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Australia World Cup manager Tony Popovic calls out referee after big loss to Team USA
Australia coach Tony Popovic shared his thoughts on a referee after Friday's 2-0 loss to the U.S. in Seattle.
"I think today was, I wouldn’t say the best day for the referee," Popovic told reporters after the game.
A controversial moment came when the Americans appeared to score their second goal. The play was initially called back for offside, but after a VAR review, officials determined the goal was valid and let it stand.
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The U.S. found the back of the net at the end of the 43rd minute after a free kick was stopped, and then Alex Freeman, the son of former NFL player Antonio Freeman, headed a ball in. The score was immediately protested by the Australians, who felt their goalkeeper had been impeded or there was an offside. After a VAR review, the call stood, and the goal was awarded.
Tensions boiled over late in the match when a physical altercation broke out. Australia's Harry Souttar grabbed the USA's Folarin Balogun in what commentators described as a "rear naked choke." Zwayer regained control by issuing yellow cards to Balogun, Souttar and Australia's Jacob Italiano.
Australia received four yellow cards, while the U.S. received three.
Popovic was seen approaching German match official Felix Zwayer after the game, with urgency.
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Zwayer also pulled up with a cramp towards the end of the USA’s win. The German official, 45, required help from both the USA’s Folarin Balogun and Australia's Aiden O'Neill, who stretched out his left leg after Zwayer fell to the turf.
Still, the manager did give credit to the Americans and admitted his players looked "sluggish" on Friday.
"I don't know if it's the occasion, but we looked sluggish, heavy-legged ... They won every duel, they won every second ball and when you do that, it makes it very difficult to gain any momentum. And then we conceded two soft goals," he said.
"When you think, you know, this noise here — host nation — I think the players show how good they are in the second half, but obviously at this level, you can't give away that much in the first."
With its 2-0 record, the United States is in first place with six points, while Australia remains with three and in second place. Both Paraguay and Turkey, who face off on Friday to potentially determine the USA's group fate, are winless with zero points.
The United States would clinch a Group D victory, and a favorable draw in the Round of 32, if Paraguay either beats or ties with Turkey — that game kicks off at 11 p.m. ET.
New images show murder weapon, fatal injury in Texas high school track meet stabbing of Austin Metcalf
New images released Friday show the fatal wound Austin Metcalf sustained when Karmelo Anthony stabbed him with a knife during a confrontation at a Texas high school track meet.
The photos were made public Friday by Collin County court.
This story is breaking. Please check back for updates.
Michigan trio allegedly beat, strangled and gagged man at Las Vegas hotel to collect on gambling debts
Three Michigan men face a slew of charges related to the violent kidnapping of a man at a Las Vegas hotel who allegedly owed gambling debts, according to reports.
Issa Hamade and Ahmad Harb, both 32, and Sobhi Sobh, 33, were arrested Wednesday on suspicion of first-degree kidnapping, extortion, conspiracy, battery with intent to commit mayhem, robbery or grand larceny, and coercion with force or threats, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
During court proceedings in Clark County, Hamade was identified as a dentist from Dearborn, Michigan, while Harb works as a disc jockey and Sobh works as a physical therapist.
The trio allegedly lured Naved Azim, a New York resident, to a hotel room at the MGM Grand on the Las Vegas Strip, according to a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department report cited by the newspaper.
SIX OHIO SUSPECTS ACCUSED OF TORTURING MAN IN WEEKLONG HOTEL KIDNAPPING: 'EXTREMELY DISTURBING'
Azim was then beaten, strangled, suffocated with a pillow, gagged, and stuffed in a closet. The men then demanded $185,000 from Azim's father to cover gambling debts owed to Harb, police said. However, Harb subsequently told investigators that the amount owed to him was $325,000.
A short video call was made to Azim's father to show him his badly beaten son on his knees, the report states.
"Listen, your son scammed me of 185K in fake sports bets. I want my money, period," the message said, according to police.
"The males began taking photos of Naved's family and friends' locations, contact information, and addresses," police said. "The males stated that they would hurt his family and friends if Naved did not pay back what was owed."
During Wednesday's court hearing, Hamade's attorney, Michael Troiano, said his client was an upstanding citizen and that Azim was involved in what he described in court as a fraudulent gambling scheme, the newspaper reported.
"My client had absolutely zero involvement whatsoever in the bets, the conspiracy, essentially any of the alleged facts other than he was supposedly in this hotel room," Troiano said.
PRO TENNIS PLAYER REVEALS SCARY MESSAGE FROM SPORTS BETTOR: 'I WILL COME AFTER YOU'
Sobh's attorney, Ryan Helmick, said "there's going to be a lot to uncover" regarding the facts of the case. A representative of the Clark County public defender's office said Harb has no criminal record, the newspaper reported.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the LVMPD, as well as the legal teams for Hamade and Sobh and the Clark County public defender's office, for comment.
Azim told authorities he made sports bets with a "promoter/bookie," which led to him meeting Harb. At one point, Harb asked Azim to place a $2,300 bet on a New York Knicks basketball game, which eventually had a payout of $20,000.
NBA MEMO SHEDS LIGHT ON LEAGUE'S INTEGRITY CONCERNS AFTER GAMBLING-RELATED ARRESTS
Azim never placed the bet but told Harb that he did, he allegedly told police, according to the report.
"Naved did not tell Harb that the bet was never placed and decided to create a fake DraftKings sports betting ticket to reflect the bet," police said.
Harb continued to place bets with Azim, who failed to make the wagers due to a lack of funds, police said. Harb continued to believe that he had tallied up to $100,000 in winning bets.
"Naved believed that Harb would eventually lose a bet which would help cover up his lie of placing the bets; however, that did not happen," police said.
All three suspects were each granted $100,000 bail and ordered to have no contact with Azim.
Folarin Balogun coaches referee through stretches after official cramps up during USA vs Australia match
The U.S. Men's National Team is 2-0 at the 2026 World Cup after a gutsy 2-0 win over the Socceroos that certainly wasn't easy at times.
Not even for the officials.
It was a hot day in Seattle, and it looks like that may have been a factor in German referee Felix Zwayer going down momentarily late in the game with what looked like a cramp.
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And, in a scene you don't see every day, got a little assistance from Australia's Aiden O'Neill and U.S. star Folarin Balogun — who scored two goals in the opener against Paraguay and opened the scoring against Australia by setting up an own goal from Cameron Burgess — who coached him through some stretches.
Now, that's not something you see every day...
Zwayer was back on his feet after stretching with the help of Balogun and FIFA medical staff, plus another official ran over with a mystery liquid — judging by his reaction, I'm thinking it was maybe pickle juice — that he gulped down.
I'm sure Zwayer was a little embarrassed having to go down on the field and have an anti-cramp potion rushed out to him, but he shouldn't be.
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All that was was a reminder of how insanely fit soccer referees have to be.
Referees running many miles every single game is one of the fun facts you hear from time to time and then forget about until the next time you hear it, then you say, "Yeah, that's right, I did hear that somewhere."
Well, there's a prime example of the physicality involved with the job.
It's not just jotting notes on the back of a card you just held in some dude's face.
Body found in South Carolina ID’d as missing fitness trainer who told friend she was 'scared for her life'
The body discovered earlier this week in Lexington County, South Carolina, has been positively identified as missing fitness trainer Elena Katherine Moore, authorities announced Friday.
The Lexington County Coroner's Office said the body of a white female found near Old Cherokee Road and Northlake Drive on June 17 was identified as Moore, 39, who disappeared after leaving a Planet Fitness gym in Lexington on June 11.
Notably, the autopsy will not be conducted by the Lexington County Coroner's Office. Instead, Moore's body is being transported to the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston, where a forensic autopsy is scheduled for Saturday.
Additional information regarding Moore's cause and manner of death is expected to be released Monday, June 22, according to the coroner's office.
MISSING WOMAN FOUND DEAD AFTER GETTING IN STRANGE CAR: 'SOMEBODY KNOWS SOMETHING'
Officials cautioned that determining a final cause and manner of death is a thorough process that could take several days or weeks to complete. Until then, authorities said no further information regarding the investigation will be released.
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The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) is leading the investigation, and all inquiries regarding the case have been directed to the agency.
The identification comes two days after authorities discovered a body in a wooded area near Old Cherokee Road and Northlake Drive following a tip that led investigators to a new search location.
MISSING SOUTH CAROLINA TEEN MACKENZIE DALTON FOUND SAFE AFTER MONTHLONG SEARCH LEADS TO ARREST
At the time, Lexington Police Chief Terrence Green said the body matched the clothing description of Moore, who was last seen after leaving a Planet Fitness on Whiteford Way on the evening of June 11.
"The body found was wearing a similar green outfit" to the clothing Moore was seen wearing in surveillance footage before her disappearance, Green said.
Moore's disappearance drew widespread attention after friends described her behavior in the weeks leading up to her disappearance as unusual.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, close friend Sondra Campbell said Moore told her she was "scared for her life" during their last in-person meeting on May 31.
"She was scared for her life. She actually said those words to me," Campbell told Fox News Digital.
Campbell said Moore indicated she wanted to discuss the matter privately but never had the chance.
Moore was last seen walking through the Publix parking lot at 100 Old Cherokee Road after leaving Planet Fitness. Friends also said she had been unusually inactive on social media for about a month before she vanished.
The Lexington County Coroner's Office extended condolences to Moore's family and encouraged anyone with information relevant to the investigation to contact SLED directly.
Fox News Digital's Adam Sabes and Bonny Chu contributed to this report.
City of Seattle proves liberal newspaper wrong in patriotic display for US Men's National Team
Everything went right for the U.S. Men's National Team on Friday during their 2-0 win against Australia.
The win guaranteed the United States would move on to the knockout stages with their second victory in as many games.
While the story is all about another standout performance on the field, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the performance from the fans in (and outside) the stadium.
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Fans showed up and showed out in Seattle to cheer on the American men as they clinched another trip to the knockout rounds of the World Cup, but for some, they were expecting a different outcome in the stands.
Publications like The Seattle Times predicted the atmosphere would be less than patriotic, presumably due to fans' conflicted feelings about President Donald Trump.
Before the game even kicked off, fans of the Stars and Stripes showed up in droves and flooded the FOX broadcast desk outside Seattle Stadium, prompting Rob Stone to declare he had "never seen anything like this in American soccer."
Listen to the roar of that crowd.
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The game hadn't even started yet, but the American Outlaws were already full-throated in support of the U.S.
The raucous behavior only intensified after things got underway, and reached a fever pitch in the 11th minute after the U.S. went up 1-0 courtesy of an Australian own goal.
Then, the second goal happened (after a quick VAR session), and the celebration was truly on from that point forward.
It's always nice to see liberals be proven wrong time and time again by Americans who couldn't care less about politics when it comes to supporting their country, and The Seattle Times is just the latest victim of a patriotic dunking.
I'd like to think this USMNT would have won against Australia no matter the venue and crowd support, but it just makes it even sweeter that the fans made it a point to make this one of the best soccer environments ever seen on American soil.
This World Cup has been a windfall for the country, and we haven't even made it out of group play yet.
Now that the U.S. is on to the knockout stages, we might see a whole new sense of national pride.
By the end of this tournament, it might be time to start calling America a soccer nation.
North Carolina furniture manufacturer allegedly kills business partner hours after losing contract dispute
A North Carolina furniture manufacturer allegedly shot and killed his business partner this week after a court ruled against him in a contract dispute.
Willard Gary Black, 85, has been charged with second-degree murder in the Wednesday fatal shooting of Robert Roger Arguelles, who was struck in the chest and back, Queen City News reported.
The shooting happened at the Old Hickory Tannery, where Arguelles and Black were co-owners of the business.
Court records show that earlier that day, Black was ordered to pay Arguelles $310,882.74 after a contract dispute between the two men, Court TV reported.
TEXAS GUNMAN KILLS 2, WOUNDS 3 DURING TARGETED BUSINESS MEETUP: POLICE
In 2018, Black sold Arguelles 49.9% of the stock in his business. However, Arguelles said he had loaned Black $280,000, of which only $23,876.19 was ever repaid, the news outlet reported.
Both men reached an agreement to settle the lawsuit for $310,882.74, but after filing the paperwork with the court, Black sought to withdraw his consent.
On Wednesday, a judge denied his request and ordered Black to pay Arguelles, 59, the amount of the original agreement.
Hours later, both men got into an argument at the business, which led to the shooting, authorities said. Police officers arrived and attempted to save Arguelles, who died at the scene.
Arguelles had served as an Alexander County Schools board member since 2022.
In a statement, District Superintendent Bill Griffin described Arguelles as an "amazing father, husband, and board member who has faithfully supported our school system for almost four years."
"In honor of his memory, our district fully supports and respects the family’s privacy as they navigate this profound loss," he added.
Double endorsement drama: Trump backs second candidate in red state’s GOP gubernatorial runoff
President Donald Trump is making an 11th-hour endorsement in the final stretch ahead of Tuesday's high-profile Republican gubernatorial runoff in solidly red South Carolina, saying he "can't hurt one of them by only Endorsing the other."
Trump on Friday took to Truth Social to say that he was supporting longtime South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson and Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette in the battle for the GOP nomination in the race to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Henry McMaster.
"I can’t hurt one of them by only Endorsing the other, so, therefore, I am going to Endorse, for Governor of South Carolina, both Pam Evette and Alan Wilson!" Trump wrote, adding: "With either one you can’t go wrong."
The endorsement of Wilson appears to be a move by Trump to hedge his bets, because Trump is already backing Evette, who is also supported by McMaster, a longtime top ally of the president.
The South Carolina runoff had been viewed as the latest test of Trump's immense grip over the GOP and the power of his endorsements in Republican nominating contests.
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And his decision to back both Evette and Wilson isn't the first time he's made dual endorsements in the same Republican race. He's already backing both Gina Swoboda and Jay Feely in next month's Republican primary in Arizona's 1st Congressional District.
Most famously, Trump endorsed "ERIC" in the 2022 GOP Senate primary in Missouri, where the two major candidates were Eric Schmitt and Eric Greitens. Both candidates claimed the endorsement, with Schmitt ultimately winning the nomination.
In South Carolina, Trump endorsed Evette late last month, a week and a half before the gubernatorial primary.
Evette finished on top of a crowded field of contenders in the primary election, with Wilson second. The field also included Reps. Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman, and multimillionaire businessman Rom Reddy. Since no candidate won a majority of the vote, as the top two finishers, Evette and Wilson advanced to the June 23 runoff.
Mace and Norman endorsed Wilson after failing to advance to the runoff. And Wilson was also backed a week ago by Sen. Ted Cruz, the conservative firebrand from Texas.
The runoff between Evette and Wilson has become combustible, and in Tuesday's final debate both candidates launched personal attacks and accused each other of lying and misrepresenting their records.
Wilson has worked to contrast his tenure as attorney general with what he's argued is Evette’s largely ceremonial role as lieutenant governor. And he has spotlighted his experience as a combat veteran, prosecutor, and the state’s top law enforcement official.
Evette has showcased herself as an outsider and a Trump-endorsed businesswoman, while casting Wilson as a career politician.
Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who is supporting Wilson and has helped with fundraising, made calls on behalf of Wilson and encouraged the president's endorsement of the state attorney general, a source familiar told Fox News Digital.
It's been 28 years since a Democrat won a gubernatorial election in South Carolina, and the winner of the GOP runoff will be considered the clear favorite in the general election against Democratic nominee Jermaine Johnson, a state representative.
The brute force of the president's endorsement power has been on display in GOP primaries over the past two months, with his candidates ousting incumbents he targeted in showdowns in Indiana, Louisiana, Kentucky and Texas that grabbed plenty of national attention.
But Trump's endorsement streak in statewide and congressional Republican primaries was snapped three weeks ago when his last minute endorsement of Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra of Iowa in the race to succeed retiring GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds wasn't enough to propel the three-term congressman to victory.
Feenstra was narrowly edged by Zach Lahn, a businessman, farmer and former political strategist who was backed by the political wings of MAHA — the acronym for the Make America Healthy Again movement aligned with Trump Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — and Turning Point USA, the powerful conservative organization co-founded by the late Charlie Kirk.
Trump rebounded a week later, as Evette finished first in the GOP gubernatorial primary and longtime Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina won a majority of the vote in the Republican Senate primary, and avoided a runoff.
Graham, who was endorsed by Trump, was facing primary challenges from five candidates, including conservative businessman Mark Lynch, who took aim at the senator over his support for the war in Iran. Lynch was backed by some MAGA leaders who have been critical of the president.
And a couple of days ago, Trump-backed candidates won two of the three top races in Georgia and Alabama, with the one setback coming against a billionaire businessman who shelled out over $100 million of his own money to boost his campaign.
Rep. Barry Moore, a House Freedom Caucus member and longtime Trump supporter who was endorsed by the president, comfortably defeated rival Jared Hudson, a former Navy SEAL sniper who was supported by some top names on the right, in solidly red Alabama's GOP Senate runoff.
In battleground Georgia's Republican Senate runoff, an 11th hour endorsement by Trump this past weekend helped boost Rep. Mike Collins, a MAGA champion, to victory over former college football coach Derek Dooley, who was backed by popular conservative Gov. Brian Kemp.
Collins will face Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in the general election in a race that's among a handful that will likely decide if the GOP holds its slim majority in the chamber in the midterms.
Jones regularly showcased his Trump endorsement, but Jackson, who launched his bid in February long after the president had endorsed Jones, repeatedly said that Trump had inspired him to run.
But in Georgia's GOP gubernatorial runoff, the candidate Trump backed, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who was also endorsed by Kemp this past weekend, was defeated by Rick Jackson, who ran as an outsider.
A Trump political operative, pointing to Tuesday's loss by Trump-backed Jones, noted that "Rick Jackson set a record for spending in a statewide Republican primary. He spent Tom Steyer level money in a state a fraction of the size of California. That's going to have an impact."
And the operative, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, also emphasized that "Rick bearhugged Trump. All of his ads and material was about how he's going to be Trump's favorite governor. So the race was not really a referendum on Trump."
Fox News' Luke Trevisan contributed to this report
Two-train crash leaves at least 1 dead, 89 injured as emergency crews rush to chaotic scene
Authorities are responding after two passenger trains crashed into each other Friday near Bedford, England, killing at least one person and injuring nearly 90 others.
The East of England Ambulance Service said it was called to a collision involving two trains at Elstow, near Bedford, at about 5:15 p.m. local time and quickly declared a "major incident."
One person died at the scene, 11 people suffered very serious injuries, 22 were seriously injured and 56 people had minor injuries, officials said.
Bedford is roughly 60 miles north of London.
2 TRAINS COLLIDE IN DENMARK, LEAVING 5 PEOPLE CRITICALLY INJURED
All the patients with the most serious injuries have been taken from the scene to hospital.
The ambulance service said it sent numerous resources to the scene, including more than 20 ambulances, specialist hazardous area response teams and six air ambulances.
MULTIPLE STABBED IN UK TRAIN ATTACK NEAR CAMBRIDGE AS POLICE ARREST 2 SUSPECTS
"Our thoughts are with everyone affected, and we thank all emergency service colleagues for their swift response," the ambulance service wrote in a statement.
The Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed its crews were also responding.
"Please avoid the area," fire officials wrote in a statement on X.
Sources told The Telegraph the train driver was on the phone with maintenance staff discussing a safety issue at the time of the crash.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Los Angeles proposal to allow noncitizens to vote in local elections sparks online backlash
The Los Angeles City Council advanced a proposal Wednesday to give voters a say in November over whether city leaders may authorize noncitizens to vote in municipal and school board elections, drawing backlash from Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, GOP senators and conservative commentators.
"They have imported voters to win," Musk said on X.
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, also criticized the proposal, tying it to Los Angeles officials’ opposition to federal immigration enforcement.
"The LA City Council wants to give local voting rights to illegals for the explicit purpose of empowering them against ICE and immigration enforcement," Lee said.
ELECTIONS WATCHDOG URGES SENATE GOP TO CLOSE NONCITIZEN VOTING LOOPHOLE
The proposal was introduced by Los Angeles City Councilman Hugo Soto-Martínez, and seconded by Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado, both Democratic socialists. The council approved the noncitizen voting provision on a 10-5 vote as part of a broader charter reform package headed toward the November ballot.
The city clerk's file says the measure would ask the city attorney to prepare documents for a November 2026 charter amendment giving the council authority to later introduce an ordinance authorizing noncitizen voting.
During the council debate, Soto-Martínez said a noncitizen parent who has lived in Los Angeles for years could have less electoral influence than a citizen who recently arrived for work.
"It just does not make sense to me that someone who moves to Los Angeles for a temporary job has more of a voice than a parent who has been here for decades raising their children through public schools," Soto-Martínez said.
KAREN BASS REFUSES TO GIVE 'YES OR NO' ANSWER ON WHETHER NONCITIZENS SHOULD VOTE IN LA: 'IT DEPENDS'
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said the Los Angeles vote fit into his broader concerns about California elections and federal voter eligibility legislation.
"Nobody should be surprised. They’ve always wanted illegals to vote, and they want fraud. That’s why I asked the DOJ to investigate what’s going on with California’s elections, and it’s EXACTLY why Democrats REFUSE to support the SAVE America Act," Scott said.
RealClearPolitics White House and national political correspondent Susan Crabtree said the vote showed why national Republicans should invest more heavily in California voter registration and turnout operations.
"On my podcast last week, LA GOP Chair Roxanne Hoge said the national Republicans need to stop using California as a punching bag and a bank (donations from deep-pocketed donors) and start investing in voter registration drives and turn-out operations," she said.
"Now we see why. The LA City Council just took steps to make illegal immigrant voting legal."
MORE THAN 500,000 CALIFORNIANS DEMAND VOTING OVERHAUL, BACK ‘STRAIGHTFORWARD’ ID LAW
Elizabeth Barcohana, California GOP Jewish engagement chair, said the vote placed the issue on the same ballot as a statewide voter ID fight.
"It happened. LA City Council voted 10-5 to include giving illegals the right to vote in the City Charter reform referendum that will be on the November ballot," Barcohana said.
Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, one of five members who opposed the provision, questioned whether Los Angeles County had been consulted on how it would implement a noncitizen voting system, according to CBS Los Angeles.
"I don’t even know that the county has actually been consulted in their ability to implement such a concept," Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez also warned that city leaders could be advancing the proposal before knowing whether it could be carried out.
"I have apprehension of making false promises that give the suggestion that we’re able to advance something without even further vetting the ability to implement this," Rodriguez said, according to the New York Post. "I don’t want to pretend that people are going to take away from this that this is going to be available to them, and it’s not, because it’s not been baked out."
Federal law prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections, while the Los Angeles proposal would be limited to city and Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education races.
Fox News Digital reached out to council members Hugo Soto-Martinez and Ysabel Jurado for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.