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Duffy teases 'unprecedented fraud crackdown' announcement with DHS, DOJ
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy on Sunday teased an upcoming announcement about the Trump administration's fraud crackdown.
In a post on X, Duffy said there would be "unprecedented fraud crackdown" announcement on Monday.
"TOMORROW: UNPRECEDENTED FRAUD CRACKDOWN," the secretary wrote.
WHITE HOUSE LAUNCHES INTERACTIVE MAP TRACKING BILLIONS IN SUSPECTED FRAUD
In the post, he also tagged Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Justice and the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, suggesting a multi-department effort targeting fraud.
Duffy did not disclose details of the announcement, including when or where it will take place, what type of fraud will be discussed or whether any arrests have been made.
The announcement comes amid the administration's broader crackdown on fraud. Trump established the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud in March to coordinate efforts involving federal benefit programs.
TRUMP ADMIN INVESTIGATING 75 TRUCK DRIVER SCHOOLS FOR FRAUD, HELPING NON-CITIZENS GET LICENSES
The DOJ has also created a National Fraud Enforcement Division to investigate and prosecute the theft or fraudulent misuse of taxpayer dollars.
Duffy’s Department of Transportation has worked with DHS in recent months to crack down on alleged fraud and safety violations in the commercial trucking industry, including improperly issued commercial driver’s licenses, fraudulent driving schools and unvetted foreign drivers.
The agencies announced a joint investigation in July into about 75 commercial driving schools suspected of fraud, including allegedly falsifying training records and improperly certifying drivers. The two departments have also conducted roadside enforcement operations targeting unqualified foreign commercial drivers.
Accused NC killer mom plans insanity defense — as retired judge says more may follow Lindsay Clancy strategy
The insanity defense planned by a North Carolina mother accused of killing her son has drawn parallels to Lindsay Clancy’s trial and raised questions about whether it could become prevalent in criminal cases.
Andrea Faust, 41, is charged with murder and attempted murder in the Feb. 12 death of her 3-year-old son and the attempted murder of her 2-year-old son at their home in Durham, North Carolina.
Her attorneys have filed notice that they intend to rely on defenses of not guilty by reason of insanity and diminished capacity, WRAL reported.
The case is drawing parallels to Clancy’s Massachusetts trial. Retired Massachusetts Superior Judge Jack Lu said he expects similar defenses to be raised more often as the Clancy case draws national attention to postpartum mental-health conditions.
Clancy has pleaded not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility in the 2023 deaths of her three children. Her defense argued she suffered from postpartum psychosis, while prosecutors argue she understood her actions and acted deliberately.
Jurors ended a second day of deliberations Friday without reaching a verdict. They will return on Monday morning to continue working toward a verdict.
In Faust’s case, the filing does not establish that she was legally insane or had diminished capacity. Her attorney, Nicole Galinsky, told the local outlet that a defense expert concluded Faust could not distinguish right from wrong during the alleged murders.
"Andrea and Lindsay’s cases are eerily similar, though not entirely the same," Galinsky told Fox News Digital.
Galinsky noted that Faust was not suffering from postpartum psychosis.
"However, both women were known to be loving, doting, responsible mothers who were worried about and caring for their children up until the very second they decided to kill them," Galinsky said, adding that Faust and Clancy were both struggling with similar issues, including hallucinations, hospitalizations and mental health.
"Neither woman did this out of the blue," Galinsky said in an email. "Both were struggling enormously with their mental health. But, like most women and almost all moms, they were just trying to get through each day, care for their children, be a good mom/wife/employee. Both were seeking help from doctors who weren’t really taking their concerns seriously.
"Both of these cases highlight the failure in our society to take women and mothers seriously when it comes to their mental health. Both of these women advocated for themselves countless times and—for what? It got them nowhere.
"I am hopeful that our case will demonstrate how to properly treat and rehabilitate a woman living her own worst nightmare. Lindsay Clancy was not given that luxury."
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Lu said society and the legal system have not fully understood the effects postpartum mental illness can have on behavior and criminal responsibility.
"Most of the time, these criminal responsibility, insanity, mental health defenses are unsuccessful," Lu told Fox News Digital.
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Although he is not a mental-health expert, Lu said the Clancy trial has challenged and changed his own understanding of what a person might experience.
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"I had no real understanding of what a person like Ms. Clancy was going through until this trial," he said.
Faust was found incapable of proceeding to trial in March after court records documented serious concerns about her mental health and safety, according to WRAL.
Central Regional Hospital later found her capable of proceeding as of May 21. Her attorney said another evaluation would examine her mental state at the time of the alleged offenses.
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Lu said mental-health defenses should receive more serious consideration because they can explain behavior and reduce moral culpability. But allegations involving children create an especially difficult path with jurors, he said.
"These cases should have legs," Lu said, "but unfortunately society and juries don’t give them much credence."
Rockies player benched after flipping off Braves fans, caught on video giving the bird
Colorado Rockies rookie center fielder Cole Carrigg found himself in the doghouse after flipping off Atlanta Braves fans during Saturday's 2-1 loss at Truist Park.
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As Colorado clung to a 1-0 lead, Carrigg dove for Michael Harris II's fly ball but came up empty. The ball went for a two-run double, giving Atlanta the lead.
As Braves fans let him hear it, Carrigg lost his cool and flipped the bird toward the stands. Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer publicly condemned the gesture and said Carrigg would remain out of the starting lineup for a couple of days.
"Cole made a mistake, and he knows that is an embarrassment to the organization and that we don't stand for that," Schaeffer said. "Listen, everybody makes mistakes. It is just one that he has to learn from. It is just that we will not put up with that here."
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Despite being held out of Sunday's starting lineup, Carrigg entered the series finale as a pinch hitter. He went 0-for-2 with a strikeout, then remained in the game at center field and shortstop.
Carrigg owned the lapse in judgment afterward.
BREWERS PITCHER ABNER URIBE APOLOGIZES AFTER CONTROVERSIAL STRIKEOUT CELEBRATION SPARKS BACKLASH
"First, I apologize to my teammates and the organization, that's not how I want to represent us," Carrigg said. "That's inexcusable on my part.
"With that being said, I'm somebody who's going to play at 110 percent every game and give my all to this team and to the game to try to win ballgames. That was a play that I felt could or could not have won the game, so I'm very passionate about that.
"Braves fans are pretty passionate themselves. Kudos to them. But that gesture can't happen."
Flipping off fans gets you benched every time. But in a league full of canned answers, at least Cole Carrigg actually cares. Take the licks, learn the lesson, and move on.
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela
Many are making the argument that Jordan Travis was the greatest college QB of all time, and they aren't wrong
A lot has already been made about Florida State's lackluster 17-point win over New Mexico State on Saturday night.
To most Seminoles fans, their week zero showing was just a microcosm of how rotten things have gotten in the past few years under the tutelage of head coach Mike Norvell.
With the win, Norvell improved to a paltry 8-17 since the beginning of 2024, and failing to cover a 31.5-point spread against an undermanned G6 school did little to quell the bloodthirsty masses in Tallahassee.
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But it wasn't always this way between Norvell and the fans.
There was a time not too long ago when all was right in the land of garnet and gold.
You see, prior to 2024, Norvell and the Seminoles were seen as a program on the rise, due in large part to a 23-4 stretch between 2022 and 2023 that featured an ACC Championship, back-to-back top-10 finishes, and dominant wins over perennial rivals like Miami and Florida.
What went wrong?
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Much of that ground was covered in a previous article, but Saturday night's performance prompted a notable number of observers to focus on one name in particular — someone they argue carried Norvell to an inflated record and, in turn, a lucrative contract extension that has since bound him to Florida State for the foreseeable future.
Jordan Travis.
On the surface, it seems like an absurd claim that Travis would be in the discussion for greatest college quarterback of all time, let alone one of the best players overall.
He certainly is far from the most accomplished.
A one-time conference champion, a two-time All-ACC selection, and the 2023 ACC Player of the Year, Travis carved out a solid career with plenty of great stats and moments to make him one of the more revered Seminole quarterbacks post-Jameis Winston.
But if you juxtapose how bad this Florida State team has been since his departure, it almost perfectly explains the downfall of this once-proud program.
To be fair, plenty of other players on those 2022 and 2023 FSU teams had a part in Norvell's rise.
Look across the NFL landscape, and you're bound to spot guys like Jared Verse, Braden Fiske, Keon Coleman, and Jammie Robinson on professional rosters, but Travis was the engine that made it all run so smoothly.
Even that 2023 team that went undefeated in the regular season dropped off a cliff the instant Travis suffered his unfortunate injury that would ultimately end his playing career.
Before losing Travis, the Noles were averaging a robust 38.8 points per game on offense.
That number cratered to just 14.3 without him.
Granted, it's a small sample size, but the way the team played without him even in that short stretch backs up this theory.
FLORIDA STATE QUARTERBACK ASHTON DANIELS IS NOT HAPPY WITH PERCEIVED ON3 QB RANKINGS SNUB
FSU escaped an absolute dogfight against a five-win Florida team, then immediately followed that up with a season-low 16 points against Louisville in the ACC title game.
I won't even include the 63-3 beatdown against Georgia in the Orange Bowl because I don't feel like arguing with rabid Noles fans, but the point remains the same.
The very next year, despite signing yet another loaded portal class, the Seminoles bottomed out with a 2-10 record.
Things didn't get much better in 2025, which brings us to now.
Together, Travis and Norvell posted a 29-10 record, and if you look at Norvell's overall record at Florida State (39-34), you don't need to be a math wiz to figure out the former had a lot to do with the latter's success.
Numbers don't even tell the whole story, either.
Travis was basically the football equivalent of Houdini, consistently bailing Norvell out of suboptimal play calls with his wizardry both in and out of the pocket.
So, is Jordan Travis the greatest college football player of all time?
Probably not, but you could certainly make the argument that he is perhaps the most underrated or underappreciated player of all time.
For crying out loud, Mike Norvell was getting floated as a successor to Nick Saban at Alabama just two and a half years ago.
Now FSU fans are practically begging another program to come along and take their embattled head coach off their hands.
Call that the Jordan Travis Effect.
Here's hoping anytime the two are in the same city, Norvell picks up the tab when they have dinner together.
After all, it's the least he could do for the guy.
Parkgoer airlifted after Batman roller coaster incident leaves man with fractures to both legs
Panic and confusion followed at a theme park in Spain Saturday after a ride on a Batman-themed roller coaster left a visitor with fractures to both legs, according to local reports.
The incident occurred on the Batman Gotham City Escape at Parque Warner Madrid, the the park said in a post on X.
The 49-year-old rider reportedly suffered an open fracture in his left leg and a closed fracture in his right leg, Europa Press reported, citing emergency officials.
According to the park, the ride opened in 2023 and was Spain’s first multi-launch roller coaster. The roller coaster features three launches that propel riders upward at high speeds and four inversions that leave riders briefly hanging upside down.
Park officials said the ride was stopped immediately and emergency procedures were promptly activated.
EIGHT RIDERS LEFT DANGLING ATOP 100-FOOT ROLLER COASTER FOR OVER THREE HOURS AT TEXAS AMUSEMENT PARK
"The affected person was attended to immediately by emergency medical services," Parque Warner said.
First responders then airlifted the visitor to a nearby hospital, Europa Press reported.
Another visitor, Juan José Molina, described panic among some parkgoers.
"There were people crying and having anxiety attacks," he said.
Parque Warner said the roller coaster will remain closed while management reviews the incident in coordination with authorities.
Beloved Texas chiropractor, hiking group among those unaccounted for after Grand Canyon flash flood
A Texas chiropractor and the hiking group he was with are among those reported missing or unaccounted for after a flash flood tore through a remote stretch of the Grand Canyon, according to a public plea from his wife.
Dr. John Giusti, a chiropractor and father of three from Granbury, Texas, was hiking and camping in the canyon when floodwaters swept through Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area on Aug. 29, his wife said in an update shared by Whipple City Family Chiropractic.
"Please pray for Dr. John’s safety," she wrote.
The family’s update said Giusti’s hiking group is "among those currently reported missing and unaccounted for." It said National Park Service search-and-rescue teams were conducting ground sweeps and helicopter operations across the canyon floor.
PARK VISITORS FACE FLOOD DANGER OUT WEST WHILE SEVERE STORMS RIP THROUGH NY, NJ
His wife asked ChiroHabit’s community to keep "my husband, his hiking group, and our families" in their thoughts and prayers, adding that the family would share official updates as they are confirmed by park authorities.
"Dr. John is the heart of ChiroHabit, but above all, he is a deeply loved husband, father and pillar of our family," she wrote.
Photos posted to Giusti’s ChiroHabit business page also show him in the Grand Canyon before the flooding began.
The National Park Service has not publicly identified the approximately 15 people it is working to locate or account for, and officials have not confirmed Giusti’s name.
The agency is asking anyone who knows of hikers or backpackers who were in the Bright Angel Creek corridor on Aug. 29 or who had a campground reservation there to contact investigators.
Giusti practiced chiropractic care for 19 years and was a partner at Whipple City Family Chiropractic in New York for eight years before moving to Granbury in 2020, according to his business biography.
He and his wife, Janet, are raising three daughters in Texas. Outside of work, Giusti enjoys hiking, hunting, fishing, running and martial arts, his practice said.
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Separately, the National Park Service said Sunday evening that recovery operations had been completed for a 46-year-old man near Crystal Rapids along the Colorado River. The Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office was on scene.
NPS did not identify the man, disclose a cause of death or say whether his recovery was connected to the search for people who remain unaccounted for after the flooding.
The flash flood began at about 2:30 p.m. on Aug. 29, according to the National Park Service. As of Sunday morning, 62 people had been evacuated from Phantom Ranch and the lower North Kaibab Trail, and no injuries had been reported.
Nearly all footbridges across Bright Angel Creek were destroyed, cutting off hiker access across the waterway. The flooding also forced the closure of Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Campground, the North Kaibab Trail to Phantom Ranch, Black Bridge, Silver Bridge and the Colorado River to river traffic.
EXPERTS ZERO IN ON LIKELY CAUSE OF DEADLY NEPAL MUDSLIDE, WITH MORE THAN 1,400 MISSING
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said her "heart is with the families and loved ones of every person unaccounted for after the flash flooding at the Grand Canyon."
Hobbs said the Arizona Division of Emergency Management is coordinating with the National Park Service and Coconino County Emergency Management to support search and recovery efforts.
Anyone with information about people who may have been in the affected corridor is asked to contact the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch Tip Line at 888-653-0009 or nps_isb@nps.gov.
California mom has both legs amputated after suspected impaired driver plows into her restaurant lunch table
An elderly California mother had both her legs amputated after an alleged impaired driver crashed into the outdoor dining area of a restaurant where she was eating lunch.
Cristina Vargas, 81, was enjoying lunch at a sidewalk table outside Los Cinco Puntos in Los Angeles' Boyle Heights with her daughter, Gabriela Vargas, and their male friend when the SUV plowed into them at around 3:30 p.m. on July 7.
Surveillance footage obtained by KTLA shows an SUV veering onto the sidewalk and into the outdoor dining area.
Screeching tires were heard just before the SUV hit the group, sending patrons, the table and other items flying.
ARIZONA GRANDPA TO UNDRGO AMPUTATION AFTER COLLAPSING ON SCORCHING SIDEWALK
"I remember I just heard screeching and I was lifting up my head and I just saw headlights and a bumper and I heard a big boom," Gabriela told KTLA. "The next thing I knew, I was airborne."
Cristina’s lower body was pinned under the vehicle and Gabriela suffered a head injury and a deep laceration on her knee. The two women and their male friend were rushed to a hospital for treatment.
Gabriela and the male friend have since recovered from their injuries, but Cristina's injuries were significantly worse and faces a long road to recovery.
Cristina underwent three surgeries and later had both of her legs amputated. She said she is thankful to be alive and has maintained a positive mindset.
She has been undergoing physical therapy at a rehabilitation center and will soon be allowed to go back home.
Cristina, a widowed mother of two, said she is looking forward to being surrounded by her family and friends.
"My goal is to give her the best quality of care from here on out," Gabriela said of her mother.
A police report alleges that the driver was impaired at the time of the crash. The unidentified woman was arrested and charged with multiple felonies, according to KTLA.
A GoFundMe created by a friend for the Vargas family has raised more than $30,000 as of Sunday night. The fundraiser said the family is facing massive medical bills, ongoing rehabilitation and daily living expenses.
"Cristina will need significant support to adapt to her new disability, including making their home accessible and covering the costs of specialized care. The road ahead is long and challenging, but with your help, they can focus on healing rather than the overwhelming financial stress," the fundraiser reads.
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The fundraiser described Cristina as a "vibrant and social person with a true lust for life."
"She loved to dance and was a regular at events at the senior center, bringing joy and energy wherever she went," the GoFundMe reads. "Her vivacious spirit and love for connecting with others made her a beloved member of the community. This sudden change is especially heartbreaking for someone who has always embraced life so fully and actively."
In an Aug. 17 update, Gabriela thanked supporters and said the recovery was progressing slowly.
"Thank you everybody for your love and support. We greatly appreciate it. It's a slow recovery but day by day we're getting through it. My mom's spirits remain hopeful as do mine. Recovery is very painful but she's giving it her all," Gabriela said.
Hasan Piker insists Abdul El-Sayed asked him to 'stump' for Michigan campaign amid backlash
Twitch streamer Hasan Piker said that Democratic Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed asked him to "stump" for his campaign during an interview Friday following the intense backlash the Democratic politician has faced for appearing with him.
Piker spoke to Semafor columnist David Weigel about the backlash he has received from Democrats since appearing on the campaign trail with El-Sayed, which he claimed was El-Sayed's idea, not his.
"He asked me to stump for him, and I had not considered that ever before," Piker said. "I'd never really delivered a speech like that before."
Piker added that he had previously decided to get more involved with politics through New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's campaign but did not face significant backlash for that effort compared to campaigning for El-Sayed. He explained that after campaigning for El-Sayed, establishment Democrats and think tanks like Third Way came out to attack him.
"I'll admit I didn't realize how much the media would think that this is different," he continued. "I had no idea that in the mindset of, you know, people in D.C., in the mindset of like, establishment media, doing a rally with a politician was apparently far more consequential than flying out to Dearborn and, like, working out with him, doing profiles, fundraising for him. I didn't realize that it was a very different thing," Piker said.
He continued, "I did not realize that people would get so mad about it because, from my perspective, who cares if I'm doing a rally with a politician? I'm like, I've already had the guy on, like, a hundred times on the broadcast. You know, I've fundraised for him. I like him a lot. I have my disagreements with him, too, of course. But that was when the onslaught came in."
ABDUL EL-SAYED PLAYS DOWN HASAN PIKER TIES AFTER STREAMER’S VIRAL ANTISEMITISM FIRESTORM
Fox News Digital reached out to El-Sayed's campaign for comment.
El-Sayed has received intense scrutiny for campaigning with Piker despite the far-left Twitch streamer's history of controversial statements, such as claiming America "deserved" 9/11.
More recently, El-Sayed has attempted to distance himself from Piker after he suggested Jewish Americans were "making antisemitism worse" by voicing their support of Israel. El-Sayed has since repeatedly referred to Piker as "a streamer from California" with no relevancy to the race.
"I am not interested in a conversation about a social media person in California. And to folks who want to make this about a social media person in California, let’s not forget what actually matters in our politics, what our politics are really about," El-Sayed told reporters during Saturday's state Democratic Party Nominating Convention.
MICHIGAN DEMOCRAT DEMANDS REPORTERS STOP ASKING 'ABOUT HASAN PIKER' AHEAD OF SENATE RACE
He added, "I don’t ever want my comments to hurt anybody’s feelings. It’s important to me that people understand that I take serious [sic] the pain of all communities in this state. But I don’t want to have a conversation about a Twitch streamer in California. This is not a serious conversation."
In a comment to Fox News Digital, El-Sayed also apologized for his past comments made in response to an attack on a Michigan synagogue in March, where he remarked, "Hurt people, hurt people."
"To anybody who feels like my comments may have been hurtful, I’m really sorry. That was not my intention. We condemned that terrorist attack. We condemned it outright," El-Sayed told Fox News Digital. "What I was trying to do was offer context for why it happened, but it wasn’t the time for context and you don’t ever want to trample somebody’s pain."
Nicolás Maduro flashes peace signs in first prison photos since US capture in Caracas
Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro appeared in photos posted to his social media accounts Sunday, offering the first known glimpse of him inside a New York prison since his capture by U.S. forces in January.
Maduro, who was flown to the U.S. following a major military operation in Caracas, has been in custody for eight months at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn while facing drug trafficking charges.
In the photos, shared to Maduro’s X account, the former dictator wore a matching gray sweatsuit with white sneakers and appeared noticeably thinner as he stood against a plain wall.
Maduro said he shared the images as a small gift of hope to his family and supporters, assuring them that "we will remain strong, serene, and confident" and that "Venezuela will be reborn."
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"I send these photos as a small gift to all my grandsons and granddaughters, to the boys and girls, and to all the noble people who love us," Maduro said.
"I want you to know that we stand firm, with our hearts full of your love, that love that reaches us transformed into prayer, into constant action, into solidarity and true support. Infinite thanks for every word, for every gesture, for every blessing."
"Enjoy this small gift with joy and hope. Cilia and I embrace you forever, with our souls devoted to you and with our faith in God intact," he added, referring to his wife, who was also flown to New York on related drug trafficking charges.
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While Maduro made the post Sunday morning, timestamps on the two photos indicate they were taken June 25, just one day after two major earthquakes killed more than 6,500 people in northern Venezuela near Caracas, according to The Associated Press.
The images were released just two days after President Donald Trump announced a breakthrough in U.S.-Venezuela relations, with Venezuela agreeing to give the U.S. majority control over 65 billion barrels of oil from the nation’s reserves.
The deal marks a major development for the American oil market as the ongoing war with Iran continues to push up prices at the pump.
Since being detained, Maduro has reportedly spent much of his time reading the Bible, according to his son, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, who spoke with El País in May.
He added that the former leader has 510 minutes a month, or 8.5 hours, for conversations with people outside the prison, according to the report.
Maduro and his wife are expected to go on trial in New York in June 2027. Both have pleaded not guilty and face potential life sentences if a jury finds them guilty of conspiring to send cocaine into the U.S.
Alex Palou clinches fourth straight IndyCar title and fifth overall in doubleheader at Milwaukee Mile
Àlex Palou officially clinched the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series championship on a doubleheader weekend in Milwaukee that turned into an unusual partial doubleheader on Sunday.
The 29-year-old Spaniard qualified well for both races, but served an engine penalty in the first, which got underway on Saturday.
Rain, however, caused a red flag at the 90-lap mark, and the rest of the race was postponed to Sunday morning.
Come Sunday morning, the track was still too wet, which led to an unusual schedule for the day: Race 2 would get underway at noon local time, finish, and then Race 1 would resume in the late afternoon.
Palou started on pole for Race 2 — which was now kind of Race 1.5 — and came home in fifth, with Arrow McLaren's Pato O'Ward winning the race.
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No biggie, because Palou just needed to have a championship lead of more than 54 points when the checkered flag fell on Race 1 (which, again, ended after Race 2; weird, I know), to clinch the title with one race left on the schedule.
Palou played it safe for the remaining 160 laps, keeping his nose clean and getting his yellow No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda back in one piece.
He did it, coming home tenth in a race that Pato O'Ward won, meaning he pulled off the rare feat of winning two races in one day.
But the big story was that Palou had built a big enough points buffer to claim his fifth career title in six years, and his fourth straight.
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It's an unbelievable run of form for Palou, who is now third on the all-time list for career championships behind AJ Foyt with seven, and his CGR teammate for one more weekend, Scott Dixon, with six.
Don't think for a second that Palou will take it easy in the season finale now that he has the title locked up. The season ends at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, one of his best tracks.
That race will get underway Sept. 6 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.