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$50 trillion in debt is not a distant threat. America is speeding towards it

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 09:00:11 -0400

In the 1999 movie The Matrix, Agent Smith hears a train approaching and delivers one of the iconic movie lines:

"That is the sound of inevitability."

‘THE ODYSSEY’ REMINDS US OF THE NIGHTMARE WE ARE LEAVING FOR AMERICAN CHILDREN

Our national debt just blew through $40 trillion, and unless Washington dramatically changes course, that train has another destination coming into view very quickly.

$50 trillion. Yes $50 trillion.

But wait! There’s more!

It could happen by 2030. Yes, by 2030.

This isn't a Republican problem. It isn't a Democratic problem.

It's now an American math problem.

JOHN ADAMS MADE A TERRIFYING PREDICTION. AMERICA IS CLOSE TO PROVING HIM CORRECT

The Congressional Budget Office projects a federal deficit of approximately $1.9 trillion in 2026. But that's hardly the end of it. CBO projects deficits totaling more than $23 trillion from 2026 through 2035.

Think about that.

We're already $40 trillion in debt, yet Washington isn't debating how to pay it down. In fact, we may decide to print even more money. We're debating now how many additional trillions we'll borrow.

If annual deficits average roughly $2 trillion to $2.5 trillion over the next several years, simple math puts $50 trillion frighteningly close.

And there's another problem hiding inside those numbers.

Interest. Lots and lots of interest.

America now has the world's largest credit-card bill, and the minimum payment keeps getting bigger. My prediction is that eventually it will be bigger than either Medicare or Social Security as a line item in our fiscal budget if don’t act soon.

CBO projects net interest costs rising from 3.3% of GDP in 2026 to 4.6% by 2036.

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Every dollar Washington spends servicing yesterday's debt is a dollar unavailable for tomorrow's priorities without taxing, cutting or borrowing even more.

That's how the debt snowball gets bigger.

Borrow money.

Pay interest.

Borrow more money partly because the interest bill grew.

Repeat. Wash. Rinse. Repeat again.

Meanwhile, America's two biggest promises to its citizens are approaching their own financial reckoning.

Social Security's Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund is projected to exhaust its reserves in 2032. Without congressional action, incoming revenue would then cover only about 78% of scheduled retirement and survivor benefits. Get ready Americans for the Social Security tax of 6.2% to be levied on every dollar of earned income, just like Medicare is today. It’s in the movie trailers before the actual disaster movie called $50 trillion.

Medicare's Hospital Insurance Trust Fund is projected to exhaust its reserves in 2033, at which point dedicated revenue would initially cover approximately 89% of costs.

So what's Washington's plan?

That's the scary part.

There isn't a politically acceptable one because nobody can get along anymore.

Balancing the federal budget ultimately requires some combination of spending cuts, entitlement reforms, higher taxes or dramatically faster economic growth.

Every option creates political pain.

Cut Social Security? Seniors revolt.

Cut Medicare? Good luck.

Raise taxes? Taxpayers revolt.

Cut defense? Republicans scream.

Cut domestic programs? Democrats scream.

So Congress keeps choosing the easiest option.

Borrow more money. I wish I had a printing press in my basement that could print unlimited $100 bills. I’ll bet we all do.

For Americans, $50 trillion isn't just some number on a government website.

Higher federal borrowing can put upward pressure on interest rates and compete with private investment. Rising interest costs consume federal resources that could otherwise go toward infrastructure, defense, health care or tax relief. And just imagine if American debt gets downgraded around the world even further. A selloff in the U.S. Treasury market would have cataclysmic implications.

Eventually, taxpayers must confront this problem and so do our politicians.

Maybe that's higher taxes. Do I want them? No? But it may be a necessary evil.

Maybe it's reduced government benefits or a reduced government a whole.

Maybe it's later retirement ages for Social Security.

Maybe it's slower economic growth.

Most likely, it's some combination of all of them.

Here's what really bothers me.

If a family made $100,000, spent $130,000 every year, already owed hundreds of thousands of dollars and responded by applying for another credit card, nobody would call that a financial plan.

We'd call it a personal crisis.

Yet when Washington does essentially the same thing, we call it the federal budget.

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America didn't reach $40 trillion because of one president or one political party.

Both parties have fingerprints all over this bill.

And unless somebody in Washington finally decides that arithmetic matters more than the next election, $50 trillion isn't difficult to imagine.

It's getting easier to calculate. So listen closely.

That sound you're hearing isn't a freight train coming.

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It's another trillion dollars being added to the national debt. And that’s more like a one-way bullet train.

And at the rate we're going, $50 trillion may be arriving a lot sooner than America thinks. 2030 is right around the corner.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM TED JENKIN

Alarming photo of Caitlin Clark's arm shows the beating she takes during WNBA cat fights

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 08:28:28 -0400

Lost in all the other nonsense in Indiana's win over Chicago earlier this week was Caitlin Clark, once again, showing the WNBA she is easily — easily — the best player in the league.

Clark finished with 37 points and 10 assists in the win, going 8 of 12 from beyond the arc and adding three rebounds. She was incredible. She was, frankly, an MVP, even though the WNBA would never, ever allow that to actually happen.

I wrote about it Monday and I'll say it again here — the Sophie Cunningham drama, and ensuing nonsense, has overtaken Clark in a way. She's been playing second fiddle to Sophie and the mean WNBA girls for a few months now, which I'm sure she's fine with.

CAITLIN CLARK NAMED EASTERN CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE MONTH DESPITE ONLY PLAYING 10 GAMES

But when the bright lights come on and the games begin, Caitlin Clark is still the best player by a mile.

And she also takes an absolute beating on the court, which we've seen this season. She gets scratched, clawed, mugged and, sometimes, choked whenever she touches the court. Usually, it's all without a whistle.

Now, we have photo evidence. Take a look:

Fans quick to spot Caitlin Clark's arm

Lordy. What a picture! Look at those claw marks. Ted Lasso would be appalled.

Look, it's basketball. I get it. I'm not here trying to sound soft or whiny. Sports are violent. They're physical. I'd imagine the '80s and '90s Bulls and Pistons looked a lot like this after games. I assume a lot of players who went up against the Pistons back then did. I get it.

But, add in some fingernails, and the context of the entire season — specifically when it comes to Caitlin Clark — and it does make you raise an eyebrow.

She was mugged earlier this summer by Alyssa Thomas. Her and Paige Bueckers got into it last week.

Before she was known for protecting women's sports, Sophie Cunningham was known as Clark's "enforcer" after sticking up for her last summer when things got out of hand against the Sun.

So, yes, this has been a narrative following Caitlin Clark for years now.

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"These girls just do not like Caitlin Clark or Sophie Cunningham," Charles Barkley told 'The Michael Smerconish Program' earlier this week.

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It was hard to argue that before. It's really hard now.

Montana man who killed 4 children, 4 other family members at Sunday dinner was asked to move out: relative

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 08:27:26 -0400

A Montana man who killed eight of his relatives, including four children, during a Sunday dinner at a home in Montana had been asked by his parents weeks earlier to move out of the property, according to a family member.

Brad Ireland told The Associated Press that his former wife and two children were among those killed by Alan Smith, 44, in a homicide that the Billings Police Department called an "unimaginable tragedy." Investigators said Smith died after suffering a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The victims were identified by the AP as Ireland’s ex-wife, Megan Ghekiere, and their two children, Owen Ireland, 13, and Chloe Ireland, 7. Also killed were Ghekiere’s two stepchildren with her current husband: Landon Ghekiere, 15, and Charlotte Ghekiere, 12, as well as Smith’s parents, Dana and Barb, and his grandmother Evelyn.

"The one thing we do know is that Charlotte was the hero," Jennifer Mercer, a neighbor and family friend who set up an online fundraiser to help cover funeral costs and other expenses, said to the news agency. "Charlotte called 911 and she tried to save her family. And that’s something the family does want out there."

MICHIGAN DAD SHOT WIFE, SIX KIDS THEN SET FAMILY HOME ABLAZE IN MURDER-SUICIDE, SHERIFF SAYS

The Billings Police Department said it responded to a 911 call of an active shooting at 6:01 p.m. Sunday and heard shots fired from the back of the house. Minutes later, the property was fully engulfed in flames.

Firefighters ultimately fought the blaze until around 1 a.m. Monday, according to Billings Fire Department Chief Matt Hoppel. The home is in a subdivision outside of city limits that’s not required to have fire hydrants.

"Due to the condition and structural integrity of the residence, recovery and investigative efforts must be conducted carefully and methodically," the Billings Police Department said Tuesday, adding that, "we extend our sincere and heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones affected by this unimaginable tragedy."

Mercer described the family as "very loving and close," and said the children all got along and that their parents remained amicable even after divorcing.

The Smith family was originally from the Seattle area. Ireland said that after he and Megan Ghekiere divorced six years ago, she moved to Montana with their children and met the man who would become her second husband, Adam Ghekiere, who was working and not at the home when the shooting occurred.

She and Alan’s parents, Dana and Barb Smith, soon followed, buying a house in Billings near their daughter’s home. Evelyn Smith, their grandmother, lived in a nearby retirement community, Ireland said.

Alan Smith, who also moved in with his parents in Montana, was described by Ireland as a "hermit" who spent most of his days in his room on his computer.

"No one knew what he did in there 24/7," he said.

DISPATCH AUDIO RELEASED IN MICHIGAN FAMILY MURDER-SUICIDE AS TROUBLED FAMILY'S SECRETS EMERGE

Smith’s parents had asked Alan to move out weeks ago after he stayed with them for years, Ireland told the AP.

Alan Smith had attended Eastern Washington University but had been unable to find or hold a job, the AP reported. Ireland told the news agency that to his knowledge, Alan Smith had never been violent, though he could be verbally abusive.

Adam Ghekiere, who works at the airport in Billings, told the AP that he heard over a dispatch radio about an active shooting. After calling each member of his family, he raced across town to the Smith home.

When he got there, the house was ablaze, and two hours later, he learned his wife and children had been killed. His children weren't supposed to be there because family dinner was usually on Friday, he said.

"I don’t think he expected my kids to be there," Ghekiere said, referring to his brother-in-law. "Monster isn’t even enough to describe what he did."

A GoFundMe page said Adam Ghekiere’s 15-year-old son Landon, who was set to enter his sophomore year of high school, was "looking forward to getting his driver’s license this week and was a patient, protective, and loving big brother."

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"Charlotte was 12 and preparing to begin seventh grade. Funny, precocious, and adorable -- with just the right amount of stubborn -- Charlotte had an angelic smile and loved posing for pictures," it added.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

At least 14 newborns killed in Pakistan nursery hospital fire

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 08:26:40 -0400

At least 14 babies at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences died in a nursery fire Wednesday, while one infant was rescued, according to hospital officials.

The blaze at the major government hospital in the capital Islamabad broke out at about 6:45 a.m. after an air conditioning unit compressor exploded, hospital and rescue officials said. The fire was contained to the nursery in the hospital's gynecology ward and did not affect any other hospital wards.

"One baby was rescued by a doctor," hospital spokesperson Dr. Aneeza Jalil said, adding that six of the deceased infants' bodies had been given over to families, while the remaining bodies would be given over soon.

NYC 5-ALARM FIRE INJURES AT LEAST 17 FIREFIGHTERS, OTHERS AS BLAZE DAMAGES MULTIPLE APARTMENT BUILDINGS

Video showed grieving families distraught with sorrow as investigators examined blasted out windows and authorities worked to secure the scene.

"I don’t know what to say or whom to blame," a woman The Associated Press (AP) identified as Mrs. Mohammad Sami said.

"I have lost my child," she told the outlet, just three days after she reportedly gave birth.

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The incident prompted Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to remove Health Secretary Aslam Ghauri, the country's highest civil servant, from office.

Sharif ordered an immediate investigation.

"A tragedy involving children is an irreparable loss," he said.

Shortly after the incident, Sharif convened a high-level meeting in which he expressed anger at officials for the incident and removed Ghauri.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari also weighed in, offering condolences to the families and saying the deaths amounted to a "heartbreaking and an irreparable loss."

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

3 Secret Service officials under internal investigation for potential misconduct

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 08:26:39 -0400

Three U.S. Secret Service officials were placed on administrative leave on Tuesday pending an internal investigation into potential misconduct.

The agency's Office of Professional Responsibility was just beginning its review on Tuesday and did not offer details about what the three officials were being investigated for.

The Secret Service public information office noted that the three officials were not working in law enforcement roles at the agency.

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The Secret Service has faced increased scrutiny under President Donald Trump's administration in the wake of three separate assassination attempts against him.

The first attempt, in Butler, Pennsylvania, launched a series of congressional hearings with leaders at the Secret Service.

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More recently, the Secret Service said on Tuesday that it was aware of a threat from Iran against the president's youngest son, Barron Trump.

"The U.S. Secret Service is aware of the video and investigates anything that can be perceived as a threat toward our protectees," Nate Herring, a Secret Service spokesperson, told Fox News Digital.

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"Out of concern for operational security, we do not discuss matters of protective intelligence," Herring added.

The video depicts locations associated with the younger Trump's whereabouts. It ends with a suggested $10 million reward for his location.

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Iranian state media has aired content on multiple occasions threatening Trump and his family following the assassination of Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which came at the start of the war between the United States and Iran, as well as the U.S. airstrike that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in 2020.

"I don't think it's any secret, it's been in the media, that Iran has publicly said they want to kill President Trump," Deputy Director of the U.S. Secret Service Matt Quinn told reporters at an event last month.

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The video came amid threats from the Trump administration to nations that fail to sever their economic ties with Tehran and an ongoing naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

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In July, Trump secretly switched planes from Air Force One to another aircraft in Turkey via a catering truck due to a credible Iranian surface-to-air missile threat.

Fox News' Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

Florida Dem backed by DSA claims billionaires want to defund schools to exploit future prison labor

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 08:22:10 -0400

Florida Democratic Senate nominee Angie Nixon said during an interview Monday that billionaires want to defund public schools to fuel the "school-to-prison pipeline" and exploit prison labor.

While speaking with "Democracy Now!," Nixon discussed her affordability platform, which led to her remarking on the importance of affordable childcare.

"I support universal childcare," Nixon said. "I know that for every dollar we put into childcare, we get $3 back in the economy, because that allows parents to be able to work. That also allows our children to be diverted from the school-to-prison pipeline, which, you know, these for-profit prisons, these elected officials, these billionaires, they want our children to have an ill education, a ridiculous, a horrible education, right?"

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She continued, "Which is why they’re defunding public schools, because they want to usher them into the school-to-prison pipeline. Why? Why make sure that our children have a good-quality education, when they know they’ll make more money off of them going to prison, and exploiting their labor?"

During the interview, she also rejected suggestions that she supports defunding the police while reiterating her opposition to private prisons.

"I know there’s a rumor going around saying that I want to abolish prisons. I don’t. I want to abolish for-profit prisons. There’s also a rumor going around saying that I want to defund the police. I don’t want to defund the police. I want to defund Flock cameras, so that bad cops don’t have the ability to stalk their ex-girlfriends or their ex-boyfriends. I want to make sure that we have a justice system that works for everyone, not just for the billionaires and co-conspirators of Jeffrey Epstein, who actually are treated more fairly than a single mom who got caught stealing formula to make sure that her child had food," Nixon said.

FLORIDA SOCIALIST ANGIE NIXON SAYS SHE DOESN’T ‘REALLY KNOW’ HASAN PIKER

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

Nixon has denied being a socialist despite her membership in the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). In a "Meet the Press NOW" interview on Thursday, Nixon said she joined the organization because it supported public housing, healthcare, helping homeless veterans and removing big money from politics. However, she has denied supporting the DSA's other goals of abolishing the Senate or defunding the military.

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Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., who fled Fidel Castro's Cuba, told Fox News Digital Tuesday that her denial should be viewed as suspicious.

"She's either a bona fide socialist, or she's not very smart, because she ended up being a member of the Democratic Socialists of America," Gimenez said.

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He added, "I don't know what the heck she thought she was joining… Socialists [and] communists, deny what they are until they get into power."

Philadelphia man in 'Chucky' mask accused of terrorizing citizens nabbed in Las Vegas after manhunt

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 08:19:53 -0400

The man accused of terrorizing pedestrians in downtown Philadelphia while wearing a "Chucky"-style mask was arrested in Las Vegas after a multi-state search, the U.S. Marshals Service said.

Zymire Hughes, 22, was taken into custody by The U.S. Marshals Service’s Philadelphia office and the Nevada Violent Offender Task Force, according to the agency. He is currently at the Clark County Detention Center pending extradition to Pennsylvania.

Hughes allegedly fled the Philadelphia area on Aug. 19, flying from Trenton-Mercer Airport in New Jersey to Orlando, Fla., before continuing to Las Vegas, according to FOX5 Vegas, which cited federal authorities.

POLICE IDENTIFY SUSPECT ACCUSED OF TERRORIZING PHILADELPHIA WOMEN WHILE WEARING CREEPY CHUCKY-STYLE MASK

Marshals said Hughes had been living in Las Vegas since February and maintained work ties in Nevada and California, FOX5 reported. Investigators said he moved between locations to avoid arrest and spent five days hiding at a southeast Las Vegas apartment complex.

Task force officers ultimately located Hughes through surveillance footage from the complex, according to the report. Hughes allegedly questioned the arrest and resisted officers before deputies subdued him.

"Nothing was recovered upon arrest, and he did not make any statements about his motive," the U.S. Marshals office told Fox News.

Philadelphia police had been searching for Hughes in connection with a series of confrontations near City Hall in the early morning hours of Aug. 12. Authorities allege he approached, chased and threatened multiple people while wearing a cracked doll-style mask and recording the encounters on a cellphone.

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In one incident, police said Hughes allegedly asked a 40-year-old female jogger, "Are you ready to die?" while keeping his arm behind his back as though he had a weapon. The woman fled and suffered a leg injury requiring extensive treatment, authorities said.

Hughes was wanted on an active aggravated assault warrant, FOX5 reported. Philadelphia officials had previously said he faced felony and misdemeanor assault charges and was already on probation in an unrelated Montgomery County case.

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner had warned Hughes last week that authorities were closing in.

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"If Zymire Hughes was trying to scare people, make them run — who’s scared now? Who’s running now?" Krasner said at a news conference.

FBI wraps up cybercrime operation targeting global networks preying on Americans

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 08:00:59 -0400

EXCLUSIVE: A 60-day FBI operation targeting cybercriminals, online fraud, and illicit digital infrastructure resulted in numerous arrests and disrupted vast global criminal networks that preyed on Americans and laundered millions in proceeds, Fox News Digital has learned.

Operation Riptide was launched in June to combat cybercrime, which defrauded Americans out of more than $20 billion last year, according to the FBI.

With assistance from international law enforcement, the bureau seized millions in illegal cryptocurrency and other funds while dismantling cyber networks across the globe.

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"Operation Riptide was the FBI’s historic 60-day campaign targeting cybercriminals preying on Americans here at home and around the world," FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital. "We went after this criminal enterprise more aggressively than we ever have."

Patel credited several factors for the initiative's success, including the bureau's artificial intelligence technology, increased intelligence sharing, and aggressive coordination with authorities abroad.

"FBI Cyber is now built to crush these criminal networks no matter where they operate," Patel said.

Among the cases stemming from the operation was the arrest of a member of the pro-Russia hacktivist group Cyber Army of Russia Reborn, as well as the seizure of a cloud computing account used by subsidiaries of the Huione Group, a Cambodia-based corporate conglomerate.

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The subsidiaries allegedly assisted individuals and organizations in transferring illicit proceeds from cryptocurrency investment frauds, cyber scams, and other crimes across blockchains, facilitating undetected conversions into the legitimate banking sector.

In another major operation, law enforcement coordinated with Google and Black Lotus Labs to execute a technical takedown of Outsider, a Chinese phishing-as-a-service platform. Outsider provided cybercriminals with hosting infrastructure and "phishing kits" used to target U.S. citizens, businesses, and victims in at least 54 other countries, the FBI said.

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In addition to the new arrests, several other cybercrime cases reached major legal milestones. Eight people were convicted for participating in an international cargo theft conspiracy impacting U.S. supply chain security, while five Ghanaian citizens were indicted for allegedly operating romance fraud schemes targeting Americans online.

Furthermore, two individuals were recently sentenced to 6.5 years in prison for their involvement in a nationwide ATM jackpotting scheme that used Ploutus malware to steal millions from cash machines across the U.S.

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In another case, Barry Augustinsky was convicted for running a multi-year VoIP-based fraud scheme targeting mostly elderly Americans, laundering the proceeds, and providing false credit-report access to facilitate the scheme.

"We executed coordinated law enforcement actions across the country and leveraged our reach around the world to disrupt these criminal networks, impose consequences, and protect the American people from predatory cyber actors," said Heith Janke, assistant director of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division.

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Scott Augenbaum, a retired FBI agent who specialized in cybercrime, noted that modern tools have lowered the bar for bad actors.

"Artificial intelligence is enhancing the cybercriminals' ability to trick people," Augenbaum told Fox News Digital. "Today, you're going to see an email that does not contain grammatical errors. We used to tell people if the email has really bad grammar, it's a scam. That red flag doesn't work anymore. Cybercriminals can build fake websites, use voice cloning, and leverage so many new tools."

Brett Leatherman, assistant director of the FBI's Cyber Division, emphasized that the bureau will maintain its momentum against international networks.

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"Cybercriminals depend on borders, anonymity, and rented infrastructure to stay beyond reach, and over 60 days, the FBI and our partners took those advantages away," Leatherman said. "Arrests, extraditions, infrastructure takedowns, and seizures each imposed cost at a different point in the criminal ecosystem. Our partners made that possible, and the pressure we built does not stop here."

Ancient Christian amulet unearthed after 1,500 years may hold biblical secret

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 08:00:52 -0400

Archaeologists in Turkey have unearthed a 1,500-year-old Christian amulet containing a paper-thin sheet of gold — and experts believe it may contain a biblical passage.

The discovery, made at the Türkmen Karahöyük archaeological site in Konya, central Turkey, was reported by Turkish state media outlet Anadolu Agency (AA) earlier this summer.

An international team of roughly 60 researchers from 13 countries was excavating the site when the amulet was discovered.

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The amulet dates back to the fourth or fifth centuries A.D. — a formative time in Christian history.

Inside its copper case is a thin, 0.1-millimeter gold sheet on which a passage from the Bible was "most likely" written, AA reported. It is still unclear which biblical passage it contains.

Pictures show the amulet as a small, dark and heavily corroded artifact — with researchers carefully examining and cleaning it.

Excavation co-director Michele Rüzgar Massa told AA that these types of amulets "are not very common."

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"As far as we know, one similar example was found in Germany," said Massa, who added that the amulet likely belonged to a small child.

"In other words, you can think of it like an evil-eye charm," he said.

Archaeologists also found older artifacts, including a stone seal with a hieroglyphic Luwian inscription.

The Luwians were an ancient people who inhabited parts of Anatolia during the Bronze and Iron Ages, and the seal dates back to roughly 1500-1400 B.C.

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Archaeologists also found two copper seals and a clay seal impression.

Massa told AA the stone seal bears the name "Kurunti-ziti," which is linked to Kurunta, an important god in the Hittite world.

"This person did not hold a very high-ranking position, but we can nevertheless see a hierarchy belonging to the bureaucracy and the state," Massa said of the person named on the stone seal.

"We can say that this was a major administrative center around 1500-1400 B.C.," he added.

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Deputy excavation director Hüseyin Erpehlivan told AA that the archaeological site "occupies an important place in terms of Anatolian archaeology."

"Konya is located right in the center of Anatolia, in a region where cultures intersect," he said. "Türkmen Karahöyük is not an excavation focused on a single period."

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Erpehlivan added, "We are investigating a multilayered settlement extending from the Late Hellenistic period through the Iron Age and Bronze Age and into even earlier periods."

The amulet is one of several remarkable finds with biblical ties to emerge from Turkey in recent months.

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Earlier this summer, archaeologists unearthed a rare, 2,500-year-old marble statue from the ruins of Sardis, an ancient city immortalized in the Book of Revelation.

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At around the same time, an ancient mosaic was uncovered in Smyrna, an archaeological site in modern-day İzmir, Turkey.

Anna Kepner’s stepbrother blames ‘very unfortunate’ family dynamic to push murder trial as plea deadline looms

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 08:00:07 -0400

Content warning: This article includes descriptions of sexual assault that some readers may find distressing.

Defense lawyers for Timothy Hudson, the teen charged in the killing of his stepsister, Anna Kepner, cited a "unique – and very unfortunate – family dynamic" as they sought more time before his federal murder trial.

U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom granted Hudson’s unopposed request to continue the trial, moving it from September to the two-week period beginning Nov. 2, 2026.

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Hudson, who was 16 at the time of Kepner's death in November 2025, is charged as an adult with first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse in the killing of his stepsister, an 18-year-old Titusville High School senior and cheerleader who was found dead aboard the Carnival Horizon cruise ship. He has pleaded not guilty.

In an Aug. 24 motion, Hudson’s attorneys said they need additional time to complete their investigation of issues they said could affect the resolution of the case.

PROSECUTORS WARN ANNA KEPNER’S STEPBROTHER SHOULDN’T ROAM FREE AFTER ALLEGED CRUISE SHIP MURDER

The defense cited the seriousness of the allegations, Hudson’s status as a juvenile and family circumstances that have limited the lawyers’ access to certain relatives. His attorneys said they were "purposefully being vague" because of intense media scrutiny surrounding the case.

"Although substantial progress has been made, more still needs to be done," the filing states. The lawyers said the additional time would allow them to complete their investigation and properly advise Hudson about "the options available to him to resolve the pending charges."

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The prosecution did not oppose the request.

Bloom wrote that the interests of justice served by the continuance outweighed speedy-trial concerns.

FATHER OF TEEN ALLEGEDLY KILLED BY STEPBROTHER ON CRUISE SAYS HE CAN'T 'RELIVE' TRAUMA AT MURDER TRIAL

The court’s deadlines report lists Oct. 23 as the deadline for any plea agreement.

When asked about a potential plea deal, Hudson's attorney told Fox News Digital that they were "still not in a position to make a statement." The U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of Florida declined to comment.

A calendar call is scheduled for Oct. 27 at 1:30 p.m., and the jury trial is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Nov. 2, at the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. U.S. Courthouse in Miami.

ANNA KEPNER'S DAD WANTS ACCUSED STEPBROTHER IN 'ORANGE JUMPSUIT AND HANDCUFFS' AFTER ALLEGED CRUISE MURDER

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Timeline from night of alleged murder:

Nov. 6, 2025, dinner: Prosecutors say Kepner left dinner because she wasn’t feeling well, saying that she had mouth pain from her braces and an upset stomach, and returned alone to cabin 8343.

7:35 p.m.: CCTV allegedly shows Hudson entering the cabin.

7:38 p.m.: CCTV allegedly shows Kepner entering the same cabin. Prosecutors say she was never seen leaving again.

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7:51 p.m.: Kepner's 13-year-old brother briefly entered the cabin and later told investigators he saw her alive.

7:51 p.m. to 10:13 p.m.: Prosecutors say Kepner and Hudson were alone in the cabin for roughly three hours.

10:13 p.m.: Prosecutors say Hudson exits the cabin and looks left and right down the hallway.

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10:53 p.m.: Prosecutors say Hudson places the privacy sign on the cabin door and goes back inside.

11:21 p.m.: Kepner's younger brother returns briefly to the cabin. He later tells investigators he did not see her inside.

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Nov. 7, 12:09 a.m.: The brother returned again. Prosecutors say Hudson blocked him from entering, told him he was changing and made him wait outside for a couple of minutes.

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12:09 a.m.: The brother said the bathroom and closet doors were open, and the cabin lights were on.

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Morning of Nov. 7: Prosecutors say Kepner's phone, which was missing from the cabin, was tracked by ship Wi-Fi/router data moving along the same path as Hudson.

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9:26-9:55 a.m.: Prosecutors say CCTV and router data placed Hudson, and allegedly Kepner's phone, near the jogging track, smoking area and later near the trash-bin area where the phone was found.

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11:24 a.m.: Cabin attendants discovered Kepner's body, prosecutors say, wrapped in bedding and partially hidden under a bed, with a box of life vests positioned to obscure it.

Pro wrestling star Austin Aries shares thoughts on celebrities entering the sport

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 07:59:33 -0400

Celebrities and professional athletes from outside the ring have been a part of the pro wrestling world for quite some time.

The first WrestleMania featured Mr. T, Cyndi Lauper, Muhammad Ali, Billy Martin and Liberace and the tradition of using actors, actresses, musical artists and traditional professional athletes has continued for the last four decades. WWE, for instance, has used Jelly Roll, Lil Yachty and others recently for roles even outside the WrestleMania spectacle.

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Major League Wrestling (MLW) openweight champion Austin Aries admitted he’s more of a "traditionalist" when it comes to professional wrestling. He told OutKick in a recent interview he understands the entertainment aspect of his sport, but shudders at the possibility of those outside the ring taking away opportunities from those putting in the work.

"I think balance is key, right? I'm probably more of a traditionalist in a lot of sense, but I also understand at the end of the day this is entertainment," Aries said. "And so, even going back to, the first WrestleMania, I mean, it was about bringing in celebrities. I grew up more of a rasslin’ fan as opposed to a sports entertainment fan. So, I'll always kind of skew towards being more traditional.

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"And also, I think the important part is, for a lot of us who have, like, this has been our career, we've had to work very hard for a very long time to perfect what we do. And to take someone because they're a celebrity and roll out a red carpet and let them take shortcuts and let them do things in a way that kind of skirts all that hard work that a lot of us men and women have put in, frankly, it can be insulting. It can be disrespectful at points. I understand about wanting to sell more tickets and get more eyes on the product, but you can't do that at the expense of the people that are in there week in and week out putting the work in."

Aries spoke to OutKick before his three-way match against Místico and Averno aired on MLW’s "Fusion" last weekend.

He put the MLW Openweight Championship on the line against both men and walked out the winner. He also took Místico’s mask as a souvenir.

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MLW "Fusion" airs Saturday nights on YouTube, beIN Sports and Veeps.

AI-powered cameras are tracking American drivers — and lawmakers on both sides want limits

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 13:16:22 -0400

There's a new frontier in the national privacy debate that's uniting people on the right and left, and it's a tool that millions of Americans encounter every day without even realizing it.

Automatic license plate reader (ALPR) companies have been brought under scrutiny by lawmakers in Washington as privacy hawks warn that the growing sophistication of artificial intelligence (AI) technology is testing the bounds of what ALPR devices can legally learn about drivers on the road.

One company in particular, Flock Safety, has been taking hits in the media and political sphere as news of Flock cameras' misuse — and occasional success — dominates headlines.

"There's cameras everywhere, people know that, but if law enforcement has the ability to monitor the comings and goings of citizens, I think that's wrong. I mean, we're not the CCP, we're not 1984 and an Orwellian society, and Americans have rights," Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital.

LICENSE PLATE CAMERAS ARE TRACKING DRIVERS EVERYWHERE

He pointed to a recent incident in his district where a now-former Sarasota police officer was fired and arrested after being accused of misusing Flock camera technology, using it to spy on one particular license plate over 300 times.

FLOCK SAFETY CAMERAS NEED CONSTITUTIONAL GUARDRAILS BEFORE FURTHER DEPLOYMENT, TENNESSEE MAYOR ARGUES

"I don't think you're gonna be able to stop these cameras from being out there, but at the very least, there should be some type of legal parameters put in place to protect people's Fourth Amendment rights," he said.

ALPRs automatically capture and analyze vehicle and location data on public roads without drivers' consent. Supporters have argued that it's a critical tool for public safety that only collects minimal information, while opponents labeled it an alarming expansion of the mass surveillance state.

LICENSE PLATE CAMERAS AT HOME DEPOT AND LOWE’S SPARK PRIVACY FEARS

Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital, "These cameras are well beyond an automated license plate reader today. AI has made them so capable that they are now capable of facial recognition, of seeing what you’re doing inside your car. So it’s well beyond the license plate reader…that’s the problem. Technology has moved these beyond just looking at the back of a car."

On the other side of the aisle, a spokesperson for progressive Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., pointed Fox News Digital to her recent comments responding to news that Flock was updating its oversight standards. Ramirez wrote on X, "Private tech companies have amassed record-breaking profits off our pain and the use of technology for mass surveillance is a threat to our democracy, civil liberties, and privacy. Congress must stop the ever-expanding surveillance state."

‘DARTH VADER’ USES DARK SIDE TO MOCK CONTROVERSIAL SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS: 'THE EMPEROR IS A FAN OF FLOCK'

The debate even exploded onto the campaign trail ahead of November's midterm elections, where ALPRs join AI data centers as Big Tech's big boogeymen.

"I oppose Flock’s mass surveillance technology, and I’ll stand with anyone in Congress, regardless of party, who wants to put limits on unchecked mass surveillance on the American people," Will Lawrence, a Democrat running for the House in Michigan's 7th Congressional District, told Fox News Digital.

DSA CANDIDATE PUSHES FEDERAL AI DATA CENTER MORATORIUM WITH MICHIGAN EARLY VOTING UNDERWAY

Abdul El-Sayed, the insurgent progressive Democratic nominee for Senate in Michigan, accused his opponent, former Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., of supporting Flock cameras in a campaign video released on X.

"There's been this mass proliferation of black cameras, any and everywhere, little cameras, watching your every move to collect information about you without you even noticing," he said in the video. "If you believe, like me, that you shouldn't just be surveilled because you're driving along the street, then I hope I can earn your support."

A spokesperson for Rogers told Fox News Digital that he "vehemently opposes unchecked use of Flock cameras to track law-abiding citizens. Security and liberty aren’t enemies. Good government protects both."

Back on Capitol Hill, the furor over these cameras has prompted a flurry of legislative pushback.

Self is among the House lawmakers pushing bills aimed at the issue, along with Reps. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky.

Steube told Fox News Digital that he's also "looking at filing something at the national level," and is sending a letter to Sarasota, Florida, officials threatening to withhold federal funding absent a promise of "reasonable restrictions" to "prevent the abuses that have happened right here in our backyard."

Privacy and misuse concerns have sparked efforts across the country to cut ties with Flock specifically, from Lansing, Michigan, to Bernadillo County, New Mexico.

Flock is just one company of several that operate ALPRs, some of which have been used for years.

But the technology does have its benefits and has been used to stop crime.

Flock Safety founder and CEO Garrett Langley told Fox News' "Saturday in America" that his technology has helped police find missing children at least twice, including after a recent carjacking in Atlanta. Flock has also said it does not use facial recognition and recently introduced new safety controls in response to the public backlash.

"When I think about legislation that calls for an outright ban, that's like banning vehicles. That would never have made sense. Instead, what we did is we introduced laws against drunk driving. We introduced laws around seatbelts, laws around airbags," Langley said. "What happens if law enforcement abuses this powerful technology today? It is too often that in Flock and in other technologies, there's no regulation, there's no accountability. And we think that's wrong."

Supporters of ALPRs like Flock cameras have held them up as a key crime-fighting tool, while agreeing that guardrails to prevent abuse would be helpful.

"I think it's definitely a net positive. And I think that's a very easy call... the use cases and the documented cases of these things being effective tools, I think, vastly outnumber the handful of cases of abuse and misuse that we've seen," Rafael Mangual, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, told Fox News Digital. "The fact that some police officers will misuse their firearms, for example, to hurt people, is not a reason to take away all police officers' firearms."

Mangual said he disagreed with accusations of Fourth Amendment violations as well: "I think as of right now, these cameras can't be used to do the sorts of things that courts have recognized require a warrant."

Jim Pasco, executive director of the National Fraternal Order of Police, told Fox News Digital, "There’s an awful lot of new and still developing technology out there that's very helpful to law enforcement and to enhancing public safety. That said, all of these systems need to be regulated to ensure that they aren't abused."

He also cautioned against making policy decisions in the heat of an election cycle.

"The most dangerous time of governance to have a crisis in is an even-numbered year, because elections are always held in even-numbered years. And I would say this problem and this year are no exception," Pasco said. "There needs to be a very careful analysis of the benefits and the risks inherent in abuse and any action that's taken should, if anything, enhance the potential for these systems being used for good and minimize the chances of abuse."

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"Let's not throw out the baby with the bath water here."

US kills 4 alleged drug smugglers on boat in Caribbean, bringing total to 227 in 68 strikes

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 07:48:24 -0400

U.S. Southern Command announced another strike on "narco-terrorists," killing four in the Caribbean, bringing the roughly one-year total to at least 227 dead among the 68 reported strikes, including back-to-back days after months of calm in the area.

"On August 25, under Gen. Donovan’s direction, Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere executed a lethal kinetic strike on a go-fast vessel operating along established narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean," SOUTHCOM wrote in a Tuesday night X post. "Confirmed intelligence revealed the vessel's active involvement in narco-trafficking. The operation killed four narco-terrorists."

Since September, President Donald Trump's administration has been striking suspected cartel vessels in the Atlantic and Pacific that it accuses of transporting narcotics.

US KILLS TWO 'NARCO-TERRORISTS' IN STRIKE 2 MONTHS SINCE LAST ANNOUNCED ANTI-'NARCO-TRAFFICKING' ATTACK

"Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere continues executing precise, lethal operations against the cartels," SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan said in a statement quoted in the X post. "We will hunt, disrupt, and defeat these narco-terrorist networks.

"SOUTHCOM is resolved to neutralizing cartel terror and violence throughout the region and into the U.S. homeland."

The U.S. military said Monday two were killed in a strike it launched on a vessel in the Eastern Pacific over the weekend. That strike marked the first in more than two months.

US EYES IRAN FAST BOATS WITH ‘KILL’ TACTICS TESTED IN VENEZUELA DRUG-BOAT STRIKES

The video posted on X showed an image of what appeared to be a moving boat followed by a flash.

The Associated Press reports that this makes at least 227 total deaths from such strikes.

The Trump administration is pursuing deals with allied nations to extend its offensive to land across multiple Latin American countries. War Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a visit to Panama this month that Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras had agreed to allow the U.S. to carry out joint military operations against criminal groups on their soil.

Guatemala denied reaching such a deal. Ecuador launched similar missions with the U.S. in March.

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Trump has said the U.S. is in "armed conflict" with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and fatal overdoses claiming American lives.

Reuters and AP contributed to this report.

Dolly Parton's cause of death revealed and more top headlines

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 06:35:24 -0400

Good morning and welcome to Fox News' morning newsletter, Fox News First. And here's what you need to know to start your day ...

TOP 3

1. Dolly Parton's cause of death revealed

2. Darline Graham seals stunning upset in runoff

3. Lindsay Clancy jury may bring ‘strange twist’ to verdict

MAJOR HEADLINES

RED STATE REBELLION — Trump impeachment crusader scores upset in Oklahoma Senate race. Continue reading …

COURT BATTLE — Judge leaves custody order intact as critically ill newborn's condition worsens. Continue reading …

BROADCAST DOWNFALL — Former Missouri news anchor admits killing mom after believing she was the devil. Continue reading …

MARITIME BUST — Globetrotting sailor faces 30 years, multiple victims cited across separate cases. Continue reading …

POLITICS

CLOSE PROTECTION — Secret Service probing chilling footage that surfaces with reward for Barron Trump. Continue reading …

LAWSUIT LOOMING — Grocers issue warning over Mamdani’s taxpayer-backed stores. Continue reading …

SCRIPT FLIPPED — Lawmaker casts doubt on El-Sayed’s socialist denial as policies tell another story. Continue reading …

Click here for more cartoons…

MEDIA

SANCTUARY STANDOFF — Dem candidate touts cutting ties with ICE, DHS responds with list of criminal mugshots. Continue reading …

NEIGHBORLY LOVE — Grandma ordered to stop serving free breakfasts refuses to back down: 'They are my family'. Continue reading …

OBSESSION — Liberal networks go wall-to-wall with coverage of top White House aide. Continue reading …

PARTY DIVIDE — James Carville unloads on Jeffries over private sit-down with key Trump insider. Continue reading …

OPINION

ROBERT MAGINNIS — Trump’s Economic D-Day can hammer Iran, but will Tehran ever surrender? Continue reading …

JONATHAN ALPERT — AOC says ‘Woke 1 was crazy,’ but Democrats still owe voters an explanation. Continue reading …

IN OTHER NEWS

FAIR PLAY — US Olympic legend leading new charge against WNBA amid Sophie Cunningham movement. Continue reading …

QUIET PACT — Prince Harry and Meghan Markle won’t ‘hijack’ Prince George’s historic Eton debut. Continue reading …

AMERICAN CULTURE QUIZ — Test yourself on presidential portrayals and summer sips. Take the quiz here …

LISTEN

Tune in as new research raises national security concerns over anonymous prediction-market bets on U.S. military actions and the risk that sensitive information could be exploited for profit. Listen to more on Castbox.

PODCASTS

Gary Buechler breaks down the entertainment trends and cultural conversations shaping the week on ‘Will Cain Country.’ Check it out…

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What's it looking like in your neighborhood? Continue reading…

Thank you for making us your first choice in the morning! We'll see you in your inbox first thing Thursday.

California Dems trigger outrage after siding with convicted child sex offenders in shocking vote

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 07:16:24 -0400

California Senate Democrats rejected Republican Sen. Suzette Valladares’ effort to close a "loophole" allowing some people convicted of sex crimes against minors to seek public office, including school board seats.

At issue is AB 2691, a proposal to add sexual assault and human trafficking to the felony convictions that disqualify Californians from elected office. Valladares’ amendment sought to undo Democratic-led changes that allow people convicted of certain sex crimes against minors to remain eligible to seek public office.

"Right now in California, someone convicted of sexually abusing a child can still sit on your school board. That's not a loophole. That's a choice. And in my perspective, and most, that's wrong," Valladares, R-Santa Clarita, said on the California Senate floor while urging colleagues to adopt an amendment that Senate Democrats later rejected on a party-line vote, according to her office.

"Predators who sexually abuse children have no place holding public office. None, not in the Capitol, not on city council, and definitely not on our school boards. AB 2691 was supposed to guarantee that. It started as a simple ban," she continued. "Convicted sex offenders don't get to hold public office. Period. But amendments added this summer gutted it, narrowing the bill to cover only tier three offenders and deliberately exempting tier one and tier two."

SEX CRIMES COULD COST LAWMAKERS TAXPAYER-FUNDED PENSIONS UNDER HAWLEY’S NEW PROPOSAL

Under the bill’s current language, the new public-office ban would apply to sexual-assault convictions requiring lifetime Tier 3 sex-offender registration. People whose convictions place them in Tier 1 or Tier 2 — categories requiring at least 10 or 20 years on the registry before they can ask a court for removal — would not be disqualified under the proposed law.

Concern was also raised months ago during a Senate committee hearing, when Republican California state Sen. Steven Choi asked Assemblywoman Dawn Addis, the bill’s Democratic author, why people convicted of certain sex crimes against minors could remain eligible to seek office under the amended measure. Addis did not address the specific offenses Choi identified, instead calling AB 2691 a "first in the nation" proposal that would protect survivors and saying she was open to working with lawmakers on other crimes.

"We're doing a first in the nation bill that would protect the public trust of survivors and would make sure that survivors are really in the lead," Addis responded. "Happy to continue working with the committee or others if there are other kinds of crimes folks feel need to be addressed. But at the moment, I feel like we have a really important bill that is nation leading, that will uplift survivors and enhance public trust here in California."

DRAG QUEEN SCHOOL BOARD VICE PRESIDENT ARRESTED ON CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND ENDANGERMENT CHARGES

California state Sen. Scott Wiener, the Democratic chair of the committee that considered the bill, argued that a broader prohibition based on all three registry tiers would be overbroad. He said California’s registry had historically included both "sexually violent predator[s]" and others who have committed less serious crimes, citing an example of "a gay guy who had sex in a park or in a car and got arrested."

"Sex offender registry is not punishment," Wiener argued. "It is a tool for law enforcement to be able to monitor people who may potentially cause a risk. And when we use the sex offender registry as a proxy for anything else, we get into problems."

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But Sen. Valladares told Fox News Digital that the issue "isn't complicated" for her.

"I’m a mom. This one isn’t complicated for me. Today, 40 senators had the chance to say convicted sex offenders should NEVER hold public office in California," she told Fox News Digital. "Ten Republicans stood up to vote for what is right. My amendments would have closed the door. No loopholes. No exceptions. No convicted sex offenders serving in positions of public trust, including on our school boards. Protecting our kids should NEVER be partisan. I’m deeply disappointed, and I’m not done fighting."

WNBA coach leaves it to the league to handle transgender eligibility issue amid mounting criticism

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 07:10:12 -0400

Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts said Tuesday night it’s up to the league office when it comes to the WNBA’s transgender eligibility policy as the league faced criticism from Charles Barkley.

Barkley, a Basketball Hall of Famer and former Phoenix Suns star, said on a podcast earlier this week he was "disappointed in Adam Silver and Cathy Engelbert" for failing to nip the transgender athlete issue in the bud when they had the chance.

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OutKick asked Tibbetts about Barkley’s comments before Phoenix’s 94-84 loss to the Washington Mystics.

"Yeah, I’m going to leave that to the league office," Tibbetts said. "That’s their job. We’re here to play a basketball game here tonight."

OutKick asked the WNBA and NBA for a reaction to Tibbetts’ comments but has yet to hear back.

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The WNBA’s eligibility policy is opaque at best. The league’s collective bargaining agreement states that "only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA." However, it doesn’t include specific language on whether players who are born male and identify as female could compete in the league. Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White have since declared their intentions to enter the WNBA Draft.

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert denounced those she claimed are trying to "sow divisiveness" over the transgender issue.

"People are trying to use the league to sow divisiveness," Engelbert said earlier this month.

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"We're being the center of political football for people who have never watched the WNBA, never have written about the WNBA or reported on the WNBA."

Four teens kill couple in head-on crash after stealing G-Wagon, leading cops on hourslong chase: police

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 07:00:47 -0400

Four teens allegedly stole a luxury SUV and took it on a joyride before it crashed head-on into another vehicle in New Jersey, killing a beloved grandmother and her longtime partner, authorities said.

Alice Stilwell Holt, 67, and Robert "Bob" Barr Jr., 54, both of Egg Harbor Township, were killed about 7:30 a.m. on Aug. 22 near Route 50 and Third Street in Mays Landing, according to the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office.

Prosecutors allege that Nayshaun Brown, 18, of Atlantic City, and three juveniles swiped a 2024 Mercedes-Benz G Wagon around 3:40 a.m. Saturday and took it for a joyride.

2 COLOMBIAN NATIONALS ARRESTED IN STOLEN MERCEDES LINKED TO VIOLENT CALIFORNIA CARJACKING

The joyride ended in tragedy when the luxury vehicle collided head-on with a Hyundai sedan carrying Holt and Barr as the driver attempted to evade authorities, they said. Surveillance video captured the crash, showing the black G-Wagon strike the sedan and sending the smaller vehicle into a nearby gas station.

The teens walked away from the wreck with few injuries and tried to run, but authorities apprehended them shortly afterward, officials said.

SUSPECT ACCUSED OF HURLING CHAINSAW AT DEPUTIES DURING CHAOTIC STOLEN CAR CHASE CAUGHT ON VIDEO

Brown, of Atlantic City, and three juveniles were charged with conspiracy counts involving aggravated assault, joyriding, eluding and receiving a stolen motor vehicle.

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Brown also faces a charge of employing a juvenile in the commission of a crime.

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Brown is being held at the Atlantic County Justice Facility. Two of the juveniles remain in custody, while another was released by a Superior Court judge Sunday morning.

HEAR IT: MOM'S FRANTIC 911 CALL AFTER THIEF STEALS INSTACART DRIVER'S CAR WITH TODDLER INSIDE

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Officers had been following the stolen G-Wagon since approximately 3:40 a.m. in nearby Longport, where it sped past a local officer who attempted to stop the teenagers.

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Hamilton Township police then spotted the vehicle and pursued it around 7:45 a.m., but officers had lost sight of it a few minutes before the crash, prosecutors said.

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A GoFundMe organized by a family friend describes Stilwell Holt as a beloved mother and grandmother.

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"This unimaginable tragedy has left their family in deep grief, and the shock of how suddenly it happened has made this painful time even harder to bear," the fundraiser said.

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Holt's obituary said that she and Barr were longtime partners after her husband had passed away.

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"Alice met her partner of 20+ years — Robert Barr II — whom she remained with until their untimely passing," it said. "They enjoyed spending their days cooking together, attending farmers markets, gardening, and simply spending quality time with each other and their two cats."

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Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to contact the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Unit at (609) 909-7684. Tips can also be submitted anonymously at ACPO.Tips.

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Fox News Digital reached out to the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office and the Township of Hamilton Police Department. A lawyer representing Brown and the three other teens was not immediately available.

‘Captain Canada’ firebrand unloads on Trump with profane one-liner as trade war escalates

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 07:00:47 -0400

A simmering trade rift between President Donald Trump and Canadian officials burst into the open Monday as Ontario Premier Doug Ford sharply escalated his attacks on the president amid a widening tariff fight between the longtime allies.

"He can kiss my a-- as far as I’m concerned. We’re going to go at him full steam, and we buy 400% more cars than anyone in the world," Ford said in an interview with Toronto radio station Newstalk 1010 Monday in response to Trump’s threat of new tariffs on Canadian autos, auto parts and steel.

Trump mocked Ford on Monday as "less charismatic, intelligent, and overall unimpressive" than his late brother, former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, who became embroiled in a major 2013 scandal over his use of crack cocaine, which he later admitted.

The Ontario premier, dubbed "Captain Canada," has since emerged as one of the country’s most outspoken critics of Trump’s trade threats.

TRUMP TRADE CHIEF WARNS CANADA WALKED AWAY FROM 'THE BEST DEAL' TO TRIGGER 50% U.S. TARIFFS

The tariff fight is unfolding on two tracks: new 50% U.S. tariffs on certain Canadian goods took effect Aug. 22, with Canada set to retaliate Sept. 8, while Trump separately threatened to raise tariffs on Canadian autos and auto parts to 50% beginning Jan. 1, 2027.

The White House referred Fox News Digital to Trump’s Truth Social posts when approached for additional comment.

"America has been carrying Canada for decades, but no longer! The U.S.A. will always be far bigger, richer, and stronger than Canada. Without the United States, Canada couldn’t survive — It’s where they get all of their money and, because of their current bad leadership, primarily Governor Carney, and his Flunky, Ford, they will not be allowed to keep taking advantage of the United States — Their key to survival," Trump added in a post.

TRUMP MUST CLOSE THE BACK DOOR CHINA USES TO EXPLOIT NORTH AMERICAN TRADE

He claimed Canada imposes tariffs of 400% or more on U.S. farmers and said he plans to end what he describes as unfair trade treatment of American companies and producers. Trump also threatened further economic pressure, claiming much of the electricity, oil and gas Canada receives is transported through the U.S. and calling on the country to "fall in line."

CANADA REPORTEDLY SCRAPS JOINT BRIDGE CELEBRATION WITH US AFTER TRUMP RENEWS TARIFF THREAT

Beyond tariffs, Trump also escalated the rhetoric Tuesday by floating a proposal to rename Lake Ontario "Lake America."

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The current tariff fight traces back to late 2024, when Trump threatened 25% tariffs on Canadian goods and later joked during a meeting with then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that Canada could become the 51st state.

Fox News Digital reached out to Ford for comment.

The left’s constitutional hypocrisy is on full display in its war on Trump

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 07:00:46 -0400

Progressives have spent months insisting that President Trump is "ignoring the rule of law" whenever he resists or questions judicial rulings — on birthright citizenship, trade policy, the removal of Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook or even the addition of his name to the Kennedy Center. The critique collapses under the weight of the left’s own constitutional commitments. Many of the same people attacking Trump champion popular constitutionalism and departmentalism — two frameworks that explicitly reject judicial supremacy and affirm the independent interpretive authority of the elected branches.

In today’s hyper‑politicized legal environment, the left’s selective outrage obscures the constitutional reality.

Popular constitutionalism, most famously explicated by former Stanford Law Dean Larry Kramer in "The People Themselves," holds that the people — acting through elected officials — retain ultimate authority over constitutional meaning. Courts are not supreme; they are participants in a broader constitutional conversation. Departmentalism, embraced by presidents from Thomas Jefferson to Richard Nixon, similarly maintains that each branch has an independent duty to interpret the Constitution.

GORSUCH SAYS IDEOLOGICAL DIVIDES ON SUPREME COURT COME DOWN TO ‘HOW YOU READ LAW,’ NOT POLITICS

Crucially, departmentalism draws a distinction modern critics ignore: while a court’s judgment binds specific parties in a specific case, it does not bind the political branches as a permanent mandate. Rejecting judicial supremacy is not defying the rule of law; it is rejecting the idea that five or six judges have a monopoly on constitutional truth. That view is a mainstream critique of judicial supremacy, yet when Trump invokes the same logic, the left treats departmentalism as dangerous heresy.

Trump’s critics speak as though presidential resistance to judicial interpretations is unprecedented, but it is woven into American history. Thomas Jefferson refused to treat Marbury v. Madison as binding beyond the parties, writing that "each of the three departments has equally the right to decide for itself what is its duty under the Constitution." Andrew Jackson declared the Supreme Court’s views "ought not to control the coordinate authorities of this government." Abraham Lincoln treated Dred Scott v. Sandford as binding only on the immediate litigants, refusing to accept it as a permanent rule for the nation. Franklin Roosevelt openly challenged the Court’s constitutional interpretations during the New Deal, and Richard Nixon frequently asserted independent executive authority in administrative matters. If presidential resistance to judicial supremacy were inherently lawless, half of America’s most consequential presidents would be guilty of it.

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Trump’s actions fall squarely within this tradition. Much of today’s friction stems not from executive defiance of individual decrees, but from lower courts relying on nationwide injunctions that attempt to freeze executive action everywhere at once. That modern dynamic makes departmentalist principles more relevant than ever. The Supreme Court’s recent jurisprudence has pushed back against such injunctions, emphasizing that lower courts exceed their constitutional authority when they attempt to issue sweeping rules binding the entire government. That judicial self‑restraint aligns directly with departmentalism: the judiciary’s role is to resolve specific disputes between specific litigants, not to govern coequal branches.

Critics point to Trump’s continuing efforts to end birthright citizenship as proof of lawlessness. But the dispute is fundamentally about constitutional interpretation. Although the Supreme Court recently ruled against Trump’s position, pressing the argument again through distinct legal channels reflects the same iterative process past presidents used when they believed the Court misread the Constitution.

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The same dynamic defines recent tariff disputes. When the Supreme Court ruled in Learning Resources v. Trump that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act did not delegate unilateral tariff-setting authority, the administration’s pivot to alternative statutory mechanisms was labeled lawlessness. But testing other delegations passed by Congress is standard interbranch dialogue.

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The rule of law does not require presidents to treat judicial interpretations as infallible. It requires them to operate within constitutional limits — and assert their own constitutional judgments when appropriate. President Trump is doing exactly that.

This isn’t an abstract point for me. Long before Donald Trump entered national politics, I wrote a book published by Oxford University Press making the historical case against popular constitutionalism and departmentalism — an originalist defense of judicial finality. But that scholarly position does not mean President Trump is ignoring the rule of law or behaving like an authoritarian when he advances a theory of judicial review that other presidents and scholars have likewise advanced.

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The real danger is not presidential resistance to judicial supremacy — it is the selective outrage that turns constitutional theory into a partisan weapon.

The bravest Jews in America are 15 years old — and they’re going back to school

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 07:00:38 -0400

Every August, American parents make back-to-school lists. Notebooks. Sneakers. A new backpack.

For many Jewish parents, another set of questions has joined that list. Should my daughter wear her Star of David, or tuck it inside her shirt? Should my son keep the Israeli flag sticker on his water bottle, or peel it off? When my kid asks for days off for Rosh Hashanah so early in the semester, how will the teacher respond?

I lead Jewish Student Union, a national network of more than 515 clubs serving over 21,000 Jewish teens in public and community high schools across the United States and Canada. Before Oct. 7, 2023, we estimate that we received roughly 15 to 20 requests a year from teens looking to start new JSU clubs. Since then, 473 teens have sought us out through our national system to request a club at their school. And that number captures only the teens who found us on their own. It doesn’t include teens who already know a local JSU staff member through community programming or a summer experience or who hear about JSU from a friend at another school and reach out directly.

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What those club requests tell me is that at a moment when being Jewish can feel complicated and even ostracizing, teens aren’t asking for less Judaism. They’re asking for more opportunities to find one another, build the Jewish community and take an active role in shaping it.

That desire for Jewish community is especially meaningful given the environment many of these teens are navigating. In Michigan, for example, Jewish students are heading back to school after a particularly difficult year for their community. In March, a terrorist attacked the largest synagogue in the state in Bloomfield Hills.

And a few weeks ago, Michigan Democrats nominated Abdul El-Sayed for the U.S. Senate — a candidate who called the Israeli government just as "evil" as Hamas and has publicly questioned whether Israel should exist as a Jewish state. The Anti-Defamation League — an organization that almost never wades into campaigns — called him out by name for peddling antisemitic tropes.

Now imagine you're a Jewish sophomore at a public high school in Ann Arbor or West Bloomfield. You're watching these debates unfold in your own community while navigating the ordinary challenges of being a teenager. Conversations about Israel and Jewish identity don't stay confined to political campaigns or university campuses. They make their way into social media feeds, conversations with classmates and school hallways.

Adults spend a great deal of time worrying about how young Jews will respond to this moment. From my vantage point, I have the privilege of seeing their response every day.

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These teens aren’t hiding their Judaism to survive high school. They’re deepening it. Starting Jewish communities in their schools. Showing up for Shabbat dinners. Learning about Israel and traveling there. Displaying their Star of David necklaces proudly.

This summer, a senior in New Jersey transferred from a public high school with an active JSU club to a school without one. She could have simply left that part of her high school experience behind. Instead, she reached out to her former JSU adviser and asked for his help starting a club at her new school. She recruited her younger brother and sister, another senior and that student’s younger sister. Before school even began, they sat down with their JSU advisor to plan for the club fair, talk through leadership roles and brainstorm club activities.

Each came with a different reason for wanting JSU at their school. One wanted to help their peers see Jews and Judaism in a positive light. Another wanted more opportunities to learn about Judaism. A third wanted to create a space where Jewish students could feel safe and connected without everything becoming political.

Together, they began building the Jewish community they wanted to have at their school. And their JSU adviser will be there with them every week, with kosher food, engaging activities, Torah insights and, most importantly, a relationship they can count on.

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That relationship is at the heart of Jewish engagement. Across JSU, staff get to know teens as individuals, show up consistently in their lives and create spaces where they can ask questions, explore their Judaism and figure out what it means to them. A club may gather in a classroom during lunchtime, but those relationships extend far beyond a weekly meeting — into after-school programs, Shabbat dinners, volunteering opportunities, summer experiences and the many moments in between.

After two decades in Jewish education, I've learned that you can't tell a teenager to care about being Jewish. You have to give them opportunities to discover why it matters to them. That happens through relationships. Through community. Through experiences that allow Judaism to become something they live and choose for themselves.

Those foundations matter in every generation. At a moment when being openly Jewish can feel more complicated, they matter even more.

This back-to-school season, I have a request for every adult reading this. To principals and school boards: protect your Jewish students' right to gather, express their identity and build community as fiercely as you would for any other group of students. To parents: pay attention to what your teen is experiencing as a Jewish student. Ask questions, listen and make sure they know they have somewhere to turn. And to the Jewish community: don't assume that this generation is pulling away. Give them opportunities to belong, people who will invest in them and experiences that allow them to discover what being Jewish means to them.

The bravest Jews in America don't hold office. Some of them are 15 years old, gathering their friends around a table at lunch and choosing to build Jewish community where none existed before.

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This September, they'll walk through their school doors with their heads held high. Our job is to make sure they never have to walk through them alone.

Dolly Parton's life in her own words: from Smoky Mountains poverty to country music immortality

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 07:00:33 -0400

Country music icon Dolly Parton died peacefully in Nashville on Tuesday at 80 years old. Parton's team shared a statement with Fox News Digital on Tuesday night and confirmed that she died after a "brief battle with cancer."

Parton's death sparked mourning across the world. Parton’s catalog included enduring hits such as "Jolene," "Coat of Many Colors," "Here You Come Again," "9 to 5" and "I Will Always Love You." The latter song became a global phenomenon again when Whitney Houston recorded it for 1992’s "The Bodyguard."

Throughout the span of her career, which ignited as a performer on "The Porter Wagoner Show," Parton always shared what mattered most to her – her Tennessee upbringing, her faith, her beloved husband, Carl Dean, and family.

Below is a look at Parton's life, in her own words, over the years.

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Smoky Mountains upbringing

Born in 1946 in rural Sevier County, Tennessee, Parton grew up in a large, poor family in the Smoky Mountains. She began singing in church as a child and started writing songs at a young age.

In 2015, Parton told Entertainment Tonight that her upbringing shaped who she became in her adult years. "I think my childhood made me everything I am today. I would trade nothing for being brought up in the Great Smoky Mountains. I’ve never been ashamed of my people no matter how poor or dirty we might have been," she said at the time.

Parton added, "I’ve always loved being from where I am, and having the folks that I’ve had."

During an interview with Rolling Stone in January, Parton shed a little more light on her poor childhood and said that her mother would make her clothes out of "feed sacks or scraps."

"We didn’t have anything. Mama used to sew all of our quilts and curtains for the windows, remake our clothes, and make clothes out of feed sacks or scraps," she said.

Parton was one of 12 children. Her parents were Robert Lee Parton Sr., known as Lee, a sharecropper and construction worker, and Avie Lee Caroline Parton, who raised their family.

Dolly's faith

Parton was very outspoken throughout her life about her Christian faith. During an interview with Fox News Digital in 2023, Parton said that her faith impacted everything she did.

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"My faith impacts everything I do because I do believe that, through God, all things are possible," she said at the time. "I always ask God to bless everything that I do and the people that I work with and to bring all the right things and right people into my life and to take the wrong ones out."

WATCH: Dolly Parton discusses the important role faith plays in her life

She added, "My spirituality has been a guiding light in my life and my strength, really, in my creative energy."

On the "WorkLife with Adam Grant" Ted Talk series in 2022, Parton shared that her religious beliefs were instilled in her at a young age.

"My grandpa was preacher. My mom was very religious, very spiritual. So I learned all the good lessons about loving your neighbor as yourself and judge not lest you be judged. Through God, all things are possible," she said.

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WATCH: Dolly Parton: ‘I pray a lot and God's been really good to me'

Fox News looked back on Parton's history speaking about God in public. "I pray a lot and God's been really good to me," she said in March. In 2018, Parton said that music is "everything to me."

"It's my gift, it's my joy, it's my job," she continued.

Marriage to Carl Dean

Parton met Carl Dean outside the Wishy Washy Laundromat in Nashville on her first day in the city in 1964, when she was 18. They married two years later, on May 30, 1966, and remained together for nearly six decades until Dean’s death in 2025.

After Dean died at the age of 82, the "Jolene" singer explained why she couldn't get herself to do what she loved: write songs.

DOLLY PARTON'S HUSBAND, CARL DEAN, DEAD AT 82

"I can’t afford the luxury of, you know, getting that emotional right now," she said during an appearance on Khloé Kardashian’s podcast, "Khloé in Wonder Land." "There are times like that, things like that, that will stall you a little bit. But I’ll write something else though, if it comes."

"I’m just putting that all on hold," Parton said.

Also, shortly after Dean's death, Parton told People that she would always keep him close to her heart.

"Ours is a great old love story. Most people don’t stay that close that long. That’s a loss. Nobody can ever know that unless you’ve experienced it yourself. He will always be in my heart and in my memories," she said.

Speaking to Fox News Digital in 2023, Parton said that part of the reason she believes their marriage lasted as long as it did was because she kept it private.

WATCH: Dolly Parton shares the secret to her long-time marriage

"The fact that he's not in show business at all, so we're not in competition on that. We don't have to deal with it. He's kind of a homebody. He loves working on the farm. He loves workin' on his tractors and his trucks and all that. He was in asphalt paving for years, and then he went into kinda doin' some real estate. But he don't wanna be in the spotlight, but he's very proud of and for me," she said at the time.

"When I first won an award, when we first married in '66... he just started taking clothes off before we even got out of the building. Before we got to the car, he had that bowtie off from that tuxedo. Had that shirt, jacket off, and he said, 'I want you to be successful. Do whatever you want to do, but leave me out of this. I ain't doing any more of these things, so don't ask me.' So I never did it," Parton said.

Shortly after Dead died, Parton told The Associated Press that she "truly believe[s] that I’m going to see him again someday."

Dolly's legacy

Parton built a seven-decade career as a singer, songwriter, actress, author, businesswoman and philanthropist, winning 11 Grammy Awards and becoming one of country music’s most enduring stars.

Beyond music, she created Dollywood, founded the Imagination Library and brought her larger-than-life personality to films including "9 to 5" and "Steel Magnolias."

In 2025, Parton spoke to People about how she was able to not only maintain a country music career, but crossover to Hollywood successfully and find the time for her charitable efforts.

"I don’t try to tell other people how to do it, how to be, but I know who I am. I’m a star to everybody but me. I’m just a working girl. I always just say that I’m a workhorse that looks like a show horse," she said at the time.

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"I’m at that point in my life where I just want to be able to do good things that can be carried on. I’m proud of my legacy so far, and I hope to just continue to do things that might be of use to other people," Parton added.

In 2022, Parton said part of the reason she found the time to do the things she loved was because she didn't sleep much.

"I don’t need a whole lot of sleep," the singer insisted to Insider. "I go to bed pretty early, but even if I’ve been up late – it’s just kind of like a little clock inside of me that says, ‘It’s 3 o’clock!’"

"I do some of my best work there, but I get enough sleep. I don’t require as much sleep as a lot of other people do. That’s kind of a Parton family trait," she continued.

Parton's stance on aging

After Parton turned 77 in 2023, she spoke to Insider about how she viewed getting older.

The singer said she's come to terms with the idea that "wisdom comes with age, and you can't stop the aging process, nor the numbers."

DOLLY PARTON SAYS SHE’D ‘RATHER BE’ IN HER 70S THAN BE YOUNG AGAIN: ‘I MEAN THIS FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART’

"Honestly — and I mean this from the bottom of my heart — when I see young people today and I see what they're going to have to go through, especially in this day and time, I would honestly rather be this age than that age," Parton explained.

The legendary singer acknowledged she's no different from "everyone (who) would like to stay 35 forever," but she doesn't spend her life thinking about her age and doesn't let it get in the way of her doing what she wants.

"The way I live, the way I work, the way I feel, I'm going to make every moment count," Parton said. "I may live to be 100 or I may die tomorrow, but whenever that is, I will know I died trying, and I will know I've done everything I could to make the most of everything."

"As long as I stay healthy, the numbers shouldn't matter. I don't feel my age, I don't work my age, I don't think my age and, hopefully, I don't look my age," she noted.

Just before her 80th birthday this year, Parton told People that she felt like she was "just getting started."

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"If you allow yourself to get old, you will. People say, ‘How come you don’t seem to get old?’ I say, ‘I ain’t got time to get old,’" she said. "I ain’t got time to dwell on that. That’s not what I’m thinking about," she told the outlet.

What Dolly believed came after death

In 2019, Parton shared rare comments on what she believed would happen after she died during an episode of the "Dolly Parton's America" podcast.

"As far as what happens after we go on, like I say, I’m no saint so I’m hoping just as a Christian faith person, that we go on to a greater thing. I believe that we’re all part of that great divine plan, and I’m hoping to get on up there, and do some more writing, and singing, and playing with those golden harps, and write some more songs, and have my own mansion, and walk them golden streets of glory, and keep doing it forever and ever and ever.

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"So I’m going to get in the angel band, for sure. I want to play in the angel band and I want to maybe play the harp up there. I don’t know," she said.

On the podcast, Parton said that she "kind of" believed in reincarnation and was "open to things."

"You just hope and you have faith. That’s what faith is. But I believe that it’s going to be better. I think it’s not the end of me. I don’t think it’s the end of any of us. I think we’re recycled and if nothing else, we just go back into that great flow of divine energy, and hopefully we can spread ourselves around in other wonderful ways. That’s what I hope," Parton said.

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Eating less of common ingredient early in life may slash cancer risk decades later

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 07:00:30 -0400

Limiting sugar consumption during the first 1,000 days of life, from conception through a child’s second birthday, may result in slower biological aging and a lower risk of cancer up to five decades later.

A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences investigated how early-life sugar intake influences health in adulthood, examining data from over 64,000 participants in the UK Biobank born between 1951 and 1956.

The researchers leveraged a natural experiment from post-war Britain, when sugar rationing ended in September 1953.

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After rationing ended, average daily sugar consumption across the U.K. nearly doubled — from about 41 grams to 80 grams — while consumption of other major foods remained stable, according to historical National Food Survey data cited in the study.

People exposed to sugar rationing during their first 1,000 days of life were compared to those who were conceived after the policy ended. Researchers then examined cancer outcomes recorded about five decades later.

They found that people who spent more of their early lives under sugar rationing had lower rates of several cancers in adulthood, including liver, rectal, lung, prostate and breast cancers.

People exposed to early sugar limits also had longer leukocyte telomeres — protective caps on chromosomes that tend to shorten with age — equivalent to about two fewer years of biological aging. They also had lower levels of Granzyme B, a protein associated with long-term immune activation and inflammation.

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The study’s authors identified two key pathways that could explain these long-term benefits: a biological imprint and a persistent behavioral habit.

Five decades after rationing ended, adults who spent their earliest days under sugar restrictions were still consuming less sugar and eating healthier, more varied diets.

Experts said the findings add to ongoing research into how early diet may influence long-term health, though further research is needed to confirm the connection.

"What surprised me most was how persistent the effects were," study author Weilong Zhang of the University of Cambridge told Fox News Digital.

"We might expect childhood diet to matter for health, but differences in sugar exposure during just the first 1,000 days were still reflected in people's diets and biological markers roughly five decades later."

"This suggests that early life may be an especially important period not only for biological development, but also for establishing long-lasting food preferences."

Dr. Brian Slomovitz, deputy director of the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, described the research as an "excellent hypothesis-generating study."

"Sugar consumption is something that we have been worrying about ... most importantly, inflammation, and how inflammation can lead to some cancers," Slomovitz, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.

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High sugar intake has been linked to metabolic disruption, insulin resistance and chronic inflammation, which may contribute to disease risk, according to Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst for Fox News.

Siegel said the lower cancer rates were consistent with the possibility that less early sugar exposure and healthier later-life diets played a role.

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However, outside oncologists note that natural experiments from decades past come with inherent research limitations.

"We're talking about the 1950s, so clearly there are some biases in data collection," Slomovitz noted. "Secondly, the numbers are very, very, very low. Of all the cancers, most of them had [fewer] than 100 cases ... to show a 70% decrease, I think is probably an ambitious conclusion."

The doctor also pointed out that while obesity-driven cancers align with metabolic pathways, other findings in the paper — such as reduced lung cancer risk — are traditionally tied to external factors like smoking rather than dietary sugar.

The researchers noted that, as a natural experiment rather than a randomized trial, the study could not rule out all other postwar factors.

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Additionally, the UK Biobank is not fully representative of the broader British population, and the researchers could not determine how much of the effect reflected early biological changes versus healthier diets maintained in adulthood.

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Zhang cautioned against overinterpreting the findings as a reason for extreme dietary measures.

"I would not interpret our study as saying that parents should eliminate sugar completely," he said. "Rather, our findings support existing recommendations to limit added sugar, particularly during pregnancy and early childhood."

Dem who abandoned Platner after sex assault claim now scrambles for his voters

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 10:53:48 -0400

Maine's newly anointed Democratic Senate nominee is trying to rally his scandal-plagued predecessor's voters in his bid to topple Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.

But Maine Senate Democratic nominee Troy Jackson has a problem: he yanked his support of Graham Platner, as many local and national Democrats did. It wasn't always that way between the two.

Both candidates, Jackson then running for governor while Platner ran for Senate, endorsed one another. Jackson stood by his ally through a bevy of scandals until a sexual assault allegation proved the death knell for Platner's campaign last month.

Now Jackson has to curry favor with the progressive's base of tens of thousands of Maine voters for a shot to beat the formidable Collins. To do that, Jackson over the weekend appeared to be running back toward Platner, not away from him.

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And he never really wanted to run for the Senate, the Midcoast Villager reported, but felt it was important to pick up the mantle of progressive politics that Platner had suddenly dropped.

"I wish nothing would have happened with Graham," Jackson said in Belfast, Maine, situated in Waldo County, where Platner's strongest base of support appeared during his primary victory.

"I wish, you know, things would have continued like all that. It would have been much better," he continued. "But when it did, I just didn't want to see all these people that are looking for somebody to fight for them go away once again broken and hopeless."

National Republicans teed off on Jackson for trying to gin up support among Planter's voter bloc.

"Troy Jackson is keeping an alleged rapist with a history of glorifying violence on a pedestal to boost his campaign as he desperately tries to revive Graham’s radical base that got rolled when Chuck Schumer replaced Platner with Jackson," National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesperson Bernadette Breslin told Fox News Digital.

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Before taking over as nominee, Jackson and Platner were allies on the campaign trail. Platner wholeheartedly endorsed him, and told a crowd of voters in May that he ranked Jackson first on his ballot.

"Troy and I are entirely aligned on labor issues and organizing issues, and I think our policies align quite closely," Platner said in a video posted by the Maine AFL-CIO. "And as many of you probably know, organized labor is a key to what I think the future of American politics is."

Roughly a month later when the final allegation hit, Jackson, like several other Democrats both in-state and across the country, called on Platner to exit the race.

"The allegations against Graham Platner are serious, credible, and deserving of full accountability — they cannot and must not be ignored," Jackson said in a statement on X at the time.

"There is a powerful movement of working-class people in the state of Maine," he continued. "For the sake of that movement, and the millions of Americans who have put their trust in it, Graham must now step down."

Jackson has had his own scandals, however.

He has most recently come under scrutiny for his temper following a water bottle-throwing incident while he served in the Senate, and after the discovery of a 1988 police record in which Jackson was alleged to have assaulted a man and pushed his longtime partner, Lana Pelletier, who according to records is his second cousin, during a late-night confrontation.

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Collins declined to weigh in on the police record when asked by Fox News Digital earlier this month, arguing that was up to Jackson.

"But I will say that, based on widespread reporting, it appears that he struggles to control his temper," Collins said.

Meanwhile, there’s an effort afoot to get Platner to register as a write-in candidate in Maine. The deadline to do so came and went on Tuesday without the embattled former candidate submitting his name.

A website, writeingrahamforme.com, was launched as op-eds by Scott Niemi have made the rounds in local newspapers in Maine pushing for Platner to submit himself as a write-in, given that under Maine law write-in votes for an undeclared candidate don’t count.

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Niemi argued in the Bangor Daily News that writing in Platner would prove to establishment Democrats that they don’t get to "overrule the will of Maine voter," and that because of Maine’s ranked-choice voting system, they could rank Jackson second to "keep the seat competitive."

"If Graham does not have enough votes to advance during tabulation, those ballots are not wasted, they transfer over to Jackson in the next round if he is ranked second," Niemi wrote. "I believe it is a mathematically solid plan to defeat Collins come election time."

California man arrested after guillotine spotted in back of pickup truck across from US Capitol

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 06:56:11 -0400

The United States Capitol Police (USCP) on Tuesday arrested a California man after officers spotted a guillotine in the back of a pickup truck in broad daylight, just steps from the U.S. Capitol.

USCP officers said Philan-Tam-Duy Le, 35, of Julian, had driven across the country before officials spotted the guillotine near Capitol Hill, close to the Supreme Court building.

According to officials, the pickup truck was illegally parked, while the device stood upright in the truck bed.

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Le was arrested and charged with carrying a dangerous weapon in connection with his possession of the guillotine.

Investigators are now examining what motivated Le to travel from California and what prompted him to bring the massive guillotine with him.

"USCP investigators are going through the suspect’s background to learn more about why he came to Washington, D.C.," officials said.

The guillotine discovery is the latest in a series of unusual weapons found in and around the Capitol complex, one of the most heavily secured areas in the country.

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More than a week ago, officials found a homemade sword and brass knuckles at a Senate office building, Fox 5 DC reported. The items were reportedly discovered inside a man's bag during a security screening.

Last year, a man was arrested after a machete and knives were discovered at a screening checkpoint in the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC), according to USCP. The 44-year-old man was arrested on multiple counts of carrying a dangerous weapon, officials said.

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In 2021, a California man was arrested after officers discovered an unmarked truck displaying White supremacist symbols near the Democratic National Committee headquarters after midnight, according to USCP. A bayonet and machete were found inside the vehicle, officials said.

Rams' Sean McVay reacts to wild college football controversy: 'Feel like I took a freakin' gummy'

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 06:33:26 -0400

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay has one way to view the current college football landscape.

Tight end Dae’Quan Wright was expected to become the first-ever player to go from an NFL roster back to an NCAA roster on Wednesday. Wright, who was waived by the Cleveland Browns just two days ago, was reportedly set to reunite with his old Ole Miss coach, Lane Kiffin, at LSU for this upcoming college season.

But hours after he cleared waivers, Wright and the rest of the college football world saw the SEC and Big Ten, which will soon be joined by the ACC and Big 12, create new guidelines for eligibility that would prevent players like Wright who have participated in professional sports from reentering college athletics.

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This came after Wright and other players were granted injunctions or temporary restraining orders allowing them to play this upcoming college season. And most of the lawsuits stem from the NCAA’s new guidelines, which give players five years to play five seasons.

McVay was asked about the college controversy on Tuesday during his press session at training camp. He didn’t even hear the full question, but his reaction said it all.

"Yeah, I can’t even comprehend this stuff," McVay explained. "It’s wild. I don’t know enough about it other than the fact that guys that can be in NFL camps, if it doesn’t go down for them, they can go back college."

McVay put it even more bluntly.

"I feel like I took a freakin’ gummy," McVay said, per the Los Angeles Times.

COLLEGE ATHLETICS' LATEST MESS: COURT ORDERS SAY ATHLETES CAN PLAY, BUT SEC AND BIG TEN READY TO FIGHT

Under the new policies set by the SEC and Big Ten, any athlete that has signed with a pro team in the NFL, declared for the NFL Draft or participated in any type of professional training camp will be ineligible for conference competition.

Attorney Ryan Downton, who represents a number of players trying to get back into the college landscape, told OutKick’s Trey Wallace on Tuesday night that they are currently "working on a legal strategy" on how to move forward against both the NCAA and the respective conferences that enacted the new guidelines.

"The SEC’s actions put the NCAA in contempt of multiple court orders," Downton told OutKick-Fox News on Tuesday night. "It is cartel-like conduct when NCAA conferences attempt to create their own spur of the moment rules in response to Courts enjoining those same rules at the NCAA level."

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Wright is among a group of former college football players who were all granted a temporary restraining order by a judge in Louisiana. He is among several athletes from the 2022 high school class that tried capitalizing on the NCAA’s five-year eligibility guidelines, which was unanimously approved by the NCAA Division I Cabinet in June.

OutKick’s Trey Wallace contributed to this report.

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