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Cops raid West Virginia frat houses in hazing probe as growing crackdown should be ‘wake-up call’: expert
In the latest in a slew of fraternity hazing investigations nationwide, law enforcement agencies are poring over evidence taken from the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity house at West Virginia University.
On Oct. 26, blaring music pounded as hundreds of shouting bystanders lined the street and nearby properties of the multi-level, brick, frat house on the Morgantown campus.
Meanwhile, officers with the campus and local police department, armed with a search warrant tied to hazing allegations, stoically toted out bags and cases of evidence and loaded it into police cars.
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A little more than two weeks earlier on Oct. 9, the university placed the chapter on interim suspension after "anonymous allegations of hazing," a university spokeswoman told Fox News Digital.
Search warrants also were served on Oct. 26 at the house for the school’s chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha, according to social media posts from WVU Safety and Wellness.
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That fraternity, commonly known as PIKE, also is under investigation for allegations of hazing. As of that date, the university’s PIKE organization had not been put on suspension by the university.
The two West Virginia University chapters are the latest fraternities under investigation in an influx of Greek life hazing probes across the country.
Hazing involves requiring new or potential recruits to the military or college fraternities to perform strenuous, humiliating, or dangerous tasks.
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The uptick in law enforcement involvement nationwide doesn’t necessarily signal an increase in hazing, said Michael Ayalon, hazing prevention expert and CEO of Greek University.
More likely is that there’s increased awareness about hazing, triggered by changes to federal law, Ayalon told Fox News Digital.
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The Stop Campus Hazing Act passed in December 2024 with bipartisan support in Congress. It requires more transparency in hazing allegations across the country, Ayalon said.
"We certainly are seeing increased visibility and scrutiny of hazing on college campuses, particularly as universities face greater expectations for transparency and accountability.
"With that transparency and accountability comes greater visibility."
But more visibility doesn’t necessarily suggest more hazing is occurring now, he said.
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Hazing always has been underreported, he said, due to fear of retaliation.
Fraternity members should recognize that public perception of fraternity life now is being affected by these investigations, he said.
"The positive contributions of thousands of fraternity members can get overshadowed by allegations involving a handful of chapters," Ayalon said.
"So every hazing incident makes it harder for the good chapters to go out and recruit more new members, makes it harder for alumni to defend the fraternity experience, and it makes it harder for universities that are working with these organizations."
"For students, I think this is a wake-up call."
Despite decades of education about the dangers of hazing traditions, national policy changes and tragic deaths, "some chapters continue to believe that hazing is a necessary part of earning membership," he said.
It’s based on flawed thinking, he said.
Members justify the abuse, he said, by telling themselves, "I had to go through it, so you have to go through it, too."
Fraternity chapters promote the idea that hazing builds brotherhood and creates loyalty, he said.
"But there is a profound difference between working through a meaningful challenge as equals and being humiliated or controlled by people who hold power over you."
Historically, hazing methods have followed patterns based on the kind of fraternity of sorority involved, Ayalon said.
Fraternities that are traditionally white, known as IFC fraternities, are known for forced alcohol consumption, he said. Eighty-two percent of hazing deaths involve forced alcohol consumption.
In historically white sororities, hazing typically takes a different form, he said. In Panhellenic organizations, hazing looks like mental abuse—mean-girl behavior that ostracizes new female members.
In historically black fraternities and sororities of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) —often called the Divine Nine—abuse may be physical or mental, Ayalon said.
And some recent high-profile cases of hazing have involved drugs, he said.
"West Virginia University takes seriously the safety and well-being of our students," a spokeswoman for West Virginia University said.
"Due to the nature of the investigations, no other details will be released at this time. We will provide updates as they become available."
Fox News Digital reached out to Lambda Chi Alpha and Pi Kappa Alpha for comment.
5 habits that could help keep you out of a nursing home, from an orthopedic surgeon
Three in four Americans aged 50 and older would like to remain in their homes as they age, according to the AARP — and preserving that independence starts with daily habits.
Dr. Vonda Wright, a double board-certified orthopedic surgeon, author and authority on active aging and mobility, who is based in Orlando, Florida, said there are three main problems that can make it difficult for older adults to age in place.
Those include difficulty getting up from a chair and caring for themselves, memory problems, and incontinence that makes it hard to manage personal hygiene.
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"The missing piece in most conversations between mental health, physical health and independence is your skeletal longevity," Wright said.
Staying independent with age requires attention to the entire musculoskeletal system, including the muscles, bones and tendons, according to the surgeon.
Wright shared the following habits as most important for maintaining independence outside of a nursing home.
The human body "craves mobility," Wright said.
"When you think about it, it's our first skill. We learn to walk when we're 1," she pointed out.
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For older adults, staying active can help preserve the ability to handle everyday tasks independently. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests low-impact activities such as walking, cycling and water exercise.
"Even when your hips hurt, even when your knees hurt, you should move on the ground, or get in a pool in chest-high water," Wright suggested.
While the doctor does not recommend exercising through a new injury or severe pain, she pushed back against the belief that rest is the best way to address pain.
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"Rest doesn't cure anything. When you have, for instance, arthritic knees, do you know what can help? Building the muscles around your knees, building the muscles in your hips to support your knees," she said. "So rest is not the answer for feeling better — staying strong and mobile is."
Strength training can help older adults maintain the ability to get out of a chair, climb stairs and carry groceries — everyday tasks that support independent living.
There is never an age or skill level when it’s too late to build muscle, according to Wright.
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"Even if you feel like you've declined or your parents have declined, there is no age or skill level when we can't become more mobile, when we can't build muscle or reconnect the neuromuscular pathways," she said.
It’s even possible to build muscle sitting in a wheelchair, she noted. "Some of the very first research done by Dr. Maria Fiatarone at Tufts University showed that even at 90 years old, you can regain function."
In that small 1990 study, nine nursing home residents who completed eight weeks of high-intensity resistance training increased their muscle strength by an average of 174%, and also showed improvements in muscle size and mobility.
The National Institute on Aging recommends that older adults perform muscle-strengthening activities at least two days a week, targeting all major muscle groups, with recovery time between sessions.
Some options include resistance bands, hand weights and body-weight exercises. Beginners are advised to start gradually and seek guidance from a doctor or physical therapist as needed.
Older adults tend to eat less, which can undermine efforts to maintain energy and build muscle, Wright warned.
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"It’s something I see even happening to my 86-year-old parents; they're just eating less and less," she said. "And we cannot fuel the muscle we want to build [and] the energy we need without a protein-forward, adequate-calorie diet."
Although older adults may require fewer calories, they still need enough nutrients to support their health, according to the National Institute on Aging.
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To help maintain muscle, the agency recommends that older adults consume protein-rich foods throughout the day, including seafood, dairy, fortified soy products, beans and lentils. Specific calorie needs will vary based on each person’s weight and activity level.
Wright urged older adults to challenge assumptions about what they can and can’t do as they age.
"The most common mistake I see seniors making as they age is assuming that aging is an inevitable decline from vitality to frailty," she said.
"They just assume that a certain number of birthday candles predisposes them to sitting on a couch the rest of their life. The reality is that there is no age or skill level when you're done."
Wright suggested that people should start working toward future independence during their busy working years.
"We need to start thinking about that in our busiest times of life, in our 30s, our 40s, our prime times of working," she said. "It’s part of a long-term, lifetime plan to live where you want to live, with whom you want to live, when you want to live there."
The doctor recommends that adults directly ask their aging parents what assistance they need and to explore available support, including community programs.
In many cases, she said, parents do not want to be a burden to their adult children, so they never ask for anything.
"I think this is a time for really open, frank conversations," Wright said. "What do you want help with? How can I help you? How could we get help for you if possible?"
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As an example, Wright said her elderly parents live with her family. When she noticed their meals started to suffer while she was traveling, she arranged for support to help them continue managing their lives.
"I have half of their meals delivered every week because I'm not going to be home to shop or cook," she said. "They remain independent, but with assistance. And that's what works for us."
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The late window Sunday gives you two very different games. There’s a battle for Los Angeles between a winless team and one that’s been up and down, and there’s a first-place fight in Denver with the AFC West on the line. Underdog is offering new users promo code FOXNEWS to play $10 and get $50 in bonus entries.
The Chargers are 0-6, and the offense is the reason. They’ve scored just nine touchdowns in six games, the fewest in the NFL, and they’re still looking for their first cover of the season. Justin Herbert has had little help, and second-year running back Omarion Hampton has been the one part of the offense that works. The Chargers do come in off a bye, which gives them an extra week to fix things.
The Rams are 3-4 and haven’t been much more consistent, but Matthew Stafford gives them a clear edge under center. LA is a touchdown favorite in its own building. For pick ’em, the question is whether the Chargers’ offense finally shows up or the Rams control this one from the start.
Odds are subject to change
Kansas City (5-1) and Denver (5-2) are playing for first place in the AFC West, and the inside track to the No. 1 seed. The Chiefs are slight road favorites, but Denver has won the last three meetings at Mile High.
The surprising part of Kansas City’s season is the ground game. The Chiefs lead the NFL at 5.27 yards per carry, which makes their running backs worth a look on the pick ’em board. Denver’s backfield has been more of a committee, with RJ Harvey splitting work. With a total of 41.5, expect a low-scoring, physical game where every yard counts.
Odds are subject to change
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Americans forced to change clocks again as Senate stalls Trump-backed daylight saving time bill
Daylight saving time has dodged the wrath of President Donald Trump — for now.
As Americans again participate in the twice-yearly ritual of fiddling with their clocks — this time rolling back an hour on Sunday morning — Congress has fallen short of tackling the issue in time.
Earlier this year, the House passed legislation that would allow states to voluntarily observe daylight saving time year-round. But progress on the legislation has ground to a halt in the Senate, even though it’s a popular issue with voters and Trump.
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But it’s not for lack of trying. Trump has routinely pressured the upper chamber to pass the bill and re-upped that call earlier this week in the midst of traveling across the country to rally in key states and safe red bastions to urge voters to keep Republicans in power.
"The United States Senate is letting the daylight saving bill die when a vast Majority of the Country want it," Trump said on Truth Social. "Most people are demanding light in the evening, but ALL want not to change their clocks anymore. TAKE A VOTE!"
Trump wants the Senate to pass, or at least take a vote on, the Sunshine Protection Act, but it’s facing heavy headwinds from a broad swathe of lawmakers in the upper chamber on both sides of the aisle.
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His pressure campaign got to the point that he shared the cellphone number of one of his top allies, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., one of the more vocal opponents of the bill, urging supporters to call the lawmaker and demand he work on passing the bill.
"No one likes changing the clock, me included, but Congress has enacted permanent Daylight Saving Time multiple times before and repealed it each time once Americans experienced absurdly late sunrises in the winter," Cotton said in response. "Arkansans don’t want their kids going to school in the pitch dark, and I’ll always put Arkansas first."
The House of Representatives passed the Sunshine Protection Act along bipartisan lines in July. Majorities of Democrats and Republicans voted in favor of the bill, which passed 307 to 117. Just 22 Republicans and 95 Democrats opposed it.
But it’s one of several pieces of legislation that House lawmakers complain has fallen by the wayside in the upper chamber. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., pressed the Senate to take up that bill in comments to Fox News Digital back in early October.
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Scalise told Fox News Digital, "There's no reason Americans should lose an hour of sunlight at the end of the day when more daylight means more time with our families, more activity for our businesses and safer communities."
"President Trump has been pushing to make daylight saving time permanent, and House Republicans delivered by overwhelmingly passing the Sunshine Protection Act. It's a commonsense change and the Senate should take it up," Scalise said.
And when the Senate returns after the election, lawmakers will have a densely packed schedule crammed with leftover legislation. With floor time being the top commodity in the upper chamber, squeezing the Sunshine Protection Act onto the floor may be a challenge, even without the resistance it already faces.
"The president feels strongly on it like he does a lot of issues," Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters earlier this month. "It’s something we’re having conversations about, but there’s no clear path forward or consensus on it yet."
Why everybody still loves 'Raymond' 30 years later: How suburban family chaos became comedy gold
When "Everybody Loves Raymond" debuted 30 years ago, it showed how a stand-up comic from Queens and a series about suburban in-laws could thrive on primetime network television.
Three decades, nine seasons and 69 Emmy nominations later, the classic sitcom has stood the test of time and remains a comfort show for generations of viewers.
Now, as star Ray Romano and his longtime manager, Rory Rosegarten — an executive producer on the show — prepare for induction into the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame, the show's stars and creative team are reflecting on the real-life experiences that helped make it a lasting success.
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Speaking with Fox News Digital, Patricia Heaton said "Everybody Loves Raymond" reflected her own experiences with marriage and motherhood, making it more than just another Hollywood sitcom pilot.
"It wasn’t an overnight success; it was a humble family comedy that, over the years, has resonated worldwide," Heaton said. "It wasn’t flashy, just incredibly funny and relatable. I found it mirrored my own personal life with my marriage and kids, which is how you know it was going to be relatable to a huge audience."
Heaton said the cast, including Romano, Brad Garrett, Doris Roberts, Peter Boyle, was "perfectly suited to their characters" and that each year the scripts got "funnier and funnier." She recalled table reads as some of her favorite days of the week.
"All those episodes continue to reflect the joys and struggles of families all around the world, from generation to generation," Heaton said. "It was a joy to perform, a joy to watch, and a joy to know that we brought a little bit of happiness to people’s lives."
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But before the Barone family became a television favorite, the series hinged on a stand-up comic and the manager who discovered him at a New York radio station's comedy competition.
Rosegarten, Romano's longtime manager, first encountered the comedian while judging the competition. He was immediately drawn to Romano's grounded, self-deprecating routine about his wife and kids.
"When I saw Ray that first time, it was love at first sight," Rosegarten told Fox News Digital. "He was so original, and he was talking about real life, not made-up stuff. Not a piece of hair on a soap, but he was talking about his wife and his kids and his life. I wish I could tell you I knew what would happen to him, would happen. I don’t think anybody could predict that. But I thought he was really funny."
Rosegarten said he later used his connections to secure Romano an appearance on the "Late Show with David Letterman."
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"He went on the show, and he killed," Rosegarten recalled. "He killed in such a way that to this day I still use that footage to show people exactly how to do it. Like, that should be the guideline."
That appearance helped pave the way for a CBS pilot, though Rosegarten said getting the family sitcom on network television also came down to luck.
"We shot a pilot for CBS, and Les Moonves, who then was the president of CBS, literally took the tape home over the weekend," Rosegarten said. "It’s pilot season, and I’m sure he had a million shows to watch. But he watched that one with his family and they liked it."
"I lay in bed sometimes, and I think if he had been late that night for a dinner, or he had been fighting with someone in the office, and he didn't take the tape, I might not be talking to you right now," he added. "So there's a little luck involved, too."
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"Everybody Loves Raymond" premiered Sept. 13, 1996, and ran for nine seasons before its finale in 2005. The sitcom won 15 Emmy Awards and followed Italian American sportswriter Ray Barone as he navigated marriage, fatherhood and the interference of his parents and brother, who lived across the street on Long Island.
Rosegarten credited much of the show's success to its writing, which drew heavily from the real-life experiences of the writing staff and cast. He recalled a rule established by creator and showrunner Phil Rosenthal that discouraged late nights in the writers' room.
"We were one of the very few shows where everybody went home at six o’clock," Rosegarten said. "Because Phil’s attitude was: 'Go home, have a fight with your wife, we’ll talk about it tomorrow, and we’ll write about it.' And that was a stroke of genius, actually."
That emphasis on everyday family life helped revitalize the traditional sitcom, according to Ron Simon, head curator at the Paley Center for Media.
"The importance of 'Everybody Loves Raymond' is that it revitalized the family situation comedy," Simon told Fox News Digital. "It debuted in 1996 and it sort of brought a whole new life to one of the staples of television comedy from the very beginning. 'Everybody Loves Raymond' was able to take a look at all these different frustrations of suburban life in Long Island and really create a cast that anyone watching could identify with."
Simon pointed to the show's familiar family dynamics as a key part of its appeal.
"They took frustrations that happened in their own lives and then adapted them for the situation comedy, so it was very real," Simon said. "No matter who you were, whether it was domestic squabbles between Ray and Debra, the intrusiveness of the mother and father. And of course, there’s always sibling rivalry between Ray and Robert. So, it just had a great formula."
The show's Long Island roots are now being recognized as Romano and Rosegarten prepare to enter the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame. The pair is being honored as the institution's first non-music inductees.
"Ray and I are very honored and very thrilled with the induction. And to be the first non-music inductees, I think it's unbelievable," Rosegarten said. "Kiss is in there, and Billy Joel and Clive Davis. It's weird. It's like a who's who. I look at Ray, and Ray looks at me like they must have made a mistake somewhere along the line."
Everything to know about House and Senate control, ballot measures and 2026 Election Day poll closing
In two days, Americans voting in the midterm elections will decide control of the U.S. House and Senate for the next two years.
Republicans are defending their slim congressional majorities, but President Donald Trump predicts the GOP will hold the House and Senate.
"If you elect a Republican House and a Republican Senate on November 3rd, we will continue to put America first every single day," the president pledged on the campaign trail last week. And he claimed if the Democrats take control, "this country will go to hell."
CHECK OUT THE FINAL FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS IN THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS
Republicans are fighting political history, as the party in power in Washington has traditionally lost seats during midterm election years. The GOP also faces a challenging political climate fueled by persistent inflation tied in part to what polls show is an unpopular war with Iran and Trump's increasingly negative approval ratings.
Also up for grabs in this year's midterm elections — governorships in 36 of the 50 states (as well as the territories of Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands). Plus, all but four states are holding legislative elections. And voters will also weigh in on 145 statewide ballot measures in states from coast to coast.
Here's a closer look at what's up for grabs on Election Day 2026.
Republicans currently control the chamber 53-47, with the final Fox News Power Rankings ahead of Election Day rating the race for Senate control a toss-up.
Both parties are three seats short of a majority, according to the forecast. Democrats are favored in 48 seats and Republicans are ahead in 47. The GOP needs to hold 50 seats to retain control of the chamber, since Republican Vice President JD Vance is the tie-breaking vote in the Senate.
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If Democrats ride a blue wave to victory by winning most or all of the competitive races, they could potentially come away from the midterms with up to 54 seats. But if Republicans have a good night and defy expectations, the GOP could hold the majority with up to 52 seats, according to the forecast.
Republicans are playing defense in Alaska, Iowa, Maine, South Carolina and Texas, which are all rated toss-ups in the Power Rankings. They're also defending seats in competitive races in Kansas, which is rated Lean Republican, and Ohio, which is rated Lean Democrat.
Democrats are on defense in Michigan, which is rated a toss-up, and in Minnesota and New Hampshire, which are listed as Lean Democrat.
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The GOP is hanging on to a razor-thin majority in the House, and the Power Rankings point to the Democrats retaking control of the chamber.
A good night for the Democrats could see them ending up with as many as 240 seats in the 435-seat chamber. But if Republicans have a good night, they could end up with 212 seats. That’s six short of a majority, but enough to make life difficult for the next Democratic House Speaker, who would have to balance the demands of the moderate and far-left wings of the party.
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The earliest-closing districts on election night will give some sense of the House’s future.
"Keep an eye on Kentucky’s 6th district, which covers Lexington and a large central area of the state. Trump won here by 15 points in the last presidential election. Thanks to a combination of left-leaning college voters and farmers grappling with higher costs, it looks close this cycle," Remy Numa, a Fox News contributor who steers the network's Power Rankings, said.
There are currently 26 Republican and 24 Democratic governors.
The Power Rankings list three states where the GOP controls the governor's office - Alaska, Nevada, and Georgia - as toss-ups. Wisconsin, which has an open-Democratic controlled governor's office, is also rated a toss up.
The gubernatorial races in red states Florida, Kansas, and Texas are rated Lean Republican, according to the Power Rankings.
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Four other races are also seen as competitive and rated Lean Democrat. They are Arizona, Michigan, and Oregon, where Democrats are playing defense, and Iowa and Ohio, where the GOP is defending open governor's offices.
Referendums requiring voters to present identification when they show up the polls, or bans on noncitizen voting, are on the ballot in 11 states: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Kansas, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota and West Virginia.
Voters in Alaska will also decide if they want to repeal the state’s ranked choice voting system, open primaries and a campaign finance disclosure rule. Voters approve the current system in 2020 and narrowly kept it in 2024.
But the voting system has come under fresh scrutiny amid the controversy over a potential spoiler candidate in Alaska's U.S. Senate race.
Voters in Virginia will decide whether the right to vote should be restored to convicted felons upon their release.
California's Proposition 40 is making national headlines.
The measure, the first of its kind, would slap a one-time 5% tax on wealth for Californians worth over $1 billion, with the vast majority of the revenue generated going to pay for healthcare.
Also in the spotlight is millionaires tax in Washington State. If passed, the referendum would repeal a 9.9% tax on income over $1 million a year, which state lawmakers recently approved. Washington State currently does not have a personal income tax.
Voters in Maryland, Missouri, and Colorado weigh in on ballot measures on congressional redistricting, as the mid-decade redistricting fight between Democrats and Republicans will be waged again in 2028.
Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, and Washington State have referendums on transgender students’ participation in sports. Colorado also has a referendum on blocking gender transition surgeries for minors and preventing state or federal funding from being used for those operations.
Voters in Missouri weigh in on repealing a right to abortion and banning gender transition medical care for children. Meanwhile, and Idaho initiative would overturn one of the nation's strictest abortion bans, while Virginia and Nevada voters decide on establishing a right to abortion in their state constitutions.
California, Colorado, and Arizona hold ballot measures on policy around energy, transportation and development.
The first poll closings come at 6pm ET on Election Day, with the final poll closings happening at 1am ET.
6pm ET: Polls close in parts of Kentucky and Indiana.
7pm ET: Polls close in Georgia, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia. The final polls in Kentucky and Indiana close. And most polls in Florida and New Hampshire close.
7:30 pm ET: Polls close in North Carolina, Ohio, and West Virginia.
8pm ET: Polls close in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Washington, D.C. The remaining polls in Florida and New Hampshire close. Most polls close in Texas, Michigan, Kansas, North Dakota and South Dakota.
8:30pm ET: Polls close in Arkansas.
9:00pm PT: Polls close in Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Wisconsin and Wyoming. The final polls close in Texas, Michigan, Kansas, North Dakota and South Dakota.
10pm ET: Polls close in Montana and Utah. Most polls also close in Idaho and Oregon.
11pm ET: Polls close in California and Washington State, with the remaining polls in Idaho and Oregon also closing.
Midnight ET: Polls in all of Hawaii and most of Alaska close, with the remaining polls in Alaska closing at 1am ET.
Brittany Aldean says husband Jason is 'always there' with advice as she builds venture of her own
Brittany Aldean has been busy building a business of her own.
After spending more than a decade considering a venture in the beauty or fashion industry, the wife of country superstar Jason Aldean launched VADA, a fragrance brand inspired by someone close to her heart.
"My inspiration behind VADA itself, the name and everything was my grandmother," she told Fox News Digital.
"Louvada was her name, so I used a beautiful abbreviation for the name. And she was just all things beauty. And I feel like that's where I got everything from."
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Brittany explained that her grandmother placed great importance on how a person presented themselves, something she carried into adulthood.
Although she always envisioned starting a business in the fashion or beauty industry, it took years before she settled on fragrance.
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"And so, after about over a decade of thinking about it, I landed on personal fragrance," she said.
Turning that idea into a business, however, proved more demanding than she anticipated.
"I think the personal investment in launching a business is massive," Brittany said. "I didn't really realize, and now it's really just the time frame of everything and how long things take if you really are passionate about something and a perfectionist like I am."
She spent more than two and a half years developing the brand before bringing her products to market.
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Brittany admitted that entering the fragrance industry was initially intimidating, particularly as she learned the technical side of developing scents.
"We've visited the labs where they make all the scents and everything, and I just feel like it's been such a learning experience," she said.
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The personal connection to her grandmother extends beyond the company's name.
Brittany revealed that her signature best-selling fragrance, 1924, was named after the year Louvada was born.
Jason has also played a supportive role in Brittany's entrepreneurial journey.
Brittany revealed that she had turned to her husband for business advice earlier that same day while he was back home in Nashville caring for their children.
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"It's funny, actually this morning I zoomed with him. He's in Nashville taking care of our babies and I just zoomed in with him and was asking him business questions," she told Fox News Digital.
She explained that Jason encouraged her ambitions long before VADA became a reality.
"From the beginning, he knew that I'm very independent. He knew I wanted to start something. He said, 'It'll come to you one day and when it does, you're gonna rock it,'" Brittany recalled.
Brittany also said that finding time for their marriage has become more challenging as their children have gotten older.
With school, sports and Jason's touring schedule, she said the couple makes an effort to prioritize date nights and time together.
"Spending quality time with each other, which I feel has been a challenge, but we make sure we do it," she said.
At home, Brittany said the couple has found a rhythm that works around Jason's demanding touring schedule.
While she typically handles the morning routine, Jason helps by taking the children to school. When he's home from touring, Brittany said he enjoys quieter days while she keeps busy with work and the family's animals.
"I'm the one that kind of runs around like a crazy person," she joked.
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"We tag team life, for sure, and it's so nice to have him when he's not on tour," she added.
The mother of two said she hopes her children, Memphis, 8, and Navy, 7, take something meaningful away from watching both parents pursue their careers.
"I love that they see their mom working hard as well and starting something from the ground up and really putting like the passion behind it and the love for something," she said.
Brittany revealed that Navy has already expressed an interest in joining the family business someday.
The young girl frequently tells her mother that she wants to work for VADA when she's older, or possibly take over the company herself.
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"I think there's really something cool about having both parents that have separate things going on and that are independently doing their own thing that makes them happy," Brittany said.
Brittany is also eager to get a head start on the holidays. She doesn't waste any time getting into the Christmas spirit.
She admitted that her family's holiday decorations go up almost as soon as Halloween is over.
"I know this is controversial, but the day after Halloween, we are rockin' and rollin', we are puttin' that stuff away, and then by November 2nd, we have Christmas up," Brittany said. "I just wanna enjoy it as much as possible."
Brittany explained that Jason's busy touring schedule plays a role in why she likes to get an early start on the holiday season.
With the family frequently traveling, she said having the house decorated gives them more time to enjoy Christmas whenever they're home.
"So it's special to come home and have it be decorated for Christmas, and get to enjoy it a little longer," she said.
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This one has real stakes. Kansas City is 5-1, Denver is 5-2, and the winner leaves Sunday in control of the AFC West and in the driver’s seat for the No. 1 seed. The Chiefs are a short road favorite, but Mile High has been a problem for them lately. Denver has beaten Kansas City in each of their last three meetings in Denver.
The Chiefs’ identity has shifted this year. They’re running the ball better than anyone in the league at 5.27 yards per carry, and that ground game will be tested against a Broncos defense that thrives at home. A 41.5 total tells you the books expect a grind.
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Nobody expected this to be a battle of bottom-feeders in November. Philadelphia is 2-5 and riding a five-game losing streak after Dallas beat it 38-21 on Monday night. That also leaves the Eagles on a short week, and Saquon Barkley is questionable. Philly has covered just once in seven tries this season.
Washington isn’t much better at 1-4-1, but it comes in rested off a bye and laying points at home. The Eagles took the first meeting 24-22 in Week 1. The total is set low at 40.5, even though the over has hit in eight of the last 10 games between these two.
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NFL keeps fining Caleb Williams for refusing to cover logo of "science" cleats worn by over 80 players
The NFL says player safety is a top priority, but apparently, wearing cleats designed to help prevent injuries can cost you a pretty penny.
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has been fined a whopping $35,823 over two games for wearing Caddix cleats, a company only a few years old with only four employees, which claims its technology can reduce the risk of non-contact injuries through its SmartStuds technology.
CEO Jack Rasmussen, after explaining that Williams is not, and has not been a Caddix sponsored athlete, nor has he ever been paid by the company, told OutKick, "I get why he was fined, 100%. I totally get it. We're not a league sponsor, and we can't afford to be or want to be a league sponsor."
Williams was initially fined $11,941 for displaying an "unauthorized logo" during Chicago's Week 6 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. The NFL then doubled down, issuing another $23,882 fine for the same violation against the New England Patriots in Week 7.
While he understands why the league fined Williams, Rasmussen made his company's support extremely clear saying, "Caleb Williams bought [our cleats], liked them, wore them, and now he's being penalized for liking them and wearing them, and we're taking a stance where we're going to support a player who's looking out for his best interest."
Rasmussen also said, "We're a small company. We've been selling cleats for less than 2 years. I have a total of four employees, so this is certainly an uphill battle for us, but it's a battle we're happy to be a part of."
The interesting aspect of this whole saga is the fact that Caleb Williams has worn these cleats before the Bears Week 6 match-up against the Atlanta Falcons, but he wasn't fined. I reached out to the NFL for an explanation but have yet to hear a response.
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In case you weren't aware, the reason you only see Adidas, Nike, and Under Armour logos on NFL players' feet is because the NFL can charge those brands tens of millions of dollars per year to be "official apparel partners" of the league. While players can wear cleats from other manufacturers, such as Caddix or New Balance, which is worn by Josh Allen, they are expected to wear non-branded cleats like Allen does.
Notably, in the same vein, San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey wears Bruce Bolt gloves but the lightning bolt logo is absent from the glove, as well as the company name.
Rasmussen also told me that McCaffrey's teammate Kyle Juszczyk is one of 80 players that has, or continues to wear Caddix cleats. "We have over 80 athletes wearing them. We haven't paid them a dollar," Rasmussen stated. "We actually have players actively leaving and turning down endorsement deals from other companies to wear Caddix for free. It's not about us finding the biggest guy, it's about allowing guys to wear this cleat because it's better for them."
Other NFL players that wear Caddix cleats include: Cooper Kupp, Bubba Baker, Marlon Humphrey, Jalen Ramsey, Derek Stingley Jr., and Dalton Kincaid.
As I told Rasmussen, "Those are some pretty notable names." Kupp is a former Super Bowl MVP, coming off another Super Bowl win. Ramsey was the highest paid cornerback in NFL history a few short seasons ago. It's an impressive list, especially when brands are knocking at these athletes doors to represent their brand and products.
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As far as Rasmussen is aware, not a single one of these 80+ players have been fined by the NFL like Caleb Williams has. If they were, I'm sure he'd be inclined to pay their fine just as he and his company have offered for Williams'.
Speaking directly to the lack of fines for other players, Rasmussen said, "People have been wearing Caddix cleats in NFL games for 3 years. Joe Flacco wore them all last year, had that record breaking game actually against the Bears, ironically enough, and then he was on Netflix wearing Caddix logos all over television, and no one said a word. I think it's just very precarious timing, because you have this player in Caleb Williams, who we all know is gonna be the face of the league here pretty soon."
I also reached out to the NFL for an explanation as to why Caleb Williams has been the only NFL player fined for wearing Caddix cleats. I have yet to receive a response.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco, who began wearing Caddix cleats in 2024 and subsequently became an investor in the company, has offered to cover Williams' future fines.
"If Caleb gets fined again for wearing Caddix, I'll pay the fine myself," Flacco told ESPN. "This isn't about making a statement or breaking the rules just to break them. It's about wearing gear that works for you and helps keep you safe on the field."
But more good news for Caddix from a marketing standpoint, Caleb Williams is not backing down and has essentially become a non-paid spokesperson for the brand.
BEARS STAR CALEB WILLIAMS COULD REINJURE HAMSTRING BY RETURNING TOO SOON, SURGEON SAYS
"I'm huge into trying to stay on the field. I'm huge into trying to be healthy," Williams told reporters responding to news of his fines. "They're smart cleats. They're science cleats, and they've been working for me."
So what are these "science cleats" Williams and other NFL players swear by?
Caddix uses patented SmartStuds technology, featuring flexible studs designed to reduce rotational stress on players' knees and ankles during sudden cuts and movements. Williams believes the technology can help prolong his career, particularly after recently returning from a hamstring injury.
Rasmussen also mentioned, "Several very high profile guys who are currently signed to shoe companies buy cleats on our website."
With that information, of course I had to ask if any of those athletes are Nike athletes, which Rasmussen responded, "Yes, I certainly cannot tell you who it is though."
Williams has appealed his initial fine and reportedly intends to continue wearing the cleats without covering the logo, which will continue to be a headache for the NFL giving Caddix free marketing, but due to NFL rules, that could lead to the league barring Williams from playing.
In case you weren't aware, the NFL has uniform inspectors at every game to make sure players like Williams comply with specific branding standards, or at least, are made aware when they don't comply, making the fines not a surprise if they refuse to comply.
According to the NFL, "The uniform inspector’s job is to make sure that every player in violation of the rules is aware of it and has an opportunity to correct it. He’ll talk directly to players and, a half-hour before kickoff, he’ll meet with a team representative to report problems. That employee must bring any player spotted with a violation back to the inspector for clearance before kickoff." The Uniform Inspections section of the NFL website further states, "Players and teams have the opportunity to get into compliance at the next change of possession or other "appropriate stoppage" in play. After the game, the inspector roams the locker rooms, checking to make sure that no non-partner logos can be seen by reporters, fans or television cameras — and then writes a summary of each game for the league. For many violations, a player cannot go back into the game until the problem is corrected. Teams can be penalized 5 yards if — after receiving a warning — the player enters the game anyway. Failing to comply with league warnings can result in hefty fines."
Specifically, the NFL's collective bargaining agreement, Article 51, Section 2(a), specifically gives the league authority to regulate third-party branding on players' footwear. They are a business, big business, and they want to protect their business interests. That makes sense.
But does the NFL actually have the ability to bar Williams from entering the game if he refuses to comply on Monday Night Football against the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks?
According to the NFL's Official Playing Rules, Rule 5, Section 4, players must comply with league uniform and equipment standards, including restrictions on unauthorized branding. The rule's penalty provisions allow officials to prevent players from entering a game if they refuse to correct certain uniform violations before kickoff. Players who fail to correct violations discovered during a game can also be prohibited from returning to the field.
That authority is reinforced by federal court documentation. In National Football League Management Council v. NFL Players Association (2016), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reproduced the NFL's uniform enforcement policy, which explicitly stated: "All uniform and On Field violations detected during the routine pregame check must be corrected prior to kickoff, or the offending player(s) will not be allowed to enter the game." The policy also required players to be removed from games until in-game violations were corrected.
In other words, while the NFL has not announced plans to keep Williams off the field over his Caddix cleats, its existing rules provide a potential enforcement mechanism that goes well beyond simply issuing another fine.
While speaking to Rasmussen on the potential of the NFL barring Williams from playing because he refuses to cover the Caddix branding, he jokingly said, "I think it's a great idea. I think they should definitely bench Caleb Williams."
He also said, in response to a question about whether or not he believes Williams will continue to defy the league's demands, "He seems like a guy who's just does what he wants to do, and if he does, good for him. If he doesn't, I get it too."
As for a potential partnership with Caleb Williams and Caddix in the future, Rasmussen said, "I met Caleb one time, and I've talked to him a handful of times, but he and I never talked about a deal ever."
"Right now they're gonna focus on playing the season, you know? This isn't a conversation that needs to be had right now. We have to figure out if Caleb is gonna keep getting penalized and all that stuff, but I mean, we'll see. I would love to have a deal with Caleb Williams."
As for now, Caddix is a disrupter in the football cleats market. As Rasmussen said, "Obviously we want to disrupt, but I've had a number of conversations with most of the big brands in the past 12 months and some of them have become friends of mine. I got congratulations a couple of times last week from a certain company and a few of their employees, and it was great to hear."
"We're not gonna do things a conventional way. We're just not, and if it's gonna come down to safety or money, we're gonna put the first one every time, I promise."
Mark this down as another great American story of an entrepreneur using the tools and freedoms this great country has to offer to make a huge splash in the most profitable league in American sports, on the back of free advertising from one of the league's and American sports, brightest stars.
Williams appeal hearing will be held on Nov. 10.
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Week 8 Sunday starts with a bang and ends with an NFC East game nobody saw coming. The undefeated Vikings and the Ravens-Bills heavyweight fight both kick off at 1:00 p.m. ET, and two struggling division rivals close the night on NBC. BetMGM is offering new users bonus code FOXNEWS to cover their first bet up to $1,500. If it loses, BetMGM refunds your stake in bonus bets.
The best game of the day hinges on Lamar Jackson, who’s questionable. Buffalo comes in rested off a bye with 23 touchdowns on the season, second-most in the league. Baltimore still has Derrick Henry, but 60 penalties through seven games is a problem in a road game this big. The 53.5 total is the highest on the board.
Minnesota is 6-0 and getting points anyway. The Vikings have covered all three road games, while Detroit is 1-4-1 against the spread and hasn’t covered at home. Expect a tug-of-war over tempo: Detroit’s games have gone over five times in six, and Minnesota’s have gone under five times in six.
Sunday Night Football features two teams with a combined three wins. Philadelphia is 2-5, has lost five straight and is on a short week after a 38-21 loss to Dallas on Monday night. The Eagles are also 1-6 against the spread, and Saquon Barkley is questionable. Washington is 1-4-1 but comes off a bye and is favored at home. The Eagles won the Week 1 meeting 24-22, and the over has hit in eight of the last 10 games between these two, even with a 40.5 total this time.
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