An announcer jinx added to the Michigan Wolverines issues in their 24-13 loss against the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday night.ESPN stars Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit were on the call for the game. Michigan kicker Dominic Zvada came onto the field in the second quarter in an attempt to cut Oklahomas seven-point lead to four with a field goal.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMFowler spoke about Zvadas leg strength and accuracy. Zvada was 33-of-37 from field goal attempts inside 40 yards. The attempt was from 32 yards."Well, Dominic Zvada usually gets points when he goes out there to kick field goals," Fowler said. "He's an All-American kicker. Bombs them from 50-plus easily. This is a chip shot of 32 to get the Wolverines on the board."Zvada hooked the attempt left.FLORIDA DEFENSIVE LINEMAN EJECTED FOR SPITTING ON PLAYER DURING OPPONENT'S GAME-WINNING DRIVE"I know Im gonna hear about it," Fowler said as Herbstreit expressed his astonishment. "Lets talk about his technique and not what the announcer said.It was a tough night for Michigan all around. Oklahoma took a 14-0 lead into halftime and never relinquished even as Michigan made it close at the end.John Mateer was on fire for the Sooners all night. He finished 21-of-34 with 270 passing yards, a touchdown pass and one interception. He added 74 yards on the ground and tallied two rushing touchdowns.Sooners wide receiver Deion Burks had seven catches for 101 yards and a touchdown.The Oklahoma defense locked down freshman phenom Bryce Underwood. He was 9-of-24 with 142 passing yards. Running back Justice Haynes had a 75-yard touchdown run in the second half but it was not enough.The Sooners improved to 2-0 on the year. The Wolverines fell to 1-1.Follow Fox News Digitalssports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto took a no-hitter deep into the ninth inning before Baltimore Orioles star Jackson Holliday ended his dream with a two-out home run.So, how did the Dodgers end up losing the game on Saturday night?CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMDodgers manager Dave Roberts removed Yamamoto from the game following the Holliday home run. He put in Blake Treinen with the 3-1 lead.Orioles second baseman Jeremiah Jackson welcomed him to the game with a double. Then, Treinen hit Gunnar Henderson with a pitch and walked Ryan Mountcastle. Just like that, Baltimore had runners in scoring position to maybe pull off a miracle comeback.Treinen, still in the game with the bases loaded, walked Colton Cowser to make it a one-run game. The Dodgers replaced Treinen with Tanner Scott, but Los Angeles luck would run out. Third baseman Emmanuel Rivera singled to score two runners.YOUNG PHILLIES FAN FORCED TO GIVE UP HARRISON BADER HOME RUN BALL TO IRATE FAN GETS MEET AND GREET, SIGNED BATBaltimore won the game, 4-3.One of the worst losses from any team this season sparked reactions from furious Dodgers fans on social media.Yamamoto pitched a fantastic game and was on track to pitch the first no-hitter for the Dodgers since Clayton Kershaw more than a decade ago. He had 10 strikeouts and only walked two batters. No Dodgers pitcher would get an out after him.Mookie Betts was 2-for-5 with two RBI. Shohei Ohtani also added an RBI as he was 1-for-5 on the night. The defending World Series champions failed to close the door.The Dodgers are in the thick of a playoff race. The team still held the lead in the National League West over the San Diego Padres but only by 1.5 games.The Orioles are unofficially out of the running. They are 66-76 on the season with the win but 16 games out of first place in the American League East.Follow Fox News Digitalssports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Bill Belichick earned the first win of his collegiate coaching career on Saturday night.The North Carolina Tar Heels bounced back from a loss last week to defeat the Charlotte 49ers, 20-3.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMThe game started similarly to the Tar Heels loss against TCU started with a touchdown. Quarterback Gio Lopez needed three plays to get into the end zone. He found Chris Culliver for a 51-yard touchdown pass. The North Carolina defense would lock in from there.Charlotte punted on its first three drives before they picked up their lone field goal in the second quarter. The 49ers turned the ball over on downs in the second quarter and 49ers quarterback Grayson Loftis threw an interception to North Carolinas Greg Smith to end their drive.Lopez was 17-of-25 with 155 passing yards and the game-opening touchdown pass. Davion Gause ran for a touchdown along with 27 yards on the ground. Culliver led North Carolina receivers with three catches for 74 yards and the first-quarter score.FLORIDA DEFENSIVE LINEMAN EJECTED FOR SPITTING ON PLAYER DURING OPPONENT'S GAME-WINNING DRIVELoftis came into the game for Conner Harrell. Loftis was 8-for-12 with 110 passing yards and two interceptions. Harrell was 17-of-29 with 140 passing yards.Belichick heard a lot of criticism from the loss against the Horned Frogs. On a short week, he got the Tar Heels to stay focused on the task at hand and avoided an 0-2 start.He took over as the Tar Heels head coach for Mack Brown. He mostly stayed out of the spotlight until it was confirmed that he was dating Jordon Hudson. The age gap between Belichick and Hudson became the talking point around the program from the spring and through the summer.Victories will help put some of the negative criticism to the side. North Carolina will return home to play Richmond next week with a matchup against UCF coming after that one.Follow Fox News Digitalssports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Former teen idol Shaun Cassidy is embarking on his first major tour in 45 years.The 66-year-old son of Oscar-winning actress Shirley Jones, 91, and the late Tony Award-winning actor Jack Cassidy rose to fame in the mid-to-late 1970s as a pop star after following in the footsteps of his late half brother, David Cassidy.At the same time, Cassidy also found success as an actor, starring as Joe Hardy in the hit ABC series "The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries."However, he stepped back from the spotlight decades ago to focus on a career behind the scenes as a television writer and producer. Now, Cassidy is returning to the public eye as he launches his first arena tour since 1980.DAVID CASSIDY'S BROTHER SAYS IT WAS TERRIBLY HARD WATCHING PARTRIDGE FAMILY STAR BATTLE ALCOHOLISMDuring an interview with People magazine, Cassidy revealed that he has been brushing up on his guitar skills and relearning his own hits as he prepares to hit the road once again."I literally had to take guitar lessons. I hadn't played guitar in so long," he said. "I had to relearn songs I had written. I didn't know how to play them."For his upcoming tour, Cassidy told the outlet that he is taking the fresh challenge of playing bass instead of guitar. He also shared that his old songs feel new to him after his decadeslong hiatus from performing."Because I haven't been singing them for 40 years, they're not dead to me. They feel new, and I'm only singing the songs I really liked back then that feel appropriate to me singing now," Cassidy said. "I can sing better than I sang when I was 20 because I haven't been singing. I think I didn't burn my voice out for 40 years."Cassidy's 50-city "The Road to Us Tour," the longest of his career, will kick off Sept. 13 at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. The singer told People that the tour will span his full career, featuring classic hits, new music and personal stories.The setlist will include Cassidy's cover of "Da Doo Ron Ron," originally a 1963 song by the girl group The Crystals. "Da Doo Ron Ron" was the first single released from Cassidy's self-titled debut album in 1977. The song became Cassidy's first major hit, topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart and helping him earn a Grammy Award nomination for best new artist.However, Cassidy told People that "Da Doo Ron Ron" wasn't his choice for the single that would launch his music career.LIKE WHAT YOURE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS"I liked the song. It was my idea to record it," Cassidy said."But that wasn't the song I wanted to be the first single off my album," he continued. "I didn't get a vote, and I guess they were right. It went to No. 1. It was a big record, but there were like three or four other songs I would've preferred or chosen. And by the way, that's been the case with every record Ive made."Despite being raised in a show business family, Cassidy admitted that he was never really comfortable in the limelight during his time as a teen heartthrob."I've never enjoyed being a public figure. I don't like all the attention. I'm basically an introvert. I don't really like being famous," he told People. "But the only thing more ridiculous than being famous is being formerly famous, because you're still famous, but a lot of people don't necessarily know why anymore. And if it were up to me, I'd prefer neither of those things."CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER"For years, I was like, I don't want to [tour] because I'll just be trying to replicate some version of myself at 20, which I always thought would be embarrassing and why try?" Cassidy said."But I discovered, and the audience told me this, that I didn't need to do that because I had actually all these other cards I could play," he added. "Now I'm a storyteller."By the mid-1990s, Cassidy had shifted almost completely to behind the scenes in Hollywood. For the past few decades, he has worked as a television writer and producer, launching shows including "American Gothic," "Roar" and "New Amsterdam."While speaking with People, Cassidy acknowledged that the trajectory of his career was unusual.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP"It's a weird rsum," he said. "I don't know anybody else that plays the Houston Astrodome for 55,000 people, says, Goodnight and see you soon, and then doesn't show up again for 40 years, but that's kind of what I did.""I think I'm the luckiest person in the world that I can do that," Cassidy added.

Sydney Sweeney shared some of the secrets behind her dramatic transformation for her role as legendary boxer Christy Martin in the new movie "Christy."During a Q&A session after the film's premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Friday, the 27-year-old actress, who gained more than 30 pounds to play Martin, detailed how her preparations included intense physical training and a diet heavy on Chick-fil-A and milkshakes."I trained for two or three months before [filming]. I had a boxing coach," she said in a video shared on social media. "I had weight trainers, I had nutritionists. I trained three times a day, every day. And then while I was filming, I trained as well.""And there was a lot of Chick-fil-A," director David Michd added.SYDNEY SWEENEY IS UNRECOGNIZABLE AS SHE CHANNELS FAMOUS ATHLETE FOR UPCOMING ROLE"A lot of Chick-fil-A, a lot," Sweeney agreed. "A lot of Smucker's, a lot of milkshakes, a lot of protein shakes.""But it was incredible being able to completely embody such a powerful woman," she added. "I felt even stronger. It was truly inspiring.""Christy" tells the story of Martin, nicknamed the "Coal Miners Daughter," and her rise from small-town West Virginia to becoming one of the most recognizable female boxers of the 1990s.The film also explores Martins troubled relationship with her boxing trainer and husband, Jim Martin (Ben Foster). Their marriage involved codependency, drug abuse, financial scandal, and physical and psychological violence. Martin's tale is also one of survival as she narrowly escaped with her life after Jim attempted to murder her in 2010.Sweeney previously shared that she spent time with Martin, who visited her on set and encouraged her during fight scenes.While standing next to Martin onstage at the Princess of Wales Theatre on Friday, Sweeney teared up as she reflected on playing the former champion."Thank you for helping us spread Christy's story and awareness, because as you can tell, she is such a special and incredible human being," Sweeney said, drawing cheers and applause from the festival crowd. "Her story deserves to be told.""You're so inspirational, so being able to have her by my side during this process was a dream," the "Euphoria" star told Martin as she became emotional. "But then also just scary, too, because you're like, 'Oh my gosh, we're doing this in front of her,' and I wasn't quite sure.""I mean, she's the greatest boxer in the entire world, and I'm having to do hooks and hits, and I'm like, 'I hope I'm doing this right,'" she added. "It was a dream come true as an actor, as a person."When Martin spoke at the Q&A, she praised Sweeney for capturing both sides of her personality."Christy the boxer was just the persona, very bombastic and very egotistical, but that is not who I am," Martin explained, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "I am actually very shy and reserved."LIKE WHAT YOURE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS"I have these two different parts of my personality, which I think is why Sydney Sweeney does this awesome job," she continued. "She got to be this totally different person that none of you expected. She wasnt the beautiful, sexy Sydney. She was the tough, rugged Christy in this movie."After her ex-husband's attempt on her life, Martin became a motivational speaker and founded the nonprofit Christy's Champs, which supports domestic violence survivors.Martin told the crowd she hoped her story would inspire others and that the film would give them confidence to pursue their dreams."I made a deal with God from the hospital: if you let me live, I would help as many people as possible," Martin said of her recovery after the attack. "I hope this movie does that. If a coal miners daughter from a 500-person town in southern West Virginia can make it, anybody can."CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTERAccording to The Hollywood Reporter, "Christy" received a standing ovation after its premiere.Sweeney's performance has been hailed by critics and "landed immediate Oscar buzz," according to The Associated Press.Ahead of TIFF, Sweeney said she would not be commenting on controversy over her American Eagle "Great Jeans" campaign.Her TIFF appearance marked her first public outing since the ad campaign drew backlash following its July release.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPIn an interview with Vanity Fair published earlier this week, Sweeney said she would shut down any questions about the campaign."I am there to support my movie and the people involved in making it. Im not there to talk about jeans," the "White Lotus" star said. "The movies about Christy, and thats what Ill be there to talk about."

A Texas woman was sentenced to six years in prison in connection with a 2023 arson attack on a church in Washington state, according to federal prosecutors.Natasha Marie O'Dell, 38, was sentenced Thursday on three felonies for the arson of Seattle Laestadian Lutheran Church in Snohomish County, Washington, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington announced.O'Dell pleaded guilty earlier this year to arson, damage to religious property and obstruction of persons in the free exercise of religious beliefs."This offense was devastating and dangerous," U.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead said at the sentencing hearing on Thursday. "Ms. O'Dell deliberately set fire to a church, causing complete destruction."ROCKS HURLED THROUGH CHURCH'S STAINED-GLASS WINDOWS, CAR DESTROYED AS FEDERAL CRIME CRACKDOWN CONTINUES"The scope of the destruction is staggering. You burned down the spiritual home of a congregation The wounds you have inflicted deepen for each day they are away from their home," the judge added.The judge will determine a restitution payment at a later date.O'Dell was visiting family when she set fire to the church in Maltby on Aug. 25, 2023.She was linked to the fire through cell phone records, credit card records and surveillance video, according to the plea agreement and the federal indictment.The investigation tied ODell to credit card purchases at a service station, where she purchased some lighters and a container with just over a gallon of gasoline.Despite the church being destroyed, part of the security system's video surveillance survived the fire and captured ODell moving around the church with a red gasoline container.In the footage, she was seen emptying the container on the exterior walls of the church and items around the building. ODell then moved out of the camera's view and fire could be seen growing in the areas where she poured gasoline.ODell admitted to prosecutors that she told multiple people she was angry about churches, specifically Seattle Laestadian Lutheran Church. She later told another person that she planned to burn a nearby church.ACCUSED ANTI-ISRAEL ARSONIST TURNS HIMSELF IN FOR ALLEGEDLY TORCHING 10 NYPD VEHICLES AHEAD OF PROTEST: FEDSCLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPThe fire resulted in more than $3.2 million in damages to the church, which has incurred additional costs by renting a nearby middle school to hold their services multiple times a week.A firefighter was injured while fighting the flames and was transported to an emergency room."Ms. O'Dell acted with extreme disregard for community safety when she poured more than a gallon of gasoline on the church building and used a lighter to start the blaze," Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller said in a statement. "This conduct put anyone inside the church, the neighbors around the church, and the firefighters who responded in extreme danger. It is fortunate that only one firefighter suffered injuries."

Democrats are criticizing President Donald Trump for a social media post that appeared to threaten Chicago with deportations and the U.S. military.Trump posted on Truth Social an AI image of himself styled as Robert Duvalls character in "Apocalypse Now," a Vietnam War epic about a decorated U.S. officer who has gone rogue deep in the Cambodian jungle. The words "Chipocalypse Now" were also seen on the image."'I love the smell of deportations in the morning'" Trump wrote in the post on Saturday morning, a play on a famous quote from the 1979 film."Chicago about to find out why its called the Department of WAR," he added, referring to his recent executive order renaming the Department of Defense to the Department of War.TRUMP ROILS CHICAGO DEMOCRATS WITH APOCALYPSE NOW MEME HINTING AT NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENTSeveral Democrats blasted the president for his threats of "war" against U.S. cities, which comes as the federal government is potentially considering deploying the National Guard to Chicago to deal with crime a move Illinois leaders have repeatedly criticized.California Gov. Gavin Newsom responded to the post by saying Trump was "using our troops like political pawns.""The President of the United States is deploying the military onto US streets and using our troops like political pawns," Newsom wrote on X. "DO NOT ALLOW YOURSELF TO BECOME NUMB TO THIS."Newsom butted heads with Trump over the summer after National Guard troops and Marines were deployed to Los Angeles to respond to anti-ICE demonstrations and support federal immigration enforcement.CHICAGO MAYOR CALLS TRUMP'S FEDERALIZATION THREATS 'BENEATH THE HONOR OF OUR NATION,' PROTESTS PLANNEDBoth Illinois senators pushed back on the president's "disgusting" post suggesting he would wage war on the Windy City."No Donald, Chicago is not your war zone," Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth wrote on X.Duckworth is also a combat veteran and retired Army National Guard lieutenant colonel.CHICAGO RESIDENT GOES AFTER CITYS PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATIC GANG FOR REFUSING TRUMPS FEDERAL HELP ON CRIMESen. Dick Durbin wrote on X that Trump should be focused on his "weak jobs reports," "record measles cases," "tariffs hurting American farmers and businesses" and "hidden Epstein files" instead of "asking ChatGPT to make him memes and threatening to turn our brave armed forces against American cities.""This tweet this morning was disgusting to suggest that the troops are coming into Chicago or that the Department of War is going to be engaged is an embarrassment," Durban said during remarks before a parade in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood, according to FOX 32 Chicago.Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson have been feuding with Trump in recent weeks over the potential deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago."The President of the United States is threatening to go to war with an American city," Pritzker wrote on X on Saturday. "This is not a joke. This is not normal. Donald Trump isn't a strongman, he's a scared man. Illinois wont be intimidated by a wannabe dictator."Johnson has previously cited data showing that violent crime in Chicago has declined in the last year, including homicides and robberies dipping by more than 30%, and shootings dropping by nearly 40%."The Presidents threats are beneath the honor of our nation, but the reality is that he wants to occupy our city and break our Constitution," Johnson wrote on Saturday. "We must defend our democracy from this authoritarianism by protecting each other and protecting Chicago from Donald Trump."

A national Catholic organization is making it a mission to put Bibles in the hands of students in college as a tool to help them in their faith."A staggering 79 percent of former Catholics leave the faith before the age of twenty-three," the Catholic evangelization organization, Word on Fire, says on its website."The vast majority of young people who leave their Christian faith do so around the high school to college age," Brandon Vogt, senior publishing director for Bishop Robert Barron's Word on Fire ministry, toldFox News Digital.GEN Z EMBRACES THE BIBLE IN UNEXPECTED GLOBAL SPIRITUAL AWAKENING"And so we thought, well, if that's when they're leaving, then we need to go out there and meet them in that critical moment," Vogt added. "So we do that in lots of ways over the years at Word on Fire, we've released videos and books and resources, but this Bible campaign I think has been a really effective way to do that because we're getting into their hands the Word of God."The organization said it has provided over 30,000 copies of its Gospels edition to college students on more than 100 campuses across the U.S.,and one in Canada."With these Word on Fire editions of the Bible, which is not just the biblical text, it's this work of art,"Vogt said."And we call it a cathedral in print because it's surrounded with artwork and quotes from saints and church fathers and mystics and scholars, and it's got a bunch of extra stuff around it that I think makes the Bible understandable to a college student, especially one approaching it for the first time," Vogt said.POPULAR BEACH TOWN BRINGS SUNDAY MASS TO SHORE SO FAITHFUL DON'T MISS SERMON OR SURFOn its webpage for the initiative, Word on Fire says it has raised more than $184,000 toward its goal of $250,000."We have countless testimonies of people who have begun readingthe Bible for the first time in their lives as a result of this campaign, which for us is enormously encouraging,"Vogt told Fox News Digital."We partnered with a lot of the Catholic campus ministries at secular colleges," he added. "People are saying, Wow, you know, I've never read the Bible before. This is my first time. Or they'll say, This is the most beautiful version of the Bible. I think this is one I'll actually read."Schools whose Catholic campus ministry centers are part of the initiative include Harvard University, West Point, Stanford University, University of Michigan, Ohio State University, Southeastern Louisiana University, and Southern Methodist University.Vogt also said people have said the Word on Fire Bibles have led to theirbecoming Catholic or returning to the church."I think Catholics can do a whole lot better reading the Bible. And that's not a fault of the church,"Vogt said. "The church has been adamant for decades and centuries that Catholics need to know the scriptures on the ground. Is it happening as well as it should? Probably not. That's why we're on fire. So committed to bringing the Bible to new generations."

Taking a vaccine may be a matter of personal choice when it comes to protecting an individual against a virus or bacteria, but it is also a matter of community protection, especially when the vaccine is highly effective at stopping spread and there are immunocompromised people around who cant take the vaccine. They need our help to protect them by providing fewer hosts for the virus.In the case of measles, mumps, and rubella, we are talking about viruses with the potential to make a child very sick, but the vaccine, which creates a wall of protection after two doses, uses a live attenuated (weakened) virus which cannot be taken by an immunocompromised child. This is because he or she doesnt have the immune protection needed to stop the live virus in the vaccine from potentially causing the disease.TRUMP CALLS FLORIDA'S MOVE TO ELIMINATE VACCINE MANDATES A 'TOUGH STANCE': 'YOU HAVE VACCINES THAT WORK'The surgeon general of the state of Florida is wrong when he vows to end vaccine mandates in the state based on the notion that they should be a matter of personal choice. Yes, the child or their parent has a right to choose not to be vaccinated, but the school has the right to exclude that child from attending based on the definition of what constitutes a safe environment. Everyone agrees that no one has the right to bring a knife to school. At the same time, a school needs to be able provide protection for children who are unable to take a vaccine because of their underlying medical conditions. How would Florida health officials feel if there were a measles outbreak at the school because other children or their parents vote against taking the vaccine?This case is clear cut, because the MMR vaccine has been proven safe and effective at preventing spread, whereas measles is so contagious that almost every unvaccinated child who is exposed to it will get sick and approximately one out of seven of them will end up in the hospital.The concept of community protection is more debatable when the vaccine doesnt prevent spread, as with the flu or COVID vaccines, but keep in mind that vaccines which decrease severity also decrease rates of hospitalization. In fact the flu vaccine has been shown to significantly decrease the risk of urgent care visits, hospitalizations, and death.CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINIONMany medical centers, including my own, are justified in imposing flu vaccine mandates among health care workers, because the last thing we want to do is to unknowingly spread flu from one patient to the next. The flu vaccine decreases the chance of this happening.Community protection is also why, as I have written elsewhere, President Trump deserves the Nobel Peace prize for Operation Warp Speed, an unprecedented public/private partnership that brought a largely vulnerable population a layer of crucial protection in just nine months, saving millions of lives around the world. And though the COVID virus continued to mutate, rendering the MRNA vaccines less effective at preventing spread, it continues to be effective at decreasing severity, which again leads to fewer hospitalizations and fewer deaths, especially in vulnerable populations with pre-existing conditions and especially in the first few months after vaccination.Unfortunately, vaccines have been caught up in a political battle and displaced from their real purpose as one of our greatest public health tools of prevention. I am all for continued scrutiny of data, continued study, and full transparency. I am also for the debate over which vaccines should be mandated and which shouldnt, with the reasons for and against clearly spelled out. It is clear that the COVID vaccines were mandated for far too long, for too many groups, where in the latter stages of the pandemic the government ended up infringing on civil liberties without demonstrating sufficient community protection. But that is not the same thing as saying that they shouldnt be widely available or used.As a practicing physician, I perform a risk/benefit analysis before I recommend a vaccine to anyone, and it is crucial that a patients fears and concerns and their vaccine history are part of the conversation that follows. But as I remind all my patients, the purpose of vaccination is twofold; personal as well as community protection. Politics should never play a role in this decision.CLICK HERE FOR MORE FROM DR. MARC SIEGEL

As U.S. forces carry out strikes abroad and policymakers prepare to release a new national defense strategy, the Trump administration has chosen to revive a name not heard in Washington since 1947: the Department of War.Friday's executive order has opened a debate over whether words shape policy, or whether the symbolism matters less than the capabilities behind them.Supporters argue the shift restores honesty to the Pentagons identity, acknowledging that Americas armed forces have long been engaged in conflicts that stretch beyond "defense." Critics counter that the change risks glorifying war, unsettling allies and giving adversaries new propaganda lines at a sensitive moment in global security.Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who proudly assumed the new title, described the move as a cultural reset. "Words matter. Titles matter, cultures matter," Hegseth told Fox News Digital. "George Washington founded the War Department."HEGSETH VOWS TO REBUILD MILITARY DETERRENCE SO ENEMIES 'DON'T WANT TO F--- WITH US'Jennifer Kavanaugh, a senior fellow at Defense Priorities, said recent strikes have emboldened Trump to lean more heavily on military power. She pointed to U.S. attacks on Iranian targets earlier this summer and, more recently, a strike on a Venezuelan drug-smuggling boat, which she said the administration clearly views as both policy successes and strong political points."These two strikes, as well as other small things, are maybe pushing Trump to be more aggressive than he was on the campaign trail, or even than he planned to be coming in," Kavanaugh said.Others were more skeptical of the names practical impact. Frank Rose, a former Defense Department and Nuclear Security Administration official, said the change does little to address real challenges. "I have no problem with the [new] name," he said. "The real question is this: Will this name change allow us to get capability faster to the warfighter and stay ahead of Russia and China? Im skeptical. Names dont deter. Capabilities deter."Some observers worry the debate over symbolism is overshadowing substantive developments. "This story is overshadowing more important news," said John Byrnes, strategic director for Concerned Veterans for America. "The overdue National Defense Strategy seems about to be published, and sources are reporting that it outlines a pivot towards focusing more resources on defense here in North America."The Pentagons strategy document, released once per administration, is expected soon. A recent report in Politico suggested it will center on homeland defense and the Western Hemisphere, underscoring a shift in priorities as the U.S. faces threats closer to home.The executive order allows the Pentagon to continue using "Department of Defense" as a secondary name, a concession that may ease the daunting task of changing countless seals, emblems, and bureaucratic references.TRUMP TO RENAME PENTAGON, RESTORING HISTORIC DEPARTMENT OF WAR IN LATEST MILITARY MOVEFor most of the nations history, the U.S. military was overseen by the Department of War. Created in 1789 as one of the first executive departments, it managed the Army, fortifications, and the nations defenses. The Navy, established separately in 1798, was not folded into the War Department.By the mid-20th century, policymakers were rethinking the militarys role. The devastation of World War II and the onset of the Cold War spurred the 1947 National Security Act, which merged the War Department and the Navy Department into the National Military Establishment.In 1949, that structure was renamed the Department of Defense. The new title was meant to signal a mission of deterrence and stability rather than aggressive war-making, aligning with Americas Cold War role as a global protector.For more than seventy-five years, the Department of Defense has symbolized that mission. Restoring the "War" name represents a striking departure from that framework.Modern governments have largely abandoned the blunt language of "war" in naming their defense bureaucracies. The United Kingdom once had separate War and Air ministries, which were merged after World War II into todays Ministry of Defence. In Germany, pre-1945 governments relied on a War Ministry, but postwar leaders created a Federal Ministry of Defense to emphasize collective security within NATO. Russia maintains a Ministry of Defense, headquartered in Moscow, even as it wages wars abroad.The trend reflects a 20th-century shift toward language that frames militaries as protectors rather than aggressors. Americas decision to move in the opposite direction stands out globally.Kavanaugh noted that the rhetorical turn may resonate differently with U.S. audiences. For some, she said, it will emphasize the militarys lethality a theme Trump and Hegseth have repeatedly embraced.For others, it will serve as a reminder that the United States spends far more time intervening abroad than defending its own borders."Department of War is sort of a much more accurate description of what the military does," she said. "The homeland itself is actually very secure: we have oceans on two sides, weak neighbors to the north and south so I do think it calls attention to what is the fundamental role of the military here, which is fighting wars abroad, which hasnt always advanced U.S. interests."It remains unclear whether Trump can make the change permanent without congressional approval. His order directs Hegseth to propose both legislative and executive measures to enshrine the name. Democrats have already voiced opposition."Totally something my 8-year-old would come up with," Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., wrote on X. "Americans want to prevent wars, not tout them.""Only someone who avoided the draft would want to rename the Department of Defense to the Department of War," added Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz.