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War erupts on far left as DSA endorses challenger against sitting House progressive

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 12:00:53 -0400

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is aiming to unseat another House Democrat as the divide between the establishment and the far-left continues to fuel chaos within the party.

The national DSA confirmed to Fox News Digital on Monday that it was endorsing Donavan McKinney, a Michigan state lawmaker, over Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich.

Thanedar made headlines for his own push to impeach President Donald Trump and similar threats to several Cabinet officials, including Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. He's also pushed legislation to pave the way for a national reparations system to give payments to Black Americans.

WATCH: HOUSE DEMS DODGE QUESTIONS ON SOCIALIST AGENDA THAT THREATENS TO ABOLISH KEY INSTITUTIONS

But he's still fielding attacks from fellow members of the far-left, with several self-proclaimed Democratic Socialists also endorsing McKinney.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and DSA member Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., are among the sitting members of Congress backing McKinney over Thanedar.

Thanedar, who is running for a third term representing his deep-blue Detroit-area district, renounced his own DSA membership in October 2023 over fellow socialists' stances on the Oct. 7 attack in Israel.

FETTERMAN CALLS ZOHRAN MAMDANI A 'CLOWN' OVER PUSH TO ARREST NETANYAHU IN NEW YORK CITY

"After the brutal terrorist attacks on Israel, which included the indiscriminate murder, rape, and kidnapping of innocent men, women, and children, I can no longer associate with an organization unwilling to call out terrorism in all its forms," Thanedar said in the days following the terror attack.

McKinney was already endorsed by the Detroit-area DSA. His endorsement by the national party was first reported by Politico.

Several sitting House Democrats have already fallen victim to the far-left wave sweeping the country, particularly in the party's strongholds.

FAR-LEFT SURGE: MAMDANI-BACKED CANDIDATES OUST DEM ESTABLISHMENT INCUMBENTS

Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., and Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairman Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., lost their respective primary races to challengers from the left flank.

DSA-backed Melat Kiros unseated longtime Denver-area Rep. Diane DeGette, D-Colo., a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Republicans have seized on their victories as evidence that Democrats are shifting further left and away from where most Americans are politically.

It's prompted more moderate Democrats to sound the alarm ahead of November's midterms.

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Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, one of the most vulnerable Democrats of this election cycle, told Fox News' "Saturday in America," "As a Democrat, I reject what the DSA is doing. I read their platform, and it is radical."

Fox News Digital reached out to Thanedar's campaign for comment but did not immediately hear back.

Charter captain Jonathan Moss explains how to get kids hooked on fishing from an early age

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 11:58:12 -0400

Captain Jonathan Moss has been fishing Florida waters since he was 3 years old.

Back then, it was simple stuff: bream fishing with his dad, earthworms, easy stuff. But those early days on the water stuck.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGE

"I got the bug. I was hooked from the beginning," Moss told OutKick Outdoors. "Just being outdoors, spending time in God’s creation, being on the water. There’s no other place I’d rather be."

Today, Moss is a full-time charter captain in Central Florida, host of The Captain’s Log on Waypoint and owner of Go Cast Away. But before he made a living on the boat, he was an elementary school PE teacher who found himself staring out the window a little too often.

"I was teaching every day, and every day I was like, ‘Man, it’s beautiful weather. I should be on the water,’" Moss said.

Eventually, he took the leap. He left teaching, bought a boat and built a charter business from scratch.

"I started praying about it, and God said, ‘Go fish,’ and here we are," Moss said. "Been guiding now for 10 years full time."

Watch Jonathan Moss' full interview with OutKick Outdoors here:

But for Moss, fishing has never been just about putting fish in the boat. The best part of his job, he said, is watching people experience something together that they’ll remember long after the trip is over.

"It’s been an absolute pleasure and honor to be able to share my favorite places with guests from all over the world," Moss said. "Seeing that fish respond to a lure, or seeing a kid catch their first fish, families creating memories together on the water — that is the best part of my job."

Moss knows that firsthand.

The man who first got him into the outdoors was his dad. Years later, one of Moss’ favorite episodes of The Captain’s Log was filming with his father during season one. They didn’t catch anything especially big, but that wasn’t the point.

"We were together fishing," Moss told OutKick Outdoors. "The man who got it started for me out in the outdoors."

These days, his whole family is in on it.

Jonathan's wife, Brooke, hosts Trail to Tide, an outdoor show geared toward women and moms. He said she didn’t grow up in a particularly "outdoorsy, fishy family," but by the time they met, she had already bought her own rod and reel, taught herself knots on YouTube and started fishing off the seawall on the Indian River.

"I’ve been able to watch her blossom and grow as an angler," Moss said.

And apparently, Brooke is no casual angler.

Moss recalled a bass fishing trip last fall when his son accidentally hooked Brooke in the shoulder while fish were busting on the surface in front of them.

"It went through her shirt, through her bra strap, all the way into her shoulder, buried the hook," Moss said. "And she’s like, ‘Babe, cut it off. Cut it off. I want to fish. There’s fish here in front of me.’"

Most people, Moss said, would have been done for the day. Not Brooke.

"She proceeded to catch one of the biggest bass she’s ever caught in her life with a lure still in her shoulder," he said.

What a warrior.

The couple have two young sons, ages 4 and 6, and Moss described them as "nearly feral" in the best possible way — dirty, energetic and always outside.

"They are all boy and go, go, go from the minute they wake up to the minute we drag them to bed," he said.

As for getting his boys away from screens, Moss said there isn’t much of a grand strategy.

"I just like being outside, and so it just comes natural for them," Moss said. "Mom and Dad are outside, whether we’re working in the garden or out back playing with the dogs, or we’re going fishing, or hiking, or doing something. We just do something outside all the time."

TWO REGULAR JOES WILL COMPETE WITH PROS FOR $3.25M PURSE AT INAUGURAL 'THE CHAMPIONS' BASS FISHING TOURNAMENT

That doesn’t mean every outing has to be an all-day adventure. In fact, Moss said parents are better off not overcomplicating it.

In the Florida summer heat, his family gets strategic. They go early in the morning or in the evening after it rains. They pack snacks. They go swimming at the island or sandbar. Then maybe they get ice cream afterward.

"When they look back and go, ‘Man, doing stuff outside is fun,’ it becomes these fun memories," Moss said.

That’s the real trick, he said, for parents who want their kids to appreciate fishing and the outdoors from an early age.

"Oh, listen, keep it simple. You don’t need to be there all day," Moss said. "If they’re there an hour and they’re ready to go, go."

Moss said kids do not need to start by targeting trophy fish. Let them catch catfish. Let them catch ladyfish. Let them play with shrimp in the bait bucket or livewell. Let them stay engaged in whatever way keeps them having fun outside.

"It’s OK. They’re having fun, they’re engaged, they’re with you, you’re on the water," he said.

On his own charters, Moss said he will often gear trips around giving kids something manageable. That might mean catching 10-inch speckled trout all day.

"Are they big? No. Do they tug? Yes, they do," Moss said. "Can the kid do it on their own? Yes, they can. And you know what? They’re hooked."

From there, he said, kids can slowly progress. They can stay longer, target bigger fish and learn more advanced skills. But in the beginning, the goal is simply creating an experience they want to repeat.

"Keep it easy, have fun, relax," Moss said. "It doesn’t matter what you catch, doesn’t matter what they’re doing, as long as everyone’s engaged and having fun, you’re on the right track."

Moss sees that same effect with adults, too.

When clients meet him at the dock, climb on the boat and put their phones away, he can see the stress leave their bodies.

"You see the shoulders just drop," Moss said. "You see the big sighs. You see it happen. I witness this daily."

Moss isn’t anti-screen, obviously. He hosts a television show and creates content for a living. But he also knows there’s value in putting down the phones and tablets to be fully present for a few hours.

That’s why, even after a long day guiding clients, he has no problem heading right back out with Brooke and the boys.

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"My wife said, ‘You’re crazy. You want to stay out in the sun more?’" Moss said. "I was like, ‘I’ll do anything to spend time on the water with my family.’ That’s the most important to me."

For Moss, that’s the whole point. The fish are just an added bonus.

Love all things fishing and outdoors? Follow OutKick Outdoors on Instagram and TikTok!

Mamdani’s ‘deranged’ Israel take resurfaces as he targets Netanyahu

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 11:54:03 -0400

A resurfaced 2023 clip of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani describing Israel as "an idea" is drawing renewed criticism online this week, as his rhetoric toward the Jewish state faces fresh scrutiny amid his latest clash with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"For so many people, Israel is a not a place. It is not the country, it's an Idea," Mamdani said in 2023 while on the "Here & Everywhere: The Solidarity Roundtables" podcast.

"And you see that in many politicians' answers to the questions around Israel," he continued at the time, criticizing American politicians for supporting Israel’s war against Gaza. "Their answers were written 20, 30 years ago. They speak to a reality that does not exist. They pledge fealty to the idea of a two-state solution, irrespective of the fact that a second state for Palestinians is physically impossible because it's not even a contiguous piece of land in this moment between where Palestinians live."

Critics said the resurfaced comments are the latest in what they describe as a longstanding pattern of Mamdani criticizing Israel and alienating the Jewish community, as his administration explores whether it has the authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he travels to New York for the U.N. General Assembly.

NETANYAHU FIRES BACK AT NYC MAYOR MAMDANI'S VOW TO ENFORCE 'BOGUS ARREST WARRANT'

"He lives in a bubble where everyone thinks like him and speaks like him, then he thinks this bubble is reality and the whole world," said Foundation for the Defense of Democracies research fellow Hussain Abdul-Hussain.

"His knowledge is shallow and mainly talking points, and whatever position he takes does not affect his life in NYC or in his ancestral homeland," Abdul-Hussain added.

"He's deranged on this issue, an extremist at the end of the day," said one user on X.

NYC LAWMAKER SLAMS MAMDANI OVER RESPONSE TO ANTISEMITIC GRAFFITI, SYNAGOGUE CLASHES: 'NOT A LEADER'

"It's weird how they say the same thing about America," wrote conservative commentator Stephen Miller on X.

"Israel is certainly an idea: that after centuries of exile, persecution, and statelessness, the Jewish people should enjoy the same right to self-determination as every other nation," wrote pro-Israel education group Boundless CEO Aviva Klompas.

"AND Israel is very much a place. It's where nearly 10 million people wake up every morning, raise children, build businesses, argue about politics, celebrate holidays, and live their lives," she added.

FETTERMAN CALLS ZOHRAN MAMDANI A 'CLOWN' OVER PUSH TO ARREST NETANYAHU IN NEW YORK CITY

Mamdani has repeatedly criticized Israel’s conduct in Gaza and accused the country of committing genocide, while voicing support for pro-Palestinian causes. He also skipped New York City’s annual Israel Day Parade in May, becoming the first sitting mayor to miss the event since it began in 1964.

Mamdani said Sunday that the New York City Law Department was actively discussing whether the city has the legal authority to arrest Netanyahu if he visits New York, while reiterating his support for the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant.

Netanyahu is expected to visit the city in September for theUnited Nations General Assembly .

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"I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague," said Mamdani in an interview with the New York Times Sunday. "He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court."

The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu in November 2024 over allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the fighting in Gaza.

Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani's office on Monday regarding the resurfaced 2023 comment.

Michigan candidate Abdul El-Sayed dodges when pressed on controversial remarks about death of Khameini

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 11:32:09 -0400

Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed sidestepped questions from CNN's Jake Tapper on Sunday after the host confronted him over past remarks suggesting "a lot of people" in Dearborn, Michigan, were saddened by the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Tapper pointed to audio first highlighted by The Washington Free Beacon from an event held shortly after Khamenei's death during the U.S.-Iran conflict. In the recording, El-Sayed said there were "a lot of people in Dearborn who are sad."

MICHIGAN SENATE RACE: EL-SAYED’S TIES TO EXTREMIST FUEL ANTISEMITISM CONCERNS AMONG JEWISH VOTERS

"I thought that quote was interesting, because the ayatollah has killed tens of thousands of innocent Iranians, not to mention the proxies that Iran has funded that have killed innocent civilians all over the Middle East," Tapper said on CNN's "State of the Union."

"Why were you worried about offending people who support the ayatollah?"

El-Sayed, a Muslim progressive vying to succeed retiring Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., declined to directly answer the question, instead criticizing Tapper for revisiting his past remarks rather than focusing on the U.S.-Iran conflict and its impact on Michigan.

TRUMP'S 60-DAY IRAN DEAL REACHES HALFWAY MARK AS CEASEFIRE COLLAPSES INTO ESCALATING WAR

"Jake, on a day where we're mourning the loss of two more service members in a war we never should have fought, I think all of us ought to step back and ask whether or not everybody in Michigan, frankly, everybody in America, shouldn't be sad about the fact that this president, backed by the Prime Minister of a foreign government, took us to a war we had no business fighting in," he said.

He went on to argue that Tapper should have instead been asking about the recent deaths of U.S. service members in the Middle East — which Tapper had mentioned at the start of his question — and whether the Iran conflict should have occurred and the economic impact of the war on Michiganders.

MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE ABDUL EL-SAYED DODGES QUESTION ON WHETHER HE STILL SUPPORTS DEFUNDING THE POLICE

"I'm running for Senate in Michigan, and I think, here in Michigan, all of us are probably sad about the fact that we went to war that we never should have fought," El-Sayed said.

"I'd rather our money be spent here," he said.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Tapper replied, "I was specifically asking you about comments you didn't want to make because you didn't want to offend people in Dearborn, which is in Michigan."

RedHook Android malware can quietly hijack your phone

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 11:05:24 -0400

Your phone rings, and the caller sounds official. They say your bank account or government service needs immediate verification. A link arrives moments later. The page looks like Google Play, and the caller tells you to install an app to fix the problem. Then the app asks you to turn on Accessibility access, a powerful Android permission that can let an app read the screen and control taps.

That approval can give the latest RedHook Android malware far more control than a regular app should have. Researchers at Group—IB, a global cybersecurity company that investigates online fraud and digital crime, analyzed the new threat. They say the upgraded remote access trojan, a type of malware that lets criminals control a device remotely, abuses Android's Wireless Debugging feature to gain shell-level privileges. That means it can run powerful system commands and change protected settings that ordinary apps cannot access, although it does not gain full root control.

RedHook can then watch the screen, record what you type, operate apps and steal login information. The new technique also helps it install or remove apps without showing the usual approval prompts. That makes one rushed permission decision especially costly.

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NEW BANK SCAM LAWS COULD STOP SUSPICIOUS PAYMENTS

RedHook Android malware starts with a convincing scam

The attack begins with social engineering. Criminals call or message victims while posing as bank employees, government representatives or support agents. They direct people to fake websites that resemble official services or the Google Play Store. However, the app comes from outside Google Play. The victim sideloads an APK, which means installing an Android app from another source. After installation, the app guides the victim through enabling Accessibility.

Android built Accessibility services to help people use their devices. However, those services can also let an approved app observe the screen and perform actions for the user. RedHook takes advantage of that control. It simulates taps, opens Settings and enables Developer Options. Next, it turns on Wireless Debugging and asks Android for a pairing code.

The malware reads the code and connects back to the phone through 127.0.0.1, a local address that points to the same device. In effect, RedHook tricks the phone into connecting to its own powerful debugging controls, giving the malware deeper access without a computer.

Why Wireless ADB gives RedHook more control

ADB stands for Android Debug Bridge. Developers use it to manage a phone from a command line, install test apps and troubleshoot software. Android introduced Wireless Debugging with Android 11, allowing ADB connections over Wi-Fi instead of a USB cable. Once RedHook pairs with the phone, it gains shell-level access. That gives the malware more authority than a normal Android app, allowing it to run powerful commands and change protected settings. However, it still does not gain full root control.

RedHook can then grant itself additional permissions, capture low-level touch activity and avoid some confirmation screens that would normally alert the user. The malware also borrows from Shizuku, a legitimate Android utility used by developers and power users. Shizuku allows approved apps to use elevated Android features without rooting a phone. RedHook repurposes parts of that framework to carry out malicious commands.

What RedHook can do after it takes control

Group-IB counted 53 commands that attackers can send to the current RedHook version. Some commands appear unfinished, but the working features give criminals extensive access to an infected phone.

Attackers can stream the screen and capture screenshots.
The malware records keystrokes and can collect screen-lock credentials.
It can simulate taps, swipes, drags and long presses.
Contacts, text messages and installed app lists can be collected.
RedHook can install new APKs or remove apps without the usual prompts.
Fake verification windows and black-screen overlays can hide its activity.
The malware can activate a camera, including during a fake identity check.
Remote commands can lock, unlock, wake or reboot the phone.

That access creates several opportunities for fraud. A criminal could watch you sign in to a banking app, capture a verification code or place a convincing overlay above a real login screen. RedHook may also remove security software or install another malicious app.

RedHook uses several tricks to stay on your phone

Gaining access helps the attacker only while the malware remains active. Therefore, RedHook includes several persistence methods designed to keep Android from shutting it down. It can play silent audio so the operating system treats its process as important. A WakeLock keeps the CPU awake. Meanwhile, two separate services monitor each other and restart their partner when one stops.

RedHook also sets a five-minute alarm that checks whether its services remain alive. After a reboot, a receiver can restart the malware and reconnect its privileged helper. It even adjusts its out-of-memory score to reduce the chance that Android will close it when memory runs low. These methods make removal harder. They also explain why simply swiping the app away may accomplish very little.

Red flags to watch for before you tap Allow

One warning sign may have an innocent explanation. Several appearing together should make you stop and investigate.

A caller or message pressures you to install an app immediately.
The download page resembles Google Play, but it opens inside a web browser.
An app asks for Accessibility access without a clear need for it.
Instructions tell you to tap Build number seven times to enable Developer Options.
Wireless Debugging appears enabled although you never use developer tools.
A black overlay or fake system-update screen blocks your view.
An unfamiliar app keeps reopening or resists removal.
A bank or government representative asks you to install an APK from a link.

Do not let an urgent tone make the decision for you. Legitimate organizations can give you time to verify a request through an official phone number or website.

AMAZON RECALL TEXT SCAM COMES WITH RED FLAGS

Ways to stay safe from RedHook Android malware

A few checks can stop this attack before it reaches the Wireless Debugging stage. Other steps can help limit the damage if you already installed a suspicious app.

Settings may vary depending on your Android phone’s manufacturer

1) Install apps through Google Play

Avoid APK files sent through texts, messaging apps or unexpected phone calls. Apps downloaded from unknown sources can put your device and personal information at risk. You should also review which apps can install software from outside Google Play. Open Settings and search for Install unknown apps . Turn off this permission for browsers, messaging apps and file managers unless you have a specific reason to use it.

2) Verify the caller on your own

Hang up and call the organization using the number printed on your bank card or listed on its official website. Avoid phone numbers included in the message, pop-up or download page. Be especially cautious when someone contacts you unexpectedly and pressures you to change a phone setting or install an app. Google lists both behaviors as warning signs of a possible scam.

3) Treat Accessibility requests as highly sensitive

Open Settings and search for Accessibility . Then review Installed apps , Downloaded apps or Installed services , depending on your phone. Turn off access for anything you do not recognize. An ordinary banking, delivery or government app rarely needs permission to read your screen and control your taps. Pause whenever an app claims that Accessibility access is required to complete verification. As CyberGuy has previously reported, malware can abuse Accessibility permissions to take control of an Android phone.

4) Keep Google Play Protect enabled and run a scan

Open the Google Play Store > tap your profile icon > Play Protect . Tap Scan to check the apps currently installed on your phone. Play Protect may warn you about harmful software, which you can disable or remove from the phone. Google Play Protect, which is built-in malware protection for Android devices, automatically removes known malware. However, Play Protect may not catch every malicious app, so strong antivirus software adds another layer of protection.

5) Use strong antivirus software

Strong antivirus software can help flag malicious links, suspicious downloads and harmful apps. Keep its protection active, especially if you sometimes receive APK files for work or testing. However, do not assume an antivirus scan has fully removed RedHook if the app keeps returning or your settings continue to change. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at CyberGuy.com

6) Install Android and Google Play system updates

Open Settings > Software updates , then follow the prompts. You can also check your Android security update and Google Play system update under About phone > Android version . Paths can differ slightly by device.

7) Get help if you think your phone is infected

Turn on Airplane mode and use another trusted device to contact your bank and change important passwords. Do not enter more information on the affected phone. Try to remove the suspicious app or contact your phone manufacturer, carrier or a trusted repair professional for help. A factory reset may be necessary if the app returns or the phone continues behaving strangely.

8) Consider removing exposed personal information

A data removal service can help reduce the personal details available about you on people-search sites. That may include your home address, phone number and information about relatives. However, a data removal service cannot clean malware from your phone, recover stolen login information or remove data that criminals already copied. You can also submit opt-out requests yourself for free, although the process can take time. Information may later reappear, so continued monitoring may be needed. Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com

HALLUSQUATTING AI ATTACK COULD HIJACK YOUR COMPUTER

Kurt's key takeaways

RedHook depends on social engineering before it can take control. The attacker still needs you to install a malicious app and approve powerful Accessibility permissions. That gives you a chance to stop the attack early. Be suspicious of urgent calls, fake app pages and anyone who tells you to install an APK from a link. Google Play Protect and strong antivirus software can help, but your best defense is slowing down before you approve an unexpected request.

Should Android make Accessibility permissions harder to approve when an app comes from outside Google Play? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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Morgan Wallen and Ella Langley's Baltimore performance of 'I Can't Love You Anymore' goes viral

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 11:00:59 -0400

Ella Langley and Morgan Wallen teamed up for the weekend for a performance going viral.

The two country music talents are unquestioned superstars. Wallen has been the face of country music for the past several years.

Langley's rise over the past two years has been nothing short of incredible as she solidifies herself as elite.

MORGAN WALLEN AND ELLA LANGLEY HOLD THE TOP TWO ALBUM SPOTS IN AMERICA FOR FIRST HALF OF 2026

The two are currently touring together, and country music fans can't get enough.

Morgan Wallen and Ella Langley team up for viral performance.

Wallen and Langley performed in Baltimore over the weekend, and a video of them singing their popular hit "I Can’t Love You Anymore" is doing major numbers on Instagram.

To the surprise of nobody, they both absolutely crushed it while at M&T Bank Stadium.

ELLA LANGLEY TURNS 63-YEAR-OLD FORMER NFL HEAD COACH INTO 'ELLA FELLA'

Check out the video shared on Instagram by @bentleydoodle29 below, and let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.

This certainly isn't the first time Wallen and Langley have teamed up to go viral. They don't just dominate the charts together.

They dominate every show they perform at as a duo.

MORGAN WALLEN PULLS OFF INCREDIBLE CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENT AS ANOTHER SONG HITS A BILLION STREAMS ON SPOTIFY

It's awesome watching the pair continue to make waves with their outstanding music and live shows. I might have to find a way to score some tickets to see it in person.

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What do you think of the video of Langley and Wallen? Let me know at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.

FIRST ON FOX: Trump admin freezes out Minnesota of the Caribbean over alleged hurricane-aid abuses

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 11:00:16 -0400

FIRST ON FOX: The Trump administration suspended a U.S. territory's housing-finance authority from receiving further federal funding after the Department of Housing and Urban Development cited years of alleged financial mismanagement, dire audit findings and the conviction of a former executive in a disaster-recovery contracting scheme.

The suspension over alleged waste and abuse at the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority (VIHFA) comes as HUD Secretary Scott Turner, a member of the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, ramps up the administration's scrutiny of federal grant recipients following a series of high-profile investigations nationwide.

"The Trump administration is changing the game when it comes to who we entrust with taxpayer dollars. Organizations riddled with corruption, mismanagement and crime will no longer be allowed to squander billions," Turner, a former NFL cornerback, told Fox News Digital.

TIM WALZ BECOMES GOP PUNCHLINE IN SWEEPING NEW WAR ON WELFARE FRAUD

"[VIHFA] officials cannot be allowed to prioritize kickbacks over helping families recover from disasters. I promised that HUD would be a faithful steward of the American people’s hard-earned money, and we are keeping that promise."

Turner said the suspension is "effective immediately," as the HUD chief's deputy Andrew Hughes fired off a 13-page letter to VIHFA official Dayna Clendinen laying out HUD’s findings and alerting that they are barred from future federal procurement while an investigation takes place.

When approached for comment, a representative who picked up the phone at VIHFA on Monday directed Fox News Digital to a full voicemail box. Fox News Digital then reached out via VIHFA's contact page for comment.

Fox News Digital also reached out to Del. Stacey Plaskett, D-V.I., and Democratic Virgin Islands Gov. Albert Bryan's office for additional comment.

VANCE REFERS TIM WALZ, MINNESOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL TO DOJ FOR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OVER STATE'S ALLEGED FRAUD

In the letter, HUD claimed the nearly-$2 billion appropriation to VIHFA was intended for recovery after Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated the American archipelago in 2017 – calculated to about $20,000 per USVI resident.

"Nine years later, because of VIHFA’s blatant mismanagement of these critical disaster funds, USVI citizens still do not have the housing and electrical power they were promised nearly a decade ago," the agency said, citing the prevalence of blue-tarped roofs and shoddy infrastructure, including a teetering power grid in the time since.

HUD said audits found disaster recovery spending lagged badly while administrative spending consumed a disproportionate share of available funds. The agency also cited the former COO's criminal kickback scheme as evidence of weak internal controls.

JACOB FREY PRAISES SOMALI COMMUNITY AS MINNESOTA FACES RENEWED SCRUTINY OVER FRAUD INVESTIGATIONS

VIHFA’s former chief operating officer, Darin Richardson, was sentenced in March to 36 months in prison after being convicted of bank fraud, money laundering, making false statements and criminal conflict of interest. Prosecutors said Richardson received $107,000 from a contractor in connection with the scheme. HUD said the misconduct occurred "during execution of his duties" at VIHFA.

That contract was later inflated by 50% from $3 million to $4.5 million, HUD said in its letter, adding that much of the lumber then was allowed to rot in the tropical sun.

HUD said Richardson's conduct, standing alone, was sufficient to call into question VIHFA's responsibility to receive additional federal funds.

HUD informed VIHFA it has "substantial evidence" of failure-to-comply with aid obligations, a lack of internal controls over financial matters, fraud risks and conflict-of-interest situations.

"[VIHFA] has failed to implement effective fraud controls despite the indictment and conviction of its former COO in a federal contracting fraud scheme. It has repeatedly made false certifications to HUD that it has proficient financial controls, has safeguards to prohibit conflicts of interest, has not obtained duplicate federal benefits, and complies with applicable laws and regulations," HUD alleged in their suspension notice.

HUD cited multiple audits spanning a decade that raised "significant concerns" about funding-related activities – which collectively questioned millions in costs and uncovered weak financial controls, inadequate project oversight, poor fraud-risk management and inaccurate reporting. A 2026 audit concluded VIHFA had failed to implement a structured fraud prevention framework despite overseeing $1.9 billion in disaster recovery funding.

Further condemning the "glacial" pace of storm recovery, HUD found that only 2% of planned single-family rentals, 16% of single-family homeowners and 19% of multifamily rental projects had been completed since the storms struck nearly a decade ago.

None of 329 housing-work mitigation projects had been finished, while HUD found a "yawning gap" between high expenditures by VIHFA on administrative concerns and low expenditures on residents and their homes.

"Whether poor management or something worse, the consequences are unacceptable– the residents of the USVI who were devastated by disaster are not getting what they need from VIHFA," HUD wrote to the authority. VIHFA spent $52.6 million on administrative costs alone, according to its report.

HUD also found VIHFA's divisions unwisely "operate in silos," hindering communication and fraud-risk management.

The agency told VIHFA that the HUD inspector general’s office also found that employees had personal knowledge of fraud or suspected fraudulent activity – but then VIHFA failed to conduct further investigations or alert its senior management.

The auditing apparatus of VIHFA only notified then-directors of the divisions involved, who allegedly "sat on the findings" according to HUD’s recounting of a 2023 IG probe.

That along with the material facts behind Richardson’s convictions bolster Turner’s decision to cut off VIHFA, the agency wrote.

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"An officer corruptly awarding disaster clean up contracts violates, at minimum, HUD rules on oversight of contractors," HUD said, citing Richardson’s kickbacks of at least $107,000 in one case.

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VIHFA will have 30 days to request a hearing on the matter or HUD’s funding suspension will be final, Hughes said.

The suspension marks the latest front in the feds' anti-fraud campaign, which has now stretched from the massive Feeding Our Future prosecution in the cold northern reaches of Minnesota now to the southern, sunny confines of Charlotte Amalie.

Joe Ryan's 2.85 ERA and Guardians mastery make Minnesota Twins the smart MLB bet tonight

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:56:48 -0400

I'm going to start with a bit of a rant about the ABS. I have a problem with .1% of the ball catching the zone and it being called a strike. I don't think that's in the spirit of the strike zone. We can see the amount of the ball that goes through the zone, so to me it needs to be 50% or more to be considered a strike. I think it rewards bad pitches if a minuscule amount hits the zone and it counts for a strike. I don't hate the concept of ABS, and like how quickly it works, but some of it is favorable to bad pitching. Luckily, we have a chance to see some very good pitching tonight between the Twins and Guardians.

The Minnesota Twins have some decisions to make soon. They are likely to be one of the teams that general managers spend time calling quite frequently in the next couple of weeks. For the year, they are 49-51, which is certainly better than what the majority of people would've expected from them this year. They could try and add pieces to make a run for the division, but that seems a bit unlikely - even if they only have to beat the White Sox and Guardians. They are only four games back in the division, which is definitely worth considering keeping players, but the rebuild could finish a lot sooner if they trade away some of their key pieces.

One guy who will attract a lot of calls is tonight's starter, Joe Ryan. He would also get the Twins a big return if they do decide to part with him. For the season, Ryan has posted a 2.85 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP with a 6-5 record. He also has accumulated 128 strikeouts in just 110.1 innings. He has been a front-of-the-rotation starter for the Twins and could be a huge piece for a playoff team. He has dominated the Guardians in the past, holding them to a .185 batting average over 92 at-bats against him.

The Cleveland Guardians are not going to be sellers, but don't expect this team to make a major play for anyone, either. That is just not how the franchise operates. However, what you should expect is that they will have players who make contact and have occasional power. They also may look for a low-cost, high upside starter. They are without their best player at the moment as well, so the biggest addition to their team may come in the form of Jose Ramirez's health.

The Guardians are typically a strong pitching team. They usually have one anchor in the rotation, and then a bunch of other guys who are good, but not necessarily great. It could probably be argued that today's starter, Tanner Bibee, is the anchor of the rotation this season. He is just 3-9 for a record, but has a solid 3.90 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. That WHIP indicates to me that he might be suffering from a bit of bad luck. Allowing 20 homers isn't exactly ideal, but he has been a good starter. Bibee has been worse at home with a 4.11 ERA in Cleveland. He did face the Twins at home once this year and was fantastic, going six innings and allowing just one solo homer.

Guardians rookie tosses ball into stands after making second out, costs team go-ahead run

I think that game from Bibee was a bit of an anomaly rather than the rule. However, Bibee has been good with a .194 batting average against him in 72 Twins at-bats. The under seems like it could be a good option with a 7.5 total, but I think you've got to get everything going right there. In six games this season, the teams have gone under 7.5 runs three times, so it is a 50/50. I don't really like those odds.

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Instead, I like to take the more reliable guy, who I believe to be Ryan. The Twins have been good with him on the mound, and he has shown success against the Guardians in the past. It isn't that I expect Bibee to be an easy defeat here; I just think Ryan is a better pitcher and more locked in. Plus Bibee at home has struggled, and he is more susceptible to homers. Give me the Twins at -120.

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Republicans defy Trump, jump into South Carolina Senate race despite his handpicked successor

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:54:57 -0400

President Donald Trump has made his pick to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., but several Republicans eyeing his seat don’t care.

A handful of hopefuls vying to win the Republican nomination in August to take the reins from Graham have already announced their intent to jump into the race, despite Trump throwing his endorsement power behind Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., Graham’s sister who many believed to be a placeholder for the remainder of his term.

Trump on Friday, after meeting with Graham in the Oval Office, announced his "complete and total endorsement" for her to get into the race.

TIM SCOTT SAYS HE'D 'LOVE TO SEE' FOX NEWS HOST REPLACE LINDSEY GRAHAM

"I asked Darline, for the Good of our Nation, to run for the U.S. Senate in the Special Republican Primary on Tuesday, August 11, 2026," Trump said. "I hope Darline does this, in that there would be nobody better to honor the legacy of her beloved brother, Lindsey."

She has not yet committed, and the coveted Trump endorsement has not stopped Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., businessman Mark Lynch or the latest to jump in, Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C., from entering the fray.

Fry, in particular, was just last week lauded by Trump as someone to watch. He also had spent time speaking with White House operatives about launching a bid, and a Trump endorsement seemed all but guaranteed.

GRAHAM'S DEATH IGNITES GOP SCRAMBLE FOR SENATE SEAT AS TRUMP HINTS HE ALREADY HAS A FAVORITE

A source in Fry’s political orbit told Fox News Digital that the lawmaker has "accomplished more than all the potential candidates combined," having passed three bills in his first four years in Congress.

"This is really about giving voters a choice and not a coronation," they said.

Still, Fry is not running away from Trump. In his campaign announcement, Fry noted, "Of the many things Lindsey Graham believed in, standing with President Trump and advancing the Republican agenda were among his defining principles."

"There is no other way to put it: Lindsey Graham was one of a kind," Fry said. "There is no replacing him, but I believe the best way to honor his legacy is to fight alongside the president just as steadfastly as he did."

During this cycle, at least, the Trump endorsement has not proven a sure bet.

South Carolina-based Republican consultant Dave Wilson told Fox News Digital, "South Carolina voters want to have a choice and not be told who they need to be voting for."

GRAHAM ALLY RIPS 'THIRSTY' REPUBLICANS JOCKEYING TO REPLACE LATE SENATOR

"The president’s quick endorsement of Darline Graham was very symbolic," Wilson said, but added, "We’re seeing in South Carolina that his endorsement didn’t carry as much weight as people thought it was going to."

Wilson was referring to Trump’s endorsement of Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette ahead of last month’s GOP gubernatorial primary.

Evette was the top vote getter in the primary but lost the ensuing runoff election against South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson in a landslide. And Trump, ever hungry for a victory, endorsed both Wilson and Evette days before the runoff.

Veteran Republican strategist and communicator Ryan Williams told Fox News Digital that a Trump endorsement is "a major boost for any candidacy, but it doesn’t necessarily give you a lock on the seat."

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Just because Trump has thrown his weight behind Graham doesn’t mean others shouldn’t run, Williams contended. He noted that Senate seats rarely open up in South Carolina, and that when the opportunity presents itself, hopefuls need to seize it.

"If you’re an aspiring House member in South Carolina, this is your time to run regardless of whom the president is supporting," Williams said.

"There’s no downside for running," he continued. "They’re all going to run as Trump Republicans, and they’re all going to flatter the president on the campaign trail."

Fox News Channel’s 'Hannity' to air exclusive first interview with Sen Darline Graham on Monday

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:46:43 -0400

Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity will sit down with Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., the sister of late Sen. Lindsey Graham, for an exclusive interview on Monday night’s edition of "Hannity" at 9 ET.

Darline Graham was sworn into office earlier this month following the sudden death of her brother, becoming the first female senator from the Palmetto State and the first sister of a lawmaker ever appointed to the upper chamber. It will be her first interview since her brother's tragic passing and since her appointment to the U.S. Senate.

Graham is expected to discuss her brother’s legacy and her decision to carry on his public service. She will reflect on the shared values that shaped their family and upbringing and how she will represent the people of South Carolina following his death.

LINDSEY GRAHAM'S SISTER CARRIES ON LATE SENATOR'S WORK, BECOMING SOUTH CAROLINA'S FIRST FEMALE SENATOR

Darline Graham was appointed to fulfill the remainder of her brother’s term by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster. President Donald Trump recommended she get the position, and Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., spoke with her several times before appearing alongside her in Columbia, South Carolina.

"Lindsey took care of his little sister in years long departed. It's my honor to ask his little sister, Darline Graham, to finish his work for him now," McMaster said.

Lindsey Graham died in Washington, D.C., on July 11 at 71, one day after returning from Kyiv, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss a new package of sanctions against Russia.

LINDSEY GRAHAM'S FINAL ACT REVERBERATES IN SENATE AS SISTER IS URGED TO 'KEEP PEDALING'

A statement released by Graham's office cited preliminary findings from the District of Columbia's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner identifying the cause of death as an aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, though the official cause of death remains pending for additional testing.

Hannity has interviewed everyone from world leaders to entertainers, including Elon Musk, Benjamin Netanyahu, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Gavin Newsom, George W. Bush, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kim Kardashian, Mike Tyson, Sean Penn, and many others.

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Fox News Digital’s Alex Miller contributed to this report.

US bases, ICE facilities targeted in Cuba-linked 24-hour activist mobilization plan

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:41:25 -0400

A new State Department report argues that Cuba has cultivated a network of American activist organizations that can be mobilized against U.S. policy, citing a publicly posted plan for protests at U.S. military bases, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities and federal buildings as a recent example.

The June "National Rapid Response Plan" was distributed by the National Network on Cuba, a U.S. coalition of more than 60 organizations. The State Department links the coalition to the Cuban government through its relationship with the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples, or ICAP, a government entity sanctioned in June for allegedly supporting Cuban intelligence activities.

The plan calls for "coordinated nationwide actions" within 24 hours of a U.S. military attack — or the "imminent threat" of one — and says its goal is to make it "politically and materially costly for the U.S. government to wage war on Cuba."

TRUMP EXPANDS CUBA SANCTIONS BEYOND US COMPANIES IN MAJOR CRACKDOWN ON FOREIGN ENABLERS

The plan already has been made publicly available. The State Department report presents it as evidence of what it describes as a broader Cuban effort to cultivate and mobilize sympathetic organizations inside the U.S.

The National Network on Cuba's "materials reveal the continuing reach, coordination and sophistication of Cuba’s subversive capabilities on American territory," the State Department report claims.

The rapid-response plan calls for demonstrations and establishes a timeline for activating supporters nationwide. If U.S. military action against Cuba begins before 3 p.m. Eastern time, demonstrations would start at 6 p.m. local time that day. If it begins later, activists would mobilize at 6 p.m. the following day.

Organizers are instructed to gather at federal buildings, courthouses and post offices; military bases and recruiting offices; or ICE detention centers and field offices. The plan also lists sports arenas during high-profile events as optional locations.

The State Department’s focus on the plan comes amid escalating U.S. pressure on Havana and discussion of possible military intervention or regime change. Trump has floated a "friendly takeover" of Cuba and, when asked in May about intervening, said "it looks like I’ll be the one that does it." Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the administration prefers diplomacy while leaving military action on the table.

FBI ARRESTS PROTESTER WHO THREATENED TO KILL ICE OFFICER'S FAMILY AT NJ DETENTION CENTER PROTEST, BLANCHE SAYS

The plan says demonstrations at immigration facilities would "connect Cuba solidarity to anti-ICE/immigrant defense work happening nationwide."

It also directs activists to a Black Alliance for Peace database that the State Department report says maps 1,335 U.S. military and law-enforcement locations across the Western Hemisphere. The group describes the map as a basis for local organizing that can help activists "strategize how and where to organize and agitate."

The National Network on Cuba openly promotes the plan on its website as part of its "No War on Cuba" campaign, alongside calls for rallies, banner drops, caravans, teach-ins and other demonstrations.

INSIDE CUBA’S FOREIGN INFLUENCE CAMPAIGN: FROM THE '60S VENCEREMOS BRIGADE TO A CALIFORNIA UNION HALL

The State Department report portrays the plan as a modern example of Cuba’s broader effort to cultivate and mobilize sympathetic organizations inside the United States.

The National Network on Cuba represents more than 60 organizations and works closely with the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples. ICAP is led by Fernando González Llort, a former member of Cuba’s Wasp spy network, a Cuban intelligence ring that infiltrated exile organizations and gathered information about U.S. military facilities in South Florida during the 1990s, who served 15 years in a U.S. prison before returning to the island.

The report describes ICAP as the central hub of Cuba’s international influence operation, claiming it coordinates more than 2,000 solidarity organizations across more than 150 countries.

The Cuban embassy in Washington could not immediately be reached for comment.

The report focuses particular attention on six organizations spanning Cuban government outreach and American left-wing activism. ICAP is a Cuban government entity, while the National Network on Cuba is a U.S.-based coalition of more than 60 organizations advocating closer relations with Havana.

The other groups are U.S.-based: Code Pink is a left-wing anti-war organization; the People’s Forum is a New York-based activist and political education center; the Democratic Socialists of America is a socialist political organization; and the National Lawyers Guild is a progressive legal association.

Code Pink, the Democratic Socialists of America and the National Lawyers Guild’s Cuba Committee are listed as members of the National Network on Cuba, alongside the Communist Party USA and dozens of smaller organizations.

The extent of each organization’s involvement in the rapid-response plan is unclear. The report argues that their overlapping relationships, delegations and campaigns give Cuba access to a broad American activist infrastructure.

The report says the Democratic Socialists of America has sent multiple delegations to Cuba, including a 2023 trip during which members met privately with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and sought to establish formal communication with Cuban ministries. It notes, however, that the Democratic Socialists of America was not created or controlled by Cuban intelligence, describing its support for Havana as primarily ideological.

The People’s Forum, meanwhile, is described as a major organizing hub connecting Cuba advocacy with anti-ICE and pro-Palestinian activism. The report says the organization has served as fiscal sponsor for the Venceremos Brigade, which has transported American activists to Cuba for decades, and has helped organize delegations that met with senior Cuban officials.

Code Pink and the National Lawyers Guild also have participated in Cuba delegations and campaigns opposing the U.S. embargo, according to the report. The National Lawyers Guild adopted a resolution in 2026 pledging to work with the National Network on Cuba and the broader Cuba solidarity movement.

The report does not announce sanctions or legal action against the U.S.-based organizations, and much of its underlying evidence comes from public records, organizational materials and previous reporting. Its central conclusion is that Cuba treats traditional espionage, political advocacy and ideological influence as parts of a single long-term campaign against the United States.

The administration has sharply expanded its pressure campaign in 2026: Trump signed an executive order in January allowing tariffs on imports from countries that supply oil to Cuba and followed in May with sanctions targeting foreign entities operating in or supporting key sectors of the Cuban economy, in addition to the long-standing U.S. trade embargo.

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Code Pink has separately come under federal scrutiny through an investigation into the financial network of Neville Roy Singham, the husband of Code Pink co-founder Jodie Evans and a major benefactor of the group. A federal grand jury in Manhattan is examining potential foreign-agent and tax violations involving Singham’s network.

Code Pink has not been publicly identified as a target of the investigation, and no charges have been filed.

The Treasury Department also has sought information from Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin about a March aid convoy to Cuba as officials examine potential sanctions violations. Code Pink has denied wrongdoing and said the delegation delivered humanitarian supplies amid worsening shortages on the island.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Cuban embassy in Washington, the National Network on Cuba, Code Pink, the Democratic Socialists of America and the National Lawyers Guild for comment.

Firestorm erupts online after Minnesota paper praises Tim Walz's clemency for child sex offender

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:34:55 -0400

Minnesota's flagship paper came under fire over the weekend after a columnist defended Democrat Gov. Tim Walz reasoning for pardoning an illegal immigrant just before the convicted child rapist was set to be deported.

"The Minnesota Star Tribune is cheering on Tim Walz protecting an illegal alien monster who raped a 10 year old girl. No one should read this depraved rag. They are sick," said House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., on X.

Minnesota's Board of Pardons is composed of Walz, state Attorney General Keith Ellison and state Chief Justice Natalie Hudson. They voted on June 10 to grant clemency to Tou Lue Vang, a Laotian national who between 2002 and 2004 repeatedly raped a child. Lue was set to be deported from the United States before the clemency was issued.

WALZ, MINNESOTA BOARD OF PARDONS CLEARS CONVICTED ILLEGAL ALIEN CHILD SEX OFFENDER FACING DEPORTATION

In a section of the column called "Cheers to Gov. Tim Walz," writer Rochelle Olson praised the governor and failed vice presidential candidate for his decision to defend the pardon.

"The governor refused to back down from his vote to pardon a Hmong man convicted of felony sexual assault in 2006. It’s significant that Tou Lue Vang needed only two of three votes from the state Board of Pardons, but he received unanimous support," the column states.

Olson did not mention that Vang's rape victim was a minor, or that Vang raped the child several times over the period of two years. She did reference a letter from the victim addressed to the pardon board supporting Vang's clemency.

A spokesperson for the paper told Fox News Digital, "The Minnesota Star Tribune regularly publishes a wide range of opinions across the political spectrum."

"In this case, our opinion columnist agreed with a unanimous pardon by the Minnesota state board of pardons, including Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison and state Supreme Court Chief Justice Natalie Hudson," they added.

FORMER INDIANA REP STEPHEN BUYER RECEIVES FULL PARDON FROM TRUMP FOR 2023 INSIDER TRADING CONVICTION

Olson launched into a tirade about Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol rioters in her column, likening their actions to that of the foreign child rapist.

"Vang’s actions 20 years ago were awful, but so were the violent protests at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and those folks received presidential pardons," the author wrote.

Author Dennis Neale slammed that comparison in a post on X, writing: "The Star Tribune likens repeatedly raping a 10-year-old girl to protesting in the Capitol on Jan 6. You fluppin’ idiots."

TIM WALZ OFFERS STRANGE DEFENSE FOR PARDONING CONVICTED CHILD RAPIST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DEPORTED

"Minnesota’s largest paper actually figured out a way to shove January 6th into this as a way to excuse an illegal immigrant who sexually assaulted a child," said another X personality. "One of the most insane things I’ve ever seen."

"The Minnesota Star Tribune just gave a 'Cheers' to Tim Walz for standing by his pardon of a convicted child rapist. Absolutely disgusting," said online commentator Dustin Grage.

"The degeneracy of the modern left would be impossible to exaggerate because it is impossible to exaggerate infinity," said Claremont Institute senior fellow Jeremy Carl.

Nick Freitas, another online personality, wrote, "Every time I think I despise the main stream media enough, they triple their efforts."

Walz's attempts to protect Vang — and his defense of the pardon — proved moot when on July 10, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the illegal alien had been deported to his native Laos.

"Just weeks ago, a foreign child rapist was freed to once again endanger America's children after receiving a pardon from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz," Rubio told Fox News Digital at the time. "Tue Lue Vang admitted to committing heinous crimes against a 10-year-old girl in Minnesota. He attempted to pay his victim for her silence and dismissed his acts of child abuse as a 'minor thing.'"

"Just days before he was scheduled to be deported, the Minnesota Governor pardoned him, setting him free to endanger American families once again," he continued.

"That's why I terminated his legal status in the United States. Vang has now been removed from our country and will never pose a threat to any American ever again."

Days after Vang's deportation, Walz doubled down on his decision to grant clemency.

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"Did that make us any safer?" Walz questioned. "Did that make the children that are left behind any more stable? Did it improve the idea that we can’t all be judged by our worst day?"

Woke language overhaul would strip the word 'inmate' from New York City's entire jail rulebook

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:29:27 -0400

The New York City Board of Correction is moving to scrub the word "inmate" from its jail regulations, replacing it with "person in custody" as part of a years-long effort rooted in the belief that incarceration should not define a person.

The latest proposal builds on a 2021 initiative that began removing the term "inmate" from the board's Minimum Standards after officials concluded people should not be defined by their incarceration.

"People in DOC custody are people first and the circumstance of their incarceration is not their defining feature," the board wrote in 2021. "Therefore, the Board has made a commitment to employ person-first language in its Standards and general communications going forward."

MAMDANI SPARKS FIERCE BACKLASH FOR WORLD CUP STUNT 'PALLING AROUND' WITH RIKERS ISLAND CONVICTS

As part of that commitment, the board began replacing references to "inmates" with terms including "people," "persons" and "individuals in custody." The latest proposal would extend those revisions to additional portions of the regulations.

The changes are reflected throughout the rulebook.

A section formerly titled "Classification of Prisoners," for example, was renamed "Classification of People in Custody," while numerous references to "prisoners" and "inmates" were rewritten. The regulations also define a "person in custody" as "any person confined in a facility."

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The proposal says the amendments are intended to continue the board's earlier work.

"In 2021, the Board made a commitment to employ person-first language in its Minimum Standards and communications by deleting references to 'inmates' in favor of person-first terms such as 'people in custody,'" the proposal states. "The Board proposes continuing this vital effort in Chapters 2 and 3."

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The city is not alone in moving away from the word "inmate."

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In 2022, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation replacing references to "inmate" throughout state law with "incarcerated individual."

The measure amended dozens of provisions across New York law to adopt the new terminology, though New York City instead chose the phrase "person in custody."

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The terminology debate has resurfaced as New York City's correction system has drawn renewed public attention following a FIFA World Cup semifinal watch party at Rikers Island attended by Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

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During the event, Mamdani told attendees, "These are New Yorkers, and they will be New Yorkers when they get out of Rikers."

The city’s terminology changes do not alter jail operations, housing policies or disciplinary procedures.

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Instead, the board has characterized the revisions as an effort to modernize its regulations and ensure the language reflects its long-standing philosophy that people should not be defined solely by their incarceration.

Fox News Digital reached out to the New York City Board of Correction asking why it chose "person in custody" instead of "incarcerated individual," the term adopted by New York state, and whether the board received public feedback on the proposal.

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Requests for comment were also sent to the Correction Officers' Benevolent Association, which represents New York City's correction officers, and the Vera Institute of Justice, a nonprofit criminal justice reform organization.

MTG pounces on Hegseth, claiming US troop casualties 'fuel' his 'bloodlust for a senseless war'

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:20:43 -0400

Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., accused War Secretary Pete Hegseth of "bloodlust" after the Pentagon chief posted about fallen U.S. service members amid the ongoing Iran war.

"Godspeed, heroes. Their sacrifice only stiffens our resolve," Hegseth wrote on X when sharing a U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) post about the deaths of American troops in Jordan.

Greene shared Hegseth's post and wrote, "Sacrifice?? What the f--- are you talking about?? They did not willingly sacrifice themselves. They were killed because of the war you, Trump, and the admin, are waging on behalf of a FOREIGN COUNTRY, Israel. You mean their deaths fuel your bloodlust for a senseless war."

EX-COUNTERTERRORISM OFFICIAL JOE KENT CONTINUES CALLING FOR US MILITARY WITHDRAWAL FROM MIDDLE EAST

In a Monday statement to Fox News Digital, Acting Pentagon Press Secretary Joel Valdez asserted, "These comments are disgusting, especially from a former member of Congress. Ideological disagreements are normal, but using the death of our service members as fuel for her hatred of the Trump administration is out of line. We all serve at the pleasure of the President of the UNITED STATES, not a foreign nation or foreign leaders. No amount of diminishing, disrespectful remarks from washed up politicians will change that."

A White House spokesperson on Monday pointed Fox News Digital to comments President Donald Trump had made on Sunday.

"Well, we feel very badly. But you know those great people, those great patriots were out there fighting that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon," he said.

"Iran has been very, very badly damaged," he said, asserting that the foreign nation has "lost everything, almost, militarily. They've got very little left. They've got some missiles. They've got some drones. They've got some manufacturing ability — not much," he said. "We control the Strait. They don't control anything. So we'll see what happens. But we hit 'em very hard again tonight," he said, adding that "we did that in honor of the probably three — it’s probably three, as opposed to two — great patriots."

US SERVICE MEMBER KILLED IN IRAQ AS TROOPS RECOVER UNIDENTIFIED REMAINS IN JORDAN: CENTCOM

CENTCOM declared in part of a Saturday statement, "On July 17, two U.S. service members in Jordan were killed in action as U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and partner forces defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks." The post also noted that a service member was missing.

"I’m praying for the families and friends of those two fallen soldiers and for the third missing soldier," Greene wrote in a Saturday post on X when sharing CENTCOM's announcement. "This should not be happening. President Trump needs to bring our troops home and stop this senseless America LAST war!!!"

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

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

LOW TESTOSTERONE? HEGSETH SPARKS CONVERSATION AS DOCTORS REVEAL WARNING SIGNS EVERY MAN SHOULD KNOW

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Greene and President Donald Trump had a falling out last year. In early January she departed Congress, resigning in the middle of a two-year term.

Sports cartoons of the day

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

FBI alleges suspect 'deployed an incendiary device outside' federal building

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:14:14 -0400

The FBI announced that a suspect was taken into custody after deploying an incendiary device outside a federal building in New York City on Monday morning.

"This morning an individual deployed an incendiary device outside of 26 Federal Plaza in New York. The individual is in custody and two minor injuries reported thus far. FBI JTTF is investigating the incident," FBI Director Kash Patel noted in a post on X.

FBI New York field office Assistant Director in Charge James Barnacle Jr. noted that the man had some sort of liquid, saying the individual "put the liquid down, set some fireworks on top of it," causing a "little fire."

"He was armed with a pellet gun," Barnacle noted. He said two individuals were injured, including a federal employee and a civilian, though he described the injuries as "minor" and said both were "treated and released."

The New York Police Department said that there was a "found firearm" tied to the incident.

Video footage shows federal agents, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, on the scene.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. have both issued a statement about the episode.

"What occurred outside 26 Federal Plaza this morning was deeply disturbing. I’m relieved no one was seriously injured and that a suspect is in custody. My team is in touch with the NYPD and we will support the federal investigation. Our administration will continue to ensure that every New Yorker is safe in their city — and hold accountable any who threaten that," Mamdani said in a post on X.

"I am grateful to law enforcement for their swift actions to stop an attack at 26 Federal Plaza this morning, for successfully apprehending the suspect and for keeping the people of New York City safe. Acts of terror and violence have no place in our City and will never be tolerated. The individual responsible for this must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Jeffries said in his statement.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and ICE for comment.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated

Fox News' Brendan McDonald contributed to this report

Meteorite that crashed into NJ home holds building blocks of life, scientists say

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:04:28 -0400

A meteorite that crashed through the roof of a New Jersey home two years ago contains some of the building blocks of life, scientists say — and is among the rarest space rocks ever recovered.

The meteorite fell in Hillsborough, New Jersey, on July 16, 2024, and is the subject of a recent study published in Science Advances on July 15 — just in time for its two-year anniversary on Earth.

The homeowner heard a "loud crash" at the time and found a hole in the ceiling that "covered the bed, carpet and surrounding areas," according to a release from the SETI Institute, a private research organization based in Mountain View, California.

ANCIENT ARTIFACTS FOUND BENEATH CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION AS ONE MYSTERY STILL STUMPS RESEARCHERS

"I smelled a strong sulfur-like odor and saw many black fragments," said the homeowner, in a comment originally given to the scientists and researchers at SETI and NASA.

No one was injured at the time, though the property was damaged.

"The meteorite had broken into many fragments, including dust, and a strong sulfur-like odor was present in the 122 air," said the report.

Researchers identified it as a rare intermediate CM1/2 carbonaceous chondrite, one of only two witnessed meteorite falls of that subtype.

SCIENTISTS FIND 'SIGNS OF LIFE' INSIDE 5,300-YEAR-OLD MUMMY IN REMARKABLE DISCOVERY

"Our cameras in Northford, Connecticut, and Douglassville, Pennsylvania, as well as a doorbell camera in Wayne, New Jersey, captured the meteor, and from that we measured its trajectory.... The path traced back to low in the asteroid belt," said Mike Hankey, operations manager for the American Meteor Society, in a SETI Institute statement.

NASA said the meteorite preserves some of the oldest material in the solar system, recording chemical processes that occurred more than 4.5 billion years ago.

Fox News Digital reached out to NASA for additional comment.

In a July 15 release, NASA said an amateur astronomer quickly recognized that a freshly fallen meteorite had landed on his New Jersey property — then collected the fragments with gloves and stored them in aluminum foil and glass containers to preserve the samples.

That proved to be crucial to the research project. The rock is helping scientists "uncover new clues about ancient water, the chemical evolution of primitive asteroids, and the ingredients that may have helped make life possible throughout the early solar system," NASA said.

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The significant meteorite was dubbed the Hillsborough meteorite, and understanding its origins required "expertise from multiple scientific disciplines," added the agency.

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Danny Glavin, a senior scientist in the Astrobiology Analytical Laboratory at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and a co-author of the study, said one of the biggest surprises was the complexity of the amino acids in the meteorite, as well as its organic compounds.

Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, while organic compounds are carbon-based molecules considered essential to life.

"It's just more proof that the chemical building blocks of life could have been delivered — and are still being delivered — to Earth today by these carbonaceous asteroid fragments," Glavin said in a release.

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Peter Jenniskens, meteor astronomer at both NASA's Ames Research Center and a study co-author, said that the team's analysis of the meteorite's trajectory, mineral composition and organic chemistry are helping scientists better understand primitive asteroids.

The research enables scientists to "build one of the clearest pictures yet of how primitive asteroids such as the asteroid Erigone evolved chemically over billions of years," he said.

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"When we have both a documented fireball and a quick recovery of its meteorite, we can learn not only what the rock is made of, but where it came from in the asteroid belt," added Jenniskens.

Zach Bryan surprises fans with unreleased acoustic performance of 'Walk Backwards' on YouTube

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 09:37:30 -0400

Zach Bryan gave fans an unexpected surprise over the weekend.

The "Something in the Orange" singer is one of the most famous artists in the country music world, and he's built a cult-like following in the genre.

He's one of the few singers who can sell out stadiums wherever he goes. Bryan's music often takes listeners on emotional roller coaster rides, and it appears he's, once again, cooking up something special.

GAVIN ADCOCK TAKES AIM AT ZACH BRYAN IN BRUTAL CALL-OUT

Zach Bryan Teases New Music

Bryan shared a new video Saturday on YouTube of him acoustically performing his new and unreleased song, "Walk Backwards."

It took no time at all for the video to start popping in the country music world. Whiskey Riff speculated it will be included on Bryan's upcoming EP, "Young Manhood And Other Donatable Organs."

Give it a listen below, and let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.

COUNTRY MUSIC SENSATIONS TEAM UP FOR NEW SONG, SET INTERNET ON FIRE: WATCH

Zach Bryan's fans were quick to pop into the comments on YouTube with plenty of reactions. One wrote, "I love how no matter how famous Zach gets, we'll always have these videos with just Zach and a guitar... it's incredible."

Another added, "This EP is about to wreck us all."

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A third fan added, "Zach just cannot write a bad song, I believe we’re watching one of the greatest songwriters of all time, thank you Zach for your music!"

COUNTRY STAR WYATT FLORES ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM 'SCARED OF HEIGHTS,' NEW SONG OUT FRIDAY

It certainly appears Zach Bryan is going to cook with whatever is one the horizon with him, judging from his new song tease. Let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.

Warren defies Schumer as Dem civil war explodes over must-win Senate race

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 09:27:58 -0400

There’s a battle to shape the Democratic Party this fall, and two top Senate Democrats are taking different paths in their bids to put their mark on the process.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., endorsed Abdul El-Sayed in the duel for the Democratic Senate nomination in Michigan. It’s a break from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who is backing Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich.

The diverging endorsements are emblematic of the fight going on behind the scenes and publicly in the Democratic Party as the old guard fights to stand its ground, while a progressive surge threatens to completely overtake the party.

DEMOCRATS' CIVIL WAR HEADS TO MICHIGAN WHERE PROGRESSIVES FACE BIGGEST TEST YET IN HIGH-STAKES SENATE SHOWDOWN

For example, Warren backed former Maine Senate Democratic nominee Graham Platner, while Schumer had courted and pushed Maine Gov. Janet Mills to get into the race.

And hours after Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., stumped for El-Sayed, Warren jumped into the fray.

In her endorsement video for El-Sayed on Monday, she noted that he was "the only candidate in this race not taking corporate money, and he's fighting to get money out of politics altogether."

MICHIGAN DEMOCRAT MALLORY MCMORROW DROPS OUT OF SENATE RACE WEEKS BEFORE PRIMARY

"And make no mistake," Warren said. "Abdul is the only candidate in this race who can build the grassroots movement needed to win in November. More money in your pocket, to get money out of politics and deliver ‘Medicare-for-all.’ Michigan, let's get this done."

Notably, Warren had previously endorsed Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, who dropped out of the race earlier this month. McMorrow was opposed to "Medicare-for-all," a key policy push of Warren’s.

And El-Sayed has made headlines, like Platner, for his old social media posts — particularly his pitch to "defund the police" as a means to reinvest tax dollars to prevent the purchase of "war materiel to wage war in our streets."

WATCH: SURFACED VIDEOS OF DEM SENATE CANDIDATE BACKING 'DEFUND THE POLICE' CONTRADICT RECENT DENIALS

Schumer took his time to go public with his endorsement in what was once a messy, three-way primary battle, first privately backing Stevens.

"I think she has the best chance to win," Schumer told Punchbowl News last month.

Stevens has clinched the backing of a handful of other Senate Democrats, including Sens. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., Chris Coons, D-Del., and Gary Peters, D-Mich., whose seat she’s eying to make her own.

El-Sayed has also amassed a list of heavy hitters, including Warren, Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif.

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Neither candidate has committed to backing Schumer to stay as Democratic leader heading into next year’s new session of Congress. And so far, El-Sayed has not spoken with the Senate’s top Democrat.

Instead, he views his candidacy as "a threat" to Schumer and the old guard’s system.

He told Politico that Schumer and Democrats were worried about his plans to push for an end to corporate money entering politics, given that the top Senate Democrat’s "whole approach is that you get to go talk to the money people and then dole out their corporate money to help elect the people who are going to do the things that corporations want."

"So, of course, they’re freaking out," El-Sayed said. "They’re not freaking out because they think I’m going to lose. They’re freaking out because they think I’m going to win."

Amazon Leo satellite internet takes on Starlink

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 09:20:18 -0400

Amazon Leo satellite internet is getting closer to turning on service for customers. Amazon launched 29 more satellites into low Earth orbit on July 2, bringing its deployed total to 396 satellites, according to Amazon's latest mission update. That launch gives Amazon enough satellites for an initial service rollout later this year. However, the newest satellites still need to move into their assigned operating positions before they can support customers.

That is a big step for Amazon. It also shows how far Amazon still has to go. Starlink has been building its network since 2019 and already has a much larger satellite fleet, wider coverage and more paying customers. So, should Starlink be nervous? Maybe. Should you expect Amazon Leo to replace your home internet right away? Probably not yet.

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JETBLUE FLIGHT REPORTS DRONE STRIKE DURING APPROACH TO NEW YORK AIRPORT: FAA

What is Amazon Leo satellite internet?

Amazon Leo is the new name for Project Kuiper, Amazon's low-Earth-orbit satellite internet network. Amazon says the goal is to deliver fast internet to customers and communities that lack reliable broadband. The name "Leo" comes from low Earth orbit. These satellites fly much closer to Earth than older satellite internet systems. That shorter distance can help reduce lag during video calls, streaming or online work.

Amazon says the network will use satellites, ground stations, fiber and customer antennas to connect people from space. The company also plans to offer different antennas for homes, businesses and other customers. In other words, Amazon wants Leo to become a serious internet option for places where cable, fiber or 5G home internet fall short.

Amazon Leo wraps Atlas V launches and moves to Vulcan

Amazon's July 2 mission was its 14th Leo launch. It was also the final launch in Amazon's Atlas V campaign with United Launch Alliance. Amazon says Atlas V launched 224 Leo satellites across eight missions with a 100% success rate. Now Amazon plans to move future ULA launches to the heavier Vulcan rocket, which can carry larger Leo payloads.

That change could help Amazon increase its deployment pace. Melissa Wuerl, Amazon Leo's director of launch systems, said the company has hundreds of flight-ready satellites waiting at Cape Canaveral. That detail stood out to me. Amazon may be late to the space internet race, but it clearly has hardware ready and a launch pipeline in motion.

Amazon Leo vs Starlink: where the race stands

Starlink still has the obvious lead. SpaceX started earlier, launched faster and already sells satellite internet in more than 150 countries, territories and markets, according to Starlink's availability map. Amazon Leo is at a very different stage. The company expects limited service later this year, with coverage and pricing still to come.

That means Starlink remains the more realistic choice if you need satellite internet today. Amazon Leo may become a stronger option later, especially if Amazon prices it aggressively or bundles it with business services. Still, I would not underestimate Amazon. The company has deep pockets, massive logistics experience and AWS, its cloud business, behind it. That combination could help Leo win customers in rural broadband, business connectivity, airlines and emergency backup systems.

Amazon Leo airline Wi-Fi plans

You may notice Amazon Leo on a plane before you see it on your roof. Amazon has already signed airline deals, including JetBlue and Delta. JetBlue plans to use Amazon's satellite technology to improve its free Fly-Fi service starting in 2027. Delta says Amazon Leo will roll out across hundreds of aircraft beginning in 2028, with an initial installation on 500 planes.

Amazon also introduced a commercial aviation antenna that it says can deliver speeds up to 1 Gbps down and 400 Mbps up. A single antenna can connect a full aircraft for entertainment, work and crew operations. That could make airline Wi-Fi feel much less painful. If Amazon can deliver stable service at cruising altitude, travelers will notice fast.

DAGEN MCDOWELL BLASTS BIG TECH FOR DATA-DRIVEN EFFICIENCY, IGNORING HUMAN COST

Amazon Leo direct-to-device phone service

Amazon also wants Leo to connect directly to phones and other cellular devices. That strategy became much bigger after Amazon announced plans to acquire Globalstar. Globalstar already supports satellite services used by Apple. Amazon says the deal will help Leo add direct-to-device services to future versions of its satellite network.

That could eventually help mobile carriers extend voice, text and data coverage beyond normal cell towers. Amazon also says its next-generation direct-to-device system will begin deploying in 2028. This could be very useful in dead zones, storms or emergencies. For now, though, treat satellite phone connectivity as backup coverage, not a full replacement for your carrier. If you want to prep your phone for emergencies now, check out this helpful guide on life-saving phone settings.

Why Amazon wants satellite internet customers

Satellite internet is becoming a much bigger business. Grand View Research estimates the global satellite internet market will grow from $13.3 billion in 2026 to $35.7 billion by 2033. That growth explains why Amazon wants in. Satellite internet can reach rural homes, farms, ships, planes, emergency teams and businesses that need backup connectivity.

Amazon also has a cloud advantage. Leo could connect directly with AWS services for companies that already rely on Amazon's cloud tools. That may give Amazon a stronger pitch for business customers than a regular home internet provider can offer. For everyday customers, the bigger benefit could be competition. Starlink, cable companies and 5G home internet providers may all have to work harder if Amazon becomes a serious broadband rival.

How to compare satellite internet before you switch

If Amazon Leo becomes available in your area, do not focus only on the name. Compare it the same way you would compare any internet service. Start with monthly price, equipment cost and installation needs. Then check download speed, upload speed, latency and data limits. You should also look at cancellation terms, customer support and whether the service works well in bad weather.

That last part is important. Satellite internet can be a lifesaver in places without reliable wired service. However, trees, storms and placement can affect performance. If you are already comparing providers, check out our article on how to get high speed internet at a discount rate. You can also review this breakdown of 5G home internet vs cable before you make a switch.

What this means to you

If you live in an area with poor internet choices, Amazon Leo could eventually give you more leverage. That alone is good news. Still, I would wait for Amazon to publish coverage maps, monthly pricing and real customer performance before getting too excited. A rocket launch is impressive, but your internet bill and actual speed at home matter more.

If you fly often, Leo may show up first as better in-flight Wi-Fi. JetBlue and Delta give Amazon a very public test. If the service feels fast and reliable in the air, that could build trust fast. For your phone, direct-to-device satellite service could become an emergency safety net. It may help when you are hiking, driving through a dead zone or stuck during a major outage.

At home, Amazon Leo could also push your current internet provider to improve. If you are dealing with slow speeds now, my tips on how to speed up your Wi-Fi and internet connection are a good place to start while Leo builds out.

JEFF BEZOS REPORTEDLY TOLD TRUMP THE WASHINGTON POST WAS HIS ‘WORST INVESTMENT’ BEFORE STAFF CUTS

Kurt's key takeaways

Amazon Leo has moved from an idea to a real satellite network with 396 satellites deployed, airline deals lined up and a direct-to-device phone strategy in the works. Still, Starlink has the lead today. It has more satellites, broader coverage and years of customer experience behind it. If you need satellite internet right now, Starlink is the one you can actually buy in many places. That said, I would not count Amazon out. Jeff Bezos knows how to enter a crowded market and make competitors sweat. If Amazon Leo forces better prices, faster service or more coverage, you could benefit even if you never put an Amazon antenna on your roof.

Would you trust Amazon to run your internet from space, or would you wait until Leo proves it can truly compete with Starlink? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com

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Jena Sims attemps to split the 'G' before leaving England, Ray Lewis trains in MMA & my war with Verizon

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 09:12:42 -0400

It doesn't get much more dog days of summer than this morning across the U.S. The sun is out for another edition of Monday Screencaps, but there's smoke in the air and we get just two NFL teams opening their training camps this week.

Weekend observations to get the week rolling:

I spent nearly four hours Saturday trying to prevent Verizon from bending me over. We're in a transition period where it's time for Screencaps the III to get an Apple Watch as he starts to add events to his social resume. I'm not here for a philosophical debate on kids having devices. If we're sending him to houses where there aren't home phones, then we need a way to communicate. Anyway, we went to an authorized Verizon store to run some numbers. Big mistake. Sales guy gives us a number and our "Services & Perks" number jumped $70. "Why is this number so high?" I asked. Sales guy calls my bluff. "Don't worry about that number, worry about your monthly bill. See, it doesn't go up that much," he tells me without answering what services and perks I'm getting. I tell the kids we're leaving. Sales guy is stunned. STUNNED. We walk out. After getting home, I jump on the phone with Verizon. Richard is the guy's name. 90 minutes later, he cannot show me a statement saying my monthly per phone charge will go down to $45. "Trust me," he says. The document I want to see isn't loading, blah, blah, blah. I hang up. I will give Richard credit. He helped me figure out that I was being double-charged for Netflix, and he magically found some "deal" where he wanted to help us save $3 per month for 3 months on Screencaps Jr.'s Apple Watch. SMH. Let's try again. At this point, I was hoping for an Asian lady because I've had success with them in the past. Jana (sp?) answers. In about 25 minutes, we had a deal, the $45 per line adjustment document was in my inbox and Jana had herself a sale.
I learned this weekend that Verizon charges $68/mo. for its phone insurance policy and IMO it's a massive scam. Google Gemini alerted me that the $68 plan gets you some sort of customer service help desk, blah, blah, blah. I've had it with the constant fleecing.
My semi-exact statement to Mrs. Screencaps after multiple bad visits to Verizon stores over the past two years: "I will never step foot inside a Verizon store unless it's an absolute last-resort situation." You cannot change my mind. It's definitely not the same company I supported 20 years ago.
Is it me or is it a bad idea for Ray Lewis to be training to become a stone-cold MMA killer?

CANADIAN WILDFIRE SMOKE IGNITES CROSS-BORDER FEUD OVER OTTAWA'S 'WILLFUL NEGLIGENCE'

Based on what I'm witnessing, Tom Brady has to be days away from securing a massive sack of cash from the WWE. That's the only explanation.
Outside of Bryson, that has to go down as one of the most-forgettable British Opens in Open history. I need these guys getting battered by rain in Scotland. Hopefully Rory enjoys his summer vacation.
Thank you to Jena Sims and her girlfriend for having fun and doing guy things in a Liverpool pub. At 37, Jena is that cool, hot mom every group needs. She drinks. She doesn't seem to care if her husband, Brooksie, goes off for 5-day golf benders with the boys. She probably curses like a sailor. She isn't afraid to chug Guinness for TikTok.

As I've written multiple times, it's at this age where too many Gen Xers decided to turn into yoga experts and pray to some butterfly goddess, especially during the COVID era. From what I'm seeing, Millennial women around Jena's age aren't going down that path and it's great to see.

I'm told the Tour de France is about to get real this week. I'm ready for it. Give me guys struggling to survive as they crank up some 14,000-foot mountain. I want to feel the pain and struggle as I sit in the man cave under a blanket at 9 p.m. this week.

What's the dumbest road sign you've ever seen?

– Phil S. in Florida emails: What’s the stupidest road sign anyone has seen? I'm aware of the "man opening an umbrella" from the UK. I have 3. I originally thought of this passing a sign in my neighborhood that kills me a little inside. "Narrow Bridge".

Down here in Florida it’s harder to get a DUI in a golf cart, so a lot of people have them, I also live by a golf course too. My problem is the kart path along the road has 3 or so feet of grass between it and the road, then suddenly the grass narrows and is eventually gone before going over the bridge and everything is squeezed together.

Then it widens again on the other side. Why not just build a wider bridge? It’s only 1 lane each way. These drunk retirees won’t question the $1.35 it cost each of them in cement and asphalt. I imagine a Ford Expedition and a Chevy Suburban meeting here in opposite directions is probably like passing on Bolivia’s death road.

The second is from my home town in Illinois, just around the corner from the house I mostly grew up in. There was a big field behind the house with a playground, along the road each way were signs depicting kids on a seesaw. I always looked at it and thought "beware seesawers" like they were going to seesaw into the street. I think the old "Watch for children" sign would’ve worked just fine… I guess Illinois had to spend all that tax money on something, like a stupid sign.

Last, having traveled and lived in many parts of this great country is a common sign in the southwest along highways in AZ UT CO. "Falling rock". Just 1 rock? How long has it been falling? Can we put a net up to catch it? This single rock seems to be a random hazard, not something that requires a road sign making me now pay attention to the cliff face on my right while navigating the steepest slope I’ve ever driven down while also behind a semi that keeps downshifting as I try not to ride my breaks down to bare metal or die from any of the many ways presented.

What’s the most pointless road sign you’ve seen?

Kirk B. in Duluth wants credit for some of that wildfire smoke

– He writes: Well and here we go again slamming Canada for all the bad forest fires & smoke conditions........but this started in the BWCA in northern & north & eastern Minnesota these fires started because of a lightning strike a couple of weeks ago and has spread to 15 individual fires burning in north & eastern Minnesota now it has jumped the border and other fires already

I live 2 1/2 - 3 hours south of the fires in Duluth Minnesota & we went through almost three days of real bad days of smoke to the ground worse than when it gets dark gloomy and foggy during the day and people complain about how bad it's been they should be just a few hours from the fires we have been warned that it's not over with the bad forest fire smoke for the future and to expect more days before it'll get better

It might be time for me to post a pool rules sign

– Joey in Pekin, IL has one that has one that has served him well over the years: Great topics as always! I'm a little late to this one but you've brought me off the sidelines with your pool conundrum. Attached is the sign for our pool. A little weathered now, but it's done the job with the first 2 kids, and the 3rd is almost 17, without any major claims. That's success if you ask me!

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That's it this morning as we head deep into July. Keep in mind the Cardinals and Panthers report to camp on Wednesday. We just have to hold on. Football will be here before you know it. Buckle down. Clean out the garage. Go golfing. Stay busy.

Let's get after it.

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NASCAR's throwback weekend included a shocking nod to religion, Brexton Busch emotional win & fighting words?

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 09:01:59 -0400

It took three decades, but North Wilkesboro came back to life this weekend for actual points-paying NASCAR races.

You wanna see what the Cup field look like the last time they raced there?

Jeff Gordon beat Dale Earnhardt, Dale Jarrett, Jeff Burton and Terry Labonte on Sept. 29, 1996. Lordy. What a top-five!

With all due respect to today's NASCAR, these fellas ain't touching those guys.

DALE EARNHARDT JR. BROUGHT NASCAR BACK TO LIFE 25 YEARS AGO THIS WEEKEND, BUT THE PAIN IS BACK

Not now, not tomorrow, not ever. A better time. A simpler time.

That being said, Joey Logano came close Sunday night, leading 323 of the 450 laps and holding off Denny Hamlin to win for the first time in well over a year.

That's right. Joey Logano — a three-time NASCAR champ — had somehow gone over a year between Cup wins. In fact, he'd barely led a lap before Sunday night at North Wilkesboro.

Did it make the race boring? Eh. A little. But that's less on Joey, and more on NASCAR for this terrible short-track product. Thanks, Next Gen car!

What else y'all wanna talk about today? How about the faith in and around the track all weekend long? Seriously. I know NASCAR is the only sport left that really acknowledges God (Lord knows it ain't the WNBA!), but it was kicked up a notch at North Wilkesboro.

What an invocation! And what a Truck Series sponsor! You'll see.

I've also got Brexton Busch winning on Friday for the first time since his dad died in May, and buddy, it was a surreal site. He even did the signature bow. Incredible.

OK, four tires, enough Sunoco racing fuel to get us to Indy, and maybe some communion for anyone who missed this weekend's service at at North Wilkesboro ... Monday Morning Pit-Stop — the 'NASCAR Goes Back In Time' edition — is LIVE!

NASCAR goes back to its roots in more ways than one

Look, Joey Logano absolutely dominated this race. At one point, there were, like, four cars on the lead lap. Chase Elliott, William Byron and Kyle Larson all got caught a lap down early thanks to just a horribly-timed caution, and they never recovered.

I believe we finished this one with a total of six cars on the lead lap. Six! That's almost unheard of in today's NASCAR.

But this was a typical North Wilkesboro race. They used to average about 13 cars on the lead lap back in the day, and that's pretty much what we got last night.

To me, though, this was a successful weekend for NASCAR — for a couple different reasons.

North Wilkesboro deserved to be revived, and the fans didn't disappoint. Look at this crowd:

We've seen some rough-looking crowds this season (looking at you, Bristol), but not this weekend. Not at North Wilkesboro. They waited 30 years for a real race, and they weren't going to miss it.

The whole weekend felt like a NASCAR throwback to me. The Winston Cup signage still up at the track. The manual scoring pylons. The racing itself. NASCAR needs more of this, and less of the Mexico City nonsense we saw last year, or the Chicago Street nonsense we saw the year before.

Go where you belong. Go where you are wanted. Go where you are appreciated. Quit trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.

Speaking of going back to its roots, did anyone else here notice NASCAR really leaning into religion this weekend? For starters, Saturday's Truck race was called the "FaithFest 250" and the logos around the track all came with "Jesus is Lord" at the bottom:

Lordy. The Libs must've been just fuming after that. Angel Reese spent all weekend accusing some liberal Australian coach of being racist, while NASCAR was running the FaithFest Jesus is Lord 250.

Choose your fighter(s), America.

Speaking of this weekend's North Wilkesboro sermon, how about the invocation before Sunday night's Cup race? This might've been one of the better ones we've had in a while:

Brexton Busch, IndyCar vs NASCAR & cleaning the mailbox

"I want to proclaim Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God."

Again, you ain't getting that sort of content out of the WNBA! I dump on NASCAR a lot, mainly because I like to keep them honest and someone has to hold their you-know-what to the fire.

But, credit where it's due ... this felt like a throwback weekend in more ways than one. Remember how miserable this series was six years right now? In that absolutely insufferable summer of 2020.

"The Summer of George!"

We've come a long way. NASCAR appears to be righting the ship. This was another good step.

OK, couple quickies on the way out. First? Brexton Busch won for the first time since his dad, Kyle Busch, died two months ago, and it was quite a scene at Port City Raceway in Oklahoma:

Goodness. Samantha Busch also wrote about the win on her Instagram, posting a video of Brexton's bow with the caption: "Your bow. Your legacy. Our boy."

Quick reminder: Kyle's No. 8 RCR Chevy is being parked until Brexton wants it when he's eligible. Seems like he's on track for it.

Next? Let's clean out the inbox on the way out. It's almost August, you know?

From Bob (not Pockrass, sadly):

NASCAR needs to alternate between North Wilkesboro and Atlanta every other week; screw the other tracks.

Thanks, Bob! I wouldn't mind that, although I would miss the $9 Busch Light drafts at Daytona twice a year. One more month! Can't wait.

Speaking of those other races ... from Bill C:

As a long-time NASCAR fanatic, I now watch only the O'Reilly races (Saturday). They are exciting, with a lot of good and interesting drivers who are easy to root for. Since Kevin Harvick stopped racing, the "other" race has not attracted me. O'Reilly races are fun, interesting, and exciting. As far as I'm concerned it is the only car race in town and the drivers are more human and accessible.

Thanks, Bill! O'Reilly (Busch) Series races have exploded in popularity over the past year, mainly because the car isn't the absolute piece of crap the new Cup cars are. It lends to much better racing. No argument here.

That being said, I'm not sure a world exists where I'm watching an O'Reilly race over a Cup one. That's a sort of commitment that I don't have.

As for Cup races being boring ... that leads me nicely into these ... questionable ... comments from IndyCar driver Scott Dixon:

"I find it really hard to watch a Cup race these days ... it allows for a good nap."

NASCAR fans are livid at Scott today, which is fair. In no way, shape or form should an INDYCAR driver be lecturing NASCAR on the excitement level of races. That's the pot calling the kettle black.

That being said, Scott, I believe, was referring more to the length of NASCAR Cup Series races nowadays. In that vein, he is 100% right.

They are far too long, including Sunday night's race at North Wilkesboro.

Thoughts, NASCAR fans? Let me know!

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Until then ... See y'all at Indy.

Here's truck series driver Toni Breidinger dominating the ESPYs to hold everyone over:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"You can sign an affidavit," Warner said.

Karl said an affidavit was not required.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"It requires my generation of politicians to raise our game and rise to the new challenge. Britain needs to show the world that we can regain our stability once again, and that is our challenge to make politics work, to make it work better," he said.

"I know people at home are fed up with politics. I hear you and I want to be honest with you: We have not been good enough, and we need to be better. We will be."

Burnham called for sweeping political and economic changes.

UK PM ANDY BURNHAM REJECTS THATCHER-ERA POLICIES, SIGNALS LEFTWARD SHIFT

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

"In the 1980s, Britain took some wrong turns. Political power was centralized, economic power privatized, large parts of the country deindustrialized, and they still haven't recovered.

"Many feel as though they're still in decline, and they don't have the ability to turn things around."

Burnham vowed to "bring forward a new plan for Britain."

"A 10-year plan, laying out a path from where we are now to where I believe we all want Britain to be – wherever we're coming from, whatever party we support," he said. "But I can do something to give people some breathing space now, some help with the cost of living. And I will set out some of those measures starting tomorrow, including how we pay for them.

"We will help more young people into work by changing the education system and giving them more support, more mental health support, and we will build more council homes. That is the fair and sustainable way to bring the welfare bill down to meet our fiscal rules and to honor our commitments on defense to our international partners."

ANDY BURNHAM ELECTED LABOUR LEADER, SET TO BECOME UK PRIME MINISTER

His first order of business in office will be "to end rough sleeping in our country."

"It's about putting the right values and the right standards at the heart of government," he concluded. "I will put the care of people at the heart of everything I do.

"I will give this my all and I ask you all to pull with me. Let's build a new national sense of unity, of common purpose and positivity. Let us make this the moment when Britain starts to believe again, the moment we bring back hope. Thank you very much, everybody."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Panettiere realized she needed treatment.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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