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Fox News Campus Radicals Newsletter: Socialist streamer scrapped, a campus hate alert and coddled college kids

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 17:36:14 -0400

EVENT SCRAPPED: Controversial streamer Hasan Piker's lecture axed by University of Washington amid free speech questions

‘DEMANDS OF COLLEGE:’ University of Michigan plans to shield 2027 freshman letter grades from transcripts in new mental health plan

RED BLOODED: El-Sayed’s half sister revealed as radical professor arrested for allegedly assaulting a cop at anti-ICE riot

HATE ALERT: Campus antisemitism extends beyond student protests and into classrooms, ADL warns

NEW PROBE: Florida State University hit with federal civil rights investigation over race, sex-based scholarship programs

CRASH COURSE: Socialism’s campus appeal meets Gen Z resistance as students keep score on communism

Trump claims AOC may run for president as far-left Dems back away from extreme policy

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 17:01:38 -0400

President Donald Trump said Friday that far-left Democrats like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., are now trying to distance themselves from some of the radical positions they once championed, noting he believes she may be after a 2028 bid for the White House.

In an interview with Fox News correspondent Alexis McAdams, Trump was asked about Ocasio-Cortez's perceived shift away from her earlier calls to defund police departments and other soft-on-crime policies.

"If you really look at it, they're all saying the same thing," Trump said of progressive Democrats. "They're all trying to disavow themselves from what they said about crime and, well, they're saying, ‘We love sanctuary cities.’"

When asked directly whether he thinks AOC is positioning herself for a presidential bid, Trump said he thinks AOC will run.

The congresswoman has refused to rule out a run for president, but she hasn't looked past November's midterm elections.

ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ SHRUGS OFF PAST 'DEFUND THE POLICE' COMMENTS, JOKING 'WOKE 1 WAS CRAZY'

During an interview with ABC's "This Week" on Sunday, the congresswoman attempted to dismiss the extreme rhetoric of the so-called "Woke 1" era.

The term is used by some progressive politicians to describe the pandemic-era social justice activism and far-left political rhetoric in 2019 and 2020, when some called for the defunding of law enforcement agencies, the abolition of police and prisons, the elimination of cash bail, open borders and unchecked migration.

Trump said some Democrats are now trying to distance themselves from sanctuary cities, which generally don't cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

"I think you're going to see sanctuary cities start to end, because sanctuary cities are a disaster. And somebody like her, she was big for sanctuary cities," Trump said of Ocasio-Cortez. "They cause crime.

EXCLUSIVE: LEGAL GROUP TELLS NYPD COPS THEY CAN CONTACT ICE DIRECTLY DESPITE BLUE CITY'S SANCTUARY RULES

"That's when it all started. No cash bail," he added. "Somebody kills somebody, and they just say, ‘All right, go ahead and come back in two weeks.’"

During AOC's ABC interview, Jonathan Karl briefly pressed the congresswoman, a member of the New York chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), on radical comments made by fellow socialist and Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong in 2020 and 2021.

"I have a local city councilman that has this saying, 'Woke 1 was crazy,'" Ocasio-Cortez said while grinning. "And I think that what’s important is that we have to assess what a candidate is saying now."

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Ocasio-Cortez's office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Trump’s fight over rarely used 18th-century deportation law lives on in latest court clash

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 17:21:46 -0400

The Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday dismissed as moot a challenge to President Donald Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged Tren de Aragua members, leaving the legality of his invocation of the 18th-century law unresolved.

The New Orleans-based court said the case became moot after all three Venezuelan plaintiffs, whom the administration alleged were members of Tren de Aragua, had already been removed from the United States under other immigration authorities.

While the Alien Enemies Act dates back hundreds of years, prior to Trump, it was most recently invoked by President Harry Truman in 1946. The law allows the president, under specified wartime or invasion circumstances involving a foreign nation or government, to detain and remove certain non-naturalized individuals of that hostile power.

The Trump administration has argued that Tren de Aragua’s gang activity amounts to an "invasion or predatory incursion" under the law and has sought to use the authority as part of its broader immigration agenda, including efforts to speed the removal of suspected gang members.

DC APPEALS COURT ORDERS JUDGE BOASBERG TO HALT TRUMP CONTEMPT PROBE OVER DEPORTATION FLIGHTS

The Supreme Court previously blocked the administration from removing the detainees under the Alien Enemies Act while the case proceeded, but stopped short of deciding whether Trump had lawfully invoked the statute, sending the dispute back to the Fifth Circuit.

Advancing American Freedom senior legal fellow Bryce Poole described the ruling as a mixed result for the Trump administration.

"The Fifth Circuit's en banc decision in W.M.M. v. Trump represents one step forward, one step sideways for the Trump Administration," Advancing American Freedom senior legal fellow Bryce Poole told Fox News Digital. "Last year, in A.A.R.P. v. Trump, the Supreme Court blocked the removals but declined to decide whether President Trump's invocation of the Alien Enemies Act was lawful, sending that question back to the Fifth Circuit."

Advancing American Freedom is a conservative public policy advocacy organization founded by former Vice President Mike Pence.

"It's a step forward because it vacates the prior ruling that said Trump's invocation was unlawful, leaving the President's AEA powers intact," Poole explained. "It's a step sideways because the court dodged the merits, so the AEA's legality remains a live question the Supreme Court will likely decide — probably in a different case like J.A.V. v. Trump, which has a certified class, so mootness won't apply."

BIDEN JUDGE OVERRULED ON KEY TRUMP IMMIGRATION POLICY

Even though the court declined to rule on the merits, two judges signaled their belief that the president’s use of the law was appropriate in their concurring opinions.

"I agree that this case is moot," Judge James Ho wrote. "But I also agree with the United States that we should address the merits questions directed to us by the Supreme Court — and affirm the President’s actions under the Alien Enemies Act and the Due Process Clause."

"As I’ve also noted, judges are supposed to defer to a President’s declaration of a state of invasion — including the ones issued on January 20, 2025." Ho, a Trump appointee, added. "And if courts must defer when the President treats illegal immigration as an invasion, see id., then a fortiori we must defer when it comes to the narrower question of an invasion by Tren de Aragua."

Ilya Somin, a George Mason law professor and scholar at the libertarian Cato Institute, disagreed strongly with Ho’s rationale.

"If the president could create an 'invasion' simply by claiming that it exists, it would convert dangerous emergency powers that can only be used in extreme circumstances into blank checks the president can invoke any time he wants" he wrote. "That's contrary to the text of the AEA (which limits its use to situations where these circumstances actually exist) and to the text and original meaning of the Constitution."

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

Judge Andrew Oldham, another Trump appointee, also agreed that the president’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act was legally sound.

With all 17 active Fifth Circuit judges participating, the court refused a request from the plaintiffs’ lawyers to substitute in new plaintiffs for the men who the Trump administration deported.

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Trump’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act remains legally unresolved following the dismissal, with the court’s actions likely delaying a possible final decision at the Supreme Court.

Spanish broadcaster allegedly skips Israeli hurdler during introductions at European Athletics Championships

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 17:19:04 -0400

A Spanish national broadcast channel is in hot water following an alleged omission during its coverage of the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England this week.

RTVE, a news organization in Spain, was covering a hurdling event that featured athletes from all over the world lining up in their starting positions and staying loose.

As the camera panned to each individual participant, the anchors for RTVE introduced the athletes by name as well the country they represented.

However, when the camera reached Omri Shiff, a hurdler from Israel, both anchors inexplicably averted their attention to another participant who was apparently taking too long to get set.

EXCLUSIVE: ISRAELI PRESIDENT HERZOG BLASTS MAMDANI, PRAISES TRUMP, SOUNDS ALARM ON IRAN

By the time the camera moved off Shiff and onto another athlete from Hungary, the introductions resumed, and the rest of the athletes were once again mentioned by their name and what country they were there to represent.

Even if you don't speak fluent Spanish, you can tell just by their cadence as well as the names being used that Shiff wasn't acknowledged during the athlete intros. You can even hear an audible pause while Shiff is being shown before the male anchor steps in to say something.

GERMAN OFFICIALS WARN ISLAMIST, FAR-LEFT RHETORIC DRIVING SPIKE IN ANTISEMITIC ATTACKS

After the camera moved to the Hungarian participant, the female anchor appeared to laugh and make a quick comment before returning to the athlete introductions.

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RTVE issued a public apology in a statement to The Jewish Chronicle, saying, "We sincerely regret not having named all the athletes who appeared on screen during the broadcasts on Teledeporte [sports channel], as happened in the case of the Israeli athlete Omar Shiff.

"This situation was exclusively due to the complexity of the long athletics sessions and the dynamics of live broadcasting – such as trackside commentary or production requirements – and was in no way related to political, ideological or religious reasons.

"Our commitment is to give visibility to every participant, and we work to achieve this in every broadcast. We reiterate our apology to the athlete affected."

The outlet did not respond to requests for comment from OutKick.

Democratic governor credits Trump for delivering project for Michigan that Biden couldn't get over finish line

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 17:12:43 -0400

Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Thursday President Donald Trump has helped her deliver for the state, pointing to a specific fighter jet mission she tried to secure during the Biden administration but couldn't.

Whitmer spoke to Newsom on his podcast, "This is Gavin Newsom," and said she needed to figure out how to conduct herself after the 2024 presidential election because her state had voted for Trump again.

Newsom noted Whitmer had visited the White House, and the pair both agreed a working relationship with the president was "part of the job."

"I've gotten some really good stuff done. Honestly," she told Newsom. "I got a fighter mission at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, and I tried to get that done under the Biden administration, couldn't get over the finish line, but I got it done with him. So, that's a huge deal to Michigan."

PROGRESSIVE PRAISE FOR TRUMP AS WARREN BACKS PUSH TO CURB DEFENSE CONTRACTOR CEO PAYOUTS

Former President Joe Biden's office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Whitmer appeared to be referring to Mission Next, which will replace the retiring A-10 Warthog aircraft based at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan with 21 brand-new F-15EX Eagle II fighter jets. The mission is part of a modernization plan for the National Guard Base, according to the National Guard's website, which includes construction and infrastructure upgrades that will create jobs and new training opportunities.

Trump shared details of the new fighter jet mission in April 2025 during a speech to National Guard members at the Michigan base for an event commemorating his 100th day in office.

"Fresh off the line. That means they are brand new," Trump said at the time. "They've never been anywhere. This is where they're going to be for a long time. And I saw one of them, flew over my head, and I said, ‘What the hell is that?’ That plane has serious power. So, this is the best there is anywhere in the world, the F-15EX Eagle II. This will keep Selfridge at the cutting edge of Northern American air power."

JD VANCE UNCOVERS THE HIDDEN WHITE HOUSE DRESS CODE PRESIDENT TRUMP EXPECTS FROM HIS INNER CIRCLE

"While Joe Biden’s weak policies neglected our military, President Trump saved Selfridge Air National Guard Base, a crucial pillar of North American air defense; rebuilt our military; and restored readiness and lethality to our U.S. Armed Forces," White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales told Fox News Digital Friday.

"With President Trump as commander in chief, the United States Military will continue to lead the world in power, prestige, and might," Wales continued. "President Trump proudly won the state of Michigan in 2024, and will continue to deliver on his promises for all Michiganders."

Whitmer said during the podcast conversation with Newsom that she knew how to work with people who weren't her best friends, even if she didn't like it.

The Michigan governor went viral in April 2025 for attempting to hide her face while photos were being taken during an Oval Office meeting with the president. She explained the moment days later and said she just didn't want her picture taken.

"I don’t want my picture taken, that’s all it was. I kind of wished I hadn’t put my folder up in front of my face, but whatever. You know I was there … I just wrote a book about learning to laugh at yourself, so I’m pretty good at it. We all have our moments," Whitmer said.

Trump notably praised Whitmer at the time, calling her a "very good person," even though the pair have traded barbs in the past.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

However, the White House called out the Democratic governor in April after a local steel manufacturing company announced it would soon pour $43.4 million into expanding its Michigan-based operations.

"Democrats like Gretchen Whitmer spent decades talking about fixing broken trade deals and creating manufacturing jobs here in America for American workers," Kush Desai, a White House spokesperson, told Fox News Digital earlier this year about the Michigan governor, who is often floated as a potential Democratic candidate for president in 2028.

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"President Trump is actually delivering, and he’s delivering with the same agenda of tariffs, deregulation."

Dolphins consultant Troy Aikman will be limited in MNF role like Raiders minority owner Tom Brady is on Fox

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 16:56:27 -0400

Troy Aikman, who this offseason added an informal consultant role with the Miami Dolphins to his work on ESPN's Monday Night Football telecast, has been told he must abide by restrictions that have been on Tom Brady for a couple of years.

The NFL confirmed to Fox News Digital a report by Front Office Sports on Friday that Aikman must limit some of his access to clubs as part of his preparation for games.

Those limitations were initially placed on Brady when he joined Fox Sports.

TOM BRADY SENDS CLEAR MESSAGE TO RAIDERS ROOKIE FERNANDO MENDOZA: EARN YOUR OPPORTUNITY

"The same parameters that pertained to Tom last season will continue this year and also will apply to Troy," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

"Both may attend production meetings virtually but will have no access to practice facilities or practices.

"They may conduct interviews outside team facilities with football personnel and players. They could conduct the interview at the team hotel in an area separate from other football personnel."

One more thing:

"They could broadcast games involving their own club," McCarthy added.

Aikman has been the lead color commentator for "Monday Night Football" alongside Joe Buck since 2022 but this offseason he was added to the Dolphins hierarchy when ownership brought him in to help in the general manager and head coach search that eventually led to the hiring of Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley.

Hafley thanked Aikman at his introductory press conference for being part of the search committee that chose him as head coach. Sullivan clarified that Aikman is kept "in the fold" as an active resource, though with a distinct boundary regarding roster construction.

It is clear, however, that Aikman provides his insights to ownership and other club leadership when he deems necessary and those are welcome. At least some of those insights are obviously gathered from his broadcast role connections.

Aikman's role in Miami doesn't seem quite as formal as that of Brady, who is the No. 1 analyst on Fox broadcasts and also a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders. But the NFL is treating both the same now.

The league has been pleased with how Brady has balanced his dual roles and stayed within guidelines. It has no concerns that Brady, previously, and Aikman, in future, will pose a conflict of interest for any team.

"There have been no issues with Tom over the last two seasons. It is up to the coaches and clubs what they share with him," McCarthy said. "If they share information they shouldn’t, then that’s on them."

Interestingly, the information Aikman has shared so far probably has hurt the Dolphins rather than helped.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

During an interview earlier this month on the "Dallas Dialogue with Dale" show, Aikman pointed out that the Dolphins are not going to be a good team in 2026.

Everyone pretty much knew that already, but the problem is both Hafley and Sullivan have been working to get out the message that they want to win. That they aren't tanking this season.

(The Dolphins tanked the 2019 season by trading and releasing multiple big-name players in hopes of gaining a high NFL Draft pick in the first round of the 2020 draft. It sort of worked, although coach Brian Flores didn't go along with the plan and milked five wins out of a roster constructed to lose).

Anyway, Aikman apparently didn't get the memo from Hafley and Sullivan, who don't want their players and fans to think winning isn't a priority this season.

"The Dolphins are not expected to be very good this year," Aikman said. "They're getting out of cap hell, so there's no Monday night game with the Dolphins this year."

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The Dolphins indeed do not play on Monday Night Football this season. But perhaps they would be smart to speak with Aikman about getting with the company line.

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Minor League team rolls out 'Nothing Night' with no music, videos, or public address announcements

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 16:56:08 -0400

Minor league baseball is known for its theme nights, promotional giveaways, and on-field antics that keep the fans entertained all game long.

But at a time when this has become the norm, some want their baseball without a side of music blaring and the mascot doing donuts in the outfield on an ATV.

And that's exactly what the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros, will do on Aug. 18 when they host their first-ever "Nothing Night."

"One of our executives back then had worked in Lake Elsinore, who did this as the Lake Elsinore Storm back in, I believe, 2008, and they went way extreme for it," the team's play-by-play announcer and manager of media relations Garrett Greene said. "It was like free admission, but there were no concession stands, and the bathrooms were locked.

"And we were like, 'Let's not go that far with this.'"

So, bathrooms and concessions will be available, but don't expect usual staples like walk-up music, videos on the Jumbotron, or games on the field between innings. This means that the crowd's attention has only one place to go: on the baseball game taking place directly in front of them.

"There are some times where it's like, 'Hey, it would be fun to just show up and just have a nice, easy, relaxing game where the focus is entirely on the field,'" Greene said. "As the broadcaster, the game's normally the focus for me, but it's kind of nice that for one night we said, 'Hey, let's just strip everything else away. It's just one night and show kind of what baseball is.'

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"If we take away all the crazy sound effects, music, in-between innings promotions, giveaways, and just make it, 'Hey, just show up, and the game is right there in front of you, and that's the most important thing for the night."

The Space Cowboys (what a killer name, by the way) will take on the Oklahoma City Comets on Nothing Night, and while you won't see any frills, all the necessities for a modern baseball game will be on hand.

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"The main concern was, are we still going to have balls, strikes, and outs? We have a manually operated scoreboard... so it was like, is that the only place the score is going to be? Are we going to have pitch counts? Are we going to have automatic balls and strikes?" Greene said. "And so, we're going to have those things that you need to make a baseball game in 2026 happen."

Falcons' James Pearce hit with 8-game suspension as NFL announces wave of bans across the league

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 16:45:11 -0400

A flurry of suspensions was announced by the NFL Friday, with James Pearce's eight-game ban the most harsh.

The Atlanta Falcons edge rusher has been embroiled in a domestic dispute and was arrested in February.

Pearce was charged with three felonies for his alleged involvement in a dispute with his girlfriend, WNBA player Rickea Jackson.

Court documents revealed Pearce was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, fleeing and eluding police and resisting an officer with violence to his or her person.

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Pearce, a finalist for Defensive Rookie of the Year after a successful 2025 season with the Falcons, was arrested near Miami last month after allegedly fleeing officers and crashing his car after what police called a domestic violence incident with Jackson, a 2024 All-Rookie team honoree with the Los Angeles Sparks.

Pearce is alleged to have crashed his car into another vehicle being driven by Jackson and struck a police officer while he tried to flee law enforcement, ESPN reported, citing a criminal complaint from the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s office.

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Jackson told police she noticed Pearce was following her in a white luxury vehicle, and when she stopped at a red light, the Falcons rookie tried to open her car doors.

Jackson said she started to drive toward the Doral Police Department while Pearce was allegedly following her. Then, as she got closer to the police station, she alleged Pearce cut her off and collided with her head on.

An officer reportedly pulled a gun on Pearce once Doral authorities responded to the incident in an attempt to force him to get on the ground. However, he allegedly got back into his car and drove away.

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Three other players were suspended by the NFL on Friday: Tennessee Titans defensive back Nazeeh Johnson, Washington Commanders edge rusher Dorance Armstrong and Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis.

Johnson will be out for six games for violating the league's performance-enhancing substances policy. Armstrong will miss a game for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy and Mathis' violation of the league's substance abuse policy is costing him three games.

Fox News' Scott Thompson contributed to this report.

Miami running back Jordan Lyle arrested on felony aggravated fleeing charge in Broward County

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 16:30:33 -0400

Miami running back Jordan Lyle has been slated to take the next step this season after the Canes' championship appearance last year, but his season is not off to the best start.

The 20-year-old rising junior was arrested in Broward County on Thursday on a felony complaint of aggravated fleeing or eluding law enforcement, court records say.

Lyle is accused of driving "in any manner which demonstrates a wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property" and "willfully" trying to get away from police.

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"We are aware of an incident involving student-athlete Jordan Lyle. As due legal process runs its course, we will have no further comment at this time," Miami said in a statement.

Lyle appeared in six games last year while backing up ACC rushing leader Mark Fletcher Jr. He showed promise early on but suffered an injury in Miami's first game of the season and never fully recovered. He returned several weeks later but was shut down after Miami's Nov. 8 game against Syracuse, having never played more than eight snaps upon returning.

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In his abbreviated time, he had 35 carries for 108 yards and a touchdown. In his freshman season, he averaged a whopping 7.4 yards per carry (54 rushes, 400 yards) and scored four times in his 12 games played.

Lyle's arrest comes just days after head coach Mario Cristobal sang his praises amid what's been reported as a strong camp.

"I see the Jordan Lyle that we saw a year ago in many respects, but with better physical traits," Cristobal said Tuesday after practice. "He is healthy [now], which I think is a really important part. I don't think people really knew the extent of how banged up he was last year and we see the full speed player now. I am really excited about him."

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"Jordan has taken strength and conditioning very seriously and he has certainly improved his change of direction and acceleration and deceleration rates," Cristobal added.

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EXCLUSIVE: Kennedy Center board moves to name grounds ‘President Donald J Trump Plaza'

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 16:20:52 -0400

FIRST ON FOX — The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees wants to name the famed arts institution’s grounds the "President Donald J. Trump Plaza," one of several new ways the board is seeking to honor the president as the center moves ahead with a sweeping renovation, Fox News Digital has learned.

The board also wants the words "Endowed by the Trump Kennedy Center Fund" inscribed on the building once the fund reaches a $100 million endowment, according to information obtained by Fox News Digital.

The previously unreported moves come after the board voted Thursday to add an inscription crediting Trump with restoring and renovating America's cultural center, and approved a partial closure of the complex for renovations.

KENNEDY CENTER BOARD MEMBER KNOCKS SEN WHITEHOUSE FOR IGNORING INVITES AS DEM FEUDS WITH TRUMP-RUN LANDMARK

The resolution recognizing Trump’s contributions passed by a 20-3 supermajority vote, while the partial-closure resolution passed 23-3, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Democratic Reps. Joyce Beatty of Ohio and Rick Larsen of Washington voted "no" on both resolutions, the source said.

The board’s resolution calls for an inscription below the name of the center reading, "The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump."

The board said it wants to recognize Trump’s contributions to the Kennedy Center after the president secured $257 million from Congress to address decades of deferred maintenance.

VIDEO EXPOSES DISREPAIR LURKING BENEATH TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER AS $257M RENOVATION LOOMS

The board also approved a partial closure following an independent analysis conducted in accordance with Judge Cooper’s orders. The Kennedy Center said the plan would leave a $3.4 million surplus, compared with a projected $78 million deficit under an alternative involving four years of revolving closures.

The massive renovation will address water infiltration, damaged electrical rooms, hundreds of structural failure points in the parking garage and 2,000-plus-pound soffit panels that have reached "end-of-life" status and present a public safety risk.

"The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees has reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to the responsible stewardship of America's Cultural Center. With the confidence of the Board and Chairman President Trump's unprecedented support, this historic revitalization project can commence, ensuring the Kennedy Center emerges from this next chapter as a stronger, more resilient home for the arts — one that will serve audiences and artists for generations to come," a Kennedy Center spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

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Free Millennium Stage programs, film events, educational programming and the JFK memorial exhibit will remain available at the REACH during the partial closure.

The National Symphony Orchestra will perform its 2026-2027 Classical Season at venues around the Washington, D.C., area and across the country.

The latest moves come after a federal judge blocked an earlier effort to rename the center after Trump, along with an earlier closure plan.

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The White House, JFK Library and Jack Schlossberg — Kennedy's grandson, who has been outspoken about the center — did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.

Drea de Matteo says OnlyFans became ‘political statement’ after financial struggles threatened her home

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 16:10:46 -0400

"Sopranos" star Drea de Matteo is reflecting on how joining OnlyFans became not only a financial lifeline when she was facing the loss of her home but also an act of defiance against Hollywood.

The 54-year-old actress has previously shared how launching an account on the subscription-based social media platform, which is primarily known for adult content, gave her the ability to financially save her home.

During an appearance Wednesday on Jamie Kennedy's "Hate to Break It to Ya" podcast, de Matteo explained that the platform gave her a way to make a living without relying on the entertainment industry after she became increasingly alienated from Hollywood over her political views and opposition to COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

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"In some ways, the OnlyFans page was almost like a political statement on my part in a way," she said.

"Oh yeah, get back at the system," Kennedy interjected.

"It was like, ‘F--- you,'" she said. "'I don’t need to work for your f---ing corporation.'"

De Matteo said the income she received from OnlyFans gave her the financial freedom to successfully fund her own entrepreneurial ventures, including her clothing line Ultrafree and her "Ultrafree" podcast.

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"You launched your OnlyFans to be free," Kennedy said.

"Yes, I did," she replied.

Despite her success on "The Sopranos," she said she was never as financially secure as people assumed. The actress told Kennedy she had never been particularly career-driven and would often return to acting only when she needed the income.

"I had enough to survive," she said. "I would always go back to work when I knew I needed to put aside a chunk of money for the mortgage."

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"I was not — people think I'm made of f---ing money," de Matteo continued. "Everyone sees me coming, they're like, ‘Here comes that rich b---- from "The Sopranos."

"And it's like, no, I'm not at all. In fact, you know, I live a pretty f---ing normal life. I had to do that [OnlyFans] page to get a lien off my house after foreclosure."

She said her ability to work became further limited during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she declined roles she could not take without being vaccinated. She recalled that her agent eventually dropped her after determining there was little work the agency could secure for her if she remained unvaccinated.

The decline in acting income compounded her financial troubles. She said she took a mortgage forbearance during the pandemic, temporarily pausing payments on her home, but later began receiving foreclosure notices. Although she was ultimately able to resolve the foreclosure, she said she was left with a lien on the property.

In August 2023, de Matteo announced on Instagram that she had created an OnlyFans account, sharing a nude photo and saying she would be charging viewers $15 a month for exclusive content.

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While speaking with Kennedy, she recalled that she immediately received a financial windfall after launching her OnlyFans page.

"I put a picture up, and, within 75 minutes, the lien was paid," she said. "So, that was why I kept the OnlyFans."

"A picture. What type of picture?" Kennedy asked.

"A picture of me in a bikini," she replied.

Later in the conversation, when Kennedy asked about the amount of the lien, de Matteo told him, "That was $75,000."

"I needed more money than that, but that was just for the lien," she added.

"Did you pay your house off?" Kennedy asked, to which she replied, "No, no."

"So, were you making like a hundred G's a month?" he asked.

"Um, I think sometimes I might have," she said.

However, she said earning money from posting photos was not the original reason she created the account.

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"Honestly, we were going to use the Only Fans platform to start a podcast because I was afraid that I'd be censored too much to talk about stuff, you know, just out there in the world," she told Kennedy.

She explained that she initially set up the page as a "placeholder" for the podcast before her financial situation led her to use the platform differently.

The actress also pushed back on assumptions about the type of content she shares on the platform.

"I only got naked once," she said.

She explained that the photo she posted was tied to the launch of her podcast and intended as a protest against geoengineering.

"So, I painted my whole body in protest art and nobody would touch it because it said ‘stop geoengineering,’" she said

She explained that she believes many of her subscribers are drawn to her page because of her role as Adriana La Cerva, her character on "The Sopranos."

"The OnlyFans thing, I always say, it’s Adriana’s fan page because people love her," she said. "I mean, I’ve done a lot of other TV shows, but that’s the TV show people really love. So, you want to see more Adriana, go there, and that’s where I am."

During her appearance on the podcast, de Matteo also clarified previous remarks she had made about her teenage son's involvement with helping create content for her page.

In 2024, she made headlines after appearing on "Not Today, Pal," the podcast hosted by her former "Sopranos" co-stars Robert Iler and Jamie-Lynn Sigler.

During the appearance, Iler told her that her then-13-year-old son had said he edited her OnlyFans photos, which she appeared to confirm.

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"Oh yeah. He’s like, ‘So, what do you want me to do with the bikini line here?’" she said at the time.

De Matteo shares two children with her ex, Shooter Jennings.

She told Kennedy that the exchange was taken out of context, explaining that her son had edited a single photo of her dressed as a superhero.

Later in the interview, she was more emphatic about what she said was her son's limited involvement, saying he "has nothing to do with the OnlyFans page."

"However, you know, as it was being launched and stuff, they were included in every f---ing step of what I did," she said of her children. "They knew what pictures were going up in the beginning."

De Matteo said both of her children were aware of what she planned to post and that she would ask them whether they were comfortable with it. However, the "Sons of Anarchy" actress maintained that her son did not regularly edit content for the account.

"He can edit anything," she said. "So, no, he's not editing OnlyFans content. He edited one f---ing picture of his mother as a superhero and that's it."

She said the attention surrounding the story ultimately took a toll on her son, who she said was teased by classmates over the reports.

The actress said the controversy also affected her relationship with her son as she tried to help him navigate the backlash.

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"What's f---ed up about that entire thing is it caused such a strain, like even between he and I, because I have to be the person to coach him through all these, like, kind of adverse events, but I'm the f---ing reason for it in this particular instance," de Matteo said.

"So, it was really f---ing hard."

Who controls the Strait of Hormuz right now? Here's what the ship traffic actually shows

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:34:00 -0400

As tensions between the U.S. and Iran remain unsettled more than five months since the start of the war, the number of ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz appears to be far below pre-conflict levels.

"Despite a brief recovery in late June, vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains significantly reduced, AIS [Automatic Identification System] transit information suggests operators increasingly favouring the Northern route following projectile attacks, ongoing security concerns, and heightened enforcement activity," a United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) voluntary reporting area overview noted.

"Traffic remains well below normal levels, with AIS-detected transits approximately 90% below pre-conflict baselines and declining since the 24-26 (June) peak."

The trade intelligence company Kpler reported in part of a post Friday on X that "Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz picked up on 13 August, with 13 confirmed crossings, a 44% day on day increase from nine. Of these, nine vessels used the Iranian Unilateral Scheme, none were confirmed on the Hormuz TSS and four routes remained undetermined."

TANKERS ATTACKED AS TEHRAN, TRUMP BATTLE OVER CONTROL OF STRAIT OF HORMUZ

International Chamber of Shipping Marine Director John Stawpert told Fox News Digital Friday that while "traffic is significantly lower" compared to before the war started, "it's not completely stopped."

"Essentially, what we see is a cyclical process," Stawpert said. He explained that when a ceasefire is announced, there is an "uptick" in vessels entering and exiting the Persian Gulf, but "as those ceasefires break down ... you'll see that drop off again."

He also noted there is still a mine threat in the waters, which affects how much traffic can enter and exit the Persian Gulf.

Stawpert indicated that, to resolve the issue, there would need to be "a meaningful ceasefire that everybody has faith in," an end to the Iranian threat, an end of the U.S. blockade against Iran and a grasp on which waters are "safely navigable" in the face of the threat posed by mines.

President Donald Trump has claimed the U.S. has full control over the waterway.

"The U.S.A. has total control over the Strait of Hormuz. I THINK WE WILL KEEP IT! Our Naval Blockade is being called, by everyone, 'A WALL OF STEEL,' and there is nothing Iran can do about it," Trump wrote in a Wednesday Truth Social post.

"They have no Navy, they have no Air Force, their remaining soldiers are unpaid, the IRGC is decimated and fleeing, and their 'Leadership' is uncertain, at best! They have No Money — Their country is "shot." All they have is FAKE NEWS and 300% INFLATION, and getting worse! Iran is all talk and no action, the Bully of the Middle East No Longer. Praise be to Allah!" he added.

But the Islamic Republic of Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority said in a post Wednesday on X, "Claims and repeated posts by U.S. officials that the Strait of Hormuz is no longer blocked do not change the reality: the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked and will not be reopened until Iran’s conditions are accepted."

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi posted on X Thursday claiming "the U.S. has long miscalculated due to intelligence failures. Case in point: The war on Iran. Now, an even bigger miscalculation on the Strait of Hormuz. Worse than fake news is fake intelligence. Be careful. Allah is Great, Greater than ANY power on Earth. In Allah we trust."

IRAN SAYS US MISCALCULATED OVER STRAIT OF HORMUZ DESPITE TRUMP'S CLAIM OF 'TOTAL CONTROL'

The recently appointed leader of the Iranian Basij paramilitary unit said Thursday that the passage is "under Iran's control and management," Reuters reported.

"There's a northern route which is essentially Iranian controlled. There's a southern route through Omani waters which is overseen by the U.S. Navy," Stawpert explained to Fox News Digital, noting that control over the passage is "divided."

A White House official told Fox News Digital on Friday that "as the President has stated, the Strait is completely controlled by the United States Navy and our blockade."

"Nothing gets through to Iran, and nothing will get through, unless Iran agrees to a deal. But the Strait is open for everyone else," the official said. "Millions of barrels of oil are transiting the Strait on a daily basis."

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright has touted the flow of oil out of the strait.

"Thanks to the coordinated efforts of the U.S. military and our gulf allies, the seven-day average for oil leaving the Strait of Hormuz is currently up to almost 9 million barrels per day," Wright wrote in a post on X Tuesday.

"When combined with the additional 5-7 million barrels per day leaving the region via newly upgraded pipelines and export facilities, total oil flows are currently averaging approximately 15 million barrels per day. On Sunday alone, over 20 million barrels left the Arabian gulf region, which is above the pre-conflict average."

"In coordination with the U.S. military, the U.S. Department of Energy maintains the best available data related to oil and oil products leaving the Arabian gulf. Many private businesses undercount the number of ships leaving the Strait of Hormuz due to ships moving covertly through the waterway," Wright added in another post.

"We need to bear in mind that there's human beings on board these ships," Stawpert told Fox News Digital, asserting that the "risk" they face is "unacceptable."

IRAN DEFIES TRUMP, DECLARES STRAIT OF HORMUZ BLOCKED AFTER PRESIDENT CLAIMS US HAS 'TOTAL CONTROL'

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"And that's why this needs to end," he continued, "for those humanitarian reasons, more than anything."

Judge’s Harvard antisemitism ruling sends Trump Justice Department back to drawing board

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 16:03:05 -0400

The Justice Department is planning its next move after a federal judge in Boston dismissed its case accusing Harvard University of repeatedly turning a "blind eye" to antisemitism on campus.

"We disagree with the ruling and are assessing next steps," Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Harmeet Dhillon said in a statement.

"The Civil Rights Division has an extensive and active portfolio of antisemitism enforcement, including indictments, prosecutions, settlements and investigations across the country."

Judge Richard Stearns, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton, dismissed the Trump administration's lawsuit against the Ivy League school Thursday, determining the incidents of antisemitism were too isolated to establish a pattern showing that the school remained in violation of federal civil rights law after the federal government issued its complaint.

DOJ SUES UCLA OVER ALLEGED ‘JUDENREIN’ CONDITIONS DURING ANTI-ISRAEL ENCAMPMENT

"Without diminishing any concern arising from these occurrences, the court finds them, singly and collectively, to be too isolated and episodic to support a plausible inference that any institutionalized noncompliance with Title VI persists at Harvard to this day," Stearns wrote.

The Justice Department filed its lawsuit against Harvard March 20, 2026, after a wave of anti-Israel protests that erupted on college campuses nationwide after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza.

At Harvard, protests during the 2023-24 school year included repeated occupations of libraries and other campus buildings and a weekslong encampment in Harvard Yard. Jewish students reported being harassed, intimidated and excluded from campus spaces.

The Justice Department alleged that Harvard violated Title VI by failing to protect Jewish and Israeli students from harassment despite complaints to university leaders about the conduct.

But Stearns said the Justice Department referred to only three antisemitic incidents on Harvard's campus during the following school year that the school had allegedly failed to address.

UCLA STUDENT COUNCIL CONDEMNS CAMPUS EVENT WITH FORMER ISRAELI HOSTAGE

Those incidents included protesters allegedly breaching barricades outside an event featuring former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, a Harvard employee allegedly removing posters of Israeli hostages and more than 60 masked protesters staging a "die-in" outside Widener Library, where they chanted, "We will honor all our martyrs."

Stearns did not rule on whether Harvard had violated Title VI during the height of the campus unrest. Instead, his decision focused on whether the Justice Department had sufficiently alleged that violations continued after the government formally put Harvard on notice.

The Trump administration sent Harvard a warning letter June 30, 2025, saying the school had violated Title VI over its response to antisemitism on campus.

Under the statute, the government is required to notify a recipient of a violation and try to resolve it voluntarily before taking enforcement action.

DOJ SPRINGS ANTISEMITISM REVIEW ON BLUE STATE COLLEGE AFTER 'LEBANESE RESISTANCE' FUNDRAISER

In his dismissal, Stearns said the Trump administration's amended June 2026 complaint did not identify any incidents in which Harvard failed to address antisemitism after the government sent its warning letter.

"The Government provided the requisite notice underlying this action on June 30, 2025," Stearns wrote. "As noted above, the Amended Complaint is devoid of any factual allegations plausibly establishing that any events that might be construed as evidence of noncompliance occurred after June 30, 2025."

Stearns also rejected the Trump administration's allegation that Harvard University's failure to cooperate with every demand in the federal government's proposed voluntary agreement showed that the school was not in compliance with Title VI.

"Harvard’s refusal to follow every specific demand from the administration wasn’t enough, because the legal question was whether Harvard was complying with Title VI — not whether Harvard was doing exactly what the administration told it to do," Stearns wrote.

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The dismissal comes as the Trump administration pursues two lawsuits against the University of California over alleged discrimination against Jewish and Israeli students, faculty and staff at UCLA.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Harvard University for comment.

Alzheimer's risk may be 35% lower with common menopause treatment, study finds

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 16:00:40 -0400

Women who used estrogen-only menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) were less likely to develop Alzheimer’s-related brain changes or dementia, according to a large Stanford study published Aug. 12 in Neurology.

The researchers analyzed post-mortem data from 21,462 participants, comparing 258 women who reported estrogen-only MHT use with approximately 2,701 women who reported no MHT use.

The researchers examined the brains for signs of Alzheimer’s disease, including amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid-plaque density. Plaques and tangles are two hallmark brain changes associated with the common dementia.

ALZHEIMER'S BLOOD TESTS MAY PREDICT SYMPTOMS YEARS IN ADVANCE, BUT EXPERTS URGE CAUTION

The women who took estrogen-only therapy — most of whom had likely undergone hysterectomies — were found to have a 35% lower chance of Alzheimer’s pathology and 39% lower odds of dementia over a lifetime.

Among some living participants, estrogen-only users also performed better on memory testing and were better able to function independently, the study found. Biomarkers in blood and cerebrospinal fluid supported these results.

The participants averaged 70 years of age.

Recent research indicates that menopausal hormone therapy may offer greater benefits when started during or shortly after menopause, the researchers noted.

HOW EATING HABITS COULD INFLUENCE PARKINSON’S DISEASE RISK, ACCORDING TO EXPERTS

Because the women in the study were generally older when they began treatment, the results may actually understate the potential benefits of earlier therapy.

These findings appear to contradict prior studies that linked menopausal hormone therapy to increased dementia risk.

"Estrogen has well-described neuroprotective effects in animal models," co-author Jennifer Bruno, PhD, an instructor in psychiatry and behavioral sciences, told Fox News Digital.

"Estrogen plays a role in shifting amyloid toward the non-amyloidogenic pathway and promoting tau dephosphorylation — both amyloid and tau are hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease."

DAILY EATING HABIT LINKED TO BETTER BRAIN HEALTH IN OLDER ADULTS, NEW RESEARCH SUGGESTS

"Additionally, estrogen supports synaptic plasticity, reduces neuroinflammation and supports blood brain barrier integrity. So, finding less AD pathology in estrogen-only users was consistent with this mechanism."

Memory can be impacted by many different conditions, which means clinical diagnoses can sometimes be unreliable, the researchers noted.

"Although there’s been great progress with bloodborne and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, they don’t tell you the amount and precise location of the brain damage," said senior author Hadi Hosseini, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford.

"By looking where the actual damage is done — the brain — you can see where the Alzheimer’s-associated defining features are and how many of them are there."

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The study did have some limitations, according to the researchers. As it was observational, it could only show an association but could prove that the hormone therapy reduced Alzheimer’s risk.

"It’s possible that women who used hormone therapy differed from non-users in ways we couldn't fully measure, such as baseline health status or engagement with healthcare," Hosseini told Fox News Digital. "We worked hard to adjust for known confounders and to account for who does and doesn't come to autopsy, but observational data can only take you so far."

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Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of dementia among older adults, with women comprising about two-thirds of diagnoses.

While the study findings don’t change current clinical recommendations, Hosseini said they highlight the need for well-designed clinical trials to confirm these observations and to determine whether menopausal hormone therapy has a protective cognitive effect.

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"These results add meaningful, first-of-their-kind pathological evidence to a genuinely controversial area — but they are a signal for further study, not a reason to start or stop MHT for brain health," Bruno added.

"We need prospective, biomarker-based trials that follow women before, during and after menopause to understand the effects of MHT on brain health."

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The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Murdaugh gun claim collides with bizarre Charleston showdown as lawyers battle over what next jury gets to see

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 06:00:24 -0400

Alex Murdaugh returned to court Friday for a pretrial hearing ahead of his murder retrial, and his attorneys opened up with a claim that the judge said "raised my eyebrows."

The disbarred attorney appeared before Circuit Judge Debra McCaslin at 10 a.m. in Lexington County for a pretrial hearing ahead of his April 2027 retrial in the killings of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul.

Several motions and issues were discussed, including Murdaugh's defense raising a new potential ballistics issue. One of his attorneys, Jim Griffin, told the judge that his team learned through FITSNews reporting that weapons from a recent Allendale County murder may have been connected to the Murdaugh murder case.

Prosecutor Creighton Waters told the court the claim was entirely new to him.

ALEX MURDAUGH LAWYERS ALLEGE ‘FABRICATED’ EVIDENCE WAS USED TO SECURE MURDER INDICTMENTS

"I have never heard the first thing about that," Waters said, adding that he communicates with SLED daily and had not been told of any such development.

"I will certainly look into that, but I would be flabbergasted to find out that actually had happened and no one had advised this office of that," Waters said.

McCaslin appeared struck by the allegation as well, telling Griffin, "As far as the murder in Allendale with the murder weapons, you certainly raised my eyebrows on that."

Griffin argued that if investigators determined shell casings from the Allendale case matched those tied to the Murdaugh murders, the defense wants the underlying testing and investigative records. He said such a finding could raise questions about the original ballistics analysis or whether a firearm associated with the Murdaugh case was later used in another killing.

Waters stressed that he had not read the FITSNews material and said he does not generally follow media coverage of the case.

"I don’t watch the podcast and I don’t read the blogs because I try to base what I’m doing on the evidence and not on speculation that’s out there in the media," Waters said. "It would blow my mind if something like that had happened in SLED and not call me."

Waters later said that SLED has now told him there is no known ballistics match linking a .300 Blackout used in an Allendale County shooting to another crime. Waters said the firearm evidence from the Allendale case was entered into a ballistics database but "there have been no leads or no matches on that."

"I’m going to find out more and double check and we’re going to run this down," Waters said, adding that SLED told him there were "no leads or hits" involving the .300 Blackout used in the Allendale shooting.

Defense attorney Dick Harpootlian said the defense wants more than a verbal assurance from investigators and remains skeptical of SLED because of issues it has raised over the agency’s handling of evidence in the Murdaugh case.

"I have never questioned Mr. Waters’ integrity," Harpootlian said. "But as a result of this case, I cannot help but question the SLED lab integrity and the SLED agency."

WATCH: Prosecutor says rifle in Allendale shooting has no link to other crimes

The defense also raised the case of Michael Colucci, whose murder charge was dismissed without prejudice after his attorneys alleged the state withheld critical exculpatory evidence.

Griffin noted that former SLED agent David Owen, the lead case agent in Murdaugh’s murder investigation, was also involved in the Colucci case and asked whether Owen was disciplined or sanctioned as a result.

Waters said he was not aware of any finding that Owen had been dishonest, but said he would look into it further.

The discussion centered in part on prosecutors’ Giglio obligations, named for the 1972 U.S. Supreme Court decision Giglio v. United States. Under that ruling, prosecutors must disclose material evidence that could be used to challenge the credibility of a government witness, including evidence of promises, agreements or other information that could show bias or affect a witness’s credibility. The Supreme Court held that withholding material credibility evidence can violate a defendant’s due process rights.

WATCH: Murdaugh attorney demands Giglio material on Eddie Smith

McCaslin also ruled on whether prosecutors could use Murdaugh’s testimony from his first murder trial at his retrial, although she said what portions can be introduced will depend on the evidence admitted in the new trial.

"I think it’s pretty clear, a criminal defendant’s testimony from a first trial is admissible at a retrial in the same case," McCaslin said.

The defense argued Murdaugh’s decision to testify at his first trial was influenced by the admission of extensive evidence about his financial crimes.

McCaslin rejected that argument, but said prosecutors will not automatically be able to introduce all of his previous testimony.

"If it’s not relevant, it’s not in," McCaslin said. "I’m going to allow it in, subject to what is being testified to in the trial."

Harpootlian said the defense "respectfully" disagreed with the ruling.

WATCH: Judge bans polygraph from Murdaugh retrial after tense clash

McCaslin also ruled on polygraph results, after Harpootlian argued the issue could become relevant if Curtis "Eddie" Smith testifies.

He told the court Smith failed a polygraph when asked whether he killed Paul and Maggie Murdaugh and said Alex Murdaugh passed one "with flying colors."

McCaslin warned the defense that mentioning a polygraph without first approaching her could risk a mistrial. Harpootlian joked that she should threaten him with contempt instead.

"You don’t want me to hold you in contempt, Mr. Harpootlian," McCaslin responded, later warning him not to start "screaming polygraph" in front of the jury.

"I got it. I agree with you," Harpootlian said.

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McCaslin also said she would personally oversee the jury-selection process in the retrial. The first trial was thrown out after Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca "Becky" Hill was found to influence the jury for the guilty verdict.

Harpootlian asked the judge to directly supervise how prospective jurors are summoned and screened, repeatedly raising concerns stemming from the first trial.

"Wherever this trial is going to be, I will certainly make sure that it is on the up and up. I can promise you that," she said.

Waters pushed back on suggestions there had been problems with that portion of the first jury-selection process, saying there was "absolutely no evidence that there was any shenanigans with that part of the process."

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It was one of several issues being discussed in Friday's hearing. McCaslin opened the hearing by saying she plans to take up all but three of the pending motions today.

WATCH: Defense raises concerns over jury selection process in Murdaugh case

Next, the judge moved to having a third-party lab, Othram DNA, to independently test DNA found from under Maggie Murdaugh's fingernails.

Griffin said previous testing showed a mixture that was about 99% Maggie Murdaugh’s DNA and 1% from an unknown male.

He said the defense wants the private lab Othram to conduct more advanced testing, including SNP analysis, in hopes of learning more about the unidentified male DNA.

"We want to pay for it, and we want to get on with it," Griffin told the court, saying that the testing could take 60–90 days.

Waters said the state is willing to make evidence available to the defense, but wants SLED to first process and quantify the untouched reserve sample and then stop before additional testing.

"If we’re going to burn it, it needs to be burned in a fashion that is fair to both sides," Waters said.

WATCH: Alex Murdaugh case: Defense and prosecution debate DNA sample testing in court

Griffin objected, arguing SLED has had the evidence for years and only sought additional testing after the defense asked to examine it.

"They’ve had five years," Griffin said. "Now, because we asked to test it, they want to take control of our testing. I mean, that’s not fair."

"I don’t have any faith they won’t screw this up," Harpootlian said. "Why don’t we have an independent right to examine the untested DNA?"

McCaslin focused on preserving enough material for both sides.

"You know, it’s not like a piece of paper. I can make a copy of it," the judge said. "It’s just such a little amount."

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Following a short morning break, Harpootlian began questioning his own defense team member, defense attorney Phil Barber, as a witness in their venue change request.

"Would you agree that parking is difficult in downtown Charleston?" Waters asked.

"I would agree that parking is difficult in downtown Charleston if you're not permitted to parking," Barber said.

WATCH: Phil Barber testifies in Murdaugh request to move trial to Charleston

ALEX MURDAUGH MURDER SAGA LANDS RIGHT BACK WHERE IT STARTED BEFORE NEXT LOWCOUNTRY COURTROOM BATTLE

Throughout his questioning, Barber repeatedly said that Charleston was no more expensive than other parts of the Palmetto State.

"You don't think the cost of living is higher in Charleston?" Waters said.

"McDonald's is the same price in Charleston as anywhere else," Barber replied.

Harpootlian also noted that Murdaugh "was broke" and that the defense is conscious of the cost of the retrial.

"And when I'm there [Charleston], not on business. Well, sometimes on business too. I stay at really nice hotels and eat at really nice restaurants but we won't be for this. He's broke," Harpootlian said. "He hasn't had a job in four years and if he did have a job, the feds or the state would be seizing the money."

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"Colleton County is poison," Harpootlian said.

McCaslin ruled that the trial would be removed from the Circuit and said that a formal motion would be released a later date.

"This ruling rests on four grounds. First, the exceptional rate of juror disqualification during the January 23rd jury selection. Second, the community prejudice arriving from the size of the county and the long-standing association between the defendant's family and the 14th Circuit. Third, the South Carolina Supreme Court's determination that the former Colleton County Clerk of Court improperly influenced the jury, depriving the defendant of his constitutional right to an impartial jury. And fourth, the form of publicity surrounding this case, there's case law that says, I can't transfer something just for publicity," McCaslin said.

"But with the four grounds that I've just stated, I am transferring it," she said.

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Moving on to the last ruling, McCaslin ruled for in-camera proceedings from the previous trial to be unsealed; jurors' names will be protected and redacted. She did not take up the three existing motions, which include: the motion to exclusive evidence, the motion to admit evidence of motive, and the motion to dismiss the murder charges.

The judge said it would be too premature to issue rulings and will plan to issue those rulings closer to the retrial. The next pretrial hearing will be on Nov. 13 at 10 a.m.

WATCH: Alex Murdaugh retrial fight heats up over murder indictments, testimony and financial crimes

ALEX MURDAUGH DEMANDS NEW EVIDENCE SEARCH IN HUNT FOR CRACKS IN CASE

Nathan S. Williams, a South Carolina federal criminal defense attorney and former Assistant U.S. Attorney who served as Criminal Chief for the District of South Carolina, told Fox News Digital a second trial changes the strategic landscape for Murdaugh.

"There is no surprising the government or the state at trial," Williams said. "He's given his testimony, they can prepare infinitely now to cross-examine him."

"That tends to be frankly more helpful for the state. I think they usually have a better chance on retrial," he added, while noting that limits on some of the state's evidence could cut the other way.

ALEX MURDAUGH'S DOUBLE MURDER CONVICTION UNANIMOUSLY OVERTURNED BY SOUTH CAROLINA SUPREME COURT

Murdaugh, 58, was convicted in 2023 of murdering Maggie, 52, and Paul, 22, at the family’s Moselle estate in Colleton County in June 2021. The South Carolina Supreme Court later overturned the convictions after finding that Hill improperly influenced jurors.

The high court ordered a new trial, but the retrial may look significantly different from the first.

At Murdaugh’s first trial, prosecutors argued that years of theft and financial fraud were closing in on him and that the killings were an effort to distract from mounting scrutiny.

MURDAUGH DEFENSE PLANS ALTERNATE SUSPECT PUSH AS DNA QUESTIONS LOOM OVER RETRIAL

The South Carolina Supreme Court did not rule that all evidence of Murdaugh’s financial wrongdoing was inadmissible, but it said prosecutors had been allowed to go too far into the details during the first trial.

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Williams said he expects the amount of financial evidence to shrink from the first trial. He said, "there will definitely be less," adding, "How much less I think will be a good question."

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Murdaugh took the stand in his own defense in 2023 and admitted lying to investigators about his whereabouts shortly before Maggie and Paul were killed. He denied murdering them.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the attorney general's office and Murdaugh's defense team for comment.

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Brave widow of slain UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson comes face to face with Luigi Mangione for first time

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 15:51:45 -0400

Paulette Thompson, wife of late UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, came face to face with Luigi Mangione on Friday when he pleaded guilty to federal charges associated with the assassination of her husband.

She was seen exiting the courthouse on Friday after Mangione made his guilty plea. Mangione, the man who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, pleaded guilty to federal stalking charges on Friday in a Manhattan courthouse.

When asked by Judge Margaret Garnett if Mangione understood the maximum sentence he could receive is life in prison, Mangione responded, "Yes."

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When given the opportunity to address the court, Mangione told a judge he called UnitedHealthcare and posed as an investor in order to get more information about the scheduled conference.

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"After years of enduring severe pain from a broken back…I learned UnitedHealthcare will hold an investor’s conference," Mangione said.

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"Before traveling to New York, I used a 3-D printer to make a gun," he added. "On the morning of Dec 4, 2024, I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan…I knew what I was doing ."

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Federal prosecutors said they intended to show several pieces of evidence at trial, including security footage apparently showing Mangione arriving in New York on a bus and then following Thompson around the Hilton shortly before he was killed.

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Garnett scheduled Mangione's sentencing hearing for Dec. 18.

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After the hearing, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch sent a sharp message to people who support Mangione.

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"To those who idolize Luigi Mangione. I say this violence is not a cause. Murder is not a message. And a killer is certainly not a hero," Tisch said. "From the moment that Mr. Thompson was assassinated on the morning of December 4th. The NYPD mobilized an enormous investigative effort. Our detectives combed through thousands of hours of surveillance video, followed up on hundreds of tips, and worked through an extraordinary volume of forensic and digital evidence."

Paul Pelosi absent from first court appearance on hit-and-run charge in Napa County crash case

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 15:49:12 -0400

Paul Pelosi did not appear in a Napa County courtroom Friday for his first scheduled court appearance on a misdemeanor hit-and-run charge, and an attorney entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.

Pelosi, 86, the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was represented by attorney Amanda Bevins in Napa County Superior Court, according to the California Post.

Bevins declined to comment when reached by Fox News Digital Friday.

PAUL PELOSI, 86, FACES A HIT-AND-RUN CHARGE AFTER STRIKING A PARKED CAR IN NAPA COUNTY: SHERIFF'S OFFICE

The court date came nearly a month after the Napa County District Attorney's Office formally charged Pelosi with misdemeanor hit-and-run and an infraction for an unsafe turning movement stemming from a July 3 crash.

According to a criminal complaint previously obtained by Fox News Digital, Pelosi allegedly struck and damaged a parked Tesla while driving a burgundy Maserati convertible before leaving without attempting to identify the Tesla's owner or provide the information required under California law.

Deputies later located Pelosi roughly a half-mile away, where he allegedly told officers he had intended to return to the crash site, according to the complaint.

Prosecutors contend those actions formed the basis for the misdemeanor charge and accompanying traffic infraction.

FLORIDA MAN ARRESTED FOR DUI AFTER TROOPERS ALLEGEDLY FIND 34 OPEN ALCOHOL CONTAINERS IN VEHICLE

The district attorney's office said last month that it does not typically issue news releases announcing misdemeanor hit-and-run cases involving only property damage but made an exception because of the "significant public and media interest" surrounding Pelosi.

Pelosi, a venture capitalist who has long maintained a residence in Napa County, was allegedly driving the Maserati at the time of the collision. The complaint did not indicate whether anyone else was in the car.

The case marks Pelosi's second high-profile traffic-related legal matter in Napa County in recent years.

In 2022, Pelosi pleaded guilty to misdemeanor DUI after a separate crash in the county. He was sentenced to probation, ordered to pay restitution and fines, required to complete a DUI education program and ordered to install an ignition interlock device.

The July case also brought renewed attention to Pelosi's driving history. The New York Times reported last month that Pelosi has received driving infractions in four Bay Area counties in recent years, including San Francisco, Marin, San Mateo and Napa.

According to the Times, the infractions included speeding, driving the wrong way on a one-way street, using a cellphone without a hands-free device and failing to stop at a red light.

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The Times also reported that Pelosi was driving during a 1957 crash in San Mateo County that killed his 19-year-old brother. A jury later cleared Pelosi of wrongdoing in that crash.

Fox News Digital's Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.

GSA finds China-made tech labeled ‘Made in USA’ in federal procurement program, orders sweeping review

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 13:50:06 -0400

FIRST ON FOX — An independent federal agency is under review for allegedly listing foreign-made products as American, including technology manufactured in China, and the Trump administration is demanding a sweeping audit of its products, pricing and supply chains.

In a draft letter viewed exclusively by Fox News Digital, the General Services Administration directs the U.S. AbilityOne Commission to verify the country of origin of every product on its Mandatory Procurement List and conduct a comprehensive audit of products offered through GSA on pricing, sourcing and compliance with federal law and procurement policy.

"Federal tax dollars spent on the AbilityOne program should support jobs for blind and disabled Americans, not foreign competitors," GSA Administrator Edward Forst wrote in a statement.

AbilityOne oversees a federal purchasing program intended to provide employment opportunities for people who are blind or have significant disabilities. Federal agencies are generally required to buy products and services placed on the commission’s mandatory list from participating nonprofit organizations.

"Many of AbilityOne’s product offerings raise serious national security concerns and cast doubt on its ability to carry out its mission," Forst added in the statement. "GSA will not allow questionable products to undermine the security of the federal marketplace."

TOP TRUMP AGENCY PURGES OVER 20 SUSPECTED CHINA-LINKED PRODUCTS FROM FEDERAL MARKETPLACE

Forst's department sent a letter to AbilityOne Commission Chair Christina Brandt to follow through on President Donald Trump’s March 2026 executive order requiring truthful "Made in America" advertising across federal procurement. The audit has also drawn interest from Vice President JD Vance's anti-fraud task force.

"GSA requests that the Commission promptly conduct a full audit of all items offered for sale through GSA and related procurement data to verify COO [Country of Origin] representations, pricing, sourcing, and compliance with applicable law and policy," Forst's letter dated Friday read.

"Such an audit is necessary to provide transparency and accountability to the American people, protect the integrity of Federal procurement, and ensure that taxpayer dollars are not supporting inaccurate or misleading claims."

GSA said it found multiple examples of AbilityOne-associated technology products labeled on GSA procurement platforms as "Country of Origin: USA" that are, in fact, from foreign countries like China.

PROGRESSIVE PRAISE FOR TRUMP AS WARREN BACKS PUSH TO CURB DEFENSE CONTRACTOR CEO PAYOUTS

AbilityOne was given until Nov. 12 to respond to GSA's "areas of concern" and provide corrected country-of-origin information for products offered through the Federal Acquisition Service Verified Product Portal, address products currently listed with unclear origin designations and provide documentation explaining how it will conduct ongoing reviews.

"GSA holds all its contractors to the highest standards," Forst's letter concluded. "To ensure we apply the same rules to the AbilityOne Program, I'm instructing my Senior Procurement Executive to promptly take appropriate action to eliminate the exception that permits the Commission to offer items originating in China and other non-allied nations. He will work with GSA and the Commission to ensure effective implementation."

"GSA appreciates the Commission’s prompt attention to this matter. Ensuring that PL products available through GSA channels are fully compliant is essential to maintaining the integrity of the AbilityOne Program, the Federal marketplace, and the Government’s procurement obligations," he added.

NEWSOM ADMIN FACES QUESTIONS OVER $6.2M DIAPER CONTRACT AFTER TOUTING 'COMPETITIVE' PROCESS

The letter goes beyond country-of-origin concerns, raising questions about pricing and executive compensation at nonprofits participating in the program.

GSA said AbilityOne-affiliated nonprofits can sell products to the government with markups of as much as 55%, depending on pricing arrangements. The agency alleged that some products provide "limited or no meaningful employment or value added to the taxpayer" while nonprofit executives receive compensation reaching more than $1 million annually.

The letter contrasts those figures with an average annual salary of approximately $33,000 for blind workers, citing National Industries for the Blind data. An appendix identifies several AbilityOne nonprofits where executive compensation reportedly ranged from $500,000 to more than $1 million.

GSA also pointed to previous False Claims Act cases involving AbilityOne nonprofits.

Industries for the Blind and Visually Impaired, a Wisconsin nonprofit, agreed to pay $1.9 million in 2020 to resolve federal allegations involving false claims and kickbacks on government contracts. GSA also cited a 2021 settlement in which Connecticut-based CW Resources paid $600,000 to resolve allegations that it falsely certified compliance with AbilityOne labor requirements.

HOUSE COMMITTEE PASSES FOREIGN FUNDING TRANSPARENCY ACT TO EXPOSE FOREIGN DONATIONS TO NONPROFITS

Those settlements involved allegations resolved in prior cases and are separate from the country-of-origin findings outlined in the new GSA letter.

Those figures are expected to intensify scrutiny of whether participating organizations are directing enough federal contract revenue toward their workforce and whether executive compensation is consistent with AbilityOne’s mission.

The National Council on Disability (NCD), an independent federal advisor, is concerned the "policy relic" is "failing" in its mission, another example of how government waste, fraud and abuse must be audited by the Trump administration’s anti-fraud task force led by Vance.

TRUMP IS PROVING THAT THE WAY TO BETTER OUR MILITARY IS TO SECURE OUR SUPPLY CHAINS

"For years, NCD has reported that AbilityOne is a policy relic that hasn’t kept up with the needs of Americans with disabilities," NCD Acting Chair Neil Romano wrote in a statement Friday. "This is just another example of that overall failing."

Fox News Digital reached out to AbilityOne for comment on the allegations and the call for an audit and has not yet heard back.

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GSA is also scrutinizing an AbilityOne policy known as "Essentially the Same," which allows certain products to be substituted for items already approved for the mandatory list. According to the draft letter, foreign-made goods have quietly displaced American products through that process, undercutting domestic manufacturers while continuing to benefit from preferential federal purchasing rules.

Marco Rubio's perfect weekend will make the left faint, Danica Patrick enjoys the view & angry Mike Vrabel!

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 15:39:30 -0400

'Nightcaps' is a daily column that catches you up on the biggest sports, news and culture stories you may have missed while pretending to do work at your desk. It runs Monday–Friday on OutKick.com.

Middle Friday of August. We're here. We're in the thick of it, folks.

We had football last night. We have football tonight. We have football tomorrow. Sure, none of it counts and most of the good players are in street clothes on the bench, but whatever.

It's our first kinda-sorta football weekend since early January. A tuneup, of sorts. A test run. It's preseason for us fans, too. We have to knock the rust off as well, and we don't have a lot of time to do it.

Two weeks. That's all that separates us from an actual college football Saturday. Week 0 is 15 days away. That means you — yes, YOU — have this weekend and next weekend to get the summer chores DONE. Finish cleaning the yard, and clearing out the garage. Hang the pictures. Paint the walls.

Do whatever you need to do over these next two weekends, because the end is, mercifully, in sight.

Let's roll.

Welcome to a Friday Nightcaps — the one where Danica Patrick enjoys the view during her European summer vacation.

What else? I've got Marco Rubio perfectly describing the perfect fall weekend (to a T), an American home run into a cornfield, and I'm thinking the Patriots' kicker better spend the weekend combing through the classifieds, because Mike Vrabel didn't sound thrilled after last night's game.

Good to have angry Vrabel back after a ... humbling ... offseason.

Grab you whatever you need to get you through the final few hours of a work week, and settle in for a Friday 'Cap!

Marco Rubio nailed it here

No hemming and hawing today. It's a Friday and we've all got things to do. We'll start with Marco, because that above clip is just perfect.

Seriously. It's the perfect weekend, and one we all will be striving for in about three weeks. It's the one we've been dreaming about since last January. Really, last December.

"The day would actually start much earlier. The greatest show on television today in America is 'College GameDay.' Great show. Starts around 10 or 11, and that leads you to noon, and then the noon game, and then there’s a 3:30 game," he said.

"You could start at 10:00 AM on Saturday, you know, run the whole college football day, sleep for a few hours, then you wake up and then you’re into NFL Gameday. Then you’ve got the 1:00 game, the 4:00 game, the NBC game that night.

"That is an incredible weekend, in my opinion, in my view."

Bingo. He nailed it. Put aside politics for a minute. This is objectively the best possible weekend for the next few months.

Mix in a few monster parlays on Saturday and Sunday, some fantasy football sweating, and a date with Scott Hanson on the RedZone channel, and buddy, you are SET.

We're almost back, folks. Hang tight!

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

Mike Vrabel is in mid season form

Five more Sundays. Two more Saturdays. It's all coming together.

In the meantime, of course, we have preseason football. We had a six-pack of games last night, and six more tonight.

Yes, I know — "Preseason football STINKS! Just get me to the regular season." I get it. Trust me, I do. But, this is the time of year for evaluation.

You don't know whatcha have ... till you know whatcha have.

And what the New England Patriots have ... is a kicker problem:

Danica, Vrabel and what a STAT!

Amazing stuff. I forgot how likable Vrabel was this offseason, which is understandable. Adultery will do that to a person's reputation.

The guy doesn't mince words.

"Andy missed a couple field goals today, what was your message to him?"

"Three. I don't have a message. We're expected to make them. That's pro football."

Okeedokee, coach. Good luck today, Andy!

OK, let's rapid-fire this Friday class into a big Friday night. First up? Let's rewind to the very beginning of last night's Patriots game and check in, again, with Mike Vrabel:

Lordy. What a toss! I hate the Patriots, by the way, so I don't love having this much Pats content in a Friday class. But fair is fair. I don't make the #content, I just write about it.

Next? Might as well stay on the gridiron and check in with George Kittle and Mac Jones to see how they spent their preseason opener:

Anyone here done smelling salts? Admittedly, I have not. I've always wanted to try, though. I'm a little surprised they never came up when I was playing. Feels like a missed opportunity.

They always look like a wild little ride to me. Let me know!

Next? Here's the best baseball stat of the day on the way out:

Amazing. Is there a greater, more American feeling than launching a home run into a cornfield? You'd be hard-pressed to find one.

And how about those NAMES on that list? Anyone here remember Andy Pafko's home run during the first televised baseball game on CBS? I doubt it.

Pafko's better known for being the player standing haplessly in left field during Bobby Thomson's "shot heard 'round the world" in 1951:

Baseball fans fume at MLB's 'Field of Dreams' game decision, reporter Tricia Whitaker has a boat day & LLWS!

Didn't think we'd end the week with a Bobby Thomson YouTube video, but that's why this class wins awards. We zig when they zag!

OK, that's it for today — and this week. Good work, everyone. Happy first kinda-sorta football weekend of the season.

Danica Patrick takes us into it.

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Did Marco nail the weekend? Email me at Zach.Dean@OutKick.com.

Ex-ABC News correspondent claims network overhauled his COVID lab leak report after sending copy to Fauci

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 15:31:53 -0400

Ex-ABC News correspondent Terry Moran made an explosive claim this week about his former employer and how it allegedly overhauled a report he led on the COVID lab leak theory after running it first by Dr. Anthony Fauci.

In an interview published Friday by "The Fifth Column" podcast, Moran recalled a time he said he felt the "heavy hand of censorship" at the Disney-owned network.

Moran said in early 2021, he had seen discussions from "smart and serious" people online floating the possibility that COVID had leaked from a lab and that ABC's "Nightline" allowed him to pursue a story about the theory.

Moran recalled talking to various scientists and Trump administration officials in a piece that he said did not make any conclusive claims but nevertheless "laid it out."

FAUCI'S DIARY SHOWS HE FED QUESTIONS TO JOURNALISTS, BUILT FRIENDSHIPS WITH MEDIA FIGURES

"We broke a little news that that lab had been funded by the Chinese military, despite the 'Bat Lady' [Chinese virologist Shi Zhengli] saying no, it hadn't... And we kind of laid it out," Moran said. "And at the end of the day, my own personal feeling was, you know, it's probably a little bit more likely it's natural. But if you told me it had leaked from the lab, fine. It's probably not cooked up. It's probably not a ‘Frankenvirus.’"

"And the day that it's supposed to air, it gets reviewed, and it comes back to me, and it is incomprehensible," Moran continued. "And I had never been angrier. I'm in the booth–"

"Are these lawyers?" podcast co-host Michael Moynihan asked.

"Lawyers, standards and, I was told, Fauci," Moran responded. "And I said, 'I can't do this.' And they're going to air and it's a 15-minute piece or whatever. And I'm cursing and screaming in the the booth."

TOP 4 EXPLOSIVE MOMENTS FROM CIA WHISTLEBLOWER'S TESTIMONY ON ALLEGED COVID-19 LAB LEAK COVER-UP

"And this is day of?" co-host Matt Welch followed.

"Day of air," Moran said. "And I am just absolutely livid, beside myself. And I'm usually — I try to be a good colleague that way. It's important to be respectful of somebody on the other end of that mic taking it in in New York and the editor... I have never watched that story and never want to, because it wasn't mine, I didn't think, and most importantly because it was incomprehensible. They had put so many caveats in there, and it was so legalized."

"So they took the story that you did and either sent a copy of the transcript or a copy of the video to Anthony Fauci?" Moynihan then asked.

"It would've been the script — that's what I was told. I don't know if that's true personally, but I was told that," Moran answered.

In the two-part segment that aired in June 2021, Moran's segment put a spotlight on the debate over the origins of COVID. While he did interview Jamie Metzl, then a member of the World Health Organization's committee on human genome editing who had been outspoken about a potential leak from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, Metzl was outnumbered by other medical experts Moran interviewed who rejected the theory. Additionally, the segment included interviews of ABC News medical unit producer Sony Salzman and investigative reporter Sasha Pezenik, who also poured cold water on the lab leak.

FAUCI'S NEWLY RELEASED COVID DIARIES REVEAL BIZARRE FIXATION ON FAME AS PANDEMIC DEATHS MOUNTED

Moran, who exited the network in 2025, went on to denounce the "demonization" of Fauci, calling it wrong and labeling him a public servant who did his best.

Neither Moran, Fauci, nor ABC News responded to Fox News Digital's requests for comment. Fox News Digital also sent an inquiry to the White House.

Fauci has resurfaced in recent weeks following the revelations from his diary published by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., that put a spotlight on how his private thoughts about COVID often contradicted what he said publicly, including about public health guidelines.

The diary also revealed his behind-the-scenes chumminess with numerous media figures, including CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, NBC's Andrea Mitchell and ABC's George Stephanopoulos.

Earlier this month, Senate Republicans on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress after he pleaded the fifth 111 times during last month's hearing, accusing Paul of leading a crusade to imprison him. A criminal referral was made to the Department of Justice.

The lab leak theory has since been embraced by multiple U.S. government agencies in recent years as the most likely origin of the COVID pandemic, including the CIA, the FBI and the Department of Energy. Many scientists continue to hold to the so-called "natural origin" theory and the topic continues to be hotly debated.

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Houston police shoot gunman who indiscriminately fired on vehicles, injuring a mother and daughter

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 15:29:14 -0400

A gunman who indiscriminately opened fire on passing cars in Houston, striking three people, including a woman and her daughter, was shot by responding police officers, authorities said.

The shooting unfolded at about 11 a.m., when officers responded to reports of someone firing at cars along Wayside Drive. When they arrived, police found a man with a gun, the Houston Police Department said.

The officers commanded the man to drop the weapon. At some point, three officers and a trooper with the Texas Department of Public Safety opened fire on the suspect.

CHICAGO OFFICERS WOUNDED IN TRAFFIC STOP SHOOTOUT AS HOLIDAY WEEKEND LEAVES 3 DEAD, 16 INJURED

The accused gunman was shot multiple times and taken to a hospital. No officers were injured.

"He was standing in the median right here," a witness told KRIV-TV. "He was just shooting at cars coming down Wayside. He didn’t care who was coming which way. He didn’t care who he was shooting at. He didn’t care if there were kids in the car."

Among the targeted vehicles was a car carrying a mother and her daughter, both of whom were struck by gunfire, police said. A third person traveling in a second vehicle was also shot.

SHOOTING NEAR ICE DETENTION FACILITY IN AURORA, COLORADO, LEAVES 1 INJURED, PERSON DETAINED

An occupant in a third vehicle managed to escape unharmed.

The witness, who identified himself only as David, said he and his coworkers tried to stop cars from traveling toward the gunman.

The suspect has not been publicly identified, and a motive for the shooting has not been disclosed.

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The incident is being investigated by the Houston Police Department and Texas Rangers.

Army identifies 2 pilots killed in Apache helicopter crash near Fort Hood during training exercise

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 15:02:53 -0400

The U.S. Army's Fort Hood has identified the two pilots who died during a training exercise Wednesday involving an AH-64E Apache helicopter near Salado, Texas.

Fort Hood identified the fallen soldiers as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead.

"Our hearts and deepest condolences are with the families of the Soldiers we lost Wednesday," Lt. Gen. Kevin D. Admiral, III Armored Corps and Fort Hood commanding general, said in a statement the Army released Friday.

"The Army is a family, and a tragedy like this is felt throughout our formations and our community."

ARMY IDS 2 VICTIMS KILLED IN JORDAN AIR BASE ATTACK; TRUMP: IRAN WILL PAY 'MANY TIMES OVER'

Huey entered the Army as a motor transport operator in 2014 and was assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division in February 2022. The 34-year-old was from Killeen, Texas.

Olmstead entered the Army in January 2023 as a warrant officer candidate and was assigned to the unit in October 2025. The 25-year-old was a native of Belton, Texas.

"In the difficult days ahead, our priority is to ensure these families and our Soldiers have the care and support they need," Admiral said. "We are making all appropriate resources available to those affected by this loss."

The soldiers died when their helicopter crashed into a field near Salado, roughly 30 minutes from Fort Hood. The crash sparked a wildfire in the area which necessitated a large emergency response.

The Army is investigating the crash.

COAST GUARD HELICOPTER CRASHES DURING ALASKA TRAINING MISSION, INJURING FOUR CREW MEMBERS

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"A safety investigation team from the U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center in Fort Rucker, Alabama, arrived Aug. 13 and will lead the safety investigation of the mishap," Fort Hood added in the statement.

Fox News Digital contacted the U.S. Army for further comment.

Fox News Digital's Stepheny Price contributed to this report.

NFL receiver splits with fiancée, former Miss Peru, after sending wedding invites: report

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 15:00:06 -0400

Allen Lazard is now a free agent in more ways than one.

The wide receiver and his fiancée appear to have called off their engagement after over a year.

Lazard got engaged to Camila Escribens, who was named Miss Peru in 2023, last year in Montauk. His former New York Jets even celebrated.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

TMZ Sports reports that the former couple had already sent wedding invitations. The pair had a baby last October.

Both Lazard and Escribens have erased each other on social media, short of their gender reveal for their daughter.

Lazard is looking to get back on the field with what would be his third NFL team.

49ERS QUARTERBACK HOSPITALIZED AFTER STRUGGLING TO BREATHE IN FIRST GAME IN NEARLY 2 YEARS

Lazard was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Jacksonville Jaguars but was only on the practice squad. The Green Bay Packers picked him up, and he quickly became a favorite of Aaron Rodgers.

In 57 games with the Packers, he had 169 receptions for 2,236 yards and 20 touchdowns. As Rodgers' tenure appeared to come to an end, Lazard signed with the New York Jets early in the 2023 offseason. The quarterback followed him via trade weeks later.

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Lazard played in 36 games with the Jets but, like Rodgers, did not find similar success. In his first two seasons, he had 60 catches for 841 yards, and last season, he managed just 10 catches for 70 yards.

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The NFL saw what Taylor Swift did for ratings—now they’re staging QB romance for Gen Z: Report

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:57:09 -0400

You actually have to respect this social engineering out of the NFL.

It turns out those viral moments last week between quarterbacks and their girlfriends that suddenly popped up on your social media feeds might not have been as organic as they appeared, according to a report from Front Office Sports.

In one video, pop singer Madison Beer was seen caressing Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert's face as if the two were shooting a scene straight out of a reality show. Some were blown away by the level of "petting" that Beer exhibited, even though the two just got engaged in late July.

Even with that dynamic in play, the interaction seemed over-the-top, and now we know why. Front Office Sports claims a league source told the outlet that the "canoodling" camp videos were "partly coordinated." Model Olivia Ponton, who has been rumored for years to be Joe Burrow's girlfriend, and Jaxson Dart's girlfriend Marissa Ayers were also said to be included in this campaign.

You can thank the Taylor Swift effect.

During the 2023 season, after Swift appeared at five Chiefs games during December, Morning Consult Brand Intelligence's data found that 64% of Gen Z and Millennial women surveyed had a favorable outlook on the NFL. That number jumped 11% from pre-Swift in July to December 2023 with TV cameras fixated on the pop culture icon. During the 2025 season, the Chiefs played in four of the five most-watched games, including a Thanksgiving game on CBS that drew 57.3 million viewers.

But now with Travis Kelce, 36, seemingly playing his final season, the league needs more of these bubble gum, TikTok relationships to maintain the momentum.

BODY LANGUAGE EXPERT SAYS NFL FANS ARE WRONG ABOUT JUSTIN HERBERT & MADISON BEER VIRAL CAMP VIDEOS

"The content is authentic, genuine and relatable, and that's resonated strongly with women and young fans, who are key growth audiences for the NFL," NFL executive Ian Trombetta told Front Office Sports of the training camp videos.

Authentic? OutKick has asked Ian to clarify that remark. We have yet to hear back.

With Swift and Kelce married and heading into the twilight of their NFL power, the heir apparent to TV face time appears to be the 27-year-old Beer. With 39.5 million Instagram followers & 21.1 million TikTok followers, the pop singer seems to have the intangibles the NFL social engineering team is looking for.

She's attractive and just got off a 32-stop tour through the U.K., Europe and the U.S., including selling out Madison Square Garden in July. This is gold to the NFL.

TAYLOR SWIFT AND TRAVIS KELCE'S WEDDING COULD UNLEASH UNPRECEDENTED GLOBAL SPENDING FRENZY: EXPERT

Perhaps it's coincidental, or not, but the Chargers will appear on prime time slots twice during the November holiday shopping period when women are typically sitting on the couch with their husbands watching games. It will be interesting to see if Beer suddenly has something to promote around Nov. 16 or Nov. 29 when the Chargers will be playing on ESPN and NBC.

How are fans reacting to what appears to be the NFL picking the next potential Swift replacements? Not great. "This is actually insulting to women. Thinking THIS will get us into football?" one woman wrote on Twitter. Meanwhile, men are also disturbed by the NFL's social media plan. "Pathetic. Planting people for content is cringe. Nothing is organic in this world anymore," an angry Twitter analyst wrote.

Will the general public ever realize what the NFL is up to? It's a big world out there. No chance.

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"Cute they think those relationship can recreate the hype and revenue [Swift & Kelce] has had," another woman wrote.

HBO’s 'Harry Potter' gets a hard no from 'Black Mirror,' 'Loki' directors over JK Rowling’s trans views

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:48:34 -0400

"Black Mirror" director Ally Pankiw and "Loki" director Kate Herron said Thursday on Instagram that they rejected opportunities to pursue directing work on HBO's upcoming "Harry Potter" series because of J.K. Rowling's views on transgender issues, extending the controversy surrounding the adaptation to prominent behind-the-camera talent.

"Absolutely f---ing not! lol… (But thank you for asking)," Pankiw said.

In an Instagram post, Pankiw shared a screenshot of an apparent exchange in which her representative asked whether she would consider working on "Harry Potter" and predicted that the project would be a "hard no." Pankiw described declining the opportunity as an easy way for entertainment industry professionals to avoid financially supporting views they opposed.

JK ROWLING CONFRONTS THE BBC FOR PUSHING 'PROPAGANDA' OVER ITS TRANSGENDER SPORTS HEADLINE

"It simply is this easy to say ‘no’ to funding transphobia! (Also this was for directing, not acting… obviously lol)," Pankiw said.

Fox News Digital asked Rowling's PR team Friday to respond to Pankiw's accusation that working on the series would amount to "funding transphobia" and whether the directors' public refusals could affect HBO's ability to recruit talent.

"We won't be commenting," Rowling's team said.

JK ROWLING CHALLENGES PAST 'HARRY POTTER' FILMMAKER TO SPECIFY WHICH OF HER BELIEFS ON GENDER ARE OFFENSIVE

Pankiw later told Them that her team was checking whether she would be willing to interview or meet about directing an episode during the show's second season. She said HBO had not extended a formal offer.

"It was not a hard job offer that I turned down, but more the opportunity to meet or interview," Pankiw said. "But honestly, I didn't investigate further!"

Herron, whose credits include "Doctor Who" and the first season of Marvel's "Loki," said in the comments on Pankiw's post that she had been approached about the production twice.

JOHN LITHGOW SAYS MUCH OF JK ROWLING'S TRANS REMARKS HAVE BEEN 'TWISTED AND MISREPRESENTED'

"They've asked me twice, and I've had to explain my answer is never going to change from a ‘no,'" Herron said.

HBO previously defended its relationship with Rowling in a 2024 statement provided to Variety. The network said the author, who serves as an executive producer, had the right to express her views and remained valuable to the adaptation.

"J.K. Rowling has a right to express her personal views. We will remain focused on the development of the new series, which will only benefit from her involvement," an HBO spokesperson said.

HBO CEO Casey Bloys also told reporters in 2024 that Rowling had been closely involved in selecting the show's writer and director and that her views had not affected the hiring of writers, performers and production staff.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

British actress Bel Powley, who plays Harry Potter’s aunt Petunia Dursley in the series, said she disagreed with Rowling’s views.

"I strongly disagree with J.K. Rowling's views on gender. I think that the trans community deserve safety and dignity and respect and total acceptance," Powley said.

Rowling has denied that she is transphobic and has characterized her position as a defense of women's sports, female-only facilities and sex-based legal protections. In a 2025 social media post, Rowling challenged entertainment industry figures who had criticized her views.

"Is it my belief that women and girls should have their own public changing rooms and bathrooms? That women should retain female-only rape crisis centres?" Rowling said. "That men don't belong in women's sport? That female prisoners shouldn't be incarcerated with violent men and male sex offenders?"

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Fox News Digital reached out to Pankiw, Herron and HBO for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.