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Trump admin investigating 75 truck driver schools for fraud, helping non-citizens get licenses

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 12:07:19 -0400

The Trump administration announced Thursday it is investigating 75 entry-level truck driver CDL schools across the U.S. that are suspected of fraudulently helping non-citizen drivers qualify for CDLs.

The Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) are partnering to investigate the fraud.

This is a breaking news story. Check back here for updates.

Kennedy Center disputes Dem whistleblower allegations over Trump renovations, defends $8M flooring contract

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 12:00:34 -0400

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is disputing whistleblower allegations from Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., arguing that critics have mischaracterized Trump-era renovation projects and procurement practices.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Kennedy Center officials say the senator's allegations get key facts wrong, including that an "$8 million flooring contract" has been misrepresented, the Center isn't subject to the federal contracting rules cited by critics, and that the renovation work complied with the law.

According to Kennedy Center officials, the renovations are part of a long-term infrastructure renewal addressing decades of deferred maintenance rather than politically motivated cosmetic projects.

Officials said the work was made possible through new funding secured under Kennedy Center board chairman President Donald Trump.

COMEDIANS DIG AT TRUMP AS BILL MAHER ACCEPTS MARK TWAIN PRIZE AT KENNEDY CENTER

Whitehouse alleges that whistleblowers described a renovation effort that prioritized political optics over sound construction practices.

Whitehouse's disclosure alleges renovations were rushed to satisfy Trump's preferences, resulting in wasteful spending and improper contracting.

Among the claims are that a newly installed bathroom floor was torn out because Trump disliked the tile color; steel columns were painted despite alleged rust beneath the surface; an $8 million flooring contract was awarded to a company with no concert hall experience; and renovations began before receiving congressional authorization.

Whitehouse argued the allegations demonstrate "waste" that treated the Kennedy Center "as if it were a private renovation project."

‘CONFLICT OF INTEREST’: JUDGE WHO AXED TRUMP NAME FROM DC LANDMARK TIED TO ANTI-TRUMP CONSPIRACY THEORY

Kennedy Center officials disputed those allegations, arguing they rely on incomplete or misleading descriptions of renovation projects while misunderstanding both the institution's legal authority and procurement process.

"The Center has taken measures to responsibly and transparently stabilize the facility while preparing for the comprehensive infrastructure renewal that decades of deferred maintenance have made unavoidable, a project now made possible by our Chairman's [President Trump's] vision, which has institutional support and new funding secured," Roma Daravi, the Kennedy Center's vice president of public relations, told Fox News Digital.

"As America's cultural center, the institution makes every decision guided by responsible stewardship and an unwavering commitment to its patrons and the nation it proudly serves," Daravi said. "We remain fully committed to transparency and to delivering the critical improvements that will preserve this institution for generations to come."

TRUMP SAYS VANDALS USED CHEMICALS TO DAMAGE NEWLY RENOVATED REFLECTING POOL NEAR LINCOLN MEMORIAL

The Center also cited a recent federal court ruling that it says supports the legal framework governing its renovation efforts.

According to the Kennedy Center, a May 29 opinion from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia reaffirmed the institution's legal status outside the executive branch. The Center argues that distinction is significant because Whitehouse's allegations repeatedly suggest it violated federal procurement rules.

Specifically, Kennedy Center officials dispute Whitehouse's contention that the institution was required to follow the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR).

Officials said the FAR governs executive agencies, while the Kennedy Center is overseen by a bipartisan Board of Trustees established by Congress.

According to the Center, it consulted with the Office of Management and Budget and confirmed the FAR "does not apply, and has never applied" to Kennedy Center procurements.

The institution nevertheless said it recently adopted updated procurement policies to eliminate lingering administrative confusion and strengthen public confidence in its contracting process.

Perhaps the biggest dispute centers on Whitehouse's criticism of an $8 million flooring contract.

Kennedy Center officials said the oft-cited $8 million figure has been presented without important context.

Rather than an $8 million payment, officials said the agreement is a five-year blanket purchase agreement establishing only a maximum spending ceiling, with money obligated through individual call orders only when work is needed.

The Center also defended selecting Low Country Flooring, saying the company was the only vertically integrated contractor in the Mid-Atlantic capable of sourcing wood directly from timber mills while maintaining the grain consistency and acoustic performance required inside the concert hall.

Whitehouse also questioned work involving decorative columns.

The Kennedy Center said the contract complied with federal small business requirements because it was awarded to a certified SBA 8a contractor, which legally used subcontractors to perform portions of the work.

Officials added that any workmanship concerns remain covered by standard commercial warranties requiring corrective work if necessary.

The Center also disputed allegations involving reflecting pool repairs, saying the work was intended to stabilize structural deterioration, not restore the water feature to operation, and defended routine design decisions involving the Center's historic presidential boxes as standard preservation work that did not create unnecessary costs for taxpayers.

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Whitehouse's office, however, maintained that the Kennedy Center has not substantively engaged with the senator's oversight requests.

"We have received no response from the Kennedy Center to the most recent letter, and no substantive response to any information requests dating back to November," Whitehouse communications director Meaghan McCabe told Fox News Digital.

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Iran calls on Houthis to prepare to cut off Red Sea gateway — can the terror group do it?

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 11:53:39 -0400

Iran has reportedly instructed Yemen’s Houthi terrorists to prepare to close a critical Red Sea gateway if the United States attacks Iranian power infrastructure Reuters reported, a threat experts warn could sharply disrupt global shipping even if the group cannot completely seal the waterway.

"This threat should be taken seriously," Nadwa Al-Dawsari of the Middle East Institute told Fox News Digital. "With recent escalation and U.S. strikes on Iran, Tehran has already signaled that the Bab al-Mandab could become part of its response."

Three sources told Reuters on Thursday that Iran’s leadership had discussed using the Houthis to shut the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and recently conveyed the request to the group. A source close to the Houthis said missiles and drones had been deployed near the waterway and that the group was awaiting an order to begin attacking shipping.

IRAN-BACKED TERROR PROXY HOUTHIS THREATEN FRESH ATTACKS AFTER YEMEN AIRPORT STRIKE

Edmund Fitton-Brown, a former British ambassador to Yemen and senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, warned in a recent Fox News Digital report that a full resumption of the Houthi maritime campaign could trigger wider fighting.

"It will be interesting if the Houthis do go all in, and resume their campaign against Red Sea shipping with full intensity," Fitton-Brown said. "This will draw international anger and likely result in Israeli and U.S. strikes on Sana’a and Hodeida."

"There is potential for a general escalation if this happens, albeit one in which the allies have a clear military advantage," he added.

Al-Dawsari said the Houthis have continued developing the weapons needed to threaten the narrow shipping corridor despite largely refraining from maritime attacks over the past year.

"While the Houthis have largely refrained from attacking shipping for about a year, they have continued to advance their maritime capabilities, including missiles, drones and sea mines," she said. "They may not be able to fully close the strait, but they could significantly disrupt shipping and raise costs and risks for commercial traffic," she said.

US CLAWS BACK KEY CONCESSION TO IRAN AFTER FRESH ATTACKS ON COMMERCIAL SHIPS IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ

But the group would not necessarily need to physically control the waterway. Its previous missile and drone campaign demonstrated that repeated attacks — or even a credible threat of them — can push major shipping companies to reroute vessels around Africa, driving up insurance, fuel and freight costs.

The Bab el-Mandeb connects the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea and Suez Canal, making it one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints. The consequences of renewed attacks would be especially severe because Iran has already disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, historically the principal route for roughly one-fifth of global energy supplies.

A substantial volume of Gulf oil has consequently been redirected through Saudi Arabia to the Red Sea port of Yanbu. Reuters reported that the Bab el-Mandeb route now carries approximately 7% of global energy supplies and that Saudi Arabia has shifted about 70% of its energy exports through Yanbu.

The reported instructions also raise new questions about how much control Tehran exercises over major Houthi military decisions.

"Any decision to escalate in the Bab al-Mandab would be strategic and tied more to the interests of Iran and the Axis of Resistance than to Houthi interests alone," Al-Dawsari said. "Decisions of this magnitude are likely coordinated through the Axis’s joint operations room under IRGC oversight."

A source close to the Houthis claimed representatives of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Yemen would control the timing of any move against the strait, Reuters reported.

The latest warning follows earlier Houthi threats against maritime traffic. In the June 12 report, Fox News Digital reported that the group had announced a complete ban on Israeli-owned ships in the Red Sea and declared them "legitimate targets."

EXPERT WARNS OF 'GENERAL ESCALATION' OF FIGHTING IF HOUTHIS RESUME RED SEA CAMPAIGN

A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital at the time that the actions of Iran and the Houthis were "unacceptable" and "dangerous," warning that they could inflame regional tensions and further disrupt global supply chains.

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres has "repeatedly condemned" Houthis attacks against ships in the Red Sea and called on all parties Thursday to avoid further escalation, his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, told Fox News Digital.

"Any disruptions or attacks would endanger the safety and security of seafarers, freedom of navigation and the stability of global supply chains and have a negative impact on the economic and humanitarian situation in Yemen and beyond," Dujarric said. "The Secretary-General underscores that U.N. Security Council Resolution 2722 (2024) must be fully respected in its entirety," he said on the resolution condemning at least two dozen Houthis attacks on commercial vessels since November 2023 and demanding an immediate end to the attacks.

The emerging threat has also renewed scrutiny of the Iranian weapons networks that helped build the Houthis’ missile and drone arsenal.

Amr Al-Bidh, foreign affairs chief of the Southern Arabian Transitional Council, said that the reported threat also exposed broader failures in the handling of Yemen’s security crisis. "The fact that individuals convicted of trafficking Iranian weapons to the Houthis and leading terrorist operations are now being released under a U.N.-brokered deal only underscores how poorly the Yemen crisis is being managed," he said, "the main beneficiary of this vacuum is Iran, as seen in its credible threat to close the Bab al-Mandab Strait."

In a July 15 letter obtained by Fox News Digital, the Southern Arabian Transitional Council formerly known as the Southern Transitional Council, a southern Yemeni separatist movement that seeks greater autonomy or independence for the territory of the former South Yemen, warned U.N. Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg that a U.N.-facilitated detainee agreement may include people the council says were convicted of assisting Iranian weapons transfers to the Houthis.

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An annex identifies individuals the council alleges were members of a cell that smuggled drones, aviation fuel and heavy and medium weapons from Iran to Sanaa.

The Office of the U.N. Special Envoy for Yemen said it received the letter only after the agreement had already been signed and stressed that it does not determine which detainees are released.
"We have received the letter after the agreement was signed," spokesperson Ismini Palla told Fox News Digital. "The United Nations – as well as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) – do not decide who is released and who remains in detention. Our role is limited to mediating the negotiations and ICRC leads on the implementation of the release operation."
Palla added that "the names of those released are proposed and agreed between the parties under the framework of the Stockholm Agreement on prisoners’ exchange of 2018."

Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department and the Iranian Mission to the United Nations on the latest developments.

Fox News' Paul Tilsley and Reuters contributed to this report.

Todd Blanche roasts Adam Schiff in heated hearing: 'You're a lawyer, you know the rules'

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 11:51:27 -0400

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche came out swinging against Sen. Adam Schiff on Wednesday, denying allegations of self-dealing and intentional refusal-to-recuse in President Donald Trump’s cases, while accusing the California Democrat of lying.

Schiff sparred with Blanche over several legal matters he said prove the nominee is unfit for the job of America’s top law enforcement officer, citing what he described as serious conflicts of interest. Blanche denied the allegations while telling Schiff he was misstating ethics rules and botching key timelines.

Schiff pressed Blanche on whether he met with Justice Department ethics lawyers about his prior representation of Trump in the Stormy Daniels, Mar-a-Lago classified documents, and Jan. 6 cases.

TRUMP'S AG NOMINEE RACKS UP MASSIVE SUPPORT AHEAD OF CONFIRMATION HEARING: 'REAL RESULTS'

Blanche affirmed and said he has recused himself from future litigation or Justice Department business involving any of those suits. But Schiff countered that Blanche reportedly told a crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) that there was no conflict of interest in the Justice Department firing prosecutors linked to Jan. 6 or other cases.

Blanche soon fired back when Schiff criticized him for moving to vacate Jan. 6-related convictions for 12 members of far-right groups.

"I was the acting attorney general – so yes, my department moved to dismiss," he said, adding that there was no reason for him to recuse himself when Schiff pressed him further.

BIDEN SPECIAL COUNSEL’S 'RUNAWAY TRAIN’ SCOOPED UP SENSITIVE LAWMAKER INFO: 'ABUSE OF POWER'

"From the Proud Boys matter?" Blanche responded with a puzzled look.

"You’re a lawyer, you know the rules," Blanche told the Massachusetts-born graduate of Harvard Law.

OBAMA JUDGE HANDS PROGRESSIVES A WIN OVER ANTI-TRUMP '86 47' MESSAGE AMID RISING THREATS

"There are rules that say when I have to recuse and that’s not one of them," Blanche said.

"There are rules," Schiff agreed. "And when you're told to recuse yourself from investigations that you handle for the president…" – "I always do," Blanche cut in – "you're supposed to recuse yourself," Schiff finished.

Schiff noted that the second volume of special counsel Jack Smith's report on Trump has not been released and said the Justice Department has opposed making it available.

Blanche denied having anything to do with the decision and pointed out it is not the Justice Department, but a federal judge in Miami, that has prohibited its release.

"If you went into court asking them to release it, it would be released by now," Schiff argued.

Blanche shot back: "What you’re saying happens not to be true – I did not do that."

"You can’t accuse me of violating my ethical rules and then lie about what I did," he continued,

Schiff asked Blanche at length what allegedly evolved in his professional life that led him to be under such criticisms.

"What I don’t understand, Todd Blanche, is what happened to the Todd Blanche who was a prosecutor in the Southern District of New York? What happened to the prosecutor people had respect for," he said.

"What happened to the prosecutor who said that there wouldn't be a whiff of political partisanship and then prosecutes the president's enemies over seashells cases, over making a video stating the plain law in the Constitution?" Schiff said – appearing to reference investigations into former FBI Director Jim Comey’s "8647" post that critics said amounted to a threat on Trump’s life.

"I think Robert Caro had it right when he said that power doesn't corrupt as much as it reveals. I suspect it has just revealed who you are and who you are as someone willing to sacrifice everything you once believed in for that title, for that position of attorney general," Schiff claimed.

"I am still here. I am the same exact person I was when I was a federal prosecutor in the SDNY," Blanche replied.

The exchange led to further criticism of Schiff, including from the Trump-appointed prosecutor in his home region:

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"Facts are not Senator Schiff’s strong suit," claimed First Assistant U.S. Attorney for Central California Bill Essayli.

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Former Alabama federal prosecutor Jay Town called the exchange "excellent."

"What [Blanche] is essentially saying is that the Justice Department has gone back to the fundamentals of increasing prosecutions and lowering crime nationwide, unlike the Garland DOJ targeting parents, Catholics, etc."

Fox News Digital reached out to Schiff for comment.

'TODAY' show intruder detained after allegedly breaching security near Craig Melvin: report

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 11:44:00 -0400

A man was detained Thursday after allegedly slipping past security at NBC’s Today show studios in New York while looking for Al Roker, TMZ reported.

After failing to find Roker, he reportedly lunged at co-host Craig Melvin and shouted a racial slur before security detained him.

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No one was injured, and the hosts returned to the air shortly afterward.

SECURITY UNDER SCRUTINY AS WHCD ATTENDEES CITE INCONSISTENT SCREENING BEFORE SHOOTING

Fox News Digital has reached out to NBC Universal for comment on the incident.

Bessent invokes assassination attempt '2 hours after being sworn in' in dramatic brushback of leftist threat

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 11:32:57 -0400

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday he was the target of an assassination attempt by a "left-wing activist" just two hours after being sworn into office, citing the case as evidence that violent political extremism from the left is a real and growing threat.

Speaking at the State Department's Ministerial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism, Bessent pushed back against critics who have questioned the Trump administration's focus on violent far-left extremist groups.

"I'm going to remind everyone in this room — and all the media — that I was the subject of an assassination attempt by an addled left-wing activist two hours after being sworn into my job," Bessent said. "Any of you who want to report that this is a fiction and does not exist, be there for the sentencing this August."

Bessent appeared to be referring to Ryan Michael English, a 24-year-old Massachusetts man who pleaded guilty in March to charges related to attempting to assassinate the then-Treasury secretary nominee at the U.S. Capitol.

English traveled to Washington on Jan. 27, 2025, carrying a folding knife and two improvised Molotov cocktails before approaching a U.S. Capitol Police officer and asking to turn himself in, according to the Justice Department.

Prosecutors said English admitted he had come to the Capitol intending to kill a Cabinet nominee whose Senate confirmation vote was scheduled that day or burn down a Washington think tank. Investigators also recovered a note in which he allegedly wrote, in part, "This is terrible but I cant do nothing while nazis kill my sisters."

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English pleaded guilty in March to one count of unlawful receipt, possession and transfer of a firearm and one count of carrying a dangerous weapon on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol. He is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 14.

Before his time as Treasury secretary, Bessent spent years at Soros Fund Management, serving as the firm's chief investment officer from 2011 to 2015 after earlier helping lead its London office. Following his departure, he launched Key Square Capital Management with backing from George Soros, the billionaire investor and Democratic megadonor who has frequently been a target of criticism from Trump and other conservatives.

Bessent made the remarks as administration officials gathered representatives from roughly 65 countries for a State Department summit aimed at building international cooperation against what the Trump administration describes as a resurgence of violent far-left political terrorism.

Bryson DeChambeau posts 3-under 67 at Royal Birkdale to silence critics after three straight missed major cuts

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 11:31:48 -0400

It's been a tough 2026 for two-time major champion Bryson DeChambeau. Although he won twice on LIV Golf in March, his major performance is what will define his season.

And those results haven't been good. At all. DeChambeau, for the first time in his career, missed the cut in three consecutive majors: the 2026 Masters, PGA Championship and U.S. Open.

BRYSON DECHAMBEAU ADMITS TO TURNING TO AI TO HELP FIX HIS SWING AFTER STRUGGLES AT LIV GOLF KOREA

But you're only as good as your last round, and DeChambeau finally has some momentum going in 2026. In the first round of the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, DeChambeau shared the lead until he made a bogey on his final hole.

Still, he managed to shoot a 3-under 67, putting himself in great position to at least make the cut and potentially contend for a major championship again.

DeChambeau hadn't shot under par in any of his six major rounds in 2026, so it was far and away his best major round of the year. He played in the same group with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and finished one shot better than Scheffler.

DeChambeau flashed the long game that helped vault him into the conversation as one of the best players in the world. With Royal Birkdale dried out, DeChambeau took advantage and played aggressively off the tee. Even though he hit only 5 of 14 fairways, the 32-year-old American was second in the field in strokes gained: off the tee following the morning wave.

In 2024 and 2025, DeChambeau finished inside the top 10 in six of his eight major starts, including a win at the 2024 U.S. Open and a pair of runner-up finishes at the 2024 and 2025 PGA Championships.

He was being discussed in the same conversation as Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy as one of the best golfers on the planet.

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But with the future of LIV Golf up in the air, DeChambeau made comments implying he might not return to the PGA Tour should LIV Golf shut down and could instead focus on YouTube golf.

Former players and golf analysts teed off on DeChambeau's comments, saying that his focus on YouTube golf over competitive professional golf affected his majors performance.

Heading into the Open Championship, Nick Faldo said DeChambeau "has zero clue of strategy".

GOLF LEGEND NICK FALDO UNLOADS SCATHING CRITICISM ON BRYSON DECHAMBEAU AMID MAJOR TOURNAMENT STRUGGLES

Brandel Chamblee piled on: "It's almost like he went from chasing Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy to chasing [YouTube golfer] Grant Horvat. It's like he wants to outdo every YouTuber in the game of golf instead of outplay everybody in the game of golf."

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DeChambeau, who usually makes himself available to the media following his rounds, declined to speak to reporters following Thursday's performance.

But, for at least one day at the Open Championship, DeChambeau looked a lot more like Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy than Grant Horvat.

Whether he can keep it up remains to be seen.

Juan Soto has 12 hits and 5 home runs off Aaron Nola as Mets open series against Phillies

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 11:21:08 -0400

We have reached the unofficial second half of the MLB Season. I mention it being unofficial, as we are about 95+ games played for all teams at this point, meaning fewer than 70 games are remaining for any team to make a move. We saw the first decent trade of the season with Lance McCullers Jr. going from Houston to Milwaukee. I can't wait to see what the deadline brings and how the race to the postseason plays out.

Let's start this "second half" on the right foot with a win in the game between the Mets and Phillies.

The New York Mets are among the most disappointing teams in the Majors. In order for them to win enough games and make it to the postseason, they will need to play something like .650 or better baseball. That's not official math from me, but they are 17 games under .500 at the moment. With 70ish games left, they would probably need to go 50-20 or something to have a realistic shot. That would put them about 10 games over .500. They are only ahead of the Colorado Rockies in the Wild Card race, and I probably don't need to explain that the Rockies have no chance to make the postseason.

Perhaps there will be a turnaround. They are going to want to get off to a good start, and they turn to Christian Scott today to give them a good outing. Scott, for the year, is 2-1 with a 3.17 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. He has been slightly better on the road with a 2.79 road ERA. He really hasn't had a bad start this season, but he also hasn't completed six innings in any of his 12 outings. He did face the Phillies one this season and went 4.1 innings, allowing three hits and two earned runs.

PHILLIES FIRE ROB THOMSON, MAKE DON MATTINGLY INTERIM MANAGER AFTER DISMAL START TO THE SEASON

The Philadelphia Phillies already had their turnaround, and they've been dominating ever since. I've written about it many times, but after a disastrous start, they fired their manager. Don Mattingly is now at the helm, and he continues to prove that he is a transformational manager. He did well as the Dodgers manager and then led the Marlins to their first playoff appearance in 17 years. Now he is helping the Phillies get comfortable and in position to once again be a tough out in the playoffs. I don't usually think managers have an impact, but he clearly has done well.

It also helps that the Phillies have a very good team and a solid roster. One dude that they need to get back in line if they want him to pitch in the postseason is today's starter, Aaron Nola. Before the All-Star break, Nola went 3-6 with a 5.75 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP. He's only 33 years old, so I don't think he has fallen off a cliff, but he clearly isn't pitching all that well. Nola has been rough at home, allowing 29 earned runs in 38.1 home innings. July, so far, has been his best month of work. The Mets are hitting .257 against him, but he did have a decent outing against them earlier in the season.

I am not quite sure what to make of the total. Nola has been giving up too many runs, and it seems like the Mets are cautious with Scott, but he could still allow a few runs before his day is done. Perhaps a better bet than taking the total is a player prop. Juan Soto is 12-for-45 against Nola with five home runs. He is +232, so it isn't a great number, but still might be worth it.

METS' JUAN SOTO MAKES COMPARISON ABOUT KISSING GIRLS TO EXPLAIN RUMORED STRAIN WITH FRANCISCO LINDOR

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My official play will be on the Mets through five innings. I don't like the way that Nola has pitched, but I really don't trust the Mets for a full game. Maybe Nola has turned around, but Scott has been more consistent between the two. Give me the Mets through five innings to start the second half of the season.

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

Missouri teen girl shot and killed at home, and now 3 friends face charges

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 11:14:58 -0400

A Missouri teen was shot dead and left inside her home for hours before her mother returned and discovered her body, leading to criminal charges against three juveniles, authorities said.

Deputies responded Saturday afternoon to a home on Tower Road near Hillsboro, about 45 minutes southwest of St. Louis, where they found 16-year-old Gabbriana Boyster with a gunshot wound to the head, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. Investigators believe she was shot Friday evening while three juveniles who knew her were inside the home.

One suspect has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, unlawful use of a weapon resulting in death, armed criminal action and abandonment of a corpse, according to the Jefferson County Juvenile Office. Two others were each charged with abandonment of a corpse and later released. Authorities have not identified the suspects because they are minors.

MISSOURI MOM OF 5 FATALLY SHOT WHILE BUYING SLUSHIES WITH CHILDREN; POLICE SEARCH FOR GUNMAN

Boyster's mother, Candy G'Sell, was away when the shooting happened, according to the sheriff's office. She told KSDK the last conversation she had with her daughter came Friday night.

"She told me she was staying home. I told her to lock the door," G'Sell told the outlet.

When G'Sell returned home Saturday afternoon, she found her daughter's body and called 911, according to the sheriff's office. Paramedics pronounced the teen dead at the scene.

POLICE IDENTIFY TWO TEEN SUSPECTS AFTER PENN STATE STUDENT SHOT DEAD OVER STOLEN PHONE

"I walked in the room and she was laying there ... sitting up," G'Sell said. "In the blink of an eye, you know. She didn't deserve that."

Investigators have not said what led to the shooting, though they say Boyster and the three suspects knew one another. G'Sell told the outlet that the boys were all friends of her daughter.

"It's not a game. Guns are not toys," G'Sell said.

Jefferson County Sheriff's Office spokesman Grant Bissell said the case has left multiple families grieving.

"There's no getting around the loss of life," Bissell told KTVI. "You've got one family who is torn apart by the loss of their loved one. You've got three other families that are now potentially going to be torn apart by the consequences [of the] actions of these young people. It's a no-win situation for anybody."

G'Sell remembered her daughter, known to friends as "Gabby," as a kind-hearted teenager who loved her family, cared deeply about her friends and dreamed of becoming an ultrasound technician, according to KSDK. Instead of getting ready for her daughter's junior year at Hillsboro High School, G'Sell said she spent the week planning her daughter's funeral.

"There's no relief. My baby is gone," G'Sell told the outlet. "What mother wants to bury their baby?"

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The Hillsboro School District said grief counselors will be available for students and families following Boyster's death.

"Our hearts are with the student's family, friends, and everyone impacted by this unimaginable loss," Superintendent Dr. Jon Isaacson said in a statement obtained by KMOV. "While words cannot take away the pain of this tragedy, we want our students, staff, and families to know they are not alone. We are committed to providing support and care for everyone who is grieving during this difficult time."

McDonald's newest menu item has fans begging for one discontinued favorite

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 11:07:13 -0400

McDonald's is rolling out a new Caesar sauce nationwide — and it's already prompting customers to ask the fast-food giant the same question: Where are the salads?

The Illinois-based fast-food chain announced that beginning July 21, and for a limited time, participating restaurants nationwide will offer McDonald's Caesar Sauce, "a creamy, garlicky Parmesan blend infused with notes of lemon that's giving fan-favorite chicken items a glow-up this summer."

The Caesar sauce is designed for chicken items, namely the new Caesar Snack Wrap and the Bacon Caesar McCrispy Sandwich, McDonald's said. There will also be a Caesar Dip Cup available.

‘MCDONALD'S CHANGED THE COURSE OF MY LIFE': CONGRESSMAN SELLS BUSINESS HE BUILT SINCE HIS TEEN YEARS

"Want extra Caesar for dipping and dunking?" McDonald's said in its news release. "You can order dip cups à la carte at participating restaurants."

But as McDonald's promoted the new sauce on Instagram, many commenters focused on what wasn't on the menu.

"To put on what?! Salads still aren't back," an Instagram user wrote alongside an emoji rolling its eyes.

"There better be a salad dropping with this," another user wrote.

"Just bring the shakable salads cups please," commented another.

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"None of your employees or CEO likes salad?" wrote someone else.

"How about bringing back salads to start first, just a thought," someone commented.

"Ok but what about salad shakers to go with?" a user wondered.

Several other Instagram commenters echoed the salad sentiment.

McDonald's has experimented with salads over the years. The Washington Post reported on the debut of the healthier menu item in 1986. The fast-food chain began testing the McSalad Shaker in 1999.

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"The new salads are packaged in a large, clear cup with a domed lid so that customers can pour in the dressing and toss it evenly," the Los Angeles Times reported at the time.

The McSalad Shaker was an official McDonald's item on menus nationwide by 2000.

"The revolutionary packaging concept makes eating a McSalad Shaker easy and fun," Gerald Tomlinson, McDonald's corporate chef, said at the time. "It's very portable, and the clear packaging allows our customers to see the fresh ingredients from top to bottom."

By 2003, however, the McSalad Shaker had been replaced by a line of large-format Premium salads, Food & Wine reported. Salads were discontinued altogether during the COVID-19 pandemic when McDonald's streamlined its menu, according to the publication.

"You know, our founder famously said in 1970, 'I don't know what people are going to be eating in the year 2000, but we're going to serve more of it than anybody else,'" McDonald's USA president Joe Erlinger said during a 2024 interview at the Wall Street Journal's Global Food Forum.

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Erlinger said it's been his experience that salads aren't what customers want from McDonald's.

"One thing that won’t be returning to U.S. restaurants nationally is salads," Erlinger added.

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"The demand just isn't there. They're looking for great french fries. They're looking for a $5 meal deal. They're looking for a hot, fresh sandwich, and so that's what we're going to continue to provide them."

Fox News Digital reached out to McDonald's for comment.

Olympians speak out against WNBA for handling of Caitlin Clark

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 10:55:36 -0400

Caitlin Clark was infamously left off the last U.S. Olympic women's basketball team in Paris in 2024.

Two years later, the controversy surrounding the WNBA's handling of Clark has reached many corners of the sports world, and caught the attention of Olympians from multiple countries.

After weeks of controversy, ignited by a punch to Clark's throat by another player and has since featured Clark screaming in the face of referees on Wednesday night, eight Olympians across three countries have come forward to Fox News Digital to speak out against the WNBA in defense of Clark.

Nancy Hogshead, three-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer for the U.S.

"The WNBA needs the courage to act decisively for athlete safety. Caitlin Clark is a generational superstar, but she deserves the same protection as every player," Hogshead told Fox News Digital.

"The WNBA cannot continue to allow any dangerous conduct to go unchecked. A fist pressed against a player's throat is never 'just part of the game.' It's wildly unacceptable. WNBA: Enforce your rules, hold offenders accountable, and put athlete safety first."

Anthony Watson, first Olympian to represent Jamaica in skeleton

"As an Olympian, I’ve always believed sports has never been about what you look like or where you come from. It’s always been finding the answer to the one pressing question: can the champion stay on top, or can the next contender rise up and take their place? The athletes who prepare the hardest, perform when the pressure is the hardest, and deliver in the biggest moments are the ones who earn respect. Caitlin Clark has done exactly that. Yet instead of celebrating her elite competition, too much of the conversation has shifted to who she is rather than what she’s accomplished," Watson told Fox News Digital.

"She has faced repeated hard fouls and relentless criticism, that if roles were reversed people would now use race as an excuse and the league always looks like it’s reacting instead of leading.The reality is that Caitlin Clark brought unprecedented attention back to the WNBA.

"The league had passionate fans before she arrived, but her impact expanded the audience in a way that’s hard to ignore. That’s what transcendent athletes do for their generation, they elevate the sport. Every era has someone willing to push the standard higher, and that’s how sports grow.

"Her legacy is already taking shape. The challenge now isn’t proving if she belongs because she has already shown that. It’s continuing to perform at an elite level while the league does its part to protect its players and let the competition, not the controversy, be the headline story.

Donna de Varona, two-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer for the U.S.

"For those of us pioneers who had no college or professional sports opportunities and have worked tirelessly to elevate all women in sports, the abuse behavior directed at Caitlin Clark is disrespectful and shortsighted. A talented performer in any sport lifts up everyone. Players who do not understand this are undermining the WNBA," de Varona told Fox News Digital.

Katie Uhlaender, U.S. skeleton athlete, five-time Olympian

"Holy Cow! That’s what I thought when seeing a fist on Caitlin’s throat. Then to hear Sophie [Cunningham] say she feels they are targeting her? What’s being done about this?" Uhlaender told Fox News Digital.

"Safety is not a political issue. All players deserve fair play, safety, and sports are at their best when the focus is on the game, not on whether the integrity of the officials are up to standard. If athletes are questioning the officials, what is the WNBA doing to address that? I want to see the integrity of the rules upheld consistently, so should the WNBA."

Steffen Gebhardt, Olympian and world champion for Germany in modern pentathlon

"The goal of every functional sports league should be to promote the sport and the athletes in the sport. The goal of all of the athletes in the league should be to showcase their athleticism to the fans. When the public focus of the league becomes peripheral drama having nothing to do with the fundamental sport, the league will always suffer," Gebhardt told Fox News Digital.

Eli Bremer, U.S. modern pentathlete at Beijing 2008

"The WNBA never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity. Having spent years falling all over themselves seemingly trying to build a social movement rather than an actual sports league, they are now botching a once in a generation opportunity with an athlete like Caitlin Clark," Bremer told Fox News Digital.

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"If the WNBA wants to become a truly relevant sports league that offers women a high-paid professional opportunity, they will need to clear out the petty drama and focus on building a world-class sporting operation that supports their star athletes."

Inga Thompson, U.S. women's cyclist, three-time Olympian

"I noticed that after the letter was sent by members of Congress, news media called out the 11th best player vote by fellow players, criticism of the officiating. The last game changed from gutter/thug ball to professional ball. I hope Caitlin is finally going to be recognized as a passionate athlete and a generational player. Celebrate her, her awesome teammates, and the WNBA. All should thrive, instead of this ripping apart everything to its demise," Thompson told Fox News Digital.

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Carrie Englert Zimmerman, U.S. women's gymnast at Montreal 1976

"The WNBA has not been aggressive enough in protecting Caitlin Clark. Every player in the league deserves the same safeguards when they step on the court. The WNBA’s responsibility is to enforce its rules consistently and make it clear that talent should be challenged by great basketball, not by unchecked cheap shots," Zimmerman told Fox News Digital.

Country star Riley Green reveals why fan emotion at his shows beats industry awards every time

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 10:54:06 -0400

Riley Green finds pleasure in the simple things in life.

Green has become a legit country music superstar over the past couple years, and his rise has been a ton of fun to watch.

He's currently on tour, but that's not all he's cooking up. Green's new album "That's Just Me" comes out on September 18th.

RILEY GREEN'S NEW 'THINK AS YOU DRUNK' MUSIC VIDEO IS WINNING OVER COUNTRY MUSIC FANS

So, how does one of country music's biggest stars find joy?

His answer is shockingly simple and straightforward.

Riley Green explains what actually makes him happy

Green appeared on Theo Von's incredibly popular podcast "This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von" for an episode released Wednesday, and he shared some refreshing comments about success, fame and what makes him happy.

COUNTRY STAR GABBY BARRETT SAYS SHE 'SLEPT IN THE CAR' BEFORE 'AMERICAN IDOL' CHANGED HER LIFE

How much do awards and professional attention matter to Green? Not nearly as much as the fans at his shows do.

"For me, I think I appreciate a lot more a sold out show, but when fans are there and they're like singing a song that I wrote and it, like, I can tell it means something to them. There's emotion in it, like that means more to me than an award."

Von also asked the country music icon about if he feels pride in what he's done, and he shared a very humbling answer.

"I think that you got to find things in your life that you do feel proud of yourself about. Like for me, it's not musical achievements. For me, I feel proud about my farm. I feel proud that I, you know, could put my parents in a nice house and buy my dad a truck. I feel more for that than anything I've ever bought myself, you know, and like my niece and nephew sending me pictures, my sister, of them catching fish in my lake. Like, I'm proud of, like, that. And that those are things that I know will last forever," the "Jesus Saves" singer explained.

You can watch Green's full comments in the video below starting around 1:15:00, and let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.

It's always great to hear someone speak a little common sense, especially when there is very little in the entertainment industry.

Seeking attention from industry insiders or awards shows is a waste of time. It's about the people close to you and the fans.

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That's all it's ever about because those are the people who actually care at the end of the day, especially family and friends.

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Everything else is a distraction.

What do you think about Green's comments? Let me know at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.

Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu look to snap Dallas Wings' five-game winning streak

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 10:47:42 -0400

At the beginning of the WNBA season, there were two teams that people assumed would win the WNBA Championship. One of them was the New York Liberty. The other was the Las Vegas Aces. After all, the teams have won the past four championships. The Minnesota Lynx were expected to be fine, but take a step back due to missing their MVP. We go into tonight's game with the Liberty looking anything but a championship contender, and their challenger, the Wings, looking like they could be.

The Liberty are one of those teams that has plenty of star power, but things just aren't going great this season. Let us start with the good - Breanna Stewart remains one of the best players in the league, and she is dominating with 20.4 points per game. They won when it mattered most (so far), by taking the WNBA Commissioner's Cup. It looks like Sabrina Ionescu is finally getting back in her stride. However, outside of the Cup, they are just 2-7 over their last nine games.

Maybe this is just a matter of the Liberty knowing they need to get into the playoffs, then do their damage. They've shown signs of being streaky all season. They had an eight-game winning streak, but as mentioned, they've struggled as well. Like most teams, they've had to deal with injuries, and that can be a problem for getting a consistent lineup to gel. I think the Liberty ultimately will be fine, but they probably need to make a run fairly soon.

I won't break my arm patting myself on the back, but of all the WNBA teams, I picked the Wings to have the biggest step forward this season. They had two players who were added to the roster, who I thought would make a big impact. The first is Azzi Fudd, the number one overall pick in this past year's draft. I know, great insight, saying the first pick would be helpful. After looking a bit timid early in the year, she is now shooting much better and playing better as well. She is third on her team in shot attempts, and I think that helps give her teammate Paige Bueckers some options for another threat on the court with her.

The other person whom I expected to make an impact was Alanna Smith. She will not be available in tonight's game and has played in 20 of their 24 games. She has also started only seven games for the Wings. She is not making the impact I expected. She is a 3-and-D player and was a co-Defensive Player of the Year last year. The Wings struggled on defense significantly last year, and I thought she would help transform that part of the game.

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For the year, the Wings are still allowing 85 points per game, which is better than last season, but not great. The Liberty aren't much better at 84 points per game. Dallas is also playing some of their best basketball, having won five straight games. They've run their record to 16-8 for the season and look like they will make the postseason.

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I'm going to take a shot on the Liberty tonight. This game is a bit of a toss-up, but the Liberty have lost the first two games to the Wings this season, and now are on the verge of being swept for the season. I also like that the Liberty lost to the Wings just a few days ago. I know that Dallas is playing better basketball, but I think the pride comes out a bit here and New York wins. Give me them at +105.

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

Dems roasted for comparing Hegseth's testosterone initiative to 'gender-affirming care'

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 10:44:28 -0400

Democrats, including Sens. Adam Schiff of California and Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, are being mocked online for likening the Pentagon’s new testosterone testing and treatment plan to cross-sex "gender-affirming care."

Following Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s announcement that the military would begin screening for testosterone deficiency, Democratic leaders quickly took to social media to mock the program as a return to "gender-affirming care."

"Pete Hegseth comes out in favor of gender-affirming care…," wrote Schiff, while Hirono wrote, "So the Pentagon is promoting gender-affirming care now?" Several other Democrats piled on with similar posts.

Their posts, however, were met with immediate pushback.

MED SCHOOL DEANS COME UP EMPTY IN TENSE HEARING WHEN ASKED POINT BLANK IF MEN CAN HAVE BABIES: 'RIDICULOUS'

Commenting on Schiff’s post, one user wrote, "Giving testosterone to men is gender-affirming and not harmful. Chemically castrating a boy or a double mastectomy on a girl is gender-denying, irreversible and harmful. [Schiff] is not only a liar, he is stupid."

In response to a post by Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., saying, "Sounds like gender-affirming care to me," conservative influencer "Just a Bama Gal" shot back, "Not even close."

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., even brought up the program during a House hearing, bashing it as "absurd" and suggesting that the government could begin testing whether representatives are "male enough to be in Congress."

"The Secretary of Forever Wars, Pete Hegseth, just announced they are going to provide hormone therapy to male service members who don’t have enough testosterone," Jayapal wrote on X. "Let’s be clear: This is gender-affirming care, and it completely debunks all of Republicans’ attacks on trans people."

In response, one user who goes by the name Ellie May wrote, "Let’s be clear your ignorance is showing. Giving your body more of something that it naturally produces is not the equivalent of giving your body the exact opposite it needs to thrive and survive."

DEMOCRATS REVOLT OVER 'BIOLOGICAL' WORDING IN WOMEN'S HISTORY MUSEUM BILL

"Are you crazy???" responded another user named Leah Babcock, "When a woman goes through menopause and gets hormone replacement she’s not suddenly a trans person."

Hegseth announced the program in a post on Wednesday. He explained the military would begin testosterone screening for service members over 30 and optional screening for those under 30 as part of its annual health assessment.

Hegseth said that if treatment is recommended, service members will have the choice of undergoing testosterone replacement therapy. He clarified, "This is not about artificial enhancement; it’s about restoring and optimizing your natural capabilities, protecting your longevity and ensuring you have the biological foundation required to sustain the fight."

In an X post, he labeled his announcement "the High-T Department of War."

Meaghan Mobbs, a former Army paratrooper and president of the nonprofit the R.T. Weatherman Foundation, posted on X, "If you are one of the people melting down because the Department of War wants to screen men over 30 for testosterone deficiency, I am begging you to spend ten minutes reading the science before letting Hegseth Derangement Syndrome rob you of common sense."

"Testosterone is not some cosmetic ‘masculinity’ metric," Mobbs explained. "It is a major endocrine signal tied to muscle mass, bone density, red blood cell production, metabolism, sexual function, energy, concentration, mood, recovery, and physical performance. Clinically low testosterone can present as exhaustion, loss of strength and muscle, impaired concentration, irritability, depressed mood, reduced motivation, and diminished sexual function."

She said that "for years, veterans, clinicians, and military families have begged the system to [take] endocrine health more seriously," adding, "Now someone finally is. Thank God."

TRUMP SAYS US IS ‘BOOMING,’ PREDICTS IRAN WILL BE ‘DEFEATED VERY SOON’

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Likewise, Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services Adm. Brian Christine wrote, "I fully support Secretary Hegseth’s initiative at the Department of War in recognizing the importance of healthy testosterone levels in its warfighting men!"

"Optimizing testosterone supports strength, endurance, healthy body composition, cognitive performance, mission readiness, and overall well-being—ensuring America’s fighting force is prepared to perform at its highest level," wrote Christine.

Memphis pizza joint sparks backlash after owner refuses to serve National Guard troops

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 10:30:45 -0400

A Memphis pizza restaurant is facing backlash after refusing service to four members of the Tennessee National Guard last weekend, with the owner telling Fox News Digital he stands by the decision and would "make the same decision tomorrow."

Miles Tamboli, owner of Tamboli's Pasta & Pizza, said he refused to serve the Guardsmen on Saturday night because he opposes the federally led Memphis Safe Task Force, arguing the use of National Guard troops in local law enforcement has made the city less safe rather than more secure.

"I love this country and I love this city, and that is exactly why I made this call," Tamboli told Fox News Digital in a statement. "I want Memphis to be safe. Every business owner does. And the honest truth is that Memphis was already getting safer before this Task Force ever arrived. Crime was at a 25-year low through the first eight months of 2025, according to the Memphis Police Department's own data, later confirmed by an independent Tennessee Bureau of Investigation audit. That progress was earned by the people of this city. It was not delivered by soldiers."

TEXAS BAKERY SAYS IT'S 'EMBARRASSED' BY AMERICA, CALLS MAGA 'A CULT' IN JULY 4 MESSAGE

The Memphis Safe Task Force is a federally led initiative established in September 2025 by President Donald Trump to stop violent crime in the city. The task force combines local police with agents from various federal agencies, the Tennessee National Guard, and state troopers to enforce public safety laws.

"What the Task Force has actually done is make this city harder to live in," Tamboli continued. "Its own records show that the overwhelming majority of its arrests began with routine traffic stops, not violent crime. Families in this city are now afraid to drive to work, afraid to take their kids to school, afraid to be seen. Our own schools reported that fear drove children to stop showing up to class. And this month, a 20-year-old Memphian named Tyrin Johnson was shot and killed by National Guard troops during a foot chase, with no body camera footage and no answers for his family. None of that makes us safer. It makes us less safe, and it does the most damage to the people who were already struggling."

Tamboli said he believes that the approach being taken to address public safety isn’t correct.

ICE AGENTS INSTRUCTED TO END MOST VEHICLE STOPS IN MAJOR POLICY SHIFT

"Being pro-safety means telling the truth about what actually protects a community, and it is not soldiers trained for combat doing the work of police officers," Tamboli said. "That mismatch is dangerous for the people of Memphis and dangerous for the troops themselves, who were sent here to do a job they were never trained for. The founders wrote their objection to standing armies among the people into the Declaration of Independence itself, because they understood that a free country does not let the military police its own citizens. That principle is older than any political party, and I am not willing to abandon it because it became inconvenient."

On his restaurant’s website, Tamboli said that his family came to the mid-South in 1909 and were part of a group of people who eventually were called the Delta Italians.

"Months ago I joined dozens of other local businesses in a public commitment to stand against the military policing our streets, an act of patriotism and conscience both, and I would make the same decision tomorrow," Tamboli said.

Tamboli admitted in an interview with News Channel 3 in Memphis that it had been bad for business.

"None of it changes my position. If anything, it confirms why this matters," Tamboli told the outlet.

UNITED PASSENGER SAYS CREW ORDERED HIM TO CHANGE CONTROVERSIAL T-SHIRT BEFORE HE COULD TRAVEL

Users on X shared outrage over the incident, with one person writing, "I’m from Memphis. Tamboli’s Pasta & Pizza refused to serve uninformed Tennessee National Guard members who were just trying to eat. Their owner turned them away. That’s unacceptable. I stand with the National Guard. Businesses that disrespect the men and women protecting our city don’t deserve our support," and included the hashtag, #BoycottTamboli.

Another person wrote, "I hope every patriotic pizza lover in Memphis knows that @nicktamboli owner of Taboli's Pizza is a leftist scumbag, who refuses to serve members of the Tennessee National Guard. It would be a shame if his business suffered a boycott, because ‘in this classroom we believe’... patriotism is real."

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Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., also took to X to comment on the situation, writing, "When I get home I’m driving to Memphis and not eating there."

Fox News Digital reached out to the Tennessee Military Department and Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee for comment.

Fox News ‘Antisemitism Exposed’ Newsletter: Spotlighting 250 years of Jewish contributions to America

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 10:09:26 -0400

Fox News' "Antisemitism Exposed" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world.

IN TODAY’S NEWSLETTER:
- America’s 250th: 'J250' initiative puts Jewish contributions in the spotlight
- Mamdani map erases NYC's Jewish, Italian histories
- Jewish House Democrat recalls colleague saying there is no antisemitism, and 'all the Jews are rich'

TOP STORY: U.S. antisemitism envoy Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun has launched the "J250 Initiative" to champion "pro-Semitism"—a proactive educational movement celebrating Jewish-American contributions. Debuting during America’s 250th anniversary amidst rising hate crimes, the project shifts the focus from defense to pride, honoring the Jewish patriots, scientists, and cultural icons who have shaped the nation since its founding.

VIDEO: Sandra Smith discusses with Cornell Law Professor William Jacobson the concerning rise of antisemitism in the U.S., which a new survey reveals is forcing many Jewish Americans to conceal their identities. WATCH HERE:

MAP MADNESS: Mayor Zohran Mamdani is backtracking after his 2026 FIFA World Cup "immigrant enclaves" map sparked outrage for wiping historic communities off the grid. Along with erasing Little Italy and Irish hubs, City Hall somehow "forgot" NYC's massive, legendary Jewish neighborhoods. Mamdani claims the snub was accidental, but critics slam the socialist mayor's selective mapping.

SHOCKING SLUR: Vermont Democrat Becca Balint is "shaken to her core" after a stunning Capitol Hill confrontation. Balint revealed a fellow House Democrat dismissed rising antisemitism because "all the Jews are rich." As progressives now use Israel as a toxic political litmus test, terrified Jewish Democrats warn they are being frozen right out of their own party by hostile, angry grassroots agitators.

GUEST EDITORIAL: Shahar Azani, former spokesperson of Israel’s consulate in New York, writes that the relationship between the United States and Israel is a reciprocal strategic partnership built on shared values, not a one-way welfare agreement. Highlighting how Israeli intelligence and military innovations, joint defense systems like Iron Dome and critical warnings that protected U.S. troops from Iranian attacks—directly save American lives, Azani argues that security assistance to Israel is a vital investment.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "Teaching the world about the greatest Jewish contributors to American history gives people the knowledge to counter those who spread hate and lies about the American Jewish community." - Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, the U.S. special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism.

- Looking for more on this topic? Find more antisemitism coverage from Fox News here.

- Did someone forward you this email? Subscribe to additional newsletters from Fox News here.

- Want live updates? Get the Fox News app here

Jimmy Fallon swipes at Biden’s upcoming memoir, jokes Kamala Harris wrote the end of it

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 10:06:14 -0400

Late-night host Jimmy Fallon swiped at former President Joe Biden on Wednesday during "The Tonight Show" after the ex-president announced he would be releasing a memoir in November.

Biden's memoir, "Promise Me, America," will chronicle his presidency and reveal the "deeply agonizing calculation" behind his decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race, according to a press release announcing the book. The memoir is set to come out on Nov. 17, about two weeks after the midterms.

Fallon showed a picture of the cover of the book and said, "The book was written by a ghost writer, Joe Biden."

EX-BIDEN STAFFER BLAMES BIDEN'S 'HUBRIS' FOR THE 'HELLSCAPE THAT WE LIVE IN': REPORT

"It’s the second book Biden has written," the late-night comedian said. "The first was ‘The Odyssey.’"

He quipped that the book was about what the former president remembered from his presidency and said, "So it's three pages."

Fallon then brought former Vice President Kamala Harris into his bit and added, "It’s kind of a strange book because toward the end it starts being written by Kamala Harris."

WATCH: KAMALA HARRIS TORCHED OVER ‘ZERO SENSE’ WNBA PEP TALK IN LATEST ‘WORD SALAD’ MOMENT

Fox News Digital reached out to representatives of the former president for comment about the jokes but didn't immediately hear back.

Biden announced the book in a video posted to X Wednesday. He added that he has been receiving treatment for his cancer diagnosis and that it has been going "really well."

"It's about the challenges we face as a nation and about the decisions I made and why I made them, leading the country through COVID, rebuilding our economy and restoring our democracy after the attack on January 6th, ending our nation's longest war in Afghanistan, strengthening NATO and supporting Ukraine," Biden said.

Lindy Li, a former top Democratic fundraiser, said Biden was only doing himself a disservice by promising the public another explanation of why he decided to run for re-election in 2024 despite mounting concerns about his age and cognitive performance.

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In her view, Biden’s upcoming memoir will only serve to reopen painful wounds that Democrats have struggled to move past since the 2024 election loss. In a way, she believes the book is a bit of a microcosm of Biden’s presidency.

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"They’re thinking, ‘Why can’t you just shut the f--- up?’ Prior to me leaving the party, they wanted nothing to do with this guy. It was so bad that when, finally, Biden exited on July 21, there was no goodbye party other than a staffer one in the Rose Garden. There was nothing," Li said.

Fox News' Ashley J. DiMella contributed to this report.

Jena Sims slips into a stunning golf outfit at The Open, Brits were furious after loss & Canadian smoke

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 10:02:02 -0400

Holy smoke. Welcome in for another edition of Screencaps where we address the heavy plume of smoke from Canadian wildfires (allegedly) that is hanging over NW Ohio. We're probably talking some of the worst air quality in the world right now and it's literally over the Screencaps HQ.

How bad is it? Just opening an external door will take your breath away. That's not an exaggeration. It's actually eery how still it is. The smoke, and the putrid plastic smell is just hovering.

Which brings me to this thought: How is it possible that these Canadian wildfires weren't a thing until three summers ago? The New York Times says it's all climate change. CBC, Canada's national news outlet, is currently telling kids on its CBC Kids News site that "wildfires are likely to happen more often. They may also be more powerful."

FIRST ON FOX: SCHOOL LIED, HID DAUGHTER'S GENDER TRANSITION UNDER DISTRICT POLICY, PARENTS ALLEGE

Why? Climate change. "The Canadian government is working on plans to adapt to — or prepare for — this reality," CBC says.

And what's in that plan? They're not saying.

Where does this all go? I'd love to hear from you guys. I hate to be a conspiracy theorist, but this is a moment in time we should be on high alert. What are the politicians up to?

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CALIFORNIA RESTAURANT OWNER HITS PARENTS OF BRATTY KIDS WITH HEFTY FINES FOR TRASHING HIS BUSINESS

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– Chris B. understands why I told the kids to get out of the grass, which would be drug into the pool, which I would've had to clean up: It looks like you have the same problem I have, friend come over and rules are thrown out the window I currently have a 9 & 11 year old and it’s been a struggle over the past couple years since we got the pool to not have them act like little maniacs. I have no issue letting them have it and the parents that come over don’t seem to have a problem with it either. Biggest issue I have is when they play in the spa and empty it. We have a shelf they can play on and yet it’s always the spa where they go and it’s not even on. Then they go to side yard with little supervision where somebody always seems to get either hurt, break something, or drag sand from the horseshoe pits into the pool. It’s always something and then my kids wonder why we don’t let them invite people over.

– Scott in Florida reacts to the 13 year olds who want to go Spring Break 1989 on our pool: You are absolutely correct with enforcing your pool rules. I had a pool growing up and we had pool rules established by my dad. I’ve had 2 of my own houses and they both had a pool. I adopted my dad’s saying when it came to the pool.

He would say "My house, my pool, my rules. If you don't like the pool rules, then go swim at someone else’s house." My dad had no problem yelling at me or my friends when we weren’t following the pool rules. I had no problem yelling at my kids or their friends when they weren’t following the pool rules. The rules are there for safety of the kids.

Kids can be stupid and do stupid things. Especially when a pool is involved. Keep enforcing your pool rules.

– Ryan Hyatt in west Texas says: While I've never had a pool, I have had a house and the rules at the house have always been simple...My house, my rules.

The rules applied to my son growing up and to his friends when they were here at the house.

For you, when it comes to a pool, it's simple again. You paid for the pool. You pay for the insurance for the pool. You have rules for your sons and you have rules for your house. Why? It's your house.

If the 13-year olds want to get a job, start a great media empire and build a nice house with a pool, they can and they can have their own rules. Until then, you paid the freight you make the rules.

So we get to the part where your son's buddy says, "come over to my house and we'll rock out! No rules! No Worries!"

Awesome...

This is where it gets even more fun to be a Dad.

This is where you get to tell your son that his friends parents can parent any way they want. They can have any rules at their pool they want... But... Our family rules extend beyond our home and our pool. We expect you to follow the same rules we established here at our home when you're away from home at anyone else's house. No exceptions.

Our family rule are actually family values. Values travel.

So, go over to your friend's pool, have a great time, but don't violate your values. And if you do, the punishment will be the same as if you did it right here at your own home!

Harsh?

No.

It's fair and clear and will give kid's the "excuse" they need with their friends to do the right thing when you're not there...

You're doing a great job, even if you can't seem to find some high-level 14-year old pitchers whose parents are willing to let them blowout their elbows throwing baby sliders for no reason...

– Bob E. tells me: Jumping into the pool (is that allowed, heh) on SCJ and friends. It's simple, your casa-your rules. SCJ can have a pre-pool chat with his buddies about expectations (rules), and there'll still be plenty of fun. SCJ will appreciate you being a parent, not the cool dad, when he matures. I'll wager the rogue friend probably doesn't get much correction at home which translates into his reaction at the Kinsey abode.

On business last week in New Mexico, I shared an elevator ride with a dad and lad there for a U-15 baseball tournament. Homebase for them is Denver, Colorado and mom and sister were in Tennessee for a dance competition. Stepping out of the elevator, I commented my travel ball (soccer) years were done and how travel ball is all about dollars now. Dad said his son's baseball club has A, B, and C teams. Yearly cost for the A team is $6,000, and the C team is $2,500. I didn't ask what the 6k included and didn't ask his son's designated team. Between transportation, hotel, meals and split parenting events, I'm thinking that's an easy 3-4k weekend for them, yikes!

– Matt B. in Dunwoody, GA checks in: I'm assuming most responses to your pool quandary will be similar, but my take is: Your House, Your Rules. I took my oldest on a bucket list trip to Australia when he was 10. We stayed a night on the front and back end of the trip with a college buddy who's an expat living there with his Aussie wife and kids. One of his boys had a couple buddies stop by after a basketball game. As I was sitting at my computer in their kitchen, the two friends around age 10 walked up to me, stuck out their hands and introduced themselves. My buddy walks in and I go 'what just happened?'. He didn't follow, so I told him about the introductions. My buddy's like, 'Oh that's how they do it here. If you go to someone's house, you introduce yourself to the adults and then get on to playing. It teaches respect and familiarity.' To this day, when mine go out, I try to remind them to 'Be like an Australian'.

– Brad S. says it's time to look at our insurance policy: With two teens at home (F13, M15), we become the go-to place in the summer because of our backyard pool.

I can say that I haven't had a problem with the boys because my son keeps the others in check—no three-tiered chicken fights, and no jumping from the ladder or the sides of our above-ground pool.Two years ago, they probably wouldn't have listened as well! The girls, however, have to be reminded constantly to keep the screaming down—especially at night. The neighbor on one side is 94, and the family on the other side has a baby and a toddler. I definitely don't want any complaints!

If you have a pool, make sure you have the proper home insurance coverage. As an insurance guy, here's what I insist for all my clients: Your liability coverage should be at least a million dollars, and I always suggest an additional one-million dollar umbrella policy. You never think anything bad will happen, but if it does, you're protected.

– Tom T. adds perspective on neighborhood dads and their rules: I think you are absolutely correct in chastising the teen boys that break your undoubtedly easy rules for the pool. When I was 16, I drove down to my buddy’s house 200 yards away, and got my little Dodge Colt up to 3rd gear. When I pulled in his driveway, his dad told me I was going way too fast, and did not need to get into 3rd gear to drive down the freaking block. I said "Yes, sir", and it was all forgotten. I remember it to this day, and shake my head at what a young dipshit I was at the time.

– Ken from Shamong, NJ knows what I'm going through: There must be rules or else chaos will happen. Our high school age daughter hosted a pool party at our house. Lounge furniture was being thrown into the pool. Our daughter was told to address that or I would. Her choice. She addressed it. Other rules were back packs were left in the house and gates were locked and if you left you did not come back. The kids choose to party somewhere else next time. I was happy and they were happy. Win - win for everyone.

– Michael from Pittsburgh says: Noticed this strongly over the weekend at an engagement cookout we hosted for my 24YO son and his fiance. Have noticed it casually over the past few years.

Kids my son's age, whom I've known most of their lives, all of a sudden want to no longer call me Mr. Instead they're going first name basis. I politely say, "Let's stick with Mr. Last Name Here"

I'm 59, and when I go back to my old neighborhood, I call all the adults Mr & Mrs to this day. I also insist that my kids stick with the formal salutation for all of the parents in our circle.

Am I making a bigger deal of this than necessary?

Kinsey: I'm of the belief that you grow up knowing what you know. I didn't grow up using Mr. [last name] to address adults and I haven't raised my kids that way either, but they damn well better show respect for the adult. Is it less respect to not use Mr.? That's for you guys to debate. I think, at the end of the day, respect is respect. I don't need a neighbor kid calling me Mr. Kinsey. Call me Joe and don't be a moron in the pool.

– Michael has hammered me in the past when I hammer football refs, but this email is pretty much an olive branch: Have really enjoyed your take on travel ball (of all forms) in recent weeks. I am lucky that Mrs. Referee and I are aligned on our travel ball stances - all 3 of our boys play rec baseball currently and not only enjoy it but are pretty good at it.

We’ve decided that we won’t get our boys into travel ball (or as it’s called here in California, "comp" baseball) until they’ve gone past their 12U season - for many reasons, not just the money (although that plays into it). We had a very recent experience that solidified our stance even more, that I think you and a lot of your readers may appreciate (and be a little horrified by).

Our local little league is a bit travel ball-obsessed, and we take it as a badge of honor that our boys play just as well (or even better) than the kids who cost their parents thousands of dollars every year. We both know that we’re resented by more than a few parents in our league as a result of it. Our 11-year-old finally experienced some of the gatekeeping this year, unfortunately.

For whatever reason, the 11U and 12U all star teams include player voting in their selection process (it’s even recommended to do this in the Little League rule book!), and since he doesn’t have travel ball creds, a lot of the kids didn’t bother voting for him this season, even after establishing himself as the strongest 11-year old pitcher in the league with 50 K in 34 IP, 3.52 ERA and 1 CG - thanks GameChanger! He wasn’t voted on to the 11U team this year, and I found out after the fact this was largely due to the player voting - despite being highly touted by most of the coaches.

Being on the board (as the umpire-in-chief, natch) I was privy to a lot of the politics so I knew this was a possibility. He was a bit bummed not to make this year’s team after making last year’s 10U team, but he was quickly on to the next thing, as is typical for him.

That is, until we get a call from the team’s manager last Sunday deciding that he did need our son after all. One player had gone down to injury and another had left on a vacation that his parents swore they wouldn’t take if they got that far in the tournament.

Now all of a sudden after their first loss (double-elimination) it’s up to Referee Jr. and one other kid (also brought on late, in a similar situation) to save the team. Both of them pitched well, but with no run support the team lost and that was that. Ultimately we were happy that he got his all-star experience but miffed that it happened this way.

Kinsey: Thank you to Michael for having his boy Make Rec Ball Great Again. His son won't end up some downtrodden dork because he didn't go to Cooperstown after begging his aunts and uncles for $100 donations.

It's slim pickings at these golf tournaments these days with Dustin Johnson not in The Open, which means Paulina Gretzky is at home. We just don't have the interesting golf wives like 10 years ago. Jena is a dying breed. That's why we have to cherish these moments.

Brooksie is 36. We're not going to get many more years of Jena dumping out content at these tournaments. Enjoy these days before they're gone.

Nothing good can come of this, Jerry. Actively running after someone yelling your name during a backswing at a celebrity tournament you're not going to win, and where double bogey is your friend, is not smart. Jerry finished the American Century Championship in 42nd place, one spot behind Carson Daly.

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Jerry, you're 63. Relax.

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And that is it. The smoke has the sky looking orange. It's a good day to work on the Internet, so let's get after it.

Jimmy Failla recalls double-parking cab on 6th Avenue to squeeze in first FOX TV appearance

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 10:00:40 -0400

"Fox News Saturday Night" host Jimmy Failla looked back on his unlikely path to becoming a FOX personality, recalling his first television appearance while still driving a New York City cab — and keeping it double-parked outside the studio.

"When I was first getting booked on FOX, I was legitimately a cab driver... my first hit at FOX, I had my cab double-parked on 6th Avenue with the trunk open and the hazards on, because I was trying to make sure I didn't get a parking ticket..." he told the "Hang Out With Sean Hannity" podcast.

"I literally went in and did a hit and ran back out and had to finish my shift," he added.

SEAN HANNITY, RILEY GAINES SHOWS AMONG PODCASTS JOINING FOX ONE'S EXPANDED STREAMING PORTFOLIO

Failla, who appeared on Thursday's episode of Sean Hannity's podcast, said he landed the first hit after performing at the Gotham Comedy Club when he was approached with an offer to appear on Kennedy's FOX Business show.

"[A producer] was like, 'Hey, wanna be on FOX tomorrow?' And I was like, 'Yeah... I didn't even know if it was real," he recounted.

Despite dropping in for the special debut appearance, more work had to be done. Failla still had to drive the remainder of his shift for the day, so he stopped for an hour and did a hit at FOX before getting back to the driver's seat.

JEFF FOXWORTHY SAYS HOLLYWOOD HAS NOT UNDERSTOOD REGULAR AMERICANS IN A ‘LONG, LONG TIME’

After the segment aired, Failla couldn't resist sharing the milestone with the passengers who climbed into his cab.

"I told every passenger and everyone, 'I'm on TV tonight!' And they were like, 'Honey, let's get out at the next light, I think he's on the pot,'" he quipped.

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Failla now hosts "Fox News Saturday Night," the nationally syndicated "FOX Across America" radio show and is a frequent fixture across FOX News Media platforms, a far cry from the days when he had to squeeze television appearances into the middle of a taxi shift.

To catch Failla's full appearance on Hannity's podcast, look for the latest episode on iHeart, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other major podcast platforms.

Fetterman reveals what it would take for him to leave Democratic Party

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 08:56:55 -0400

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., has "no plans" to leave the Democratic Party but if it officially became the "anti-Israel party," count him out.

"My long-term concern has been with the Democratic Party, as I am a member of that, is that our party is going to back away and turn their back to Israel," he said Wednesday at the Hill Nation Summit in Washington, D.C.

"If our party ever becomes, and just makes it official, the anti-Israel party, that’s when I would leave because that’s been a moral clarity for me."

The news comes as Fetterman and fellow Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., launch a rare joint fundraising PAC called "Common Ground PA" this month, according to FEC filings, and Fetterman's breaks from Democratic Party votes have become increasingly apparent since he was elected in 2022 and took office Jan. 3, 2023.

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

"Though I was elected as a Democrat, I’m proud to serve all Pennsylvanians," Fetterman wrote in a May op-ed, delivering the age-old mantra that he has not changed from his principles, the party has. "It has become increasingly lonely to serve in that way, but I firmly believe it’s what is needed.

"My party cannot simply be the opposite of whatever President Donald Trump says. The president could come out for ice cream and lazy Sundays, and my party would suddenly hate them. Such pointless pile-ons and attacks are unproductive. The American people want us to work together to find solutions on issues they and our country face."

His lines in the sand, he wrote, had been laid bare on:

Israel
Open borders
Party toxicity
Anti-Trump reflex
Obstruction and government shutdowns
Defund the police
Lack of "working across the aisle"
Poor candidate vetting
Rejection of voter ID

JOHN FETTERMAN’S FALL FROM HERO TO HERETIC EXPOSES DEMOCRATS’ HARD LEFT TURN

The push away from Israel has become a "long-term concern" that he "can’t understand" and might ultimately become the ultimate red line for him, he told the Hill Nation Summit.

"You look at the kinds of individuals that are winning our recent primaries," he said. "It’s becoming more... anti-Israel and hostile to people."

Fetterman declined to discuss what he called "private conversations" with Republicans on a potential party switch, but he wrote in May he would first become independent.

"Being an independent voice that works with the other side to deliver for Pennsylvanians might put me at odds with the party that I have stayed committed to and have no plans to leave — but I will continue to put the commonwealth and the country first," he wrote.

"Plus, I’d be a terrible Republican who still votes overwhelmingly with Democrats."

WHY TRUMP, GOP ARE COURTING JOHN FETTERMAN, WHO INSISTS HE’LL REMAIN A DEMOCRAT

The latest vow to break from Democratic Party votes is his rejection of the amendment from Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., that would cut off $3.3 billion in annual security assistance to Israel.

He is also increasingly concerned about the primary election successes of progressive candidates who have been sharply critical of Israel – evidence of what he views as a troubling shift inside his party.

Democrats are "trying to ingratiate ourselves with that segment of the base of our voters" that are "intensely, intensely anti-Israel," he warned Wednesday.

Fetterman also raised concerns about Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed’s performance in polling for the state's Senate primary, warning that Democrats could be forced to spend more heavily in the battleground state if El-Sayed becomes the nominee against former Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., who narrowly lost Michigan’s 2024 Senate race.

"Rogers just barely, barely lost in ’24," Fetterman said.

"If El-Sayed wins, then that puts Michigan much more in play for us and would require us to spend more money. What’s defined El-Sayed is the more anti-Israel and hostile-to-Israel thing."

Fetterman also criticized El-Sayed and other progressive candidates over past support for the "defund the police" movement, arguing that his party risks repeating political mistakes from the 2024 election.

"Now here’s more Democrats to ‘defund the police,’" he warned. "Here we are back to part of the worst impulses that we just can’t resist.

"We forgot the crazy things that we said, and that cost us the election in 2024. Now we want to revisit that — if anything, they’re coming back in the strongest kind of terms. Look at the people who are winning."

The senator also took aim at fellow Democrats who backed progressive Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner before Platner ended his campaign following allegations that he raped a woman in 2021.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., forcefully supported Platner, which left him "angry," he said, questioning why Democrats embraced him as the evidence mounted.

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"Why did you push these people? Why did you buy in and then plunge that most consequential Senate race now into chaos?" Fetterman asked, arguing that it is now "more difficult" to defeat Republican Sen. Susan Collins and win control of the narrowly held Senate.

"Where’s the accountability?" Fetterman asked. "Imagine if I would have done that and pushed that kind of individual."

Fox News Digital reached out to Fetterman's Senate office and campaign officials for further comment.

Trump admin fires US attorney in Seattle minutes after he was appointed

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 09:50:54 -0400

The Trump administration took the fight over who controls U.S. attorney appointments to a whole new level, firing a Seattle-based prosecutor less than an hour after he was picked for the job without the blessing of the administration.

"District court judges can appoint a temporary U.S. Attorney, and POTUS can fire them," acting Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote Wednesday on X as he was testifying before the Senate in his confirmation hearing, calling out a U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington state panel for elevating Judge Roger Rogoff to be the top federal prosecutor in Seattle.

"WDWA judges abandoned the time-honored process of consultation with the administration so that the selected U.S. Attorney is qualified to serve in the administration," Blanche said. "Roger Rogoff has been fired by the President."

That post came after Rogoff, 57, a former King County Superior Court judge and longtime state and federal prosecutor, was sworn in before 8 a.m. local time at the federal courthouse in downtown Seattle as U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington.

TRUMP'S AG NOMINEE RACKS UP MASSIVE SUPPORT AHEAD OF CONFIRMATION HEARING: 'REAL RESULTS'

He then went to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and asked to meet with Charles Neil Floyd, the Trump administration’s preferred choice for the job, whose 120-day interim term expired in February.

While Rogoff waited in the lobby, he received an email notifying him that Trump had removed him from office.

Rogoff's situation was not mentioned in Blanche's Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday, but Blanche is back before the Senate again Thursday and Rogoff now might be a notable topic of discussion during his confirmation process.

BIDEN JUDGE REJECTS TRUMP'S SANCTUARY CITIES LAWSUIT, SAYS EVEN A WIN WOULDN'T SOLVE DOJ'S PROBLEM

The quick dismissal came after all 17 active and senior federal judges in the deep-blue district appointed Rogoff to the vacancy. The judges, appointed by five presidents (10 by Democrats and seven by Republicans), had opened an application process after the administration did not send Floyd’s nomination to the Senate and instead kept him in place by making him first assistant U.S. attorney while leaving the top job vacant.

U.S. attorneys, who serve as the Justice Department’s chief federal prosecutors in each district, are normally nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Federal law allows the attorney general to name an interim U.S. attorney for 120 days. If that period expires without a confirmed nominee, district judges may appoint someone to serve until the vacancy is filled.

Because of obstruction by Democrats in the narrowly held Senate, the Trump administration has resorted to using acting titles and other personnel moves to keep its prosecutors in place. Courts have pushed back in several Democrat-heavy districts like Seattle and New Jersey, issuing legal challenges to the Justice Department and White House authority.

"I don’t think it’s the way to run the Department of Justice," Rogoff told The New York Times. "When you have this sort of made up way of putting people in these positions, the process breaks down."

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., opposed Floyd for the U.S. attorney job and blasted Rogoff’s quick firing.

"Throughout his career, he has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to public service, and he was appointed legally by the federal judges in the Western District of Washington," Murray wrote in a statement. "This administration doesn’t want to deal with advice and consent — they just want to install cronies to carry out a corrupt political agenda."

LEGAL WAR ON TRUMP’S AGENDA GAINS FIREPOWER AS FEDERAL LAWYERS DEFECT TO DEMOCRATS

Trump administration officials have long noted that the "advise and consent" role of the Senate does not grant Democrats against Trump's administrative priorities to be a hard block on his agenda and nominees, though.

Rogoff has retained an employment law firm and is considering a legal challenge to his firing.

Fox News Digital reached out to Rogoff for comment.

The Seattle clash follows similar disputes elsewhere. In New Jersey, Alina Habba resigned as the top federal prosecutor after an appeals court said she had been serving unlawfully. In Virginia, Lindsey Halligan left an acting U.S. attorney post after a judge found her appointment unlawful and dismissed indictments she had brought against New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey.

The administration has also fired court-appointed U.S. attorneys in other districts.

Rogoff, who spent 20 years as a state prosecutor and six as a federal prosecutor before becoming a state judge, said he knew the administration might fire him immediately. Despite this, he said he had no qualms about the potential conflict he was walking into, because being U.S. attorney is "the best job there is."

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"I’m really proud of my career," Rogoff said. "The fact that the judges of this district — most of whom I’ve spent my career appearing in front of, or trying cases against, or working with — believed that I was the right person to do this work is just really humbling and amazing."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Rubio puts entire world on notice against rise of 'poisonous' far-left terror 'masked as equality'

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 08:44:55 -0400

Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared Thursday that violent far-left political terrorism "can no longer be denied" as he urged more than 60 countries gathered in Washington to treat the threat as a global counterterrorism priority.

Speaking at the opening of a State Department summit attended by roughly 65 foreign delegations, Rubio said governments had spent too long overlooking what he described as a resurgence of transnational far-left extremist violence and called for greater international cooperation to counter it.

Rubio described radical leftism as "a poisonous resentment cloaked in the language of equality and justice."

TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FAR-LEFT PROTESTERS CLASH WITH POLICE IN ANTI-CONSERVATIVE PARTY RIOTS

"Today we face a new wave of this old evil here in the United States, the share of left-wing terrorist attacks and plots has risen to levels not seen in decades," the secretary went on.

Rubio said the administration is rebuilding the U.S. counterterrorism strategy around what it views as an increasingly transnational threat, announcing that additional foreign terrorist organization designations are forthcoming after the State Department designated four foreign far-left groups in November 2025.

Rubio said far-left extremist networks coordinate across borders by sharing training materials, encrypted communications, financing and safe houses while working alongside hostile foreign states. He argued the United States and its allies must respond by expanding intelligence sharing, law enforcement cooperation and efforts to disrupt terrorist financing.

"You are here because this is real, and it is getting worse, and it can no longer be denied, and it can no longer be ignored," Rubio said. "It is time to crush this evil forever."

"It's time for people of the civilized world to defend themselves," he added.

A foreign terrorist organization designation criminalizes providing material support to the group, enables the U.S. government to freeze assets under its jurisdiction and blocks members from entering the United States.

Governments had spent the past 25 years building systems to combat jihadist terrorism after the Sept. 11 attacks, Madrid train bombings and the London transit attacks, Rubio said, arguing that strategy helped sharply reduce jihadist plots and deaths in the West.

Rubio accused media organizations, universities and other "legacy" institutions of minimizing left-wing violence or treating it as a form of political expression. He pointed to the 2020 riots after George Floyd’s death, saying local officials in some cities refused to prosecute people who committed violence and destruction.

"You will no doubt see the dogma rear its head in the coverage of this very conference, in spite of the clear and the undeniable reality, in spite of the objective numbers and statistics, in spite of the fact that in this room today there are representatives from across the political spectrum, we will hear that this kind of organized violence and terror will be dismissed," Rubio said. "It will be dismissed as a partisan fiction."

Thursday's event included FBI Director Kash Patel, Education Secretary Linda McMahon, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.

"A whole industry grew up in our countries around the study of extremism," Rubio continued. "We have think tanks and fellowships and journals and consultancies, with the unspoken understanding among them … that only one kind of political violence was a true threat to the system."

Administration officials said the ministerial is the culmination of an eight-month diplomatic effort to convince foreign governments that violent far-left extremist networks have become a growing cross-border threat requiring greater international coordination.

The initiative comes as some analysts and foreign officials have questioned whether violent far-left groups constitute a cohesive international terrorism threat comparable to Islamist extremist organizations. Others have raised concerns governments could use such initiatives to target political opponents under the banner of counterterrorism.

Administration officials rejected those concerns Wednesday, arguing the effort is narrowly focused on criminal and terrorist violence rather than political beliefs.

"We haven't waded into trying to disambiguate people's beliefs and ideologies," a senior State Department official told reporters. "In America, you can believe anything you want. The minute that you cross the legal threshold, that changes."

BILL MAHER TORCHES FAR-LEFT ASSASSINATION CULTURE AFTER STRING OF HIGH-PROFILE ATTACKS

Officials argue governments spent much of the past two decades concentrating on jihadist terrorism while underestimating what they describe as a resurgence of politically motivated violence from violent far-left extremist networks operating across borders.

"This has been a blind spot for a lot of our partners, frankly. They have not seen these trends ... since the 1970s," the senior State Department official said. "Our partners have talked to us about the rise of assassinations or assassination plots."

Administration officials pointed to a series of recent attacks in Europe that they argue underscore the need for greater international cooperation.

On July 1, coordinated firebomb attacks targeted the homes of members of Greece's governing New Democracy party in Thessaloniki, killing the mother of parliamentary candidate Afroditi Nestora and injuring four others. Greek anti-terrorism police later arrested three suspects.

In January, an arson attack on a power transmission facility in Berlin, Germany, knocked out electricity to tens of thousands of homes and businesses. German authorities later transferred the investigation to the federal prosecutor over suspected involvement by a terrorist organization.

The meeting builds on a series of actions the administration has taken since late 2025, including designating four foreign far-left organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists, along with offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the disruption of their financial networks.

Officials also disputed reports that foreign partners were reluctant to participate, saying several governments approached the United States seeking to join the initiative after recognizing similar trends within their own borders.

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"We've had countries who have reached out to us that want to be part of this," the senior State Department official said.

The four organizations designated by the administration in November were Antifa Ost, the Informal Anarchist Federation/International Revolutionary Front (FAI/FRI), Armed Proletarian Justice and Revolutionary Class Self-Defense. The administration says the groups, which operate in Germany, Italy and Greece, have coordinated violent attacks across national borders.

Trump’s swift ICE reversal hailed for showing 'confidence' in frontline agents

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 09:00:24 -0400

FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump’s quick reversal of a nationwide ban on ICE vehicle stops has been a "huge" boost for many ICE agents on the ground and reassured them that the commander-in-chief still has "confidence in the agency and its people," a federal special agent working deportations said.

Speaking with Fox News Digital on the condition of anonymity, the agent said that the concerns that prompted the pause – a need for additional training for ICE agents on adversarial vehicle stops – are still being addressed. At the same time, the agent said the president’s action proved he still believes in law enforcement professionals to get the job done amid what has been an especially operationally challenging year.

"Today, when the president came out with his un-pause, I think what he showed was confidence in the agency and its people, and I think that goes a long way when somebody is in one of those difficult situations," said the agent.

"I’ve been doing this a long time and I’ve never seen something like that," the agent added.

TRUMP REVERSES DHS POLICY, ORDERS ICE TO RESUME VEHICLE STOPS AFTER ONE-DAY PAUSE

The Department of Homeland Security announced a pause on Tuesday for ICE vehicle stops after two ICE officer-involved shootings in Maine and Texas.

The guidance was short-lived, however, as the next day Trump instructed the agency to reverse course on what he called "one of ICE's most important and effective Crime Fighting tools."

Trump wrote that "the men and women of ICE are doing a GREAT job, one that has to be done." He noted that "CRIME IS WAY DOWN IN AMERICA, in many cases with numbers that haven’t been seen in decades."

To the ICE agents operating across the country, Trump wrote, "Be judicious, fair and smart, and go back and do your very important job. Keep those Crime Stat Records coming! Remember, you are loved and respected in America."

2028 DEM HOPEFULS TORCHED OVER WEBINARS TEACHING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS HOW TO 'DEFY' ICE

In response, the agent said Trump’s message meant he had the agents’ back.

"You don’t have to be a Donald Trump fan but to know that the person who is ultimately responsible for all of this is saying, ‘Hey, I believe in you, you guys will work this out, we’re going to be all right,’" the agent said.

The agent said that in the last year, illegal immigrants have grown more adversarial during arrests, increasing the danger of operations for both the arrestee and law enforcement. This is further exacerbated, said the agent, by the prevalence of interference and even often violent confrontation by civilian bystanders during operations.

This means that agents are operating in increasingly stressful, unpredictable environments.

Amid this, the agent likened ending all vehicle stops to removing a tool from a toolbox.

"Any tool you take out of the toolbox is going to create challenges for [agents] to do their job in a more efficient way," he said.

DOCS EXPOSE HORRIFIC STRANGLING, KIDNAPPING CHARGES AGAINST ANTI-ICE LAWYER CHAMPIONED BY DEMS

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Still, the agent said they would "welcome" even more training. According to the agent, ICE has already increased its training for officers working deportation operations on the streets. The additional training has been especially concentrated on responding to riot-type situations, something that the agent said most ICE officers previously did not need to prepare for.

"They should constantly be looking at these policies and how they affect the people in the field, but also how it's perceived by the public, how legal it is, and how do we do this more safe?" the agent said, concluding, "I think any sane person would be in agreement with me to say, ‘Hey, let's look at how we can do this safer for everybody.’"

Baltimore Sun owner threatens MD Gov Wes Moore with lawsuit over what he calls a defamatory Epstein link

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 09:37:07 -0400

David Smith, the owner of The Baltimore Sun and executive chairman of Sinclair Broadcast Group, threatened Wednesday to sue Maryland Gov. Wes Moore for defamation over remarks Moore made on MS NOW linking Smith to Jeffrey Epstein, escalating a dispute over the newspaper's reporting on the Democratic governor's military record.

"A false assertion of this nature linking an individual to Mr. Epstein’s financial dealings is of a kind that foreseeably subjects that individual to serious reputational harm, including public contempt and scorn, diminished business relationships, and damage to personal and professional standing," Smith’s lawyer wrote.

Attorney Harold Walter made the warning in a June letter obtained by Semafor, which first reported the threatened lawsuit. Walter demanded that Moore retract and correct his remarks or explain their factual basis and instructed the governor's team to preserve documents concerning Smith and any purported Epstein connection.

‘LIBELOUS’ NYT REPORT TYING TRUMP FAMILY TO GOVERNMENT-BACKED DEAL SPARKS LEGAL DEMAND

"The governor should issue a ‘clear, unequivocal public retraction and correction,’" the letter said.

Walter also demanded that Moore publicly retract the claim or provide evidence supporting it.

"Identify, at least at a high level, the factual basis (if any) on which you relied in making the statement," the letter said.

Moore's team rejected the demand and told Semafor that the governor stood by his comments. Joseph Sandler, Moore's personal attorney, responded Tuesday that Epstein's funds had owned several hundred thousand dollars' worth of investments in Sinclair while Smith served as chairman and CEO.

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"The statement made by Governor Moore is absolutely and indisputably true and, therefore, your assertion that the statement is defamatory is meritless," Sandler wrote.

In a response provided to Fox News Digital, Sandler argued that Walter had misstated Moore’s words. Sandler wrote that Moore did not claim Epstein invested directly in Smith, but instead said Smith "was invested in by Jeffrey Epstein."

Sandler cited Justice Department records that he said showed Epstein-founded Financial Trust Company held Sinclair investments valued between $156,240 and $373,980 in 2001 and 2002. He also said another Epstein-founded company, Southern Trust Company, invested more than $100,000 in Sinclair Broadcast Group in 2013 through Southern Financial LLC.

The attorney noted that Smith served as Sinclair’s chairman, president and CEO during the years in which the Epstein-controlled entities held the investments.

Sandler's response, as summarized by Semafor, cited investments in Sinclair. The report did not describe a personal relationship between Smith and Epstein.

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Smith personally purchased The Baltimore Sun in 2024.

Sandler also confirmed that Moore’s team had taken steps to preserve evidence related to Smith’s threatened claim and demanded that Smith preserve records involving efforts to "attack or encourage attacks on Governor Moore."

Moore made the disputed remarks during an appearance on MS NOW's "The Weeknight," when he was questioned about critical coverage of his administration and biographical record. The governor accused the newspaper of targeting him. "This is not journalism. This is slander and misinformation," Moore said.

The dispute followed months of reporting by The Baltimore Sun and Sinclair-affiliated Spotlight on Maryland journalists examining Moore’s military service and other elements of his biography. Semafor previously reported that Smith had been copied on emails from reporters investigating the governor, an arrangement the outlet described as unusual because newspapers typically separate ownership and editorial operations.

Moore attacked the newspaper’s direction in an interview with former Biden White House press secretary Jen Psaki.

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"It’s actually a very sad day because The Baltimore Sun used to be our paper of record. It’s now become the paper of the right wing," Moore said.

Questions about Moore's military biography have included his listing of a Bronze Star on a 2006 White House fellowship application before he had received the award. Moore described the listing as an honest mistake and received the medal in 2024 after his former commander resubmitted the paperwork.

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Sandler further argued that Smith’s threatened action appeared to be a bad-faith claim intended to inhibit Moore from speaking on a matter of public concern.

No lawsuit had been reported as filed Wednesday. The exchange remained at the demand-letter stage, with Smith seeking a retraction and Moore’s attorney maintaining that the governor’s statement was true.

Game-changing cholesterol pill wins FDA approval after cutting LDL nearly 60%

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 09:35:08 -0400

Millions of Americans with high cholesterol now have a new treatment option, as the FDA has approved the first once-daily oral PCSK9 inhibitor.

Merck, the New Jersey-based manufacturer of Lipfendra (enlicitide), announced the approval on Thursday.

Lipfendra blocks the action of PCSK9, a naturally occurring protein that affects how the liver removes LDL ("bad") cholesterol from the bloodstream.

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"PCSK-9 is a protein that works in the liver, preventing the recycling of LDL receptors, as a result increasing bad cholesterol in the blood," Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, told Fox News Digital.

"In the caveman days, this was useful when we were hunter-gatherers and didn't always have food, but now it mainly forms plaques that lead directly to heart disease."

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The pill is approved as an add-on to diet and other LDL-lowering therapies in adults with high cholesterol, including inherited forms of high cholesterol, Merck stated.

In phase 3 clinical trials, Lipfendra was shown to reduce LDL cholesterol by roughly 56% to 60% when combined with statin therapy.

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"This is around double the impact of statins," Siegel noted.

The pill was generally well-tolerated in the trials, Merck reported. The most common side effects were diarrhea and dizziness, while serious side effects and treatment discontinuations occurred at rates similar to those in the placebo group.

Statins, which work by blocking an enzyme in the liver that the body uses to make cholesterol, are the most commonly prescribed cholesterol-lowering medications, according to the American Heart Association.

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For many people, statins are effective on their own. But for some patients who have very high cholesterol levels, inherited forms of high cholesterol or adverse side effects when taking statins, another medication — such as a PCSK9 inhibitor like Lipfendra — may be necessary, per the AHA.

Until now, PCSK9 inhibitors — such as Repatha and Praluent — have only been available as injections, a factor experts say may have contributed to their underuse.

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"Repatha, the injectable form, is very useful, with few side effects," Siegel noted. "The oral form, Lipfendra, is also well-tolerated and just as effective."

Additional research is needed to determine whether Lipfendra also reduces the risk of heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular deaths. Results from a large clinical trial are expected to be available in 2029, Merck stated.

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"Steve Nissen, longtime head of preventive cardiology at Cleveland Clinic, tells me that the lower the better when it comes to LDL cholesterol, especially in those at risk for heart disease," Siegel added.