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Obama cozies up to Dem Party's socialist wing as former president makes surprising midterm moves

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 05:00:49 -0400

Former President Barack Obama is increasingly throwing his political weight behind socialist and socialist-aligned Democrats as the party's left wing gains ground ahead of the midterm elections.

Democratic Socialists of America-backed candidates have scored several notable primary victories this year, adding to signs of the left wing's growing influence in Democratic politics ahead of November's midterms. While Obama is not backing every socialist candidate, his recent endorsements and campaign appearances show he is willing to bring some of the party’s most progressive figures into the Democratic coalition.

"President Obama remains the most popular figure in Democratic politics and a kingmaker whose support candidates actively seek," Democratic strategist Kevin Walling told Fox News Digital of the president who left office nearly a decade ago. "He understands that a Democrat who can win in New York City and a Democrat who can win in Michigan and Ohio have different politics, and the ability to bring those people into the same coalition is exactly what makes him so valuable."

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Obama's embrace of the party's progressive wing was on display Saturday in Michigan, where he campaigned alongside Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, while also lending his support to Florida Senate nominee Angie Nixon in a campaign video.

While El-Sayed does not identify as a democratic socialist or a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, he has embraced progressive policies, including Medicare for All, that have become central to the party's left wing.

During the Michigan rally, Obama invoked healthcare to defend Democrats against accusations that the party has moved too far to the left.

"What is so radical about wanting everybody to have health care?" Obama asked, as he promoted El-Sayed’s pledge to expand access to affordable coverage.

Obama’s comments prompted critics to revisit his own Obamacare-era promises and question the affordability of health care under his signature law. One X commenter sarcastically asked, "I thought someone fixed health care. What happened?" Another responded, "Who’s going to tell him?"

Obama praised Nixon for championing a $15 minimum wage and opposing Republican-backed congressional redistricting maps, calling her a leader "willing to stand up again and again for what’s right" who would make "an outstanding U.S. Senator."

Nixon, a DSA member, is campaigning on Medicare for All, universal child care, rent protections and higher taxes on billionaires.

The former president has also campaigned with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico, whom Republicans have branded a democratic socialist. Talarico has emphasized economic populism, universal health care, stronger unions and campaign-finance restrictions, but does not identify as a socialist.

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Obama’s outreach comes amid a series of primary victories by democratic socialists and other left-wing challengers this year. In Colorado, Melat Kiros defeated longtime Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette, while Donavan McKinney ousted Rep. Shri Thanedar in Michigan. Socialist-backed candidates also won congressional primaries in New York, building on Zohran Mamdani’s 2025 mayoral victory.

Obama's support for the party's socialist left is not new. The former president endorsed Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in her 2018 congressional race and former Rep. Jamaal Bowman in 2020, both of whom received backing from the Democratic Socialists of America.

Obama’s public praise of figures tied to communist movements also extends beyond his current campaign allies.

He has repeatedly celebrated Nelson Mandela, who had documented ties to South Africa’s Communist Party, and wrote warmly in "Dreams from My Father" about Frank Marshall Davis, a former Communist Party USA figure who served as a mentor during Obama’s youth.

Obama also reached out to Mamdani during his 2025 campaign for New York City mayor, praising the democratic socialist's campaign and offering to serve as a sounding board without formally endorsing his candidacy.

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Democratic strategist Mally Smith defended Obama’s campaign activity, arguing that his support reflects an effort to build a broad coalition rather than a wholesale endorsement of every progressive policy.

"President Obama is, by far, the most popular politician in America. He is traveling around the country supporting Democrats from across the party," Smith told Fox News Digital. "He understands we need a big-tent coalition, and that is why he is helping Democrats as diverse as Josh Turek in Iowa to El-Sayed in Michigan."

"The Republicans have no equivalent when it comes to Obama’s broad appeal across the electorate," Smith said. "They are stuck with Trump, who is on a red-state desperation tour because he can’t step foot in any swing state since at-risk Republicans don’t want to be anywhere near him."

At a campaign rally in Kansas, President Trump called Obama "a rotten president," while dismissing his planned appearance with El-Sayed.

"I love Michigan. I don’t believe that Michigan values are gonna allow this guy to get in. He’s an arrogant guy. But Barack Hussein Obama is going up there to help him campaign," said Trump.

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Walling said Obama’s strength comes from his ability to support candidates with different political profiles while keeping them under the same Democratic umbrella.

"The former president doesn’t ask which wing of the party a nominee comes from. He asks whether they can win, and he’s helping Democrats build a party broad enough to compete to do just that," Walling said.

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Obama’s return to the campaign trail comes as Democrats debate whether the party can turn the energy of its socialist and progressive movements into a national coalition — and whether candidates backed by the party’s left can win beyond deep-blue cities and districts.

Fox News Digital reached out to Obama's office for comment but did not immediately receive a reply.

Trump-backed senator admits GOP faces nightmare scenario in state Republicans haven't lost in 90 years

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 05:00:33 -0400

WICHITA, Kan. — Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., knows that he’s running for his political life, even in deep-red Kansas, where a Democrat hasn’t won since the Great Depression.

It’s a Senate race that, until just a few months ago, was not on national Republicans’ radar. But Adam Hamilton, a well-known megachurch pastor styling himself as a moderate, has made the race uncomfortably close for Marshall and the GOP and pushed what was once a safe bet into toss-up territory.

In an interview with Fox News Digital in Wichita, Kan., hours before President Donald Trump was set to rally behind the embattled incumbent, Marshall acknowledged that if he falls, Democrats may very well gain control of the Senate.

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"I think that, you know, I'm not a political expert, I'm a physician, but if we lose Kansas, I don't see how we keep control of the Senate," Marshall said. "And that's why a vote for Adam Hamilton is a vote for Chuck Schumer and Democrat control of the Senate. It’s that simple."

Republicans are trying to maintain, and even grow, their slim, 53-seat majority in the upper chamber. Kansas, which hasn’t elected a Democrat to the Senate in nearly a century, wasn’t supposed to be a problem.

But political experts on the ground contend that Hamilton’s uniqueness as a candidate — he’s been a prominent figure in Kansas for roughly three decades leading the massive Church of the Resurrection — and the political headwinds associated with Trump have created an ideal environment for Marshall to lose.

"I can't imagine how factors could be any better for Democrats than they are this election cycle," Don Haider-Markel, a professor of political science at the University of Kansas, told Fox News Digital. "The last time it seemed to be close at all was 2020, and that race ended up not being as close."

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That was Marshall’s first race for the Senate, where he won by nearly 12 points with Trump at the top of the ticket.

But as Haider-Markel and others have pointed out, midterm elections are typically a check on the party in power, and Trump is not on the ballot this year, though that’s a reality he implored Kansans to ignore during his rally in Park City, Kansas.

"In this election, I'm asking you to pretend please that I'm on the ballot," Trump said. "Just pretend."

Still, voters in Kansas are dealing with affordability issues and high fuel prices, a point that Marshall admitted was why his race was much closer than outside observers initially predicted.

"Look, it's the price of gas, and I do feel people's pain," Marshall said. "Every year I go to all 105 counties, finish up the 105 counties in June, and as that price of gas went up, I felt more and more frustration."

"So maybe we're up 12 points before the Iran War, and as the price went up our poll numbers went down, so I think it's the price of gas," he continued.

Along the asphalt and concrete arteries that connect Hamilton’s home base of Overland Park, Kansas to what would be, for a brief moment, the center of the MAGA universe in Wichita, neon signs sprouting from gas stations almost all showed fuel prices that hovered just below $4 for gas and well over $6 for diesel.

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Nathaniel Birkhead, a professor of political science at Kansas State University, argued that high gas and diesel prices were certainly a contributing factor to Marshall’s struggles, but not the only one.

Birkhead told Fox News Digital that it was Marshall’s tight connection to Trump at a time when the "Trump Brand is not particularly popular" has left an opening for a Democrat like Hamilton to enter the fray.

"So we have this kind of contrast of Hamilton benefiting from kind of a down year for Republicans. But then also, again, the fact that Marshall is really kind of tying himself to Trump rather than trying to kind of separate himself," Birkhead said. "I think if this had been Jerry Moran running instead of Roger Marshall, I think it'd be far less competitive."

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Therein lies the conundrum for Marshall and Republicans — they know that they need Trump’s support and his loyal base of voters, but they have to walk a fine line to capture other Republican voters and independents that might sit this election out, or vote the other way.

And that’s the crux of Marshall’s argument: without MAGA voters, he can’t win.

"Look, I'm the doctor always weighing the benefits and risks of everything. And I'm telling you, we don't win this election without Trump voters getting out and voting," Marshall said. "The majority of the undecideds are Trump supporters. And they need to hear from him, 'Here's the plan, and this is how we're going to bring those prices back down, that if we leave Democrats in control, the price of the gas will never go down.'"

LIZ PEEK: Five reasons Republicans could defy the polls and shock Democrats on Election Day

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 05:00:18 -0400

Election Day is one week away. Most pundits are ready to declare the midterms over and Democrats the victors. But hold on: There are several reasons Republicans may outperform the gloomy polls and forecasts making headlines.

First, Democrats are unpopular. A recent CNN poll showed Democratic favorability at 35%, considerably below the 38% awarded President Trump in the most recent RealClearPolling average.

Second, Republicans are flush with campaign cash that is now flowing into tough races across the country. Money doesn’t win elections (see: Kamala Harris), but it can help snag undecided voters. That is true especially in contests like the Michigan Senate race, where little-known Democrat Abdul El-Sayed is facing off against Mike Rogers, a veteran and moderate GOP former congressman.

Voters are just now discovering allegations about El-Sayed’s possible family ties to the designated terrorist group, the Muslim Brotherhood, causing the polls to tighten. Fox News recently reported, "El-Sayed has also faced scrutiny over social media posts from his half-sister describing their mother's alleged involvement in Muslim Brotherhood activism in the 1970s. He has denied personal or family ties to the organization and said he was raised by his father and stepmother."

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Third, President Trump is campaigning vigorously, reminding voters why they elected him. Given the incessant attacks on the commander in chief by the liberal media, his rallies are essential. Yes, his approval numbers have been weighed down by the Iran war, but his appearances will help drive turnout.

Fourth, the far left overwhelmed primaries earlier this year, causing Democrats to put up some controversial candidates, like Senate hopefuls James Talarico in Texas and Troy Jackson in Maine.

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Fifth, to quote a recent piece in The Economist: "The polls could be wrong." While the publication concludes that polling errors at the national level have, in different elections, overcounted both Republicans and Democrats, when it comes to specific states and districts, the goofs follow "a remarkably consistent pattern."

In the current races, The Economist writes, "applying the historical trend to this year’s polls reverses Democratic leads in the pivotal states of Alaska and Texas. In Ohio, the Democratic advantage would be cut to less than one percentage point, while Iowa and Kansas would move from being tied to leaning Republican."

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CNN reported the same thing a few nights ago, with analyst Harry Enten describing Democrats’ lead in numerous toss-up states as "nominal" and pointing out that polling in states won by Trump in the past has undercounted Republicans by more than 4 points. If that same level of error persists, the GOP will win in Texas, Maine, Iowa and Kansas, and keep the Senate.

In this year’s election cycle, polling has come under even more scrutiny than usual, especially as totally made-up surveys have entered the mix and been included in supposedly sophisticated aggregates like those published by The New York Times and FiftyPlusOne, which helped reveal the frauds.

An outfit called Wedgewood Polls admitted that it had fabricated polls as an "experiment." Some have alleged the fake surveys were meant to boost far-left candidates like Wisconsin gubernatorial hopeful Francesca Hong, while others have insinuated that the originators of the Wedgewood polls were using betting sites to benefit from the fallout.

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Wedgewood isn’t alone; several other survey organizations, including Median Strategies and Public Sentiment Institute, have also been revealed as dishonest or out-and-out frauds. Whatever confidence people had in the polling industry has deflated like a Hillary Clinton election-night balloon.

Remember that most media outlets are rooting for Democrats to take over Congress and punish President Trump. Publishing stories and polls that present the election as essentially over is calculated. If it suppresses GOP turnout and campaign donations in close races, so much the better.

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No one should be driven by polls or gloomy headlines. Instead, consider which candidate is offering policies that history shows lead to better outcomes: lower taxes, lighter regulations that reduce costs, robust law enforcement that produces safer communities, strict oversight of welfare spending that reduces fraud and enables assistance for those who need it, and rigorous education.

Those are the policies that have made Florida more successful than New York and Texas more appealing than California. Policies matter.

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Voters should also ignore Democratic race-baiting. When President Obama, campaigning in Michigan with Sen. Elissa Slotkin for Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, said, "Imagine the power duo of Abdul and Elissa. You got a Muslim man, a Jewish woman, fighting for you in the U.S. Senate. That’s something, Michigan, you can be proud of." That’s vintage Obama, slicing and dicing our politics along race and gender lines, which should have nothing to do with how you vote.

What does matter—in Michigan as elsewhere—is that progressives like El-Sayed are pushing Medicare for All and want to eliminate the kind of gold-plated private insurance packages that unions like the UAW have worked so hard to win. El-Sayed claims that if you like your existing insurance, you can keep it, reminding us of President Obama’s false promise that "If you like your health care plan, you can keep it." That canard was PolitiFact’s Lie of the Year in 2013 after Obamacare caused millions of plans to be canceled.

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What matters in New York and many other Democratic-led states is that taxes will have to go up to cover the promises made by far-left politicians. You cannot provide free health care, free child care and free services to people in the U.S. illegally without boosting taxes. New York is already the most-taxed state in the country. The budget for the state is twice that of Florida despite having fewer residents; this is unsustainable.

What matters across the country is maintaining U.S. energy self-sufficiency and boosting employment. When New York progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez calls to shut down fossil fuel production and Gov. Kathy Hochul slaps a moratorium on new hyperscale data centers, they are embracing policies that will cost their state jobs and incomes. That matters.

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President Trump was elected on a common-sense, pro-growth agenda. The Iran war complicates that message, but voters should remember that Democrats largely oppose the U.S.-led technological innovations that are driving progress worldwide, will block exploitation of America’s abundant fossil fuels, and will again embrace Joe Biden’s open border.

Those disastrous policies are not the way forward.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM LIZ PEEK

Trump Accounts are just the beginning. Young Americans need a path to homeownership

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 05:00:13 -0400

In March of last year, my daughter Margot was born, and like any new father, I found myself thinking about the opportunities that would shape her future. I recently enrolled her in a Trump Account, President Donald Trump's initiative to help American children begin building wealth from an early age. With a $1,000 federal contribution for eligible children born between 2025 and 2028, the program gives the next generation an opportunity to benefit from decades of investment growth.

As President Trump's former Federal Housing Administration Commissioner, I also believe Trump Accounts should be just the beginning for how we can help young Americans build lasting wealth. In particular, I think we are at a pivotal point in American history to enact new policies to help generations of families achieve financial independence through owning their first home.

At 20 years old, I purchased my first house for $200,000 using an FHA-insured mortgage that required just 3.5% down, or $7,000. I also benefited from an $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit. Today, that property has more than doubled in value. Yet I worry that the path to homeownership is becoming increasingly difficult for Margot’s generation. According to the National Association of Realtors, first-time buyers now account for just 21% of home purchases, the lowest share on record since tracking began in 1981.

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The natural next step after the President’s creation of Trump Accounts for young children is to help this same generation achieve the dream of homeownership. I believe this new policy should be called a Trump Mortgage program, which can be a national initiative designed to help qualified first-time homebuyers secure mortgage rates one to one-and-a-half percentage points below prevailing market rates.

Here’s how we can develop the policy for the Trump Mortgage: First, the Treasury, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac can immediately purchase the mortgage bonds backed by qualifying first-time homebuyer mortgages. The objective would be to facilitate the financing of these mortgages at lower rates using the secondary bond market, similar to a strategy already being deployed by Secretary Bessent and FHFA Director Pulte.

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The government should then hold onto these bonds while interest rates remain elevated and sell them when rates decline. It is important to note that this program won’t provide free money as Treasury, Fannie and Freddie are already in the business of buying mortgage backed securities. Any program would have clear limits on its size, funding costs, prepayment risk, and taxpayer exposure.

Next, Congress should expand the use of existing tax-exempt mortgage financing. This isn’t some untested financial innovation. State housing finance agencies have been issuing tax-exempt mortgage revenue bonds for decades. Since investors generally accept lower yields when interest is exempt from federal income tax, eligible borrowers can benefit from lower mortgage rates.

Congress already has bipartisan legislation proposed to expand the capacity of these programs. We should build on that existing model and explore whether a broader first-time homebuyer initiative like the Trump Mortgage program makes sense.

Consider a young couple purchasing a $350,000 home with a $330,000 30 year mortgage. At a 6.5% interest rate, their monthly principal and interest payment would be approximately $2,086, but reducing that rate to 5% would lower the payment to roughly $1,772. For a family balancing childcare, groceries and the everyday expenses of raising children, saving more than $300 every month and $100,000 over the life of the loan that could be the difference between continuing to rent and finally purchasing a home

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Of course, lower mortgage rates alone will not solve America's housing shortage, and expanding access to financing must go hand in hand with policies that make it easier to build more homes. During my tenure leading the FHA, I saw firsthand how thoughtful reforms could reduce costs, improve efficiency and expand access to homeownership without abandoning responsible lending standards.

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When I purchased my first home, I never imagined where that opportunity would lead. Today, as I think about Margot's future, I hope she will inherit a country where buying a first home is a realistic milestone rather than a distant aspiration. President Trump has given her generation a head start on building wealth with Trump Accounts, and now we have an opportunity to help turn those early investments into achieving the American Dream with the Trump Mortgage.

MORNING GLORY: The Democrats have a 'Fanatic Four' of extremist Senate candidates

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 05:00:11 -0400

Despite the basic rule of politics — it takes 50% of the vote plus one to win — both parties have occasionally put forward nominees from the farther reaches of the right or from the extreme left. Those candidates have sometimes combined terrible public personalities and debate skills with policy positions far beyond the edges of mainstream politics.

This year Democrats are trying to sell four extremists to voters: Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, Peggy Flanagan in Minnesota, Troy Jackson in Maine and James Talarico in Texas. In three of those four races, Republicans have countered with nominees from the center: Mike Rogers in Michigan, Michele Tafoya in Minnesota and the incumbent in Maine, Senator Susan Collins, who, as Chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations is the most powerful woman inside the Beltway and whose defeat would be an enormous "own goal" for Mainers.

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The Republican Senate nominee in Texas is the state’s own attorney general, Ken Paxton, who has run and won three times in the Lone Star State. Paxton is a flawed candidate, but he will be a reliable GOP vote in the Senate and the party has rallied to him even though there are bruised feelings from the contentious primary.

Republicans have indulged their base over the years, especially in 2010 when it put forward Christine O’Donnell in Delaware, Sharron Angle in Nevada, and Ken Buck in Colorado, and in 2012 with the nominations of Todd Akin in Missouri and Richard Mourdock in Indiana.

All five of those Republicans lost.

This year, a week out from Election Day, it especially doesn’t look good for Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan and Troy Jackson in Maine. El-Sayed has a reflexive attitude of grievance and in Maine, Jackson suffers in any side-by-side comparison with Susan Collins, who is a formidable political athlete.

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Talarico has seen Paxton rise and rise in the polls and the GOP has spent millions showing Texans how far out in left field Talarico plays. Talarico weirdly vanished from the campaign trail for a dozen days and blamed the flu.

In Minnesota — the "bluest" of the four states, the epic fraud scandal has followed Flanagan's campaign, who has been the state’s Lieutenant Governor since 2019. Flanagan is matched against the political "rookie of the year" in Republican moderate Michele Tafoya, a sparkling and affable centrist.

Democrats have tried to prop up their failing four fanatics by sending out Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, former Vice President Kamala Harris and have pulled former President Barack Obama off Martha’s Island to throw him into the breach.

Trouble is "AOC," "Bernie," and "Kamala" all telegraph "whacky or worse" into the electorate’s consciousness, and the former president’s schtick was old in 2014 when he helped provoke a red wave with Republicans netting nine Senate seats and a baker’s dozen House seats.

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El-Sayed’s campaign seems to be in free-fall as the candidate first turned argumentative, then angry, in appearances culminating last week with his interview with Fox News’ own Bret Baier. El-Sayed’s hostile and rude treatment of Baier — the quintessential gentleman of the news business — was instantly understood by anyone who saw it as an attempt to hide his record by loudly talking over Baier’s questions and deflecting to non-issues unrelated to Baier’s straightforward and brief questions. That interview may have done the candidate the most damage of the cycle as it came after Rogers had just blistered El-Sayed in their final debate.

El-Sayed’s many attempts in many settings to cover up the details of his "Medicare for All" tax-spend-and-ration health care boondoggle with semantics and word puzzles left viewers wondering on what topic could they actually trust El-Sayed? Certainly not Iran or Islamist extremism, as El-Sayed’s frantic attempts to escape his past actions and statements have backfired.

El-Sayed’s biggest blunder — his declaration that "hurt people hurt people" after an attack on a Michigan synagogue — has never receded in the public’s mind. Rogers, meanwhile, has methodically campaigned in traditional Democratic strongholds in and around Detroit and Pontiac and stresses his distinguished career as a federal and state legislator, FBI agent and Army officer.

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Peggy Flanagan and James Talarico simply haven’t, and apparently cannot, connect with the center of their states’ electorates. They are just "way outside the ‘40s’" where most of American politics, like most NFL games, are played. Flanagan’s campaign is mired in the swamp of the massive fraud that engulfed part of the Twin Cities’ Somali community. Talarico’s long tenure among "the woke" has haunted him throughout the campaign, as has his resting face of innocent cluelessness.

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Up in Maine, Troy Jackson got waxed by the veteran Collins in four out of four debates in all of which Jackson struggled with very basic questions about very basic issues — like the enormous difference between Medicare and Medicaid. "Oh shut up!" Jackson also grunted into a microphone on the debate stage as Collins made a joke about a debate disrupter being a Jackson supporter.

Mainers are a polite lot. They also know that turning out the Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee in favor of a guy who often looks like he slept outside and just woke up would be a singularly unwise trade for everyone in the state. When the Democratic Socialists of America’s ("DSA") hand-picked erratic and voluble Graham Platner had to exit the Maine race, the Maine Democratic Party could have picked anyone in the state to replace him. That they chose Jackson, the third place loser from the then just-completed Democratic gubernatorial primary, remains one of the baffling questions in a year of political surprises.

The GOP is "coming home" as President Donald Trump has exhausted his own team with daily rallies and sometimes two. The cliché that "it all comes down to turnout" isn’t lost on the president who knows the hatred of the left is priced into his persona, but that getting his own voters to the polls is exactly what his rallies do.

Republicans learned from their "Tea Party" years that candidates cannot win with their bases, but also that you can’t win with just the base. Democrats have forgotten their wilderness years of 1980 through 1993, which only ended when Bill Clinton and the Democratic Leadership Council pulled the entire party back towards the middle.

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Now the DSA has put the Democrats in full "Thelma and Louise" mode as they have accelerated their party over the left cliff of national politics. The "false positive" of Mayor Mamdani’s narrow win in the New York mayoral race last year proved to be a disaster for mainstream Democrats this year.

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"50% plus 1" is the formula. The Democrats of 2026 forgot that recipe even as the Republicans of 2010 and 2012 did. The consequences will be revealed next Tuesday.

Hugh Hewitt is a Fox News contributor and host of "The Hugh Hewitt Show" heard weekday afternoons from 3 PM to 6 PM ET on the Salem Radio Network, and simulcast on Salem News Channel. Hugh drives Americans home on the East Coast and to lunch on the West Coast on over 400 affiliates nationwide, and on all the streaming platforms where SNC can be seen. He is a frequent guest on the Fox News Channel’s news roundtable, hosted by Bret Baier weekdays at 6pm ET. A son of Ohio and a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Michigan Law School, Hewitt has been a Professor of Law at Chapman University’s Fowler School of Law since 1996 where he teaches Constitutional Law. Hewitt launched his eponymous radio show from Los Angeles in 1990. Hewitt has frequently appeared on every major national news television network, hosted television shows for PBS and MSNBC, written for every major American paper, has authored a dozen books and moderated a score of Republican candidate debates, most recently the November 2023 Republican presidential debate in Miami and four Republican presidential debates in the 2015-16 cycle. Hewitt focuses his radio show and his column on the Constitution, national security, American politics and the Cleveland Browns and Guardians. Hewitt has interviewed tens of thousands of guests from Democrats Hillary Clinton and John Kerry to Republican Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump over his 40 years in broadcasting. This column previews the lead story that will drive his radio/ TV show today.

Israel heads into deeply divided election as Oct. 7 reckoning looms: What to know

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 04:00:35 -0400

TEL AVIV, ISRAEL — Campaign banners bearing the faces of Israel's political leaders cover buildings and roadsides, while in homes, coffee shops and family gatherings, the same question dominates conversations: Will Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remain in power?

With Israelis heading to the polls Tuesday, the country is bracing for a closely contested election that could end in another political deadlock. But this vote is unlike any other in Israel's recent history.

For many Israelis, the election has become a referendum on accountability for the failures that allowed Hamas terrorists to carry out the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre — the deadliest attack in Israel's history.

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Netanyahu, who has dominated Israeli politics for decades, has resisted calls to accept personal responsibility for the security failures and establish an independent state commission of inquiry. His government instead sought a politically appointed investigation, a proposal fiercely opposed by many bereaved families.

Yet Israel's divisions began long before Oct. 7.

In the months preceding the attacks, hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets to protest Netanyahu's proposed judicial overhaul, which critics argued would undermine the country's democracy. The confrontation spilled into the military, where reservists threatened to suspend volunteer service, raising alarms about Israel's preparedness. Some critics have argued that the turmoil projected weakness to the country's enemies, although the extent to which it influenced Hamas's decision to attack remains disputed.

Three years after the massacre, those divisions have only deepened, transforming Tuesday's vote into something intensely personal. Political allegiances have strained friendships and divided families, with much of the national debate reduced to a single question: Are you for Netanyahu, widely known as "Bibi," or against him?

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For some families who lost loved ones on Oct. 7, the answer is painfully clear.

Shir Shai, whose brother Yaron Shai, an Israeli soldier, was killed battling Hamas terrorists that day, delivered a stark message to those considering another vote for Netanyahu.

"If you nevertheless decide to vote again for the man who brought disaster upon us and his accomplices, I have one personal request: Don't come here anymore," Shai said over her brother's grave in his memorial ceremony on October 7

"You still have 20 days to be part of the process of putting things right. But if you choose to perpetuate the failure rather than honor the fallen, it would be better if you stayed home next year," she added.

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Yet other bereaved families have reached the opposite conclusion, crediting Netanyahu with standing firm through years of war on multiple fronts and arguing that Israel's military and intelligence establishment bears the principal responsibility for failing to anticipate the Hamas assault.

The deeply polarized atmosphere has been intensified by an increasingly bitter campaign. Just two days before the election, Netanyahu shared an AI-generated image depicting a nuclear explosion over Tel Aviv, warning of the existential threat posed by Iran if the country elects a leader unable to confront Tehran.

Concerns now extend beyond the election results themselves. Israeli police are preparing for possible unrest after the polls close, while experts have warned about the potential for disputes over the legitimacy of the results — including an extreme scenario resembling the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

With the opposition united in its ambition to replace Netanyahu but divided over how to govern afterward, neither political bloc is assured of a parliamentary majority and the final outcome could take weeks to determine.

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When do polls open and close?

Israelis will vote Tuesday, Oct. 27, with most polling stations opening at 7 a.m. and closing at 10 p.m. local time.

Election Day is a national holiday in Israel, giving voters the opportunity to cast their ballots. Some smaller communities and special polling locations operate on different schedules.

Eligible voters must be Israeli citizens at least 18 years old and generally vote at their assigned polling station. Most Israelis living abroad cannot vote remotely, although exceptions apply to certain official representatives overseas.

How does Israel's election system work?

Israel has a parliamentary system in which voters select a political party rather than an individual candidate for prime minister.

The country's parliament, known as the Knesset, has 120 seats, distributed through a system of nationwide proportional representation.

Each party submits a ranked list of candidates, and the number of seats it receives depends on its share of the national vote.

To enter parliament, a party must win at least 3.25% of the valid votes. Parties falling below that threshold receive no seats, potentially changing the balance between rival political blocs.

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When will election results be announced?

Israel's major television networks are expected to release exit polls immediately after voting ends at 10 p.m. Tuesday (4 p.m. EST).

Those projections will provide the first indication of how many seats each party may win and whether Netanyahu or his rivals appear better positioned to assemble a coalition.

But exit polls are not official results, and even small differences in the final vote could determine whether parties cross the electoral threshold.

Actual vote counts will emerge as ballots are counted, with preliminary results developing after polls close and over the following days.

Israel's Central Elections Committee has scheduled the publication of official results for Wednesday, Nov. 4 , eight days after the election.

Who are the main candidates?

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, 77, leads the conservative right-wing Likud party and is seeking to extend his record tenure as Israel's longest-serving prime minister.

His main challenger is Gadi Eisenkot, 66, a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces who leads the centrist Yashar party and has positioned himself as an alternative to Netanyahu's leadership.

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, 54, is also seeking a political comeback, running on a joint ticket with former Prime Minister Yair Lapid.

Other significant political figures include former Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, Democrats leader Yair Golan, and Netanyahu's right-wing populist allies Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.

Arab political parties, including Ra'am and the Joint List, could also play a crucial role in determining the final parliamentary balance.

How many seats does a party need to win?

The key number in Israeli politics is 61 — a majority of the 120-seat Knesset.

No single Israeli party has ever won enough seats to control parliament alone, meaning parties generally need to form coalitions with other political factions.

This means the party that wins the most seats does not automatically get to lead the government.

Instead, the decisive question is which political leader can secure enough parliamentary support to govern.

How is Israel's next prime minister chosen?

Once the official results are published, Israeli President Isaac Herzog will consult representatives of the newly elected parliamentary factions.

Within seven days, the president must assign a member of the Knesset the task of forming a government.

The president generally selects the politician considered most likely to assemble a governing coalition, who is not necessarily the leader of the largest party.

That candidate initially has 28 days to reach agreements with other parties, with the possibility of an extension of up to 14 additional days.

The proposed government must then win a confidence vote in the Knesset before taking office.

What happens if nobody can form a government?

If the first candidate fails, the president can ask another lawmaker to attempt to form a government, giving that person 28 days without an extension.

If that effort also fails, a majority of 61 lawmakers can request that another candidate be given 14 days to try.

If no government emerges, Israel could face another national election.

Coalition negotiations can take weeks or months. According to the Israel Democracy Institute, the process of forming an Israeli government has historically taken between 20 and 100 days.

Until a new government is sworn in, the outgoing government remains in office.

Why is this election particularly consequential?

Tuesday's vote is the first national election since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks, which triggered the war in Gaza and raised profound questions about Israel's security leadership.

Beyond Netanyahu's political future, the next government will face decisions over Israel's national security, the future of Gaza, military conscription, relations with the United States and the country's regional diplomatic relationships.

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With pre-election polling showing no clear path to a parliamentary majority for either major political bloc, the contest could remain unresolved long after Tuesday's votes are counted.

Feds crack down on stolen car pipeline to Mexican cartels as 13 charged in border scheme

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 03:27:58 -0400

A cross-border pipeline of stolen vehicles allegedly supplied Mexican cartels with cars and trucks to support their criminal operations, federal authorities say, with 13 people now facing charges in the scheme.

The vehicles were stolen from private owners and major rental car companies before being driven through El Paso, Texas, and across the border into Mexico, where they were allegedly used to support the cartels’ daily operations, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.

Authorities have recovered 29 vehicles worth an estimated $1.14 million as part of the investigation, dubbed Operation Southbound Takedown, prosecutors said.

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Ryan G. McRae, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in El Paso, said the stolen vehicles reveal a pattern of criminal activity extending beyond auto theft.

"These are not isolated property crimes," McRae said. "The stolen vehicles related to Operation Southbound Takedown demonstrate an alarming pattern and are used to support the day-to-day operations of dangerous criminal organizations."

Photos released by prosecutors showed a damaged white SUV recovered in Mexico, as well as an armored black SUV and an armored pickup truck.

Federal agents and prosecutors began investigating in the spring after identifying a pattern of stolen vehicles being transported to individuals allegedly connected to criminal organizations in Mexico, the U.S. attorney’s office said.

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U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons warned people considering transporting stolen vehicles into Mexico that cartels are exploiting individuals looking to make a "quick buck" to further their criminal operations.

Those operations, he said, include "human smuggling, extortion, drug trafficking, and even murder."

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"You are now on notice," Simmons said. "If you provide support to these cartels, many of which have been designated as foreign terrorist organizations, by transporting stolen vehicles out of this country and into Mexico, we will find you, and we will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law."

Of the 13 people charged, 11 are U.S. citizens and two are Mexican citizens, prosecutors said. One of the Mexican citizens has a lawful permanent resident card, while the other has a border crossing card.

Two of the Americans, Kimberly Aguilar and Marty Gerardo Jr., are in state custody. The other 11 people were federally indicted and arrested between July 22 and Oct. 19, according to prosecutors.

All 13 are charged with interstate transportation of stolen property and face up to 10 years in federal prison if convicted. The charges are allegations, and each person is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

The investigation involved Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI and other federal, state and local agencies working through the Homeland Security Task Force.

McRae said authorities worked with private-sector partners to disrupt the alleged vehicle theft and transportation network as part of an investigation spanning the United States and Mexico.

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"This work is ongoing; we’re not stopping here," he said.

FBI El Paso acting Special Agent in Charge Coult W. Markovsky also had a warning for people helping cartels.

"To individuals assisting the cartels, Justice will find you!" he said.

Pat McAfee invokes Charlie Kirk killing as Utah post sparks 'uncomfortable' GameDay visit

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 01:05:40 -0400

ESPN star Pat McAfee appeared to reference the killing of Charlie Kirk as he ripped the University of Utah over a social media post he says made him feel "very, very uncomfortable" before Saturday’s "College GameDay" broadcast.

McAfee said he saw a video on the university’s Instagram account shortly before going on air in Salt Lake City. The post asked students to do impressions of him, he said, and included comments calling him "corny" and "creepy."

The video has since been removed from the university’s social media accounts.

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The former NFL punter said he would not have minded if students had shared the remarks themselves, but he took issue with the university posting them before he walked in front of thousands of fans.

"The university puts that out, like as I’m about to go out and do an infomercial for the place, and then I’m walking in front of thousands of these people," McAfee said Monday on "The Pat McAfee Show."

"This is how the university feels about it. It’s an uncomfortable feeling."

McAfee said the post "set me off a little bit" and made him feel "a little weird." He then appeared to reference the September 2025 shooting of Kirk, the conservative activist who was killed during an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, about 40 miles south of Salt Lake City.

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"Has anything like really scary happened at like a college gathering in the state of Utah recently?" McAfee asked. "Like, do we think we should be amplifying reasons for why people hate my guts as a university?"

Later in the segment, McAfee again pointed to "what happened 40 miles south of Salt Lake City a little over a year ago," saying the university’s post added to the hostility he faces just before he went on air to promote the school.

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"I was very, very uncomfortable," he said. "I think it made me not have the greatest morning."

The University of Utah apologized in a statement posted to its official Instagram account, saying its goal was to create "lighthearted engagement" about McAfee’s return to campus, but it "missed the mark."

"University staff are responsible for reviewing and posting content on official social media accounts and we take full accountability for that decision," the school said.

The university said officials had reached out to McAfee to express their appreciation and regret.

"We sincerely apologize for creating any perception that Pat was unsafe or unwelcome on our campus. Nothing could be further from the truth," the statement said.

The school added that McAfee and the entire "College GameDay" crew are always welcome at the university. It said ESPN’s pregame show has visited its campus seven times and that it has enjoyed a positive relationship with the crew.

McAfee said he knew some people believed the students’ comments were not particularly harsh, but he kept coming back to who posted the video.

"It was the university putting that out. It’s not like a blog. It’s the actual place that we’re at," he said.

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The Instagram post was not the only part of McAfee’s visit that appeared to frustrate him. He also took issue with a student participating in his weekly "Kicking Is Easy" contest, which gives a contestant a chance to kick a field goal for $1 million.

McAfee said the student questioned why the prize was "only $1 million" after the potential prize reached $3 million for the previous week’s Notre Dame-BYU game.

"It’s my money! Only $1 million. It’s like, all right, I hate this place. I hate this place," he said.

McAfee said he hopes he never has to return to the university and joked that he might have COVID if "College GameDay" goes back.

Despite his frustrations, he praised Utah’s football team and called its student section "incredible." He also thanked the fans who attended Saturday’s broadcast.

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"It was a phenomenal GameDay. Thank you to everybody that showed up," he said.

Utah went on to defeat Houston 21-13 on Saturday.

Jay-Z to headline Apple Music Super Bowl LXI Halftime Show in Los Angeles

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 22:29:04 -0400

Jay-Z is headed to the Super Bowl stage.

The music mogul will headline the Apple Music Super Bowl LXI Halftime Show, the company announced during halftime of Monday’s Dallas Cowboys-Philadelphia Eagles game.

Super Bowl LXI is set for Feb. 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

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"GOAT’s out of the bag," Apple Music wrote in a post on X, tagging Jay-Z.

The announcement comes after reports that Jay-Z was in the running for the coveted performance.

"From Reasonable Doubt to standing on the Super Bowl Halftime stage, this has been a journey," shared in a statement with the official announcement. "Thirty years of music, work, and culture on the world's biggest stage. This run continues to be a dream come true."

Puck News previously reported that the rapper had been selected over Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber, as OutKick reported last week.

TMZ had also reported that Harry Styles was among the frontrunners.

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Jay-Z and his entertainment company, Roc Nation, have helped produce and select performers for the Super Bowl halftime show since 2019.

"For several years, we’ve had the privilege of working closely with Jay-Z and Roc Nation, and I’ve seen the extraordinary impact he has had on the Super Bowl Halftime Show," said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

"When we first reached an agreement with Roc Nation to produce the show, I had just one request: that Jay-Z take the stage himself one day, whenever the moment felt right to him," he continued. "I couldn’t be more excited for fans around the world to experience the artistry, creativity and cultural impact he will bring to the Super Bowl stage."

The 56-year-old rapper is no stranger to the stadium where he’ll take the Super Bowl stage. He wrapped up his Jay-Z 30 Tour with back-to-back shows at SoFi Stadium on Oct. 23 and 24.

The four-city tour celebrated the 30th anniversary of his 1996 debut album, "Reasonable Doubt." Puck reported that three consecutive shows at Yankee Stadium in July grossed more than $42 million, according to OutKick.

Jay-Z has won 25 Grammy Awards and was the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. His last album, "4:44," was released in 2017.

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While the rapper has never performed at the Super Bowl, his wife, Beyoncé, headlined the halftime show in 2013 in New Orleans. She returned to the Super Bowl stage in 2016, joining Coldplay and Bruno Mars in Santa Clara, California.

OutKick Sport's Mark Harris contributed to this report.

Florida mom arrested after Vegas trip left 4 kids without overnight supervision: deputies

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 00:03:11 -0400

A Florida mother returning from Las Vegas was met by deputies as she stepped off a plane and arrested after authorities say she left her four children home alone while she traveled for work.

Body camera video shows deputies approaching Irene Miller as she exited the plane Friday morning, escorting her through the airport terminal and placing her in handcuffs.

The arrest came two days after one of Miller’s children called 911 to report that a dumbbell had fallen on her 9-year-old brother’s head, according to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office.

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Deputies responded to the Kissimmee home shortly after 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 21 and found four children, ages 9, 11, 12 and 14, with no adults present, the sheriff’s office said. Fire rescue crews took the injured boy to Celebration Hospital, where he was treated and discharged.

A deputy reached Miller by phone, and she said she was working in Las Vegas and planned to return Oct. 23, according to the sheriff’s office. Deputies learned she had left Florida on Oct. 18.

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Miller told deputies she had arranged for a babysitter to travel from Tampa in the mornings to help the children get ready for school and check on them afterward. The sitter was not required to stay overnight, the sheriff’s office said.

Authorities contacted the children’s father, who agreed to take all four to his home while detectives made plans to meet Miller when her flight landed.

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Deputies arrested Miller, 50, on four counts of child neglect without great bodily harm and booked her into the Orange County Jail.

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"The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office will not tolerate child neglect," Sheriff Chris Blackmon said. "These cases will be investigated, and charges will be brought against the parents who are not properly supervising or caring for their children."

Brewers ride ridiculous, record-setting eight-run inning to dominant 3-0 World Series lead over Rays

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 00:01:22 -0400

The Milwaukee Brewers moved one step closer to their first ever World Series title on Monday night, taking a 3-0 series lead with a dominant 10-1 win.

That's the short version of the story. The long version? The Tampa Bay Rays will be kicking themselves over a disastrous top of the fifth inning, and historians will one day use a clip of that inning, and the entire 2026 Brewers' postseason run for that matter, as proof of how powerful luck is in Major League Baseball.

Game three meant the series shifted to Tampa Bay, and Tropicana Field was packed to the rafters with Rays fans and a sizable contingent of Brewers supporters. But as has typically been the case this postseason, only those in Milwaukee blue and gold had much to cheer about.

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At least defensively, the Rays put up a fight. In the top of the second, outfielder Chandler Simpson made a tremendous running catch in the left field corner, crashing into the fence to rob Sal Frelick of a hit. Then catcher Nick Fortes caught Garrett Mitchell trying to steal second base to end the inning. It was all downhill from there.

In the third inning, the Milwaukee superteam machine kicked into high gear. Jackson Chourio started things off with a ground ball single. Jake Bauers followed with a walk. That's when the Brewers' incredible penchant for outperforming on batting average on balls in play reared its gigantic head yet again.

Christian Yelich popped up a 71 mph blooper that fell in for an RBI single. William Contreras followed with another 79 mph blooper that fell in to drive in the second run of the game.

Still, a 2-0 game in the third inning wouldn't normally mean that much, but the Brewers had Robert Gasser on the mound. Who's Robert Gasser you might be wondering? Well, essentially the epitome of a league average pitcher, someone who had a 4.27 "expected" ERA in the regular season, then turned into a Cy Young candidate in the playoffs. Because baseball.

Gasser entered his game three start with just one run allowed in the playoffs, but the Rays couldn't muster even that on Monday night. Rarely getting swings and misses, Gasser relied on his best friend in October: the opposing team having exceptionally poor luck on batted balls put in play. Prior to Monday, opposing hitters had just a .185 BABIP against him. Then he went six shutout innings with just three strikeouts and only one hit allowed. How? Because the Rays had an .071 BABIP. Gasser will likely end his postseason with just seven hits on 55 balls put in play, an incredible .127 batting average allowed, when league average is around .300.

Gasser's start was the first time a lefty had gone six shutout innings while facing the minimum number of hitters in the World Series since Sandy Koufax.

Next time you want your favorite team to acquire the big name starting pitcher in free agency or at the trade deadline, just remember that one of the most effective starters on the team that won the World Series was Robert Gasser. That he did something that hadn't been done in the World Series by a lefty since one of the greatest pitchers in the history of the sport. In large part because of BABIP. There's no luck in baseball, because everything must have an explanation, no matter how absurd.

Gasser didn't need much support, obviously, but the Brewers unstoppable offense provided it anyway. In the fifth inning, Milwaukee put together one of the most absurd innings you'll ever see, and a near-perfect reminder of the immense amount of variance and randomness inherent in baseball.

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It started innocently enough, with Chourio once again singling with one out. Jake Bauers flew out for the second out, then Christian Yelich walked to put runners at first and second. Then, the play that will haunt Rays fans forever.

William Contreras grounded one in the hole between second and third, and third baseman Junior Caminero went to second base for the force out, unable to see that he had plenty of time to get Contreras at first. But Yelich beat the throw out, loading the bases for Brice Turang. Then, the floodgates opened.

Turang hit a grounder to short that Taylor Walls couldn't make the play on, scoring two. Then Garrett Mitchell slapped another single through the infield, directly where the shortstop typically plays. 5-0 Milwaukee. Cooper Pratt followed with a grounder that somehow clipped the foul line for a double, making it 7-0. Sal Frelick hit a soft line drive that fell in to left field to make it 8-0. David Hamilton, having an incredible postseason after a career of being a very bad hitter, drove in the ninth run of the game with a single. Finally, Jackson Chourio added his fourth hit of the game and second of the inning to make it 10-0. Why not?

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That fifth inning was the first eight-run inning in World Series history. The Brewers went 9-18 with runners in scoring position, had a .471 BABIP and 16 hits against a typically strong Rays pitching staff. Tampa's BABIP? .130. That's only half of it. Per the league's Statcast page, Milwaukee's expected batting average in the game was .254. Their actual batting average was .390. Tampa's expected batting average was .236, and their actual was .107. And that's been Milwaukee's luck all postseason.

The Rays added a meaningless garbage time run in the bottom of the ninth, but Milwaukee takes a commanding 3-0 series lead, and is well on their way to the organization's first ever championship. Potentially as soon as Tuesday night's game four.

Should the Brewers close it out with a fully rested bullpen, they'd become the first team in the history of the sport to sweep both the NLCS and World Series. They're 10-1 in the playoffs thus far, with a chance to go 11-1 and win ten of nine straight to win a title. Baseball-ruining superteam indeed.

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Not all of these results are down to luck, of course, and it's hardly a criticism of the Brewers' team or players to say they've had fortune on their side in the playoffs. Every team that wins the playoff tournament in Major League Baseball has luck go their way. The Dodgers in 2024 and 2025 had plenty of breaks, as did the Rangers in 2023 and Astros in 2022. And the Braves in 2021 and so on.

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But there's an inescapable conclusion from this World Series, and the whole postseason, as a matter of fact: there is no way to "ruin" baseball. Or build a superteam. Or guarantee a championship. Because at the end of the day, the gaps between teams are so small that a few bounces either way over a short series can, and often does, determine the outcome. Having a rotation filled with Cy Young level pitchers is great and all, except that when it comes down to it, Robert Gasser can become Sandy Koufax over 15 innings. There's no way to predict who will get hot, who will be cold, and which teams will have luck on their side. Which is what baseball has always been, and always will be. No matter how much fake complaining owners do.

Cowboys, Dak Prescott get back on track at the expense of reeling Eagles in key NFC East win

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 23:42:14 -0400

The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles NFC East bout on "Monday Night Football" in Week 7 wasn’t supposed to feature two 2–4 teams dealing with inauspicious starts to the season.

The NFL can be cruel in that way for some teams, but Week 7 turned into a situation where one team could get back on track in a division that seems up for grabs.

The Dallas Cowboys, who had quite a different narrative entering this contest on the road despite the same exact record as the team hosting them, did at least turn the ship toward the right direction on Monday night with a 38-21 win over the Eagles.

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The narrative for Dallas was that they have the pieces, but is the coaching all there? Head coach Brian Schottenheimer’s name has been brought up in hot seat discussions, as the Cowboys lost back-to-back games in Primetime, and certainly didn’t want to make it a third against a struggling Philadelphia squad.

Nick Sirianni, despite winning a Super Bowl with this team recently, has also been on the wrong side of Philly fandom to begin this 2026 campaign, but there’s at least the injury excuse. Quarterback Jalen Hurts is out for the season, as he deals with blood clots. And though he was back on Monday night in a limited capacity, running back Saquon Barkley just hasn’t been healthy enough this year.

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With the Eagles losing four straight after a 2-0 start to the season, some fans have already resorted to the tanking conversation for a top draft pick. The Cowboys certainly are not at that stage – fans just think the coaching staff needs to get this group playing in sync on both sides of the ball.

For Dak Prescott and the offense, they continued to put points on the board, and they did so with a big lift from the run game. This isn’t a team that wants to pass the ball 45 times a game despite their veteran signal caller having done so many times throughout his career.

Javonte Williams produced 155 on the ground on 25 carries with a touchdown at the end of the game, weaving his way through the Philadelphia defense for big chunk plays, including a 34-yard burst through the line. That opens everything for this offense that proclaims itself the "G.O.T.I." – greatest offense there is.

CeeDee Lamb may have caught just five of his 12 targets, but two of those were touchdown grabs from Prescott. He finished the game with 74 yards, while his counterpart George Pickens had a touchdown himself on a 21-yard connection with his quarterback. And wide receiver three, Ryan Flournoy, totaled 70 yards on four grabs.

All was well for Dallas’ offense, but once again, the defense was questionable against McKee and the Eagles’ offense at home.

The first drive of the game brought hope to the crowd at Lincoln Financial Field, as the rabid fan base had been waiting for Barkley, the former Offensive Player of the Year, to return to the backfield after a hamstring injury. In just four plays, including a 29-yard run for Barkley, they remembered what it’s like to have a threat like him leading the way.

Barkley bounced outside on first-and-5 from Dallas’ eight-yard line for the Eagles’ first touchdown of the game, and it looked like they would compete against a Cowboys' defense that keeps trying to find its identity, or better yet, key stops. But the injury bug continued to halt Barkley from being 100%, as he tried battling through a back injury this time in this game. He was noticed stretching on the sideline and trying to keep his back loose with trainers, but to no avail.

Still, it was a back-and-forth battle in this latest chapter of a storied division rivalry, with long drives resulting in touchdowns on both sides. Dameon Pierce, who took over the lion’s share of carries, scored for the Eagles, while rookie Makai Lemon secured his first career touchdown to give the Eagles a 21-20 lead in the third quarter.

But as Prescott does, he responded with a touchdown of his own – the second for Lamb – and the Cowboys were eventually able to separate themselves after forcing an Eagles punt and DeMarvion Overshown making an incredible interception on a ball intended for Dallas Goedert while the Eagles were driving in the fourth quarter.

At 2-5 now, it may still be too early to say the Eagles’ season is a failure, but the cards they’ve been dealt are not pictures and they’re off suit.

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The Cowboys, on the other hand, still have chips on the table and are in the hunt. At 3-4, they’re a game-and-a-half behind the New York Giants, who beat them in Week 1, for the NFC East lead.

And with winnable games against the Arizona Cardinals and Indianapolis Colts up next on the schedule, perhaps Schottenheimer's seat can cool down if they can put together their first win streak of the campaign.

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John Harbaugh backs Cam Skattebo, rips NFL for controversial flag: 'That's the way you're supposed to run'

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 23:27:46 -0400

Cam Skattebo shared his thoughts on a controversial unnecessary roughness call against him in the New York Giants’ win over the Houston Texans on Sunday.

His head coach, John Harbaugh, shared the same sentiment.

Skattebo ripped the NFL after officials assessed a 15-yard penalty against him after lowering his shoulder into Texans safety M.J. Stewart, delivering a forceful blow that sent him to the turf.

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"I will say, man, the NFL loves to post me when I do stuff like that, but then also wants to take stuff from me," he said after a game where he ran for over 120 yards with a touchdown. "So, I mean, I’m going to run the ball like I want to run the ball, and if I’m going to continue to get flagged or it or fined for it, man, I guess I’m going to play for free."

On Monday during time with reporters, Harbaugh was asked about what he said to the official during his own heated exchange in the moment after holding back Skattebo, who was livid with the official as he came off the field.

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"Did you see me after the play expressing my opinion? That’s how I felt about it," he said.

Harbaugh admitted he understood the idea of why a yellow flag landed on the turf at NRG Stadium after seeing the hit. The NFL is always trying to crack down on helmet-to-helmet contact, and the official thought that Skattebo led with the crown of his helmet when he hit Stewart.

Harbaugh saw it differently.

"I also understand human physiology and anatomy and the way the body works," he said. "Skat runs low. You have to run low.

"You have to run low to protect the football. You have to run low to protect your body. You can’t run in there and give tacklers your chest. When you run low, your head’s down there, too. You can’t move your head off your shoulders. It’s a physical impossibility."

Harbaugh added that he didn’t believe his running back was "trying to use his helmet as a weapon, as a battering ram." Skattebo certainly enjoys initiating contact. In fact, Skattebo was featured in multiple commercials during the broadcast where he is seen running through walls and other objects because, well, that’s his thing.

Ultimately, Harbaugh believes Skattebo’s running style is "the way you’re supposed to run."

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"That’s how you protect yourself and the football," he said.

It’s old school, it’s punishing, and it’s what helped the Giants pick up a win on Sunday, just as it has in past games. So, Harbaugh begs the question for the NFL: How should Skattebo be running through the trenches?

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'Stand or hide in the tunnel' for the anthem, Valkyries WNBA fans show loyalty; ready for early Finals Game 6

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 23:15:06 -0400

Caffeine might not even be needed. Pure adrenaline could get the job done.

Fans of the Golden State Valkyries are in for an early-morning wakeup call on Thursday when Game 6 of the WNBA Finals tips off in Atlanta at 9:30 a.m. Pacific time.

But during Monday’s Game 5 against Atlanta, which began like every other Finals game, with both teams leaving the floor moments before the playing of the national anthem only to return seconds after it completed, the packed Chase Center in San Francisco was raucous.

Fans of this 2-year-old team, clad floor to rafters in their giveaway lavender T-shirts, were beyond keyed up. They were loud and on the edge of their seats, willing their team on every play en route to a 64-55 victory that gave Golden State a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.

That buzz could last a few days, which will come in handy when that alarm clock rings.

WNBA FINALS GAME 6, A POTENTIAL TITLE-CLINCHER, WILL BE HELD IN THE AFTERNOON ON THURSDAY

"I will be taking time off of work that day, for sure," one female fan said, planning a personal day for Thursday.

"It’s really disappointing that more fans won’t be able to be cheering for the Valkyries on the West Coast," said another female fan, who brings her kids to games. "It’s pretty hard to do with kid drop-offs and school, but I’m going to make it work somehow."

Some retirees said they get up early anyway, so they’re not sweating it and will be glued to their TVs for a road game, per usual.

A couple of male fans said they would be watching on their laptops … at work. Shhhhhhh.

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The strange start time in Atlanta is due to conflicts at State Farm Arena. The Dream, who normally play at Gateway Center Arena, have played playoff games at State Farm Arena because Gateway has a capacity of only 3,500 for basketball games.

But now that the NBA season has started, State Farm, home of the Atlanta Hawks, has gotten busy.

Some juggling was required once it became clear that the WNBA Finals would be going back to Atlanta for a Game 6 on Thursday. There is a Hawks home game that night. Several other options were considered before the early game time was chosen to create an unusual doubleheader of sorts.

Many fans in the Bay Area seemed far more concerned about the scheduling chaos for Game 6 than they are about the controversy surrounding the national anthem walkouts that have been swirling around the WNBA Finals since Game 1.

"I don’t understand why we’re singing the national anthem [before games] to begin with, that’s all there is to it," one female fan said. "If they want to go back [in the tunnel] and re-group, great. We’ve been doing it for two seasons."

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"This is a non-controversy that people are trying to make into a controversy," a male fan said. "I don’t think not being out on the floor for the national anthem says anything about patriotism or loyalty to the United States."

WNBA ANTHEM CONTROVERSY SPARKS CALLS TO BAR PLAYERS WHO DON'T STAND FROM TEAM USA'S OLYMPIC ROSTER

Many fans said that being on the court for the national anthem should be a personal choice for athletes, even if that isn’t the choice they would make for themselves.

"We have strong feelings about this," said a female fan who came to the game with her husband and both were dressed from head to toe in Valkyries lavender. "We’re both retired military. So we stand, we put our hands on our hearts and we honor the flag. The players … are doing something to get ready for the game.

WNBA SILENT AFTER FINALS TEAMS SKIP NATIONAL ANTHEM DESPITE RULE REQUIRING PLAYERS TO STAND AND LINE UP

"It’s not new to us that they leave the court for the national anthem. If they stayed and saluted the flag [during the anthem], I’d be fine with that [too]. This country is so divided anyway. Everyone just has to support their own true feelings."

There is actually a provision in the WNBA rulebook stating that players should stand respectfully on the court while the national anthem is being played. But the league has not enforced that rule since 2017.

"I wish they would stand out there for the national anthem," one female fan said. "But it’s one of those ‘to each their own’ [things] and they’ve been doing it from the beginning. "Maybe the national anthem means different things for different people. But for me, as an American, I think about people who gave up their lives for us to be free, so that we could decide to stand or hide in the tunnel or sit down. But for me, it’s about respect."

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Golden State got a balanced offensive effort, with double-figure scoring from four players. Kiah Stokes and Veronica Burton each had 13 points while Tiffany Hayes and Cecilla Zandalasini each had 12 points.

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Atlanta's Angel Reese again had a lackluster scoring game. She finished with just 7 points but had 15 rebounds. Rhyne Howard of the Dream led all scorers with 20 points.

Brandi Kruse tells Laura Ingraham about being forced out of Portland soccer game: 'We did nothing wrong'

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 22:19:06 -0400

There's nothing that the kind and tolerant left loves more than being unkind and intolerant towards people who have a different political perspective. Particularly when that political perspective involves acknowledging the biological reality of physical advantages males have over females in sports.

This consistent intolerance and hatred was on full display recently at a women's soccer match in Portland. A group of around 20 women wearing XX-XY shirts to a Portland Thorns game at Providence Park were allegedly harassed by a number of anti-reality fans nearby, including verbal and physical aggression. The "kind and tolerant" left, as always.

You'd assume that, in a sane world, those who engaged in unacceptable abuse towards fans for wearing shirts and having a "Save Women's Sports" would be removed from the stadium and permanently banned for misconduct. But a women's soccer organization in Portland, Oregon, is predictably about as far from sanity as it's possible to be. Instead, the women who dared stand up for science and competitive fairness were forcibly removed, while the Thorns' official X account celebrated their amazing fans in a post after the match.

PORTLAND THORNS GET DESTROYED IN THE COMMENT SECTION FOR PRAISING FANS ON THE SAME NIGHT XX-XY GROUP ATTACKED

The least surprising outcome imaginable, even if it is absurd and offensive.

One of the women involved, Brandi Kruse, joined Laura Ingraham on Fox News to tell her side of the story. Kruse explained that she never received an explanation from security or from the organization as to why she and the group were forced to leave. Typical.

Ingrahm asked if stadium officials or security told her why she was removed, to which she answered, "None. It's been three days ... you hear me in the video demand that security tell me, when they say 'you need to leave,' and I say, 'we didn't do anything wrong.' And she says, 'you know what you did?' And I said, 'I have no idea what I did.'"

Kruse continued, detailing that she wasn't going to leave quietly, "And that's when I just made the decision, look, if they're going to ask me to leave, I'm going to make them own that decision and they're going to have to put their hands on me and drag me out of this stadium, because I'm not leaving of my own free will. But we have not gotten an explanation so far."

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Ingraham brought up that the Thorns' statement on the incident was to say that they are "committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment for everyone," which is obviously the opposite of how that situation was handled. The Thorns also claimed that "security and enforcement decisions are managed locally," and that they are reviewing those actions to ensure that their policies were "applied appropriately and consistently."

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Kruse said "It's a complicated matter to determine kind of fault because the stadium itself, Providence Park is owned by the city of Portland, but it's operated by Peregrine Sports. And then, of course, you have the Thorns. And so we don't know who ultimately made the call to say, 'remove the people with the XX-XY shirts and leave all the individuals around them who were assaulting them, hitting them with flags, dumping beer on them.'"

Importantly, she added, it wasn't just the attendees wearing XX-XY shirts who were confronted. OutKick's Matt Calkins, who was covering the game, was "assaulted by the mob," Kruse explained. "His press pass was ripped from his chest by a security guard."

Ingraham then followed up about how security mishandled the situation, acting as police officers though they didn't have the authority to do so. Kruse said the guard confirmed she was not a police officer, then added that regardless of how it was handled, the treatment from the "pro-trans" crowd was unacceptable.

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"You know, all they had to do is not react to our t-shirts, be functioning adults in the United States of America. And understand that sometimes you'll be confronted by ideas you don't agree with. And the answer to that is not violence."

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Brilliant, and entirely accurate. The XX-XY group had a simple banner, the kind that are frequently displayed at soccer stadiums across the country. They wore t-shirts that simply had scientific, biological chromosomes on it. For this entirely reasonable behavior, they were assaulted and abused, then forcibly removed by security. Simply because the left, which has taken over in these spaces, does not tolerate dissent that challenges their worldview. No matter how delusional and disconnected from sanity that worldview might be. We've seen it in the WNBA, we've seen it here ... and it's going to continue because the people who run these organizations and institutions support it.

Good for Kruse for not letting them get away with it, and good for the Department of Justice for stepping in to investigate too.

Middle school teacher arrested in alleged prostitution scheme at casino hotel

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 22:13:44 -0400

A New Jersey teacher was arrested two weeks ago in connection with an alleged prostitution scheme in which a man was restrained, forced to endure sexual acts and robbed in a casino hotel room.

The suspect was identified as Amanda Crafts, 35, of Wildwood Crest, according to the New Jersey Department of Corrections. She was a computer teacher at Middle Township Middle School, according to her LinkedIn.

Her friend, Veda Engel, 23, of Cape May, was also charged in the Oct. 9 incident. Engel has a history of prostitution-related charges, including one dating back to December, Breaking AC reported.

FLORIDA WOMAN ALLEGEDLY DRUGS MAN SHE MET AT CLUB, STEALS HIS NEARLY $100K ROLEX: POLICE

According to police, the victim met the women at a bar at a hotel resort in Atlantic City, the outlet said.

After exchanging numbers with Engel, he reportedly met the two women in their room.

MANHATTAN PROSTITUTE PLEADS GUILTY TO KILLING 3 MEN WITH FENTANYL-LACED DRUGS IN ROBBERY SCHEME

Once inside, the victim said the two women stripped him down and physically restrained him to the bed, the outlet reported.

Engel then forced sexual acts on him before stopping and saying, "That’s what you get for $1,250," according to the complaint, Breaking AC reported.

As Crafts held the victim down, Engel reportedly used his facial recognition to unlock his phone and made four separate Apple Pay transactions totaling $1,250 to her account.

The victim said the transactions were "made without his consent in exchange for sexual acts," a detective wrote in the affidavits, according to reports.

During her first appearance in court, Crafts told the judge that she was a teacher and has never been arrested before.

"I was in the wrong place at the wrong time," she told Judge Timothy Maguire during a video appearance from the Atlantic County Justice Facility, according to reports.

FLORIDA MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER ADMITS TO YEARS OF 'INAPPROPRIATE' CONVERSATIONS WITH FORMER STUDENT: DEPUTIES

Crafts, who said she has four children, works in the school’s special area department teaching computers, the outlet said, citing the school’s website.

The school district released a statement on Oct. 19 acknowledging the arrest of a Middle Township teacher and confirming that the employee had been fired.

"Our responsibility is to protect our students, follow appropriate procedures, and ensure that those entrusted with caring for and educating our children meet the standards expected of them. The safety and well-being of our students remain our highest priority," Superintendent Stephanie DeRose said.

Separately, Engel works at SoFresh SoClean Commercial Cleaning in Ocean City, her attorney said, according to Breaking AC.

The incident was not Engel’s first prostitution-related encounter with law enforcement. Last year, she allegedly offered an undercover New Jersey State Police detective sex in exchange for $1,000 at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa.

She was reportedly released on a summons at the time.

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Engel and Crafts were both released Oct. 15 after being held for nearly a week, according to reports. The state consented to their pretrial release, which requires them to check in with the court every other week.

Deported migrant who '60 Minutes' painted as sympathetic family man claimed he was gay on asylum application

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 22:10:12 -0400

Sunday's "60 Minutes" featured the story of a deported Malian national who was painted as a loving husband and father despite insisting he was homosexual on his asylum application.

The CBS News segment focused on Moussa Diawara and his family, speaking to his wife, 16-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter. But the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) says Diawara, who arrived in the United States in 2001, is actually an example of widespread fraud throughout the immigration system.

"The ‘60 Minutes’ sob story tonight highlighted an illegal alien and his wife and two children. One problem. The illegal alien claimed he was a HOMOSEXUAL in order to try and dodge deportation to Mali," ICE posted on X.

CBS BOSS FUELS LEFT-WING UPROAR AMID REPORT SHE URGED STAFF TO PROBE ALLEGED EL-SAYED, MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD TIES

Fox News exclusively obtained Diawara’s 2009 asylum application in which he declared that he needed to remain in America because he was a gay man who could be killed if sent back to his native country.

"My asylum application is based upon ground of well founded past persecution and an undisputable fear of life threatening to my person if I were to return to my country Mali. In fact I had experienced extreme punishment and persecution based on the ground of my sexual orientation," Diawara wrote in his asylum application.

"Since I came to the USA I had the possibilities to express my feelings to men without any embarrassment no reserve. Indeed, my tribal group and community as a whole had reported my sexual orientation to my family back home because such behavior is unwelcome in my society," he continued. "My life is hence worth threatened if I have to go back to my country because I could be executed either by the Islamic group or the community."

Diawara also wrote in the application that he was "banished" from attending Malian activities because he’s "a homosexual," who has received threats.

"These are the reasons why I applied for asylum in the USA to seek protection from the US government," Diawara wrote.

DHS General Counsel James Percival, who was interviewed in the "60 Minutes" segment, took to social media after it aired, saying the newsmagazine made Diawara the "poster child for what it claims are wrongful deportations."

"His claimed reason for fearing Mali was that he is ‘gay,’ just in case you’re wondering how bad the immigration fraud problem is," Percival wrote.

The segment put a spotlight on Diawara, who was living in the U.S. for 25 years without a criminal record, overstaying his tourist visa and getting nabbed by ICE and sent to Ghana, which ultimately sent him to his home country of Mali. According to the report, Diawara has since fled Mali to an undisclosed African country.

SCOTT PELLEY FIRED AT CBS NEWS AFTER BLOWUPS WITH BARI WEISS, NEW '60 MINUTES' PRODUCER

"60 Minutes" noted that a U.S. judge said Diawara could be persecuted in Mali, pointing to fears over converting to Christianity. However, the show did not mention that Diawara’s application contradicted his family man narrative and the reason why he claimed he couldn’t return to his native country was because of his sexual orientation.

During the segment, Percival noted that there is "a lot of fraud" in the immigration system and many "fear claims" are untrue.

A "60 Minutes" insider defended the integrity of the report, pointing to how Diawara's claim that "part of the reason he didn't feel safe" was for religious reasons made the broadcast. According to the report, he had converted to Christianity and Mali is a Muslim-majority nation.

"We also acknowledge that the DHS questioned the credibility of Moussa Diawara's fear of persecution, which they're claiming now on social media," the insider told Fox News Digital.

The Department of Homeland Security told CBS News that Ghana had provided the U.S. with "diplomatic assurances for his safety."

It is unclear whether CBS News was aware of Diawara’s apparent application discrepancy when the "60 Minutes" segment aired. A spokesperson for the network declined to comment.

BARI WEISS POACHES CONSERVATIVE NY TIMES COLUMNIST, OTHERS JOIN '60 MINUTES' IN CBS PROGRAM SHAKEUP

Percival posted about his experience with "60 Minutes," saying he spoke for nearly an hour.

"In our conversation, we talked about the vicious killers and rapists we are removing to third countries and the fact that no President before President Trump removed these public safety threats from our community. Unfortunately, as they always do, they selectively edited the video and included none of that. They did promise they would publish the entire interview, so I look forward to my comments being posted in full this week," Percival wrote.

Percival did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment.

The official ICE account on X ALSO wrote, "Fake & Gay! Moussa Diawara, the Malian national featured in this shockingly poorly researched @60Minutes report, now faces allegations of immigration FRAUD after his asylum application surfaced, revealing that he claimed to be a HOMOSEXUAL man who feared persecution in Mali."

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Tennessee inmate convicted of murder escapes from prison, steals pickup truck, manhunt underway: Officials

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 13:27:45 -0400

A manhunt is underway for a Tennessee inmate serving a life sentence for murder after he escaped from prison and stole a white heavy-duty pickup truck during his getaway.

The Tennessee Department of Correction said that Jacob Allen Morley, 28, escaped the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee, on Sunday. He was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted in 2025 of murdering Cody Birchfield three years earlier.

Prison staff discovered Morley was unaccounted for around 11:30 p.m. Sunday and immediately conducted an emergency count and search of the facility, according to a Tennessee Department of Correction statement given to Fox News Digital.

'AMERICA'S MOST WANTED' FUGITIVE CAPTURED ON SAILBOAT OFF NJ COAST AFTER 20 YEARS ON THE RUN

Security video showed Morley breaching a fence while still wearing prison clothing.

Around 1 a.m. Monday, video footage captured Morley stealing a vehicle on the 400 block of Keystone Drive, roughly two miles south of the prison, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

The vehicle is a white 2008 Ford F-350 with Tennessee license plate 138BBQV. It is marked with the name Lindamood Planting Company on the side and has an air compressor in the bed, officials said.

Morley is described as 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighing 240 pounds, with brown hair and green eyes. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said he should be "considered dangerous," adding Morley is now on the state's most wanted list.

MANHUNT TARGETS ‘ARMED AND DANGEROUS’ MURDER SUSPECT NOW ON STATE’S MOST WANTED LIST

In addition to the first-degree murder conviction, he was also found guilty of burglary, vandalism, tampering with evidence and evading arrest.

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Federal and state law enforcement is assisting to help find Morley, according to officials.

Birchfield disappeared in early February 2022 after he was last seen in Elizabethton, Tennessee. According to WJHL, investigators from the Carter County Sheriff's Office saw indications that a "violent crime" had occurred inside his house.

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On March 2, 2022, Morley was arrested after a police chase that went to the North Carolina state line. After the arrest, Birchfield's body was found underneath Morley's home.

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Morley's former girlfriend, Landree Sheperd, testified at Morley's trial and claimed that the defendant said at one point that "he f---ing killed him."

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People with information about Morley's whereabouts are encouraged to contact 844-832-3463.

Stranded hikers cling to steep California mountain ridge as helicopter crew swoops in

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 21:56:49 -0400

Three people stranded high on a steep Northern California mountainside were rescued by helicopter Sunday after a distress call brought crews racing to their aid.

The Sierra County Sheriff’s Office said the group was found on the Sierra Buttes, just south of a lookout tower near the mountain’s summit.

Images and video released by officials show the helicopter near the rugged mountainside as rescuers worked to reach the trio.

HELICOPTER RESCUE CREW CAUGHT ON CAMERA SAVING 2 CLIMBERS TRAPPED ALONG POPULAR CALIFORNIA BEACH CLIFF

The sheriff’s office was alerted around 2:30 p.m. after a Garmin inReach satellite communication device sent an SOS signal to the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.

Deputies launched a search and rescue response and called in the Nevada County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Mountain Rescue Team and the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office’s RAVEN helicopter crew.

TOURISTS SEEKING 'DRAMATIC' PHOTO ON ISOLATED BEACH TRAPPED BY INCOMING TIDE

Once the crew spotted the stranded group, a rescue team member was lowered from the helicopter to reach them. All three were then hoisted off the mountainside and flown to a landing zone, where Sierra County deputies were waiting.

"Due to the difficult terrain and hazardous location, a helicopter hoist rescue was necessary," the sheriff’s office said.

NORTH CAROLINA CLIMBER AIRLIFTED AFTER PLUNGING 20 FEET DOWN GORGE, SUSTAINING SERIOUS INJURIES

The agency thanked the teams involved for their "professionalism, coordination, and assistance" in bringing the rescue to a successful conclusion.

The Sierra Buttes rise above the North Yuba River canyon, with a fire lookout near the top of the approximately 8,600-foot mountain, according to the Pacific Crest Trail Association.

Authorities did not say how the three people became stranded or whether anyone was injured.

The rescue drew praise on social media, where commenters thanked the emergency crews and pointed to the RAVEN helicopter team’s role in helping communities across the region.

"To see that Sheriff Balaam uses the RAVEN team to assist anywhere they are needed is outstanding and certainly shows just how valuable the unit has become to the region," one person wrote.

Another thanked the rescue teams, writing, "Really awesome work, coordination and knowledge by all involved. Impressive and grateful to have this in our community."

"Hats off to our emergency special teams!!" another commenter wrote. "We are all very fortunate that you all do what you do."

The dramatic rescue came after two other high-profile rescues on Northern California mountains earlier this month.

MISSING 72-YEAR-OLD HIKER FOUND ALIVE DAYS AFTER FRIGHTENING 100-FOOT FALL LEFT HER BADLY INJURED

Last week, a 39-year-old Florida man was flown to a hospital after he fell through a snow bridge and severely injured his leg on the Whitney Glacier. Rescuers reached the injured climber the following morning, but bad weather prevented an aerial extraction. Crews ultimately carried him to a viable helicopter landing zone the next day, the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office said.

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Earlier this month, a 19-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman from Salt Lake City were rescued after becoming trapped between cliffs during a 36-hour ordeal on Mount Shasta. Both were uninjured, authorities said.

Angel Reese's 'Protect Black women' shirt adds to overall strangeness of WNBA Finals

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 21:50:37 -0400

Atlanta Dream star Angel Reese had a not-so-subtle message emblazoned across her T-shirt as she walked into the Chase Center for Game 5 of the WNBA Finals against the Golden State Valkyries.

"Protect Black women," the shirt read.

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It’s unclear what the shirt was referencing or if it was a general statement. Reese has been unafraid at times to speak or write her opinions on societal topics that resonate with at least one corner of the universe.

Reese, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, has been having a pretty solid series, but needed to be locked in for the pivotal matchup against the Valkyries.

WNBA fans caught wind of the shirt. Some wondered what the reaction would be if a White WNBA player would have worn a "protect White women" shirt. Obviously, nobody really has to wonder about the outrage. Sophie Cunningham drummed up enough outrage earlier this season with the simplest of messages, "Protect women’s sports."

It’s that theme that’s been a point of contention even in the WNBA Finals – what kind of message are you trying to send fans? "Protect women" may have been more appropriate but we don’t even have to go that far.

The WNBA pushed itself back into the spotlight as the two teams who are representing the league on the highest of level refused to even stay on the court for the national anthem.

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Dream star Rhyne Howard explained to OutKick last week she didn’t believe she was on the floor for the national anthem during her entire tenure in Atlanta.

"I don’t think I’ve been on the floor for the national anthem for any of my tenure in Atlanta, so if that’s what people are gonna look to nitpick for then so be it," Howard said. "But as far as competing for your team, when I go put on a USA jersey I’m out for the national anthem every time, there’s no doubt about it."

"Yes, I love the country that I play for and I love what we have here," she added.

Golden State head coach Natalie Nakase said leaving the floor for the anthem has been part of the franchise’s pregame routine since the team first entered the WNBA.

But even if you put all of that to the side, the confusion about where Game 6 will be played as another addition to the strangeness of the series. Before Monday, the league had a huge scheduling conflict with trying to play Game 6 back at State Farm Arena.

Instead of moving the game to another venue, the league moved the tip-off time for a potential series clincher to 12:30 p.m. ET. It means Valkyries fans will have to get up early, put their meetings on hold and tune into a huge game.

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A strangeness certainly lingers over the WNBA Finals in what would be the biggest Finals yet for the league.

Gretchen Whitmer asked whether 'hidden xenophobia' will affect midterm elections

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 21:23:49 -0400

MS NOW anchor Peter Alexander asked Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, D-Mich., on Sunday whether Republican politicians were tapping into "xenophobia" ahead of the midterm elections.

Alexander began his show "State of Play" on Monday remarking on the national attention given to the Michigan U.S. Senate race between Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed and GOP candidate Mike Rogers, which prompted campaign rally appearances by former President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump.

The MS NOW host showed a clip of himself asking Whitmer over the weekend about what she thought about the "ugly recent rhetoric" levied against El-Sayed by Rogers and Trump, suggesting the attacks could be motivated by "xenophobia."

ROGERS FIRES BACK AT WELKER OVER EL-SAYED'S MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD CONTROVERSY, 'YOU ARE GIVING HIM A PASS'

"Do you worry that there is some hidden xenophobia in Michigan right now that Donald Trump and Mike Rogers are trying to tap into?" Alexander asked.

"I think that Mike Rogers and Donald Trump hope that there is, and that they're trying to cultivate that," Whitmer responded.

Later in the show, Alexander aired more of the interview, including a question about whether Whitmer believed the language Trump used to attack El-Sayed was "dangerous."

Whitmer agreed that Trump's language was dangerous but added that the bigger issue was Republicans ignoring the state of the economy.

FOX NEWS POLL: MICHIGAN VOTERS SPLIT BETWEEN EL-SAYED AND ROGERS

"The point is that they're talking about anything other than the cost of living, which has gone up because of the decisions that this administration has made. You ask yourself, are you better off two years ago than you are today? I doubt very many Americans could say that they are," Whitmer said.

Fox News Digital reached out to Whitmer's office and the El-Sayed and Rogers campaigns for comment but did not immediately receive responses.

In a comment to Fox News Digital, White House Assistant Press Secretary Olivia Wales said, "President Trump is calling out the radical extremists stoking division, defrauding their communities, and perpetuating violence. The President will continue to unapologetically fight for American greatness and call out the extremists who want only to divide and destroy."

ABDUL EL-SAYED'S ALLEGED FAMILY TIES TO MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD SURFACE AFTER DENYING ANY LINK DURING NBC INTERVIEW

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Both Trump and Rogers have heavily criticized El-Sayed over allegations involving his family's ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Brooke Hogan blasts ‘fake, greedy people’ after Hulk’s Florida home sale: ‘Enjoy your dirty money’

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 21:18:56 -0400

Brooke Hogan is lashing out at the "fake, greedy people" she claims profited from her late father Hulk Hogan as she mourns the sale of the wrestling legend's Florida home.

Last week, Hulk's 5,400-square-foot, beachfront mansion in Clearwater Beach sold for $5.9 million after it was originally listed for nearly $11 million in January, according to TMZ. The outlet also reported that the neighboring guest cottage sold separately for $2.8 million.

Hulk, who was born Terry Bollea, died at age 71 in July 2025 after suffering cardiac arrest at his home in Clearwater Beach. The WWE icon's cause of death was later determined to be a heart attack.

NICK HOGAN HELPS GUIDE HULKAMANIA INTO FUTURE WITH SPORTS BAR OUTSIDE MSG, SHARES THOUGHTS ON FATHER'S LEGACY

In a series of emotional posts shared to her Instagram Stories Monday, Brooke reflected on losing the home where she shared memories with her father while accusing unnamed friends and family members of exploiting him for their own gain.

The 38-year-old TV personality also took aim at what she described as "dirty money," claiming some people only appeared "at the end" of her father's life "to collect."

"The sick feeling is indescribable," Brooke wrote in one post alongside a photo of the house with a red and white SOLD sticker at the top.

"This house was where dad and Jen envisioned growing old together," she added, referring to Hulk's ex-wife Jennifer McDaniel, to whom he was married from 2010 to 2021.

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"Where we brought him back to…surgery after surgery," Brooke continued. "Pool days. The smell of gasoline in his garage. His workouts downstairs."

"We cooked, we watched Jerry springer, we played music, we cried," she recalled. "I walked in that garage every visit and hugged him right when he’d open the garage door. I’d sit next to him for hours in the chair he died in."

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"His whole environment, his energy, his work, his relationships: First Jen — who no one but me treated with respect. Then I was gone…the truth teller… I’m sure to everyone’s delight."

"And now it’s all gone. Sold for profit. Just like him…used for f-----g everyone else’s gain. Saddest ending I’ve ever seen. You know who TF you are," Brooke concluded.

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In another post, Brooke uploaded an image in which she was seen posing with Hulk a dock outside the house, writing, "Let’s not forget who was there for the 15 years before the vultures swooped in conveniently."

Brooke went on to share a series of photos documenting the years that she spent by her father's side, writing that she "adored," loved and "cherished" him. She also posted images of pill bottles that were labeled with Hulk's name, noting that she "tracked every med."

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The "Brooke Knows Best" star also recalled how she and McDaniel helped care for Hulk during his health struggles.

"Jen and I were the nurse crew. Notebooks, records, prescription pickups, overnights, switching shifts," Brooke wrote.

"This woman spent more time in the trenches than ANY of us did," she continued. "He LOVED her dearly. And she loved him."

"She wanted to be there till his last breath despite the trauma she endured that I witnessed..," Brooke added.

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Brooke claimed that McDaniel "asked for nothing" following her split from Hulk. She wrote that McDaniel could have "fought for money" but instead "vanished" without launching a "smear campaign."

Describing McDaniel as "hilarious," Brooke recalled the two having "girl days" together. She praised her former stepmother as "pure love and grace."

"Their breakup was devastating for me," Brooke wrote. "I loved her, but I knew my dad was in the best care with her too."

"DEVOTION was an UNDERSTATEMENT," she added.

Alongside photos of Hogan recovering from surgeries, Brooke recalled how she and McDaniel repeatedly accompanied him to the hospital.

"We did surgery… after surgery… after surgery," she wrote.

In one photo, Brooke pointed out blood on McDaniel's shirt and missing fingernails. She posted images of Hulk standing in the hospital room, writing, "I'm taking the photo. You see anyone else there? Whole room… no one else?"

Brooke then shared a photo that was taken during a July 2025 episode of "WWE SmackDown!" following Hulk's death. In the photo, WWE stars, several wrestling legends and production crew were seen gathered onstage for the traditional 10-bell salute in memory of Hulk.

"Not ONE of these people stayed longer than an hour in the hospital… if they even showed," Brooke wrote.

"And I’ve had to hear everyone say I’m the jerk for stepping away from the toxic behavior and brainwashing, fake, greedy people… ‘I should have been there.’ ‘Everyone else’ was there till the end. NO. They were there AT the end. To collect," she wrote on a photo of herself with Hulk.

Brooke shared another image of the Hulk's home, writing, "Enjoy your dirty money. You took my dad."

However, Brooke later pushed back against reports that interpreted her posts as an attack on WWE stars, insisting that was not her intention.

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"Hey reporters: I don't have beef with the stars of WWE. Nor did I say that. Do your job right or don't do it at all," she wrote in a follow-up post on her Instagram Story.

Brooke explained that she was criticizing people who she said "show up to public tributes" despite not supporting her father privately when she was "in the trenches with him."

"But they'll show up to get their face on camera," she wrote, adding, "That includes so called ‘friends' AND family."

In another post, Brooke elaborated on her accusations as she blasted unnamed people who she claimed "only visited him if he payed [sic] for it" and others who "got a paycheck if they pretended they were his friend."

She also called out "the 'yes men' who were too afraid to protect him with truth" and "the ones who promised me they'd do the right thing when he died."

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"Apparently EVERYONE will show up at the end if you're famous enough and they can profit off your demise," Brooke concluded.

Brooke and Hulk were once extremely close and their father-daughter relationship was a major part of their reality series "Hogan Knows Best," which ran from 2005 to 2007. However, their relationship became complicated over the years and Brooke was estranged from Hulk during the final two years of his life.

In July 2023, Hulk amended his will to exclude Brooke and her descendants, leaving her brother Nick as the sole beneficiary of his probate estate. The "Rocky III" star shared Brooke and Nick, 36, with his ex-wife Linda Hogan. Hulk was married to Sky Daily from 2023 until his death.

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Brooke has maintained that her estrangement from Hulk was not due to a single falling-out. After Hulk died, Brooke said she ultimately stepped away following a series of "respectful disagreements" with her father that took an emotional toll on her.

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Hulk never publicly addressed his estrangement from Brooke or his decision to formally remove her from his will. However, a source told Us Weekly in March 2025 that the wrestling icon had told people he did not know why his daughter had stopped speaking to him. Brooke later said she had asked to be removed from his will because she wanted no part of an anticipated battle over his fortune.

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"I just know how my family is," Brooke told TMZ in August 2025. "I've seen how certain members of my family go after money. And I see how they fight over money. And how they turn on each other over money."

Rays' Chandler Simpson crashes face first into wall while making incredible catch in World Series vs Brewers

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 21:04:18 -0400

When it’s the World Series, you gotta give your all. Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Chandler Simpson did that on Monday night in Game 3 against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Brewers batter Sal Frelick hit a sharp liner to left field at Tropicana Field. Frelick thought the ball might have either been over Simpson’s head or, even better, a home run. If Simpson doesn’t make the play, the ball may have caromed off the wall and back to center field.

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Instead, Simpson turned the jets on. He made a leaping grab and crashed face first into the wall. He hung onto the ball and was able to get it back to the infield before Garrett Mitchell could advance to second base.

Tampa Bay saved a run and the possibility of giving momentum to Milwaukee early in the game.

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The second-year outfielder may need to step up a little bit more for the Rays as they came into the game facing a 2-0 deficit. Simpson has been 3-for-8 in the series with an RBI and two strikeouts. But if the team is going to be inspired by defensive magic, Simpson may have brought it.

Milwaukee and Tampa Bay were two of the best teams in baseball all year. They each came into the series as the No. 1 seed in the postseason, having earned byes into their respective Division Series.

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The Brewers defeated the Rays 3-2 in Game 1 and 5-4 in Game 2. The intensity of the games have been almost too close for comfort. But that’s baseball, Suzyn.

White House defends Trump after archbishop calls prayer moment 'manipulated' ahead of midterms

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 21:00:00 -0400

The White House on Monday defended President Donald Trump after Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey Grob publicly apologized for participating in an Oval Office prayer with the president, accusing the administration of using the religious gathering for political purposes less than two weeks before the midterm elections.

Grob issued a statement Sunday titled "A Public Apology," alleging that the White House distributed photographs and video of the Thursday prayer without the consent of the 12 participating bishops. He accused the administration of manipulating a sacred moment. The archbishop said he had received messages from Catholics concerned that the prayer appeared to constitute a political endorsement. Grob acknowledged having reservations before attending and apologized for the distress his participation caused.

"I feel a heavy sadness, not only over the pain I caused, but also for the fact that something so sacred to a group of religious leaders, prayer to our Heavenly Father, would be manipulated in that way," he said. "We came in good faith to try to work for the betterment of our fellow human beings, to ease their suffering, to build up the common good, and to pray with a president, not to pose for a political photo opportunity to benefit the few."

White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers defended Trump's record on religious liberty and Catholic priorities in a statement to Fox News Digital following the archbishop's public apology.

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"There has never been a greater president for Catholic Americans than President Trump, and his strong record proves it: he stopped the weaponization of the federal government against Christians, proudly defended and expanded our religious rights, pardoned pro-life activists, stopped the chemical mutilation of our nation’s children, and protected parents’ rights," she said.

The meeting, which Grob said was arranged by the Heritage Foundation, was intended to address immigration enforcement, religious worker visas and other Catholic priorities. Following a 90-minute discussion with White House domestic policy staff and advisors, the bishops entered the Oval Office, where Trump presented commemorative tokens before they prayed together. Grob said the group was unaware that video was being recorded.

Des Moines Bishop William Joensen also criticized the gathering's subsequent publicity in a statement published Saturday, saying the bishops never intended to endorse a political candidate or party.

"None of us bishops were unaware that our meeting was on the cusp of a national election. Yet in no way did any of us intend by our involvement to endorse any political party or any individual candidate," he said. "That said, in retrospect, I would have done well to be more mindful of Jesus’ admonition: ‘Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves’ (Matthew 10:16). I wish I had been more shrewd and less simple, like those who exploited our meeting for partisan political purposes."

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Denver Archbishop James Golka, who led the prayer, discussed his participation in an interview with the Denver Catholic. Golka acknowledged concerns about the video's political implications but emphasized that praying for elected officials remains a longstanding Catholic practice.

"I wasn’t sure what to do. On one hand, it was a great opportunity to raise important issues for the Church’s benefit," he said. "On the other hand, I knew people might be upset. Though I originally thought it would be a private meeting, I knew that it could be shared and that some might use it for political purposes.

"But as I prayed about it, I thought that this is what Catholics do," he continued. "We pray for people. No matter whether we agree or disagree on anything, we always pray for our country and leaders."

The controversy comes as Catholic leaders continue to disagree with the Trump administration over some of its policies, particularly immigration. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops sued the administration in February 2025 over the suspension of refugee resettlement funding.

Other prominent Catholic leaders have encouraged continued engagement with the administration. In a May interview with Fox News Digital, Bishop Robert Barron, a member of Trump's Religious Liberty Commission, cautioned against demonizing the president despite disagreements over immigration and other policies.

"What I don't want from the church is a kind of demonization of the Trump administration," he said.

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The Archdiocese of Milwaukee declined to comment further on the matter when reached by Fox News Digital.

Portland officials say city did not approve policies that led to removal of women's sports supporters

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 20:56:50 -0400

Officials for the City of Portland says they are reviewing a filmed confrontation in which women’s sports supporters were struck and forcibly removed from a publicly owned soccer stadium.

The city denied involvement in decisions concerning the spectators and an OutKick reporter, identifying the stadium operator and its subcontractors as responsible. It also said the operator’s agreement requires compliance with applicable laws.

"The City is reviewing," officials told OutKick. "Decisions concerning the incident in question are handled by the Stadium Operator Peregrine, LLC and their subcontractors. The City was not involved in any decisions concerning the spectators or reporter."

Asked whether the city approved policies governing XX-XY clothing, messages about transgender participation in sports, banners or press credentials, officials answered, "No."

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"The Stadium Operating Agreement requires the Operator to not only implement a Security, Safety and Traffic Control plan but also comply with all applicable laws. The Ticket Terms and Conditions require all spectators comply with all rules, regulations, and policies of the Thorns, the NWSL and Peregrine Sports, including the Providence Park Guest Guide."

Asked what explanation the operator had provided for the removals, and whether the city was examining consistent enforcement across spectators expressing different views, officials said they were still seeking information.

"The City is working with the Stadium Operator to receive more details about the incident," the response stated.

The response comes as the Justice Department separately reviews the Oct. 23 incident at Providence Park for potential constitutional concerns.

"The Justice Department is aware of these reports and will review the matter thoroughly. Where the facts and the law warrant action, the Department will not hesitate to act," a department spokesperson told OutKick.

A Justice Department official said that, based on information available so far, the described conduct appears to raise viewpoint discrimination and First Amendment questions rather than sex discrimination.

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Friday’s confrontation began during the Portland Thorns’ match against the North Carolina Courage. Approximately 20 spectators kept their XX-XY Athletics shirts covered through the first half, then revealed them and displayed a large "Save Women’s Sports" banner at the start of the second half.

Footage captured members of the group being struck by other spectators, including with flagpoles carrying transgender flags, and being forcibly escorted out by security. The organizers included activist Amy Sousa and commentator Brandi Kruse.

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Officials cited Section 4 of the stadium operating agreement as the source of the operator’s authority, saying Section 4.3 requires implementation of a security, safety and traffic control plan.

They said the agreement requires the operator to comply with applicable laws, while ticket terms require spectators to follow the policies of the Thorns, NWSL and Peregrine Sports, including the stadium’s guest guide. The response did not identify which provision security applied during Friday’s confrontation.

Providence Park is city-owned and operated by Peregrine Sports. Portland’s Spectator Venues Program oversees the city’s interests in the facility and its relationship with the operator.

The First Amendment generally restricts government action, and a private organization does not automatically become a government actor simply because it holds a public contract. But government direction or joint participation can bring private conduct under constitutional scrutiny.

Portland also did not explicitly confirm whether it would request preservation of surveillance footage and incident reports or consider corrective action if misconduct or a contractual violation were established.

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"The City will continue to engage with the Stadium Operator in accordance with the Stadium Operating Agreement," officials said in response to that question.