But it’s still bizarre and troubling, and Paul is still indirectly involved (it was still her season, after all).
Taylor Frankie Pail and Dakota Mortensen on ‘Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ reunion episode. (Hulu/YouTube)
We now know that one of the men who courted Taylor during her canceled season of The Bachelorette was involved in the car crash that left former congressman Madison Cawthorn paralyzed from the waist down.
Brad Ledford, now 29, was just 17 when he and Cawthorn headed to Florida for spring break in 2014.
Ledford fell asleep behind the wheel on the ride home, leading to a crash that left Cawthorn confined to a wheelchair.
Shortly after Cawthorn became the youngest person ever elected to Congress, Ledford shared his version of events with People.
One of Taylor Frankie Paul’s suitors was once at the heart of a shocking political scandal. (Disney/Bahareh Ritter)
“The situation was getting worse and worse,” he recalled, adding:
“I remember his leg was pretty badly cut from the accident, and we were sitting on the side of the interstate.
“So, I took my shirt off and wrapped it around his leg and then just kind of stayed with him until the paramedics got there.”
“If it wasn’t for him, Madison would’ve died,” Cawthorn’s father later told a North Carolina media outlet.
But in a 2017 chapel speech, Cawthorn alleged that Ledford had left him “to die in a fiery tomb.”
“He was my brother, my best friend,” Cawthorn said in the speech, adding:
Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) arrives for the State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol on March 1, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Saul Loeb – Pool/Getty Images)
“He runs to safety deep in the woods and just leaves me in a burning car as the flames start to lick my legs and curl up and burn my left side.”
“That statement he made was false,” Ledford later alleged. “It hurt very badly that he would say something as false as that. That is not at all what happened. I pulled him out of the car the second that I was able to get out of the car.”
Ledford was vindicated by a 2017 sworn deposition, in which Cawthorn admitted he had “no memory from the accident.”
Shortly after Cawthorn was sworn into Congress in 2021, Ledford told People that he did not know why his former friend still hadn’t walked back the version of events that he had shared publicly.
Won’t be diving into everything about the bachelorette yet but we’ll leave it at this for now 🤝 Go find the other guys pages if you can, some really good stories out there 🙌
“I’m still thinking about it, and trying to figure out how I feel about that, or the best way that I think that should be handled,” Ledford said.
“Obviously, I know what he said to me, and that’s what really matters, right? He’s apologized for that a number of times, and it seems very genuine.”
In a TikTok recorded last month, Ledford added that he harbors no ill will toward Taylor following her string of scandals.
“I will say that I could care less about a TV show not airing right now. There’s real kids involved, real family involved, and I want the best for them. I want the best for Taylor’s kids. I want the best for Taylor,” Ledford said, adding:
“God’s love has no bounds; it knows no boundaries. He’s forgiven me for many things, and he’s already forgiven Taylor.
“I want Taylor to find that peace, and I want her kids to have that peace in the future more than anything, and I think they can, you know, it’s there for them if they want it.”
We will have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.
Attendees wearing MAGA merch stand next to an image of Trump at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Grapevine, Texas, on March 25, 2026.Leandro Lozada AFP/Getty Images
Amid war, economic challenges, democratic backsliding, the Epstein files and Americans shot dead in the street by government agents, Trump’s support is softening and his vow to bring a “golden age of America” is looking more like a political winter for Trump and his MAGA movement.
This is my big takeaway from this year’s annual Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC. The event, organized by the American Conservative Union, launched with an international summit on March 25, 2026, and runs through March 28 in Grapevine, Texas.
Don’t get me wrong. The attendees are decked out in red, white and blue MAGA merch: sequined “Trump” purses and jackets, USA flag bags, ties and headbands, and, of course, iconic red MAGA caps. As always, they chant “USA,” even if not as often or as loudly as before.
Starting with the first talk by Rev. Franklin Graham, speakers here are still singing Trump’s praises. They underscore what they regard as major Trump 2.0 accomplishments: combating illegal immigration, cutting taxes, a budding economic boom, deregulation, U.S. gas and oil output surging, administrative state winnowing, pro-Christian policies and pulling the plug on the “woke” agenda.
These issues are foregrounded in sessions with titles like “Walls Work,” “Don’t Let Woke Marxists Raise Your Children,” “MAGA vs. Mullah Madness,” “Commies Go Home” and “Cancelling Satan.” In between, pro-Trump advertisements checklist Trump’s accomplishments.
This rose-tinted view is to be expected. After all, CPAC – a cross between a political rally, networking mixer and MAGA Comic-Con – is all about galvanizing the conservative base. Beneath the surface, however, MAGA is churning.
An attendee visits a stand at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Grapevine, Texas, on March 26, 2026. Leandro Lozada/AFP via Getty Images
Major grievances
An anthropologist of American political culture and author of the book “It Can Happen Here,” I have been studying MAGA for years and attending CPAC since 2023. Attendees at last year’s CPAC, held a month after Trump’s inauguration, were jubilant, with nonstop talk of “the comeback kid” and “the golden age.”
Enthusiasm for Trump is dampened because some of his supporters feel he has betrayed America First principles, failed to fulfill key campaign promises and been unable to supercharge the economy. Here are their major grievances:
‘America First’ vs. ‘Israel First’
“America First” is the guiding principle of MAGA. It encompasses border security, prioritizing the U.S. economy and ensuring rights such as free speech. It also means avoiding unnecessary wars.
Notably, none of the main Trump critics have been scheduled to speak at this year’s CPAC. Some now call it “TPAC,” or the Trump Political Action Conference.
The Epstein files
MAGA also has a strong populist and anti-elite streak of conspiracy thinking.
Large numbers of Trump supporters, for example, believe there is an elite plot to what they call “replace” the white population with nonwhites through mass immigration. Many also bought into the QAnon conspiracy theory, which centers on the idea that Trump is fighting Satanic, deep state elites who are running a child sex trafficking operation.
On the campaign trail, Trump vowed to take down political, deep state and global elites. He also promised to release the Jeffrey Epstein files, which QAnon conspiracists and others believe prove elite debauchery, including pedophilia.
Trump didn’t deliver. He backtracked and stonewalled on the release of the Epstein files, raising MAGA suspicion that Trump himself is implicated or is protecting elites. Remarkably, one recent poll found that roughly half of Americans, including a quarter of Republicans, believe the Iran war was partly meant to distract from the Epstein files.
At CPAC, speakers have repeatedly given him kudos for shutting down the border. Acknowledging the MAGA in-fighting, conservative commentator Benny Johnson said he wanted to “white pill” – or buck up – the audience by reminding them that Trump had stopped an “invasion” and brought “criminal alien border crossings down to zero.”
As a photo of Trump’s bloodied face after the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024, was displayed, Johnson claimed, “Our God saved President’s Trump’s life for this moment.”
For many, the economy remains a serious worry. A recent poll, conducted before the Iran war, found that the vast majority of Americans, including large numbers of Republicans, are concerned about inflation, jobs and the cost of living. Health care, including the lost Obamacare subsidies, is also a source of consternation.
Few people believe the economy is “booming” – let alone that a “golden age” has arrived – as Trump and his allies often proclaim. The war with Iran, which has led to stock market declines and gas pump hikes, has only added to the unease.
MAGA ‘shattered’?
Amid the recent MAGA in-fighting about the Iran war, conservative podcaster Tim Pool proclaimed, “The MAGA coalition is shattered.”
But Trump’s support has eased in several ways. First, even his hardcore supporters worry about the economy, and they want him to declare victory and exit the war. And second, Trump has lost support on the edges. Many people in the key groups with which he made crucial inroads in the last election – such as young men and nonwhite voters – have turned from him. The same is true for independents and other Trump voters who don’t identify as MAGA.
Trumpism isn’t dead, as the MAGA-merched crowds here at CPAC make clear. But Trump is struggling through a political winter that could signal the early stages of his MAGA movement’s decline.
Alex Hinton receives funding from Alex Hinton receives funding from the Rutgers-Newark Sheila Y. Oliver Center for Politics and Race in America, Rutgers Research Council, and Henry Frank Guggenheim Foundation.
To their fans and many players around the league, the Dodgers are the blueprint, an ideal model of the success and synergy that’s possible when a willing ownership group supports an adept front office. To the 29 other fanbases, they represent a different kind of poster child, a quintessential example of everything wrong with the sport’s economic system and competitive imbalance. The narrative hasn’t changed as they embark on a new season, certainly not after adding the best free agent on the market and the best closer available to their championship core. Only now, they’re looking to become the first team in a quarter-century to win three World Series in a row. The pressure of that task does not appear to intimidate a veteran group that is already coming off of one triumphant title defense. “It’s going to be weird to say, but this year feels, to me, almost a little more relaxed,” Max Muncy told me last month, attributing the ease he felt this spring to the Dodgers’ normal build-up after starting the 2024 and 2025 seasons early in Seoul and Tokyo, respectively. “With that, you don’t even think about, ‘Oh, we’re trying to three-peat.’… You can’t focus on October yet. “Obviously we know that’s our goal, and we expect to be there, but you can’t go about your work with that in mind. You’ve got to go about your work thinking, ‘How am I getting better today? How are we getting better today as a team? What are we doing as a team today?’ That’s the message we’ve always tried to preach here.” Dave Roberts relayed similar thoughts to his group in February when the Dodgers reconvened for the first time as a full group this spring. On paper, he knows this is probably the best roster he has ever managed, no small feat for a team that has won three championships in the last six years and 12 division titles in the last 13 seasons. But Roberts, like Muncy, doesn’t feel any added pressure compared to recent years. In the midst of the Dodgers’ golden era, winning the World Series has become the annual expectation, and the Dodgers are returning all the core pieces from an experienced squad that already demonstrated its resolve last season. “I thought we did a very good job of keeping our eyes looking forward at our goal versus looking to the side and looking at who’s around us, who’s chasing us,” Roberts said. “Knowing you have a target — as we should if we’re the defending champions — but to still focus on yourselves and what’s forward, that’s what we do a good job of.” So the goal, and his message, remain largely the same. Had the Dodgers stood pat this offseason, they still would have been the favorites to win it all again in 2026. Instead, they targeted “needle-movers” and kept pushing, addressing the two biggest concerns on their roster by adding four-time All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker and three-time All-Star closer Edwin Diaz. Both could have signed a longer deal elsewhere, but both chose the Dodgers on lucrative shorter-term pacts. The three-year, $69 million deal for Díaz set a record for average annual value for a reliever. The staggering four-year, $240 million deal for Tucker set a record for present-day average annual value for any player. “We’ve built something really special around here,” said Freddie Freeman, “and everybody wants to be a part of it.” The Dodgers aren’t concerned about complacency, but the injection of new talent helps in that regard. – MLB Team-By-Team Season Preview- MVP? Cy Young? Making Our Picks- 30 MLB Breakout Stars for 2026 When Roberts gathered his team together for the first time in February, he discussed the 2025 championship run and the little things that got the Dodgers back to baseball’s apogee. Then he handed the floor to newcomers Tucker and Díaz, who shared their views of the Dodgers’ organization from the outside. “It was just more about what made the Dodgers attractive to them,” Roberts explained, “and I think it’s powerful for our guys to hear it from the other side, from somebody who hasn’t been here.” For Díaz, who has yet to make it to a World Series in his nine-year career, he felt this move gave him his best shot to win. For the Dodgers, this winter’s spending was just the latest example of their desire to cement their place atop the sport’s pedestal, regardless of the staggering cost, the tax penalties incurred or the simmering hostility around the league as they operate in a different financial stratosphere. “When you see your front office go out and add more guys, saying, ‘We’re not done,’ it just kind of creates a message of we have to keep winning,” Muncy said. “It’s very invigorating for the players to know the organization wants to keep winning. They’re not just set with one win. They want to keep going, and that creates a hunger in itself.” Building A Juggernaut The Dodgers have built their juggernaut, and become the envy and epicenter of the sport, for a multitude of reasons. They’ve chosen their long-term deals carefully, they’ve drafted and developed well internally and they’ve spent exorbitantly, using their many revenue streams to invest back into the product unlike any team before. The result is back-to-back World Series championships and a team that is the overwhelming favorite to win a third straight, something that hasn’t been done since the 1998-2000 Yankees. Prior to that, it was the 1972-74 Oakland Athletics. Baseball Prospectus’ PECOTA standings project the Dodgers to win 103 games, nine more than the next closest team. FanGraphs gives the Dodgers a 19.7% chance to win the World Series, 10% higher than the next closest team. “You always have to have somebody that teams and fans enjoy disliking,” Roberts said, leaning into the villain role. “That’s good for fans and sports, I think. I was one of those guys that didn’t like the Yankees but saw their value to the sport, certainly…when you can get put in that vein of the Yankees of the ‘90s, you’re doing something right.” Whether or not the Dodgers win it all again, the acrimony felt by fans and owners of other teams is certain to bleed into the upcoming labor negotiations. Most of the players on those 29 other teams, however, don’t see any problem with the way the Dodgers operate. Last month, Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. of the rival Padres both praised the way the Dodgers built their team. So did Bryce Harper, whose Phillies came up short against the Dodgers in last year’s NLDS. “They pay the money, they spend the money, they run their team like a business,” Harper said. “They run it the right way. They understand where they need to put their money into but also, people don’t look at this either, their draft and their development is unbelievable.” Those supporting pieces make it feel inevitable that the Dodgers could sleepwalk their way to the 2026 postseason, even with Blake Snell, Tommy Edman, Kiké Hernández and a plethora of talented relievers starting the season on the injured list and Roki Sasaki coming off an ominous spring. For most teams, those obstacles could derail a season. The Dodgers, however, are not most teams. They’ve built a roster seemingly deep enough to provide an answer for any problem that might arise. And yet, despite the fan vitriol, they are not an indomitable force. Getting to the playoffs hasn’t and shouldn’t be a problem. Once there, though, they know that nothing is guaranteed. In 2024, the Padres had two chances to knock off their rivals in the NLDS and came up short both times, despite the Dodgers needing to patch together bullpen games to survive the gauntlet. The Dodgers have harkened back to that series victory as a turning point for the franchise. In 2025, the additions of Snell and Tanner Scott seemingly pushed them to heights unseen. Many projected them to shatter the all-time wins record. Instead, they won 93 games, their fewest in a full season since 2018. They treated the regular season like a dress rehearsal, carefully handling their pitching staff so their best arms could be available when needed most at season’s end. And still, they needed to use their starters in relief to survive October. The Blue Jays came two outs away from conquering Goliath before falling victim to an unlikely protagonist. It was Miguel Rojas, not Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts or Freeman, who was the Game 7 hero with a game-tying, series-altering, life-changing home run. “I waited 20 years in professional baseball to have that moment, and it happens to me at the end of my career,” Rojas said last month. “In Italy, I’m walking around Rome and I’m seeing Dodgers fans over there saying, ‘Thank you for hitting that home run.’ It’s crazy. It’s overwhelming.” The ninth-inning blast from Rojas, who had just one home run the final two months of the season, and a back-and-forth World Series for the ages demonstrated the unpredictability of postseason baseball. The result made the target on the Dodgers’ back even bigger entering 2026. “It’s a challenge, but it’s something we get to look forward to,” Muncy said. “We get to embrace it. That’s what makes it fun.” In Touching Base, we check on which are the biggest topics in baseball and what comes next for the players and teams involved.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
A tragic story out of Spain has left social media users sharply divided.
A 25-year-old Barcelona resident named Noelia Castillo has been granted legal permission to die by euthanasia.
The decision comes after a yearslong court battle in which her father attempted to prevent her from doing so.
Noelita Castillo has been granted legal permission to die by euthanasia. (YouTube)
Noelia told the court that she had been coping with crippling depression for years, ever since she was rape by three men at a state-supervised center for vulnerable youth.
The attack was so traumatic that Noelia attempted to end her life by leaping from a fifth-story window.
She survived the fall, but it left her confined to a wheelchair.
Euthanasia has been legal in Spain since 2021, and Noelia tells the outlet Leading Britain’s Conversation that she sees no other way of alleviating her pain.
“I want to go now and stop suffering, period. None of my family is in favor of euthanasia. But what about all the pain I’ve suffered during all these years?” she said, adding:
“I don’t feel like doing anything: not going out, not eating. Sleeping is very difficult for me, and I have back and leg pain.
“I’ve told them how I want it to be. I want to die looking beautiful. I’ve always thought I want to die looking good. I’ll wear my prettiest dress and put on makeup; it will be something simple.”
As for her father’s opposition, Noelia says he “hasn’t respected my decision and he never will.”
“Why does he want me alive? To keep me in a hospital?”
Noelita Castillo has been granted legal permission. to die by euthanasia. (YouTube)
Noelia’s mother, Yolanda Ramos, told Marca that she disagrees with her daughter’s decision, but will support her until the end.
“I do not agree, but I will always be by her side.”
Obviously, this is a very complex issue. Euthanasia was legalized for the purpose of enabling people to put a dignified end to unendurable suffering.
But it’s an option that’s usually pursued by terminal cancer patients, not people who are experiencing profound emotional pain.
Many have been critical of Noelita’s decision for obvious reasons. But at the same time, many of those critics likely could not fathom the pain that this young woman has endured.
We will have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.
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Mashed – Fast Food, Celebrity Chefs, Grocery, Reviews
The Academy of Country Music is teaming up with the Grand Ole Opry for an exciting pre-ACM Awards event.
Announced today, ACM Next Wave: Country’s Beach Bash will showcase several members of the Opry NextStage Class of 2026, including Willow Avalon, Graham Barham, Tyler Braden, Alexandra Kay, Vincent Mason, Emily Ann Roberts, and Hudson Westbrook.
This reimagined, fan-favorite outdoor concert experience will take place at the iconic Mandalay Bay Beach and Wave Pool, giving rising country stars a one-of-a-kind stage. Country’s Beach Bash is set for Saturday, May 16, 2026, in Las Vegas, just one day before the 61st ACM Awards.
ACM Next Wave: Country’s Beach Bash
Tickets are now available at AXS.com, with General Admission starting at $75 and VIP packages at $150.
Other previously announced ACM Awards week events include “ACM Lifting Lives Country on the Green: Riley Green & Friends” on Friday, May 15 at Topgolf Las Vegas. The event will transform the venue’s outfield into an intimate live music experience, with Riley Green headlining and additional performers to be revealed. The show kicks off at 8:00 PM (subject to change), with General Admission tickets at $150 and VIP early access at $200.
A portion of proceeds from both events will benefit ACM Lifting Lives®, the charitable arm of the Academy of Country Music, dedicated to enhancing lives through music and supporting those in need.
The weekend will culminate with the 61st ACM Awards on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. This year marks the show’s return to Las Vegas and the Sunday evening time slot.
Ella Langley at the 60th Academy Of Country Music Awards held at the Ford Center at The Star on May 08, 2025 in Frisco, Texas; Photo Provided by ACM
The ACM Awards will once again be the first major awards show to livestream exclusively, available live on Prime Video.
While the full list of nominees has yet to be revealed, it has already been announced that Cody Johnson, Lainey Wilson, and Riley Green will perform during the star-studded event. Additional details about the show will be announced in the coming weeks.
By next Tuesday, all 48 spots in the 2026 World Cup – the largest edition in tournament history – will be filled. Until then, there’s a lot of important soccer happening around the world. In UEFA (Europe’s soccer confederation), four World Cup spots are still up for grabs. After Thursday’s round of action, we’ll now know who will take those spots next Tuesday: – Bosnia & Herzegovina vs. Italy – Sweden vs. Poland- Kosovo vs. Türkiye- Czechia vs. Denmark Elsewhere, six nations from across different soccer confederations are vying for two spots in separate three-team tournaments being held in Mexico. Two teams will emerge on Tuesday and book spots for the World Cup. That bracket is: Bolivia vs. IraqNew Caledonia/Jamaica vs. DR Congo Before we get set for those games on Tuesday, we’re recapping all of Thursday’s action: JUMP TO: UEFA Path A | UEFA Path B | UEFA Path C | UEFA Path D | Intercontinental Playoff UEFA Path A: Italy On Cusp of World Cup Spot It’s inexplicable that a country with such a rich soccer heritage and which has won four World Cup titles has not reached soccer’s biggest stage since 2014. Surely Italy won’t miss yet another tournament, right? Well, the Azzurri took a step in the right direction by beating Northern Ireland in Bergamo. Sandro Tonali broke the deadlock with a half-volley early in the second half for Italy at home in Bergamo and then set up another goal for Moise Kean. They will now have to travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina (who outlasted Wales on penalties) for a spot in the World Cup – where they’ll join Group B (co-hosts Canada, Qatar, Switzerland). The winner’s games will be played in Toronto (vs. Canada), Los Angeles (vs. Switzerland) and Seattle (vs. Qatar). “After taking the lead, we cleared our minds,” Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso said. “We put in a good performance. This should be a confidence boost for Tuesday. … We have to win. We have no other choice.” Bosnia advanced after 40-year-old Edin Dzeko leveled the score and 18-year-old Kerim Alajbegovic converted the winning spot-kick in a 4-2 penalty shootout win over Wales following a 1-1 draw. Path B: Sweden’s Gyökeres Hits Hat Trick – Next Up? Poland A hat trick by Viktor Gyökeres saw Sweden handle Ukraine and take another step closer towards the World Cup. The Swedes will next face Poland, who defeated Albania. The winner between Sweden and Poland will join the Netherlands, Japan and Tunisia in Group F. Those games will be played in Monterrey, Mexico (vs. Tunisia), Houston (vs. the Netherlands) and Arlington, Tex. (vs. Japan). Gyökeres took center stage as the Arsenal playmaker shined despite having not scored for his country since 2024. Ukraine, who had a consolation goal by Matviy Ponomarenko. Poland had to rally past the Albanians, who took an initial lead by Arber Hoxha in the first half. But Poland equalized after 37-year-old Robert Lewandowski scored a crucial header, followed by Piotr Zielinski’s goal that put Poland in front. The win also kept Lewandowski’s (who plays at Barcelona) hopes of playing in a third World Cup. UEFA Path C: Türkiye, Kosovo Advance; Winner Joins USA’s Group We’re closer to getting the full picture of who will join the USA’s World Cup group. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler set up Ferdi Kadioglu’s goal as Türkiye took down Romania to give them another step toward advancing to the World Cup. Türkiye will next take on Kosovo, who outlasted Slovakia in a seven-goal thriller. The winner of the Türkiye-Kosovo match on Tuesday will join the USA, Paraguay and Australia in Group D. Those matches will be played in Vancouver (vs. Australia), Santa Clara, Calif. (vs. Paraguay) and Los Angeles (vs. the USA). Romania’s elimination means that 80-year-old Mircea Lucescu won’t get a chance to coach at the World Cup for the first time. Lucescu captained Romania at the 1970 World Cup. He previously coached Türkiye. Nicolae Stanciu hit the post in the second half in Istanbul, but Romania couldn’t muster the equalizer. “We knew it would be a tough match. Lucescu knows us well and prepared accordingly,” Türkiye captain Hakan Çalhanoğlu said. “In the first half, we could have made better runs in behind. In the second half, Ferdi scored with a ball in behind and it became 1-0. From then, it was ours.” As for Kosovo, the team is one game away from its first-ever World Cup after twice recovering from a goal down to upset Slovakia 4-3. – Countdown of the Top 100 Moments in World Cup History- 2026 World Cup Groups: Full Results From Draw Path D: Denmark Throttles North Macedonia; Ireland Heartbreak Denmark had no trouble with North Macedonia as Gustav Isaksen scored twice in two minutes in Denmark’s 4-0 win. The Danes will now take on Czechia, who needed penalties to oust Ireland. The winner of the Denmark-Czechia match will join co-hosts Mexico, South Africa and South Korea in Group A at the World Cup. Those games will be played in Guadalajara (vs. South Korea), Atlanta (vs. South Africa) and Mexico City (vs. Mexico). It’s a heartbreaking loss for the Irish, who had reached this stage thanks to some late-game heroics from Troy Parrott during the previous qualifying phase. Instead, it is the Czechs who are moving on. Ireland gave up an early 2-0 lead in the game, and was also leading the shootout before failing to convert either of its last two attempts. Intercontinental Playoff Games Outside of Europe, a mini-tournament between six nations is being held in Mexico to decide two World Cup spots. Bolivia took care of Suriname to advance to Tuesday’s match against Iraq. The winner of that game will join France, Senegal and Norway in Group I. Those matches will be played in Foxborough, Mass. (vs. Norway), Philadelphia (vs. France) and Toronto (vs. Senegal). In the other bracket, the winner of the DR Congo vs. New Caledonia/Jamaica match will join Portugal, Uzbekistan and Colombia in Group K. Matches will be played in Houston (vs. Portugal), Guadalajara (vs. Colombia) and Atlanta (vs. Uzbekistan.)Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
An oil tanker is docked at the Trans Alaska Pipeline System’s Valdez Marine Terminal in this undated photo. (Photo by Nelli Vanderburg/Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council)
But what does this more-than-century-old law, which originally was designed to support the shipping industry, have to do with the price of gas?
As the director of the Center for Energy Innovation at UMass Lowell, I’ve learned that the impact of the Jones Act ripples beyond shipping and can have a profound effect on the price of many things, including consumer goods, electricity and what you pay at the pump.
One of the act’s most impactful features is its ability to limit domestic maritime shipping and coastal trade. Under the act, a foreign-designated ship is not allowed to transport goods between two U.S. ports or territories without either leaving U.S. waters first or transporting those goods to a U.S.-flagged vessel – which must be staffed primarily by U.S. sailors.
The federal law was originally intended to bolster and protect the American maritime industry by ensuring that the U.S. has the infrastructure and personnel to support shipping, commerce, defense and naval operations needed during war or national emergencies. Since then, the act has been revised and updated numerous times.
This rule helps to protect the U.S. shipbuilding industry from foreign competition and the jobs of American sailors; however, it also limits free trade.
Benefits and costs
Proponents of the Jones Act claim that it supports the transport of goods between states and territories, enhances national security and helps to sustain hundreds of thousands of American jobs as well as the shipbuilding industry, while contributing billions of dollars to the U.S. economy.
However, critics of the Jones Act claim that it increases the cost of goods between U.S. ports and especially in regions that rely heavily on marine transport, such as Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
And despite the ostensible intent to protect the shipbuilding industry, the act has also hurt it because it has made U.S. ships up to five times more expensive to build than those manufactured abroad.
These factors have resulted in a smaller supply of American ships that are available to transport goods. And when there is limited competition, costs of ship construction and transportation increase.
Impact on gas prices
The average price of a gallon of gas has soared nearly a third since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, 2026 – from $2.98 to $3.84 as of March 18, according to data compiled by AAA.
Suspending the Jones Act allows foreign ships to transport oil and gas between ports within the U.S., which should lead to lower transportation costs and increased supply. This should ease gas costs over time – but we’re talking months, not days or weeks.
In 2022, analysts at JPMorgan estimated that a temporary suspension of the Jones Act could save East Coast motorists about 10 cents a gallon.
However, if the duration of the suspension is short – the government said it would waive the act for only 60 days – the impact on gas prices will be minimal because of the time required for the marine industry to respond and the fact that domestic shipping costs are not the primary factor that influences fuel cost.
Should the Jones Act be permanently repealed, fuel prices would fall more steeply.
The Jones Act has been temporarily suspended in the past, primarily for urgent economic or supply chain issues, such as to aid Puerto Rico after it was hit by a hurricane in 2022 and following a cyberattack on a fuel pipeline in 2021.
Other impacts of the Jones Act
Another important cost impact of the Jones Act involves offshore wind energy.
It has been shown that the energy generated by offshore wind farms provides additional energy close to load centers – cities or industrial sites that consume significant power – helping to reduce costs by providing additional supply. This is especially important now and will become more important over the next few years, as electricity demands are expected to increase due to rapid growth in artificial intelligence data centers.
The numerous approved wind farms currently being constructed off the U.S. coast are constrained by the Jones Act because there aren’t enough U.S.-flagged ships available to install and service all the offshore wind turbines that are needed. Many wind farm developers are skirting the issue by leveraging U.S. barges to transport equipment prior to installation by foreign vessels. But even so, the Jones Act raises the cost of offshore wind farm installations, making energy less affordable for Americans.
Suspending the Jones Act for a couple of months, however, will have minimal impact on the U.S. offshore wind and other energy industries.
Paul Skenes’ first start of the 2026 season might not have even lasted a New York minute. The Pittsburgh Pirates’ ace surrendered five runs in his Opening Day start against the New York Mets, and was pulled after pitching just ⅔ of an inning. All five runs were earned, with the Mets logging four hits and two walks off Skenes before he drilled catcher Francisco Alvarez. Skenes also recorded a strikeout. Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor began the inning with a walk before star outfielder Juan Soto moved him to third on a single in the following at-bat. Third baseman Bo Bichette scored Lindor on a sacrifice fly in his first at-bat with the Mets. A single by first baseman Jorge Polanco and a walk from outfielder Luis Robert Jr. allowed the Mets to load the bases with just one out against Skenes. That’s where Skenes’ day quickly unraveled, with Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz making a pair of mistakes to make matters worse for the reigning NL Cy Young winner. Designated hitter Brett Baty hit a bases-clearing triple that might have been caught by Cruz had he not misplayed the ball off the bat. On the very next pitch, second baseman Marcus Semien hit a pop fly that should’ve been caught by Cruz, but dropped in the gap. New York took a 5-2 lead by that point, negating the early lead Pittsburgh took off a two-run homer from Brandon Lowe in his first at-bat with the Pirates. While Skenes was able to strike out right fielder Carson Benge in the following at-bat, his day ended after he plunked Alvarez. Skenes threw 37 pitches in the first inning before getting pulled. Thursday marked the shortest outing of Skenes’ young career, and just the second time he allowed five earned runs in an outing. It’s also the first time that the Mets have scored more than three runs in the first inning on Opening Day in franchise history. Skenes’ outing came on the heels of his impressive showing for Team USA at the World Baseball Classic. The righty allowed just one run in 8 ⅓ innings over two outings during the tournament. But Pirates manager Don Kelly expressed that he wanted to limit Skenes’ usage after things went south in the first inning. “It was all pitch count related, really, for him,” Kelly told the NBC broadcast. “We didn’t want to put him in harm’s way, up in the 40-pitch count mark. If we get in a foul ball battle there, we don’t want to push him in the mid-40s [in the first inning].” The Mets wound up pulling away from the Pirates to win 11-7. Lowe hit his second homer of the day for the Pirates, but the Mets’ new-look lineup was too much for the Pirates to overcome. Benge and Alvarez hit back-to-back home runs, while Robert had two RBI singles in his Mets debut.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
