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CNN apologizes after mistakenly airing image of Dolly Parton impersonator during report on icon's passing

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 20:59:00 -0400

CNN offered a mea culpa after the network mistakenly aired a photo of a Dolly Parton impersonator during its coverage of the passing of the American icon.

Parton died Tuesday at age 80 following a brief battle with cancer. Her death sent shockwaves around the world, with millions paying tribute to the country music legend.

On Tuesday's installment of "Laura Coates Live," a montage of photos appeared onscreen as CNN correspondent Shimon Prokupecz was reporting live from Nashville.

DOLLY PARTON DEAD AT 80

However, among them was an image of Patron tribute artist Kelly Vohnn, seen attending a screening last year of "Song Sung Blue," a film about the real-life Neil Diamond tribute band Lightning & Thunder starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson.

"We regret the error and apologize to the Parton family," a CNN spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

DOLLY PARTON DIES AT THE AGE OF 80: A LOOK AT HER LIFE THROUGH PHOTOS

Vohnn spoke with The New York Post about how her phone began blowing up after her image appeared on CNN, calling the experience "weird."

"I started getting all these texts in from friends saying that I was on CNN, and I couldn’t believe it," the Canadian-born impersonator told The Post. "I felt so sorry and apologetic for Dolly... and CNN just picked something not appropriate."

DOLLY PARTON'S LIFE IN HER OWN WORDS: FROM SMOKY MOUNTAINS POVERTY TO COUNTRY MUSIC IMMORTALITY

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"It was quite embarrassing, to be honest," Vohnn said about the network's mistake.

Prosecutor says he has portion of Josh Jacobs' domestic incident with ex-girlfriend on video

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 20:42:46 -0400

The District Attorney who charged Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs with two domestic misdemeanors on Thursday initially released a statement about reviewing new available evidence, and now we know that evidence is surveillance video related to the alleged battery.

After police investigated the incident at the scene of Jacobs' alleged battery on his ex-girlfriend, they later did more legwork according to District Attorney David L. Lasee.

And they uncovered a security camera in Jacobs' garage where he and his ex-girlfriend allegedly had a physical altercation.

JOSH JACOBS FACES TWO MISDEMEANOR CHARGES AFTER MAY ARREST

The incident report from Lasee's office says ANM, as they are identifying the player's ex-girlfriend, told officers as she was trying to exit the garage door to get outside, "Jacobs grabbed her and threw her to the ground and she struck her head, suffering an injury," the report reads.

"Jacobs then took her phone from her while she was on the ground. ANM laid on the ground for a while and then struggled to walk back into the house."

ATTORNEY FOR DENVER BRONCOS DEFENDER JONATHON COOPER PLAYS RACE CARD IN DOMESTIC ABUSE CASE

Lasee's incident report says this is on video.

The "surveillance footage from the camera system within the garage of the Tretni Mar residence from May 23, 2026, between 8:30 a.m. and 8:38 a.m. corroborates the relevant portions of ANM's statement that one would expect to have seen on video, including both ANM and Jacobs departing the residence in their respective vehicles and returning to the residence, as well as their actions on the security camera in the garage.

"The surveillance video further shows Jacobs took ANM's phone while she was on the floor of the garage, and approximately 40 seconds later, Jacobs returns to the garage and appears to damage ANM's phone."

The video is not available for independent inspection at this time. It will obviously be used as evidence in the case against Jacobs.

BRONCOS STAR SPEAKS OUT FOLLOWING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ARREST, FIRES OFF AN APOLOGY

He was charged Thursday with one count of misdemeanor battery and one count of criminal damage to property.

Jacobs turned himself in to police on May 26, three days after the incident at his Hobart, Wisconsin home.

So far, the case has been tried in the court of public opinion as a he-said versus she-said account, with Jacobs enlisting a legal team that claims he will be exonerated of the allegations.

But if the District Attorney's office indeed has a video that prosecutors say shows Jacobs getting physical with his ex-girlfriend in that garage, his legal situation will be much worse and his status as an NFL player could be at risk.

The NFL, which studies practices, meetings, and games on tape, obviously frowns upon video of a battery by one of its employees and has a history of separating from such episodes. Ray Rice's career ended when a 2014 video of him striking his then-fiancée, Janay Palmer, in the face during an argument became public.

The video Lasee viewed before deciding to charge Jacobs comes with its own backstory outlined in the DA's incident report:

"Your complainant reviewed a follow up report from Investigator Van Lanen of the Hobart-Lawrence Police Department received on August 6, 2026, and a digital forensic examination report prepared by Frank Angel for the Brown County Sheriff’s Office, received on August 13, 2026.

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"Those reports relate an on or about July 27 and 28, 2026, of recovered electronic devices from Jacobs’s residence, including components of a video surveillance system, as well as cellular phones from both Jacobs and ANM.

"Angel’s report outlines the process used to conduct the forensic exam of the devices, and explained that the recovery of video files from the surveillance system was complex and took several weeks, culminating in a final verification on July 21, 2026.

"Based on the foregoing, the complainant believes this complaint to be true and correct."

The Packers released a statement about Thursday's charges.

"We are aware of the charges brought against Josh Jacobs," the team said in a statement. "We will continue to cooperate with the NFL as we work through the process. We will have no further comment at this time."

The NFL's investigation of the entire episode is ongoing and Jacobs is subject to discipline under the Personal Conduct Policy and may even be placed on the commissioner's exempt list, which would mean he'd get paid but cannot play.

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Mark Ruffalo accused of antisemitism by Hollywood insiders over Paramount merger remarks

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 20:39:16 -0400

Hollywood producers Haim Saban, Lawrence Bender and Teddy Schwarzman accused actor Mark Ruffalo of "simple antisemitism" in an online statement issued by a group of nearly 1,000 industry insiders on Tuesday.

They argued the actor invoked tropes about Jewish wealth and power while attacking Paramount leadership and its proposed $111 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery.

"This is not commentary on a merger. It is not a criticism of a government. It is simple antisemitism, where Jewish executives are portrayed as a secretive and powerful wealth-hoarding elite delighting in mass death," the group, which calls itself The Brigade, told The Hollywood Reporter.

MARK RUFFALO FIRES BACK AT PARAMOUNT OVER 'APPALLING' ANTISEMITISM ACCUSATION TIED TO ELLISON MERGER CRITICISM

Paramount responded to Fox News Digital Thursday after being asked about The Brigade’s statement and Ruffalo’s denial that his remarks were antisemitic.

"We stand by the statement," Paramount spokesperson Melissa Zukerman said, adding Paramount had no further comment.

Elizabeth Barcohana, the California Republican Party’s Jewish engagement chair, told Fox News Digital Thursday that Ruffalo’s prominence in the opposition to the merger reflected Hollywood’s liberal political activism, while praising The Brigade for challenging him.

"Ruffalo as an anti-merger spokesman is an odd choice given his extremist rhetoric that has completely discredited him with rational people," Barcohana said.

"He is an activist more than an actor (indeed maybe that’s one in the same). I applaud The Brigade for organizing an oppositional force against the explosion of antisemitism within Hollywood and standing up to Ruffalo’s Israel Derangement Syndrome."

The Brigade described itself as a group of nearly 1,000 members, friends and allies of the Jewish community working in entertainment. The statement's signatories also included Ram Bergman, Matti Leshem, Anthony Bregman, Micah Green and Lynn Harris.

Ruffalo rejected Paramount's earlier accusation in a statement provided to Fox News Digital Saturday, maintaining his objections targeted political and corporate decisions rather than Jewish people.

ANTISEMITIC VIOLENCE REACHES DEADLIEST LEVEL SINCE 1994, NEW GLOBAL REPORT FINDS

"The accusation that I am antisemitic is appalling and fundamentally dishonest. Criticizing the actions of the Israeli prime minister, a military technology contract or the executives who supply it is not the same as criticizing Jewish people," Ruffalo said.

The Brigade directly rejected that distinction, arguing that Ruffalo's focus on Israel while targeting Jewish executives imported a conspiracy narrative into a corporate debate.

"Singling out Jewish executives and describing them in terms lifted from centuries-old antisemitic conspiracy theories, while invoking Israel as the frame for that attack, is antisemitic," The Brigade said.

The dispute began after Ruffalo shared an video from August of Safra Catz, an Oracle executive vice chair and Paramount board member, discussing technology Oracle used to assist Israel after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks.

Ruffalo linked Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, the father of Paramount CEO David Ellison, to financing behind the proposed acquisition.

PARAMOUNT ESCALATES THREAT TO LEAVE CALIFORNIA AS DEM AG'S ANTITRUST LAWSUIT STALLS WARNER BROS MERGER

"These ‘really profoundly scary technologies’ will most likely be merged into one of the largest media conglomerates in the world and one day used on you," Ruffalo said. "Look how she revels in what we now have come to see as a genocide, which was built on an apartheid system of oppression powered by Oracle."

Paramount responded that Ruffalo had crossed from criticism of the transaction into prejudice and said it does not tolerate bias against anyone.

Hollywood figures have split over the dispute. John Cusack publicly backed Ruffalo over the weekend, while "Hacks" actress Hannah Einbinder called the antisemitism allegation ludicrous. The Simon Wiesenthal Center sided with Paramount, commending the company for responding.

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The proposed transaction would place CNN, HBO and Warner Bros. studio assets under the same family’s control. A coalition of 12 state attorneys general sued to block it on antitrust grounds, and the companies agreed not to close until five days after a court ruling on the merits or June 1, 2027, whichever comes first.

3 illegal aliens arrested in major Virginia child exploitation sting released on bond

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 20:27:03 -0400

Three of nine men arrested in a Virginia child exploitation sting are illegal aliens with lengthy criminal histories, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed to Fox News. The three men have since been released on bond.

The suspects allegedly traveled to Fairfax County to meet with minors for sexual encounters after engaging in sexually explicit conversations online with undercover detectives posing as juveniles, police said Wednesday.

The three illegal aliens were identified as Reyben Leono Sanchez Hernandez, 21, of El Salvador; Wilmer Alexander Aguilar Cruz, 28, of El Salvador; and Henry Adalberto Flores Herrera, 39, DHS told Fox News.

DHS said the three men were previously caught illegally entering the U.S. before being released during the Obama administration. DHS blamed the administration’s immigration policies and Fairfax County’s "sanctuary" policies for what it described as an influx of criminal illegal aliens.

SPANBERGER RIPPED OVER IGNORED ICE DETAINER AFTER ILLEGAL ALIEN WITH 18 PRIOR CHARGES ACCUSED OF SEX ASSAULT

According to DHS, Sanchez Hernandez’s criminal history includes solicitation of prostitution from a minor. Fairfax County police also said he was charged with driving on a suspended license.

Sanchez Hernandez was caught illegally entering the U.S. near the Rio Grande Valley Sept. 25, 2013, officials said. He was released into the country about a month later.

ICE placed a detainer on Sanchez Hernandez with the Fairfax County Detention Center July 29, officials said. However, police said he has since been released on a $3,000 secured bond.

DHS TORCHES SPANBERGER AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHARGED WITH CHILD SEX ABUSE AT BABYSITTER'S HOUSE GRANTED BOND

Aguilar Cruz was caught by Border Patrol near Hidalgo, Texas, in late 2012 before being released into the country during the Obama administration about two weeks later, according to DHS.

His criminal history includes allegations involving computer solicitation of a child, indecent liberties, proposed sex acts, sodomy, extortion and threats to burn, DHS said.

On April 27, 2019, police in Prince William County, Virginia, arrested Aguilar Cruz on charges of threatening to bomb or burn and making a threat in writing. ICE arrested him two days later, and he was released on bond on Aug. 9, 2019, according to DHS.

ICE placed a detainer on Aguilar Cruz with the Fairfax County Detention Center July 31, officials said. However, local police said he has since been released on $3,000 secured bond.

Flores Herrera’s criminal history includes felony solicitation of prostitution from a minor, sexual exploitation of a minor, driving under the influence of liquor and a traffic offense, according to DHS.

ICE placed a detainer on Flores Herrera with the Fairfax County Detention Center July 17, officials said. He has since been released on $5,000 secured bond.

DHS did not disclose how Flores Herrera entered the country.

SPANBERGER'S ICE ROLLBACK TO BLAME FOR TODDLER KILLING, VIRGINIA 'HOTBED' OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIME: DHS

A DHS spokesperson blamed former presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris for policies the department said paved the way for millions of unvetted illegal aliens to enter the U.S.

"These criminal illegal aliens were hand-delivered to Fairfax County communities by President Obama, who, like Sleepy Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, unleashed millions of unvetted illegal aliens into American communities and abused the law to do so," the spokesperson said.

"President Trump and Secretary Mullin are now enforcing the law, arresting illegal aliens who have no right to be in our country and have reversed Democrats’ deadly catch and release policy."

The department also urged Democratic Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger to increase cooperation with ICE to turn over detained immigrants.

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"Under Governor Spanberger, Virginia has become a hotbed of illegal alien crime. During her first days in office, Governor Spanberger signed executive orders banning state cooperation with ICE as well as terminating 287(g) state and local agreements," the department said.

"We are urging Governor Spanberger to put her community first and turn over this criminal illegal alien to ICE."

RNC threatens legal action against New Jersey officials over noncitizens on voter rolls: 'On notice'

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 20:19:39 -0400

The Republican National Committee is escalating its fight with New Jersey election officials over voter roll records, threatening legal action as it seeks information related to noncitizens found on the state's rolls.

The RNC sent formal National Voter Registration Act violation notices Wednesday to New Jersey's secretary of state and election officials in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Somerset and Union counties.

The committee is seeking records related to noncitizen removals, citizenship verification efforts and other voter roll maintenance activities. Officials have until Sept. 15 to produce the records or potentially face litigation, according to the RNC.

NEW JERSEY GOVERNMENT UNDER CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATION AFTER EXPLOSIVE REVELATIONS ON NONCITIZEN VOTERS

"Democrat (Gov.) Mikie Sherrill admitted what the RNC already uncovered through public records requests: Noncitizens are on New Jersey's voter rolls," RNC Chairman Joe Gruters said in an RNC release. "Now, election officials are refusing to turn over records explaining how it happened.

"Voters deserve answers, and the RNC is putting officials on notice: Comply with the law, hand over the records or face legal action."

The RNC claims Bergen County records identified 134 noncitizens removed from New Jersey voter rolls between January 2023 and August 2026.

Of those, 91 registrations were linked to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC), according to the committee.

Sherrill's administration has separately disclosed that a software error at the MVC improperly registered approximately 6,600 people to vote between June 2023 and June 2024, before she took office.

DEMOCRATS CONCEDE NJ VOTER-ROLL FAILURE WAS ‘HORRIBLE’ — BUT REJECT BROADER FRAUD FEARS

Her administration said approximately 5,100 people affected by the error were removed from the voter rolls because they had no separate registration or attestation of eligibility.

Another approximately 1,450 registrations were changed to rejected status pending further review by county election officials.

The state said approximately 340 people newly registered because of the software error voted. It also identified approximately 220 people affected by the error who voted but had previous registrations or separate attestations indicating they may have been validly registered.

Sherrill said county officials had been directed to resolve remaining cases before the November election.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS CONFRONT NJ GOVERNOR OVER 6,600 NONCITIZENS REGISTERED TO VOTE IN ALLEGED SOFTWARE FAILURE

She has also accused the Trump administration of seeking greater federal control over state voter rolls and resisted federal efforts to obtain nonpublic voter information, calling the effort a "phishing expedition here in New Jersey."

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The governor's office has said its investigation into the MVC error remains ongoing.

The RNC, The New Jersey Secretary of State's office and Sherill's office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Huge Knicks fan Kylie Jenner talks courtside fits & desire to become even bigger fan with enhanced implants

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 20:14:01 -0400

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story contains explicit language in direct quotations.

Feel free to criticize Kylie Jenner's Knicks fandom if you want. You're not going to catch me doing that, and I have a feeling after you hear what she has to say about her journey to becoming a fan, you're not going to either.

She discussed falling in love with the team on the "Better Half" podcast. She talked about her dedication to courtside outfits, and a desire to become an even bigger fan by one day enhancing her breast implants.

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

Kylie's appearance is being considered, by some, to be one of the greatest interviews of all-time. I don't allow myself to be a prisoner of the moment, at least I try not to be. I can't go along with that. Not right now anyway.

I can go along with her being considered a huge Knicks fan. It started, she revealed, when she went to her first Knicks game with boyfriend Timothée Chalamet.

"I never was into it unless it was, like, someone was married or dating someone, and then I would watch it," Kylie said, reports the NY Post. "It wasn’t until I went to my first Knicks game that I fell in love."

She knows how special it was for the Knicks to win an NBA championship just a couple of seasons into her fandom and for her to get to witness it all courtside.

"For them to win, I mean, I'm the luckiest Knicks fan 'cause I feel like I am a new Knicks fan … and I got to see them win!," Kylie admitted.

KYLIE JENNER INSPIRES KNICKS LINGERIE, SWIFT-KELCE MSG WEDDING RUMORS & GERMAN DISCOVERS WAFFLE HOUSE

You can save your breath if you think she didn’t put enough time in as a fan. She more than made up for the lack of hours rooting for the team by sacrificing her style while her feet were on the hardwood.

She often wore a big shirt or jacket due to the difficulties of being a fan with a big butt. She dipped into her closet filled with blue and orange to make sure her crack wasn't out during the games.

"When you have a big, fat, juicy ass, and you’re sitting down, and you’re wearing a little crop top, it’s just, like, my ass crack is always just out... ," Kylie told the hosts.

"I always have to bring a jacket or something so I can enjoy the game and not worry if, you know, I'm naked."

OUTKICK IS NOW ON THE FOX APP: CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

That's doing what it takes to win. That's sacrifice for the good of the team, but that's not all Kylie Jenner had lined up for the discussion. She talked about becoming an even bigger fan of the New York Knicks one day.

Bigger as in enhancing the size of her breasts. She said, "They need to be bigger and more out there. I want my tits to walk in before I do."

That is how you make a statement. It's also how you put together a complete argument to counter anything critics of your fandom dare to come at you with. It's hustle, it's dedication, it's winning basketball.

Social media erupts after cops reportedly raid home of Ilhan Omar's son: 'Not a good look'

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 20:00:53 -0400

Social media is in a frenzy over a report that police raided the home of Rep. Ilhan Omar's son over allegations against his roommate.

Minneapolis police raided the home of Adnan Hirsi earlier this week and confiscated guns and ammunition before arresting his roommate, Abdulrahman Abdi, Alpha News reported.

Hirsi, Omar's son, has not been implicated in any wrongdoing, nor was the congresswoman implicated in the incident.

CAUGHT ON CAMERA: SQUAD DEM SQUIRMS WHEN PRESSED ON VANCE DOJ FRAUD PROBE

But the report's mention that the suspect shares an apartment with the progressive lawmaker's son was enough to make her right-wing critics on social media erupt.

"Nothing to see here. Move along," Steve Ferguson, a small business owner with nearly 300,000 followers on X, posted.

Right-wing activist Benny Johnson wrote, "Not a good look for Ilhan Omar."

Online influencer "Spitfire" wrote on the site, "This Omar investigation is getting more interesting by the day."

"Anyone shocked that a horrible person would be a horrible mother? What do you expect from someone who marries their brother?" Townhall columnist Derek Hunter wrote, referencing an unproven online conspiracy theory that Omar previously was married to her brother, which she has denied.

REP ILHAN OMAR'S DAUGHTER STRIKES HARD-CORE COMMUNIST POSE AS MOM BATTLES CLAIMS SHE IS RICH

Commentator Gunther Eagleman called to "deport Ilhan Omar and her family."

"Ilhan Omar: Supports violent jihad. Ilhan's daughter: Arrested during pro-Hamas campus riots; traveled to Cuba with a CCP-linked group. Ilhan's son: Home raided by police; guns and ammunition seized," Eitan Fischberger, a former staff sergeant in the Israeli military and a current opinion columnist, wrote.

The report itself was also shared without comment by former Trump advisors Corey Lewandowski and Sean Spicer.

The report said a search warrant was executed Tuesday at the home Abdi shares with Hirsi, and that guns and ammunition were recovered. Abdi was reportedly arrested earlier in the day. No wrongdoing by Hirsi was reported.

The Minneapolis Police Department declined to comment when reached by Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital did confirm that Abdi was arrested by Minneapolis police and booked just after noon on Tuesday. He was released just before midnight the next day, records show.

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Omar is a staunch advocate for gun control. Fox News Digital reached out to her office for comment on the incident.

Russia threatens strikes on UK military targets, ‘catastrophic consequences’ over Ukraine

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 19:38:07 -0400

Russia warned Thursday that it could strike British military targets inside and outside Ukraine if Kyiv uses long-range British cruise missiles against targets deep inside Russian territory, according to reports.

This came a day after Moscow accused Ukraine of striking a shopping center in Russian-controlled Donetsk with British Storm Shadow missiles, wounding civilians, including children.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Thursday that Britain was "one step away" from becoming legally complicit in what she described as civilian-targeted "terrorism," warning that failure to change course would bring "catastrophic consequences," Reuters reported.

US ALLY ON PUTIN’S DOORSTEP BRACES FOR WAR AS RUSSIA TENSIONS TAKE OMINOUS TURN

"We have repeatedly warned that any British military installations and equipment in Ukraine and beyond its borders could be targeted in response to Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory carried out using British weapons," Zakharova said at a news briefing in Moscow.

She urged British leaders to "immediately, in the most resolute and unequivocal manner, abandon the hostile, aggressive line" to prevent the conflict from escalating to an "entirely new level."

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham visited Ukraine Aug. 24 for Independence Day, when he announced that a defense contractor could release classified information about British components used in the long-range SCALP cruise missile as Ukraine and France seek to establish assembly lines in Ukraine, according to the U.K. government.

PUTIN 'PANICKED' AS DEFIANT UKRAINE MARKS INDEPENDENCE DAY UNDER RUSSIAN BOMBARDMENT

The SCALP missile, the French version of Britain's Storm Shadow, can strike targets more than 155 miles away.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the U.K. was "participating in the war" and "pouring fuel on the fire."

A spokesperson for Britain's Ministry of Defense told Reuters London stood "shoulder to shoulder" with Ukraine and was committed to providing the equipment that Kyiv needed "to defend itself against (President Vladimir) Putin's illegal invasion."

"Russia should be in no doubt about the resolve of this government to stand against Russian aggression in Ukraine and against the U.K. and our allies," the spokesperson said.

UK'S BURNHAM NAMES TRUMP CRITIC ED MILIBAND FOREIGN SECRETARY; EX-THATCHER AIDE BRANDS PICK 'DISASTROUS'

During his Kyiv visit, Burnham also hit back at Moscow, condemning Russia's "outrageous threats" and asserting that Britain's support for Ukraine would not waver.

Russia also warned Britain Aug. 17 that it would pay a "price" after The Times reported Aug. 15 that British-made drones supplied to Ukraine were used to strike military and industrial targets inside Russia for the very first time.

Britain's Ministry of Defense did not confirm whether British drones had been used in the strikes.

Zakharova made the remarks as President Donald Trump downplayed concerns about a broader war, telling Axios in a phone interview Thursday he was not concerned Russia would attack a NATO member.

US MILITARY PLANE LANDS IN MOSCOW, WITH KREMLIN CLAIMING IT HAS NO INFORMATION: REPORT

Sergei Naryshkin, head of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service, known as the SVR, confirmed Thursday that he met with CIA Director John Ratcliffe in Moscow earlier this week, Reuters reported.

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Naryshkin characterized the meeting as routine, saying they discussed issues within the scope of their intelligence services, according to Reuters.

Trump similarly described Ratcliffe's trip as "semi-routine," according to Axios.

Fox News Digital has reached out to 10 Downing Street for comment.

Trump admin urges returning education to states, citing $3 trillion of taxes spent and poor proficiency scores

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 19:38:04 -0400

FIRST ON FOX — The U.S. Department of Education (ED) is emphasizing to parents that control over education needs to be returned to the states, citing $3 trillion in spent taxpayer money and national test scores showing that only three in 10 students are proficient in math and reading, a department spokesperson told Fox News Digital Tuesday.

"Despite $3 trillion in taxpayer investment in a federal Department of Education, only three in 10 students are proficient in reading and math. That is exactly why the Trump administration is returning education to the states and putting local leaders and parents back into the driver’s seat," the spokesperson said.

"To deliver this urgent message, Secretary McMahon and key department leaders called into local radio nationwide over the past two weeks, connecting directly with millions of parents to highlight our hard reset to education — from restoring parental rights to empowering states to lead and taking ideology out of higher education."

Education Secretary Linda McMahon vowed earlier this year to dismantle the federal agency when she took office, pledging to hire staff members who would work toward eliminating their respective roles.

STEVE MOORE, ED POZZUOLI: STOP FUNDING SCHOOL SYSTEMS; LET THE MONEY FOLLOW THE CHILD

The targeted local radio blitz coincides with McMahon's broader 50-state tour, during which she has spoken directly with families about how K-12 schooling "will be fundamentally different" under the administration's plan to decentralize federal oversight.

"As a mother and grandmother, I know firsthand that we only get one opportunity to educate and help our children reach their full God-given potential. That is exactly why the Trump administration is returning education to the states and ushering in the largest expansion of education freedom in American history," McMahon told Fox News Digital.

"This 50-state tour has reached millions of families across our great nation, emphasizing the vital role parents play in their child’s life – not bureaucrats in Washington."

TRUMP ADMIN TARGETS WOKE SCHOOLS ACCUSED OF HIDING STUDENTS' GENDER TRANSITIONS FROM PARENTS

The push followed President Donald Trump's back-to-school event at the White House Monday, where he promoted the administration's school choice agenda and reiterated pledges to put parents back in charge.

Speaking alongside McMahon, students, parents and educators in the Rose Garden, Trump argued that despite massive federal outlays, student performance remains unacceptable. and families require more educational options. He also pledged to eliminate what he called "far-left extremism" from classrooms.

As part of that push, the administration highlighted the upcoming Education Freedom Tax Credit. Set to take effect Jan. 1, 2027, the program will allow individual taxpayers to receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit of up to $1,700 for contributions made to approved scholarship-granting organizations.

DEMOCRATS AIM TO KILL SCHOOL CHOICE FROM WISCONSIN TO THE REST OF THE US

The Trump administration announced earlier this year an inter-agency agreement between the Department of Education and the Department of the Treasury, with an official calling it the largest step toward closing the agency.

The agreement entails moving student lending operations from the Department of Education to the Treasury, which will assume operational responsibility for collecting on defaulted federal student loan debt and providing operational support to the department's efforts to return borrowers to repayment.

This agreement follows nine agency partnerships over the past year as the Department of Education seeks to downsize, shifting power from some of its offices and programs to other federal agencies.

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This is part of a broader effort to eliminate the department. McMahon previously said that the agency is merely a "pass through" for federal funding as opposed to controlling curriculum, noting that the agency's role in local curriculum is frequently misunderstood.

Gov Shapiro sues Trump administration over ‘lifesaving reproductive care’ in escalating abortion battle

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 19:32:43 -0400

Democrat Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro joined a multistate lawsuit against the Trump administration Thursday challenging new conditions on federal family planning grants, including requirements aimed at ensuring taxpayer resources do not support elective abortion and promoting "life-affirming" services.

Shapiro announced the lawsuit by accusing the Trump administration of making it harder for low-income Pennsylvanians to access what he called "lifesaving reproductive care and family planning services," specifically pointing to cancer screenings and testing for sexually transmitted infections.

But the 63-page complaint also challenges abortion-related provisions in the Trump administration's new requirements for Title X grants, including a directive that recipients "maintain strict separation from prohibited activities" and contribute to broader U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) efforts to "safeguard life-affirming, lawful, and ethical program delivery."

PLANNED PARENTHOOD ACROSS MIDWEST AT RISK DUE TO LACK OF FEDERAL FUNDS AFTER 3 FACILITIES CLOSE IN MICHIGAN

Live Action blasted Shapiro's characterization in a statement to Fox News Digital, accusing him of fighting to keep taxpayer dollars flowing to Planned Parenthood.

"Governor Shapiro is calling Planned Parenthood’s services ‘lifesaving care’ while fighting to keep taxpayer dollars flowing to the nation’s largest abortion chain," Noah Brandt, vice president of communications and government affairs at Live Action, said. "There is nothing lifesaving about abortion."

FEDERAL APPEALS COURT BLOCKS MAILING OF ABORTION PILLS IN RULING WITH NATIONWIDE EFFECT

Brandt said women deserve access to cancer screenings, prenatal care and other medical services, but argued that does not require taxpayers to subsidize Planned Parenthood.

"Governor Shapiro should stop hiding the abortion industry behind euphemisms and be honest about what he is defending: the killing of our youngest children," Brandt added.

Title X funding is already prohibited from being used for abortion. Shapiro's lawsuit challenges the Trump administration's additional conditions aimed at "life-affirming" program delivery.

The administration's new funding terms state that HHS will prioritize programs that uphold federal abortion-funding protections and "do not use taxpayer resources to promote or support elective abortion."

COALITION OF 25 STATES SUES TRUMP ADMIN OVER MEDICAID WORK RULE DESIGNED TO PREVENT FRAUD

Recipients are also expected to maintain "strict separation" from prohibited activities, according to language reproduced in the lawsuit.

The states argue the rules could cost providers Title X funding even when abortions are performed outside the federally funded program.

Pennsylvania received $12,729,659 in Title X family planning funding in fiscal 2026, according to the complaint.

SUPREME COURT KEEPS BROADER ACCESS TO ABORTION PILL MIFEPRISTONE IN PLACE WHILE LEGAL FIGHT CONTINUES

Shapiro's administration has backed Medicaid coverage for abortion, increased reimbursement rates for abortion services and joined legal efforts seeking expanded access to mifepristone.

The filing marks Shapiro's second lawsuit against the Trump administration in as many days.

On Wednesday, the potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender joined a coalition challenging new federal requirements for mail-in ballots ahead of the November midterms.

SUPREME COURT KEEPS BROADER ACCESS TO ABORTION PILL MIFEPRISTONE IN PLACE WHILE LEGAL FIGHT CONTINUES

Neither Shapiro's office nor the White House responded to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.

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The lawsuit, led by New York, Maryland and Massachusetts, and joined by more than 20 mostly blue states and governors, asks a federal court in Maryland to block the administration from applying the challenged conditions to Title X applicants and grantees.

Fox News Digital's Alec Schemmel contributed to this reporting.

Team USA hero Connor Hellebuyck confirms that he requested a trade from the Winnipeg Jets

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 19:21:03 -0400

Team USA goaltending hero Connor Hellebuyck has publicly confirmed rumors that he has requested a trade from the Winnipeg Jets.

The 33-year-old from Commerce, Michigan, has spent his entire NHL career with the Jets and has won the Vezina Trophy as the league's best goaltender three times.

However, the Jets took a step back last season, and on Wednesday, Jets executive vice president and GM Kevin Cheveldayoff said that the team was entertaining offers for Hellebuyck.

"Certainly, as an organization we're going to listen," he said per NHL.com. "Everyone saw (Hellebuyck’s) press conference at the end of the year. He was passionate. Certainly, in our exit meetings we had some frank conversations as well, but again, what happens in those meetings certainly stays private."

On Thursday, Hellebuyck confirmed that he had asked to move on from the team.

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"I have tried to handle the situation quietly and respectfully while giving the organization time to explore its options," Hellebuyck said in a statement shared by his agent. "With training camp approaching, I felt it was important to publicly confirm my request. My position has not changed. I believe moving on is the best path forward for me and my family."

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Hellebuyck debuted with the Jets in 2015-16 and has become one of the league's premier netminders and one of the Jets' centerpieces.

After Hellebuyck confirmed his trade request, Cheveldayoff released a statement.

"Connor has been open with us about his desire for a change," it reads. "He has been an important part of the Winnipeg Jets organization for many years, and we have tremendous respect for what he has accomplished here. While we will continue to work through the situation in a thoughtful manner, there is no update at this time."

Hellebuyck's stellar 41-save performance in the gold medal game against Canada at the 2025 Olympics in Milan was key to the US winning men's gold for the first time since the 1980 Miracle on Ice team.

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It also led President Trump to announce earlier this year during the State of the Union address that Hellebuyck would be receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

DHS hits back at James Talarico after Democrat claims ICE 'kidnapped' 5-year-old boy deported with father

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 19:14:28 -0400

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin responded to criticism from Texas Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico about the deportation of a young boy who was detained with his father by federal immigration authorities.

Victor Martinez Nieto and his 5-year-old son, Liam Tadeo, were both deported Tuesday. The pair were detained by authorities in Austin, Texas, earlier this month while on their way to a soccer match.

On Wednesday, Talarico, who has highlighted the case in his criticism of the Trump administration's immigration enforcement agenda, said Tadeo, who was slated to start kindergarten this week, should have spent his first day of school in a classroom.

DEM’S STUNNING IDEAL STANDARD FOR IMMIGRATION DETENTION CONDITIONS RESURFACES AMID TEXAS SENATE BID

"ICE kidnapped Liam Tadeo on his way to a soccer game with his dad," Talarico wrote on X. "Liam should be in kindergarten. Instead, our government has thrown him in a prison camp hundreds of miles from home."

On Thursday, Talarico posted that Liam had been deported.

HOMAN BLASTS DEM HYPOCRISY ON DEPORTATIONS, RECALLS PAST WHEN 'OBAMA GAVE ME AN AWARD' FOR ENFORCING BORDER

Looking to set the record straight, Mullin said Talarico "won't tell the American people the full story." He said the boy was deported with Martinez Nieto at his father's request.

"ICE does NOT separate families," Mullin wrote. "Parents are asked if they want to be removed with their children or ICE will place the children with a safe person the parent designates. In this case, both the father and son were deported together."

BIDEN JUDGE OVERRULED ON KEY TRUMP IMMIGRATION POLICY

Mullin noted that parents are responsible for what happens to their children "just as any U.S. citizen parent who breaks the law is when they are arrested."

The father and son were both held at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the family's attorney. Martinez Nieto was arrested by immigration officers in November 2025 and deported in February. He later reentered the United States illegally, The Austin American-Statesman reported.

Teens accused of destroying Flock camera until battery exploded, igniting fire near homes: report

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 19:02:15 -0400

Three South Carolina teenagers were arrested after allegedly cutting down a Flock Safety camera pole and beating its battery pack with a hammer until it exploded and burst into flames, authorities said.

The attack unfolded during the early morning hours of Aug. 15 along Harmony Church Road in the Edgemoor area of Chester County, according to WBTV, citing the Chester County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators said the teens hacked down the pole before striking the equipment with a hammer, setting off the battery fire. The sheriff’s office estimated the damage at more than $5,000, WBTV reported.

Blaze Fuller, Samuel Carlisle and James Ryerson, all 19, were arrested and charged with criminal conspiracy and malicious injury to personal property, according to jail records reviewed by Fox News Digital.

FLOCK SAFETY CAMERAS NEED CONSTITUTIONAL GUARDRAILS BEFORE FURTHER DEPLOYMENT, TENNESSEE MAYOR ARGUES

Fuller was booked Aug. 18 and released the following day after posting $5,000 bond. Carlisle and Ryerson were also booked Aug. 18 and released Aug. 19, records show.

The blaze left a nearby resident worried it could have turned into something far worse.

"My house is over here," Edgemoor resident David Cunupp told WBTV, pointing toward his property. "Could’ve caught fire and burned if it wasn’t for the rain."

Cunupp said he was not necessarily opposed to the cameras but questioned the role of a private company in running the surveillance technology.

"They could be used for good, but I don’t see where a private company’s got access or running it instead of the DMV or the government," Cunupp told the outlet.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Chester County Sheriff’s Office for comment.

The alleged fiery takedown comes as tensions over Flock’s automated license plate reader network mount nationwide, with privacy advocates, local officials and lawmakers challenging the spread of vehicle location databases.

HAWLEY RIPS FLOCK’S SPRAWLING SURVEILLANCE WEB AS TEXAS CITIES CUT CAMERAS OVER PRIVACY AND DATA FEARS

Opponents of the cameras have condemned vandalism and instead called for the technology to be challenged through lawful action.

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, launched an investigation into Flock this week, saying the company has built an "unprecedented national surveillance network" with more than 120,000 cameras across 49 states and more than 20 billion vehicle scans each month.

POWERFUL CRIME-FIGHTING SURVEILLANCE GROWTH SPURS LAWMAKERS TO ISSUE WARNING: 'ORWELLIAN'

"Instead of serving discrete local investigations, as contemplated by our constitutional processes and safeguards, these camera networks harness artificial intelligence to pool what they capture into a national database that customers can search," Hawley wrote in a letter to Flock CEO Garrett Langley.

Flock spokesperson Paris Lewbel previously told Fox News Digital the company would respond directly to Hawley’s questions and looked forward to explaining "the safeguards built into our platform and how law enforcement agencies use Flock to solve crime and find missing people."

FLOCK SURVEILLANCE SPREADS ACROSS THE SOUTH AS RED STATE LAWMAKERS SEEK TO AX '1984'-STYLE TRACKING TOOLS

The dispute has played out through local government action in Texas. Hood County officials voted to end their relationship with Flock and later directed that the county’s three cameras be disconnected and covered until they could be removed.

Constable John Shirley shared photos of the covered cameras in a Facebook post, calling it "a good day for the Freedom of the people of Hood County."

He said the cameras had been "constantly scanning and recording regular folks just going about their day."

REPS ANDY HARRIS, KEITH SELF, SEN RICK SCOTT: FIX FISA. DON’T SPY ON US

"That kind of permanent, warrantless tracking doesn’t belong in a free society," Shirley wrote. "Privacy isn’t optional, and mass surveillance isn’t how we do things here."

In a later Facebook post, Shirley said he supports technology that helps police solve crimes, locate missing people and find dangerous suspects but argued public safety cannot end the conversation about individual liberty.

"We can have good policing and still insist on boundaries," Shirley wrote. "We can use technology without giving government unlimited surveillance capability."

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The debate has already pushed communities from Texas, Arizona and nationwide, to reconsider or end their Flock contracts, citing worries about data sharing, privacy and misuse.

Megan Rapinoe mocks Enes Kanter Freedom's 'protect women' comments, calls him 'bad-faith actor'

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 19:00:29 -0400

Another episode of Megan Rapinoe’s "Why Are You Like This?" podcast has led to the former USWNT star chiming in about the latest in the WNBA, specifically Enes Kanter Freedom being ejected from the Chicago Sky-Indiana Fever game this past weekend.

Rapinoe started her latest podcast episode discussing the situation where Freedom was escorted out in the third quarter of the Sky’s loss to the Fever, which involved Chicago’s Natasha Cloud.

Cloud had scored a basket, which led to a Fever timeout. She then directed her emotion toward Freedom, who was sitting near the basket at Wintrust Arena. That led the former NBA center to stand up and walk toward her. Sky players and security got in between the two. Sky officials explained to OutKick later Tuesday that security and Chicago police determined Freedom was a threat, leading to his being escorted out and eventually barred from Wintrust Arena.

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Freedom later told OutKick in an exclusive interview that Cloud allegedly said, "She’s not gonna sleep with you," referring to Fever star Sophie Cunningham, who has been in the middle of controversy after her thoughts on keeping biological men out of women’s sports.

"And I was like, 'I am not trying to sleep with her. I’m just here to protect women and support her.' And then, obviously, after that she started yapping, and she started to walk towards me, and literally I just got up, and then I was like, 'I’m just here to protect women, and that’s all.'"

SMUG MEGAN RAPINOE GOES ON UNHINGED RANT, ATTACKS RILEY GAINES AND SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM OVER WOMEN'S SPORTS

Well, Rapinoe caught wind of Freedom’s comments, and gave quite the sarcastic diatribe about them.

"He later, in continuing the absolute grift that was this whole thing, gave some quotes to OutKick Sports and Fox News — no surprise there. Saying that he was just out there to protect women. Well, oh my God, thank you so much because that’s what we were asking for," Rapinoe said in a mocking tone.

"In fairness, you did warn us about men forcing their way into WNBA spaces. Lo and behold…Oh, you weren’t talking about yourself? OK. People who are 'trying to protect women.' First of all, from who? From who? It’s yourself. It’s a big mirror. Y’all are the same people who were, like, s----ing on the league and its athletes from before, saying it was bad business and no one cared. You’re the same people who were banning people from playing soccer in the 1950s. You’re the same type of people.

"Oh, but now they care about it a lot, don’t they? Because they’re seeing the success and the power the league has, and they’re seeing how popular it is and seeing how everybody loves it and how lit of a space it is. So, now they really care. So, they are going to try and continue coming after the W and other women’s sports leagues and its athletes after seeing all the power they have."

ENES KANTER FREEDOM OPENS UP ON CONFRONTATION WITH NATASHA CLOUD THAT LED TO EJECTION, WNBA PURSUIT

Rapinoe claims that those like Freedom, who believe biological men shouldn’t be participating in women’s sports, are "bad-faith actors." And it’s reached a worse point, in her eyes, that someone like Freedom has now shown up to an event.

"This is not the same old story of, ‘Well, this is just online, or it’s just trolls, it’s just bots. It’s not actually happening.’ No, it’s actually happening. They’re doing rallies before the game, they’re coming onto the court. They’re buying tickets. They’re in there — they’re not just trolls. They’re showing up in real life.

"They want a mechanism to continue tearing down women period and women’s sports. I hate that this is true and I desperately want for us to get to a place where women athletes can just be left alone and be great and be paid well. People can come and watch and just be respected. But that is clearly not where we are. The rise in women’s sports and the rise of the popularity in all these sports leagues, particularly the W, has come hand-in-hand with the rise of this hate and discrimination. It’s why it’s important for us as women athletes to continue to speak out about these issues and continue to do it together to show a united and collective fight."

Finally, Rapinoe ended her rant with this interesting line.

"Let’s make one thing clear: we do not need men in the WNBA, or women’s sports in general, to make it successful."

Quite ironic considering that is exactly what many are preaching themselves — making sure biological men stay out of women’s sports as they continue their rise in popularity.

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Freedom has maintained he's pro-women and not anti-trans.

"I am not anti-trans, I'm not anti-LGBTQ, I’m just pro-woman," Freedom previously told OutKick . "In this country we have First Amendment, freedom of speech, right? And I simply went to the game with my shirt on."

73-year-old camper vanishes off the grid before his RV turns up in wilderness

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 18:57:49 -0400

A 73-year-old man has not been seen in more than three weeks after authorities found his empty RV at a remote Adirondack Mountains campsite in upstate New York, state troopers said.

According to the New York State Police (NYSP), Craig K. Streeter, of Mahopac, was last seen Aug. 2 at a Stewart’s Shop in Indian Lake.

Police say it's not unusual for him to go off the grid for short periods, but he hasn't been contacted in weeks.

MISSOURI DEPUTY AG, MISSING 6 DAYS AFTER SEEKING TO SUMMIT WYOMING'S TALLEST PEAK, IS FOUND ALIVE

The search was launched after New York State Forest Rangers discovered Streeter's RV at campsite 36 on Moose River Road in the town of Inlet with no sign of recent activity.

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When authorities were unable to locate the outdoorsman, they called in additional law enforcement agencies to join the effort. The search is ongoing and involves multiple agencies, the NYSP said.

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Police said there are no indications of foul play as of now.

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He was last seen wearing a dark-colored long-sleeved shirt and jeans before leaving the store in his RV.

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Authorities are interested in hearing from anyone who may have encountered Streeter while camping or traveling along Moose River Road or in nearby remote camping areas. Anyone with information is asked to call New York State Police at 518-897-2000.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the New York State Police for additional information.

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Predicting each Power 4 conference champion ahead of the 2026 college football season

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 18:47:05 -0400

We've finally made it to the end of a long and miserable college football offseason, and after eight months of local judges granting temporary restraining orders to eighth-year seniors and threats of a 24-team Playoff, I think I speak for all of us when I say "let the games begin."

But before we commence with the season, it's time to do some pigskin prognosticating, and what better way to put my neck on the line than to predict each of the Power 4 conference winners for the 2026 season?

After taking into account returning production, coaching, strength of schedule, and overall team talent, among other things, I'm ready to make my picks.

And if you don't see your team on this list, just remember, I had Texas winning the national championship and Penn State making a deep CFP run last year, so don't get too discouraged if I don't have your team on here.

With all that preamble out of the way, let's make some picks!

ACC - Miami Hurricanes

Upon first glance, this almost seems like a default pick.

The Miami Hurricanes are the most talented team in the conference by a significant margin, and they were a Carson Beck interception away from potentially winning the whole enchilada back in January.

THREE TEAMS RANKED OUTSIDE THE TOP-12 OF THE COACHES POLL WHO WILL MAKE THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF

But picking the Canes to win the ACC is also making a bet against history, as the bad boys from Coral Gables have infamously never won a conference title since joining the league back in 2004.

History aside, if there was ever a year Miami was practically preordained to win the ACC, it would be this year.

The Hurricanes return an absurd amount of talent on offense, headlined by transfer quarterback Darrian Mensah, who very well might be the best quarterback to rep The U since head coach Mario Cristobal took over in 2022.

Other familiar faces like running back Mark Fletcher and wide receiver Malachi Toney will give offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson a ton to work with, but it's not all sunshine and rainbows.

A ton of production needs to be replaced on both lines of scrimmage, and although the Canes have recruited well enough at offensive and defensive line, we still need to see them in action before anyone can make any declarative statements about this team.

With all that said, the schedule is very favorable and there isn't another team in the conference that can match Miami's firepower, so I'm taking the Canes to win the ACC in 2026.

Big 12 - Texas Tech Red Raiders

This was a lot more of a surefire pick back in January before the Brendan Sorsby debacle occured, but I still think Texas Tech is the leader in the clubhouse as presumptive Big 12 champs.

The Red Raiders may have found a potential replacement for Sorsby in FSU transfer Thomas Castellanos, but even with his veteran leadership, the drop off from Sorsby to Castellanos is significant.

Quarterback isn't what I'm basing my pick on, though, as the Red Raiders will be the most talented team top to bottom in the conference.

Texas Tech signed a top-ten transfer portal class this offseason and have the most returning production of any Big 12 team, which leads me to believe they have the horses to outlast any potential contenders trying to snatch the crown from them.

Speaking of contenders, the Red Raiders avoided having to play BYU in the regular season, and get to play Houston as well as both Arizona teams at home this year.

DON'T BURY TEXAS TECH JUST YET: RED RAIDERS SHOULD STILL BE CFP CONTENDERS, EVEN WITHOUT BRENDAN SORSBY

That favorable schedule could be both a blessing and a curse, as Texas Tech will rarely be tested through much of the regular season.

Still, that early showdown with the aforementioned Houston Cougars should set the tone for Texas Tech's season, as a win there will give the Red Raiders an inside track to the Big 12 title game over a sneaky good conference foe.

Give me Texas Tech regardless of how lines up under center.

Big Ten - Ohio State Buckeyes

Believe it or not, the Ohio State Buckeyes haven't won the Big Ten since the Covid year in 2020.

That was only a seven-game slate, too, so it's not exactly a foregone conclusion that Ohio State should be the heavy favorite this year.

Of every Power 4 conference, the Big Ten was the one that gave me the most trouble in trying to pick a winner.

This was essentially a three-horse race between the previous two winners (Indiana and Oregon) and the Buckeyes.

I ultimately gave the nod to the Buckeyes because they just have an embarrassment of riches on both sides of the ball.

They return quarterback Julian Sayin as well as perhaps the best overall player in college football in junior wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.

FIVE COLLEGE FOOTBALL TEAMS RANKED OUTSIDE THE PRESEASON TOP-10 THAT WENT ON TO WIN IT ALL

Though they lost a ton of production on the defensive side of the ball, they addressed it with a big time haul in the transfer portal and a top-five recruiting class.

The Buckeyes will never be without talent, it will just be a question of whether they are able to reload rather than rebuild, and returning Matt Patricia as defensive coordinator from a season ago can only help.

The margins were thin, but I like the Buckeyes to come out on top when the dust settles in the Big Ten.

SEC - Georgia Bulldogs

I really wanted to pull the trigger and pick the Texas Longhorns to win the SEC.

I was so close to doing it, but the Georgia Bulldogs have reached Bill Belichick/Tom Brady-era Patriots levels of trust in my book, meaning that until I see them actually lose the SEC crown, I can't pick against them.

Texas might be the most talented team in the league, and other programs like Ole Miss, Oklahoma, and LSU will be nipping at the Dawgs' heels, but I still have to give the nod to Kirby Smart and his squad.

That's not to say this Bulldogs team is lacking in talent, though.

Georgia is a top-ten team in the country with regard to returning production and have a veteran signal caller in Gunner Stockton back in the fold.

The defense will be fierce, featuring a pair of preseason All-Americans in the secondary in Ellis Robinson IV and KJ Bolden.

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The schedule is fair but not exactly a cakewalk (then again, most SEC slates aren't), and I certainly can't see Georgia coming out of it completely unscathed, but in a league that has cannibalized itself a ton these last few years, I expect the Dawgs to come away with the least amount of flesh wounds.

Abbott taunts far-left AG with fiery warning over ICE extradition fight: 'Such bad lawyers'

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 18:41:39 -0400

Minnesota's progressive Attorney General Keith Ellison accused Texas Gov. Greg Abbott of turning the Lone Star State into a "sanctuary state for violent criminals" after an ICE agent charged in the shooting of a man in Minneapolis was released from a Texas jail, escalating a politically charged extradition fight between the two states.

Christian Castro, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent charged in connection with a non-fatal January shooting in Minneapolis, was released Thursday from a south Texas jail after a federal judge denied Minnesota’s emergency request to keep him in custody and compel Abbott to sign the extradition warrant. Texas law generally limits pre-extradition detention to 90 days, and Abbott has not yet decided whether to approve Minnesota’s request.

"This is not politics — this is not a game," Ellison said in a statement after Castro’s release. "If a governor can delay extraditions and cherry-pick cases according to their political tastes, then no state will be able to hold fugitive criminals accountable."

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Meanwhile, Ellison wrote on X that by "refusing to extradite Castro, Greg Abbott is turning Texas into a sanctuary state for violent criminals."

"You guys are such bad lawyers. You showed up unprepared, uninformed & unpersuasive. You don't know the law & it showed," Abbott wrote on X in response to Ellison's post calling Texas a "sanctuary state for violent criminals."

"Minn. is the literal definition of a sanctuary state because you refuse to assist in enforcing immigration laws," Abbott shot back. "I'll put Minneapolis at the top of the list for future bus drop offs if we ever have a President like Joe Biden again."

Castro faces four felony counts of second-degree assault and one misdemeanor count of falsely reporting a crime – charges filed by a Minnesota state court. He is accused of firing through the front door of an occupied north Minneapolis home during an ICE operation in January, striking Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg. Castro has maintained that he acted in self-defense.

EXCLUSIVE: LA ICE DIRECTOR REVEALS OFFICERS FOLLOWED HOME, HARASSED AS POLICE FAIL TO HELP IN SANCTUARY CITY

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty’s office filed the underlying state charges against Castro following an investigation by Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. The Trump administration initially cast the episode as an attack on an ICE officer, but ICE later placed Castro and another agent on administrative leave after its acting director said they appeared to have made "untruthful statements" about what happened.

Minnesota prosecutors say surveillance video and other evidence contradict Castro’s account that he fired after being attacked with a broom and snow shovel. Federal assault charges initially filed against Sosa-Celis and another man were later dismissed after prosecutors said new evidence was "materially inconsistent" with the original allegations.

WATCH: HOUSTON FACES $110M HIT AS TEXAS GOV LAYS DOWN LAW ON 'SANCTUARY' POLICIES

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Abbott has said Texas is investigating whether Castro qualifies as a fugitive subject to extradition, noting that the agent returned to Texas on federal orders rather than voluntarily fleeing Minnesota. The governor’s office praised the judge’s ruling, accusing Minnesota of trying to force a deadline on Abbott’s review.

Fox News Digital asked Abbott’s office about how the governor was planning to act on Minnesota’s extradition request and for clarification on Texas’ review of Castro’s fugitive status, but did not receive a response before publication.

Stephen Colbert emerges from cancellation to urge Emmy voters to select Jimmy Kimmel over own show

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 18:28:46 -0400

Stephen Colbert, who hosted his final episode of "The Late Show" in May, continued his long-running bromance with Jimmy Kimmel Tuesday by encouraging Emmy voters to consider the ABC late-night host for best variety show.

Colbert’s since-canceled "Late Show" is nominated for Outstanding Variety Series at the 2026 Emmy Awards, along with "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver," "The Daily Show" and "Saturday Night Live."

A bearded Colbert filmed a brief video for social media while sitting in a chair atop a cliff overlooking a large body of water to suggest his liberal pal deserves the award instead of his own program.

A LOOK BACK AT STEPHEN COLBERT'S MOST PARTISAN MOMENTS AS 'THE LAST SHOW' HOST

"Oh, hi, Stephen Colbert here at the end of the world. You know, there is 24 hours in Emmy voting, and if you’re anything like me, you haven’t even started yet. So, let’s get going," Colbert said.

"First up we have, oh, Outstanding Variety Series. … I think we can all agree that Jimmy Kimmel deserves an Emmy. I don’t care if you’ve never even seen his show, you know he deserves an Emmy," Colbert continued while showing an image of Kimmel on his tablet.

"Besides, look how cute he is. Anyway, please consider thinking that Jimmy deserves an Emmy. I do. I love you."

NewsBusters managing editor Curtis Houck called Colbert’s plea "beyond pathetic and embarrassing."

"It's a perfect reminder of how this is such a club that only seeks to further their partisan, fun house mirrors world that's all-Trump hate, all the time. These are two of the people most responsible for the decline in network comedy and why no one should take the profession seriously without sweeping changes," Houck told Fox News Digital.

Kimmel, who has publicly attacked CBS for pulling the plug on Colbert’s show, has followed a similar playbook as his buddy by mocking President Donald Trump on a nightly basis. Kimmel and Colbert have widely praised each other and appeared on each other’s programs, and the former even went dark during the final episode of CBS’ "Late Show."

"I will be watching tomorrow night. I hope that those of you who watch our show will also tune in to CBS for the last time. Don’t ever watch it again," Kimmel said on the eve of Colbert’s farewell show.

EX-OBAMA AIDE CALLS ON KIMMEL TO APOLOGIZE FOR ‘TASTELESS’ JOKE AHEAD OF ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

The cancellation of "The Late Show," which CBS announced in 2025, sparked a national debate as Colbert's liberal defenders accused the network of pulling him off the air for political reasons. The announcement came just days after CBS parent company Paramount settled Trump's "60 Minutes" lawsuit.

Shortly after the cancellation was announced, Trump's FCC approved Paramount's multibillion-dollar merger with Skydance Media, which is run by David Ellison, son of billionaire Trump ally Larry Ellison.

CBS maintained that the cancellation was purely a financial decision, a claim Colbert openly rejected on his show in defiance of his corporate bosses. However, it was reported at the time that "The Late Show" was losing the network a whopping $40 million per year.

ERIKA KIRK BLASTS KIMMEL'S 'CRUEL' JOKE ABOUT TRUMP'S DEATH, LAMENTS NATION'S 'EPIDEMIC OF DEHUMANIZATION'

Kimmel was briefly suspended by Disney after he made controversial remarks about the assassination of Charlie Kirk that sparked outrage, and ABC said the show would be preempted indefinitely. He returned to the air days later and insisted he never intended to make light of Kirk’s death.

Months later, Kimmel found himself in hot water again when an "expectant widow" joke about first lady Melania Trump went viral on social media after the attack at the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) Dinner. The poorly aged joke resulted in both the president and first lady calling for ABC to act.

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Fox News Digital’s Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.

Callaway ends partnership with Good Good, PGA Tour event renamed in latest fallout to controversial driver ad

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 18:10:38 -0400

If you thought "cancel culture" was behind us, think again.

The seemingly never-ending saga of Good Good Golf's now-deleted ad has taken yet another more ridiculous turn Thursday afternoon. For some background, Good Good has one of the largest YouTube channels in the golf space and has been enormously popular with younger demographics. They've quickly built themselves into a significant brand in golf, including a successful retail operation and partnerships with major club manufacturers, the Golf Channel and now even a PGA Tour event sponsorship.

Or, had built themselves.

GOOD GOOD ISSUES CONTRADICTORY APOLOGY FOR SINCE-DELETED GOLF AD SHOWING A MAN SHOVING A WOMAN TO THE GROUND

In order to promote the release of its co-branded driver with Callaway, Good Good briefly released an online ad that featured one of the company's founders, Garrett Clark, appearing to shoulder check a woman to the ground. The ad, which was very poorly conceived and executed, immediately came in for immense and well-deserved criticism. While it was meant to be a parody of the movie "Obsession," it looked and felt viscerally bad, and the image of a man knocking down a woman should obviously never have been approved or released.

The fallout though, has been extreme and hyperbolic. Several major retailers, like Dick's Sporting Goods, Golf Galaxy, the PGA Tour Superstore and reportedly some Target stores, pulled Good Good merchandise off the shelves. The scheduled release of their "Big Break x Good Good" television show was postponed after Golf Galaxy wanted to pull their title sponsorship.

PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp, freshly over from the NFL, an organization known for its impeccable handling of domestic violence, said he was disappointed with how the initial apology was handled and hinted that the aforementioned event coming up this fall may not take place under the "Good Good" name.

But the biggest, and most absurd blow, came Thursday afternoon when Callaway Golf issued a lengthy statement announcing that they had severed ties with Good Good effective immediately. Seriously.

After explaining that they have "listened and reflected deeply on the hurt and disappointment caused by the video we reposted" and that they spoke to individuals who had "personal experiences related to violence against women," the statement condemns "violence against women" as unacceptable and reiterates that it "should never be trivialized, normalized, or used as entertainment."

They then announce how they're handling it, with three main outcomes.

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"Callaway has ended its relationship with Good Good, effective immediately," the statement says.

It then explains that their "content review process was not comprehensive enough," and they have taken "appropriate internal corrective actions and significantly strengthened our approval procedures to help ensure this does not happen again."

Callaway will also commit "$1 million to support organizations working to prevent violence against women, provide resources to survivors, and advance education and awareness efforts."

Finally, they say that "These actions do not undo the harm caused or excuse our role in it. We sincerely apologize to everyone who was hurt, disappointed, or offended by this incident," and reaffirm their commitment to making golf a welcoming place for all.

Here's the problem with this statement: it's an absurd overreaction. Obviously, violence against women is unacceptable and cannot be tolerated. The issue, in this instance, is that it has frequently been "used as entertainment" by other brands with little critical reception. A popular Snickers commercial depicted Betty White getting tackled on a muddy football field. One Reebok ad featured a football player tackling office workers, including a woman. Does that mean Snickers and Reebok condone domestic violence? Of course not.

Nor does this ad mean Good Good condones domestic violence. Or that they do not believe women belong in golf. One of the company's side channels launched not too long ago is "Good Good Girls," giving a group of young women an opportunity to build their own YouTube brand.

Some sports leagues treat accusations or even charges of actual domestic violence less seriously than this. Which is the real problem, not a poorly thought out ad. Focus on criticism of the NFL for how it handles legitimate accusations. But of course, that would never happen, because the NFL can do no wrong.

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Then, later Thursday afternoon, the PGA Tour announced that Good Good had pulled out of their sponsorship of the upcoming event scheduled for November.

Again, this hyperbolic reaction is a perfect example of the performative cancel-culture world that many believed was behind us. And we know it’s performative because none of the other big brand names involved — the PGA Tour, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Golf Galaxy and the PGA Tour Superstore — have announced any plans to drop Callaway products from their companies, despite the club manufacturer being the one to give final approval for the ad’s release.

If this, again, very bad ad is so horrific, so monstrous that it requires all this, why are there no consequences for Callaway? Sure, they’re donating money, which is great. Victims of domestic violence should be supported and are often desperate for resources to escape their circumstances. But why not pull their drivers out of Golf Galaxy if they’re now so inextricably linked to domestic violence?

Not to mention all these companies are run by corporate executives who have little issue with male athletes playing sports against women, where those same young girls they claim to care about are put at serious risk of injury.

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It can't be repeated enough, this ad should not have been released. It was poorly conceived and poorly executed, and the "Obsession" parody was an inexplicable marketing choice. Should it result in the permanent expulsion of Good Good from public life? No, of course not.

Especially since Callaway is seemingly skipping away into the sunset, as giving them actual consequences would hurt the bottom lines of the PGA, Dick’s and so on too much to be tolerated.

US removes radioactive cancer-treatment material from Central American country over 'dirty bomb' risk

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 17:57:55 -0400

A highly radioactive material used to treat cancer is back on U.S. soil after American officials removed it from Guatemala over concerns it could be stolen and used to create a "dirty bomb."

The cobalt-60 source had been housed inside a disused medical radiation device before U.S. and Guatemalan teams removed the radioactive component and transported it to secure storage in the United States.

The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announced the operation Thursday, saying it was part of a broader effort to prevent dangerous radioactive materials from falling into the hands of terrorists and other adversaries.

The operation began in May, when specialists from the NNSA's Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico worked with a facility in Guatemala to remove part of a U.S.-origin teletherapy machine containing cobalt-60.

Guatemalan officials assisted with transportation, logistics and physical security.

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Cobalt-60 is used in medical devices to treat cancer, but the NNSA said highly radioactive sources can pose a security threat if stolen. The agency said the material removed from Guatemala could have been used to create a radiological weapon, commonly known as a "dirty bomb."

The removal comes as the Trump administration emphasizes preventing terrorists from obtaining chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear weapons. The administration's 2026 Counterterrorism Strategy identifies preventing terrorists from acquiring such weapons as a critical U.S. national security responsibility.

"Our mission is simple: protect American citizens, secure our borders, and ensure our adversaries never get their hands on materials that could harm our country," Matthew Napoli, deputy administrator for the NNSA's Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, said.

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"This successful removal is a massive win for homeland security and demonstrates our positive relationship with the Guatemalan government. NNSA will do whatever it takes to defend America and keep our communities safe," Napoli added.

Guatemala's National Centre of Radioactive Wastes and Ministry of Energy and Mines provided transportation, logistical and physical security support during the operation, according to the NNSA.

"Thanks to our collaboration with NNSA and DTRA in removing high-risk radioactive material from our facility, we were able to eliminate the danger it posed to our community and country," Mayra Villatoro, head of the Unit of Technical Laboratories at Guatemala's Ministry of Energy and Mines, said.

After the NNSA securely packaged the cobalt-60 component, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) provided secure transportation back to the U.S.

"The successful repatriation of the cobalt-60 source is a product of vital U.S. Government interagency cooperation," Robert Bridges, DTRA program manager of Nuclear Transportation & Disposition, said. "We are proud to work with NNSA to take meaningful action in their mission to eliminate radiological risk and keep America safe."

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The operation is part of the NNSA Office of Radiological Security's work with foreign governments and other partners to remove high-activity radioactive material and strengthen protections around radioactive sources.

WWE adds Wrestlepalooza: Perth to 2026 calendar in return to Australia

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 17:45:25 -0400

Wrestlepalooza is returning to the WWE premium live event calendar this year.

WWE will host Wrestlepalooza: Perth on Dec. 12, 2026, from the RAC Center in Perth, Australia, OutKick has learned on Thursday. The event will kick-start a three-year agreement between WWE and the Western Australian Government through Tourism Western Australia, which will run through 2028.

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Perth will be the site for WWE Weekend Takeovers annually from 2026 to 2028. Ahead of Wrestlepalooza: Perth, "Friday Night SmackDown" will be held on Dec. 11 and "Monday Night Raw" will be held on Dec. 14.

The Australian city was the site of last year’s Crown Jewel, which took place last October. John Cena and A.J. Styles put on a memorable match as part of Cena’s farewell tour. Styles would retire from pro wrestling months later. Stephanie Vaquer defeated Tiffany Stratton to win the Women’s Crown Jewel Championship and Seth Rollins defeated Cody Rhodes to win the Men’s Crown Jewel Championship.

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Perth also hosted the Elimination Chamber premium live event in 2024. Rhea Ripley defended the Women’s World Championship in her home country, while Becky Lynch and Drew McIntyre each booked championship matches at WrestleMania 40.

WWE fan experiences will also take place around the upcoming Wrestlepalooza event. WWE is planning superstores, meet-and-greets and more. Combo tickets for the shows will go on sale on Sept. 10.

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Wrestlepalooza was home to ESPN’s first WWE premium live event last year. The show saw Brock Lesnar squash Cena in his first match in WWE in over two years at that point. AJ Lee also returned to the ring for the first time in 10 years to tag with CM Punk as they took on Lynch and Rollins.

Ratko Mladić, 'Butcher of Bosnia' convicted of genocide, dies at 84

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 17:41:40 -0400

Ratko Mladić, the Bosnian Serb warlord general who oversaw wartime atrocities as he led forces that carried out the worst massacre in Europe since World War II, has died. He was 84.

Mladić, known as the "Butcher of Bosnia," died at a hospital in The Hague, Netherlands, U.N. court officials said.

He had been in custody since 2011 after years on the run for war crimes committed during the wars in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

In 2017, he was sentenced to life in prison.

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Mladić was one of the most notorious figures in the conflict that left more than 100,000 people dead and displaced more than a million others.

Under his command, Bosnian Serb troops took control of large swaths of Bosnia and Herzegovina and laid siege to the capital of Sarajevo and other cities. His forces detained non-Serb civilians and enemy soldiers in concentration camps and systematically slaughtered prisoners.

Despite the charges levied against him, Mladić never showed remorse. In court, he yelled at the judges when he was sentenced.

"He was murdered there, in those dungeons," Janko Seslija, a former Bosnian Serb soldier, told The Associated Press. "I feel sorry for Gen. Mladić. He was an honorable man, honorable soldier and commander."

A former Communist-era military officer, Mladić sided with the Serbs as Yugoslavia broke apart and disintegrated into war. He led a Serb insurgency in Croatia before taking over the Bosnian Serb army, according to The AP.

Among the horrors Mladić was charged with was the 1995 slaughter of up to 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica, which was supposed to be a safe zone guarded by Dutch peacekeepers.

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Mladić seized the town and assured the Muslim children that everything would be fine. Hours later, his troops began days of rape, torture and mass killings.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

White House silent on Iran-Oman Hormuz plan Tehran says would ban US warships

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 17:37:25 -0400

The Trump administration spent months insisting Iran did not control passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

But after Iran and Oman unveiled a proposed framework that Tehran says would exclude military vessels if finalized, the White House would not say whether President Donald Trump would accept any restriction on U.S. warships under the arrangement.

U.S. Central Command, meanwhile, rejected Iran’s underlying claim of authority.

"Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz," CENTCOM spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins told Fox News Digital. "The strait is an international waterway that commercial vessels continue to transit with U.S. military assistance."

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Fox News Digital asked whether Trump would accept a restriction on U.S. military vessels if the proposal becomes binding, whether American forces would be expected to comply and whether U.S. warships retain the right to operate in the strait regardless of any future arrangement. The White House did not respond.

Hawkins said U.S. forces have helped nearly 1,500 vessels transit the strait since early May.

The silence marks a shift after months in which the administration publicly challenged Iranian efforts to dictate passage through Hormuz. Secretary of State Marco Rubio repeatedly called a proposed toll system illegal and unacceptable, while Trump threatened Oman this month if it "gets in the way" of a U.S. deal with Iran.

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The administration has also spent months applying military and economic pressure aimed at reopening the strait on U.S. terms. American forces have struck Iranian military targets, protected commercial shipping and maintained a blockade of Iranian ports, while the administration expanded sanctions through its new Operation Economic Outcast campaign.

Those measures have helped push some ships back through Hormuz, but traffic remains far below pre-war levels.

Oil flows through the strait stood Monday at about 5 million barrels per day, down from more than 20 million barrels per day before the war, according to Reuters, which cited provisional Vortexa tracking data.

Iran is now pursuing a reopening arrangement that, by its account, would preserve a measure of control over the waterway while excluding foreign military vessels.

Oman and Iran announced a proposed framework Monday to reopen the strait through a joint temporary navigational corridor and a joint mine-clearing project.

Their joint statement said technical talks would continue on a permanent corridor, future administration of the strait, traffic management and security services, leaving key terms unresolved.

Iranian officials filled in some of those blanks Tuesday.

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Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the temporary arrangement would route commercial ships entering the Persian Gulf through Iranian waters, with outbound traffic moving through Iranian and Omani waters. He said the proposal would exclude military vessels if it becomes binding.

Separately, Sepah News, an outlet run by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, quoted IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebbi as saying Iran and Oman had reached agreements on "each country’s share of the strait’s waters" and the two countries’ "share of its revenues."

Mohebbi also accused the U.S. of obstructing the talks.

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But Oman’s public statement did not mention a military-vessel ban, transit fees or revenue sharing, and described the framework as proposed. Iranian officials also told Reuters the arrangement was not yet final.

That leaves the arrangement’s most consequential question unresolved: whether Iran can use the emerging commercial shipping framework to restrict American military access to the strait — and what the Trump administration intends to do if Tehran tries.

Josh Jacobs faces two misdemeanors chargers after strangulation arrest and Packers prepare for any scenario

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 17:33:29 -0400

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs faces up to $20,000 in fines or up to 18 months in prison if he is convicted of two misdemeanor charges filed on Thursday by the Brown County (Wisconsin) District Attorney in connection to a May domestic abuse arrest.

Jacobs was charged with one count of battery and one count of criminal damage to property, according to Wisconsin court records. Each carry up to a nine-month jail sentence if Jacobs is convicted.

The formal charges filed by DA David L. Lasee come three months after Jacobs was arrested on charges following a domestic situation at his home near Green Bay.

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Jacobs was originally arrested on charges stemming from a May 23 incident and was booked on charges of felony strangulation/suffocation, domestic-abuse battery, domestic-abuse criminal damage to property, domestic-abuse disorderly conduct and intimidation of a victim.

Lasee filed charges against Jacobs after promising to conduct a thorough investigation of the incident. That investigation, obviously, led the DA to file lesser charges and not the felony charge.

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The battery charge stems from what Lasee is contending was evidence that shows Jacobs "did cause bodily harm to [his ex-girlfriend] by an act done with intent to cause bodily harm to that person, without the person's consent ..."

The second charge, according to Lasee, is the result of Jacobs causing "damage to the physical property of another, a phone, belonging to [his ex-girlfriend] ... without consent..."

"Our office sought to ensure a fair and complete review of available evidence, some of which only recently became available to our office due to significant, ongoing forensic efforts by law enforcement," Lasee said in a statement.

"A criminal complaint is nothing more than a written, formal accusation against a defendant alleging the commission of criminal offenses and does not raise any inference of guilt.

"Mr. Jacobs is presumed innocent of these charges. As this is an ongoing criminal case, and out of respect for the rights of all parties, our office will not have further comment on the matter at this time."

The attorneys representing Jacobs – David Z. Chesnoff, Richard A. Schonfeld and Clarence F. Duchac III. – released a statement that seemingly took a victory lap over the lesser charges being applied.

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"The Brown County District Attorney has reviewed evidence and elected to file misdemeanor charges against Josh that do not include domestic violence," the statement reads. "The allegations will be addressed in court, and not in the media. Mr. Jacobs respects the District Attorney's office and the process it followed."

The NFL has been monitoring the events of this situation from the time Jacobs was arrested and will continue to do so, per a league spokesperson.

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Jacobs is subject to discipline under the league's Personal Conduct Policy regardless of the outcome of the next legal steps, be that a trial, a plea-bargain or even an outright dropping of the changes because the policy frowns upon negative publicity being shined on the NFL.

That means the NFL does not necessarily have to wait for a trial. It can discipline Jacobs for his arrest. But while that possibility exists, it is more likely the NFL will finish its investigation when the legal process has concluded.

Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst said at a news conference this week that the Packers are prepared for whatever circumstances this saga brings and that includes in the possibility of a suspension during the 2026 season.

The Packers being prepared seems hard to believe because MarShawn Lloyd is Green Bay's backup running back at the moment, and he has only played one regular-season game in his career, that coming in 2024.

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Lloyd hasn't so far been impressive in preseason games.

The team also has Pierre Strong, Jr., and Chris Brooks, both of whom have regular-season experience, on the roster.

Any long-term suspension of Jacobs might obviously lead to the Packers bringing in more running back help.

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Trump helicopter’s radio warnings went unheard before close call with passenger jet, report says

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 17:21:15 -0400

Marine One’s crew made repeated but unsuccessful attempts to notify Reagan National Airport that President Donald Trump’s helicopter was preparing to depart Aug. 4 before it flew near a commercial passenger jet, according to a preliminary federal report released Thursday.

The National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report said the crew’s first call to Reagan National’s helicopter-control frequency before departing from the Ellipse was not received. A second transmission was "broken and completely unreadable."

After failing to reach the tower, the Marine One crew tried to relay the required three-minute notification through the helicopter facility at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, but that effort was unsuccessful as well, according to the report.

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The missed warning meant Reagan National controllers did not receive notice that would have required them to stop departures before the presidential helicopter lifted off.

Instead, Envoy Air Flight 3742, an Embraer E-170 bound for Pensacola, Florida, was cleared to take off from Runway 1 as Trump departed the White House aboard Marine One for a planned trip to Los Angeles.

The passenger jet was beginning its initial climb as Marine One departed the Ellipse, about 2 miles north of the airport, the NTSB said.

The FAA’s preliminary estimate found the aircraft came within about 0.82 nautical miles of one another laterally and roughly 700 feet vertically. No one was injured, neither aircraft was damaged and both flights continued without further incident.

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The Envoy flight crew said the jet’s traffic-collision system announced, "Traffic, Traffic," as the aircraft climbed and accelerated after takeoff. The pilots did not visually spot Marine One but said the helicopter appeared to the right and below their aircraft on the cockpit display.

The system did not issue a resolution advisory, a more urgent instruction telling pilots to climb or descend to avoid another aircraft, according to the NTSB report.

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Marine One was eventually able to contact the tower after climbing high enough to establish reliable communications. Controllers then issued a traffic advisory, and the helicopter crew immediately reported having the Envoy jet in sight, the report said.

The newly released report also shows the communications concern had been raised just days earlier.

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On July 30, Marine Helicopter Squadron One, known as HMX-1, met with Reagan National tower staff to discuss operations in the area. During that meeting, HMX-1 told controllers that communications had been "spotty," the NTSB said.

Controllers had also raised concerns that HMX-1 crews had not always provided the required three-minute warning before takeoff. The two sides agreed that helicopter crews would use backup methods to reach the tower, including relaying the notification through another aircraft, if direct radio communication failed.

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That is what Marine One’s crew attempted on Aug. 4, but the message still did not get through.

FAA technicians later determined there was not adequate line-of-sight coverage between the radio transmitter-receiver site and the Ellipse, where Marine One was temporarily operating during construction at the White House.

The FAA subsequently moved the radios used for the airport’s helicopter-control frequency from a nearby residential neighborhood to the top of Reagan National’s control tower, according to the report.

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The agency later conducted radio checks with two HMX-1 aircraft operating near the Ellipse and reported no deficiencies after the equipment was moved.

The FAA and NTSB began reviewing the incident earlier this month and previously characterized the event as a "momentary loss of separation."

"Based on our preliminary safety review, there was momentary loss of separation, after which the aircraft continued to move away from one another," the FAA previously told Fox News Digital.

"The air traffic controller was in contact with both the commercial pilot and Marine One pilot during the loss of separation."

While the aircraft were estimated to be less than 1.5 nautical miles apart horizontally, the NTSB said the preliminary estimate of 700 feet of vertical separation met the applicable FAA standard. In the relevant Class B airspace, the standard requires either 1.5 nautical miles of lateral separation or 500 feet of vertical separation.

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The NTSB said it is continuing to review surveillance data to calculate and confirm the closest point between the two aircraft.

The White House previously said Trump was never in danger.

"Marine One flights are piloted by some of the best aviators in the world, and at no point was the president in harm’s way," White House spokesman Kush Desai told Fox News Digital.

The NTSB told Fox News Digital its preliminary report "is intended to present the factual information developed to date" and does not contain "analysis, conclusions, or findings related to probable cause."

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"The investigation remains ongoing, and we are not providing additional comment beyond the information contained in the preliminary report," the agency said, adding that any safety recommendations would be publicly announced and further findings would be released through its public docket and final report process.

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