CHAT: [O]

Okay, I was watching the FOX affiliate in Longview, Texas, and a woman
who was clearly speaking for the most part Texas English was on -- but
instead of saying [fAks], she said [fOks]. Not even [fQks]. She used a
real mid-open back rounded vowel.

It was as though she was vacillating between Australian English and Texas
English.

I've also heard, this time in "Middle American" (the kind of English you
hear on national TV and radio), a rounding of the vowel in "stop", thus
[stQp] (not quite [stOp]), instead of the expected [stAp].

Is this a new trend in American pronunciation? A sign of unification
between the Englishes of the world?

DaW.
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