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Popular household remedy for keeping skunks away dismissed as myth by wildlife expert
Irish Spring soap, known for its fresh scent, is often recommended online — in blog posts, social media exchanges and elsewhere — as a way to repel skunks. Yet wildlife experts say the popular household hack is more a myth than a proven solution.
Some homeowners claim the soap's strong scent can help discourage skunks from lingering near flower beds, garbage cans and other areas around the home.
The popular DIY method typically involves placing chunks of soap or grated pieces in mesh bags around a property, particularly in spots where skunks have been seen.
WORLD’S OLDEST KNOWN LAND ANIMAL ALIVE AFTER VIRAL DEATH HOAX FOOLS THOUSANDS
Florida-based wildlife expert Ned Bruha, president of The Wildlife Whisperer, said homeowners should be skeptical of such claims.
"Irish Spring soap, mint, essential oils, mothballs and other alleged wildlife deterrents are simply wives tales and snake oil," Bruha told Fox News Digital.
"If they worked, after 27 years in business, I would certainly be using them."
Skunks are common throughout much of North America and are known for digging beneath decks, sheds, sidewalks and other structures in search of shelter.
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Bruha said preventing access to those areas is one of the most effective ways to keep skunks from settling on a property.
"Physical alterations to keep skunks out, landscape modifications and repairs are long-term solutions," he said.
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"Skunks are very tenacious. If you leave an inch, they will dig voraciously and bypass alterations so they can live under your house, shed, sidewalk, air conditioner, deck and other places."
Many online guides suggest that strongly scented products can help repel skunks by masking odors that attract them, such as food scraps, insects and other potential food sources.
Bruha said homeowners are better off focusing on practical prevention measures, including securing trash, removing food sources and sealing potential animal den areas.
He also cautioned against assuming that trapping or relocating a skunk will permanently solve the problem.
"Repeatedly trapping, killing or relocating auto-replenishing skunks is as worthless as an ashtray on a motorcycle," Bruha said.
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The wildlife expert noted that spring and early summer can be particularly challenging because young skunks, known as kits, are beginning to emerge.
"Little skunk babies, called kits, are running all over the place this time of year," he said. "They don't hop into traps."
Bruha said removing an adult skunk can sometimes create a new problem if orphaned kits are left behind.
"Orphaned skunk kits stay behind, the weakest die and the strongest will often eat their dead brothers and sisters," he said.
Irish Spring soap "splashed onto the scene over 50 years ago, starting with bar soap in the 1970s," says the Colgate-Palmolive Company, which owns the brand, on its website. "Since then, it has been a beacon for freshness, and in 2007, it expanded its lineup to include body washes."
Congressional baseball game offers longstanding traditions, and plenty of confusion
There were two 1s. Three 3s. Three 4s. One 04. Three 6s. Two 06s. Two 7s. Two 07s. 2 9s. And three 12s.
No. I wasn’t trying to decipher computer programming code.
This wasn’t a routing number for a checking account.
Nor was I communicating in hexadecimals.
I was staring at these numbers to unravel the GOP’s uniform numbers for the annual Congressional baseball game at Nats Park.
REPUBLICANS DESTROY DEMOCRATS IN CONGRESSIONAL BASEBALL GAME AGAIN, WINNING FOR 5TH STRAIGHT YEAR
Congressional Republicans and Democrats play each other in the event. It’s a custom dating back to 1909. No other athletic team in any sport on the planet allows players on the same team to wear the same numbers. But since this is Congress, lawmakers get to choose whatever uniform number they want.
On the Republican team, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Rep. Brad Finstad (R-MN) both wear number one. Reps. Chuck Flesichmann (R-TN), Greg Murphy (R-NC) and Marlin Stutzman (R-IN) don number three.
You get the idea.
Old-time ballpark vendors used to hawk their wares by shouting, "You can’t tell the players without a scorecard."
With all of these numbers, a scorecard won’t do. You need an abacus.
The Democrats aren’t much better with their uniform algebra. Four Democrats utilized the same uniform digits. There were two 3s. Two 11s. Two 15s. And two 25s. For instance, Reps. Morgan McGarvey, D-Ky., and Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., sported number three. Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., and Frank Mrvan, D-Ind., requested number 11.
The game is a charity event, raising more than $3.2 million and coaxing 32,000 fans to the ballpark. So who wears what number really shouldn’t matter much.
SCHMITT GOES IN-DEPTH ON DIVING CATCH & CHANGES TO COLLEGE ATHLETICS ON ‘RUTHLESS’
Unless you’re broadcasting the game on national television.
That’s where I come in.
I’ve had the privilege of announcing the game for Fox Sports for five years now, live on FS1. I handle the color commentary. My Fox News colleague and former ESPN hand Kevin Corke does play-by-play. Fox Sports sends the same production crew which handles playoff games and the World Series to cover this. Led by Fox producer extraordinaire Aaron Stojkov, the same group of folks just worked Fox’s national broadcast of the Cardinals/Cubs game a few weeks ago in St. Louis. They handled the Phillies/Brewers game in Milwaukee Saturday night.
Congress is my thing. But baseball even more so.
I was at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati in 1985 the night Pete Rose broke Ty Cobb’s all-time hits record. I know that Atlanta Braves pitcher Tom House caught Hank Aaron’s 715th career home run in the bullpen, breaking Babe Ruth’s mark. I can talk about Ralph Branca on the mound for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Branca yielded "The Shot Heard ‘Round the World" to Bobby Thomson, propelling the New York Giants into the 1951 World Series. I’ll then regale you with the little known fact that Thomson is from Glasgow, Scotland. Not Staten Island. I can even give you a dissertation explaining the infield fly rule.
But the annual ritual of decrypting the Congressional baseball game is the most challenging thing I do professionally each year. The exercise involving the national pastime is a fabulous yet tough assignment.
I’ve often wondered if calling an actual Major League game would be easier than announcing the tilt between the Democrats and Republicans. For MLB, I follow the teams. I study box scores. I can tell who is on a winning streak. Who can’t hit a slider.
PRESENT AND ACCOUNTED FOR: HOUSE REPUBLICANS' SMALL MAJORITY COULD MAKE ATTENDANCE A PRIORITY
This is not to say that announcing a Big League game is easy. But there’s more information. It’s baseball as I know it.
Pete Rose said that the easiest place to hit was the Big Leagues. The pitching was better. The umpiring was better. The lighting was better.
Rose’s point is that most MLB hurlers have command. But down in the minors, some of the pitchers make Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn from the movie Major League look like Greg Maddux. Umpires in The Show work a consistent strike zone. But in the Pioneer League, an actual pioneer may have a better concept of what’s a ball or strike. Down in the South Atlantic League, you might struggle to even see the ball because the stadium is practically illuminated by foot candles. But the lighting at Major League Stadiums is better than a Taylor Swift concert.
So that’s the challenge. There’s a chasm between MLB and the Congressional baseball game. You have to figure out what to say about each player – who have limited stat lines. I know more about their voting records than batting averages. So, like any reporter, I dig around to prepare what to say during the game.
It was just before 7a.m. ET a few weeks ago. My phone buzzed with a text from Republican Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt. He was at the pre-dawn practice. Schmitt has the highest OPS (on base percentage, plus slugging percentage) in Congressional baseball history. He’s a mega St. Louis Cardinals fan. But despite his prowess at the plate, Schmitt made one of the most stellar plays in Congressional baseball history in the game Wednesday night.
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Rep. Johnny Oleszewski, D-Md., looped a long flyball down the left field line. Approaching foul ground and the warning track, Schmitt laid himself out, with a diving, circus catch in the heel of his glove. Schmitt popped back up, blood streaming from his face after crashing into the warning track.
"I'm not as sore as I thought I would be," said Schmitt the next day, noting he scraped up his forearms.
That play goes into the baseball lore for next year’s broadcast.
Schmitt wasn’t the only Gold Glover this year.
Reps. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., and Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., also made spectacular catches in short left field.
Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas, is the GOP manager. But he toiled as an Atlanta Braves farmhand for three seasons. Williams hit an impressive .318 for Wytheville, VA in the Appalachian League in 1971. An injury curbed Williams to batting just .135 and .203 the next two seasons. The Braves released him and Wiliams became a scout.
Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., manages the Democratic squad. She used to be one of a handful of women who played. After five seasons, Sanchez is still looking for her first win as the Democratic skipper.
"We don’t get our hits together then and strand people on the bases," said Sanchez.
As a kid, Sanchez pulled for the now Los Angeles Angels. She was a big Nolan Ryan fan. But Sanchez dropped her allegiance to the Angels after Ryan signed with the Houston Astros. That was just as "Fernando-mania" seized the baseball world as phenom Fernando Valenzuela won the Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year honor in 1981. Sanchez has been a Los Angeles Dodgers fan ever since.
I have two favorite tales about lawmakers and their connections to Major League Baseball.
Rep. Ray Cannon, D-Wis., served in Congress in the 1930s. But before that, Cannon represented Shoeless Joe Jackson and other members of the Chicago White Sox, banished from baseball during the Black Sox scandal. Eight players are accused of trying to throw the 1919 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds.
Then there was Rep. Jacob Ruppert, D-N.Y., who represented part of New York City in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. Ruppert wanted to acquire a baseball club. But a deal to purchase the New York Giants fell through. He opted to buy the New York Yankees – who were consistently a second division team in those days. Ruppert then acquired Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees became one of the most-storied franchises in the history of sports. And Ruth became the first American superstar.
Few in Congress know who Ruppert was in Congress. But when it comes to baseball, Ruppert is now enshrined in Cooperstown.
In order to get everyone to the ballpark on time for the game, Steve Scalise scheduled final votes for the day around 4:30 pm et last Wednesday. He also told committees to suspend votes until after the ballgame.
The House Appropriations Committee was prepping the annual Homeland Security bill that night. But Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., told Members he wanted everyone back to vote 30 minutes after the game. Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif., had an amendment ready on collective bargaining for the TSA. Levin wondered if he’d return for the committee votes in his baseball uniform.
But no level of preparation fully arms you to call the game from the booth. I looked up at one point and found freshman Rep. Christian Menefee, D-Texas, pinch running at first base. But Menefee never appeared on any roster I was presented. I had no information on him.
Menefee beat Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, in a primary for next year recently. He’s only been in Congress a few months after winning a special election.
At first I couldn’t figure out who was out on the base paths. I scoured each each number on my roster.
Nothing.
A multitude of numbers. But none for Menefee.
Prep all you want to announce the Congressional baseball game. But you’d still be outnumbered.
11 skydivers, one pilot killed in Missouri plane crash near airport
Authorities announced Sunday that at least 12 people were killed in a plane crash in Missouri.
Sources told Fox 4 Kansas City that 11 of the victims were skydivers and the 12th was the pilot.
The crash happened near Butler Memorial Airport, about 65 miles south of Kansas City, according to a statement from the Missouri State Highway Patrol on X.
Troopers, along with officers from the Butler Police Department and deputies from the Bates County Sheriff's Office, responded to the scene and are assisting with the crash investigation.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Katie Britt says Republicans are prepared for third budget reconciliation package if Democrats block funds
Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., said Republicans are prepared to pursue a third budget reconciliation package if Democrats refuse to cooperate on funding the government, arguing that lawmakers cannot allow national security, border enforcement and military priorities to stall amid partisan gridlock.
Britt said Republicans would prefer to move through the regular appropriations process and accused Democrats of "obstruction at every single turn" on "Sunday Morning Futures," adding that they are "absolutely unwilling to work with Republicans in any way, shape or form."
"Their hate for President Trump clouds their vision. They are putting that in front of the safety and security of the American people."
She praised Trump's military accomplishments and said Republicans would do what it takes to ensure the military is sufficiently funded if it comes to "reconciliation 3.0."
EXPIRING SPY LAW SPARKS WARNINGS OF 'FATAL' CONSEQUENCES AHEAD OF WORLD CUP
The GOP is weighing multiple options if Democrats do not come to the table, according to Britt, including another reconciliation package, shutdown-related legislation and bills aimed at preventing future shutdowns.
"Everything will be on the table because failure is not an option," she said. "We’re going to make sure to keep the people of America safe."
TOP REPUBLICAN PUSHES FOR RECONCILIATION 3.0 TO ADDRESS AFFORDABILITY
She pointed to the last reconciliation package that was passed, which funded ICE and CBP for the remainder of Trump’s term, arguing that Republicans have worked to ensure "secure borders and safe streets."
Asked what Republicans need to accomplish before the midterm elections, Britt said lawmakers must fund the government and "expose Democrats for what they are."
"I think Democrats are never going to do anything that they think is going to 'help President Trump.' And what has happened is, unfortunately, they've put that hatred for him ahead of actually doing their job. So I think we need to expose that sooner rather than later and find a pathway forward."
IDF announces elimination of Hezbollah commander behind murder of 5 American soldiers
The Israel Defense Forces announced the elimination of a senior Hezbollah commander who was accused of orchestrating the 2007 kidnapping and murder of five American soldiers.
The IDF said they killed Hezbollah terrorist Ali Musa Daqduq was killed Friday in a precise strike in southern Lebanon, south of the Litani River.
"ELIMINATED: Ali Musa Daqduq, a senior Hezbollah commander who held a series of 5 senior positions within Hezbollah," the IDF hailed on X. "Daqduq played a central role in advancing terrorist attacks and combat operations against Israel and IDF soldiers. In 2007, he orchestrated the kidnapping and murder of 5 American soldiers."
Israeli officials targeted the veteran Hezbollah operative who held multiple senior roles in the terror organization.
ISRAEL KILLS 2 HEZBOLLAH COMMANDERS RESPONSIBLE FOR 400 STRIKES AGAINST THEM IN OCTOBER: IDF
"His elimination constitutes another significant blow to Hezbollah’s senior chain of command by eliminating one of the most prominent operatives responsible for terrorist activity against Israeli civilians, IDF soldiers, and American servicemembers," the IDF wrote in a statement.
"The IDF will continue to operate against commanders of the Hezbollah terrorist organization."
ISRAEL ELIMINATES HEZBOLLAH'S TOP MILITARY COMMANDER HAYTHAM ALI TABATABAI IN TARGETED BEIRUT STRIKE
Daqduq’s roles included commander of the security unit for eliminated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, commander in the Radwan Force, commander in the Operations Department of the Nasser Unit, head of Hezbollah’s Infantry Unit and commander of Hezbollah’s "Golan Terrorist Network," according to the IDF.
The Golan network was responsible for Hezbollah’s entrenchment in Syria and the establishment of military infrastructure near Israel’s border. The unit’s activities were exposed by Israel in 2019.
"In recent years, he played a central role in advancing terrorist attacks and combat operations against the State of Israel and IDF soldiers," the IDF said.
IDF FINDS HEZBOLLAH WEAPONS CACHE IN UNDERGROUND TUNNEL: VIDEO
Daqduq also led much of Hezbollah’s operational planning against Israeli troops along the Lebanon border over the past several years, the IDF added.
Daqduq was captured by U.S. forces in Iraq in 2007, but was transferred to Iraqi custody during the U.S. withdrawal in 2011 under former President Barack Obama. Iraqi courts later dismissed charges against him, and Baghdad released him in 2012.
"His elimination constitutes another significant blow to Hezbollah’s senior chain of command by eliminating one of the most prominent operatives responsible for terrorist activity against Israeli civilians, IDF soldiers, and American servicemembers," the IDF said.
ISRAEL STRIKES BEIRUT FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE A CEASEFIRE ENDED THE LATEST ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH WAR
The announcement came as Israel also carried out strikes Sunday in the Dahieh district of Beirut, targeting what the IDF described as Hezbollah infrastructure.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement that the Beirut strikes were ordered in response to Hezbollah fire toward Israeli territory.
"Israel will not tolerate fire into its territory," they said.
The latest strikes come at a sensitive diplomatic moment, as U.S.-backed efforts continue to finalize a broader regional deal with Iran and President Donald Trump.
"Bibi should not have done what he did," Trump told Fox News' Middle East correspondent Trey Yingst.
He said to Netanyahu: "What the f--k are you doing?"
Trump told Yingst he hopes the deal with Iran will be signed before the night. He will remove the blockade of Iranian ports immediately once it is signed.
Trump will ask Iran not to respond with missiles toward Israel.
A diplomat involved in the talks told Fox News the Beirut strikes were complicating those efforts.
"The strikes today in Beirut are creating issues with finalizing the deal," the diplomat said. "This is a clear attempt by Israel to sabotage the president’s deal and drag the United States back into war."
A senior Israeli official rejected that characterization, telling Fox News that Israel was responding to Hezbollah attacks.
"We reject the notion that Israel is to blame for the exchange of fire," the official said. "Hezbollah attacks have targeted Israeli civilians the past three days."
Fox News' Trey Yingst contributed to this report.
Curacao stuns Germany at World Cup with historic goal that sends supporters into understandable frenzy
Germany is a four-time World Cup champion, while Curacao is only making its World Cup debut in 2026. The two teams are not equals, but for at least a brief moment during their Group Stage match in Houston on Sunday, equal is exactly what they were.
The Germans, who entered the match as incredibly heavy favorites, got off to the perfect start by taking a 1-0 lead just six minutes into the contest. In other words, the match began exactly as expected, but then came the unexpected in what is undoubtedly the moment of the tournament thus far.
While chasing the ball with Germany completely dominating possession, Curacao managed to keep things in check, and not just settle into the match, but actually make it one by scoring the nation's first-ever goal in World Cup history.
WATCH THE WORLD CUP FINAL ON FOX ONE
Livano Comenencia, a 22-year-old defender who plays professionally in Switzerland, was the man responsible for the historic moment.
The approximately 7,000 Curacao fans inside NRG Stadium celebrated the occasion accordingly.
FOX ONE’S NEW WORLD CUP VIEWING EXPERIENCE
Germany got the momentum back on its side with a goal off a corner kick in the 38th minute, but the goal from Curacao was a certain victory in and of itself.
To say that Curacao is the underdog, and not just against Germany but for the entire tournament, would be an understatement with the Caribbean island's approximate population being just under 160,000. The population of Houston alone, the host city for the match, is 2.4 million.
Germany has a population of approximately 83 million.
Curacao, ranked 82nd in the FIFA rankings, qualified for its first World Cup in style by going unbeaten and winning CONCACAF Group B over Jamaica, Bermuda, and Trinidad & Tobago.
The Curacaoan national team is made up almost entirely of Dutch players who personally chose to represent their families who left the islands and came to the Netherlands. The team is managed by 78-year-old Dick Advocaat, who took the Dutch to the quarterfinals of the 1994 World Cup held in the United States.
Sen Mitch McConnell hospitalized, 'receiving excellent care,' his office says
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was hospitalized for an undisclosed health issue, according to his office.
"Sen. McConnell was admitted to the hospital this morning," McConnell's Communications Director David Popp told Fox News. "He is receiving excellent care."
McConnell, the longest-serving Senate party leader in U.S. history, was previously hospitalized for eight days earlier this year after experiencing "flu-like symptoms."
SEN. MCCONNELL REPORTEDLY FINE AFTER FALLING DURING GOP LUNCH
The 84-year-old senator announced last February that he would not seek reelection and would retire when his current term ends in January 2027.
McConnell has dealt with a series of health episodes in recent years, including injuries from falls and multiple instances in which he briefly froze while speaking publicly.
Only Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, at 92 and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., at 84, are older than McConnell in Congress.
This is a breaking news report. Check back for more updates.
Morgan Wallen keeps winning despite arrests, show cancellations and onstage chaos: expert
Over the past month, Morgan Wallen made headlines for a slew of controversial incidents: snatching a phone from a security guard, flipping a piano over mid-show, then canceling a highly anticipated stadium gig at the last minute. Yet despite the backlash, the country superstar continues to dominate the charts, reinforcing a familiar pattern of controversy followed by continued success.
From public arrests to onstage meltdowns, the "Whiskey Glasses" crooner has had his share of downfalls. Yet, the wins keep following.
"The truth is simple, but significant: if you simply call ‘balls and strikes’ while you continue to put out good music, you’ll be fine," Doug Eldridge, founder of Achilles PR, said. "In other words, tell me whether it’s a ball or a strike; don’t tell me whether it’s a good pitch, or whether the batter has personal baggage. When it comes to ’lectures from the lead singer,’ Americans have a tolerance, and just like mercury in a thermometer, it has limits."
MORGAN WALLEN FANS LEFT DISAPPOINTED OVER COUNTRY STAR'S 'I'M THE PROBLEM' TOUR
"His controversies—whether comments or self-induced chaos—have fallen outside of the PR trajectory needed to clear the Van Allen Belts," Eldridge continued. "In terms of his behavior, his would-be ‘bad boy’ decorum is coming on the heels of iconic touring acts, like Cash, Jennings, Motley, and the Stones, so it almost seems benign, by contrast."
Wallen — who was first discovered while appearing on "The Voice" in 2014 — experienced his first wave of disappointment when he was eliminated from the singing competition show right before the live shows began.
"The disappointments just made me dig deeper and figure out why I didn’t win," he once told Billboard about the loss. "Some things in life are out of your control. Being the best you can be isn’t. I didn’t feel like I was the best I could have been. So, I practiced harder and really tried to make my voice second nature."
But little did he know, his career was about to take off.
In 2018, Wallen dropped his debut album, "If I Know Me," which went certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America and reached No. 1 on the top country charts with multiple singles receiving mainstream success.
COUNTRY STAR MORGAN WALLEN'S HIT SONG WAS 'STUPIDLY' PASSED ON BY LUKE BRYAN
With newfound stardom, Wallen was on top. But things took a turn when the country star was arrested two years later after being kicked out of Kid Rock’s bar in downtown Nashville in 2020. After reportedly refusing to walk away with his friends when given the opportunity by police, authorities determined Wallen was "a danger to himself and the public" and took him into custody.
"I went out downtown last night with a few old friends. After a couple bar stops, we were horse-playing with each other," he wrote on X at the time.
"We didn’t mean any harm, and we want to say sorry to any bar staff or anyone that was affected. Thank you to the local authorities for being so professional and doing their job with class."
MORGAN WALLEN STRUGGLES WITH FAME, ADMITS HE HASN’T BEEN IN A BAR SINCE NASHVILLE ARREST
A few months later, days before he was scheduled to perform on "Saturday Night Live" in October 2020, clips of Morgan engaging in non-COVID-compliant behavior at an Alabama football game and celebrating at a bar afterward began circulating online. The move cost him his "SNL" gig that month.
"I’m not positive for COVID, but my actions this past weekend were pretty short-sighted and they have obviously affected my long-term goals and my dreams," he wrote on X at the time.
"I think I have some growing up to do. I think I’ve lost myself a little bit," he added. "I’ve tried to find joy in the wrong places and, I don’t know, it’s left me with less joy. So, I’m gonna go try to work on that. I’m gonna take a step back from the spotlight for a little while and go work on myself."
MORGAN WALLEN TROLLS ALABAMA FANS WITH CLEVER MOVE DURING CONCERT AT CRIMSON TIDE'S HOME
"SNL" did welcome him back in December of that same year, however.
One month after releasing his highly successful second studio album, "Dangerous: The Double Album," in January 2021, Wallen stirred more controversy after video surfaced of him using a racial slur.
In a video circulating online, Wallen used the N-word while referring to one of his friends.
LUKE COMBS’ BRUTAL RESPONSE TO ‘LIBERAL’ LABELS: ‘WHY DO WE ALL CARE?’
Not only was Wallen immediately suspended from his record label, but radio stations and streamers pulled his music and he was ineligible to receive any awards from the Academy of Country Music that year.
"I'm embarrassed and sorry," Wallen said in a statement shared with Fox News. "I used an unacceptable and inappropriate racial slur that I wish I could take back. There are no excuses to use this type of language, ever. I want to sincerely apologize for using the word. I promise to do better."
WATCH: Morgan Wallen 'raises eyebrows' for walking off SNL before show end
In 2023, after the release of his third album, Wallen caught heat for canceling a show in Mississippi minutes before he was expected to hit the stage.
"After last night's show, I started losing my voice so I spent the day resting up, talking to my doctor and working through my vocal exercises trying to get better," Wallen wrote on Instagram the next morning. "I really thought I'd be able to take the stage and it kills me to deliver this so close to showtime, but my voice is shot and I am unable to sing."
Wallen went on to say, "All tickets will be refunded at point of purchase. I am so sorry, I promise you guys I tried everything I could."
Rumors began to spread that Wallen was too intoxicated to perform, hence the last minute cancellation. Wallen later disputed those claims, and insisted he had a vocal injury. The cancellation resulted in multiple lawsuits from fans.
One year later, in April 2024, Wallen found himself arrested on felony charges of reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct after throwing a chair off the rooftop of Eric Church’s Chief’s on Broadway bar in Tennessee.
Wallen was released on a $15,000 bail, and took to social media to issue an apology.
"I’m not proud of my behavior," he wrote on X at the time. "I have the utmost respect for the officers working every day to keep us all safe."
Wallen pleaded guilty in December 2024 and was sentenced to seven days at a DUI education center and placed on two-year probation.
Three months later, Wallen sparked outrage after abruptly leaving "SNL" during the traditional end-of-show credits segment. Shortly after leaving Manhattan's 30 Rockefeller Plaza, Wallen wrote that he was excited to return home. The country music star shared a photo on his Instagram Stories of a private jet with the caption "Get me to God’s country" written over it.
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Wallen later addressed the incident, claiming there was no ill-will. I was just ready to go home," Wallen said while appearing on comedian Caleb Pressley’s podcast. "I've been there all week."
MORGAN WALLEN SMASHES PIANO ON STAGE AFTER EQUIPMENT FAILS MID-PERFORMANCE DURING CONCERT
Most recently, Wallen flipped over a piano onstage after the equipment malfunctioned mid-show, and days later, snatched a phone from a security guard and threw it across the stage.
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Two days later, Wallen canceled his Pittsburgh show on Saturday due to poor weather conditions, amid online speculation that he dipped out of town before local officials confirmed the cancellation.
"This morning, my team walked on my bus and told me they had been consulting with local officials and that I should cancel my show in Pittsburgh tonight, and I said, ‘Why?’" said in the video posted to his Instagram Stories.
"They said that there was going to be strong winds in the area, and I said, ‘OK.’ So, that is what I did and that was the information I had in the moment, and I trusted my team," he continued. "I understand that wind hasn't gotten to Pittsburgh yet ... The truth of the matter is, I have a large stage that, in those conditions, could become fatal to a lot of folks around it. So, I did the best I could with the information I had in that moment."
"I’ve been seeing a lot of nonsense about me that is simply not true, and I just wanted to clear the air," he added. "I think my true fans know that that’s not how I operate in general, but I had to say it. Ya'll take care."
Fox News Digital's Tracy Wright contributed to this post.
America's wounded, struggling veterans get brand-new homes built by Florida teens
America’s youth is giving back to America’s heroes.
The national nonprofit Building Homes for Heroes (BHH) builds, modifies and gifts mortgage-free homes to injured veterans, first responders and Gold Star families (who have lost a U.S. military service member while he or she was serving).
The New York-based organization has recently teamed up with local high-school students from The Villages Charter School (TVCS) Construction Management Academy in Florida.
GARY SINISE FOUNDATION, BUILDING COMPANY PRESENT FREE HOME TO WOUNDED ARMY VETERAN
In May, BHH unveiled two new homes to veterans in Lake Panasoffkee, Florida, gifted to U.S. Army Specialist Rajae Jones and U.S. Army Sergeant James Tabares and their families.
The homes were built from the ground up by TVCS students in partnership with BHH, requiring them to perform hands-on work, learn a new trade and give back to their community.
Kim Vesey, president and general counsel of BHH President, reflected on the recent projects and partnership with TVCS.
"It's a really phenomenal program, and we're so lucky to have been able to partner with them," she said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
FLORIDA NONPROFIT HELPS CUT VETERAN SUICIDE RATES BY 25% WITH COMMUNITY-BASED APPROACH
Together, the organization and student program have built several houses for veterans, starting in 2024 with a family who had been "really struggling," Vesey said.
The family had reportedly lived in transitional housing while the husband struggled with a military injury and PTSD, which made it difficult to keep a job.
"They just found themselves in this cycle of endless struggle," Vesey said. "They had two young boys, and they were really trying so hard."
The family was gifted the first home built by TVCS students and BHH. Now, both sons work at the school, and the veteran runs a program at the School of Autism.
"I really can't say enough great things about the opportunity that the school is giving to these students," Vesey said. "The hands-on ability to not just go into a classroom and learn a trade, but to also give back to their community at the same time and to change people's lives and see it firsthand ... being able to have that kind of impact on the world and realizing that what you do matters — I can't imagine how much that helps."
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Recent TVCS graduate Blake Tart, 18, shared his experience in a separate interview with Fox News Digital.
"My experience with Building Homes for Heroes was very cool – seeing the project go from a spot of sand to a finished and decorated house," he said. "I will take the hard work and lessons learned with me into my next career path, and the most valuable lesson is that I can work on all of this myself at my own home one day."
Tart, who comes from a family of veterans, said he and his fellow classmates showed up every day and "worked our hardest" for the veterans receiving homes.
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"We were never satisfied with good enough – we wanted it to be perfect," he said. "The community should always lend a helping hand to those who have served and need some help."
BHH has a presence in 37 U.S. states, but Florida has seen the highest demand for housing among veterans, according to Vesey. She emphasized the importance of people having a wider understanding of why former service members may need extra help.
"People don't find themselves in situations where they can't provide for their family out of intent," Vesey said. "Any one of us are just a few paychecks away from being in a situation where we are unable to provide for our families."
"Our veterans go into the military to serve their country for so many different reasons, and many of them go into that thinking it's going to be a full-time career, just as if you're a teacher or a lawyer or a doctor… and that's your retirement, that's your savings, that's everything you need to support your family," she went on.
"So, when you go into the military thinking you're going to put 30 years into that career, and it gets cut short because you're injured, it's a high risk."
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Many veterans who leave the military after an injury don’t have a stable place to live, a college degree or a back-up career.
"You haven’t put down roots because you’ve served your country for 10 years … There is no fallback plan," Vesey said. "When people enter this high-risk career and that career is cut short through no fault of their own to serve our country, I think it's paramount that our country is there to serve them."
DAVID MARCUS: Why European soccer fans are going Kerouac on the American road
"Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road."
-Jack Kerouac
Among the most charming and fun developments of the United States hosting the World Cup, along with all the ties and low-scoring, of course, has been a bunch of Europeans discovering the wonders of America and sharing it on social media.
A German who goes by the handle Freddy has taken America by storm, describing the joys he finds driving through the deep south. He and others have lauded everything from the grand magnificence of Buc-ees gas stations to the savory goodness of biscuits and gravy.
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Perhaps most American of all is the fact that the majority of these travel accounts on social media are road trips of Europeans, who are used to biking everywhere with a baguette under their arm. Here, they are even posting maps, covering hundreds of miles like latter-day Lewis and Clarks.
As the great American novelist Jack Kerouac understood, driving is the only way to truly understand America, to find its secrets, its nooks, crannies and roadside gems. You can’t fly there and you can’t take a train. You have to get behind the wheel and hit the road.
What European travelers are really experiencing is the freedom of driving, and how essential it is to the whole mythology of modern America. The ability to chart your own course vs. highly efficient rail systems that guide not just your travel, but your life.
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You want to drive to Waffle House at 1 a.m.? Knock yourself out. You want to buy a rifle somewhere between Buc-ee's and Barstow? You can.
America isn’t the only country where you can take a road trip, but it is the only country that is essentially founded on the practice. America, as Kerouac knew, is its roads, and the little towns and people that thrive along them.
Even American hospitality often comes with a helping of four wheels and an engine. My favorite Freddy tale was when he wrote, "I love Americans. We were about to walk an hour to the stadium in the rain to save on an Uber, and the receptionist at the hotel we were parked in front of decided to drive us there."
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Frequent travelers of American byways will all have experienced this at some point.
When a Midwesterner or someone in Dixie offers you a ride, you quickly get the clear sense that refusal would cause great offense. The next thing you know, you are in the front seat hearing apologies about the dog hair.
The songwriter Morrissey recently commented on the homogenization of European culture, brought about in part by its ubiquitous and highly efficient public transportation systems.
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Moz, as his fans call him, said that before everything became cookie cutter, "You could go to Germany and see the most incredible culture, you could go to Italy and see the most incredible culture. Now they just want everything to be the same, the same, the same, so diversity means conformity."
Even in America, our cities have begun to feel all the same, the same stores, the same foods, the same accents. But in these places that you have to drive to, you find the trees in the forest of great America, and when you do, their branches will astound you.
So drive on Europeans, under the blanket of stars as our hot-shot freight trains sigh and whistle in the distance. Feel the curve of our continent under your wheels and enjoy the hospitality of those who mean it when they say, "How ya doin'?"
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And just maybe, some Americans will be inspired to do this themselves, to forgo one Disney or Cancun vacation for a road trip with the family, with all the small miseries and abundant joys that the packing the family into a car brings.
Until then, thanks to Freddy and the gang for holding up the mirror to the true nature of America, its small town decency and wide-smiling hospitality. Americans who live near international airports needed the reminder.
At the end of the day, what these Europeans are realizing is that Americans do whatever the hell we want to, and it is our cars that give us that freedom. However dire the straits or low the soul may feel, when the engine roars, we can get from point A to point B, and anywhere in between.
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"Sal, we gotta go and never stop going 'till we get there.'
'Where we going, man?'
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'I don't know but we gotta go."
-Jack Kerouac