FOX is set for a huge sporting clash this weekend with the baseball playoffs heating up.

The National League Championship Series is scheduled to start on Sunday, October 13.

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Greg Olsen lost his regular Fox NFL partner last weekend to baseball commitments[/caption]

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Kevin Burkhardt, Erin Andrews, and Tom Brady are the new Fox NFL top team[/caption]

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The winners of the Dodgers-Padres series will advance to the NLCS beginning Sunday on Fox[/caption]

Sundays in the fall are dominated by National Football League games and this weekend is no different.

But Fox will also broadcast the entire NLCS in the Major League Baseball playoffs, beginning this Sunday.

The game will feature the winners of the series between the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies and the San Diego Padres vs the Los Angeles Dodgers.

A time or channel are yet to be confirmed by the MLB or Fox.

It is currently listed as either Fox’s main channel or FS1 on Sunday with game two the following day.

Fox is also showing a double header of NFL action in the afternoon.

They will have three games on across the nationl at 1pm ET with two more at 4.25pm ET.

The 1pm slot sees the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take on the New Orleans Saints, the Cleveland Browns face the Philadelphia Eagles and the Arizona Cardinals visit the Green Bay Packers.

At 4.25pm, Fox will also show the Detroit Lions face the Dallas Cowboys and the Atlanta Falcons take on the Carolina Panthers.

The network’s broadcasting rotation for the NFL games is yet to be confirmed.

The top crew of Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady will likely be at the Lions-Cowboys game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The 4.25pm slot tends to draw bigger audiences that 1pm.

And Brady has been put on three Cowboys games in five weeks given their ratings appeal.

The best game in the 1pm window is also on CBS with the Washington Commanders visiting the Baltimore Ravens.

Fox’s second NFL crew was given a shake-up last weekend.

Greg Olsen lost his regular partner Joe Davis, who was replaced by Jason Benetti.

Davis is the lead baseball play-by-play caller for Fox and will be on the MLB for the NLCS and World Series.

Fans enjoyed hearing the new Olsen-Benetti pairing on the Week 5 game between the Cleveland Browns and Washington Commanders.

“Jason Benetti-Greg Olsen broadcast booth as A team as it gets for a non A team duo,” one fan said.

“Why aren’t @jasonbenetti and @gregolsen88 the primary booth? What a duo,” another fan said.

“Even though it kind of sucks that Olsen was ‘demoted,’ he’s working with same amazing announcers this year,” one more commented.

DID Diddy Do It? will explore the sickening allegations levelled against the rap mogul, aiming to “give a voice to the voiceless”.

Here we take a look at the life and career of Alex Stapleton, the filmmaker behind the upcoming Netflix docuseries.

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Alex Stapleton attending the world premiere of How Music Got Free on March 09, 2024 in Austin, Texas[/caption]

Who is Alex Stapleton?

Alex Stapleton is an Emmy award-winning American documentary filmmaker, director, showrunner and executive producer.

She is a proud member of the Directors Guild of America, serving on the National Board and co-chairing the recently formed Documentary Committee.

Her passion for filmmaking was evident from a young age.

Stapleton grew up watching a diverse range of films, including B-movies and works by directors like John Waters, which influenced her future career path.

At around 19, Stapleton made the bold decision to drop out of school to pursue her dream of becoming a filmmaker.

During this period she read Roger Corman’s autobiography, which sparked her interest in the legendary filmmaker’s career and impact on the industry.

Career beginnings

Stapleton’s journey in the film industry began as an additional crew member on the 2004 film The Assassination of Richard Nixon.

Prior to directing her first feature documentary, she had a successful career making commercials in New York, providing her with valuable industry experience and connections.

Stapleton’s breakthrough came in 2011 with her directorial debut about one of the filmmakers who inspired her to make movies — Corman’s World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel.

Notable films

Corman’s World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel (2011)

This feature documentary explores the life and career of film producer Roger Corman.

Premiering at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, it features interviews with industry giants including Jack Nicholson, Martin Scorsese and Ron Howard.

Hello, Privilege. It’s Me, Chelsea (2019)

Stapleton directed and executive produced this Netflix documentary following Chelsea Handler as she examines the concept of white privilege in American culture.

Pride (2021)

As executive producer and showrunner, Stapleton helmed this FX documentary miniseries chronicling the fight for LGBTQ+ rights in the US from the 1950s through the 2000s.

Reggie (2023)

Stapleton directed this critically acclaimed documentary about baseball legend Reggie Jackson, released on Amazon Prime.

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Alex Stapleton has won multiple awards, including an Emmy[/caption]

God Save Texas (2024)

HBO docuseries episode directed by Stapleton, focusing on the energy industry’s impact on her family in Houston, Texas.

How Music Got Free (2024)

Stapleton’ released a’s two-part documentary series based on Stephen Witt’s book How Music Got Free: The End of an Industry, the Turn of the Century, and the Patient Zero of Piracy.

The series explores the revolutionary changes in the music industry brought about by the invention of the MP3 format and the rise of digital piracy.

Awards and nominations

Stapleton’s work has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career:

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Her upcoming docuseries Did Diddy Do It? doesn’t have a release date yet[/caption]

• Emmy Award Winner for SoCal Connected (PBS/KCET) in 2017
• GLAAD Media Award Nominee for Pride (FX) in 2022
• Gotham Independent Film Award Nominee for Pride (FX) in 2021
• NAACP Image Award Nominee for Shut Up and Dribble (Showtime) in 2019
• Camera d’Or Award Nominee for Corman’s World (A&E) at Cannes Film Festival in 2011
• Critics Choice Award Nominee for Reggie”(Amazon Prime) in 2023
• International Documentary Award Nominee for Reggie (Amazon Prime) in 2023

Diddy Do It?

One of Stapleton’s most anticipated upcoming projects is Diddy Do It?, a documentary series for Netflix exploring the allegations against music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs.

The series will focus on the allegations of sex trafficking, racketeering, sexual assault and violent abuse against the Bad Boy Records founder.

Stapleton is directing the series, with Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson serving as executive producer through his G-Unit Films and Television — the production company’s behind the highly successful Power franchise.

Beginning with the original show Power, which aired from 2014 to 2020, 50 Cent’s Power universe follows James “Ghost” St Patrick, a drug dealer striving to transition into legitimate business.

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Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson is the executive producer of Did Diddy Do It?[/caption]

In March 2024, 50 Cent announced a new prequel series titled Power: Origins, focusing on the younger versions of Ghost and his hot-headed partner Tommy.

Did Diddy Do It? is a collaboration between House of Nonfiction, Texas Crew Productions and Netflix.

In an exclusive statement to Variety, Stapleton and Jackson said: “This is a story with significant human impact.

“It is a complex narrative spanning decades, not just the headlines or clips seen so far”.

“We remain steadfast in our commitment to give a voice to the voiceless and to present authentic and nuanced perspectives.

“While the allegations are disturbing, we urge all to remember that Sean Combs’s story is not the full story of hip-hop and its culture”.

The documentary aims to provide a comprehensive look at the accusations, Combs’ responses and the broader implications for the music industry.

As of October 9, 2024, there is no set release date for this docuseries, as it only went into production in September.

JOY-ANNA Forsyth Duggar’s son Gunner has been rushed to the emergency room and hospitalized for days after he started struggling to breathe.

The 19 Kids and Counting star opened up about nerve-wracking, sleepless nights spent in the hospital while her little boy got treatment.

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Gunner, 1, got a cough last week and had to be admitted to the hospital for oxygen therapy[/caption]

Little Gunner got a light cough and runny nose last week, but after just one day, he started “wheezing and struggling to breathe,” Jo-Anna said on Instagram.

“We had done all the things we could do at home and nothing was helping, so we took him into the ER,” the distraught mother said.

At the ER, Gunner got breathing treatments, steroids, and nose suctioning, but nothing could stop his labored and heavy chest breathing.

Gunner was hospitalized, and Joy-Anna pulled an all-nighter, anxiously waiting for her son to get better.

She stood and held him all night as he woke up nearly every 20 minutes to cry in discomfort.

Joy-Anna’s husband, Austin Forsyth, and their other kids, Gideon, 4, and Evelyn, 4, joined them in the hospital while he got urgent care.

After two nights of oxygen, Gunner was back to himself and racing around the hospital room to play with his dad, Austin Forsyth.

More to follow… For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos.

Like us on Facebook at TheSunUS and follow us on X at @TheUSSun

DANCING With The Stars guest judge Gene Simmons has been slammed for his ‘creepy’ behavior on live TV yesterday.

Kiss frontman Gene, 75, joined Carrie Ann Inaba, 56, Derek Hough, 39, and Bruno Tonioli, 68, on the panel for the ABC show’s Hair Metal Night.

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However, his appearance quickly drew backlash from viewers for his ‘inappropriate’ feedback.

Throughout the night, Gene – who previously boasted about sleeping with over 5,000 women – made a series of sexually suggestive comments, which didn’t go down well with fans.

He seemed more focused on the appearance of the female dancers than on their performances, which led to widespread criticism online.

Gene’s comments included telling Danny Amendola, 38, and Witney Carson, 30, he couldn’t decide which of them was “hot, hot, hot” and calling dancer Chandler Kinney, 24, “beautiful”.

He went on to joke she’d “fogged up” his glasses, with her “gyrations”.

While many of his remarks were laughed off by the cast members, Witney looked visibly uncomfortable and grimaced.

Elsewhere, he give model Brooks Nader, 28, and her dancer partner Gleb Savchenko, 41, a 10 because she’s “hot” too.

Gene went on to give Phaedra Parks, 50, a score of just five, before changing his mind and submitting a nine at the last minute.

Host Alfonso Ribeiro, 53, also seemed uncomfortable with Gene’s behavior

After the singer made a remark about enjoying “the bad boy and the bad girl” during Phaedra Parks, 50, and 38-year-old Val Chmerkovskiy’s routine, Alfonso quipped, “Oh, now you care,” earning applause from the audience and fellow judges.

Fans were quick to voice their displeasure on social media.

In a Reddit forum, one asked: “Anyone else uncomfortable with Gene Simmons comments to the ladies so far?”

Someone replied: “yeah i feel so bad for all of the women tonight. Especially because they have to act professional and seem appreciative in the face of creepiness :(.”

Another added: “Based on Whitney’s expression I think she was a little creeped out I feel for them.”

A fourth fumed: “gotta be the worst guest judge to date. I think his comments to chandler were the worst — and it just went on for SUCH an uncomfortable amount of time.”

One more chimed in with: “his judging is extremely inconsistent too.”

Over on X, formerly Twitter, a viewer joked: “Take a shot for every woman Gene hits on tonight,” with a second posting: “it’s only the first dance and i’m already over gene simmons being a creep.”

A third added: “I’m so sorry to all the #DWTS females Gene was so gross.”

The Lick It Up hitmaker’s behaviour appeared to steal the spotlight from the contestants, with Reginald VelJohnson and Eric Roberts sent home in a brutal double-elimination.

• Dancing With the Stars returns next Tuesday on ABC and Disney+ with Dedication Night.

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His appearance quickly drew backlash from viewers[/caption]

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Gene joined Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli on the panel[/caption]

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Witney Carson looked visibly uncomfortable and grimaced[/caption]

WEST HAM have recruited the top lawyer who helped Leicester avoid a points deduction this season for Lucas Paqueta’s fight to avoid a life ban from football.

SunSport has learned that Nick De Marco KC has been appointed by West Ham as part of the club’s attempts to clear Paqueta of four counts of spot-fixing.

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De Marco scored a huge win over the Premier League this summer by persuading an independent panel that they had no right to charge Leicester with PSR breaches for the 2022/23 season, as they had been relegated to the Championship by the time they filed their accounts.

Leicester had been charged with a £24.4m breach of spending limits last season, which based on the punishments given to Everton and Nottingham Forest earlier this year would have resulted in the club being docked up to seven points if found guilty.

In a landmark ruling which left Premier League chiefs stunned last month however, an independent appeal board backed Leicester’s argument that the league should not have charged them.

De Marco has a history of big victories over the football authorities with West Ham hoping he can help clear Paqueta.

The 57-year-old barrister famously beat the Premier League in arbitration hearing to push through the Saudi Arabian purchase of Newcastle three years ago, and has helped both Sheffield Wednesday and Derby avoid and reduce points deductions from the EFL over spending breaches.

Paqueta has protested his innocence throughout since the FA began investigating suspicious betting patterns surrounding bookings he received whilst playing for West Ham the summer before last.

Following a nine-month investigation the Brazilian international was charged with counts of spot-fixing last May, with the FA accusing him of being deliberately booked in Premier League games against Leicester, Aston Villa, Leeds and Bournemouth between November 2022 and August 2023.

In addition the 27-year-old was charged with two breaches of FA Rule F3 for refusing to co-operate with their inquiries, which as SunSport revealed yesterday was the result of his decision to get rid of an old mobile phone which FA investigators had already spent eight weeks investigating.

Paqueta has his legal team led by London-based Level Law, but West Ham are supporting him and have moved to engage De Marco, who his regarded as best in class.

SunSport revealed on Sunday that Paqueta’s hearing is expected to take place next March, although a verdict is unlikely to be reached until the summer meaning he will be free to play for the rest of the season.

As previously revealed by SunSport, the FA are pushing for Paqueta to be banned for life, despite the fact that one of the bets placed on him to be booked was worth just £7.

Around sixty people in Brazil placed bets on Paqueta to be booked in the relevant games, with the stakes ranging from just £7 to £400, leading to combined winnings of £100,000.

Paqueta strongly denies any wrongdoing, but the ongoing case has affected his form at West Ham this season.

West Ham and De Marco were approached for comment.

ISRAELI military chiefs today showed off the huge dented carcass of one of 181 ballistic missiles launched in Iran’s blitz.

The Sun was given access to a terrifying Kheibar Shekan rocket among a blizzard of missiles intended to decimate Israel.

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The Sun’s Foreign Editor Nick Parker with the Iranian missile that came down in the Negev Desert, Israel[/caption]

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The missile was 1 of 181 missiles Iran fired on Israel on October 1 and is covered by graffiti and messages of resilience[/caption]

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IDF Major G talking about the Iranian missile that was shot out of the sky by the Arrow defence system[/caption]

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Children first found the shell in the Negev Desert and quickly became a playground and a spot to pose for selfies[/caption]

It was felled by the Jewish nation’s space age Arrow 3 interceptors after entering low orbit at up to five times the speed of sound.

The rocket’s enormous fuel tank crashed into the Negev Desert just half a mile from Arad – a southern Israeli town of 28,000 people.

Its one-tonne warhead exploded in the upper atmosphere as scores more were shot down, preventing unprecedented carnage on the ground.

The 37-foot missile’s shell was first discovered by local children – and became a playground for them as they climbed on it to pose for selfies.

A masked Israel weapons specialist identified only as “Major G” showed off the downed missile inside an Israeli Defence Forces base in southern Israel today.

He told The Sun: “This is just one of at least 180 ballistic missiles launched on October 1 sent to kill as many Israelis as possible.

“Our defences managed to stop the vast majority of them – and stopped a major mass casualty event.

“This missile weighs about 18-tonnes at launch with a one-tonne warhead which would have killed many people on the ground had it exploded in a populated place.

“It had the power to wipe out an entire neighbourhood and was just one of many directed towards the state of Israel.

“You can see here today the scale of the threat we are facing and the reason why we are having to fight back.”

The huge green fuel tank casing had been daubed in graffiti by local children before its arrival at the base, including messages of defiance and a Jewish Star of David.

Military sources at the base also confirmed for the first time that Iranian blast carnage had been averted by sheer fluke in the nearby city of Beersheba during the October 1 blitz.

A one-tone warhead from another Kheibar Shekan missile landed in a residential street but failed to explode and had to be removed by bomb disposal experts.

Israeli military chiefs say thousands of lives were saved by the state-of-the-art missile interceptors spearheaded by the Arrow 3 missile system.

The hypersonic anti-ballistic system pioneered by Israeli and US scientists knocks out ballistic missiles in space before they descend to targets.

Arrow 3 missiles have a range 1,500 miles and can change direction to intercept threats and even destroy orbiting satellites in space.

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Nick Parker with the weapons seized or found from Hezbollah in Lebanon by the IDF[/caption]

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Major G said 60-70 per cent of the weapons seized were Russian[/caption]

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An Israeli soldier from an EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) poses with the seized weapons[/caption]

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The Israeli Defense Forces displayed weapons seized in on a base in southern Israel[/caption]

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Many people took selfies with the missile found in the desert[/caption]

Israel has yet to respond to Iran’s second thwarted blitz in the past six months but has vowed to punish its arch foe with an attack on military, oil or nuclear sites.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu was due to speak to US president Joe Biden today to outline the blueprint for his attack plan.

The Iranian missile was shown to the Sun’s team in Israel today along with a smaller Emad missile launched in the last attack by the rogue Islamist regime on April 14.

A scary stash of weapons seized from Iran’s Lebanese Hezbollah terror troops was also displayed – ramped up fears of global escalation of the exploding regional conflict.

IDF chiefs said Russian-made high-tech weaponry made up 60-70 per cent of arms recovered so far from the Israeli ground operation in southern Lebanon.

Sophisticated Russian Kornet anti-tank missile systems, mines and thermal imaging equipment were among the cache put on display making up a “tiny proportion” of Hezbollah’s arsenal.

Fiendish improvised explosive devices disguised as rocks and evil “jumping” mines which leap into the air and explode to cut advancing troops to pieces were also shown.

Major G told The Sun: “What we have found shows a serious upgrade of the capabilities of Hamas in Gaza.

“Around 60-70 per cent of the weapons we are finding were made in Russia and a lot of this equipment is sophisticated.

“We cannot be sure how it is getting to Hezbollah but it’s likely to be from Russia’s allies in Iran or black market arms traders in eastern Europe.

“It could also be coming directly from Russia – we just don’t know.

“But wherever it comes from, these Russian weapons pose a serious threat to our forces and the supply has to be stopped.”

Markings on some of the Kornet anti-tank weapons suggested they had been manufactured in Russia as recently as 2020.

The Kornet system is known to be accurate and deadly from up to three miles and has been used against Israeli vehicles and positions for years.

Analysts believe stocks of Russian weapons may also be funnelled to Hezbollah through Syria, where Vladimir Putin’s forces are backing brutal President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

Explosive charges were also put on display which appeared to have been built specifically to smash holes in border barriers.

Israeli commanders ordered the ongoing invasion by around 25,000 troops claiming they had discovered an October 7-style Hezbollah plot to invade and occupy Galilee. 

The stash was shown to the Sun as IDF chiefs revealed a terror tunnel had burrowed 32-feet under Israel’s northern border in preparation for an attack.

Hezbollah is believed to have been preparing to follow up last year’s Hamas horror in the south with a bigger killing and kidnapping spree of its own.

But the move was repelled when Israel rushed reinforcements north to confront the danger.

Israeli forces are now attempting to dismantle the Lebanese terror group – which is believed to have amassed 150,000 missiles and drones.

Bloodshed spiralled across the north of Israel yesterday/today (Weds) as Hezbollah rockets killed an Israeli couple out walking their dogs.

The couple were killed in Kiryat Shemona, near the Lebanese border by shrapnel as a volley of rockets appeared to elude Iron Dome defences.

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the attack later claiming it had targeted troops in the area.

Meanwhile, two victims of a terrorist knife attack were fighting for their lives and four more were wounded in the city of Hedera.

An Arab Israeli sped around the city on a moped and knifed bystanders at three locations before being cornered by armed locals and arrested.

Hezbollah also continued its attacks on the northern port of Haifa with a 40 rocket barrage, a day after more than 100 launches.

Some of the rockets were intercepted but rescue teams reported five people on the ground had been wounded by shrapnel.

Meanwhile, Israeli warplanes continued to attack terror sites across southern Lebanon as areas of southern Beirut.

SELECT Social Security beneficiaries should now be receiving their October check.

The payment is worth $4,873 but not every beneficiary will see it in their bank account today.

Getty Images - Getty

Getty Images - Getty

The first of three Social Security payments, worth up to $4,873, is dropping today, but the exact amount depends on several factors.

This includes your birthday, retirement age, and contributions to Social Security.

Social Security beneficiaries receive different amounts based on when they choose to retire, how much they contributed during their working years, and how long they contributed to the system.

Retiring at the earliest age of 62 caps the monthly payout at $2,710.

However, if you wait until the maximum age of 70, you can receive as much as $4,873 per month.

The SSA offers an online calculator that allows recipients to estimate how much they can expect based on their individual circumstances.

PAYMENT SCHEDULE

Social Security payments are distributed in waves, based on a retiree’s birthdate.

The first group, consisting of those born between the 1st and 10th of any month, will see their checks today.

Those born between the 11th and 20th will receive payments on October 16.

Finally, individuals born after the 21st will get theirs on October 23.

INCREASE COMING

Social Security is a critical program, with 68 million Americans expected to receive benefits in 2024.

Over one-third of beneficiaries rely on Social Security for more than half of their income, making the annual cost-of-living adjustment vital for maintaining purchasing power.

Tomorrow, inflation data for September will be released, completing the data needed to calculate the 2025 COLA.

The adjustment is based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).

Experts predict a smaller COLA for 2025, around 2.5%, due to slowing inflation.

This would raise the average monthly benefit from $1,920 to approximately $1,968.

Inflation data for July and August has already shown year-over-year increases of 2.87% and 2.35%, respectively, averaging 2.61%.

With inflation expected to slow further, many economists predict that the 2025 COLA will be one of the smallest in recent years.

The Senior Citizens League estimates a 2.5% increase, which would raise the average monthly benefit from $1,920 to $1,968, or an annual increase from $23,046 to $23,622.

The streaming service's first Spanish-language original series centers on an aging Mexican fighter who's persuaded to take on one last rematch, with potentially dangerous consequences.

Director Ali Abbasi and executive producer James Shani reveal the inside scoop on how the film was rescued from oblivion just in time for the U.S. election.

Adapted from the novel by C.J. Skuse, the drama stars the 'Yellowjackets' alum as a bullied and overlooked young woman who reaches a violent breaking point.