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Lionel Richie hospitalized in St Louis after summer of health scares and canceled concerts
Lionel Richie was hospitalized Monday in St. Louis after a concert stop over the weekend at The Muny in Forest Park.
Circumstances surrounding his hospitalization were not immediately known.
Richie, 77, suffered a number of health scares over the summer, which forced him to cancel a string of shows.
LIONEL RICHIE REASSURES FANS HE IS 'DOING WELL' AFTER DIZZY SPELL FORCED CONCERT CANCELLATIONS
"Thank you for every message, every kind word, and for all your love," he wrote online in July. "I’m doing well, and I’m grateful for all of you."
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One week prior, Richie was forced to postpone shows from falling "dizzy" during his tour-opener in Minnesota.
The United Center announced at the time that Richie's scheduled concerts in Chicago, and Columbus, Ohio, would no longer take place due to doctors' orders.
JON BON JOVI ABRUPTLY ENDS MADISON SQUARE GARDEN SHOW AFTER HEALTH SETBACK
"Under advisement by doctors to rest and return to full health, Lionel Richie has postponed his next two shows," the Instagram post read in part. "Lionel is heartbroken to postpone these two shows and cannot wait to be back performing for his fans."
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A St. Paul Fire Department public information officer confirmed to Fox News Digital last month that an individual was "transported from Grand Casino Arena late on June 24, 2026, to a local hospital by Saint Paul Fire-EMS."
The "American Idol" judge was nearly an hour into his concert at the Grand Casino Arena when fans noticed a change in Richie.
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While performing his upbeat classic "Dancing on the Ceiling," Richie paused and took a seat on a platform before later revealing to the crowd that he was feeling lightheaded, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune.
"When you're feeling dizzy, sit your a-- down," he joked.
Vance unloads on El-Sayed after Usha swipe with brutal warning: 'Way out of your league'
Vice President JD Vance urged Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed during a rally on Monday to focus on substantive policy issues instead of attacking his wife.
"I actually think that the people of Michigan think it's kind of weird when you talk about another guy's wife," Vance said at a metro Detroit rally organized by MAGA Inc., a super PAC aligned with the president.
"I think the people of Michigan would like you to talk about the public policy ideas …I think the people of Michigan would like you to talk about how you're going to protect auto workers when you're supporting every single policy that has undercut the wages and jobs of Michigan auto workers your entire life in public service."
"But whatever you want to talk about, Abdul, keep my wife's name the hell out of your mouth because she's way out of your league," the vice president added.
Vance's quip was in response to El-Sayed saying "do we think JD is taking Usha with him back in time to meet Papaw, or no" after the vice president suggested that Sharia law would have been an alien concept to his grandfather.
Critics said the post appeared to take aim at Usha Vance’s Indian heritage. El-Sayed later said his point was that Vance seemed to be suggesting some people are "more American" than others because their families have been in the country longer, noting that Vance’s own in-laws are immigrants.
"If you’re a rural White American living in Michigan, just remember El-Sayed believes you’re a racist," conservative commentator Ryan Girdusky said in response to the Democratic hopeful’s statement.
SECOND LADY USHA VANCE FIRES BACK AT POINTED JAB FROM DEMOCRATIC SENATE NOMINEE ABDUL EL-SAYED
Earlier in his speech, Vance accused El-Sayed of undercutting his support for working people by taking liberal positions on immigration issues.
"We're here to talk about protecting Michigan truck drivers, but also protecting the safety of every single person who drives on the road with a semi truck, which is all of us," Vance said. "Here's the crazy thing. Just a few years ago, Abdul El-Sayed said that we need to make sure that illegal aliens have driver's licenses in this country. He would love to undercut the wages of American truckers."
TRUMP ADMIN INVESTIGATING 75 TRUCK DRIVER SCHOOLS FOR FRAUD, HELPING NON-CITIZENS GET LICENSES
In 2018, El-Sayed expressed support for allowing illegal immigrants to obtain standard driver's licenses, though he did not specifically push for those in the country illegally to receive the commercial driver's licenses necessary to operate long-haul trucks.
While Vance and El-Sayed differ in their approaches to immigration, the two both agree, in principle, that tariffs should be used to benefit American industry.
The El-Sayed campaign did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Monday.
Trump's White House ballroom construction gets another lifeline from SCOTUS amid heated legal fight
The Supreme Court has again sided with the Trump administration, allowing construction on the White House ballroom project to continue while the case continues to be litigated in the lower courts.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for details.
Carrie Underwood honors Dolly Parton's faith and legacy during emotional concert tribute
Carrie Underwood admitted Dolly Parton's death was a shock that created ripples throughout the world.
The "American Idol" judge was overcome with emotion as she honored the late country music icon during her debut performance Saturday at the Tanglewood Music Center in Lenox, Mass.
Underwood, 43, told her audience that Parton was a "huge influence to so many of us, but just one of the nicest people I think I've ever met."
DOLLY PARTON LAID TO REST AS NIECE SHARES EMOTIONAL TRIBUTE TO 'GRANNY'
"It was such a shock, I feel like just the whole world, like could feel the ripples, like time just stood still, and it was just like... what?" Underwood said in a video circulating online.
"She's just the one that transcends all space and all time."
DOLLY PARTON'S PATH FROM NASHVILLE NEWCOMER TO BILLBOARD'S NO. 1 COUNTRY MUSIC ARTIST OF ALL TIME
She added, "I feel like she was just out there with the brightest smile on her face up until the very last day... and that's something that I feel like we can all learn from. She is gone, but she's not forgotten."
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With one finger pointed up toward the sky, Underwood said, "I know where she is, and I know how much she loved Jesus."
The "Jesus Take the Wheel" singer asked the audience to take out their phones and "light this place up" in honor of Dolly before dedicating "See You Again" to the late country legend.
Underwood recognized Parton's longtime devotion to her faith while remembering Dolly on social media following her death.
DOLLY PARTON'S LIFE IN HER OWN WORDS: FROM SMOKY MOUNTAINS POVERTY TO COUNTRY MUSIC IMMORTALITY
"She’s not gone. I know exactly where she is," Underwood wrote on Instagram last week. "She was the epitome of faith, grace, talent, beauty and humor. She had a humble heart for Jesus and made everyone around her feel special.
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"She was probably the one person on planet Earth that everyone loved and could agree on. She was a one of one and no one will ever come close. It’s alright to be sad that this world lost a legend, but heaven gained an angel. Well done, good and faithful Dolly. Welcome home."
Parton died peacefully in Nashville, Tenn., on Tuesday following a brief battle with cancer, according to a press release. She was surrounded by loved ones at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.
"Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched," her team said in a statement.
"Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand."
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They added, "Whether it be the hundreds of millions of books donated through her invaluable Imagination Library or funding research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world, Dolly’s unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact."
Beyond music, Parton built a business empire in her home state of Tennessee, with Dollywood becoming one of the state’s most popular attractions. Her charitable work through the Dollywood Foundation and Imagination Library also left an indelible mark on many.
Trump's Canada tariff fight reaches critical point as House GOP summons trade chief
FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump's top trade advisor will huddle with House Republicans on Wednesday as the commander in chief's tariff strategy is quickly becoming a flashpoint on the campaign trail.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is attending the Republican Study Committee's weekly lunch this week, a source familiar with planning told Fox News Digital.
Two additional sources told Fox News Digital they expect lawmakers to raise the issue of Trump's trade war with Canada.
VANCE SAYS CANADA FRIENDLIER TO CHINA ON TRADE THAN TO US: 'INSANITY'
It comes as tensions escalate between the U.S. and its northern ally.
Trump accused Ontario of ripping off American businesses in a post on Truth Social Sunday, claiming Canada wants "to be treated like a state, but they aren't one."
‘CAPTAIN CANADA’ FIREBRAND UNLOADS ON TRUMP WITH PROFANE ONE-LINER AS TRADE WAR ESCALATES
"They’ve been ripping us off for decades, and it’s going to stop," Trump wrote.
The U.S. imposed a 50% tariff on a range of Canadian goods in late July, with the duties going into effect earlier this month. Canada responded with its own tariffs of up to 50% on U.S. imports.
TRUMP JUST EXPANDED HIS TARIFF PLAYBOOK WITH A POWERFUL TRADE WEAPON NO PRESIDENT HAS EVER USED
Trump also escalated tensions with the country this month by signing an executive order to rename Lake Ontario as "Lake America."
It's not clear when the meeting between Greer and RSC was planned, nor is it clear if Fox News Digital's sources expect questions or outright opposition to the trade war.
But Trump's tariffs have been a political lightning rod for much of his second term.
The House passed a bill in February aimed at reversing Trump's earlier Canada tariffs, with six Republicans voting in support. Just one Democrat, Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, voted against it.
New report exposes intact Iranian bunker that may hide regime's ongoing nuclear work
A new report from a leading think tank has revealed what it says is a partially submerged Iranian uranium facility at the Natanz nuclear compound in Iran.
The revelation of the secretive facility raises new concerns over whether Iran’s nuclear weapons apparatus was destroyed during the two American-Israeli-launched wars against the regime in 2025 and 2026.
The Washington, D.C.-based Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) announced in late August that it has located an underground Iranian facility that is likely linked to uranium enrichment for the possible use in production of atomic weapons.
EXPERTS ‘DEEPLY’ CONCERNED OVER IRAN’S WORK AT UNDERGROUND NUCLEAR SITE
It wrote that "The facility does not appear to have been targeted in the military actions of either 2025 or 2026. Since the June 2025 war, no vehicle activity has been observed at the facility in available satellite imagery."
According to the institute, "The Institute has identified a separately enclosed, partially below-ground, bunkered building at the Natanz Nuclear Complex that was likely intended to serve as uranium hexafluoride… storage facility to support large-scale uranium enrichment at the Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant. The bunkered structure was constructed between 2010 and 2017, with the bulk of construction occurring between 2015 and 2017."
It further added that "The lesson for today is that any temporary enrichment ban must include a dismantlement and dissolution of remaining capabilities and must not allow for any type of preparatory activity for the end of a ban."
IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL HINGES ON IAEA ACCESS TO LONG-BLOCKED ATOMIC WEAPON SITES, EXPERTS SAY
Uranium is the crucial material to produce atomic weapons. Iran’s regime is vehemently opposed to the Trump administration’s demands that it stop enriching uranium and hand over its already enriched uranium.
According to another report by the Institute for Science and International Security in April," From December 2024 to June 2025, a half-year period, Iran almost doubled its stock of 60% enriched uranium to 440 kilograms. This action dramatically increased suspicion that Iran was moving toward a decision to build nuclear weapons, significantly shortening timelines to be able to create a nuclear arsenal with up to ten nuclear weapons."
The U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran’s vast nuclear weapons facility during Operation Midnight Hammer in June 2025 significantly set back Iran’s ability to produce atomic weapons and enrich uranium.
OBAMA-ERA INSPECTION FLAWS IN IRAN COULD PERSIST AS EXPERTS WARN OF NUCLEAR BLIND SPOTS
Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), told Fox News Digital that "The report assesses the structure at the Natanz nuclear facility was not targeted during Operations Midnight Hammer and Epic Fury. This raises questions as to why the U.S. and Israel did not target the site. Given that Iran is not allowing IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] inspections of bombed facilities, in contravention of its NPT [Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons]obligations, this will require Washington and Jerusalem to rely on their own intelligence estimates as to this bunkered building."
Brodsky added, "If it is still intact and can accommodate this kind of enrichment activity, the site should be destroyed in any future strikes. The allowance of such a facility under the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] demonstrates the flaws of the agreement — permitting Iran to retain an industrial scale enrichment program following the sunsets of various provisions — and underscores why zero enrichment in Iran has to continue to be the international demand."
When asked about the facility and if the IAEA plans to inspect it, Fredrik Dahl, a spokesman for the IAEA, told Fox News Digital, that "The building you are referring to is well-known to the Agency as part of the Natanz site that the IAEA regularly inspected prior to mid-2025."
Asked about the report, Anna Kelly, a White House spokeswoman, told Fox News Digital that "First, Iran’s nuclear facilities were totally obliterated during Operation Midnight Hammer. Now, Operation Economic Outcast is severing every remaining economic lifeline sustaining the Islamic Republic of Iran. President Trump has been clear that Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon, and America is entering the endgame with the single greatest financial offensive ever mounted against an adversary."
Successive U.S. administrations have repeatedly designated the Islamic Republic of Iran since the 1980s as a leading state-sponsor of terrorism.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s announcement last week that the U.S. imposed the economic equivalent of the military campaign that defeated Nazi Germany on the Islamic Republic of Iran could set off a series of events leading to the dissolution of the nearly 47-year-old dictatorship in Tehran, according to experts.
Bessent’s declaration of economic warfare — formally designated Operation Economic Outcast — follows President Trump’s commitment to launch an "economic D-Day" against the clerical regime. The comprehensive U.S. economic pressure point campaign also aims to isolate the regime with respect to its efforts to rebuild its nuclear weapons facility.
Texas learns the hard way not to mock Florida high school football, Lindsey Vonn stuns & USC's poor showing!
'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.
Final day of August, folks. This is it. At 12:01, we officially begin the 'Ber months — otherwise known as the greatest stretch on the sports calendar.
Forget sports ... it's the greatest stretch on the calendar, period.
September. October. November. December. Four of the best months of the year, staring us right in our fat faces. How lucky are we?
We got our college football appetizer on Saturday, and it starts in full this week. We get NFL next Wednesday (!!!). We have a three-day weekend coming up. Fantasy football drafts are in full swing. The WNBA is taking the next three weeks off.
Again, who has it better than us? Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas. Unreal stretch coming up. Strap in and hold on tight. We're in for a wild little ride.
Welcome to a Monday Nightcaps — the one where a Texas high school football team learns the hard way not to disrespect the great state of Florida. This was never, ever going to end well.
What else? I've got Lindsey Vonn smashing tennis balls and dominating in a green dress, my Red Sox got embarrassed over the weekend, and let's talk about that USC crowd from Saturday afternoon. It was pathetic, and for those screaming about it being a blowout Week 0 game, I've got some highlights out of South Dakota to show you.
Give me a break.
Grab you something tall and strong — but please don't make it a hurricane (we're entering PEAK time down here) — and settle in for a final-Monday-of-August 'Cap!
Obviously, the end of August and beginning of the 'Ber months hit just a bit different down here in Florida.
Case in point: We're currently spending the week monitoring 'Dolly,' which is, unfortunately, the next named storm on the list. Looks like we're just gonna get some possible rain remnants from her later this week, which is fine. Not the best, given it's rained all summer where I am, but better than the alternative.
But it is a reminder that this is the time of year where the H-words really get active. This is a 'hold-your-breath' month for Floridians. Let's keep our heads down and eyes on the prize, folks. Let's GRIND.
OK, let's get this class going by staying this great state and checking out last Friday's big national game between DeSoto (Texas) and St. Thomas Aquinas down in Fort Lauderdale:
Hilarious. St. Thomas, by the way, has won seven straight state championships. They've been a Florida powerhouse since I was in school, and that was a long time ago.
USC FOOTBALL RIPPED FOR PATHETIC CROWD AT HOME OPENER: 'ABSOLUTELY EMBARRASSING'
There's always been this debate surrounding high school football ... which state produces the best talent? It's either Florida, Georgia, Texas or California. Those are the Big Four. I'd throw in Tennessee as well.
Obviously, I'm biased. Duh. I live and breathe Florida. We have the greatest governor in the world, had no clue COVID was happening, and have so much leftover money in the budget we're about to nix property taxes (kinda). I played high school football down here. I covered it for years.
I don't think it's particularly close.
Don't poke the bear like that, DeSoto! Dumb decision. They went down, 38-0, in the first half and the second half took 15 minutes because there was a running clock.
It Just Means More down here!
You know where it doesn't mean more ... or, frankly, anything?
Southern California:
Goodness gracious. I know it was San Jose State, but come on. That's just pathetic.
It was so bad, by the way, that USC felt the need to issue a STATEMENT on the attendance:
"We understand the factors that impacted Saturday’s attendance," USC said, via USA Today. "We have high expectations and a premier home schedule this season, and we know the competitive advantage an electric Coliseum atmosphere can provide our program. We thank our fans who showed up Saturday and look forward to seeing increased attendance the rest of the season."
Factors? What factors? The heat? It was 92 degrees. Give me a break.
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And no, I don't want to hear the "it was San Jose State!" argument. That's so weak. Guess who South Dakota State played on Saturday?
The Stetson Hatters — otherwise known as, quite possibly, the worst team in all of college football. I know this, because I spent many years in DeLand. The Jackrabbits, a nationally ranked FCS team, were a 49.5 point favorite. I know this, because I hammered that and it was the easiest win I've ever had.
They won 70-7.
LOOK at this crowd for that game Saturday night:
Spare me, USC. Don't bulls–t a bullsh–tter.
OK, let's rapid-fire this Monday class into a big Monday night. First up? My Red Sox got embarrassed in New York this weekend, losing a winnable series, 3-1, because they chose to basically punt in two of the games. It was a disgrace, and the bellyaching from Red Sox Twitter today has been even worse.
Everyone is complaining about this 'no catch' call from yesterday afternoon, which basically turned a 0-0 game on its head:
I thought it was a catch in real time, and thought it was a catch after the replay. But, it was ruled a no-catch on the field, and they were never overturning that — especially at Yankee Stadium.
But the whining and complaining afterwards was a sight to behold, and I'm a Red Sox fan!
It got so bad, the Red Sox radio team started telling our crappy pitchers to start hitting their crappy players.
Seriously:
Good God. It's so pathetic. I like Will Middlebrooks. I don't particularly love Will Flemming. This was just insane to hear.
Hey, fellas — it's Red Sox/Yankees. This was the biggest game of the year. Quit whining about the stupid catch, quit whining about Jazz stealing third, and maybe start talking about how the Red Sox were a complete no-show all weekend long.
You're either the hunter or the hunted, and the Red Sox laid three eggs in the biggest series of the year and then whined about it for five innings yesterday.
Grow up and start worrying more about not sucking in Yankee Stadium. You're gonna be back there in a month.
Figure it out.
Whew. OK, I needed to get that off my chest. Appreciate everyone allowing me to do so.
Let's cool down with Lindsey Vonn on the way out.
And, of course, let's have a big week.
Was it a catch? Email me at Zach.Dean@OutKick.com.
Stephen A Smith reveals Barack Obama privately called him after Biden criticism ahead of 2024 election
Podcast host Stephen A. Smith revealed on Friday that former President Barack Obama called him before the 2024 election to discuss his influence, noting that Obama wanted to speak privately rather than appear on his podcast.
"What I never told y'all, and I never brought up, is that Barack Obama called me too. The content of that conversation will remain private because I will not violate trust," Smith said. "He called before the election to discuss my impact, but he didn't come on the podcast either."
Smith spoke to "The Culture Table," hosted by Tori Cooper, Sumatra Abernathy and Ashley Christopher, about receiving a "thumbs-down" award from the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) at an Atlanta gala, defending himself against the criticism.
"It was after I said that we need a new president because Joe Biden clearly was done. You know, he clearly looked done. So the point is, folks like to talk to me privately, but then when I ask them to come on camera and to have a fruitful discussion, now they go elsewhere," he continued.
"So it's like I'm taking these hits, and these are people that want to facilitate or assist in the facilitation of these narratives being disseminated and projected about me. But the same people calling me privately, having discussions upon which I have never violated. This is the first time anyone has ever heard me publicly state that Barack Obama called me," Smith said.
OBAMA BLAMES SPLINTERED MEDIA FOR PREVENTING SUPERSTAR DEMOCRAT FROM RISING UP
The former president's office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Obama wasn't the only one Smith accused of not coming on his show. He also named former first lady Michelle Obama, former Vice President Kamala Harris, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.
"I think the Democrats fear my footsteps," he said. "I think they know that they have a legitimate fear that I can influence the election potentially. I will never divulge what was said, but last week when I did my podcast and I responded to the NABJ, I pointed out how Kamala Harris reached out to me and asked to meet with me, and we met for two hours."
"She did not speak to me and come on my show before the election," Smith said of Harris. "Once again, in my opinion, they take paths of smaller resistance."
Harris' office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
AMERICA OWES BLACK WOMEN 'EVERYTHING,' REP JASMINE CROCKETT RANTS OVER JULY 4 WEEKEND
Smith recently addressed the NABJ's thumbs-down award during his show.
"The reality is that it was a personal hit job," Smith said. "We can sit up there and lollygag around and act like we don't know any better. It was a personal hit job. Which, by the way, usually doesn't phase me. I know you think something phases me, just because you see me commenting on it. No, I'm in this business. I have a platform. I can comment about anything I want to, and I will continue to do so."
"That's not what this is," he added. "This is different. This is a journalism organization that didn't engage in journalism when it came to critiquing me. Disparaging Black women is a very incendiary thing to say. If you felt that adamant about it, [NABJ] President [Errin] Haines, how come I never got a call?"
Smith speculated that the award was focused on his past criticism of high-profile Black female political figures like Crockett. He also revealed that he reached out to Haines regarding the organization's allegations to potentially discuss their differences, a conversation that ultimately went nowhere.
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"While much of the public conversation in recent days has centered on Stephen A. Smith, he was one of five recipients named this year," the NABJ previously told Fox News Digital in a statement. "The concerns NABJ raised extend well beyond any one individual and include threats to editorial independence, the loss of newsroom diversity and reporting expertise, the treatment of Black journalists in the workplace, responsible use of influential media platforms, and decisions that affect the ability of journalists to fully and fairly cover Black communities and hold powerful institutions accountable."
Media analyst and Fox News contributor Joe Concha told Fox News Digital that high-profile Democratic figures have rarely appeared on less traditional media platforms, unlike President Donald Trump, who appeared on Joe Rogan's podcast.
"Bill Maher has shared the same sentiment: High-profile Democrats want nothing to do with his program, much as they avoid Stephen A. Smith's. The same applies to potential 2028 presidential contenders such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who rarely leaves her political comfort zone, and Kamala Harris, who avoided holding a traditional press conference during her vice presidency and her presidential campaigns because she prefers to control the narrative.
"This is the essence of being risk-averse. It is also a losing proposition. Donald Trump joined Joe Rogan for a three-hour interview in 2024 and appeared on other programs, such as Theo Von's, to reach younger male and nonpropensity voters. Harris wanted nothing to do with either.
"Similar behavior is evident in Ocasio-Cortez, who struggles when faced with uncomfortable questions, as seen during her appearance in Munich. Conversely, potential 2028 nominees such as JD Vance and Marco Rubio have proven they will take questions from anyone at any time. Ultimately, that kind of exposure can make the difference in a close race."
Fox News' Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.
Steve Sarkisian gives embarrassing explanation for Texas' College Football Playoff loss: 'We were tired'
Expectations for the Texas Longhorns football program have reached a fever pitch, with star quarterback Arch Manning heading into his second year as the starting quarterback.
The Longhorns are expected to once again have one of the best defenses in college football, brought in a top six recruiting class, and some services believe Texas has the most talented roster in the sport. At least by recruiting rankings. They also finished out their 2025 season with wins over Texas A&M and Michigan, taking some momentum into a pivotal 2026.
Unfortunately, despite all these factors aligning in their favor, the Longhorns also have arguably the toughest schedule in the country. They host Ohio State, play at Tennessee, have the traditional Red River Shootout against Oklahoma, host Ole Miss, play at LSU, and at Texas A&M. With that schedule, the Longhorns could be a significantly improved team from 2025 and still finish 9-3 without playing poorly.
WHICH TEAMS HAVE THE TOUGHEST STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE HEADING INTO COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON?
But that might not be the biggest hurdle in head coach Steve Sarkisian's quest to bring a national title home to Austin. It's being mentally tired. Seriously.
Sarkisian revealed on a recent podcast that their loss to Ohio State in the 2024-2025 College Football Playoff was due to the Longhorns being "tired."
ARCH MANNING'S NFL STAR GRANDFATHER LAMENTS HYPE AROUND TEXAS QUARTERBACK
"I felt like the year we played Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl, we were tired, and not necessarily physically tired," Sarkisian said. "We were mentally fatigued as well. That’s a long season. We had so many big games. So I think managing it this time around, how we manage their energy level, is as important as how we manage their legs and the physicality."
Every team is tired at the end of a college football season. Every team deals with injuries and mental fatigue. And it's the job of a coach to prepare the players for each and every challenge. Specifically, if you can't overcome fatigue and being "tired" in the literal College Football Playoff semifinal, how can you ever?
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Not to mention, Ohio State was likely "tired" too. The Buckeyes finished their season with a top-5 Indiana team, rivalry game against Michigan, playing Tennessee in the first round, then the number one seed in the tournament, Oregon, in LA, then had to travel to Texas to play the Longhorns in what should have been an effective home game for Sarkisian just 200 miles from campus.
There's no doubt Texas had a tough stretch to finish their season as well, but they played their final games either in Texas or Atlanta. And despite the easier travel schedule, they were very fortunate to escape with a win over Arizona State in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
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It's not encouraging that, with Texas heading into what's likely their toughest schedule over the past few seasons, their head coach is explaining the team has been fatigued and tired for their biggest games. Whatever it takes, Sarkisian will apparently have to get them more rest to bring home a championship.
DSA leader's working-class image takes hit as public records pile up contradictions
The contradictions are piling up around New York City Democratic Socialists of America co-chair Gustavo Gordillo, whose claims about his working-class credentials — from being a "union electrician" to his housing and family story — have increasingly collided with public records and other evidence.
Gordillo has repeatedly invoked his family’s immigrant success story while explaining his support for socialism.
"My parents came here, they had nothing," Gordillo told the New York Times in a profile piece earlier this month. "Their first jobs were in fast food and cleaning houses. They built success in this country. And they’re absolutely the exception."
According to Gordillo, he advances the cause of socialism because he believes it can "build a world" where his parents’ success story is "not exceptional."
A 2021 obituary for Gordillo’s paternal grandfather, however, raises questions about the family history behind that account.
Manuel Gordillo, Gordillo’s grandfather, immigrated from Peru to the United States to practice medicine in 1958. After settling in the United States, Manuel met his future wife in St. Louis, and the couple later had Gordillo’s father, Gustavo.
The obituary also notes that Gordillo’s grandfather built a successful life as a psychiatrist in Ohio, at one point serving as the president of the Ohio Psychiatric Association, casting doubt on the socialist’s claim that his parents grew up in poverty.
"My dad, his first job in the United States was working at Wendy’s, my mom’s first job was a house cleaner, and they did make a living for themselves, and they had success," Gordillo told Fox News in July.
Gordillo and the New York City Democratic Socialists of America did not respond to requests for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Monday.
The questions surrounding Gordillo’s account of his family history come after discrepancies emerged over how he has described his occupation and living arrangements.
The 38-year-old socialist, for example, told the New York Times that he was renting a modest apartment in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn only for it to be revealed that he was actually living in a $1.4 million townhouse owned by his father in a trendier part of the borough.
"Not only did DSA co-chair Gustavo Gordillo's parents buy him this rowhouse, they converted it from a two family and renovated it into a luxury single-family home for him," New York City Councilwoman Vickie Paladino said on X. "Exactly the kind of 'greed' the DSA rails against on a daily basis, and reducing valuable housing inventory by one more unit, which is supposedly something the DSA cares very deeply about."
FRUSTRATED BLUE-COLLAR UNION BOSSES RIP SOCIALIST POLITICIANS, WARN OF LABOR EXODUS FROM DEM PARTY
Also undercutting Gordillo’s working-class image is his continued self-identification as a "union electrician" despite the fact that he hasn’t been a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers since March, when he was fired for not showing up to his apprenticeship.
"After learning of Mr. Gordillo’s prolonged absence from and failure to participate in required work and classes, the trustees of the Joint Apprentice Training Committee terminated Mr. Gordillo from the program," the IBEW said in a statement.
Even with the IBEW publicly stating that Gordillo is not a member of their organization, the socialist leader still identifies himself as a "union electrician" on social media.