's department.

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Fox News Digital reported Tuesday that FBI Director Kash Patel said a four-day delay before the FBI joined the Guthrie investigation may have cost investigators crucial video evidence.

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Patel accused the sheriff's department of keeping the bureau "out of the investigation" for four days after Guthrie's disappearance.

NANCY GUTHRIE SHERIFF SCOLDED COUNTY OFFICIAL FOR SHARING TIP WITH FBI, SHE CLAIMS IN INTERVIEW

Nanos has disputed Patel's account, saying the FBI was notified promptly and worked alongside investigators.

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Authorities in the Guthrie case have said the unidentified person seen outside her home was believed to be between 5 feet 9 inches and 5 feet 10 inches tall.

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The sheriff's department is urging residents who live near the crime scene to review home security or neighborhood surveillance footage that may help identify the suspect.

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Anyone with information about the home invasion is asked to call 911 or submit an anonymous tip to 88-CRIME.

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The FBI did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on the investigation.

Republicans aren’t stopping: GOP to unleash another ‘big, beautiful bill’ with a new target

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 12:06:26 -0400

FIRST ON FOX: The No. 2 leader in the House of Representatives has confirmed plans for a fourth "big, beautiful bill" that would tackle government waste and abuse of federal dollars.

"If you're a single waitress, working three shifts at a diner, Democrats voted against you keeping your tip money … so that they can give that money to fraudsters in Minnesota who were sending it to terrorist organizations," House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told Fox News Digital, referring to Republicans' first sweeping party-line budget bill that President Donald Trump dubbed his "one big, beautiful bill."

"It's insane, but that was really going on. There’s more of it. We want to root that out. So we're gonna move yet another reconciliation bill to focus on things like rooting out waste and fraud, to give that money back to taxpayers."

TOP REPUBLICAN PUSHES FOR RECONCILIATION 3.0 TO ADDRESS AFFORDABILITY

The budget reconciliation process allows the party in power in Congress to pass sweeping fiscal policy legislation while completely sidelining the other side — in this case, Democrats.

It does so by bypassing the Senate filibuster — which needs 60 votes to overcome — allowing the upper chamber to line up with the House's own simple majority threshold.

But the measures in a reconciliation bill must adhere to a strict set of rules, such as not touching Social Security and only including policies that would affect the federal budget.

GOP'S $95B DEFENSE PACKAGE SURVIVES CRITICAL HURDLE AMID FISCAL HAWK REVOLT

Congressional Republicans have passed two reconciliation bills so far, one focused on Trump's tax priorities and another replenishing funds for the president's immigration crackdown.

The GOP is working on a third that would add some $95 billion in federal spending over the next 10 years. It includes $73 billion toward the U.S. war with Iran, $12 billion in aid for American farmers, and $10 billion for states to implement election security measures that were part of the SAVE America Act.

But some House fiscal hawks are threatening to oppose the measure over its lack of spending cuts to offset those dollars.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought both pitched a fourth bill during a closed-door meeting on Tuesday morning in a bid to assuage those concerns, multiple people told Fox News Digital.

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Scalise's comments are the first public confirmation from a member of House GOP senior leadership that such a bill was in the works.

"We want to move that as soon as we finish reconciliation 3.0. So when we were working on reconciliation 2.0, we were already starting to put together 3.0, but we waited until we passed 2.0. Then we went right to work on this latest reconciliation bill," Scalise said.

After Democrats' shake-up, Collins faces toss-up against Platner replacement in must-win Senate race

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 12:03:55 -0400

The first Fox News Power Rankings of the 2026 midterm elections and a new poll both indicate an extremely close contest between longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Troy Jackson, the candidate set to replace ex-nominee Graham Platner as the Democratic challenger, in what's expected to be a premiere Senate battleground.

The Fox News Power Rankings, which gauge the competitiveness of elections using data, reporting and analysis, ranks the showdown in Maine as a toss-up. The midterm ballot box battle is one of roughly a dozen Senate contests that will determine if the Democrats win back the chamber or if Republicans hold onto their slim majority.

Meanwhile, a Pine Tree Poll conducted over the past seven days by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center indicates Jackson with a slight three-point edge over Collins among likely general election voters in Maine.

WHO'S UP AND WHO'S DOWN: CHECK OUT THE FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS ON THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS

Jackson, a former Maine Senate president, is on a glide path to replace Platner at Saturday's Maine Democratic Party nominating convention in Bangor, after winning the vast majority of the 500 voting delegates chosen this past weekend by Democrats in the state's 16 counties. And most of Jackson's top rivals for the nomination backed him after dropping out of the race on Sunday.

While the delegates on Jackson's slate are not required to support him at the convention in Bangor, Maine, he is now considered all but certain to secure the nomination.

A fifth-generation logger and a one-time conservative Republican who became a Democrat over two decades ago, Jackson came in third place last month in Maine's Democratic gubernatorial primary.

Platner dropped out earlier this month, amid calls from top Democrats in Maine and across the country to immediately exit the race following an explosive report containing an allegation of rape from a woman he previously dated. Platner denied the report but stepped aside.

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TROY JACKSON, WHO'S ABOUT TO REPLACE GRAHAM PLATNER AS THE DEMOCRATS' SENATE NOMINEE

Jackson, who had campaigned alongside Platner during the primary, quickly made the case that he was the best equipped candidate to grab the mantle of the progressive and populist movement that had backed Platner.

Along with Platner, Jackson had the support of progressive champion Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont as he ran for governor, and he is currently backed by Our Revolution, the group born in 2016 out of Sanders' first presidential campaign.

Jackson, similar to Platner, is running on a platform aimed at working-class voters. He backs raising taxes on billionaires, the universal healthcare system known as "Medicare-for-all," abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and he opposes military aid to Israel at a time that Democrats are increasingly divided on support for America's longtime Middle East ally.

Collins, as she runs for a sixth six-year term in the Senate, is facing a rough political climate for Republicans, amid GOP President Donald Trump's underwater approval ratings, persistent inflation and what polls indicate is an unpopular war with Iran.

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The senator, known as a moderate Republican who at times has voted against Trump, last month received bipartisan praise after reaching a milestone by casting her 10,000th consecutive Senate vote.

But Democrats are taking aim at Collins over her comments that she didn't regret her 2018 vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, despite his crucial vote four years later to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion ruling.

And following the fatal shooting in Maine earlier this month involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, Democrats heavily criticized the Senate Appropriations Committee chair for her support for ICE funding.

But Collins has a history of defeating the Democrats' efforts to oust her from the Senate.

Six years ago, she trailed Democratic challenger Sara Gideon, the then-Maine House speaker, but the senator ended up winning re-election by nearly 9 points.

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Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority in the U.S. Senate. That means Democrats would need a net gain of four seats in the midterms to retake the majority, which they lost in the 2024 elections.

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The Senate race in Maine, along with battles for Republican-controlled Senate seats in Alaska, Iowa and Ohio, are ranked as toss-ups in the Fox News Power Rankings.