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Obama Presidential Center wants 100 unpaid volunteers as Valerie Jarrett earns $740K
The Obama Foundation is looking for 100 unpaid volunteers to work alongside the former president's highly paid cronies at the $850 million Obama Presidential Center in Chicago when it opens in June.
Officials are pitching the no-paycheck gigs as rooted in former President Barack Obama’s legacy of civic engagement. The recruitment campaign comes after Fox News Digital reported that the organization’s CEO, former top Obama aide Valerie Jarrett, earned $740,000 in 2024.
Foundation officials told Fox News Digital the volunteers will complement about 300 full- and part-time employees at the long-delayed center, which the organization is promoting as a $3.1 billion economic catalyst for the Windy City's South Side.
The new program will see 75 to 100 volunteers, known as "ambassadors," greet and direct visitors around the campus and share information about exhibits at the 22-story museum tower, athletic center and Chicago Public Library branch, among other amenities. It is expected to expand in the future.
The foundation describes the volunteer program as a key component of its mission, saying volunteers represent its values both onsite and in the community.
It is unclear what the salary range for those paid workers will be. However, the foundation’s most recent tax filings provide insight into compensation at the organization’s senior levels.
Federal filings viewed by Fox News Digital show Jarrett earned $740,000 in 2024, 2023 and 2022, while several former Obama White House officials have collected six-figure salaries as foundation executives.
Total salaries and benefits at the foundation climbed from $18.5 million in 2018 to $43.7 million in 2024 as staffing expanded to 337 employees and annual revenue reached nearly $210 million, according to the filings. The foundation’s main office is located in Chicago’s Hyde Park, where it runs leadership and community programs in the U.S. and abroad.
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Still, the foundation is looking to have a cohort of unpaid volunteers help out at the new presidential center. It's common for presidential libraries, museums and nonprofit cultural institutions to employ unpaid volunteers.
"Volunteerism has been central to President Obama’s vision of civic life since his earliest days as a community organizer on Chicago’s South Side," the foundation said in a press release.
Jarrett, one of the Obamas’ closest advisors, said in a statement that the center will be "a place where the world meets the best of the city of Chicago, and our volunteers will help bring that vision to life every day."
She became CEO in 2021 and is overseeing development of the 19.3-acre campus in Jackson Park.
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The foundation has promoted the center as a catalyst for economic revitalization on Chicago’s South Side, citing $3.1 billion in projected economic activity over 10 years and 5,000 construction jobs tied to the $850 million campus. Those figures come from an economic assessment conducted by Deloitte Consulting LLP.
According to the foundation, more than 50% of construction contracts have been awarded to diverse firms, 33% of the construction workforce has come from South and West Side communities, and 798 residents have enrolled in construction pre-apprenticeship programs.
The center is scheduled to open on Juneteenth, the federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.
Other former Obama administration officials have also earned substantial compensation at the foundation in past years, including former White House political director David Simas, who earned more than $600,000 annually while leading the organization from 2017 to 2020, and Adewale Adeyemo, who later became Biden’s deputy Treasury secretary and earned roughly $540,000 during his tenure.
Several other senior leaders with Obama administration ties have earned between roughly $300,000 and $400,000 annually, according to tax filings.
Country singer Jo Dee Messina blasts Nashville label for ‘too fat’ rejection
Country singer Jo Dee Messina is sharing the harsh criticisms she faced early on in her career.
During a recent interview on "The Bobby Bones Show," the 55-year-old "Bye Bye" singer shared that she was turned down by a record label when first starting out because of her weight.
"I remember I got turned down by a record label in Nashville. They said I was too fat," she said. "They told my producer that, 'Oh, if she was 10 pounds lighter, we'd have signed her.'"
She said she was "devastated" after hearing that, and when asked later if she was able to let go of the critique after making it big in the music industry, Messina said that she hadn't, noting, "It's 30 years later, I'm still talking about it. I didn't let it go."
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While Messina recalled feeling discouraged, she said her sister, who she called her "greatest support," encouraged her to "just keep going," telling her, "They say you have to get passed on a thousand times before you get a deal."
Messina went on to break through in the music world in 1996 with her debut self-titled album, which featured one of the biggest hits of her career, "Heads Carolina, Tails California." Her success continued with her second album, "I'm Alright," which went double platinum.
The singer is set to release her first studio album in 12 years, "Bridges," in the summer, releasing the album's first single, "Some Bridges," on Friday. She celebrated the song's release on Instagram, and her fans could not help but share in her excitement.
"I'm about to be playing this song nonstop because it's so gooooooood🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥," one fan wrote in the comments section. Another added, "Ohh how I’ve missed your voice! The song is 🔥."
Her last studio album, "Me," was released in 2014 and featured songs such as "Peace Sign" and "A Woman's Rant."
Messina later announced in September 2017 that she was diagnosed with cancer in an open letter posted to her Facebook account, signed by Team JDM rather than the artist herself.
"As many of you know, Jo Dee is a believer who feels blessed to be surrounded by the love of God — a love that has brought her the inner peace," the letter read. "On her lowest of low days, she has been able to see God's hand at work and feel His love as she continues her walk."
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The post continued, "It is because of our Father's love that she has been able to find the beauty in the days that could have brought her the most fear, gratitude in moments that most would call unfair, and companionship during times she might feel the loneliest."
After undergoing treatment that fall, Messina announced she was in remission and was back to performing by March 2018.
"I'm to the point where it's once a year I go in and get checked with the blood work and scans if needed or whatever," she said on "The Bobby Bones Show."
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Messina is currently on tour throughout America promoting her upcoming album, telling Bones and his co-host that her shows are "very active."
"I don't stand still. There's two songs where I play a guitar on, and that's about the stillest I get," she said. "And then, other than that, I'm running around. I'm head-banging … You'll see a lot of pictures, my hair flying. It's not a beauty show by any means."
World Economic Forum faces fresh scrutiny as Epstein ties revive past scandals, criticism
The ghost of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has struck again. This time, even though he died in 2019, his is still adding to the stress and criticism of the World Economic Forum.
On Feb. 26, WEF president and CEO Børge Brende resigned after revelations that he had three dinners, and some emails and SMS communications with Epstein. His ouster followed an independent investigation earlier in February.
Brende said he wasn’t aware of Epstein’s sex crimes.
"Had I known about his background, I would have declined the initial invitation to join Rod-Larsen and any subsequent dinner invitations or other communications," he said.
That response hasn’t been well received by observers, given that Epstein's conviction occurred in 2008 and would have been easy to uncover. As Norway's foreign minister from 2013 to 2017, perhaps he should have been more cautious, some observers say.
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"If you are standing on a public stage, you have to know who you are standing with," said Ben Habib, right-leaning leader of the British political party Advance UK, and an entrepreneur.
Founder of the U.K.-based Henry Jackson Society, Alan Mendoza, added, "The moral is that people in positions of authority should be very careful with whom they have dinner. Mendoza also wonders how many people with a criminal record have attended the WEF.
The news of Brende’s resignation comes hot on the heels of other scandals and bad publicity for the WEF, commonly known as Davos, after the Swiss village in the Alps where the annual meeting takes place. Last year, Klaus Schwab, the founder of the WEF, stepped down in July after accusations that he had misused WEF funds and treated employees inappropriately.
Both Schwab and his wife were both ultimately cleared by the WEF board for any material wrongdoing, though a board of trustees statement noted in part that, "Minor irregularities, stemming from blurred lines between personal contributions and Forum operations, reflect deep commitment rather than intent of misconduct."
Others have a beef with the WEF. Two years ago, Argentina’s President Javier Milei spoke at Davos.
"The Western world is in danger," Millei said. "It is in danger because those who are supposed to have to defend the values of the West are co-opted by a vision of the world that inexorably leads to socialism, and thereby to poverty."
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Milei also noted that many countries have ditched freedom for collectivism, a.k.a., socialism.
"We’re here to tell you that collectivist experiments are never the solution to the problems that afflict the citizens of the world; rather, they are the root cause," he said at Davos in 2024.
Since 2023, when Milei took office as Argentina’s president, inflation has dropped from more than 200% to 32%, according to data from Trading Economics.
Likewise, others have a lot to tell the WEF, most of it not positive.
"Globalization has failed the West and the United States of America," said U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick at this year’s Davos meeting. "It’s a failed policy. It is what the WEF has stood for."
The fact is, America has been left behind in the global economy as the WEF has encouraged offshoring manufacturing to places with cheap labor, Lutnick said. He also encouraged other countries to follow the "America First" model, which is that the workers come first.
Lutnick also attacked Europe’s alternative energy push, which includes solar and wind energy. "Why would Europe agree to be net zero in 2030 when they don’t make a battery? he said at Davos. Achieving net zero means countries aim to have no increase in overall carbon emissions by 2050.
But if Europe does pursue Net zero, then the EU will be subservient to communist China, Lutnick says. China is by far the dominant producer, accounting for approximately one-third of global renewable energy, compared with 11% in the U.S.
"The WEF is the embodiment of power and wealth," Habib said. "Big money is diverting policy. It’s fascism." He says the world may have been tricked into believing the economic promises made by globalist organizations. "The shine is now off. It is failing and not gaining traction."
The WEF isn’t the only organization that is running roughshod over multiple countries. The European Union is also doing similar work with the countries in its bloc through a multitude of regulations, Habib said.
THE Associated Press contributed to this report.
Stephen Colbert mocked by Variety over 'ego trip' as guests kiss his ring before May exit
The final season of "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" was ripped as "not very good TV" and out of touch with everyday Americans as the host has been flattered by a parade of celebrities in a column, Thursday, from entertainment outlet Variety.
CBS announced in July that it had canceled "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" and that it would officially go off the air in May 2026. Liberal critics have accused CBS and Paramount of ending the show to appease President Donald Trump and receive approval for a long-planned merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media.
Since then, there has been a variety of celebrities reading poetry or literally singing Colbert’s praises as he prepared to bid goodbye to his show, as noted in Daniel D'Addario’s piece, "Stephen Colbert’s Long ‘Late Show’ Goodbye Has Gone From Resistance to Ego Trip."
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"What has ended up making it to air has been an increasingly puffy tribute to the show’s own host. The endless bouquets being tossed Colbert’s way have started to make the studio smell a bit cloying," he wrote, noting various recent guest appearances such as actor John Lithgow reading a poem toasting Colbert, song tributes from Bette Midler and Jimmy Fallon, and actress Drew Barrymore recreating her famous striptease from years before on another show to reveal a t-shirt saying, "We [Heart] Stephen."
"The show’s focus on its own host’s misfortune has become outsized and a bit dramatic, especially because so many other institutions are in crisis: With everything else going on in the world, we have to go through a monthslong celebration-of-life for a comedian whose job is coming to an end?" D'Addario wrote.
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"Colbert deserved better treatment from CBS, but watching one person beam while receiving laurel after laurel doesn’t make the argument for his show’s relevance, as it’s frankly not very good TV, and — for this relentlessly political host — not in touch with the concerns of people who have been turning to ‘The Late Show’ for its political perspective," the writer argued.
In one final barb, the author suggested that while Colbert’s public-facing career is likely far from over, "When that day comes, won’t it feel like an anticlimax, after we’ve already spent the better part of a year celebrating him?" D'Addario asked.
When reached for comment, Christian Toto, host of the "Hollywood in Toto" podcast, responded to the opinion piece by saying it "stunned me."
He added, "It's possible that stories like this are meant to warn Colbert that he's hurting his legacy and future impact, allowing him to course correct before it's too late. Variety, like most entertainment news outlets, leans aggressively to the Left. Criticizing Colbert like this is a no-no on that front."
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Fox News Digital contacted Paramount, which owns CBS and Colbert’s show, and did not receive an immediate reply.
Kurt Russell reveals why he was 'glad' when son Wyatt turned to acting after hockey career
Kurt Russell never expected his son Wyatt to follow him into the family business, but he couldn’t be more grateful that he did.
The father-and-son pair play the same person in the Apple TV+ series "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters." Wyatt, 39, is the only child of Russell, 74, and his longtime partner, actress Goldie Hawn.
Many of the couple’s other children from past relationships and other family members are actors, including Russell’s stepchildren, Oliver Hudson and Kate Hudson.
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"Our family has a lot of actors in it, and we all enjoy watching each other," Russell told Fox News Digital. "In Wyatt’s case? We always knew that Wyatt was a really good actor."
"He was a hockey player, and he was focused on hockey," the star shared. "And I had been focused on baseball in a very similar fashion. And when his professional days were over in hockey, I was glad to see that he went into this because I felt he was going to find a lot of success with it. And it is nice to watch that success."
After an injury caused Wyatt’s professional hockey career to come to an end in his mid-20s, he leaped to the big screen, People magazine reported. He went on to star in several TV shows and films before landing a lead role in "Monarch" alongside his father.
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Russell was thrilled to see his son embrace the craft with real dedication. Wyatt had set out to build a career on his own terms.
"He's done a great job with his agent, picking things that interest him as an actor," Russell said. "And he's very confident. He likes to explore."
"As an actor, I am happy for him, but I am happy for me. I get to watch it," he added.
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Growing up on set, Wyatt felt completely at ease. This was no different. For Wyatt, he enjoyed watching his castmates interact with his dad while bringing the story to life.
"I was really enjoying watching other people who hadn’t worked with him before see his hard work and energy and excitement for the project," he recalled. "Those are all things that I knew he was like, and it was just really fun to see other people see that too. And it also ... feels sometimes like, "Oh s---, I’ve got to catch up.' That was fun to watch."
Wyatt’s right — Russell has been having a blast taking on monsters.
"Monarch" follows two half-siblings (Anna Sawai and Ren Watabe) as they unravel their family’s connection to Monarch, a secretive organization that tracks giant creatures around the world. Those missions often put them directly in the path of the Titans. Russell and Wyatt play Army officer Lee Shaw across two different timelines.
"I don’t know who is surviving them [but] trying to figure out how to live with them maybe is, I think, the crux of what makes these people operate from the point of view that they operate from," Russell explained.
"What’s fun about this show? It doesn’t treat [monsters] like the movies do. It treats it [like this could really happen]. What if this happened [in real life]? I certainly felt that. Other than the opportunity to work with Wyatt playing the same character, that’s what drew me to this project."
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Back in 2025, Wyatt told People magazine about the no-nonsense advice his parents gave him on pursuing a successful career in Hollywood.
"Be on time, don’t be an a------ and remember your lines," he revealed.
Iran holds world energy hostage with 'nightmare' Strait of Hormuz sea mines, former CENTCOM official warns
A former U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) official said Iran is holding the world’s energy supply hostage using "World War I-style" tactics.
Iran has responded to U.S. and Israeli strikes by halting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global oil. The regime is using sea mines, which it has reportedly stockpiled by the thousands, to make traversing the strait difficult and deadly.
"This is a nightmare more than 30 years in the making," former CENTCOM Communications Director Col. Joe Buccino (Ret.) said Saturday on "Fox & Friends Weekend."
"What you just indicated there on your wall is a World War I-style of combat that Iran is waging," he added.
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The mines can detonate either on the surface of the water or below, with an explosion that would likely tear a hole through a ship’s hull, potentially sinking or disabling it. Buccino said that while the United States possesses superior high-end technology, the mines are an effective threat.
"These mines are a tool of really psychological warfare. We don't know how many are out there. We don't know where they are. And that creates fear and shuts down flow through the Strait of Hormuz," he said.
Buccino said the mines are becoming a difficult problem because the U.S. Navy has "decommissioned" most of its mine-clearing ships. He warned that Iran is likely aware of this and is "exploiting a gap" in U.S. naval assets.
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Disruptions in the strait have sent oil prices surging. President Donald Trump said Friday on the "Brian Kilmeade Show" that the U.S. would be willing to escort vessels through the strait "if we needed to."
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On Friday, Trump announced the U.S. struck military locations on Kharg Island, a hub of Tehran’s oil infrastructure in the Persian Gulf. Writing on Truth Social, the president stated:
"Moments ago, at my direction, the United States Central Command executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in the history of the Middle East, and totally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran’s crown jewel, Kharg Island."
Trump noted the U.S. purposefully avoided targeting the island’s oil infrastructure but warned that could change if Iran continues to disrupt shipping.
Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, released a statement Thursday vowing the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the war ends and demanding that U.S. military bases be removed from the region.
Data brokers accused of hiding opt-out pages from Google
If you have ever tried to opt out of a data broker site, you know the drill. You search. You scroll. You click through layers of legal jargon. Then you wonder if they even want you to find the exit door. Now we know the answer.
A U.S. Senate investigation found that several major data brokers placed code on their opt-out pages that blocked search engines from indexing them. In practical terms, that meant you could not easily find the page where you ask them to stop selling your data.
After pressure from Sen. Maggie Hassan, four companies have now removed that code.
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The companies named in the report include:
These firms collect and sell personal information for marketing, analytics or identity verification. That data can include browsing behavior, device details, location history and in some cases highly sensitive identifiers.
An earlier investigation by The Markup and CalMatters found that dozens of brokers used "no index" code to hide opt-out instructions from Google search results. Some removed the code after reporters reached out. However, Sen. Hassan's office later found that the four companies above still had opt-out pages blocked from search engines. They have since removed the code.
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One more company, Findem, has not removed the no-index code from its "Do not sell or share my personal information" page, according to the report. The company later said an email from the senator's office did not reach its CEO due to spam filtering and that its privacy channels are actively monitored. The Committee report noted this lack of action raises serious concerns about responsiveness to privacy requests and about whether opt-out rights are being made truly accessible.
We reached out to all five companies for comment. A spokesperson for 6sense provided the following statement:
"6sense takes privacy transparency seriously and has always fully indexed our Privacy Center, where individuals may exercise their opt-out rights in compliance with applicable laws. For a period of time, we included a "no index" directive on the Privacy Policy page to reduce spam volume to privacy request email aliases and protect the integrity of request handling systems. Once the issue was raised by the Committee, that code was immediately removed. Our Privacy Center opt-out page has remained indexed, and our Privacy Policy has always been accessible and prominently visible on our web properties, as well as directly linked in our publicly available data broker registrations. We regularly review our security and privacy practices to meet evolving regulatory requirements, and our commitment has been independently validated annually through ISO/IEC 27001:2022, ISO/IEC 42001:2023, and SOC 2, Type II certifications."
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Opt-out pages are not a courtesy. In many states, they are required by law. When companies hide those pages from search engines, they make it harder for you to take control of your own information. And that matters. The more complicated the process feels, the more likely people are to give up halfway through. Meanwhile, data broker breaches have been expensive and damaging. Committee calculations estimate that identity theft tied to four major data broker breaches cost U.S. consumers more than $20 billion. That is not a minor privacy slip. That is real money, real consequences and real stress for families trying to clean up the mess.
When detailed personal information falls into the wrong hands, it fuels scams that feel alarmingly real. Criminal networks can use data like Social Security numbers, home addresses and phone numbers to create highly customized emails, texts and phone calls. The more accurate the details, the more convincing the scam. That is one reason data broker breaches are not just a privacy issue. They are a consumer protection issue.
Sen. Maggie Hassan's investigation is part of her broader effort to combat scams, which now account for nearly half a trillion dollars in losses annually and have grown into one of the world's largest illicit industries. She has also opened inquiries into the roles that satellite internet providers, online dating platforms, AI companies and federal agencies play in preventing fraud.
Here is the uncomfortable truth. Your personal data likely sits in dozens, maybe hundreds of databases you have never heard of. You did not sign up. You did not click agree. But your information still travels through a vast marketplace. Even when opt-out forms exist, finding and completing them can feel like a part-time job. And since the U.S. still lacks a comprehensive federal privacy law like Europe's GDPR, rules vary by state. So yes, the opt-out pages are now easier to find for these companies. But the bigger system remains largely intact.
You cannot erase yourself from the internet overnight. However, you can reduce your exposure.
Type your full name and city into Google. Look for data broker listings. Many include an opt-out link buried in the privacy policy.
California residents can use a free state-run tool called DROP at privacy.ca.gov/drop/ to request deletion from more than 500 registered brokers. Other states are rolling out similar systems.
Visit the privacy or "Do not sell my information" page on broker sites. Follow instructions carefully and keep confirmation emails.
Data removal services can automate opt-out requests across dozens of brokers. They are not perfect, but they save time. Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.
Use strong, unique passwords stored in a password manager. Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at Cyberguy.com. Also, turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) for financial email and social accounts. That way, even if your data circulates, criminals have a harder time breaking in.
The data broker industry is legal. It operates in plain sight. Yet most people have no idea how many companies trade in their information. Until Congress passes a national privacy law, oversight will remain patchwork. That leaves you to chase down your own records one company at a time. Transparency should not require a Senate investigation.
This story is about more than hidden code. It is about control. When companies quietly block search engines from indexing opt-out pages, they tilt the playing field. After public scrutiny, those pages are easier to find. That is a step forward. Still, your data continues to move through an ecosystem designed to profit from it. So the real question is not whether opt-out pages appear on Google.
How much of your personal life are you comfortable leaving in the hands of companies you have never heard of? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.
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Dolly Parton gives health update at Dollywood after postponing Las Vegas residency shows
Dolly Parton delivered a candid health update while kicking off the 2026 season at Dollywood, revealing grief took a physical toll after the death of her husband of nearly six decades, Carl Dean.
The country legend told fans she had been "worn down and worn out" while grieving for her late husband and also dealing with a few health setbacks.
"I’ve not been touring, as you know," Parton said during a keynote speech, according to footage shared by local station WVLT 8. "I’ve had a few little health issues, and we’re taking good care of them."
Parton, 80, admitted the emotional toll of losing Dean — who died March 3, 2025, at age 82 after 58 years of marriage — left her feeling drained.
"I just kind of got worn down and worn out, grieving over Carl and a lot of other little things going on," Parton said. "I just got myself kind of where I needed to build myself back up spiritually, emotionally and physically. But all is good. It didn’t slow me down."
Despite the setbacks, Parton appeared upbeat as she took the stage with Eugene Naughton, president of the Dollywood Company, to celebrate the park’s new season.
The "9 to 5" singer also shut down speculation about her love life with a dose of her trademark humor.
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After joking that fans shouldn’t mistake Naughton for her "new husband," Parton confirmed she hasn’t started dating since Dean’s death.
"I think Carl Dean’s waiting for me," she said. "If I should show up at the pearly gates with somebody else, he would not like that. He’d be saying, ‘Who’s that little pisser? You leave him outside the gates.’"
Fox News Digital has reached out to Parton for comment.
Parton has faced mounting health concerns in recent months, even prompting the country icon to delay a highly anticipated return to the stage.
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In September, Parton sparked worry among fans when she announced she would postpone her upcoming Las Vegas residency, originally scheduled for December 2025, and push the shows to September 2026 as she dealt with ongoing health issues.
A month later, the 80-year-old singer addressed the speculation directly on social media, assuring followers she was doing just fine.
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She captioned the post, "I ain't dead yet!"
The update came months after the devastating loss of her husband.
"Carl and I spent many wonderful years together," the "Jolene" singer wrote on social media at the time.
"Words can't do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy."
Parton first met Dean at a laundromat when she was just 18 and he was 21. The pair married in 1966 and went on to build a decadeslong relationship largely outside the spotlight.
Though rarely seen publicly with his superstar wife, Dean remained a constant presence behind the scenes, quietly supporting Parton throughout her legendary career.
DAVID MARCUS: Can John Fetterman save the Democratic Party from itself?
Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman is the most anomalous politician in America today. Often willing to buck his fellow Democrats, he appears to be a one of a kind on Capitol Hill, even though his ideas are shared by the majority of Americans, including a lot of Democrats.
It is not entirely clear how Fetterman went from being a progressive, and failed, candidate for Senate in 2016 to winning in 2022 and becoming the moderate thorn in the side of the ever-left lurching Democrats. Some believe his medical issues changed him, but the answer might be far more simple.
In fact, it may not be so much that Fetterman moved away from his party, but that his party moved away from Fetterman.
One glaring example is Israel. Even five years ago, support for the Jewish state was as widespread among elected Democrats as E-Z Pass is on American highways. But today, the absurd and fabulist consensus in the party is that Israel has committed genocide.
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Fetterman, along with a few others like Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., have fought back hard against these anti-Israeli narratives, even as nominally pro-Israel voices, like Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have shamefully kept their heads down on the issue.
More recently, on the current shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, Fetterman is once again sticking it to his own party leadership by insisting that the agency should be funded full stop, without any conditions.
He is the only Democrat in the upper chamber taking this sensible stand.
Fetterman is also pretty much the only Democrat who is willing to cheer the deaths of the brutal regime leaders in Iran as the rest of his party all but undermines the war effort with nonsensical attacks against Trump and War Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Meanwhile, when it comes to the communist mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, one of the most popular figures in Democratic polling, Fetterman said of him last year, "Everything that I’ve read on him, I don’t really agree with virtually any of it, politically. That’s just where I’m at as a Democrat. He’s not even a Democrat, honestly."
But here Fetterman appears to be wrong. In fact, Democrats lined up to support and endorse Madman Mamdani and his merry band of capitalism-hating DSA darlings, and it is Fetterman who is losing support among party voters.
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But he isn’t losing support among all voters.
According to a recent Quinnipiac poll, a whopping 72% of Republican voters in the Keystone state approve of Fetterman, while a mere 22% of Democrats do, with independents split about 50/50.
This is the strange place where we have found ourselves, more Republican voters in Pennsylvania approve of Democratic Sen. Fetterman than Republican voters in Texas do of Republican Sen. John Cornyn.
This has all led to speculation that the hoodie-wearing maverick might switch parties and run for his seat as a Republican in 2028. But that is not the sense that I get from Fetterman’s words and actions.
Fetterman wants to save the Democratic Party, not to abandon it.
The best way for Fetterman to achieve this goal is not by defending his Senate seat two years from now, but by running for president.
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Recently I have been polling some insiders I know on both sides of the aisle, asking if Fetterman really has a chance to win the presidency in 2028. The most usual answer has been, "yes," with a smattering of "absolutelies."
The logic here is that every other potential Democrat who could stand on a presidential primary debate stage is in lockstep favoring the loony leftist ideas that Fetterman stands athwart.
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Especially now that sports media celebrity Stephen A. Smith has announced he will not be running, owing to the financial hit he would take, Fetterman would be the only Democrat in the field offering a way back to centrist politics.
The odds are firmly against Fetterman in his quixotic mission to restore sanity to America’s oldest political party, but then again, what were the odds of this guy ever being a senator in the first place?
All Americans should be glad to have this single senator who speaks plain sense regardless of party talking points, marching orders or the flickering winds of public opinion. Maybe it is naive to believe these qualities still matter to voters, but if so, then call me naive.
Jasmine Crockett’s alleged security guard killed in standoff with Dallas SWAT team: reports
A suspect who allegedly worked security for progressive Texas Congresswoman Rep. Jasmine Crockett was shot and killed in a Dallas SWAT standoff on Wednesday after reportedly being wanted for impersonating a police officer, according to reports.
The suspect, whose name has not been released by police, barricaded himself inside a vehicle at the garage of a children's hospital at around 11 p.m. after officers with the Dallas Police Department’s fugitive unit tracked him while investigating an active warrant, FOX 4 reported.
Police deployed tear gas to force him out before the suspect exited the vehicle and pointed a firearm at officers, prompting them to open fire, according to Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux.
He was wanted for impersonating a law enforcement officer and had claimed to be one while recruiting for his business that placed off-duty officers in security jobs, CBS News reported.
"They came across a target that ended up being a barricaded suspect," Comeaux said of the shooting, which took place at Children’s Medical Center Dallas.
"At that time, they tried to use tear gas to bring the suspect out. He came out of the vehicle, he had a gun, he pointed a gun toward officers. Officers shot and fired… He was pronounced dead at the scene," Comeaux said.
Comeaux said the suspect displayed a firearm but did not fire it. No officers were injured.
The suspect had worked as a security guard for the outspoken lawmaker, law enforcement sources told FOX 4.
CBS News Texas reported the suspect used several aliases, including "Mike King," and had worked on Crockett’s security detail while she was in both Washington, D.C., and Texas, including during campaign events for her run in the Democratic Senate primary, which she eventually lost to candidate James Talarico.
The suspect oversaw teams of security officers at several downtown Dallas hotels and at his church, sources told CBS. The outlet also reported that the suspect drove a replica undercover law enforcement vehicle with license plates allegedly stolen from vehicles outside a military recruiting office.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Dallas Police Department and Crockett’s office for comment but did not immediately receive a response.