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CM Punk to defend Undisputed WWE Championship against Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 06:02:04 -0400

CM Punk appeared on "Friday Night SmackDown" ready to take on any challenger that was ready to step to him after winning the Undisputed WWE Championship against Sami Zayn.

Punk entered the ring in Oklahoma City and called back to the "Monday Night Raw" after WrestleMania 42 when he told Cody Rhodes he’d be ready to deliver if a championship opportunity fell "out of the sky."

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"When championship opportunities fall out of the sky, CM Punk catches them," he said.

Punk named potential SmackDown superstars he’d think might come for the title, including Gunther, Finn Balor, Royce Keys, Damian Priest and Trick Williams. He even said that Zayn could come back around and get his rematch if he wanted. He didn’t mention Rhodes’ name, but the "American Nightmare" came out uncalled and marched his way down to the ring.

"I don’t think you and I can run away from each other anymore," Punk told Rhodes.

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Rhodes agreed and mentioned that Punk would want a match with him, just "say when." It was a quick retort from Punk, who said, "when." SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis, who was in the ring for the segment, booked the match for SummerSlam.

Punk will defend the Undisputed WWE Championship at SummerSlam, which takes place Aug. 1 and 2 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

First, however, Punk and Rhodes will be involved in a tag team match at Saturday Night’s Main Event in New York City next week. Aldis made the match after Gunther demanded that Aldis put him in a match against Punk. Gunther was hoping it would be for the championship. Instead, Gunther will tag with Zayn.

Gunther didn’t take too kindly to that and attacked Aldis. Rhodes came back out to break up the calamity. He wanted to take on Gunther after the show went off air but Gunther walked away.

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Punk definitely has his hands full as he moves to SmackDown to become a fighting champion.

Trump takes unusual step, lets bipartisan housing bill become law unsigned amid SAVE pressure campaign

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 00:00:57 -0400

A bipartisan housing bill became law Saturday at midnight after President Donald Trump declined to sign it, capping a weeks-long saga over whether the president would veto the measure amid frustrations with Congress over his stalled agenda.

Trump refused to sign the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act — legislation aimed at expanding the nation’s housing stock and lowering costs — in an attempt to pressure Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, despite the housing bill clearing both chambers with overwhelming majorities.

"I will not sign the Housing Bill, which has been fully approved by Congress and sent to the White House, in PROTEST over the fact that the United States Senate is not capable of passing THE SAVE AMERICA ACT, which is polling at 97% with the Republican Party, and very high with the non-politician Dumocrats," he declared on Truth Social Friday morning.

The Trump-backed election measure, which would require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections and impose voter ID requirements, has struggled to overcome the Senate’s 60-vote threshold.

Meanwhile, the House has not passed a version of the bill that includes the president’s proposed crackdown on mail-in voting and banning men from women’s sports.

HOUSE CONSERVATIVES DERAIL GOP AGENDA IN SAVE AMERICA ACT SHOWDOWN

Under the U.S. Constitution, Trump had 10 days, not including Sundays, to sign or veto the housing measure after the House formally transmitted the legislation to the White House in late June. The president ultimately chose neither option, allowing the measure to become law without his signature.

Though Trump declined to veto the legislation, he sharply criticized elements of the bill and argued it should not have been a legislative priority in recent weeks.

"It's so unimportant … compared to the SAVE America Act," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office in late June. "I think the SAVE America Act is exactly what it says. It's saving America from crooked elections."

Trump went on to call the housing bill "a yawn," adding, "compared to the SAVE America Act, just about everything is a big yawn."

It would have taken a two-thirds majority in both chambers to override a veto — a margin the House and Senate exceeded when they passed the legislation. However, it remains unclear whether so many Republicans would have defied the president had he vetoed the bill.

Trump also appeared to criticize the bill over a provision restricting Wall Street investors from purchasing single-family homes — a policy he first proposed during his January State of the Union address and later urged Congress to pass. Trump previously argued the investor ban would give individual homebuyers a leg up against private equity firms in the housing market.

"I don't want to hurt people that own houses, too," Trump later told reporters, appearing to reference the provision. "These people, for the first time in their lives, they have valuable houses. They've become rich. I don't want to hurt them either. What you want to do is what's good for everyone, get the interest rates down."

The law also aims to boost housing supply by streamlining federal environmental reviews, loosening rules around the construction of factory-built homes, and incentivizing local governments to modify their zoning laws to allow more housing, among roughly 60 provisions.

Trump’s souring on the legislation created headaches for Republicans, who touted the bill as an affordability win as voters grapple with high housing costs.

"It’s irresponsible to postpone signing the Housing bill due to the SAVE Act," Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., a retiring lawmaker who lost re-election to a Trump-backed challenger, wrote on social media. "We need to start delivering relief to people for the high cost of housing ASAP!!"

WARREN TELLS TRUMP TO 'SIGN THE DAMN BILL' AS BIPARTISAN HOUSING PACKAGE REMAINS STALLED IN WASHINGTON

Trump abruptly canceled a signing ceremony for the legislation at the U.S. Capitol in June with GOP leaders. The stage had already been set, with at least one senior Republican arriving unaware the president had called off the event shortly before it was scheduled to begin.

The president then declared he would not sign the legislation until Congress passed the SAVE America Act, despite Senate GOP leaders insisting the votes do not exist to advance the measure.

Trump has also expressed frustration with the Republican-controlled Senate for declining to weaken the legislative filibuster, which requires 60 votes to advance most legislation in the upper chamber.

"GET SMART REPUBLICANS, IF YOU DON’T, YOU WON’T BE IN OFFICE FOR LONG!" Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Sunday.

Before Trump came out against the bill, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called it "one of the most significant pieces of housing affordability legislation in American history" and said it included an array of policies "long championed" by Trump.

Meanwhile, Trump political operative James Blair touted the legislation for including the president’s Wall Street investor ban, which he referred to as a "signature commitment."

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has argued that Republicans will still promote the landmark housing bill ahead of November.

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"We'll still celebrate it, but he's trying to make a point, and I think he's making it very effectively," the speaker recently told reporters, referring to Trump. "And the fact that you all ask me every three steps down the hallway illustrates that he has achieved the desired objective, and that is to make SAVE America the number one thing, because if we don't get that right, everybody's concerned about what happens next."

Former top cop warns of loophole exploited by illicit Chinese vape companies 'targeting our youth'

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 06:00:50 -0400

A former top law enforcement official is sounding the alarm on an attempt by illicit Chinese vape companies to exploit legal loopholes by replacing nicotine with an unregulated substitute to continue selling flavored disposable vapes to children.

"These Chinese organized crime groups, what they realized is if they go ahead and just change the ingredients in the packaging, then they create confusion and there is no enforcement or regulatory agency that then is responsible to address these illicit, illegal, disposable vapes," former Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Deputy Director Edgar Domenech told Fox News Digital in an interview.

The synthetic compound, 6-methyl nicotine, also known as 6MN or "NIX," is a nicotine analog marketed under brand names including Nixodine and Metatine, with some manufacturers arguing 6-methyl nicotine products fall outside the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) authority.

Domenech, the former sheriff of New York City, said that while nicotine is a well-known addictive substance regulated by the FDA, the nicotine substitute "manufactured illegally in China" is an "unknown variable" that hasn't been studied enough.

FORMER ACTING DHS SECRETARY WARNS CHINESE CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS ARE INFILTRATING AMERICA'S HEMP INDUSTRY

"It's a different type of substance," he said. "Now, all of a sudden, the FDA doesn't have oversight, but it's the same product. It's a disposable vape product with flavors targeting our kids and our youth with unknown chemicals."

Pointing to law enforcement's role in combating the illicit trade, Domenech said the companies create "confusion" by changing the product's ingredients, causing law enforcement and regulatory agencies to "take no action."

"The organized crime groups — they're five steps in front of us," he said. "By changing the substance, they are now creating additional new obstacles to figure out."

Domenech said the companies keep the same branding, packaging, and flavors while changing just one ingredient, allowing them to profit from children who may not realize what they're consuming.

CORPORATE AMERICA'S CHINA ADDICTION HAS BECOME A NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT

"They're putting these products side by side in these big shops, because the packaging is all the same," he said. "All they've done is changed one of the ingredients in the product."

Domenech said the companies are targeting "our youngest, most vulnerable generation" with flavored disposable vapes containing chemicals whose long-term health effects remain unknown.

"They're targeting our youth with flavors," he said. "Whether it's fruity flavors, candy-type flavors, dessert flavors. They're targeting our kids to go ahead and ingest these products with unknown consequences because we don't know what's in them to begin with."

As youth vaping has become more widespread, Domenech said some schools have installed bathroom sensors that detect vaping, adding, "We've got 11-year-olds, 12-year-olds, 14-year-olds vaping these products."

EXPLOSIVE HOUSE REPORT REVEALS SECRET OPERATION INSIDE CHINA AT CENTER OF SOUTH KOREA'S FIGHT WITH US COMPANY

He said that the products could lead to "unknown health and mental well-being issues down the line."

"There is nothing healthy about the illegal disposable vapes that are flavored targeting our kids," he said.

A recent Duke University study found 6-methyl nicotine may be stronger than nicotine, raising concerns it could be more addictive. Public patent records list Geoff Habicht, CEO of Arizona-based Mi-Pod, which Fox News Digital previously reported on as part of an investigation examining ties between the vaping industry and China, as an inventor on U.S. patents referencing 6-methyl nicotine and related compounds.

Raising awareness among lawmakers, health professionals, parents, and schools is vital to closing regulatory gaps and preventing more children from using the products, according to Domenech.

"Education is paramount for us to combat this issue," he said. "We need to educate our policymakers, we need to educate our health professionals, we need to educate our parents, the educational system to make them understand that these products are illegal, they have unknown substances that can have unknown consequences, health consequences."

Domenech said lawmakers and law enforcement need clearer guidance to identify and seize the products.

"We need to have a concerted effort to educate our policymakers at the federal level but also at the state and local levels because we need boots on the ground to understand what they can do legally in seizing these products," he said.

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Domenech called the companies a "national security problem," saying the products "should be seized the moment they enter this country, period."

"We're losing a generation of our future, our future leaders to this product," he said.

America's cheapest city to grab a cheeseburger, fries and soda isn't where you'd expect

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 06:00:48 -0400

A cheeseburger, fries and a soda remain one of America's classic comfort meals, but what Americans pay for that combo depends heavily on where they live, according to the so-called Cheeseburger Index.

A new DoorDash State of Local Commerce report, which compares the average price of a cheeseburger, fries and a soda across U.S. cities, found the average price of the meal is lowest in Austin, Texas, at $12.94.

DoorDash said cities in the South and Southeast tend to be more affordable because of structurally lower operating costs, helping the region rank well across both grocery and restaurant price indexes.

The highest cost topped out in Anchorage, Alaska at $28.28 for the same meal, according to the report.

The 10 best-value cities in the study are concentrated in the Midwest and Texas, with four cities in the Lone Star State making the list — Laredo, Texas ($13.39), Lincoln, Nebraska ($13.86), Detroit ($14.99) and Philadelphia ($15.41) rounded out the top five.

The rankings come as eating out continues to get more expensive, even as prices for many grocery and household staples have stabilized.

DoorDash found the average price of a cheeseburger, fries and soda climbed 3.2% over the past year.

THE COST OF THIS GROCERY STAPLE IS NEARING RECORD HIGHS — AND AMERICANS CAN’T GET ENOUGH

While rising beef prices have drawn attention this year, DoorDash said higher restaurant prices appear to reflect broader operating costs — including labor, rent and energy — rather than food costs alone.

Local labor markets and operating expenses also help explain why the same meal costs less than $13 in Austin than in Anchorage where it's more than double that cost.

"There isn't one economy. There are a lot of local economies," Jessica Lachs, chief analytics officer at DoorDash, told Fox News Digital.

She said the Cheeseburger Index was designed to illustrate how those local differences translate into everyday prices for consumers.

"Really, the story here is local variation," Lachs said. "The same basket of goods — a cheeseburger, fries and a drink — costs $12.94 on average in Austin, Texas, but $28.28 in Anchorage, Alaska. Same basket, same quarter, but a very different local reality."

ONE LITTLE-KNOWN MEETING HELPS DECIDE WHAT AMERICANS CAN AFFORD — AND WHAT THEY CAN’T

The Cheeseburger Index is one of three affordability measures included in the State of Local Commerce Report. DoorDash also publishes a Breakfast Basics Index, which tracks the cost of common breakfast items, and an Everyday Essentials Index, which measures the price of household staples.

Sections of the report found prices for many household essentials remained relatively flat, while some grocery items have begun climbing again.

Egg prices, which helped pull grocery costs lower earlier this year, have eased, but avocado and milk prices rose 12.4% and 8.3%, respectively, from the previous quarter.

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"The Cheeseburger Index is a really great way to distill the information into a simple, fun and relatable metric," Lachs said.

"If you were to place that same order for a cheeseburger, fries and a drink every month, how much would it cost you? It's a great way to showcase price changes," she added.

Prince William dumped Kate Middleton with one phone call and then came ‘crawling back,’ royal author claims

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 06:00:18 -0400

Before they became the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince William walked away from Kate Middleton — only to come "crawling back."

The claim was made by Christopher Andersen, author of "Kate!," which explores how the once commoner became the universally adored face of the British monarchy.

Fox News Digital reached out to Kensington Palace for comment. A spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital it does not comment on books.

PRINCE WILLIAM, KATE MIDDLETON ARE READY TO LEAD THE MONARCHY, SOURCES SAY: 'THANK GOD THEY’VE GOT EACH OTHER'

"Kate Middleton certainly was strategic in winning Prince William back," Andersen told Fox News Digital. "And she had [her mother] Carole Middleton as her general or field marshal or strategist — we’re going to call it. But Kate was crushed in the beginning. [It] was completely out of the blue. I was in London when they broke up in 2007, and it was shocking. Everyone thought they were on the verge of announcing their engagement."

William and Kate met in 2001 when they were students at the University of St. Andrews. The pair were friends at first but eventually started dating. After several years, William reportedly broke up with Kate over the phone.

According to Andersen’s book, Kate was "clutching her cell phone close to her ear" behind a closed door at Jigsaw, where she worked as a children’s accessories buyer. In a conference room, Kate "listened to the man she had loved for five years tell her they were through." Coworkers were straining to hear what was happening on the other side of the door.

WATCH: HOW KATE MIDDLETON WON PRINCE WILLIAM BACK AFTER THEIR SPLIT

William "stammered" that he was unwilling to commit, arguing he was "only 25" and "too young." He stressed that the press would make her life "unbearable" as long as they remained a couple. He feared that her life was in danger, and she wasn’t entitled to royal protection when he wasn’t around.

Kate "pleaded" with William to reconsider. She offered to ask her parents to hire private bodyguards if that’s what he wanted. William didn’t budge. Instead, he said he was under so much pressure now that he was taking on the duties of a second lieutenant in the Blues and Royals Regiment of the Household Cavalry. He had made up his mind.

"What had happened was Camilla and [the former Prince] Charles had actually convinced William to either ask for her hand in marriage or cut it off and not let the poor girl suffer anymore," Andersen told Fox News Digital.

"Charles was always incredibly fond of Kate. He never doubted that she would make an excellent wife for his eldest son, and she had all the qualities necessary to become a future queen. But it wasn’t fair, in Charles’ view, to keep the poor girl hanging. And so, [William] chose to cut it."

"Her coworkers could hear Kate on the phone begging to know what was wrong, begging to know why this was happening, and crying," Andersen claimed. "Understandably, Kate was devastated. Her coworkers overheard Kate pleading with William, asking, "Why?" It all came as a total shock."

The book describes how Kate "had been gently pressing William for a commitment but was careful not to overplay her hand." Still, it was over.

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That evening, Andersen said Kate returned home to her mother, who encouraged her daughter to get out and embrace her independence.

"Carole Middleton, a very smart woman, told her, ‘Just go out there and [show him] what he’s missing,’" said Andersen. "And so, she went back into society."

Kate refused to stay heartbroken. The book claimed that she embarked on a new diet and exercise regimen and began slipping "into a series of micro-miniskirts" and "painted-on designer jeans."

She returned to London’s nightclub scene with her sister Pippa Middleton "riding shotgun." In between having fun "with a succession of young men," as reported by local newspapers, she also signed up with Sisterhood, an all-female rowing crew. She was far from moping around.

"Carole Middleton came to her daughter’s rescue," said Andersen. "She convinced Kate not to let the hurt show, to go out and date other young men in their circle and join a women’s rowing crew to make it look like she was having the time of her life. Kate and her sister Pippa were out on the town practically every night, making sure they were photographed in the company of handsome young aristocrats."

The headlines reportedly stung William. The book claimed that when it was reported that Kate and Sir Henry Ropner, a "dashing heir to a shipping fortune," were "in each other’s arms on the dance floor," William realized he’d made a huge mistake.

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"William went on a couple of drunken sprees," said Andersen. "In fact, at one point, he was in a London nightclub, shouting ‘I’m free!’ But six weeks after the split, he came back to Kate with his tail between his legs."

"The breakup was a total wake-up call for William," Andersen continued. "After all the years he and Kate had been together, he somehow felt it was his obligation to sow some additional wild oats. After all, that’s what most male members of the royal family did. But fairly quickly, he realized that Kate was the love of his life and someone you could build a future with."

And there was one party that changed everything.

In the book "William and Catherine" by Russell Myers, the royal editor of the Daily Mirror, he wrote that one of their mutual friends, Sam Waley-Cohen, was throwing a party at his family home, a 17th-century manor in Oxfordshire. The theme of the night was "Freakin' Naughty."

WATCH: INSIDE THE PARTY THAT CHANGED PRINCE WILLIAM, KATE MIDDLETON'S FUTURE

William, who was "missing" Kate, reached out to her, asking if she would be attending the party that had been in their diary for months. Kate, reluctant to commit over the phone, said she would consider it.

"Keen to make an impression, and perhaps to help break the ice when he saw Catherine for the first time in months, William dressed in tight black hotpants and a plastic policeman's helmet," Myers wrote. "Catherine also turned heads when she arrived in a showstopping 'naughty nurse' outfit, complete with fishnet tights and a short dress."

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"Fellow guests said as soon as William and Catherine set eyes on one another, it was clear their love had not extinguished," he wrote. "The couple peeled off from the rest of the party and spent hours locked in deep conversation. Catherine listened intently as William attempted to break the deadlock, laying out his reasons for doubting what they had."

"He talked of his fear of letting someone truly experience the world in which he lived, and also his fear of rejection if he did let himself get too close," Myers continued. "Catherine, of course, knew that she still loved William deeply."

"As the cocktails flowed, and the dance floor filled, they only had eyes for each other," Myers wrote.

In the summer of 2007, William and Kate rekindled their romance.

"Kate graciously made it clear that she understood the pressures he was under," said Andersen.

"At long last, William was no longer confused about the part she was destined to play in his life. Kate was in love with William and vice versa. It had been that way for five years by the time of their breakup.

"She never doubted William’s love for her, and he never doubted her commitment to him. But you have to understand that a future king has so many expectations heaped upon him that, at some point, he is going to crack. And that’s what happened when he initiated the breakup."

"Fortunately, William soon came to his senses," Andersen added.

Three years later, in 2010, William and Kate announced their engagement. They married the following year at London’s Westminster Abbey. Today, they are now proud parents to three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

Tyler Robinson hearing ends without ruling as evidence dismantles Charlie Kirk conspiracy claims

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 06:00:12 -0400

PROVO, Utah — Tyler Robinson's preliminary hearing in the assassination of Charlie Kirk came to a close without a decision from Judge Tony Graf Jr. on Friday, but the week-long proceeding introduced a wide swath of evidence in the case to the public.

Robinson, 23, is accused of shooting Kirk, 31, from a rooftop sniper's perch during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025.

Graf agreed to a defense request to allow lawyers to file briefs before he decides whether Robinson's case should go to trial, a move that adds about six weeks to the process. The next hearing, on Sept. 1, is scheduled to be held just days before the first full year since Kirk's assassination.

CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION: TIMELINE OF UTAH CAMPUS SHOOTING, TYLER ROBINSON CHARGED

Amid the lengthy process, enormous public interest in the case and closed-door hearings and court filings, a series of conspiracy theories about what happened last year in Orem have emerged. Many of them were debunked by evidence introduced in court over the last week:

The claims:

Kirk's cause and manner of death

Although Robinson's defense team objected to showing his autopsy report in court, testimony from Utah State Bureau of Investigation Agent David Hull listed his death as a homicide caused by a gunshot wound to the neck.

The testimony included no indication that the forensic pathologist who handled the autopsy found anything inconsistent with that conclusion, ruling out theories involving an exploding microphone.

DONALD TRUMP JR ARGUES CHARLIE KIRK MURDER EVIDENCE PUTS CONSPIRACY THEORIES 'AT REST'

While there has been some speculation about the lack of a visible "exit wound" in graphic video of Kirk's murder, the doctor who performed the autopsy was still confident it was the gunshot that killed Kirk.

James Gagliano, a retired FBI supervisory special agent and Fox News contributor, said that over his 25-year career, he's seen .22-caliber rounds go all the way through a human body, and much larger .45-caliber rounds hit a bone, muscle or even soft tissue and stop.

"Suppositions like this highlight a complete ignorance of ballistics and are typically spouted by those who have never stood alongside a medical examiner conducting homicide victim autopsies," Gagliano said. "It’s to be expected that the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms' 'inconclusive' determination in attempts to match bullet fragments from Kirk’s body with the murder weapon would cause conspiratorial conjecture."

TYLER ROBINSON HEARING: TOP MOMENTS FROM EXPLOSIVE LANCE TWIGGS INTERVIEW PLAYED IN COURT

The forensic pathologist recovered bullet fragments from Kirk's body, which were sent to the ATF for testing. Although tool marks on the fragments themselves were inconclusive, the caliber was consistent with a spent cartridge casing found in the suspected murder weapon — which authorities allege had Robinson's DNA on it.

On the other hand, the defense may have fanned some flames by playing up evidence of other, unrelated weapons recovered at the scene.

The defense noted that investigators found an empty pistol holster just steps from where Kirk was killed as well as an unfired .223 round on the roof of another building.

Robinson is shorter than the suspect seen on UVU surveillance video

WATCH: Man who recreated Tyler Robinson's alleged route at UVU slams conspiracy theories

According to this theory, the suspect is several inches taller than Robinson, who is listed as standing 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighing around 150 pounds, according to the Utah County Sheriff's Office.

The video isn't the only evidence that prosecutors say places Robinson at UVU, however. They have surveillance video of a Dodge Challenger coming and going. He allegedly encountered a Spanish Fork police officer who ran his license plates. And his DNA was allegedly recovered from a screwdriver found near the sniper's perch and on the suspected murder weapon, hidden in a "wooded area" just steps away from campus.

Tayler Hansen, an independent journalist, attempted to recreate the suspect's route across campus to test and debunk this theory with a video of his own.

"I went down there and decided to capture as close to the same angles as I could, compare myself, because I'm six-feet-tall, and the new conspiracy is that the real shooter, what they're claiming, is anywhere between six-foot-two to six-foot-three," he told Fox News Digital Friday.

Although he didn't have access to the campus surveillance footage, he said he did his best to place his camera at the same angle and height as the school's cameras. Then he retraced Robinson's steps and compared their heights.

"I was slightly taller, just in the ever slight amount," he said. "And that's enough right there, I mean it's enough to say, 'OK guys, let's move on to the next one.'"

Robinson wasn't even on campus

WATCH: New CCTV video allegedly shows Tyler Robinson on UVU campus on day Charlie Kirk was killed

Again, investigators alleged they can place Robinson on campus multiple times the day of the murder with video, physical and digital evidence.

They say he arrived in the morning, entered the campus, left, and came back later with different clothes on, following virtually the same path. And they showed a compilation video taken by UVU surveillance cameras showing all of that.

Additionally, Robinson allegedly made contact with some Turning Point USA representatives on campus.

In addition to the evidence mentioned above, police also obtained a Cellebrite extraction from Robinson's phone, according to testimony throughout the week. Such extractions include information about calls, texts, app usage and location and phone tower data. Robinson's defense attorneys have not introduced any phone data that could place him somewhere else at the time of the murder.

WATCH: Evidence in Tyler Robinson's case is overwhelming and devastating, lead prosecutor says

Maroon shirts

Another conspiracy theory promoted on social media claims that there are "many" young men who decided to wear maroon shirts and light shorts on the day Charlie Kirk was killed, stating "without a clear image, they certainly cannot declare it is Tyler Robinson."

A compilation video played in court shows the suspect in two different outfits — one of which included a maroon T-shirt. In the other, he wore a black, long-sleeved shirt. Prosecutors have alleged Robinson appears to be both of them, and they also have video of the suspect getting out of a gray Dodge Challenger in the school's parking garage — the same kind of vehicle Robinson drove.

In addition to the suspect wearing a maroon T-shirt at UVU, Robinson was also wearing a maroon T-shirt when he surrendered to authorities, video shows.

Claims that Lance Twiggs was never interviewed

Lance Twiggs, Robinson's former roommate and lover, sat for multiple interviews with authorities, including one that the prosecution attempted to play video of in court. After some objections from the defense, a redacted version was shown.

It was between Twiggs and Deputy Utah County Attorney Ryan McBride, one of the prosecutors on the case. Additional investigators were present but not shown on camera, including Agent Brian Davis of the Utah SBI.

The highly anticipated video was a huge part of the hearing this week.

Foreign government involvement

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The defense tried hard not to allow the public to hear testimony from Twiggs or see text messages, Discord chat logs or the handwritten note Robinson left for Twiggs — all three of which include what appear to be admissions of guilt.

Graf allowed that evidence, however, and the defense showed nothing to indicate there was a foreign conspiracy involved in Kirk's murder.

Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool drained again as Trump administration resumes repairs

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 05:57:19 -0400

Crews began draining the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Friday as the Trump administration launched another round of repairs following the nation's 250th anniversary celebration.

The latest repairs come after problems emerged shortly after the initial restoration project was completed last month, which President Donald Trump largely blamed on vandals.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, whose department oversees the National Park Service (NPS), told conservative podcaster Katie Miller this week that the latest round of work had been planned and that crews also needed to remove debris left behind after the July Fourth fireworks celebration on the National Mall.

BURGUM CLASHES WITH CNN HOST, BLASTS MEDIA FOR QUESTIONING VANDALISM OF LINCOLN MEMORIAL REFLECTING POOL

"Drain the water, clean up the fireworks stuff," Burgum said. "Repair the vandalism that was done. Fill it back up again."

Trump ordered the restoration project earlier this year as part of his effort to refurbish the landmark ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary.

The project was later beset by an algae bloom, and sections of the new blue coating began peeling from the bottom of the pool.

FORMER US OLYMPIAN DAVID HEARN PLEADS NOT GUILTY IN REFLECTING POOL VANDALISM CASE

Trump declared victory over the algae last Sunday, sharing photos on Truth Social showing the Reflecting Pool and its reflection appearing clear and blue.

Court records previously indicated the National Park Service planned to drain the pool again after the July Fourth celebrations to repair damage authorities attributed to vandalism.

According to court documents, U.S. Park Police responded to a report of damage at the Reflecting Pool on June 9. Investigators said caulk had been spread over foam sealant that had been cut with a "sharp knife or razor," the newly applied surface coating had been damaged, and approximately 70 fence post caps had been thrown into the pool.

JIM ACOSTA CLAIMS DONALD TRUMP VANITY PROJECTS LOOK LIKE ‘END DAYS OF SADDAM HUSSEIN’

Former U.S. Olympic canoeist David Hearn pleaded not guilty Thursday to damaging the recently renovated Reflecting Pool.

Hearn was indicted last week on a felony destruction of property charge following his arrest on charges related to a June 19 incident at the pool. He has denied damaging the Reflecting Pool, saying he stopped during a bike ride and touched a loose piece of the peeling blue coating "to satisfy my curiosity as a citizen."

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At least three other people have also been charged with misdemeanors on allegations they removed pieces of the Reflecting Pool's coating, according to online court records. All three pleaded not guilty during their initial court appearances Wednesday.

Fox News Digital's Peter Pinedo, Ryan Canfield, Eric Mack and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Trump warns US would 'decimate and destroy' Iran over assassination attempt

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 04:00:31 -0400

President Donald Trump on Friday warned Iran that the United States would "decimate and destroy" the country if Tehran carried out an assassination attempt against him.

"1000 Missiles are Locked and Loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran, with thousands of more to immediately follow, should the Iranian Government act on its threat, pronounced in many corners of the Globe, to assassinate, or attempt to assassinate, the sitting President of the United States of America, in this case, ME!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The president said he had already directed the U.S. military to be prepared to retaliate if Iran carried out an assassination attempt against him.

ISRAEL SHARES INTELLIGENCE WARNING IRAN PLOTTED NEW ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AGAINST TRUMP: REPORT

"Orders have already been given, and the U.S. Military is ready, willing, and able, for a one year period of time, subject to extension, to completely decimate and destroy all areas of Iran - PRAISE BE TO ALLAH!" Trump said.

Trump's comments came one day after The Wall Street Journal reported that Israeli intelligence recently shared information with U.S. officials indicating Iran was considering a new plot to assassinate the president.

Earlier this week, Trump told reporters at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, that he remains Iran's top target.

TRUMP SAYS HE'S IRAN'S 'NO. 1' TARGET AS RENEWED CONFLICT RAISES ASSASSINATION FEARS

"I'm No. 1 on the kill list for Iran," the president said.

Earlier Friday, Trump also told the New York Post he had left standing instructions to strike Iran if an assassination attempt against him succeeded.

"I’ve been on their list for a long time. That’s what we’re dealing with," Trump said. "… The only thing is, I’ve left instructions — if anything happens, to just literally bomb them at levels that they’ve never seen before."

TRUMP SAYS HE LEFT INSTRUCTIONS TO 'BOMB' IRAN 'AT LEVELS' NEVER SEEN IF HE IS ASSASSINATED

Trump also dismissed reports that Israeli intelligence had uncovered a new Iranian assassination plot against him.

"No, no, Israel came up with nothing," Trump told the newspaper. "I’ve been No. 1 [on Iran’s kill list] for a long time, and it’s the way life is, you know."

The New York Times reported that following Trump's trip to Turkey, the U.S. Secret Service recommended he travel aboard the older Air Force One rather than the newly retrofitted Boeing 747 donated by Qatar as a security precaution amid renewed hostilities with Iran.

The White House has not said whether the aircraft change was related to specific security concerns, but said the new Air Force One is equipped with advanced security features.

"The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff," White House Communications Director Steven Cheung previously told Fox News Digital. "As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats."

Iran has sought Trump's assassination since he ordered the 2020 military strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani.

This week, mourners repeatedly called for Trump's death during the funeral for Iran's former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

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The comments also come as a U.S.-Iran ceasefire has unraveled in recent days.

Iran attacked commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz this week, prompting renewed U.S. military action, including a new round of strikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure tied to maritime operations and other military sites.

Trump has since declared the ceasefire "over" and warned of further action if Iran continues its attacks.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House and the U.S. Secret Service for comment.

Fox News Digital's Morgan Phillips and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

California men accused of $100K burglary allegedly took selfies while committing crime

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 02:42:47 -0400

Two California men accused of stealing more than $100,000 worth of tools, copper wire and vehicles allegedly took pictures of themselves while committing the crimes, authorities said.

The alleged thefts occurred during a burglary at a business in American Canyon on July 6, according to the American Canyon Police Department.

Police said officers responded to a reported burglary in the 1100 block of Green Island Road.

TWO ARRESTED AT COSTCO AFTER ALLEGED FRAUDULENT CREDIT CARD SHOPPING SPREE

Investigators identified two vehicles connected to the burglary and shared the information with neighboring law enforcement agencies.

The following day, the Alameda County Sheriff's Office stopped one of the vehicles and detained the driver, who was identified as Daniel Lemas, 53, of Hayward.

Police said evidence recovered during the investigation included selfie photographs allegedly showing Lemas committing the burglary.

FBI ANNOUNCES 305 ARRESTS, 24 MISSING CHILDREN RECOVERED IN CHICAGO DURING OPERATION NEW DAWN

Lemas was arrested on charges of burglary and booked into the Napa County Department of Corrections on multiple felony charges stemming from the investigation.

On July 8, the Hayward Police Department stopped the second vehicle connected to the burglary and detained the driver, identified as 49-year-old Dennis Tylij of Hayward.

After responding to the scene, American Canyon police arrested Tylij, who was booked into the Napa County Department of Corrections on a felony conspiracy charge.

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Investigators later executed a search warrant at a home in the 3200 block of Arden Road in Hayward, where they recovered some of the stolen property.

According to The California Post, Lemas has since posted $25,000 bail and was released from custody, while Tylij remains jailed.

Red Sox had a nightmare travel day for the ages, yet still found a way to beat the Mets in New York

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 23:25:02 -0400

If you thought your commute was brutal, maybe don't say anything to the Boston Red Sox.

Then again, the New York Mets might have had it worse. They still lost to a team running on fumes and airport coffee.

The Red Sox wrapped up a three-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox on Thursday, then headed to the airport for a flight to New York ahead of a three-game series with the Mets before the All-Star break.

NEW REPORT SUGGESTS THE NEW YORK METS ARE OPEN TO TRADING FRANCISCO LINDOR AMID DISASTROUS SEASON

A flight from Chicago to New York is pretty routine, but the Red Sox had to wait around at the airport because of an issue with their plane. According to MLB.com, it got so bad that at two in the morning, the team had to head back to a Chicago hotel and crash there for the night.

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Not ideal, but there was still plenty of time to leave early Friday morning. Of course, when the team returned to the airport, another mechanical issue delayed the flight yet again (and by that point, would you even want to get on the plane?).

After an almost 24-hour travel odyssey (by the way, with all the flights professional and college teams take all season long, I can't believe this doesn't happen more), the Red Sox finally made it to Citi Field... at 5:05 p.m. ET for what was originally going to be a 7:15 p.m. ET start time.

That got pushed back to 7:50 p.m. ET, and surely that 35 minutes made a world of difference for what had to be a pretty miserable team.

But remember, they're playing the Mets. If any team is going to find a way to lose to a team that is playing after all of that, it's "The Amazin' Mets."

The Red Sox came out with energy and scored a couple of runs in the top of the first inning, and went on to win the game 6-2.

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Granted, the Red Sox are on a heater, and the Mets are still wallowing away in the NL East basement, but given the circumstances, losing this one is brutal.

If ever there is a team you should beat, it's the one that had such a hellish trip to the ballpark and only showed up in town about three hours before the opening pitch.

Former Heat teammates Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro involved in heated Las Vegas exchange: report

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 22:23:10 -0400

Tensions between former Miami Heat teammates Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro reportedly boiled over in Las Vegas early Friday.

ESPN reported, citing sources, that the two NBA stars were involved in a physical altercation at an NBA Summer League practice facility, during which the Heat center allegedly struck the Milwaukee Bucks guard in the head area. NBA Summer League returned to the Las Vegas area on Thursday. Herro attended Friday's Bucks-Heat Summer League matchup at Thomas & Mack Center on UNLV's campus.

Sources told ESPN that Adebayo initially confronted Herro over alleged social media comments criticizing his defense. The comments appeared to surface after the blockbuster deal that sent Giannis Antetokounmpo to Miami and Herro to Milwaukee, ending his time as Adebayo’s Heat teammate.

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Screenshots circulated online purportedly showed Herro questioning Adebayo’s defensive prowess in an Instagram direct message with a fan.

Herro greeted Bucks Summer League players after the Heat's 119-86 win. He also spoke briefly with ex-Heat and current Bucks forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. on the court before leaving the building without addressing the incident with Adebayo.

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Herro did speak with Prime Video during the game's broadcast and suggested there's no awkwardness in seeing his former team.

"It's all love in Miami ," Herro said. "I've seen a couple of the guys, coaching staff, Chris Quinn, Spo [Erik Spoelstra], the front office guys; we are all good in Miami. Just an opportunity for both sides to reset, get a fresh start, and both are super happy with this."

First-year Bucks head coach Taylor Jenkins told SiriusXM NBA Radio he had "no comment" on the matter, adding, "I don’t really know all the specifics."

Adebayo agreed to a three-year, $166 million extension with Miami in June 2024. The alleged DM also appeared to question whether his nightly defensive effort justified a salary approaching $60 million.

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In March, Adebayo delivered a franchise-record 83-point performance against the Washington Wizards, moving past Kobe Bryant’s 81-point game for the second-highest scoring night in NBA history. Herro was named the league's Sixth Man of the Year in 2022.

In a statement, the Heat said, "We are aware and not commenting." The Bucks declined to comment on the situation.

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Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham reportedly set to release first signature sneaker

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 21:55:50 -0400

Getting a signature sneaker is a big milestone for any professional basketball player, and one of the next to get that honor is reportedly Sophie Cunningham of the WNBA's Indiana Fever.

Or, as you may know her, the one from the pointing meme that took over the internet a couple of weeks ago.

According to Sole Retriever, the WNBA star is going to be getting her own batch of shoes that are reportedly going to hit the market later this month.

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

Adidas is reportedly going to drop the Crazy Energy Sophie Cunningham PE on July 24, and it will carry a not-at-all insane price tag of $120.

I'm not sure the color scheme is my style, but that's a tempting price for an athlete's signature shoe.

With this news, I saw some people whining about Cunningham getting a signature set of kicks when she averages 8 points per game over the course of her career.

To those people, I'd say, "You do realize she has 2 million followers on Instagram, a podcast, and that, for about 48 hours over the last couple of weeks, photos and videos of her pointing at the Phoenix Mercury's DeWanna Bonner were the most popular thing on the internet, right?"

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So, yeah, I think the folks at Adidas probably realize that, even if the stat line may not put her in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, there's no denying that she's marketable as hell.

Sure, sports is the ultimate meritocracy, but in business, you go with what is going to help you turn a profit.

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Which is funny because Cunningham's teammate, Caitlin Clark, checks both of those boxes, a rare combination, yet the WNBA still doesn't seem to see the benefit of leaning into her popularity.

Well, Adidas isn't going to miss out on an opportunity with Cunningham, that's for sure.

Host claims WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert canceled interview as Caitlin Clark controversy mounts

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 21:20:07 -0400

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert canceled an interview on "The Dan Patrick Show," the host announced during his show on Friday. Both Engelbert and Patrick are at the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament in Nevada.

Patrick said the conversation was scheduled for Thursday, but he claimed the WNBA's public relations team instructed Engelbert to cancel.

"We waited almost two hours for her. This was scheduled." Patrick said. "She was going to do a meeting in her hotel room, a conference call, and then she was going to join us... We're standing by, we're waiting to interview her."

WNBA EXPANDS REGULAR SEASON TO 50 GAMES STARTING IN 2027, THE LONGEST SCHEDULE IN LEAGUE HISTORY

Patrick added that he intended to ask questions about Caitlin Clark, and other topics including WNBA expansion.

"Then we got word... that the commissioner said that the WNBA staff, the PR staff, said that she is not allowed to do this. They would prefer that she did not do this," Patrick said.

Patrick criticized Engelbert's handling of the interview.

"You're the commissioner, and you're listening to the PR department, which is fine. But did you check with PR before you said yes to us? We promoted it all day yesterday," he said.

"It was her opportunity to finally say, 'hey, you can ask me the tough questions.' I thought this was going to be a good thing for the WNBA because people still want answers here. There’s so many people who have an opinion, agendas here, and this was a chance to sit down. And yes, would the questions be tough? Yes, yes. And I’m sure that had something to do with it.... So, it’s just disappointing.

"If you want to be treated as a serious league, this is what happens! These are tough questions, but this is a fair outlet for you — a fair platform. I will treat you with respect."

Patrick even claimed that Engelbert was golfing 50 yards away from him, while he was doing Friday's show, as his show's feed cut to footage of the commissioner driving a ball.

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Patrick previously claimed on his show that after Clark was punched in the throat by Phoenix Mercury star Alyssa Thomas, his producers reached out to the WNBA for a statement on June 25 and never received a response.

Patrick publicly criticized the league for this lack of communication on June 26, 2026, stating that the silence allowed the situation to "spiral out of control."

Engelbert has come under immense scrutiny in recent weeks after the infamous throat punch to Clark, as referees did not call the hit a foul in real time.

While Thomas was dealt a one-game suspension after the play was reviewed and upgraded to a flagrant 1, the league never publicly addressed the hit on Clark, or growing history of questionable hard contact on the star since she came into the league in 2024.

Instead, the WNBA put out a statement in defense of Thomas after she allegedly received backlash online.

"The safety and well-being of everyone in our community is always the league's top priority. We are aware of Alyssa Thomas' comments, and what she and her teammates have experienced is completely unacceptable and not representative of the WNBA community. The league and our security team have been in contact with the Phoenix Mercury organization and remain committed to protecting all players," the statement read.

Clark then finished 11th in the peer-voted portion of the 2026 WNBA All-Star balloting, despite ranking in the top five league-wide in both points and assists. This sparked major controversy, with WNBA legend Candace Parker publicly criticizing players for disrespecting Clark.

"When I sat down, as much as I did not like Diana Taurasi, there ain’t no way I’m not going to write her as an All-Star," Parker said. "As much as I did not like anyone on the Lynx because they used to whoop our a—, I’m not going to not put Maya Moore or Sylvia Fowles. I think people need to look at themselves in the mirror and realize, like, man, you’ve got some insecurities if you’re sitting down and putting Caitlin Clark as the eleventh best guard."

The controversy reached a peak this past week when it reached Capitol Hill.

Eleven Republican lawmakers recently sent a letter to Commissioner Engelbert. They demanded accountability for the physical hostility directed at Clark. They even suggested federal agencies like the Department of Justice investigate the league for creating a hostile work environment.

The Indiana Fever quickly distanced themselves from the political intervention. The team released a statement confirming they had no prior knowledge of the letter. Fever head coach Stephanie White then completely refused to engage with the topic when asked about it by Fox News Digital at a pre-game press conference on Thursday.

"That's not something we can control," White said.

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"We're not affiliated with those groups. We try to keep the main thing the main thing and focus on the things we can control."

Prosecutors seeking death penalty for deported illegal alien indicted in murder of sister-in-law

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 21:10:58 -0400

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty involving an illegal alien who re-entered the U.S. after being deported and allegedly killed a Florida woman before fleeing to a sanctuary city.

Bangladeshi national Shahidul Islam, 44, was indicted Wednesday by a Lake County, Florida, grand jury on a premeditated first-degree murder charge for the May 2, 2025, shooting death of his sister-in-law, Monica Islam.

Hours after Monica Islam's disappearance on May 2, she was found with a gunshot wound to the head on the side of the road, according to State Attorney Bill Gladson of the Fifth Judicial Circuit.

She was last seen walking toward Shahidul Islam's car, and Gladson said authorities discovered he made numerous "suspicious" searches online on the morning of the killing.

THREE-TIME DEPORTED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHARGED WITH KILLING NORTH CAROLINA GIRL, 6, AFTER RUNNING STOP SIGN

A search warrant uncovered bloodstains matching Monica Islam's DNA in Shahidul Islam's car, along with a bullet lodged in the passenger door and a shattered passenger window.

Following the killing, Gladson said Shahidul Islam rented a car and drove to New York City.

He was later tracked down in a joint effort between local, state and federal law enforcement partners.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCK DRIVER CHARGED IN DEATH OF TROOPER WHO MOVED HOME TO CARE FOR MOM WITH CANCER

After being prosecuted and sentenced for his unlawful entry into the U.S., Shahidul Islam was extradited back to Lake County. He is currently being held without bond at the Lake County Detention Facility.

Gladson's office announced on Wednesday it is seeking the death penalty, citing the severe nature of the crime and its impact on the victim's family.

"No family should ever have to endure the pain of such a senseless and horrific act of violence as this one," Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia wrote in a statement. "Shahidul Islam illegally entered our country after being deported, committed this heinous crime, and then fled to a sanctuary city."

WATCH: ANGEL MOM TURNS TABLES ON SANCTUARY POLITICIANS WITH BASIC QUESTION ABOUT THEIR PRIORITIES

Ingoglia added Florida "will continue to stand firm against violent crime, sanctuary cities and illegal immigration," and "will never apologize for putting the safety of law-abiding families first."

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Gladson said that while "no prosecution can restore the life that was taken," his office intends to "pursue justice on their behalf and hold this offender accountable to the fullest extent of the law."

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

New Jersey woman accused of sexually assaulting child, posting video on Snapchat: police

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 20:58:07 -0400

A New Jersey woman is accused of sexually assaulting a child younger than 13, recording the alleged abuse and sharing at least one video on Snapchat, according to court documents.

Victoria Anne Cranmer, 25, was arrested Tuesday and charged with second-degree sexual assault, second-degree manufacturing of child sexual abuse material, third-degree possession of child sexual abuse material and third-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

Authorities allege Cranmer recorded the 14-second video on May 6 inside the bathroom of a Little Egg Harbor home while the child was in her care.

STEPDAD ACCUSED OF SEX ASSAULT AS COPS WIDEN PROBE INTO GIRL’S LETHAL BENADRYL INGREDIENT DOSE

Investigators identified Cranmer through several distinctive tattoos visible in the recording, including one on her leg depicting breasts, the outlet reported.

According to an affidavit of probable cause, the investigation began May 20 after the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency referred the allegations to the Little Egg Harbor Police Department and the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office Special Victims Unit. Detectives later obtained search warrants for both a cellphone allegedly used by Cranmer and her Snapchat account, where investigators said they uncovered additional videos saved in Snapchat's Memories feature.

According to the affidavit, the cellphone had been purchased for Cranmer by a former roommate as a birthday gift. After asking Cranmer to move out, the roommate requested she leave the phone behind. While reviewing its contents, the roommate allegedly discovered the recording, saved the video and later turned the device over to investigators, according to the affidavit.

TEACHER ACCUSED OF SEX WITH STUDENTS WAS ALLEGEDLY BLACKMAILED FOR BETTER GRADES: WARRANTS

Investigators also allege Cranmer was laughing while assaulting the child in the video, according to the court according to court documents cited by NJ.com.

At least one of the alleged recordings was shared on Snapchat, New Jersey 101.5 reported.

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Cranmer was booked into the Ocean County Jail, where she is being held without bail.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office for additional information and to determine whether Cranmer has legal representation.

Christopher Nolan calls criticism of 'The Odyssey' casting decisions 'irrelevant'

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 20:50:06 -0400

I did not expect Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" to become the biggest cultural lightning rod on my 2026 bingo card, yet it's only heating up with the film set to hit theaters next week.

Nolan's adaptation has been a punching bag for many moviegoers, myself included, in the months leading up to its much-anticipated release. The criticism has largely centered on the race-swapping of Helen of Troy by casting Lupita Nyong'o, as well as the inclusion of 5-foot-nothing biological female Elliot (formerly Ellen) Page as the Greek warrior Sinon. Other complaints include the modernized dialogue and the film's apparent inspiration from Emily Wilson's liberal translation of the Greek Epic.

Now Nolan is gaslighting critics who are rightfully upset or simply questioning the film's clear liberal creative decisions by calling their concerns "irrelevant."

CHRISTOPHER NOLAN'S 'THE ODYSSEY' GETS OVERWHELMINGLY NEGATIVE REACTIONS AFTER CONTROVERSIAL CASTING CHOICES

While speaking with The Telegraph, Nolan said that the backlash the film has received "comes with the territory."

Nolan added, "These conversations that happen before people see the film – they’re always irrelevant, because no one having them knows what the film actually is yet."

It's true that it's premature to make a final judgment about a film that 99.9% of the world hasn't seen yet, aside from a handful of traditional film critics and members of the press, who have done nothing but praise it. (What a coincidence.) The problem, though, is that Nolan seems to believe legitimate criticism carries no weight simply because the film hasn't been released to the general public.

BELOVED 'LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE' FACES WAGONLOAD OF 'WOKE' ALLEGATIONS OVER NETFLIX REBOOT

Is race-swapping characters an issue with the majority of moviegoers? Yes, for the most part. Audiences have been subjected to White characters portrayed by Black actors and actresses many times over the past decade or so. Those decisions are rooted in a specific left-wing political movement and their causes, including DEI.

The live action "Little Mermaid" was portrayed by a black actress, "Rings of Power" includes black dwarves and multicultural elves, the new "Harry Potter" show will include a black actor portraying Professor Severus Snape, House Velaryon characters are portrayed by Black actors and actresses in "House of the Dragon," live action "Snow White" was played by the insufferable Rachel Zegler who has Colombian ancestry, "Wheel of Time" race-swapped many characters — the list goes on and on.

Audiences can look past some race-swapping decisions because they don't necessarily preach a modern political message of diversity, equity, and inclusion or affect the character or story in a major way — if at all. Commissioner James Gordon in "The Batman" (the latest Batman adaptation, not to be confused with Christopher Nolan's trilogy), starring Robert Pattinson, was race-swapped, for example. I didn't really care, and there was little, if any, backlash. The same can't be said for race-swapping Helen of Troy or casting Zendaya as Athena.

"The Odyssey" is a Greek Epic. Helen of Troy isn’t African. Athena is a GREEK goddess. Race-swapping those characters are within themselves a political statement worthy of criticism. Denouncing those criticisms as "irrelevant" sounds more like arrogance and deflection than anything.

The film also has the Elliot Page issue. Page is a biological female larping as a male, portraying a Greek warrior. Not only is the film race-swapping, it’s gender-swapping. Again, the inclusion of Page is a blatant political statement rooted in DEI. Criticizing that casting is fair game.

I believe those two specific criticisms should not be ignored. The controversy, which Nolan created by allowing the casting decisions — not because critics like myself have questioned and condemned them — should be tackled head-on. You made the decisions. Now stand by them. Admit you race-swapped the characters. Provide your justification. Don’t deflect. Own it.

Nolan went on to say, "What I learned over my time on [the Batman] trilogy is you can’t worry about any of that [criticism] at all. What you have to do is honor the original text by interpreting it in the strongest way you personally can."

The best way you can "honor the original text" is faithfully adapting it, Christopher.

What you’re doing is being subversive. You’re making political, divisive statements with these decisions, whether you want to admit to it or not.

Audiences questioning whether the film is taking inspiration from — or even directly drawing on — Emily Wilson's liberal translation of the Greek Epic is not irrelevant. It matters to the story being adapted for the silver screen because, based on Nyong'o's comments about Homer's perceived lack of female representation in the original work (a claim that is highly disputed), your statement on "The Four Cast" that the film was made for "modern audiences," and a basic understanding of Wilson's translation, those concerns are understandable.

Nolan, you seem to be gaslighting critics throughout the film's pre-release press tour, including when "The Four Cast" pressed you about using modern vernacular, such as Tom Holland's Telemachus saying "dad" and Robert Pattinson's Antinous saying "daddy." You dismissed that criticism as rooted in illogical "cultural prejudice."

Good grief.

Scholars say the term "dad" wasn’t culturally normal until the 17th century, thousands of years after "The Odyssey" was even said to be written. You can’t just say, "Well, if you don’t like that I’m not being faithful to the source material, your criticism is irrelevant and you have prejudices to work through."

Liberal audiences, publications like Variety , and you, the director, can dismiss this specific criticism about the dialogue as silly all you want. But for an award-winning filmmaker whose work is widely praised for its immersive quality, dialogue like this pulls viewers out of what is supposed to be an authentic Ancient Greek world. It feels inauthentic and out of place in the very setting you're claiming to portray faithfully. That criticism is not irrelevant.

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This movie could be fine overall, but it has some clear issues worth debating and discussing.

Finally, if Nolan truly wanted to give "The Odyssey" a modern interpretation, as he has stated, he shouldn’t have based it in Ancient Greece. Problem solved.

What's next in the battle to 'save women's sports' after SCOTUS ruling — and the hidden damage driving it

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 20:00:06 -0400

For millions of women and girls across the country, the Supreme Court's ruling on trans athletes has changed nothing.

There are still 23 states that don't have laws keeping biological males out of women's sports, and 19 of those states have policies that actively allow it. Washington state is one of those.

"No matter what the ruling with the Supreme Court was, nothing has changed," Washington high school athlete Soleil Hoefer told Fox News Digital. "It’s just really frustrating to be a part of such a movement that isn’t getting any relief like these two girls have."

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Her junior year, she said, her club soccer team played against a biological male goalkeeper during a showcase tournament in Las Vegas.

"I was a forward. Wasn’t a great matchup," Hoefer said. "Knowing that I didn’t have the physical ability to beat this man was so frustrating."

Then, during her senior year, she said she had to run against a male athlete in the 400 meters.

"The 400 meter race is already such a mental game," she said. "Knowing that no matter what I trained for and what time I ran, I would always lose was so frustrating, and knowing that this could possibly happen to my little sister is what made me stand up for it."

But Hoefer also warned of an issue that goes beyond just medals podiums, after a fellow female athlete in her state was allegedly sexually assaulted by a trans competitor during a wrestling match earlier this year.

"There’s another case that has just recently happened with a girl named Kallie [Keeler]. She’s a wrestler in Washington state. And she was sexually assaulted during a wrestling match," Hoefer said, referring to the Washington lawsuit. "So I think a big part of what comes next is our state coming to the realization of this is going to keep happening if nothing happens."

Fox News Digital previously reported that a Washington family filed a lawsuit alleging their daughter was sexually assaulted by a biological male trans athlete during a girls’ wrestling match.

Kristen Waggoner, CEO, president and chief counsel of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which is leading the lawsuit, said the Washington case shows why the debate over girls’ sports is not limited to trophies or scholarships.

"Kallie’s experience is not just unfortunate, it is devastating to any girl," Waggoner said, referring to the Washington wrestler. "To wrestle as a 16-year-old in a sport and believe that you’re wrestling a girl, and then learn that it not only is a boy, but to be sexually assaulted… it’s horrendous, and it’s sexual assault."

Waggoner said she wishes the case were isolated.

"I wish it was an isolated case, but it’s not," she said. "We will work until we win that case for her."

To Waggoner, the hidden damage behind the movement is not only competitive unfairness. It is what girls say happens in locker rooms, hotel rooms, bathrooms and contact sports when adults erase sex-based boundaries in the name of inclusion.

"Women and girls deserve their right to privacy and their right to physical safety," Waggoner said. "You shouldn’t have to even have to talk about sexual assault as a consequence of this because we know that differences matter between the sexes."

That same theme came through in the story of Adaleia Cross, a West Virginia student-athlete who spoke out after a trans athlete at the center of the West Virginia case that was decided by the Supreme Court, competed on girls’ teams. Cross has alleged sexual harassment and said her school district failed to protect her; the trans athlete and the trans athlete's mother have denied harassment allegations, and prior reporting said the school district found allegations unsubstantiated. Cross and ADF maintain that the harm occurred.

"I think it needs to be way more focused on than it is," Cross said of the risks of sexual harassment and abuse to girls as a result of trans athlete inclusion.

"Girls are not safe when they have to share private spaces with men, and people just don't talk about it enough. And I think that if more people were aware going forward, more people would be angry.

"It’s really hard to think about even now to know how many other kids could they be doing that to? How many other situations of sexual abuse are happening that they’re silencing?"

Hoefer shares that frustration and fear as a high schooler in a state that continues to allow males in girls' sports.

"Us having to be in spaces with male athletes... having to share bathrooms, having to share locker rooms, having to share a hotel room if we're traveling, none of it is fair. And it makes me wonder, when are people going to realize, like, it shouldn't have to come to this point where people are going through sexual assault or sexual harassment. And I want them to focus on that more, I want the media to highlight that more," Hoefer said.

"People always say 'they're lying about it. People don't do that.' But that's not what the reality is... people think it is all just about fairness, it's about safety."

Further concerns over media coverage

Former Idaho State runner Madison Kenyon, who was a voluntary defendant on the Idaho SCOTUS case, has been a recurring figure in mainstream media coverage on the case over the last year. She, along with Waggoner, have done interviews on outlets including CNN.

Kenyon said she believes mainstream media coverage has improved since she first started speaking out six years ago, but still has not centered enough on female athletes.

"I think it should be bigger," Kenyon told Fox News Digital. "I think that we should truly be showing the stories of the women."

She said that when she first entered the debate, "nobody was talking about it" and it was "taboo." Now, she said, more Americans understand the issue, but the coverage still too often fails to show the full cost to girls.

"The media needs to show that 80% of Americans do not think it is fair for men to compete as females, that it is unsafe to have men in our locker rooms, and I wish the media would really show that part more clearly," Kenyon said.

A 2025 Gallup survey found that 69% of U.S. adults believed transgender athletes should only be allowed to play on teams matching their birth sex, while 24% said they should be able to play on teams matching their gender identity.

Waggoner said the media environment has shifted from where it was a decade ago.

"It was a tough go 10 years ago, to be able to talk about these things," Waggoner said. "But I think now as Americans have seen in real time the differences between men and women… the media has also begun to shift a little bit as well."

Still, she said interviews on major outlets can remain difficult.

"They do ask the tough questions and sometimes some unfair ones," Waggoner said. "It has been an absolute delight to see courageous young women athletes stand up for truth."

The next frontier

The country is now divided into three practical categories.

The first category is the 27 states with laws protecting girls’ and women’s sports based on biological sex. The second is the 19 states without such laws that still actively allow transgender athletes to compete in girls’ sports. The third is a smaller group — Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Alaska and Virginia — where there is no state statute, but state education agencies or high school athletic associations have imposed sex-based restrictions.

California is one of the clearest examples of resistance. The state has AB 1266, which protects transgender students’ ability to participate in school programs and athletic teams consistent with gender identity. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office told Fox News Digital the ruling "does not affect California’s laws."

Illinois has also pushed back. The Illinois High School Association uses a formal policy for transgender athlete participation, and Gov. JB Pritzker called the Supreme Court decision a "setback for equality."

Minnesota and Maine are also major battlegrounds. Minnesota’s high school league allows transgender athletes to compete after case-by-case evaluation, and Maine’s Principals’ Association allows students to compete on teams matching gender identity. Both states, as well as California, are being sued by President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice over their policies.

Other states are moving in the opposite direction. Nevada does not currently have a girls’ sports protection law, but Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo told Fox News Digital the Supreme Court ruling provides "important legal clarity" and said he will push lawmakers to act during the 2027 legislative session. Colorado voters are set to decide a November 2026 ballot measure that could mandate teams based on biological sex.

Vermont and Washington remain especially central to ADF’s next phase. Vermont’s Principals’ Association explicitly protects transgender athletes’ ability to participate on teams consistent with gender identity, while Washington’s WIAA maintains its gender-identity-based participation policy.

Waggoner said ADF’s strategy is to keep pushing in those states through both litigation and culture.

"You can expect that we will uproot gender ideology from the law, and we will not stop until we do," Waggoner said. "We have several lawsuits that are already ongoing in those 23 states, and we will continue to work to protect women and girls."

But she said courtrooms alone will not settle the issue.

"This isn’t just something that it can be won in the courtroom. It has to be won in the culture as well, and the two go hand in hand, so all of us have a role to play," she added.

One of those culture fights is already playing out in Vermont.

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Mid Vermont Christian School recently received a $566,000 settlement in damages and legal fees after being barred from state sports and academic competitions following its 2023 girls’ basketball forfeit against a team with a transgender athlete. The Vermont Principals’ Association banned the school from athletics and other competitions after the forfeit; a settlement later allowed the school back into the state athletic association.

Chris Goodwin, the Mid Vermont Christian girls’ basketball coach, said the settlement did not resolve the larger issue in Vermont.

"From just the coaches I’ve talked to, the parents I’ve talked to outside of our school, the vast majority of them would rather not have to compete against a boy," Goodwin told Fox News Digital.

He said the state still has "a culture and environment of fear."

"I know coaches and administrators who, if they wanted to go against this policy before our case was settled, that they told me they would be punished or lose their jobs for it," Goodwin said. "Even though the case was settled, Vermont is still gonna be pretty pervasive with the transgender policies."

Goodwin said the issue is personal because he has a daughter.

"I always think about… my daughter… having to make that choice of you have to play against male athletes or you can’t play at all, and that just seems so unfair to me," he said. "It’s not right, and it goes against our religious beliefs. It goes against what our school teaches."

His wife, Bethany Goodwin, made the same point in simpler terms.

"I have a daughter, and so I know how that makes her feel to have to play against a boy," she said. "It’s uncomfortable and it shouldn’t be something that she has to even think about."

She added, "Girls obviously shouldn’t be forced to have to compete against boys and have that choice of either compete against boys or don’t compete at all. That shouldn’t be a choice they have to make."

Ryan Tucker, ADF senior counsel and director of its Center for Christian Ministries, said Vermont’s sports dispute is part of a broader religious-liberty fight. Tucker oversees ADF litigation involving churches, Christian ministries and religious schools.

"Unfortunately, religious schools, religious people overall in the state of Vermont have been under a constant attack for several decades," Tucker told Fox News Digital. "The discrimination, the hostility that was shown in the sports context is one piece of a broader pattern of problems in the state."

He pointed to other disputes involving religious schools and public benefit programs, including dual enrollment, early college and town tuitioning.

"Every time that we either win a case to open the state up or the United States Supreme Court decides an opinion that really should settle the issue, Vermont looks for a workaround," Tucker said.

After the $566,000 settlement, he said, "I think the state will hopefully think twice about taking a similar action since it cost half a million dollars this go-around."

"If Vermont continues to discriminate against people of faith, we’re gonna be there to get their back and take the state to court if we need to," Tucker said. "My hope is that at some point Vermont will get the message: the U.S. Constitution is supreme."

The legal fight is also moving into a new phase: accountability for past seasons.

The Supreme Court ruling did not award damages to female athletes affected by transgender athlete policies. But lawsuits by Riley Gaines against the NCAA and by Brooke Slusser against San Jose State and the Mountain West Conference seek damages for women who say they lost equal opportunities, privacy, safety or fair competition under policies that allowed transgender-identifying male athletes to compete in women’s sports.

Bill Bock, an attorney leading those cases for the Independent Council on Women’s Sports, said the ruling undermines institutions’ argument that Title IX required them to allow biological males identifying as female into women’s sports.

"They had no basis for what they did to women," Bock told Fox News Digital.

Former University of Arizona swimmer Marshi Smith, co-founder of ICONS, said the ruling was major but incomplete.

"We’re lacking accountability still," Smith said, pointing to titles, records, roster spots and scholarships that female athletes say they lost.

That question resonates with Kenyon, who said athletic opportunities shaped her adult life. She maintained her scholarship, got a nursing degree, works as an emergency room nurse and said sports helped pave the way for her future.

"That scholarship got me my education, my career, and literally has had an impact on the future that I’ve paved for myself," Kenyon said. "When a male competes in female athletics, women are sidelined with nowhere to go."

Kenyon said girls who lost medals and podium places deserve more than a symbolic win.

"We need to give the rewards to the women who won them," she said. "There are so many women who took first place and didn’t get their trophy or their medal, or were on a podium and never got to be on the podium."

Waggoner said the Supreme Court’s Title IX reasoning is now central to ADF’s next lawsuits. The court, she said, answered whether states can recognize biological distinctions in sports, but not whether they must.

"The logic behind the decision does help answer that question because the court recognized these differences are real, they matter," Waggoner said. "For every time a boy takes a girl’s position, it takes away an equal opportunity to a girl."

"Title IX, the whole purpose behind it is to provide equal opportunities to women and girls," she added. "So we believe it’s a violation of Title IX, and we will continue to litigate until we win that issue."

The NCAA changed its transgender athlete policy in 2025 to limit women’s competition to student-athletes assigned female at birth, and the Supreme Court’s opinion noted that the NCAA, USOPC and IOC had all drawn sex-based lines for female competition.

Waggoner hopes to see elite female athletes who benefited from Title IX speak out.

"There’s no room for cowardice. There’s only room for courage, and it’s never too late to speak out on behalf of women and girls," Waggoner said. "The equal opportunities that so many of those athletes have benefited from because of Title IX should be available to those who come behind."

Kenyon said backlash exists, but she believes it is smaller than it sounds.

"I did receive backlash and messages, but I was flooded with support, and that really kept me going," she said. "There really is a loud minority out there."

She said the Supreme Court did more than hand her side a legal win.

"I’m grateful that the Supreme Court not only ruled in our favor, but they addressed biological reality throughout their entire decision," Kenyon said.

For Hoefer, the next step is less abstract. It is not only about Title IX, state statutes, federal funding or athletic associations.

It is about Washington. It is about a little sister entering high school. It is about a state where, she says, girls still have no relief.

"Honestly, I think it just comes down to people like me speaking up," Hoefer said. "The more people speak out, parents advocate, people advocate, administrations advocate, then it’ll just kind of be an overtaking of the show of people who do think that this is wrong."

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She paused on the reason she wants that change sooner rather than later.

"My little sister is now a freshman in high school," Hoefer said. "And I cannot even imagine her being in a situation where she has to compete against a boy."

MIKE DAVIS: One leftist Wisconsin judge lets fellow traveler off with wrist slap

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 14:50:47 -0400

Disgraced former Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan resigned from the bench after getting charged with obstruction of justice for distracting ICE agents and helping an illegal alien charged with domestic abuse escape through a back door to avoid arrest. A federal jury found her guilty of obstruction of justice, and she faced a recommended prison sentence of 15 to 21 months, with a 60-month maximum. Shamefully, former Democrat politician and Clinton-appointed Judge Lynn Adelman gave her no jail time.

Dugan's conduct, and the woefully lenient sentence for it, defile the judiciary and shows that some people are indeed above the law.

Eduardo Flores-Ruiz blatantly disregarded our laws by entering our country illegally. He was deported and should have gotten the message to stay away from our nation. Instead, he came back, again illegally, and began wreaking havoc in Milwaukee. On April 18, 2025, he had a scheduled appearance in Dugan's courtroom for three domestic violence charges. Aware of Flores-Ruiz's expected appearance, ICE agents went to arrest him at the Milwaukee County Courthouse pursuant to an administrative warrant. That's when Dugan grossly and illegally abused her power, causing chaos and putting those agents' lives in danger in the interest of her radical leftist ideology.

FORMER WISCONSIN JUDGE HANNAH DUGAN AVOIDS JAIL TIME FOR OBSTRUCTING ARREST OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT

The agents informed Dugan's courtroom deputy why they were there and politely waited for Flores-Ruiz in a public hallway. When informed of the impending arrest, Dugan inexcusably left her courtroom to confront the agents. She claimed that an administrative warrant was insufficient for an arrest, a legally absurd assertion coming from a judge. She ordered agents to leave the building, a command she had no authority to issue. Finally, she directed the agents to the office of the chief judge. Unbeknownst to the agents, this was Dugan's way of diverting their attention so she could put her plan into effect.

Once the agents left, Dugan immediately addressed Flores-Ruiz's case off the record and scheduled a status conference, even informing the defendant's attorney that the accused domestic abuser could appear via Zoom. Then, Dugan directed Flores-Ruiz and his attorney to leave through a side door inaccessible to the public. The judge even led them out herself so the illegal alien did not have to pass through a door opening to a public hallway. Dugan ensured Flores-Ruiz reached a stairwell leading out of the building and to the street so he could escape easily.

Within minutes, the agents determined what had occurred. Along with FBI agents, they gave chase and eventually arrested Flores-Ruiz. This chaotic scene unfolded in front of moving city traffic in the downpour of rain. Any agent could have been killed had a car skidded in the poor conditions. This risk was eminently foreseeable. But Dugan flagrantly disregarded it in the name of protecting an illegal immigrant and accused domestic abuser. The Justice Department properly sought and obtained an indictment against Dugan for her unforgivable conduct.

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Dugan could have accepted responsibility for what she had done and humbly apologized. Instead, she laughably asserted a defense of judicial immunity for her plainly illegal conduct. Pitifully and predictably, dozens of former judges signed onto a brief supporting Dugan's legally baseless claim. These judicial lightweights included the pathetic J. Michael Luttig, a once-respected judge who descended into irrelevance when President George W. Bush correctly passed him over for multiple Supreme Court vacancies. Judges have never been entitled to immunity from criminal prosecution for official conduct. The Supreme Court made it clear in Dennis v. Sparks (1980) that judges face prosecution the same as ordinary citizens. Judge Lynn Adelman correctly rejected Dugan's feeble immunity argument.

At trial, the evidence against Dugan was overwhelming, and a jury of her peers made her a convicted felon. Judges consult Sentencing Guidelines, which serve as a starting point in calculating a defendant's sentence. Factors judges consider include specific deterrence, general deterrence and protecting the public from the defendant. Dugan's sentencing range fell between 15 and 21 months' imprisonment. She had one point in mitigation: her lack of a criminal record. Her unconscionable abuse of power and the public trust, however, overwhelmingly outweighed this mitigation.

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Even more egregiously, Dugan endangered the lives of federal agents who were trying to do their jobs safely because this radical in a robe disagreed with the law they were enforcing. She showed no remorse, wasting valuable resources by asserting a frivolous defense. In short, Dugan's conduct – both during her crime and after it – warranted incarceration. Even though she thankfully is no longer a judge, her imprisonment would have sent a deterrent signal to other rogue judges tempted to follow her shameful example.

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Judge Adelman, formerly a Democrat politician in Wisconsin, did not see it that way. Dugan now walks free, a mere $5,000 lighter, after her flagrant violation of her judicial oath and the law. Many nonviolent defendants from January 6 served far more time in custody. When volunteering to lead Flores-Ruiz through the side door, Dugan told her court reporter not to do it. "I'll do it. I'll get the heat," Dugan said, per trial testimony. That statement illustrates that Dugan knew full well her conduct was unlawful. She was wrong, however. She did not get much heat for it. Instead, thanks to a fellow leftist judge, she received a slap on the wrist.

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Former Obama press aide accused of stealing cash, credit cards, from Minneapolis coworkers to buy kratom

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 19:39:05 -0400

A former deputy press secretary for the Obama administration was fired from his Minneapolis city job last week after allegedly stealing cash and credit cards from city employees to purchase an herbal supplement used to treat opioid withdrawal symptoms.

Adam Fetcher, 42, who served as a communications officer for the city for a year before he was terminated, allegedly stole from his fellow city employees after returning from a work-approved, weeks-long rehabilitation program, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported.

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office has received the case from authorities and is reviewing it, a spokesperson told Fox News Digital. Fox News Digital has also reached out to Fetcher's attorney and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office for further comment.

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Fetcher was captured on surveillance cameras at a Minneapolis smoke shop purchasing kratom, which is used to treat opioid withdrawal symptoms but carries its own risk of addiction.

He allegedly stole a charge card from a city employee's purse and made a $481 purchase at the Minneapolis Tobacco & Vapor shop, less than a mile from his home, the newspaper reported. Store manager Hamza Zamara said staff helped investigators identify Fetcher as the man who allegedly used fraudulent cards to make the purchase.

Authorities zeroed in on the shop after a woman called the store claiming that someone had made a purchase using her card without permission. When Fetcher visited the shop again, employees took pictures of him and followed him outside, the news report states. They later gave investigators Fetcher's vehicle’s license plate number.

OHIO BROTHERS WHO POSED AS MIDDLE EASTERN ROYALTY RECEIVE LENGTHY SENTENCE FOR $21M FRAUD SCHEME

"We told him, ‘Hey, we know what you’re doing,’" Zamara said.

Fetcher, who earned $186,000 annually, was fired on July 1.

"Under Adam’s leadership, the Communications team has reorganized, is fully staffed, and is well positioned to manage the City’s Communications needs," City Operations Officer Margaret Anderson Kelliher wrote in an email to staff announcing the termination.

The email did not explain the circumstances of Fetcher's departure. However, Kelliher wrote in a separate memo that several city employees had reported missing cash, debit, or credit cards, as well as unauthorized charges, noting the incidents happened between mid-May and June.

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"I know this information may be concerning and troubling, and I want to assure you that the City takes this sort of report seriously and has acted accordingly," she wrote, according to the email obtained by the Star Tribune. "Although we cannot provide additional details, we have no reason at this time to believe there is any ongoing risk of theft."

In addition to serving as deputy national press secretary for the Obama administration, Fetcher went on to hold senior communications roles for Patagonia, Rivian, and Lyft.

Maine contender to replace Platner grilled on response to public health crisis, Dem senator opposing his run

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 19:35:38 -0400

CNN host Brianna Keilar grilled Dr. Nirav Shah on Friday, shortly after he threw his hat into the ring for a Senate seat in Maine as embattled Graham Platner withdrew, citing Democratic Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s blistering criticism of his record.

Shah finished second in Maine's Democratic gubernatorial primary, but faces stiff opposition from parts of his own party regarding his past record. Duckworth, a combat veteran herself, revived prior criticism of how he handled a deadly Legionnaires’ disease outbreak during his tenure leading Illinois’ public health department.

"Maine deserves better than someone who put his public image before the safety of our Veterans," she wrote Thursday on X. "Too many of our heroes lost their lives under Nirav Shah’s watch as Illinois Public Health Director. I called for his resignation then, and I strongly oppose his run for Senate now."

"So as soon as you threw your hat in the ring for this Senate seat, as you are well aware, Illinois senator and combat veteran Tammy Duckworth opposed your run, citing your handling of outbreaks of Legionnaires disease at an Illinois veterans home that killed 13 people starting in 2015," Keilar noted on Friday, asking him for his response to Duckworth’s X post.

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"Well, the outbreak that she‘s referring to back in 2015 was tragic," he said. "And sadly, American veterans lost their lives. And I deeply respect Sen. Duckworth and her service to this country. In this respect, I happen to disagree with her. The health department, in the setting of a legionnaires outbreak, responds to the scene of an emergency, much like the fire department does."

He added further, "In this situation, we responded after the outbreak was underway. We helped tamp it down, and we made sure that the outbreak didn‘t get any worse than it already was. This outbreak was carefully reviewed by the CDC and others. And indeed, after that outbreak, Maine‘s Democratic governor and indeed the Biden Administration both hired me for top public health positions."

Keilar proceeded to grill him, claiming that the fire department comparison is incorrect because the fire department is known for quick responses to crises.

"So I know you‘re saying they responded like the fire department would," she said. "The fire department normally responds very quickly. And I know that you have said you are proud of the response, which is certainly in line with what you‘re saying today. You said it was quick, coordinated and responsive. But aside from what we‘re hearing from the senator, Illinois’ auditor general did a pretty in-depth investigation and a report which specifically outlined how the response was none of the things that you‘re describing."

DEMOCRATS' CIVIL WAR HEADS TO MICHIGAN WHERE PROGRESSIVES FACE BIGGEST TEST YET IN HIGH-STAKES SENATE SHOWDOWN

"Maine voters are known for being very independent. They want it told to them straight. How can they rely on you to be straight with them during tough times, when certainly that report is very different from how you were describing your then department‘s response to this Legionnaires' disease?" she asked. "For instance, it was, I think, about three days after it was confirmed that there were multiple cases of Legionnaires before they even went to the veterans’ home."

"Well, that latter part is not correct. The county health department was in immediate contact with the facility. And then, as the situation evolved, they then looped in the state health department. And that‘s when we became involved," Shah replied.

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"In any outbreak in crisis situation, we can always improve the coordination between state, county and federal officials," he added.

Shah went on to defend his record, particularly his service during the COVID-19 pandemic as a time he showed leadership in a time of crisis.

"I learned a lot during the legionnaire’s crisis, and I am a better leader for it," he said. "If what we demand are leaders who are unblemished, then what we will end up with are leaders who are untested. I have been a tested leader, and I am a better leader as a result."

Kelley Paul: America's Founders were the 'first civil rights heroes'

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 19:29:01 -0400

Kelley Paul is no stranger to the American political scene. As the wife of Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.), and the daughter-in-law of longtime former Congressman Ron Paul (R-Texas), she has seen her fair share of the campaign trail, emerging as a powerful surrogate during her husband's 2016 presidential run.

She is also an accomplished writer, speaker, and public relations professional. As America ushers in its 250th anniversary, Paul saw the perfect opportunity to branch out into the world of children's literature. Recently she sat down with Fox News Digital in Las Vegas at Freedom Fest to discuss her new book, "Good Night, Young American."

Paul credits her family for giving her the inspiration for the new project:

"I have to give a lot of credit to my daughter-in-law, Kate. She and our son were over for dinner last summer with our grandson, who was only six months old at the time. And Kate was like, you know, we need more patriotic books for babies. She wasn't really happy with a lot of the book options she was seeing. And that night at dinner, we kind of played around with some ideas. And I came up with ‘Good Night Young American.’ And a year later, here it is."

EXCLUSIVE: RAND AND KELLEY PAUL OPEN UP ABOUT 2016 RACE

"Good Night, Young American," recommended for children ages 4–8, takes kids on a visually and thematically engaging journey through early and colonial history.

"Well, our revolutionary history is such a great adventure, right? So when I came up with the concept that my little boy would start out on the 4th of July with his parents, asking, what is it all about? I knew we'd be celebrating the 250th. Kids ask, what are we really celebrating?

And his dad describes the Declaration of Independence to him in the signing. So I tried to think what is going to appeal to children in this great adventure of our revolution. So when he falls asleep that night, he's in the crow's nest of the Mayflower. He is a pilgrim, he's a colonist, and then he makes friends with all the great revolutionary heroes that we know. So he makes friends with Sam Adams, he joins the Sons of Liberty, he meets at the Green Dragon. This is so exciting for children, right?

It's visual stuff. He makes friends with Ben Franklin, and he's flying the kite. Dramatically rides on the midnight ride with Paul Revere. He and his dog, his little dog, are with him for all the adventures. And of course, he crosses the Delaware with George Washington. And I wanted to make the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the writing of it something that was dynamic and exciting visually. So I have him swinging on the Liberty Bell when the declaration is signed."

Paul worked closely with the illustrator, Marika Monesi, to bring the events of America's founding to life in an engaging and visually appealing way for children.

"She really captured the excitement on the little boy's face, his personality, but I worked very close with her," Paul said. "I wanted there to be a lot of movement, a lot of dynamic images. So, for example, with the Liberty Bell, for kids, a bunch of men standing around writing a document…I wanted to bring it to life. So I said, let's have him running up to the top of the bell tower in Philadelphia at Freedom Hall and swinging on the Liberty Bell. And she was just such a great artist. With the George Washington scenes, he's crossing the Delaware because that, again, is so visual. I wanted drive home to children the incredible bravery and courage of our founders, how cold and miserable and hard that war was.

"Also, I love the illustration that she did of the King of England reading the Declaration of Independence. I have to give my husband Rand a little credit there. On the first couple of drafts that she did, Rand was like, ‘He needs to be fatter. King George was famously fat!’ So it was a lot of fun. It was very collaborative."

KELLEY PAUL 'EXHAUSTED AND ANGRY' THAT THOSE WHO HARASSED HER AND HER HUSBAND FACE NO CHARGES

Part of Paul's motivation for the book was related to the teaching of American history today, and the controversies therein:

"I do think that we've gotten away from really celebrating our founders and our heroes. What they were doing in 1776 was incredibly radical, if you think about it. At that time, everyone accepted the divine right of kings. Everyone accepted hereditary rule. And our founders took Enlightenment ideas from John Locke and philosophers, and they turned it into the framework for a government. The idea of self-government and that our rights come from our Creator, that we have inalienable rights that are given to us by God and not from a king. Those were radical ideas of the time.

I like to say our founders were the first civil rights heroes, the first civil libertarians. And I think our education system has gotten away from that. They don't view them in the time that they existed, and suddenly now everything is oppressor versus oppressed narrative. And they are labeled more like colonizers or enslavers, and that's the only view that they're looked at, and not as human beings who sacrificed their very lives to write the Declaration of Independence, to form this country…it was an incredible, bold, and courageous act, but it was also an act of moral courage and philosophical courage."

Ultimately, Paul hopes that her books will stimulate the natural curiosity of America's youth to learn more about their rich history:

"Well, I hope that my books, especially with America's 250, will spark a lot of questions and that they will give a framework for parents to talk to their kids about the founding of this country. And I hope children from a very, very young age will come away with this idea that they are a part of America's story, that they as Americans can take pride in the heroism of our revolutionary founders. That as Americans, this is all of our story. So that's really my goal with the books."

One of the biggest challenges Paul faced was taking big ideas that may be hard for a four or five-year-old to grasp, like the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution, and distilling them down into an accessible format for kids:

"Well, I try to use language that kids could understand, and very much use simple terms. But if you think about it, it is simple. Our rights come from God. And when he makes friends with Thomas Jefferson, he says, Thomas Jefferson has written this amazing document that says that we can all be free to live our lives the way we choose, and no government can take our rights to, you know, to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness away from us.

He also talks about James Madison and the Bill of Rights and the most important right is freedom of speech. That is that no government can tell you what to say or what not to say."

Rand Paul, who famously puts Constitutional principles front and center in the public square, also played a key role in the book's thematic development.

"Rand has been incredibly supportive. I'm just so grateful and blessed to have had an amazing, now 36-year marriage to Rand Paul. And he was very involved. He would read over the drafts and gave me a lot of, like I said, good advice about things in history that he thought I should include.

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And I'm also just very grateful to be the daughter-in-law of Ron Paul. And so, I wanted these books to be there for our little grandson who I call ‘my favorite little American’ and help him from an early age be educated in the legacy that, the Paul family has in this country."

Michigan Senate hopeful calls AIPAC donations 'legalized bribery,' remains silent on other donations

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 19:09:52 -0400

Abdul El-Sayed, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Michigan, called donations from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) a form of "bribery."

"Next week, AIPAC is set to spend at least $3,847,990 against me. Why? Because [Haley Stevens] is more committed to the future of a foreign country than keeping your tax dollars here to provide schools and healthcare for you and your kids," El-Sayed said in a post to X.

"Legalized bribery at its worst."

The post, which comes a little under a month before a primary against Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., a pro-Israel and establishment candidate, raises questions about foreign interests represented in American elections and whether El-Sayed’s criticisms could be applied to other groups.

JOSH SHAPIRO WARNS THAT ATTACKS ON AIPAC ARE BEING USED TO 'SILENCE CERTAIN VOTERS'

"Does that apply to PAL PAC and Arab American PAC?" Chuck Ross, an investigative reporter, wrote in a post to X, referring to two pro-palestine groups.

El-Sayed’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital along those lines.

Israel and its influence in American politics have been key themes for the Michigan Senate primary. Stevens, a member of the House of Representatives, endorsed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has heavily criticized El-Sayed for questioning the U.S.-Israel alliance amid the conflict with Hamas.

"I can say that Israel has a right to peacefully exist alongside the people of Palestine and Gaza," Stevens said at a debate on Tuesday evening.

DEMOCRATS' CIVIL WAR HEADS TO MICHIGAN WHERE PROGRESSIVES FACE BIGGEST TEST YET IN HIGH-STAKES SENATE SHOWDOWN

El-Sayed, for his part, has maintained that the Israel lobby has amassed too much power in U.S. elections, preventing candidates from questioning the partnership or under what circumstances the U.S. should withhold its assistance.

"For too long our foreign policy has been handed to us by the likes of the state of Israel and AIPAC, who has made sure that both Democrats and Republicans are doing their bidding," El-Sayed said on Tuesday.

Notably, El-Sayed has a modest foreign asset.

In response to criticisms that he had yet to release his tax returns, El-Sayed acknowledged that his family had been holding the evaluations abroad, delaying the process.

"Taxes get complicated," El-Sayed replied when asked about the topic on a recent programming appearance. "My wife and her family own property abroad and getting all those tax forms is a thing."

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As a part of his candidate report disclosures filed on June 2025, El-Sayed has reported a number of holdings. Among them: a salary from Wayne County worth $278,900 and an assortment of other assets totaling a net worth somewhere between $580,000 and $1.7 million.

As a part of that report, his wife reported holding up to $15,000 in real estate in India.

Shohei Ohtani ruled out of MLB All-Star Game as Dodgers plan to manage nagging injury

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 19:00:02 -0400

The face of baseball will not be at Tuesday's All-Star Game.

Shohei Ohtani was scratched from his start on Friday as the Los Angeles Dodgers said he will also miss the Midsummer Classic with what the team called left knee irritation.

Ohtani, for obvious reasons, has become an All-Star Game fixture. He has earned the honor in each of the past five seasons and made his first start in 2021.

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The two-way phenom is on his way to winning his fifth MVP award in his last six seasons as he is hitting .290 with a .939 OPS and pitching to a minuscule 1.79 ERA, the second-lowest in the sport among pitchers with 80-plus innings. His OPS is also the seventh-best mark in the league.

The Dodgers said Ohtani will be the team's designated hitter up until the break, but he will "have some interventions on his knee to put him in the best position for the second half of the season."

Ohtani dealt with knee issues earlier in the season.

It is certainly a big hit for the game as the other face of the sport, Aaron Judge, will miss the game due to a fractured rib that has kept him out since late May.

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Ohtani hit 99 home runs combined in 2024 and 2025, leading the National League with a 1.025 OPS in that span. Ohtani did not pitch in 2024 after elbow surgery but returned to the bump last year and owned a 2.87 ERA and 11.9 K/9, a figure he also put up in 2022 that led the American League.

The "Japanese Babe Ruth" is the only player in MLB history to have 300-plus plate appearances and 40-plus innings in six separate seasons (Ruth only did it twice and never stole 50 bases), and he has more than excelled at both.

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Ohtani is not hitting like he has in the past, but certainly the best pitching performance of his career will make up for it. He "only" has 20 homers and 56 RBI this season.

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ICE arrests illegal immigrants convicted of attempted murder, rape and child sex crimes in targeted crackdown

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 18:29:47 -0400

In a series of sweeping nationwide operations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on Thursday arrested some of the "worst of the worst" criminal illegal aliens convicted of heinous crimes.

Among those captured was Jose Solorzano-Felix, of Mexico, who was apprehended in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Solorzano-Felix was previously convicted for the attempted murder of a federal law enforcement officer, use of a firearm during and in the commission of a felony, and being an illegal immigrant in possession of a handgun.

ICE NABS ILLEGAL ALIENS CONVICTED OF CHILD SEX CRIMES AND METH TRAFFICKING IN NATIONWIDE ENFORCEMENT SWEEP

In Santa Clara, California, ICE agents took Paulino Lugos-Perez, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, into custody following his conviction for lewd or lascivious acts with a child.

Meanwhile, in Forsyth County, North Carolina, authorities arrested Adrian Valdez-Lopez, a Mexican national convicted of second-degree forcible rape.

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The crackdown also targeted violent gang affiliates, resulting in the Pasadena, California, arrest of Edgar Josue Centeno, a Honduran national and member of the Latin Kings gang convicted of assault with a deadly weapon.

In Mineola, New York, agents arrested Rodolfo Umana, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador who had been convicted of burglary.

"Yesterday, the brave men and women of ICE risked their lives to arrest illegal criminal aliens convicted for attempted murder of a federal law enforcement officer, lewd or lascivious acts with a child, rape, assault with a deadly weapon, and burglary," Department of Homeland Security (DHS) acting assistant Secretary Lauren Bis wrote in a statement.

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The arrests represent a targeted effort to remove dangerous illegal immigrants from the country, with Bis emphasizing that under President Donald Trump and DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, "ICE will continue to arrest and remove these public safety threats from our communities."

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DHS said nearly 70% of ICE arrests are those of illegal immigrants who have already been charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S.

"Thanks to our ICE law enforcement, our communities are safer," Bis wrote.

'Shameless' star Emmy Rossum reveals secret marriage at 21 after boyfriend's alleged shocking ultimatum

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 18:54:16 -0400

"Shameless" star Emmy Rossum admitted she ignored glaring red flags when an alleged ultimatum from her then-boyfriend led to a rushed, secret wedding.

Rossum admitted she accepted a marriage ultimatum at 21, kept the wedding a secret and was already thinking about divorce before saying "I do" during an appearance on "Call Her Daddy." She had been dating Interscope music executive Justin Siegel for a few months after working together recording her first album, "Inside Out."

Rossum said the whirlwind decision came during one of the most emotionally vulnerable periods of her life. Facing six months away in Mexico to film "Dragon Ball Evolution," she recalled how the alleged ultimatum from Siegel in 2008 quickly escalated into a marriage she now recognizes was driven by fear rather than love.

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"And I remember the day that I was going away to make the movie, he said something to me like, 'I don't know if the relationship is gonna survive the distance. So like, maybe we should break up or get married,'" she claimed.

Looking back, Rossum admitted she ignored what she now sees as glaring warning signs, convincing herself at 21 that a divorce would be simple if the marriage didn't work out.

"Well, at that moment I thought to myself, well I'm just coming off these two really rough heartbreaks. Like abandonment is my core wound. I don't want, I don't want that. That hurts me. And I literally thought ... My 21-year-old brain thought, you know, divorce doesn't seem that complicated. Like it, it's probably pretty straightforward."

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"Not you planning the divorce before," host Alexandra Cooper joked.

"A hundred percent," Rossum admitted.

Within days, the couple quietly tied the knot in an impromptu ceremony Rossum described as anything but romantic. Rather than celebrating the milestone, she said she kept the marriage hidden because she already sensed something wasn't right.

"And so ... he literally printed out like a marriage contract online and got some guy on the internet to like come over to my house," she claimed. "I found like a white turtleneck that was in my closet and like threw it on 'cause like I was like this is appropriate. Right?"

"Literally not hearing the smoke detector in my head being like, don't do this. You don't have to do this. No guy should be like, 'let's marry.' You know what I mean? It was my intention not to tell anyone because I knew in my gut it wasn't right."

Those instincts, Rossum said, proved to be correct. The actress said the relationship continued to unravel while she spent six months filming in Mexico and her husband didn't even visit.

"It's also not that long of a flight. I don't know what … like everyone was very dramatic. I don't know. Like it's literally just like going – people go to Mexico for the weekend. Like what are we talking about?"

By the time production wrapped and she returned home, Rossum said it was obvious the marriage had no future.

"I was away for six months. When I got back, it became abundantly clear we weren't a match in any way."

Despite keeping the marriage a secret from nearly everyone, Rossum eventually had to tell her mother — not to share happy news, but because she needed help ending the relationship.

"I told my mom, 'Hey, I'm breaking up with Justin and I need a lawyer.' And she was like, 'You did not.' And I was like, ‘I did,’" she recalled.

"And my mom has always been somebody that mobilizes," she said. "My mom is like, if anyone is going through a breakup, my mom is not employed right now. So if you need someone to show up, she'll send you for a manicure and be like, 'I have the U-Haul. Like go take care of yourself.'"

The divorce was eventually finalized in 2010.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Siegel for comment.

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Years later, Rossum remarried after meeting director, screenwriter and producer Sam Esmail on the set of "Comet." The two began dating in 2013 and later married in 2017.

Rossum and Esmail share two children – a daughter born in 2021 and a son born in 2023.

She told Cooper that "my relationship with my husband and watching him be the world's greatest girl dad" is "the ultimate healing" from her troubled relationship with her own father.

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"The ultimate," she said. "And my husband is so loyal and so kind and so giving and so everything I've really ever wanted."

Rossum began her career as a child, finally landing her breakthrough role in Clint Eastwood’s "Mystic River." She became an international star with "The Phantom of the Opera" and later earned widespread acclaim as Fiona Gallagher on Showtime’s "Shameless," a role she played from 2011 to 2019.

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