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Costco's unexpected new role in Americans' love lives: 'Secret sauce is the sampling'

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 17:35:48 -0400

As more of life moves online, people are finding an in-person connection somewhere unexpected: the aisles and food court of their local Costco.

The membership warehouse club — known for its bulk grocery items and huge packs of home supplies — has joined the likes of bars, churches and parks as a public spot where people socialize, make friends and may spark or renew romance.

Costco has become what sociologists call a "third place," a communal gathering spot where people build community outside their home and work environments, USA Today reported.

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"Costco has turned shopping into an experience, not just an errand," Phil Lempert, a consumer and trend analyst known as the "SupermarketGuru," told Fox News Digital. "You go in for paper towels and walk out having sampled food, discovered something unexpected and maybe bumped into someone you know. Their secret sauce is the sampling."

University of California, Davis students Sharon Hwang, Katrina Le and Steven Zhang organize a group of fellow students for a trip to their local Costco for a food-court meal once or twice a quarter, USA Today reported.

"If something small like a Costco trip can help someone meet new friends or feel a little bit connected, then I feel like we accomplished something," Hwang told the publication.

Friends and social media influencers Analyse Talavera and Carmen Rene Smith have traded costly dinner catchups for Costco errand runs.

"Especially in this economy, instead of going out and dropping $200 on dinner — which Analyse and I are good for — we go to Costco and stock up on meal prep for the week and then top it off with a $3 fro yo," Smith told USA Today.

More than 25 years after two military veterans began meeting at their neighborhood Costco in Brentwood, Tennessee, for a Friday hot dog, the Middle Tennessee Veterans Support Group — "Camp Costco" — is still going strong, now supporting a couple of hundred service members across generations.

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"Nobody cares what rank you were or what service you were in," Marine veteran and group member Paul Napoli told USA Today. "Everybody mixes together."

Some couples use their shopping trips as a substitute for date night, dubbing it "clubbing for married folks" or "the Kirkland Signature date night," after Costco's in-house brand.

Still others use the store to find love, and some couples have chosen Costco as the venue for their nuptials, according to Reddit posts.

It can also be a fun place to explore, Lempert said.

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"Costco creates a kind of retail ritual: the treasure hunt, the samples, the food court, the great deal you want to tell somebody about," he said. "Consumers aren't just buying products. They're sharing an experience — and that's incredibly powerful in an increasingly digital and isolated shopping world."

The appetite for that experience comes as in-person connection erodes elsewhere. Americans now spend about 35 minutes a day socializing, down from 45 minutes 20 years ago, and only 30% do any face-to-face socializing on a given day, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' American Time Use Survey.

The surgeon general's 2023 advisory found roughly half of adults experience loneliness, and the Survey Center on American Life reports 44% have nowhere in their community to go regularly.

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Costco shoppers, by contrast, are loyal — averaging 31 trips to the warehouse annually, according to consumer analytics firm Numerator.

They also make the food court a regular habit, spending in line with what they spend at major regional fast-food chains, including In-N-Out.

The membership model further creates a social aspect and sense of belonging, Lempert said.

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"Membership changes the psychology of shopping — it makes one feel special," he said. "You’re not simply a customer walking into a store; you're a member of a club. Costco has essentially made the membership card part of the consumer's identity."

Bill Belichick would like you to know that his 25-year-old girlfriend isn't running things at UNC

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 17:31:44 -0400

You may be under the impression that Bill Belichick has a lot more pressing matters than addressing the role his 25-year-old girlfriend Jordon Hudson has as it relates to his head coaching job at the University of North Carolina.

You know, with that whole investigation into the Tar Heels football program. But in a Wall Street Journal interview published Wednesday, the 74-year-old head coach did just that.

A legendary head coach of his age can't start dating a much younger woman without some eyebrows being raised and some assumptions being made. Like the assumptions being made shortly after he was hired at UNC.

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Belichick calls those ridiculous. He said, "The way the story was picked up was a long way from that. Like, 'She's trying to be the general manager of the team,' and it's so ridiculous."

She was simply doing her part in coordinating his schedule and that had nothing to do with anything going on at North Carolina. Can't a man have his girlfriend help out with his schedule? He was a busy man when he took the job.

"When I took the job here, it was December, and at that time I was doing five TV shows, the radio show, I had a book coming out. I had a lot of other things going on when I took the job," Belichick said.

An email that Belichick sent about having his requests for personal appearances forwarded to Jordon had nothing to do with the university. So she's copied on a few emails.

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"Well, that was leaked as released as 'Jordon's involved in every single thing that I do, and she's copied on every email,'" the Tar Heels head coach said. "That's just a flat-out lie."

Belichick brushed off the public records requests Jordon made for any communications between reporters and university employees involving conversations about them as a request for "things that had already been sent."

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Jordon is not the GM. She's not handling everything for him day to day. She's copied on a few emails and helping out with scheduling unrelated to UNC. Furthermore, she's been lying low recently.

So low that she didn't even make her debut this season until last weekend when the Tar Heels improved to 2-0 on the season with a 35-3 victory over East Tennessee State.

It almost sounds like—to this hopeless romantic, anyway—people aren’t going to stop until these two call it quits. They don't want to see these two come together and find happiness. That's a shame.

Mamdani's new $4M NYC public bathrooms auto-open doors after 10 minutes

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 17:28:44 -0400

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani rolled out a $4 million public bathroom pilot Wednesday in Queens that will install 17 Throne Labs units across all five boroughs to address the city's restroom shortage.

Company co-founder and COO Jessica Heinzelman explained that users get 10 minutes before escalating warnings culminate in the door automatically opening.

Heinzelman detailed the final warning during a city news conference, saying users receive flashing lights and an audio notification before the door opens.

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"At 10 minutes, there are flashing lights. The audio comes on. And this is both in English and Spanish for all of these indicators," she said.

"It says, ‘The door — your time is up, the door is opening.’ The door’s opening. That extends for about 30 seconds. So, if you are still pants down, we're not going to open the door on you. But then the door does open."

Heinzelman told Fox News Digital Thursday that Throne Labs settled on the 10-minute restriction after reviewing typical public restroom limits and measuring how long people actually spend inside its units, saying most users leave well before the deadline.

"The 10-min limit is a common standard for most timed public restrooms. We further validated measuring the average throne use time, with the vast majority of users across our markets leaving within 3½ minutes," she said. "Users are notified of the time limit prior to entering, and the throne provides multiple audio and visual warnings throughout the use.

"At the tail-end of the use there is 30 seconds of audio and visual queues [sic] to leave. This has proven successful in other cities, balancing human needs and mitigating loitering."

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Former Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg told Fox News Digital Thursday that the unusual feature should be weighed against New York City's longstanding shortage of public bathrooms and the high cost of building traditional facilities.

"Anyone who’s walked the streets of New York knows the lack of basic public facilities is a real quality-of-life problem," he said. "Cities have managed to spend extraordinary sums building individual public toilets, so if this modular pilot can actually get clean, safe bathrooms on the street for a fraction of that, it’s a victory for municipal common sense.

"After all, I’d much rather see the mayor doing the gritty, unglamorous work of solving an actual New York City problem than spending his time grandstanding about Middle East policy."

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The one-year pilot will place the ADA-accessible units at high-traffic locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island. According to the Mayor's Office, they will be free, operate daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and can be opened through text message, QR code, the Throne app or physical tap cards distributed through community partners.

Mamdani said the modular approach allows the city to avoid some of the infrastructure expenses associated with permanent bathrooms because the units do not require direct connections to water, sewer or power systems. During the news conference, he compared the price of the entire pilot with the historical cost of a single city restroom.

"Seventeen costs about what one public restroom has historically cost in New York City. And that is part of why we have not built that many, because we've seen the cost of these restrooms just escalate year after year," Mamdani said.

The 10-minute limit is designed partly to deter loitering and extended occupation. Throne Labs says users receive reminders at five and eight minutes, flashing lights and a more urgent message at 10 minutes and the door opens at 10 minutes and 30 seconds. The company said 81% of users across its network finish within five minutes and more than 95% at one downtown Los Angeles location finish within 10 minutes.

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The same technology is already being used in California. Caltrain's current restroom pilot uses Throne units at Redwood City, Sunnyvale and Palo Alto stations and tells riders that after the 10-minute limit, "a visual and auditory warning will sound before the doors are opened."

Long Beach also launched four Throne units in 2025 and subsequently extended its partnership after the initial pilot. The city's original announcement said the units contain 21 sensors that monitor cleanliness, usage and potential misuse while maintaining user privacy.

The city's subsequent pilot feedback also showed at least one user raising concerns about the time restriction. In Long Beach's published community survey responses, one respondent said the city should increase the limit after nearly being caught inside when time expired.

"Please make it more than ten minutes. I was almost embarrassed in front of strangers still using the restroom," the respondent said.

Mamdani said New York City has roughly one public toilet for every 8,500 residents and characterized the 17 units as a first step toward a larger network. When asked about the restriction Wednesday, he offered a more succinct warning to New Yorkers accustomed to lingering in the bathroom.

"This is not a place to scroll on your phone. I know that many people do that. This isn't one of them," Mamdani said.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Starbucks resolves Florida DEI lawsuit with blockbuster nationwide agreement

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 16:03:04 -0400

EXCLUSIVE — Starbucks will pay Florida $1 million and will not use race-and sex-based goals, quotas and preferences in employment practices companywide under a sweeping settlement ending the state's civil rights lawsuit against the coffee giant.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier's office confirmed to Fox News Digital that the agreement applies to all Starbucks operations nationwide, not just the company's locations in Florida.

"Every Floridian deserves to be hired, promoted and compensated based on merit, qualifications and character — not race or sex," Uthmeier told Fox News Digital. "This resolution ensures that Starbucks’ policies and practices fully comply with Florida’s civil rights laws. DEI can never be an excuse to violate civil rights."

The negotiated resolution ends the lawsuit Uthmeier filed in December 2025 accusing Starbucks of violating the Florida Civil Rights Act through racial and sex-based goals, quotas and preferences in its workplace policies.

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Under the agreement, Starbucks committed to complying with the state civil rights law, which prohibits race and sex-based preferences in hiring, promotions, pay, executive compensation, mentorship programs, supplier selection and board composition.

The company also agreed it will not participate in organizations that require it to increase the racial diversity of its board of directors.

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Starbucks' chief legal officer will be required to submit annual certifications of the company's continued compliance for four years. The company will also pay $1 million to the Florida Department of Legal Affairs to reimburse the office for the time, expenses and costs of bringing the case.

"We’re pleased to have resolved this matter without admission of wrongdoing and appreciate the constructive engagement of the Attorney General’s Office throughout this process," Pilar Ramos, executive vice president and chief legal officer of Starbucks said.

"We will continue to focus on offering great jobs and career opportunities to our partners who wear the green apron, while making a positive impact on the communities we serve in Florida and around the world."

The agreement includes no admission of liability or wrongdoing by Starbucks.

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The settlement follows Uthmeier's lawsuit, which alleged Starbucks had turned diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives into a system that discriminated based on race.

The December complaint pointed to goals Starbucks announced in 2020 to have people of color fill 40% of retail and manufacturing jobs and 30% of corporate positions by 2025.

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It also alleged the company paid certain employees more than workers of other races with the same experience and skills and, before March 2024, tied executive bonuses to diversity goals.

For fiscal year 2024, the lawsuit alleged that bonus criteria included executives mentoring Black, Indigenous and other employees of color, holding monthly meetings with mentees and keeping retention among those workers above a stated threshold.

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The complaint further alleged that Florida Starbucks employees and job applicants contacted the attorney general's office and reported feeling excluded or humiliated because they were White. Uthmeier accused the company of "systemic discrimination" against workers it considered "non-diverse."

"Starbucks made DEI more than a slogan," Uthmeier said when the lawsuit was announced. "They turned it into a mandatory hiring and promotion system based on race."

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He said at the time that race-based hiring goals and executive bonuses tied to meeting them amounted to discrimination prohibited under Florida law.

The state initially sought $10,000 in damages for each alleged instance of racial discrimination against a Florida resident, an amount Uthmeier's office said could have reached tens of millions of dollars or more. Starbucks operates more than 900 stores in Florida, according to the complaint.

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The effort began in 2024 under then-Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, now a Republican U.S. senator, after she called for an investigation into the company's hiring practices.

Florida was not the only state to challenge Starbucks' DEI policies. Then-Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed a separate federal lawsuit in February 2025 alleging the company used race and sex-based hiring quotas and unlawfully tied executive pay to diversity targets.

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A federal judge dismissed that case in February 2026, finding that Missouri had not identified a resident who was actually harmed by the policies. The state appealed the ruling.

Starbucks previously disputed Florida's allegations, telling Fox News Digital after the lawsuit was filed that its programs and benefits were open to everyone and lawful.

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"Our hiring practices are inclusive, fair and competitive and designed to ensure the strongest candidate for every job, every time," a company spokesperson said at the time.

Fox News Digital's Rachel del Guidice and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was updated to reflect Starbucks' commitment to not using race-and sex-based goals, quotas and preferences in employment practices companywide.

Bijan Robinson believes Texas' comeback over Ohio State can change entire season trajectory

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 17:15:57 -0400

The Texas Longhorns vaulted up the AP poll this week following a thrilling second-half comeback against then-No. 1 Ohio State—a game that still has Atlanta Falcons star Bijan Robinson smiling ear to ear.

Robinson starred for the Longhorns before being taken by the Falcons in the first round of the NFL Draft, and though he was anxiously waiting for his own start to the NFL regular season, he was tapped in this past Saturday night to see how his alma mater would fare at home in Austin, Texas against the Buckeyes.

It didn’t start at all the way Robinson and Longhorns fans wished, but he noticed something in former head coach Steve Sarkisian that gave him hope the second half would be one to remember.

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"I knew when Sark ran off because the interview was taking too long or whatever, I knew exactly where his mind went," Robinson told OutKick, while also highlighting his partnership with Sonic. "He had to get back [to the locker room]. He doesn’t have that much time, so he has to get back there as fast as possible, and he’s already game planning in his head for the second half.

"So, I knew something was going to change in that second half."

Whatever changes Sarkisian made worked, and it was quarterback Arch Manning and the Longhorns’ offense going to work as the defense shut down Ohio State star receiver Jeremiah Smith and allowed their teammates to get the ball back.

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In the end, Texas scored 21 points in the fourth quarter, including the decisive touchdown and extra point to win, 24-23, in a game that Robinson believes could be season-altering.

"That can change everything," he said. "That can change the whole trajectory of the season. That one half can change everything, and I think just confidence wise, it’s a confidence booster doing that against the number one team in the country. Just knowing we can be in any game, and we can do it against the best team, that’s elite confidence.

"But I think now it’s us understanding every team is trying to come to win, come to beat us and we can’t lose that edge. If we lose the edge, somebody’s going to try to come in and beat us. So, I think it’s a really great start, but we have a long season."

As Robinson said, with the No. 1 team title now, the target is certainly on the backs of the Longhorns moving forward. But as the saying goes, "Pressure is a privilege," and that’s the mindset he thinks his former college squad will have throughout the season as they hope to get back to the College Football Playoff and make a run to the national championship.

"Everybody was texting me after the game. It’s cool to be a part of Texas and the football team," Robinson added. "People text me like I’m on the team. I am a part of the team, but I just give all those guys credit on the field. They played their butts off, man."

Perfect football pairing

With football season officially back, Robinson highlighted his favorite food pairing if he were the one sitting down to watch the Falcons and the rest of the NFL slate on Sundays.

Robinson preached how great the Sonic $7 Big Deal Meal was, as it includes a cheeseburger, medium drink, choice of medium tots or fries, and a vanilla sundae. And after getting the Big Deal Meal, he’ll be sure to throw in a strawberry limeade and a chili dog if he’s feeling extra hungry.

But overall, Robinson loves how great and affordable this special deal is for everyone, especially those families looking for something good to pair with their football each week.

"I feel like it gives everybody an opportunity to get a meal together as a family and they don’t gotta worry about it costing too much, or stuff like that," he said. "They know they can go right to Sonic, order the $7 Big Deal Meal and enjoy it. They can have a full meal and it’s not just a hamburger or a drink or something like that. They can enjoy something together as a family.

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"It’s been great to hear the feedback, and all my friends literally went the day they saw it."

Robinson and Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield were featured in the "My Greatest 7" campaign, which will be seen throughout the football season.

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High stakes, social media barbs remind college football fans that Auburn and Florida share history of hatred

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 17:08:28 -0400

The center of the college football universe this coming weekend will undoubtedly be in Oxford, Mississippi, and it's easy to see why.

Ole Miss and LSU are both top-ten teams with College Football Playoff and national title aspirations, but there's also the added bonus of former Rebels coach Lane Kiffin making his return to Vaught Hemingway Stadium for the first time as the new head coach of the Tigers.

With all that in mind, there is a different game set to kick off around the same time in a different part of the SEC that will feature both extremely entertaining football and two fanbases with a ton at stake as well as plenty of hatred to go around.

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In case you didn't know, Auburn and Florida are old rivals.

I'm talking very old rivals.

Before their annual matchups and bitter back-and-forth contests with LSU and Tennessee, the Gators considered the Tigers one of their biggest rivals, and the feeling was mutual on the other side.

These two programs have met 84 times dating all the way back to 1912, and from 1945 until 2002, they played each other every year.

Auburn holds the all-time series lead at 43-39-2, but the Gators have dominated the rivalry since 1990 when Steve Spurrier arrived in Gainesville, boasting a 12-6 record in that timeframe.

That's not to say the Tigers haven't ruined plenty of Florida's best seasons in that stretch, and as a Gator fan coming of age during those years, I can speak to several personal experiences.

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I was a bit too young to remember 1994, when the Tigers marched into Ben Hill Griffin Stadium as 17.5-point underdogs and handed the top-ranked Gators their first and only regular season loss that year.

I do, however, remember the 2006 Auburn team pouncing all over the second-ranked Gators to give that team their only loss en route to a national championship.

The very next year, a reeling 2-2 Auburn squad upset top-five Florida in The Swamp, giving then-head coach Urban Meyer his first home loss as a Gator.

That might explain part of why the rhetoric around this renewed rivalry is so toxic on social media this week, but it doesn't tell the whole story.

History is only half of the equation here, as both the Tigers and Gators are breaking in new coaches who just as easily could have been on opposite sidelines.

Saturday night will be the first SEC game for both Auburn head coach Alex Golesh and Florida head coach Jon Sumrall, so this contest will be a huge early test for two programs desperate to get off on the right foot in conference play.

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While the winner won't necessarily be out of the woods when it comes to proving they are ahead of schedule in year one, the loser will almost certainly be faced with some tough questions after failing to beat a team that is in a similar boat from a timeline perspective.

There's also the added animosity Tigers fans likely feel towards Sumrall, who, by all accounts, was Auburn's top choice in their search for a new coach last November before he pivoted to the Gators.

It's highly likely that both programs ended up with the best coach for them moving forward - I personally think Golesh will be great at Auburn and I'm obviously super high on Sumrall so far at Florida - but on Saturday night, Tiger fans will be eager to prove that the man who spurned them for a different shade of orange and blue made the wrong choice.

Losing this game is going to suck for whichever coach, program, and fanbase fails to come out on top, and that's why it's so intriguing despite the fact neither team is ranked in the top-25.

There are plenty of football-related aspects that make this matchup a must-watch, too, though.

The chess match between Florida's offensive coordinator extraordinaire, Buster Faulkner, and Auburn's defensive coordinator DJ Durkin, who many consider one of the best in the conference, as well as the prospect of Gator running back Jadan Baugh going against the Tigers' stellar linebacker duo of Elijah Melendez and Xavier Atkins, will have football fans salivating.

When you combine the off-field narratives with the on-field action, Auburn and Florida should provide one of the most entertaining matchups of the early season.

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Just pray for the losing fanbase, because social media won't be a happy place for them on Sunday morning.

Craig Counsell romanticizes Pete Crow-Armstrong's monster night against Braves on cusp of MVP honors

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 17:02:58 -0400

It may have taken until game 153 of the season, but the aura and abilities of Pete Crow-Armstrong finally got to Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell.

The 24-year-old superstar has arguably been the most exciting player in Major League Baseball this season, having put together what feels like countless memorable performances, showing off his power at the plate, speed around the bases, and ability to cover a freakish amount of space roaming center field.

During the Cubs' 8-4 win over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday night, PCA registered his seventh multi-home-run game of the season, with three of the seven taking place over the last three weeks alone.

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Something about Wednesday's two-home-run night, however, struck something within Counsell, so much so that he shared details about his emotions after his team's win over the Braves.

"When he hit the second homer, Alex Bregman was standing next to me," Cubs manager Craig Counsell said, according to MLB.com. "I said, ‘Alex, we don’t get to see things like this.’ You spend your whole life in baseball, and you just don’t see this happen on a baseball field. You’re grateful to be a part of it."

Crow-Armstrong's first home run of the contest came in the bottom of the third inning, and while it sent Wrigley Field into a frenzy, his second long ball of the night did, as Counsell alluded to, have a different feel about it.

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As PCA stepped to the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning, the hometown crowd decided to shower him with "MVP" chants. Facing an 0-1 count, he got the low, slightly below-the-zone pitch he's enjoyed hitting all season, and responded to the chants with a home run to right-center field.

"You’re grateful to see things like this," Counsell said. "And you’re grateful that the fans get to see a season like this, because they're going to talk about it. They're going to tell their kids about it. They're going to tell their grandkids about seasons like this."

As the Cubs' manager, Counsell is always going to praise his players after special performances, but for him to go down the semi-emotional path and explain that people will talk a bout Crow-Armstrong's season to their grandchildren is taking things to a level not often seen, especially when it comes to regular season baseball.

Crow-Armstrong's two homers give him 44 on the year, which officially moves him past Cubs legend and Hall of Famer Billy Williams for the most by a left-handed hitter in team history. PCA also connected for a triple during Chicago's win on Wednesday, giving him 81 extra-base hits on the year, another franchise single-season record.

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In a mind-blowing statistic shared by MLB's Sarah Langs, Crow-Armstrong's 10 total base game against the Braves marked the 10th time in his career he's accomplished the feat, which is three more such games than any other player before turning 25 years old, dating back to at least 1900.

If, for whatever reason, a member of the Baseball Writers Association of America was still on the fence about giving the nod for National League MVP to Crow-Armstrong this season, Wednesday night's show may have persuaded them.

Dan Le Batard falsely claims that ESPN only hires and pays white people

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 16:41:44 -0400

Liberal sports host Dan Le Batard is complaining about white people again. This time, he is expressing his frustration with ESPN paying certain white people more money than he'd like.

"Since George Floyd, the company of ESPN and the country of the United States were promising some sort of change over the last five years. But what has happened with the NFL Network and ESPN ... having put a whole bunch of white people in charge of how to select the next evolution of ESPN, this is what happened. I want to ask you guys if anyone is noticing this. Have you noticed that the people at ESPN who are getting the chances and big money ... are Joe Buck, Pat McAfee, Josh Pate, Rich Eisen, the Golics, Jason Kelce, Peter Schrager and the Mannings?

"As the money flows in to fund [ESPN], that is now sitting out the political discussion that it's a whole lot of white people hiring a whole lot of white people and giving the money to a whole lot of white people ... it's only those people getting that money. Has anyone noticed that?"

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To answer his question, no. Most people have not noticed that.

For one, normal people don't count the number of white and black people on television. They don't care. More importantly, however, people haven't noticed what Le Batard is describing because his premise is false.

Consider the names Le Batard cites. He lists Joe Buck and Pat McAfee among ESPN's highest-paid talents. They are. But between them is Stephen A. Smith, who is black. Last year, Smith signed a five-year, $100 million contract extension with the company. Because McAfee signed a licensing deal, Smith is ESPN's highest-paid full-time employee.

ESPN did bring back Mike Golic and Mike Golic Jr. this year, as Le Batard mentions. But their inclusion in his argument is questionable because they returned on relatively minor deals to host a radio-only program. If Le Batard is going to mention them, he should also acknowledge that ESPN brought back Stan Verrett, a black commentator with a long history of toxic, embarrassing social media posts.

The Mannings are also on a licensing deal, as are Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal, who host "Inside the NBA" during the NBA Finals.

The point isn't that ESPN has failed to pay star white talent—it has. The point is that Le Batard has selectively cherry-picked those deals to construct an argument about racial bias that doesn't withstand even modest scrutiny.

In fact, there might not be another media network in the country, other than BET, that has prioritized excluding white people from its hiring practices as much as ESPN has over the past decade.

The "change" Le Batard describes is that ESPN no longer entirely excludes white men from the hiring and promotion process, as it once did.

After George Floyd died in 2020, talent agents recognized that ESPN would not promote any white male, regardless of his qualifications or fit for the role. The company gave nearly every new promotion to a black employee.

Look at the commentators ESPN promoted during that period: Malika Andrews, Monica McNutt, Elle Duncan, Clinton Yates, Andraya Carter, Chiney Ogwumike, Ryan Clark, Marcus Spears, David Dennis Jr. and Christine Williamson.

ESPN has since recognized that this overtly racist approach was not sustainable, particularly because most of its audience is white men. For the most part, the network now elevates and pays those whom management believes deserve it, regardless of their skin color.

ESPN's most prominently promoted talent over the past year includes McAfee, Stephen A., Schrager, Jason McCourty, Josh Pate, Mina Kimes and Malika Andrews. There are some hits there, and some misses.

However, because that group is about 50% white, Dan Le Batard has an issue — or pretends to.

We don't find Le Batard's outrage genuine. If he were truly concerned about a media network hiring too many white people, he would run his own media company far differently.

From what we can tell, Le Batard's Meadowlark Media has just one full-time black employee: a producer named Roy Bellamy. Everyone else at his company, which may have up to 40 total employees, is white, and mostly male.

Why the hypocrisy? OutKick asked Le Batard that question on Thursday via text message:

"Hi, Dan. I have two questions:

Why did you leave out all of the black employees ESPN recently hired and paid big money?
You own your own media company, yet just one of your nearly 40 employees is black. Why are you counting the skin colors of ESPN employees with such little diversity at your own company?

By the way, happy to re-schedule that interview your rep scheduled with me any time."

Le Batard did not respond as of publication. We will update this story if he does.

But don't plan on a response. Le Batard tends to go silent when he exhibits hypocrisy, which happens with some frequency.

Most notably, he has repeatedly declared zero tolerance for violence against women, despite once employing Howard Bryant, who was arrested for allegedly choking his wife in public.

Le Batard was also the first host to interview Kamala Harris' husband, Doug Emhoff, after a Daily Mail report cited an alleged incident in which he slapped his ex-girlfriend. Despite the news and interest surrounding the scandal, Le Batard never asked Emhoff about the allegation.

And yet, he criticizes other outlets for failing to ask subjects about allegations involving violence against women.

At this point, you have to wonder why Le Batard is like this. How can he so calmly and falsely accuse others of doing exactly what he does?

Is there something seriously wrong with him? Is he trying to overcompensate for his early, wild bachelor days? Is he still bitter that ESPN chose Pat McAfee over him? Is he simply a fraud?

Unfortunately, despite his own publicist reaching out to set up an interview a few years ago, he ultimately declined to speak with OutKick. He has, however, mentioned both the site and me several times on his show.

He has previously accused me of "wearing the [KKK] hood" and "trying to hold women in media back."

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We found this accusation strange, as I am not the one who owns and operates a media company of nearly all white men and a man arrested for domestic violence.

Put simply, Dan Le Batard is a liar. He should not be taken seriously.

That said, it will be interesting to see whether ESPN executives Burke Magnus and Mike McQuade fall for Le Batard's challenge — and that's what this was — and reprioritize DEI.

Given their history, we wouldn't doubt it.

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Finally, you have to find amusement in Le Batard caterwauling over ESPN paying too much money for Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Pat McAfee — perhaps the three most valuable people in the industry.

WATCH: Gaffe-prone Seattle socialist mayor cuts off police chief in yet another awkward interview

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 16:34:11 -0400

Already known for awkward, gaffe-prone interviews and public appearances, Seattle socialist Mayor Katie Wilson is being mocked again for another uncomfortable on-camera moment.

This time, Wilson, a Democrat and self-identified socialist, is being criticized for a strange interview about the city’s gun violence reduction plan alongside Seattle Police Assistant Chief Nicole Powell and Amy Barden, chief of Seattle’s Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) Department. At one point during the interview, Wilson interjected after a long pause when Powell was questioned by a reporter about the usefulness of new Flock-type surveillance cameras being installed in the city.

KOMO News reporter Chris Daniels had asked Powell whether the new cameras could assist with Seattle’s slate of unsolved cases. The assistant police chief hesitated, looked down and began to speak twice before Wilson interjected.

"Cameras are obviously a useful tool, right? We’ve seen in the 'Bite of Seattle' shooting there’s been camera footage from businesses around Seattle center, we have cameras at Seattle center, those cameras have been useful tools in solving crime, there’s no doubt about that," said Wilson.

SEATTLE MAYOR GRILLED ON PUBLIC SAFETY CRISIS AS RESIDENTS DEMAND ANSWERS

Visibly uncomfortable after Wilson interjected, the assistant police chief chuckled, motioned to the mayor and repeatedly looked off camera.

The reporter continued pressing them, saying, "What’s going to be the metric of success?"

Powell looked to Wilson, whose voice cracked slightly as she answered, "Ultimately, we want to see zero homicides, we want to see fewer homicides, and we want to see fewer guns shot." While Wilson spoke, Powell nodded along and looked to the side off camera again.

The reporter persisted, asking, "Would either of you like to answer that question?" as he motioned to Powell and Barden.

Barden jumped in quickly, steering the conversation away from Flock cameras.

"From my side, in addition to shots fired and homicides, you want to look at referrals in the services and whether or not somebody is making meaningful improvement in their life," said Barden.

BLUE-CITY POLICE CHIEF DRAWS SCRUTINY AFTER REFERRING TO KNOWN GUN VIOLENCE SUSPECTS AS ‘TRIGGER PULLERS’

After Barden finished speaking, the reporter turned the floor over to the assistant police chief, who laughed and finally answered, "Just to piggyback, taking a holistic approach, this strategy works."

"It is proven in other cities like this, and it takes all of us," Powell added, as she looked back at Wilson and Barden.

This comes as debate continues over the expansion of surveillance cameras in Seattle and other cities across the country. During her campaign last year, Wilson argued against expanding surveillance cameras in the city but has taken a different tone since becoming mayor.

Last September, Wilson remarked that "turning on more cameras won’t magically make our neighborhoods safer. But it will certainly make our neighbors more vulnerable," reported The Urbanist.

However, after becoming mayor, Wilson announced that she would pause expansion of Seattle’s surveillance-camera system pending a privacy and data-governance audit, while allowing the existing cameras to remain in operation. She said the city would use the audit’s findings to determine whether and how to proceed with further expansion.

During the KOMO News interview this week, Wilson was pressed on when she would set a date for a decision. She answered, "I’m going to sound like a broken record on this, but we’ve been conducting this audit of our data security and storage and privacy practices, we’re expecting the results of that audit around the end of this month and so, at the end of this month, we’ll be making that information public, and then I’ll be making a decision about that expansion."

SEATTLE MAYOR ADMITS BREAKING STARBUCKS BOYCOTT AFTER URGING RESIDENTS TO SHUN COFFEE GIANT

The awkward on-camera moment was quickly called out by many online.

Popular conservative account "End Wokeness" called it an "incredible moment."

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"Seattle Assistant Police Chief Nicole Powell gets asked if turning back on Seattle CCTV cameras would help[,] she looks nervously at Mayor KatieWilson (who turned off the CCTV) Look at the face she gives the camera," the account wrote.

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Some voiced their frustration, such as political advocacy group Future 42, which posted, "Daniels asks the SPD Chief sitting beside the mayor if the crime cameras ‘could be a tool to help in any of these unsolved cases.’ The Chief's facial expression and silence say it all, which is then followed by Katie Wilson interjecting that cameras are in fact a ‘useful tool’, even though she personally made the decision to turn them off," the group wrote, adding, "What else can we say, except Katie Wilson still has no idea what she is doing as Mayor of Seattle?"

Barstool chief Dave Portnoy blasts Macklemore's shady past, strongly supports Patriots owner Robert Kraft

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 16:32:03 -0400

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy firmly backed Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s decision to ban Macklemore from Gillette Stadium, telling the rapper to take his political activism somewhere else.

Kraft’s decision helped get Macklemore kicked off Ed Sheeran’s U.S. "Loop Tour" after the Patriots owner cited the rapper’s history of antisemitic controversies.

"I back Robert Kraft banning Macklemore from performing at Gillette 1000% and thank him for having a spine when many others in his shoes don't," Portnoy said in a video posted to X.

MACKLEMORE DOUBLES DOWN AFTER GETTING KICKED OFF ED SHEERAN TOUR AFTER PRO-PALESTINE STANCE

"Macklemore, who is turning this into a political rally, you're going to come into Bob Kraft's house and spit in his face? No f------ way!" Portnoy said. "That's not censorship. This ain't freedom of speech, homie. He owns the stadium! It's his house."

He added: "Would you have a party and invite someone over who is going to spew what you consider hatred? If I go to the Ed Sheeran concert, I don't want to hear a ‘Free Palestine’ rant from a guy who isn't being genuine about it all. I didn't pay to hear Macklemore give me a political speech, I paid to hear Ed Sheeran sing."

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Portnoy spotlighted Macklemore’s antisemitic past.

"Bob Kraft, I am sure, did what I did when I saw this, he researched Macklemore," Portnoy said. "It didn't take long to learn that Macklemore has a pretty shady past. He already, at a prior concert, dressed in wildly antisemitic tropes."

Portnoy was referring to a 2014 Seattle performance in which Macklemore wore a dark suit, fake beard and prosthetic nose, drawing criticism for invoking antisemitic Jewish caricatures. Macklemore later apologized.

During Sheeran’s Sept. 4 and Sept. 5 shows at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, Macklemore led anti-Israel chants, projected Gaza war imagery and performed "Hind’s Hall."

Several venues reportedly told the tour promoter they would not host shows if Macklemore remained on the lineup. Kraft refused to host him at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and the promoter ultimately removed him from the remaining dates.

Macklemore later accused Kraft of coordinating a stadium boycott against him. He pledged his $1 million in tour earnings to Palestinian aid and challenged Kraft to match the donation.

In a statement released through Gillette Stadium, Kraft said Sheeran had contacted him privately before Macklemore’s public challenge. Sheeran asked Kraft to support a $2 million humanitarian donation, and Kraft said he agreed to support relief efforts in the region.

Kraft also cited Macklemore’s history of antisemitic tropes and his failure to acknowledge the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people.

PINK HITS BACK AMID BACKLASH FOR CRITICIZING MACKLEMORE'S PRO-PALESTINIAN CONCERT REMARKS

After Macklemore was dropped, opening acts including Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Beoga pulled out of the remaining tour dates in protest.

Portnoy slammed the musicians who abandoned Sheeran’s tour, accusing them of hypocrisy and putting political posturing ahead of their commitment to fans.

"I feel bad for Ed Sheeran; his band quit, saying, ‘This is censorship, Free Palestine!’ That guy, Finneas, the brother of Billie Eilish, f------ hypocrites; they backed out," Portnoy said.

Portnoy closed by insisting that defending Kraft required more than a token show of support.

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"I don't stand with Bob Kraft 5 percent, 10 percent," Portnoy said. "I stand with Bob Kraft 110 percent. More Jews have to speak out. That's why I am making this video, because it's really easy for everyone just to pile on right now, but I have his back a hundred million percent."

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

Ed Sheeran faces growing backlash as radio station bans songs, protest groups respond to Macklemore's removal

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 16:20:48 -0400

Ed Sheeran continues to deal with the backlash surrounding Macklemore's removal from the singer’s U.S. tour.

An Irish radio station announced Thursday that, in response to the controversy and feedback from listeners, it would no longer play music released by the 35-year-old "Shape of You" singer for the "foreseeable future."

Dave Kelly, group program director at Bay Broadcasting, which runs Classic Hits Radio, told The Independent the decision "has been carefully considered" and "is not intended as a personal judgment on Ed Sheeran."

"We acknowledge his own explanation of the circumstances surrounding recent events," Kelly said. "As an independent Irish-owned radio station, however, we believe it is important to listen to our audience and to stand alongside Irish artists who have made what is undoubtedly a significant professional decision based on their own convictions."

ED SHEERAN SAYS HE TRIED TO ‘BUILD A BRIDGE’ OVER MACKLEMORE TOUR SPOT BEFORE VENUES SAID NO

He added his company "believe(s) in peace, humanity and respect" as well as "the right of people and artists to express and act upon their sincerely held views."

"In light of the strength of feeling expressed by our listeners and the decisions taken by Irish artists involved in the tour, we believe removing Ed Sheeran’s music from our playlist is the appropriate decision for Classic Hits Radio at this time," he concluded.

The controversy began after Macklemore repeatedly called for a "Free Palestine" and performed his anti-Israel song, "Hind’s Hall," during his opening performance at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Sept. 4 and 5.

He was then dropped as an opening act on Sheeran's Loop Tour. The "Thrift Shop" singer alleged that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft pressured Sheeran into dropping him from the tour, telling the singer he would not be allowed to perform at Gillette Stadium and by encouraging other stadium owners to issue a similar ultimatum.

Following Macklemore's removal from the tour, four other supporting acts chose to drop out, including Irish acts Aaron Rowe and Beoga, Lukas Graham and Finneas.

In addition to the radio station's decision to temporarily remove his music from its catalog, the pro-Palestine groups Philly Palestine Coalition and Shut Down D&Z have planned a protest outside of Sheeran's Philadelphia concert.

They shared a flyer on Instagram urging people to attend the protest on Sept. 19 outside Lincoln Financial Field. The flier reads, "Gaza is our compass" and "Billionaires, Zionists & Warmongers out of Philly."

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"Palestine returns to headlines across the world and we return to the streets to fight for Gaza. Free Palestine is not a tagline for celebrities or a slogan for online statements," they wrote in the caption.

"A free Palestine is the work of generations of Palestinian resistance, a free Palestine is the compass for all oppressed people, a free Palestine demands nothing less than total liberation. Free Palestine is a call to direct action. On Saturday, we take to the streets to return the conversation to Palestine, and return Philadelphia to action."

They continued, writing that Sheeran removed Macklemore from his tour "in the name of 'neutrality' and being 'apolitical' and due to threats from stadium owners, including Lincoln Financial Field."

"There is no neutrality against oppression, only complicity. When the news cycle has moved on, we will still be here. Join us. FREE PALESTINE, FREE LEBANON, FREE CUBA, FREE CONGO, FREE SUDAN."

Sheeran addressed the controversy on Instagram, writing, "I am not complicit. I have my personal views on this devastating conflict. Just because I choose not to speak publicly, it doesn’t mean I don’t have them, and it doesn’t mean I don’t care.

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"After Macklemore’s performances at my New Jersey shows, venues on my upcoming tour dates communicated that they would pull the shows if he was still supporting," Sheeran wrote. "I was informed that this stance was based on how Macklemore conveyed part of his message during his performance, rather than on everything that was said.

"I spoke with the venues at length all week to try and build a bridge. One of those people was Robert Kraft. I was also involved in direct talks with promoters along with activists on both sides to try and find a mutual resolution for all, but the venue’s and promoter’s decision was final."

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He added that the decision to remove Macklemore from the tour was the promoter's and that "Macklemore’s contract for the tour was with the promoter, not me."

"There is a reason I do not use my professional platform for politics – my audience includes young people, often children, of all backgrounds," he added. "Those who come to my shows do not expect a political forum. I respect Macklemore’s strength of purpose to stand up and shout for what he believes. However, there is room for multiple approaches to the same end: peace.

"I choose to use my fame and platform to be a place of safety and sanctuary, to maintain diplomacy and keep conversations open, not closed. If we only focus on shouting the loudest, nothing will ever change. There are different approaches to being an advocate for change."

Fox News Digital reached out to representatives for Ed Sheeran but did not immediately hear back.

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Texas Air National Guard pilot ejects safely before F-16 crash in Michigan

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 16:13:25 -0400

A Texas Air National Guard pilot was forced to eject from a fighter jet during a "mishap" Thursday in Michigan, officials said.

The pilot, who is with the 149th Fighter Wing based at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, was flying a routine training mission in an F-16, when the unspecified mishap occurred seven miles south of Grand Traverse, Michigan, a unit spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

The pilot ejected before the crash and is in stable condition, officials said.

HOLLYWOOD LEGEND MAKING MOVIE ABOUT EPIC IRAN RESCUE MISSION TO SAVE F-15 FIGHTER JET CREW

No further information about the crash or the pilot was disclosed.

"I’m aware of the plane crash near Traverse City," U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., wrote on social media. "I am closely monitoring the situation as we work to get more information on the incident. I am praying that the pilot and folks on the ground are safe."

TRUMP RETALIATES AFTER IRAN ATTACK AS EXPERT WARNS REGIME IS GROWING MORE DANGEROUS

Video footage posted to X shows black smoke rising into the sky from what is presumably the crash site.

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The Grand Traverse Emergency Management Agency ordered everyone within a mile of the site to evacuate the area.

"Evacuate away from the intersection of Co Rd 633 and Jefferson Pl. Follow instructions from emergency personnel," the agency said.

Lane Kiffin’s return to Ole Miss comes with betrayal, lawsuits and memories of him trying to burn it all down

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 16:10:37 -0400

OXFORD, Miss. - Just blocks away from a busy Ole Miss campus, residents of the small town of Oxford roamed 'The Square' on a Wednesday night that felt like a perceived calm before the storm that will have this city roaring over the next few days.

An Ella Langley concert is scheduled for Thursday night, serving as an expensive kickoff party for a game that has drawn the attention of the entire college football world.

Students strolled from campus to restaurants such as City Grocery, while visitors looking to stock up on Ole Miss gear stopped by Game Day Apparel for powder-blue hats featuring the phrase "Spot the Ball."

MOUNTED POLICE, EXTRA PATROLS AND KIFFIN HATE: OXFORD PREPARES FOR OLE MISS-LSU GAME WITH EXTRA SECURITY

Folks flocked to 'Off-Square Books' to hear my colleague John Talty discuss his new book on Lane Kiffin, which has already generated notably unfavorable reactions from those within Lane Kiffin's inner circle since its release.

Inside Ajax Diner on Thursday afternoon, conversations shifted between the former head coach and the 2026 Ole Miss football team led by Pete Golding.

SAM LEAVITT INJURY BOMBSHELL SENDS LSU-OLE MISS SHOWDOWN INTO CHAOTIC MODE, AS KIFFIN'S RETURN LOOMS

But ... one talking point is persistent inside the landmark restaurant that opened in 1997.

"We really need to win this game," one diner attendee said while clad in powder blue gear. "I can't imagine how that bastard will act if they [LSU] win."

Maybe it'd be a different story if the outgoing coach didn’t try to burn it down

There are plenty of people around Oxford who claim to know Lane Kiffin, whether through his six years in town or relationships built through late-night voice messages and text conversations.

According to people who have spent time around him, the idea that Kiffin is a true "people person" remains debatable.

"He didn’t really have use for you if there wasn’t something coming on the other end," Mike, from Oxford told OutKick. "Sure, he embraced the town, but he was spending more time in the yoga studios than the actual community. I'm not judging. He's a grown man, and he was single.

"Obviously, you could tell he changed his life while here in Oxford. But, that doesn’t make him a good person, considering how he tried to burn this place to the ground on his way to LSU."

OLE MISS FILES LAWSUITS AGAINST COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYERS WHO LEFT FOR LANE KIFFIN'S LSU

About that burning to the ground.

If Lane had just left for Baton Rouge without all of the chaos that came with him trying to pigeon-hole his way into coaching Ole Miss during their playoff run, maybe the feelings would be a tad bit different.

But, that's not Lane, especially when he doesn’t get his way. From assistant coaches pulling double-duty, flying back-and-forth between Oxford and Baton Rouge, to Kiffin just waiting for the Rebels to lose in the Sugar Bowl so he could at least feel better about his decision to leave during the most chaotic time in Ole Miss history, nothing was cordial about his exit.

LANE KIFFIN GOES OFF SCRIPT: HULK HOGAN, OLE MISS AND SOCIAL MEDIA DOMINATE SEC MEDIA DAYS

It's one thing to get a divorce. It's another to take things out of spite or try to empty the bank account on the way out of a marriage.

"He's calling players while they are in meetings in hopes of negotiating a deal with their agents to get them to transfer once the season ended," one Ole Miss donor told OutKick. "The man was doing everything in his power to create obstacles for the Rebels during their CFP run."

SEC FILES BOMBSHELL LAWSUIT AGAINST LSU, LANE KIFFIN WHILE PRO PLAYERS FIGHT FOR COLLEGE ELIGIBILITY IN COURT

That even included quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who would return to Ole Miss for another season after being granted an injunction against the NCAA.

Chambliss makes his return, through a court case. Those seem to follow Kiffin

When the wheels were put into motion for Trinidad Chambliss to petition the NCAA for an additional year of eligibility, the thought process behind the move came from those within the Ole Miss athletic department.

After alleging that a health issue during his time at Ferris State forced him into having to take a medical redshirt, the NCAA denied his waiver for an additional season. So, led by lawyer Tom Mars, after a call from Lane Kiffin, a lawsuit was filed against the NCAA in a small town court in Pittsboro, Mississippi.

Inside A Louisiana Courtroom: SEC-LSU legal Circus Played Out Like A John Grisham Novel In Stunning Showdown

We all know what happened from there, with Chambliss receiving his injunction by a local judge who shed a few tears while reading his order to the courtroom filled with supporters.

The problem for Lane Kiffin was that he was thinking, before the case ended up in a courtroom, that Chambliss would follow him to Baton Rouge. Obviously, that part of the plan did not come to fruition, with Grove Collective founder Walker Jones putting together a deal for Chambliss that would keep him in Oxford, and away from the guy who tried his best to steal as much talent as possible from the Rebels roster.

"This school was going to fight like heck to keep Trinidad and Kewan [Lacy]," another Ole Miss booster told OutKick. "We couldn’t lose those two guys, especially to Lane. This town has embraced those two, along with the entire team, like they are family.

"Everywhere you go in Oxford, there are signs with their names or faces on it. When they decided to stay, we knew how much that bothered him [Kiffin]. I think in some different world, we would’ve paid them double, just to piss Lane off. He wasn’t going to get the entire family."

LSU-OLE MISS SHOWDOWN INTENSIFIES AS TIGERS STAR SERVED WITH LAWSUIT PAPERS OUTSIDE FOOTBALL FACILITY

And it seems as though court cases have just magically appeared around Kiffin, with the most recent battle taking place in Baton Rouge when Zxavian Harris and Dae'Quan Wright sued the NCAA for an additional season after exiting NFL preseason camps.

As for Kiffin's interesting mind, even if LSU was not technically involved in the case, most of the football players involved in the Baton Rouge court were presumably headed to LSU. Well, there was maybe one player, Ethan Johnson, that supposedly went against the grain and ended up at South Carolina.

"Somebody mentioned that when that one player [Johnson] decided to sign with the Gamecocks over LSU, ole Lane tried to get him taken out of that case in Louisiana," an Oxford local who had a relationship with Kiffin told OutKick. "Who knows, but it wouldn’t surprise me because that's how he operates.

"It's his way or the highway. We learned that here. But, I'm not going to sit here and act as though we aren’t grateful for what he did for our program."

All eyes on Oxford, as the college football world tunes in across the country

Sure, some people simply want to watch the world burn.

And this could be one of the wildest scenes college football fans have witnessed in quite some time.

Ten months after Kiffin left Oxford on a private jet bound for Baton Rouge, he will return to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium as the head coach of the LSU Tigers.

This will not be his first trip back to Oxford since leaving Ole Miss.

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But Friday afternoon through Saturday night will bring a different kind of energy — one built on the pageantry, resentment and unpredictability that make college football so compelling.

There will be profanity. There will be middle fingers directed at Kiffin.

But, there will also be a top-ten showdown that will have major ramifications for the season. The main character of this story will arrive on Friday afternoon to a destination being kept secret in the name of security.

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The supporting cast, meanwhile, will be waiting inside Oxford — hoping to turn Kiffin’s so-called homecoming into a nightmare.

Mackenzie Phillips makes new claims about father's alleged abuse

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 16:07:24 -0400

For decades, Mackenzie Phillips said she lived with the pain of not being believed about her late father, John Phillips.

Then an unexpected letter landed in her hands – and changed everything. Phillips opened up about a stunning letter from a longtime family friend that corroborated her claims of abuse by her late father during an episode of Valerie Bertinelli's podcast, "Get Naked."

Phillips recalled receiving the letter while working at Breathe Life Healing Center.

MACKENZIE PHILLIPS SHOCKS WITH 15-YEAR CELIBACY CONFESSION AS SHARON STONE, TERI HATCHER RETHINK ROMANCE

"Head of HR comes in. And he says, 'Oh, you got a letter.' And I said, 'Oh, wow. It's probably fan mail.' Because, you know, we get fan mail there," she told Bertinelli. "And I won't go into too much detail, but it was from one of the most credible sources you could ever know of a family friend saying that... their husband observed something horrific when I was 9."

"And I said, ‘Jeffrey’ – my brother, you know – 'I want to tell you.' He said, 'I don't want to know.' Nobody wants to know. Nobody wants to know, you know," Mackenzie said. "So I'm on my own again... I'm on my own in this nobody believes me."

"Here's the thing is that I told the people – that said that I was lying – back then," she added. "They already knew. But I got this letter."

Bertinelli asked Mackenzie how it affected her to find the courage to speak out only to have people not believe her.

MACKENZIE PHILLIPS SAYS SHE AND VALERIE BERTINELLI DRANK WINE, DID COCAINE DURING SITCOM BREAKS

"Well, there's an element of protecting the legacy of The Mamas & The Papas," she explained. "I can separate the man from the music. I know that this was like the perfect storm of drugs and alcohol and untreated mental health. My dad was a not-well man."

"But I got this letter, and I'm sitting there reading it, and it was like shocking, shocking – the content," Mackenzie recalled. "And this woman said, 'I'm so sorry I didn't come forward to support you while you were on "Oprah." I was afraid. I didn't know what to do. But here's what happened.' And I'm sitting there. And I'm like numb."

At the time, Mackenzie had the director of Breathe Life Healing Center read the letter.

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"And I handed it to her, and she sat in the chair in my office, and she went, 'Oh my God, Mac.' And tears started pouring down her face," she remembered. "I could feel nothing. I just sat."

"But she said, 'Mac, honey, it's time. It's time for you to dig even deeper. It's time because now that you have this, you had a knowing all along, but now you have proof of being groomed from a very young age,'" Mackenzie recalled.

Mackenzie alleged John had raped her at age 19 in her memoir, "High on Arrival," published in 2009. "I woke up that night from a blackout to find myself having sex with my own father," she wrote. "I don't remember how it started or, thankfully, how it ended."

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After the alleged rape, Mackenzie claimed the intimate relationship became consensual and lasted for 10 years before she became pregnant. The incest stopped then, and she had an abortion, according to Mackenzie's memoir.

However, Mackenzie now views the relationship with her father differently.

"I learned from my appearance on 'Oprah' and my book that – because I was calling it consensual because I was trying to protect him – there is no such thing as consent between a parent and a child,' she told Bertinelli. "The power differential is too great."

John died in 2001 at the age of 65 after suffering from heart failure, years before Mackenzie's memoir was published.

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Mackenzie's disclosure divided members of the Phillips family, although Mackenzie’s half-sister Chynna publicly supported her for speaking about her experience. John married four times and fathered five children: Jeffrey and Mackenzie with Susan Adams; Chynna Phillips with Michelle Phillips; and Tamerlane and Bijou Phillips with Geneviève Waïte.

Known as "Papa John," the musician helped create the signature California folk-rock sound of the 1960s as a principal songwriter, singer and arranger for The Mamas & the Papas.

Among the songs most closely associated with his songwriting are "California Dreamin,'" "Monday, Monday," "I Saw Her Again," "Creeque Alley" and "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)."

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'Charlie's Angels' actress claims costar invited her to threesome, a contraband bra for love & no harm no foul

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 16:05:14 -0400

It's a chaotic time out there, what can I say? In last week's True Romance we were all over the map and this week we have more of the same.

Around the time I was sending the editors last week's column, the news that Aaron Rodgers had decided to kick his farewell tour off with a podcast appearance diving into his past relationships was starting to surface.

He dropped a claim that his engagement to Shailene Woodley fell apart almost immediately after he popped the question. He alleged days after his proposal that she told him, "Before we get married, I gotta go f--- this guy."

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Rodgers then put up 221 yards through the air and a touchdown in a Steelers win to start the season. Woodley was then asked about it on Sunday night as she was attending a pre-Emmys fundraiser.

She didn’t answer the question, but according to TMZ, "she laughed, flashed a pretty telling smile, and kept it moving."

That's a solid way to set the tone this week. We're going to get into the time a "Charlie's Angels" actress claims that her costar invited her to a threesome with the costar and the costar's husband.

We're also going to take a look at when it goes wrong. Sometimes that happens, and you find yourself stuffing your bra with contraband due to your romantic interest in a prisoner and you get busted.

Like I mentioned, it happens. But if it's not worth potentially losing everything for it, was there ever a real shot at love? I don’t blame her. She chose to find that out and is facing the consequences.

All that and a song this week that picks the pace up a little. Let's get to it. Go follow True Romance on Twitter and Facebook and keep sending your emails here: sean.joseph@outkick.com (anonymously if you prefer).

'Charlie's Angels' actress on threesome proposal she says she received from a costar

With "Charlie's Angels" set to turn 50 on September 22, the timing of actress Jaclyn Smith's memoir "I Once Knew a Guy Named Charlie," which came out earlier this month, couldn’t have been better.

And neither could her story about one of her former costars inviting her to a threesome. The 80-year-old writes in her memoir that Tanya Roberts, who died in 2021 at the age of 65, had an open marriage with her husband Barry Roberts.

Smith says the couple "wasn't shy about it in the least, or about propositioning people to 'swing' with them," reports People.

In fact, Smith claims she was asked by Roberts to join her and her husband for a threesome during a flight to Hawaii to shoot "Charlie's Angels."

AN OPEN MARRIAGE SOMEHOW LEADS TO REGRET, WOMAN HOOKS BEST FRIEND UP WITH SISTER'S EX & DUMB DIVORCE EXCUSES

She says that she turned down the threesome offer, but that she found Roberts' "honesty about her sexuality to be brave and self-aware."

Smith added, according USA Today, "The world is made up of all kinds of people with all kinds of passions, and hooray for that. My own perspective on marriage was traditional, based on the values I grew up with. Her choice seemed complicated to me, with great potential for hurt feelings."

If that doesn't sum up this column perfectly, I don't know what does.

We have a world with all kinds of people taking all kinds of approaches out there, and you don't have to agree with or even understand them to sit down, unpack them and judge them in your own way.

I think that's part of the beauty of what we do each week. Open marriages don't have to be your thing to read about an elderly actress’s account of having her costar ask her to join in on a threesome.

What a truly touching tribute to the legacy of "Charlie's Angels" as it turns 50.

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Prison pharmacy tech banned after being jailed for hiding drugs in her bra

From one touching story to another.

This one is of a prison pharmacy technician who dared to risk everything for love. The 61-year-old woman began what was labeled a "flirtatious online relationship" with a man.

She later found out that he was a prisoner and continued to flirt with him through Facebook. She was eventually paid to smuggle drugs into the prison.

She's now serving a six-year prison sentence after she was strip searched and caught with cocaine, a spice paste which is made in a lab that mimics cannabis and tobacco stuffed in her bra, reports Yahoo News.

That turned out to not be her first attempt at smuggling contraband into the prison. She admitted that she had smuggled in SIM cards for money prior to being caught.

It was partially for the man she flirted with online, and she needed the money because she was in debt. She was found guilty and given her sentence back in February.

Now it wouldn’t be risking everything if she was simply fired from her job and put behind bars for several years. The reason her story is back in the news is that she also had to be banned from working as a pharmacy tech.

That took place after the General Pharmaceutical Council heard the case and ruled that she breached professional standards.

You live, you flirt online and dare to take a chance on love, and you learn.

Had an affair and got away with it?

Who doesn’t want to hear about the possible soulless and depraved having an affair and getting away with it? I know I do.

That's why when I came across this old topic, "[Serious] People who had an affair and got away with it: what's your story? Do you feel any guilt?" on Reddit, I decided to find out what these lunatics had to say.

As you might have expected, some of these affairs these people plan on taking with them to their graves. Best of luck with that:

The affair was with me. She was an older married woman in her early 40's, and I was single and 27. We flirted for months in person and text, but I didn't think anything would come of it. Then it did for a year and a half. She tried to break it off twice out of guilt, and I completely understood, but within a week we were back in bed together. Third time was a charm, apparently.
I wasnt the one who had an affair. She was the one that had an affair with me. I had broken up with her officially but remained as friends with benefits. Our affair ended for good when she went public with her boyfriend now husband. I only found out later on how bad of a situation it was. Guilt? Yes, it ate me up for several years. I was unwillingly the other guy, Not once but twice, with two different women.
I was 28. My girlfriend and I were long distance. She in TN, me in MA. I met a girl online and we talked. She ended up coming over 1 weekend and we had sex. I never told her I had a GF. She did have a BF. He found out and broke up with her after. A week later I confessed to her. She stayed with me. 2 weeks later I broke up with her and broke her heart. For 8 years I was still in love with her. I didn't want to date anyone else. About 10 years or so ago I told her yet again that I was sorry for what happened. This was a decade after it happened. She forgave me. I've never cheated on a relationship since.
Yes. Cheated once in my life. Was in the end of a long relationship that was to weak to end. So I cheated. She didnt even notice even to I started to act wierd. Didnt feel fair the either my SO or the person I was cheating on. So I ended the relationship and a couple of weeks later ended it with the person I cheated with. Kinda figured I needed to be single.
I cheated on my wife when we were dating for about a year and a half. We were fighting allot and a ex came back into my life that I will honestly say is the only other woman I loved aside from my wife. We didn't have sex but we did other stuff. My wife suspected something was up but never discovered anything concrete. I called it off because while I loved her, I loved my wife more. I will take the secret to my grave. We got married a few years later and life is what it is.
I'm a single male but started a relationship recently with a woman I've known for years and has been married since I met her. Her husband moved out of the bedroom months ago and told her no one will ever love you. She digs me, and Covid has taught me life's too short. No guilt, no regrets and neither of us is lonely.
I been on both sides of the spectrum and they equally feel bad but your not sorry about it if your blaming the other person and not copping to your mistake.
When I was fairly young, fresh out of highschool, I dated a really possessive and paranoid guy. Over three years he constantly accused me of cheating, even though I never went anywhere but class or work, and was with him any other time. Finally, I just got tired of being accused of something I wasn't doing. I started spending time with a much nicer man, we only ever kissed but it felt good to finally be around a kinder person, and be "guilty" of what I was constantly deflecting.
I was on the other side of it, I hooked up with a married woman with whom I'd had chemistry before she got married. She reached out to me. She told me a bunch of horror stories about her husband and I believed them at the time. Now I don't know what to believe. I believe that he wasn't the nicest guy but also that she probably wasn't too great herself and the stories were a means to an end. I don't really know where the truth in it all lies, at all.
I have cheated on multiple partners back when I was younger and not married. I did it mainly because it was a turn on to cheat. I seriously loved the sneaking around and hoping to not get caught. The whole thing was exciting I guess ?

Song of the week

Loyal True Romance reader, Deep in the Heart of Texas, thought it was time to up the pace and sent over: Time for Some Rockin' Country on True Romance - "What Was I Thinkin'?" - Dierks Bentley

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-------------

That's all for this week. I'd say it was another full column from the world of romance. Let's do it again next Thursday.

For those following along with the viral debate, after nearly 13,000 votes, the excuse given for cheating was found by 55% to not be a valid one.

Keep the song of the week suggestions coming and anything else you want to send my way. As always, you can reach me, anonymously if you prefer, at sean.joseph@outkick.com. Go follow along on Twitter and Facebook.

Best hikes in and around Oxford to get you ready for Ole Miss-LSU's week three showdown

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 15:55:53 -0400

The eyes of the college football world will be focused this weekend on Oxford, Mississippi, for the showdown between Ole Miss and LSU.

Two top-ten teams in the SEC duking it out is already newsworthy, but with the added context of Tigers coach Lane Kiffin making his way back to Vaught Hemingway Stadium for the first time since his departure from the university, this one is sure to be a hot ticket.

If you're lucky enough to be attending the game, you'll likely want to enjoy the great outdoors and take in all the natural beauty that the Magnolia State has to offer, and luckily for you, we here at OutKick OutDoors have you covered.

BEST HIKES TO TRY AROUND LUBBOCK AHEAD OF TEXAS TECH'S WEEK ONE MATCHUP WITH ABILENE CHRISTIAN

Here are four of the best hikes in and around Oxford to help you usher in the game on Saturday.

South Campus Rail Trail

For those of you wanting a real hike without ever leaving the friendly confines of Oxford, this one is an absolute slam dunk.

The South Campus Rail Trail features a five-mile round trip trail that follows an old gravel railroad bed (hence the name), while the surrounding network contains more than 20 miles of single-track trails, according to the university website.

It's right by campus so you don't have to travel too far, and it also features a quiet, wooded area to take your mind off the stresses of gameday.

Whether you're looking for a straightforward walk or something a little more adventurous through the surrounding woods, South Campus Rail Trail is the move.

Clear Creek Trail at Sardis Lake

Serious hikers who actually came to work up a sweat will love Clear Creek Trail.

It's a little further away - about 30 minutes from downtown Oxford - but the drive is well worth it.

Clear Creek Trail offers a 13-mile loop around nearby Sardis Lake, and the trails are even split up for different levels of hikers.

There's a three-mile beginner loop or an eight-mile beginner/intermediate combination, meaning there's something for everyone.

The views of the lake are spectacular, especially during late summer and early fall, and the proximity to the water means hikers can make a full outdoors day that includes a little fishing if you've come prepared.

6 OF THE BEST FALL CAMPING DESTINATIONS IN AMERICA, PLUS GEAR BEGINNERS SHOULD PACK

One thing to note is that this doubles as a mountain biking trail, so hikers should be aware of this and yield appropriately.

The combo of the woods and the water make this a must-see.

Holly Springs National Forest

It's been called the antithesis of a college football Saturday, and although that sounds like a pejorative, I can assure you it's not.

Holly Springs National Forest is probably the most secluded and serene spot on this list, so if you really just need to get away from it all before a stressful slate of SEC football, this is the place for you.

14 TAILGATING ESSENTIALS FOR GRILLING, WATCHING THE GAME AND STAYING WARM

The area offers a remote destination for hikers who don't want to deal with the large crowds some of the more "touristy" destinations hold.

The whole forest is home to 155,000 acres of federal land, and a special mention needs to be made for the recreation area at Chewalla Lake, which is great for hiking, fishing, canoeing, and more.

With it being so secluded, you'll have to drive a bit to get here (Google Maps plots it as 65 minutes from Oxford), but that's the price you pay for being one with nature.

If you're looking to broaden your horizons and really explore everything northern Mississippi has to offer, make the trek here.

You won't regret it.

Lamar Park

So, you brought the whole family along for a little SEC football action?

Great! If you're looking for a hike you and the kids can enjoy, Lamar Park is the place to be.

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It's a six-minute car ride from the stadium, so you won't have to worry about entertaining the rugrats on a long road trip, and once you arrive, you'll find a well manicured park and a low intensity walking loop for hikers trying to avoid a more strenuous workout.

Anyone who is trying to get a little sunshine and some fresh air on the morning of the game without busting their butt should check this place out, as it's more of a scenic stroll than a heart-racing romp through the wilderness.

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Visit Oxford's website specifically recommends its paved loop for families and visitors of varying mobility levels, so you know it's kid-friendly.

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Hit Lamar Park for a Saturday morning stress buster and thank me later.

Boston Red Sox send Sonny Gray to the mound against Texas Rangers in key MLB matchup tonight

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 15:46:47 -0400

Yesterday was a winning day on the diamond as both MLB plays that I put out came through for us and cashed. We only have about 10 games remaining for the teams. The playoffs are within reach for some teams, and others are looking at some options for the future. Tonight we have a game between one team that has already locked up their spot, the Red Sox, and another team still battling to try and get in, the Rangers.

The Boston Red Sox are 12 games above .500, and they have been one of the best teams in baseball over the past couple of months. They've been very streaky, winning multiple games at a time and moving up the standings. The Red Sox are currently sitting in the second spot in the Wild Card, and they control their own destiny. Much of the early-season problem was how the team was playing in Boston. They are just one game over .500 at home, but they are 11 games above on the road.

One guy who did excel in Fenway is tonight's starter, Sonny Gray. He has been good on the road as well and has put together one of the best seasons of his career. Gray is 17-5 with a 2.76 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. This has been the most games he has ever won, and if it stands will be his second-lowest ERA ever. His road ERA is actually better than his home ERA, and his night games have been fantastic this season. He has thrown 13 innings this month and allowed just three earned runs. Gray faced the Rangers once this season, and he allowed just one earned run over six innings.

The Texas Rangers have a much more difficult path to the postseason. The team is .500 for the year, and there are questions about whether anyone who wins the American League West will finish the season with a winning record. They have chosen a great time to get hot, though, as they've won their past four games and are now tied with the Astros for the division lead. They are also just one game behind the White Sox for the final Wild Card spot. This game would go a long way for the team in getting closer to one of those two options.

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Coming into the season, I was expecting the Rangers to be one of the better teams in the division, mostly due to their rotation. Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, and MacKenzie Gore were guys I expected to give them a good chance in the majority of games. Tonight, though, the Rangers won't rely on their starters. They are sending out Tyler Alexander to start the game. He brings a 3.38 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP to the table over 66.2 innings. The Rangers have a rough bullpen with a collective 4.27 ERA.

I'm not really sure why the line is moving toward the Rangers for this game. Sonny Gray is a significantly better pitcher and way more reliable than anyone from the Rangers bullpen. The smart move, to me, is not to worry about the full game and just isolate when we can assume Gray will be on the hill. Give me the Red Sox through five innings.

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US economy notches remarkable new record, sparking cheers: ‘Good job everyone’

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 15:44:55 -0400

Americans may not feel it in their wallets, but two major measures of economic well-being improved in 2025, as the nation's poverty rate fell to a historic low and inflation-adjusted median household income reached a record high, according to new Census Bureau data.

In 2025, the poverty rate in the United States dropped to an all-time low of 10.2%, down roughly half a point from 2024, according to the Census Bureau. Even as the proportion of people living in undesirable conditions declines, however, the percentage of people who told Fox News pollsters that their personal financial situation was worsening or not changing held steady at around 85% for the duration of 2025.

Many have attributed President Donald Trump’s unpopularity, which some conservatives fear could cost the GOP control of Congress in November, to his economic policies. Amid Republican unpopularity and consumer pessimism, even states that are usually reliably conservative, like Texas, Ohio and Alaska, could very well send Democrats to the Senate.

FOX NEWS POLL: MOST RATE THE ECONOMY NEGATIVELY, INCLUDING HALF OF REPUBLICANS

The Census Bureau defines poverty depending on the number of people in a given household and their income. A family with two adults and two children, for instance, would need to make less than $32,649 a year to be considered impoverished. The threshold for poverty increases as inflation lowers the value of the dollar.

Median household income also reached an all-time high, growing by 2.6% to $87,460 in 2025. That gain, however, is erased by inflation as the dollar’s value declined by about 3% between 2024 and 2025.

A number of factors could explain the gap between economic perception and improving macroeconomic indicators.

"See a lot of mutuals on here in DC, New York, LA talking about high prices. Meanwhile folks I know in Alabama, Indiana, Georgia getting new jobs, raises, or expanding and growing," Andrew Beck, a partner at the consulting firm Beck and Stone, wrote on X. "Doesn’t help young folks in the blue states, but the South is booming."

THE RED STATES CHARGING AHEAD WITH AMERICA'S WEALTH AS RIVALS WATCH BILLIONS SLIP AWAY

Economic growth in Southern states has consistently outpaced the United States at large, spurred by internal migration and friendly business environments incentivizing large enterprises to move south.

High gas prices, sparked by the president’s military operations in the Middle East, and price increases attributable to tariffs have also proven unpopular, hurting the president’s approval ratings even as poverty rates dip and incomes climb. Roughly two-thirds of voters in a recent Fox News poll said that they believe the Trump administration is making the economy worse.

THE OVERLOOKED WAY THE IRAN WAR IS MAKING GROCERIES, AMAZON PACKAGES AND NEW HOMES MORE EXPENSIVE

Conservatives on social media have used the Census Bureau’s data to take a victory lap.

"Poverty is bad. Every American should celebrate poverty rates are now the lowest on record. Good job everyone," Rep. Michael Baumgartner, R-Wash., wrote on X. "Keep it going."

"Good news we can all celebrate," Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., a critic of the president, posted.

The number of people without health insurance also remained near historic lows, according to the Census Bureau.

Some on the left, however, deny that poverty rates are actually declining.

"Our elites terrorize the entire world while ordinary Americans continue to foot the bill. We spent trillions ‘fighting’ the terror we created to provide cover for our oil barons stealing 3rd World resources," Twitch streamer Hasan Piker wrote on X Thursday. "It only amounted to more death overseas, more poverty at home. All while the [military industrial complex] ballooned. No houses, no hospitals, no schools-just a growing crisis of homelessness, underemployment and diseases of despair in the wealthiest country on earth."

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Even as Americans have gotten wealthier over the past few decades, the price of housing has significantly outpaced wage growth. With personal homeownership holding strong cultural importance to Americans, rising home costs fuel pessimism in ways that improvements in other areas can’t necessarily offset.

Philadelphia home search uncovers possible human ashes, images of 7 missing women: police

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 14:48:15 -0400

Philadelphia police found images of seven missing women, including two who appear unconscious and injured, while searching more than 1 million images recovered from a home where investigators also found five urns believed to contain human ashes, authorities said Wednesday.

Initial analysis of the images showed two missing women — 27-year-old Gabrielle Armando and 26-year-old Maribel Fresses — lying unconscious in the Chew Avenue home with apparent injuries, Philadelphia Police Department Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore said during a news conference.

Metadata from the images show they were taken in 2017.

CALIFORNIA AUTHORITIES IDENTIFY FINAL UNKNOWN VICTIM OF ‘HAPPY FACE KILLER’ KEITH JESPERSON AFTER 34 YEARS

"Both women remain missing and have not been seen," Vanore said. "To date, neither their bodies nor any DNA evidence have been recovered."

The home belonged to deceased pornographer Raymond "R.C." Horsch and was occupied by his son, Eugene Horsch, whose June arrest sparked the investigation.

On June 19, a Federal Park Ranger arrested Eugene Horsch, 44, after investigating him and a female passenger sitting in a BMW outside of Philadelphia's Independence Mall, Vanore explained.

"During the course of that investigation, officers recovered two firearms, narcotics, and identification impersonating a federal law enforcement officer, and he was charged. Task force officers from the DEA were able to develop probable cause that same day and serve a warrant on Mr. Horsch's residence," Vanore said.

The female passenger presented police with a false identification using the name Blair Tonzelli, a woman who has been missing since 2023, a spokesperson for the Philadelphia Police Department confirmed to Fox News Digital.

FOUL ODOR AT NYC SCHOOL LEADS POLICE TO BODY HIDDEN IN CHIMNEY

The true identity of the woman in the vehicle has not been released. Tonzelli's whereabouts remain unknown.

After obtaining a warrant, investigators found "a homemade laboratory of some kind in the basement area, five urns believed to contain human ashes and a large amount of digital evidence — including computers, hard drives, flash drives, DVRs, cameras and phones," Vanore said during the press conference.

Investigators have identified 58 people in the videos and images they found in the home. Vanore said "four of those identified appear lifeless, with video depicting what may have happened to one of them."

NEW CALIFORNIA LAW EXPANDS DNA TOOLS FOR MISSING PERSONS INVESTIGATIONS

One video shows R.C. Horsch handcuffing a woman to a bed and zip-tying her neck until she became unconscious. Police identified this woman as Nicole Fusaro, according to FOX 29 Philadelphia.

Another missing woman connected to the home is R.C. Horsch's ex-wife, Amy McHale, who has been missing since 2016, FOX 29 reported.

Two other missing women have been connected to the home. Police identified one as a 25-year-old woman but did not name her, and the other has yet to be identified, according to FOX 29.

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"We have only processed a small fraction of the total media. Thousands of videos remain to be analyzed. We are working to corroborate what we see and gather physical evidence to prove our findings, supported throughout by the FBI as we determine our next steps," Vanore concluded Wednesday.

Fanatics Sportsbook Promo Code FOXNEWS350: Get $350 When You Bet $20 on Bills or Lions

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 15:40:47 -0400

We are almost at the busiest time of the sports calendar. Each day will be filled with a different sport and something that you can’t miss on television. Tonight is one of those nights as the Lions take on the Bills on Thursday Night Football. Fanatics Sportsbook has an extra way for new users to enjoy the game with promo code FOXNEWS350, dishing out $350 in FanCash when you place a $20 bet on tonight’s game.

New to sports betting? Here’s why you might want to pick the Lions. Detroit comes into this game with a little bit to prove after almost letting a victory slip away last week. Jahmyr Gibbs, the star running back, will cause fits for any defense, and Buffalo is no exception. Buffalo’s secondary looked a bit shaky against Houston, and Jared Goff will pepper Amon-Ra St. Brown with targets against them.

The Bills make a compelling case as well. No one likes to lose a debut, and the team is playing their first-ever home game in their new stadium. Josh Allen is one of the most elite quarterbacks in the game, beating you with his arm and his legs. The Bills didn’t get much of their running game going against the Texans, but the Saints proved that the Lions can be attacked in the trenches. If you’re going to pick a trio to go against the Lions, Allen, James Cook, and Kahlil Shakir are as good a choice as any in the league.

No matter which side of the game you’re on, Fanatics makes it easy to be a winner. Any new user signing up with Promo Code FOXNEWS350 will receive $350 in FanCash after placing a $20 wager on tonight’s game.

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How to Watch Lions vs Bills

When: Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, 8:15 ET
Where: Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, NY
TV/Streaming: Prime Video

Week 2 Schedule:

Thursday

Detroit Lions at Buffalo Bills (8:15 p.m. ET on Prime Video)

Sunday

Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons (1 p.m. ET on FOX)
New Orleans Saints at Baltimore Ravens (1 p.m. ET on CBS)
Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears (1 p.m. ET on FOX)
Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans (1 p.m. ET on CBS)
Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots (1 p.m. ET on CBS)
Green Bay Packers at New York Jets (1 p.m. ET on FOX)
Cleveland Browns at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1 p.m. ET on CBS)
Philadelphia Eagles at Tennessee Titans (1 p.m. ET on FOX)
Jacksonville Jaguars at Denver Broncos (4:05 p.m. ET on CBS)
Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers (4:05 p.m. ET on CBS)
Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals (4:25 p.m. ET on FOX)
Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys (4:25 p.m. ET on FOX)
Miami Dolphins at San Francisco 49ers (4:25 p.m. ET on FOX)
Indianapolis Colts at Kansas City Chiefs (8:20 p.m. ET on NBC/Peacock)

Monday

New York Giants at Los Angeles Rams (8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN/ABC)

Detroit Lions vs Buffalo Bills Thursday Night Football preview and betting odds for Week 2

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 15:37:26 -0400

Thursday Night Football is back for us, and we are ready to start betting on yet another week of the NFL. Week 1 went okay, and as we get more information, we should get even better and bigger plays to put our money on. Over the years, Thursday night games have been better matchups. Before, they used to be ones that you’d barely care about because they were between bad teams. This has the makings of a great matchup between the Lions and Bills.

The Detroit Lions like to make things difficult for themselves, don’t they? Despite the odd victory in Week 1, they still are 1-0, which is better than half of the teams in the league. The Lions were ahead in the third quarter by 21 points, but they let the Saints march all the way back and tie the game. Then the game went into overtime, where Detroit looked great on offense. They had a chance to end the game on a fourth down. It did not work out, as the Saints converted.

The Lions' defense was one of the main problems; they couldn’t get off the field when they needed. However, they did stop the 2-point conversion that would’ve lost them the game. The Saints weren’t even in a hurry-up offense when the Lions were struggling. That’s what makes me the most concerned about the team overall. On offense, Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown looked great in the game, both scoring two touchdowns.

LIONS AVOID FRANCHISE-WORST COLLAPSE AS DEFENSE STOPS SAINTS TWO-POINT CONVERSION IN OT

The Buffalo Bills are another team that really doesn’t take the easy way out. It is almost like they look at Josh Allen and say, "Try and beat us, just don’t let this guy get the ball with a chance to win the game." Sure, sometimes it doesn’t work out, and it never does in the postseason. However, the strategy does seem to get them to double-digit wins each year. The Bills were able to get a solid 36-31 victory over the Texans to open their season.

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Houston was expected to have one of the best defenses in the game, and Allen and company carved them up. Allen threw for 334 yards with two touchdowns, and added another two touchdowns on the ground while running for 23 yards. It seems like he liked his new target DJ Moore, who hauled in five receptions for 100 yards and a score. The Bills defense, one of the downfalls, did get the stop needed in this one and held off a late scoring drive.

NFL WEEK 1 TAKEAWAYS: BENGALS FLASH CONTENDER UPSIDE, BEARS EXPLODE AND PACKERS COLLAPSE

Based on the scoring from the first game, the Bills and Lions should rack up points in this one. The line has already moved higher, but that may be a bit of an overreaction to the first week’s scoring. I think this game goes under the total. Thursday night games tend to be a bit lower scoring. I also am not confident that the new field for the Bills is in great shape after they had to redo it. Finally, I think both teams will make the adjustments on defense more than offense. I’m going to back the under 54.5.

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Paige Spiranac and her 'cans' go to bat for Sydney Sweeney, Ole Miss-LSU gets nasty & UF alumni speak out

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 15:32:40 -0400

'Nightcaps' is a daily column that catches you up on the biggest sports, news and culture stories you may have missed while pretending to do work at your desk. It runs Monday-Friday on OutKick.com.

First real Thursday Night Football game of the year? What a blessing. Al and Kirk on the call. I'm sure we'll see the goofy dog at some point.

Bills. Lions. Gibbs. Allen. Lordy.

What a WAY to start Week 2 of the NFL season! I also walked outside this morning and I felt it for the first time. That slight breeze. The fact that I didn't break a sweat on the way down the driveway to get the trash cans. The way the grass wasn't completely soaked from the morning dew because the humidity was set at 150%.

Fall.

If you live in Florida long enough, you just get a feel for these things. A sixth sense. We know the difference between 90 and 85. When the mornings are 76 and not 86, we can immediately feel it.

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This morning was one of those mornings. I can't wait to see what tonight holds.

Let's roll.

Welcome to a Thursday Nightcaps — the one where Paige Spiranac says goodbye to summer and defends Sydney Sweeney as the wokes continue to melt down over her sports gambling ad.

We all knew Paige would side with Sydney, right? Seems like a natural fit.

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What else? I've got Landry Kiffin clapping back at those DISGUSTING Ole Miss banners, this SEC on CBS flashback had me feeling things, and goodness gracious, did you guys have some responses to yesterday's inquiry about the 1990 Gainesville Murders.

The response was so big, I think I'm going to turn it into a column later this week. I'll give you a taste today, though.

OK, grab you a cheeseburger to get an early start on tomorrow's National Cheeseburger Day, and settle in for a Thursday 'Cap!

Sydney Sweeney has an ally in Paige Spiranac

I know we have some new readers since the last time we celebrated the great American cheeseburger, so a quick housekeeping item ...

For those who don't know, the cheeseburger from Buffalo Wild Wings is, without a doubt, the best burger in America. I've stood on this hill for years now, and I feel as strong today as I ever have. I'll die on it.

It's not one you'd immediately think of when it comes to burgers, but trust me, it's worth the try. I've had readers reach out over the years thanking me for speaking the truth. It's just the best. It's never let me down.

I took that picture at my fantasy football draft last year. Unfortunately, we went to Applebee's this year for the draft, and — while good — their burger didn't even come close.

I also started 0-1 last week, which can't be a coincidence. We'll see how this week goes.

OK, enough food talk. Let's get this class going with Paige Spiranac saying goodbye to summer with a bikini-clad Instagram post, and then defending Sydney Sweeney in the comments section.

Naturally.

Landry Kiffin claps back at the haters

"God forbid a woman loves her nice cans."

Put it on a hat, Paige! She's the influencer who started all of this, right? Paige Spiranac walked so everyone else could run. Influencers nowadays are a dime a dozen. They're everywhere. When Paige Spiranac first started out, she was it.

So when Paige chimes in on something, we listen. And she stated the obvious about this whole Sydney Sweeney drama ...

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It's nonsense. Complete and total nonsense. I'd wager a guess that Novig has seen a 100% increase in sign-ups since Sydney launched her new campaign. That's a win.

"Oh no, she lost 200,000 of her Instagram followers!"

Give me a break. Have any of them hit a 7-player prop parlay that pays $1,300? Don't think so. That's all that matters.

OK, let's move this class along and check in on Landry Kiffin, who has, allegedly, been the subject of some NASTY signage up and down Oxford this week ahead of her dad's big return:

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"I understand emotions are high this week, and people are upset, but I’m my own person," Kiffin said, adding that she's been the "punchline" of a sexual joke.

"I’ll never understand how someone can feel good about themselves putting such vulgar things about a girl on a giant banner hanging from their house."

Landry went on to say that students are "saying really inappropriate things about me with somebody I genuinely have never met in my life, which makes it even more frustrating," and that she hopes "people realize there is an actual person behind the jokes people make."

All of this stems from a rumor in Oxford — a long-running rumor, I might add — that Landry Kiffin and a former player had sexual relations during Lane Kiffin's tenure at Ole Miss. Fans believe that is the reason this former player was essentially benched last season.

I don't feel like getting a call from Legal today, so I won't go into further detail. Feel free to Google it on your own time. It ain't hard to find.

Anyway, Landry is still a student at Ole Miss, which really makes this feel like some serious friendly fire to me. Tensions are HIGH in Oxford right now.

I can't wait for Saturday night. Game of the Year, by a mile.

OK, let's rapid-fire this Thursday class into a big night of Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit.

Speaking of that Ole Miss-LSU game, you know what channel it should be on? CBS. This came across my desk this morning, and buddy, it made me feel so many things:

Lordy. I miss the SEC on CBS so much, it hurts. That's my childhood. That song, and that intro, and those announcers ... it's all my childhood. Nothing will ever come close.

For those wondering how CBS's new deal with the Big Ten is working out ... the marquee game this weekend?

USC at Rutgers.

What a fall from grace.

Next?

Yesterday I asked if we had any former UF students who were on campus/in school during the infamous 1990 season when the Gainesville Ripper was on the loose. ESPN had a new 30 for 30 that premiered this week on those 14 days, which coincided with Steve Spurrier's first game as head coach.

I got dozens of emails. Dozens. Turns out, a TON of you were.

From Erik T:

I was a junior at UF, and my little sister was a freshman (her first week away from home). The atmosphere on campus that week is indescribable. Me, and most of my friends were staying at other female friend's apartments to 'protect' them. We were armed with bats and knives, and sleep didn't come easily as we were just as scared.

And, from Glenn S:

I was in Gainesville all during that time. Never seen a place so terrorized. It was an awful time.

Obviously, I have more. A ton. Like I said, I'm going to go further in depth later this week. Just wild stuff.

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If anyone else has any stories, please, reach out. I'm all ears.

OK, let's go have a big Thursday night. Thank goodness football is back.

See you tomorrow.

Were you in Gainesville in 1990? Email me at Zach.Dean@OutKick.com.

McMahon makes another move in cutting red tape as teachers are 'constrained by bureaucracy'

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 15:28:00 -0400

FIRST ON FOX — U.S. Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon is pushing forward with the administration's campaign to scale back federal education red tape, backing a national movement designed to bypass administrative bureaucracy and teachers unions.

The initiative, the Let Teachers Teach Coalition, aims to empower local educators and return decision-making authority to classrooms and school districts nationwide.

This coalition was launched by America First Policy Institute on Thursday, Constitution Day, to strengthen civics and history education and "put teachers, parents and students back at the center of America’s classrooms."

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"Teachers dedicate their lives to the success and well-being of America’s children," McMahon told Fox News Digital.

"Yet, too often, their ability to do that work is constrained by bureaucracy, political agendas and mandates that have little to do with helping students succeed," she added.

"The Let Teachers Teach Coalition is giving a voice to the educators who have spent too long navigating unnecessary regulations and restrictive systems. When we give teachers the freedom to focus on teaching, we create an environment where students, families and communities can thrive and succeed."

Spearheaded by the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), the coalition provides educators and parents with toolkits to navigate local school board politics and directly engage board members. The goal is to equip current, former and retired teachers, along with administrators and parents, to drive policy shifts at the grassroots level.

"While some education policy is decided at the state and federal levels, many of the issues teachers face every day are determined by local school boards and districts," AFPI announced in a statement.

"Let Teachers Teach will build a national network of educators and equip them to drive change from the classroom up — identifying problems, advocating for solutions and turning successful local policies into models that can be replicated across the country."

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The coalition aligns directly with McMahon’s primary mandate from President Donald Trump of dismantling the traditional footprint of the federal Department of Education and returning governance to the states.

Department officials recently pointed to national test scores showing that only three in 10 students are proficient in math and reading despite more than $3 trillion in federal taxpayer money spent since the department's creation in 1979.

The movement coincides with McMahon’s ongoing 50-state Returning Education to the States tour and targeted local radio outreach, where she has been speaking directly with families about how K-12 schooling will look under the administration's decentralization plan.

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To facilitate the wind-down of federal oversight, the administration has rolled out interagency agreements, including shifting student loan collection and management operations to the Department of the Treasury.

The administration is also championing the Education Freedom Tax Credit, set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2027, which will allow individuals to receive a tax credit up to $1,700 for contributions to approved scholarship-granting organizations.

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McMahon has repeatedly emphasized that the U.S. Department of Education does not set local curricula, buy textbooks or hire teachers, describing the agency's primary administrative function as a "pass-through" for federal funding.

Erdogan's Turkey cracks down on LGBT community in name of preserving family values

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 15:25:27 -0400

Turkish authorities launched an unprecedented crackdown on the country’s LGBT community on Sunday, raiding gay bars and shutting down activist organizations, in what the government said are efforts to protect Turkey’s family values.

Since the nationwide crackdowns began, Turkish authorities have arrested and detained some 116 people across 15 provinces in actions against LGBT rights organizations and activists. The Turkish criminal justice system has also launched investigations of more than 160 people, according to Amnesty International.

Amnesty International reported that 180 social media accounts belonging to LGBT organizations, activists, journalists and media outlets have been blocked or restricted.

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"This appalling escalation in Türkiye’s crackdown amounts to a full-scale assault on LGBTI rights and those who defend them. The relentless raids, arrests and demonization of LGBTI people under the spurious guise of ‘protecting the families’ demonstrates why defending LGBTI rights in Türkiye is more important than ever," Esther Major, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for Europe, said in a statement.

In a statement posted on X, Turkey’s minister of justice, Akın Gürlek, said, "We are steadfastly continuing our efforts to protect the family, our children and our youth from all forms of exploitation, obscenity, crime and harmful content."

Gürlek stated that the Ministry of Justice sent a comprehensive directive to the 175 chief public prosecutor's offices in all of Turkey’s 81 provinces to go after content and behavior that the government considers opposed to "public morality" and harmful to the country’s youth.

"The best interests of our children are not open to debate for us. We will show no tolerance for any criminal organization targeting the institution of the family, the future of our youth, and the order of our society," Gürlek’s statement went on to say.

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Turkey’s focus on family values and traditional norms is part of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Decade of Family and Population vision, a long-term strategy aimed at tracking population trends and promoting an increased fertility rate to spur population growth.

Many see Erdoğan’s renewed emphasis on "family values," and his targeting of groups he portrays as threats to those values, as an effort to cement his legacy.

An enduring question asked by analysts as Erdogan ages and approaches another election in 2028 is what kind of Turkey he leaves behind.

"Erdoğan’s ‘family values’ agenda is about more than defending conservative values, it is about defining what kind of society Turkey should be and who belongs in it," Gonul Tol, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, told Fox News Digital.

"The LGBT community is a particularly useful target because Erdoğan can portray it simultaneously as a threat to the traditional family, a Western import, and a symbol of the cultural values he says his movement is fighting against," Gonul added.

With protests against the moves beginning to take shape, the crackdowns show no signs of letting up, even as international attention and condemnation begins to pour in.

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Police used pepper spray against peaceful protesters in İzmir, along Turkey’s Aegean coast, and detained more than 95 people on Tuesday who had gathered outside İstanbul Courthouse in protest.

Turkey, which officially became a candidate for the European Union in 1999, received strong pushback from the commission.

A European Commission spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "The Commission is concerned about the recent arrests and legal proceedings initiated against LGBTIQ+ activists, human rights associations, and businesses, as well as of the blockages of websites and social media accounts, accompanied with allegations concerning funding of civil society organizations. We are following developments closely."

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The commission reiterated that Turkey, as an EU candidate and member of the Council of Europe, should promote and ensure respect for the human rights and dignity of all individuals, regardless of gender or sexual identity.

A spokesman for the Turkish embassy in Washington, D.C., did not respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital, nor did the U.S. Embassy in Ankara or the State Department.

Caitlin Clark opens up on conversations with referees as she looks to avoid suspension for technical fouls

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 15:20:54 -0400

Caitlin Clark says she has adopted a new approach to her conversations with WNBA referees as she attempts to avoid a suspension during the Indiana Fever’s final stretch of the regular season.

Clark has accumulated seven technical fouls, leaving her one away from an automatic one-game suspension. With four regular-season games remaining, the Fever star said she now tries to remind officials that she wants to work with them when discussing calls.

"I feel like the refs might also know I have seven technical fouls, so I always try to warn them," Clark said. "Like, ‘I’m working with you. I’m working with you. Like, let’s have a conversation.’"

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The adjustment, Clark said, has changed her interaction with with referees.

"I think it’s made my conversations with them more positive and more conversational in both ways for them and for me," she said.

"I mean, I think it’s certainly been, like, a conscious effort about it, and I think it’s helped me play better basketball. It’s just, like, focus on what I need to focus on, and let the last play go. Like, you can’t go back in time and change things."

Under WNBA rules, a player or coach receives an automatic one-game suspension after being assessed an eighth technical foul during the regular season. An additional suspension is imposed for every two technical fouls after that, while the totals reset for the playoffs.

Clark briefly appeared to reach the eight-technical threshold during an Aug. 8 victory over the Chicago Sky. She was called for a technical after making contact with an official while going out of bounds, but the league rescinded it after the game, returning her total to seven and eliminating the suspension.

Clark now has four regular-season games left to navigate. However, she noted that she effectively needs to avoid another technical only during the first three. A technical during Indiana’s finale would not remove her from that game, and there would be no subsequent regular-season contest for which she could be suspended before the total resets.

"I really only have three more games to go because the fourth game starts — if I get a technical, I’m not kicked out of the game — and then it resets for the playoffs," Clark said.

She added that the new interactions have made her "proud of herself."

"I'm really proud of myself, but still three games to go. And I think it's helped me learn a lot about myself and the ways that I can impact my team, and, you know, how to communicate with the refs," Clark said.

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Clark’s interactions with officials have drawn attention throughout her WNBA career. She has frequently expressed frustration over calls and the physical defense used against her, occasionally directing animated reactions toward referees. Clark received six technical fouls in each of her first two WNBA seasons, finishing one short of the league’s previous seven-technical suspension threshold both years.

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She has also acknowledged that her emotions can work against her. During her rookie season, Clark said she needed to do a better job of controlling her reactions because her team relied on her to remain on the court. That balancing act has continued as she has tried to preserve the intensity that defines her game without allowing disputes with officials to become a distraction.

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The Fever return from the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup break Friday against the Toronto Tempo. Indiana will then host the Washington Mystics before finishing the regular season with consecutive games against the Minnesota Lynx.

Indiana entered the break at 26-14 and had already secured a playoff berth, although its final seed remains unsettled. Clark returns to the Fever after helping the United States win the World Cup in Berlin.