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SEEING DOUBLE: Second Dan Sullivan advances, setting up bizarre Alaska Senate ballot

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 09:55:01 -0400

Dan J. Sullivan Jr., a Senate candidate in Alaska who has made headlines for sharing a name with incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, R-Alaska, has officially advanced to the general election, The Associated Press announced on Wednesday.

He joins Sen. Sullivan and former Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, as the third of the final four candidates.

Alaska has yet to announce the fourth.

Sullivan Jr.’s advance, which seemed likely after the polls closed last Tuesday, complicates the picture for Republicans as they work against the clock to explain why two candidates have the same name — as well as which one to vote for. Unlike the primary, the general election picture is further clouded by ranked-choice voting (RCV), which raises more questions about how voters will react to the name overlap.

MORNING GLORY: ALASKA’S 'REAL' SENATOR DAN SULLIVAN STOOD UP OVER CHALLENGER

Under this system, voters rank their preferred candidates. If their top choice is eliminated, their support passes on to their next-ranked option. While supporters of the process argue it expands voters' power and greatly increases the influence of candidates that may not otherwise be a top choice, critics — like Sen. Sullivan — believe it also introduces confusion.

"Like many others who did not support ranked choice voting in 2020, I still believe that this new election system has created unnecessary confusion among voters," Sullivan told local Alaskan media in 2024.

Fears of that confusion were amplified by the emergence of the second Sullivan.

Sullivan Jr., a logger, appeared among the 16 candidates on the ballot as an independent in last week's primary, snapping up 2.5% of the vote. Sullivan Jr.’s campaign announcement did not list a party affiliation. His website does not state his position on any political issues.

Instead, it leaned into the name overlap. "Dan Sullivan challenges Dan Sullivan for U.S. Senate Seat, urges Alaskans to defeat incumbent, elect a Sullivan who stands up for Alaska," it read.

ALASKA REPUBLICANS SCRAMBLE TO EDUCATE VOTERS ON SUSPECTED DEM PLANT AS 'BALLOT FATIGUE' THREATENS RACE

According to his biography, Sullivan Jr. spent his early career working blue-collar jobs like logging, construction, bartending and forestry but decided to enter his bid for Senate after growing frustrated with government mismanagement.

A Fox News Digital review of the campaign earlier this year uncovered that Amber Lee, a progressive consultant, had helped author some of Sullivan Jr.’s campaign materials. Lee previously supported Peltola, the former congresswoman.

The campaign has drawn criticism from Republicans who believe it’s an effort to put two "Dan Sullivans" on the ballot in November and, through ranked choice voting, intentionally draw away votes from the senator.

Alaska state Sen. James Kaufman, a Republican, said he personally remains worried about conflation between the two.

He believes there are still some voters in Alaska, especially Republicans, who refuse to use the RCV system, citing disagreements with its implementation.

"Some people have a pretty strong traditionalist perspective: one person, one man, one vote," Kaufman said.

JUDGE RULES REPUBLICAN WITH SAME NAME AS SEN DAN SULLIVAN CAN STAY ON ALASKA PRIMARY BALLOT

"And so, the ballot fatigue where people just don’t rank because maybe they disagree with it; there’s a pretty strong segment of the population here that just patently disagrees with the ranked-choice voting system we ended up with. And they don’t necessarily believe in utilizing it."

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Having cleared the primary, Sen. Sullivan, Sullivan Jr. and Peltola will face off in the general election on Nov. 3.

El-Sayed's tribute to Dolly Parton after her death sparks internet fury as critics cry foul: 'Gimme a break'

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 09:48:02 -0400

As millions of Americans across the country issued heartfelt tributes following the death of country music superstar Dolly Parton, Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed is facing heat online over what critics call a politicization of Parton’s passing.

"Dolly Parton used her gift for music to highlight the challenges of poverty, inequality, and struggle in ways that uplifted and inspired working people," El-Sayed posted on X on Tuesday shortly after Parton died at the age of 80 after a brief battle with cancer.

"And I told 'em all the story / Momma told me while she sewed / And how my coat of many colors / Was worth more than all their clothes," El-Sayed added, quoting Parton song lyrics.

El-Sayed’s post was "ratioed" on social media, yielding far more negative comments and quote tweets that positive ones from users accusing the far-left candidate of injecting his political message into his Parton tribute.

DOLLY PARTON REFUSED TO PICK POLITICAL SIDES FOR DECADES: ‘I’M NOT IN POLITICS, I’M AN ENTERTAINER’

"Leave it to you to exploit her death for political gain," Twitchy Managing Editor Sam Janney posted on X. "D-ck."

"I didn’t think anyone would actually politicize Dolly Parton’s death, but here we are," Washington Free Beacon reporter Chuck Ross posted on X.

"Quiet," Townhall Media’s Storm Paglia posted on X. ‘You hate America ."

"Stay away from her," Senate Leadership Fund rapid response director Chloe Smith posted on X in meme form.

EL-SAYED'S DEFENSE OF SHARIA LAW STANCE SPARKS ONLINE ERUPTION FROM CHRISTIANS, CONSERVATIVES: 'HE'S DONE'

"Gimme a break, Abdul is no fan of Dolly and I doubt she of him," another user posted. "Dolly is a hard working kind person, NOT a socialist."

Conservative writer Debbie Schlussel slammed El-Sayed for messaging she views as contrived.

"Hilarious watching this privileged spoiled rich kid from wealthy Bloomfield Hills... pretend he's down with the struggle of America's working poor because he googles a Dolly Parton song. Total fraud. How many believe this phony knew the lyrics to any Dolly song?" she said.

One X user sporting more than 150,000 followers responded to El-Sayed with only two words.

"Pandering buffoon," she said.

"Your religious laws would have had her covered from head to toe and restricted her from playing music or expressing herself publicly," said another account with more than 83,000 followers. El-Sayed has previously said he follows Sharia in his personal religious life.

Fox News Digital reached out to El-Sayed's campaign.

Parton died peacefully in Nashville, Tennessee, on Tuesday, according to a press release obtained by Fox News Digital. Her representatives confirmed she faced a "brief battle with cancer."

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

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Beyond her impressive career, Parton built a business empire centered in her home state of Tennessee. Dollywood became one of Tennessee’s most popular attractions, while her charitable work through the Dollywood Foundation and Imagination Library left an equally lasting mark.

"Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched," her team said in a statement.

Fox News Digital's Christina Dugan Ramirez contributed to this report.

First preview drops for 'Brothers' as 'True Detective' stars reunite on Apple TV this September

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 09:42:18 -0400

The first preview is out for Apple TV's new series "Brothers" with Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey.

Basic info:

Plot: "Brothers" follows McConaughey and Harrelson, who play fictionalized versions of themselves, and whose lifelong friendship is thrown into chaos when they uncover a decades-old secret: they might actually be brothers. After Woody’s daughter’s wedding falls apart, he loads up the family and heads to Austin for an extended stay at Matthew’s ranch. But what begins as a healing getaway quickly spirals when Matthew’s mother, Ma Mac (played by Holland Taylor), accidentally lets slip a long-buried secret that the two friends might actually be brothers. As Woody turns the ranch upside down in pursuit of the truth, Matthew finds himself juggling an entirely different identity crisis: a potential run for Governor of Texas. The result is a heartfelt, chaotic and wildly funny story about friendship, family, fame and the messy line between myth and reality.
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Natalie Martinez and Brittany Ishibashi.
Premiere date: September 23, 2026

Preview released for "Brothers" with Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey.

For those of you who might not know, there's long been a running joke online that the two former "True Detective" stars might secretly be brothers.

Now, it looks like Apple is leaning into the fun people online are having with the (obviously fake) theory.

The preview for "Brothers" with the duo was released by Apple on Tuesday, and the limited series looks like it's going to be a ton of fun.

Don't expect any "True Detective" vibes. Expect a heartwarming story full of jokes and fun storylines. A fun change of pace for Harrelson and McConaughey when they team up.

Check out the preview below, and let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.

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People in the comments were also quick to make the connection to HBO's legendary crime thriller, which is arguably the greatest single season of TV ever made.

One viewer wrote, "True detective season 2 is looking very different in tone than season 1."

Another added, "Missed opportunity to call it "True Brothers!"

A third commented, "A new version of Step Brothers with the cast of True Detective."

The comments simply write themselves in this situation, and that's a good thing. People are already enjoying the concept, and all we have so far is a preview.

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You can catch "Brothers" starting Sept. 23 on Apple TV. It's definitely going on my watch list. Let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.

Wyndham Clark addresses cheating allegations after being accused of improving lie during BMW Championship win

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 09:40:32 -0400

Wyndham Clark came under a bit of scrutiny during the final round of the BMW Championship on Sunday before stepping into the winner's circle. It's not the first time he's been caught in the crosshairs of golf fans, and he has learned from past experience that people will simply think what they want.

After hitting his tee shot in the rough on the Par 4 14th hole at Bellerive Country Club, the CBS broadcast showed the two-time U.S. Open champion going through his pre-shot routine, which included him taking an iron out of his bag, placing it behind the ball, and taking a few practice swings next to it.

Clark then went back to his golf bag, grabbed another iron, and placed it behind the ball. His caddie, David Pelekoudas, stepped between Clark and the camera while he made another practice swing before he went back to his bag for another iron. After the club changes and several times he sat his club behind the ball, CBS analysts Trevor Immelman and Frank Nobilo had a notable back-and-forth.

"He’s taking a long look at this. This is like the third club that he’s placed down behind the ball there," Immelman said before Nobilo stated, "So the lie might be better."

With the comments heard on the broadcast, coupled with golf fans on social media tossing around accusations, the moment became a major talking point on Sunday before Clark ultimately secured a three-shot victory.

WHY WYNDHAM CLARK DESERVES PGA TOUR PLAYER OF THE YEAR, LIV GOLF'S FINAL HOORAH, AND SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER'S MONEY

Clark was asked about the viral moment during Tuesday's news conference ahead of this week's Tour Championship, and explained that in no way did he approve his lie by placing multiple irons behind his golf ball.

"I think any player, when they're trying to judge a lie, takes out different clubs to see what it feels like," Clark explained. I never fully put the club down behind it. I don't think anything of it.

"When the cameras are on you, they're going to find anything. And I think you saw that in Bryson's case. It happened to me at the U.S. Open, it happened to me at Bay Hill. It's happened to a lot of guys where they can see stuff that maybe looks like something that maybe it's not. That lie was never bad. It was more just judging what it was. By no means did I take a bad lie and make it really good.

"People can think what they want. I know I didn't do anything that was costing the integrity of the field. That's all I've got to say about that."

Players are allowed to "ground the club lightly right in front of or right behind the ball," according to USGA Rule 8.1b(4).

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Clark, as he alluded to in his remarks, came under fire at Shinnecock Hills earlier this year during his U.S. Open victory when he was accused of improving his lie before hitting a short approach shot.

The 32-year-old has picked up three wins in 2026 and enters the Tour Championship third in the FedEx Cup standings behind Matt Fitzpatrick and leader Scottie Scheffler.

15 dog essentials that make late-summer walks and road trips easier

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 08:57:28 -0400

National Dog Day is Aug. 26, and it's the perfect time to splurge on your furry friend. With summer coming to an end, refresh their gear with hands-free leashes for hiking or running, collapsible bowls that give your pup easy access to water and reliable car seat covers that protect your seat from scratches and dirt.

Latest deals on must-have dog gear

Travel-tainer complete dog feeding system: $10.54 (58% off)
Travel dog car booster seat: $59.49 (37% off)
Portable dog water bottle: $9.98 (23% off)
Small dog sling carrier: $13.99 (22% off)
Pet glove wipes for dogs: $26.97 (22% off)
Absorbent washable underpads bed pads: $29.99 (14% off)

Dog shoes: $28.99

These dog shoes protect your pup’s feet on all terrains, from unpaved trails to hot concrete. They’re also waterproof, which makes them ideal for the beach and rainy weather.

OneTigris dog backpack: $37.99

If you'd prefer to have your dog carry their own treats, dog bags and water dishes, outfit them with their own dog backpack. The backpack has a breathable mesh and bungee cord straps you can easily attach items to.

Collapsible dog bowls: $9.99

Whether you're camping, hiking or just walking long distances, you want to make sure you have water on hand, both for yourself and your pup. These silicone collapsible dog bowls easily pop up, and dry fast.

Fresh food subscriptions

Feeding your dog quality food helps them stay healthy longer, and saves you from dealing with picky eaters on the road. The Farmer's Dog has a frozen meals subscription you can pack into your cooler if you're going out for the day or camping. According to the brand, all recipes use fresh foods formulated with help from vets.

The Pets Table is another option that offers vet-approved foods with no artificial colors, flavors or fillers. Every plan supports gut and immune health and promotes an active lifestyle.

Absorbent dog towel: $19.97 (15% off)

Original price: $23.49

Dry your dog off quickly on the go with this dog towel. Two side hand pockets help you keep your grip while the shammy side absorbs much more water than your average towel. Throw it in the washing machine after a few uses, and it's as good as new.

Roll-up dog mat: $28.99

If you have an older dog, or a dog that just likes to lounge about, this roll-up dog mat gives them a place to rest when you're out and about. One side has a soft sherpa fabric, and the other side has a polyester shell that won't hold dirt.

Flea, tick and mosquito treatment: $57.49

With ticks on the rise, you need to make sure your dog is protected from Lyme disease. K9 Advantix offers tick, flea and mosquito protection all in one monthly treatment. It’s one of the most highly recommended products by vets.

Dog car seat cover: $29.99 (14% off)

Original price: $34.99

To protect your car from dog hair, mud and scratches, utilize this Urpower dog seat cover. I've had mine for two years now, and it's still going strong. It easily attaches between the front and backseat, and since it's waterproof, it doesn't absorb spills or drool when my dog gets his daily pup cup.

Trunk organizer: $12.99 (24% off)

Original price: $16.99

Packing for your pup can take up a lot of space, but you can keep your car well-organized with this trunk organizer. It pops open when you need it, offering multiple pockets that can easily hold all the supplies your dog needs. When you don't need it, just collapse it back down, and it lies flat.

Original Doggy Bag dog travel bag: $48.95 (11% off)

Original price: $54.95

Store your dog's food and water in one convenient place with the Original Doggy Bag. It comes with two collapsible bowls and zip-up storage for toys, treats and food. The water-resistant fabric makes it ideal for camping and hiking.

Earth Rated dog wipes: $34.99 (17% off)

Original price: $41.99

Gently clean dirt, mud and bugs off your dog's coat when you use these wipes. Ingredients like aloe, shea butter, chamomile and cucumber leave your dog smelling delicious.

Portable dog paw cleaner: $15

After muddy walks, easily clean your dog’s paws with the Dexas MudBuster. Just add a little bit of water, insert your dog’s paw and twist a few times. It quickly rinses off the mud and dirt caked on their paws.

Dog ball launcher: $13.95

If you have a sprawling backyard or a dog park near you, a dog ball launcher makes playing fetch a lot easier for you and a lot more fun for your dog. Just put a tennis ball in the launcher and with a flick of the wrist, the ball will go flying.

Zesty Paws allergy and immune supplement for dogs: $32.97

Fall brings ragweed and other allergens that can cause your dog to feel less peppy. Zesty Paws allergy and immune supplements help keep allergies at bay and work to improve your dog’s gut health.

For more deals, visit www.foxnews.com/deals

Hands-free dog leash: $21.99

A hands-free dog leash improves the experience for runners or hikers who like to bring their dogs with them. You can choose from 30 different colors, plus it includes a zippered pouch for your phone, keys and other items.

To get all your gear ASAP, consider signing up for an Amazon Prime membership. You can join or start a 30-day free trial to start your pet shopping today.

Towering 6-foot-4 11-year-old football player stuns the Internet, Paige Spiranac cooks up content & Slim Luka

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 09:16:25 -0400

Let's get this Wednesday Screencaps started with an observation: The world right now is unified as it honors our beloved Dolly Parton and what she meant to all of us. Now, I fully expect political sides to be ready to kill each other by lunch, but we all should sit back and enjoy this moment of peace. That's the true power of Dolly. A peacemaker. A genius businesswoman. A true American legend.

More on Dolly in a minute, but I have to address this viral video that was all the rage last night on Instagram. I'm talking about the reportedly 6'4 11-year-old football player who looks like a dad playing against a bunch of 5th graders. At first, I thought this was some sort of YouTube bit where an influencer created this for pageviews.

Nope. The kid has his own Instagram page where I learned that the boy plays in a 12U league for the Naples Bears. Is the boy really 6'4? That might be stretching it, but who's counting. The video evidence is stunning.

DOLLY PARTON DIES AT THE AGE OF 80: A LOOK AT HER LIFE THROUGH PHOTOS

Even Lamar Jackson took time out of his 2026 prep to get in on the action. "11???? Bra 18U out there," Lamar wrote on Instagram Tuesday night.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

📩 Email: joe.kinsey@outkick.com Send photos, stories, tips, rants—whatever you've got.

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Speaking of Naples, would you trade your year-round weather for my weather in Ohio?

– Kevin in Naples, FL says: That 53 degree weather in the AM sounds refreshing for a day or two, but I love my Florida heat. Other than keeping an eye on the tropics, summer is the most wonderful time of the year (cue up Andy Williams) down here in SWFL.

SUMMER TRAVEL PSA: IF YOU COME TO FLORIDA LOOKING FOR GREAT BEACHES, STAY AWAY FROM THE KEYS

Sure it's hot out and you get sweaty quick. However, the golf courses are empty after 10:30 AM. You can play 18 in sub 3 hours. You don't have to fight for parking at the beach. You can always get a barstool pretty much anywhere, anytime. There are some excellent summer Happy Hour deals going on.

The heat is really no big deal. For pool, beach or golf, slather on some SPF 30 and mix in a few waters along with some Mich Ultras or whatever watery light beer you prefer and it's all good.

STEVE DOOCY: THE DOLLY PARTON I SAW WHEN THE CAMERAS STOPPED ROLLING

I spent 48 years residing in the Peoples Republic of Massachusetts and I hated everything about living there, particularly the weather. There's nowhere else in America I'd rather live than Southwest Florida.

The power of Dolly Parton: She brought Trump & the Dem Socialists together

– Chris in California sent in a tribute to Dolly: I’m sure you’re going to get a ton of emails like this but I couldn’t help chime in anyway. Obviously, we just lost the late great Dolly Parton. I think most celebrities are more flash than substance and most of the time I would roll my eyes at a celebrity death causing the President to order the flags at half mast but in this case I think Dolly Parton is more than worth of such an honor.Dolly Parton was everything we wish a celebrity could be.

She was a person that made good and then actually used her celebrity to help others and best of all wasn’t political about it.I read that her Imagination Library foundation has donated over 330 million books.

Think about that for a second, that is over a quarter of a BILLION books donated! She helped with fire relief, scholarships, you name it she literally put her money where her mouth was and truly touched the lives of countless people. She was even a huge proponent of the LGBTQ community BUT… and here’s the biggest thing… did she ever once talk crap about President Trump or another politician? NO! She was basically, you be you, everyone be happy and… THE END!

No political motivations, no going on every talk show screaming about how this side is wrong of that side is wrong. Like everyone in this country I’m sure she held various political opinions but she never let it get in the way of helping others, reaching out to anyone and everyone and most of all having a good time, while also producing some long-lasting art.

Admittedly, due to my age her glory days were probably a little before my time but I know my mom loved her music and a ton of her movies (As did my dad… maybe for other reasons) and as someone that grew up in Southern California I’ll always remember driving past the two big nuclear reactors in San Onofre with my Dad and him explaining to me that the site was nicknamed the "Dolly Partons" and then getting home and showing me why. (If you Google it you’ll get the joke). Either way, RIP to someone who was what we should want all of our celebrities to be.

A Tennessee sunrise for Dolly

– Mark W. shares (sorry if it doesn't load. It's a Facebook photo because I don't want to go nuts posting a bunch of sunrise photos to the Fox server):

The beauty of CFB coming back...the WNBA will quiet down

– Travers in Knoxville says: Joe, really looking forward to Sat and the kickoff to College football seaon...why? Cause its footbal...and maybe that will mean the WNBA and its ludicrousness will move to page 3. I get it for you it might be click bait...but for most of us at this point I'll just be glad when their season is done and hopefully we don't have to hear about them anymore.

Secondly....its good to see all the players who iddnt make NFL rosters come back to college. I'm sure they are coming for the love of the game and to finish their degrees.

Speaking of the WNBA, do we have a new Screencaps cartoonist?

– Mike F. sent this (again, it's a Facebook embed; I fully understand if you don't want to have social media apps and can't see this. No need to email me to say you can't see it. I get it.):

Is Dick's toast?

– Wyn in Colorado wants to know if Dick's is about to get Wendy's'd:

Kinsey: Here's my thing with Dick's — buying shoes is absolutely painful. They don't have any help. And the help the do have is completely overwhelmed, especially during baseball cleats season, that I can't think of many more stores that I hate like I hate Dick's. We're fortunate to have a Dunham's down the road where they put all the shoes on racks. Find your own cleats. It's heaven.

Plus, it's cheaper. We haven't spent a dime in Dick's in the last 14-16 months and life has gone on. Our family can't be an anomaly.

The ultimate compliment

Tuesday, I joined our OutKick morning Zoom call from the patio with Mrs. Screencaps' garden in the background because I'm still respecting summer and it was incredibly nice out. "Is that an AI background," my boss asked.

Talk about the ultimate compliment.

Nope, it's our patio. That led to a request to show the rest of the garden/patio. More compliments. I had one coworker asking to stop by from New Jersey just to chill for a couple of days and decompress.

As I told that coworker, the next four weeks are special. Football starts this week. It's going to be warm during the day. Cool nights. Swimming. Grilling. Fire pit nights. High school football in the air. The flowers still going strong.

It's not lost on me how fortunate we are. I hope all of you remember that this week as we begin to crank down August. Soak it all in. Respect Summer®. Enjoy that hard work you've put in to create spaces you actually want to enjoy.

Go have a great day.

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Numbers from :

(Disclaimer: Jed is ALLEGED to have attempted to pay $140, according to cops; Jed pled guilty to disorderly conduct, but you get the tweet and the humor because you're a sane person.)

Stuff You Guys Sent In & Stuff I Like :

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

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

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

"That is the sound of inevitability."

America, listen closely.

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

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

$50 trillion. Yes, $50 trillion.

But wait! There’s more!

It could happen by 2030. Yes, by 2030.

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

It's now an American math problem.

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

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

Think about that.

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

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

And there's another problem hiding inside those numbers.

Interest. Lots and lots of interest.

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

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

TRUMP ADMIN UNCOVERS 7,100% SURGE IN MEDICARE SKIN SUBSTITUTE CLAIMS, SAYS FRAUD CRACKDOWN BLOCKED MILLIONS

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

That's how the debt snowball gets bigger.

Borrow money.

Pay interest.

Borrow more money partly because the interest bill grew.

Repeat. Wash. Rinse. Repeat again.

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

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

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

So what's Washington's plan?

That's the scary part.

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

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

Every option creates political pain.

Cut Social Security? Seniors revolt.

Cut Medicare? Good luck.

Raise taxes? Taxpayers revolt.

Cut defense? Republicans scream.

Cut domestic programs? Democrats scream.

So Congress keeps choosing the easiest option.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Maybe it's later retirement ages for Social Security.

Maybe it's slower economic growth.

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

Here's what really bothers me.

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

We'd call it a personal crisis.

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

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

Both parties have fingerprints all over this bill.

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

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

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

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

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

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM TED JENKIN

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now, we have photo evidence. Take a look:

Fans quick to spot Caitlin Clark's arm

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

At least 14 newborns killed in Pakistan nursery hospital fire

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sharif ordered an immediate investigation.

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

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

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

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

3 Secret Service officials under internal investigation for potential misconduct

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

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

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

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

SECRET SERVICE AGENT ON JD VANCE'S DETAIL INVESTIGATED FOR ALLEGEDLY LEAKING OPERATIONAL SECURITY INFO

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

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

TWO YEARS AFTER BUTLER, THREATS AGAINST TRUMP KEEP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT IN SHARP FOCUS

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

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

TRUMP HAS BECOME AMERICA'S MOST TARGETED LEADER, FACING THREATS EVERY FEW MONTHS

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

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

TRUMP WARNS US WOULD 'DECIMATE AND DESTROY' IRAN OVER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

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

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

TRUMP SAYS HE LEFT INSTRUCTIONS TO 'BOMB' IRAN 'AT LEVELS' NEVER SEEN IF HE IS ASSASSINATED

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

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

Fox News' Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FLORIDA SENATE CANDIDATE ANGIE NIXON DEFENDS DRAG SHOWS AS 'WHOLESOME' FOR CHILDREN, BROUGHT HER KIDS TO ONE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FBI wraps up cybercrime operation targeting global networks preying on Americans

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DOJ CHARGES 3 RUSSIANS IN ALLEGED $63M CYBERCRIME SCHEME TARGETING AMERICANS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ANCIENT CLUE CRACKS OPEN A 2,000-YEAR-OLD MYSTERY NEAR FAMED COLOSSEUM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ANNA KEPNER’S STEPBROTHER CHARGED AS ADULT WITH MURDER, SEXUAL ABUSE IN FLORIDA TEEN’S CRUISE SHIP DEATH

The prosecution did not oppose the request.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Timeline from night of alleged murder:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LICENSE PLATE CAMERAS ARE TRACKING DRIVERS EVERYWHERE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reuters and AP contributed to this report.

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

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

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

TOP 3

1. Dolly Parton's cause of death revealed

2. Darline Graham seals stunning upset in runoff

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

MAJOR HEADLINES

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

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

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

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

POLITICS

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

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

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

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MEDIA

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

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

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

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

OPINION

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fox News Digital reached out to Ford for comment.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LIBERAL STATE SUPREME COURT JUSTICE BLASTS SCOTUS CONSERVATIVES, SAYS HAWAII WILL DEFY HIGH COURT

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

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

TRUMP CRITICIZES 2 SUPREME COURT JUSTICES BY NAME OVER TARIFF RULING

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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