Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez struggled in the teams 7-1 loss to the New York Yankees Tuesday and appeared to air his frustrations at his own catcher, Csar Salazar.The Yankees led 2-0 in the fifth inning with the bases loaded and two outs. Yankees center fielder Trent Grisham was batting and ahead in the count 1-0.The pitch clock was winding down on Valdez, and Salazar motioned with his hands for Valdez to step off the mound and use a timeout. Valdez ignored Salazar and delivered the pitch barely ahead of the pitch clock expiring.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMGrisham swatted Valdezs 96-mph sinker into the left-field seats for a grand slam to make it a 6-0 game.In the next at-bat, Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe came up, and Valdez seemed to express his displeasure with Salazar.Valdez fired a 93-mph sinker right at Salazars chest, and the catcher was not prepared for it. He missed the ball, and it hit him in his chest protector. Salazar stared back at Valdez, who turned his back to him and walked back to the mound after the pitch.Salazar took his mask off and walked a couple of steps toward the pitchers mound before he threw the ball back to Valdez.Former MLB pitcher and Athletics broadcaster Dallas Braden tweeted a video of the incident on X and said it was "100% intentional" and called it "absolute trash behavior."ROCKIES, GIANTS GET INTO BENCHES-CLEARING SCRAP AFTER RAFAEL DEVERS ADMIRES HOME RUNValdez was asked after the game if it was intentional."No," Valdez said. "It was not intentional."The 31-year-old said he and Salazar got crossed up."What happened with us, we just got crossed up," Valdez said in Spanish through a translator. "I called for that pitch, I threw it and we got crossed up. We went down to the dugout, and I excused myself with him. And I said sorry to him, and I take full responsibility for that."Salazar said after the game that he, not Valdez, pressed the wrong button, and that it wasnt on purpose."The stadium was loud," Salazar said. "I thought I pressed the button, but I pressed the wrong button. I was expecting another pitch, but it wasnt it."Me and Framber, we actually have a really good relationship."The Astros (76-63) especially Valdez and Salazar will look to turn things around when they play the Yankees (77-61) in the second game of their three-game series Wednesday at 8:10 p.m. ET.Follow Fox News Digitals sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Veterans and D.C. residents gathered over Labor Day weekend to protest President Donald Trumps administration and the deployment of the National Guard in Washington D.C.

Salma Hayek is celebrating her birthday in paradise.The "From Dusk Till Dawn" star celebrated her 59th birthday with an Instagram post featuring her posing in a red bikini with the sunset behind her. In the photo, Hayek can be seen holding up a drink and is seemingly giving a toast."59 trips around the sun and still dancing cheers to all of you & thank you for the love ," she wrote in the caption.Many famous faces flooded the comments section with well-wishes for the actress. Julianne Moore wrote, "Happy birthday!!" while Anthony Hopkins added, "Happy birthday We love you."HALLE BERRY TURNS HEADS WITH BIRTHDAY BIKINI PHOTOS FROM VACATIONNaomi Watts wrote, "Happy birthday queen!! ," and Juliette Lewis also chimed in, writing "Youre perfect."Fans of the actress also wished her a happy birthday, with one fan writing, "Many many happy returns of the day happy birthday old wine " and another adding, "I wannna see your ID card bc I don't believe your age ."APP USERS CLICK HERE FOR POSTHayek previously marked her 56th birthday in a similar red bikini, sharing a video of herself dancing on a boat to celebrate.Hayek has posted many photos of herself in various bikinis in the past. She even posed for the 2025 cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit.LIKE WHAT YOURE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSAlthough the actress stunned on the cover in a green bikini, she told the the "Today" show in May, "I said yes and then when it was time to do it, I tried to back out." She went on to explain that she always struggles with finding bathing suits that fit her and that she had a "very bad case of impostor syndrome.""I still can't believe it," Hayek added. "I remember when I was young and hot, I used to look at this magazine. I wanted to see who was the new gorgeous model, the new girl of the moment. And it never crossed my mind that I could be on that cover because they didn't look like me. My body's not necessarily the model type and I never thought that was a possibility. And for it to happen when I'm 58? It's really shocking."Hayek went on to say that if someone had told her years ago that she would be asked to appear on the cover of the magazine at 58 years old, she "would have sent them to the madhouse," but is happy to see that the world is changing.APP USERS CLICK HERE FOR POSTThe "Desperado" star has also been candid about her desire to age gracefully. In June 2023, she posted a makeup-free selfie on Instagram that showed a few strands of gray hair and forehead wrinkles.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER"Me waking up and counting how many white hairs and wrinkles have crashed the party this morning," she wrote in the caption.

Angel Reese is tired of losing, and she's speaking out about it.The Chicago Sky star put her franchise on notice. The Sky have the second-worst record in the WNBA entering Wednesday at 9-30."Im not settling for the same s--- we did this year," Reese told the Chicago Tribune. "We have to get good players. We have to get great players. Thats a nonnegotiable for me."CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMReese has always been vocal about her team, and she clearly doesnt like the direction it's taking in her second year.The Sky are led by head coach Tyler Marsh in his first year after he took over for Teresa Weatherspoon after they finished 13-27 last season.When Weatherspoon was relieved of her duties, Reese vocalized her displeasure with the move, but the Sky went into the season hoping to turn the tide and reach the playoffs. Unfortunately for them, theyre looking toward next season to make that happen.ANGEL REESE NOTCHES 9TH STRAIGHT DOUBLE-DOUBLE AS POOR PASS GOES VIRAL ON SOCIAL MEDIAReese said shell be proactive in getting the leagues top talent to the Windy City this offseason."Im willing and wanting to play with the best," Reese added. "And however I can help to get the best here, thats what Im going to do this offseason to make sure we attract the best of the best, because we cant settle for what we have this year."Chicago hasnt been able to grab top free agent talent in recent years. Courtney Vandersloot, who tore her ACL early this season, was their biggest signing in the past free agency period.Reese said if the Sky cant get more talent on the roster, she may need to move on."I am very vocal about what we need and what I want," Reese said. "Id like to be here for my career, but if things dont pan out, obviously, I might have to move in a different direction and do whats best for me."But while I am here, Im going to try to stay open-minded about what I have here and maximize that as much as I can."And in regard to Vandersloot, Reese was blunt with her assessment."We cant rely on Courtney to come back at the age that shes at," Reese explained. "I know shell be a great asset for us, but we cant rely on that. We need somebody probably a little younger with some experience, somebody whos been playing the game and is willing to compete for a championship and has done it before."Since entering the league, Reese has averaged a double-double per game, though some detractors will say cleaning up the boards with her own missed shots inflates the stats. Reese has averaged 14.6 points and 12.6 rebounds over 29 games this season.Follow Fox News Digitalssports coverage on X, and subscribe tothe Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Dan Hurley's return to Storrs, Connecticut, for the upcoming season was far less certain than many may have believed.In the new book, "Never Stop: Life, Leadership, and What It Takes To Be Great," which Hurley co-authored, the two-time national championship-winning coach revealed the stress he experienced during the Huskies' pursuit of a third consecutive title nearly prompted him to step away.While Hurley is expected to be back on the sidelines when UConn's 2025-26 season tips off, he admitted in the book he "was completely cooked" once last season ended.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMAfter leading the Huskies to back-to-back NCAA Division I men's tournament championships, Hurley faced questions about what went wrong when Florida defeated UConn in the second round in March.According to The Athletic, Hurley contemplated leaving coaching due to exhaustion and taking roughly one year to physically and mentally recharge. The 52-year-old cited the feeling of being burned out.UCONN'S DAN HURLEY MISDIRECTS CRITICISM WHEN ASKED ABOUT TEAM'S RESPONSE TO MEDIA'S FULL-COURT PRESS"I knew my mind, and I knew my body, and I could feel that I was completely cooked," Hurley wrote. "Just burnt. I didnt even know how I was standing. I stared at the office walls, muttering, conducting a brutal review of our season. I didnt build a strong enough roster. I wasnt a good leader. I let everyone down in Maui."I lost control, emotionally, at various points. I came in here some days sad and defeated, when I needed to be positive and inspiring. Then I went through the self-lacerating what-ifs: What if wed played a little bit better in Maui? What if we hadnt blown that game against Seton Hall? What if wed been a better seed than an eight seed and hadnt needed to face a number one in the second round? Who knows?"UConn finished the 2024-25 season with a 24-11 record.Hurley agreed to a six-year contract extension with UConn last year. The deal was finalized after Hurley reportedly turned down a six-year offer from the Los Angeles Lakers to become the franchise's next head coach.More recently, Hurley's name was linked to the New York Knicks as the team searched for Tom Thibodeau's replacement. Hurley ultimately shut down those rumors."Not another summer of that," Hurley told the Hartford Courant in June.Follow Fox News Digitals sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

A shipment of more than 11,000 fake Labubus disguised as LED light bulbs was intercepted at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials.Fake versions of the popular dolls, which were worth thousands, were found when officers inspected incoming air cargo on Aug. 26, according to NBC News.The shipment, which originated in South Korea, contained 11,134 fake dolls that would have been worth around $513,937.76 if they were real.According to a CBP statement, the seizure was made after officers determined the items violated federal laws prohibiting unlawful imports and goods infringing on intellectual property rights.CALIFORNIA WOMAN ALLEGEDLY TRIED TO SMUGGLE 151 POUNDS OF MARIJUANA ONTO INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTThe shipment was falsely labeled as "LED Bulb," officials said.Officials also said arrests have not been ruled out.Counterfeit Labubus, often nicknamed Lafufus, have flooded online marketplaces as demand for real ones made by Pop Mart has surged.ST. LOUIS BORDER OFFICER DISCOVERED MORE THAN 400 COUNTERFEIT SUPER BOWL RINGSThe U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has warned that the fake plush type dolls can pose choking hazards for children, because some of the elements, including the fluff, may detach.Some have also been found to contain hazardous chemicals.Earlier this month, a London council cautioned consumers about "Lafufus," citing risks ranging from toxic materials to small parts breaking off.AUSTRIA POLICE TO INCREASE BORDER CHECKS AFTER GERMANY LEGALIZES CANNABISCollectors can usually spot fakes by telltale signs like overly bright colors, missing holographic Pop Mart stickers, or the wrong number of teeth.Authentic Labubus always have nine.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPCBP officials praised their officers work via a post on X."Excellent work by our diligent and meticulous CBPOs!" Brian Humphrey, CBPs Seattle operations director, wrote before joking: "P.S. were still on the lookout for the one and only 24K GOLD Labubu."CBP also chimed in."Fake Labubus are not welcome in America," the official CBP X account posted. "Thanks for the good catch Seattle!"Fox News Digital has reached out to U.S. Customs and Border Protection for comment.

Fox News Channel finished the summer not only trouncing its cable news rivals but also beating the three major broadcast networks in primetime.According to Nielsen Media Research, Fox News averaged 2.43 million total viewers Monday through Sunday in primetime since June 20, besting ABC's 2.38 million viewers, NBC's 2.21 million viewers, and CBS' 2.03 million viewers.In August, Fox News averaged 2.3 million total viewers in primetime. MSNBC ranked second with an average of 783,000 total viewers in primetime, while CNN trailed in third, averaging 444,000 total viewers.Fox News was the only network of the three to grow its audience from August 2024, despite it not being an election year, up 1% in total viewers while MSNBC dropped 57% of its viewers and CNN lost 59% year-over-year.FOX NEWS CHANNEL DOMINATES ALL OF TELEVISION IN JULY, CNN HITS ROCK BOTTOM AMONG KEY DEMOFox News maintained its dominance in the advertiser-coveted demographic aged 25-54, averaging 237,000 in August compared to CNN's 78,000 and MSNBC's 72,000.In total day viewership, Fox News led with an average of 1.45 million total viewers with 160,000 in the key demo during August, while MSNBC averaged just 502,000 total viewers with 46,000 in the demo and CNN averaged 333,000 total viewers with 53,000 in the demo."The Five" secured its status as the most-watched show on all cable news, averaging 3.5 million total viewers, followed by "Jesse Watters Primetime" with 3 million, "Gutfeld!" with 2.8 million, "Hannity" with 2.6 million, "Special Report with Bret Baier" with 2.55 million and "The Ingraham Angle" with 2.5 million.FOX NEWS DIGITAL TOPS ALL NEWS BRANDS IN KEY METRICS DURING JULY AS CNN HITS HISTORIC LOWSSeveral Fox News daytime programs are edging out broadcast news programs in markets across the country. Fox News' marquee morning show "FOX & Friends" averaged 1.3 million viewers in August and 148,000 in the key demo, crushing MSNBC and CNN's morning programs combined.It also beat "CBS Mornings" in 21 markets including New York, Philadelphia and Dallas, bested ABC's "Good Morning America" in 15 markets including Orlando, Baltimore and New Orleans, and outperformed NBC's "Today" in six markets including New York, Atlanta and Boston."Special Report with Bret Baier" is also closing the gap with broadcast news competitors, beating "CBS Evening News" in 23 markets including Chicago, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., ABCs "World News Tonight" in eight markets including New Orleans and St. Louis, and "NBC Nightly News" in markets such as Tampa Bay, Boston and Tulsa.Fox News daytime lineup outpaced MSNBC and CNN in August. "Americas Newsroom" and "The Faulkner Focus" both averaged 1.8 million viewers, "Outnumbered" averaged 1.9 million, "American Reports" and "The Story with Martha MacCallum" each averaged 1.7 million, and "The Will Cain Show" averaged 2 million.Notably, every Fox News program between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET in daytime bested ABC's "GMA3," NBC's "Today Third Hour" and NBC's "Today with Jenna & Friends," all of which averaged less than 1.7 million total viewers in August.FOX CORPORATION'S NEW 'FOX ONE' STREAMING SERVICE TO LAUNCH AUGUST 21

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Tuesday that the American public has lost faith in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and outlined his plan to rebuild trust in an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal.Kennedy blamed decades of bureaucracy, politicized science and "mission creep" for eroding the CDCs core role of protecting Americans from infectious disease and squandering public confidence.Kennedy pointed to the CDCs response to COVID-19 as an example of dysfunction that "produced irrational policy" and further eroded trust in the agency."Cloth masks on toddlers, arbitrary 6-foot distancing, boosters for healthy children, prolonged school closings, economy-crushing lockdowns, and the suppression of low-cost therapeutics in favor of experimental and ineffective drugs," he wrote. "The toll was devastating."MORE THAN 1,000 HHS WORKERS DEMAND KENNEDY RESIGNATION OVER CDC DIRECTOR FIRING AND AGENCY CHANGESAlthough some may see the agency's missteps during the pandemic as a one-off mistake, Kennedy asserted that this failure was "no anomaly," citing declining life expectancy and declining trust from the public as evidence."Trust has collapsed: Only one-third of health care workers participated in the 2023-24 fall COVID booster program, and fewer than 10% of children under 12 received boosters in 2024-25. The American people no longer believe the CDC has their best interests at heart," he wrote.BERNIE SANDERS CALLS FOR RFK JR. TO RESIGN AS HHS SECRETARY OVER VACCINE POLICIES: RALLY THE AMERICAN PEOPLEOn an operational level, the HHS secretary was critical of the CDC's budget allocation and staffing. He ripped the agency for having only half of its total budget support its infectious-disease mission, and for the fact that fewer than 1 in 10 employees are epidemiologistswhich he blames for the CDC's "disastrous" pandemic response.Despite his sharp criticisms, Kennedy expressed hope that the agency could be restored to its former effectiveness. He noted that the CDC's response to a measles outbreak this year showed how the agency can "act swiftly with precision when guided by science and freed from ideology."Kennedy highlighted some of the actions already taken by the Trump administration to tackle the issues impacting the CDC, such as replacing leaders who've resisted reform and eliminating conflicts of interests and bureaucratic complacency.CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE"First, the CDC must restore public trustand that restoration has begun. It wont stop until Americas public-health institutions again serve the people with transparency, honesty and integrity," he concluded.Fox News Digital reached out to the CDC for further comment.More than 1,000 current and former employees of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) signed a letter calling on Kennedy to resign on Wednesday.The employees cited Kennedy's recent ousting of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director Susan Monarez. They also accused Kennedy of appointing "political ideologues" to positions of authority.That followed nine former directors and former acting CDC directors who wrote Monday in The New York Times that Kennedy's leadership was endangering all Americans, accusing him of downplaying vaccines and focusing on unproven treatments.HHS didn't respond to a request for comment.

The White House has remained silent after a new report claims advisors to President Donald Trump have discussed offering New York City Mayor Eric Adams a position within the Trump administration in the hopes it would hurt mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdanis election odds.Trump advisors reportedly had a discussion with Adams associates about dipping out of the race and potentially joining the Trump administration to pave the way for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo to secure a victory in Novembers election, the New York Times reported Wednesday.It remains unclear if specific positions for Adams have been talked about or if Adams would be inclined to accept such an offer, the report said.The White House did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.SANDERS ENDORSES SOCIALIST MAMDANI IN MOVE TO BLOCK CUOMO IN NYC MAYORAL RACEMamdani is a Ugandan-born Muslim and Democratic socialist who won the Democratic Partys primary for New York City mayor in June. Meanwhile, Cuomo is a moderate Democrat running in the race as an independent after losing to Mamdani in the Democratic primary race in June.Adams campaign said the mayor has not had discussions with Trump on the matter."Mayor Adams has made it clear that he will not respond to every rumor that comes up," Todd Shapiro, a spokesperson for Adams campaign, said Wednesday. "He will remain focused, not be distracted and grind for New Yorkers."WASHINGTON POST BASHES SOCIALIST ZOHRAN MAMDANI AS POTENTIAL DISASTER FOR NEW YORK CITY"He has had no discussions with, nor has he met with, President Donald Trump regarding the mayoral race," Shapiro said. "The mayor is fully committed to winning this election, with millions of New Yorkers preparing to cast their votes. His record is clear: Crime is down, jobs are up and he has consistently stood up for working families. Mayor Adams is focused on building on that progress and earning four more years to continue delivering for the people of New York."Trump historically has railed against Mamdani and has cautioned New Yorkers against voting for the New York State assemblyman from Queens."No. 1, you have a communist running, and you shouldn't vote for him," Trump said during a July Cabinet meeting. "He's a disaster. He's leading. He's got the Democrat nomination because that shows you where the Democrats have gone."I'm not getting involved, but I can tell you this: I used to say we will not ever be a socialist country. Right. Well, I'll say it again. We're not going to have if a communist gets elected to run New York, it can never be the same."GLOBALIZE THE INTIFADA PHRASE STIRS TENSIONS ON NYC CAMPAIGN TRAIL AS MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT RAGES

Former New York Giants defensive player Micheal Barrow landed in legal hot water after a chaotic scene unfolded at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.According to multiple reports, Barrow was involved in a disagreement with members of his family at the airport on Tuesday.At one point during the argument, Barrow's fist allegedly made inadvertent contact with his wife's facial area, sports journalist Andy Slater reported, citing police.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMShelly, Barrow's wife, reportedly fell to the ground after she was struck.2025 NFL WEEK 1 BUZZ: PAIR OF COWBOYS STARTERS FULL-GO AT PRACTICEAccording to jail records, Barrow faces three counts of domestic battery. Additional details pertaining to the arrest were not immediately made available.Fox News Digital contacted the Broward County Sheriff's Office for more information.On Wednesday, Barrow entered a not guilty plea. The 55-year-old was released on $5,000 bond, jail records showed.Barrow played on two national championship-winning teams during his standout career with the Miami Hurricanes. He received Big East Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1992.The Houston Oilers drafted Barrow in the second round in 1993.After four seasons in Houston, Barrow joined the Carolina Panthers. He last appeared in an NFL game in 2003 with the Giants.Once his playing days ended, Barrow pivoted to coaching. He spent several seasons on Miami's coaching staff. Barrow also had a stint with the Seattle Seahawks' coaching staff.Follow Fox News Digitals sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.