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Jordon Hudson dusts herself off and resumes her WAG duties, Belichick vs Sydney Sweeney & 'Gainesville Ripper'

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 15:01:19 -0400

'Nightcaps' is a daily column that catches you up on the biggest sports, news and culture stories you may have missed while pretending to do work at your desk. It runs Monday–Friday on OutKick.com.

Somehow, we've made it to our third Hump Day of September. Lordy. Time flies when it's football season!

This is also our final Hump Day before the official beginning of Fall. That's right. Technically, it starts next Tuesday — astronomically speaking.

Just to give folks outside of Florida an idea of where things stand down here at the moment, we're all currently looking forward to Friday, because the Dew points around the state are supposed to drop 10 degrees.

Not the actual temps themselves, of course. The dew points. That's basically the humidity level. So, it's still going to be unbearably hot, but at least it'll be slightly less humid for a few hours in the morning!

Break out the firewood.

Welcome to a Hump Day Nightcaps — the one where Bill Belichick's girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, emerges from the shadows to resume her duties as the First Lady of Chapel Hill.

We haven't seen or heard from Jordon in MONTHS. She returned over the weekend for UNC's beatdown of East Tennessee State. Welcome back!

JORDON HUDSON, BILL BELICHICK TAKE IN CHURCHILL DOWNS DURING KENTUCKY DERBY WEEKEND

What else? I've got an AI golf announcer named "Duff" having just a brutal debut, a couple of wild moments out of the baseball world last night, Paulina Gretzky says hello from the US Open, and did anyone see this Gators 30 for 30 last night?

I'm a Florida guy. Been here my whole life, save for a few years in liberal (but beautiful) Boston for college. The "14 Days in Gainesville" story predates me, but goodness, I am fascinated by it.

We'll dive in.

Grab you something to trigger the insufferable left — I'd suggest a photo of a mostly naked Sydney Sweeney holding two footballs — and settle in for a Hump Day 'Cap!

Jordon Hudson makes her 2026 debut

Honestly, it's one of the most relatable posts I've ever seen on social media.

What’s Sydney Sweeney have to do to get the approval of white women? Strangle three kids?

The outrage really has been extraordinary. Between that, and the equally dumb outrage over a college kid laughing at a stupid AI video, we've really outdone ourselves this week as a society.

I just went and suffered through an entire summer of women A) dragging Sophie Cunningham through the mud because she said men don't belong in women's sports, and B) actively cheering on Lindsay Clancy and being FURIOUS at the one juror who refused to budge.

And now they're going to sit here and lecture me on a Sydney Sweeney commercial for sports gambling?

Come on. Let's not be silly. For once.

OK, let's go ahead and get this Hump Day class rolling with the First Lady of UNC football, Jordon Hudson, making her first public appearance in MONTHS.

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Haters hate Jordon, but at least she's real

Welcome back, Jordon! What a wonderful thing to see. She's been radio silent for most of this year. No social media posts. No pictures. No passive aggressive posts from Nantucket.

Nothing. Zippo.

I figured Bill begged her to just lay low for a while, and she finally listened. Or UNC had a talk with her.

Or both. Probably both.

But it's officially college football season again, which means it's her time to shine. The Tar Heels are 2-0, by the way, for all you Belichick haters out there. They face Clemson on Saturday.

Give me BILL:

I see your Sydney Sweeney, and raise you a Bill Belichick. What a specimen.

Moving on ...

For those of you who hate Jordon Hudson, fine. Whatever. At least she's a REAL person.

Unlike what's going on in the world of golf right now:

Baseball, more baseball, and anyone here remember this?

You know, we're all in a panic about AI right now. I get it. I'm right there with you, and I'm about as righty as they come. It's a necessary evil at the moment with regard to China. We can't stop, but we also need to slow down. Just a touch.

We won't, but we probably need to.

That being said, if AI golf analyst "Duff" is any indication, I think we still have a few more years to live. He's certainly no Johnson Wagner!

OK, let's rapid-fire this Hump Day class into a big Hump Day night. First up? A couple of wild moments on the diamond last night: One in Tampa, and the other in Buffalo!

Lordy ...

Just a brutal sequence there from the Rochester Red Wings. The ball went to everyone — and everywhere — except the person (or place) it was actually supposed to. Reminds me of my glorious four-year run on the absolute worst DIII college baseball team in the country. We'd have at least one of those a game. But buddy, we could get AFTER it on a Saturday night.
Junior Caminero took 40+ seconds to round the bases. It was the longest home run trot since 2015, which was the beginning of this current Statcast era we're in. I also didn't realize you could touch the batter before he finished his trot. Apparently, you can!
You cannot, however, do that in college. NCAA Rule 5, Section 2 states: After a home run, no offensive team member, other than the base coaches, shall touch the batter-runner before home plate has been touched.

No such rule exists in Major League Baseball. True story. The more you know!

Two more on the way out ...

Anyone watch ESPN's newest 30 for 30 last night?

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I was born in '93, so this was just before my time. I'm a Gators fan. Grew up going to games, mainly during the Tebow era. I used to live about an hour east of Gainesville.

I, admittedly, had NO clue this story existed. None. Zero. It's fascinating. A serial killer on the loose in Gainesville right as the Gators hired Spurrier? Lordy. What a wild time.

Did you know the original "Scream" movie in 1996 was loosely based on this? "Scream II" takes place on a college campus, so I'd imagine that is as well. Again, I had no clue. Insane.

Anyway, is there anyone in class who was at school/around campus during this time? I realize it's a longshot, but I'd love to talk more about it.

This stuff fascinates me. Great 30 for 30, and I don't just willy-nilly give ESPN credit. But fair is fair.

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OK, that's it for today. Good Hump Day, everyone. Let's go have a big night.

Paulina Gretzky takes us home!

Were you in Gainesville in 1990? Email me at Zach.Dean@OutKick.com.

Russian spies orchestrated $40K murder plot in nation’s capital, US alleges

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 14:56:42 -0400

The U.S. accused Russian intelligence operatives of orchestrating a murder-for-hire plot targeting a Kremlin critic believed to be living in Washington, D.C.

In documents unsealed on Tuesday, federal prosecutors claim the conspiracy was part of a broader global network that recruited people to carry out assassinations and terrorist attacks on behalf of Moscow. The five men charged in the incitement allegedly worked for Russia's intelligence services, and are accused of being paid and attempting to pay others in the U.S. and abroad to surveil and kill Russian dissidents.

Three of the defendants also face conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire charges. All five defendants remain at large, according to the Justice Department.

According to prosecutors, the alleged operation reached the nation's capital in late August, when suspected Russian intelligence operatives directed a U.S.-based Venezuelan citizen to secretly film two Washington-area locations tied to a Kremlin critic before allegedly offering him $40,000 to carry out the killing. The recruit completed the surveillance but refused to commit the murder himself, according to the indictment.

Prosecutors allege the five defendants were members or associates of a Russian intelligence-directed network that financed terrorism and coordinated violent operations across multiple countries.

The recruiter walked the operative through the surveillance step by step, prosecutors say, and allegedly instructed him to put his phone in airplane mode, begin recording before entering the neighborhood, slow as he passed the target's home and delete the messages afterward.

The indictment says the conspirators used coded language, referring to the assassination as "construction" and the surveillance as "measuring a plot of land." When the recruit declined to carry out the murder himself, prosecutors allege the network sought other U.S.-based recruits while noting it also had "people in Mexico" available for the job.

RUSSIA'S SHADOW WAR IS PUTTING EUROPE ON EDGE AS GERMANY CONFRONTS A GROWING THREAT

In addition to the alleged murder plot in Washington, the indictment accuses members of the network of supporting attacks on civilian and military infrastructure in Europe and carrying out surveillance of Russian dissidents abroad.

The case marks one of the most serious publicly alleged Russian intelligence operations targeting an individual inside the U.S. in recent years.

The indictment names five alleged members of what prosecutors call the Russian Intelligence Services Network (RIS). They include Yuri Khrameev, a former Russian intelligence colonel known as "Colonel Yuri"; his son, Kirill Khrameev, an officer in Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB); Oemis Romagoza Durruthy, a Cuban national living in Russia whom prosecutors describe as coordinating attacks for the network; and Yaidel Delgado Suarez, known as "Viking," and Angel Eduardo Castro.

Russia has repeatedly been accused by Western governments of targeting political opponents and defectors abroad.

Among the highest-profile cases was the 2018 poisoning of former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, England, with the military-grade nerve agent Novichok. British authorities blamed Russian military intelligence for the attack, an allegation Moscow denied.

U.S. officials have also accused Russia of orchestrating killings of Kremlin critics overseas and conducting covert influence and espionage operations inside the United States, though prosecutors say the alleged Washington murder plot represents a rare instance in which Russian operatives sought to recruit someone on U.S. soil to carry out an assassination.

RUSSIA UNLEASHES NEARLY 600 MISSILES AND DRONES ON KYIV IN DEADLIEST STRIKE SINCE MAY

Prosecutors say the alleged Washington murder plot was part of a much broader Russian intelligence campaign that has operated since at least 2024. According to the indictment, the same network recruited a U.S. citizen in Lithuania to surveil another Kremlin critic before allegedly offering about $25,000 to kill him.

After that recruit refused, prosecutors say the network shifted to soliciting sabotage attacks against infrastructure in countries supporting Ukraine, including alleged plots targeting electrical substations , warehouses and transportation hubs.

The indictment comes as Western governments have warned that Russia has expanded its use of covert operations, sabotage and assassination plots beyond the battlefield since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

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U.S. prosecutors allege the network shifted its focus from targeting Russian dissidents and defectors to attacking countries "aligned, or perceived to be aligned, with Ukraine."

3 stabbed at New York college; 2 suspects in custody

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 14:53:33 -0400

Three people were stabbed Wednesday at a community college north of New York City, and two people were in police custody, authorities said.

The three victims were stabbed around 12:40 p.m. on the SUNY Westchester Community College campus in Valhalla.

They were taken to local hospitals.

TEXAS STUDENT, 15, DIES AFTER SHOOTING TEACHER AT HIGH SCHOOL, AUTHORITIES SAY

Two suspects were taken into custody, the Westchester County Police Department said. A knife was also recovered, Fox 5 New York reported.

STUDENTS STABBED INSIDE WASHINGTON STATE HIGH SCHOOL AS POLICE RESPOND TO CHAOTIC SCENE

No other suspects were being sought, and there was no threat to the community, police said. It was not immediately clear if the victims and suspects were students at the college.

The "full circumstances" of the incident are still under investigation, authorities said.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the police department and college.

Amazon has Crock-Pots for $45 — plus 13 more fall cooking staples worth buying

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:02:31 -0400

Comfort food season is here. From hearty soups and slow-cooked roasts to homemade bread and freshly baked pies, the right kitchen tools can make fall cooking easier and more enjoyable. We rounded up the cooking essentials worth buying now, including a Le Creuset Dutch oven, Crock-Pot slow cooker and other versatile picks for cozy meals at home.

Crock-Pot slow cooker, 7-quart: $44.99 (25% off)

Original price: $59.99

Let this Crock-Pot slow cooker handle dinner for you. Its 7-quart capacity is ideal for soups, stews and roasts, while the low and high settings give you flexibility depending on your schedule. If you're bringing your dish to a family gathering or tailgate, this alternative features a locking lid for seamless transport.

Le Creuset Dutch oven, 7.25-quart: $324.99 (35% off)

Original price: $499.95

A Dutch oven is a fall kitchen essential, and this Le Creuset model is built to last. The 7.25-quart enameled cast-iron pot distributes and retains heat for soups, chili, roasts and even sourdough bread. The lid helps circulate steam and retain moisture, while compatibility with all cooktops and oven-safe construction up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit add versatility. This Lodge model is another popular choice.

KitchenAid Artisan Series stand mixer, 5-quart: $499.99

From mixing cookie dough to kneading bread and shredding chicken, the KitchenAid stand mixer handles a wide range of recipes. The mixer has 10 speeds and a tilt-head design and comes with a wire whip, dough hook, flat beater, pouring shield and stainless-steel bowl. Additional attachments, including a pasta roller and ice cream maker, are sold separately.

Instant Pot pressure cooker, 6-quart: $109.99

When you want slow-cooked flavor without the wait, turn to the Instant Pot pressure cooker. It traps steam inside a sealed lid to build pressure and cook food faster than a traditional slow cooker. Use it for stews, roasts and other hearty fall meals.

Ninja immersion blender and whisk: $79.99

Blend soups, whip cream and mix pancake batter with a Ninja immersion blender. Four speed settings give you control over each recipe, while smart torque technology maintains a consistent speed through thick, frozen or hot ingredients. The included whisk attachment makes quick work of meringues and other desserts.

Cuisinart food processor, 11-cup: $219.95

Speed up prep work with a Cuisinart food processor. Its large feed tube, industrial-quality motor, slicing discs and chopping blades handle everything from vegetables and hard cheese to dough, sauces and soups.

Staub ceramic baking dish set, 3-piece: $99.99 (63% off)

Original price: $271

Bake casseroles, pasta dishes, roasted vegetables and more in this three-piece Staub baking dish set. The nestable stoneware dishes retain heat without absorbing moisture, while their large handles make it easier to move hot food from the oven to the table. The set includes three rectangular bakers.

HexClad nonstick roasting pan with rack: $199

Roasts take center stage in the fall, making a reliable roasting pan a kitchen essential. This HexClad model combines stainless steel with a ceramic nonstick coating for easier cleanup. Use the removable rack to elevate meat while it cooks, then take it out when making lasagna, casseroles and other dishes. Stay-cool handles make it easier to move the pan in and out of the oven. (FOX is an investor in HexClad).

Sur La Table pie dish, 9.5-inch: $19.72 (61% off)

Original price: $49.95

Bake sweet or savory pies, quiches and tarts in this 9.5-inch stoneware dish. The stoneware promotes even heating, while the ruffled edges help create a decorative crust. The thick enamel resists scratches. Right now, the blue and red colors are 61% off.

Nordic Ware 3-piece sheet pan set: $39.15

The aluminum pans in the three-piece Nordic Ware sheet pan set come in three sizes for tasks such as baking cookies, roasting vegetables and cooking meatballs.

Pizza stone with peel: $49.99

Bring restaurant-style pizza to game days and date nights with a pizza stone and peel set. The stone can withstand oven temperatures up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit, helping create crisp crusts at home. Add your favorite toppings, then use the wooden peel to transfer the pizza from the oven to the table.

Zwilling steak knife 8-piece set: $79.99 (50% off)

Original price: $160

Use an eight-piece Zwilling steak knife set to set the table for fall dinner parties and holiday gatherings. The stainless-steel blades slice through meat easily and help preserve your everyday cooking knives. The set also comes in a giftable wooden box.

KitchenAid silicone oven mitt set: $16.99 (51% off)

Original price: $34.99

Protect your hands while cooking and handling hot dishes with the KitchenAid silicone oven mitt set. The ribbed design provides a secure grip on pots and pans, while the mitts are heat-resistant up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

For more deals, visit www.foxnews.com/deals

Meat thermometer: $15.98

Use a digital thermometer to take the guesswork out of cooking meat. Its fast response time, backlit display and waterproof design make it easy to monitor food as it cooks. The included temperature guide helps you achieve your preferred doneness.

If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you can get these items sent to your door ASAP. You can join or start a 30-day free trial to start your shopping today.

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles announces she is cancer free

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 14:43:50 -0400

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles announced Wednesday that she is cancer free, six months after revealing she had been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer.

"Some personal news I’m grateful to share," Wiles wrote. "After a medical appointment at the Mayo Clinic this week, my pathology results came back clear.

"I am cancer free."

TRUMP PRAISES SUSIE WILES’ CANCER FIGHT IN SURPRISE GALA VIDEO: ‘WINNING IT DECISIVELY’

Wiles thanked her family, friends, doctors and those who prayed for and supported her throughout her treatment.

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"A special thank you to President Trump for his unwavering support," she added. "I am deeply grateful and will continue to work to advance his America First Agenda."

Happily married Florida mom charged after arrest exposes alleged love triangle involving her son

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 14:39:23 -0400

Police in Polk County, Florida had no idea what they were walking into when they were called out to the Clemens' residence for a domestic dispute between a mother and her son.

There was much more going on than allegations that Shane Clemens, 22, had battered his mother, Christina Clemens, 46, during a reported domestic violence incident. There was also a bizarre love triangle taking place.

A love triangle that the husband didn’t even know he was part of. After Shane was arrested, he decided to let deputies know that he's been sleeping with his mother since he was 18, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd revealed in a post on social media.

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Upon hearing about the alleged incest, law enforcement decided to ask Christina about it. She, being an honest woman, told the deputies that it was true and that they had sex "only about 100 times," Sheriff Judd said.

The deputy on the receiving end of this unexpected news got a detective involved. The sheriff's office put their case together and contacted Christina's husband, who told them that they were happily married and living together.

YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY WITH WATERING YOUR GRASS WITH YOUR 'CRANK' OUT ON SHERIFF GRADY JUDD'S WATCH

The husband was then asked if he was aware that his wife was having sex with her son. He said he wasn’t aware, although there were signs that raised his suspicion. The two "used to go in the master bedroom and lock the door."

"What else can you say? That's nasty. That's nasty, and it's illegal," Sheriff Judd concluded. "They got charged with incest. She got charged with adultery. It's still on the books, you know?"

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Nobody breaks these types of stories down like Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. This one has so many twists and turns, it's unreal.

It's bad enough to have a domestic dispute between mom and son, but then they took it to another level. A level where most people can feel better about their own family life.

Colbert confesses he's healthier away from late night, compares hosting to drinking a 'cup of poison'

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 14:31:40 -0400

Former "Late Show" host Stephen Colbert said Tuesday he doesn't drink a "cup of poison" every day after late-night host Jimmy Kimmel told him he looked happier and healthier away from late-night television.

Colbert's final episode of "The Late Show" aired in May after CBS announced in 2025 it would be canceling the program.

"Do you think about it ever?" Kimmel asked the former late-night host in an interview on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"

"Nope," Colber said. "I have an opportunity to not think about the news every day, and I took it."

JIMMY KIMMEL SAYS HE FELT 'DEFEATED' AFTER COLBERT SHOW WAS CANCELED, SAYS CBS IS USING 'MADE-UP NUMBERS'

TUNING OUT: WHY MANY AMERICANS ARE SICK OF THE NEWS – ESPECIALLY TRUMP NEWS

Kimmel told Colbert that the ex-late-night host seemed like a different person when he saw him at the Emmys.

"When I saw you last night, I felt like you, I don’t know, you just seemed like a different person. You seemed happier, you seemed healthier," Kimmel said.

Colbert quipped, "Like I don’t drink a cup of poison every day?"

"The old gig, as I remember, was that, to be lowered like carbon rods into a radioactive pool every day. And then to be pulled out and put in front of a camera. And to radiate it back at the audience at a non-lethal rad level," Colbert said.

JON STEWART ASKS WHETHER 'THE DAILY SHOW' IS LIKE HIGH-SUGAR FOOD GIVING US 'POLITICAL DIABETES'

"Oh, the irony that someone from the left charged with spewing daily, anti-Trump missives feels happier that he's not engaged in grand delusions. It's almost as if having a life and hobbies outside of hating Trump and half the country is better for the soul. I, for one, am glad that Stephen appears to be getting the help he needs," Newsbusters managing editor Curtis Huock told Fox News Digital in a statement about the Kimmel-Colbert exchange.

"This should be a lesson to the rest of the country: Never let politics completely consume your life. It sure seems as though Colbert actually touched grass and likes what he felt."

Colbert's former program won Outstanding Variety Series at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards Monday, months after "The Late Show" aired its final episode in May.

When asked after the ceremony about free speech and the future of late-night television, Colbert said he remained optimistic about the medium.

RICKY GERVAIS REJECTS CALLS TO TONE DOWN COMEDY: 'BE OFFENDED IF YOU WANT'

"If you can’t say something because you go to jail, that is a violation of free speech," Colbert said. "I think that late night is just as funny and just as vital as it ever has been, and I love watching Jimmy and Jimmy and John and John and Seth and everybody else. And I think I hope it goes on for a long time because you get to work with people like this, and that’s the greatest gift."

When CNN correspondent Elizabeth Wagmeister asked Colbert directly whether he believed his show had been canceled because of Trump, the comedian appeared to repeatedly deflect rather than answer the question.

Variety reported that the exchange came during a post-Emmys interview with Wagmeister and Variety co-president and co-editor-in-chief Ramin Setoodeh.

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"What ... Gayle, that’s a beautiful dress," Colbert said. After the reporter repeated the question, Colbert continued the bit.

"Oh, I’m sorry, I’m deaf on this ear. What did you ... what did you say?" Colbert said.

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When they again attempted to ask whether Trump was responsible for the cancellation, Colbert deflected once more.

"You wanted to know who the most important member of my staff was? It’s me," Colbert said.

Nigerian woman in Massachusetts charged after alleged illegal voting in federal elections

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 14:29:36 -0400

A Nigerian woman living in the United States as a permanent resident in Massachusetts illegally voted in at least two elections after lying about her citizenship, authorities said.

Gladys Adaeze Okafor, 56, has been charged by the Justice Department with unlawfully voting as an alien for allegedly casting ballots in the 2024 presidential primary election and the 2022 midterm elections despite not being a U.S. citizen.

She is expected to appear in a Boston federal courtroom on Wednesday.

CANADIAN NONCITIZEN ACCUSED OF ILLEGALLY VOTING IN FEDERAL AND STATE ELECTIONS

Okafor repeatedly falsified her citizenship status on official documents under penalty of perjury to gain access to the ballot, federal prosecutors allege.

In July 2022, she submitted a voter registration card and signed her name certifying that she was a U.S. citizen, authorities said. The City of Lynn subsequently registered her to vote.

NONCITIZEN CHARGED WITH VOTING IN MINNESOTA 2024 ELECTION AFTER ADMITTING ‘MISTAKE’ TO INVESTIGATORS

In October 2023, Okafor submitted another voter registration card where she checked a box saying she was an American citizen, prosecutors said. She then voted in the 2024 presidential primary election, court documents state.

Okafor was born in Nigeria and obtained lawful permanent resident status in December 2022. However, she is not a U.S. citizen and has not applied for U.S. citizenship, prosecutors said.

She faces up to a year in prison and up to $10,000 in fines.

Recently, seven noncitizens were indicted in connection with an election integrity investigation in Texas. Earlier this month, the DOJ charged five people in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Wisconsin in cases involving alleged illegal voting or fraudulent registration during the 2022 or 2024 elections.

Tax breaks helping fuel Trump's latest tech push just landed in Dems' crosshairs

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 14:27:49 -0400

House Democrats are moving to stop data centers from receiving lucrative federal tax breaks as the artificial intelligence (AI) boom accelerates their expansion nationwide.

The moves put Democrats at odds with President Donald Trump as he makes data centers central to his American AI agenda. The administration has sought to accelerate data center development and streamline permitting as the U.S. competes for dominance in the emerging tech industry.

Reps. Kristen McDonald Rivet, D-Mich., and Don Davis, D-N.C., unveiled legislation Wednesday that would block data centers from tapping certain federal investment incentives.

AMERICA'S REDDEST STATE CHASES BILLION-DOLLAR BOOM AS OTHERS SOUR ON MASSIVE EMERGING INDUSTRY

The incentives in question weren't created specifically for AI or data centers. But the industry's massive infrastructure investments can qualify for these substantial tax benefits, which prompted Democrats to push to exclude data centers as concerns grow over electricity demand, water use and local development.

The bill is backed by 21 additional House Democrats, including Ways and Means Committee member Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif.

"Washington is giving handouts to Big Tech companies while American families are drowning. I hear that word in my district more than any other," McDonald Rivet said at a news conference Wednesday.

"From rising costs, groceries, gas, housing, healthcare and a lot more. These are backward priorities, and they perfectly encapsulate everything that is wrong with the way Washington works, serving interests of big corporations and special interests at the expense of working people."

THIS TINY FARMING TOWN YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF IS HELPING MICROSOFT SELL AMERICA ON DATA CENTERS

Speaking alongside McDonald Rivet outside the Capitol, Rep. Deborah Ross, D-N.C., pointed to concerns over data center development in her Raleigh-area district, accusing tech companies of buying land without disclosing their plans in a plot to sidestep local input.

"They've sought to bypass local citizens' right to provide input on putting a data center in their towns and cities," Ross said.

The lawmaker also argued that the industry's rapid expansion is straining electricity and water resources while developers benefit from federal and state tax incentives.

"It's Americans struggling to get by, not Big Tech who need tax breaks," Ross said.

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Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., argued that data center development is contributing to higher costs for his constituents as the facilities place growing demands on electricity and water supplies.

He also said communities should have more control over where the facilities are built.

"Our cities and towns shouldn't have these data centers shoved down their throats without any recourse," Pappas said. "They deserve the right to decide what's appropriate for their community."

Trump surgeon general pick backs MMR vaccine, rejects link between childhood vaccines and autism

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 14:19:55 -0400

President Donald Trump's latest surgeon general nominee, Dr. Nicole Saphier, defended the MMR vaccine and rejected claims that childhood vaccines cause autism during a Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday.

Saphier, a radiologist and a former Fox News contributor, would serve as the federal government's top doctor and public health spokesperson at a time when measles cases are surging across the country.

"I believe the MMR vaccine is our greatest tool for combating measles," Saphier said during her appearance before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., the committee's chairman, asked Saphier whether she agreed with Trump's comments last month suggesting the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine could be "quite lethal."

TRUMP SURGEON GENERAL PICK SPARKS BACKLASH, SPLITS MAHA MOVEMENT

"As a physician, I can tell you that I do not believe the MMR vaccine to be lethal," Saphier responded.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who Saphier would serve under if confirmed, has said multiple times throughout his tenure that people should get the MMR vaccine.

"The two-dose MMR vaccine is our safest and most effective tool to prevent this highly contagious illness," he told Fox News Digital in March 2025.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has also continued to recommend the MMR vaccine, although the Trump administration eventually favors splitting it into three shots.

CNN'S DANA BASH SPARS WITH RFK JR OVER VACCINE EFFICACY, DEMANDS HE 'LOOK INTO THE CAMERA' AND PUSH VACCINES

Saphier also differed with some of Kennedy’s past statements about a potential link between vaccines and autism.

"Well, humbly, I don't know what causes autism, but I have not seen reputable evidence that would suggest that vaccines cause autism," Saphier said. "I do not believe childhood vaccines cause autism."

In a 2023 Fox News interview, while running for president as a Democrat, Kennedy told host Jesse Watters: "I do believe that autism does come from vaccines."

Kennedy later backed away from claiming a definitive link between vaccines and autism, saying in his confirmation hearing last year that he would "do nothing as HHS secretary that makes it difficult or discourages people from taking vaccines."

SENATE CONFIRMS NEW CDC DIRECTOR AS DIARRHEA-CAUSING PARASITE OUTBREAK SWEEPS US

Later, Saphier addressed a question from Cassidy, also a physician, about whether children should receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth.

"Chairman Cassidy, you're speaking to someone who tells people they have cancer every day. And the hepatitis B vaccine is one of the most tangible ways we have to prevent cancer," she said, adding, "The most tried and true way to prevent hepatitis B infection and effectively lower hepatitis B associated illness is universal birth dosing."

Cassidy repeatedly pressed Saphier on whether she supported the Trump administration's move in December to stop universally recommending the vaccine at birth for babies whose mothers test negative for hepatitis B.

Saphier stopped short of saying whether she believed the policy should be reversed.

AMERICAN VACCINES THAT TRANSFORMED PUBLIC HEALTH OVER 250 YEARS: 'OUTWEIGHS HARM'

Under questioning from other senators, Saphier said that as surgeon general, she would promote early cancer screening, review data on the harms of flavored e-cigarettes and study the mental health effects of AI chatbots on children and adolescents.

Saphier was nominated by Trump in April after his earlier pick for surgeon general, wellness influencer Dr. Casey Means, failed to gain enough traction in the Senate to be confirmed.

Before that, Trump withdrew his nomination of Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, another former Fox News contributor, in May 2025.

As the director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center's location in Monmouth, New Jersey, Saphier would bring extensive medical experience to the role.

FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS EMBRACE HEALTH AGENDA WHILE RATING RFK JR NEGATIVELY

She has also authored several books on health and wellness, including "Make America Healthy Again: How Bad Behavior and Big Government Caused a Trillion-Dollar Crisis," published in April 2020, mere months after the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Kennedy later adopted the phrase "Make America Healthy Again" as the slogan for his presidential campaign before bringing it into the Trump administration's broader public health agenda.

Before being nominated, Saphier openly criticized Kennedy, writing in a Wall Street Journal op-ed last year that she was "deeply concerned" about his approach after he described autism as an "epidemic" and pledged to identify the cause of the developmental disorder by September 2025.

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Specifically, she took issue with Kennedy hiring David Geier, a vaccine critic, to analyze CDC data on autism. She called his experience "limited" and said his research has been "widely criticized within the scientific and medical communities."

A review of the Health and Human Services employment database shows Geier still works at the department as a "senior data analyst."

"Families deserve more than passionate speeches and fringe science," Saphier wrote in the op-ed. "If Mr. Kennedy truly wants to be a champion for families facing autism spectrum disorder, he should form partnerships with the nation’s most reputable researchers."

Fraud expert exposes how hidden networks drove Minnesota fraud, other major scams: 'Criminal enterprise'

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 14:18:07 -0400

Criminals can turn stolen identities bought on the dark web into seemingly legitimate businesses — then use those companies to bill taxpayers for healthcare and other services that were never provided, according to a fraud expert who detailed the scheme to Fox News Digital.

The companies can hide in plain sight: Criminals create LLCs using information that may receive little scrutiny, pair them with stolen identities and submit fraudulent claims for everything from wheelchairs and diabetes treatments to childcare and autism services, according to Haywood Talcove, CEO of LexisNexis Risk Solutions Government.

But Talcove said the financial losses are only the beginning, warning the schemes can fuel "criminal enterprises."

"They are using our money against us, whether it's in social media campaigns, whether it is for human trafficking, drugs, disrupting our economy," Talcove told Fox News Digital.

STOLEN IDS SOLD FOR ‘HAPPY MEAL’ PRICES FUEL BILLIONS IN US BENEFIT FRAUD

"When you think about fraud, don't think about, 'It's great that we stopped a fraud ring that stole $5 million.' Think about that as a criminal enterprise that goes beyond just stealing out of a benefit program."

Despite fraud schemes surfacing nationwide, Talcove said Minnesota was "particularly egregious" because the state had little incentive to stop the fraud.

"Minnesota was particularly egregious once they started looking because it was really easy to find," he said.

Talcove said one factor allowing the schemes to flourish in Minnesota and across the country is weak verification during the LLC registration process and reliance on "self-reported information."

"In the case of Minnesota, you went and got your LLC, you opened up a childcare facility, and then the next thing you knew you were billing CMS [Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services] for childcare or autism care, and nobody checked."

The Trump administration launched an anti-fraud crackdown this year after Minnesota's Feeding Our Future scandal, creating a task force led by Vice President JD Vance. The scheme allegedly stole $250 million from a federally funded child nutrition program during the pandemic, and many of those charged have since been convicted or sentenced to prison.

Without third-party audits, Talcove said many criminals slip through the cracks, racking up millions before they're caught.

"One of the fundamental problems with these programs that are literally spending trillions of taxpayer dollars, they have nobody doing investigations or such a small, tiny amount of people that it's not even possible to investigate," he said.

FRAUD EXPERT WARNS AI IS HELPING CRIMINALS OUTPACE THE GOVERNMENT: 'DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TOOLS'

But Talcove said when these schemes are investigated, they expose much more than fraud.

"They're not just involved in stealing Medicare, Medicaid, or food stamps, or unemployment insurance," he said. "They have other interests."

Talcove alleged some criminals use stolen funds to finance sex trafficking by bringing women from other countries and "renting them out" across the U.S., all while profiting from their "ill-gotten gains."

"What they have to look for is beyond the fraud that they found to see if they're involved in drugs, human trafficking, threats to our democracy, weapons," he said.

Calling the fraud a "national security issue," Talcove said some investigations have uncovered criminal groups involved in benefit fraud, including foreign cybercrime organizations such as APT41, a Chinese-linked hacking group.

"When you start looking at the criminal groups that are involved, APT41 and some of their peers and associates, as well as some of the other groups from North Korea and other countries, it is, right now, a national security issue," he said.

FBI LAUNCHES 'MOST WANTED FRAUDSTERS' LIST AS DOJ CHARGES OHIO DEFENDANTS IN $30M MEDICAID SCHEME FOR KIDS

However, not all the money is sent to "overseas criminal organizations," according to Talcove.

"Now, some of it, granted, is being used for luxury goods, homes, cars, vacations, but a lot of it is just going right back to the transnational location that it came from," he said.

Talcove warned that unless investigators dig deeper, fraudsters will continue to exploit the system.

"They tend to get away with it because the investigation stops once you find the fraud," he said.

Turning to the government's role, Talcove said Democrats and Republicans must work together to tackle the nation's growing debt, starting with stronger efforts to combat fraud.

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"My hope is the fiscal situation that we're currently in, driven by what's going on with the bond market, is going to force elected leaders at the state and federal level to start paying attention," he said.

Leno says he gets 'beat up' rhetorically for refusing to go political but refuses to alienate Trump audiences

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 14:14:49 -0400

Jay Leno said in an interview released Sept. 9 that he continues to face criticism for avoiding partisan comedy, telling the "Unexpired" podcast that performing for politically mixed audiences — including Trump supporters in states like Indianameans his priority remains getting laughs rather than delivering political commentary.

Leno, who hosted NBC’s "The Tonight Show" for more than two decades, explained why he believes comedians working outside the late-night television environment have to account for audiences with a range of political views.

"I get beat up for this all the time, but as someone who works in the real world, when you go to Indiana, I'm sorry, a third of your audience is going to be Trump people," Leno said.

CRAIG FERGUSON REVEALS WHY TRUMP JOKES ARE MISSING FROM HIS NEW COMEDY TOUR

Christian Toto, an entertainment journalist, film critic and founder of Hollywood in Toto, told Fox News Digital Wednesday that Leno's approach reflects what he sees as a divide between touring stand-ups and television hosts who have cultivated more politically defined audiences. Toto founded Hollywood in Toto in 2014 and covers entertainment and culture.

"Late-night hosts don't care who they alienate in 2026. They've chosen an audience. Period. Jimmy Kimmel infamously said of his Republican fans, ‘not good riddance,' but riddance. That says it all," Toto said.

Leno told host Kim Alexis that his objective onstage remains entertainment, recalling that he and former "Tonight Show" host Johnny Carson deliberately tried to spread political jokes across party lines rather than consistently targeting one side.

"I mean, Johnny and I used to pride ourselves on making fun of both sides equally. Now I get beaten up for that. But OK, that's all right," Leno said.

CONAN O'BRIEN, ZACH GALIFIANAKIS SAY IT'S A 'MISCONCEPTION' THAT COMEDY SHOWS ONLY TARGET CONSERVATIVES

Leno has made similar comments repeatedly in recent years. A few years ago, he said he had stopped putting politics in his stand-up because audiences increasingly wanted to know whether a joke was "for or against" their side before hearing the punchline. In a 2025 interview at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Leno again said he believed political humor worked best when audiences could laugh when their own side became the target.

Kimmel has publicly acknowledged losing some Republican viewers as his show became more politically outspoken. During a 2017 "CBS Sunday Morning" interview, Kimmel was asked whether he minded Republican viewers abandoning the program after his commentary on his healthcare and gun policy.

"Well, not good riddance, but riddance," Kimmel said.

JIMMY KIMMEL SAYS HE FELT 'DEFEATED' AFTER COLBERT SHOW WAS CANCELED, SAYS CBS IS USING 'MADE-UP NUMBERS'

Toto also pointed to Jimmy Fallon’s 2016 interview with then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, when the "Tonight Show" host tousled Trump’s hair. Fallon later said he regretted not responding more directly to the criticism that followed and denied that the lighthearted segment was intended to "normalize" Trump.

"Jimmy Fallon had a chance to be the new Jay Leno, the apolitical yukster who just wanted to make the country laugh," Toto said. "Sadly, after he tousled Donald Trump's hair on ‘The Tonight Show’ in 2016, he was hounded by the media and the left for humanizing the real estate mogul."

Leno returned to the subject this summer, telling Deadline that modern audiences are "all over the place" politically while discussing changes to late-night television. He also called Joe Rogan "the new Johnny Carson," pointing to podcasts as an increasingly important alternative to traditional late-night shows.

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"Like I said, we used to brag about the fact that Johnny and I would try to make fun of both sides equally," Leno said at the time. "Looks like that doesn’t work anymore."

Taxpayer funds meant for LA homeless allegedly spent on Tahiti trip, nightclub, luxury cars: feds

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 14:13:03 -0400

Taxpayer dollars intended to put roofs over the heads of Los Angeles’ homeless allegedly paid instead for a Tahiti vacation, a high-end nightclub, luxury vehicles and other personal expenses, federal authorities said Wednesday as agents fanned out across the city in an early-morning fraud crackdown.

At the center of the crackdown is Michael Young, 46, a founder of Culver City-based nonprofit Home At Last, who received more than $118 million in public funds through government contracts, including more than $75 million from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, according to the Justice Department.

Prosecutors allege Young misappropriated millions, including more than $7.5 million through a sham vendor scheme.

"The days of these wire fraud experts flying on private jets, driving around Beverly Hills in Range Rovers and doing lavish things is over," HUD Secretary Scott Turner said.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE NEWSOM-LINKED CHARITIES REPORTEDLY CAUGHT IN DOJ’S SIGHTS

Young was one of three defendants charged Wednesday in separate federal cases targeting alleged fraud and corruption involving money intended to house and provide services to homeless Californians. Two were arrested Wednesday, while a third was considered a fugitive.

Prosecutors allege Young used shell companies and fraudulent billing practices to divert taxpayer money, spending more than $1 million to open and operate Six Seven Five Lounge, a high-end Inglewood restaurant and nightclub.

At Wednesday’s news conference, federal officials also accused Young of spending nearly $50,000 on a luxury Tahiti vacation and $140,000 restoring a vintage Chevrolet Impala.

"The taxpayers did not sign up to fund this nightclub," Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald said.

WHITE HOUSE LAUNCHES INTERACTIVE MAP TRACKING BILLIONS IN SUSPECTED FRAUD

Authorities also arrested Lakiya Malone, 48, an employee of Special Service for Groups, on a 21-count indictment alleging she accepted more than $180,000 in bribes and kickbacks from Alexander Soofer, executive director of nonprofit Abundant Blessings.

In exchange, Malone allegedly provided priority referrals, including "ghost" homeless participants who never lived at the housing sites. Prosecutors allege their files were fabricated using fake welcome letters, forged sign-in sheets and falsified eligibility forms.

Soofer, who was previously charged, has agreed to plead guilty to wire fraud and money laundering. He admitted obtaining $23 million in public money intended to combat homelessness and pocketing at least $2 million for himself and unrelated businesses.

A third defendant, Donye Mitchell, 55, CEO of The Big Blue Umbrella, is considered a fugitive. Prosecutors allege he obtained more than $1.2 million in grant funding after making false representations and later used grant money for personal expenses including bail-bond costs, credit card debt, family transfers and PlayStation charges.

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"If you or someone you know has defrauded money allocated for the homeless, I suggest you report it to law enforcement," First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said. "If you don’t, your door may be the next one we’re hitting."

ESPN re-signs Joe Buck for more than $100 million, highlighting company strategy

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 14:07:27 -0400

ESPN and Joe Buck have agreed to a six-year contract extension worth around $108 million. The deal will raise Buck’s annual salary from $15 million to $18 million, as The Athletic first reported Wednesday.

Buck signed with ESPN in 2022 alongside his longtime broadcast partner, Troy Aikman. In terms of scale, signing Buck and Aikman marked one of ESPN’s most important talent acquisitions in its 40-year history.

The network spent years trying to find a booth that could match the quality of its competitors, from Sean McDonough and Steve Levy to Booger McFarland and Jason Witten. Those pairings did not work.

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Buck and Aikman do. In fact, they are often considered the best game duo in all of sports.

Aikman, who signed a five-year, $90 million contract with ESPN, remains unsigned. His contract expires after the Super Bowl in February.

We expect him to re-sign.

Buck’s new deal secures him for not only the upcoming Super Bowl but also ESPN’s next one in 2031. At 57, Buck could be in line for another contract after this one.

For context, Al Michaels still calls Thursday Night Football for Amazon Prime at 81.

JOSH PATE DISCUSSES NEW ESPN SHOW, FOUR FACES OF ESPN, PAT MCAFEE AND FUTURE OF MEDIA COMPANY WITH OUTKICK

Joe Buck is now tied with Aikman as ESPN’s third-highest-paid on-air personality, behind Stephen A. Smith and Pat McAfee. Smith makes around $21 million per year, while McAfee makes around $30 million.

Note: McAfee’s deal is not a standard talent contract. He licenses his daily studio show to the network and has a separate agreement that includes roles on "College GameDay," "Monday Night Countdown," and other ESPN appearances.

McAfee is reportedly in contract discussions with ESPN on a renewal worth around $65 million per year.

The deals for Buck, McAfee, Aikman, and Smith highlight ESPN’s strategy under chairman Jimmy Pitaro. The stars get paid. The middle class does not.

Renewals for those four personalities come as ESPN laid off multiple on-air talents in July, following another round of layoffs that affected 20 on-air talents in 2023.

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Other ESPN talents in the "star" category include Michael Wilbon, Tony Kornheiser, Kirk Herbstreit, and Mike Breen.

Considering the value of calling a Super Bowl, Buck might be the most valuable of them.

Buck could also return to calling the World Series if ESPN adds the event to its portfolio in 2029. According to The Athletic, Pitaro has told Buck he would like him to call the World Series if ESPN adds it.

The World Series is currently exclusive to FOX, where Buck long called the event, but could be split between multiple broadcast partners in the next rights negotiations.

FOX, ESPN, NBC, and Netflix are among the likely bidders.

Lindsay Clancy prosecutors face dilemma: Retrial or plea deal in case involving 3 strangled children

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 14:04:40 -0400

Prosecutors pursuing a second trial against Lindsay Clancy could face the same obstacle that produced a hung jury the first time: finding 12 Massachusetts jurors willing to unanimously reject her insanity defense.

Jonathan Turley, a Fox News contributor and professor at The George Washington University Law School, said the prosecution must weigh the possibility of another deadlocked trial against the political and emotional consequences of abandoning the case.

"The question is whether they could ever get a jury, particularly in Massachusetts, that would unanimously vote against this defendant," Turley told Fox News Digital. "For prosecutors, they have to weigh that, but they may find the alternative equally unappealing — to simply walk away and say, 'There are three dead children here, but we just don't think we could ever win this case.'"

LINDSAY CLANCY ATTORNEY KEVIN REDDINGTON SIGNALS HE'S OPEN TO A DEAL, HOPES DA WILL 'REVISIT' CASE

Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor, said he believes the district attorney's office should try and negotiate a deal — but also that it appears unlikely due to the nature of the crime and the defense's position after deadlocked jurors split 11-1, with only a single holdout in favor of finding Clancy guilty of murder in the strangling deaths of her three young children — Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months.

WATCH: Lindsay Clancy plea deal appears unlikely, legal analyst says

"The reason I don't think there's any deal to be made here is Reddington has come out during his media tour and said that he's not going to accept any deal that results in jail time," he told Fox News Digital. "Even if you're talking about first-degree or second-degree murder, in Massachusetts, first-degree, of course, has no possibility of parole. Second-degree has the possibility of a parole. That's not something that Reddington and the defense are going to accept."

LINDSAY CLANCY'S LAWYER REVEALS POST-MISTRIAL STRATEGY AS RETRIAL LOOMS

The defense does not dispute that Clancy, a 36-year-old former delivery room nurse, choked her three children to death with exercise bands in January 2023. Then she tried to kill herself.

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She survived a fall from a second-story window and is now paralyzed.

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Her defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, has argued that she is not criminally responsible for the deaths due to mental illness or defect.

LINDSAY CLANCY'S ATTORNEY ASKS JUDGE TO ACQUIT HER OUTRIGHT, ENDING CASE AND BARRING A RETRIAL

Still, he's said in recent interviews that he is open to talking about a deal, and he told Fox News' Bryan Llenas last week that if prosecutors reduced the top charge to second-degree murder, he would opt for a bench trial — one without jurors — in the hope that she receives probation as punishment.

GOT A TIP?

"I would like to see [Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz] reduce it to a second-degree so we could possibly waive a jury and try the case before a judge," he said. "I would see Tim determine that the case should not go forward and dismiss it, or in the alternative fashion, something where Lindsay gets the mental, physical help that she needs rather than criminal prosecution — because I would not ever, ever in a million years have that woman go to Framingham State Prison."

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As prosecutors weigh a potential retrial, Judge William Sullivan is protecting the names of jurors in her mistrial, ordering their identities to be impounded indefinitely and the confidential juror questionnaires to be impounded for at least the next 10 days.

JUROR ON LINDSAY CLANCY TRIAL SAYS 'WE LET DOWN LINDSAY' FOLLOWING MISTRIAL

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He cited threats and concerns for their safety.

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Clancy, who is charged with murder in the strangling deaths of her three children, is due back in court on Sept. 29.

Kate Spade Outlet's fall sale is here — save up to 76%, with styles from $26

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 17:28:02 -0400

Kate Spade Outlet's fall sale is here. Save on bestselling leather wristlets, crossbody bags, work-ready totes and more for up to 76% off after an extra 25% discount in cart on most styles. Prices start at just $26, with select picks marked down by more than $333. Another bonus: get $25 off $150 at checkout.

Best deals, at a glance

Leila Crossbody Bag: $63.75 — save over $265
Lenox Mini Crossbody Bag: $63.75 — save over $215
Tessa Tote Bag with charm: $101.25 — save over $327
Jana Tote Bag: $81.75 — save over $277
Lenox Large Crossbody Bag: $111.75 — save over $317

Kate Spade wallets and wristlets under $40

Keep cards, cash and essentials organized with these compact styles that start at just $26.

Lucy Shiny Wristlet: $33.75 (Orig. $139)

Save $105.25 with extra 25% off in cart

Add a sleek touch with the glossy Lucy Shiny Wristlet. Made from patent material, it has three interior card slots, an exterior slip pocket for easy access to your most-used cards and a secure zip closure. Choose from several colors.

Small Slim Card Holder: $26.25 (Orig. $89)

Save $62.75 with extra 25% off in cart

Carry your cards and cash with ease using this small slim card holder. It's made from durable Saffiano leather and has four exterior card slots.

Key Ring Card Holder: $29.25 (Orig. $129)

Save $99.75 with extra 25% off in cart

Keep cards, an ID and keys together in one compact spot with this pebbled leather key ring card holder. It has two interior card slots, an ID window and a zip closure, plus a key ring that clips easily onto a bag.

Carter Nylon Card Case Lanyard: $29.25 (Orig. $99)

Save $69.75 with extra 25% off in cart

Keep your essentials close with this nylon card case. Its durable nylon design is made for daily use, while the ID window keeps identification easy to access. Use the clip to attach your keys or wear it around your neck as a lanyard.

Best Kate Spade Outlet bags under $100

Find full-sized bags at budget-friendly prices.

Leila Crossbody Bag: $63.75 (Orig. $329)

Save $265.25 with extra 25% off in cart

One of the most-loved Kate Spade Outlet bags, the Leila Crossbody gets high marks from reviewers for its functionality, room and the secure outer pocket for quick access to sunglasses, phones or keys. "The pebble[d] leather is so easy to wipe off and rain-friendly…the adjustable strap lets you adjust the length for your activity," said one reviewer.

Ginnie Crossbody Bag: $63.75 (Orig. $279)

Save $215.25 with extra 25% off in cart

Look stylish without effort with the Ginnie Crossbody Bag. Slim with a 24-inch strap drop, the brand likens it to a white tee: it goes with everything, and it's an easy grab-and-go option for carrying your keys, cards and other essentials.

Kayla Triple Crossbody Bag: $81.75 (Orig. $329)

Save $247.25 with extra 25% off in cart

The pebbled leather Kayla Crossbody Bag comes in several colors, including a standout Cream Meringue. Its three-compartment design keeps everyday items neatly organized, helping it earn a 4.8-star rating from reviewers. One wrote, "Organization at its finest. This is my go-to."

Gemini Mini Bag: $75 (Orig. $189)

Save $114 — that's 60% off

The Gemini Mini is available in rich green suede, while the remaining colors feature pebbled leather. Its slim, structured silhouette fits your phone, credit cards and small essentials. One reviewer called it a "great everyday small bag" that's the "perfect size" for all seasons. At $75, it's one of the lowest-priced on our list.

Lenox Mini Crossbody Bag: $63.75 (Orig. $279)

Save $204 with extra 25% off in cart

The Lenox Mini Crossbody has earned a 4.9-star rating from reviewers. Made from pebbled leather, it has room for your phone and a small wallet, while the removable strap converts it into a clutch for evenings out. One reviewer wrote, "Love this little bag. Holds more than I expected, but not so much that I'm weighed down. A definite must-have."

On Purpose Crossbody Bag: $74.25 (Orig. $259)

Save $184.75 — that's 71% off

Light colors like white and cream add a fresh, polished touch to any outfit. The On Purpose Crossbody is crafted from leather and has just enough room for your phone, keys, lipstick and credit cards, making it an easy everyday bag.

Best Kate Spade Outlet work and everyday totes

Bring these totes with you everywhere.

Knott Suede Large Carryall: $141.75 (Orig. $399)

Save $257.25 with extra 25% off in cart

If there’s a bag that feels made for fall, it’s the Knott Suede Large Carryall. With a soft suede finish in three autumnal shades, it has a warm look that pairs easily with sweaters and boots. Get the $399 bag for just $142 when you apply the extra 25% off. "I absolutely love the style of this purse. It is so roomy and has three pockets and closes even when stuffed," said a reviewer.

Kitt Ksnyl Tote Bag: $96.75 (Orig. $299)

Save $202.25 with extra 25% off in cart

If you need a spacious everyday tote, the Kitt Ksnyl Tote Bag has room for work and weekend essentials alike. Reviewers say it easily fits a 17-inch laptop, lunch, a 32-ounce water bottle and makeup pouch, while the recycled nylon exterior wipes clean more easily than most leather bags. The Hot Fudge color is an especially pretty pick for fall.

Kip Canvas Large Tote Bag: $111.75 (Orig. $379)

Save $267.25 with extra 25% off in cart

The roomy Kip Canvas Large Tote can fit a 15-inch laptop, notebooks and even a water bottle. Made from recycled nylon, it boasts a near-perfect 4.9 rating from reviewers who appreciate the comfortable straps and pockets. "This is, hands down, the best bag I’ve ever owned," one wrote. "It’s my ride or die. The quality is exceptional. It is so durable and holds so much. I get compliments all the time on the bag."

Tessa Tote Bag with charm: $101.25 (Orig. $429)

Save $327.75 with extra 25% off in cart

Crafted from smooth-grain leather, the Tessa Tote has room for a 14-inch laptop, iPad and A4 documents, making it a practical choice for work. Available in black, light fawn and elm green, it includes a detachable zip pouch that can double as a wallet. "I absolutely love it," wrote one reviewer. "It's even better in person — very roomy."

Juliette Leather Medium Tote: $96.75 (Orig. $379)

Save $282.25 with extra 25% off in cart

Save over $280 on the Juliette Leather Medium Tote, a classic work bag with room for an iPad, Kindle and other daily essentials. The zip-top closure adds extra security, making it a practical choice for commuting and travel. One reviewer wrote, "I bought this stylish bag to go on vacation. It's the perfect size for carry-on luggage on a flight, is comfortable to wear and has a deep pocket with a zipper."

Best Kate Spade Outlet bags for fall

With fall is here, so embrace the change in season with a new bag.

Rae Satchel Bag: $93.75 (Orig. $399)

Save $305.25 with extra 25% off in cart

The Rae Satchel Bag is a lovely fall accessory, especially in the chocolate and cream shades. Right now, you can save $305. Said one reviewer: "The bag is a perfect size, not too big and bulky; however, it fits a lot. If you are looking for a beautiful, classy bag in a phenomenal color, this is the bag for you! Casually classy is [the] best description."

Margot Textured Leather Shoulder Bag: $139 (Orig. $329)

Save $224.75 — that's 68% off

The Margot Shoulder Bag also has a 4.9-star rating and is now $225 off. Textured patent leather gives it a polished look that's easy to dress up or down. One reviewer praised its organization and everyday versatility, calling it "stylish, functional and just the right size for everyday use."

Jana Tote Bag: $81.75 (Orig. $359)

Save $277.25 with extra 25% off in cart

The Jana Tote Bag is a sleek everyday carryall with a Saffiano-textured design, zip closure and polished hardware. Reviewers cite the pretty colors and roomy size as highlights. The deep red Grenache shade screams autumn to us.

Thompson Street Shiny Quilted Small Satchel Bag: $116.25 (Orig. $419)

Save $302.75 with extra 25% off in cart

Swap your everyday shoulder bag for the Thompson Street Satchel. The structured top-handle design and quilted patent leather elevate everything from jeans to dresses. One reviewer wrote, "I like the structured look with a touch of femininity… The quality is high, the stitching is straight and clean and the zipper glides smoothly."

Lenox Large Crossbody Bag: $111.75 (Orig. $429)

Save $317.25 with extra 25% off in cart

Crafted with a fabric lining, the Lenox Large Crossbody Bag has a little more room than your usual crossbody. It fits large phones, bigger wallets and an iPad, and comes in six colors.

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Juliette Medium Bucket Bag: $96.75 (Orig. $379)

Save $282.25 with extra 25% off in cart

This Juliette Medium Bucket Bag comes in fresh green, versatile sand and classic black for year-round wear. A magnetic snap closure keeps your things secure, while the streamlined shape makes it easy to dress up or down.

DAVID MARCUS: Big Tech invented AI doomsday to duck real life problems

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 14:03:28 -0400

As if Americans didn’t have enough to worry about — making ends meet and planning for the future — the heads of the world’s largest artificial-intelligence companies are now warning that their groundbreaking technology could leave us with no future at all: We may all be dead.

It really is a shame, given that we just survived climate change and COVID-19. Now this? Maybe we can just shut down AI for two weeks to flatten the curve.

This week, Democrats have been jumping all over themselves to hop on board this moribund bandwagon to do what they always do — regulate industry to death and hamper growth.

SANDERS PUSHES 'DEATH PENALTY' FOR CRUCIAL US INDUSTRY THAT COULD GIVE ADVANTAGE TO FOREIGN ADVERSARIES

According to Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., "Congress, under both Democratic and Republican control, has been asleep at the wheel, and we now have a president whose ignorance regarding this issue is truly embarrassing."

Meanwhile, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., warned, "AI technology can be very dangerous when pursued without any guardrails." But given her repeated predictions that the world will end within five years because of climate change, it’s unclear why it matters.

RESEARCHER WHO DEPARTED AI ROLE OVER FEARS OF RACING INTO EXTINCTION SAYS PEOPLE ARE 'BEGGING' FOR REGULATION

Look, AI is not going to destroy humanity in the next decade, as Jacob Coxon, a former employee and so-called whistleblower at Anthropic — a leading AI company — warned recently. Frankly, the notion is absurd, which is why nobody can actually explain it.

One must seriously ask oneself, how exactly is AI going to kill me? Is it going to come to my house with a gun, is it going to hack the nuke codes or unleash a deadly virus? Surely, it's not that hard to have human beings as fail-safes in those scenarios.

THE SURVEILLANCE CAMERA ON YOUR STREET CORNER: LAWFUL SPYING OR CONSTITUTIONALLY PROBLEMATIC?

No, the dangers attendant to AI are not sci-fi fantasies of super intelligence going rogue and plotting the demise of the meat puppets. As exciting as all of that is, the real dangers are much more mundane, and much more implacable.

Across the country, local school boards are struggling with whether and how to use AI in kids’ education. County commissioners are balancing the crime-fighting capability of AI-driven cameras against personal freedom. And in Congress, lawmakers are debating outdated laws governing Big Tech’s liability, including Section 230 of the Communications Act, which was written in the technological Stone Age of 1996.

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These practical applications of AI are what Americans are most concerned about, not fabulist movie scenarios meant to scare us all into handing power over to the smart set, again.

All the usual suspects, like Bill Gates and Anthropic’s Dario Amodei, are out there saying that the threat of AI requires some kind of woke world governing body, but Americans will not accept such trampling of their freedom. Not this time.

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At the end of the day, AI is a product. It's not magic. It's not some unstoppable force of nature. And like any product, from toothpicks to tractors, the government has a role to play in making sure it is safe for the public.

Viewed from this product angle, it is easy to see why Big Tech would rather talk about esoteric threats of Armageddon than what they are doing to fight bias in their algorithms, or take the safety of children online seriously.

In fact, what Big Tech is really doing is inventing a problem that isn’t there to avoid addressing the very real ones that are.

Even if we did force AI companies to shut down for two months and put their servers six feet apart with masks on, it would have no impact on the actual issues that people care about regarding so-called artificial intelligence.

Big Tech doomerism is a distraction, because, after all, who has time to worry about teenagers getting addicted to social media or chatbots happily cheering on suicide when the world might end in 10 days?

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What the American people need and deserve are not grand, fruitless, hand-waving gestures that seek to halt research that probably can’t be halted anyway — certainly not in China. They need sound policy regarding the practical applications of AI.

People are rightfully suspicious, and even a bit scared of AI technology. But the answers to those fears do not exist in the cloud, so to speak, but on the ground — where the virtual rubber meets the very real road.

The question is not whether AI will kill us, the question is how our society will choose to use it, and human beings remain in charge of that, regardless of predictions of doom.

Hannah Einbinder's brutal message to Ed Sheeran fuels growing celebrity revolt over Macklemore tour drama

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 13:59:27 -0400

Hannah Einbinder has taken aim at Ed Sheeran amid the growing backlash over Macklemore’s removal from the singer’s U.S. tour.

The "Hacks" star criticized Sheeran on Instagram, joking that she was speaking "as a ginger" before wishing him an especially painful sunburn.

"Ed Sheeran i say this as a ginger. i hope you get a REALLY bad sun burn the kind on the back of your entire body where it hurts to lie down or walk or sit," Einbinder wrote.

MACKLEMORE DOUBLES DOWN AFTER GETTING KICKED OFF ED SHEERAN TOUR AFTER PRO-PALESTIAN STANCE

Her post came after Macklemore was dropped from Sheeran’s Loop Tour after onstage comments supporting Palestinians.

Einbinder was among several celebrities to publicly call out Sheeran, who addressed the controversy in a lengthy statement posted Tuesday.

"Macklemore asked to join my tour last year and I agreed, because I respect him as an artist," Sheeran wrote on social media. "As with all my support acts, I agree that they play a setlist of their choosing."

On Monday, Macklemore had claimed that Sheeran told him Robert Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium, had rallied other stadium owners to oppose allowing the rapper to perform. According to his account, the venues allegedly gave Sheeran an ultimatum: "If Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues."

Sheeran’s statement offered a different account of the events, saying that, after Macklemore’s performances at his New Jersey shows, venues scheduled for upcoming tour dates told organizers they would pull the shows if Macklemore remained on the lineup.

"After Macklemore’s performances at my New Jersey shows, venues on my upcoming tour dates communicated that they would pull the shows if he was still supporting," Sheeran wrote.

"I was informed that this stance was based on how Macklemore conveyed part of his message during his performance, rather than on everything that was said. I spoke with the venues at length all week to try and build a bridge. One of those people was Robert Kraft. I was also involved in direct talks with promoters along with activists on both sides to try and find a mutual resolution for all, but the venue’s and promoter’s decision was final."

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Sheeran said he has deliberately avoided using his professional platform for politics because his audience includes young people and children from diverse backgrounds. Sheeran said concertgoers attend his shows expecting "a place of safety and sanctuary" rather than a political forum.

"There is a reason I do not use my professional platform for politics – my audience includes young people, often children, of all backgrounds," he wrote. "Those who come to my shows do not expect a political forum. I respect Macklemore’s strength of purpose to stand up and shout for what he believes. However, there is room for multiple approaches to the same end: peace.

"I choose to use my fame and platform to be a place of safety and sanctuary, to maintain diplomacy and keep conversations open, not closed. If we only focus on shouting the loudest, nothing will ever change. There are different approaches to being an advocate for change."

Sheeran also rejected the suggestion that his decision not to speak publicly about his personal beliefs made him indifferent to the conflict.

"I am not complicit," he wrote. "I have my personal views on this devastating conflict. Just because I choose not to speak publicly, it doesn’t mean I don’t have them, and it doesn’t mean I don’t care."

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However, his statement has done little to quiet the criticism.

"Wicked" actor Marissa Bode accused Sheeran of lacking a backbone, writing that although she uses a wheelchair, she still has a "f---ing spine," before adding her support for Palestinians on Instagram.

"Ed Sheeran, my legs may not work like they used to before, but at least I have a f---ing spine. Free Palestine, b----," she wrote.

Children’s educator and YouTube sensation Ms. Rachel similarly said Sheeran had "caved" to people who opposed Macklemore’s advocacy and argued that silence over Gaza is not neutral.

"Ed Sheeran had an opportunity [to] show that we won’t be bullied into punishing people for supporting Palestine. Instead he caved to people who refuse to accept what the world knows. A genocide is happening in Gaza. We all need to speak out against it."

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Former Pink Floyd member Roger Waters delivered one of the harshest responses, posting a video in which he contrasted Macklemore’s willingness to speak out with Sheeran’s refusal to take a public position.

"I just have a little message for you," he said in a video he shared on social media. "There are two kinds of people in this world, Ed. There are people who do the right thing. That rapper Macklemore would be one of those people. And there are people, many of them sadly little – excuse me, I nearly used the F-word then, p------ like you who do the wrong thing. Goodbye."

Macklemore has also criticized Sheeran’s stance, though he said their friendship was not necessarily over.

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He argued that Sheeran could not move beyond his public position of "not taking sides," adding that refusing to choose a side in an unequal conflict does not amount to neutrality.

The fallout has also affected Sheeran’s touring lineup.

Finneas, Aaron Rowe, Lukas Graham and Irish folk band Beoga all announced that they would withdraw from upcoming dates in solidarity with Macklemore.

Finneas said artists should not be silenced when speaking for oppressed people, while Rowe condemned the use of wealth and venue power to suppress pro-Palestinian voices.

Lukas Graham wrote that he was grateful for his friendship with Sheeran but couldn't "carry on with tour as things stand" before withdrawing.

"I'm sorry we won't be there. This is a difficult decision, but it's one I need to stand by," Graham added.

A week after Macklemore repeatedly called to "Free Palestine" and performed his anti-Israel song "Hind’s Hall" while opening for Sheeran, the rapper was dropped from the remaining U.S. dates he was scheduled to perform on the "Shape of You" singer's tour.

"As the concert promoter for Ed Sheeran’s U.S. Loop Tour, we have been notified by venues on the upcoming U.S. tour dates that they will not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup, which would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans," Messina Touring Group, the promoter of the U.S. leg of Sheeran’s Loop Tour, said in a statement to Rolling Stone.

"After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates."

While Macklemore said he hopes his relationship with Sheeran won't crumble over this, he stands by his position.

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"I didn’t need 10 shows from Ed. I needed 2. Two chances to stand in front of 90,000 people and say the words that somehow became too dangerous to say. Free Palestine. But if those words cost me the stage, while turning the conversation back to Palestine, then it was the most successful tour I’ve ever been on."

Fox News Digital's Tracy Wright contributed to this post.

New York Times report under fire for questioning whether Israelis were true victims of Oct 7 terror attack

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 13:41:21 -0400

The New York Times infuriated critics on Monday with a "grotesque" report that many believe crossed a line by suggesting Israelis are not the victims of Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack.

Times reporter Isabel Kershner, who focuses on Israeli and Palestinian affairs, penned a piece that focuses on a documentary about the killing of Palestinians by Israeli forces in Gaza. Midway through the article, the Times reporter noted, "Israelis are deeply divided over how to apportion blame for the policy, military and intelligence failures that preceded the attack and the war," to set up a line that has prompted a firestorm of criticism.

"But Israelis still largely view themselves as the victims of Oct. 7," Kershner wrote.

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Journalist Eitan Fischberger, who served in the Israel Defense Forces, was stunned when he read the sentence in a straight-news report, which appeared to suggest that such a statement was opinion rather than fact.

"What’s so grotesque about this sentence is that it portrays an objective fact as some sort of Israeli victimhood mentality. Imagine the Times writing that Americans ‘still largely view themselves as the victims of 9/11,’ or that Americans ‘still largely view themselves as the victims of Pearl Harbor,’" Fischberger told Fox News Digital.

"Whatever one thinks about the war that followed, Israelis were absolutely the victims of horrific atrocities on October 7," he continued. "Just like Americans were the victims of 9/11 and the attack on Pearl Harbor."

The New York Times and Kershner did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

NEW YORK TIMES ACCUSED OF FRAMING MUSLIMS AS TRUE VICTIMS OF 9/11 IN ANNIVERSARY COVERAGE

Hamas launched a war with an unprecedented Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel that resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people, with Israeli civilians among those targeted. Hundreds of civilians were massacred at an outdoor music festival, others were slaughtered inside their homes and Hamas took 254 hostages in the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust.

Earlier this month, a review of Times coverage of the early months of the Israel-Gaza war by Edieal Pinker of the Yale School of Management found a clear bias against Israel.

"This sentence is the epitome of the pattern the study found," Fischberger said.

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Many others blasted the Times on social media, including conservative pundit Scott Jennings.

"No words for this abomination," Jennings wrote.

One critic asked if Al Jazeera bought the Times, while many asked who the victims were, if not Israelis.

Last week, the Times was also accused of treating Muslims as the true victims of the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2021. The Times’ published a story, "After 9/11, Islamophobia Shaped a Generation of Muslim New Yorkers," that said the "attacks unleashed a wave of hate, but the years since have seen Muslim Americans’ political and cultural influence grow."

The Times published a second story on Islamophobia on Friday, with the other one headlined, "Facing Islamophobia, Mamdani Keeps Focus on 9/11 Victims."

While critics scolded the Times, the paper stood by its reporting and called the backlash "a disingenuous attempt to seek attention and stoke outrage by misrepresenting The New York Times's journalism covering the anniversary and commemoration of the Sept. 11 attacks."

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The Times previously issued the following statement to the New York Post regarding Pinker’s study: "The advocates behind multiple studies on media bias cherry-pick data that supports their beliefs while ignoring any evidence to the contrary. Our work has exposed violations of international law and grave human rights abuses. War crimes prosecutors have cited our investigations as they gather reporting that would not otherwise have come to light. Our role is to seek the truth, even when it includes inconvenient or uncomfortable facts."

Mets are 'trash' because they're not listening to former NJ Gov Chris Christie, Stephen A Smith says

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 13:37:12 -0400

Stephen A. Smith has figured out the crux of the New York Mets’ issues.

The Mets are batting .238 as a team and have a 4.16 ERA as a pitching staff and the team, with one of the biggest payrolls in baseball at $344 million, has already been eliminated from the postseason.

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Where the problem lies is anyone’s guess. It definitely didn’t help that the team let Pete Alonso walk to the Baltimore Orioles and he turned around and burned them on Tuesday night.

Smith gave his take on ESPN’s "First Take" on Wednesday morning and put the onus on president of baseball operations David Stearns for his roster construction. But, Smith added that the team isn’t listening to one key person – former Republican presidential candidate and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

Well, you’re probably asking what Christie has to do with the Mets.

Christie is on the Mets’ Board of Directors. He said in a press release at the time he’s been a Mets fan for 53 years and has close ties with team owner Steve Cohen.

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"You’ve been a baseball abomination. (David) Stearns needs to be gone. (Steve) Cohen – he should be ashamed for the job that he’s done," he said. "And former Gov. Chris Christie, who consults for the New York Mets, I really, really think you should strongly consider disassociating yourself with the New York Mets because they’re horrible. They’re clearly not listening … He’s a friend of mine, I know him. I know the man knows his baseball. The Mets are trash, probably because they ain’t listening to him. They need to listen to somebody – they stink."

It’s unclear if Christie would be using a different formula than Stearns to make the critical decisions. Nonetheless, Stearns was touted as a great baseball mind for helping turn the Milwaukee Brewers around.

He has not found the same success with the Mets so far. New York made the playoffs in 2024 but lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series. The last two seasons, the Mets have missed the playoffs.

"… They stink. Period. Shut up. Play better baseball," Smith added. "And Steve Cohen, fire your director of baseball operations and pay attention to the hard-working New York Mets fan base that spends their money patronizing their product. You have robbed them the last year and a half of a product. You stink, period!"

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Whatever the formula is, the Mets haven’t found it in quite some time. They made the high-profile moves to capture the audience but the product hasn’t resonated on the field.

GOP lawmakers blindsided by new revelations about Trump Butler shooter: 'Awfully strange'

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 13:34:11 -0400

Republican lawmakers were apparently blindsided this week by new documents about Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old who attempted to assassinate President Donald Trump and was subsequently shot dead.

Crooks opened fire on Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., in July 2024. A bullet grazed the then-candidate’s ear, while a rally attendee was killed as he attempted to shield his family.

"During our piece that we were working on, none of the federal agencies were working with us at all. They were going to work on their own, and they told us, ‘We're going to do ours, and then we'll get back to you.’ So this is two years later. Nobody's gotten back to us," Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., who chaired a bipartisan House task force aimed at investigating the shooting, told Fox News.

"That's under the former administration. So everything that's under the executive branch at that time, under the Biden administration, we had no access to information at that time," he said.

Kelly also said the House task force's Dec. 10, 2024, report was written largely with input from local authorities and little from the federal level.

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"It's awfully strange that all the questions we asked, 'We'll have to get back to you on that.' And we have very limited time, as you know, to actually get to what we wanted to. So when we finished our report, it was basically based on everything that we could gather from local law enforcement, hardly anything from the feds at that time," Kelly said.

Fox News Digital reviewed the documents in question and found that Crooks’ father, Matthew Crooks, had searched for ways to prevent his son from accessing firearms in May 2024, roughly two months before he clambered up a rooftop in his attempt to assassinate Trump.

A source familiar with the task force’s work told Fox News Digital that the May 2024 search by Matthew Crooks was not known to House lawmakers during their investigation.

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"The Task Force report corroborates that Matthew Crooks handed Thomas Crooks the rifle used in the assassination attempt on July 13, 2024," the source said.

Kelly’s spokesman told Fox News Digital that his office was not aware of federal authorities interviewing Crooks’ family.

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The records were obtained by Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, as part of his ongoing inquiry into the Butler assassination attempt. So far, the records turned over to the Senate show Thomas’ actions were a surprise to his family, and his motive is still a mystery.

Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee told Fox News Digital that they had yet to see the FBI documents, but argued that it was reason enough that the full details of that day in July 2024 needed to be brought to light.

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., a member of the panel, told Fox News Digital that the documents dump is "something that should have happened," but there was still "so much that we don't know about what happened."

"I think we have got to, I've been saying forever now, we have got to have a full accounting of everything that happened on that day, all of the failures, law enforcement failures that occurred," Hawley said.

I WAS AT BUTLER TWO YEARS AGO WHEN AMERICA SAW WHAT COURAGE LOOKS LIKE

When asked about Crooks’ father trying to stop him from getting access to guns, Hawley said, "This gets back to if this guy was out there, if he was, if he was displaying erratic behavior, was that reported?"

He recalled being on the ground days after the attempt. Hawley described how easily he could’ve gotten onto the rooftop from where Crooks fired off rounds toward the stage and charged that there was "no coordination" among the several local and federal law enforcement agencies present that day.

"I mean, this is just wild. And I still don't think we've gotten a full accounting," Hawley said. "Pretty much everything we know about this is from whistleblowers. You know, we need a full accounting of what really happened on that day."

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"Listen, otherwise, we run the risk of things like this happening again. And we run the risk of it turning into a, you know, JFK situation where, all of these years later, we still don't really know what happened," he continued. "We owe it to the American people to figure out what exactly happened and what we need to fix. Clearly, there were massive failures."

Fellow vet remembers late Army paratrooper who helped Fox News reporter, Afghans and Helene victims: 'Send me'

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 13:29:43 -0400

Sean Michael Lee dedicated his life to serving others.

The Army veteran with more than 20 years of military experience spanning multiple deployments and companies — including as a paratrooper for the vaunted 82nd Airborne Division — did not retire his commitment to help others when he finished his military career.

"His entire life was in service to others. Up until the very end, Sean was always thinking of others," Steven Rozina told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview.

Rozina, now the deputy chief operating officer for the nonprofit Independence Fund, which helps provide services and support to wounded veterans, met Lee when he too joined the nonprofit to continue his career of service.

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"He immediately took me under his wing as somebody to teach you how to help others," Rozina told Fox News Digital.

Rozina outlined Lee’s impressive post-military resume, which spanned three continents, in his efforts to continue helping people.

"I think it was 2021, the fall of Afghanistan. Sean answered that call again. He helped evacuate thousands of our Afghan allies, people that worked with us, people that are our friends, that are still our friends today," Rozina explained.

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"He got done with that mission and Sean answered the call again. When Russia invaded Ukraine, he went to Poland," Rozina said. "He helped set up aid stations, helped set supply lines. And even when a Fox News reporter, Benjamin Hall, was injured and was essentially lost, Sean was that guy that helped organize the efforts to bring Benjamin home. Sean was never the guy on the front page of the paper, but he was always there."

Coordinating a rescue operation from Poland via another nonprofit group, Save Our Allies, Lee was instrumental in the efforts to bring Hall home after a Russian attack badly wounded him while he was reporting on the war near Kyiv.

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In 2024, Lee again jumped into action when Hurricane Helene devastated parts of the Southeast, including his home state of North Carolina — particularly its western mountains.

"Within a few hours, Sean was in the car, and he was headed up to the mountains," Rozina told Fox News Digital.

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"I spent a lot of time with Sean up in the mountains. I got the call, and he needed me to come with him, and we slept in our cars and helped set up aid for different communities," Rozina continued.

However, Rozina explained, "when many of us went home, Sean stayed."

"Sean stayed in the mountains, he lived in tents, stayed with communities that didn't have a lot, helped rebuild family homes, helped rebuild… there was a family store that, it was the only thing that these people had, and he was there, he was always there for somebody else," Rozina explained.

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Lee died Tuesday as a result of cancer he developed from exposure to toxic burn pits during his time deployed in the Middle East. He was still working out how to keep helping people until the very end of his life, Rozina said.

"I have a text message from last week where he's making plans for the next mission. The next thing that he wanted to do to make sure if another hurricane hits North Carolina, how are we going to respond? If an earthquake happens, where are we gonna go and how can we be more efficient? How can we help more people?" Rozina told Fox News Digital.

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"Sean, in his own words, was a good 'idea fairy.' Sean came up with great ideas and really it was... Sean's plans were to be prepared, always be prepared. And it was ideas on how can we be prepared for the next emergency; the next time a veteran needs us, how can [we] incorporate our veteran community into helping others? And that was his goal was really to spread who he was, that 'send me' ethos," Rozina said.

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Lee's work, through the Independence Fund and through Save Our Allies, was about helping people and using his own gifts and talents to do so, Rozina explained.

When asked what he thought Sean's final message to the world would be, he said, "Any help is still help."

"You might feel like you're not doing much, but doing something means a lot. So, do what you can," Rozina said of his late friend. "Do the best you can when you're doing it. And do it with a grateful heart. What Sean did: He did the best he could at everything. And those little things add up in the end. He's touched so many lives. He has blessed a lot of deserving people and I know that his memory is not going to fade."

Steel Across America ends its cross-country 9/11 memorial at NY Giants game

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 13:27:57 -0400

The Tunnel to Towers Steel Across America tour concluded its more than 38 stops with a final appearance at MetLife Stadium for a New York Giants game this week.

The tour featured a 21-foot steel beam from the South Tower of the World Trade Center. Starting in May, the tour traveled from the East Coast across the U.S. and then went to the New York City area to mark the 25th anniversary of 9/11 before Sunday's last stop.

The 16,900-pound piece of steel – recovered from Ground Zero in the days after the attacks by first responders who rushed to the site – has since become a symbol of the nearly 3,000 civilians, firefighters, police officers, emergency workers and military personnel who died that day.

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"For the past four months, communities across the country have welcomed this sacred piece of American history with incredible emotion," Tunnel to Towers Chairman and CEO Frank Siller said in a press release. "Watching people stand in front of that steel, hugging it, praying over it, weeping, reminds me every single day of why we do this work."

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An August ceremony in Indianapolis included a color guard, a pipes and drums procession, the national anthem performed by the Voices of the Indianapolis Fire Department and an invocation from Indianapolis Fire Department Chaplain Mike Gatliff.

Indianapolis Fire Division Chief Tom Neal and Timothy Winslow, a retired major general and executive director of the Indiana War Memorial and Museum, also addressed the crowd about the connection between the city’s first responders, veterans and the legacy of 9/11.

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"Bringing this steel to Indianapolis, and to a museum that has stood for over a century as a tribute to American sacrifice, is deeply moving," FDNY Lt. Jack Kielty, a Tunnel to Towers board member, said. "Indiana veterans and first responders understand what it means to serve."

The event also highlighted Indiana’s own connection to the attacks. Nine Hoosiers died on Sept. 11, while Indianapolis Task Force One sent rescuers to Ground Zero. Six members of the team later died from illnesses linked to their work in the toxic environment, according to the Indiana War Memorial.

Scott Nokes, a Marine Corps veteran and Tunnel to Towers recipient, spoke to attendees about the significance of allowing people to see the steel in person.

"Out of the 2,977 lives that were lost, there’s over 1,000 bodies that were never recovered specifically from Ground Zero in New York," Nokes said. "Their souls are in that steel, and if you touch it, you feel it."

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On the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Frank Siller and his family honored his late brother Stephen Siller — a heroic 34-year-old husband, father and firefighter who, after hearing about the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attack, loaded himself down with gear, and traversed through the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel on foot heading to the Twin Towers, and ultimately giving his life — by retracing the man's steps.

"This morning’s walk through the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel was part of the conclusion of Steel Across America, a journey that began four-and-a-half months ago and carried a 21-foot, 16,900-pound World Trade Center steel beam more than 10,500 miles through nearly 40 stops across the country and back, stopping in more than 21 states," a statement from Tunnel to Towers said. "For over four months, the steel has been a gathering place for communities to remember the events of September 11th, to honor first responders and veterans, and to ensure that a new generation understands the significance of what happened 25 years ago."

SEE IT: El-Sayed can't shake one question before meeting with Dem power brokers

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 13:13:28 -0400

Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed broke bread with the Democratic establishment in Washington, D.C., but there’s one thing he can’t escape: his connection to a controversial figure who helped elevate his campaign.

And his connection to the controversial Twitch streamer and political commentator Hasan Piker is something he didn’t want to talk about.

When asked by Fox News Digital if he would continue to campaign with Piker, who has been almost universally condemned by Democrats in Washington and on the campaign trail, El-Sayed dodged.

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Piker’s shadow has dwarfed El-Sayed’s insurgent progressive campaign recently, particularly for his past comments in which he said, "America deserved 9/11," and for a recent stream in which he argued that being against Israel isn't antisemitic.

"If Jews in America keep putting this idea out there that they are singularly invested in Israel, eventually someone is going to come around and take action, not against the state of Israel mind you, but against American Jews," he said.

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That remark earned him swift condemnation from Democrats far and wide, including El-Sayed, who put some distance between the two in a statement.

He said that "all Americans deserve the right to advocate for what they believe without fear of violence," and acknowledged that "antisemitism is a scourge, and we need to address it in all its forms," and added that "nobody speaks for this campaign besides me and my campaign spokespeople."

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"And while politicians and pundits try to make this race about a Twitch streamer, we’re going to be talking about gas, groceries, good schools and healthcare," he said.

El-Sayed’s meeting with top Democratic brass at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is a notable moment in his campaign against former Rep. Mike Rogers, particularly because he spent so much time running against the Democratic establishment in his bloody primary fight with Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich.

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Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., acknowledged that primaries get "really hot. The Michigan primary got hot."

"But this is what you do after a primary, is you gotta unite the party, and then you do the work to reach out and cross over to independent voters and Republican voters," Murphy told Fox News Digital.

Orioles pitcher Shane Baz drilled with 105.1 mph line drive in scary scene

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 13:09:15 -0400

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Shane Baz was drilled in the elbow with a 105.1 mph line drive in a scary scene Tuesday night at Citi Field.

New York Mets third baseman Bo Bichette ripped Baz’s 83 mph knuckle-curveball right back at him. The ball hit Baz on his right elbow and then ricocheted all the way to left field for a base hit. Baz bent over after being hit, flipped off his glove and held his arm. He later said his arm went numb.

"It just kind of got me right in the bone, and you know, just kind of just went numb, you know. Really wish I could have stayed in and been able to grind through it, just couldn't really grip the ball," Baz said postgame.

The 27-year-old said if he had a few more minutes, he could have been all right, but they opted to play it safe. Baz tried to warm up, but he didn’t have any control of the pitch, and the ball slipped out of his hand. He said he didn’t have any feeling in it.

Baz allowed three runs on seven hits and two walks in four innings. The Orioles won the game 7-5 in extra innings.

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Baz, who signed a five-year, $68 million contract with the Orioles this past offseason, has been very durable in his first season with the team, making 30 starts with a 4.11 ERA in 173 innings. He has a 6-15 record, and his 15 losses are tied with Cleveland Guardians pitcher Tanner Bibee for the most in the major leagues.

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With the win, the Orioles remained three games behind the Guardians for the final Wild Card spot in the American League. The team hopes Baz can bounce back and make his final starts of the year amid their postseason push.