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Jiu-jitsu instructor and pastor accused of horrific crimes against children in exclusive California enclave

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 17:32:13 -0400

A California man who investigators say served as a pastor and worked as a Jiu-jitsu instructor is accused of sexually abusing children for years, with detectives warning there may be many more victims who have yet to come forward.

Emmanuel Marchica, 51, of Hollister, was arrested July 10 after Monterey County Sheriff's Office detectives launched an investigation into allegations of ongoing child sexual abuse that quickly expanded beyond a single victim.

Authorities said the investigation began on July 5 after deputies received a report alleging the ongoing sexual abuse of a child.

Detectives immediately interviewed witnesses and quickly identified several additional alleged victims before serving multiple search warrants that ultimately led to Marchica's arrest.

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Investigators said disclosures from victims date back to at least 2012, leading detectives to believe additional victims and witnesses may still be out there.

According to the Monterey County Sheriff's Office, Marchica was serving as a pastor and regularly offering religious services at a community gathering center in the Hidden Valley community of San Benito County at the time of his arrest.

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Authorities did not identify the congregation or organization.

Detectives also said Marchica previously owned bakery businesses in Prunedale and Monterey, as well as gyms in Sand City, Seaside and Prunedale, where he offered physical therapy, massage therapy services and worked as a Jiu-jitsu instructor.

Investigators believe those community connections may have put him in contact with additional potential victims over the years.

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Marchica was booked into the Monterey County Jail on multiple felony charges, including lewd or lascivious acts with a child, sexual penetration of a child, oral copulation with a child and annoying or molesting a child.

His bail was set at $17.5 million.

The sheriff's office is urging anyone who may have been victimized by Marchica or anyone with information that could assist the investigation to contact detectives.

"Detectives understand that victims of sexual abuse often delay reporting for many years," the Monterey County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. "Regardless of when the abuse may have occurred, investigators encourage victims to know that they will be treated with dignity, compassion, and respect throughout the investigative process."

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Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Janelli Arroyo at (831) 755-7261 or Detective Sgt. Nicholas Kennedy at (831) 755-3773.

Kentucky football coach channels Curt Cignetti, delivers SEC Media Days quote everyone will remember

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 17:28:13 -0400

TAMPA, FL - Will Stein stood at the SEC Media Days podium for the first time as the Kentucky head football coach and essentially pulled a move that would make Curt Cignetti proud.

There have been plenty of times over the past few years when new head coaches would point to tradition, facilities, a fan base or recruiting practices as to why they would have success at their new destination.

A number of those statements usually fall on deaf-ears, knowing the coaches were just going by the playbook that comes when taking over at a new school, or becoming a head coach for the first time.

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At Kentucky, the football program had plateaued under Mark Stoops. There needed to be a sense of hunger once again in Lexington, and former Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein was the man for the job.

Given his long history with Kentucky, the fit works with Stein. He bleeds blue, and there is enough excitement in Lexington within the athletic department and fan base for him to have the support needed to find success, whatever that may be over the next few years.

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But, we're seen Kentucky have success before, though it's been a few years since they've garnered headlines.

A Curt Cignetti moment for the Kentucky head coach

On Monday in Tampa, Will Stein made sure to add fire to that excitement within the Wildcats base, with one simple answer that reminded us of Curt Cignetti telling reporters to 'Google Him' during his introductory news conference at Indiana.

When asked the Kentucky coach was asked why he believes that he can find success in Lexington on the football field, Stein took about five or six seconds to compose himself before delivering a quote that has obviously made its rounds across college football.

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"This is gonna sound like really...I think because of me, to be honest," Stein said to the room. "I think because of me. I know what it takes. I have seen it at the highest levels. I know what it takes to recruit at this level

"You just gotta believe man. You got to put the football down and just play. There's not really anything else to be said. Is it gonna happen overnight? I don't know, I really don't. If I had a crystal ball, everybody in this room would be really, really, rich right now. The best determination of if it's working is putting the ball down and playing football."

Exactly what Kentucky, and college football, fans enjoy hearing

While Stein would go on to mention that there will be bumps in the road along the way, you can't help but enjoy his refreshing take as a first-time head coach.

There was zero fluff to his answer, just honesty. He wants to win now. Not only for himself, but for the Kentucky program that he holds dear to his heart.

"I am prepared for tough moments and hard times," Stein would add. I succumbed to that in our process. I already do self-talk myself about how I can stay neutral when stuff is bad, I can stay as neutral as possible and be very diplomatic in my approach.

"So, that's why. Growing up a fan (of Kentucky) is one thing. But, I know the players that we can get here. I know we can recruit North, South and East. People come to Lexington and love it. The longer I live there, the longer I'm like 'Wow, this place is incredible. It's got everything you want...It takes some TLC, and you gotta attack."

And, it's clear that Will Stein is not going to just patiently wait for his turn to change the narrative in Lexington.

"You can't sit back and wait. That's one thing i refuse to do at Kentucky is wait."

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Alright, he certainly won the news conference at SEC Media Days. Now, let's see how long it takes to get Kentucky into the CFP conversation.

Who's to say he's wrong? We're all obviously thinking differently of Indiana these days.

Expert-recommended shoes to help with plantar fasciitis, starting at $75

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 17:22:37 -0400

Plantar fasciitis is a pain to deal with — quite literally. According to Dr. Timothy Oldani, DPM, FACFAS (Fellow of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons), plantar fasciitis occurs when "the thick ligamentous band of tissue that supports the arch of the foot becomes irritated or overstressed, often resulting in persistent heel pain." To help you deal with the pain, we've lined up expert-recommended options at multiple price points — from brands like Hoka, New Balance and Brooks — so you can find a shoe that works for your needs.

Hoka Bondi 9: $150 (12% off)

Original price: $170

Ideal for daily use, the Hoka Bondi 9 sneakers provide extra cushioning for long periods on your feet. "The Hoka Bondi are great shoes for everyday wear and longer periods of standing, as they do offer increased cushioning compared to the running models, with the tradeoff of less heel drop," says Dr. Andrew Brown, a podiatrist with Foot and Ankle Specialists of West Michigan. The Bondi 9 comes in both men's and women's sizes.

New Balance 990v6: $199.99

New Balance makes its 990v6 shoes right here in the U.S., with pigskin leather and synthetic materials that stand up to daily use. "This shoe is constructed with a lightweight foam and midsole cushioning which aids in shock absorption. [It] is supportive and has more of a traditional running shoe look than the ultra-cushioned Hoka," says Dr. Anne Sharkey, a board-certified podiatrist based in Austin, Texas, and owner of Solely Podiatry.

Orthofeet Kita Hands-Free: $119.99 (7% off)

Original price: $129

Slip in and out of these Orthofeet shoes without bending down. "This shoe comes with an orthotic insole that has anatomical arch support which helps to evenly distribute weight and support proper foot alignment," Sharkey notes. Their versatile design makes them suitable for work, the gym or running errands.

ASICS Gel-Excite 11: $74.95

If you're on a budget, the ASICS Gel-Excite 11 sneakers come in at less than $100. With options for both men's and women's sizes, these expert-recommended shoes use mesh and a thick insole to keep you comfortable. "They're a great neutral shoe with cushioning…for shock absorption," Sharkey says.

On Cloudnova 2: $170

On Cloudnova 2 shoes have a unique design that blends comfort with a modern silhouette. As Sharkey explains, "this is a great lifestyle shoe. [It] can be a great choice for anyone that suffers from tight Achilles tendon/calf muscles and plantar fasciitis, as the 14mm heel-to-toe drop helps to accommodate for limited ankle joint range of motion."

Stoke Shoes: $79.96

If you need another affordable option, Stoke Shoes come in a huge range of colors and wide sizes, all for just $80. Dr. Graham Reid, DPM, AACFAS, FASO FELLOW, specifically recommends these shoes for plantar fasciitis. "Stoke Shoes are designed around many of the features I recommend for patients with heel pain. Their supportive arch geometry, stable platform, cushioned midsole and overall focus on proper foot alignment help reduce the mechanical stress placed on the plantar fascia during walking."

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

Brooks Adrenaline GTS 24: $109.95 (21% off)

Original price: $139.95

Foot specialists frequently recommend the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 24 — currently at a 30-day low on Amazon. "This is a great choice for those who need a bit more stability. It offers good cushioning, and the GuideRails support system helps limit excess motion that can put stress on the plantar fascia, making it a solid option for walking, running or all-day wear," says Dr. Gregory Alvarez, DPM, FACFAS, at Ankle & Foot Centers of America.

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

Ella Langley suffers wardrobe malfunction while opening for Morgan Wallen in Baltimore

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 17:04:52 -0400

Ella Langley isn't stuck in the past or worried about tomorrow after suffering a wardrobe malfunction on stage.

The "Be Her" singer kept her cool after her entire dress became unzipped just minutes into her opening set for Morgan Wallen on his "Still the Problem" tour over the weekend.

Langley, 27, handled the mishap with ease and slipped into a Baltimore Ravens jersey before picking up her guitar and carrying on with the show at M&T Bank Stadium.

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The "Choosing Texas" singer was dressed to impress as she took the stage wearing her signature sparkling pink gown covered in fringe.

In videos circulating online, Langley eagerly covered up in the purple football jersey as rain poured down on the stage.

The country star addressed the incident with her social media followers on Sunday.

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"Yesterday, my entire dress came unzipped on song #2 in a 60-minute set in the pouring down rain in a stadium full of people," Langley wrote on Instagram stories with the Stone Temple Pilots song "Wonderful" playing in the background.

Former Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan declared his love for the country star on social media, and admitted he was officially part of the "Ella Fella" fan club.

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"Look, I've been around football my whole life. I've coached in Baltimore, won a lot of games, and seen some incredible performances But let me tell you something…Ella Langley had Baltimore in the palm of her hand tonight. As the kids say, I'm officially an Ella Fella. I don't make the rules," he wrote on X.

Langley didn't let the wardrobe snafu ruin her weekend or her continued rise in super stardom.

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Her "Choosing Texas" anthem placed at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, marking not only its 14th week at the top, but also tying a record with two iconic hits.

The country ballad first topped the Hot 100 in February, and now matches Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together" and Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" for most weeks at No. 1 among non-holiday titles by women with no male-billed acts.

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In addition, "Choosing Texas" ties Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" for second-longest ranking hit.

ESPN planning to lay off NFL analyst Ryan Clark ahead of network's first Super Bowl broadcast

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 17:04:40 -0400

ESPN is planning to lay off NFL analyst Ryan Clark, multiple sources told OutKick.

Clark is expected to be part of a round of layoffs the network could announce as soon as Tuesday.

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The NFL analyst will be among the highest-paid on-air personalities ESPN cuts, sources said, earning roughly $2 million per year. It is unclear whether Clark’s contract is expiring or whether he is being sidelined with time remaining on his deal.

Clark joined ESPN after retiring from the NFL in 2015 and re-signed with the network in 2021 for three years. In 2024, the two sides had contentious contract negotiations and Clark posted on social media at the time that he felt he "deserved more" and ESPN "disagreed." Ultimately, the two sides agreed to a deal.

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The timing of the decision is particularly notable given Clark's role on ESPN's Monday Night Countdown pregame NFL coverage. The network is set to carry its first Super Bowl on February 14. Sources say ESPN is considering both internal and external candidates to replace Clark on its Super Bowl studio coverage.

Clark has become an increasingly polarizing figure inside ESPN in recent years. Sage Steele alleged in her lawsuit against the network that Clark refused to work with her on-air.

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Over the past year, he has also generated headlines for criticizing Robert Griffin III over his marriage to a White woman, an on-air exchange with Peter Schrager that reportedly continued off-air, and making disputed claims about how Louisiana police officers handled the fatal crash investigation involving former LSU player Kyren Lacy, who died by suicide.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

OutKick reached out to ESPN for comment on Clark’s status with the network, but the network did not provide a statement before publication.

This is a breaking news story. Check back with OutKick for updates.

Nancy Mace reveals Senate decision as Lindsey Graham's sister redraws the race

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 14:57:17 -0400

As the field for the race to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham takes shape, one prominent lawmaker is declining to dive into the arena hours after the contest was shaken up.

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., opted against a bid after she strongly suggested that she’d throw her hat into the arena on Monday in a video statement. Last August, Mace launched a campaign for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in the race to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Henry McMaster, but she finished a disappointing fifth out of five major candidates in last month’s Republican primary.

"I want to be straight with you, I'm not running for the U.S. Senate, not because I'm backing down from a fight, but because the one I'm already in matters right now," Mace said.

"I'm not chasing another title, I'm chasing justice, justice for me, justice for other women and justice for every little girl who was told to stay silent," she continued. "That's where my focus is today, and that's where it's going to stay."

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Her decision followed a move by Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., to take up her brother's mantle after she was appointed to finish off the remainder of her late brother's term. She made her decision to officially enter the upcoming special election after a push from President Donald Trump.

Graham, during an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, acknowledged the "tremendous amount of pressure" to take over the position and run.

"I feel like I can do it, I feel an inner peace about it," Graham said. "Will it be difficult? Yes."

When asked if she had made a decision on what she would do, she told Hannity she had.

"I'm in," Graham said.

Her addition to the growing roster of hopefuls to replace the late lawmaker will likely shake up the race less than one day before candidates can begin officially filing to run for the nomination.

Graham will come up against other challengers in her bid to claim the GOP nomination. Reps. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., Russell Fry, R-S.C., and businessman Mark Lynch, have all publicly committed to running.

And as the filing deadline fast approaches, both Mace and Norman turned their steel against their colleague, Fry, in what’s shaping up to be a messy, Palmetto State brawl.

Mace argued that should Fry win the nomination, and subsequently the general election, he would vacate his "Republican House seat until next May."

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"That narrows an already razor-thin majority and puts the Speaker's gavel in play," Mace said. "I will never hand Hakeem Jeffries that gift."

"If you're running for two offices at once, you've already told us who you are," she continued. "That's not about politics anymore — that's about power. You're either with the people you serve or you're not."

Fry announced Monday morning that he would enter the race, hours after Norman tossed in his hat, too. Mace has been making public overtures that she wants to jump in, but has so far not made anything official.

A source in Fry’s political orbit told Fox News Digital that the lawmaker has "accomplished more than all the potential candidates combined," having passed three bills in his first four years in Congress.

"This is really about giving voters a choice and not a coronation," they said.

Still, the conservative duo are going for blood against Fry, arguing that his bid for the seat is purely politically motivated and jeopardizes the House’s already slim majority heading into the midterm elections later this year.

Under South Carolina law, Fry can appear for multiple offices on the ballot. He was unopposed for his primary election for South Carolina’s 7th congressional district, and if he wins the nomination, he’ll be on the ballot twice for both.

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Ultimately he’ll have to choose if he wins both, which would trigger another special election to fill his place.

The top two Republicans in the South Carolina Statehouse, South Carolina Senate President Thomas Alexander and South Carolina House Speaker Murrell Smith, said in a statement that the upcoming special election has "highlighted issues in South Carolina law," and noted that, "In the coming weeks, we intend to address these important issues so that we can provide the process available for our citizens."

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That is not a problem for either Mace nor Norman, who both ran and failed to clinch the Republican gubernatorial nomination last month.

"SC Republican voters soundly rejected Nancy and Ralph as recently as last month because conservatives are tired of career politicians who care more about their own social media than getting actual results for families," South Carolina state Sen. JD Chaplin, and a spokesperson for Fry's campaign, told Fox News Digital.

Norman was less venomous in his take on the situation, and noted on X that he respected Fry and had enjoyed his time serving with him in the House. Still, his candidacy, he argued, "could leave his seat vacant until May 18th."

"This would leave his constituents unrepresented, jeopardize President Trump’s agenda, and put the House at risk of being led by a Speaker Hakeem Jeffries," Norman said. "We can’t let that happen!!"

One six-pack of beer could significantly alter how the Constitution regulates law enforcement

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 16:54:16 -0400

The Supreme Court agreed Monday to hear an Alaska man’s challenge to the state’s effort to confiscate his plane over a six-pack of beer, setting the stage for a case that could upend the ability of law enforcement to impose asset forfeiture.

Kenneth Jouppi, now 82, was operating a one-man air taxi service using his personally-owned 1969 Cessna plane in 2012 when Alaska state troopers executed a search warrant on his plane and found alcohol on board, including one six-pack that they said was plainly visible. At the time, Jouppi was on a runway in Fairbanks preparing to take a customer and her groceries to the remote village of Beaver near the center of the state.

Having beer on board wasn’t illegal on its own. However, since Beaver had banned the possession or sale of alcohol within its limits, Jouppi was convicted of alcohol importation, a misdemeanor. The Alaska Supreme Court held that, under the alcohol importation ban, the state was required to confiscate Jouppi’s Cessna.

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Jouppi has since argued in court that the state’s seizure of his plane, valued at $95,000, runs afoul of the 8th Amendment’s ban on excessive fines. Now, the Supreme Court will weigh in on whether he’s right.

When ruling on Jouppi’s case, the court will have the opportunity to seriously rein in the ability of state and local governments to impose asset forfeiture — a longtime goal of civil libertarians.

"For centuries, English common law took into account the characteristics of the defendant and his or her specific violation in determining excessiveness," a trio of scholars working for the libertarian Cato Institute wrote of the case. "When courts lose touch with the original understanding of a fundamental right, they risk watering down the constitutional protections that must be afforded to everyday people. Such dilution of rights is especially dangerous today as governments generate billions of dollars in revenue through civil and criminal asset forfeiture."

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"This case gives the Supreme Court the opportunity to ensure that the people are afforded the protection that the Eighth Amendment promises them," they added.

Alaska, however, argues that confiscating the planes of those who facilitate illegal imports is the only way the state can meaningfully prevent the problems caused by alcoholism in its remote regions.

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"Alcohol abuse is a serious problem in rural Alaska, and airplanes are sometimes the only realistic means to commit the crime of alcohol importation," a legal brief from the state reads. "Jouppi was convicted for his own knowing and intentional misconduct, and forfeiture removes the business asset that was the means used to commit the offense."

Some villages in Alaska are not connected to major road networks, making them primarily accessible by small planes, such as the one owned by Jouppi.

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A trial court in 2018 ruled that the state taking Jouppi’s plane would be an excessive fine under the Constitution, though the Alaska Supreme Court ultimately decided otherwise in 2025, leaving the United States Supreme Court as the one-time pilot’s only remaining outlet for recourse.

Oral arguments in Jouppi’s case are likely to take place either later this year or early next year, with a decision expected to come down by next summer.

Gunman charged after wounding 9 in Tucson nightlife shooting before cop takes him down

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 16:44:04 -0400

A 21-year-old man is facing a slew of charges after allegedly opening fire in a packed downtown Tucson nightlife district early Sunday, wounding nine people before police took him down.

David Leroy French was charged with nine counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, nine counts of aggravated assault causing serious physical injury and one count of discharging a firearm at a structure, a Tucson Police Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

French was booked in absentia while hospitalized and will be taken to the Pima County Adult Detention Complex after his release, police said.

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Additional charges are pending, the spokesperson added.

The shooting erupted around 2 a.m. in the 100 block of East Congress Street, a busy area lined with bars, restaurants and nightclubs.

An interim complaint said the gunfire followed a verbal altercation. Investigators identified French as the shooter after reviewing surveillance footage, according to the Arizona Daily Star.

Officers patrolling nearby heard the shots and rushed to the scene on foot, police said.

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Police said officers saw the suspect running from the area and repeatedly ordered him to stop.

After he allegedly ignored their commands, a uniformed officer fired his weapon and struck him.

The suspect was taken into custody and given first aid before being transported to a hospital in life-threatening condition.

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Nine other people were shot and taken to local hospitals.

Police said most were wounded in the arms or legs. No deaths were reported, and no officers were injured.

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The Pima County Sheriff’s Department told Fox News Digital that it is not releasing French’s mugshot at this time, citing a ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Fox News Digital's Bonny Chu contributed to this report.

Catholic nuns sue New York, say assisted suicide law forces them to violate their faith

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 16:36:37 -0400

Catholic nuns and faith-based healthcare providers who have spent generations caring for New York's dying are suing the state, arguing its new assisted suicide law will force them to violate their religious beliefs by participating in a practice they consider morally wrong.

The lawsuit, filed Friday in federal court by over 10 Catholic plaintiffs, including the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, the Little Sisters of the Poor, the Diocese of Rockville Centre and Catholic Health, argues New York's Medical Aid in Dying Act compels religious healthcare providers to counsel terminally ill patients about physician-assisted suicide, make referrals to participating providers and, in some cases, accommodate assisted suicide in their facilities.

The plaintiffs say those requirements violate the First Amendment, federal healthcare protections and longstanding Catholic teaching on the sanctity of human life.

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"New York has put the Sisters to a stark choice: either abandon their religious beliefs regarding the sanctity of life or face significant fines and penalties," the lawsuit reads. "Through its euphemistically-named Medical Aid in Dying Act, which builds upon requirements in the Palliative Care Information Act, New York has conscripted even religious healthcare providers and institutions to participate in the provision of physician-assisted suicide."

New York’s Medical Aid in Dying Act, which was signed into law in February, lets those who are 18 years and older who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness and given six months or less to live to request and self-administer life-ending medication if they are experiencing immense suffering, according to Compassion and Choices, who supports the new law.

The group notes the measure is based on Oregon's long-standing assisted dying law.

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According to the complaint, the law could compel religious organizations to facilitate physician-assisted suicide by giving patients information about the practice, permitting staff to discuss it with terminally ill patients, and helping patients complete steps required to qualify for life-ending medication.

The plaintiffs also argue the law would require referrals to willing providers and prevent the organizations from disciplining employees who provide such counseling or assistance in conflict with the institutions' religious beliefs.

Rosary Hill Home, run by the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, one of the plaintiffs, has cared for roughly 45,000 low-income cancer patients in New York, providing free end-of-life care regardless of their faith or cultural background.

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Mother Marie Edward, O.P., Superior General of the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, said, "For over 125 years, we have ministered to the poor who are dying of cancer as if they were Christ Himself. Our calling is to offer comfort, prayer, and loving medical care to those in their final days—not death."

Edward added, "We pray the court will protect our freedom to remain faithful to that ministry God has entrusted to us."

In April, the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne sued New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, alleging the state’s "Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, and people living with HIV long-term care facility residents' bill of rights" could force them to choose between their faith and their mission or face fines, loss of licensing and even jail time.

Mother Mary Rose Heery, O. Carm., prioress general of the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, said in a statement, "At our homes, we bring Christ’s unbounded love to elderly New Yorkers of every background and walk of life."

Heery added, "We strive to bring His compassion to those entrusted to our care, ensuring that no resident ever has to die alone. This law strikes at the heart of that vocation."

Mark Rienzi, president of Becket, who is representing the Carmelite Sisters, the Dominican Sisters, the Benedictine Sisters, and the Little Sisters of the Poor, as well as Bishop John O. Barres and the Diocese of Rockville Centre, said in a statement that, "New York is forcing sick and dying people to consider suicide at their lowest moment, regardless of whether they ask for it or not."

"Worse, it’s conscripting the nuns who care for them into its suicide cult on pain of crushing fines and professional ruin," Rienzi added. "That is both unconscionable and unconstitutional. We’re confident the federal courts will put a stop to it."

Martin Nussbaum, general counsel for Catholic Benefits Association, who is representing the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne in the transgender bill of rights lawsuit, told Fox News Digital that the Catholic Benefits Association "is entirely supportive of the Becket lawsuit seeking religious exemption from New York’s assisted suicide law."

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"Just as in the Catholic Benefits Association case for the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, the State of New York is trampling on the religious liberty and speech rights of Catholic nuns providing selfless service to men and women on their final journey," Nussbaum added.

Fox News Digital reached out to Hochul, New York Attorney General Letitia James, the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, the Little Sisters of the Poor, and the Diocese of Rockville Centre and Catholic Health for comment.

'Long Island Lolita' Amy Fisher's son charged as cops probe possible microwave link in cat's killing

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 16:33:16 -0400

The adult son of notorious "Long Island Lolita" Amy Fisher and his girlfriend are facing felony animal-cruelty charges in the disturbing death of their pet cat, Reaper, according to Florida court records.

Brett Anthony Bellera, 25, and Jennifer Armenti, 36, were charged in separate companion cases with aggravated cruelty to animals after investigators concluded the Brown-and-White tabby died from "involuntary heat exposure."

Microwave radiation was among the potential causes identified by a forensic veterinarian. The other possibilities were immersion in extremely hot water or exposure to hot-water vapor, according to probable-cause affidavits obtained by Fox News Digital.

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The mystery began on Dec. 15, 2024, when a friend of the couple alerted Broward County Animal Care that Reaper had died under potentially unnatural circumstances.

Armenti allegedly told investigators she had awakened that morning and found the cat dead on the bathroom floor. By the time animal-care employees arrived, however, Reaper’s body was outside on the apartment’s back patio.

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Investigators found the cat inside a plastic laundry basket, saying that the cat was "stiff" and positioned unnaturally, with a large amount of blood pooled beneath the body.

Bellera allegedly told an officer that he and Armenti had gone to bed the previous night and discovered the cat dead the following morning. He suggested Reaper may have accidentally consumed cleaning products, according to his affidavit.

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But a forensic necropsy conducted through the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals pointed investigators in a far darker direction.

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A licensed veterinarian concluded that Reaper suffered fatal injuries caused by extreme heat. Microscopic tissue analysis allegedly indicated the exposure did not kill the cat immediately, meaning Reaper endured severe pain before dying, the affidavits say.

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Bellera’s case was filed on June 3, 2026, and records show he was arrested the following day. Armenti was arrested later that month. Each posted a $25,000 bond, and both dockets reference electronic-monitoring or house-arrest agreements. Both have pleaded not guilty, and their cases remain active.

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Bellera is Fisher’s eldest son with her former husband, retired NYPD officer Louis Bellera.

Fisher became one of the country’s most infamous tabloid figures after she shot Mary Jo Buttafuoco, the wife of her adult lover, outside the family’s Long Island, New York, home in 1992. Fisher, who was just 16 years old, was sent to prison for seven years for shooting Buttafuoco.

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Dubbed the "Long Island Lolita," Fisher first met Joey Buttafuoco when her father brought his car into the 35-year-old's auto shop.

By 1992, Fisher had grown jealous of Buttafuoco's wife, Mary Jo, and took it upon herself to eliminate her. Fisher went to Buttafuoco's home, pretending to be her sister, and shot Mary Jo in the head in broad daylight.

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Mary Jo survived, but she still has the bullet in her head.

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There were numerous made-for-TV movies produced about the scandalous affair. One film even starred actress Drew Barrymore.

After serving seven years, Fisher was released and used her infamy to enter the world of adult entertainment. Fox News Digital has reached out to Bellera and Armenti's attorneys for comment.

Reporter's Notebook: The Republican-led vote that revealed Democrats' new divide on Israel

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 16:29:56 -0400

Things sometimes evolve slowly in politics. There’s a perception, axiom or maxim which is agreed upon in politics. But over time, it changes.

Sometimes the change is subterranean. The tectonic political plates move. But no one is quite aware of what’s happening until one event crystallizes the shift.

Such is the case with support in the Democratic Party for Israel.

HOUSE DEMOCRATS FRACTURE BADLY OVER MASSIE AMENDMENT TO CUT $3.3B IN U.S. AID TO ISRAEL

The politics of supporting Israel have moved for several years now. Especially after Israel’s response to the deadly attacks by Hamas and pro-Palestinian groups on October 7, 2023.

But then there’s that one moment which seems to change everything.

That was certainly on display in the House of Representatives during a single roll call vote last week.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., engineered an amendment to a State Department funding bill to cut off $3 billion in aid to Israel. Some Democrats viewed this as a political effort to cleave the party.

Whether it was political or not remains to be seen. But Massie’s amendment split Democrats nearly down the middle.

The House defeated Massie’s effort, 314 to 104. Massie was the only Republican who voted in favor of slashing aid to Israel. But 103 Democrats joined Massie to also suspend the assistance. Ten Democrats voted "present," only 98 Democrats voted to reject Massie’s effort.

The Democratic divide over Israel has widened for a while now. It used to be rare to have more than a few Democrats who wouldn’t stand beside Israel. But that House roll call vote truly underscored where the party is now. It exposed deepening internal fissures.

"This is an important moment because nothing will be the same on this issue ever again," observed Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, chair of the House Progressive Caucus. "It used to be that just a small number of House Democrats would vote against sending taxpayer dollars and weapons for the Israeli military. Then, two years ago, 37 House Democrats voted to not send billions of dollars to the Israeli military."

Casar added that this was "not the end. This is a new beginning" for Democrats.

"Democrats here in the House have finally decided to do what the people, our voters, the constituents we represent, have been asking us to do," said Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. "I am proud that they have finally decided to lead with their morals."

The left says the party is simply reflecting where its core voters stand.

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"You're seeing a shift. The American people are growing weary of this war and what's happening," said Rep. Julie Johnson, D-Texas.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., argued the vote wasn’t "a litmus test" for the party. But said the vote addressed another phenomena.

"Americans of all backgrounds are deeply frustrated that our needs are not being met at home. But our resources are being sent abroad in a way that is not representative of our values and not representative of who we are," said Ocasio-Cortez.

Former House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., is retiring from his seat early next year. Few lawmakers from either party have been as vocal as Hoyer in supporting Israel over the past four decades.

"This amendment would embolden the enemies of peace, those pursuing the complete elimination of Israel and those who seek the death of Jews," said Hoyer. "It's a vote against American security."

Hoyer stepped back from the House Democratic leadership in early 2023. But today’s Democratic leaders concede the party currently views Israel through a different lens.

"It's not lost on me that the actions the (Israeli) Prime Minister has taken has not made it easier for us to be supporters of a strong U.S.-Israel relationship," said House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-CA.

Even Democrats who voted in favor of the aid say there are shifts in Israel which prompted Democrats to recalibrate their views.

"I think a lot of people are concerned about Netanyahu and are concerned about some of the activities over the past couple of years," said Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y.

Rep. Wesley Bell, D-Mo., voted against cutting off money for Israel. Bell is a freshman who defeated progressive former Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., in the primary two years ago. He then won the general election that fall. Bush is a skeptic of Israel. She is challenging Bell in next month’s primary.

"It's important that we do stand with our allies because our sworn enemies are not going away," said Bell.

It’s unclear if Bell’s vote – pitted against Bush’s more progressive stance – could dictate who wins the primary. But it’s worth watching.

Pro-Israel Republicans worry about the anti-Israel tide shift on the Democratic side of the aisle.

"I think they've been captured by crazies. You can see it in their elections by people who hate Jews." Said Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla.

But the new positioning by the Democratic party concerns Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., He’s a staunch ally of Isreal. Fetterman is threatening to desert Democrats if the party deserts Israel.

"That's my red line in the Democratic party," said Fetterman. "Look at the people that are winning these primaries right now. They're not just ‘I'm just pro-Palestinian. I am deeply anti-anti-Israel.’"

SEN JOHN FETTERMAN PLEDGES TO BE 'LAST MAN STANDING' IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN SUPPORT OF ISRAEL

Notably Fetterman did not say that he would necessarily become a Republican. But Democrats need Fetterman in their fold.

Republicans hold a 53-45 advantage over the Democrats. Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Angus King, I-Maine, caucus with the Democrats. That gets you to 47 senators who align with the Democrats. So Democrats need a net win of four seats to seize control of the Senate next year. Democrats hope to hold Michigan, Georgia and New Hampshire. But they are also looking to flip seats in Maine, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, Iowa and Alaska. Any combination of four seats scores Democrats the majority.

But let’s say Democrats do collect four seats and earn an effective 51-49 advantage. Fetterman could make the Senate 50-50 if he bolts from the Democrats. The Senate has historically worked out a power-sharing arrangement during other 50-50 breakdowns. But regardless, Republicans would have nominal control thanks to the tie-breaking vote of Vice President JD Vance, who is President of the Senate.

The Democrats need Fetterman more than he needs them right now.

And as for Israel? Israel needs Democrats more than they need Israel.

Congressional Republicans still support Israel for now. But if Democrats win control of the House - and perhaps the Senate - support for Israel will look very different next year thanks to the Democrats’ morphing politics.

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That’s all evolved for some time now. But you can point to last week’s vote as the seminal moment when it all changed for the Democratic party.

And for Israel.

Tate brothers to remain behind bars for now as UK seeks extradition on rape, trafficking charges

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 14:10:36 -0400

Social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate will remain behind bars for now after appearing in federal court in Miami Monday, where they formally began fighting the United Kingdom's bid to extradite the controversial brothers on dozens of charges, including rape and human trafficking.

During the brief hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Lauren Louis informed the brothers they were being held on a provisional arrest warrant from the U.K. and that extradition proceedings were already underway.

The judge later scheduled a status hearing for July 27 as the brothers prepare to challenge both the extradition request and whether they should remain in custody while the case moves forward.

Attorney Joseph McBride told reporters that the brothers are innocent and said he does not expect them to be released.

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"There will be a series of hearings," McBride said of the extradition process.

Andrew and Tristan Tate appeared wearing gray jail uniforms and shackles and each responded, "Yes, your honor," when Judge Louis advised them of their rights.

The judge also explained that the proceeding was an extradition matter, not a criminal trial, and that the brothers would not be required to attend every hearing.

The brothers were arrested in Miami over the weekend after British authorities announced 38 additional charges involving four additional alleged victims.

Andrew Tate, 39, faces seven additional rape counts, as well as charges related to sex trafficking and indecent images of a child. Tristan Tate, 38, faces charges including two rape counts and three counts of arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation.

British police said the new allegations bring the total number of charges against the brothers to 59. The alleged offenses are said to have occurred between July 2010 and August 2017.

"We have decided to prosecute Andrew and Tristan Tate for further offenses including rape, arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation and offences relating to indecent images of a child," Malcolm McHaffie, head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s Special Crime Division, said.

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The Tate brothers, who hold dual U.S. and British citizenship, have denied wrongdoing.

They also face separate criminal proceedings in Romania, where authorities have been investigating them since December 2022.

"I want to make it clear there is no place for male violence against women and girls in our society and we will continue to work tirelessly to support victims and investigate all reports made to us," said assistant chief constable Karena Thomas, lead for Britain's Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire major crime unit.

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The brothers have built a large online following promoting their views on masculinity and wealth, while Andrew Tate has previously described himself as a misogynist.

Andrew Tate is additionally due to face a civil trial in Britain brought by four women who accuse him of physical and sexual abuse.

The four claimants, who have been granted anonymity, allege Tate subjected them to physical or sexual violence between 2013 and 2015. Two say they were in an intimate relationship with Tate, while two worked for his online webcam business.

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Andrew Tate denies those allegations. In his written defense, his lawyers said the claims are false and that all sexual activity was consensual.

Fox News' Andre Tinoco and Reuters contributed to this report.

Missouri's Eli Drinkwitz becomes latest SEC coach to make ridiculous complaints about Big Ten schedules

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 16:11:07 -0400

The more that college football changes, the more some things remain the same. In this case, SEC coaches complaining about schedules.

As we rapidly approach the start of the 2026 season, the landscape of the sport has changed significantly. In the pre-NIL era, the SEC, led by Nick Saban's Alabama dynasty, dominated college football. In 10 years, from 2013-2022, SEC teams won six National Championships, three for the Crimson Tide, two for Georgia, and the Joe Burrow-led 2019 LSU Tigers.

But NIL almost immediately upended roster construction, creating more parity within the sport as former, say, Alabama backups, took bigger paydays to start elsewhere. As a result, there's a much more level playing field across college football, other teams in other conferences have improved their rosters, and the top of the SEC is no longer heads and shoulders above the competition.

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Unsurprisingly then, the SEC has failed to even reach the National Championship game in three straight seasons. And even worse, teams from the Big Ten Conference have not only reached the final, but won it in each of those years. Based on some preseason analytics-driven rankings, the Big Ten might be favored to win its fourth straight title with Ohio State and Oregon topping the sport.

There are reasonable, logical explanations for this abrupt change in power structures. And then there's what Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz says. At SEC media days, when describing why the Big Ten has surpassed his conference, Drinkwitz said it comes down to "When you don't play a (non-conference) A4 game," per Brett McMurphy.

Brandon Marcello from CBS Sports added that Drinkwitz believes the SEC coaches already "regret moving to a nine-game conference schedule," and that "Lane Kiffin has long been in front saying a move from eight games would be an issue."

Ah. So that's the problem. The Big Ten hasn't had enough tough non-conference games. Well, let's take a look at Missouri's non-conference schedule in 2025 under Drinkwitz, shall we?

Central Arkansas 61-6
Kansas 42-31
Louisiana 52-10
Massachusetts 42-6

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Real murderers' row of tough teams, isn't it? Even better, Drinkwitz and Missouri's schedule was so hard they played, and this is not a misprint, six straight home games to start the season. They opened the season on Aug. 28, and their first road game of the year, and again, this is not a misprint, was Oct. 18.

They played four road games, at Auburn, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. They went 2-2. Their total distance traveled from Columbia all season, was 1,805 miles. Big Ten Conference team USC played a road non-conference game against Notre Dame, which is nearly 2,100 miles from Los Angeles. One Big Ten team traveled more for a single game than Missouri did all season. "And that stuff matters," as Kiffin said when making farcical, inaccurate excuses for the SEC's recent underperformance.

It is remarkable, dishonest deflection. Yes, Missouri still played a tough schedule because of their conference games, but to act as though the Big Ten only won a National Championship because of non-conference schedules is ludicrous. Indiana finished its undefeated season by beating Ohio State, Alabama, Oregon and Miami. Missouri lost to Virginia, 13-7, in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. Apparently that's due to the much tougher non-conference slate Missouri faced and their grueling travel schedule of four road games where they quite literally never left the central time zone. It's almost impossible to give yourself more small advantages than Missouri did.

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All of these excuses and explanations and justifications are wrong, and missing the point. The Big Ten has caught up to the SEC because of NIL and the transfer portal. The SEC's depth has improved because they distribute tons of money to each program, they have large fanbases that support the football teams, and there are fewer incentives to sit at Alabama now than there were before. Games between elite teams are mostly 55%/45% or 60%/40% toss-ups, and contending programs like Texas or Georgia could rebound and win a title this year.

The SEC has long had non-conference scheduling advantages, with teams like Missouri giving themselves four free wins, eight home games, FCS bye weeks in November and little travel. Then pointing to win-loss records, propped up by four free wins, as "proof" of how tough the SEC is. Now that other conferences are emulating them, they're crying foul. Yes, moving to nine conference games is going to hurt their records. That's what happens when advantages are removed.

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It's impossible to take these scheduling complaints seriously when the SEC is 2-7 against other Power 4 conference teams in the College Football Playoff the past three seasons. Even including games against themselves, the SEC is just 5-9 the past three tournaments. The Big Ten is 13-5. Maybe worry about that first.

Bryson DeChambeau wanted President Trump to intervene in his Open Championship penalty: report

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 16:09:50 -0400

Bryson DeChambeau’s two-stroke penalty at the 2026 Open Championship was one of the most talked-about incidents on the course throughout the tournament, and it continues to make headlines after a recent report mentioned he wanted to get President Donald Trump involved.

DeChambeau, who shares a close friendship with Trump, especially after playing golf together on the LIV Golf star’s YouTube channel, was docked two strokes during his second round after he was seen stomping on tall grass near his ball, which is an illegal move.

Rory McIlroy claimed that DeChambeau was holding the final major of the golf season hostage after refusing to sign his second-round scorecard after finishing.

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Now, golf writer Geoff Shackelford is reporting DeChambeau wanted to get Trump involved.

"Sources with knowledge of the thirty-minute discussion said DeChambeau wanted the President to join a campaign against the eventual two-stroke penalty that ultimately dropped his score from 66 to 68," Shackelford wrote. "The request came after DeChambeau had already been given a rare bit of special dispensation to return to the scene where he’s stomped around tall fescue rough in his backswing."

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Trump reportedly denied DeChambeau’s request to step in. The White House has not immediately responded to a request for comment by Fox News Digital.

There’s no telling what DeChambeau may have thought Trump could do, but after what occurred in the FIFA World Cup with Team USA, perhaps he was hoping for a similar result.

Trump contacted FIFA president Gianni Infantino, yet another close friend, to ask about a review of the red card given to Folarin Balogun – Team USA’s star striker throughout the tournament. Balogun’s controversial red card would’ve had him sidelined for the Round of 16 against Belgium, but FIFA suspended the red card, allowing him to play.

It ultimately made no difference, as Belgium handed the U.S. a 4-1 defeat to knock the host country out of the tournament earlier this month.

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DeChambeau finished tied for 14th place at 4-under for the tournament at Royal Birkdale this past weekend. New Zealand’s Ryan Fox secured his first-ever major championship after birdying his final hole to beat out American Cameron Young by one stroke with a 10-under tournament finish.

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EXCLUSIVE: Ousted DHS counterterrorism chief sues millionaire ex over alleged sugar daddy smear campaign

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 16:07:05 -0400

FIRST ON FOX: A former high-ranking Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official who was publicly sidelined in a "sugar daddy" media firestorm is fighting back with a major defamation lawsuit, accusing her wealthy ex-boyfriend of weaponizing her gender to destroy her counterterrorism career after she rejected a marriage ultimatum.

Julia Varvaro, the 29-year-old former DHS deputy assistant secretary for counterterrorism, filed a federal complaint Monday in the Eastern District of Virginia, alleging defamation per se and defamation by implication against Robert "Bob" Bianchi, multimillionaire CEO of federal contractor SDVO Solutions.

The lawsuit accuses Bianchi, 57, of fabricating a DHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) complaint that falsely claimed Varvaro’s college education was funded by "sugar daddies" and her jewelry consisted of "trophies."

He then leaked the confidential complaint, private photos and text messages to The Daily Mail to ignite a tabloid scandal, according to the suit.

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The lawsuit specifically targets "defamation by implication," accusing Bianchi of strategically manipulating intimate text messages to frame their age-gap relationship as a transactional "sugar baby" arrangement.

Attorneys argue a leaked text message exchange where Bianchi teased, "Don’t f— with Daddy on fashion," and Varvaro replied, "Daddy knows all," was lighthearted banter about their age difference — not evidence of sex work.

The lawsuit also addresses Apple Cash transfers that Bianchi framed as "consideration for sex," noting the payments were standard financial flows of a committed relationship.

In one private text exchange, when Bianchi suffered from kidney stones in Europe and Varvaro allegedly covered his emergency medical bills, screenshots included in the suit show he texted her, "I'm sorry lover ... Thanks for your help today. I was struggling," to which Varvaro replied, "It's okay lover as long as you are good is the only thing that matters ... Whatever you need I will figure out as long as you're good."

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Later, after she drove him through snowy roads, screenshots show Bianchi messaged her: "I love you Julia. Thanks for being You," and gave her his home keycode, texting, "I’m yours lover... you are always welcome, any time or day."

Bianchi also frequently messaged her support, writing, "I'm proud of the work you do. You're making a difference," and expressed his gratitude after introducing her to his children: "Thanks for a nice evening. I appreciate you meeting all my kids... I love you."

However, attorneys claim the tone shifted during a historic 76-day government shutdown in February, when Varvaro was furloughed.

The lawsuit alleges that when she planned to take a temporary bartending job to pay rent, Bianchi insisted she come to him for the funds instead. But when she accepted, Bianchi used her financial vulnerability as leverage for control.

In another exchange, he purportedly texted her: "I told you I am not paying your bills until we are engaged."

Varvaro said she refused the ultimatum, ended the relationship, and told him she did not need "an ATM."

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Varvaro’s attorney, Vel Freedman, described the fallout of the subsequent media controversy as "devastating."

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Freedman revealed Varvaro has been "terribly" impacted, suffering public humiliation, losing her position and seeking therapy under the care of physicians.

He also highlighted the unique weaponization of gender in the alleged smear campaign, noting that Bianchi's allegations were tailored to be "extraordinarily devastating to her career and her reputation... in a way that is sort of unique to being a woman."

The legal battle flips the narrative from April 22, when the media initially reported she was ousted. An anonymous complainant, now identified as Bianchi, told The Daily Mail he spent $40,000 on Varvaro, that she used drugs, and had a dating profile on Seeking — a website that markets itself as "a space where love and luxury meet."

Varvaro maintains she met Bianchi on Hinge, a separate dating app that uses a Nobel-Prize-winning algorithm to learn users' "type," according to the company.

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Once his identity was unmasked by the press, however, attorneys said Bianchi recanted, telling People Magazine their relationship was actually "brief and personal" and "not a 'sugar' relationship."

Despite his retraction, Varvaro was terminated from DHS and had her employment offer as a CIA targeting officer rescinded.

It is unclear what specific concerns or infractions prompted Varvaro's dismissal.

The CIA, DHS, Hinge and Seeking did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment. Bianchi could not immediately be reached for comment.

Johnson has three-word answer on whether House will leave early

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 16:06:53 -0400

With the House facing a jam-packed final week before August recess, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is making clear lawmakers won't leave Washington until they finish their work.

Asked by Fox News on Monday whether he would send the House home early if GOP leaders failed to win a critical vote slated for Tuesday afternoon that would tee up consideration of several major bills, Johnson had a quick three-word response.

"I will not," he said.

The speaker’s comments come as he attempts this week to put a GOP-authored stock trading ban on the floor along with a stopgap spending measure funding the government through the midterm elections, while bringing a must-pass annual defense policy bill up for a second time.

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GOP leaders are also racing to pass a $95 billion budget framework providing for $73 billion in defense and intelligence funding as the Iran war drags on while also funding agriculture and election integrity priorities. The Trump-endorsed blueprint has spurred criticism from fiscal conservatives, who argue it lacks spending offsets.

The first test comes Monday evening when the House Rules Committee is expected to report out a rule setting up a chamber-wide procedural vote on the legislative items Tuesday.

Given House Republicans’ slim margins, Johnson can afford to lose just three GOP defections if all members are present and voting.

House conservatives have repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to vote down party-line procedural votes this year over various concerns, including frustration over the SAVE America Act stalling in the Senate.

"The fact that there is no payfor and no language defunding Planned Parenthood is enough for me to vote no," Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., a fiscal hawk, told Fox News Digital on Monday, regarding the budget framework.

Trump urged Republicans in a Truth Social post Monday to support the budget plan, arguing it would include as much of the election measure "as possible."

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Burlison has voiced concern about getting elements of the SAVE America Act through the Senate’s stringent budget reconciliation requirements — a process in which the Senate parliamentarian plays an outsize role.

"I am open to a dialogue with the administration on how we can ensure that the SAVE language is solid and what we might be able to do with stopping abortions by mail," he told Fox News Digital.

Meanwhile, Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said Monday that Congress should stay in Washington until a short-term funding package and the SAVE America Act reach Trump’s desk.

"After this week, the House and Senate won’t be in session at the same time again until SEPTEMBER 14 if we keep the current schedule," he wrote on social media. "That’s insane. We STILL need to pass the SAVE America Act and prevent Democrats from shutting down the government in October."

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"This would NOT fly in the business world. We need to stay here until we get ALL our work done. That’s what the American people expect of us," he continued.

Birth tourism fight shifts to US ‘tropical maternity ward’ with history of Chinese exploitation

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 16:05:31 -0400

The congressional fight over birthright citizenship shifted to the U.S. territories this week after the Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s effort to deny citizenship to children born in the United States to parents who are unlawfully or temporarily present.

Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., said a Senate proposal as well as the overall birthright citizenship debate leaves untouched the five inhabited U.S. territories, where citizenship at birth was established by federal law rather than directly under the Fourteenth Amendment.

"The ‘Barbara’ decision leaves open the door for Congressional action on citizenship in the American territories," Griffith said in introducing the End Birthright Citizenship for Territories Act, referring to the Supreme Court’s recent birthright citizenship ruling.

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"Because of the current birthright laws in place in the territories, any child born in a U.S. territory minus American Samoa, regardless of a parent’s nationality, accesses U.S. citizenship automatically."

Four of the five U.S. territories – the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) would be covered by Griffith’s bill. American Samoans are not automatically conferred U.S. citizenship upon birth.

"This bill should stop the so-called ‘birth tourism’ that is taking place in the American territories," Griffith said.

SEN ERIC SCHMITT SEEKS TO END BIRTH TOURISM, REVOKE CITIZENSHIP FOR BABIES OF FOREIGN DIPLOMATS

Congress established birthright citizenship in most territories by statute, and Griffith argues it therefore has the authority to revise those laws.

"Accordingly, I am leading the charge in Congress to rectify this problem, clarify U.S. citizenship laws in the territories and combat foreign nationals who are exploiting loopholes in our citizenship laws to take advantage of U.S. generosity."

After the federal government assumed control of CNMI immigration in 2009, DHS used parole authority to permit eligible Chinese and Russian visitors to enter the islands without visas — a policy critics say facilitated birth tourism.

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That change led CNMI to be "flooded with so-called birth tourists" in what a New York Post report described as a "tropical maternity ward" of citizens ripe to reach voting age around 2030.

Residents of the five inhabited territories cannot vote in the presidential general election while living there, though they participate in party presidential nominating contests. Guam, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa and CNMI elect House delegates, while Puerto Rico elects a resident commissioner. None may vote on final passage of legislation on the House floor.

Federal prosecutors shut down one of the CNMI's largest commercial birth-tourism operations during the first Trump administration.

Prosecutors said one individual, Sen Sun, operated a lucrative birth-tourism business on Saipan that "illegally employed dozens of caretakers… all Chinese nationals… without work authorization," according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Guam and CNMI. Sun pleaded guilty to harboring illegal aliens.

Griffith’s bill relies partly on the Insular Cases, a group of early-20th-century Supreme Court decisions addressing how constitutional protections apply in U.S. territories.

Lower courts later applied that territorial framework in citizenship cases, including the D.C. Circuit’s 2015 decision in Tuaua v. United States, which held that the Citizenship Clause does not confer birthright citizenship on people born in American Samoa.

Asked about Griffith’s bill and the recent reports on birth tourism in her territory, Del. Kimberlyn King-Hinds, R-CNMI, said she supports securing U.S. borders and stopping anyone who "tries to abuse America’s immigration laws."

"If someone is exploiting our immigration system, they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I have zero tolerance for fraud or abuse," King-Hinds said.

However, she claimed Griffith’s bill is targeting the wrong people – noting the 2009 shift in territorial immigration authority to the federal government.

King-Hinds said that with people admitted to CNMI under federal oversight, Congress should strengthen enforcement rather than "single-out" Americans living there.

King-Hinds said CNMI has a unique relationship with the mainland through what is called its "Covenant" – a negotiated agreement she said deserves "careful consideration" before Congress adjusts rights granted to people born there.

"I am also deeply concerned about creating one standard of citizenship for Americans born in the fifty states and another for Americans born in the territories. The people of the CNMI have disproportionately and proudly served in our Armed Forces, contributed to this nation, and lived as loyal Americans for generations. They should not become the testing ground for policies that Congress cannot or will not apply elsewhere."

"I stand ready to work with my colleagues to accomplish those goals, but I will always fight to protect the rights of the people of the Northern Mariana Islands," she said.

Fox News Digital also reached out to Dels. Stacey Plaskett, D-V.I., Pablo Jose Fernandez, D-P.R., and James Moylan, R-Guam, for comment.

In the 2022 case United States v. Vaello Madero, the Supreme Court upheld Congress’ exclusion of Puerto Rico residents from the Supplemental Security Income program. Justice Neil Gorsuch agreed with the judgment but wrote separately to argue that the Insular Cases should be overruled.

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"A century ago in the Insular Cases, this court held that the federal government could rule Puerto Rico and other territories largely without regard to the Constitution. It is past time to acknowledge the gravity of this error and admit what we know to be true," Gorsuch wrote – potentially setting up another court battle, should Griffith’s bill gain further steam.

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Other critics have countered that if territorial residents want full rights, they should actively pursue statehood as Alaska and Hawaii did in the modern era.

Griffith’s proposal could force Congress and the courts to confront how much authority lawmakers retain over citizenship rules in the territories.

Fox News Digital's Robert Schmad contributed to this report.

Bill Maher says it’s 'so stupid' for anti-Trump artists to bail on Kennedy Center performances

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 16:00:09 -0400

Comedian and talk show host Bill Maher said it’s "stupid" for musicians and artists to cancel Kennedy Center performances over President Donald Trump’s attempt to put his name on the iconic building.

Maher recently accepted the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center, where Trump serves as the chairman. The HBO comedian sat down with ABC’s Jonathan Karl, who asked about artists who have refused to perform at the Kennedy Center over Trump.

"That’s so stupid. First of all, you’re just giving him the victory. He doesn’t own the Kennedy Center. He doesn’t own comedy," Maher said in an extended version of the interview posted online.

"Life goes on. That’s the message I would send," he continued. "I’ve always watched the Kennedy Center honors. This is kind of like that but for one guy. It’s the same thing. You’re up in the box, you know, it’s awesome. It’s great, and it’s rare, and it’s America, and he doesn’t own that, either."

BILL MAHER ADMITS HE RESPECTS TRUMP FOR SEEING HIM AS RIVAL, TRYING TO BLOCK HIS AWARD

The musical "Hamilton," actress Issa Rae, banjo player Béla Fleck, the San Francisco Ballet, cellist Seth Parker Woods, violinist Hilary Hahn, composer Philip Glass, Renée Fleming, Vocal Arts DC, the Brentano Quartet, the Seattle Children's Theatre, the Martha Graham Dance Company, the Washington National Opera and Sonia De Los Santos are among the shows, performers and artists that have bailed on the Kennedy Center because of Trump, according to NPR.

Maher dismissed people letting Trump "ruin everything," and made light of the Trump administration initially attempting to stop him from receiving the award.

"I was like, ‘Game on,'" Maher said.

"This was after our dinner, our famous dinner, you know, back to sniping and yelling," he continued. "But, better than no dialogue, in my view, so, when he did that, I was like, ‘Good move, dude.’"

JONATHAN TURLEY: TRUMP’S KENNEDY CENTER NAME CHANGE WILL KEEP LAWYERS BUSY FOR YEARS

Maher and Trump have traded barbs over the last year despite meeting for dinner at the White House last year, which landed the HBO host in hot water with some liberals.

Maher, a longtime critic of Trump, said the president was "was gracious and measured" during the reportedly cordial meeting. But the White House dinner wasn’t enough to stop Trump from criticizing Maher, who previously suggested he respected the hostility from the administration.

"I love that, you know, he takes the game seriously. Like no, ‘I’m going to block this guy.’ I respect the move," Maher said on his "Club Random" podcast in late April.

Maher has also said anyone who stopped watching his show because he had dinner with Trump is an "idiot."

The battle over the Kennedy Center began in February 2025, shortly after Trump was inaugurated for a second time as president. He replaced several trustees on the board, while also appointing himself a trustee.

FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS TRUMP'S NAME REMOVED FROM KENNEDY CENTER, SAYS ONLY CONGRESS CAN RENAME IT

The new Trump-allied board then elected him chair, enabling him to fire the previous president of the center, Deborah Rutter.

Trump and the center’s board changed the name of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to "Trump-Kennedy Center," but U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, an Obama appointee, said the iconic venue cannot be renamed without an act of Congress.

The saga culminated on June 13, when workers began removing Trump's name from the Kennedy Center. The sign previously said "The Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts."

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Fox News Digital’s Hanna Panreck, James Cirrone and Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.

Family identifies young woman found fatally shot in home owned by Rep Ayanna Pressley's husband

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 15:52:23 -0400

Family has identified the young woman found fatally shot Saturday inside a Boston home owned by the husband of Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass.

While police have not officially identified the victim, her family identified her as 18-year-old Yoseliani Marte in a GoFundMe campaign created by her mother.

In the fundraiser, Marte's mother said her daughter was killed as a "result of domestic violence."

Police responded to a residence in Boston's Mattapan neighborhood around 1:52 p.m. Saturday, where they found the victim suffering from a single gunshot wound, according to police reports obtained by Fox News Digital.

BOSTON POLICE INVESTIGATE DEATH AT HOME OWNED BY REP AYANNA PRESSLEY'S HUSBAND

According to public records, the home is owned by Conan Harris, who has been married to Pressley since 2014.

Pressley and Harris do not live at the two-family residence, which has been reported as a rental property, according to the Boston Herald.

COMPANY OF 'SQUAD' MEMBER'S HUSBAND LANDS $2B CONTRACT FROM BLUE STATE FOR NEW COURTHOUSE

The home is currently listed for sale for $1.15 million.

A spokesperson for Pressley's office told Boston 25 News that neither the congresswoman nor her family were involved in the incident and that Pressley extends her deepest condolences to the family and loved ones impacted by the tragedy.

FITNESS TRAINER TOLD FRIEND SHE WAS 'SCARED FOR HER LIFE' WEEKS BEFORE BODY WITH MATCHING CLOTHING FOUND

A neighbor said the usually calm neighborhood was shaken by the large police response Saturday.

"We got home and there were police coming down the street, they blocked off with crime tape over there and neighbors gathered around," a neighbor said, according to Boston 25 News.

"I mean it’s sad, it’s really sad because you know this neighborhood is a wonderful place to be."

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Family and friends reportedly held a vigil for the victim Sunday night.

The manner of death remains under investigation, Boston police said.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Pressley’s office for comment.

Army veteran in custody after launching incendiary attack at NYC federal building

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:14:14 -0400

A U.S. Army veteran with anti-ICE and anti-government views was in custody after lighting fireworks and setting a fire outside a New York City federal building on Monday morning before he was tackled and taken into custody, authorities said.

The suspect, Andrew Arrabaca, 43, arrived at the employee entrance to 26 Federal Plaza around 8:30 a.m. and lit a large firework inside a canister before firing five to seven pellets from an airsoft rifle at the building, authorities said.

He then pulled out a bucket and dumped a liquid that ignited a fire, authorities said. He was subdued by federal agents and police officers moments later.

SUSPECT NAMED IN NEW YORK CITY ALLEGED INCENDIARY DEVICE ATTACK, HAD ‘ANTI-ICE STUFF' ON HIM

"Mr. Arrabaca came armed with bad intentions," said James Barnacle Jr., the assistant director in charge of the FBI's New York City Field Office. He noted that the building "has long been a target of extremists, of terrorists. And today the extremism was brought here."

Barnacle said two individuals were injured, including a federal employee and a civilian, though he described the injuries as "minor" and said both were "treated and released."

Arrabaca shouted anti-ICE and anti-government statements during his arrest, authorities said. During an interview with investigators, he allegedly said he was targeting the building and that "he was okay if he hurt or killed people going in and out of the building, whether they were federal employees or civilians."

"Obviously, he is an anti-American, anti-government extremist," Barnacle said. "We know that from what he said."

One of the people injured was an immigrant who was at the building for a hearing. Barnacle said, which he described as "ironic, given Arrabaca's alleged hatred for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

After his arrest, authorities found Arrabaca with two axes, a hammer, a machete and three knives, as well as other "destructive items."

FBI BOSS KASH PATEL DETAILS HOW AGENCY AND PARTNERS SECURED RECORD-SHATTERING FIFA WORLD CUP

At the scene of the incident, authorities found two airsoft rifles and the container with the flammable liquid also affixed to the suspect's cart was a sign reading "ICE off our Streets," New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.

Tisch said Arrabaca was from the upstate enclave of Poughkeepsie, but that his last known address was in Harlem. A Toyota RAV4 belonging to him was found in that neighborhood and was being held by police pending a search warrant.

Arrabaca served in the Army from 2001 to 2005 as a mechanic on Patriot missile systems, authorities said. No additional details about his military service were disclosed.

No charges have been filed as of Monday afternoon, officials said.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. both issued statements about the episode.

"What occurred outside 26 Federal Plaza this morning was deeply disturbing. I’m relieved no one was seriously injured and that a suspect is in custody. My team is in touch with the NYPD and we will support the federal investigation. Our administration will continue to ensure that every New Yorker is safe in their city — and hold accountable any who threaten that," Mamdani said in a post on X.

FBI INVESTIGATING AFTER ICE HEADQUARTERS IN PHOENIX RIDDLED WITH GUNFIRE

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"I am grateful to law enforcement for their swift actions to stop an attack at 26 Federal Plaza this morning, for successfully apprehending the suspect and for keeping the people of New York City safe. Acts of terror and violence have no place in our City and will never be tolerated. The individual responsible for this must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Jeffries said in his statement.

Fox News' Brendan McDonald contributed to this report

'Game of Thrones' star Lena Headey says outrage over infamous nude scene left her stunned

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 15:33:04 -0400

More than 10 years after one of television's most talked-about scenes, Lena Headey set the record straight about a decision that sparked backlash far beyond Westeros.

Headey pulled back the curtain on the backlash that erupted after Cersei Lannister's infamous "Walk of Atonement" in "Game of Thrones," revealing she still found the outrage baffling.

"I was really shocked by the anger, by this idea that I’d duped the audience," Headey told The Telegraph. "But by that point everyone knew [the cast], it was insane simply going anywhere, and I was with 3,000 extras."

'OFF CAMPUS' STAR ELLA BRIGHT ADDRESSES AGE CONCERNS OVER INTIMATE SCENES IN PROVOCATIVE SERIES

She explained that while acting is "a joy," the scale of filming the scene would have made it impossible for her to fully inhabit the emotional performance if she had also been worrying about being naked in front of thousands of people.

"I wouldn’t have been able to do the emotional part of the job," she told the outlet. "I’d have been in full-on defensive mode."

Looking back, Headey said she was in a very different position than many younger actresses entering the industry. Her experience on set gave her the confidence to set boundaries she doesn't believe everyone feels comfortable asserting.

GOLDIE HAWN SOUNDS THE ALARM ON CHILDHOOD CELEBRITY CULTURE: 'ALL I CAN SAY IS IT'S A NIGHTMARE'

"By that point, I’d been through the wringer," the actress said. "I could stand up for myself. I’m not saying those actresses couldn’t, but they were much younger and more vulnerable, and had far less experience of being in front of people and the camera and performing. Whereas I was of an age where I’d just tit about and diffuse anything uncomfortable with idiocy."

At the time, Headey told Entertainment Weekly some viewers believed she was "less of an actress" because she didn't perform the nudity herself.

"I've done nudity. I'm not averse to it," she explained in 2016. "But I know I'm a very emotional actor and I get really driven by that. In order to do my job, I allow myself to be really vulnerable. I don't know any other way to do my job. Things really affect me. And the thought of being naked for three days and trying to contain her in the way she would be I think I would feel very angry. I didn't want to be angry. I don't think Cersei would be angry. I did what I thought she would do, emotionally."

Headey praised body double Rebecca Van Cleave for taking on the physically demanding role, acknowledging that appearing nude on camera was far from easy. She also said being a mother and an established public figure made filming the nude portions herself feel like more than she was willing to take on.

"I didn't phone it in," she noted of her performance. "I was actually there for three days with Rebecca."

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For Headey, the controversy also reflected a much bigger issue she believes many actresses faced early in their careers.

"There was this rite of passage all young female actors had to go through, which usually involved snogging and falling in love, and having sex and showing your boobs," she told The Telegraph. "They’d call them the ingénue parts, to make it sound nicer."

The "300" actress admitted she rarely questioned those expectations when she was starting out because she was simply grateful to be working.

"But I just got on with it," she explained. "I didn’t go to drama school, so I would just arrive on a set and be, ‘Oh my God, I’ve got a job.’ And when it came to those moments, I don’t think I even questioned that I should be safe. Instead, I’d go home and cry, or think, ‘Oh, that felt weird and too familiar.’ Now I look back and feel, ‘Hmm, that was rough.’"

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Those experiences ultimately changed the way Headey viewed power dynamics throughout the entertainment industry.

"The weird protection that we offer predatory men in the business because of the disproportionate power they wield, set against the need among vulnerable actresses to work to put food on the table to get the job – it makes me very angry. A job can be completely soured by one person who, for some reason, is allowed to get away with it."

She said the #MeToo movement exposed how widespread those experiences were and believes younger actresses today are far more willing to reject situations that make them uncomfortable.

"The attitude today is, ‘I’m not f---ing doing that,'" she emphasized.

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Sophie Cunningham acted like an adult this weekend while Angel Reese pandered, red-hot Red Sox & Cubs SMACK!

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 15:30:40 -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.

Whoaaaaaaaaaaa Nellie! What a weekend. What a weird, exhausting, annoying, weekend full of insufferable WNBA antics that make me truly question whether or not we're all just living in a simulation.

Goodness. Thank God SEC Media Days start today, and NFL teams start reporting to camp this week. That means football is close.

ANGEL REESE’S LATEST WNBA CONTROVERSY SHOWS HOW VICTIMHOOD BECAME CENTRAL TO HER BRAND

The World Cup is over, which means we finally get new episodes of Masterchef again. It also means we're one step closer to returning to real football in this country.

More of that, please, and less of Angel Reese. PLEASE.

We'll dive in here in a bit.

Welcome to a Monday Nightcaps — the one where Sophie Cunningham acts like an adult while the rest of the WNBA panders to the #MOB for the umpteenth time. It's so painfully obvious how silly this league is after this weekend, as if it wasn't before.

What else? I've got Ryan Fox winning the British Open in record time, Rory being full of bologna, and my Red Sox refusing to lose a game. Seriously, have y'all seen this run they're on right now? It's insane.

Penultimate Monday of July, folks. Dial it in. Fall is inching closer. Time to start getting those affairs in order for Week 1.

Start working on those summer chores NOW. Get the lawn fixed. Get the garage cleaned out. Check off all the boxes in July, so you're ready to roll in August.

But first, enjoy a Monday 'Cap:

This Angel Reese story is silly, even by WNBA standards

I've covered a lot of silly things out of the WNBA since it became semi-relevant a few years back, but this Angel Reese nonsense I had to write about — twice! — on Saturday is now the leader in the clubhouse.

Imagine being as insane as these people are. You just wake up every day, looking for the next "racist" comment so you can virtue-signal and play the victim. I knew the second I saw the Tempo coach call Angel Reese a "protected species," it was going to blow up.

And then Angel reposted it and dangerously spread a false narrative.

And then the Tempo coach predictably apologized to the MOB, for literally no reason. None at all.

And then, right on cue, the WNBA suspended her for one game. Why? I have no earthly idea. The girl who choked Caitlin Clark got the same suspension a coach did for calling a player a "protected species." Think about that.

They're screaming 'RACISM!' because a coach argued that a player was getting special treatment — which has literally been happening for as long as sports have existed.

Think about how silly these people are, and how silly this league is. It's an unserious league.

Hell, it's not a league. It's a movement. That's what the WNBA is. If we start treating it like a movement, and not a sports league, it all starts to make so much sense.

"Zach, just stop writing about it!"

That's the obvious response, and one I will undoubtedly get later today. I can't do that. If we do that, they win. And they may still win, but at least we'll be able to stand in their way a little longer.

Anyway, I say all that to highlight Sophie Cunningham, who is, easily, the most marketable, most sane person in that insufferable league.

While Angel was spreading dangerous lies on the internet and showing off a level of ignorance that I didn't know existed in a person, Sophie spent her weekend hosting a camp for 300 kids and acting like an adult.

Choose your fighter, America:

My Red Sox may not lose again in 2026

If the WNBA wants to market their league and actually grow the game, Sophie Cunningham should be front and center.

That's right. I said it. Sophie Cunningham is the most marketable person in the league right now, and it's not particularly close. She has fun. She doesn't take the game too seriously. She doesn't race-bait or pander or virtue-signal.

She spent her Sunday at a camp playing basketball against 300 kids. They all wanted to do the "point" with her. She wasn't online race-baiting or pandering or acting silly.

What a concept!

She doesn't do the nonsense, mainly because she's a normal person. There's an idea Just be a normal person. It goes a long way!

Let's see if the WNBA takes or leaves that free advice ...

"The WNBA Players Association is currently prohibiting licensees from using the Sophie point, saying that it is "derogatory."

Allllllllllrighty then! Morons.

Good luck to that league. Football season starts in a month.

Thank goodness.

OK, let's move on because we're 700 words in on a Monday and I'm quite sure I've filled my WNBA quota for the day.

Anyone keeping up with what the Boston Red Sox are doing right now in Major League Baseball? Thirteen wins in a row. 18-2 in their last 20. From 6 games out of a wild card spot to 1.5 games up. Only six out in the division.

Incredible:

Rory, Ryan & SMACK!

I buried the Sox earlier this year, rightfully so. The team STUNK. Naturally, Red Sox fan Bill made sure to keep me on my toes over the weekend:

The Tracy Turnaround continues. Who said the talent from Triple A WOOSOX would be called up to turn the RedSox around? Oh yes, me!

The 2nd place YankeesSuck have been swept, now the 1st place Tiny Rays look to be next after losing 4 straight already.

Zach, your analysis has been poor and your commentary on the Sox worse.

Thanks, Bill! To be fair, my analysis was spot-on up until two weeks ago. I did not see an 18-2 run coming, no. Hand up, I'll be the first to admit that.

If Red Sox fan Bill truly saw it coming, I'd like him to email me tonight with the lotto numbers. If it wins, I'll split it 50/50!

OK, rapid-fire time on this Monday. First up? How about the balls on Rory McIlroy calling out Bryson for being "performative" during Friday's second round?

Well ain't that the pot calling the kettle black:

Yeah, come on. What are we doing here? Rory hates Bryson, and that's fine. I like it, actually. Golf needs a good rivalry. It's great for the game.

But don't sit up there and call out Bryson DeChambeau when you bitch and moan as much as anyone on tour. Let's be realistic, Rory. For once.

You know who's NOT performative? British Open champ Ryan Fox, who is, without a doubt, the fastest golfer I've ever seen play:

This Ryan Fox is incredible. Admittedly, I'd barely heard of the guy until this weekend. But watching him over the final few holes yesterday — specifically the last two shots — was just a joy. Guy just got up there and let it rip. No thinking. No lining up. No mulling it over with his caddie. No standing over a 3-foot putt for an hour.

Give me a club and let's get on with it. We could all learn something from that, myself included.

OK, that's it for today. Good start to the week, everyone. We're in the stretch run of July. Let's keep grinding and end this month strong.

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And if you're going to a baseball game tonight — especially in Chicago — stand your butt UP during our great national anthem!

Is the Angel Reese story the dumbest thing you've seen today? Email me at Zach.Dean@OutKick.com.

Inside underground El Paso storm drain system Border Patrol says cartels exploit to smuggle illegal migrants

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 15:09:38 -0400

Hidden beneath the streets of El Paso lies what U.S. Border Patrol agents describe as "a city underneath our city," a sprawling network of storm drains built for flood control that authorities say Mexican cartels continue exploiting to smuggle illegal migrants from Mexico into the United States.

Fox News was granted rare, exclusive access underground with the El Paso Sector’s elite Confined Space Entry Team (CSET), joining agents as they navigated the dangerous maze of tunnels where Border Patrol says smugglers continue searching for vulnerabilities, despite illegal crossings and apprehensions at historically low levels.

Border Patrol told Fox News it takes smugglers and illegal migrants 45 minutes to an hour to make it through the storm drains, which are hot and tight, with oxygen levels that can change or drop unexpectedly.

The underground system stretches for miles beneath El Paso. According to Border Patrol, there are 32 known entry points from the Rio Grande into the United States and hundreds of exit points scattered throughout neighborhoods, parks and commercial areas across the city.

WATCH: INSIDE LOOK AT THE DANGEROUS CARTEL HUMAN SMUGGLING TUNNELS STILL BEING USED AT BORDER

Jason Hartman, who leads the El Paso Sector’s Confined Space Entry Team, said one of the biggest challenges is where smugglers can emerge once they make it through the underground network.

"There are exit points into schools, into elementary schools, where we sleep, where we play," Hartman told Fox News. "At any point, you can have smugglers or bad guys coming up in your backyard, in your playgrounds, in your kids’ schools."

Just outside one of the storm drain entrances, evidence of previous crossings remained behind. Fox News observed tools, a wallet and even a Mexican driver’s license left near the entrance, items agents say migrants and smugglers often abandon during the journey.

MEXICAN NATIONAL SENTENCED IN BORDER CHILD SMUGGLING CASE INVOLVING THC-LACED CANDY

Border Patrol guards entry points near the Rio Grande, and Hartman says agents rely on technology to detect movement inside the underground network.

"We do have technology that lets us know when they’re in there, where they’re going, when they come out," Hartman said. "Technology grows at a rapid pace."

Still, some manage to slip through. So far this fiscal year, Border Patrol says agents have apprehended 161 illegal migrants that used El Paso’s storm drain system. At the height of the border crisis, Hartman said agents sometimes encountered groups of up to 70 migrants moving through the underground maze. Today, he said, it’s more common to encounter groups of just two or three.

SIX ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, INCLUDING 14-YEAR-OLD, FOUND DEAD IN SHIPPING CONTAINER ALONG SOUTHERN BORDER

Agents assigned to the specialized team undergo extensive training in a full-scale replica storm drain, learning how to operate in confined spaces while constantly monitoring oxygen levels that can change without warning.

Hartman said the physical conditions alone can be exhausting before agents ever encounter a smuggler.

"For me, it’s the heat and the time and the air," Hartman said.

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Border Patrol says because it is more difficult and risky to illegally cross the border, smugglers have dramatically increased what they charge migrants, between $20,000 and $30,000 per person, to guide them through the storm drains.

"Cartels are desperate to try to get people in," said Hamid Nikseresht, a U.S. Border Patrol Special Operations supervisor. "They’re desperate to try to fund the networks globally that they fund because this isn’t just a localized issue. This is a global issue."

Cruise ship hit with third stomach illness outbreak in two months, review underway

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 15:25:05 -0400

Health officials have reported a gastrointestinal illness outbreak aboard an Alaska cruise ship, marking the vessel's third stomach bug outbreak in about two months.

The National Geographic Sea Bird, operated by Lindblad Expeditions, was the subject of a July 15 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP).

The CDC said the outbreak aboard the trip was reported July 12 — halfway through its July 10 to July 15 voyage from Sitka to Juneau, Alaska.

STOMACH BUGS SURGING AS DOCTORS SAY CERTAIN TRAVEL ESSENTIALS COULD SAVE YOUR TRIP

The latest incident marks the third gastrointestinal illness outbreak reported aboard the ship since late May, according to the VSP.

In the most recent outbreak, 18 of the ship's 62 passengers — or nearly a third of those aboard — reported being ill.

The predominant symptoms were "vomiting [and] abdominal cramps," the report said. As of Monday, the source of the outbreak is unknown.

Officials reported that the ship's crew isolated the ill passengers and crew. Officials also increased "cleaning and disinfection procedures according to their outbreak prevention and response plan."

CRUISE TIPPING CHARGES ARE 'OUT OF CONTROL,' SAY PASSENGERS AS COMPANIES TOUT 'EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE'

"VSP is remotely monitoring the situation, including review of the ship's outbreak response and sanitation procedures," the statement added.

The CDC said the cause of the outbreak remains unknown, though norovirus is a common cause of gastrointestinal illness outbreaks on cruise ships.

"Finding the agent that caused an outbreak [meaning the causative agent] can take time," said the VSP. "When an outbreak occurs, people whose symptoms [meet] the case definition are asked to provide stool or vomitus samples."

BELOVED CRUISE SPOT WILL BE OFF LIMITS THROUGH 2027 AS SAFETY CONCERNS LINGER

"In this outbreak, samples are pending confirmatory testing," the report also noted.

Fox News Digital reached out to Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic Expeditions, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Fox News Digital also reached out to the CDC.

Users on an online forum expressed disgust over the latest outbreak.

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"They need to use bleach to sanitize every inch of that ship," one commenter said.

"Gross," another person said.

After a previous outbreak on the National Geographic Sea Bird two months ago, a Reddit user wrote, "It happens every year and all the time."

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Another wrote at the time, "My sister and I were on the Sea Bird, on the cruise [that] left Sitka on May 31st. Lindblad told us they were doing extra sanitizing of the ship."

The incident follows a string of cruise-related health incidents that have made headlines in recent months.

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

In April, a hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius drew international attention after it was linked to three passenger deaths.

Also in the spring, more than 100 people fell ill during a norovirus outbreak aboard the Caribbean Princess, according to the CDC.

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The National Geographic Sea Bird is a 152-foot expedition vessel carrying up to 62 guests.

Its shallow draft allows access to narrow inlets and wildlife-rich fjords beyond the reach of larger ships.

Hailey Ostrom is back defending summer at the lake armed with her golf club and bikini

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 15:12:02 -0400

Believe it or not, the fight against the creep of fall into summer has already begun. The disrespect is at an all-time high. It really hit home for me last July when a Halloween display was out at a grocery store at the beach.

The beach? They're making their money off of summer vacations in July. What are they doing? Our very own Senior Editor of Content Development has already started receiving reports of Halloween decorations in the wild.

My own wife has fallen victim to it. This weekend, while her parents were in town and the temperature was well into the 90s, she came home with a Halloween-themed bag. But all hope is not lost.

That's where golf influencer Hailey Ostrom comes in. I know she was in Sunday Screencaps taking on Lake Powell, but she stepped up again for summer on Monday, still out at the lake.

Her message over the weekend on Twitter was slightly different from the one she delivered on Instagram. This message was straight to the point, "Just here to remind you it’s summertime."

How do you do that? You do that out on a boat in a bikini enjoying the water. You also do that by dusting off a trusty play from the content playbook. That's what Hailey did on Monday.

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She pulled out her driver, as she's done before, and she crushed golf balls off the moonscape all in the name of respecting summer.

That is how you fight the creep of fall. Listen, fall is great, mostly because it brings with it football, but let's keep the Halloween decorations in the warehouse until fall arrives.

We do that by not purchasing the early arriving fall items and shaming those around us who do. We also fight the creep by smashing golf balls off of moonscape in a bikini.

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Let's take a moment as we wrap this up to recognize and thank Hailey Ostrom for her continued support of and respect for summer. We're only gifted a limited number of them in our lifetimes.