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Kushner gives Hamas stark ultimatum: Disarm or Israel gets US backing to ‘finish the job’

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 19:00:43 -0400

U.S. special envoy Jared Kushner delivered a stark ultimatum to Hamas on Monday, warning that the terrorist group must honor its commitments to disarm in Gaza or face an Israeli military operation to "finish the job."

Speaking exclusively to Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst, Kushner also detailed high-stakes diplomatic meetings in Egypt and Israel over the last 48 hours aimed at advancing President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace roadmap as fighting and disagreements between Israel and Hamas persists.

Israel has carried out air strikes and seized more territory in Gaza despite an October ceasefire, while Hamas has refused to give up its weapons, Reuters also reported Monday.

Kushner met first with Hamas in Cairo, together with the National Committee, the new technocratic Palestinian government that will take over control.

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Kushner told Yingst that the group reaffirmed its commitment to Trump’s 20-point peace plan and to the "15-point roadmap that we've been working on with them for the last four months, where they commit to giving up their weapons."

"Time will tell whether that's going to be implemented," he added, before stating that Washington feels it could be "very close to knowing, and we're making a lot of progress towards trying to get to the next steps."

"If they don't follow through now on their commitment, everyone will see that they're not genuine about peace, and then Israel will have a lot more support from the U.S. and others to go and finish the job in the appropriate way," Kushner also told Yingst of the militant group.

The warning from Trump’s son-in-law followed the rare face-to-face meeting — only Kushner's second known meeting with the group.

"They said all the right things, but obviously, it's very, very hard to trust, you know, a terrorist organization that committed these terrible atrocities," Kushner continued. "But we had a very cordial meeting, and they said all the right things, and so we're going to give them a chance to perform.

"It's going to have to be based on actions and steps, and I hope it will be true."

HAMAS SAYS IT WILL DISSOLVE GAZA GOVERNMENT, BUT ISRAEL WARNS GROUP STILL SEEKS HEZBOLLAH-STYLE CONTROL

The U.S.-led "Board of Peace" proposal centers on a phased ceasefire, demilitarization of Gaza, Israeli troop withdrawal, Palestinian technocratic governance and international reconstruction efforts.

On Monday, Kushner also traveled to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for further talks whereby the central sticking point remains the roadmap execution timeline.

Israel demands full demilitarization before withdrawing further or allowing reconstruction, while Hamas insists withdrawal and disarmament must happen in parallel.

Netanyahu, facing political pressure ahead of Israel's upcoming elections, appears cautious about phased compromises.

NETANYAHU REJECTS BOARD OF PEACE'S GAZA PLAN: NO 'WITHDRAWAL UNTIL HAMAS IS GENUINELY DISARMED'

Despite the friction, Kushner expressed optimism following a four-hour session with Israeli officials.

"I think today we had a very, very good meeting," Kushner said. "I think there were some valid concerns that they raised that we were able to address, and we were able to go through some of the misunderstandings and misinformation that's been out about it as well."

Kushner emphasized that Washington’s support for reconstruction remains tied to demilitarization.

"We will not allow Gaza to be rebuilt until demilitarization occurs," Kushner warned. "We're also not going to restrict Israel's right to defend itself if there are any imminent threats. And so we had to clarify what that means."

Outlining a clear timeline, Kushner highlighted the urgency of Hamas laying down its weapons.

"We could be seeing progress, you know, in as much as in as little as 30 days," Kushner said. "Hopefully, on starting to take some of the weapons out, and hopefully, you know, filling in some of the tunnels as well in the next 60 to 90 days as well."

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"For Israel, we think this is a win-win situation because if Hamas actually gives over the weapons and the tunnels willingly over the next 60 to 90 days, that obviously would be the elimination of a huge security threat for Israel, almost an unthinkable achievement," he added.

The conflict — triggered by Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack that killed nearly 1,200 people in southern Israel and saw more than 240 taken hostage — has dragged on for nearly three years.

"Israel has a strong desire to live in peace," Kushner told Yingst.

"They've been through three years of war. It's been very, very hard for the country, very hard for the people. I think there's a lot of emotion in Israel and in the region."

"As I travel around the region, I do think people are tired of war. I think they're ready for something new," he continued. "But it's just sometimes hard. You know, who's going to take the first step, and how do you build trust when there's so little trust that's now been eroded?"

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Kushner also voiced confidence in President Trump’s ability to broker a lasting deal.

"We see a lot of positive indications, and President Trump has pulled off miracles before in the Middle East," Kushner said. "He's very committed to continuing to do things that nobody thinks are possible."

Cancer treatment delays surge across US as doctor warns system ‘needs fixing immediately’

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 18:58:21 -0400

Wait times between a cancer diagnosis and the start of treatment grew by nearly two weeks over the past decade in the U.S., according to a recent study published in JAMA Surgery.

Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles and Massachusetts General Hospital analyzed national data from more than two million patients diagnosed between January 2012 and December 2023.

The study tracked adults with early to locally advanced stages of six common cancers (breast, colon, lung, pancreatic, stomach and esophageal) who received surgery as part of their initial care.

WHERE YOU LIVE COULD SHAPE YOUR RISK OF CANCER MORTALITY, STUDY SUGGESTS

Researchers measured wait times from the day of the diagnosis to the first treatment, whether that was a surgery or pre-surgical therapy designed to shrink a tumor.

Across all six cancer types, median wait times grew by more than 10 days over the study period, regardless of whether surgery came first or followed other treatments.

The longest increases occurred in stomach cancer, where wait times rose from 35 days to 49 days, and lung cancer, which increased from 41 days to 53 days. Breast cancer wait times grew from 34 to 45 days, while colon cancer delays increased from 20 to 31 days.

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Pancreatic cancer waits climbed from 23 to 32 days, and esophageal cancer delays grew from 38 to 48 days. The researchers also found that a growing share of patients waited 60 days or longer to begin treatment.

"This is part of our healthcare system that needs fixing immediately," Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, told Fox News Digital.

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The delays were even seen at high-volume academic medical centers, noted Siegel, who was not involved in the study.

"The waiting times for basic cancer operations in non-metastatic diseases is high and increasing since 2012," he added.

After adjusting for factors like age and underlying health, researchers found the delays did not affect all groups in the same way.

Longer wait times were seen for Black patients, people on Medicaid, individuals in lower-income areas, patients traveling longer distances for care, and those treated at academic medical centers or high-volume hospitals.

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The West experienced longer delays than other regions, and for non-breast cancers, the use of robotic surgery was linked to longer wait times.

The study authors cautioned that delays in surgical treatment have been tied to higher death rates and worse long-term survival in previous medical research.

In supporting commentary published along with the study, Lia D. Delaney, M.D., and Sherry M. Wren, M.D., both of the Stanford School of Medicine in Palo Alto, California, emphasized that cancer care has become increasingly sophisticated over the last two decades.

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However, "as cancer care continues to regionalize, efforts to improve quality may inadvertently create barriers to timely treatment unless capacity and coordination evolve in parallel," they wrote.

The authors noted several limitations to their study. Because the analysis relied on retrospective data from the National Cancer Database, it could not determine the exact reasons behind individual treatment delays, such as scheduling issues, logistical hurdles or personal patient preferences.

The database also lacked information on when patients first developed symptoms or sought medical advice prior to diagnosis.

CNN fires back at Trump White House over attacks on reporter, calls them 'beneath the office'

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 18:44:20 -0400

CNN fired back at the White House on Monday after President Donald Trump's rapid response team took aim at CNN White House correspondent Kristen Holmes.

While Trump took questions from the Oval Office, Holmes asked him for his reaction to viral comments made by Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., who claimed Trump would rather "build a ballroom and travel with [White House aide]" Natalie [Harp]" than do his job as president, to which Trump replied by calling him "Pee-wee Herman."

The Rapid Response 47 account on X slammed Holmes for invoking Ossoff's jab, which fueled online fodder for liberal critics pushing unfounded claims of an inappropriate relationship between Trump and Harp.

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"[Holmes] is a disgraceful, humiliating embarrassment to her alleged profession," the White House-run account wrote on X. "@POTUS hosts a hero lifeguard in the Oval Office and she uses it as an opportunity to take a cheap shot about one of President Trump's staffers. These scumbags are the lowest of the low."

"Someday, your children will come across your disgusting and inhumane question. They will be sickened and embarrassed to have a parent be so callous and vindictive. It’s quite troubling," the White House told Holmes.

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CNN issued a statement standing behind its reporter.

"Kristen Holmes is one of the most respected and accomplished journalists covering the White House," CNN wrote. "This afternoon, she did her job and asked the President of the United States a tough, relevant, and newsworthy question on behalf of the American people."

"Public officials are free to challenge reporting they disagree with, but personal attacks on journalists for asking questions are beneath the office and inconsistent with the principles of a free press. We stand firmly behind Kristen and reject these attacks in the strongest possible terms," the network added.

WHITE HOUSE PUSHED FOR PROTOCOL TO PRESERVE CORRESPONDENTS' CREDIBILITY AFTER TRUMP'S SECRET PLANE SWITCH

The White House cited its posts in response to Fox News Digital and declined to comment further.

Trump, who held a meeting at the Oval Office with Ryder Williams — the heroic 16-year-old lifeguard who went viral last month for rescuing 10-year-old Nathaniel Rai, who was also at the White House — lashed out at Holmes in a separate exchange as she attempted to ask another question, repeatedly scolding to her, "Quiet!"

"You’re very disrespectful in front of this young man. Don’t you find her disrespectful? He understands," Trump smirked to the 10-year-old sitting next to him. "Who are you with?"

"I'm with CNN," Holmes responded.

"Fake News. You're fake news," Trump said to Holmes. "You're a loud, boisterous person. You're fake news. Be quiet!... You're a fake reporter and you report fake news!"

LA gun owners stuck waiting years for concealed carry permits score major DOJ victory

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 18:41:10 -0400

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) has slashed lengthy concealed carry permit delays after a Department of Justice (DOJ) lawsuit accused the agency of leaving thousands of applications in limbo and forcing some gun owners to wait nearly three years for action.

The turnaround prompted the DOJ to end its landmark lawsuit against LASD, with federal officials announcing Thursday that the sheriff’s department is now meeting California's permitting deadlines after adding personnel and new processing software.

The case put one of the nation's largest law enforcement agencies at the center of the Trump administration's push to enforce Second Amendment rights, with the DOJ calling the outcome a "huge win" for Los Angeles County residents and gun owners.

INSIDE TRUMP'S UNPRECEDENTED BATTLE PLAN TO EXPAND SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS THROUGH JUSTICE DEPARTMENT

The agreement marks the conclusion of a case the DOJ touted when it was filed in September 2025 as its first-ever affirmative lawsuit brought in support of gun owners' Second Amendment rights.

At the time of the lawsuit, applicants were waiting an average of more than nine months to receive decisions on their permits, the DOJ alleged. LASD has since "drastically" reduced those waits and is now complying with California's statutory deadlines, the DOJ said.

"The sheriff acknowledged the problem and devoted substantial additional resources, including new processing software and additional personnel, to cutting waiting times dramatically," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the DOJ's Civil Rights Division said.

"We applaud their efforts and are happy to be able to bring this litigation to a successful conclusion!"

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The settlement caps a battle that began in March 2025, when the DOJ's Civil Rights Division opened a pattern-or-practice investigation into whether the nation's largest sheriff's department was effectively denying residents their constitutional right to bear arms through excessive permitting delays.

The DOJ said at the time that it had received numerous complaints about the department's handling of concealed carry applications. Federal officials pointed to a court case in which applicants had faced waits of roughly 18 months.

The investigation escalated into a federal lawsuit on Sept. 30, 2025.

Federal prosecutors alleged that between January 2024 and March 2025, LASD received 3,982 applications for new concealed carry licenses but had approved just two as of May 2025.

TRUMP’S PUSH FOR NATIONAL CONCEALED CARRY RECIPROCITY WOULD PROTECT GOOD GUYS WITH GUNS

Approximately 2,768 applications remained pending, while another 1,210 had been withdrawn, according to the complaint.

The federal government alleged applicants waited an average of 281 days before LASD took action on its applications, while the median delay was 372 days. Some applicants had waited as long as 1,030 days — nearly three years.

California law requires licensing authorities to provide applicants with an initial approval or denial within 90 days.

The DOJ argued those delays amounted to a "pattern or practice" of depriving people of their constitutional rights, alleging LASD was effectively forcing some applicants to abandon their efforts to obtain a permit.

MARYLAND SYNAGOGUE SUES COUNTY OVER LAW RESTRICTING CONCEALED CARRY NEAR HOUSES OF WORSHIP

"The Second Amendment protects the fundamental constitutional right of law-abiding citizens to bear arms," former Attorney General Pam Bondi said when the lawsuit was filed. "Los Angeles County may not like that right, but the Constitution does not allow them to infringe upon it."

The federal action followed separate litigation brought by the California Rifle & Pistol Association, Gun Owners of America, Gun Owners of California, the Second Amendment Foundation and individual gun owners challenging California and local concealed carry restrictions.

That case resulted in a preliminary injunction that included allowing qualifying non-California residents to apply for concealed carry permits. California subsequently changed its law to permit qualifying non-residents to apply, and LASD's current application portal includes an option for out-of-state applicants.

The DOJ's case also came amid a broader effort by the Trump administration to use federal civil rights enforcement to protect Second Amendment rights.

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The Civil Rights Division has since established a dedicated Second Amendment Section, which has pursued challenges involving firearms laws and permitting practices in several jurisdictions.

Under the settlement announced Thursday, LASD will maintain procedures designed to ensure concealed carry applications are processed under objective standards and without lengthy delays.

The DOJ credited Sheriff Robert Luna's department with putting additional personnel and new technology toward eliminating the backlog.

The DOJ said its Second Amendment Section will continue accepting complaints from current and prospective gun owners who believe state or local governments have infringed their right to keep or bear arms.

Fox News Digital reached out to the LASD for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.

Fox News Digital's Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.

Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski may poach former Pro Bowl pass rusher from Browns team that fired him

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 18:27:30 -0400

Za'Darius Smith was supposedly set to sign with the Cleveland Browns, if one believed the reports coming out of The Land over the weekend. But there is a significant problem with those reports.

Smith, a three-time Pro Bowl player with 70 1/2 career sacks, doesn't think that's necessarily true.

And he called out one of the reporters who supposedly broke the news. And then he worked out for the Atlanta Falcons on Monday.

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So we have a lot going on here, none of it good for Cleveland.

Let's get specific:

The Cleveland Plain Dealer and Cleveland.com reported Sunday that Smith was set to sign with the Browns, and as late as noonish Monday was describing the negotiations as possibly being "finalized today."

Except Smith, who has played on six teams in his 11 seasons, has a say in the matter and he was in Atlanta. And he called out the reports of him heading to Cleveland.

"I haven't signed yet," Smith wrote on social media, adding the bulging eyes emoji. "I have another workout tomorrow morning with a different team! Who told you to post this?"

Yeah, whoops.

The NFL wire that tracks workouts and other league transactions indeed had Smith working out for the Falcons on Monday.

And aside from that perhaps causing some embarrassment among some media, it creates an intriguing situation as two teams clearly have interest in the same player.

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The Browns obviously want Smith because he played for them for two seasons, started 25 games, collected 10 sacks and 27 quarterback hits.

The Falcons potentially want Smith because they have a need and coach Kevin Stefanski, who is in his first year with the club, coached Smith when the two were with the Browns...

...Before the Browns fired Stefanski.

LOL.

This would be the perfect spot for speculation about Stefanski wanting to stick it to his former team that fired him, while at the same time helping himself, but we're above such speculation here. Maybe.

It obviously serves Smith to have two teams bidding for his services rather than one. It would also be a statement of what Smith thinks of his old coach if he chooses Atlanta over Cleveland.

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Browns coach Todd Monken was asked about Smith on Monday and punted the issue to general manager Andrew Berry.

"I’m not going to comment on that," Monken said. "I really don’t know where it’s at, so I’ll leave that to Andrew."

The Falcons, meanwhile, may have a more urgent need than the Browns.

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Former first-round pick Jalon Walker tore his ACL early in training camp and is out for the entire season. Former first-round pick James Pearce ran afoul of the NFL's Personal Conduct Policy and is suspended the first eight games of the season.

The Falcons are in desperate need of pass rush help.

And if outbidding the Browns or coaxing Smith to join them over the Browns is a way to fill the need, well, that would be kind of interesting given everything that is at play.

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Shocking prehistoric discovery on NJ beach '100%' came from colossal ancient predator

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 18:16:47 -0400

A family's search for seashells on the Jersey Shore took an unexpected turn when a father and son uncovered the tooth of an ancient shark — and it dates back millions of years.

Mike Bowers and his son, Bo Bowers, uncovered the fossil, which came from an Otodus megalodon, in Sea Isle City near the Townsend Inlet on August 11.

Megalodons were the largest predatory sharks in Earth's history, and went extinct around 4 million years ago.

TRAVELERS CAN HUNT FOR MILLION-YEAR-OLD FOSSILS AND MORE VALUABLE TREASURES IN THESE SPOTS

Pictures of the tooth show its massive size and dark, jagged edge, with the fossil measuring roughly the length of young Bo Bowers' hand.

The Pennsylvania family had been vacationing in Wildwood when an overcast day prompted them to look for somewhere different to search for shells, Mike Bowers told Fox News Digital.

"There was a rock jetty and a real nice looking beach," said Mike Bowers. "And I was like, well, let's go check it out."

The father noticed something in a small opening between two rocks, but his hand was too large to fit, so he called his son over.

Bo Bowers told Fox News Digital that he was initially hesitant to reach into the rocks but grabbed the tooth as soon as he saw it.

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The 11-year-old said it was "really hard to believe" when he learned the tooth was millions of years old.

"He likes to look for shark teeth and stuff like that," Mike Bowers added.

The family "definitely did not expect to find something of that stature," he added.

The Bowers family was allowed to keep the tooth because it was found on a public beach, the dad told Fox News Digital.

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On their way home to western Pennsylvania, the family stopped at the New Jersey State Museum to have the tooth examined.

"[An official] took us up to the fossil lab, and he examined it and confirmed it," he said. "[It] 100% is a true megalodon tooth."

Mike Bowers added that an official told him only five megalodon teeth had previously been recorded as found on New Jersey beaches, and that the family's discovery was the sixth.

Dana Ehret of the New Jersey State Museum confirmed the tooth's authenticity to Fox News Digital.

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"These teeth are highly uncommon in New Jersey because we do not have the right aged sediments preserved at or near the surface," said Ehret.

"The Bowers tooth is in extraordinary good condition for a tooth from New Jersey. It reminds me of the teeth found in North Carolina, where they are much more common," he added.

"Typically, teeth [found in New Jersey] are substantially worn from being in the water for long periods of time."

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The discovery is one of several ancient finds made by children in unexpected places in recent months.

Earlier this year, an 11-year-old boy in England discovered a roughly 1.8 million-year-old tooth from an extinct relative of modern elephants while visiting a beach.

In another unusual find, an 8-year-old boy in Israel found a 1,700-year-old Roman statuette fragment and brought it to school for show-and-tell.

WNBA admits security in Atlanta was wrong to make fans cover shirts at Dream-Fever game

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 17:50:17 -0400

The WNBA admitted Monday that league security improperly forced a mother and her teenage daughter to cover their XX-XY Athletics shirts during Sunday's game between the Indiana Fever and Atlanta Dream.

"The WNBA is aware of interactions at last night's game in Atlanta in which fans were asked by league security to cover their shirts," a WNBA spokesperson said in a statement provided to OutKick. "This should not have happened."

The WNBA's admission is as damning as it is simple: its own security forced paying fans to cover shirts supporting women's sports.

MOM AND DAUGHTER TOLD TO COVER UP XX-XY T-SHIRTS, SAY THEY WERE THREATENED WITH EJECTION AT FEVER-DREAM GAME

OutKick's Jon Root first detailed the incident involving Georgia resident Kasey Thomason and her 17-year-old daughter, Annie, who were sitting courtside during Indiana's 95-91 victory when security confronted them in overtime. The pair wore XX-XY Athletics shirts backing Fever guard Sophie Cunningham and her stance on protecting female athletics. The shirts have become a symbol of the WNBA's trans dilemma, exposing an uncomfortable question for a women's basketball league struggling to define who belongs in women's sports.

They wore them for four quarters without issue. Then, in overtime, Kasey said a fan complained and security issued an ultimatum: cover up with Dream shirts or get tossed.

"Biology and science is offensive?" Kasey recalled responding. To watch the conclusion, they reluctantly put on the Dream shirts.

CLUELESS WNBA ATTACKS 'BAD-FAITH' FANS WHO DON'T WANT BIOLOGICAL MEN RUINING WOMEN'S SPORTS

The WNBA admitted security crossed the line. But that only raises a bigger question: How did a women's basketball league reach the point where stating biological reality became grounds for security intervention?

Cunningham sparked national debate weeks ago by voicing support for keeping biological males out of women's sports.

The controversy even prompted a WNBA task force discussion among team executives, while the league denounced what it called "bad-faith efforts" to use the transgender-athlete debate to demean or marginalize others.

But the debate hasn't remained confined to league statements and meetings.

STORM CO-OWNER SUSPENDED AFTER INCIDENT WITH SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM FANS AS STAR BREAKS SILENCE ON CONTROVERSY

Less than three weeks ago, Seattle Storm minority co-owner Celeste Keaton confronted two teenage girls wearing XX-XY Athletics gear and supporting Cunningham at a Fever-Storm game. The Storm subsequently apologized, and the WNBA fined Keaton an undisclosed amount and suspended her from attending five home games. Now, another mother and teenage daughter backing the same cause were confronted at a WNBA game — this time by league security.

Kasey said she believed a nearby fan wearing a "Protect Trans Rights" shirt had complained. The Thomasons could not confirm whether security also instructed that fan to cover her shirt, though they said they later noticed her jacket zipped over it.

State Farm Arena policy prohibits clothing displaying explicit language, profanity or derogatory characterizations, while the NBA Fan Code of Conduct prohibits obscene or indecent messages on clothing.

According to Kasey, security cited neither policy, instead telling the pair their shirts were "offensive."

SAM PONDER CALLS OUT THE WNBA FOR COWARDICE: 'BE COURAGEOUS. STAND FOR WOMEN'

That's the larger problem for the WNBA: its identity crisis over women's sports just got uglier, with league security now going after fans for defending them.

Forcing fans to cover XX-XY shirts wasn't merely a questionable judgment call. By the WNBA's own admission, it crossed the line.

"This should not have happened."

OutKick has requested additional comment from the WNBA on why security ordered the fans to cover their shirts, what policy they were believed to have violated and whether the league is investigating the incident.

Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela

Kelly Osbourne wows in leopard-print swimsuit as she steps 'away from the madness'

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 17:48:03 -0400

Kelly Osbourne is stepping away from the noise and giving herself time to recharge.

The 41-year-old television personality shared a series of vacation photos as she reflected on the importance of slowing down amid a busy and emotional period in her life.

In one photo, Osbourne relaxed on a lounge chair in a leopard-print one-piece swimsuit while soaking up the sun.

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She reclined with both arms resting behind her head and one leg crossed over the other. Osbourne paired the animal-print swimsuit with her iconic black cat-eye sunglasses featuring red-tinted lenses, layered necklaces and several rings, while her tattoos were visible along her arms.

A second photo offered another look at the same poolside moment.

Osbourne leaned back against the lounge chair with her arms at her sides. Her blonde hair was swept back as she enjoyed the sunny setting.

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The former reality star explained that the getaway had given her an opportunity to disconnect from the demands of everyday life.

"I’m really learning how important it is to step away from the madness sometimes. 🌊☀️" Osbourne wrote on Instagram.

"I get so wrapped up in life, work, people, plans… everything going on around me, that I genuinely forget I’m allowed to stop. To switch off. To breathe. To just be."

Osbourne said the time away had changed her perspective on taking a break.

"This holiday has reminded me that taking a break isn’t wasting time — sometimes it’s exactly what you need to come back to yourself."

She added, "I honestly feel reborn. Lighter, calmer, happier… and very much NOT ready to go home 😂❤️"

Fans celebrated Osbourne's carefree vacation photos in the comments, with several praising how happy she appeared.

"Your dad is smiling watching you get your sparkle back ❤️✨️," one person wrote.

Another commented, "Wow !!!!! You are stunning !! You look so happy and healthy !!!!"

A third fan focused on Osbourne's poolside look, writing, "🔥I love that bathing suit girl! You look amazing !! Miss ya. Hope you're doing well. 💜🤘🏼"

Osbourne also shared a close-up selfie taken on the water as the sun set behind her.

KELLY OSBOURNE DEMANDS CHILD SUPPORT AND HER DOGS BACK IN FIERY RANT AMID REPORTED BREAKUP

Wearing the same black cat-eye sunglasses, she posed in a black-and-white striped top with her blonde hair swept back. The orange sun could be seen dropping toward the horizon behind her, reflecting across the water.

Osbourne's time away also included a sweet moment with her 3-year-old son, Sidney.

In another photo, Osbourne cuddled her 3-year-old son, Sidney, while aboard a boat. The mother and son smiled as Sidney wrapped his arm around her neck.

Osbourne held her son close, while an older child stood at the boat's steering wheel beside them. Sidney is Osbourne's son with Slipknot musician Sid Wilson. The former couple welcomed him in 2022.

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The getaway comes amid changes in Osbourne's personal life following reports that she and Wilson have split.

Earlier this month, Osbourne fueled speculation about their relationship when she shared a series of since-deleted Instagram Stories that appeared to take aim at Wilson, though she never mentioned him by name.

"Wake the f--- up and take some responsibility. I will not take your s--- anymore! I'm done. I want to be happy, and I have a beautiful son to raise. Leave me alone. Let me heal. I can't protect you from yourself anymore," she wrote.

Osbourne later appeared to reference unresolved issues involving their son, finances and her belongings.

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"Also while I’m at it can I have my dogs back and all my possessions. Oh yeah and maybe some child support?"

Osbourne and Wilson reportedly ended their engagement earlier this year, though neither has publicly confirmed the split. The pair began dating in 2022 and welcomed Sidney later that year.

Her vacation comes during an emotional chapter for the Osbourne family following the death of her father, Ozzy Osbourne, in July 2025.

The Black Sabbath frontman died at 76, just weeks after performing his final concert with the legendary heavy metal band.

Osbourne has remained fiercely protective of her father's legacy. Most recently, she fired back at Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider after he made comments about the late rocker's songwriting.

For now, however, Osbourne's latest update suggests she is making a deliberate effort to step away from the pressures surrounding her and enjoy quieter moments with her family.

"Note to self: do this more often," she wrote. "Life will still be there when you get back. ✨"

Portland parent banned from school events after opposing gender identity assignment files lawsuit

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 17:41:53 -0400

Portland, Oregon, mother Allison Roberts filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against Portland Public Schools and her children's elementary school after allegedly facing retaliation over her opposition to their gender curriculum.

According to the Liberty Justice Center, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of Roberts, she initially expressed concern last year over Meriwether Lewis Elementary School's decision to repaint its traditional rainbow pride flag into an "Intersex-Inclusive Progress" variant to include support for racial and transgender ideology.

Though Roberts supported "being immersed" in Portland's gay community, she felt that the new flag was "an overtly political symbol that promotes values contradictory to her Christian faith," specifically due to its promotion of transgenderism.

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Before she took any action, she discovered an "identity flower" assignment given to her 11-year-old child that asked students to identify and discuss their gender identity with classmates and teachers.

Roberts alleged that she received no prior notice of this assignment and requested a meeting with the school's principal. After receiving what she described as an unsatisfactory response from the school, Roberts wrote an open letter to the community against the school's policies, which she distributed on a public sidewalk outside school property.

Roberts was later issued a one-year trespass order after a heated exchange with another parent, barring her from attending school events, including her child's graduation ceremony. When she reached out to the school for clarification, Roberts was reportedly told that it was a result of engaging in "harassment, intimidation, and threatening behavior" as part of a pattern of "animus and harassment targeting vulnerable members of [the] community."

VIRGINIA SCHOOL DISTRICT SUED OVER ALLEGED POLICY OF KEEPING STUDENTS' GENDER TRANSITIONS HIDDEN FROM PARENTS

The Liberty Justice Center argued that the school violated Roberts' First and Fourteenth Amendment rights by stifling and retaliating against her speech criticizing the school's policies. The legal organization is asking a federal court to have the school's actions declared unconstitutional and issue an injunction against the policies targeting Roberts.

Portland Public Schools declined to comment to Fox News Digital about the ongoing case.

Timothy R. Snowball, senior counsel at Liberty Justice Center, told Fox News Digital that the organization also aims to have an injunction issued against the school's current harassment policy to prevent other situations like Roberts' in the future.

"Our next step in the case will be filing a motion for a preliminary injunction to put a stop to these unconstitutional policies while the case moves forward. This motion will help protect not only Allison’s rights, but all affected families in Portland," Snowball said.

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Roberts also told Fox News Digital that she has received widespread support for her efforts.

"It has been heartening to see the outpouring of support from my local Portland community, and from parents and grandparents across the country," she said. "I never wanted things to get to this point. But knowing that I'm fighting this battle not just for my family, but for millions of American families, reassures me that bringing this suit is the right thing to do."

Harvard, NYU among 30 universities hit with Pentagon foreign-tie audit deadline

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 17:38:07 -0400

The Pentagon on Monday ordered 30 American universities to conduct audits of their financial and research ties to foreign entities or risk losing federal research funding.

The institutions must review the identified foreign collaborations and assess any exposure of "sensitive or export-controlled research."

"The Department of War has zero tolerance for academic partnerships that compromise our national security," said Emil Michael, Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering. "Institutions that receive funding from American taxpayers must uphold the highest standards of research security, and these mandated audits will ensure accountability across the board."

According to a U.S. official, the schools subjected to the audit are: Georgetown University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California, Berkeley, University of California, San Diego, University of Texas at Austin, Emory University, Harvard University, Oklahoma State University, Penn State University, University of California, Los Angeles, University of Cincinnati, University of Minnesota, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, University of South Carolina, University of Southern California, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Bryant University, Cornell University, Drake University, Duke University, Illinois Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins University, New York University, Northeastern State University, Tahlequah (Oklahoma), Portland State University, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Stony Brook University, University of Delaware and University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

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The institutions must also implement plans to mitigate actions that violate national security protocols and, if necessary, terminate "problematic partnerships."

They are required to report their findings to the War Department by Aug. 31. Fox News Digital has reached out to the DOW and all 30 schools.

"Universities are critical partners in executing a wide range of Department of War research programs, and the Department must therefore ensure that our research investments are well protected from foreign exploitation," said Dr. Joseph Jewell, Assistant Secretary of War for Science and Technology.

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The audits target foreign entities named under Section 1286 of the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act. The list identifies 130 academic and research institutions located in China, Russia, and Iran, which engage in "activities that increase the likelihood of U.S. government-funded research and development efforts being misappropriated."

A recent report said Harvard University failed to safeguard research collaborations with Chinese institutions, noting that researchers affiliated with the Ivy League school co-authored more than 140 publications with other researchers affiliated with a group of Chinese universities.

Harvard also reportedly received more than $600 million from China under the federal Section 117 foreign-gift disclosure system—more than any other American university, according to the Education Department dashboard cited in the report from the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.

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China has used outputs from U.S. artificial intelligence models to train its defense capabilities, Reuters reported in July.

In recent years, many universities and colleges across the United States have shut their doors to their China-tied Confucius Institutes amid concerns over the centers' funding connection to Beijing. Lawmakers have also raised alarms over tech mogul Neville Roy Singham's $278 million network accused of spreading Chinese Communist Party propaganda in the U.S.

The self-described goal of the institutes is to offer instruction to students on Chinese language and culture. A 2023 watchdog report detailed the rapid decline of Confucius Institutes at American colleges, which dropped from approximately 100 to fewer than five in just four years.

The primary drivers for the closures were federal funding limitations established by National Defense Authorization Acts and increasing government pressure.

Jets fans breathe sigh of relief after practice scare for $43M star running back

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 17:34:47 -0400

New York Jets fans all waited with bated breath to hear about what happened to running back Breece Hall at Monday’s training camp practice after reports he suffered a non-contact injury while running in a drill.

It appears they can breathe a collective sigh of relief for their new $43 million man in the backfield.

Hall suffered a strained right groin at practice on Monday, and though the Jets still need to learn of the severity of the injury after tests, head coach Aaron Glenn doesn’t think it’s anything too serious.

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"I don’t think it was a big deal, but I want to make sure I get the evaluation on that," he told reporters, per ESPN.

Hall fell onto the practice field grass untouched, which is never what teammates, coaches, or anyone wants to see for a player. It was supposed to be a touchdown for Hall, who had caught a pass during a drill, but he went down on a knee before reaching the end zone.

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Hall eventually limped his way to the sideline and was seen entering the blue medical tent before heading back to the locker room.

Even Jets players were worried for Hall, who had just signed a three-year, $43.5 million extension he was looking for this offseason.

"My stomach dropped a little bit," Hall’s backup, Braelon Allen, said, per ESPN. "From the sounds of it, it doesn’t seem too serious, so I’m hoping he gets back as quick as possible."

Hall is coming off a career year for the Jets, and wanted to be paid accordingly. The Iowa State product, whom the Jets took 36th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, was set to play this season on his fifth-year option, and he wasn’t shy about hinting about his contract on social media.

Hall tallied 1,065 rushing yards with four rushing touchdowns, while hauling in 36 receptions for 350 yards and one score amid another rollercoaster season for the Jets – the team that has not reached the playoffs since 2010.

With the Jets revamping its offense again, this time tapping Frank Reich as its offensive coordinator, the veteran play-caller said how important the run game will be for New York this season. In turn, Hall is an extremely important player for Jets success in 2026, meaning his health is paramount.

Allen and Kene Nwangwu are the running backs behind Hall right now on the depth chart. Isaiah Davis, who would be their third-best back, is dealing with a minor knee injury at the moment that he should be back from soon.

One thing about Hall has been his availability for the Jets in recent seasons. His rookie campaign was cut short due to an ACL injury, but he’s missed a total of two games in the last three seasons.

Hall has proven to be a dual-threat running back, having the ability to make defenders miss in the pass game as well as the run game. The Jets will surely look to utilize that skill set, as well as wide receiver Garrett Wilson and intriguing rookie tight end Kenyon Sadiq.

The Jets also had a reunion with Geno Smith this offseason, as the journeyman quarterback is hoping for a much different tenure in New York this time around.

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Man unleashes deadly ‘revenge’ rampage on ex’s family, kills 4 people, 3 dogs before torching home: DA

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 17:22:32 -0400

A California man bent on revenge after a breakup waited until his ex-boyfriend’s family went to bed before entering their home, gunning down four people and setting the house ablaze, prosecutors said.

Miguel Diego Sandoval, 21, has pleaded guilty to the November 2024 bloodbath inside a Lancaster home that left Janvi Maquindang, 21, Christine Aca-ac, 25, Edwin Garcia, 24, and Matthew Montebello, 21, dead.

"The defendant was jilted when he broke up with his boyfriend and then did something unimaginable when he killed four innocent people," Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said.

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"This was a calculated act of violence that left a void for the victims’ families that can never be filled," Hochman added. "Rest assured this guilty plea will result in a lifetime prison sentence."

The deadly rampage was sparked by the end of Sandoval’s relationship with Aca-ac and Maquindang’s brother, and prosecutors say he came looking for revenge.

On Nov. 16, 2024, Sandoval lurked outside the North Tabler Avenue home until the occupants had gone to bed, according to prosecutors. He then went inside and opened fire, killing the four victims.

Sandoval torched the home after the shootings and fled, prosecutors said.

MICHIGAN DAD SHOT WIFE, SIX KIDS THEN SET FAMILY HOME ABLAZE IN MURDER-SUICIDE, SHERIFF SAYS

Amid the carnage, a 16-year-old victim trapped inside managed to call 911 from a locked bedroom. Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies responding to the burning home rescued the teen.

Three beloved family dogs were also killed, resulting in three felony animal cruelty counts against Sandoval.

Fundraising pages set up by the victims’ loved ones in the aftermath of the 2024 killings paint a picture of four young lives cut short and the families left reeling from the massacre.

Christine and Edwin were engaged and planning a future together, according to a GoFundMe organized by Christine's sister. The fundraiser remembered Christine as a funny, vibrant and deeply caring older sister who served as the legal guardian and protector of her younger siblings.

The same GoFundMe described Janvi, Christine's brother, as a bright and successful young man who had graduated as valedictorian of his high school class. His younger siblings looked up to him as a role model and someone they could count on, the fundraiser said.

The fundraiser said the younger siblings escaped the attack physically unharmed, but lost Christine and Janvi, as well as their home in the fire. The fundraiser was later expanded to help them find a safe place to live, continue their education and rebuild their lives.

Matthew had turned 21 only days before the shooting, his older brother Andrew Montebello wrote on a separate GoFundMe. According to the fundraiser, Matthew was shot in the head, rushed from the scene and placed in a coma as his family desperately waited for good news that never came.

Andrew described his younger brother as talented, smart and relentlessly curious, writing that Matthew would throw himself into learning a new skill until he mastered it or moved on to his next interest.

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In another GoFundMe, Edwin's mother, Yemi Olivares, remembered the 24-year-old, known to his family as Fernando or Fer, as a gentle soul who dreamed of becoming an educator in academics and music. She wrote that her son hoped to marry, become a father and teach future generations.

"As a mother, I am completely and utterly devastated," Olivares wrote on the GoFundMe.

Sandoval pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree murder, including special-circumstance allegations of multiple murders and murder by means of lying in wait.

He also admitted to attempted murder, first-degree residential burglary and arson of an inhabited structure or property, along with two counts of child abuse under circumstances likely to cause great bodily injury or death.

The guilty plea ensures Sandoval will never walk free. He faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.

He is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 17.

Declassified FBI docs reveal Swalwell had sex with 'Fang Fang' multiple times

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 17:08:23 -0400

Disgraced former Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., admitted to FBI agents that he had "physical relations" with suspected Chinese intelligence operative Christine "Fang Fang" Fang on a "handful of occasions," newly declassified FBI records show.

The records, which were declassified by President Donald Trump and released by the White House Government Transparency Task Force Monday, detail two FBI interviews with Swalwell — one at an Oakland field office in May 2015 and another at the same location in March 2016 — conducted as part of a broader investigation examining Fang Fang’s involvement with illicit campaign contributions, funneling interns to Swalwell's office and other activity.

During the first interview, Swalwell told agents he had "physical relations" with Fang Fang on a "handful of occasions," with their last physical encounter occurring in March 2015. Swalwell, meanwhile, joined Congress in 2013.

In the second interview, Swalwell described multiple encounters, including one in which Fang Fang arrived at his apartment banging on his door and the two subsequently "hooked up" after Swalwell had taken a powerful sleep medication. The former congressman indicated he had little recollection of the event. The records indicated they "probably" occurred before Swalwell was elected to Congress.

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"FANG left after a couple hours. Swalwell barely remembers the event because he had taken Ambien prior to FANG arriving," stated an interview summary from the FBI.

Swalwell told investigators he considered his physical relationship with Fang Fang "casual," while maintaining that the two "never dated" and "never had a romantic relationship." He also told agents he believed Fang "may have wanted a more romantic relationship," according to the 2015 interview summary.

"Swalwell had a drink with Fang a couple weeks after they first met in 2012. He had physical relations with Fang on a handful of occasions, but never dated her or had a romantic relationship. March 2015 was the last time Swalwell had physical relations with Fang," the documents say. "Swalwell considered their physical relationship to be casual, but believed that Fang may have wanted a more romantic relationship."

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The documents, which were first reported on by Just the News, were declassified as part of the administration's broader efforts to combat foreign threats to U.S. elections and other political systems. They provide a much more detailed look at Swalwell and Fang Fang's relationship, which had remained publicly murky for years as Swalwell refused to say several times whether their interactions were sexual or romantic, and described the allegations as GOP attacks.

Beyond the revelations about Swalwell’s intimate relationship with Fang Fang, the records show the FBI said financial records indicated Fang Fang used conduits to conceal herself as a prohibited foreign-national source and orchestrated conduit contributions to Swalwell’s campaign at least twice in 2013 and at least twice more in 2014.

They also show Fang Fang referred prospective interns to Swalwell's political operation. During his 2016 FBI interview, Swalwell told agents he viewed anyone Fang Fang put forward for an internship as coming through the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association, or APAPA, an organization with which Fang was reportedly connected.

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The internship referrals were one component of the FBI's broader inquiry. An investigative memo said agents were examining allegations that Fang Fang facilitated access to Swalwell and internships in his congressional office in exchange for campaign contributions. However, the FBI ultimately said it did not find evidence that Swalwell committed federal corruption violations or participated in a quid-pro-quo scheme.

Swalwell was removed as a subject of the investigation in 2017, but the bureau did indicate it found evidence that Fang Fang herself violated federal election laws involving foreign-national and conduit contributions.

The declassified files revealed that the FBI had previously tried to cultivate Fang Fang as a confidential source under the codename "RUSTY THUMBS," as agents suspected she had ties to China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS), including her parents who were reportedly considered known Chinese intelligence officers.

Fang also repeatedly encouraged Swalwell to visit China, according to the records. During his 2016 FBI interview, Swalwell told agents that Fang "would generally mention that SWALWELL should go to CHINA," and said she extended a China invitation to someone in his orbit at a November 2014 election-night party.

By the time of that 2016 interview, Swalwell told agents he had cut off contact with Fang Fang after first meeting with the FBI about the matter. Agents had given him a defensive briefing in late April 2015 about foreign-intelligence targeting and specifically discussed Fang Fang and her connections.

Fox News Digital reached out to Swalwell and his attorneys for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Babysitter accused of kidnapping two young sisters was previously charged with abducting newborn

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 17:05:12 -0400

Police in Georgia have arrested a babysitter accused of kidnapping two young sisters. The girls, Zola Cooper, 4, and Norah Cooper, 11 months, were allegedly abducted by Lakesha Brown.

The girls, who were once considered to "be in extreme danger" were safely recovered by officers, the City of Atlanta Police Department confirmed on Monday.

Brown reportedly gained the trust of the girls' mother and agreed to babysit them while mom went out to dinner Saturday night. When she returned from dinner, she could not make contact with Brown and called police minutes later.

The girls' mother reported them missing around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday. She left her children in Brown's care at 6 p.m. earlier that evening, police said.

FAMILY STOPPED ALLEGED CHILD KIDNAPPER AS POLICE SAY STAFFING SHORTAGE DELAYED RESPONSE UP TO 40 MINUTES

By Monday afternoon, police announced they were able to locate the girls using technology that pointed them to the Sylvan road area. Once they arrived, officers heard crying, found them, and brought them to safety.

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Atlanta police said Brown had previously been accused in a similar kidnapping case in Alabama.

Investigators in Alabama said in August 2021, Brown was arrested for kidnapping infant Kamarion Taylor, who was just four days old at the time.

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Brown allegedly gained the trust of Taylor's mother and grandmother and kidnapped the infant while his mother was taking a nap.

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"When Kamarion’s mother awoke, the baby was nowhere to be found. Lakesha was also gone. The mother immediately contacted Lakesha and asked where Kamarion was. Lakesha told her that Kamarion was there in his playpen where she laid him before she left," the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said.

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Investigators safely recovered Kamarion and Brown was booked into jail.

El-Sayed aide likens GOP opponent's campaign to 'KKK cross burning' over video with Ford pickup

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 17:00:50 -0400

A recent campaign video released by Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers in Michigan left one of his opponent's staffers feeling triggered.

Rogers on Sunday released a video of himself riding shotgun in a red antique Ford pickup truck, which had two American flags affixed to the tailgate. The video shows Rogers smiling and waving from the passenger's seat as the truck breezes down the road. Toby Keith's "American Ride" accompanies the video.

"Gotta love this American Ride! There’s no better way to do the Woodward Dream Cruise!" said a post from Rogers accompanying the video online.

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But one staffer for Abdul El-Sayed, the far-left socialist-adjacent Democrat running against Rogers, did not find the bit of Americana to his liking.

"Mike Rogers’ campaign has the aesthetics of a 1960s white flight suburb and a KKK cross burning," Mason Pressler, who serves as a El-Sayed's political manager in the northern part of Michigan, said on X.

Rogers' campaign seized on the post, accusing Pressler of thinking that "driving a Michigan-made Ford truck is akin to the KKK."

The campaign also added "Old Ford trucks" to its running list of things it says El-Sayed hates.

El-Sayed's communications director, Roxie Richner, explained to Fox News Digital that Pressler's views are not representative of the campaign as a whole because Pressler's X bio explicitly states that his posts are his own opinions.

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She did not return a follow-up request for further comment on the post from El-Sayed's campaign aide.

The Democratic candidate has been dogged for his particular brand of left-wing politics, even by some members of his own political party who believe he is too far left.

El-Sayed during his campaign has campaigned and partied with socialist streamer Hasan Piker, who is known for saying "America deserved 9/11," praising Mao Zedong and Communist China, arguing that capitalists should be murdered in the streets and spewing a litany of antisemitic comments.

The far-left candidate also argued against the Second Amendment in videos discovered among the 100 he hid from public view from his YouTube channel. In an unearthed essay, he drew a parallel between President Donald Trump and Osama Bin Laden.

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Fox News Digital previously reported that El-Sayed has received more than $100,000 in campaign cash from 41 people who work for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a designated a terrorist organization by the United Arab Emirates and formally designated or labeled as such in Florida and Texas.

El-Sayed's sister, Eman Abdelhadi, has also been revealed as a socialist University of Chicago professor who was arrested last year for allegedly spitting on a police officer during an anti-ICE protest outside the Broadview, Illinois immigrant detention facility.

Fox News Digital's Andrew Mark Miller and Kiera McDonald contributed to this report.

New champions alter WWE landscape while NXT newcomer makes his presence known with authority

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 16:57:09 -0400

WWE will enter this week with new champions and an NXT wrestler who put himself into prime position for some gold right off the bat.

"Friday Night SmackDown" saw two title changes occur. Jacy Jayne captured the Women’s United States Championship in a match against Tiffany Stratton, adding to Fatal Influence’s chokehold on the roster as Lainey Reid and Fallon Henley are already the WWE women’s tag team champions.

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Additionally, Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga won the WWE Tag Team Championship in a triple-threat match, knocking off Damian Priest and R-Truth as the title-holders and keeping Erik and Ivar from adding more gold around their waists. MFT definitely have a new feel to them since Haku returned and took over as their manager.

The WWE title landscape is poised to change even further if Rey Mysterio and his fellow Luchadores and Kevin Owens have anything to say about it.

Mysterio will challenge Chad Gable for the WWE Intercontinental Championship on "Monday Night Raw," while the tournament to see who will challenge Roman Reigns for his World Heavyweight Championship continues with Dragon Lee taking on El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. and Rey Fenix taking on El Fiscal. Penta and LA Parka have already moved on to the semifinals.

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Owens will challenge CM Punk for the Undisputed WWE Championship on Friday. Owens became the No. 1 contender after his win in a fatal four-way match at SummerSlam. He and Punk exchanged words in a heated promo last week and seemed to be poised to tear each other apart.

Those competitors are far from the only ones in search of gold.

In NXT, champion Tony D’Angelo has his hands full.

Grayson Waller and Cruz Montana were vying for the No. 1 contender spot for D’Angelo’s title on Tuesday night when Zilla Fatu debuted and took out both of them. Fatu is the latest marquee signing in WWE. He will certainly have questions to answer this week.

The heat on the reigning champions is certainly on as Sunday Night’s Main Event and Night of Champions inch closer.

Charlamagne blasts 'dumb' Democrats for getting drawn into WNBA transgender debate ahead of midterms

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 16:24:03 -0400

Charlamagne tha God slammed the debate over transgender participation in women's sports, particularly the WNBA, during his "Brilliant Idiots" podcast on Sunday, saying the conversation was "ridiculous."

"I think this s--- is ridiculous," Charlamagne said. "I don't know why this is becoming a story again, and I cannot believe that people are falling for tricks like this right before the midterm elections. This is so dumb for Democrats to even be going back down this road having this conversation."

The discussion came in the wake of WNBA star Sophie Cunningham, who plays for the Indiana Fever, taking a stand against transgender participation in women's sports. Other WNBA players have said they hold the opposite views, as well as coaches, including Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve, who recently wore a "Trans Kids Belong" T-shirt to the team's game against the Fever.

"And I hate when they conflate two things," Charlamagne continued. "Because guess what? I don't know why Sophia Cunningham was asked this question, but if she's asked, ‘Should biological men play in the WNBA?’ The answer should be no. That should be the answer from everybody."

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"Should biological people that were born men play in the WNBA? No. Full stop," Charlamagne added. "Any other thing? There is no, 'Whoa, so are you saying transgenders don't have a right to — 'Man, shut the f--- up. I ain't saying nothing like that. You asked me a specific question. Do transgenders belong in the WNBA if you're born a biological man? No. OK."

Former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White have both said they intend to declare for the 2027 WBNA draft.

Charlamagne also questioned why the question of transgender participation in sports was being raised at all, suggesting athletes respond to any questions about it by saying, "Why are you asking me this?"

Loren LeRosa, who stood in for "Brilliant Idiots" co-host Andrew Schultz, gave a response, acting as somebody who asked the question of an athlete.

"This is what they would say," she said. "Because I'm a person who believes that all people should matter. And if a person identifies as something, we're in America, they should have a fair shot."

Charlamagne agreed and said that had nothing to do with the WNBA.

"Identifying as a woman. Cool. You got all the right to do that. This is a free country, but you shouldn't be allowed to play in the WNBA," he said.

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Transgender participation in women's sports became a focal point for the Republican Party and President Donald Trump throughout the 2024 election cycle.

Several prominent Republicans praised Cunningham's comments, including Vice President JD Vance, who called her "courageous." Democrats have largely remained silent and stayed out of the Cunningham news.

Payton McNabb, an ambassador at Independent Women, told Fox News Digital, "I, of course, agree with Charlamagne that this is ridiculous. It’s ridiculous that in 2026 we’re still having to debate whether men belong in a women’s basketball league. But that’s exactly why this has become a story."

"Sophie Cunningham gave the obvious answer, and instead of the WNBA backing her up and putting the issue to rest, we’re still waiting on the league to say the same thing," she continued. "Men declaring for the WNBA draft are exposing an absurdity that the WNBA could end tomorrow but continue to go in a circle."

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Cunningham doubled down on her position at the end of July ahead of one of her games, saying, "I think I said what I said. I think it's kind of common sense."

"I'll always believe in that. It's really important to protect children, and that's little girls who are also involved in that category," the Fever star said.

"I'm not a very political person, but I do have beliefs. I have morals, and I'll always stand on those," she explained.

Cunningham also rejected the idea that her position stems from bigotry, saying defending women's sports doesn't mean harboring hatred toward anyone else.

"I extend love, and I don't dislike anyone. I think there is room for absolutely everyone here," she said, adding that she has never expressed hatred toward the trans community.

OutKick's Alejandro Avila contributed to this report.

Man busted after customs uncovers bizarre cargo hidden inside 22 pairs of socks

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 16:16:23 -0400

A man was arrested at a Tokyo airport after authorities discovered about 200 lizards stuffed inside 22 pairs of socks in his suitcase, according to reports.

The 23-year-old man from Mexico arrived at Haneda Airport from South Korea on Aug. 8 when customs officials found the reptiles hidden in his luggage, The Times of India reported.

Authorities found the lizards packed into socks inside the suitcase. One of the animals was already dead when the luggage was opened, according to the outlet.

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Among the reptiles were nine Mexican alligator lizards — an endangered species with restrictions on international trade, The Times of India reported.

The man allegedly told investigators he bought the lizards in Mexico for roughly $3.50 to $4.70 each.

Some of the reptiles can sell for around $630 each in Japan, according to reports.

Keith Jeffries, vice president of K2 Security Screening Group and former federal security director at Los Angeles International Airport, told Fox News Digital that financial incentives can drive unusual smuggling attempts.

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"If there's a market for it, people will attempt to smuggle it," said Jeffries, who is based in Orlando.

"We've seen this before many times," he added. "It happens more frequently than any of us would like."

Airport screening procedures can vary depending on the agency involved and the types of prohibited items officers are tasked with finding, Jeffries said.

In the United States, for example, TSA officers are primarily searching for items that could threaten aviation security, such as weapons and explosives, rather than conducting searches specifically for smuggled wildlife or drugs, he said.

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"The TSA security directives do not look for items from just a smuggling standpoint," Jeffries said. "They look for guns, knives, explosives, incendiary devices — and it's very specific and narrow to that."

However, wildlife smuggling attempts are not unheard of, Jeffries added.

During his time with TSA, he recalled cases involving exotic turtles, as well as another incident in which nearly 100 exotic birds were discovered inside checked luggage arriving from overseas.

The discovery of the 200 lizards comes weeks after another suitcase containing wildlife products was intercepted at a U.S. airport.

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Fox News Digital previously reported that a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture detector dog helped officers find nearly 100 pounds of prohibited meat, plants and wildlife products in luggage arriving from Thailand.

K-9 Maisy alerted officers to the suitcase, which contained 50 pounds of meat, including raw meat, along with 33 pounds of mangoes, garlic, bamboo, banana plants and approximately 16 pounds of Bengal monitor lizard, according to CBP.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service took custody of the monitor lizard.

CBP agriculture specialists inspect international luggage for prohibited items that could bring pests, animal diseases or invasive species into the United States.

Jasmine Baehr of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.

Despite complaints about other sports, the NFL has become the most predictable league in America

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 16:12:18 -0400

There's nothing more predictable than fans complaining about sports, and particularly, how much better things used to be. Well, there may be one thing more predictable: the modern NFL.

Much of the online discourse over the past few months in the sports world has centered on the supposed decline of competitive balance in Major League Baseball. Primarily because the Los Angeles Dodgers have spent money in an attempt to improve their roster, or used their top tier farm system to acquire Tarik Skubal. Combined with LA's back-to-back World Series wins, this has given rise to concerns that the Dodgers are unbeatable. That other teams can't hope to compete with their superior talent. That sailing through the postseason is a foregone conclusion.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers just wrapped a stretch where they went 2-11 against likely playoff teams such as the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Arizona Diamondbacks and Milwaukee Brewers. Several of those games were started by Skubal, with LA now 1-2 in games he starts. The one win coming against the last place Kansas City Royals.

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Fans quick to hand wave those concerns off as "meaningless games" don't seem to realize that securing a bye through the first round, as well as home field advantage throughout the playoffs, is very meaningful. Or don't seem to remember that teams aren't able to magically become superhuman in October, as evidenced by the Dodgers winning 104 games in 2017, 106 games in 2019, 106 games in 2021, 111 games in 2022, and 100 games in 2023, only to lose in the postseason each year. It's not that easy to sail through the playoffs in baseball, because the gaps between teams is so small.

Over the course of a season, the best team in baseball might win 60-61% of their games. Meanwhile, the Cubs, headed for a wild card spot, have won 58% of their games. The gaps between teams just aren't big enough for predictable dominance.

They are in the NFL. Though nobody seems to care, for several, frankly ridiculous, reasons.

First, some context. Starting in the 2013 season, the last 13 years, just seven NFL organizations have won the Super Bowl. Out of 32 teams. Over that same time frame, just 11 organizations have even reached the Super Bowl, out of 32 teams. In fact, 10 of the last 13 Super Bowls have been won by the New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles or Seattle Seahawks. One of the other three? Tom Brady's win with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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All told, just 22% of the NFL has won the Super Bowl since 2013. Only 34% of NFL teams have reached the Super Bowl in the last 13 seasons. The Chiefs and Patriots alone have made up 13 of 26 Super Bowl teams over that time frame.

MLB, which is the sport supposedly lacking in competitive balance, where the two World Series teams are reportedly predetermined each year, has been much less predictable. Since 2013, nine organizations, out of 30 teams, have won the World Series. In all 30% of MLB has won a championship, outpacing the NFL. And 17 MLB teams have reached the World Series, or 57%.

So 22% of the NFL has won the Super Bowl since 2013, and 34% have reached the Super Bowl, while 30% of MLB has won a title and 57% have reached the World Series. Which sport has the predictability problem again?

But that's only part of the story. The other, arguably even worse, side of it? The relationship between the regular season in the NFL and reaching or winning the Super Bowl.

Again, some context. The best teams in baseball generally win around 60-61% of their games. In the NFL, the best teams routinely win 80+% of their games. The last two seasons, the best record in the NFL has been 14-3, an .824 winning percentage. Meanwhile, the Green Bay Packers, a playoff team, won just 56% of their games. The gaps between teams in the NFL is so large that the ultimate outcome, which franchises reach the Super Bowl, is much easier to predict.

That's not an opinion, it's fact.

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Since 2013, again, the past 13 seasons, the average Super Bowl participant has ranked second in the NFL's regular season winning percentage. On average. The median rank? Literally one. More than half of the Super Bowl participants had the best record in the regular season. 15 of 26 teams, or 58%, had the best record in the NFL. So 23 of the 26 teams had a top-5 record. 20 of the 26 were in the top three in winning percentage. Some of that is because of ties, meaning teams that had the same records, but it indicates the severity of the problem: have one of the best records? Reach the Super Bowl.

Two of the three outliers, with records outside the top-5, were Tom Brady teams, the 2018 Patriots and 2020 Buccaneers. The other? The 2021 Cincinnati Bengals, one of the flukiest appearances in recent memory after beating the Raiders, Titans, and getting a 27-24 overtime win over the Chiefs. They promptly lost to a team with a top-3 record.

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Let's compare to baseball. Again, over that same time frame, the relationship to regular season winning percentage is much lower. While the average NFL team to reach the Super Bowl had the second best record, in baseball it's 4.5. The median rank of a Super Bowl was one, in MLB it's four. Only eight of 26 teams to reach the World Series had the best record in baseball. That's just 26%, compared to 58% in the NFL.

Not one NFL team that finished outside the top nine in winning percentage reached the Super Bowl, while there were three MLB teams that were 10th or worse that reached the World Series. The 2023 Diamondbacks were 13th, and they swept the almighty Dodgers in the NLDs on their way to a World Series appearance. The 2021 Braves had the 12th best winning percentage in the regular season and beat the 106-win unstoppable Dodgers in the NLCS on their way to bringing home a championship.

Fans have short memories, so it's easy to forget just how unpredictable the baseball postseason actually is. And how little relevance the regular season has. We've seen in just the past few years that even teams that finish well down the list in winning percentage have a legitimate chance of winning a title.

In the NFL? Not even close. The gaps between teams are so big that the best regular season team almost always reaches the Super Bowl or wins it. If your team finishes outside the top three in winning percentage, it's a near-guarantee you're waiting for next year. Especially if you don't have Patrick Mahomes or Tom Brady.

The NFL has several structural benefits however, that allows it to overcome this predictability problem. One is the misguided assumption that any team can win in a given season. We have nearly a decade and a half showing that is conclusively not the case. Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady have played on 10 of the 26 Super Bowl teams since 2013.

The other benefits? The schedule, Red Zone channel, scoring system, and the explosion of fantasy football and gambling.

In 2024 and 2025, the average NFL team has scored 23 points per game. Big numbers! Big numbers means exciting! Considering that represents an average of just over three touchdowns per game, it's much less so. If the average score of an NFL game was 4-3, would fans think it was so "exciting?"

The Red Zone channel, where most fans spend time watching games that don't feature their favorite teams, focuses exclusively on the big, meaningful plays. If you condense a three hour football game into a handful of the best plays, of course it'll seem exciting.

The schedule too, where games are primarily focused Sunday, when the vast majority of fans aren't working and are able to watch games on national television. They watch those games, even with teams they don't follow, due in large part to the rise of gambling, daily fantasy, prop bets, prediction markets, and of course, season-long fantasy football. Or to just have something on in the background. The Netflix "second screen" model.

Apparently because some of this predictability comes from teams in smaller markets, primarily the Chiefs, fans bizarrely don't seem to mind dynasties. No one cares if the same few teams win in the NFL, as long as they're not from New York or LA. Even though the outcome ultimately is predictable, people don't think it is. And perception, as is so often the case, is more important than reality.

Then there's the fact that betting in the NFL is primarily on point spreads, not simply winners and losers. That makes the ultimate outcome, even if it is more predictable, less "boring," because a team can still "cover" even in a loss.

Oh, and by the way, the current betting favorite is the LA Rams, which, should that come to pass, would mean we'd have just seven different teams win a Super Bowl in 14 seasons. It doesn't get much worse than that.

Luigi Mangione's New York murder trial adjourned until December over double jeopardy concerns

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 16:11:34 -0400

Luigi Mangione's New York state murder trial has been adjourned until December following his defense team's motion to dismiss the charges in the wake of last week's guilty plea on related federal charges.

Jury selection had been penciled in to begin on Sept. 8 — but the guilty plea allowed his defense team to raise new double jeopardy concerns.

Prosecutors have until Oct. 9 to respond to the motion to dismiss, Judge Gregory Carro wrote in an order published to the court's website Monday afternoon.

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Then the defense will have until Oct. 30 for Mangione's own reply.

Carro set the next adjourned date for Dec. 10.

Due to a difference in state law and the U.S. Constitution, New York's double jeopardy rules are more favorable to Mangione with the federal case resolved.

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Manhattan prosecutors, however, have said they plan to continue pursuing their case against him.

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The 28-year-old University of Pennsylvania graduate admitted Friday to stalking UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson across state lines, then shooting him in the back outside a Manhattan hotel where he was supposed to meet with investors.

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Thompson was a 50-year-old father of two from Minnesota.

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Mangione has not yet been sentenced in the federal case. Sentencing guidelines recommend about 30 years max, but Judge Margaret Garnett is not bound by them. He could still face a maximum of life in prison without parole.

If he goes to trial on the state charges, the top count of second-degree murder carries a maximum potential sentence of 25 years to life in prison.

Josh Pate was evicted while earning $27K. Now, he runs a college football media empire

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 15:52:37 -0400

Josh Pate owns the IP of his industry-leading college football podcast and signed a new deal with ESPN to co-host a Friday afternoon television program with Will Compton and Taylor Lewan of "Bussin' With The Boys" this fall.

Pate now turns down sponsorship deals and other financial offers at the risk of overexposure.

"The truth of it is I leave a lot on the table because I don't want to overextend myself," he told OutKick. "A lot of these, you know, influencer marketing deals and stuff like that, I appreciate the offers. But I think there's a limit to how much of me the public should have to consume."

But it wasn't always this way.

Less than a decade ago, Josh Pate was working in Columbus, Georgia, making far less than the average American. His financial struggles eventually led to his eviction.

"I was making a little over, slightly over $27,000 a year. I was counting on YouTube revenue, Google AdSense revenue at that point. So I'm barely, I'm barely getting by. In fact, I got evicted. I didn't get by. So we fell below the get-by line for a little while," he explained.

JOSH PATE DISCUSSES NEW ESPN SHOW, FOUR FACES OF ESPN, PAT MCAFEE AND FUTURE OF MEDIA COMPANY WITH OUTK

In 2020, he started to make more, but not much more.

"I think I signed for $75,000 when I came to CBS in 2020. My goal when I was working down in Columbus was to one day make $50,000 a year. So please understand, I thought I had hit the lottery even then."

It was that year, during COVID-19, that Pate began building the show that would eventually put him in a position to own his content.

"So when I came to 247Sports in 2020, I came with a complete fresh slate. We started from scratch. That's right there pre-COVID. We started a YouTube channel before the show I was going to do, and so we started doing the show. Boom, COVID sets in, and I'm working for CBS. I'm working out of the 247Sports office down in Brentwood, Tennessee, just south of Nashville at the time."

"The key was I was smart enough, I guess strategic logic enough, whatever you want to call it, to just talk college football. Because I saw some other sports shows out there, including ones that I consumed regularly, starting to merge and segue into areas that I just didn't think they had any business segueing into. By that, I don't mean they shouldn't have the right to talk about it."

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Pate elaborated on why he stuck to sports during this time.

"What we found is because we did that simultaneous to so many other shows alienating their audiences, people flocked to the show and our numbers scaled really hard and really quick to the point where by the time we got games that fall, we had a condensed season. By the time some of the executives come back into the office, we're already a successful show. We're already a profitable show, and they never really touched the show because it was already a proven product by that point."

By 2022, CBS was offering Pate the first major contract of his career. But it wasn't what he wanted.

"They rip your old contract up. They want to extend you a couple of years, and then another year into that, it is just continuing to scale. So they rip that contract up. They want to offer you a new one, and I got about two new contracts in.

"In 2022, I had to make some decisions with CBS because they wanted to put a long-term, really, really lucrative deal in front of me. But it would not have included IP ownership, asset ownership. I remember talking to some people who I confided in, people in the business well beyond me whose opinions I valued. They said, look, the future of this business is IP ownership, asset ownership. If you're ever going to get it, you've got to get it now because you get one more step down the road and that franchise is going to be way too profitable for them to ever hand over the keys to."

Pate and CBS eventually came to terms.

"So it was that, or it was counter with an offer that was much less, still good, but much less. But it included IP ownership. We went back and forth on that, back and forth on that. There was one night, it was about 10:30 Friday night, for whatever reason, I was in the office all by myself, and I got a call from CBS and they said, all right, we're going to do it.

"I negotiated with CBS. They put a really, really big, to me, an astronomical salary number in front of me, because I'd been making 27 grand a year a few years before that down at my old job in Columbus, Georgia.

"So we've got the YouTube channel, we've got the podcast feeds, we've got the IP ownership, and I own the company. We produce the show now."

From eviction to media stardom.

Watch Josh Pate's full interview with OutKick here.

Trump meets teen lifeguard and boy saved in viral ocean rescue at Oval Office

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 15:48:25 -0400

President Donald Trump praised a teenage California lifeguard as a hero during a Monday meeting at the White House, after the 16-year-old rescued a 10-year-old boy in a viral ocean rescue.

Trump met with Ryder Williams, 16, and his family, as well as Nathaniel Rai—who was swept into the ocean by a wave—and his family.

The rescue drew national attention when it was captured on video.

"It's an honor to be with Ryder Williams," Trump said in the Oval Office. "I understand he was a winner right from the time they first saw him as a lifeguard. He saved this young gentleman who I had a long talk with."

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Trump praised Williams, saying, "What you did was incredible and everybody saw it." He said the teen was an inspiration for young Americans.

Williams, a California State Parks lifeguard, was on duty when Rai was pulled into the water just before the July 25 rescue. Williams rushed to get ahold of the boy, who was being pounded by rough waves until another lifeguard came and helped pull them both to shore.

The rescue went viral, catching the eye of Eric Trump, before President Trump issued a White House invitation to Williams.

"In those dangerous moments that we have, we always try to fall back on our training," Williams, who aspires to become a firefighter, told reporters. "We are trained so well by many to handle that situation as best we can."

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"I hope that everybody can take away from this and try to help more people. Try to look out for everybody around you and just try to help everybody out as much as you can," he added.

Nathaniel's father, Sumit Rai, who was also in the Oval Office, thanked Williams, saying he's "beyond grateful" for the rescue of his son.

The teen's action showed how important lifeguards are, Trump said.

"Maybe lifeguards don't get the credit they deserve," he said.

National park trip turns tragic after falling rock pierces Jeep roof, fatally striking man in front of wife

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 15:36:17 -0400

A nostalgic family trip to Glacier National Park in Montana took a devastating turn last month when a falling rock suddenly crashed through the roof of a Jeep, violently striking a grandfather in the head as his wife watched in horror from the seat beside him.

Park officials told Fox News Digital that the incident happened the afternoon of July 11, at Rimrocks along Going-to-the-Sun Road, a popular 50-mile scenic highway that winds through the mountainous park. The road is known for its sharp curves, steep drop-offs, narrow lanes and towering rock faces.

The Flathead County Coroner's Office identified him as Rex Schowengerdt, a 72-year-old Missouri man.

According to a GoFundMe page organized by the family, Schowengerdt suffered a "catastrophic brain injury" and died five days later at a nearby hospital.

"While riding in a hardtop Jeep on Going-to-the-Sun Road, a falling rock came through the roof and struck my dad as my mom sat beside him and witnessed the entire heartbreaking moment, holding him through the horror of it all," the daughter, Amy Prince, wrote on the fundraising site.

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Prince said her father began his trip extremely excited and was looking forward to revisiting all the places "that had meant so much" to the family. He was traveling with his wife of 50 years, his sister and brother-in-law.

"On July 11, 2026, I received the kind of phone call no one ever forgets. It was my mom calling from the mountain, her voice shaking in the wind, saying that something terrible had happened and that my dad would not survive," the daughter said.

After the incident, Schowengerdt was airlifted from the mountain by helicopter to a nearby hospital.

After several days in the intensive care unit, the family was forced to make "unimaginable end-of-life decisions," according to Prince.

He died on July 16 as his wife and daughter held his hand, Prince said. The daughter’s brother, aunt and uncle were also nearby.

"My dad was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, and someone who loved adventure, the outdoors, and his family deeply. He taught us all to cherish moments and when you are in nature and looking at something beautiful, to look twice and cherish the moment," Prince said.

The Flathead County Coroner's Office ruled the manner of death accidental.

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Despite their grief, Prince said Schowengerdt’s eyes and tissues were viable for donation, allowing him to share his love of seeing the world with others even after his death.

His wife later reportedly received a letter from World Vision informing her that his donation helped restore the vision of two people.

"That brought a small measure of comfort in the middle of so much heartbreak," Prince said.

She added that the family also made the difficult decision to cremate Schowengerdt "because bringing him home was too costly from Montana." They also hope to honor his life with a memorial in his name.

"Our family is deeply grateful to everyone who prayed, to the rescuers, and to the ICU staff at Logan Hospital who cared for my dad," Prince said.

While millions of people travel Going-to-the-Sun Road safely, the steep alpine terrain can be prone to rockfall. Falling debris can damage vehicles and cause serious injuries.

Former ref warns official to keep Caitlin Clark's name out of her mouth, RIP Sheryl Yoast & Kristin Cavallari!

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 15:30:12 -0400

'Nightcaps' is a daily column that catches you up on the biggest sports, news and culture stories you may have missed while pretending to do work at your desk. It runs Monday–Friday on OutKick.com.

Second half of August, boys and girls. Time is FLYING this month. Feels like we were just celebrating the big 2-5-0, and now we're dropping AP Top 25s for college football, and gearing up for Week 2 of the NFL preseason.

This should be the final week, by the way, but the NFL insists on making them play a third game for whatever reason. I assume money. Who knows? Regardless, it'll be gone in a few years when they add an 18th game to the schedule.

That's neither here nor there, though. Today, we look forward, and we keep GRINDING through the second half of August.

Let's grind.

Welcome to a Monday Nightcaps — the one where the best TV ref in the business tells a WNBA ref to keep Caitlin Clark's name out of her MOUTH.

I think Terry McAuley has a point here, too. It was odd. But, the whole WNBA is odd, to I wasn't surprised.

What else? I've got Shane Gillis quickly calling a Bud Light off the bench, a quick reminder about today's Top 25 poll, Kristin Cavallari gets in on the peptide craze, and this Hollywood death hits hard for us football fans.

"He's gettin' beat like he stole somethin', Mr. Bosley!"

Sad. Very sad.

Grab you whatever you'd like to start the week — dealer's choice on this Monday — and settle in for a second-half-of-August 'Cap!

Yes, I know, it's almost football season. And I promised to keep the WNBA talk at a minimum once football season rolled around.

But, it's only almost football season. Close, but no cigar. So, we started the week with Caitlin Clark and yesterday's weak foul call.

Take a look:

"I'll be stunned if they don't overturn that call."

*Two seconds later*

"The contact by Caitlin Clark is deemed illegal."

First of all ... what are we doing here? I've seen a lot of bad officiating in my days — across all sports — but the WNBA easily has the worst refs in the game. They're just awful. In what world is that a foul? I don't get it. What am I missing?

Just horrible.

But that's not why we're here today. The Xs and Os of the call have been written about a dozen times already. Ultimately, the Fever won, so it didn't matter.

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese rivalry gets a new chapter in Fever-Dream overtime thriller

I'm here to talk about the actual call itself ...

I have never, in my life, heard a ref call a player by his or her name while making a call. I'm not sure it's ever happened.

This girl did it yesterday, and former NFL referee Terry McAuley was quick to call out the nonsense:

"Using a player’s name during a foul or review announcement is incredibly unprofessional," he wrote on X. "I’ve never heard it done before in any sport I’ve watched or been involved with. It personalizes the ruling which should always be avoided."

Bingo. Get her, Terry! Don't let this nonsense slip through the cracks. Wild move by the head ref here. Again, I've never heard anything like it.

Terry, by the way, is an excellent TV ref. I'd put Fox's Dean Blandino at the top of the list for obvious reasons, but Terry is a close second.

You know who's awful? Gene Steratore for CBS. You know who was even worse? Mike Carey, who Gene replaced on CBS years ago.

You remember the Mike Carey years? It got so bad towards the end. He became a weekly punchline on Twitter:

Man, I miss Mike. He had some bangers back in the day. A true legend of his craft.

Anyway, let's move this thing along and say goodbye to one of the most underrated actresses of all time, Hayden Panettiere.

She died last night at just 36. It was stunning to wake up to. Just stunning.

Even more stunning? I didn't realize she played Coach Yoast's daughter in Remember the Titans. It's, easily, my favorite sports movie of all time, and I found out this morning that Sheryl Yoast was played by Hayden Panettiere.

And let me tell you something ... that little 10-year-old girl acted her butt of in this movie. She went toe to toe with Denzel the entire time, and it was incredible.

Lordy, what a movie. What a scene. What a cast!

Denzel. Ryan Hurst. A young Ryan Gosling (who was a terrible DB). Hayden. Will Patton (underrated actor). Just amazing.

Anyway, Sheryl Yoast was an iconic character for people my age when that movie came out, mainly because we were the same age. She played the part so well.

I have no idea what happened, but I'm sad it did.

OK, let's rapid-fire this Monday class into a big Monday night. First up? Bud Light spokesman Shane Gillis got caught indulging South of the Border over the weekend, and the PR team had to make a quick call to the bench:

That's the good stuff right there. Solid head's up by whoever the hand is in the picture. You did well. I don't blame Shane, by the way.

I'd take a Dos Equis over a Bud Light. I'd also to a Busch Light over a Bud Light.

I think I'd take a Miller Lite over all of them.

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Next? Happy AP Top-25 Day to all who celebrate!

Thoughts? First impressions?

I think Miami is a little low. Same with LSU. 'Bama's probably too high, but I get it. Missouri at 25 feels like a "F–k it, let's just pick one and get this over with" move by the AP voters. Again, I get it.

Regardless, and I cannot emphasize this enough ... Absolutely none of this matters:

Nearly HALF of last year's Top 25 finished the season unranked. HALF. That's insane. It's the most useless poll in all of sports, but boy, does it feel good to have football (almost) back.

Few more weeks, folks. Hang tight.

OK, that's it for today. Good start to the week, everyone. Let's have another strong one. Let's keep grinding our tails off. There's a light at the end of this WNBA tunnel. I can see it!

Take us home, Kristin Cavallari.

Is Remember the Titans the greatest sports movie ever? Email me at Zach.Dean@OutKick.com.

LIV Golf Team Championship set for Indianapolis as Michigan tournament is canceled amid league's murky future

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 15:24:05 -0400

The LIV Golf Team Championship, originally scheduled to take place in Michigan at the end of August, has officially been canceled and moved to Indianapolis. The news not only comes after weeks of speculation about whether the season finale would take place, but also after the breakaway circuit announced a new, unknown investor to keep LIV afloat into 2027 and beyond.

The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), the sole funder of LIV Golf, announced in April that it would be cutting ties with the league. The PIF's announcement specifically noted that it would "fund LIV Golf only for the remainder of the 2026 season," but with the re-scheduling of the team championship, that doesn't appear to be the case.

"As the 2026 LIV Golf season comes to a close after incredible competition across 10 countries and five continents, we reflect on record crowds, broadcast viewership, marketing partner support and social growth, alongside historic comebacks, emerging young talent, OWGR recognition and new pathways to the majors," LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil said in a news release. "By concluding the season now, we can put our full resources behind what comes next and maintain the operational rigor this transition demands. We are reimagining LIV Golf as a fundamentally new League owned by the players and anchored in a sustainable business model, with an evolved fan experience built for the markets where the game is growing fastest across the globe and the support of world-class partners.

"Professional golf is more unified today than at any point since we launched, creating a genuine opportunity to grow the game together. Indianapolis will be a fitting finale for the League as fans have known it and the starting point for what we believe it can become."

Rumors of LIV's Team Championship disappearing reached a fever pitch in July when former major champion and Cleeks team captain Martin Kaymer said the event, which carried a purse of $40 million, was "highly unlikely" to go on as scheduled. LIV Indianapolis, scheduled to take place Aug. 20-23, will be the last event of the season.

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"As we concentrate on finishing the season strong and building the next chapter of LIV Golf, we’ll carry the energy and enthusiasm our fans have shown us into what comes next," O'Neil added. "The road ahead is possible because of the people who stand behind this League – our fans, players, caddies, employees, partners, and sponsors."

Recent reports also claimed that the build-out at The Cardinal at Saint John's, the course that was set to host the finale, had not yet begun. LIV Michigan is now the second event on LIV's 2026 calendar to be canceled after LIV New Orleans was scrapped in June.

While speculation about LIV's immediate future has more or less been put to bed with the Team Championship's re-scheduling, that isn't the case regarding the circuit's future in 2027.

On Aug. 5, O'Neil announced that an investor has been secured to keep the league afloat. While he did not divulge any specific details about the unknown investor, O'Neil did share an important fact about the next phase of LIV Golf and its players.

"LIV Golf has an agreement in place with a lead investor, signed by the investor and approved by the Board, to anchor the transaction and play a key role in supporting the path forward for the League’s next era, driven by and for the players," O'Neil said at the time.

"Notably, our next chapter will make our players the majority equity holders in LIV Golf, a first for a major global sports league," he continued, while stating the goal is to enter a finalized transaction in September.

It remains unclear what LIV Golf looks like, and even more unclear which players will be competing, beginning in 2027. The plan for the 2027 LIV schedule is for it to feature 10 events, with five in the United States and five across the globe.