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Hilary Duff says child stardom left ‘scars from the past’: ‘People don’t survive that’
Hilary Duff is opening up about the "scars from the past" she had to confront as a former child star.
In a recent interview with Billboard, the 39-year-old actress and singer, who rose to fame at 14 when she starred in the hit Disney Channel series "Lizzie McGuire," reflected on the lasting effects of childhood stardom as she discussed her return to music after more than a decade.
In February, Duff released "Luck … Or Something," her first studio album since 2015's "Breathe In. Breathe Out." The album debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart. In June, Duff launched the "Lucky Me Tour," her first major tour in nearly two decades.
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Before launching her tour, Duff gave an intimate performance for friends and family in Los Angeles in January. She told Billboard that she was so nervous during the show that her hand shook as she held the microphone.
The "Younger" star recalled that after the performance, her son, Luca, told her he was proud of her for returning to the stage despite her fears.
"That stuck with me, because it is scary, and I'm used to being so tough and strong," she said. "This industry really makes you very rough around the edges, where you're like, 'I've got to handle this, so I just will.'"
"But it was scary to step onstage after 20 years and figure out my identity, and how I move my body and what I'm taking from my old persona and adding to who I am now," Duff continued. "It was a complicated thing to do, and I had to get over quite a few scars from the past
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Although she stepped away from music for more than a decade, Duff said some of the habits she developed during her years as a child star have been difficult to shake.
According to Billboard, Duff repeatedly referred to herself as a "Disney dog" during the interview, describing an ingrained impulse to "say yes and to go, go, go."
Duff also said returning to music as an adult has allowed her to take greater control of her career than she had as a child star.
"It was wonderful building this on my terms," she said. "I don't mean that negatively in regard to how anything was handled in the past, because I was a child in the past. I wasn't muted, and I got to make decisions, but people made a lot of decisions for me because I didn't care or know enough to be like, 'Here's how I want this.'"
Duff also acknowledged that she continues to grapple with the experience of becoming famous at a young age.
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"I've had a great career and I feel really lucky," she said. "I also am a child star, and that's a really hard thing to wrestle with as an adult. People don't survive that."
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"The fact that I've been able to survive and that I get to have this moment … I get to send love to grown-up Hilary and be like, 'You did it!' and also send love to little Hilary and be like, 'Hey, we're still here. Look at what we did.'"
The "Lucky Me Tour" kicked off on June 21 in West Palm Beach, Florida, and included stops at Madison Square Garden in New York City and the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, before heading to Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Due to strong demand, Duff extended the tour through 2027 with 32 additional dates across Europe, Latin America and the U.S.
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Duff told Billboard that reconnecting with longtime fans has helped her heal some of the wounds left by childhood fame. She said she now makes a point of thanking fans during her concerts for "letting me grow up."
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"I understand fans hold me in this sweet capsule in their heart that holds a time in their life that was tender and uncomplicated," Duff said.
'LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE' STAR SAYS CHILD ACTORS GET 'DROPPED' AFTER HOLLYWOOD FAME FADES
"But putting out a very honest and exposed record and them digesting and accepting it and being like, 'Me Too' — that was very healing for me," she continued. "It showed me that they don't just care about me as the person they hold in that capsule, they care about me now as well."
Devils to sit star goalie vs his former team over 'win probability,' leaving NHL fans bewildered
The New Jersey Devils emerged as one of the best teams in the NHL this season and beefed up their roster when they acquired goaltender Connor Hellebuyck from the Winnipeg Jets.
The Devils shut out the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday, increasing the anticipation for a matchup on Tuesday between New Jersey and Winnipeg in Canada. However, general manager Sunny Mehta shut down the possibility of Hellebuyck playing and gave a bizarre reason as to why.
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"This has been an organizational decision for us that we’ve debated at length," Mehta said. "Connor Hellebuyck was adamant that he felt a duty to play on Tuesday in Winnipeg. However, in our estimation, playing in this game would potentially give us a reduction in our expected win probability.
"Even though Connor isn’t playing, at his request, we will coordinate a media availability after Tuesday’s morning skate at Canada Life Centre."
Hellebuyck made 23 saves against Toronto in the 4-0 victory and will have a day of rest in between games. Instead, Jake Allen will likely get the nod in between the pipes because of a "reduction in our expected win probability."
As the kids say these days, "the math ain’t mathin’."
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Fans were just as confused by the statement.
Hellebuyck said it would have been nice to play in Winnipeg again after the Jets traded him to the Devils last month for Dawson Mercer, Nico Daws and a 2029 second-round draft pick.
"I know there’s a pretty sour taste in Winnipeg," Hellebuyck said. "But I can only speak to my memories and my cherished moments in the city. I’ve loved every part of my career there. However, I’m perceived, I’m going to choose love."
New Jersey is 13-5 this season, sitting just four points (26) behind the Carolina Hurricanes (30) for first place in the Metropolitan Division. The Boston Bruins are the only other team that have more points (27) than the Devils.
Hellebuyck has yet to lose as a goaltender for New Jersey. He has a 1.96 goals against average and makes 91.3% of his saves.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
AG Blanche clashes with anchor asking whether it's his 'job' to defend the Trump administration
Attorney General Todd Blanche repeatedly clashed with CNN host Dana Bash Sunday after explaining how he and the Department of Justice will respond to recent Democratic threats to investigate the Trump administration.
Since the Democratic Party's midterm election sweep, several prominent Democrats have used the opportunity to threaten legal action against President Donald Trump and members of his Cabinet. Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., who is poised to lead the House Oversight Committee, posted "lawyer up" in response to the midterm wins, as well as the news that Stephen Miller would be promoted to White House chief of staff.
Blanche defended Miller in an X post, writing that the Attorney General of the United States and the Department of Justice would defend the White House chief of staff, leading the "State of the Union" host to ask whether his job is focused on Trump Cabinet members.
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"Do you see it as your job as attorney general to represent anyone in the administration being investigated by Congress?" Bash said.
"Wait, do I see it as my job?" Blanche responded. "The Constitution sees it as my job. Just in every administration, the Department of Justice represents members of the executive who are brought in front of Congress. So, there is nothing unique to me saying that. Every attorney general in history represents members of the administration."
"And this idea that Congressman Garcia comes out and says, 'Oh, no, no. Stephen Miller needs his own personal lawyer.' I would suggest he read the Constitution," he continued. "If he doesn't have a copy, I can arrange to send him one. But the Constitution absolutely protects members of the executive, and I am the attorney general, and as that, like I do every day, we represent members of the administration who go in front of Congress. That's nothing unique to me."
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During the interview, Bash argued that Congress has an oversight role and asked whether Blanche was concerned about that.
"No, no, no," Blanche said. "They have a very unique role in oversight, I agree. Have you been listening to the rhetoric the past couple of days? You honestly think that all they’re doing is talking about their oversight obligations, when they’re talking about going after basically every member of the Cabinet? They’re talking about impeachments. They’re talking about going after companies, private companies, who happen to have made investments in this country over the past couple years. That is not oversight. I welcome oversight. Oversight is exactly something they should be doing."
"So are you saying that you are going to investigate them?" Bash said, referencing Trump's recent Truth Social post encouraging an investigation against Democrats. "And what you just described, is there a crime there?"
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Blanche answered that depending on what's said, there "could be" an investigation against some Democrats regarding their rhetoric against Trump. Blanche answered with a reference to recent remarks by Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., about hoping to discourage young conservatives from working in the government.
"You have free speech in this country. You are allowed to be critical of President Trump, of me, of this administration," Blanche said. "But when the threats become so vile and so dangerous that you are telling people in college that they better be careful if they want to work in the Trump administration because somebody will come after them, at some point you have to draw the line."
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House, the Department of Justice and Garcia's office for comment.
GOP faces daunting post-election test as grip on Congress nears end and more top headlines
1. Republicans brace for long to-do list as clock ticks before Democrat takeover
2. Suspected gunman who killed 6 in Poland's Krakow square dies in hospital after police shootout
3. Trump reveals the joke behind his surprise Dana White job offer
ELECTION FALLOUT — Trump responds to Vance's blunt explanation for Republicans' midterm defeat. Continue reading …
OVERSIGHT HOUR — Dem poised to chair DHS funding panel lays out where he stands on deportations. Continue reading …
'SHAME ON CHAPPELLE' — Dave Chappelle's sick Charlie Kirk 'joke' prompts angry backlash. Continue reading …
'ENORMOUS LOSS' — Two Army vet deputies killed in hostage rescue attempt leave behind wives and children. Continue reading …
HEATED RESPONSE — Jewish restaurant boycott triggers huge Philadelphia counterprotest showdown. Continue reading …
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‘VERY REAL THREAT’ — Sec. Rubio defends Trump's Iran war as not 'necessarily popular, but necessary.' Continue reading …
DARK MONEY MOVES — 'Grassroots' anti-Musk rally near Texas estate has well-funded secret. Continue reading …
WARRIOR'S BLUEPRINT — 'Chuck Norris of Florida politics’ has a message for the GOP after brutal midterms. Continue reading …
OVAL OFFICE REGRETS — Trump admits immigration enforcement may have been too 'tough' in first interview since midterms. Continue reading …
CROSSED THE LINE — Liberal podcasters apologize after laughing at joke about digging up Charlie Kirk's body. Continue reading …
RILEY GAINES — Voters sent two midterm messages, and Democrats will only hear one. Continue reading …
PAUL TELLER — Foreign investors are milking US taxpayers. Congress should stop them. Continue reading …
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TANGLED WEB — Nvidia CEO apologizes as board probes affair with alleged Chinese spy. Continue reading …
FALSE AUTHORITY — Fake federal agents push seniors to turn savings into gold bars for couriers to collect. Continue reading …
BROTHERLY DIVIDE — Prince William has 'learned' to live without Prince Harry as royal feud reaches breaking point, expert says. Continue reading …
AMERICAN CULTURE QUIZ — Test yourself on famous fragrances and concerning carry-ons. Take the quiz here …
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Mysterious blood-soaked relic linked to history's most beloved saint, St Francis of Assisi, goes on display
Christians visiting San Francisco have a rare opportunity to see an 800-year-old relic believed to contain the blood of one of history's most beloved saints, St. Francis of Assisi — marking the first time the artifact has left Italy.
The relics of the saint are currently on display at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption until Nov. 28.
The display commemorates the 800th anniversary of the death of Francis, who lived from approximately 1181 to 1226.
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The saint is best known for founding the Franciscan Order, as well as for being the patron saint of animals.
The exhibition includes a painted panel of the saint dating to around 1290 — but the crown jewel of the display is the Bandage Relic of the Stigmata of Saint Francis of Assisi, a centuries-old cloth believed to contain his blood.
Pictures of the relic on display show that the blood on the bandage still appears intensely red, even 800 years later.
The relics' arrival in San Francisco carries particular significance because the city was named after St. Francis, said Candida Moss, the Edward Cadbury professor of theology at the University of Birmingham.
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"People love St. Francis, but Francis isn't just venerated by Catholics," Moss told Fox News Digital, noting that he is also revered by Orthodox Christians, Anglicans and Lutherans.
"I think this will become temporarily a pilgrimage site," she added.
Moss said St. Francis' enduring popularity stems from his extraordinary transformation from a wealthy young man to someone who devoted his life to serving the poor.
"He starts off just like everyone else. He wanted to be a knight," she said. "And then he changes his life. He ministers to the poor. He has all of these stories about him preaching to birds."
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"These are all really endearing stories about a man devoted to God," added Moss.
The bloodstained bandages are tied to another defining moment in St. Francis' life, when he reportedly experienced a vision of a seraph, a six-winged angel, and received the stigmata — wounds resembling those suffered by Jesus Christ during the crucifixion.
"He then has these wounds for the rest of his life that link him on a spiritual level to Christ," Moss said.
"And so there are so many elements of this story, the miraculous, the sentimental, the relatable, that I think make Francis one of the most popular medieval saints, if not the most popular medieval saint."
The exhibition also raises questions about how centuries-old religious relics are preserved and authenticated, Moss said.
While St. Francis' relics have a documented chain of custody dating back to the monastery where he died, Moss said some objects previously attributed to the saint have turned out to be inauthentic.
One example is a tunic once believed to have belonged to St. Francis that was housed in Florence.
Carbon dating revealed that the garment was from about 150 years after his lifetime.
Moss suggested the garment was likely a "pious forgery" that had been mistakenly identified as a relic.
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Although some of St. Francis' other relics have been carbon-dated to the appropriate historical period, the bloodstained bandage currently on display has not undergone such testing, according to Moss.
The reason the blood on the centuries-old bandage still appears red remains unclear.
"Now, for religious people, the explanation might be [that] this is miraculous in some way," Moss said.
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"But there has been no scrutiny of this particular relic, which is the most important of the Francis relics," she added. "So we can't really say for certain why it is that it seems so well-preserved."
Despite the unanswered questions about the relic's preservation, Moss emphasized the rarity of the exhibition and its importance to church history.
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"I think [this] is a really singular opportunity to come into contact with really high-status relics," she said.
"You can't acquire anything like this," she said.
"You couldn't buy it on eBay, because it is against church protocols to buy this. And this is the first time that these relics have left Italy."
Moss added, "This is a really important part of church history, and it's worth seeing for yourself."
Florida governor-elect Byron Donalds seen hanging out with Fever star Sophie Cunningham at NASCAR race
Now that the dust has settled with the midterm elections in the rearview, it's safe to say Republicans took it on the chin.
Democrats made massive gains in both the House and Senate, and the GOP was left licking its wounds heading into a crucial 2028 election cycle.
Not all seems lost for conservatives though, particularly in the great state of Florida, where Ron DeSantis' successor Byron Donalds warded off David Jolly to keep the governor's office in Tallahassee red for at least the next four years.
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Donalds ran a hell of a campaign, and after doing his part to keep my home state red, I'd say Florida's newest governor has deserved to take a bit of a victory lap, with "lap" being the operative word.
The governor-elect was out and about at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in South Florida for Sunday's big NASCAR race, taking part in some much-needed rest and relaxation following a stressful campaign.
While taking in the sights and sounds on race day, Donalds and his family ran into a familiar face and decided to pose for a photo op.
That's a lot of star power in one Instagram post.
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The Indiana Fever star has drummed up plenty of controversy in recent months, going against the grain of her fellow WNBA colleagues with her seemingly conservative stances on things like trans men in women's sports.
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The photo op can't just be a coincidence of two "important people" posing together for the 'Gram, and Donalds' caption seems to confirm a lot of the suspicions that Cunningham isn't just another left wing mouthpiece like some of the other players in her league.
"Keep speaking up, Sophie. The truth ALWAYS wins in the end," Donalds said, likely referring to Cunningham's comments on trans athletes.
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Cunningham was recently criticized for sharing Andy Frisella's message emphasizing self-improvement over faith in elections on Instagram following the midterms.
This certainly won't help her standing with the libs, but I would venture a guess Sophie doesn't give much of a damn.
MATT CALKINS: Democrats' push to overturn girls' sports vote shows they don't actually care about democracy
There is no official scorecard on this one, but if there is one word I've heard more than any other from Democratic politicians over the past several years, it might be "democracy."
Kamala Harris repeatedly made "democracy is on the ballot" a central theme of her presidential campaign. California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared that "democracy is under assault across this nation." House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries promised that "we are going to fight for our democracy, fight for the rule of law, and fight for the Constitution against those who want to turn back the clock."
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These are three examples from a potential list of 3,000. One question, though: Why does democracy stop mattering once these Democratic politicians don't get what they want?
In this case, I'm referring specifically to the passing of Washington state's Initiative 638, which would enforce the separation of boys and girls in K-12 sports if it goes into effect. The reason I used "if" is because there are a lot of Democrats in Washington hellbent on overturning the will of the people.
To be clear, this was not a tight race. The AP called it when the "yes" side of I-638 held a 13% lead with 88 percent of the votes counted. But almost immediately, Democrats decided democracy wasn't a necessity so much as an inconvenience.
It started with Rep. Pramila Jayapal, who spoke openly about overturning the initiatives at an election-night gathering before the results were even final.
"We are going to take our state back," Jayapal said. "We're going to start planning for how we overturn these bad initiatives and how we go back to loving everyone with gender inclusivity the way we have for decades."
It continued with Washington State Democratic Party Chair Shasti Conrad, who made clear two days later that the election results weren't going to settle the issue.
"While this result is incredibly disheartening, voters in Washington and across the nation rejected anti-trans candidates up and down the ballot," Conrad said in a statement last Thursday. "The fight over I-638 is just beginning. We believe this initiative is unconstitutional on its face and support organizations planning to challenge it in court."
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One of those organizations is Gender Justice League, a Seattle-based LGBTQ advocacy group whose executive director, Danni Askini, told KUOW that it was exploring legal options to challenge the initiative.
"We are having active conversations with our partners and also evaluating what legal options are available to us," Askini said. "If there is an avenue, we will challenge this ballot measure in court on behalf of our members and our community and trans youth."
There was even a writer named Robert Cruickshank, who penned an essay for The Bulletin in Seattle comparing I-638 to California's Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in the Golden State in 2008. Cruickshank laid out a two-pronged strategy for overturning I-638: challenging it in court while simultaneously pursuing a political effort to repeal it.
For one, protecting girls from the athletically superior sex in sports is not the same as denying gay people the right to wed. The latter does not have a victim. But all these examples highlight that, to Democrats, democracy doesn't die in darkness — it dies in broad daylight when the wrong side wins.
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None of this is to say that legal challenges to ballot measures are inherently illegitimate. In fact, they are a fundamental part of our constitutional framework. It's just funny that when a vote goes one way for the Democrats, it's "the people have spoken," and when it goes another way, it's "the people have spoken out of turn."
I was at the Washington state cross country finals Saturday, where a boy who switched to the girls' team midseason was competing. Several girls voiced their relief that they wouldn't have to deal with this issue again next season.
Democratic leaders have been ignoring those girls' voices all year. Seems they're ignoring the people who voted in their favor, too.
NFL Week 9 Sunday takeaways: Bengals, 49ers and Packers look Super, Rams finally over .500
We're essentially at the halfway point of the NFL season, and the playoff races are heating up and starting to take shape. I'd like to think I've figured out which teams are good and which teams are bad. Of course, I thought that a month ago, too, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't go back and check.
Here's my biggest takeaway from each game on the Week 9 Sunday slate.
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Takeaway: Bengals have their flaws, but this is a championship-caliber team.
Cincinnati made a habit of getting off to slow starts and had to rally from 13-point deficits in each of the past two weeks, including needing overtime to beat the lowly Titans. After allowing the Falcons to score a touchdown on their first drive, the Bengals dominated in Spain. It was another come-from-behind victory, but this one wasn't a sweat.
Cincinnati answered with four straight scoring drives to take a 24-10 lead into halftime. Atlanta never got closer than a 7-point deficit in the second half, and when they did cut it to one score, Cincinnati immediately answered with another touchdown. If the Bengals defense can keep playing like it did on Sunday, there's little that can be done to stop Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
Takeaway: A win is a win.
We shouldn't pretend the New York Giants are a great football team, but they are 5-2-1 on the year and comfortably in first place in the NFC East. Hiring Super Bowl-winning coach John Harbaugh after Baltimore fired him already looks like a home run for New York. The Giants have dealt with a ton of injuries, including to starting quarterback Jaxson Dart, but they've managed to keep the season on track.
Takeaway: Sean Payton owes NFL referees a fruit basket or something.
The Denver Broncos have won two games this season thanks in large part to controversial calls that benefitted them. On Sunday, officials flagged the Panthers 13 times for 119 yards, including several third-down penalties that kept Denver drives alive. That's not to say they were all bad calls, but it definitely seemed like the Broncos got the better side of the yellow markers.
Officials also allowed Payton to challenge an incompletion after Carolina had already run another play, saying he had thrown the flag before the snap. The review gave Denver the ball on Devon Key's interception. Despite all that, they still almost blew a 12-point lead with less than 6 minutes remaining, but got a huge strip-sack from Nik Bonitto to seal the win.
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Takeaway: Don't look now, but the "superteam" is finally over .500.
Perhaps no team in the NFL has been hurt by injuries more than the Rams, but for the first time this season, they have more wins than losses. It wasn't pretty, as most of their games haven't been, but Los Angeles managed to hang on to win their third straight game after a 2-4 start. Sean McVay has brought the Rams back from slow starts before, and they are starting to get healthy, with Myles Garrett returning on Sunday. They still don't look like the team that everyone thought was definitely going to win the Super Bowl, but they probably aren't a team that opponents are going to want to face in January.
Takeaway: Kansas City did what it was supposed to do.
When a team as good as the Chiefs hosts a team as bad as the Jets, they're supposed to run them out of the building. And that's exactly what Kansas City did. The Chiefs outscored the Jets 21-0 in the second half and cruised to a victory. They also survived an injury scare involving Patrick Mahomes' right arm. Mahomes was shaken up but returned for Kansas City's next possession. His health is worth monitoring because an injury to Mahomes is about the only thing that could derail Kansas City's hopes for a fourth Super Bowl title in eight seasons.
Takeaway: The Lions won a game they should have won, so good for them.
Detroit didn't exactly put on an offensive clinic, but it didn't need to against the Dolphins. Jake Bates kicked four field goals, Jahmyr Gibbs scored the game's only touchdown and the Lions defense kept Miami out of the end zone. The Lions have now won four straight and sit at 6-2, which matters a lot more than this one win. Beating the 1-7 Dolphins isn't going to convince anyone of anything they didn't already think about Detroit, but losing to them certainly would have.
Takeaway: Neither of these teams is very good.
The Cowboys and Colts turned in one of the most entertaining games of Week 9. Indianapolis kicked a go-ahead 50-yard field goal with 1:37 left, only for Dallas to respond with a game-winning touchdown less than 30 seconds later. But don't mistake exciting and entertaining for... good. The Colts have basically punted on the season, and the Cowboys still needed a late touchdown to beat them. The game featured 23 penalties and four turnovers combined, with Dallas racking up an unconscionable 153 penalty yards. Miraculously, the Cowboys are still very much alive in the NFC East, but they aren't a very good team.
Takeaway: Shedeur Sanders did enough to create a QB controversy in Cleveland.
For much of Sunday's game, Sanders looked a lot like Deshaun Watson (with regard to his play, not the ... other stuff). His 297 yards and two touchdowns look better than his actual performance, and his receivers deserve plenty of credit for that. But his 30-yard strike to Jerry Jeudy while taking a huge hit from Chase Young helped set up the game-tying field goal and was probably the best throw by a Browns quarterback this season.
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Sanders then helped put Cleveland in position to win in overtime before a failed two-point attempt ended it. Watson hasn't exactly done enough to cement his status as the starter. If the Browns are going to get uneven quarterback play no matter who starts, why not let the 24-year-old develop through it?
Takeaway: Someone is going to have to get fired.
The obvious choice is offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, but the Chargers' problems run deeper than just McDaniel (although he certainly isn't helping). Los Angeles went 12 full quarters (the equivalent of three NFL games) without scoring an offensive touchdown before finally breaking through. By then, they already trailed 38-9 in the fourth quarter.
That's the real problem: Los Angeles isn't even competitive at this point. This was their third straight loss by at least 15 points, and five of their eight losses have been by double digits. Disaster and dumpster fire don't even fully encapsulate the mess that the Chargers are right now. The bigger question is whether the Chargers use what's likely to be a top-five pick in the NFL Draft on a quarterback to replace Justin Herbert.
Takeaway: Brock Purdy should be the NFL MVP favorite.
Purdy isn't the most talented or flashiest player in the league, but what he's doing this season can't be overstated. The 49ers have been decimated at the wide receiver position, with Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel currently out, Brandon Aiyuk off doing who knows what, and Ricky Pearsall and Christian Kirk on IR. Purdy has completed 69% of his passes and is on pace to throw for over 4,000 yards this season. Jordan Watkins, who entered Sunday with eight career catches, led the team with 86 receiving yards and a touchdown. It almost doesn't matter who suits up at receiver for San Francisco; if he's wearing a 49ers jersey, Purdy is going to find a way to get him the ball and put points on the board.
Takeaway: There's not a lot to take away from this game.
The Cardinals stink, but we already knew that. The Seahawks are probably good, but we still don't really know. Drew Lock started in place of Sam Darnold, so we didn't learn much about Seattle's offense. And shutting down a Gardner Minshew-led Arizona offense doesn't tell us much about a defense that allowed 34 points to the Bears one week after holding the Chiefs to three. Seattle has been up and down following its Super Bowl championship, but this game ultimately didn't answer any real questions. Those are going to be answered on Nov. 29, when the Seahawks travel to San Francisco to face the NFC West-leading 49ers.
Takeaway: I'm trying not to overreact, but my goodness, the Packers look incredible.
This isn't the same Patriots team that reached the Super Bowl last season, and it certainly isn't the same Drake Maye who finished second in NFL MVP voting. That being said, New England isn't that bad. Yet Green Bay made New England's defense look like it was playing with nine players. And the Packers defense forced four turnovers, including three interceptions of Maye.
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Since Atlanta embarrassed Green Bay in Week 3, the Packers are 5-1, and their only loss came in a game they really should have won at Detroit. They have some big games coming up against the Vikings and Rams, and we're going to find out if this team is really the Super Bowl contender it has looked like over the past six games.
Takeaway: NFL fans got the full Caleb Williams experience on Sunday Night Football.
Williams is probably the most physically gifted quarterback in the NFL right now and arguably the most talented thrower of the football in the world. But questions about his decision-making remain. For the first 21 minutes of Sunday Night Football, Williams looked like the best quarterback in the NFL. He was making throws that no one else in the league could make, firing pass after pass off platform and hitting his receivers in stride.
But the problem with guys like Williams, who are capable of making every throw, is that they start to think they WILL make every throw. He started forcing the ball, throwing interceptions on consecutive passes in the second quarter. He threw a third pick on the team's final drive of the first half and added another in the third quarter.
Williams completed 11 of his first 16 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns. His next 16 attempts produced just seven completions, 73 yards and four interceptions. Fortunately for Williams and the Bears, Tampa Bay managed just three points off his four interceptions, and Baker Mayfield threw two picks of his own, including a pick-six.
The tools are all there, but if the Bears are going to be true Super Bowl contenders, Williams has to clean up the mistakes. Quickly.
Rubio defends Trump's Iran war as not 'necessarily popular, but necessary'
Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended President Donald Trump's decision to launch the war on Iran, saying it was "necessary" to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Rubio admitted that the war was not "necessarily popular," acknowledging the war's impact on the Republicans' midterm election losses last week. Rubio made the statement in response to questions about Vice President JD Vance's statement last week that also pinned the losses on the war.
Rubio said Trump was responding to a "very real threat" when he launched the war earlier this year.
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"He addressed it even though oftentimes the right thing to do for the country — confronting difficult challenges for the security of our country — doing it isn’t necessarily popular, but necessary," Rubio said.
Trump himself has made no apologies for the war, stating repeatedly since Election Day that he had no choice but to intervene in Iran's nuclear program.
TRUMP SAYS HE DOESN’T DISAGREE WITH VANCE THAT IRAN WAR FUELED GOP LOSSES
"I can tell you if I had it to do again, this historically — for history — will go down as one of the best things we ever did," Trump told reporters on Sunday. "Because if they ever had a nuclear weapon, they would blow up the world."
Trump nevertheless told "60 Minutes" in an interview this weekend that he is not currently looking to escalate the conflict.
The U.S. and Iran are engaged in talks, but Rubio says they are making little progress.
"I wouldn’t say we’re at the verge of a breakthrough," Rubio said. "Right now, it hasn’t been very productive because the Iranian demands are simply not just unacceptable, but in some cases outrageous and ridiculous and really not realistic."
Iran lifted its self-imposed ballistic missile-range limit and threatened to unleash new, homegrown weapons on Sunday within hours of the U.S. military launching a new task force aimed at choking off Tehran's weapons shipments and illicit trade on Nov. 7.
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) spokesperson Brig. Gen. Hossein Mohebbi confirmed that Iran was now abandoning its previous 2,000-kilometer, or roughly 1,240-mile, ballistic missile-range restriction.
"That restriction has been lifted for us," Mohebbi clarified in the wake of the task force announcement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
NBC skips national anthem on 'Sunday Night Football' from Soldier Field on Veterans Day week
NBC's "Sunday Night Football" broadcast is often the highest-rated show on television, and the lead up to the game before kickoff more or less marks the beginning of the broadcast so it was noticeable when Sunday night's broadcast skipped the national anthem.
... On a week the NFL is memorializing its Salute To Service campaign.
... Three days shy of Veterans Day.
... Before a game played at Chicago's Soldier Field.
Talk about missing the plot.
All audiences saw after NBC did its booth introduction talk between analyst Cris Collinsworth and play-by-play man Noah Eagle was a pregame interview with Bears quarterback Caleb Williams before viewers saw an aerial view of the field during which flag bearers were carrying a folded field-sized American flag back into one of the stadium's tunnels.
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OutKick contacted NBC executive vice president of communications Greg Hughes and senior vice president of communications Chris McCloskey to ask why the national anthem was omitted from the broadcast.
Neither executive had responded as of publication.
NBC did cover the trade of defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons to the Bears. It did broadcast the "show anthem" featuring Carrie Underwood.
Viewers, meanwhile, have apparently noticed "The Star-Spangled Banner's" absence – at least some on social media.
The decision to broadcast the national anthem is not generally made by the NFL. It is not a club decision. It is a network decision.
So this is apparently an editorial decision at NBC.
One must note that this is not the first national anthem misstep prior to a Bears game this season.
On September 28, the Bears hosted a Mariachi Herencia de Mexico to perform the national anthem on ESPN/ABC's Monday Night Football.
The Chicago-based band performed an instrumental mariachi version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" as part of the Bears’ Hispanic Heritage Month "Vamos Bears" celebration.
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It was met with mixed reactions.
What was not met with mixed reaction was injured Bears quarterback Caleb Williams shown pacing along the sideline while the anthem was being played.
Perhaps NBC simply wanted to avoid all possibilities of offending anyone by not televising the national anthem altogether.
It didn't work.