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Lindsay Clancy holdout praised as 'American Hero' by lawyer who says he represents him

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 21:44:13 -0400

The lone holdout juror whose refusal to find Lindsay Clancy not guilty by reason of insanity led to a mistrial is speaking publicly for the first time, disputing claims from fellow jurors that he expressed doubts about the prosecution's case, according to his attorney.

Attorney Edward Paltzik told Fox News Digital Friday that he represents the holdout juror, Michael P. Desronvil, whom he described as an "American Hero and Champion of Justice."

"Please pray for him and help us protect him," Paltzik wrote in a separate social media post.

He said his client is lying low in an undisclosed "rural area" in New England.

LINDSAY CLANCY HOLDOUT JUROR ‘LOOKED AT THE CASE AND HE MADE THE CALL,’ HIS BROTHER SAYS

Paltzik, who previously represented the friends of the late Mississippi teen Nolan Wells and President Donald Trump, confirmed that the statement first reported by NewsNation came from his client. Desronvil said that he never wavered in his belief prosecutors proved Clancy knew what she was doing when she strangled her three young children in January 2023.

"I didn't have any doubts. As I tried to explain different possible theories during deliberation, I kept getting cut off as if I had doubts based on the evidence present," Desronvil said.

"Based on all the physical evidence, key witnesses and what the prosecution presents, I thought it was enough proof that she knew exactly what she was doing and planned."

His comments directly contradict accounts from fellow jurors, who said after the mistrial that Desronvil appeared to acknowledge reasonable doubt during deliberations but still refused to join the other 11 jurors in finding Clancy not guilty by reason of insanity.

The jury deadlocked 11-1, with Desronvil standing alone in favor of convicting Clancy rather than accepting her insanity defense, prompting Judge William Sullivan to declare a mistrial.

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

The public statement comes as Plymouth County prosecutors weigh whether to retry Clancy, whose attorneys have also floated the possibility of resolving the case without another jury trial. Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley previously told Fox News Digital that prosecutors face the difficult task of deciding whether they can persuade a future jury to unanimously reject Clancy's insanity defense after the first panel failed to reach a verdict.

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

Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse, admitted killing her children — Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months — but argued she was not criminally responsible because she was suffering from severe mental illness at the time of the killings. Prosecutors argued she planned the murders and understood the wrongfulness of her actions.

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Judge Sullivan has ordered jurors' identities and questionnaires sealed, citing safety concerns following the high-profile mistrial.

Clancy is due back in court Sept. 29 as prosecutors determine whether to seek a retrial.

Philadelphia home linked to 7 missing women, late resident's potential 'serial killer' memoir investigated

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 14:48:15 -0400

Philadelphia police have linked seven missing women to a home where investigators recovered more than 1 million images and videos and also found five urns believed to contain human ashes, authorities said this week.

Initial analysis of the images showed two missing women — 27-year-old Gabrielle Amarando and 26-year-old Maribel Fresses — lying unconscious in the Chew Avenue home with apparent injuries, Philadelphia Police Department Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore said in the press conference.

Metadata from the images show they were taken in 2017. "Both women remain missing and have not been seen," Vanore said, adding "to date, neither their bodies nor any DNA evidence have been recovered."

The home was occupied by Eugene Horsch, the son of deceased pornographer Raymond "R.C." Horsch.

The investigation began after Eugene Horsch was arrested in June.

CALIFORNIA AUTHORITIES IDENTIFY FINAL UNKNOWN VICTIM OF ‘HAPPY FACE KILLER’ KEITH JESPERSON AFTER 34 YEARS

Fox News has learned that R.C. Horsch wrote a book titled "Empathy: The Memoir of an Empathetic Serial Killer."

The book, which is for sale on Amazon and was published back in 2014, bills itself as the "autobiographical memoir of a caring, empathetic serial killer."

In the book, Horsch writes about strangling a woman he calls "Krista" — then describes buying 100 pounds of sodium hydroxide and using lye in a basement bathtub to dissolve her body. But Horsch was known to mix real details of his life with violent fiction, making it unclear what, if anything, actually happened.

The Philadelphia Police Department said investigators are "aware of the memoir, and it is being reviewed as part of the ongoing investigation."

On June 19, a park ranger encountered Eugene Horsch, 44, and a female passenger sitting in a BMW outside of Philadelphia's Independence Mall, Vanore explained.

"During the course of that investigation, officers recovered two firearms, narcotics, and identification impersonating a federal law enforcement officer, and he was charged. Task force officers from the DEA were able to develop probable cause that same day and serve a warrant on Mr. Horsch's residence," Vanore said.

The female passenger presented false identification using the name Blair Tonzelli, a woman who has been missing since 2023, a spokesperson for the Philadelphia Police Department confirmed to Fox News Digital.

FOUL ODOR AT NYC SCHOOL LEADS POLICE TO BODY HIDDEN IN CHIMNEY

The true identity of the woman in the vehicle has not been released. Tonzelli's whereabouts remain unknown.

After obtaining a warrant, investigators conducted a search of the Chew Avenue home and found "a homemade laboratory of some kind in the basement area, five urns believed to contain human ashes, and a large amount of digital evidence — including computers, hard drives, flash drives, DVRs, cameras, and phones," Vanore said during the press conference.

Investigators have identified 58 total people in the videos and images they found in the home. Vanore said "four of those identified appear lifeless, with video depicting what may have happened to one of them."

Amarando and Fresses remain missing, and no DNA evidence or physical remains connected to them have been recovered.

Of the seven missing women, the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office reviewed evidence showing four of them, police said in a statement issued after Wednesday’s press conference.

The medical examiner’s office advised that, "provided the recordings are authentic and unaltered, the women depicted appear to be deceased," the police department said. "However, because their bodies or remains have not been recovered, they cannot be conclusively declared deceased, and no cause or manner of death can be determined."

"Two additional women are reported missing but have not been observed in the evidence reviewed by investigators," the department added. "The identity and circumstances surrounding the seventh woman remain under investigation."

NEW CALIFORNIA LAW EXPANDS DNA TOOLS FOR MISSING PERSONS INVESTIGATIONS

One video reportedly shows R.C. Horsch handcuffing a woman to a bed and zip-tying her neck until she became unconscious. Investigators believe this woman is Nicole Fusaro, according to FOX 29 Philadelphia. Police have not conclusively confirmed the identification.

Another missing woman reportedly connected to the home is R.C. Horsch's ex-wife, Amy McHale, who has been missing since 2016, FOX 29 reported.

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"We have only processed a small fraction of the total media. Thousands of videos remain to be analyzed. We are working to corroborate what we see and gather physical evidence to prove our findings, supported throughout by the FBI as we determine our next steps," Vanore concluded Wednesday.

Getting the iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone Duo? Grab these accessories before it arrives

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 10:42:36 -0400

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Ryan Clark again accuses ESPN of leaking his firing to OutKick: Here’s the real story

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 08:29:05 -0400

Ryan Clark once again accused ESPN of leaking the news of his firing to OutKick to embarrass him. This time, he said so during an appearance on the influential Black radio show "The Breakfast Club."

"Everybody that got laid off got told on Tuesday. Only one person got told on Monday on set. Me. That’s the distinction," Clark told the hosts Tuesday. "It was also purposeful. It was also meant, in my opinion, to humiliate. In leaking it to OutKick, you now know if anybody is going to curry favor for you in this decision, it’s going to be them because it’s me."

ESPN informed Clark of his firing during a commercial break of the July 22 edition of "NFL Live." He did not return to the program.

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He continued, "There’s so many reputable sports publications. Whether it’s you know Sports Illustrated, the New York Times, The Athletic. If this is going to be as big a news as it turned out to be, why not give it to them? Because you knew who you were giving it to. You knew the small amount of people within that building that knew it. Then the humiliation that you at least purposed it to come along with me being laid off."

"I do feel like it was about that humiliation, and he wanted to save me from that. It was already going to be enough written. It was already going to be enough laughs, enough jokes that I worked that day anyway. So I appreciated him."

This is not the first time Clark has made that claim. Nor is it the first time listeners of "The Breakfast Club" have heard it.

The day after OutKick reported the news, one of the show’s hosts claimed a source told them ESPN executive Burke Magnus leaked the information to OutKick to spite Clark. It is possible the source was someone who spoke with Clark — or Clark himself.

The version of events Clark and the show’s hosts are presenting, however, is not accurate. I would know. I am one of three people who know how OutKick obtained the information and why ESPN informed Clark of his firing during a live program.

So let’s go step by step.

TOMI LAHREN DEFENDS OUTKICK'S ESPN SCOOP, TORCHES JEMELE HILL, BACKS SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM

We must first return to Super Bowl week in February. Although the game aired on NBC, agents, executives, and on-air talent from various networks routinely descend on the host city for meetings and negotiations. One of the most notable pieces of information to emerge that week was that Clark’s standing at ESPN had deteriorated ahead of the network’s first Super Bowl broadcast in 2027.

Sources told us Clark was unlikely to remain part of ESPN’s "Monday Night Countdown," which was scheduled to serve as the network’s Super Bowl pregame and halftime show. They also questioned whether he would remain with ESPN at all.

The rumblings were not entirely surprising.

Despite what Clark says, he was not universally loved inside ESPN. He had supporters, including Stephen A. Smith, ESPN NFL studio executive Seth Markman, and Mina Kimes. But he also had plenty of detractors.

Complaints about Clark included his handling of previous contract negotiations, including videos and regular updates; demeaning comments about Robert Griffin III for marrying a white woman; an on-air and behind-the-scenes blowup with Peter Schrager; reckless comments about Louisiana police; and multiple headlines that had little to do with sports.

ESPN would not fire Clark over any single incident. The network tends to tread carefully when dismissing Black talent because of the risk of false accusations of racism, accusations Clark eventually made anyway.

Waiting for a broader layoff period made sense.

Those rumblings continued throughout the spring and summer, especially after ESPN omitted Clark from its upcoming Super Bowl plans during the network’s May upfront presentation.

Before July, OutKick also reported several times that Clark’s future with ESPN was uncertain.

RYAN CLARK MADE IT TOO DIFFICULT FOR ESPN TO JUSTIFY KEEPING HIM AFTER YEARS OF CONTROVERSY

Now let’s jump to July.

On Friday, July 17, a friendly media ally told me they had heard ESPN planned to let go of Clark the following week, when the network was expected to announce layoffs. For context, this person was not a source. Everything we discuss is private and off the record. They did not give me the information for publication, and I had no plans to report it.

Two days later, on Monday, others in the industry began asking whether I had heard about the layoffs, who was on the list, and whether Clark was among those who'd be dismissed. That afternoon, I learned that my OutKick colleague Dan Zaksheske had also heard that ESPN planned to lay off Clark on Tuesday.

Zaksheske and I then gathered the information and confirmed it with two additional sources. We typically avoid reporting transactional media news, but Clark had become a significant figure in the broader sports conversation because of his racial and political commentary.

We decided the story was substantial enough to report.

Around 4 p.m. ET that day, in accordance with our standard editorial policy, we informed ESPN’s public-relations department that we planned to report Clark’s firing. ESPN PR said it would get back to us. Around 4:48 p.m., the network responded that it had no comment.

We published our story, only to learn that The Athletic had reported a bare-bones version at approximately the same time.

We later learned that ESPN informed Clark of his firing during the commercial break, right around 4:48 p.m. — before sending us its response.

The timeline makes clear that ESPN did not work with OutKick. No one high up at the company leaked the information to us or intended, as Clark put it, to "humiliate" him.

So why did ESPN handle it this way?

ESPN has told multiple people who inquired about the situation that management did not think OutKick would hold the news until after "NFL Live." The network feared Clark would learn about his firing from our report.

The executive who informed Clark — and told him OutKick knew about it — was Seth Markman, one of Clark’s allies. It appears Markman made that decision because he believed Clark was better off hearing the news directly from him.

In our view, Markman handled the situation poorly and helped create the secondary storyline surrounding Clark’s firing: the OutKick angle.

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ESPN also deserves blame for assuming OutKick would not hold the story until it addressed the layoff with Clark. The fact that we reached out to the network indicated that we would wait. The network then added to the circus by tipping off The Athletic that we had the story.

As for why Clark’s firing was announced a day before the rest of the layoffs, the answer is simple: He was the only person whose name moved the needle.

Cam Newton was the second-biggest name laid off. OutKick reported his termination the following morning.

For all the drama, headlines, and accusations, OutKick did not contribute to the situation beyond reporting the news.

We heard about a story from sources and reported it after seeking comment from ESPN. Every other subplot was the product of ESPN’s poor handling of the situation and Clark accusing us of conspiring with his former bosses. To avoid another situation like this, ESPN should stop assuming our intentions are poor and do a better job keeping sensitive information concealed.

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Perhaps unbeknownst to ESPN management and Clark, his impending firing was relatively well known in and around ESPN. People talk. And OutKick has never needed an intentional leak to learn what is happening inside ESPN.

Dave Rubin breaks down Hasan Piker's transition from Twitch streamer to political player

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 08:23:02 -0400

Hasan Piker may be a major name in online political media now, but when he got his start at The Young Turks, a network co-founded by his uncle, Cenk Uygur, he was a young, loud guy looking to make a splash in the online political discourse. Dave Rubin, who formerly worked on The Young Turks, recalls Piker as "a big dude" who was "really loud."

"[Cenk] just put Hasan on air, even though virtually everyone there wanted to be on air," Rubin recalled in a conversation with Fox News Digital. Rubin said that most of the staff at The Young Turks wanted to be on camera, but "once [Hasan] just showed up, he just got on camera. Cenk just gave him the keys to the kingdom and I guess he became some sort of personality since then."

While Piker has continued to profess anti-capitalist and progressive views while building an audience of loyal followers, Rubin later had a political epiphany and realigned himself with the right. In a 2017 PragerU video, Rubin explained that the left had gone from being "progressive to regressive," pointing to cancel culture and calls for censorship, among other things.

HASAN PIKER IS BECOMING THE 'FACE OF THE PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT,' FORMER DEMOCRATIC OPERATIVE WARNS

Rubin said he was not surprised that Piker had gone from Twitch streamer to what he called the "brain trust" of Democratic Socialists. "The Rubin Report" host explained that he saw Piker as filling a void for the left as the right saw a rise in online personalities. Rubin also pointed to the ways in which Piker differed from the typical left-leaning personalities, which he said have made the Twitch streamer resonate with young people.

"There weren't that many entertaining new people on the left online. As I said, the right had this rich group of people that was growing and growing and going, whether it was Ben Shapiro or Jordan Peterson or me or Steven Crowder or whoever it might be. There was this long list of people. The left had a couple people…. They were all sort of dorky, effeminate, weird, kind of limp-wristed, low testosterone," Rubin said.

"And he came on, and again, he's big, he kind of jacked, you know, he wears his fancy clothes, he is aggressive, it's not really what progressives are," he said.

Beyond Piker’s physical presence and media rise, Rubin argued that the streamer's ideology is anchored in an aggressive critique of Israel, something that he said has become more common among left-wing personalities. He argued that progressives "have an endless obsession and hatred of Israel," which he said "is just an extension of hatred of the Jews."

FAR-LEFT STREAMER HASAN PIKER EQUATES ISRAEL'S 'RIGHT TO EXIST' TO NAZI GERMANY

"You don't have to agree with everything any government does or anything else, but when you have no standards for any other country, and then you hold only one country to any standard whatsoever, and that country happens to be the place where the Jews live, maybe it has a little something to do with Jews," Rubin said.

Piker has faced accusations of antisemitism and sparked backlash with a recent comment about Jewish Americans' support for Israel.

During his Aug. 20 stream, Piker said, "People don't f--- with Israel any longer. And if Jews in America keep putting this idea out there that they're singularly invested in Israel, eventually someone will come around and take action not against Israel, mind you, but against American Jews."

Several lawmakers condemned the remarks, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, who campaigned with Piker, responded to the streamer's remarks, saying "I believe all Americans deserve the right to advocate for what they believe without fear of violence."

EL-SAYED DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM HASAN PIKER AFTER DISTURBING REMARKS ABOUT JEWISH AMERICANS

Rubin believes that one of the reasons behind the focus on Israel is that "Jews don't fit into the intersectional calculator." He said that, while Jews had been historically persecuted, their success in America has made it so they don't fit the mold of an "oppressed minority" the way other groups do.

"If you're an oppressed group that's not oppressed, it debunks their whole ideology," Rubin said.

According to Rubin, the central hypocrisy comes down to Piker's lifestyle versus the beliefs the streamer professes to hold. This dynamic, Rubin warns, could leave Piker's audience bearing the consequences of his ideas.

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"I have no doubt he lives like a capitalist while promoting socialism, and he won't be eaten by the revolution the way some average kid who gets confused by his ideas and then probably gets out there and does something stupid will," Rubin said.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Piker and The Young Turks for comment.

Sophie Cunningham says what other gaslighting female athletes won't about the naked Sydney Sweeney ad

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 08:21:28 -0400

After a full week of women athletes fuming at Sydney Sweeney for, apparently, setting women's sports back decades with her naked gambling ad, Sophie Cunningham has set the record straight.

And, to the surprise of approximately nobody, the WNBA's most sane player offered up the most sane take of this entire, silly ordeal.

"Why are girls mad?" Cunningham asked on her newly revamped, "No Hesitation" podcast. "That is literally what she does. Why is anyone mad? It is a gambling ad: men, sports, naked women. Of course, that’s going to draw attention.

"Do I agree with it? Morally, I think it’s kind of weird, but each to their own. Go do your thing, sis."

SYDNEY SWEENEY FIRES BACK AT TROLLS AFTER FACING CRITICISM ONLINE FOR PROVOCATIVE SPORTS AD

Sophie Cunningham is back at it

Shockingly, it's another home run for Sophie Cunningham. She just doesn't miss. What a run!

Look, Cunningham's right. This is what Sweeney does. She likes to take her clothes off, if you haven't noticed. It's sort of her shtick. In fact, the whole ad campaign was her idea, according to Novig CEO Jacob Fortinsky!

Sweeney literally came up with the whole thing.

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"It really was Sydney who was driving a lot of the visuals and the messaging," he said during a panel earlier this week. "We're hugely supportive of women's sports. I think it's a huge component of our platform. We never intended to portray female sports."

Correct. This ad had nothing to do with women's sports. It was about gambling. Aren't they all nowadays? Seems like it.

Sweeney was catering to one very specific audience, as her and new podcast partner, Drew Hanlen, pointed out. Drew, who wouldn't stop talking, figured around 75% of sports bettors are men.

SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM ADDRESSES PERCEPTION THAT SHE IS THE 'SEX SYMBOL' OF THE WNBA

I think that's way off. I'd put it closer to 90%. Maybe 95%.

Regardless, that's who the ad was for — and it worked!

"I can understand when you first see that ad that like it could kind of deflate women, because it’s like we’ve worked so hard to get a little bit of respect around here," Cunningham continued. "But when you really think about it, it’s like, screw it, let that girl do her thing. This has nothing to do with us.

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"At the end of the day, I’m really loving seeing all these girls who are powerful, strong, showing young girls what it looks like to be an athlete. I don’t think the ad was coming for women in sports."

Another win for the WNBA's most sane player.

1,000-year-old church mystery cracked by students from King Charles' alma mater

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 08:00:49 -0400

Boarding school students in Scotland helped uncover something extraordinary during a school trip: the remains of what's believed to be a 1,000-year-old Viking-era church.

Young people from Gordonstoun, located in Moray, Scotland, uncovered the foundations of an altar and a step inside the long-known ruins on the deserted island of Swona in Orkney.

Gordonstoun — the alma mater of King Charles III and his late father, Prince Philip — runs an annual service project on the remote island called the Swona Service Project, where students take part in archaeological and restoration work.

ANCIENT VIKING SWORD DISCOVERED 'STICKING UP OUT OF THE GROUND' AFTER 1,300 YEARS

Gordonstoun housemaster Daniel McLean, who is also the organizer of the project, told Fox News Digital the structure had long been known locally as a "kirk," or church, but its origins remained uncertain.

While the ruins themselves were already known, it was unclear whether the structure had actually been a church.

The excavation uncovered altar foundations and a step, lending new weight to a local legend that the ruins were once a church.

The team had surveyed the site the previous year, McLean said, and found several characteristics consistent with early medieval church architecture.

'SIGNIFICANT' EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH EMERGES BENEATH FORMER FISH MARKET IN ANCIENT CITY

"Everything about the structure [fit]," he said. "The size of it, the length, the width ratio, the east-west orientation, the location of the door, the construction methods — it all [fit] for it to be an early medieval church."

When the team returned to excavate the site, McLean said they began digging along the inside of the eastern wall, where they believed an altar would have stood.

"I thought if there's anything churchy here, we may find the remains of where the altar was on the inside of the east wall," McLean said.

The team quickly uncovered the foundations of the altar and a step in front of it.

RARE ROYAL ARTIFACT LINKED TO INFLUENTIAL KING-TURNED-SAINT UNCOVERED AFTER DECADES MISSING

The church is believed to date to the 10th or 11th century, based on similarities to other Viking-era churches in the region.

For Archie Maclean, one of the students who worked on the excavation, seeing the remains up close made the discovery feel real.

"When you see the altar in person, you go, 'Oh my gosh, it's still an altar after all of this time,'" Maclean told Fox News Digital.

Maclean helped dig the original test pit and later cleaned up the altar and doorway for photographs. He said he was struck by how well the structure had survived.

DISCOVERY BENEATH SOCCER FIELD REVEALS MASSIVE MEDIEVAL CONVENT LOST FOR CENTURIES

"Same with the doorway as well, the structure of the building is still so visible, even after years of earth and wind and weather eroding the outside — I found [it] fascinating personally," Maclean said.

The school has a unique arrangement with the island's owners, the Annal family, and the Swona Heritage Group, to make the experience possible.

The 10 students traveled roughly 10 hours by bus, ferry and boat to reach Swona, a remote island about seven miles north of John o' Groats.

Alfie Pullin, a student who helped restore the old house where the group stayed, told Fox News Digital the team worked to replace its wooden living room floor, which had rotted away because of drainage problems.

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The house had no electricity, while the students pumped fresh water from a 1,000-year-old well, according to Gordonstoun.

Pullin described spending a week working on the isolated island without knowing what the experience would bring as "very surreal."

"I think it's very surreal to go onto an island with a task, but also a sense of [not knowing] what will actually happen while you're on there for a week," he said.

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Pullin added the experience allowed the students "to make these discoveries and to upkeep the island and come away knowing more and leaving the island in a better state than it was before."

School officials plan to return to Swona next year for further investigations of the archaeological sites.

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The team also plans to use GPS data and digital images collected at the site to create a 3D model of the church, while archaeologists hope further analysis will help determine its age.

Maclean said discoveries on remote sites such as Swona can provide clues about the communities that once lived there, as well as how Christianity spread.

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"Even in places that seem like the middle of nowhere, you can find these parts of history that can re-contextualize a whole village there, or even up to the way that Christianity was spread in this example," said Maclean.

Sydney Sweeney’s provocative sports ad 'reinforces the image she has already built' despite backlash: expert

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 08:00:28 -0400

Sydney Sweeney sparked widespread backlash following the release of her provocative campaign for a sports trading app.

No stranger to controversy or criticism, Sweeney, 29, faced the music from Olympic athletes, entertainment icons and millions of keyboard warriors who voiced their opinions of the naked ad.

Adrienne Uthe, founder of Kronus Communications, exclusively told Fox News Digital that while Sweeney's latest ad may have ruffled feathers, "women having agency also means allowing women to make choices about their image that other women may not personally agree with."

SYDNEY SWEENEY FIRES BACK AT TROLLS AFTER FACING CRITICISM ONLINE FOR PROVOCATIVE SPORTS AD

"People are entitled to dislike the ad, just like women athletes are entitled to criticize it for their own reasons," Uthe said. "But I don't think this is materially damaging to Sydney Sweeney in any way, shape or form.

"In fact, I don't think it's a large departure from who she is and what her brand represents. She's a beautiful woman right now at the peak of her career, and she ultimately can decide which projects she wants to take and which ones she doesn't."

She added, "And she's chosen to make sexuality a part of her brand for better or for worse."

WATCH HERE: EXPERT WEIGHS IN ON SYDNEY SWEENEY PROVOCATIVE AD CONTROVERSY

Sweeney's latest ad featured several shots with strategically placed sports equipment covering her mostly nude body. "Think you know sports? Prove it. Novig is just sports. So, they wanted a show," the "Euphoria" star said in the campaign.

SYDNEY SWEENEY, SCOOTER BRAUN ROMANCE FACES BIGGEST CHALLENGE YET AS EXPERT WARNS COUPLE TO 'BE PREPARED'

Several female athletes didn’t appear to take too kindly to the ad. Australian Olympic gold medalist swimmer Ariarne Titmus, British sprinter Amy Hunt and former American gymnast Gracie Kramer were among those to denounce the ad.

Uthe believed Novig's creative team accomplished its goal, but stressed the significance of effective marketing.

"Going viral tells me they captured attention. It doesn’t tell me they captured the customer," Uthe said.

"This is where social media completely distorts reality, and we've seen this across all platforms in pop culture, politics, sports and beyond. So the narrative that is the loudest isn't necessarily what is true and what the majority opinion is."

PUT YOUR ENTERTAINMENT KNOWLEDGE TO THE TEST AND SEE HOW YOU SCORE

Uthe noted that one side claimed the ad objectified women in sports, while the other narrative questions why there's outrage over an obviously provocative ad.

"Once one of those frames takes over, whether it's through different content that someone is viewing or someone just inherently has a bias for this topic, that perception is really gonna make it a reality for them," Uthe said. "And that's why I always say, if you can make it trend, you can it true."

Olivia Bennett, senior account director at Go Up, thought that the campaign was simply "bad for women in sport."

"I can understand the commercial calculation behind choosing Sydney Sweeney," Bennett told Fox News Digital. "Novig will know its audience, and Sydney has built a public brand where sex appeal, provocation and controversy consistently generate attention.

"But this was a national campaign. When you choose someone with such a heavily sexualized and frequently controversial public image, you know the campaign is going to travel far beyond your existing customer base. The wider reaction was entirely foreseeable."

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Bennett believed that the bigger issue at hand was what the ad said about women in sports.

"What I find most telling is that female athletes themselves are now pushing back and saying: this isn’t how we want women in sport to be represented," she said.

"Once the people who actually work and compete in that world start using your campaign as an example of the problem, you have a much bigger reputational issue than a few negative comments online."

She added, "For Sydney, I don’t think the campaign is off-brand at all. If anything, it reinforces the image she has already built. But that doesn’t make it good for women in sport. Personal-brand fit doesn’t remove the wider impact of the message you’re putting into the world."

GET ENTERTAINMENT SCOOP DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR EMAIL BY CLICKING HERE

In what appeared to be a response to the backlash, Sweeney shared a number of ESPN magazine covers featuring nude athletes, including Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe and Caroline Wozniacki.

"It's gamedayyyy," the blonde bombshell wrote before tagging the newly launched sports platform.

While many comments encouraged "The Housemaid" actress, Sweeney was hit with accusations of sexualizing a predominantly male-dominated field.

"As a former athlete and a woman who has personally experienced sexualized comments, I’m genuinely disgusted and deeply disappointed by this campaign," one user wrote. "We’ve spent years fighting to be seen and respected for our talent, strength, and achievements-not reduced to our bodies."

"The campaign was about embracing a fun idea," Sweeney said in a statement, according to Variety. "The concept is simple: cut through the noise and put the focus entirely on sports. The campaign brings that idea to life with confidence, humor and a playful edge."

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Sweeney's representatives did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Federal judges reveal private coordination behind Trump immigration cases and more top headlines

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 07:47:28 -0400

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

TOP 3

1. DHS accuses judges of 'essentially conspiring' against Trump immigration fight

2. Holdout juror in Lindsay Clancy trial disputes fellow jurors' accounts

3. Ed Sheeran's music pulled from radio station following Macklemore controversy.

MAJOR HEADLINES

FATAL CROSSING — Top DOJ official warns of deadly smuggling route after 42 vanish at sea. Continue reading …

TRAGIC TREK — Rescue crews battle severe storm to reach trapped couple and encounter grim scene. Continue reading …

MOTHER OF MANY — Attorney says client was 'essentially pregnant for the better part of two decades'. Continue reading …

GRIM SCENE — Philadelphia home search uncovers possible human ashes, images of 7 missing women. Continue reading …

J.LO? J.NO — Ed Sheeran's music pulled from radio station following Macklemore controversy. Continue reading …

POLITICS

TELLING SILENCE — Socialist mayor's awkward response scrutinized after police chief's nervous glances. Continue reading …

RIGGED REPUBLIC — Russia’s election spectacle reaches occupied Ukraine as Putin looks on. Continue reading …

LONE DISSENTER — Trump-backed Republican sends president a blunt warning on one of his signature issues. Continue reading …

RED TAPE RECKONING — 87% of producers say they'd hire and raise pay if one broken process got fixed. Continue reading …

Click here for more cartoons…

MEDIA

BOLD ASSERTION — Hasan Piker makes explosive claim about a nuclear Iran. Continue reading …

PRIVILEGE AND POWER — Children's YouTube star vows $1M donation after Macklemore's tour firing. Continue reading …

MASK SLIPS — Senate hopeful claimed Trump voters' lives 'suck so f---ing bad' in leaked tape. Continue reading …

FLUSH FUND — Mamdani warns New Yorkers new $4M public toilets could open on you mid-use. Continue reading …

OPINION

CHRIS STEWART — We should use Reagan as a guide in handling our modern arms race with China. Continue reading …

LEE CARTER — The Fed finally raised rates. The real danger now for the GOP is what happens next. Continue reading …

IN OTHER NEWS

FRESH DIGS — Bills cruise past Lions as Josh Allen scores five touchdowns in new home debut. Continue reading …

ROYAL STATUS — Harry, Meghan demand privacy while feeding 'publicity machine’: expert. Continue reading …

FORK IN THE ROAD — Man loses weight eating nothing but a certain food for 25 days — and paid a price. Continue reading …

DIGITAL'S NEWS QUIZ — How did Macklemore get outplayed? Where did this woman get caught in a romance scam? Take the quiz here …

LISTEN

Tune in to hear how a new documentary follows Vietnam veterans returning to the places they once served, confronting painful memories and finding long-awaited closure. Check it out ...

PODCASTS

Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority sisters to discuss their legal battle after a trans student was admitted to their chapter on ‘The Riley Gaines Show’. Catch the new episode at 10am ET ...

‘Ruthless’ dives into Newsom's primary plot as Democrats scramble to position for 2028. Check it out…

FOX WEATHER

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

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

119,000 fake shops could steal your credit card details

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 07:37:38 -0400

You find a product you want for 65% off. The site looks polished, the branding feels familiar, and the deal seems hard to pass up. That could be exactly the trap.

Cybersecurity company Nebty has linked about 119,000 domains to a fake shopping operation called DoppelCart. The sites impersonate legitimate businesses and can steal payment details at checkout, including one-time bank verification codes.

BleepingComputer reports that more than 105,000 DoppelCart shops were active in Nebty's latest scans, while Nebty says the majority of the cluster remains online. So, before you jump on a huge discount from a store you do not recognize, take a closer look at who is really behind the checkout page.

FAKE RENTAL LISTING SCAMS CAN COST YOU THOUSANDS

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What is DoppelCart?

Nebty discovered DoppelCart while investigating fake shops that targeted several of its customers. Researchers noticed that stores impersonating different companies shared technical characteristics. They began following those connections through publicly available website scans.

The investigation eventually grew to roughly 119,000 associated domains. Nebty says that, to its knowledge, DoppelCart represents the largest publicly documented fake-shop cluster when measured by associated domains.

The company also makes an important point about attribution. Shared infrastructure does not prove that one person or organization controls every DoppelCart store.

Even so, the technical overlap is striking. Nebty CEO Benedikt Scheungraber told BleepingComputer that 96% of the confirmed shops shared identical build files and resolved to 27 commerce backends.

DoppelCart has swallowed a huge piece of the .shop domain

Most of the domains connected to DoppelCart use the .shop top-level domain. Nebty's September 2026 data included 118,787 distinct .shop domains linked to the cluster out of 4,361,908 .shop domains in the company's snapshot. That's 2.72%, or roughly one out of every 37 domains in that particular data set.

However, that number needs some context. Nebty says the snapshot represents domains listed in the .shop DNS zone. It does not tell us how many legitimate or fraudulent stores were operating at the same moment.

For comparison, researchers previously documented BogusBazaar, a fake-shop operation involving more than 75,000 domains. Nebty cautions that observation periods and counting methods differ between investigations, so the numbers are not perfectly comparable.

We reached out to GMO Registry, which operates the .shop domain, for comment but did not hear back before our deadline.

Why DoppelCart fake shops can look so convincing

The days when every scam website looked like somebody threw it together in five minutes are long gone. DoppelCart sites can copy product catalogs from real companies along with descriptions, branding and other material.

In some cases, researchers found fake stores loading assets directly from the legitimate company's servers. That creates a real problem for shoppers.

You may recognize the brand. The products look right. Nothing on the page immediately screams scam because much of the material came from the real business in the first place.

Scheungraber says DoppelCart shops mimic 44,182 different brands, with a median of two clones for each brand.

Some brands received much more attention. Researchers found more than 30 shops apiece targeting companies including SodaStream, Velasca, CurrentBody, Daniel Wellington, Dreame, Horze, MOVA and SPARK PAWS.

That 65% discount can be the hook

This is where the scam can catch you. Most of us shop around before spending money online. Finding the same product at a dramatically lower price can feel like a great deal. DoppelCart stores take advantage of that reaction.

Researchers found fake shops advertising discounts as high as 65%. Of course, a steep discount does not automatically mean you're looking at a scam. Real stores run clearance sales every day.

Still, if you've never heard of the retailer and its price beats everyone else by a mile, spend another minute checking who you're buying from. CyberGuy has a full guide on the warning signs worth checking before buying from an unfamiliar website: Tips to help you tell if an online store is real or a scam.

'THE ODYSSEY' STREAMING SCAM COULD STEAL YOUR BANK INFO

How DoppelCart fake shops steal your card details

The real danger starts when you decide to check out. Nebty tested several checkout pages tied to the DoppelCart cluster and found code collecting:

Card numbers
Expiration dates
Security codes
Cardholder names
Email addresses
Phone numbers
Physical addresses

According to the researchers, those fields can be transmitted through WebSockets to command-and-control infrastructure in real time. So, an attacker may receive the information while you're still sitting on the checkout page.

The technique has similarities to web skimming, where malicious code captures payment information as a shopper types it into an online checkout page. We've previously broken down how that kind of attack works and why shoppers may see no obvious warning: Web skimming attacks target major payment networks.

Your one-time bank code can be captured too

This is the part I find especially concerning. Many of us have been trained to see a verification code from our bank as an extra layer of protection. DoppelCart can potentially turn that security step against you.

Nebty found that the checkout code can relay the one-time confirmation code issued by a victim's bank. Attackers may then try to use the code to get past protections surrounding a fraudulent transaction.

So, don't automatically enter a bank code simply because a checkout page asks for it. Read the bank's message carefully. Look at the merchant and transaction details if they're included.

If something does not match the purchase you're making, stop the transaction and contact your bank through its official app or the number printed on your card.

The legitimate business can get dragged into the scam

DoppelCart creates another headache after the purchase. Some fake shops display the real company's legitimate customer support address.

Now imagine you place an order and nothing arrives. You find the support information on the site and contact the business demanding to know where your purchase went.

The company you're calling may have no idea what you're talking about because you never bought anything from it. Nebty says legitimate businesses have received complaints from shoppers over orders those businesses never processed.

The scammer gets the payment information. Meanwhile, the legitimate company gets the angry customer and has to explain that somebody copied its store.

Nebty says it tried to contact the main hosting provider associated with DoppelCart sites but received no response. Want to see whether a brand or website appears in the DoppelCart investigation? Search Nebty's DoppelCart database at investigations.nebty-id.com/doppelcart.

APPLE PAY TEXT SCAM THREATENS $8,250 LOSS IN 35 MINUTES

How to spot a fake online store before you pay

A professional-looking site no longer gives you enough information to decide whether a retailer deserves your trust. Instead, slow down when you're shopping somewhere unfamiliar.

1) Check the exact web address

Look at the domain in your browser before entering payment information. A fake site may use a recognizable company name inside a completely different domain. If you're trying to buy directly from a well-known brand, find its official website independently. Also, don't let the padlock or HTTPS fool you. HTTPS tells you a website encrypts the connection. It does not prove the seller behind the site is legitimate. Scammers can encrypt websites too.

2) Take another look at an extreme discount

A 65% discount can make you want to buy before the deal disappears. That's when I would slow down. Check the product on the company's official website or compare it with a retailer you already know. If the price difference looks unusually large, investigate the seller.

3) Research an unfamiliar retailer

Search the store's name before buying. Look beyond reviews displayed on the website itself. Search for independent complaints or reports that connect the domain to scams. Then check the company's contact information. A cloned website can look impressive while having very little legitimate history behind it.

4) Pay by credit card when possible

The Federal Trade Commission recommends paying by credit card when possible for online purchases because credit cards provide protections when a transaction goes wrong. Some issuers also let you use virtual card numbers for online purchases. Availability varies by issuer. A virtual number can keep your primary card number away from the merchant and may let you shut down the virtual number if something goes wrong.

5) Read bank verification messages carefully

Don't treat a one-time verification code as a routine box to fill in. Read the message your bank sends. If the merchant or transaction looks unfamiliar, do not enter the code. Contact your card issuer through a trusted channel instead.

6) Turn on transaction alerts

Check whether your bank or card issuer lets you receive notifications when purchases hit your account. Alerts can help you spot an unfamiliar transaction quickly. Do not ignore a small charge simply because the amount looks harmless. Any transaction you don't recognize deserves a closer look.

7) Use strong security software

Strong antivirus software can help warn you about known malicious websites and dangerous links. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com

However, no program catches every newly created fake shopping site. That means your own judgment still plays an important role when a store you've never heard of suddenly offers the deal of the year.

What to do if you already entered your card on a suspicious shop

Act quickly if you think you purchased from a DoppelCart site or another fake retailer. The FTC recommends contacting the financial institution you used to make the payment as soon as possible.

Contact your card issuer right away

Use the number on the back of your card, your bank's official app or its official website. Tell the issuer that you entered your card information on a suspected fraudulent website. Ask whether the card should be locked or replaced with a new number. If you also entered a one-time verification code from your bank, tell them that too.

Check your account for suspicious charges

Review your recent transactions and continue watching the account. If you paid the fake retailer, tell your issuer that you believe the transaction involved a scam. Also report any other charges you do not recognize. The FTC recommends asking the card issuer or bank whether it can reverse the fraudulent transaction and return your money.

Change any password you reused

If the fake store asked you to create an account and you reused a password from somewhere else, change that password on the other accounts. Give important accounts unique passwords. A password manager can help generate and store strong passwords without forcing you to remember every one.

Watch for follow-up scams

Remember what DoppelCart checkout pages can collect. The people behind the operation may have your contact information along with payment details. Be suspicious of unexpected bank warnings, delivery messages or refund offers connected to the purchase. Scammers sometimes target people who already lost money and then pose as someone who can help recover it. Go directly to your bank or the company's official website rather than clicking a link in an unexpected message.

Run a security scan if you downloaded something

If you downloaded a file, installed software or gave the suspicious site additional access to your device, update your security software and run a scan with strong antivirus software. If all you did was type card information into the fake checkout, focus first on protecting the payment account and watching for fraudulent transactions.

Report the fake store

Report suspected fraud to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Reports can help authorities identify fraud patterns and investigate scam operations.

Kurt's key takeaways

What bothers me most about DoppelCart is how convincing these fake stores can look. You may recognize the products and the branding because scammers copied them from a real business. For me, that changes how I look at a bargain from a store I don't know. If the price seems unusually low, I want to know exactly who I'm buying from before I enter my card information. Take a minute to check the web address and search for the retailer on your own. That small pause could save you from having to replace your card or deal with fraudulent charges later.

Have you ever landed on an online store that looked completely legitimate but something made you suspicious, and what tipped you off? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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Steve Sarkisian says he should have shown 'more patience' after running from Holly Rowe interview

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 07:36:48 -0400

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian went viral following his team’s miraculous 24-23 comeback against Ohio State this past Saturday after running off from a postgame interview with ESPN’s Holly Rowe.

Sarkisian screamed, "That’s called Texas fight! That’s called Texas fight! Hook ‘em!" before running off back to the locker room to celebrate the victory with his team.

At the time, Rowe hadn’t even asked her first question to him postgame, and she seemed quite upset as she darted out of camera view after Sarkisian ran away.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGE

Sarkisian addressed the situation ahead of the team’s next scheduled contest against UTSA.

"As it pertains to after the ball game, again there was a delay after I greeted Coach Day in the middle of the field. There was a delay in the moment, you know, through that delay, I wanted to go celebrate with our team," he said, per On Texas Football. "We just had a 21-point fourth-quarter comeback against the No. 1 team in the country. If hindsight’s 20/20, if I could do it all over again, I would have exuded more patience in that moment and sat through and waited for the interview with Holly."

TEXAS' ARCH MANNING UNDER SCRUTINY FOR HIS REACTION TO AI VIDEO OF STEVE SARKISIAN SLAPPING ESPN'S HOLLY ROWE

Sarkisian added that he has "a ton of respect for ESPN and Holly" and didn’t mean to let the moment get the better of him.

"Holly and I go way back to even my days of playing at BYU, and we’ve got a great relationship. ESPN is a great partner of ours. We know we’re going to have more opportunities with that crew covering us, and we’re looking forward to those opportunities. So, could have definitely handled that situation better with a little bit more patience in the moment."

The viral moment was one social media users ran with, creating AI versions in which Sarkisian was seen slapping Rowe before running off the field. And those AI-manipulated videos led quarterback Arch Manning to have to issue an apology to Rowe after describing those videos as hilarious during his Monday press conference.

Manning, who led the Longhorns back in the second half on Saturday night, apologized to Rowe on Tuesday following his Monday news conference, calling his comments "insensitive" and saying he will be "more thoughtful going forward." Rowe accepted his apology.

"Obviously Arch recognizes he made a mistake, and it’s an unfortunate one," Sarkisian added. "Nowhere do we condone domestic violence or violence against women. Nothing in our program says that nor Arch individually. I think if he could take it back, he would."

THE CRAIG CARTON SHOW–UNFILTERED, UNAPOLOGETIC AND UNMISSABLE. DOWNLOAD HIS DAILY PODCAST NOW!

As for Sarkisian, there was also a moment after the first half that could’ve led to his reaction postgame, as ESPN’s Laura Rutledge and the crew had technical difficulties that irked the Texas head coach for having to wait to go back in the locker room and figure out how to come after Ohio State in the second half.

Rutledge was even spotted sprinting toward the tunnel in an attempt to reach Sarkisian, only to find he had already headed to the locker room. She acknowledged his patience during the delay, though that patience wore thin once ESPN's technical issues dragged on too long.

OUTKICK IS NOW AVAILABLE ON THE FOX NEWS APP: CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

In the end, Sarkisian and Manning offered their apologies, and the Longhorns are now ready to move on as one of the AP poll’s top teams in the country after their victory.

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El-Sayed tries to put the Hasan Piker debate behind him as midterms approach

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 07:00:53 -0400

Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed has faced backlash for months over his relationship with Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, who is known for his controversial rhetoric. The candidate has yet to disavow Piker and now seems to be tiring of the questions, looking to shift focus to the issues that he says are really at the heart of the race.

El-Sayed's relationship with Piker was scrutinized before the two of them appeared at a campaign event in April 2026. On March 30, El-Sayed posted a video with the caption "Let's talk about Hasan." In the video, the Michigan Democrat explained that he was looking for a way to access people who "feel locked out of our politics," saying that they are the same people who Piker speaks to through his daily streams. He went on to clarify where he agrees with Piker, which included the streamer's stances on the war in Iran, AIPAC's involvement in U.S. politics and healthcare.

"Now, he streams for eight hours a day, every day. A lot of the things that he said, I might not agree with, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to have a conversation with him, and that doesn't mean that the people who listen to him don't deserve to listen to their politicians and to have a pathway into politics to vote for the things that they need and deserve," El-Sayed said.

ABDUL EL-SAYED SAYS RALLYING WITH HASAN PIKER DOESN'T MEAN HE ENDORSES 'AMERICA DESERVED 9/11' REMARK

The Michigan Democrat joined "FOX & Friends" ahead of his event with Piker, where he said that appearing with someone did not mean that he agreed with them. While he did not disavow Piker specifically, he referred to the streamer's past remarks, saying, "Of course, I oppose rape. Of course, I don't think 9/11 was justified."

Amid the scrutiny of his decision to campaign with Piker, El-Sayed repeatedly blamed the criticism on "cancel culture" and insisted that Democrats needed to be willing to speak with people at their level.

The event with Piker went on as planned, but El-Sayed still faced questions. He was asked while standing next to Piker to disavow the streamer's past rhetoric, which he refused to do.

"I'm not here to disavow people's views. I'm here to have a conversation about how to get money out of politics, put money back in pockets, and pass Medicare for all. That's the conversation that folks are here to listen to," El-Sayed said in response.

EL-SAYED PALS AROUND WITH FAR-LEFT STREAMER HASAN PIKER THE DAY BEFORE CRUCIAL MICHIGAN SENATE ELECTION

The controversy surrounding the April campus appearance would set off a months-long line of questioning, with El-Sayed repeatedly walking the line between condemning some of Piker's rhetoric without going into specifics or alienating the streamer's audience. This became more common after El-Sayed defeated Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., in the Democratic primary in August. Following El-Sayed's victory, Piker called for those who opposed the Michigan Democrat to be "punished" by the party.

"You can't be out here saying like, 'Oh, I'm a centrist Democrat. And I think Abdul is a bridge too far.' That must be punished," Piker said.

After his primary victory, El-Sayed was asked in multiple interviews to comment on Piker's past rhetoric. When CNN's Kaitlan Collins asked El-Sayed whether he would renounce Piker in August, something that Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., had urged him to do, the Michigan Democrat said he was "less focused on folks who are campaigning with me, more focused on the folks I'm campaigning to."

A few days later, El-Sayed was asked about Piker again, this time during an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press." In response to host Kristen Welker's question, El-Sayed repeated what he said on CNN about focusing more on voters than those who appear with him on the campaign trail.

Shortly after El-Sayed's appearance on "Meet the Press," Piker drew the ire of several lawmakers on both sides of the aisle after making a comment that some interpreted as blaming antisemitic attacks on American Jews' support of Israel.

"People don't f--- with Israel any longer. And if Jews in America keep putting this idea out there that they're singularly invested in Israel, eventually someone will come around and take action not against Israel, mind you, but against American Jews," Piker said during his Aug. 20 stream.

HASAN PIKER CALLS FOR DEMOCRATS WHO OPPOSE ABDUL EL-SAYED TO BE 'PUNISHED'

The comment set off a wave of condemnations from lawmakers, including Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J.; Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich.; and Jacky Rosen, D-Nev.; House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.; and Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J.; Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y.; Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla.; Brad Schneider, D-Ill.; Greg Stanton, D-Ariz.; and Hillary Scholten, D-Mich.

El-Sayed issued a statement in which he seemed to distance himself from Piker amid the backlash.

"I believe all Americans deserve the right to advocate for what they believe without fear of violence. This is particularly true for communities that have been intimidated for their beliefs in the past," El-Sayed wrote on X.

"My commitment to Jewish safety is the same as my commitment to the safety of my own daughters," he added. "Antisemitism is a scourge, and we need to address it in all its forms. And I stand against any rhetoric that puts the community at risk."

Shortly after the controversy over Piker's remarks, El-Sayed told Semafor that he had "no plans" to campaign with the streamer. However, this did not stop the press from asking the Michigan Democrat about Piker.

During an appearance on "The Breakfast Club" in late August, El-Sayed framed criticism of his ties to Piker as a form of "cancel culture," saying that there was a "massive effort to cancel Hasan."

"I think we've got to stop with the cancel culture. It's not about, like, 'Where are you on this one individual?' It's more, 'Do you agree or disagree with the thing that the person said?' And, the thing about it is, that, like, when we play as if the whole person can be reduced to a single soundbite that you took out of context, you're not, you're not dealing with real life," El-Sayed said.

ABDUL EL-SAYED DISMISSES QUESTIONS ABOUT HASAN PIKER TIES ON 'FACE THE NATION,' PIVOTS TO GROCERIES

El-Sayed's exasperation with the media's questions about Piker became apparent during a Sept. 13 appearance on "Face the Nation." When CBS News' Weijia Jiang asked El-Sayed about Jewish Michiganders' concerns regarding his ties to Piker, the Michigan Democrat appeared to be fed up.

"Weijia, with all due respect, this is the third time you’ve asked about a Twitch streamer in California. I’ve done four events in Michigan this week. You know what didn’t come up? Twitch streamers in California," El-Sayed responded. The candidate said that voters would rather discuss grocery prices, healthcare and the environment, among other things.

"I’m not interested in having a conversation about streamers in California because they are not raising the prices of gas and groceries," El-Sayed added.

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Fox News Digital reached out to El-Sayed's campaign and Piker for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

There is a way to fix Social Security. And the solution might surprise you

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 07:00:28 -0400

Every few months, another headline tells Americans that Social Security is going broke.

It's scary. It's also not quite true.

Social Security isn't going to wake up one morning with zero dollars coming through the door. Even if its trust fund reserves are depleted, millions of workers will still be paying Social Security taxes every payday.

CONGRESS SPENDS $7 TRILLION. HERE’S HOW THAT MATH WORKS OUT IF YOU THINK OF JUST $100

The problem is that those taxes eventually won't generate enough money to pay 100% of scheduled benefits.

So, let's stop pretending Social Security can't be fixed. It can. You're just probably not going to like the fix. Here are three changes Washington should seriously consider.

1. Raise the Social Security wage cap to $400,000

In 2026, employees pay 6.2% into Social Security, and employers contribute another 6.2%, but the tax stops once wages reach $184,500.

SIX DIFFERENT WAYS THAT PROVE THE WEALTHY PAY A LOT MORE THAN THEIR ‘FAIR SHARE’

Someone making $100,000 pays Social Security tax on every dollar. Someone making $1 million doesn't. That's going to become increasingly difficult politically and mathematically to defend.

My first suggestion: Raise the Social Security taxable wage ceiling to $400,000. For somebody earning $400,000, that would expose another $215,500 of wages to Social Security taxes. It also doesn’t make Social Security an infinite tax like Medicare.

PROGRESSIVES WANT TO TAX BILLIONAIRES FIRST, AND YOU'RE NEXT ON THE LIST

At today's 12.4% combined employee-employer rate, that's potentially another $26,722 annually flowing into the system from that worker and employer combined.

Depending on exactly how Congress structured the change, we're potentially talking about well over $1 trillion of additional revenue over a decade. Higher earners won't like it. I wouldn't like paying it either. But Social Security needs revenue. It’s called a compromise.

2. Take the 6.2% tax to 7.2%, one-tenth at a time

Here's the second part politicians really won't want to advertise. Especially Democrats.

TOP SENATE DEM’S NEW TAX IDEA GETS TORCHED AS CRITICS WARN NEARLY EVERY AMERICAN COULD PAY

Everyone needs some skin in the game. Instead of suddenly slamming workers with a giant payroll-tax increase, raise the employee Social Security tax rate from 6.2% to 7.2% gradually over 10 years.

That's just 0.1 percentage point each year. Employers would see a corresponding gradual increase.

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For someone earning $75,000, the first increase amounts to about $75 for the entire year. Ten years later, the employee would be paying an additional $750 annually at today's income.

Nobody enjoys paying more taxes. But slowly adjusting the rate over a decade gives workers and businesses time to adapt.

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3. If you were born after 1990, 70 becomes the new 67

Now comes the third rail. Retirement age. Today's full retirement age is 67 for people born in 1960 or later. Don't change the deal for someone who's 62 and has spent their entire working life planning around 67. Instead, draw a line.

If you were born after 1990, gradually move full retirement age to 70. Someone born in 1991 turns 35 this year. They have decades to plan for the change.

People are living longer than generations before them. If we're going to make Social Security financially sustainable for another generation, the retirement-age math eventually has to reflect longevity.

In the end, nobody gets a free lunch

Here's the political problem. Republicans don't want tax increases. Democrats don't want benefit reductions. Workers don't want to pay more. Employers don't want to pay more.

High earners certainly don't want another $200,000-plus of wages subjected to payroll taxes. And nobody wants to hear they're working until 70.

Welcome to compromise.

There are really only three levers available to fix Social Security, and it’s really this simple unless you start doing means testing. Tax more income. Raise more revenue. Reduce future benefits. This plan pulls all three.

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Higher earners pay Social Security tax on more wages. Workers and employers gradually contribute more. Younger Americans wait longer for full retirement benefits. And importantly, Social Security doesn't "run out of money." Payroll taxes continue coming in even if the trust fund reserves are exhausted.

That's why Congress should stop scaring Americans and start solving the problem. Because the longer Washington waits, the uglier the eventual solution becomes. Nobody gets everything they want under this plan.

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That's exactly why it might actually work.

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Jasmine Crockett torched for honoring singer with notorious history of violence: 'Completely vile'

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 07:00:22 -0400

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, who recently lost her Senate bid, is facing online backlash after she honored music artist Chris Brown by entering him into the congressional record this past weekend.

"Now, y’all know, I tend to get in trouble every once in a while. I’m a make this real quick. I need to know who run it! So is Dallas in the building?" Crockett said as she took the stage alongside Brown on Saturday evening.

"Let’s give it up for Chris Brown," she added to applause from the audience.

The moment drew scrutiny from viewers online, raising questions about Crockett’s status as a lawmaker and whether it should be used to celebrate Brown, someone with a history of domestic violence.

AMERICA OWES BLACK WOMEN 'EVERYTHING,' REP JASMINE CROCKETT RANTS OVER JULY 4 WEEKEND

Among other instances of misconduct, Brown pleaded guilty in 2009 to felony assault after he attacked his then-girlfriend and famous singer, Rihanna. Many images of her injuries were made public, sparking intense condemnation from the music industry. His violence, however, wouldn’t stop there. He was involved in a 2013 altercation with Frank Ocean, another singer, and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge that same year. In 2017, another ex-girlfriend was granted a domestic violence restraining order against him after she alleged physical abuse.

Most recently, Brown pleaded guilty to charges of striking producer Abe Diaw twice in the head with a glass tequila bottle in July 2023. He is expected to receive a sentence in October for a separate charge for affray, a criminal charge in English law for unlawfully threatening violence against another person.

Andrew Kerr, an investigative reporter with the Washington Free Beacon, quickly noted Brown’s past in a post to X after news of Crockett’s tribute began to spread online.

"Kamala Harris-endorsed Rep. Jasmine Crockett uses her congressional authority to honor Chris Brown, the rapper best known for beating ever-living s--- out of Rihanna in 2009," Kerr wrote.

Shannon Watts, a Democratic activist and political commentator, also pointed out Brown’s storied past.

WATCH: HEARING TURMOIL AS JASMINE CROCKETT UNLOADS ON MLK'S NIECE IN WILD RACIALLY-CHARGED RANT

"Chris Brown pled guilty to felony assault after brutally attacking Rihanna. Another ex, Karrueche Tran, later obtained a five-year restraining order after testifying that he abused and threatened her. He has also faced multiple allegations of violence and sexual assault against other women," Watts wrote.

Crockett’s member statement, a form of recognition that lawmakers can have entered into the congressional record without any vote, recognizes "the artistry of Chris Brown and Usher Raymond."

On stage on Saturday, Crockett framed her member statement as a way to recognize two key artists who had helped shape contemporary R&B and pop music, especially for the Black community.

"I know it’s almost Sunday, so I wanna be clear. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. And right now, we are experiencing Black joy to the highest level, and I wanted to make sure we document that in the Congressional Record," Crockett said.

But Democratic strategist Ameshia Cross believes that the moment was a political miscalculation, coming across as ignorant of the challenges in the Black community.

"Chris Brown has a problem, and several folks beyond Rihanna have met his violent rage. It’s well-documented. This was a ridiculous move by Crockett," she wrote on X.

"Also, when Black women suffer [domestic violence] at the highest rates and often fatally, this was tone deaf as hell," she added.

Eric Michael Garcia, the D.C. bureau chief of the Independent, echoed Cross’ thinking.

"Absolutely disgusting to see Jasmine Crockett platform and honor an abuser of women. Just completely vile," Garcia wrote in a post of his own.

Dan Winslow, a New York Times bestselling author, hinted that the moment had changed his view of her.

WATCH: TALARICO EMBRACES ‘FREAKY’ IDENTITY AS CROWDS CHANT NAME MEANT AS INSULT: ‘SO WEIRD’

"CHRIS BROWN plead guilty to beating Rihanna. It was a horrific and savage beating. Crockett thought he deserved to be honored. Absolutely disgusting behavior. I am glad she lost. I will never support her again," Winslow wrote.

In response to the public backlash, Brown posted a response to his Instagram account, pleading to be left alone and expressing displeasure at Crockett having put him in the spotlight.

"Funny thing is... YALL CAME TO ME WITH THIS! NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND. I was minding my own d-mn business. My shows in Dallas were already sold out. I ain't asked to be honored because I knew some sh-t like this would happen... I have an idea how about y'all leave me the f--- alone and let me focus on the fans that spent their money to actually see and support me," Brown wrote.

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Having decided to give up her seat to pursue a Senate bid, Crockett will not be returning to the U.S. House of Representatives at the start of the next congress after she lost to James Talarico, the Democratic nominee in the Lone Star State.

Celebrity plastic surgeon reveals when it's too soon for a facelift, and when waiting can backfire

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 07:00:10 -0400

When it comes to getting a facelift, timing may be everything.

Going under the knife too soon could mean having surgery before it’s necessary — but waiting too long can also backfire, according to celebrity plastic surgeon Dr. Terry Dubrow.

During an episode of Josh Peck’s podcast, "Good Guys," the Beverly Hills-based surgeon said some women are jumping the gun and getting the procedure too soon.

CHEAP SURGERY OVERSEAS MAY COME WITH DEVASTATING COMPLICATIONS, DOCTORS WARN

"For those people in their 30s who want some skin tightening, they need to wait, 'cause there will be the technology that will allow early facelifts without cutting," he said.

Dubrow also mentioned Kris Jenner’s recent facelift, which may have motivated women to seek out the procedure based on her results.

"That made facelifts like, ‘Oh, Kris Jenner did it and made it public. Now it's cool. Everybody get a facelift,’" he said.

"So then you're seeing 38-year-old people in your office wanting a facelift, and you go, ‘OK, hold on a second. You don't even need a facelift. You need to wait, because, you know, a facelift is incisions and scars, and elevating up the skin, numbness and all sorts of potential things that can go wrong."

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Dubrow warned that if people have too many facelifts, "when it starts to relax, it can relax in weird ways."

"You've all seen it — people who look pretty good, but there's something about the way their skin lies on their face that looks unnatural, and it ruins the whole look," he warned.

"If you have early laxity, don't go in for your ‘Kris Jenner facelift.’ Still wait, because that technology is just around the corner."

Conversely, the surgeon has warned that waiting too long — while relying on other nonsurgical fixes — can also backfire. "A lot of women are staying on the ‘nonsurgical treadmill’ for too long," Dubrow told Fox News Digital.

DO RED LIGHT THERAPY AND COLD PLUNGES REALLY WORK? A DOCTOR REVEALS THE TRUTH

"They keep adding filler, lasers and tightening treatments, when the real problem is that the deeper tissues have dropped."

While it is possible to get a great result with a later-in-life facelift, the doctor pointed out that as the skin becomes looser, the tissues descend further, which may require more extensive surgery.

"My feeling is that once those treatments stop producing a natural result, continuing to postpone surgery can actually make you look less natural."

That’s not to say that nonsurgical treatments don’t have their place, he noted.

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"Fillers, lasers and tightening treatments can buy you time when they are used intelligently — but fillers cannot lift sagging tissue, and too much filler can make someone look distorted."

Aggressive energy treatments can also create scarring under the skin and make surgery more difficult later, Dubrow cautioned — "so, ask whether a treatment is truly delaying a facelift or just delaying the decision."

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There is no "magic age" in terms of best results with a facelift, according to Dubrow.

"For some women, it is their late 40s. For others, it is their 50s or 60s," he said. "It comes down to genetics, skin quality and what is happening along the jawline and neck."

Advice for facelift timing can vary depending on what type of expert you see, and every specialist tends to see the problem through the treatments they perform, the doctor noted.

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

"A dermatologist may explain what can still be accomplished without surgery, and a board-certified plastic surgeon can tell you when those options have reached their limit … and when it is time to actually reposition the anatomy," he said.

Ultimately, he suggests getting opinions from both sides.

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"The right time should be based on your face, not the doctor’s menu," Dubrow said. "Choose what makes sense for your anatomy, your goals and your tolerance for surgery."

"The best facelift is the one nobody knows you had, but the best advice often comes from hearing more than one point of view."

Robert Kraft opposes dangerous lies, not free speech | Matt Calkins

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 06:54:11 -0400

Based on the way American attitudes have shifted toward a certain country in the Middle East, Robert Kraft likely lost a lot of fans with a recent decision. But that doesn't mean it was the wrong decision. Not in the least.

The Patriots' owner said Monday that Macklemore will be removed from two of Ed Sheeran's shows later this month at Gillette Stadium (which Kraft also owns) for what he deemed "hate speech" toward the Jewish community. Macklemore has made no secret of how he feels about Israel, regularly using his platform to decry a "genocide" he falsely says is taking place in Gaza.

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His protest song "Hind's Hall" — in which he says former President Joe Biden has blood on his hands and that the music industry is "complicit" with its "silence" — is hardly subtle. It celebrates the violent and illegal actions by students, faculty and outside activists on the campus of Columbia University. And though some may accuse Kraft of launching an attack on free speech, I think he was saying something else: enough.

That takes a lot of spine when it's clear there will be backlash. All of the other opening acts for Sheeran (not to mention his own band) quit the tour in solidarity with Macklemore, while Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez denounced Kraft's choice as "censorship" against "the genocide in Gaza."

Kraft has since pledged $2 million toward humanitarian aid in the Israel-Gaza region but he's held firm on his Macklemore ban. Other owners have followed suit. Good on them. The genocide talk has to stop — because it has real consequences.

"Real Time" host Bill Maher expressed a similar sentiment during his "New Rule" segment last Friday. It was a long way from an Israel hagiography, but he pushed back against the genocide lie that so many have adopted as fact.

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Genocides, Maher said, are attempts to wipe out entire populations. The attacker won't stop until all of its human targets are exterminated. That isn't what's happening in Gaza — just as it wasn't what was happening when the U.S. dropped two atomic bombs on Japan, leading to the end of World War II.

A stat that Maher used to bolster his point was that about 73,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli counter attacks since October 7, 2023,(according to Hamas, while not distinguishing how many were part of Hamas) which comprises roughly three percent of their population. He then pointed out how nearly 99 percent of the three million Jews in Poland were killed during World War II. The first reflects the tragedy of war. But only the second is a genocide.

Still, polling has shown that Americans are more likely to believe that a genocide is taking place in Gaza than not. And it coincides with a Gallup poll showing that more Americans are sympathetic toward Palestine than it is Israel. Another study found that almost half the country has difficulty distinguishing American Jews from the Israeli government.

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Might that be why the Anti-Defamation League reported a 360% increase in antisemitic incidents since Hamas' attack on Israel three Octobers ago? Or why a 2025 American Jewish Committee poll found that 91 percent of American Jews felt less safe as a Jewish person due to violent attacks in the U.S? Or why 55 percent said they have changed their behavior (such as hiding Jewish identity) over a one-year span for fear of antisemitism?

If you watch this video of Pro-Palestine supporters blocking a Jewish student from going to class, you'll see a clear case of young minds being poisoned by rhetoric.

Kraft, who's Jewish, knows the effect that type of rhetoric can have. So, he did something about it.

This, of course, is much different than preventing someone from speaking their minds in a public space. Free speech in that respect must be preserved at all costs. But the First Amendment doesn't stop words from having consequences. Sometimes they get you fired, sometimes they tarnish your reputation, and sometimes they make it so you can't perform in privately-owned stadiums.

This isn't the first time Macklemore has been muted for what's come out of his mouth. After he said "F--- America" at a show in Seattle two years ago, the Mariners stopped playing his song "Can't Hold Us" during the seventh-inning stretch.

No doubt the rapper has the right to say what he wants. But Kraft and other owners have the right — or perhaps in this case, duty — to say "not on our turf."

I'm generally not a big fan of end-zone messaging like "End Racism." It just feels performative. But Yom Kippur — the holiest of Jewish holidays — starts at sundown Sunday.

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If the NFL insists on those end-zone slogans, maybe "End Antisemitism" should get a turn

Judge Judy warns of 'danger' if prosecutors don't retry Lindsay Clancy after murder trial ends in mistrial

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 06:00:43 -0400

Judge Judy Sheindlin weighed in Thursday on the closely watched Lindsay Clancy murder case following its mistrial, warning there could be a "danger" in prosecutors deciding not to retry the Massachusetts mother accused of killing her three young children.

The 83-year-old judge and television personality was asked by TMZ whether Clancy should face another trial after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict earlier this month.

"I think there's a danger in that, in not retrying," Sheindlin responded.

Sheindlin, who launched the popular syndicated show "Judge Judy," which aired for 25 seasons, was also asked about her view on the outcome of the trial after the jury's deliberations ended in a reported 11-1 split in favor of finding Clancy not criminally responsible.

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"I can't give you a two minute answer on that," Sheindlin said.

She was then asked whether she believed Clancy should have been found guilty.

"There's no question, my dear, that she killed her children," Sheindlin said. "The only question is, is there an excuse for it? Make up your own mind on that one."

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TMZ also asked Sheindlin about Rep. Nancy Mace's public call for Clancy to be publicly executed.

"I think it's ridiculous," Sheindlin responded.

Clancy's defense does not dispute that the 36-year-old former delivery room nurse strangled her three children with exercise bands in January 2023.

Her defense has argued that she was not criminally responsible because of mental illness or defect.

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Judge William Sullivan declared a mistrial Sept. 4 after seven days of deliberations when jurors said they could not reach a unanimous verdict.

Several jurors later said 11 members of the panel favored finding Clancy not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility, while one favored conviction.

Immediately after the mistrial was declared, Clancy's longtime defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, signaled that he would fight another attempt to put her on trial. The defense has indicated it plans to argue that the circumstances surrounding the mistrial should bar a second trial.

However, in a recent interview with Fox News' Bryan Llenas, Reddington said that if prosecutors reduced the top charge to second-degree murder, he would opt for a bench trial — one without a jury — in the hope that she would receive probation.

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Clancy remains in custody at Tewksbury Hospital and is due back in court Sept. 29.

Fox News Digital's Michael Ruiz and Stepheny Price contributed to this report.

Top DOJ official warns of deadly smuggling route after 42 vanish at sea

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 06:00:39 -0400

A Colombian smuggler’s guilty plea is shedding new light on a deadly route to the United States after a boat carrying 42 people vanished at sea and a top Justice Department official said the danger would not have ended if they reached land.

Luis Enrique Linero Pinto, 41, also known as "El Calvo," pleaded guilty in federal court in El Paso, Texas, after being extradited from Colombia for his role in a smuggling conspiracy that prosecutors said used bribery and maritime routes to move migrants north.

The boat left Colombia’s San Andrés Island for Nicaragua on Oct. 21, 2023, carrying approximately 40 migrants and two captains. It never arrived, and no one aboard has been seen or heard from since.

"This was a particularly sad and disturbing situation," Assistant Attorney General Tysen Duva, who leads the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, told Fox News Digital.

OVERCROWDED MIGRANT VESSEL WITH 240 PEOPLE ON BOARD INTERCEPTED NEAR TURKS AND CAICOS

"These 40 individuals and the two boat captains, once they set out from San Andrés Island to Nicaragua, were never heard from again," Duva said. "These individuals are, of course, missing and presumed dead, and it appears that there were no survivors."

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Duva said the disappearance offers a brutal look at the danger posed by transnational smuggling organizations that turn vulnerable migrants into commodities while pursuing routes toward the United States.

"It’s all about money," he said. "Anybody who’s involved with a cartel or transnational smuggling in this regard, it is about money. It’s about preying on people’s misfortune."

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According to the Justice Department, Linero Pinto advised migrants on how to reach San Andrés Island, personally received them upon arrival, arranged their accommodations and transported them to boats bound for Nicaragua.

From there, the migrants intended to travel through Central America and Mexico before illegally entering the United States, prosecutors said.

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Linero Pinto also bribed members of the Colombian navy to obtain real-time intelligence about the positions of patrol vessels between San Andrés Island and Nicaragua, allowing smuggling boats to evade authorities, according to court documents.

He admitted helping smuggle the migrants aboard the boat that vanished in October 2023.

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Duva said the victims had not even completed the opening stretch of the dangerous route when they disappeared.

"That’s the first leg. They didn’t even finish the first leg here and get to Nicaragua and then try to come north by land," he said. "It’s a really long journey, and it’s full of really bad things that can happen."

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The danger, he warned, is not confined to the open water.

Duva said migrants can face treacherous terrain while traveling through South and Central America and across the U.S.-Mexico border. Even those who reach the United States may be trapped by mounting debts and pushed into sex trafficking, he warned.

"You pay money to come to the United States, and then when you get here, the co-conspirators or those involved in the criminal enterprise will say, ‘But now you owe more, and you’re going to work this off in the sex trade,’" Duva said.

"Cross-border smuggling cases often times just morph right into human trafficking cases," he continued. "The crime sort of changes along the way. The travelers are the ones victimized, and this comes at a significant cost in terms of public safety."

Linero Pinto was charged in October 2024 and arrested in Colombia that December at the request of the U.S. government. He was later extradited to the United States and made his first appearance in federal court in El Paso in December 2025.

He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit alien smuggling and placing lives in jeopardy. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, though a sentencing date has not been set.

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A case against alleged co-conspirator Hernando Manuel de la Cruz Rivera Orjuela remains pending, Duva said.

The prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America and was coordinated by Joint Task Force Alpha, the Justice Department-led initiative targeting cartels and other transnational organizations involved in high-impact human smuggling and trafficking.

Duva praised President Donald Trump and his administration for putting a "tremendous focus" on the initiative and providing the Justice Department with additional resources to pursue smugglers, cartels and other transnational criminal organizations.

"We’re super thankful to President Trump," Duva said. "We’re deeply thankful to the White House for that. We’re thankful to Congress for that, and we’re going to keep doing what we’re doing."

Duva said funding approved through Trump’s signature One Big Beautiful Bill allowed the Criminal Division to hire additional prosecutors and place experienced attorneys in sections handling the administration’s priorities.

"People think, ‘Well, what is that? What did it do?’" he said. "We’re feeling the effects of that. We’re able to put skilled prosecutors in these different sections to attack these administration priorities."

Duva said the task force is hunting criminal networks along the southern border, maritime routes near Florida and the northern border with Canada.

"We are focusing on these cases at any border that we have," he said.

His warning to smugglers operating beyond America’s borders was blunt.

"Our reach is substantial," Duva said. "We are going to chase these cases no matter where they originate from or where we find them."

Duva said the department’s expanded international partnerships are critical because the criminals behind the operations often believe distance will protect them from prosecution.

"They just think, ‘Well, they catch other people, but they’re not going to get me,’" he said. "You really try to combat that one case at a time."

Joint Task Force Alpha has produced more than 483 domestic and international arrests, over 436 U.S. convictions and more than 371 significant prison sentences, according to the Justice Department.

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Duva said the mission should transcend partisan fights because the networks being targeted threaten migrants and American communities alike.

"It shouldn’t be partisan," he said. "It should be obvious that anybody who’s in the White House, anybody who is in Congress, should be lauding these cases and the work that’s being done by Criminal Division entities like Joint Task Force Alpha."

The Justice Department’s ultimate goal, Duva said, is the "total elimination" of cartels and the criminal organizations profiting from human suffering.

"You do it one case at a time," he said. "We are focused on doing the very best cases that we can for the American people. That’s what we get up every day and think about."

For Duva, however, the vanished boat remains a haunting illustration of why that mission matters.

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"I don’t know that I’ve ever heard of anybody who survives that one after several months and a year," Duva said. "It’s super tragic, and hopefully people realize when they hear about this case just how dangerous it is and how important it is that you target these smuggling groups."

‘Voters get to choose — just not the result’: Russia’s parliamentary election reaches occupied Ukraine

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 06:00:34 -0400

Russian State Duma elections began Friday — the first since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 — including in its occupied areas there, where Russia will look to reinforce the illusion of popular support for its full-scale invasion and annexation of eastern Ukraine.

OSCE election observers are not invited to monitor the outcome of the elections, a telling signal, critics say, that the Kremlin has no intentions of conducting free and fair elections.

"Russia’s refusal to invite an election observation mission seriously breaches its international commitments and shows a worrying disregard for democratic standards. Election observation is not optional — it is something that all OSCE participating States have agreed to, and it is a cornerstone of transparency and accountability," OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Pere Joan Pons told Fox News Digital.

Russia enacted strict censorship laws after the invasion, criminalizing any dissent about the operation or the armed forces and spreading misinformation about the war.

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As the Kremlin has tried to keep popular support in favor of its war against Ukraine, a Russian court sentenced Lev Shlosberg, a vocal critic and leader of one of Russia’s only opposition parties to over 11 years in a penal colony for criticizing the war. Prior to Shlosberg’s sentencing, Russia's Supreme Court banned his opposition Yabloko Party from participating in September’s Duma elections.

There are nine parties on the list, all supportive of Putin, including the Kremlin's own United Party in the elections, The Associated Press reported.

Shortly after Russia’s invasion in 2022, Moscow unilaterally annexed portions of occupied Ukrainian territory in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. In 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed legislation allowing elections to take place in the occupied territories. Ukraine and the international community do not recognize Russian sovereignty over the occupied regions.

Elections in Russia, and by extension in the occupied territory, are seen by his critics as window-dressing opportunities used by Putin to highlight his narrative that the war in Ukraine and the annexation of Ukrainian territory was a legitimate and lawful action.

Keti Korkiya from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies Russia Program told Fox News Digital that, "Russians are ready to support, symbolically, Putin, the Kremlin and the war, but if they have to pay a personal price, or even [an] economic price, they are unwilling to do that. That's why Russia has not done another wave of mobilization."

The upcoming elections, like most elections in Russia, will take place under a climate of pervasive fear and manipulation, not the freedom to exercise a democratic right, according to critics.

"It’s a total regime of terror," Jaroslava Barbieri, research fellow at the Ukraine Forum at Chatham House, told Fox News Digital.

The last time Russian elections were held in the occupied territories was in 2024, when Putin secured a fifth term in office, winning nearly 90% of the vote. Residents in occupied Ukraine were forced to acquire Russian passports, which is how authorities are able to compile lists of voters.

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"Election officials are escorted by Russian soldiers carrying ballot boxes door-to-door. Ostensibly framed as a security measure against Ukrainian partisan strikes, this is about direct intimidation, and it is a flagrant violation of international law," Barbieri added.

President Vladimir Putin said in August that the State Duma elections will reaffirm Russia's stability on the world stage, noting the election will highlight the "maturity" of Russia’s political system and resilience in the face of foreign aggression, according to Turkey's Anadolu Agency.

Russia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) approved new electoral regulations that will be implemented in occupied Ukraine. The Commission stressed the importance of early and at-home voting to prevent large gatherings which could be exploited by Ukrainian attacks.

Russia's ministry of foreign affairs posted on X that preparations for overseas voting in Russia’s State Duma elections are nearly complete. It said there are 326 polling stations set up at Russian embassies and consulates in 152 countries.

Volodymyr Ariev, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament, said people living in temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories should boycott the staged Russian elections.

"Any sort of elections held in the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories is illegal and a breach of international law. Ukraine will never recognize any person ‘elected’ as a member of Parliament in the temporarily occupied territories," Ariev told Fox News Digital.

Ariev said people living in the occupied east should leave their homes and spend election day someplace else, to avoid being coerced into voting.

PUTIN PLANS FOR NEXT 6-YEAR TERM AS RUSSIANS VOTE IN 'NEITHER FREE NOR FAIR ELECTION'

Ivana Stradner, who focuses on Russian information security and influence operations at the FDD, says as Russia’s battlefield momentum stalls, the costs of war mount, and Ukraine brings the conflict to Russia’s doorstep, Putin is seeking political legitimacy this election.

"The State Duma elections give the Kremlin a chance to manufacture the appearance of public support… not only for United Russia, but for continuing Putin’s aggression in Ukraine. When the battlefield gets harder to sell, the ballot box becomes another way to sell the war," Stradner told Fox News Digital.

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In the 2024 presidential elections, the annexed Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic delivered well above the current targeted 70% support, voting well over 90% for President Putin.

"Apparently, in Putin’s version of democracy, the voters get to choose… just not the result," Stradner added. The three days of voting ends on September 20.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Fox News Digital's News Quiz: September 18, 2026

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 06:00:19 -0400

Test your news knowledge with this week's Fox News Digital News Quiz, featuring Macklemore and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft going back and forth over Israel and Mideast aid, and a romance scam costing one woman nearly $1 million.

Looking for another challenge?

A stark warning about artificial intelligence and Nike's struggles were featured in last week's News Quiz.

Test your knowledge of gridiron grazing, silver-screen secrets and more in this week's American Culture Quiz.

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If you're looking to play even more, you can find all of our quizzes by clicking here.

Check back next week for the latest News Quiz from Fox News Digital. Thanks for playing!

Man loses weight eating nothing but a certain food for 25 days — and paid a price

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 06:00:18 -0400

A New Jersey man ate nothing but certain foods from a fast-casual chain for 25 days — an experiment that left him nine pounds lighter and craving a slice of pizza.

Tim Donahue, a 27-year-old Hoboken resident who works in advertising in New York City, documented his challenge as a modern-day spin on Morgan Spurlock's 2004 documentary "Super Size Me," he told Fox News Digital.

But instead of eating McDonald's for a month, Donahue wanted to see what would happen if he exclusively ate at a chain on the opposite end of the fast-food spectrum.

AMERICA'S FAVORITE FAST-FOOD CHAIN NAMED: MCDONALD'S WINS HEARTS BUT NOT BEST BURGER, SURVEY SAYS

"I think it felt the furthest possible opposite of McDonald's," Donahue said of choosing Sweetgreen.

The idea also came from watching his health-conscious co-workers routinely order Sweetgreen for lunch while he showed up with fast food.

"Everyone inside my office is very healthy, and they were getting Sweetgreen bowls every single day for lunch," Donahue said. "I myself would go pick up a fast-food burger and everyone would razz and make fun of me."

Donahue originally intended to make his experiment last for 30 days, but there was a practical problem.

EATING 5 FRUITS AND VEGETABLES A DAY MAY NOT BE ENOUGH FOR HEART HEALTH, STUDY FINDS

"I wanted to do 30, but if you try to look at your calendar and try to fit [it into] any 30-day window, there was always a wedding, a work trip, a reason why I couldn't do 30," he said. "I said, 'You know what, it's either going to get done with 25 days or I'm never going to it done.'"

His primary rule was simple: Whatever he consumed had to be available on Sweetgreen's menu, although he made an exception for black coffee.

And while Sweetgreen offers more than salads, Donahue tried to keep the experiment centered on its bowls.

By the third day, he said, there was little chance of turning back.

9 pounds down as a favorite emerges

Donahue didn't begin the challenge expecting to lose weight, but by the end, the number on his scale had dropped by about nine pounds.

He also found a clear favorite on the menu.

AMERICA'S LATE-NIGHT FAST-FOOD CULTURE MAY BE MAKING A COMEBACK — HERE'S WHY

"I was rocking with the hot honey chicken bowl," he said. "I was getting that all the time."

Donahue said the variety made eating from the same restaurant for nearly a month easier than one might expect. The bigger challenge, he said, was arranging his life around the experiment.

"The most challenging aspect of the project was not the food, it was the logistics," he said.

Meals had to be planned around the store's operating hours. Going out with friends meant skipping drinks and potentially bringing a salad along. Even dates with his girlfriend took a back seat.

'Not a sustainable thing'

One thing Donahue doesn't recommend about his experiment today is the price tag.

"You can cook at home and make a salad at home and spend a significantly smaller amount of money," he said.

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Donahue said he offset some of the expense by deciding not to spend money on alcohol or other restaurant meals during the challenge. But, he admitted, it was a "very expensive" project.

"Out of pocket, this is not a sustainable thing to do over groceries," he said.

Donahue also emphasized that Sweetgreen didn't pay him to conduct the experiment.

The company subsequently embraced his idea, Donahue said.

"His video inspired us to launch our own 30-day Sweetgreen challenge," Nicolas Jammet, Sweetgreen's co-founder and chief concept officer, told Fox News Digital. "We put out an open call for 30 participants to eat only Sweetgreen for 30 days and document how they feel throughout, and we already received hundreds of applications."

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After 25 days of salad bowls, Donahue headed to his favorite neighborhood pizzeria.

"A cheese pizza after a month of salads was incredibly well-deserved," he said.

There was just one problem.

The sudden return to heavier food didn't sit particularly well.

"It did make me feel quite sick because it's a shock to your system," Donahue said.

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Despite dropping weight and saying he experienced benefits, including more energy, Donahue isn't presenting his experiment as nutritional advice.

He stressed that he isn't a doctor or nutritionist and didn't undertake the challenge to tell others how they should eat.

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"The experiment was largely a fun filmmaking journey for me," he said. "I would never prescribe this to someone."

Prince Harry, Meghan Markle feeding the 'publicity machine' despite privacy demands: expert

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 06:00:16 -0400

Sources close to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are "pushing back" after King Charles issued new guidance on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's positions now that they are back in the United Kingdom.

King Charles issued guidance claiming that Harry and Markle are "akin to private citizens" via a letter issued by the Lord Chamberlain on Sept. 7. Sources told People magazine that Harry and Markle are "public figures" and that if Harry and Markle were private citizens, the Lord Chamberlain "would not have needed to issue a letter of formal guidance."

"Members of the public know who they are. The idea that they can live a normal, ‘private’ life is sadly not realistic," the source added.

Kinsey Schofield, host of YouTube’s "Kinsey Schofield Unfiltered," addressed the "not realistic" claim by the source and told Fox News Digital that the "private citizen" guidance just means that they do not represent the king.

KING CHARLES DRAWS ‘LINE IN THE SAND’ WITH PRINCE HARRY, MEGHAN MARKLE AFTER COUPLE CAUGHT OFF GUARD: EXPERT

"I want to push back on this argument coming from People magazine and sources close to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle that it's somehow unrealistic for the Sussexes to live as private citizens. Being a private citizen does not mean you're anonymous. It simply means you don't represent the king. The jobs you accept and the responsibilities you take, you take them on as yourself, not the crown," Schofield began.

Schofield drew a comparison between Princess Anne's children – Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips. Princess Anne is Queen Elizabeth's only daughter and the sister of King Charles. She chose not to give her two kids royal titles at birth.

"They're recognizable, have commercial interests, attend major royal family events, but they do not represent the monarch, yet they have both successfully built lives outside of the working institution. Harry and Meghan could pursue a quieter life, a life like Zara and Peter. They choose not to. In my opinion, you can't repeatedly feed the publicity machine and then complain about a lack of privacy," she said.

Schofield argued that the king’s clarification was necessary as Harry and Markle’s public profile has become increasingly intertwined with the controversies surrounding them.

MEGHAN MARKLE’S UK RETURN POSES PALACE CONTROL ‘NIGHTMARE,’ EXPERT WARNS

"Prince Harry is classified as a non-working member of the royal family whose position is akin to a private citizen. Of course, Harry and Meghan are famous. Nobody's disputing that, but where does their fame end and infamy begin? Fame can inspire people to invest in you emotionally and financially. Infamy means people know your name because controversy follows you," she began.

Schofield continued, "And after years of feuds, lawsuits and relationships that deteriorate, I think it's fair to ask how much of the Sussex's enormous public profile today is driven by admiration and how much is driven by controversy, which is precisely why the king has every reason to make their status crystal clear."

Ian Pelham Turner, royal broadcaster, disagrees with Charles's stance on labeling his son and his wife as private citizens.

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"Harry is the son of a king. He has prominence in Britain. Thus, whether William likes it or not the king should decide not to weakly disenfranchise his second son," Turner said. "He is a billionaire with vast fortunes. Pay for his son’s full security rather than looking like an Ebenezer Scrooge after."

He continued, "Although some royals still live in Dickens times, we are actually in the 21st century. How would the king feel if a second tragedy happens in his lifetime, first Diana, and potentially Harry and his family?"

Private citizens are not granted security like members of the royal family are.

Richard Fitzwilliams, royal commentator, told Fox News Digital that Charles' letter, declaring Harry and Markle private citizens, is a "total mess."

"The current situation with the king’s letter about their status and the Sussexes' response is a total mess. The raising of the security issue which, in the Sussexes' view, is a further example of the risks they face, was, in fact, highlighting the incompetence on their part as no proper recce [reconnaissance] has been done during term by their team," Fitzwilliams said.

Fitzwilliams argued that the king's letter was a "slap on the wrist" for Meghan and Harry, proving his lack of trust for the former senior royals.

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"The king’s letter restated the facts without giving them much of a chance to 'clarify' things. It was clearly intended as a slap on the wrist and evidence that the king didn’t trust them. Unfortunately, nothing is going to stop matters becoming a circus, with royal engagements overshadowed by what they get up to," he said.

As for what's to come, the royal experts are stumped.

"It is simply impossible to anticipate the way this may go. It is only clear that, whatever their motives and mistakes, the Sussexes are news whatever they do. That strengthens their hand because it gives them a very high profile. This has nothing to do with the rights and wrongs of any issues involved," Fitzwilliams said.

Schofield explained that Markle and Harry are "unpredictable."

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"Harry and Meghan are unpredictable. The palace can't have governments, charities, businesses, even members of the public wondering whether their activities somehow carry the endorsement of the crown. It doesn't. They don't. King Charles is saying, absolutely not," she said.

Schofield continued, "Harry spent years insisting that he wanted independence from the institution. Independence means you don't get to demand the privileges or the authority or the special treatment afforded to people who stayed and did the job. It's the king who determines who represents the crown, not Prince Harry, not Meghan Markle, and certainly not anonymous sources briefing People Magazine. Harry wanted his freedom from the system. He got it, but freedom from the system also means accepting that you no longer have a seat at the table."

Fox News Digital has reached out to Archewell and Buckingham Palace for comment.

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Psychosis evidence changes everything in Clancy judge's other killer mom case: retired judge

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 06:00:11 -0400

Judge William Sullivan, who drew national attention earlier this month after declaring a mistrial in the Lindsay Clancy murder case, also presided over another closely watched child-killing trial that a retired Massachusetts judge says would look dramatically different if retried.

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court last month vacated the murder conviction of Brockton mother Latarsha Sanders, ruling jurors were improperly prevented from seeing psychiatric records central to her insanity defense and ordering a new trial.

"They ordered a new trial which will fundamentally change the way the case is going to be tried," retired Massachusetts Superior Court Judge Jack Lu told Fox News Digital.

LINDSAY CLANCY MISTRIAL DECLARED AFTER JURY DEADLOCKS IN KILLINGS OF HER THREE CHILDREN

Sullivan, who presided over Sanders' 2022 trial and later sentenced her to two concurrent life terms without parole, has returned to the national spotlight following the closely watched Clancy trial, which ended in a mistrial after jurors deadlocked over whether Clancy was criminally responsible for killing her three children. Like Sanders, Clancy admitted killing her children but argued she lacked criminal responsibility because of mental illness.

"There is no doubt the defendant committed these incomprehensible crimes," Justice David Gaziano wrote for the unanimous court in Sanders' case. "The sole issue before a Superior Court jury was whether she lacked criminal responsibility."

LINDSAY CLANCY JUDGE CALLS MISTRIAL, THEN GRANTS DEFENSE ONE HOUR STAY FOR APPEAL

The justices concluded Sanders was entitled to a new trial because jurors never saw medical records documenting diagnoses and treatment of mental illness that were relevant to the only issue disputed at trial: whether she lacked criminal responsibility.

Lu said the ruling does far more than simply order another trial.

"Thousands of pages of mental health records will be admitted ... and the jury's gonna get it all," he said.

Lu cautioned against judging Sullivan's decision with the benefit of hindsight.

"The trial judge did an excellent job ... but now I'm a great Monday morning quarterback just like everybody else," Lu said, explaining that the evidentiary issue was unusually difficult before the SJC clarified the law.

Sanders admitted killing her sons, 8-year-old Edson "Marlon" Brito and 5-year-old La'Son Brito, but argued she was legally insane at the time of the attacks.

Her attorneys contended she was suffering from severe mental illness and psychosis, while prosecutors argued she appreciated the wrongfulness of her actions despite bizarre statements she made before and after the killings.

According to evidence summarized by the Supreme Judicial Court, Sanders had become consumed by conspiracy theories involving the Illuminati and expressed fears about voodoo before the killings.

After the deaths, investigators said she gave police multiple conflicting accounts before eventually telling detectives the stabbings were part of a "ritual" tied to voodoo and the Illuminati.

At trial, Sanders' defense called a clinical neuropsychologist who testified she was "grossly psychotic" at the time of the killings and suffered from a schizophrenia-spectrum disorder.

The expert based that opinion in part on thousands of pages of psychiatric treatment records from prison and a state psychiatric hospital.

Those are the records Lu said a future jury would likely hear if prosecutors pursue another trial.

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The Supreme Judicial Court said that was an error, concluding the excluded records documented repeated observations of paranoia, hallucinations, delusional thinking and schizophrenia-spectrum diagnoses that formed the medical foundation of Sanders' defense.

Read the court's ruling:

"We hold that the exclusion of the MCI-Framingham and WRCH medical records documenting the defendant's post-arrest diagnoses or treatment of mental illness ... impermissibly stripped the sole defense 'of the medical foundation that supported it,'" the court wrote. "The defendant is entitled to a new trial."

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Lu said the opinion should not be interpreted as a determination that Sanders was legally insane or wrongly convicted. Instead, he described it as the resolution of a difficult evidentiary question that changes what evidence jurors would be permitted to consider if the case is retried.

During oral arguments before the Supreme Judicial Court, Sanders' attorney, Robert Shaw, argued the trial judge's exclusion of medical evidence deprived his client of "a meaningful opportunity to present a complete defense," FOX 25 in Boston reported.

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Assistant Plymouth County District Attorney Melissa Johnson countered that Sanders showed no documented psychotic behavior for months after the killings and that the records were properly excluded, the station reported.

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The justices also addressed two issues that would likely shape any future trial.

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First, they said prosecutors could refer to Sanders describing herself as "evil" because the statements were relevant to whether she appreciated the moral wrongfulness of her actions, so long as the argument remained tied to that legal issue rather than serving as a personal attack.

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However, the court found prosecutors improperly suggested Sanders may have borrowed elements of her story from episodes of "Law & Order: SVU," ruling there was no evidence supporting that theory.

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The ruling vacates Sanders' convictions and sends the case back to Plymouth Superior Court for a new trial.

An overturned conviction does not clear Sanders of the charges, Lu said.

"It just means you have to do it all over again," he said.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to Sullivan, Sanders' attorney and the Plymouth County District Attorney's Office for comment.

Trump's EPA reforms are a huge boost to manufacturers, but there's more red tape to cut: expert

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 19:38:27 -0400

The Trump administration's move to eliminate a swath of Biden-era power plant emissions standards will be a game changer for the U.S. economy, National Association of Manufacturers CEO Jay Timmons told Fox News Digital.

Timmons hailed EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin for the move announced this week but noted that even more red tape remains to be cut.

"It really sent a signal to manufacturers that the administration was listening to our concerns," Timmons said of the cuts to power plant emissions standards.

TRUMP'S EPA CHIEF PUSHES BACK ON CLIMATE SKEPTICS BEING LABELED 'SCIENCE DENIERS'

He said NAM and other groups had objected to former President Joe Biden's 2024 standards "very, very clearly" at the time, saying the standards were "simply unworkable."

"The timeline that they had proposed was just, it wasn't feasible. Not that the aspirations for, you know, for cleaner air and a healthier environment aren't good aspirations," Timmons said.

"I think we all share that. I know the current EPA and Administrator Zeldin certainly share those objectives, but how you get there really matters and whether manufacturers are able to meet the challenge.

Timmons noted that the Biden administration had heard its concerns but simply disagreed.

TRUMP-APPROVED ENERGY PROJECTS AT RISK OF SUDDEN DEATH BY NEXT HOSTILE PRESIDENT

The emissions regulations cut this week were removed by executive fiat, but Timmons says more lasting change must come through Congress as manufacturers hope to avoid regulatory whiplash between administrations.

"Uncertainty is the absolute worst enemy for manufacturers because manufacturers are on a very long-term horizon when it comes to planning and strategy, product development, research development. So, when administrations change, there has often been kind of that pendulum swing," Timmons said.

SEN KEVIN CRAMER: CHINA BUILDS FOR WAR WHILE AMERICA WAITS ON PERMITS

One area he said could use further reform is permitting. NAM polling found that 80% of manufacturers say the length and complexity of the permitting process is harmful to increasing investment.

As many as 87% of manufacturers told NAM they would expand business operations, hire more workers or increase wages and benefits if the permitting process was more streamlined.

SENATE MOVES TO UNSHACKLE AMERICA'S DRIVERS FROM CALIFORNIA'S 'CLIMATE ZEALOTS'

Timmons said it is critical for Congress to hear directly from manufacturers when drafting legislation, however.

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"There needs to be more opportunities for business to be at the table. To really explain what the art of the possible is. No one is saying that we should not be working hard to achieve cleaner air, cleaner water, healthier communities. In fact, we're saying exactly that. We should be part of the solution to make that happen," he said.

‘Unprecedented’: Judges reveal behind-the-scenes coordination on Trump immigration cases

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 05:30:47 -0400

Federal judges in Minnesota tasked with deciding a flood of habeas petitions challenging the detention of immigrants swept up during President Donald Trump's Operation Metro Surge weren't working entirely on their own — behind the scenes, they were regularly consulting one another through running email threads and developing tools to quickly handle recurring legal questions.

The behind-the-scenes coordination among Minnesota's federal bench, revealed in a New York Times report Thursday, included regular meetings, running email threads, an informal spreadsheet created by court clerks showing which judges to turn to with particular legal questions and templates some judges developed to quickly issue orders when similar detention disputes repeatedly came before the court.

The disclosures are fueling questions over whether the judges were colluding on separate cases involving the same Trump administration immigration policies, or simply sharing expertise to manage an extraordinary caseload.

FEDERAL JUDGE TIES ICE AGENTS' HANDS WITH RULING ON WARRANTLESS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ARRESTS

"The idea of a running email chain involving a variety of cases — it strikes me as very weird and frankly unprecedented," Robert Luther III, a professor at George Mason University's Antonin Scalia Law School whose work includes federal courts and judicial ethics, told Fox News Digital. Federal judges can and routinely do consult colleagues, Luther said, particularly about procedural or evidentiary questions. But each judge is ultimately responsible for independently deciding the cases assigned to them — a distinction Luther said makes the coordination significant.

The disclosures have also drawn criticism from the Trump administration on two fronts. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) General Counsel James Percival accused the former chief judge who led the district during Metro Surge of "essentially conspiring with his judicial colleagues" to thwart federal immigration enforcement. The Justice Department (DOJ), meanwhile, questioned the decision by sitting judges to give extensive on-the-record interviews about their experience with the administration's immigration operation.

Seven of the district's judges spoke to the Times for Thursday's report, including former Chief Judge Patrick Schiltz, who sat for a 90-minute interview about the court's experience during Metro Surge. Schiltz declined to discuss ongoing cases, according to the Times, but described what happened in Minnesota's federal court as having "created a grave threat to the rule of law."

"It is remarkable that sitting federal judges are giving on-the-record interviews attacking this Administration's policies rather than ruling from the bench," a Justice Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "If judges followed the law in adjudicating cases, there wouldn't be an 'overwhelming' habeas caseload. Judges who have made public comments on pending or related matters should consider whether recusal is warranted going forward."

OBAMA, BIDEN JUDGES DRAW FRESH FIRE AS TRUMP'S IMMIGRATION COURT CLASHES HEAT UP: ‘ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE’

But Chief Judge Eric Tostrud, who was himself among the Minnesota judges interviewed by the Times, rejected suggestions that the coordination described in the report compromised individual decision-making. He told Fox News Digital that every member of the bench independently decided the merits of each petition assigned to them, while pointing to an extraordinary surge in litigation — from 12 alien-detainee habeas petitions during all of 2024 to 1,427 through August of this year — and noting that many involved similar or identical, often novel, legal questions.

"The bottom line is that each of us made an independent decision with respect to the merits of each and every petition we were assigned," Tostrud told Fox News Digital.

Tostrud stressed that the judges did not uniformly reach the same conclusions, saying that while some reached the same result on certain legal questions, they "reached different outcomes regarding other legal questions." He said the judges' ability to communicate helped them resolve the cases quickly and thoughtfully, regardless of whether individual petitions were granted.

What exactly the judges were sharing behind the scenes, however, remains unclear. Tostrud declined to disclose the contents of the court's internal working materials, saying documents created by judges and court staff "are not public."

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S IMMIGRATION PUSH FUELS ICE'S BIGGEST ARREST MONTH IN AGENCY HISTORY

That distinction could be significant, according to Luther, who said administrative templates are commonplace in federal courts, but drew a line between those and templates touching the substance of a case.

"Templates that deal with administrative matters strike me as entirely appropriate and commonplace in federal courts," Luther said. "Templates for substantive matters — that seems like something altogether different."

The coordination unfolded amid a broader clash between Minnesota's federal bench and the Trump administration over Operation Metro Surge. The dispute came as immigration litigation inundated the district. During the first three months of 2026, Minnesota's federal court received 1,116 habeas petitions, compared with just two during the same period the previous year, according to the Times. Court staff worked 16-hour days, seven days a week, to process the incoming cases.

Patrick Schiltz, who served as the district's chief judge during Metro Surge before taking senior status — a form of semi-retirement — this summer, emerged as a prominent judicial critic of the administration's handling of the operation. In a Jan. 28 order, Schiltz accused ICE of violating nearly 100 court orders during that month and warned that "ICE is not a law unto itself."

OBAMA JUDGE'S PECULIAR TRUMP REBUKE IGNITES FURY OVER 'UNPROFESSIONAL' LANGUAGE: 'EMBARRASSMENT'

The cases cited in Schiltz's January list of alleged violations have largely concluded, according to the Times, which reported that the administration ultimately corrected the issues flagged by the court in many of them.

DOJ said its review of the cases found that in the "large majority" of them, detainees were released on time and no violation occurred, while in most of the remaining cases the department said it ultimately did what the court ordered despite missing an additional deadline.

MASSACHUSETTS' HIGHEST COURT PUBLICLY REPRIMANDS JUDGE ACCUSED OF ENABLING IMMIGRANT TO ESCAPE ICE

Federal judicial ethics rules generally prohibit judges from publicly commenting on the merits of pending or impending cases, but permit judges to explain court procedures and engage in broader speaking and teaching about the law, legal system and administration of justice.

The DOJ argued that judges who publicly commented on pending or related matters should consider whether recusal is warranted. The Times reported, however, that Schiltz declined to discuss ongoing cases, while Judge Nancy Brasel, a Trump appointee who also participated in the interviews, defended judges' ability to speak publicly about judicial independence.

"We are allowed to speak out about judicial independence," Brasel told the Times. "And so we should, in order to keep it."

Luther, however, took a different view of the judges' decision to participate in the interviews.

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"Judges should be speaking through their judicial orders, not through their surrogates at The New York Times," he told Fox News Digital.

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119,000 fake shops could steal your credit card details

What is DoppelCart?

DoppelCart has swallowed a huge piece of the .shop domain

Why DoppelCart fake shops can look so convincing

That 65% discount can be the hook

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Fox News Digital's News Quiz: September 18, 2026

Man loses weight eating nothing but a certain food for 25 days — and paid a price

9 pounds down as a favorite emerges

'Not a sustainable thing'

Prince Harry, Meghan Markle feeding the 'publicity machine' despite privacy demands: expert

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‘Unprecedented’: Judges reveal behind-the-scenes coordination on Trump immigration cases