Sports
NFL great’s NJ hometown refused to lower flags in honor of Charlie Kirk, its neighbors rose to the occasion
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Former New York Jets center Nick Mangold put a New Jersey town on blast over the weekend after city officials did not observe President Donald Trump’s proclamation ordering that U.S. flags on government buildings be flown at half-staff in honor of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
But while Madison, the home of the former NFL star, deferred to the state, other neighboring towns decided to pay tribute to Kirk, who was assassinated in Utah while speaking at a campus event.
Florham Park and East Hanover, both in Morris County, and Summit in Union County observed the presidential proclamation which called for the United States flag to be flown at half-staff from Wednesday, Sept. 10, through Sept. 14.
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Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk arrives to speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally at Thomas & Mack Center, Oct. 24, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Alex Brandon/The Associated Press)
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Florham Park Mayor Mark Taylor called Kirk a “great patriot” and said that flags in the borough remained at half-staff as of Tuesday.
“Yes, Florham Park has listened to the President’s order and we are still flying the flags at half-staff in honor of the great patriot, Charlie Kirk.”
East Hanover confirmed that the township also acted “in accordance with the proclamation.” The city of Summit told Fox News Digital that the flag was flown at half-staff at city hall, the library and the community center through Sunday.
Trump’s proclamation came after Kirk, 31, was assassinated Wednesday during a campus event at Utah Valley University. The married father of two was struck by a single bullet and later pronounced dead. Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old Utah resident, was arrested as a suspect in the killing.
State and local officials in New Jersey were criticized when Mangold drove by a government building in Madison over the weekend and noted that the town did not observe the presidential proclamation.
“I’m disgusted and saddened by my town (Madison) and my state (New Jersey),” he wrote on X. “This is wrong on so many levels… as an American husband and father was assassinated for expressing his right to free speech.”
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Mangold tagged New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and the two gubernatorial candidates who are fighting to succeed Murphy, Rep. Mikie Sherrill and Jack Ciattarelli.

New York Jets center Nick Mangold leaves the field following the game against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Jets 28-3 in Glendale, Arizona, on Oct. 17, 2016. (Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports)
Officials in Madison released a statement responding to the criticism, noting that the borough was simply following the state’s daily flag status.
“Over the weekend, we received questions about the lowering of the American flag in the borough. Madison’s policy is to follow the State of New Jersey’s daily flag status, which can be found here,” the statement read. “Over the weekend, the status was ‘full staff.’ The Borough of Madison condemns all forms of political violence and rejects hate in every form. We remain committed to bringing people together around our shared values and ideals.”
State and local governments are not legally bound to comply with presidential proclamations. Fox News Digital has reached out to Murphy’s office for comment. Morris Plains Mayor Jason Karr told Fox News Digital that flags were not lowered to half-staff in his borough because he was unaware of the presidential proclamation.
He noted that while the flag was lowered for Sept. 11 on Thursday, it was raised to full-staff the following day and through the weekend.
“Given the nature of recent events, the Borough of Morris Plains did not receive the usual notification regarding the directive to lower the American flag. At no time was there any intent of disrespect toward the President of the United States or the Kirk family,” Karr said in a statement. “The tragic circumstances clearly warranted the lowering of the flags, and the Borough would have taken immediate action had notification been received or relayed to any Borough official.
“I do not support or condone the actions taken against Charlie Kirk and offer my sincerest condolences to Erika, his children, and his entire family during this difficult time. This unfortunate oversight should not be politicized. In moments such as these, it is important for us to rise above division. Both the left and the right should stand together under the American eagle, so that our nation may continue to soar in unity.”
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Charlie Kirk, who founded Turning Point USA speaks during a Turning Point USA Believers Summit conference on July 26, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Meanwhile in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered that all state government buildings comply with the proclamation.
“Cecilia and I are heartbroken by the assassination and passing of Charlie Kirk,” Abbott said. “Charlie’s voice was a beacon for millions of young Americans searching for truth, courage, and conviction. This senseless act of violence has no place in America. Our prayers are with Charlie’s family and his loved ones, especially the two young children he leaves behind. Texas stands with them in mourning and in honoring Charlie’s enduring legacy.”
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Sports
Virginia’s Anna Moesch wins 1st career NCAA individual title
ATLANTA — Anna Moesch won the first NCAA individual title of her career in the 200-yard freestyle on Thursday night at the women’s swimming and diving championships to help Virginia add to its team lead.
Moesch’s time of 1:39.23 marked the second fastest performance in the event, just shy of Missy Franklin’s 11-year-old record.
Moesch also helped Virginia claim a third relay title in the competition with a 1:24.11 in the 200 freestyle. It was the fifth straight year Virginia won the event.
Virginia sits in first place with 249 points heading into the third day of the four-day competition. Texas is second with 183 points and Stanford third with 173.
Olympic gold medalist Torri Huske clocked a 48.49 to win the 100 butterfly for her third career national title. Huske edged Virginia’s Claire Curzan after finishing second last season. The top three swimmers finished under 50 seconds, with Huske’s Stanford teammate, Gigi Johnson, coming in fourth.
Bella Sims led wire-to-wire in the 400 IM for Michigan’s first individual NCAA title since Maggie MacNeil in 2021. It was also the first gold in the event by a Wolverine since Mindy Gehrs in 1993.
NC State’s Eneli Jefimova took the 100 breaststroke with the fastest time in program history.
Senior diver Chiara Pellacani defended her one-meter national title for Miami. Pellacani became the first diver to win multiple national titles in a Miami career since Brittany Viola (2008, 2011).
Sports
FIFA clears Israeli settlement clubs but fines IFA over breaches
FIFA said Thursday that it would take no action on formal complaints by the Palestinian soccer federation in 2024 against its Israeli counterpart, including to suspend membership.
FIFA did, however, fine the Israel Football Association 150,000 Swiss francs ($190,000) on disciplinary charges relating to “discrimination and racist abuse,” plus “offensive behavior and violations of the principles of fair play.”
Palestinian soccer officials have long argued Israel violates FIFA statutes by letting teams from settlements in the West Bank play in the national league.
“FIFA should take no action given that, in the context of the interpretation of the relevant provisions of the FIFA Statutes, the final legal status of the West Bank remains an unresolved and highly complex matter under public international law,” the soccer body said.
“FIFA can’t solve geopolitical conflicts,” said Infantino, who presented U.S. President Donald Trump with a specially created peace prize at the World Cup draw in December.
“[B]ut we are committed to using the power of football and the FIFA World Cup to build bridges and promote peace as our thoughts are with those who are suffering as a consequence of the ongoing wars,” he said.
The disciplinary investigation of Israeli soccer also was opened 18 months ago in response to formal complaints by the Palestinian federation.
One third of the fine must be spent by Israeli officials, FIFA ruled, on “implementation of a comprehensive plan to ensure action against discrimination and to prevent repeated incidents.”
“The plan shall be approved by FIFA and shall focus on the following areas: reforms, protocols, monitoring, and educational campaigns in stadiums and on official channels for an entire season,” FIFA judges decided.
The judges said they “cannot remain indifferent to the broader human context in which football operates” and the sport “must remain a platform for peace, dialogue, and mutual respect.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Sports
TCU backs up its tough talk, bounces Buckeyes in 1st round
GREENVILLE, S.C. — TCU wasn’t short on confidence for Thursday’s NCAA tournament opener against Ohio State, with forward David Punch setting the stage of the matchup by saying he believed the Horned Frogs would beat the Buckeyes “nine out of 10 times.”
That, forward Xavier Edmonds said, added a bit of pressure on the Horned Frogs to back up Punch’s prediction.
“His words were just a little bit misconstrued and a little twisted,” Edmonds said. “Still, we saw it, and we felt like we had to stand on it.”
Given Ohio State’s raucous comeback from a 15-point halftime deficit, it’s hard to say what might happen if these two played nine more times, but on Thursday, Punch and Edmonds delivered. Punch connected on a nifty pass to Edmonds in the paint with four seconds to go for a go-ahead layup, helping TCU advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament with a 66-64 victory.
TCU was dominant from beyond the arc in the first half, but a brutal shooting performance after the break allowed the Buckeyes to claw back into the game, taking a 51-50 lead with just over seven minutes to play.
With Edmonds in foul trouble, Punch put the Frogs on his back late, however, finishing the game with 16 points, 13 boards and a pair of assists, including the go-ahead dish to Edmonds.
Ohio State had one final shot at the win, but Bruce Thornton couldn’t find an open man near the basket and settled for a half-court heave that fell short.
The win ensured Punch’s boast proved accurate, but TCU wasn’t done delivering a message to Ohio State.
“We just felt like them as a Big Ten team, they just haven’t felt or seen a defense like ours,” said Edmonds, who finished with 16 points and eight boards. “Being in the Big 12, and the different level of physicality and intensity, we just wanted to go out there and show them what Big 12 basketball is about.”
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