The 2026 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show featured an unexpected runway obstacle.

Two models appeared to dodge Megan Moroney’s oversized, fluffy pink wings as they walked the catwalk during the country singer’s performance.

Moroney, 29, was among the musical performers entertaining the crowd as the Angels took to the runway. However, the scale of her costume quickly became a talking point.

While singing, Moroney seemed not to notice that her wings were reaching into the models’ path. One model even leaned her head to the side to avoid brushing against the feathered accessories.

“Megan Moroney doesn’t care how many of the models she hits or covers with her wings. Don’t ever bring her back, actually,” one X user wrote, criticizing the disruption.

“[Megan] kept getting in their way,” another person posted on X.

Another viewer joked that fans were calling Katseye’s performance the weakest while Moroney was “blocking the models with her big” wings.

“Who in the right mind decided to give Megan Moroney WINGS?” a separate user asked, adding sobbing emojis.

The Daily Mail has contacted a representative for Moroney for comment but has not received a response.

The star-studded show also included performances by Megan Thee Stallion, Katseye and Tate McRae.

This year’s event marked the third Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show since its return after a six-year hiatus, a break that had raised questions about the lingerie brand’s future.

Even so, the spectacle was not free of controversy. Several high-profile models were noticeably absent from the much-anticipated lineup.

Earlier this month, some fans threatened to boycott the show after a number of popular supermodels were reportedly turned down for runway spots.

Romee Strijd, 31, was among the first to speak publicly about being rejected at the last minute.

Strijd explained on TikTok that she had attended the casting call in New York in September.

“I trained for it this summer because I had to put a bit more energy into it. I’ve got two kids, and you know how it goes — your body needs a little more work than before. I felt like I wanted to do the show again after having kids because it felt like the right timing.”

Strijd, who walked in the brand’s annual fashion show from 2014 through 2018, said she heard nothing from organizers “for weeks” afterward. She described the experience as a “rollercoaster” that was also “mentally exhausting.”

But less than an hour later, the beauty took to the video-sharing platform again with a tearful update and explained that she had just received a rejection from appearing at the show.

Re-enacting her conversation with her agent, she said she was told: ‘You were great, but they thought you wouldn’t fit in the show this year.’

ALSO READ: President Trump Celebrates Winning The Republican Primaries…How Will The GOP Establishment Try To Stop Him Next? – NewsFinale

The Dutch supermodel said there was confusion over the reasons behind her being turned down but that she had ‘closed the chapter.’

‘I don’t think I am going to cast any more in the future [for Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show] because I don’t like the way it went, I don’t like how the whole process went, I don’t like the way I was treated and I would love to keep the positive memories of VS,’ she concluded.

And she wasn’t the only one. Fellow former angel Frida Aasen, 31, commented on Strijd’s video with an update of her own.

The Norwegian beauty, who walked in 2017 and 2018, wrote: ‘I’m so sad you didn’t get it! I also went to the casting and it was a no. It sucks but sending you lots of love.’

As news of their absences began to circulate on social media, dozens of fashion lovers vowed to boycott the show.

‘Doesn’t fit with the show?! You ARE the show,’ one wrote.

‘I’m devastated. You literally embody angel energy, there’s so many other people out here rooting for you, this is so unprofessional having you there would’ve been such a highlight!’ another added.

The show, which debuted in 1995, returned in 2024 following a six-year hiatus. Last year’s runway featured familiar faces including Hadid and Lima, the brand’s longest-serving Angel.

WNBA star Angel Reese made history as the first professional athlete to walk in the show, while Jasmine Tookes showed off her baby bump on the runway.

For decades, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was one of the most coveted runway events.

It first kicked off in 1995 and immediately attracted immense buzz, with some of the biggest models on the globe walking in the fashion show.

By 2001 it was being broadcast live on television, and each year, millions tuned in to watch the stunning models strut their stuff and the A-list performers dazzle on stage.

But in 2019, after more than two decades of it reigning supreme, the annual show was canceled amidst immense criticism over the brand’s lack of diversity when it comes to body types before then-chief marketing officer Ed Razek’s eyebrow-raising comments about trans and plus-sized models.

In 2024, the Angels returned to the catwalk after a six year hiatus with a more diverse roster including plus-size models, such as Ashley Graham, and transgender models.

However, the show was derided as lackluster and lacking the traditional glamour for which the brand was known.

By 2025, Victoria’s Secret’s new CEO Hillary Super announced plans to return to its ‘unapologetically sexy’ branding and move away from its woke rebrand.

The lingerie company embraced its bombshell roots after years of struggling sales and a tepid response to its diverse catwalk the year prior.

The president of a Brazilian university was killed in a freak accident in Arizona after a piece of roofing became detached and struck him during an architecture tour, officials said.

Rogério Renato Mateucci, 55, was visiting Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West in Scottsdale with a tour group last Friday at about 2 p.m. when winds reaching 32 mph tore loose part of the roof, according to AZ Family.

The roofing material hit Mateucci in the head, killing him instantly. Authorities described the incident as a weather-related accident, the outlet reported. Mateucci was rector of the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná in Brazil.

The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, which operates the Scottsdale property, offered its “deep condolences” after the unexpected death.

“The property is closed to the public until further notice,” the foundation said in a statement shared on Facebook.

NEXT UP: France’s Macron Blames US-Iran War for Protests Amid Trump and Vance Criticism

Mateucci had served as the university’s highest-ranking leader since 2022, Brazil’s G1 reported.

He held several degrees in education, including a doctorate in educational leadership from Fordham University, according to the publication.

The Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná canceled classes from Saturday through Monday as the institution mourned the rector’s death.

The university also scheduled a memorial Mass for Monday. Funeral plans will be announced after Mateucci’s body is returned to Brazil.

In a statement, the university reflected on Mateucci’s death through the lens of its Catholic faith.

“And, for those who believe, life is not taken from us, but transformed. Therefore, united by faith in the resurrection, let us now join in prayer for our dearest Brother Rogério,” the university said.

French President Emmanuel Macron, facing mounting political pressure, on Sunday attributed part of the unrest and looting sweeping the country to the impact of the U.S. war against Iran’s regime.

Macron’s reference to the conflict during a televised address drew criticism from several experts. He said protesters had raised concerns about the cost of living and fuel prices, both of which he linked to fighting in the Persian Gulf. France, he noted, had not taken part in the conflict but was nonetheless experiencing its economic consequences.

“I fully understand their concern,” Macron said, adding that similar worries had emerged in other European capitals. He said he had launched several international initiatives aimed at securing fuel and gas supplies and stabilizing energy markets. Macron also announced plans to visit three Gulf countries to discuss the energy crisis.

It remains unclear which protesters Macron was referring to when he cited concerns about fuel prices. News Media reported Monday on the forces behind the widespread riots, including groups that have called for the abolition of the free-enterprise system.

Macron vowed that anyone who had attempted “to bring down the republic” would be held responsible.

President Donald Trump told reporters Monday that he had warned Macron during their first meeting to shut France’s borders. “You’re going to ruin your country,” Trump recalled telling him. “And they’ve ruined their country. It’s going to be hard to get it back. But hopefully France will come back.”

A French Foreign Ministry spokesman directed News Media to Macron’s televised address and referred additional questions to the Elysée press office. The office had not responded by the time of publication.

Lisa Daftari, an Iran expert, disputed Macron’s explanation for the fuel crisis. She told News Media that energy prices had surged after Iran’s regime closed the Strait of Hormuz and held a significant portion of the world’s energy supply hostage. Daftari also questioned whether fuel costs and student concerns fully explained the unrest, pointing to fires at major infrastructure and landmarks, widespread looting and the arrest of nearly 2,400 people in a single day.

Daftari, the Foreign Desk editor-in-chief, said the scale of the violence went far beyond a conventional protest over diesel prices. In her view, the unrest amounted to organized lawlessness, a characterization she said was supported by the French government’s decision to blame ultra-left groups and criminals. “France has a domestic crisis,” she said, “and current geopolitics are not the alibi for it.”

RELATED: Trump Blasts Fox News for ‘Defending Democrats’ Ahead of Kansas Rally

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu accused the “ultra-left movement” of organizing widespread disorder in the run-up to the presidential election.

Barak Seener, an associate research fellow at London’s Henry Jackson Society, told News Media that illegal immigration from the Middle East, North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh had been used by some movements as a means of challenging Western societies. He also argued that slogans such as “globalize the intifada,” “Free Gaza” and “Stop the genocide” were being used to advance efforts to undermine Western civilization and impose Sharia law. Seener said Macron continued to ignore that possibility.

Vice President JD Vance also criticized France’s immigration policies in a social media post. Writing on X, Vance said Western liberals had “imported the third world into France and other countries in the name of diversity and compassion.”

“They ignored fundamental questions of assimilation and compatibility,” Vance added. “They were told it would lead to this and they didn’t listen.”

Seener said France’s political establishment was now facing the consequences of what he described as political correctness and unconditional support for Palestinian statehood. He also criticized Macron’s remarks at the 81st United Nations General Assembly, where the French president declared that Hamas “has never been active” in the West Bank. Seener accused Macron of reshaping events to serve his political agenda.

Seener, who has written extensively on Iran, said Macron had directed blame toward students, teachers, trade unions, lawmakers and business leaders, as well as rising oil prices linked to the U.S.-led war against Iran. Seener argued that explanation did not account for the unrest. He further pointed to what he called a “Red-Green alliance,” citing 38 left-wing and Muslim organizations and 16 student groups—including communist youth organizations and the Muslim Students of France—as contributors to the riots across France.

Election forecaster Nate Silver has issued a new assessment of Democrats’ prospects for capturing Congress, putting the party’s chances of winning the House at 94 percent and its odds of taking the Senate at 75 percent.

The revised forecast, released Monday through his Silver Bulletin newsletter, comes just over two weeks before Americans vote on November 3. Republicans are seeking to preserve their majorities in both chambers.

Silver’s model now gives Democrats a 75 percent chance of taking the Senate, up from 50 percent in early September. Their probability of winning the House has also risen sharply, from 81 percent to 94 percent.

The FiveThirtyEight founder had previewed the changing political outlook during an appearance on The Fifth Column podcast on Friday, October 16, before releasing the updated projection.

These numbers represent model-generated probabilities rather than poll results, and they do not ensure that Democrats will ultimately control either chamber.

President Donald Trump’s approval rating and continuing economic concerns are among the issues influencing the political climate as the midterm elections draw closer.

Recent polling provides additional signs of the difficult environment Republicans face.

A Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll conducted from October 9 to 13 showed Democrats holding an eight-point advantage over Republicans in the contest for House control.

The same survey recorded Trump’s approval rating at 33 percent among American adults, while 66 percent said they disapproved of his performance.

YOU MAY ALSO READ: Broadcaster Emma Willis Scandal And Controversy Explained – NewsFinale

Other surveys showed a similar Democratic advantage. An NBC News/Decision Desk generic congressional ballot poll put Democrats ahead 55 percent to 45 percent, while an ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll showed them leading 52 percent to 44 percent.

Democrats must gain four seats to take the Senate, where Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority.

The outcome is likely to hinge on several competitive Senate contests, including races in Texas, Maine, Ohio, Iowa, Kansas and Alaska, which rank among the nation’s closest.

Meanwhile, two states once viewed as battlegrounds are increasingly appearing more secure for Democrats.

In North Carolina, former Governor Roy Cooper holds a 14-point lead over Republican Michael Whatley, 54 percent to 40 percent, in a SurveyUSA poll.

In Georgia, Quantus Insights found Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff leading Republican challenger Mike Collins by almost seven points. Ossoff received 51.8 percent support compared with Collins’ 44.9 percent in the October 15–17 survey.

Texas Democrat James Talarico is in a closer contest with Republican Ken Paxton, leading 48 percent to 46 percent in a University of Houston poll released Monday.

The fight for House control is also emerging across a number of closely contested districts.

In Virginia’s 1st Congressional District, a Washington Post–Schar School poll put Democrat Shannon Taylor ahead of Republican Representative Rob Wittman by four points, 50 percent to 46 percent. 

In Minnesota, Democrat Jake Johnson led Republican Representative Brad Finstad by two points, while in Virginia’s 2nd District, former Democratic Representative Elaine Luria was ahead of Republican Representative Jen Kiggans by three points.

However, Silver, who projected President Obama’s victory, has a forecast that comes with significant uncertainty.

Even a relatively small polling error could alter the picture in closely contested Senate races.

On Sunday, AI giant Anthropic pledged 5% of its shares to a philanthropic fund—a huge commitment that appears exceptionally generous at first glance.

However, the stake will go to a fund controlled by Anthropic’s leadership, which prioritizes Effective Altruist causes. Those causes can include efforts such as spending millions to ensure shrimp farms use stun guns to kill seafood in what advocates describe as a more humane process.

Hours later, Elon Musk proposed a markedly different model: giving American children a direct stake in SpaceX. “Next year, I will give one of my SpaceX shares to every kid in America,” he wrote on X.

Sources say the giveaway would be worth nearly $11 billion at the company’s current market value and would be distributed through Trump Accounts.

The two proposals underscore a growing Silicon Valley debate: Should trillion-dollar companies channel their enormous fortunes into causes selected by their leaders, or help the next generation build wealth directly?

For an industry that repeatedly warns AI could displace workers and reshape their futures, giving people a financial stake in that future may be a more compelling response.

Brad Gerstner, founder, chairman and CEO of Altimeter Capital and the architect of Trump Accounts, told me Musk’s donation is only “the tip of the iceberg” when it comes to both the charitable contributions the accounts could receive and the number of Americans they could benefit.

Gerstner estimates that private contributions to Trump Accounts could reach $100 billion by the end of 2027, with other Silicon Valley leaders potentially joining donors such as Susan and Michael Dell, Ray Dalio and Gwynne Shotwell.

But the potentially bigger development involves who may soon become eligible.

At present, Trump Accounts are limited to citizens under 18. Deposited funds are invested in the stock market, allowing them to compound over time. When accountholders turn 18, they can use the money for purposes including college, a first home or a new business—or leave it invested for further growth.

DON’T MISS: Ari Kytsya (TikTok Star) Wiki, Biography, Age, Boyfriend, Family, Facts, and Many More. – NewsFinale

Gerstner said he is working to broaden Trump Accounts to include anyone under 40, with legislation potentially arriving within months. Under the proposed expansion, the accounts could also support retirement, education or business creation, while lawmakers would seek to make the funding permanent.

At a moment when Americans are worried about AI, concerned about its effect on employment and increasingly disillusioned with capitalism, the proposal could give more adults a way to invest in the future without creating dependence on the welfare state.

“Welfare checks do not compound, but ownership compounds,” Gerstner said. “You don’t help people by creating more dependency.”

“It sucks to not even know how to get in the game… But with these accounts, everyone has a million dollars within their grasp,” he added. “It makes sure every kid has a stake in the economy.”

That approach stands in contrast to Anthropic’s plan, which could involve nonprofit donations and direct distributions. The amounts and recipients have yet to be determined, but Anthropic would control those decisions.

Critics argue that this would reinforce a flawed philanthropic system that moves vast sums without producing meaningful improvements in people’s lives. They contend that many organizations in the sector spend as much on executives, advisers and consultants as they do on their stated charitable goals.

Interestingly, Anthropic or any other company seeking to distribute shares directly to children or young adults would currently need to follow Musk’s model.

Trump Accounts are the only existing infrastructure for distributing stock shares to young Americans. Yet the prospect of supporting an account bearing Trump’s name—especially only weeks before a contentious midterm election—could discourage many companies from participating.

There is also a legitimate concern that close ties between private companies and Trump Accounts could create moral hazards. For example, might the government be less inclined to challenge a merger involving a company that had donated billions to the accounts and to Americans’ futures, or give that company other advantages?

Regardless of one’s views on Trump, giving Americans a stake in the country’s future—and a greater sense of ownership in the American dream—could be an important first step toward helping them benefit from it.