Allies of Texas GOP Senate hopeful Ken Paxton are planning a $15 million ad campaign starting Tuesday, the first major ad buy on behalf of Paxton in his battleground matchup with Democrat James Talarico.
Two new ads from Lone Star Liberty PAC, the pro-Paxton super PAC, will air across 18 markets across Texas over the ensuing two weeks. They mark Paxton’s first significant foray on to the airwaves, jolting a campaign that has been clouded by concerns over Talarico’s massive cash advantage and Paxton’s electability.
“When they come after Texans, he comes after them,” a voiceover says in the ad.
The other new advertisement accuses Talarico of aiding China’s growth at the expense of Texas residents, pointing to the Democrat’s vote against restrictions on Chinese investments, and argues that a Chinese billionaire’s ownership of land near Laughlin Air Force Base presents national security concerns.
“China’s got Talarico. Texas needs Ken Paxton,” the ad says.
“[James Talarico] voted to sell Texas land to China, pushed a Texas Green New Deal that would gut our oil and gas jobs, and stood with criminals over cops as the most pro-criminal member of the Texas House,” Lone Star Liberty spokesperson Sam Cooper said. “That record is too extreme for Texas. Between now and Election Day, voters are going to hear it.”
In a statement, Talarico’s campaign refuted Paxton’s claims and accused him of being weak on China.
“Paxton is the only candidate in this race that has cozied up to the Chinese Communist Party, going on a lavish all expenses paid trip to China and meeting with CCP officials while he was supposed to be serving us,” Talarico campaign spokesperson JT Ennis said in a statement. “James has voted to support Texans’ security, privacy, and first amendment protections from foreign government influence.”
The multimillion-dollar campaign comes as Republicans look for ways to negate Talarico’s war chest. The latest Federal Election Commission filings from July show Talarico with $21.5 million in the bank, dwarfing Paxton’s $1.8 million in reserves.
That advantage, along with Paxton’s drawn-out primary runoff that forced him to focus on beating Sen. John Cornyn, has allowed Talarico to dominate the general election messaging battle on television. He’s spent $39 million on TV since the March primary, according to data tracking firm AdImpact.
On Saturday, Talarico launched his first negative ad against Paxton, spotlighting his impeachment and labeling him “the most corrupt politician in Texas.”
Although Republicans have traditionally been favored in Texas statewide elections, Democrats are optimistic Talarico can defeat Paxton. A Texas Public Opinion Research poll released Thursday found Talarico leading Paxton — 48 percent to 42 percent.
Concerns about a potential Paxton defeat have prompted some Republicans to implore President Donald Trump to invest some of the gargantuan MAGA Inc. war chest in the Texas race. MAGA Inc. has over $400 million in cash on hand, and Trump publicly pledged to support Paxton financially.
Anyone who’s ever watched a loved one battle substance abuse knows how that struggle can impact an entire family.
And it seems that that’s true even in the world’s most powerful families.
Hunter Biden opened up this week about one of the strangest chapters of his battle with addiction — and it involves his father showing up at his drug-filled Washington, D.C., home.
President Joe Biden talks to his son, Hunter Biden, following the fireworks on the National Mall with First Lady Jill Biden and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff from the White House balcony during a 4th of July event on the South Lawn of the White House on July 4, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
During a recent appearance on the “Dopey” podcast, Hunter recalled two occasions when Joe Biden, who was serving as vice president at the time, personally visited him while he was deep in the throes of addiction.
Needless to say, these weren’t exactly low-key father-son pop-ins.
Hunter said he would notice several SUVs arriving outside his home before realizing that his father had come to check on him. The Secret Service presence was difficult to miss, even with a reduced motorcade.
“My dad showed up. He literally showed up at the house twice,” Hunter recalled.
According to Hunter, Joe would then walk up to the door and knock.
Hunter said his father was trying to figure out what was going on with his son and what, exactly, he planned to do next.
“Please, like, what are we gonna do tomorrow? What’s the plan?” Hunter recalled his father asking.
Hunter apparently had an answer — or at least something that sounded like one at the time.
He said he would assure Joe that he had a plan.
The problem, of course, was that Hunter’s addiction wasn’t exactly interested in sticking to the plan.
The former first son has been remarkably candid in recent years about his struggles with drugs and alcohol, including periods when his life became increasingly chaotic.
He has since embraced sobriety and spoken openly about the people who helped him survive what he has described as some of the darkest periods of his life.
His latest story, however, offers a particularly unusual glimpse into what Joe Biden was dealing with behind closed doors while simultaneously serving as Barack Obama’s vice president.
Hunter wasn’t describing a polished political family photo-op. He was describing his father showing up at his home, knocking on the door, and attempting to figure out how to help his struggling son.
And while Hunter may have had plenty of complicated feelings about his father over the years, these particular memories appear to underscore one thing: Joe Biden kept showing up.
Even when the circumstances were anything but normal.
Hunter’s addiction has been the subject of relentless political scrutiny, but his more recent willingness to discuss his recovery has provided a much more personal look at what was happening behind the headlines.
This time, the headline is pretty wild all by itself: The vice president once showed up at his son’s drug den to ask what the plan was.
Thankfully, the plan eventually involved getting sober.
As the tears streamed down Lionel Messi’s cheeks in the moments after Spain beat Messi’s Argentina in extra time of last month’s FIFA World Cup final, the greatest player in soccer history must have known in his heart that he’d never pull the famous sky-blue-and-white-striped Albiceleste jersey on again. Messi made it official on Monday, announcing his retirement from the national team led to three World Cup and five Copa América finals — winning the last two editions of the latter and the world title in 2022. In an Instagram post, the 39-year-old said that he made the decision to walk away from his national team after 207 appearances and 125 goals two days after that brutal loss to La Roja in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Messi, who will continue to play at club level with MLS champions Inter Miami, added that the death of his father, Jorge, earlier this month in the family’s hometown of Rosario only cemented his decision. There will be no going back this time. It’s fitting that the 80,000-seat stadium just west of New York City was the sight of Messi’s final act on the global stage. It was in that building that Messi first walked away from the Albiceleste almost exactly a decade earlier. In the bowels of the venue two hours after Chile beat Argentina on penalties to claim the 2016 Copa América Centenario, Messi — who’d missed his shootout attempt en route to defeat — shocked the sporting world when he told reporters that he was done representing his country in the wake of an ongoing feud between the players and the Argentine Football Association. The then-Barcelona star was smack in his prime, having just turned 29. He’d already won the UEFA Champions League four times, won five Ballon d’Or awards and was already considered the GOAT despite the lack of trophies in international play. Media members in attendance (I was one of them) instantly went from covering the biggest game in global soccer that day to the biggest news story in every corner of the planet. Eventually, cooler heads prevailed. Messi never even missed a game. In his post on Monday, Messi addressed Argentina’s fans. “I always fought and left everything on the field for this jersey, to bring you joy and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football,” he wrote. “Thank you for all the affection over these past 20 years. I will miss hearing you from the pitch so much.” It’s soccer fans who should be thanking him. By choosing to stick around, think about how much joy Messi has given not just his compatriots but all soccer lovers over the last decade. After another World Cup heartbreak in 2018, when Argentina was eliminated by eventual champs France, Messi led the Albiceleste on an unprecedented run of success. They beat blood rival Brazil in the Maracana to claim their South American title — his first at senior level for Argentina — in 2021. Messi crowning achievement arrived at long last the following year, when he scored eight goals — including two in the World Cup final win over Les Bleus — to help Argentina triumph for the first time since Diego Maradona’s team did it in 1986. That tournament was billed as Messi’s final chance to collect the only trophy he hadn’t won. For good reason: Ahead of the competition, Messi said that Qatar 2022 would be his last World Cup. Yet before even leaving an empty Lusail Stadium outside Doha in the wee hours of Dec. 19, Messi gave both his countrymen and neutral fans alike another gift, saying he’d continue as long as coach Lionel Scaloni would have him. In 2024, Argentina then made it three titles in a row by winning another Copa, joining Spain’s legendary 2008-12 squad as the only national teams to win consecutive continental championships on either side of a World Cup victory. Still, it was fair to wonder then if Messi would last until 2026. Or how effective he would be if he did. Age and injuries catch up to every player eventually. Perhaps not to jinx himself, Messi wouldn’t confirm his participation in the Canada/Mexico/USA-hosted before Scaloni named him to Argentina’s 26-man roster weeks before the tourney kicked off. Any doubts about Messi’s match-winning ability evaporated when the World Cup began. Messi scored all three goals — his first career World Cup hat trick — in Argentina’s group stage-opening 3-0 drubbing of Algeria. He again finished with eight, becoming the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer along the way. His two late assists in a 2-1 comeback win over England were otherworldly, and he had perhaps Argentina’s best chance to equalize in extra time against Spain, only for Pau Cubarsí to save what appeared to be a goal-bound shot with his face. In a funny way, how Messi performed this summer in defeat might be even more impressive than his showing four years ago, when he was surrounded by a stronger and younger supporting cast. Messi gave us all a gift by un-retiring not once but twice. It’s one reason why, until Monday, there was some hope that Messi might continue donning Argentina’s colors for another four years. In retrospect, that was always wishful thinking. It’s always sad when a legend hangs up their boots, let alone the incomparable Messi. The end of an era is here. We were lucky to witness for a little longer than it might have lasted. “I’ve given everything I had; I have nothing left to give; he wrote. “I leave with the peace of mind and pride of having given you — alongside my teammates — moments we once only dreamed of. It was an incredible experience to live this with you all.” It was a privilege, Leo. The pleasure was ours.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
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Billie Eilish’s brother and collaborator Finneas married Claudia Sulewski over the weekend, and numerous A-listers were in attendance.
And according to one report, a certain celebrity couple seemed to be experiencing some major tension.
In photographs obtained by the Daily Mail, Justin and Hailey seem to be engaged in a serious-looking conversation during the festivities.
Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber attend the 68th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Brianna Bryson/WireImage)
At one point, the two appeared to be standing far apart from the rest of the celebration while speaking to one another. They notably did not have smiles on their faces.
Because apparently even A-list weddings aren’t safe from awkward candid photos.
Justin and Hailey were among the many famous faces on hand for the intimate ceremony, which took place at San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, California.
Billie officiated the wedding of her brother and Sulewski, who have been together since 2018 and became engaged in September 2025.
Other guests included Kristen Bell, Dax Shepard, Nina Dobrev, Jason Sudeikis, Emma Chamberlain and Rachel Sennott.
But while the happy couple exchanged vows, attention was briefly diverted to another famous pair.
Of course, a few photographs taken during a private conversation don’t exactly provide enough evidence to declare a marriage in crisis. Still, that hasn’t stopped speculation.
The timing is particularly interesting considering Justin and Hailey are approaching their eighth wedding anniversary. The couple secretly tied the knot in a New York City courthouse in September 2018 before holding a larger wedding ceremony in South Carolina the following year.
They have also entered a new phase of their relationship since welcoming their son, Jack Blues Bieber, in August 2024.
Despite the attention surrounding the seemingly tense moment, there was plenty of evidence that the Biebers were enjoying themselves at the wedding.
Justin later shared a series of selfies featuring himself and Hailey from the event. The singer wore a black suit with sunglasses, while Hailey turned heads in a striking lime-green halter dress.
The couple also appeared affectionate in the photos, which Justin captioned with heart emojis.
So, crisis averted?
Maybe. Or maybe Justin and Hailey simply had a disagreement at a wedding — something that happens to married couples who don’t happen to have paparazzi following them around.
Either way, the Biebers’ brief private conversation has become considerably more interesting to the public than the actual wedding drama.
And that, unfortunately, is the price of being one of Hollywood’s most scrutinized couples.
A voter joins a line of voters waiting to cast their ballots on Aug. 15, 2022, at the state Division of Elections office in Anchorage. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
The Alaska Supreme Court issued a fast-tracked ruling on Thursday, affirming a lower court’s decision that the Alaska Division of Elections’ language for an elections overhaul ballot measure is “true and impartial,” but ordered the division to make one additional change.
The Court issued the ruling days after hearing oral arguments from two groups of plaintiffs on opposing sides of the current ranked-choice voting system. The groups appealed a lower court’s ruling issued in June, challenging the language of Ballot Measure 2 as unclear, politically partisan and containing omissions they sought to change.
Ballot Measure 2, which will appear on the ballot as 24ESEG, would repeal the state’s current ranked choice voting and open primary systems, as well as repeal campaign disclosure rules enacted by voters in 2020.
The Supreme Court ruling Thursday affirmed a Superior Court’s finding that the Alaska Division of Elections’ fulfilled its legal duty in preparing the ballot measure title and summary in a “true and impartial” manner.
But the justices identified one omission: the division must add language that explains if the measure is approved, and nonpartisan, open primaries are eliminated, candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor would run for election separately.
Currently, candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor run together on a combined ticket in the primary election. The top-four vote getters in the open primary advance to the ranked choice general election.
A spokesperson for the Alaska Department of Law, which defended the division and its ballot measure language in court, said by email Friday they welcomed the ruling and would make the change.
“We are pleased that the Alaska Supreme Court rejected nearly all the challenges to the lieutenant governor’s true and impartial ballot summary,” said Sam Curtis, an information officer. He called the court’s directive a small change.
“The State had considered this a minor detail that did not need to be in a ballot summary, but the Court disagreed,” he said. “The Office of the Lieutenant Governor will issue a revised summary soon.”
The revised language is expected to be published by the division before a ballot printing deadline of Sep. 2.
Both groups of plaintiffs that filed appeals in court expressed mixed reactions, saying they were “disappointed” but “appreciated” the court’s decision.
One group of plaintiffs that also sponsored the ballot measure, called the “Repeal Now” campaign, filed a lawsuit challenging the language in court. Among a series of language changes requested, they had argued for language to explain the governor and lieutenant governor would run separately. Their attorney Julie Pack said by email Thursday they maintained concerns.
“We’re disappointed that the summary will continue to incorrectly state that open primaries would end with Ballot Measure 2,” Pack wrote. “Primaries would remain defaulted at open following Ballot Measure 2’s passage, just like they previously were.”
The group argued, in part, that if approved Alaskans would still vote in “open primaries.”
But the ballot measure language states “the act would get rid of open party primaries.” That’s because if voters approve the measure, the elections system would revert to a partisan primary system in which political parties establish rules governing which candidates may appear on their ballot and which voters may participate.
Voters in the primary would no longer be able to vote for candidates of any party running for statewide and federal offices, as they currently do.
The issue is of particular concern to another group of plaintiffs that filed suit in court, represented by attorney Scott Kendall, who was one of the primary sponsors of the 2020 ballot implementing the current ranked-choice voting system.
He argued the current language on the ballot measure related to how the primaries would change is incomplete.
“Our specific request was that it be made more clear that each political party will have the power to not only close their primaries, but to close them and make it unlawful for undeclareds and nonpartisans to vote,” Kendall said in an interview Friday. “There’s some language in the ballot measure that gestures at that, but I don’t think it really makes it clear.”
Overall Kendall said the group is grateful to the court and division for rejecting language proposed by Repeal Now he called “radical changes.”
“We’re very, very grateful that the court correctly rejected those baseless edits,” he said.
Kendall said the Supreme Court’s added change is “a good one.”
“It wasn’t so much about what’s good policy, bad policy. It was when a voter steps into the booth and picks up the pen, are they equipped with full knowledge of what their yes or no vote means?”
Ballot Measure 2 as currently proposed by the Alaska Division of Elections:
An Act Restoring Political Party Primaries, Ending Ranked Choice-General Elections, and Repealing Recent Campaign Finance Laws
This Act would get rid of open primary elections, where all candidates appear on one ballot. It would also get rid of ranked-choice general elections. It would bring back political party primaries and single-choice general elections. It would also repeal certain campaign finance rules that were added by a 2020 ballot measure.
Elections would occur as they did before open primaries and ranked choice elections. In the primary election, voters would choose a party’s ballot, unless prohibited by the party’s bylaws. They would only vote for candidates on that ballot. The winning candidates from each primary would be the party’s nominee. In the general election, voters would vote for only one candidate in each race. Party petitions, special runoff elections, and other processes would return.
This act would repeal campaign finance rules that were passed in 2020. It would remove the limits on donations to joint campaigns for governor and lieutenant governor. It would remove limits and disclosure rules under current law, including for digital ads, out-of-state donations, undisclosed donations and the true source of donations. It would change the meaning of a campaign expenditure and remove some fines.
Should this initiative become law?
Correction: This story has been updated to clarify that if approved, the ballot measure would enact a partisan primary system where political parties establish rules governing which candidates may appear on their ballot and which voters may participate.
