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Trump trade chief warns Canada walked away from 'the best deal' to trigger 50% U.S. tariffs

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 13:37:06 -0400

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Canada walked away from "the best deal" to preserve its trade barriers against American goods after negotiations collapsed.

Speaking on "Fox & Friends Weekend," Greer said no further trade talks are scheduled as new 50% tariffs on roughly $20 billion worth of Canadian imports have taken effect.

"Our interest is in protecting American workers and protecting American supply chains. We've been offering to bring the Canadians along on that path, really to cut the tariffs on them on steel, on autos, even lumber, things that are sensitive for them," Greer said Saturday.

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"And they've always had the best deal, and they still would have an even better deal, but they didn't want that," he added.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney suspended trade negotiations with the United States late Friday, saying Washington made "unfair" last-minute changes to its proposed terms.

He then announced Canada would impose retaliatory tariffs against the U.S.

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In a statement released Friday, Carney said Canada will match U.S. tariffs "dollar for dollar to protect our workers and businesses."

"We have recognised from the beginning that America has changed, and that we will not return to our old relationship," Carney said. "Our government understood, before many, that America is altering all its trade relationships. Putting tariffs on its closest allies and charging for access to its vast market."

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"Canada has what the world wants. And we will not allow any nation to determine our future. We will set our own course to keep building Canada strong for all," he added.

Greer said it's "hard to say" whether trade talks will resume in the near future.

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"We don't have new talks planned with the Canadians. We're moving forward with measures that respond to Canadian retaliation," Greer said.

"Remember, as President Trump has introduced a trade policy to reshore American production and protect American jobs, two countries have retaliated against the United States, the People's Republic of China and Canada," he added.

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Fox News’ Michael Sinkewicz contributed to this report.

Buffalo Bills lineman Ed Oliver suffers devastating drowning death of 2-year-old son and team is in mourning

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 13:35:41 -0400

Buffalo Bills defensive lineman Ed Oliver has been carrying a heavy burden over the past two months as it became public on Saturday that he has been mourning the loss of his 2-year-old son, who died in a drowning accident in June.

And now all of Western New York, which has adopted the Bills as family, is mourning.

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The Bills on Saturday released a statement when Oliver's tragic situation became public through social media speculation.

"On behalf of the entire Buffalo Bills organization, we want to publicly express our condolences to Ed Oliver and his family on the devastating loss of his son," a statement from Bill general manager Brandon Beane reads.

"It's an unthinkable tragedy for any parent. We will continue to support Ed and his family as we all grieve this tragic loss."

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Oliver's son died at the family ranch near Houston. No other details are known at this time.

Oliver did not make the trip with the team to Cleveland for Saturday's preseason game against the Browns.

He has, per the team, also been dealing with an unspecified injury that has caused him to miss practice the past few days but that has not prevented him from being around the team.

Oliver has been with the Bills since 2019, when he was drafted in the first round to upgrade the interior of the team's defensive line. He has become a staple of the unit with is run defense and has even contributed 30 sacks.

That seems less important now.

Oliver and his family are asking for privacy and prayers during this difficult time, a source said.

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Baker Mayfield's contract frustration and Mike Evans departure cloud Buccaneers' 2026 outlook

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 13:34:07 -0400

When a franchise successfully transitions out of a legendary era without collapsing into a total rebuild, maintaining momentum becomes the ultimate goal. Few teams in the NFL have managed that post-superstar transition quite like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With head coach Todd Bowles entering another year at the helm and quarterback Baker Mayfield firmly entrenched as the franchise leader, Tampa Bay is aiming to prove that its reign atop the NFC South is far from over and that its postseason pedigree is here to stay.

Last Year

The Buccaneers once again found themselves locked in a tight divisional battle, ultimately losing out on the NFC South crown. At their best, Mayfield was playing with confidence, pushing the ball downfield and making big plays in high-leverage situations while the offense operated with real rhythm. At their worst, defensive secondary lapses and occasional offensive lulls kept opponents in games longer than necessary. Mayfield looked like an MVP for the first half of the season when the team went 6-2. After their bye week, the wheels fell off as they lost seven of their final nine games. Injuries were an issue all year, but they still needed to be better than what they showed.

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Offseason additions and subtractions

The biggest issue in my opinion with this offseason is that Mayfield has kind of expressed frustration, or disappointment, with the franchise. They were apparently far apart on a contract, and that could make Mayfield a little less motivated for the team. They also lost one of the best players in franchise history in Mike Evans as he went to San Francisco. They have plenty of receivers, but Evans was still dominant and had a good connection with Mayfield. They also lost a cornerback who was a solid contributor to the defense, Jamel Dean. They did some solid additions to the defense with Alex Anzalone and A’Shawn Robinson. Cade Otton, their tight end, is back, so Mayfield will have another weapon.

Roster

There is a solid reason for optimism when looking at Tampa Bay’s roster makeup. The offense operates smoothly with Mayfield, supported by a proven receiving corps capable of winning at all three levels of the field. The run game has shown steady improvement, providing much-needed balance to keep defenses from dropping seven into coverage on every third down.

On defense, Todd Bowles’ unit remains aggressive and physical up front, anchored by strong interior line play that shuts down opposing ground games. However, depth in the secondary and consistency against high-octane passing attacks remain areas that could be tested if injuries accumulate during the autumn stretch. Adding Zac Robinson as the new offensive coordinator should also prove a good addition.

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BETTING PREVIEW FOR PATRIOTS AFTER FALLING SHORT IN THE SUPER BOWL AND CONTROVERSIAL OFFSEASON

Betting Outlook

In case you forgot, last year the Buccaneers were luckier than good. I saw Mayfield make some spectacular plays and save the day for them in the majority of their wins. Looking at their schedule for this year, they have a tough time. Their win total is at 8.5, and I just don’t see them getting over the total. I think the Falcons will likely be better, and the Panthers have a bit of momentum. I’m not taking anything on them, but I would lean to the under 8.5 if I had to play anything. I think my favorite bet for them is that they will be 1-4 after five games. That pays out at +500.

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Why the Rays' Shane McClanahan vs. Orioles pitching matchup looks like a betting gift

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 13:20:12 -0400

I've talked about this before, but there are some games where the line just stands out to you. Normally, it is because you feel like the book is really off about something. In my experience, I've either been a huge winner because of this, or I temper my expectations because I feel like there is something I have to be missing that the books know. That's how I feel about today's game between the Rays and Orioles. The line is off, but maybe I'm missing something. The only way to find out is to throw some cash on it.

The Tampa Bay Rays are among the best teams in baseball, and they were a team that was predicted to be essentially a .500 team. As of right now, they own the American League East and the best record in the American League. They only need to hold up for another few weeks in order to get to the finish line. The Yankees are still chasing them, despite all the injuries, and the Red Sox are within a reasonable striking distance. They aren't playing great baseball at the moment, having lost three of the last five, but they are still in a good spot.

What is surprising to me about today's game is that Shane McClanahan is on the bump for the Rays, and they are only moderate favorites to beat the Orioles. For the season, McClanahan is 9-6 with a 3.25 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP. Perhaps the reason is that he hasn't been great on the road this season, throwing to a 4.31 ERA in away games. It really isn't the result of home runs or hits. It seems that his control just isn't quite as good. He has 21 walks in 48 innings on the road, compared to 14 in 54 innings at home. The other reason is that he has allowed seven earned runs in 13.2 innings over three starts against the Orioles. However, his best start against them came on the road, when he allowed just three hits in 5.1 scoreless innings.

The Baltimore Orioles are a team we've spoken about frequently in these articles. They didn't get the season they were hoping for, but there is some reason for positivity. Their signing of Pete Alonso was great. Gunnar Henderson has shown good pop, even if he has struck out far too much. But I suppose the best thing to keep in mind is they got some decent returns for the players they traded away midseason. It isn't going to help them this year, but when you're already looking forward to next season, some positivity helps.

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Another bright spot in the dark year has been today's hurler, Brandon Young. For the season, Young is 9-3 with a 3.52 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP. He has been solid at home this year with a 3.39 ERA. Young is a guy the Orioles probably will lean on next season as well. With his numbers, he can reasonably fit into the middle of their rotation and not have any real issues. He has faced Tampa once this season, it was his most recent start, and he allowed four earned runs (three homers) over four innings of work.

When I looked at the pitching matchup I just kind of scratched my head on why this wasn't a -165 or higher game. McClanahan doesn't go overly deep, but the Rays have one of the better bullpens in baseball. Sure, Young should make some adjustments and improve on his performance. However, McClanahan should as well. I just don't see why the Orioles are getting love. I'll temper my expectations a bit in case I'm missing something, but I'm taking the Rays because I think this line is a gift from the books.

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Diamondbacks star spotted at casino during team's game after no-showing to stadium earlier in the week

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 13:10:22 -0400

Arizona Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte’s strange week took another turn on Friday.

Marte began his week by failing to show up to Fenway Park for the team’s game against the Boston Red Sox on Monday and was scratched from the lineup minutes before first pitch. He was then placed on the restricted list and seemingly had no contact with the team until Thursday.

On Thursday, Marte and team officials reportedly had a lengthy meeting, after which the Diamondbacks placed the 32-year-old on the injured list with left knee inflammation.

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On Friday, while the Diamondbacks were playing the Cincinnati Reds at Chase Field, Marte was spotted by fans gambling at Talking Stick Resort, a casino. In one video, Marte is shown at the tables while the Reds-Diamondbacks game was on a TV nearby.

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo was asked about Marte’s casino run after the team’s 9-0 win.

"He’s free to do whatever he wants," Lovullo told reporters postgame. "That’s how I look at it. As long as he wakes up tomorrow morning and posts, and gets his work done at Salt River, which I am certain he will, that’s all that matters to me right now."

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The reason for Marte’s absence is not yet known publicly. The Diamondbacks are one game back of the San Diego Padres for the final Wild Card spot in the National League and will be forced to battle without Marte for the foreseeable future.

Diamondbacks reliever Kevin Ginkel said there is no explanation for what is going on with Marte.

"For us to go where we want to go, we’ve got to have him here," Ginkel said before the game, according to The Athletic.

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"It’s disappointing how the things that happened happened. There’s really no explanation for it."

Marte, who has spent the last 10 seasons with the Diamondbacks and is one of the best players in franchise history, is a key cog in the team’s lineup. In 118 games this year, he has a .249 batting average with 21 home runs and 67 RBIs.

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The Diamondbacks (68-61) will look to continue their postseason push when they play the Reds (61-68) in the second game of their three-game series on Saturday at 8:10 p.m. ET.

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Healthy athlete had no symptoms before mandatory heart screening revealed hidden defect

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 13:09:04 -0400

A high-school student-athlete with a potentially life-threatening heart defect had no symptoms and only learned of his condition through a screening required by Florida law.

The state’s Second Chance Act went into effect July 1 ahead of the 2026-2027 school year and requires students in grades 9 through 12 to undergo at least one electrocardiogram (ECG) screening the first time they participate in or try out for interscholastic athletics, with certain exceptions, affiliate FOX 13 Tampa Bay reported.

An ECG, also called an EKG, is a simple, noninvasive test that measures the heart’s electrical signals and can help identify irregular rhythms or other signs of heart trouble.

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For Cameron Crider, a sophomore football and basketball player at Calvary Christian High School in Clearwater — which requires ECGs for all student athletes, the screening led doctors to discover an atrial septal defect (ASD), a congenital heart defect involving an opening in the wall between the heart’s two upper chambers.

If a significant ASD is left untreated, the extra blood flow can strain the heart and lungs over time and may lead to complications such as pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure), heart failure, and, in some cases, stroke.

"I’ve been playing [sports] my whole life and didn’t notice anything, so I was surprised because I haven’t felt anything," Cameron told FOX 13.

"[Cam was] going to a three-hour football practice and then a two-hour basketball practice back-to-back, and never having fatigue or shortness of breath, or, you know, anything that you would think would be a warning sign," his mother, Laura Crider, told the station. "So, we were completely shocked."

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Crider is scheduled for surgery to fix the ASD in October and is expected to be able to play sports again next season.

The mandatory ECG is "a gift from God that has been given to us, truly," Laura Crider said.

"We were able to find this out in a doctor’s office with an explanation and a clear plan that says we can help you, and so many of these other parents who are advocating for these screenings, they had to find out through a tragedy," she continued.

Up to 80% of young athletes who suffer sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) — the leading cause of death during exercise — don’t have any warning symptoms prior to their arrest, Dr. Jonathan Drezner, MD, director of the University of Washington Medicine Center for Sports Cardiology, told Fox News Digital.

Because intense physical activity places additional stress on the heart, undetected heart conditions can become dangerous during sports, the American Heart Association (AHA) told Fox News Digital.

"Sudden cardiac arrest is not the only concern," the AHA said. "These conditions can also lead to other serious heart-related complications and may require monitoring, treatment, or restrictions on athletic participation to keep students safe."

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The AHA does not currently recommend mandatory EKG screenings for every student athlete.

"A heart assessment that includes a review of a student's personal and family history along with a physical examination is the best way to identify serious heart conditions that can lead to cardiac events in student athletes," the AHA said. "If the comprehensive heart assessment raises concerns, health care professionals can order appropriate follow-up testing, such as an ECG, echocardiogram, heart monitor or other advanced imaging based on the suspected diagnosis."

The AHA and American College of Cardiology support what they say is an "evidence-based, layered approach to identify heart issues so they can be diagnosed, monitored and treated as early as possible."

According to Drezner, an ECG screening, when interpreted properly, is one of the best screening tools in medicine.

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"An ECG greatly increases our ability to detect conditions associated with SCA in the young," he said. "A standard sports physical by history and physical alone will miss 80-90% of kids with at-risk heart conditions. An ECG can suggest or detect about 80 percent of the conditions that put young persons at risk. It is not perfect, but it is far better than the standard sports physical."

Though healthy athletes and young people can have a potentially lethal heart condition and not know it, Drezner said chest pain, passing out and a racing heart are symptoms that should not be ignored.

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"Make sure your child feels well when they exercise," he advised. "If you have a family history of genetic heart conditions or SCA, you should bring this up with your child’s doctor. And get your child a proper heart screen with an ECG."

Detroit schools offer students up to $1,000 for perfect attendance as program expands

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 13:00:02 -0400

Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) paid students up to $1,000 for perfect attendance and is expanding the incentive program to middle schoolers after district officials say it successfully reduced chronic absenteeism.

Now in its second year, the "Perfect Attendance Pays" initiative targets the winter months—running from Jan. 5 to March 20 —when attendance historically dips across the district.

"DPSCD is continuing the Perfect Attendance Pays initiative for the 2026–27 school year for high school students and expanding it to include middle school students. At the middle school level, parents of eligible students with perfect attendance during each five-day cycle will receive a $50 gift card," a district spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Friday.

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District officials clarified that the financial incentives are not funded by taxpayers or standard state educational aid.

"The incentive is funded through interest generated through District funds awaiting to be used for facility projects. Federal and state revenue is not used to fund the incentive, nor is the incentive offered on fall or spring count days," the spokesperson added.

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Detroit Public Schools has been hit hard by a national chronic absenteeism epidemic, recording a 60.9% chronic absentee rate for the 2024–25 school year.

According to Sarah Winchell Lenhoff, director of the Detroit Partnership for Education Equity and Research at Wayne State University, more than half of Detroit students regularly miss class. Lenhoff defines chronic absenteeism as missing 10% or more of the school year—equivalent to 18 or more days in a standard 180-day calendar.

District officials told Fox News Digital that attendance metrics in high schools have improved since launching the incentive program.

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"This initiative has already been proven with our students and families to reduce chronic absenteeism," the district spokesperson said.

"Specifically, high school chronic absenteeism declined by 7 percentage points two years ago when the incentive was first offered and another 2 percentage points last year. We also believe that the incentive has contributed to the District being named as being in the 90th percentile with reducing chronic absenteeism since the pandemic as compared to districts nationally, based on the Education Recovery Scorecard recently released by Harvard/Stanford."

District promotional materials and social media flyers detail how payouts work, noting that eligibility is calculated weekly across five-day cycles, with eligible high schoolers earning up to $100 per week in gift cards or cash equivalents toward the $1,000 season cap.

"Strong attendance matters: Students are three to five times more likely to be at and above grade level if they miss 18 or fewer days of school per year. Families, your support is essential. Help your student take advantage of District resources and remove barriers to consistent attendance," the district posted on Facebook.

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School districts nationwide continue to grapple with severe post-pandemic attendance drops, prompting several urban systems to experiment with direct financial incentives, rideshare vouchers, and community outreach to bring students back to the classroom.

Crystal Hefner felt 'absolutely brainwashed' during Hugh Hefner marriage, reveals strict Playboy mansion rules

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 12:00:28 -0400

Crystal Hefner is reflecting on her complicated relationship with the late Playboy founder Hugh Hefner.

The former Playboy Playmate, who was married to Hefner at the time of his death, shared details about her life behind the gates of the Playboy Mansion during an appearance on the "No One Asked Her" podcast with Billy Ray Cyrus' ex-wife, Firerose.

"I think I was absolutely brainwashed, but there was nothing out there that validated me," Crystal said.

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"So I just thought I was the crazy one because all of the media put Hef on such a pedestal that I'm like, 'OK, if they all see him as this larger-than-life amazing human, there must be something wrong with me."

"I would watch interviews of his from the past and there was this one where he was arguing with feminists and a woman said, 'Uh, let's see you parade out here with a bunny tail on and stuff.' And then she said, 'Calling women animals,' ... and he said, 'Women are animals; what else would they be?'"

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She noted, "At that time, I was like siding with him and ... like, I'm going against myself while he keeps me in this dilapidated, gross home and I can't see my family."

Crystal, 40, recalled being under the watch of 70 employees during her time at the Playboy Mansion.

WATCH: HOLLY MADISON RECALLS PLAYBOY FOUNDER HUGH HEFNER'S ‘JEALOUS STREAK’

"I remember when I left, I mean, it took him dying for me to leave, but when I finally left, I didn't even know how to turn the headlights on in my car because I was always home before dark."

She added, "Movie night was at six, and that's an early time and I had to be there ... so it was kind of disguised — the coercive control, like, 'Oh, that's the time for movie night.' OK, that's the time for my curfew and my control."

Crystal began dating Hefner when she was 21 years old. The couple got engaged in 2010 when she was 24 and the Playboy founder was 84.

They called off their wedding just days before the ceremony in 2011 but later reconciled. Crystal and Hefner married in 2012 and remained together until his death in 2017. He was 91.

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She told Firerose that she struggled to leave the house after he died.

"I was so confused," she said. "In the media, he was old for so long, so you just, you see him as kind of immortal."

Crystal added, "I couldn't stay in the bedroom we stayed in, but I stayed in one bedroom of the house for like six weeks. I didn't leave."

Shortly after Hefner's death, Crystal told Fox News Digital she was thankful for her marriage to the late business mogul.

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"He taught me love. He taught me kindness. He gave me life. He really did," she explained. "He opened my mind, my world, to all of these opportunities and experiences I would have never in my lifetime been able to have."

In her 2024 memoir, "Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself," Crystal detailed more about her life post Playboy. Playboy didn’t respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment about Crystal's book at the time.

"I think after leaving the [Playboy] mansion and being away for five years, I was in a lot of therapy," Crystal told Fox News Digital. "I realized that the mansion affected me more than I thought. I just wanted to tell the truth about my time there and hopefully help others."

She claimed their nearly five-year union was "emotionally abusive," and wrote that Hefner "could be charming" but also "cruel."

"Over a little bit of time, I gained a bit of weight, and he told me that I needed to tone up," Crystal said. "Then he started telling me what color nails I could have and couldn’t have. [I had to] wear more colorful shirts, wear ‘the flag,’ which means the Playboy logo on my body, somewhere on my shirt. I had to dye my roots, bleach my roots. If that was growing out, he would tap it and tell me to go fix it."

Looking back at their marriage, she said that her late husband, a leader in America’s sexual revolution, was a complicated figure.

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"When I was told what to wear, what to do and to lose weight, I thought, ‘I’m going to be better. I can do better,’" she said. "I don’t know why my mind went there at that time instead of ‘How dare you treat me this way?’ But I’m not sure what compelled me to protect him.

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"Maybe, in a way, I felt sorry for him. Maybe, in a way, it was Stockholm syndrome, which I truly believe happened there because it was such a bubble. But I did feel compelled to protect him for some reason."

There's a difference between coaches who 'can't' win a national championship and coaches who 'haven't'

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 11:52:21 -0400

Ladies and gentlemen, college football is nearly upon us.

In just seven days' time, week zero will be gracing our television with all sorts of pigskin perfection, and one of the byproducts of having college football back in our lives is the myriad "offseason arguments" that plague our timelines on a near daily basis will be a thing of the past.

Unfortunately, one argument that is borderline evergreen and exists as both an offseason and in-season debate is whether certain coaches will ever win a national championship, and it has reared its ugly head on social media once again.

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I've seen fans from across the country making their claims that coaches like Dan Lanning and Steve Sarkisian "will never" or "can't" win a national title, and, as usual, a topic that requires a ton of nuance and context has been boiled down to a singular phrase.

"This coach will never win a natty because he hasn't won one yet."

It's insane, especially when you consider just the pure math that goes into this argument.

There were 138 FBS teams in 2025, and there was only one national champion.

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Now take into account that there are only four active coaches in FBS that have won a national title (Dabo Swinney, Kirby Smart, Ryan Day, and Curt Cignetti), and you realize how hard it is to actually win one.

I don't think it's fair to say guys like Sark and Lanning can't win a title, especially considering how young they are, relatively speaking.

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They "can" win one, they just haven't done it yet.

As long as they keep going to the College Football Playoff and taking swings (and given the talent they have on their respective teams), they are bound to win one eventually.

There is a good chance they don't, that's just the nature of college football, but they are more than capable of doing so.

I mentioned Georgia's Kirby Smart as one of the few active national champions, but that obviously wasn't always the case.

Kirby was one of the former "can't win the big one" coaches, and for a while, plenty of rivals, and even Bulldog fans, thought that would end up being the case.

"He can't get over the hump."

"He chokes in big games."

"Nick Saban is his daddy."

And then he won it all. Twice.

Then all the fans and pundits who crowned Kirby as the coach who couldn't get it done moved onto the next target: Ohio State's Ryan Day.

The same arguments they made about Kirby they just shifted to Day, until he won it all two seasons ago.

The detractors didn't apologize, they just moved their sights to a different victim.

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Those victims are now Lanning and Sark, and they'll continue to be until either of them win the big one.

That's how this thing goes.

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So enjoy college football season, and remember the difference between a coach who "can't" win a national championship and one who "hasn't" yet.

Seattle Seahawks lose wide receiver Jake Bobo to 'serious' knee injury during joint practice

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 11:37:09 -0400

The reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks were dealt a big blow on Friday.

Wide receiver Jake Bobo was carted off the field during the team’s joint practice with the Tennessee Titans, and head coach Mike Macdonald called it a "serious" injury.

"Our heart goes out to Jake Bobo," Macdonald told reporters. "It seems like it's going to be a serious knee (injury). We're going to get it imaged, but early returns are (that) it looks like it's a long-term injury. That's unfortunate."

The 28-year-old wide receiver got hurt along the sideline and needed help to get onto the cart. Players from both teams took a knee, while Macdonald said the team prayed for Bobo. His right leg was outstretched on the cart.

"It hurts, man," Sam Darnold said of Bobo’s injury. "He's one of those guys that he works, he talks a lot of stuff and he's kind of like (Devon Witherspoon) in a way, offensively. He brings the juice every single day, and he just does his job. So it sucks to lose Bobo but I know he's going to attack it and be better whenever he comes back."

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Bobo was entering his fourth season with the team after making the roster in 2023 as an undrafted rookie. In 45 career games, Bobo has 34 catches for 323 yards and three touchdowns.

While also serving as a solid depth receiving option, Bobo is an integral part of the Seahawks’ special teams. The Jacksonville Jaguars tried to pry Bobo away with a two-year, $5.5 million deal, but Bobo was a restricted free agent and the Seahawks matched the offer, keeping him in Seattle.

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"He's a beast, man," Macdonald said. "Just a great football player, a great Seahawk. Hopefully we reflected that in our investment in him. But we love him, we'll be there beside him as he recovers and we pray it's a speedy recovery. But we love him."

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MLW star Austin Aries offers blunt take on winning ahead of massive title defense: 'I'll do whatever it takes'

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 11:32:42 -0400

Austin Aries returned gold around his waist when he dethroned Blue Panther to capture the Major League Wrestling Openweight Championship at the company’s Lucha Apocalypto event, which was co-hosted by Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) earlier this year.

Aries told OutKick in a recent interview that he believes he’s still performing at a high level and the title reign has helped him come to a realization that, yes, taking a shortcut can lead to success.

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"Even at this stage in my career, I still think that I'm performing at a level that very few men can reach," Aries said. "But I think the one thing that works in my advantage is I've proven over my career I'll do whatever it takes to win. And if that means taking a little shortcut or a little misdirection or a thumb in the eye, so be it, because that's what I've realized.

"One of the biggest lies that was sold to me as a kid is that is that bad guys never win. Cheaters never win. What a load of crap that was. If you look around the world, most of the people in positions of wealth and power got there by cheating. Got there by taking advantage of somebody. Got there by being dishonest, right? And so, we tell kids like, ‘Oh, honesty is the best policy and cheaters never win.’ And then you grow up and you realize, ‘Wait a minute, that's a lie. It's actually the opposite.’ Right? If you look around the real world, everyone who's winning is doing it by taking a shortcut."

With the Openweight Championship, Aries wants to set the bar high.

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He’s done that already with a successful defense against Diego Hill. He’s also continued to showcase his talents in CMLL multiple times.

Saturday night, Aries walks into MLW "Fusion" with another goal – dispatching Místico and Averno in a three-way match with his title on the line. Místico called his shot last week and made a one-on-one match between Aries and Averno into the multi-man extravaganza.

Aries and Místico have some history as does the Lucha grappler with Averno.

"It's interesting. When you get three men in the mix, right, one-on-one, usually the strategy is pretty straightforward," he told OutKick. "You can't have a straightforward strategy when you're in a three-way. And so, the one thing I do know is that Místico and Averno, there's no love lost between those two. They've got some history with each other.

"So maybe I can leverage that and I can maybe get Averno to work with me a little bit as opposed to against me. But again, I've been saying Místico has been ducking me. He wanted to put the challenge out there and, put himself in this match. Let's do it."

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MLW fans will get to see whether Aries retains his title on "Fusion," which can be seen on YouTube, beIN Sports and Veeps.

Paramount accuses Mark Ruffalo of invoking 'antisemitic tropes' in Warner Bros. Discovery merger dispute

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 11:32:36 -0400

Paramount pushed back Saturday after actor Mark Ruffalo invoked the Israel-Gaza conflict while attacking the Ellison family’s proposed Warner Bros. Discovery merger, accusing the Marvel star of injecting "antisemitic tropes" into what it described as a corporate dispute.

"[The company is] troubled when antisemitic tropes are invoked in purported service of a business dispute," a spokesperson for the company said, according to Variety.

"Words like ‘genocide’ and ‘apartheid,’ applied to a corporate transaction, aren’t just wrong — they’re a bridge too far, and they cheapen the very real suffering those words are meant to describe."

CALIFORNIA AG ROB BONTA FACES ‘POLITICAL FAVOR’ CLAIMS OVER NETFLIX-LINKED $1M TRAIL IN PARAMOUNT SUIT

The spokesperson added that the company does not "tolerate prejudice of any kind, against anyone."

Curtis Houck, managing editor at the Media Research Center's NewsBusters, told Fox News Digital: "Paramount Skydance was absolutely right to respond to this actual, serious anti-Semitic smear," Houck said.

"The left lazily cries anti-Semitism when the right criticizes George Soros, but here it's absolutely warranted in the level of detail about Oracle seeming having mythical powers to team up with the world's only Jewish state to supposedly commit genocide. Because Paramount Skydance is the currently one of the bad guys in the eyes of the left, there's little chance Ruffalo will face sustained pushback from the liberal elitist press."

Paramount's comments came after Ruffalo took to Instagram to sound off on the potential merger that has caused a stir in some circles, including among several state attorneys general.

Ruffalo wrote of Oracle, "This is the company that Larry Ellison is using to fund his son David's Warner Bros acquisition."

Referencing reposted video remarks of Paramount board member Safra Catz appearing to tout the "really profoundly scary technologies" Oracle used to assist the Israeli military following the Hamas terrorist attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, Ruffalo continued:

HASAN PIKER STANDS BY 'INTENTIONALLY PROVOCATIVE' CLAIMS THAT HAMAS IS 'A THOUSAND TIMES BETTER' THAN ISRAEL

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

Ruffalo's post continued, accusing Larry Ellison of wielding outsized power through the proposed deal, branding the Oracle founder a "classic Oligarch" and alleging the merger would further consolidate wealth and influence among a small group of elites.

He also said the transaction would harm workers and the film industry, pointing to an ongoing lawsuit brought by 12 state attorneys general seeking to block it. Ruffalo alleged the merger could eliminate 4,500 filmmaking jobs and another 10,000 related positions, arguing such consolidations are typically bad for workers, consumers and the industries they come to dominate.

"Really profoundly Scary people," he said in closing.

NEWSOM SAYS FILM TAX INCENTIVES ARE BRINGING HOLLYWOOD HOME BUT INDUSTRY EXPERTS WARN IT MAY BE 'TOO LATE'

Christian Toto, the editor of Hollywoodintoto.com and host of the Hollywood in Toto podcast, told Fox News Digital, "Mark Ruffalo went too far. It's that simple. He's gotten essentially a pass for some time now, blending his political activism with extreme pro-Palestinian thoughts. He kept pushing and pushing, and now Paramount, Inc. has had enough. The massive merger deal is the biggest news in Hollywood, which magnifies everything said around the subject"

Fox News Digital reached out to representatives for Ruffalo regarding Paramount's response, but did not immediately receive a reply.

Fox News Digital also reached out to Paramount for additional comment.

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Test your pop culture: From Hollywood to the Heartland

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 11:30:52 -0400

The Pop Culture Quiz is your weekly test of what’s making headlines and breaking the Internet, from the Heartland to Hollywood.

This week's quiz spotlights Hollywood getaways and surprising new beginnings.

Can you get all 5 questions right?

For more Entertainment articles, visit www.foxnews.com/entertainment

To try your hand at more quizzes from Fox News Digital, click here.

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Rogan says Dems 'full of sh--' if they won't specify which 'Woke 1.0' stances went too far, strategists agree

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 11:15:18 -0400

Podcaster Joe Rogan warned Democrats that the only way to escape their "woke" reputation is to give specifics on where their policies went wrong and why they were wrong to support them.

"If you really thought ‘Defund the Police’ and then you just ascribed it to ‘Woke One was crazy,’ well, how did it get you? Because it didn't get me. How did it get you? How did ‘Defund the Police’ get you?" Rogan said, rhetorically asking liberals how far they actually thought about the consequences of defunding police.

"There's a way out of it for them, but they have to be honest," he continued. "If you want us to take you seriously, you have to say how you f---ed up," Rogan said as he spoke about Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Woke 1.0 comments. "You have to say how you f---ed up, and you have to say what you really think about how you f---ed up. You have to be honest, and you have to be authentic. We have to know that you are embarrassed by your choices and that you kind of went with the hive."

SLOTKIN SAYS DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEEDS 'NEW LEADERSHIP': 'OLD MODELS ARE NO LONGER WORKING'

He continued, "If you don’t say that, then you’re full of s---. And if you’re full of s---, you’re going to get more and more full of s--- over time. And that’s how politicians get soured."

Later in the same podcast, Rogan's guest, YouTuber Chris Williamson, voiced skepticism that Democrats would have ever distanced themselves from Woke 1.0 in the first place if former Vice President Kamala Harris had won the election.

"Think about what would have happened if Kamala had won," he said. "Would AOC have been talking about Woke 1.0 was crazy or would that have been a continuation of, ‘Well, look, we put the policies out, people like the policies.’ How much of this is a reversal of the position because it wasn't effective?"

Fox News Digital reached out to Ocasio-Cortez's office for comment.

Commentators across the political spectrum voiced doubts about whether the modern Democratic Party actually plans to pivot away from far-left cultural issues.

"I don't believe the Democrats want to be seen backing away from wokeness, especially now that they're sharing a ‘big tent’ from people who want to empty the prisons," Media Research Center's NewsBusters executive editor Tim Graham told Fox News Digital. "They're just less confident than they were in 2020 when they could proclaim that race riots are ‘rebellions’ and violence was an acceptable method to create the social change they wanted. It was like political Drano."

AOC TRIES TO LAUGH OFF 'CRAZY' WOKE ERA AS THING OF THE PAST, BUT CONSERVATIVES AREN'T AMUSED

Democratic consultant and former House Judiciary Committee minority chief counsel Julian Epstein offered a stern warning to his party.

"There is not much difference between Woke 1 and Woke 2, they both involve the commodification of grievance and rage, and then the packaging of lunatic ideas that do little to help voters and seek to make them permanent wards of the state," he said. "This is completely different from Democrats of the 90s who would proclaim the US as the best opportunity-machine ever invented and then try to give people agency."

Mary Marslender, a Republican consultant and the President and Founder of Leverage PR, suggested that talk of ditching "Woke 1.0" in vague terms is a cynical strategy.

"The vague talk of ditching 'Woke 1.0' is a temporary political strategy; it’s not genuine course correction," she said. "Democrats refuse to specifically call out the craziness; they have yet to stand up for women by preventing biological males in women’s sports, stop the DEI agenda in our schools and institutions, or advocate for safe communities by stopping their support of soft-on-crime progressive prosecutors. Additionally, their lack of concrete policy reversals is revealing."

"Democrats wanting to distance themselves from Woke 1 have claimed they want to 'fix our broken immigration system,' but such rhetoric rings hollow when they oppose interior enforcement, call to abolish ICE, defend violent illegals who have crossed our borders, and unequivocally support sanctuary cities," Marslender continued.

"Had Harris prevailed, the same coalition that championed the 1619 Project, policing reforms adjacent to defunding, and gender ideology in schools would have viewed any moderation as betrayal," she added. "It’s power, not principle, that drives the Democrat Party. Until Democrats can explicitly admit fault and demonstrate a serious reversal of Woke 1, American voters are right to treat the so-called 'post-woke' shift as a temporary political strategy rather than a genuine course correction."

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Former Republican National Committee spokesperson Elizabeth Pipko said that recent events indicate Democrats are simply responding to which way the wind blows.

"Democrats of today tend to turn with the wind," she said. "Depending on what is most popular with their base, that’s what you’ll hear from candidates during the primaries. And then, during the presidential election, you’ll notice the Democrat nominee pretending they never supported abolishing police, men in women’s sports, or abolishing [ICE]."

"Watching Democrats in 2026 pretending they never called for defunding the police has been incredibly entertaining considering almost all of them still have old posts up clearly advocating for that very policy," Pipko continued. "Considering how much damage some of these views have caused, it is extremely pompous to simply dismiss this time in our politics as 'Woke 1.' This shows how little democrats actually believe in the what they say or do."

Former White House deputy assistant for domestic policy under Trump and former Assistant Attorney General Theo Wold suggested that even Rogan was not showing enough skepticism toward the Democrats.

"AOC’s sarcastic dismissal of Woke 1.0 isn’t a sign that Democrats are abandoning a leftist agenda — it’s a sign that they’re moving on to phase 2 of their project," he said.

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"She now casually laughs at the radical ideas she actively promoted just a few years ago. And Joe Rogan, unfortunately, is too gullible to see the truth: this is who Democrats are," Wold added. "They won’t abandon these ideas or apologize for them because they believe them, and when in power, they will ruthlessly advance them."

Cars hit the Freedom 250 Grand Prix circuit for the first time in a damp practice session

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 11:12:59 -0400

After months of anticipation, we finally got to see IndyCars turning laps around the streets of Washington, DC, ahead of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, and while it was a sight to behold, it may not have been ideal for teams to get a firm grasp on this brand-new circuit.

A rainy, misty morning meant that the entire circuit was wet at the start of the session, and that meant that the cars had to start off on wet tires.

However, after a brief delay to do some work on an issue with the marshals' communication system, the sun came out, and parts of the track started to dry. Then it was time for cars to hit the track.

START YOUR ENGINES: HERE IS YOUR CRASH COURSE ON THE INDYCAR FREEDOM 250 GRAND PRIX WEEKEND

Those conditions meant that the opening laps were at a snail's pace compared to what could be done on dry tires with a dry track.

Of course, given the new track and the tricky conditions, several drivers had to use the various run-off areas after overshooting corners.

The closest call of the early part of practice came for Arrow McLaren's Christian Lundgaard as he spun and clipped part of the outside wall.

With the track drying out, the fastest time of the first "all-skate" session belonged to Alexander Rossi, who put in a 59.606. Interestingly, he stayed in the pits longer than any other driver.

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

With the field split into two groups for the next part of practice, several drivers opted for the red-walled alternate Firestone tires. It's faster than the primary black tires, but not as robust. Drivers have to use both during the race, so getting a feel for both is huge.

One of these drivers was Will Power, and he had a big moment exiting Turn 5 and found the wall with both of his right-side tires.

Kyle Kirkwood led the first group with a 57.374 on the alternate tire.

Several drivers had some issues, including Christian Rasmussen, who needed to take to the run-off and then just a couple of laps later clipped a tire barrier.

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INDYCAR DRIVER GRAHAM RAHAL REFLECTS ON OPPORTUNITY TO COMPETE AT FREEDOM 250 GRAND PRIX: 'ICONIC MOMENT'

Championship leader Alex Palou led the second group with a 57.612 on the primary tire.

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The next session is slated to start at 1 p.m. ET, and you can catch it on FS2.

The Will of 100: Trump’s SAVE America Act sidelined after Senate unanimously agreed to August exit

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 10:56:18 -0400

The Senate has been out of session for about two weeks. It’s convened in brief "pro forma" sessions for just a couple of moments on four occasions since senators called it quits for more than a month at 4:57 a.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 8.

Pro forma sessions are where the Senate huddles for just a few seconds, gaveling in and gaveling out with a skeleton crew. It’s rare that more than one senator is even in the chamber.

The Senate truly isn’t back for debate and votes until the afternoon of Monday, Sept. 15.

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: INSIDE THE SENATE SHOWDOWN OVER TRUMP'S PUSH TO SCRAP AUGUST RECESS

But what about all of that sturm and drang about "cancelling the August recess?" Remember that President Donald Trump and conservatives – ranging from Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, to Rick Scott, R-Fla. – wanted the Senate to remain in session for the month to debate the SAVE America Act. That’s the chief legislative demand of Trump. It requires voter ID and proof of citizenship to vote.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., was on the floor when the Senate cut town a little more than two weeks ago. Did Thune hornswoggle his fellow Republicans into recessing the Senate for five weeks in the dead of night?

Hardly. In fact even those Republicans who would have liked senators to remain in Washington to debate the SAVE America Act were in on Thune’s plan, allowing the Senate to abandon town for most of August and nearly half of September.

Huh?

Believe it or not, Thune and all other 99 senators agreed to leave Washington. In fact, that’s the only way it could have happened.

The Senate was meeting at 2:07 a.m. that Saturday, on the verge of commencing a vote series to confirm Attorney General Todd Blanche and approve the Russia sanctions bill. That’s when Thune asked the following on the Senate floor:

"When the Senate completes its business on Aug. 8, to meet for pro forma sessions only at 10 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 10, 2026. 8 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026," requested Thune.

The majority leader then continued, rattling off a host of dates on Mondays and Thursdays for the Senate to convene in those pro forma sessions.

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, was presiding over the Senate at the time.

"Without objection?" asked Moreno of the body when Thune concluded.

There was none.

INSIDE THE SENATE'S CHAOTIC ALL-NIGHTER THAT LEFT TRUMP'S SAVE AMERICA ACT ON THE SHELF

In other words, the Senate would soon depart Washington. There would be no August debate about the SAVE America Act. The Senate would simply meet for abbreviated sessions over the next few weeks.

And shortly before 5 a.m., Thune requested the following from the floor:

"Madam President, I ask unanimous consent when the Senate adjourns on Thursday, Sept. 10, it stand adjourned until 3 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 14. And following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved and the Morning Hour be deemed expired," asked Thune.

The South Dakota Republican then threw in some more boilerplate, parliamentary language, to tee up a test vote on an unresolved cryptocurrency regulation bill for the afternoon of Tuesday, Sept. 15.

"Without objection," said Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wy., who was presiding over the Senate at that ungodly hour.

Thune paused briefly. But no one said boo from the floor.

That’s because the chamber was bereft of senators — except for Thune and Lummis. Everyone bailed and was heading for the airport.

"Madam President, if there’s no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order," Thune asked.

"The Senate stands adjourned until 10 a.m. ET on Monday," declared Lummis, rapping the Senate’s unique hourglass shaped gavel on the dais.

No objection. No roll call vote.

The Senate was done.

So let me filet this for you.

The Senate conducts much of its business via "unanimous consent." The Senate is a body of equals. All 100 senators wield nearly the same power. The Senate relies on "unanimous consent," the blessing of all 100 members, to conduct quotidian tasks, like going in and out of session or what time to meet. The Senate occasionally approves bills — sometimes even big ones — by unanimous consent if all senators agree.

But unanimous consent is just that. All 100 members must be on the same page. And if you have 99 senators in agreement and one holdout, well, that’s not unanimous consent.

All it takes is the objection of a solitary member to sidetrack a "unanimous consent" request on the floor. And note that despite the advocacy by some Republican senators for the body to remain in session during August, no one lodged an objection.

That’s because Thune pre-baked a series of unanimous consent requests offstage before he came to the floor.

Late in the evening of Friday, Aug. 7, Thune ran what’s called a "hotline" in the Senate. He proposed a series of votes to confirm Blanche, OK Russia sanctions and consider a few other items. If any senator had a problem with Thune’s hotline, they should let leadership know before 11:30 p.m. that night. Otherwise, Thune would go to the floor and "propound" the unanimous consent request for the upcoming vote sequence. Thune would also propound a unanimous consent request for what the Senate would address when members returned in September,

This package included a plan for those aforementioned pro forma sessions. And, for the Senate to hold off on any votes until Monday, night, Sept. 14. Thune also locked in the procedural vote on the cryptocurrency measure for Sept. 15.

Anyone could have objected offstage.

They didn’t. That would have scuttled the entire enterprise.

Anyone could have objected on the Senate floor when Thune made the unanimous consent requests in real time. That didn’t happen either. That’s why both Moreno and Lummis asked the body if there was "an objection." Or, they declared "without objection, so ordered."

However, those pushing for the Senate to remain in session to debate the SAVE America Act did manage a minor victory. Part of Thune’s unanimous consent request at 2:07 a.m. that Saturday included a test vote on a voter ID bill pushed by Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio. This package addressed some of the provisions desired by Trump. It was also helpful to Husted, who faces a tough election this fall against former Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio. And, the test vote would get senators on the record voting for or against voter ID.

All Republican senators voted yes. All Democratic senators voted no. Republicans will likely deploy this roll call vote against their Democratic colleagues this fall.

The vote secured more than a simple majority in the Senate. But here’s the catch: part of Thune’s unanimous consent request — pre-agreed to by all 100 senators — dictated that the test vote on the Husted measure was subject to a 60 vote threshold. Republicans only command 53 votes in the Senate. So without Democratic assistance, the Husted plan was doomed from the start.

So the Senate is long gone. And will continue to be gone for a few weeks.

This wasn’t because of some backroom plan cooked up by Thune. This wasn’t just Thune going against the wishes of conservative senators who suggested the Senate remain in session. This wasn’t just Thune working against the president.

Those unanimous consent requests reflected the will of all 100 senators. Anyone on either side could have blocked the proposals. But they didn’t.

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And when someone asks why the Senate didn’t remain in session this month to address the SAVE America Act, you can tell them that all 100 senators agreed to call it quits and go home at 4:57 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 8.

Anna Faris admits drinking fueled depression and 'self-sabotage' before she decided to quit

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 10:55:15 -0400

Anna Faris is now sober after personally discovering a correlation between "drinking and depression."

During an appearance on the "Dear Chelsea" podcast, Faris told host Chelsea Handler that in the past year, she began to feel "ungracious" about her comedy career and movie roles.

"I really started to notice and appreciate if and when people recognize me, they would usually smile … thinking about something f---ing stupid I did onscreen," Faris said, which prompted Handler to bring up her sobriety.

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"Do you think that has to do with not drinking? Because I know you stopped drinking. Maybe that lit that a little bit," Handler said.

Faris confirmed that she "stopped drinking" and said "one of the many gifts" she's gained since becoming sober is shifting her perspective.

"Turns out there’s a correlation between drinking and depression for me for sure. I had to take a step back to not self-sabotage," Faris said.

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Along with quitting alcohol, Faris said hormone patches were a game changer for her mental health. She did not share additional details on her sobriety journey.

Elsewhere on the podcast, Faris shared that her 14-year-old son Jack asked her to "accept Jesus Christ" as her savior.

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"He is religious. I didn’t grow up with religion. He’s asked me to accept Jesus Christ [as my savior]. And I told him I would do anything for him, including this, but it’s going to take a whole lot of long conversations," Faris said.

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Faris shares Jack with her ex-husband, Chris Pratt. The former couple welcomed Jack in August 2012, and he was born nine weeks premature.

The "Scary Movie" actress explained that her son is strong, which allows them to have deeper conversations.

"He’s impressive, actually. Because I try to challenge him. I’m like, ‘Do you think it’s a luxury that you get to be pro-life? Do you think that’s kind of a luxury?’ And he’s like, ‘Maybe.’ Or I’ll say, ‘What do you think of this megapastor that’s kind of a grifter?’ And he’s like, ‘Oh, megapastors are the worst.’ So it’s like, ‘OK, he’s getting there,'" Faris said.

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California sociology professor cited 'irony' in removing ACT/SAT not fixing racial disparities as intended

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 10:45:36 -0400

A University of California, Los Angeles, professor told Fox News Digital on Thursday that the university system’s "test-blind" admissions policy failed to eliminate racial disparities in standardized testing as intended.

"That was obviously the motive. The UC Regents were very clear," said Gabriel Rossman, a sociology professor at UCLA. "They did get rid of the SAT because they thought it had a disparate impact by race."

More than 3,000 faculty members across the University of California system have backed open letters urging the system to reinstate the SAT and ACT in undergraduate admissions. Former UC President Janet Napolitano led the effort in 2020 to phase out the standardized tests, citing equity concerns.

CAMPUS ANTISEMITISM EXTENDS BEYOND STUDENT PROTESTS AND INTO CLASSROOMS, ADL WARNS

In response to growing faculty feedback, the University of California’s Academic Council directed the Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools (BOARS) on July 22 to oversee a faculty-led, evidence-based review of standardized testing in undergraduate admissions.

Rossman’s comments came after he co-authored an open letter with non-STEM colleagues, following a similar effort led by math and science faculty demanding that state officials restore the exams.

"We are University of California faculty from the social sciences, humanities, arts, business, law, education, and other non-STEM fields," the non-STEM letter reads. "We are writing to endorse our STEM colleagues’ earlier open letter regarding the math component of SAT/ACT and argue for also using the verbal reasoning component of SAT/ACT in undergraduate admissions."

The non-STEM faculty noted that while they supported the STEM letter's conclusions, they did not initially sign it because it was specifically framed around math preparation.

EX-CAMBRIDGE PROFESSOR FOUND DEAD AFTER PLAGIARISM SCANDAL LED TO ABRUPT RESIGNATION

Rossman told Fox News Digital that the test-blind policy has proven counterproductive to its original mission.

"One of the ironies of this is they got rid of the SAT in order to promote equity in enrollment," Rossman said. "The UC freshman class had been diversifying for the previous 20 years, and then it leveled off in 2020. In particular, the big change was the ratio of Latino students versus Anglo students. The numbers of Black and Asian students didn't change by nearly as much."

An analysis by The Oakland Report, a regional media outlet covering Bay Area policy, similarly noted that eliminating test scores stripped admissions officers of a key metric for identifying high-achieving applicants from under-resourced schools.

"Removing test scores from the admissions process weakened UC’s ability to evaluate academic readiness while ignoring the real causes of racial disparity," the analysis argued.

The push from non-STEM faculty follows a recent op-ed in The San Francisco Standard by UC Berkeley mathematics professor Zvezdelina Stankova, who warned of a sharp decline in incoming student preparation under test-blind policies.

Neetu Arnold, a Paulson Policy Analyst at the Manhattan Institute, told Fox News Digital she is concerned about losing an objective metric and the "misallocation of talent."

"I actually think standardized tests are a lot more accessible for working-class students," she said. "It's much easier to go to the library to pick up some prep books and to really put in the work than investing in really expensive extracurricular activities."

Stankova cited university diagnostic data showing a significant drop in foundational math readiness after UC stopped considering standardized tests. From 2018 to 2020, 71% of roughly 2,200 tested Calculus I students were deemed ready or nearly ready, while just 0.14% placed below basic algebra. By contrast, among roughly 2,800 students tested from 2021 to 2023 under a revised diagnostic, only 51% were deemed ready or nearly ready. That figure dropped to 44% in 2023, with 17% failing to answer a single question correctly across eight basic topics.

CONSERVATIVES SHRED AOC AS SHE ATTEMPTS TO BRUSH OFF RADICAL 'WOKE 1' WAVE AMID 2028 SPECULATION

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Stankova praised her colleagues across the UC system for raising awareness about academic preparation.

"On behalf of the authors of the open letters, I would like to thank the thousands of UC faculty and people from around the world who have written to us in support of this initiative," Stankova said, emphasizing that student preparation in math and English is critical to the future of the university.

"We urge all UC faculty across the 10 campuses to work with their own campus admissions committees and Senate bodies this year to help pass the incoming recommendation from BOARS, which we hope will be to reinstate the SAT/ACT, and to further work toward faculty oversight of admissions procedures," Stankova added. "Without that, any admissions criteria can be ignored or even counted against the applicant. Let us all make sure that UC admissions works to select based on a holistic approach that incorporates academic merit as a significant part of that process."

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The Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Little League team gets absolutely screwed on final pitch of no-hitter, fans stunned by call

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 10:44:28 -0400

Last year I said that Little League umpires should be held more accountable, and I've never felt more vindicated in my life.

For those who haven't followed every pitch of the ongoing Little League World Series (all of you), a California team was absolutely robbed this week on the final pitch of what turned out to be a no-hitter.

Iowa won the game, 1-0, despite the boys from out west loading the bases with two outs in the sixth inning. Iowa starter Cooper Thissen struck out 15 and didn't allow a hit in 5 ⅓ innings, but had to be lifted due to his pitch count.

BARRED LITTLE LEAGUE TEAM FROM TULSA GETS REINSTATED FOR CHANCE TO PLAY IN WORLD SERIES

That's when California worked a couple walks and loaded the bases, only to have a 3-2 pitch with two outs be called strike three in one of the most ridiculous fashions I've ever seen.

Take a look:

Umpires have to have some pride here

Lordy. I know Little League umps ain't exactly Doug Harvey behind the plate (gold star if you get that reference), but come on. What are we doing here?

That's clearly — very clearly — a ball. Should've been ball four, and the game should've, at the very least, gone to extras. It's a mile outside. It doesn't even sniff the plate.

There's having a "wide zone," and then there's calling a pitch a strike that's six inches off the plate. Maybe more. Actually, definitely more.

"Pretty bad, even for a little league strike zone," one fan commented.

"That batter should’ve been tapping his helmet," another said.

Added a third: "Got him on the corner? Corner of what? The other batter’s box?"

Yeah, hard to argue with that. The ball literally is in the other box!

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I know Little League strike zones are different, I get it, but come on. This is Williamsport. The Little League World Series! This ain't a 10 a.m. Saturday game in April where we're all just trying to get home.

Let's have a little pride. A little self-respect. God forbid we have a semblance of a standard.

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Be better.

AOC's 'Woke 1' comment conceals a dangerous pivot to socialist class war, media chief warns

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 10:00:27 -0400

When Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., recently dismissed past left-wing platforms by noting that "Woke 1 was crazy," some media reports framed the comments as a shift toward the political center. But Pirate Wires Editor-in-Chief Mike Solana argues her comment points to a more aggressive direction for the party.

As Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) candidates win races across the country, centrist Democrats are confronting the group’s growing influence as DSA-backed candidates support policies like abolishing the Senate and expanding public ownership of major companies.

Speaking with Fox News Digital, Solana criticized Ocasio-Cortez’s response to her party’s progressive past after the congresswoman appeared on ABC’s "This Week." When host Jonathan Karl pressed her on Wisconsin state Rep. Francesca Hong’s past calls to defund police and abolish prisons, Ocasio-Cortez dismissed concerns about Hong’s previous positions.

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

"I have a local city councilman that has this saying, 'Woke 1 was crazy,'" Ocasio-Cortez said. "And I think that what’s important is that we have to assess what a candidate is saying now."

Hong failed to capture the Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial nomination, losing on Aug 11.

Solana argued the congresswoman’s comment allowed her to avoid accountability for past positions. "She said something more interesting, which she had from another Democrat, a phrase, ‘Woke one was crazy,’" he said. "Now, it was an incredible obfuscation, you know, there's no real admission of guilt there, but there is an admission that there was an era of crazy left-wing views that was not really palatable or correct."

Solana said Ocasio-Cortez has not renounced several of her previous "woke" positions. He pointed to her past support for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, defunding the police and granting mass amnesty to illegal immigrants.

"I mean, it's crazy, right? It's like, 'Sure, we lorded over a loosely decentralized global censorship apparatus in service of burning the world down in the era of BLM, but that was like so long ago. Oops, my bad, girls will be girls,'" Solana said sarcastically.

While Solana acknowledged that politicians can change their views over time, he argued voters deserve clear answers on which positions progressives are actually abandoning.

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

"There are all of these things in the era of woke that she's been a part of that she hasn't actually said she no longer believes. We kind of wrap it all in a neat little bow which is ‘woke one was crazy,’ and we move on and maybe she's not going to talk about those things anymore," Solana said.

"Maybe there are some things there that she no longer believes. It's possible that people, politicians, can evolve on some other topic. In fact, it's great. But we need to know exactly what position she's evolved on and why," he added.

According to Solana, the shift from "Woke 1" to "Woke 2" is less about identity politics and more about class conflict.

"Things are a little bit less racist and a lot more classist. We're doing a class war now; the race war is kind of over. There's room for everyone of every color to eat the rich," Solana said.

Solana's comments echoed statements he made in a recent column, where he suggested that Democrats are now less focused on "destroying White people" and instead have shifted their platform to center around destroying the wealthy.

The DSA is the largest socialist political organization in the United States, with more than 100,000 members. The group has gained more attention as DSA-backed candidates have defeated more moderate Democrats in states including New York and Colorado. Prominent democratic socialists holding public office include Ocasio-Cortez and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

SHOCKING PERCENTAGE OF DEMOCRATS IDENTIFY AS 'DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS' ACCORDING TO NEW POLL: 'TOXIC POLICIES'

According to the DSA website, the group opposes capitalism, which it calls a "system designed by the owning class to exploit the rest of us for their own profit." Its platform also calls for abolishing the Senate, expanding the House and establishing public ownership of the largest private companies.

Solana said moderate Democrats are allowing far-left members to remain influential in the party rather than pushing back against them.

"They've won everywhere from obviously New York and [Los Angeles] to Louisville, Kentucky. They're winning everywhere. Everywhere there is a city, the DSA is ascendant," Solana said.

JAMES CARVILLE PREDICTS 2028 DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY WILL TEST TRUE STRENGTH OF PARTY'S SOCIALIST WING

"As the DSA becomes more ascendant, the centrist Democrats have a choice. It's like, ‘Do we cut them out of our party completely, or do we ourselves moderate, not in the context of America, but in the context of the New Democratic Party?" Solana said.

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Fox News Digital reached out to the DSA and representatives for Rep. Ocasio-Cortez but did not immediately receive a response.

Travelers rage as budget airline plans overhead bag fee: 'Highway robbery'

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 10:00:52 -0400

Jetstar is facing some pushback after announcing its passengers will soon have to pay extra to put their carry-on bags in the overhead bin.

The Australian budget airline, owned by Qantas, will require passengers to pay fees from $25 AUD (about $18) per overhead bag per flight starting in Feb. 2027.

The "priority carry-on" purchase will include priority boarding. Passengers will not be charged for a smaller bag, such as a backpack, handbag or laptop bag, that can fit under the seat in front of them.

UNRULY PASSENGERS COULD BE BANNED FOR LIFE FROM MULTIPLE AIRLINES UNDER NEW PROPOSAL

The updated policy replaces Jetstar’s previous carry-on rules, which allowed passengers to bring carry-on luggage up to a total of 7kg (about 15.4 pounds) aboard.

Fox News Digital reached out to Jetstar for comment.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Steven Arroyo, an aviation expert based in Florida and a retired captain for United Airlines, said the new policy can "certainly expedite the boarding process."

He also said other airlines may follow suit.

"Oil prices have doubled. It's a third of an airline's expense," he said.

MAJOR AIRLINE ROASTS PASSENGERS WHO JUMP UP RIGHT AFTER LANDING, IGNITING FIERCE BACKLASH

Arroyo said the cost will have an impact on larger families.

"If you're traveling with a big family, it's going to [have] impact," he said.

"That's going to be the main focus. Will the consumer accept these new fees that airlines are proposing?"

Some travelers have not reacted well to the news.

MYSTERY WI-FI NETWORK ABOARD FLIGHT RAISES 'UNUSUAL' ALARM ABOUT TRAVELERS' INFORMATION

A number of Instagram users responded with pleas to boycott.

"Highway robbery, Jetstar! You think it will be less frustrating being charged for locker space than getting your stuff weighed?" commented an Instagram follower.

A second person quipped, "Soon they will also charge to use [the] toilet."

The company sees it differently. Stephanie Tully, CEO of Jetstar, positioned the fees as a way to "streamline boarding and help more flights depart on time" while allowing customers to "only pay for what you need," according to a company press release.

Some travelers agreed with the new policy.

"Fair enough because it’s annoying when you have a small carry-on, and it has to be put several seats away from you because someone has a larger case," an Instagram user said.

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"Maybe if people stopped taking multiple bags or oversized cases to save a few bucks, this wouldn't be needed?" replied another.

On Reddit, a user said the new policy was better "than people trying to sneak in multiple 10kg bags."

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"If we are really lucky, the current carry-on addicts will reconsider," another Reddit user said.

Airline insiders said they aren’t surprised by the new charges.

"Jetstar is catching up to a market that got there years ago," Koen Karsbergen, an aviation strategy consultant and educator, told Fox News Digital.

Karsbergen said Frontier and Allegiant haven't included overhead bin space in their ticket prices for several years.

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Still, Karsbergen isn’t surprised by the backlash.

"Nobody likes to pay for something we have had before for free," he said.

Arroyo pointed to the now-defunct airline PEOPLExpress.

When PEOPLExpress began selling tickets in the 1980s, the carrier adopted an à la carte pricing model, charging separately for carry-on bags in overhead bins, coffee, tea and bottled water.

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"It has happened in the past in the United States, and it could happen again," he said.

Kelly McGreal of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.

Skillet’s John Cooper says Christians who call rock music ‘demonic’ are ‘getting the gospel wrong’

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 10:00:41 -0400

Christian rock artist John Cooper believes that people who think hard rock is inherently "demonic" are "getting the gospel wrong."

"I would say, I just think that you're misunderstanding something very basic, which is that music does not belong to the devil. Music belongs to God and it's the intentionality," he told Fox News Digital. "It's the lyrics. It's what you do with it. It's not in a sound. It's in a heart posture. And I would just say to those Christians, you're not just getting the issue of music wrong, I would say you're getting the gospel wrong."

He added that he doesn’t believe any style of music "in itself carries some inherent evil."

"I just don't think that that's right," he admitted. "And I think that God gave us creative expression."

GRAMMY WINNER LAUREN DAIGLE SAYS A LABEL EXEC ASKED WHY SHE HAD 'TO BE CHRISTIAN' DESPITE 'SUPERSTAR' STATUS

Skillet, the group he co-founded in the ‘90s, recently saw its 2009 hit "Monster" become the first song by a Christian rock band to reach 1 billion streams on Spotify, which Cooper said "shocked" everyone.

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The band has sold more than 23 million albums, and they average 12 million monthly Spotify listeners, which includes "Monster," which has surpassed 4 billion global streams.

Cooper noted that Christians believe God "created us in his image, and that part of what that means is that God gave all of us humans, every single one of us, the ability to do something kind of like what he does, which is to create something beautiful."

WATCH: JOHN COOPER SAYS EVERYONE WAS SHOCKED WHEN SKILLET BECAME FIRST CHRISTIAN BAND TO REACH 1 B SPOTIFY STREAMS

The ability to write a song, he said, is an "amazing gift of freedom God has given all of humanity."

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"Talk about a God that says, I'm going to give you a very powerful gift and it's up to you how you choose to use it," he said. "Man, that is powerful."

GRANGER SMITH SAYS FAME BECAME 'POISON' AFTER LEAVING COUNTRY MUSIC FOR MINISTRY

He said he doesn’t like the idea that "Because [rock music] sounds a certain way, it is pagan or something like that. I just can't be down with that."

"So, I would just say to critics, I would say, ‘Hey, You can have something that sounds incredibly beautiful that is actually offending God in its intentionality, in its lyrics."

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If Cooper were "the devil, I probably would want to fool somebody and make it sound really, really nice and pretty, and then insert something subversive underneath that begins to poison the well just a little bit like a siren song. You know? You think you're hearing something beautiful, but it's drawing you to your death. That's probably how I would do it."

Cooper admitted that he grew up in a household where his parents believed rock music was demonic.

WATCH: JOHN COOPER SAYS EVERYONE WAS ‘SHOCKED’ WHEN SKILLET BECAME FIRST CHRISTIAN BAND TO REACH 1 B SPOTIFY STREAMS

"My mom very much, very much believed that like the loud guitars, anything with a drum beat really was Satanic, was from hell," he explained. "She believed that Christian rock music was the devil's tool."

He called his mom, who died when he was 15, "wonderful," adding, "I never speak ill of my mom ever. That's just what she believed. And so I grew up with that mentality. It was always a wrestle, and it's the reason I think I talk so freely and so, I hope, graciously towards people that believe that. I don't hate them. I'm not mad at them, but I definitely grew up in a household like that. So I'm very familiar with it."

When demonstrators show up outside of his concerts to protest the band as "servants of the devil," he said he doesn’t speak to them because he knows there isn’t anything he could say to them to make them believe differently.

"And I also know that they believe that they are loving me, and they believe they're loving people to warn them of Satan's tools, and I just got to go, ‘I don't know, there's something about that I strangely appreciate, and I know I can't change their minds and so I don't try," he added.

Regarding the success of "Monster," Cooper said he can’t pinpoint exactly if it’s the lyrics or the music that people like, but "I always meet kids that love the song," he said.

"I think that they like the idea of feeling like a monster. I think it kind of gets their attention and then I think that probably most teenage — especially teenage males, who are getting all that testosterone dump, you know, at 14, 15 are probably finding themselves angry and don't know why, and then you have kids and you don't sleep and you really feel like a monster."

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The song is something people "can relate to and it rocks. It's a very, it's a simple song. There's not much reason not to like it."

USPS publishes rule to block mail-in ballots from states that don't provide voter lists

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 10:00:37 -0400

The United States Postal Service (USPS) published a rule Friday that would require states to provide lists of voters who received mail-in ballots to the agency.

The USPS rule, first proposed on June 2, moves to align the agency with President Donald Trump's March 31 executive order, which, among other things, ordered the agency to mandate that all states that plan to use USPS to send mail-in ballots notify the agency at least 90 days before an election and to send USPS a list of eligible voters the state plans on providing a mail-in ballot to at least 60 days before the election.

"Any state that intends to receive mail-in or absentee ballots from individual voters through the Postal Service must ensure that such individuals have been enrolled with the Postal Service for inclusion on the state's Mail-In and Absentee Participation List," the new rule reads.

In order for an individual to be included on the list, their state must submit to the USPS the individual's name and address and include a "uniquely serialized Intelligent Mail barcode (IMb)" on both the outbound federal ballot and the return ballot sent to the individual.

DHS PLANS COSTLY CRACKDOWN ON STATES THAT DON’T COOPERATE ON ELECTION SECURITY

The finalized rule, however, cannot go into effect under an outstanding federal injunction against Trump's March executive order.

U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani, who was nominated by former President Barack Obama, issued an initial preliminary injunction against the executive order in June, ruling that two sections – including the section pertaining to USPS and mail-in ballots – were unconstitutional.

In July, siding with the plaintiffs in League of Women Voters of Massachusetts v. Trump, Talwani renewed the injunction, barring the USPS from enacting the rule.

DHS APPROVES PLAN TO VERIFY VOTER CITIZENSHIP, MONITOR MAIL BALLOTS AS TRUMP PUSH INTENSIFIES

The rule, which USPS will officially publish on Aug. 26, would only take effect for the upcoming midterm elections if a federal court lifted its injunction on Trump's executive order.

In a filed opposition to the renewal of the injunction, the Trump administration argued that the judicial review was premature under the ripeness doctrine, claiming that the plaintiffs cannot demonstrate any harm from the proposed law until it takes effect.

"Plaintiffs cannot demonstrate they suffer any particularized injury from ongoing policymaking deliberations within the Executive Branch. Instead, their concern is with possible 'action that the [government] might take in the future,' the objection, filed by the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) Civil Rights Division, read.

USPS Postmaster General David Steiner defended the ⁠rule when it was first proposed in June, arguing that the USPS is making sure "we match the ballots that a state believes they're sending out to what actually gets sent out."

USPS WOULDN'T DELIVER BALLOTS IN STATES THAT REFUSE TO FORK OVER MAIL-IN VOTER INFO UNDER PROPOSED RULE

After the most recent injunction was issued, White House spokesperson Lauren Bis said, "The entire Trump Administration will continue lawfully enacting the agenda President Trump was elected to enact – which includes the safety and security of American elections."

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Fox News Digital contacted the White House, the DOJ, USPS and the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts for further comment.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Golfer Paige Spiranac leaves playing partner speechless with awkward question, LLWS mud & WNBA wiki pages

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 09:45:10 -0400

I've officially made it to the end of 13 editions of Screencaps in 13 days. SeanJo is back tomorrow and I can actually sleep in without an alarm clock, which means I'll probably wake up at 5 a.m., but at least I won't hear that damn alarm clock.

I digress.

Let's get this Saturday morning cranked up with Paige Spiranac on the links with lesbian LPGA veteran Mel Reid. Relax, the lesbian thing was part of Paige's content play here. Mel's not all up tight. She's fun. She's a golfer you want in your foursome to crank up the innuendo.

PAIGE SPIRANAC HAS HER GOLF CONTENT DIALED IN AHEAD OF THE FOURTH OF JULY, MEGAN MORONEY'S AT THE BEACH & MEAT

But...she was left speechless when Paige took things to the next level with an "F, Marry, Kill" game with three legendary options for Mel to choose from:

PAIGE SPIRANAC'S SWING IS SO HOT IT GETS FLAGGED AS SHE HITS THE COURSE IN COUNTRY CLUB APPROVED ATTIRE

• Juli Inkster

• Karrie Webb

• Laura Davies

STAR GOLFER CHARLEY HULL HAS BLUNT MESSAGE FOR CRITICS WHO ARE UPSET WITH HER SAVAGE PRANK ON CADDIE

"Oh my god," Reid says with her hand in her face, trying not to bust out laughing. "That is awful."

After all these years, I think Paige has finally found a content series that works for her. She's been trying to find a lane where she doesn't have to be posting Instagram photos and doing instructional videos on YouTube. It's nice to see women being just as big of degenerates as men on the course.

SMOKIN' CHARLEY HULL REFUSES TO APOLOGIZE FOR PULLING PRANK ON HER CADDIE, SKENES HITS A WALL & GOLDEN GIRLS

That's the key here. We all know women can be degenerates in their own way, but they have better ways of concealing it. Now we just need to see these women doing Fireball shots after birdies, pranking each other with rubber snakes and hitting on cart girls.

📩 Email: joe.kinsey@outkick.com Send photos, stories, tips, rants—whatever you've got.

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How much does it cost to carry the NFL Ticket in a bar?

Do we have any bar owners who are reading? I want to know just how much it would cost you to show the NFL Ticket this fall. In late July, the NFL announced that DirecTV will carry games that bar owners can show over streaming or satellite.

I'm just wondering what all of this costs. Let's do a cost analysis on how much it would cost to break even on the Ticket.

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/sunday-ticket-will-be-available-in-commercial-establishments-via-directv-after-all

Me at 10:55 during Sunday and/or Monday night NFL games

Ben is 54.

Little League World Series question

– Dawgs fan Sam L. asks: Are the international teams using their version of travel ball players?

Kinsey: That's a great question, Sam. Does travel ball even exist in the Dominican? Do you think there are mama bears in the D.R. packing up the Suburban with Ryobi fans and tents for six games in three days eight hours across the island?

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The Wendy's atrium

– Matt in Florida emails: I am not sure if it is you or another screen caps writer whom I have seen ask Wendy’s to bring back the all you can eat salad bar and the atrium like rooms they used to have. Here in Jupiter, Florida….while we have no food/salad bar, we still have that old school atrium look….and with carpeting no less. 1 out of 2 ain’t bad.

I leave you this weekend with a chicken-calling contest

I am off to spend time with my family and do something other than look at a computer. As always, thank you for making this column a dream job. I'm beyond fortunate to do this for a living and you'll never catch me taking that for granted.

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Have a great weekend. Take it away, ladies.

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Navy veterans reunite after 30 years for 'grueling' cross-country bike challenge honoring 9/11

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 09:00:43 -0400

Two Navy veterans recently reunited to complete a great expedition across America.

Jim Serger, 55, of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Cory Hardy, 51, of Ennis, Montana, hadn’t seen each other in 30 years since serving together overseas.

On July 14, the two friends embarked on a bike ride across the country – from California to New York City – in honor of the upcoming 25th anniversary of Sept. 11.

NEW JERSEY MAN WALKS ACROSS US TO RAISE NEARLY $100K FOR HOMELESS VETERANS: 'RESPECT AND REVERENCE'

After writing three books for the nonprofit Tunnel to Towers, Serger said he felt he needed to challenge himself "with something bigger."

"And why not wrangle in my old Navy buddy, who I hadn’t seen for 30 years, that I knew was a tremendous bicyclist," he told Fox News Digital. "Back in January, I said, ‘Would you like to go on this trip?’ And he said, ‘Absolutely, Jimmy, count me in.’"

Hardy said he’s always viewed himself as "incredibly patriotic," as he’s been granted "so many opportunities" through the military to see the world and get an education.

"When Jim approached me about the idea of doing this, I was like, ‘Wow, this is awesome. This is something that I can do,’" he shared.

"It's the 250th anniversary of our country and the 25th anniversary of 9/11, and I don't want to forget, and I want people to keep it at the forefront of their minds."

TUNNEL TO TOWERS 5K DRAWS 40,000 PEOPLE TO HONOR 9/11 FIRST RESPONDERS IN NYC

Serger trained for 10 months, logging 5,000 miles on an indoor trainer. When spring came, he hit the trails around Cincinnati.

A few months later, the duo began their journey in San Diego and headed east. They were met with 20 road closures, a fire and flooding in Colorado, two flat tires, three bike shop visits and lots of backroad maneuvering.

Serger and Hardy focused on staying hydrated, especially in the California and Arizona heat, with a collective three gallons of water each day, sometimes including electrolytes. They snacked on energy waffles, protein bars and "salt gummy bears," and ate lots of carbs at meals.

Hardy said he took 10-minute ice baths "every single day." Serger reported losing six pounds by the end of the mission, which he gained back by eating "good food" in New York.

AMERICA'S FIREFIGHTER SHORTAGE HITS CRISIS LEVEL AS EMERGENCY CALLS TRIPLE, PUTTING LIVES AT RISK

While Hardy was already accustomed to the elevation after living in mountainous Montana, Serger said the altitude posed a physical challenge.

"It was grueling ... so hard," he told Fox News Digital. "Cory had to take the mountains in Colorado, I stayed on flat ground — that was our game plan."

Serger and Hardy were met by some of their old Navy buddies along the way. One fellow veteran, an Arizona state trooper, drove from Phoenix to Flagstaff to meet them on the route. Others opened their homes for the pair to stay the night.

The friends stopped at about 25 firehouses to hand out Tunnel to Towers books and to introduce themselves.

"Sometimes we were there for an hour, sometimes we were there for four hours," Serger said. "Talking about Tunnel to Towers, where they were on 9/11 … how much they train … it was just very heartwarming."

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Serger said he and Hardy both foster the "patriotic mentality" of "what we can do for others," as Hardy serves on the city council and Serger's wife cooks for the fire department every month. These types of efforts were reciprocated on their journey.

"Every fire station, EMS, police station, they're all involved in the communities. We got patches, we got hats, we got pins, we got T-shirts," Serger said.

Hardy added that at every firehouse, everybody was there to help, "regardless of their state’s political affiliation."

"They're just another American out there willing to put their life on the line to save people," he said. "I thought it was super awesome to get to meet firefighters from East Coast to West Coast."

"The closer we got to Shanksville and the Pentagon and New York, it became very emotional, because then people said, ‘My mom was there’ or ‘My aunt was there' ... and then a firefighter said, ‘Three of our brothers went up there.’"

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"The closer we got, we knew we had hit the epicenter of how people responded to those terrorist attacks – and it really hit home."

At the Pentagon, Serger and Hardy got a police escort from the Pentagon Police and Pentagon Fire Department before receiving a five-hour tour, including the 9/11 memorial.

Clocking about 170 miles a day, the pair made it to Lower Manhattan in 20 days.

They were welcomed by the FDNY, Port Authority and NYPD Honor Guard at FDNY Ten House, across from Ground Zero and the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.

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"I started crying," Serger said. "My wife was there. She flew in. We had Sal Cassano, the [former] FDNY Fire Commissioner, there. Fire Station 10 had firemen, civilians were there. It was very, very moving."

Serger and Hardy’s cause has so far raised more than $17,000 for Tunnel to Towers.

In addition to raising funds for the organization, Serger said the expedition aims to generate continued awareness for those who sacrificed and risked their lives on 9/11 as the 25th anniversary approaches.

"We never forget 9/11," Serger said. "We never forget the sacrifice of our heroes, of our military, our first responders and gold star families," he said. "We never want 9/11 to fade away."

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Serger described the bike ride as a "surreal" and emotional experience.

"It started off with, we're going to raise money for Tunnel to Towers, and I think our final [takeaway] was there's a lot of love and pride and patriotism in this country, from far west all the way to the east," he shared. "Everybody welcomed us with open arms. That's all we talked about."