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Fever head coach lectures America on racism and homophobia as Caitlin Clark narrative starts to shift

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:35:09 -0400

Well, the narrative has officially been changed. Well done, WNBA. Well done, Alyssa Thomas.

Well done, Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White.

One day after Alyssa Thomas played the predictable victim card — saying she's received death threats over the incident with Clark — White further fueled that narrative during her opening statement to the media on Wednesday.

SUSPENDED ALYSSA THOMAS RECEIVES SUPPORT FROM TEAMMATE & COACH AFTER CHEAP SHOT ON CAITLIN CLARK

And by "statement," I mean a three-minute lecture on how racist and homophobic people are being towards Thomas, and the WNBA.

That's right. Nothing on Clark. Nothing on the non-call. Nothing on the league's refusal to do anything about these incidents.

A statement, from the opposing team's coach, about inclusivity.

Amazing.

The WNBA continues to botch the Caitlin Clark situation

"Before we start with questions I just want to address what is going on with AT," she said, referring to Thomas. "It's absolutely unacceptable. As a league, as a whole, there's been so much more toxicity, racism, homophobia. Straight out nonsense. Hate-nonsense. It's absolutely unacceptable. Most of this coming from the online community.

MERCURY COACH CLAIMS ALYSSA THOMAS SUSPENSION WAS BASED ON 'SOCIAL MEDIA SCREENSHOTS' AFTER CAITLIN CLARK FOUL

"Most of this, in my heart of hearts, I believe, not coming from WNBA fans, Indiana Fever fans, I believe it's coming from people using our league, using our players to further divisive agendas. It's not acceptable."

Goodness, gracious. Like I said, the story has completely changed. And it's so predictable.

This was always the path forward, right? Lord knows the WNBA couldn't allow the Caitlin Clark empathy to continue on for much longer. Nope. If the last few days have taught us anything, it's that we are the problem. The fans. The media. Not Alyssa Thomas. Not the refs. Not the WNBA turning a blind eye.

Us.

Or, as White put it, the "online community."

So, trolls. Internet trolls. That's what Alyssa Thomas and Stephanie White are focused on. Keyboard warriors who mean nothing, and have been around since the dawn of social media, are now the focus.

"It's crazy, you know, playing the game, being suspended, just the whole narrative that's being painted out there," Thomas said earlier this week. "It's unfortunate that it's come to this over basketball. A lot of us, myself included, didn't even know the play took place until after the game and now we're being painted as thugs.

"And death threats out on us, so it's really unacceptable. It is something that needs to change in this league, and I'm just really sick and tired of it."

Give me a break. Internet trolls are a dime a dozen. Social media is a toxic place. I get it. I hate it. But playing the victim card and acting like the WNBA is the only place that deals with this behavior is absurd.

It's also, unfortunately, so predictable.

This was always where this story was going to go. First Alyssa Thomas puts it out there. Then, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert dusts off the boilerplate statement that every league has saved on their computer:

"The WNBA vehemently condemns any and all forms of hate."

Right on cue, she put that out yesterday evening. And now today, Indiana head coach Stephanie White opens up her presser with a lecture on how America is racist and homophobic.

Perfect. Right on schedule.

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Don't be surprised if we get an apology from Caitlin Clark next. Spoiler alert: That's how this movie always ends.

Two people taken into custody after climbing to the top of Empire State Building with massive banner

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 12:29:43 -0400

Two masked people climbed on top of the Empire State Building at noon Wednesday holding a banner reading "when the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace."

Following a response by the New York City Police Department (NYPD) Emergency Services Unit, the pair appeared to take down the banner and climb down from the antenna to a lower platform.

One of the people then appeared to pull an engagement ring out of a backpack, get down on one knee and propose.

The couple were later taken into custody and charges are pending, NYPD officials told Fox News Digital.

No injuries were reported. It remains unclear how the people were able to scale the building.

MAMDANI ALLOCATES $500K FOR REPARATIONS TALKS AS NYC FACES $5.4B DEFICIT

Roughly 40 police officers remain in front of the building. Others are directing traffic around the building.

The entrance on Fifth Ave., between West 33rd and 34th streets, is blocked off.

Pedestrians were seen gathering on every corner surrounding the building watching the situation unfold.

MAMDANI ALLOCATES $500K FOR REPARATIONS TALKS AS NYC FACES $5.4B DEFICIT

Counting the spire and antenna, the skyscraper stands 1,454 feet tall.

It is currently the fourth-tallest building in New York City, the sixth-tallest in the U.S. and the 43rd tallest tower in the world.

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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has yet to publicly respond to the public stunt.

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

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

Southern Poverty Law Center's money women allegedly used major bank to fund pay-to-hate operation

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:32:35 -0400

FIRST ON FOX: A pair of former top executives at the Southern Poverty Law Center used a network of checking accounts to secretly funnel $4.1 million to extremists, including one nicknamed "The Aryan Barbarian," in a long-running pay-to-hate scheme, federal officials told Fox News Digital.

The SPLC's former chief financial officer Teenie Hutchison and ex-Intelligence Project chief Heidi Beirich allegedly created the accounts at Synovus Bank in 2008, making the beleaguered nonprofit’s trusted bank a hub for diverting supporters' donations to sketchy groups, sources said. The network ultimately supported secret payments to as many as 50 confidential "field sources," called "Fs," embedded within extremist organizations around the country. Some 13 field sources have so far been identified in court filings.

"The SPLC found its niche, and its leaders built a fiefdom with donations they got like crazy," former NYPD intelligence official, attorney and Fox News contributor Paul Mauro said.

Former SPLC Chief Executive Officer Margaret Huang allegedly signed a letter acknowledging the operation to Synovus bank officials in September 2021 before ending her tenure at the SPLC in July 2025.

SPLC supporters have characterized the payment recipients as "informants," and they included a right-wing extremist behind the infamous 2017 "Unite the Right" protests in Charlottesville, Va.

"The government can run informants," said Mauro. "Private industry cannot."

The new revelations show the federal investigation of the SPLC is significantly larger than initially reported and was orchestrated at the organization's highest level. Beirich was previously believed to be involved in the alleged payments, but this is the first time federal officials have confirmed her involvement.

The new details about the SPLC case emerge as the Trump administration's Justice Department intensifies scrutiny of influential nonprofit organizations. Earlier this week, Fox News Digital reported exclusively that federal prosecutors launched a grand jury investigation into Shanghai-based Marxist tech mogul Neville Roy Singham over possible illegality in his funding of left-wing activist groups. Together, the two federal investigations signal an aggressive effort by the administration to examine whether certain organizations are using their nonprofit status to conceal financial operations.

A spokesperson for Synovus Bank told Fox News Digital that the lender, based in Columbus, Ga., is working with federal investigators in the "ongoing investigation."

"As a matter of policy, we do not comment on specific client relationships," the spokesperson said. "We have cooperated fully with the ongoing investigation and will continue to do so."

Hutchison, Beirich and Huang didn't respond to repeated requests for comment. In late May, the SPLC filed a motion to dismiss the case. On June 9, days after the U.S. government filed a superseding indictment against the SPLC, the nonprofit's interim president and chief executive officer, Bryan Fair, denied any wrongdoing by the SPLC during a fiery hearing before the House Judiciary Committee.

The allegations sit at the center of a federal case accusing the SPLC of bank fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Sources familiar with the investigation say additional charges will likely be filed against individual executives and former executives of the nonprofit.

Fox News Digital's investigation unpacks the government’s theory of the alleged operation through the traditional three stages of money laundering: placement, layering and integration. In the first stage of placement, U.S. officials say Hutchison and Beirich created and controlled a hidden financial infrastructure at SPLC that became the entry point for $4.1 million in allegedly illicit payments made to so-called field sources.

In the second stage, layering involves moving money through multiple accounts, transactions and entities, like a series of bank accounts Hutchison and Beirich allegedly set up for fake companies, designed to obscure the money's origin. Finally, in the third stage, integration occurs when the proceeds or products of an operation become absorbed into legitimate activities, like the organization's "Extremist Files," and become difficult to distinguish from ordinary business operations.

According to federal prosecutors, the SPLC's alleged operation involved all three stages.

DOJ LAUNCHES GRAND JURY PROBE INTO MARXIST MOGUL NEVILLE ROY SINGHAM'S FUNDING OF LEFTIST GROUPS

Without naming the finance and intelligence chiefs, a grand jury indictment made public in April revealed that "Employee-1" and "Employee-2" in 2008 created a secret network of nine bank accounts at "Bank-1" and "Bank-2" that funneled millions of dollars to far-right extremists from 2014 through 2023. The initial indictment put the amount at $3 million, but it was increased to $4.1 million in a superseding indictment.

The indictment notes that "individuals at the SPLC" were the ones who "secretly funneled donated money to the Fs," including "Employee-1," a "person who would become the Chief Financial Officer, and "Employee-2," a "person who would become the Director of the Intelligence Project."

Federal officials told Fox News Digital that Hutchison, who moved from the position of treasurer and corporate secretary to chief financial officer, is "Employee-1." They said "Employee-" 2 is Beirich, who started in 1999 as a newly-minted Ph.D. student, and was named deputy director of the Intelligence Project in 2004 and later director of the Intelligence Report.

The duo allegedly created a banking account structure under names that didn’t identify the SPLC. The nine shell entities were dubbed "Center Investigative Agency," "Fox Photography," "Imagery Ink," "J&J Electronics," "Kelly's Marine," "North West Technologies," "Tech Writers Group" and "Turner Personnel" and "Rare Books Warehouse."

Federal prosecutors allege the accounts were used to pay informants while concealing the source of the money. The government's theory is that the accounts became the financial infrastructure supporting a sprawling money laundering operation.

Federal prosecutors allege the accounts remained active for years, surviving leadership transitions and internal turmoil at one of the nation's most influential civil-rights organizations.

TOP SPLC OFFICIAL ALLEGEDLY FUNNELED $1.2M TO NEO-NAZI INFORMANT WHO WAS SECRET ROMANTIC PARTNER

Over two decades, Beirich became one of the nonprofit’s most influential figures, shaping how "far-right extremism," "White supremacy" and "neo-Nazi hate" were documented, defined and communicated.

She testified before Congress, and appeared regularly on television and radio. Journalists, academics and policymakers frequently turned to her for analysis of White-nationalist groups, anti-government movements and domestic extremism. By 2017, ABC News described her as "the woman tracking hate in America."

In contrast, Hutchison maintained a low profile and was rarely photographed, working quietly behind the scenes. In 2017, she was on the renewal document for the nonprofit’s "Mississippi Charitable Registration" as the SPLC’s treasurer and secretary, the custodian of financial records and one of the nonprofit’s two "check signers."

The SPLC listed its official bank as Sterling Bank, a Synovus Bank subsidiary based in Montgomery.

In October 2019, Beirich co-founded a new 501(c)(3) nonprofit, "Global Project Against Hate and Extremism," with a mailing address just three miles away from SPLC headquarters in Alabama's capital.

Two months later, Beirich left SPLC after 20 years, according to her LinkedIn profile, just as the dragnet was closing in on the alleged pay-to-hate operation she’d been running for years. According to the SPLC's tax filing that year, she last earned a salary of $173,090 and a bonus of $25,721.

The alleged violations continued after Beirich's and Hutchison’s tenures at SPLC.

FIRST ON FOX: SPLC'S TAX-EXEMPT STATUS UNDER THREAT AFTER FIERY CAPITOL HILL HEARING

One of the alleged recipients of secret SPLC payments was Erich Gliebe, the former chairman of a neo-Nazi organization, National Alliance. Known as "The Aryan Barbarian" during his time as a boxer, Gliebe allegedly received more than $140,000 from the SPLC between 2016 and 2023.

At the same time he was allegedly collecting payments, Gliebe was featured in SPLC materials describing extremist figures and organizations. An SPLC "Extremist Files" profile dedicated to Gliebe contained a link through which visitors could donate to the organization.

Gliebe didn't respond to requests for comment.

Daniel Harvill, a Virginia attorney who represented National Alliance members in litigation involving Gliebe, described Gliebe as an ineffective leader.

"Gliebe was a joke," Harvill told Fox News Digital. "He didn't know how to run a business or political organization. There was a large pile of stupid among them."

Harvill said bitterness from that litigation may have contributed to Gliebe becoming an SPLC informant.

Court filings indicate that larger accounts associated with the alleged operation remained active until August 2020, when the hidden account structure finally drew scrutiny from bank officials. Synovus Bank did an internal investigation, according to court filings. That review became a pivotal moment in the government's case.

According to the indictment, around Sept. 9, 2021, the SPLC "President and Chief Executive Officer" and the SPLC "Board Chair" admitted in writing to Bank-1 – Synovus Bank – that the fictitious accounts were "opened for the benefit of the Southern Poverty Law Center operations and operated under the Center’s authority."

They signed a document also stating that "pursuant to the discussion we had earlier this week…the accounts had been opened and operated for the benefit of the organization." The CEO was Huang, federal sources told Fox News Digital.

Huang's acknowledgment now sits near the center of the government's legal theory that the account structure wasn’t the work of rogue employees but operated under organizational authority.

The nonprofit and its sister organization, the SPLC Action Fund, had hired Huang the year earlier, describing her as an "internationally renowned human and civil rights leader," previously serving as executive director of Amnesty International USA.

It isn’t clear who the board chair was at the time of the signing, but former Goldman Sachs executive Bennett Grau was a board member at the time. Grau didn't respond to repeated requests for comment.

Huang’s role in signing the admission hasn’t been publicly disclosed before.

SPLC INDICTMENT BUILDS MOMENTUM FOR BESSENT'S TREASURY TO PROBE PARTISAN NONPROFITS

SPLC last listed Hutchison on its IRS 990 filing for the period ending on Oct. 31, 2022. According to that IRS filing, she last earned $237,749 and a bonus of $32,697.

In early July 2025, Huang announced her resignation as president, stepping down "to prioritize family life." The board of directors named constitutional scholar and former SPLC Board Chair Bryan Fair as interim president and CEO.

The role of senior SPLC officials in this alleged operation raises significant red flags for law enforcement, federal officials told Fox News Digital, saying the alleged activity reflects a structured ecosystem directed from the top. Investigators describe an operation in which financial flows, informants, public content and political work by the SPLC and its sister organizations were closely linked, with senior officials like Hutchison and Beirich positioned to control the money, narrative and influence of the SPLC.

INDICTED SPLC CHIEF FACES HOUSE GRILLING OVER ALLEGED SECRET PAYMENTS TO KKK MEMBERS

The court proceedings represent a form of vindication for some targets of the SPLC.

Back in October 2017, the SPLC and three other groups – Media Matters, ReThink Media and the Center for New Community – released a publication titled "Field Guide to Anti-Muslim Extremists." In interviews at the time, Beirich confirmed that Democratic billionaire George Soros's Open Society philanthropy had provided funding for the production of the report.

The report included Maajid Nawaz, a British Muslim reformer who founded the Quilliam Foundation to combat Islamist extremism. The next year, in 2018, he sued the SPLC for defamation, winning a $3.375 million settlement and a public apology.

Nawaz recently told Fox News Digital that the SPLC’s alleged system of paying extremists is corrupt, and he feels vindicated by the federal prosecution against the nonprofit.

"They were funding both sides," Nawaz said. "If you control the rules of the game… you’re able to control where the hate comes from… and then control the reaction."

"They were taking money to fight hate," he said, "and then funding the very hate they took money to fight."

As the SPLC mounts its defense, Nawaz said, "This indictment demonstrates clearly that the SPLC should now cease to exist. It should come to an end."

Fox News Digital's Bonnie Chu and Adriana James-Rodil contributed to this report.

Ex-Democrat reveals why he ditched party and is running as Republican in blue stronghold

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:32:00 -0400

Micah Jones, a former self-described JFK Democrat-turned-Republican, hopes to capitalize on a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity as he looks to flip Massachusetts' 6th Congressional District.

"The last time this seat was open was 47 years ago," Jones said.

"I think that Massachusetts suffers when we have a one-party congressional delegation that, in my opinion, is less inclined to work across the aisle than representatives of other states."

Jones’s campaign is a bet that the district’s independent voters — and maybe some Democrats — will see the benefit Massachusetts could reap from having even just one Republican representative. Coupled with the precedent of the occasional Republican success is the Bay State, Jones believes his race can beat past odds and help decide the balance of power in the House of Representatives.

LONE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FINDS HIS EDGE AS A DOZEN DEMOCRATS CLASH IN RACE TO REPLACE MIKIE SHERRILL

Before running for Congress, Jones served in the military in the 82nd Airborne Division, deploying on a tour in Afghanistan from 2014 to 2015. Later, after going to law school, he became an attorney.

It was in law school that I began to have doubts about the Democratic Party's direction, describing a "shock" at its trajectory.

"This was back in 2016. That was kind of the incubator before everything that we've now dealt with the last few years in regards to more progressive ideologies," Jones recalled.

"In particular, when it came to support for law enforcement — this was during the defund the police movement. When it came to a worldview that tried to classify people between oppressors and oppressed, I felt that was fundamentally different than President Kennedy's vision. And at that point, I left the Democratic Party, became an independent."

Although Jones believes a portion of the state’s 63% registered independents may share that view, his pitch to them is more pragmatic.

He believes Massachusetts is missing out on Republican representation that can coordinate with the GOP administration and Congress.

NEW YORK REPUBLICAN IN TOSS-UP DISTRICT GAINS MOMENTUM IN KEY RACE TO DETERMINE HOUSE CONTROL

"Our two senators, our nine congressional members — none of them are Republicans. And I think that they have taken a resistance-only mindset," Jones said, referring to their posture towards the Trump administration.

"And so, I think that we lose out on significant federal funding, billions of dollars in federal funding. I could be the sole Republican on that delegation, to work with the administration when it makes sense, push back when it doesn't, call balls and strikes, really focus on what's best for not only my district, [and] advocate for Massachusetts as a whole."

When asked about the Republican label and why not just run as an independent, Jones said he believes he needs the party’s campaign infrastructure to meaningfully wage a campaign to flip the district.

"You do need a party apparatus. And I am a Republican. I would say I’m center-right, especially on fiscal issues," Jones said.

"The ‘R’ next to my name is going to be challenging. I fully acknowledge that. I do, however, think there is another 15% to 20% [of voters] that really are independents and really do care about candidate quality."

As evidence, Jones pointed to other Republicans who have run successfully in Massachusetts.

"People forget, Gov. Mitt Romney was governor of Massachusetts. You have Gov. Bill Weld; you have Gov. Charlie Baker. And so, I think that the Massachusetts Republican model is one to emulate and one that works very well here," Jones said.

DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE APOLOGIZES FOR PAST PRO-POLICE, PRO-GUN POSTS IN KEY BATTLEGROUND RACE

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The district’s current occupant, Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., announced he would pursue a Senate seat rather than reelection. He last won reelection in a 62.9% to 35.2% victory over Republican challenger Robert May Jr., a mechanical engineer.

Jones, who is running unopposed in the state’s Sept. 1 primaries, will likely advance to the general election on Nov. 3.

JK Rowling confronts the BBC for pushing 'propaganda' over its transgender sports headline

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:30:38 -0400

"Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling publicly called out the BBC on Tuesday for pushing "propaganda" in its coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling upholding bans on transgender athletes participating in women’s and girls’ sports.

Replying on X to a BBC News headline about the high court’s ruling, Rowling argued the British broadcaster was pushing an ideological position that the public "overwhelmingly rejects."

The BBC headline read: "US Supreme Court upholds bans on transgender women in female school and college sports." Rowling immediately pushed back on the framing.

"You mean men, men who claim to be women," Rowling wrote, taking issue with the network's refusal to use biological terms in its headline.

ANDREW GARFIELD WARNS FANS AGAINST WATCHING 'HARRY POTTER,' CALLS ROWLING ‘SHE THAT SHALL REMAIN NAMELESS’

"You are a national broadcaster that consistently obfuscates facts around sex because you’ve taken an ideological position the public overwhelmingly rejects. This isn’t news, it’s propaganda," she added.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, a BBC spokesperson defended the network's reporting by pointing to the context provided within the story itself. "This article states clearly that a transgender woman is a biological man who identifies as a woman," the spokesperson said.

The BBC spokesperson also added that the organization recognizes the strong feelings around the subject, and said it continues to review coverage to reflect legal developments, like the Supreme Court ruling.

In a 6-3 ruling authored by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of West Virginia and Idaho, which were being sued by transgender athletes to gain access to girls’ sports.

The court upheld state laws requiring student athletes to compete on teams and in leagues that match their biological sex, not gender identity, a move that secures similar protections passed in over two dozen other states.

WNBA PLAYER OPPOSES NEW OLYMPICS TRANSGENDER POLICY, SAYING THEY DO 'ANYTHING BUT' PROTECT WOMEN

Rowling has faced criticism for her views on biological sex, frequently calling for the exclusion of transgender athletes from girls' and women’s sports. She has donated to campaign group For Women Scotland, which legally challenged how the word "woman" is defined by law in the United Kingdom.

The BBC article later explained that, "Under those state bans, a transgender woman — a biological male who identifies as a woman — is not permitted to compete in female sports at schools and colleges."

On Tuesday, LGBTQ+ advocates and social media users criticized Queen Camilla for posting a photo alongside Rowling with the caption on the Royal family’s Instagram page reading:

"With a shared passion for books and a deep commitment to children reading for pleasure, The Queen and author J.K. Rowling have met at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh."

"Her Majesty and Ms Rowling discussed the importance of ensuring that young people have access to books and the vital part reading plays in opening doors for future generations."

Social media users criticized the decision to meet Rowling during June, which is widely recognized as Pride Month.

ROYAL FAMILY FACES BACKLASH FROM CRITICS AFTER QUEEN CAMILLA HOSTS J.K. ROWLING

Earlier this year, Rowling praised the International Olympic Committee’s decision to ban transgender women from competing in women’s sports.

"Today's ruling by the IOC means a welcome return to fair sport for women and girls, but I'll never forget the scandal of Paris 2024, when people who consider themselves supremely virtuous and progressive publicly cheered on men punching women," she wrote on X.

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Her outspoken views on the issues of transgender athletes have frequently put her at odds with other celebrities. Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry Potter in the original films, and his co-star, Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger, have both condemned Rowling’s opinions.

NPR’s Alito retirement blunder raises eyebrows after reporter's ‘not plausible’ explanation stuns media world

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:26:50 -0400

The strange explanation surrounding NPR’s erroneous story about Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito retiring has raised more questions about the journalism debacle.

NPR was forced to retract a story Tuesday by legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg, who wrongly reported that Alito was retiring. NPR published the story headlined, "Justice Samuel Alito, who wrote the opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, retires," but quickly replaced it with an editor’s note insisting it was "erroneously published."

NPR top editor Thomas Evans issued a statement calling the botched report a "misunderstanding," and said Totenberg would appear on "All Things Considered" to explain how the gaffe occurred.

NPR RETRACTS FALSE REPORT CLAIMING JUSTICE SAMUEL ALITO IS RETIRING FROM THE SUPREME COURT

But NPR Public Editor Kelly McBride addressed the situation before Totenberg appeared on-air and wrote that Totenberg "misheard" an announcement by Chief Justice John Roberts and simply thought he said Alito was retiring.

Totenberg then appeared on "All Things Considered" Tuesday and provided a different explanation for the "rookie mistake" that contradicted her own public editor. The 82-year-old Totenberg, who has been a working journalist for over five decades, read a letter she wrote to Alito apologizing for the mistake.

"Dear Justice Alito, there are no words to adequately apologize for today's error in reporting your retirement. It was entirely my fault," Totenberg said.

"I rushed out of the courtroom after the opinion announcements, and when I realized that the usual rush of folks after a few minutes had not happened, I asked somebody what was going on inside, to which the answer was, 'retirement announcements.' I didn't hear the 's' on 'announcements,' and I assumed, something no reporter should ever do, that you were retiring," Totenberg continued. "It was the worst professional mistake of my more than 50 years in journalism. I could go on, but I don't know what else to say, except that I am so, so sorry."

NPR REVEALS HOW A MISHEARD ANNOUNCEMENT LED TO IT FALSELY CLAIMING JUSTICE ALITO WAS RETIRING

NPR was then forced to issue its second correction of the day, this time to McBride’s story about Totenberg’s misstep. McBride initially wrote that Totenberg misheard Justice Roberts, but the veteran reporter admitted on-air that she instead heard "somebody" say a retirement was being announced.

"This story was updated to include Totenberg's description of her error, as broadcast on ATC. She did not personally hear the announcement from the chief justice," the correction stated.

Alito's retirement would have massive implications if it happened, as President Donald Trump would be in position to have a fourth Supreme Court pick over his two terms.

Totenberg's puzzling explanation not only contradicted McBride but also stunned media observers from across the industry. CNN media reporter Brian Stelter posted her apology on X and was promptly met with confusion.

Axios reporter Alex Thompson replied, "I don’t understand," to which Stelter added, "I don’t either." Others suggested that Totenberg might have jumped the gun on a looming announcement and many wondered why a veteran journalist would have published a pre-written bombshell without clear confirmation.

SUPREME COURT'S LATEST IMMIGRATION RULING WILL CAUSE AMERICANS TO 'DIE AND SUFFER' ATTORNEY WARNS

Bethany Mandel added, "Her version of events is not plausible. She heard the word retirement and assumed Alito and published a whole story?"

"That is not an explanation. It's either a lie or unforgivable incompetence for which she must be fired," journalist Miranda Devine responded.

Former CBS News reporter Scott MacFarlane wrote, "This is staggering. Just… gobsmacking."

"The Press Box" host Bryan Curtis added, "This is a different level of screw-up than a pre-write accidentally getting pubbed."

Many others took to X with thoughts:

NPR has said the process for posting breaking news will be reviewed. In the meantime, McBride blasted her colleague.

"As Totenberg said on air later in the day, ‘It was a rookie mistake.’ But had a rookie made such a mistake, he or she would have been dismissed. To make such an assumption is inexplainable," McBride wrote.

NPR did not immediately respond to a series of questions, including whether Totenberg would be disciplined and how the process for posting breaking news will change.

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Alito, an appointee of then-President George W. Bush, has fueled speculation about his retirement because of two factors: his age and the length of his tenure on the bench. The 76-year-old justice has been part of the Court for more than 20 years.

Republicans currently control the U.S. Senate and White House, so a hypothetical Trump nominee wouldn't need Democratic support to get confirmed.

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Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf, Alec Schemmel and Ashley Oliver contributed to this report.

Florida woman tells police she knows nothing about drugs that allegedly fell out of her ‘jail purse’

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:20:34 -0400

How did that get there? That's what police in Florida say a woman asked over the weekend after the jail scanner picked up an abnormality in her "lower region" and a baggie of cocaine allegedly hit the floor while she was in a change out room.

The Brevard County Sheriff's Office reported that Reagan Cox was arrested on charges of resisting an officer without violence during a traffic stop. There's not a mention of why she was stopped in the first place, but that's neither here nor there.

The story picked up after she was transported to jail and the scanner noticed something in what Sheriff Wayne Ivey described in a Facebook post about the alleged incident as her "Jail Purse."

CALLING 911 BECAUSE A BAR WON’T SERVE YOU A JELL-O SHOT IS WHAT POLICE REFER TO AS A MISUSE OF SERVICES

"Our Corrections Deputies moved Cox to a change out room where she was observed trying to cover her buttocks area with her hand," the sheriff wrote about what took place after the abnormality was picked up by the scanner. "After moving her hand, a baggie dropped to the floor containing approximately 3.8 grams of cocaine!!"

Cox is alleged to have said that "she knew nothing about the drugs." She then, according to Ivey, pointed the finger at someone who "must have put it in there during an 'intimate encounter!!'"

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

The Brevard County Sheriff's Office handed the Florida woman another charge

The accuracy of that version of how the alleged baggie of drugs made its way into the jail will more than likely have to be decided during a court proceeding of some kind, because Cox picked up another charge.

On top of her resisting without violence charge, she was charged with introduction of contraband into a detention facility.

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Ivey ended the Facebook post with some knowledge for the public to keep in mind as they're navigating their way through daily life.

He wrote, "Folks, if not realizing that someone left cocaine in your 'Jail Purse,' is not a good enough reminder to not do drugs, then I don’t know what is!!"

Big Medicare change slashes weight-loss drug costs for eligible seniors

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:19:02 -0400

Millions of Medicare beneficiaries struggling with obesity could soon see the cost of weight-loss drugs plummet, as a new federal pilot program launching July 1 expands access to GLP-1 medications like Wegovy and Zepbound for eligible seniors.

Through a new trial called Medicare GLP-1 Bridge, the federal government is now offering a selection of the brand-name medications to certain Medicare and Medicare Advantage beneficiaries for $50 a month, The Associated Press reported.

The covered medications include drugmaker Eli Lilly’s Foundayo tablets and Zepbound KwikPens and Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy injections and tablets, all of which have been FDA-approved for weight loss, according to the report.

OZEMPIC USERS MAY BE MAKING A MAJOR WEIGHT-LOSS MISTAKE, NEW STUDY SUGGESTS

The temporary program is set to run until the end of 2027.

This is the first time GLP-1s (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists) will be covered by insurance when used solely for weight loss.

Prior to this new Medicare pilot, seniors who wanted to access GLP-1s for obesity alone paid about $1,350-$1,650 per month for Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy (semaglutide) and about $1,086 monthly for Lilly’s Zepbound (tirzepatide). However, both manufacturers offered some cash-pay options that significantly reduced those prices for eligible patients.

GLP-1 WEIGHT LOSS DRUGS ARE RESHAPING THE BRIDAL INDUSTRY AS SHOPS RUSH ORDERS AND REQUIRE NEW WAIVERS

There are some parameters surrounding the coverage — older adults must have had a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or higher when they started GLP-1 therapy, or a BMI of 27 or higher alongside another health condition, such as a past heart attack or stroke or prediabetes.

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Those who already have insurance coverage for other diseases, such as diabetes and sleep apnea, are not eligible for the program.

There are more than 70 million Americans currently enrolled in Medicare, 10 million of whom are overweight or obese, according to Juliette Cubanski, vice president and director of the program on Medicare policy at the healthcare research nonprofit KFF.

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"For many older Americans living with obesity, this is a moment they and their families have been waiting for," Jamey Millar, Novo Nordisk’s executive vice president of U.S. operations, said in a press release.

"The Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program offers a new, affordable path to an FDA-approved treatment that was previously not covered."

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Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said he hopes the program can help his agency collect data to potentially work toward longer-term coverage, while providing immediate relief to cash-strapped older Americans, AP reported.

"The sheer cost of these medications is a huge barrier to access," he said in a call with reporters. "That ends today."

Oz told reporters that CMS plans to "carefully track participation and outcomes" to see whether an extension of the Bridge program or another solution is the best way to move forward. He told AP a federal law permanently allowing the coverage is "not essential right now" but something "for Congress to debate amongst themselves."

"We can’t decide what’s going to happen long term with Bridge until we see some of the data," he said, adding that there are ongoing talks with drug companies to lower costs.

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One potential concern is that older patients tend to have more adverse effects to medication in general , according to Dr. Micah Eimer, a clinical assistant professor of cardiology at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

"Specifically, in our research, older patients on blood pressure medications were more likely to experience hypotensive side effects, such as fainting and dizziness, after starting a GLP-1," he said in a statement.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Police identify two teen suspects after Penn State student shot dead over stolen phone

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 12:58:48 -0400

Philadelphia police have issued arrest warrants for two 16-year-olds who allegedly killed Billy Schmidt on June 6 while he was walking home from an NBA Finals watch party.

A spokesperson for the Philadelphia Police Department told Fox News Digital that the warrants were issued for two boys who are both 16. Fox News Digital is withholding their names because they are minors and haven't yet been charged.

Schmidt, 22, was killed during an armed robbery attempt that happened June 6 at about 1:30 a.m. Officers found the Penn State student with a gunshot wound to his chest. He was taken to a local hospital but pronounced dead at 1:47 a.m.

The teens are not yet in custody.

MANHUNT UNDERWAY AFTER COLLEGE STUDENT FATALLY SHOT CHASING ROBBERS WHO ALLEGEDLY STOLE HIS PHONE

In surveillance video, Schmidt can be heard saying, "Give me my phone," before a gunshot could be heard moments later. The video shows a man throwing a cellphone before another individual can be seen running around a corner being chased by Schmidt, who was then shot in the chest.

The shooter was described by police as a Black male between 5’3″ and 5’5″ "wearing all dark (black) clothing with a light gray camouflage-colored facemask." Officials said this person was armed with a handgun.

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The second suspect was described by police as 5’8″ with braids and was "wearing a light gray colored custom designed "KONFUSED" brand hooded sweatshirt with a design on the front that includes three skulls and crossbones with a bejeweled halo above each skull."

The U.S. Marshals Service has also joined the search for the teens, offering $5,000 for information leading to their arrest.

MANHUNT UNDERWAY AFTER COLLEGE STUDENT FATALLY SHOT CHASING ROBBERS WHO ALLEGEDLY STOLE HIS PHONE

Bill Schmidt, the victim's father, told ABC7 that his son was on his way home from a bar where he was watching the NBA Finals with friends.

"He was a really good person who cared about everybody and never hurt or bothered a soul, never bothered anyone and for him to get shot like that is a travesty," Bill Schmidt said. "I'm shocked when they stole his phone that he chased them."

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Anna Schmidt, Billy's sister, told reporters she doesn't know how anyone could have killed her brother.

MANHUNT UNDERWAY AFTER COLLEGE STUDENT FATALLY SHOT CHASING ROBBERS WHO ALLEGEDLY STOLE HIS PHONE

"I miss him so much, and I don't understand how someone can do this," Anna Schmidt said.

Schmidt was a student at Penn State World Campus studying journalism, where he was set to graduate in December.

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"We are heartbroken over the tragic death of William Schmidt and we share our deepest condolences with his family and friends," the university said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

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Police are urging anyone with information on the suspects' whereabouts to contact 215-686-TIPS.

Fox News' CB Cotton contributed to this report.

A missing kitten rode under a car hood. AI brought her home

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 12:54:25 -0400

Ame thought Lucy might be hiding upstairs. The family's kitten had missed dinner, which felt odd. Still, cats hide. They nap in strange places. Sometimes, they ignore everyone.

But when breakfast came the next morning, Lucy still did not show up. "When we fed dinner one night, and she didn't come running, I thought maybe she was upstairs in the kids' bedroom, but when we fed breakfast the next morning, she didn't come running again, so then I knew for sure she wasn't in the house," Ame said.

That is when a normal morning in Dayton, Ohio, turned into a frantic search. Lucy was less than a year old. Ame's two young children were devastated. And wherever Lucy had gone, her family knew she had already spent the night away from home.

"If she had been out all night, we were really worried," Ame said. Ame's daughter, Evi, felt that fear immediately. "I was really sad and cried a lot. It was really heartbreaking," Evi said.

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PRO WRESTLING STAR KILLER KROSS SHARES SWEET, LIFE-ALTERING MOMENT WHEN A CAT CAME INTO HIS LIFE

Ame uploaded Lucy's photo and got a match

After the first wave of searching, Ame turned to Petco Love Lost. "I found out about Petco Love Lost through a friend of mine who also had a cat go missing. She said Petco Love Lost is a website where you can match from finders who have uploaded pictures of pets that they've found," Ame said.

Ame created a lost pet profile and uploaded Lucy's picture. The free nationwide database uses AI photo-matching technology to compare lost pet photos with found pet reports. Petco Love says the system looks at more than 500 visual markers to identify pets by features that stay with them wherever they go.

Then came the lead Ame needed. "It was actually very easy and quick. It was only about 10 or 12 hours before I got a lead on where Lucy might be," Ame said.

A finder had listed a cat who looked like Lucy as found. Soon after, Ame received a photo match alert.

The price surprised her, too. "I was really surprised that Petco Love Lost is not subscription-based like most things are. It's completely free, so it's accessible to everyone," she said. For a family already scared and stressed, that free access made a big difference.

Lucy was found under a car hood

Then Ame learned where Lucy had gone. "She was stuck under the hood of somebody's car. This person had driven to a shopping center across the highway, got out of their car and heard meowing and realized that the meowing was coming from under the hood of their car," Ame said.

The driver got Lucy out safely. Thankfully, the kitten had not been hurt. The finder kept Lucy safe and uploaded her photo to Petco Love Lost as a found pet. That report connected with Ame's lost pet profile.

From there, Ame could finally arrange the reunion her family had been hoping for. "I connected with the finder on Petco Love Lost and was able to message back and forth. We organized a time to meet up and we were just ecstatic, and overjoyed, and in shock that we actually found her and also that we found her so quickly and in such a short space of time. Having Lucy home is a relief," Ame said. Ame's family brought Lucy home a little more than 24 hours after she disappeared.

The reunion brought happy tears

For Ame's children, Lucy's return changed the whole mood in the house. Ame's daughter, Evi, went from heartbreak to happy tears. "When she was found, my mom put her on my lap. I was having a little bit of some happy tears," Evi said.

Then came the sentence every pet parent wants to hear after a scare like this. "When Lucy was found, I was so happy to have her back," Evi said.

That is the kind of reunion that sticks with you. A tiny kitten vanished, rode under a car hood, crossed a highway and still made it home because a finder uploaded one photo.

WOMAN’S CANCER BATTLE TAKES UNBELIEVABLE TURN WHEN HER DOG GETS SAME DIAGNOSIS

Why Petco Love Lost worked when the microchip did not

Lucy's story also shows why lost pet searches need more than one safety step. The finder tried to get Lucy scanned for a microchip. But that did not solve the problem.

"The finder took her to scan the microchip, they couldn't even find it, they couldn't locate it. Petco Love Lost was literally the only link between us and Lucy to get her back," Ame said.

That is important because many pet parents assume a microchip will always lead straight home. A microchip can help, but someone still needs access to a scanner. The chip also has to be found and connected to current contact details.

Petco Love Lost adds another option. Instead of relying only on tags or a scan, it uses a pet's photo and physical features. Chelsea Staley, president of Petco Love, explains it this way: "Collars break, tags can fall off, and microchip scanners aren't always immediately accessible. Petco Love Lost offers an additional layer of protection by using AI to recognize distinctive physical features that stay with pets wherever they go. You know your pet is one of a kind, and so does Petco Love Lost." In Lucy's case, that extra layer helped bring her back.

Why Lucy's story matters during National Lost Pet Prevention Month

Lucy's story hits at a time when many pet parents need the reminder. July is National Lost Pet Prevention Month. The month also brings holiday fireworks, which can scare pets and send them running. Petco Love says more pets go missing during the summer than during any other time of year, and fireworks help drive that spike. That makes Lucy's story a good reminder to prepare before your pet bolts.

Petco Love encourages pet parents to register their pets on Petco Love Lost at petcolove.org/lost/register-pet/ while they are safe at home. Then, if something goes wrong, they can activate a search with a single click. Set it up before the fireworks start. Check it before guests come over. Take care of it before someone says, "I thought the cat was upstairs."

What this means to you

A lost pet search can turn emotional really fast. You may be scared, tired and unsure where to start. Lucy's story shows why preparation can help. Ame already had a clear photo of Lucy. She created a lost pet profile. Then a finder uploaded a found pet report, and the system connected them.

That does not mean you should skip collars, ID tags or microchips. Keep those in place. However, Petco Love Lost can give you another way to search when those tools do not work fast enough. The biggest lesson is timing. Registering your pet while everything is calm can save precious time later.

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Kurt's key takeaways

Lucy's story could have ended badly. She slipped out, hid under a car hood and rode across a highway without the driver knowing she was there. Instead, one uploaded photo helped bring her home. Petco Love Lost matched Lucy's image with Ame's lost pet profile, and the family had her back in a little more than 24 hours. That to me is the reason this story is worth sharing. Technology can feel cold, but in this case, it helped a family get their kitten back.

Have you ever had a pet go missing, and what helped bring them home? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com

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Missing mom's remains found, suspect with rap sheet already in jail on different charge

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 12:40:41 -0400

Deputies discovered the remains of a young mother buried at a home in North Carolina.

Jordan Wishon was reported missing by the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office on Friday. Two days after she vanished, investigators pivoted the search to a murder investigation after making the grim find while executing a search warrant.

In a post to social media, the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office said in part, "At approximately 5:17 a.m., investigators executed a search warrant at a residence on Pebblestone Lane in Rutherfordton. During the search, human remains were discovered buried on the property. Investigators were able to positively identify the remains as Jordan Wishon."

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The man accused of killing her has had prior run-ins with the law, reports show. Jaydakis Kashaune Hamilton, 25, of Rutherfordton, North Carolina, is now facing a first degree murder charge.

Hamilton was already in jail on another unrelated charge.

WLOS reported Hamilton was arrested for an alleged vehicle theft in Polk County, and prior to that the North Carolina State Highway Patrol charged him with reckless driving offenses and resisting arrest.

COLD CASE CRACKED AS ILLINOIS SUSPECT CHARGED IN BRUTAL 1993 KILLING OF MOTHER FOUND SLAIN IN FIELD

Hamilton is currently in jail in Polk County awaiting his newest charge.

According to her obituary, Wishon was a 30-year-old mother who had one child and a fiance.

Casandra Toney, who said she is Wishon's sister, made a post to Facebook that said, "I’m gonna miss you so much. This is unfair. You did not deserve this, but I can’t promise you we will get justice for you."

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She went on to say, "I hope you know at the end of the day. I do love you and we’ll always love you. You’re my sister you’re my big sister at that."

SAVANNAH GUTHRIE PLEADS FOR TIPS AS RANSOM NOTE CLAIMS MOM IS DEAD: 'SOMEBODY KNOWS SOMETHING'

The murder investigation is ongoing.

DAVID MARCUS: Calling 9/11 'inevitable' is same as justifying it, and it is disgraceful

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 12:53:36 -0400

The parade of Democratic Socialists ousting incumbent Democrats rolled on in Denver on Tuesday night with upstart 29-year-old, Ethiopian-born Milot Kiros defeating Rep. Diana DeGette, first elected to the seat before 9/11. Her would-be replacement justifies those attacks.

Kiros and her commie allies may use the word "inevitable" as a euphemism for "justified," but in this context, they mean exactly the same disgraceful thing.

In a recent interview, the socialist Kiros was asked if 9/11 was an inevitable consequence of American foreign policy.

MUSLIM MAMDANI-BACKED SOCIALIST PRIMARY WINNER SUGGESTED AMERICA DESERVED 9/11 IN UNEARTHED VIDEO

"Inevitable in the sense that we destabilized a lot of the Middle East, which led people to believe that another act of violence was the only response," Kiros replied. "Our responsibility is to get rid of those conditions that lead to violence in the first place."

Let’s be clear, by calling the cold-blooded murder of nearly 3,000 Americans "inevitable," Kiros is saying that Usama bin Laden had no other choice but to commit this massacre, and further, that if only the United States had acted differently, then maybe Bin Laden could have avoided it.

That is absolutely a justification for 9/11, because if the United States created the conditions that made it impossible for anything but a 9/11 style attack to happen, then how can we blame Bin Laden? He had no choice, right?

FIREFIGHTER BROTHER OF 9/11 VICTIM INCENSED BY 'RADICAL' MUSLIMS WINNING KEY DEM PRIMARIES

Some will argue that Kiros is simply stating the cause of 9/11, not justifying that cause. Obviously, the cause of 9/11 was resentment and anger at U.S. foreign policy. But when you say that cause made the attack "inevitable," you are saying al Qaeda only did what it had to do.

With all due respect to Kiros, who was 4 years old when the attack on our nation that to this day still leaves searing emptiness in the hearts of the tens of thousands who lost loved ones, there was nothing inevitable about it. Not one thing.

For decades before 9/11, America sought peace in the region time and again. In fact, it was in 2000 that former President Bill Clinton says then-Palestinian leader Yasser Arrafat "walked away from a once-in-a-lifetime peace opportunity." A year later, Clinton’s efforts would be rewarded in American blood.

MUSLIM MAMDANI-BACKED SOCIALIST PRIMARY WINNER SUGGESTED AMERICA DESERVED 9/11 IN UNEARTHED VIDEO

I’m sorry, but Kiros and her purple-haired communist band of overeducated theater kids are not going to make America the bad guy of 9/11. We know exactly who the bad guy was, which is why we celebrated when former President Barack Obama took him out.

In fairness to Kiros, while she is clearly saying that Bin Laden had justification for 9/11 based on America’s actions, she isn’t quite as ghoulish as podcaster and apparent kingmaker of the Democratic Party, Hasan Piker, who says America "deserved" 9/11.

One can believe, as supporters of Israel do, that military action leading to civilian casualties is justified even though no civilian deserves to die, but clearly Piker does believe our 3,000 countrymen had that fate coming.

This attempt by the far-left Marxists to make 9/11 a day of shame for Americans is not likely to work outside their small bubbles, even if they say "inevitable" instead of "justified." Because even 25 years later, what that day means to most Americans is pride in the sacrifice of those who gave their lives.

Of course, for the Democratic Socialists, 9/11 is not about New York, or Washington, D.C., or Shanksville, Pa. Like everything else, it is about the poor terrorists in the Middle East who, in the DSA’s depraved minds, have no choice but to kill Americans.

Just as, for those of us aged enough to remember the Cold War, it seems crazy that we must explain again why communism is bad, for those of us who truly remember 9/11, it seems crazy to blame the victims. But here we are.

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Not every act of murder and terrorism committed by jihadis across the globe is the inevitable result of American foreign policy, which by the way, has done more to uplift the freedom and prosperity of the global poor than any nation in history.

Don’t let the communists get away with this shameful euphemism. Words mean things, and what Kiros and her ilk are clearly saying is that the attack on America was made inevitable and therefore justified, by America and its people. And it’s disgusting.

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NFL Hall of Famer Dwight Freeney calls out league for putting games on too many streaming services

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 12:52:29 -0400

Dwight Freeney understands why the NFL has leaned further into streaming.

He also sees why many fans are frustrated.

The Pro Football Hall of Famer said he believes NFL games should remain broadly accessible, even as the league continues to place more games across subscription platforms. Freeney, who played 16 NFL seasons and finished his career with 125.5 sacks, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2024.

"I don’t like it," Freeney said when asked about the growing number of services fans may need to follow the league. "Just to be honest with you, I think it should be accessible to all fans, no matter what your economic bracket is."

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The issue has become a larger part of the NFL media conversation. The league’s 2026 schedule includes games across traditional broadcast networks, cable and multiple streaming platforms. According to the NFL, Prime Video will carry Thursday Night Football, Netflix will stream games in Week 1, on Thanksgiving Eve and on Christmas Day, and Peacock will exclusively stream a regular-season game in January.

Freeney said the local fan experience should remain central.

"If you can afford to get the local channels, you should be able to watch your favorite team on your local networks," he said. "And it shouldn’t be blacked out based on streaming and all of that."

The NFL has noted that its games remain available free over the air in local markets. In its 2026 schedule announcement, the league said it is the only sports league that presents all regular-season and postseason games on free over-the-air television in local markets.

But the broader access question has still drawn scrutiny in Washington. In June, the House Judiciary Committee released an interim staff report on the Sports Broadcasting Act and the NFL’s media model, saying fans increasingly need a combination of over-the-air, cable and streaming services to watch their favorite teams. The committee also said some fans must pay more than $600 per season to watch all of one team’s games.

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Sen. Mike Lee also asked the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission to examine whether the NFL’s current distribution practices still fit within the Sports Broadcasting Act’s limited antitrust protection. In that request, Lee said fans spent nearly $1,000 last season when cable, streaming and internet costs were combined.

Freeney did not dismiss the business side of the arrangement. He said the league’s streaming and television deals have financial benefits, including for players.

"I understand the money and the economics behind it," Freeney said. "A lot of money goes into signing those contracts with the Amazons and, you know, and I don’t even know if it’s Netflix now... I know it helps the players obviously, because the more money that you, the deals that you do off the field and TV deals, the more money the players are gonna get. And so I know it’s good for the league."

But he is still concerned for the consumers.

"The fans, I’m not so sure," Freeney said.

That balance is where Freeney’s position sits. He recognizes that streaming gives some viewers more flexibility. Fans who have the right subscriptions can watch on tablets, phones and other devices, without being tied to a traditional television setup.

"If you can afford it, great," Freeney said. "And then you have your iPad, you can bring it, you can stream everything, you don’t have to be at home, that’s great."

But Freeney still believes the league should look for a model that keeps streaming available while preserving local access.

"Maybe there’s a combination of things to whereas though they can do to whereas though you have the ability to stream, but it also is on your local networks," Freeney said. "I wish there was a way to figure that out."

Freeney acknowledged that he is not personally shut out by the current system. He said he subscribes to the services he needs, and then some. But he knows that does not reflect the reality for every fan.

"I’m a junkie," Freeney said. "I have all of them. I have every single streaming. Even if I don’t need it, I have it...

"I’m blessed enough to be able to have that ability to get all of those things," Freeney said. "My cable bill or my streaming bill is probably one of the higher ones... Not everyone has that ability maybe," Freeney said. "So, you know, I think they should have some way of changing certain things."

Even with every service, Freeney said the modern setup can still be difficult to follow.

"Sometimes, you know, even me, I’m having a hard time finding games from time to time," he said.

The NFL legend is also watching for surprise teams in the upcoming season

When asked what he is most interested in seeing during the upcoming NFL season, Freeney said he is looking for the team that exceeds expectations.

"I think it’s just seeing what team is gonna be the new team this year that no one’s talked about," Freeney said.

He said preseason predictions often miss on at least a few teams, even when the league’s most established rosters remain near the top. Every season, he said, there are teams that enter the year with little attention before emerging as legitimate contenders.

"So I wanna see who those surprises are," Freeney said.

As for Freeney's longtime team, the Indianapolis Colts, he saidIndianapolis Colts, saying Daniel Jones’ health will be a major factor in how far the offense can go. He praised head coach Shane Steichen’s ability to work with quarterbacks and said Jones could benefit if he trusts the system.

"If Daniel can stay healthy, I mean, sky’s the limit," Freeney said.

Defensively, Freeney said the Colts need to improve in key areas, particularly with the pass rush. As one of the best pass rushers of his generation, he said that will be one of the first things he watches.

"My question is, are we gonna get the pass rush that we need?" Freeney said. "If we can kind of mix the coverage with the rush, I think we’re gonna be good."

Freeney was more cautious when asked about the Seahawks’ chances of repeating. He said winning back-to-back championships is one of the hardest things to do in the NFL, especially in a competitive division.

"I would bet against the fact that they’re gonna repeat," Freeney said. "But that doesn’t mean they’re not gonna have a good year."

Freeney is set to compete in the American Century Championship

Freeney is making his return to the American Century Championship this month, saying he is trying to measure how much progress he has made since last year.

"I’m trying to see if my golf game is up to par," Freeney said, adding that he believes he has "an opportunity to be better this year than last year."

He described his previous performance as uneven, saying his game was "really good until it’s not." Freeney said the key for him is limiting the damage when a round starts to slip away.

"My whole goal right now is just to get to a point where I can be consistent, and my bad can’t be that bad," he said.

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Freeney said he is not focused on beating one particular competitor. Instead, he wants to manage the course, avoid letting one bad stretch turn into several bad holes, and put himself in position for a respectable finish.

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"I’m not playing any individual, I’m really playing the course," Freeney said. "As long as I can stay steady, play golf the way that I know I can play, I’m gonna be in the top 15, hopefully."

He said he does not believe his game is ready to win the event, but he thinks he can compete for a top-15 or top-10 finish.

WWE star touts pro wrestlers tearing it up on independent circuit

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 12:49:07 -0400

Matt Cardona knows a thing or two about the independent pro wrestling scene.

After his release from WWE in April 2020, Cardona rebranded himself as the "Indy God" after spending years as Zack Ryder. He spent years cultivating his new look through several independent promotions and top companies in the U.S. whose names aren’t WWE or AEW.

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There are several pro wrestlers on the indies currently who are finding success with their own branding and marketing as well. Cardona named a few in a recent interview with Fox News Digital when asked who he thought was the new "Indy God."

"Who’s the ‘Indy God?’ Oh, I don’t know if anyone’s the ‘Indy God.’ But there are people who definitely have stepped up. For instance, Shotzi, who was in WWE at one time. When she left, I think she copied the Matt Cardona formula and good on her and we had some incredible matches together. She’s somebody who cares. I think effort is very, very important not just in independent wrestling but professional wrestling in general. If you aren’t doing whatever you can to succeed, like, if you don’t treat yourself like a big deal, I don’t think anyone else will. I would definitely put Shotzi on that list.

"Two others to look out for on the independents – Richard Holliday. He’s another one who is always on social media. He’s always trying to force himself down your throat just like I did when I was gone. When you’re not in WWE, you can’t take a day off of being on your phone. Like, Chelsea (Green), would always yell at me for always being on my phone, ‘You’re posting too much on social media.’ I said, babe, if you don’t want to be on your phone, WWE will post about you, WWE Shop will post about you, USA Network will post about you, ESPN, Netflix. If I don’t post about myself, no one is going to post about me. So, Richard Holliday, he’s taking that to heart.

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"Also, Ben Bishop, another guy. So, I would say, Shotzi, Ben Bishop and Richard Holliday, the three to look out for."

Right now, Shotzi is the Major League Wrestling women’s world champion and has appeared in several different promotions around the world.

Holliday and Bishop have also built up massive followings on social media, helping raise their profiles in the sport.

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Cardona shared some advice to those who were trying to follow his path.

"It’s funny because guys and girls in the independents, they’d always ask me for advice. The answer was simple – don’t quit," he said. "Everyone has a different path. Everybody has a different journey but if you don’t quit… here’s what I would say, if you don’t quit, you might make it. If you quit, you definitely won’t. It’s as simple as that."

Russian generals' assassinations expose growing rift inside Putin's security apparatus

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 12:22:05 -0400

For the second time in little more than a year, a blast tore through the Moscow suburb of Balashikha, Russia, and left a Russian military figure dead.

On June 9, explosives planted under a BMW detonated as the driver began leaving a parking lot, according to independent Russian outlet The Insider. The outlet identified the man killed as Lt. Gen. Damir Davydov, a Russian Defense Ministry official responsible for supplying missiles and artillery ammunition to Russian forces fighting in Ukraine.

The location was striking. The explosion occurred roughly 1,150 feet from the site where Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, deputy chief of the Main Operations Directorate of Russia's General Staff, was killed in a car bombing in April 2025, according to the French newspaper Le Monde.

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Months before Moskalik’s death, another senior Russian officer was assassinated in Moscow.

Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, the head of Russia’s nuclear, biological and chemical protection troops, was killed when a bomb hidden in an electric scooter exploded outside an apartment building. A source in Ukraine’s Security Service, known as the SBU, told Reuters the agency carried out the operation.

Together, the attacks are part of a broader pattern of assassinations and attempted assassinations targeting senior Russian military figures — a campaign that a European intelligence source says is now exposing tensions inside Putin’s own security system.

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, senior Russian military figures have been killed in missile strikes, drone attacks, car bombings, crashes and frontline combat — a toll that, according to a European intelligence source, is now fueling internal tensions between Russia’s military and the FSB, Russia’s powerful domestic security service and successor to the Soviet KGB.

"There are internal frictions between Russian security institutions," a European intelligence source told Fox News Digital. "The Russian military wants the FSB to guarantee physical protection for Russian generals, but the FSB is opposed to taking responsibility for the military."

The dispute reflects a deeper rivalry inside Russian President Vladimir Putin’s system, where the security services have long held a privileged position over the armed forces, according to multiple sources.

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"This goes back to Soviet times," the European intelligence source said. "The security services do not like the military, and the military does not like the security services."

The central tension, according to the European intelligence source and Russian opposition figure Maxim Katz, is inside Putin’s own system: the war has elevated the importance of the military on the battlefield, while the political structure in Moscow still treats generals as a potential threat.

The result is a paradox for the Kremlin. Russia needs its military commanders to sustain the war, but the security services that dominate Putin’s system appear reluctant to take responsibility for protecting them.

At least 15 Russian generals have been confirmed killed since the full-scale invasion began, according to independent Russian outlet Mediazona.

The toll includes five lieutenant generals, seven major generals and three former generals.

Some died far from Moscow, closer to the battlefield.

Lt. Gen. Oleg Tsokov, deputy commander of Russia’s Southern Military District, was killed in July 2023 in a Ukrainian Storm Shadow missile strike on the Russian-occupied city of Berdiansk. Maj. Gen. Sergei Goryachev, chief of staff of the 35th Combined Arms Army, was killed in June 2023 during Ukraine’s counteroffensive in the Zaporizhzhia region. Maj. Gen. Vladimir Zavadsky, deputy commander of the 14th Army Corps, was killed near Krynky in southern Ukraine in November 2023.

Others were struck inside Russia or in Russian-controlled territory.

Lt. Gen. Alexander Otroshchenko, a senior Russian air force commander, died in a military transport plane crash over occupied Crimea in March 2026. Retired Maj. Gen. Kanamat Botashev, flying for the Wagner Group, was killed in May 2022 after his Su-25 was shot down over Ukraine’s Luhansk region.

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The losses began in the opening weeks of the invasion of Ukraine, when Maj. Gen. Andrei Sukhovetsky, deputy commander of Russia’s 41st Combined Arms Army, and Maj. Gen. Vladimir Frolov, deputy commander of the 8th Army, were killed.

Katz said the military has long occupied a vulnerable position inside the Russian power structure.

"In Russia, the FSB is the biggest and most powerful security organization, and Putin himself comes from that system," Katz told Fox News Digital. "The army, on the other hand, has always been viewed by these people as a threat."

Katz said the Kremlin historically has feared popular military figures because the army is one of the few institutions with the capacity to challenge political power.

"You will not find Russian military men in senior government positions," Katz said. "Since Stalin, they have been afraid of the army. Whenever there is a relatively well-known military figure with a name of his own, they deal with it somehow — legally, or like with Prigozhin, or like with other generals. In Russia, there is no such thing as a popular general."

Katz argued that even during wartime, when the military might be expected to gain status, Putin’s system keeps the army politically weak.

"The army does not take part in decision-making," Katz said. "It is funded now, but everything goes to the war. The generals are rich, but not like ministers or FSB people. Among the elites, they are the most deprived."

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That dynamic, Katz said, helps explain why Russian generals may not want the FSB responsible for their protection.

"For them, the FSB is a much bigger threat than the Ukrainian army," Katz said. "The Ukrainian army kills a general once in a while. The FSB puts generals in prison much faster."

The European intelligence source said the killings matter not only because of the operational losses, but because of the psychological effect inside the Russian army.

"Putin understands that losing prominent Russian generals can affect morale within the Russian army, which is already low from the Russian perspective," the source said.

The apparent compromise, according to the European intelligence source, was to shift responsibility away from the FSB.

"The FSB did not want to deal with military protection, so the security service of the Russian presidential administration would take care of those generals," the source said.

Katz said the internal pressure on Putin may also collide with Russia’s parliamentary elections in September — a moment he believes Western observers are largely ignoring.

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He said the vote will not be free, and the Kremlin is expected to manipulate the results.

But he argued that if public support for Putin’s United Russia party has fallen sharply, it may become harder for the regime to make the official results appear believable.

"Everyone already knows what results they will announce," Katz said. "The question is whether anyone will believe those results."

Katz said Putin’s system has long depended not only on control, but on the perception that the Kremlin still commands broad public support.

"Putin has never ruled in a situation where he does not have a majority," Katz said. "His legitimacy rests on everyone believing that he has majority support. Once everyone believes he does not have a majority, and that he did not just cheat a little but simply drew the results, that is a different story."

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He compared the potential challenge to authoritarian systems that are forced to move from managed popularity to open coercion.

"Putin cannot lose like Orban," Katz said. "But if everyone in Russia knows that everyone voted against him and he drew the results in his favor, that would be a new situation. He has never been in that position before."

Fox News Digital reached out to the Russian and Ukrainian governments for comment but did not receive responses in time for publication.

RNC chair predicts first-ever midterm convention will turn Dallas into ‘Trumpapalooza’ for 2026 fight

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 12:14:05 -0400

EXCLUSIVE - Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters predicted Wednesday that Republicans will "knock it out of the park" at the party’s first-ever midterm convention, casting the Dallas gathering as a "Trumpapalooza" aimed at firing up GOP voters in a difficult midterm climate.

Gruters spoke exclusively with Fox News Digital a day after President Donald Trump announced the Sept. 9-10 convention in Dallas, an unusual effort to put Trump and the GOP’s 2026 message center stage before voters decide control of Congress.

"It gives us a chance to highlight all the wonderful things this president has done in our effort on this great American comeback to highlight the ideas, policies and people that's making it happen," Gruters said.

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National political conventions, where party delegates from around the country formally nominate their party's presidential candidates, normally take place during presidential election years.

But with Republicans facing a rough political climate as they aim to protect their narrow control of the Senate and their razor-thin House majority in this year's elections, they see the midterm convention as an effective vehicle to get their message out.

"We can win. It's going to start here at the convention. I'm super excited about it," Gruters emphasized.

And pointing to primary victories in recent weeks by far-left and socialist candidates over the Democratic Party establishment, Gruters said, "We're going to be able to highlight and contrast where the Republican Party is versus what the left is, and the fact that they're getting pushed and now controlled and being run by these radical leftists that want to fundamentally change our country."

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Party leaders are also hoping the convention will help to energize MAGA voters who don't always vote when Trump isn't on the ballot.

Gruters called Trump the "best showman that's ever existed in politics, bar none... He knows how to deliver these low-propensity voters. He knows how to get people up, motivated, excited about the midterms, and that's what we're going to need."

Currently, the president's approval ratings remain well underwater, with many Americans rating him poorly on his handling of the economy and on the issue of affordability.

Democratic National Committee (DNC) Director of Rapid Response Kendall Witmer told Fox News Digital on Tuesday evening, "The American people can’t afford their bills or to fill up at the pump because of Donald Trump, and Republicans’ response is to throw a multi-million dollar televised celebration for Trump that will only remind Americans of his failed promise to them and tie already flailing Republican swing-seat candidates to a historically unpopular president."

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The DNC, which significantly trails the RNC in fundraising, considered holding a midterm convention but decided earlier this year not to move forward with the costly event.

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Witmer emphasized that "Democrats are already hitting the trail and speaking directly with American voters about our plans to cut costs and make healthcare affordable."

WATCH: Obama, Harris advisor warns ‘betrayed’ Black voters could be Texas Senate candidate's kryptonite

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 12:11:59 -0400

Democratic strategists are worried that Senate hopeful James Talarico’s chances of flipping Texas blue are being jeopardized by what they see as a major vulnerability: a lack of enthusiasm on the part of Texas Black voters, who are feeling "betrayed" by the party.

Veteran Democratic strategist Ashley Etienne, a former advisor to President Barack Obama and Vice President Kamala Harris, said that despite Talarico’s history of controversial statements, she believes he is "incredibly well positioned" to become the first Democrat to flip a Texas Senate seat blue in decades. However, she identified one major vulnerability, saying Black voters are "feeling like they were betrayed" by "what happened to Jasmine Crockett."

Talarico, a Texas state lawmaker and Presbyterian seminarian, defeated Black congresswoman Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate earlier this year.

Etienne explained that following Crockett’s defeat, "some voters, Black women in particular, are feeling as though the Democratic Party and Democratic candidates want our labor, but not our leadership." The "two biggest examples," she said, are "Kamala Harris' loss and Jasmine Crockett's loss."

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Talarico’s history of hot takes, such as saying he "hates Christianity," calling God "nonbinary" and asserting that there are six sexes, has caused significant controversy. While Etienne believes that Talarico can swat away these resurfaced comments, she believes the feeling of Black voter "betrayal" could sink his Senate hopes.

A Texas native, Etienne also served as a senior advisor to former President Joe Biden, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and several members of Congress from Texas. She now runs the communications firm, Etienne & Saint.

She referenced an opinion piece she co-authored in the Houston Chronicle, in which she quoted one Black female voter, who said, "We as Black women give 92 percent of our vote to the Democratic Party, and we get nothing out of the deal."

"That's one example of what I think is a larger sentiment across Black women," she explained.

This, Etienne posited, is an "alarm warning for Talarico."

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Why should Talarico be worried about this? According to Etienne, approximately 1.1 million registered Black voters in Texas are not voting. To pull off an upset in the traditionally solid red state, Etienne said Talarico will have to motivate that untapped voter base. The key to doing that, she said, is appealing to Black women.

When it comes to motivating the Democratic base, Etienne posited that "Black women aren't just another constituency."

"We are a force multiplier effect when it comes to Black voters," she said. "We have the ability to bring the entire community to – and we have proven that we do this every cycle after cycle – bring the entire community to the polls."

In other words, Etienne explained that "if the mood of Black women is low, then you lose an opportunity… to really reach and mobilize and engage and energize the rest of the Black community."

"That's the nut he's going to have to crack," she said.

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Dallas Jones, a Democratic strategist who served as the Texas political director for the 2020 Biden-Harris campaign, echoed Etienne's assessment. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Jones criticized Talarico supporters for pressuring Crockett to stump for him. Crockett has endorsed Talarico but has been notably absent from the campaign trail.

"There's rhetoric that's being turned up that she has to come and support him, and a lot of that is coming from people that support him," he noted. "So, what it translates to is people basically telling this accomplished, decorated, Black female member of Congress what she ought to do. And all that does is stoke flames and fires for her supporters, who are saying, ‘She really doesn't have to do anything. You won, you're the nominee, you come earn our vote, she doesn't have to help you do that.’"

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"There are millions of black Texans out there ready for the taking, ready to support the campaign… [but] every day that goes by there's an erosion of that support," Jones continued.

Jones said that he does not think Talarico’s controversial statements will have much of an impact on the Black vote in Texas "considering the alternative" is Republican state Attorney General Ken Paxton.

"There will be a lot of energy and effort to weaponize those types of statements," he said. "But I truly don't think that it's going to have a huge impact."

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"Black Texans that show up in November are not voting for Ken Paxton," Jones asserted. "The challenge is creating the enthusiasm to get enough of them to go and vote for him."

"He himself has admitted that he cannot win the state without Black voters," he continued, adding, "It's not a persuasion game, it's an enthusiasm game."

Fox News Digital reached out to Talarico's campaign for comment. Fox News Digital also reached out to Crockett's office and Paxton's campaign for comment.

The best Fourth of July sales we're shopping right now: Wayfair, HexClad and more

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 12:00:01 -0400

The Fourth of July brings more than fireworks and barbecues. It also marks one of the first and biggest shopping weekends of the summer. This year, we're eyeing weekend-long deals from HexClad, Wayfair, Best Buy and REI, with outdoor furniture, cookware and camping gear being the standout categories worth shopping. Top deals include a HexClad barbecue pan for 44% off, a Ninja Slushi machine for $50 off and this six-person outdoor dining set at Wayfair for less than $1,000.

HexClad

HexClad is offering deep discounts on cookware, knives and themed bundles. (FOX is an investor in HexClad).

Hybrid fry pan set with lids, 6-piece: $329 (38% off)
Stainless steel mixing bowl set: $79 (20% off)
Kitchen utensils set: $199 (20% off)
Beechwood cutting board: $87 (20% off)

BBQ tool set, 8-piece: $60 (39% off)

Original price: $99

Get all the grilling essentials in one HexClad set, now on sale for $60. The rust-resistant collection includes a spatula, tongs and fork with soft-grip handles, plus four skewers and a basting brush for everything from burgers to kebabs.

12-inch hybrid fry pan and lid: $156 (22% off)

Original price: $199

HexClad's 12-inch fry pan features the brand's hybrid construction, combining stainless steel with a nonstick cooking surface for even heating and reliable browning. The stay-cool handle provides a more comfortable grip, and the pan is both oven- and dishwasher-safe for added convenience.

12-inch barbecue pan: $89 (44% off)

Original price: $159

Grill vegetables, seafood and other smaller foods without worrying about them falling through the grates with this HexClad barbecue pan. Perforations along the bottom allow heat and smoke to circulate for even cooking, and right now it's on sale for $89 — a savings of $70.

Damascus steel knife set, 6-piece: $369 (44% off)

Original price: $654

Save $285 on this HexClad Damascus steel knife set while the deal lasts. The hand-sharpened blades are designed for precise slicing and chopping, while the green Pakkawood handles add a distinctive look to any kitchen.

Wayfair

Find deals on gardening essentials, patio furniture and grills during Wayfair's Fourth of July sale.

Vertical planter boxes: $54.99 (62% off)
Patio set with rocking chairs and loveseat: $173.99 (60% off)
Patio umbrella: $85.99 (46% off)
Weber Genesis gas grill: $949 (14% off)

Folding Adirondack chair, set of 4: $519.96 (52% off)

Original price: $1,076

Add flexible seating to your outdoor space with this set of four Adirondack chairs, built from weather-resistant HDPE. They withstand sun exposure and summer storms without fading or warping, and they fold flat for easy storage.

Wicker patio set: $339.99 (70% off)

Original price: $1,142.82

This wicker patio set includes a loveseat, two armchairs and a coffee table for just $340. The modular design makes it easy to rearrange the pieces to fit everything from compact patios to larger decks.

Outdoor dining set, 6-piece: $895.96 (44% off)

Original price: $1,599.96

Host family dinners and outdoor gatherings with this six-person dining set made from durable, all-weather materials. The gently curved chair backs are designed for comfort, and right now you can save more than $700.

Wood planter box: $81.99 (41% off)

Original price: $139

Grow vegetables, herbs or flowers with this raised cedar planter, no digging required. The naturally weather-resistant cedar construction is built for outdoor use, while drainage holes in the bottom help prevent excess water from collecting around your plants.

REI

Gear up for summer adventures with REI deals on sneakers, camp gear and more.

Patagonia Terravia Sacoche crossbody bag: $28.83 (41% off)
JetBoil cooking system: $107.93 (40% off)
Nike Swoosh support bra: $28.93 (31% off)
Darn Tough men's hiking socks: $18.93 (27% off)

Hoka women's Clifton 10 road-running shoes: $124.93 (19% off)

Original price: $155

The Hoka Clifton 10 is designed for running but works just as well for everyday walks. A breathable knit upper helps keep feet comfortable, while the cushioned midsole and durable outsole handle miles on the road or around town.

Patagonia men’s water-repellent shorts: $36.83 (50% off)

Original price: $75

Go from the beach to weekend outings with these Patagonia shorts. The quick-drying fabric helps keep you comfortable on hot days, while drainage holes in the pockets allow water to escape after a swim. Their versatile design makes them an easy choice for outdoor adventures and casual dinners.

Coleman camp stove: $206.19 (25% off)

Original price: $275

The Coleman Cascade combines a grill and a griddle, so you can make burgers, steaks, pancakes, eggs and more on the same setup. The cast-iron surfaces provide even heat retention, while built-in wind guards help keep the burners protected when cooking outdoors.

Flexlite camp chair: $67.39 (25% off)

Original price: $89.95

Compact enough to fit in your backpack, the Flexlite camp chair sets up quickly and supports up to 250 pounds. The durable fabric withstands repeated use, making it a reliable companion for camping trips, hikes and outdoor events.

Best Buy

Score discounts on appliances, lawn equipment, vacuums and more.

Energizer 3-in-1 charging stand: $15.99 (60% off)
Countertop nugget ice maker: $132.99 (56% off)
Costway portable air conditioner: $229.99 (48% off)
Car jump starter: $139.99 (46% off)

Dyson V11 Plus cordless vacuum: $449.99 (29% off)

Original price: $629.99

The Dyson V11 tackles both hard floors and carpets in a lightweight cordless design. Its Motorbar cleaner head helps reduce hair tangles as you clean, while the LCD screen displays real-time battery life and power mode information so you know when it's time to recharge.

eufy X10 Pro Omni robot vacuum and mop: $499.99 (38% off)

Original price: $799.99

Take the work out of floor cleaning with the eufy X10 Pro Omni vacuum and mop. AI-powered laser navigation helps it clean around furniture and tackle everyday messes, while the companion app lets you create no-go zones and customize cleaning schedules.

Ninja Slushi frozen drink maker: $299.99 (14% off)

Original price: $349.99

Beat the heat with the Ninja Slushi, which makes frozen drinks without the need for ice. The 88-ounce reservoir is large enough for entertaining, while five preset programs let you prepare slushies, frozen cocktails, milkshakes and more with the push of a button.

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

Greenworks string trimmer: $219.99 (28% off)

Original price: $299.99

Greenworks' battery-powered lawn mower weighs just 11 pounds, making it easier to maneuver than many traditional models. The cordless design can cover approximately 0.5 to 0.75 acres on a charge while delivering performance comparable to many gas-powered alternatives.

As American pride hits a 25-year low, a new 9/11 education platform urges the nation to never forget

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 12:00:47 -0400

FIRST ON FOX — A new national push to preserve the memory of the September 11 terrorist attacks for generations too young to remember that day is launching this week ahead of America’s 250th anniversary.

Starting July 1, the 9/11 Legacy Foundation will offer a free national curriculum on Freedom250.org to educate, increase awareness and encourage civic action. Built around an "Active Remembrance" model, the curriculum is designed to help participants not just learn about these historical events but also preserve these memories through community engagement. The website features modules designed from audiences of all ages that are customizable for elementary schools, universities, families, churches and corporations, and it maps out more than 1,100 memorial sites across the nation.

Dr. Chris Meek, founder of the 9/11 Legacy Foundation, told Fox News Digital the initiative is more important now than ever, citing educational gaps, alarming online trends and declining patriotism.

Only 14 states currently mandate 9/11 education in schools, he said. Meek is also concerned by data showing American pride has hit a 25-year-low, according to Gallup, following other polling indicating many young people struggle to define the phrase, "Never Forget," along with TikTok videos sympathizing with Usama bin Laden’s 2002 "Letter to America" that racked up millions of views.

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The release also comes just days after Colorado Democratic Socialist candidate Melat Kiros drew national headlines for saying that the 9/11 attacks were "inevitable" after U.S. and Israeli military actions in the Middle East.

Meek told Fox News Digital this curriculum combats online misinformation by sticking strictly to the documented facts surrounding that day.

"This is presenting all the facts, not the theories of conspiracy theories that are out there," Meek said. "We've just mapped out everything that's factual in nature... So it's allowing people to put their fingertips on the facts, and not listening to somebody's video or read a social media post based on theory or rhetoric."

With over 100 million Americans born in the years after September 11, Meek says it's more important than ever to help new generations of Americans understand what these attacks cost America.

Terrorists hijacked four jets and crashed three of them into the World Trade Center and Pentagon; the fourth was forced down in a field in Pennsylvania by heroic passengers trying to prevent another building from being attacked.

Nearly 3,000 people were killed by the attacks. Thousands of deaths have also been attributed to illnesses related to toxic exposure at Ground Zero in New York City.

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"September 11 is not just a chapter in a history book, it is a living legacy that continues to shape who we are as a nation," he said in a statement. "Being part of the Freedom 250 platform on this milestone observance means that as Americans pause to reflect on 250 years of freedom, they will also have the opportunity to engage deeply with one of the most defining moments of the last 25 years."

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Meek's mission is born out of his first-hand experience as a survivor of the terror attacks. On Sept. 11, 2001, he was working as a trader for Goldman Sachs, less than half a mile from Ground Zero. The experience drove him to dedicate his life to giving back to U.S. service members, leading him to co-found SoldierStrong, a nonprofit that provides medical technology to help injured veterans.

With the 25th anniversary of 9/11 falling 69 days after America's 250th, Meek hopes the resource will help Americans embrace the unity and patriotism that arose in the days following that tragic day.

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"More than ever this country is divided, for various reasons. We need to go back to the way we were on Sept. 12, where everyone was the United States of America," he said.

This Sept. 11 will mark the 25th anniversary of the attacks.

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Kathy Griffin claims gatekeepers at Jimmy Fallon’s ‘Tonight Show’ banned her for being 'too controversial'

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 12:00:30 -0400

Kathy Griffin claimed in an Instagram post on Tuesday that she had been banned from "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" for being inappropriate and controversial.

"I have not done the Jimmy Fallon show since it was on at 12:30 Eastern and Pacific, so I guess I’m banned from the Fallon show, or inappropriate, or too controversial," Griffin said in the video posted to Instagram. "I don’t even know. When you’re banned from a show — and if you guys know me, I’m banned from most of them. You’re welcome, America and Indonesia — they don’t usually tell you you’re banned. They just can’t seem to find room for you."

In 2017, Griffin drew bipartisan backlash after posting an image of herself holding a Halloween mask covered in ketchup that appeared to resemble the severed head of President Donald Trump. In addition to facing condemnation, Griffin was investigated by the Secret Service over whether the image constituted a threat against the president.

A source with knowledge on the matter told Fox News Digital that there is no ban on Griffin.

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She said she liked Fallon, but then slammed him for having Conor McGregor on in her Instagram tirade.

"I think the Fallon folks made a mistake by having Conor McGregor on," Griffin said. "I think it sends yet another message to women and marginalized folks everywhere that we’re not equal and you can do anything to us and the perpetrators are still going to be out there being glorified."

Griffin said it reminded her of when Fallon had Trump on the show and it didn't sit well with her.

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"I think it’s time we kind of make up our minds about who we’re going to cancel and who we’re not," she added. "Take it from the most canceled celebrity in history, look it up. As the kids say, do better."

Griffin recently addressed an old photo she had taken with Trump, who she regularly criticizes now.

She clarified that an old image of her and Trump sitting amicably next to each other at an event was, in fact, "not an AI photo."

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At the start of a video posted to her YouTube channel in early June, Griffin claimed that several people had been sending her a picture of her with Trump, whom she described as "someone I used to know, but now I don’t care to know any longer."

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Griffin confirmed that the photo was real, adding that she previously had a friendly relationship with Trump.

"I know. Can you f---ing believe it?" Griffin exclaimed. "There was a time I knew Donald as someone who would show up at the opening of an envelope, and I would sit next to him sometimes, and he’d laugh at my jokes. I’m not glorifying him in his last, final days in any way. I want to show you that is not an AI photo, and that's why I got the dress out, which I still fit into, by the way, because that picture's got to be 20 years old."

Sen Moreno pushes Congress to clarify birthright citizenship rules using Harry Reid's own 1993 legislation

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 11:57:58 -0400

Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno announced plans to revive a decades-old proposal from former Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid after Republicans' push to end birthright citizenship came to a screeching halt at the hands of the Supreme Court.

"When I get back from recess on July 13th, [I'm going to introduce] the identical bill," Moreno said Tuesday, mere hours after the high court's decision.

"What it's going to do is highlight two things — the Democrats of today are nothing like the Democrats of 1993 and, if they choose to reject a bill sponsored by their majority leader that they named an airport in Las Vegas after, then I think my Republican colleagues have no choice. We have to recognize that these Democrats want to systematically destroy this country."

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Moreno's remarks referenced the Immigration Stabilization Act of 1993, a proposal put forth by Reid, which would have revoked birthright citizenship, among other things.

According to PolitiFact, Section 1001 of Reid's bill, entitled "Basis of Citizenship Clarified," said that children born to illegal immigrants on U.S. soil should not become U.S. citizens.

A press release issued by the Nevada Democrat's office at the time expounded upon the idea, suggesting the bill "clarifies that a person born in the United States to an alien mother who is not a lawful resident is not a U.S. citizen."

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Under this notion, PolitiFact wrote, the incentive for female illegal immigrants who are late in their pregnancies and seeking to give birth on U.S. soil would be quashed.

The bill never advanced out of committee, however.

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Moreno indicated that his bill will be a carbon copy of Reid's. On Tuesday, he urged that Republicans work to "eliminate the filibuster" and "get this thing done."

"[Justice Kavanaugh] said that what we have to do is clarify what citizenship means. We can do that through an act of Congress," he said.

USA Powerlifting, once in trans athlete lawsuit, supports SCOTUS ruling: 'Law has caught up with the science'

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 11:39:17 -0400

USA Powerlifting "welcomed" the Supreme Court's ruling that upholds state laws regarding transgender athletes in girls' and women's sports.

The Supreme Court ruled, 6-3, in favor of the states that were sued by biological males to gain access to girls' sports.

USA Powerlifting had found itself embroiled in the battle when it was sued in 2021 by trans lifter JayCee Cooper after Cooper was rejected from the women's team three years earlier.

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And after Tuesday's historic ruling, it breathed a sigh of relief.

"The highest court in the land has affirmed what we've argued for six years: protecting women's sports is common sense and not discrimination," USAPL past president Larry Maile said in a release. "The law has caught up with the science and now Minnesota is even more of a legal outlier. It is out of step with the U.S. Supreme Court, overwhelming public opinion and international sport governing organizations."

A district court ruled in 2023 that the organization discriminated against Cooper, but after an appeal and then a cross-appeal by Cooper, the Minnesota Court of Appeals eventually decided that Cooper was not discriminated against.

TRUMP REACTS TO SUPREME COURT RULING ON TRANS ATHLETES

The federation opened an "open" category in 2021 "to serve all gender identities," according to Fox 9 in Minnesota.

The states were backed by the law firm Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), while the trans athletes were represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Cooley Legal.

Now, more than half of the states in the U.S. are empowered to enforce protections for women's sports without fear of a legal challenge.

However, there are still 23 states that don't have any such laws, and some of those states have laws to protect trans athletes in girls' sports.

President Donald Trump continuously threatened to halt federal funding to states that did not abide by his executive order. Trump froze funds to Maine, but a federal judge ruled that the funds had to be restored. But now, those states are protected by law.

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Surveys have shown that roughly 80% of Americans do not believe biological males should compete against girls and women.

Fox News' Jackson Thompson and Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.

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World Cup round of 32 soccer preview as England, Belgium and USA all seek regulation wins on a packed day

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 11:28:29 -0400

The Round of 32 has not disappointed for the World Cup. Yesterday we had three games, and while there were no upsets, it was a fun day of soccer.

France dominated Sweden as expected, but if you saw some of the goals, you had to be impressed and think that no one will be able to beat them. Norway was able to escape the Ivory Coast, and that was a bit of a sweaty win, but a win nonetheless. The final game of the night saw Mexico win 2-0 over Ecuador, with Mexico's defense looking great and their speed unmatched. We went 2-1 in plays, and I'm looking for more today.

ALEXI LALAS DREADING THOUGHT ENGLAND COULD WIN WORLD CUP ON AMERICA'S 250TH BIRTHDAY: 'CANNOT HAVE THAT'

England vs Congo DR

This is the game on the slate today that shouldn't be much of a mystery. England is a -1200 favorite to win in regulation, meaning they should absolutely dominate the Congo DR. That doesn't mean there is no betting value. We found a winner on France yesterday, and they were -900 on their three-way moneyline as well. England got two wins and one draw in the group stages, and while they didn't look great in every game, they do have more talent on their side in this game.

Congo DR had a win, a loss, and a draw in their three games. They haven't allowed more than one goal in a game this World Cup. Portugal and Colombia are both talented teams, and they held both to just one goal (even though they played to a draw and a loss, respectively). I think the under 2.5 is the best look. I don't see Congo scoring, and I think England is going to score two or fewer.

Belgium vs Senegal

This is the closest matchup based on the moneyline on today's schedule of games.

Belgium comes into this after playing Egypt and Iran to draws and destroying New Zealand in the group stage. Senegal made it after losing to France and Norway in their first two games, but beating Iraq 5-0. I think it is fair to say that Senegal had a significantly harder group than Belgium. Although their offense isn't the caliber of France and Norway, Belgium is talented and should be the aggressor in this match.

I'm curious to see if Senegal can slow down the attack after struggling against two of the better offenses. I do think they should be able to get a goal on Belgium as well, especially if they can force a turnover. I like both teams to score, but it is pricey at -150. If you prefer, take the 90-minute draw at +230. I could see this going to extra time to decide who advances.

TEAM USA FALLS TO TÜRKIYE IN FINAL SECONDS, STILL SET FOR ROUND OF 32 MATCH VS BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

USA vs Bosnia-Herzegovina

When the World Cup started, Team USA was billed as having a good path to advance and likely the potential to go far. As you can see, they've lived up to that expectation.

They went 2-1 in the opening round, but the loss to Turkey was meaningless as they had already secured their group. There was also some controversy around the loss, but we can put that behind us. Bosnia-Herzegovina had a bit of everything in their three games. They played to a draw against Canada, then lost badly to Switzerland, and finally beat Qatar in their final match, 3-1. I think that both teams will score in this one as well.

America has allowed a goal in two of their three matches, and if they have a concern, I'd say it is their defense. Give me both teams to score at -115.

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

Fake Verizon fraud call nearly stole his account

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 11:19:30 -0400

A fake Verizon fraud call can feel real fast, especially when official-looking texts start landing on your phone. That is what makes this scam so dangerous. The caller creates panic, pushes you to "verify" your identity and then uses your own reaction against you.

Chuck from New Braunfels, Texas, reached out after a frightening close call.

"I usually am pretty savvy when it comes to scams, but I almost got fooled by a fake Verizon fraud investigator. He tricked me into giving him access to my account through text verification... he ordered an upgrade to my daughter's phone, which she would never do without me. In the end, thank God I figured it out and got a hold of the real Verizon fraud and stopped him before something bad happened. If there is any more information I can give to help someone else, let me know."

Chuck's message should make all of us pause. He knew scams were out there. He still almost got caught because this one moved quickly and looked so convincing.

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ADT DATA BREACH EXPOSES CUSTOMER INFORMATION

How the fake Verizon fraud call started

Chuck says the call came in around 7:15 p.m. The man on the phone claimed he worked for Verizon's fraud department. He gave a name, "John Rodriguez," along with the phone number 1-888-269-xxxx.

That detail made the call feel more official. So did the extra pieces the caller supplied. Chuck says the scammer gave him a fraudulent number and a cancellation number.

That is a common move in account takeover scams. The criminal gives you enough "case details" to sound legitimate. Then, while you feel like you are dealing with a real fraud alert, the scammer quietly tries to get control of your account.

Fake Verizon texts made the scam look real

The messages Chuck received appeared to involve Verizon account security. One said there was a request to authenticate from the Verizon website. It asked him to confirm or deny through a link. Another message said there was a request to change the device associated with a line on the account. That message warned that the change could be tied to an upgrade or SIM change.

Then came a more alarming message. It warned of a potential scam and said someone was trying to change the password from the Verizon website. It told Chuck to deny the request and call the Verizon fraud team immediately.

Here is the scary part. Those alerts can make you feel safer while the scam is still unfolding. The caller keeps you on the phone and tells you what to click. That pressure can turn a security warning into a trap.

The fake Verizon scam used "deny" against him

Chuck says the caller asked him multiple times to verify. Then Chuck clicked a link to deny access. That moment changed everything. To Chuck, clicking "deny" felt like the safe move. To the scammer, it may have been exactly what he wanted.

Once a criminal has you on the phone, he can walk you through alerts in real time. He may claim you are blocking fraud while he actually triggers account changes, resets credentials or pushes through an order.

In this case, Chuck later saw that his daughter's line had been changed to a new iPhone 17 Pro Max. That caught his attention because his daughter would never make that kind of change without him.

A Verizon cancellation email raised another red flag

Chuck then received an email saying, "Your order is canceled." The email appeared to come from noreplay@vzreturn.com and the subject line said, "You've successfully canceled your order."

The message listed an Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max 256GB Cosmic Orange and showed order details. Chuck described the sender as a non-verified email.

That part deserves attention. A cancellation email can make you feel relieved. Yet it may also serve another purpose. It can make the victim believe the problem has been solved while the criminal keeps trying other account changes.

WHAT SCAMMERS DO THE WEEK YOUR SPOUSE DIES

How Chuck realized the Verizon call was fake

Chuck says he knew something was off when his daughter's phone line changed to the new iPhone. Then he saw that his password had been changed.

At that point, he took the right step. He contacted the real Verizon fraud team and changed the password again so he could regain control.

Then the scammer tried to call him back twice. That is another major warning sign. Real fraud departments do not need to keep calling after you contact the company through a trusted channel.

What the real Verizon fraud team told him

Chuck says the real Verizon fraud team checked the fraud case number and cancellation number the caller had given him. Both were bogus.

After verifying his identity through a secure Verizon process, Verizon removed his My Verizon credentials and told him to re-register using two-factor authentication (2FA).

That step deserves attention because the scammer had gotten too close to the account. When credentials, account access or device changes get involved, changing only the password may not be enough.

Why fake Verizon fraud calls work so well

This scam works because it borrows the language of real fraud prevention. The caller talks about account security. The texts mention authentication, SIM changes, password resets and fraud teams.

That sounds protective. But the caller creates confusion and urgency. Once the victim follows instructions in real time, the scammer can steer the whole interaction.

A phone upgrade also gives criminals a clear payday. A stolen device order can lead to theft of service, resale value or deeper account access. A SIM-related change can also put calls and texts at risk, including codes used to access other accounts.

Warning signs of a fake Verizon fraud call

Several details stand out from Chuck's case.

The caller gave him case numbers that later turned out to be fake.
He pushed repeated verification requests .
The account showed a device change that Chuck did not recognize.
The password changed without his approval.
Then the caller tried to reach him again after Chuck contacted Verizon directly.

Any one of those should stop the conversation. Together, they point to an active account takeover attempt.

What Verizon says about fake fraud calls

After reviewing the details of Chuck's experience, Verizon said these kinds of social engineering scams have become a growing problem.

"This type of fraudulent activity has unfortunately become all too common," a Verizon spokesperson told CyberGuy. "Verizon actively works against bad actors by tracking every case and identifying the hallmarks of social engineering events against our customers."

The spokesperson added, "We incorporate these into real-time detections to prevent attempted fraud before the transaction is completed."

Verizon also shared several steps customers can take to protect their accounts. Many line up with the same safety habits that can help stop fake carrier fraud calls before they turn into account takeovers.

Ways to stay safe from fake carrier fraud calls

A few smart habits can make it much harder for a scammer to talk you into giving up control of your phone account.

1) Hang up and call back through a trusted source

Use the number on your carrier's app, website or bill. Do not rely on a number the caller gives you. Verizon says it will never call you out of the blue asking for your password or a one-time security code. If you get that kind of call, hang up and call Verizon back using a publicly listed number, such as 611 from your Verizon phone.

2) Do not click links while someone is coaching you

If a caller tells you to approve, deny, verify or authenticate through a text link, stop. Open the carrier app directly instead.

3) Treat "deny" links with caution

A button or link that sounds safe can still help a scammer if they, in fact, triggered the request. Strong antivirus software can also help block malicious links and warn you before you land on a risky site. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com

4) Watch for surprise device changes

A new phone order, SIM change or line change should trigger immediate action. Verizon says customers should also watch for texts or emails about an unauthorized password change, transaction, SIM swap or port-out. If you see one, act fast to cancel the transaction and call Verizon immediately.

5) Change your password from the official app or website

Do this from a browser or app you opened yourself. Avoid links from texts or emails. Verizon says to treat your mobile and email accounts like bank accounts and never share passwords or security codes with anyone who calls unexpectedly. Also, do not reuse passwords across important accounts. Use a trusted password manager to create and store a strong, unique password for your carrier account.

6) Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA)

Use the strongest 2FA option your carrier offers, such as a passkey, authenticator app or account PIN. This adds another layer of protection so a scammer cannot get in with just your password. Verizon specifically recommends enabling two-factor authentication in the My Verizon app.

7) Use your carrier's account protection tools

Verizon says customers can enable Number Lock and SIM Protection in the My Verizon app. These extra protections can help stop unauthorized activity, including SIM-related scams and account changes.

8) Set or update your carrier account PIN

Many carriers let you add a PIN or security code for account changes. Make sure yours is unique and not something easy to guess, such as a birthday, address or repeated number.

9) Remove saved payment methods when trouble starts

If criminals accessed the account, reduce what they can buy or change. Removing saved payment methods can limit damage while your carrier reviews the account.

10) Check every line on your account

Make sure no phone numbers, devices, SIMs, shipping addresses or authorized users were changed. Also, check for pending orders or upgrades you did not request.

11) Use a data removal service

Scammers often get names, phone numbers, addresses and family connections from people-search sites. A data removal service can help reduce what is exposed online, making it harder for criminals to build a convincing call around your personal details. Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com

12) Report the scam to your carrier

Ask for the fraud department, explain the attempted takeover and request a full account security review. Verizon says if you are scammed, call your bank or financial institution first, then call Verizon. Verizon also points customers to its account security page for more information: verizon.com/about/account-security/overview

What to do if you clicked a fake Verizon link

Move quickly, but do it through trusted channels you open yourself.

Log in through the official carrier app or website and change your password.
Then contact the carrier's fraud department from a trusted number.
Ask the carrier to check recent orders, SIM changes, password resets, shipping addresses, authorized users and account recovery settings.
Also, review your email account because criminals may target it next.
If money, credit or identity details were exposed, consider a fraud alert, credit freeze or an identity theft protection which can help monitor accounts and guide you through recovery. See my tips and best picks on Best Identity Theft Protection at Cyberguy.com
Keep images of messages, emails and call details because they may help the carrier investigate.

CARNIVAL BREACH MAY PUT YOUR TRAVEL DATA AT RISK

Kurt's key takeaways

What gets me about Chuck's story is how real the scam felt in the moment. The caller had a name, a fraud number, a cancellation number and security texts were landing while he was still on the phone. That to me is scary. Once a scammer gets you reacting, your account can start slipping away fast. Chuck caught it before things got worse, but not before a phone upgrade appeared and his password was changed. The safest move is to hang up and start fresh. Open the official app yourself. Type the website yourself. Call the number on your bill yourself. Never let a stranger guide your clicks. Chuck said it best: " Please use my mistake to help others avoid losing potential thousands in theft of service and money."

Have you ever received a carrier fraud alert that looked real, and how did you decide whether to trust it? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com

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Mamdani ripped for claiming victory over capitalism after NYC's multi-billion dollar taxpayer funded bailout

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 11:26:21 -0400

New York City's mayor is again under fire after spewing outlandish claims that his socialist policies are to credit for a balanced budget in the Big Apple, just after the city received a multi-billion dollar bailout from the state.

"In January, our administration inherited a $12 billion budget deficit — a fiscal crisis greater than the Great Recession," Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a Tuesday post on X announcing that the debt had been cleared.

"We balanced the budget by taxing the rich and making government more efficient," Mamdani continued. "We did not balance this budget on the backs of working people, and we never will."

MAMDANI ALLOCATES $500K FOR REPARATIONS TALKS AS NYC FACES $5.4B DEFICIT

But the real reason the budget is balanced is because the city was handed $1.5 billion by the state of New York in January — funded by working-class taxpayers across the state — as part of a multi-year plan to bail out the fiscally challenged city. In late May, the city received another $4 billion.

Of the combined $8 billion provided to the city's bailout fund under former Mayor Eric Adams' tenure and now Mamdani's mayorship, $5 billion was directly earmarked for the city to address fiscal measures. This includes allowing city government to defer pension contributions to close the budgetary gap.

Mamdani's claims about socialist policies producing results — and his failure to mention the massive bailouts provided by taxpayer dollars — did not fly on social media.

MAMDANI ALLOCATES $500K FOR REPARATIONS TALKS AS NYC FACES $5.4B DEFICIT

"This is a lie," independent journalist Nick Shirley said in a reply to the mayor.

"You balanced the budget by borrowing billions from the NY state government which pushed back pension payments, so you literally took money from 'the backs of hardworking people.' Don’t get it twisted," he added.

Commentator and journalist Nick Sortor also flamed the mayor over the loan and his classification of the bailout.

"Are you saying New Yorkers can 'balance their budgets' by taking out massive credit card loans?" he asked sarcastically.

BROADCAST NETWORKS TOUT MAMDANI’S VICTORIES, PROCLAIM SOCIALISM IS ‘RESONATING’

"Mamdani balanced the budget by taking money from Albany, who in turn taxed Rochester and Buffalo," another social media user said. "That's who is paying for all of Mamdani's free crap."

In a press conference earlier in the day, Mamdani claimed victory over capitalism.

"Throughout this process I have been reminded of the words of the Austrian economist Friedrich Hayek: 'if socialists understood economics, they wouldn't be socialists.'"

After the Republican National Convention (RNC) posted that clip, Mamdani also faced ridicule for that.

"It always looks good at first until the chickens come home to roost," one person replied.

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"He'll soon 'deliver' bread lines instead," said another.

Mamdani's office did not return Fox News Digital's request for comment.