With everyone and his brother predicting that a blue tsunami will wash over the Senate as well as the House, I want to write something contrarian.  This way, if the Republicans do hang on to the Senate , I’ll get credit for defying the conventional wisdom. And if they don’t, I won’t get kicked out of the punditocracy – folks will just say well, he put a lot of caveats in there. THE NINE KEY RACES THAT WILL DECIDE WHO CONTROLS THE SENATE, AND WHERE THEY STAND The truth is, I don’t know who is going to capture the upper chamber, and neither do you.  And neither do all the pontificators and speculators online or on the air.  I do know the GOP is pouring tens of millions into contests they might otherwise lose, giving their people – even scandal-scarred Ken Paxton – a huge advantage on the airwaves in the final two weeks. But money doesn’t always move voters once they’ve made up their minds in this era of early voting.  Is Maine’s Susan Collins liked enough to hang one more time against a...

The Trump administration reached a settlement with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill that will close 18 active federal investigations and a separate Justice Department compliance review involving alleged antisemitism and race discrimination at the university. The voluntary settlement agreement does not require a monetary payment, and the university does not admit to any wrongdoing or liability. The deal, which will remain effective until the end of 2028, allows UNC to maintain its eligibility for federal funding. Under the agreement, UNC will appoint an internal "Merit & Civil Rights Administrator" and establish a "Title VI Coordinator" position in its compliance office to address complaints about antisemitism and race-based discrimination. The university said Elizabeth Hall, associate vice chancellor for university compliance, was appointed to serve in both roles in addition to her existing duties. She will be the point of contact for the Justice...

The 2026 World Series is set. The Tampa Bay Rays will take on the Milwaukee Brewers, as they defeated the Cleveland Guardians, 7-3, in Game 6 of the ALCS to win the American League pennant. The Brewers , who shockingly swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS, have been watching this ALCS patiently to see who their opponent will be. CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGE Tampa Bay won Game 5 on the road, which is always a pivotal tilt when the series is tied at two games apiece, and they didn’t squander their first trip back home at Tropicana Field. With a sold-out "Trop," the Rays used their momentum to get the job done. THE CRAIG CARTON SHOW–UNFILTERED, UNAPOLOGETIC AND UNMISSABLE. DOWNLOAD HIS DAILY PODCAST NOW! Richie Palacios got the Rays on the board first in the bottom of the second inning after a clutch, two-out double to make it 2-0 early. Then, with the game at 3-1 in favor of Tampa Bay, it was their superstar, Junior Caminero, hitting what felt like the seri...

A New Jersey attorney and former municipal official who made waves during his debate with Sen. Cory Booker , D- N. J., said his unscripted style may be the secret sauce to making history and ending a Republican Senate drought in New Jersey that stretches back more than half a century. Justin Murphy, a Navy veteran and former deputy mayor of Tabernacle in the state’s Pine Barrens, stunned his incumbent Democratic opponent when, in response to a question about Iran War strategy, he bluntly said President Donald Trump should forcefully "finish it." "I don’t have a speechwriter. There’s no teleprompter — I shoot from the hip because I want people to see a very sincere, genuine and authentic Justin Murphy," Murphy told Fox News Digital. BOOKER 'WOWED' BY GOP CHALLENGER'S BLUNT MESSAGE TO TRUMP "This came up. And I had no idea it would become as viral or explode as it has on social media. It's what I felt. I meant what I said. I said what I meant. It ...

Firefighters saved a historic New York City church, notable for its appearance in "The Godfather," as a four-alarm fire tore through a nearby vacant warehouse. More than 200 firefighters and EMS personnel rushed to Mount Loretto in Staten Island after the blaze began to spread inside an empty warehouse at around 5:45 p.m. on Saturday, FDNY chief of operations Kevin Woods said at a press conference that evening. "There is heavy, heavy damage to this structure, the roof did collapse, and right now we’re maintaining a collapse zone around that structure," Woods said. NYC 5-ALARM FIRE INJURES AT LEAST 17 FIREFIGHTERS, OTHERS AS BLAZE DAMAGES MULTIPLE APARTMENT BUILDINGS "Upon arrival, units encountered heavy fire throughout the building and immediately went into a defensive operation," Woods said. "We set up multiple large-caliber stream tower ladders and handlines." The warehouse at 6581 Hylan Boulevard has been vacant for five years, but it is loc...

The Green Bay Packers ’ win over the Dallas Cowboys, 23-13, on "Sunday Night Football" maintained a tale of two divisions in the NFC. The NFC North is once again a very strong group to begin the 2026 season, and perhaps for the second straight week, the NFC East will be winless. Last week, the Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles both lost, while the New York Giants and Washington Commanders managed an overtime tie in wacky fashion. CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGE After the Giants and Eagles lost in the 1 p.m. slate this Sunday, the Cowboys were routed at Lambeau Field by a Packers team that did much of the same against their divisional foe, the Chicago Bears . That leaves the Commanders, sitting at the bottom of the division at 1-3-1, as the only team still able to pick up a victory, though it will be tough on the road against a red-hot San Francisco 49ers squad that remains unbeaten. It’s too early to say this NFC East division has shades of 2020, when Washington wo...