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Detransitioners reveal how doctors pushed them toward life-altering treatment as teens

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 00:50:54 -0400

Three detransitioners claim they were pressured by doctors and hospitals when they were young to pursue gender transition, including medical treatment in two cases while they were minors, according to a new HHS-commissioned report.

The stories of Clementine Breen, Soren Aldaco and Luke Healy were featured in the Department of Health and Human Services' "Wolves in White Coats: How Doctors and Hospitals Pushed and Profited from the Fraud of "Gender Medicine" report released on Thursday. The HHS-commissioned report alleges financial incentives encouraged hospitals and doctors to provide gender transition treatments and identifies insurance billing practices that it says may be improper or warrant further investigation.

Breen was only 12 years old and struggling with a changing adolescent body and unresolved trauma from earlier sexual abuse when the then-minor learned about gender transition online. Breen alleges, according to the HHS report, that doctors at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles told Breen’s parents the preteen was "100% trans" and at high risk of suicide without medical intervention.

According to the report, Breen began puberty blockers at 12, testosterone at 13 and underwent a double mastectomy at 14.

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Breen’s mental health later deteriorated, and the teen stopped taking testosterone at 18 after therapy led Breen to conclude that the distress surrounding gender identity was connected to earlier trauma, according to the report. Breen reported experiencing pain and irregular menstrual cycles and requiring estrogen.

When Breen later sought breast reconstruction, doctors questioned the teen’s mental stability, and some stopped responding, according to the report.

"She did not face this same scrutiny when seeking a mastectomy at 14," the report states. HHS also said Breen discovered letters in the medical record claiming a lifelong history of gender dysphoria.

Now studying theater at UCLA, Breen said in the report that the treatments and surgery continue to have physical consequences.

"How can a child consent to losing fertility or the ability to breastfeed if no one checks whether she even understand what that means?" Breen said.

Aldaco said gender-related distress emerged during adolescence and that online communities framed gender transition as the "appropriate response" to those feelings, according to the report.

After talking to a doctor, Aldaco was prescribed testosterone with several specialists treating the then-teen for gender dysphoria, and the report says Aldaco gave no indication that providers considered alternative treatment options outside what it calls a "sex rejection" model.

Aldaco began taking testosterone before receiving a double mastectomy to remove breast tissue. Aldaco then began suffering severe complications after surgery, causing pain the young person said "I don’t think I’ll ever forget."

"Despite these negative developments, providers did not initiate a structured reassessment of her treatment plan," the report says, adding that the support received after treatments was insufficient compared to the systems that pushed the life-altering decisions.

"Soren’s experience reflects the imbalance of care for cases like hers," the report reads. "While her pathway into sex rejection medicalization involved coordinated referrals, approvals, and interventions across multiple providers, the pathway out involved no comparable system of support."

Healy was just 10 years old when first learning of an online community where adults discussed transgender identities, according to the HHS report.

Within three years, Healy says he came to identify as a girl. After discussing the issue with his parents, Healy was taken to a counselor to talk about it.

"The only people who seriously asked what might have caused his distress were his parents," the report reads. "Meanwhile, institutional figures … treated his new identity as settled and moved quickly to affirm it."

"Luke’s parents refused to consent to puberty blockers or hormones while he was still a minor," the report added. "Luke now describes their refusal as one of the bravest things they ever did."

Still wanting to be a girl at 18, Healy began pursuing transitioning treatments.

Healy started with estrogen and began receiving consultations for surgical treatments before slowly starting to realize that the treatments were not easing psychological stress.

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"Each intervention led to pressure for further intervention," the report reads. "In his view, the model was built around escalation rather than resolution."

Healy eventually began to question the procedures doctors were recommending.

"One doctor quoted him approximately $200,000 for facial feminization surgery. Another, he says, spoke to him like a car salesman while encouraging tracheal shave," the report said. "Luke came to realize he was being sold procedures, not psychological help."

Rather than continuing the efforts to become a girl, Healy focused on battling the substance abuse problems developed during the process, quitting drinking and drugs.

"He recognized the same obsessive, destructive pattern in gender ideology that he had seen in addiction," the report reads.

Angel Reese smacked in the face by Sun's Aaliyah Edwards, has poor shooting night in Dream win

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 23:20:26 -0400

Angel Reese missed 10 of her 13 shots on Thursday night and was smacked in the face.

During the Atlanta Dream's 104-69 victory over the Connecticut Sun, Reese had a run-in with Sun player Aaliyah Edwards in the second quarter.

Reese attempted to make a layup while being double-teamed, and as she finally got the shot up, Edwards' hand came down right on Reese's face and head area.

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Edwards fell to the floor behind Reese after the smack. Reese, enraged, then turned, stood over Edwards and shouted at her.

Just moments later on the sideline, Reese was seen gesturing to indicate Edwards hit her in the neck.

Upon review, Edwards' foul on Reese was upgraded to a Flagrant 1.

The foul was not addressed in the Dream's postgame press conference.

But the foul wasn't the only tough moment Reese faced on Thursday.

Early in the first quarter, Reese had a shot brutally rejected by Sun player Brittney Griner. Griner ended up blocking two more of Reese's shots throughout the game.

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But Reese returned the favor with a series of blocks and a brutal steal against Griner in the game, as the Dream showed off the sequence on social media.

Reese finished the game with eight points, making just three of 13 shots, with two turnovers. However, she did have 15 rebounds, her specialty.

Flagrant fouls in the WNBA have become a national storyline in 2026. Other infamous fouls this year have included Alyssa Thomas' throat punch on Caitlin Clark in June. Then, last Saturday, DiJonai Carrington smacked Sophie Cunningham in the face on a Cunningham layup attempt.

The WNBA is navigating an ongoing national controversy over incidents involving hard contact, and cultural discussions over trans athletes in women's sports.

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Reese will represent Team USA alongside Clark at the upcoming FIBA Women’s World Cup in Germany in a few weeks, while the entire WNBA takes a break from the chaos.

Kyle Schwarber launches two homers into the corn after MLB's incredible HoF tribute at Field of Dreams game

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 22:55:07 -0400

It's not heaven, it's Iowa.

Major League Baseball returned to the baseball movie version of heaven on Thursday afternoon, with the now-traditional Field of Dreams game. A tribute to one of the most iconic baseball movies in film history, this time featuring two teams fighting for postseason spots: the Philadelphia Phillies and Minnesota Twins.

Broadcast on Netflix for 2026, the game started with a fitting, and fantastic, tribute to both the movie's famous cornfield, and the history of real world baseball. After the two teams walked through the corn to enter the field, Kyle Schwarber and Byron Buxton introduced a group of 26 Hall of Fame players who followed suit.

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"As the movie 'Field of Dreams' reminded us, the one constant through all the years has been baseball," Buxton said. "Inspiring us and connecting generations."

"Tonight we are honored to share this special field with many of the legends who shaped our careers and whose amazing careers took them all the way to the Hall of Fame," Schwarber added.

Steve Carlton and Mike Schmidt represented the Phillies, while Joe Mauer, Bert Blyleven and Jim Kaat represented the Twins. Other players included Billy Wagner, Tony Perez, Scott Rolen, Paul Molitor, Jim Thome, Cal Ripken Jr., Andre Dawson, Rollie Fingers and Fergie Jenkins.

Some other more modern players included CC Sabathia, Trevor Hoffman, Ivan Rodriguez, Larry Walker, Fred McGriff, Adrian Beltre, as well as new inductees Andruw Jones and Jeff Kent.

Can't start it off any better than that. Unless you're Kyle Schwarber.

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Leading off the game, Schwarber launched a massive home run deep into the right field corn.

The Phillies added another run in the first to take a 2-0 lead, but the Twins battled back in the bottom of the second thanks to Luke Keaschall reaching the cornfield for a solo homer of his own. But Schwarber answered back in the top of the fourth, hitting his second homer of the game that quite literally bounced off Keaschell's glove at the right field fence.

Phillies starter Aaron Nola had one of his best performances of the season, striking out nine hitters over five innings with just one run allowed on the Keaschall homer. And his team's offense just kept adding on, with Brandon Marsh adding a two-run homer of his own in the top of the 7th, expanding the lead to six.

Minnesota never got much of a rally going against the Philadelphia bullpen, as the Phillies cruised to the 7-1 win.

Many fans on social media did point out the irony of MLB adding a "FanDuel" advertisement, essentially a betting platform, at the Field of Dreams stadium. Advertising a gambling site when the plot of the movie the game celebrates centers on the "Black Sox" gambling scandal and Shoeless Joe Jackson is a sign of how the times have changed.

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But the story of the game, as always with this special event, is the incredible visuals and atmosphere created by playing a regular season Major League Baseball game in the middle of a cornfield in Iowa. Yes, it's become an expected start of the midsummer schedule, and yes, Netflix's pre-game hosting choices left something to be desired. But with the movie now somehow 37 years old, it's a wonderful way to connect the classic to younger generations.

Baseball is the American pastime for a reason, it connects fans from different eras in a way few other sports can. This tribute to the movie and its place in baseball history has been an overwhelming success, to MLB's credit. And the continuing popularity of it shows it's true that if you build it, they will come.

Anthony Richardson's turnovers in preseason opener raise more questions about his Colts future

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 22:00:26 -0400

If you're just looking at Anthony Richardson's statistics from the first half of Thursday's preseason opener for the Indianapolis Colts, remember this truth: Stats lie.

The stats from the first half of this game when the quarterback played speak to a solid outing. He completed 11 of 14 passes. That's good. His quarterback rating was a respectable 80.1.

And Richardson led the Colts on a second-quarter TD drive.

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But those stats that suggest this was acceptable for a first game of 2026 lie. Because Richardson threw an interception on his third pass of the game. And he fumbled in the second quarter.

And those turnovers are what will glow in neon when coach Shane Steichen studies the game tape on Sunday, regardless of what he might tell reporters before or afterward.

So, the grand Anthony Richardson experiment that was supposed to deliver a franchise quarterback certainly by the start of his fourth NFL season isn't going as scripted.

The experiment instead caught fire Thursday evening and blew up the lab.

And what does this all mean?

This ain't it.

Richardson did lead a touchdown drive, completing an 18-yard pass and a 9-yard pass on a screen. He also had a 7-yard run and scored on a 1-yard sneak, reminding everyone that he’s a great athlete capable of doing damage with his legs.

But the turnovers were cringey. They remind everyone that Richardson didn't play enough his previous three seasons and he doesn't maximize opportunities when he does play.

Richardson, you'll recall, arrived in Indianapolis as one of the NFL’s biggest swings for the fences in the 2023 draft. Colts GM Chris Ballard drafted him with the No. 4 overall pick.

The GM weighed Richardson's 13 starts at the University of Florida, which everyone knew wasn't enough, against his amazing size, strength, ability to run and bazooka right arm.

And the decision was that Richardson was worth the risk. But the quarterback started only four games as a rookie before a shoulder injury ended his season. He returned as the Colts’ starter in 2024 and remained a dangerous runner, producing 499 rushing yards and six touchdowns, but his development as a passer was erratic.

He completed only 47.7% of his throws with eight touchdowns and 12 interceptions, briefly lost the starting job after tapping out of a game because he was tired and finished the season having raised as many questions about his future as he answered.

Then things got really bad.

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The Colts signed Daniel Jones, himself a draft washout with the New York Giants, as a free agent to compete with Richardson.

Jones won the job — and quite easily, in hindsight.

To make matters worse, Richardson couldn't help the team when Jones got injured last year because he was also injured (again).

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He actually injured himself prior to a game while working with stretch bands. So the Colts, needing a starter, turned to Riley Leonard and then to veteran Philip Rivers.

Now 24, Richardson is no longer being evaluated as the Colts’ quarterback of the future. He's competing with Leonard for the backup job behind Jones. Neither player is dominating because Leonard also threw an interception on his second possession of the second half.

Daniel Jones better stay healthy for Indianapolis.

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White House exposes ‘Transshipment Scam’ costing US up to $26B, points finger at China

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 21:51:16 -0400

Concerns are growing that foreign exporters are routing goods through third countries to evade U.S. tariffs, according to a new White House report released Thursday.

As well as China, Panama, Mexico and Colombia are among more than 40 countries identified as posing a high transshipment risk, together with Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic.

Transshipment can involve routing goods through an intermediary country before they enter the United States under a different country of origin, potentially qualifying for lower tariffs.

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The 25-page report, titled "The Great Transshipment Scam," was produced by the White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, which is led by trade adviser Peter Navarro.

The report says China offers the most developed historical example of transshipment.

Following the imposition of Section 301 tariffs on China in 2018, the direct U.S. trade deficit with China fell in 2019 and 2020.

"After their imposition, Chinese exporters increasingly routed goods through third countries," the report says, with goods that previously moved directly from China to the United States instead being shipped through jurisdictions where limited assembly, finishing, repackaging, relabeling or documentation changes could create the appearance of a different national origin.

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"Over time, these practices contributed to the development of a global network of production hubs, logistics platforms, free-trade zones, bonded warehouses, processing corridors, and re-export centers," the report said of the transshipment practice.

The report also estimates tariff-avoiding transshipment costs the U.S. Treasury between $19 billion and $26 billion in revenue annually.

"The Trump administration has taken steps to strengthen transshipment enforcement."

"For years, the great transshipment scam has let communist China launder its exports," Navarro said, according to The Associated Press.

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Navarro also said countries such as India could also use transshipment to avoid tariffs and that new trade frameworks pursued by the Trump administration will include provisions to penalize trading partners that engage in the practice.

The report cites government and private-sector estimates putting the value of goods transshipped to avoid tariffs at roughly $34.2 billion to $303 billion annually.

Navarro said U.S. Customs and Border Protection has begun using artificial intelligence in a prototype program to detect transshipment. He also said importers found to have falsified a product’s origin can face tariffs applied retroactively for roughly a year.

The report comes ahead of a planned September visit to Washington by Chinese President Xi Jinping, following President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing in May.

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

CNN calls out Patriot Games participants as 'overwhelmingly White,' citing outlet's analysis

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 21:28:27 -0400

CNN's Audie Cornish called out the Patriot Games for being "overwhelmingly White" Wednesday, taking aim at the Freedom250-sponsored event President Donald Trump attended this week.

"The president promised the best of the best student athletes. I‘m not sure that‘s what we got," CNN’s Audie Cornish said Wednesday during her morning show.

"A CNN analysis actually found that a specific demographic of kids got a shot to compete. Of the ones who were featured in the Freedom 250 Instagram page, many attend private Christian schools. They also appear to be overwhelmingly White, and the application for the games didn‘t specify race."

Cornish then played clips of videos also calling out the games on social media. One described it as the "dystopian Hunger Games."

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"I don‘t want to make fun of these kids. The contestants range in age from 14 to 17, but here are the things people are raising questions about," Cornish added.

"Not selected through any qualifying events. They recorded video essays, just sort of describing why they should be included. Some students were chosen to represent states where they don‘t even live."

White House spokesman Davis Ingle fired back at the criticism.

"Thanks to President Trump and the incredible efforts of the Freedom 250 organization, athletes from all across the country had the opportunity to put their talents on national display and earn life-changing scholarships that would greatly impact their futures," Ingle said.

"The inaugural Patriot Games were a resounding success, and anyone who claims they were racist or otherwise clearly suffers from a severe and incurable disease known as Trump Derangement Syndrome that has completely rotted their peanut-sized brains."

The Patriot Games is a national youth athletic competition held at Spire Academy in Geneva, Ohio, organized by Freedom250. It brought together teenage athletes, ages 14 to 17, representing all 50 states, U.S. territories, and tribal nations to compete in sports and physical challenges as part of the nation's 250th anniversary celebration.

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The competition awarded a $250,000 scholarship prize pool to one male and one female champion. The games took place Aug. 9-11.

Cornish asked her panel about the event and the concerns she raised. Steamboat Institute fellow Carine Hajjar, said the event came across more like a Trump rally. However, she said some of the criticism was silly.

"I don't think that the idea of having some sort of sporting event for young American athletes is that crazy, especially around the 250th anniversary. I actually think it's a great idea. But this comes down to both, I think, poor execution of the event itself and also some of the outrage around it, has been a little silly, too," Hajjar said.

"I mean, at this point, really, there's plenty of criticism to be made about it, but I think that this has become sort of a farce because of both sides. One, it was poorly planned, but two, people were rooting for it to lose all along."

Cornish said the games were similar to a UFC event.

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CNN published a report about the event Aug. 9 that also compared the event to the Hunger Games.

"The premise sounds almost fictional: one boy and one girl from every state, territory and some tribal nations, flown to a private campus in Ohio to compete in a televised athletic contest called the Patriot Games — a Trump-backed youth competition with obstacle courses, patriotic testimonials and inevitable comparisons to The Hunger Games," the report said.

CNN did not immediately return Fox News Digital's request for comment.

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Cornish also said it seemed like America250 wasn't being celebrated and said it was a "weird year."

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Live bullet found aboard United flight forces passengers off plane for security sweep at Denver airport

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 21:22:43 -0400

A United Airlines flight from Denver to San Diego was delayed Thursday after a live bullet was discovered aboard the plane before departure, prompting passengers to deplane while security personnel swept the aircraft.

United Flight 1302 was preparing to leave Denver International Airport when the bullet was found during routine checks before the plane taxied to the runway, according to FOX31 Denver, which had a member of its news team aboard the flight.

"The bad news is we found a live round, a bullet on the airplane," the speaker said. "This is a security breach here, and everybody is going to have to deplane."

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Passengers were instructed to leave the Boeing 737-900 with their carry-on bags while security personnel searched the aircraft.

"We need everybody to deplane the aircraft with your carry-on bags. We’re going to have to carry out a security sweep of the aircraft after the plane is empty," the speaker said. "We apologize for this."

The crew said at the time that it did not know how the bullet got aboard the aircraft or where it came from, according to FOX31.

United Airlines confirmed the incident in a statement to Fox News Digital.

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"United flight 1302 from Denver to San Diego underwent a security sweep after a bullet was discovered on board prior to the flight’s departure," a spokesperson wrote. "Security personnel cleared the aircraft, which later departed for San Diego."

United said the Boeing 737-900 was carrying 178 passengers and six crew members. The airline directed additional questions about the incident to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

Flight 1302 had been scheduled to depart Denver at about 1:25 p.m. It took off at about 3:41 p.m., more than two hours after its scheduled departure, according to FOX31.

It was not immediately clear who the bullet belonged to or how it ended up on the aircraft.

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Fox News Digital reached out to TSA and Denver International Airport for additional information.

Seahawks sign former first-round Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold despite looming felony charges

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 20:55:20 -0400

Terrion Arnold, the former Detroit Lions first-round pick, is no longer a free agent.

Arnold and the Seattle Seahawks have reached a deal to bring him into the fold with the reigning Super Bowl champions, according to multiple reports.

The Lions, who selected Arnold with their first-round pick in 2024, released him in June after he was arrested in Tampa, Florida, on felony charges connected to a robbery and kidnapping from February.

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The Seahawks were among the teams that Arnold visited earlier this week as he looked for his next chapter in the league. He also visited with the Houston Texans, New York Giants and New Orleans Saints.

But the Seahawks, who already tout a superb defense on paper, are who Arnold wants to play with next. In fact, during HBO’s "Hard Knocks," GM John Schneider was even seen discussing the potential of signing Arnold to the roster.

Head coach Mike Macdonald also noted the "great tryout" Arnold had while in Seattle.

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"It’s a situation where there’s other things that are surrounding it," Macdonald told reporters this week. "We’re aware of that. But we’re working through the situation right now. But it was a great visit. I really enjoyed meeting him, and I think he enjoyed being here, so we’ll see where it goes."

Arnold is facing eight felony charges from allegations he orchestrated the abduction and beating of three men in February.

Prosecutors said in June that Arnold arranged for the men to be pistol-whipped after he suspected them of stealing $100,000 in cash and luxury goods from him. He was described as the "primary conspirator" of the incident, and Hillsborough County Judge Christopher Sabella set his bail at $1 million.

However, Arnold’s attorney, R. Timothy Jansen, said in Hillsborough County Court this summer his client will be "absolutely denying these allegations." His agency, EAG Sports Management, added there is "no credible evidence" against him in this case.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell also noted in March that the team did not believe Arnold was involved in this case based on the information they had at the time.

Teams that were looking into adding Arnold to their roster needed to do their due diligence on the matter. No trial date has been set in his case.

The charges against him carry a sentence of up to life in prison. And the NFL must decide whether Arnold should be placed on the commissioner’s exempt list.

If a team is willing to sign him now, it must mean he should be free to play, at least at some point, this season.

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Arnold was expected to be a starting corner for the Lions this season, making his release a big one for the depth chart. He recorded his first career interception last season in Week 9 against the Minnesota Vikings, though he was only able to play eight games because of a shoulder injury that required season-ending surgery.

Arnold played 16 games during his rookie season in 2024, tallying 10 passes defended and 60 combined tackles.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Marco Rubio gets 68 new jobs in epic White House birthday gift inspired by viral meme

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 20:42:58 -0400

Marco Rubio has a lot of jobs. Now, he has 68 more.

The White House gave the secretary of state a gold-framed collage for his 55th birthday featuring dozens of versions of the viral "Rubio realizing" meme that has transformed President Donald Trump’s top diplomat into everything from an Iranian ayatollah to an astronaut.

At the center of the 68-panel mosaic is the original, unaltered photograph of Rubio slumped on a couch in the Oval Office earlier this year, signed by Trump in gold ink with a presidential endorsement: "You are great."

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Around it is a resume that rivals Barbie's.

There’s Rubio as Robocop, Rubio as an astronaut, Rubio as the White House Easter Bunny, Cardinal Rubio preparing for a papal conclave, Rubio bundled up as the leader of Greenland and one where Rubio holds up a sign that says, "Please stop making memes about me."

The White House presented Rubio with the collage in May, but the gift only came to wider attention this week after Axios reporter Marc Caputo shared a photo of it on X.

While nearly 70 imaginary gigs may sound excessive, the joke lands particularly well for a Cabinet official who has already accumulated an unusually high number of real roles.

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Rubio serves as secretary of state and acting national security advisor and previously pulled double duty as acting archivist and acting administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development.

The internet also appears to have decided Rubio could handle a few more.

The meme began with a decidedly more serious moment on Feb. 28, 2025, when Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Rubio and other administration officials met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office.

A photograph from the contentious meeting captured Rubio sitting low on a couch, his hands interlocked and an expression on his face that the internet quickly interpreted as a man coming to an uncomfortable realization.

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Then came the heavily-Photoshopped memes. As major jobs opened, in reality or otherwise, Rubio kept getting hired.

When Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro was captured, meme Rubio appeared dressed to take over the country. When Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced he would not seek re-election, Rubio turned up in blaze orange hunting gear, shotgun included.

Rubio has acknowledged he wasn't initially thrilled with the photograph that launched it all.

"The meme thing, you know, was interesting, 'cause when it first came out, I hated that picture," Rubio recently told Lara Trump on Fox News' "My View."

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Rubio explained that the Oval Office couch was partly to blame.

"If you don't have a pillow behind your back, you kinda sink," he said.

But the secretary of state eventually surrendered to the court of public opinion.

"And then it turned into this other thing, and it was fine. And it's funny," Rubio said.

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He also revealed that Scavino had turned the online frenzy into something framed forever.

"Dan Scavino made a nice board for me," Rubio said. "And even since he made that board, we had to update it."

Which raises an obvious problem. Rubio may already need a bigger frame.

The White House and the State Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.

Netflix gives Elle Duncan another MLB showcase at Field of Dreams, baseball fans have seen enough

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 20:30:33 -0400

Major League Baseball and Netflix almost pulled off something truly special on Thursday night.

The MLB at Field of Dreams matchup between the Philadelphia Phillies and Minnesota Twins delivered a pregame sequence that gave baseball fans chills. Watching current players from both squads emerge from the iconic Iowa cornfield alongside 26 Hall of Famers, including all-time greats like Cal Ripken Jr., Mike Schmidt, Joe Mauer and Jim Thome, was cinematic gold.

Then, Netflix cut back to the pregame desk, and the spell was instantly broken.

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Whatever goodwill the entrance generated was shattered the moment lead anchor Elle Duncan started talking. Instead of letting the historic backdrop breathe, viewers got wooden delivery, forced commentary and little genuine baseball insight. Social media was unforgiving, skewering her appearance from the moment she went live.

"@netflix had options for the #FieldofDreamsGame and we get the insufferable Elle Duncan. Damn," one frustrated viewer posted on X.

Another echoed: "What dirt does Elle Duncan have on Netflix? Every word out of her mouth is insufferable."

The pushback isn't coming out of nowhere. Duncan has given baseball diehards plenty of reason to question her baseball chops and why Netflix continues putting her front and center for marquee events.

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This is the same host who, during Netflix's Opening Day broadcast from Oracle Park earlier this season, famously referred to home plate as "home base."

That broadcast drew plenty of criticism for Duncan's awkward, forced delivery, too. Thursday night wasn't exactly a course correction.

Beyond the terminology blunders, fans are exhausted by Duncan’s reputation for bringing lecture-heavy narratives into sports coverage.

Look no further than her recent commentary regarding WNBA star Caitlin Clark. Instead of sticking to the action on the court, Duncan opted for the soapbox: "It’s not on her to be burdened by social media clowns," she said, before adding, "As much as we would love for you to be able to just focus on that (basketball)… it’s unfortunately not your reality."

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Major League Baseball set the stage, but Netflix's choice of host proved the streamer still has a long way to go in understanding what sports fans actually want to see.

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HHS warns Texas hospitals against denying life-saving care to newborn with disability

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 20:23:33 -0400

The Trump administration is stepping into the battle over a Texas newborn with a severe heart defect, warning two hospitals they cannot withhold medical treatment because of his disability.

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights told Fox News Digital Thursday it is sending a letter to Children’s Medical Center of Dallas and UT Southwestern Medical Center outlining their obligations under federal disability civil rights laws as doctors make treatment decisions involving baby Gabriel.

The federal intervention comes after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton took action to ensure the newborn receives medically necessary care after a dispute that began when his biological parents allegedly asked their surrogate to abort him after he was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

SURROGATE GIVES BIRTH IN TEXAS TO BABY WITH HEART DEFECT AFTER PARENTS REQUESTED ABORTION

Surrogate mother McKenna West refused the request and traveled to Texas, where Gabriel was born Wednesday and taken to a neonatal intensive care unit.

In its letter, HHS' civil rights office makes clear that federal law prohibits withholding medical treatment based on a person's disability, including based on judgments that the life of someone with a disability has less value or that the individual would impose a burden on others.

Those federal protections extend to decisions involving life-sustaining treatment, according to HHS.

The agency said it is monitoring Gabriel's case and offering technical assistance to Children’s Medical Center of Dallas and UT Southwestern as the hospitals determine his care.

HHS OFFICIAL WARNS OF IRREVERSIBLE RISKS AS TRUMP ADMIN RESTRICTS FUNDING FOR YOUTH GENDER PROCEDURES

HHS is also urging the hospitals to seek a review by an infant care committee if doctors consider withholding or withdrawing medically indicated treatment. The agency said life-sustaining treatment should continue during that review.

The federal action marks the latest intervention in the dispute over Gabriel's medical care.

West was around 20 weeks pregnant when Gabriel was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a congenital condition in which the left side of the heart is severely underdeveloped. The diagnosis allegedly prompted the intended parents to ask West to have an abortion, according to Paxton's office.

West instead traveled to Texas, and Paxton formally notified UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Medical Center of Dallas of what his office said were their legal obligations to provide Gabriel with "medically necessary, life-saving care upon birth."

TEXAS AG PAXTON DEMANDS DALLAS SHERIFF PURSUE ICE AGREEMENT AS DEADLINE DISPUTE SPARKS LEGAL THREAT

Paxton later secured a court order aimed at ensuring the baby received care after birth.

"The court has made the right decision in immediately acting to protect baby Gabriel’s life and ensure he receives the care he deserves," Paxton said.

"My office utilized every tool at our disposal to protect life, and we will not back down in continuing to support baby Gabriel’s well-being," he added. "Every child in our state deserves to be cared for and protected, and that’s exactly what I’ll fight for."

The case has drawn an outpouring of support for West from conservative and pro-life advocates, who praised her decision to continue the pregnancy and fight for Gabriel's care.

SUPREME COURT UNANIMOUSLY SLAPS DOWN BLUE STATE TARGETING PRO-LIFE GROUP

Andrew Kolvet, a spokesman for Turning Point USA, called West a "hero" on X, writing that she "saved this baby's life" and saying he hopes she is ultimately able to keep Gabriel.

Alliance Defending Freedom, which represents West, celebrated the court order requiring Gabriel to receive the surgery. ADF Senior Counsel Erik Baptist praised West's "courageous stand" for Gabriel and said "every child deserves a chance at life."

Pro-life group Live Action also praised West for resisting pressure to abort Gabriel but said the fight is not over. The group raised concerns that a court order is preventing West from having contact with the newborn, saying Gabriel "needs the comfort of the only mother he's ever known" and that his needs should remain the priority.

Gabriel was born Wednesday and transported to a neonatal intensive care unit, where doctors could perform surgery to treat his heart condition.

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"Baby Gabriel deserves a chance at life, and I will not allow anyone to unlawfully deny him medically necessary care," Paxton previously said. "My office will use every tool available to protect innocent lives and ensure that every child receives the care required under Texas law."

Fox News Digital reached out to Children’s Medical Center of Dallas and UT Southwestern Medical Center for comment.

Fox News Digital's Robert McGreevy contributed to this report.

Iran could unleash ‘kinetic’ response as US tightens economic containment, analyst warns

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 20:14:20 -0400

Iran could launch military strikes as early as this fall, targeting a list of high-value assets to shatter increasing U.S. economic sanctions, national security analysts warned Thursday.

The warning came as the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, or ADNOC, reported that two vessels were struck transiting the Strait of Hormuz, according to the United Arab Emirates' state-run WAM news agency.

ADNOC said there were no injuries, and the situation was under control, according to Reuters, as the UAE foreign ministry condemned the Iranian attacks.

IRAN-BACKED HOUTHI THREAT IN RED SEA COULD LEAD TO MAJOR US POLICY SHIFT, ANALYSTS SAY

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday that Washington was preparing to take unprecedented economic action against Iran.

"Watch this ⁠space for more announcements coming next week because we are going to apply measures like we have never been seen in the history of economic isolation on a country," Bessent said in ‌an ⁠interview on Newsmax.

Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital Tehran is likely to step up military pressure as Washington intensifies sanctions.

"Come early fall, what we can expect is for them to kinetically push back against Trump's economic policy," Taleblu said. "If the president is re-embracing economic pressure as a management approach, just like we saw in 2019, then the regime will use kinetic pressure to try to find a way to break out of that economic containment."

TRUMP BETS ECONOMIC PRESSURE CAN SQUEEZE IRAN AS REGIME’S OWN FAILURES DEEPEN THE PAIN

Ben Taleblu said shrinking oil revenues and the U.S. naval blockade could also drive Tehran to expand its target list across the region.

"This means they would embrace the kinetic tool, and that's how they would get out of the economic containment regime that the U.S. seems to be defaulting to want to put on them," Taleblu added.

"I would say more attacks on ships, potentially more attacks on U.S. bases, potentially more attacks on Arab infrastructure in the Persian Gulf. And certainly the regime would create a tiered list of targets of what is of immediate value versus what has greater economic value versus what might lead to the U.S. directly or indirectly responding."

The warnings come amid a deadlock in talks between Washington and Tehran.

So far, there have been no discussions about extending the U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement, a senior Iranian source told Reuters Aug. 12.

Tehran has insisted Washington return to the pact and set a definitive timeline to meet its obligations.

The interim memorandum of understanding, signed in June, called for the "immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts."

The agreement later unraveled, with Trump declaring July 7 the pact was "over."

Under the framework, both sides had an extendable 60-day window to negotiate a final agreement addressing key security concerns, including Iran’s nuclear program.

That deadline is Aug. 17, with control of the Strait of Hormuz remaining a major sticking point.

Hossein Taeb, the newly appointed head of Iran's Basij paramilitary force, said Thursday the Strait of Hormuz remains "under Iran's control and management."

His comments conflicted with Trump's assertion a day earlier that the U.S. held "total control" over the vital waterway.

"The regime is relying on tried and true tactics here, which is, you know, a knife in the back and a handshake in the front to many of America's traditional Gulf partners," Taleblu said.

"It looks like Iranian escalation, Iranian diplomatic pressure, Iranian diplomatic finesse is trying to back the Trump administration into the MOU again.

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"The regime definitely does not want to grant the Trump administration the optics of victory, and to that end, they're quite keen to hold on to the Strait of Hormuz."

Taleblu said Trump has described the sanctions-driven strategy as a "low-key" approach.

"These are high-impact tools," he concluded. "I think part of the escalation that we saw in the summer of 2019 — part of that past could be a prologue."

Gun rights groups capitalize after judge reverses decades-old restrictions: 'Monumental'

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 19:55:09 -0400

Gun rights advocates are wasting little time putting a "huge" federal court victory into action after a judge struck down decades-old firearms restrictions as unconstitutional.

Gun Owners of America (GOA) and Silencer Shop, a federal firearms licensee covered by the ruling linked to the sale and transfer of silencers, notified the Trump administration Thursday they planned to begin transferring gun silencers without going through the National Firearms Act registration and approval process that has governed such transactions for decades.

Just after midnight Thursday, two gun owners walked out of a Texas firearms dealer with silencers without first completing the federal registration and approval process that has governed such transfers for generations, according to Gun Owners of America.

INSIDE TRUMP'S UNPRECEDENTED BATTLE PLAN TO EXPAND SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS THROUGH JUSTICE DEPARTMENT

GOA said Brandon Herrera and Texas state Rep. Wes Virdell acquired the suppressors from Silencer Shop in Leander, Texas, in what the gun rights group called the first lawful transfers without National Firearms Act registration since the law was enacted in 1934.

"This is the first time in 92 years that any gun owner has been able to do this," Aidan Johnston, Gun Owners of America’s director of federal affairs, told Fox News Digital in an interview.

"Previously, this would have been punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine per violation. So, this was a big federal law. We took a really big bite out of it."

Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., who attended the midnight transfers and helped write the legislation that set the stage for the ruling, called it "literally, the greatest Second Amendment win in the history of our country," adding that it marked "a monumental day for the country and a monumental day for the Second Amendment."

The ruling also appears poised to stand without a challenge from the federal government. Clyde said Wednesday he had received confirmation from the Trump administration that the Justice Department would not appeal the decision.

"GOA fought to crush the NFA’s unconstitutional restrictions through the One Big Beautiful Bill, but we didn’t stop there. We promised to keep fighting until these restrictions were gone, and now our members are putting the historic victory into action," said Erich Pratt, senior vice president of Gun Owners of America.

"The era of federal registration for constitutionally protected arms must end."

CLARENCE THOMAS' CONSTITUTIONAL ARGUMENT AGAINST FEDERAL GUN LAW GETS FIRST MAJOR COURT TEST

The legal fight traces back to Republicans’ 2025 reconciliation package, which initially included broader efforts to roll back National Firearms Act restrictions on suppressors and short-barreled firearms.

After the Senate parliamentarian blocked portions of the deregulation push under reconciliation rules, the final One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed by President Donald Trump instead reduced the NFA’s longstanding making and transfer taxes to $0 for suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns and certain other weapons, effective Jan. 1, 2026.

Gun rights groups seized on that change almost immediately. The same day Trump signed the law, Gun Owners of America, the Silencer Shop Foundation and other plaintiffs sued the federal government, arguing the NFA’s registration and approval requirements could no longer constitutionally stand for weapons on which Congress had eliminated the underlying tax. Fifteen states later joined the challenge.

The Justice Department countered that the remaining regulations could still be supported by other NFA taxes and Congress’ authority over interstate commerce.

"Congress didn’t fully repeal the law. They just reduced this 1934 tax from $200 to $0," Johnston told Fox News Digital. "And I think all of us could understand there’s no such thing as a $0 tax. It doesn’t raise any revenue. It’s not a tax."

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U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, a Trump appointee, sided with the challengers Aug. 5, ruling that once Congress eliminated the making and transfer taxes, the regulations that had existed to help collect those taxes lost their constitutional footing. Hendrix permanently blocked federal officials from enforcing the challenged requirements against the plaintiffs and, where applicable, their members and customers, while declining to issue a nationwide injunction.

However, while the plaintiffs had separately argued that the NFA’s registration and approval requirements violated the Second Amendment, Hendrix said that "Efforts to render the NFA constitutional must come from Congress, not this Court."

Rams star Puka Nacua left bloodied in bizarre accident at Michael Rubin's star-studded White Party

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 20:03:22 -0400

Puka Nacua’s turbulent offseason keeps finding new ways to hit him — this time, literally.

The latest bizarre story to emerge from the Los Angeles Rams star’s summer involves a spotless window at Michael Rubin’s "White Party" — and, by Nacua’s own admission, the window won.

During an appearance on Logan Paul’s "Impaulsive" podcast, Nacua revealed that he was left bleeding from the face after walking directly into a glass pane at the Fanatics founder’s annual celebrity bash in the Hamptons.

STEFON DIGGS FOUND NOT GUILTY ON STRANGULATION AND ASSAULT CHARGES, NOW EYES NFL FREE AGENCY

While speaking with Olympic gymnast Suni Lee, Nacua spotted Snoop Dogg and turned to find Rams teammate Davante Adams. He never saw the nearly invisible pane standing in his way.

"Uh, the glass window pane won," Nacua said. And Nacua apparently wasn’t the only victim of Rubin’s spotless glass.

"They made me feel better when they said three other people ran into it," Nacua said. "But nobody else ended up bleeding from it. So I don’t know if that made me feel much better or worse."

A run-in with Rubin’s glass is hardly the only headache Nacua has dealt with this offseason. The Rams star is facing a civil lawsuit stemming from a New Year’s Eve incident in which a woman alleges he bit her shoulder and made an antisemitic remark. Nacua’s attorney strongly denies the antisemitic allegation and characterized the biting as "horseplay." The lawsuit followed another controversy involving Nacua, who apologized in December after performing a gesture tied to antisemitic stereotypes during a livestream. He later spent time at a holistic care facility focused on personal growth.

Even his family made headlines.

RAMS' SEAN MCVAY AND HIS MODEL WIFE PUT THE REST OF THE NFL ON NOTICE WITH NOTHING BUT SWIMSUITS ON

Nacua’s brother, Samson, was arrested after mistakenly taking an SUV he believed belonged to Puka. Investigators determined it was a mix-up, and Samson was not charged.

Nacua’s offseason could still follow him onto the field, with the NFL reportedly reviewing his conduct and a suspension considered possible. Meanwhile, Nacua gave the Rams a more conventional scare this week when he left Tuesday’s joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys early with groin soreness. He sat out Thursday as Los Angeles took a cautious approach with its All-Pro receiver.

"We’re just being smart with him," Rams coach Sean McVay said. "Expecting to be back next week, ready to go."

The Rams have every reason to be cautious. Nacua is entering the final season of his rookie contract after leading the NFL with 129 receptions and finishing second with 1,715 receiving yards last season.

McVay and the Rams can manage his practice workload and game-plan for double teams. Billionaire-grade window cleaning is apparently another problem entirely.

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Julianne Hough flaunts her toned figure in bikinis as she shares snaps from her trip to Sardinia

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 19:52:49 -0400

Julianne Hough is trading the hustle for a taste of la dolce vita.

The 38-year-old "Dancing with the Stars" co-host shared highlights from an adventurous girls getaway to Sardinia, Italy, where she jumped from cliffs, explored local villages, hit the beach and squeezed in seaside workouts.

In one photo from the getaway, Hough lounged on a beach chair in a white string bikini.

LANDMAN' STAR ALI LARTER SHOWS OFF HER FIT PHYSIQUE IN BARELY-THERE BIKINIS DURING YACHT VACATION IN ITALY

The dancer leaned back on the chair with one leg bent as she posed near the water. She paired the white string bikini with black sunglasses and a white mesh headscarf over her short blonde hair.

Beachgoers filled the shoreline behind Hough, while yachts floated in the bright blue water farther out.

"Still thinking about Sardinia and how special it was to experience it with my girls @drewdylanlex and @briannacope," Hough wrote on Instagram.

"There’s just something about seeing the world with people you love that makes everything feel a little more alive."

MOLLY SIMS FLAUNTS TONED ABS IN MISMATCHED BIKINI DURING PERFECT BEACH DAY WITH HER KIDS

Hough also showed off another bikini during a quieter moment overlooking the coast.

In the photo, she sat on the edge of a lounge chair beneath a rustic shaded canopy while wearing a dark string bikini with a coordinating wrap tied low around her waist.

Hough turned toward the water as the secluded setting offered sweeping views of the rocky shoreline and calm sea.

"The beauty, the food, the wildness, the peace… already dreaming about going back to @resort_erica where should we go next and who’s coming?" she wrote.

‘THE MADISON’ STAR ELLE CHAPMAN SAYS 8-MILE HIKES, HORSE RIDES IN MONTANA KEPT HER ‘GROUNDED’

The dancer made time to stay active during the trip, sharing a separate photo of herself practicing yoga on a wooden deck overlooking the water.

The photo was part of a separate post in which Hough reflected on the slower pace of life she experienced in Sardinia.

"An ode to the nonnas of Sardinia… their sun kissed skin and the sense that they haven’t just spent their lives working but living," she wrote.

Hough admitted the experience had her reconsidering how she balances ambition with enjoying her life away from work.

"And boy, do I feel like the silly American in Europe. I love my work and my ambition, but when I’m older, I’d rather be the grandmother with stories to tell than wonder if I hustled more than I lived.

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"Grateful to @hotelcapodorso for reminding me to slow down, breathe the salty air, taste the wine, and watch those stories pass by over an espresso 🤍

"from spa to sea, grazie."

Hough also traded her beachwear for a glamorous look during the getaway.

In another photo, she posed in a strapless coral pink gown with a fitted bodice and voluminous skirt while standing along a picturesque street lined with stone buildings and terracotta roofs.

Hough looked down as the flowing skirt swept outward around her, completing the look with a statement gold necklace and strappy heels.

The trip offered Hough some downtime ahead of another busy chapter in her longtime relationship with "Dancing with the Stars."

Hough first joined the competition series as a professional dancer in 2007 and has since served as a judge and co-host.

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Earlier this year, she reflected on the unlikely longevity of the series, which premiered in 2005.

"I mean, this show got turned down so many times at the beginning because people were like, ‘A ballroom dancing show? Like, what? Is that really a thing?’" Hough told People magazine in May.

More than two decades after its debut, Hough said the show's ability to remain true to its roots has helped it endure.

"To see that it's been around not only just, like, survived 20 years, but is now thriving more than it ever has, it just goes to show that, like, when you stay in authenticity and integrity of what this show is — which is craftsmanship, just rooting for people to grow and succeed, and go on the journey of transformation, and keep that family experience — that's timeless," she told the outlet.

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David Foster denies snubbing Meghan Markle after red carpet interaction with Prince Harry

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 19:50:23 -0400

David Foster is speaking out after a red carpet video at a charity event went viral and sparked speculation from some that he had snubbed Meghan Markle.

On Aug. 7, the legendary music producer hosted the David Foster and Friends foundation event with Markle and Prince Harry in attendance.

The video on social media showed Foster walking past Markle as she appeared to greet him and Prince Harry before returning a moment later with his wife, Katharine McPhee, and posing for a photo with the royal couple.

"As the host of the David Foster and Friends foundation event, I had already greeted our friends, the Duke and Duchess, at the entrance 10 minutes before the red carpet encounter," Foster said in a statement to People.

MEGHAN MARKLE’S ROYAL EXIT HAD WARNING SIGNS YEARS EARLIER, VETERAN CORRESPONDENT REVEALS

"They both, graciously and selflessly, gave their time and went beyond to engage with everyone. Harry and Meghan are dear friends of mine. Anyone watching can see there was no awkward moment and certainly no snub.

"It’s sad that certain media chose to deceive a red carpet encounter for clickbait. They turned simple ‘positioning’ to get the best photo into a hurtful lie."

A representative for Foster and Markle did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

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Foster and Markle have developed a warm friendship over the years, largely through Foster’s wife. McPhee and Markle knew each other when they were younger and participated in musical theater together. Their connection was renewed years later, and Foster and McPhee became close with Markle and Prince Harry.

Foster also played a supportive role during an important transition in Markle and Harry’s lives. In late 2019, he helped arrange a private home for the couple on Vancouver Island, giving them a quiet place to stay as they prepared to step back from their roles as senior members of the royal family in 2020.

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At the time, Foster told the Daily Mail he was happy the couple could "go under the radar for so long" while staying at his home.

"I felt honored that I was able to help Meghan there because I’m a Canadian, and we’re a Commonwealth country; we’re the Crown’s. It’s important to us, so I grew up with that kind of sentiment. I was really happy to be able to help them to find a respite just to take a little time off," he previously told the outlet.

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Three death row inmates executed by lethal injection in rare same-day string across US

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 10:43:09 -0400

Three convicted killers were executed by lethal injection Thursday in Tennessee, Oklahoma and Alabama.

Carlos Cuesta-Rodriguez was pronounced dead at 10:13 a.m. local time in McAlester, Oklahoma, for killing his girlfriend, Olimpia Fisher. About 30 minutes later, Anthony Darrell Hines was pronounced dead in Tennessee for the murder of motel maid Catherine Jean Jenkins.

At 6:16 p.m. CDT, Jeremy Williams was pronounced dead by lethal injection for the rape and murder of 5-year-old Kamarie Holland in Alabama.

The Associated Press reported that three states last carried out executions on a single day on Jan. 7, 2010, when prisoners were put to death in Louisiana, Ohio and Texas.

TWO FLORIDA INMATES DIE IN RARE DOUBLE EXECUTION AFTER SCOTUS DENIES STAYS

Three executions were also set to happen on the same day in 2018, though only one took place after Alabama officials struggled to place an IV line and Texas granted a reprieve.

Florida executed two men in one day in July, bringing its total number of executions since the beginning of 2025 to 31.

Eleven states carried out executions last year. Tennessee became the fifth state to carry out an execution in 2026. Alabama would become the sixth if Williams is put to death.

Hines was put to death by lethal injection in Tennessee and pronounced dead at 10:43 a.m. local time.

Before the procedure, he was asked if he had any final words, at which point he said, "Not right now, thank you."

Hines then said, "Tell my son hello," before he was pronounced dead.

Hines’ son attended the execution, and had only reconnected with his father four days ago, having not seen him since he was 3 years old.

JUDGE BLOCKS ALABAMAS NITROGEN GAS EXECUTION METHOD, RUES IT IS UNCONSTITUTIONALLY CRUEL

Nearly four minutes after the death chamber curtains opened, Hines reportedly asked his spiritual adviser how long he had.

Moments later, witnesses heard heavy breathing and groans as the spiritual advisor prayed over him with her hands on his shoulders.

After the execution, Jenkins' son, Dennis Jenkins, told reporters his mother was killed and only had a plastic spray bottle to defend herself.

"I hope he did suffer," Dennis said. "I hope he felt severe pain because what he did to my mother is nothing compared to what he may have just gone through."

ALABAMA DEATH ROW INMATE INSISTS INNOCENCE, URGES GOVERNOR TO MEET HIM BEFORE NITROGEN-GAS EXECUTION

In Alabama, Williams was scheduled to be executed later Thursday for the 2021 rape and murder of 5-year-old Kamarie Holland of Georgia.

Williams pleaded guilty, gave up his appeals and asked to be put to death.

Prosecutors said the 42-year-old paid Holland’s mother $2,500 before sexually assaulting and strangling the girl. They said he recorded the attack and kept her body so he could continue abusing it.

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"To see on video what he did to this baby, what a grown man could do to a child, it’s shocking, it’s horrible, it’s disgusting," Russell County District Attorney Richard Chancey said. "It’s just a level of evil."

Williams smiled, appeared to sing or speak, and rocked his head back-and-forth before slowing become still during his execution.

"I want to thank God for forgiving me for my sins so I can meet him in peace," he said in his last words.

Williams had asked to be put his death so his victim's family "may have some type of closure and satisfaction which they deserve."

Williams was also investigated in Alaska in 2005 in connection with his infant daughter’s death, though no charges were filed until 2022.

Alabama has not carried out an execution this year. A federal judge halted a planned nitrogen gas execution in the state back in June after finding the method unconstitutional.

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Cuesta-Rodriguez was executed by lethal injection in McAlester, Oklahoma on Thursday morning, making him the third person to be put to death this year in the state.

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While he did not have any last words, Cuesta-Rodriguez reportedly turned toward two relatives who attended the execution and mouthed, "I love you."

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He was pronounced dead at 10:13 a.m. local time.

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Fisher’s daughters, Cinthya Allen and Katya Wallis, did not attend the execution, though they released a statement acquired by the AP, saying they hope the execution raises awareness to preventing domestic violence.

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The daughters also said they honor their mother by "raising our families to reflect the love and faith in God that she taught us."

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"Our faith in Jesus has allowed us to forgive," they said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Federal appeals court restores Texas mail ballot ID requirements in major election integrity ruling

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 19:43:19 -0400

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals restored key parts of Texas’ election law Wednesday, handing the state a major win after repeatedly reversing the lower court during a five-year legal fight.

The 11-page ruling overturned a lower court decision that blocked nine parts of Senate Bill 1, a 2021 law that changed Texas’ rules for mail-in voting and voter assistance.

The appeals court pointed to its repeated reversals in the case, noting that it has "reversed the district court on everything" during roughly five years of litigation.

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"The bulk of the plaintiffs’ claims fail for lack of standing. One fails on the merits. But none justifies interference with the State Legislature’s efforts to prevent voter fraud and to protect election integrity," Judge Andrew Oldham wrote in the opinion.

The restored rules include requirements for Texans voting by mail to provide an identification number or Social Security number on ballot applications and for that information to match state records. The law also lays out a process for voters to fix defective ballots and requires voters and people helping them fill out ballots to sign an oath stating they did not coerce the voter.

A district judge blocked the rules in March 2025 after several lawsuits challenging the law over accessibility concerns were combined. The plaintiffs argued the requirements made voting too difficult for some voters with disabilities and violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Texas allows several groups to vote by mail, including voters who are 65 or older and those who qualify because of a disability.

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The appeals court found the groups did not have legal standing to bring most of their challenges and rejected another challenge outright.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a defendant in the lawsuit, celebrated the ruling on social media, calling it a "major victory."

Fox News Digital reached out to attorneys and organizations representing the plaintiffs for comment.

Texas lawmakers passed Senate Bill 1 in 2021 after a contentious fight over election rules. The law targeted in part voting initiatives Harris County used during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Democratic lawmakers, civil rights organizations and voting advocacy groups opposed the measure, and Texas House Democrats broke quorum in an unsuccessful attempt to stop it.

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The appeals court also noted that the share of mail-in ballot applications or ballots rejected because of identification-number errors fell from 11% to 2.7% after the law took effect.

Small town buzzing over identity of its $1B Powerball winner: ‘Like a murder mystery’

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 19:14:49 -0400

A small-town gas station in Illinois is trying to solve a burning mystery: Who holds Wednesday night’s winning $1.04 billion Powerball lottery ticket that was sold in the store?

Jon Marshall, 47, manager of Hy-Vee Gas Fresh & Fast convenience store in Quincy, Illinois, told Fox News Digital he views the waiting "like a murder mystery."

"It was about 3 a.m. I got a phone call from the other gas station manager in town. He ... woke me up, and he said, ‘You sold the winning ticket.’

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"I was like, ‘Wow.’"

"'Your store sold the winning ticket,'" the other manager said, Marshal recalled.

He was shocked, Marshall said.

He ran to his kitchen because he personally bought a Powerball ticket from the Fast & Fresh convenience store.

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"I’m like, ‘I better check my ticket before I worry about anything else.’ And, of course, I wasn’t a winner," he said.

As of late Thursday afternoon, the identity of the winner was still a mystery. Curious residents have come by to inquire, he said. But the winner hasn't been identified thus far.

Quincy is a historic river city in Illinois on the Mississippi River. It has about 39,000 residents; Marshall said most of his customers are "regulars."

The town has "an old-school feel. We still have a lot of great people that would give their shirts off their backs for you," he said.

Marshall’s store will receive a $500,000 cash bonus for selling Wednesday’s winning ticket, Powerball rules state.

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The jackpot is the second-largest lottery prize ever won in Illinois and the eighth-largest in the game’s history.

The winning numbers were 4, 26, 66, 67 and 69, with Powerball 9.

The odds of matching all five white balls and the red Powerball are about 1 in 292.2 million, according to Powerball data.

The winner will have a choice of taking the full $1.04 billion jackpot as an annuity, or accepting a one-time cash payment of $450.5 million before taxes, according to Powerball rules.

Under the annuity option, the prize is given to the winner in 30 graduated payments over 29 years, the rules note.

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"There’s a lot of people coming in just to kind of see if we found the winner yet, and then there’s just people wanting to get some same luck, repeat luck, buying extra lottery tickets from that same machine," Marshall said.

"We got a great buzz going on, and we’re enjoying the ride while we can."

Yet the mystery remains.

Illinois gives the ticket holder one year from the Aug. 12 drawing to claim the prize. A Powerball winner, however, who wants the lump-sum option must make that choice within 60 days of the drawing, according to the Illinois Lottery.

Lottery officials are urging the winner to sign the back of the ticket and keep it somewhere secure until it is claimed, officials said.

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"I'd say, we have probably 15% of [customers] that are traveling on the highway that come to our gas station. Most of them are local," said Marshall.

Though the gas station has previously had other winning tickets, it has never experienced a Powerball win.

"We've had some big scratch-off tickets, but nothing even close to this one ... nothing [of] quite this caliber," he said.

The mystery surrounding the winner may never be solved.

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Under Illinois Lottery rules, anyone winning $250,000 or more can request that his or her name and municipality of residence remain confidential when submitting a claim, the Illinois Lottery states.

Marshall's greatest hope is that the winner thinks about the community after claiming the prize.

"I hope they do well for the community," he said. "I hope they build up some organizations in town."

Matthew McConaughey gives update on rumored 'Yellowstone' spin-off series, years after reports first surfaced

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 19:05:54 -0400

Matthew McConaughey is clearing the air about his rumored "Yellowstone" spin-off.

During a recent appearance on The Playlist’s "Discourse" podcast, the 56-year-old actor discussed the status of the rumored "Yellowstone" spin-off he was meant to star in, giving fans some hope that they might still see him in that universe.

"No, I mean, it’s not any more of a thing than it was or probably any less of a thing than it was that did hit the headlines there for a while," McConaughey said. "Taylor and I have spoken and have continued to have conversations about what [it could be] and if that would be whatever. But nothing’s real yet."

Rumors of a potential collaboration between McConaughey and Taylor Sheridan first sparked in 2023, when Sheridan was still trying to figure out the end of "Yellowstone" and whether its star, Kevin Costner, would return.

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During the gap between the first half of the show's final season and the second, rumors began swirling that McConaughey and Sheridan were in talks for a potential spin-off of the show.

Sheridan told The Hollywood Reporter in June 2023 that McConaughey "seems like a natural fit."

"We had a few conversations over the years and spitballed a few ideas," Sheridan said. "Then he started watching 'Yellowstone' and responded to it. He was like, ‘I want to do that.’ And by ‘that’ he meant diving into a raw world clashing up against the modern world. And then I said, ‘Buddy, that we can do.’"

"Yellowstone" aired its series finale in December 2024 without Costner, Sheridan giving his character an off-screen death.

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It was announced in August 2024 that two of the show's stars, Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly, who played Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler, would star in their own spin-off series, "Dutton Ranch," which saw the two characters leave Montana to start fresh in Texas.

While this show is an extension of the "Yellowstone" universe, Sheridan stepped away from the writers' room during the first season, although he is still an executive producer.

"There were challenges, you know?" Hauser told Film Inside NYC in July. "Not having Taylor [Sheridan] there for us to really kind of be able to work with these new writers, these new directors, these people ... everything had changed."

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In the end, Hauser said he is "proud of what we accomplished" on the show, crediting everyone on set for having to "figure out on our feet how to really perform and tell a story," noting, "I look forward to doing it again."

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JD Vance warns Republicans not to blame young Americans for the appeal of socialism

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 18:52:33 -0400

Vice President JD Vance delivered a wake-up call to Republicans on Thursday, cautioning them against blaming young Americans for embracing socialism and arguing that the GOP deserves some of the blame.

Appearing on "The Will Cain Show," Vance defended young voters sympathetic to socialism as the far-left ideology gains appeal for those struggling with accomplishing the American dream their parents achieved.

"My warning to my fellow Republicans would be: If we don't get this right, don't blame young people for being sympathetic to socialism. We've got to blame ourselves," he told Fox News host Will Cain.

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Vance's comments come amid a high-stakes battle over the ideological future of the Democratic Party as the Democratic Socialists of America’s (DSA) grip on the establishment appears to grow tighter.

Michigan's Abdul El-Sayed and Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan recently scored crucial Democratic U.S. Senate primary victories, while DSA member Francesca Hong fell short in Wisconsin's Democratic gubernatorial primary.

Vance, who described socialism as "dangerous and destructive," argued that Republicans cannot ignore the economic concerns he believes are "feeding" young Americans’ growing interest in the ideology.

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The median price for a single-family home in the United States sits at over $430,000, according to data from Redfin analyzed by Forbes.

With surging housing prices, much of the younger generation feels shut out of a market that helped previous generations build wealth, some critics have argued.

Socialist candidates are capitalizing on those frustrations, and Vance said young Americans deserve better. The vice president spoke directly to young Americans who feel financially incapable of achieving the same economic security as their parents.

"I would say to that young person that you as an American citizen deserve to have a good life in this country, and you deserve to have a government that is making it easier for you to start a family, for you to afford to get a good education, for you to have a good job, for you to afford a home," the vice president said.

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Vance said the Trump administration’s economic policy agenda is already delivering positive results for the American people, touting "stabilized" housing prices.

"We're seeing trillions of dollars of new investment into this country, which means good, middle-class jobs for young people, middle-income people all across our country," he told Fox News.

Vance urged fellow Republicans to listen to the economic concerns of Americans drawn to socialism and not underestimate their worries.

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"You don't stop socialism by throwing slogans at people about the free market," he said. "As much as I love the free market, you stop socialism by making people's lives better, and that's what we're trying to do every single day."

Mamdani’s luxury-home tax gets new life as appeals court lifts roadblock in homeowner fight

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 18:52:09 -0400

Democratic New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s controversial luxury-home tax rollout is back on track, at least for now, after a New York appeals court on Thursday lifted the roadblock that had stopped the city from moving ahead.

Judge Philip Hom temporarily lifted the order blocking the city from moving ahead with the rollout, allowing the surcharge process to resume while the legal battle continues.

Randy Mastro, the attorney representing the homeowners challenging the rollout, blasted the administration in a statement to Fox News Digital.

MAMDANI’S LUXURY-HOME TAX ROLLOUT DERAILED FOR NOW AS JUDGE DELIVERS WIN TO NYC HOMEOWNERS OVER MASSIVE LIST

"It is a shame that the City can’t own up to its own mistakes and admit that it has badly botched the rollout of this surcharge," Mastro said. "Instead, the administration is doubling down, going to court to ensure that it can continue harassing and threatening New York City homeowners who clearly are permanent residents — something the City would know if it would only do its homework."

Mastro accused Mamdani of pushing ahead with thousands of surcharge notices he called "blatantly illegal."

"It is, quite frankly, outrageous that this Mayor is so desperate to further his agenda that he’s continuing to try to enforce thousands [of] surcharge ‘notices’ that are blatantly illegal," Mastro said.

"We remain confident that when we are back in court in a mere 18 days, the thousands of New York City homeowners who are now illegally burdened with the responsibility of proving they do indeed live in their own homes will finally get the permanent relief they deserve," he added.

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Mastro’s office also confirmed to Fox News Digital on background that Thursday’s development was procedural, allowing the city to move forward with its appeal while staying the temporary restraining order.

The homeowners are expected back in court Aug. 31, when they will seek permanent relief from the original judge.

The appellate order came after a sharp dispute over whether the city’s decision to appeal had automatically put Judge Wayne Ozzi’s entire order on hold.

In an Aug. 11 letter to Ozzi, Mastro argued that most of the judge’s restrictions remained in effect and warned the city against pressing ahead with the surcharge.

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Thursday’s order removed that immediate uncertainty by staying Ozzi’s temporary restraining order while the city’s appeal moves forward.

The latest turn comes just three days after Ozzi slammed the brakes on the city’s rollout of the surcharge, which targets certain high-value properties that do not serve as primary residences.

Ozzi ordered the city to remove a disputed supplemental property roll from its website and temporarily blocked officials from taking further action based on the roll or notices sent to homeowners.

He also stopped the city from enforcing deadlines contained in those notices, including the Sept. 18 deadline to file an administrative appeal.

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The lawsuit was filed by New York City homeowners Rachel O’Brien, Carmine Morano and Simon Hedley, who are not challenging the surcharge itself but rather how the Mamdani administration implemented it.

The homeowners argue the city improperly put the burden on New Yorkers to prove they live in their properties rather than first determining which homes actually qualify for the surcharge.

Their lawsuit also takes aim at the city’s publication of a supplemental property roll containing information on more than 900,000 homeowners. The plaintiffs allege the publication caused "mass confusion" and subjected homeowners to unwanted public scrutiny.

During Monday’s hearing, Mastro repeatedly accused the administration of failing to do its homework before launching the program.

NYC MAYOR MAMDANI CALLS THREAT OF RICH PEOPLE LEAVING NYC OVER TAXES 'IMAGINED'

"The city screwed this up… got it wrong… stop the train and make them do it over," Mastro told the court.

"The city is to bear the burden," he argued. "They didn’t do their homework."

The city quickly fought back.

In appellate papers filed Thursday, the city asked the court to confirm that Ozzi’s entire temporary restraining order was automatically stayed under state law or, alternatively, grant a stay while its appeal proceeds. The city also sought permission to appeal if necessary.

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City attorneys argued that filing a notice of appeal and an affirmation of its intention to seek permission to appeal triggered an automatic stay.

The city also argued that Ozzi’s order disrupted the status quo and threatened to derail the Department of Finance’s implementation of the surcharge under an already tight timeline.

According to the city’s filing, the Department of Finance sent initial determination notices to approximately 17,000 property owners. City officials have maintained that inclusion on the much broader supplemental roll did not mean a property owner would ultimately be subject to the surcharge.

The city warned that leaving the lower court’s order in place could interfere with property tax bills scheduled to be mailed Nov. 15 and potentially jeopardize revenue from the surcharge. The city comptroller has projected the tax will generate at least $500 million through fiscal year 2028, according to the appellate filing.

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The city has also argued that the administrative appeals process gives homeowners a straightforward way to establish that a property is a primary residence and that officials may not have access to all of the information necessary to make that determination without additional documentation from owners.

The homeowners dispute that argument, saying state law required the city to make an individualized initial determination before sending the notices in the first place.

One plaintiff, Hedley, ultimately received approval after submitting documentation showing that his property was his primary residence. Mastro has argued that Hedley’s experience demonstrates how easily the city could have made the determination itself before sending the notice.

Monday's courtroom battle grew heated as the two sides clashed over whether the rollout harmed homeowners and whether stopping the process would instead hurt taxpayers and the city.

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Ozzi ultimately sided with the homeowners at the preliminary stage, finding that the notices caused irreparable harm and that the burden was on the city to make an initial determination. He also found the homeowners had demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits, while emphasizing that he was not making a final determination in the case.

Mamdani's administration immediately vowed to fight the ruling.

"We disagree with today’s ruling, but we are confident in both the pied-à-terre surcharge and the City’s ability to implement it fairly and effectively," Matt Rauschenbach, a spokesperson for the mayor, told Fox News Digital following Monday’s decision.

"This surcharge asks those who own second homes valued at $5 million or more to contribute their fair share to the city they benefit from," he added.

Mamdani also defended the tax before Monday’s ruling, arguing that revenue from high-value second homes would help fund city services including schools and public safety.

The mayor said only about 17,000 homeowners in a city of 8.5 million people were potentially affected and pointed to the administration’s decision to extend the deadline for homeowners to seek an exemption.

Thursday’s action does not decide which side is ultimately right.

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The appellate case is proceeding with the City of New York, Mamdani, the Department of Finance and Finance Commissioner Richard Lee challenging the lower court’s order.

The city has told the appeals court that it is prepared to move forward with its appeal on an expedited basis.

Fox News' Maria Paronich contributed to this report.

Speaker Johnson slams Dems after noncitizens were charged with illegally voting in battleground state

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 18:48:57 -0400

House Speaker Mike Johnson slammed Democrats Thursday over election security after noncitizens were charged with illegally voting in Michigan, warning that similar cases across the country pose a growing threat to the integrity of American elections.

"From New Jersey to Michigan, the evidence continues to mount: Illegal aliens are registering and VOTING in American elections," Johnson said in a post shared on X.

"Democrats know this — which is why they want OPEN BORDERS and OPPOSE voter ID" he added before stating that it is a "clear and present danger to the integrity of our elections — and our Republic.

"All Americans DESERVE secure elections, and Republicans are the ones fighting to make it happen."

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Johnson's remarks came as five non-U.S. citizens who allegedly voted in the 2024 presidential election — along with a U.S. citizen accused of registering her noncitizen husband — were charged with election crimes, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced.

The charges follow a state review of 38 suspected cases of noncitizen voting or related conduct from 2009 to 2025.

Of those cases, six resulted in criminal charges, 10 were closed without charges and 22 remain under active review.

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"In my office, we’ve always taken election crimes seriously and prosecute attacks on our voting systems to the fullest extent of the law," Nessel said in a statement.

"We’re upholding election integrity by investigating all claims of noncitizen voters, as rare as they are, and holding bad actors accountable when they refuse to abide by the laws that keep our elections safe and secure."

More than 5.7 million ballots were cast in Michigan during the November 2024 general election.

State officials have said illegal voting by noncitizens remains rare.

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The charges come as President Donald Trump’s administration has made preventing illegal voting a priority.

He signed executive orders in March 2025 and March 2026 to strengthen citizenship verification for federal elections and directing agencies to give states greater access to citizenship and immigration data.

Trump's administration has also backed legislation requiring proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.

Nessel's announcement included Robert Piva, 67, of Roseville, a permanent resident charged with election law perjury, attempting to vote unqualified and fraudulent registration.

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He allegedly voted early in October 2024. Piva claimed his vote was an "experiment" concerning voter fraud.

Michael Akioya, 39, of Oak Park, also a permanent resident, was charged with allegedly making false statements on an absentee voter application and ballot envelope during the 2024 election.

Alondra Harker, 26, of Three Rivers, is a limited-term alien resident charged with misdemeanor fraudulent registration, which is punishable by up to 90 days in jail, for allegedly registering and voting in person in 2024.

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Harumi Michael, 60, who lives in Wolverine Lake, is a permanent resident who faces three felonies — two counts of election forgery and one count of attempting to vote unqualified — plus one misdemeanor for allegedly registering and voting in Commerce Township.

Basanth Sadasivian, 29, is a noncitizen living in the United Kingdom who was charged with felony attempting to vote unqualified, punishable by up to four years in prison, for allegedly registering and voting in 2024 through the Federal Post Card Application system using a Bloomfield Hills address.

And Kimberley DiDonato, 60, of Rose Township, is a U.S. citizen charged with election forgery and computer crime after allegedly posing as her noncitizen husband to register him online.

Authorities said DiDonato claimed she wanted to test system vulnerabilities before asking to cancel the registration.

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Nessel’s office declined to charge four referred people after determining that two were U.S. citizens, one was an American citizen through an international adoption and another was a federally recognized American Indian born in Canada.

Six additional cases were closed without charges because of a lack of evidence of criminal intent or potential registration errors.

Nessel also said delays in federal cooperation affected the timeline of the state’s investigations.

"While the question of whether any given resident is a citizen may feel simple, some cases are nuanced in unexpected ways," Nessel said.

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"The federal government has not always provided easy or open access to certain necessary citizenship records, and so our investigators had to spend considerable time and effort coaxing cooperation from the federal agencies."

Aussie women's cricket star addresses cheating with her teammate scandal that ended marriage

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 18:40:19 -0400

Last month, Australia vice-captain Ash Gardner found herself at the center of a cheating scandal where she had been accused of cheating on her wife with a teammate.

The Aussie cricket star's now ex-wife Monica Wright, who was friends with several of the other players, named the teammate involved in the affair and the matter was looked into by Cricket Australia.

Gardner is a vice-captain and the teammate in question, Georgia Voll, is not, which raises questions about a possible conflict of interest given the power imbalance.

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Cricket Australia was made aware of the affair before the scandal made headlines. After looking into it, the organization decided not to strip the vice-captain of her position.

"Ash is a highly regarded leader in our system. The CA board make leadership decisions and have oversight over all leadership decisions," Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg said, reports The Guardian.

"Ash is our vice-captain for a reason, because she’s highly regarded, but what we will do is in situations where there are personal relationships is make sure there are additional guardrails, so the perception of conflict or conflict itself – talking about things like selection – are handled appropriately and respectfully."

Now let's hear from the vice-captain herself. She addressed the matter as well as the decision not to remove her from her position.

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"While my separation from my wife is a personal matter, I understand my current relationship status needed to be addressed by Cricket Australia given my position as vice-captain," Gardner wrote on her Instagram Story.

"I am grateful that the CA Board has chosen to support my continued leadership. I look forward to playing a strong role as a leader and providing the best possible support for my teammates in the season to come."

She doesn’t want to have to discuss the matter any further and included a message for her ex-wife.

"I am grateful for the time Monica and I shared and sorry for the pain this has caused. I wish her nothing but happiness and success in the future," Gardner wrote.

"I won't be making any further public comment on this matter at this time and ask that the privacy of those involved is respected."

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There you have it. The captain is putting this all behind her. She wants to move on and the fact that she had an affair with a teammate shouldn’t impact her role as a leader. She's going to be just fine.

And so is Monica Wright, for that matter. We tend to focus on the cheating athlete in these scandals, but something tells me the wife she left behind in this case is going to be just fine.

Could Shohei Ohtani leave the Los Angeles Dodgers if Mark Walter sells the team after Lakers deal?

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 18:35:34 -0400

The sports world was stunned this week when reports broke that the Los Angeles Lakers had been sold again less than a year after the franchise's most recent sale.

Not just because of the massive $12 billion price tag, and the speed with which the deal came together, nor that the new ownership group is being headed by former Disney company CEO Bob Iger. But because the now-former ownership group was headed by Mark Walter, one of the most successful sports owners in recent history.

Walter is the CEO of Guggenheim Partners, a massive, $350 billion global financial services company. And as such, is the lead owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The same Dodgers who have won back-to-back World Series titles, and become the convenient villain for fans and the other owners, desperate to make increase their profits.

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So one of the richest men in the country, who's already successfully revamped the Dodgers into a behemoth, was set to bring his financial wherewithal and acumen to one of the most iconic organizations in the NBA. Then, less than a year after the deal was officially approved, he sells the team.

It's odd, to say the least. Unless that same owner is currently under investigation by the federal government for alleged loan fraud. An investigation that might require significant cash, even for someone as wealthy as Walter, to resolve.

Speculation immediately ran rampant that the Lakers sale was a necessity to free up funds for Walter. And then immediately went even more rampant that an even more stunning transaction might also become a necessity: selling the Dodgers too.

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Guggenheim purchased the Dodgers in 2012 for $2 billion, which seemed like an astronomical price at the time. In 2026 however, the San Diego Padres sold for $3.9 billion, the Yankees just brought in $2.6 billion in private equity financing, and it's been estimated that the Dodgers became the first MLB team to cross $1 billion in revenue. Most estimates put the franchise valuation at around $8 billion. But given the scarcity of brand names at their level, it might be even higher. Not too bad for just 14 years on the job.

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So will Walter sell the Dodgers too in order to raise money to pay off the loans in question?

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According to the Los Angeles Times, there are no plans for him to do so. Stan Kasten, the team's president, reiterated that this is a "Laker story" to the media Wednesday.

"This is a Laker story, not really a Dodger story," he said. "It really has nothing to do with the Dodgers. They’re completely separate. And so there are no changes here or contemplated here, and I think that pretty much is the whole story."

What throws an extra wrinkle into the discussion is that there's a "key man" clause in the contract of the Dodgers, and baseball's, biggest star: Shohei Ohtani. When Ohtani signed with the Dodgers in December 2023, it was reported that there was a clause in his contract that allowed him to opt out of his 10-year deal if one of two people left the organization: president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman...and Mark Walter.

The Athletic reported on Thursday that Ohtani would like not opt out, were Walter to sell the Dodgers, but it's a fascinating subplot to what would seem to be an ordinary ownership debate. Ohtani's already won two championships in LA after never reaching the postseason in Anaheim, and the Dodgers have consistently demonstrated their commitment to winning.

But that commitment has been, in large part, due to Walter's willingness to spend money and sacrifice profits. If ownership changes, would their financial advantages change too?

Guggenheim also has ownership control over Chelsea FC, along with the LA Sparks and an interest in the new Cadillac F1 team. Those could wind up being sold to raise funds, though none would command the same type of return as the Dodgers.

While everyone involved has maintained that the team is not for sale and will not be for sale, given how quickly the Lakers deal got done, that seems far from guaranteed.