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FIFA denies Infantino is seeking Trump administration help as pressure mounts over his leadership
FIFA is pushing back on a New York Post report claiming President Gianni Infantino is turning to the Trump administration for help as he fights to save his job.
A FIFA source told OutKick there is no call scheduled between Infantino and Secretary of State Marco Rubio — or any other member of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet — either Monday or at any other time.
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The source said the Post’s report that such a conversation had been arranged was erroneous.
The New York Post reported Monday that Infantino was scheduled to speak privately with Rubio amid growing pressure over his failed attempt to sell a portion of FIFA’s commercial business to private investors.
According to the Post, the stated purpose of the conversation was to discuss how soccer could serve as a form of American "soft power." However, one source characterized it as an effort by Infantino to secure support for his position.
"He wanted to get online with the secretary and talk about how soccer can be a form of soft power for America," the source told the Post. "But we all know that it is about job protection. It is not about anything else at this point."
The report also claimed Infantino had repeatedly attempted to reach Trump since the controversial proposal collapsed Friday and was seeking prominent "allies" willing to publicly defend him.
FIFA’s source specifically denied that a call with Rubio or another Trump Cabinet official was scheduled. FIFA did not provide an on-the-record statement addressing the Post’s separate claim that Infantino had attempted to contact Trump.
Infantino and Trump have developed a friendship, particularly during this summer’s World Cup in the United States. But Infantino’s current problems center on a proposed company called FIFA Forward Enterprise.
EUROPEAN SOCCER'S GOVERNING BODY FLIPS SPORT UPSIDE DOWN WITH BOYCOTT OF FIFA, FUTURE WORLD CUPS
The new operation would have taken control of FIFA’s broadcasting, sponsorship, licensing and ticketing business.
Thrive Capital, the private equity firm founded by Josh Kushner — the younger brother of Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner — would have purchased a 20% stake for a little more than $4 billion.
Put simply, Infantino wanted to sell private investors a portion of the business responsible for generating much of FIFA’s money.
The proposal reportedly caught several top FIFA officials and national soccer federations by surprise, with many claiming they first learned about it through media reports.
FIFA Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour said he felt "deceived" and described the proposal as the work of one man.
The backlash was swift.
UEFA’s 55 European member associations agreed to boycott FIFA competitions while the proposal remained active. The Asian Football Confederation and Concacaf also opposed the plan. UEFA has threatened legal action and instructed FIFA officials to preserve documents and electronic communications connected to it.
Infantino eventually abandoned the proposal Friday, but that has not stopped the revolt against his leadership.
Wales became the first national federation to officially withdraw its support for Infantino’s re-election, citing failures involving governance, leadership, communication and judgment. England has also reportedly withdrawn its backing, while UEFA said Infantino has lost the confidence of world soccer and that "no option should be off the table."
Infantino appeared nearly certain to win another term only weeks ago after reportedly securing pledges from roughly 200 of FIFA’s 211 member federations. He still has significant support in Africa and parts of Asia.
But as opposition continues to build, FIFA says no rescue call with Rubio or another Trump Cabinet official is on the calendar.
Trump can declare Iran victory now and withdraw troops, former counterterror official argues
Former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent is continuing to advocate for President Donald Trump to remove U.S. forces from the Middle East.
"President Trump again called off strikes on Iran—this is a good decision. It is clear that he wants out of this war, for all the obvious reasons. It is also clear that Iran will not simply return the SOH [Strait of Hormuz] to how it was before the war. We need to accept that we can’t use military force to open the SOH (we’ve tried that) without a catastrophic escalation into a bloody, years-long war," Kent wrote.
"Now is the time for President Trump to pull our troops out of the region. He can declare victory (reiterate the previously stated goal—no nukes—was met) & quietly use the carrot of sanctions relief to open the SOH once our troops are out of harm’s way. If we stay, we risk accelerating an escalation/retaliation cycle we can’t control," he added.
EX-COUNTERTERRORISM OFFICIAL JOE KENT CONTINUES CALLING FOR US MILITARY WITHDRAWAL FROM MIDDLE EAST
Kent cited his opposition to the Iran war when he resigned from the National Counterterrorism Center director role earlier this year.
Fox News Digital reached out to request comment from the White House early on Monday morning.
President Donald Trump indicated in a Saturday night Truth Social post that the U.S. was going to hold off on launching new attacks against Iran.
TRUMP SAYS IRAN DEAL 'IMMINENT'; PLANNED STRIKE WOULD'VE BEEN LARGEST SINCE WORLD WAR II
"The U.S.A. is locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran, at levels of Military Terror, Strength, and Power not seen since World War II. Despite this, we have just been asked by Iran, and other Middle Eastern Countries, to hold off any attack in that the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to. This would include the Immediate, Complete, and Total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT, and an end to Iran’s nuclear threat," Trump wrote.
"Based on this request, I have agreed, for the future benefit of the WORLD and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran, to cancel the attack, subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL. The Country of Israel joins me in this commitment. Get to work, everybody, and get it DONE. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" he added.
Iran's semi-official Mehr News Agency pushed back against the notion that Iran requested America refrain from additional attacks, calling Trump's claims, "nothing but a new lie," the BBC reported.
NPR reported that Mehr described the U.S. president's assertions as "simply a new lie," citing unnamed Iranian military figures.
IRAN'S WAR ON AMERICANS BEGAN DECADES AGO. THESE FAMILIES STILL CARRY THE SCARS
While speaking to the press aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump, referring to negotiations, said, "It begins tomorrow afternoon."
'Lioness' star Jill Wagner chose Tennessee farm life to raise her family
"Lioness" star Jill Wagner's decision to put roots down in Tennessee was an easy choice given her background.
During an interview with Fox News Digital, Wagner explained that she's from North Carolina and wanted to be close to her family.
"We looked in and around North Carolina – couldn't find anything. So, Tennessee – found a piece of property in Tennessee. I wanted to get married, and I wanted to have my babies in a place that I thought was magical and, since I was born and raised in the country, that was my idea of what was magical. So, we live there," Wagner said.
During the interview, Wagner was joined by her "Lioness" co-star, Laysla De Oliveira. In Taylor Sheridan's series, the two actresses play key members of the CIA's elite operations. Season three of "Lioness' premiered on Aug. 2 on Paramount+.
Wagner plays Bobby, the tough, highly skilled leader of the Lioness program's Quick Reaction Force (QRF), while De Oliveira plays Cruz Manuelos, a former Force Recon Marine turned Delta Force operator.
Aside from Wagner and De Olivera, "Lioness" stars Nicole Kidman, Zoe Saldaña, Morgan Freeman and Michael Kelly.
Wagner has built a close-knit family life with her husband, David Lemanowicz, a former professional hockey player and U.S. Army Reserve officer, whom she married in 2017.
The couple shares two daughters, Army Gray, born in 2020, and Daisy Roberta, born in 2021, and they also help raise Lemanowicz's daughter from a previous relationship.
WATCH: 'Lioness' star Jill Wagner chose Tennessee farm life to raise her family
Speaking to Fox News Digital ahead of the "Lioness" season three premiere, Wagner explained what a typical day looks like on her Tennessee farm.
"My typical day on the farm is I'm out on my front porch in the morning at 6:30, and then I go to my flowers, and then I listen to my husband complain about the tractor being broken and the fence falling down, and the barn roof flew off last night, and then we just repair everything that's been broken," she said.
‘SOPRANOS’ STAR JAMIE-LYNN SIGLER FLED HOLLYWOOD FOR TEXAS WHERE SHE NO LONGER FEELS ‘WATCHED’
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"That is my typical day," Wagner added with a laugh.
Without spoiling the upcoming season, De Oliveira told Fox News Digital what sets the third season apart from the rest.
WATCH: Laysla De Oliveira and Jill Wagner talk 'Lioness' season three
"It's a mission that's more personal there than ever. There's a lot of individual agendas, ethical lines being blurred and definitely a look on modern warfare," De Olivera said.
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Wagner added, "She said it all, literally."
"Lioness" season three premiered Aug. 2 on Paramount+.
Mamdani’s city grocery plan could leave taxpayers paying for every banana
Thirty-five years after the Soviet Union collapsed, the Communist bread line is poised for a comeback in the Big Apple, as Mayor Zohran Mamdani announces his government grocery stores will be undercutting real groceries by 30%. Not to worry, socialism will work this time.
The announcement came during a press conference on July 27, where Comrade Mamdani promised 30% discounts for "essential" products at his new city-run grocery stores. The problem, of course, is grocery stores are in a razor-thin industry, sporting profit margins of roughly 2%. And that's with competent management, which New York City government is decidedly not famous for.
That means even if the socialists somehow manage to run a grocery as efficiently as Aldi, Walmart or Gristedes, the city will be losing an ungodly amount of money — at least 28 cents on the dollar. Since New York’s best and brightest in government will be far less efficient than the private sector, the losses, predictably, will be even higher.
EXPERTS SCORCH MAMDANI'S GROCERY PLAN AS AN 'ILLUSION' THAT WILL HAVE TAXPAYERS FOOTING THE BILL
Of course, operating in the red for a government establishment means taxpayers get stuck with the tab. The losses of Comrade Mamdani’s state-run enterprises will be covered by New Yorkers’ tax dollars — derived from tax rates that are already among the nation’s highest.
And that's where the fun begins. If city groceries were genuinely selling food 30% cheaper, that would rob enough market share from real grocery stores that they would start going out of business. After all, private stores must pay rent, property taxes, insurance, labor, utilities, security and New York’s regulatory army.
Conversely, Mamdani’s stores get city property tax exemptions, and apparently an unlimited allowance from dad who's willing to lose 28 cents on the dollar. Marginal supermarkets will close while others will cancel plans to open.
And what stops anyone from buying deeply discounted groceries for resale? After all, 30% off is cheaper than wholesale. Will Mamdani then prohibit purchases by grocers? Good luck telling who’s who in the checkout line since asking for ID is racist in New York.
NY GOVERNOR HOPEFUL VOWS SHOWDOWN WITH MAMDANI OVER SOCIALIST AGENDA: ‘I WILL STOP HIM’
Then we enter Act Three: What happens when taxpayers get tired of the money pit? Every time New York has seized an industry, it turned into a money loser. New York's city-run transit system — MTA — replaced private-sector alternatives that used to be profitable with a government-run system that loses $11.7 billion a year — roughly $3,000 per household in New York City. That’s how much the government has to subsidize the MTA to keep it running.
If city groceries approach that number, there will inevitably be calls for subsidy cuts. Given the mandate to keep groceries cheap combined with the costs of government efficiency, that means the groceries will have to cut back on quality. No longer a giant money pit, they’ll become slightly smaller money pits full of rotting food.
When the smoke clears, New Yorkers get a couple years of cheap bananas, tens of millions of dollars in new debt and real companies fleeing, so residents have to take two trains and a bus to get to a real grocery store.
In fact, this is exactly what's happened in dozens of government grocery experiments across the country, from Kansas City — which lost $18 million on a grocery that sold rotting food — to Chicago — which blew $26 million running seven stores into the ground. But socialism will work this time if Comrade Mamdani smiles hard enough.
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Instead of recreating Soviet breadlines on the taxpayer dime, Mamdani should sit down with functioning grocery stores and ask how he can help them expand. For example, reducing property taxes, permitting costs and construction costs.
He could relax parking rules and stop converting every curb into a dedicated bus lane. Disused public space could be leased at a discount to real grocery stores. Enact zoning reform so groceries don't wait years in limbo for the ministry of red tape to green-light a location. Perhaps Mamdani could even try arresting shoplifters occasionally.
The hallmark of socialism is it breaks things, then uses the detritus as an excuse to break more things. New York already has a distinct absence of proper grocery stores thanks to dysfunctional local government. Handing that bureaucracy the entire food supply will turn an annoyance into a crisis.
E.J. Antoni, Ph.D., is chief economist and the Richard F. Aster fellow at the Heritage Foundation and a senior fellow at Unleash Prosperity.
Charlotte repeat offender charged with killing man hours after release on bond
A convicted killer allegedly shot two men, killing one, less than two hours after he was released from a North Carolina jail on bond last week, a stunning timeline that is raising fresh questions about why the repeat violent offender was free in the first place.
David Simpson, 29, is charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, and possession of a firearm by a felon in the July 29 shooting at an east Charlotte apartment complex. A Mecklenburg County judge on Friday ordered that he be held without bond.
Court records obtained by WCNC show Simpson was released from the Mecklenburg County Jail at 12:20 a.m. after posting a $10,000 bond on an unrelated charge of possession of a weapon by a prisoner. Police said the shooting happened less than two hours later, around 1:45 a.m., leaving one man dead and another seriously wounded.
HOUSE DEMOCRAT BLASTED AFTER EARLY RELEASE LAW FREED INMATES LATER CHARGED WITH MURDER
Police said the shooting followed a long-running dispute over a parking space outside the apartment complex. Officers had already been called to the property twice that night after arguments broke out between the victims and residents over where they had parked.
Surveillance video cited in the documents appears to show Simpson outside with his girlfriend when the victims' SUV drove past. Detectives said Simpson went inside, returned carrying what they described as a weighted black bag, and ran toward the victims.
About 10 minutes later, two gunshots can be heard on the video. Roughly 30 seconds after that, Simpson is seen jogging back toward his apartment while handling the bag before driving away, investigators said. Officers recovered two spent 7.62-caliber rifle casings at the scene.
CRAZY BRAWL OVER A PARKING SPOT IN NEW YORK INCLUDES A VICIOUS SKATEBOARD TO THE HEAD
One victim died at the scene. The second made it inside an apartment before collapsing and later underwent surgery.
Court records show Simpson was previously charged with first-degree murder in a 2013 fatal shooting but pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in 2015, Queen City News reported. He served about five years in prison before being released on parole in 2020.
Since then, he has been arrested several more times, including on multiple charges of possession of a firearm by a felon, WBTV reported.
He also had pending charges this year for possession of a firearm by a felon, resisting a public officer and misdemeanor larceny, WCNC reported, citing court records.
Charlotte defense attorney Tim Cannady, who is not involved in the case, questioned why Simpson remained free despite his history.
"If you look at his history, it seems like this gentleman has picked up just about every year up to this point some kind of a violent crime," Cannady told WCNC. "So you kind of have to ask the question: Why wasn't he already in jail?"
Former Charlotte City Council member Tariq Bokhari offered a similar criticism.
"We know what these top 1% of repeat offenders are going to do, and for some reason, we just don't have the appetite to take action," Bokhari told WBTV. "It feels like 'Groundhog Day,' to be quite honest."
Simpson refused to leave his jail cell for his first scheduled court appearance Friday morning, delaying the hearing until a judge ordered him to appear later that afternoon.
His girlfriend, Shakema Scott, has also been charged with accessory after the fact.
Simpson is due back in court on Aug. 21.
NASCAR fans rip social media post for obvious reason, Jeff Gordon's biggest regret & race wife hits the beach
Monday Morning Pit-Stop is a weekly NASCAR column that runs on OutKick.com and Fox News Digital. If you're looking for a normal NASCAR recap, go check out insufferable ESPN ... assuming they still know NASCAR exists.
First Monday of August and we don't even have a NASCAR race to complain about today. What are we supposed to do now?
Feels weird, doesn't it? The NASCAR Cup Series season is the longest in all of sports, with — by far — the fewest down time. The fellas get two(ish) off weeks a season, give or take, and that's about it from February through October.
So when the series is off, it's a bit of a shock to the system. It just doesn't happen. Hand up, I actually forgot it was an off week yesterday afternoon and started reflexively looking for the race at around 3 p.m.
I couldn't take anymore of the trans talk from the WNBA, and I needed something to put on while I yanked weeds from the back deck.
Crickets. Nothing. Dead air.
You never know what you have have till it's gone.
Anyway, this award-winning (allegedly) column doesn't take weeks off, so we're here, ready to turn the page toward the rest of the season. Daytona is just a few weeks away, you know.
How should we fill the space? How about this social media post from NASCAR that absolutely blew up the internet over the weekend? Fans were quick to call them out, and I don't blame them.
What else? I've got Jeff Gordon giving us a rare insight into his relationship with the late, great Dale Earnhardt, Samantha Busch reminiscing on some early days with Kyle, and McCall Gaulding spending the off week in Costa Rica.
Sound good? Good!
Four tires, enough fuel to get us to Iowa, and maybe a few more off weeks for the fellas throughout the year, because two(ish) ain't enough ... Monday Morning Pit-Stop — the 'NASCAR Finally Goes Viral, But The Double Standard Is Glaring' edition — is LIVE!
There it is! That's the post that set the internet ablaze this weekend.
Good for NASCAR for being part of the news cycle on an off weekend, though. Credit where it's due. Bad PR is still PR.
Just ask the WNBA.
That above moment is from a decade ago (time flies!), when Cole Custer sprinted across the track and attacked John Hunter Nemechek after the two wrecked each other at the finish. I can't believe it's been 10 years since that moment.
I'm tell you, folks, you blink and a decade has passed. Lordy.
Anyway, it was an iconic moment in NASCAR history (not really), and, for some reason, the interns who run the main account posted it Friday. Naturally, it went mega-viral to the tune of nearly 6 million views, with big-time personalities such as Pat McAfee even reposting it:
Again, PR is PR, and when you get Pat McAfee to repost a 10-year-old truck race on a random Saturday in August, you're doing something right.
That being said, hardcore fans were QUICK to point out the double standard by NASCAR — and it's one that I've pointed out for years.
NASCAR routinely promotes this stuff on its social media accounts. Remember the infamous Kyle Busch-Ricky Stenhouse Jr. fight a few years back? The social media team(s) gobbled that up ... for days! They milked it for all it was worth.
At the same time, though, the sanctioning body will also A) fine drivers for this behavior, B) dock them points, C) sometimes suspend them, and D) discourage it entirely on the track.
You can't have your cake and eat it, too!
I could go on and on. Seriously, NASCAR fans are nothing if not consistent in their bitching and moaning.
Look, I get it. It seems odd to promote this stuff off the track, but actively discourage it on the track and after races. That being said, the social media team and the actual folks who run the sport are in two very separate buildings. Hell, I'm on even sure they're on the same property!
Two different bottom lines, and two very different goals. I see it here at OutKick all the time. The social team's job is to create content, and clicks, and engagement. They don't care about the Xs and Os of stuff and how the sausage is made. They care about the impressions.
That being said, I also think NASCAR should just let this stuff happen and leave it alone. Let the boys police themselves — on and off the track.
When was the last time a NASCAR social media post got 6 million pageviews? Probably something to consider.
OK, let's move this class along ...
Speaking of the good old days of NASCAR — when men were MEN! — let's check in with Jeff Gordon and ... Dale Earnhardt?
"If I had time with him again before we lost him, what would I have said to him? What would I have asked him?" Gordon said last week on the 'Bussin With The Boys' podcast.
"I definitely would've said, 'Hey, '95 when we were going for the championship, how much of that was just total bulls–t? It was getting under my skin. I would do an interview, and they go, 'We were just talking to Dale, and Dale said Rainbow Warrior, Wonder Boy, and all these nicknames he had for me.
"'He can't win the championship, what are they going to do, serve milk at the championship? I didn't want to get involved in that. And I kinda wish I had a little bit more, because I do think he was doing it because he knew it was working.
"Not just to get under my skin, but it was working for the media, it was working for NASCAR, and the growth and the fans.
"I think that's what I'd love to know is, how much of that was manufactured?"
Dale, by the way, would've probably loved NASCAR's post from over the weekend. Like Jeff said, Dale knew what he was doing. He knew what worked, and what played on TV, and what lit fires. He knew how to get eyeballs to the screen, and, more importantly, how to keep 'em there.
The Dale Earnhardt-Jeff Gordon rivalry from the late 1990s was peak NASCAR, in my opinion. That's when the sport was exploding. When it was bigger than the NFL, if you believe that.
And yes, Jeff should've engaged a little more. Duh. Always engage, folks.
Hope every driver in the garage reads that today.
OK, two more quickies on the way out. First? Samantha Busch has been slowly returning to social media since Kyle's death two months ago (goodness), and it's a gut-punch of a post every single time.
After last week's race at Indy, Samantha revealed that's where her and Kyle first met nearly 20 years ago:
"These photos were taken later that year in 2007, and looking at them now, I see two kids completely caught up in the excitement of falling in love, with absolutely no idea what was ahead of us," she wrote. "We grew up together. We built a life together. Through every season, every challenge, and every dream, we just kept choosing each other.
"I look at these pictures and wish I could tell that 21-year-old girl to soak up every single second. She never could have imagined how beautiful our life would become, or that one day she’d be wishing for just one more day with you."
Goodness gracious. Like I said, just a punch straight to the gut. I can't believe it's been two months. Wonder what Kyle would've thought of NASCAR's post over the weekend?
OK, that's it for today. Good work, everyone. We made it through the final NASCAR off week of 2026.
Zane Smith's wife, McCall Gaulding, checks in from Costa Rica, and takes us home.
See you at Iowa.
Boy George stands firm with pro-Israel song as faith guides him through record label split and West End exit
Boy George split from his record label and dropped out of the London production of "Jesus Christ Superstar" just days after the release of his AI-generated, pro-Israel anthem, "We Will Dance Again."
George, 65, credited his faith for keeping him strong and claimed he was advised to "pipe down" as backlash mounted against the singer for releasing the reggae song defending Israel's military action.
"In Buddhism we understand that every action comes with a consequence," George posted on X. "Due to my decision to stand up for my Jewish friends I am losing a few people from my life."
RAPPER FACES $2.8M LAWSUIT AFTER AXING OPENING ACT FROM TOUR FOLLOWING HER POLITICAL RANT
"Today I parted company with Tony Pontius who has run my record label BGP for a number of years," he continued. "I wanted to release 'We Will Dance Again' but he was unequivocal and said 'I want nothing to do with this song' and I responded 'ok, we are done'.
"When someone is gutless it really does not hurt to say goodbye. My faith in humanity will not diminish, and the truth will always win. I will release it!"
Representatives did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
WHITE HOUSE TURNS HIT SONG AGAINST NOAH KAHAN AFTER SINGER FUMES OVER TRUMP MANUFACTURING POST
Last week, George released a three-minute clip which was captioned "#Shalom," and has since amassed more than 5 million views on X.
The song, which is currently unavailable on streaming services, includes the lyrics: "You say genocide, I say war / When you’re attacked that’s what the army’s for," and "You condemn, with selective memory/ Musicians holding flags, mouthing like sheep/Propaganda fueled by the Internet feels so weak."
His management confirmed Thursday that George also dropped out of the West End production last week, where he was set to play King Herod over and was scheduled to begin Monday, Aug. 3.
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"After careful consideration, I have decided, in my capacity as Boy George’s manager, that he will no longer be appearing in Jesus Christ Superstar at the London Palladium," Paul Kemsley shared Thursday on Instagram.
"The decision has been made with the utmost respect for the producers, the creative team and the entire company. We are grateful for the professionalism and understanding they have shown throughout and sincerely wish everyone involved every success with the production."
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Kemsley offered fans who purchased tickets their "sincere apologies for the disappointment this decision may cause, and we are deeply grateful for their continued loyalty and support."
"George has never been afraid to stand by his personal convictions, and I have always respected him for that," Kemsley noted. "Equally, I believe it is my responsibility to make decisions that are in the best interests of my artist while also showing respect to others."
He added, "In this instance, I felt it was right to step aside, allowing the production to remain the focus, while ensuring everyone involved can move forward with mutual respect and goodwill."
Idaho In-N-Out Burger shooting motive still a mystery as armed citizen speaks out
Police are still working to determine why a 24-year-old gunman opened fire at a crowded In-N-Out Burger in Twin Falls, Idaho, killing three people and wounding seven others before taking his own life after taking fire from a bystander and an off-duty Idaho state trooper.
Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said Sunday that investigators were confident Chad Williams acted alone in Saturday's attack, but detectives had not yet established a motive or fully traced his movements before the shooting.
"We believe their actions helped drive the suspect away from the scene, preventing further casualties," Hicks said of an armed citizen and officer who returned fire. "We want to take a moment and commend the actions of the off-duty officer and the citizen, and their heroic action to stop this incident."
Police have not publicly identified the trooper or the bystander, but the Idaho Statesman detailed the heroics of Jordan Salinas, 35, of Kimberly, Idaho, strapped by the shoulder with a FN Five-seveN semi-automatic pistol fitted with a suppressor.
OFF-DUTY TROOPER AND ARMED CITIZEN HAILED AS HEROES AFTER RETURNING FIRE ON IN-N-OUT GUNMAN
Salinas, a reported "healthcare worker, the full-time caregiver of his wheelchair-bound brother," told the paper he took up gun training after a 2021 shooting – never even aiming a gun at an animal – saying he was able to "observe," "orient" and "decide" that "OK, this is the guy," he said before being resolute to "act."
The gunman, he said, was shocked by the armed response.
"He did not like it when bullets started firing both ways," Salinas, whose girlfriend at the restaurant was stuck in Williams fire, told the Statesman, adding he felt "no fear."
"There’s a task that needs to be done, and we’re the ones who need to do it," he added, only standing down when he said police took over the scene, thinking, "OK, my part is done."
The shooter was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound near the restaurant, according to police.
MULTIPLE PEOPLE KILLED IN SHOOTING AT IDAHO IN-N-OUT RESTAURANT, SUSPECT DEAD
"These people are true heroes in our community," Twin Falls County Sheriff Jack Johnson said. "They diverted the shooter and without a doubt saved many lives."
Hicks said Williams' family was cooperating with authorities. Detectives were examining his activities before the shooting and trying to determine whether any victims had been deliberately targeted.
Authorities said seven people were injured. Two remained in critical condition Sunday, three were listed as stable and two had been treated and released from a hospital.
Officials said both fired at Williams during what authorities described as a chaotic and fast-moving attack, diverting his attention from the restaurant as customers and employees fled.
IN-N-OUT PRESIDENT SAYS ‘HEART IS BROKEN’ AFTER EMPLOYEE, CUSTOMERS KILLED IN IDAHO SHOOTING
Witness Lane Koehn, 34, said he was stopped at a traffic light near the restaurant when he saw a man carrying an AR-style rifle emerge from the drive-thru. Another man armed with a handgun then began firing at the shooter, Koehn told The Associated Press.
Koehn said he later saw an In-N-Out employee drag a wounded co-worker across the parking lot. The injured worker had been shot in the chest, he said.
"She was pretty bad off, but I don’t know. I hope she made it," Koehn said.
One of the three people killed was an In-N-Out employee, company owner Lynsi Snyder confirmed in a statement. Officials had not released the victims’ identities as they worked to notify relatives.
"My heart is broken, my chest is heavy, my eyes burn from the tears I’ve shed," Snyder said. "We lost one of our beautiful associates tonight."
"In-N-Out will be mourning with the families and praying for them as they tread through a very painful season."
Snyder said the employee had been caring for customers when she was killed. The company was working with police and offering support to victims, employees and their families.
The shooting erupted Saturday afternoon at the recently opened restaurant in a busy commercial area where hundreds of shoppers, diners and employees were believed to have been present.
Twin Falls resident Haley Dodaro said she and her mother were waiting in the drive-thru when they saw workers running from the restaurant and people fleeing across the road.
"At first," Dodaro said, she thought there might have been a fire. A person directing traffic then warned them that there was an active shooter.
"People were running out crying and screaming," she said. "It was very scary."
Nayeli Rodriguez, who was inside the restaurant with her daughters, said an employee told customers to get down after gunfire was heard near the kitchen. An older man tried to shield Rodriguez and her children before they escaped.
"We were trying to get as far as we could, and some angels let us in their car," Rodriguez said.
A local taxi company said one of its drivers, Terry Dudley, was shot twice in the back while charging his Tesla near the restaurant. North Star Taxi said Dudley survived but faced "a very long road ahead."
Salinas posted a humble Facebook message urging focus on "victims, their families, and everyone affected."
"The last 24 hours have been overwhelming," the message posted late Sunday night read. "I want to sincerely thank my family, friends, and everyone who has reached out with messages, prayers, and support. I haven't been able to respond to everyone yet, but please know I've seen your messages, and they mean more to me than I can put into words.
"In the coming days, I'll share a more complete account of what happened, to the best of my recollection, when I'm able.
"For now, my heart remains with the victims, their families, and everyone affected by yesterday's tragedy. Thank you for continuing to keep them in your thoughts and prayers, and thank you all for the incredible support you've shown me and my family."
The FBI asked members of the public to submit photographs and video recorded during the attack. Twin Falls police also urged anyone who witnessed the shooting or had relevant information to contact investigators.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Jadeveon Clowney's career filled with high expectations is now supposed to deliver a Houston Texans Super Bowl
Jadeveon Clowney is back with the Houston Texans, an addition that comes with much attention, and the expectation of fielding the NFL's best defense. and Super Bowl talk.
But, please, pump the brakes.
Because if there's one thing Clowney's 12-year career has taught us, it is that high expectations have too often gone unrealized.
The one-time No. 1 overall selection in the NFL Draft spent this offseason as a valued free agent until he agreed on Sunday to rejoin the Texans, the team that originally drafted him in 2014.
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And, true to form, Clowney arrives with commotion and fanfare for great things ahead. Fans are aflutter that this familiar name is aboard for the coming season and Clowney is doing nothing to minimize the excitement by talking about a Super Bowl.
"I can help contribute and (we have) a good chance to chase a Super Bowl," Clowney told KPRC 2 Houston.
In another interview Clowney said he's learned to lead during his career and knows what it takes to get to a Super Bowl.
So, lotta high expectations, y'all.
Except this is where the Clowney reality begs caution. Because Clowney has never won a Super Bowl. He's never played in a Super Bowl.
And while that doesn't prevent him from helping the Texans in 2026, he won't be leading the charge. He'll be supporting starters Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter who were both top 10 in sacks last season.
Clowney is a piece to the puzzle on a defense that was No. 2 in fewest points allowed last season behind the Seattle Seahawks. He's not the signature piece.
"We're continuously trying to build depth, especially in that room because of the way we play and stylistically what we ask those guys to do," said Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke. "It is important. It's important for us to be able to keep guys fresh and to keep Danielle and Will and those guys throwing fastballs through the whole game. The depth piece is an important piece for us."
The Texans and Clowney agreed to a one-year deal worth $5.5 million. The deal includes incentives that could push that money higher.
But this isn't about money for Clowney, who had been negotiating with multiple teams including the Cleveland Browns.
Clowney lives in Houston, so it makes sense for him. And he loves the idea of playing for Texans coach DeMeco Ryans.
"I was looking forward to playing for DeMeco," Clowney said. "Pretty exciting coach to play for. I reached out to him and told him I wanted to play for him,
"It was a family decision. It wasn't about the money, it was about chasing my legacy and chasing a Super Bowl. I've got a lot of game left and I want to contribute."
Clowney returns to Houston, in part, because of its head coach. He was traded by Houston just prior to the 2019 season, in part, because he feuded with coach Bill O'Brien.
Clowney was picked with the No. 1 overall selection in the 2014 NFL Draft to be perhaps an all-timer and definitely a perennial Pro Bowler. But that's not what happened.
He earned three Pro Bowl invites, the last one coming in 2018. He didn't turn into the unstoppable sack-machine the Texans originally hoped, indeed, he's a more consistent run-stopper than pass rusher.
Clowney wasn't even the best pass rusher or defensive lineman in 2014 because Khalil Mack and Aaron Donald were selected later in that fateful draft. Clowney has never delivered a double-digit sack season.
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So the player selected to be a franchise cornerstone has bounced around with seven teams.
This all, of course, serves as a sober caution: High expectations and Jadeveon Clowney have been constant companions in the NFL and the current Super Bowl talk in Houston continues that.
But the history is the history.
Once-hidden coastal town facing disruption as social media influencers transform local life
A battle is brewing on a tiny luxury island 30 miles off the coast of Massachusetts, according to many reports.
Gorgeous scenes of Nantucket have been nearly impossible to miss lately on TikTok and Instagram, with images of weathered-gray cottages, colorful hydrangeas and pristine beaches populating social media platforms.
Yet the island has seen tourism explode, according to some residents and longtime visitors — and locals say they've become inundated by visitors, crowds and noise.
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"[Nantucket] has become something it wasn't before," a 23-year-old lifetime Nantucket resident, who asked for anonymity, told Fox News Digital. "It was kind of like a rustic New England vacation spot, and it's been changing for the last 20 years."
The person added, "It's transforming into something that [residents] don't recognize, and it makes them very upset."
With no bridge to the island, visitors cannot drive or take a train. Nantucket is accessible exclusively by air and sea, requiring travelers to arrive by ferry or plane, per the Town of Nantucket.
For decades, that lack of accessibility kept crowds in check.
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"You either have to fly or take the ferry," J.Q. Louise, a Boston-based travel influencer who has visited Nantucket several times, told Fox News Digital.
"I think that's what's kept it exclusive for so many years," she said.
That appears to be changing, as the island typically draws an estimated 2 million visitors annually, according to the Nantucket Current.
Recent complaints about influencers reached a fever pitch when a longtime shop owner hung a sign saying, "No Influencers."
Store owner John Sylvia posted the sign at Four Winds Craft Guild, his Nantucket antiques and artisan shop.
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"I feel sometimes my store is used as someone’s background, a stage," Sylvia told The New York Times.
"I don't have this hatred toward influencers," he clarified. "It was more of a joke. It is a problem we should look at as a society."
Sylvia's partner, Jessica Jenkins, told the outlet she feels deluged by "people creating videos on corners of themselves sipping an iced coffee and looking over their shoulder and doing a shoe kick or whatever."
Fox News Digital reached out to Four Winds Craft Guild for further comment.
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Content creators such as Paige Lorenze are defending themselves.
"If you call yourself a feminist but proudly put up a 'No Influencers' sign, it’s worth asking who you are attempting to delegitimize, and why," Lorenze, who owns a boutique near Four Winds Craft Guild, commented on a now-deleted Instagram post.
"I have no issue with [John Sylvia's] shop, and I hope people keep walking in and supporting island craftspeople," Lorenze told The Cut.
"I just think Nantucket’s story is more generous than that sign."
Fox News Digital reached out to Paige Lorenze for further comment.
In the spring, the Siasconset Civic Association, a nonprofit community advocacy organization, proposed recommendations to curb overcrowding. The Nantucket Select Board designated specific visiting hours on the footpath for July and August.
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"Bluff docents" — called rangers in an earlier version of the proposal — were approved to keep an eye on activity, according to Nantucket Current.
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The Sconset Civic Association also proposed turnstiles or gates at entrances, but those weren't approved.
A Reddit post on the Nantucket debate generated hundreds of comments.
"My family has a house there, and trust me when I say the entire island has no need for influencers or to go viral," a Reddit user said.
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The "island gets so crowded during the summer that even cottage industries have popped up to handle the crowds," the commenter added.
A Connecticut resident who has spent summers in Sconset for 38 years also said the island feels different.
"The crowds are flashy, but they have more to spend," the person, who asked to remain anonymous, told Fox News Digital.
J.Q. Louise believes the tiny size of the island — it's about 14 miles long and 3.5 miles wide — magnifies the problem.
"It kind of felt like a hidden gem, and it definitely isn't hidden anymore," she said.
Fox News Digital reached out to the town of Nantucket, Siasconset Civic Association and Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce for comment.
Ashley J. DiMella and Jessica Mekles of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.