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Lindsay Clancy jury enters Day 7 after bombshell one-juror standoff and more top headlines

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 07:04:02 -0400

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

TOP 3

1. Lindsay Clancy jury enters Day 7 after bombshell one-juror standoff

2. Israel makes major battlefield move after Iran's warning

3. Trump's Smithsonian showdown takes dramatic turn

MAJOR HEADLINES

UNTHINKABLE HORROR — Musician, pregnant wife and 3-year-old daughter shot and killed inside home. Continue reading …

CROSSED WIRES — Investigation reveals who’s driving the fight against data centers and Flock cameras. Continue reading …

FIELD OF FURY — Midwest pumpkin patch sparks outrage with Charlie Kirk corn maze tribute. Continue reading …

SUDDEN SHOWDOWN — Costco members wake up to major change involving popular shopping perk. Continue reading …

VECTOR THREAT — Deadly mosquito-borne virus claims first life in major US city as cases spread. Continue reading …

POLITICS

LEGAL LIMBO — Missouri court blocks GOP-backed congressional maps ahead of midterms, Trump blasts ruling. Continue reading …

SILICON STANDOFF — US adversary turns up the heat on America’s AI lead with an underestimated edge. Continue reading …

MONEY MATTERS — Trump admin proposes stripping tax-exempt status from schools using race-based programs. Continue reading …

FISCAL FOOTBALL — Trump takes government shutdown off the table with midterms just weeks away. Continue reading …

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MEDIA

CAMERA CRACKDOWN — Official says Flock CEO should be hanged 'publicly for treason.’ Continue reading …

HANDS OFF — Harris gives surprising response to Dems asking her to 'stay away' from races. Continue reading …

MUTINY PUNISHED — Jeffries threatens rogue Democrats after they side with Republicans in key vote. Continue reading …

BADGE DRAIN — Seattle axes $50K police bonuses while sitting hundreds of officers short. Continue reading …

OPINION

AMY SWEARER — Gun control activists demanded better data. What they got surprised the heck out of them. Continue reading …

JONATHAN TURLEY — Talarico brings a touch of Trotsky to the Texas Senate race. Continue reading …

IN OTHER NEWS

LOST IN TRANSIT — Viral bakery's missing cinnamon rolls spark $3,100 theft accusation and Border Patrol plot twist. Continue reading …

STICKY BUSINESS — Popular travel item could be rejected at airport security under little-known TSA rule. Continue reading …

RURAL RAMPAGE — Standoff takes dramatic turn as SWAT vehicle pins suspect on tractor. Continue reading …

DIGITAL'S NEWS QUIZ — What could spell trouble for this Dem in 2028? What's the bad news for Good Good? Take the quiz here …

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Common cholesterol drug linked to lower dementia risk when started early

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 07:00:51 -0400

Starting statin therapy shortly after a type 2 diabetes diagnosis may not only protect the heart — it may also be linked to a lower dementia risk.

A large study presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Munich on Aug. 30 found that adults who began taking a statin within one year of their type 2 diabetes diagnosis had a 15% lower relative risk of developing dementia over 10 years compared to those who did not take the medication within five years.

Even for those who delayed starting a statin for one to five years, there was still a 10% lower relative risk, according to the findings, which were published in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe.

3 THINGS TO AVOID IN MIDDLE AGE COULD MEAN 13 MORE YEARS WITHOUT DEMENTIA, STUDY FINDS

A statin is a prescription medication that lowers "bad" LDL cholesterol and helps reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Researchers conducted the study by tracking health data from 132,585 patients in Denmark who were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes between 2006 and 2019 and had no prior history of statin use or dementia.

During a median follow-up of 7.1 years, the team analyzed how the timing of statin treatment impacted overall dementia rates.

Dr. Liron Sinvani, a geriatrician and director for research and innovation at the Northwell Institute for Healthy Aging in New York, said this was a "well-designed, large-scale observational study that adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that statins may help protect brain health."

GAME-CHANGING CHOLESTEROL PILL WINS FDA APPROVAL AFTER CUTTING LDL NEARLY 60%

She noted that while a 15% reduction is a modest improvement, it remains "very significant."

People with type 2 diabetes have an increased risk of cognitive decline and heart disease, consistent with previous research.

Although guidelines generally recommend statins for many adults ages 40 to 75 with diabetes, statin treatment is not always started soon after a type 2 diabetes diagnosis.

The study also examined whether the timing of treatment was linked to dementia risk. People who started statins within a year of their diagnosis had a lower risk than those who did not begin treatment.

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"The message here is that maybe waiting is actually not the right approach," Sinvani said, supporting earlier consideration of statin therapy in routine diabetes care.

The expert said she found the results "especially compelling" because the benefit was driven by a lower risk of vascular dementia rather than Alzheimer's disease.

"And that makes biological sense, because we know statins lower cholesterol, reduces inflammation and protects blood vessels," she added, pointing out that these same mechanisms prevent vascular damage to the brain.

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Statin therapy should be viewed as one piece of a broader health strategy alongside exercising regularly, adhering to a healthy diet and staying socially connected, according to the expert.

Almost half of dementia cases may be preventable or delayable by addressing modifiable risk factors, according to the Lancet Commission.

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The study did have limitations. Because it was observational rather than a randomized clinical trial, the researchers could not definitively state that statins directly prevent dementia.

As Sinvani cautioned, "This is not proof that statins prevent dementia, but I think it's an important step in this literature."

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The doctor encouraged people with type 2 diabetes who are not taking a statin to ask their doctor whether the medication is appropriate for them."

Jelly Roll picked a fight with Trump fans and may have Bud Lighted himself

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 07:00:39 -0400

When country music artist Jelly Roll guest-hosted The Jimmy Kimmel Show from August 24–27 and went after President Trump, it unleashed fury from country music fans and the president’s supporters — fury sparked just in time to energize Trump voters for the midterm elections this year.

The fury at Jelly Roll isn’t because he doesn’t think like us; we tend to be free thinkers over here on the right. Rather, the big dude with all the face tattoos is — plot twist — actually not authentic at all.

And one of the things many country music fans and supporters of this president have in common is the high premium we place on authenticity. We value it, we’re loyal to it, and we can sniff out a fake.

BROADCAST BIAS: DOLLY PARTON TAUGHT THE WORLD THE WAY TO BE UNIVERSALLY BELOVED

Few people understood the value of authenticity better than the late, great Dolly Parton. She never charted a course set by someone else’s agenda just to fit in.

We don’t have to ask what she’d do if given Jimmy Kimmel’s microphone. In a 2018 ABC interview, she told us, "I learned a long time ago, keep your damn mouth shut if you want to stay in show business. I’m not in politics, I’m an entertainer."

JOHN RICH CLAIMS JELLY ROLL KNEW HE’D LOSE HALF HIS FANS OVER POLITICAL COMMENTS

That’s why America will always love Dolly, and the shelf life on Jelly is starting to stink.

Incidentally, it turns out Mr. Roll (is that the proper way to address him?) does, in fact, have a real name — Jason DeFord. However, somebody decided "Jelly" was the way to go for a 41-year-old.

Go figure.

After getting criticized for meeting with then-President-elect Trump at a UFC fight at Madison Square Garden in 2024, Jelly Roll made it a point to emphasize that he’s not political at all. He said while his parents never pushed him to vote, "they did push respecting the president though."

JELLY ROLL ROLLS AWAY FROM APOLITICAL PAST AFTER TRUMP JOKES SPARK MAGA AND ‘SNOWFLAKE’ LABELS

So excuse us for not laughing when he flipped his own script on the fans who made him famous, then pretended to be surprised we don’t get his "jokes" — and by jokes, he meant a monologue of cheap shots aimed at the president. His highlight reel included trashing the president’s poll numbers, mocking his weight — never mind that, not too long ago, there were 300 pounds of Jelly — and, of course, the left’s faithful favorite, Trump’s a racist.

Talking about the president’s appearance at the Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington, D.C., Jelly Roll said, "But the president seemed to enjoy the IndyCar race, which was a real switch up for him, because normally he only likes his own race."

JELLY ROLL UNLEASHES CRUDE JOKES ABOUT TRUMP'S WEIGHT ON 'KIMMEL', 'FROM ONE FAT PIG TO ANOTHER'

If liberals could start recycling some new lies, that would be great. This one’s getting old.

Surprised, or just playing the part, Jelly Roll called the backlash from fans "the weirdest thing I’ve ever done to stun people."

CHRIS ROBINSON, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN FACE BACKLASH AS 'AMERICANS HAVE HAD ENOUGH' OF BEING LECTURED: EXPERT

Someone hand him a mirror. I think he forgot about the face tattoos.

Hollywood was watching what he’d do next, and he didn’t disappoint. He punched back at the very fans who made him a household name, telling them to delete his music.

NATALIE MAINES’ ANTI-TRUMP TIRADE, ZACH BRYAN’S FENCE-CLIMBING CLASH FUEL COUNTRY MUSIC’S BIGGEST FEUDS

As my teenagers would say, "OK, bro."

This reeks of a poser auditioning to join the cool kids club, making sure he checks all the liberal derangement boxes so they let him in.

Too bad he’ll soon find out the kids aren’t that cool, and they’ll kick you out of the club when you cease to be a useful idiot and go back to being a regular idiot.

Trump supporters have come to expect this antagonistic hostility on any day that ends in "y" from celebrities, politicians and unhinged suburban white women sipping matcha lattes in yoga pants.

We also expect authenticity. In fact, our loyalty demands it.

ROSIE O'DONNELL 'SURPRISED' BY BEING TAPPED TO GUEST HOST FOR KIMMEL, BUT EAGER FOR ANTI-TRUMP PLATFORM

People make jokes about the simplicity of country music, but authenticity is what drives the lyrics behind the music, and it’s the magnet that draws fans to the songs. That same authenticity is also what drew Trump supporters to this president.

Before President Trump shut the border, brought violent crime to a record low, brokered eight peace deals and got men out of women’s sports, it was his authenticity that first earned him unwavering support. Nearly 10 years later, it’s that same authenticity — along with his accomplishments — that’s made his supporters some of the most loyal of any president. This is something liberals, a decade later, still don’t understand.

The irony is nobody cares which bubble Jelly Roll plans to color in when he votes in November, or if he colors in any bubble at all. He, on the other hand, cares so much about appealing to a base that never knew he existed before his fans gave him a microphone that he’s willing to spit in the face of the very people who gave him the microphone.

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Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you remember when Bud Light lit a match to its brand after it attempted to use a transgender influencer to sell beer to middle America. The only thing it succeeded in doing is turning its name into a verb. As in — Jelly Roll "Bud Lighted" himself.

Maybe he did. The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior, and we’ve seen this movie before.

In case anyone forgets the power of the base, in 2023, the culturally corrupt crowd crashed out over country music singer Jason Aldean’s "Try That in a Small Town," a song about small towns defending against riots and enforcing the law. They screamed "racist" until the video was pulled off Country Music Television, and they unsuccessfully attempted to bully an apology out of Aldean.

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Instead, furious fans sent the song to number one on iTunes and number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Then, the next year, President Trump was re-elected. Is that the only reason? Of course not. Was his base energized after that? You bet.

Stay tuned. Jelly Roll’s four-night "truth serum" PSA could energize Republicans to get out the vote this November.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM LAUREN DEBELLIS APPELL

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s school warning letters reignite privacy battle they ‘cannot control’: experts

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 07:00:26 -0400

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s return to the United Kingdom could become their biggest privacy test yet as their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet begin school life in the English countryside.

Last week, Markle, 45, and Harry, 41, along with their son Archie, 7, and daughter Princess Lilibet, 5, left their home in Montecito, California, for an extended stay in Britain.

According to reports, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex plan to settle in the Cotswolds, an affluent countryside region in south-central England, located about two hours outside London. Archie and Lilibet are reportedly set to begin classes at a private school in the U.K., though the school has not been publicly named.

PRINCE HARRY AND MEGHAN MARKLE ARRIVE IN UK WITH KIDS, MARKING DRAMATIC RETURN 6 YEARS AFTER ROYAL EXIT

In a report published Monday, royal commentator Kinsey Schofield told Page Six that parents in the Cotswolds area received warning letters from school officials after Harry and Markle "approached multiple schools" for Archie and Lilibet ahead of their move.

The letters reportedly reminded families of privacy rules surrounding students and high-profile families.

PRINCE HARRY AND MEGHAN MARKLE WON’T ‘HIJACK’ PRINCE GEORGE’S HISTORIC ETON DEBUT, ROYAL EXPERT SAYS

"The message sent to families essentially said that, from time to time, some families joining the school may attract a greater level of public or media interest," Schofield told the outlet.

The message also reportedly noted that the school wanted to preserve a "safe, happy, and private environment" for all students.

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

"It then reminded parents and carers not to photograph or film other children without permission, or share photographs, information or details about pupils or their families on social media," Schofield said.

Page Six did not identify the school that sent the letters, citing privacy concerns, but reported that it is not the school Archie and Lilibet are attending.

PRINCE WILLIAM 'NO LONGER RECOGNIZES' PRINCE HARRY AS SECURITY BATTLE LEAVES DUKE 'CLOSE TO TEARS': EXPERT

Harry and Markle have long tried to shield their children from uncontrolled public exposure. The couple had previously skipped the traditional royal baby photo call, limited public images of their children and raised security concerns around U.K. visits.

However, royal experts told Fox News Digital that school life presents a different challenge because it places Archie and Lilibet’s privacy partly in the hands of other parents, classmates and the broader community.

PRINCE WILLIAM LIKELY 'LIVID' OVER MEGHAN MARKLE'S 'TASTELESS' PHOTOS AT PRINCESS DIANA'S HOME: EXPERT

Schofield, who also spoke to Fox News Digital about the couple’s return to Britain, said the school warnings underscore how difficult it may be for Harry and Markle to manage their children’s privacy in everyday settings.

"School introduces an enormous number of variables Harry and Meghan cannot control," the host of YouTube’s "Kinsey Schofield Unfiltered" said.

"Other parents have phones. Children have friends. There are school events, sporting fixtures, birthday parties, drop-offs, and pick-ups," Schofield added. "You cannot manage a school community like a communications operation."

Schofield noted that the letter she had seen was "deliberately vague" but explained that the reminders were likely not unusual on their own. However, she argued that the attention surrounding Harry and Markle will change the dynamic for other families.

"None of those requests are unreasonable," Schofield continued. "Archie and Lili deserve exactly the same opportunity as every other child to go to school without feeling watched. But inevitably, when one family attracts this level of global attention, the entire school community becomes more conscious of what it photographs, posts, and discusses."

"Other families are effectively being asked to adjust their behavior because Harry and Meghan have arrived," she added.

PRINCE WILLIAM, KATE MIDDLETON FACE 'SUSSEX CIRCUS' AS PRINCE GEORGE PREPARES FOR ETON: EXPERT

While speaking with Fox News Digital, royal expert Hilary Fordwich pointed out that Markle posted photos of Archie and Lilibet on her own social media, sharing her view that it was "beyond hypocritical to on the one hand want ‘privacy’ yet, on the other hand, monetize their family."

While Markle has shared photos of her children on Instagram, they are often pictured from behind, with their faces hidden or in carefully chosen images.

The former "Suits" star’s representative previously defended Markle’s approach in a statement to Newsweek.

"The Duchess has always been clear that there is a distinction between sharing moments from her life and exposing her children to public scrutiny," her spokesperson said in June. "By obscuring their faces, she is demonstrating the very principle she advocates for: giving children privacy, agency, and protection in an increasingly digital world."

Fordwich shared her view that the Sussexes’ decision to keep Archie and Lilibet largely out of public view may have had the unintended effect of making candid images more sought-after.

She contrasted the Sussexes’ approach with that of Prince William and Kate Middleton, who typically release official images of Prince George, 13, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8, on birthdays and other milestones.

"The school has a legal and moral obligation to protect their students, so it puts them likewise in a precarious position," she said.

"There will be a huge bounty regarding any resulting photos, so the incentive is there, as unlike Prince William and Catherine, who carefully release photos of their children on special occasions, the Sussexes have created this bounty situation themselves," she argued.

"Now, ordinary families have such constraints put upon them. So now they are being made subordinate to the Sussex brand."

Schofield noted that the Cotswolds has long attracted royals, celebrities and wealthy public figures seeking privacy.

Highgrove House, the country home of Harry’s father, King Charles, and Queen Camilla, is located nearby, while Princess Anne is based at Gatcombe Park.

David and Victoria Beckham, Kate Moss, Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi, Jeremy Clarkson, Hugh Grant and Elizabeth Hurley are also among the famous names who either live there full-time, keep country homes there or are frequently linked to the region.

"The Cotswolds are full of extremely wealthy and famous people precisely because discretion is part of the culture," Schofield said. "These are people who are accustomed to seeing celebrities and royals without turning it into a spectacle."

"I suspect the novelty of Harry and Meghan will wear off very quickly if their presence brings photographers, security concerns, or increased media attention," she added.

Schofield argued that the school controversy reflects a broader tension that has followed the Sussexes since they stepped back from royal duties and moved away from the U.K. in 2020.

"Privacy was one of the central themes surrounding their departure, and six years later they have returned to Britain and almost immediately we are talking about privacy again," she said.

"But there is an important distinction between reasonable privacy and control," Schofield continued. "Harry and Meghan are entitled to protect their children, their home and genuinely private moments. Where they have struggled historically is accepting that privacy does not necessarily mean controlling every headline, photograph, or public conversation about them."

"If they want this move to work, they may have to develop a much higher tolerance for things they cannot control," Schofield added.

Schofield suggested that Harry and Markle consider emulating the example set by William and Middleton.

"I do think Harry should look at how William and Catherine have navigated this," she said. "Their children have grown up under extraordinary scrutiny, yet the Waleses have established boundaries with the media while accepting that public interest comes with their children’s unique position."

The Sussexes’ desire to reconnect with Charles and other members of the royal family has been reported as one of the reasons behind their move back to the U.K.

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Earlier this summer, Archie and Lilibet joined their parents for a trip to Britain during which they reunited with Charles and Camilla at Highgrove House.

The children also visited Althorp, the childhood home and final resting place of Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana. They were joined by Harry’s uncle and Diana’s brother Charles Spencer, and members of the late Princess of Wales’ family.

Schofield told Fox News Digital that whether the move becomes a reset or another source of royal tension may depend on how quietly the Sussexes are able to navigate school life, security concerns and public interest.

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"Harry and Meghan’s challenge will be resisting the temptation to turn every uncomfortable moment into another confrontation," she said. "If they can quietly establish boundaries and allow their children to settle, that could actually help relations with the Royal Family."

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"If Britain once again becomes the setting for constant disputes about security, photographers, and the press, it risks reopening exactly the tensions everyone supposedly wants to leave behind," Schofield continued.

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Schofield added, "Harry and Meghan cannot realistically expect all of the significance associated with their royal identities while expecting the attention attached to those identities to disappear. The real test of this move will be whether they have finally accepted that distinction."

Ted Cruz names ‘most powerful Democrat’ as he warns socialist rise has paralyzed bipartisanship

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 06:58:25 -0400

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, believes that fear of a rising wave of progressives is paralyzing possible bipartisan work on permitting reform that would otherwise create fertile ground for collaboration.

"That dynamic is dangerous right now because they are terrified of the extreme left. Finding a middle ground on ideological issues right now is … the prospects for success, particularly between now and election day, are not high," Cruz said at an energy summit hosted by Club for Growth and Arnold Ventures on Thursday.

"Schumer is truly terrified right now," he added, referring to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Cruz’s political assessment underscores what progressive momentum in the 2026 midterms means for more establishment figures in the Democratic Party — and especially the ones already in Congress — and the policy areas that legislators may still want to address before the November midterm elections.

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"They’re in the middle of a revolution," Cruz said. "Their problem is that they’re very driven by their interest groups. They’re captured by their activists."

His remarks came as he delivered an address at an energy affordability summit hosted by the Club for Growth, a free-market group that advocates for limited government. In particular, the event centered on permitting reform, an area where Democrats and Republicans have found some overlap.

Although differences remain about just how far to scale back regulations or how far to push legislative changes, lawmakers at the event stressed that bipartisan work on cutting back red tape could meaningfully expand American access to energy projects domestically.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright noted how regulatory bodies had prevented the expansion of nuclear energy — a source of power that is uniting Republicans and Democrats as a new frontier in a space apart from fossil fuels.

"We have built three new nuclear reactors in like the last 40 years. It went quickly from: we didn’t even know about the technology, to 20% of U.S. electric generation from nuclear reactors," Wright said.

100 DAY SPRINT TO THE MIDTERMS KICKS OFF AS REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS CLASH FOR CONTROL ACROSS THE COUNTRY

"We created the Nuclear Regulatory Commission… in the name of safety, no malintent. But since that creation, we’ve built almost no reactors in the United States since. If it’s so uncertain and so long to permit something, it’s just not worth investing in. That’s awful! Nuclear is just an awesome energy technology."

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio., stressed that many of the discussions around reform have come down to a matter of practical details.

"There's a lot of conversations going on not about who's going to fight with whom or who is going to take credit for it, but rather what is the mechanics of getting it done," Moreno said at the Club for Growth event.

"When it comes to permitting reform, if we can actually pull this off, Scott, what does it mean? It means lower energy prices for all Americans, us taking better care of our environment, being good stewards for the next generation. Those are worthy goals that should unite all of us, and I'm hopeful that we can get that done," Moreno said, speaking to conservative political commentator Scott Jennings, a moderator at the event.

Despite a sense of optimism among several speakers — and even from Cruz himself — Cruz warned listeners that progressives already have a very real presence inside the Capitol that casts a shadow on permitting reform and other areas.

"It is not the case that every Senate Democrat is a Marxist or Islamist. What is the case is that every Senate Democrat is terrified of the Marxists and Islamists. Because that’s where the energy is in their party, that’s where the power is, that’s where the money is; it's where the young people are. I think Mamdani is the single most powerful Democrat in the country," Cruz said, referring to the socialist mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani.

Since Mamdani, a self-proclaimed socialist, came to power earlier this year, a series of progressive candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) have won key primary races and even toppled veteran incumbents.

A few notable races include New York's socialist Darializa Avila Chevalier and her victory over incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., the veteran chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Along those lines, Melat Kiros, another socialist in Colorado, unseated 30-year incumbent Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo.

SCHUMER DODGES QUESTION ON WHETHER DSA BELONGS IN DEMOCRATIC PARTY

With pressures like that, Cruz argued that it’s difficult to find legislators who are willing to separate themselves from progressives.

He believes there isn’t leadership to push back against that progressive momentum.

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"Look, Schumer is known for a lot of things but acts of principle and courage are not among them," Cruz said.

ESPN risks all of its anti-woke progress by rehiring controversial host Stan Verrett

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 06:34:53 -0400

The perception in and around ESPN is that management has tried to distance itself from the divisive, political rhetoric that defined the network over the past decade. Executive vice president Burke Magnus has led the effort.

Magnus has elevated personalities who provide a more positive, fan-focused perspective on sports, from Pat McAfee and Peter Schrager to Josh Pate and Jason McCourty.

The network parted ways with several commentators and declined to renew the contracts of others who frequently generated headlines for comments critics considered toxic or political, including Ryan Clark, Mark Jones, Clinton Yates, Sarah Spain and Max Kellerman.

Magnus's actions sent a message to current and future employees. Self-serving commentary and social media activity that undermine the company's reputation are no longer tolerated.

Viewers have noticed. Nearly every one of ESPN’s daily studio shows has gained viewership year over year. For that, Magnus deserves credit.

DAN LE BATARD THINKS THERE ARE TOO MANY WHITE NFL ANALYSTS, DESPITE THE RACIAL MAKEUP OF HIS OWN COMPANY

And yet, his latest decision undermines his own edict, suggesting to employees that the very behavior he has spent the past two years eliminating is again welcome.

On Thursday, ESPN announced that it had rehired Stan Verrett to host a daily show on its sister network, NFL Network. Sources tell OutKick that Magnus and executive Mike McQuade chose Verrett for the role.

The move is notable because ESPN did not renew Verrett’s contract last year. Verrett claimed the departure was his decision. Sources have told OutKick otherwise. Either way, ESPN is bringing him back despite knowing how he conducted himself during his previous tenure.

Perhaps no recent ESPN employee behaved less professionally on social media than Verrett. We would know.

For years, Verrett tweeted obsessively about us, predicted our demise, denounced us as racist, and directly messaged me "f--- you" after following me.

Some of those posts are below:

Below is a friendly back-and-forth between SportsCenter anchor Nicole Briscoe and me about President Trump. Verrett inserted himself into the mentions by spreading unprompted racial hysteria.

"I can help here, Nicole. [Burack] works for a site [OutKick] that uses some of the same kind of racially-tinged rhetoric to attract a specific audience to try to get them to gamble. Plausible deniability is the escape hatch for all the foolishness."

Huh?

It wasn't just us.

Verrett spent much of his final years at ESPN picking social media fights with people who voiced even mildly conservative opinions. In many cases, he dismissed arguments he disliked as — wait for it — racist.

Verrett told former college football player T.J. Moe that white people like him have "every advantage available in this society" because Moe rejected the idea that white moviegoers care about the skin color of performers.

"No, Black people support other Black people because if we didn’t, history tells us they might not get any support at all. We know you’re not going to do it, based on your whining. Quit tying so hard to be a victim. You have every advantage available in this society."

Verrett’s sports commentary isn’t much different.

ESPN is privately dissatisfied with its WNBA coverage, particularly the negative tone and racial emphasis some of its commentators have attached to the league. Verrett is unlikely to help address those concerns.

He recently got into a spat with an anonymous account with roughly 150 followers, arguing that biases help explain Caitlin Clark’s popularity among white people and Middle America.

"If you worry about people thinking you’re racist for supporting Clark, that’s between you and your mirror. Rational, honest people understand that a part of her appeal is to middle America, particularly white people in middle America. And that’s fine. But people lie and pretend it has nothing to do with it ..."

Perhaps Magnus forgot when he re-hired Verrett that white people and Middle Americans watch sports, too.

Verrett also regularly seeks responses from Dave Portnoy, Clay Travis, Jason Whitlock and Megyn Kelly, reminding viewers of his contempt for prominent figures who represent the views of roughly half the country.

Notably, he took issue with one of Travis’ posts advocating against transgender athletes competing in female sports:

So, the question is why. Why would Magnus and McQuade hire Verrett back?

ESPN has younger anchors on its roster. It could have used NFL Network, which draws fewer than 100,000 viewers in most time slots, as a proving ground for up-and-coming talent. Instead, it turned to Verrett, a 60-year-old anchor who is significantly older than the channel’s average viewer."

It’s difficult to see the upside in hiring someone with such a documented history of alienating a substantial portion of the country. His public persona runs directly counter to ESPN’s stated preference for avoiding unnecessary conflict.

OutKick asked ESPN on Thursday why it hired Verrett. The network did not provide a clear response. However, the timing raises questions about whether recent criticism of Magnus influenced the decision.

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Last month, OutKick first reported that ESPN was laying off Ryan Clark. After Clark’s dismissal, the influential radio show "The Breakfast Club" claimed that Magnus leaked the information to OutKick to embarrass Clark by having him fired in the middle of his show.

To be clear, Magnus was not our source. It's unclear why ESPN informed Clark of his exit during a commercial break of "NFL Live," after learning OutKick planned to report it later in the day.

Later that week, Clark repeatedly described Magnus on his podcast as the executive who did not like him and suggested Magnus may have had a problem with "how black" Clark says he was.

"I couldn’t be too black [at ESPN]," Clark said.

Clark offered no evidence that Magnus’ decision was motivated by race. More plausible explanations for why ESPN dismissed him include Clark’s on-air belittling of colleague Peter Schrager, his criticism of Robert Griffin III’s marriage to a white woman, and his retraction of unsupported claims about Louisiana law enforcement officers.

Nonetheless, Clark’s comments created a narrative among certain audiences, including The Breakfast Club, Threads and Bluesky.

Such accusations, while unsupported, undoubtedly place Magnus, a top Disney executive, in an uncomfortable position.

For years, we’ve watched executives respond to similarly unfounded allegations of racism by making decisions intended to demonstrate that the allegations are untrue.

Rehiring Stan Verrett, who had employed much of the same racial rhetoric as Clark, could help Magnus refute that narrative.

Interestingly, Jemele Hill said on YouTube that Clark spent time with her and Verrett after leaving ESPN.

We asked ESPN whether the criticism of Magnus played any role in the decision to bring back Verrett. We did not receive a response.

In any event, Magnus weakened the standard he set by hiring Verrett.

Notice that ESPN had not generated its usual wave of negative headlines for veering away from sports in recent months. Magnus had almost entirely eradicated the type of commentary that divided fans along political and racial lines.

Ryan Clark's firing confirmed Magnus's vision. Employees received the message.

Yet, by rehiring Stan Verrett, employees will naturally wonder whether fighting on X and reflexively accusing critics of racism is back in style. How could they not?

The addition is disappointing for sports fans.

NFL Network was created for football fans of all demographics. Now, the channel is showcasing someone with a documented history of expressing hostility toward a significant portion of that audience.

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Burke Magnus deserves credit for the improved state of ESPN. That's on him. He also deserves scrutiny for this decision, one that could undermine the culture he worked so hard to improve.

Rutgers suffers worst defeat of Greg Schiano's second stint, losing to UMass who hadn't won since 2024

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 06:31:32 -0400

College football returns in full force this week and someone should have told the boys up in Piscataway, New Jersey.

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights entered their first game of the 2026 season as 29.5-point favorites (by some books) over the UMass Minutemen, who failed to win a single game last season and haven’t put a W on the board since Oct. 26, 2024.

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As it turned out Thursday night, Greg Schiano and the rest of New Jersey found out just how strong the Minutemen were. UMass scored 30 straight points on the Rutgers’ defense before the Scarlet Knights could get back to the end zone. By the time quarterback Dylan Lonergan found wide receiver KJ Duff to make the game 30-14, there was just over 7 minutes left in the contest.

UMass got the touchdown back and finished off Rutgers for the win, 37-21.

It wasn’t just the run-of-the-mill loss for Rutgers.

Since Schiano reclaimed the reins as head coach before the 2020 season, the Scarlet Knights have had success against opponents outside of the Big Ten Conference. They beat Ohio, Miami (Ohio) and Norfolk State in 2025, Howard, Akron and Virginia Tech to start 2024 and Temple, Virginia Tech and Howard in 2023.

In fact, Rutgers hadn’t lost to a non-conference opponent outside of a bowl game since 2019 when they fell to Boston College.

Schiano has had the ability to revive the energy around Rutgers football since 2020. He had Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan team on the ropes in November 2020, the team beat Miami (FL) in the 2023 Pinstripe Bowl and knocked off Washington at home in 2024.

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But as fireworks sounded over Middlesex County on Thursday night, it felt like any kind of momentum that may have been garnered over the course of a few good seasons came to a full stop.

Regardless of how UMass may have rebuilt its football team over the last few months, there’s simply no excuse for New Jersey’s top FBS school to fall to a team that had gone winless all of 2025.

It is, in fact, the worst loss of Schiano’s second stint as Rutgers head coach. Long gone are the days of A-list celebrities like James Gandolfini gracing Shi Stadium with their presence. The time is now for Rutgers to right the ship. Next week, they hit the road against Boston College.

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One win can eliminate a lot of bad energy. It has to start there before calling 2026 completely lost.

Viral bakery's missing cinnamon rolls spark $3,100 theft accusation and Border Patrol plot twist

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 06:00:50 -0400

What began as a case of hundreds of missing cinnamon rolls and an alleged $3,100 theft took an unexpected turn when police determined the delivery driver hadn't stolen them at all: He had been arrested by U.S. Border Patrol on his way to make the delivery.

Julie Pierre, the 21-year-old owner of Sunrise, Florida-based Roll & Dough, hired an Uber courier on Aug. 22 to deliver about 350 of her viral cinnamon rolls to the Yellow Green Farmers Market in nearby Hollywood, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

The order never arrived.

NAKED DOORDASH DRIVER DELIVERS FOOD TO TEXAS HOME IN SHOCKING SECURITY CAMERA VIDEO

Unable to reach the driver, Pierre initially believed he had taken off with thousands of dollars in merchandise. She shared the apparent theft with her hundreds of thousands of social media followers — drawing widespread attention to the missing pastries.

But Sunrise police said there was no theft.

"The investigation determined that a theft did not occur," Sunrise Police Officer Victor Fortune told Fox News Digital.

Instead, the delivery driver was stopped and taken into custody by U.S. Border Patrol in Hollywood while he was still on his way to the delivery destination, Fortune said.

Border Patrol identified the driver as Ivan Dario Rico Molano, a Colombian citizen.

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Agents stopped a silver Kia Carnival just before 9 a.m. Aug. 22 on southbound Interstate 95 after a records check showed the vehicle's registered owner was an immigrant without legal status, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

During the encounter, Molano acknowledged being in the U.S. without legal authorization, according to the CBP.

The agency said he entered the country legally in May 2021 but remained beyond his authorized period of stay.

Molano was arrested and taken to a Border Patrol station for processing, according to the CBP.

The cinnamon rolls, meanwhile, stayed behind.

During the encounter, Molano was allowed to contact another person to take possession of the vehicle, which still contained the cinnamon rolls and their storage containers, Fortune said.

That person later contacted Sunrise police to arrange to return the items, Fortune said.

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On Aug. 27 — five days after the rolls were supposed to reach the farmers market — Sunrise police recovered the cinnamon rolls and containers and returned them to Pierre.

By then, however, the pastries could no longer be sold and had to be discarded, Pierre told the Sun Sentinel.

"We're still out $3,100," Pierre said. "Stolen or not, we suffered a loss."

Attempts by Fox News Digital to contact Pierre for comment were unsuccessful.

The bizarre explanation brought an end to an episode that generated widespread attention online after Pierre initially accused the courier of stealing the order.

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Pierre subsequently corrected the allegation after learning from police what had happened.

In a statement posted on Instagram, the bakery apologized for describing the incident as a theft "before learning the complete circumstances."

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The statement also stressed that Pierre's report to police did not lead to Molano's arrest.

Fox News Digital's News Quiz: September 4, 2026

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 06:00:37 -0400

Test your news knowledge with this week's Fox News Digital News Quiz, featuring the controversial connections of an advisor to possible Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Ro Khanna and bad news for the Good Good golf brand.

Looking for another challenge?

Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom's ban from a WNBA arena and a Missouri deputy attorney general's survival story were featured in last week's News Quiz.

Test your knowledge of football futures, dessert drama and more in this week's American Culture Quiz.

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

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

US adversary turns up the heat on America’s AI lead with an underestimated edge

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 06:00:34 -0400

China is racing to build the data centers and energy infrastructure needed to power artificial intelligence, raising concerns that Beijing’s ability to rapidly construct massive projects could help it get closer to America’s commanding lead in the physical infrastructure underpinning the AI race.

The U.S. remains far ahead in sheer numbers. The Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence’s 2026 AI Index, using Cloudscene data, counted 5,427 U.S. data centers in 2025 compared with 449 in China. Stanford cautioned that the count does not account for differences in facility size, computing capacity or utilization.

But China is moving quickly.

AMERICA IS FIGHTING YESTERDAY’S AI WAR. TOMORROW’S WAR IS ON THE WAY

"We know that China is far behind, but we also know that they are moving at great speed," China expert Gordon Chang told Fox News Digital.

Chang argued that Beijing understands the U.S. advantage will be difficult to erase if America continues building at the same pace and said growing opposition to data-center development could slow that expansion.

President Donald Trump made a similar argument this week, warning communities fighting new projects that China stands to benefit.

"China could not be happier with this anti Data Center movement," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Actually, they can’t believe it is happening!" Trump also argued that communities embracing data centers would gain jobs and tax revenues.

Vice President JD Vance sharpened that warning Thursday, telling FOX Business there was "a very good chance" the U.S. could lose the AI race to China if Democrats regain control of Congress.

Vance said the broader problem is America’s ability to build enough power to support data centers and other major infrastructure. "We cannot be a country that says we’re not going to build more power," Vance said, arguing that the administration is trying to make it easier to construct power plants alongside data centers while protecting residential ratepayers from higher electricity costs.

AI BOOM: DEMAND FOR DATA CENTERS DRIVES INNOVATION BY ENERGY, TECH INDUSTRIES TO PRODUCE NEW POWER SOURCES

He also pointed to the widening U.S.-China electricity gap, saying China now generates roughly three times as much power as the United States. "We’ve got to build more power plants. We’ve got to make the regulatory state easier to work with."

Asked about China’s rapid infrastructure expansion, the Chinese Embassy in Washington rejected the premise that AI should primarily be viewed as a geopolitical contest.

"AI should not be owned by major countries, still less dominated by contests and rivalry," Embassy spokesperson Liu Chang told Fox News Digital.

Liu pointed to China’s 2025 Global AI Governance Action Plan, which calls for accelerating construction of clean power, next-generation networks, computing capacity and data centers. He said China advocates cooperation with the U.S. and wants AI development to benefit both countries and the broader international community.

Behind that diplomatic message, Beijing is undertaking a massive geographic reorganization of its computing infrastructure.

Under China’s "East Data, West Computing" initiative, Beijing is directing more computing capacity toward western regions where land is available and wind and solar resources can help reduce energy costs.

Five of China’s eight national computing hubs are located in western China, according to a June 25 report from the government-backed Digital China initiative. More than 30 data centers were under construction within a three-kilometer area in Horinger, Inner Mongolia, while intensive construction was also underway in Zhongwei, Ningxia.

That buildout caught the attention of members of the bipartisan US-China Economic and Security Review Commission during a recent fact-finding trip to China.

"I left with an intense belief that the Chinese see this as the frontier in terms of competition," Commission Vice Chairman Mike Kuiken told Fox News Digital, describing AI as increasingly intertwined with robotics, biotechnology, advanced materials and manufacturing.

Kuiken said China has one significant advantage when it comes to constructing the infrastructure needed to support that technology.

"The Chinese, because they write the rules as they go, and the rule of law largely does not exist, are able to just move faster in terms of building things," he said.

But Kuiken also identified a major Chinese weakness: access to the most advanced chips.

"The constraints that are real though, the Chinese do not have the ability to procure advanced chips," he said, while describing Beijing’s ability to rapidly construct coal plants and other infrastructure as "quite incredible."

THE WAR ON DATA CENTERS JEOPARDIZES OUR ECONOMY AND NATIONAL SECURITY

The U.S. retains major advantages beyond its data-center lead. The Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence’s 2026 AI Index found that America produced 59 notable AI models in 2025 compared with 35 from China, and U.S. private AI investment reached $285.9 billion, compared with $12.4 billion in China. Stanford cautioned that private investment figures understate Beijing’s overall spending because of Chinese government-backed funds.

At the same time, Chinese models have rapidly narrowed the performance gap. Stanford’s 2026 AI Index found that as of March 2026, the top U.S. model led the top Chinese model by just 2.7%.

Chang also alleged that Beijing is seeking to exploit American opposition to data centers and claimed China-linked networks have helped support protests against projects in the US. "These protests are not entirely organic," Chang told Fox News Digital.

Kuiken was cautious about portraying those local disputes as part of a broader anti-China fight, saying genuine U.S. opposition to data-center projects has also emerged over concerns including electricity costs, water use, noise and land development.

"We are building things in the U.S. faster than we have in a long time," he said, adding that policymakers are working through infrastructure constraints. "Usually there are local issues that are driving those things."

The emerging competition, therefore, is not simply over who develops the smartest AI model.

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It is increasingly a race over who can build the electricity, data centers, chips and networks needed to run those models at enormous scale — and how quickly they can build them.

Trump trade chief reveals what preceded Canada walking away from 'best deal in the world'

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 06:00:31 -0400

President Donald Trump's top trade advisor, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, said Canada walked away from the "best deal in the world" after the nation declined to finalize a trade agreement with the U.S. nearly two weeks ago.

Greer joined "Special Report" on Thursday to detail the negotiations that preceded the contentious trade fight between the U.S. and its northern neighbor.

"We offered them the best deal. They looked at it square in the face and turned around," he said on "Special Report."

Greer’s comments come amid a fierce trade war between the U.S. and Canada that Trump further escalated by signing an executive order to rename Lake Ontario as "Lake America."

TRUMP'S CANADA TARIFF FIGHT REACHES CRITICAL POINT AS HOUSE GOP SUMMONS TRADE CHIEF

The trade chief said that although Trump’s trade program already gives Canada "the best deal," U.S. officials were willing to negotiate after Canadian authorities approached the administration seeking a revised agreement.

"I told them what we could deliver. I said, ‘We could try to give you the best deal in the world on steel, aluminum, autos and help you out on lumber,’" Greer told Fox News. "These are things very sensitive for the Canadians, and we managed to move the levers of our government to give them that deal."

FEARS OF A CANADIAN TRADE WAR ARE OVERBLOWN. SO FAR, IT’S MORE OF A SKIRMISH

After Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney reached the handshake agreement, Canadian officials returned to Ottawa. Greer said he remains unsure what transpired there that ultimately prompted Canada to renege on the deal and seek additional concessions.

"When they came back, they wanted more, they wanted more tariff relief. It wasn't good enough to have the best deal in the world," he told Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier. "They wanted it to be even better… These are things we couldn't accommodate."

DAVID MARCUS: CANADA SEES TRUMP TRADE WAR AS ‘LIFE AND DEATH’ WHILE AMERICANS BARELY NOTICE

Canada suspended trade talks on Aug. 21. U.S. trade officials blamed the breakdown on what they described as "new demands and walk backs of other commitments by Canada" that "upended the careful balance" of the negotiations.

"We were ready to do it. We gave them the best deal in the world. Did it give them everything? No. Did we have everything we wanted? No. That's how a deal works," Greer said.

‘CAPTAIN CANADA’ FIREBRAND UNLOADS ON TRUMP WITH PROFANE ONE-LINER AS TRADE WAR ESCALATES

The trade chief said Canadian leaders appeared on television after the agreement fell apart and claimed the country had "been attacked."

Greer pushed back on that characterization, arguing that the "vast majority" of Canadian goods enter the U.S. duty-free and noting that Canada, along with China, are the only countries to have retaliated against U.S. trade measures.

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"Since even before the second Trump term, they've limited our ability to sell dairy into Canada, and they're importing things from China," he said. "They're turning them into other goods and trying to get them duty-free across our border."

Greer, who believes the Canadians were negotiating in good faith, said he has received some outreach from Canada but no formal negotiations since Aug. 21.

As for what comes next, Greer said the trade deal’s future now lies "in Canada’s corner."

Maryland sheriff torches Democrats over law he says puts illegal immigrants first

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 06:00:26 -0400

A Maryland sheriff is warning that the state’s new sanctuary law could put dangerous illegal immigrants back on the streets and leave more American families mourning crimes he says could have been prevented.

"It’s just a matter of time," Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler told Fox News Digital, warning that the restrictions will lead to more crime and more victims.

Gahler delivered the blunt warning after testifying before a House Judiciary subcommittee about Maryland’s restrictions on cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. He is also leading 16 fellow sheriffs, representing two-thirds of the state, in a lawsuit challenging the Community Trust Act.

The 40-year law enforcement veteran said his greatest fear is that the law will force correctional officers to release an illegal immigrant from jail even after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has flagged that person as a public safety or national security threat.

MARYLAND SHERIFFS SHOULD NOT BE HANDCUFFED BY RECKLESS SANCTUARY POLITICS

Gahler said the law could force jail officials to release an inmate who is otherwise eligible to leave local custody instead of transferring that person directly to ICE.

HUNDREDS OF JAILED ILLEGAL ALIENS RELEASED BACK ONTO BLUE-STATE STREETS DESPITE ICE DETAINERS, RECORDS SHOW

"I don’t want to have to open the jail door and say, ‘Welcome back to Harford County. Go victimize. Let’s create some more victims,’" he said. "That is insane."

If someone released under the law commits another crime, Gahler said responsibility would rest with the elected officials who imposed the restrictions.

ANGEL MOM WARNS DEMOCRATS 'WE'RE NOT GOING TO STOP' AFTER EMOTIONAL HOUSE HEARING ON SANCTUARY POLICIES

"So whose hands is it on?" he said. "The politicians."

Gahler said he testified to give lawmakers a view from the front lines after years of warnings from law enforcement leaders. He accused state officials of understanding the risks but choosing politics over public safety.

SPANBERGER'S ICE RESTRICTIONS DEALT MAJOR SETBACK AS JUDGE WARNS OTHER BLUE STATES

"I think they understand. I think they don’t care," Gahler said. "Those who are on the side of the issue supporting criminal illegal immigration, who voted for this nonsense of ending our agreements and coming up with the Community Trust Act … they do not care."

"We have a criminal-friendly legislature," he added. "It’s all pro-criminal."

Gahler pointed to two families in his county whose lives were shattered by illegal immigrant killers.

EXCLUSIVE: ANGEL DAD FINDS ‘NEW PURPOSE’ WITH ICE AFTER DAUGHTER’S KILLING TURNED HIS WORLD UPSIDE DOWN

Rachel Morin, a 37-year-old mother of five, was raped and murdered on the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air in August 2023. Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, was convicted and sentenced to life without parole.

Kayla Hamilton, a 20-year-old autistic woman, was raped and strangled inside her Aberdeen home in July 2022. Walter Javier Martinez, a suspected MS-13 member from El Salvador who entered the U.S. illegally as an unaccompanied minor, was sentenced to life in prison, with all but 70 years suspended.

Gahler said neither woman should be reduced to a political talking point and accused supporters of Maryland’s immigration restrictions of failing to show genuine concern for their families.

"No one called Patty Morin" after Rachel’s murder, Gahler said. He added that no one contacted Kayla’s mother, Tammy Nobles, to express condolences or promise to fight for the two Harford County victims.

HOCHUL ICE POLICY ‘WRITTEN IN THE BLOOD OF VICTIMS,’ OPPONENT SAYS AS SHERIFFS SUE

"I simply think that there are those in Annapolis and those in Washington who do not care," he added. "It’s politics over public safety."

The Community Trust Act limits when Maryland authorities can question people about their immigration status, hold them over suspected civil violations or notify ICE that they are in custody.

Gov. Wes Moore allowed the measure to become law without his signature.

"Maryland will never be a sanctuary for criminals under Governor Moore," Rhyan Lake, Senior Communications Strategist for Moore, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "In fact, since Governor Moore took office, Maryland is seeing some of the largest drops in violent crime in the country."

"We will always work with the federal administration when it comes to making our communities safer, but untrained, unqualified, and unaccountable ICE agents arresting five-year-olds and ripping mothers from their families does not make anyone safer," Lake continued. "In Maryland, we’ll continue holding violent offenders accountable and protecting Marylanders’ constitutional rights and basic dignity."

Gahler and the other sheriffs argue that the restrictions dismantled a safe, jail-based partnership with ICE under the federal 287(g) program. He stressed that his deputies were not conducting immigration raids or doing the work of federal agents.

"We do not do ICE’s job for them," Gahler said. "We work with our federal partners. We don’t replace our federal partners."

He said the program applied to people already jailed on criminal allegations and allowed ICE transfers to occur inside the secure facility instead of through potentially more dangerous arrests after their release.

"Our 287(g) program identified those people who were here committing criminal offenses against our citizens and are in the country illegally," Gahler said. "Then we turned them over safely in the security and safety of our jail after they were already in custody."

"Anytime we don’t have to do a raid in law enforcement, it’s safer," he added. "You have the person secured. Turn them over to ICE because ICE says they pose a threat to public safety or national security."

SANCTUARY COUNTY REFUSED 615 ICE TRANSFER REQUESTS, TURNED OVER JUST 11 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, RECORDS SHOW

Gahler said opposition to the program has ebbed and flowed with the political climate. He noted that Harford County joined under President Barack Obama, but said Maryland critics renewed their opposition when President Donald Trump returned to the White House.

"They’re doing it for purely political reasons and not public safety," Gahler said. "That’s complete nonsense."

He compared Maryland with California, saying the two Democrat-led states appeared to be competing over policies he believes favor offenders over victims.

"I look at Maryland and California as playing a game of tennis," Gahler said, accusing the states of "whacking the ball back and forth across the court to see who can be more idiotic."

NEW YORK SHERIFFS 'MAD AS HELL' AS HOCHUL PUSHES TO BAN KEY LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERSHIP

The sheriff also tied his fight to the approaching 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. A Maryland State Police commander on 9/11, Gahler said the tragedy exposed deadly communication gaps among law enforcement agencies, barriers he believes Maryland is now rebuilding.

"The complete takeaway from 9/11 was that we didn’t communicate" effectively across local, state and federal agencies, Gahler said. Yet 25 years later, he argued, Maryland has moved dangerously far from that lesson.

"The Community Trust Act … forbids us from talking to a federal law enforcement partner," he continued. "It doesn’t get any more stupid than that. When you see terrible legislation, that’s as bad as it gets."

Gahler said the sheriffs will keep pressing their case in court and speaking out for victims. Unless state leaders change course, he warned, more families will join a grim and growing list.

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"Our job should be to stop increasing the number of angel families," Gahler said, "and stop allowing American citizens to be the victims of crime committed by people who are in our country illegally."

Fox News Digital's Charles Creitz contributed to this report.

Craig Carton: I'm bringing my 'unwavering, unapologetic' opinions to OutKick

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 06:00:26 -0400

Let’s get one thing straight: I’m excited.

Not fake excited.

Not "thanks for having me, thrilled to be here" corporate excited, the kind of excited that makes you want to shake the person next to you and scream, "Do you understand what we’re about to do?" Like Knicks fans watching the greatest comeback in NBA playoff history excited.

WATCH THE CRAIG CARTON SHOW ON OUTKICK

I’m joining the OutKick family, and I’m bringing the Craig Carton Show with me.

This isn’t going to be another podcast where three boring guys sit around a microphone, nod at each other and spend 47 minutes explaining why they agree.

Spare me.

I’ve got enough opinions to fill a stadium, and I’m not suddenly going to develop white tablecloth dinner table manners or go soft and change what I do or who I am.

Expect A-list guests. Expect athletes, entertainers, newsmakers, provocateurs and people who occasionally make you say, "Wait…did he really just say that?"

You’ll get thoughtful commentary, too — because beneath all the yelling, sarcasm and pointed takes and rugged good looks, there’s an actual brain in here somewhere.

SUBSCRIBE TO 'THE CRAIG CARTON SHOW' ON YOUTUBE

Most importantly, you’ll get my opinions. Unwavering. Unapologetic. On sports, culture, entertainment and the insanity we call world events.

If you want someone to tell you what you already believe, there are plenty of places to go. If you want a conversation that challenges you, makes you laugh, occasionally pisses you off and keeps you listening until the very end, congratulations: you found the right show.

So buckle up.

The Craig Carton Podcast is coming to OutKick.

And yes, I’m just getting started.

See you on September 8th for the greatest launch since the Titanic.

Scratch that.

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It's the greatest launch since Halo on XBOX or Tecmo Bowl or PB and J Crustables.

Tennessee official says Flock CEO should be hanged 'publicly for treason’ as controversial cameras face revolt

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 06:00:25 -0400

A Tennessee county commissioner is going viral after he told a Flock Safety representative at a public meeting that the company's CEO should be hanged for treason, marking a fever-pitch surrounding personal privacy and open public hostility over the nationwide rollout of the controversial surveillance tools.

"I believe that Flock right now is one of the most hated companies in America. They are one of the most corrupt companies in America," Kingsport Commissioner Joe Carr told a Flock Safety representative at an Aug. 13 work session.

"Quite frankly, sir, I don't think we can make America great again without hanging your CEO publicly for treason," Carr continued. "Your company is an enemy of the American people."

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

His comments were quickly interrupted by the leader of the commission meeting, who interjected, saying, "Mr. Carr, we are not going to threaten violence to anybody."

Speaking with Fox News Digital, Carr looked to clarify his now-viral remarks.

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

"I didn't call for lynchings, I called for due process," Carr said. "You want to try the guy first, and I don't support political random killings. I definitely don't. But at the same time, you know, the American people are angry. I felt, and I think a lot of them felt, that no elected official was really going hard enough on this. And so I wanted to be the guy to do that."

Carr's criticism comes as Flock's rollout of automated license plate readers draws national scrutiny over government surveillance, data security and personal privacy. Roughly 100 municipalities have canceled or deactivated their contracts with the security company.

POWERFUL CRIME-FIGHTING SURVEILLANCE GROWTH SPURS LAWMAKERS TO ISSUE WARNING: 'ORWELLIAN'

"I think probably the biggest story though isn't really my comments, but people's reaction to them," Carr said. "You can go on any of the posts about it and like 99 percent of the replies are agreeing with me. And I think that's where the American people are at right now."

"People have a right to go about their business without being spied on," he added. "Whether or not they're going to work or going to church, picking their kids up from school, going to football practice or whatever, they have a right to do all these things without being spied on and without having the government logging their every move."

TEXAS GOV GREG ABBOTT MOVES TO CUT STATE FUNDING FOR AI-POWERED FLOCK CAMERAS AMID PRIVACY CONCERNS

Within days of Carr’s comments in the work session, Sullivan County Sheriff Jeff Cassidy suspended the use of all 10 of Flock’s ALPRs in the county due to "legitimate concerns" surrounding "privacy, oversight, and government surveillance," according to a press release.

Cassidy went on to ask the Sullivan County Commission to consider placing a referendum on the next local ballot "that would allow voters to decide" if the sheriff’s office can reinstate the technology.

"I believe the safeguards currently in place within our agency provide clear guidelines for the proper use of this technology. If an employee abuses or misuses the technology, we will take quick and decisive action, up to and including termination or prosecution when warranted," the statement continued.

Despite the sheriff’s office’s assertion that the cameras had facilitated positive, crime-fighting results within the community — including an instance in which a Flock camera assisted in locating a child predator who had escaped federal custody in a neighboring city — Carr insists their risks outweigh the benefits.

THE SURVEILLANCE CAMERA ON YOUR STREET CORNER: LAWFUL SPYING OR CONSTITUTIONALLY PROBLEMATIC?

"If you use this inappropriately or if it gets hacked, and it's a national security risk by a foreign actor, it could very quickly snowball and become something that outweighs all of the positives that have incurred up to that point," Carr told Fox News Digital.

"Or, Heaven forbid, you get a government that starts acting totalitarian," he continued. "And then they have the infrastructure in place, and you can't really get rid of it once it's there."

More than 135,000 ALPRs have been identified throughout the country, with roughly four of every five cameras belonging to Flock, according to data from DeFlock.org.

Flock’s website says the company has operational cameras — which sit perched atop roadside poles — in 49 states, with each one capturing a vehicle’s characteristics and license plate number as it passes.

TEENS ACCUSED OF DESTROYING FLOCK CAMERA UNTIL BATTERY EXPLODED, IGNITING FIRE NEAR HOMES: REPORT

The company insists the cameras do not record continuously or utilize facial recognition technology to identify individuals in a specific car. Its website adds that customers own the data in which Flock gathers and "every search requires a documented reason and is logged for review."

However, instances of police officers using the technology to track previous romantic partners have made headlines in recent months, with some concerned citizens taking matters into their own hands by covering the cameras or shooting them with guns.

Last month, NPR reported that Flock cameras have been vandalized in at least 36 states throughout the country, further fueling the debate surrounding if the technology is truly welcome in the communities in which they were placed.

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

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

The company’s use of artificial intelligence continues to be a sticking point for critics of the cameras, with both Republicans and Democrats speaking out against the rollout of Flock’s technology.

"I mean, this has probably been one of the most unifying things that I’ve seen in my lifetime," Carr said, adding, "It’s not really a left or right issue, because I think the one thing that people really understand innately, even if they’re not expressing it, is that they wouldn’t trust their worst enemy with the technology."

The skepticism has been echoed by political leaders on both sides of the aisle.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott last week paused state funding for Flock cameras. In Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis warned against expanding a "digital AI surveillance state," and the state's Department of Transportation announced Monday that it was revoking existing permits for automated license plate readers within state highway rights-of-way.

Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro also hit back against the company, announcing he would encourage a bipartisan bill for an overall ban on Flock cameras throughout the state.

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"We need to work together," Carr told Fox News Digital. "It doesn’t matter who’s pulling with us on this. We need to work together and make sure that our descendants aren’t spied on forever."

Blue state school district accused of defying Supreme Court, hiding gender transitions from parents

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 05:00:53 -0400

A New Jersey school district is being sued over a policy allowing students to change their name and gender identity at school without notifying their parents.

Under the School District of the Chathams' policy, students are able to change their name in official school records, use the bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity, and the school guidance counselor decides "whether, and to what extent" parents are involved in the decision.

The school's policy flies in the face of the Supreme Court's ruling in Mirabelli v. Bonta in March, which granted an injunction against California over state policies that keep students' gender identities confidential from parents while the issue works its way through the lower courts, according to Christopher Ferrara, senior counsel for the Thomas More Society, who filed the lawsuit.

"Well, the court has made clear in the Mirabelli case, and the Third Circuit has a decision along the same lines, that parents have standing to challenge a policy like this, which would hide a gender transition from the parents, whether or not the child is actually transitioning," Ferrara told Fox News Digital. "And the Supreme Court indicated that the reason parents have standing is that the parents are the objects of this policy."

"The policy provides that this information will be hidden from them, so they have the right to object to it, whether or not their particular child or children is at that moment being transitioned. And there's always a risk, of course, that the child under peer pressure, or the influence of teachers, or social media, will go along with this ridiculous trend and decide that his gender is not the biological one that parents believe is God-given and immutable, but some other gender."

Ferrara noted that the policy could have major consequences for students who aren't seeking to transition their gender because they could be forced to share locker rooms and bathrooms with members of the opposite sex.

Moms for Liberty CEO and founder Tina Descovich, whose organization is one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, also alleged that students who refuse to use other students' preferred pronouns could face disciplinary action under the school's code of conduct.

"They have a policy in the school district that will actually punish children that don't use the demanded new gender identity pronoun and name of another student," Descovich told Fox News Digital. "They can do that just one time on accident, and they can be punished up to suspension just for using the wrong pronoun or the wrong name of someone that is identifying as something other than they actually are."

Fox News Digital reached out to the School District of the Chathams for comment.

Along with Moms for America, two anonymous parents of elementary school-aged daughters are plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which was filed Aug. 24. The plaintiffs accuse the school of violating the parents' and students' First Amendment rights to free speech and religious liberty, as well as the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment. The school district is also accused of violating parental rights that were affirmed in the Supreme Court's ruling in Mahmoud v. Taylor, which determined that parents can opt their children out of LGBT-centered lessons.

WASHINGTON MOTHER PULLS CHILDREN FROM SCHOOL AFTER PRIDE LESSON SHOWN IN MUSIC CLASS WITHOUT NOTICE

"The Supreme Court has ruled twice on these issues," Descovich said. "We know that parents have to have a right to opt out of things that violate their religious beliefs."

The lawsuit follows a June 15, 2026, school board meeting in which Ann Ciccarelli, president of the Chatham School District Board of Education, said the district was not legally bound by the Mirabelli decision and instead was required to follow the New Jersey Department of Education's 2018 guidance on transgender students.

DAD OF THIRD-GRADE GIRL IN MASSACHUSETTS ALLEGEDLY BARGED IN ON BY TRANS STUDENT IN BATHROOM CALLS FOR ACTION

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But New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin acknowledged that Policy 5756 is not mandatory, according to NJ Spotlight News.

"The guidance violates both Maribel and it violates Mahmood and, so you know there's a lot of crossover and confusion here, but what it comes down to is the school board. The school has a duty and responsibility to protect constitutional rights of the citizens in its community of its employees of its students of its families, and it is not doing that," Descovich said.

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Ferrara told Fox News Digital that since parents began speaking out against the policy, they have been subjected to threats and intimidation. He said that one family has had police security outside their homes.

"This is what happens when you oppose these policies," Ferrara told Fox News Digital. "You basically are going to be subjected to a vicious public backlash by ideologues who are totally intolerant of basically the normal point of view on this issue."

I'm Gen Z: If the GOP wants my vote, stop the speeches and fix the housing crisis

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 05:00:32 -0400

I’m going to Dallas next week to attend the 2026 Republican Midterm Convention. I'm not going for the merch and not for the parties. I’m going because Republicans are about to get two nights of primetime television, the first midterm political convention in American history, and if we waste that stage just talking to ourselves, we will deserve a Blue Wave on Election Day, November 3.

Let me say the quiet part at full volume: We are running against a Democratic Party that has stopped pretending. Democratic socialists are winning primaries, and their platform is not "more Medicaid." It is a new constitution, public ownership of the economy and the end of the United States Senate.

President Trump has called members of the DSA communists, and he wasn’t being cute. If we lose Congress to that coalition, it will not be because America secretly wanted commissars. It will be because we could not look a 20-year-old like me in the eye and tell him why our side will let him buy a house, keep a paycheck, and speak without getting hurt.

REPUBLICAN PARTY TO HOST HISTORIC MIDTERM CONVENTION IN DALLAS, TRUMP ANNOUNCES ON TRUTH SOCIAL

Gen Z is not a lost cause. Young men already moved toward the GOP in 2024. Housing is their number-one issue, and the cost of living is the country’s number-one issue. They do not care about our process stories. They care whether this country still works for people who were not born holding a down payment.

So here is what I want to hear from that stage at American Airlines Center: Highlight the wins that are real, and stop burying them under slogans.

The border is not a vibe. Illegal crossings collapsed, catch-and-release is dead, and net migration went negative for the first time in half a century. Fentanyl deaths dropped more than 20 percent in a year. That is not "tough talk." That is fewer dead classmates.

REPUBLICANS CAN WIN THE MIDTERMS IF THEY JUST STOP UNDERSELLING SUCCESS

The Working Families Tax Cuts made the 2017 rates permanent, with no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on Social Security, Trump Accounts for kids, and a bigger Child Tax Credit. That is money that stays with a bartender, a welder or a nurse working a double. Do not assume young voters already know, because their algorithm has been feeding them the opposite story.

School choice is expanding, hostages are coming home, and factories are being announced again. And when we remember Charlie Kirk, who was killed on a campus last September for doing the one thing Gen Z actually respects — showing up and arguing in public — it should not be a 90-second tribute and a cut to commercial. His death is the argument. If a 31-year-old can be shot for debating college kids, free speech is not a branding exercise. It is a survival issue.

WHO WANTS THEIR CHILD TO BE A MILLIONAIRE? TRUMP HAS GIVEN YOU THAT CHANCE

Then make promises that sound like they were written by someone who has paid rent in this decade.

Promise a housing offensive that treats supply like a national emergency: Smash the zoning cartel, speed permits, and stop turning every starter home into a museum piece for people who already own one. Promise a first-time-buyer track that is not another 400-page bill named after a senator. Promise the next Congress will ban members from trading individual stocks. Young people think the game is rigged, and they are not crazy.

THE AMERICAN DREAM NOW COMES WITH A ZIP CODE: HERE'S WHERE STARTER HOMES ARE STILL WITHIN REACH

Promise trade schools and apprenticeships with the same intensity we give tax rates. A generation drowning in degrees and debt does not need another lecture that college is the dream.

They need a path that does not require a $90,000 ticket to learn a job America actually needs. Promise energy abundance like you mean it, not as a culture-war prop but as a cost-of-living policy. Electricity, gas, groceries, and rent move together. If we cannot explain that chain on national television, we will lose affordability to people who will nationalize the grocery store and call it compassion.

Promise campuses will not be permission slips for political violence, that boys are not a problem to be managed, and that we will stop importing labor to undercut the kid who stayed and showed up for work.

That is the speech, not "our values" and not "the swamp": specific, measurable, and aimed at the cohort that can still flip.

Democrats want this convention to look like a circus, and that is fine, because circuses draw a crowd. The question is what the crowd hears when the lights hit. Vice President JD Vance opens Wednesday, and President Trump closes Thursday. Between those two nights, the country will decide whether Republicans are a governing party with a future or a nostalgia act with better production value.

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I am tired of hearing that Gen Z is "too far gone." That is what losers say, so they don’t have to do the work. This generation is transactional, anti-incumbent, and allergic to being lied to. They voted against Trump, then they voted for him, and they will vote against us just as fast if we talk like consultants. Next week is the cleanest shot we will get before November: primetime in Dallas.

If we cannot win that argument, we don’t get to blame the media, the map, or the kids. We get to blame the people who had the microphone and used it to congratulate themselves.

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See you in Dallas. Don’t blow it.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM BRILYN HOLLYHAND

Gun control activists demanded better data. What they got surprised the heck out of them

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 05:00:12 -0400

A Georgetown professor just taught gun control activists an important lesson: When you criticize studies that don’t support anti-gun talking points, be careful what you wish for — you just might get it. In this case, they got an unprecedented amount of new data that obliterates their narrative.

In 2021, professor William English published the findings of his National Firearms Survey, by far the most comprehensive assessment of gun ownership ever conducted. The data demonstrated that defensive gun uses were commonplace, that ordinary Americans really like the weapons gun control activists hate most and that longstanding stereotypes about the "sort" of Americans who exercise their Second Amendment rights were misplaced.

Gun control activists predictably hated this. They attacked the report’s conclusions and author, blasting the survey over nitpicky concerns. English explained how the alleged problems wouldn’t have significantly impacted the results. Critics categorically dismissed the report anyway.

MAJOR APPEALS COURT DECLARES NEW JERSEY AR-15 BAN UNCONSTITUTIONAL IN LANDMARK SECOND AMENDMENT RULING

So, English humored them. He re-administered the survey, "fixing" its alleged "mistakes."

If gun control activists hated the 2021 conclusions, they will likely lose their minds over the new ones, which English just released online. The improved and redesigned 2026 survey fails to vindicate their criticisms and deals even mightier blows to anti-gun narratives.

Here are four of the most significant findings from the new report:

1. Possession of ‘assault weapons’ even more common

Anti-gun activists love to target so-called "assault weapons" and "high-capacity magazines" (magazines holding more than 10 rounds). They frame them as "weapons of war" with "no civilian purpose," claiming they’re not "in common use" for lawful purposes and therefore unprotected by the Second Amendment.

VIRGINIA GUN SALES SPIKE AHEAD OF JULY 1 ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN SIGNED BY GOV. SPANBERGER

The 2021 survey tore this argument to shreds, estimating that tens of millions of ordinary Americans own these rifles and magazines for lawful purposes like self-defense, hunting and sport shooting. Critics complained that the questions asked whether respondents had ever owned a magazine holding more than 10 rounds, or an AR-15 or "similarly styled rifle." They argued this language inflated numbers by including former (but not current) owners and semiautomatic rifles that aren’t technically "assault weapons."

The 2026 survey accordingly asked whether respondents currently own an AR-15 or a "similarly styled semiautomatic rifle with a pistol grip" — a feature universally cited in "assault weapon" definitions.

The new data vindicates English. Despite five years of efforts to "get weapons of war off our streets," an estimated 26.4 million American adults now own an AR-15 or its equivalent, up from the 24.6 million Americans estimated by the 2021 survey to have ever owned one.

The same trajectory holds for magazines. In 2021, 48% of gun owners — roughly 39 million Americans — were estimated to have ever owned one capable of holding more than 10 rounds. Five years later, an estimated 44.5 million currently own one, and gun owners are now even slightly more likely to own one (50.5%) than to not own one.

2. 2021 survey likely underestimated defensive gun use

English’s original survey estimated that American adults use firearms to defend themselves, their property or others 1.67 million times annually, excluding military, police and security work.

Critics called that estimate "implausible," arguing that the broad definition — which included incidents where a gun was mentioned but not displayed — and allegedly "leading" questions meant many reported uses may have been "imagined."

DOJ TARGETS SPANBERGER, NEWSOM GUN LAWS WITH TWIN LAWSUITS AFTER SCOTUS AFFIRMS SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS

Ironically, critics were right that the numbers were off, but wrong about the direction: the 2021 survey may have actually undercounted defensive gun uses.

The new dataset yielded an annual average of 2.2 million defensive gun uses. Part of the increase likely came from asking about protection against animal attacks, which accounted for over 8% of reported uses.

3. More Americans are legally exercising their right to bear arms

Gun control advocates are losing the public-carry culture war. Seventy percent of gun owners now report at least "some circumstances in which they carry a handgun for self-defense," up from 56% in the original survey.

That doesn’t necessarily reflect public carry, since some may carry only on private property. Still, the new report estimates that 33.6 million Americans are "public carriers" — that is, they have a concealed carry permit and carry for self-defense "at least sometimes." That’s a remarkable 60% increase in five years.

What could possibly explain this?

The original survey ran from Feb. 17 to March 23, 2021. Much has changed in the public-carry landscape over the last five years.

Since July 1, 2021, 12 states with over 117 million people have enacted permitless carry laws, making it easier for law-abiding gun owners to arm themselves in public. Montana’s law took effect during the original survey. The Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in "New York State Rifle & Pistol Association" also opened the door for tens of millions of Americans to finally engage in some manner of public carry, even if the 10 states whose public carry laws were implicated still make it incredibly difficult, expensive and time-consuming to get a concealed carry permit.

This increased access to public carry, combined with historically unprecedented violent crime spikes, seems to have facilitated something of a nationwide "come to Jesus" moment about the importance of armed self-defense in public spaces. And it’s fundamentally changing societal perceptions regarding the right to bear arms and not in the direction that gun control activists favor.

4. American gun owners are an increasingly diverse group

Finally, the 2026 survey indicates that more Americans from all walks of life are recognizing the importance of their Second Amendment rights. An even greater proportion of gun owners now hail from demographic groups that historically owned guns at much lower rates. It’s a consequential cultural shift that undermines some of anti-gun activists’ favorite tropes about gun owners.

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Importantly, the new report puts to rest conjectures by anti-gun activists that the original survey found surprisingly high rates of female gun ownership only because women reported their husbands’ "household" guns as their own. The 2026 design explicitly told respondents to count only firearms that they personally own and not to include their spouse’s guns. Even with this change, the estimated proportion of gun owners who are female increased by 3.5% compared to 2021. It tuns out that women weren’t confused by the original question, after all.

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In the end, gun control advocates might’ve fared better by just quietly licking their wounds when the original survey shredded their narrative. Instead, they doubled down and dared English to run the play again. He called their bluff and ran up the score.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM AMY SWEARER

JONATHAN TURLEY: Talarico brings a touch of Trotsky to the Texas Senate race

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 05:00:08 -0400

Senate Democratic nominee James Talarico appears ready to bring a touch of Trotsky to Texas. In a video from a climate forum, Talarico is shown declaring capitalism an "oppressive system" linked with White supremacy and saying that it must be "dismantled" to achieve a better world. It is reminiscent of Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky, who denounced the "fundamental evil of the capitalist system" and called on citizens to free themselves from its oppression. The Democratic Socialists of America and radical sites have long called "to dismantle the capitalist state."

As a state representative, Talarico addressed the 2020 climate conference by the Austin chapter of the Sierra Club with other Texas House candidates. However, it was Talarico who roused the crowd with an attack on capitalism:

"I’m so thankful that you asked this question and also thankful that young activists have really drawn the link between climate change and White supremacy and capitalism in our country ... And I think only ending the ways that all three of those oppressive systems work together are we gonna be able to begin the process of dismantling them."

TALARICO’S ‘PROUD CAPITALIST’ ABOUT-FACE COLLIDES WITH RESURFACED CALL TO ‘DISMANTLE’ CAPITALISM

Talarico added criticism of Texas’s oil and gas industry, which he mocked as a dying industry "like being the leader in cassette tapes in the 1980s." He predicted with obvious satisfaction, "That industry is not gonna last."

Ironically, given his earlier promise of running a meatless, vegan campaign, opposing both beef and energy markets in Texas could well achieve the dismantling of the economy by default in Texas.

WATCH: UNEARTHED VIDEO SHOWS LEFTIST SENATE HOPEFUL CELEBRATING ANTI-FOSSIL FUEL GROUP'S ARRIVAL IN TEXAS

Talarico's views closely parallel socialist and communist talking points online. The Democratic Socialists of America has challenged people to "imagine the end of capitalism." Those words in The Democratic Socialists of America manifesto offer Americans a world without landlords, debt, mandatory work hours, and "food, education, energy, medicine, and transportation … are common goods and utilities."

The DSA is premised on the same stated objective of Talarico, declaring that there has to be "a revolutionary transformation to replace the capitalist social order based on exploitation and oppression."

JONATHAN TURLEY: DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS WANT TO REMAKE AMERICA IN THEIR IMAGE. THAT’S TERRIFYING

Other candidates have sought to pander to this radical mob. Recently, California Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom thrilled the mob by declaring that "nostalgia is not working," adding that "capitalism as we know it doesn’t work either."

In "Rage and the Republic," I discuss the rise of socialism and the coalition of politicians, pundits and professors in attacking capitalism as well as core institutions such as the Supreme Court. It is a crisis of faith on the 250th anniversary of the oldest and most successful republic in history.

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

It is the 250th anniversary not only of the Declaration of Independence but of Adam Smith’s "Wealth of Nations." Smith's free-market theories were immediately embraced by the Founders as the perfect economic theory to match their political theory. They had declared the first Enlightenment Revolution based on a belief in natural rights that came from God, not governments.

However, those rights mean little without economic freedom. Capitalism offered citizens the ability to transcend class and social barriers, to advance as far as their skills and labor would take them.

MODERN CAPITALISM IS TURNING 250, TOO. WE NEED TO REMIND AMERICANS WHY IT’S IMPORTANT

Together, those political and economic theories created the most prosperous and stable democratic system in the world. That system is now under attack on both sides. Radicals are calling for the trashing of the U.S. Constitution and the discarding of our core constitutional values.

Even establishment figures from former Vice President Kamala Harris to Newsom now dismiss faith in core institutions as mere "nostalgia." Those of us who support the Madisonian democracy are derisively called "institutionalists" and constitutional "cultists."

JONATHAN TURLEY: DEM SOCIALIST RIPS ‘INSTITUTIONALISTS’ AS FAR LEFT TURNS UP HEAT ON DEFENDERS OF CONSTITUTION

The New York Times ran a column, "The Constitution Is Broken and Should Not Be Reclaimed," by Ryan D. Doerfler of Harvard and Samuel Moyn of Yale, calling upon citizens to "reclaim America from constitutionalism."

As these attacks on our constitutional system mount, a similar attack on capitalism is unfolding. In New York, Democratic Mayor Zohran Mamdani promised to show citizens the "warmth of collectivism" from free childcare to free buses to state-run grocery stores. Across the country, Mamdani allies are joining him in calling for the de-commodification of private property and the seizing of the means of production.

DSA CO-CHAIR MOCKED FOR PROUDLY CONFIRMING SOCIALISTS WANT TO ABOLISH THE SENATE, NATIONAL BORDERS, PRISONS

Polls show that these candidates are being propelled not by the working class, but by young, college-educated voters fresh out of the ideological echo chamber of higher education. They are armchair revolutionaries like Talarico, repeating socialist slogans with the same robotic rote delivery of a Young Pioneer camp.

As these videos surface, radical candidates from Michigan Democrat Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed to Talarico brush off their earlier comments as media allies attack any reporting on prior statements. New York Democrat Socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is considering a run for president, recently called her own extremist statements "Woke 1."

SOCIALIST CANDIDATES CAN DELETE OLD POSTS, BUT THEY CAN'T ERASE THEIR RADICALISM

The transparent insincerity does not matter to their base. These figures have already shown their bona fides with extremist statements in the past. Talarico's desire to dismantle capitalism was not some slip of the tongue but a planned speech to fellow activists. To pivot now is considered to be mere packaging for uneducated and malleable dupes.

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Indeed, the Talarico campaign responded by simply declaring that Talarico is a "proud capitalist," though one staffer admitted that the comments were a bit "cringey." Being a "proud capitalist" who wants to "dismantle" capitalism is a bit like being an avid meat-eater who denounces meat consumption as killing the world and banning meat from his campaign."

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Accordingly, when asked about past radical positions, these figures immediately deny or dismiss them. If you want to dismantle the constitutional or economic systems of the United States, a few white lies hardly seem of much consequence. After all, as Trotsky explained, "The end may justify the means as long as there is something that justifies the end." For these radicals, there is no greater justification than their own election.

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Coast Guard recovers 47 bales of suspected marijuana worth $2.4M after intercepting go-fast vessel

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 04:23:36 -0400

The U.S. Coast Guard recovered more than a ton of suspected marijuana worth over $2.4 million after crews intercepted a suspicious go-fast vessel during a patrol, military officials said.

Crews recovered 47 bales weighing a combined 2,082 pounds along the vessel's previous route, according to Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-S).

Four people were detained in connection with the operation, JIATF-S said.

Officials said the seizure happened during a routine patrol after the crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba detected "a suspicious go-fast vessel" and launched a boat crew to investigate.

NEWLY UNCLASSIFIED PENTAGON IMAGES SHOW SUSPECTED DRUG BOATS AS OFFICIAL ISSUES DEADLY WARNING

"The vessel stopped without further incident," JIATF-S said.

During follow-on operations, Coast Guard crews discovered what officials described as a "bale field" along the vessel's prior track and recovered the suspected marijuana, valued at more than $2.4 million.

"This mission required vigilance, professionalism, and seamless coordination from detection and pursuit to evidence recovery and search-and-rescue support," JIATF-S said.

WHITE HOUSE HIGHLIGHTS 'STEEPEST' EVER DECLINE IN US CASUALTIES FROM CARTELS AMID BOAT STRIKES

JIATF-S did not specify where the incident took place, but thanked the Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba and Joint Rescue Coordination Center Haiti for their "timely support, search assistance, and coordination throughout the operation."

The drug seizure comes amid the Trump administration's ongoing campaign targeting narcotics trafficking networks in the Western Hemisphere.

U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) touted the operation, saying the "bust is another demonstration of the United States' resolve to stop the flow of dangerous drugs into the homeland."

This week, SOUTHCOM said it conducted two operations in which U.S. forces intercepted and sank vessels in the Eastern Pacific that the military said were tied to Los Choneros, which it described as a violent narco-terrorist organization.

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

The U.S. military has also been involved in a monthslong campaign launched by the Trump administration aimed at dismantling cartel-linked trafficking networks, including dozens of strikes in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean targeting vessels it says are connected to "narco-terrorists."

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The latest seizure follows another major Coast Guard drug bust off the coast of Puerto Rico last month.

The Coast Guard intercepted a suspected smuggling boat nearly 50 miles off the coast of the U.S. territory and discovered more than 7,000 pounds of cocaine worth about $54.5 million.

Five people aboard the suspected smuggling vessel were detained and taken into custody as part of that investigation.

Fox News Digital's Kelsie Cairns contributed to this report.

Trump administration proposes stripping tax-exempt status from schools using race-based programs

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 02:56:49 -0400

The Trump administration proposed new regulations on Thursday to revoke the tax-exempt status of private schools and colleges if they use race in admissions, scholarships or other school-administered programs, the latest effort by the federal government to root out diversity initiatives in education.

The rules, proposed by the Treasury Department ‌and Internal Revenue Service, aim to end what administration officials argue is discrimination against white students in favor of students of color.

"Schools rebranding race-based preferences as equitable, inclusive, or diversity-enhancing does not change their discriminatory nature," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.

The proposal follows the Supreme Court's 2023 Students for Fair Admissions decisions, which prohibited most race-conscious admissions policies at colleges and universities.

DOJ OPENS PROBE INTO PRESTIGIOUS COLLEGE OVER ALLEGED DISCRIMINATION FAVORING MINORITY STUDENTS

Admissions, educational policies, scholarships and loans, athletics and "every other school-administered or school-supported program" would be covered by the Treasury's proposal.

It would apply to any program that considers race, color, or national or ethnic origin "for any purpose," including efforts to address past racial discrimination.

The Treasury estimated that the rules could impact as many ⁠as 18,000 schools at all education levels and 750,000 students who could be affected because they may qualify for race-based scholarships.

The proposal would not prevent private schools from having a religious mission, curriculum or program. Religious schools could continue to choose students based on religious ⁠affiliation, according to the Treasury.

The Treasury also said the proposal would not prohibit schools from helping disadvantaged students using race-neutral criteria, including income, geography or first-generation status.

The new proposal is subject to a public comment period and would likely spark legal challenges if ⁠adopted.

The American Association of University Professors, which advocates for academic freedom and has sued the administration to block funding cuts in the past, said it is considering legal action against the proposal.

"This is not neutral enforcement ‌of ⁠civil-rights law. It is an affirmative attempt to turn civil-rights law against the very people it was enacted to protect," AAUP President Todd Wolfson said in a statement. "For half a century, federal policy recognized that measures intended to dismantle entrenched racial exclusion are not equivalent to policies designed to preserve it."

DOJ OPENS PROBE INTO HARVARD'S FINANCIAL AID FOR ALLEGED DISCRIMINATION AGAINST AMERICAN STUDENTS

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The administration has sought to eliminate ⁠diversity, equity and inclusion policies in K-12 schools and higher education since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.

In addition to DEI, the administration has targeted educational institutions across the nation for issues such as race-based admissions and scholarships and alleged antisemitism on campus.

Trump has singled out Harvard University in particular for federal funding cuts, investigations and threats to the institution's tax-exempt status.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Karen Read’s lawyer says Clancy defense attorney may be ‘cut from a different cloth’ as deliberations drag on

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 00:00:15 -0400

One of Karen Read’s former defense attorneys praised Lindsay Clancy’s lawyer for his work as jurors neared the end of a sixth day of deliberations — after twice telling the judge they could not reach a unanimous verdict.

"It immediately brings back the stress and the pressure that comes from having somebody's life in your hands and the very worst part of a trial, which is when the jury's out," said David Yannetti, who was key to Read's defense team through both of her Massachusetts murder trials. "So I feel for Kevin now, as I feel any lawyer in that situation, but he appears to be confident."

He said the two cases are unusual because they involve professional women with no prior court involvement or criminal records — both of whom drew strong public support.

LINDSAY CLANCY JURORS VISIT CRIME SCENE IN KAREN READ-STYLE MOVE TO TEST TIMELINE: RETIRED JUDGE

"I think by all accounts, he did a wonderful job with this case, defending this woman in what is a horrific set of facts," he told Fox News Digital. "I think Kevin has succeeded to a large degree already."

Clancy is charged with three counts of murder in the deaths of her children, Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, who was 8 months old. Jurors could find her guilty of first- or second-degree murder, manslaughter or not criminally responsible under her insanity defense.

LINDSAY CLANCY VERDICT: RETIRED JUDGE EXPLAINS WHAT HAPPENS IF INSANITY DEFENSE PREVAILS

While the facts of the cases are worlds apart, both involve intense scrutiny from both the media and the public.

Judge William Sullivan, who is presiding over the Clancy trial, explained the prosecution's burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt after receiving a new note from the jury Thursday afternoon.

WATCH: Karen Read attorney David Yannetti explains grueling wait for jurors as Lindsay Clancy deliberations continue

LINDSAY CLANCY VERDICT STILL WITHIN REACH – RETIRED MASSACHUSETTS JUDGE PUSHES BACK ON HUNG-JURY PREDICTIONS

Then he sent jurors back to continue deliberating.

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With jurors out of the courtroom, Reddington made a fiery request to the judge, asking for the removal of an apparent single holdout whom he said another juror accused of failing to follow the law.

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Sullivan rejected the request.

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"Refusing to deliberate and refusing to agree are not the same thing," said retired Massachusetts Judge Carol Erskine, who is not involved with the case. She explained in an X post that judges are also required to be "extremely cautious" not to interfere with deliberations.

SOCIAL MEDIA IS LINDSAY CLANCY WILD CARD THAT COULD TILT POTENTIAL RETRIAL TO THE DEFENSE, RETIRED JUDGE SAYS

The court recessed for the day shortly after 4 p.m., and jurors will return Friday morning for their seventh day of deliberations.

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The wait can be brutal for attorneys and their clients, Yannetti told Fox News Digital.

LINDSAY CLANCY PROSECUTORS COME ACROSS AS 'TONE DEAF,' 'UNCARING' AND 'SNARKY,' DEFENSE ATTORNEY SAYS

"It’s torture," he said. Trial attorneys like to be in control, he explained, but once the jurors are out, there's nothing to do but watch and wait.

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"You're all just sort of on the frying pan, being cooked," he said.

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Read's first trial ended with a deadlocked jury after five days in 2024. She was acquitted of all homicide-related charges after her second trial last year, when jurors deliberated for four days.

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US military took down approximately 100 suspected cartel drones at southern border in August

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 23:58:08 -0400

EXCLUSIVE – The U.S. military provided rare insight into its operations at the southern border Thursday, revealing that it took down "approximately 100" suspected cartel drones in August alone, a senior War Department official confirmed to Fox News.

The disclosure marks the first time the Pentagon has revealed how frequently counter-drone technology, including sophisticated laser systems, is being used at the southern border to stop suspected cartel drones from entering the U.S.

According to a senior War Department official, Task Force–Southern Border carried out the drone takedowns using specialized counter-drone equipment provided and integrated by other military units.

Each operation was planned and closely coordinated with the Mexican military and border authorities to prevent interference or unintended conflicts between forces operating on either side of the border, the official said.

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The operations are part of a broader effort to rapidly deploy defenses against drones, combining multiple technologies with trained personnel and updated military authorities. The official emphasized that the military is not relying on a single "silver bullet" system to counter the threat.

The Pentagon told Fox News that the U.S. has been using counter-drone technology to assist with security operations at the border.

"The United States is employing defensive counter-drone technology to protect our personnel and border security operations from cartel-linked drone threats," Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson said.

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"These actions are closely coordinated with Mexican military and border authorities to ensure safety and deconfliction on both sides of the border," Wilson added.

The revelation comes as the Trump administration continues to use military force against cartels across the Western Hemisphere, including lethal strikes against alleged drug traffickers.

Earlier this week, senior administration officials touted President Donald Trump's use of military force during a press call.

"So, the president directed, the Department of War executed, the first ever plan and strategy to use direct military force to defend the homeland from this threat," one official said.

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"The effects have been spectacular, and we've seen the largest and steepest reduction in U.S. casualties inflicted by the cartels in American history," the official added.

Fox News Digital's Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.

Caitlin Clark's record-breaking August sets the stage for her FIBA Women's World Cup debut

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 22:18:13 -0400

Caitlin Clark is gearing up for her first appearance in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup on Friday, and if she plays like she did for the Indiana Fever this past month, Team USA may be impossible to take down.

Clark’s August in the WNBA was a spectacle to behold, as she once again made league history with her phenomenal play.

For starters, Clark scored or assisted on 44.7 points per game, a WNBA record for a single month. The stellar point guard has always had a knack for either finding the bottom of the net or dishing assists to her teammates to get the job done.

CAITLIN CLARK, INDIANA FEVER GO INTO FIBA WORLD CUP BREAK WITH BIG WIN OVER CONNECTICUT

Either way, those numbers were racked up throughout the month of August, and more history followed.

Clark became the first player in WNBA history with back-to-back 30-plus-point and 10-plus-assist games.

They both came in the final two games for the Fever before this international break, scoring 34 points with 12 assists in a 111-91 win over the Connecticut Sun. Then, Clark poured in 37 points, including eight of 12 three-pointers made, with 10 assists in the Aug. 23 win over the Chicago Sky, 113-90.

That game against the Sky was also significant, as Enes Kanter Freedom was ejected from the Wintrust Arena in Chicago after an altercation involving Sky guard Natasha Cloud. The third-quarter incident, though, never rattled Clark and the Fever, and they got the job done before heading back home.

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It's also worth mentioning the off-the-court situation that made national headlines involving Freedom considering the Fever's caption called Clark's performance "HERstoric." Kanter, fellow Fever star Sophie Cunningham, and many others have spoken out about their belief that biological men should be out of women's sports.

Meanwhile, a WNBA task force of team presidents and general managers met last month to discuss a wide range of topics, one of which being transgender athletes. However, they did not arrive at any eligibility rules, which basically means the league can't define what a woman is.

"Today's meeting covered a wide range of topics, including ongoing discussions on transgender athletes and the continued hate and vitriol directed at players online," the WNBA’s statement read. "We will continue to engage all league stakeholders in the coming weeks and months. We will approach these important conversations thoughtfully and in alignment with the values of our league. There are no immediate eligibility matters affecting the WNBA and we strongly denounce the bad-faith efforts to use these topics to demean or marginalize others."

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So, while play on words does make sense here with "HERstoric," it falls a bit flat considering what's been happening off the court with the WNBA. But there's no doubting the history that Clark continues to make.

Clark put together five games in August where she had at least 20 points and 10 assists. To put that into perspective, no other player had five such games in the last five seasons combined.

Finally, Clark averaged 24.4 points per game, which was the highest-scoring month by a point guard in WNBA history.

The Fever went 7-4 in their August stretch, bringing them to 26-14 on the season thus far. That record is good for fifth in the WNBA standings, though it is quite tight between those in front, and behind, Indiana.

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The Fever have only four games remaining in their regular-season schedule once they return from the international break. Clark and the rest of her teammates will be sure to hit the ground running and try to get hot heading into the playoffs.

Lindsay Clancy jury wraps day 6 with bombshell one-juror standoff, deliberations to resume Friday

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 21:58:46 -0400

The jury deciding Lindsay Clancy’s fate ended a dramatic sixth day of deliberations Thursday without a verdict amid a dispute involving a holdout juror, with deliberations set to resume Friday.

The panel of nine women and three men has twice reported being deadlocked. Jurors are expected to return Friday, when Judge William Sullivan is also set to address a dispute involving one member of the panel.

Earlier Thursday, defense attorney Kevin Reddington unsuccessfully sought to remove a juror after the foreperson reported that the person was refusing to follow the court’s instructions on reasonable doubt.

Reddington warned that the case could end without a verdict because of a juror who had "spurned the instructions" of the court.

LINDSAY CLANCY JURY RECAP: DAY 5 ENDS WITH NO VERDICT AFTER RARE INSTRUCTION

Prosecutors objected to removing anyone, arguing there was no way to determine who was right or wrong without improperly examining the jury’s private deliberations. They said Sullivan had acted appropriately by questioning the jurors about whether they could follow the law and again instructing them on reasonable doubt.

WHAT IS A TUEY-RODRIGUEZ CHARGE? JUDGE GIVES INSTRUCTION TO DEADLOCKED LINDSAY CLANCY JURY

Sullivan declined, calling the removal of a deliberating juror "a sensitive undertaking" and saying the court could not take sides in the jury’s deliberations.

After court, Reddington revealed that a later jury note appeared to show an 11-to-1 divide.

SOCIAL MEDIA IS LINDSAY CLANCY WILD CARD THAT COULD TILT POTENTIAL RETRIAL TO THE DEFENSE, RETIRED JUDGE SAYS

"When a note that the judge already has says that there are 11 jurors that have made a decision and one juror will not apply reasonable [doubt]... ," Reddington said.

The note does not reveal which verdict the 11 jurors favor or how the remaining juror is leaning.

HARVEY WEINSTEIN RAPE TRIAL ENDS IN MISTRIAL AFTER JURY DEADLOCKED

Reddington said Sullivan plans to hold an inquiry at 9 a.m. Friday. If jurors again say they cannot reach a unanimous decision, the case could end in a mistrial.

The defense attorney said he expects the arguments over the jury issue to take place in open court rather than at sidebar.

LINDSAY CLANCY’S FUTURE COULD REST WITH ‘PROSECUTION DOCTORS’ AS CASE ECHOES INFAMOUS MAINE KILLINGS: EXPERT

Asked whether a retrial could favor prosecutors, Reddington issued a blunt response.

"Bring it," he said, adding that his witnesses and evidence are ready.

"I got witnesses lined up. We’re all set. Dr. Resnick is ready. I’m ready. We’ve got all our evidence. Witnesses are available, so let’s go," Reddington said.

Reddington said prosecutors might seek to put off another trial "for six months or a year," but indicated he would be ready to move quickly. He deferred to Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz when questioned about the possibility of a plea agreement.

"Let’s see what Mr. Cruz wants to do, and then we’ll talk about our options," Reddington said.

Clancy, 36, faces three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her children, Cora, Dawson and Callan, who were all under the age of 6 when they were found strangled in the family’s Duxbury, Massachusetts, home in January 2023.

LINDSAY CLANCY VERDICT: RETIRED JUDGE EXPLAINS WHAT HAPPENS IF INSANITY DEFENSE PREVAILS

She does not dispute killing them. Jurors must instead decide whether she was criminally responsible at the time.

Prosecutors argue Clancy understood what she was doing and should be held responsible for the children’s deaths. Her attorneys contend she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and could not appreciate the wrongfulness of her actions or conform her conduct to the law.

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The jury is considering several possible outcomes, including first-degree murder, second-degree murder, voluntary or involuntary manslaughter, not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility or not guilty.

WATCH: Bystanders, police lift Volkswagen off woman pinned underneath after dramatic e-bike crash

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 21:51:17 -0400

A group of strangers and police officers rushed to lift a Volkswagen Beetle off an injured e-bike rider after she became trapped beneath the car during a crash on a busy Pennsylvania road, dramatic body camera video shows.

Local authorities said the 44-year-old woman suffered several broken bones in Monday morning's crash in Prospect Park but survived after roughly six bystanders joined officers to lift the vehicle and pull her to safety, FOX 29 reported.

Prospect Park Police Chief Dave Madonna said the woman was riding an e-bike more than 20 mph, according to his estimate, without a helmet when she collided with the Volkswagen at an intersection along Route 420.

"She was driving way too fast for that time of day, for the road she was traveling on," Madonna said, adding that he believed she had been trying to overtake vehicles while traveling to an appointment.

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Surveillance and police body camera video shows bystanders rushing to the crash to help.

About six people then work together to lift the car high enough to free the woman trapped underneath.

"Got a yell to help, ran over. We lifted the Volkswagen Beetle up, pulled the girl out and pushed her to the ground so she wouldn't move, that's all," FedEx driver Carl Wise told the station.

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"I'm no hero. I'm just a guy doing a job, that's all," he added.

Local business owner Chrissy Vollmer, who also responded, described what she saw.

"All I saw were the lady's legs underneath the car, and she was just yelling, ‘Get this car off of me,’" Vollmer said.

Madonna called the bystanders who helped rescue the woman "heroes" and later visited them to offer his thanks.

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He also raised concerns about what he described as an increase in e-bike crashes.

"How many more tragedies do we have to see before some type of action is taken?" Madonna said.

The woman was taken to Lankenau Hospital and underwent surgery for a broken collarbone and other injuries, FOX 29 reported.

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The Volkswagen driver is not facing charges, and police said the e-bike rider could receive a traffic citation pending the outcome of the investigation.

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Lindsay Clancy jury enters Day 7 after bombshell one-juror standoff and more top headlines

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