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College football has some of the best action we will get this weekend, not just in volume but in matchups, and one that stands out is Notre Dame vs. North Carolina. To get in on today’s action, Fanatics Sportsbook is offering you $350 when you wager $20 or more using promo code FOXNEWS350.

For the season, Notre Dame is 4-0 and comes into the game as the third-best team in the country according to polls. This year’s schedule hasn’t been a challenge yet, but it is possible they have some tough games ahead, including this one. Their offense has rolled, and their defense has been crisp.

The question is whether wins over Wisconsin, Rice, Michigan State and Purdue are good enough to judge just how dominant this Fighting Irish team is. You could make an argument that Wisconsin and Purdue are the better teams they’ve faced, but they had no trouble winning a combined 90-23 over those two teams.

North Carolina is 2-1 for the season, and if you want a reason to bet on them, it is because Bill Belichick is the coach, and he has had an extra week to prepare. They still don’t look like a dominant program, and there seems to have been more off-field storylines than on-field production. 

However, if you think the Tar Heels can prepare a plan to stop Notre Dame, having an extra week would certainly be helpful. In their three games, they have beaten TCU in the first game, then took down East Tennessee State. Before the bye week, they lost to Clemson 28-20. 

Fightin’ Irish or Tar Heels, you make the call. With Fanatics Sportsbook, you can take a shot on either or something else in the game and wager $20 with promo code FOXNEWS350 to earn $350 in FanCash.

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There are only a few games this week between ranked teams, but the ones we get are very good, including the Iowa vs. Ohio State game. Fanatics Sportsbook is offering new users promo code FOXNEWS350 to bet $20 and receive $350 in FanCash when betting on the Iowa vs. Ohio State game.

We know that Ohio State is one of the best teams in the country, but they’ve already had one blemish on their schedule. To open the year, they beat Ball State by 53 points. Then in Week 2 they had a showdown with Texas. After controlling the first half, Ohio State blew the lead in the second, losing 24-23. The Buckeyes took out their frustration on Kent State the following week, winning 59-3. Last week, they hosted Illinois and won the game 42-19. 

Quarterback Julian Sayin has looked solid throughout his four games. He has 10 touchdowns and 1,206 passing yards. He does have one interception on his resume. The running game features a combination of backs, but the leader is Bo Jackson with 283 yards on 50 carries. Jeremiah Smith has hauled in seven touchdown passes for the Buckeyes. 

Iowa has had one of the harder schedules of anyone in the Big 10, but so far, they haven’t had any issues. They are 4-0, having beaten Northern Illinois 40-0 to start the year. In Week 2, Iowa State University came to their field, and they won 16-13, a tight battle. It wouldn’t be the last of the season.

In Week 3, Northern Iowa was shut out by the Hawkeyes, with Iowa coasting to a 55-0 win. Last week was a tough battle as they played Michigan and beat the Wolverines 20-19. This time, they got the last-second touchdown. They must now regroup after an emotional victory and try to beat Ohio State. 

This should be a great Big 10 battle, and you can enjoy the game with the promotion from Fanatics Sportsbook, offering $350 in FanCash for a $20 wager on the Iowa vs. Ohio State game.

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You’re presented with choices every day, and some are easier than others. You have the option of 53 games to bet on this Saturday in college football, and Underdog is giving you an opportunity to play $5 and earn $100 in bonus bets on the college football game of your choice using code FOXNEWS.

While ranked matchups are always fun to watch, there are some other great games on the schedule worth paying attention to, including Notre Dame vs. North Carolina and Auburn vs. Tennessee.

Notre Dame comes into this game as the 3rd-ranked team in the nation. Skeptics would say that the team hasn’t faced anyone this year, and there is a case to be made. They’ve played Wisconsin, Rice, Michigan State, and Purdue in their four games. They are 4-0 and have outscored their opponents 199-33 in those games. Clearly, their offense is rolling, but perhaps defensive genius Bill Belichick can stop them. 

North Carolina is 2-1 for the season and had a bye week to prepare for this game. They started the season overseas and played TCU for the second straight year. However, this year’s game went differently, with the Tar Heels winning 15-10. Then they beat East Tennessee State before losing 28-20 to Clemson two weeks ago. With extra time to prepare, can they find a way to slow down Notre Dame?

Auburn comes into this game with a 3-1 record, including a 1-1 mark in the SEC. They’ve had some challenging games and have looked solid in all four contests. They started the year narrowly beating Baylor, winning 17-16. Then they played Southern Miss and won by 35 points. Florida has looked like one of the best teams in the country, and Auburn hung with them. Last week, Auburn was able to win the game over Vanderbilt. 

Tennessee matches Auburn's record, and they are currently 17th in the nation. They didn’t have a very tough schedule to start the year, beating Furman by almost 50 points. The Volunteers then went to play Georgia Tech and won 45-24. Another blowout win over Kennesaw State set them up for their showdown last week with Texas. It was a close game, but ultimately they fell short. 

Those are just two of many great games on the docket for today. Use promo code FOXNEWS to bet $5 on Underdog to get a $10 bonus bet. You can repeat that process for 10 days until you get $100 worth of bonus bets. 

We’ve made it to College Football Week 5, and so far, the season has not been disappointing, with many great matchups. Betr is offering new users $200 in bonuses when using promo code FOXNEWS for any college football matchup today.

It isn’t a ranked matchup, but one game that stands out on the schedule today is the matchup between Miami and Clemson. Miami is the fourth-ranked team in the nation, and Clemson comes into the game needing a statement win this season. 

Miami ended their season just short of a National Championship last year, but they have picked up right where they left off. Their quarterback, Darian Mensah, looks like he could be this year’s Heisman winner. Leading his team to a 4-0 record, he has 14 touchdowns and 1,211 yards on 94-for-106 passing. 

The Miami ground game has been equally impressive. Mark Fletcher Jr. has three touchdowns, but also has 230 yards on just 36 carries this season. That doesn’t take into consideration that Javian Mallor has 226 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries, or that Chris Wheatley-Humphrey has a touchdown and 104 yards on 11 rushes. 

Clemson started their season against LSU, and they lost that game in rather embarrassing fashion. They lost 51-10, offering little fight and few positive takeaways. The next three games haven’t been all that tough, but they have won over Georgia Southern, North Carolina and Cal the past three weeks. 

Their team is led by Tait Reynolds, but he has left the team with more questions than answers this year. He is 54-for-84 for the season with 521 passing yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. The running game has gone well, and Gideon Davidson is putting together a solid campaign with 346 yards and three touchdowns.

This is one of the better games on the slate tonight, despite what the spread is telling us. Betr is offering users a chance to get $200 in bonuses from a wager on any of the Saturday football games when using promo code FOXNEWS.

*Odds subject to change*

On October 7, 2023, my son Itay was nineteen, an American-Israeli soldier stationed at Nahal Oz protecting the border, when Hamas terrorists kidnapped and murdered him. They held his remains in Gaza for 760 days — deliberate, unimaginable psychological warfare against my family — before he was finally returned home in November 2025, the last American hostage. He was my son. He was an American. Most of his own country never learned his name, or the names of Judy Weinstein, Danielle Waldman or Carol Siman Tov.

That is why it was so meaningful that the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution, led by Senators Rick Scott and Jacky Rosen, honoring the 46 Americans murdered by Hamas during the October 7 war. For the first time, their names are written into the official record of the United States Senate. The resolution reaffirms America’s commitment to seek legal justice on behalf of our families, and it will be delivered to each of us by the Secretary of State.

Washington is finally stopping to remember. Families of the fallen will soon gather in the nation’s capital for "Honoring American Victims of Hamas Since October 7," the first time the U.S. government will formally recognize, in one room, its own citizens killed in the October 7 war. I have advocated for this day because most Americans have no idea their country endured one of the deadliest days of terrorism against its own citizens since September 11.

MY SON WAS ONE OF 46 AMERICANS MURDERED BY HAMAS. WE NEED A US INVESTIGATION

I am deeply grateful to Secretary of State Marco Rubio for stepping forward to host this memorial, and to the Howard and Allison Lutnick Foundation for their support. Together with the Senate’s vote, it tells grieving families something we have waited three years to hear: Washington sees us. These were not foreign casualties in someone else’s war. They were American sons, daughters and grandparents, murdered by extremists.

But what worries me most is this: a resolution and a ceremony must not become a "check the box" moment, after which Washington moves on. Acknowledgment is not healing. Recognition is not recovery. Our families need their country to act long after the cameras leave the room.

So I am asking Washington for three things.

First, pass the October 7th American Victims Family Support and Remembrance Act. It would give our families — most of whom live outside the United States — the same mental health support and medical rehabilitation Congress built for 9/11 families through the Zadroga Act, and authorize a permanent memorial to the fallen here in Washington. Grief without support is grief carried alone.

Second, Congress must establish a formal committee to investigate how nearly 50 of its own citizens came to be killed on October 7. This is not only about accountability — it is part of our families’ recovery. You cannot fully rehabilitate what you cannot explain, and three years later, our families still do not know how their loved ones were killed. Four Americans died in Benghazi and Congress ran eight investigations; nineteen died at Khobar Towers and the House investigated. Congress cannot defer to the Israeli government on understanding how its own citizens were killed. It should give the American people a clear accounting of how this happened, so that we can begin to heal.

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Third, turn the Senate’s words into justice. As Senator Scott said this week, America "has a duty to secure justice" for its murdered citizens. The Department of Justice must keep pursuing everyone responsible for October 7 — the killers, and those who financed, armed and enabled them — until each one faces justice. Every terrorist should know that killing an American carries severe and lasting consequences. That is not vengeance. It is deterrence, and it is what protects the next American family from becoming mine.

This week, without a single objection, the Senate showed what any country owes its citizens killed by terrorists, and the families they left behind. I could not save my son. I can still demand that our country tell the truth about how this happened, work to prevent it from happening again, hold those responsible to account, and make sure no other American family has to search for that truth alone.

Police officers on a routine dive in Italy recently made an unusual discovery recently: ancient Roman artifacts resting on the seabed, 2,000 years later.

The artifacts were uncovered off the coast of Porto Rotondo in Sardinia, an Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea, news agency Cover Images reported.

The discovery was announced by the Sassari Police Headquarters in late August.

DIVERS UNCOVER HUNDREDS OF ANCIENT RELICS NEAR SHIPWRECK UNTOUCHED FOR 2,100 YEARS

The officers were based in Olbia, Sardinia. They spotted the ancient objects while conducting an underwater safety operation.

They first noticed a piece of broken terracotta — prompting them to return for a second dive, when they discovered the largely intact vessels.

The find led divers to conduct a more detailed search of the area for other archaeological objects.

"Careful dredging action allowed the identification and subsequent recovery of three intact terracotta artifacts, specifically a transport basin, along with other minor items," officials said, as Cover Images noted.

POLICE OPERATION TAKES UNEXPECTED TURN WHEN OFFICERS STUMBLE UPON ANCIENT BURIAL CAVE

"The artifacts were recorded and made available to the competent Archaeological Superintendent."

Pictures show police divers examining the seabed and ancient pottery submerged in the waters off Sardinia.

One image shows an intact amphora nestled among thick seagrass on the seafloor — while another shows a police diver examining a large, heavily encrusted vessel.

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In the ancient world, amphorae were used to transport a variety of materials, including wine, olive oil and grain.

Police said the artifacts appear to date to the period spanning the fall of the Roman Republic and the beginning of the Roman Empire.

"From a preliminary analysis, it is hypothesized that the items may date back to a time frame between the second half of the 1st century B.C. and the 1st century A.D., with a potential origin area that can be linked to Lazio, Campania or the Iberian Peninsula," officials said, according to Cover Images.

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Looking ahead, specialists will examine the vessels to glean more information about them, including their precise age and origin.

Researchers will also determine whether the vessels came from a larger archaeological site — and if more artifacts await discovery.

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Though extraordinary, such discoveries are not unheard of in Italy.

Earlier this year, Italian authorities announced the discovery of a Roman merchant shipwreck still carrying its cargo of amphorae in the Ionian Sea.

At the time, officials said the shipwreck had been discovered off the coast of Apulia during a routine maritime patrol in June 2025. 

The vessel was dated to the late Imperial era, which spanned roughly 284 A.D. to 641 A.D.

Gen Alpha kids are earning and spending their own money. Parents can use savings, investing and education tools to build healthy habits.

Republicans know they have to spend big to save Ken Paxton. They’re increasingly worried MAGA Inc. won’t throw down in time.

In private conversations over recent weeks, senior Hill Republicans and GOP officials have nudged President Donald Trump’s team to start spending more on the Texas Senate race before it’s too late, according to three people with direct knowledge of those conversations, who were granted anonymity to discuss them.

Those fears escalated after audio leaked of Paxton privately trashing Trump’s midterm convention, with some worrying it could impact whether MAGA Inc. continues spending after a current wave of GOP ad bookings run out Oct. 12.

A Trump operative told POLITICO that MAGA Inc. and its affiliates are expected to spend near $45 million on direct mail, TV, and digital advertising in Texas through Oct. 12, an increase from its previous $20 million to boost Paxton. But they said the team is still assessing how much more money to send in the final weeks, in consultation with Senate Republicans and their top super PAC, the Senate Leadership Fund.

The Trump operative, who like others in this article was granted anonymity to speak candidly, would not commit to any plans when asked by POLITICO.

With national Democrats starting to finally spend for their Senate nominee, James Talarico, after months of holding off, and as polling of the race tightens, Republicans expect the cost of salvaging Paxton’s campaign will only skyrocket. And, they’ve started to panic.

“It’s a five-alarm fire, no doubt,” one GOP senator said. “Can we put it out? I hope so.”

“This is a slow-moving car crash that we're witnessing right now,” a Republican strategist in the state said. “And there's a 75% chance that the ultimate result here will be catastrophic from a GOP Senate majority standpoint.”

A fourth Republican, a national operative, spoke to the urgency factor: “While it’s money we shouldn’t have needed to spend, it needs to be spent now,” said a national GOP operative, describing the state as more winnable than North Carolina, Georgia and potentially Ohio.

Even with a massive war chest, Texas is turning into a huge money sink for the GOP that senators worry could hurt them in other tight races as they work to defend deep-red states and try to flip blue seats in Michigan and New Hampshire.

Trump himself nodded to some of the concerns at a rally just across the Texas border in Oklahoma Thursday night, saying those voters aren’t the ones he’s concerned about.

“We’re worried about Michigan. We’re worried about Texas,” he told the crowd. “We’re worried about a few states.”The president is scheduled to visit Texas again next week for a rally in San Antonio next Wednesday.

SLF poured another $60 million into Texas on Wednesday, bringing its total expenditure there to a record-breaking $131 million. With the MAGA Inc. money and additional GOP ad reservations, the race is already on track to top $200 million from outside Republican groups hoping to save Paxton. Paxton’s own campaign recently announced a $20 million ad buy — one of the largest single media investments in a Texas Senate race.

Some Republicans want MAGA Inc. to take over spending for Paxton in Texas in the final few weeks, so SLF can focus its resources elsewhere. MAGA Inc. could also funnel money into SLF’s recently established Texas PAC. But, according to two people with direct knowledge of that matter, that hasn’t happened.

“At some point I think the people spending that money are going to have to make hard choices and figure out where the money can have the biggest impact, and certainly Texas is the most expensive,” Sen. John Cornyn, who lost to Trump-backed Paxton in the primary, recently told POLITICO.

SLF Executive Director Alex Latcham indicated to POLITICO the group will keep spending in Texas: “Senate Leadership Fund’s investment through Texas PAC affirms our commitment to maintaining the Republican majority and defeating Far-Left liberals like James Talarico.”

But Republicans’ money concerns have been complicated by Paxton himself. A growing number of GOP senators and top operatives have been stunned by what they described as unforced errors by the Texas Senate nominee. For example, he crossed one of the brightest red lines with Trump, telling a group of donors that “everybody’s numbers dropped” after the president’s GOP convention in Dallas last month, according to the audio leak reported by The New York Times.

“There seems to be very little strategy there,” said another Republican senator, granted anonymity to candidly discuss the race. “Sometimes, I think [Paxton] wants to lose.”

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

Trump, while on his way to Texas to tour a motor facility on Thursday, told reporters he hadn’t talked to Paxton about his convention comments. Later, he told a crowd in Texas that “Ken Paxton was at my side more than anybody, and I have to always remember that because he can be a pain in the ass sometimes. I’ll be honest.”

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) told reporters this week that he hadn’t seen the audio of Paxton trashing Trump’s convention. He acknowledged the stakes in his home state were high — and that the influx of cash is key.

“The reason that it is a serious race and a close race right now is that for several months the Democrats were massively outspending us,” he said, “and I am glad now that we are seeing money invested in communicating with the voters.”

The White House has attempted to reassure concerned senators, with chief of staff Susie Wiles telling Senate Republicans this week that there will be enough money available for competitive races in the final stretch, according to two people with knowledge of the meeting.

GOP operatives in both Michigan and New Hampshire said they feel that some of the cash being shoveled toward Texas should be going to their states instead. Most polls show Republicans running narrowly behind or neck and neck in both states, even though they hold a spending advantage on the airwaves there.

“We’re focusing so much on ‘we’ve got to put this money into Texas.’ Why? We’ve never had a problem in Texas. Let’s focus on taking back a seat we haven’t had in years,” said an ally of former Sen. John E. Sununu, who’s in a tight race against Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. “There are real chances in Michigan and New Hampshire,” said the person, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly about the dynamics.

Sununu’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

Latcham, who heads SLF, said that “Texas PAC is a dedicated effort that will not take resources from our other ongoing investments across the Senate map.”

Recent polling still shows the Texas Senate race with a razor-thin margin. Most public polling over the past two months shows Talarico with an edge, though Paxton’s campaign released an internal poll Tuesday that shows Paxton leading by three points among likely voters, 48% to 45%.

“I don't think the needle has moved in the last month,” said one Texas Republican elected official, granted anonymity to speak frankly. “Unless it's the worst polling that's ever been done in political history, all this spend hasn't changed anything, and I think people have made their mind up."

Lisa Kashinsky, Samuel Benson, Alex Gangitano and Kelsey Brugger contributed to this report. 

This article originally appeared on Politico at https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/03/paxton-texas-senate-trump-gop-money-woes-01105707

Rhonda Jewell was sentenced to 17 years for forgetting 10-month-old Aria in car’s back seat, leading to the child’s death

A state appeals court in Florida reversed the felony murder conviction of a woman who accidentally left a baby in her car, resulting in the child’s death.

In July 2023, while babysitting four children from two different families, 46-year-old Rhonda Jewell forgot 10-month-old Ariya Paige was in the back of her car, and went inside to care for the other kids. Strapped into her carseat in the Florida summer heat, Ariya died of hyperthermia before Jewell realized her mistake. Jewell was convicted the following year of third-degree felony murder, predicated on the underlying felony of leaving a child unattended in a vehicle. She was sentenced to 17 years in prison.

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The Holei Sea Arch, located in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, was about 90 feet high before it collapsed.

The Latin American country will vote for its next president, as Lula da Silva and Bolsonaro clash over sovereignty, security and ties with Washington.

1. Schaffelburg, Millar star in Canada’s win over Peru in friendly  TSN
2. Shaffelburg’s brace leads Canada past Peru 2-0  The Globe and Mail
3. NSL: Halifax Tides 0, Calgary Wild 0  TSN
4. Canada vs Peru: Friendlies stats & head-to-head  BBC
5. The beat goes on for Canada in win over Peru, even if the song stutters  Toronto Star

1. Schaffelburg, Millar star in Canada’s win over Peru in friendly  TSN
2. Shaffelburg’s brace leads Canada past Peru 2-0  The Globe and Mail
3. NSL: Halifax Tides 0, Calgary Wild 0  TSN
4. Canada vs Peru: Friendlies stats & head-to-head  BBC
5. The beat goes on for Canada in win over Peru, even if the song stutters  Toronto Star

More than 50 protests are taking place on Saturday after the government failed to get emergency legislation through parliament.

Criticism over the recent casting of actress Meryl Streep as the voice of the Christ-like lion Aslan in Netflix’s "Narnia" adaptation has continued as some Christian and media figures question the choice. An online petition is also calling on Netflix to replace director Greta Gerwig for future "Narnia" films.

The petition, entitled, "Demand Netflix to replace director of the Narnia films," was started Friday on Change.org following negative reactions from some Christian fans and critics to the theological implications of a actress voicing Aslan, an allegory for Jesus Christ.

"Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew," written and directed by Gerwig ("Barbie"), is based on the 1955 novel, the sixth published and first chronologically in the children’s book series "The Chronicles of Narnia" by British author, literary scholar and Christian thinker C.S. Lewis.

FANTASY DOESN’T NEED ANOTHER 'GAME OF THRONES.' IT NEEDS WHAT TOLKIEN UNDERSTOOD

The film is set to hit theaters Feb. 12, 2027, and Netflix on April 2, 2027, but it was the recently announced casting of Streep that brought renewed attention to concerns from some Christians about altering the voice of Aslan, a character Lewis presented as a Christ figure in Narnia.

Movieguide founder Dr. Ted Baehr, who served as president of the Episcopal Radio-TV Foundation after it helped produce CBS’s classic 1979 animated adaptation of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," said he was confused by the choice.

DIRECTOR OF NEW ‘LORD OF THE RINGS’ REJECTS ‘POLITICALLY CORRECT’ CASTING AFTER SUGGESTIONS FILM IS TOO WHITE

"When I did it, they had a hundred million or more people who had read ‘Chronicles of Narnia.’ Now I'm sure it's double or triple. And most of them know that Aslan is a Christ figure, and we understand that Christ in the Revelation gets married to the church, that he's a guy, but he's fully God and Holy man. We understand all that, so with the change that they're doing, it's going to alienate a lot of Christians," Baehr told Fox News Digital.

Baehr, who noted that he spoke briefly with Gerwig about the film and that the 43-year-old filmmaker told him that, as a young woman, his version was her favorite, said she "comes at it from a different point of view."

COMEDIAN LEANNE MORGAN CALLS OUT HOLLYWOOD FOR LIVING IN A 'BUBBLE' AND MISJUDGING WHAT AUDIENCES WANT TO SEE

"That doesn't mean that it won't do well at the box office, it just means that there will be an extra audience, maybe 110 to 140 million Christians that may not show up because they don't like that," Baehr said. "But you know, you can build a movie with a lot of one group or another, so it doesn't mean the movie won't succeed, it just means it'll lose an audience."

In his case, Baehr said he fought to ensure Aslan remained an uncompromised allegory for Jesus Christ in the 1979 adaptation.

KELSEY GRAMMER ADMITS IT'S 'EXHAUSTING' WHEN MOVIES TRY TO ALTER HISTORY TO FIT MODERN TASTES

For her part, Gerwig, who has described herself as a Unitarian Universalist and churchgoer, has said she envisions her version as a "rock opera" and explained to entertainment site Empire that she wanted someone who was "profound but not pretentious, who had gravitas but not morose self-seriousness" to play the part of Aslan — someone, she said, "who could communicate depth and pathos as well as joy and delight."

She added, "I wanted someone who was older than 70, so there was a wisdom of experience, but who also had the capacity of fresh wonder, like a child. And also to be one of the greatest actors to ever do it. That list is not a long one."

CHRISTOPHER NOLAN CALLS CRITICISM OF 'THE ODYSSEY' CASTING DECISIONS 'IRRELEVANT'

Fox News Digital reached out to Gerwig’s agent, Creative Artists Agency CEO and co-chairman Bryan Lourd, for further comment.

Fox News Digital also reached out to Netflix for comment. 

Ned Lott, a casting and voice director and producer who has worked in the animation industry since 2000 with companies ranging from Disney to Warner Bros. and Nickelodeon on projects including 2025’s animated "David" and 2005’s "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," recalled his experience casting Aslan for the 2005 film.

EVERY CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING CHRISTOPHER NOLAN'S 'THE ODYSSEY' FROM CASTING TO COSTUMES

"It’s like casting for the voice of Jesus, or the voice of God. Like, in my mind, it was very important that the character of the books, and the integrity of the books, matched the voice, and even the actor," he told Fox News Digital.

Lott said that when it came to casting Aslan for the 2005 film, he and his team auditioned dozens of British actors. But with just 24 hours left to make a decision, no one was completely satisfied.

CHRISTOPHER NOLAN FACES GROWING BACKLASH OVER 'ODYSSEY' CASTING, HISTORICAL ACCURACY AS SCREENINGS CANCELED

"It still wasn't like a slam dunk, you know. And so, it was just this kind of moment where I was leaving work and I was like, I literally talked to God. I said, ‘Okay, we have to find your voice, and I have one more day. So I need some help, you know.’ And I got in my car, I turned on the radio and all of a sudden there was the voice," Lott recalled. "Like, literally, there was the voice of Aslan, and I didn't know who it was."

He did know it was a movie trailer for the 2005 film "Kingdom of Heaven," and so, after arriving home, he looked up the film on IMDb and saw that it was Liam Neeson, an Irish actor who had never appeared on their list of British celebrity thespians.

The rest is history, with Neeson famously voicing Aslan in three "Chronicles of Narnia" films.

Lott explained that casting is about the character rather than the performer and that there are instances in which a man has successfully voiced a female character. He cited director Brad Bird’s portrayal of Edna Mode in "The Incredibles" as one example. Lott said such casting is typically done for comedic effect.

Additionally, Lott cited tricks that can be done with pitch shifting and EQ settings, as well as a voice actor’s performance, that can leave audiences unaware that the voice actor is a different gender from the character.

Still, he said, this casting of Streep as Aslan leaves him puzzled.

"We took so much care with Aslan and really understood him. It just seemed like a choice that we would have not made back in 2005 because we understood the integrity of the books and tried to do as much as we could with the integrity of what the author had in mind," Lott said. "So, it’s just like a different philosophy. It’s not something I’m used to. Clearly, there’s an artistic reason."

Novig's "Just Sports" campaign drew backlash from some female athletes but also brought in a rush of trading volume.

Home expert Melissa Maker shares her top picks for smart home helpers — from Dyson and LG to Dreame and beyond.

The US Capitol Building is seen on October 1, in Washington, DC. - Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Four weeks to Election Day, a growing number of House Republicans privately fear their chances of holding onto the majority are vanishing and have begun focusing on how to limit the size of a potential Democratic wave.

Inside the House GOP, Republicans have watched with alarm as President Donald Trump’s approval ratings have sunk in their own internal polling — including on traditionally red turf — over the last two weeks, according to more than a dozen people familiar with the discussions.

Now, the House GOP is entering triage mode. Republicans are discussing pulling money from once-competitive races they see as too difficult to win, including Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks in Iowa, Rep. Tom Kean in New Jersey and an open seat in Nebraska, according to three people familiar with the talks.

But the GOP does have a huge cash advantage, and not all Republicans are pessimistic. Speaker Mike Johnson is “absolutely still convinced” that he can hang onto the House and is not taking any seats “off his board,” according to a political aide. Johnson just returned from New Jersey and is planning a rally with Miller-Meeks in Iowa next week, according to his team.

Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks speaks in the Oval Office of the White House on September 28, 2026, in Washington. - Alex Brandon/AP Rep. Thomas Kean Jr. departs the US Capitol on June 30, 2026. - Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

The House GOP’s campaign arm, too, strenuously denies that the majority is lost.

“Thirty days out, House Republicans are on offense, and we’re outspending Democrats in the final stretch in every race,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Will Kiley said in a statement, adding, “House Republicans are going to defy history, and we’re going to win.”

The rising anxiety among Republicans, though, reflects a grim national environment that has triggered alarm bells up and down the ballot, with Senate Republicans suddenly forced on defense in red seats like Kansas — with control of both chambers of Congress up for grabs. Trump, too, is on a nationwide campaign swing, with stops in a more competitive part of Ohio, as well as deep-red territory like Texas, Oklahoma and Alabama.

“There’s a lot of close races, and it’s hard to make a prediction,” retiring GOP Rep. Dan Newhouse said this week of his party’s chances, but acknowledged, “Affordability is a big deal. People see the gas prices every single day.”

While Newhouse said his party has worked to address cost of living issues, he noted, “There’s just a lot of things making it tough right now for rural America — which I can speak to specifically — but for Americans all over the country.”

Many Republicans acknowledge to CNN that the souring national environment — fueled by soaring diesel prices, stubborn inflation and hardening opposition to the Iran war — are largely out of their control this late in the race. They say their strategy is now focused on how to limit Democrats to the slimmest majority possible — in a bid to make governing all but impossible for a potential House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries next year.

Johnson’s historically narrow majority — the slimmest since before World War II — has been a major headache for GOP leaders, with the Louisiana Republican unable to wield control of the floor on numerous occasions. Republicans want Jeffries to face the same problem.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson speaks to reporters outside of his office at the US Capitol on September 16, 2026. - Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Several people said their goal is to keep Jeffries’ margin to fewer than 10 seats. If that happens, one GOP strategist summarized: “What the f**k are you going to get done over there?”

Few Republicans believe it will be a total wipeout for their party in which Democrats win more than 30 seats. And some believe there is still a path to keeping their narrow majority, especially if gas prices drop significantly in the next four weeks. Party leaders are particularly confident about two incumbents in purple seats: Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick in Pennsylvania and Mike Lawler in New York, both in districts Kamala Harris won in 2024.

But there is growing anxiety from GOP members and aides about protecting parts of the country that haven’t elected Democrats to the House in decades — seats Trump won by double digits that are suddenly in play with incumbents who rarely face competitive general elections.

As of early October, Republicans are still planning to use a massive cash advantage to support their strongest incumbents, while turning up the heat on their top offensive targets, like Rep. Marcy Kaptur in Ohio’s 9th District, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez in Washington’s 3rd — and drowning Democrats in spending.

The GOP’s huge cavalry of super PACs, meanwhile, helps build a firewall around their reddest turf to avert disaster, with Trump-linked groups spending in seats once considered a reach for Democrats, but are now in play, like Colorado’s 5th District, Kentucky’s 6th District and Montana’s 1st District.

“The environment is bad but Democrats still have to win on GOP terrain,” one GOP operative said.

How Republicans could still keep the House

If House Republicans are going to pull off an upset in November, they say it would come down to the party’s massive cash advantage and its aggressive gerrymandering push.

Republicans are outspending Democrats in all of the 10 most expensive House races on advertising from now until Election Day, according to data from AdImpact. That includes multimillion-dollar advantages in Democratic-held seats like Rep. Don Davis in North Carolina’s 1st District and an open seat in Maine’s 2nd District.

Rep. Monica De La Cruz speaks on the first day of the 2026 Republican National Convention on September 9 in Dallas. - Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Much of the GOP’s spending is concentrated in newly redrawn seats in Texas and Florida, the fates of which are still highly uncertain, especially for incumbents like GOP Rep. Monica De La Cruz in Texas. But if even a handful of those seats swing toward Republicans, it could make up for losses elsewhere.

“At the end of the day, redistricting could be the lifesaver either way — either minimizing the losses or the reason we potentially hold onto the majority,” one GOP leadership aide told CNN.

Then there are the handful of swing seats where Republicans feel more upbeat because of Democratic clashes during the primaries, which left their nominees more vulnerable. That includes California’s 22nd District, Michigan’s 7th District and that open seat in Maine — where progressives beat out establishment-preferred centrists.

GOP’s messaging in final weeks

Even in a challenging midterm environment, Republicans are turning to issues that they feel give them an advantage with voters — with taxes, immigration and law enforcement figuring prominently in their campaign ads.

Tax cuts on tips, overtime and Social Security delivered by the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” were the fulfillment of a key 2024 campaign promise, and that’s been a point of emphasis. Republicans have also hammered Democrats for opposing the legislation.

“Zach Nunn voted for the largest middle class tax cut ever,” says an ad from the GOP incumbent in Iowa’s competitive 3rd District.

President Donald Trump, joined by Republican lawmakers, signs the "One, Big Beautiful Bill Act" into law during an Independence Day on the South Lawn of the White House on July 4, 2025. - Samuel Corum/Getty Images

An analysis of AdImpact data found that about one-third of GOP ads in House races in September focused on tax policy, making it the top issue tracked by the firm.

Immigration, which ranked fourth, has been another key argument for Republicans. “Stelson wants you to pay for criminal illegal immigrants’ healthcare,” says an ad from the House GOP’s main super PAC, Congressional Leadership Fund, targeting the Democrat in Pennsylvania’s 10th District.

GOP advertisers also produced dozens of ads touting their support for law enforcement and accusing Democrats of being soft on crime. Several begin with grisly accounts of local crimes, juxtaposed with rhetoric from Democrats calling for criminal justice reform. “Attention all criminals, do we have some good news for you: Christina Hines, the liberal Ann Arbor prosecutor, is running for Congress,” says one ad airing in the competitive race for Michigan’s 10th District.

Other specific issues have also animated these key races, including Republicans’ sustained focus on transgender policies, an issue they’ve used to attack Democrats since it proved effective in the 2024 campaign. As a result, Democrats have increasingly taken to the airwaves to rebut the criticism, such as Kaptur in Ohio’s 9th District.

Republicans say the Democrats’ quick response to the transgender politics attacks show that it’s an effective issue — and believe it’s been making a dent in internal polling.

“Here’s the truth: I voted with Republicans to keep transgender ideology out of our schools because parents know what’s best for their kids, and boys should not play in girls’ sports,” Kaptur says in one ad.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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This article originally appeared on CNN at https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/03/politics/republicans-congress-control-midterms

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