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Sen Mark Warner called out in ABC interview for inaccurate voter ID claims

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 08:11:13 -0400

ABC News host Jonathan Karl challenged Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., on Sunday over whether Virginia requires photo identification to vote as the pair debated Democratic opposition to the SAVE America Act.

Karl began the exchange by asking Warner whether his party should support national photo identification requirements for voter registration and voting, citing broad bipartisan public support for the policy.

"Now, I understand that you and I think every other Democrat opposed this so-called SAVE America Act. And there's a lot of reasons that you've put forward. But let me ask you very narrowly on the issue of photo I.D., requiring photo I.D. to register to vote, to vote. Is this something that Democrats should get behind?" Karl asked on "This Week."

SENATE FACES 'COME-TO-JESUS' MOMENT ON TRUMP'S ELECTION PRIORITY UNDER GOP'S NEW PLAN

Karl then cited statistics on support for the SAVE America Act and Warner pointed to the rules in his home state and began describing his own experience before the ABC News host interrupted him.

"You know what? In Virginia, we have voter I.D. and photo I.D.," Warner said.

"That's actually not the case," Karl said. "I mean, I'm a Virginia voter. You don't need to show a photo I.D. in Virginia. There are wide range of things you can show for I.D., and if you don't show one of those, you can sign an affidavit saying, attesting-"

"You can sign an affidavit," Warner said.

Karl said an affidavit was not required.

"Those become ballots that, if you want to contest later, can be contested. But…we have voter I.D. of one form or another," Warner said.

TONY DOKOUPIL CLASHES WITH MARK WARNER AFTER THE SENATOR RIPPED CBS FOR AIRING TRUMP SPEECH ‘AS NEWS’

Under Virginia law, election officers must ask in-person voters for identification, but acceptable forms include voter confirmation documents, utility bills, bank statements, government checks and paychecks, which do not need to include a photograph. A voter without acceptable identification can sign an ID Confirmation Statement under felony penalties and cast a regular ballot. Voters who provide neither must cast a provisional ballot.

Virginia's voter registration application required applicants to affirm their citizenship and provide a Social Security number if they have one but does not require photo identification.

When Karl asked whether identification should become a national standard, Warner said he could support government-issued identification if the approved documents were applied uniformly, but argued that the broader legislation would restrict voting.

WATCH: ELISSA SLOTKIN SAYS SAVE AMERICA ACT WOULD MAKE IT 'HARD FOR ANY DEMOCRAT' TO WIN AN ELECTION

"If you can show any photo that is government stamped, would be fine," Warner said. "If you’re going to have a set of IDs, let’s have it across the board as long as it comes from some official point, but this is not about voter ID. The Save Act is about voter disenfranchisement."

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A 2025 Pew Research Center survey found that 83% of Americans favored requiring government-issued photo identification to vote, including 71% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents and 95% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents.

The SAVE America Act would require documentary proof of citizenship to register for federal elections, eligible photo identification before voting and states to remove noncitizens from voter rolls. The House initially passed it 218-213 in February, with Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, joining Republicans.

Andy Burnham takes over as UK prime minister, calls for 'new political model'

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 08:11:07 -0400

New British Prime Minister Andy Burnham assumed power Monday morning, vowing to move authority away from London as his new government confronts economic strain, political instability and potential friction with Washington.

"We will change politics, to make it more collaborative, more about problem-solving than point scoring," Burnham said outside 10 Downing Street. "And we will take power out of here and carry it into every postcode in the land, so that they can do more.

"And, in doing more, build a new economy where we put life's essentials back under stronger public control to make them affordable to you again – reindustrializing Britain, using public procurement to back British industry."

WHO IS ANDY BURNHAM? THE TRUMP CRITIC SET TO BECOME THE UK'S NEXT PRIME MINISTER

Burnham, 56, was greeted by King Charles III at Buckingham Palace, London, on Monday before his swearing-in and first remarks. King Charles formally requested that Burnham form a new administration, and Burnham accepted.

"I have just come from Buckingham Palace, where I have accepted His Majesty the King's invitation to form a government," Burnham's brief introduction began. "{And in doing so, I am acutely conscious that I am the sixth person in the last 10 years to walk up this street: The seventh prime minister since 2016, making this a moment for reflection and new resolution.

"It requires my generation of politicians to raise our game and rise to the new challenge. Britain needs to show the world that we can regain our stability once again, and that is our challenge to make politics work, to make it work better," he said. "I know people at home are fed up with politics. I hear you and I want to be honest with you: We have not been good enough and we need to be better. We will be."

Burnham called for sweeping political and economic changes, stating that "Britain took some wrong turns" in the 1980s.

"We will make this moment a circuit breaker for Britain, bringing forward the biggest changes in the last 40 years," he said. "A new political model and a new economic model."

Outgoing Keir Starmer officially submitted his resignation and passed "the baton" in remarks outside 10 Downing Street.

"As I now pass the baton to Andy Burnham, I wish him every success," Starmer said. "He has my full support.

"For all the focus on individuals, politics will always be a team sport and the changes we have delivered for our country and our party belong to everyone who has fought for them. I thank them again today, and I thank the British people for the opportunity to serve.

"I go with good grace, I go with a smile, and I go proud of everything that we have achieved."

BRITISH PRIME MINISTER KEIR STARMER FACES POTENTIAL LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE FROM NEWLY-ELECTED ANDY BURNHAM

Burnham's relationship with Washington could provide an early foreign-policy test. He has repeatedly criticized Trump, comparing the instability surrounding the president’s return to office with the turmoil under former British Prime Minister Liz Truss and warning against importing what he called America’s polarized political culture.

He has maintained that the U.S.-U.K. relationship remains important, though, pledging continuity on NATO, Britain’s nuclear deterrent and support for Ukraine.

Trump previously dismissed Burnham as the former "mayor of a town" and said he had heard the incoming British leader was "extremely liberal." Reform UK has also challenged Burnham’s mandate, arguing that he should call a general election after reaching Downing Street without facing either a competitive Labor leadership contest or a nationwide vote.

KEIR STARMER REPORTEDLY CONSIDERING STEPPING DOWN AS PM AND COULD ANNOUNCE TIMETABLE FOR DEPARTURE

Burnham succeeds Starmer after becoming Labor leader unopposed Friday. He enters office without a new national vote under Britain’s parliamentary system, which allows the governing party to change leaders midterm. The next general election is not required until 2029, though Burnham could call one earlier.

At the center of his agenda is what he calls "Manchesterism" — an effort to give cities and regions greater authority over transportation, housing, infrastructure and economic development. He has paired that approach with what he describes as "business-friendly socialism," combining greater public control of essential services with cooperation between government and private industry.

STARMER IN 'SEISMIC' CRISIS, UK DEFENSE CHIEF QUITS BEFORE HIGH-STAKES TRUMP NATO SUMMIT

Burnham's arrival at Downing Street caps a decade-long political comeback. After losing his second Labor leadership contest in 2015, Burnham left national politics and built a new power base in Greater Manchester, where nine years as mayor earned him the nickname "King of the North" and a reputation as an effective communicator willing to challenge the government in London.

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"I will work to build a new politics; the country is crying out for it," he said Friday. "People are looking for us to deliver, and we will."

Reuters and Fox News' Efrat Lachter contributed to this report.

Hayden Panettiere defends giving up custody of her daughter despite intense 'emotional pain'

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 08:00:19 -0400

Hayden Panettiere is opening up about what she calls the most painful decision she's ever made as a mother.

In her memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning," the "Nashville" alum opens up about why she gave full custody of her daughter, Kaya, to her ex-fiancé, Wladimir Klitschko. Panettiere reveals that her 11-year-old daughter has lived with her father since 2018.

"I just knew that if I wanted to... I knew how bad a place I was in," the actress told Fox News Digital. "I hid it from my daughter as much as I could."

HAYDEN PANETTIERE SAYS FILMING ‘NASHVILLE’ WAS LIKE LIVING THROUGH ADDICTION TWICE

"When I saw her in the environment over there (in Europe) and the support system that she had, I said to myself, 'If I fight, if I go to war about this, it's going to permanently damage my child. It's going to be incredibly public. She's got two very famous parents, and it's going to be ugly.'"

"I said, 'You know what? Let her grow up here,'" she said. "I will travel here as much as I can. I know she's safe. I know she's well taken care of — beyond well taken care of. She has an incredible life. And I also knew that there would be a day when she would come back to me."

"I tried to numb myself," the 36-year-old admitted. "It was very hard to wrap my mind around the pain, the emotional pain of that. But you keep putting one foot in front of the other somehow."

WATCH: HAYDEN PANETTIERE EXPLAINS THE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL CHALLENGES OF MAKING NEW THRILLER ‘SLEEPWALKER’

In the book, Panettiere wrote that not being under the same roof as Kaya has been "the most gut-wrenching experience of my life."

"... I grieve that I'm not the mother I thought I'd be and definitely not the mother I want to be (trust me, no one should ever have to raise a child on FaceTime), and although I miss Kaya so much, my heart aches, I know how blessed I am to be her mom."

Panettiere reflected on filming "Nashville" while navigating a difficult pregnancy, which was ultimately written into her character Juliette Barnes' storyline.

Panettiere's pregnancy was marked by a series of frightening health scares. She described how doctors spotted concerning abnormalities during prenatal scans and warned that Kaya might have microcephaly. The actress sought solace in Hawaii, a place she has long considered a refuge.

While she was there, Klitschko shared a Ukrainian tradition for good luck, urging her to kneel before a tree, hold onto it and "thank God for everything He has given you and pray for what you need."

Weeks later, Panettiere endured a life-threatening delivery. During her C-section, doctors called a "code crimson" after her blood wouldn't clot and her uterus became infected. She underwent three hours of emergency surgery.

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"I almost passed away while having my daughter," Panettiere told Fox News Digital. "I had seven blood transfusions. I didn't know if I was going to make it."

During her recovery, Panettiere struggled to bond with her daughter.

"You hear these stories from your friends about their experiences, and they're so positive," she said. "They also tell you about 'the baby blues.' At first, I thought, 'I just have the baby blues.' But it just kept going and going, deeper and deeper, worse and worse. And the doctors wouldn't even diagnose me with anything. My way of trying to cope with it was drinking because of the anxiety and the inability to sleep."

"You are just discontent and unhappy all the time," Panettiere said. "You just feel like it's really dark. It doesn't make rational sense. It's not logical. And yet, you're trying to make sense of it. But when it's going on for 10 months afterward, you're like, there's something seriously wrong."

In the memoir, Panettiere recalled enduring "long days of nothingness stretching before me" as anxiety took over, becoming "the hulking monster that sits in your chest and erases your confidence and motivation." Despite having "everything I've ever wanted," she remained deeply "unhappy."

She self-medicated with alcohol. The actress entered treatment for the first time when Kaya was 4 months old after realizing her drinking had spiraled out of control.

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"When you wake up in the morning and the first thing you're thinking about is having a drink, it's a problem," Panettiere said.

Panettiere realized she needed treatment.

"I just knew that I had to get help, do it for myself. I knew I was no good in the condition that I was in. I did everything that I could, and I came out sober, but I was still struggling with postpartum. But I was the one who asked to go to treatment."

Panettiere said she reached a breaking point and realized she needed professional help after alcohol became her way of coping with persistent postpartum depression following childbirth.

"I talked to my daughter's father about it, and I was like, 'I need help, professional help. I need somebody to fix me because this depression for the rest of my... is it ever going to go away? Is this the new normal? Am I going to have to just understand that I'm going to always be depressed for the rest of my life?' So when I went to treatment, it was me going, 'I'm at my breaking point. I need intervention. I need professionals. I need somebody to guide me through this.'"

In the book, Panettiere wrote that in 2015, the anxiety "crept back in, then overtook me," buzzing "like a fluorescent light, keeping me reactive, on edge and full of dread." She became reliant on prescription medication to help her cope.

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As Panettiere continued battling addiction and mental health challenges, her relationship with Klitschko unraveled. In 2018, he presented her with papers seeking full custody of Kaya, telling her, "I want full custody. I worry about Kaya when she's with you."

Panettiere defended herself, insisting their daughter was always surrounded by loving caregivers and that she had "never been drunk and alone with Kaya" while she was in her care. Even so, she ultimately chose not to contest the custody arrangement, writing that she believed it was the best decision for Kaya while she worked to rebuild her life.

"I was mortified when I saw stories like 'Hayden Panettiere gave up her daughter,'" she said.

"I was heartbroken. It's not like I live for other people's opinions of me, but I'm also a human being. Everyone wants to be understood. And I had to tell myself every day that she's in an amazing environment. She's learning different languages. She's passionate about horseback riding. She has friends, she has a great support system."

"I felt like I made the right call," she reflected. "I've seen who she is and she's an incredible human being. Something must have gone right."

Panettiere wrote that she has an "incredibly strong" bond with Kaya.

HAYDEN PANETTIERE SAYS GROWING UP IN HOLLYWOOD MADE HER ‘VERY PROTECTIVE’ OF KIDS ON SET

"I travel a lot to Europe, and I spend a lot of time on FaceTime with her," she explained. "And Wlad and I have a good relationship. We made a promise to each other that we would never say a bad word about each other to our child. That was something that I grew up with. And we've stuck to that."

"She's 11 now, so time is flying," Panettiere said. "I feel like she's becoming more and more curious about me, my life and who I am. We're so similar. She is me. I understand her in a way that nobody else can."

Today, Panettiere said she's doing "great" and hopes sharing her story will encourage other mothers suffering in silence to seek help.

"I feel connected to myself," she said. "I feel like I'm taking good care of myself, checking in with myself. And I have a laundry list of things I would love to accomplish and create. I feel more connected with myself than I ever have before."

Flight passenger blasts 'incompetent parents' after unruly child forces plane delay

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 08:00:06 -0400

A flight delay due to an unruly toddler aboard a plane has sparked online debate about how airlines and passengers should react when midair mayhem occurs.

An unhappy passenger took to Reddit recently to express dismay about a one-hour flight delay because of an uncontrollable toddler on a flight in Sweden.

"When the crew were preparing for takeoff, a 3-year-old child couldn't be made to sit in his seat," the person wrote.

'GET OFF THE PLANE,' DELTA PASSENGERS CHANT AT FLYER WHO REFUSES TO HANG UP PHONE

After "much screaming from the child," the parents were reportedly asked to deplane with the toddler.

The flight was delayed further as the crew removed the family's luggage and prepared the aircraft for takeoff again, the original poster said.

"We just want to get home... and [these] incompetent parents make us late, make people miss connections, cause delays for the airplane and crew, etc.," the Reddit user continued.

"I would seriously pay extra to go on adult-only flights," the poster added.

FLIGHT ATTENDANTS BEG TRAVELERS TO STOP DOING THE ONE THING THAT ANNOYS CREWS MOST

Experts weighed in on the viral debate.

When it comes to disorderly tots, the safety of the passengers is the crew’s main concern, said Diane Gottsman, an etiquette expert based in San Antonio and founder of The Protocol School of Texas.

The airline likely had no choice but to delay the flight, said Gottsman, noting that the ability of airlines to resolve an issue quickly is essential.

Parents should plan ahead when traveling with toddlers, said Gary Leff, a Texas-based travel industry expert and author of the blog "View From the Wing."

"Be ready with snacks. Pack more activities than you think you'll need. Buy extra space if you can," he advised.

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He also suggested easing screen-time limits during travel.

"Other passengers mostly get it if a baby cries, as long as you’re obviously trying [to address the issue by] feeding, walking, soothing, rotating toys and adjusting seats," he said.

Frustrated flyers should speak with the flight attendant, not the parents, said Leff.

"As heightened as things may already be, adding your own confrontation could make things worse," he said.

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Several social media users said they've experienced similar situations with air travel and felt sympathetic about the issue.

"I had [a] child like this, and we just didn't travel for almost 10 years," a Reddit user said.

"My kid causing disruption to an entire plane would be my worst nightmare," the commenter added.

"I understand it's annoying and frustrating, but this is a small snippet of that child's behavior, and we have no way of knowing if it is the norm," another user said.

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"A 3-year-old melting down isn’t a customer service issue. You can just ‘manage’ into silence," yet another person said.

Not all air travelers were as understanding, however.

"That’s not a kid problem, that’s a parent problem," read one heavily upvoted Reddit comment.

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Another Reddit user agreed, saying, "Don't take your toddlers flying if you can't get them to behave."

World Cup brawl sees Argentina player putting hand on throat of Spain opponent after match

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 07:42:56 -0400

Spain’s exciting FIFA World Cup victory over Argentina in extra time was marred by a post-match brawl that included Leandro Paredes and Eric García.

The aggressive tackling and chippyness from the Argentinian side led to a confrontation between the two squads. Paredes was seen coming over to a post-match fracas between players from the two nations and putting his hand on the throat of García.

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Paredes was issued a red card after the whistle and was sent off. He was also given a yellow card during the match for a hard tackle shortly after coming into the match.

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni was held back by a Spain player while he shouted at someone. Nicolas Otamendi exchanged words with several Spanish players, including Rodri.

"We are gracious in victory, and we must be so in defeat," Scaloni said, via ESPN. "We accept the loss; we gave everything. We were stretched thin coming into this, but giving it your all, like they did today, sets a great example for our people and our country.

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"You lose, and you have to pick yourself up again."

BBC’s Joe Hart ripped Argentina over the brawl.

"There was one man on the pitch who did have class and that was Lionel Messi, who shook hands with every one of those Spanish players," he said, via Goal.com. "The game's done. They could have absolutely no complaints about what happened today. Disgusting behavior."

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Ferran Torres scored the go-ahead goal for Spain in extra time, giving them a 1-0 victory over Argentina.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

WTA adopts SRY gene testing to protect fair competition in women's professional tennis

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 07:15:59 -0400

The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has just become the latest sports organization to require players to take a genetic test to establish their eligibility to compete in the women’s category.

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The WTA’s updated women’s eligibility policy requires players to undergo a one-time screening for the SRY gene, which is found on the Y chromosome and is involved in male-typical sex development. Testing can be completed through a simple cheek swab, blood test or saliva sample.

Players who test negative for the SRY gene will be immediately eligible to compete on the WTA Tour. A positive result will prompt further medical assessment before a player can be cleared.

Players must also sign documentation acknowledging that refusing to undergo testing could result in disciplinary action.

"The WTA’s women’s eligibility policy is designed to promote equal athletic opportunities in women’s professional tennis and maintain fair competition for all players participating in WTA tournaments," the official policy states.

The WTA said the policy was approved following consultation with its members and a review of evolving eligibility standards throughout international women’s sports.

The previous policy, last updated in 2024, permitted transgender-identifying males to compete with women if they maintained testosterone levels below 2.5 nmol/L for at least two years. There are no known males currently competing on the WTA Tour.

"The WTA recognises that this is a sensitive and complex issue and is committed to treating all players with dignity and implementing the policy in a respectful and thoughtful way," the governing body said.

MARTINA NAVRATILOVA SAYS BILLIE JEAN KING’S TRANS-ATHLETE STANCE ‘DOESN’T SQUARE’ WITH HER OWN WORDS

The WTA joins a growing number of athletic organizations, including World Athletics and World Boxing, in implementing mandatory SRY gene testing for athletes seeking to compete in the women’s category.

The International Olympic Committee has also announced plans to use sex testing for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova praised the WTA’s decision as a "step in the right direction" on Sunday.

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"I played no part in this particular policy, but am very happy that we at the WTA are clear that we are a women’s association and only women, as in females, can compete at the highest level of women’s tennis," Navratilova wrote on X.

The new policy goes into effect on Tuesday.

FBI boss details how agency secured record-shattering FIFA World Cup and more top headlines

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 07:11:59 -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. FBI boss details how agency secured record-shattering FIFA World Cup

2. US launches new wave of strikes against Iran for ninth straight night

3. NORAD responds after multiple aircraft fly into restricted skies

MAJOR HEADLINES

MIDNIGHT MAYHEM — 10 wounded as mass shooting rocks packed downtown Tucson district. Continue reading …

SECOND LOOK — FDA reverses course on potential cause of Cyclospora outbreak after new testing. Continue reading …

PARTY PIVOT — Progressive surges toward a crucial Senate midterm showdown that could flip the majority. Continue reading …

PAST CATCHES UP — Man’s anonymous confession exposes alleged murder hidden for 33 years. Continue reading …

'IMMEDIATELY' — Former counterterrorism chief who quit over Iran war urges US withdrawal from region. Continue reading …

POLITICS

'CROSSED THAT LINE' — Anti-ICE walkout exposes how school district 'failed' parents, risked student safety. Continue reading …

CALLING FOR PROBE — Hawley asks DOJ to investigate organization over abortion-pill shipments. Continue reading …

GROWING FAMILY — JD Vance and wife Usha announce birth of fourth child, share baby boy’s name. Continue reading …

DRAWL OUT — AOC accused of 'going full Kamala' with what critics called a fake accent at rally. Continue reading …

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MEDIA

'MASSIVE' — Hunter Biden blasts Merrick Garland's DOJ the 'greatest mistake' under Biden. Continue reading …

NOT PULLING PUNCHES — Bill Maher says Trump feels 'betrayed' over feud after cordial 2025 dinner. Continue reading …

CULTURE WAR — Stephen A. Smith tells politicians to ‘go do your d--- job’ and stay out of sports. Continue reading …

WORLD STAGE — Inaugural World Cup Final halftime show gets some rave reviews, criticism. Continue reading …

OPINION

JONATHAN TURLEY — Democratic Socialists want to remake America in their image. That’s terrifying. Continue reading …

LEE CARTER — Why I believe collapsing trust, not ideology, is reshaping American politics. Continue reading …

IN OTHER NEWS

DINING HABITS — Actor declares one popular fry 'aren't fries,' igniting fierce online debate. Continue reading …

MIDAIR MISCHIEF — Pilot goes viral after spelling out 'I'm bored' during routine maintenance test flight. Continue reading …

GOLDEN HOURS — One daily routine may be the secret to deeper sleep, researchers say. Continue reading …

AMERICAN CULTURE QUIZ — Test yourself on presidential principles and courtside celebrations. Continue reading …

LISTEN

Tune in as as we discuss the rising battle over artificial intelligence infrastructure and data center moratoriums. Check it out ...

FOX WEATHER

What’s it looking like in your neighborhood? Continue reading…

Thank you for making us your first choice in the morning! We’ll see you in your inbox first thing Tuesday.

JD Vance and wife Usha welcome fourth child, reveal baby boy’s name

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 19:05:07 -0400

Vice President JD Vance and his wife, second lady Usha Vance, announced the birth of their fourth child on Sunday.

In a joint Instagram post, the couple said their baby boy, Alec Neel Vance, was born Sunday morning.

"We are excited to announce that our baby boy, Alec Neel Vance, was born this morning," the couple wrote. "Usha and the baby are happy and healthy, and our kids are overjoyed to meet their little brother."

President Donald Trump offered well-wishes in a Truth Social post Monday morning, sharing a photograph of the new baby.

"Congratulations! A perfect baby boy for the wonderful Vance family," Trump said in the post.

USHA VANCE MOCKS NEW YORK TIMES FOR DRAWING 'POLITICAL SIGNIFICANCE' FROM HER PREGNANCY FASHION

The Vances also thanked the military doctors and staff at Walter Reed Medical Center and the White House Medical Unit for caring for their family.

"The incredible military doctors and staff members of Walter Reed Medical Center and the White House Medical Unit have been a blessing," they said. "We are deeply thankful for all they have done for our family."

SWING-STATE DEM CANDIDATE'S 'DISGUSTING' COMMENTS ABOUT JD, USHA VANCE'S 'BROWN CHILDREN' SPARKS OUTRAGE

The couple announced earlier this year that they were expecting their fourth child.

"Usha and the baby are doing well, and we are all looking forward to welcoming him in late July," the Vances wrote in a statement shared on social media in January.

SECOND LADY USHA VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT EXPECTING THEIR FOURTH CHILD: 'OUR FAMILY IS GROWING'

JD and Usha Vance met while attending Yale Law School and married in 2014. They are also parents to sons Ewan and Vivek and daughter Mirabel.

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Their three older children drew attention last year while attending the Inauguration Day swearing-in ceremony at the U.S. Capitol and the parade at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.

Fox News Digital's Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.

Socialist-backed Michigan Senate hopeful calls American politics a 'disease' after professing love for US

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 07:06:25 -0400

Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed on Sunday described America's political system as a "disease" moments after professing his love for the country where he was raised.

El-Sayed delivered blistering attacks on the American political system during the final stop of "The People v. The Powerful" tour at DeVos Performance Hall in Grand Rapids.

He spoke at the event alongside Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., as the trio criticized President Donald Trump, party leaders, corporations and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The Egyptian American physician and former public health official first reflected on the opportunities he said America had afforded him, noting he received an "incredible" public university education and a medical education funded through the National Institutes of Health.

DEM SENATE HOPEFUL ABDUL EL-SAYED RECOUNTS SMASHING VODKA BOTTLE AFTER BEARD CRITICISM

"No, don't get it twisted. I love America. I know exactly what America gave to me. I know what my life would have been, but for America," El-Sayed said. "I know what America can do, and at the same time, it's impossible not to reflect on the worst moments of those 250 years as well."

He then argued that Trump was merely a symptom of broader problems in American politics.

"Donald Trump is not, himself, the disease of our politics. He's just the worst symptom of the disease of our politics," El-Sayed said.

"The disease? It's the system that allows corporations and billionaires and special interests like AIPAC to buy and sell politicians to rig the system against us."

Ocasio-Cortez also echoed that message moments prior, telling the crowd, "You deserve a politics that treats the disease and not the symptoms."

BILL MAHER CALLS OUT BERNIE SANDERS, SAYS HE'S TIRED OF HEARING THE RICH DON'T PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE OF TAXES

El-Sayed then targeted the nation's healthcare system, arguing that medical debt should be eliminated and contrasting its cost with federal spending on political campaigns and foreign aid.

"Medical debt shouldn't exist," he said, claiming the country's roughly $225 billion in medical debt could be erased for about $2.25 billion because it can be purchased "for a penny on the dollar."

He later turned his attention to ICE, calling it a "rogue agency" that should not exist.

"ICE has nothing to do with immigration. ICE has nothing to do with the southern border. ICE is about normalizing paramilitary forces on our streets. ICE is about weaponizing the idea of immigration against the Constitution itself. ICE cannot be reformed. ICE cannot be retrained. ICE has to be abolished."

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The Senate hopeful also described himself as "dangerous" to a range of political and corporate interests, including health insurers and Democratic leaders.

"If you're Blue Cross Blue Shield, I'm dangerous," he said. "If you're Chuck Schumer, trading politicians like trading cards, I'm dangerous."

House Republicans did what voters asked and we have the receipts. It’s up to the Senate

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 07:00:26 -0400

As I travel across South Carolina, whether I'm meeting with business owners, farmers, veterans or families at community events, I continue to hear the same question: "Congressman, if Republicans keep winning elections, why does it seem so difficult to get anything done in Washington?"

It's a fair question, and frankly, it's one Republicans should answer. The American people understand elections, and they understand mandates. What they don't understand is why Republicans can win the White House and majorities in both chambers of Congress yet still struggle to enact the very agenda they promised the voters. That's not simply a political problem; it’s a governing problem.

The American people returned President Donald Trump to the White House with a clear mandate to secure the border, restore fiscal discipline, unleash American energy and put America first. They didn't elect Republicans to spend the next four years explaining why Washington can't keep its promises; they elected us to produce results.

CONSERVATIVES UNITE AROUND SAVE AMERICA ACT AFTER TRUMP DECLASSIFIES 'SHOCKING' ELECTION INTEL

That's why I proudly voted for the "Save America Act" when it came before the House of Representatives. House Republicans debated the legislation, voted for it and passed it. We did our job, and the responsibility now shifts to the United States Senate. The House has shown what's possible when Republicans are willing to fight for the agenda voters elected us to deliver, and the Senate should bring that same sense of urgency to its work.

Unfortunately, that's where the American people often lose confidence that Washington can deliver. Too many bills supported by the president and approved by the House disappear into a senatorial procedural maze that few Americans understand and even fewer believe serves the country.

Conservatives rightly respect the Senate as one of our nation's great institutions. It was designed to encourage debate, protect minority viewpoints and ensure legislation receives careful consideration before becoming law. Those traditions matter, and they should not be discarded lightly. But respecting the Senate does not mean refusing to examine whether its rules still serve the purpose for which they were created.

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I've said before that the Senate should consider restoring the talking filibuster, and I continue to believe it deserves serious consideration. Not because Republicans should fear debate, but because we should insist upon it. If senators want to stop legislation supported by the president and passed by the House, they should have every opportunity to make their case, but they should make it on the Senate floor, before the American people, instead of allowing procedural maneuvering to obscure one of the most important debates before Congress.

This isn't about weakening the Senate; it’s about restoring accountability. Americans deserve to know who is standing in the way of legislation and why. Debate has always strengthened our Republic, whereas invisible obstruction never has.

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Trump has made the Save America Act one of his highest legislative priorities because he understands a simple truth: elections matter only if government is willing to carry out the mandate voters have given it. Republicans should be willing to consider every constitutional option available to ensure legislation supported by the president, passed by the House, and backed by the American people receives a fair opportunity to succeed in the Senate.

REPUBLICAN SAYS TRUMP'S TOP ELECTION PRIORITY 'DEAD' IN SENATE AS GOP FRACTURES AHEAD OF MIDTERMS

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Republicans have spent years asking the American people for a unified government so we could secure the border, restore American energy, rein in spending and put America first. We should not be surprised when those same voters grow frustrated if, after entrusting us with that responsibility, Washington responds by saying the rules simply won't allow us to deliver. Senate rules should protect debate, encourage accountability and strengthen our institutions, but they should never become an excuse for failing to keep our word.

The American people don't expect Republicans to win elections simply to explain why nothing can be done. They expect us to find a way to get the job done. House Republicans have done our part. It's time for Senate Republicans to do theirs.

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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani struggles to define 'working class'

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 06:52:50 -0400

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani struggled to answer who he considers to be part of the "working class" during a New York Times interview on Saturday.

New York Times journalist Lulu Garcia-Navarro asked Mamdani whether he and the organization he's a part of, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), have a definition for the working class that they claim to fight on behalf of in elections.

"I think if you have to work to pay your bills, I think that that is one definition of being a part of the working class," Mamdani said.

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"So someone making $250,000 a year is working class?" Garcia-Navarro asked.

"I haven’t sat at home and asked myself where it starts and stops. What I would say is those who are working to try and afford the basic dignities of life and aren’t able to do so, I think that that is also working class. Oftentimes we’re asked how we divide this country. I think there’s only one majority in this country — it’s the working class," Mamdani answered.

Garcia-Navarro remarked that his answer didn't "ring true" to her because of the idea that anyone who "gets a salary is the working class" and asked if he drew any lines. Mamdani answered that he drew it at "about a million dollars a year."

"So anyone under a million dollars a year in income is working class?" Garcia-Navarro asked.

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"That’s not what I’m saying. I’m just saying, in terms of fiscal policy, I think a lot of our politics has been a debate over who you leave out. And I’m more interested in debates of how you bring more in. And I think that that is part of what I'm looking to be a part of is a vision where people understand, no matter what you call it, that there's room for them. But yes, I do want to raise taxes on people who make more than a million a year," Mamdani said.

Garcia-Navarro pointed out that his definition could lump a janitor in the same "working class" label as a lawyer and wondered if that was accurate. Mamdani appeared to deflect from the conversation by commenting about New Yorkers in general.

"When I was running, a question I would face was: What does it mean to be a democratic socialist? And I only bring that up because I think sometimes there’s a fixation on a definition of something. And what I found is, when I would knock on New Yorkers’ doors, they would just ask, 'Am I part of your vision?' It’s not that everyone is making the same amount of money or facing the same amount of struggle, but that they just want to know, is there any way for them to actually be able to work this hard and afford a good life in the city?" Mamdani answered.

ZOHRAN MAMDANI FACES BACKLASH OVER 'CREEPY,' 'UNETHICAL' VIDEO FILMED OUTSIDE BILLIONAIRE KEN GRIFFIN'S HOME

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

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Mamdani's interview garnered attention after he revealed that his administration is in an "active conversation" with the city's Law Department over any legal action the city could take against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits New York for September's United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

In the interview, Mamdani called Netanyahu a "war criminal" who "belongs in The Hague," repeating his intentions to honor an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for Netanyahu.

Steve Forbes urges Trump to keep the Strait of Hormuz open at all costs

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 06:39:53 -0400

Steve Forbes says the United States must double down on efforts to topple the Tehran regime, arguing that free passage through the Strait of Hormuz should remain a non-negotiable American imperative.

As the U.S. struck targets in Iran for a ninth consecutive day on Sunday, pressure on the Tehran regime continued to build. Speaking at Freedom Fest in Las Vegas, the chairman and editor-in-chief of Forbes and former presidential candidate sat down with Fox News Digital to discuss Iran and the Trump administration's foreign policy.

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"Going back to Thomas Jefferson, a core foreign policy plank of the United States is freedom of the seas. Freedom of navigation got us into another war with Great Britain, the War of 1812," Forbes said.

"So we've been doing it for over two centuries. The Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway, just as the South China Sea is an international waterway. And so we must keep that open.

"No tolls, no restrictions, all ships of commerce should have free passage through it unmolested."

Forbes said that with proper application of air power, boots on the ground wouldn't be needed, but he would not discard that as an option, bringing the example of the engagement with the Barbary pirates, which brought freedom of navigation to the Mediterranean following the completion of the First Barbary War of 1805.

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"If we do things right in the air, that won't be necessary. But as we demonstrated with the Barbary pirates, sometimes you do need hand-to-hand combat. But again, with our great military and the great Israeli military, we should be able to bring this evil regime down and enable the elements in the Iranian army that want change to feel we're not going to pull the rug out from under them with another fake ceasefire. That we keep hammering away at this evil regime."

Ultimately, Forbes said freedom of navigation should be an international red line:

"So the key thing is, if you don't enforce these key principles of freedom of navigation, liberty, you're going to lose them. Ronald Reagan was right. Others have made the same observation. You have to preserve liberty each and every generation."

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Forbes said the time for diplomacy with Tehran has passed, and encouraged the Trump administration to ratchet up the pressure, while also praising a recent decision on Ukraine policy.

"Get Iran done with. No more fake ceasefires. Get rid of that evil regime. By the way, I'm delighted that he's saying he's going to give licensing for Patriot missiles to Ukraine. That'll bring a good result there."

Angel Reese’s latest WNBA controversy shows how victimhood became central to her brand

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 06:35:25 -0400

For some unknown reason, claiming victimhood is very popular in modern society. Many people seem to think being a victim earns them social capital, so they look for every opportunity to capitalize.

A perfect example is WNBA star Angel Reese.

Perhaps no prominent professional athlete embodies the desire to be seen as a victim as much as Reese, who has spent years painting herself as someone unfairly treated by fans, coaches, referees, reporters and society at large.

ANGEL REESE DANGEROUSLY PEDDLES RACIST CONSPIRACY THEORY AFTER WNBA COACH CALLS HER TWO WORDS

Of course, that runs counter to the fact that Reese gained immense popularity, fame and money from the same society she regularly claims hates her.

The latest example came this weekend, when Toronto Tempo coach Sandy Brondello was caught on a microphone referring to Reese as a "protected species."

It was immediately obvious what Brondello meant.

She thought the referees were giving Reese preferential treatment. But it was too late. Brondello provided Reese the perfect opportunity to claim victimhood.

Angel Reese turned an Australian sports phrase into another racial controversy

Reese made contact with Tempo forward Nyara Sabally while the two players battled for a rebound. Sabally fell to the floor in pain.

The officials called the foul on Sabally.

Brondello, understandably annoyed that her injured player had been whistled for the foul, complained from the sideline that Reese was a "protected species."

Reese responded on social media and tagged Brondello.

"ARE WE SURPRISED?!" Reese wrote, adding a clown emoji while quoting a post that read, "Calling a Black woman a species…"

She didn’t explicitly call Brondello racist, but the implication was obvious. Plus, Reese is smart. She knew the social media mob would do the rest of the work for her.

Part of that means excluding the key context that Brondello is Australian.

In Australian sports usage, ‘protected species’ commonly refers to a player, coach, team or official perceived to receive preferential treatment.

The phrase has been used in Australian coverage of rugby players, referees and other athletes. It has nothing to do with race. Danica Patrick, who is White, was famously described in 2012 as a "protected species" by a fellow NASCAR driver.

More importantly, the context around Brondello's comment wasn’t remotely confusing.

Brondello said it while arguing about a foul call. Even non-Australians with common sense understood her point.

Yet many of the same people who constantly lecture Americans about cultural sensitivity showed no interest in understanding Brondello’s culture.

They ignored her Australian background, assigned an American racial meaning to an Australian expression and then condemned her for failing to speak like an American.

That seems pretty culturally insensitive, doesn't it?

Brondello apologized anyway and explained that her frustration was directed toward the officiating. She didn't have to apologize, and honestly shouldn't have apologized, but she feared she'd lose her livelihood.

After all, she's a coach in the WNBA.

Everyone knows what happens to white women in that league who don't lecture about "privilege" or explain that the WNBA was "built on the backs of Black women."

So, who's the real victim here? Is it Reese? Or is it Brondello, who apologized and still faced a one-game suspension without pay?

ANGEL REESE THANKS WNBA FOR SUSPENDING SANDY BRONDELLO, FRAMES 'PROTECTED SPECIES' COMMENT AS DISCRIMINATION

The fact that Brondello received a one-game suspension, the same punishment Alyssa Thomas received for driving her fist into Caitlin Clark's throat, for calling Reese a "protected species" only proved her point.

The WNBA believes a reckless physical attack on a white star player deserves the same punishment as an alleged word crime against a Black one and that paints the league's priorities pretty clearly.

Internet trolls don’t only target Angel Reese

Before getting to the rest of Reese’s victimhood résumé, let’s address the most common defense.

Yes, Reese receives nasty messages online.

Someone created fake, sexually explicit AI images of her when she was 21 years old. That's disgusting and there's no defense for it.

But Reese and several other WNBA players often discuss online abuse as though Black women are the only people who experience it.

They aren’t. Not even close.

It happens to virtually everyone who spends any time in the public spotlight.

I’m a relatively unknown sports reporter, and even I get plenty of it.

After I criticized Reese, people called me racist, referred to me as "white boy" or "cracker," told me to drink bleach, insulted my wife and mother and called me fat.

Does that make the messages acceptable?

No.

Does it mean I’m oppressed?

Also no.

It means social media is full of deranged people who say horrible things to strangers. The goal is to get under people's skin. I'm not including my own experience to elicit sympathy.

I'm a grown man. I can take the online abuse from trolls because, ultimately, I don't care what strangers or bots think about me. I'm just trying to prove a point that Reese is not unique. At all.

Fame, popularity and money come with obvious benefits. They also come with scrutiny, criticism and social media trolling.

Reese could quit basketball. She could stop modeling, podcasting and posting her life online. She could get a normal job and the mean tweets would dry up quickly.

I suspect she has no intention of doing that because the money and attention are worth the downside.

That’s a reasonable choice. Most people would make the same one.

But Reese wants to enjoy every benefit of celebrity while treating its predictable drawbacks as evidence that she has been uniquely targeted by society.

She hasn’t.

Reese made criticism of her Caitlin Clark taunt about her identity

Reese’s victim narrative really took off after LSU defeated Iowa in the 2023 national championship game.

During the final moments, Reese followed Clark around the court while repeatedly performing John Cena’s "you can’t see me" gesture and pointing to her ring finger.

Some people thought the extended taunt was excessive.

Others defended Reese by noting that Clark had used a similar gesture earlier in the tournament, albeit under different circumstances.

That was a fair sports debate, but Reese predictably turned it into something else.

"All year, I was critiqued for who I was," she said. "I don’t fit the narrative. I don’t fit the box that y’all want me to be in. I’m too hood. I’m too ghetto.... When other people do it, y’all don’t say nothing."

This is probably where Reese discovered that playing the race card would be an invaluable tool for her career. Even though Reese followed Clark around during the final seconds of the national championship game and taunted her, she claimed criticism was because she's Black.

Reese had found the formula she would continue using: do something provocative, enjoy the attention and then treat criticism as an attack on her race.

It worked.

The WNBA investigated alleged racism against Reese and found no evidence

One of the most ridiculous examples came during the opening weekend of the 2025 WNBA season.

Following a game between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever, the league announced that it was investigating allegations of "hateful fan comments" directed at Reese.

There was no publicly released video or audio.

No fan was identified, and no public witness corroborated the allegation.

That didn’t stop ESPN personalities and other members of the sports media from treating the alleged racist incident as a proven fact.

Reese didn’t urge anyone to wait for the investigation, either.

"Obviously, there’s no place in this league for that," Reese said. "Obviously, this has been going on for a while now."

Except it wasn’t obvious that anything had happened during that game.

That was why the WNBA was investigating.

The league interviewed relevant people and reviewed audio and video from the arena.

It could not substantiate the allegation.

That doesn’t prove no one among thousands of fans said something offensive. It does mean the league looked for evidence and failed to find it.

Fever fans were smeared as racists anyway.

Reese received the sympathy she constantly seeks.

When the investigation came up empty, Reese didn’t apologize to Fever fans. Neither did the media figures who had treated the allegation as fact.

Reese turned a question outside the team hotel into 'harassment'

The Fever incident wasn’t the first time Reese turned a questionable encounter into a much bigger story.

In June 2024, a man approached then-Chicago Sky teammate Chennedy Carter outside the Sky’s hotel in Washington and asked whether she had contacted Caitlin Clark after delivering a cheap shot to her days earlier.

Reese immediately framed the encounter as something much more serious.

"Finding out our team’s hotel to pull up with a camera as we get off the bus and put it in my teammate’s face and harass her is nasty work," Reese wrote. "This really is outta control and needs to stop."

The video that surfaced showed the man asking Carter a question before team security stepped between them. He didn’t touch Carter or threaten her.

Sky forward Michaela Onyenwere later claimed the video omitted the man using slurs and calling players "ghetto bitches." The team’s general manager backed up the claim that expletives were used.

But Reese made it sound like someone had tracked down the team and created a dangerous situation. In reality, a man with a camera asked Carter about the biggest story in women’s basketball and was quickly moved away by security, without any need for law enforcement to intervene.

One year later, Reese said she had "never had a negative encounter in person, ever."

Apparently, the hotel harassment no longer counted.

Reese blamed Caitlin Clark’s fans for racism, death threats and stalking

Reese launched her "Unapologetically Angel" podcast in September 2024.

Naturally, the first episode featured an extended discussion about Caitlin Clark.

That was interesting because Reese had previously pushed back against the idea that Clark was responsible for the explosion in WNBA popularity.

Apparently, Clark was important enough to help launch Reese’s podcast.

During the episode, Reese said she didn’t hate Clark and didn’t believe Clark personally endorsed racist behavior.

Then she accused Clark’s supporters of racism, death threats, circulating fake nude images to her family and following her home.

"It’s really just the fans," Reese said. "Her fans, the Iowa fans, now the Indiana fans... I think there’s a lot of racism when it comes to it."

Those are serious accusations.

The fake images existed. That part was documented.

But Reese never publicly showed that Clark’s fans created them or sent them to her family.

How did she know the alleged stalkers supported Clark?

Was the stalking reported to police?

How did she determine the alleged threats were racially motivated?

Reese never provided those answers.

Maybe she has evidence she hasn’t made public. That’s possible.

But when someone publicly accuses an enormous group of people of racism, stalking and death threats, asking for evidence isn’t unreasonable.

Reese simply made the allegation and expected everyone else to accept it.

Anyone who questioned the claim risked becoming another example of the racism she was describing.

That’s a very useful arrangement.

For what it's worth, at least three prominent women’s basketball players have had alleged stalkers arrested or charged: Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham and Paige Bueckers.

Reese hit Clark in the head and blamed the officials

During a June 2024 game against Indiana, Reese hit Clark in the head while attempting to block her shot.

Officials reviewed the play and upgraded the foul to a flagrant.

Clark dismissed it as a basketball play.

Reese was upset about the officiating.

"I guess some people got a special whistle," she said after the loss.

Some people get a "special whistle"? Isn't that exactly the claim that got Brondello suspended for a game? It was fine when Reese said it about Clark, but crossed the line when the same sentiment was directed at Reese.

Reese likes to talk about double standards, and we'll get to that in a moment, but boy, that seems like a pretty clear one right there.

Reese says reporters twist her words, even when everyone can hear them

Reese has repeatedly said she doesn’t trust the media.

During her rookie season, Chicago Sun-Times columnist Steve Greenberg tried to interview her about her life away from basketball.

Reese mostly gave one- or two-word answers.

"I know how y’all like to twist my words, so I’m just keeping it short and sweet," she said.

Greenberg reportedly told Reese he wouldn’t twist her words.

"I can’t trust any of y’all," Reese responded.

She didn’t identify a false quote or explain what reporting prompted her accusation against every journalist.

Nearly all of Reese’s controversies come from her own comments captured on video or audio.

She said Clark gets a "special whistle." She claimed that the WNBA wasn't gaining popularity because of "one person."

Reporters didn’t force Reese to accuse Clark’s fans of racism and stalking. Nor did they force her to say she "embraces being a villain," which she definitely doesn't embrace, by the way.

No journalist typed "ARE WE SURPRISED?!" on her social-media account.

Reese said those things.

When the reaction is positive, Reese embraces it.

But when people react negatively, someone must have twisted her words. As usual, it's never her fault.

Reese says talking to reporters is 'really scary'

By late 2025, Reese had gone from distrusting reporters to saying she was frightened of them.

"For me, the media is really scary," Reese said on her podcast. "I’m scared to do stuff like that because I know how things could get flipped."

She added that she would sometimes rather accept a fine than speak to reporters.

Reese repeated the complaint in 2026 during an appearance with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson.

"The media has not always been great for me," she said. "I’ll have a fine before I have to go to media and feel like my back is against the wall."

There’s a fairly easy way to reduce the likelihood of being misquoted.

Speak clearly while cameras and audio recorders are running.

Reese is also perfectly willing to talk on her own podcast, where she controls the format and presentation.

She's never been afraid to speak publicly.

She just doesn’t like losing control over how her comments are received.

Those are different problems.

Reese said the media profited from her pain

In September 2024, Reese accused the media of creating a villain narrative around her.

"For the past 2 years, the media has benefited from my pain & me being villainized to create a narrative," Reese wrote. "They allowed this. This was beneficial to them."

She wasn’t entirely wrong.

Media outlets benefited from the Clark-Reese rivalry.

OutKick did. ESPN did. The WNBA and its television partners certainly did.

Angel Reese benefited, too.

She became one of the most recognizable women’s basketball players in the country. She landed endorsement deals, launched a podcast, modeled and built a massive social-media following.

Reese also embraced the villain role when it helped her brand.

She said she was willing to accept it "for the good of the game."

Apparently, the villain persona belonged to Reese when it created opportunities.

When it brought criticism, suddenly her tune changed.

Reese used the LSU press conference to talk about everything she had endured

Following LSU’s loss to Iowa in the 2024 Elite Eight, Reese broke down during her postgame press conference.

"I’ve been through so much," she said. "I’ve been attacked so many times. Death threats, I’ve been sexualized, I’ve been threatened."

Again, the fake sexual images were real and disgusting.

Reese had every right to be furious about them.

But she combined that documented incident with broader claims about death threats and constant attacks without publicly identifying where they came from.

Maybe the threats were real. They probably were. Public figures receive sick messages all the time. I've had my share of threatening DMs and I'm nowhere near the status of Reese.

That’s the point Reese and her defenders regularly ignore.

Online abuse is not unique to Angel Reese. It is not unique to women’s basketball players or to Black celebrities.

It's an unfortunate reality of being famous in the internet age.

Reese had millions of followers, major endorsement deals and a national platform.

She enjoyed opportunities that almost no college athlete in history had received.

Yet the overriding message of that press conference was how badly the world had treated Angel Reese.

There are many more examples

Honestly, we could go on for days about the number of times Reese has relished the opportunity to play the victim card, the race card or both.

In fact, there's a good chance this article becomes another perfect opportunity for her to try and garner sympathy.

The truth is that being Angel Reese has worked out pretty well for Angel Reese.

She is a solid basketball player, although not elite, but she's an excellent self-promoter.

ANGEL REESE GIVES ATLANTA DREAM REBOUNDS AND ATTENTION, BUT HER OFFENSE IS STILL A PROBLEM

She understands how to put herself in the middle of a story and keep that story going for as long as it serves her needs.

More often than not, she accomplishes this by portraying herself as the person everyone else has wronged.

The approach has made her famous and rich.

It has helped her land sponsorships, build a media platform and remain one of the most discussed players in the WNBA.

That doesn’t mean everything said about Reese is acceptable. It isn’t.

It does mean Reese has benefited enormously from the public attention she so often describes as a burden.

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She can keep the fame, money, endorsements and followers.

But she should probably stop pretending that the predictable downside of being a celebrity is evidence that she is uniquely persecuted.

Because she's not.

Anti-ICE walkout exposes how school district 'failed' parents, risked student safety: 'Broken my trust'

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 06:30:13 -0400

EXCLUSIVE: Internal emails, messages and memos from Arizona’s Flagstaff Unified School District (FUSD) reveal that staff allegedly breached security protocol and violated several school policies by facilitating a student walkout to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) earlier this year, according to America First Legal.

Hundreds of Flagstaff high school and middle school students walked out of class to protest ICE on Jan. 28. The protest came amid national controversy over the deaths of anti-ICE activists Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota. Immediately after the walkout, many parents, citing safety concerns, expressed outrage that they were not notified that their children had been allowed to leave school premises without their consent. One parent who said they had children under the age of 12 said the "district failed us as parents."

Documents obtained by America First Legal, a conservative watchdog group, reveal that FUSD officials knew about the walkout days in advance and also coordinated with students. The documents, which were reviewed by Fox News Digital, were obtained by America First Legal through a lawsuit forcing FUSD to comply with its public records request for records related to the walkout.

Screenshots from a district staff text group show faculty coordinating during the walkout. One staff member texted, "We have 75 plus students staged outside of fhs [Flagstaff High School] getting ready to walk." In the same message, the staff member wrote, "Looks like we have some members of the public joining."

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Another concerning text from a staff member read, "Be aware of propped open doors that are left for reentry."

In response to America First Legal's criticism, a spokesperson for the district told Fox News Digital that "We respectfully disagree that the Flagstaff Unified School District encouraged students to attend or intentionally ignored District policies."

The spokesperson said, "The District was placed in the challenging position of balancing students’ First Amendment rights, student safety and school operations in the most appropriate way it could."

District policy dictates that "the Superintendent shall limit access to school buildings and grounds" and that faculty "maintain protocols regarding the distribution of keys or equipment to access District property." Further, FUSD policy also stipulates that students ages six to 16 are "required to attend school during the school's hours" and "the school in which the student is enrolled shall make a reasonable effort to promptly telephone and notify the parent/legal guardian or other person who has custody of the student of the student's absence from school."

An email from a student to then Flagstaff High School Principal Tadd Ragan shows that district staff was aware the protest would take place at least two days in advance. The student informed Ragan that students were planning to walk out of their classes to protest against ICE at 11:45 a.m. The student said the protest would occur "near a main road for more recognition" and asked for advice "in finding a more organized way of going about this."

In response, Ragan told the student that "as a District and School we have a plan to maintain a peaceful protest." In a subsequent email, Ragan asked the student, "Can you come by my office during first period?"

Another faculty member, Flagstaff "instructional coach" Janet Chavez-Vesely, sent an email to several school administrators the day before the protest, revealing that she had discussed the planned walkout with the student Hispanic Culture Club. Chavez-Vesely wrote that she "stayed neutral and answered questions while they planned."

VIRGINIA SCHOOL DISTRICT SUED OVER ALLEGED POLICY OF KEEPING STUDENTS' GENDER TRANSITIONS HIDDEN FROM PARENTS

She noted that one of the students "plans to stop by and see me" to discuss the protest further. Chavez-Vesely told the school administrators, "I am available to support supervision," adding, "just let me know where."

Some parents who became aware of the walkout before it happened emailed the district, notifying staff that their children would be absent from school while citing safety concerns.

On Tuesday, one parent emailed Ragan, telling him, "I am keeping my daughter home from school this Wednesday as it has been brought to my attention that both Flagstaff high school and Coconino high school have planned out an entire protest."

The parent wrote, "This is not something that I want my child involved in nor do I want her around during it nor do I want her suffering any of the consequences that come with not participating and or being pressured into participating in potentially getting in a violent situation."

Another parent emailed faculty late on Tuesday night, writing, "My kids will not be at school tomorrow." The parent noted, "This is not something that I want my children exposed to or involved in as situations like this in the past have become violent and unsafe."

Meanwhile, at least one faculty member was excited about the protest, writing in a text, "This Walk out thing is going to be FUN!"

The morning of the protest, Sinagua Middle School Principal Christopher Koenker sent an email that FUSD "supports our students’ constitutional rights to peaceful assembly and free expression and is aware of student-led events planned."

He wrote that "schools will neither encourage nor discourage student participation." He added that the district was looking into providing additional staff and law enforcement presence "for protection and supervision, not to suppress student expression."

After the protest, an internal "Walk Out Debrief" memo emphasized that "school isn’t responsible for students’ safety after they leave campus."

Another memo noted that one teacher, identified as "Ms. Donovan," took her class outside to witness "rights vs. responsibilities" on display at the walkout. An administrator noted that just three students remained inside and that "later conversations with the 3 students indicated that they really weren’t comfortable being outside." The administrator noted she eventually asked Donovan to bring the class back inside "as it might appear that she was influencing them to be outside."

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In the same memo, the administrator noted that Donovan also discussed ICE operations in her class and had told students that officers had "used" a five-year-old "to lure the family out to take him." The administrator wrote that they had asked a student if she felt Donovan "pushes her opinions on her." The student answered that after the protest Donovan had asked students to raise their hands if they participated in the protest after which she "congratulated them," saying, "Great job for standing up for your first amendment rights."

Parents, however, quickly expressed that they felt outraged and blindsided.

One mother wrote that after learning of the protest, she and her husband "were terrified that our daughter was peer pressured (by friends, classmates, teachers, and the school district) to be a part of this."

"We’re thankful that our daughter remained at school, due to fear and frustration, but there is still the ‘what if’? What if something happened to any students during the walkout?" she continued, adding, "We expect the district to be transparent and not jeopardize our children’s safety."

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Another middle school parent wrote that they were not made aware of the protest or contacted until the end of the day. They wrote that their child "was under the impression this was a school sponsored event," given that faculty allegedly provided "maps" and directions to the event.

"This school district has broken my trust and neglected your responsibilities and disregard for your own policies," the parent wrote.

Commenting on this, America First Legal Senior Counsel James Rogers told Fox News Digital that "What these documents show is a stunning betrayal of that trust."

Rogers said that FUSD’s "conduct raises serious questions about whether district employees crossed that line."

"Parents deserved to know where their children were. The law required these officials to act, and they failed on both counts," he said.

Ex-counterterrorism official Joe Kent continues calling for US military withdrawal from Middle East

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 06:18:32 -0400

Former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent is reiterating his call for the withdrawal of US forces from the Middle East amid the ongoing war with Iran.

"Get our troops out now before we suffer a mass casualty attack. Break the escalation trap. Trump still has the political strength at home to declare victory & have it resonate, that ability will be lost if we suffer more casualties. Now is the time to leave, immediately," he wrote Sunday on X.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House on Monday.

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Kent made the comments while sharing a post from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).

"Yesterday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the passing of two U.S. service members and the missing status of one in Jordan following an Iranian attack on July 17. After a thorough search, U.S. military personnel found unidentified remains at the location earlier today. An examination process to verify the remains is ongoing," CENTCOM noted in part of a statement on Sunday.

"Separately, a U.S. service member in northern Iraq was killed in action July 18 during a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian one-way attack drone. A second service member was wounded and continues to receive medical treatment for a minor injury," the statement noted.

EX-COUNTERTERRORISM OFFICIAL JOE KENT ENDORSES GOP SENATE PRIMARY CHALLENGER AS TRUMP BACKS LINDSEY GRAHAM

Kent quit the counterterrorism government post earlier this year, citing his opposition to the Iran war.

In part of his resignation letter he asserted, "Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby."

EX-COUNTERTERRORISM CHIEF WARNS OF 'MAJOR PROBLEM' THAT COULD FORCE US 'BACK INTO THE WAR ON IRAN'S TERMS'

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In a portion of a Saturday post on X he wrote, "We restore order by ending the conflict on our terms: deprive Iran of military targets to strike by removing our troops, bases, & naval forces from the area. Our bases in the region are liabilities & relics of the past—abandoning them is not retreat, it’s strategic adaptation to modern warfare. This move removes Iran’s primary justification for disrupting shipping in the SOH and for attacking its neighbors. We can then offer the carrot: sanctions relief in exchange for freedom of navigation in the SOH."

Katie Uhlaender: Athletes risk paying the price if Protect College Sports Act is passed

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 06:06:26 -0400

The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee sent out an email asking athletes to support the Protect College Sports Act (PCSA). It is being marketed as a way to protect college sports, but the real question should be: who is protecting the athletes?

Without athletes, there is no sport.

Giving absolute power to a centralized institution feels more like an economic cartel than fair competition. And it will be the athletes who pay the price.

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Fair competition is what makes sport great. The PCSA gives the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) complete control over who gets to compete. Is that fair to the athletes and fans who pay to watch and participate?

As a five-time Olympian, I have spent more than two decades competing in a system that promised fair competition and athlete protection. Like every athlete, I trusted those institutions to uphold the integrity of sport. Too often, they haven’t.

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In 2014, Russia was proven to have cheated in the Sochi Olympic Games. I was awarded an Olympic medal on paper, only to have mine – and 27 others – returned to Russia through a flawed arbitration process. Leading into the 2026 Olympics, an independent tribunal found that Canada intentionally manipulated Olympic qualification points, yet nothing was done. Most have heard of the Larry Nassar scandal, where the USOPC and NCAA failed to protect athletes despite years of complaints. Not to mention the recent controversy surrounding Imane Khelif, an Olympic boxer classified as having Difference of Sex Development (DSD). Khelif reportedly has XY chromosomes, but won women's gold at the Paris Olympics, raising questions about competitive integrity and institutional accountability.

These are different scandals with different players, but they reveal the same pattern: justice delayed and justice denied. Congress is considering granting the NCAA a federal antitrust exemption, in exchange for the NCAA promising to regulate itself. But what has the NCAA done to demonstrate that it is capable of policing itself? Today, the NCAA and its member universities have more than 260 open Title IX investigations involving the mishandling of sexual assault and misconduct. Congress and the Supreme Court have repeatedly been forced to intervene because the NCAA has failed to self-regulate. Why should we believe that giving the NCAA more power and legal protection would suddenly produce a different result? More importantly, how does this protect athletes?

The PCSA would ultimately strip athletes of the ability to challenge the NCAA and allow the organization to define what constitutes "reasonable" action to prevent abuse. Institutions that have failed to protect athletes should not receive additional legal protections and more power. Giving more power without meaningful accountability creates a dangerous imbalance. History shows that power imbalances lead to abuse, which is why antitrust laws exist.

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Without the private right to challenge these institutions and their policies, athletes are left vulnerable to scandal. The more than 260 open Title IX cases involving sexual assault and misconduct would be neutralized with this act passing, leaving institutions without accountability, and athletes harmed. The act grants collective media rights to schools that join, allowing those currently facing Title IX non-compliance claims to remain non-compliant with no oversight of compliance, and the athletes who challenged them without power.

This shifts the focus from proactively preventing abuse to bureaucratic box-checking designed to block lawsuits; not protecting athletes.

The consequences extend beyond abuse prevention. The act grants the NCAA absolute control over athlete eligibility through this antitrust shield, undermining federal and state law, specifically Title IX and who can compete in the women’s category. The NCAA can now determine eligibility rules with no accountability, no oversight on compliance, and no input from the states or athletes. This means current abuse goes unpunished, and that the NCAA can also allow men to compete in women’s sports again.

The current NCAA policies define gender as an identity, do not define sex, and only require a birth certificate as proof of being male or female. Forty-four states currently allow birth certificates to be amended, and there is no oversight or verification of these documents. Male athletes who identify as female still earn scholarships, use women’s locker rooms, and play and compete on women’s teams. The 27 states that have chosen to recognize biological women as a protected class could do nothing to stop men from taking women’s spots on college sports teams.

The act may create stability for the NCAA and protect it from lawsuits, but stability without accountability has historically led to scandal and abuse of power. The Olympic system has faced this pattern repeatedly.

Women have spent more than 50 years fighting for equal opportunity and legal protections. Title IX is a symbol of that progress. Congress should not weaken those protections by passing this bill as it is currently written.

Our Constitution was built on the expectation that citizens would exercise their freedom of speech, stand up for what they believe in, and help shape public policy. Any public policy that removes a citizen’s ability to advocate for themselves is un-American. And in this case, the proposed policy is simply a proposal to hand financial wins to the elite governing class while guaranteeing generations of sexual, physical, and economic abuse of the athletes.

I've lived through the system of internal arbitration, athlete board representation, and ombudsman programs, and they often create conflicts of interest while essentially just protecting the organization from meaningful accountability. Because these are internal systems that exist with an inherent imbalance of power, they almost always digress into tools to prevent disruption of the economic system. Athletes are told that policies will be changed for future generations, giving their own suffering some meaning. But these promises don’t restore lost opportunities, protect those already harmed, or deliver justice. They delay accountability while athletes continue to bear the consequences. Justice delayed is justice denied.

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Stability without accountability is not protection.

It’s exploitation.

AMB. GORDON SONDLAND: Europe can’t condemn Iran, then complain when Trump finally acts to stop it

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 05:00:17 -0400

European leaders have spent years warning that Iran must never be permitted to acquire a nuclear weapon. They have condemned Tehran’s ballistic-missile program, its financing of terrorism, its use of proxy forces, its attacks on commercial shipping and its serial violations of international agreements.

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Yet when President Donald Trump concluded that the threat required military action, much of Europe’s response focused not on Iran’s conduct, but on whether European capitals had been sufficiently consulted.

That complaint is difficult to take seriously.

European governments were not ignorant of the intelligence picture. Their intelligence services have followed Iran’s nuclear program, missile development, terrorist networks and regional proxies for decades. They have reviewed the same broad threat assessments, watched the same enrichment trends and issued many of the same warnings.

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They may not have possessed every piece of operational intelligence available to the president, but they understood the direction of travel. They knew the danger was growing. They also knew that, eventually, someone would have to act.

Europe’s preferred strategy was to play ostrich: acknowledge the threat, avoid the hard decision, wait for the U.S. to take the lead and then feign surprise at the result.

That arrangement is politically convenient. It allows European leaders to benefit from American power while distancing themselves from its use. Washington absorbs the military risk and political criticism. Europe preserves its diplomatic posture and complains about process.

AMERICANS ARE NOT GIVING UP ON NATO, BUT THEY EXPECT EUROPE TO DO ITS SHARE

But Europe cannot have it both ways.

If Iran is a common threat to the democratic world, as European leaders have repeatedly said, then confronting it cannot remain principally an American responsibility. Europe cannot rely on U.S. military power, criticize Washington for acting, and then expect to enjoy the security benefits of the action without accepting any of the burdens.

This is not merely President Trump’s war, nor is it solely America’s problem. It is a conflict involving the security of the Western world.

Iran’s leaders do not regard the dispute as one between Tehran and Washington alone. They view the U.S., Europe and Israel as parts of the same hostile political and cultural bloc. Iranian intelligence operations have reached European soil. Iranian-backed groups have threatened European citizens and interests. Iranian missiles increasingly place European territory within range. European economies depend on maritime trade routes that Tehran has repeatedly threatened to disrupt.

Europe cannot plausibly believe that by doing little more than it is doing today, Iran will somehow spare it.

Passivity is not neutrality, and it does not purchase immunity. Tehran is unlikely to distinguish between an American adversary and a European government that quietly benefits from American protection. A regime prepared to use terrorism, hostage-taking, maritime coercion and proxy warfare will not reward European hesitation with safety.

The most important contribution Europe can make now does not require firing a shot or spending another euro.

It requires political unity.

There should be no public daylight between the U.S. and its principal European allies over the strategic objectives. Tactical disagreements are inevitable and can be addressed privately. But public equivocation, procedural complaints and ritual calls for "restraint by all sides" are interpreted in Tehran as evidence that the Western alliance can be divided.

That perception encourages Iran to wait out the pressure, manipulate European governments and bet that Atlantic unity will eventually collapse.

The greatest strategic gift the West could give Tehran is the appearance of division. The greatest deterrent it can present is the opposite.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer should state clearly that the U.S. and Europe share the same objectives and will remain aligned until they are achieved.

Those objectives must extend beyond the nuclear issue.

Preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon is essential. But ending Iran’s reliance on proxy armies is equally important.

For decades, Tehran has used Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, Iraqi militias and other armed groups to attack adversaries while maintaining a thin layer of deniability. Proxy warfare has allowed Iran to impose enormous costs on the region without accepting the consequences of conventional state aggression.

A strategy that addresses nuclear weapons while permitting Iran’s proxy network to remain intact would solve only half the problem. Tehran could continue destabilizing neighboring countries, attacking shipping, threatening Israel, striking American forces and intimidating European governments without possessing a nuclear bomb.

The proper Western objective should therefore be straightforward: no nuclear weapon and no Iranian-controlled proxy network operating with impunity.

Europe’s first responsibility is to support that objective publicly and without qualification.

Its second is to provide practical assistance.

European governments should make allied bases fully available, without political caveats designed for domestic consumption. They should expand intelligence sharing, logistics support, missile-defense cooperation and maritime surveillance. European navies can provide minesweepers, escort vessels, patrol aircraft and other capabilities needed to protect international shipping.

Freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz is not an American charity project. It is an economic necessity for Europe. European manufacturers, consumers and energy markets all depend on stable global commerce. If Iran can mine waterways, seize vessels or manipulate energy prices without a united response, Europeans will bear a substantial share of the cost.

Countries that deny access to bases or obstruct allied operations should face political consequences. Spain, in particular, should not be permitted to benefit from the protection of the Atlantic alliance while frustrating efforts directed at a common threat. Alliance membership entails obligations, not merely benefits.

This is the broader meaning of burden-sharing.

President Trump has long argued that Europe must assume more responsibility for its defense. The debate has usually centered on military spending as a percentage of gross domestic product. But burden-sharing is not simply an accounting exercise. It also means standing with the U.S. when common security interests require difficult action.

For generations, Americans have accepted extraordinary commitments to protect Europe. They have stationed troops on the continent, maintained nuclear deterrence, funded military infrastructure and repeatedly made clear that an attack on Europe would be treated as an attack on the U.S.

Reciprocity demands more than gratitude. It demands solidarity when America confronts a threat that Europe itself has repeatedly identified.

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Critics will argue that stronger European support risks escalation. But the opposite is at least as likely. Weakness, hesitation and division invite miscalculation. They encourage authoritarian governments to believe that democracies lack the will to defend their stated interests.

Deterrence works when an adversary believes its opponents possess both the capacity and the unity to act.

For too long, Europe has attempted to separate diplomacy from power. It has treated negotiation as an alternative to leverage rather than as a means of employing it. The result has been years of agreements, sanctions relief, diplomatic outreach and warnings, while Iran continued enriching uranium, improving missiles and expanding its proxy apparatus.

Diplomacy remains necessary. But diplomacy unsupported by credible force becomes little more than managed delay.

No responsible leader should welcome war with Iran. The objective should not be permanent conflict or regime-change adventurism. It should be to destroy the capabilities that threaten the West and restore deterrence on terms Tehran understands.

Europe has already concluded that Iran poses an unacceptable danger. Its leaders have said so for years.

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The question is no longer whether Europe understands the threat.

It is whether Europe is finally prepared to act as though it does.

Hawley sends criminal referral of 'left-wing dark-money' group over mailed abortion drugs

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 06:02:04 -0400

FIRST ON FOX: A Republican senator says that a left-wing abortion group claiming to be a "public health information campaign" is actually operating as the referral hub for shipping abortion pills into states where they're banned, in a criminal referral obtained by Fox News Digital.

In a letter sent Thursday to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Sen. Josh Hawley alleges asked the Justice Department to open a criminal investigation into Plan C, saying the group connects women with abortion-pill manufacturers, foreign clinics and online vendors that ship the drugs into states where they are restricted by law.

"At the center of the effort is an entity called Plan C," Hawley wrote, describing the group as a "left-wing dark-money operation" that serves as the "referral and logistics hub" for distributing abortion drugs into states that prohibit them. He said the group's activities warrant a federal criminal investigation.

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Hawley says Plan C directs women in states such as Florida, Oklahoma and Texas to foreign clinics willing to mail abortion pills into the United States despite state laws restricting those shipments. He also says the group points users to online vendors selling abortion drugs without prescriptions, identification or medical consultations, even though Plan C acknowledges on its website that the pills sold through some of those sites are "not regulated or inspected by the US government."

Fox News Digital reached out to Plan C for comment.

Hawley's letter also says Plan C advises users on how to limit their "digital footprint" by recommending privacy-focused browsers, virtual private networks and encrypted email.

The senator notes that Plan C's own website warns users they could face legal consequences for obtaining abortion pills through the services it recommends, while saying it is "up to every individual to decide what level of legal risk they are willing to take."

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Hawley also says Plan C directs women to providers willing to prescribe abortion pills through 14 weeks of pregnancy — beyond the Food and Drug Administration's approved labeling for mifepristone and beyond the limits set by several states.

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Hawley argues the conduct could violate multiple federal laws, including provisions of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act covering prescription drugs, laws prohibiting the importation of unapproved drugs into interstate commerce, and federal conspiracy and aiding-and-abetting statutes.

"I therefore respectfully refer this matter to the Department to open a criminal investigation into Plan C, its relationship with potential co-conspirator manufacturers, and the network of suppliers it promotes," Hawley wrote, adding that the investigation should include foreign clinics and online vendors shipping abortion drugs into the United States.

FBI boss Kash Patel details how agency and partners secured record-shattering FIFA World Cup

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 06:00:57 -0400

EXCLUSIVE – Seventy-eight Super Bowls in 38 days. This was the scale of the task facing the Federal Bureau of Investigation going into the first World Cup final the United States has hosted in more than 30 years.

"That’s what we executed on," FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview detailing the largest commitment of the agency’s resources ever devoted to securing a sporting event – the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

"We’re proud to report that, thank God, and thankfully to the men and women of the FBI and our partners, we had no significant criminal attacks during this World Cup," Patel said. "And just to put that in perspective, we had 6.5 million people attend the 78 matches in the U.S. across 11 venues."

Patel said the planning and execution had to be "mathematically precise."

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The tournament shattered previous attendance records and brought millions of international visitors to the country. The FBI dedicated nearly 5,000 personnel to the effort, including more than 4,000 from field offices, 800 from FBI headquarters and two legal attaché offices, along with support from 59 Homeland Security task forces.

The bureau also conducted approximately 300,000 background checks on players, coaches and other accredited personnel. All told, nearly 7 million fans from all over the world attended World Cup games in the United States, Canada and Mexico, all with no reported major security incidents. In fact, getting into the stadiums often took fans less than 15 minutes for games that averaged more than 65,000 in house.

A defining element of the FBI’s security operation was its aggressive response to the rapidly evolving drone threat. Recognizing that even a low-cost unmanned aircraft could be used to surveil players practicing at the dozens of team base camps around the country, track their movements to and from hotels, probe for security tactics at stadiums or fan zones, disrupt an event or deliver an explosive or chemical device, the bureau treated every unauthorized incursion as a potential threat.

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"If you’re in the space, we’re gonna take you down. And that’s why we took down over 700," Patel said. "Some of these folks were maybe borderline nuisances, while many of them were criminal in terms of violations of FAA airspace and also failing to register their drones… We’re not taking any chances."

The FBI established its first dedicated counter-UAS (unmanned aircraft system) school at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama to train state and local officers in detecting, tracking and intercepting unauthorized drones. Those officers were then deployed on FBI-led ground-intercept teams at World Cup venues, creating a nationwide counter-drone capability built for a threat that barely existed when the U.S. last hosted the tournament in 1994.

"We, the FBI, specifically train for the worst of the worst," Patel said, pointing to the possibility of drones being used to deploy explosives or chemical agents. Former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino was instrumental in developing the bureau’s counter-drone program.

That preparation was tested as the World Cup was getting underway, when investigators uncovered an alleged coordinated attack targeting UFC Freedom 250 at the White House.

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Federal prosecutors allege the suspects planned to use explosive-laden drones to trigger panic and force crowds to evacuate into areas where armed attackers could strike. Patel said the FBI launched a six-state operation, tracked the alleged threat through online communications and began a coordinated takedown "before the first punch was thrown," allowing the event to proceed without an attack.

Eight defendants have since been charged, although the allegations remain unproven and the defendants are presumed innocent.

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International cooperation was another critical component of the World Cup security operation.

"They’re working overseas in their home locations and giving us information back in real time on any single threat that’s coming in," Patel said.

The FBI hosted the International Police Cooperation Center in Northern Virginia, deploying more than 70 personnel to work alongside officers from U.S. host cities and security officials representing the nations sending teams to the tournament.

The FBI also assembled a Joint Operations Center with foreign police representatives from 46 of the 48 participating countries, allowing investigators to receive real-time threat intelligence from officials who understood their teams, fan bases and domestic security concerns. That information was supported by the FBI’s Intelligence Coordination Center, where more than 400 personnel processed an average of 26 incidents per day and produced nearly 100 intelligence reports for federal, state, local and private-sector partners, according to the FBI.

Patel credited the White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup with bringing federal, state and local agencies together under a unified security strategy. Established by President Donald Trump and led by Andrew Giuliani’s team, the task force served as a central hub for interagency planning, intelligence sharing and the rapid deployment of law enforcement resources across the tournament’s 11 U.S. host cities.

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"Like anything in government, to succeed, you need tremendous leadership," Patel said. "President Trump had the foresight to establish the White House Task Force… and what they were able to do was bring in the interagency, at least at the federal level, and then work with us at the state and local levels through our partnerships and put everybody under one roof."

Patel said the coordinated structure allowed the FBI to quickly send bomb technicians, evidence teams, tactical operators, SWAT personnel and hostage-rescue capabilities wherever additional resources were needed.

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"President Trump set the standard: Not only were we going to have the largest and safest sporting event in the history of the world, but we were going to make sure everyone had a great time. Those were the marching orders," Patel said.

He pointed to the social media videos showing international fans enjoying restaurants, pubs, sporting venues and other distinctly American experiences — even joking that Europeans fell in love with ranch dressing.

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"These are small vignettes, but they quantify and qualify how awesome America did," Patel said. "And I don’t just mean government. I mean the private sector. They came in and partnered with us as well."

Patel said those partnerships helped generate billions of dollars in revenue across the country while giving visitors a memorable experience.

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"They wanted not just safety and security, but to show off America to the world," he said. "And I think we did it brilliantly."

Americans divided after Will Arnett blasts one of the country's most popular french fries

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 06:00:40 -0400

Americans love french fries and rank them among their favorite foods. When it comes to the preferred cut and cooking method, however, there's plenty of debate.

Actor Will Arnett sparked a lively discussion online when he expressed his disdain for shoestring fries.

"Everybody hates shoestring fries," Arnett said on the "Off Menu" podcast.

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Shoestring fries, also known as matchstick fries, are cut extremely thin.

"If you serve me what they call shoestring fries, we have a problem," Arnett said, arguing that they "aren't fries" and claiming that restaurants serving them are being lied to by the people around them.

"So glad someone has finally spoken out about shoestring fries," one commenter on the podcast's YouTube clip wrote.

"Will is right, shoestring fries are [expletive]," another wrote.

Others said they prefer shoestring fries.

"Noooo shoestring fries are the best! People like them I swear! They're so crispy!" one person commented.

"Shoesting fries are phenomenal. [Crinkle]-cut fries should be illegal," someone else wrote.

A 2022 YouGov survey of 1,000 adults found that 22% preferred thicker-cut steak fries the most.

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Curly fries, which are sliced into a spiral shape, were the top pick for 21% of respondents, while 21% said they had no preference for the type of fry.

Crinkle-cut fries, which use a corrugated blade to create grooves in the potato, were favored by 19% of respondents.

Waffle fries, which are cut into a grid pattern with holes in the potato slices, garnered 12% of the vote, while 6% of respondents said "not applicable."

The history of the french fry is somewhat vague. Food vendors were selling fried potato strips in Paris by the late 18th century, though some claim Belgian villagers had invented them before that.

Many historians believe American soldiers encountered french fries in Belgium during World War I, where French was widely spoken, helping popularize the name.

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In YouGov's 2026 rankings of favorite American dishes, fries ranked second, just behind grilled cheese. Eighty-five percent of people reported liking fries, while 11% said they were neutral. Only 4% said they disliked fries.

French fries were the second-most-popular food in YouGov's 2026 rankings of favorite American dishes, just behind grilled cheese. Eighty-five percent of people reported liking fries, while 11% said they were neutral. Only 4% said they disliked fries.

The average American eats nearly 34 pounds of fries each year, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

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McDonald's serves America's favorite fast-food fries, according to the 2026 YouGov survey, with 39.2% of respondents choosing the chain. Five Guys (9%) and Chick-fil-A (7.1%) ranked second and third, respectively.

Digital creator Bobby Parrish recently posted on Instagram a comparison of three iconic fries, judging them for taste, ingredients and overall quality.

Parrish ranked McDonald's fries last, arguing that the chain uses several seed oils, including hydrogenated soybean oil, which Parrish said is "one of the worst."

McDonald's fries also contain a natural beef flavor made with wheat and milk derivatives, Parrish noted. Therefore, they are not suitable for vegans and are not considered gluten-free.

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Parrish ranked Chick-fil-A's waffle fries, which he said are made with canola and palm oil, as the second-best.

Steak 'n Shake's french fry ingredients are "darn near perfect," Parrish said. The burger-and-fry chain promotes its use of 100% beef tallow at its restaurants.

RNC trolls DNC, Maine Democratic Party in letter offering to help restore trust, 'defend democracy’

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 05:49:22 -0400

The Republican National Committee is trolling the Democratic National Committee and the Maine Democratic Party with an offer to provide election lawyers, trained observers and other resources as Democrats scramble to replace disgraced Senate primary candidate Graham Platner.

"So, in a spirit of generosity we hope will not go unnoticed, the RNC formally offers our election integrity resources and personnel to ensure a process worthy of Democrat voters’ confidence," read a copy of the letter obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital. "Mainers deserve a nomination that is fair, accessible, and free from disenfranchisement — and it never hurts to have professionals in the room."

The tongue-in-cheek letter is expected to be sent Monday morning from the RNC to DNC chair Ken Martin and Maine Democratic Party Chair Charles Dingman, the RNC election integrity unit told Fox News Digital.

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The letter unwinds many of the Democratic Party platform's attacks on Republicans in a week that featured an unusual Democratic Party debate and President Donald Trump's primetime White House address on election integrity.

"The RNC has a deep bench of experienced election attorneys, trained observers, a dedicated State Election Integrity Director, and nationwide election integrity resources — all standing by to assist with convention procedures, delegate credentialing, ballot-counting transparency, and election law compliance," the letter read, pointing to its multi-million dollar midterm election integrity ground game. "We built this operation to protect elections from exactly this kind of chaos. We simply never expected the loudest cries for help to come from inside your own house.

"As our friends on the left never tire of reminding us, 'democracy dies in darkness.' We are offering to turn on the lights."

MEET THE DEMOCRATS GUNNING TO REPLACE GRAHAM PLATNER

Republicans have received criticism for questioning election integrity, but the RNC letter attempted to turn the table back on the Democrats, during a key Senate race in Maine that could help determine the Senate majority this November.

"We also request clarification on whether your nominating convention will include the basic safeguards every election deserves: voter identification, proof of residency, and independent observation," the letter continued, pointing to apparent hypocrisy. "We ask in a spirit of thoroughness, not suspicion. Mostly thoroughness."

"We further understand that proxy voting will not be permitted," the letter said. "I’m pleased to hear your party discover, at last, the merits of in-person voting — and to learn that when the stakes are highest for Democrats, you too believe there is no substitute for showing up and casting a ballot yourself."

When Platner suspended his Senate campaign before the July deadline after winning the nomination in June, he called out the party's "establishment" for forcing its will over the will of voters.

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"For his part, Mr. Platner announced the suspension of his campaign by insisting that his replacement come from "'the people of Maine' through a system that is 'open, transparent and democratic' and that reflects the voices of those who supported him," the RNC letter noted, adding a dig on the DNC's reported financial struggles, suggesting its political opponents should accept their offer of help.

"We also know that this convention comes at a difficult time financially for you, with the DNC $18 million in debt. Finding the resources necessary to run a nominating convention must be tough."

Sports cartoons of the day

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

ANDREW GIULIANI: How President Trump’s World Cup vision showed America at its very best

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 05:00:46 -0400

When President Donald Trump set his sights on bringing the FIFA World Cup back to the United States in 2018, he wasn’t just thinking about soccer. He was thinking about legacy—about uniting a country, welcoming the world and showing what American excellence looks like as we celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday.

I remember the moment he gave me my main mission: "Make it the best tournament ever." Simple, but not easy. With President Trump, nothing is ever done halfway. Early in his second term, he established the White House Task Force on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, making clear this would be a whole-of-government effort. We set out to deliver not only the largest and safest World Cup, but also the most welcoming and memorable tournament in history for fans, athletes, and communities across America.

Looking back, I know only President Trump could have pulled this off. No other leader could have set such an ambitious vision and inspired a nation to rise to the challenge. His lifelong experience in hospitality and his attention to detail set the standard for excellence and made this World Cup unforgettable.

GERMAN WORLD CUP FAN BREAKS DOWN IN TEARS AFTER BEING BLOWN AWAY BY KINDNESS OF AMERICANS

More than 6.5 million fans attended matches across 16 host cities in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, nearly doubling the previous attendance record. There were 11 host cities in the United States alone. During this World Cup, stadiums were filled to 99.7% capacity, while FIFA Fan Festivals welcomed another 7.7 million visitors. Fans from more than 150 countries experienced American hospitality firsthand, and the tournament generated more than 20 billion video views worldwide.

Yet the numbers tell only part of the story. The real success was measured in packed downtowns, thriving small businesses, friendships formed across cultures and unforgettable moments shared by millions.

President Trump’s focus on safety and security paid off. We deployed federal coordination teams, supported local law enforcement with $625 million in funding and invested another $500 million in counter-drone technology. We worked closely with state and local officials, trained together, and built a real-time information-sharing system that will benefit our country long after the final whistle.

FEDS CHARGE FOUR AS WORLD CUP DRONE CRACKDOWN TOPS 400 SEIZURES ACROSS US HOST CITIES NATIONWIDE

The results speak for themselves: no major security incidents, a record-breaking economic impact, and a seamless experience for fans and athletes. From Seattle’s Pioneer Square, where local businesses saw sales rise to as much as 10 times their average, to Philadelphia’s $770 million in projected economic impact, the benefits will last for years to come.

The true legacy is the capability we built. America now has stronger technology, better training, and deeper partnerships at home and abroad. We worked with Canada, Mexico and FIFA to deliver a continental spectacle—proving that no country is better equipped to host an event on this scale. President Trump’s Golden Age of Sports is here, and the lessons learned will inform not only future World Cups, but also every major event we host.

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It’s especially meaningful that President Trump, who was the driving force behind our successful bid in 2018, was able to see this vision realized during his presidency. Few leaders get to witness their ambitions come full circle on a stage this grand. The pride he felt—and that we all shared—as we watched the world come together on American soil is something I’ll never forget.

Serving as executive director of the White House Task Force on the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been the honor of a lifetime. I will always be grateful for the opportunity to serve under President Trump and help make his vision for this country a reality during this extraordinary moment for America.

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As we look ahead to the Olympics and America’s next chapter, let this World Cup stand as proof that when President Trump sets an ambitious vision, America delivers. We welcomed the world with unmatched hospitality, world-class venues, unwavering security and the confidence that has always defined this nation at its best.

Americans fell in love with the World Cup, and the world fell in love with America again. That is the enduring legacy of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the future of sports in America’s Golden Age.

LEE CARTER: Why I believe collapsing trust, not ideology, is reshaping American politics

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 05:00:35 -0400

After every recent election in which a democratic socialist or self-described progressive outsider scores an upset victory, the same debate erupts: Is America really moving that far to the left?

Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s rise in New York reignited the question. Before his campaign collapsed, Graham Platner’s meteoric rise in Maine sparked similar headlines. And now, as Democrats look to replace him, many are rallying around Troy Jackson, a self-described "pickup truck progressive."

The conventional wisdom is that these victories signal a country embracing increasingly liberal ideas.

DSA ROLLS OUT NEW PLATFORM AHEAD OF MIDTERMS

I don’t think that’s what’s happening.

The rise of democratic socialism isn’t the story.

It’s the symptom.

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

The real story is that millions of Americans have lost confidence in the institutions they once trusted to solve problems, create opportunity and make government work. And when confidence in institutions collapses, voters don’t necessarily move left or right. They become far more willing to embrace candidates who promise to disrupt the status quo.

Gallup’s latest polling should be a flashing warning light. Confidence in America’s institutions remains near historic lows. Congress commands the confidence of just 9% of Americans. Confidence in the criminal justice system, organized religion, higher education, big business and many other institutions Americans once relied upon has eroded dramatically over the past generation.

Look beyond the individual numbers and a striking pattern emerges.

BERNIE-BACKED SOCIALIST WHO ALLIED WITH PLATNER COULD SUPPLANT HIM ON BALLOT

This isn’t a crisis in one institution.

It’s a crisis of confidence in the entire system.

That’s an important distinction because politics doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Voters don’t evaluate candidates based solely on policy positions. They also evaluate whether the institutions surrounding those policies are capable of delivering results.

When Americans stop believing those institutions work, they stop rewarding candidates who promise incremental change.

They start looking for alternatives.

Some find them on the right.

Some find them on the left.

But almost all of them are looking for outsiders.

That’s what made Platner’s campaign so compelling before it unraveled. His appeal wasn’t simply about progressive policy. He represented a rejection of politics as usual. His outsider status became part of his message.

The same is true of Mamdani.

Whether you agree with his policies or not, his supporters aren’t simply voting for a platform. They’re voting for disruption. They’re voting against institutions they believe have failed them.

And look at what happened in Maine after Platner exited the race.

Many Democrats didn’t immediately search for the safest establishment replacement. Instead, attention quickly shifted to Jackson — a candidate who proudly brands himself a "pickup truck progressive" and who has built his career positioning himself as a champion of working people against entrenched interests.

Different state.

Different ideology.

The same political demand.

We’re seeing versions of this story play out across the country.

Candidates who promise to challenge institutions are outperforming candidates who promise simply to manage them.

The labels vary.

The frustration does not.

This is why I believe we continue to misread this political moment.

The defining divide in American politics is no longer simply Democrat versus Republican.

Nor is it liberal versus conservative.

Increasingly, it is establishment versus anti-establishment.

Institution versus outsider.

The rise of democratic socialism is one manifestation of that shift.

Right-wing populism is another.

They are different political expressions of the same underlying condition: millions of Americans no longer believe the institutions around them are capable of solving the problems they face.

That should concern all of us.

A healthy democracy depends on citizens believing that its institutions — while imperfect — are fundamentally legitimate and capable of correcting mistakes, enforcing rules fairly and delivering results.

When that confidence disappears, disruption becomes more attractive than stability.

History tells us that people rarely embrace political movements on the fringe simply because they wake up one day with a new ideology.

They do it because they lose confidence in the institutions that once made moderation feel sufficient.

That is why I don’t believe the rise of democratic socialism is the biggest story in American politics.

The bigger story is the collapse of confidence that made its rise possible.

Until our institutions begin earning back the confidence of the American people, we shouldn’t be surprised to see more candidates like Zohran Mamdani.

Or Graham Platner.

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Or Troy Jackson.

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Because they aren’t the cause of this political moment.

They’re the consequence of it.

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JONATHAN TURLEY: Democratic Socialists want to remake America in their image. That’s terrifying

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 05:00:34 -0400

"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 left often refers to radical changes as "reimagining" everything from police to the Supreme Court to prisons to borders. However, the rise of socialists in the Democratic Party has moved such claims from the merely rhetorical to the outright revolutionary.

The release of the DSA platform on Bastille Day, July 14, was fitting since the Jacobins pushed for the same unicameral system that the socialists are now advocating.The platform promised to change the constitutional system and end the rule of "the same criminal class of billionaires and war profiteers."

BERNIE SANDERS, DSA REVEAL DEMANDS FOR DEM PARTY AFTER SOCIALISTS SWEEP NEW YORK ELECTIONS

The DSA, which counts various Democrat figures such as New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, includes a plan to eliminate the Senate, the Supreme Court, the presidency and other institutions in remaking the American constitutional system.

In my new book "Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution," I discuss the rise of socialism and the move among professors and pundits to scrap key aspects, or the entirety, of our constitutional system on the 250th anniversary of the republic.

The book compares many of these proposals to identical policies of the Jacobin movement in the French Revolution. It is a book about revolutions and how they can consume those who start them. Both the American and French revolutions arose during the same period, but one became the world’s oldest democracy while the other became a blood-soaked tyranny known as "The Reign of Terror."

THE FOUNDING FATHERS WOULD SOUND THE ALARM ON AOC, MAMDANI AND OUR SLIDE INTO SOCIALISM

Notably, the Jacobins pushed for the same unicameral system that the socialists are now advocating. Even figures such as Thomas Paine (one of two figures who played a significant role in both revolutions) supported such measures to allow for more direct democracy.

It was an approach that the Framers expressly rejected. Great students of history, they did not want to replicate the elements that led to the destruction of past democracies going back to ancient Athens. Benjamin Rush, a signatory to the Declaration of Independence, referred to it as democracies becoming "mobocracies."

The DSA is the direct descendant of the Jacobins in seeking to tear down moderating institutions and replace the president and justices with democratically elected figures by a Congress composed only of the House of Representatives. However, many of these suggestions are also found among leading academics and influencers.

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

As with the original Jacobins, those demanding these changes are not the working class but professors, pundits and young college-educated voters.

Mainstream figures such as Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of UC Berkeley Law School, have published books such as "No Democracy Lasts Forever: How the Constitution Threatens the United States."

The media eagerly publishes these radical views, such as the New York Times column, "The Constitution Is Broken and Should Not Be Reclaimed," in which Ryan D. Doerfler of Harvard and Samuel Moyn of Yale call for the nation to "reclaim America from constitutionalism."

As discussed in "Rage and the Republic":

"Those who want to remain in favor often pander to the extremes. Radical leftist sites like the Jacobin have grown in popularity... They use some of the same words and symbols but still seem improvisational and inauthentic, like a child’s game of dress-up with oversized outfits. Indeed, that is precisely the danger.

"There is little knowledge, let alone memory, of what such radicalism became under the real Jacobins. There is the same blissful ignorance that allowed Rousseauian dilettantes to mutate into monsters, escalating radical agendas with every failure... As the popular slogans became disastrous policies, the momentum would carry them beyond any point of recognition or return. The new Jacobins show the same blind ambition and abandon in striking out at institutions and the Constitution itself."

Those slogans are now preying on the gullible and the vulnerable. Take the recent pitch of Michaela Brangan, DSA national political education chair, who declared that with socialism:

"[Y]ou are able to take a day off and not have to worry and you don't have to have a job just to pay the bills because you do not have a lot of bills. Right? Bills are no longer a thing because there's not for-profit businesses that are constantly trying to exploit you and trying, you know, to put you into debt."

She laughed at the suggestion of, "Why do we have a Senate? What is so great about the Senate?"

If she wants that answer, she only needs to look around her at the mob seeking to destroy the world's oldest and most successful republic in history.

She is right about one thing. Capitalism has played a critical role in our republic. This is the 250th anniversary of not just our Declaration but the publication of Adam Smith's "Wealth of Nations," which the Founders eagerly embraced. They believed that you could not be truly independent and free if you are not economically independent and free. They rejected the economic dependency pushed by many on the left.

The left has found a voice in the class warfare espoused by Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders and others. However, it is not a new voice. It is the same Siren's call that we rejected 250 years ago. Paine himself would barely survive in France and come to appreciate the structural precautions that Founding Father and President James Madison created in our system that were absent in the French system.

After the Jacobins implemented some of these very same policies, they destroyed their economy and then devoured themselves in waves of executions. Once again, these same voices are asking a people to destroy the most successful and stable democracy in history. Mainstream figures are conditioning the public for radical changes, often using the same coded messaging. Former Vice President Kamala Harris dismissed the opposition to ideas like packing the Supreme Court as mere "nostalgia" for a system that is no longer working.

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently also pandered to the mob in declaring that "nostalgia is not working," and added, "capitalism as we know it doesn't work either."

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It is not "nostalgia" that binds us to this constitutional system. It is the faith in a system based on natural rights; a system that protects the minority from the majority. It is a system based on faith in both political and economic independence; the embrace of freedom and free-market principles that created the greatest prosperity in history.

We have heard these voices before and we would be wise to take them seriously if we are, as Benjamin Franklin asked, to keep this Republic for the next generation.

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Sports cartoons of the day

ANDREW GIULIANI: How President Trump’s World Cup vision showed America at its very best

LEE CARTER: Why I believe collapsing trust, not ideology, is reshaping American politics

JONATHAN TURLEY: Democratic Socialists want to remake America in their image. That’s terrifying