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Nicki Minaj urges young Americans to 'vote red' in 2026 midterms while doubling down on Trump support
Rapper Nicki Minaj urged young Americans to get involved in the upcoming midterm elections and "vote red" while doubling down on her support for President Donald Trump in an interview on Saturday.
The Grammy-nominated hip-hop star said on "My View with Lara Trump" that young voters shouldn't assume their voices don't matter as Americans prepare to head to the polls Nov. 3.
"Now is not the time to think that your voice will not be heard," Minaj said. "Your voice will not only be heard, but your voice is very necessary right now for the country and for the world. We need you guys involved. We need you guys involved more than ever before. This is your country, this is your world. You are the ones that have to reap the benefits of whatever vote decisions we make now."
Minaj encouraged young voters to become engaged in their communities and participate in elections beyond presidential contests.
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"Think about how much you want a say in what happens and realize that the only way to have that is by voting — not just voting for the president, but just voting in all of the local elections," she said.
The music superstar then urged young voters to support Republican candidates in November.
"Please, and vote red now," Minaj said.
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Minaj's midterm message comes as she has become increasingly outspoken about her support for Trump.
The "Super Bass" and "Starships" singer also recently partnered with the Trump administration on the Small Business Administration's Million Dollar Pitch Competition, serving as one of the celebrity judges.
Trump has praised Minaj, calling her a "fantastic person."
During her interview with Lara Trump, Minaj described the president as "a very authentic person" and said his willingness to speak without appearing scripted appeals to her.
"He brings this candid, unedited vibe to the White House that we've never before seen," Minaj said. "And it's refreshing because for a very long time, people started feeling like we don't know who we can trust."
"When you see someone that goes off script, it's like you come alive again, you feel alive," she continued.
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The rapper said she would not shy away from defending Trump.
"I've made it my mission to be someone that supports him," Minaj said.
Lara Trump noted that Minaj works in an industry where the president is frequently criticized and asked what had shaped her political views along with what she had seen from Democrats that discouraged her.
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"I think the Democrats have gotten way too caught up in pop culture, for lack of a better term," Minaj said. "I think that they've allowed their relationships with artists to cause them to act like children and to be so petty and childish."
Minaj also reflected on arriving in the U.S. and building her music career from very little.
"My fan base, they got to see me come from absolutely nothing. They really saw the struggle in real time," she said.
"Overall, yes, it has been the American dream," Minaj added. "That's why I love this country."
Fox News Digital's Nora Moriarty contributed to this report.
'Knots Landing' star Ted Shackelford spotted with walker during rare Los Angeles outing at 80
"Knots Landing" star Ted Shackelford was spotted out in Los Angeles on a rare outing.
In the photos, the actor, 80, is seen sporting a blue collared shirt layered with a blue knit cardigan, which he paired with black trousers, sunglasses and sneakers.
Shackelford first rose to fame starring as Raymond Gordon on "Another World" for 110 episodes, before landing the role of Gary Ewing in the hit show "Dallas," and later its spinoff, "Knots Landing."
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He played the black sheep of the Ewing family on the show from 1979 to 1993, and maintained a strong acting career following the end of the show.
While he played the character for over a decade, he told The Dallas Decoder in 2013 he never liked the character, even referring to him as "weak."
"I thought he never thought anything through. I didn’t see any strength of character," he said. "I mean, just once I wanted him to have some courage. And I never saw that."
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Shackelford went on to appear in a number of TV movies and as a guest on various TV shows, including "Cybill" and "Spin City."
He then returned to his soap opera roots, starring as Jeffery and William Bardwell on "The Young and the Restless" from 2006 to 2015. He most recently appeared in a 2017 episode of the hit show, "NCIS."
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In addition to returning to the role of Gary Ewing in the "Dallas" reboot in 2013, Shackelford also participated in the "Knots Landing" reunion in 2005, which brought together cast members Joan Van Ark, Michele Lee, Donna Mills, William Devane and others, to discuss behind-the-scenes stories in a reconstruction of the set.
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When speaking to Entertainment Tonight in August about her love scenes with Shackelford on "Knots Landing," Mills referred to them as "steamy."
"I mean, look at Ted," she said. "I mean, really, get into bed with that body — and he’s such a sweetheart. He really is. It was, uh, it was fun. I can’t deny it. It was fun."
Florida man, 76, with suspended license allegedly admits to driving under the influence of rum, cocaine
A 76-year-old Florida man with a suspended license allegedly admitted during a traffic stop that he had been drinking rum — later telling deputies he had also recently used cocaine — just four months after a separate DUI arrest, authorities said.
Charles Ducking, 76, of Lake Wales, was pulled over after a sheriff's deputy allegedly observed him swerving while driving along U.S. Highway 27 in Waverly, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
The deputy detected the odor of alcohol and noticed that Ducking allegedly had slurred speech and watery eyes.
When asked for his driver's license, Ducking allegedly told the deputy it had been suspended.
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"Well, I can't show you my driver's license cuz it's suspended cuz DUI. And I have been drinking a little bit right now," he said, according to the sheriff's office.
Officials said Ducking then showed the deputy a silver thermal cup containing a brown liquid.
"This here is my rum I'm drinking," he said, according to the sheriff's office.
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A traffic deputy who responded to conduct a DUI investigation immediately recognized Ducking from a previous DUI arrest in May, the sheriff's office said.
Officials said deputies also found a small orange container containing cocaine during a search of Ducking's vehicle, which allegedly prompted Ducking to tell law enforcement he had "done a line" 10 minutes before he was pulled over.
During field sobriety tests, Ducking displayed several indicators of impairment, and breath tests registered blood alcohol concentration readings of .094 and .095, above Florida's .08 legal limit for drivers.
"While we appreciate Charles Ducking's cooperation during the traffic stop, the fact of the matter is, he is lucky he hasn't yet killed someone or himself while driving drunk and high on drugs," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement.
"He has tempted fate too many times, and he needs to make some serious changes in his life before it's too late," Judd continued. "I am proud of my deputies for their proactive patrolling to find impaired drivers and get them off the road."
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Ducking was arrested and booked into the Polk County Jail. He was charged with DUI — fourth or subsequent offense — possession of cocaine, driving with a suspended license and possession of drug paraphernalia.
According to the sheriff's office, Ducking was previously arrested for DUI in May. He was released from jail days later after posting bond on the condition that he not possess or consume alcohol.
Officials said Ducking has been arrested nine other times in Polk County dating back to 2001, including multiple DUI arrests.
Hank Brown's last-second touchdown pass lifts Iowa to 20-19 win over Michigan in Big Ten
At the same stadium where Michigan benefited from an extra second in a controversial win over Western Michigan, the Iowa Hawkeyes made the most of their final opportunity Saturday.
Iowa quarterback Hank Brown connected with Reece Vander Zee for a game-winning 16-yard touchdown as time expired, lifting No. 17 Iowa to a 20-19 upset of No. 18 Michigan.
"To be able to silence a stadium like that, there’s no greater feeling," Brown said.
The Hawkeyes covered 91 yards on the game-winning drive, aided by an unnecessary roughness penalty against Michigan on third down near midfield. Brown’s 29-yard completion to Addison Ostrenga set up the winning touchdown with two seconds remaining.
"We prep for situations like these throughout the week in practice all the time," Brown said. "Why do you prepare for it? For a moment like that."
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Brown, though, didn’t want to bite when asked if the victory was justice for Western Michigan.
"I’m not going to speak on that," he said after a chuckle.
Bryce Underwood threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to JJ Buchanan early in the fourth quarter — their second scoring connection of the game — but the Wolverines (3-1, 0-1) could not make enough plays on either sides of the ball to hold on for the win.
"We would’ve liked to run the clock out," coach Kyle Whittingham said. "That was disappointing."
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Iowa took its first lead early in the fourth quarter on Brown’s 16-yard touchdown pass to Vander Zee.
Then Underwood dropped back, stepped up, rolled right and threw a long touchdown pass to Buchanan for a 19-14 lead. His 2-point conversion pass fell incomplete.
Iowa lined up to go for it on fourth down at the Michigan 28 late in the game and left guard Leighton Jones was flagged for a false start. Facing a fourth-and-6, coach Kirk Ferentz chose to have Caden Buhr attempt a 51-yard field goal and it was wide right with 2:33 left.
Iowa’s Big Ten schedule continues next week with a road trip to Columbus to face Ohio State, while Michigan will look to regroup on the road against Minnesota.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Israeli UN envoy's Starlink video reaches millions, with nearly 40% of Instagram viewers in Iran
A viral video of Israel’s U.N. ambassador offering an Iranian representative a Starlink device has reached around 9 million views across social media — and nearly 40% of its Instagram viewers are in Iran, according to analytics shared with Fox News Digital.
A representative for Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon told Fox News Digital that the office was surprised by the video’s reach inside Iran, saying such an audience is unusual for Israeli diplomatic accounts.
"We couldn't imagine to be the popular," the representative said, referring to the video's reach in Iran.
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The representative said the encounter grew out of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the U.N. General Assembly, where Netanyahu displayed a Starlink device while delivering a message aimed at the Iranian people.
According to Danon’s representative, Netanyahu had prepared the Starlink element for his speech and asked that the device be offered to the Iranian delegation afterward. Danon then approached an Iranian representative with the device in an encounter captured on video.
The Iranian representative declined to take it.
Danon later posted the exchange on social media, where the video quickly gained traction.
Instagram audience analytics shared with Fox News Digital show 39.9% of viewers were located in Iran, the largest share from any country. The U.S. accounted for 14.3%, followed by Israel at 12.6%, Canada at 5.9% and Germany at 4.1%.
The representative said Danon’s office viewed the unusually large Iranian audience as significant given the message accompanying the Starlink offer, which he described as one of freedom and freedom of expression for the Iranian people.
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But Danon’s office says another online trend emerged as the video spread.
The representative told Fox News Digital that accounts the office believes are Iranian began recirculating a years-old video of former Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Gilad Erdan being escorted from the General Assembly during a protest against then-Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.
The video dates to September 2023, when Erdan walked through the General Assembly holding a photograph of Mahsa Amini during Raisi’s speech.
One post recirculating the old video in recent hours has drawn hundreds of thousands of views while portraying the incident as a current confrontation involving Israel’s U.N. ambassador.
Danon’s representative characterized the renewed circulation as a "disinformation campaign" intended to counter the attention surrounding Danon’s video.
"From our perspective, the Danon video moved something in Iran," the representative told Fox News Digital, arguing that the Iranian regime was attempting to "change the story."
Fox News Digital's Emma Bussey contributed to this report.
Oregon Ducks QB Dante Moore carted off the field after a vicious hit to the head against USC
A great day of college football took a scary turn on Saturday night when Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore needed to be taken off the field on a cart after taking a brutal hit to the head.
The Ducks traveled down the West Coast for a huge Big Ten matchup against their old PAC-10 rival USC Trojans.
USC came in at No. 12 in the country, while Oregon came into the week at No. 20. A win for either team would come with some significant movement in the rankings.
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However, about five minutes into the second quarter, Moore found some space and took off downfield, hoping to secure a first down.
As he crossed the line to gain, he slid to give himself up, but was hit with a brutal shot from USC linebacker Desman Stephens.
Stephens was called for targeting on the play and ejected from the game, but the bigger concern was obviously Moore's well-being.
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He remained on the field for quite some time while being tended to by medical personnel. USA Today reported that the senior from Detroit did not appear to be moving.
Moore's Oregon teammates stood around him before he was carted off the field and into a waiting ambulance.
While the specifics of Moore's injury have not been revealed, it was reported on the NBC Sports broadcast of the game that Moore was able to move his hands and feet and managed to rotate his arms while being carted off.
You can debate whether Moore slid a little too late or if Stephens should've pulled up sooner, but one thing that won't give Stephens the benefit of the doubt was how he and his teammates handled the situation on the sidelines.
He was seen smiling and laughing while getting congratulated by teammates as Moore was still being taken off the field.
Former Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola took over for Moore under center and completed the drive with a touchdown pass to wide receiver Evan Stewart.
After that, he paid tribute to his teammate.
The Ducks tacked on a field goal at the end of the half to take a 13-10 lead to the locker room.
Hiker falls up to 1,000 feet to his death day after another body found on same mountain
A Washington state man fell 800 to 1,000 feet to his death while hiking last weekend, authorities said.
Gary Idleburg, 66, fell from Sauk Mountain in the Northern Cascades, northeast of Seattle, while navigating a switchback trail last Saturday, according to the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office.
Witnesses reported the Olympia native’s fall. Emergency responders attempted life-saving efforts, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
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Just a day earlier, a missing hiker was found dead on steep terrain on the same mountain.
He was identified as 78-year-old Peter Kalapaca, who had been missing for a day.
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The sheriff’s office said they "extend our deepest condolences to the Kalapaca family and loved ones. While nothing can lessen the loss of a loved one, we are grateful for the extraordinary effort made by everyone involved, which allows some measure of closure for the family."
Idleburg was reportedly found in "difficult" terrain.
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Kalapaca’s search operation included ground teams, air resources, air-scent K9 units, and mountain rescue personnel that worked into the evening.
Witnesses directed rescuers to where Idleburg was found after he fell.
Florida drops impressive offensive performance to pull off massive win over No. 4 Ole Miss
After one of the most emotionally intense games of the season against their former coach Lane Kiffin and LSU, Ole Miss traveled down to the Swamp to take on the Florida Gators.
Sure, the intensity going into the game was nothing like the week before, but Florida was always going to be a challenge, coming in as the No. 21 team in the nation, with Ole Miss showing up in Gainesville at No. 4.
However, in the early going, it was all Florida.
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Gators running back Jadan Baugh opened the scoring with a short run to the end zone. Kicker Patrick Durkin tacked on the extra point and hung another three points on the board with a field goal later in the quarter.
Ole Miss finally got their zero off the board with a field goal early in the second quarter and another late.
Unfortunately for Ole Miss, those two field goals sandwiched another rushing touchdown for Baugh, and the Gators took a 17-6 lead to the locker room at halftime.
The second half is when the offense really started to heat up.
Ole Miss signal caller Trinidad Chambliss scored a rushing touchdown on the team's first drive of the half. However, Florida answered right back with a rushing touchdown from running back Duke Clark.
It was all about the ground game. Florida posted 302 rushing yards, with both Baugh and Clark rushing for over 100 yards apiece, making it the first time two Gators have done that in the same game since 2022.
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Florida led the entire game and really pulled away in the fourth quarter, which saw the lone passing touchdown of their seven trips to the red zone on the day.
The Gators offense has been impressive, putting up more than 50 points in all but one game this season, but this was one that is really going to get them some attention ...
That one game where they failed to hit the 50-point mark? That was last weekend against Auburn, in which they scored a paltry 44 points.
Florida hadn't beaten a top-5 team since a win over Georgia in 2020, and there's no doubt that this win is going to shake up the rankings.
Next, the Gators will turn their attention to the No. 19 Missouri Tigers, while Ole Miss will look to bounce back in a couple of weeks against Vanderbilt.
Enes Freedom rips Cheryl Reeve for saying women's sports advocates 'don’t want transgender people to exist'
Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom pushed back against Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve after she claimed the debate over transgender athletes is part of a broader effort by critics who "don’t want transgender people to exist."
Freedom responded to Reeve in a social media post Saturday, rejecting her characterization of those advocating to keep biological males out of women’s sports.
"Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve should step down immediately. You can’t lead women’s basketball while refusing to stand up for women’s sports. Can someone, for the love of God, please explain to her that: Protecting women’s sports is not an attack on anyone’s existence, nor does it erase a community. Coach, if you truly mean what you just said, then put your hypocrisy aside and prove it by drafting me in the 2027 WNBA Draft," Freedom wrote.
Reeve made the remarks after the Lynx closed the regular season with an 86-66 victory over the Indiana Fever at Target Center Thursday. The game was accompanied by competing demonstrations outside the arena over transgender participation in women’s sports.
"I think that’s probably one of the more meaningful things that would mark the season for me," Reeve said. "It’s that the transgender community is one that deserves our support, and what is happening in the name of some issues of transgender in sports — it’s really an attack on all transgender community. They don’t want transgender people to exist."
Reeve said the reaction she received after wearing a "Trans Kids Belong" shirt during a nationally televised Aug. 2 game against Indiana made the gesture one of the most meaningful moments of her season.
"The amount of communication of people who were affected by something as simple as wearing a T-shirt in support of them and helping them be seen — with the platform that we have in professional sports, it was a small gesture by me," Reeve said. "It’s something I believe in, obviously, wholeheartedly."
"If I could have helped just one to feel differently about themselves, because for the transgender community this really is about life and death for them," she continued. "The number of parents of transgender kids that I heard from and how it helped them and their families, it helped their child think differently about themselves and that there is someone in our position, like we have as a leader. To know that there are people out there that believe in them, that they belong."
The comments marked at least the fourth time Reeve addressed the transgender issue during a WNBA media availability this season.
Reeve initially spoke about it following Supreme Court rulings that upheld state laws protecting women’s and girls’ sports. She later defended transgender participation before the Lynx’s first home game against the Fever, saying that "every kid has a right to sports" while acknowledging that eligibility becomes more complicated after puberty.
The four-time WNBA champion coach also spoke privately with Fever guard Sophie Cunningham before their Aug. 2 matchup. Cunningham previously said she wanted to protect girls who should not have to compete against or share locker rooms with biological males, while emphasizing that she did not harbor hatred toward transgender people.
"I think that I am here to extend love," Cunningham said. "But I also think with that love is truth, being honest. And I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men."
Freedom inserted himself into the WNBA’s transgender debate in August by announcing that he intended to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft under the name "Enisa Freedom." He said the move was designed to test the league’s eligibility standards, which state that only women may play in the WNBA but do not publicly define eligibility through biological sex.
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The former NBA center has repeatedly maintained that he is raising the issue seriously and is not attempting to demean transgender people.
"I’m not here to mock, make fun of, or disrespect any group or anyone’s personal decisions," Freedom wrote in an earlier statement. "What I’m trying to do is bigger than clicks or attention."
Freedom also publicly separated his campaign from the conduct of other former male basketball players who joined the WNBA draft effort, saying his goal had "never been publicity, political theater, cheap attention, or stunts."
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Former NBA player Royce White also responded to Reeve’s latest remarks, but took a distinctly different approach from Freedom. While Freedom offered a direct rebuttal to Reeve’s characterization of women’s-sports advocates, White issued an overtly satirical statement promoting his female alter ego, "Roysha."
"I appreciate Coach Reeve’s sentiment toward Transgenders," White wrote. "In these increasingly polarized times, it appears a potential source of cultural common ground has emerged ... Kweeen Roysha! Pay is the perfect blend of MAGA and mainstream. I think there’s a real opportunity to create a bridge, because a lot of conservatives nationwide would like to see Roysha play in the WNBA. The Minnesota Lynx would be a perfect home as the new transgender capital of America."
The WNBA previously said there were no immediate transgender eligibility matters affecting the league and condemned what it called "bad-faith efforts" to demean or marginalize others. The league has never had a transgender woman play on a roster. Its collective bargaining agreement states that "only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA" but does not publicly provide a more detailed definition based on biological sex.
Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said during the season that the league would continue discussions with team leaders and the players’ union while treating competitive integrity, fairness and inclusion as priorities.
Pope Leo draws staggering 800,000 faithful to heart of Paris for massive outdoor Mass
Pope Leo XIV drew an estimated 800,000 people into the heart of Paris on Saturday for a massive open-air Mass, filling one of the French republic’s most storied public squares as he urged Catholics to openly share their faith in an "increasingly secularized society."
Flag-waving crowds packed the Champs-Élysées and Place de la Concorde as the American pope traveled roughly 1.2 miles through central Paris in the popemobile before celebrating Mass.
The Vatican estimated attendance at 800,000, roughly 200,000 more people than had registered in advance.
People of faith gathered in the streets, with families lifting babies and young children toward the popemobile as Leo made his way through the French capital.
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"Seeing you gathered here," Leo told worshippers, he was looking upon the "heirs of France’s long and beautiful history of faith," according to Vatican News.
The pope called on French Catholics not to keep that rich inheritance to themselves.
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"Let it overflow, so that those you meet may be refreshed and their thirst satisfied," Leo said. "From this beautiful city of Paris, I pray fervently that the living water of the Holy Spirit may flow throughout France."
The setting carried particular resonance in a country known for its strict tradition of secularism.
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It is notable that the Place de la Concorde was an execution ground during the French Revolution, where devoutly Catholic King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette were guillotined. Today, the square is closely associated with the French republic and regularly hosts Bastille Day celebrations.
The decision to celebrate a papal Mass there drew criticism from supporters of France’s strict separation of church and state, who argued another site would have been more appropriate.
The images also offered a striking contrast with another massive Paris spectacle just two years earlier.
The 2024 Summer Olympics opening ceremony drew worldwide controversy over a tableau featuring drag performers that Christian leaders and other critics said mocked Christianity.
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The French Bishops’ Conference said at the time that the ceremony "included scenes of mockery and derision of Christianity," adding that Christians around the world had been "hurt by the outrageousness and provocation of certain scenes."
The tableau was widely interpreted by critics as a parody of Leonardo da Vinci’s "The Last Supper," though Olympics organizers disputed that interpretation.
Leo’s visit comes as France experiences a notable increase in adult conversions even as the country continues a decades-long decline in overall Catholic participation.
Annual adult baptisms in France have tripled since 2016, reaching 13,000 this year, according to The Associated Press. Overall baptisms, however, have fallen sharply over the longer term, from 513,000 in 1980 to 186,000 in 2024.
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Leo thanked French families, young people, catechumens and new Christians for bearing witness to their faith in what he described as an "increasingly secularized society," according to Vatican News.
The scale of the pope’s reception was already apparent the night before the Mass as some 80,000 young people packed France’s national stadium Friday for a vigil featuring fireworks and a theatrical retelling of the country’s Catholic history.
"Thank you for your courage! Thank you for your presence," Leo told them in French. "Thank you for your faith. You are the saints of France!"
At Saturday’s Mass, Leo invoked France’s Catholic heritage and drew on the biblical image of "living water," telling worshippers that Jesus Christ could satisfy humanity’s desire for "life, truth, unity, peace, communion, and happiness."
He also invoked French Catholic saints including Irenaeus, Martin and Francis de Sales while praising those who continue to work for "life, the family, truth, peace, fraternity and justice."
The sea of people rivaled some of the largest public celebrations to fill the Champs-Élysées in recent decades, including France’s World Cup victories in 1998 and 2018, according to the AP.
Leo’s four-day trip to France began Friday with a visit to the restored Notre Dame Cathedral, the first by a pope since the devastating 2019 fire.
He traveled Saturday night to Lourdes, one of the Catholic Church’s most visited pilgrimage sites.