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Ella Langley turns 63-year-old former NFL head coach into 'Ella Fella'

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 10:34:13 -0400

It’s no secret that Ella Langley is one of the biggest music stars on the planet.

The country artist is set to join the likes of Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey as "Choosin’ Texas" is set to spend 14 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. Her popularity is only rising higher and she’s turning 63-year-old former NFL coaches into "Ella Fellas."

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Rex Ryan posted on social media that Langley’s performance at M&T Bank Stadium blew him away.

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

Langley, along with fellow country star Morgan Wallen, have had a great first half of 2026.

Billboard reported this week that Wallen's "I’m the Problem" and Langley's "Dandelion" are the top two albums in America for the first half of 2026, according to Luminate data.

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"I'm the Problem" is number one with 2.035 million album units and Langley's "Dandelion" is number two with 1.638 million units.

Luminate defines an album unit as "one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 2,500 ad-supported on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album, or 1,000 paid/subscription on-demand official and audio streams generated by songs from an album," according to the same report.

Bad Bunny, who did the Super Bowl halftime show this year, is third with "DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS" at 1.543 million units.

If Langley could hold the attention of a crowd in Baltimore, imagine what she could do at the halftime show of a Super Bowl.

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Someone get Apple on the phone.

Fox News' David Hookstead contributed to this report.

World Cup striker expresses reluctance to shake Trump's hand should Spain win tournament

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 08:14:48 -0400

Spanish forward Borja Iglesias is going into the biggest match of his career – the World Cup final against Argentina on Sunday afternoon at New York/New Jersey Stadium.

Should Spain win, Iglesias will be one of the players who will shake President Donald Trump’s hand after the match. However, Iglesias is no fan of the president and made it known while he talked to the Spanish media on Saturday.

WATCH ARGENTINA VS SPAIN LIVE

"I don't want to go to prison," he said of shaking Trump’s hand, via All Out Soccer. "I hope to greet him at a time when we are all very happy, and that it passes very quickly and I can forget about it.

"I don't think this is the time to create controversy. People know perfectly well what I think. I would love to do many things, but the reality is that even if people think I am all-powerful, I don't have that much power to tackle certain things."

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Iglesias has previously expressed his support for pro-Palestinian protesters and was outspoken against the former Spanish soccer federation boss who departed his post after he kissed a player following the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

He said that he thought Trump "struggles" with people who fight "for progress and for fundamental values."

Trump is set to be at the World Cup final. He participated in the trophy presentation at the FIFA Club World Cup. He remained on the stage for the celebration ceremony.

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Spain will play Argentina on Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. ET. The match can be seen on FOX.

I am once again begging the folks in USC's athletic department to study some Greek literature

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 10:05:23 -0400

I am once again begging the folks in USC’s athletic department to crack open a book.

Or pull up Google. Watch a YouTube explainer. Ask an English professor walking across campus. Anything.

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Because for the second time in less than two years, the USC Trojans have attempted to build football hype around a famous piece of Greek literature without stopping to consider one very important detail:

The Trojans lose spectacularly.

With Christopher Nolan’s "The Odyssey" taking over theaters and social media, USC football decided to capitalize on the moment. The program posted its own version of the movie poster featuring its famous Trojan helmet and the words, "Our Odyssey begins August 29."

Very cool, dramatic and topical. There is just one tiny problem.

"The Odyssey" is the story of the Greek hero Odysseus’ 10-year journey home after the Trojan War. And the reason Odysseus is traveling home is because he and the rest of the Greeks have just finished destroying Troy.

The Trojans are not the heroes of "The Odyssey." By the time the story begins, their city has been sacked, their greatest warriors are dead, and the surviving Greeks are packing up to head home after an extremely long and violent road win.

This seems like suboptimal branding for USC.

Now, listen, I know not everyone is a nerd. If you do not personally know the intricate details of Homer’s epics, I will not fault you. Most normal people do not spend their free time carefully reviewing ancient Greek poetry.

But if you represent an academic institution whose mascot represents the mythological inhabitants of the ancient city of Troy, you should probably have a general understanding of how things worked out for them.

At the very least, someone in the social media approval chain should type "Who wins the Trojan War?" into a search bar before hitting "post."

'THE ODYSSEY' REVIEW: CHRISTOPHER NOLAN GOES EPIC WITH HIS MOST AMBITIOUS FILM TO DATE

And I might be willing to dismiss this as a one-time oversight if USC had not already committed essentially the exact same mistake.

Before the 2024 season, the Trojans released a beautifully produced hype video showing USC players bursting out of a Trojan Horse and charging into battle.

Again, very cool visual.

Except it was not the Trojans hiding inside the Trojan Horse. It was the Greeks. The Trojans were the ones who foolishly dragged the horse inside their own city, went to sleep, and then got slaughtered when the Greek soldiers climbed out and opened the gates.

And now, after already being roasted for that blunder, USC has returned to the same piece of literature and aligned itself with another story detailing its own demise.

But perhaps the funniest part of this entire situation is the date USC chose for the beginning of its own "Odyssey."

The Trojans open the 2026 football season on August 29 against San Jose State. The Spartans.

So USC has promoted its season with a story about the destruction of Troy, nearly two years after promoting itself with the weapon used to destroy Troy, all leading up to a battle against an army from ancient Greece.

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It’s — dare I say — poetic?

Anyway, good luck, Trojans. And maybe leave any suspicious wooden horses in the parking lot.

Speaker Johnson warns students are 'indoctrinated' to see US through 'wrong lenses' as nation celebrates 250th

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 10:00:39 -0400

House Speaker Mike Johnson sounded the alarm over students viewing America through the "wrong lenses" at an event hosted by legal advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) celebrating the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding.

"What ADF does every day on the front lines is defend the very foundations of the greatest nation in the history of the world, so that it can continue. We have a great challenge right now because, sadly, the generations coming behind us do not seem to fully appreciate and understand this," Johnson told attendees as a keynote speaker at ADF’s summit in San Diego on July 9.

The ADF Summit 2026 brought together leaders from law, public policy, media, business, education, and Christian organizations. ADF stated that the event celebrated the historic 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence by exploring the role of the founders and "why our founders held certain truths to be self-evident and what we must do to reclaim the spirit of 1776 today."

AMERICA 250 ATTENDEES FIRE BACK AT CRITICS OF TRUMP'S JULY 4 SPEECH: 'WHAT WE NEEDED TO HEAR'

"ADF was deeply honored to welcome Speaker Johnson as a keynote speaker at our annual Summit," said Kristen Waggoner, president, CEO, and chief counsel of Alliance Defending Freedom.

"Those who knew Speaker Johnson early in his career—when he worked alongside us at ADF—have been unsurprised to watch him bring the same grace, resolve, and fidelity to principle to one of the most difficult jobs in Washington," Waggoner added. "His remarks on America’s spiritual heritage provided the ideal capstone to our week at Summit, where we celebrated the 250th anniversary of the American founding."

KEY TRUMP AGENCY PUTS TOP UNIVERSITIES IN CROSSHAIRS OVER ALLEGED RACE-BASED DORM PROGRAMS

Delivering the final speech to close out the four-day event in California, Johnson shared that he often seeks opportunities to educate young people about American history to show them they live in the greatest nation in history.

"I would do that as often as possible, and I would go into big, often hostile arenas on university campuses, and I would ask for a simple whiteboard to put on the stage," Johnson said. "And I would begin… my little lecture often, I would say, ‘Could I just have a raise of hands of anyone in the room?’ I would ask this of university students ‘Raise your hand if you agree you live in the greatest nation in the history of the world.’ And sadly, just a handful of hands would be raised. And I'd say, 'Okay, well, if you don't agree with me that you live in the greatest nation in the history of the world, would you raise your hand if you agree that you live in at least a great nation?' I'd get a few more sheepish volunteers."

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ZEROES IN ON UCLA FOR ALLEGED ILLEGAL DEI ADMISSIONS AS ELITE SCHOOL CRACKDOWN EXPANDS

Johnson expressed deep concern over students being "indoctrinated" in the classroom.

"I think on the nation's 250th birthday, I believe we have a divine opportunity. We have a teachable moment. And I think we've got to make this very simple to explain it to the people coming behind us, because, let's be honest, they've been indoctrinated in so many of these educational institutions," Johnson said.

He went on to say, "They see America through the wrong lenses. And I think right now we have a great opportunity because on the nation's birthday, we can take them right back to the nation's birth certificate, the Declaration of Independence... I love that. When you're a member of Congress, you get invited to speak to a lot of university students in that setting."

Fox News Digital previously reported on polling showing Americans’ lack of trust in higher educational institutions and a survey reportedly revealed a continuing political imbalance among university faculty.

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The latest Gallup data reveals that just 38% of U.S. adults maintain a "great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in higher education. The figure represents a noticeable drop from last year, when trust in the sector experienced a modest uptick to 42%. Notably, 31% of those who express a lack of confidence cite perceived political indoctrination as a driving factor.

Another report, released by the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), revealed that liberal faculty members outnumber conservatives nearly 7-to-1 nationwide — a massive shift from 1969, when the ratio sat at less than 2-to-1.

Archaeologists make unusual find near site where Ark of the Covenant was once kept

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 10:00:37 -0400

Archaeologists recently uncovered ancient food remains at biblical Shiloh, the ancient site where the Bible says the Ark of the Covenant was housed for centuries.

The remains were found at Tel Shiloh, an archaeological site in the West Bank that is traditionally identified as biblical Shiloh, where the Ark of the Covenant was kept before it was taken by the Philistines.

The discovery was made beneath an Israelite-period ritual deposit and adjacent to an ancient Canaanite fortification wall, according to the excavation team.

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

Two of the jars contained olives, while a third held lentils, according to archaeobotanical analysis — and one of the vessels contained some 500 burned olive pits.

The olives in the jar were likely preserved in oil before they were burned thousands of years ago, said Scott Stripling, excavation director and the president of the Near East Archaeological Society.

Stripling, who is based in Texas, told Fox News Digital that "some sort of accident" likely started a fire — and ended up preserving the olives for thousands of years.

"Once it started on fire, then it caught that whole area on fire," he said. "That's what it appears to me. But next year we'll have to excavate a broader area to better understand exactly what it was."

ARCHAEOLOGISTS UNEARTH ANCIENT TREASURE CACHE AT BIBLICAL CITY CONNECTED TO GENESIS

Before reaching the jars, archaeologists excavated an Israelite-period ritual deposit containing roughly 10,000 animal bones, pottery vessels and eight gold and silver objects, including pendants and earrings, Stripling said.

The deposit was not an ordinary garbage pit, he said — but a favissa, where the remains of sacrificial offerings were deliberately buried rather than discarded with everyday waste.

"We went through about two meters [6.6 feet] of heavy sort of tumble, and then we came down on these storage jars," he said.

"At the top, we could see the rims. So we were very careful not to remove any pieces of it, and to keep going down deeper and wider so that we could leave them intact."

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Eventually, the team made so much progress that it needed ladders to enter and exit the excavation trench.

Though the scale of the olive pits was surprising, the types of food were not. Stripling described the lentils and olives as "staples of the Mediterranean diet."

Stripling said the Israelites who later occupied Shiloh likely had no idea that much older Canaanite storage jars lay buried beneath the ritual deposit they created.

"For thousands of years, the Israelites who deposited the remains of the sacrificial system above the jars didn't even know they were there," Stripling said.

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He added that the jars are being restored at Tel Aviv University, where researchers hope to learn more about the artifacts.

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"I will be shocked if the radiocarbon dates do not come back as Middle Bronze Age," he said. "These [burned olive pits] are ideal for radiocarbon dating."

Stripling said the team also plans to expand excavations next year to determine whether the jars were stored in a kitchen, storage room or another part of the ancient settlement.

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"These jars have been buried there waiting for us to find them," he said.

Jaxson Dart's swimsuit model girlfriend gets patriotic, golfer Hailey Ostrom takes on Lake Powell & Bigfoot

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 09:56:20 -0400

There's no Canadian wildfire smoke in North Carolina. Not that I know anyway. I'm just dealing with summer in the South with a humid mid to upper 90s hitting me in the face every time you walk out the door.

No complaints here. I'm used to it after all these years. After all, it is the perfect excuse to put on a swimsuit and hit the pool. That's summer, and we only get so many of them in our lives. Let's get Sunday Screencaps going with someone who also respects summer.

That's New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart's girlfriend Marissa Ayers. The ring girl turned swimsuit runway model shared what she labeled "an overdue but worthwhile july 4th day in my life."

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That's a bold statement to make, but one she knew was backed up with content. There were "cave explorations" and a "patriotic sunset cruise" and, of course, bikinis.

You can't drop an overdue July 4th post on social media and not include that. I'd argue you can't properly show respect for summer either.

Marissa wasn't about to risk being accused of that. No chance after walking her first runway during Miami Swim Week a couple of months ago.

This is leadership during the NFL offseason. You only get so many of those as well, you better give it everything you have.

Rats and dogs

- Jim T in San Diego:

Sigh ... it's what I get sending emails from the cell phone. Having been a copy editor for a couple of daily newspapers in the past, I am mortified ...

SeanJo

It happens to the best of us. I knew what you meant, and I could have fixed it, but I love the human element. We're not perfect, we make mistakes, and we keep it moving. Keep sending your meat!

Wings

- Kevin writes:

My wife and I started square dancing about a year ago and they bring food to events, but it's mostly sweets neither of us need. I tossed these on the Pit Boss last week and they were a hit. I make my own dry rub with baking powder/sea salt/black pepper/paprika/garlic powder/cumin. 30 min at 225 then flip for another 10-15 at 450.

SeanJo

How could wings not be a hit with the square dancing group? It's a great idea and I love any excuse to toss some meat on the grill or in a smoker.

Thanks for sending this my way. If you throw anything else on the Pit Boss, send it my way. I want to see your meat.

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Bigfoot

Last Sunday I wrote about a dad and his kids who thought they captured Bigfoot on video. They spotted something in the woods alongside the road, turned around, and started recording.

Skeptics of the video, which was posted on TikTok, commented on it. They weren't buying that the dark figure was anything more than a yard display.

Most of the emails I received about it agreed. OutKick readers aren’t buying that they saw an actual Bigfoot. Words like hoax and ignorant were tossed around.

There was also a personal story of a Bigfoot encounter, which I shared below with some of the emails I received from skeptics.

- Bill writes:

YOU KNOW THATS A PIECE OF PLYWOOD SORAY PAINTED BLACK. Cmon

- Joseph writes:

In Wa state on highway 7 going out to Mt. Rainier there are hundreds of these still silhouette cutouts. No movement. Pitch black. Same position as when he passed the first time? My question would be knowing the significance of the subject and physically turning around to capture on video. Why did he not stop where it was? Why drive that speed? Sasquatch cannot exist. I run trail races and have a size 15 shoe. I can tell you from 15 years of trail running that large feet are a disadvantage. Deer have small feet. Racoons. Otters. Rabbits. They all share small feet and live in the woods. Nice hoax.

- Gary writes:

This is CLEARLY a yard sign available to anyone to purchase off the internet.

I recently saw one in my neighborhood.

Just my opinion!

"stilbreathin"

- Randy R writes:

It doesn’t take high tech analysis to see that is a cutout. 100% not a bigfoot.

- Randy O writes:

You have to be completely ignorant to believe there are large upright creatures roaming the woods for decades and nobody has ever recovered any bones or remains. Moose are large animals and eventually some of them die. That’s why we find carcasses and bones. Hunters and hikers are all over the woods. If this thing was out there, we’d have actual proof. Hundreds of mountain lions are roaming the forests where I live and people that have lived here for decades have never seen one because they aren’t looking for them. After living in the Black Hills for a few years, I’ve seen many, because I know what to look for. I know Bigfoot is an interesting subject but give it a rest. No rational person is buying it.

- Judy writes:

Several years ago my brother and I we on the back roads between Salem and Turner Oregon when we saw what could have only been a young "Bigfoot". It was about 25 yards away and ran across the road in front of us. There were wheat fields on both sides of the road and it ran out of one field into the other. It was dark brown/black and didn’t seem to be fully grown. As it ran its knees were somewhat bent and when we got to where we thought it went into the field there was no sign of a pathway or downed wheat. We were both in our 60’s at the time so we weren’t a couple kids. When we saw it start to cross the road we stopped the car. I looked at my brother and he look at me. He said "Did you see that?" I said "I did." We both agreed it was not human. It was unnerving that it was so close to town.

##########

That's it for this week. If you have a Bigfoot story or you're tossing some meat on the grill, send it my way.

I want to hear about your encounter and about how you weren't able to get any photographic evidence. I also want to see your meat.

The inbox is always open, sean.joseph@outkick.com. You can also follow me on Twitter and over on Instagram and slide into the DMs over there.

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Knicks stars provide backup for WWE favorites in electric Saturday Night's Main Event at MSG

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 09:06:57 -0400

WWE’s Saturday Night’s Main Event at Madison Square Garden featured a celebration of the New York Knicks and their championship run during the 2025-26 season.

Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns supported Danhausen in his no disqualification match against JD McDonagh. Towns provided some fierce backup for Danhausen and got involved in the match. Danhausen "cursed" Mysterio and commanded Towns to do his worst.

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The 7-footer proceeded to chokeslam McDonagh before he chokeslammed Mysterio through a table as the raucous crowd in New York City went wild.

Towns wasn’t the only Knicks star to make an appearance in the ring.

NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson was in Roman Reigns’ corner as the world heavyweight champion came out to end the show. Brunson received a tremendous ovation from the fans who packed the arena. He was given a custom Knicks World Heavyweight Championship.

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Then, Seth Rollins’ music hit. Instead of Reigns’ SummerSlam challenger, it was Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton who came out of the backstage area with a chair.

The distraction allowed Rollins to jump into the ring and wail on Reigns. Rollins was going to hit Reigns with a Stomp on the chair before Brunson came in between them. Fans chanted "MVP" before the show went off the air.

Brunson is a huge WWE fan, previously revealing that he and a trainer "acknowledge" Reigns before games. He also was in the ring for a minute with Haliburton in a previous angle.

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Regardless, the Knicks were engrained into the event and provided some hometown backup to some of the WWE fans’ favorites.

Carrying a Bible in Northern Ireland hospitals could be a crime under abortion buffer zone laws

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 09:00:58 -0400

Carrying a Bible or praying at a patient's bedside inside Northern Ireland hospitals could be treated as a crime if it violates abortion buffer zone laws, according to newly issued police guidance in the U.K.

On July 2, the Police Service of Northern Ireland ("PSNI") issued a written response to the Northern Ireland Policing Board clarifying the scope of the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act (Northern Ireland) 2023 and its impact on hospital clergy and religious ministry.

The law prohibits "influencing," "preventing or impeding access," or "causing harassment, alarm or distress" to a protected person within 100 meters (about 328 feet) of facilities where abortions are performed.

US MONITORING ‘CONCERNING’ UK PROSECUTION OF RETIRED PASTOR WHO PREACHED JOHN 3:16 NEAR HOSPITAL

The PSNI clarified that the law does not affect "the vast majority" of hospital chaplains or pastors in their day-to-day work, unless their activities bring them into a protected safe access zone.

However, the law makes "no exemptions" for clergy or religious identity. Carrying Bibles, reading Scripture, consensual pastoral ministry, and praying with a patient during end-of-life care could be considered unlawful if the activity takes place inside a protected zone and is recognized as potentially influencing or distressing a protected person nearby, the PSNI said. Visible or "passive" religious practice may also constitute an offense, "even where no direct approach or communication takes place," the PSNI added.

The PSNI emphasized that a religious person's intention behind the activity does not protect them from liability under the law.

BIBLE VERSE LEADS TO TRIAL IN EUROPE. GROWING CRACKDOWN THREATENS OUR US-UK VALUES

"Describing conduct as pastoral, prayerful or religious in nature does not determine whether an offence has been committed," the PSNI stated in its guidance. "The test is not how the person describes their own behaviour – it is whether that behaviour, assessed objectively and in its full context, influenced, impeded, or caused distress to a protected person, or was reckless as to whether it did so."

The guidance comes after retired pastor Clive Johnston, 78, was convicted and fined about $614 in May for preaching a sermon on John 3:16 near a hospital where abortions are performed.

Johnston may be the first person prosecuted under the law for preaching a sermon that did not mention abortion, according to the faith-based advocacy group The Christian Institute, which supported his legal case.

GOP LAWMAKERS URGE SUPREME COURT TO STRENGTHEN FIRST AMENDMENT PROTECTIONS FOR STREET PREACHERS

Pastor Jonathan Campbell of Newbuildings Independent Methodist Church in Londonderry told Fox News Digital that the recent ruling against Johnston and this new guidance has left U.K. Christians uncertain of how to practice religious ministry in a hospital setting without violating the law.

"It’s unthinkable that the Bible, or even just clerical dress, could be off-limits on hospital grounds in case someone might find it offensive," he stated. "The Christian message is one of hope and comfort to those who are ill, worried and grieving. It cannot be the case that in Northern Ireland, church representatives are unable to comfort those in need."

He called on the U.K. government to "urgently clarify that Christians remain free to express their faith on hospital grounds and everywhere else."

In a statement to Fox News Digital, a PSNI spokesperson said the police service "is not seeking to police religion or lawful pastoral care."

The spokesperson added that while individuals retain the rights to "freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and freedom of expression," those rights "are not absolute and must be balanced against the rights and protections contained in the legislation, and against the rights of others."

The abortion legislation requires police to assess whether conduct within a buffer zone constitutes behavior criminalized by the law, the spokesperson added.

"This is a fact-specific assessment. It is not determined solely by the presence of religious materials or the identity/role of the person involved," the statement continued. "The guidance was issued to assist officers to interpret and apply the Act consistently in an operational environment where complaints may arise. It does not create new offences. It reflects the law as enacted."

Ciarán Kelly, director of The Christian Institute, said the law is "being interpreted in ways that threaten ordinary Christian ministry inside hospitals."

"According to this guidance, a chaplain praying with parents mourning the loss of a child and then reading the famous words of Psalm 23 – The Lord is my shepherd – could fall foul of the law," he said. "Indeed, it seems someone simply carrying a Bible through certain parts of a hospital could face a criminal investigation if someone thinks it could potentially influence a wholly unrelated abortion decision."

Kelly said that while he believes this was not the lawmakers' intention when drafting the law, its vague wording has created a "very damaging chilling effect."

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"Patients do not lose the right to spiritual care because they happen to be in a hospital where abortions are also provided," he continued. "The very suggestion that consensual prayer or Bible reading could ever become a criminal matter should concern everyone who values basic freedom."

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Johnston's case follows several other high-profile incidents involving Christians who have been prosecuted under buffer zone laws in the U.K., drawing scrutiny from the U.S. State Department.

"The United States is still monitoring many ‘buffer zone’ cases in the U.K., as well as other acts of censorship throughout Europe," a State Department spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital. "The U.K.'s persecution of silent prayer represents not only an egregious violation of the fundamental right to free speech and religious liberty, but also a concerning departure from the shared values that ought to underpin U.S.-U.K. relations."

Johnson warns America is in 'battle' against Marxism, calls for renewed focus on nation's founding principles

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 09:00:31 -0400

FIRST ON FOX: House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., warned Friday that the United States is engaged in a "battle" against Marxism, arguing the ideology is gaining traction as Democratic Socialists of America-backed candidates notch a string of high-profile primary victories this midterm cycle.

Speaking at the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) Summit in San Diego, Johnson framed the nation's 250th anniversary as an opportunity to push back against what he described as growing socialist influence and renew appreciation for America's founding principles.

"We are in a confrontation, in a battle against a very dark philosophy — Marxism, and its deviations, communism and socialism," Johnson said. "You see, the problem that I tell university students is, this formula that Lincoln later articulated in the Gettysburg Address, we're dedicated to this proposition that we are one nation under God, and that a government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth."

SOCIALISM’S RISE INSIDE THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY NOW THREATENS THE AMERICAN DREAM

The ADF Summit is an annual conference that brings together leaders in law, government, business, media, education and the Christian community to discuss religious freedom, free speech, and other public policy issues.

In addition to Johnson, West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey, who successfully argued and won a Supreme Court case, Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador, conservative influencer Allie Beth Stuckey and Admiral Brian Christine, who serves as Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), also attended.

Johnson went on to describe an illustration he says he often uses while speaking on college campuses, arguing that America's founders grounded individual rights in God rather than government.

He contended that abandoning that principle leads to socialism, communism and concentrated government power.

RARE AMERICAN BIBLE AND FOUNDERS’ LETTERS TRACE FAITH’S ROLE IN BIRTH OF THE NATION

"The people that amass the power will control and direct the herd, you lose your freedom. It's a road to tyranny," Johnson said.

His remarks come as Democratic socialist-backed candidates continue to make gains in primaries, fueling a broader debate over the party's ideological direction.

In New York City alone, three far-left congressional candidates backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani won Democratic primaries this cycle, including two who defeated incumbent members of Congress.

Johnson suggested those political gains reflect a broader ideological shift that begins in the classroom.

"We have a teachable moment, and I think we've got to make this very simple to explain it to the people coming behind," Johnson said. "Because let's be honest, they've been indoctrinated in so many of these educational institutions. They see America through the wrong lenses."

Throughout the address, Johnson repeatedly tied America's constitutional system to religious faith, arguing the nation's freedoms are inseparable from the biblical principles embraced by the Founding Fathers.

FAR-LEFT SURGE: MAMDANI-BACKED CANDIDATES OUST DEM ESTABLISHMENT INCUMBENTS

According to Johnson, the founders rejected the European concept of the divine right of kings by declaring that individual rights come from God rather than government.

"We acknowledge the self-evident truth that our rights do not come from the government," Johnson said. "They don't come from a king. They come from the King of Kings. They come from our Creator."

Johnson also pointed to polling that he said shows fewer Americans expressing pride in the U.S. than in previous decades, arguing the trend reflects a growing disconnect from the nation's history.

"If we want the next generation to love America, they first have to know America," Johnson said.

The speaker closed by reflecting on the pressures of leading the House Republican conference with one of the narrowest majorities in modern history, saying his Christian faith has helped keep him grounded through repeated legislative and political battles.

"People say you don't seem to get too riled up about all the chaos on Capitol Hill. You seem rather calm in the midst of the storm," Johnson said.

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Johnson said he has adopted the words of former President John Quincy Adams as his mantra.

"'Duty is ours. Results are God's,'" Johnson said, quoting Adams. "I'm not the sovereign. All I'm supposed to do is be faithful every single day and leave it on the field."

Willie Robertson's faith-based advice that's kept his 34-year marriage to wife Korie strong

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 09:00:18 -0400

"Duck Dynasty" stars Willie and Korie Robertson shared the faith-based marriage advice that has guided their lasting partnership.

The reality TV personalities, who tied the knot in 1992, have spent more than three decades building a family, a multi-million dollar business and a television empire together. Now, Willie, 54, and Korie, 52, have launched their latest joint venture, the faith-and-family media platform EKKL Entertainment.

During an interview with Fox News Digital, the couple, who are devout Christians, explained how they keep their marriage thriving despite the pressures of working together.

'DUCK DYNASTY' REVIVAL SHOWCASES WILLIE ROBERTSON'S NEW 'SEMI-RETIRED' LIFE

"I think Korie and I pull back to our faith, which is very important," Willie said. "We believe in something bigger than us."

"The aspects of it are love and joy and peace and patience, kindness, that's helpful. Gentleness. I mean, all these things are that's the core of our faith," he continued. "And so those are the things that we try to implement. Not just with everybody else in our life, but we implemented that in our marriage as well. And we try to treat each other like that as well."

Willie noted that he and Korie had seen successful and unsuccessful relationships and intentionally chosen the practices they wanted to emulate.

"We've had great examples of that in our families, from our parents to other people to where we see how that works," he explained. "We also see things that don't, and we see people that can get themselves in a bad way, and then their marriage falls apart. And we've seen that."

"Not just in Hollywood or people that we know that are famous," Willie added. "We see it up and down our street here, you know, like, like you don't have to be bad to start bickering with each other and fighting and let things go in."

Willie pointed to simple habits that the couple has adopted throughout their 34-year marriage. He explained that putting their faith into practice means approaching their relationship with patience, kindness and grace while making a conscious effort to resolve conflicts before they grow.

"Those are the things we do — things we've learned from our faith," Willie said. "Not going to bed while you're angry. I mean, these are just things that you put into your life and say, ‘Oh, this is helpful.’ And so I think that's part of things we do to keep drawn together and keep being together on the same page."

Korie shared how the couple live out their faith, explaining that it is the lens through which the Robertsons approach marriage, parenting and work.

"I would say our faith informs everything we do," she said. "It's not just like what we do on Sunday morning at church or whatever. It's how we parent, how we are as husband and wife, how we're as coworkers and all that. So it informs everything."

Korie noted that their shared sense of purpose is also what led the couple to launch their latest venture together.

"I think it's exciting to be on a mission together," she said. "Like we are, as a family, we are on our mission together to spread the love of Jesus and let people know about him. And so we can do that in — any of us can do that in a hundred thousand different ways."

"For us, for our family, it is through entertainment and God has kind of put us in this position to get to do it," Korie added. "And so we keep just saying yes and opening the door whenever someone knocks, I guess."

Though Willie and Korie grew up in the same West Monroe, Louisiana community, the couple noted that they came from very different worlds.

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"I grew up in a neighborhood. I was a yuppie," Korie said with a laugh.

"I grew up really poor on the end of a dead-end dirt road," Willie recalled.

The pair first met as elementary school students at a Christian summer camp in Louisiana. Though Willie went to public school while Korie attended private school, the two continued to see each other through church youth group and around the West Monroe area.

Willie and Korie, who now share six children, began dating seriously after high school and married less than a year later.

Korie told Fox News Digital that despite their different backgrounds, they found commonality in the values their families shared.

"I think for us, it's like the externals did look very different growing up," she said. "We definitely looked very different. His dad had a big beard and wore camo and my dad actually had a little beard. It was a manicured beard and wore a suit, you know?"

Korie continued, "And so from the externals, it looked different, but the things that were important actually looked the same. Faith first and foremost, hospitality, generosity, kindness to strangers are to your neighbor. Like, those things."

Willie said that he believed their contrasting backgrounds have ultimately strengthened both their marriage and their business partnership by giving them complementary perspectives and skill sets.

"Actually, it has been helpful," he explained. "You think about all the stuff men ever do, like the perspective I have of country people, poor people, you know. Like that's how I grew up."

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"You come from a business world where your family was successful in business," he told Korie. "You had to figure out how to build things, build businesses, build retail business. So I think when you bring that together, it's powerful."

"There's not as many blind spots," Willie continued. "Like if we both had come from the same neighborhood, there would obviously be some blind spots."

Willie and Korie recalled the major ice storm that hit Louisiana in late January 2026, which left many residents, including them, without power for several days.

The duo explained that they relied on each other's strengths including Willie's hunting and fishing skills and Korie's business acumen, to help their family get through the outage and deal with the aftermath.

"When the ice storm happened, and we had no electricity, we needed him to help us survive," Korie said.

"Nobody was worried," Willie said. "We were going to eat and figure it out."

"And I could read the contracts," Korie added as the two laughed.

"The insurance law, you know, the claims on what we're gonna have to turn in the insurance, which I never would have figured out," Willie said.

"That's how our stuff works," Korie noted.

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While speaking with Fox News Digital, Willie and Korie shared the inspiration behind their new venture, EKKL.

The Robertsons explained that raising their six children in the spotlight opened their eyes to media consumption, but it was seeing their young grandchildren mimic movie lines and songs in real time that made them realize just how much the content they were watching was impacting and shaping them.

Korie explained that this observation led them to create EKKL, which is a faith-based entertainment platform that they describe as a "one-stop shop" for families seeking trusted movies, TV shows, podcasts, children's content and daily devotionals.

"It is definitely part of us coming in to try to help solve a problem that I think all families are having right now," she said. "Like, what is the safe space for our kids to consume entertainment? There's so much out there. There are so many access points to our kids' hearts and minds. And, you know, how do we protect that in them?"

"And also, how do we find good content for us as adults?" Korie added.

The Robertsons said they believe there is an untapped appetite for faith-and family-centered storytelling, arguing that Hollywood has underestimated what audiences want to watch.

"I think when you're talking about faith and you're a family — those are things that bring us back together," Willie said. "I think part of the problem with Hollywood is they're not — they don't know what to put out. They're like, ‘Oh, this group may not like this’ and we're all in a family, you know? And these are stories that can pull us hopefully back together."

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"I would say there is room in Hollywood for it," Korie said. "And we've proven over and over again that that's what people want to see. But unfortunately, sometimes the perception is that, ‘Oh, it has to be trashy’ or it have all this like content in it to be successful.' When we're saying like, wait, maybe that's just because that's what you're advertising, that's you're giving us, that's that you're putting out there."

"But if we offered something else to people, maybe they would prove to us that that's actually what they want."

Caitlin Clark's former teammate calls out WNBA for suspending Tempo head coach over 'protected species' remark

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 08:34:20 -0400

Toronto Tempo center Temi Fagbenle went to bat for Sandy Brondello on Saturday after the head coach was suspended for the "protected species" remark made about Angel Reese.

The comment was made during the Tempo’s 111-92 loss to the Atlanta Dream on Friday night. Toronto's Nyara Sabally was called for a foul on Reese after an offensive rebound. As the call was being reviewed, Brondello yelled at the referees. Microphones picked her up saying, "Angel, she's a protected species!"

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Reese reacted on X, saying "ARE WE SURPRISED?!" The WNBA then issued a one-game suspension.

Fagbenle reacted to the suspension in a post on her Threads account and invoked Caitlin Clark, her former teammate when she was with the Indiana Fever.

"’Protected species’ is a figure of speech and I see nothing suspension-worthy with what @brondellosandy said," Fagbenle wrote. "‘Species’ is the unfortunate and touchy word of this well-known phrase especially in the US’ racially charged climate, but if she was saying it about CC (an appropriate comparison re popularity) there would be no outrage, now would there.

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"Suspension is laughable."

Brondello issued an apology over the remark.

"Angel, I'm sorry. Last night, in the emotion of the moment after Nyara's injury, I used a phrase that I shouldn't have used, and I take full responsibility for that. My frustration was with the officiating, but my words unfairly put the focus on you," she said in a statement.

"I also understand that my words carried an impact beyond what I intended, particularly for Black women in our league, and I'm deeply sorry for that," she continued. "I've spent my career competing with, coaching and learning from incredible Black women.

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"I regret that my words caused hurt to a community I respect so deeply," Brondello added. "I have a lot of respect for you as both a player and a person, and I sincerely apologize to you, your teammates, and the Dream organization for my comment."

Fox News’ Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.

Platner-ally Troy Jackson closing in on Democratic Senate nod in key race to face Collins

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 08:33:12 -0400

Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson appears to be sprinting far ahead of his rivals in the abbreviated race to replace now ex-candidate Graham Platner as the Democratic Senate nominee in the high-stakes showdown to face off with longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins.

Delegates aligned with Jackson won the vast majority of the 319 slots that were up for grabs on Saturday as Maine's 16 counties kicked off two days of delegate selection for next weekend's nominating convention.

"We’re well on our way to getting the government that we deserve," Jackson emphasized Saturday night in a video posted to social media, as he addressed supporters. "From the bottom of my heart, thank you."

Jackson is now in a strong position to secure the nomination and face off in the midterm elections against Collins in what's expected to be a combative and expensive ballot box battle that's among a dozen nationwide which will determine if the Democrats can win back the Senate majority. The GOP currently holds the chamber 53-47.

MEET THE DEMOCRATS GUNNING TO REPLACE GRAHAM PLATNER

A fifth-generation logger and a one-time conservative Republican who became a Democrat over two decades ago, Jackson came in third place last month in Maine's Democratic gubernatorial primary.

On Saturday, in the race to replace Platner, Jackson-aligned delegates won more than 90% of the slots, including all 149 in Cumberland County, Maine's most populous county and home to the state's largest city, Portland.

Along with Platner, Jackson had the support of progressive champion Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont as he ran for governor, and he is currently backed by Our Revolution, the group born in 2016 out of Sanders' first presidential campaign.

MAINE DEMOCRATS RALLY BEHIND PLATNER'S PLATFORM IN SPRINT TO REPLACE HIM

Jackson, similar to Platner, is running on a progressive and populist platform aimed at working-class voters. He backs raising taxes on billionaires and the universal healthcare system known as "Medicare-for-all," and abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and he opposes military aid to Israel at a time when Democrats are increasingly divided on support for America's longtime Middle East ally.

Nirav Shah, a former director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention from 2019 to 2023 who later served as principal deputy director of the federal CDC during then-President Joe Biden's administration, and who came in second in last month's Democratic gubernatorial primary, secured only a handful of delegates on Saturday.

Shenna Bellows, Maine's secretary of state, who came in fourth place in the race for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, was even further back in the delegate hunt, as was Jordan Wood, a former congressional staffer for then-Rep. Katie Porter of California who unsuccessfully ran for the Senate as well as the Democratic nomination in the state's 2nd Congressional District this cycle.

Maine's eight remaining counties will select 181 delegates on Sunday. The 500 picked this weekend will join 101 delegates coming automatically from the Democratic State Committee. All 601 will vote for the Senate nominee at next Saturday's convention in Bangor.

Platner, a combat veteran and oyster farmer who was backed by Sanders soon after he launched his bid last August, saw his campaign quickly catch fire. Two-term Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, who was heavily recruited by longtime Democratic Senate leader Sen. Chuck Schumer to run for the Senate, suspended her campaign this spring after trailing Platner in fundraising and in the polls.

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But even as Platner steamrolled the Democratic establishment and crushed the competition last month to capture the nomination, he had already been forced on defense in the wake of a slew of scandals.

Platner dropped out earlier this month, amid calls from top Democrats in Maine and across the country to immediately exit the race following an explosive report containing an allegation of rape from a woman he previously dated. Platner denied the report but stepped aside.

While Jackson was among those who quickly called on Platner to end his bid in the wake of the rape allegation, he had previously campaigned alongside Platner and made the case that he was the best candidate to continue the fight for the progressive and populist agenda.

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"This movement is always been bigger than one person. It's about taking on a system rigged against working people, fighting for ‘Medicare-for-all,’ strong unions, higher wages, reproductive freedom, and an economy where billionaires and corporations finally pay their fair share," Jackson said last week during an Our Revolution virtual town hall, as he pointed to Platner supporters.

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At last week's first debate among the replacement candidates, Jackson pointed to Platner and said, "That's the thing that I think Graham did the best: talked about fighting against the healthcare industry and the prescription drug industry to make sure that people in this state and this country have affordable, quality healthcare."

Controversial program paying drug users for used syringes becomes permanent in NYC

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 08:11:51 -0400

New York City is permanently bankrolling a program that pays people up to $10 a day for used syringes, a controversial effort critics argue puts taxpayer dollars into addicts' pockets rather than getting them treatment.

The program, known as the Community Syringe Redemption Program, was quietly made permanent through Mayor Zohran Mamdani's first city budget after the city's $126 billion spending plan set aside $3 million to continue it beyond its pilot phase, the New York Post reported. The funding appeared in budget documents submitted to the New York City Council on June 30, shortly before lawmakers approved the budget.

Participants receive 20 cents for every used syringe they return, with payments capped at 50 syringes, or $10 a day, according to the New York City Health Department. The city operates eight redemption sites — five in the Bronx and one each in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens — where enrolled participants can drop off used needles during scheduled collection hours.

MAYORS WANT TO KEEP HANDING OUT FREE CASH AFTER FEDERAL FUNDS DRIED UP

The program launched as a pilot in March 2025 after legislation backed by progressive City Council members passed in 2022. It is run by Addiction Response Resources, a nonprofit that also started a similar syringe redemption program in Boston, under an $11.1 million contract that runs through the end of next year, the Post reported.

Health officials say the program has collected more than 2.3 million used syringes since it began about 16 months ago, the outlet reported. During its first year, the city paid out about $292,000 to more than 1,700 participants.

Sanitation Department data cited by the Post shows workers have collected 26,229 discarded needles so far this year, down from 64,560 during the same period in 2025.

According to the Post, the city is paying for the program with more than $189 million in settlement funds it received from major opioid manufacturers and distributors — money some critics argue should be directed toward addiction treatment instead.

EX-EMPLOYEE OF TAXPAYER-FUNDED NONPROFIT CAUGHT SELLING FENTANYL NEAR LA PARK: DOCS

Queens Republican Councilwoman Joann Ariola argued the opioid settlement money used to fund the program "should all be going toward addiction treatment services — not for paying users to turn in their needles for cash," the Post reported. She added that the program "is putting money in the pockets of addicts" instead of helping them overcome addiction.

Bronx Democratic Councilman Oswald Feliz credited the effort to remove discarded syringes but warned the city "should not recklessly create conditions that can threaten the safety of vulnerable communities," according to the Post.

Some participants see the program differently.

Tamia Wright, 43, told the Post it had become "definitely a side hustle" after returning used needles at a park in the Bronx, adding she planned to spend the money on "weed... and cigarettes."

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City officials say the program is meant to reduce dangerous syringe litter in neighborhoods that frequently report discarded needles. The Health Department says improperly discarded syringes can pose risks of needlestick injuries and disease transmission, and urges residents to safely dispose of sharps or report syringe litter through 311.

Health Department spokesperson Rachel Vick defended the program, saying it helps residents "live in a community free of syringe litter" while safely disposing of medical waste and connecting people in need with nearby care.

GERRI WILLIS: The fireworks are over. Now visit the places where America became free

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 08:00:54 -0400

The fireworks are over, and the red, white and blue bunting has been put away. America’s Fourth of July celebration of our 250th anniversary is now just a memory. But this summer’s celebration of our founding won’t be the last. The party will continue, and it may even get bigger.

In the coming years, celebrations will mark Revolutionary War battles in Camden, S.C., New York and Yorktown that came after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Americans will have a chance to hear about patriots they may never have known.

As a Southerner, I especially look forward to seeing patriots like Francis Marion, called the Swamp Fox, and Thomas Sumter, the Gamecock, celebrated in South Carolina. Long-forgotten battles such as Kings Mountain, Guilford Court House, Camden and Eutaw Springs — where Americans bent the course of history in the South and ultimately won — will also be commemorated.

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We would do well to keep our revolutionary heritage in mind. Historians describe the second sentence of the Declaration of Independence, beginning with the phrase, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal ...," as the most consequential sentence not just in American history, but for nations around the globe. America’s revolution inspired people around the world to depose despots and kings.

Jefferson’s words created a new understanding of government based on equality, natural rights and the consent of the governed. They were a spark for revolutions across the world. Ultimately, 100 nations would incorporate the Declaration’s ideals. From France to Mexico, Chile and Haiti, and decades later in Czechoslovakia and Korea, the document was copied and emulated.

I learned of this legacy at the Museum of the American Revolution, which is hosting an incredible exhibit about the Declaration’s journey around the world. If you are in Philadelphia, I highly encourage you to go.

RARE AMERICAN BIBLE AND FOUNDERS’ LETTERS TRACE FAITH’S ROLE IN BIRTH OF THE NATION

Here at home, the Declaration of Independence galvanized efforts toward independence. Colonies set up their own governments, contravening royal authority. Newly organized states agreed to unite under one central, elected government.

But as inspiring as Jefferson’s words were, the Declaration was, after all, only a document. It announced our determination to be a free people. But it did not secure that right. It would take five long years of battle to make the Declaration’s promise of a new nation a reality. In that time, Americans would face down the mightiest military in the world.

Britain had recently risen to the rank of the world’s mightiest imperial power. Its 400-ship navy commanded the seas. Britain’s battle-tested regulars had beaten its rival, France, and taken Quebec, Havana and India. Spain, another longtime foe, had lost territory to the British. At the close of the Seven Years’ War, the sun never set on the British Empire. In retrospect, the Americans’ mad dash to independence seems suicidal at best.

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But America’s fighting force, hastily assembled, underfunded, underarmed and underfed, would outlast and outmaneuver the king’s extensive forces. We would lose our share of battles, possibly more than our share. Schoolchildren know of the stunning American victories at Saratoga and Yorktown, but there were also crushing American defeats on Long Island and in Charleston.

After the British defeat at Yorktown, the secretary of state for the colonies, Lord George Germain, argued for continuing the war, describing America’s vulnerabilities at length to Parliament. He noted the patriots’ weak economy and runaway inflation. He wasn’t wrong. The Continental Congress’ coffers were empty, and soldiers starved; some mutinied in the final years of the war. There were rumors that Ethan Allen would declare Vermont for the British. Germain believed Britain could still prevail, but Parliament was not swayed by his arguments. Its members could see the futility of continuing the fight.

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Americans’ unbeatable resolve allowed us to win. What we had was an inability to give up, a tenacity that the British could not match. We had the will to secure our own future that the British drive to expand their empire could not match. Nathanael Greene, George Washington’s top military officer in the war’s Southern Department, summed up this essential characteristic this way: "We fight, get beat, rise, and fight again."

As much as we celebrate the Founding Fathers, including Washington and Jefferson, they alone didn’t secure America’s promise. It took the willpower and endurance of tens of thousands of Americans to do that. Their blood, sweat and tears allowed the most important sentence ever written in American history to be more than just an interesting footnote. Instead, it became not only the cornerstone of a new republic but also an inspiration for people around the world who, like us, believe in freedom and liberty.

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There is no better way to celebrate America’s founding document and its incredible people than to go to the battlefields and historic sites where the promise contained in the Declaration of Independence became reality. I look forward to seeing you there!

Gerri Willis' book, "Lincoln’s Lady Spymaster," has been nominated for the People’s Choice Award by the Library of Virginia. She is a North Carolina native.

California Pizza Kitchen founder says California has become too difficult for entrepreneurs

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 08:00:43 -0400

California Pizza Kitchen brought the Golden State's dining culture to Americans across the country for decades. More than 40 years later, one of the chain's co-founders says that if he had to start over, he wouldn't necessarily pick California.

"If it were me today, I would open in Florida before I would open it in California," California Pizza Kitchen co-founder Rick Rosenfield told Fox News Digital. "I think it has a lot going for it. The difference is [it's] very business friendly and California is less business friendly today, and they make it apparent."

Rosenfield said that when he and California Pizza Kitchen co-founder Larry Flax started the restaurant chain, the business environment in California was "really good." In fact, Rosenfield told Fox News Digital that decades ago he would've said that "California is the greatest place to do business."

"We have 365 days a year of great weather. We have a great labor base, great demographics, great densities. And people would say, 'What keeps you up at night?' I would say, 'A snowstorm in the winter on a weekend for the malls,' right? That's not true today," he said.

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Several major companies have moved their headquarters out of California in recent years, including Chevron, Oracle and Tesla. The Texas Comptroller's Office recorded 157 California companies that relocated their headquarters to the Lone Star State between 2015 and 2024.

Rosenfield said California's business climate changed dramatically following the COVID-19 pandemic, citing labor shortages, increased regulation and rising costs, including the minimum wage. Under a minimum wage law that went into effect in California on April 1, 2024, all eligible fast-food restaurant employees had to be paid at least $20.00 per hour.

The California Pizza Kitchen co-founder said the restaurant typically paid employees more than the minimum wage, but argued that increases to the wage floor still cause a ripple effect throughout the restaurant, as employees earning above the minimum would often also expect raises as well.

Rosenfield noted that restaurants often operate on thin margins, something that is backed up by data from the National Restaurant Association (NRA). According to the NRA, food and labor costs account for around 33 cents of every dollar in restaurant sales. At the same time, other expenses, such as utilities, supplies, repairs and credit card processing fees, among others, represented approximately 29% of sales combined. The NRA states that the average restaurant is often left with a pre-tax margin of around 5%.

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Businesses don't simply eat the costs and are often forced to raise prices, thus passing the expense along to customers, Rosenfield warned.

"The mantra is, well, 'We're going to tax businesses.' 'We're going make the businesses pay more.' But it isn't just the businesses that pay more, it's a customer that pays more. Because what happens, you raise costs, you raise minimum wage, businesses have to respond to that," he said.

Rosenfield argued that California's higher labor costs have made affordability a challenge, saying businesses have little choice but to recover those costs through higher prices.

"From what I understand, it's been very harmful to the restaurant businesses in California," he said.

The challenges facing entrepreneurs in California have made states like Florida more attractive to those looking to start a business, according to Rosenfield. Two years ago, the California Pizza Kitchen co-founder moved to the Sunshine State. While he's not doing business there, he says he is attuned to what is happening in Florida, which he says is a "very business-friendly state."

"Florida is quite friendly. There's less bureaucracy in Florida and there's more bureaucracy [in] California, and that's basically my experience," Rosenfield told Fox News Digital.

Florida has shown strong numbers in recent years when it comes to business in the Sunshine State. The Florida State Department's Division of Corporations reported that entrepreneurs filed 561,143 new domestic limited liability companies (LLCs) in 2025, marking the fifth consecutive year the state recorded more than 500,000 new LLC filings. This trend has been sustained for a number of years. In 2023, Florida had the third-highest rate of new business applicants per 1,000 residents, with 29.4, according to Axios.

When asked about Rosenfield's comments about Florida and California's business environments, Gov. Gavin Newsom's office told Fox News Digital, "Florida Pizza Kitchen doesn’t have the same ring to it. We are proud that they are headquartered here and that nearly half of all their restaurants nationwide are in California."

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Despite his praise for Florida and his assessment that certain areas of the Sunshine State are hot for business, Rosenfield acknowledges that California is still "an economic powerhouse."

"[It] still has the great weather, still has a great labor base, but for the restaurant business and for other businesses, it's just not as friendly," he said. "Of course you could start a business in California, but people are leaving."

Ultimately, Rosenfield said he hopes California becomes more welcoming to businesses again, arguing that government policy plays a significant role in creating a business climate that encourages entrepreneurship.

"You have a supermajority in California that enacts business-unfriendly laws, and that's uncomfortable," Rosenfield said. "I didn't operate in that environment. I was in a much more friendly environment."

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He argued that failing to create a more business-friendly environment risks discouraging the next generation of entrepreneurs.

"When you bash businesses, it's not encouraging for entrepreneurs," he said.

Original 'Little House' villain returns for reboot with warning for new Nellie

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 08:00:37 -0400

Alison Arngrim is back on the prairie.

The actress who made Nellie Oleson one of television's most unforgettable villains returns with a surprise cameo in Netflix's new "Little House on the Prairie" reboot, now streaming.

Although she hasn't met Willa Dunn, the child actress taking over the iconic role, Arngrim already has some hard-earned advice on how to perfect the art of playing the girl everyone loves to hate.

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"You've got to have a solid sense of who you are," the actress told Fox News Digital. "It's a tall order for someone who's like 10, 11 or 12 years old, but when people are talking about this other person who lived in the 1800s, saying, 'I hate her so much. She's so awful. I can't stand her. I want to slap her in the face,' you can't take that personally."

"You cannot think it's real — that people want to slap you in the face or that you did something wrong. It's actually a compliment. It means you're doing it right."

"Remember, Sir Anthony Hopkins didn't lose sleep over being Hannibal Lecter," she said. "You are who you are, and this is just a character. You have to understand the job is to irritate, annoy and upset people. And if you do it correctly with a character like Nellie, people are going to be annoyed. But when someone says, 'I can't stand her,' you can't possibly take that in."

WATCH: NETFLIX'S ‘LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE’ ACTOR HOPES NEW SERIES WILL UNITE OLD AND NEW FANS

Arngrim was more than ready to become a despised villain. Raised in a family of actors and performing since she was 5 years old, she viewed every "I hate you" from fans as the ultimate applause.

"I've had people come up to me and go, 'You were a complete b----, and I hated you. You were absolutely hideous and revolting. I was terrified of you,'" she said with a laugh. "I just said, 'Oh my God, thank you so much. You're too kind.' It's a weird thing, but you have to understand the character has nothing to do with you. It's someone who has nothing to do with you."

And fans haven't let her forget it.

"I still remember when someone threw a McDonald's cup of orange soda at my face during a Christmas parade," she said. "I think people are a little more sane today, or they understand fantasy a little better now."

Arngrim has no regrets about playing television's most infamous bully.

"I got the joke," she said. "I knew you were supposed to hate me, and I was fine with it. But it's really weird because I'm 64 years old, and I still have people yelling at me about all the things I did to Laura 52 years ago. Some people are still really mad, and that's very bizarre. So I will tell the new Nellie to brace herself. But she also has to understand that if she does it right, people will absolutely hate her. And if she really does it right, they'll love her too."

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Arngrim was asked to make her cameo about two weeks before production was set to film her scene.

"I play this very strange woman in the woods," she said. "I used to have Marilyn Monroe's makeup guy every morning, who made sure we looked really nice. But when I first sat down in the makeup chair this time around, the makeup artist said, 'We're going to make you look so awful. I feel bad. You have such amazing skin. I'm going to totally ruin that.'"

"They ruined everything," she said with a laugh. "They painted my teeth — my dentist is going to be horrified. They used colors like blood, tobacco and dirt."

Arngrim said that if original showrunner Michael Landon were alive, he would be "fascinated" by the new technology available in Hollywood today to help bring the "Little House" stories to life.

"I also think he would have Pa take off his shirt more often," she joked.

"But Michael somehow knew that 'Little House' would stand the test of time," she said. "He used to tell everyone on set that everyone's going to be watching this after we're all gone. He predicted that. And here we are. I think he would be so impressed that the show is being retold again. I also think he would want to direct every single episode, and he would have lots to say because he was very picky."

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Today, Arngrim hopes she'll soon meet the new Nellie. She's also urging skeptical fans to give Netflix's reboot a chance.

"How many 'Star Treks' do we have now?" she said. "A lot. And remember, when our show first aired, some people said, 'No, it can only be the books.' These actors get it. The cast is fabulous."

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"There's just something special about these stories," Arngrim said. "If I close my eyes, I can hear Michael laughing, with his high-pitched giggle. Who would have thought 'Little House' would still be around today? Well, Michael did. 'Little House' is never going away."

Alabama man charged with killing military veteran, wife had posted about them online for a decade

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 08:00:25 -0400

An Alabama man accused of killing a military veteran and his wife posted about the couple's family for years as they appeared to be close friends, social media posts show

George Birmingham, 46, was arrested early Sunday morning after allegedly killing Justin Elrod and his wife, Lena Elrod, who were discovered dead at 12:15 a.m. following reports of a burglary. Social media posts by Birmingham reveal he was close with the couple, speaking highly of them as recent as June 16.

Facebook posts reviewed by Fox News Digital show Birmingham and the couple appeared to have been close friends for roughly a decade, with posts mentioning the Elrods dating back nearly 10 years.

ALABAMA SHERIFF DETAILS GRUESOME MURDERS OF VETERAN AND WIFE INSIDE THEIR OWN HOME

In a June 16 Facebook post, Birmingham mused about a hypothetical Mars colonization trip and named the friends and family he'd want along for the ride, which included Justin and Lena Elrod. He wrote that "no one listens better than him, and no one is more fun to argue with than her," before closing the post with, "I love you guys!"

"Now that I think about it, they probably wouldnt want our tribe," Birmingham wrote as he jokingly ended the post. "But im very thankful for them."

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In February 2017, Birmingham also shared information about a GoFundMe campaign to help cover medical expenses for one of the Elrod's children, writing, "This family is very dear to my heart." That May, Birmingham even hosted a benefit comedy show to help further with medical expenses for the Elrod's

MISSISSIPPI TEEN ALLEGEDLY KILLED ELDERLY COUPLE IN THEIR HOME BEFORE FIRING ON DEPUTIES IN STANDOFF

Birmingham also referenced the Elrod family in a June 2018 post, writing "Some of my favorite ladies," alongside a photo that included one of the Elrods daughters.

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According to WBRC, a motive hasn't been established, but authorities said Birmingham was an "acquaintance" of the Elrods.

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Court records indicate Birmingham was accused of killing Lena Elrod with an electric saw and stabbed or struck Justin Elrod in the head with a metallic object.

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Aliceville Mayor Terrence Windham described Justin Elrod as a hard worker who was humble.

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"He was a very humble guy, and he was the last person that I would think that something like this would happen to," Windham said. "He survived the military, survived working in the prison, and now, this situation, it just makes it even worse."

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Birmingham is also the suspect in a separate burglary that happened before he allegedly killed the Elrods, authorities said.

Birmingham was arrested on charges of one count of capital murder, two counts of murder, one count of burglary and additional drug-related charges, and his preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 20.

America's favorite ice cream flavor revealed as one classic tops every state

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 08:00:04 -0400

Americans are increasingly curious about ice creams that market themselves as healthier alternatives, but data shows they keep returning to tried-and-true brands and flavors.

In celebration of National Ice Cream Day, online grocery platform Instacart offered the scoop on what flavor most Americans are buying.

Vanilla was the most-purchased ice cream flavor in 2025, according to Instacart data. It accounted for about 21% of all ice cream orders and was "the single most popular pick in every one of the 50 states and D.C."

AMERICA'S MOST-SEARCHED ICE CREAM BRAND MAY SURPRISE YOU — AND THERE'S A HEALTHY REASON WHY

Steve Christensen, executive director of the Missouri-based North American Ice Cream Association, told Fox News Digital that ice cream brings people together.

"Try the vanilla first," he recommended when sampling ice cream. "If the vanilla's good, then everything's good."

Chocolate ranked second, accounting for 7.9% of purchases. Cookie dough took third with 6.9% of ice cream lovers choosing it.

The results prove that "when it comes to ice cream, comfort beats novelty almost every time," Instacart said.

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Instacart reported the remainder of the top 10 most-purchased flavors consisted largely of familiar, longtime favorites: cookies & cream (5.8%); chocolate fudge/brownie (5.1%); peanut butter (4.7%); mint chocolate chip (4.7%); coffee (4.5%); strawberry (3.7%) and cherry (3.1%).

Halo Top, which markets its ice cream as a "feel-good treat" with "fewer calories and less sugar than other leading brands, with a good source of protein," was the most-searched ice cream brand from April 2025 through April 2026, according to Google search data analyzed in a study from Innerbody Research.

Searches don't necessarily translate to sales, however. In 2025, Breyers, Blue Bunny and Turkey Hill were the top-selling brands by dollar sales, Dairy Foods Magazine reported.

Häagen-Dazs was the most-purchased brand among American consumers using Instacart.

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"At roughly 24% of orders, it edges out Ben & Jerry's, with Breyers rounding out the top three," Instacart reported.

Regional ice cream brands maintained strong customer loyalty, the data showed.

"Tillamook is the brand the West favors most, Blue Bell rules the South and Blue Bunny owns the Plains," the report said.

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Specialty and premium brands, including Alec's Ice Cream, Rebel, Straus Family Creamery, Van Leeuwen and Graeter's Ice Cream posted some of the strongest growth year-over-year, the data showed.

Aside from vanilla, consumers also gravitate toward regional flavors. In the West, it's Rocky Road, while New Englanders love coffee ice cream and Southerners go for butter pecan.

Wisconsin loves the peanut-butter-and-chocolate combination of Moose Tracks, which was invented in the Midwest. Tennessee favors cheesecake-flavored ice cream, while folks from Colorado and Wyoming enjoy cherry.

"For all our regional pride, America's ice cream story is one about comfort first," Instacart said.

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"Vanilla, chocolate and cookie dough anchor nearly every freezer in the country, and the biggest brands keep getting bigger. Underneath the classics, flavor preferences are gloriously local, and the next generation of premium and better-for-you pints is melting its way into the mainstream."

Would this survival pod make you feel safer?

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 07:48:42 -0400

Disaster prep used to mean bottled water, flashlights and maybe a generator in the garage. Now a French startup is taking all of that to the next level. Momentum Technologies recently showed off its LifePods survival capsules. According to the company's website, the capsules are designed to protect people, families, response teams and critical infrastructure during natural disasters, industrial risks and security threats.

You can see why something like this would get a lot of attention right now. Blackouts seem more common. Floods can move fast. Global instability has many of you wondering how prepared you really are if help cannot get there right away. LifePods takes that fear and turns it into a physical product you can buy, move and place before disaster hits.

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What are LifePods survival capsules?

LifePods survival capsules are compact shelters built for extreme emergencies. Momentum Technologies says the capsules can provide immediate shelter during tsunamis, flash floods, storm surges, armed attacks, collapses, extreme fires and dangerous environments. That makes them different from the underground bunker you may imagine behind a hidden steel door. These capsules focus on faster deployment and a smaller footprint.

The company currently highlights two main commercial models. The W-01 is a floating capsule for water-related disasters. The B-01 is an armored land capsule for ballistic and industrial protection. Momentum also lists an earthquake-focused Q-01 concept under development.

How the LifePods B01 survival pod works

The LifePods B01 is the tougher-looking model. Momentum built it for hostile environments, critical infrastructure and situations where fast shelter could save lives. The company says the B01 gives occupants protected space against ballistic threats, fragments, armed attacks and degraded environments. It also says people can get inside and lock the system in seconds.

This model seems aimed more at security teams, industrial sites and public safety agencies than a typical backyard buyer. Momentum lists possible uses at military or police checkpoints, energy production stations, telecom hubs, transport terminals and heavy industrial sites.

The B01 lists room for one to two people, high-hardness ballistic steel, positive air filtration options and a total weight of about 4,000 pounds. Momentum says representative test panels obtained VPAM PM7 certification for resistance to 7.62x51mm military ammunition, a roughly .30-caliber rifle round. SR7 civil validation remains in progress.

How the LifePods W01 flood survival pod works

The LifePods W01 is the model that may feel more relatable if you live near water. Momentum describes it as a floating capsule for extreme weather when evacuation can no longer happen safely.

The company says the W-01 responds to risks from tsunamis, hurricanes, floods, marine submersion and dike or dam failures. It is designed to float, resist impact and keep occupants protected until rescue teams arrive. Momentum says the W-01 is designed to safely accommodate four adults. Young children may also ride with accompanying adults using additional restraint systems, similar to those used in commercial aviation.

The capsule also includes exterior grab bars. That could help survivors already in the water hold onto the outside while waiting for rescue. Every W-01 is also equipped with a geolocation and emergency distress transmission system. The goal is simple: help emergency services find the capsule faster.

The W-01 is currently completing its engineering development phase. Momentum says its structural behavior has been modeled with advanced naval engineering simulation software by Inha Works Ltd., also known as IWL, a Yamaha Motor Group company. That modeling allowed the company to evaluate structural resistance, buoyancy and stability before physical testing.

Physical validation is expected to begin during the second half of 2026. Momentum says the testing will move through initial flotation and stability tests, real-world sea trials and final certification testing in a specialized laboratory that can reproduce extreme disaster conditions such as wave impacts.

LifePods Q01 could bring protection to earthquake zones

Momentum also lists an earthquake-focused Q-01 "Quake" concept under development. That matters because earthquakes create a different kind of danger than floods or armed attacks. You may have only seconds to react, and falling debris can turn an ordinary room into a life-threatening space fast. The company says the Q-01 is being designed to provide structural protection during earthquakes. It is intended for apartments and buildings located in seismic areas.

For now, the Q-01 should be treated as a future concept rather than a product you can price out or buy today. Still, it shows where Momentum wants to take LifePods next. The company seems to be building a family of survival capsules for different disasters instead of relying on one pod to handle every threat.

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Can you buy a LifePods survival pod in the U.S.?

Yes, according to Momentum. The company tells CyberGuy that U.S. customers can contact LifePods through its official website to discuss projects and place pre-orders. The first production units are expected to be available from Barcelona, Spain, in October 2026. That timing depends on the successful completion of the ongoing certification program.

For U.S. customers, deliveries are expected to begin around November 2026, depending on the final destination and shipping arrangements. The company says international shipments are planned from the Port of Barcelona. Momentum also says LifePods is represented by a U.S.-based commercial partner in San Diego, California, who can help customers through the purchasing process.

At first, the company expects demand to come mainly from government agencies, civil protection organizations, industrial operators and critical infrastructure owners. However, private customers can also reserve production capacity as the product becomes commercially available.

How much does a LifePods survival pod cost?

Momentum now lists European retail prices before VAT at 25,000 euros for the B-01 and 31,000 euros for the W-01. In U.S. dollars, that comes out to roughly $27,000 for the B-01 and about $33,500 for the W-01, depending on exchange rates. Those prices cover the capsule before shipping and other costs.

You should also expect international shipping, customs clearance, import duties, local taxes, final inland transportation and installation to add to the total. Momentum says it is finalizing its U.S. logistics strategy and expects to provide more accurate landed-cost estimates in the coming weeks. The company also says it plans to establish U.S. inventory in 2027 to reduce delivery times and improve customer support across North America. The company is also looking for strategic distribution partners across the United States to support local sales, logistics and after-sales service.

Why LifePods survival pod testing matters

The big question is proof. Trade show attention can make a product look ready for the real world. Survival gear has to do much more than look impressive under bright lights.

For the B-01, the representative armor panels have already demonstrated compliance with VPAM PM7 ballistic requirements. The remaining work focuses on validating the complete B-01 as an integrated product before it receives final VPAM SR7 certification. That distinction is important. A strong armor panel is one thing. A finished capsule with doors, ventilation, structural joints and other weak points has to prove it can hold up as a complete system.

For the W-01, Momentum says the certification program will include flotation performance, structural integrity, stability, impact resistance, self-righting capability and additional safety evaluations designed for survival equipment used during extreme natural disasters. That is the right place to focus. Flood survival depends on chaotic conditions, including debris, moving water, wave impact, panic and rescue timing.

Why LifePods says it is building survival pods now

Momentum says LifePods grew out of a simple observation after the devastating tsunamis of 2004 and 2011. The company says those disasters showed how few last-resort survival options exist once evacuation can no longer happen. The company also says LifePods are meant to complement prevention and evacuation, not replace them. Its goal is to offer a final layer of protection when every other option has failed.

That could mean armed attacks. It could mean tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis or catastrophic flooding. In each case, Momentum says the goal is to provide a protected space that can increase the chances of survival until emergency services arrive. The company says it sees resilient personal protection systems becoming a more important part of emergency preparedness as climate-related disasters grow more frequent and geopolitical risks continue to evolve.

Future LifePods could target fires and extreme heat

Momentum's plans go beyond the B-01, W-01 and Q-01. The company says it is also studying a FireRescue version derived from the B-01. This version would be engineered to protect occupants against intense heat and smoke during fires.

Momentum says this version would be intended mainly for emergency responders and professional users. The goal would be to provide a protected refuge while waiting for evacuation or rescue. Looking further ahead, Momentum says it is working on future autonomous LifePods that could actively regulate interior temperature. That could help occupants remain protected for longer periods under extreme environmental conditions. Ultimately, the company says its ambition is to build a complete family of survival solutions for major natural, technological and security threats.

What this means for you

LifePods taps into a feeling many of you already have. You may not want a bunker. You may not have space for one. But you probably do want a better answer for the moment when help takes too long to arrive. For now, most of you should focus on realistic emergency prep. Know your flood risk. Keep water, food and backup power available. If severe weather is a concern where you live, our storm survival essentials guide at cyberguy.com breaks down gear that can help you stay powered, connected and informed during outages.

Your phone matters too. Set up emergency contacts, Medical ID or emergency information before something goes wrong. You can also review our guide on getting your phone ready for an emergency so you know what your iPhone or Android can do when cell service fails. If you live somewhere remote or spend time outdoors, a separate satellite SOS device may also be worth considering. We have a guide to satellite communicators and emergency SOS tools at cyberguy.com that explains how they can help when your phone loses signal.

Still, LifePods shows where disaster prep may be heading. Preparedness is moving beyond small gear into bigger engineered survival systems. That could help critical sites, emergency teams and families in high-risk areas. At the same time, big claims deserve careful questions. Before anyone spends tens of thousands of dollars on a survival capsule, they should look for completed certifications, independent tests and clear installation requirements.

Kurt's key takeaways

LifePods is one of those ideas that grabs your attention because it sounds extreme at first, then starts to make sense the longer you think about it. Floods, fires, attacks and infrastructure failures can leave families and workers with very few options. I like the focus on fast shelter when evacuation becomes impossible. I also like that Momentum is thinking through different threats instead of trying to make one capsule solve every disaster. Still, I would be cautious. A survival capsule has to work when everything around it goes wrong. The latest testing update makes this feel more real than a trade show concept, but final certification will decide how strong the case really is. For now, LifePods feels like a serious emergency-tech idea with real potential, a high price tag and a lot riding on the next round of testing.

Would a survival capsule make you feel safer, or does this feel like disaster prep going too far? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.

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Sports cartoons of the day

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 11:08:52 -0400

Supreme Court showdown looms over St Michael statue blocked from public safety building

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 07:00:44 -0400

A legal battle over whether a Massachusetts city can install statues of St. Michael the Archangel and St. Florian outside its public safety headquarters could ultimately reach the U.S. Supreme Court, with attorneys on both sides arguing the case could shape the future of religious displays on government property.

The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which is representing the city of Quincy, told Fox News Digital that they are imminently expecting a decision by the Massachusetts Supreme Court.

"The ACLU’s position is anti-art and anti-history and we’re confident the justices will reject it," Joseph Davis, senior counsel at Becket and lead attorney for Quincy, told Fox News Digital in a statement.

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"We don’t hide away beautiful civic art just because it might make someone think of religion, and nothing in Massachusetts law says otherwise. Quincy has every right to honor its first responders with symbols that have inspired courage and sacrifice for generations," Davis added.

The controversy started after The Patriot Ledger reported that Quincy planned to install two 10-foot bronze statues of St. Michael the Archangel and St. Florian outside its new public safety headquarters.

The statues were crafted by a sculptor in Italy and chosen by Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch. St. Michael is the patron saint of police officers and St. Florian is the patron saint of firefighters.

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Koch, according to court documents, said he did not choose the statues to advertise religion but to "honor, inspire, and encourage our First Responders" as well as "boost morale," and "ensure [first responders’] lifesaving work would remain maximally effective."

Critics said the plan had not been publicly disclosed during the building approval process and raised constitutional concerns.

The legal battle began in May 2025, when various faith groups of Quincy residents and taxpayers sued the City of Quincy and Koch in Norfolk Superior Court, arguing that the planned installation of the statues outside the city's new public safety headquarters violated the Massachusetts Constitution's protections on religious neutrality.

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The plaintiffs are represented by the ACLU of Massachusetts, the national ACLU, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the Freedom From Religion Foundation and Cloherty & Steinberg LLP.

In its brief, the ACLU of Massachusetts says, "The statues, whose imagery is drawn directly from Catholic iconography, lack a predominantly secular purpose. The primary effect of permanently installing two new, oversized, overtly religious statues as the sole adornments on the City’s public safety building is to advance religion."

A brief, however, for the National Fraternal Order of Police and Massachusetts Fraternal Order of Police says that St. Michael is revered by people of various faiths, not just Christians.

"First responders of all stripes, religious creeds, and political affiliations — and not just Catholics or Christians — cherish both saints for their symbolic importance to the profession," the brief states.

Koch’s office told Fox News Digital that it has no comment at this time as it awaits the court's decision.

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Jessie Rossman, legal director at the ACLU of Massachusetts, told Fox News Digital in a statement, "The Massachusetts Declaration of Rights demands that our government remain neutral in matters of religion. This neutrality is precisely what allows the richly varied beliefs of our clients and others — including deeply held Christian beliefs — to flourish in cities like Quincy and across the Commonwealth."

Rossman added, "The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court established the legal test to analyze Art. 3 claims nearly 50 years ago, and for good reason, that test remains good law. Under that test, installing these statues as the sole adornment on a government building, especially one intended to provide essential services to all residents, violates our state constitution."

Lindsay Clancy’s husband could testify for her at trial over deaths of their three children

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 07:00:32 -0400

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

The husband of Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother accused of killing her three young children, is expected to testify on her behalf at her upcoming trial.

Clancy, a 35-year-old former nurse, is slated to go on trial this week in the murder case of her three young children: Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months. Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday morning in Plymouth Superior Court.

Patrick Clancy is one of the more than 200 people who could be called to testify. Patrick, along with his wife Lindsay, have maintained that the doctors who treated her misdiagnosed and overmedicated her, causing her to hallucinate voices telling her to kill her kids.

The allegations are central to lawsuits claiming that medical professionals failed to diagnose her escalating postpartum psychosis before the deadly tragedy.

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In an amended complaint filed in Norfolk Superior Court, Lindsay Clancy alleges a network of psychiatric providers misdiagnosed her, failed to properly treat what she says was bipolar disorder with postpartum onset and prescribed a changing regimen of medications that allegedly worsened her condition before the Jan. 24, 2023, deaths of her children.

The complaint accuses the defendants of medical malpractice and negligence, alleging they failed to recognize that Clancy’s reported "intrusive thoughts" were actually auditory hallucinations that made her a danger to herself and her children.

"Lindsay Clancy did everything a mother in her situation could do," the lawsuit says, alleging she sought treatment, went to emergency rooms, contacted crisis services, admitted herself to hospitals and repeatedly reported her worsening symptoms.

The filing offers a medical-failure narrative of the months before the killings, portraying Clancy, a registered nurse who worked in labor and delivery at Massachusetts General Hospital, as a woman unraveling.

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According to the complaint, Clancy began showing signs of hypomania soon after giving birth to Callan in May 2022.

By about 12 weeks postpartum, the filing says, Clancy’s condition shifted into severe anxiety, depression, exhaustion and insomnia. She was allegedly sleeping only a few hours a night and struggling with basic daily activities.

The lawsuit says Clancy first sought psychiatric care in September 2022 and was prescribed Zoloft. After the dose was increased, she allegedly went 48 hours without sleep, developed racing thoughts and suffered worsening anxiety.

The lawsuit alleges that these symptoms should have triggered concern for antidepressant-induced activation and possible bipolar disorder. Instead, the suit alleges, Clancy was moved through a series of medications, including Prozac, Ambien, Remeron, Klonopin, Seroquel, Trazodone, Valium and Amitriptyline, without proper coordination among her providers.

The complaint claims the providers failed to obtain a complete psychiatric history, failed to communicate with one another and failed to recognize that antidepressants appeared to be worsening her symptoms.

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In late November 2022, after taking Remeron, Clancy allegedly became dissociated, disoriented and unsure what was real, according to the filing.

Days later, after starting Seroquel, she allegedly developed suicidal ideation and began hearing a voice telling her she would not be the same and wanted to die.

Her husband, Patrick, allegedly contacted nurse practitioner Rebecca Jollotta's office on Dec. 15 to report that his wife had suffered a "devastating week" and was hearing voices all day, the complaint says.

The filing also alleges Lindsay Clancy told family members she had thoughts of harming the children. At the same time, she allegedly believed people could hear her thoughts and feared she would be locked in a hospital and lose her children.

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Clancy went to Massachusetts General Hospital on Dec. 20, then entered a partial hospitalization program at Women & Infants Hospital in Rhode Island, the lawsuit says.

The complaint alleges Dr. Zobeida Diaz concluded Clancy did not have postpartum depression and rejected bipolar disorder despite severe depression and anxiety scores.

Days later, Clancy admitted herself to McLean Hospital on New Year’s Eve. The complaint says she was placed on a locked unit with suicide checks but did not see a doctor until Jan. 3 because of the holiday weekend. She was discharged Jan. 5 after a five-day stay.

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Back in outpatient care, the lawsuit says, Clancy continued to deteriorate.

On Jan. 16, she allegedly reported hallucinations saying, "You should harm the children" and "You should kill yourself." Dr. Jennifer Tufts then prescribed Amitriptyline, another antidepressant, according to the complaint.

On Jan. 23, the suit says, Tufts increased the Amitriptyline dose. That night, Clancy allegedly did not sleep.

The next day, the complaint alleges, Clancy was severely depressed and experiencing nonstop suicidal hallucinations. After her husband left to pick up takeout, a commanding voice allegedly told her it was her "last chance" and ordered her to kill the children so she could kill herself.

The lawsuit claims Clancy then entered a dissociative, dream-like state before strangling the children and trying to kill herself by taking medications, cutting her wrists and neck, and jumping from a second-floor window.

Cora and Dawson died that day. Callan died three days later. Clancy has pleaded not guilty in the criminal case.

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Clancy is suing Tufts, Diaz, Jollotta, Dr. Alia Goodheart, Aster Mental Health, South Shore Health System, McLean Hospital and Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island.

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The lawsuit seeks damages for Clancy’s physical injuries, psychological trauma, medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, permanent disability and loss of consortium with her husband and children.

The trial will begin with jury selection on Monday, July 20 at 9 a.m.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Clancy's attorney, Rosemary Curran Scapicchio, for comment.

I worry less about screens than about the challenges today’s teens never face

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 07:00:00 -0400

A summer job was once a rite of passage for teens hired to staff local restaurants, stores and pools. But today the percentage of 16-19-year-olds now working summer jobs is at or near the lowest levels since the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking this data just after World War II.

Today, about one in three 16-19-year-olds have a summer job. As there are about 17 million high-school-aged students in the U.S., this means that more than 11 million currently don’t have a summer job.

About half of these teens participate in some type of summer camp, according to Gallup, but many of these camps are day camps that only last one week (baseball camps, soccer camps, band camps, and so on). Also, the "gap in participation rates between upper- and lower-income families is nearly 30 percentage points, 67% versus 38%," determined Gallup.

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What this means is millions of teens are at home — or hanging out somewhere — likely playing video games and scrolling through social media all day and night. The percentage goes up in the poorer neighborhoods — places where they are much more likely to be in fatherless homes.

Free play is a critical part of social and personal development, but a summer of nothing but screen time can lead teens into who knows what online and in their neighborhoods.

Also, when parents later complain that their kids were indoctrinated by teachers and professors with political ideologies or values the parents do not share, I ask what challenges they gave their kids, as positively learning or overcoming real things builds a foundation of conservative values that later help them critically evaluate impractical ideologies (such as socialism).

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Summer jobs, of course, can do this. A teen with a job has to show up on time, be in the proper attire, speak clearly, treat customers respectably (even when the customers are rude), and much more. But what these jobs can teach is limited.

A good parent adds challenges — this is where it gets interesting, individualistic and difficult.

Many parents have a hard time with this; for example, when I coached my son’s soccer team, I literally had parents ask me if I could tell their son, "No," as they said they could not do that — and these were dads.

I have also had many parents ask me how I regulate my son’s screen time. I always flip the script by answering that screen time is a useful tool, as it is so easy to take away if benchmarks are not being met. When they hear this, parents typically frown and tell me they can’t do that.

When I see this reaction, I tell them it doesn’t need to be negative. (Indeed, when youth see their parents are firm, the friction they give goes away a little more each time.)

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Parents do need to have some idea what their son or daughter is interested in. If it is a sport, break it down into three parts as a summer challenge: physical goals (every sport has drills that teach skills — help them come up with and master three skills before sports begin again in the fall); mental challenges (require them to draw, animate or write about these skills); and set related goals that inspire, such as reading a book on the topic.

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It is easy for an involved parent to ask about the progress on these three parts and then to help.

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And it needn’t just be a sport. My son is into karate, animation and science. Those are diverse topics, but they can come together. He is now mastering his next kata and volunteering in the dojo by helping to teach younger kids (he is about to turn 14). He is using Adobe products to create a cartoon of a karate master doing his kata. He is reading Andy Weir’s "The Martian," as it is about a man who has to use science to survive. (Picking a book for/with a teen is complicated and personal; the keys are: a teen needs to be into the main character and the adventure, the books needs to challenge them but not overwhelm them, and it needs to teach good lessons — I wrote "Cool Heroes for Boy" to do precisely do all of that.)

All the parts of his summer challenge are checkable, positive and are within areas my son is interested in. If he misses a benchmark, he loses screen time — benchmarks, of course, do need to be adjusted at times. But I always find that, as long as I remain open, honest and compassionate, my son happily stays within the steps of the adventure.

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American Culture Quiz: Test yourself on presidential principles and courtside celebrations

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 06:00:34 -0400

The American Culture Quiz is a weekly test of our unique national traits, trends, history and people — including current events and the sights and sounds of the United States.

This week's quiz highlights presidential principles, courtside celebrations — and much more.

Can you get all 8 questions right?

Give it a try and see how you do!

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To try your hand at more quizzes from Fox News Digital, click here.

Also, to take a recent News Quiz — published every Friday — click here.

Democrat lawmaker's 107 mph traffic stop brings bodycam battle front and center again

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 06:00:23 -0400

A New Hampshire Democratic lawmaker's 107 mph traffic stop has thrust the debate over police body cameras and dashboard cameras back into the spotlight after Fox News Digital confirmed the sheriff's office involved in the stop has neither.

The lack of body camera and dashboard camera footage has become a focal point in the legal battle involving state Rep. Ellen Read, who is fighting charges stemming from two Rockingham County traffic stops, including one in which a deputy accused her of driving 107 mph. Read argues both stops violated a provision of the New Hampshire Constitution protecting lawmakers while traveling to and from legislative duties.

Without body camera or dashboard camera footage, there is no official recording of the traffic stop that sparked a constitutional fight over legislative immunity.

Maj. Christopher Bashaw of the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office told Fox News Digital the agency does not use body-worn cameras or dashboard cameras because it lacks funding to purchase them.

DEM LAWMAKER SAYS CONSTITUTION BARRED POLICE FROM STOPPING HER AFTER ALLEGED 100 MPH SPEEDING

"We don't have that either," Bashaw said when asked whether deputies use body cameras or dashboard cameras, adding the sheriff's office would like to equip deputies with the technology.

New Hampshire lawmakers established a Body-Worn and Dashboard Camera Fund in 2021 to provide matching grants to local law enforcement agencies for purchasing cameras and covering maintenance, replacement and data storage costs. All local law enforcement agencies are eligible to apply.

State law also requires agencies that choose to deploy body cameras to adopt policies governing when officers must record law enforcement encounters, including traffic stops. The law, however, does not require agencies to purchase or use body cameras.

ICE RESUMES NATIONWIDE TRAFFIC STOPS UNDER NEW POLICY REQUIRING BODY CAMERAS

It is unclear whether the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office has applied for funding through the state grant program.

Read told Fox News Digital she has consistently supported legislation governing body-worn cameras, as well as funding to help law enforcement agencies purchase them. She also said she would be willing to work with the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office to help secure funding for body cameras in the next state budget.

Read said she supports funding body cameras even though she questions other forms of law enforcement spending, including military-grade equipment and expensive vehicles.

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She also disputed the sheriff's office's assertion that she recorded part of the traffic stop on her cellphone.

"They are incorrect, I wish I had," Read said. "The officers conveniently not wearing/using body cams are the reason that I'm investing in a dash cam."

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According to Read, the sheriff's office misunderstood what happened during the stop. She said she did not record the encounter and that a witness listening during a cellphone call later testified in court.

Read has argued the constitutional provision protects lawmakers from being delayed while traveling to legislative duties – not from prosecution.

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"I admitted to the officer and in court that I was going about 85 miles an hour on the highway," she said, adding that she was willing to accept a speeding ticket but disputed the deputy's allegation that she was traveling 107 mph and driving recklessly.

Lawrence Friedman, a professor at New England Law, said the constitutional provision dates back centuries and was intended to prevent lawmakers from being delayed while performing their legislative duties – not to provide blanket immunity from traffic stops or criminal prosecution.

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"I think it's probably not the case that this provision provides some kind of absolute immunity," Friedman told Fox News Digital. "It's unlikely that a court would say, 'No, you're absolutely immune from arrest for a moving violation that everyone else would be subject to arrest for just because you happen to be a legislator.'"

Friedman also said the New Hampshire Supreme Court's refusal to immediately hear Read's constitutional challenge should not be interpreted as a ruling on the merits of her argument.

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"My understanding is that it's not that her appeal is denied," Friedman said. "The Supreme Court said no because they want to see how it plays out at the trial court."

Bashaw said the constitutional provision was intended to prevent law enforcement from interfering with legislative business, not to shield lawmakers from accountability for dangerous driving.

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"The claim that you're immune from all types of arrests... that'd be like saying you could drive at those speeds, commit a vehicular homicide, and that you are not allowed to be held accountable because you're traveling to and from session," Bashaw said.

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Read acknowledged the constitutional language could be modernized while preserving its original intent.

"I did not write this constitutional provision... it was written before cars existed," she said.