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Dolly Parton's cause of death revealed and more top headlines

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 06:35:24 -0400

Good morning and welcome to Fox News' morning newsletter, Fox News First. And here's what you need to know to start your day ...

TOP 3

1. Dolly Parton's cause of death revealed

2. Darline Graham seals stunning upset in runoff

3. Lindsay Clancy jury may bring ‘strange twist’ to verdict

MAJOR HEADLINES

RED STATE REBELLION — Trump impeachment crusader scores upset in Oklahoma Senate race. Continue reading …

COURT BATTLE — Judge leaves custody order intact as critically ill newborn's condition worsens. Continue reading …

BROADCAST DOWNFALL — Former Missouri news anchor admits killing mom after believing she was the devil. Continue reading …

MARITIME BUST — Globetrotting sailor faces 30 years, multiple victims cited across separate cases. Continue reading …

POLITICS

CLOSE PROTECTION — Secret Service probing chilling footage that surfaces with reward for Barron Trump. Continue reading …

LAWSUIT LOOMING — Grocers issue warning over Mamdani’s taxpayer-backed stores. Continue reading …

SCRIPT FLIPPED — Lawmaker casts doubt on El-Sayed’s socialist denial as policies tell another story. Continue reading …

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MEDIA

SANCTUARY STANDOFF — Dem candidate touts cutting ties with ICE, DHS responds with list of criminal mugshots. Continue reading …

NEIGHBORLY LOVE — Grandma ordered to stop serving free breakfasts refuses to back down: 'They are my family'. Continue reading …

OBSESSION — Liberal networks go wall-to-wall with coverage of top White House aide. Continue reading …

PARTY DIVIDE — James Carville unloads on Jeffries over private sit-down with key Trump insider. Continue reading …

OPINION

ROBERT MAGINNIS — Trump’s Economic D-Day can hammer Iran, but will Tehran ever surrender? Continue reading …

JONATHAN ALPERT — AOC says ‘Woke 1 was crazy,’ but Democrats still owe voters an explanation. Continue reading …

IN OTHER NEWS

FAIR PLAY — US Olympic legend leading new charge against WNBA amid Sophie Cunningham movement. Continue reading …

QUIET PACT — Prince Harry and Meghan Markle won’t ‘hijack’ Prince George’s historic Eton debut. Continue reading …

AMERICAN CULTURE QUIZ — Test yourself on presidential portrayals and summer sips. Take the quiz here …

LISTEN

Tune in as new research raises national security concerns over anonymous prediction-market bets on U.S. military actions and the risk that sensitive information could be exploited for profit. Listen to more on Castbox.

PODCASTS

Gary Buechler breaks down the entertainment trends and cultural conversations shaping the week on ‘Will Cain Country.’ Check it out…

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Rams' Sean McVay reacts to wild college football controversy: 'Feel like I took a freakin' gummy'

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 06:33:26 -0400

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay has one way to view the current college football landscape.

Tight end Dae’Quan Wright was expected to become the first-ever player to go from an NFL roster back to an NCAA roster on Wednesday. Wright, who was waived by the Cleveland Browns just two days ago, was reportedly set to reunite with his old Ole Miss coach, Lane Kiffin, at LSU for this upcoming college season.

But hours after he cleared waivers, Wright and the rest of the college football world saw the SEC and Big Ten, which will soon be joined by the ACC and Big 12, create new guidelines for eligibility that would prevent players like Wright who have participated in professional sports from reentering college athletics.

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This came after Wright and other players were granted injunctions or temporary restraining orders allowing them to play this upcoming college season. And most of the lawsuits stem from the NCAA’s new guidelines, which give players five years to play five seasons.

McVay was asked about the college controversy on Tuesday during his press session at training camp. He didn’t even hear the full question, but his reaction said it all.

"Yeah, I can’t even comprehend this stuff," McVay explained. "It’s wild. I don’t know enough about it other than the fact that guys that can be in NFL camps, if it doesn’t go down for them, they can go back college."

McVay put it even more bluntly.

"I feel like I took a freakin’ gummy," McVay said, per the Los Angeles Times.

COLLEGE ATHLETICS' LATEST MESS: COURT ORDERS SAY ATHLETES CAN PLAY, BUT SEC AND BIG TEN READY TO FIGHT

Under the new policies set by the SEC and Big Ten, any athlete that has signed with a pro team in the NFL, declared for the NFL Draft or participated in any type of professional training camp will be ineligible for conference competition.

Attorney Ryan Downton, who represents a number of players trying to get back into the college landscape, told OutKick’s Trey Wallace on Tuesday night that they are currently "working on a legal strategy" on how to move forward against both the NCAA and the respective conferences that enacted the new guidelines.

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

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Wright is among a group of former college football players who were all granted a temporary restraining order by a judge in Louisiana. He is among several athletes from the 2022 high school class that tried capitalizing on the NCAA’s five-year eligibility guidelines, which was unanimously approved by the NCAA Division I Cabinet in June.

OutKick’s Trey Wallace contributed to this report.

Washington Redskins gear is available to fans in the Commanders' team shop at stadium and online

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 06:31:51 -0400

The Washington Redskins name and iconic logo that the NFL team in the nation's capital abandoned in 2020 is back in a manner of speaking. It's on full display and for sale in the team's current merchandise shop.

Although the gear bearing the Redskins name is rare and limited to a Mitchell & Ness throwback line of T-shirts or jerseys bearing the name of former players who played with the Redskins name and helmet insignia, it is indeed for sale.

Anyone can go to the brick-and-mortar store at Northwest Stadium or online and buy, for example, an Art Monk T-shirt bearing the Pro Football Hall Fame receiver's likeness in his old uniform and in his Redskins helmet.

TAYLOR HEINICKE RETIRES FROM THE NFL WITH A FAREWELL SALUTE TO THE WASHINGTON REDSKINS

The back of that T-shirt is emblazoned with "Washington Redskins" and Monk's career statistics and records. The shirt costs $49.99.

For the same price, fans can purchase a Sean Taylor T-Shirt with the likeness of the former safety in his Redskins uniform before he was tragically slain in 2007. Like Monk, Taylor played for the Redskins, not the Washington Commanders.

Taylor's retired No. 21 jersey, complete with the Redskins name on the front and a 75th anniversary Washington Redskins patch, is available for $114.99.

The interesting thing about this is the franchise is marketing this gear emblazoned with Washington Redskins script and logos as Commanders gear.

The jersey, for example, is described as a Sean Taylor Black Washington Commanders Retired Player Name & Number Mesh Top – even though the Commanders nickname does not appear on the jersey.

NFL AND CONGRESS DISCUSS RETURN OF THE WASHINGTON REDSKINS LOGO

This is what happens when an NFL franchise builds a long and storied history as the Washington Redskins from 1937 to 2019, then decides the Redskins nickname is racist or otherwise offensive under pressure from liberal fans, some Native American groups and sponsors.

The Washington Commanders, as they're known now, have vowed never to return to the Redskins nickname.

Current owner Josh Harris said in September 2023 that he understands the nostalgia for the former name but that "there was a portion of our fan base that felt disrespected by the former name."

So why, if the Redskins name is bothersome, are the Commanders selling Redskins merchandise? And why are they later this season wearing an alternate helmet with a spear piercing the W insignia, much like the old feathered arrow helmet the Redskins wore in the 1960s?

The spear that is part of the so-called "Raise Hail" alternate uniform is an obvious reach at Redskins nostalgia.

The gear in the team gift shop is being made available to keep the old trademark in commercial use, according to WUSA9 in Washington.

"We are required to maintain the marks in commercial usage so that marks remain under franchise control," a club spokesman told the television station.

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A trademark may be deemed abandoned if its use is discontinued with intent not resume use. The Lanham Act says that three consecutive years of nonuse is prima facie evidence of abandonment.

The statutory standard also requires "bona fide use … in the ordinary course of trade," rather than merely token sales made solely to reserve rights.

That might be a problem for the Commanders because their contention is that these Redskins items are sold on a limited availability.

It should be noted that there are Native American groups who believe the Redskins nickname to be indeed racist. But other native individuals, including a Navajo Code Talkers Association leader and a former Blackfeet tribal chairman, have publicly supported retaining the old nickname and the Native-profile logo.

Walter "Blackie" Wetzel, a former chairman of the Blackfeet Tribe and former president of the National Congress of American Indians, helped persuade the club in 1972 to replace its "R" helmet logo with the Native chief helmet portrait most associated with the team.

In a 2002 interview, Wetzel said: "It made us all so proud to have an Indian on a big-time team. It’s only a small group of radicals who oppose those names. Indians are proud of Indians."

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Sports cartoons of the day

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 11:08:52 -0400

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle won’t ‘hijack’ Prince George’s historic Eton debut, royal expert says

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 06:00:58 -0400

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are expected to steer clear of releasing photos, making comments or generating other news that could overshadow Prince George’s highly anticipated first day at Eton College, according to a royal expert.

"The Sussexes have assured the King that they will not hijack or derail major royal events, notably the first day of school term for Prince George at Eton," royal broadcaster Neil Sean told Fox News Digital. "By that, no pictures or comment from either one on that day in September."

A representative for Archewell told Fox News Digital: "This is not something we would comment on." Kensington Palace did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

The reported understanding comes as the Prince and Princess of Wales prepare for a major family milestone. Kensington Palace confirmed in June that George, 13, will attend Eton beginning this September, following in the footsteps of both his father, Prince William, and his uncle, Harry.

PRINCE WILLIAM, KATE MIDDLETON WRESTLED WITH MAJOR DECISION OVER PRINCE GEORGE'S FUTURE: EXPERT

Royal commentator Amanda Matta told Fox News Digital that George’s arrival at the prestigious boarding school carries significance beyond a typical first day.

"Prince George’s start at Eton isn’t just a personal milestone; it’s the beginning of his public-facing path as heir to the throne," Matta said. "The Palace is incredibly protective of that narrative, and any competing headline — especially one involving Harry and Meghan — threatens to distract from the ‘steady, future-focused’ brand the Prince and Princess of Wales have worked so hard to build."

PRINCE WILLIAM ‘BLINDSIDED’ BY HARRY, MEGHAN RETURN AS KATE FEARS NEW TURMOIL FROM ROYAL FEUD: EXPERTS

She added that, while the matter may not weigh heavily on Prince William and Kate Middleton personally, it could be important to palace staff working to keep the focus on the future king.

"It would certainly be a shame for his first days at Eton to see him embroiled in a ‘feud’ narrative with his uncle and aunt," Matta said.

In a statement shared with The New York Times last week, a spokesperson for the Sussexes said, "On the heels of a wonderful trip with family and friends this summer, Harry and Meghan have decided to spend an extended period in the U.K. this autumn. They are excited to have their children spend more time in the country that’s such an important part of their family’s story."

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The spokesperson confirmed that the couple’s businesses will remain unchanged and based in the U.S. Meghan and Harry will also keep their home in California.

Matta said the reported agreement may reflect an informal attempt to avoid competing headlines during significant occasions, though the couple's public profile makes a complete break from the royal news cycle unlikely.

"The Sussexes generate headlines simply by existing in public space," she said. "That’s been true since 2018 and hasn’t changed with their location or job titles."

PRINCE HARRY, MEGHAN MARKLE'S UK RETURN SIGNALS ‘SPECTACULAR DEFEAT’ AS ROYAL EXPERTS WARN OF WILLIAM SHOWDOWN

"If they also want to avoid collisions, it would require a level of coordination with the Palace that seems very unlikely given the current climate," she said. "Harry and Meghan have not conferred with the Palace about their personal or professional plans for several years now."

The more realistic outcome, Matta said, may be "an informal understanding of when to lay low, and when an overlap could be workable."

While palace aides may be concerned about maintaining the royals' carefully planned media strategy, Matta cautioned that not every competing headline is the Sussexes’ doing.

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"Palace aides know better than anyone how quickly a delicate PR plan and media cycle can be dominated by a competing story," she said. "It’s not necessarily even about the Sussexes’ actions, but it’s completely up to the editors running headlines."

MEGHAN MARKLE RETURNS TO BRITAIN WITH PRINCE ARCHIE AND PRINCESS LILIBET FOR FIRST TIME IN YEARS

She added, "Meghan stepping outside will generate headlines even if it’s just to buy groceries or ice cream with the kids."

British broadcaster Hilary Fordwich echoed that concern, telling Fox News Digital that even the absence of a Sussex appearance can fuel coverage and public speculation.

"Just their mere presence or lack thereof will now be making headlines and, indeed, likely to clash with royal priorities and media focus on causes," she said.

Fordwich said George’s first term at Eton should remain "private" and serve as "a life transition for both him and the family," who live nearby in Windsor.

Matta said the reported restraint could represent a tentative attempt at a "headline truce," but she questioned whether the pressure to plan their lives around the royal calendar should fall entirely on Harry and Meghan.

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"The U.K. tabloid press will manufacture that narrative regardless of what the Sussexes do," she said. "What they can control is their own family and their own goals."

Sean noted that the alleged agreement will face its first major test when George begins school next month.

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"We can only assume that they will stick to their word," he said. "But this will be an interesting development."

Missouri grandma ordered to stop serving free breakfasts refuses to back down, 'They are my family'

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 06:00:55 -0400

A Missouri grandmother says she was frightened she could end up in legal trouble after county health officials told her to stop serving free homemade breakfasts without a permit, but she told Fox News Digital she has no intention of giving up the morning tradition that brings her tiny community together.

"I'm not gonna stop providing for my community," Kathy Kite of Harrisburg, Missouri, told Fox News Digital in an interview Tuesday. "I wouldn't stop feeding my children, I wouldn't stop feeding my family. I'm not gonna stop feeding my community cause they are my family….This is bigger than that. It's about love and appreciation because they appreciate what I do."

Kite has been cooking a free breakfasts for her neighbors and friends since May. In July, she received a letter from the Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services Department that said she needed to obtain a food permit or face possible legal action.

YOU SHOULDN’T NEED A PERMIT TO PRAY IN YOUR OWN HOME — THE SUPREME COURT SHOULD AGREE

"I got the letter in July, it upset me, because I didn't understand what I was doing wrong," Kite said. "It hurt my feelings, and it upset me because I knew at that point I was afraid I was gonna go to jail because the letter stated that if I didn't stop making breakfast for my community, that I was facing fines and jail, and so I posted it on Facebook and people responded."

The Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services Department denied that their letter threatened jail time, in comments to Fox News Digital.

Kite said that after the local gas station where she works stopped serving breakfast following COVID, regular customers kept asking for it, so she invited them to her home and began cooking breakfast for them, herself.

Kite said that what began as an early-morning breakfast for a few regulars quickly spread across the town of fewer than 300 people. More residents began stopping by for coffee and breakfast, staying to talk about farming, the weather and childhood memories. The growing sense of community motivated her to wake up even earlier to cook, and soon local mothers were bringing their children by for breakfast before school.

ORTHODOX JEW ASKS SUPREME COURT TO HEAR CASE AFTER CITY ALLEGEDLY TARGETED HIS HOME PRAYER GROUP

Kite said the letter from the Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services Department says that she must install a commercial kitchen in her home.

"In order for me to comply with what they're asking, I would have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to have a commercial kitchen in my home," Kite said. "I live in a 115-year-old home. It's a beautiful home. I'm not gonna jeopardize the integrity of my home to put a commercial kitchen in to make some free burritos."

She said she would welcome city officials into her home so they could see firsthand what she is doing.

"Come have a burrito. I'm [not] doing anything wrong. I don't, I just, I can't understand. Come to my home, see my home, and see that my home is not dirty," Kite said. "I don't have cats. I'm not making people sick. I am just a grandma cooking a meal for my friends and family and enjoying life."

The Goldwater Institute sent a letter Thursday to the Boone County health department demanding they answer questions by Friday about their legal reasoning. The group said that no lawsuit has been filed to date, but it is on the table.

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

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Dave Roland, Goldwater Institute's director of allied litigation, said, "Kathy’s story is a textbook example of bureaucracy run amok. Citizens should not be required to get the government’s permission before offering passers-by some coffee and a bite to eat while they socialize. The government exists to protect this sort of neighborly kindness, not to punish it."

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The Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services Department told Fox News Digital that food permits are not required when providing food for family and friends, but a permit is required when providing food to the public, citing the Missouri food code.

"At the time the complaint was received, Ms. Kite’s home had an open sign, tip jar, advertised food on social media and a sign in her yard — all things that are typically associated with a food establishment," the spokesperson said.

"No citations or cease-and-desist orders were issued," the statement continued. "We also did not threaten jail time. We sent a letter to Ms. Kite following a complaint we received that food served in her establishment made someone ill. Our role in public health is to work with food establishments to promote safe food practices and prevent food-borne illnesses. There are safe, allowable ways to provide homemade food to the community with and without a food permit. We regularly work together with individuals and businesses who want to provide free food to the community."

College baseball player fatally shot after trying to enter wrong house, mom says

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 06:00:35 -0400

A college baseball player was fatally shot by police in Pennsylvania after he accidentally tried to enter the wrong home after a night out, his family said.

The Office of Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele confirmed to Fox News Digital that Glenwood "Bubba" Pysher IV, 22, was killed on Sunday, Aug. 23

Investigators say a 911 call came in early Sunday, just after midnight. The Upper Pottsgrove Township Police Department responded to a call about a possible break-in at a home on Snyder Road.

WATCH: TERRIFYING MOMENT SPEAR-WIELDING MAN LUNGES AT CALIFORNIA COPS BEFORE SHOTS RING OUT

The DA's office confirmed police arrived on scene "to find a male in the rear of the residence," he said.

They said police shot and killed him after an "encounter."

ARIZONA POLICE SHOOTING SUSPECT ARRESTED, ANOTHER REMAINS AT LARGE AFTER KILLING 1, WOUNDING FIANCEE

Pysher was a college baseball player who had made stops at Francis Marion University, Northampton Community College and Holy Family University, and was preparing for his senior year at St. Elizabeth College in New Jersey, according to his obituary.

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His mother, Erin Pysher, told Fox News Digital her son was not armed when he was allegedly "shot twice" by an officer.

"He's never been in trouble—he was a good kid. I don't know what prompted the cop to think that the shooting was necessary," she said.

Before he was fatally shot, he was "bar-hopping with friends" and walked up to a home on the street he had mistaken for a friend's and tried to get in, his mother said.

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"I dropped him off with his friends at a bar to celebrate his friend's 21st birthday," she said. After the bar, the men were headed to a friend's house to continue their evening.

The friends eventually split up, Pysher said. She told Fox News Digital her son opted to walk to the house.

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"He took a wrong turn and ended up at the wrong house," she said.

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"After a few drinks, he didn't realize it—he was at their back door knocking, thinking it was his friend's house, saying, 'Hey, let me in,'" Erin Pysher said. "The homeowners, not knowing, called the cops saying it was an attempted burglary."

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"He was the biggest sweetheart—carefree and loving. He loved life, loved hanging out with his friends, and fishing. Baseball was his life; he played it in college and was getting ready to leave Sunday afternoon to start his senior year. He wanted to become a history teacher and coach baseball," she said.

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The police department confirmed the officer involved was placed on administrative leave following the incident.

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The DA's office told Fox News Digital, "The fatal shooting is an active investigation. When the investigation is complete, we will provide media with the findings."

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"He was a great kid; I couldn't ask for a better son. A little jokester—we had our inside jokes, and he loved teasing his three younger sisters. There's a huge hole in our life without him. He was the best kid ever; I don't know how else to describe him," Erin Pysher said.

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Dog treat founder eats her own products, even packs them in her kids' lunches

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 05:00:57 -0400

It's National Dog Day, and one dog treat creator thinks dogs should be included in the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative, which emphasizes whole, nutrient-dense foods.

"We have never used anything artificial," Sarah Goldberger, New York-based founder and CEO of organic dog treat company Lord Jameson, told Fox News Digital.

"We've never used fake food coloring. We've never used fake flavoring. All of our bright, beautiful colors come from real fruits and vegetables."

CHEAP, HEALTHY FOOD IS REJECTED BY MOST AMERICANS EVEN AS MAHA MOVEMENT PUSHES IT

Since becoming an official federal initiative in February 2025, the MAHA Commission has promoted a greater focus on whole, nutrient-dense foods while calling for reductions in refined carbohydrates, added sugars and certain artificial additives.

Goldberger believes those nutritional priorities will "translate into the pet space."

"My hope is that as a brand, we can inspire other pet brands to make better choices to really impact the lives and the health and wellness of dogs," she said.

Goldberger started Lord Jameson in 2019, inspired by her late dog, Jameson, after noticing what she described as a void in the market for healthier dog treats.

HERE'S WHY DOGS DON'T NEED 'HUMAN FOOD,' SAYS VIRGINIA VETERINARIAN: 'NO REASON FOR IT'

"Jameson had gone through a pretty serious medical issue, and the medication he was being given actually created toxicity in his body," Goldberger said.

"So we started working with a homeopathic vet, and we were reminded of the power of plant-based medicine. A lot of the formulas, especially in our wellness products, are meant to serve dogs during a time of needed healing with plant-based products, more herbs and botanicals."

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When she set out to create the brand, Goldberger said she surveyed more than 1,000 pet parents and found that many reported their dogs had allergies or sensitivities to various animal proteins, preservatives and food colorings.

Goldberger said she wanted to offer treats made with "completely clean ingredients, organic, gluten-free, no preservatives, no toxins, no artificial colors or flavors."

Despite not using preservatives, the treats have an 18-month shelf life, which Goldberger said is "very difficult to achieve in production" and is "another key selling point for us."

Lord Jameson, Goldberger said, has "truly reimagined what dog treats can be and should be."

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She said she eats the treats herself and even puts them in her children's lunchboxes.

They've been a hit with pet owners for a variety of reasons, including what Goldberger described as their effect on dogs' digestive systems.

"As a dog mom myself, I know the frustration when you go to the store, you buy food or a treat, you bring it home and all of a sudden they have diarrhea," she said.

"Because we're using whole-food ingredients and no preservatives, you're going to get a nice firm poop after they eat. It sounds funny to say, but this is something you'll see in a lot of our reviews."

Goldberger also said the treats can be suitable for some dogs with colitis, diabetes or other specialized dietary needs.

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Lord Jameson has since launched a line of "protein-inspired" flavors as part of its Love Puffs line, made with organic sorghum, a whole grain that contains protein and fiber.

Another feature that sets Lord Jameson apart, Goldberger said, is that the brand is "completely vertically integrated," with its manufacturing operations, including its kitchen, warehouse and fulfillment center, based in Boulder, Colorado.

"We've had no price increase for three or four years, no issues with any tariffs because everything is sourced primarily in North America," Goldberger said.

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Lord Jameson treats are sold at 5,500 independent pet retailers in the United States, as well as at some grocery stores, and are available internationally in four countries.

Kelly McGreal of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.

Trump’s Economic D-Day can hammer Iran, but will Tehran ever surrender?

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 05:00:44 -0400

I lived in Europe for years, studying World War II not only in books but on the ground, walking battlefields and cemeteries and listening to veterans who had fought their way across the continent.

For America and our European allies, D-Day was an all-in fight. Survival was at stake. There was no ambiguity about the enemy or the objective.

So, when Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called his new maximum-pressure campaign against Iran an "Economic D-Day," a term he used this week, one question immediately came to mind:

Where is V-E Day?

The real D-Day came on June 6, 1944. Nazi Germany did not surrender until May 8, 1945. That was 11 months later.

D-Day was not victory. It began the final campaign toward victory.

Bessent deserves credit for launching something much more ambitious than another sanctions package. The administration calls it Operation Economic Outcast: an effort to sever Iran’s remaining economic lifelines in shipping, aviation, technology, gold and digital assets, with secondary sanctions threatened against foreign enablers. About 60 individuals, entities and vessels were targeted in the opening round.

TRUMP THREATENS 'UNPRECEDENTED' ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES FOR ANY NATION AIDING IRAN

And there is an important difference from President Donald Trump’s first-term "maximum pressure" campaign: the U.S. Navy.

Previous sanctions made Iranian oil hard to finance, insure and sell. Today, unlike the first-term campaign, the administration is pairing financial pressure with what AP reports is a Navy-enforced blockade of Iranian ports.

The administration hopes to deepen a decline already evident in Iranian oil shipments to China. Iranian oil shipments to China fell to about 534,000 barrels a day in August, down from 823,000 in July and from a 2026 peak of roughly 1.58 million. Chinese refiners are scrambling for alternative supplies.

Iran is hurting badly.

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

Its currency has been battered, and its infrastructure has been damaged. Iran’s own Statistical Centre reports annual inflation reached 88% in July, with food prices up 128% from a year earlier. The regime worries that additional hardship could trigger renewed domestic unrest.

All of this proves Bessent can make Iran poorer. It does not prove he can make Iran surrender.

History demonstrates the difference.

Treasury Secretary Jack Lew testified that the sanctions preceding the 2015 nuclear agreement cost Iran more than $160 billion in oil revenue after 2012, with exports down 60% and the rial down by half.

COULD IRAN’S REGIME COLLAPSE? EXPERTS ASSESS BESSENT’S BID TO SEVER FINANCIAL LIFELINES

But sanctions did not produce Iranian capitulation. They brought Tehran to the negotiating table. Iran retained uranium enrichment while accepting restrictions and inspections in exchange for sanctions relief.

Trump tried differently after withdrawing from the nuclear agreement in 2018. His first maximum-pressure campaign again inflicted enormous damage, yet Iran never accepted Washington’s broader demands on nuclear activities, missiles and regional behavior before he left office.

FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS OPPOSE THE IRAN WAR, SEE PROLONGED COMMITMENT

Outcomes are what matters. Government studies of sanctions have repeatedly found it easier to measure economic punishment than to demonstrate that the punishment produced the desired foreign-policy outcome. GAO also found sanctions work better when they are multilateral and when the target depends on the countries imposing them.

Treasury can count barrels Iran cannot sell, dollars Tehran cannot collect and banks it can no longer use.

Those numbers tell us how much Iran is hurting.

They do not tell us whether Iran is surrendering.

There is also something unusual about the regime Bessent is trying to coerce.

Ordinary Iranians certainly do not welcome economic misery. They have repeatedly protested inflation, unemployment and declining living standards.

But the Islamic Republic’s revolutionary leadership has spent nearly five decades building political legitimacy around resistance to foreign pressure, sacrifice and self-reliance. The regime’s so-called "resistance economy" was built to help Iran endure sanctions, not capitulate to end them.

Economic coercion assumes the target eventually concludes that continued suffering is worse than concession. Iran’s revolutionary rulers have spent nearly half a century teaching themselves that concession to America can be worse than suffering.

Then there is China.

Beijing purchases more than 80% of Iran’s shipped oil and has already rejected Washington’s new sanctions strategy.

Iranian crude has survived previous sanctions through Chinese independent refiners, shadow tankers, disguised cargo origins and transactions conducted in Chinese currency.

Yet the administration initially spared major Chinese banks, reportedly to avoid disrupting the global financial system, as Trump and Xi Jinping prepare to meet.

Washington sanctioned a smaller Chinese bank once before, cutting off Bank of Kunlun in 2012 for handling Iranian banks’ money. Threatening a systemically important state bank is a different order of confrontation.

How can maximum pressure on Iran be maximum if Washington is unwilling to impose maximum pressure on Iran’s largest economic lifeline?

China does not have to restore normal Iranian commerce. It only has to permit enough oil purchases, financial transactions and sanctions evasion to keep Tehran breathing.

Its strategy can be brutally simple: absorb the contraction, repress unrest, keep commerce flowing through China, and keep Hormuz dangerous enough that Americans share the pain.

Iran doesn’t need to outfight Trump. It needs to outlast him. That turns Bessent’s Economic D-Day into an endurance contest, and endurance depends on the costs borne by both sides.

And America is paying.

The Iran war has already depleted scarce Patriot and THAAD missile interceptors, with a CSIS analysis estimating reductions of 65% and 38%, respectively. Those are munitions we may need in a conflict with China, the same conflict that already forced the Japan-homeported USS George Washington to divert to the Middle East, relieving USS Abraham Lincoln after a deployment beyond 250 days.

The political cost is rising too. A new Reuters/Ipsos poll finds only 31% of Americans support the Iran war, while 83% believe it will last a long time. Washington also has less room to cushion another energy shock: the Strategic Petroleum Reserve has fallen to roughly 290 million barrels, its lowest level since November 1982, after repeated emergency releases. If Hormuz deteriorates further, that safety net is much thinner.

Iran’s leaders can read an election calendar.

The contest, therefore, is not simply whether Bessent can bankrupt Iran. It is whether Iran’s economy breaks before America’s political patience does.

Secretary Bessent may indeed have launched an impressive Economic D-Day.

But D-Day was never the objective.

Victory was.

The Allies knew what victory meant on June 6, 1944: allies committed to the campaign, a strategy for reaching Germany, and an unmistakable end state.

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Before committing to this costly war’s next phase against an adversary that has spent 47 years learning to endure American pressure, the administration owes Americans basic answers.

What does victory over Iran mean? How long will it take? What price are we prepared to pay? And what happens if Tehran simply refuses to surrender?

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If Economic D-Day cannot answer those questions, America may not have found a way out of another forever war.

It may simply have found another way to fight one.

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AOC says ‘Woke 1 was crazy,’ but Democrats still owe voters an explanation

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 05:00:27 -0400

"Woke 1 was crazy."

New York Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently borrowed the phrase from New York City Councilman Chi Ossé to describe the politics of 2020. "Woke 1" gives Democrats a convenient way to put ideas such as defunding the police and abolishing prisons in the past. That was then. This is now. There’s a psychological term for this kind of separation: compartmentalization.

Consider how compartmentalization works in ordinary life. A married man can have a wife and children at home and a girlfriend on the side, keeping the two lives separate enough that he rarely confronts the contradiction. Compartmentalization allows us to separate conflicting parts of our lives rather than reconcile them.

ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ SHRUGS OFF PAST 'DEFUND THE POLICE' COMMENTS, JOKING 'WOKE 1 WAS CRAZY'

That appears to be what Democrats are trying to do with 2020. There is the Democratic Party of 2020, when progressive ideas that once sat outside the mainstream suddenly gained influence. Then there is the Democratic Party of 2026, talking about affordability, economic populism and winning back voters who recoiled from the cultural politics of the past several years. "Woke 1" puts a neat dividing line between them. Changing your mind requires confronting what you once believed. Compartmentalization doesn’t.

Many political beliefs in 2020 became tests of character. They didn’t just say what you believed. They said what kind of person you were. If people you dismissed six years ago turned out to have a point, you have more to reconsider than a policy. Maybe you were too certain. Maybe you mistook disagreement for prejudice.

MICHIGAN SENATE HOPEFUL ABDUL EL-SAYED FIRES BACK AT CNN CHOOSING TO 'FIXATE' ON 'DEFUND THE POLICE' COMMENTS

Or you can call the whole thing "Woke 1."

Except 2020 didn’t simply happen to the Democratic Party. Politicians embraced ideas, activists pushed them, and institutions decided which arguments deserved a hearing and which could be dismissed. People who challenged the prevailing views sometimes paid a price for it. Calling all of this "Woke 1" makes those choices sound like the product of a strange moment everyone has since outgrown.

AOC'S ATTEMPT TO DISMISS 'WOKE 1' AS 'CRAZY' DRAWS CRITICISM FROM LEFT-LEANING OUTLETS

If Democrats now reject positions they embraced or tolerated in 2020, voters can reasonably expect an explanation. The key question is whether Democrats changed their minds or discovered that voters had.

There is nothing shameful about changing your mind. Real change requires connecting what you believed then with what you believe now and acknowledging where you got it wrong. Without that reckoning, voters are left to wonder whether the beliefs changed or the incentives did.

DNC’S 192-PAGE AUTOPSY SOUNDS LIKE BAD THERAPY. DEMOCRATS STILL HAVE A BIG PROBLEM

Democrats can compartmentalize 2020. Voters don’t have to.

A candidate may regard a six-year-old position as ancient history, but an opponent can revive it with an old interview, campaign questionnaire or social media post. "That was then" invites an obvious response: Yes, but that was you.

DEMOCRATIC SENATE CANDIDATE CALLED FOR MASS RELEASE OF CRIMINALS DURING PRISON ABOLITION WEBINAR

Democrats aren’t unique in doing this. Every political party finds ways to distance itself from positions that become inconvenient. But 2020 poses a particular problem because so many political beliefs became tied to moral identity. Giving up a position can feel like admitting something about yourself, not just admitting that a policy was wrong.

There is a way out. Democrats could acknowledge that 2020 drew attention to genuine problems while also producing bad ideas. They could concede that some rhetoric went too far and that some people were treated unfairly for challenging the prevailing consensus. That doesn’t require abandoning concern about racism, police misconduct or inequality. It requires admitting that you can feel morally certain and still be wrong.

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The familiar Democratic argument is about whether the party should move left or toward the center. "Woke 1" raises a more interesting question: Before Democrats decide where they are going, can they explain what they now think about where they have been?

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"Woke 1 was crazy" sounds like a confession. But it isn’t quite one. A confession names what you got wrong. Compartmentalization puts it somewhere you no longer have to look.

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JONATHAN TURLEY: Abdul El-Sayed’s wealth-tax fantasy could wreck the Michigan economy

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 05:00:19 -0400

Dr. Abdul El-Sayed is tackling a new national crisis: the excess of money held by some tragically wealthy citizens.

In his interview this week with Fox News’ Jesse Watters, the Michigan Democratic Senate candidate not only reaffirmed his call for a wealth tax, but suggested that wealthy people really do not have much use for money that would be better left to the public.

El-Sayed needs money. A lot of money. He has called for massive new programs to fund Medicare-for-All, reparations, roads and other programs promised to Michigan voters. He is only the latest Democratic leader to support a wealth tax, which would, in my opinion, be unconstitutional at the federal level and disastrous at the state level.

ABDUL EL-SAYED GRILLED ON PAST STATEMENTS ON SHARIA LAW AND WHITE SUPREMACY, TAXING THE RICH

Earlier in the week, El-Sayed expressed full support for a wealth tax, including on non-billionaires. He declared on a podcast: "I also think we got to start taxing wealth for people who now have over $100 million. I mean at that point like what are gonna even do with more money?"

Figures such as Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., have also called for a wealth tax on millionaires, not just billionaires. As some of us predicted, the use of billionaires was simply a strategic and political framing. Once politicians succeed in opening up this untapped wealth to taxation, they will gradually work down the tax rolls as they acquire a windfall in new revenue.

PROGRESSIVES WANT TO TAX BILLIONAIRES FIRST, AND YOU'RE NEXT ON THE LIST

I discuss the tax in my book, "Rage and the Republic," as an example of the "eat-the-rich" politics used by demagogues from ancient Athens to the French Revolution. Politicians seek to divide a population into "haves" and "have-nots" with the promise that citizens can have it all. Much of what El-Sayed said is ripped from the pages of figures such as Huey Long and his "Share Our Wealth" campaigns of the 1930s.

In his Fox News interview, El-Sayed reaffirmed his call for a wealth tax, adding: "The question ultimately is, ‘Do you want to drive on good roads, or would you rather have a billionaire make a second billion?’ That’s what Mike Rogers wants. That’s why Donald Trump wants. Apparently, that’s what you want. I think the people in Michigan want something different."

While El-Sayed and his wife reported $686,069 in income in 2025, they would not be subject to the wealth tax. It would apply to those with $100 million or more in property and other forms of wealth.

EL-SAYED IN THE HOT SEAT FOR ANOTHER FOREIGN RENTAL PROPERTY, NEARLY $300K IN ADDITIONAL INCOME

El-Sayed appears to conflate or confuse wealth taxes and income taxes in the interview. He told Watters, "If we tax you at 7%, you’re still going to make what? A cool $30 million off your billion dollars? I think that’s OK, they’re going to be OK, Jesse."

El-Sayed did not explain his assumptions. He may have been assuming that a $1 billion fortune generates a 10% annual return: $100 million in gains, less a hypothetical 7% wealth tax of $70 million, leaving $30 million. Whether such a return, tax rate and tax base are realistic is a separate question.

There is a great difference between a wealth tax and an income tax. The wealthy have already paid taxes on much of their wealth. Indeed, they pay income taxes when the money is earned and pay taxes on any profits from that money when it is invested in stock or property. A wealth tax is an additional tax on all that you own, from homes to boats to art.

At a 7% tax on wealth for those worth $100,000,000, the wealthy would pay an additional $7,000,000 every year in Michigan beyond their income taxes.

SIX DIFFERENT WAYS THAT PROVE THE WEALTHY PAY A LOT MORE THAN THEIR ‘FAIR SHARE’

If a government imposed a 7% annual tax on $100 million in net wealth, the annual liability would be $7 million—though El-Sayed has not released a detailed proposal establishing that rate or threshold. In Michigan, they would also face the state income tax of 4.25% and a 6% corporate tax on their businesses. If the wealth tax is added to an income tax, that would be in addition to the 37% top federal income tax rate.

Again, the wealth tax would continue to apply each year to what an individual owns in the form of cars, homes and other property, regardless of whether income declines.

AOC TRIPLES DOWN, CLAIMS AMERICAN REVOLUTION WAS AGAINST 'THE BILLIONAIRES OF THEIR TIME'

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., drove this point home when she ran for president in 2020, taunting the wealthy that she was coming for "your Rembrandts, your stock portfolio, your diamonds and your yachts."

While some states are actively considering a wealth tax, many of us view it as unconstitutional under the federal system. The federal government secured the right to tax individuals in 1913, but the 16th Amendment only approved income taxes.

DAVID MARCUS: HOW DEMOCRATS SNEAKED IN REPARATIONS, AND HOW THEY'LL PROTECT THEM

This is why many of these same politicians are promising a hostile takeover of the Supreme Court by either eliminating the Court or packing it with an instant liberal majority. Once packed, the Court could greenlight a variety of unconstitutional measures.

Years ago, Harvard professor Michael Klarman laid out a radical agenda to change the system to guarantee Republicans will never win another election. However, he warned that "the Supreme Court could strike down everything I just described." Therefore, the Court must be packed in advance to allow these changes to occur.

DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS HAVE LOTS OF IDEAS, BUT HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO PAY FOR THEM?

Even if states like Michigan are allowed to do this, it will result in the same exodus that is currently unfolding in California, where possibly trillions of dollars in jobs and revenue have already been lost due to the mere threat of wealth taxes. That is why figures like Khanna and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., are calling for a national wealth tax, leaving the wealthy nowhere to go but out of the country.

This is precisely what socialist governments like France under François Mitterrand attempted in the last century, with disastrous results that tanked the economy and forced a rapid retreat from such policies.

THE ONLY MAP YOU NEED TO SEE AS CALIFORNIA'S BILLIONAIRE TAX FIGHT HEATS UP

As Michigan struggles to secure new businesses and jobs, El-Sayed is embracing the same policies that would decapitate the top of its tax base. While repeating the mantra that the wealthy are "not paying their fair share," the top 10% pays more in federal income taxes than the bottom 90% combined. In 2023, the top 1% paid an estimated 38.4% of all federal individual income taxes.

El-Sayed has proven himself a gifted politician. He juxtaposes concrete benefits like new roads with the image of unused wealth among top earners. The fact is that Michigan will have fewer roads if it chases away top earners with their businesses and jobs.

Like Long, who referred to "our wealth" being held by the rich, El-Sayed portrays the property of the wealthy as rightfully belonging to the people, promising that if we "put a tax on wealth it would return a lot of that money back into public use."

El-Sayed has perfected the "eat-the-rich" pitch by portraying the wealthy as virtual Scrooge McDucks who accumulate unused wealth as a type of vanity project. He has struck out at "people who have accumulated so much wealth that your money makes money." That is also called investments that power the economy — and when your "money makes money," it is taxed as income.

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Nevertheless, El-Sayed is waging the same class war as other rising figures in the Democratic Party, denouncing "extreme wealth" as "an existential threat to our economy and our democracy, and it demands a crisis-level response."

The real crisis is unfolding as candidates like El-Sayed are promising trillions in new programs while promising to make the rich pay for them. As with Warren, their property is being portrayed as rightfully belonging to the public.

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The problem is that both wealth and the wealthy are mobile, and few are likely to stick around for El-Sayed’s people’s paradise in Michigan.

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Grocers issue warning over Mamdani’s taxpayer-backed stores: 'We're going to go after' them

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 05:00:17 -0400

Private operators looking to run New York City’s planned government-owned grocery stores are being put on notice: Join Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s program, and grocers fighting the plan say they could face you in court.

"We’re going to go after any operator that’s in there," Frank Garcia, who is leading a coalition of immigrant-owned grocers challenging the city’s plan, told Fox News Digital in an interview Monday.

"We’re hoping that no one puts the RFP."

NEW YORK CITY IMMIGRANT BUSINESS OWNERS ARE PLANNING TO SUE MAMDANI OVER TAXPAYER-FUNDED SUPERMARKETS

Garcia, chairman of the Multicultural Business Coalition, was referring to New York City’s request for proposals seeking private operators to run the five taxpayer-backed grocery stores Mamdani has proposed. Under the program, selected operators would receive city-backed space while agreeing to sell a core basket of groceries at prices 30% below typical New York City retail prices.

The Multicultural Business Coalition filed two lawsuits against the city Monday, arguing the taxpayer-backed stores would unfairly compete with minority- and immigrant-owned businesses already operating on thin margins. Garcia said the coalition now intends to extend that legal fight to private companies that sign on to operate the stores.

GROCERY BOSS WARNS MAMDANI'S CITY-RUN STORES PIT GOVERNMENT AGAINST 'ITS OWN CITIZENS'

The threat comes as the city moves from pitching the concept to trying to find companies willing to run it.

The New York City Economic Development Corporation formally opened the operator RFP in July and is seeking up to five companies to operate the stores. Proposals are due Oct. 16.

Mamdani has said the five stores, one in each borough, are expected to open by 2029. The administration says shoppers would receive a fixed 30% discount on a basket that includes fresh produce, meat and seafood, along with staples such as milk, bread, cheese, pasta, rice and beans.

Existing grocers, however, argue they would be forced to compete against stores insulated from costs they have to shoulder themselves, particularly rent.

Mamdani has pushed back on claims that the municipal stores would put neighborhood bodegas out of business, pointing out that the city-backed locations would not sell products such as cigarettes, alcohol, lottery tickets or hot foods — revenue streams that can help sustain smaller neighborhood stores. The mayor has also pointed to public-market models such as Essex Market as evidence that subsidized markets and private businesses can coexist.

"I’m confident in both the legality of this – that it will stand up in court – and the importance of delivering it," Mamdani said in a news conference on Monday.

Asked what he was doing for bodega owners who worry about losing business, Mamdani said: "What we can do is continue with our approach citywide of looking for ways to cut costs and cut the regulations that so many bodegueros, as well as grocery store owners, have to jump through in order to do their work. What we have already found through our OPEN Task Force is already the identification of more than 50 potential changes that target things from the current necessity of having two different licenses to sell hot food and cold, dairy frozen dessert. As well as the kinds of things that make it harder for bodegas to both sell items outside of the store and inside of the store."

The mayor’s office declined to comment on Garcia’s claim that his coalition sought a meeting with Mamdani and did not respond to his threat of litigation against participating operators.

Garcia said his coalition sought a meeting with Mamdani before going to court but was rebuffed, alleging the mayor instead met with a group of Dominican business owners while leaving out other immigrant and minority-owned businesses that could be affected by the plan.

"He’s putting our minority businesses against minority businesses," Garcia said.

Garcia repeatedly invoked the immigrant history of New York’s bodegas, describing businesses that have passed through generations of Puerto Rican, Dominican, Mexican and other immigrant entrepreneurs.

His coalition, he said, represents a broader cross-section of those businesses, including Latino, Korean and Arab store owners.

City officials have also wrestled with how to support existing grocers that fear they could lose business to the taxpayer-backed stores.

Waverly Neer, a senior vice president at the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) who leads the NYC Groceries initiative, recently said the agency was considering grants and other incentives that could accompany the municipal stores and support independent businesses in surrounding neighborhoods.

NYCEDC later said grants were not currently under consideration but that the agency was exploring other forms of assistance, including potential tax abatements, incentives and zoning benefits through existing city programs.

MAMDANI’S CITY GROCERY PLAN COULD LEAVE TAXPAYERS PAYING FOR EVERY BANANA

Garcia argues the city should put more of its resources behind businesses that already exist.

He said some immigrant-owned bodegas in his coalition have struggled to access affordable capital and turned instead to private lenders charging steep rates.

"A lot of these bodegas are paying 35% loans right now to predator lenders," Garcia said.

His criticism was not reserved for Mamdani or Democrats.

Garcia said Republicans have also "hurt us," pointing to federal restrictions affecting access to Small Business Administration-backed loans for green-card holders, while arguing elected officials across the political spectrum have failed immigrant entrepreneurs seeking affordable capital.

But Garcia saved his sharpest political criticism for Mamdani’s democratic socialist allies, saying the coalition intends to mobilize against the movement as its fight over the grocery stores expands.

"We are creating a path to go after the DSA," Garcia said.

Garcia insisted the coalition is not simply asking the city to abandon its effort to bring down grocery prices.

Instead of creating new city-backed competitors, he said grocers have proposed forming a buying group that would allow independent stores to purchase goods directly from manufacturers, cutting out middlemen and lowering participating stores’ costs.

"We have other solutions," Garcia said. "Work with us to create that."

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Garcia said the coalition believes the city could use existing minority-business programs and its purchasing power to expand the model, allowing private neighborhood stores to lower prices without forcing them to compete against rent-free municipal stores.

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"Why not work with us to create that?" Garcia said. "Work with the supermarket association."

Michigan GOP lawmaker casts doubt on El-Sayed’s socialist denial as policies tell another story: ‘Sharp odds’

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 05:00:16 -0400

Despite Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed denying ties to socialism, a Republican Michigan lawmaker warned his policy agenda tells a different story and predicted voters will reject it in November.

"Abdul El-Sayed can't define what a woman is, so I'm not surprised he can't define what socialist is," Michigan state Rep. Bill G. Schuette told Fox News Digital.

"The facts are all the policies he supports are emblematic of the DSA movement and of this really far-left socialist idea."

El-Sayed, a former public health official, narrowly defeated establishment-backed Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., securing an upset victory for the party’s progressive wing in Michigan's Democratic Senate primary earlier this month. His nomination follows multiple primary victories by candidates aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), including in New York, Florida and Colorado.

DEMS' LEFTWARD LURCH GETS LEGS AS EL-SAYED'S MICHIGAN SENATE VICTORY SPARKS PARTY DEBATE

While El-Sayed has pushed back on the socialist label, he has drawn support from political heavyweights and DSA members like Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.

El-Sayed previously told CBS News he wants to build a "broad coalition" of supporters of President Donald Trump and DSA members, saying he doesn’t "do ideology" but favors "solutions that solve problems." He separately told CNN, "I believe in capitalism, I just believe that capitalism has to be regulated."

According to Schuette, El-Sayed’s victory is evidence that the Democratic Party has "jumped the shark" by embracing more progressive candidates.

"They've gone down a policy rabbit hole of far-left socialism that is at odds with our way of life in Michigan and our way of life in the United States of America writ large," he said.

Schuette said his biggest concern is that El-Sayed wants to put Michigan on "a completely different track."

"I'm more concerned about the policies that he's advocating for that, again, I think are at really sharp odds with the way you can start a business, start a family and live your life in Michigan," he said.

DSA’S GROWING GRIP ON DEM PARTY HITS NEW TERRITORY AS ESTABLISHMENT FALLS IN LINE

Some of El-Sayed’s campaign priorities are abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Medicare for All, taxing billionaire wealth and ending U.S. military aid to Israel.

Schuette said affordability will be key in the midterms, saying that El-Sayed’s policies run counter to the "spirit of America."

"The spirit of America is about entrepreneurship and American ingenuity, hard work," he said. "Those are the types of policies that Abdul El-Sayed would work directly against."

Schuette also took aim at El-Sayed’s association with far-left streamer Hasan Piker, who has roughly 10 million social media followers and has said "America deserved 9/11." Piker endorsed El-Sayed and has attended several of his campaign events.

"The fact that he associates with people like Hasan Piker, who say that America deserves 9/11, I mean, that's disgusting," he said.

El-Sayed distanced himself from Piker after the streamer’s comments about Jewish Michigan state Sen. Jeremy Moss, the Democratic nominee in the state’s 11th Congressional District. A recent viral audio clip, which Moss has said is fake, appeared to suggest that his entire reason for running for Congress is to make sure that America continues to support Israel.

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

UNEARTHED CLIP OF EL-SAYED REVEALING HIS 'HATE' FOR ICONIC MICHIGAN TOWN SPARKS ONLINE FIRESTORM: 'DARK HEART'

"I want to be crystal clear, nobody speaks for this campaign besides me and my campaign spokespeople," El-Sayed said in a statement Monday responding to Piker’s comments.

Highlighting the importance of representing Michiganders, Schuette argued El-Sayed doesn’t align with the state, pointing to his resurfaced remarks that he "hates" Mackinac Island and linking football to "toxic masculinity."

"It doesn't seem that he likes Michigan very much or our way in America very much either," he said.

With the midterm elections approaching in November, Schuette said he believes voters will reject socialism and choose "an idea that looks for ways to give the American people more freedom and opportunity and more of their own money back in their own wallets."

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"I’m confident the people in Michigan will choose that," he said.

El-Sayed will face Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers for retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters’ seat in a race that could determine control of the Senate.

Fox News Digital reached out to El-Sayed's campaign for comment.

Trump admin pauses visa appointments worldwide amid heightened screening for applicants

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 03:41:57 -0400

The Trump administration has directed U.S. embassies and consulates around the world to postpone immigrant visa interviews while consular officers complete training on new public-charge guidance, temporarily stalling applications that have reached the interview stage.

The State Department told diplomatic posts to reschedule immigrant visa interviews until consular officers complete the training on how to evaluate whether an applicant is likely to become a public charge.

A public-charge determination can make an immigrant visa applicant inadmissible under federal immigration law if officials determine the person is likely to become dependent on certain forms of public assistance after arriving in the U.S.

"In early August, we launched a global training initiative at all of our embassies and consulates worldwide. To accommodate this in-depth training, appointments for visa services will be adjusted," a State Department official said in a statement.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PROPOSES SIX-FIGURE PRICE TAG FOR NEW H-1B VISAS

The official added that the training is intended to ensure evaluations of visa applicants are made "comprehensively and consistently."

For most diplomatic posts, the training sessions are expected to take place this week.

The State Department did not say when affected applicants would be notified of their rescheduled interview dates.

The scheduling changes have sparked uncertainty among immigrant visa applicants who received emails informing them that their interviews had been canceled without instructions for immediately rescheduling them.

STATE DEPARTMENT BLASTS BACK AT 'ROGUE JUDGE' WHO OVERTURNED AGGRESSIVE VISA CRACKDOWN

Applicants were told they would receive future notice of a new interview date but were not given a timeline for when that communication could be expected.

The move comes as President Donald Trump pursues a broader immigration crackdown that has extended beyond illegal immigration to legal immigration pathways. While Trump campaigned in 2024 on curbing illegal immigration, his administration has also imposed additional restrictions on legal immigration, including higher fees for certain work visas and new limits on how long some foreign students and journalists can remain in the U.S.

The administration has also pursued visa revocations and removal proceedings in cases involving political activity and speech, including some anti-Israel activists. Those efforts have prompted court challenges alleging violations of free-speech and due-process protections.

The administration said Monday that it was preparing to revoke the business and tourism visas of up to 200,000 foreigners who have applied for or are seeking asylum in the U.S., a move that would represent the largest mass visa revocation in U.S. history.

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The immigration agenda has also faced legal setbacks. On Friday, a federal judge struck down a State Department policy suspending the issuance of immigrant visas to applicants from 75 countries, ruling that the policy exceeded Secretary of State Marco Rubio's statutory authority.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Prosecutor in infamous killer mom case says women on Lindsay Clancy jury may bring ‘strange twist’ to verdict

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:44 -0400

A South Carolina lawmaker who prosecuted Susan Smith in her infamous double-murder case says the women on Lindsay Clancy's jury could prove to be a "strange twist," and may be less sympathetic to her than many assume.

Clancy, 36, has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of her children — Cora, Dawson and Callan, all younger than 6 — who were discovered strangled at the family's home in January 2023.

Her defense attorney says she was experiencing postpartum psychosis at the time she killed her children.

LINDSAY CLANCY'S THREE CHILD VICTIMS FORGOTTEN AMID CROWDS OF SUPPORT: MOTHER OF SIX

Testimony is expected to finish on Wednesday, with closing arguments anticipated for Thursday, after which the case will go to the jury. The panel seated for the trial is made up of 12 women and six men, but only 12 of them will deliberate, the rest serve as alternates and will be dismissed before deliberations begin.

Smith is the South Carolina mother who was convicted of killing her two young sons, 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alexander, by strapping them into her car and letting it roll into a lake. Prosecutors argued she killed them in part because the man she was romantically involved with didn't want a relationship with women who had kids. She was sentenced to life in prison.

HEATED LINDSAY CLANCY COURTROOM EXCHANGE OVER 911 CALL, CRIME SCENE PHOTOS SETS STAGE FOR MOM’S MURDER TRIAL

Rep. Tommy Pope, who is currently the speaker pro tempore for the South Carolina House of Representatives, prosecuted Smith and told Fox News Digital that women on the jury might be less sympathetic to Clancy than people think.

"For the most part, the women were the ones that said, you know, when I had my kids, I went through hell, or I went through depression, or I battled this, or I was overwhelmed. But they're the most important thing in my life," Pope said. "And so, strange twist, while a woman may have even faced postpartum depression, she may have overcome it and then be less sympathetic to Clancy."

LINDSAY CLANCY TRIAL: POSTPARTUM IS REAL, BUT CHILD KILLING DEMANDS ACCOUNTABILITY, VETERAN PROSECUTOR SAYS

On the flip side, Pope said Clancy's current physical condition might complicate things for the prosecution in an unexpected way.

"A weird mix, too, is having her in the courtroom, whether she intentionally injured herself or, as the prosecution said, tried to slide down and just got injured. You have somebody that's now paralyzed, which obviously doesn't equate to killing three children," Pope said. "But some jurors, and I would think maybe even more so men, would think, well, she's already punished. She's in a wheelchair. So in a strange twist, it could almost be the opposite."

LINDSAY CLANCY DEFENSE SCORES ‘EXTREMELY HELPFUL’ PSYCHOSIS CONCESSION AS EXPERT FLAGS NEXT HURDLE

Prosecutors on Tuesday continued to challenge the psychosis argument that Clancy's defense attorney says frees her from criminal responsibility for her children's deaths.

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Gregory Saathoff, a forensic psychiatrist at the University of Virginia who consults for the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit, told jurors that Clancy's self-described auditory hallucinations were "very unusual."

PROSECUTOR CORNERS LINDSAY CLANCY'S CATHOLIC MOTHER-IN-LAW WITH 'MORTAL SIN' QUESTION

"What was significant to me is that she had not spoken about hearing voices before to any of the mental health professionals, psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, physicians and staff in the emergency department, or at McLean," Saathoff said.

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"This was the first time she reported that, and that she experienced an auditory hallucination, according to what she told me. So that was unusual. And then what was very unusual was the fact that the voice stopped with the strangling of her youngest son," he added.

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In another blow to Clancy's defense, prosecutors asked psychologist Kirk Heilbrun whether someone hearing a command hallucination could still conform their conduct to the law.

WATCH: Prosecution expert says psychosis doesn't always erase knowing right from wrong

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"In some cases they can," he responded.

LINDSAY CLANCY'S FAMILY WAS 'VERY CONCERNED' ABOUT HER MENTAL HEALTH IN THE MONTHS BEFORE SHE KILLED HER KIDS

Earlier in the week, Clancy's defense called its own experts and argued she's not criminally responsible. Dr. Phillip Resnick, a forensic psychiatrist, testified that Clancy killed her children while she was experiencing a "command hallucination," stating she felt like "a puppet."

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"Not only did she hear a command, but she felt that her body was taken over by an external force where she was in a dream state and did not have control of her own body. It was almost like she was a puppet and someone else was pulling the strings," Resnick said.

Outside the courtroom on Tuesday, one person told Fox News Digital she was there in support of Lindsay Clancy because "I've always been aware that mental health is something that's woefully in need of funding, education, all that."

WATCH: Lindsay Clancy supporter outside court says trial exposes gaps in mental health support

"This trial has really made a lot of us realize just how bad things are. Obviously, a really sad story and hard to listen to at times. But if this moves the needle just a teeny tiny bit, and women start to experience more support, then I'm here for that. I was just telling my friend that when I had my children and left the hospital, nobody really said anything about postpartum, you know, be on the lookout for things. And...you know, we just had to figure it out ourselves. It shouldn't be that way. And I hope things change," the woman said.

NYC manhunt underway for suspect accused of deadly shootings across 2 boroughs days apart

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 23:39:42 -0400

A man accused of gunning down a customer during a Bronx deli robbery is also wanted in connection with a deadly Brooklyn shooting two days earlier, police said.

The suspect, identified by the NYPD as 31-year-old Jesus Acosta, is being hunted in connection with two deadly shootings that unfolded days apart across New York City, police told Fox News Digital.

The latest attack happened around 12:16 a.m. Tuesday at 149 Grill & Deli at 143 East 149th Street in the Bronx, where a gunman approached a 33-year-old man and opened fire, striking him multiple times in the chest, according to police and FOX 5 New York.

NEW YORK BODEGA WORKER KILLED LESS THAN A YEAR AFTER EXPRESSING FEAR TO REPORTER OVER VIOLENCE

After the shooting, the gunman forcibly removed an unknown amount of cash from behind the register and fled, police said.

The victim was rushed to Lincoln Hospital and was initially listed in stable condition, but later died from his injuries Tuesday. Police subsequently deemed the case a homicide.

Acosta is also wanted in connection with a shooting inside 842 Rockaway Ave. in Brooklyn shortly after midnight Sunday that left a 44-year-old man dead and another man wounded, the NYPD said.

The New York Post identified the location as American Best Wings & Pizza.

MAN FACES MURDER CHARGE AFTER INNOCENT 12-YEAR-OLD IS KILLED IN BRONX STREET GUNFIRE

Officers responding to a 911 call about an assault in progress found the 44-year-old victim with a gunshot wound to the head and a 39-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg.

Both men were taken to One Brooklyn Health-Brookdale Hospital Medical Center, where the 44-year-old was pronounced dead. The 39-year-old man was listed in stable condition, according to police.

"Have you seen Jesus Acosta? He is wanted for the fatal shooting of a 44-year-old man on 8/23 inside 842 Rockaway Ave in Brooklyn and a robbery from 8/25 at 143 East 149 St in the Bronx," the NYPD wrote on X before announcing that the Bronx victim had also died.

Acosta is described as 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighing about 175 pounds, with short brown hair and brown eyes.

MANHUNT UNDERWAY AFTER MASKED GUNMAN ALLEGEDLY SHOOTS NYC CAB DRIVER IN FACE DURING OVERNIGHT ROBBERY

He has the word "Bronx" tattooed on his hand and the name "Bobby" tattooed on his left forearm, the NYPD told Fox News Digital.

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Police released surveillance images of Acosta and are urging anyone who recognizes him to come forward.

Trump-endorsed candidate clears key hurdle in red state gubernatorial race

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 23:05:27 -0400

Mike Mazzei, a former Oklahoma state senator and financial planner, won a primary election runoff on Tuesday evening with the backing of President Donald Trump to secure the GOP nomination for governor in Oklahoma.

Having beaten out Gentner Drummond, the current Oklahoma attorney general, Mazzei is now the heavy favorite to become the Sooner State’s next governor. His win is also a political victory for outgoing Gov. Kevin Stitt, who has opposed Drummond for years.

Stitt and Drummond have sparred over lawsuits, pointed letters and public criticisms. At one point, Stitt even described Drummond as a "longtime political enemy" in a quote to local outlets.

TRUMP-BACKED CANDIDATE SPARKS RUNOFF AGAINST POPULAR PROSECUTOR IN KEY GUBERNATORIAL RACE

The feud between them centers on Drummond’s attacks on Oklahoma poultry companies for what he sees as decades of phosphorus pollution in water supplies. Stitt has rebuffed those characterizations, calling them an overreach of Drummond’s role as attorney general and warning that litigation against the companies could threaten jobs and the agricultural industry of the state.

Stitt endorsed Mazzei, stating that "we want a pro-business governor in there to take the lead for the next four years."

Stitt is prevented by term limits from running again. His exit prompted a crowded field of hopefuls to replace him, but after an initial primary on June 2, no candidate secured the 50% support needed to lock up the nomination outright.

Only Drummond and Mazzei advanced to a runoff.

Like Stitt, President Donald Trump also endorsed Mazzei, calling him a "MAGA warrior."

"As a successful Businessman, and former Chairman of the State Senate Finance Committee, and later, as Oklahoma’s Secretary of Budget, Mike knows the AMERICA FIRST Policies required to Grow our Economy, Create GREAT Jobs, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., and Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE," Trump wrote in a May post to Truth Social.

TRUMP-BACKED FIREBRAND WINS ARIZONA GOP GOVERNOR PRIMARY, SETTING UP HIGH-STAKES SHOWDOWN

Mazzei based his campaign on promises to cut taxes, among other state-government reforms.

"I have a detailed plan to eliminate Oklahoma’s income tax in six years. I have a plan to eliminate property taxes for seniors and veterans," Mazzei said in a campaign video posted to Instagram.

In addition to tax reforms, Mazzei highlighted preventing foreign nationals from buying up state land, bolstering the Oklahoma education system and government spending accountability.

In turn, Mazzei tried to paint Drummond as a fake Republican with a penchant for expanding government.

"His solution to every problem is to raise taxes and grow government," Mazzei said.

"He doesn’t understand money and finance. Crunching numbers is a skill you pick up when you earn your wealth rather than inherit it."

In his own campaign, Drummond, a multigenerational rancher and former fighter pilot, highlighted his record as attorney general. On his website, he touted having confronted Chinese criminal operations growing illegal marijuana farms, shutting down thousands of their illegal grow operations and enforcing immigration law.

"As a tough-on-crime attorney general and decorated fighter pilot, I have proven I will always fight for our freedom and defend our values," Drummond said in a campaign video.

TRUMP SWITCHES SUPPORT IN OKLAHOMA CONGRESSIONAL RACE AS FORMERLY ENDORSED PASTOR CANDIDATE SUSPENDS CAMPAIGN

"I’ll keep standing strong with President Trump to secure the border, deport illegals and stop the flow of drugs and crime," Drummond said.

The Club for Growth, a pro-small-government group that advocates for lower taxes and free-market principles and contributed $9 million in support of Mazzei, praised his win.

"Mike Mazzei is a principled conservative who will advocate for lower taxes, fewer regulations, and for Oklahoma parents to have a voice in their children’s education," Club for Growth PAC President David McIntosh said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

"Meanwhile, Gentner Drummond has spent his career putting radical education bureaucrats ahead of families by opposing school freedom. The message is clear, if you oppose school freedom and call yourself a Republican, expect to lose your next primary."

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Having cleared the primary, Mazzei will face off against Democratic nominee Cyndi Munson, House minority leader in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The general election is set for Nov. 3.

Newly released texts confirm Anthony Fauci and other 'experts' always knew mask mandates wouldn't work

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 22:50:05 -0400

When Sen. Rand Paul released private texts and messages from Anthony Fauci to the public several weeks ago, it brought the now-former head of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases back into the national conversation.

Many involved in that national conversation have been critical of what the "Fauci diaries" revealed. That the supposedly unbiased "expert" was, in fact, anything but. Instead, he was an arrogant, self-obsessed, fame-hungry, frequently dishonest narcissist.

Other "news" outlets like CNN or MSNBC either ignored the controversy over his diary, and the many inconsistencies in it, preferring to avoid humiliating themselves for their past hero worship.

ANTHONY FAUCI DIARY ENTRIES SET SOCIAL MEDIA ABLAZE AS CRITICS MOCK, CONDEMN BEHAVIOR

It wasn't just the emails that caused embarrassment for Fauci and his media partners, however. Text messages released by Sen. Ron Johnson showed that he had legitimate concerns over the possibility that COVID vaccines were causing side effects in pregnant mothers. Concerns that warranted further investigation, regardless of the outcome.

Well, there are some more new text messages that should cast doubt on both Fauci's public statements and the media's all-too-willing promotion of them.

One such message came from Michael Osterholm. Osterholm is an epidemiologist at the University of Minnesota, as well as a professor in the school's public health department. Importantly, he's also the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP). CIDRAP became famous during COVID when one of their articles, published in April 2020, acknowledged the truth, that there was no evidence to support cloth masking to stop the spread of the virus. They then were forced to issue "clarifications" when pressure became overwhelming to support masks, regardless of the data and evidence.

Osterholm sent this text message in August 2021 to several people, with just their first names included. One was "Jeff," likely Jeff Zients, the COVID response coordinator at the start of the Biden administration. Another was "Vivek," again likely Vivek Murthy, the Surgeon General under Biden. Then there was "Tony," the popular nickname for Fauci among those who knew him personally. And finally "Rochelle," which was almost certainly a reference to then-CDC director Rochelle Walensky.

The contents of the text were enormously revealing, as it confirmed what most Fauci-critics long suspected: they all knew the masks they'd been recommending didn't work.

FAUCI DISCUSSED COVID MRNA VACCINE CONCERNS FOR PREGNANT WOMEN IN TEXT CHAIN RELEASED BY SENATE COMMITTEE

"Dear Jeff, Vivek, Tony and Rochelle, I'm sending this via text messaging to avoid any FOIA issues," Osterholm started, in a clear admission that these "experts" frequently worked to hide information from the public.

"On Friday a Newsmax reporter asked Jen Psaki about my comments on face cloth coverings and protection against SARS-CoV-2 transmission. The reporter completely mischaracterized my comments made on numerous occasions over the past 16 months about 'masks' and the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. She was taking the Florida governor's approach. Since April, 2020, I have been consistent in my messaging about the roles that aerosols play in transmission, and the limited benefit that cloth face coverings play in reducing risk."

Ah, yes. The very cloth masks that Fauci, Walensky, Murthy and Zients had worked tirelessly to promote to the American people. The cloth masks that were mandated by politicians across the country, forced onto toddlers, those with learning disabilities, or with compliance requirements that resulted in disagreements, fights, or being removed from businesses or other public places. They didn't work, because the virus was transmitted via aerosols and not droplets. And the science on this was clear, and had not changed since April 2020.

ONE OF THE MOST PROMINENT PRO-MASK MANDATE STUDIES DURING THE COVID PANDEMIC WAS A MISLEADING FAILURE

Osterholm knew this, had clearly told the other "experts" the same, and they ignored the science and pushed masks anyway.

The text continues by acknowledging that the "national industrial hygienists expert group on respiratory protection" had found that cloth face coverings had virtually no protective benefit as opposed to wearing nothing.

"N-95s are necessary to be effective reducing risk with aerosol transmission. Here is a link to the ACGIH website (the national industrial hygienists expert group on respiratory protection.) (https://1lnfej4c7wie44voctzq1r57-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Fact_Sheet_Face-Mask.pdf) Note the very limited protection from face cloth coverings versus no respiratory protection at all."

In order to save face with Fauci, Walensky and Murthy, Osterholm then adds that he supports "masking," but that it should be with N95 masks. That's also wrong, as we'll see shortly, but at the very least there's more rational basis for it than the masks Fauci and Walensky demanded people wear. More importantly though, Osterholm once again reveals the uncomfortable truth: all of the CDC's supporting "evidence" was essentially fake.

"CMS has supported an expert review group process for evaluating respiratory protection studies since the early days of the pandemic and have found none of the studies that CDC uses to support its statement as to the significant protection of face cloth coverings stand up to scientific scrutiny," he wrote.

Imagine if this had been widely reported and acknowledged in 2020 and 2021. The CDC's research on masks was virtually useless. Some, who, ahem, wrote books about this, had pointed that out at the time. But to see Osterholm tell Fauci and Walensky that the "studies" they used and referred to were garbage is both refreshing and infuriating.

These are highly credentialed "experts" who know what high-quality research looks like. For all their flaws, they weren’t and aren’t unintelligent or uneducated. They knew that the CDC had put out junk science to justify their position on masks, then promoted and defended it anyway because they wanted mask mandates, even though those mandates were obviously failing.

Osterholm wasn't done there, saying that the CDC's mistakes didn't end there.

"As we all know, CDC was very late to the game recognizing that aerosols play a significant role in the transmission picture. Just look at the current US map of Delta activity and see how fast and far it has spread throughout the US. This is largely aerosol transmission driven, not respiratory droplets," Osterholm said.

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Aerosols were the driving force of COVID transmission. Which meant that masks were always going to be useless, as pre-pandemic planning research had already confirmed. The CDC took an extraordinarily long time to admit that, likely because they knew what it meant about masking.

Osterholm goes on to urge more N95 masks, but closes with this important takeaway: "I am certain one day that one of the take-away findings of this pandemic was the constant USG emphasis on masking while at the same time providing minimal guidance to the public what effective masking means."

He was right, to an extent. There is no such thing as "effective masking." But the obsessive government emphasis on it was and is a constant, permanent source of embarrassment and failure. Masks didn't work, and public health officials torched their credibility to pretend they did.

Oh, and those N95 masks? Yeah they didn't work either. Several German states followed Osterholm's advice and mandated N95-grade masks in public. They then reported higher case rates than the states that had "lower quality" mandates.

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None of it worked. And they all knew it and pretended otherwise anyway.

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

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

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

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

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

KENNY CHESNEY TELLS BILL MAHER THE KEY REASON HE REFUSES TO TELL HIS LISTENERS HOW TO VOTE

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

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

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

DWAYNE 'THE ROCK' JOHNSON REJECTS HOLLYWOOD’S POLITICAL OBSESSION, BLASTS CELEBRITY ATTACK CULTURE

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

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

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

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

JOHNNY CARSON'S FRIEND SAYS LATE-NIGHT KING WISELY AVOIDED PARTISANSHIP AS KIMMEL CONTROVERSY GROWS

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

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

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

MICK JAGGER DOESN'T WANT TO 'LECTURE' FANS, SAYS HIS JOB IS TO MAKE PEOPLE 'HAVE THE BEST TIME'

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

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

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

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

DOLLY PARTON DEAD AT 80

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

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

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

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

BILLY RAY CYRUS URGES PRAYER FOR TRUMP, SAYS BEING COMMANDER IN CHIEF IS A 'TOUGH JOB'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NCAA WINS TENTH CIRCUIT 'STAY', BUT FACES MORE ELIGIBILITY LAWSUITS FROM 2022 CLASS ATHLETES IN CHAOTIC TIME

Conference guidelines prohibit players from NFL, NBA or WNBA

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

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

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

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

NCAA IGNORED THE WARNINGS. NOW IT'S FIGHTING FOR SURVIVAL IN COURTROOMS ACROSS AMERICA OVER ELIGIBILITY

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

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

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

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

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

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

Abide by court orders or violate conference guidelines? Decisions upcoming

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SURROGATE SAYS BABY 'RIPPED AWAY' 60 SECONDS AFTER BIRTH AS CUSTODY FIGHT ERUPTS AFTER ABORTION REFUSAL

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

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

HHS WARNS TEXAS HOSPITALS AGAINST DENYING LIFE-SAVING CARE TO NEWBORN WITH DISABILITY

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

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

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

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

NEONATOLOGIST SOUNDS ALARM OVER MASSACHUSETTS ABORTION LAW ALLOWING PROCEDURES UP TO BIRTH: 'VERY DISTURBING'

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

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

AMERICAN RED CROSS DECLARES NATIONAL BLOOD CRISIS AS TYPE O SUPPLY DROPS TO DANGEROUS LEVELS

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

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

BOARD-CERTIFIED OBGYN WARNS NEW MASSACHUSETTS LATE-TERM ABORTION LAW EXPOSES MOTHERS TO DANGER

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

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

TWO FAMILIES SUE NORTH DAKOTA HOSPITAL ON ALLEGATIONS BABIES WERE SWITCHED AT BIRTH

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

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

DEM GOV MAURA HEALEY SIGNS SWEEPING MASSACHUSETTS BILL ALLOWING ABORTIONS UP TO BIRTH

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BORDER CZAR HOMAN VOWS TO 'FLOOD' NEW YORK WITH ICE AGENTS DESPITE HOCHUL'S RESISTANCE

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

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

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

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

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

FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS NEW YORK LAW BANNING ICE AGENTS FROM WEARING MASKS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FEDERAL INMATES MAY SOON GET TABLETS WITH MESSAGING CAPABILITIES AS BUREAU OF PRISONS MAKES MODERNIZATION PUSH

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

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

WILD VIDEO SHOWS INMATES RIOTING INSIDE JAIL AFTER FRUSTRATIONS OVER ACCESS BOIL OVER

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

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

DIDDY SENT TO SOLITARY CONFINEMENT AFTER PRISON FIGHT WITH ANOTHER INMATE: MULTIPLE REPORTS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DARLINE GRAHAM FACES MAKE-OR-BREAK GOP RUNOFF IN HISTORIC BID TO KEEP BROTHER’S SENATE SEAT

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

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

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

LINDSEY GRAHAM’S SISTER ADMITS SHE’S ‘NOT THAT INFORMED ON NATIONAL SECURITY’ WHILE SEEKING FULL SENATE TERM

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

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

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

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

RALPH NORMAN SUGGESTS SPECIAL GOP PRIMARY RUNOFF RIVAL DARLINE GRAHAM IS THE ESTABLISHMENT'S CHOSEN CANDIDATE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEAN PAYTON TAKES VICIOUS SHOT AT FALCONS HOME CROWD AFTER HUMILIATING FIRST HALF

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

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

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

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

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