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'Wonder Woman' star Lynda Carter stuns fans with age-defying Instagram photos of her in a bathtub

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 16:05:23 -0400

"Wonder Woman" star, Lynda Carter, shocked fans with her age-defying appearance on social media.

The 75-year-old actress stunned in a series of photos shared on Instagram on Tuesday, July 28, while promoting her latest project, "Super Troopers 3."

"@supertroopers Ride Again!!! Follow them and us (returning cast) For a fantastic road romp!!" she captioned the post. "But....wait for it...the last scene! I'm naked in a bathtub???? Oh noooo, @jaychandreskhar you promised not to show that!"

In one of the photos, Carter is all smiles as she lies outside in a bathtub, with bubbles covering her chest and an elegant updo. Behind Carter is a picturesque view of a lake and greenery, and a martini is seen on a table next to her.

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Other photos show the "Supergirl" actress posing with her arms around her co-stars and crew members on the film in a gray robe.

"My God, is she getting younger?!😍" one fan wrote in the comments section. Another added, "Still absolutely gorgeous 😍, while a third fan chimed in adding, "Can't wait! And @reallyndacarter you look amazing!! You don't age!! ❤️🔥🔥"

When speaking to People in March 2024, Carter shared her secret to looking youthful in her 70s, telling the outlet, "People still recognize me all the time as Wonder Woman," adding that since she hasn't "cut" her face, "I probably look just myself, but older."

"And the reason I've never had any facial surgery is just because I'm afraid. It's scary, because we've all seen some bad ones," she said. "That outcome is spending time in a chair with some really good people doing your hair and makeup."

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She explained that while most "actors and celebrities always look so great when they're on the red carpet," they often look like everyday people without makeup on and when wearing regular clothes.

"If everyone did a three-hour makeover before they left the house, then they'd all look amazing," she said. "What I'm trying to say is, there's a lot of effort behind those pictures. Don't think they walk out the door looking like that!"

Carter rose to stardom with her career-defining role playing Wonder Woman in the eponymous show, from 1975 to 1979. Decades after the show went off the air, fans continue to associate Carter with the iconic character, but she says she doesn't mind.

When speaking with E! News in October 2016, Carter explained that speaking about the show has never been an issue for her.

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"I love the character. I love her. I think she stands for so much…I've heard so many great stories," Carter said. "She became so much more than this show or the comic book or the movie, she became a symbol for the beauty and the strength and the loving kindness and the wisdom of women…and gay men."

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Calvin Ridley recalls fast-casual Mexican meal before offseason stomach bug knocked him out

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 15:50:44 -0400

Gastrointestinal issues have been in the news a lot lately (that's not a sentence I thought I'd type when I walked across the stage to receive my college degree), and now Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley is talking about a nasty offseason stomach bug he dealt with.

The culprit?

Well, according to Ridley, it was a meal that he had from a certain fast-casual chain known for slinging burritos, burrito bowls, and any other permutation of protein, rice and toppings your heart desires.

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On Saturday, a reporter asked him about an offseason bout with a 24-hour bug.

"Oh, yeah, I did," he said. "I've actually had that a couple of times in my life; maybe three or four times. It's not a good thing. It's like a 24-hour thing, but it really puts you down pretty good."

The Titans star revealed that he actually lost around 15 pounds in just 24 hours.

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That's brutal. Bugs like that are 24 hours of hell.

If someone said, "Hey, pick between a stomach bug or being fed feet first into a woodchipper," obviously, I'd pick the stomach bug, but I would briefly weigh the options.

Of course, what with all of the Cyclospora and lettuce hysteria, reporters did their job and asked an important follow-up question about whether or not Ridley's dilemma was because he had eaten lettuce.

"Chipotle," he replied.

Now, come on.

First of all, it's important to note that Chipotle has not been linked to any of the Cyclospora incidents sweeping our nation's restrooms and toilet paper aisles (weird that it's still readily available, unlike the early days of COVID, right?).

We've also reached out to the company for comment on Ridley's situation.

We don't know the source of Ridley's ailment, and it's good that he's doing better, but I'm tired of Mexican food being public enemy No. 1 anytime someone gets an upset stomach.

Whenever anyone's stomach feels a bit off-kilter, they go straight to the Mexican food. Sure, maybe it played a role, but it's unfair to just assume.

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I mean, it's to the point that in many people's minds, Mexican food is practically as synonymous with gastrointestinal struggles as Tums and Febreze are.

Sure, it's not going to play as nice with the ol' pipes as some other cuisines, but we all know that going in. If you're scared or have plans, maybe eat a few saltines and play it safe.

Bill Maher breaks with the left to hammer Anthony Fauci after explosive Senate hearing

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 15:46:15 -0400

Comedian and talk show host Bill Maher railed against former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci just days after he invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination 111 times during a Senate hearing over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

During Friday’s episode of HBO’s "Real Time," Maher called out Fauci for telling "actual lies" about the origins of the virus responsible for over seven million confirmed deaths worldwide following Fauci’s Senate hearing on Wednesday.

"He was caught in actual lies," Maher said, adding, "The big issue to me is the origin of this, which is very important. How did it start?"

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The comedian pointed to Fauci’s previous assertions that the virus originated through animal-to-human contact at a wet market in Wuhan, China.

"He was telling people up front when it first began [that] it was from the wet markets. It could not — that's a conspiracy theory — if you say it escaped from the lab," Maher said.

"And he knew better," Maher continued. "Because we have him in his diary telling us what he was saying to other scientists, who were saying, ‘No, absolutely.’"

Fox News Digital reached out to Fauci for comment.

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Maher went on to point to the controversial theory that the virus was the result of either an accidental or intentional leak from a Chinese laboratory in the same city where the first cases originated.

He also blasted Fauci over the crux of his hearing, in which he was questioned regarding the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ funding of "gain-of-function" research in China.

Fox News Digital previously covered Fauci’s vehement denial that the controversial research method — which involves scientists altering the genetics of a virus to better understand and treat it — led to the samples breaking free from the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

WATCH: RAND PAUL SAYS THERE'S ONE THING AMERICANS HAVE NEVER HEARD FROM FAUCI

"I would always have said, don't do it, but it's a viable debate," Maher said, referring to the "gain-of-function" research method. "It's a reasonable debate — should we soup up something that's bad, this bacteria, to study it? Maybe if it got out it would be even worse. I think that's what did happen."

In June 2025, the World Health Organization released a report in which officials determined "the weight of available evidence … suggests zoonotic spillover … either directly from bats or through an intermediate host."

Maher then challenged the controversy surrounding the lab leak theory, which has been supported by President Donald Trump, and suggested the outcry surrounding its merit was largely due to social issues — not scientific evidence.

"We could have had that debate in a rational way," Maher said. "We didn't want to do that. Because why? Because we make everything about race. And this is one of the repercussions in this."

Maher added that the pandemic brought a racial stigma surrounding the lab leak theory, creating an unfounded taboo on the topic.

"You couldn't say it escaped from the lab, because that was the racist point of view somehow — that the entire Asian continent would have been somehow complicit in this because it escaped from the [lab]," Maher said. "It was ridiculous."

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"But that is where they went," the comedian continued. "You were racist if you said this escaped from a lab. I think we've morphed from a place where we want to obviously not be prejudiced against anybody, to where people of color can never do any wrong."

Maher’s criticism of Fauci marks a notable break from his fellow left-leaning counterparts in media, who have historically stood behind the doctor.

"Once again, Bill Maher is willing to level with the country in a way the liberal, elitist media never would," Curtis Houck, managing editor of NewsBusters at the Media Research Center, told Fox News Digital. "The press should be capable of calling balls and strikes."

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"But when it comes to most things and their dear Saint Fauci, they must protect him at all costs by either explaining away his damaging diary entries or not covering them at all," he continued. "The media have made the decision to be joined at the hip with Fauci, even as his credibility has dropped off a cliff."

Trump says he 'disagrees 100%' with U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro over Reflecting Pool case

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 15:44:05 -0400

President Donald Trump publicly broke with his top local prosecutor Saturday, insisting damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was "a pure case of VANDALISM" despite federal officials citing contractor failures as they moved to dismiss a felony case against a former U.S. Olympian.

"I disagree 100% with Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, on the Reflecting Pool," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "I don’t know what she was thinking?"

Trump's remarks came one day after Pirro's office asked a federal judge to dismiss a felony destruction of property charge against former U.S. Olympian David Hearn, who was accused of damaging the landmark after allegedly pulling up a loose section of its protective lining on June 19 despite being told by a National Park Service employee to stop.

"To me, it was a pure case of VANDALISM, that included the grass, which had a big 86 47 emblazoned in giant letters on it, and other elements of the surrounding area," Trump continued, referencing a separate vandalism incident that had occurred about a week earlier.

U.S. Park Police previously discovered the numbers "86 47" etched into the grass near the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The phrase has become a politically charged slogan directed at Trump. Supporters of the president, including Trump himself, have argued it amounts to a call for his assassination.

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Pirro's office dropped the charges against Hearn on Friday after concluding that reports disclosed by the Department of the Interior revealed that there were many flaws with the renovation project, including that the lining appeared to begin peeling days after installation.

"Given all of this newly discovered information, it is difficult to attribute the widespread damage to the Reflecting Pool to vandalism, let alone to establish that fact beyond a reasonable doubt," the motion concluded.

Trump acknowledged there potential issues with the project but rejected the Justice Department's conclusion that construction problems were primarily responsible for the damage.

"There may have been some contractor difficulty, but the major damage was caused by VANDALS!" Trump wrote.

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Hearn was indicted on July 2 on one count of felony destruction of property after U.S. Park Police alleged he pulled at the pool's protective coating, with authorities initially estimating the damage exceeded $1,000.

According to Pirro's office, the Department of the Interior initially provided only "barebones" reports and did not disclose documents showing the Reflecting Pool's newly installed coating had begun failing almost immediately after construction.

"Had DOI been forthcoming with the information clearly in its possession, the government would not have sought a grand jury indictment," prosecutors wrote in Friday's filing.

"It was not until after the return of the indictment, that the DOI provided additional documents to the USAO-DC indicating that damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in June 2026 was the result of flawed installation by the contractor, Atlantic Industrial Coatings ('AIC'), and the rush to complete the project prior to events associated with the America 250 celebration in the weeks surrounding Independence Day 2026," the filing continued.

The case against Hearn was dismissed without prejudice, meaning charges could be brought again in the future.

Court filings show Atlantic Industrial Coatings received a no-bid contract worth more than $14 million to install a new protective lining across the Reflecting Pool's 68,000-square-foot floor.

The project began in early May but was slowed by rain and complications with the pool's expansion joints, adding pressure to complete the work before the July Fourth festivities celebrating America's 250th anniversary.

According to prosecutors, problems surfaced almost immediately.

TRUMP SHARES NEWS OF 'CRYSTAL CLEAR' REFLECTING POOL, CALLS FOR VANDALISM SUSPECT'S ARREST

Just two days after the project was completed on June 9, a National Park Service engineer reported that sections of the new lining were already peeling.

"I stated my concern that this 'overspray' along the perimeter of the pool could lead to a 1'-2' strip that is vulnerable to peeling," the engineer wrote in a June 11 email obtained by the New York Post. "The contractor would not confirm in field if this was or wasn't a risk."

Following the dismissal request, Hearn's legal team accused the government of rushing to prosecute the case.

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"The Trump administration's case against Davey Hearn should never have been brought. Its dismissal today does not erase the abuse of government power in arresting and charging a patriotic American who did nothing wrong. The government’s approach was ready, fire, aim. The administration owes Mr. Hearn an apology," attorneys Norm Eisen, Mary Dohrmann and Steve Levin said in a statement to the New York Post.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Pirro's office for comment.

Heidi Klum shows off figure during yacht trip after revealing her husband told her to 'eat more'

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 15:36:07 -0400

Heidi Klum basked in the sunshine while on vacation with family.

The 53-year-old German supermodel was photographed enjoying time with her daughter, Leni, and her daughter's boyfriend, Aris Rachevsky, on a yacht off the coast of St. Barts in the Caribbean.

In the photos, the mother-daughter duo both stun in bikinis. Klum rocked a cream-colored string bikini, which she paired with a gray baseball cap and sunglasses, and in some photos she held up her dog as an accessory.

Leni also wore a bikini, flaunting her toned body in a strapless blue top and matching bottoms, which she paired with a white hat and sunglasses.

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Some of the photos show Leni wearing a snorkeling mask and flippers, while in others, she is taking photos of her mom, which later appeared on Klum's Instagram.

"You Are so beautiful Heidi 😍💗🔥👑" one fan wrote in the comments section. Another added, "The girlz still got it...🔥🔥"

"Tom is lucky to have an amazing woman like Heidi," a third fan wrote.

The mother-daughter vacation came a few weeks after the "America's Got Talent" judge spoke to Us Weekly about how her husband, Tom Kaulitz, went against one of Hollywood's biggest beauty obsessions and told her to "eat more."

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She told the outlet that she is "not interested at all" in GLP-1 drugs, admitting she has gained weight over the past few years. She doesn't mind the weight gain, adding, "I think with age, we look better when we're not as skinny."

"My husband was the first one who pointed that out. He said, 'You should eat more; you would look better if you had more meat on your bones.' I was like, 'What?' This is not something you're told in the industry, ever, because you're always supposed to be skinnier than you are."

While she has no interest in trying Ozempic or any other weight-loss drug, Klum said she doesn't look down on those who choose to go that route, noting, "A lot of people have a hard time getting that jumpstart."

In the past, Klum and Leni have sparked controversy due to their decision to pose together for a lingerie campaign for the brand Intimissimi, with social media users saying, "This makes me feel uncomfortable."

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In response to the criticism, Klum told People that while some are questioning her decision to engage in the campaign with her daughter, she is proud of Leni, adding, "She’s fine with me like that."

"I’ve always been very open with my body," she continued. "When I’m suntanning in the backyard, I might not have a top on. I’m European … My kids don’t know me any other way and are probably more easygoing with their bodies because of it."

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Baby boomers hate 10 things about today's grocery stores

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 15:29:42 -0400

Grocery shopping has changed dramatically over the past 50 years, and not everyone is happy about it.

Baby boomers — generally defined as those born between 1946 and 1964 — are particularly frustrated by many of today's grocery-store features, according to The Takeout. Technology-driven shopping is among their biggest complaints, along with several other modern grocery-store changes.

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No. 1: Self-checkout

When asked to choose between self‑checkout and cashier‑assisted checkout — each with equal lines — 62% of respondents to a YouGov survey aged 65-plus said they preferred cashier-assisted checkout, compared to 34% who said they like self-checkout.

Fifty percent of respondents aged 45-64 said they preferred checking out with a cashier, while 44% said they would choose self-checkout. In the 18-29-year-old demographic, meanwhile, 52% said they prefer self-checkout, while 26% said they would prefer cashier-assisted checkout.

The major hangups boomers have with self-checkout is weighting produce, the lack of human interaction and the feeling they’re doing free labor, The Takeout reported.

No. 2: Bargain grocery stores

Cleanliness and organization are what baby boomers prioritize in grocery stores, a 2024 survey published by the Feedback Group found.

Boomers have a strong preference for supermarkets (32%), the survey found, while Walmart (28%) was their second choice for grocery shopping. Gen X shoppers preferred Walmart (28%), followed by supermarkets (25%), while Gen Z opted for Walmart (23%), Aldi (20%), dollar stores (17%) and club stores (15%). Traditional supermarkets ranked last among Gen Z shoppers, with only 11% reporting this as their go-to store.

No. 3: Searching for products

Grocery stores carefully arrange products to encourage shoppers to spend more time in the store and buy more items.

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Frequent product relocations were another common complaint in the social-media responses highlighted by The Takeout.

No. 4: Digital coupons

The share of people aged 65 and older who are tech-users grew in the last decade, a 2022 Pew Research Center poll found. Despite this trend, many baby boomers say digital-only coupons put shoppers without smartphones at a disadvantage.

Trader Joe’s is an outlier, The Takeout noted, since the grocery-store chain doesn’t offer discounts or sales.

No. 5: Neglected shopping carts

Shopping carts offer a "tactical maneuver" for some older adults who rely on them for mobility and stability purposes and as a rest aid, according to The Takeout.

Several baby boomers reacted to a Facebook post asking about their grocery-shopping experience to say they value shopping carts with wheels that swivel easily and are easy to push.

No. 6: Generic groceries

While younger generations are more likely to shop at budget grocery stores and buy off-brand products, a sizable number of baby boomers always go for name brands.

More than one in four (26%) baby boomers "rarely or almost never consider switching from their favorite brand," a Numerator survey on consumer trends found.

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A Reddit forum featured many commenters expressing frustration with the older generation for spending more money for a comparable, generic product, The Takeout reported.

No. 7: Sold-out products

Many Americans grew accustomed to encountering out-of-stock items when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the supply chain. But baby boomers aren’t as accepting of the reality as others, according to social-media posts on the subject.

Many retirees live on fixed incomes and rely on sale-priced products to help stretch their grocery budgets, meaning unavailable items can have a greater financial impact on older adults.

No. 8: Understaffing

Food retailers have faced recruitment and retention challenges in recent years, and it’s a pattern keenly felt by baby boomers.

Social-media comments summarized by The Takeout suggest many boomers associate understaffing with longer checkout lines, slower service and fewer opportunities for personal interaction with employees.

No. 9: No grocery baggers

Going hand-in-hand with frustrations over self-checkout and understaffed stores, many baby boomers also dislike the growing absence of dedicated grocery baggers.

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Plenty of boomers complain on social media about this modern grocery-store, expressing frustration at doing their own labor, according to The Takeout.

No. 10: Convenience foods

Millennials, those born between 1981 and 1996, comprise the generation most likely to spend money on prepared grocery meals, a U.S. Department of Agriculture survey found. Prepared meals often cost significantly more than cooking from raw ingredients because shoppers pay for the added convenience.

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According to research summarized by the Institute of Food Technologists from FMI’s (originally the Food Marketing Institute) U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends report, 29% of shoppers ages 65 and older reported buying prepared foods to save time, compared with 45% of shoppers ages 15 to 24.

Fans stunned at Travis Kelce's training camp physique after nuptials to Taylor Swift

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 15:28:00 -0400

Travis Kelce is turning heads at the Kansas City Chiefs training camp, but not with his play.

Fans were stunned by the star tight end's physique this week after his nuptials to Taylor Swift nearly a month ago. Videos of Kelce walking onto the field surfaced online, and fans didn’t hold back in the comments.

"Is he playing (offensive line) this season?" one user quipped on X.

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Another fan said Kelce is "halfway out the door with a beer in his hand."

One fan compared Kelce’s physique to his brother, former Philadelphia Eagles star center Jason Kelce.

"Bro showed up to camp looking like he has his brothers beer belly," the user wrote.

"That’s Jason Kelce now," another user wrote with a sobbing emoji.

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Another fan compared Kelce to his head coach, Andy Reid.

"Looks like he’s really locked in to try and get himself into character to take Andy Reid’s job someday," the user wrote.

Multiple fans commented that he seemed to enjoy himself at the wedding buffet. Kelce’s wedding to Swift was nearly a month ago, when they tied the knot on July 3, at Madison Square Garden in front of about 1,000 attendees.

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The 11-time Pro Bowler is heading into his 14th season in the NFL. Despite the Chiefs having a down year and missing the playoffs, Kelce was still productive last season. He played in all 17 games, recording 76 catches for 851 yards and five touchdowns.

His total of 1,080 career receptions is the most among active players in the NFL. If Patrick Mahomes is able to return from his ACL injury and start Week 1, Kelce will be one of his top targets.

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Assisted living sent resident to doctor's appointment after giving him 18 shots, 5 am beer: officials

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 15:21:45 -0400

State investigators from Minnesota's Department of Health claimed an assisted living facility provided a mentally ill man with 18 shots of liquor in the 24 hours before a doctor's appointment.

State investigators concluded that Covered Bridge Assisted Living in Holdingford was responsible for neglect after supplying resident Don Brambrink with a substantial amount of alcohol before his doctor's appointment, affiliate FOX 9 Minneapolis reported.

Authorities were alerted when Brambrink missed his scheduled telehealth appointment after drinking too much while fishing.

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The facility's registered nurse (RN) told investigators that Brambrink was "dead to the world" after drinking while fishing, according to an investigative report from the Department of Health.

"The night before the scheduled appointment, the resident was given 2 shots of alcohol at 6:54 p.m., 2 shots at 8 p.m., and 2 shots at 9:20 p.m. The morning of the appointment, staff gave the resident 2 shots at 3:55 a.m., a beer at 5 a.m., 2 shots at 5:55 a.m., 2 shots at 8:15 a.m., 2 shots at 9:15 a.m., and 2 shots at 10:55 a.m., and 2 shots at 12:30 p.m.," the report read.

Brambrink's primary care physician, according to the report, requested he be sent to the emergency room.

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"When someone from the PCP’s office called back to request vital signs be taken, the RN reported the resident was found down on the floor and that he 'didn’t feel right.' He was transported to the emergency room shortly after," the report claimed.

Hospital staff wanted to keep Brambrink overnight to evaluate him for alcohol withdrawal, but he refused, telling them he "would rather go home and continue to drink," the report states.

Brambrink's blood alcohol level was at 0.23%, almost 3x the legal limit of 0.08%, according to the report.

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The assisted care resident had numerous mental health diagnoses, including psychoactive substance abuse and anxiety, according to the report.

"The resident’s assessment indicated the resident had heard voices for 40 years and was homeless prior to moving into the facility. The resident was noted to have a history of alcohol use, drank alcohol daily, and had a history of meth use," the report read.

The facility had a typed-out "alcohol plan" for Brambrink which stipulated he gets two shots per hour because he was "trying to drown out the voices," the report stated.

Covered Bridge's owner Trista Barstow defended her facility's actions in an interview with FOX 9, arguing that her facility is one of the few that will take in what she called "extreme alcoholics."

"Monitoring them and trying to help them space these things out is actually a step-up. Which, sounds insane," she admitted.

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"We respectfully disagree with the cited deficiency and intend to appeal. We believe our policies, individualized care planning, and documentation reflect our commitment to resident rights, resident safety, and compliance with Minnesota assisted living regulations," she said in a statement.

"Under the Minnesota Resident Bill of Rights, competent adult residents have the right to make lawful personal choices, including whether to consume alcohol. That includes the right to make decisions we may not agree with or recommend, including excessive drinking," Barstow added. "Our responsibility is not to make those decisions for residents, but to educate them about the risks, assess their health and safety, monitor for concerns, and respond appropriately when intervention is needed.

"If a resident's condition requires medical evaluation or emergency care, we take the appropriate steps to ensure their safety, including arranging transport to the emergency department when necessary."

Fox News Digital contacted Covered Bridge and the Minnesota Department of Health for further comment.

Mamdani extends deadline for NYC homeowners to seek exemption from new pied-à-terre tax

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 15:21:32 -0400

Mayor Zohran Mamdani has given homeowners in New York City an additional month to apply to be exempt from his new pied-à-terre tax, which went into effect on July 1.

Homeowners across the five boroughs who believe they should qualify for an exemption now have until Sept. 18 to apply for one, according to City Hall. The previous deadline was Aug. 21.

The extended deadline, city officials said, applies to anyone who received notices from the Department of Finance (DOF) with the phrase "You may be subject to..."

The pied-à-terre tax, passed by the New York State Legislature in May, imposes an annual surcharge on certain high-value New York City homes worth more than $5 million that are not the owner's primary residence.

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The city's finance department said the extension was necessary to give homeowners more time to prove that their home is in fact their primary residence, which would mean the tax would not apply to them.

Some homeowners were initially confused because on July 24, the city published a list of more than 900,000 properties in a "supplemental market value roll" without explaining that the vast majority of them would not be getting hit with the pied-à-terre tax.

"This roll includes, but is not limited to, those properties that may be subject to the surcharge," according to a city webpage archived on Monday.

On Thursday, the webpage was updated with the following disclaimer: "Not every property or unit listed in the roll will be subject to the surcharge. Only property owners to whom DOF sent a notification by mail are required to take further action."

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On Saturday, the same webpage was updated once again, clarifying that the DOF had only sent surcharge letters to 17,000 homeowners, and that only those people should concern themselves with sending an exemption application to the city.

Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani's office for comment.

Mamdani announced the new levy on April 15 — Tax Day — in a controversial video filmed outside Ken Griffin’s $238 million penthouse on Billionaires’ Row, singling out the hedge fund manager by name as an example of the wealthy second-home owners the tax would target.

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Griffin later described the video as "creepy and weird" during a discussion at the Milken Institute Global Conference on May 6. He said he watched it three times.

Despite objections from real-estate and business leaders who warned that the tax could drive investment out of the city, state lawmakers approved it as part of the budget, which Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law on May 28.

The tax will apply during the 2026-27 and 2027-28 property-tax years to secondary residences — including one-, two- and three-family properties — worth more than $5 million.

Individual condo units and co-op units will be taxed if they are valued at $1 million or more.

Father of slain Marine speaks out after illegal immigrant who killed son faces third deportation

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 15:16:13 -0400

The father of a U.S. Marine killed in a hit-and-run crash involving an illegal immigrant is speaking out after federal authorities arrested the man for a third time as he once again faces deportation.

Martin Martinez-Ballinas, 38, a Mexican national, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on July 22 after serving a federal prison sentence for illegally reentering the United States. He now faces his third deportation, according to federal authorities.

Federal officials said Martinez-Ballinas was convicted in connection with a 2017 crash in Maryland that killed 21-year-old U.S. Marine James Ray Walden III.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WHO KILLED NASHVILLE RESTAURANT OWNER TO FACE ICE DEPORTATION AFTER PRISON

After being deported in 2020, Martinez-Ballinas was caught attempting to illegally reenter the U.S. in Texas the following year and was sentenced to 15 months in prison. ICE removed him again in October 2022 but said he later reentered the country undetected, blaming the Biden administration's border policies. Agents ultimately arrested him in Maryland in December 2023.

ICE took custody of Martinez-Ballinas after he completed his federal prison sentence in New Jersey.

Walden said Martinez-Ballinas was driving without a license or insurance when he crossed into his son's lane and struck his motorcycle head-on.

ICE URGES NORTH CAROLINA TO KEEP ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHARGED IN TRIPLE-FATAL HIT-AND-RUN BEHIND BARS

He said he later learned Maryland officials knew Martinez-Ballinas was in the country illegally and that he had been arrested five times between 2012 and 2017 but was released each time.

Walden remembered his son as an accomplished Marine and gifted intelligence analyst whose future was cut short.

"My son was 21 years old. He was just starting his life," Walden said Friday during an appearance on The Will Cain Show. "He was in the Marine Corps. He worked for Intel. He worked for the National Security Agency as a crypto-analyst, basically Jimmy Spide with a computer. He was extremely good at what he did. His NSA boss told me that he was one of the most gifted analysts he'd ever worked with. And they were wanting him, once he got out of the Marine Corps, to come to work for them."

HARRIS CALLS FOR ICE PROBE AFTER MAINE SHOOTING AMID RENEWED 'BORDER CZAR' CRITICISM

"And all that ended in the blink of an eye," he added.

Walden pushed back on calls by some Democratic leaders to abolish ICE.

"It's got to be one of the most insane ideas I've ever heard," he said. "I cannot believe that they're condemning our ICE agents and our DHS for actually doing their job and enforcing the laws that Congress passed."

When asked what his message was for politicians seeking to eliminate the agency, Walden said his son's death showed why immigration enforcement remains necessary.

"You're never gonna understand the pain, the hole in your soul that this brings until it happens to you," he said. "And don't think that it can't. It can happen to anyone at any time. My son was minding his own business. He'd gone for a ride after work, doing nothing wrong, and his life was taken.

"You can't predict it, but you can prevent it," he added.

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Walden credited President Donald Trump for prioritizing immigration enforcement.

"I believe that he's probably going to go down as one of the greatest presidents in this country," Walden said. "He stood by what he said, he said what he was going to do and he's doing it."

No cure, no vaccine: Experts warn of rare Bourbon virus after first NY case

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 15:14:59 -0400

A rarely diagnosed tick-borne virus with no vaccine or specific treatment has been confirmed in New York for the first time, prompting researchers to warn that additional infections may be going undiagnosed.

The Bourbon virus, "transmitted through the common lone star tick, could soon begin to complicate diagnoses if it becomes more prevalent this summer and in coming years," Stony Brook Medicine warned in a news release reporting on a study of the virus.

Only six human cases have been reported since Bourbon virus was first identified in Bourbon County, Kansas, where the first known patient was diagnosed in 2014. That patient later died.

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The virus has been associated with at least two deaths, including the original 2014 case and another reported in 2026. Researchers believe, however, that additional infections have likely gone undiagnosed.

Symptoms of Bourbon virus include fever, fatigue, rash, headache, body aches and nausea. Because there is no commercially available diagnostic test, doctors have a difficult time identifying it.

Many healthcare providers are also unfamiliar with the virus, "thus increasing the possibility of misdiagnosis," the release said.

A team of researchers led by Stony Brook Medicine confirmed the first case of Bourbon virus in New York in a patient from Long Island who developed very severe symptoms and an eight-fold rise in antibody titers of the Bourbon virus. The patient was hospitalized.

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"There are a lot of lone star ticks in New York and in the Northeast, we have dense populations, and when someone is infected with Bourbon virus symptoms they are similar to other tick-borne infections," Luis Marcos, MD, Stony Brook Medicine professor and director of the Tick-borne Disease Clinic, said in the news release.

"For these reasons, the Bourbon virus is likely more prevalent than we think in our region and other cases are likely not being diagnosed."

Marcos and his co-authors said their findings show the need for expanded surveillance and better testing to improve diagnosis and track the spread of Bourbon virus.

"Without identifying the cause of an infection, the chances of developing accurate diagnostic tests or effective treatments are minimal," he said. "That is why it is so important to first understand the true impact of the virus in high-risk areas."

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), "The lone star tick is widely distributed in the Northeast, South and Midwest United States."

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The tiny, blood-feeding, parasitic arachnid has established populations in Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, per the CDC.

Lone star ticks are an "aggressive tick," according to the agency.

"The adult female is distinguished by a white dot or ‘lone star’ on her back. The nymph and adult females most frequently bite humans and spread disease," the CDC reports.

Despite the Bourbon virus’ severity, "only a select few [ticks] bite and transmit bacteria, viruses and parasites (pathogens) that cause diseases in people," according to the CDC.

To avoid tick bites, people should wear protective clothing, such as pants they can tuck into boots and long-sleeve shirts.

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Experts also recommend applying insect repellent, such as permethrin, to clothing and outdoor gear – not directly on the skin.

Stay out of tall grass and on well-beaten trails whenever possible, as ticks thrive in overgrown and heavily wooded areas.

Check for ticks after spending time outdoors and remove them as soon as you find them. Seek medical attention if you develop fever, rash, fatigue or other flu-like symptoms in the days or weeks following a tick bite.

Saturday at the Spa: Saratoga Race Course picks for Jim Dandy Day and two other graded stakes races

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 15:10:48 -0400

Saratoga Race Course delivers a loaded Saturday card on Aug. 1, highlighted by three graded stakes races featuring promising juveniles, talented turf runners and some of the top three-year-olds in horse racing.

The action begins with the Grade 2 Saratoga Special Stakes, where a field of lightly raced two-year-olds will sprint 6½ furlongs on the dirt for a $250,000 purse.

Later, three-year-old fillies take center stage in the Grade 3 Lake George Stakes on the inner turf course before the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes headlines the card. Here are my best bets for all three stakes races Saturday at the Spa.

OUTKICK SPORTS CARTOON OF THE DAY

Race 6, Saratoga Special Stakes: $10 Across the Board on #5 Uncle Kef ($30 total bet).
Race 9, Lake George Stakes: $20 Win on #8 Deeper Learning and $5 Exacta: 8/ 1,3,4 ($15 total bet).
Race 10, Jim Dandy Stakes: $35 Win on #5 Commandment.

Grade 2 Saratoga Special Stakes, 3:20 p.m. ET Post Time

6.5 furlongs on dirt for two-year-olds with a $250,000 purse.

Since the field is made up of lightly raced two-year-olds, I’m taking a shot with #5 Uncle Kef (12-1), with jockey Irad Ortiz up, who has been the top-earning jockey in several Saratoga summer meets.

NCAA ROCKED BY COLORADO JUDGE'S 2022 CLASS ELIGIBILITY RULING THAT COULD RESHAPE COLLEGE SPORTS THIS YEAR

Uncle Kef is getting 12-1 on the morning-line because this is his first race on turf. He broke his maiden on a synthetic surface on debut and finished fifth on that same surface in his only other start.

Two early speed horses and the top two betting choices post alongside Uncle Kef, so maybe he rises to the occasion, runs with his rivals and Ortiz wins this race on the closing stretch. There is a better chance of this happening than the 12-1 odds imply.

Grade 3 Lake George Stakes, 5:06 p.m. ET Post Time

One-and-one-sixteenth miles on the inner turf course for three-year-old fillies with a $225,000 purse.

It's not a great price, admittedly, but the #8 Deeper Learning (7-2) is my favorite horse in the race. She has the best jockey (Flavien Prat) and trainer combo (Chad Brown) in the field. Prat is 2-for-3 on Deeper Learning and they won on debut on the Spa’s turf at this distance last summer.

Her 85 Beyer speed figure that day remains her career best in four races. I’m placing a few other horses under Deeper Learning in an exacta for various reasons.

The #1 Honfleur (10-1) is another Brown horse and he prints money on the Saratoga turf in the summers. #3 Candy Moonshine (15-1) has run faster in all eight races and has made the money in her three career races at this distance. Then there is #4 Time to Dream (5-1), who has the most graded stakes experience in this field and great connections.

Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes, 5:44 p.m. ET Post Time

One-and-one-eighth miles on dirt for three-year-olds with a $500,000 purse.

This is pretty much a four-horse field since the #2 Asked and Answered (30-1) is winless in six career races. I hate betting favorites, but #5 Commandment (6-5) is by far the best horse in the field and he was part of my winning trifecta ticket at the 2026 Belmont Stakes at Saratoga.

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Commandment is 4-1-0 in seven career starts and 1-0 at this distance. Ultimately, 6-1 is the longest price of the other three horses in this field with a chance to win, and that’s not enough to take against Commandment, who I like.

_____________________________

Follow me on X @Geoffery-Clark, and check out my OutKick Bets Podcast for more betting content and random rants.

'Sophie Night' to strike Minnesota as WNBA firmly becomes next frontier for 'Save Women's Sports' movement

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 15:06:36 -0400

Jennifer Sey saw what happened during the Indiana Fever’s game against the Seattle Storm and insisted the "Save Women’s Sports" movement needed to follow Sophie Cunningham to Minnesota on Sunday.

"When I watched the response in Seattle, frankly, the rally was really quite positive," Sey told Fox News Digital. "My understanding from folks I know that were there, our side, those supporting Sophie and standing up for women’s sports, outnumbered their side 10 to one, which is new. That’s a real shift."

"As soon as I saw that, I felt like, ‘Well, I want to support her, too, at upcoming games.’ So I figured I’ll go to Minnesota," she added.

SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM RALLY ROCKS WNBA GAME AS 'SAVE WOMEN'S SPORTS' ACTIVISTS FACE COUNTERPROTEST

Sey, the former U.S. national gymnastics champion and founder of XX-XY Athletics, is organizing a "Sophie Night" rally outside Target Center before the Fever play the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

It will mark the third consecutive Fever road game accompanied by a rally supporting Cunningham and her recent statements about protecting women’s sports. The movement began in Seattle on Tuesday, continued in Portland on Friday and will now move into another deep-blue Democrat stronghold.

Sey expects the attention generated by the previous rallies — and the controversy that erupted inside the Seattle arena — to draw a larger and potentially more contentious crowd in Minneapolis.

"I think there will be more people there than there were in Seattle, just because now there’s been so much attention put on Seattle," Sey said. "And I think there could be more contentiousness."

"But our intent is to be, of course, very peaceful and nice," she added. "We just want to honor Sophie and thank her, because it really is meaningful in this fight."

Cunningham became a flashpoint in the national debate after saying she wanted to protect girls in locker rooms and athletic competitions from having to go against "biological men." She later called her position "common sense" and refused to back away from it.

The Minnesota rally will also bring the movement face-to-face with one of the WNBA’s most prominent supporters of transgender inclusion.

Lynx head coach and president of basketball operations Cheryl Reeve recently called political efforts to restrict transgender athletes "sort of sickening" and argued lawmakers were trying to manufacture a problem.

"Exclusion is never the answer, separate isn’t equal, and trans lives matter," Reeve said.

Sey called Reeve’s argument "ludicrous."

"There would be no WNBA if there was no such thing as women’s sports," Sey said. "A third-rate NBA player that never sees time on the court would slay in the WNBA, and we all know it."

CAITLIN CLARK KEPT FROM REPORTERS DESPITE TRIPLE-DOUBLE NIGHT AS COACH GOES VIRAL FOR WOMEN'S SPORTS COMMENTS

"This isn’t about trans. This is about males in women’s sports," she added. "Women’s sports are for women."

Sey acknowledged that the WNBA’s decision not to punish Cunningham represented progress, but she argued the league has not publicly supported the Fever guard.

"I have two minds on this because I wanna recognize the progress that's been made, um, which isn't to say enough has been made. Sophie Cunningham made a clear statement. She didn't back down. She hasn't been suspended by her team or from the league. I believe just a year ago she would've been. So that is progress. But she also hasn't been supported." Sey said.

The controversy intensified during Tuesday’s game at Climate Pledge Arena.

The WNBA later fined Keaton an undisclosed amount and barred her from Seattle’s next five home games. Storm majority owner Ginny Gilder issued a public apology, but the family of one of the girls told Fox News Digital that Keaton had not personally contacted them.

The incident became a rallying point for prominent women in the movement, including Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS) co-founder Kim Jones, and ICONS ambassadors women’s fencer Stephanie Turner, former Utah State and Weber State volleyball player Kaylie Ray and University of Arkansas soccer and track athlete Ainsley Erzen.

Jones said the league’s response showed that female athletes may now be able to discuss the issue without immediately facing punishment.

"I think that the WNBA has made clear that they are going to let their athletes speak their mind when it comes to the protection of women and girls in sports," Jones told Fox News Digital. "I’m glad to see that they are not censoring or punishing their athletes for speaking up."

But Jones called that response "the bare minimum."

"I do wish that the WNBA were being more proactive about recognizing the importance of protecting the female category themselves," she said. "I wish that they would sit down at the table, listen to female athletes who have been going through this, give some credence to the IOC and recognize that these policies that have allowed male athletes entrance into the women’s sports category have been a really horrible thing for women to have to face."

Turner became a national figure in 2025 when she took a knee and refused to fence a transgender opponent at a USA Fencing-sanctioned tournament. Officials disqualified Turner and placed her on 12 months of probation, though USA Fencing later changed its eligibility rules to prohibit biological males from the women’s category.

"I’m honestly kind of surprised that Sophie hasn’t faced much backlash from the WNBA, because historically it’s been pretty hard for any woman to come forward about this sort of opinion without getting massive blowback from her organization," Turner said.

Turner said the treatment of the teenagers in Seattle disturbed her even more.

"I’m not a little upset. I’m very upset with what happened to the girls who were cheering Sophie on," she said. "I think there could’ve been maybe a little bit more protection for them offered by the WNBA."

Turner said she has faced similar hostility while wearing XX-XY merchandise in Philadelphia. She alleged people have followed and filmed her in public, including one person who trailed her through multiple train cars on SEPTA.

"Stalking is probably the biggest issue that I face," Turner said. "I have no idea where these videos are going. I don’t have social media, so it’s not like I ever really see them."

Ray said she found the WNBA’s decision to discipline Keaton encouraging but questioned how the confrontation could have occurred in the first place.

"I think it was encouraging to see the response and that the co-owner is being held accountable," Ray said. "But I do think it’s really bizarre that at a women’s professional sporting event, girls that get to go sit courtside, wear their XX-XY gear and are cheering on a particular athlete would face any type of backlash."

"The fact that comments were made at all is outrageous," she added. "Especially seeing how young those girls are, it always truly baffles me that adults — and in this case an owner, someone in a position of power — feel the need or feel obligated to tear down young women."

Ray previously competed against former San Jose State transgender volleyball player Blaire Fleming and later joined a lawsuit challenging the Mountain West Conference’s handling of the controversy.

She said she and her family were doxxed after a recent viral exchange with Arizona Democrat state Sen. Catherine Miranda during a legislative hearing.

"Myself and my family got doxxed online and had people threatening to come to our house," Ray said. "A couple accounts online posted my house, my location, told my whole story, said that I was involved in the lawsuit, and some of the comments on the posts were inciting violence."

Ray said her family filed a police report, but detectives told them they could not act without a specific threat or incident.

"There was nothing they could do about it until something happens or if there are specific actionable threats," she said. "They were like, ‘Let us know if you see anything at your house or if someone breaks in.’"

Erzen, a dual-sport Arkansas athlete and plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging the NCAA’s previous transgender eligibility policies, said Keaton’s punishment felt significant only because female athletes had received so little institutional support in the past.

"Realistically, this only feels like a win because we’ve been getting below the bare minimum for so long, and we finally are getting the bare minimum," Erzen said.

"There’s no reason teenage girls should go anywhere in a shirt that says XX-XY — no controversial messaging, just there are men and there are women and they are different — and be treated that way," she added.

Erzen said she has also received death threats and personal attacks over her advocacy.

"My personal favorite when I post or go out in public in a shirt is people telling me that I look like I’m trans or I look like a man," Erzen said. "The hypocrisy is insane."

"But I hope this is a step in the right direction, and I hope it encourages more girls to speak out," she added. "Even though they shouldn’t have had to go through that, the issue is gaining more and more traction because of it."

The movement’s expanding presence could continue beyond Minnesota. Participants in the roundtable expressed interest in future rallies in Phoenix, Philadelphia, Indianapolis and Chicago, where the Fever are scheduled to play next Saturday.

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For now, Sey is preparing to bring the campaign inside Target Center. She purchased two seats close to the court and secured four additional tickets to give away to rally attendees.

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"We are going to come with love, as Sophie would say," Sey said. "There will be no screaming or name-calling on our part. We’re there to support Sophie and come together because we all agree that women’s sports should be protected."

"We welcome dissent," she added. "But do so peacefully, and leave us alone."

Chicago teachers union boss vows to push petitions for Mayor Brandon Johnson’s re-election

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 15:00:02 -0400

Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) President Stacy Davis Gates signaled firm support for Mayor Brandon Johnson’s political future, declaring in a recent interview that she is prepared to hit the pavement to collect petition signatures for his re-election bid.

"I hope to see Mayor Johnson come off the sideline and I hope to see the people who support him get out here and pass a petition. If he's not going to pass one, I'll pass one for him," Davis Gates said in an interview with WTTW News on Tuesday.

"Where the governor has failed to fund our schools, the mayor has given us a billion dollars… I don’t think we’ve done better at Chicago Public Schools than under [Johnson’s] leadership," she added. "And so I'm looking forward to that progress."

CHICAGO MAYOR MAKES STUNNING ADMISSION ABOUT ATTENDING BEARS GAME WHILE TRYING TO KEEP TEAM IN CITY

The union leader’s enthusiastic backing comes despite ongoing scrutiny surrounding Johnson's deep alignment with the CTU and growing concerns over declining academic performance across Chicago Public Schools (CPS).

In 2023, the CTU endorsed Johnson—a former public school teacher, union organizer, and CTU legislative coordinator—helping propel him past incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot in the primary and defeating former CPS CEO Paul Vallas in the runoff.

According to financial disclosures analyzed by the Illinois Policy Institute, the CTU funneled more than $2.6 million directly into Johnson’s 2023 campaign, while teachers unions collectively poured in over $6 million.

CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS DECLARE MAY 1 A 'DAY OF CIVIC ACTION' FOR STUDENTS

Throughout his tenure, critics have argued that Johnson’s policy agenda is dictated by his former employer. Johnson, however, has consistently dismissed allegations that he is beholden to the union machine, telling ABC 7 in 2023 that his platform represents a shared commitment to "uniting the city around a set of values that the people of Chicago obviously want."

During his first term, Johnson oversaw the transition toward a historic governance shift for CPS. Under state legislation enacted in 2021 — a long-held CTU policy objective — Chicago established a 21-member hybrid school board. Following the November 2024 elections, 10 board members were elected by voters, while Johnson appointed the remaining 11 members, including the board president. Voters will elect all 21 seats in late 2026, transitioning CPS to a fully elected board in January 2027.

The CTU’s political maneuvers come as the district battles a severe enrollment crisis paired with soaring operational costs.

During the 2024 collective bargaining negotiations, internal union documents obtained by news outlets revealed a 142-page wish list of over 700 demands. The Illinois Policy Institute estimated the total cost could exceed $50 billion.

Among the union's demands were a 9% annual wage increase through 2028, 100% coverage for abortions and fertility treatments, and $2,000 stipends per child for migrant families. Another demand was new district-wide climate and social-justice mandates, including fully electric bus fleets and dedicated "gender support coordinators" at schools.

The CTU has frequently drawn sharp public criticism for prioritizing political and social activism over core academics. Earlier this year, The Washington Post editorial board called out the union's aggressive push for social justice initiatives in a district where reading and math proficiency scores continue to hover at alarming lows.

Documents obtained by Fox News Digital earlier this year also highlighted substantial union spending on left-wing political causes and opposition to federal immigration enforcement operations.

A CTU spokesperson pointed Fox News Digital to a statement Davis Gates made during an interview with WGN9 three months ago.

Highlighting the CTU’s internal democratic process, Davis Gates dismissed doubts over the union’s continued alignment with Johnson ahead of potential endorsement discussions. Yet, she added that Johnson "will also face the political action committee of the teachers union."

FAR-LEFT ACTIVIST CONFERENCE AT TEACHERS UNION HQ RAISES CLASSROOM CONCERNS

"He knows that, as he used to help lead that committee, and he'll talk to our committee about what it has meant to be mayor–what it meant in the impact of his work, and they'll make a recommendation, and we'll take it through our House of Delegates."

"This union operates on the highest level of transparency and democracy... Turns out when you ask people to participate and engage in activities that benefit them, they will do that—because you've committed to sharing information, giving them a right to say something, participating in a debate, and ultimately voting for a decision," Davis Gates said.

When asked about the possibility of endorsing someone other than Brandon Johnson, Davis Gates dismissed the question.

"I don't even know why that would be a question. The question is: Are members satisfied with a mayor who supported their efforts to get a contract that lower class sizes, that codified the protections for them to teach the truth? Those are the questions that we would be debating and engaging our members on with the mayor of Chicago …."

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Johnson's office did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Socialist Spanish PM blasts Meloni over restored border controls after Ceuta surge, demands emergency meeting

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 14:58:25 -0400

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez broadly blasted his fellow European leaders for their response to the surge of tens of thousands of migrants from Morocco to the Spanish border, seemingly criticizing Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for deciding to resume European border controls in the wake of the incident.

Sánchez appeared to take issue with Italy's decision to temporarily suspend Schengen Area free-travel arrangements with Spain. The Schengen Area is an agreement between 29 European countries which abolishes passport controls and allows people to travel across European borders without providing documents.

"In the current international context, the European Union cannot afford this kind of selfish, polarising and unlawful reaction," Sánchez said in a letter obtained by the Agence France-Presse (AFP) news wire.

Sánchez, who leads the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, touted his country's quick turnaround in expelling nearly all of the 50,000-60,000 migrants who crossed the border back to Morocco.

"Despite these indisputable facts," Sánchez wrote, "the reaction of European governments over the past few hours has been rather asymmetric. Most have showed us their support and solidarity, and have offered their assistance. Others, however, have chosen to attack Spain and to call for its temporary exclusion from the Schengen Area."

MIGRANT CRISIS PUSHES ITALY TO RESTORE BORDER CHECKS WITH SPAIN, TESTING EUROPE'S OPEN-BORDER SYSTEM

"Such an attitude — driven by prejudice, fake news, ignorance, or political interest — is not only contrary to European law, humanitarian law, and the principles of solidarity that bind us together," he reportedly wrote. "It is also contrary to Europe’s long-term interests and to the most basic common sense, because Ceuta is not part of the Schengen Area, because there are almost no irregular migrants left unreturned, and because Spain is, according to Frontex, one of the least porous external borders of the European Union, with a number of irregular entries that is half that recorded, for example, in Italy in recent years (2021–2026)."

Sánchez additionally requested a formal meeting of the interior ministers of all 27 European Union countries in the letter, which was addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa and Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin.

Ireland is currently serving its one-year term as the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Sánchez's request followed a mass stampede of migrants from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, which shares a land border with Morocco in North Africa. Approximately 50,000-60,000 people illegally rush over the border into European territory, according to Spanish local and national authorities.

The shocking footage of the flood of people prompted a worldwide response, including from President Donald Trump.

Meloni, a conservative, announced the signing of a letter by 22 EU countries calling for stronger borders.

"The images arriving from Ceuta have once again demonstrated how urgent it is for Europe to respond to illegal immigration," Meloni wrote in a Saturday post on X.

"This is why Italy has promoted, together with Denmark, a letter signed by 22 EU member states, which calls for joint action to strengthen external borders, combat irregular immigration, fight human traffickers, make returns more effective, and eliminate any factor that could incentivize new illegal entries. It is an important signal: the line that Italy has long supported is today shared by an ever-growing number of European nation. Defending the external borders of the Union is not the interest of a single Nation. It is a shared responsibility of Europe," Meloni concluded.

Irish Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan, as part of Ireland's EU presidency, will convene a meeting of the EU's Justice and Home Affairs Council to respond to the crisis, Martin announced in a Saturday post on X.

WHITE HOUSE BLASTS SPANISH GOVERNMENT AS THOUSANDS OF MIGRANTS SURGE FROM MOROCCO, EMERGENCY REQUEST DENIED

Ceuta's President Juan Jesús Vivas said at least 60,000 people — or about 70% of the territory's population — crossed over from Morocco. Spain's interior ministry released its own figures shortly after Vivas spoke Friday, estimating that some 50,000 people had crossed from Morocco since Thursday. It added that 48,300 had already returned to Morocco by Friday evening, with hundreds more going back by the hour.

Von der Leyen claimed none of the migrants who crossed into Ceuta made it to the European mainland and that virtually all of them had returned to Morocco.

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"The good news is that the vast majority of those who arrived illegally have returned to Morocco, due to the effective work of Spanish and Moroccan law enforcement. Not a single person reached mainland Spain or the rest of the EU," she wrote in a Saturday morning post on X.

At least 67 people were killed in the border rush. As a result, Spain announced it was installing a 500-meter-long barrier in the sea to combat future migration pushes.

Fox News Digital contacted the offices of the Spanish, Italian and Irish prime ministers and the office of the European commissioner.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

DSA candidate pushes federal AI datacenter moratorium with Michigan early voting underway

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 14:56:20 -0400

Michigan House candidate and Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) member Will Lawrence advocated for a national data center moratorium Saturday during an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital.

"What I see is that there is an urgent need to have a federal moratorium on new AI data centers so that we can have a national conversation about if we're going to be generating this hyper intelligent AI, what's the best way to do it, and how do we ensure that it benefits everybody rather than just a few billionaires in Silicon Valley?" Lawrence said at a campaign event in South Lansing, Michigan.

"I do support a federal moratorium because there may be a right way to build these data centers and generate super-intelligent AI, but what's happening now is the wrong way, because it's abandoning the basic principles of democracy and self-determination that are foundational to the American identity," he also said.

BLANCHE URGED TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGED FOREIGN INFLUENCE IN FIGHT AGAINST DATA CENTERS

"You have billionaires from Silicon Valley and Wall Street who are coming into small towns and then just telling everybody, 'Trust us, trust us, your energy bills aren't going to rise. This is going to be a great deal for everybody,'" Lawrence continued.

In addition to backing a data center ban, Lawrence also bashed President Donald Trump for a number of policies and, like other DSA members, advocated for major campaign finance reform in the form of publicly funded elections.

"There's a lot of money in politics, there's no doubt about it. And, I think it does a disservice to the democratic process," Lawrence said.

SUPREME COURT STRIKES DOWN LIMIT ON PARTY CAMPAIGN SPENDING IN COORDINATION WITH CANDIDATES

He then took aim at the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission, a landmark 2010 decision which ruled that political contributions should be treated as a First Amendment-protected form of free speech.

"Unless there's change in the Supreme Court, Citizens United will need to be overturned with a constitutional amendment because it's a Supreme Court decision. But beyond just ending Citizens United, which deals with the dark money in politics, I also support public financing of elections, which would mean that every single candidate who has legitimate grassroots support gets access to the same pool of public funding and the same amount of dollars to run their campaign with," he said.

Lawrence avoided a question about a broader slate of DSA policies – such as abolishing the Supreme Court, the presidency and the Senate – potentially turning off centrist voters.

HARRIS' 'NO BAD IDEA BRAINSTORM' FOR DEMS INCLUDES PACKING SCOTUS, ELIMINATING ELECTORAL COLLEGE

"That's not what we're talking about. So I can't speak to whether people are turned off by it or not. We're focused on stopping these AI data centers, stopping these wars around the world, and ensuring that everybody has health care," he responded.

Lawrence, who's backed by prominent leftists like Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is running in the Aug. 4 Democratic primary to claim the House seat in Michigan's 7th district.

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The district is currently represented by Rep. Tom Barrett, R-Mich., a first term congressman who won the seat after current Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., vacated it to run for Senate.

Lawrence is vying with a number of other Democratic candidates to face off against Barrett in November's election, including former Obama National Security Council member and U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink.

Fox News Digital contacted the Barrett and Brink campaigns and the DSA for comment.

Fever shut down Sophie Cunningham questions, abruptly end press conference

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 14:54:33 -0400

The Indiana Fever cut off a question from a reporter sent by OutKick after the team’s 112-98 win over the Portland Fire on Friday night after he attempted to ask a question about the recent remarks Sophie Cunningham made about trans athletes participating in women's sports.

The exchange between the reporter and the Fever's public relations staff abruptly ended the press conference and was excluded from the Fever’s official YouTube upload of it.

The interaction came after Aliyah Boston, who was on the podium with Makayla Timpson and head coach Stephanie White, answered a question about how the team has not let the extra attention it has received over the last few seasons affect the locker room.

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"Yeah, I think first of all that’s what we build with who we have coming in. We know that there is always going to be attention with the Fever and for us it’s about coming in and winning games. It’s about showing up and doing what we can to continue to take steps forward in this league, and I think there is always going to be outside noise," Boston said.

"But I think we’ve been professionals long enough to know that if you let that affect you then you're not really here for the right things, so for us we just keep the main thing the main thing, and that’s hoop."

Immediately after Boston’s answer, the reporter sent by OutKick jumped in, attempting to ask Boston and Timpson about Sophie Cunningham’s recent stance on the women’s sports debate that was engulfed the WNBA.

CAITLIN CLARK KEPT FROM REPORTERS DESPITE TRIPLE-DOUBLE NIGHT AS COACH GOES VIRAL FOR WOMEN'S SPORTS COMMENTS

A Fever representative quickly jumped in, saying, "We’re going to wrap up here."

Boston then thanked the reporters and wished them a good day before exiting the podium.

The YouTube video the Fever posted concluded with Boston’s answer and completely cut off the exchange between the reporter and the public relations staffer. The Fever did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the matter.

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The Fever also did not make Caitlin Clark available for comment despite recording the fourth triple-double of her career following the team’s fifth straight win. It was the second straight game Clark was not made available to the media.

It was the second game in a row that a rally took place outside of the arena to support Cunningham amid her recent comments on her stance in trans athletes in women’s sports.

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William Shatner says doctor dismissed key warning sign before stage 4 cancer diagnosis

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 14:48:35 -0400

William Shatner is revealing the terrifying health scare that nearly went unnoticed.

The 95-year-old actor said a doctor initially dismissed a lump before a second opinion led to a shocking stage 4 malignant melanoma diagnosis.

"So I had a lump and the doctor, friendly doctor said, 'Oh, it's a salivary gland. Just massage it there,'" Shatner recalled on "CBS Mornings" this week.

WILLIAM SHATNER AND DAUGHTER MELANIE REVEAL THEY BATTLED STAGE 4 CANCER AT THE SAME TIME

A concerned Shatner turned to a doctor friend for another opinion.

"And he put his hands here," he said, touching his face, "and he said, 'You better get this out,’ like that."

That second opinion led to a life-saving diagnosis.

Shatner said an oncologist told him, "We got to take that out now."

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He continued to explain how the cancer had already grown inside his body.

"It had spread to my brain. There were little points of light in my brain and little points of light, I think, in my lung," he said. "Stage four."

DAVE COULIER REVEALS 45-POUND WEIGHT LOSS, GRUELING SIDE EFFECTS FROM CANCER FIGHTS

Shatner underwent surgery to remove the tumor and later completed two years of immunotherapy.

But while Shatner was battling his cancer, his daughter was fighting her own life-threatening diagnosis.

Melanie Shatner Gretsch discovered a lump in her breast nearly a year before her father's diagnosis. Although a mammogram months earlier had not detected anything concerning, she trusted her instincts and pushed for another check.

Gretsch was later diagnosed with HER2-positive breast cancer that had spread to the lymph nodes in her chest.

At first, she thought she was in the clear.

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"Something just said, ‘you need to check again,’" she said in the joint interview with her beloved father.

But the cancer was far more aggressive than she realized.

"And I [would have] died because it was a super aggressive kind of cancer, breast cancer, and it had already escaped the breast wall and had gone into my chest," Gretsch said.

Her treatment was intense — months of chemotherapy, 30 rounds of radiation, a double mastectomy and a year of immunotherapy.

During her health battle, Gretsch said there was one moment when she needed her father more than ever.

"I was just in one of those moments where you want your daddy, you know, like you're little. You're feeling very little, and you're feeling, ‘this is really scary.’ And I called him," she said.

By the end of 2024, both Shatner and Gretsch were declared cancer-free.

Gretsch said telling her father the news was an emotional milestone.

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"It was the third time in my life I had heard him cry," she admitted.

The actor, who became the oldest man to travel to space aboard a Blue Origin rocket, has continued working despite his health scare, with new books, a podcast and music projects on the way.

Sheriff Nanos posts video commenting on newly released ransom notes in Nancy Guthrie case, addresses family

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 14:20:17 -0400

Six months after Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her Tucson home, the sheriff leading the investigation explained on Saturday why authorities recently released two purported ransom notes, saying investigators hope someone recognizes the writer's distinctive language or phrasing.

"There are a number of pieces of information in these notes that just might jar someone to say, 'You know, I've heard that,' or the wording, the style of the writing," Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said in the interview-style video. "We hope that by releasing the actual note, we'll get some response from the community."

It remains unclear if the notes were penned by the same sender.

Asked what message he had for the Guthrie family six months into the investigation, Nanos said detectives remain committed to finding answers.

NANCY GUTHRIE SHERIFF SAYS INVESTIGATORS MAY HAVE MORE VIDEO EVIDENCE AS THEY REVIEW THOUSANDS OF CLIPS

"We're still here. We are not going away," he said. "If you could just see the team working, you would see the energy, the concern. They're fired up, and we'll continue to work this case hard."

Saturday also marked six months since the 84-year-old mother of "Today" co-host Savannah Guthrie disappeared from her longtime home in the Catalina Foothills.

Earlier in the day, Savannah Guthrie shared an emotional Instagram post, writing that her family has "lived every moment, every breath, and every heartbeat in agony and despair" while pleading for anyone with information to come forward.

Nanos said investigators remain actively reviewing tens of thousands of tips, videos and forensic leads as they continue searching.

"It's very active," Nanos said. "We've got a lot of work ahead of us."

SAVANNAH GUTHRIE MAKES DESPERATE PLEA SIX MONTHS AFTER MOM NANCY WENT MISSING: 'SOMEONE KNOWS SOMETHING'

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Authorities asked anyone who recognizes the wording or expressions to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or the Pima County Sheriff's Department tip line at 520-351-4900.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Soviet-born analyst exposes how pandemic-era neighbor snitching unlocked a 'nature of evil' in America

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 14:26:47 -0400

Soviet-born author and political analyst Michael Malice warned that America experienced what he described as a dangerous shift toward Soviet-style informant tactics during the pandemic, as citizens willingly turned in their neighbors for violating lockdown rules.

Speaking on the "Planet Tyrus" podcast, Malice argued that authoritarian regimes don't rely solely on military force, but on the participation of civilians as well.

"I think the first time Americans realized the nature of evil was during COVID. Because COVID was the first time we saw in this country, people were turning in their neighbors and were bragging about it," Malice said, adding, "They were happy: 'I got this cashier fired.' That was very Soviet."

FAUCI PRIVATELY TOOK CREDIT FOR COVID-19 LOCKDOWNS DESPITE PUBLIC DENIAL, NEWLY EXPOSED DIARY ENTRIES REVEAL

"So that was the first time I think Americans realized that these systems, which are dictatorial, it's not through force. It's the fact that small-minded people are tripping over themselves to implement these dictatorships and turn in their neighbors," he said.

Malice is the author of "The White Pill," a book about the rise and fall of the Soviet Union and the tactics used during that period. He compared the pandemic response to that of authoritarian regimes.

Criticism of the pandemic response has resurged in recent days after Dr. Anthony Fauci, who served as one of the nation's leading public health officials during the COVID-19 pandemic, appeared before Congress on Wednesday.

JONATHAN TURLEY: FAUCI TAKES THE FIFTH 111 TIMES – AND THE MEDIA STILL RUSH TO DEFEND HIM

Fauci repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and declined to answer questions.

Republican lawmakers and conservative commentators took to social media after the hearing to criticize the months-long shutdown, recounting arrests and threats against those who disobeyed lockdown orders.

"Dr. Fauci isn't the only guilty one," Rep. Lance Gooden wrote on X. "Democrats went as far as filling outdoor skate parks with sand to enforce their draconian COVID-19 lockdowns. Americans should never forget what they did."

In Fauci's opening statement, he defended his conduct during the pandemic, stating, "The only conclusion I can reach is that the sole reason he [Sen. Rand Paul] is calling me before this committee is to get me to say something, anything, that could vindicate his repeated public pledges that I end up, in his words, quote, ‘behind bars,’ unquote."

EX-CBS REPORTER CLAIMS QUESTIONING FAUCI GOT HER 'PULLED OFF AIR' DURING COVID PANDEMIC

Malice added that dictatorial control doesn't usually present itself as an obvious villain. Instead, he argued, it relies on petty bureaucrats and neighbor-against-neighbor enforcement.

"There's so many people who have that little bit of power, and they will hold onto it with every bit of fiber in their being," Malice told Tyrus, adding that he believes such enforcement by citizens is historically "alien to the American psyche."

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Fox News Digital’s Pete D’Abrosca contributed to this report.

AOC trashes Democrats for closing ranks around Biden, rejecting primary challengers

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 14:00:57 -0400

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., took aim at members of her own party on Thursday in a podcast interview for closing ranks around former President Joe Biden.

"The Majority Report" host Emma Vigeland asked Ocasio-Cortez about how the Democrats lost credibility on the issue of democracy. The host said the Democrats boxed out voters with "the genocide in Gaza" and Biden's run for re-election with no real Democratic primary.

"When Kamala Harris was going around and talking about democracy with a banner behind her, they didn't have the credibility that they needed to fight this fascist threat," the host said.

JAMES CARVILLE ARGUES ONE KEY MISTAKE FROM BIDEN HAS LEFT DEMOCRATS IN DISARRAY

"What I find very interesting about that moment and the people who talk about that time is that I think that some, not all, but some of the Democrats that are most aggressive about getting their narrative out about how they wanted to push Biden out were also the same Democrats that were most aggressive about closing the wagons on a primary process when we had a chance to have that in a presidential election," Ocasio-Cortez said.

The lawmaker said Democrats were compensating, and said calling on Biden to drop out became a litmus test within the party.

"I feel like a lot of them are compensating, because, and you hear sometimes, there's these like consultant class and some of these folks that want, you know, who backed Biden when it was time to step down, as like some sort of litmus test," the progressive congresswoman said. "But those folks were part of the establishment that were closing the ranks around Biden when before a primary process would have even started."

Ocasio-Cortez was loyal to Biden staying in the race right up until he dropped out in July 2024, even as Democratic calls intensified for him to give up the nomination after his disastrous debate against Donald Trump.

"If you 10,000% are super convinced that the candidate, or president, cannot beat Donald Trump, then do what you think is in your good conscience. But I have not seen an alternative scenario that, I feel, does not set us up for enormous peril," she said at the time.

HOUSE DEMOCRATS' CAMPAIGN ARM DRAWS PROGRESSIVE FURY FOR TRYING TO 'TIP THE SCALES' IN KEY HOUSE PRIMARY

Therapist Jonathan Alter said that Democratic voters may lose faith in their party when the perceive hypocrisy.

"People can forgive mistakes," he told Fox News Digital. "They're far less forgiving when they believe one set of rules applies to political opponents and another applies to those in power. Once that perception takes hold, trust erodes quickly."

AOC argued several Democrats, when asked if the former president should have a primary challenger, rallied their support around Biden.

"They saw at the end how unpopular their actions, you know, the conclusion that their actions had led to and how unpopular it was. So then it became a race to distance themselves from it," Ocasio-Cortez added.

Biden faced mounting calls to exit the 2024 race after the June debate. Former Democratic lawmaker Dean Phillips did launch a primary against the former president in 2024, but he was widely considered a long shot and didn't come close to winning any contests.

Phillips wrote in an op-ed in May 2025 that his bid was met with strong pushback from Democratic leadership.

He claimed that his efforts to primary Biden were met by stiff opposition from Democratic leadership, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' chief of staff informing him that he "would not be speaking to Biden or anyone else in the White House" after making a courtesy call to inform Jeffries that he planned on running against the sitting president.

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Florida kayaker’s grisly find identified as woman missing for decades – now cops hunt her killer

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 14:00:50 -0400

Human remains found by a kayaker in Florida have been identified as those of a 23-year-old woman who disappeared more than 40 years ago.

Rose Marie Gayhart was reported missing in March 1985 by her parents, who lived in Dansville, New York.

Before her disappearance, Gayhart was last known to be living and working in the Cape Coral and North Fort Myers area, according to the Cape Coral Police Department.

TEEN FOUND IN SHALLOW CALIFORNIA VINEYARD GRAVE IDENTIFIED NEARLY 50 YEARS LATER AS FAMILY WARNS KILLER

She’d been living with her boyfriend, Robert Paddock, and his mother, Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers reported in a 2013 video aimed at drawing new attention to the cold case. She’d moved to the area just three months before her disappearance, Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore told Fox News Digital.

When Gayhart’s frequent letters and phone calls to her family "quickly stopped," they "had a gut feeling something was wrong," Crime Stoppers reported. They knew, according to the video, that she and her boyfriend didn't have "the perfect relationship."

After interviewing witnesses, including Paddock and his mother, detectives said Gayhart was last seen "walking down the street with a suitcase" after being "kicked out of the trailer" where the three lived. A neighbor told investigators that Gayhart "came to her house to use her phone to call her family," according to Crime Stoppers.

KILLER ADMITS TO DECADES-OLD COLD CASE SLAYING AFTER INVESTIGATORS LEAN ON NEW FORENSIC EVIDENCE: OFFICIALS

"That's when she told her neighbor that she was pregnant and she wanted to keep the baby, but her boyfriend did not want her to keep the baby."

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A neighbor in the trailer park reported "a lot of arguing and a lot of crashing one night, as far as things being destroyed," according to the video report.

Gayhart had just started working at Howie’s Hot Dogs in Cape Coral.

TIPSTER CHARGED WITH MURDER AFTER POLICE SAY ANONYMOUS CALL HELPED SOLVE 30-YEAR DISAPPEARANCE

"Her boyfriend at the time went to pick her up, and she wasn't at work," Sizemore said.

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Restaurant staff told authorities that she’d left with a man in a red pickup truck.

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Two independent witnesses reported seeing Gayhart before her disappearance with "a white male in a red pickup truck," Sizemore said.

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Identifying him is thought to be a critical piece of information that could help solve the case.

39 Years Later

In May 2024, a kayaker paddling in a northeast Cape Coral canal discovered a human skull and alerted police.

With the help of a New York law enforcement agency, Florida authorities obtained DNA from Gayhart’s family. It took two years, but testing on the skull revealed proof Gayhart had been found.

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"For more than 40 years, Rose Marie Gayhart’s family has carried the weight of not knowing what happened to her," Sizemore said in a news release. "While this identification brings long-awaited answers, it also strengthens our resolve.

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"No matter how much time passes, even after four decades, our investigations do not stop, and our pursuit of justice does not end," he said.

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The long-cold case now is considered an active homicide investigation.

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Now, Sizemore is asking for help.

"We ask anyone with information to come forward so we can help bring accountability and closure to this case and to the family."

Giants’ Harrison Bader sees scooter accident take a drastic turn as team suspends pay on $20.5M contract

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 13:51:12 -0400

San Francisco Giants outfielder Harrison Bader’s ill-fated late-night scooter ride has not only cost him the rest of the season, but his paychecks as well.

Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey announced Friday that the team is suspending Bader’s salary while it investigates the circumstances of his accident.

"Over the weekend, Harrison Bader was involved in an accident that has delayed Harrison's prior treatment timeline for plantar fasciitis and, unfortunately, his return to the field," Posey said in a statement that was released by the team, according to MLB.com.

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"We are still investigating the circumstances of the accident but will be suspending payment to Harrison until he is able to resume performing services for the Club."

Bader, who signed a two-year, $20.5 million contract with the team this past offseason, will miss the rest of the season due to injury. He had already been out since May 29 with plantar fasciitis in his left foot, and the crash ensured he will miss the rest of the 2026 campaign.

Bader’s crash occurred around 2 a.m. Sunday, when his scooter crashed into the back of a San Francisco Fire Department truck, the wheel of which rolled over his foot, according to SFist’s report.

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The incident Sunday is not Bader’s first involving a scooter. While playing for Florida in 2014, Bader drunkenly crashed a scooter into a parked truck and was suspended for 19 games.

Bader, known for his defensive prowess in center field, is in his 10th season in the big leagues. He spent nearly the first six seasons of his career with the St. Louis Cardinals before being traded to the New York Yankees.

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He has since bounced around, spending time with the Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Philadelphia Phillies and the Giants over the last three seasons.

The Gold Glove winner has a career .244 batting average with 93 home runs and 336 RBI. In 39 games with the Giants this season, he hit just .170 with five home runs.

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Trump immigration agenda faces setback as Obama-appointed judge issues fresh TPS stay

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 13:47:05 -0400

A Massachusetts federal judge has once again blocked the Trump administration from ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalia, issuing a new administrative stay after plaintiffs rewrote their lawsuit around constitutional claims just days after a federal appeals court threw out similar stays terminating TPS for Ethiopia and South Sudan.

U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs, appointed by former President Barack Obama, issued the administrative stay Friday after African Communities Together and other plaintiffs filed an amended complaint alleging the Trump administration violated the Fifth Amendment by terminating Somalia's TPS designation based on racial and national-origin discrimination.

The plaintiffs filed an amended complaint and emergency motion on Thursday in a renewed bid to keep Somalia's TPS protections alive after the Supreme Court's June ruling in Mullin v. Doe sharply limited lower courts' ability to block TPS terminations.

Burroughs' latest order has intensified growing criticism over whether district judges are using administrative stays to work around higher court rulings. It comes just days after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit reversed similar administrative stays issued by U.S. District Judges Brian Murphy and Patti Saris, who had temporarily delayed the Trump administration's TPS terminations for Ethiopia and South Sudan.

LIBERAL COURT STUNS WITH RULING THAT HANDS TRUMP MAJOR IMMIGRATION WIN

The First Circuit based its rulings on the Supreme Court's Mullin decision, which ruled lower courts generally cannot block TPS terminations based on non-constitutional claims.

The latest order drew an immediate rebuke from DHS General Counsel James Percival, who accused Burroughs of continuing a pattern of judicial obstruction.

"Judge Allison Burroughs just entered yet another order preventing the termination of Somalia TPS. There is no serious debate about what is going on in these cases — defiance, obstruction, and delay," Percival wrote on X.

Iowa Solicitor General Eric Wessan argued Burroughs' order improperly grants emergency relief despite what he described as legally deficient claims.

"I looked at the amended complaint in the Somalia TPS case," Wessan wrote on X. "The district judge has entered a novel 'administrative stay' to sort out the claims. She has declared the TPS termination 'void' for now, while deciding whether any of the claims can justify a more permanent pause."

DHS EVISCERATES MEDIA FOR ‘ABSOLUTE ABSURDITY’ OVER CONCERN ABOUT ‘WORST OF THE WORST’ ACTIVIST JUDGES LIST

Wessan argued that the order "turns the law upside down," writing that four of the lawsuit's five claims are foreclosed by the Supreme Court's decision in Mullin and describing the remaining claim as "frivolous."

"Even if this was a fresh lawsuit without the baggage, the claims cannot justify any relief-- much less meet the high bar for interim relief," Wessan wrote. "This is very bad. I hope that, with time to review, Judge Burroughs vacates her administrative stay to allow the correct status quo to continue."

The plaintiffs contend, however, that their amended complaint presents a fundamentally different case than those recently rejected by the First Circuit.

BIDEN JUDGE BLOCKING ETHIOPIAN DEPORTATIONS DESPITE SCOTUS RULING CLASHED WITH ICE BEFORE

The amended lawsuit argues the Department of Homeland Security's decision to revoke Somalia's TPS designation was predetermined, pointing to President Donald Trump's November 2025 Truth Social post announcing the end of TPS months before DHS had completed the review process. Plaintiffs argue that deprived Somali TPS holders of the fair process guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment's Due Process Clause because the decision had effectively already been made before the agency completed the review required by law.

The complaint also alleges the administration violated the Fifth Amendment's Equal Protection guarantee by targeting Somali nationals based on race and national origin. It cites Trump's past remarks describing Somali immigrants as "criminals," "gang members," and "low IQ," as well as his statements that he doesn't "want them in our country" and to "send them back."

"These statements evince the Administration's racist and xenophobic motivations to exclude Somali people from the country. At the same time, the Administration has expressed preferences for white immigrants as 'nice' and welcome in the U.S. and created protections for white Afrikaner refugees from South Africa," the plaintiffs wrote.

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Burroughs has presided over the Somalia TPS litigation since earlier this year. On March 13, she initially entered an administrative stay preventing the Somalia TPS termination from taking effect while the litigation proceeded.

Fox News Digital reached out to African Communities Together for comment.

'Heavily intoxicated' man arrested after allegedly beating children aboard Carnival cruise ship, police say

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 13:22:40 -0400

An allegedly intoxicated cruise passenger is accused of attacking two children playing tag aboard a Carnival cruise ship before being confined to his cabin for the remainder of the voyage.

David Lawrence Crosby II, 44, of Surrency, Georgia, was arrested July 27 on two counts of child abuse, according to Brevard County Sheriff's Office booking records.

On July 26, Crosby was allegedly running down a hallway in the Carnival Glory — a ship that typically sails out of Port Canaveral in Florida to the Bahamas — when he encountered a group of three children who were playing tag, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Crosby is accused of hitting one of the children in the face, causing a bloody lip and head pain, before striking a second child in the stomach, per the affidavit.

LOUISIANA WOMAN HOSPITALIZED AFTER ROPE SWING MISHAP ON CRUISE EXCURSION LEFT HER WITH GENITAL TRAUMA

Officials said the incident was caught on the ship's security camera system.

When Crosby was arrested Monday by the Brevard County Sheriff's Office, he told officers that he was "heavily intoxicated" and did not remember hitting the kids, according to authorities.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Carnival Cruise Line said its security team "responded immediately" to the incident.

"Our security team responded immediately to an incident involving an intoxicated guest aboard Carnival Glory on July 26," a Carnival spokesperson said.

27 CRUISE SHIP WORKERS DEPORTED AFTER CBP DISCOVERED TROVE OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

"The guest was confined to his cabin for the remainder of the voyage, referred to local law enforcement upon arrival in Port Canaveral, assessed a code of conduct violation fee, and placed on our Do Not Sail list. We have zero tolerance for this type of behavior."

Crosby was released from jail on Tuesday after posting a $10,000 bond for each count, totaling $20,000, according to court records.

He appeared in court Wednesday and pleaded not guilty, court documents showed. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Aug. 25.

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Fox News Digital reached out to the Brevard County Sheriff's Office, public defender's office and a Georgia business tied to Crosby for comment.

The business' answering machine message indicated it was closed as of Tuesday, the day Crosby was released from jail, due to a "family emergency."