In a nail-biting runoff election tainted by contentious exchanges, a gubernatorial hopeful in Oklahoma, backed by Donald Trump, managed to secure his position.

Former Oklahoma State Senator and Budget Secretary, Mike Mazzei, clinched the Republican nomination on Tuesday night, triumphing over Gentner Drummond, Oklahoma’s Attorney General, in a particularly heated contest.

Characterized by aggressive personal criticisms, substantial financial expenditures, and a stormy argument concerning candidates’ health and drug tests, this Midwestern election unfolded dramatically.

Mazzei’s triumph was razor-thin, managing to outpace Drummond by less than one percentage point.

This victory further tests Trump’s influence over Republican primaries, especially in gubernatorial races, where his endorsements have not been as dominant as in Senate and House elections.

The president endorsed Mazzei ahead of the June primary and repeatedly returned to the race in the weeks before the runoff, attacking Drummond and urging Oklahoma Republicans to back his preferred candidate.

What began as a conventional Republican primary quickly descended into one of the nastier campaigns of the election cycle.

The candidates clashed over their records, their relationship with Trump and, in the final weeks, their health.

Following a debate discussion regarding candidate health and stamina, Drummond voluntarily released his health records and a negative drug test, then challenged Mazzei to do the same.

Drummond released financial and health records as he sought to demonstrate his fitness for office. He also released the results of a drug test, saying the test showed he was not taking any notable medications.

Mazzei responded with a clean drug test of his own.

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But Drummond argued that Mazzei’s test did not go far enough because it did not use a testing method capable of detecting substances over a longer period. 

The dispute carried added significance because Mazzei survived a serious car accident in 2008 and was prescribed pain medication afterward.

 Mazzei has denied that he currently relies on pain medication and said he stopped taking it in early 2009.

The health controversy became an extraordinary feature of a governor’s race that had already been saturated with television advertising and personal attacks.

The race was also a spectacular money battle.

Mazzei largely financed his own campaign, loaning it an Oklahoma-record $11.6 million.

Drummond put $3 million of his own money into his campaign while attracting substantially more from donors.

Mazzei ultimately outspent Drummond overall, with approximately $12.3 million spent across the primary and runoff compared with Drummond’s $9.1 million.

Outside groups piled on as well.

Nearly $13 million was spent by outside organizations on the gubernatorial runoff since July 1.

The Club for Growth affiliate School Freedom Fund spent more than $3 million attacking Drummond, accusing the attorney general of refusing to defend Trump against impeachment.

An opposing super PAC, Put Oklahoma 1st, spent close to $3 million targeting Mazzei and accusing him of previously supporting tax increases.

The result was a campaign in which the candidates were barely able to breathe between waves of television advertisements, accusations and counterattacks.

In a related incident, authorities in Virginia thwarted a substantial contraband drop, valued at approximately $324,000, as a drone attempted to breach state prison defenses. This intercepted cache included a pound of suspected methamphetamine and over a dozen cellphones, underscoring the sophistication and high stakes of such smuggling operations.

Officials from the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) reported that the suspicious package was discovered by attentive corrections staff around 1:30 a.m. Monday at Sussex I State Prison.

The contents of the intercepted package were alarming: a one-pound bag of suspected methamphetamine, 17 cellphones complete with charging cables, and 20 sheets of paper that appeared to be soaked with an unknown liquid, according to the authorities.

The agency said it also seized multiple hex wrenches, three USB Wi-Fi adapters and two SIM cards.

Officials also discovered an unusual assortment of other items, including 30 disposable lighters, two cartons of cigarettes, one pound of loose-leaf tobacco, three packs of cigars, two bottles of professional-grade tattoo ink, two bottles of perfume and two bottles of glue.

VADOC estimated the contraband had a combined value of roughly $324,000 inside the prison.

VADOC Director Joseph Walters said the seizure highlighted the sophisticated methods people may use in attempts to smuggle contraband into correctional facilities.

“This investigation is an important reminder that some people will use sophisticated methods in an attempt to smuggle drugs and other dangerous contraband into Virginia Department of Corrections facilities,” Walters said in a statement.

“I thank our institutional staff at Sussex I State Prison for their vigilance and focus on ensuring the safety and security of our facility,” he continued. “Our dedicated correctional staff and OLES members stand ready to intercept any dangerous contraband that individuals may attempt to introduce into correctional settings to ensure the safety and security of our dedicated corrections team members, of incarcerated individuals in our custody, of probationers, and of people in communities all across the Commonwealth of Virginia.”

The incident remains under investigation by VADOC’s Office of Law Enforcement Services (OLES).

Anyone with information about attempted smuggling into a VADOC facility is asked to call OLES at 540-830-9280.

It was a challenging evening for the Yankees’ pitching staff in their game against the Astros on Tuesday, as their first two pitchers continued a troubling trend of allowing runs. Struggling on the mound were key contributors whose recent performances had already raised eyebrows.

However, Brent Headrick was not expected to join that group. Up until this outing, his stats had remained strong and consistent.

Yet, in a game that saw the Yankees claw back to seize the lead on three separate occasions, Headrick’s timing for an off night couldn’t have been worse. The eighth inning became a turning point, as he allowed three crucial runs, leading to a nail-biting 9-7 defeat in The Bronx.

Earlier, as Will Warren and Fernando Cruz struggled to maintain advantages, the Yankees’ hitters offered an uncharacteristic lifeline, allowing the team to flip roles and put Headrick in position with a 6-5 lead at the start of the eighth inning.

Unfortunately, Headrick struggled to replicate his season-long reliability, surrendering the lead at the worst possible time. The Yankees, now standing at 74-57, let an opportunity slide to close in on the Rays, who maintain a 3 ½ game lead in the division.

The Red Sox, who will arrive in town this weekend for a huge four-game showdown, won in extra innings and moved within 1 ¹/₂ games of the Yankees.

The Astros (66-66), who used their off day Monday to fire general manager Dana Brown with five weeks left in the regular season, are still right in the thick of the playoff race (thanks to a weak American League and in particular AL West) and played like a desperate bunch.

They scored in six of the nine innings, erasing Yankees leads of 3-2, 5-3 and 6-5.

Headrick, who has emerged as one of the Yankees’ best bullpen arms while making the second-most appearances in the majors, had given up a total of three runs over his past 21 games before Tuesday. But Yainer Diaz took him deep for his second home run of the night to tie it 6-6 with one out.

The Astros then took the 8-6 lead by stringing together a Jeremy Peña single, Yordan Alvarez triple and Isaac Paredes single off Headrick.

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The Yankees threatened to come back once more in the bottom of the eighth, but their rally ended at just one run.

Another encouraging night for their offense was negated by their pitchers giving up more than five runs for the first time since Aug. 3.

Luis García Jr. did everything he could for the Yankees on a four-hit night, twice giving them the lead — his two-run blast making it 5-3 in the fifth inning and an RBI double putting them back on top 6-5 in the seventh.

But neither one lasted.

The first was because of Cruz, who continued to struggle in one of the more concerning trends for the bullpen of late. The righty walked a batter in the sixth and then with two outs, left a fastball down the middle for Peña, who drilled a two-run shot that tied the game 5-5.

Cruz has now given up at least one run in eight of his past 16 appearances, posting a 5.93 ERA in 13 ²/₃ innings during that stretch. Of the seven home runs he has allowed this season, four have come in 10 August games.

Warren labored through five innings — only one of which did not involve allowing a base runner — while giving up three runs (two earned). It continued a stretch of starts in which the right-hander has not been sharp, and while that looked like it would punch his ticket to the bullpen down the stretch, he is now further entrenched in the rotation after Ryan Weathers landed on the injured list on Sunday.

Even after Warren gave up a second RBI single to Daulton Varsho in the fifth inning that tied the game 3-3, he left in line for the win thanks to García, who crushed a two-run shot off Astros rookie starter Ethan Pecko in the bottom of the frame to put the Yankees ahead 5-3.

Cody Bellinger had gotten the Yankees lineup started, taking Pecko deep for a three-run homer — his first since June 17 — that put them ahead 3-2 in the third inning.

In a shocking revelation, it has been disclosed that the iconic Dolly Parton faced a private battle with cancer before her passing at 80, announced on a sorrowful Tuesday.

Parton’s departure left an unfillable void in the music industry, after a series of health challenges led her to cancel multiple public engagements, escalating concerns about her health from devoted admirers.

Sources close to the beloved singer shared that she had become particularly withdrawn and guarded about her health struggles in recent times.

In a heartfelt message to People, Parton’s team confirmed that the legendary ‘Jolene’ songstress succumbed to a ‘brief battle with cancer,’ although specific details about the cancer were not revealed.

“Our beloved Dolly Parton dedicated her life and career to bringing joy, laughter, hope, and integrity to everything she encountered,” the statement expressed.

‘After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones.’

Her representatives also highlighted the extraordinary reach of Parton’s ‘unmatched generosity’, noting that she touched the lives of countless people she would never meet and was always ready to ‘offer a helping hand.’ 

‘Whether it be the hundreds of millions of books donated through her invaluable Imagination Library or funding research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world, Dolly’s unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact.’

Despite her cancer battle, the hitmaker remained optimistic and leaned on her deep Christian faith for strength in the last few months.

‘From the time that Dolly Parton was born, she was surrounded by faith, by God, by Jesus. Her grandfather was a preacher. Even in her Broadway show, she shows how much faith means to her,’ a source told People.

‘And so it’s natural for people of faith to believe that God is in control. It doesn’t matter what doctors may say, people may say. It’s not over until God says it’s over. I think she lived every day working and as long as God hadn’t called her home, she was here and she had more work to do.’

Parton previously told the outlet that she prayed every day in a 2020 interview: ‘To me, it’s my salvation. It helps me through everything.’ 

Following news of Parton’s secret cancer battle, fans took to social media to mourn the singer.

‘Dolly helped kids and adults with cancer only for it to come for her. May we get rid of cancer soon,’ one wrote.

‘I understand why she wanted to keep this private but it hurts all the same, especially since it feels so sudden,’ another added.

‘Are you kidding me?! She was doing so much! She was doing all that work while battling cancer?’

‘It’s always cancer, I am so sad,’ another fan wrote.

The iconic star’s death was first confirmed Tuesday in an Instagram video posted by her nephew Bryan Seaver, who also acted as her head of security.

She died Tuesday morning after being hospitalized Friday at Nashville’s Vanderbilt University Medical Center with autoimmune and kidney problems, according to TMZ.

As news of the beloved star’s rapidly deteriorating condition spread, her loved ones raced to Nashville to be by her side, but not all were able to reach her while she was alive. 

‘This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago before I fully absorbed it as a future reality,’ Seaver said.

He hailed his aunt for having ‘lived in the light’ and said she was now ‘in the arms of Jesus’ and the company of her late husband Carl Dean, as well as her parents and ‘countless others who have watched her and longed to meet her in the heavens.’

Parton, who is often referred to as the Queen of Country, enjoyed an illustrious music career that spanned an incredible six decades and was arguably best known for her hits Jolene and 9 to 5.

Seaver fondly recalled joining Parton on tour when he was a child in the 1980s, sharing that she ‘opened doors not just for me but for her entire family to reach the potential we didn’t even know was possible.’

He characterized her as ‘a farmer, just like her daddy. He farmed the soil. She farmed songs and happiness. Dolly called me and said she wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton because after a life of wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest.’

Family insiders indicated that a private service for close friends and relations will be held in Nashville within the next few days.

In an interview published just four days before her death, Parton had declared she still had ‘so many things I want to achieve’ and vowed to continue ‘working as long as I can to see everything come to life,’ via People.

She also admitted she had recently been having ‘hard times with my health.’

‘I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl,’ she said, referring to her late husband, who passed away in March 2025.

Concerns about Parton’s health had loomed for months, with the pop culture icon frequently dispelling her fans’ fears.

She pulled out of multiple public appearances, including a residency in Las Vegas and the opening of a new ride, NightFlight Expedition, at her Dollywood theme park.

The star was supposed to attend the ride’s grand opening on August 14. Instead, a video recording of the star addressing her fans was shared on a screen at the park, which is now regarded as her last public appearance.

‘So my Nashville doctor has kind of clipped my wings, saying, “You ain’t traveling this week.” So I guess if your doctor tells you, “You ain’t traveling this week,” you ain’t traveling this week,’ Parton said in the video message.

The songstress, donning a bright pink top adorned in gems and enormous butterfly wings, looked energized and happy as she discussed her ongoing ‘health issues’ with fans.

‘I’m still in Nashville, and I’m sorry about that,’ she said in the clip. ‘I’m supposed to be there in person like we planned.’

She explained that she ‘sometimes gets a little dizzy’ and ‘dehydrated,’ which is why she couldn’t be there in person.

‘I’ve told you before, all my fans, that I’ve had a few little health issues and sometimes I get a little dizzy and I get dehydrated. And I’m dehydrated,’ she said.

She reassured her fans that she was still hard at work on projects like her new museum, Life of Many Colors, in Nashville, her new hotel and Broadway show, Dolly: A True American Musical.

She also insisted that ‘all was going well on the medical end of things.’

Earlier this year, Parton told her fans that she was responding to medication, but the treatment made her feel ‘a little swimmy-headed,’ and she needed time to heal before getting back on stage.

Last October, the hitmaker’s younger sister, Freida Parton, worried fans when she asked for prayers for Parton.

However, hours later Freida returned to Facebook with an update, sharing she didn’t mean to ‘scare anyone’ and adding that Parton has ‘been a little under the weather.’

She added that it wasn’t her intention to ‘make it sound so serious’ and that she made her earlier public appeal simply because she believes in ‘the power of prayer.’

Parton’s death was greeted with a flood of tributes, including from Reba McEntire, Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves, Sarah Jessica Parker, Pedro Pascal, Khloe Kardashian, Hillary Clinton and more.

President Donald Trump also paid tribute to Parton and ordered American flags lowered nationwide for one week in her honor.

The songstress died just over a year after her husband, whom she had been married to for nearly 60 years.

In her tribute at the time, Parton reflected on the ‘many wonderful years’ they spent together as she expressed her deep love for Carl and thanked fans for their prayers.

‘Carl and I spent many wonderful years together,’ she said. ‘Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy.’

Parton and Dean first met at a laundromat in Nashville in 1964, when she was just 18. They married in 1966, and Dean remained a constant and supportive figure for Parton behind the scenes.

The fourth of 12 children, Parton was born in Pittman Center, Tennessee, on January 19, 1946.

She and her siblings – Willadeene, David Wilburn, Coy Denver, Bobby Lee, Stella Mae, Cassie Nan, Randel Huston ‘Randy,’ Larry Gerald, twins Estel Floyd and Freida Estelle, and Rachel Ann – were raised in the Great Smoky Mountains where they slept on beds made of straw and lived with no running water, gas or electricity.

Having developed a love of music at an early age, Parton sang frequently on the local radio and made television appearances in East Tennessee as a child before releasing her first single, Puppy Love, at the age of 13.

In 2008, Parton told NPR that her 1973 song Jolene was partly inspired by a local bank teller who used to flirt with her late husband.

Parton’s 1974 hit, I Will Always Love You, was written about the experience of cutting ties with her former business partner and mentor Porter Wagoner as she set her sights on pursuing a solo career.

The song reached the top spot of the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart: first in June 1974, then again in October 1982.

Parton famously refused to let Elvis Presley record his own version after his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, demanded she sign over half of the publishing rights.

She was vindicated in her determination to retain the rights when Whitney Houston recorded the song for her 1992 film The Bodyguard, whereupon it became an thunderous international hit that carried the soundtrack album to 18 times platinum.

Parton went on to write and record the song 9 to 5 in 1980 for the comedy film of the same name, in which she starred alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin.

The track, which she wrote on set by clicking her nails together and forming the beat, became one of her biggest hits of the decade. It went on to win numerous awards, including the Academy Award for Best Original Song and Country Song of the Year and Female Country Vocal of the Year at the Grammy Awards.

News of Parton’s death has also left her goddaughter, popstar Miley Cyrus, devastated.

‘Miley is, as you’d expect, shell-shocked by the news,’ a source told the Daily Mail.

Parton, who never had children, shared a particularly close relationship with Cyrus, appearing on her Hannah Montana TV show and later singing alongside her for various special musical performances.

Now, attention will inevitably turn to the extraordinary fortune and business empire Parton leaves behind.

Her net worth has regularly been estimated at between $450 million and $650 million, built through music royalties, songwriting, film and television, books, investments and her stake in the Dollywood empire.

Details of her will and estate plan have not been made public.

Amidst an intense surrogate custody battle, a critically ill newborn has been placed back on a breathing tube following complications after open-heart surgery, as revealed by recent court documents.

The infant remains in critical condition under vigilant medical care, as stated by intended parents Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed in documents obtained by TMZ.

The couple reported that the child experienced potential complications after undergoing a Norwood procedure, which is designed to address a severe heart defect. This led to a decline in his condition overnight, necessitating a return to intubation.

In Dallas on Tuesday, Gilkar and Ahmed stood before surrogate McKenna West in a courtroom as they disputed who should have the authority to make medical decisions for the baby. This case has captured national attention, particularly due to West’s refusal of the California couple’s previous request to terminate the pregnancy following the diagnosis of the baby’s severe heart condition.

Gilkar and Ahmed call the baby Rumi. West, an Alaska cardiac nurse, calls him Gabriel and is asking a Texas judge to give her sole conservatorship, which would put medical decision-making in her hands.

Gilkar told the court the couple has been at their son’s bedside as he fights through treatment. She said that since surgery, he has struggled to breathe, choked on tubes and needed a blood transfusion, according to court reporting by The Associated Press.

“He’s our child,” Gilkar said, according to the AP.

She accused West of trying to take him away. “She’s trying to take him from us,” Gilkar said.

Gilkar described the newborn as “the love of our lives” and said, “He’s suffering a lot.”

The custody feud began after the baby was diagnosed at about 20 weeks with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, or HLHS. West says Gilkar and Ahmed then asked her to terminate the pregnancy. She refused and later traveled to Texas to give birth, News Media previously reported.

HLHS leaves one side of the heart underdeveloped and disrupts normal blood flow. Without treatment, the condition can be fatal within days or weeks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Budner disputes key parts of West’s account and says the couple did agree to the baby’s treatment. He told News Media that doctors determined on Aug. 14 that the child was eligible for the Norwood procedure, the first of three open-heart surgeries generally used to treat HLHS.

Gilkar and Ahmed consented to the surgery, which was performed Aug. 17, he said. At the time, Budner described the baby’s condition as “critical and complex.”

West’s lawyers have argued that the court should make sure the baby continues to receive life-saving care. West told the judge she would abandon her custody request if the court determines the intended parents are committed to that care, according to the AP.

Gilkar and Ahmed have asked the court to delay a hearing over the temporary restraining order that gave them custody while the legal fight continues, TMZ reported.

The custody battle is only one part of the couple’s broader legal fight with West.

Before the baby was born, Gilkar and Ahmed filed counterclaims seeking more than $100,000, alleging West breached their surrogacy agreement and caused them emotional distress. The counterclaims, obtained by TMZ, said the couple paid West $60,000 during the pregnancy under an agreement that addressed termination. West has denied wrongdoing and asked the court to dismiss the claims.

The dispute has only grown more personal since the baby’s Aug. 12 birth. West said in a New York Post opinion piece last week that she had only about a minute with the newborn, while his umbilical cord was still attached, before he was taken away. A court order has since barred her from seeing or holding the baby.

On Tuesday, the judge left that order in place and did not immediately decide the larger question of custody or conservatorship, according to the AP.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton secured an emergency court order before the birth directing that medically necessary care not be delayed or obstructed, News Media previously reported. Paxton’s office also notified two Dallas medical centers of their obligations to provide life-saving treatment.

In a bold legislative maneuver, California lawmakers are racing against the clock to curtail the use of a sophisticated device by ICE that federal authorities argue could provide agents with a less lethal alternative to firearms when handling confrontational situations.

The proposed Assembly Bill 2760 aims to outright prohibit the employment of “wearable electroshock devices” by law enforcement across California, with a clear mandate that includes federal agencies operating within the state.

Furthermore, this legislation would block state and local police forces from utilizing public funds to purchase such technology, necessitating an overhaul of their use-of-force guidelines to explicitly forbid its application.

This sweeping action unfolds as the Department of Homeland Security plans to potentially invest up to $20 million equipping ICE agents with thousands of these advanced devices.

The device central to this debate, the G.L.O.V.E.—which stands for Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter—has sparked both interest and controversy regarding its role in law enforcement tactics.

It is manufactured by Compliant Technologies, a Kentucky-based, veteran-owned company.

ICE and federal officials support the technology.

California lawmakers and civil rights groups oppose it.

Senior federal officials argue the gloves can help agents deal with combative individuals without resorting to lethal force, giving officers another option in dangerous encounters.

The gloves are already being used by some correctional facilities and select local police departments.

The Nelson County Jail in Kentucky is among the detention facilities that have outfitted guards with the devices.

If the federal purchase goes through, thousands of ICE field agents and deportation officers nationwide are expected to be equipped with the gloves by March 2027.

California lawmakers are now trying to make sure that technology stays off the streets of their state.

AB 2760 was introduced by Democratic Assembly Member Dr. LaShae Sharp-Collins on Feb. 20 but was amended on Aug. 21.

The legislation was rewritten to specifically target wearable electroshock devices, with the prohibition applying to federal law enforcement agencies operating inside California.

The bill defines “wearable” to include any clothing or accessory item.

Assemblymember Alex Lee, a Democrat from the Bay Area, has blasted the technology as a “gross” tool used to “brutalize and hurt.”

But DHS has defended the need to obtain equipment for its officers.

“ICE is constantly assessing the needs of our officers in the field to ensure they have the tools and equipment necessary to safely arrest and remove criminal illegal aliens from our country. Every decision is made with careful consideration and appropriately reviewed to ensure that any technology ICE utilizes is consistent with all applicable law enforcement policies and standards,” a DHS spokesperson said.

Now California lawmakers are racing the clock.

On Monday, the state Senate voted 30-9 to suspend Joint Rules 61 and 62(a), an emergency procedural move that cleared the way for the newly rewritten measure to move forward without standard deadlines.

With the legislative session winding down, the fast-track maneuver gives lawmakers a chance to push the bill toward a final vote before the midnight Aug. 31 deadline.

AB 2760 is currently in the Senate Rules Committee and must clear the remaining procedural hurdles before lawmakers can take final action.