Throw a fit over today’s style

Renowned for outfitting men with sophistication, Joseph Abboud embarked on a fashion journey that began decades ago. But what inspired his path into the world of men’s style?

“I was a Boston boy,” Joseph shared. “Enchanted by the glamour of classic films starring icons like Errol Flynn and Gary Cooper, I was drawn to the allure of Hollywood fashion, which eventually led me to join Ralph Lauren.”

Abboud pondered the evolution of style, lamenting its current state. “When did the sense of style erode? Imagine, shorts in an office setting! The pandemic played its part, pushing many men to work remotely clad in their pajamas. The culture of dressing up for occasions has faded—be it visiting the theater or heading to the office. Once upon a time, New York embodied America’s fashion prowess with its elegance and allure, but that grandeur has waned. Now, theaters see patrons in T-shirts, carrying takeaway bags. In the past, enthusiasts eagerly awaited the September issues of GQ and Esquire for the latest fall trends.”

Abboud went on to say, “Every man ought to invest in a classic navy blazer and gray suit for those special moments—a wedding, a funeral, or meeting the girlfriend’s parents. Once, a stroll to admire the window displays at Saks, Bergdorf’s, or Barney’s was a comforting celebration of style. Nowadays, the city has lost some of its sparkle, influenced by current political climates.”

Worse for wear

Cindy chimed in, noting a shift in women’s street-style as well. “Women today parade city streets in shorts and revealing outfits. Where are we headed?”

Joseph: “COVID was disastrous for young men understanding what’s appropriate. Listen, we knew Bill Blass, Oscar de la Renta, Ralph Lauren — the greatest icons in American fashion. Giants like Giorgio Armani, Karl Lagerfeld. I had the privilege of knowing these people. A man needs a suit. For a wedding. Job interview. We need to figure out what to do in New York City. Half the shops are closed. People sleeping in the hallways. You’re afraid for your safety. New York City, greatest city in the world, should be ashamed of itself.

“I’m going back into archives and picking out pieces I loved 20 years ago. I’ll style it differently. Maybe take that suit jacket and wear it with a cargo pant and cashmere turtleneck. Not buy less, but buy better. Our European counterparts do that very well, especially the European women. They know to tie a scarf or to wear a jacket they’ve had 10 years. I’d made maybe 7 million suits here in the United States and am proud of that.

“But today, when someone will have a bikini for $800, I say to myself, how can a bikini that’s made of a quarter of a yard of fabric be $800? Or a handbag be $25,000? How can that be? Point is you don’t need five or six suits. Buy one nice suit. Listen, when I launched in 1987, there were 100-plus great department stores in America — probably four or five left.”

Tell me if you had a lousy person you ever dressed. Didn’t you ever have a pain in the ass?

Joseph: “Yeah. I did the Olympics with NBC and CBS. Occasionally, some were appreciative. I want to dress the American man, but I am unthrilled with their long hair and tattoos up the behind.”

City Yves-dropping

Wait. More stuff. Saint Laurent dressed Claudia Cardinale, Catherine Deneuve and Capucine. So Metrograph downtown is doing this one now through the end of August. It’s a series of flicks and flacks, “Dressed by Yves Saint Laurent.” It’s seven movies in all. Go. Tell me about it.

Meanwhile, everybody else not in a theater is rushing to that whatsisname zillionaire who is heading for Mars every Thursday. I can understand that. They want to get on line. Neither Elon nor whatever our vice president’s name is — not everyone can make another baby every week.

Only in space, kids, only in space.

Revealing an unexpected twist in her love story, the wife of Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield shared how a simple internet search nearly derailed their budding romance.

Emily Wilkinson, who has stood by the former top draft pick for seven years now as his spouse, confessed that her first Google inquiry into Mayfield before their initial date left her quite unsettled.

During Netflix’s series ‘Quarterback’, Wilkinson reflected on how their mutual friend Patrick played matchmaker back in late 2017, assuring her that Mayfield was a really easygoing guy.

Yet, Wilkinson’s online search didn’t exactly showcase his sports achievements. Instead, it unearthed a slew of personal and professional controversies surrounding him.

“I also knew nothing about Baker,” Wilkinson candidly admitted. “Patrick, who set us up, suggested just Googling him, expecting I’d come across his Heisman success and learn about his admirable character.”

Instead, Wilkinson was immediately greeted by reports of Mayfield’s February 2017 arrest in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where he faced misdemeanor charges of public intoxication, disorderly conduct, fleeing and resisting arrest. 

‘When I Googled him, I saw that he got arrested in Arkansas,’ Wilkinson added. ‘I saw that he did some very profane things on the sideline of the Kansas game. [And] He stuck the flag in the middle of Ohio State. The top five headlines were not favorable.’ 

The ‘profane’ incident occurred during Oklahoma’s November 2017 clash against Kansas, where Mayfield grabbed his crotch and shouted obscenities toward the Jayhawks sideline after players refused to shake his hand before the game began. 

Months earlier, Mayfield had also sparked outrage by planting an Oklahoma Sooners flag in the middle of Ohio State’s turf following a marquee victory in Columbus. 

Despite the far-from-ideal first impression, Wilkinson decided to give the quarterback a chance and the pair began dating in December 2017 – just days after Mayfield went on to win the Heisman Trophy. 

The couple tied the knot in July 2019 and now share two children together: daughter Kova Jade, born in April 2024, and son Maverick Thorne, born in April 2026.

Wilkinson’s comments come amid a standoff between Mayfield and Tampa Bay. 

Mayfield is currently in the final year of his contract with the Buccaneers, the team with which he experienced a career resurgence after rough stints with the Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams.

While the Buccaneers are in ‘no rush’ to extend Mayfield, according to NBC Sports, the quarterback has set a deadline to get a deal put together before the start of training camp.

If the two sides are unable to reach an agreement, and the Buccaneers choose not to franchise tag Mayfield, NBC’s Mike Florio reports that the Pittsburgh Steelers ‘should be ready to make a move.’

Pittsburgh will be looking for a new quarterback in 2027 after Aaron Rodgers is set to retire from the sport.

Mayfield may not be the worst option for them, considering he was top-10 in the league in passing yards and passing touchdowns in 2025.

Tragedy struck a massive party in rural California on Saturday night, resulting in one fatality and injuring six others as gunfire rang out, causing hundreds of partygoers to flee in terror, authorities reported.

The shooting took place just after 10 p.m. in Morgan Hill, located approximately 25 miles from San Jose, according to information provided by the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office.

Officials confirmed that the event was an unauthorized party, widely advertised on social media, which attracted a crowd of over 300 people.

Initially, deputies were dispatched due to reports of intoxicated individuals on the roadway and complaints of bottles being thrown at passing cars. However, upon arrival, they found themselves amidst the chaos ensuing from the unexpected gun violence, the sheriff’s office stated.

Responding deputies provided lifesaving aid until emergency medical personnel arrived, but one person was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officials said multiple others suffered gunshot wounds and were rushed to local hospitals.

Preliminary information indicates the suspect used a handgun, though no suspects have been publicly identified.

Homicide detectives said they believe the shooting was an isolated incident and noted the investigation is expected to be “lengthy and complex.”

“This tragic and senseless violence is entirely unacceptable,” Santa Clara County Sheriff Robert Jonsen said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to the victim’s family, those recovering from their injuries and everyone in our community affected by this traumatic event.”

“We will work tirelessly until those responsible for this horrific act are identified, apprehended, and held fully accountable,” Jonsen added.

Officials said multiple agencies responded to the scene, including the Morgan Hill Police Department, Gilroy Police Department, California Highway Patrol and San Jose Police Department.

News Media reached out to the Morgan Hill Police Department, Gilroy Police Department, California Highway Patrol and San Jose Police Department for more information.

The revelation hit hard.

In an unexpected twist, a prominent figure within the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) openly shared their organization’s radical ambition to dismantle prisons, borders, the Senate, and more during a straightforward yet surprising TV interview.

Megan Romer, who co-chairs the DSA at the national level, detailed this bold agenda on Sunday while participating in a rapid-fire “true or false” session on Fox News.

During the segment, host Shannon Bream prompted Romer on several topics, asking, “Just give me a true-or-false on these. Abolish the Senate.” Calmly, Romer affirmed: “True.”

Romer continued to agree with similar controversial propositions, endorsing the ideas to “abolish ICE,” “defund the Pentagon,” and usher in “government ownership of large corporations.”

She said the party would “abolish borders,” give amnesty to illegal immigrants, and abolish prisons “as part of a long-term program.”

The DSA’s most high-profile comrade, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, has pushed plans for the Big Apple includes city-owned grocery stores, more stabilized housing, and higher taxes for wealthy New Yorkers. Still, he has sought to distance himself from some of the group’s more radical goals, stating last year that, “My platform is not the same as national DSA.”

But he also said he was still a card-carrying socialist after he broke from the far-left group over his endorsements in several Democratic Party primaries for congressional seats.

“It continues to be my political home, I continue to be a proud member,” Mamdani insisted.

The TV interview from the DSA leader comes shortly after the group put out a new “Workers Deserve More” manifesto that called to scrap the executive branch, the Senate and Electoral College with the aim of ending the two-party system.

The move to tear up the US Constitution to emulate a European style parliamentary system where the US House of Representatives would appoint a prime minister-like leader and also choose members of the Supreme Court.

The declaration, which also called for ranked-choice voting in all elections, concluded that Congress is more democratic than the Senate because the upper chamber has two senators for each state regardless of population.

An unconscious woman lies still on the ground as medics surround her twisted frame.

The 25-year-old has just endured a public flogging, receiving 21 lashes after being convicted by an Indonesian court for breaking Islamic law by sharing a kiss with her partner during a TikTok live-stream.

While this gesture might seem like a simple act of affection, within Aceh—Indonesia’s sole province adhering to a form of Sharia Law—it incurs harsh repercussions.

Pictured writhing in pain as she was repeatedly whipped, the woman is one of the newest victims of Aceh’s severe public punishments, where hooded enforcers beat offenders in front of crowds until they lose consciousness.

Known as ‘algojos’, these stern officers carry out the lashings with rattan sticks in front of Islamic court authorities and curious spectators, a violent display that has drawn criticism from human rights advocates.

Dressed in dark robes that shroud them from head to toe, and their faces concealed by cloaks to maintain anonymity, the algojos are there to inflict pain with every strike. 

Under Sharia Law, people can receive up to 100 lashes for morality offences including adultery and gay sex. 

Caning is also exercised to punish people for gambling and drinking, and for women who wear tight clothes or men who skip Friday prayers. 

The woman and her partner were sentenced to 25 lashes earlier this month, but ended up receiving 21 strokes because they had already spent four months in prison.

Images showed her kneeling and screaming in agony as a masked Sharia police officer repeatedly whipped her. 

Her face appears to contort in pain with each strike before the punishment becomes too much to bear and she loses consciousness. 

Four other people were also publicly caned on the same day for online gambling and adultery.  

Dozens of onlookers watched the caning, with some calling for the officials who carried out the punishment to ‘whip stronger’.

The public nature of the punishments is intended to shame offenders who breach Sharia as well as to inflict pain. 

Horrific images from previous canings show convicts lying on the floor, their bodies distorted as they grimace from the pain. 

It is common for convicts to faint, with pictures and videos often showing them being carried out on a stretcher after they receive their violent punishment. 

Several suffer from agonising wounds. One recent image showed red and purple blistery welts on a man’s bare back after he received several lashes. 

One particularly disturbing video filmed in 2023 showed a woman kneeling in front of a large crowd as she was whipped 22 times before collapsing. 

She is then helped up and taken away as she struggles to walk after being flogged repeatedly. 

Another video taken last year captured multiple men being struck by a robed algojo as crowds watch on.  

Earlier this month, a couple received 27 lashes for physical intimacy, while two men were caned 29 and eight times, respectively, for gambling.

And in May, authorities flogged two men and two women 100 times for having sex outside of marriage. 

Five others were also caned at the time for violations including being in proximity to members of the opposite sex and alcohol consumption.

And in one of the most extreme cases Aceh has seen in recent years, a woman collapsed after she and her partner were caned 140 times each for having sex outside of marriage and drinking alcohol. 

The couple were struck on their backs in January with a rattan stick in a public park while dozens watched. 

The woman fainted after enduring her brutal punishment and had to be escorted by ambulance at the end of the relentless ordeal.  

The woman was pictured kneeling as a masked man whipped her repeatedly with a cane, while another image showed her wiping away tears.

She was also seen being wheeled off in a stretcher following her beatings, while her partner appeared to grimace in pain in separate photographs.

It is thought to be one of the highest numbers of cane lashes imposed since Sharia was implemented after Aceh was granted special autonomy in 2001.

Muhammad Rizal, the head of Banda Aceh’s Sharia police, said at the time: ‘As promised, we make no exceptions, especially not for our own members. This certainly tarnishes our name.’ 

Canings, though not a legal form of punishment in Indonesia, retain strong support in Aceh.

They are often staged outside mosques or in community squares, with crowds watching and photographing the event. 

Indonesia is the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, but officially recognises six religions as well as indigenous beliefs.  

Human rights groups say the public humiliation adds to the cruelty and causes lasting psychological damage.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have repeatedly condemned the practice, saying it violates Indonesia’s constitution and its obligations under international law.

Usman Hamid, the Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia, said: ‘Such behaviour might be considered inappropriate because social media is viewed by people of various age groups, including children. 

‘But is it a crime that warrants imprisonment or even caning? That would be excessive.’

Amnesty said in a statement: ‘Caning contravenes Indonesia’s constitution and is in clear violation of international human rights law and standards.

‘It constitutes a cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and can amount to torture in violation of the UN Convention against Torture and other international covenants, to which Indonesia is a State Party.’

Local officials have defended the practice as a deterrent and as part of the province’s identity. 

However, critics argue it has damaged Indonesia’s human rights reputation and inflicted lasting trauma on those forced to endure it.

The practice also has wide support among Aceh’s mostly Muslim population. 

More than 90 per cent of the 255million people who live in Indonesia describe themselves as Muslim, but the vast majority practice a moderate form of the faith. 

Sharia law in Aceh was introduced in 2002, with further provisions added the following year, after it was granted special autonomy in 2001, an attempt by the central government to quell a long-running separatist insurgency. 

As part of that deal, Aceh won the right to be the only Indonesian province to use Islamic sharia law as its legal code.

Among the measures introduced in 2003 was a ban on a person being alone with someone of the opposite sex who is neither a spouse nor a relative. 

The law also set out punishment for sex crimes, unmarried people engaging in displays of affection, people caught found guilty of adultery and under-age sex.

Religious police in Aceh have been known to target Muslim women without head scarves or those wearing tight clothes, and people drinking alcohol or gambling.

Men and women have collapsed in pain due to the severity of their injuries, and people can be caned for something as innocent as standing too close to a partner in public or being seen alone with someone they are not married to.

Over the past decade, the central government has devolved more power to regional authorities to increase autonomy and speed up development.

In 2018, the province began consulting the public on whether it should introduce beheading as a punishment, although Indonesia’s central government warned such plans would not be permitted under national law.

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — In a tragic incident on Sunday morning, a young girl and her older brother were fatally shot by her ex-boyfriend during a confrontation in Texas, officials report.

According to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, deputies quickly responded to reports of the shooting on West Canino Road in northern Harris County, with the call coming in around 10:50 a.m. local time.

Preliminary findings reveal that the altercation began as the 17-year-old girl stood outside a residence with a toddler. Her 19-year-old ex-boyfriend, reportedly armed, initiated the confrontation, leading to a heated argument.

In a heroic attempt to defuse the situation, the girl’s 29-year-old brother exited the house. He positioned himself protectively before his sister, but tragically, the armed ex-boyfriend opened fire, killing both siblings before fleeing.

When deputies arrived, they immediately began emergency medical procedures until EMS arrived, but despite their efforts, the victims were pronounced dead on the scene. Thankfully, the toddler survived unscathed, authorities confirmed.

HCSO said that its patrol units, along with Humble Police Department officers and police dogs, found the suspect in the 8800-block of Will Clayton Road and took him into custody.

HCSO officials said the investigation remains ongoing and possible charges are pending.

In a significant development, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is gearing up to intensively search for and detain Haitian nationals poised to lose their Temporary Protected Status (TPS). This decision, shared with Fox News by numerous federal insiders, marks a dramatic escalation in operations.

Plans for this expanded operation could kick off as early as this week, signaling a robust federal response.

The pathway for this enforcement action is being cleared by the Supreme Court, which is set to send down its certified judgment to the lower courts on Monday. This move will empower the Trump administration to terminate TPS protections for over 300,000 Haitian individuals.

Federal sources revealed to Fox News that Ohio is expected to be a prominent focus of this operation, primarily because of Springfield’s substantial Haitian community. These operational tactics have been communicated to ICE leadership, ensuring that the agency is fully informed of the plans.

Last month, the Supreme Court reversed lower-court judgments that had postponed the administration’s TPS terminations for Haiti and Syria while litigation continued.

TPS was first granted to Haiti following the country’s devastating 2010 earthquake. The designation allows eligible foreign nationals from countries experiencing armed conflict, natural disasters or other extraordinary conditions to temporarily live and work legally in the United States.

The anticipated enforcement operation follows the Trump administration’s long-running effort to end Haiti’s TPS designation, arguing that the program was never intended to become a permanent form of legal status.

Following the Supreme Court’s decision, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson called the ruling “a tremendous win” for the administration.

“Today, the Supreme Court affirmed what President Trump has always maintained: temporary protected status is, by definition, temporary. It was never intended to be a pathway to permanent status or legal residency,” Jackson told News Media. “The Trump Administration continues to lawfully end the egregious abuses to our immigration system that have hurt Americans for years.”

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) General Counsel James Percival also praised the ruling in a post on X.

“The Court vindicates DHS yet again,” Percival wrote. “The T in TPS stands for TEMPORARY, yet many of these designations became de facto amnesty. This is a win for the rule of law and common sense.”

The anticipated enforcement operation comes as Springfield remains a focal point in the national immigration debate after the rapid growth of its Haitian community thrust the Ohio city into the national spotlight during the 2024 presidential campaign.