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Gavin Adcock's new song 'One Hell Of A Steal' has country music fans fired up with excitement
Gavin Adcock released another song early Friday for his fans.
Adcock has built an incredibly loyal and cult-like following in the country music world over the past couple years.
His music is kind of a blend between outlaw country and country rock. That's probably the best way to describe his tunes.
GAVIN ADCOCK TAKES AIM AT ZACH BRYAN IN BRUTAL CALL-OUT
Simply put, his music is a ton of fun, and his latest song is no exception.
Adcock released his latest track "One Hell of a Steal" on Friday morning ahead of his new album – "The Day I Hang It Up" – hitting streaming platforms and shelves on October 2nd.
As you'd expect, it took absolutely no time at all for the song to generate some serious buzz among country music fans.
Give it a listen below, and let me know what you think at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.
COUNTRY MUSIC SUPERSTAR SETS INTERNET ON FIRE WITH NEW SONG, REACTIONS POUR IN FROM FANS
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Fans were quick to flood the comments section on YouTube with plenty of different reactions supporting the popular singer.
One person wrote, "Yes sirrrr, on repeat till this bottles gone."
Another added, "He’s out with another banger."
A third commented, "Once in a generation talent! Good stuff."
One thing I can say for sure is that the hype is only going to grow as the release date gets closer for Adcock's new album. Fans can't wait. Let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.
Dennis Quaid says LA has to ‘get a little better’ as he embraces Nashville life
Dennis Quaid is shedding light on what his day-to-day life in Nashville looks like six years after leaving Los Angeles behind.
"Basically, I play golf," the actor told People. "I love to be around the house here. You get a lot of land and space, but you’re still in an urban environment. I’ve made some really good friends here to spend time with. It’s important and a great place to raise a family."
Quaid and his wife, Laura Savoie, moved to Tennessee in 2020 after living in California for decades. Quaid told the outlet that the connection to the community he found in Nashville makes it feel like home.
He also told the outlet that the entertainment industry in Hollywood has drastically changed since his early days as an actor.
'80S POP STAR TIFFANY EMBRACES QUIET NASHVILLE ROUTINE AFTER LEAVING CALIFORNIA BEHIND FOR GOOD
"It used to be if you were auditioning for something, you’d go to an office. You’d go in and there would be five people dressed just like you, all up for the same part, waiting for time to read. You met a lot of people that way and that’s where a community was formed," Quaid told the outlet.
He explained that the system has changed and actors are now largely sending in self-taped auditions, which has left him yearning for the sense of community he once felt.
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"Now everybody puts something on tape in their room and sends it in. You don’t have this feeling of community over that," Quaid said.
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"The Parent Trap" star told the outlet that if he was just breaking into acting, he would not put down roots in California at all. "If I was an actor starting out, I wouldn’t go to LA I would go to Atlanta," Quaid said, referring to the accessibility of production studios in the south.
Although Quaid is calling Tennessee home for now, he hasn't completely closed the door on California.
"I might be open to going back to LA later on. I moved before the fires and everything, but I just think things have got to get a little better there," he said, adding, "And it’s so nice here in Tennessee. It’s soft, and it’s a real feeling of community."
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In Quaid's six years living in Tennessee, he has learned that there is much more to Nashville than just country music.
"It’s not a one-horse town. It’s not just music, although, like 75 percent of all music in the United States, no matter what genre it is either, not just country is done right here in Nashville," he said.
The actor concluded, "They have so many other industries, and it’s also booming, but it’s still holding its character. I think because it’s not just people from California. There’s people from New York and Chicago and really all over that are coming to live in Nashville."
Trapped Nepal workers pulled alive from tunnel 9 days after deadly flooding, raising hope for more rescues
Rescue teams in Nepal pulled two workers alive from a hydropower tunnel nine days after catastrophic floods swept through the country, leaving more than 1,000 people dead and thousands more missing.
Nepalese lawmaker Shri Ram Neupane told The Associated Press that searchers first heard men's voices in the tunnel on Friday morning. Images distributed by the Nepal Army showed a rescuer carrying one of the workers on his back while soldiers on either side helped.
The breakthrough has raised hopes that the dozens of others believed to be trapped will be rescued. One of the rescued men said more people are alive inside the tunnel, according to Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet, who said the search is ongoing.
SON REALIZES MISSING AMERICAN DAD WAS IN PATH OF NEPAL DISASTER AFTER WATCHING VIRAL VIDEO
"I can’t explain what we are feeling at the moment. We are just grateful to God," Amir Maharjan, the brother of one of those rescued, told the AP.
Both men were flown to a hospital in Kathmandu, and one of them was in critical condition, the AP reported, citing a statement from the prime minister's office.
Officials identified them as a mechanical foreman and a mechanical supervisor at the Trishuli 3A plant.
TERRIFYING VIDEO CAPTURES PEOPLE FLEEING INCOMING MUDSLIDE AT NEPAL-CHINA BORDER
The AP reported that about 115 people are believed to remain trapped in the Trishuli 3A tunnel alone, citing the Independent Power Producers Association of Nepal.
In total, authorities say there are about 900 workers missing from 12 hydropower plants in Nepal, with about 500 of them believed to be trapped in tunnels.
Nepal’s Communication Minister Bikram Timilsina wrote on his Facebook page that officials "are waiting for the rescue of more and more people."
"A heartfelt thank you to everyone who worked tirelessly day and night to rescue two people alive!" Timilsina added.
The AP reported that at least 1,287 people have been killed and more than 5,000 remain missing after the Aug. 26 floods, which scientists believe were likely triggered by a glacier collapse.
China said on Wednesday that on the Tibet side of the border, 21 people were killed and 541 are missing.
Nepal's disaster agency chief told Reuters on Friday that the flooding has likely caused at least 387.5 billion Nepalese rupees (about $2.5 billion) in damage to infrastructure and property.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Former Trump Cabinet official had 'inappropriately close' relationship with bodyguard, IG finds
Former Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer allegedly had an inappropriate relationship with her bodyguard and created a hostile work environment for her subordinates, according to a Thursday report from the Department of Labor's (DOL's) Office of the Inspector General (OIG).
The report cites one incident in which Chavez-DeRemer allegedly ordered a member of her security detail to throw cash at a stripper.
Chavez-DeRemer, who resigned her position in April, had been under investigation after the OIG received an anonymous complaint in January. That complaint alleged Chavez-DeRemer's inappropriate relationship with the assistant special agent-in-charge (ASAIC) of her department's Division of Protective Operations (DPO), who the report did not name.
TRUMP TAPS ACTING LABOR SECRETARY KEITH SONDERLING FOR PERMANENT ROLE PENDING SENATE CONFIRMATION
The complaint also alleged that Chavez-DeRemer, her chief of staff, Jihun Han, and deputy chief of staff, Rebecca Wright, created a hostile work environment and regularly drank alcohol on DOL property and during work hours.
The OIG interviewed 38 witnesses who described the DOL work environment as "toxic, intimidating and humiliating." The witnesses reported that Chavez-DeRemer, Han and Wright "openly discussed employee performance matters in the presence of other staff, including details of performance-related meetings and whether those employees had cried during the meetings."
Witnesses also told the OIG that Chavez-DeRemer's alleged relationship with the ASAIC also contributed to the hostile work environment.
During an April trip to Oregon, the ASAIC complied with Chavez-DeRemer's request to make an unplanned, off-the-record stop at "an establishment that was determined upon entry to feature partially nude dancers," according to the report.
The ASAIC assigned Chavez-DeRemer's driver to enter the establishment with her, and, according to the report, she handed the driver a stack of cash and instructed him to give it to one of the dancers. When the driver refused, the ASAIC instructed him to comply.
"Chavez-DeRemer then took additional money from her purse and asked the agent to drop the bills one by one onto the partially nude woman. The agent again hesitated and sought intervention from ASAIC 1, who told him to follow Chavez-DeRemer's instructions," according to the report.
The complaint and subsequent investigation also determined that the ASAIC's alleged inappropriate relationship with the former labor secretary, who is married, affected his job performance.
"ASAIC 1 allegedly focused on his interactions with Chavez-DeRemer, monitored her interactions with other agents, and reduced the presence of other DPO personnel to create opportunities to be alone with her, resulting in reduced protective coverage for the Secretary," the report read.
The pair reportedly grew immediately close upon Chavez-DeRemer's arrival at the department in March 2025, communicating often through the encrypted messaging app Signal in off-duty hours and about non-operational subjects.
Another witness described observing Chavez-DeRemer massaging the ASAIC's shoulders in a car after he had finished a driving shift. When she asked if he was tired, he allegedly responded that he was "solid as a rock," and the pair both laughed.
"The witness interpreted the comment as sexual innuendo," the report read.
MARRIED FEDERAL JUDGE REPEATEDLY HAD COURTHOUSE SEX WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, COMPLAINT ALLEGES
Other witnesses described the pair walking arm in arm after leaving an event at Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins' home. After opening the investigation, the OIG surveilled Chavez-Deremer's Washington, D.C., home and found the ASAIC entering her residence through a back door on repeated occasions.
FEDERAL JUDGE WHO HAD SEX IN CHAMBERS APOLOGIZES TO FORMER CLERK AS IMPEACHMENT PUSH RAMPS UP
After reports that the ASAIC was breaking chain-of-command protocol by attending meetings with Chavez-DeRemer's chief of staff and deputy chief of staff without his Special Agent in Charge's (SAIC) knowledge, the SAIC recommended he take a leave of absence. However, the SAIC did not escalate beyond this recommendation for fear she herself would be terminated.
"ASAIC 1 declined the suggestion to take leave and agreed that the SAIC taking action to limit his travel with Chavez-DeRemer could result in the SAIC’s removal," the report read.
When the SAIC told ASAIC in a text message that she would reassign him to another team he replied, "lol. Don't do that."
The ASAIC was put on paid administrative leave in January and then on unpaid investigative leave in February. He resigned in March, according to the report.
Fox News Digital contacted the Department of Labor, the department's OIG and the White House for additional comment.
Influencer issues PSA to women when they can see their husbands during football season, Rutgers mess & Dale Sr
There was no need for an alarm clock this morning to get me up and rolling with another edition of Friday Screencaps. The lightning this morning was some of the closest lightning I've ever experienced in my life. It felt like bolts were striking our house for an hour straight. I'm talking lightning, where it's a flash and an immediate BANG like you're being hit by multiple rounds being dropped by an F-18.
Needless to say, I'M AWAKE. No coffee needed.
Let's get the day rolling with some college football talk. Yes, I watched that beautiful victory by a MAC school over Rutgers. DO NOT MESS WITH THE MAC this time of year. Rutgers reportedly paid UMass $1.5 million to play last night's game. Add in the fireworks Rutgers paid for that were supposed to help build energy for the on-campus population, and you have a complete disaster out of the gates.
Speaking of disasters, imagine what Greg Sankey thinks of Lane Kiffin this morning after what went down Thursday in Baton Rouge. My guess is that Greg will unload all the dirt he has on Kiffin, and it's going to be beautiful. The SEC hasn't won a playoff title in three years and a member school is actively trying to destroy college football.
It's time for SEC Network to update its eight-part SEC history documentary.
Quick hitters:
• I hope this is truly the replay booth in D3 football. It's pure art.
• Thank you to YouTubeTV for signing a deal where it's now incorporating Peacock and ESPN+ into its platform. Last night felt like the old cable days. I didn't have to switch apps to watch multiple games and I could add the games to a quad box. It was heaven.
• I saw a tweet where Deion Sanders said, "I'm BACK" after last night's win over Georgia Tech. Prime complimenting Prime is just business as usual.
THE COLORADO BUFFALOES ARE ONCE AGAIN GETTING ROASTED ONLINE FOR LOOKING LIKE A POP WARNER TEAM
• You know who was way quieter last night? My old buddy Warren Sapp who resigned from his CU job in February. He leaves and the Buffaloes defense turns into the Steel Curtain. You love to see it.
• Speaking of the MAC, keep your eyes on that Toledo-Michigan State game. The Rockets have a new head coach who's looking to make a splash, and he's a hometown guy. The Rockets are 9.5-10-point underdogs. Vegas knows. Don't say I didn't warn you guys.
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Let's remember that Kinsey is on West Coast time when she's explaining the kickoff times. Let's also remember that there are Friday night games, but Kinsey addresses that. "If he's watching these games, he probably has a gambling addiction, and you might want to get him help or leave him," she says.
That's true.
If Kinsey looks familiar, it's because she's been an Internet legend going back to the late 2010s, when she burst onto the scene for running on the field at the 2019 UEFA Champions League Final. Since then, she's been an Instagram star who also does things like fly planes and make viral videos.
– Rob in Florida changed his life for the better: 1982- I got into a fight at high school and hurt another kid bad, real bad, they took him out on a stretcher in front of the whole school. I was taken out of class and promptly arrested in the principal’s office. When my court date came around I was given an option to go through a new program for youth offenders, It would keep me out of jail if I completed the program. Seemed like a no-brainer to me, I signed up immediately, anything had to be better than Juvenile (this was not my first offence by the way). What program did I sign up for you ask? Florida’s version of Scared Straight. The next six months had me checking in with a Probation officer every week, random drug tests, a curfew and "interviews" with various "counselors" who seemed to enjoy yelling at you. The best part of the program, actually the worst, was having to spend a day at Desoto Correctional Facility. When I say "spend a day" I don’t mean I got a tour, I wasn’t guided around by the warden like some sort of emissary. The other young men and I that were also in the program were placed into the General population to participate in the daily activities of the prison. In a way, were "guests of honor" to the inmates, they had a blast with us, I have never in my life seen that many large angry men (the weight room at that facility was massive, every man in there looked like a professional body builder). I have two horrific stories from that day, neither can be published in a polite forum such as this, but suffice to say, I walked a pretty straight line after that visit. I’ve never felt a such a sense of relief as I did walking out of prison that day, I still get goose bumps thinking about it.
1984- I’m working for a company that is been contracted to pull fiberoptic wire for what was then called GTE. It was summer in Florida, the job paid $5.50 an hour, I received an extra $.50 because I had a Drivers license and could drive a large truck. I did not graduate High School in 1983 with the rest of my class, I was 2 credit hours short and would not go to summer school to make them up, I was WAY smarter than everyone else, I would go get a job and make it on my own. So off I go with this company, driving a truck and pulling fiberoptic wire ( I think that’s what it was, at least an real early version of it), 10 hours a day, in Florida, in the summer. I thought I was going to die, it was miserable. They would drop you not a manhole, pull the ladder up and you would hand pull miles of wire manually. There was no escape from the hole, the ladder was gone and you had no other option than to keep pulling. When I finally finished that day, I made up my mind to go get my GED and pursue a different career, anything had to be better than that. I’m now going to retire from 38 years in the Aerospace industry but I still remember two things, walking out of that prison and the day I decided I didn’t want to be dropped in a manhole ever again.
– Marc T. shares his wife's pivot point: In 1999, out church gave out money to the congregation and asked them to invest it based on the lesson of the Three Talents. My wife got a $10 bill and went and bought soR caramel and chocolate.
Agenda 4 containers of chocolate drizzled popcorn, brought them to my secretaries at school, and told them they each owed her $5. Just doubled her investment. One of the secretaries asked her to make some more, and it kept going until she returned $880 to the church 6 months later.The demand continued and it forced her to start using the church kitchen instead of ours.
After 6 months, that kitchen became to small and the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission offered her a small building with a kitchen. She began working with the homeless and profits went to the mission and our church.After a couple years, that building became to small and the Kalamazoo area Youth For Christ got her a larger building.
After 4 years, that building became too small and they moved into their current facility with all profits benefitting youth at risk. At this point, the business has had donated more than a million dollars to the homeless, Youth For Christ, and our church from profits.A great human and American story for sure.
Kinsey: This is #notsponsored. I asked Marc to give me a link to his wife's popcorn.
– Big Den shares a story from his life: At 42 years I was a confirmed bachelor, not looking for love or marriage. Drinking beer by the gallon, having fun in the Bay Area. Hotrods, beer, grilling meat, chasing girls. And beer.
There was a wife in our car club, always nice and friendly. Once she kicked out her abusive spouse, who later died alone and penniless, we become good friends. I helped her with car repairs and home stuff. One thing led to another culminating at my rented duplex.
She stole my heart, my life, and helped me to cut the beer. 32 years later she still keeps around, legally. We have moved 4 times, getting ready to move again, to middle Tennessee. She had 2 teenage girls when we married. Now there are 7 grandchildren. 5 in Florida, one here in Colorado, and the youngest in Tennessee. He's the main reason for our move. And to escape Commiefornia East. The liberals are destroying this area.
Commierado; can't wait to be in small town Tennessee, quiet,friendly, much cheaper real estate. And a red state!
We're coming Amber! lock the doors, turn out the lights!
####################
And with that, I think we're ready for the Labor Day weekend. I'll be here tomorrow. SeanJo will be here Sunday. I'll be here Monday to round out the holiday. Let's enjoy it. Soak it in. Go find yourself some fun.
University pays professor $600K after being punished for parodying land acknowledgments
The University of Washington has paid a professor $600,000 after punishing him for parodying a land acknowledgment in his syllabus.
Stuart Reges, a non-tenured computer science and engineering teaching professor at the university, said in his complaint that in September 2020, university officials encouraged professors (but did not require) to include the university's land acknowledgment statement in their class syllabus. Land acknowledgments are statements commonly used by universities and public institutions to recognize Native American tribes as the original inhabitants of the land on which campuses now sit.
Reges parodied the university's land acknowledgment in his Computer Programming II class syllabus in January 2022. Instead of using the university's land acknowledgment, he wrote, "I acknowledge that by the labor theory of property the Coast Salish people can claim historical ownership of almost none of the land currently occupied by the University of Washington."
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) said that Reges was punished for his actions.
"UW was not amused. University officials censored Reges’ parody statement from his syllabus and created a competing class, so students could choose not to take a computer science class from Reges. The university also initiated a nearly year-long investigation of Reges under an 'antiharassment policy,'" the organization said.
WOKE STUNT GOES HORRIBLY WRONG AS MICHIGAN DEMS OPEN CONVENTION WITH BRUTAL ‘LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT’
On Thursday, FIRE announced that Reges' legal battle had concluded with the settlement, following a Ninth Circuit ruling last December in his favor. Under the settlement, the university may take no further action against him over the parody statement.
Reges said in FIRE's press release, "I am deeply grateful to FIRE for this legal victory which will remind public universities that they are obligated to respect the First Amendment rights of their students, faculty, and staff."
He added, "More importantly, I hope that my protest can help reverse a decade-long trend towards ideological conformity in academia and help to convince them that instead of 'protecting’ students from controversial ideas, they should be helping them to learn how to cope with disagreement. Only then can we heal the deep divisions that confront us today."
Gabe Walters, a FIRE attorney, told Fox News Digital:
"Professor Reges parodied UW's land acknowledgment statement knowing doing so might cause offense, but his deeper purpose was to encourage his colleagues to see beyond their partisan perspectives and consider that others might disagree with them. Epistemic humility is necessary to test ideas, and there's no better place to put ideas to the test than our colleges and universities," Walters said.
He added that the case could be better understood by looking at it from the angle of other hot-button issues.
"Consider the flip side of the coin: a state that bans professors from putting indigenous land acknowledgment statements in their syllabi also is putting its thumb improperly on the scale of public debate, and as a non-partisan organization dedicated to the freedom of speech and academic freedom, FIRE also would represent the hypothetical professor who wants to include a sincere land acknowledgment on their syllabi but is prohibited from doing so — just as we've challenged Florida's ‘Stop WOKE Act’ and Texas's campus ban on drag performances."
The University of Washington provided the following statement to Fox News Digital:
"The University of Washington maintains that we acted appropriately, and this settlement is in no way an admission of any wrongdoing. Given the Ninth Circuit’s 2-1 decision overturning the federal district court’s decision in favor of the University, a settlement agreement was the most reasonable option due to the attorney fees and costs that would have resulted from the Ninth’s Circuit’s decision. Prof. Reges has retained his faculty position and continued teaching throughout this process, and his status with the UW remains unchanged."
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Fox News' Kristine Parks contributed to this report.
Trump is dismantling Iran’s war machine, but America still needs an endgame
For nearly half a century, the Islamic Republic of Iran taught Washington to fear confrontation more than Tehran feared attacking American interests. The regime sponsored terrorism, armed proxies, threatened international shipping and targeted U.S. forces while exploiting American fears of "escalation." President Donald Trump has begun to reverse that equation.
The latest strikes matter not simply because Iranian radar, air defenses and maritime assets have been destroyed, but because Washington is imposing a principle Tehran understands: aggression will expose and diminish its military power. For a theocracy that built regional influence by convincing adversaries that retaliation was more dangerous than accommodation, this fundamentally changes the balance of fear.
The latest confrontation in the Persian Gulf illustrates that change. U.S. Central Command said its Sept. 1 operation struck Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) air defenses, radar systems, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities and communications sites after attempted Iranian attacks on commercial shipping and U.S. service members. Tehran responded with missiles and drones aimed toward Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain.
TRUMP RETALIATES AFTER IRAN ATTACK AS EXPERT WARNS REGIME IS GROWING MORE DANGEROUS
The attacks demonstrate that Iran remains dangerous, but not strategically strong. Possessing missiles capable of inflicting damage is not the same as possessing the power to dictate a conflict’s outcome. Each attempt to rebuild its machinery of aggression creates new vulnerabilities for American intelligence and military power to exploit.
This is one of the most consequential achievements of current U.S. policy. For years, Tehran followed a favorable cycle: build military capabilities, use them directly or through proxies, absorb a limited response, wait for calls for "de-escalation" and rebuild. Washington mistook restraint for deterrence. But deterrence exists only when aggression reliably leaves an adversary worse off, and the Trump administration is restoring that principle. When the IRGC rebuilds radar, surveillance or other capabilities threatening American forces and international commerce, Washington need not accept their restoration. Tehran’s reconstructed assets can instead become new liabilities.
IRAN PROVES THAT IT MIGHT CHANGE ITS MILITARY LEADERS, BUT IT’S NOT CHANGING STRATEGY
Nowhere is this transformation more important than in the Strait of Hormuz. The Islamic Republic has long treated the Persian Gulf as a geopolitical hostage. Tehran never needed to defeat the U.S. Navy; it needed only to make this vital waterway dangerous enough to frighten shipping companies, insurers, energy markets and governments. Missiles, drones, mines and fast boats became instruments of economic coercion.
America is now challenging that blackmail by protecting shipping while degrading Iran’s maritime surveillance and offensive capabilities. The same geography that gives Tehran leverage also exposes the infrastructure on which its ability to threaten international commerce depends.
IRAN WARNS SHIPS OF 'FORCEFUL RESPONSE' AS US-BACKED HORMUZ ROUTE CHALLENGES TEHRAN'S GRIP
The economic dimension makes this pressure even more consequential. Iran depends heavily on energy revenue to sustain its security institutions, patronage networks and military ambitions. Restricting oil exports therefore constrains the financial ecosystem sustaining the regime’s coercive power. The reported American "tanker for tanker" policy sharpens that message.
If Tehran endangers commercial vessels and turns the Persian Gulf into a battlefield, it cannot assume its own maritime assets will remain insulated from the consequences. For decades, the Islamic Republic perfected asymmetric warfare by forcing others to bear costs it could avoid. Washington is finally making asymmetry work against Tehran.
This deserves to be recognized as a long-overdue shift from managing Iranian aggression to degrading the machinery that makes it possible. The Islamic Republic is not a conventional government, occasionally pursuing objectionable policies. The IRGC, its terrorist proxies, intelligence networks, missile forces and ideological militias are central instruments of a system that has used terrorism and coercion as statecraft since 1979.
American policy failed when it imagined that concessions, negotiations or temporary agreements could transform that system. Current policy rests on a more realistic premise: a regime built around coercion must confront costs it cannot simply transfer to its victims.
IRAN IS NOT A NORMAL NATION YOU CAN MAKE DEALS WITH; IT’S A NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT
The danger now is stopping halfway. Military superiority can destroy capabilities, but it cannot define victory. America may demolish Iranian radars, cripple maritime forces and obstruct oil exports while leaving one strategic question unanswered: What happens if the Islamic Republic survives and rebuilds? Tehran understands that Western attention shifts, administrations change and diplomacy returns.
Given time, a weakened regime can reconstruct weapons and networks, presenting a future president with the familiar choice between confrontation and another supposedly historic negotiation. Tactical success without a political endgame could ultimately recreate the problem America is now paying heavily to solve.
TRUMP HAS 3 CHOICES TO DEFINE VICTORY IF HE WANTS TO BEAT IRAN. NONE OF THEM ARE EASY
The endgame should not be an American invasion, occupation or nation-building project. Iran does not need America to invent a nation for it. It is an ancient country with a powerful national identity, an educated population and a political history extending far beyond the clerical regime established in 1979.
Nor should Washington empower separatist forces whose ambitions could turn regime collapse into state collapse. A fragmented Iran of more than 90 million people would be a catastrophe for Iranians and a strategic nightmare for America. Washington should seek to end the Islamic Republic’s capacity for terrorism and regional coercion while preserving Iran’s territorial integrity and continuity.
IRAN’S REGIME WON’T NEGOTIATE IN GOOD FAITH. TRUMP MUST BREAK ITS GRIP
A successful American endgame should envision a united Iran where clerical repression is dismantled, a security vacuum is prevented and Iranians can establish a secular, democratic political order. America should not select Iran’s future government, but preserving the Iranian state while the Islamic Republic disappears is profoundly in the U.S. national interest.
That requires looking beyond the next missile exchange. Military, economic and intelligence pressure must reinforce a coherent political strategy, ensuring that the regime cannot simply survive the current confrontation and rebuild the architecture of terrorism, proxy warfare and coercion that made it dangerous in the first place.
I'VE STUDIED MILITARY STRATEGY. TRUMP NOW FACES IRAN'S OLDEST BATTLEFIELD TRICK
The Islamic Republic remains capable of violence because the apparatus that has kept it alive has not disappeared. Its missiles and drones remain dangerous, its security organizations brutal and its rulers determined to use whatever instruments survive to project strength. But the strategic picture has changed.
Iran’s conventional military infrastructure has been badly damaged, its ability to dominate the Persian Gulf is being challenged, and the resources sustaining its power are under extraordinary pressure. Tehran’s retaliation should not intimidate Washington into abandoning a successful strategy. A wounded authoritarian regime often grows more violent precisely as its options narrow.
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For decades, American policymakers asked how much Iranian aggression Washington could absorb without triggering a wider confrontation. Trump has posed a better question: how much aggression can Tehran afford when every escalation puts more of its military and economic power at risk? That reversal may prove more consequential than any individual strike.
America is demonstrating that the world’s most aggressive state sponsor of Islamist terrorism cannot claim a permanent veto over regional security simply by threatening chaos whenever confronted. Washington should preserve the pressure, protect Iran’s territorial integrity, reject another premature diplomatic escape hatch and translate military superiority into a durable political outcome. Trump is breaking Iran’s war machine. This is no time to stop halfway.
Caitlin Clark not in Team USA's starting 5 for FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup opener vs China
For those who were excited to watch Caitlin Clark make her senior international debut with Team USA at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup on Friday against China, they had to wait just a bit to see her on the court.
Clark wasn’t featured in Kara Lawson’s starting five to start off the tournament against China, whom Team USA saw in the 2022 gold-medal game.
The starting guards for Team USA were Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young, while Breanna Stewart, Kahleah Copper and Napheesa Collier round out the group. Gray was a pivotal piece in the 2022 victory at the World Cup, but Young, despite being one of the best guards in the WNBA today, wasn’t on the squad.
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Clark eventually checked in midway through the first quarter, as Team USA started to run up the scoreboard early on China, with Young scoring seven of the team’s first 20 points.
Clark finished the first quarter with a layup for two points, while dishing out four assists and notching a rebound.
Heading into the tournament, Lawson said that Clark has been "great" and "coachable."
WNBA STAR WILL MISS PLAYING IN FIBA WORLD CUP AFTER HER PASSPORT GOES MISSING IN THE MAIL
" I had my first experience with her this spring, I had never coached her before, been around her a ton before. She is just so competitive, skilled, sees the game at this high level in terms of her ability to be anticipatory, with her passes and with her shots, and her belief and confidence in what she can do is terrific," she said, per Sports Illustrated.
Clark was also coming into the tournament red-hot after setting multiple WNBA records in the month of August before this international break.
For starters, Clark scored or assisted on 44.7 points per game, a WNBA record for a single month. The stellar point guard has always had a knack for either finding the bottom of the net or dishing assists to her teammates to get the job done.
Clark became the first player in WNBA history with back-to-back 30-plus-point and 10-plus-assist games. They both came in the final two games for the Fever before this international break, scoring 34 points with 12 assists in a 111-91 win over the Connecticut Sun. Then, Clark poured in 37 points, including eight of 12 three-pointers made, with 10 assists in the Aug. 23 win over the Chicago Sky, 113-90.
Clark also put together five games in August where she had at least 20 points and 10 assists. To put that into perspective, no other player had five such games in the last five seasons combined.
Finally, Clark averaged 24.4 points per game, which was the highest-scoring month by a point guard in WNBA history.
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But to kick off the tournament, Lawson went with some more senior members on the squad to begin their journey to defending that gold medal. Perhaps Clark’s play will vault her into the starting lineup down the road.
Other notables who were coming off the bench for Team USA are Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers.
Gavin Newsom fires back at Trump after judge dismisses DOJ lawsuit over trans athletes in girls' sports
A federal judge has dismissed a Department of Justice lawsuit against California, allowing state rules that let biological males compete in girls' high school sports to remain in place. Following the ruling, Governor Gavin Newsom's office responded in a statement provided directly to OutKick.
"This ruling makes clear that President Trump cannot rewrite Title IX by fiat," a spokesperson for Newsom's office said.
"He cannot weaponize the law against the American people, and California will keep fighting his attempts to do so."
CALIFORNIA GIRLS’ SPORTS ADVOCATES VOW FIGHT AFTER JUDGE TOSSES TRANS ATHLETE CASE: 'FAR FROM OVER'
U.S. District Judge Cynthia Valenzuela never ruled on whether California’s policy violates Title IX or whether biological males should compete in girls’ sports. She tossed the case Monday, finding that federal officials failed to give California clear notice that maintaining the policy could cost the state roughly $44 billion in federal education funding.
The ruling leaves California’s policy intact for now, while the Justice Department considers an appeal.
"We are disappointed by the Court's order and remain committed to enforcing President Trump's agenda of preventing boys from playing in girls' sports," a spokesperson asserted.
The federal suit aimed to use Title IX, the landmark 1972 law created to protect female athletes, to safeguard girls' sports. But under Gov. Gavin Newsom and state athletic officials, California has maintained a 2013 policy allowing males to compete on girls’ teams.
Newsom has acknowledged on a podcast that fairness is at the heart of the debate over transgender athletes.
The Supreme Court’s recent decision upholding state bans did not create a nationwide mandate, leaving California’s policy in effect.
CALIFORNIA TRANS ATHLETE PODIUM CONTROVERSY IGNITES OUTRAGE AMONG POLITICIANS, ACTIVISTS
California’s policy drew its fiercest backlash in track and field, where Jurupa Valley High School athlete AB Hernandez won four girls’ state titles across two seasons. Hernandez captured back-to-back high jump and triple jump championships and finished third in the long jump, prompting state officials to issue duplicate medals to the girls pushed down the podium. When Hernandez later joined the girls’ varsity volleyball team, the debate moved from competitive fairness to player safety.
At least eight teams forfeited against Jurupa Valley, citing fairness and safety concerns over playing against a male competitor.
State officials point to the few trans athletes competing in California. Female athletes and advocates say even one male competitor can displace girls, alter a state championship and affect college or NIL opportunities.
With the federal case stalled, California remains a major battleground over Title IX and women’s sports.
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MLW star Lady Frost reacts to Tessa Blanchard signing: 'It's good for business'
Pro wrestling star Tessa Blanchard signed with Major League Wrestling (MLW) earlier this week, bolstering an already stacked women’s division.
Lady Frost, who joined MLW earlier this year, reacted to Blanchard’s arrival in an interview with OutKick Dropkick.
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"First of all, it’s an incredible signing," she said. "We understand the pedigree that comes with Tessa Blanchard and you’ve heard high tides raise all ships. And I think everyone is just going to want to up their game even more.
"I’ve been in the ring with Tessa. I’ve done tours in Mexico and it’s good for business."
MLW said Blanchard will make her debut appearance at Fightland on Sept. 12 in Charleston, South Carolina.
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"Heavy is the crown, but legacy isn't handed to you... it’s forged under pressure," she said in a news release. "I’ve earned my place as one of the best in the world at what I do, but I’m not coming to MLW to rest on the Blanchard name.
"MLW is bringing some of the purest, hardest-hitting action in the sport today, and the ‘Undeniable Diamond’ belongs right at the top of it."
Blanchard is a third-generation pro wrestler. She’s the daughter of Tully Blanchard and the granddaughter of renowned promoter Joe Blanchard. She’s also the stepdaughter of Magnum T.A.
Frost told OutKick Dropkick she wouldn’t rank the MLW women’s division among the rest of the pro wrestling world but agreed the roster is "stacked."
"It is stacked. I don't do rankings. That's not my department. I do the fighting," she said. "I get in there and I do my job and it's for the fans to decide. We make it very easy for them. Too easy.
"It's $15 to show up to a live event and it's free on YouTube. So, they can make that decision themselves. I know fans have a lot to say about rankings and wrestling and they really have no idea, but you can go ahead and chime in."
Lady Frost is set for a matchup against Corinne Joy on Saturday as MLW holds its Kings of Colosseum event. The matches can be seen on YouTube, beIN Sports and Veeps.