Latest & Breaking News | Fox News

Trump says White House ballroom ruling jeopardizes lives of future presidents, vows Supreme Court appeal

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 13:57:00 -0400

After a panel of federal judges ordered construction on the White House ballroom to stop, President Donald Trump said he will immediately appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

In a Truth Social post on Friday, Trump decried the 2-1 decision from the the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit as "horrendous, politically motivated, and unlawful."

"The Circuit Court’s decision, which is totally wrong on the vital subject of STANDING, of which the plaintiff has none, severely jeopardizes the lives and welfare of the people who work, and will be working, at the White House — including all future Presidents of the United States, and their families, as well as the lives of all those visiting, such as Heads of State and other Dignitaries, and all Americans who wish to visit the historic, beautiful Executive Mansion," Trump wrote in the post.

He also accused the court of refusing to acknowledge that the ballroom, which he said is being built ahead of schedule and under budget, "is a Gift from President Trump and Great Patriots of the United States of America."

TRUMP WARNS JUDGE AGAINST SACRIFICING NATIONAL SECURITY BY BLOCKING WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM, DRONE BASE

"There will be no expense to the American Taxpayer. This unjust decision must be overturned by the Supreme Court in its entirety," Trump wrote.

The appeals court on Friday upheld a lower-court decision that paused above-ground construction of the proposed 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom project, which replaced the demolished East Wing.

The earlier ruling allowed work to continue on underground national-security facilities and certain safety and security measures, a decision the higher court also upheld.

The appeals court said in its 136-page ruling that the decision to build a "massive ballroom" lies with Congress, not with the executive branch.

REPUBLICANS EYE PICKING UP $400M TAB FOR TRUMP'S BALLROOM AS SOME DEMS OPEN TO 'DISCUSS' IDEA

Judges Patricia Millett and Brad Garcia wrote the majority opinion, remarking that there is no precedent for what Trump has done.

"We are aware of no instance in American history in which a President unilaterally and using privately collected funds demolished substantial portions of the White House that Congress authorized to be built and American taxpayers paid for. Until now," they wrote.

The judges said their ruling does not prevent the president from building the ballroom if it is authorized by Congress in the future.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

As Trump pointed out in his social media post, the ruling was stayed for 14 days to allow the defendants to seek a Supreme Court review.

It is not immediately clear if the Supreme Court will take up this case.

Blackjack losses, a chilling phone call and a diverted flight cap a chaotic Las Vegas vacation

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 13:42:11 -0400

*NOTE: Some names, locations, techniques and information have been withheld due to their sensitive nature.

You often don’t realize you’re in a fight for your soul until you’re deep in it.

As my loyal readers and viewers have realized, I have been fairly off the grid for roughly the past week.

Why?

It was time for my annual trip to Las Vegas, but unlike previous trips, this one was happening with the looming threat of the Iran War, death threats and the IRGC. Things were different for this working-class man this time around.

While I’m not going to get into specifics, there’s no question that due to a heightened alert status and ever-evolving threat matrices, precautions that never had been taken before were going to be necessary. It turns out some people aren’t fans of my outspoken ways, and unlike people who claim to be "threatened" by blue hair liberals (literally comical to even consider dangerous), being under the threat from a state-backed actor is a totally different ball game.

No box could go unchecked.

Wheels up to Las Vegas for a working-class vacation.

The first decision that was made was that I would move to the airport under the cover of darkness.

There are a couple of reasons why this was deemed the best option. First, it allows me to move when the city and airport aren’t buzzing yet.

Second, the streets being mostly empty provide far more tactical advantages than if they’re crowded and something goes wrong.

The plan didn’t survive me making it to the front door.

Immediately upon exiting the Hookstead Compound (location classified) with my bags, I spotted two military-age males that I’d never seen before. Keep in mind the entire point of the movements and schedule is that NOBODY is supposed to be around.

I know enough about the people who live in my vicinity to recognize most of them. I’ve never seen these two men in my life. It’s a shocking sight to behold, but they’re way more shocked to see me than vice versa.

A decision had to be made in a half of a second over whether or not this was finally it. Would the entire operation be aborted before entering the vehicle for the airport?

LUCKY TRAVELER WINS $3.3M JACKPOT ON 'WHEEL OF FORTUNE' SLOT MACHINE AT HARRY REID INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Ultimately, sometimes the only way to fix a problem is to go clean through it (another lesson that some people would be wise to follow for Iran).

I closed the space quickly, deemed the two men not an immediate threat showing hostile intent and got on the move as quickly as possible.

As planned, the streets are completely empty and we’re able to get into the airport without issues. From that point, the goal was simple:

Blend in as much as possible, go unnoticed and get seated on the plane as quickly as possible. Every minute spent in the open at the airport is a minute where nobody is in complete control of the situation. That’s far from ideal.

Little did I know things would only get stranger from here.

I chose a seat as close to the cockpit as possible. Unusual for someone with my blue-collar roots? For sure, but a necessity given the stakes.

What seemed like a routine and normal flight became very different in a matter of seconds. For the first time in my life, I was on a plane where a metal gate was closed off up front by the cockpit without explanation.

That’s right.

There was a metal gate rolled out making the front portion of the plane an impenetrable fortress. I tried to get a look past the gate, but found it difficult. My only guess was that one of the pilots was out of the cockpit for some reason, but I was never able to confirm that.

Fortunately, the plane touched down without further incident.

The working-class man’s Las Vegas vacation was underway.

Just as quickly as I’d gotten on the plane to Vegas, I disappeared into the crowd blending in again. Nobody knows me, and I don’t know them. The less attention the better. We’re not chasing clout. We’re chasing demons that have haunted us for a long time, and doing it while operating to survive.

Things were about to get weird (noticing a trend) very quickly.

My driver appeared like a normal woman attempting to make small talk.

It was anything but normal.

For some unexplained reason, this woman starts talking to me about sex and a sex museum. At one point, she starts asking if I like sex.

Am I on a hidden camera show? Am I being pranked? I start making very measured and careful statements assuming whatever I say is absolutely being recorded. I can’t wait to get the hell out of this taxi as soon as possible. A working-class man might not have much in life, but we do have one thing:

Common sense, and common sense dictates asking a stranger about sex in a vehicle is about as strange as it gets.

I get out at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas with one clear goal in mind:

Get to the blackjack table as quickly as I can.

I dumped my stuff into my room, which for a working-class guy who had to fight for everything in life, I can tell you was pretty shocking. It featured a massive bedroom, a living room area, huge walk-in shower, a hot tub and a balcony overlooking Las Vegas.

I’m not going to lie to you all. It was epic. I guess life occasionally hands the downtrodden a win in life.

To the tables I went.

I pulled out a roll of working-class money and set it down at a blackjack table in the high-limit room. Now, some of you might be asking, "David, what is a guy like you doing in the high-limit room? That doesn’t seem like it’s your speed."

Fair question, and the answer is simple:

Privacy.

The high-limit room at the Cosmo is one of the nicest in Las Vegas, and it’s also fairly secluded.

Remember, I have significant threats I have to worry about, and unlike the unhinged clowns roaming around, the people who want me dead actually have the means to carry it out.

Head on a swivel.

I sit down at a double-deck table, and immediately go on a nice little run earning more money in a matter of minutes than a regular working-class guy does over the course of a few weeks.

When you don’t come from much, you know when to walk away with the win the universe gifted you (this energy won’t last for long). I push back from the table for the time being and keep the operation rolling.

Next stop? Stage Door for a hot dog and a cheap beer. The hot dog, while not amazing, is certainly worth the money and it’s also a tradition. It hits the spot, and I soon get word a second seasoned Las Vegas operator has arrived. For the sake of the story, he is identified as VO2. VO1, another seasoned Las Vegas operator, won’t arrive until the next day.

From here, things progress rather normally. We hit up the arts district for a couple beers and did a little exploring.

I was about to hit my next unexpected hurdle, and while I’m on a high alert status, I didn’t see this kind of roadblock coming.

I decide to head back for some more high-limit blackjack, and am promptly informed the casino needs extra information from me. I’m not going to share the specific information in a public setting, but it appears the amount of working-class money that I’ve put on the table in one day has possibly triggered some money laundering tripwires.

Me? The working-class guy from rural Wisconsin? You have to be kidding me.

After a brief conversation with the casino bosses, it’s smoothed over and the gambling continues.

Remember the win I had early in the day? That’s wiped out in about an hour, and then go ahead and tack on a few paychecks on top of that.

Now, this is where most people would start panicking. Those kinds of swings at the tables break most people, but most people aren’t from my rural Wisconsin background.

I’m in the fight, and while the IRGC hasn’t taken its shot yet, the casino is drawing financial blood.

Just like knowing when to walk away when you win, you also need to know when to not chase losses. I cut the cord, push back and live to fight another day.

I grab a burger on my way back to the room, crush it and pass out as soon as my head hits the pillow.

Day two brings chilling phone call.

Day two started like any other day in Las Vegas. All was quiet in the streets and casinos and people were still asleep by the time I was on the move with enough caffeine in my system to kill a rhino. I guess I’m just built differently. If chugging Celsius was a skill, I’d be the Tom Brady of getting it done.

The day started with biscuits and gravy at Ellis Island, followed by getting kicked in the shorts at the blackjack tables. Fortunately, the losses this time around aren’t nearly as vicious, but it’s still not great. I’m now deep in a gambling hole. Not great, but it’s only a loss once you actually leave the city.

What happened next nobody could see coming…….most of all me.

The bat phone buzzes to life, and I see a name that stops me dead in my tracks. I know something serious must be happening for me to be receiving this call, and I now have a major issue:

I can’t take this call outside of a completely secure location.

My hotel room, which would get the job done, is too far away and time is of critical importance.

The decision is made for VO2 and myself to relocate to a closer secure location, and with the doorway secure, I answer the phone.

A serious flow of information starts flooding in.

Seconds feel like hours.

There are times when years pass without anything happening, and then there are times where decisions are made in seconds that can change everything.

This is the latter.

I try to process the information as quickly and as efficiently as I can, and it ultimately boils down to one call:

Go or don’t go.

You could hear a pin drop in the secure room. Based on the information I was hearing, I simply was not confident with going.

It’s a no go with the door left open for a decision to be made at a later time.

With my head spinning with a million thoughts, I get word that VO1 has touched down and is on his way to the rendezvous point. After a brief conversation, we head over to Ole Red (Blake Shelton’s establishment) for nachos and a beer.

The nachos were absolute fire. The best nachos I’ve ever had? No, but definitely very solid and delicious with some added brisket.

Next up was Golden Tiki in the Chinatown area of Las Vegas. Golden Tiki is another tradition every single year for us. It’s an outstanding tiki bar with a unique vibe, and some bathroom wallpaper that is a bit shocking at first sight. Seeing as how this is a family website, I won’t share further details. I have myself a couple tiki drinks, and both are well worth the money.

As a working-class guy, I can really only afford cheap domestic beers, but this is vacation. Let’s live a little. Plus, with the death threats, I simply can’t be living for the future. Much like fighting the demons, any day could be the last, and we’re leaving it all out on the field.

Now, there is one location in Las Vegas I’ve been more than eager to get to, and with the full trio locked in, it’s time to execute the plan.

Hogs & Heifers.

For those of you who don’t know, Hogs is an absolutely insane Las Vegas institution. It’s not for the faint of heart or easily offended. It’s a bar for true American patriots and it has the most entertaining bartenders in Vegas by orders of magnitude. They’ll insult you in the most vulgar way possible, but it’s all in the name of good fun.

It was closed last year, and that was the first time since discovering the gem that we weren’t able to go. That needed to change and it did.

It’s now located at the Plaza while its new permanent home is built.

The bartenders were as rowdy and fun as ever. While it’s an outpost location, it felt just like the old Hogs so many have come to know and love, and the Coors Banquets were as cold as ever.

Oh, did I mention the insults and jabs were flying in all directions? It felt good to be back, and as always, you meet some insane characters in there.

We rotate between playing blackjack and hopping in and out of the bar as the day stabilizes following the phone call in the secure location.

I’m actually feeling fairly good about it as I head back to my hotel room, but I’m also starving. I order room service and get hit with one hell of a surprise:

The full room service experience is a $160 minimum spend.

I honestly think what I’m hearing can’t possibly be true. I’m trying to order a wrap. I don’t need the full room service experience. Bring it to me in a bag and a plastic container and I’ll be fine. That’s exactly what ended up happening.

How is a working-class guy supposed to be able to afford a $160 minimum spend? It’s simply not possible. We’re lucky just to have food on the table. Forget the fancy stuff. Save that for the millionaires and billionaires, not guys like myself.

First, I have to operate under new procedures thanks to the Iranians. Second, I am gutted at the table. Third, I am reminded of just how blue-collar I am when ordering room service. The losses keep piling up.

Having said that, the wrap was delicious and the portion sizes were excellent.

Day three: bring out the machine guns.

Tuesday started just like any other day. I filmed a short war update and crushed a couple Celsius cans, and the vibes were high.

I’m also very excited for one very simple reason:

The schedule has a portion blocked off for letting it rip with some machine guns.

Generally speaking, I hate indoor shooting ranges and shooting ranges in general. I had a private outdoor one at my house growing up, and the idea of strangers with guns around me at a range has never been something I’ve really enjoyed. I know how good I am with a gun (most working-class men from Wisconsin can say the same), but I don’t know how good these random people are or what stupid stuff they might do. Add in the fact foreign tourists don’t know an AK-47 from a Beretta M9, and I think you get the point.

Well, when in Vegas, you do things you don’t do at home. I grabbed a PKM machine gun and PPSh-41 Soviet submachine gun.

Both were absolutely awesome. The PKM was shockingly light, and the rate of fire was exceptional.

The PPSh-41 was cool mostly because it’s the submachine gun the Soviets used in WWII against the Germans.

I wouldn’t say it’s a particularly impressive submachine gun or special, but it can’t be beat from a historical standpoint if you’re looking for foreign WWII guns. I can’t recommend both enough if you ever get a chance to shoot them. You won’t regret it. We also met some cool Welsh dudes at the range who absolutely loved America. It was a humbling reminder just how good we have it here in the USA. Foreigners would give anything to be part of our club, and none of us would give it up for anything.

Next, the trio filed over to El Cortez where I had a very mediocre bratwurst before, yet again, getting my wallet crushed at the blackjack tables.

I hope my wife is okay being solely responsible for the bills for the foreseeable future because this has turned into a catastrophic gambling nightmare.

What do you do when the world is against you and the demons are starting to sing? You numb the pain with a little Coors Banquet, and that’s exactly what we did by swinging by Hogs, where the bartenders were in rare form. I say that as a compliment. I can’t wait to visit next year once it’s in its final home. I can only imagine how glorious it will be.

The day wound down with a stop in the Arts District for a delicious espresso martini and some insanely good Mexican food, followed by a short stop at Ellis Island before closing beers at Stage Door. I eventually found myself back in the high-limit room with my blue-collar money (no money laundering concerns this time) and actually came out a little ahead. Slowly but surely, I’m crawling out of the hole I created.

However, my winning wasn’t the highlight of day three coming to an end. The dude sitting next to me at the table was hysterical. I legit couldn’t stop chuckling at every word coming out of this guy’s mouth, and a woman (I believe girlfriend but can’t say for sure) shows up and sits down next to him. Turns out she’s a former golf superstar and was at one point one of the top golfers in the world. Admittedly, I have no idea who she is, but I also couldn’t recognize any golfer other than maybe three or four. That’s a sport for rich people, and I’m anything but wealthy, no matter what the rumor mill says.

They were both a ton of fun, and then a Canadian showed up ripping cigs. What a night at the high-limit blackjack table. I wouldn’t have cared if I lost every penny because the dude was so funny that it made the whole thing entertaining, no matter the outcome. Fairly certain I also saw him tip several thousand dollars to the dealers in the time I was with him.

Day four: An unexpected vehicle nightmare.

Day four was the final full day in Las Vegas, and after breakfast and some more blackjack, we decided to catch a ride to Fremont.

We’re not 50 yards down the street when the right front tire of the vehicle blows out, and the driver declares an emergency. It’s in the worst possible location. We’re nowhere near a parking garage or the safety of a building.

Is this how it ends for me? Have plans been set in motion that can’t be stopped?

I don’t know and I’m definitely not going to wait to find out. VO1 and I bail out of the vehicle, and I start scanning in all directions for threats. I don’t see anything, but we’re completely in the open and exposed. Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. I took a look at the guy’s vehicle, and as VO1 noted, "His right tire is f****d."

I peered over, and assessed the situation.

His right tire was completely destroyed. I don’t even understand what happened. I never heard a pop or any kind of blast.

It was fine when we entered the vehicle, and it was anything but fine now. Every second matters. The longer we stay exposed, the more risk we’re assuming.

A backup vehicle - a big black SUV - whisks in and we’re in it without hesitation racing towards where we’re going.

I still have absolutely no idea what happened with the original vehicle, and I doubt I ever will. Some questions are best left unasked.

We grab a couple beers and attempt to win some money. VO1 pulls an absurd four card blackjack split and hits it. The craziest part is it wasn’t the first time. He did the exact same thing earlier in the day at Ellis Island.

Two successful four card splits in one trip? Good luck replicating that at any point in the near future.

I also noticed at one point in the night that my phone all of a sudden had a crack in the screen protector, which VO2 and myself found extremely odd. It was never dropped and never left alone. None of us could explain it. Maybe there was a perfectly ordinary explanation. Maybe there wasn't. Either way, it became one more strange thing on a trip that seemed determined to keep getting stranger.

Fortunately, the night didn’t feature any more unexpected surprises, and instead focused on some honest conversations about some theories we have about relationships and life. Those aren’t my stories alone to share, so I won’t out of respect for the other parties involved.

Day five: time to exfil and get home.

I wake up, bang out another video update for the Hookheads (what my fans call themselves on YouTube) and grab a stack of cash to hit the high-limit room one final time before leaving.

That’s when there was an unexpected change of plans.

I’m well over a thousand miles from home, and I get a call learning that my HVAC system is still not only not fixed, but getting the company to show up and do it has become a nightmare for my wife, who is running point at home.

It’s enraging. We’re now weeks into this situation without a resolution, and my patience has officially run out.

Instead of spending some blue-collar money one last time at the tables, I’m now dealing with this issue and then I run into a major computer problem.

What seemed like a successful trip is unraveling into a nightmare as I sit on the one-yard line waiting to punch the ball in.

You remember the start about a fight for your soul? I successfully avoided detection in Las Vegas (major win), clawed back some losses to an acceptable point (huge win) and was ready to roll one last time.

One final engagement at the tables.

Instead I’m in a hotel room dealing with infuriating nonsense.

It’s not the bright moments when you have to remember to save your soul. It’s the dark ones, and that’s what I’m left doing as the clock ticks down.

I eventually get enough of it smoothed out, but now I have to race to catch my plane. With a Burger King burger and some fries in my stomach, it’s time to go home.

I spent five days dancing with the demons, battling the highest stakes I’ve ever gambled and made it out alive.

Little did I know the biggest fight yet was only hours away.

The plane ride straight from the depths of Hell.

In the final stretch of my plane ride home I start to notice something that I don’t think many other people are:

The plane is flying in a holding pattern.

We’re not getting any closer to our final destination. We’re holding.

A brief holding pattern is one thing. A holding pattern that carries on for an extended period of time is rarely a good thing.

Then the pilot comes over the PA system and gives us all the devastating news. The plane is being diverted to a completely different airport due to the final destination having a ground closure.

You have to be kidding me, right? I just made it out of Las Vegas alive and am supposed to be landing back home in minutes.

Instead, we’re bound for an airport much further away from my home, and while that’s bad enough, what’s looming is an experience so hellish that I can only pray I never have to repeat it again.

Once the plane lands, we’re just stuck on a runway for hours. It feels like Lord of the Flies. Discontent is growing. Now, I will say none of this is the fault of the crew. I’m not blaming them. I’m blaming the universe.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK CULTURE COVERAGE

We finally pull into a parking spot…..that is nowhere near a gate. The next problem? A stairs vehicle is blocking the bus from coming to get us.

It just drags on and on. I’ve seen darkness in life. I’m not even sure what words could accurately sum up this situation. I want to be anywhere else on the planet right now.

Eventually, we get off and are unloaded in a terminal to find a way home. Absolute disaster on all levels.

SIGN UP TO GET THE LATEST SPORTS NEWS

I make it home and my wonderful wife has pizza waiting. It’s the small victories that really make you smile. The highest of highs. The lowest of lows. All in a span of a few days. I fought the demons and won only to be dragged back down in the closing moments. Fortunately, I was able to pry victory away from the brutal jaws of defeat.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

What comes next? I don’t know, but I do know someday I will lose this fight. That day just isn’t today. We ride again at dawn. Let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.

GOP senator breaks with Trump over 'woke' Smithsonian history battle

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 13:34:53 -0400

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, is splitting from the majority of Republicans on the GOP's pushback against the Smithsonian Institution's teaching of American history.

The moderate Republican senator sent a letter to the Trump administration alongside Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., asking for more information on President Donald Trump's directive to install "temporary signage" outside the National Museum of American History, after he accused the museum of teaching historical accounts with an inaccurate and hyper-partisan lens.

"As Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, we write to express our concern and to request more information regarding the role the Department of the Interior (DOI) will have in implementing Executive Order (EO) 14416, ‘Restoring Trust in the Smithsonian Institution,’" the letter said.

TRUMP ORDERS SIGNS OUTSIDE SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM AMID ROW OVER ITS DEPICTION OF AMERICAN HISTORY

Republicans have heaped scrutiny on the Smithsonian Institution, which gets roughly $1 billion in taxpayer dollars from Congress annually, for exhibits that the GOP has argued are inherently political.

But Murkowski appeared to refute that in her bipartisan letter, writing to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, "For the past 180 years, the Smithsonian Institution has been committed to sharing objective historical evidence through research and education, not political narratives."

"The Smithsonian Institution has worked tirelessly to present a comprehensive narrative of our nation’s amazing history, from its many triumphs to its trials. There is nothing more American than telling our story truthfully," the senators said.

Trump signed an executive order late last month directing Burgum to utilize existing avenues "to restore trust in the Smithsonian Institution," including installing "temporary exhibits or signage on [federally owned] sidewalks, walkways, and land used by the public that corrects inaccurate information presented in the Museum."

Murkowski and Merkley are asking the administration for information on whether there's any precedent for federal land or funds being used to communicate "conflicting information" to a nearby entity's operations, who is compiling the information and what the timeline and cost of the signage will be.

Examples Republicans have seized on include an exhibit that described Disney's "Steamboat Willie" as representing "vestiges of long-standing traditions of blackface minstrelsy," while accusing the broader curation of the museum of being "anti-white" and "woke."

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

It's led several conservatives on the House Appropriations Committee to tell Fox News Digital they would like to see new guardrails on the Smithsonian's federal funds to force the museum to change controversial exhibits or risk losing its government dollars.

NFL great Steve Smith Sr says he has 'no damn idea' what's going on with embattled 49ers star Brandon Aiyuk

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 13:34:25 -0400

Carolina Panthers legend Steve Smith is of a similar mindset as many NFL fans when it comes to embattled San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk: He has "no damn idea" what’s going on.

Aiyuk’s issue with the 49ers date back to 2024, when they voided his 2026 guaranteed salary after failing to fulfill obligations regarding his rehab from the ACL injury he suffered in October 2024. He has further estranged himself from the team with bizarre social media posts over the past year.

"It's a lot of things, but man, I have no damn idea what's going on in that young man's head," Smith said during an appearance on OutKick’s "Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

"It's really unique. I was thinking about this too a few times. I just wanted to tweet something and I was like, ‘No, I will be like everyone else putting him down.’"

The five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver said there is clearly something going on with Aiyuk, and that somebody needs to step in and help the 28-year-old.

"There's clearly something going on, and I don't want to say in his head because that could come off very judgmental, but there's obviously something going on in his heart that's not aligning with what his picture is seeing of how his career is starting to go," Smith said.

"He needs to have someone in his camp needs to sit him down and ask him what is his real goal and outcome because everything he's doing right now, he is self-sabotaging himself. Because he's a hell of a football player."

ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

In Aiyuk’s time away from the team, he has been charged by prosecutors with the California misdemeanor offense of exhibition of speed after he filmed himself speeding on a public roadway near the 49ers facility.

He has posted Instagram Stories about playing for the Washington Commanders, and then got in a social media spat with his former Arizona State teammate, Jayden Daniels, effectively putting that possibility to rest.

Aiyuk then seemed to take classless shots at head coach Kyle Shanahan after his car accident on social media. When asked if Aiyuk will play again in the NFL, Smith said he didn’t know.

The two-time All-Pro said he hopes that Aiyuk does something to help himself before it is too late to play again in the NFL.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

"We all have seen players do a lot better, a lot worse things than this, and they've still been employed. So, I don't know what's going on and I just hope that he can figure it out so he doesn't find himself in a place that he doesn't want to be, which is unemployed and looking at his career in the rearview mirror and looking at life without football through the front windshield," Smith , who spoke on behalf of Forzet.

Aiyuk seemed to be on his way to becoming one of the top wide receivers in the NFL after his 2023 season, when he recorded 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns. After a drawn-out negotiations, he signed a four-year, $120 million contract extension with the 49ers.

He only played in seven games in 2024 before suffering his season-ending ACL injury and has not yet returned to the field while finding himself in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Organ harvesting began while patients still showed ‘signs of life,’ federal investigation finds

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 13:30:14 -0400

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has begun the decertification of Network for Hope, the federally designated organ procurement organization serving Kentucky and parts of Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia, following federal reviews that uncovered serious patient safety failures.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services initiated the decertification action after investigations revealed persistent safety issues, including instances where the organ harvesting process was initiated on patients who still showed active signs of life.

Appearing on America's Newsroom, Dr. Marc Siegel, a senior medical analyst for Fox News, described details from his interview with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. regarding the department's actions against the nonprofit organization.

EATING TOO MUCH PROTEIN COULD BACKFIRE, EXPERTS WARN AFTER LONGEVITY REVIEW

"Health and Human Services Secretary Kennedy is bringing to light horror stories about the dark corners of organ harvesting," Siegel said.

"The department is now pulling the accreditation of Kentucky's Network for Hope, the main organ procurement organization in the state."

Network for Hope's chief executive officer stated that the organization plans to appeal the federal decision, maintaining that it remains fully compliant with organ procurement and transportation network policies.

FDA APPROVES FIRST-EVER MRNA FLU VACCINE FOR MILLIONS OF OLDER AMERICANS

Siegel said he spoke with Secretary Kennedy about the case of TJ Hoover, a prospective donor who reportedly nearly had his organs removed by Network for Hope while still alive.

"Even after those signs of life, Kennedy says the organ procurement process continued until the physician refused to proceed," the doctor said.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration examined 351 cases at Network for Hope between 2021 and 2024 in which organ donation was authorized but ultimately not completed.

The review identified 103 cases with concerning features, including 73 patients with what HHS described as "neurological signs incompatible with organ donation."

"HHS says it uncovered 73 separate instances where the process of harvesting an organ should have been stopped sooner," Siegel said. "The investigation revealed that the nonprofit pressured medical personnel to proceed despite patients showing active signs of live and neurological function."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES

According to federal officials, investigators found evidence of inadequate neurological assessments, poor coordination with hospital care teams, questionable consent practices and improper classification of causes of death.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

"Thirty percent of the procedures that they were performing had something wrong with them," Siegel added. "If there's a bad organization that's willing to do things that are unethical, they're going to get away with things at any place where they operate."

Despite the agency's findings, Siegel noted that Kennedy remains supportive of organ donation when conducted under proper standards, pointing to personal experience with his own family.

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

"Kennedy says he strongly supports organ donation when it's done ethically and properly," Siegel said. "His own nephew, Michael Hines, saved multiple lives by donating his organs after his death at age 20."

Sen Lankford accuses Pornhub of 'preying on children' in blistering letter

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 13:29:25 -0400

EXCLUSIVE - Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., is accusing Pornhub of "preying on children" in a sharply worded letter Friday responding to the adult website's campaign against age-verification laws, arguing the company is more concerned about protecting its customer base than shielding minors from explicit content.

In a letter obtained by Fox News Digital, Lankford rebuked Pornhub's July 28 message to state lawmakers opposing age-verification requirements, saying the company "has no interest in protecting children" and suggesting it fears losing users if minors are prevented from accessing its content.

"Pornhub preys on children," Lankford wrote in the letter directed to Solomon Friedman, a partner and the vice president of compliance for Ethical Capital Partners (ECP), the private equity firm that acquired MindGeek, the parent company of Pornhub, which has since been rebranded as Aylo.

INDIANA REPUBLICAN SENATOR MOVES TO BLOCK KIDS FROM ACCESSING PORN ONLINE

"It exposes them to horrific sexual content and does nothing to ensure that children are not sexually abused in the content it hosts," Lankford wrote. "Pornhub’s letter suggests that tech companies should be responsible for protecting children from pornography."

He continued, "Lawmakers can and should hold tech companies accountable for the harm they pose to children. But that should not preclude state and federal lawmakers from holding platforms like Pornhub accountable for the harm it causes. Pornhub’s letter fails to say the quiet part out loud: Pornhub would lose customers if children were prohibited from viewing its content."

On July 28, Pornhub sent a letter to state lawmakers shared by the Tallahassee Democrat, criticizing age-verification laws like the one in Florida, one of at least 25 states to enact such requirements.

The pornography site wrote, "We are writing to you because, as a community, we are deeply concerned about the harm being caused by the performative, ineffective, and unenforceable age verification laws you have taken part in passing despite your intention of protecting minors. Everyone subjected to these laws is more at risk than ever before of encountering online harm."

NEW MEXICO SEEKS MASSIVE PENALTY FROM META AFTER JURY FOUND TECH GIANT LIABLE FOR ENDANGERING CHILDREN

Lankford cited research from the American Psychological Association indicating the average age of first exposure to pornography among boys is 13.37 years, with some children reporting exposure as young as 5. He argued that age-verification laws are a necessary step to reduce minors' access to explicit material while rejecting Pornhub's privacy concerns as overstated.

"Age verification laws are an important piece of making the internet safer for children," Lankford wrote. "It is not the only solution to combat this problem, but it is an important start. Pornhub’s letter argues that age verification laws increase privacy risks for adults. But as you know, many state laws require platforms to delete personal information as soon as the age verification is complete."

Lankford highlighted the Supreme Court’s affirmation of age verification laws in Free Speech Coalition vs. Paxton, which found that they do not cause an undue burden for adults and that states have a duty to protect minors from pornography.

FEDERAL APPEALS COURT CLEARS WAY FOR DESANTIS-BACKED LAW RESTRICTING CHILDREN AT SOME DRAG SHOWS

"Parents today face an uphill battle when it comes to protecting their children online," Lankford wrote. "Age verification is one simple step platforms can take to help preserve childhood innocence. This is especially true for platforms that host violent and perverse sexual content. Pornhub should be ashamed of its letter to state lawmakers and ashamed that they do nothing to protect children."

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News Digital reached out to Friedman and Pornhub for comment.

Rogers opens door to Democratic voters after El-Sayed’s primary victory: ‘There is still hope’

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 13:26:05 -0400

Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers opened the door to Michigan Democrats on Friday after far-left progressive Abdul El-Sayed's primary victory, assuring them "there is still hope" and they have a "home" with his campaign.

"If you're among the majority of Democratic voters that woke up on Wednesday feeling, well, hopeless, because the person who won does not represent your values, well, just know, there is still hope," Rogers said in a video posted on X Friday.

"Michigan deserves a senator who is ready to sit with you, hear from you, and represent you."

El-Sayed narrowly defeated Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., in one of the nation's most closely watched Democratic primaries, setting up a November showdown with Rogers, who ran uncontested.

2026 MIDTERMS STATE OF PLAY: KEY RACES UNFOLD AS STEVENS, EL-SAYED BATTLE IN MICHIGAN

Rogers addressed Democratic voters directly, casting his campaign as a home for those who feel their values are not reflected in El-Sayed's candidacy as he tries to court the hundreds of thousands of Democrats who voted for Stevens but may not feel comfortable voting for El-Sayed.

"The parents across Michigan who want an education system that sets up their kids for success, you have a home with us," he said. "To grandparents across Michigan who are heartbroken from watching their kids and grandkids leave the state, you have a home with us. To young people who are looking for real solutions to solve our housing affordability crisis, you have a home with us. To working families who don't want higher taxes and lower paychecks, well, you have a home with us."

Rogers also accused El-Sayed's campaign of promoting "anger, divisiveness, calls for violence" and views he said are out of step with Michigan voters.

"And to the vast majority of people across Michigan who do not want to throw their support behind a campaign filled with anger, divisiveness, calls for violence, and the views that are out of touch with your values, well, you have a home with us," he said.

EL-SAYED'S THREAT AGAINST GOP RIVAL BACKFIRES AS CONSERVATIVES BRING RECEIPTS: 'IS DUBAI IN FLORIDA?'

If Rogers wins in November, Republicans would flip the seat held by retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters and help protect their control of the Senate.

"Over the next 90 days, I'm going to work hard to earn your trust, to earn your support, and earn your vote," Rogers said. "We have a state to save, Michigan. Let's get to work."

Rogers' outreach to Democrats was praised by some conservatives and pundits on social media.

In a post on X, former DSA member Jake Altman wrote, "I voted for Biden. I voted for Harris. I will vote for Mike Rogers. I just donated to the campaign. This is not a time to sit on your hands. Stand up for the man who fights terrorists, not the one who sympathizes with them."

"Mike Rogers directly asks for Democrats to support him in Michigan. The majority of Michigan Democrats voted against Abdul El-Sayed. This is well done," OutKick founder Clay Travis posted on X.

In another post on X, Democrats For Mike Rogers wrote, "Mike Rogers is meeting the moment. We’re putting country over party and voting for Mike Rogers in November. It’s never been more important. We must unite and defeat the extremism of Abdul El-Sayed and his allies."

El-Sayed, an epidemiologist and former Wayne County health director who unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2018, has campaigned on Medicare-for-all and abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He has also been a vocal critic of Israel during its war with Hamas and has called Israel's actions in Gaza "genocide."

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: THE REPUBLICAN-LED VOTE THAT REVEALED DEMOCRATS' NEW DIVIDE ON ISRAEL

He would become the nation’s first Muslim senator if elected.

As some Democrats grapple with the direction of their party following El-Sayed's nomination, Rogers said the "fight is far greater than just left versus right."

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

"The fight is for the very soul of our nation," he said.

Fox News Digital reached out to El Sayed's campaign for comment.

Video shows US military tracking what appears to be mysterious object flying over Middle East in 2025

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 13:26:18 -0400

The latest tranche of materials on unidentified aerial phenomenon (UAP) released by the U.S. government includes video of what appears to be an object traversing the skies last year over the Middle East.

"The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of 1 minute and 39 seconds of video footage from an electro-optical and infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform in 2025," the War Department noted.

A description of the video says, "The sensor pans to track an area of contrast from left to right across the background, keeping it generally centered within the frame. The sensor adjusts collection mode and level of magnification several times."

NASA CHIEF CONFIRMS AGENCY HAS UNEXPLAINED UFO IMAGERY: 'WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS'

Assistant to the secretary of war for public affairs and chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in part of a Friday statement, "Today, the Department of War is publishing the fifth release of declassified and historical Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) files as part of the Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters (PURSUE)."

President Donald Trump declared in a Truth Social post earlier this year that he would call for the release of such materials.

NEW TRUMP UFO FILE DUMP INCLUDES MILITARY FOOTAGE OF MYSTERIOUS STAR-SHAPED OBJECT

"Based on the tremendous interest shown, I will be directing the Secretary of War, and other relevant Departments and Agencies, to begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters. GOD BLESS AMERICA!" the president wrote in the February Truth Social post.

The website where the public may peruse the released materials states the archives are "unresolved" matters.

LONG-HIDDEN UFO INFORMATION AT CENTER OF TRUMP PUSH TO FREE FORMER OFFICIALS

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

"The materials archived here are unresolved cases, meaning the government is unable to make a definitive determination on the nature of the observed phenomena," the site notes.

Lindsey Graham's final mission to punish Putin clears Senate after yearlong fight

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 13:25:58 -0400

It’s taken well over a year of stops, starts, promises and derailments, but the Senate has at last advanced a bone-crushing package of sanctions against Russia, capping off one of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s biggest fights.

The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act sailed through the Senate on another colossal bipartisan vote and is now headed to the House. It has the backing of President Donald Trump, too.

It comes after personal lobbying from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week, who, hours after Graham’s memorial service in Washington, D.C., pleaded with lawmakers to put a check on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

GRAHAM'S FINAL MISSION ADVANCES AS SENATE MOVES TO CRUSH PUTIN'S WAR MACHINE WITH RUSSIA, IRAN SANCTIONS

"Today, President Zelenskyy is watching from Ukraine, and Putin is watching from Moscow," Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said on the Senate floor. "I would like to think that Lindsey Graham is watching, too."

The bill focuses on kneecapping Putin’s war machine by targeting Moscow’s top financial driver: oil and gas sales.

It also extends sanction authority against Iran that hampers funding to the country’s weapons and energy sectors as the administration and negotiators abroad seek to find a long-lasting peace agreement for the war in the Middle East.

There are also targeted sanctions against Putin, Russian officials and Russian military leaders, up to 500% tariffs on Russian imports, tariffs of up to 100% on the top five countries buying Russian energy, like China and India, and gives Trump flexibility for when to turn off some aspects of the sanctions.

'A BIG EFFING DEAL': GRAHAM'S FINAL MISSION MOVES FORWARD AFTER HIS DEATH

The tariff authority, however, threatened one last derailment of the package.

Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., initially held up the package over the issue and offered an amendment to solve the problem.

Paul, who has staunchly opposed Trump’s tariff strategy since he retook office, argued that slapping tariffs on superpowers working with Russia, like China, would only cause them to cozy up.

"These tariffs threaten to undermine America's strategic position in the world," Paul said. "Some naively think that the tariffs will get China to distance themselves from Russia, but it might be the opposite."

TRUMP ALLIES PUSH TO ARM PRESIDENT WITH NEW TARIFF WEAPON TO PUNISH COUNTRIES 'RIPPING OFF' AMERICA

"Recent history suggests that they will instead push Russia and China together," he continued. "China is not going to get this 100% tariff and say, ‘Oh, we're sorry, we're no longer going to cooperate with Russia.’"

Then came Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., who proved to be the last hurdle.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

But after meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Thursday, Warnock backed down after receiving a commitment that Trump’s tariff authority was indeed limited to just the top five countries purchasing oil and gas exports from Russia.

"We should not have to choose between putting a check on Putin's aggression and putting a check on this president's tariff regime," Warnock said. "That is a false choice, and it is one that I am not willing to accept."

North Korea expert warns US can 'never take their eye off' Kim Jong Un following missile test during Iran war

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 13:18:53 -0400

A North Korea expert told Fox News Digital that the United States "can never take their eye off" Kim Jong Un and the Korean Peninsula after Pyongyang test-fired a missile this week amid the ongoing conflict with Iran.

The launch of the short-range ballistic missile — which Japan said landed in the waters off North Korea’s east coast — unfolded Thursday ahead of joint military exercises to be conducted by the U.S. and South Korea later this month.

"There's this unsettled conflict on the Korean Peninsula. And Kim Jong Un, a very unpredictable leader that seeks attention, that is something the United States can never take their eye off," retired Navy Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery, a senior fellow at Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital on Friday.

"So we have all these challenges in the Middle East, these challenges with Russia and Ukraine, these challenges with China pressuring and trying to coerce Taiwan. You can never forget that the North Korean challenge to South Korea is sitting right there, and there are no constraints on Kim Jong Un," Montgomery added. "There's no version of an empowered elite or a population or a military that could unseat him. So we should always keep our eye on him, pay attention to him, and make sure we're constantly deterring any provocative behavior."

US SAYS NORTH KOREA MISSILE LAUNCH POSES NO IMMEDIATE THREAT, 'CONSULTING CLOSELY' WITH ALLIES

U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said following North Korea’s launch on Thursday that, "We are aware of the missile launch and are consulting closely with our allies and partners."

"Based on current assessments, this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies," it added. "The United States remains committed to the defense of the U.S. homeland and our allies in the region."

Montgomery said Friday that "whenever North Korea does a ballistic missile launch, you have to think there's any of three countries that could be the intended recipient of the message — it could be the United States, it could be South Korea, it can be Japan or it could be a mix."

MORE THAN HALF OF SOME US WEAPONS STOCKPILES USED IN IRAN WAR, RAISING CONCERNS ABOUT CHINA THREAT

He described how Japan recently test-fired a Tomahawk cruise missile in late July, with the help of the U.S. Navy.

"Maybe this could be a signal back to them," Montgomery said. "South Korea and the United States are about to start the Ulchi Freedom series of exercises... the most robust series of exercise we have there every August when conducted."

Montgomery also said "recently there have been a lot of reports the United States has expended a large percentage of its theater ballistic missile defense weapons... Patriot 3 and THAAD, in the conflict in Iran."

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

"Those are the kind of defensive systems that might be used against this weapon. Also, there's U.S. Navy standard missiles, which also have been depleted in the Middle East. In all those cases, North Korea could be signaling to any of the three countries or a mix of the three countries that we're still relevant, we matter, and you need to pay attention to us," he said.

Fox News’ Liz Friden contributed to this report.

Smart toilet seat could detect AFib in 30 seconds

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 13:00:41 -0400

Your next bathroom break could come with an unexpected bonus: a check of your heart rhythm. German medical technology company Hamberger Medical has developed the HARO EKG-seat. It looks like a regular toilet seat, but built-in sensors record an electrocardiogram, also called an EKG or ECG, while you sit.

After about 30 seconds, a connected smartphone app analyzes the reading for signs of an irregular heart rhythm, including possible atrial fibrillation. AFib is the most common type of irregular heartbeat, and millions of people may have it without realizing anything feels wrong. It sounds like the kind of idea someone dreamed up during a very long bathroom break.

However, the possibility of catching a silent heart condition during something you already do every day deserves attention. Here's what the early research reveals about how well the seat works and where its limits begin.

CyberGuy Live: Missed "Sick of Spam?" Get the replay and checklist

Our free CyberGuy Live class "Sick of Spam?" has ended, but you can still watch the full replay and download our spam-stopping checklist. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson walks you step by step through simple ways to reduce robocalls, spam texts, junk email and unwanted messages. You’ll also learn how to curb political texts, clean up your inbox and spot messages that could put your personal information at risk.

Get the free replay and checklist now at CyberGuyLive.com.

COULD A PAINT-ON ELECTRONIC TATTOO SPOT HEART ATTACKS?

How the smart toilet seat checks your heart

A conventional medical EKG usually requires you to lie down while a medical professional places electrodes on your chest and other parts of your body. The HARO EKG-seat takes a different approach. Its sensors collect electrical signals from your body while you sit normally. The seat records a six-lead resting EKG and sends the information to its companion app through Bluetooth.

You do not need to attach sticky pads or remember to put on a wearable. You sit for about 30 seconds and let the seat do the work. Hamberger Medical says participants in its usability testing could operate the system without special instructions. The oldest participants in one reported study were in their 90s, according to published reports about the device. That simplicity may become one of its biggest strengths. Many health devices end up forgotten in a drawer after the novelty fades. A toilet seat is harder to forget.

Smart toilet seat study shows promising AFib results

The company tested the seat through what it calls the Hamberger Heart Study. Researchers compared the seat's six-lead EKG with a standard 12-lead medical EKG. Hamberger Medical reported a high level of agreement between the two systems when checking for AFib and other rhythm abnormalities.

That sounds encouraging, but there is an important limitation. The complete results have not been published in an independently peer-reviewed medical journal. Public reports also do not provide enough detail about the study's size, false alerts or performance across different groups.

Without those numbers, we cannot tell how often the seat might miss AFib or mistakenly warn someone whose heart rhythm is normal. For now, the results should be viewed as promising company-reported findings. They do not prove that the seat can replace a hospital EKG or a doctor's diagnosis.

Why AFib can be difficult to catch

AFib causes the heart's upper chambers to beat irregularly. Blood may then pool inside the heart, which can allow clots to form. A clot can travel to the brain and cause a stroke. The American Heart Association says AFib is linked to about five times the risk of stroke. Some people feel a racing heartbeat or fluttering in their chest. Others notice fatigue, dizziness or shortness of breath.

However, AFib can also arrive without obvious warning signs. A person may feel fine while the irregular rhythm comes and goes. That creates a detection problem. A brief EKG at a doctor's office may look normal if the AFib episode ended before the appointment. Doctors sometimes use longer-term monitors when they suspect an intermittent rhythm problem. A toilet seat that records readings regularly could provide more chances to capture an episode.

WEARABLE PATCH VIBRATES WHEN DANGER IS NEARBY

Early AFib detection could help prevent serious problems

The American Heart Association estimates that about 5 million Americans currently live with AFib. It projects that more than 12 million could have the condition by 2030. Early detection can help doctors decide whether someone needs medication, additional monitoring or treatment to restore a normal rhythm.

Dr. Paari Dominic, a cardiac electrophysiologist, told the American Medical Association that earlier intervention can significantly improve outcomes. He noted that research supports pursuing normal rhythm within a year of detecting AFib in appropriate patients. However, a notification from a toilet seat should begin a medical conversation. It should never end one.

Who faces a higher risk of AFib?

Age raises the likelihood of developing AFib. High blood pressure also plays a major role. Diabetes, obesity, sleep apnea and certain heart conditions can increase the risk. Smoking and excessive alcohol use may contribute as well.

Heavy drinking can sometimes trigger an irregular heartbeat even in people without a known heart condition. Doctors often call this "holiday heart syndrome" because cases can rise during celebrations involving heavier alcohol use. People who already face a higher risk could benefit most from convenient monitoring. That decision should involve a cardiologist or another qualified medical professional.

How the smart toilet seat handles health data

A heart-monitoring toilet seat collects highly sensitive information, so its privacy protections deserve a close look. According to Hamberger Medical's app privacy policy, EKG processing happens locally on the connected phone or tablet. The company says readings are not sent to its servers. The app also lets you export a PDF report. Hamberger Medical recommends protecting the file with a password before sending it to someone else. However, your phone's backup settings may still upload app information to iCloud or Google Backup. The company notes that this depends on how you configured your device.

Before using any connected health product, check its backup settings and sharing options. You should also protect your phone with a strong passcode. For additional steps, see our guide on how to stop health and fitness apps from using your private data.

HEART CONDITION TIED TO LINDSEY GRAHAM'S DEATH CAN STRIKE WITHOUT WARNING — WHAT TO KNOW

Is the HARO EKG-seat available to buy?

The HARO EKG-seat does not currently appear to be available for purchase. Hamberger Medical previously said the device was sold exclusively through its official German online shop at approximately $2,870. CyberGuy reached out to Hamberger Medical to confirm current availability, pricing and whether the company plans to sell the EKG-seat in the United States, but did not hear back before our deadline.

What this means to you

The HARO EKG-seat shows how health monitoring could blend into your normal routine. That part is genuinely promising. The clinical report suggests the seat can record EKGs that cardiologists interpret with strong accuracy. However, the current app results do not support relying on its automated AFib classification alone.

A normal app reading should not convince you to ignore symptoms. An abnormal warning should lead to a conversation with a medical professional. Contact your doctor if you notice a racing or irregular heartbeat, recurring dizziness or unexplained shortness of breath. Chest pain or pressure may signal a medical emergency, so call 911 right away. Never start or stop heart medication because of a consumer device result. Your doctor may order a clinical EKG or longer-term monitoring before making a diagnosis.

Kurt's key takeaways

There is something undeniably clever about turning an ordinary toilet seat into a heart monitor. It fits health screening into a routine that people already follow without reminders. The company-reported results sound encouraging, especially for a condition that may hide between doctor visits. Smart health technology works best when it helps you notice a concern sooner and gives your doctor useful information. It becomes dangerous when a gadget creates false confidence or replaces professional care.

Would you trust a smart toilet seat with your heart data if it could uncover a silent problem before your next doctor visit? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.

Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report

Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox.
For simple, real-world ways to spot scams early and stay protected, visit CyberGuy.com – trusted by millions who watch CyberGuy on TV daily.
Plus, you'll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide free when you join.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

NBA star Kyrie Irving got his apology, but four COVID-era athletes still waiting for theirs from the media

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 12:54:26 -0400

Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving recently received an apology from ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith regarding his decision to remain unvaxxed during the pandemic, which cost him millions of dollars. For some, these statements were a welcomed piece of accountability not normally seen in the media. It also got me thinking about what other COVID-era athletes deserve apologies from the media, and recognition for their courage during a time in which being unvaxxed was essentially a crime in the eyes of the media.

STEPHEN A. SMITH ONLY SPEAKS UP ABOUT IMPORTANT SOCIETAL ISSUES ONLY WHEN IT'S POLITICALLY ACCEPTABLE

Novak Djokovic

No athlete became more synonymous with the vaccine debate than the greatest tennis player of all-time, Novak Djokovic. (I like to refer to him as Novax when discussing this insane era of sports history).

Although Djokovic repeatedly rejected the label of being "anti-vaccine," he consistently maintained that medical decisions should remain a matter of personal choice. He consistently preached a message of bodily autonomy in regards to COVID-19.

In 2020, he stated, "I am opposed to vaccination if someone is forcing me to take a vaccine in order to travel." Two years later, following his deportation from Melbourne, Australia, home of the Australian Open, he reiterated, "I was never against vaccination, but I've always supported the freedom to choose what you put in your body."

Despite those statements, much of the media portrayed Djokovic primarily through the lens of vaccine opposition and as Djokovic said to "60 Minutes," "I was basically declared as a villain of the world."

"Time" magazine published articles including "Why Australians Are Furious About Anti-Vaxxer Novak Djokovic" and even wrote in an article, "The entire saga could easily have been avoided if Djokovic had been fully vaccinated." "Vanity Fair" ran "The Right Wing Is Rallying Around Novak Djokovic Over Vaccine Stance," while "Axios" referred to the controversy simply as "The Djokovic Debacle."

The consequences for Djokovic extended beyond media criticism. Because Australia canceled his visa before the 2022 Australian Open, he was deported and unable to compete. United States travel requirements also prevented him from entering the country for several major tournaments, including Indian Wells, the Miami Open, and the 2022 U.S. Open.

The mistreatment of Djokovic cost him millions of dollars and potentially a major or two. It objectively affected the record books and his pocketbook.

The apology from tennis and mainstream media should be just as loud as the criticism, but I’m not expecting it.

Tyler Bertuzzi

The then Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi became one of the NHL's most recognizable unvaxxed players. For a time, Bertuzzi was only one of four unvaxxed players in the league, but eventually become the only unvaxxed player when others folded.

Unlike some athletes who frequently discussed vaccine policy, Bertuzzi offered little public commentary beyond confirming that he had chosen not to be vaccinated. Bertuzzi said, "It’s a personal choice, freedom of choice, and life choice."

What made his case so special is the fact that he’s Canadian. Because of his lack of vaccination, he wasn’t allowed to play in or travel to his home country during the season.

The NHL never required players to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. However, Canada's border policy at the time prohibited most unvaxxed foreign nationals from entering the country. As a result, Bertuzzi missed every regular-season game played in Canada during the 2021-22 season and forfeited the salary associated with those games. Missing those games up north reportedly cost him around half a million dollars. It was another courageous stance financially and ethically.

The media labeled his decision as "short-sighted and selfish." We have yet to hear one hockey media member or outlet apologize to Bertuzzi for the way he was vilified during that season.

SWITZERLAND FIRES HOCKEY COACH WHO ADMITTED TO FAKING VACCINATION STATUS FOR 2022 BEIJING OLYMPICS

Cole Beasley

The now retired, former Buffalo Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley emerged as perhaps the NFL's most outspoken critic of COVID-19 vaccine mandates, along with Aaron Rodgers.

Unlike many players who kept their decisions private, Beasley openly challenged league policies and defended players' right to make their own medical decisions. Among his most widely quoted comments were, "I'll be out in public. If you're scared of me, then steer clear," and "I'll live my one life like I want to."

Those statements generated enormous media attention. ESPN, CNN, and countless newspapers and opinion writers regularly covered Beasley's comments. Outlets criticized him for questioning vaccine policies or argued that he was sending the wrong message to fans.

While the NFL did not require players to be vaccinated, they made life very difficult for those who refused. The league established different protocols based on vaccination status. Unvaxxed players were subject to daily COVID testing, masking requirements, travel restrictions, quarantine following exposure, and additional limitations inside team facilities.

Beasley called out the league for holding him out of crucial game against the New England Patriots in December 2021 because he tested positive for COVID, calling out the double standard of how "vaxxed players are playing with COVID every week now because they (NFL) don’t test."

The NFL also warned that teams experiencing outbreaks among unvaxxed players could potentially forfeit games if contests could not be rescheduled. Beasley frequently argued that these policies effectively pressured players into receiving the vaccine despite there being no formal mandate.

No media member or outlet has publicly apologized to him. Not shocked.

ANTHONY FAUCI’S LAWYER SAYS AARON RODGERS 'SHOULD STICK TO FOOTBALL’ AFTER SCORCHING HIM ON PAT MCAFEE'S SHOW

Jonathan Isaac

Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac became one of the NBA's most prominent voices defending individual choice during the pandemic, after becoming a cultural lightning rod for refusing to kneel for the anthem in the NBA Bubble.

At the NBA's 2021 Media Day, Isaac stated, "I am not anti-vax. I'm not anti-medicine." He also explained, "I don't think being unvaccinated means infected or infectious," and said that after recovering from COVID-19 himself, he believed natural immunity played a role in his personal decision. Wow. What a concept.

His press conference quickly became one of the most widely discussed media sessions of the NBA season.

Many of his critics in the media claimed he was anti-science, selfish, and spewing right-wing propaganda.

"Rolling Stone," which claimed Kyrie Irving was a conspiracy theorist, also named Isaac for his anti-vax stance. Isaac’s comments were quoted in the "Rolling Stone" report, which concluded Isaac refused the vaccine after watching Trump press conferences. Isaac destroyed that claim the first chance he got, stating that he was "badly misrepresented."

Unlike some professional leagues, the NBA never implemented a league-wide vaccine mandate. Instead, local government rules created different circumstances for players depending on where they played. New York City's vaccine requirement prevented unvaccinated home players from participating in games, which most notably affected Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving.

Isaac, however, played in Florida, where no comparable local mandate prevented him from competing. While he remained subject to the NBA's COVID protocols for unvaccinated players, he was never suspended or barred from playing solely because of his vaccination status.

While he didn’t suffer financially like Irving, Isaac was a bold voice who received a lot of vitriol from the media. Still, no apologies have been offered, though I believe they are deserved.

STAY "FEARLESS" ON THE GO! TAKE TOMI LAHREN WITH YOU. DOWNLOAD THE TLIF PODCAST NOW!

Media Accountability

Each athlete became the subject of intense public debate, and each received significant criticism from portions of the media. Some lost massive amounts of money for their bold stances. All four athletes consistently framed their decisions as matters of personal choice rather than opposition to medicine itself. Their experiences became defining examples of how sports, politics, public health, and individual liberty intersected during one of the most polarizing periods in modern sports history.

These athletes deserve our love and respect. They were catalysts for change and encouraged countless Americans and Canadians to stand firm in their convictions.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

While I don’t expect to see media members and outlets take Stephen A. Smith’s lead in taking accountability and humbling themselves in regards to the covid vaccine, we can at least find solace in the fact one courageous athlete has received his flowers.

Maryland's lone congressional Republican blasts Moore's redistricting push as alleged 2028 White House play

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 12:46:31 -0400

U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., the only Republican in Maryland's congressional delegation, is accusing Gov. Wes Moore of backing an amendment to the state constitution that could eliminate his district through redistricting, arguing that the push is driven by the governor's alleged presidential ambitions.

The amendment, if approved by voters in November, would give the Democratic-controlled General Assembly far greater latitude to redraw the state's congressional districts ahead of the 2028 election.

"The governor certainly led the charge in trying to eliminate the only Republican in the Maryland delegation in furtherance of his presidential aspirations," Harris told Fox News Digital in an interview. "It's obvious that this is not being done for Maryland, it is being done for a national agenda."

Moore has repeatedly said he is not running for president in 2028. but speculation around his potential White House bid remains.

TRUMP-BACKED INCUMBENT OUSTED IN HOUSE PRIMARY AS GOP REDISTRICTING PUSH SET TO RESHAPE TENNESSEE

Harris also called out Moore for engaging in a "photo-op" on Wednesday by publicly signing the bill that will put the amendment on the ballot this fall.

The bill passed Tuesday with three-fifths majorities in both chambers, which is the only requirement for an amendment to become a ballot question, according to Article XIV of the Maryland Constitution.

"Gov. Moore, never missing a photo op for his presidential aspirations, convened a signing ceremony, which is a little unusual considering there's really nothing to sign for the governor," Harris said. "But again, this is all for show. This is to make sure that he can look Gavin Newsom in the eye and say, 'Yeah I did something too for mid-cycle redistricting.'"

Fox News Digital reached out to Moore's office for comment.

Harris, who worked as an anesthesiologist before getting into politics, has represented Maryland's first congressional district since 2011. The district contains the entire Eastern Shore, a relatively rural part of the state, as well as parts of Baltimore County.

VIRGINIA VOTERS CEMENT SWING DISTRICT REMATCH AFTER DEMS’ REDISTRICTING FAIL

The proposed amendment Harris is fighting against could allow state lawmakers to carve up his district and make it untenable for a Republican to win.

As it stands, the Maryland Constitution requires General Assembly districts and U.S. House districts to respect natural boundaries and existing county and municipal lines.

The amendment would remove those requirements for congressional districts while leaving them in place for state legislative districts.

"It absolutely sets up a double standard for redistricting in the state of Maryland. And again, the blatant attempt is to eliminate the Republican representation," Harris said.

MARYLAND BALLOT BLUNDER SPARKS HOUSE GOP PROBE AHEAD OF PRIMARY

The amendment is already facing a court challenge from the Oversight Project, a conservative watchdog group that filed a complaint Thursday night in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court seeking to keep it off the November ballot.

The Oversight Project accused state legislators of bypassing the established July 1 deadline to introduce statewide ballot questions.

The ballot question for the amendment was introduced by Maryland House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk and Senate President Bill Ferguson on Aug. 3, more than a month after the deadline.

Fox News Digital reached out to Peña-Melnyk and Ferguson for comment.

The move by Peña-Melnyk and Ferguson at the tail end of the legislative session is a response to a 2022 court ruling that struck down Democratic lawmakers’ proposed congressional map at the time.

Judge Lynne Battaglia found that the map — which added more Democratic voters to Harris' district — failed to give sufficient regard to the natural boundaries and political subdivisions throughout the state.

TWIN COURT RULINGS RESHAPE HOUSE BATTLEFIELD AS DEMOCRATS FIGHT UPHILL REDISTRICTING BATTLE

Amending the state constitution could be a way to get around this, but Harris said that even if voters approve the amendment, it would not guarantee that the courts would approve subsequently drawn maps that have "hyper-partisan gerrymandering."

If the state legislature tried to eliminate or substantially dilute Republican voting power his district, Harris said he would sue based on the precedent set by Battaglia's 2022 ruling.

Meanwhile, Moore has framed his support of the amendment as a necessary response to GOP redistricting around the country, which he called "political redlining."

"For over a year, I have warned that Donald Trump and Republicans across the country are working to rig the system, weaken voting rights, and make this pain permanent. I am proud that today we united and took action," Moore said. "I continue to believe that our country needs national redistricting reform. But until that happens, inaction is not an option."

DEMOCRATS TARGETING 12 ADDITIONAL RED DISTRICTS IN MIDTERMS PUSH TO RETAKE HOUSE

Harris pushed back on Moore's assertion that Republicans are responsible for the current redistricting battle playing out in dozens of states.

He pointed out that the redistricting organization founded by Eric Holder, who served as attorney general under President Obama from 2009 to 2015, aggressively pursued litigation to change legislative and congressional maps in North Carolina and Alabama.

However, a mid-decade congressional redraw was successfully enacted by Texas Republicans in 2003. The Supreme Court largely upheld the redraw in 2006 but said one district violated the Voting Rights Act because it diluted Latino voting strength.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Although courts have upheld the legality of redrawing congressional maps between the decennial censuses, Harris said he would like to move away from the practice in the future.

"I don't think it is good for anyone," Harris said. "It's not good for democracy. You get to know your constituents, your constituents get to know their representative. That's important in a representative government like we have."

Detroit-area couple accused of throwing explosive device with alarming 2-word message into neighbor's yard

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 12:39:55 -0400

A couple living in the suburbs of Detroit has been accused of throwing an explosive device with a chilling two-word message into their neighbor's yard, local prosecutors said.

Jason Showers, 45, and his wife, Megan Showers, 38, both of St. Clair Shores, Michigan, each face decades in prison if they are convicted of charges tied to the Monday incident, according to the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office.

Prosecutors said Megan Showers lit the explosive — described as a red, cylindrical device with the words "BYE BYE" on it — before Jason Showers tossed it into their 72-year-old neighbor's yard.

The neighbor was able to extinguish the explosive, authorities said.

MISSOURI NEIGHBOR ACCUSED OF KILLING MOTHER AND TEEN DAUGHTER AFTER CONFRONTING FAMILY OVER DISPUTE

Law enforcement officials later searched the Showers' home, finding "firearms, ammunition, and materials for assembling explosive devices," according to prosecutors.

"The allegations in this case are serious and especially troubling because they involve a senior member of our community. My office is committed to protecting public safety and prosecuting cases where individuals are accused of endangering others," Macomb County prosecutor Peter Lucido said in a statement.

Jason and Megan Showers are charged with placing explosives near property and possessing bombs with unlawful intent, both felonies that each carry a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.

DOJ ARRESTS MAN ACCUSED OF PROVIDING GUN USED BY FATHER WHO ALLEGEDLY KILLED EIGHT CHILDREN

Jason Showers also faces charges of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition, each punishable by up to five years in prison.

On top of that, prosecutors charged him with two counts of felony firearm possession, with each count carrying a mandatory two-year sentence that must be served consecutively to the underlying felony if he is convicted.

Since Jason Showers is a habitual offender with at least four prior felony convictions, the judge will be able to impose a life sentence if he is convicted of any one of the four top charges, prosecutors said.

OLD TRAILS FIRE SUSPECT ALLEGEDLY CONFESSED TO SETTING 25 FIRES; JUDGE DOUBLES BAIL TO $2M

The couple made their first appearance in court on Wednesday, public records show. Their first probable cause hearing is scheduled for Aug. 14.

The judge granted Jason Showers a $100,000 cash-only bond. However, records show that he is still behind bars at the Macomb County Jail.

If he posts bond, he would have to wear a steel cuff GPS tether, the judge ordered. He would also be prohibited from returning to his home or having any contact with his wife or the neighbor.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Megan Showers' bond was set at $20,000, but the judge gave her the ability to pay 10% through a bail bondsman, prosecutors said.

The judge said she could return to her marital home, but she cannot have contact with her husband or the neighbor.

Congress must fix the Protect College Sports Act before girls pay the price

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 12:35:41 -0400

When legislators started hearing that men were competing in girls’ sports, they acted. Twenty-seven states passed laws that said, in effect: Not on my watch. Our girls have equal opportunity, and they will not be sidelined in their own sports. But a federal bill now moving through Congress could undo what those legislators, and the girls who stood up alongside them, fought to win.

At Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), we have been in the thick of that fight for the better part of a decade. We stood beside our client, Selina Soule, and her Connecticut teammates as they were forced to race against males and watched 15 girls’ state titles handed to male competitors. Theirs was the first lawsuit of many.

We celebrated as President Donald Trump signed a groundbreaking executive order recognizing the biological truth of male and female and directing the federal government to keep men out of women’s sports.

THE "PROTECT COLLEGE SPORTS ACT" HAS A FATAL FLAW: IT DOESN’T PROTECT WOMEN | RILEY GAINES

And most recently, alongside Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador and West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey, we represented three female athletes in Idaho and West Virginia whose cases reached the Supreme Court. On June 30, we won. The Supreme Court upheld both states’ laws and confirmed what most Americans already know: an athlete’s sex matters, and states can keep girls’ sports for girls.

But that win came only after years of devastating losses. In West Virginia alone, one boy displaced over 470 girls more than 1,400 times, including by taking a state championship. We know this terrain because we have walked it, legislature by legislature, courtroom by courtroom, for years.

So when I raise concerns about the Protect College Sports Act’s potential effect on state laws protecting women’s sports, I do so as someone who has helped litigate these cases, not as someone watching from the stands.

I do not doubt that Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and his co-sponsors want to protect the integrity of college sports. But good intentions don’t win lawsuits. Precise language does. And the language in this bill, as written, is loose enough for an enterprising judge to make all sorts of mischief. It also gives far too much power to the NCAA, which has betrayed women and girls for years.

TRUMP URGES CONGRESS TO PASS PROTECT COLLEGE SPORTS ACT BEFORE RECESS: 'WE HAVE TO GET THAT DONE'

The Protect College Sports Act, a bill about NIL deals and player transfers, sets general nationwide collegiate eligibility rules and then limits the ability of states to address eligibility. Yet many of the state sports laws say that sex-based classifications implicate eligibility and declare men ineligible for women’s teams. A hostile administration or an activist judge could twist the bill’s language to argue that every state law that keeps men out of women’s sports is unenforceable. The bill also doesn’t fully safeguard Title IX—which authorizes separate teams, locker rooms and showers for girls.

At ADF, we’ve been warning Congress about the unnecessary risk posed by this bill for weeks. We’ve even offered a simple fix that would minimize the risk of undoing women’s sports laws. And time and again, our solution has been ignored.

It almost seems as if this is just another instance of society prioritizing men over women. The bill’s main purpose is to fix the money and chaos in the men’s games, especially football, where the dollars are. That is what its sponsors care to fix. Whether the fix endangers girls is not the highest priority. Once again, when men’s and women’s interests share a page, the women’s side absorbs the risk.

None of that is what the bill’s drafters intend. But intent is not what a court enforces, and I have spent a legal career watching lawyers seize on every ambiguous phrase they can find. Twenty years ago, no one thought we would need to define what a woman is.

REPUBLICAN SENATORS FILE AMENDMENT TO STOP COLLEGE SPORTS BILL FROM OVERRIDING STATE WOMEN'S SPORTS LAWS

There is no room for ambiguity. When the stakes are our daughters’ rights on the field and in the locker room, "probably fine" is not good enough. Having fought these battles, I know how the sequel ends: back in court for another decade, defending ground we already won, while female athletes pay the price.

The rights of girls should not depend on how some future court chooses to read a sentence Congress left unclear. Nearly eight in 10 Americans agree that men do not belong in women’s sports. That is not a fringe position, and it is no longer a partisan one. Truth does not have a party affiliation, and fairness for female athletes never should.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION

The fix is simple: tighten the language to unambiguously ensure that state women’s sports laws are not preempted and that Title IX remains untouched. Sponsors can address athlete compensation while ensuring states can keep men out of women’s sports. Those goals are not in tension. Until Congress passes a bill that protects women’s sports in all 50 states, it should make sure that no legislation undermines the 27 states with the courage to act—and that the defenders of women’s sports remain free to make the case that the other 23 should follow.

We just won a landmark ruling for women and girls. Let’s not shoot ourselves in the foot by handing the other side a tool we know they will misuse. Let’s not enact permanent legislation that unravels the Trump administration’s work to defend biological truth in sports or ignites another round of costly litigation pushing for men to compete in women’s sports.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

A bill that claims to protect sports should protect the girls who play them. Clean up the language by making it clear the law doesn’t preempt state laws that keep men out of women’s sports. Don’t force us to bear the risk of losing the ground we’ve gained.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM KRISTEN WAGGONER

Conor McGregor has surgery on torn ACL, again vows comeback: 'My knee is repaired...Thank you God'

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 12:33:13 -0400

Conor McGregor is on the road to recovery after his return to the Octagon barely lasted one minute.

After five years without a fight, McGregor opened his July 11 fight against Max Holloway aggressively, attempting a running kick before throwing a head kick moments later. However, he slipped both times because it was apparent he had suffered a knee injury.

He tried to power through it, but nearly two minutes into the fight, he grabbed at his right leg again, and referee Mike Beltran called the fight after just 69 seconds following what ultimately was a torn ACL.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

McGregor, though, posted a video to social media saying that his surgery was a "success."

"What’s up, folks? The Mac is back, baby. My knee is repaired, surgery was a success, and I’m on the road to recovery. That should tell you all you need to know about my mindset. Straight into surgery, knee repaired, and on the road. Let’s go," he said in the video.

McGregor then name-dropped former fighters Dominick Cruz and Georges St. Pierre, as well as Tom Brady and Adrian Peterson, other athletes who have returned from ACL tears, as his "motivation...especially the fighting boys."

"My mindset is unstoppable, unbreakable. Thank you God. Thank you so much God."

McGregor vowed shortly after the injury that he would be back.

WHY CONOR MCGREGOR CALLS HIS EXACT KNEE INJURY 'QUITE SHOCKING' AFTER FINDING OUT RESULTS

"We'll be back... In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. We'll be back. Let's go."

McGregor made an emotional post the day after the fight, saying his "head gasket is gone."

"Destroyed. I had no injury / injuries going into the fight. I was throwing kicks, planted and jumping, all throughout camp as well as backstage before the fight. This came out of nowhere. I am beyond dark here. I can only describe it as hell," he said on X.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

McGregor was participating in his first bout since July 2021 when he lost to Dustin Poirier due to a devastating leg injury. He’s only won one fight since 2020.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

These are five of the most unstoppable players from the EA Sports college football video games

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 12:20:08 -0400

Video games just aren't what they used to be, and that includes sports video games.

Nowadays, all the creativity and ingenuity has been sucked out in favor of cheap roster updates to increase profits, but it wasn't always this way.

The college football series by EA Sports in particular used to be so universally beloved that its release day in mid-July was almost a national holiday.

With the college football offseason starting to wind down, I thought it would be fun to relive some of the best players the game ever had to offer.

And I'm not talking "oh yeah, that guy was pretty good," either.

I'm referring to the players who were banned from your head-to-head matches with your group of friends. The players who caused more broken controllers than your average "Dark Souls" boss.

Obviously, up until a few years ago, the players in the NCAA football games never had names, but you knew exactly who they were.

With all that in mind, let's dig up some childhood trauma with five completely broken college football video game characters.

Quinshon Judkins (Ohio State) - "College Football 25"

When "College Football 25" was nearing its release date, certain influencers were able to test the game early and came back with a few notes to share with their followers.

Nearly unanimously, every content creator seemed to agree that "Quinshon Judkins was broken."

What the rest of the general public quickly found out was, these influencers weren't just mining for clicks.

Quinshon Judkins really was broken, particularly his spin move.

ONE OF THESE EIGHT COLLEGE FOOTBALL TEAMS WILL BE HOISTING THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY IN 2026

Video after video was posted on social media showing off Judkins turning into a Beyblade the minute the spin button was pressed, as All-American defenders bounced off the Ohio State running back as if he was a waterbed rolling downhill.

The move was so broken that players across the country started online petitions to try and get the EA developers to nerf Judkins' spinning.

I'm not playing this up, either. If you Google "Quinshon Judkins" one of the first suggested searches that pops up is "spin move 'College Football 25.'"

You know you've made it as a video game character when you make the general public rage-quit so badly they have to resort to petitions to try and stop you.

Kudos to you, Quinshon.

Vince Young (Texas) - "NCAA 06"

Before Tim Tebow, before Cam Newton, and absolutely before Johnny Football, there was Vince Young (or should I say, QB#10).

The Texas Longhorns' signal caller was a 6'5", 235 lb cyborg who ran a 4.5-second 40-yard dash and threw a football harder than most high school pitchers threw a fastball.

The man was unstoppable in real-life, but he might have been even more broken in "NCAA 06."

He was a 95 overall rated workhorse who was faster than anyone in your defensive front seven, and had the arm strength to fit the ball into any window you could think of.

Sports video game fans talk about how ungodly Michael Vick was in "Madden 04," but VY was essentially the college football answer to Vick in video game format.

Couple all of that with the fact that Young had the "impact player" label attached to him - back when that moniker actually meant something from a gameplay perspective - and even when you thought you had him dead to rights, the Texas gunslinger would turn into Houdini and you'd send your controller through the window.

Almost makes you feel sorry for that USC defensive staff in the Rose Bowl.

The Entire West Virginia Backfield - "NCAA 08"

This one might seem like a bit of a copout, but it's absolutely the right call.

If you're familiar with any of my writing, you know all about the 2007 West Virginia football team and how close that team was to immortal glory.

The video game version of that team was just as good, too, and for all the same reasons.

The four-headed monster of quarterback Pat White, running backs Steve Slaton and Noel Devine, and fullback Owen Schmitt were so dynamic that you rarely if ever had to call a pass play to dominate a game.

White, Slaton, and Devine all had 90+ speed ratings, so running a triple option out of shotgun in a two-back set made your offense virtually untouchable.

When you brought the brickhouse that was Schmitt in for short yardage situations or subbed him in at tight end or H-back, all bases were covered and it was truly over from that point on.

WHAT DOES A REALISTICALLY SUCCESSFUL FIRST YEAR LOOK LIKE FOR HEAD COACH LANE KIFFIN AT LSU?

Each player did awesome things on their own, but when combined into a single rushing attack, the sum was always greater than its parts.

In that sense, the West Virginia backfield in "NCAA 08" was basically college football's version of The Avengers, so have fun trying to stop that.

Jadeveon Clowney (South Carolina) - "NCAA 14"

You didn't think they were going to be all offensive players, did you?

While it's true that offense always garnered the bulk of the attention in the college football video games, there were plenty of defensive players that made the game unforgettable, and none more so than South Carolina's Jadeveon Clowney.

In the dying embers of the old "NCAA" series before its revival in 2023, Clowney was a god amongst mortals, making the Gamecocks' defense elite almost by himself.

You could make the argument that the video game version of Clowney was even more elite than his real life counterpart, and that's saying quite a lot because the man was a beast in college.

Rated 99 overall, Clowney had 91 strength, 94 acceleration, and 99 finesse moves, meaning he was able to either toss your offensive tackle aside or swim move around him at lightning speeds.

And his 99 hit power rating almost guaranteed the ball was coming out when he got to your player.

When I say the man was broken, he was truly broken.

Double teams, chipping with the tight end or a running back, it didn't matter, Clowney was getting to your quarterback.

Prayer was your only chance against South Carolina's defense in "NCAA 14."

Reggie Bush (USC) - "NCAA 06"

The man you've all been waiting for.

For some of my older readers who played the original "Tecmo Bowl" back in the 1980s, Reggie Bush in "NCAA 06" was basically Bo Jackson on steroids and crack.

Elite, 99 speed rating? Check.

Unstoppable juke move? Check again.

Mind you, this was before "locamotion" and all the fancy physics engines, so a player with 99 speed and insane moves like Bush could literally stop on a dime, spin move a defender five yards into the sideline, then speed away from his pursuers.

I almost made a rule that only one player from a given year could make this list, but I couldn't leave both Vince Young and Reggie Bush out.

The 2005 Heisman Trophy winner was a literal cheat code in "NCAA 06," so much so that I remember multiple friends from my school outright banning the use of USC during head-to-head matches.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention Bush's impact player label, too, meaning he went from a mere superhuman to a mythical creature with the ball in his hands.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Reggie Bush was, hands down, the most broken player in any NCAA Football game and you would be hard-pressed to tell me otherwise.

Mark Halperin calls Hasan Piker a 'horrible person' as Democrats face pressure to distance from streamer

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 12:14:57 -0400

Journalist and "2WAY" host Mark Halperin called far-left streamer Hasan Piker a "horrible person" and said he was a possible exception to his rule about showing a presumption of grace to all.

"That's kind of our mantra here, show the presumption of grace to all, with the possible exception of Hasan Piker, the more I learn about the guy, the more I believe he is an exception to the rule that we should be showing the presumption of grace to all. He seems to be a horrible person," Halperin said during a "2Way Tonight" conversation.

Halperin called him "over the top" and noted the streamer's ties to Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, who he has campaigned with.

2026 MIDTERMS STATE OF PLAY: KEY RACES UNFOLD AS STEVENS, EL-SAYED BATTLE IN MICHIGAN

El-Sayed is also endorsed by several prominent Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Hyma Moore told Halperin during the conversation that Democrats were going to need to make a difficult decision about Piker.

"So I think what politicians are going to have to say now is, 'Look, is it more important for us to connect with Hasan Piker's large audience or should we just stop giving him a platform to build on?'" he said. "I think Democrats are going to have to make a hard decision. What's more important? Expanding the audience or having Hasan have this large platform where he is starting to be really irresponsible with?"

Fox News Digital reached out to Piker for comment.

Kaivan Shroff, a moderate Democratic political analyst who worked on Hillary Clinton's campaign, told Fox News Digital in a statement that Piker is a huge electoral liability for the Democratic Party.

JAMES CARVILLE VOWS TO ABANDON DEMOCRATIC PARTY IF FAR-LEFT HASAN PIKER BECOMES LEADING VOICE

"Piker is a huge electoral liability for Democrats. He may help candidates on the farther left get attention and online support during the primaries, but as we are already seeing in Michigan, Republicans would much rather run against a figure like Piker than the actual candidate on the ballot. That’s why it’s a problem when folks like Abdul El-Sayed campaign so closely with him, because then it’s hard to draw real distance from that line of attack," Shroff said.

Shroff said Piker hated the party and argued he spent more time attacking moderate Democrats than Republicans.

"I was a 2024 DNC delegate and I think a lot of Democrats are still traumatized by that loss and blame it on losing ground online and with young men particularly. That has created a lot of insecurity where Democrats are embracing figures like Piker out of a sort of desperation, but it won’t serve us in the long run," he added.

Shroff pointed to Piker's "vile comments" about 9/11 and said Piker "joked about sex with minors, and repeatedly spread disinformation." He also pointed to Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT., admitting during a CNN interview that Piker had a large following that could reach voters.

HASAN PIKER, ABDUL EL-SAYED MOCK JAMES CARVILLE THREATENING TO LEAVE DEMOCRATS AND 'SWEETENING THE DEAL'

"He has no place in our party, and I’d encourage other Democrats to think about what their values are here," he said. "When it comes down to it, it’s pretty sad to see folks like Bernie Sanders defend Piker, acknowledging he has toxic views but reverting to ‘he has a whole lot of followers’ as a justification for aligning and campaigning with him."

Sanders was asked during a CNN interview on Tuesday if he was comfortable with Piker's 9/11 remarks. The streamer once said America deserved 9/11.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

"I think that's a dumb statement," Sanders said. "On the other hand, he has a whole lot of followers and a lot of things that he's saying that are making sense to a lot of people. I think, you know, we have to get above cancel culture. You know, when you're doing radio, whatever they do, podcasts three hours a day, you say dumb things."

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

"I suspect if you go back over your career, there may be one or two things that you've said that you may have regretted," the senator told CNN's Abby Phillip. "But I think what we have got to do is look at the totality of where people are coming from and go forward."

Private man with a public life Dak Prescott addresses broken engagement publicly for the first time

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 12:02:06 -0400

Dak Prescott is a private individual by nature but he's blessed with the ability to play quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, making him a public figure. And those two truths collided earlier this year when his canceled marriage engagement became gossip column fodder.

Prescott addressed the issue for the first time on Thursday and, in typical fashion, declined to reveal everything that happened, including why the engagement to Sarah Jane Ramos was called off and by whom.

But he did show regret that the private situation became so public and added we shouldn't believe everything we read afterward.

NOTHING TO SEE HERE: COWBOYS QUARTERBACK DAK PRESCOTT AND HIS EX'S BRIDESMAID ARE JUST FRIENDS

"Yeah, I mean, I don't necessarily think it was public to me," Prescott told reporters who cover the team, via the Dallas Morning News.

"Once again, I believe what you take in, what you read, what you look up, you're doing that to yourself. There were a lot of false narratives out there on both of our sides. That was very unfortunate. Unfortunate for me, but somebody who's been [dealing with the media] and knows how to [handle] it … And unfortunate for her.

"But it's kind of the life we live in. Yeah, it was an unfortunate situation for obviously everybody. More importantly, the kids. And so for me, it's just about making sure I'm there in every which way for them."

Prescott became engaged to Ramos in October 2024 and the couple welcomed two daughters together and planned an April 2026 wedding in Lake Como, Italy.

The engagement was called off in March 2026, roughly five weeks before the ceremony. A representative for Ramos told People that the split was a mutual decision and the couple remained committed to co-parenting their children, describing both as "heartbroken" by the end of the relationship.

ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

Other reports painted a different picture of what led to the breakup. TMZ reported that the relationship had been "rocky behind the scenes for months" and that it reached a breaking point after a blowup argument during the couple's joint bachelor and bachelorette trip to the Bahamas.

Who called off the engagement and why was the stuff of subsequent and perhaps unfounded speculation.

Whatever the reasons, it's obvious Prescott's focus, aside from playing for the Cowboys and winning, is his children.

Margaret Jane Rose Prescott was born in February 2024. Prescott has said her birth changed his outlook on life, centering him less on himself and more on her.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Aurora Rayne Prescott was born in May 2025. Her middle name is Rayne because that is the quarterback's legal first name: Rayne Dakota Prescott.

Prescott and his ex-fiancee are co-parenting the girls so they remain a big part of Prescott's life, including during this Cowboys training camp which they have visited.

"I appreciate them getting a chance to, you know, come to my office or, you know, come out on the football field and just hang for a little bit, even if they don't fully grasp it," Prescott said. "They'll have these memories and stuff like that in the back of their heads.

"And, um, MJ, I mean, she's, excuse me, the oldest, she's already, yeah, she enjoys the, the football side of it, saying the number 4, showing it. And then, I think, even just seeing her dad on pictures and in places."

It is clear that Prescott wants to win for himself, and his teammates. But he wants everyone to understand he also wants to win for his children.

"That's who I want to win for," he repeated. "You know, it was for a long time, wanting to win for myself and the approval of people, or to prove myself right. I want those girls to say their dad's a champion."

FOLLOW ARMANDO SALGUERO ON X: @ARMANDOSALGUERO

New York State Police launch manhunt after killing, house fire for 'armed and dangerous' suspect

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 11:58:05 -0400

Police are relying on the public's help in their search for an "armed and dangerous" suspect in connection to a homicide and house fire in upstate New York.

On Friday state police said, "The New York State Police Troop F Bureau of Criminal Investigation is asking residents of the Greenville community to review any available home surveillance footage recorded from approximately 6:00 p.m. on August 6, 2026, through the overnight hours. Anyone who observes suspicious activity is urged to contact the New York State Police immediately."

New York State Police put out an initial alert Friday morning for the public to be on the lookout for Thomas David Ryan, 32, who is wanted in connection to a homicide that happened at a home in Greenville.

Police believe that homicide may be connected to a house fire that happened on Thursday on Greenville Turnpike, according to FOX 5 New York. Orange County firefighters responded to the blaze just after 7 p.m.

8 FAMILY MEMBERS, INCLUDING 6 CHILDREN, FOUND DEAD IN MICHIGAN FIRE; AT LEAST ONE VICTIM SHOT: POLICE

Investigators have not yet released the identity of the victim, and whether the homicide occurred before or after the fire.

FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X

SIGN UP TO GET THE LATEST TRUE CRIME NEWS

The suspect may be driving a 2016 gray Toyota Prius bearing NY license plate HNH-7671, police said.

LIKE WHAT YOU'RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE

SEND US A TIP

LISTEN TO THE NEW 'CRIME & JUSTICE WITH DONNA ROTUNNO' PODCAST

"Ryan is 6’2" 200 lbs and was last seen in the area of Greenville [Turnpike] wearing black sweatpants and a black t shirt. Anyone coming in contact with Ryan is advised to use caution," NYSP said.

GET BREAKING NEWS BY EMAIL

Police said if you see the suspect do not approach him, instead call 911.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Drew Rasmussen and the Rays look to exploit Logan Gilbert's home struggles against the Mariners

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 11:57:08 -0400

We are a week into August, and we are significantly closer to the end of the baseball season than the beginning. Overall, this has been a good year of betting, with July and August giving me back some of the units I lost to bad luck earlier in the year. That's part of the reason I enjoy betting every day — eventually it will balance out. As long as we are under control, we can be profitable. I'm looking for more profit as the Rays take on the Mariners.

The Tampa Bay Rays are one of the best teams in baseball, and they continue to show that a properly run team can do anything. Regardless of the "market," a team, when built correctly, can be productive and have sustained success. The Rays don't have a ton of big names, but they do have good pitchers and hitters that are under control and peaking at the same time. You don't always have to spend millions on guys to be great; you just have to have good scouting and some luck.

One of their best pitchers is taking the ball today as Drew Rasmussen heads to the hill. For the season, Rasmussen is 10-5 with a 2.91 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP. This is a fantastic season for him, as he currently is 16th in wins, 12th in ERA, third in WHIP, and 29th in strikeouts. He has always been a solid arm for the Rays, but gets less attention than some of the other ones who have been anchors of the Tampa rotation over the years. Mariners hitters haven't been great against Rasmussen, batting just .222 over 45 at-bats. His former teammate, Randy Arozarena, has the best history against him, going 3-for-7, but all of them were singles.

The Seattle Mariners shouldn't be this bad. I really don't know what is going on with this team. They have plenty of pitching. Their lineup has more than enough talent, but for whatever reason, they aren't performing the way they need to. Cal Raleigh has had a rough year, but that's one guy. There are many more that aren't playing quite as well as expected. They traded for Taylor Ward at the deadline to give them a bit of a boost. The AL West is the easiest division to win, so they should still have a chance, despite being four games under .500 at the moment.

I think the Mariners probably should be better because of this rotation. Their team is loaded with good arms. Logan Gilbert, tonight's starter, is just one of the talented players they have. He is 8-6 for the year with a 3.46 ERA, and a 0.99 WHIP. He also has 139 strikeouts for the season. To compare to Rasmussen, he is 23rd in ERA, 15th in strikeouts, and fifth in WHIP. He is worse at home than on the road, allowing 16 of his 17 homers in Seattle. Tampa has been very good against the Mariners righty, batting .296 against him.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

There aren't a ton of guys that stand out against Gilbert, but like most things the Rays do, they are better as a team. I think this is a good opportunity to take Rasmussen and the Rays tonight. Gilbert has been very good, but he has allowed multiple runs in each of his past four starts. He also is more vulnerable at home this season than on the road. Give me the Rays tonight.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024

Martha Stewart questions Meghan Markle’s homemaking credentials with blunt career assessment

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 11:56:44 -0400

Martha Stewart is not entirely convinced Meghan Markle’s path into the lifestyle world adds up.

The 85-year-old homemaking icon offered a pointed assessment of the Duchess of Sussex’s transition from actress to royal to television host while discussing Markle’s Netflix series, "With Love, Meghan."

When asked about Markle stepping into her space with a cooking and lifestyle show, Stewart questioned whether the career transition made sense.

MEGHAN MARKLE RETURNS TO BRITAIN WITH PRINCE ARCHIE AND PRINCESS LILIBET FOR FIRST TIME IN YEARS

"If you’re an actress, it’s hard to then transition to a princess and then from a princess into a homemaking guru on a television show," Stewart told People. "It doesn’t sort of follow. So go from there."

Stewart also revealed that she recently crossed paths with Markle at a dinner party in California shortly after the duchess returned from a family trip to the United Kingdom.

"I had dinner with Meghan Markle the other night," she said. "We were both guests at a dinner party in California. And she had just gotten back from the palace."

Stewart said their interaction was brief.

"I didn’t talk to her really more than to say a couple words, but I know she was talking about it," she added.

Last month, Markle traveled to Britain with Prince Harry and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, marking the family’s first visit to England in four years.

King Charles and Queen Camilla hosted the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their children for a private family meeting at Highgrove House in July.

The Sussexes moved to California in 2020 after stepping back as senior working members of the royal family. Markle later returned to the entertainment industry while expanding into media, business and lifestyle ventures.

MEGHAN MARKLE AND NETFLIX END LIFESTYLE BRAND PARTNERSHIP AS CRITICS SAY THEY 'GOT MARKLED ENOUGH'

"With Love, Meghan" premiered on Netflix in March 2025 and featured Markle sharing cooking, gardening, hosting and entertaining ideas with celebrity guests.

The series launched alongside her lifestyle brand, As Ever, which has sold products including fruit spreads, honey, tea, wine, candles and chocolate.

Stewart’s latest remarks echo comments she made in July 2025, when she was asked by Yahoo Lifestyle about Markle’s attempt to establish herself as a lifestyle authority.

"Meghan, I don’t really know very well, and I hope she knows what she’s talking about," Stewart told the outlet.

The cookbook author emphasized that credibility and experience are essential when building a connection with an audience.

"Authenticity, to me, is everything, and to be authentic and knowledgeable about your subject matter is extremely important," she said.

LIKE WHAT YOU'RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Stewart added that she did not object to other celebrities entering the lifestyle industry, offering a brief message to those following in her footsteps.

"I don’t mind. Good luck."

Stewart built her own homemaking empire after launching a catering business and publishing her first cookbook, "Entertaining," in 1982.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

Her brand later expanded into magazines, television programs, books, retail partnerships and home products. She became the first self-made female billionaire in the United States in 1999.

The Netflix series ran for two seasons and was followed by a holiday special.

In March 2026, Netflix and Markle announced they were ending their partnership involving As Ever, with the duchess continuing to operate the lifestyle brand independently.

"Meghan’s passion for elevating everyday moments in beautiful yet simple ways inspired the creation of the As Ever brand, and we are glad to have played a role in bringing that vision to life," a Netflix spokesperson told Fox News Digital at the time.

"As it was always intended, Meghan will continue growing the brand and take it into its next chapter independently, and we look forward to celebrating how she continues to bring joy to households around the world."

In its own statement to People, As Ever said it was "grateful for Netflix’s partnership through launch and our first year."

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

"We have experienced meaningful and rapid growth, and As Ever is now ready to stand on its own," the statement continued. "We have an exciting year ahead and can’t wait to share more."

Fox News Digital has reached out to Archewell for comment regarding Stewart’s remarks.

Counterterrorism expert warns Abdul El-Sayed Senate bid raises homeland security concerns

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 11:54:20 -0400

A Senate counterterrorism expert testified that Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed’s candidacy raises homeland security concerns because of family ties to Muslim Brotherhood-linked groups and connections to a Midwest voter-engagement organization the expert said is tied to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

During a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing on Muslim Brotherhood threats in the U.S. that was boycotted by all Democrats assigned to the panel, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, asked Center for Security Policy counterterrorism analyst Kyle Shideler if El-Sayed’s bid raised such concerns.

"Yessir, it does," Shideler told Cruz, explaining that El-Sayed’s father-in-law allegedly has connections to Muslim Brotherhood-linked groups.

"This includes being the president at one time of CAIR-Michigan," Shideler said of nephrologist Jukaku Tayeb. "Also his presence on the Islamic Society of North America Founders Committee, which is only for those most exclusively devoted to ISNA and provide significant amounts of funding."

DEMS IN THE HOT SEAT FOR SKIPPING CRUCIAL HEARING ON RADICAL GROUP HIDING IN US: 'EMBARRASSMENT'

"There are other known [Muslim B]rotherhood members on that committee. I would also look at El-Sayed's ties to a group called Emgage, which purports to be a Muslim sort of get out the vote or candidate recruitment organization, but it has close ties to CAIR," Shideler testified.

The official bio for Emgage founding member and attorney Khurrum Wahid said the group "works to empower emerging majority communities, with a focus on Muslim Americans, to participate more in public and community and public service."

"[Emgage] was created by a former CAIR member who at one time was on a terror watchlist, and was also a consultant to convicted terrorist Sami al-Arian," Shideler said.

MICHIGAN SENATE RACE: EL-SAYED’S TIES TO EXTREMIST FUEL ANTISEMITISM CONCERNS AMONG JEWISH VOTERS

In 2012, a Times of Israel article criticized Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, D-Fla., for speaking at a fundraiser hosted by Wahid, whom it described as "currently listed on the federal terror watch list" and a legal defender of terrorism suspects.

In 2006, Al-Arian, a former University of South Florida professor who was born in Kuwait, pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiring to provide services to federally designated terror group Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).

Fox News Digital reached out to Wahid's law firm and to El-Sayed's campaign for comment.

During the hearing, Cruz also pressed Shideler about the "Red-Green Alliance," and the prevalence of geopolitical ties between Radical Islam and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).

LIZ PEEK: MICHIGAN CAN STOP THE SOCIALIST FEVER RAGE — OR WATCH IT SWALLOW THE SENATE

"Does the Muslim Brotherhood also partner with political groups such as the Democratic Socialists of America?" Cruz asked.

"Yessir, they do," Shideler testified.

When Cruz said the Red-Green Alliance shares hatred of Western civilization, democracy and capitalism, Shideler said he should go farther:

"It's also united around a revolutionary objective advocating for the overthrow of the U.S. Constitution."

SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER

Shideler also affirmed that the Muslim Brotherhood has active chapters or cells within the U.S.

El-Sayed has been criticized for ties to radical voices like far-left streamer Hasan Piker — who said the U.S. deserved the September 11, 2001, terror attacks — and notably declined to comment on the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei because of neighbors in heavily Muslim Dearborn who were in mourning.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

A Fox News Digital review found that El-Sayed, who has made getting "money out of politics" a central campaign rallying cry, has accepted donations from at least 41 individuals, including Tayeb, who have been tied to CAIR in one form or another.

Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller and Kiera McDonald contributed to this report.

Marlins outfielders collide, knock fly ball over wall to give Braves star a home run in brutal mishap

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 11:46:44 -0400

The Miami Marlins outfielders took the definition of outfield assist to a whole new level.

Normally, an outfield assist is credited to an outfielder when they throw a ball into the infield to record an out against a baserunner. In the bottom of the third inning of the Marlins’ 11-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Thursday at Truist Park, they did the complete opposite of recording an outfield assist.

With a man on first base, Braves star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. hammered Marlins' starter Janson Junk’s 79-mph sweeper to deep left-center field but didn’t quite get enough of it to clear the wall.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Luckily for Acuña, Marlins left fielder Heriberto Hernández and center fielder Esteury Ruiz did not communicate about who was going to catch the deep fly ball, and they collided with each other on the warning track. When Ruiz and Hernandez collided, the ball popped up and over the wall for a home run.

The two outfielders looked around on the ground for the ball only to realize they had knocked it over the wall.

Acuña stood on first base for a couple of seconds, unsure if it was a home run before he eventually rounded the bases. Ruiz said the two outfielders couldn’t hear each other.

"When I saw the ball, I thought it was leaving the ballpark," Ruiz said through an interpreter, per MLB.com. "While I was running, I noticed it was going to stay on the field. I said, 'I got it,' and you can see in the video that (Hernández) also said, 'I got it.' But we couldn't hear each other with the noise of the ballpark. We couldn't hear each other."

ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

For Acuña, it was the first of two home runs he hit in the win. He hit his second home run over the right-field wall, with no help from the outfielders, in the eighth inning to give the Braves a 9-2 lead.

"The second one was special, because the first one told me I needed help," Acuña said, according to MLB.com.

"(Acuña) had a little angel on his shoulder tonight, or something," Braves first baseman Matt Olson said, according to MLB.com.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The Braves’ victory was their season-high eighth straight, as they continue to build on their 8 1/2 game lead in the National League East.

The Braves (70-45) will look to extend their winning streak against the New York Yankees (64-51) on Friday at 7:05 p.m. ET.

The Marlins (58-58) will look to bounce back against the Los Angeles Angels (56-59) on Friday at 7:10 p.m. ET.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

WATCH: Wild traffic stop turns chaotic as suspect drives off with one cop inside, drags second officer

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 11:44:01 -0400

A routine traffic stop exploded into violence when police say a suspect sped off with an officer trapped inside his car and dragged another officer who was holding on to the vehicle.

The dangerous and chaotic scene played out in Eustis, Florida over the weekend.

Eustis Police say during a traffic stop early Saturday morning, suspect Shakoi Donovan, 28, drove away with an officer stuck inside the driver side of his vehicle and dragged another officer 10 to 15 feet down the roadway.

BODYCAM SHOWS POLICE K-9 LEAPING INTO ACTION AFTER SUSPECTED IMPAIRED DRIVER REFUSED TO SURRENDER

The officer can be seen in another officer's bodycam video lying on the ground.

It all started when the officers pulled Donovan over on suspicion he was driving under the influence. A police report says officers spotted a silver Infiniti weaving over a yellow line on a local street.

Two officers stopped Donovan and confronted him, asking him to step out of the car.

When he allegedly did not comply with the officers' repeated requests to get out, they opened his car door and reached toward the suspect in an attempt to physically remove him while the vehicle was running.

ICE SAYS OFFICER SHOT AND KILLED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WHO TRIED TO RAM HIM WITH CAR IN HOUSTON

FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X

It was right at this moment that the suspect is seen on officer-worn bodycamera video speeding away with one officer inside his car.

SIGN UP TO GET THE LATEST TRUE CRIME NEWS

One officer is heard yelling, "He's taking off Eustis 77 is in the car!"

LIKE WHAT YOU'RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE

The report said she was pinned between Donovan and the steering wheel.

SEND US A TIP

The second officer was dragged by the vehicle "sending him tumbling across the S. Eustis Street asphalt, barrel rolling multiple times," the police report said.

WATCH: DASHCAM CAPTURES THE SPLIT SECOND A ROUTINE TENNESSEE TRAFFIC STOP GOES SIDEWAYS

His "roll" was captured on camera. He was treated for injuries.

LISTEN TO THE NEW 'CRIME & JUSTICE WITH DONNA ROTUNNO' PODCAST

The full police report is available here:

GET BREAKING NEWS BY EMAIL

Court records indicate this is not Donovan's first run-in with the law. He was previously arrested on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in May and was also arrested on burglary and battery charges in 2022, among other arrests within Lake County, Florida.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Donovan is facing a list of charges, including attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, and resisting with violence, among others.

He was still in jail as of Friday and is due in court on Aug. 24.