Fox News Latest Headlines
Small town buzzing over identity of its $1B Powerball winner: ‘Like a murder mystery’
A small-town gas station in Illinois is trying to solve a burning mystery: Who holds Wednesday night’s winning $1.04 billion Powerball lottery ticket that was sold in the store?
Jon Marshall, 47, manager of Hy-Vee Gas Fresh & Fast convenience store in Quincy, Illinois, told Fox News Digital he views the waiting "like a murder mystery."
"It was about 3 a.m. I got a phone call from the other gas station manager in town. He ... woke me up, and he said, ‘You sold the winning ticket.’
SMALL-TOWN DINER PRODUCES 5TH LOTTERY WINNER IN 2 YEARS AS CUSTOMER HITS $2M JACKPOT
"I was like, ‘Wow.’"
"'Your store sold the winning ticket,'" the other manager said, Marshal recalled.
He was shocked, Marshall said.
He ran to his kitchen because he personally bought a Powerball ticket from the Fast & Fresh convenience store.
LAS VEGAS PRICES SQUEEZE EVERYDAY TRAVELERS AS POPULAR CITY EMBRACES EXPENSIVE MAKEOVER
"I’m like, ‘I better check my ticket before I worry about anything else.’ And, of course, I wasn’t a winner," he said.
As of late Thursday afternoon, the identity of the winner was still a mystery. Curious residents have come by to inquire, he said. But the winner hasn't been identified thus far.
Quincy is a historic river city in Illinois on the Mississippi River. It has about 39,000 residents; Marshall said most of his customers are "regulars."
The town has "an old-school feel. We still have a lot of great people that would give their shirts off their backs for you," he said.
Marshall’s store will receive a $500,000 cash bonus for selling Wednesday’s winning ticket, Powerball rules state.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER
The jackpot is the second-largest lottery prize ever won in Illinois and the eighth-largest in the game’s history.
The winning numbers were 4, 26, 66, 67 and 69, with Powerball 9.
The odds of matching all five white balls and the red Powerball are about 1 in 292.2 million, according to Powerball data.
The winner will have a choice of taking the full $1.04 billion jackpot as an annuity, or accepting a one-time cash payment of $450.5 million before taxes, according to Powerball rules.
Under the annuity option, the prize is given to the winner in 30 graduated payments over 29 years, the rules note.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES
"There’s a lot of people coming in just to kind of see if we found the winner yet, and then there’s just people wanting to get some same luck, repeat luck, buying extra lottery tickets from that same machine," Marshall said.
"We got a great buzz going on, and we’re enjoying the ride while we can."
Yet the mystery remains.
Illinois gives the ticket holder one year from the Aug. 12 drawing to claim the prize. A Powerball winner, however, who wants the lump-sum option must make that choice within 60 days of the drawing, according to the Illinois Lottery.
Lottery officials are urging the winner to sign the back of the ticket and keep it somewhere secure until it is claimed, officials said.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
"I'd say, we have probably 15% of [customers] that are traveling on the highway that come to our gas station. Most of them are local," said Marshall.
Though the gas station has previously had other winning tickets, it has never experienced a Powerball win.
"We've had some big scratch-off tickets, but nothing even close to this one ... nothing [of] quite this caliber," he said.
The mystery surrounding the winner may never be solved.
Under Illinois Lottery rules, anyone winning $250,000 or more can request that his or her name and municipality of residence remain confidential when submitting a claim, the Illinois Lottery states.
Marshall's greatest hope is that the winner thinks about the community after claiming the prize.
"I hope they do well for the community," he said. "I hope they build up some organizations in town."
Matthew McConaughey gives update on rumored 'Yellowstone' spin-off series, years after reports first surfaced
Matthew McConaughey is clearing the air about his rumored "Yellowstone" spin-off.
During a recent appearance on The Playlist’s "Discourse" podcast, the 56-year-old actor discussed the status of the rumored "Yellowstone" spin-off he was meant to star in, giving fans some hope that they might still see him in that universe.
"No, I mean, it’s not any more of a thing than it was or probably any less of a thing than it was that did hit the headlines there for a while," McConaughey said. "Taylor and I have spoken and have continued to have conversations about what [it could be] and if that would be whatever. But nothing’s real yet."
Rumors of a potential collaboration between McConaughey and Taylor Sheridan first sparked in 2023, when Sheridan was still trying to figure out the end of "Yellowstone" and whether its star, Kevin Costner, would return.
LIONESS STAR MICHAEL KELLY CALLS TAYLOR SHERIDAN 'ONE OF THE GREATEST STORYTELLERS' IN ENTERTAINMENT
During the gap between the first half of the show's final season and the second, rumors began swirling that McConaughey and Sheridan were in talks for a potential spin-off of the show.
Sheridan told The Hollywood Reporter in June 2023 that McConaughey "seems like a natural fit."
"We had a few conversations over the years and spitballed a few ideas," Sheridan said. "Then he started watching 'Yellowstone' and responded to it. He was like, ‘I want to do that.’ And by ‘that’ he meant diving into a raw world clashing up against the modern world. And then I said, ‘Buddy, that we can do.’"
"Yellowstone" aired its series finale in December 2024 without Costner, Sheridan giving his character an off-screen death.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
It was announced in August 2024 that two of the show's stars, Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly, who played Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler, would star in their own spin-off series, "Dutton Ranch," which saw the two characters leave Montana to start fresh in Texas.
While this show is an extension of the "Yellowstone" universe, Sheridan stepped away from the writers' room during the first season, although he is still an executive producer.
"There were challenges, you know?" Hauser told Film Inside NYC in July. "Not having Taylor [Sheridan] there for us to really kind of be able to work with these new writers, these new directors, these people ... everything had changed."
LIKE WHAT YOU'RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
In the end, Hauser said he is "proud of what we accomplished" on the show, crediting everyone on set for having to "figure out on our feet how to really perform and tell a story," noting, "I look forward to doing it again."
JD Vance warns Republicans not to blame young Americans for the appeal of socialism
Vice President JD Vance delivered a wake-up call to Republicans on Thursday, cautioning them against blaming young Americans for embracing socialism and arguing that the GOP deserves some of the blame.
Appearing on "The Will Cain Show," Vance defended young voters sympathetic to socialism as the far-left ideology gains appeal for those struggling with accomplishing the American dream their parents achieved.
"My warning to my fellow Republicans would be: If we don't get this right, don't blame young people for being sympathetic to socialism. We've got to blame ourselves," he told Fox News host Will Cain.
SOCIALISTS CHEER ‘SHOCKWAVE’ PRIMARY NIGHT AS DSA-BACKED CANDIDATES WIN, ADVANCE ACROSS THE MAP
Vance's comments come amid a high-stakes battle over the ideological future of the Democratic Party as the Democratic Socialists of America’s (DSA) grip on the establishment appears to grow tighter.
Michigan's Abdul El-Sayed and Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan recently scored crucial Democratic U.S. Senate primary victories, while DSA member Francesca Hong fell short in Wisconsin's Democratic gubernatorial primary.
Vance, who described socialism as "dangerous and destructive," argued that Republicans cannot ignore the economic concerns he believes are "feeding" young Americans’ growing interest in the ideology.
YOUNG CONSERVATIVES REVEAL WHAT’S TOP OF MIND AS GOP, DEMOCRATS BATTLE FOR 'HOPELESS' GEN Z VOTERS
The median price for a single-family home in the United States sits at over $430,000, according to data from Redfin analyzed by Forbes.
With surging housing prices, much of the younger generation feels shut out of a market that helped previous generations build wealth, some critics have argued.
Socialist candidates are capitalizing on those frustrations, and Vance said young Americans deserve better. The vice president spoke directly to young Americans who feel financially incapable of achieving the same economic security as their parents.
"I would say to that young person that you as an American citizen deserve to have a good life in this country, and you deserve to have a government that is making it easier for you to start a family, for you to afford to get a good education, for you to have a good job, for you to afford a home," the vice president said.
IRATE REPUBLICANS ACCUSE TRUMP OF HANDING DEMOCRATS A WIN AFTER BLOWING UP HOUSING PACKAGE
Vance said the Trump administration’s economic policy agenda is already delivering positive results for the American people, touting "stabilized" housing prices.
"We're seeing trillions of dollars of new investment into this country, which means good, middle-class jobs for young people, middle-income people all across our country," he told Fox News.
Vance urged fellow Republicans to listen to the economic concerns of Americans drawn to socialism and not underestimate their worries.
"You don't stop socialism by throwing slogans at people about the free market," he said. "As much as I love the free market, you stop socialism by making people's lives better, and that's what we're trying to do every single day."
Mamdani’s luxury-home tax gets new life as appeals court lifts roadblock in homeowner fight
Democratic New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s controversial luxury-home tax rollout is back on track, at least for now, after a New York appeals court on Thursday lifted the roadblock that had stopped the city from moving ahead.
Judge Philip Hom temporarily lifted the order blocking the city from moving ahead with the rollout, allowing the surcharge process to resume while the legal battle continues.
Randy Mastro, the attorney representing the homeowners challenging the rollout, blasted the administration in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"It is a shame that the City can’t own up to its own mistakes and admit that it has badly botched the rollout of this surcharge," Mastro said. "Instead, the administration is doubling down, going to court to ensure that it can continue harassing and threatening New York City homeowners who clearly are permanent residents — something the City would know if it would only do its homework."
Mastro accused Mamdani of pushing ahead with thousands of surcharge notices he called "blatantly illegal."
"It is, quite frankly, outrageous that this Mayor is so desperate to further his agenda that he’s continuing to try to enforce thousands [of] surcharge ‘notices’ that are blatantly illegal," Mastro said.
"We remain confident that when we are back in court in a mere 18 days, the thousands of New York City homeowners who are now illegally burdened with the responsibility of proving they do indeed live in their own homes will finally get the permanent relief they deserve," he added.
MAMDANI'S PROPERTY TAX DUBBED 'DANGEROUS' AND 'A LITTLE WEIRD' BY COMEDIANS AFTER LIST WAS PUBLISHED
Mastro’s office also confirmed to Fox News Digital on background that Thursday’s development was procedural, allowing the city to move forward with its appeal while staying the temporary restraining order.
The homeowners are expected back in court Aug. 31, when they will seek permanent relief from the original judge.
The appellate order came after a sharp dispute over whether the city’s decision to appeal had automatically put Judge Wayne Ozzi’s entire order on hold.
In an Aug. 11 letter to Ozzi, Mastro argued that most of the judge’s restrictions remained in effect and warned the city against pressing ahead with the surcharge.
Thursday’s order removed that immediate uncertainty by staying Ozzi’s temporary restraining order while the city’s appeal moves forward.
The latest turn comes just three days after Ozzi slammed the brakes on the city’s rollout of the surcharge, which targets certain high-value properties that do not serve as primary residences.
Ozzi ordered the city to remove a disputed supplemental property roll from its website and temporarily blocked officials from taking further action based on the roll or notices sent to homeowners.
He also stopped the city from enforcing deadlines contained in those notices, including the Sept. 18 deadline to file an administrative appeal.
The lawsuit was filed by New York City homeowners Rachel O’Brien, Carmine Morano and Simon Hedley, who are not challenging the surcharge itself but rather how the Mamdani administration implemented it.
The homeowners argue the city improperly put the burden on New Yorkers to prove they live in their properties rather than first determining which homes actually qualify for the surcharge.
Their lawsuit also takes aim at the city’s publication of a supplemental property roll containing information on more than 900,000 homeowners. The plaintiffs allege the publication caused "mass confusion" and subjected homeowners to unwanted public scrutiny.
During Monday’s hearing, Mastro repeatedly accused the administration of failing to do its homework before launching the program.
NYC MAYOR MAMDANI CALLS THREAT OF RICH PEOPLE LEAVING NYC OVER TAXES 'IMAGINED'
"The city screwed this up… got it wrong… stop the train and make them do it over," Mastro told the court.
"The city is to bear the burden," he argued. "They didn’t do their homework."
The city quickly fought back.
In appellate papers filed Thursday, the city asked the court to confirm that Ozzi’s entire temporary restraining order was automatically stayed under state law or, alternatively, grant a stay while its appeal proceeds. The city also sought permission to appeal if necessary.
PROGRESSIVES WANT TO TAX BILLIONAIRES FIRST, AND YOU'RE NEXT ON THE LIST
City attorneys argued that filing a notice of appeal and an affirmation of its intention to seek permission to appeal triggered an automatic stay.
The city also argued that Ozzi’s order disrupted the status quo and threatened to derail the Department of Finance’s implementation of the surcharge under an already tight timeline.
According to the city’s filing, the Department of Finance sent initial determination notices to approximately 17,000 property owners. City officials have maintained that inclusion on the much broader supplemental roll did not mean a property owner would ultimately be subject to the surcharge.
The city warned that leaving the lower court’s order in place could interfere with property tax bills scheduled to be mailed Nov. 15 and potentially jeopardize revenue from the surcharge. The city comptroller has projected the tax will generate at least $500 million through fiscal year 2028, according to the appellate filing.
NEW YORK CITY LANDLORDS WARN AMERICAN DREAM IS SLIPPING AWAY UNDER SOCIALIST RENT POLICIES
The city has also argued that the administrative appeals process gives homeowners a straightforward way to establish that a property is a primary residence and that officials may not have access to all of the information necessary to make that determination without additional documentation from owners.
The homeowners dispute that argument, saying state law required the city to make an individualized initial determination before sending the notices in the first place.
One plaintiff, Hedley, ultimately received approval after submitting documentation showing that his property was his primary residence. Mastro has argued that Hedley’s experience demonstrates how easily the city could have made the determination itself before sending the notice.
Monday's courtroom battle grew heated as the two sides clashed over whether the rollout harmed homeowners and whether stopping the process would instead hurt taxpayers and the city.
Ozzi ultimately sided with the homeowners at the preliminary stage, finding that the notices caused irreparable harm and that the burden was on the city to make an initial determination. He also found the homeowners had demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits, while emphasizing that he was not making a final determination in the case.
Mamdani's administration immediately vowed to fight the ruling.
"We disagree with today’s ruling, but we are confident in both the pied-à-terre surcharge and the City’s ability to implement it fairly and effectively," Matt Rauschenbach, a spokesperson for the mayor, told Fox News Digital following Monday’s decision.
"This surcharge asks those who own second homes valued at $5 million or more to contribute their fair share to the city they benefit from," he added.
Mamdani also defended the tax before Monday’s ruling, arguing that revenue from high-value second homes would help fund city services including schools and public safety.
The mayor said only about 17,000 homeowners in a city of 8.5 million people were potentially affected and pointed to the administration’s decision to extend the deadline for homeowners to seek an exemption.
Thursday’s action does not decide which side is ultimately right.
The appellate case is proceeding with the City of New York, Mamdani, the Department of Finance and Finance Commissioner Richard Lee challenging the lower court’s order.
The city has told the appeals court that it is prepared to move forward with its appeal on an expedited basis.
Fox News' Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Speaker Johnson slams Dems after noncitizens were charged with illegally voting in battleground state
House Speaker Mike Johnson slammed Democrats Thursday over election security after noncitizens were charged with illegally voting in Michigan, warning that similar cases across the country pose a growing threat to the integrity of American elections.
"From New Jersey to Michigan, the evidence continues to mount: Illegal aliens are registering and VOTING in American elections," Johnson said in a post shared on X.
"Democrats know this — which is why they want OPEN BORDERS and OPPOSE voter ID" he added before stating that it is a "clear and present danger to the integrity of our elections — and our Republic.
"All Americans DESERVE secure elections, and Republicans are the ones fighting to make it happen."
HASAN PIKER WARNS ‘THE KNIVES WILL BE OUT’ AFTER SOCIALIST FRANCESCA HONG FALLS IN WISCONSIN UPSET
Johnson's remarks came as five non-U.S. citizens who allegedly voted in the 2024 presidential election — along with a U.S. citizen accused of registering her noncitizen husband — were charged with election crimes, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced.
The charges follow a state review of 38 suspected cases of noncitizen voting or related conduct from 2009 to 2025.
Of those cases, six resulted in criminal charges, 10 were closed without charges and 22 remain under active review.
"In my office, we’ve always taken election crimes seriously and prosecute attacks on our voting systems to the fullest extent of the law," Nessel said in a statement.
"We’re upholding election integrity by investigating all claims of noncitizen voters, as rare as they are, and holding bad actors accountable when they refuse to abide by the laws that keep our elections safe and secure."
More than 5.7 million ballots were cast in Michigan during the November 2024 general election.
State officials have said illegal voting by noncitizens remains rare.
TRUMP INTERVENES AS HOUSE GOP REVOLT PUTS SAVE AMERICA ACT AT CENTER OF SPENDING SHOWDOWN
The charges come as President Donald Trump’s administration has made preventing illegal voting a priority.
He signed executive orders in March 2025 and March 2026 to strengthen citizenship verification for federal elections and directing agencies to give states greater access to citizenship and immigration data.
Trump's administration has also backed legislation requiring proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.
Nessel's announcement included Robert Piva, 67, of Roseville, a permanent resident charged with election law perjury, attempting to vote unqualified and fraudulent registration.
NONCITIZEN EX-KANSAS MAYOR PLEADS GUILTY TO ILLEGALLY VOTING MULTIPLE TIMES
He allegedly voted early in October 2024. Piva claimed his vote was an "experiment" concerning voter fraud.
Michael Akioya, 39, of Oak Park, also a permanent resident, was charged with allegedly making false statements on an absentee voter application and ballot envelope during the 2024 election.
Alondra Harker, 26, of Three Rivers, is a limited-term alien resident charged with misdemeanor fraudulent registration, which is punishable by up to 90 days in jail, for allegedly registering and voting in person in 2024.
SKID ROW ELECTION SCHEME ALLEGEDLY FUELED BY POCKET-CHANGE PAYOFFS BUSTED BY TRUMP DOJ
Harumi Michael, 60, who lives in Wolverine Lake, is a permanent resident who faces three felonies — two counts of election forgery and one count of attempting to vote unqualified — plus one misdemeanor for allegedly registering and voting in Commerce Township.
Basanth Sadasivian, 29, is a noncitizen living in the United Kingdom who was charged with felony attempting to vote unqualified, punishable by up to four years in prison, for allegedly registering and voting in 2024 through the Federal Post Card Application system using a Bloomfield Hills address.
And Kimberley DiDonato, 60, of Rose Township, is a U.S. citizen charged with election forgery and computer crime after allegedly posing as her noncitizen husband to register him online.
Authorities said DiDonato claimed she wanted to test system vulnerabilities before asking to cancel the registration.
FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS DOJ ACCESS TO NJ VOTER ROLLS AMID STATEWIDE CONTROVERSY
Nessel’s office declined to charge four referred people after determining that two were U.S. citizens, one was an American citizen through an international adoption and another was a federally recognized American Indian born in Canada.
Six additional cases were closed without charges because of a lack of evidence of criminal intent or potential registration errors.
Nessel also said delays in federal cooperation affected the timeline of the state’s investigations.
"While the question of whether any given resident is a citizen may feel simple, some cases are nuanced in unexpected ways," Nessel said.
"The federal government has not always provided easy or open access to certain necessary citizenship records, and so our investigators had to spend considerable time and effort coaxing cooperation from the federal agencies."
Aussie women's cricket star addresses cheating with her teammate scandal that ended marriage
Last month, Australia vice-captain Ash Gardner found herself at the center of a cheating scandal where she had been accused of cheating on her wife with a teammate.
The Aussie cricket star's now ex-wife Monica Wright, who was friends with several of the other players, named the teammate involved in the affair and the matter was looked into by Cricket Australia.
Gardner is a vice-captain and the teammate in question, Georgia Voll, is not, which raises questions about a possible conflict of interest given the power imbalance.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Cricket Australia was made aware of the affair before the scandal made headlines. After looking into it, the organization decided not to strip the vice-captain of her position.
"Ash is a highly regarded leader in our system. The CA board make leadership decisions and have oversight over all leadership decisions," Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg said, reports The Guardian.
"Ash is our vice-captain for a reason, because she’s highly regarded, but what we will do is in situations where there are personal relationships is make sure there are additional guardrails, so the perception of conflict or conflict itself – talking about things like selection – are handled appropriately and respectfully."
Now let's hear from the vice-captain herself. She addressed the matter as well as the decision not to remove her from her position.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGE
"While my separation from my wife is a personal matter, I understand my current relationship status needed to be addressed by Cricket Australia given my position as vice-captain," Gardner wrote on her Instagram Story.
"I am grateful that the CA Board has chosen to support my continued leadership. I look forward to playing a strong role as a leader and providing the best possible support for my teammates in the season to come."
She doesn’t want to have to discuss the matter any further and included a message for her ex-wife.
"I am grateful for the time Monica and I shared and sorry for the pain this has caused. I wish her nothing but happiness and success in the future," Gardner wrote.
"I won't be making any further public comment on this matter at this time and ask that the privacy of those involved is respected."
There you have it. The captain is putting this all behind her. She wants to move on and the fact that she had an affair with a teammate shouldn’t impact her role as a leader. She's going to be just fine.
And so is Monica Wright, for that matter. We tend to focus on the cheating athlete in these scandals, but something tells me the wife she left behind in this case is going to be just fine.
Could Shohei Ohtani leave the Los Angeles Dodgers if Mark Walter sells the team after Lakers deal?
The sports world was stunned this week when reports broke that the Los Angeles Lakers had been sold again less than a year after the franchise's most recent sale.
Not just because of the massive $12 billion price tag, and the speed with which the deal came together, nor that the new ownership group is being headed by former Disney company CEO Bob Iger. But because the now-former ownership group was headed by Mark Walter, one of the most successful sports owners in recent history.
Walter is the CEO of Guggenheim Partners, a massive, $350 billion global financial services company. And as such, is the lead owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The same Dodgers who have won back-to-back World Series titles, and become the convenient villain for fans and the other owners, desperate to make increase their profits.
DAVE ROBERTS CALLS CRITICISM OF DODGERS' SPENDING 'LAZY,' SAYS RIVALS SHOULD 'LOOK IN THE MIRROR'
So one of the richest men in the country, who's already successfully revamped the Dodgers into a behemoth, was set to bring his financial wherewithal and acumen to one of the most iconic organizations in the NBA. Then, less than a year after the deal was officially approved, he sells the team.
It's odd, to say the least. Unless that same owner is currently under investigation by the federal government for alleged loan fraud. An investigation that might require significant cash, even for someone as wealthy as Walter, to resolve.
Speculation immediately ran rampant that the Lakers sale was a necessity to free up funds for Walter. And then immediately went even more rampant that an even more stunning transaction might also become a necessity: selling the Dodgers too.
Guggenheim purchased the Dodgers in 2012 for $2 billion, which seemed like an astronomical price at the time. In 2026 however, the San Diego Padres sold for $3.9 billion, the Yankees just brought in $2.6 billion in private equity financing, and it's been estimated that the Dodgers became the first MLB team to cross $1 billion in revenue. Most estimates put the franchise valuation at around $8 billion. But given the scarcity of brand names at their level, it might be even higher. Not too bad for just 14 years on the job.
HERE'S WHAT THE SAN DIEGO PADRES RECORD $3.9 BILLION SALE MEANS FOR MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
So will Walter sell the Dodgers too in order to raise money to pay off the loans in question?
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
According to the Los Angeles Times, there are no plans for him to do so. Stan Kasten, the team's president, reiterated that this is a "Laker story" to the media Wednesday.
"This is a Laker story, not really a Dodger story," he said. "It really has nothing to do with the Dodgers. They’re completely separate. And so there are no changes here or contemplated here, and I think that pretty much is the whole story."
What throws an extra wrinkle into the discussion is that there's a "key man" clause in the contract of the Dodgers, and baseball's, biggest star: Shohei Ohtani. When Ohtani signed with the Dodgers in December 2023, it was reported that there was a clause in his contract that allowed him to opt out of his 10-year deal if one of two people left the organization: president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman...and Mark Walter.
The Athletic reported on Thursday that Ohtani would like not opt out, were Walter to sell the Dodgers, but it's a fascinating subplot to what would seem to be an ordinary ownership debate. Ohtani's already won two championships in LA after never reaching the postseason in Anaheim, and the Dodgers have consistently demonstrated their commitment to winning.
But that commitment has been, in large part, due to Walter's willingness to spend money and sacrifice profits. If ownership changes, would their financial advantages change too?
Guggenheim also has ownership control over Chelsea FC, along with the LA Sparks and an interest in the new Cadillac F1 team. Those could wind up being sold to raise funds, though none would command the same type of return as the Dodgers.
While everyone involved has maintained that the team is not for sale and will not be for sale, given how quickly the Lakers deal got done, that seems far from guaranteed.
White House correspondents widely praise Karoline Leavitt as she announces exit from Trump administration
White House correspondents are largely singing the praises of outgoing press secretary Karoline Leavitt as she prepares to exit the role after just over 18 months on the job.
President Donald Trump first revealed on Truth Social Wednesday that Leavitt, 28, would leave her role at the end of the month to spend more time with her family.
Leavitt has earned a reputation as a skilled spokesperson who paved the way for nontraditional media outlets to have a voice in the White House.
Others see her simply as the mouthpiece for a president who carefully crafted her rhetoric to satisfy an audience of one — Trump himself.
SCRAMBLE FOR KAROLINE LEAVITT'S REPLACEMENT ENSUES WITH JUST WEEKS UNTIL TRUMP'S SPOKESPERSON EXITS
Fox News senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich, who now serves as the president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, reacted to the news live on air.
"She is the youngest press secretary in history, huge achievement in and of itself, and was a very effective messenger for this administration," Heinrich said.
Heinrich added that Leavitt was "very accessible and in the room with the president," which is not always the case.
"Under the Biden administration, for example, when we would try to get answers from Karine Jean-Pierre, often it was apparent that she wasn’t as close to the decision-makers and able to give us valuable information, as Karoline has been in her time here. So, this is going to be a big loss for this White House," Heinrich said.
NBC News White House correspondent Garrett Haake stressed the stature Leavitt has in the Trump administration, writing on X, "It's impossible to overstate how much of an inner-circle figure Leavitt is in this White House, and how much the President trusts her as an advisor on any issue."
Fox News Digital spoke with several White House reporters who were complimentary of Leavitt.
"She consistently called on a variety of reporters in the press briefings, often non-legacy reporters standing in the aisles," Daily Wire White House reporter Mary Margaret Olohan told Fox News Digital. "She was very helpful if I met with her, and her attitude towards new media absolutely permeated throughout her team.
"Most of my colleagues in the White House press seem to respect her, even when she would go after them for their questions or their question framing in briefings.
"From my vantage point, most reporters understood that Karoline played fair but would be very aggressive if a question was framed duplicitously or maliciously towards the administration."
A second White House correspondent said Leavitt did a "fantastic job."
"She knew how to communicate President Trump's message but also how to work with the press, often in a non-confrontational and private manner," the reporter told Fox News Digital.
"Trump has huge shoes to fill. It is an extremely challenging job that requires a combination of showmanship and savvy people skills," the reporter continued. "You need the respect of other senior officials to develop a firm grasp of issues and the intelligence to retain and communicate those facts."
A third White House reporter told Fox News Digital Leavitt was easier to work with than her Biden administration predecessors.
"Karoline was the best press secretary I’ve ever worked with, and there have been many," the veteran reporter said. "I think the reason she’s so effective is because she spent real time with Trump, as well as time understanding his policies and reasoning behind them.
"[Biden press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre], as a counter example, didn’t do either," the reporter continued. "And while you could say [Jen] Psaki was a policy wonk, her flaw was that she looked at the press with disdain. They were arrogant, whereas Karoline understood how to work with us."
While many White House reporters will remember Leavitt fondly at the podium, she didn't win over the entire room.
A fourth White House correspondent spoke to Fox News Digital about having an icy relationship with Leavitt since she served as a spokesperson for Trump's 2024 campaign and that things only got worse once Leavitt took control of the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room.
"I was not a fan," the correspondent said. "And, in the end, I don't think it matters who the press secretary is because this president demands that 100% loyalty and 100% willingness to repeat whatever crazy things he said that day. Her reputation as an honest broker is gone if it ever was there."
A reporter who wished to remain anonymous remarked that Leavitt was willing to "play ball with pretty much everyone but the really sleazy reporters."
Neither Leavitt nor the White House immediately responded to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Leavitt's impact on briefings will be lasting. At the beginning of the second Trump administration, she famously announced that the White House press office would determine which reporters and media outlets were permitted in the daily press pool, a decision that had historically been made independently by the White House Correspondents’ Association.
She also introduced the "new media" seat, giving podcasters, influencers and independent journalists a chance to ask questions.
A successor to take over the podium has yet to be named. Leavitt is expected to step down at the end of August.
Fox News Digital’s Brittany Miller and David Rutz contributed to this report.
Mmm, lumber: Budweiser drops bat-flavored beer for MLB Field of Dreams game in Iowa
I know that all of us at some point or another have looked at a beautiful wooden baseball bat and thought to ourselves, "Damn, I wish I could get beer flavored with this."
I kid.
No one has ever thought that, but Budweiser is still giving fans at Thursday night's 2026 MLB Field of Dreams Game between the Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies in Dyersville, Iowa, a chance to taste some suds with hints of lumber.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGE
That's right, baseball bat-flavored beer has arrived.
They're calling it Budweiser Beechwood Reserve, which the company describes as "a limited-edition brew aged with MLB-authenticated beechwood baseball bats made by Marucci, the Official Bat of MLB."
Now, here's the thing: Budweiser always uses beechwood chips as part of the aging process.
However, according to the company, they will be swapping out those boring old chips they normally use and replacing them with baseball bats.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
I'm not big on stunt flavors in the world of beverages. If you need your coffee to taste like cookies and your beer to taste like a bag of Sour Patch Kids, you may not actually like the taste of coffee or beer.
But I like this kind of stunt. It should taste about the same as the standard Budweiser, but now you can pretend to be a connoisseur and talk about how you can taste the bats.
It's like when KISS put their blood in comic book ink or when Metallica blasted its music at barrels of their whiskey while they aged (my big joke was taking a sip and going, "You can really taste the 'Seek and Destroy' in this batch").
I dig it... even if I'm pretty certain I could not tell the difference between your regular, run-of-the-mill Bud and the one that had some bats soaking in it.
But I'd love to try, and the only place you can do that is in a cornfield in the middle of Iowa.
Fox News Poll: A Senate battle looms in Michigan
In Michigan, while more Democrats than Republicans are concerned about their candidates’ ideological views, Democrats are also more engaged and enthusiastic about the upcoming election, setting up a battle in the Wolverine State.
After a heated Democratic primary, progressive Abdul El-Sayed secured the Senate nomination and will face Republican Mike Rogers this fall as Democrats try to retake the Senate.
According to a Fox News survey of Michigan registered voters, Rogers has the edge in the race with 51% to El-Sayed’s 47%, within the survey’s margin of sampling error.
FOX NEWS POLL: NEW MATCHUP, SAME RESULT: MAINE SENATE RACE STAYS LOCKED
Rogers’ edge comes mostly from greater party unity among Republicans. Nearly all Republicans (96%), including both MAGA (99%) and non-MAGA Republicans (89%), back Rogers.
Only a week after winning the primary race, 9 in 10 Democrats (91%) and nearly all Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) supporters (98%) back El-Sayed, but that falls to 69% among non-DSA Democrats and independents. The small subgroup of independents narrowly favors Rogers.
El-Sayed’s coalition includes liberal voters, Black voters, urban residents and women with a college degree.
Rogers’ most loyal groups are conservatives, White evangelical Christians, rural voters and White men without a degree.
Men favor Rogers by 11 points (44% El-Sayed vs. 55% Rogers), while women are split (49-48%).
President Donald Trump won the Wolverine State in 2016 and 2024, each time by less than 2 points, while former President Joe Biden won by nearly 3 points in 2020.
El-Sayed is underperforming with Black voters, women and suburban voters compared with former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. Rogers similarly trails Trump’s 2024 support among voters under age 30 and independents. That’s according to the 2024 Michigan Fox News Voter Analysis (FNVA).
Voter enthusiasm for their candidate is evident on both sides. About three-quarters of each candidate’s supporters are certain they will stick with their choice this fall, and about two-thirds say their support is mainly for their candidate rather than against his opponent.
FOX NEWS POLL: GOP DIVISIONS SHAPE TEXAS SENATE RACE
El-Sayed leads among the most engaged voters with an 11-point advantage among those extremely interested in the election, a 7-point lead among those extremely motivated and a 4-point edge among definite voters (10-out-of-10 likelihood).
Moreover, more Democrats than Republicans are extremely interested (+15 points), motivated to vote (+11) and certain they will cast a ballot this November (+7).
More than half the electorate is concerned El-Sayed’s positions on the issues are too extreme (54%) and that Rogers is too close to Trump (51%).
Voters on both sides of the aisle share concerns about their candidate’s ideological positioning. Twice as many Democrats are concerned El-Sayed is too extreme (30%) as Republicans are that Rogers is too close to Trump (14%). By a 10-point margin, more independents are concerned about Rogers’ ties to Trump than El-Sayed’s issue positions (58% vs. 48%).
Trump’s favorable rating is underwater by 19 points in Michigan (40% favorable, 59% unfavorable). Both Senate candidates also have negative ratings, with El-Sayed (-13 points) faring worse than Rogers (-6).
The two major political parties are viewed negatively. The Republican Party has a -12 net favorable rating while the Democratic Party is at -13.
"The energy is on the left in Michigan, as it is throughout the country, and that should help with turnout," said Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who helps conduct Fox News polls with Democrat Chris Anderson.
"But El-Sayed’s nomination path highlighted party rifts. He needs to reassure a wide range of Michigan Democrats — including Reagan Democrats, Jewish voters and Black voters — that he will serve their interests rather than pursue an extremist agenda."
The MAGA movement is viewed more favorably than the DSA by 10 points (40% vs. 30%). However, more voters have strongly unfavorable views of MAGA than DSA (45% vs. 37%).
Inflation is the top issue in the Michigan Senate race at 38%, and economic anxiety remains palpable, with 4 in 10 saying they are falling behind financially. Other voter priorities are immigration/border security and healthcare (14% each) and political divisions (11%).
El-Sayed stays competitive thanks to voters who prioritize inflation (+10 points), healthcare (+47) and political divisions (+5), while most immigration voters prefer Rogers (+82).
Those who say they are falling behind financially also back El-Sayed by 24 points.
By an 11-point margin, Michiganders oppose the U.S. continuing to provide military aid to the Israeli government (44% favor vs. 55% oppose). Those favoring aid back Rogers by 45 points, while those opposed prefer El-Sayed by 29 points.
Turning to the governor’s race …
With Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer term-limited, Michigan’s gubernatorial seat is up for grabs.
The Fox News poll finds Democrat Jocelyn Benson has the advantage over Republican John James by 5 points in the governor’s contest (52% vs. 47%). The results fall within the survey’s margin of sampling error.
Compared with El-Sayed, Benson draws greater support among non-DSA Democrats and independents: 81% favor Benson in the governor’s race vs. 69% for El-Sayed in the Senate race.
There is some ticket-splitting with Rogers’ backers nearly three times as likely to cross over for Benson as El-Sayed supporters are to back James (14% vs. 5%).
CLICK HERE FOR CROSSTABS AND TOPLINE
Overall, about 1 in 5 Benson supporters and 1 in 4 James supporters say they may still change their mind and back someone else.
Benson’s net personal favorable rating is +7 (49% favorable, 42% unfavorable), while James is at -3 (41% favorable, 44% unfavorable).
Conducted Aug. 6-10, 2026, under the joint direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News Poll includes interviews with a sample of 1,006 Michigan registered voters randomly selected from a statewide voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (103) and cellphones (654) or completed the survey online after receiving a text message (249).
Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis and voter file data. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education and area variables to ensure the demographics of respondents are representative of the registered voter population. Results among subgroups are only shown when the sample size is at least N=100.