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Olivia Dunne and an NFL WAG dominate the Victoria's Secret show, Aaron Rodgers goes off & the refs STINK again
'Nightcaps' is a daily column that catches you up on the biggest sports, news and culture stories you may have missed while pretending to do work at your desk. It runs Monday-Friday on OutKick.com.
Third full week of October is here, boys and girls. Time to lock in. Everything is out in front of us.
We're in the absolute sweet spot of football season, both college and NFL. Was that the greatest Saturday slate of all time? It may have been.
Hockey is here. The NBA starts this week for those who care. The World Series is right around the corner.
The WNBA is still, somehow, doing WNBA things and disrespecting our great national anthem.
The weather has finally started to turn here in Florida. It ain't much, but when your highs are only 80 and not 90 on a consistent basis, it feels like winter. I only have to change shirts twice a day now!
What a blessing. How lucky are we?
Let's roll.
Welcome to a Monday Nightcaps — the one where Olivia Dunne and an NFL WAG stole the show at last night's Victoria's Secret fashion show, which is apparently still going on. Who knew?!
I didn't, but I do now.
What else? I've got Aaron Rodgers absolutely blasting the turf in Tampa after yesterday's OT thriller, I'm still in awe of how bad the refs were in Saturday's FSU-Miami game, and I've got some random reader mail to clean out as we start a new week.
It's overflowing right now! Been too long since we heard from you guys. That's on me. We'll fix it here in a bit.
Grab you some chicken and waffles as we celebrate National Chicken & Waffles Day, and settle in for a Monday 'Cap!
Normally I'm against popular trends, but I can't knock chicken and waffles. Great pairing. I've got nothing bad to say about either.
Cracker Barrel, if I recall, had a solid chicken and waffle special at one point. No clue if they still do, but from what I remember, it was good.
Side note: Anyone been to a Cracker Barrel lately? I know it's been a rough year for them, but I'd be curious to see if things improved over the summer after they canned that terrible CEO.
Let me know!
OK, let's go ahead and start class — and the week — with another elite pairing: Sports and Victoria's Secret fashion shows. The two have gone together beautifully for years, and — despite VS going woke for a stretch during the horrible Biden years — it appears that bond is stronger than ever.
Just last night, while the Cowboys were peeing all over themselves at Lambeau, the models were out and about at the annual show in LA.
Olivia Dunne was on the "Pink Carpet," along with Kristin Juszczyk — the wife of 49ers fullback, Kyle Juszczyk.
Unsurprisingly, both had dominant showings:
Good to see a couple OutKick Hall of Famers dominating out in LA! Well done, Kristin and Livvy. While Dunne is officially in her offseason with Paul Skenes and the Pirates in vacation mode, Kristin has game tonight in San Fran.
49ers-Redskins ... who ya got? Normally, I'd say San Francisco by a billion, but after the weekend we just experienced with upsets, I'm staying away from this one.
Seriously, I can't remember a weekend with more upsets between college and the NFL. Obviously, Saturday was insane. I was stunned Georgia lost. Stunned. I thought Kirby Smart was upset-proof.
And how about the Colts choking yesterday against the TITANS of all teams? That one cut me especially deep, because I had the Colts in Hard Rock's $2 million survivor pool. I couldn't believe what I was watching.
Unfathomable.
The biggest near-upset of the weekend took place in Coral Gables Saturday night, where Miami — now the No. 1 team in the country — nearly lost to FSU.
Frankly, they should have.
This holding call was maybe the softest "holding" call I've ever seen in my life:
It was just so bad. I said it at the time, and I'll say it again today: FSU was robbed. If that's a hold, they might as well just go ahead and call it on every single play.
These refs just can't help themselves, can they? They HAVE to make themselves part of the story. They're addicted to it.
Of course, it got worse a play later:
This one isn't quite as clear to me, but I still think it's pretty bad. I thought it was a pick at first. But after seeing all the replays, I'm not so sure it shouldn't have been simultaneous possession. I give the refs a bit of a pass for this one, but still ...
Getting robbed on back-to-back Hail Marys is nasty work. I've never seen that before. Nice work!
Another weekend of terrible refereeing in the books. Par for the course this season.
Speaking of ... let's rapid-fire this Monday class into a big Monday night and start with some reader mail.
From Jim D:
More great content by the officials this weekend!
1. FSU vs. Miami … both of the last second plays in double OT … officials just wanted to get to their cars alive … 2 terrible calls back to back against FSU.
2 BYU/ ND … how many times is clock management going to be an issue with 12+ grown men watching a replay? And frankly - the stripes have to explain in black and white (no pun intended) why we have PI … it’s never called consistently. But it makes it great to manipulate the betting markets.
3 IU/OSU … call Klatt on this one, roughing the passer and targeting! Oh my! Klatt got it right on the broadcast … then the expert official from California joined the broadcast to tell us all the officials were correct with the pass interference and not targeting. Of course, because we have to protect the IU winning streak - makes for good tv drama.
Thanks, Jim! I assume the Notre Dame frustration stems from the last five minutes of that game Saturday night, which were ...
Well, they were just bad:
What do we think? PI or let them 'em play? I'm always an advocate of letting them play, but that precedent has to be set in the first quarter. If refs are calling PI left and right all game long, then that should probably be a PI, too.
As for the game clock ... I can't defend that one. There should've been a second left. Hat's off to BYU's scoreboard operator on that one. He/she gets the game ball!
OK, that's it for today. Good start to the week, everyone. Solid way to kick off this third week of October.
Let's end class with Aaron Rodgers absolutely torching the playing conditions in Tampa yesterday after stunning the Bucs in overtime.
Tell us how you really feel, Aaron!
Hungary and Poland defend tough migration policies as France reels from violent unrest
As images of burning cars and historic buildings in France and Italy ricochet across Europe, leaders in Hungary and Poland are seizing the moment, not to address the unrest, but to redefine the migration debate.
Both Hungary and Poland have laid down markers on allowing migrants into their nations. Even to the point of being fined and sanctioned by the European Union courts for refusing to open their gates to unchecked immigration, in Hungary’s case under former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, while Poland faced sanctions in 2025.
Eurostat’s latest available figures show that in 2025 France had almost 10 million and Italy about 7 million foreign-born residents. Poland had roughly 1 million foreign-born residents, while Hungary had less than 700,000, with most born in other EU countries and in Poland’s case about half came from Ukraine.
TRUMP, WALTZ LINK FRANCE RIOTS TO MASS IMMIGRATION AS THOUSANDS ARE ARRESTED
Reacting to the violence, Hungary’s Prime Minister Péter Magyar posted on X that, "Europe can count on Hungary." He stated that, "In the face of this senseless destruction and unjustified violence, perhaps it is now clear to everyone why Hungary advocates the strictest possible approach to migration, and why we will not weaken our border protection or immigration policy under any pressure."
It is a sentiment echoed by Magyar’s Polish counterpart, Donald Tusk posted: "Poland will not repeat the mistakes of other European countries, nor will it pay for them," he wrote on Sunday night. "We are firmly defending the border against illegal migration, we have our own asylum policy (we do not accept applications), we deport those who break Polish law. On security issues, we will be relentless."
Sweden-based political scientist Daniel Schatz told Fox News Digital, "Burning buildings and looted shops in France and other countries are becoming political ammunition across Europe… Leaders pushing tougher immigration policies have a blunt message for voters at home: ‘This is what we intend to prevent.’ Images of chaos can carry more political weight than a hundred policy speeches."
According to the latest available crime statistics from Eurostat, the European Union’s official statistical office, in 2024 France reported 304,900 police-recorded offenses, among the highest totals in the EU. Italy reported 142,600, while Poland with 57,300 and Hungary’s 28,600 were among the lowest totals in Europe. This as Eurostat’s 2023 "perception metric," or what percentage of people report crime or vandalism in their areas, showed France was again among the highest with about 20%, Italy reported 14-17%, Poland 7-8%, and Hungary at 6-7%.
FRENCH SCHOOL RIOTS DEEPEN AS EXPERTS POINT TO FAR-LEFT ALLIANCE FUELING ‘BROADER CONFRONTATION’
"In Central and Eastern European countries, the riots in France are linked to immigration and to the issue of non-adaptation and non-integration of immigrants," Boštjan Udovič, Chair of International Relations at the University of Ljubljana’s Faculty of Social Sciences in Slovenia, told Fox News Digital.
"Magyar and Tusk are delivering a blunt message to Brussels," Schatz added, "being pro-European does not mean signing up for liberal immigration policies… Magyar explicitly presents the French disorder as vindication of his migration policy. Tusk’s warning against repeating other countries’ mistakes reinforces a similar political message."
Magyar said last week’s European Council summit "made it clear that the overwhelming majority of European countries have woken up and want to break with the permissive policies of the past. We hope it is not too late.
"The Europe we all love is in serious trouble today," the Hungarian leader said. "It is our responsibility, too, to help preserve our continent as the most wonderful place in the world for our children and grandchildren… I express my full solidarity with the French people."
ITALY’S SCHOOL VEIL BAN EXPOSES EUROPE’S ASSIMILATION FIGHT AS EXPERT WARNS US COULD BE NEXT
Schatz said Magyar and Tusk "do not need to invoke Polish King Jan Sobieski’s leadership of the allied army that broke the Ottoman siege of Vienna in 1683 — a victory long celebrated as a defense of Christian Europe — to cast themselves as Europe’s protectors. Burning buildings provide a vivid contemporary backdrop for that message."
Udovič is not surprised by Magyar and Tusk’s positions, noting that Central and Eastern European countries "usually link their EU membership to their identity, based mostly on a single nation." This is part of their history, he says, and "it would be unrealistic to expect that countries that fought for their independence based on their national movement would adopt… a concept of a multiethnic society."
Schatz added, "This is ‘all politics is local’ playing out across borders. The streets are French or Italian; the voters being addressed are Hungarian or Polish." Udovič noted that Tusk is entering "a sort of pre-election campaign where migration will also be an issue."
MELONI CONDEMNS ‘GANGS OF THUGS’ AFTER PROTESTS TURNED VIOLENT ACROSS ITALY
Poland’s next parliamentary election is slated for Nov. 2027, and former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, a possible Tusk opponent, is echoing his successor’s remarks. "France is burning, and we must be wise before the harm is done," Morawiecki posted to X Monday morning. He added that his new center-right political coalition, Rozwoj Plus, "has a package of comprehensive solutions that will allow Poland to be not only prosperous, but also the safest country in the world!"
Meanwhile, "Strict immigration policies enjoy broad support in Hungary," former government official under the previous Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and current board member of the Hungarian Atlantic Council Á. Félix Debrenti told Fox News Digital.
He said, "Magyar understands that abandoning Orbán’s tough approach to immigration and border protection could cost him significant political support, particularly at a time when his party is already facing growing pressures."
He said, "Taking a strong position on immigration allows Magyar to shift public attention away from the government’s domestic challenges and onto an issue where there is a broad national consensus," Debrenti continues. "All this comes just days before Oct. 23… when Hungarians commemorate the 1956 Revolution and the fight for freedom against Soviet oppression."
Touching on the protests, Magyar posted: "Let there be no doubt: peaceful and lawful protest is one thing; vandalism and violence are quite another. The former is a fundamental right; the latter is a serious crime."
Smithsonian screening dispute puts museum's commitment to diverse views on trial: 'Right kind of Black?'
FIRST ON FOX — A Black conservative filmmaker is challenging the Smithsonian to explain why his documentary questioning progressive views on race has yet to secure a public screening at its African American history museum, which has previously showcased films examining systemic racism.
"White Guilt," directed and co-produced by Eli Steele, is based on a book by his father, noted Black conservative academic Shelby Steele. The younger Steele, who is Black, Jewish and deaf, has drawn on his own experiences to challenge prevailing views on race and identity.
The documentary argues that White guilt over America's racial history, along with fears of being labeled racist, has pushed institutions to prioritize racial identity over individual merit.
The dispute comes as the Smithsonian faces mounting pressure from President Donald Trump and his administration over allegations of ideological bias in its portrayal of American history. The White House has accused the institution of promoting progressive narratives and threatened to restrict federal support, escalating a broader battle over whose perspectives are represented in the nation's museums.
SMITHSONIAN AMERICA 250 EXHIBIT FEATURES 3X MORE LIBERAL ITEMS THAN CONSERVATIVE ONES
Steele provided communications to Fox News Digital showing that the museum declined his proposed screening dates and offered him a private rental option instead. The filmmaker says the museum has yet to respond to his request for alternative dates for a public screening.
"The film is professionally shot, the quality is there. A comparable film that they've shown is '13th,' which itself is a very controversial film," Steele told Fox News Digital. "So that's the big question we have here: Do we have viewpoint diversity or do we not? Do you have to be the right kind of Black to be shown at the Smithsonian?"
"That's the big question that we have to address in this room. But I hope that it's not about any of that," he continued.
The filmmaker has questioned the apparent decision to not screen his film, given that the museum has allowed numerous other films with more progressive messages to have public screenings, though stopped short of accusing the museum of ideological discrimination.
"13th," the film mentioned by Steele, is featured in educational and public programming at the NMAAHC. It argues that the 13th Amendment’s exception permitting forced labor as punishment for a crime enabled racial control to persist after slavery by allegedly criminalizing Black behavior.
Other films shown by the NMAAHC in public screenings include such titles as "Hidden Figures" in 2016, "I Am Not Your Negro" in 2017 and "Faith in Blackness: An Exploration of AfroLatine Spirituality" in 2023, the latter presented in partnership with the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.
LIBERAL FACULTY STILL HUGELY OUTNUMBER CONSERVATIVES IN HIGHER EDUCATION: REPORT
While Steele was hesitant to speculate as to why his film hadn't been scheduled for a public screening, other Black conservatives saw the museum's handling of his request as part of a familiar pattern.
"Academia is not what it was years ago when I went to graduate school, when it touted itself as a marketplace for ideas," Carol Swain, a retired Black conservative professor and prominent media commentator, told Fox News Digital. "There would always be a token conservative included. And I have found over the years that conservatives were tolerated less and less. And if they were black, at some point they were not tolerated at all."
"When you look at an institution like the Smithsonian, that's supposed to belong to all of us, to all Americans, you would think that it would be open to divergent views," Swain, who spent her career at institutions such as Princeton and Vanderbilt, continued. "That is not what we find."
Wall Street Journal columnist and Manhattan Institute senior fellow Jason Riley shared a similar perspective.
FORMER DEMOCRATIC STAFFERS, DEI LEADERS SHAPE SMITHSONIAN LEADERSHIP AMID POLITICAL FIRESTORM
"I think the type of people who run the Smithsonian Institute are part of the broader liberal intelligentsia in this country that prevails in academia, prevails and the media. And this is not a point of view. That they take kindness to," Riley told Fox News Digital. "In fact, this film takes some rather direct shots at that group of people. So there might be some self-interest here. It might cut a little too close to these folks."
"I do think that they have a vested interest in putting forward a narrative out there to advance a political agenda. And I think that's what's really going on here at places like the Smithsonian," Riley continued, citing his experience as a Black commentator who has spent his career sparring with White liberals.
TRUMP V. SMITHSONIAN: A TIMELINE OF HOW THE WHITE HOUSE FIGHT OVER 'WOKE' HISTORY UNFOLDED
Both Riley and Swain argued that viewing the film could do a service to White progressives by challenging their assumptions about race and forcing them to confront whether their preferred policies are actually helping Black America. Riley stated that the Black Americans who regularly attend the NMAAHC could benefit from Steele’s film as it challenges the popular assumption that they are blocked from social mobility by virtue of their race.
In recent months, the Smithsonian has been the target of criticism from Republican elected officials, including the president, who argue that the institution has allowed political bias to overshadow the neutral presentation of history, an argument some within the organization reject, claiming that they are simply presenting the good and the bad aspects of the American story. As part of its effort to pressure the Smithsonian over what it describes as ideological bias, the Trump administration has threatened to restrict federal support, including discretionary grants and cooperation from federal agencies.
While Riley and Swain raised questions about the Smithsonian's motives, the museum told Steele that his proposed dates were unavailable but did not explain whether it would consider alternative dates for a public screening, according to correspondence reviewed by Fox News Digital.
Steele and his team reached out to the Smithsonian in late August about a public screening of their film, receiving a response within the day directing them to fill out an event application form, according to correspondence reviewed by Fox News Digital. In early September, they submitted a completed application form and provided two possible dates for a screening.
About two weeks later, the NMAAHC responded by informing them that neither date was available for a public screening, according to the correspondence. After Steele's team asked about alternatives, the museum offered them the option of renting space for a private screening at a quoted cost of $35,000, according to correspondence reviewed by Fox News Digital, rather than arranging a museum-sponsored public screening.
INSIDE THE BEHEMOTH SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM NETWORK DRAWING FIRE FROM THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
When Steele and his team clarified that they wanted a public screening and signaled flexibility on their requested dates, they received no response from the museum, per correspondence reviewed by Fox News Digital.
"Answering email does not take that much time," Steele told Fox News Digital.
"I watched the film last night. It's a well-made and powerful representation of ideas that Shelby Steele has been developing over the last 40 years," Glenn Loury, an African American professor at Brown University who has described himself as "conservative-leaning," told Fox News Digital. "Those ideas — about how racial identity interacts with the pursuit of ‘black power’ and the quest for ‘white innocence’ in the West — are vividly illuminated through the film's exploration of a number of exemplary cases."
"The arguments advanced via Steele's eloquent narration in the film are not beyond questioning, but they are invariably provocative and insightful," he continued. "It would certainly be an appropriate use of the platform of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture to screen this documentary, as a means of provoking critical engagement with its themes from all corners of the political/ideological spectrum."
IN PICTURES: HISTORIC SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM PACKED WITH WOKE POLITICAL MESSAGING ON RACE AND GENDER
NMAAHC did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital.
"My father, Shelby Steele, was born into segregation and has spent decades examining how America has changed, how far we have come, and what still divides us. ‘White Guilt,’ drawing on his 2006 book, brings that work to the screen," Steele said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. "We approached the Smithsonian’s African American museum because we believe that conversation belongs there. Sharing his life’s work in a museum dedicated to the history he lived would mean a great deal to both of us."
"Our proposal remains open, and we would appreciate an answer."
Reporter’s Notebook: Senate sneaks in one last political play before voters have their say
In politics, you sometimes just do what you can.
All 100 duly chosen and sworn U.S. senators understood why the Senate met for a week at the end of September.
Yes there was the college sports bill. Yes there was the confirmation of Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling. Yes there was a big hearing with former special counsel Jack Smith.
But you’d be badly mistaken if you thought both sides were really there to hammer out a package to bring down the cost of living for Americans.
Don’t take my word for it. Take the word of the senators.
REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: A GUIDE TO THE COLLEGE SPORTS VOTE AND SENATE’S OHIO SHOWDOWN
You are correct to say that Democrats blocked two bills that Republicans say voters really want. One was a measure to diminish the costs consumers pay for data centers and a plan to restrict stock trades by lawmakers. The latter bill even included a voter ID requirement – crucial to the GOP and its base. But Republican senators knew that Democrats wouldn’t accept these proposals.
This was about politics.
And Democratic senators wouldn’t accept any of the GOP’s legislative propositions, either.
So let’s start with the Ratepayer Protection Act.
Both sides know that voters are tripped out about AI and utterly losing it when it comes to data centers. An internal GOP memo in August revealed that the party was especially leery of what this meant for Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Husted to the Senate last year to succeed Vice President JD Vance. Husted helped foster development of data centers as an official back in the Buckeye State.
So, the final week of the Senate’s session before the midterms crawled with politics.
REPUBLICANS FEAR THEY ‘HAVEN’T DONE A DAMN THING’ TO LOWER PRICES AHEAD OF MIDTERM RECKONING
Republicans aimed to curb skyrocketing utility costs associated with the construction of data centers.
"(People) ought to be guaranteed no electricity bills will go up by a cent because of a data center," said Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. "It sends a clear message that these AI companies and these data centers can't just come into local communities and strip mine out (land). Raise the electricity rates. Kick people off the grid. Take their water."
But Democrats say the bill didn’t compel compliance by AI firms. This was just a suggestion that those who build the data centers help foot some of the bill.
"It is a sham. A charade because it has no enforcement," said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.
"Everything in that bill can already be done by a state regulator. Or it can already be done by a data center developer. And the bill requires nothing of them," argued Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.
I pressed Kaine on if "something was better than nothing."
He disagreed.
"No. You shouldn't trick people. And this is not even something," replied Kaine. "It's nothing,"
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., piled on with, "The Ratepayer Protection Act is a fraud. It does not require any protections at all. While Americans are demanding real guardrails on AI and data centers, Republicans are offering a toothless messaging bill."
The bill is laced with midterm politics. Democrats claim Republicans called the vote to throw a lifeline to Husted.
Many Senate Republicans were ready for the Senate to leave town for the midterms. But they hedged their bets around the data center bill. And, Husted.
"Can you say 110 precent this is not a vote to help Jon Husted in Ohio?" yours truly inquired of Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D.
"I think it will help him," replied Hoeven. Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., agreed with Hoeven.
"The one thing I'll just say is that this is clearly a political ploy," said Kim. "This is not something that's good for the American people. But it's certainly good for Sen. Husted."
DATA CENTERS COULD BE THE SLEEPER ISSUE OF THE 2026 MIDTERM ELECTIONS
The tilt between Husted and former Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, is one of the nation’s most contentious Senate contests.
"I don't think that there's a secret that Sen. Husted is trying to pass a piece of legislation so he could go home and run a campaign ad," said Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M.
Husted conceded as much.
"We gave everybody a chance to do something about affordability and the Democrats blocked it. So we'll go campaign on it," said Husted.
So yes. The Senate’s last week of session was about the midterms.
"Has there ever been a late September or October before an election that wasn't all politics?" asked Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C.
The evolving positions on the data center bill by Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., may be an example of that.
Welch was a yea when asked about the legislation on September 23 , after it overwhelmingly cleared the House.
"I support it and I'd be glad to vote on it," said Welch.
But the Vermont Democrat flipped to nay when the issue approached a roll call vote on the floor.
"Why did you change? I asked Welch.
"Well, two things. One, they won't allow us to have an amendment. And the problem with this bill is that it has no teeth," he replied.
So the question is whether the sides prefer action. Or, if they’d rather have the issue. In fact it could be argued that Husted may have scored some political capital, deploying the blocked bill as a foil in an effort to contrast himself to Democrats.
"It ought to be something that should be a no brainer here on the floor of the Senate," said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.
TRUMP’S DATA CENTER PUSH FRACTURES CONGRESS AS LOCAL ANGER EXPLODES: 'GRASPING AT STRAWS'
It’s rare that competitive Senate contests pivot on a solitary issue. And certainly an individual debate or vote. Democratic Maine Senate nominee Troy Jackson is pushing Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, on her vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Bret Kavanaugh in 2018. It was one of the most factious confirmation battles in history. But Collins won reelection in 2020. That vote was eight years ago.
A vote like the one on the data center measure just before the election can plant a seed in the mind of voters. And since Republicans were struggling on affordability – and then AI and data centers emerged as an issue – forcing this vote was probably the best political play the GOP had at its disposal. In campaigns, you do all you can.
Let’s say for a moment that Husted loses narrowly to Brown in two weeks. And maybe Republicans would have held the Senate had Husted prevailed. Perhaps exit polling reveals that voters wished Republicans had done more on affordability. Party insiders would then accuse the Senate GOP brass of political malpractice by denying Husted a chance to make his case.
It was the best Husted could do. And the best Senate Republicans could do.
It may not work. But at least Republicans can say they did what they could.
France's massive intel failure sparks resignation offers amid days of rioting
France is confronting a major intelligence failure after authorities badly underestimated the scale of nationwide protests that descended into riots and looting.
The days of chaos have prompted French President Emmanuel Macron to order a security review as senior officials acknowledged police "lost control" in several major cities and senior government officials have offered to resign after they failed to predict the level of pandemonium.
Some 550,000 people joined 110 marches nationwide Saturday, according to France's Interior Ministry, far exceeding an intelligence estimate of roughly 200,000 demonstrators. Organizers put turnout even higher, at 800,000.
Cars burned in the streets, more than 1,500 stores were reportedly ransacked or destroyed and public buildings were attacked across the country. In Limoges, rioters broke into and torched a 19th-century city hall that had survived both world wars, causing its roof to collapse.
By Monday, the Louvre remained closed as student protesters blocked its entrances, extending the disruption into another day.
TOP TOURIST DESTINATION IN THE WORLD SHUTS DOWN AMID VIOLENT PROTESTS
The unrest overwhelmed some 60,000 police, gendarmes and other security personnel deployed nationwide. Nearly 1,000 law enforcement officers and firefighters were injured, at least 2,400 people were arrested and French authorities estimate some 3,000 businesses sustained damage.
As crowds swelled, police were stretched across multiple flashpoints while groups of masked rioters smashed storefronts, set fires and clashed with security forces. In some cities, authorities were unable to keep looters from moving through commercial districts even as officers struggled to contain the larger demonstrations.
By Monday, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez was acknowledging what shopkeepers and residents had already witnessed.
FRENCH NEWSPAPER RIPS MACRON AFTER RIOTS ERUPT ACROSS FRANCE: ‘INDELIBLE STAIN’
"Yes, Saturday, in certain large cities, we lost control," Nuñez said.
He acknowledged a "lack of anticipation" ahead of the demonstrations and said authorities had underestimated not only the number of protesters but the violent groups that would exploit the unrest.
Nuñez offered his resignation to Macron. The president refused it and instead ordered a review of what the Élysée described as failures in planning and intelligence, demanding an accounting of how authorities had been caught so badly off guard.
Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin was even more direct.
"We unquestionably failed," Darmanin said, pointing specifically to intelligence and France's difficulty tracking and confronting the ultra-left.
The failure is particularly striking because the unrest did not emerge without warning.
The warning signs had been building for weeks.
The unrest began in September with high school students protesting teacher shortages, deteriorating school buildings and other conditions in classrooms around Paris. The movement quickly spread nationwide, drawing teachers, labor unions and other groups frustrated by rising living costs and declining public services.
Violence had already begun creeping into the demonstrations. Students set fires at schools, cars were torched and protesters clashed with riot police as authorities made thousands of arrests.
French intelligence services were watching the shift.
At an Oct. 1 government crisis meeting, intelligence officials assessed that the movement had reached a "tipping point" from school blockades toward urban violence and attributed its origins to the hard-left France Unbowed party and its allies, Reuters reported.
Yet little more than two weeks later, authorities were caught off guard by the scale of what hit the streets.
Saturday brought together students, trade unionists, Yellow Vest veterans and other groups under a loose "convergence of struggles." Hundreds of thousands marched peacefully, while smaller groups of masked rioters broke away, looting stores, setting fires and attacking police.
The violence has since ignited a separate political fight over immigration.
WHERE'S MACRON? FRENCH LEADER BLASTED FOR ATTENDING CONCERT AS RIOTS ESCALATED
President Donald Trump blamed the destruction on France's migration policies, writing Monday that "the migrants have taken over France" and urging the country to close its borders. Other right-wing political leaders across Europe have made similar arguments.
French authorities, however, have not blamed immigrants for the violence. Macron and his government have instead accused ultra-left militants and criminals of exploiting demonstrations rooted largely in education, living costs and public services.
The unrest is nevertheless intensifying a political battle already reshaping France ahead of its 2027 presidential election, giving the right fresh ammunition on immigration, crime and the government's ability to maintain public order.
Marine Le Pen's National Rally has seized on the violence to argue that Macron's government has lost control of the country, while other figures on the French right have pushed for tougher policing and immigration restrictions.
The images of burning buildings, ransacked stores and overwhelmed police are landing at a particularly vulnerable moment for France's political establishment. Macron cannot seek a third consecutive term in 2027, leaving an open presidential contest as voters increasingly identify immigration, security and purchasing power among the country's major political concerns.
The riots have also widened a debate over whether the breakdown reflects a failure of policing, deeper economic and social grievances or years of government policy on immigration and integration — competing explanations that are likely to shape France's political fight long after the streets are cleared.
For Macron's government, the immediate question is more concrete: how security services that were already tracking an increasingly volatile protest movement still failed to anticipate the scale of Saturday's violence.
BBC calls France protests 'mostly peaceful' as footage shows rioters torching cars, battling police
BBC "News at Ten" host Jane Hill introduced a Sunday report detailing widespread riots across France, where thousands were arrested and nearly 1,000 law enforcement and emergency personnel were injured, before the network's Paris correspondent described the demonstrations as "mostly peaceful" while footage showed burning cars, looted businesses and violent clashes with police.
Hill outlined the scale of the destruction before introducing Paris correspondent James Waterhouse's report on the nationwide unrest.
"Across the country, nearly a thousand police officers and firefighters were injured. The Interior Ministry says nearly 2,400 people were arrested," Hill said.
FRENCH NEWSPAPER RIPS MACRON AFTER RIOTS ERUPT ACROSS FRANCE: ‘INDELIBLE STAIN’
Despite the figures, Waterhouse characterized the demonstrations as largely peaceful while reporting on the approximately half-million people who gathered across France to protest rising living costs and deteriorating public services.
"In Paris and beyond, half a million people had filled cities across France to protest over the future of their country. They were mostly peaceful, but as we saw in the capital, in the wings were those who wanted to take advantage of the disorder," Waterhouse said.
The BBC defended its coverage in a statement to Fox News Digital, maintaining that its reporting accurately reflected the scale of the unrest while distinguishing between peaceful demonstrators and those responsible for the violence.
"No one watching, reading or listening to BBC News coverage of the France protests and riots can be in any doubt as to what was happening – there is coverage of the fires, the looting and violence," the spokesperson said. "James Waterhouse and the team of reporters in France over the weekend gave broader context to the protests and riots – making the point that as well as the destructive scenes, several hundred thousand people were on the streets in peaceful protest, and those carrying out the violence and looting were a small fraction of that number."
The White House responded to Fox News Digital's request for comment on the escalating violence in France, a key U.S. ally, by pointing to two Truth Social posts from President Donald Trump addressing the unrest.
In his Sunday post, Trump blamed immigration for the violence and urged French authorities to close the country's borders.
"France is burning! The immigration of people from an entirely different world, people with hatred in their hearts, has shattered that once great country," Trump said.
The president doubled down on his immigration concerns in a Monday morning post, calling for immediate border restrictions.
"The migrants have taken over France. They must CLOSE THE BORDERS, FAST! President DJT."
VIOLENT FAR-LEFT RIOTS IN FRANCE ARE 'CHILLING WARNING' FOR AMERICANS AT HOME, MIKE JOHNSON SAYS
The BBC's footage showed masked rioters clashing with police, setting vehicles ablaze and ransacking businesses, including a wine shop and an electric bicycle store. Waterhouse acknowledged that the destruction was being attributed to individuals exploiting the larger demonstrations.
"The shops that have been hit have been completely gutted. Like this wine shop has been looted from top to bottom," Waterhouse said.
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the violence during a televised national address Sunday, distinguishing between demonstrators with legitimate grievances and those responsible for widespread destruction.
"Nothing justifies it, nothing explains it, nothing excuses it. Tonight, we all feel anger and shame," Macron said.
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The violence prompted French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez to offer his resignation Monday, which Macron rejected. Nunez acknowledged that police had lost control in several major cities as the government considered additional security.
According to a report Monday by Agence France-Presse, more than 2,500 people have been arrested, nearly 1,000 security personnel have been injured and at least 3,000 businesses were affected by the unrest. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu called for localized curfews to restore public order.
Fox News Digital reported that rioters also set fire to the historic Limoges Town Hall, built in 1883, causing extensive damage to the landmark.
Waterhouse maintained that the violence was largely the work of individuals exploiting the demonstrations rather than those who had gathered to protest rising living costs and deteriorating public services.
"Few believe this was at the hands of the genuine protesters, but down to an opportunistic minority who came in and sought to rob and cause carnage," Waterhouse said.
Selena Gomez warns fans after vaping habit leaves her with permanent consequence
Selena Gomez kicked her nicotine habit, but she's still living with the consequences.
Gomez, 34, explained her own nicotine habit left her voice forever changed in a warning given to fans.
"I'm not going to be able to change my voice," she said in a video uploaded to her Instagram Story. "I vaped nicotine, a lot."
The "Only Murders in the Building" star made it clear that her vaping days came at a cost. Gomez urged fans to take her experience as a warning, particularly those considering trying vaping for the first time.
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"Everyone knows – that's somewhat vaped – nicotine is so hard to quit," she said. "And I think I just wanted to say, if you're going through it, or if you are even trying to vape, it's just not worth it."
"And it's changed my voice," Gomez added. "So, if you guys don't like listening to my voice that's totally understandable I don't mind, just don't listen to it. Just don't listen."
While Gomez acknowledged that her voice might never sound the same, she made it clear that she was focusing on the positive. The singer celebrated her decision to stop vaping and offered a message of encouragement to fans who were fighting to break free from their own difficult habits.
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"But I am really excited because I stopped, and I just hope we can keep it up. It's really hard, but I know if you are going through something you can get through it too. It sucks."
Gomez's candid confession came after years of speaking openly about her health struggles and the physical challenges she's faced in the spotlight.
In 2014, the former Disney star entered a mental health facility shortly after she was diagnosed with lupus and later revealed she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
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"My lupus, my kidney transplant, chemotherapy, having a mental illness, going through very public heartbreaks – these were all things that honestly should have taken me down," the actress explained in a 2021 interview with Elle magazine. "Every time I went through something, I was like, ‘What else? What else am I going to have to deal with?'"
The former Disney Channel star has made a habit of sharing deeply personal experiences with fans, using her platform to discuss everything from her physical health to her mental health.
Gomez released the documentary "My Mind & Me" in 2022. The film chronicled six years of the actress' life, career and mental health struggles.
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The "Wizards of Waverly Place" star has also included her mental health work in her business ventures.
In 2020, she launched Rare Beauty to "create a safe, welcoming space in beauty – and beyond," according to the brand's mission statement.
The brand includes the Rare Impact Fund, which raises money for mental health services.
'Coming out coach' charges women hundreds for support navigating late in life lesbian transitions
After decades of marriage and motherhood, some middle-aged women are spending hundreds of dollars to join online lesbian support groups led by a "coming out coach" to guide them through the process of coming out late in life, according to a New York Times report.
Coming out coach Anne-Marie Zanzal charges $400 for a private online membership designed to help "late-blooming" women, some of whom are still married to their longtime husbands, navigate what she calls "sexual identity transitions."
"She helped me see that leaving my marriage wasn’t selfish. It was honest. And my kids are better for it," a testimonial from Zanzal’s website reads.
Zanzal also offers a separate 16-week program called "This Authentic Life," which includes live group coaching, individual coaching and access to her "Authentically Us" online community.
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According to Zanzal’s website, the program helps LGBTQ+ women unpack heavy questions regarding their sexuality alongside others navigating similar experiences.
"It is not too late, and you are not too late. Come as you are, and let us walk this part of the road together," Zanzal’s website reads.
"We were looking for women who came to this the way we did, later in life and carrying a whole history, who would never ask us to explain any of it."
Zanzal, who holds a master's degree in divinity from Yale Divinity School, began her "coming out coaching" business in 2018. She came out at age 52 after being married to a man for nearly 30 years and raising four children with him.
"I help women come home to themselves — with clarity, self-kindness, and community — so they can live authentically without abandoning the lives and relationships that matter to them," Zanzal writes on her coaching site.
"That is why I built this work. Not because I have a degree in it — though I do … But because I lived it, in the dark, for a very long time."
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During the support meetings, women share personal updates with the group and their coming-out coach. One woman, for example, discussed preparing to tell her son that she was a lesbian over a beer, according to a profile of Zanzal's business published in the Times on Wednesday.
In an interview with the outlet, one of Zanzal’s clients named Shelly said she worried that coming out to her family would upend her "perfectly good" dynamic.
Shelly said Zanzal helped her understand that any unhappiness her children felt about her sexuality transition was "likely to fade with time and be only a part of their story," whereas, her own pain could be permanent if she continued to conceal her identity.
Podcast host Ben Ferguson told Fox News Digital he found the messages being sent to women through this coaching service "outrageous."
"What’s especially outrageous is the suggestion that a mother’s unhappiness is permanent, but her children’s pain will somehow just fade away," Ferguson said in a statement.
"Children aren’t disposable characters in their parents’ journey of self-discovery. Marriage involves commitment, and parenting requires sacrifice," he added.
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Ferguson argued that the business model — which includes $150 one-hour "clarity calls" with a coming out coach and $77 self-paced courses, including the "Maybe I am Not Straight Course" — is "deeply disturbing" and appears to monetize women’s personal struggles.
"This isn’t about being gay or straight," he said. "It’s about charging people hundreds of dollars to navigate decisions that could tear their families apart, with seemingly zero accountability for the damage left behind. That’s not compassion or empowerment. That’s opportunism disguised as counseling."
Democratic strategist Kaivan Shroff offered a different perspective, arguing that Zanzal’s "community-driven" coming-out coaching reflects a broader cultural shift in how people seek support.
"There is so much more freedom and language around sexuality and what makes a modern relationship that it isn’t surprising older women are looking at that and realizing they never had space to ask some of these deep questions of themselves," he told Fox News Digital.
Just 1% of LGBTQ+ women come out at 50 or older, according to a 2024 Gallup survey, and the number of teenage girls identifying as lesbian or bisexual has plunged in the last four years, a new study reveals.
Zanzal did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Donnie Wahlberg praises God and pilots after plane skidded off runway at Las Vegas airport
Donnie Wahlberg is thanking God and the pilots who helped prevent a "serious disaster" after the private jet carrying him and seven others skidded off a runway at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas.
On Sunday, Wahlberg — who had just performed with New Kids on the Block during the final show of the band’s Las Vegas residency — took to social media to recount the incident and thank the pilots and God for keeping everyone on board safe.
"Getting a lot of concerned messages and texts about my flight's failed attempt at leaving Las Vegas this morning," he wrote in the caption. "I appreciate your concern and well wishes."
AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT ABORTS MIAMI TAKEOFF AFTER BUSINESS JET ENTERS RUNWAY
"I made this video for my friends and family after the incident, but so many of you all are my family too so I figured I’d share with you," Wahlberg continued. "Yes, it was me and my team/friends onboard the aircraft."
"It was a rather intense few moments, which felt like a few long minutes," he added.
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In a video filmed after the incident, Wahlberg said the plane never made it into the air.
"We're all okay. I'm okay," he said. "We were taking off and didn't get up in the air and ran out of runway."
"I’m just going to tell you these pilots saved our lives," Wahlberg continued. "God covered us. I'm not sure how many fences we avoided, we didn't avoid the last one."
Wahlberg also said the plane narrowly missed trucks, heavy equipment and dumpsters near the end of the runway.
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"God is good," he said. "I just finished praying, and I looked out the window and said, ‘We're not going up in the air today, but we're safe and thankful.’ All is good. Praise Jesus."
In his Instagram caption, Wahlberg praised the pilots and emergency personnel who responded to the scene.
"Thankful to God, of course, and to our incredible pilots who did an amazing job of keeping us safe and avoiding a serious disaster," he wrote. "The airplane did take some lumps — but we did not."
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"Thank you to all the emergency personnel on the ground in Las Vegas! You all were absolutely wonderful," he added. "All glory to God! By His grace, we are all ok."
Wahlberg’s wife, Jenny McCarthy, reacted to the incident in the comments section of his post.
"God is so good!" McCarthy wrote.
Harry Reid International Airport spokesperson Monika Bertaki confirmed to the Associated Press that the aircraft skidded off runway 1L at approximately 11 a.m. Sunday and made contact with the airport’s perimeter fence.
"At approximately 11 a.m., upon departure, a general aviation aircraft skid off runway 1L at LAS and made contact with the perimeter fence," the airport said in a statement shared on social media. "There are no known injuries at this time."
The airport said runways 1R and 1L would be closed for inspection and warned travelers that they could experience delays.
The airport posted an update later that day confirming that both runways had reopened following inspections.
An air traffic control recording circulated on TikTok captures a voice saying, "Aborting. Aborting," after which an air traffic controller confirms that emergency vehicles are en route.
A representative for Wahlberg did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
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Coming into tonight, the two teams, the Commanders and 49ers, are on vastly different trajectories. The Commanders are 1-3-1 for the season, and the 49ers are 5-0. Washington desperately needs a win, and San Francisco, well, doesn’t. If the 49ers were to lose, it probably would just be a head-scratching blemish on what looks to be a great season.
The Commanders started their season with a loss against the Eagles. They had to travel on the road to face Philadelphia. The final score was close, but the reality is that Philly was in control most of the game. In Week 2, they were dismantled by Dallas, and starter Jayden Daniels left the game early. They got their lone win against the Seahawks in their home opener. Marcus Mariota was under center for that one and the next week’s loss against the Colts. Last week, Daniels returned, but they lost to the Giants.
The 49ers have had a tougher schedule, but have navigated it very well. They opened against the preseason consensus favorite for the Super Bowl, the Rams. They destroyed Los Angeles 27-7 in the Australian game. Weeks 2 and 3 were against bad teams, the Dolphins and the Cardinals. San Francisco had a bit easier of a time with the Dolphins than the Cardinals, but prevailed in each. In the past two weeks, they’ve beaten the Broncos and Seahawks, both Super Bowl hopefuls.
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Commanders vs. 49ers Odds
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