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New York Times loses defamation suit, ordered to pay $9.25M to former Alabama basketball player

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 21:50:16 -0400

The New York Times was defeated in a defamation lawsuit Thursday brought by a former college basketball player and ordered to pay millions in damages.

An Alabama jury ruled that The Times defamed Kai Spears, then an 18-year-old freshman walk-on basketball player for the University of Alabama's Crimson Tide, who was swept up in a 2023 report linking him to a fatal shooting.

After a nine-day trial, the eight-person jury determined that Spears was owed $9.25 million in damages.

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Spears was mentioned in the March 2023 report authored by New York Times sportswriter Billy Witz. Spears was falsely identified as being a passenger in the car at the scene of a January 2023 shooting that resulted in the death of 23-year-old Jamea Harris.

The Times issued a lengthy editor's note to the report in June 2023, but only after Spears filed the defamation lawsuit at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.

"The original version of this article, published March 15, misidentified the person who was in the car with [Crimson Tide star player] Brandon Miller when the shooting occurred," the note began. "Based on information from a person familiar with the case, the article erroneously identified that person as Kai Spears, a freshman basketball player. After the article was initially published, Alabama’s athletic director and Spears’s father denied that Spears was present. The Times included those responses and reviewed its reporting, but did not conclude that any other change to the article was warranted at that time."

The note continued, "On Wednesday, Spears filed a defamation suit against The Times that included new details about the incident. Based on that information, editors assigned further reporting, which determined that the other person at the scene was not Spears but Cooper Lee, a student manager for the team. The Times regrets the error in the initial report."

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Witz, who began reporting for The Times in 2008, relied on one anonymous source who claimed Spears was at the scene of the shooting. Witz testified the source was a "high-level person, professional."

"I think the way I was looking at it, Source A, by their job title and by virtue of their access to the transcript, videos and impound photos, was somebody who knew a lot about this case," Witz said, according to a local report from The Patch. "In my mind, the story had a focus and this tragedy, as bad as it was, could have been much worse."

A separate anonymous source had told Witz, "I can tell you it's a white guy on the basketball team, I just don't remember his name," per Witz's testimony.

According to The Patch, Witz ultimately conceded from the witness stand, "Yes, [the story] had a mistake, no question."

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The Times noted in its own report about the verdict that it had not lost a defamation lawsuit brought in the United States over one of its articles in more than 50 years.

"We’re disappointed the jury found The Times liable for an honest mistake," a Times spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "We thank the jury for its service, but believe the verdict and award of damages are contrary to law and not supported by the evidence. We are reviewing our legal options."

Spears' legal team did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.

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Surrogate says baby 'ripped away' 60 seconds after birth as custody fight erupts after abortion refusal

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 21:34:25 -0400

The surrogate mother who refused an abortion request after the baby she was carrying was diagnosed with a serious heart defect is pressing her legal fight after the newborn underwent lifesaving heart surgery, days after she says he was taken from her just 60 seconds after birth.

McKenna West, an Alaska mother and cardiac nurse who carried the child, said Thursday she is continuing to fight for the baby after she was separated from him moments after giving birth Aug. 12.

"I haven’t been allowed to hold this precious baby boy I carried and protected throughout my pregnancy," West wrote in a New York Post op-ed Thursday.

"The only glimpse I got of him was during a very short 60 seconds while his umbilical cord was still connected. As soon as the cord was cut, he was taken away."

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West agreed last year to serve as a surrogate for Omar Ahmed and Nausheen Gilkar of California, the child's intended parents.

According to West, Ahmed and Gilkar asked her to terminate the pregnancy after the baby was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, or HLHS, at about 20 weeks. West refused and later traveled to Texas to give birth.

Ahmed and Gilkar's attorney disputes key parts of West's account and says they consented to the child's surgery as soon as doctors determined he was eligible.

Lee Budner, an attorney for Ahmed and Gilkar, said doctors determined on Aug. 14 that the baby, whom Ahmed and Gilkar call Rumi, was eligible for the Norwood procedure, the first of three open-heart surgeries for newborns commonly used to treat HLHS.

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"My clients immediately provided consent for the surgery to occur at the hospital’s earliest availability," Budner said in an Aug. 17 statement.

The baby underwent surgery Aug. 17 and is recuperating under the care of Ahmed, Gilkar and his medical team, Budner said, adding that his condition "remains critical and complex."

Budner also accused West of continuing to pursue custody despite court rulings.

"Meanwhile, Ms. West continues to assert baseless claims for custody of Rumi, in violation of multiple courts orders out of both Alaska and California," he said. "We look forward to quickly defeating those claims as Rumi’s parents continue to focus on his health and safety above all else."

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West, who is being represented with assistance from Alliance Defending Freedom, has said she is not trying to take someone else's child and described her goal differently.

"I’m not fighting to try to take someone else’s baby," West wrote Thursday. "I’m fighting because this baby boy needs someone willing to advocate for and fight alongside him as he gets the ongoing treatment his fragile heart requires."

Live Action founder and President Lila Rose, whose organization has supported West, told Fox News Digital that West intends to continue fighting for custody.

"McKenna is fighting for custody because Gabriel needs someone willing to defend him," Rose said. "He deserves to remain protected and receive every chance to heal and live."

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Rose also questioned Ahmed and Gilkar's account of events leading up to the surgery.

"If they were willing for Gabriel to receive the surgery, why did a Texas court have to ensure that he received it under the force of law?" Rose said. "The court intervened, and Gabriel has now received the surgery he desperately needed. Praise God."

Rose also alleged that Ahmed and Gilkar previously declined to consent to the baby's medical care and are now seeking to take him out of Texas. Their attorney has disputed West’s characterization of the case and said Ahmed and Gilkar consented to surgery once the baby’s medical team determined he was eligible for the procedure.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton previously intervened in the case, notifying two Texas medical centers of what his office said were their legal obligations to provide medically necessary care after the child was born.

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The Norwood procedure is the first of three surgeries typically used to treat HLHS, leaving the child's future medical care at the heart of the continuing dispute.

Budner said the child's condition remains "critical and complex" and that the family does not intend to provide further health updates.

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West, meanwhile, said she intends to continue fighting.

"My plea, my only goal, is simple: Let’s commit to giving this baby the full treatment he needs to live," West wrote.

Alliance Defending Freedom did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Trump says Michael Cohen was 'weaponized' by mainstream media in surprise radio reunion

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 21:17:41 -0400

During an unexpected interview Thursday with his former personal lawyer turned bitter enemy, Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump said his one-time ally was "weaponized" against him by the mainstream media before the two recently reconciled.

In the first part of a two-part radio interview with Trump on his radio show, Cohen recounted his 2016 CNN interview with host Brianna Keilar, which led to him going viral after questioning Trump's standing in the polls.

"Do you remember, sir, when I went on CNN with Brianna Keilar, and she told me that you were underwater in the polls, and I responded with those famous two words, ‘says who,’ which became some worldwide meme," Cohen recalled.

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"And then they weaponized you like nobody's ever been weaponized, like few have been," Trump responded.

"Well, maybe just you and me, sir," Cohen said.

"Well, yeah, me too, but mine was at a level that nobody's ever seen before, but they weaponized you. Tey weaponized a lot of people. And I respect the fact that you recanted everything you said. That's a big thing that you did," Trump said.

Cohen then remembered the morning after the interview when Trump had told him, "F--- them. You're stronger than them. We've got this."

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"Now, the funny thing is that CNN never apologized. They never retracted anything, and, now, years later, CNN, MS NOW, the other left-leaning outlets, they're doing the exact same thing, constantly talking about you being underwater with favorability numbers," Cohen said.

Trump and Cohen continued to criticize media polls later in the interview, with Trump targeting The New York Times specifically.

"The polls are crooked. So the reporters that, you know, are crooked, many of them. You have some great ones too. But for the most part … when you read The New York Times, it’s so dishonest," Trump said. "When you read these things, and they’re not doing well. Look, the reason they're not doing well is because they've lost a lot of credibility.

"Now you do have great journalists," he added. "You do have great reporters also. Many people are very good, very, very good. I could name them, but by naming them, I’ll leave some out."

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Fox News Digital reached out to CNN, MS NOW and The New York Times for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Cohen told Fox News Digital the conversation lasted 40 minutes and will be aired in two parts, the second part airing on his Sunday show, "When You Know You Know."

The man who was a key witness in two New York cases against Trump also penned a Substack post detailing the stunning reunion that was their first public conversation in nearly a decade.

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Murder convict accused of running 'full-service drug operation' selling to minors near Texas schools

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 21:13:46 -0400

A Texas man with a prior murder conviction is accused of running a "full-service drug operation" near several schools where authorities say surveillance showed what appeared to be teenagers purchasing narcotics and fentanyl pills disguised to look like ecstasy.

The Galveston County Organized Crime Task Force raided a home in the 1200 block of Appomattox Drive in Texas City Aug. 18 after a two-month investigation, and the Galveston County Sheriff's Office SWAT team conducted the tactical entry.

The target of the investigation, Jahml McDonald, 50, of Texas City, was arrested and charged with two felony controlled-substance offenses, according to the sheriff's office.

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Detectives said they seized approximately one kilogram of fentanyl pills, along with THC wax, marijuana, THC vapes, promethazine and dozens of bottles of liquor.

The sheriff's office said the fentanyl pills were "disguised to resemble ecstasy/MDMA pills" and were brightly colored to resemble recreational party drugs.

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Task force surveillance observed what appeared to be teenagers purchasing narcotics from the residence, which is near Giles Middle School, College of the Mainland and two local elementary schools, according to FOX 26.

"This is a full-service drug operation, including the ability to pay with credit card," Galveston Police Chief Doug Balli said. "This is a convenience store for poison that was taken down."

Galveston County District Attorney Kenneth Cusick said McDonald previously served 25 years for a murder conviction and was out on bond in a pending marijuana case at the time of his arrest.

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Cusick pledged to seek the maximum prosecution available.

"This offender needs the full attention of my office," Cusick said. "This person has a criminal history, a murder conviction, drug convictions and (is) now peddling these type of substances on a house near a college, a community college, two elementary schools within walking distance. This is outrageous."

Residents living near the Appomattox Drive home said they had noticed heavy vehicle and foot traffic around the residence.

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"Every time I came by, there was traffic, traffic, traffic," neighbor Donald Moore told FOX 26. "Teenagers jumping out, running to the house. ... I know eventually, with all of this traffic and with all the drugs being dealt, the next thing is gonna happen is gunfire. Somebody's gonna get hurt or killed."

A judge upheld a combined $2 million bond for McDonald, with $1 million set on each charge, according to FOX 26.

Vice President JD Vance blasts Mamdani, El-Sayed, AOC and Ossoff in rapid-fire TikTok roast

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 20:35:21 -0400

Vice President JD Vance offered an unfiltered assessment Thursday of some of the biggest names in politics in a rapid-fire TikTok, calling Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., a "communist," Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., "lame" and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani "crazy."

The vice president was asked to describe a succession of Democrats, Trump administration officials and other political figures as their names flashed across a screen, producing a 30-second barrage of answers that ranged from complimentary to cutting.

Vance appeared particularly unimpressed with far-left Democrats. He described Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer as "cranky" and Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed as "odd."

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But one of Vance's most dismissive assessments was saved for Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.

"I mean, nothing," Vance said when Schiff's name appeared. "Irrelevant."

Vance was considerably more complimentary when members of the Trump administration came across the screen, describing outgoing White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt as "awesome," deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller as "hardcore" and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles as "tough."

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was "interesting," while Vance called Secretary of State Marco Rubio "funny" and House Speaker Mike Johnson "kind."

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One name, however, left the usually sharp vice president unusually short on words.

When Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) leader Megan Romer appeared, Vance simply responded, "No comment."

The video then cuts to a SpongeBob-style title card declaring "two minutes later" before returning for Vance's assessment of Schiff.

President Donald Trump received a much warmer review from his second-in-command.

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"Generous," Vance said of the president.

The video offered a lighter glimpse at Vance's relationships with figures inside the administration while also giving him an opportunity to take shots at several prominent far-left Democrats and self-described democratic socialists.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Vance's office to confirm the identities displayed alongside each response and for additional context on the video. Fox News Digital also reached out to named Democrats and administration officials in the video for comment.

Carville unloads on DSA socialists: 'Don't use our god---- name'

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 20:00:22 -0400

Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville did not mince words when he unloaded on his party's far-left insurgency Thursday.

"We get subjugated by some of the more outspoken people who, by the way, [are] not even Democrats," Carville said during a video news conference.

"I wish they'd take the word Democrat out of their name. I have no idea why the democratic socialists — if you hate the Democratic Party so much, well, then don't use our god---- name. Go think of your own name."

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He was one of several speakers at a media event promoting the Promise To America, a set of principles created in part by two moderate House lawmakers, Reps. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., and Adam Gray, D-Calif., as their party experiences a civil war over its identity and agenda.

The Promise To America is about celebrating "capitalism, safety, fiscal responsibility, effective government, common purpose, and patriotism," according to its website.

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It's the latest bid by moderate and pragmatic members of the left to distance themselves from the socialist wave that's already toppled several establishment-backed Democrats.

The intraparty feud has also become a central campaign talking point for Republicans, who have argued that Democrats will try to push a far-left vision of the country beyond what most Americans want if they win the midterms in November.

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Carville said during the news conference it was "just common sense."

"That's so often what people are forgetting in politics. And for the life of me, I hope ... that we do things like this that are popular, are actually helpful, that can help the country. Who's not for lower crime? I mean, everybody is, but we just need to restate it," he said.

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He maintained that "80% of Democrats really want" what the Promise To America is promoting and criticized the far-left for drowning out those moderate voices.

But just 10 House Democrats have signed onto the pledge so far, which Republicans have argued is evidence that the far-left is really capturing its party. Out of the litany of Democrats running for the House, just five are signatories.

Suozzi argued, however, "We only want 10 members of Congress because we don't want to make it only about Washington. That's why we're going out to the state and local officials."

Those who have not signed on include House Democrats' senior leaders, who have said little on the socialist insurgency.

But Gray and Suozzi dismissed the notion that they were not getting enough support from their leaders when asked by Fox News Digital.

"I think the leadership is being very supportive," Suozzi said of his own experience. "They have a lot to balance. They've got the whole country to worry about."

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Gray said, "The efforts on the cable news networks and everything else to nationalize our politics all the time, pretend that, you know, somebody in some big city represents all of us is absurd. … It's a distraction, this idea that somehow some leader somewhere is supposed to win my district."

Bodycam video shows Oklahoma secretary of state’s arrest outside McDonald’s on public intoxication allegation

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 20:00:01 -0400

Newly released police bodycam video obtained by Fox News Digital shows Oklahoma Secretary of State Benjamin Lepak's encounter with police outside a McDonald's before officers arrested him on suspicion of public intoxication.

Lepak was arrested Friday night in Edmond after police responded around 10:45 p.m. to a report of a man who appeared to be drunk in public, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by Fox News Digital.

Officers found Lepak standing near the restaurant's drive-thru window and saw his vehicle in the parking lot, according to the affidavit. Lepak reportedly confirmed the vehicle belonged to him.

According to the arrest affidavit, an officer said Lepak had "extremely slurred speech" and an "odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath." The officer also said Lepak struggled to remove his identification from his wallet.

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Body camera video obtained by Fox News Digital shows officers questioning Lepak about where he had been, how much alcohol he had consumed and how he arrived at the McDonald's.

Lepak told officers he had attended a gathering with other fathers at a church earlier in the evening, according to the video.

As officers continued questioning him, Lepak disputed that he was unsteady on his feet.

Police allege Lepak was unable to maintain a "coherent train of thought" during the encounter, according to the affidavit. Lepak acknowledged to drinking beer while speaking with officers.

"I had a beer … that’s it," Lepak said, according to the affidavit. He later said he had consumed less than one beer because he did not finish it.

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Police allege Lepak also gave contradictory statements about whether he drove to the McDonald's and how he arrived there, according to the affidavit.

Officers ultimately placed Lepak under arrest on suspicion of public intoxication.

A spokesperson for Lepak told Fox News Digital he was waiting outside the restaurant for his dinner and noted that police did not administer a breathalyzer test.

"Mr. Lepak was waiting outside McDonald's for dinner. He was not given a Breathalyzer test," the spokesperson said. "Mr. Lepak will address the ticket appropriately through the legal process."

The arrest prompted Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond to call on Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt to fire Lepak.

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"After reviewing footage from law enforcement body cameras, it is clear that Secretary of State Ben Lepak was thoroughly inebriated and very likely lied to law enforcement about how much he had to drink and how he and his car both arrived at the same place without him driving it," Drummond said in a news release.

"This conduct is thoroughly unbecoming of a such a high-ranking state official, and I am demanding that Gov. Stitt fire him immediately."

Drummond also criticized Stitt for appointing Lepak.

"Given the fact that Mr. Lepak had been arrested just a few years ago after being found unconscious in a running vehicle, Gov. Stitt should have known better than to elevate him to such a senior leadership position," he added.

"Gov. Stitt has made countless errors in judgment like this during his tenure in office, including most recently when he intervened to help a campaign donor avoid further jail time.

"He cannot undo those past mistakes, but he can help our state avoid further embarrassment by firing Mr. Lepak immediately."

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Stitt appointed Lepak to serve as Oklahoma secretary of state in October 2025.

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Lepak previously served as the governor's general counsel and as executive director of the State Chamber Research Foundation.

Obama strategist turns on rising Dem star over viral Trump attack: 'Gratuitous and unnecessary'

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 19:30:19 -0400

A top Democratic strategist from the Obama White House contended that Sen. Jon Ossoff’s latest shot at President Donald Trump was "gratuitous and unnecessary."

The Georgia Democrat, who has expanded his profile throughout his re-election campaign during this midterm cycle to new heights that have him in the conversation for the 2028 presidential race, recently went viral for his remarks while on the trail, where he went after Trump.

Ossoff was blasting Trump for the war in Iran and the record-breaking deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East when the lawmaker pivoted to a new foe: the president’s executive assistant, Natalie Harp.

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"While the sailors on the Lincoln fight his war, while he fruitlessly drains our munitions and oil reserves, the president sleeps through his meetings. He golfs and trades stocks," Ossoff said.

"So, he doesn’t want to do the job. He wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie on their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the Emir of Qatar."

The comment received strong pushback from Trump, his allies and family and Ossoff’s opponent, Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga.

But it also drew the ire of a major figure in the Democratic Party: David Axelrod, who was a key player in getting former President Barack Obama elected for two terms and served as his senior advisor.

While Axelrod applauded Ossoff’s previous "eloquent or incisive" attacks against Trump, he warned that mentioning Harp may not have been warranted.

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"The paragraph from his weekend speech that has gotten so much attention was a brutal takedown," Axelrod said on X. "But two words in it, ‘with Natalie,’ seemed gratuitous and unnecessary."

He contended the Ossoff campaign likely "juiced the virality" of the clip, which so far has over 6 million views on X, and that it "probably thrilled some in the base, who figured it was just giving Trump a taste of his own nasty medicine."

"But they distracted and detracted from the power of the message," Axelrod contended.

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And Collins agreed with Axelrod, to a degree, in a statement to Fox News Digital.

"It's disgusting that he would attack a young female staffer just to score cheap political points with his radical activist base," Collins said. "It's unbecoming of a U.S. senator, and the fact prominent Democrats are starting to call him out just proves it."

But other notable Democratic social media figures disagreed, like Joanne Carducci, better known as Jojofromjerz online, who countered that Axelrod was "100% wrong" and called Ossoff’s callout of Harp "genius."

"The political world has changed since you were a player in it, and if we continue to operate under the antiquated rules of the past, we’ll keep losing," she said on X.

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And Ossoff is reveling in the White House’s response, too, which included Trump calling him a "Pee-wee Herman look-alike," while defending the construction of the ballroom at the White House, which has been scrutinized by both sides of the aisle in the Senate.

During an appearance on MS NOW, Ossoff countered, "No one cares about their feelings."

"It's been amazing to watch this White House melt down over this all week," Ossoff said. "And about Natalie Harp, these White House staffers are adults, public officials paid by the taxpayers with immense power in positions of public trust."

Myles Gaskin retires at 29 after 7 NFL seasons and a Super Bowl win with the Seahawks

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 19:20:41 -0400

Myles Gaskin is hanging up his NFL jersey, announcing his retirement from the game of football at 29 years old.

Gaskin, a former seventh-round pick by the Miami Dolphins who spent seven seasons in the NFL as a running back, announced his decision on social media on Thursday.

"Football…there will never be enough words to explain how I feel about you, so I won’t even try," Gaskin’s social media post read. "What I will do is give all the game you gave me to the next generation of young players who dare to be great. Thank you. It’s been real."

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Gaskin’s last touch in the league was with the Seattle Seahawks during the 2025 Super Bowl-winning campaign. He played just one game, seeing action on offense with three snaps, while getting five special teams snaps. He totaled six yards on the three carries he had.

The Lynnwood, Washington native attended the University of Washington, staying in-state where he shined in their backfield. He was the first true freshman running back to rush for over 1,000 yards in school history in 2015 when he ran for 1,302 yards on 227 carries.

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The Dolphins used the 234th overall pick to select Gaskin in the 2019 NFL Draft, and he would spend four seasons working his way up the depth chart to an eventual starting role.

Gaskin’s best season came in 2021, where he rushed for 612 yards on 173 carries with three rushing touchdowns, while hauling in 49 receptions for 234 yards and four scores.

With the Dolphins using a running back by committee scheme in Miami, Gaskin played a versatile role during his early years in the league.

Gaskin signed a one-year extension with the Dolphins in 2023, but he was a roster cut before the start of the regular season. From there, he started to bounce around the league.

First, he landed with the Minnesota Vikings, who quickly signed him after the release. He eventually joined their practice squad and was elevated to the active roster, appearing on special teams in Week 2 of that season.

The Los Angeles Rams signed Gaskin off the Vikings’ practice squad later that season, where he played one game in Week 8. He was waived shortly thereafter.

Gaskin returned to the Vikings, while also working with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024, the Baltimore Ravens in 2025, and then joining the Seahawks in October 2025, where he was a part of their Super Bowl victory in Santa Clara.

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For his career, Gaskin rushed for 1,360 yards while catching 102 passes for 712 yards with 13 total touchdowns.

El-Sayed booked for major Islamic convention alongside clerics with radical pasts

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 19:00:29 -0400

Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed is slated to speak at the Islamic Society of North America's (ISNA) annual convention over Labor Day weekend, joining a speaker roster that includes Muslim religious leaders with histories of controversial remarks.

Among the most controversial figures attending the ISNA convention is cleric Baqir Berry, who prayed for "mujahideen" in Palestine and Lebanon, using a term commonly associated with Islamist fighters, and asked God to grant them "a mighty victory."

Islamic Institute of America head Hassan Qazwini is also attending after appealing to God to "grant victory to our brothers in Iran," a U.S.-designated state sponsor of terrorism.

Also appearing at the conference is Texas imam Yasir Qadhi, who previously made remarks denying the Holocaust that he later repudiated. Siraj Wahhaj, who was named as a possible co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center terrorism case but never charged, is also scheduled to speak.

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"We pray to Allah to save our people in South Lebanon from the evil of these Zionists, to support the Muslims and the mujahideen on His path in the East and the West, especially our mujahideen in Palestine, Lebanon, and everywhere," Berry said during a June sermon, according to the Middle East Media Research Institute.

"Oh Allah, grant them a mighty victory."

Qazwini, in addition to praying for an Iranian victory, was denounced by Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign over what it called "antisemitic conspiracy theories" after Qazwini claimed ISIS was connected to Israel and acting as an "arm of the Zionists."

Qadhi, Berry and Qazwini did not respond when Fox News Digital reached out for comment on Wednesday.

This is not El-Sayed’s first brush with religious radicals.

EL-SAYED TOUTS ENDORSEMENT FROM PASTOR WHO PRAISED NOTORIOUS ANTISEMITE INFAMOUS FOR CALLING JEWS ‘TERMITES’

Fox News Digital previously reported that the Democratic Senate candidate had touted the endorsement of a Detroit-area pastor who had praised notorious antisemite Louis Farrakhan.

El-Sayed has also faced criticism over his appearances with streamer Hasan Piker, who previously said America "deserved 9/11." El-Sayed later called the remark "dumb" and disavowed the comment, while declining to disavow Piker himself.

El-Sayed has also defended a 2021 blog post that compared President Donald Trump’s role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot to Osama bin Laden’s role in the Sept. 11 attacks.

MICHIGAN CANDIDATE ABDUL EL-SAYED DODGES WHEN PRESSED ON CONTROVERSIAL REMARKS ABOUT DEATH OF KHAMENEI

El-Sayed’s appearance comes as Republicans have increasingly focused on his past associations with controversial political and religious figures in the Michigan Senate race.

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El-Sayed’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Wednesday.

'I heard you missed me': Melania Trump turns heads in patriotic Rose Garden look for major announcement

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 18:51:44 -0400

First lady Melania Trump made a memorable return to the White House Rose Garden Thursday, greeting the crowd with a playful five-word message before an announcement filled with patriotism and horsepower.

"I heard you missed me. Here I am," Trump said as she took the podium, as the crowd — including President Donald Trump — erupted in laughter.

The first lady stood before a wall of American flags in a crisp sky-blue oversized Michael Kors shirt with the collar popped and a vivid red Dior pencil skirt, echoing the patriotic setting. She completed the look with red Manolo Blahnik suede pumps.

TRUMP SHOWCASES RAW AMERICAN MUSCLE IN PREVIEW OF FIRST-OF-ITS KIND AMERICA 250 GRAND PRIX

And Trump's clothes weren't the only thing turning heads.

Sitting nearby was an IndyCar decked out in red, white and blue and carrying the branding of the first lady's "BE BEST" and Fostering the Future initiatives.

Trump couldn't resist giving the machine her own review.

"Look at this incredible race car," she told the crowd. "Gorgeous and powerful."

TRUMP TOUTS INDYCAR DRIVERS' 'SPECIAL' ABILITY AT FREEDOM 250 GRAND PRIX SHOWCASE, SEEMINGLY ENDING HOT DEBATE

DRIVERS JOSEF NEWGARDEN AND KYLE KIRKWOOD TALK INDYCAR'S 'ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME' FREEDOM 250 GRAND PRIX

The car brought horsepower to the White House grounds just days before IndyCar drivers are set to roar through the nation's capital for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C.

Six-time IndyCar Series champion and 2008 Indianapolis 500 winner Scott Dixon joined Trump alongside 2016 Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi, Graham Rahal and Scott McLaughlin.

RACER STING RAY ROBB GEARS UP FOR FREEDOM 250 GRAND PRIX: 'THIS IS MORE THAN JUST AN INDYCAR EVENT'

IndyCar President Doug Boles said the cars will blast through the capital at speeds exceeding 180 mph, passing the U.S. Capitol and Washington Monument and racing around the National Mall.

He described the event as a "massive and very fast spectacle" marking America's 250th birthday.

TRUMP KICKS OFF FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND WITH SYMBOLIC SALUTE TO AMERICA’S LEGACY

For all the speed and spectacle, however, the Rose Garden event centered on a cause dear to the first lady: America's youth.

Trump announced an expansion of her Fostering the Future initiative, which supports young Americans transitioning out of the foster care system.

MELANIA TRUMP CHALLENGES CONGRESS TO MAKE HER FOSTER CARE EXECUTIVE ORDER PERMANENT LAW: 'THEIR BIRTHRIGHT'

Fox Corporation and IndyCar are each contributing $1 million to establish scholarships at Indiana University and Purdue University, bringing the total commitment to $2 million.

The two schools expand Fostering the Future's network to 26 colleges and universities nationwide.

"The greatest investment America can make is not in technology, infrastructure or capital markets. It's our children," Trump said.

She also announced that a Fostering the Future scholarship recipient became the program's first doctor this spring.

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"He will change the lives of so many people," she said. "Graduates will build new companies, launch new industries and redefine what is possible for all Americans."

And on an afternoon when a race car sat gleaming in the Rose Garden ahead of a 180-mph dash through Washington, Trump offered a different measure of success.

"Education is the one asset that can never be taken away," the first lady said. "It is the foundation upon which confidence is built, opportunities created and the future is invented."

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Fox News Digital's Brian Flood contributed to this report.

Hayden Panettiere's on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson breaks silence after star's death

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 18:51:01 -0400

Hayden Panettiere's on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson broke his silence after the sudden and tragic death of the actress.

Hickerson's lawyer, Sloan Ellis, shared a brief statement with TMZ on Thursday.

"Hayden's death remains under investigation, and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed. As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play," Ellis said.

"Out of respect for Hayden's loved ones and the ongoing investigation, there will be no further comment at this time."

The Greenville Police Department told Fox News Digital it is not participating in media interviews regarding this case.

HAYDEN PANETTIERE'S MOTHER POINTS FINGER AT BRIAN HICKERSON AFTER 'NASHVILLE' STAR'S DEATH AT 36

"The GPD response is the same as in all death investigations. The Police Department works with the Coroner’s Office, receives its findings, reviews the facts and evidence and then decides if a criminal investigation is warranted. There were no signs of foul play during the initial response and investigation," the statement concluded.

Fox News Digital reached out to Ellis for comment.

On Wednesday, Fox News Digital learned the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has been contacted and is assisting in the investigation into Panettiere's death.

Also on Wednesday, Greenville police showed up at a South Carolina home linked to Brian and Zach Hickerson just days after Panettiere’s death. Officers appeared to be carrying out a welfare check, but nobody answered the door.

HOLLYWOOD STARS WHO DIED IN 2026: PHOTOS

Two police cruisers were spotted around 8 a.m. Wednesday morning and again around 10 a.m.

Panettiere died Sunday at the age of 36. She was found unresponsive and in cardiac arrest at an apartment in Greenville, South Carolina. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful and the "Nashville" and "Remember the Titans" actress was pronounced dead.

Preliminary autopsy results found no signs of trauma that contributed to her death, Fox News Digital confirmed.

A police report obtained by Fox News Digital revealed Hickerson and his brother, Zach, called 911 after finding the actress unresponsive. Hickerson later handed authorities a bag of medication Panettiere had allegedly been taking.

Hickerson was among those at the Greenville apartment when Panettiere was found, and authorities executed a search warrant at the residence, according to the report. The police report claimed Zach appeared "very emotional" while paramedics worked to revive Panettiere.

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Panettiere had an on-again, off-again relationship with Hickerson in the years before her death at age 36. Panettiere and Hickerson reportedly met through mutual friends in 2018, shortly after her split from Wladimir Klitschko.

Hickerson, who is from South Carolina, worked in real estate before pursuing acting and had a small role in the 2017 thriller "M.F.A."

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Hickerson reportedly traveled with the "Remember the Titans" actress from Los Angeles the day before she was found unresponsive at a Greenville, South Carolina, apartment complex Aug. 16, according to TMZ.

The two broke up briefly in 2022 but rekindled their romance the following year. Hickerson's brother confirmed to police Brian was in a relationship with the actress at the time of Panettiere's death.

The former couple's relationship was marked by highly public legal troubles. Hickerson was first charged with domestic violence against Panettiere in 2019. He was arrested again in 2020 on eight felony domestic violence charges, including felony charges of corporal injury on a spouse/cohabitant, a felony charge of assault with a deadly weapon and a misdemeanor charge of battery on a spouse/cohabitant.

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In 2021, he was sentenced after pleading no contest to two felony charges connected to the domestic violence involving Panettiere. The rest were dismissed due to the plea agreement.

Three days before Panettiere's death, Hickerson appeared in Los Angeles court in an effort to have his felony charges reduced.

"On Aug. 13, the prosecution objected to the defense’s motion to expunge and reduce both counts," a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office told Fox News Digital. "The court denied both."

Hickerson had tried to have the charges reduced once before, appearing in court July 18, 2025, Fox News Digital confirmed.

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Fox News Digital's Lauryn Overhultz and Lorraine Taylor contributed to this report.

Progressives notch victory in race to replace Swalwell following sexual assault scandal

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 18:46:37 -0400

Progressive state Sen. and Assistant Majority Leader Aisha Wahab has bested Melissa Hernandez, a more moderate public transit executive, in a special election to replace disgraced Rep. Eric Swalwell.

The race between Wahab and Hernandez represented another front in the Democratic civil war between the party’s establishment and progressive wings.

Wahab counted on high-profile endorsements from California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis and labor icon Dolores Huerta, while Hernandez relied on large sums of super PAC cash and endorsements from local officials.

PRIMARY TAKEAWAYS: DEMS’ LEFT-CENTER BATTLE INTENSIFIES AS SCHUMER TAKES ANOTHER HIT; SPLIT DECISION FOR TRUMP

While progressive Democrats opened the election season strongly, securing high-profile victories in New York, Pennsylvania, Colorado and D.C., they have more recently underperformed on expectations in the Democratic primaries for Michigan’s Senate race and Wisconsin’s gubernatorial race.

Wahab was the strong favorite heading into Election Day, earning 42.8% of the vote in the special primary against Hernandez’s 16.8%.

California has "jungle primaries" in which the top two vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, advance to the general election. Wahab and Hernandez, both Democrats, occupied the top two slots in the special primary, effectively shutting Republicans out of a district that Kamala Harris carried easily in the 2024 presidential election.

The special election, however, represents only a temporary victory because it determined who would serve out the remaining two months of Swalwell’s term. The two will likely face off again in November to determine who will serve a full two-year term in Congress.

DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS AWARDED $5.2M IN INHERITANCE DISPUTE DESPITE FAMILY'S OBJECTIONS

Though the victory is technically temporary, incumbents tend to have an advantage in elections. The general election will take place under slightly different district boundaries after California’s newly redrawn congressional map takes effect.

Some Democrats have pointed to recent underperformance by progressive candidates to argue that the socialist ascendancy within the party has been stymied, while others point to the continued popularity of socialist politicians and policies among young people as evidence to the contrary.

LEFT-WING ACTIVISTS HECKLE PRO-ISRAEL DEMOCRAT HALEY STEVENS AT MICHIGAN CONVENTION

On the campaign trail, Hernandez criticized Wahab primarily on ethical grounds for her alleged missteps during her time in Sacramento. Wahab, meanwhile, painted Hernandez as the beneficiary of conservative and pro-Israel money, challenging her liberal credentials.

Hernandez, for instance, accused Wahab of skirting campaign finance laws by routing $60,000 from her state campaign account through the Alameda County Democratic Party, which later funded pro-Wahab congressional mail.

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Wahab hit back with her own campaign finance-related attack, criticizing Hernandez for allegedly taking money from pro-Israel donors and benefiting from expenditures by pro-Israel super PACs.

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The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has become a major flashpoint in the internal struggle for control of the Democratic Party, with progressives seeking to push out Democrats who support Israel.

Timeline reveals how man in 'Chucky' mask terrorized Philadelphia streets, evaded police

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 18:45:32 -0400

Surveillance footage captured the brief window of time when a masked man wearing a creepy Chucky-style Halloween mask terrorized multiple people in downtown Philadelphia. Two police officers followed him before he evaded authorities, officials said Thursday.

Zymire Hughes, 22, is being sought by the Philadelphia Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service after an arrest warrant related to the Aug. 12 incident was issued.

"If Zymire Hughes was trying to scare people, make them run: Who's scared now? Who's running now?" Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said during a news conference Thursday afternoon.

POLICE IDENTIFY SUSPECT ACCUSED OF TERRORIZING PHILADELPHIA WOMEN WHILE WEARING CREEPY CHUCKY-STYLE MASK

On Thursday, authorities released surveillance footage showing Hughes leaving his apartment before heading downtown by bus.

Once in the downtown area, Hughes donned his mask around 5:30 a.m. and began antagonizing people while filming his actions with a cell phone, police said. He allegedly threatened and assaulted a jogger near City Hall before chasing her.

The first person confronted by Hughes appeared to be terrified.

"The victim is absolutely terrified of Mr. Hughes," Philadelphia Police Capt. Jason Smith said. "He crouches down with his hands up in a pleading motion. We don't know exactly what was said... but it's readily apparent that this individual is certainly in fear for their life. So then Mr. Hughes proceeds to make his way down Chestnut Street, harassing additional people."

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The incident culminated when Hughes allegedly chased the jogger.

Holding up his phone, he allegedly asked: "Are you ready to die?" police said. The jogger injured her leg while fleeing and will require extensive medical treatment, Capt. Smith told reporters.

At one point, Hughes was spotted inside Suburban Station by two Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) police officers in a golf cart and others on foot. The officers told him to remove the mask, Smith said, while showing footage of the interaction.

Hughes removed the mask but attempted to conceal his identity.

"Underneath that Chucky-style Halloween mask, he's got a black, COVID-style mask, which he never removes," Smith said. "Before they spot him, he is running around attempting to engage other people and scare them down in Suburban Station as well."

The officers followed Hughes, but he eventually evaded them and boarded a bus back home, police said.

He took the bus, placed the mask in a backpack, and arrived at his apartment complex, authorities said.

Surveillance footage captured at the complex shows Hughes leaving for downtown before his alleged rampage began. Investigators were able to obtain images of him in a common area without the mask.

SEPTA police officers were able to identify Hughes, along with two other people, police said.

Smith said he believes Hughes initiated the spree for "his own sick personal amusement" or to create monetized social media content.

Hughes remains at large but has ties to California and Nevada, police said.

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Substitute teacher arrested after allegedly triggering false active shooter alerts at 5 schools: sheriff

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 18:44:18 -0400

A substitute teacher in Louisiana was arrested after authorities say she triggered false active shooter alerts at five schools, prompting security responses across the district.

Lytonja Barfield, 58, was booked on five counts of menacing after an investigation into the alerts Wednesday, Caddo Parish Sheriff Henry Whitehorn Sr. announced.

The Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office began investigating after officials with the Caddo Parish School Board contacted the agency about possible threats after emergency alerts at several schools.

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Don Gibbs, the school board's director of security, told investigators that Barfield, a substitute teacher, had allegedly used the district's emergency management system to report active shooters at five schools, according to the sheriff's office.

School officials responded to the alerts by implementing security measures to protect students and staff while they worked to determine whether the reported threats were legitimate.

Officials determined the alerts were false and identified Barfield as the person responsible for sending them, the sheriff's office said.

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Caddo Parish Public Schools told Fox News Digital Barfield is no longer employed by the district and was not assigned to work at any district location at the time of the incident.

"We are cooperating fully with the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office as they continue their investigation into the matter. Ms. Barfield is no longer employed by the district, and, at the time of the incident, she was not assigned to work at any district site," the district's statement said.

"While we will not speak to the individual details of the investigation, as that is under the purview of the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, I can say that, in response to the mobile alerts, the district followed our established security protocols to ensure student and staff safety at all locations."

The sheriff's office did not identify the five schools in its announcement or say what specific security measures were implemented.

A Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office detective later located Barfield and questioned her about the incident.

Based on evidence and information gathered during the investigation, authorities arrested Barfield and transported her to the Caddo Correctional Center, according to the sheriff's office.

Barfield was booked on five counts of menacing.

The sheriff's office said false reports of active threats can disrupt schools, trigger emergency responses and cause fear among students, parents, employees and the surrounding community.

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Authorities did not disclose a possible motive for the alleged false alerts.

The investigation remains ongoing.

NFL fines Saints and Cowboys $500K for practice brawl, but fights won't stop unless players get fined

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 18:37:27 -0400

It was another day of joint practices around the NFL on Thursday with more fights between teams, including one between the Miami Dolphins and New York Giants that apparently featured someone taking a swing at quarterback Jameis Winston.

And, yes, this feels like it should be the tipping point because once Winston got in the scrum and apparently leveled someone, someone else took a swipe at him. And that led Giants starting quarterback Jaxson Dart to jump in.

"I just looked over and saw the red 19 jersey (which is Winston) and I was like, 'I got to go,'" Dart said. "I got to go help my boy! I don't know what's going on over there."

MASSIVE BRAWL AT COWBOYS AND SAINTS PRACTICE INCLUDES PUNCHES AND WWE MOVES

The NFL has had enough. Well, sort of.

The league levied $500,000 fines against both the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints on Thursday, one day after the teams were involved in a serious brawl.

The NFL noted that its Competition Committee has made sportsmanship, including conduct during joint practices, a point of emphasis in recent years. The league also reminded all 32 teams of that emphasis this summer.

So, the hefty fines are a solid attempt to curb the violence. But they don't go far enough.

This week's brawl should make one thing clear to both the NFL and NFL Players Association: players themselves need to face fines for misconduct during training camp practices, just as they do during preseason and regular-season games.

So you are aware, Thursday marked the fourth consecutive day that teams holding joint practices got into fights, scuffles, skirmishes, whatever noun you wish to use.

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The New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers got into multiple scuffles on Aug. 11.
The Jaguars and Saints got into a little skirmish on Aug. 13.
The Cowboys and Saints got borderline medieval on Aug. 18. That one included wrestling moves and ultimately resulted in fines for both clubs.
The Jaguars and Panthers had a joint practice on Wednesday that included multiple skirmishes.

The Eagles and Patriots went at it the past couple of days, even though both coaches warned their teams to abstain before the practice sessions.

"I don’t want anybody fighting," Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said. "I don’t want our guys fighting in practice. I don’t want them throwing punches."

"They get thrown out of the game when those things happen," Vrabel added.

Anyway, at the Bears joint practice with the Bengals on Thursday, we had multiple scuffles. The big one came when Bears receiver Ray-Ray McCloud seemed to throw a punch at a Bengals defensive back, after which multiple Bengals players piled on top of him.

And then there was the brawling in Miami Gardens, where the Giants and Dolphins held a joint practice.

Multiple players from both teams were removed from the practice for throwing punches or seemingly causing others to throw punches. Multiple players were removed or benched.

And that punishment was supposed to serve to calm matters going forward.

But here's the thing: Getting any part of a hot, muggy, uncomfortable workout off is not the punishment coaches think it is. For some players, especially veterans, it's a welcome reprieve.

And having the club fined is also not going to cause individual players to curtail their emotions or not defend themselves against actual or perceived wrongs.

Players are simply not going to hold back because their coaches say, or the NFL is fining their beloved club.

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The only way teams and the NFL are going to address this issue successfully is with fines to the players themselves. If the teams aren't going to go there, then the NFL should step in.

Players don't generally act this way in regular-season or preseason games because it draws a fine for them. From their paychecks.

The league's own compliance guidance explicitly says its enforcement staff oversees player conduct during preseason, regular-season and postseason games, and specifically identifies fighting as conduct within its jurisdiction.

Not so in joint practices.

So the NFL took a notable step on Thursday. But players are quite likely to continue engaging in joint practice skirmishes until it costs them money.

FOLLOW ARMANDO SALGUERO ON X: @ARMANDOSALGUERO

DAVID MARCUS: West Virginian fairgoers are worried, but not about prices

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 18:30:45 -0400

Since the 1950s, the Jefferson County Fair in West Virginia has been serving up prize pigs, hefty heifers and fried everything for a citizenry that still adores it.

As politicians have long known, it is among the best places on Earth to take the temperature of the American voter.

Over the two days, while stuffing the old Marcus face with corn dogs and pepperoni rolls, I had expected the political talk to be about prices, or affordability, as the Democratic Socialists and the mainstream media call it. But what most people wanted to talk about was data centers.

"I’m a farmer," Roy, who raises cattle nearby, told me. "Data centers, power lines, all of that, it's a threat to us. All we've got is the land."

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This is a sentiment I heard, not just from the regular folks of Jefferson County, but from those who seek to serve them.

Jenny Thacker and Marta Beck are both Democrats running for the House of Delegates. While they aren’t completely opposed to data centers in the county, both have issues with how the developments are being implemented.

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"We cannot afford to have water taken out of our system. So, if we can make a law that says, 'Yes, you can use surface water, but you cannot use well water,' that goes a long way to protecting our groundwater," Thacker said.

For Beck’s part, her concern was that "they [the state] have taken away local control from the municipalities." That word, "control," really lies at the heart of this debate, not just in West Virginia, but everywhere I travel in the country.

TEXAS GOV. GREG ABBOTT EFFECTIVELY PAUSES NEW DATA CENTER PROJECTS PENDING STATEWIDE GRID AUDIT

Also at the fair was Tamara Thompson, vice president of We The People of Jefferson County, one of the original Tea Party groups still exerting power in the Mountaineer State. She said she has been getting an earful about data centers.

"I hear a lot of people being against it [data centers]," Thompson said, noting that many complain of noise pollution. "I like boots on the ground, so going there and hearing whether or not there is an export of extreme sounds was something I took personal, and I didn’t experience that."

SILICON VALLEY IS LOSING THE DATA CENTER FIGHT, RISKING A REPEAT OF A CLASSIC FAILURE

One fairgoer, Sarah, a retired teacher, put it rather succinctly.

"I guess we need ‘em," she quipped holding up her phone, "but nobody wants ‘em."

What became clear, through Tuesday’s demolition derby and Wednesday’s antique tractor pull, is that data centers are a real issue, but also the Platonic form of a first-world problem.

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That isn’t meant dismissively. Sometimes first world problems are more intractable than Third World ones. But this is a crisis of opportunity, not lack thereof.

Mickey Reagan is running to be a Jefferson County Commissioner. I chatted with a few volunteers at her tent, and when I asked what the top issue they were hearing about from voters was, the answer was a telling single word: growth.

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With my eyebrows slightly knitted, I said, "Wait, do you mean not enough growth or, like, too much growth, and the county can’t handle it?"

Without a beat they said, "Too much growth."

AMERICA’S BROKEN PERMITTING SYSTEM IS QUIETLY RAISING YOUR COST OF LIVING

It isn’t as crazy as it may sound. In the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, it seems a hundred new houses go up every day, but not a hundred new roads, or wells or schools. Data centers, on the other hand, can pop up like weeds.

The main takeaway I got from both Democrats and Republicans enjoying their funnel cake was that they want local control, and they don’t trust Big Tech as far as a baby calf could pull it. How can we blame them?

FOX NEWS POLL: MOVE OVER BIG BROTHER, VOTERS SEE BIG TECH AS GREATER THREAT TO US

In the fast-as-lightning tech sector, when regulation lags behind innovation, we wind up with 12-year-olds watching hardcore pornography on their phones, not because we chose it, but because we let it happen.

For Republicans nationally, there is good news coming from the fair. Two years ago, before Trump’s restoration, all people could talk about at such events was how much everything costs. There was little time to spare for debate on the relative value of data centers.

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Today, for Americans in West Virginia, and across the nation, we are not in an economic crisis. We are doing OK. The issue is not keeping our heads above water, but rather how to responsibly ride the rising tide.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM DAVID MARCUS

Pastor unleashes on Dearborn as religious tensions erupt at city council meeting: 'Enough is enough'

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 18:19:40 -0400

What started as a regularly scheduled town hall in Dearborn, Michigan, erupted into a flashpoint over the influence of Muslim culture in American civic life Tuesday as the pastor of a local church accused the town of operating under Sharia law.

"America, we have lost this city. This is a city that is no longer up under American laws; we are up under Sharia law. We will not have it anymore," Lorenzo Sewell, the pastor of 180 Church, said.

"Enough is enough."

The outburst, which came amid a series of other anti-Islam protests in Dearborn, vocalizes fears that Muslim populations in Michigan are working to bring their communities more in line with their religious worldview, views Sewell believes are at odds with the vast majority of the country.

EL-SAYED'S AGENDA PUTS ‘PERMANENTLY’ CHANGED AMERICA ON THE LINE IN MICHIGAN SENATE RACE, GOP FIREBRAND WARNS

"You are only 1% of this nation. We are not a nation of Muslims," Sewell said.

Sewell’s references to the implementation of Sharia law don’t refer to actual legislation looking to codify Muslim religious practices. Instead, they’re based on what he sees as a form of favoritism applied unevenly to Muslims in the name of religious freedom.

In particular, Sewell and other Dearborn critics have pointed to a case in which Muslim counterprotesters, in his view, suffered inadequate consequences for assaulting Jake Lang, a local political activist.

"You are not up under American law. You are up under Sharia law. That is the reason why you have made no arrests," Sewell said, referring to the incident.

Lang, the activist, is no stranger to brushes with the Muslim community in Dearborn.

He frames himself as a faith-based champion of American culture. In one video posted to X, Lang conducts baptisms while wearing military-style garb and a bulletproof chest plate, an outfit he dons in a lot of his online content.

"I don’t know about you, but I am ready to load up CRUISE SHIPS with f---ing AMERICAN GUNS & go and LIBERATE SPAIN from the Muslim hords. If the Democrats take power in 2028, I’ll be at the Southern Border laying these animals down by the HUNDREDS!!!!!" Lang wrote in another post, referring to a recent influx of immigrants to Spain.

But his online opposition turned into a real-world altercation earlier this month when Lang took his protest to the city’s Arbaeen March, an annual religious commemoration.

MICHIGAN SENATE RACE: EL-SAYED’S TIES TO EXTREMIST FUEL ANTISEMITISM CONCERNS AMONG JEWISH VOTERS

In one video, Lang takes a punch from behind while holding a sign saying "deport 100 million, save America." Muslim counterprotesters chased Lang back to his car, and at least one tried to hit him with a rock.

"Detroit Crime News JUST released video of 3 BARBARIC Muslims picking up large rocks to STONE me to death!!! For preaching the NAME OF JESUS!!!" Lang wrote online.

Notably, the police did arrest one of the assailants and asked for help in identifying others who had engaged in unlawful behavior.

"One individual was arrested by Dearborn Police during the altercation and is currently held without bond as the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office determines charges," a police press release of the incident said.

In Lang’s view — and in the view of Sewell — that isn’t enough.

Ahead of the Tuesday city council meeting, Lang, Sewell and other demonstrators announced plans to protest the gathering, pressing for the city to more seriously evaluate Muslim influence and the influence of Sharia law.

City officials have pushed back on characterizations that Muslims are being treated differently than other citizens of Dearborn.

"When people portray Dearborn as some place that has been overtaken by Muslims, they aren’t simply attacking our Muslim and Arab communities. They’re also trying to erase our Christian brothers and sisters who have contributed immeasurably to the city and folks of other faiths," Mayor Abdullah Hammoud said at the city council meeting Tuesday.

CALIFORNIA LAWMAKERS' PUSH TO MAKE MUSLIM HOLY DAYS STATE HOLIDAYS SPARKS DEBATE OVER SCHOOL NEUTRALITY

"Ultimately, they’re attacking something much larger than any one faith or community. They are attacking the idea that all of us can belong to America at the same time."

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According to the 2020 U.S. census, a majority of Dearborn reported Middle Eastern or North African ancestry, making it the first American city to have a predominantly Arab population at roughly 54.5% of its residents.

AEW star Adam Copeland talks winning tag team titles with Christian Cage, Young Bucks being on wrestle list

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 18:16:04 -0400

For the first time in 25 years, Adam Copeland and Christian Cage were able to call themselves tag team champions when they defeated FTR in an I Quit match at Double or Nothing.

Copeland and Cage have reigned supreme over the tag team division since then, dispatching The Death Riders and The Dogs in separate matches. The type of run that Copeland and Cage have put together since he joined All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is exactly what he wanted when he came to the company. Copeland wasn’t looking for a nostalgia act.

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"Just fun and exactly the type of reason I came to AEW is to go after these things that I still wanted to go after but I knew weren't going to be possible unless I made that that move and to get a chance to team with him and totally recreate the team and not have it just be the thing we used to do," he told Fox News Digital. "It's like we're a team again, but we're an entirely different team and we should be because we've experienced so much and gone through so much throughout our careers that we bring all of that now and to just go and try and rehash the chump stain stuff, I don't know, it almost be a disservice to us. Like we put in enough work in between to create and carve these character paths for ourselves that to just throw that to the wayside so we could do a nostalgia run, that didn't feel right. And that was the discussions we had going into this is trying to make sure that it didn't just feel like a rehash.

"And I think we’ve been successful in that. We tried to change things like we never had a finishing move as a team. Like that's insane. We never had a finishing move. Our finishing move was a concerto which is illegal. So, what we always did is just cheat and we were heels so it worked. But this incarnation is different. So, it was before Forbidden Door, I was like, ‘Hey, I was thinking about this pop-up spear thing.’ We hadn't tried it. We're just like, OK, we'll try it out there in London at the O2 for the first time ever in our first match back in 15 years. It was like, ‘Oh, yeah, we hit it. Okay, we still got that thing.’"

Now, Copeland and Cage are getting ready to take on the Young Bucks – Matt and Nick Jackson – at All In with the AEW World Tag Team Championship on the line.

Copeland had made note in a social media post that the Young Bucks were on his list of opponents he wanted to face. The same list included historic venues he wanted to wrestle in, including Arena México.

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For Copeland, the Young Bucks have been for a little while.

"Oh, they've been on the list from the time that any kind of reality of me and AEW started to come to fruition," he told Fox News Digital. "FTR, Young Bucks, team-wise, like, those are like got to do that, have to do that. They were definitely on the list, but also too, didn't fully know if Christian and I, were going to get back to teaming. So, it's like, OK, want to we got to make sure it's right and the right time and try and fit it into this story and into that to try.

"So, really it was it was the match with Mox that was the vehicle to get him and I going as a team again and for him to lose the Casino Royale opportunity because of his selfishness and then for me to go, ‘See your selfishness isn't working, man.’ And then taking the turn of, OK, but you're selfish, that's you. And then I just got to accept it and then we could kind of start running and that's just been really fun. When I think of a word, the only one that comes to mind is we've just been having fun and I get to live vicariously through Jay's character. So, like I’m like what if you said this and he's like, oh, and some of the things, man, like it it's just it's so much. It's just fun."

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All In is set to take place on Aug. 30 at Wembley Stadium in London.

Jill Biden entertains possibility Joe was drugged before debate, asked point blank if doctors ruled out stroke

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 18:07:12 -0400

Former first lady Jill Biden doubled down on the possibility of her husband, former President Joe Biden, being drugged ahead of the 2024 debate and was asked during a podcast Thursday whether doctors ruled out a stroke that night.

Podcast host Jamie Kern Lima asked Biden if a stroke was ruled out by doctors the night of the debate.

"Well, they did. They said, I mean, I didn't say to them, when I was writing my book, I was reflecting, but I didn't say, 'God, did Joe have a stroke?' I just said, 'Is he OK? Is he OK?'" Biden responded.

JILL BIDEN REVEALS JOE WHISPERED 'I REALLY F---ED UP' AFTER DISASTROUS DEBATE WITH TRUMP

Lima asked the former first lady what her gut told her happened, and Biden said she didn't know.

"I mean, there's all kinds of theories — you know, he had been traveling," she said. "I know he was tired, he didn't feel well that day, when I saw him, but there was nothing definitive that I could point to. And I had been on the road for two weeks up until that moment. So, I wasn't with him. I didn't see him days before, weeks before. I saw him maybe one hour before."

JILL BIDEN SAYS SHE THOUGHT JOE WAS HAVING A STROKE DURING HIS DISASTROUS 2024 DEBATE PERFORMANCE

Lima asked, "There's no way anyone could have, God forbid, laced his drink or something?"

"Who knows? Who knows?" Biden responded.

The former president's office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

One of the most decisive moments of the 2024 election was Biden's debate with Donald Trump. Biden stammered, had long periods of silence and intense, confused facial expressions, to the point some of his most vocal supporters broke ranks and demanded he relinquish the nomination.

Jill Biden released a memoir, "View from the East Wing," which touched on the debate moment. Biden wrote that she thought Joe might have had a stroke.

"I wasn’t horrified. I was frightened," Jill Biden recalled in a May interview.

"I had never ever seen Joe like that before or since," the first lady said. "I don’t know what happened. As I watched it, I said, ‘Oh my God, he’s having a stroke.’ It scared me to death."

JAKE TAPPER DISPUTES JILL BIDEN'S CLAIM SHE FEARED FOR HUSBAND'S HEALTH AT CNN DEBATE

She told Lima she and the president had doctors around them at all times, and she was told Joe was OK that night before they went on to do more events.

"It was like such an aberration," she added.

Democrats and others have pushed back on Jill's book tour and the re-hashing of 2024, a sore point for the party after former Vice President Kamala Harris ultimately lost to President Trump.

DEMOCRATS’ MIDTERM PUSH CLOUDED BY INFIGHTING OVER PARTY KEEPING 2024 AUTOPSY UNDER WRAPS

Andrew Bates, a former Biden spokesperson, said of Jill Biden's book, "I don’t see why that painful conversation for the party needed to be publicly reopened right now."

The former first lady responded to Bates, "I want to say to Andrew: Call me up, and say it to my face, buddy."

Matt Dallek, a George Washington University professor of political management, told Fox News Digital in a statement that while the memoir tour and rehashing of 2024 likely wouldn't matter to voters ahead of the midterms or 2028, members of the Democratic Party see the Bidens as focused on the past.

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"Democrats seem to feel like they're focused on the past, they're focused on Trump coming back to power," Dallek said. "They're focused on the perceived sense of failure of Biden and his unpopularity as he left office.

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"I think that the memoir tour, the various appearances by — whether it's Jill Biden or Hunter Biden — I think there's still, you know, a lot of affection for Joe Biden, for the Bidens in the Democratic Party. There's also, I think, a certain amount of pain associated with the memory of the Biden presidency and especially the last kind of year or two," he told Fox News Digital in a statement.

The former president is expected to release his own book recounting his presidency in November after the midterm elections.

Arizona Diamondbacks admit they have no idea what happened with star infielder: it's 'a complete mystery'

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 17:55:06 -0400

The Ketel Marte saga just keeps getting stranger.

Marte, one of the best players in baseball and a key part of the Arizona Diamondbacks lineup since the 2017 season, traveled with his team to Boston ahead of their very important series with the Red Sox at Fenway Park. And then just never showed up to the stadium.

Not only did he not show up, he didn't tell the team front office, his manager, or his teammates that he wouldn't be there. Arizona waited until 20 minutes before first pitch to put him on the restricted list, and when asked about it after the game, manager Torey Lovullo admitted that "there was very little coming back" from Marte about his absence.

KETEL MARTE FRUSTRATING DIAMONDBACKS BY OPTING TO TAKE DAYS OFF WITH TRADE DEADLINE LOOMING: REPORT

Lovullo also acknowledged that nobody was even sure if Marte was still in Boston, or if he'd left to return to Phoenix or elsewhere. His agent then issued a statement on Wednesday saying that the 32-year-old is dealing with a "personal matter" and has a knee injury that requires an MRI.

"[Marte] is currently managing a personal matter and will be undergoing an MRI on his knee tomorrow. Ketel appreciates the unwavering support from fans, teammates, the Diamondbacks organization, and Torey Lovullo during this time. He remains optimistic about his recovery and looks forward to returning to the field to contribute to the team as soon as possible," the statement said.

On Thursday, the story turned even more bizarre, as team executives admitted they still have no idea what's going on or why Marte never showed up to the stadium. In a new interview with "Bickley & Marotta" on 98.7 in Phoenix, team president and CEO Derrick Hall admitted that it's a "mystery" what happened with Marte.

"Still a complete mystery," Hall said on Thursday morning. "It’s just bizarre."

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

Hall added that Marte will need to provide more details on what happened, as well as apologize to his teammates and the organization, in order to "hopefully" move on.

"We’re going to have to get explanations from him and apologies from him and hopefully we can pick up the pieces and move on and turn the page," he said.

What made it even more odd is that Hall said he saw Marte at the team hotel on Sunday and "he appeared just fine and then was just a no-show, as you know. Just bizarre, and we’ve tried to get answers."

More specifically, Hall added that there's no excuse for not showing up without prior communication and an explanation.

"Any player who has a responsibility to be at the ballpark needs to be there, unless it’s been prearranged" he said, as the team traveled home to Phoenix. "We’re not sure what (this situation) is, that’s why we want to hear what the results of the MRI are right away, and still, we need to know: 'OK, if you were feeling sore, if you were hurting, why didn’t you go and have treatment?' That’s what you do.

"Personally, I’m disappointed a player didn’t show up and go where he was supposed to, but I can get past it if I hear a reason why...Maybe there will be a reason to help him, and if it a personal issue as his agent is [saying], we need to hear what that is and see if there’s a way for us to help him or alleviate this whole situation."

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Any player not showing up to their team's game without an explanation would be bizarre and inexplicable. But for one of the best players in the sport, who's making $20 million a year, to not tell his team what's happening? That's one of the weirdest baseball stories in years.

Maybe Marte does have a serious personal issue to deal with. Or his apparent knee injury has taken a turn for the worse. Those are legitimate reasons to not play, though, and all it would take for the absence to be excused is a text or phone call. For Marte to not have the courtesy to do any of it? When his team is fighting for a playoff spot? That's tough to forgive or forget.

Seattle Times columnist resigns after paper allegedly refused to run 'Save Women's Sports' column

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 17:39:05 -0400

The Seattle Times lost sports columnist Matt Calkins in a highly publicized resignation on Thursday, after Calkins claimed the paper refused to run a piece on women's sports activists.

Calkins, who spent 11 years at the outlet, said the decision not to publish his column left him unable to perform the job he was hired to do.

The column centered on two Washington student-athletes who oppose allowing transgender girls to compete in female sports, that were recently at the center of a national controversy after they attended a Seattle Storm WNBA game to support Sophie Cunningham's support for protecting women's sports. Calkins sought to make the case that supporting sex-separated athletic competition does not necessarily reflect hostility toward transgender people.

"I tried to write a column through the eyes of two student athletes who were kind of speaking out against biological males in, in girls/women's sports and I submitted this column a couple Fridays ago to my editors ... basically six days went by and they said, 'Uh, we're looking at it. Um, let me give it to this editor. This editor is gonna have a talk with the top two editors.' And six days later they decided it wasn't gonna run," Calkins told Fox News Digital.

"All they said was that, 'You didn't tell us you were doing this in advance, uh, so we can't run it.' But I didn't buy the excuse."

Calkins added that he wanted to platform the voices of girls who speak out against trans athletes in women's sports.

"I wanted to get their voices out there," Calkins said. "I feel like if you look at most media, the girls who have to compete against biological males, I feel like their voices get stifled a lot."

Calkins said the rejection followed a pattern involving several previous columns.

"Anytime I would kind of go against the grain, my columns would get spiked," he said.

Calkins emphasized that he respects his former editors and understands the pressure they face when deciding whether to publish commentary on divisive subjects. He said he does not harbor personal animosity toward his former colleagues.

"I have a lot of respect for my editors," he said. "I don’t know what I would’ve done if I were in their situation either."

AMERICANS CLASH OVER TRANSGENDER ATHLETES AS DEBATE HEATS UP: ‘JUST GETTING OUTRAGEOUS'

At the same time, Calkins said he believed concern about public backlash had increasingly limited the range of opinions he was able to explore.

"I couldn’t do my job as a columnist because I feel like they were stifling my voice," he said.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Seattle Times for a response, but has not heard back.

The controversy Calkins focused on in his column began before a July 28 game between the Seattle Storm and Indiana Fever at Climate Pledge Arena. Calkins attended a rally supporting Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, who has spoken against transgender women participating in women’s sports.

At the rally, Calkins interviewed 16-year-old Ahnaleigh Wilson, a high school runner who said she had previously competed against a transgender athlete. He also later interviewed Tumwater High School basketball player Frances Staudt, who had declined to play in a game involving a transgender opponent.

Wilson subsequently alleged that Seattle Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton confronted her inside the arena and used profanity while criticizing her support for Cunningham. The Storm publicly apologized for the encounter, and the WNBA fined Keaton and suspended her from attending five home games, according to reporting on the incident.

WHAT'S NEXT IN THE BATTLE TO 'SAVE WOMEN'S SPORTS' AFTER SCOTUS RULING — AND THE HIDDEN DAMAGE DRIVING IT

Calkins said the encounter prompted him to write the column, which he later published on Substack after leaving the newspaper

The dispute came as Washington voters prepare to consider Initiative IL26-638 in November. The proposed measure would require schools to prohibit students it defines as biologically male from competing in certain athletic activities reserved for female students. It would also require healthcare-provider verification of a student’s biological sex for participation in those activities.

Supporters describe the measure as a protection for fairness and safety in girls’ sports. Opponents argue that it would discriminate against transgender students and create invasive eligibility requirements. That wider political debate formed the backdrop to Calkins’s column, but his resignation raises a separate question about editorial discretion and the latitude afforded to newspaper columnists.

Calkins said he had no firm professional plans when he resigned. He intends to continue writing independently while considering what comes next.

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"I love to keep writing. I love sports. I love to be able to speak my mind," he said. "Hopefully I can stay in that realm."

HexClad's summer sale is here: Save up to 52% on Gordon Ramsay-approved cookware

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 11:02:49 -0400

As summer draws to a close, HexClad wants to prepare you for all your fall cooking adventures (FOX is an investor in HexClad). The brand is serving up sizzling savings on its best-selling pots and pans, knife sets and unique bundles that can revamp your entire kitchen.

Latest deals

HexClad hot mitt and trivet duo: $29 (50% off)
Damascus steel starter knife set: $139 (44% off)
Everything But the Kitchen Sink bundle: $2,799 (39% off)
Steak knife and bistecca plate set: $199 (39% off)
HexClad BBQ grill pan and meat cleaver bundle: $229 (36% off)
Hybrid roasting pan set: $299 (19% off)
HexClad BBQ bundle: $469 (16% off)

Individual pieces

Not ready for a full set? These individual pots and pans offer an easy way to try HexClad before investing.

12-inch hybrid frying pan: $143 (20% off)

Original price: $179

For a versatile pan that can handle most everyday meals, HexClad's 12-inch frying pan does it all. It's large enough to cook one-pan meals, and the stay-cool handle helps protect your hands from heat. Made with HexClad's hybrid technology, the surface is designed to reduce sticking while heating evenly.

5-quart hybrid saucepan: $149 (17% off)

Original price: $179

Use this 5-quart saucepan to create delicious pasta sauces and other one-pot meals. Move it from the stovetop to the oven without worrying about damage, and keep safe with the stay-cool handle.

Damascus steel chef's knife: $111 (20% off)

Original price: $139

Chop everything from veggies to meat with the sharp Damascus steel chef's knife. The green pakkawood handle makes it stand out, and the 67 layers of Japanese steel hold up to frequent use.

Eco Modern apron: $67 (15% off)

Original price: $79

HexClad's Eco Modern apron is made from HexTwill fabric made from recycled plastic bottles, giving it a highly durable build. It has an adjustable neck strap, plus a front pocket that's handy for holding a towel or your phone.

Beechwood cutting board: $89 (18% off)

Original price: $109

A beechwood cutting board blends function and style, giving you a showpiece that looks smart on your counter. It's extra large, so you have ample prep space, and it won't hold knife cuts.

Sets

These pro-grade pot and pan sets ensure your kitchen is well-stocked for dinner.

HexClad 12-piece pot and pan set: $699 (30% off)

Original price: $999

This bestselling set includes all the pots and pans you’ll need for everyday meals, from scrambling eggs and sautéing veggies to searing meats. The pots are ideal for soups and big, simmering stews.

HexClad 6-piece pan set: $399 (25% off)

Original price: $532

Grab three popular pans plus lids for a starter set or pro-level home cooking. Use the eight-inch pan for scrambled eggs, the 10-inch for solo stir-fry, and the 12-inch skillet for searing steaks for a crowd.

Damascus steel knife set: $379 (52% off)

Original price: $783

Get a knife set that's a cut above the rest, with 67 layers of Japanese Damascus steel and green pakkawood handles that catch the eye. Each knife is razor-sharp and stores neatly in the wooden box.

HexMill salt and pepper grinder set: $199 (37% off)

Original price: $318

Crack fresh salt and pepper using these stylish HexMill grinders. The black and gunmetal finish blends in with modern kitchens. 10 grind settings let you choose the coarseness of your salt and pepper.

Bundles

Stock up on kitchen essentials with bundles.

The Essentials bundle: $219 (39% off)

Original price: $358

If you're just starting out, The Essentials bundle gives you the brand's two stars: the 12-inch frying pan and the 3-quart sauce pot. You can make virtually any meal using these two pieces. They're made with HexClad's hybrid technology, which blends nonstick, stainless steel and cast iron.

Kitchen Refresh bundle: $999 (42% off)

Original price: $1,724

Revamp your kitchen this fall with the kitchen refresh bundle. It includes a 12-piece set, a 12-inch wok, a 12-inch griddle, a seven-quart sauté pan, an eight-inch chef’s knife and mixing bowls.

The Ultimate Everything collection: $2,099 (36% off)

Original price: $3,293

Replace your cookware set with HexClad's Ultimate Everything collection. True to its name, it comes with a little bit of everything the brand has to offer, including pots and pans, cutting boards, knives and mixing bowls.

All-In bundle: $1,199 (37% off)

Original price: $1,893

Save nearly $700 on the All-In bundle. You get pots and pans in different sizes, plus a chef's knife and mixing bowl set for prep work. It costs less than some of HexClad’s larger bundles while still covering the kitchen basics

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Family pasta bundle: $299 (25% off)

Original price: $398

Level up pasta night with this family pasta bundle. It includes a 14-inch pan and lid that sears meatballs and sausage to perfection. The 4-quart sauce pot helps you create simmering sauces or boil large batches of pasta.

From Colin Kaepernick to Dylan Mulvaney, Nike's decade of left-wing activism has finally caught up to it

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 17:25:51 -0400

Nike spent much of the past decade making left-wing politics part of its brand and the company's stock hit a 12-year low this week.

Before we get into that, we should acknowledge that the "social justice" messaging isn't the only reason the company is struggling. Nike is losing ground to newer competitors, its products haven’t created the same excitement and consumers aren’t exactly eager to pay more for sneakers right now.

Still, it’s hard not to notice what Nike has been doing while its business has sputtered: picking fights over politics, race, patriotism, transgenderism and DEI.

TED CRUZ TAKES VICTORY LAP AS ICONIC AMERICAN BRAND'S STOCK PLUNGES TO 12-YEAR LOW

From Colin Kaepernick to the Betsy Ross flag, Dylan Mulvaney and a study involving "transgender" youth athletes that Nike quietly backed away from after OutKick exposed it, the company has built an impressive record of left-wing corporate activism.

In February 2026, it added an EEOC investigation into alleged race discrimination against white employees and job applicants to the list.

Nike wanted to be more than a shoe company. Mission accomplished.

Colin Kaepernick becomes the face of Nike

Nike made its choice clear in 2018, when it put former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick at the center of its 30th-anniversary "Just Do It" campaign.

Kaepernick, of course, became a national political figure after sitting, and later kneeling, during the national anthem because he said he refused to show pride in a flag for a country that "oppresses black people and people of color."

He specifically cited "police brutality" and later wore socks to an NFL practice depicting police officers as pigs and showed support for Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.

Nike decided he was the perfect guy to launch a campaign with the slogan, "Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything."

At that point, Nike wasn’t simply sponsoring a former NFL quarterback. It was elevating the most divisive figure in American sports at the time and daring consumers to take a side.

THE WASHINGTON POST CAN’T QUIT COLIN KAEPERNICK

Some did. Nike received plenty of backlash, including videos of customers burning products or cutting the swooshes off their socks. But the company also received glowing coverage from corporate-media types who loved the idea of a massive American brand embracing extreme left-wing political messaging.

Nike didn’t back away from the Kaepernick experiment, either.

The following summer, it pulled a Fourth of July-themed Air Max sneaker featuring the Betsy Ross flag after Kaepernick reportedly objected to the design. Nike said it halted distribution because of concerns the shoe could "unintentionally offend."

Think about that for a second. A company built around American athletes decided that a sneaker featuring the flag associated with the country’s founding was too offensive to sell around Independence Day.

Nike goes all-in on racial justice messaging

Then came 2020, when nearly all of corporate America went all-in on left-wing political activism.

And Nike was right there at the front of the line.

After George Floyd’s death, the company released its "For Once, Don’t Do It" campaign, telling Americans not to pretend there wasn’t a problem in the country. Nike publicly supported Black Lives Matter and racial-justice activism while the NBA restarted its season in the Orlando bubble with social-justice slogans on jerseys and "Black Lives Matter" painted prominently on the court.

Nike was the NBA’s apparel partner. Its logo was on the jerseys as the league put social justice slogans on players’ backs and ‘Black Lives Matter’ on the court. Nike wasn’t distancing itself from any of it.

Nike can say whatever it wants. But after Kaepernick, the Betsy Ross shoe and the NBA’s Black Lives Matter moment, it was clear the company wasn’t simply interested in making an occasional political statement.

Left-wing messaging had become as synonymous with Nike as its swoosh logo.

Then Nike partnered with Dylan Mulvaney

In 2023, Nike featured trans-identifying influencer Dylan Mulvaney, a male, in a paid Instagram promotion for women’s sports bras and leggings.

Mulvaney was already at the center of national debate after a Bud Light promotion helped trigger one of the most damaging corporate backlashes in recent memory. So, Nike wasn’t wandering blindly into a controversy nobody could have predicted.

The company saw what had happened to Bud Light and made the decision anyway.

Nike later defended Mulvaney and its support for the LGBTQ community. But it hired a male influencer to sell women’s sports bras and leggings. That was an absurd decision, and no one should have been surprised by the backlash.

Still, Nike appeared committed to the idea that the public just needed more education, more visibility and more lectures from multinational corporations.

What could possibly go wrong?

OutKick exposes Nike’s transgender athlete study

This is where Nike’s activism went from poor marketing tactics to something much more serious.

In April 2025, OutKick reported that evidence indicated Nike had helped fund a study involving "transgender" youth athletes as young as 12. The proposed research was designed to track athletic and physiological changes among young people undergoing so-called "gender-affirming care."

Researchers connected to the project said publicly that Nike had provided funding. Boston Children’s Hospital magazine later described the research as being supported, in part, by Nike.

Nike initially would not answer OutKick’s repeated questions. A company executive later said on background that the study "was never initialized" and was "not moving forward."

Then, trans-identifying researcher Joanna Harper, a male, said Nike had "pulled out" after "haters got wind of it."

So, which was it? Was the study never initialized, as Nike claimed? Or did Nike pull out after public pressure, as one of its researchers claimed?

Nike has never provided a clear public explanation that resolves that contradiction.

MARY CAIN'S BOOK AND NIKE'S TRANS-ATHLETE STUDY REVEAL THE SAME PATTERN OF CORPORATE HYPOCRISY

The company had moved beyond slapping the standard rainbow logo on its website and social media accounts during "Pride Month." It was allegedly helping fund research involving children, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and the future of girls’ sports.

Which is especially rich because, while this was all unfolding, Nike was telling the country how much it cared about women’s sports.

For its first Super Bowl commercial in 27 years, Nike used Caitlin Clark, A’ja Wilson, Sabrina Ionescu and other female stars in the company’s "So Win" campaign, which told viewers that women are constantly told they "can’t win."

So, which side is Nike actually on? The company can’t spend millions promoting Caitlin Clark and women’s sports, then help fund research aimed at figuring out how boys can medically alter their bodies enough to compete against girls.

Nike’s answer to that question has been a bunch of evasive statements, silence and an off-the-record claim that the study "was never initialized."

Now Nike faces a federal DEI investigation

The latest chapter came in February, when the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed an action to enforce a subpoena against Nike.

The EEOC said it is investigating systemic allegations that Nike discriminated against white employees, job applicants and participants in training programs through DEI-related practices. The agency sought information involving hiring, promotions, layoffs, internships, mentorships, leadership-development programs and Nike’s diversity targets.

Nike has denied wrongdoing, said it is cooperating and described the escalation as surprising and unusual.

So Nike says it did nothing wrong, and maybe that’s true. The EEOC still has to prove its case.

But the optics are almost too perfect. A company that spent years lecturing Americans about racial justice and fairness is now being asked by the federal government whether its own employment practices treated workers differently because of skin color.

That’s quite a mess for a company that made DEI a central part of its corporate identity.

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Nike’s stock problems go well beyond its aggressive political messaging. But the company has spent years building a brand that often seemed more interested in impressing left-wing activists than connecting with consumers in middle America.

A 12-year-low stock price should be a wake-up call. Nike needs to get back to making products people want to buy, not finding new ways to lecture them.

Just do it, Nike.

25 useful Amazon finds under $25 that make everyday life easier

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 00:01:54 -0400

Ahead of the big Labor Day rush, Amazon has started rolling out deals, many of which are below the $25 mark. From an ergonomic jar opener that's designed to provide a better grip with less strain to spacious storage bags for all your summer clothes, these Amazon finds solve small problems at home, in your car and on the go without stretching your budget.

Trending early Labor Day deals under $25

adidas low-cut socks, 6-pack: $16.72 (36% off)
Chicken shredder tool: $15.99 (30% off)
Amazon Basics thermal laminator machine: $21.91 (27% off)
Bamboo Cool boxer briefs: $22.58 (25% off)
Tide Odor Defense + Oxi laundry detergent pacs, 45-count: $14.99 (25% off)
Gold under-eye patches: $21.24 (21% off)
Cotton Paradise Turkish towel set: $9.99 (17% off)
Floating shelves, 6-pack: $22.79 (5% off)

Outlet extender: $9.98 (23% off)

Original price: $12.96

Add more charging space with this outlet extender. It turns a single outlet into multiple AC outlets and USB ports, giving you one convenient place to plug in and charge multiple devices.

Dryer vent cleaner kit: $6.99 (30% off)

Original price: $9.99

Help reduce lint buildup with this dryer vent cleaning kit. The flexible vacuum attachment reaches deep into vents and behind most dryers to clean hard-to-reach areas.

Hanes undershirts, 6-pack: $13.99 (30% off)

Original price: $19.98

Hanes makes its undershirts with 100% cotton, so they stay soft even after multiple washes. They're also moisture-wicking to help keep you cool and dry throughout the day.

Jar opener: $6.98

Don't struggle with stubborn lids. Slip the opener over the lid to release it in seconds. Multiple grip sizes make it easy to open everything from standard Mason jars to smaller spice bottles.

Queen sheets set: $13.31 (22% off)

Original price: $16.99

Refresh your bed with a new set of sheets for just over $13. They're shrink- and fade-resistant and have elastic all around the fitted sheet to help keep it from shifting.

American flag grocery bags: $21.95 (12% off)

Original price: $24.95

Add a patriotic flair to every grocery trip with these American flag reusable bags. They pop up into squares with extra-tall sides, giving you more space than your average bag.

Slim laundry basket: $15.99 (27% off)

Original price: $21.99

By fitting neatly beside a bed or desk, this laundry basket is a simple way to save floor space. Despite its narrow 9.8-inch width, it provides enough room for clothes. Side handles make trips to the laundry room easier.

Mesh shower caddy: $9.99 (17% off)

Original price: $11.99

Avoid juggling armfuls of toiletries with this mesh shower caddy. Multiple compartments keep essentials organized, and the quick-drying mesh fabric helps prevent moisture buildup between showers. Over 40,000 shoppers bought this in the past month.

Retractable car charger: $16.99 (15% off)

Original price: $19.99

Charge multiple devices without cluttering your center console. This retractable car charger features built-in USB-C and micro-USB connectors, plus two additional charging ports.

Outdoor solar lights, 2-pack: $18.99 (27% off)

Original price: $25.99

These solar-powered lights offer a solution for dark driveways or backyards. There are no cords to worry about, and you can set them to turn on only when they detect motion. Three brightness settings let you adjust the amount of light.

Clip-on mini fan: $14.99

Attach this clip-on fan to a headboard or desk for a steady breeze without taking up valuable space. Adjust the airflow to stay cool without bothering a partner.

Storage bags, 6-pack: $15.70 (37% off)

Original price: $24.99

Make the most of limited storage with this six-pack of storage bags. Each bag can fit bulky items like clothing, shoes and bedding. When they're not in use, they fold flat to save space.

Bedsure waterproof dog blanket: $15.99 (47% off)

Original price: $29.99

Protect furniture and pet beds from fur and accidents with this waterproof dog blanket. They stand up to fur and accidents, and the extra-large version works for medium and large dogs. Plus, you can pop it in the washing machine for easy cleaning.

Mattress protector: $17.99

Protect your mattress from everyday spills and add a barrier between your sheets with this waterproof mattress protector. It fits mattresses up to 15 inches deep.

Silicone cable ties, 10-pack: $7.99 (20% off)

Original price: $9.99

Keep unsightly phone and laptop cords neatly wrapped and tangle-free with these silicone cable ties. Multiple slots let you tighten each tie as needed for a secure fit.

Reading light: $15.99 (6% off)

Original price: $16.99

Read after lights-out without disturbing anyone with this compact clip-on reading light. Three brightness levels let you customize the lighting, while the sturdy clip stays securely attached to books, notebooks or a headboard.

Handheld vacuum: $15.99

Clean hard-to-reach dust and debris with this cordless handheld vacuum. A HEPA filter helps capture fine particles, while the included dust brush and crevice tool tackle tight spaces.

Fruit storage containers: $16.99 (11% off)

Original price: $18.99

Reduce food waste with these produce storage containers. The containers help organize produce and leftovers, while the leakproof design helps prevent spills.

Car windshield cover: $16.99 (32% off)

Original price: $24.99

Step into a cooler car with this expandable windshield sunshade. It adjusts up to 8 inches for a better fit on a variety of car models.

Drawer organizers, 25-count: $18.99 (5% off)

Original price: $19.99

Stop digging through cluttered drawers with these plastic organizers. They keep small items neatly separated and easy to find, and more than 50,000 shoppers bought them on Amazon last month.

DeWalt Atomic folding utility knife: $10.10 (33% off)

Original price: $15.15

Keep this compact DeWalt utility knife on hand for small fixes around the house, from breaking down boxes to opening stubborn packaging. Its compact design makes the knife easy to store and grab when you need it.

Packing cube set, 8-pack: $16.98 (15% off)

Original price: $19.99

Take the stress out of packing with this eight-pack of packing cubes. Separate compartments for shoes, toiletries and clothes help maximize luggage space and keep essentials easy to find.

DeWalt drill bit set: $12.98 (32% off)

Original price: $18.98

This 14-piece DeWalt drill bit set comes in handy for quick fixes, furniture assembly and weekend projects. The bits are designed for drilling into wood, metal and plastic. The set comes in a plastic case, so you can keep the sizes organized instead of digging through a drawer.

Bluetooth portable speaker: $14.97 (40% off)

Original price: $24.99

Bring this portable Bluetooth speaker wherever life takes you. Its IPX5 waterproof design and long battery life (up to 24 hours of playtime on a single charge) make it a reliable companion for yard work, weekend parties and tailgates.

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Command Strips: $22.99

Decorate walls without damaging them with this 28-pack of Command Strips. Four large pairs hold 15 pounds, making it easy to hang posters, photos, frames, hooks and more without leaving behind sticky residue or marks.

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