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Who wants their child to be a millionaire? Trump has given you that chance

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 09:00:51 -0400

Trump Accounts officially launched on July 4, and they could become one of the most important wealth-building tools created for American families in a generation.

For parents, grandparents, and guardians who worry that their children will inherit a future of high housing costs, mounting debt, and fewer opportunities, Trump Accounts offer something refreshingly practical: a way to begin building wealth for children from the very start of life.

Trump Accounts are new tax-advantaged investment accounts for children in the United States. They are designed for long-term savings, especially retirement, rather than short-term spending. Eligible children born from 2025 through 2028 can receive a one-time $1,000 contribution from the U.S. Treasury Department after an account is opened. Families can then contribute up to $5,000 per year, with the money invested in U.S. stock funds and allowed to grow tax-deferred.

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Importantly, Trump Accounts are not limited to parents alone. Employers can contribute up to $2,500 per worker each year, which counts toward the $5,000 annual limit. Qualifying charities, philanthropists, and state and local governments can also make contributions under specified circumstances, and those contributions do not count toward the $5,000 limit.

If properly and widely used, Trump Accounts could become a national wealth-building platform supported by parents, grandparents, businesses, charities, and local communities.

Trump Accounts are available for children aged 18 or younger. Parents, legal guardians, grandparents, adult siblings, and other authorized individuals can open an account for a child, provided the child is a U.S. citizen with a work-authorized Social Security number. The funds generally cannot be withdrawn before age 18. At that point, the account converts into a traditional Individual Retirement Account (IRA), subject to the usual IRA rules.

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The real power of Trump Accounts is time. Suppose a family contributes the maximum $5,000 per year for 18 years and earns an average annual return of 7 percent, which is well within historical norms. Using a conservative assumption that each contribution is made at the end of the year, the account would grow to about $170,000 by the time the child reaches adulthood. If contributions are made earlier in each year, the total would be even higher.

For many families, that alone would be life-changing. A young adult with roughly $170,000 in long-term retirement savings begins adulthood in a radically different position from someone starting from zero, especially since some of the funds can be used without paying a penalty to pay for college or for a down payment on a home.

However, the most powerful benefit comes later. Imagine the same child receives $5,000 per year from birth through age 18. Then, after becoming an adult, that child contributes just $1,000 per year on average until age 65, an extremely conservative contribution amount. Assuming the same 7 percent average annual return, that account would grow to more than $4 million by retirement.

That is the magic of compound growth. If you start early, save consistently, and allow time to do what time does best, almost any child could become a millionaire.

Of course, not every family can put away $5,000 every year. Many families will not come close. But if employers, nonprofits, philanthropists, churches, local charities, and state governments choose to help children fund these accounts, the benefits could extend to far more families than they otherwise would.

That is one of the most promising features of the program. It creates a structure for private generosity and community investment. Instead of relying solely on another government bureaucracy, Trump Accounts make it easier for families and civil society to work together to help children build assets over time.

Of course, investment returns are never guaranteed. Markets can be volatile. Families should understand the risks before putting money into any investment account. But over long periods, broad exposure to American businesses has historically been one of the most reliable ways for ordinary people to build wealth.

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For decades, policymakers have talked endlessly about expanding government programs to help reduce wealth inequality and improve opportunities for the middle class. Many of these proposed solutions have involved bigger bureaucracies, more complicated programs, and more dependency on government. Trump Accounts offer something much better, because they help families build significant wealth and ownership for their children.

Ownership changes how people see the world. A child with a growing investment account is connected to the success of American companies, workers, entrepreneurs, and innovators. Instead of watching wealth creation from the sidelines, that child participates in it. And instead of thinking capitalism is only for the wealthy, it helps children see that everyone can benefit from free markets.

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The launch of Trump Accounts gives parents, grandparents, employers and charities a rare opportunity. With early contributions, steady saving, and patience, they can help turn a modest annual investment into life-changing wealth.

For millions of American children, that could mean more than another account. It could mean a better future.

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The best time to talk to your parents about senior care — before it's too late

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 09:00:26 -0400

Most families wait to talk about senior care until an emergency hits, but experts say having those discussions early can lead to better outcomes and less conflict.

Tatyana Zlotsky, CEO of A Place for Mom in New York City, said 77% of the families she works with tell her they wish they’d acted sooner.

Planning before a crisis gives families more time to compare care options, understand costs and honor an older adult's wishes instead of making rushed decisions, the expert advised.

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"If you think about this being an extremely stressful, financially burdensome decision already, doing it under the duress of a medical emergency makes it 10 times worse," she told Fox News Digital. "And yet most families are still not taking action."

Family caregivers lose an average of $21,000 per year as they cut back on work to care for aging relatives, she noted.

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Families generally tend to procrastinate because they suffer from caregiver burnout, according to Zlotsky, who specializes in providing support services and digital tools for finding local senior housing options.

"They're already dealing with so much, it's nearly impossible for them to predict the situation sooner," she added.

"It's a reconfiguration of a parent-child relationship ... the parent wants to maintain their independence ... the child becomes the one providing the care," Zlotsky went on. "And so the senior resists this at all costs ... and the adult child is not sure how to have the conversation."

The discussion shouldn't wait until a fall, hospitalization or other medical emergency, according to the expert.

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Warning signs to watch for

Zlotsky emphasized that cognitive decline often begins with subtle changes in executive functioning — not always dramatic memory loss. Adult children should pay attention to these signs during routine visits, as they may signal that it's time to talk about future care plans.

These may include, but are not limited to, any of the following, according to the expert.

Spoiled or expired food accumulating in the refrigerator
Bills or paperwork piling up that were once handled routinely
Frequently misplaced keys, phones or other everyday items
Difficulty recalling recent conversations or events
Changes in the ability to complete familiar multi-step tasks, such as making coffee

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"Maybe Mom has made the same pot of coffee for the last 20 years," Zlotsky said as an example. "Now all of a sudden she doesn't drink coffee anymore ... the truth might be that it takes five steps to fill the coffee maker ... and her executive functioning skills are failing her."

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She encourages family members to look for those signs earlier, and to seek guidance from a professional.

"You can't be required as a caregiver to diagnose Mom or Dad," she said. "You really have to be able to get consultation."

When having the conversation, Zlotsky emphasized the importance of listening to the older adult’s preferences.

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"Your parents do have opinions on how they want to be taken care of, and what that looks like and who does it," she said. "It's really about having the courage to start that conversation and engaging in it."

"If you can break through that ice and really get to the core of what they need and want, it can make the financial and emotional journey much easier."

'America and the world have lost a determined leader': Tributes pour in after Sen Lindsey Graham's death

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 08:54:53 -0400

Tributes poured in Sunday from President Donald Trump, congressional leaders and foreign allies after Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., died at 71 following what his office described as a "brief and sudden illness," bringing to an end the career of one of the Senate's most influential Republican voices.

The South Carolina Republican had served in the Senate since 2003 and became one of the GOP's leading voices on national security and foreign policy. Once a sharp critic of Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, Graham later emerged as one of the president's closest allies while maintaining a prominent role on issues ranging from judicial confirmations to Ukraine, Israel and Iran.

Trump wrote on Truth Social that Graham "was always working," and called the Palmetto State senator "a true American Patriot."

"Lindsey will be greatly missed!!!" Trump wrote. "So sad!"

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM DEAD AT 71 AFTER 'BRIEF AND SUDDEN' ILLNESS, OFFICE SAYS

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster called Graham "irreplaceable" and the "fiercest of fighters for South Carolina and America." Per South Carolina law, McMaster will appoint a temporary replacement for Graham, who was seeking a fifth term in November.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said his "heart is heavy" following Graham's death, calling him a trusted adviser whose influence "on the federal judiciary, our national defense, and his beloved South Carolina will be felt for generations."

Thune praised Graham as a tireless advocate for the United States and its allies, saying he believed in "the might of America to achieve good in the world" and spent his career advancing that cause.

United States UN Amb. Mike Waltz remembered Graham not only as a senator, but as a fellow military officer. Waltz said he first met Graham when he was serving as a colonel in the Air National Guard, recalling that Graham spent his annual training deployments in Afghanistan helping train Afghan Army Judge Advocate General officers.

Waltz also praised Graham's commitment to the U.S. military and foreign policy, saying no member of Congress traveled more extensively "from Libya to Lebanon" to meet with American troops and bring "ground truth back to legislating."

"Rest easy, Patriot," he wrote on X.

Graham's death also prompted tributes from across the aisle. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., remembered his Republican colleague as "kind, gracious, and thoughtful," and an expert on foreign policy.

"Sudden and awful news about Senator Lindsey Graham," Fetterman wrote. "The United States Senate lost a foreign policy giant."

The outpouring of tributes quickly spread beyond Washington, with world leaders remembering Graham as one of America's most influential voices on national security and foreign affairs.

CHAD PERGRAM BREAKS DOWN WHAT'S NEXT FOR GOP AFTER GRAHAM'S DEATH

In one of his final overseas trips, Graham met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week. The visit marked his 10th trip to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion, where the two, according to readouts of the meeting, discussed tougher sanctions on Russia and the country's air defense needs.

After Graham's death, Zelenskyy posted on X, calling him "a true defender of freedom" who stood with Ukraine "when it was most needed." He said Graham's bipartisan work to increase pressure on Moscow helped bring "peace closer," adding, "America and the world have lost a determined leader."

Other European leaders echoed those sentiments.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte described Graham as "a powerful advocate for America who believed strongly in the NATO Alliance and was actively working to bring an end to Russia's war against Ukraine." Former NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg praised his "tireless commitment" to NATO and the trans-Atlantic bond, as well as his "staunch support" for Ukraine.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Graham was "a true friend and partner of Germany in the transatlantic alliance. We stood side by side for more than four decades."

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The tributes extended to the Middle East as well, where Graham was remembered as one of Israel's strongest allies in Washington.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called him "a great friend of Israel" and "a cherished friend of mine," saying Graham understood that the security of Israel and the United States "is inseparable" and devoted his life to strengthening the alliance between the two countries.

"Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend," Netanyahu said.

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Former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren told The Associated Press that Graham's death leaves Congress without one of its most steadfast pro-Israel voices at a particularly precarious moment.

"You have a few Democrats and Republicans willing to stand up in Israel’s defense, but those type of people are few, it’s not a body of people," he said. "So when you lose someone like Lindsey Graham, it’s a diplomatic and strategic loss for the state of Israel."

Sophie Cunningham kicks off her shoes and walks the Octagon at UFC 329 as a surprise ring girl

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 08:37:46 -0400

Sophie Cunningham made the most of her night off in Las Vegas.

The Indiana Fever guard made a surprise appearance as an Octagon girl at UFC 329 on Saturday night, just hours before she was due back at her real job against the Las Vegas Aces.

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Cunningham was already sitting ringside at T-Mobile Arena when she apparently decided watching the fights wasn’t enough.

Before the co-main event between Paddy Pimblett and Benoit Saint Denis, the 6-foot-1 WNBA star grabbed the Round 1 card, kicked off her shoes and took a lap around the Octagon in a black tank top and shorts.

She also broke out the pointing gesture that has become one of the biggest memes of the year.

According to UFC CEO Dana White, the whole thing came together about eight minutes before Cunningham walked out.

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"We’ve created a relationship, and she was here tonight," White told reporters after the event. "When she walked in, she goes, ‘Oh, I wanna walk around that.’ I said, ‘Then you’re gonna walk around it.’"

And that was that. Sophie Cunningham was a UFC ring girl.

She only got one lap, though. Pimblett choked Saint Denis unconscious in less than a minute, ending the fight in the first round.

Cunningham still seemed to enjoy her brief career change, laughing, posing for cameras and pointing toward celebrity row.

"I love Sophie Cunningham," White said. "Yeah, she’s fun."

Clearly.

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Cunningham has become one of the WNBA’s most recognizable players, thanks largely to her role as Caitlin Clark’s enforcer.

Her finger-pointing confrontation with DeWanna Bonner became one of the memes of the year. Her Adidas Crazy Energy player-exclusive shoe comes out July 24. And now she can add UFC ring girl to her résumé.

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Sophie Cunningham is on top of the world.

Google may use your photos and voice to train AI

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 08:24:37 -0400

There are few emails that make your stomach drop faster than one about "new privacy settings." That usually means a company has moved another data switch, renamed a control or tucked a new choice inside an account menu you rarely visit. Google is now rolling out one of those changes for Search services. The setting is called Search Services History. It controls whether Google saves your activity from Search services when you are signed into your Google Account.

That may sound routine at first. Most of us already know Google can save search history. However, this update goes beyond the old idea of typed searches in a box. Google says Search Services History can include images you upload, files you ask about, voice searches, Search Live recordings, Translate speaking practice audio and other interactions with Search services.

The part that should make you pause is the Save Media setting. When it is turned on, Google can save media from your Search services interactions. That saved media may be used to improve Google’s AI models and technologies. In other words, the random photo you searched with Google Lens or the voice recording you used in a Search feature may help improve Google’s AI.

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What Google’s Search Services History can save

Google says Search Services History may include your searches, results you view, AI Mode responses, voice search recordings, Search Live transcripts, Google Lens images, uploaded files and some information tied to your activity.

Maybe you used Google Lens to identify a plant. Perhaps you uploaded an image to search for a product. You might have used Translate to practice before a trip. Or maybe you asked a question by voice because your hands were full. All of that can feel harmless in the moment. Still, the bigger issue is where that data can go after it is saved.

Google says saved media may help you revisit past visual searches or continue a Search Live conversation. That can be useful. However, Google also says saved media may help develop and improve AI models and technologies. That is the trade-off. You may get more personalized features. Google may get more personal inputs from the tools you already use.

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Why this Google AI setting deserves your attention

This is the kind of privacy change that can slide right past you. The language sounds helpful. The setting lives inside account controls. The rollout happens gradually, so you may not see it right away. That is exactly why you should check.

Google says the new settings are based on your prior choices for Web & App Activity and Search Personalization. If those were on, the new Search Services History setting may also be on. If your prior settings were off, the new one should be off too. That sounds fair enough, but it still puts the work on you.

Also, turning off Save Media does not automatically wipe everything that was already saved. Google says previously saved media may continue to be used to improve its technologies unless you delete it from your account. If saved media has already been selected to train AI models, Google says it is no longer connected to your account and may be kept for up to four years.

That is the part I would not ignore. Once your media moves into that AI-training pipeline, deleting the original activity may not pull it back.

How to opt out of Google’s Search AI data training setting

You can check this from a phone or computer, but I recommend using a computer if you can. The account settings are easier to read.

Open a browser and go to myactivity.google.com.
Make sure you are signed into the account you use for Search, Gmail, YouTube or Android. If you have more than one Google Account, repeat these steps for each one.
Look for the Search Services History section. If you do not see it yet, Google says the new settings are still rolling out. In that case, your Search history may still be controlled by Web & App Activity.
If Search Services History is turned on, you should see a Save Media subsetting.
Uncheck the box next to Save Media if you do not want Google saving media from your Search services interactions.
If you want to go further, turn Search Services History off. Google says you can choose Turn off or Turn off and delete activity.
To remove older items, go back to Search Services History and select View and delete saved history. Review what appears there, then delete activity you do not want saved.
If Search Services History has not reached your account yet, go to My Activity and review Web & App Activity. That may still control some Search services history until the rollout reaches you.
Google also has a Personalized Recommendations setting for Search services. This can affect how Search services personalize results, feeds and AI responses based on your activity. You can review it in your Google Account under Data & privacy, then Personalization settings.

What happens after you turn Save Media off

Turning off Save Media stops Google from saving media from future Search services interactions as part of Search Services History. However, it does not shut down every kind of Search history. Text-based activity, transcripts and some AI responses may still be saved if Search Services History remains on.

Also, Google says media from your future interactions can still be used to respond to you and help keep services safe. The key difference is that future media should not be used to train Google’s generative AI models unless you provide feedback. That is a meaningful distinction, but it isn’t the same as using Google with no data collection at all.

You should also know that Save Media does not control everything across Google. It does not cover separate activity settings for Gemini Apps, YouTube, NotebookLM or Google Voice. Those services have their own controls.

Kurt’s key takeaways

Google’s new Search Services History setting is worth checking now, especially if you use Lens, voice search, Translate or AI Mode. The Save Media box is the one I would look for first. If you do not want your images, files, audio or video saved for future AI improvement, turn it off. Then go one step further and review old activity. Turning off a setting usually protects future data, but past items may still sit in your account unless you delete them. Finally, repeat the process for every Google Account you use. Many of us have a personal account, a work account or an old account still signed in somewhere.

Would you keep using Google Lens the same way if you knew your image searches could help train AI for years? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com

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Conor McGregor reacts to disastrous UFC return: 'My head gasket is gone'

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 08:16:11 -0400

All of the hype and pageantry of an impending Conor McGregor return to the UFC Octagon on Saturday night blew up in smoke within seconds.

McGregor stepped into the cage against Max Holloway at UFC 329. He came across the mat with a flying left roundhouse kick and landed awkwardly on his right knee. He tried another kick and slipped to the ground. He tried to power through it but nearly two minutes into the fight, he grabbed at his right leg again and referee Mike Beltran called the fight.

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"My head gasket is gone," he wrote on social media. "Destroyed. I had no injury / injuries going into the fight. I was throwing kicks, planted and jumping, all throughout camp as well as backstage before the fight. This came out of nowhere.

"I am beyond dark here. I can only describe it as hell."

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UFC president Dana White said there were no signs of a pre-existing injury going into the weigh-ins on Friday.

"Five years off in this sport is rough," White said. "We’re assuming a blown ACL. That’s what I assumed when I saw it, and that’s what the doctors think, too."

Holloway said he kept telling Beltran to stop the fight because McGregor was injured but the Irishman kept saying, "Fight!"

"During the fight, you could see his demeanor change," Holloway said. "When I saw him hurt, I said, ‘Call this, he’s hurt.' I just hope for a speedy recovery."

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McGregor was participating in his first bout since July 2021 when he lost to Dustin Poirier due to a devastating leg injury. He’s only won one fight since 2020.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

NYC to move 110 single homeless men to quiet Brooklyn neighborhood, leaving locals worried: report

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 08:09:12 -0400

New York City is set to move 110 single homeless men into a Brooklyn shelter without conducting criminal background checks, according to a new report, sparking outrage among residents who fear the change will bring more crime to their quiet neighborhood.

The former Gold Star Inn in Sheepshead Bay, which has operated as a family shelter for roughly a year, is expected to begin housing single adult men as early as next week after the city's Department of Homeless Services decided to relocate the 55 families currently living there, the New York Post first reported.

The move has alarmed nearby residents, who told the Post they have already seen an uptick in crime since the shelter opened and worry the transition to housing single men will exacerbate those problems.

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"People are breaking into cars, people are destroying the park, taking their pants down in the park," Fahad, a 30-year-old plumber from nearby Brighton Beach, told the outlet. "It used to be very quiet."

According to NYPD data, shooting incidents in the 61st Precinct, which includes Sheepshead Bay, have risen to 5 so far this year, a 400% increase compared to the same period in 2025. Reports of rape have doubled from eight to 16, while retail theft has risen 10%.

Overall crime in the area dropped about 7% so far this year compared to the same period in 2025, according to the NYPD data.

Residents have also expressed concern that city officials will not conduct criminal background checks on incoming shelter residents.

"The Department of Homeless Services confirmed that no criminal background vetting will take place, leaving room for potential sex offenders and convicted felons to come in contact with our children," Republican City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov wrote in a letter to the city's Department of Social Services (DSS) last week.

Vernikov argued the conversion would be "devastating" for the surrounding community, citing concerns about loitering, drug activity and crime near the shelter, which sits across the street from Lew Fidler Park, a popular neighborhood playground.

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Ginny, a resident who declined to give her last name, told the Post that "not checking the background is not very diligent of the city."

"How can [they] say they are protecting children when they allow that? There are also elderly people who can be targets," she said.

Another neighbor, Olga Adynets, said someone recently released from prison is already staying at the shelter.

"I don't want it to get worse. I'm worried," she said.

The shelter is operated by BHRAGS, a nonprofit that has faced federal scrutiny after its former executive director Roberto Samedy and former board chairman Jean Ronald Tirelus were indicted earlier this year on charges including wire fraud, embezzlement and accepting illicit payments.

Despite the investigation, Mayor Zohran Mamdani awarded the organization nearly $200 million in new city contracts in June, according to the Post.

City officials told the outlet the shelter conversion reflects changing demand, with fewer families entering the shelter system and more single adult men requiring housing. Officials also said BHRAGS is under new leadership after the city reduced the nonprofit's shelter portfolio.

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"The agency continues to address the prevalent stigma against single adult men experiencing homelessness," a DSS spokesperson told The Post. "The agency also implements good neighbor policies while maintaining open lines of communication with the community to address any concerns as they arise."

Fox News Digital has reached out to the mayor’s office and DSS for comment.

Christian family takes fight to DC embassy after government seizes daughters over 'religious extremism'

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 08:00:35 -0400

This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Christian parents whose two daughters were seized by the Swedish government more than three years ago brought their custody battle to Washington, D.C., on Friday.

A crowd of Romanian-Americans gathered outside the Swedish Embassy in Washington on Friday morning to show their support for Daniel and Bianca Samson, Christian parents who have been separated from their daughters, Sara and Tiana, since December 2022.

The years-long battle began after Sara, then 11, made a false abuse allegation against her parents, stemming from an argument over not being allowed to wear makeup or have a smartphone. Despite Sara quickly admitting she had lied, Swedish social services removed the girls from the home.

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Prosecutors found no evidence of abuse, but the state refused to return the girls, citing the family’s habit of attending church three times a week and media choices as evidence of "religious extremism."

In court, Daniel Samson said officials labeled the parents "religious extremists" to justify their separation. He said lawyers used their parenting choices against them, such as the girls not being allowed to paint their nails, the lack of a television in the home and the reading of Bible stories, which he said authorities called "violent."

The case has drawn international outrage and support from the Romanian government. Romanian Sen. Titus Corlatean and Chicago Pastor Cristian Ionescu traveled to speak at the D.C. rally, which coincides with similar demonstrations planned this week in Brisbane, Stockholm, London, and Copenhagen.

Ionescu, the senior pastor of Elim Romanian Pentecostal Church and president of the Romanian Pentecostal Churches' Union in the United States, told Fox News Digital he hopes the same sort of government overreach won't come to the U.S. But after fleeing communism in Romania 40 years ago, he says he's alarmed by the rise of socialism in political races across the country.

"I see a surge of socialist and communist politicians and this is always associated with a totalitarian society," Ionescu said. "In Romania, they didn't confiscate the children from the families, but they were trying to educate them in a worldview and in a system contrary to Christian values, and parents that did not cooperate were persecuted."

"I hope I will never see this in America," he continued. "This is why I left Romania almost 40 years ago. America used to be a cradle of true civilization, Christianity. Now it's changing and not for the better, but I hope we will still hold the front line."

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In June, the Romanian Senate unanimously approved a declaration demanding Sweden immediately return the Samson girls to their family. Romanian Sen. Corlatean, who raised the proposal, said Sweden has ignored their demands.

"There was no reciprocity in this relationship, no positive answer. It was a simulation of cooperation," Corlatean told Fox News Digital.

He said the girls are Romanian citizens and accused Sweden of violating the two nations' diplomatic relationship as well as international law.

"They are not Swedish citizens, so Sweden is keeping [the girls] abusively in their custody against the will of the state of citizenship of our own citizens," he added.

The separation has taken a severe toll on the children. Samson said both girls have attempted suicide six or seven times while in state custody, and his eldest daughter has since been placed in an adult psychiatric facility.

"It's horrible, and it's a desperate situation," Corlatean added. "The girls are asking all the time to be given back to their parents and to Romania, and the social services are lying constantly saying the daughters are refusing to go back to their parents."

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Since taking their story public, Daniel Samson says the Swedish government has entirely barred the family from seeing the girls and expressed intent to change their names — a move he fears is a precursor to forced adoption.

Over the past three years, Samson said his family has lost 14 times in Swedish courts. In March, the Samsons lost their final appeal to regain custody, after the European Court of Human Rights ruled their case inadmissible.

Corlatean hopes the U.S. will lend their support and show "solidarity" for the Romanian family, citing the two nations' "shared Christian values."

He added that there is precedent for the U.S. helping in cases like this, citing the 2015 case of the Bodnarius, a Christian Romanian-Norwegian couple whose five children, including a nursing baby, were placed in foster care by Norway for seven months on allegations they spanked their children.

"There were a number of congressmen, members of the Senate, and also through the State Department that signing letters, [asking] questions and putting pressure on the Norwegian case at the time," Corlatean explained. "It was very helpful. So there is already a precedent of good cooperation."

Swedish social services previously told Fox News Digital it could not comment on individual cases and did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Swedish Embassy said it cannot comment on or intervene in individual cases.

"Sweden greatly values its excellent relations with Romania, including as NATO Allies and EU Member States," the embassy said.

"In Sweden, everyone has the same constitutional rights and freedoms, regardless of ‘race, skin colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status’ as is stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," it continued.

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"Swedish social services employ social workers with specialized knowledge about children’s needs," the embassey added. "The social welfare committee in the municipality where the child resides is responsible for ensuring that children grow up in a safe environment."

JonBenet Ramsey mystery reignited by lab scandal that adds pressure to unleash DNA help dad is ‘begging’ for

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 08:00:34 -0400

A disgraced Colorado DNA analyst's guilty plea is putting JonBenét Ramsey's murder back in the spotlight, as her father renews his push for cutting-edge DNA testing that he believes could finally solve the case.

John Ramsey told Fox News Digital he has long understood former Colorado Bureau of Investigation forensic analyst Yvonne "Missy" Woods had no involvement in his daughter's case because the earliest DNA testing was performed by an independent laboratory.

"I believe an outside private lab (Bode Labs in Virginia) did the first evidence testing and reported in January 1997 that they found unidentified male DNA in JonBenét's underwear," Ramsey said.

JONBENET RAMSEY'S DAD PRESSES FOR NEW LAW IN DECADES-LONG HUNT FOR DAUGHTER’S KILLER

But despite the fallout from the sweeping DNA scandal, Boulder authorities say the evidence in JonBenét Ramsey's murder investigation was not affected.

"The Boulder Police Department does not believe the actions of Missy Woods have had any effect on the JonBenét Ramsey case after a review of all the records by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation," a Boulder Police Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

"Because this is an active homicide investigation, we are unable to answer any specific questions regarding the investigation at this time," the statement continued.

JONBENET RAMSEY CRIME SCENE DNA COULD BE IDED IN HOURS, COLD CASE RESEARCHER SAYS AS FAMILY PUSHES FOR ANSWERS

The Boulder County District Attorney's Office reached the same conclusion, telling Fox News Digital that CBI's review determined Woods' criminal conduct "will not have an impact on the evidence in the JonBenét Ramsey investigation."

A spokesperson for the district attorney's office also told Fox News Digital the investigation remains active, with the team working the case meeting as recently as last month.

The DA's office said investigators also met with the Ramsey family several months ago, plan to continue providing updates and are reviewing evidence to ensure the investigation benefits from the latest advances in forensic science.

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"There is a strong push to ensure that all items of evidence have been reviewed for appropriate forensic testing in various disciplines, and most notably to ensure DNA testing has kept pace with advancements in DNA testing methodologies," the spokesperson said. "Additionally, the federal, state and local agencies involved remain steadfast in their diligence to explore all advanced DNA testing capabilities from outside independent labs, while ensuring the efficacy and validation support for those evolving testing methodologies."

The comments mark one of the clearest acknowledgments to date that investigators are evaluating advanced DNA testing through outside independent laboratories, an approach Ramsey has advocated for more than a year.

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The renewed attention comes after Woods pleaded guilty June 23 to cybercrime, first-degree perjury, attempting to influence a public servant and forgery for criminal conduct committed between 2008 and 2023 while working as a forensic laboratory scientist for CBI. Woods worked for the agency from 1994 until 2023.

According to prosecutors, Woods altered and deleted data related to critical portions of the laboratory's DNA quality control process. Under the plea agreement, she faces a mandatory prison sentence of eight to 16 years after prosecutors consolidated more than 100 original felony charges into four felony convictions. She is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 8.

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Although Ramsey said Woods' misconduct did not affect the evidence in his daughter's case, he believes the controversy reinforces the need for outside laboratories to handle advanced DNA analysis.

Ramsey said he also continues to question why some evidence collected from the crime scene was never tested.

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"We did know that a number of items from the crime scene were sent in for testing, and a number were not tested," Ramsey told Fox News Digital. "We always kind of wondered why. I mean, items that should have been sampled, but they weren't."

Ramsey said subsequent rounds of DNA testing identified the same unknown male DNA profile on additional pieces of evidence, reinforcing his belief that investigators already possess the DNA needed to identify his daughter's killer.

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"Bottom line is we have the killer's DNA and FGG is the new tool which could give us the killer's name if the police would only use it," Ramsey said, referring to forensic genetic genealogy.

Ramsey said the work should be conducted by one of the specialized private laboratories with expertise in forensic genetic genealogy because, in his view, local law enforcement agencies do not have the technology or personnel to perform that type of analysis themselves.

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"We have been begging the police to work with one of these labs, but we don't know if they will do it," he said.

The district attorney's office said authorities are actively exploring advanced DNA testing capabilities through outside independent laboratories as the investigation continues.

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JonBenét Ramsey was found beaten and strangled in the basement of her family's Boulder, Colorado, home on Dec. 26, 1996. Her death remains one of the nation's most infamous unsolved murder cases, with no one ever charged.

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While investigators maintain the CBI scandal had no impact on the Ramsey investigation, Ramsey hopes the renewed attention will accelerate the use of forensic genetic genealogy, a technology he believes could finally reveal the identity of the person who killed his daughter.

Fox News Digital reached out to Woods' attorney for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Why KFC's fried chicken tastes different from that of every other fast-food chain

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 08:00:21 -0400

There are many theories about what makes KFC's signature fried-chicken menu item so "finger lickin' good" — from the chain's blend of herbs and spices to the chicken it uses and the breading technique it's perfected.

One of the biggest reasons KFC's chicken is legendary is that it's cooked in commercial pressure fryers, according to The Takeout. The method cooks the chicken quickly, creating a crisp crust while keeping the meat juicy.

KFC's website says founder Colonel Harland Sanders spent nine years perfecting his secret blend of 11 herbs and spices, along with the cooking technique the chain still uses today.

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The fast-food giant says its chicken is made "the hard way," with each piece hand-breaded and freshly prepared.

"Our chicken isn't made the fast way or the easy way," according to KFC.

A 2020 episode of Food Network's "Unwrapped" said the original handwritten Kentucky Fried Chicken recipe — the chain shortened its name to KFC in 1991 — is so secret that it's "locked in a vault along with vials containing samples of all 11 herbs and spices."

The restaurant goes so far as to mix half of the spices in one place and the other half somewhere else, with a third party blending them together, a narrator on the show revealed.

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In 2016, the Chicago Tribune reported that Sanders' nephew, Joe Ledington, showed a reporter what he claimed was the original recipe from a family scrapbook during a visit to the Harland Sanders Café and Museum.

KFC disputed the claim, saying, "Many people have made these claims over the years and no one has been accurate — this one isn't either."

The Louisville, Kentucky-based chain has also said that Sanders' original 1940 recipe "is locked up in a digital safe that's encased in two feet of concrete and monitored 24 hours a day by a video and motion detection surveillance system," The Associated Press once reported.

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Social media forums are filled with conversations about how people can presumably recreate KFC's famous chicken, but a 2019 post on its website revealed Sanders' "7-10-7" breading technique.

Chicken pieces are rolled seven times in a basket after being cleaned and rinsed to remove any excess moisture. They're then tossed in the breading flour 10 times using a "scoop and lift" motion before being pressed into the breading flour seven times to ensure the ideal flour-to-chicken coating ratio on each piece, according to the post.

"Each piece of chicken is then placed onto layers of stainless steel clamshell baskets in a planned layout before being pressure-cooked to golden perfection," KFC said.

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The "racking" layout was designed by Sanders for frying a perfectly cooked KFC chicken. This ensures that there's no overlapping of chicken pieces — allowing different parts such as the breast and the drumstick to be cooked evenly at the same time, the post revealed.

The first KFC franchise opened in Utah in 1952.

Sanders died in 1980 at the age of 90, but his legacy lives on through his original chicken recipe and his image, which has remained at the forefront of the logo's design through the years.

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There are now more than 31,000 KFC locations in 150 countries and territories worldwide, according to its website.

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Fox News Digital reached out to KFC for comment.

I played in the NFL. We don’t want Washington trying to fix college sports

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 08:00:19 -0400

I’ve spent years helping hundreds of high school and college athletes secure NIL and professional contracts that create life-changing opportunities and lay the foundation for careers like mine. As a former NFL and Arena Football player, it has been one of my great privileges to watch these young men and women flourish both on and off the field.

That’s why I oppose the Protect College Sports Act (PCSA). Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz usually gets it right, which is why he’s a great senator. But instead of bringing order to the Wild West of college sports, the PCSA creates a federal system that could jeopardize the opportunities today’s athletes finally have to create wealth, gain valuable experience and shape their own futures.

There’s no doubt that college sports need reform. I’ve seen it up close, first as a player, then as someone who has represented athletes, and most recently when I helped operate a name, image and likeness (NIL) collective. I’ve sat in living rooms with families to help them navigate cumbersome NIL rules that seem to change by the month. The transfer portal doesn’t serve athletes or fans, and litigation has created uncertainty for schools and players alike.

JAY BILAS RAVES ABOUT THE IMPACT OF NIL ON COLLEGE BASKETBALL: 'I DON'T THINK IT'S EVER BEEN BETTER'

Athletes, schools and fans deserve better, because those living rooms aren’t numbers to me. They have real people sitting in them, seeing real opportunity in front of them.

I’ll never forget one mother’s relief and excitement when I told her that her son had signed his first meaningful NIL agreement. I’ve watched players use NIL income to help take pressure off their families back home. I’ve seen young men who once thought football might end with graduation begin to think differently about their futures because they were learning how to build a brand, manage money and create opportunities beyond the game.

Supporters of the PCSA argue that Washington must centralize oversight to bring order and stability to college athletics. But college sports didn't become one of America's great institutions because of federal planning. Their growth came from schools, conferences, businesses and communities adapting to change and creating value.

INSIDE THE SEC’S HIGH-STAKES DESTIN SHOWDOWN OVER CFP EXPANSION, NIL AND A POSSIBLE NCAA BREAKAWAY

The people closest to athletes are also the people best positioned to understand what those athletes need. The offensive tackle my agency represents at Kentucky faces different opportunities and challenges from the receiver we represent at Texas Tech or the high school prospect we're helping navigate the recruiting process. Those decisions shouldn't be made by bureaucrats in Washington, who are far removed from the realities facing athletes and the communities that support them.

And as a former player, I know something else: when decisions move farther from the locker room, the people who pay the price are usually the athletes themselves.

College sports need change. The rules should be clearer. The system should be more stable. But reform should strengthen the people and institutions that built this game, not hand more authority to Washington.

NICK SABAN'S COMMENTS DURING SENATE HEARING DON'T CHANGE HIS LEGENDARY STATUS AS HEAD COACH

The game I fell in love with gave me opportunities I never could have imagined. But one of the greatest privileges of my life has been helping the next generation find opportunities I never had.

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Because when I think about the future of college sports, I don't think about bureaucracies or legislation. I think about that mother’s voice on the other end of the phone and the young men whose lives are being changed by opportunities that finally exist for them.

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They deserve reform that opens more doors, not fewer. And the future of college athletics should continue to be built under Friday night lights and on Saturday afternoons, by the players, coaches, schools, and communities that made these sports great in the first place.

Don Malloy is a Texas entrepreneur and investor, former professional football player, and longtime representative of elite athletes. He played for the Detroit Lions and in the Arena Football League before building a career as a successful sports agent.

Rolling Stones' wild sex tally included one member who stopped counting at 1,800, biographer claims

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 08:00:18 -0400

It's only rock 'n' roll ... until someone starts counting.

From the moment they burst onto the music scene, the Rolling Stones embraced a reputation as rock 'n' roll's ultimate bad boys, cultivating an aura of rebellion and danger that captivated fans and shocked critics. Their music pushed boundaries — and so did their love lives.

In "The Rolling Stones: The Biography," Bob Spitz chronicles the band's decades-long career, arguing that Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and their bandmates became as famous for their offstage excesses as for their sold-out arenas and chart-topping hits.

RINGO STARR REVEALS THE ONE HUMBLE RITUAL THE BEATLES REFUSED TO QUIT EVEN AT THE HEIGHT OF FAME

"The Stones have always been known for their offstage behavior," Spitz told Fox News Digital. "They got together at one point — when they were older men — Bill Wyman, Keith Richards and Mick Jagger — to decide how many women they had slept with over the years. A shocking number."

"Bill stopped counting at about 1,800," Spitz claimed. "He had kept a journal with the name of every woman he had spent the night with. Mick thought his total was in the hundreds. Keith counted four on his fingers. So, when you look at them as a promiscuous band, you have to put things into perspective. Keith, who was the baddest of bad boys, turned out to be the most romantic of the Stones."

The tally challenged one of rock's longest-running assumptions: that the band's most notorious outlaw was also its biggest womanizer.

WATCH: HOW THE ROLLING STONES BECAME ROCKS ULTIMATE BAD BOYS

Fox News Digital reached out to a spokesperson for the Rolling Stones for comment.

Richards has never publicly put a number on his sexual partners. In interviews and in his memoir "Life," he has instead focused primarily on the women who had the greatest impact on his life, particularly Anita Pallenberg and his wife, Patti Hansen. Richards has often said that drugs and music dominated his life far more than chasing women.

If Richards challenged the stereotype, Wyman reinforced it. He was described as the group's "unrivaled p---yhound," Spitz wrote.

"Bill Wyman had a saying in the band that he couldn't go to sleep alone," Spitz told Fox News Digital. "Every night, he scouted the most beautiful young women standing closest to the stage. He would point out one or two, and one of the roadies would invite them backstage."

"Bill was the oldest Rolling Stone," Spitz said. "He was, at the beginning, the only married Rolling Stone. Yet, when he joined the band, he let loose. He was, without a doubt, the most promiscuous of all the Stones."

But Wyman's personal life would eventually spark controversy far beyond the band's usual indulgences.

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Wyman married his first wife, Diane Cory, in 1959. They welcomed their son, Stephen, in 1962, and divorced in 1969. In 1989, he married his second wife, Mandy Smith, when he was 52 and she was 18. According to multiple reports, they met when she was 13 and he was 48.

Spitz wrote that the relationship "revolted" Jagger, whose daughters, Karis and Jade, were older than Smith. The rest of the group read Wyman "the riot act." Wyman has since expressed regret over the marriage, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

"Rock 'n' rollers have always gotten a pass," Spitz said. "As a biographer, I can't give them a pass. I'm sorry. I have a responsibility when I examine these things."

By the late '60s, romantic boundaries inside the Stones' circle had become almost impossible to separate.

As The Times of London later summed it up, the band's romantic entanglements often overlapped: Richards slept with Pallenberg, and Pallenberg slept with Jagger. Marianne Faithfull slept with Brian Jones, Richards and Jagger, who also slept with Pat Andrews, Jones' girlfriend.

Jagger proposed to Faithfull in 1968, but she turned him down.

Spitz wrote that it was no secret to Faithfull and "most of London" that Jagger was "two-timing her in a torrid affair" with Marsha Hunt.

"Marianne Faithfull said that Keith was the most romantic man," Spitz said. "The one night she spent with Keith was the most romantic night of her life."

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Spitz argues that Jones set the tone for the band's reckless reputation long before it became part of Rolling Stones mythology.

"Brian, by the time he was 21, had fathered five children," Spitz said. "He was repopulating post-war Britain by himself. It didn't really affect the band's stability. It affected its pocketbook because every time there was a paternity suit, the Stones decided to pay off those harmed by Brian's behavior. But it increased, believe it or not, the band's reputation a bit."

"They had in the very early '60s decided that they were going to be the anti-Beatles," Spitz continued.

"That was going to be their image. They weren't going to bow at the end of every song. They weren't going to wear suits onstage. Politeness was out the window. They were going to behave the way teenagers and young men in their early 20s behaved. That meant going their own way, being a little insolent and being arrogant. They dressed in their street clothes. They smoked onstage. They were the bad boys, and they liked being the bad boys."

Jones died by drowning in 1969. He was 27. The coroner recorded his death as "death by misadventure."

In his book, Spitz detailed how sex at times complicated the band's relationships. He described how Jagger and Pallenberg played a couple in 1970's "Performance" and had sex on film.

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"There was a lot of very explicit video taken by Anita on her handheld movie camera showing Mick and Anita really screwing — steamy, lusty stuff that was edited into a separate X-rated short feature," Spitz wrote, quoting a Rolling Stones employee.

Pallenberg, who died in 2017 at age 75, confirmed the story in her private journals, which were quoted in the 2024 documentary "Catching Fire," according to Page Six.

Spitz wrote that "things grew itchy" between Pallenberg and Richards. They were renting a home where "a pressure cooker of tension and frustration polluted the once-carefree atmosphere."

"Even the customarily fearless Keith couldn't handle this one," Faithfull recalled, as quoted in the book.

After decades of affairs, marriages, breakups and betrayals, the band's longest-lasting love story was never a romance at all.

"The Stones have some magic that's held them together through thick and thin, and there's been a lot of thin," Spitz told Fox News Digital.

"Over the years, there were times when Mick and Keith weren't talking to each other. There were times when they weren't making the music of the moment. But for some reason, they've connected with audiences time and time again."

"Everything in the band depends on Mick and Keith's relationship," Spitz said. "Their rapport is so crucial to the Rolling Stones' longevity. There was a time when things got pretty tense, especially in the '90s. But these guys — it's a love story."

"The two of them have enormous respect for each other. When Keith married Patti Hansen, whom did he choose as his best man? The guy he wasn't speaking to, Mick Jagger. So that tells you all about them — how tight their bond is and how much they really care about and love each other."

Brooke Slusser speaks out against SJSU admins after volleyball coach's allegations surface

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 07:48:47 -0400

During Brooke Slusser's last college volleyball season at San Jose State in 2024, she claims she was told to never be in a room alone with head coach Todd Kress. Slusser claimed that people close to her, including her parents, heard rumors that Kress allegedly attacked one of his former players in a hotel room many years ago.

"I was told just to be safe and not be in a room alone with him when my parents found out about it ... I didn't know all of the information, so it was kind of scary when I was concerned when everyone was telling me, 'We're not gonna tell you everything that happened 'cause we don't wanna scare you, but we're telling you from here on out, you are not allowed to be alone in a room with Todd Kress,'" Slusser told Fox News Digital on Friday.

Fox News Digital reported Tuesday that in October 2024, SJSU was sent a letter by one of Kress's former players that included allegations he attacked her in a team hotel room in 1998.

SJSU WAS TOLD OF DECADES-OLD ALLEGATIONS AGAINST VOLLEYBALL COACH DURING CONTROVERSIAL 2024 SEASON

The letter's contents included the allegations that Kress "forcibly threw me on the bed" then "pulled his pants down and put his back side in my face," and then "picked me up, and threw me into the bathtub where he held me down and threatened to turn on the shower with me laying there."

Slusser alleged that the school never informed her or other players of the allegations in the letter.

"The school gave us absolutely zero information. This was never brought up once. I think anyone would remember that. And even when the article had come out, I had a bunch of old teammates texting me asking me if this was true, if I knew anything else, those types of things. So they never brought this up once to anyone," Slusser said, adding that since the article came out Tuesday, her former teammates have reached out to her to share they also were never told by the school.

Slusser said that during the 2024 season, rumors of Kress's alleged past actions eventually reached her parents' ears. She said they advised her to bring former SJSU assistant coach Melissa Batie-Smoose or a teammate when she entered a room with Kress.

"So basically, my parents just told me from there on, like, 'Take Melissa with you if he drags you into a meeting,' like he was doing every single day, or, 'Take a teammate with you. Just do not be alone with him 'cause he can be aggressive,'" she said.

Emails show that SJSU officials acknowledged the receipt of the allegations in October 2024, thanked the former Fairfield player from 1998 for coming forward, and apologized for her experiences. Kress has continued to serve as the head coach of the women's volleyball team, and made a post on social media boasting his recruiting efforts since the allegations were reported on this past Tuesday.

The letter containing the allegations was written by a woman that played for Kress at Fairfield University in 1998, and sent to SJSU on Oct. 24, 2024. Kress remained head coach, but Batie-Smoose was suspended just days later after submitting a Title IX complaint. Her contract was not renewed the following January, and now she is waging a wrongful termination lawsuit.

Slusser said she is most "bothered" by the university's suspension of Batie-Smoose, all while its leaders had been informed of the allegations against Kress.

"I think that's the part that bothers me the most, is that they're gonna let go of Melissa, who was always there for us, protected us, cared for us, and then you're gonna keep [Kress] on payroll," Slusser said.

Slusser is also waging a lawsuit against the university and the California State University system (CSU) for her alleged experience under Kress with a transgender former teammate in 2023 and 2024. Now, she has a warning for the team's current players, and its new recruiting class.

"I would say beware... see the man that you just committed to playing for for the next four years. It's not someone I would wanna send my daughter to play for or anyone that I know. I wouldn't send my worst enemy to play for him," Slusser said.

Fox News Digital was given copies of the emails exchanged between SJSU and the former Fairfield player, from an independently verified source. Fox News Digital has independently verified she played at Fairfield under Kress in the 1998 season, but is not disclosing her name.

That first email she sent to SJSU contained the letter with the written allegations against Kress, that was originally sent to Fairfield University. The alleged incident occurred in a hotel after Fairfield’s loss to Clemson in the first round of the 1998 NCAA Tournament in December of that year. She wrote that a teammate asked her to bring her a shirt to Kress’ room.

"I told her I wanted no part of his insanity. I was distraught about the loss and wasn’t interested in his drunken insanity, which was commonplace on trips."

The former player added that her teammate "promised Todd would not throw water at me or do something juvenile so I reluctantly agreed to bring her the shirt."

"I knocked on the door and Todd answered. He immediately took caramel from a plastic container and smeared it all over my face and hair. He then forcibly threw me on the bed and held me down. I was in shock. He let go of me and then pulled his pants down and put his back side in my face.

"Astonished... that is the only word I can think of to describe how I felt in that moment... Todd was drunk. I got up and went for the door.

"Todd again grabbed me, picked me up, and threw me into the bathtub where he held me down and threatened to turn on the shower with me laying there to ‘clean the caramel off of my face.’ At this point I was fighting back to get away from him.

"Todd let me get out of the tub, laughing, and then he stood in front of the door blocking my exit. Todd told me he would only let me leave if I took a shot of liquor, which I did only to get him to move away from the door. Once he did, I ran for it. He chased me. I got into my room and although he seemed to be in a rage, he turned and calmly walked out," the letter alleges.

The former player goes on to allege her teammates "had been drinking with Todd underage." She also claimed she did not report the incident at the time because she "was scared of losing my scholarship and being the reason my teammates lost theirs."

On Nov. 4, 2024, former SJSU interim Title IX and Gender Equity Officer Peter Lim reached out to set up a meeting with the former Fairfield player who sent the letter and her attorney.

INSIDE THE FALLOUT OF THE SJSU VOLLEYBALL SCANDAL: ‘THIS IS AN OBVIOUS PROBLEM’

"Thank you for sharing your concerns about Coach Todd Kress. I am sorry to hear about your experiences. I have reviewed your letter and would like to meet with you to better understand your experiences with Coach Kress. The purpose of the meeting would be to help me assess potential next steps, which may or may not include an investigation into the reported conduct," Lim wrote.

Three days after that, on Nov. 7, Lim sent another email to the former Fairfield player, thanking her and her attorney for meeting with them.

"I am so sorry about your prior experiences with Todd Kress at Fairfield University. I appreciate the time you took to describe those experiences, the impact those experiences continue to have on you, and the safety threat that you believe he presents to SJSU’s volleyball team," Lim wrote.

"We are evaluating the information you provided and determining appropriate next steps. If it is okay with the two of you, I would appreciate staying in touch."

There was no further correspondence between the two parties after that exchange, Fox News Digital has learned.

Kress continued to lead Slusser, Fleming and the rest of that year's team until they lost in the conference championship. He remained in his position throughout and after 2025, as the team missed the conference tournament completely with a losing record, and has made multiple posts on Instagram in recent days boasting his recruiting class.

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In a post on his Instagram Stories on Wednesday, Kress shared a post about SJSU being a top-ranked university, writing his own caption, "That's why we're bringing in so many incredible future Spartans with our recruiting efforts!"

In a post on Thursday, Kress shared a photo of himself with a crowd of girls volleyball players, with the caption "Nike All-Skills campt at SJSU is a wrap Thanks to all who attended and we hope you had a blast!"

Slusser has previously told Fox News Digital that Kress, while recruiting her in early 2023, encouraged her to live in a house with former teammate Blaire Fleming, without disclosing to Slusser that Fleming was a biological male. She was made aware of the allegations in a season where she was already experiencing alleged heightened tensions with Kress throughout that season.

"It goes to show their goal at the end of the day was literally just to hide everything they could," Slusser added.

"They wanted it their way, and if you disagreed with them, then they were gonna make your life a living hell, basically. And I mean, that's what they did to me. So this is a lot more than just a man in our safe spaces or on our team. It's about the people that allowed it to happen... you can see we're not going after Blaire. I am not trying to personally attack Blaire. This is about the people that allow it to happen."

Fox News Digital submitted a public records request seeking copies of documents with criteria that matched the emails exchanged between SJSU and Kress’ former player, but the university formally declined the request, stating "the requested communications implicate substantial privacy interests."

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Fox News Digital reached out to Kress, SJSU officials and the university’s legal counsel that handled the 2024 exchange with a series of questions, but did not receive a response from any of the parties.

Fox News Digital has reached back out to those parties for a response to Slusser's statements.

Sports cartoons of the day

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

Platner aide hit with brutal timeline check after campaign denied rape claim, then folded days later

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 07:00:37 -0400

A political adviser to Graham Platner’s now-defunct Senate campaign is facing scrutiny after saying the team urged him to end his candidacy "as soon" as it learned of a rape allegation — despite the campaign publicly denying the claim before Platner suspended his run two days later.

"As soon as the team became aware of the rape allegations against Graham Platner, we advised he suspend his candidacy, and in the following days worked to wind down the campaign," Platner political adviser Morris Katz wrote on X Wednesday.

The allegation, first reported by Politico on Monday, came from Maine resident Jenny Racicot, who said Platner raped her in 2021. Platner has denied the claim, calling it false and politically motivated.

EXPLOSIVE SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATION ROCKS PLATNER CAMPAIGN AHEAD OF KEY DEADLINE IN CRUCIAL SENATE RACE

Katz, one of Platner's top political advisers, faced scrutiny over the post on Thursday, including receiving an X community note for its timeline.

"When asked by CNN about Jenny Racicot's rape allegation on July 6, Platner's campaign denied it was true rather than immediately advising suspension, which occurred two days later," the community note reads.

CNN's Jake Tapper weighed in on Katz's message, posting to X: "As soon as we asked the campaign about what Jenny Racicot told us on the record and on camera Monday, the campaign said that her assertion he had raped her was false."

Platner responded within minutes to the Politico article, posted at 3:18 p.m. Monday, sharing a video on X at 3:29 p.m. He said his campaign was "taking time to reflect on the best path forward."

His campaign also commented in the article, noting Platner "vigorously denies" the "very serious" allegations, while arguing critics were working to push him out of the running.

"They are also coached and coordinated by out of state establishment operatives," the campaign told Politico on Monday "For a year, opponents of this campaign have thrown everything they can at Graham –– calling him a Nazi, a war criminal, and a communist. None of it has been true and this is no different. It is not a coincidence that this story comes a week before the ballot deadline, just as the previous false allegations came a week before the primary. Graham began this campaign to fight for a Maine where everyone is treated with dignity and where Mainers are put first, and no amount of desperate smears will stop this movement from seeing that vision through."

PLATNER'S LATEST ACCUSER CLAIMS THE DEMOCRATIC SENATE CANDIDATE 'ABSOLUTELY' RAPED HER

As calls grew for him to exit the race, Platner’s campaign announced Wednesday that he would speak later that day, but did not say what he planned to address before he posted an 11-minute recorded video on X.

In the video, Platner said the allegations were "all false," blaming the political establishment for working against him to force him out of the race.

"Much like the news that was created the week before the primary. There is a reason that this is happening now. I only have until July 13th until I am officially the nominee. This was the last week to try to get me off of the ballot. And that's why this is occurring," said Platner.

He announced the suspension of his campaign in the Wedesday video.

"For the movement to continue, it can’t be me. For that reason, we are suspending campaign operations," Platner said in a video posted to social media.

Platner officially ended his Senate campaign on Friday afternoon.

Critics on social media seized on the timeline, questioning when the campaign learned of the allegation and why Platner did not suspend his campaign until two days later.

"Important to note that Morris and his team began calling former girlfriends of Platner LAST YEAR because they knew there were issues," wrote Republican commentator Matt Whitlock on X.

"The Democrat establishment was fully ready to make a rapist a United States Senator. They only took him out because he was going to lose," wrote the Republicans X account.

"11 minutes and zero accountability," wrote Democratic, pro-choice women’s PAC Emily's List.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IF PLATNER DROPS OUT? HERE'S WHO COULD REPLACE HIM ON THE BALLOT AND HOW IT WOULD WORK

Maine Democrats were racing a July 13 deadline for Platner to formally withdraw from the race, a step that would allow the party to select a replacement nominee by July 27 to face incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Platner’s team and Katz for comment.

EXCLUSIVE: Former 'Apprentice' star picked by Trump to showcase America's 250th anniversary through art

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 07:00:23 -0400

WASHINGTON — Nearly two decades after hearing "You're fired!" on NBC's "The Apprentice," Erin Scavino says President Donald Trump chose her to lead one of the federal government's least-known offices as it helps tell America's story to celebrate the nation's 250th anniversary.

Scavino, director of the State Department's Art in Embassies program, told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview inside the Art Museum of the Americas that she never imagined she'd go from reality TV to overseeing one of the Trump administration's signature America 250 cultural initiatives.

She said she views her appointment as part of Trump's broader effort to elevate American culture alongside American history ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary.

WHITE HOUSE TOUTS TRUMP’S ‘BOLD VISION’ FOR TOWERING INDEPENDENCE ARCH FOR AMERICA 250

"I was a day one hire by President Trump because just like we've seen with the Kennedy Center, he wanted to make the performing arts great again, and he also put me at Art in Embassies to make visual arts great," Scavino said.

Although little known to most Americans, the Art in Embassies office has existed since 1964, placing American artwork in nearly 190 diplomatic properties around the world as a form of cultural diplomacy.

Scavino said the nation's 250th anniversary offered an opportunity to introduce the program to a broader audience.

Opening July 30 at the Art Museum of the Americas, "Passport to Patriotism: 250 Years of Diplomacy" will bring together more than 30 contemporary American artists whose work explores patriotism, diplomacy, military service, immigration and national identity in what organizers describe as a celebration of the ideals that have shaped the U.S. since its founding.

The exhibition, presented through a partnership between the State Department's Office of Art in Embassies and the American Arts Conservancy, will be free to the public through Oct. 18.

PRO-TRUMP ARTIST UNLEASHES POWERFUL MESSAGE ABOUT AMERICAN FLAG, TOUTS MASSIVE OLD GLORY PAINTING

The exhibition spans dozens of contemporary works exploring patriotism through photography, painting, sculpture and fashion, with each gallery approaching the American story from a different perspective.

Among the featured works is "Gallantly Streaming" by acclaimed artist Barbara Ernst Prey, a sweeping interpretation of the American flag that anchors the exhibition's exploration of national identity.

Internationally recognized pop artist Romero Britto also reimagines the Statue of Liberty in his signature bold palette for the exhibit, layering vibrant colors against the Stars and Stripes to celebrate what Scavino described as the enduring promise of the American dream.

The exhibit will feature a powerful series of photographs by Korina Marie Moore, whose images capture moments of military service through a deeply personal lens. Rather than focusing solely on combat, Moore's photographs spotlight the men and women who serve — from sailors gathered around a U.S. Navy vessel to service members standing watch as the Statue of Liberty rises across New York Harbor and the solemnity of Arlington National Cemetery.

THE STORY BEHIND BETSY ROSS AND THE FIRST AMERICAN FLAG AS AMERICA CELEBRATES 250TH BIRTHDAY

Visitors will also encounter an America 250 haute couture gown created specifically for the nation's semiquincentennial celebration, inspired by Betsy's Ross' flag.

For Scavino, the exhibit represents the latest chapter in a career that unexpectedly led from "The Apprentice" to the Trump administration. Looking back on that journey, she said there has been one constant.

"The common thread throughout all of this is President Trump," Scavino said. "That's why I always thank him so much for these great opportunities."

Scavino says the opportunity has opened her eyes to the people behind the offices.

"Every time you learn about someone's job, you're actually understanding a whole new universe," she said. "That's what's really special about the State Department."

"People often think [the State Department is] really serious, and yes, of course, there's so much diplomacy and so many very serious things that are going on," Scavino said. "But there are so many interesting components, like Art in Embassies."

"This isn't something that was created for me," she added. "Art in Embassies has been around since 1964 under President Kennedy... Every time you learn about someone's job, you're actually understanding a whole new universe."

Scavino said one of her goals was to create an exhibition that feels welcoming to visitors who might never consider themselves "art people."

"Art has become sort of a gatekeeping situation or something that's only for the rich or the elite," she said. "I wanted to say, 'Hey, no. We want kids. We want grandparents. We want moms. We want families. We want dads. We want people all over the world to come to this museum because there is something for everyone.'"

Each artwork includes QR codes allowing visitors to hear directly from artists about their work and creative process, an effort Scavino said makes the exhibit more approachable.

"You don't have to have your nose in the air saying, 'Oh, that Monet' or 'That Degas,'" she said. "You're going to see a flag. You're going to see a sculpture. You're going to hear Americans tell their stories."

Scavino pointed to Romero Britto's colorful Statue of Liberty piece, "Liberty for All," as one example of the American dream reflected throughout the exhibit.

"When I think about his hearts or his Statue of Liberty, it just makes me think about the American dream," she said. "He is so patriotic and he loves this country."

"There are so many stories that are often overlooked," Scavino said. "We show pictures of loss. We show people that have lost their lives for this nation. We show people who are celebrating serving our country... I think that we have to honor those who have served."

One of the exhibition's most unexpected pieces isn't a painting or sculpture — it's a couture gown inspired by Betsy Ross' American flag.

Scavino said the idea came while she was searching for a wedding dress ahead of her February wedding to fellow Trump administration official Dan Scavino at Mar-a-Lago, when she discovered designer Kate Wasserbach Moore, whose appreciation for American history sparked an unusual collaboration.

"I cold-called her out of the blue and said, 'Can you create a dress that looks like something one of the wives of our Founding Fathers would have worn and make it patriotic?'" Scavino recalled.

The finished design, featuring flowing red-and-white accents inspired by Betsy Ross' flag, was created for the exhibition rather than the aisle, adding fashion to a collection that otherwise spans photography, painting and sculpture.

"To me, patriotic, red, white and blue, and also fashion—how much better does it get for a girl?" Scavino said.

Although Art in Embassies typically works overseas, Scavino said creating a major public exhibition in Washington had been one of her goals since taking over the office.

"I started with a dream because Art in Embassies is generally overseas," she said. "I wanted to do something, to start a footprint here in the United States."

That idea quickly gained momentum.

"The Art Museum of the Americas said yes," Scavino recalled. "And the second surprise was that I unfortunately don't have enough space for everyone. So many people generously wanted to participate."

For Scavino, the exhibition is ultimately less about individual works than the conversations they may inspire.

"What I love about art is it's totally different from politics," she said. "You can get in the door by talking about art... and maybe instead of tear down, we can come together."

She said that's especially important because, for many people overseas, an American embassy may be their first — and sometimes only — connection to the United States.

"Sometimes in these small nations that are so foreign to us, the only touchpoint they have to America is our embassy and our ambassador," Scavino said. "So it is so much more important than I ever thought it would be."

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Scavino hopes visitors leave with a deeper appreciation not only for the artwork, but for the stories it tells about the nation it represents.

"You only get to celebrate 250 years once," she said. "So let art be a way of celebration."

Democrat politicos rerun underhanded leftist playbook in effort to torpedo Trump’s AG nominee

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 07:00:17 -0400

Washington D.C.'s entrenched politicos sprang into action this week before key confirmation hearings in the U.S. Senate to try and sink President Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general.

Roughly 1,200 Department of Justice (DOJ) alumni signed off on a letter on Tuesday sent to high-ranking Senate Judiciary Committee leaders demanding they reject elevating Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche as he prepares for confirmation hearings next week on July 15 and 16.

Blanche, who previously served as former AG Pam Bondi's No. 2, has been tapped by the 47th president to do the job permanently, sending the former bureaucrats into a frenzy.

TRUMP SAYS HE WILL NOMINATE ACTING AG TODD BLANCHE TO PERMANENTLY LEAD JUSTICE DEPARTMENT

The signatories of the letter trying to stop the process bill themselves as former DOJ employees from Republican and Democratic administrations, which is true. But even a cursory look at some of the names reveals the letter's true hyper-partisan nature.

Here are a few:

Lori Lightfoot, the former mayor of Chicago and a far-left Democrat with a long history of anti-Trump rhetoric.
JP Cooney, an ex-prosecutor and Democratic congressional candidate who served as Jack Smith’s top deputy during Smith’s special counsel investigation into President Trump over later-dismissed criminal charges. He's running his campaign on the grounds that he "spent [his] career standing up to powerful people and holding them accountable, including Donald Trump."
Aaron Zelinsky, who served as Assistant Special Counsel to former FBI director Robert Mueller during Russiagate, which evidence now suggests was a "manufactured" Obama-era intelligence fabrication to smear Trump.
Robert Turkavage, who ran for Congress as a Democrat in New Jersey.
Sara Zdeb, who worked as Chief Oversight Counsel for Senator Dick Durbin, D-Ill. Durbin is currently the Senate Judiciary Committee's ranking member.
Candice Cook, the former DOJ chief diversity & inclusion officer.
Sam Bagenstos, a political appointee in both the Biden and Obama administrations with a history of bashing Trump and who also brags about his progressive bona fides on his University of Michigan Law biography page.

Arthur Chotin, a donor to Democratic causes who chastised the DOJ for dropping charges against former Trump National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, who was also swept up in the dubious Russiagate investigation.
Lori Adams, a progressive immigration judge from 2021 - 2025, who worked 661 asylum cases. In 590 of those cases, the asylum seeker was granted relief. She also advocated against Trump's "Remain in Mexico" policy for illegal aliens.
Terry Bain, a Democrat donor and former immigration judge who granted relief to a staggering 8,113 immigrants before her court.

UNEARTHED DOJ EMAILS EXPOSE TURMOIL OVER BIDEN-ERA MEMO URGING CRACKDOWN ON PARENTS

"This list is a who's who of partisan activists, including liberal politicians such as former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who saw crime drastically rise under her tenure, Trump impeachment witness Pamela Karlan, and multiple former disgruntled Biden administration officials, some of whom were directly involved in the weaponization of the Department," a DOJ spokesperson told Fox News Digital of the letter.

A former White House official quipped that, "It looks like they passed a petition around the MS NOW green room."

The Trump DOJ says Blanche has the support of law enforcement.

"Law enforcement throughout the nation supports the nomination of Acting Attorney General Blanche, including the Major Cities Chiefs Association, representing police leadership in dozens of major U.S. cities; the International Association of Chiefs of Police, representing tens of thousands of law enforcement leaders worldwide; and the Major County Sheriffs of America, representing hundreds of the nation's largest sheriffs' offices," the spokesperson said.

The letter itself states that as former DOJ employees, the signatories take seriously their "oath to support and defend the Constitution, not the occupant of the White House."

It complains that Blanche has fired hundreds of DOJ employees, some of whom, they say, were fired for "having worked on cases the President didn’t like."

"The consequences of Blanche’s attacks on DOJ’s apolitical workforce radiate beyond the halls of Main Justice, affecting the entire country," the letter says. "They’ve meant that much of the department’s vital work isn’t being done, or isn’t being done as well – leaving communities less safe, Americans’ rights less protected, and our national security more vulnerable."

But the note is eerily reminiscent of another widely-covered stunt that turned out to be a political operation to protect then-presidential candidate Joe Biden during his 2020 election bid.

In that instance, 51 former intelligence officials, including known Trump adversaries Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and former CIA Director John Brennan, penned a letter to the public claiming that the Hunter Biden laptop scandal appeared to be a foreign intelligence operation.

The contents of Hunter Biden’s personal computer, published in October 2020 by the New York Post, contained shocking videos and photos of drug use, lewd sex acts, and sensitive business communications. It was eventually was dubbed the "laptop from hell" due to the public relations nightmare it caused for the Biden campaign.

The former intelligence officials immediately jumped to Biden's defense, claiming the letter had "all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation."

"Such an operation would be consistent with some of the key methods Russia has used in its now multi-year operation to interfere in our democracy — the hacking (via cyber-operations) and the dumping of accurate information or the distribution of inaccurate or misinformation," the letter said.

Mainstream news outlets ran with the letter, downplaying the scandal.

By early 2022, many of those same news outlets were forced to report that the emails and files from the laptop were, in fact, authentic after federal investigators looked into the matter.

Clapper was one of the few signatories who answered for the bogus Russian intelligence claim, but he stood by the letter, claiming the ex-intel crowd never said for sure that the laptop was a Russian operation.

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"Yes, I stand by the statement made AT THE TIME, and would call attention to its 5th paragraph," he told The New York Post. "I think sounding such a cautionary note AT THE TIME was appropriate."

So it appears the latest actions is just a repeat of the same playbook Democrats have been using to push their agenda against Trump.

Popular NYC museum tests positive for Legionnaires' disease bacteria amid outbreak

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 06:30:09 -0400

The Guggenheim Museum in New York City was among dozens of buildings on Manhattan’s tony Upper East Side to test positive for the bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease recently.

The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed museum on Fifth Avenue was one of 31 buildings that the city said Friday would be required to clean and disinfect their cooling towers to get rid of the bacteria.

The Guggenheim is among 19 of the buildings which have already finished disinfection, with the others expected to be completed by Saturday.

MYSTERY PARASITE LEAVES AMERICANS BATTLING ‘EXPLOSIVE' ILLNESS AS CDC INVESTIGATES

Legionnaires' disease is a serious form of pneumonia caused by the bacterium Legionella pneumophila, which naturally occurs in water.

Symptoms include fever, chills, and shortness of breath, and it can be treated with antibiotics if detected early.

"Anyone who lives, works or has visited the affected area since late June and develops flu-like symptoms should contact a health care provider immediately," the city said in a news release.

ANOTHER US CITIZEN TESTS POSITIVE FOR EBOLA VIRUS WHILE WORKING IN CONGO AMID RECORD OUTBREAK

More than 50 people have been diagnosed with Legionnaires' disease in connection with the Upper East Side outbreak and fewer than 20 remain hospitalized.

The museum said in a statement Saturday: "The city has confirmed that there is no additional action needed at this time, and this poses no risk to anyone inside the building,"

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum opened in 1959 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

WEST NILE VIRUS DETECTED IN SOUTHERN STATE AS HEALTH OFFICIALS WARN RESIDENTS ABOUT MOSQUITOES

The source of the outbreak remains under investigation.

Cooling towers, often found on rooftops, can release mist carrying Legionella pneumophila bacteria. The NYC Health Department said all cooling towers in the affected area are being tested.

They control the temperature of systems such as refrigeration, but do not affect drinking water or the building’s indoor air or air conditioning.

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Legionnaires' disease does not spread from person to person.

Last year, seven people died in a cluster that was traced to a cooling tower on top of Harlem Hospital and a construction site near the city’s public health lab.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Steve Forbes backs Trump's Mt. Rushmore warning on communism: 'He's right'

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 06:00:47 -0400

Steve Forbes has been a bold advocate for the American capitalist system, free markets and sound money for decades. As the chairman and editor-in-chief of Forbes, and a presidential candidate in 1996 and 2000, he has been one of the nation's leading voices on economics.

Recently, Forbes sat down with Fox News Digital at Freedom Fest in Las Vegas to discuss the state of the American economy, New York City's socialist turn, and the policies of the Trump administration.

STEVE FORBES: CHUCK SCHUMER HAS A BEEF WITH BEEF, BUT DOESN'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO GRILL IT

"First of all, New York City has had a reputation in the past of electing radical candidates, including the allegedly only communist member of Congress back in the late 1940s. So there is that streak there. But more importantly, I think it shows that people, a lot of people, are dissatisfied.

The 78-year-old scion of a publishing empire said the left is better organized than it's freedom-loving counterparts.

"We've got to get the message out," he said. "And one thing that the left has learned is that you try to occupy the high moral ground. Even if you wreck people's lives, kill millions of people under socialism, communism, your intentions were good.

"So they try to play the moral card. And so it's not enough to say, ‘Well, free enterprise gives you more prosperity.’ You also have to put on the plane that free enterprise is moral. It's based on liberty, based on allowing human beings to be creative, or as Lincoln put it, improve your lot in life."

Following Trump's Mount Rushmore speech and its depiction of the internal threat of communism, Forbes agrees, citing another U.S. president.

"Whatever you call it, communism, socialism, extreme leftism, anti-Semitism, it's all the same disease," Forbes said. "Abraham Lincoln put it very well in the 1800s. He said, 'It won't be foreign forces that destroy the United States. It'll be things we do internally.'"

Forbes suggested that many incorrectly blame problems on free markets, when they should instead be blaming government policies:

"What happens is when governments start making mistakes and doing things that people don't like and that hurt people's prospects for getting ahead, upsetting society, they blame it on capitalism. They blame it on free markets," he said. "So they help wreck free markets and then say, 'The victim is the cause of it.'"

Prosperity and innovation can only flourish with freedom, Forbes said. While capitalism isn't perfect, it has led to inventions that improve our lives, according to Forbes.

STEVE FORBES: MAMDANI'S SOCIALIST RENT CONTROL PUTS NEW YORK ON THE ROAD TO HOUSING RUIN

"Take your handheld," he said. "If you'd said 30 years ago [that your] grandma could operate a supercomputer, you'd have gotten a rather strange look. Now we take it for granted. The first one was just 40 years ago, cost $3,995, weighed like a brick, the size of a shoebox. And today we have handhelds that are really supercomputers that can do anything anywhere. And in real terms, they get cheaper and cheaper. So that's the miracle of human creativity. And then the amazing thing is we take it for granted."

Forbes has long been an advocate for sound money, and a prominent critic of the Federal Reserve:

"Start with the Federal Reserve, the idea that prosperity causes inflation. Experience shows time and time again, it's absolute nonsense. So if the economy starts to do well, you hear mutterings from the central bank asking, ‘Is the economy overheating?’ as if the economy is a machine," Forbes said.

"So ask yourself, if your income is improving, do you start to feel overheating? Do you start to sweat at night? You know, 'Take it away because I'm overheating?' No, it's preposterous," he said.

The central bank's role is to preserve the integrity of the dollar, not to manage economic activity by trying to manipulate interest rates, according to Forbes.

"And yet most free marketeers, for example, realize rent control distorts markets and ends up costing more and giving people less," Forbes noted. "Well, what is controlling interest rates? It's a form of rent control. They used to call interest rent. You'd rent the money."

His prescription for the Trump administration is simple:

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"On the domestic front, go for a new round of tax cuts. Reduce tax rates for individuals and for businesses," Forbes said. "Taxes are a price. So, propose it. Congress may not pass it, but you've got an issue you can take to the voters.

Selling such a plan to the public could be done with some savvy marketing, Forbes added.

"Bring out examples of people who have benefited enormously from not taxing overtime, not taxing tips, and saying, remember those old late night TV commercials [where hawkers would say] 'But wait, there's more?' They can say, 'But wait, there's more. We're going to have big tax cuts. Everyone's going to benefit.'

"And continue with the deregulation," he concluded. "You go on that path, and good things will happen."

Trump's ambitious energy bet could be a winning hand as the world burns more oil, gas than ever

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 06:00:42 -0400

The world consumed more energy than ever before in 2025, with fossil fuels still supplying the vast majority of global energy despite record growth in renewable power, according to a new report.

The findings come as President Donald Trump pushes to expand U.S. oil and gas production, arguing domestic energy is key to lowering prices, strengthening national security and boosting economic growth.

The Energy Institute's 2026 Statistical Review of World Energy found oil, natural gas and coal accounted for 86% of global energy use last year, underscoring that despite years of investment in wind and solar power, the world continues to rely overwhelmingly on fossil fuels to power homes, businesses, transportation and industry.

Overall, the world consumed more energy than at any point on record.

GAS SURGE TIED TO IRAN CONFLICT HITS SWING STATES, TESTING TRUMP’S LOW-PRICE PITCH

The findings align with the Trump administration's argument that expanding domestic oil and gas production is critical to lowering energy costs, strengthening U.S. energy security and fueling economic growth ahead of next year's midterm elections, where both parties are expected to make the economy and inflation central campaign issues — but for very different reasons.

America's dominant position in global energy markets was on full display in the report — and Trump is taking a victory lap.

"Even left-wing studies are finding that President Trump’s energy dominance agenda has been undeniably successful in unleashing reliable, affordable, and secure energy," White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Fox News Digital.

"Thanks to the President, U.S. oil, natural gas, and coal production has increased – which benefits American families and businesses by lowering prices, creating jobs, and strengthening our energy security," she added. "America has abundant resources—President Trump is unleashing them."

WHY THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ MATTERS AS TRUMP ISSUES FRESH ULTIMATUM TO IRAN

U.S. oil production reached a record 21.1 million barrels a day in 2025, nearly matching the combined output of Saudi Arabia and Russia. The U.S. also remained the world's largest natural gas producer and the world's leading exporter of petroleum products.

The report also comes as the conflict with Iran has renewed concerns about energy security and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Although its data predate the conflict, the report underscores how geopolitical tensions can threaten global energy supplies.

Few places are more important to global energy markets than the Strait of Hormuz.

About 20 million barrels of oil and one-fifth of the world's liquefied natural gas pass through the waterway each day, along with shipments of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.

Economist Steve Moore said the latest conflict illustrates why the U.S. should continue expanding domestic energy production.

"Every time we've had flare-ups in the Middle East, this has caused a lot of disruption to the energy markets," he told Fox News Digital.

Moore said the conflict has once again exposed the world's dependence on oil flowing through the Strait of Hormuz, putting upward pressure on energy prices.

BBQ LOVERS BEWARE: MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT MIGHT DISRUPT YOUR SUMMER PLANS THIS YEAR

Heritage Foundation chief economist EJ Antoni said the conflict underscores the need for the U.S. to move beyond energy independence and embrace what Trump has called "energy dominance."

"The Iran war has shown us it's not simply enough for America to be pumping at current levels. America needs to be not just energy independent, but energy dominant," Antoni told Fox News Digital.

He said the U.S. should continue expanding domestic energy production and refining capacity to strengthen its energy security.

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The White House has argued that increasing domestic oil and natural gas production will help shield Americans from geopolitical shocks while lowering energy costs, a key pillar of Trump's broader economic agenda.

Read the full report here:

American Culture Quiz: Test yourself on World Cup wins and burger breakthroughs

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 06:00:33 -0400

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

This week's quiz highlights World Cup wins, burger breakthroughs — and much more.

Can you get all 8 questions right?

Give it a try and see how you do!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES

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

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

Surveillance video timeline tracks accused Charlie Kirk assassin across UVU campus before fatal rooftop shot

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 06:00:18 -0400

PROVO, Utah — Surveillance video shown in court this past week has become a central piece of the case against Tyler Robinson, the Utah man accused of assassinating Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.

The video compilation, presented Tuesday during Robinson’s preliminary hearing, allegedly tracks the 23-year-old’s movements around Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025, from his first arrival on campus hours before the shooting to his movements before and after Kirk was killed.

Utah State Bureau of Investigation Agent David Hull testified that investigators used campus cameras to work backward and forward from footage of a figure on the roof of the Losee Center for Student Success, where prosecutors say the fatal shot was fired.

CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION: TIMELINE OF UTAH CAMPUS SHOOTING, TYLER ROBINSON CHARGED

The video does not show the actual shooting. But prosecutors said it shows the person they identify as Robinson accessing the roof, moving to the edge of the building, crawling into position and leaving moments after the shot.

Robinson is charged with aggravated murder in Kirk’s death, and prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. He has not entered a plea. The weeklong preliminary hearing was aimed at determining whether prosecutors have enough evidence for the case to proceed to trial.

Surveillance video timeline

About 8:30 a.m. Sept. 10: Investigators say a vehicle believed to belong to Robinson arrived at a UVU parking garage. Hull testified that the vehicle matched records for Robinson and had distinctive wheels. The driver, whom Hull identified as Robinson, wore a red or maroon T-shirt, gray or olive shorts and Converse shoes before walking onto campus.

ACCUSED CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSIN TYLER ROBINSON FIGHTS BACK AS PROSECUTORS' SPRAWLING CASE COMES INTO FOCUS

Hull said Robinson went to the amphitheater area, where he made contact with representatives from Turning Point USA, Kirk’s organization, before returning to the garage around 9:25 a.m. and leaving in the vehicle.

Just after 10 a.m.: Hull testified that Robinson returned to campus on foot wearing the same clothing and carrying a blue backpack. Investigators tracked him to Chick-fil-A inside the Sorensen Center, where Hull said he bought food, sat down and ate. Robinson then moved across campus, crossed Campus Drive into a wooded area, and returned to campus without the backpack.

"He moves out across Campus Drive into a wooded area on what would be kind of the northeast side of Campus Drive, then returns back onto campus," Hull explained as the video played in the courtroom. "We noticed at this point that he's no longer carrying the backpack that he was originally wearing."

DONALD TRUMP JR ARGUES CHARLIE KIRK MURDER EVIDENCE PUTS CONSPIRACY THEORIES 'AT REST'

Before 11 a.m.: Hull said Robinson then moved through the Gunther building and the computer science building before going to a railing that provided access to the roof of the Losee Center. He then allegedly came back down the stairs and walked off campus just before 11 a.m.

About 12:15 p.m.: Hull testified that Robinson returned to campus again, this time wearing different clothing but the same shoes. Hull said Robinson also appeared to be walking with a limp or unusual gait.

According to Hull, surveillance video showed Robinson coming up stairs in the parking structure, moving around Campus Drive and walking south across the front of the Losee Center. He then allegedly appeared on an exterior staircase that provided access to the building’s roof.

At about 12:15 p.m., Hull testified, the figure investigators identified as Robinson "kind of rolls over the railing onto the roof of the building."

About 12:23 p.m.: Hull testified that the figure ran across the rooftop of the Losee Center toward the southwest corner, crouched down and crawled toward the edge of the building. Hull said the person could be seen lying prone before the reported shot was fired at 12:23 p.m.

After the shot, Hull testified, the figure stood up, moved north across the roof and headed toward the northeast corner of the building.

The video shown in court did not capture the actual shooting, prosecutors clarified. But they said it showed the person on the roof moving into position before the shot and leaving immediately afterward.

Seconds after the shot: Hull testified that the figure lowered himself from the roof, jumped onto a grassy area and moved toward Campus Drive. Hull said the person appeared to be carrying "some kind of an object" in his hand.

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On cross-examination, Hull acknowledged he could not see an actual gun in the video. He testified that the object appeared long, concealed or in a bag, and that, based on his training and experience, it could be a firearm.

Investigators also noted that the apparent limp or unusual gait was no longer visible after the shooting.

After the shooting: Hull testified that investigators used the campus video to identify a wooded area they believed could have evidentiary value. The area was secured, and Hull said he was later notified that a gun had been found there.

On redirect, Hull testified that a rifle was discovered in the wooded area where investigators believed Robinson had entered. He said Robinson was seen entering the wooded area on at least two occasions: during his second visit to campus and again during the visit when the shooting occurred.

About 12:30 a.m. Sept. 11: Hull testified that surveillance video showed a vehicle he identified as Robinson’s at the intersection of Campus Drive and 800 South in the early morning hours after the shooting.

According to Hull, the vehicle had contact with Officer Goforth, a Spanish Fork officer working security detail. Hull testified that something about the interaction prompted Goforth to note the vehicle’s license plate information. When information later emerged that a similar vehicle may have been involved, Goforth ran the partial plate and determined the vehicle was registered to Tyler Robinson and his mother, Amber Robinson.

Hull said Goforth reported that the person he interacted with was a male he believed to be Tyler Robinson.

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On Friday, Judge Tony Graf sanctioned media members after an exhibit was inadvertently shown and broadcast during Thursday’s proceedings. Graf said he did not want to "rush or make snap decisions" before ruling that no further exhibits would be shown for the rest of the day, though the final video compilation was later allowed as an exception.

Graf set oral arguments on the preliminary-hearing evidence for Sept. 1 at 10 a.m. Robinson has not entered a plea.

Following Friday's hearing, Kirk’s family urged Graf to move the assassination case against Robinson forward without delay, arguing the five-day preliminary hearing produced "overwhelming evidence" against him.

"A prompt determination is imperative in the interest of justice," the filing said.

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The family noted that the case is nearing the one-year anniversary of Kirk’s death and that Robinson has been under arrest for 10 months.

"The defendant is entitled to a fair trial, and he must receive one," the family’s attorneys wrote in Friday's filing. "He is not, however, entitled to cause undue delay in the criminal justice process."

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Detectives' true crime podcast takes fresh shot at killer who vanished after caught-on-camera murder

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 06:00:12 -0400

A Colorado cold case that has stumped detectives for over a decade is getting fresh attention with the release of a new podcast hosted by the department working to solve the murder.

Chelsea Yasser, 21, was brutally murdered in an Aurora parking lot just before 10 p.m. on May 15, 2016 — just weeks after she moved to the area from Arizona.

Officers with the Aurora Police Department were initially dispatched to the scene after a caller reported finding a woman lying in the parking lot of a Burlington Coat Factory.

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When police arrived, they found Yasser suffering from multiple stab wounds and subsequently transported her to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Despite Yasser’s murder being captured on grainy surveillance footage, the news of her killing barely made headlines.

"If you didn't pick up the paper or if you weren’t watching the news that day, you might not know anything about this case," Joe Moylan, a public information officer for the Aurora Police Department, told Fox News Digital.

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According to police, a surveillance camera captured the moment a maroon van drove up and pulled Yasser inside.

"Chelsea was stabbed to death multiple times inside the minivan," cold case detective Jason McDonald told Fox News Digital. "And she was able to get out and stumble over the curb of the business where this occurred, where she succumbed to her injuries."

Despite the fact that the murder was caught on camera, McDonald said authorities have hit a brick wall due to the quality of the footage, which made it impossible to make out the vehicle’s license plate.

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"It’s kind of unique that the murder itself was on video, but we just haven’t been able to identify who the driver of the minivan was or the minivan itself," McDonald said.

Authorities immediately began investigating Yasser’s murder, but ultimately the case went cold after several months due to a lack of evidence and leads — until now.

"We're 10 years in. We have a few more investigative leads that we're pursuing, and we're working with DNA yet again to see what we can come up with," McDonald said, adding, "The department is kind of going outside the box and reaching a public that we may not normally reach out to, which is the podcast community."

The department combed through multiple cold cases before landing on Yasser’s story, and ultimately decided her murder would be the one to spotlight in its debut podcast, titled "The White Whale – The Chelsea Yasser Story."

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"There's about a 30 minute window where we just don't know what occurred. So, it's a pretty tight timeline," Moylan said. "We think that there's somebody out there that knows who this person is."

The first installment of the five-episode series was released Monday, with the show set to dive into details surrounding Yasser’s murder and the subsequent investigation into her killing, with investigators revealing more information than ever before regarding the case.

"Our major crime and homicide unit has given us a lot more leeway to try to tell a fuller story than we might traditionally do with a more recent case," Moylan told Fox News Digital. "So I think just through the storytelling and getting to know who Chelsea was, talking about what happened the day of and then what has transpired in the years since — what we're really trying to do is identify the suspect and the driver of that van."

It also includes interviews with Yasser’s loved ones, in an effort to humanize the 21-year-old and not just portray her as a victim.

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"We have become such a statistics and numbers-driven society that we often forget that there are real people behind the numbers," Moylan said, adding, "We don't want her to be a number. She was a real person. She had a family. She had friends. She had people who cared about her.

"She deserves justice," Moylan continued. "Her family deserves some peace, and the person who murdered her needs to be held accountable."

The modernized efforts to solve Yasser’s cold case reflect a growing trend throughout the country, in which police departments across the nation — including in New York City and Illinois — are turning to podcasts and social media as a way to draw attention to similar stories.

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"It's new to us," Moylan told Fox News Digital. "It's still a little bit innovative, but I mean, we've been doing this. We've been working with podcast companies and documentary companies forever on these cases, and just spreading the word and doing what we can to try to get that last piece to the puzzle and get this solved."

"The process of producing the podcast itself is a part of this investigation," McDonald added. "Like any other work we put into the case, doing the podcast is extremely beneficial, because of the potential it has with the huge audience that we're going to be able to reach."

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Both Moylan and McDonald hope the series will draw fresh attention to Yasser’s case and potentially result in an arrest for her murder by relying on the public to work alongside the department’s seasoned detectives.

"Anything we can do to further the case, we're willing to do," McDonald said. "And I think this podcast is just one of those steps we're taking to further the case. I'm excited about all the results that we could potentially get."

Prince Harry's Invictus Games show the 'asset' the British royal family lost: experts

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 06:00:07 -0400

Prince Harry is back in the U.K. to mark the one-year countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games, with a royal expert saying the event showcases the "best" of the Duke of Sussex.

Harry founded the Invictus Games, an international adaptive sporting competition for wounded, injured and sick military service members and veterans, in 2014. Harry served 10 years in the British Army, including two deployments to Afghanistan.

Meredith Constant, royal commentator, told Fox News Digital that Harry's Invictus Games only shows the royal family the "asset" they lost when Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down as senior royals.

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"The Invictus Games highlight the best of Prince Harry and the assets the British royal family lost when the Sussexes exited working royal life," she began. "The Invictus Games have played a massive role in bringing veterans from all over the world together to heal and celebrate community, including Harry. He shared in his book, ‘Spare,’ the PTSD he experiences, so the Invictus Games have probably helped his own healing as well."

Constant went on to share that the Invictus Games show how much Harry actually does love his country.

"Invictus Games also show the love he has for his home country. The games are named after a poem by William Ernest Henley that most British people know, particularly the line 'I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul,'" she said.

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"Harry took control of his own fate when he and Meghan moved their family overseas. Harry continues charitable endeavors, like the Invictus Games, that take him to the U.K., because he loves it and loves his country. He does despite the overwhelming press coverage and scrutiny his visits inevitably bring," Constant continued.

Hilary Fordwich, British royal expert, told Fox News Digital that the Invictus Games are so special because they are purely from Harry's heart.

"What sets Invictus apart is that it is based on something so genuine, from his heart and his previous military experiences. H conceived the idea after watching the ’13 Warrior Games, then built Invictus into an international sporting movement for wounded, injured and sick prior service personnel directly linked to his own identity. Via the games, he has been able to inspire recovery, rehabilitation and to garner broader respect for those who have served," Fordwich said.

Fordwich said until Markle got involved in the event, it was an opportunity for Harry "to showcase his true heart."

"Watching his interactions with the athletes, particularly in the wheelchair rugby match, but also the families and support teams, one can see he has genuinely invested heart and soul into the cause. Birmingham ‘27 countdown is particularly significant since, with sponsors quitting, this is mission critical for his being about to sustain the event in the future," she concluded.

According to Richard Fitzwilliams, royal expert, there is "little doubt that Invictus is uniquely valuable."

"It helps veterans and serving soldiers with physical injuries and mental health conditions. Harry was behind a much-praised, though little-watched five-part series on Netflix which contained stories of the courageous men and women the Games help. Its 10th anniversary was rightly celebrated with a service at St Paul’s which Harry attended solo," Fitzwilliams said.

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The Invictus Games are held every two years and bring together competitors from countries around the world to compete in adaptive sports such as wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby, sitting volleyball, swimming, indoor rowing, cycling, athletics and archery.

More recent editions have also added winter sports like alpine skiing, snowboarding, skeleton and wheelchair curling. While medals are awarded, the focus is less on winning and more on rehabilitation, resilience and building community among veterans and active-duty service members recovering from physical injuries, illnesses or psychological trauma such as PTSD.

The Games have become one of the defining charitable initiatives of his public life, continuing even after he stepped back as a senior working royal. The next Invictus Games are scheduled to take place in Birmingham, England, in July 2027, marking the first time the event has returned to the U.K. since the inaugural Games in London in 2014.

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Sen. Lindsey Graham dead at 71 after 'brief and sudden' illness, office says

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 02:29:45 -0400

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., died Saturday evening following a "brief and sudden" illness, according to a statement from his office. He was 71.

"On the evening of Saturday, July 11, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness," his office said.

"Senator Graham's family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period," it continued.

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President Donald Trump reacted to Graham's death, calling the longtime South Carolina senator a "true American Patriot."

"Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead!" Trump posted on Truth Social. "He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!! DETAILS AND ARRANGEMENTS TO FOLLOW. So sad!"

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster released a statement early Sunday morning expressing that he is "devastated" by the news of Graham's passing.

"Peggy and I – and our children – are devastated," he said in a statement. "Lindsey Graham is irreplaceable. The fiercest of fighters for South Carolina and America – and a loyal and steadfast friend. We grieve with Darline, his family and his developed staff. May God hold him gently in the palm of his hand. We shall not see his likes again."

Graham was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002 and won reelection three times. He was seeking a fifth Senate term after winning the Republican primary last month.

Graham served as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and sat on the Appropriations, Judiciary, and Environment and Public Works committees.

Before joining the Senate, Graham was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994, becoming the first Republican to represent South Carolina's 3rd Congressional District since 1877.

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Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Graham was a steadfast advocate for the United States and its allies, adding that his influence on the federal judiciary, national defense and his home state of South Carolina "will be felt for generations."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had "lost one of its greatest friends" with Graham's death, calling the senator "a great friend of Israel and a cherished friend of mine."

"Lindsey understood that the security of Israel and America are inseparable," Netanyahu said. "Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend."

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Graham, who frequently visited Ukraine, had just met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Friday. He was scheduled to appear on NBC News' "Meet the Press" on Sunday morning.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog mourned Graham's death, calling the South Carolina senator a "great American patriot" and a "great friend of Israel."

"Senator Graham was a beacon of moral clarity and a true leader of the U.S.-Israel partnership," he said in a statement. "We will never forget how he stood by the people of Israel in our most difficult moments, and we will remain eternally grateful for his sense of justice, truth, and loyalty.

"The people of Israel mourn his loss, and I will miss my great friend very dearly," he added.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz remembered Graham as "an unwavering voice in support of Israel's security and its right to defend itself." He noted that Graham repeatedly visited Israel after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack, calling him "an exceptional leader, a man of principle, and a dear friend whose legacy will endure for generations."

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Graham served 33 years in the U.S. Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, retiring as a colonel in 2015. An Air Force lawyer, he served in Germany during the Cold War, was called to active duty during the Gulf War, and later completed multiple Reserve deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan during congressional recesses.

Graham's office confirmed his death in a statement to Fox News Digital.

This is a breaking news story; check back for updates.