Fox News Latest Headlines
Chicago's half-empty schools reveal a crisis city leaders refuse to confront
On the West Side of Chicago, Frederick Douglass Academy had a grand total of 27 students inside a building that was built for 1,000 students. That is only 2 percent of the building's capacity. The school was one of 13 Chicago schools that had fewer than 100 students. Across the city, 35 percent of schools are less than half full. The Chicago Public Schools system has lost more than 77,000 students since 2010.
So where are all the students disappearing to? The answer is an indictment of the city and its public school sector.
It is true that many families have left the city because of its rising cost of living. I know many Black families who have moved out, and their numbers are in the tens of thousands. It is also true that the birth rate in Chicago has dropped by nearly 50 percent in less than 20 years. It is not surprising that many graduates choose to leave the city instead of staying and starting families here.
But these are not the only reasons why so many public schools are suffering from abysmal enrollment numbers.
The children who live on the West Side and South Side did not all disappear. They chose not to go to their neighborhood public high schools. I cannot blame them. Students stuck in these schools tell me they can't learn because the teachers cannot control the rowdier kids. There's a lack of discipline, and rules are hardly enforced. Some students even tell me that some teachers don't even try and just pass the kids. So kids know that if they challenge the teachers and make trouble, they will often give up and award them a passing grade.
JONATHAN TURLEY: CHICAGO SCHOOLS REWARD PROTEST WHILE STUDENTS CAN'T READ
The students and parents hear all of these stories, and that plays a major role in why they are choosing to enroll in magnet schools, charter schools, parochial schools, and even private schools. CPS still enrolls most of the city's remaining kids, but its share slipped from about 75 percent to 71 percent. That is roughly 18,000 children who live in Chicago and chose something else. Parents in Kids First workshops said school quality is one of the reasons families stay or go.
And they are right to do so.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TOUTS ‘HARD RESET’ FOR AMERICAN SCHOOLS, VOWS TO PUT PARENTS ‘BACK IN CHARGE’
If we look more closely at the statistics, it is easy to see why so many families have opted out of public schools, especially Black families. In the same district, Black students in selective enrollment high schools are three times more likely to read at grade level than Black students in traditional public schools. When it comes to math, the numbers are even starker. Black students are five times more likely to be proficient in math in selective enrollment schools than their peers in public schools. Parents are seeing the data, and they're voting with their feet.
It doesn't help that the Chicago Teachers Union has made a mockery of itself. The head of the union doesn't even send her own children to the public schools that she oversees. The CTU has continued to choose politics over its teachers and schools time after time. In 2025, CTU spent a record $4.2 million on politics and lobbying while spending less than 18 percent of its total spending on representing teachers. It poured millions into electing Mayor Brandon Johnson, a former CTU organizer. It then used that alliance to freeze school closings and to fight school-choice initiatives that have been a boon to many poor parents.
STEVE MOORE, ED POZZUOLI: STOP FUNDING SCHOOL SYSTEMS. LET THE MONEY FOLLOW THE CHILD
If it couldn't get worse than that, CTU also helped kill Illinois' Invest in Kids scholarships because they allowed kids to escape the public schools. Not only that, CTU has made the national news several times for using "days of action" to turn kids into activists for whatever left-wing cause is in vogue at the moment. So why would CTU be shocked when families see all of this political activity and instead choose to get the best education for their children?
POWERFUL TEACHERS' UNIONS SHARE STRIKING LINK WITH STATES STRUGGLING TO TEACH KIDS TO READ
I want to be clear that I'm not here to slander teachers. Many of them are excellent, but they will tell you, as they have told me, that they are trapped in a system that does not allow them to teach to the fullest of their abilities. One told me, "I want to teach algebra, and I want to experience that joy when I see a child struggling at the beginning of the year only to become masterful by the end of the year — I don't want to teach activism."
That is why the buildings are empty. The people who run these buildings are largely the problem.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION
They have created schools that hold little appeal to families. This is America, a capitalist society, where people will always choose what is best for them. No parent wants to drive that extra hour or pay extra fees or tuition, but they will do so for their child's education. If the public schools want to bring these students back, then they have to buck the existing leadership.
They have to return to the original purpose of the public schools: to develop young minds into educated, upstanding citizens. The empty buildings are a symbol of how far we have strayed from that original purpose.
Dem reactions within moments of Austin ICE shooting spark viral outrage locally, online: 'Disqualifying'
Democrats in Austin, Texas are facing criticism both online and from a retired cop who spoke to Fox News Digital after rushing to attack Immigration and Customs Enforcement moments after a suspected illegal immigrant was shot before any investigation had taken place.
An ICE officer shot a man in Austin on Sunday and almost immediately, before basic facts had been established in the case, and before the man had been identified as Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, elected Democrats in Austin were speaking out against ICE, including Rep. Greg Casar, Councilman Mike Siegel, and Mayor Kirk Watson.
"It is awful that this war has come to our doorstep," Casar, a member of the progressive Squad caucus, said during a Sunday press conference in a clip that was highlighted by the White House Rapid Response account on X.
"And as the mayor said, unfortunately it is not a surprise. Just a few weeks ago as we saw the ICE surge come to Austin, especially to north central Austin, I and others said that ICE needed to leave before someone was shot like in Minneapolis or like in Corpus Christi or like in Chicago, and that day is here and so I think the message remains that for Austin to be safe, ICE should end its surge here in our community."
Casar and his fellow Democrats quickly sparked viral social media criticism from conservatives accusing the left of selective outrage when it comes to crime, particularly illegal immigrant crime.
"Where was the outcry from this guy last fall when an illegal alien in Texas used a machete to behead a man in front of his spouse and child?" Former Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin posted on X. "The perpetrator reportedly kicked the head of the victim ‘around like a soccer ball.’ "
"There it is," Townhall’s Amy Curtis posted on X. "The Democrats want no immigration laws. They want to destroy this nation. Remember this in November."
"This sort of rhetoric should be disqualifying for any elected official," Texas Republican State Rep. Andy Hopper posted on X. "You cannot faithfully take the oath of office and be for open borders. "
Dennis Farris, president of the Austin Police Retired Officers Association, told Fox News Digital he expects that kind of rhetoric from Casar and Siegel but was surprised to hear Mayor Watson rush to place blame on ICE both in the press conference and on social media.
"With Casar, it didn't surprise me, that’s Greg Casar, he's a bomb thrower, he's been a bomb thrower and he's been a reactionary known for shooting his mouth off before he has all the facts," Farris said. "He did that when he was on the city council. He did it in the Mike Ramos shooting. That’s just Greg Casar, He's known for his theatrics."
"I've known the mayor a long time, consider the mayor a friend, I was really shocked at how visceral his reaction was, he's usually a lot more measured," Farris said. "I can understand being upset but the way he reacted, I think, raised the temperature in Austin because he is the one that he is, the leader, right? He is the city leader. He's the mayor. He's the one supposed to be trying to keep things calm and I think his reaction yesterday made it worse."
Watson’s post was "ratioed" on social media, yielding far more negative comments and quote tweets than positive ones, with locals and internet users accusing him of fanning the flames before the facts were known.
"Honestly shocking Mayor @KirkPWatson would issue this sort of statement knowing full well the investigation has barely started, Hope he’s not about to make an Adler-esque 2nd term turn," prominent Austin attorney Adam Loewy posted on X, referencing former Austin Mayor Steve Adler who presided over the 2020 George Floyd rioting in the city.
Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of Casar, Watson, and Siegel for comment.
Farris rejected Democrat claims that ICE is "surging" in Austin and said that federal immigration authorities, whether ICE or INS, have been conducting deportations in Austin for decades without any fanfare.
"They've been arresting people that were in the country illegally and I think what we're seeing here is that the reaction to it is because of Trump, it's the Trump administration doing it and it's just another way to dislike the president for whatever reason you want to dislike him for," Farris said.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Austin Police said three people were arrested, several police vehicles were damaged, and two officers were injured after hundreds took to the streets throwing rocks, bottles, and piece of concrete at officers, Fox News national correspondent Brooke Taylor reported.
DHS sources confirmed to Fox News on Sunday that Garces Perez is an illegal immigrant from Venezuela with a final order of removal. DHS said Garces Perez illegally entered the United States under the Biden administration. The agency said he was shot during a law enforcement operation.
Perez’s attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, claims he was driving for DoorDash when an unmarked truck sideswiped him, chased him and struck his car again before an ICE officer shot him in the back of the neck.
"Wilber entered through CBPOne seeking asylum," Lincoln-Goldfinch posted on X on Monday. "He was inspected and entered lawfully through a port of entry. He was issued a valid work permit. The issue regarding the deportation order is that he moved and changed addresses. There was a notice for a hearing sent to the wrong address that he missed, which is VERY common. We are working on that. He will be released from detention, his immigration matter will be resolved, and the agencies will be held accountable."
SEE IT: Top Dem operative draws line at ‘deplorable’ Hasan Piker after touting party’s ‘big tent’
Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin distanced his party from far-left streamer Hasan Piker, calling his past remarks "disgusting and deplorable" while defending Democrats as a "big tent" that encompasses a wide range of political views.
"Let me just say that I think it's absolutely disgusting and deplorable the things that Hasan Piker has said," Martin said. "But he does not represent the Democratic Party, and he certainly doesn't represent the viewpoints of almost every one of our candidates and our elected officials."
Martin made the remarks after Fox News Digital asked how the party is navigating divisions among Democrats as socialist candidates gain prominence, including Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed.
"Look, no one should confuse unity with unanimity in the Democratic Party, right?" Martin said. "We are a big tent party. We have lots of different viewpoints and ideas and all sorts of issues."
Piker has been scrutinized for a slew of past comments critical of Israel — one of his most controversial comments was claiming that the U.S. "deserved 9/11."
Martin previously joined other party leaders and prominent Democrats in condemning rhetoric blaming Jewish Americans for threats and violence, calling it "dangerous, wrong, and antisemitic," but his statement did not name Piker.
"Criticizing the policies and actions of the Israeli government is one thing," Martin posted to X last month. "Blaming American Jews for the hatred, threats, and violence directed at them is something else entirely. It is dangerous, wrong, and antisemitic."
The comments come as El-Sayed, who campaigned with Piker during Michigan's Democratic primary, has sought to distance himself from the streamer as Republicans make their association a midterm attack line.
EL-SAYED GRILLED ON PIKER, ISRAEL AND SOCIALIST TIES AFTER MIKE ROGERS SKIPS SENATE DEBATE
Martin also called out Republicans for cutting the House’s September session short and leaving Capitol Hill weeks before the midterm elections, telling Fox News Digital there is crucial legislative work that will be left unfinished.
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., announced last week that he was canceling votes scheduled last week and sent lawmakers home one day early ahead of the midterm election recess. Johnson has defended the decision, saying the House had "done its work."
"Republicans… they're afraid to actually come to Washington for a whole host of reasons, right?" Martin said. "They've recessed saying mission accomplished six weeks early when they could actually do something to help the American people."
"What the hell are they doing? Where are they going? You know what, Democrats are here. We're ready to work. We are ready to pass legislation that actually helps get people a chance, an opportunity, a chance to get ahead. Where the hell are the Republicans?"
WHY THE HOUSE LET OUT EARLY IS A MATTER OF DEBATE AFTER JOHNSON SAYS CHAMBER HAS 'DONE ITS WORK'
Martin also predicted Democrats would win control of both chambers in November as the elections inch closer, with roughly six weeks until Americans vote to determine which party will control the Senate and the House.
"Mark my words right here," Martin said. "You heard it here first, right? 47 days left. The Democratic Party is going to take control of the House back, and we're going to control the Senate back, and we're not going to screw around like these Republicans have."
Lindsay Clancy holdout juror's lawyer torches 'Looney Tunes motion' to investigate him
Lindsay Clancy's defense team is calling for an investigation into the holdout juror who sought to find her guilty of murder in the strangling of her children and using his refusal to bow to peer pressure to ask a judge to dismiss her charges — prompting a blistering response from his lawyer.
"The 'Looney Tunes' motion filed yesterday by Kevin 'Shooter McGavin' Reddington to investigate Michael is not just an attack on Michael for being the courageous lone holdout juror," attorney Edward Paltzik wrote on X Tuesday morning, referring to the holdout, Michael Desronvil.
"Reddington's motion is actually a full-frontal attack on the U.S. Constitution," Paltzik warned. "Because if the new normal is that jurors are going to face brutal reprisals for disagreeing with a defense attorney, you can kiss the Sixth Amendment goodbye."
LINDSAY CLANCY PROSECUTORS FACE DILEMMA: RETRIAL OR PLEA DEAL IN CASE INVOLVING 3 STRANGLED CHILDREN
He warned that if the judge grants defense demands for an investigation into his client it would undermine the American criminal justice system in the long run.
"If we follow his destructive proposal to its logical conclusion, we're going to have an endless cycle of prosecutors investigating holdouts who oppose 'guilty' and defense attorneys investigating holdouts who oppose 'not guilty,'" he wrote. "Pretty soon we'll end up with... a retrograde justice system that will look a lot like the Hatfield-McCoy Feud: a cycle of carnage so malignant that its origins will fade in importance, replaced by the hopeless death spiral of the cycle itself."
Reddington, in a motion filed Friday, called for a "limited inquiry" into the holdout, for information about his background and potential criminal history, phone records, courthouse surveillance video and more.
Neither Paltzik nor Reddington immediately responded to requests for comment from Fox News Digital Tuesday morning.
LINDSAY CLANCY JUDGE CALLS MISTRIAL, THEN GRANTS DEFENSE ONE HOUR STAY FOR APPEAL
In a separate filing, another attorney for Clancy, Martin Weinberg, argued that Judge William Sullivan's decision to overrule a defense objection at trial should be grounds for dismissing the charges against the 36-year-old defendant on double jeopardy grounds. That motion also centered on the holdout juror and allegations that he ignored the judge's instructions and the law.
FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X
"The jury twice informed the Court that one of its members was refusing to apply the Court's instructions regarding the fundamental concept of reasonable doubt," Weinberg wrote. "After the first such report, the Court asked each juror individually whether he or she was able to apply the law. Upon receiving the second report, the Court tempered its response even further, simply reminding all jurors as a group of their obligation to follow its instructions generally. The Court denied Ms. Clancy's explicit requests to go further."
LINDSAY CLANCY HOLDOUT JUROR MAKES NEW PROMISE AS LAWYER WARNS OF PUBLIC ATTACKS
SIGN UP TO GET THE LATEST TRUE CRIME NEWS
Weinberg's motion argued that Sullivan's decision to declare a mistrial before investigating the holdout is improper, alleging that the jury foreperson accused the holdout of making "statements acknowledging doubt but refus[ing] to apply it to the verdict as the law states."
LIKE WHAT YOU'RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE
Paltzik has said he began representing Desronvil last week as the holdout faced mounting public pressure from his fellow jurors, Clancy's defense and her supporters among the public.
JUROR ON LINDSAY CLANCY TRIAL SAYS 'WE LET DOWN LINDSAY' FOLLOWING MISTRIAL
Several other jurors have spoken publicly following Clancy's mistrial, which was declared on Sept. 4. Some, including the jury foreperson, have accused Desronvil of ignoring his own reasonable doubts about the prosecution's case, a claim he denied in his only public remarks.
"I didn't have any doubts," he said in a statement last week, first made to NewsNation. "As I tried to explain different possible theories during deliberation, I kept getting cut off as if I had doubts based on the evidence present."
LISTEN TO THE NEW 'CRIME & JUSTICE WITH DONNA ROTUNNO' PODCAST
He said that based on the physical evidence, witness testimony and the prosecution's presentations, he "thought it was enough proof that she knew exactly what she was doing and planned."
Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse, admitted killing her children — Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months — but argued she was not criminally responsible because she was suffering from postpartum psychosis at the time of the killings. Prosecutors argued she planned the murders and understood that what she was doing was wrong.
Clancy is due back in court Sept. 29.
Nicole Kidman reacts to shocking 'Lioness' season 3 finale and the twist nobody saw coming
WARNING: Spoilers below.
Nicole Kidman has plenty of thoughts about the season finale of "Lioness."
The hit CIA/military show created by Taylor Sheridan aired its season three finale on Sunday after a gritty and dark ride focused on the kidnapping of Joe (Zoe Saldaña).
'LIONESS' STAR LAYSLA DE OLIVEIRA REACTS TO THE EXPLOSIVE RESCUE EPISODE IN SEASON THREE
The rescue mission went down in episode seven, and the eighth and final episode of the latest season – titled "The Unraveling" – finally revealed who was pulling the strings the entire time.
It wasn't the Russians, Iran or Ukraine.
It was Aaliyah Amrohi.
The seemingly sweet and innocent woman from season one has become a brutally violent villain out for revenge. It was a full-circle moment for viewers. You can read my full breakdown here.
ZOE SALDAÑA SHARES BEHIND THE SCENES INSTAGRAM POSTS FROM BRUTAL 'LIONESS' TORTURE SCENE
Kidman, who plays Kaitlyn, spoke with Entertainment Weekly about the finale and touched on one of the most shocking moments:
The murder of Oleksandra, who ultimately was completely innocent of any wrongdoing.
LIONESS STAR MICHAEL KELLY CALLS TAYLOR SHERIDAN 'ONE OF THE GREATEST STORYTELLERS' IN ENTERTAINMENT
"She absolutely has a moral code and conscience, but she always weighs it up against cost. At the same time, she’s not mired down in regret. She’s a move-forward person, in the same way that when people play sports, you don’t get stuck on a previous point. Because otherwise she can’t do her job; she’s rendered inactive and vulnerable then," Kidman told the outlet when asked if she thinks her character feels remorse over the killing.
Kidman also touched on what might be in the future for her character, and told the outlet, "There’s a lot. We’ll see where it goes, if we get to make a fourth season. It’s just so rich that there’s so many different paths that you can go down. The first season, you’re establishing everything, and the beauty of getting to do multiple seasons is that it becomes more deeper, richer, more complex. Taylor is such a strong writer that he can take things anywhere."
SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY OUTKICK NEWSLETTER
A fourth season hasn't been officially announced yet, but signs certainly seem to indicate it's going to happen.
Have you already seen the "Lioness" finale? Let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.
Four days in Oxford: Inside the chaotic return of Lane Kiffin to Ole Miss, that turned into pure cinema
The absolute gem of a weekend in Oxford has come and gone, with a day of college football that could rival anything we’ve seen in recent memory. Ole Miss versus LSU delivered pure cinema, largely because of Lane Kiffin’s dramatic return to Oxford.
Now, all sides can move on until the two teams meet again next year in Baton Rouge. While much of the theatrics surrounding Kiffin’s return felt like an attempt to sell tickets to a show that had already sold itself, the weekend still delivered an experience that will be remembered for decades.
Both Ole Miss and LSU fans will now come to grips with the fact that life goes on, especially during the 2026 season.
Next up, the Rebels will travel to Gainesville for a showdown with the Florida Gators, while LSU will host Texas A&M in Baton Rouge with both teams coming off what could turn into consequential losses as the CFP race heats up.
But to put a bow on one of the craziest ten-month stretches in college football, it might be best to give you a glimpse of what life was like inside and outside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium last week.
In the best way possible, the town was buzzing just as you'd expect for a top-10 showdown between two SEC teams with such a storied past.
Add on the fact that former coach Lane Kiffin was returning to Ole Miss for the first time since he abruptly left the Rebels before their College Football Playoff run, and you had a powder keg of emotions ready to explode with just one lit match.
'HE'S DUST': OLE MISS STUDENTS RIP LANE KIFFIN AS LSU COACH PREPARES FOR HATRED IN OXFORD
I first noticed it on Thursday afternoon, while enjoying an afternoon walk around the infamous "Square" that makes up downtown Oxford. As I sat down for lunch inside Ajax Diner, which encompasses all that is good with southern cuisine, I couldn’t help but overhear two gentlemen who were both wearing Ole Miss polos discussing the upcoming showdown.
"We really need to win this game," one diner attendee said about the upcoming game. "I can't imagine how that bastard will act if they [LSU] win."
In reality, this was one of the more interesting dynamics of the week. The "what if" dilemma that Ole Miss fans were bantering about. Whether that was in the local apparel stores that are located in the downtown area, or the plethora of restaurants within walking distance of the majestic looking government building that sits in the middle of the "Square."
I even found myself in the middle of a conversation about the upcoming game while I was filling up my gas tank.
ELLA LANGLEY, DISTRACTIONS AND LANE KIFFIN: PETE GOLDING CALLS OLE MISS-LSU ‘HIGH SCHOOL HOMECOMING’
"What ya think man? I just happened to hear you talking on the phone about the game or something you're writing," another Ole Miss asked me while standing at the pump (I guess I was talking a bit loud). We really need to send him a message, but they look damn good as well."
As I gave him my reasonings as to why I thought Ole Miss would end up winning the game on Saturday, it was as if I was also calming his nerves of what could potentially be coming.
"I like the way you think man. Be careful out here this weekend, it might get a little crazy," the Oxford local politely replied.
That's another thing about these college towns that feel as though gets lost on folks who haven’t truly experienced a college football weekend: the buildup with outside noise can be overblown.
Why would I assert that? Mainly because noted analyst, or however you'd like to describe his role, Stephen A. Smith made it a point to say he was not attending the game out of fear of what Oxford would turn into on Saturday.
I want to make this point very clear: I never once felt my safety was at risk during my time in Oxford.
Sure, this would be an atmosphere that most of us had never covered before, with ten months of buildup filled with hatred and verbal jabs. But, it seems as though a lot was made of potential riots or the safety of Lane Kiffin being at risk was done to sell the game for a television rating.
In reality, this was an Ole Miss fan base that was pissed beyond measure about an airport exit out of Oxford following the Egg Bowl last season. They were upset that Kiffin would essentially try to burn it down on the way out, after not getting what he wanted in coaching the Rebels during their CFP run.
I knew this was going to be a different type of experience as I started my walk to the stadium, with a Louisiana state trooper carrying a bag that contained his sniper rifle. His colleague walked up to a State of Mississippi trooper and politely asked "Hey there, I'm trying to help my guy get his weapon into the stadium. Can you direct me to the right person?"
Outside, where the LSU busses would arrive, stood a large walkway fence that would prevent fans from either side getting close to the team and their head coach.
Standing next to a colleague, we could hear the police radio detailing LSU's eta to the stadium.
"Thirteen minutes out, they are running a little behind. Let's get everyone on the ground prepared," a dispatcher said.
At that moment, security workers expanded the blue fence, creating the walkway for LSU's arrival.
And just like the ones I would hear on my way back to the AirBnB I was staying at in the area, you could hear the police sirens blaring in the distance. The opposing team, along with their flamboyant head coach, had arrived at 4:49 p.m. central time to a cheers and boos from fans hoping to get a glimpse of Lane Kiffin walking back into Vaught Hemingway Stadium.
More than sixteen State Troopers from both Louisiana and Mississippi were in some capacity guarding the Tigers on this day.
They lined the walkway in the same manner as they lined the field as the Tigers head coach would make his grand entrance, waving at fans in an awkward way. It was almost as if this was a red-carpet event, with security that would rival the president's entourage.
Unfortunately for LSU, they could have used a defense like that during the first half against Ole Miss and Trinidad Chambliss, as the Rebels held a 24-7 lead at halftime.
THE CRAIG CARTON SHOW–UNFILTERED, UNAPOLOGETIC AND UNMISSABLE. DOWNLOAD HIS DAILY PODCAST NOW!
Luckily for those watching at home, or the LSU fans that made the trip to Oxford, the Tigers would put together a comeback that provided more drama on the field than anything we witnessed off of it.
By now, you've all seen it. Trinidad Chambliss takes one to the house, followed by Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding making the incredible call to go for the two-point conversion that his offense secured. An eight point lead, with LSU getting one final chance to tie it up.
As police officers stood in the end-zone watching for any Ole Miss students that would throw objects onto the field, it was the Rebels defense that sent this crowd into one last frenzy as they intercepted LSU's Sam Leavitt to seal the win.
Defensive players for the Rebels would run past Lane Kiffin and the LSU staff, pointing and glaring, rightfully gloating about how this on-field show would come to an end.
Just as Trinidad Chambliss took a knee to end this magical game, I wondered aloud to a colleague about whether Ole Miss students would storm the field.
Turns out on this night, the celebrations would take place in the stands, and I can't say I was disappointed by the fact I wouldn’t have to worry about being trampled while trying to capture the scene.
It turned into a cinematic experience.
Walking from Lane Kiffin's postgame press conference, following super-agent Jimmy Sexton into the Ole Miss athletic facility for Pete Golding's availability, the Rebels faithful basked in the glory of what they had just witnessed.
A jubilant crowd walked around outside Vaught Hemingway Stadium. But, they weren’t waiting to get one final glimpse of Lane Kiffin as he walked to the LSU busses.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGE
No, students and fans were making their way back to the 'Grove' or the 'Square' to celebrate, while we listened to both coaches discuss this wild showdown. It felt as though there was one big sigh of relief that incapsulated the entire area, knowing Kiffin wouldn’t be leaving Oxford with the win, while also understanding that Pete Golding would be just fine moving forward.
Finally, after being on-campus for 14 hours, I finished my story and headed for the parking garage. What was waiting for me back at the AirBnB was on my mind. I had booked this rental not actually investigating its actual location.
Turns out, I was staying in what was essentially a college neighborhood filled with condos and townhouses.
Just as the day I arrived in Oxford, the southern hospitality was waiting for me at the upstairs guesthouse I rented, with seven Ole Miss students watching highlights on the couch.
"Hey dude, that was f—–g awesome. You want a beer man? Come on, have a beer with us!"
While I appreciated the gesture, and probably could’ve used one or two, I politely passed on the drink
The week, which had been building for ten months, had come to an end. And with that, the circus that was the "Lane Kiffin return" could be closed, at least for a year.
Once again, the cinema around college football delivered.
Elizabeth Hurley reveals how she stays in shape without going to the gym, SoFi brawl & dogs at NFL games
Welcome to Tuesday Screencaps and the first day of fall. Contrary to popular belief, this IS NOT American's favorite season of the year. According to YouGov.com, SUMMER is by far the most favorite season of the year. 54% of those polled in April said summer is superior.
Fall was in 3rd place. 13% of those polled said it was their favorite season. But...but...but...that poll was taken in April. Of course people would say summer because they were miserable from a long winter.
OK, so let's go back to a Gallup poll from 1947 where 34% of those polled said spring was their favorite season (fall was at 32%). Fast-forward to 2005 and fall had a 27% favorability rating.
Let's face it, the pumpkin spice latte industry has worked HARD to market fall as amazing to suburban women. It's worked — to a point. The pumpkin spice industry reportedly generates over $1.1 billion in annual sales, but people don't actually like fall as much as we're led to believe.
Sorry, ladies. You've been outed.
• Andy saw this at the Broncos game: Long time reader...but never had anything nuts enough to send in till yesterday. A person in the stands at the Broncos-Jaguars game appears to have snuck in a small dog in the clear bags the stadium allows you to bring food to the stadium. Obviously not a service dog...people are nuts.
Always enjoy your daily columns. One of the few sane parts of the internet that shows there is still some common sense in the USA.
• Dave from Capitola, CA emails: Thanks for your passion and insight. Here's a thought: Let's make offensive holding a five yard penalty instead of ten. With how ubiquitous that call is, I thinks it's too penal. Hell, they say you can find a penalty on EVERY play. I agree, and you don't have to look too hard.
Let's face it, ALL offensive lineman hold, it's there job to not get caught. You see many plays when an OL hold for a second and release, but, it's too late. It's too capricious of a call by officials. One hold on 1st down and now it's 1st and 20. 2 in a row and you're screwed (1st and 30?!). Too punitive. Wouldn't 1st and 15 make the game more interesting? Ergo, more entertaining. Thoughts?
• Eric P. in the PnW is back: Can you imagine what the media would do if the Chiefs and Maholmes , the Rams and Stafford or the Ravens and Lamarr won 12 games in a row including the Rams and 49ers twice and the Superbowl? Or if they held a team to not one play over 9 yards the entire game?
AND put up 31 points with a back up QB and a rookie Running Back not named Love?? Well the Hawks did that on Sunday even after almost every betting prognosticator took Arizona +4 points..As the coach said after the SB.. "We Don’t Care", when speaking of the media disrespect.
• John S. has had enough: I held off on this rant last week but can’t hold back anymore. How more times do we need to see Jason Kelce and his wife do the Sunday Ticket commercial. Literally the over/under has to be 50 from 1-7:30.
Kinsey: As a Sunday Ticket subscriber, I feel like I should have the option to block that commercial on YouTubeTV. If I pay $240, at least let me block those two.
SAILGATING GUIDE: 9 FOOTBALL STADIUMS WHERE FANS CAN ARRIVE BY BOAT INSTEAD OF FIGHTING FOR PARKING
📩 Email: joe.kinsey@outkick.com or use my personal Gmail
Send your mowing reports, stripe photos, equipment upgrades, garage beer reviews, and league updates.
📰 TNML Headquarters:
👉 Read the latest Thursday Night Mowing League coverage
📘 Facebook Page:
👉 OutKick TNML
Follow along for league news, photos, and community updates.
▶️ YouTube: Screencaps with Joe Kinsey
Subscribe for videos, rants, and behind-the-scenes content.
🐦 Twitter/X: @JoeKinseyexp
Tag me or drop a DM.
📬 Mail (Thursday Night Mowing League):
27072 Carronade Dr, Unit A 155
Perrysburg, OH 43551
"I haven’t been to a gym since the 90s and keep active by gardening and strimming hedges, but with no bushes to trim or weeds to pull in LA, I’m taking time to S-T-R-E-T-C-H," Hurley revealed Monday night on Instagram.
I think she means "trimming" hedges, but you get the point. Let's keep in mind that Hurley is now 61 years old. In June, she explained her routine to Hello!. "I spend all day outside wrestling my garden into submission, so, by default, I bend, stretch and lift things all day long," Hurley said. "If I'm not working, I don't set an alarm and wake up naturally – usually between 7am and 8am."
She'll pour a probiotic and let the dogs out to go to the bathroom and then her day begins. "Then I take a few tasty morsels out to James the tortoise and stroke the top of his head for a bit. Once back home I have a few espressos, check my inbox and the rest of the day is usually a whirlwind of cooking, gardening, signing off on projects and the dreaded Zooms," Liz added.
Ladies, you've been doing it all wrong. Go pull weeds and stay off the treadmill.
• Harvey D. in the 419 asks: Question to the Screencaps masses: With fuel prices what they are, has anyone noticed less traffic and reasonable speeds on the morning commute? You know, not playing Gran Turismo in real-life headed to work down the E way.
I put some miles on per week, and I have noticed a definite shift in velocities and or asshattery on the byways. The state route in front of the estate is noticeably down in volume and or speeds. Just trying to confirm an observation.
Kinsey: I'm not the guy to answer this question. Outside of my recent drives to to Detroit and Buffalo, I spend very little time on the highways.
• Glyn C. asks: Thanks Joe and community, you all make this my daily read. Traveling to Green Bay for a game. I saved the how to get to Green Bay and avoid Chicago route. Taking my son to a Green Bay game this year, life-long dream. We are staying in about 8 miles from stadium. Drive in? Uber? Dinner Friday? Saturday must do? Sunday?
CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGE
Kinsey: It's been probably 8-10 years since I attended a Thursday night Packers game. I learned a valuable lesson that night: Uber prices out of Lambeau are INSANE. My dad and I were forced to sit in a hotel lobby waiting, and waiting, and waiting for the Uber rates to drop to a reasonable level. I seem to remember something like $150, which felt like $400 at the time.
As long as you're not going to crush a box of beers, I would drive in.
I'll let others suggest food.
THE CRAIG CARTON SHOW–UNFILTERED, UNAPOLOGETIC AND UNMISSABLE. DOWNLOAD HIS DAILY PODCAST NOW!
If you aren't following Ryan Paganetti, you should start. His research into the Patriots showing a reverse view of kicks behind the goal posts for visiting kickers was absolutely fascinating and has resulted in video board changes across the NFL this year.
Don't be shocked if this guy is on TV sharing insights very soon. Why aren't there analytics segments during Sunday NFL shows? There are Insider® segments that are pretty much useless. Wouldn't gamblers be interested in Paganetti reports?
########################
And with that, the first Screencaps of fall is in the books. Get your blankets out. Let your wife burn her pumpkin candles. Buy her a latte. It's time to think about raking leaves and hunkering down for winter.
Let's get after it.
Pentagon unveils battlefield test to ensure new generals are warfighters – not Washington bureaucrats
FIRST ON FOX: The Pentagon is raising the bar on who gets promoted to general by rolling out a new battlefield-style assessment requiring senior officers to demonstrate how they would solve complex military problems. It's the most significant change in decades for how future generals for every branch are selected.
Internal documents obtained by Fox News Digital show every military service has developed its own version of the new Joint Warfighting Evaluation (JWE), a standardized assessment intended to measure operational planning, decision-making and leadership under simulated combat conditions. The Pentagon says the assessment will supplement existing performance evaluations and become an additional metric considered by promotion boards beginning with the fiscal year 2027 cycle.
The effort grew out of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's push to overhaul military evaluations and promotions, with a focus on identifying officers who can perform in combat rather than simply build strong career records.
"People figure out they don't have to be the best at their job, they have to be the best at making sure their boss thinks they're the best," Stu Scheller, the senior Pentagon adviser leading the effort, told Fox News Digital. "And those are actually two very different things."
Under the current system, officers accumulate evaluations from their superiors throughout their careers that become a central part of the record considered by promotion boards.
'WOKE' MILITARY ACADEMIES TARGETED IN NEW BLUEPRINT FOR SWEEPING WARFIGHTING OVERHAUL
"Right now in our current system, we have people that are very good at navigating their careers," Scheller said. "We have very good, I want to be clear, very good military personnel and leaders across the military, but there isn't a stand-alone function that can truly assess the best military commanders on the battlefield."
Scheller said these performance reports will remain the "bedrock" of promotion decisions, while the JWE will give boards a separate measure of how well an officer can solve the kinds of military problems they could face in command.
What that assessment looks like will vary by service.
The Pentagon has developed six versions — one for each of the five military services and another through the Joint Staff — ranging from online simulations to hours-long, in-person wargames, the documents reviewed by Fox News Digital detail.
In some versions, officers will be presented with a military problem and forced to make decisions as an AI-powered adversary reacts to their moves. Another will bring officers into a war college for an in-person wargame, where evaluators will watch how they respond as an enemy counters their decisions in real time.
"You make a move, enemy makes a move, how I react based on a time environment," Scheller said.
The service plans obtained by Fox News Digital show just how different the evaluations will be. The Army plans to put roughly 900 eligible colonels through a remote written assessment followed by a digital wargame, while roughly 1,330 Air Force colonels will take a two-hour online analysis test followed by a one-hour interactive simulation. The Space Force will use the same basic format for roughly 125 officers.
The Navy's version is considerably more intensive. Roughly 308 captains in the unrestricted line and information warfare communities will travel to the Naval War College for a three-hour written assessment followed by a two- to three-hour wargame. The Marine Corps plans an eight-hour remote evaluation for up to 175 colonels using an AI-enabled platform that combines written assessments with situational judgment tests.
Scheller cautioned that none of the exercises can perfectly recreate the pressures of actual combat and said the Pentagon expects to change the assessments as it learns what works.
"Ultimately, no matter how good we get at this, there's no one task that's gonna perfectly replicate war," he said. "We're not trying to come up with the perfect solution right out the gate."
COMMANDING GENERAL OF THE US ARMY IN EUROPEAN AND AFRICAN THEATER IS UNEXPECTEDLY STEPPING DOWN
Scheller stressed that the Pentagon is not replacing the existing promotion system. Performance reports and the rest of an officer's career record will continue to account for the bulk of the evaluation, while the JWE will provide promotion boards with an additional data point.
How heavily that new data point will be weighted has not yet been decided.
"The secretary still has judgment based on how it will be weighted in the board, so we haven't determined," Scheller said. "We're kind of waiting to see how well this thing is rolled out."
The first real test will come next year. Eligible O-6s will undergo the evaluations between roughly February and June 2027, Scheller said, ahead of the services' O-7 promotion boards between July and September.
The Pentagon plans to study the results from that first cycle before determining how much influence the JWE should have on future promotion boards and how the assessments should evolve for the following year, according to the internal documents.
The new evaluation is the latest step in a broader overhaul of how the Pentagon selects, evaluates and retains its senior military leaders under Hegseth.
Hegseth told hundreds of generals and admirals last year that the military's promotion system was being "thoroughly reexamined," pledging to promote top performers faster, push out poor performers more quickly and turn evaluations, military education and field exercises into meaningful tests rather than "box checks."
He has also moved to shrink the upper ranks themselves, ordering a 20% reduction in active-duty four-star positions and a broader 10% cut in general and flag officer positions as part of a restructuring of military commands.
And Hegseth has taken a more direct role in deciding who receives a star.
Earlier this year, he removed several Navy captains from a list of officers selected by a promotion board for one-star admiral after previously intervening in an Army brigadier general promotion list. The Pentagon has said promotions under Hegseth will be based on merit.
Meanwhile, the unusual interventions have drawn criticism and concern from some lawmakers, military officers and outside analysts worried about political influence over the traditionally service-driven process.
The changes have come alongside significant turnover at the top of the military.
Trump and Hegseth have removed or replaced a number of senior leaders since the beginning of the administration, including former Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. CQ Brown and former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti. Hegseth also forced out Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George this year before the scheduled end of his term.
‘Charlie’s Angels’ star Jaclyn Smith lived apart from her husband for 17 years during their 35-year love story
For Jaclyn Smith, love wasn't waiting in Hollywood — it walked into her father's hospital room.
The actress, who starred as Kelly Garrett on the TV series "Charlie's Angels" from 1976 to 1981, recently penned a memoir, "I Once Knew a Guy Named Charlie." In it, the 80-year-old revealed that she and her fourth husband, Dr. Brad Allen, lived apart for 17 of their 35 years together.
Smith first met Allen, 72, when he helped perform her father's heart surgery in 1991. About two years later, Allen took a job at the University of Illinois in Chicago. He spent the next 17 years there while Smith continued living in Los Angeles.
"It's true, the greatest love comes when you're least looking for it," Smith told Fox News Digital. "He operated on my dad. I remember he walked into the room, and he looked like the guys I grew up with, clean cut and just collegiate. He looked like just the guy down the street. And he was so good to my parents."
After three divorces, Smith said motherhood changed everything. While a romance quickly blossomed, she wasn't willing to gamble on love again. This time, she wouldn't rush walking down the aisle.
"You see, when I met Brad, I had two children," she explained. "It was no longer me going, 'OK, my heart's beating out of my chest, and I'm going to get married right away.' It had to be a three-way decision."
WATCH: CHARLIES ANGELS STAR JACLYN SMITH, 80, REVEALS SECRET TO HER AGELESS LOOK
"Ultimately, we commuted for 17 years," she continued. "We married after seven years. And when we got married, we really knew one another. We knew each other's families. We knew our priorities. We knew what we expected in life. And that is important in any relationship."
Smith and Allen married in 1997. Smith's daughter, then 11 years old, was the maid of honor, People magazine reported. According to the outlet, her son, then 15, gave her away. The outlet reported that Allen closed the distance for good in 2009.
For Smith, the true test of marriage isn't only falling in love — it's building a life together.
"We see life the same rather than your heart just beating out," she said. "Yes, it beats out of your chest at first, but then you have to get down to the nitty-gritty of what makes the world go round, that day-to-day living."
Allen supported Smith through her 2002 breast cancer diagnosis. The star is now cancer-free after undergoing a lumpectomy and radiation.
Smith first married Roger Davis, then a star of "Dark Shadows," in 1968. He proposed to Smith after two dates.
GET ENTERTAINMENT SCOOP DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR EMAIL BY CLICKING HERE
Two years into their relationship, Smith wrote that she was walking with a friend in New York City to look at an apartment she and Davis were considering renting when she ran into Warren Beatty. The actor asked her to interview for a role in a film he was working on. But moments later, Davis appeared and told Beatty that Smith only did commercials.
Smith wrote she later learned that while she was talking to Beatty, Davis was upstairs having sex with their real estate agent in the apartment. Smith split from Davis after finding him with another woman on their fourth wedding anniversary.
"I knew my marriage wasn't everything I dreamed," Smith said. "I knew there were problems from day one. I think I have a line in the book about love masquerading as foundation, attraction as permanence. And I came from a background of you didn't live with people. It was the '50s. I didn't want to disappoint my parents. And I really believed in that picket fence. Why wouldn't this be great?"
"To fall in love, get married and go the distance — I think that's a wonderful thing," she continued. "There is a bond when that truly happens. I've seen my brother, who fell in love at age 19 or 20, get married. They went on to have three children and were together until my brother passed away. So I do think that's pretty wonderful when that happens. It just didn't for me. And a lot of it was my innocence. I was a romantic. I didn't look beneath the paper. It just looked good on paper. It looked perfect."
Smith said that while they were both actors, her values and Davis' values were vastly different.
"You tend to overlook that big statement, 'love is blind,'" Smith said. "But attraction is blind. Love comes from all your lessons. And listen, today is different. Nothing is left to the imagination on these dating sites. I'm glad I didn't start out at that point. I think values are so important, to share the same values. People tend to overlook that initially and think it's a sure shot."
LIKE WHAT YOU'RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
When asked if she regretted not taking a chance to work with Beatty, Smith replied, "Things happen for a reason."
"I never had a definite plan for my career," she explained. "I was never overly driving or ambitious. I just wanted to take what came my way at the time. That was shocking to me when Warren Beatty remembered my name and I didn't know too much about Warren Beatty except I loved his movie 'Bonnie and Clyde.'"
"I think whether I did the James Bond movie or the Warren Beatty movie, I think what happened in my life. Everything's unpredictable," Smith said. "And I like the path I took. I really do. Sometimes, it's all about chance. 'Charlie's Angels' was a chance.' Without that, I might have been living in Houston teaching ballet. When it came to my career, I took it day by day. I didn't have huge plans."
Smith married actor Dennis Cole in 1978 after about a year and a half of dating. They divorced in 1981.
"One day, I found a note in his pocket," Smith wrote. "The writer turned out to be a girl I knew. She was his son's girlfriend. I would not repeat the mistake I'd made with Roger. This time, I wasn't going to overlook what I learned, and I was not going to stick around and try to work it out. I didn't rationalize Dennis' actions, and I didn't blame myself. My one and only thought was to get out."
In 1980, Smith met British cinematographer Anthony B. "Tony" Richmond while filming "Nightkill." They married in 1981. They welcomed a son, Gaston Anthony, in 1982, and a daughter, Spencer Margaret, in 1985. Smith wrote the marriage was strained by Richmond's struggles with alcohol and drugs.
PUT YOUR ENTERTAINMENT KNOWLEDGE TO THE TEST AND SEE HOW YOU SCORE
"I'd had enough," Smith wrote. ". . . I was done. I couldn't stay with a man who chose drugs and alcohol over his family. . . . We had a wonderful life when he was sober. . . . [But] I needed to do the best I could for my children, to protect them from the ravages I knew could come from substance abuse."
Fox News Digital reached out to Davis and Richmond for comment. Cole died in 2009 at age 69.
"You know, in writing this book, I learned that I'm really strong," Smith said. "I had a great beginning. I had the best parents in the world, but I had marriages that didn't make it. Your heart gets broken here and there. You have successes along the way. And I worked hard to be there for my children more than anything. It's ferocious."
"You have to give up control when you don't want to because you don't want anything to hurt them. I think of my journey, it's been unpredictable. I come away thinking, 'What would my parents think?' But I'm a girl who stuck to things, worked very hard and just gave it all to my family."
Fox News Power Rankings: For the Democrats, where could it possibly go wrong?
From the moment President Donald Trump completed his comeback in 2024, voters had good reason to think that the Democrats would retake the House this November.
The president’s party has lost ground in all but two elections since 1934, including the two Trump-era midterms, where the party in power lost 40 seats (Republicans, 2018) and 9 seats (Democrats, 2022).
REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: HOUSE CONTROL COULD HINGE ON WHETHER THE OLD POLITICAL RULES STILL APPLY
With Republicans currently hanging by a thread in the House, most of the work has already been done for Team Blue.
The number of seats that will change hands is another question, and here, Trump’s signature policies are playing a big role.
As we enter fall, Democrats are enjoying their widest polling lead of the year. Voters say they prefer the Democrat to the Republican in their district by an average of 7 points in new polls (49%-42%).
LEE CARTER: THE SUMMER POLLS MISSED THE POINT: VOTERS ARE MOVING — AND THE MIDTERMS BEGIN
Democrats perform even better among likely voters, with an 11-point average lead (53%-42%).
That’s a larger and more consistent lead than the GOP had this time four years ago.
These polls suggest that we’re heading for a "blue wave" like the one Democrats rode eight years ago.
(That wave probably won’t rise as high as it once did. Thanks to redistricting, there are fewer seats in play for either party, so think of a gain of a few dozen as the modern equivalent of 40.)
Still, there are six weeks until Election Day, and there are some things we don’t know. With all signs currently pointing to a good Democratic night, where could it possibly go wrong?
The administration’s decision to go to war with Iran is proving costly for the GOP.
Gas prices sit at $4.48 today, up 50% from $2.98 at the start of the war, and increasing at a higher rate this month.
Trump’s worst ratings have been on inflation and the cost of living, and 61% of voters called gas prices a "major problem" in last week’s Fox News Poll.
Yesterday, Iowa Rep. Ashley Hinson became the second Republican Senate candidate to call for an end to the war (the first was Sen. Susan Collins, in April). No doubt many vulnerable House GOP incumbents feel the same way.
In an election that looks less like an embrace of Democrats than a rejection of Trump’s agenda, a change of course in Iran would have an impact.
Democrats have presented voters with two economic visions: the first, championed by candidates like Abdul El-Sayed and Troy Jackson, calls for a revolution on healthcare and taxes. The other, more common and less sweeping, is largely about undoing the Trump agenda.
MORNING GLORY: FIVE SENATE RACES SHOW WHY DEMOCRATS MAY REGRET THEIR PRIMARY CHOICES
Voters say they like core parts of the progressive agenda, including raising taxes on billionaires, which makes voters more likely to vote for a candidate by a 34-point margin, according to a new NBC News Poll, and "Medicare-for-all," which has a 17-point margin.
But the movements to which those policies are tied don’t fare as well: voters are less likely to support a candidate endorsed by Bernie Sanders by a 10-point margin, and less likely to vote for a candidate who supports the Democratic Socialists of America by 19 points.
We don’t know yet whether candidates on the left wing of the Democratic Party will be able to thread this needle.
Trump’s economic messaging is broadly unpopular, according to the same poll, including his proposal to send $5,000 checks to voters if Republicans keep control of Congress, as well as sending funding and weapons to Israel. That’s what is likely to get Democrats over the line.
But watch whether the DSA hurts the Dems.
The Republicans’ midterm convention is now in the rear-view mirror, and it didn’t make a dent in the polls we’ve seen.
That probably wasn’t the goal for the GOP, who used the "Trumpapalooza" to remind loyal MAGA voters about the president’s wins on immigration and crime, among other issues.
How many of them will show up on Election Day?
In last week’s Fox News Poll, a quarter of voters said an endorsement from President Trump makes them more likely to vote for a candidate. That quarter is mostly the MAGA base, and it’s large enough to impact a race.
MAGA turnout could limit the Democrats’ ceiling.
In this week’s Power Rankings, Kansas’ Senate race gets more competitive and 17 House races shift toward the Democrats. Plus, updates in two gubernatorial races.
Democrats can celebrate a shift in the political environment, but every Senate race is different. It’s still a toss-up in this forecast.
Each party has 47 seats, with six in the middle to determine control: Alaska, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Ohio and Texas.
Races in the "lean" categories are highly competitive, too, and today, Kansas joins New Hampshire and North Carolina to round out the list of nine battleground states.
Kansas has been on the Democrats’ radar for most of the year, thanks to what they believe to be a star recruit in megachurch pastor Adam Hamilton. He is campaigning on gas and diesel prices, which have an outsize impact in the rural and agriculture-heavy Midwest.
Sen. Roger Marshall, the incumbent, got some help last week from a star of the Republicans’ own: Vice President JD Vance, who rallied with Marshall to promote the Trump administration’s manufacturing agenda.
The state hasn’t sent a Democrat to the Senate in 94 years, but it isn’t allergic to statewide Dems: incumbent governor Laura Kelly is one, and she won in both 2018 and 2022.
Kansas moves from Likely R to Lean R.
Meanwhile, in Georgia, Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff is consolidating support as he seeks a second term. His race moves from Lean D to Likely D.
The Democrats have made bigger gains in the House, where this week’s set of polls has the most impact.
The party has 215 seats in this forecast, which means they would only need to win 3 of the 19 toss-ups to flip the House.
On a "good night" for Democrats, which would see them win all of those toss-up races, they’d take up to 234 seats, leaving the Republicans with 201.
Narrow pathways remain for the GOP. While this forecast sees an expansion of the Republican House majority as unlikely, a good night for the party would have them hold on to the House with 220 seats.
The shifts are largely a product of the generic ballot polling. The Democrats’ lead among likely voters of 8 to 13 points will be too much for GOP campaigns in some highly competitive areas to overcome. The same is true even for a few districts that Trump won by a healthy margin two years ago.
These changes also reflect the shift among Hispanic voters toward Democrats: from D+12 in the 2024 presidential race to D+29 in Fox’s latest generic ballot survey.
That will make a difference across Florida, where seven races shift towards Democrats, including the 25th District (held by Jared Moskowitz (D), from Toss-up to Lean D), and the 27th District (held by María Elvira Salazar (R), from Likely R to Lean R). It also impacts Texas, where the 34th District, held by Vicente Gonzalez (D), moves from Toss-up to Lean D.
Republicans are running strong campaigns in many of these districts, but if the Dems’ generic ballot advantage lasts, the party’s ceiling could get higher.
Data centers continue to play a major role in gubernatorial races across the country, especially in Ohio, where Fox’s Madison Alworth spoke to voters about the costs of data center construction yesterday, and in Texas, where incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott faces his toughest re-election challenge yet.
Abbott’s competitor, Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, has put the issue at the forefront of both of their campaigns.
Yesterday, Abbott widened his moratorium on data centers, with the construction of new centers now "effectively halted" until at least December.
The governor has important structural advantages as he seeks a fourth term, but polls keep showing a close race. Texas moves from Likely R to Lean R.
Finally, to Alaska, where new polling shows a close race for Senate, and what at first glance looks like a wide-open race for governor, with the Democrat ahead of three Republican candidates.
When the GOP candidates are combined, the party runs even with the Democrat in this poll. But Alaska is one of two states with ranked choice voting. If more Democrats mark their second, third and fourth choices than Republicans, it could hurt the GOP’s chances of holding on to the 49th state. It moves from Lean R to Toss-up.