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Danica Patrick stuns America with her double-bikini in Europe, NFL Live tackles black coaches & a sad MLB stat
'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 two days of July, folks. This is it. Let's end the month strong, and get the busy part of the sports calendar started.
That's right. The BUSY part! Thank goodness. I'm so tired of the WNBA being the only talking point right now in sports. Yes, I know baseball is also going on — and we've got a trade deadline coming up — but you know what I mean.
It's exhausting. I'm as guilty as anyone, but I'll admit, I've sort of been worn down by that insufferable league this week. We've got a football game in one week. Let's focus on that. Please?
Lordy, do we need football right now.
Welcome to a Thursday Nightcaps — the one where Danica Patrick gives everyone an update on her summer trip in Europe. Thanks goodness. I was wondering!
What else? I've got NFL personality Kay Adams sending up the bat signal that FOOTBALL is officially back, maybe the most depressing baseball stat of all time, Vic Fangio making the Big Js in Philadelphia SWEAT, and let's check in with the new and improved NFL Live in the post Ryan Clark era!
Wait till you see how they covered Day 1 of NFL training camps.
OK, grab you a slice of cheesecake for National Cheesecake Day, and settle in for a Thursday 'Cap!
I think I'd put cheesecake right up there with any and all desserts. It's so versatile. You can drizzle it with just about anything, and get away with it.
Anyone here been to a Cheesecake Factory lately? I think I've been only once or twice in my life. You just don't see them down here in Florida, at least where I am.
That being said, it does remind me of the famous Vince Young story from his rookie year where he allegedly spend $15,000 at Cheesecake Factory ... in ONE sitting:
No clue if that actually happened or not, but Lordy, what a night that would be! Not sure how exactly you'd rack up a tab that big at a Cheesecake Factory, but with those menu sizes, I reckon it's conceivable.
Whew.
What a weird, winding road we've taken to get this class off and running. This is what you get during one of these summer school sessions, though.
Speaking of summer ... let's get this class officially started with Danica Patrick sending up a heater from across the pond:
Danica! Welcome back to the states. You've missed a lot. Wait till you hear about the nonsense going on in the WNBA right now.
Patrick, by the way, takes these summer trips to Europe all the time. I believe this is the third year we've covered this here at OutKick. In fact, two summers ago, I believe we got a Part I and II.
Not 100% sure what's going on with the double-bikini look, but who am I to judge? In fact, according to sources (Google), this "layered" look is all the rage right now.
Singer Dua Lipa apparently made the trend popular last year, and it's now the "unexpected" look taking over the summer.
"Following fashion girls’ penchant for tying bikini tops upside down, it’s a new 'wrong way to wear' that feels oh-so right — and very fun," wrote the fashion website, PureWow.com.
The more you know, I reckon!
Good to see Danica's mystery boyfriend made the trip, too. Big step for those two lovebirds. Still have no idea who he is, but he was included in the annual Europe trip, which is a good sign.
Can't wait to see where these two go next.
Now, let's head back to the US of A and check in with Eagles DC Vic Fangio, who opened training camp today by pleading the fifth:
"What's the plan at safety?"
"I'm gonna be like Fauci and just take the Fifth Amendment on questions. Did you guys see that? Oh my god. What was the question?"
Amazing. Good stuff here from Vic Fangio. How embarrassing was that Fauci grilling yesterday? Never, ever let 2020 happen again, folks. Goodness, what a miserable time.
Not down here in Florida, of course. But everywhere else. Our Governor called out Fauci's BS about two months into that nonsense, and we never looked back.
Man, I'm going to miss him. DeSantis, not Fauci.
OK, let's rapid-fire this Thursday class into a big Thursday night. First up? Might as well stick with the NFL theme today and check in on how NFL Live covered Day 1 of training camps yesterday.
Incredible.
So, I was sitting at the Applebee's down the street yesterday evening just trying to kill some time and enjoy the coldest Miller Lite in town, when guess what popped onto the main screen.
NFL Live decided to discuss the "state of Black coaching" on Day 1 of training camps. What are we doing here? They just refuse to learn. Honestly, at some point, you have to respect the refusal to pivot. It's impressive.
They had ALL OFFSEASON to fill with this nonsense, and they chose to break it down on the first actual day of practice? They're nothing if not predictable.
Hope Ryan Clark was watching!
Next? Let's quickly leave the gridiron and head to the diamond, where one stat came across my timeline last night and rocked me to my core:
A couple things ...
How is that possible? Do you know how many players in the league qualify for this category (3.1 plate appearances per game)? 157.
So seven players out of 157 qualified players are currently hitting above .300 right now. That's a tick over 4% of the league.
One X user responded to that post with a whopper of his own:
Look at that lineup. Look at those numbers! Seven players on the '95 Indians hit over .300! And we can't even get that in the entire league right now.
Stunning. What in the world is going on?
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OK, that's it for today. Solid class. July is almost over, folks. Football is back, and so is Kay Adams.
See you tomorrow.
What's going on in Major League Baseball? Email me at Zach.Dean@OutKick.com.
'Knots Landing' icon Donna Mills joins OnlyFans at 85 to connect with fans 'on her own terms’
Donna Mills is proving age is just a number.
The 85-year-old "Knots Landing" icon is taking fans by surprise with her latest career move — joining OnlyFans.
The actress, who became a television sensation playing the glamorous and ruthless Abby Cunningham on the hit show, said the platform will give her a chance to connect with fans in a more personal way.
"I've always appreciated the incredible support and encouragement I've received from my fans over the years. Social media has been a wonderful way to stay connected, but I'm excited to join OnlyFans because it offers the opportunity for a more personal and direct connection," Mills told Variety.
Mills said fans can expect an authentic look at her life off-screen.
"I'll be sharing moments from my daily life, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and engaging with fans in a more meaningful way," she said. "It's simply another platform to spend quality time with the people who've supported me throughout my career while staying true to who I am."
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OnlyFans executives noted the Hollywood veteran isn't switching up her image.
"This is not about changing who she is. It is about giving her longtime fans more access to the personality, style and behind-the-scenes moments they already love," Andy Bachman, CEO of OnlyFans owner Creators INC., said.
"Donna has always been fearless and ahead of her time. She told me, 'YOLO — let's do it,' and that perfectly captures her attitude. She is approaching OnlyFans on her own terms and creating a space that feels authentic, personal and completely true to her."
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The announcement comes just weeks after Mills shared the habits she credits for looking and feeling her best at 85.
"I think the people out there have to realize it takes work. You can't just decide, 'Oh, I'm going to look good,' you know?" Mills said on Kara Mayer Robinson's "Really Famous" podcast. "I didn't wake up looking like this."
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The actress said she works out almost every day and regularly plays tennis, adding that a lifetime of exercise has helped her avoid many of the physical ailments that often come with aging.
"I started out as a dancer, so I know how essential that is, and I know what it means for your body," she said. "And I know that I don't have, at my age, any of the things that happen to the body, you know? I mean I've not had any knees replaced or hips replaced or anything, you know, because I never stopped working out."
Mills also urged people not to give up on fitness as they get older.
"And so, for years they don't work out," she said. "You can't get that back. You really can't. You can start to work out again ... but you've lost something in that time."
Mills rose to fame on "Knots Landing," starring on the long-running series from 1980 to 1989. With her signature blonde hair, bold fashion and stellar performances, her character became one of television's most memorable soap opera villains.
House panel demands classified briefings on noncitizen voting, alleged Chinese election interference
The House committee charged with overseeing American elections is demanding more information on allegations of noncitizens voting in federal races.
The Committee on House Administration is requesting classified briefings on foreign interference in U.S. elections after President Donald Trump raised such concerns during a speech earlier this month.
"Reports of noncitizens casting illegal ballots continue to emerge, undermining election integrity and public confidence in American elections," wrote Committee Chairman Bryan Steil, R-Wis.
"To inform potential legislative reforms, the Committee therefore requests a Member-level, classified briefing from DHS on the number of non-citizens registered to vote across the country and cyber vulnerabilities present in current voting systems. Please contact the Committee by August 13, 2026, to set up a briefing to be held in the month of September. The Committee also requests that any relevant documents be provided alongside the briefing."
The classified briefing requests were sent to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin, FBI Director Kash Patel and acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Bill Pulte.
In the letters, Steil cited Trump's claim that DHS discovered roughly 278,000 noncitizens registered to vote as well as recent revelations that New Jersey mistakenly added 6,600 noncitizens to its voter rolls in 2023 and 2024.
TRUMP ACCUSED CHINA OF AN 'ELECTION SECURITY NIGHTMARE' BUT THEN UNDERCUT HIS OWN WARNING
Steil also pointed to Trump's comments in his speech on Chinese-led "cyberattacks on election infrastructure."
The committee's release said there were "serious concerns about the security of American elections."
The briefing requests come less than 100 days before the November midterm elections, which will decide which party controls both houses of Congress for the latter half of Trump's final term in the Oval Office.
Republicans have long raised concerns about the security of American elections, which Democrats have argued are attempts to undermine people's faith in those elections.
It is already a federal crime to vote in elections as a noncitizen, but the GOP is pushing for further guardrails such as proof of citizenship in the voter registration process and a federal voter ID standard at the polls.
To date, no evidence has been found that noncitizens have swayed the outcome of any federal election.
JONATHAN TURLEY: Fauci takes the Fifth 111 times – and the media still rush to defend him
As I wrote this week, Dr. Anthony Fauci was not the only one taking the Fifth on Wednesday over his record during the pandemic. The media largely invoked the same privilege to avoid self-incrimination for its years of deifying the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Across the cable networks, hosts and guests were having the vapors as Republican senators pummeled Fauci over his COVID-19 policies and the glaring contradictions found in his diary entries. Some, like Dr. Scott Ratzan, echoed Fauci's previous claim that any questioning of his judgment was an attack on science.
Once again, Fauci had every right to invoke his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination. That does not mean it was the right thing to do. Fauci already had a pardon that notably extended back to 2014, when his agency approved gain-of-function research at the Wuhan lab in China.
Any prosecution would be difficult in light of the pardon. It would not be impossible, since he could be charged with perjury for any false statements. Yet that was the same threat that existed during countless prior hearings involving Fauci.
So, what was the difference now? The answer is found in diary entries and other evidence that contradict Fauci's public statements on subjects ranging from the lab theory to school closures. It is not that Fauci would have been tripped up by false answers, but that he did not have any obvious answers to some of these criticisms.
Instead, Fauci invoked the privilege 111 times. That fell short of the record of Vito Genovese, who invoked the privilege 150 times.
Rather than address the long list of criticisms and contradictions involving Fauci, the media rallied around the scientist. Fauci was portrayed as something akin to the St. Sebastian of Science, taking barbs and arrows for his faith.
It did not matter that more than 1.2 million Americans died, the economy shut down and millions of children were prevented from going to school based on these alleged errors. Fauci would remain silent rather than risk being charged with false testimony.
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On CNN, Dr. Scott Ratzan, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Health Communication, repeated Fauci's much-maligned claim from June 2021 that "attacks on me, quite frankly, are attacks on science."
On Wednesday, Ratzan declared, "This is an assault on science and scientists, and, unfortunately, Dr. Fauci is in that seat. Thirty-eight years of service to the country, one of the best-known scientists in infectious disease, unfortunately, has taken a lot of heat..."
It was a maddening statement, repeated by many, that treated Fauci as inviolate, if not infallible. Fauci was wrong about issues that imposed tragic costs on this country. When confronted with policies such as school closures, he insisted he had never recommended them while privately admitting he had.
Fauci owes the public explanations, including the millions who lost loved ones. Instead, he refused to take the risk of being accused of perjury.
Fauci is no St. Sebastian. Notably, Sebastian remained silent in public to conceal his faith, but when discovered by Diocletian, he remained faithful. The price was to be shot through with arrows, but he somehow survived.
After being nursed back to health by Irene of Rome, he immediately confronted Diocletian in public and denounced his abuses. For that act, he was beaten to death with clubs and tossed into a sewer.
Fauci spoke endlessly in public and remained silent only when asked to address the contradictions in his diaries and the costs of his alleged errors.
What is also frustrating to many is the reappearance of figures who toed the line on prior narratives about masks, the virus's origin and other issues.
They are now claiming to be victims for being asked to account for evidence that they were wrong. As Dr. Scott Atlas, a neuroradiologist and health policy fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution, has laid out, many of those who abused dissenting scientists faced no repercussions after those scientists were largely vindicated by later research.
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During this period, dissenting scientists were barred from social media, removed from positions and vilified for expressing views, despite later being vindicated on subjects ranging from the lab origin of the virus and the efficacy of masks to the six-foot rule, natural immunity and school closures.
Many previously echoed Fauci's view that questioning these conclusions was an attack on science. One leading columnist wrote a piece titled "The COVID lab leak claim isn’t just an attack on science, but a threat to public health."
When courageous scientists put their careers at risk — and some lost their positions — to voice their opposition to Fauci's policies, neither he nor these acolytes said a thing in their defense. Fauci did not defend them as fighting for science and the need to challenge orthodoxy. When their views were later embraced, they received no apologies, let alone reinstatement.
For my part, I am not interested in hearing from scientists who remained silent as their counterparts were vilified, shadow-banned and fired. Their deep faith in science did not prompt them to defend those with opposing views, even though orthodoxy is the very antithesis of scientific thought.
Again, Fauci has every right to remain silent, but that does not make it right.
Georgia mother fights off alleged child snatcher with gas pump in surveillance video
A Georgia mother used a gas pump to fend off a man accused of trying to snatch her children at a gas station, with newly released surveillance video capturing the frightening encounter.
The video, obtained by FOX 5 Atlanta, shows the woman pumping gas at a Shell station in Marietta around midnight last week when a shirtless, barefoot man, later identified by police as 30-year-old Jerahn Tucker, approached the family's vehicle.
Marietta Police Department Public Information Officer Charles McPhilamy said Tucker initially spoke with the woman before the encounter suddenly escalated.
"He appears to charge at the car," McPhilamy said. "He's trying to open the car doors. He's trying to pull the child out of the back seat."
A warrant cited by FOX 5 Atlanta says the mother later told investigators Tucker claimed he had a gun before becoming aggressive.
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Surveillance video shows one of the woman's children jumping from the vehicle and running around it as Tucker chased after him. At one point, Tucker opened the rear passenger door while another child remained inside the vehicle.
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The mother then grabbed the gas pump hose and used it to keep Tucker away from her children until two bystanders rushed over to help, the video shows.
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"What is this individual capable of?" McPhilamy said. "What are they doing? Why are they trying to get in my own car? What are they doing? Trying to pull children out of the car."
Two witnesses dropped what they were carrying and rushed over to help as someone called 911, FOX 5 Atlanta reported.
Tucker got into his vehicle and drove away, but officers stopped him a short distance from the gas station and took him into custody.
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"The actions of the mother and everyone on the scene, their ability to remain calm under pressure and push him away, get him away from the children, get a hold of us so that we can get to the area allowed us to hold this individual accountable," McPhilamy told the station.
Tucker remains in the Cobb County Jail on charges including kidnapping and simple assault.
Authorities have not released a possible motive for the alleged attack.
Sending ace pitcher Tarik Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers would officially ruin baseball
At the end of July, the Los Angeles Dodgers are overwhelming favorites to win the World Series. They are also the team most likely to add the best pitcher in baseball.
According to ESPN insider Jeff Passan, the Detroit Tigers will trade ace Tarik Skubal by the deadline on Monday at 6 p.m.. He adds that most teams anticipate the Dodgers will be the team that acquires him.
"[The rest of MLB] is all almost resigned to the idea that the Los Angeles Dodgers are going to get Tarik Skubal," Passan said Wednesday.
"That's my guess, [that Skubal is traded to the Dodgers], yes," Passan added in a Threads Q&A this week.
The prediction markets tell a similar story. Kalshi gives the Dodgers a 49% chance of trading for Skubal before the deadline. The market also gives them a 53% chance of having Skubal on their roster by Opening Day 2027.
Bob Nightengale reported Thursday that the Dodgers are Skubal's "preferred destination" once he reaches free agency after the season.
Translation: It would be surprising if Skubal is not a Dodger by Monday night.
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We understand the argument that no one superteam can "ruin" baseball due to the inherent randomness of the sport. Fair enough. Still, it doesn't bode well for the competitive balance of a league when the only real argument against the Dodgers winning a third straight World Series is that randomness could intervene.
Here's what the Dodgers' postseason rotation could look like if they acquire Skubal:
The Dodgers already have the best rotation in baseball. Adding Skubal, whom many consider the best pitcher in the sport, could mark the greatest pitching rotation ever assembled.
And that's before considering the lineup.
The Dodgers already own the best record in baseball and the league's best run differential (+156). They've done so despite extended injuries to Snell and Glasnow. However dominant they've looked through four months, they should be notably better by October.
Traditionally, dynasties are good for professional sports. Casual fans tune in hoping someone finally knocks off the team at the top. But that only works if fans believe someone actually can.
That's the difference between these Dodgers and, say, the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Chiefs won three Super Bowls in five years. They fielded the less talented roster in at least four of those Super Bowls.
No such dynasty exists for the Dodgers. They are clearly better than everyone else – and getting even better.
Consider this: all 29 other teams would improve by adding Skubal. Yet the team that needs him the least is considered the overwhelming favorite to acquire him. That's not good for the sport.
The intrigue would be greater if a contender like the Brewers landed Skubal, narrowing the gap between themselves and Los Angeles. (Don't put too much stock into regular-season records. Milwaukee finished with a better record than the Dodgers last season, yet wasn't remotely competitive in the NLCS.)
For all the issues the NBA has faced over the past several years, competitive balance has quietly become one of its strengths. Eight different franchises have won the past eight championships. Looking ahead, several teams have a realistic chance to win the title next season.
That is also true for the NFL and NHL. Not MLB, where it feels like the Dodgers and the slim chance that randomness intervenes.
ESPN play-by-play announcer Joe Buck, a lifelong baseball fan, agrees. During an interview this week with Jayson Stark and Doug Glanville, Buck said baseball has a competitive imbalance that doesn't exist in the other major sports.
"When I'm doing an NFL season, at the start of the season, who knows who's going to end up in the Super Bowl," Buck explained.
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Baseball has built notable momentum in recent years. The pitch clock has improved the viewing experience. The league has recognizable stars. The on-field product is strong. However, MLB risks undermining that progress if one team continues separating itself while much of the league sits on the sidelines, content to prioritize profits over building a competitive roster.
The Dodgers deserve no criticism for taking advantage of the system. Their ownership is doing exactly what fans want owners to do: spend money to win. The problem is the system itself. Too many clubs ask fans to support the product while refusing to invest enough to compete with the sport's elite.
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If correcting that imbalance requires a lockout and meaningful structural changes after this season, perhaps it's warranted.
There's a reason spoilers are met with such disdain. Fans don't want to know the ending before they watch the story unfold.
If/when the Dodgers land Tarik Skubal, a spoiler alert for the ending of this MLB season may be apropos.
California scientists developing shark-spotting robot ahead of 2028 Los Angeles Olympics
The world’s best athletes will descend on Southern California for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. And apparently, some of the locals are already circling the competition venues.
Scientists at California State University Long Beach are developing a solar-powered shark-surveillance robot that could help protect athletes and beachgoers during the Games.
The robotic vessel would patrol coastal waters, scanning for tagged sharks, collecting water samples and launching an aerial drone while sending real-time information to lifeguards.
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The craft is approximately 10 feet long and about as wide as a paddleboard, according to NBC Los Angeles. Once fully operational, it could patrol specific beaches on its own for as long as a week at a time.
"It will have a drone on it (to) fly around and find sharks," Shark Lab Director Chris Lowe said. "It will be listening for acoustically tagged sharks. It will take water samples to look for white shark DNA."
That could come in handy in 2028, when Southern California hosts Olympic events both in and around the ocean.
Open-water swimming is scheduled to take place in Long Beach, while surfing will be held farther south in Orange County.
"We are going to have athletes swimming in Long Beach harbor, where we know there has been white sharks before," Lowe explained, "so having this device patrolling for lifeguards will help them better protect athletes."
The goal is not to sound the alarm every time a shark swims nearby. Sharks already frequent Southern California beaches, usually without bothering anyone.
Instead, the technology would give lifeguards more information when deciding whether conditions warrant warning swimmers or clearing the water.
"Our data suggests that there are sharks around our beaches all the time without incident, but knowing what sharks, and how many are out there help lifeguards make better decisions in beach safety operations and in advising the public," Lowe said.
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The Shark Lab has already tagged hundreds of juvenile white sharks and currently uses aerial drones and underwater listening stations to track their movements along the California coast. The new surveillance vessel would bring several of those tools together in one platform.
There is still work to be done, though, before a fleet of robotic shark spotters begins protecting Olympians.
"Lots of research and development still needed," the Shark Lab acknowledged. "But we’re off to a great start."
Funding could also become an obstacle. State funding that helped the Shark Lab build the vessel is reportedly scheduled to expire this fall, potentially forcing researchers to scale back some of their shark-monitoring efforts.
That's a problem because the surveillance robot relies on sharks being tagged in the first place.
"It won’t work if we don’t have tagged sharks out there, so we got to keep tagging sharks," Lowe said.
The Olympics provide an obvious deadline for the new technology, but Lowe said the program is intended to continue well beyond the 2028 Games.
Fired HGTV host Nicole Curtis faces Detroit lawsuit alleging her blighted property is a public nuisance
Former HGTV host and queen of rehabbing old houses Nicole Curtis is in hot water again.
Curtis, former star of the home design and remodeling network's long-running "Rehab Addict," is being sued, along with her company, Detroit Renovations LLC, by the City of Detroit, which alleges she failed to maintain and restore a blighted house in the city.
The civil nuisance-abatement lawsuit alleges the property has continued to be a public nuisance despite Curtis and her company receiving multiple code violations and a 2021 court order requiring the home's renovation.
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Curtis obtained ownership of the property in 2021 after litigation with the Detroit Land Bank Authority, according to The Detroit News. At that time, Wayne County Circuit Judge Timothy Kenny deemed the 1921 American foursquare-style home a danger to the community and ordered it to be refurbished.
Since then, the city has cited the owner for failing to repair or replace damaged, defective and missing exterior features, as well as failing to repair the roof and gutters, among several other violations. Overall, the city claims the property has never been brought into compliance, causing it to further deteriorate.
Fox News Digital reached out to Curtis for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
HGTV CANCELS NICOLE CURTIS' 'REHAB ADDICT' AFTER STAR WAS CAUGHT USING RACIAL SLUR ON SET
Curtis' specialty has always been preserving and restoring 19th- and early 20th-century homes while ensuring they retain their original style and historical character. She has focused much of her work on homes in Detroit and Minneapolis.
Curtis was fired by HGTV in February after video surfaced of her uttering the n-word while filming "Rehab Addict" two years earlier.
Specifically, Curtis blurted out the word "fart" followed by the n-word while standing on a ladder installing wiring.
After realizing what she had said, she immediately asked for the moment to be deleted.
"What the f--- is that that I just said? Nick, you gotta, you gotta, can you kill that?" Curtis is heard saying after uttering the phrase in frustration.
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The video was posted by Radar Online on Feb. 11, the same day the series was scheduled to return to television after a three-year hiatus, followed by a second break in July 2025 due to what Curtis described as a "personal setback." HGTV canceled the series permanently in February after the footage became public. It also pulled the show from all of its platforms.
In a statement to TMZ, HGTV said it was "recently made aware of an offensive racial comment made during the filming of Rehab Addict. Not only is language like this hurtful and disappointing to our viewers, partners, and employees — it does not align with the values of HGTV."
Curtis apologized for the remark and expressed "remorse and regret." She later addressed the incident in greater detail on "The Breakfast Club" show.
Curtis — who admitted she was ready to have an "open conversation" about the incident — was challenged by hosts Charlamagne tha God and DJ Envy over her language.
"Do you have boys? Boys talk about farts all the time," Curtis, who admitted to often using the terms "fart digger" and "fart knocker," said. "OK, again, I can’t swear on my show. OK, so yes, I’ve made up these crazy words."
Fox News Digital's Christina Dugan Ramirez contributed to this report.
Dem senator swipes credit for bill he opposed amid heated reelection bid: 'Disturbing pattern'
Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., is touting his advocacy for federal investment in Georgia military infrastructure despite having ultimately voted against the bill that secured the improvements.
Most recently, Ossoff highlighted new construction for an elementary school at Fort Benning, improved conditions at Fort Stewart, pay raises for military personnel and improvements to Georgia’s foster care system — all a part of the annual military funding bill known as Military Construction and Veteran Affairs (MilCon-VA).
At the time of its initial passage, Ossoff quickly released a press statement.
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"U.S. Senate passes Sen. Ossoff’s Bipartisan Bill that provides most funding for Georgia military construction in 15 years," his website announced.
When reconsidering it for final passage, Ossoff opposed the package.
Notably, Ossoff, as the ranking member on the Senate Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veteran Affairs, voted in favor of the bill in committee and as a standalone bill, but opposed its final passage later that year when it was bundled together with other government funding legislation.
When asked about the voting record, his office reaffirmed the federal support secured in Georgia.
"Let's be clear: Georgia's massive 2026 military construction budget, the highest in 15 years, is a direct and undeniable result of Senator Ossoff's work as the senior Democrat on the Military Construction subcommittee," an Ossoff campaign spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement.
"Senator Ossoff makes no apology for having tried to stop Mike Collins from doubling premiums for more than a million Georgians and throwing 300,000 off their health insurance," they added, referring to Ossoff's Republican challenger, Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., and caps on federal health subsidies Republicans had championed at the time of MilCon-VA's passage.
Like many Democrats, Ossoff has struggled to oppose legislation championed by President Donald Trump while at the same time making his case for reelection in one of the country’s most competitive Senate seats. Ossoff won in 2021 with a 50.6% to 49.4% victory over Republican incumbent Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga.
In the case of the elementary school, Ossoff said he had been calling for those investments for years.
"I have been working for years now for a replacement for Dexter Elementary. That’s really important for those families down there in Columbus," Ossoff said. "I’m just a bit concerned by the lack of attention in this year’s base budget, so we’ll work together on that."
Ossoff made similar remarks about improvements to Fort Stewart, citing concerns in press releases about lead exposure affecting newborns' health on the base, mold contamination and flooded living areas.
Ossoff released findings in a seven-page report about the base’s conditions.
"Our military service members and their families make huge sacrifices for the country, and it’s a travesty how they’re being treated by privatized housing contractors in Georgia and nationwide," Sen. Ossoff said.
"The stories in this report should shock our conscience, and I will continue exposing the mistreatment of military families in privatized housing and working to protect them and improve conditions."
Notably, the package Ossoff ultimately voted against contained $8 million for Fort Stewart and $127.4 million to replace the Dexter Elementary School.
A veteran lawmaker ripped Ossoff for highlighting wins he didn’t participate in.
"Last year, he tried to take credit for my veterans housing bill, legislation he had absolutely nothing to do with. A politician who tries to erase a veteran’s work for political gain has forfeited the trust of the people he seeks to represent," Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wisc., said in a statement, referring to a bill he introduced last year.
Ossoff highlighted the bill on his website, calling it a "bipartisan bill backed by U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff" and announcing that "Sen. Ossoff brings Republicans and Democrats together to protect veterans from foreclosure."
Ossoff was not a sponsor of the bill and, because it passed unanimously in a voice vote, did not cast a vote for it either.
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"Ossoff’s disturbing pattern of taking credit for work he didn’t do and claiming victories he didn’t support demonstrates both gross incompetence and a complete lack of integrity," Van Orden said.
'Lord of the Rings' star Sean Astin had to sell his home after negotiating 'small' salary for hit movie
Sean Astin captured the hearts of fantasy fans everywhere when he starred as Samwise Gamgee in the "Lord of the Rings" but says the compensation was not what one would expect.
In a new interview with The Guardian, the 55-year-old actor shared just how "small" his payday was for the successful Academy Award-winning trilogy.
"I was not prepared for that level of visibility and access," he said. "And there was a disconnect between the attention that I was getting and how much money we had. It was not a lot of money. In fact, I had to sell my house because I negotiated such a small amount on the trilogy."
He revealed in a November 2017 interview on the "Jim and Sam Show" that he made $250,000 for his work on the trilogy in addition to some profit from merchandise sales, but no residuals.
The "Stranger Things" star said he had purchased a home in Los Angeles and was told he needed to make $250,000 a year to pay the mortgage when he got the role in the films.
"It was an offer for $250,000 for a year and a half," he said. "And I was like, ‘Wait a minute, my pen signed this contract, which obligated me to $250,000 a year, and I’m gonna sign this contract, which will make it so that I absolutely cannot satisfy that other thing.'"
He added that, in the end, it was all about negotiating. He also clarified that by the time the third movie was released, he "was feeling a little bit better" in terms of finances.
"By then, I had done a lot of other work, and we were fine," he added.
Astin's co-star in the first installment of the trilogy, Cate Blanchett, who played Galadriel, also spoke about how little she was paid for her role, telling Andy Cohen in an August 2024 episode of "Watch What Happens Live," "No one got paid anything to do that movie."
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"I wanted to work with the guy who made 'Braindead,'" she said about why she took the role despite the low pay. "I mean, I basically got free sandwiches. And I got to keep my ears, which is something."
Other cast members, including Orlando Bloom and Elijah Wood, have also spoken about how little they were paid for their work in the films, with Bloom telling Howard Stern in 2019 he was paid $175,000 for the trilogy.
Also starring Viggo Mortensen, Sean Bean and Ian McKellen, the trilogy became a huge blockbuster success.
The first film, "Fellowship of the Ring," raked in about $897 million at the worldwide box office, with its sequels bringing in about $945 million and $1.15 billion, respectively.
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All three films were also critically acclaimed, earning a combined 30 Academy Award nominations and 17 wins. The third film alone, "Return of the King," won all 11 categories it was nominated in, including best picture, tying the record for the most Oscars won by a single film.