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France on edge with 70,000 police deployed for unrest as authorities probe suspected terror attack near Paris
A suspected terrorist attack near Paris on Friday added to the tensions across France as the nation prepares for more potential violence on Saturday.
Seventy thousand law enforcement officers, along with helicopters, armored vehicles and water cannons, are set to be deployed across France as President Emmanuel Macron’s government tries to ward off another weekend of violent protests.
"The strategy adopted for the coming days is to ban protests requested by individuals or groups with no legitimate authority," Macron said ahead of the weekend, after canceling his planned trip to Nigeria and Senegal originally scheduled for next week.
"The rules are simple and I think they're just common sense," said Macron. "The general recommendation is that there should be no demonstrations in the coming days."
FRANCE'S MACRON BLAMES PROTESTS ON 'ULTRA-LEFT GROUPS WHOSE AIM IS TO BRING DOWN THE REPUBLIC'
"Where trade unions submit requests to hold demonstrations, prefects will examine them in accordance with the law," he added, "but alternative routes will be proposed" to protect city centers, businesses and public buildings.
Meanwhile, adding to security concerns, a suspected terrorist attack occurred in the city of Trappes, west of Paris. A 39-year-old man was arrested by police after one person was killed and four others, including a 12-year-old girl, were wounded in what was originally said to be a "relatively random" shooting. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez has since told local media: "The motive may be racist. The investigation is ongoing, but this is clearly a terrorist crime."
The AFP reported the suspect appeared to fire randomly from a vehicle, with the mayor telling reporters the dead victim and at least one of the wounded were "of African origin." Macron said "the nation is standing with" the victims of this "terrible ordeal."
FRANCE COULD FACE EVEN WORSE DESTRUCTION WITH SECOND WEEKEND OF PLANNED RIOTS, STATE DEPT WARNS
Ahead of Saturday's protests and after acknowledging that police had "lost control" during last weekend's unrest, Nuñez, the interior minister, said his ministry is "ready for tomorrow. We will be extremely vigilant, extremely firm, and we will let absolutely nothing pass."
Reuters reports that the Union Nationale des Étudiants de France, or UNEF, one of the nation’s oldest student unions, has said their planned rallies will go on as scheduled, despite police rejecting their permit requests. Police have so far only approved a union demonstration in Paris, reports Reuters, while denying requests from UNEF and the "Yellow Vest" movement, an anti-establishment force that first emerged in 2018.
Macron also took aim at those he says are behind the violence: "Last Saturday we had political and seditious acts by ultra-left groups whose aim is to bring down the Republic," he said.
Earlier this week, Fabian Vahemelryck, Secretary General of the Alliance Police Nationale union, said political figures deserved blame because of "those who excuse the inexcusable, justify violence and prefer to overwrite police officers rather than condemn those who attack them."
He also accused the "state that abandons its police officers in the face of increasingly uninhibited violence, while demanding that they accept, remain silent and continue to hold the line."
Major French institutions, like the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay, will be closed in anticipation of Saturday’s planned protests, as well as 24 Metro stations across Paris will be closed. The Ligue 1 soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais, scheduled for Sunday night at Parc des Princes in the capital, has also been postponed to Monday evening.
The NFL game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New Orleans Saints, set for Sunday afternoon at Stade de France just north of central Paris, is still set to be played as scheduled, yet some weekend events around the game have been canceled.
The Stade de France is the same stadium that hosted an international soccer match between France and neighboring Germany during the Nov. 13, 2015 terror attacks. Explosions were heard outside the stadium during the game that night, with then-French President François Hollande in attendance. Fans were held inside the stadium for hours while authorities dealt with the attacks unfolding around Paris that night.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Tom Cruise punched Jack Nicholson after 'A Few Good Men' courtroom scene, co-star says
Kevin Pollack is opening up about the time Tom Cruise punched Jack Nicholson after a tense moment while filming "A Few Good Men."
Earlier this week, Pollack was a guest on the "Still Here Hollywood" podcast with Steve Kmetko.
"I remember there's one moment while shooting 'A Few Good Men,' the climactic scene of Tom and Jack going toe-to-toe. Kaffee against the colonel. When Tom's character, Kaffee, comes in for the kill. 'I want the truth.' Well, while he's coming in and the camera is next to Jack's face, shooting Jack's POV of Tom and Jack has to put his face as close as he can to lens," Pollack, who also starred in the movie, began.
JACK NICHOLSON SPOTTED IN RARE PHOTO AS LEGENDARY ACTOR CELEBRATES TURNING 89
"And Tom's coming in, camera shooting, and this is what Tom's looking at during the scene. Jack is doing this, making the most ridiculous clown face you've ever seen," Pollack added, while mimicking Nicholson's clown impression.
"And Tom stayed in the pocket and finished the scene and then punched Jack Nicholson in the shoulder. Uh, and they both laughed. So, that was Jack and my experience," he continued.
HOLLYWOOD VETERAN KEVIN POLLAK SPILLS WILD SECRETS ABOUT 'CRAZIEST' ACTOR HE'S EVER WORKED WITH
"A Few Good Men" is a 1992 legal drama directed by Rob Reiner and written by Aaron Sorkin. The movie follows Lt. Daniel Kaffee, a military lawyer played by Cruise, who is assigned to defend two U.S. Marines accused of murdering a fellow Marine at Guantánamo Bay.
The case centers on whether the Marines were acting under an unauthorized "code red" — a violent disciplinary order allegedly given by their superiors. Demi Moore plays Lt. Cdr. JoAnne Galloway, Kaffee’s determined colleague, while Nicholson portrays Col. Nathan Jessup, a powerful commander whose courtroom testimony leads to the movie's famous "You can’t handle the truth!" confrontation.
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The movie also stars Pollack, Kevin Bacon, Kiefer Sutherland and J.T. Walsh. It was a major critical and commercial success and received four Academy Award nominations, including best picture, best supporting actor for Nicholson and best film editing.
In June, Pollack recalled working with the late Reiner on the cult classic, and the "great lesson" he took away from filming the movie.
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"The big thing with Rob was just, if we're not having fun, there's no point in any of this," Pollak told People at the time. "And he said that while we're doing a very intense courtroom drama, and it was a great lesson and a great way to work."
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Along with a valuable lesson, Pollack told the outlet one of his fondest memories of working with the famed director.
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"One of my most enjoyable moments was [when] we shot a couple weeks in Washington D.C. to establish exteriors, and one night we were walking back from somewhere, just the two of us, and someone passed us and said, ‘Oh my God, Rob Reiner, how are you? Are you here working?' And he said, ‘Yeah.' He said, ‘What are you working on?' And he said, ‘The Godfather,'" Pollak told the outlet.
"And the guy went, ‘Oh great.' He kept walking, and I said, ‘Why did you say The Godfather?' And he said, ‘Well, if I said A Few Good Men, it was a Broadway play, but if you didn't see the Broadway play, you don't know what the hell I'm talking about. So if I say The Godfather, we're done talking, and you and I can keep going with our lives.' I've used it ever since," Pollak continued.
Fans are sick and tired of the NFL's obsession with flags, anthem fatigue is real & UGA football is too smart!
'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.
We're eight days out, folks.
Eight days away from Halloween. Hard to believe, right? October is flying by, and for good reason. We've got a TON going on right now — and that doesn't even include the World Series, which starts tonight.
Show of hands ... who's paying attention? I know there's this big debate about small market teams and lack of interest ... blah, blah, blah.
I don't care. Anything — and I mean anything — beats having to watch the Dodgers. Give me some fresh blood in the Fall Classic. I don't even like the Rays, but I'll take them over the alternative.
Obviously, we're all rooting for the Brewers, right? Feels like that's a pretty unanimous choice. If you haven't watched a single second of Brewers baseball this year, do me a favor and watch the first inning tonight.
Wait till you see this Jacob Misiorowski pitch. He's gonna blow your minds.
On that note, welcome to a Friday Nightcaps — the one where fans (you guys!) weigh in on two things that are pretty top-of-mind at the moment ...
Penalties in the NFL, and the ongoing anthem controversies in both the W and NBA.
Spoiler alert: You're sick of both! I don't blame you.
What else? I've got bedlam in Boone, I thought Kirk Herbstreit was actually really good alongside Al Michaels last night (see, I can be nice!), and let's check in with UGA fans after last week's horrible loss to Auburn.
They're doing great!
OK, grab you some bologna for National Bologna Day, and settle in for a Friday 'Cap!
I'm certain we've celebrated this day before, because I contend that bologna is one of the more — if not the most — underrated meats on the market.
People dunk on bologna all the time, and it's baffling to me. I don't get it.
I'd put a fried bologna sammy over any sammy in this country. I'm dead serious. It's rare that you can find one anymore, but if you do, you're in for quite a ride. Nice thick slice of bologna? Cheese? Toasted bun. The best.
Mount Rushmore of deli meats? Sure! Why not?
1. Bologna (duh)
2. Pepperoni (not sure it counts as a deli meat, but I get it from my Publix deli, so it counts today)
3. Turkey (gotta be sandwich-sliced though. If it's too thin, I walk away. Thinly sliced turkey is for the birds)
4. Roast beef (I had chicken in this spot last year, but I've evolved)
And that concludes our culinary portion of today's class! Gordon Ramsay would be proud.
OK, let's go ahead and get started by addressing some fan frustration from this past week. First, we'll start with last night's flag-fest in Chicago:
Yikes. Look, I don't even think last night was that bad when you compare it to the rest of the year, but still ... the flags in the NFL are out of control right now.
I believe Al Michaels made a comment about it last night. Whenever there's a big play, you almost expect a flag. You're STUNNED when you don't see one.
That's not a great place to be. There's no flow in these games anymore. No rhythm. It's just a three-hour ref show at this point. I don't know who to blame, by the way.
The players? The coaches? The league for, at times, forgetting it's actually tackle football? Everyone probably shares some of it.
Bottom line? It's hurting the product. Something has to change.
Moving on ...
Yesterday, I asked the class how y'all felt about the ongoing anthem debates raging in both the WNBA and with LeBron James. I was curious, mainly because I'm personally just over it all.
I don't care anymore. I think it's all silly and the players doing it are insufferable, but I'm just tired of giving them oxygen at this point. It's not worth it.
You guys agreed.
Here's a quick sampling of some of the responses I received — and I received DOZENS of emails last night.
Yeah, I cannot stand LeBron James. He's awful, and has been for decades now. He's the worst. But it's 2026. We've known this about LeBron for YEARS now.
Why should I let it bother me anymore? What's the point? Why am I letting LEBRON JAMES or the WNBA girls affect my mood? It's silly. I'm over it.
Most of you are, too.
OK, let's rapid-fire this Friday class into a big weekend of FOOTBALL. First up? I give Herbie and Al Michaels a lot of grief, but I thought Kirk was actually really good last night.
He absolutely nailed the most pivotal moment of the game:
I was screaming at the TV the second I saw it happen. That play was straight out of the Bill Belichick handbook. I thought it was actually brilliant by Mike Vrabel, and I'm no Mike Vrabel fan.
It's the right call. If you somehow stop them, you have to waste a timeout. That's one.
They're gonna go for it because Ben Johnson is Ben Johnson. The chances of getting another stop on 4th and inches are very slim. If you don't, the game is basically over because you're only going to have one timeout left and they'll have a new set of downs.
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I'd take my chances with the 58-yard field goal any day of the week in that spot. Good work, Herbie! Less of the dog, and more of THAT!
Next? While everyone was watching that Bears-Pats ending, I was dialed in on the App. State-JMU game over in Boone.
And buddy, it was college football at its finest:
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I mean, it's just the best. This season, more than any other I can remember, has really separated college and the NFL for me. Right now, college football is clearly No. 1 and it's not particularly close.
It's just a better all-around product at the moment, and the gap is getting wider by the week.
OK, that's it for today. Good class, everyone. While we're talking some college football, I leave you with this incredible message board regarding the University of Georgia football team.
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It just means more in the SEC, baby!
See you Monday.
Team USA's Olympic hockey heroes reunite as Jack Hughes' Devils land goalie Connor Hellebuyck in blockbuster
Team USA's two Olympic heroes are now NHL teammates.
Goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who stopped 41 of 42 shots against Canada in the gold medal game, was traded to the New Jersey Devils, where he will now team up with Jack Hughes, who netted the golden goal in overtime.
Hellebuyck and Hughes were the stars who helped the United States bring home its first gold medal in Olympic hockey since the Miracle on Ice in 1980.
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He becomes the latest high-profile American Team USA star to leave a Canadian NHL team for one in the United States. In June, the Ottawa Senators dealt captain Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers, where he joined his brother, Matthew. In December, the Vancouver Canucks traded star defenseman Quinn Hughes, a brother of Jack and teammate Luke, to the Minnesota Wild. There has long been speculation that Quinn, who scored an overtime winner against Sweden in the quarterfinals, wants to join his brothers in New Jersey.
The process to trade Hellebuyck became messy, especially after the goalie went public with his request to leave the Winnipeg Jets in September. The Jets suspended the goalie for failing to report for camp in a disciplinary move that extended into the season with Hellebuyck not getting paid.
The Devils sent center Dawson Mercer, goalie Nico Daws, prospect Alexander Command, forward Nick Bjugstad, a 2029 second-round pick and a 2027 seventh-rounder to Winnipeg for Hellebuyck.
TEAM USA STAR BRADY TKACHUK ENDURES 'YOU EAT CRAYONS' TAUNT IN WILD RETURN TO CANADA
When training camp opened, new Devils general manager Sunny Mehta said he was very comfortable with the team’s goaltending situation. Since then, Daws and Jake Allen have combined for an .880 save percentage, which ranks 23rd among 32 teams.
Hellebuyck is a three-time Vezina Trophy winner and was named the NHL's MVP of the 2024-25 season.
Following their gold medal victory, Hellebuyck and Hughes were among the members of the team who attended the State of the Union address days later where President Donald Trump announced that Hellebuyck would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Hellebuyck also was Team USA's goalie during the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025.
With a 345-208-55 regular-season record, Hellebuyck ranks 27th in career wins on the NHL list, and fifth among U.S.-born players. Among U.S.-born goalies with 300 or more career starts, his .916 save percentage ranks fourth and 2.58 goals-against average ranks sixth.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
WNBA players, coaches refuse to explain national anthem absences amid mounting criticism
Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase called her team’s national anthem absences part of its pregame routine Friday, but did not explain who established that routine or why.
OutKick had been trying to ask players and coaches about the anthem absences since Game 1. But after attending all 13 formal press conferences during the first three games without being called on, OutKick had to wait until Friday’s media availability ahead of Game 4 to ask those questions directly.
"What do you do during those 90 seconds that you’re off the court?" OutKick asked.
ATLANTA DREAM, GOLDEN STATE VALKYRIES SKIP NATIONAL ANTHEM FOR THIRD STRAIGHT WNBA FINALS GAME
"I’m with my staff, so I’m focused on my plays. That’s what I’m doing right now," Nakase responded.
Golden State’s public relations staff then moved to the next reporter. OutKick did not get an opportunity to ask why those preparations needed to happen during the anthem, rather than before or afterward.
The Valkyries and Atlanta Dream have been off the court during the national anthem before all three WNBA Finals games. In each game, players left shortly before the performance and returned seconds after it ended.
Earlier in the exchange, OutKick had asked Nakase whose decision it was for the team to be absent and why it followed that routine.
"We’re two years in," Nakase said. "That’s been part of our pregame."
Asked again who decided and why, Nakase said, "I really don’t know."
"I understand your question," she added. "I’m not trying to, you know, not answer your question. It’s just part of our pregame."
Valkyries forward Gabby Williams was born in Nevada, holds U.S. and French citizenship and represents France in international competition.
OutKick asked whether Golden State’s absence during the national anthem was a protest.
"No," Williams said.
Asked why the team was off the court during the U.S. national anthem, she responded: "That’s been the routine for like, seven years now."
A Valkyries public relations representative then said, "Next question."
Golden State is in its second season, and Williams joined the franchise this year. She played for Chicago from 2018–20 and Seattle from 2022–25, making the Valkyries the third WNBA team she has played for. Her seven-year reference would span her time with all three franchises, though she did not explain how the routine began or whether it was the same at each stop.
VANCE CONDEMNS 'DISGRACEFUL' WNBA NATIONAL ANTHEM WALKOUTS, SAYS PLAYERS SHOULD SHOW MORE GRATITUDE
There is a political history behind WNBA teams staying off the court during the anthem. During the 2017 Finals, Los Angeles Sparks players voted to remain in the locker room as a show of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, according to ESPN’s reporting at the time.
Atlanta also published players’ union messaging about anthem protests in its Aug. 2, 2020, game notes. The statement said "the anthem does not represent freedom, justice and liberty for all Americans" and that players would "continue to protest" in various forms.
A protest can become a routine without ceasing to be a protest. Williams denied that Golden State’s absences are a demonstration, but saying the practice has lasted for years does not explain its purpose. Neither Williams nor Nakase explained who established Golden State’s routine or why it puts players off the court specifically during the anthem.
Dream guard Rhyne Howard was asked about calls to exclude players from Team USA if they do not stand for the national anthem during the WNBA season.
Riley Gaines and former Georgia state Rep. Vernon Jones have argued that athletes’ conduct during the anthem should carry consequences when they seek to represent the United States internationally.
Howard represented the United States at September’s FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, where she stood for the national anthem.
"I mean, are we just talking about these three games or are we talking about the full season?" Howard asked.
OutKick clarified that the question concerned both.
"I don’t think I’ve been on the floor for the national anthem for any of my tenure in Atlanta, so if that’s what people are gonna look to nitpick for then so be it," Howard said.
"But as far as competing for your team, when I go put on USA jersey I’m out for the national anthem every time, there’s no doubt about it."
"Yes, I love the country that I play for and I love what we have here," she added.
Howard also questioned the focus on the anthem during the WNBA Finals.
OutKick followed up: "Is there a reason you’re not on the court for the anthem?"
Howard and an Atlanta public relations representative both responded, "Next question."
OutKick also sought to ask Angel Reese, Howard’s Dream and Team USA teammate, about the criticism.
Most players and coaches were available throughout the 30-minute media window. Reese and Atlanta coach Karl Smesko were each required to be available for only 15 minutes.
Reporters could jump in with questions during the other interviews Friday, but Atlanta public relations staff selected the questioners during Reese’s availability. OutKick was not called on and did not get an opportunity to ask her.
Smesko was asked why his team had left the court shortly before each Finals anthem and returned shortly afterward, and whose decision that was.
"We’re just kind of focused on the Finals," Smesko said.
OutKick followed up by asking whether he had any comment on the anthem and his team’s absences on the league’s biggest stage.
"No," Smesko said.
An Atlanta public relations representative then moved the session to the next question.
The WNBA’s 2026 official rulebook says players, coaches and trainers are to "stand and line up in a dignified posture" along the sidelines or on the foul line during the national anthem.
The Associated Press reported Tuesday that the league suspended its anthem protocols in 2017. The provision remains in the 2026 rulebook, and OutKick has asked the WNBA to clarify its current requirements and enforcement.
OutKick has also asked about possible discipline and exemptions, and sought comment from the NBA league office.
The WNBA, NBA and both teams’ front offices have not responded to OutKick’s emailed requests for comment about the anthem absences. Friday’s responses came from players and coaches during media availabilities.
The coaches and players have described a pregame routine that includes jogging off the court just prior to the national anthem and returning seconds after it ends.
It's time for a new pregame routine.
France's top soccer team obeys police order to move Sunday match; Saints, Steelers owners meet with Macron
It may be starting to get redundant but, "Yes," the NFL game between the New Orleans Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers remains on track, a league spokesman told OutKick and Fox News Digital on Friday.
The question came up – again – because the most successful soccer team in France on Friday announced it has postponed its match on Sunday in Paris under police orders.
Paris-Saint Germain issued a statement that said it has "taken note" of the order from the Paris Police Prefecture prohibiting the organization of the Paris Saint-Germain-Olympique Lyonnais match.
"Accordingly, we inform you that the match between the two clubs, originally scheduled for this Sunday, October 25, has been postponed to Monday, October 26, at 8:30 p.m. at the Parc des Princes," the club said in a statement.
The Paris police requested the change because police and security resources are stretched thin due to mass protests, ongoing civil unrest, and France's first NFL game happening in the region, per multiple reports.
That NFL game remains as scheduled on Sunday starting at 9:30 a.m. in the United States.
The NFL said so in reply to an email from OutKick and Fox News Digital asking whether and how its decision to play on Sunday is impacted by the decision by PSG.
It's not.
And that is quite clear considering NFL elites and the French government expect the game to go on. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Saints owner Gayle Benson and Steelers owner Art Rooney II met with French President Emmanuel Macron for a luncheon meeting Friday at the Élysée Palace in Paris.
According to a league source, the topics discussed at the two-hour gathering included security for the game, the readiness of the Stade de France, where the game is to be played, and the growth of flag football in France.
The fact the French President met with the highest representatives from both squads and there has been no change in the status of the game suggests this thing is going to happen come heck or high rioting.
And on that front, it seems Saturday is a key day because protests which may or may not evolve into wider civil unrest are planned for that day.
Organizers of the Paris protest told the Associated Press that an administrative court overturned a protest ban issued by police after they challenged it. The Paris prefecture previously said the ban was necessary, given the risk of street violence after groups of masked youth clashed with officers, looted shops and torched cars over the weekend.
The organizers signed a police document stating that the protest would remain stationary due to the risk of violence.
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More bans were expected in the coming days. Macron previously said ban measures aim to protect city centers, businesses and public buildings.
Macron said after a special security meeting at the Elysée Palace that the strategy adopted for the coming days is to ban protests requested by "individuals or groups with no legitimate authority."
"The rules are simple, and I think they’re just common sense. The general recommendation is that there should be no demonstrations in the coming days," he said. "For those who still want to protest, if they are trade unions, prefects will propose alternative routes."
Macron blamed last weekend's violence on "actions led by radical far-left groups who aimed to bring the Republic down," in addition to criminals who came to loot.
CHAOS INC.: Communists, Antifa, agitators in the red-green alliance
Fox News Digital's "Who's Who in Chaos Inc." is a living database mapping the organizations, local chapters, international networks and funders organizing or amplifying major protest movements.
The directory identifies each group's mission, ideology, organizational role and documented protest activity, distinguishing direct organizers and participants from supporters and amplifiers.
The database will be continuously updated and organized by country as new organizations, chapters, coalitions and connections emerge, providing a running picture of how local protest movements connect to broader national and transnational networks.
Meet the 'Ruthless Podcast' Fellas
The "Ruthless Podcast" has filled a massive void in the political media landscape for six years, and now the popular show is coming to you live on Fox News Channel.
The Fellas — Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, John Ashbrook and Michael Duncan — will be airing a special show Sunday from noon to 1 p.m. ET on Fox News, with the critical midterm elections just over a week away.
"Ruthless" was launched in October 2020 by Holmes, a seasoned GOP strategist, and internet personality Comfortably Smug, with the mission of bringing fun to conservative politics. Duncan and Ashbrook, who worked alongside Holmes in their day jobs at their consulting firm Calvary, would later join "Ruthless" as co-hosts, rounding out the personalities on the "variety progrum."
"Ruthless," which began over Zoom calls during the COVID era and landed a licensing deal with FOX News Media last year, gives a behind-the-scenes look at elections and policy from people who have actually been in the rooms that shape Washington.
The "Fellas," as they’re known to the audience, routinely share insights from their decades of experience advising candidates at the highest levels across Republican politics.
"We felt like there was a real hole in the conservative media landscape for people who enjoy politics but want to have fun while doing it. They want to know what’s really going on but could do without the ideological lecture," Holmes told Fox News Digital at the time of the launch.
Each host brings a different background and perspective to the audience. Holmes, the pride of Minnetonka, Minnesota, served as chief of staff to longtime Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and worked for decades on various political campaigns.
Comfortably Smug, a political social media pioneer with a background in finance, often serves as the comedic wild card.
'RUTHLESS' BREAKS DOWN ELECTION DETAILS NEGLECTED BY MAINSTREAM MEDIA
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Ashbrook, a Cincinnati native who has spent decades advising Republican politicians and elected officials, provides an insight into political media that few podcasters can match. He’s the "voice" of the program and knows how the mainstream media will cover a topic before they even put pen to paper.
Duncan is also a native Midwesterner from Indiana. He started his career at the onset of the digital revolution in politics and quickly became a savant in conservative organizing online. He has a deep knowledge of advertising and the mechanics of media consumption online.
The hosts of the "Ruthless Podcast" have covered the midterms at length over the last year, interviewing candidates in 19 states as part of the Ruthless Midterm Interview Series.
"Ruthless," which typically publishes new episodes Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings, added an extra Wednesday recording during election season.
Brazil’s rapid election count puts spotlight on voting security ahead of US midterms
SAO PAULO, Brazil— About 125 million Brazilians voted Oct. 4 on machines that print no paper ballots. Less than four hours after polls closed, the country knew its presidential election was headed to a runoff between conservative challenger Flavio Bolsonaro and leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
That process has been in place for over three decades, and Brazilians have become accustomed to its speed, simplicity, accuracy and routine. The system is robustly audited, completely disconnected from the Internet, and is the largest digital voting system deployed on the planet.
Eleven days before the U.S. midterms, Brazil’s system, analysts say, could offer Americans a more secure way to vote.
The system has been widely praised and was also mentioned in President Donald Trump’s 2025 executive order on elections, where he cited Brazil’s biometric voter identification as an example. Yet Brazil’s count runs partially on the kind of paperless machines that the president has vowed to scrap.
STATE DEPARTMENT CONSIDERS SHARING PASSPORT RECORDS FOR VOTER CITIZENSHIP CHECKS
Over the years, Brazil merged federal, state and municipal databases into a digital voting record, whereby voter identity, eligibility and single ability to vote can (and usually must) be verified biometrically. Nearly 9 in 10 voters unlock the machines with a fingerprint.
Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court, or TSE, which designs the machines and oversees elections, says there has been no proven fraud since their 1996 debut. The 499,248 machines used on Oct. 4 never connected to the internet. Their software was open to inspection by parties, universities and watchdogs for 11 months before being digitally signed and sealed in public. Last December, the Brazilian government invited a record 149 outsiders to try to break the system; evaluators concluded nothing they found could alter results or reveal how anyone voted.
On election day, randomly drawn machines are fed paper ballots on camera as federal auditors and foreign observers watch and specifically track results.
Meanwhile, at closing, every machine used at every polling station prints its tally, which is then posted in front of the polling place with a QR code, so anyone can check it against the national count. In an email to Fox News Digital, TSE said each file’s digital signature "confirms that the result was produced by the electronic voting machine registered for that polling station."
Karina Stange Calandrin, a political scientist and professor at Instituto Brasileiro de Mercado de Capitais (IBMEC), says the system combines three traits rarely found together: voting is electronic, votes hashed to voter eligibility are stored locally in the machine and tallying is automated.
"It is an extremely secure and safe system. The machines never connect to the Internet and even the central database system used to transmit tallied votes to TSE must match results issued physically and locally by each individual machine without human interference," she said. Corrupting it, she added, would require breaking the seal of each machine and installing software that wouldn’t match the TSE’s version, automatically disqualifying its tally — a scale of collusion so large that it "simply could not pass undetected."
COLOMBIA'S 'EL TIGRE' SECURES PRESIDENCY AS LEFTIST RIVAL FINALLY CONCEDES DEFEAT
The machines passed their toughest political test in 2022, when former President Jair Bolsonaro, now serving a 27-year sentence for plotting to overturn his 2022 defeat, spent years attacking their credibility without evidence. Bolsonaro is presently serving time under house arrest.
This year, for the first time, a Bolsonaro appointee ran the TSE: Justice Kassio Nunes Marques. Bolsonaro’s eldest son, Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, finished first with 47% to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s 45%. The machines at the center of the senior Bolsonaro’s controversy may yet hand victory to his son.
Florencia Ferrer, CEO of e-stategiapublica, which has audited elections in 17 countries, has no doubt the Brazilian system is the most modern and secure in the world. "In India votes are electronic, but each voter gets a printed version of their vote to take home, which weakens voter safety and augments coercion rates," she says, adding that Estonia’s internet voting and the Philippines’ electronically tallied paper ballots carry their own risks.
An engineer from the University of São Paulo’s Polytechnic School who audited the machines in 2014, and declined to be named due to the sensitive nature of his work, agreed. "While no system is completely infallible... we have found no traces of tampering, wrong-doing or malicious intent," he told Fox News Digital.
Still, some defend higher scrutiny. Security researchers say a clean record is not proof enough, and the Carter Center said voters should at least see a printed version of their ballot deposited into a separate area of the machine; otherwise, results integrity rests on software alone. Germany’s top court ruled in 2009 that voters must be able to check their ballot without expert help, effectively barring a Brazilian-like system.
Brazil’s machine has traveled mostly on loan to countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Paraguay adopted it permanently in 2006, with machines that now print each individual vote.
"It’s obvious Washington and the remainder of the U.S. are way behind both technology as well as security when it comes to polling on voting day," Ferrer said. U.S. elections are run in thousands of local jurisdictions under 50 sets of state rules and about 30% of 2024 ballots came by mail, which is slower to process. Brazil has one national election authority, compulsory voting and no mail-in ballots.
Brazilians will vote this coming Sunday on Oct. 25. The winner is expected to be known and certified in under five hours.
"The question is not whether Brazil has invented a perfect voting machine. No voting system is perfect. It is whether democracies can combine the speed and consistency of digital tabulation with independent verification, public scrutiny and rules that citizens across the political spectrum have reason to trust," Ferrer said.
Linda Perry says she was feeling healthy when doctors discovered ‘angry’ cancer by chance
Musician Linda Perry was feeling healthy when doctors discovered her body was plagued with an "angry" cancer.
On a recent episode of the "Off The Record" podcast with Lisa Konicki, Perry said "guardian angels" brought her breast cancer diagnosis to the surface.
"That was just angels, you know, guardians, because I never do any of that stuff – mammograms. Nothing. No, I'm like I'm not going down that way. And if that's where I go, then take me down. But I can't stand the medical. … I'm not a fan. I don't buy it," Perry began.
FORMER 'DWTS' HOST SAMANTHA HARRIS SURVIVED BREAST CANCER TWICE AFTER DOCTORS DISMISSED HER SYMPTOMS
The 4 Non Blondes singer explained she considered herself "healthy" at the time of her diagnosis, noting that she doesn't smoke, drink alcohol or ingest caffeine.
Perry also explained that she wanted a breast reduction "for years" but never booked the surgery because she is afraid of being under anesthesia. Eventually, she decided it was time and arranged for the procedure.
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"So, I go do the appointment," she began. "We go to the recovery. You know, I stay at this place overnight. Totally, everything was fine. And then the doctor comes by, and she's like, 'Everything went great, you know, but ... you have triple negative cancer, and we found it in your biopsy. It's very early, but it's there.'"
Perry said the doctor told her the cancer she had was a "very, very fast" and "angry" cancer.
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She said the doctor laid out her options: begin radiation and chemotherapy or do a double mastectomy.
"I was like, 'No brainer. I'm halfway there. Take them.' I didn't even think about it. I was just like, 'Pop them off. I'm good. When can we go?'" Perry said on the podcast.
Perry had her double mastectomy in January 2022, and since then, she's been healthy.
On the podcast, Perry talked about her mother, Marluce Martins Perry, who was sick at the time of her diagnosis and surgery. She told Konicki she would never have thought her symptoms were due to a serious illness and would have assumed they were caused by the stress from her mother's condition.
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Therefore, she would never have gotten her breasts checked.
"So, angels, angels all around me. My whole life," she said of how she was able to catch her cancer so early.