CBS college football analyst Gary Danielson was irate about a controversial third-quarter call during Navy’s stunning win over Army on Saturday.
Midshipmen quarterback Blake Horvath threw a 52-yard touchdown pass to Eli Heidenreich to put the team up 21-10 with 6:34 left in the frame. Heidenreich received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty immediately after the play when he spiked the ball near the foot of Army linebacker Elo Modozie.
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Navy running back Eli Heidenreich runs by Army safety Max DiDomenico for a touchdown, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in Landover, Maryland.(AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)
Danielson said he thought Modozie walked into the spike. CBS rules analyst Gene Steratore agreed with Danielson’s assessment.
“Terrible call. We’ve got warriors out there and they make a call like that. Stay out of the game,” Danielson said.
PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP TAKES IN ARMY-NAVY GAME WITH POWERHOUSE POSSE
Navy quarterback Blake Horvath celebrates after scoring a touchdown against Army, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in Landover, Maryland.(AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)
Army would go down the field and kick a field goal on their next drive. But Navy answered with a Horvath rushing touchdown. The Midshipmen then forced a turnover in the fourth quarter, which led to another field goal, and the game would be pretty much over from there.
Navy won the game 31-13.
Horvath was 4-of-9 passing for 107 yards and two passing touchdowns. He also ran for 204 yards and scored two touchdowns.
“I think they’re like us. We want to be significant,” Navy head coach Brian Newberry said of the win. “I think we both were this year, and I think because of that maybe there was a little more significance, a little more interest maybe in this game.”
Midshipmen celebrate during the game against Army, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024.(AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)
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Navy moved to 9-3 with the win. The Black Knights fell to 11-2.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.
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San Francisco 49ers linebacker De’Vondre Campbell stunned the NFL world on Thursday night when it was learned he refused to go into the game against the Los Angeles Rams.
Campbell lost his starting job when Dre Greenlaw came back from the Achilles tear he suffered in a Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. San Francisco lost 12-6 to Los Angeles.
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San Francisco 49ers linebacker De’Vondre Campbell jogs onto the field before the Los Angeles Rams game in Santa Clara, California, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024.(AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan wanted to put Campbell into the game because Greenlaw was aching from soreness in his Achilles tendon, Campbell refused. Shanahan said he never got an explanation about why the linebacker refused to play.
On Sunday, NFL Network reported that the 49ers are likely to suspend Campbell for the remainder of the season.
Shanahan said Friday that he didn’t expect Campbell to be with the team from Week 16 onward.
Dallas Cowboys running back Dalvin Cook is tackled by San Francisco 49ers linebacker De’Vondre Campbell at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, Oct. 27, 2024.(Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images)
JOE THEISMANN REVEALS HIS STANCE ON AZEEZ AL-SHAAIR’S CONTROVERSIAL HIT ON TREVOR LAWRENCE
“We’re working through the semantics of exactly how to deal with it,” he said, via ESPN. “But I mean you guys heard from me last night, you guys heard from our players, his actions from the game, it’s not something you can do to your team or your teammates and still get to be a part of our team.
“We’re working through exactly the semantics of it right now, but we’ll handle the situation appropriately.”
Campbell signed a one-year deal with the 49ers in the offseason as Greenlaw was on the mend.
The one-time All-Pro spent the previous three years with the Green Bay Packers, a year with the Arizona Cardinals and four years with the Atlanta Falcons.
In 2023, Campbell had 75 tackles and a pass breakup.
San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw watches Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford in Santa Clara, California, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024.(AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
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The 49ers fell to 6-8 with the loss to the Rams.
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Tori Spelling is sharing a not-so-fond holiday memory.
In an Instagram post Saturday, the “Beverly Hills 90210” star shared a throwback photo with her co-star and friend Brian Austin Green from the annual Hollywood Christmas parade in Los Angeles.
“I had grown up watching this event on tv and I was beyond excited that Donna + David had been asked to ride on an antique car thru the parade. It was 1992 and ‘90210’ was at its prime,” she wrote in the caption, noting she was 19 at the time.
She continued, “It was a great ride till I got shot with a BB gun…”
Tori Spelling says she was shot with a BB gun while riding in a car during the 1992 Hollywood Christmas parade with co-star Brian Austin Green.(2023 Penske Media; Ron Davis)
TORI SPELLING CLAIMS CHARLIE SHEEN ONCE HANDED HER A ‘HOT CRACK PIPE’ WHEN SHE WALKED INTO HIS CONDO
Spelling acknowledged it’s not what anyone would expect from the event, but explained her recollection.
“I remember waving to the crowds as our car moved thru the parade and suddenly feeling a hot sharp pain on my leg.”
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She said she then told Green “‘omg I’ve been shot!’” and he “replied in our usual banter ‘You’re being dramatic.’ Fair, he knew me well.”
The actress joked, “I had a flare for drama. After all it’s a teen’s right. So, I shrugged it off as my overactive imagination and went back to waving.”
Spelling joked that Green thought she was being dramatic after she told him she thought she had been shot.(Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
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However, Spelling turned out to be right.
“All teen angst aside, after the parade I did check my jeans and sure enough there was a burn hole on my upper Levi thigh,” the 51-year-old said in her post. “I was ok the 501’s were not.”
“It was a great ride till I got shot with a BB gun…”
— Tori Spelling
The experience left Spelling anxious, admitting, “it took me decades to be able to ride in another parade.”
“But, I still love the tradition of watching it annually on tv with my kids. And, the whole experience added to my Christmas sTORIes,” she added.
Ian Ziering, Tori Spelling, Shannen Doherty, Brian Austin Green, Jason Priestley, Jennie Garth, Gabrielle Carteris and Luke Perry pose in a cast photo of “Beverly Hills 90210” in 1991.(Mark Sennet/Getty Images)
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Representatives for Spelling and Green did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Spelling and Green co-starred on “Beverly Hills 90210” as Donna Martin and David Silver for 10 seasons. Not only were their characters love interests on the show, the two actors also dated off camera for some time.
In August, they discussed their friendship on Green’s “Oldish” podcast, including a falling out that lasted 18 years.
Spelling and Green have since reconnected and are very close friends.(FOX Image Collection via Getty Images)
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The two have since reconnected and are closer than ever, with Spelling explaining during an April 2024 episode of her podcast “misSpelling,” that she and Green have a “brother and sister” relationship and have such a close connection that she can “tell him everything.”
Fox News Digital’s Lori Bashian contributed to this report.
Google Flights has revealed the top trending destinations for Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
For domestic Christmas travel, James Byers, group product manager, search at Google, told Fox News Digital that prices tend to be lowest when booked ahead of time in late October, but this can vary based on where exactly you want to fly.
In general, he said you can head to Google Flights, plug in your trip details, and look for the “cheapest time to book” insights that’ll show up in your search results.
FLIGHT PASSENGER WARNS TRAVELERS TO ‘ALWAYS SCREENSHOT YOUR BOARDING PASS’: HERE’S WHY
Plotting your next vacation and don’t want to travel too far?
Here are some things to do in the hot spots located in America that were mentioned on Google Flights’ lists.
Google Flights revealed the top searched destinations for trips departing from Dec. 22 through Jan. 1 from U.S. airports.(Google)
Orlando, Florida
What was ranked as the number one destination for Thanksgiving and approaching right behind in the number two slot for trending destinations for Christmas and New Year’s Eve, is Orlando.
Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Florida are huge draws in town, but for a memorable stay, consider reserving your room at Grande Lakes Orlando.
Orlando is the top destination for Thanksgiving travel and No. 2 for Christmas and New Year’s Eve 2024.(Grande Lakes Orlando)
The 500-acre luxury resort comprises The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes and JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes, with a large waterpark on-site.
Chicago, Illinois
Any trip to the Windy City could begin with a meal at Lou Manalti’s for some top-notch deep dish pizza and end with a twinkling evening view of the city from high above on Skydeck at Willis Tower.
POPULAR TRAVEL DESTINATION TO HIKE HOT SPRINGS ‘BATHING TAX’ IN EFFORT TO TACKLE OVERTOURISM: REPORT
As for what you do in between, consider catching a show at Andy’s Jazz Club, wandering around The Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum of Science and Industry and grabbing otherworldly sushi and small plates at Miru.
The Windy City has much to offer for holiday travel from tasty meals to museums. Consider Chicago for your next trip with family and friends.(Chicago Botanic Garden)
You could also grab a Chicago CityPASS in advance of your stay so you can do things like visit the aforementioned museums and SkyDeck along with other attractions, including the Shoreline Sightseeing Architecture River Tour.
New York City
For a family-friendly vacation for the books, check out the esteemed Plaza Hotel’s “Home Alone 2 Fun in New York” package, complete with a chauffeured limo ride, large cheese pizza and a “Home Alone sundae.”
Or, you could swap ‘90s classics films for beloved children’s books and check into the famed Eloise Suite from author Kay Thompson and illustrator Hilary Knight’s 1955 picture book.
‘SEAT SQUATTERS’ ON PLANES ARE LATEST TRAVEL TREND TAKING OVER SOCIAL MEDIA
New York during the holidayscould be considered a scene right out of your favorite Christmas movie.(The Plaza, A Fairmont Managed Hotel)
For other NYC must-dos during a a Christmas visit: Take a tour of the Empire State Building, check out The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, eat at The Beach Cafe and go ice skating at Wollman Rink.
Dallas, Texas
If you have your sights set on a Dallas vacation, take a look at The Joule Hotel.
About a 20-minute drive to Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium, this Main Street oasis has a divine subterranean spa, a modern Texas brasserie called CBD Provisions with superb shrimp and grits and steak alike, and a prime location on Main Street in downtown Dallas.
Dallas ranked No. 19 on the top searched travel destinations for Thanksgiving which makes sense if you plan on watching the annual NFL Thanksgiving Day football game at AT&T Stadium.( Courtesy of The Joule)
If you’re not going to a game, cheer on your favorite team at City Tavern, a lively sports bar that’s only a three-minute walk from the hotel.
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Miami, Florida
If you’re traveling with pals and are all fans of the reality series, “The Traitors,” book “The Betrayers: Miami Edition Package” for you and up to nine friends at Kimpton Surfcomber Hotel in Miami Beach.
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During your stay, you’ll be spoiled with welcome champagne and hors d’oeuvres, multi-day game coordination and winner prizes.
Miami made an appearance on both the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday destination trends in the No. 6 and No. 4 spots, respectively.(Kimpton Surfcomber Hotel)
Generator Miami is another fun option in Miami Beach, just 15 minutes from the airport and 100 feet from the Atlantic Ocean.
Los Angeles, California
After your wheels-down in LAX, Hotel Per La is one of many options where you can stay.
Housed in the former Giannini Building (the former HQ of the Bank of Italy), you’ll see Italian flair meld with urban finesse.
Los Angeles takes the No. 8 spot for trending destinations during the holidays and is a great spot for some family-friendly or parents-only activities.(The Ingalls)
Situated in downtown Los Angeles, landmarks like the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Centre Theatre Group, The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA are all close by the property.
Top travel destination for the holidays in 2024 include hot spots in America and some cool cities overseas.(La Concha Resort; The Ingalls; Chicago Botanic Garden)
Continue by visiting the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Warner Bros. Studio Tour.
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Whether you’re with kids or it’s an adults-only getaway, consider carving out a few hours for wandering around Griffith Park, which has caves, flora and fauna, paved trails, the Greek Theatre and more.
Perri Ormont Blumberg is a contributing lifestyle reporter for Fox News Digital.
Israel says it will close its embassy in Ireland in the coming weeks over the Irish government’s “extreme anti-Israel policies.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar made the announcement on Sunday after recalling Israel’s ambassador to Ireland from Dublin. Saar says the Irish government “crossed every red line,” and cited the nation’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state.
“The actions and anti-semitic rhetoric used by Ireland against Israel are rooted in the de-legitimisation and demonisation of the Jewish state, along with double standards,” Saar said.
“Israel will invest its resources in advancing bilateral relations with countries worldwide according to priorities that also take into account the attitudes and actions of these states toward Israel,” he added.
JAKE SULLIVAN SAYS NETANYAHU ‘READY TO DO A DEAL’ AS HAMAS SAID TO CONCEDE TO ISRAEL CEASE-FIRE DEMANDS
Israel is closing its embassy in Ireland.(Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said the decision was “deeply regrettable” in a statement, according to the BBC. Deputy Prime Minister Micheál Martin echoed that sentiment in a longer statement.
ISRAEL’S UN AMBASSADOR INSISTS NATION IS ‘NOT GETTING INVOLVED’ IN SYRIAN REGIME CHANGE
“I believe firmly in the importance of maintaining diplomatic channels of communication and regret that this decision has been taken,” Martin said.
“Ireland’s position on the conflict in the Middle East has always been guided by the principles of international law and the obligation on all states to adhere to international humanitarian law,” he added.
New Irish Prime Minster Simon Harris is greeted by colleagues and family members as he leaves the Dail in Dublin.(Paul Faith/AFP via Getty Images)
The announcement comes as Israel is considering further strikes against Iran this week. Israeli reports on Thursday said the evolving reality in the region has prompted Israel to once again consider targeting Iran’s nuclear program, which Jerusalem and its international allies have deemed one of the greatest emerging threats at a time when tensions between the West and nations like Russia and Iran continue to deteriorate.
The U.S., under the Biden administration, along with its international partners including the International Atomic Energy Agency, have urged Israel not to strike Iran’s nuclear installations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu makes a televised statement in Israel.(Israeli Government Press Office via AP)
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However, last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the IDF had hit and degraded part of Iran’s nuclear program during a retaliatory strike in late October, but he warned it was not enough to thwart Tehran’s ability to develop a nuclear weapon.
Fox News’ Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.
Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to [email protected], or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.
Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty led the nation with 2,497 rushing yards and 29 rushing touchdowns during the 2024 season and led the team to a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Jeanty’s numbers, in any other year, would have likely guaranteed him the Heisman Trophy. But this season, he ran into two-way superstar Travis Hunter and his Colorado teammate Shedeur Sanders. It was a hard-fought run, but Jeanty finished in second place behind Hunter.
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Heisman Trophy finalist Ashton Jeanty, of Boise State, stands with the trophy during a college football press conference, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in New York.(AP Photo/Corey Sipkin)
Hunter was the second two-way to win the Heisman Trophy after Michigan legend Charles Woodson. He was the first non-quarterback to win the award since wide receiver DeVonta Smith won it at Alabama during the 2020 season.
Jeanty, however, said he felt like he did enough to win the title.
“I really felt like I should’ve walked away with the award, but kudos to Travis for winning,” he said Saturday night, via ESPN. “But yeah, it’s simple as that. Work harder, go harder.”
GLEATON JONES, FORMER GEORGIA RUNNING BACK NATIONAL CHAMPION, DEAD AT 21
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty celebrates after winning the offensive player of the game for the Mountain West Championship against UNLV, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Boise, Idaho.(AP Photo/Steve Conner, File)
Jeanty received 309 first-place votes. He said he was “100%” motivated by failing to win the Heisman.
“There’s a lot more to come,” he added. “This isn’t the end, this is just the beginning. So I just have to do that much more to get the things that I want.”
Jeanty won the Maxwell Trophy as college football’s best player and the Doak Walker Award as the best running back in the country.
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, Nov. 23, 2024, in Laramie, Wyoming.(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
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Boise State won the Mountain West Conference and have a bye into the quarterfinals of the playoff. The team will play the winner of SMU-Penn State.
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Iowa pollster Ann Selzer addressed criticisms and what might have gone wrong with the results of her infamous poll during an interview on Friday, which found Vice President Kamala Harris leading President-elect Donald Trump in Iowa, a historically red state, by three points.
“I’m not here to break any news. If you were hoping that I had landed on exactly why things went wrong, I have not. It does sort of awaken me in the middle of the night and I think, well maybe I should check this, this is something that would be very odd if it were to happen. But we’ve explored everything. The Des Moines Register in an unprecedented move for transparency has put online our cross tabs, our waiting system and my analysis and that I’ve not needed to update because it was pretty complete. We don’t know. Do I wish I knew? Yes, I wish I knew,” Selzer said during a discussion at the Iowa Press alongside moderator Kay Henderson, The Gazette’s Des Moines Bureau chief Erin Murphy, and Iowa Public Radio’s Katarina Sostaric.
Trump ended up beating Harris in Iowa by over 10 percentage points. Selzer’s poll was hyped up by the media ahead of the election, as her polling predictions in previous elections have been historically accurate.
Murphy asked Selzer to address some of the backlash she had received about the results of the poll.
A side-by-side of Kamala Harris and President-elect Donald Trump.(Getty Images)
IOWA POLLSTER ANN SELZER SUGGESTS HER DATA COULD HAVE GALVANIZED REPUBLICAN VOTERS INTO PROVING IT WRONG
“Let’s deal with the allegations because I am mystified about what the motivation anybody thinks I had and would act on in such a public poll. I don’t understand it. And the allegations I take very seriously. They’re saying that this was election interference, which is a crime. So, the idea that I intentionally set up to deliver this response, when I’ve never done that before, I’ve had plenty of opportunities to do it, it’s not my ethic,” Selzer said.
“But to suggest without a single shred of evidence that I was in cahoots with somebody, I was being paid by somebody, it’s all just kind of, it’s hard to pay too much attention to it except that they are accusing me of a crime,” she added.
Selzer wrote in an op-ed for the Des Moines Register about how she had been getting bombarded with criticism and questions. In response, she mused whether her poll itself may have shifted the state for Trump.
Vice President Kamala Harris delivers a concession speech after the 2024 presidential election, on Wednesday, Nov. 6, on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C.(AP/Jacquelyn Martin)
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“In response to a critique that I ‘manipulated’ the data, or had been paid (by some anonymous source, presumably on the Democratic side), or that I was exercising psyops or some sort of voter suppression: I told more than one news outlet that the findings from this last poll could actually energize and activate Republican voters who thought they would likely coast to victory. Maybe that’s what happened.”
She also announced that she would be moving on to “other ventures” after the election.
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Fox News’ Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.
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JERUSALEM – President-elect Trump could be the key factor in stopping the reported Turkish destruction of the pro-U.S. Syrian Kurdish community, Fox News senior strategic analyst and retired four-star Gen. Jack Keane told Fox News’ Mark Levin on “Life, Liberty & Levin” on Saturday.
“Erdoğan is a real problem here. He has a corridor in northern Syria. He backed the radical leader who took over, al-Golani, in deposing Assad because he’s been wanting Assad to go like we all did for years, but now what is he doing? Now he’s attacking the Syrian Kurds, who we support, in eastern Syria.”
Keane said, “Biden is not going to do anything about it, but President Trump has a huge opportunity, and I know for a fact that President Trump dealt with Erdoğan once before over the same issue. And it stopped as a result of a phone conversation that he had with President Erdoğan.”
FALL OF SYRIA’S BASHAR ASSAD IS STRATEGIC BLOW TO IRAN AND RUSSIA, EXPERTS SAY
A masked Islamic State terrorist holding the ISIS flag in 2015.(History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Keane said one of Trump’s first telephone conversations once in office will probably be with Erdoğan, “if he hasn’t started talking to him already.”
He said the motivation of the Syrian Kurds in eastern Syria is not to seize Turkish territory but to ensure ISIS remains defeated and make sure “they do not rise again,” adding that the U.S. “doesn’t need to get involved in any consequential way in Syria other than to protect our own interests and make certain that ISIS doesn’t rise again in eastern Syria which they have the potential to do.”
While world leaders are largely focused on the collapse of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad’s regime, Turkey’s strongman ruler Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has mobilized forces loyal to his government to eradicate Kurdish combatants on his southern border to Syria that helped the U.S. defeat the terrorist movement ISIS.
President Trump meets with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Oval Office of the White House, Nov. 13, 2019. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)
Alarm bells are ringing about the dire plight of the Syrian Kurds.
“Turkey has become too aggressive. If they get a free rein in Syria, they may covertly commit an ethnic cleansing,” warned Efrat Aviv, a professor in the Department of General History at Bar-Ilan University in Israel and a leading expert on Turkey, in a statement to Fox News Digital.
In an apparent effort to modify his jihadi movement, Ahmad al-Sharaa, the leader of the U.S.-designated terrorist movement, Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which played a decisive role in toppling Assad’s regime, said, “The Kurds are part of the nation and have suffered great injustices, just as we have. With the regime’s fall, the injustice they faced may also be lifted.”
SYRIAN DICTATOR BASHAR ASSAD FLEES INTO EXILE AS ISLAMIST REBELS CONQUER COUNTRY
U.S. forces provide military training to members of the YPG/SDF in Syria, Aug. 18, 2023.(Hedil Amir/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was until recently known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Golani, is allied with Turkey. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the U.S. had made “direct contact” with HTS despite it being an outlawed terrorist entity.
Mazloum Abdi, the head of the U.S.-allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), on Saturday urged Kurdish parties in northeast Syria (Rojava) to generate a unified front.
“Today, Kurdish national unity in Syria has become a historic necessity in response to the challenges of this critical phase. We call on all Kurdish parties to set aside partisan interests and genuinely engage with public calls for dialogue and unity,” Abdi wrote on X.
Last week, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., posted on X, “In the past I have drafted sanctions targeting Turkey if they engage in military operations against the Kurdish forces who helped President Trump destroy ISIS. I stand ready to do this again in a bipartisan way.
“We should not allow the Kurdish forces – who helped us destroy ISIS on President Trump’s watch – to be threatened by Turkey or the radical Islamists who have taken over Syria.”
The Dutch Parliament also intervened last week to protect the Syrian Kurds, urging its government to advocate for a cessation of Turkish attacks on Kurds.
President Biden and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan talk during the G-7 summit on June 14, 2024, in Fasano, Italy.(Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
The Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) announced on Sunday in response to the ongoing attacks by pro-Turkey forces, “We are facing significant threats and dangers, and we call on the Global Coalition and the entire world to unite with us to protect Kobani.”
“The world now owes Kobani and its fighters, and it is time to stand with Kobani,” the statement continued, “calling on the Global Coalition and freedom-loving individuals to unite and safeguard the region’s dignity and humanity.”
TURKEY’S INVASION THREATS SHOULD BE TAKEN ‘VERY SERIOUSLY’: CYPRUS OFFICIAL
Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan on Dec. 13, 2024, in Ankara.(Getty Images)
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who was the former head of the country’s formidable intelligence service, MIT, said on Sunday in Jordan about his country’s view of the Kurdish political and military organizations, Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and The People’s Defense Units (YPG):“We are under threat from Iraq and Syria. Over the past decade, the PKK has sought to exploit the chaos in Syria, attempting to restructure itself within the SDF organization. We continue to combat PKK/YPG terrorism, targeting them wherever they are.”
He added, “Our aim is to distinguish the Syrian Kurds from the terrorist organization PKK/YPG. We support the legitimate representatives of Syrian Kurds in their efforts to advocate for their rights in Damascus.”
The YPG is the main U.S.-allied force that contributed to the defeat of ISIS. The U.S. classified the PKK as a foreign terrorist organization. The YPG falls under the rubric of the Syrian Kurdish organization, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF.)
Turkey’s government has intensified its rhetoric against the Kurds. Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler said on Sunday “Our primary agenda is the dissolution of the PKK/YPG.”
Displaced Kurds leave the refugee camp in the north of Aleppo, fleeing to Afrin, on Dec. 4, 2024.(Ugur Yildirim/DIA Images/Abaca/Sipa USA(Sipa via AP Images)
Incoming freshman Rep. Abraham Hamadeh, R-Ariz., whose parents are Syrian immigrants, told Fox News Digital, “As we evaluate Turkey’s recent airstrikes on Syrian Kurds and reports of Hamas operatives in Turkey, it’s clear that our alliances must be anchored in mutual respect and shared goals. For decades, Turkey has been a strategic partner, but hosting groups like Hamas without clear steps toward dismantling their operations undermines that relationship. Turkey must seize this opportunity to demonstrate it is committed to fighting terror, not enabling it.”
When asked by Fox News Digital if the U.S. was contemplating sanctioning Turkey, a State Department spokesperson said, “As a general matter, we do not preview sanctions.”
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The State Department referred Fox News Digital on Friday to comments made earlier on Friday after Blinken’s meeting with Fidan in Turkey.
The statement said, in part, “Secretary Blinken emphasized the importance of U.S.-Turkish cooperation in the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS mission in Syria.”
Gleaton Jones, a former Georgia Bulldogs running back who was on the 2021 national championship team, died following injuries he suffered in a car crash last week. He was 21.
Jones was on a hunting trip in Florida when he was involved in a car crash, according to the University of Georgia’s student newspaper The Red & Black. He suffered a brain injury in the wreck and was placed in the ICU at a Florida hospital.
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Georgia Bulldogs helmets lined up during the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, Dec. 30, 2023.(Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA Today Sports)
“Gleaton lived life to the fullest and emoted joy and enthusiasm in every endeavor,” an obituary for Jones read. “For such a tender age, he created a full life for himself, and for others, by investing deeply in his family, friends, fraternity, and service to others through his growing faith. Known by his closest friends as ‘Gleat,’ he was described as simply joyful and magnetic.
“There was no room big enough that his bright light was unable to fill. By all accounts, he was well-liked, popular, and charming, but even more so, humble, kind, empathetic, and personable – making his friends feel loved and important. His light-heartedness and joyful disposition could lift others to happiness, and his listening skills often gave peace of mind and encouragement.”
ASHTON JEANTY PREPARED HEISMAN ACCEPTANCE SPEECH HE’LL NEVER GET TO DELIVER AFTER LOSING TO TRAVIS HUNTER
Jones attended Deerfield-Windsor School in Georgia before he committed to the Bulldogs. He was a three-sport athlete at the school and chose to play football.
He was only with the Bulldogs for the lone season.
“There are so many blessings to be thankful for in the multitude of love, support, and prayers given to Gleaton’s family and to all that loved him,” the obituary continued. “Truly, your prayers have shouldered their burdens that were too much to endure alone.
“The Albany community, the Deerfield-Windsor School community, and the families and members of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity have poured so much love and encouragement into their lives, and they are forever grateful.”
A Georgia Bulldogs helmet at the CFP national championship game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, Jan. 9. 2023.(Mark J. Rebilas-USA Today Sports)
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A memorial service for Jones will be held Monday afternoon at Wynfield Plantation.
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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.
Retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce was asked recently on a football podcast to share his favorite cheesesteak spot in the city where he — a seven-time Pro Bowl player — spent all 13 of his NFL seasons.
While he name-dropped current Philadelphia hot spots Dalessandro’s and Angelo’s, Kelce also said Tony Luke’s was the first place he had a cheesesteak due to its proximity to the stadium where the Eagles play.
“That’s one that I went to growing up and was just outstanding,” Kelce said.
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Although that particular Tony Luke’s location is no more, Eagles fans can still enjoy the restaurant’s cheesesteak from Lincoln Financial Field when Philadelphia hosts the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
Tony Luke’s has been operating a stand inside the stadium since it opened in 2003, the company said.
Former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, shown above, says he first tried a cheesesteak at Tony Luke’s.(Justin Edmonds/Getty Images; Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Hailed by Philadelphia Magazine as having the “best cheesesteaks” in the city, Tony Luke’s opened its first location in South Philadelphia in 1992. At the time, cheesesteaks weren’t even on the menu.
“We sold roast beef, roast pork and chicken cutlets – kind of Italian specialties,” Tony Lucidonio Jr. told Fox News Digital. “That’s all we did.”
Known in the City of Brotherly Love as Tony Luke Jr., Lucidonio said that only lasted about six months. “Word of mouth is what really made us,” he said.
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Before long, Luke “had this crazy idea of doing these awful commercials that had nothing to do with food.”
He added, “They were dumb. They were stupid. They were kind of funny,” he said.
“And it wasn’t a typical restaurant or deli commercial.” But the commercials got people talking.
The Eagles are as ingrained in Philadelphia as the city’s signature sandwich.
The original Tony Luke’s that Kelce once frequented years ago has since been renamed after Luke Jr. split from his father and brother amid a franchising rights dispute.
Today, Luke Jr. has new franchises at Philadelphia International Airport, in Las Vegas and other cities mostly throughout the Northeast. There are even 22 Tony Luke’s franchises in Bahrain.
Like the cheesesteak, the Eagles are as ingrained in Philadelphia as the city’s signature sandwich.
The original Tony Luke’s location, pictured above, has a new name, but there are other locations mostly in the Northeast and in Bahrain.(Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Luke himself has been a lifelong Eagles fan – and his enthusiasm was on display in the 2006 biographical sports movie “Invincible.”
“My character in ‘Invincible’ was the ultimate Eagles fan,” Luke said of his cape-clad character.
Luke is also the former host of an Eagles fan show on television in Philadelphia.
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Even though the cheesesteak was invented in Philadelphia, it isn’t the “quintessential sandwich” of the city, Luke said.
“It’s the roast pork,” he said.
The cheesesteak has since become a sandwich recognized throughout the country, often associated with its birthplace. The ingredients, however, have evolved from place to place.
Tony Luke’s cheesesteaks come with a variety of options, but peppers aren’t one of them.(Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
“And then someone decided to put peppers on a cheesesteak,” Luke said.
“No one in Philadelphia puts peppers on a cheesesteak.”
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A true cheesesteak, Luke said, is meat, bread, cheese — and onions or no onions. That’s all.
One of the biggest differences between Tony Luke’s and other cheesesteak restaurants is how the cheese is cooked. (See the video at the top of this article.)
“No one in Philadelphia puts peppers on a cheesesteak.”
“Once the steak is done and you put the cheese on top, now you’re overcooking the steak waiting for the cheese to lift,” Luke said.
“So, what we do is, as soon as the steak is done, we put the cheese on top and then we flip it so that the cheese is on the bottom of the grill.”
A Tony Luke’s cheesesteak is prepared with the cheese melted throughout the entire sandwich.(Tony Luke’s)
He added, “Now what happens is the cheese melts, but it doesn’t make the steak continue to cook. And now the cheese melts throughout the entire steak, not just on top of the steak.”
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In Luke’s opinion, the only meat that should be used to make a cheesesteak is rib-eye. It’s got the most flavor – and it’s also the fattest.
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“Cheesesteak is not, never has been, never will be a healthy alternative food,” he said.
Peter Burke is a lifestyle editor with Fox News Digital.
