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Dolly Parton refused to pick political sides for decades: ‘I’m not in politics, I’m an entertainer’

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 22:03:18 -0400

Dolly Parton spent decades singing about love, heartbreak, faith and working "9 to 5," but there was one arena the country music legend repeatedly resisted entering: partisan politics.

"I am not political, and I refuse to get caught up in political things," Parton told USA Today in a 2020 interview.

Parton, who died Tuesday at 80, maintained that position through the presidential elections, pointed questions about President Donald Trump, offers of the nation's highest civilian honor and controversies involving some of her fellow entertainers.

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"I don't like to get involved in politics, because first of all, I have as many Republican fans as I do Democrats," Parton told USA Today. "I don't want to offend anybody, I have a right to myself."

"Like God gave us free will, America gave us free speech, but you've got to be responsible for anything you say and do," she added.

Two years earlier, Parton was repeatedly pressed about Trump during an interview with ABC's David Wright, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel.

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"I have a lot of fans out there, and I don’t want to offend anybody," Parton said.

When Wright attempted to draw a parallel between Trump and the sexually abusive boss in Parton's 1980 film "9 to 5," she refused to bite.

"I’m not addressing that," Parton said. "I learned a long time ago, keep your damn mouth shut if you want to stay in show business. … I’m not in politics, I’m an entertainer."

When Wright pointed out that Parton was also a role model, she responded: "Yes I am. That’s why I don’t talk about people."

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Parton's determination to avoid partisan politics with one of America's highest honors.

She revealed in 2021 that the Trump administration had twice offered her the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Parton said she declined the first offer because her husband, Carl Dean, was ill and the second because she would not travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the BBC.

By then, the Biden administration had also approached her about the award. "Now I feel like if I take it, it'll be doing politics, so I'm not so sure," Parton told NBC's "Today."

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Her aversion to political camps did not mean she kept quiet about everything she believed.

"I know whatever I say, people are going to listen, and they’re going to make more of it than maybe what I meant. So I have to be careful," Parton told People in 2021. "Of course I have my opinion, but I’m not an opinionated person as a rule. You’re allowed your own beliefs and your own faith, but you don’t have to use it like a weapon when it could be a tool."

Parton's political neutrality was something she could joke about.

"My daddy was a Republican, my mama was a Democrat, and I’m a hypocrite!" Parton famously quipped, pronouncing 'hypocrite' as 'hypo-crat' in her iconic Tennessee drawl.

DOLLY PARTON DEAD AT 80

Parton's philosophy was tested again when she recorded a duet with Kid Rock for her 2023 album, "Rockstar."

Parton defended working with the conservative musician after she was questioned about the collaboration, telling The Hollywood Reporter that she had recorded the song before a controversy involving Kid Rock but would likely have worked with him anyway, according to Rolling Stone.

"Hey, just because I love you don’t mean I don’t love Kid Rock. Just because I love Kid Rock don’t mean I don’t love you," Parton said. "I don’t condemn or criticize. I just accept and love."

Parton said she still would "probably" have recorded the duet because she considered Kid Rock talented and believed accepting someone did not require agreeing with everything they did.

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"I think that’s terrible," Parton said, according to Rolling Stone. "We all make mistakes. We don’t all get caught at it."

Parton tied that belief to her Christian faith, arguing that people deserved forgiveness and second chances.

"I ask God every day to let Him shine through me. He’s given me that gift to be able to talk to them, and I’m very careful with it. And people don’t really come to see me be me — they come to see me be them, the parts of me they can relate to," she told People in 2021.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Parton clarified that she had not endorsed Hillary Clinton after comments she made about the Democratic nominee were interpreted as an endorsement, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel.

Asked later about the race between Clinton and Trump, Parton jokingly called the campaign "the greatest show on television," and described both candidates as "nuts."

Even running for president herself wasn't entertained by the iconic entertainer for a moment.

"No. I don’t think anybody could actually do a great job at that," Parton told Metro in 2023, according to People. "I think we’ve had enough ‘boobs’ in the White House."

Parton said she preferred trying to make a difference through music and the way she treated others.

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"I’m not smart enough to be in politics, or maybe I’m too smart," she said. "Either way, I’m not qualified for that type of a job. But I’m pretty qualified to do what I do, which is to point people in the right direction, to write about it in songs or speak about things."

Parton died after a "brief battle with cancer," according to her representatives. At her request, a small, private service will be held for her immediate family, with the family asking for donations to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library rather than flowers.

College athletics' latest mess: Court orders say athletes can play, but SEC and Big Ten ready to fight

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 22:00:03 -0400

The college athletics world is reeling after the SEC and Big Ten created new guidelines governing the eligibility of athletes who planned to join teams this week following injunctions and temporary restraining orders granted by multiple judges.

On Tuesday, both conferences, who will soon be joined by the ACC and Big 12, voted to enact new rules that would prevent athletes who have participated in professional sports from reentering the college landscape.

The decision comes after players in several states were granted injunctions or temporary restraining orders allowing them to play this season.

Most of the lawsuits stem from the NCAA’s new eligibility guidelines, which give athletes five years to play five seasons of college athletics.

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Conference guidelines prohibit players from NFL, NBA or WNBA

Under the new policies, any athlete who has signed with a professional team, declared for the NFL Draft or participated in any type of professional training camp will be ineligible for conference competition.

But, there was one difference from a public standpoint with the SEC and Big Ten.

On Tuesday evening, SEC presidents and chancellors held a vote on how to move forward with the new guidelines pertaining to these ongoing cases revolving around athletes who have participated at the professional level in some form or fashion.

Previously declared for the NFL, NBA, or WNBA Draft, and did not appropriately withdraw.
Signed a contract with an NFL (or professional football league), NBA/G-League, or WNBA (or affiliate) team
Been listed on an NFL (or other professional football league), NBA-G-League, or WNBA (or affiliate) roster.

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In addition to the guidelines created by the SEC, the conference has also given Greg Sankey the power to enforce these rules, which include suspension of coaches and monetary fines to each school who violates them.

So, what does this mean for schools who are preparing to bring athletes onto campus for the upcoming college football or basketball season?

According to attorney Ryan Downton, who represents a number of players, the are currently "working on a legal strategy" on how to move forward against both the NCAA and participating conferences who have enacted these new guidelines.

"The SEC’s actions put the NCAA in contempt of multiple court orders," Downton told OutKick-Fox News on Tuesday night. "It is cartel-like conduct when NCAA conferences attempt to create their own spur of the moment rules in response to Courts enjoining those same rules at the NCAA level"

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Multiple sources told OutKick that the vote within the SEC was unanimous, though that does not mean there will not be legal action taken over the next few days.

"We are still working on a legal strategy," attorney Ryan Downton noted.

Abide by court orders or violate conference guidelines? Decisions upcoming

At the forefront of this fight, even though he was not the first coach or team to bring in a player who has in some way competed at the NFL level, is LSU coach Lane Kiffin.

Over the last few days, Kiffin has voiced his reasoning behind the recruitment of such athletes who have already gained NFL experience. Essentially, the Tigers coach mentioned that if he didn’t strike first, some other school would.

"So, you know, we have you know made a decision to recruit some kids around the country, and through these multiple injunctions around the country, which, this is not a first time in college sports, a group of players were granted a fifth year of eligibility, in multiple sports. And through them winning their injunction and entry into the portal, they’re available to recruit," Kiffin noted on Monday.

"So ourselves, like many places around the country, are recruiting them. At the end of the day, you know, because of these rulings, they’re either going to play for you or they’re going to play somewhere else around the country. So, we made a decision to recruit them, like probably most people are."

This includes former Ole Miss football players Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, who are both set to join the LSU roster thanks to a ruling from the 19th District Court of Louisiana that granted them an additional season of eligibility.

But, there have been plenty of others who have gone down this route, winning cases in state courts that allow them to return this season. Texas offensive lineman Cole Hutson is another, who sued the NCAA in a Texas court for an additional season.

Attorney Darren Heitner, who represents Dae'Quan Wright, told OutKick that the SEC should abide by the order granted by the 19th District Court of Louisiana.

"He should be rostered by LSU and be a great contributor for the Tigers. The SEC should heed the court order recently issued by a Louisiana judge," Heitner said.

The question is whether LSU, and others, will move forward in bringing in athletes knowing that it would be in violation of conference rules, but also legal in the eyes of the courts who have granted them injunctions.

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Buckle up, this could get interesting over the next few days.

Surrogate, California couple clash in court as newborn fights for life after heart surgery

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 21:40:44 -0400

The critically ill newborn at the center of a bitter surrogate custody fight was placed back on a breathing tube after his condition worsened following open-heart surgery, according to newly filed court documents.

The baby is in critical condition and being closely watched at the hospital, intended parents Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed said in filings obtained by TMZ.

The couple said the child suffered possible complications after a Norwood procedure, an operation used to treat his severe heart defect, and had to be re-intubated after his condition declined overnight.

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In a Dallas courtroom Tuesday, Gilkar and Ahmed faced surrogate McKenna West as they fought over who should make medical decisions for the newborn. The clash has drawn national attention because West says she refused the California couple’s earlier request to terminate the pregnancy after the baby was diagnosed with a life-threatening heart condition.

Gilkar and Ahmed call the baby Rumi. West, an Alaska cardiac nurse, calls him Gabriel and is asking a Texas judge to give her sole conservatorship, which would put medical decision-making in her hands.

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Gilkar told the court the couple has been at their son’s bedside as he fights through treatment. She said that since surgery, he has struggled to breathe, choked on tubes and needed a blood transfusion, according to court reporting by The Associated Press.

"He’s our child," Gilkar said, according to the AP.

She accused West of trying to take him away. "She’s trying to take him from us," Gilkar said.

Gilkar described the newborn as "the love of our lives" and said, "He’s suffering a lot."

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The custody feud began after the baby was diagnosed at about 20 weeks with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, or HLHS. West says Gilkar and Ahmed then asked her to terminate the pregnancy. She refused and later traveled to Texas to give birth, Fox News Digital previously reported.

HLHS leaves one side of the heart underdeveloped and disrupts normal blood flow. Without treatment, the condition can be fatal within days or weeks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Budner disputes key parts of West’s account and says the couple did agree to the baby’s treatment. He told Fox News Digital that doctors determined on Aug. 14 that the child was eligible for the Norwood procedure, the first of three open-heart surgeries generally used to treat HLHS.

Gilkar and Ahmed consented to the surgery, which was performed Aug. 17, he said. At the time, Budner described the baby’s condition as "critical and complex."

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West’s lawyers have argued that the court should make sure the baby continues to receive life-saving care. West told the judge she would abandon her custody request if the court determines the intended parents are committed to that care, according to the AP.

Gilkar and Ahmed have asked the court to delay a hearing over the temporary restraining order that gave them custody while the legal fight continues, TMZ reported.

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The custody battle is only one part of the couple’s broader legal fight with West.

Before the baby was born, Gilkar and Ahmed filed counterclaims seeking more than $100,000, alleging West breached their surrogacy agreement and caused them emotional distress. The counterclaims, obtained by TMZ, said the couple paid West $60,000 during the pregnancy under an agreement that addressed termination. West has denied wrongdoing and asked the court to dismiss the claims.

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The dispute has only grown more personal since the baby’s Aug. 12 birth. West said in a New York Post opinion piece last week that she had only about a minute with the newborn, while his umbilical cord was still attached, before he was taken away. A court order has since barred her from seeing or holding the baby.

On Tuesday, the judge left that order in place and did not immediately decide the larger question of custody or conservatorship, according to the AP.

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton secured an emergency court order before the birth directing that medically necessary care not be delayed or obstructed, Fox News Digital previously reported. Paxton’s office also notified two Dallas medical centers of their obligations to provide life-saving treatment.

The Associated Press and Fox News Digital's Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.

Hochul remains defiant after sheriffs sue over law banning cooperation with ICE: 'Bring it on'

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 21:36:05 -0400

More than a dozen New York sheriffs are suing over a state law prohibiting law enforcement from entering into or maintaining certain agreements with ICE for civil immigration enforcement, as Gov. Kathy Hochul dared the agency heads to "bring it on."

A federal lawsuit led by Rensselaer County Sheriff Kyle Bourgault argues that the law is unconstitutional and unlawfully restricts elected sheriffs’ ability to enter into federally authorized immigration-enforcement agreements.

"Today, Kathy Hochul escalated her administration’s war on the police and she expanded polices to put criminals before the citizens of New York," Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin said on Tuesday.

The Local Cops, Local Crimes Act, which Hochul signed in May, took effect on Tuesday, barring local and state law enforcement agencies from entering into partnerships with federal authorities to assist on civil immigration matters. The law also bars new agreements to house civil immigration detainees; existing detention agreements must be terminated under their applicable termination provisions within three months of the law’s effective date.

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Police may still assist ICE in cases of violent or other forms of non-immigration crime, but officers may not divert local resources to help with civil immigration enforcement as part of an effort to advance President Donald Trump's mass deportation agenda.

Hochul threatened to sue localities that refuse to end cooperation agreements with ICE, setting up a confrontation between herself and her Republican challenger, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, as his county is among those with agreements with ICE.

"No county executive should think that they are above the law in the state of New York," Hochul said at a press conference on Tuesday.

She said any police department or sheriff’s office that ignores the law and maintains an agreement with ICE will face legal action.

"And to those suing us, those trying to block the implementation of this law who’ve tried before and failed, our law has already been upheld by the courts, but if you try me again, I say, bring it on," the governor declared.

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New York Attorney General Letitia James also issued subpoenas to law enforcement agencies that either did not confirm plans to end their agreements or failed to provide what her office viewed as a satisfactory response. The subpoenas were sent to the sheriff's offices of Broome, Steuben, Nassau and Rensselaer counties, as well as the Nassau County Police Department.

If the agencies fail to comply, the attorney general is vowing to file a civil suit, a spokesperson for her office told CBS News.

Hochul has said law enforcement will assist ICE "only if a real crime has been committed" but officers cannot use resources to help on civil immigration matters.

"Because we need local cops hunting down criminals, not kindergartners. Breaking up drug rings, not breaking up families. Arresting gun runners, not grandmas," Hochul said.

Blakeman, who held a press conference at the same time as Hochul's, did not address whether he would comply with the state's orders, but he later told the New York Post he would "probably" join the sheriffs' lawsuit.

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He has previously defended working with ICE to remove illegal immigrants, claiming at a recent event with Trump that about 2,000 of these individuals in his county have criminal records.

"Kathy Hochul, where do you want those guns? What neighborhood do you want to destroy? Where do you want those drugs? What community do you want to destroy? Where do you want those illegal immigrants with criminal records to live? You want it back in New York? We say no," Blakeman said at the time.

The Department of Homeland Security said Hochul "must stop putting politics above public safety."

"This type of insanity leads to more crimes and more innocent victims," a department spokesperson told the New York Post.

Attempted drone incursion at Virginia prison leads to $324K contraband haul with meth, 17 cellphones

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 21:32:38 -0400

Virginia prison officials intercepted a package containing an estimated $324,000 worth of contraband, including a pound of suspected methamphetamine and more than a dozen cellphones, following an attempted drone incursion at a state prison, authorities said.

The Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) said corrections staff discovered the "suspicious package" at Sussex I State Prison at around 1:30 a.m. Monday.

Inside, officials said they found a one-pound bag of suspected methamphetamine, 17 cellphones with charging cables and 20 sheets of paper that appeared to be saturated with an unknown liquid.

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The agency said it also seized multiple hex wrenches, three USB Wi-Fi adapters and two SIM cards.

Officials also discovered an unusual assortment of other items, including 30 disposable lighters, two cartons of cigarettes, one pound of loose-leaf tobacco, three packs of cigars, two bottles of professional-grade tattoo ink, two bottles of perfume and two bottles of glue.

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VADOC estimated the contraband had a combined value of roughly $324,000 inside the prison.

VADOC Director Joseph Walters said the seizure highlighted the sophisticated methods people may use in attempts to smuggle contraband into correctional facilities.

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"This investigation is an important reminder that some people will use sophisticated methods in an attempt to smuggle drugs and other dangerous contraband into Virginia Department of Corrections facilities," Walters said in a statement.

"I thank our institutional staff at Sussex I State Prison for their vigilance and focus on ensuring the safety and security of our facility," he continued. "Our dedicated correctional staff and OLES members stand ready to intercept any dangerous contraband that individuals may attempt to introduce into correctional settings to ensure the safety and security of our dedicated corrections team members, of incarcerated individuals in our custody, of probationers, and of people in communities all across the Commonwealth of Virginia."

The incident remains under investigation by VADOC's Office of Law Enforcement Services (OLES).

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Anyone with information about attempted smuggling into a VADOC facility is asked to call OLES at 540-830-9280.

Trump endorsement boosts sister of late Lindsey Graham to historic runoff victory

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 21:08:17 -0400

A powerful name and an endorsement from President Donald Trump proved more than enough to score an unlikely candidate a win in the latest runoff election in South Carolina.

Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., toppled Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., in a whirlwind race to replace her brother, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, as the GOP nominee for the Senate after his sudden death in July.

Just a little over a month after his death at 71 years old, South Carolinians opted to stick with a familiar name in Graham, who despite having little political experience prior to her appointment to finish out the remainder of her brother’s term, scored Trump’s coveted endorsement.

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Though her appointment by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster was viewed as temporary, Trump pushed her to run beyond the five months left in her brother’s term.

"Darline is somebody I've known for a long time," Trump said during a rally for her in Myrtle Beach last week. "I asked her to do this. I said, ‘Darline, you got to do it,’ because everyone loves her. Everyone respects her."

"So I've known her through Lindsey — I've known her for so long," he continued. "I think Lindsey respected Darline more than any other person he knows, including me."

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And Trump sent in last-minute financial reinforcements to help her, following a gaffe during her final debate with Norman when she admitted that she had little knowledge of the strategic importance of Taiwan.

Graham has styled herself as a much different politician than her brother, focused more on domestic issues than foreign.

Trump's mammoth, $400 million campaign war chest through MAGA Inc., which has largely been untapped this cycle despite a handful of Senate races shifting in power dynamics across the country, dumped over $800,000 into a phone campaign in support of Graham over the weekend, according to campaign finance records.

While Graham styled herself as a more home front than abroad focused candidate, she made one thing clear through debates and limited campaign time: a vote for her was a vote for the Trump agenda.

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She targeted Norman for bucking House Republican leadership, and, at times, Trump, but noted, "We already have enough problem Democrats, we don’t need a problem Republican."

And though she’s only been in the Senate for a handful of weeks, Graham argued to voters that she’d done more than Norman had in his entire congressional career, touting the passage of the long-awaited bipartisan Russia sanctions package initially pushed by her brother, but at times slowed by the White House.

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"I was in Washington for only two weeks before I passed the Russia and Iran Sanctions Act through the Senate," Graham said. "I then passed the deciding vote to confirm President Trump's attorney general, Todd Blanche."

"Simply put, I've done more in 20 days than Ralph Norman has done in 20 years."

Despite the bruising battle between Norman and Graham, Norman said he would be throwing his support behind her following his loss Tuesday, and planned to call Graham to say congratulations.

"As I said earlier, I'm going to support the Republican. I'm not supporting a Democrat. So, I will support her – Darline – as best I can," Norman said during his concession speech Tuesday evening.

Falcons' starting QB post is Michael Penix Jr's to lose amid Tua Tagovailoa's struggles: report

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 21:28:16 -0400

Tua Tagovailoa’s next chapter in the NFL isn’t going well at all, so much so that the Atlanta Falcons may have to rush Michael Penix Jr. back faster than they hoped.

When Tagovailoa joined the Falcons after being released by the Miami Dolphins ahead of this season, the team reportedly hoped he would play well enough in new head coach Kevin Stefanski’s offense that it would be comfortable starting the season with the veteran left-hander while Penix, coming off an ACL injury, had more time to recover.

However, ESPN/NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport is reporting that the Falcons’ starting job is for Penix to lose at this point following Tagovailoa’s inconsistent play in training camp and the first preseason game.

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"It really seemed that the goal of the entire organization was to have Tua be the starting quarterback right away to start the season," Rapoport said. "Let Michael Penix come along slow. …Really you’d like him to be inactive for the first several games and really just take his time and make sure he’s fully healthy."

Tagovailoa has not set himself apart from the pack in terms of performance at camp, and he went 3-of-5 for 22 yards in the first preseason game against the Denver Broncos before Stefanski moved on to Jack Strand and Cooper Rush at quarterback for the rest of the contest.

"Tua’s play made that impossible, not just in the preseason game, which we’ve seen, but it sounds like practice as well. All of which is to say, this is Michael Penix’s job for the taking," Rapoport continued.

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In an ideal world, the Falcons hoped a fresh start for Tagovailoa would’ve been just what he needed for a heated training camp competition for the team’s starting job. Instead, with Penix getting back into the fold this week and splitting first-team reps, it appears they’re now hoping he can feel confident and, more importantly, be healthy enough to face the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1.

"Everything we do around this building is competing," Stefanski said. "I know it’s easy to say, ‘position battles,’ and those types of things, but we’re constantly competing. That’s not the focus for our guys. Our guys are pushing each other by showing up and putting in the work."

Then again, perhaps Tagovailoa’s play in the final preseason game against his former Dolphins squad can boost his confidence and chances at the starting job this Friday.

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It’s not looking too good for him now, though, as Stefanski and his staff have an important decision to make before that Sept. 13 kickoff on the road in Pittsburgh.

Timberwolves’ LaMelo Ball hires driver following reckless driving incidents in Charlotte, brother Lonzo says

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 21:10:10 -0400

LaMelo Ball’s extensive car collection has drawn attention since his rise to basketball stardom. But the Minnesota Timberwolves guard has now decided to employ a personal driver to help him get around his new NBA home, according to his older brother, Lonzo Ball.

During a recent edition of the "Curious Mike" podcast, Lonzo Ball pointed to his younger brother while discussing which member of the Ball family spends the most money with Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr.

"Who in your family out of y'all three spends the most [money]," Porter asked.

"The one who has the most, LaMelo," Lonzo replied.

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"[He's] got 10 cars," Lonzo continued. Having a driver could mean the 25-year-old spends less time behind the wheel and, in turn, has fewer opportunities to be involved in an accident.

Lonzo also suggested LaMelo could benefit from choosing vehicles outside the exotic-car category, rather than Lamborghinis and similar high-performance models he has owned in the past.

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"He'll buy a $1 million car and then just immediately f–k it up, I've never understood [that]," Lonzo added in reference to his sibling's habits when it comes to vehicles. "You just bought that? And then you ripped it up? You could've just got a beater," the former Los Angeles Lakers guard noted.

Lonzo then addressed the perception surrounding the frequency of LaMelo’s road incidents, saying his younger brother "doesn’t get into accidents, but he has a lot of situations on the road."

The Lakers selected Lonzo Ball with the second overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. He later played for the New Orleans Pelicans and Chicago Bulls before joining the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2025. The Cavaliers traded him to the Utah Jazz in February 2026, but the Jazz subsequently waived him before he appeared in a game for the team.

Lonzo's NBA career has been marked by injuries. After appearing in 35 games during the 2021-22 season, he spent more than two calendar years sidelined.

"It was like a 1,000 and something days," Ball said, reflecting on the length of his absence. He added that he has come to terms with the possibility that he may not return to the same level he once reached as an athlete.

"I came at peace with that when I got hurt the first time. Every time you get hurt it kind of sets you back," Ball told Porter.

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The Hornets selected LaMelo with the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Charlotte traded the two-time All-Star guard and his teammates Josh Green to the Timberwolves in June for Naz Reid and multiple draft picks.

Timberwolves’ LaMelo Ball hires driver following reckless driving incidents in Charlotte, brother Lonzo says

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 21:09:00 -0400

"Who in your family out of y'all three spends the most [money]," Porter asked.

"The one who has the most, LaMelo," Lonzo replied.

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"[He's] got 10 cars," Lonzo continued. Having a driver could mean the 25-year-old spends less time behind the wheel and, in turn, has fewer opportunities to be involved in an accident.

Lonzo also suggested LaMelo could benefit from choosing vehicles outside the exotic-car category, rather than Lamborghinis and similar high-performance models he has owned in the past.

LAMELO BALL'S CUSTOM HUMMER LOSES WHEEL IN CHARLOTTE CRASH DURING ALL-STAR BREAK

Lonzo then addressed the perception surrounding the frequency of LaMelo’s road incidents, saying his younger brother "doesn’t get into accidents, but he has a lot of situations on the road."

Lonzo's NBA career has been marked by injuries. After appearing in 35 games during the 2021-22 season, he spent more than two calendar years sidelined.

"I came at peace with that when I got hurt the first time. Every time you get hurt it kind of sets you back," Ball told Porter.

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Democratic newcomer scores runoff upset in Oklahoma, vows to impeach Trump if elected

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 21:01:03 -0400

A political newcomer just scored a victory in ruby-red Oklahoma, and, if elected, she would put all her energy into impeaching President Donald Trump.

N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas, a nurse who has never run for office before, bested Jim Priest, a lawyer and nonprofit executive, in the runoff race for the Democratic Senate nomination in Oklahoma. Thomas, though a new face, scored the highest percentage of votes in the June primary contest that featured five total candidates vying for the nomination.

It tees up a battle against history in Oklahoma, where voters haven’t sent a Democrat to the Senate in more than three decades.

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And Thomas, who lists a host of policy proposals on her campaign website, including beefing up teacher pay, restoring Roe v. Wade, and expanding Obamacare, among other boilerplate Democratic proposals, also wants to accomplish one thing in the early days of her Senate career: impeaching Trump.

During an interview with NPR affiliate KOSU last month, Thomas was asked about the Republican nominee, Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., and his "fierce" backing of Trump, and how, if elected, she would approach a working relationship with the president.

"Like I said, I'm kind, not nice. So I will make sure that I work as diligently as I can to make sure that within my first 100 days that we impeach, remove and convict," Thomas said. "They will have to pry that pen out of my cold, dead hands before I go any further with allowing this administration to continue doing what they're doing."

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"So, I mean, hopefully that's a good answer," she continued. "But I am going to remove, impeach, remove and convict. That's it. Like that's all. That's the answer."

First, she’d have to survive Election Night in November against Hern, a tall task given that Trump won Oklahoma by nearly 35 points in 2024.

Though Thomas has pulled off two underdog performances, earning roughly 45% of the vote during her first go-round for the Democratic nomination and then defeating Priest with no political experience, Hern is a different matter.

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He’s amassed an impressive campaign war chest that at one point peaked at nearly $10 million so far this cycle. Thomas, however, has raised just shy of $60,000.

He also boasts the endorsement of Trump and has touted his desire to pass the president’s biggest policy priority, the SAVE America Act.

Hern noted in a statement to Fox News Digital that Oklahomans "love President Trump and the America First Agenda."

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"Socialist Democrats like N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas are wildly out of touch with the values of Oklahomans and the direction they want our country moving toward," Hern said. "President Trump and Republicans are focused on delivering results. N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas and the radical left are focused on partisan politics against a president Oklahomans overwhelmingly elected."

Seattle man allegedly targeted governor after telling hospital of murderous plan: docs

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 20:59:24 -0400

A Seattle man accused of threatening Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson allegedly laid out a deadly plan during a hospital stay — one authorities say put the governor and those around him in danger.

The alleged scheme began to unravel after Nathaniel David Foster, 34, checked himself into Swedish First Hill on July 18, while experiencing suicidal and homicidal thoughts, charging documents reviewed by Fox News Digital state.

During an evaluation, Foster allegedly told a hospital caseworker he planned to head to Olympia and harm Ferguson. The caseworker alerted police, bringing Seattle officers and Washington State Patrol detectives into the case.

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What Foster allegedly told them went far beyond a vague threat.

Foster allegedly described taking public transit to Olympia, then lurking near the governor’s mansion to watch where guards were positioned and when they changed shifts or took breaks. From there, authorities say, he planned to find a weak point in security and force his way inside.

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Foster allegedly said he was willing to hurt or kill anyone standing between him and the governor, the documents state.

Prosecutors say Foster believed attacking Ferguson would draw attention to grievances he had over his treatment while incarcerated at a Spokane correctional facility.

He allegedly told investigators he would do "what he has to do" to get the result he wanted.

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Foster is charged in King County Superior Court with threatening to kill Ferguson. Prosecutors have asked a judge to set his bail at $50,000 and bar him from contacting the governor, arguing he poses a danger to the public.

The case also comes with a troubling history.

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Court filings list Foster’s prior convictions for second-degree robbery in 2008, third-degree assault in 2009 and third-degree malicious mischief in 2023.

Then, in 2025, he was accused of stabbing a Ralph’s Thriftway employee in the face in Olympia after being greeted, according to the probable-cause declaration.

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Authorities wrote that Foster said "voices in his head" told him to carry out the alleged attack and that he wanted to kill police officers and politicians.

That case was later dismissed after Foster was found not competent to stand trial, according to court records cited in the documents.

The bail filing also lists several other cases dismissed because of competency concerns, including 2025 charges of custodial assault and second-degree assault.

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Foster failed to appear for an Aug. 17 arraignment, leading a judge to confirm a bench warrant, court minutes show. He was later booked into the King County Jail on a separate third-degree malicious mischief allegation.

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

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.

Daughter of late House Dem loses runoff bid to finish father's term

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 20:51:08 -0400

Marcye Scott, the daughter of late Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., fell short Tuesday in her bid to succeed her father in Congress for the final few months of his term, despite leading the first-round of voting last month.

Former teacher and Gwinnett County school board chairman Everton Blair defeated Scott in the special election runoff for the remainder of David Scott's term in Georgia’s heavily Democratic 13th Congressional District, which covers parts of metro Atlanta. Blair will hold the seat only through early January, when the winner of November’s regularly scheduled general election takes office.

Blair also ran in the primary to compete for a full-term, but lost to Democratic Georgia state representative Jasmine Clark in the primary earlier this year. Clark will battle Republican Jonathan Chavez in November for the seat, the official term for which will start in January 2027.

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David Scott represented the district for more than two decades before dying April 22 at age 80. At the time of his death, he was seeking a 13th term and facing a competitive Democratic primary challenge from Clark and others.

In 2024, he carried the district with roughly 72% of the vote, while then-Vice President Kamala Harris won about 71% there in the presidential race, compared with roughly 28% for President Donald Trump.

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Marcye Scott entered Tuesday’s runoff after leading the July 28 special election with roughly 46% of the vote, compared with about 38% for Blair, but fell short of the majority required to win outright, leading to the runoff against Blair.

Blair's victory would restore voting representation to Georgia’s heavily Democratic 13th District and add another Democratic vote to the narrowly divided House for the final months of the 119th Congress. Georgia’s 13th District has been without voting representation since David Scott’s death, although his former congressional offices have remained open under the supervision of the House clerk to provide constituent services, according to the Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives.

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According to his campaign's website, Blair earned graduate degrees from Stanford and Harvard, previously worked with the Obama administration’s White House Initiative on Educational Excellence and, in 2018, was the first Black and youngest-ever member elected to his county's school board.

Haters of fashion attack Aryna Sabalenka with 'streetwalker' insult simply because she wore fishnet at US Open

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 20:30:14 -0400

Good luck being a leader and trying something new, especially when it comes to fashion. I've said it before, I'm not an expert nor will I pretend to be one. That doesn’t mean there aren't others more than willing to pretend.

There are, and they've set their sights on Aryna Sabalenka. She dared to show up to the US Open in what haters of fashion have labeled a fishnet dress. The adults out there may refer to it, correctly, as a mesh dress.

I’d like to take a moment to thank Dua Lipa for several lessons in fashion, lessons that, let the record show, I retained despite being reluctantly dragged into them.

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It made it easier to spot what unfolded at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Sabalenka was on the court with her mixed doubles partner Novak Djokovic taking on Kateřina Siniaková and Henry Patten.

She and Djokovic ended up losing the match. While dealing with the top-ranked in mixed doubles, the self-appointed fashion experts went on the attack. Who knew a little mesh would cause such a reaction?

"How about that - Sabalenka leading the parade of streetwalker chic at the US Open with fishnet over shorts and a sports bra," one of the critics wrote. "Why does New York bring out all the trashy-ness?"

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"Sabalenka ’s maximalist jewellery with those multicoloured stones set in gold clashes badly with her US open kit. Looks a mess imo," said another.

One called it a "clown kit" and wrote in disbelief, "this sabalenka clown kit can’t be actually real."

These attacks on her fashion didn’t catch Aryna Sabalenka by surprise. She knew they were coming. She was prepared for it after rolling out the new Nike looks a few weeks ago.

"I love my outfit. If someone doesn't like it, it's okay. You cannot impress everyone with your outfits," she said earlier this month. "That's why I like fashion because there is room for whatever, basically."

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Take that, haters. Nice try. A mesh dress on top of shorts and a sports bra doesn't help you win your match. It also doesn't make you the leader of an imaginary "parade of streetwalker chic" either.

I can't believe that had to be pointed out and that I had to be the one to do it. Yet here we are.

IndyCar's Freedom 250 Grand Prix spectacle in Washington, DC draws massive TV ratings

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 20:26:42 -0400

Race fans turned out in droves to check out the NTT IndyCar Series' Freedom 250 Grand Prix around the streets of Washington, DC, and a whole lot more were watching at home.

How many?

Well, enough to make it the most-watched non-Indianapolis 500 race the Series has seen since the Champ Car and IRL merger in 2008.

FOX Sports reports that 3.282 million viewers tuned in to see open-wheel racing around some of the most iconic landmarks the nation's capital has to offer.

That figure is a staggering 279% over the average for non-Indy 500 races on Sundays.

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It also brings the IndyCar season average up to 1.875 million viewers, a 32% increase over last season, and a 70% jump over 2024, when the series was broadcast on NBC and Peacock.

Clearly, the spectacle of celebrating 250 years of the United States of America with an IndyCar race around the National Mall worked.

Of course, it helped that it was an entertaining race.

Jupiter, Florida native Kyle Kirkwood was the man to beat in his No. 27 Andretti Global Honda almost all weekend, and would've maximized his points haul had it not been for a Turn 1 moment on his final lap of qualifying. Still, his pace was virtually unmatched, and he took the lead from Chip Ganassi Racing's Alex Palou on the opening lap.

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While Kirkwood maintained control the entire race, some late restarts saw him having to fend off some pressure from Team Penske's Scott McLaughlin and Arrow McLaren's Christian Lundgaard.

It'll be interesting to see if the series' momentum continues as it moves on to a doubleheader weekend at the Milwaukee Mile.

Thanks to that win and a rough race for championship leader Alex Palou, we've got a title battle shaping up through the final three races of the season.

After the two oval races in Milwaukee, the 2026 IndyCar series will wrap up with a road course race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

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All three of these races will air on FOX.

California school district sued over field trip to mosque where students allegedly donned Muslim garb

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 20:18:28 -0400

A group of multi-faith parents has filed a joint lawsuit against Palo Alto Unified School District in California and Palo Alto High School's principal Brent Kline over a field trip to a local mosque last year.

According to the August 7 lawsuit, as part of the school's Social Justice Pathway curriculum, students took a tour of a mosque hosted by the Muslim Community Association and took part in several religious activities and were allegedly encouraged to don religious garb without parental consent.

"During the Fall 2025 mosque visit, students who were minors allegedly were provided with Muslim religious attire and encouraged to wear it while on site," the complaint read. "During that visit, students allegedly were provided with Qurans and taught that Islam, in particular, promotes social justice."

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"The field-trip activities allegedly included observation of a Dhuhr prayer, discussion of the meaning of worship, and engagement with participants in the Noor Hifz Academy, the host institution’s religious youth program in which Islamic students memorize the Quran," the complaint continued. "Female students were provided hijabs to wear and that all students were gifted Qurans to take home for personal use."

The lawsuit, which was filed by a group of Jewish, Hindu and Zoroastrian parents, also claimed that students spoke to Zahra Billoo, the executive director of the Bay Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, who has come under controversy for making allegedly antisemitic statements in the past.

In a comment to Fox News Digital, David Rosenberg-Wohl, who is representing the parents, said that the issue at hand is a public school like Palo Alto High School specifically promoting Islam in its Social Justice Pathway curriculum.

"In effect, kids are being told that if they are progressive and interested in social justice, Islam is the faith for them. That is not the business of a public school. It's not an issue of religion v. religion. It's an American one. The separation of church and state is a bedrock issue here," Rosenberg-Wohl said.

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The Muslim Community Association stood by its original statement, saying that the organization was "deeply concerned" over the lawsuit.

"Treating students' exposure to ordinary Muslim faith and practice as inherently coercive or threatening risks reinforcing the very Islamophobia and misunderstanding that that educational engagement should help overcome," the group told Fox News Digital.

Palo Alto Unified Superintendent Jason Glass informed Fox News Digital that he is reviewing the allegations but "will not comment further on pending litigation."

Though some parents were upset by the field trip, some students appeared to defend the outing, suggesting that the grievances were exaggerated.

Student newspaper "The Paly Voice" editor-in-chief Juni Thurston disputed claims that female students were forced to don hijabs and that students were indoctrinated with Islamic beliefs on these trips.

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"The vast majority of the people demonizing the teachers who arranged and chaperoned this field trip simply don’t know them," Thurston wrote in an op-ed for the campus newspaper. "The idea that they would be working to indoctrinate students into Islam, or any religion, is an idea extremely foreign to me as a student who has had them as my teachers for the past two years. But this narrative is nonetheless dominating media coverage of the event."

However, she acknowledged concerns over Billoo's presence on the field trip and agreed that she should not have been part of the experience, though her role was "limited."

In a comment to Fox News Digital, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Adam Goldstein said that if students were compelled to don religious garb, this would be in violation of the First Amendment.

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"Just as the First Amendment prevents public schools from forcing students to pledge allegiance to the flag, it prevents those schools from compelling them to wear religious attire. If students were required to do that as part of a curricular field trip, it would conflict with the First Amendment's bar on compelled speech," Goldstein said.

Polls close in Oklahoma as Trump-backed candidate faces GOP runoff

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 05:00:36 -0400

The polls have closed in Oklahoma, South Carolina and Georgia as President Donald Trump's clout over the GOP and the immense power of his endorsements in Republican primaries are on the line Tuesday in statewide runoff elections in South Carolina and Oklahoma.

Trump is backing Sen. Darline Graham in the Republican Senate nomination runoff in South Carolina, in the race to succeed her late brother, GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham, who unexpectedly died this summer at age 71.

And the president is supporting former state budget secretary and former state Sen. Mike Mazzei for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in Oklahoma, where GOP Gov. Kevin Stitt is term-limited.

Both Trump-backed candidates are facing off in competitive contests on that day that also includes a special election runoff in Georgia to fill a congressional seat left vacant following Democratic Rep. David Scott’s death in April. The two candidates are Democrats, which means the winner will further reduce an already extremely fragile Republican majority in the House.

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In South Carolina, Darline Graham is facing off with conservative Rep. Ralph Norman, with the winner replacing the late senator as the Republican Senate nominee on the midterm ballot in reliably red South Carolina.

Graham and Norman finished first and second in a special Senate primary two weeks ago, but with neither candidate landing a majority of the vote, they advanced to a runoff from a field that also included Rep. Russell Fry and former governor and former Rep. Mark Sanford.

"We need every South Carolina patriot to go to the polls and vote for Darline Graham," Trump urged on Friday as he headlined a rally for Graham in Myrtle Beach. "What I really want you to do is pretend, please, that I'm on the ballot. Just come and vote. It's so important."

Graham is backed by term-limited South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, who last month appointed her to fulfill the rest of her late brother's current term in the Senate. She also has the backing of Fry, a top Trump ally in the House, as well as the support of Sen. Tim Scott, South Carolina's other senator and chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

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Norman, who unsuccessfully campaigned earlier this year for the GOP gubernatorial nomination in the race to succeed McMaster, has been showcasing his support for the president in his Senate campaign and questioning Trump's backing of Darline Graham.

He was backed last week by Sanford, who briefly launched a long-shot and unsuccessful 2020 presidential challenge against Trump. Sanford, who is known as a fiscally conservative budget hawk, pointed to the nation's debt as a key motivator behind his decision to launch a Senate campaign, and later for backing Norman.

The Trump endorsement hasn't proven to be a sure bet this cycle in South Carolina.

Trump backed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette for the GOP gubernatorial nomination — in the race to succeed the term-limited McMaster — ahead of the state's early June primary.

Evette was the top vote-getter in the primary but lost the ensuing runoff election against South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson in a landslide. And Trump, ever hungry for a victory, endorsed Wilson in addition to Evette days before the runoff.

"It’s becoming a referendum on Trump," a South Carolina-based Republican consultant told Fox News Digital.

The strategist, who asked for anonymity to speak more freely, argued Trump "came to South Carolina to solidify his endorsement because he has to show a win here."

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Norman, as he runs for the Senate, is also backed by former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who served as ambassador to the United Nations during Trump's first term in the White House. Norman was the only member of South Carolina's congressional delegation, and the first member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, to endorse Haley over Trump in the 2024 Republican presidential primaries.

"Trump still has a nasty taste in his mouth for Nikki Haley," the GOP strategist argued.

In Oklahoma, the Trump-backed Mazzei finished slightly behind state Attorney General Gentner Drummond in the initial June GOP primary, with a crowded field keeping either from winning the nomination outright. The winner of Tuesday's GOP runoff will be considered the clear general election favorite in the Republican-dominated state.

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Trump has boasted a powerful endorsement scorecard in GOP primaries so far this election cycle.

"My Endorsements are stronger than ever," the president touted this past weekend in a social media post.

But five of his gubernatorial picks in Republican primaries have fallen short. Besides South Carolina's Evette, that list includes Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and Rep. Randy Feenstra of Iowa, who lost nominating contests this spring. And two weeks ago, Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder and Minnesota businessman and "My Pillow" founder and former CEO Mike Lindell fell short.

"There’s no question that an endorsement from President Trump provides a tremendous boost in a Republican primary. But it doesn’t necessarily mean the candidate’s going to win," veteran GOP strategist and communicator Ryan Williams told Fox News Digital.

Williams said that "the president still has a firm grip on the party, even in places where a candidate he backed loses a nomination." But he noted that "if there are underlying issues with a candidacy, those can pose problems that even an endorsement can’t overcome."

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Meanwhile, in Georgia, two Democrats are vying to serve the remaining months through the end of the year of Scott's term in the House.

The finalists are former Gwinnett County School Board Chair Everton Blair and Marcye Scott, the late congressman's daughter.

Elissa Slotkin calls out Hasan Piker for blaming Jewish Americans targeted over their Israel views

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 19:46:56 -0400

Democratic Sens. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., and Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., condemned livestreamer Hasan Piker after he said that Jewish Americans will face inevitable consequences for supporting Israel.

Last week, Piker told his viewers, "If Jews in America keep putting this idea out there that they are singularly invested in Israel, eventually someone is going to come around and take action, not against the state of Israel, mind you, but against American Jews."

Slotkin, who is widely believed to be a potential contender for the 2028 presidential election, shared what she called a "response to Hasan Piker's recent comments on Jews in America being targeted because of their views on Israel."

"This shouldn’t be hard: no community should face the threat [of] violence for their political views. Period," Slotkin shared in a statement posted to social media. "That goes if you’re pro-Israel, pro-Palestine, pro-choice, pro-life or any other cause you care about. And blaming the victims of violence for bringing it on themselves only further endangers people."

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She suggested that this is part of a much larger phenomenon of the normalization of political violence.

"In a time where political violence and anti-semitism has been spiking — and where just 6 months ago Michigan had a nearly deadly event of anti-semitic mass violence at Temple Israel — no one should causally be suggesting that anyone, Jews or otherwise, are to blame for being targeted," Slotkin concluded.

Rosen offered a similar statement, blasting Piker’s remarks as "a new low."

"Hasan Piker has been trafficking in antisemitic tropes for a while but even this is a new low," she posted to X. "Blaming Jewish Americans for the violence and hate they’re facing is not just wrong, it provides an excuse to those perpetuating these anti-Jewish hate crimes. Let me be absolutely clear: crimes against Jews for being Jews is antisemitism plain and simple. There’s no excuse for it."

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Many prominent politicians across the aisle, including fellow Democrats, have spoken out directly against Piker, arguing that he appears to be victim-blaming the Jewish community for attacks they endure.

While Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed has previously shrugged off Piker’s controversial remarks, he appeared to distance himself from the left-wing streamer after the latest controversy.

Piker has a long history of controversial comments, ranging from saying "America deserved 9/11" to praising a Zohran Mamdani administration official’s desire to "’impoverish the White middle-class.’"

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Fox News Digital reached out to representatives for Hasan Piker and did not immediately receive a response.

Dolly Parton dies at the age of 80: A look at her life through photos

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 19:45:45 -0400

Dolly Parton spent nearly seven decades in the entertainment industry and devoted her life to philanthropy

Former news anchor pleads guilty to stabbing mother to death on Halloween

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 19:30:26 -0400

A former Missouri television news anchor has admitted to fatally stabbing her mother on Halloween last year after apparently believing she was the devil, authorities said last week.

Angelynn "Angie" Mock, 48, pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree murder in connection with the slaying of her mother, 80-year-old Anita Avers, on Oct. 31, 2025, the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday.

Under the terms of the plea, Mock faces life in prison with eligibility for parole after 25 years.

FLORIDA MAN ACCUSED OF KILLING MOM AND BURNING BODY BECAUSE SHE ‘WANTED TO BE CREMATED’

Officers were called to the Wichita home Mock and Avers shared with Mock's stepfather around 7:50 a.m. on Oct. 31. When they arrived, Mock was found outside with cuts on her hands, according to the Wichita Police Department.

Avers was taken to a hospital with multiple stab wounds, and later died.

Mock made several statements indicating she believed her mother was the devil, according to a probable cause affidavit. She allegedly told authorities that she killed her mother to "save herself."

Mock's stepfather told KAKE-TV that she had been diagnosed with mental illness and suffered from delusions and depression.

FORMER TV ANCHOR ACCUSED OF KILLING HER MOTHER RULED INCOMPETENT, MURDER CASE PUT ON HOLD

She previously worked as a news anchor and reporter for Fox 2 in St. Louis from 2011 to 2015, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Prior to that, she worked as a morning anchor from 2007 to 2011 at KOKH-TV in Oklahoma City, the profile states. Mock held other reporting stints in Minnesota, Montana, and Nebraska.

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She is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 5.

Fox News Digital's Stepheny Price contributed to this report.

Utah library confirms LGBTQ 'Pride' book for its 'smallest patrons' is kept easily accessible

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 19:08:38 -0400

A Utah public library confirmed to Fox News Digital that an LGBTQ-themed children's book highlighted by a conservative outlet is part of its collection for its "smallest patrons" and is intentionally kept "central and easily accessible," while pushing back on claims that the book was on display.

"I can confirm that the library does own a copy of ‘Pride Is Love’ along with the other small board books that were pictured in the post you referenced," Carla Z. Gordon, director of library services at Provo City Library, told Fox News Digital in a statement Tuesday.

"They are not on display," Gordon added. "They are shelved in bins that contain over 2,500 other board books (any that are currently checked in). The post describes them as being 'central and easily accessible,' which is very true. These are books for our smallest patrons and we make them easy to find."

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On Monday, The Cougar Chronicle, which identifies itself as providing "independent conservative news and opinion at BYU," posted a photo of the book "Pride Is Love," with a caption that read, "EXCLUSIVE: The Provo City Library children's section is promoting radical gender theory, critical race theory, and other progressive propaganda to Provo's children."

The thread also included photos of other LGBTQ children's books, including titles such as "Pride Puppy!," "It's a They!," "My Two Dads and Me," and another called, "My Moms Love Me."

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The Amazon page for the book, "Pride is Love," says it is intended for babies through age three and is about a girl and her two dads as they prepare to march in a Pride parade.

Similarly, "My Two Dads and Me," is also intended for babies through age three and shows the day-to-day of LGBTQ fathers and their children through everyday routines, from breakfast and trips to the park, to bath time and bedtime.

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In her statement, Gordon referenced a portion of the library’s website she said has been created to help parents select materials that match their family values.

Gordon also highlighted the library’s Selection Policy, which is to "collect, organize, and make easily available to the people of the community materials which will help them in the pursuit of education, information, and the creative use of leisure time."

"Within the limits of space and budget, the collection offers patrons materials in a choice of format, treatment, and level of difficulty," she added. "In this way, most individual library needs can be met and service provided to individuals of all ages."

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"These particular books are not currently on display, but we do have many displays throughout the library that try to highlight books available," Gordon said. "We sometimes use holidays, observances, visiting authors, popular topics, and completely random themes all in attempt to promote our collections."

"As mentioned in the Selection Policy, we do try to represent differing perspectives on many topics," she added. "Gender, sexuality, and race are all topics that have a variety of perspectives, so we do own books representing those differing voices."

"We do receive complaints from parents and community members about materials in the collection. The process is outlined in the policy referenced above," Gordon added. "When we receive these concerns, we review the materials and follow the process to either retain, move, or discard items."

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Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, appeared to express concern about the situation in a Monday post on X, sharing the thread from The Cougar Chronicle and writing, "Come on, Provo You’re better than this."

Dolly Parton's ‘all-American heart’: How country icon forged special bond with US military

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 19:00:03 -0400

Dolly Parton wore rhinestones and fringe, not a military uniform, but the American music legend spent decades finding her own ways to serve those who served America.

Parton, who died Tuesday at 80 in Nashville, forged a lasting connection with the military during her seven-decade career.

Her iconic blonde likeness appeared on U.S. military aircraft, she performed for troops and military families, recorded patriotic music and once took the Grand Ole Opry stage as American service members watched from Iraq.

TRUMP MOURNS DOLLY PARTON, ORDERS US FLAGS LOWERED NATIONWIDE AFTER COUNTRY MUSIC ICON DIES

The connection was personal, too. Carl Dean, Parton's husband of nearly six decades, enlisted in the Army shortly after they began dating and served for two years, according to Biography.com. The couple married in 1966, and remained together until Dean's death in 2025.

Parton once described her patriotism in simple terms.

"I've got an all-American heart," she told Vanity Fair in a 1991 profile.

Vanity Fair accompanied Parton to Fort Hood, Texas, for that profile, where she met service members, including soldiers who had returned from the Persian Gulf only weeks earlier. The magazine also reported that Parton's likeness appeared on a KC-135 and an A-10 Thunderbolt during the Gulf War era.

During her Fort Hood visit, Parton climbed onto the shoulders of an Army major near two M-1 tanks and delivered a pointed message to Saddam Hussein in a way only she could.

COUNTRY STAR CHRIS JANSON SAYS RESPECTING THE FLAG IS THE NUMBER ONE LESSON HE WANTS HIS KIDS TO LEARN

"Saddam Hussein, you son of a b----!" Parton shouted, according to Vanity Fair. "You touch one of my men again and see what happens!"

Later, Parton posed for photographs with soldiers and their families and signed autographs inside a Fort Hood theater, the magazine reported.

The service members eventually began chanting: "Dol-ly! U-S-A! Dol-ly! U-S-A!"

More than a decade later, Parton's connection with the military produced another memorable tribute.

At a September 2004 event at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base in Tennessee, Parton unveiled patriotic nose art bearing her likeness on a KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to the 134th Air Refueling Wing, according to an Air National Guard photo record preserved by the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service.

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The aircraft was dubbed "Miss Dolly." Parton autographed the artwork and performed several songs for airmen and their families at the event.

The appearance followed the release of Parton's For God and Country on Veterans Day 2003. The album combined patriotic standards with original Parton songs.

"I’m not a bit political, but I’m extremely patriotic," Parton said of the album, according to her official website, as cited by Military.com.

Parton's music had addressed war and military families before that album. Military.com noted that her 1970 song "Daddy Won’t Be Home Anymore" concerned a mother preparing to tell her children their father had died at war, while "Welcome Home," from For God and Country, centered on a parent waiting for a son to return from overseas.

In April 2005, Parton performed during a Grand Ole Opry live broadcast in Nashville while U.S. troops watched by video feed from Iraq, according to DVIDS.

STEVE DOOCY: THE DOLLY PARTON I SAW WHEN THE CAMERAS STOPPED ROLLING

Then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld also joined Parton onstage. According to DVIDS, Rumsfeld visited Nashville to thank Parton, the Grand Ole Opry and the American people for supporting U.S. troops.

Parton's work with military families continued later in her career. She participated in a virtual USO program in December 2022 that allowed service members around the world and their families to speak with her and ask questions, according to Military.com.

Her Imagination Library also blessed military families. In 2024, the program's Washington affiliate partnered with the Government Employees Health Association on a $15,000 grant to expand free books for young children in military families, Military.com reported. The effort served families at Naval Base Kitsap, Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Naval Station Everett.

The military community was among those mourning Parton following her death Tuesday.

Boot Campaign, a nonprofit that works with veterans and military families, remembered Parton's support in a tribute posted to X.

"We are so heartbroken to hear of the passing of @DollyParton who used her platform to support so many, including Veterans, military families and our work at Boot Campaign," the organization wrote. "Rest in peace, Dolly."

The group accompanied the tribute with an image of Parton saluting while wearing camouflage pants and combat-style boots beneath the hashtag "#LaceUpAMERICA."

The official U.S. Marine Corps account offered an even simpler farewell Tuesday, sharing a photograph of Parton singing in camouflage.

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"RIP Dolly Parton."

Parton's family said a small, private service will be held for immediate family at her request. Fans and friends around the world were encouraged to pay tribute to Parton on social media by tagging @DollyParton or by leaving a message at DollyParton.com.

In lieu of flowers, the family asked that donations be made to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, the literacy program she founded in 1995.

Colin Kaepernick to receive Muhammad Ali Award for fighting 'racial injustice'

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 18:56:25 -0400

Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick will receive the Muhammad Ali Center’s Humanitarian of the Year Award later this year.

The center told Reuters that it selected Kaepernick for his advocacy "against racial injustice" and support for underserved communities through his Know Your Rights Camp and other philanthropic efforts.

Lonnie Ali, Muhammad’s late wife and co-founder of the center, added:

"Colin has used his platform to advocate for equality, human dignity, and social change, even when doing so came at significant personal and professional cost."

STOP COMPARING JAXSON DART'S NEW YORK TRUMP RALLY SPEECH TO COLIN KAEPERNICK'S ACTIVISM

Now, to reality.

Kaepernick is hardly worthy of an award bearing Muhammad Ali’s name. Ali risked his freedom and sacrificed the prime of his boxing career when he refused induction into the military during the Vietnam War. He was stripped of his heavyweight title, barred from boxing for more than three years and convicted of draft evasion.

Ali became a martyr. He paid a real price. Kaepernick did neither.

The popular narrative that Kaepernick sacrificed a thriving NFL career to stand up for marginalized communities is misleading. He had already been benched for Blaine Gabbert. In his final two seasons, he posted QBRs of 43.7 and 49.2.

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA CROSSING HIS ARMS DURING U.S. NATIONAL ANTHEM IS A PROBLEM FOR THE NBA

He had become unplayable.

Unlike Ali, Kaepernick was not on a battlefield alone. It was quite the opposite. Sports media and pop culture largely championed his national anthem protests. Nike made him the face of a major advertising campaign

Kneeling during the anthem proved financially rewarding for an athlete who would've had to otherwise settle for league minimum contracts.

Kaepernick and his defenders say the NFL blackballed him. In reality, no team wanted a backup-quality quarterback attached to a divisive political circus. Most players who kneeled during the anthem kept their jobs because their play warranted it. Kaepernick’s did not.

He had also become an inflammatory figure, denouncing July 4 as a racist celebration and comparing the NFL’s treatment of players to slavery and plantations.

Colin Kaepernick was more moron than martyr.

The Muhammad Ali Center should be ashamed to honor him. Then again, the center lost much of its prestige years ago. In 2022, it awarded Dr. Anthony Fauci its Lifetime Achievement Award.

Oh, how poorly that has aged.

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Still, Kaepernick will use the award to promote his upcoming book, "The Perilous Fight."

Helicopter rescue crew caught on camera saving 2 climbers trapped along popular California beach cliff

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 18:35:08 -0400

Two climbers in California stranded on a steep Big Sur cliffside Saturday found themselves 600 feet below the roadway with a California Highway Patrol (CHP) helicopter crew their only way out.

Video released by the CHP shows the H-70 helicopter hovering above a steep ravine near Hurricane Point as a rescue technician is lowered on a cable to reach the trapped pair.

Big Sur Fire requested help from CHP’s Paso Robles Air Unit at about 6:24 p.m., according to the agency.

NOVICE CLIMBER SURVIVES 1,500-FOOT DROP ON CALIFORNIA'S MOUNT SHASTA AFTER HELICOPTER RESCUE DELAYED BY CLOUDS

The terrain was so steep that the technician could not safely disconnect from the hoist hook after reaching the first climber. Instead, he secured the climber in a Pelican rescue harness and the two were lifted together to rescue personnel waiting at a staging area.

The helicopter then returned to the ravine and carried out the same technical maneuver to bring the second climber to safety.

RESCUERS FREE CLIMBER TRAPPED BENEATH 16,000-POUND BOULDER ON OREGON'S MOUNT HOOD IN COMPLEX OPERATION

CHP did not release the climbers’ names or explain how they became stranded.

Social media users praised the CHP air crew and the rescue teams involved after video of the operation was posted online.

"Incredible rescue!! Well done guys!!" one commenter wrote. Another called it an "amazing job by all involved," while another added, "Just incredible, you guys, thanks for what you do!"

Both climbers survived the ordeal, authorities said.

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"These high-risk, low-frequency rescues are exactly what CHP Air Operations personnel continuously train for," the agency said. "There is no room for error when operating in steep terrain, under hoist, and in challenging environmental conditions."

The cliffside rescue followed two separate Aug. 9 rescue missions for the same H-70 crew.

MISSING GRAND CANYON HIKER, 83, RESCUED AFTER GETTING SEPARATED FROM COMPANION

The air unit first hoisted an injured 13-year-old hiker from Pinnacles National Park, working with a Paso Robles Fire Department helicopter rescue technician, CHP said.

Later that day, the crew pulled a person who suffered severe injuries in a fall from a waterfall in Big Sur Gorge to safety.

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H-70 then responded to another call in the remote Los Padres National Forest, where a hunter suffering from heat exhaustion and dehydration was brought aboard using a hover step-on maneuver and flown to waiting medics in King City.

US Olympic hero Nancy Hogshead launches petition calling for WNBA to restrict gender eligibility

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 18:32:18 -0400

Three-time Olympic swimming gold medalist Nancy Hogshead is calling on the WNBA to explicitly restrict player eligibility to biological females.

Hogshead recently launched a Change.org petition asking the league to clarify the meaning of "woman" in its eligibility rules. The petition has collected more than 11,000 signatures since its Aug. 14 launch.

"We’re calling for the WNBA to clarify that its eligibility rules are for women only," Hogshead told Fox News Digital. "If you wanna participate, you have to be a certain age, and you have to be a female."

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Hogshead said she hopes the petition ultimately reaches 100,000 signatures.

"It’s an 80/20 issue across the country, so we can do it," she said. "We have well over a million people who’ve engaged with our materials that we put out about the petition. We just gotta get them to sign on."

The WNBA’s 2026 collective bargaining agreement states that "only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA." However, the agreement does not further define "woman" or include specific language addressing gender identity or sex assigned at birth.

The debate intensified after former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White announced plans to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft while claiming to identify as women. League sources hav since said that neither of them is eligible and characterized their announcements as "publicity stunts."

Hogshead said the declarations exposed what she considers a contradiction in policies based on gender self-identification.

SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM SPEAKS OUT ON PROTECTING GIRLS FROM COMPETING AGAINST 'BIOLOGICAL MEN'

"I love it that they came forward because it just shows the hypocrisy of the WNBA, and it shows the hypocrisy of gender ideology," Hogshead said. "For them to come forward and, you know, threaten to play in the WNBA and show up for the draft, it just shows just how ridiculous that gender ideology is."

The WNBA previously said there were "no immediate eligibility matters" affecting the league and denounced "bad-faith efforts" to use the debate to "demean or marginalize others." Commissioner Cathy Engelbert also said league officials would continue discussing the subject with the players’ union and other stakeholders.

Hogshead’s petition comes amid rallies outside WNBA games supporting Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, who publicly opposed transgender participation in girls’ and women’s sports earlier this summer.

"I really appreciate her for the stand that she has taken on behalf of women," Hogshead said of Cunningham. "If anything, the more people see of Sophie Cunningham, the more they like her."

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Hogshead won three gold medals and one silver medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. She later became a civil rights attorney and founded Champion Women, an organization that advocates for women and girls in athletics.

Peyton Manning pays tribute to Dolly Parton: 'Tennessee won't be the same without her!'

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 18:22:40 -0400

Tributes, condolences and more are pouring in after news of country music legend Dolly Parton’s death at 80 surfaced on Tuesday.

Among those was Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning, who shared a connection with Parton given their ties to Tennessee.

"There was only one Dolly and I feel lucky to have known her," Manning, who played his college football at the University of Tennessee, wrote in an Instagram post walking alongside Parton at a Vols game.

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

"We’ll miss you, Dolly. Tennessee won’t be the same without her!"

The picture that Manning posted was one of many iconic performances for Parton, but this one was exceptionally good by the East Tennessee native. She performed the Vols’ signature "Rocky Top" song after the first quarter on Nov. 18, 2023.

STEVE DOOCY: THE DOLLY PARTON I SAW WHEN THE CAMERAS STOPPED ROLLING

Parton even said that she could barely hear herself during her performance because the stadium was so loud. But Parton’s moments in sports went well beyond appearances at Vols games.

Just days after her performance in Knoxville, Parton was in Dallas at AT&T Stadium for a 2023 Thanksgiving performance, wearing a custom bedazzled Cowboys cheerleader outfit for the halftime show. She was 77 years old at the time, and rave reviews poured in about her country music ensemble, which included hits like "Jolene," "9 to 5," and even tossing in Queen’s iconic "We Are The Champions" track.

"Well at my age, if I can pull it off, it’s going to be good," Parton told USA TODAY about the performance, which she admitted being nervous for. "And if I don’t, I can just pass it off as an old woman doing a stupid thing. I’ve always said my desire to do something is greater than my fear of it."

Parton died peacefully in Nashville, Tennessee, on Tuesday, according to a press release obtained by Fox News Digital.

Her nephew, Brin Seaver, also revealed the news in an Instagram video, which comes after Parton spent months battling an unknown health issue.

Parton was much more than a country music artist, as she was known for also being an actress, a philanthropist, a businesswoman and humanitarian.

During her illustrious life and career, Parton tallied 11 Grammy Awards, three Emmy Awards, and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, while also being nominated for six Golden Globe Awards, a Tony Award and two Academy Awards.

Parton was also married to Carl Dean for nearly 60 years, with their relationship mostly remaining outside the public eye. Dean passed away in March 2025.

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At Parton’s request, a small, private service will be held for immediate family.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be made to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

Fox News’ Christian Dugan Ramirez contributed to this report.