Latest & Breaking News | Fox News

Trump gives every nation an easy choice: Do business with America or terrorist Iran

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 05:00:52 -0400

When President Donald Trump announced last week that he would subject Iran to unprecedented economic pressure, critics crowed that this shift was tantamount to an admission that the Operation Epic Fury had failed. Yet such a policy is not only completely consistent with the president’s approach during his first term, but has a significantly greater chance of working because of Epic Fury’s actual military success.

Now, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s announcement of the so-called "D-Day" sanctions of Operation Economic Outcast, the pressure on Iran is about to become intolerable, giving Trump overwhelming leverage to force the nuclear deal he wants on Tehran.

Between 2019 and 2021, Trump directed the implementation of the Maximum Pressure campaign against Iran. The most aggressive sanctions program in modern history, it was designed to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon by starving it of the economic resources to build one.

TRUMP’S ECONOMIC D-DAY CAN HAMMER IRAN, BUT WILL TEHRAN EVER SURRENDER?

Naysayers predicted it would fail, but the opposite turned out to be true. Iran’s oil exports dropped below 400,000 barrels a day, down from 2.5 million a day. Iran’s inflation soared to 30%. Accessible foreign currency reserves were slashed from $122 billion to a dismal $12 billion.

All for the simple reason: Given the choice between doing business with the United States or Iran, any country that can add and subtract picked the U.S.

AMB GORDON SONDLAND: OUR ALLIES ENJOYED A FREE RIDE TRADING WITH IRAN. TRUMP IS SHUTTING THAT DOWN

What a contrast with the Biden administration’s approach. When it chose to start negotiations for a new nuclear deal with Iran by preemptively ending enforcement of the sanctions rather than increasing the leverage these sanctions provided, Iran welcomed the relief but did not make any efforts to reach a deal. While inflation remained high, oil exports quickly rose to 1.6 million barrels a day, foreign currency reserves rose to $26 billion, and unemployment hit a record low of 7.2%.

Once again, these funds were poured into a ballooning military budget, an ever-more sophisticated nuclear program and regional terrorist proxies. What was spent domestically was not invested in drivers of economic growth but rather in food and fuel subsidies in an effort to mollify the Iranian people.

TRUMP BETS ECONOMIC PRESSURE CAN SQUEEZE IRAN AS REGIME’S OWN FAILURES DEEPEN THE PAIN

When Trump returned to office in 2025, Iran had sponsored the Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and made alarming progress toward a nuclear weapon. The president immediately directed the reimposition of Maximum Pressure, which rapidly took effect because the structural economic weakness caused during his first term had not been remedied. Inflation rose to 50% in the lead-up to the Twelve-Day War last year, after which the situation got considerably worse.

In the lead-up to Operation Epic Fury, inflation in Iran was at 50% and accelerating, the rial was around 1.87 million to the dollar, one major bank had collapsed, and five others were in trouble, nationwide protests had been brutally suppressed but not resolved and foreign exchange channels were narrowing. The war compounded these problems through the destruction of energy infrastructure, notably at Kharg Island and the South Pars gas field, as well as petrochemicals facilities.

TRUMP’S OPERATION EPIC FURY HUMILIATED THE EXPERTS AND REDREW THE MIDDLE EAST

But by far Trump’s most devastating tool was the imposition of the U.S. blockade on Iranian exports through the Strait of Hormuz last April. Iran is now losing an additional $13 billion a month and is also cut off from critical imports. Iran’s own estimate is a 10% economic contraction, the rial is hitting a record 2 million to the dollar, inflation is climbing still higher, and the pressure on the banking system remains acute.

Iran is cut off, having alienated regional neighbors who might have helped it. Even traditional clients such as China are alarmed by the exposure ongoing commerce with Iran represents.

IRAN COULD UNLEASH ‘KINETIC’ RESPONSE AS US TIGHTENS ECONOMIC CONTAINMENT, ANALYST WARNS

The sanctions Bessent announced Monday are going to accelerate economic decline into a collapse. No longer are such measures being considered a discrete tool in a larger effort to encourage Tehran to negotiate. They are now part of a crushing campaign to force a surrender.

Iran’s airlines will not be allowed to fly, its bank branches will be closed, and anyone who does business with the regime will be considered complicit in its terrorism and can expect to also be cut off from the U.S. financial system. While there is going to be a period for allies to wind down their business with Iran, no one will be exempt. All those who want to continue doing business with America should take note.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION

Sadly, for the people of Iran, the situation did not have to be this dire. Iran should be a wealthy, powerful country, secure at home and at peace with its neighbors. It still could be if Tehran agrees to the reasonable deal Trump has proffered time and time again by renouncing its nuclear program and ceasing to project hostile power beyond its borders.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

But if it refuses the only path to survival left open to it, according to the terms the Treasury secretary has laid out, Iran’s economy will soon simply cease to exist. And it will have only itself to blame.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM VICTORIA COATES

Spanberger AG draws fire over two-front fight against Trump enforcement agenda

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 05:00:50 -0400

Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones is drawing fire over two disputes involving the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement agenda — a civil rights investigation into a rural sheriff’s traffic-stop practices amid his cooperation with ICE. and a legal challenge involving federal access to commercial driver records.

Virginia House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore told Fox News Digital that the two disputes reflect what he characterized as a broader unwillingness by Virginia’s Democratic leadership to cooperate with President Donald Trump. His criticism came as Jones announced a probe into Greene County Sheriff Steve Smith.

"That's just this whole administration's modus operandi, to put it bluntly, they are so mad at Trump, they want to make sure they don't want to cooperate with Trump in any area whatsoever, and they want make it unsafe for Virginians," Kilgore, R-Gate City, told Fox News Digital in an interview.

FIRST ON FOX: DOJ SUES SPANBERGER’S VIRGINIA OVER LAWS KNEECAPPING FEDERAL AGENTS AS MASK WAR ESCALATES

The criticism comes as Jones’ Office of Civil Rights notified Smith that it launched an investigation into allegations involving the Greene County Sheriff’s Office’s traffic-stop practices and cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

"I applaud the Greene County sheriff for working with ICE to make that we don't have illegals on our roads, illegals out here committing crimes and things of that nature, unlike our attorney general, who's the chief law enforcement officer of our state out here picking fights with sheriffs over illegal immigrants," Kilgore said.

The dispute comes amid a broader shift in Virginia’s immigration enforcement policy under Spanberger

On her first day in office, Spanberger — who endorsed Jones — rescinded former Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s order encouraging ICE cooperation. She later signed a law on April 22 sponsored by Del. Alfonso Lopez, D-Arlington, restricting state and local participation in federal civil immigration enforcement.

ICE RESUMES NATIONWIDE TRAFFIC STOPS UNDER NEW POLICY REQUIRING BODY CAMERAS

"[My office] has reviewed allegations that GCSO may be conducting traffic stops in violation of state law and the Constitution," Jones’ Office of Civil Rights wrote to Smith while demanding records concerning immigration enforcement policies, training materials and interagency agreements.

Smith’s deputies have participated in several operations with ICE — notable for a small, rural county located along major transportation routes.

A June operation near the intersection of U.S. 29 and U.S. 33 resulted in 49 people being detained by ICE. U.S. 29 connects Washington, D.C., with Charlottesville and points south, while U.S. 33 connects Richmond with western Virginia.

A Honduran man identified by DHS as an MS-13 gang member was among 26 people arrested during another operation in nearby Ruckersville in May.

"Tell me what kind of message that's sending to the citizens of Virginia — that it's more important for me to protect illegal folks who are here illegally than to protect our citizens here," Kilgore said.

Smith had previously defended his operations in comments to Charlottesville media, saying his deputies apply reasonable suspicion — "the same as we do for all vehicles" — as the standard for initiating traffic stops.

Local activists accused deputies of profiling, while Smith said speeding, failure to maintain a lane and running red lights most often prompt traffic stops.

"Oh, look, the Virginia AG is going after a cop for doing actual cop things," former Del. Nick Freitas added in a statement.

Fox News Digital reached out to Jones, Spanberger and ICE for comment.

Smith declined to comment to Fox News Digital, citing his retention of counsel, but previously told the Piedmont Journal-Recorder that he will "continue to assist ICE with their operations" after discussing the new law with Del. Karen Hamilton, R-Stanardsville.

State Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, the Democrats’ 2009 gubernatorial nominee whose district neighbors Greene County, said he was "disappointed" by the situation.

"Certainly we all want people who come into this country to come in legally, but the people that are here are for the most part here to fill a need and that’s work," he told CVilleRightNow.

Former Del. Kim Taylor, R-Petersburg, who received a politically motivated death threat during the 2025 election, referenced graphic text messages Jones sent to another former lawmaker imagining the murder of former Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah. The "two bullets" scandal nearly torpedoed Jones’ campaign.

TRUMP ADMIN TRUCKING CRACKDOWN LANDS 51 IMMIGRATION DETENTIONS, 36 ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY VIOLATIONS

Taylor told Fox News Digital that she considers Jones’ actions hypocritical given his past messages.

"For an attorney general who once talked about putting ‘two bullets’ in a political opponent to now lecture law enforcement is hypocrisy at its worst," she said.

Alongside his investigation into Smith, Jones joined a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s demand for a bulk transfer of commercial-driver records covering roughly 17 million drivers as the U.S. Department of Transportation cracks down on drivers who cannot meet English-language requirements or illegal immigrant truckers accused of causing deadly wrecks.

Jones celebrated U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga, a George W. Bush appointee, temporarily blocking the bulk transfer of the records, calling it an "important win for protecting the privacy of millions of commercial drivers."

An ICE spokesperson confirmed the Ruckersville operation near US-29, including the arrests of 49 illegal immigrants.

"All of the illegal aliens were transported to ICE facilities for further processing and will receive due process. They will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings," the spokesperson said.

"Partnerships with law enforcement are critical to having the resources we need to arrest illegal aliens across the country. When politicians bar local law enforcement from working with DHS, our law enforcement officers have to have a more visible presence so that we can find and apprehend the criminals let out of jails and back into communities," they added.

Kilgore, whose southwestern Virginia district includes mountainous stretches of U.S. 58 and lies near Interstate 81, told Fox News Digital that the suit is "just another way that they try to stick their thumb in the administration's eye."

SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER

"Once again, we're siding with illegals or foreigners who are here driving 18-wheelers… who could harm our citizens because they're not qualified," Kilgore said.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

"I don't understand why the Democrats are so, so against these activities [that] make sure that our highways are safe."

Fox News Digital's Hannah Brennan contributed to this report.

Gender equity, DEI, climate action: How the Smithsonian’s woke push ‘infiltrated’ America's most beloved Zoo

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 05:00:49 -0400

FIRST ON FOX: As the Trump administration continues to crack down on far-left messaging and agenda items within the Smithsonian Institution, a Fox News Digital review found that the Smithsonian National Zoo has been adopting "woke" messaging and programming of its own over the past several years.

Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, which hosts roughly 2 million visitors each year at its Washington, D.C. national zoo and operates a global conservation research program spanning more than 40 countries, has placed an emphasis on issues like DEI and climate change, according to its own website.

"Gender equity, civil liberties and justice are necessary ingredients for peace and prosperity, but they also have a direct impact on resource use and climate change," a 2021 article on the organization’s website reads.

The article, written by seabird ecologist Autumn-Lynn Harrison and coral biologist Mary Hagedorn, makes the case that "one direct way we can bolster climate action is by addressing inequities in health and education across the globe."

TRUMP V. SMITHSONIAN: A TIMELINE OF HOW THE WHITE HOUSE FIGHT OVER 'WOKE' HISTORY UNFOLDED

Searching "climate change" on the Zoo’s website yields almost 400 results, including articles warning about its impacts on vernal pools, salamanders, wildfires, coral nurseries, and a variety of other aspects of wildlife.

In addition to attempting to root out political messaging in the Smithsonian, which Fox News Digital has extensively reported on, the Trump administration has also placed a focus on rooting out DEI practices within the federal government, practices that appear to be a high priority for the Smithsonian Zoo.

"Diversity and inclusion are integral to all aspects of the Smithsonian Institution's operations and key components of the Smithsonian Strategic Plan," the 2023 Smithsonian Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Report, which includes several pages specific to the Zoo’s DEI efforts, explains.

SMITHSONIAN EXEC WHO SAID DEI 'MUST BE AT THE CENTER' OF INSTITUTIONS IS RAKING IN EYE-POPPING SALARY

The report outlines several DEI programs undertaken by the National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute during that fiscal year, including diversity-focused internships, LGBTQ family programming at the Zoo featuring rainbow-themed animal enrichment, and efforts to promote inclusive language in the Zoo and aquarium profession.

"Americans visit zoos to learn about conservation efforts and admire animals, not to be shamed or feel guilt-ridden," Independent Women’s Forum Center for Energy and Conservation director Gabriella Hoffman told Fox News Digital. "Conservation has, sadly, been infiltrated by elements of DEI, ESG, and climate alarmism. This invites confusion and division into a space that should be science-first."

A 2021 Smithsonian Magazine article promoted how the National Zoo helped launch the Association of Minority Zoo and Aquarium Professionals, aimed at increasing racial and ethnic minority representation in Zoo and aquarium careers through networking, outreach, mentorship and professional development.

"As the curator of large carnivores at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and a black man in the zoo field, I have long been keenly aware of the dearth of black and brown faces in my chosen field," Smithsonian curator Craig Saffoe wrote in the article headlined: "Why a Group of Zoo and Aquarium Professionals Wants to Ensure the Future of Their Field Is More Inclusive."

"After years of thinking about what I could do to try to address this situation, I finally decided to, as my mother told me growing up, ‘stop talking about it, and be about it.’"

FORMER DEMOCRATIC STAFFERS, DEI LEADERS SHAPE SMITHSONIAN LEADERSHIP AMID POLITICAL FIRESTORM

LGBTQ family programming has been a consistent theme at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo which has used its annual International Family Equality Day to conduct outreach to the LGBTQ community. The free event, which the Zoo says it has hosted annually since 2018, has featured animal encounters, keeper talks, music, games and community activities. Zoo staff have also created rainbow-themed animal enrichment and treats, including colorful ice cakes, for animals throughout the park.

The event expanded its community partnerships in 2024, when the Zoo hosted representatives from the DC Center for the LGBTQ Community, SMYAL, Rainbow Families, Brave Trails and the Smithsonian Pride Alliance. The program included a performance by the LGBTQ-and-allied GenOUT Youth Chorus, a community picnic with local LGBTQ organizations and music that highlighted queer identity and inclusion. The outside groups referred to the gathering as "Gay Day at the Zoo," while the Zoo’s programming was formally billed as International Family Equality Day.

"In places like the National Zoo, especially a taxpayer-funded organization like the National Zoo, zoos have a primary mission of conservation and species management, habitat management, that kind of thing, and when ideologies, or at least science that is in question, start to take over and really rule the management of an organization like the zoo, then you start to have problems," Jason Hayes, a Senior Research Fellow with the Heritage Foundation's Center for Energy, Climate, and Environment, told Fox News Digital.

In January 2025, the Smithsonian organization announced that it was eliminating its Office of Diversity in line with the Trump administration’s efforts but noted it is "retaining our efforts at visitor accessibility as it serves a critical function."

However, several work profiles listed on the Zoo’s website as of this week still contain language suggesting DEI is part of their daily activities, including the Zoo’s profile of Elliott Ferguson, president and CEO of Destination DC and a member of the Zoo’s advisory board, which says advancing the tourism and hospitality industry is a priority for him and that his work includes "diversity, equity and inclusion," conversations about racism and expanding opportunities for people of color."

The profile also notes that he previously chaired Tourism Diversity Matters, a hospitality-workforce organization focused on DEI.

SMITHSONIAN'S TAXPAYER FUNDS FACE CHOPPING BLOCK AS GOP DEMANDS ACCOUNTABILITY FOR 'WOKE' HISTORY

Ricardo Stanoss, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute’s director for conservation capacity, was listed in the FY2023 diversity report as the principal investigator for an in-progress community advisory group that held listening sessions with D.C. leaders and explored development of a diversity-focused internship program and a master’s degree focused on environmental justice and climate change.

Additionally, The Zoo’s Great Plains Science Program website currently lists "Inclusion" among its core values, pledging to create pathways for people from underrepresented groups to participate in its work and cultivate a new generation of conservationists. Several of the researchers associated with that project have biographies that underscore its emphasis on inclusion and Native community engagement.

The Zoo also continues to partner with groups that have made DEI a central focus, including the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), of which the Zoo is a long-standing accredited member. The Zoo participates in AZA conservation and animal-management programs and must meet its accreditation standards, including a requirement that member institutions maintain written plans for accessible, welcoming organizational cultures.

AZA’s website says DEI is "embedded in everything we do" and the group wrote in 2020 that "systemic racism is embedded in our structures, culture and organizations, and we are committed to positive and sustained change that dismantles these barriers."

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Brandie Smith, the current director of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, joined the Smithsonian in 2008 after spending 10 years as AZA’s vice president of animal conservation.

Beyond its AZA accreditation, the Smithsonian is a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, a global conservation organization whose current gender policy calls for gender-responsive conservation and inclusive participation across race, sexual orientation and gender identity. The policy governs IUCN staff and is advisory for member institutions.

The Zoo also works with the Zoological Society of London on the scimitar-horned oryx recovery effort. ZSL’s FAIRER Conservation program says it uses a "decolonial lens" and aims to embed "justice, equity and inclusion" in its conservation work.

Fox News Digital asked the Smithsonian’s National Zoo for comment and inquired about any current implementation of DEI in the organization but did not receive a response. Instead, a spokesperson provided a statement saying, "The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute is the Nation’s Zoo—a place where people can experience wildlife, learn about the natural world and see conservation in action."

The spokesperson added, "The Zoo connects millions of people with wildlife while advancing a global mission to save species."

Hoffman explained that "activists have long targeted zoos simply because they exist."

"Kowtowing to these extremists — thinking the crocodile will eat you last by adopting these views — will invite extinction, not longevity," Hoffman said. "The Smithsonian Zoo shouldn't alienate visitors with political lectures and empty platitudes. The zoo should stick to showcasing pandas, not pandering to radicals. More imperiled species would be conserved and recovered today by de-emphasizing woke policies that are anathema to conservation efforts."

Data centers forgot the consumer — and that could cost America the AI race

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 05:00:42 -0400

Data centers have gone from a niche policy issue to one of the most controversial topics of the midterm elections. Fewer than 30% of Americans support a data center being built in their community and the reason why is simple; the industry forgot about consumers.

Data centers didn't suddenly appear with artificial intelligence. They have long powered the internet, cloud computing, streaming, online shopping, banking, and countless other services Americans use every day. But the emergence of AI changed their scale and visibility. Companies began proposing larger facilities with new demands for electricity, water, and space, often in communities where residents had little idea what was coming until the project was already well underway.

The industry had plenty to say about investment, innovation, and America's race to lead the world in AI. All true and all important, but it did so in a way that alienated the average person with jargon, tech-talk, and a "trust me" approach.

SILICON VALLEY IS LOSING THE DATA CENTER FIGHT, RISKING A REPEAT OF A CLASSIC FAILURE

Most consumers have yet to hear a good reason why they personally benefit from data centers to begin with. They hear data centers will power the technologies of the future, but that is a difficult sales pitch when families are worried that their electric bills could rise or their water supply could be strained.

As a result, consumers have stepped into the conversation and begun to make their concerns known, and politicians are being forced to respond.

TEXAS GOV. GREG ABBOTT EFFECTIVELY PAUSES NEW DATA CENTER PROJECTS PENDING STATEWIDE GRID AUDIT

In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott has issued a pause to audit all new data center projects to ensure they meet consumer demands. Georgia has also moved in the same direction, with the Georgia Public Service Commission adopting rules to prevent costs associated with serving data centers from being shifted onto residential customers and small businesses. Most recently, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro imposed restrictions on data center development, removing the projects from the state’s Fast Track permitting program.

This isn’t rocket science. Consumers want answers on electricity, water, and noise. And once that is answered, they want to know what benefit they will have from a data center being built in their own backyard.

AI'S MASSIVE APPETITE FOR POWER, WATER IGNITES FIGHT IN HIGH-STAKES TEXAS SENATE RACE

The failure of the industry to address these concerns at the outset has unfortunately made way for the same climate activist groups who have protested the energy industries for years to gain significant ground in the policy debate surrounding data centers. According to congressional inquiries and investigative research, Chinese state media and foreign-funded networks have allegedly played a major role as well.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION

But all is not yet lost. Reasonable consumers understand data centers power everything from healthcare and emergency response to research and banking and welcome the economic growth, if done right — and modern data centers are addressing many of their concerns. They are leveraging closed-loop cooling systems that reuse and significantly reduce water consumption, they’re making changes that cut the noise disturbance, and they’re finding ways to bring their own power or building out and strengthening the grid.

TOP ENERGY GROUP WARNS WEALTHY FOREIGNERS ARE POTENTIALLY BANKROLLING ANTI-DATA CENTER CAMPAIGNS ACROSS US

There are more stories coming out about the benefits data centers are having in communities. In Loudoun County, Virginia, data centers have provided a massive boost to local revenues, including generating almost half of the county’s property tax revenues. In Quincy, Washington, revenues generated by data centers have helped fund a new hospital, police and fire stations, city hall, a $120 million high school, and more local projects. And in Ellendale, North Dakota, a data center development has taken the city’s annual sales tax revenue from about $400,000 a year to $3.5 million in the first seven months of 2026.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The industry was wrong to ignore their most powerful ally, the consumer. In the same way consumers used their power to halt the momentum of ESG and woke capitalism, they’re demanding modern data centers that mitigate risks while bringing clear evidence of community benefit. If the industry listens to consumers, then data centers may have a place in our communities after all.

MORNING GLORY: Hasan Piker’s radical rhetoric is becoming Democrats’ 2026 brand

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 05:00:33 -0400

At least Marx, Lenin and Mao were well read.

Social media influencer Hasan Piker wears his Mao jacket and hoses his Twitch audience down with absurd political takes that do not betray any evidence that Rutgers University obliged him to read even a book or two of serious history before he graduated in 2013. Rutgers is a fine school and anyone can get a great education there, but Piker’s "body of work" shows us that serious study there is quite obviously not obligatory.

Piker uses social media to monetize the worst impulses of the extremes in American politics. In the course of doing so, he has become the face of the Democratic Party in the 2026 midterms, and has personally carried the most radical major-party candidate in memory — Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed — to his party’s nomination for United States Senate.

HASAN PIKER SINGS MOCKING 'WE ARE CHARLIE KIRK' SONG AT LIVE PODCAST SHOW

Piker has now gone so "supernova radical" that some Democratic leaders and elected officials have had to rebuke him without naming him — including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Sen. Elissa Slotkin — and others, like New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, have slapped Piker down by name.

This past weekend, Piker exploited the assassination of Charlie Kirk on September 10 of last year — to the great disgust of the vast majority of Americans who saw the mocking performance as it went viral. The exploitation of the suffering of Charlie’s family, friends and colleagues is despicable, but the need to make himself outrageous and at the center of attention for a deranged circle of followers — and thus contagious online — has overwhelmed any sense of decency in Piker.

EL-SAYED DISAVOWS HASAN PIKER'S 9/11 COMMENTS BUT DECRIES 'CANCEL CULTURE'

Piker is from the extreme left, and the record is full of his inanities and his outrages. He is best and most infamously known for blurting out years ago that "America deserved 9/11," but as recently as last week, his comments about American Jews endangering themselves because of their support of Israel pushed the alarm buttons for Democrats across the spectrum. What seemed to some to be a warning of a looming Kristallnacht may have finally obliged most Democrats to explicitly exile Piker from their tribe. (One exception though is still El-Sayed, who shimmies from ambiguous statement to ambiguous statement about Piker but won’t disown the radical who is now effectively the Michigan Democrat's running mate.)

After graduating from Rutgers, Piker learned his trade from his uncle Cenk Uygur, co-founder and host of "The Young Turks," a sprawling digital media operation. Piker learned the ropes of the "attention economy" there, then amplified the schtick right on through the land of the "outrage economy" and into what Mary Katharine Ham of the "Getting Hammered" podcast described to her co-host Vic Matus last week as the "personality disorder attention economy."

ELISSA SLOTKIN CALLS OUT HASAN PIKER FOR BLAMING JEWISH AMERICANS TARGETED OVER THEIR ISRAEL VIEWS

That approach to garnering audience and thus profits was on display this weekend with Piker’s revolting mocking of grief around Kirk’s murder, a video that will injure every Democrat associated with him, most especially Abdul El-Sayed, the Democrats’ candidate for Senate in Michigan, whom Piker got over the top for the nomination with a closing campaign blitz (and pool party).

Other political figures who will be injured by Piker’s increasingly unhinged antics are Democratic Socialists of America-endorsed candidates for United States Senate, like Chris Pappas in New Hampshire. The DSA-adjacent hard-left Senate candidates among the Democrats — like Troy Jackson in Maine, James Talarico in Texas, and Peggy Flanagan in Minnesota — are also getting pulled down by Piker. Piker may never have met or even spoken with or about these candidates, but he has become the new face of the Democratic Party, its new "voice." Piker, like the DSA, is now effectively running with every Democrat in every race.

JONATHAN TURLEY: PIKER'S CHARLIE KIRK ATTACK SHOWS HE IS HATEFUL LEFT'S PIED PIPER

The DSA is said to have about 120,000 dues-paying members. It appears to have nearly as many co-chairs, and not one of them can make a coherent argument about anything but their "we hate the Constitution" takes, while their extreme rhetoric has laid an oily film over every Democratic candidate. Piker then dances about the various stages — online and real — tossing matches. Voters notice.

Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer was pressed by Punchbowl News on the Piker- and DSA-led capture of his party’s leadership and momentum and could only lamely reply that "What people don’t understand is that a big tent is a strength, not a weakness. It’s how you build a majority."

SCHUMER DODGES QUESTION ON WHETHER DSA BELONGS IN DEMOCRATIC PARTY

That’s a lot of copium.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune doesn’t have to play that game. He doesn’t have a problem like Schumer’s Piker problem. Voters awake to the Democrats’ double-time march over the left cliff of American politics and into a Marxist fever swamp won’t be fooled by "Medicare for All" slogans.

Voters in Michigan, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire and Texas, to name just a few Senate races where radicalism will cripple Democratic candidacies, can’t help but notice and be repelled by Piker. Piker lives everywhere these days, and he’s taken over the emerging wing of the Democratic Party. Voters have noticed. And they will remember through November.

SHOCKING PERCENTAGE OF DEMOCRATS IDENTIFY AS 'DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS' ACCORDING TO NEW POLL: 'TOXIC POLICIES'

There is a quality of frenzy about Piker that repels moderate Americans who love the country and who exist in both parties and as independents. Piker’s Maoist rants and his long list of transgressive assaults on norms are having a cumulative impact on Democrats because Piker, like the DSA as a whole, is understood to be the future of the Democratic Party, not a fringe figure who can’t break onto stages with candidates.

Piker is estimated to have a cumulative audience of three million "Twitch" viewers and another couple million viewers on YouTube. But that’s still an insignificant audience within the American voting public, save for very close races like the Michigan Democratic Senate earlier this month, which Piker delivered for El-Sayed.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION

Now Democrats have to ask themselves: "At what cost do we continue to indulge this fanatic with his violent, profane rhetoric and horrible arguments built on slogans and absurd assertions?"

Most voters want a better life for themselves and their families. They don’t want the French Revolution or the Russian Revolution or Mao’s or Castro’s murderous reigns of terror.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Piker is the brand of Democrats in 2026.

We will have to watch to see whether candidates for the party’s nomination for president in 2028 work to scrub that brand away in the months ahead.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM HUGH HEWITT

Man accused of using fake Chief Justice Roberts signature to get own criminal case dismissed

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 03:00:52 -0400

A man accused of using a forged signature of Chief Justice John Roberts on a bogus Supreme Court order in an alleged attempt to get his own Indiana criminal case dismissed has been arrested on federal charges, according to court documents.

Joshua M. Culver, who authorities say also used the alias "Maverick A. Young," was arrested last Friday in Colorado after a federal grand jury in Indiana indicted him on four counts of falsely impersonating a U.S. officer or employee and one count involving the use of a forged federal judge's signature and court seal.

Federal prosecutors allege Culver filed a document titled "Order of Dismissal With Prejudice" on Sept. 24, 2025, in a criminal case pending against him in Grant County Superior Court in Indiana.

SUPREME COURT REJECTS MICHIGAN FAMILY'S CLAIM THAT COUNTY COMMITTED 'HOME EQUITY THEFT' OVER $2,200 TAX DEBT

According to the indictment, the document used a forged signature of Roberts and a counterfeit U.S. Supreme Court seal in an effort to authenticate the purported dismissal order.

The alleged scheme involving the nation's highest court was not Culver's first attempt to pass himself off as a federal official, prosecutors say.

Five days before the alleged Roberts forgery, Culver allegedly posed as a National Security Agency agent while contacting the Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Office.

According to the indictment, Culver used his purported authority as an NSA agent to make requests that prosecutors say the sheriff's office otherwise would not have fulfilled, including asking deputies to conduct a welfare check on his biological daughter and provide information about her location.

MAN CLAIMING TO BE CARTEL MEMBER ALLEGEDLY THREATENS TO PUT 'GREEN LIGHT' ON COPS AND THEIR FAMILIES

Culver also allegedly sought the names and information of sheriff's office employees and claimed he could take "adverse action" against the department in his purported capacity as an NSA agent.

The following day, on Sept. 20, 2025, Culver allegedly called the workplace of an individual identified in the indictment only as "Individual A."

Prosecutors say he falsely identified himself as a federal agent, claimed the person was "obstructing a federal investigation of a child kidnapping" and represented that he could have the individual arrested for committing a federal felony.

He also allegedly asked the person's employer to intervene to obtain the individual's cooperation.

JUSTICE NEIL GORSUCH BREAKS SILENCE ON VIOLENT THREATS AGAINST JUDICIARY, SUPREME COURT LEAKS

Months later, in January 2026, Culver allegedly portrayed himself as a "Special Master enforcing orders of the United States Supreme Court" in a communication sent to the Lake County clerk and directed to a Superior Court judge.

Prosecutors allege Culver claimed he had the authority to issue orders and warrants while demanding that the judge and court personnel take several actions, including making changes to vital records and dismissing cases and judgments against him.

DOJ DEMANDS SANCTUARY STATES END 'BLATANTLY UNLAWFUL' ANTI-ICE POLICY AS A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH

The indictment alleges Culver also warned that if officials failed to comply, he and U.S. Marshals would make arrests for "impeding a federal agent, lying to a federal agent, and conspiracy."

Then, in February, Culver allegedly assumed yet another federal identity, this time portraying himself as the "Director of Tailored Access Operations," which the indictment describes as a purported intelligence agency.

Prosecutors allege Culver filed a document titled "OFFICIAL SENSITIVE: TAILORED ACCESS OPERATIONS (TAO) COMPLIANCE DIRECTIVE" in Lake County Superior Court in a case pending against him.

The document, which purported to bear official letterhead, allegedly described Culver as a "federal asset" involved in multiple investigations and demanded that officials take a series of actions under a purported "federal directive."

Those demands included dismissing the case against Culver with prejudice, quashing warrants and requiring Lake County officials to cooperate with a purported "federal audit," according to the indictment.

Bloomberg Law reported that Culver was arrested Aug. 21 and that the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the District of Colorado was appointed to represent him.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Supreme Court's Public Information Office, the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the District of Colorado and the Justice Department for comment.

Small plane crashes into shallow water near remote Alaska town, killing all 4 people aboard

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 02:40:45 -0400

A small airplane crashed into shallow waters near a remote coastal town in Alaska on Wednesday, killing all four people on board, according to officials.

The aircraft, a Piper PA-24-260, was heading for an airport in the small town of Seldovia after taking off from Merrill Field Airport in Anchorage when it crashed at around 1:18 p.m., the Alaska Department of Public Safety said in a statement.

Seldovia's airport is about 136 miles southwest of Anchorage.

"Alaska State Troopers were notified that a small plane had crashed in the Seldovia Slough," the statement reads.

TWO US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS EMPLOYEES AMONG 8 KILLED IN ALASKA CHARTER PLANE CRASH

A helicopter crew from Anchorage was dispatched to the crash site and other troopers were sent by boat from Anchor Point.

Following the crash, the plane was completely submerged in about 15 feet of water in the Seldovia Slough near the shore, according to Clint Johnson, the National Transportation Safety Board’s Alaska region chief.

Troopers were forced to wait until the tide went out in order to reach the aircraft.

Once the tide level dropped at about 6:30 p.m., troopers were able to retrieve the bodies of the four adult victims from the plane.

The bodies will be sent to the state medical examiner’s office for autopsy. The victims' names will be released once next of kin are notified, according to the Alaska Department of Public Safety.

It remains unclear what may have caused the crash.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.

This comes after another plane crashed last week at a remote military site in western Alaska, killing all eight people on board. That aircraft had been making its second runway approach in heavy fog, and its pilots were struggling to see the gravel airstrip, according to officials.

AIR FORCE OFFICER WHO DIED IN ALASKA PLANE CRASH REMEMBERED AS 'POSITIVE LEADER'

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

In that incident, the Cessna's two pilots were flying solely by instruments when the plane crashed. Regulations required that the pilots abort their first landing attempt because of the lack of visibility, and the plane crashed on its second attempt, about one-third of a mile from the runway.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Lindsay Clancy didn't show 'break with reality' as jury weighs psychosis defense: Susan Smith prosecutor

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 00:00:45 -0400

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

The prosecutor who secured a conviction for Susan Smith, who drowned her two sons, says Lindsay Clancy's defense never proved a "break with reality" as jurors prepare to deliberate following Thursday's closing arguments.

Clancy, 36, faces three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her children — Cora, Dawson and Callan, all under age 6 — who were found strangled at the family's home in January 2023. Prosecutors rested their rebuttal case on Wednesday afternoon, with closing arguments scheduled for Thursday before the jury begins deliberating,

Her defense attorney argues that Clancy was experiencing postpartum psychosis when killing her children, a claim that has been heavily refuted by prosecutors.

SUSAN SMITH ELIGIBLE FOR PAROLE AGAIN AFTER BEING DENIED RELEASE FOR DROWNING HER 2 SONS IN 1994

Smith, a South Carolina mother, was convicted of killing her two young sons — 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alexander — after she strapped them into her car and allowed it to roll into a lake. Prosecutors contended she killed the boys at least in part because the man she was romantically involved with did not want a relationship with a woman who had children. She received a life prison sentence.

Smith's defense contended she was in a fragile mental state and suffered from severe depression, characterizing the act as a failed suicide attempt in which she had intended to end her own life along with her sons'.

PROSECUTOR IN INFAMOUS KILLER MOM CASE SAYS WOMEN ON LINDSAY CLANCY JURY MAY BRING ‘STRANGE TWIST’ TO VERDICT

As jurors begin to deliberate on Thursday, Rep. Tommy Pope, who is currently the speaker pro tempore for the South Carolina House of Representatives and prosecuted Smith, told Fox News Digital he thinks Clancy failed to prove she had a break from reality.

"So as a prosecutor, what you try to do, and you've seen it in this case, is the prosecutor will point out all the things that she did that it can be mundane. Sometimes people watch and go, why do they care that she ordered dinner? Why do they hear that she sent her husband away or was able to dial the phone or those things? But that's what you're looking at. Was it a break from reality? Or did she just commit a horrible, horrible crime and make a horrible, horrible choice?" Pope said. "In these circumstances, Clancy had, like I said, all the prior treatment. But I still don't really see the break with reality."

SIGN UP TO GET THE LATEST TRUE CRIME NEWS

However, Pope said that one of the things that "jumps out" for him is a clear lack of motive in Clancy killing her children, which was present in the Smith murders.

LIKE WHAT YOU'RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE

"In this one, it's hard to see the end game," Pope said, referring to the murder case against Clancy. "What was her goal after? Let's say that even jumping out the window was a suicidal gesture, which obviously went terribly wrong for her, if that was the case. But what was her end game? And that's one disconnect I see."

WATCH: FBI psychiatrist says financial strain weighed on Lindsay Clancy before killings

FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X

Gregory Saathoff, a University of Virginia forensic psychiatrist who consults for the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit, testified Wednesday that financial pressure was among the stressors Clancy faced and may help explain why she killed her children.

LISTEN TO THE NEW 'CRIME & JUSTICE WITH DONNA ROTUNNO' PODCAST

Saathoff said Clancy felt her "brain had been damaged" and could no longer do the work she loved or help support her family, which left her with a sense of being a burden.

WATCH: Prosecution psychiatrist in Lindsay Clancy trial says severe insomnia can lead to psychosis

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Defense attorney Kevin Reddington questioned Saathoff about his experience with terrorism, drawing from him an acknowledgment that sleep deprivation is employed as a form of torture and that severe insomnia "can actually lead to psychosis." Saathoff confirmed the point, saying, "Yes, it's possible."

Florida driver fleeing traffic stop slams head-on into school bus carrying 19 children before fleeing on foot

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 23:56:44 -0400

A Florida driver allegedly fleeing a traffic stop slammed head-on into a school bus carrying 19 children before abandoning his damaged vehicle and fleeing on foot, authorities said.

The dramatic Tuesday morning incident was captured on video, including footage of the vehicle crashing into the Sumter County school bus and police body camera video showing a deputy chasing down and arresting the suspect.

All 19 children aboard the bus were safe and uninjured, according to the Sumter County Sheriff's Office.

HELICOPTER FOOTAGE CAPTURES FLORIDA MAN ALLEGEDLY ABANDONING CHILD DURING HIGH-SPEED CHASE FROM DEPUTIES

The incident began around 7:20 a.m. when a deputy conducting school-zone traffic enforcement in front of The Villages Intermediate Center spotted Qahiem Williams, 23, allegedly driving 17 mph over the posted speed limit on County Road 466 near Tatonka Terrace.

According to the sheriff's office, the deputy made a U-turn and activated his emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop, but Williams allegedly accelerated and sideswiped two vehicles at a traffic light.

FOUR TEENS KILL COUPLE IN HEAD-ON CRASH AFTER STEALING G-WAGON, LEADING COPS ON HOURS-LONG CHASE: POLICE

Authorities said the collisions damaged the axle of Williams' vehicle, causing him to collide head-on with a Sumter County school bus on County Road 103.

Video taken from inside the bus shows the collision, with the driver's side door of Williams' vehicle appearing to open moments before impact.

Williams then allegedly got out of the vehicle and fled on foot, according to the sheriff's office.

Body camera video shows a deputy pursuing Williams before apprehending him near a Walmart.

HANDCUFFED SUSPECT ALLEGEDLY SLIPS RESTRAINTS, STEALS DALLAS POLICE CRUISER WITH OFFICER TRAPPED IN BACK SEAT

Williams was taken into custody and faces multiple charges, including fleeing or eluding, driving with a suspended license, possession of marijuana, leaving the scene of a crash, resisting an officer, hit-and-run and a moving traffic violation, according to the Sumter County Sheriff's Office website.

Authorities said Williams also had two outstanding Sumter County warrants for fleeing or eluding and driving with a suspended license.

Sumter County Sheriff Patrick Breeden condemned the alleged actions, saying they put children's lives in danger.

"I have zero tolerance when it comes to actions that put our children's lives in danger," Breeden said in a statement.

"This suspect has a history of this type of behavior and our community is safer with him off our streets," he added.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Williams was medically cleared before being transported to the Sumter County Detention Center, where authorities said he was being held without bond.

PGA Tour Champions golfer Matt Gogel suspended six months for betting on PGA Tour events

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 23:35:27 -0400

Matt Gogel, a golfer on the PGA Tour Champions circuit, was suspended six months by the organization for placing bets on PGA Tour events.

Gogel released a statement claiming that he placed "small recreational wagers on golf" in 2024 without knowing he did so.

"I want to be clear that these wagers were not placed on regular PGA Tour events, PGA Tour Champions events or any tournament in which I participated," Gogel said in his statement released by the PGA Tour.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

"I would never knowingly violate the integrity of the game of golf. I made an honest mistake, and I look forward to playing in 2027 on the PGA Tour Champions."

Gogel’s suspension will begin on Sunday and run until Feb. 22, 2027.

NFL SUSPENDS ARIZONA CARDINALS EXECUTIVE FOR VIOLATING GAMBLING POLICY, LEAKING DRAFT INFO

The PGA Tour claimed that Gogel never once bet in a tournament he participated in. However, he violated the Tour’s integrity program where wagering on PGA-sanctioned events is prohibited.

Gogel isn’t the first documented suspension for betting on PGA Tour events. In 2023, Vince India and Jake Staiano on the Korn Ferry Tour were suspended six months and three months, respectively, for similarly placing bets on PGA Tour competitions.

Gogel, 55, had just one PGA Tour victory in his career, which came at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in 2002. However, after his first career on Tour, he became a golf broadcaster with The Golf Channel and CBS Sports.

When he turned 50, Gogel joined the PGA Tour Champions, which is the senior circuit of the golf organization.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Gogel currently sits 20th in the Charles Schwab Cup points race.

TCU football pulls credentials from local newspaper for reporting on locker room assault story

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 23:08:44 -0400

TCU Horned Frogs football has a chance to make a run in a wide open Big 12 Conference, coming off a 9-4 season in 2025. But if they do, local fans who subscribe to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram won't have access to the type of reporting they might normally expect.

The Star-Telegram reported recently about an incident in the TCU locker room that resulted in senior safety Jacob Fields being dismissed from the football team. Fields allegedly assaulted another player, wide receiver Dozie Ezukanma, though the initial report didn't identify him directly. Ezukanma posted a now-deleted Instagram video acknowledging that he was the other player involved.

TCU has now, per the paper, rescinded the Star-Telegram’s credentials to cover Horned Frogs athletics. And it's supposedly because of the "health and wellbeing" of student athletes.

NEW YORK TIMES LOSES DEFAMATION SUIT, ORDERED TO PAY $9.25M TO FORMER ALABAMA BASKETBALL PLAYER

"Our primary focus is the health and wellbeing of our student athlete," said TCU athletic director Mike Buddie in a statement this week. "Unfortunately, an unnamed source without first-hand knowledge of the incident provided inaccurate information cited in initial reporting by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, which we strongly disputed.

"The inclusion of the misinformation advanced a narrative that endangered a student-athlete and resulted in threats to him and his family. These actions led to the decision to withhold the media credential until additional conversation can be held between athletics and the sports reporting team. We remain dedicated to restoring our student to health as well as focusing on the game that’s ahead."

SEAN PAYTON EXPLORED PLAN TO MAKE BILL BELICHICK BRONCOS' TEMPORARY HEAD COACH TO REACH MILESTONE: REPORT

This decision came just a few days before the Horned Frogs start their season against Bill Belichick's North Carolina team in Dublin on Saturday. The paper's TCU reporter, Steven Johnson, is still traveling to cover the game from Ireland, though he will now not have media credentials to do so within the press box.

TCU's athletic department was reportedly not clear about what the Star-Telegram needs to do to regain their credential, but without question, the biggest irony in the whole story is that the Horned Frogs' home stadium is named after the founder and publisher of... the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Banning news organizations from doing their jobs is not what schools and athletic departments should be doing. Given the player identified himself, how TCU is blaming this on the Star-Telegram is inexplicable. What's more likely here is that TCU simply didn't like a negative story about their locker room that potentially reflected poorly on head coach Sonny Dykes, so they punished the paper.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

We'll see if they get their credential back in time to report on Saturday's game. They should.

Backlash over Good Good Golf ad goes too far as stores pull merchandise, PGA Tour event potentially canceled

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 22:32:30 -0400

Just a few days ago, Good Good Golf was viewed as one of the largest brand names among young people starting their interest in golf.

Unsurprisingly, major golf brands were quick to partner with the YouTube channel and its personalities. They have a partnership with Callaway Golf to develop putters, golf clubs and golf balls. Their branded apparel is carried by major retailers, including WorldWide Golf Shops outlets such as Roger Dunn in Southern California. It is also sold online through retailers such as Target and at most Dick’s Sporting Goods and Golf Galaxy locations.

Or was.

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

Good Good became the center of controversy in golf over the past week thanks to an ad they made to promote a branded version of Callaway's new driver. The ad was meant to be a parody of the hit movie "Obsession," but was very poorly conceived and executed. In the ad, Garrett Clark, one of the founders of Good Good, shoves a woman, Alexis Miestowski, to the ground and says "do not touch my new driver."

Without question, it was a bad ad, made in poor taste, that should not have been released. And the backlash started almost immediately. Fans blasted it for depicting a man shoving a woman to the ground. It was pulled down. The group issued a statement saying it wasn't "aligned with our values."

"We posted a video to our channels that ultimately depicted actions that are not aligned with our values as a brand," the statement said. "We have since taken that content down. And sincerely apologize. Good Good has always stood for making the game of golf more inclusive to all, and we will continue to ensure that is our mission moving forward."

Callaway golf initially let Good Good take the blame, saying they were "disappointed" in the video. Then, at 1 a.m. Eastern, issued another statement confirming that the club manufacturer had approved the ad's release, an unsurprising though important admission.

CALLAWAY ADMITS IT APPROVED CONTROVERSIAL GOOD GOOD WOMAN-SHOVING AD IN LATE-NIGHT STATEMENT

As a result of the controversy, the debut of "Big Break X Good Good," a new show set to air on Golf Channel, was delayed after title sponsor Golf Galaxy reportedly requested that its name be removed from the broadcast. That was just the start.

Front Office Sports reported on Wednesday that Dick's Sporting Goods, Golf Galaxy and the PGA Tour Superstore had pulled the company's merchandise from their product shelves. There are rumors that the Good Good sponsored PGA Tour event, the Good Good Championship at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa’s Fazio Canyons Course in Austin, Texas, could be canceled.

In fact, new PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said as much this week. Addressing the ad and response, Rolapp said he was disappointed in how it played out.

"I think initially no," Rolapp said referring to how the company handled the backlash. "I think what we saw was concerning, is clearly not aligned with PGA TOUR values. We take it very seriously. I think their initial response was disappointing. It was a bit defensive and late. But I think the responses are getting better. I think we've seen some things this morning, we've had some conversations with them, so we'll continue to monitor and work with them going forward. But no, we were disappointed with what we saw."

When asked about the future event, Rolapp described it as a "fluid situation."

"I think I mentioned before, it's a bit of a fluid situation," Rolapp said. "We were disappointed at first. It sounds like in the last 24 hours they've made some progress. We'll continue to monitor the situation and see how it develops."

And that is where this has all gone way, way too far.

Again, it is not up for debate that the ad was awful and should never have been conceived, filmed, edited, or approved. The fact that so many steps had to happen, and that so many had to approve it at each step of the way, and nobody pointed out how bad it looked is bewildering and indefensible. Obviously, men should not be shoving women to the ground. Even in a parody of a movie, it was bad.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

That said, pulling their merchandise off the shelves? Canceling shows? Pulling down title sponsorships? As if they were endorsing domestic violence or aggression towards women? Or saying women shouldn't play golf, when they literally have a YouTube channel called "Good Good Girls"?

Clark posted a lengthy video to X on Wednesday addressing the concept behind it, apologizing for his role in it, and explaining the pitch they received from the marketing team. He took accountability for how bad the ad looks, repeatedly says that it was a bad idea from the start, and confirms, of course, that he didn't actually hit a woman.

Temporarily delaying the release of a show for a week in response to this ad? Sure. Acting as though Good Good needs to be permanently shunned by the golf world for it? That's absurd. Young boys and girls are not going to stop watching Good Good Golf because of a bad advertisement. YouTube Golf continues to grow, and while many golf purists hate it, there's immense value to it. New audiences become interested in the sport, then many start watching PGA Tour events or other golf competitions and become potential lifelong fans.

Yes, they made a mistake, but moving past the "cancel culture" obsession was supposed to end this type of hysterical corporate overreaction. For Rolapp, it's not surprising, coming from the woke factory that is the modern NFL, but for the other retailers, it's ridiculous.

OUTKICK IS NOW ON THE FOX APP: CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

What's the punishment for Callaway? Is Golf Galaxy and the PGA Tour Superstore going to pull their products from the shelves for approving the ad's release? Of course not, because Callaway generates far too much money for those companies through club and golf ball sales. That's how you know this is performative; there's no consequence for the biggest name involved here.

Does Good Good deserve criticism for the ad? Yes, absolutely. It's objectively terrible, by their own admission. Should Good Good be permanently shunned from golf now? No, of course not.

Armed man arrested at Trump golf course allegedly had first lady's schedule, notes on Secret Service: reports

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 22:29:26 -0400

An armed man arrested Aug. 2 at President Donald Trump's California golf course allegedly had first lady Melania Trump's schedule and detailed information about U.S. Secret Service (USSS) personnel, according to reports.

Jeanine John Taele, 38, had more than 200 pages of writings that included schedules for the first lady and members of the president's USSS detail, The Associated Press reported, citing information revealed during a Los Angeles County court hearing Wednesday.

The New York Post reported that prosecutors said Taele had seven notebooks containing 208 pages of drawings and sketches of Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles in Rancho Palos Verdes, lists of USSS schedules, details about individual security personnel and copies of Melania Trump's schedule.

MAN ARRESTED AT TRUMP GOLF COURSE AHEAD OF PRESIDENT’S VISIT ALLEGEDLY HAD WEAPONS CACHE

The writings also included detailed lists about surviving "off the grid," according to the AP.

Los Angeles County Judge John Lonergan Jr. called the allegations "alarming" during Wednesday's hearing.

"This case itself is alarming in this day and age with the violence that is creeping into our everyday lives, especially with our partisanship in the political environment" ahead of the midterms, Lonergan said, according to the AP.

The judge suspended criminal proceedings after a pretrial evaluation indicated Taele was not mentally fit to stand trial and sent the case to a mental health court, the AP reported.

TRUMP'S DECADE OF ASSASSINATION THREATS RUNS FROM BUTLER SHOOTING TO LATEST GOLF CLUB BREACH

Taele was arrested earlier this month after plainclothes federal agents spotted him walking the grounds of the golf club, taking photographs and videos and appearing to monitor security-planning activities ahead of Trump's visit, Fox News Digital previously reported.

Deputies who detained Taele allegedly found a 16-round magazine loaded with hollow-point ammunition in his pants pocket, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Authorities searched his vehicle and recovered a loaded pistol with a round in the chamber and another magazine containing hollow-point ammunition.

RECORDS REVEAL THE MASSIVE ARSENAL OHIO MAN ALLEGEDLY BUILT TO ATTACK WHITE HOUSE UFC EVENT

Taele claimed he worked for the State Department and was at the golf course for a security detail.

Investigators later searched Taele's Downey home and recovered an illegally modified AR-platform rifle, a .45-caliber pistol, body armor, high-capacity magazines, bulk ammunition, radio signal devices and multiple notebooks containing what authorities described at the time as "concerning statements."

The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, USSS and Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department have been investigating the case.

SECRET SERVICE MISSED 'MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES' TO PREVENT TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: WATCHDOG

Taele, a Marine who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, will remain jailed until a Sept. 9 hearing at Hollywood Mental Health Court, according to the AP.

Taele's public defender, A.J. Bayne, cautioned against drawing conclusions about his client's motives.

"He's a veteran, he served our country, and I don't know enough right now, but he has a family that loves him, that has huge support for him," Bayne told the AP, adding that "people assume too much" about Taele's motives.

The USSS previously told Fox News Digital that it does not comment on specific protective intelligence matters, but "thoroughly investigates any information or activity that may reasonably be perceived as a protective intelligence concern or indicate a potential threat or directed interest toward any individual under Secret Service protection."

VIRGINIA MAN ACQUITTED BY INSANITY IN KILLING FLEES US DURING 48-HOUR MENTAL HOSPITAL PASS

Trump addressed the arrest earlier this month.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

"Well, the only thing I get a little solace from is, they say only consequential presidents. And I am definitely consequential," Trump said during an appearance on "Fox News @ Night."

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and the Office of the First Lady for comment.

Fox News Digital's Stepheny Price and Landon Mion contributed to this reporting.

NYC business owners revolt over Mamdani’s government-run grocery stores: ‘Doomed for disaster'

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 22:10:07 -0400

New York City business leaders and bodega owners rallied Wednesday just steps away from the future site of one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani's city-run grocery stores, arguing the plan will force local businesses to close.

The Multicultural Business Coalition, which is made up of 50 chambers of commerce representing multicultural businesses, filed two lawsuits in state court on Monday challenging Mamdani’s plan to open five government-owned supermarkets with subsidized grocery offerings.

On Wednesday, leaders within the coalition gathered alongside bodega owners outside the American Deli Mini Market Corp, in Harlem — which sits across the street from the confirmed Manhattan city-run store location at La Marqueta — to challenge Mamdani’s rollout of the stores, which is slated to begin in late-2027.

GROCERY BOSS WARNS MAMDANI'S CITY-RUN STORES PIT GOVERNMENT AGAINST 'ITS OWN CITIZENS'

"This is a campaign promise doomed for disaster if it is allowed to go through," Mark Jaffe, president and CEO of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce, told Fox News Digital.

One of the two lawsuits is a seven-page class-action filed on behalf of "hundreds" of store owners and alleges the opening of the city-run grocery stores would violate the businesses’ civil rights, according to court documents.

"When you use government money discriminatorily, it could be a civil rights violation," Jaffe said, adding, "Shame on the [Mamdani] administration for not working with small businesses, but trying to hurt them and being heartless in their statements."

The second suit asks the courts to permanently block the operation of "the municipal grocery stores, in absence of undertaking necessary studies and analysis," a move that has historically barred large retailers — such as Walmart — from entering the Big Apple.

'WASTEFUL DISTRACTION': EXPERTS SLAM MAMDANI'S TAXPAYER-FUNDED GROCERY STORES

Under Mamdani’s plan, the five grocery stores will offer a core basket of items priced 30% below the average retail prices sold at other businesses.

"Under the model, the City will own the land and cover overhead costs like rent and construction. A private operator, selected through a request for proposals, will manage daily operations and be contractually required to pass savings directly to customers on a core basket of everyday staples," an April news release stated.

However, the pricing and subsidization of business expenses for the city-run stores puts the operators at an unfair advantage, according to Jaffe.

EXPERTS SCORCH MAMDANI'S GROCERY PLAN AS AN 'ILLUSION' THAT WILL HAVE TAXPAYERS FOOTING THE BILL

"It’s unfair," Jaffe told Fox News Digital. "[Small business owners] who have to pay their Con Edison bill, their real estate taxes, their fines and full price for food cannot compete."

"The end-game here would be to help [small businesses owners] and not just subsidize 30% off from suppliers who are not lowering their prices for the city," he continued. "Our tax dollars are buying groceries at full price, so we can sell them at 30% off up the street — that’s not going to feed enough struggling people."

Jaffe added that he believes the solution could lie in the establishment of a task force focused on mitigating the damage to local businesses in the surrounding areas of each store.

"The only reason [small businesses] are going to be hurt is because [Mamdani] is taking tax dollars to put [them] out of business," Jaffe told Fox News Digital. "It's wrong. We want a task force. We'll show you how to feed struggling people."

GROCER-TURNED-LAWMAKER SAYS MAMDANI’S GOVERNMENT-RUN STORES 'MIGHT NOT EVEN LAST A YEAR’

As part of the rollout of the city's government-run grocery stores, Mamdani established the NYC Groceries Task Force to "convene city agencies, industry experts and local small business owners to guide implementation," the administration said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Additionally, the city launched an OPEN Task Force to "identify and eliminate unnecessary red tape and reduce fines and fees for small businesses," according to Mamdani's office.

The sentiment surrounding the stores' impacts on local businesses was echoed by Elvis, the owner of American Deli Mini Market Corp, identified only by his first name.

"If [Mamdani opens this store] in front of [my] business, [I’m] going to go out of business," Elvis said through a translator at the press conference. "[I] pay a lot of taxes and this is not fair."

NYC GROCERS SOUND ALARM ON MAMDANI'S SUPERMARKET PLAN: 'WE'LL LOSE CUSTOMERS'

MAMDANI'S GROCERY GIVEAWAY HITS ID SNAG AS CRITICS CRY FOUL: 'MAKE IT MAKE SENSE'

Mamdani has long defended his plan for government-run grocery stores, saying Monday that he is "fully confident in both the legality and the importance of our initiative."

"The administration plans to open one city grocery store in each borough by the end of the Mayor's first term. There are more than 1,000 grocery stores and supermarkets and over 10,000 bodegas and corner stores across New York City," Mamdani's office said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "There are more than 1.4 million New Yorkers currently struggling with food insecurity. The five city grocery stores will not have a significant impact on the hundreds of grocery stores or the thousands of bodegas across the city."

However, Jaffe insists the opening of the city-run, subsidized stores will do more harm than good to the surrounding businesses and will ultimately drive the minority entrepreneurs out of the Big Apple.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

"It is doomed to fail. History shows us that communist supermarkets have empty shelves," Jaffe said, adding, "We have better ways to help feed the struggling people. Please listen, Mr. Mayor. Don't keep campaign promises that will hurt people."

Trump questions state of MLB while renewing push for Roger Clemens' Hall of Fame induction

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 21:57:14 -0400

Major League Baseball is entering the final weeks of its regular season as labor talks between the league and the MLB Players Association reportedly remain stalled, creating uncertainty ahead of the playoffs.

The current agreement between the two sides is set to expire on Dec. 1. If they do not reach a new deal by then, a lockout could follow. In July, ESPN reported that the sides’ fundamental disagreement centers on the league’s pursuit of a salary cap system. The union likely prefers to preserve the current system, and neither side appeared willing to move from its position.

President Donald Trump has frequently weighed in on sports during his second term. In March, he convened the "Saving College Sports" roundtable, which brought together conference leaders, former coaches and media executives to discuss challenges posed by name, image and likeness deals, the transfer portal and the future of the NCAA.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Last month, during MLB All-Star weekend, commissioner Rob Manfred was asked whether he had any sense of whether President Donald Trump might intervene in the league’s labor negotiations.

Manfred said at the time he did not want to "speculate" about Trump's potential involvement.

"Look, I think it would be wildly, wildly inappropriate for me to speculate what the President of the United States might do or not do in a hypothetical situation," Manfred said. "We know this. He's a great sports fan, and he is really knowledgeable about the business of sports, so it doesn't surprise me."

Manfred did say, however, that Trump was "interested."

Beyond labor negotiations, Trump has also repeatedly pushed for seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens’ induction into the Hall of Fame. In a Truth Social post Wednesday, Trump cited Clemens’ career achievements and criticized Hall of Fame voters over his exclusion.

"How about Roger Clemens not being in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, all because a bunch of jealous people with far less Talent, voted that he shouldn't be there," Trump wrote. "He was also not convicted, or admitted, to taking Drugs. Roger is easily one of the few Greatest Pitchers of All Time, winning 354 Games, 7 Cy Young Awards (A Record, by 3!), and played in three World Series, winning two! He was third in most Strike-Outs."

Trump then turned his attention to Manfred, claiming the commissioner had told him he would approve Pete Rose’s reinstatement but waited until after Rose’s death to do so. "The Commissioner told me he was going to approve Pete Rose, but he waited long enough until Pete died."

Last year, Manfred announced that Rose, who died in 2024, and "Shoeless" Joe Jackson would be reinstated, which made both eligible for Hall of Fame consideration.

Trump concluded by questioning the state of the sport. "No wonder Baseball is in trouble!"

MLB COMMISSIONER UNDERSTANDS WHY TRUMP IS 'INTERESTED' IN MLB CBA NEGOTIATIONS

Almost exactly one year ago, on Aug. 24, Trump said he had played golf with Clemens and his son, Kacy. The president then backed Clemens’ Hall of Fame candidacy, writing that the former Boston Red Sox pitcher "should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame, NOW!"

Clemens responded on X, writing, "I appreciate the love! DT knows more than anyone the fake news that’s out there. Everyone has their agendas… I played the game to change my family’s direction generationally and to WIN!"

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Clemens’ 10-year run on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot ended in 2022, when he received support from 65.2% of voters, short of the 75% threshold required for election to the Hall of Fame.

NFL warns clubs they cannot sign any player who returns to college football for 2026 season, memo says

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 21:30:30 -0400

As the college landscape continues through a whirlwind of uncertainty, the NFL reiterated to its clubs on Wednesday that any player returning to college ranks will be prohibited from signing with a team this season.

Multiple players in various sports are trying to return to college athletics despite going professional, which has led to quite the stir for the NCAA. Among them is tight end Dae’Quan Wright, who cleared waivers after being released by the Cleveland Browns this week.

Wright was expected to sign with LSU, where he would reunite with his old Ole Miss coach, Lane Kiffin.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

The league issued a memo, obtained by ESPN, that reiterated rules already in place saying any player signed to an NFL contract who is subsequently cut will be a free agent. While that player can sign with another NFL club or join the CFL, if they return to college, they will not be available for this season.

Furthermore, any player cut by an NFL team who returns to college for the 2026 season will still be considered a free agent and won’t be able to put their name into a future NFL Draft.

RAMS' SEAN MCVAY REACTS TO WILD COLLEGE FOOTBALL CONTROVERSY: 'FEEL LIKE I TOOK A FREAKIN' GUMMY'

Other than Wright, Zxavian Harris, who was cut by the New Orleans Saints, is also expected to sign with Kiffin at LSU. He and Wright were teammates during Ole Miss’ College Football Playoff run last season, where Kiffin ultimately took the LSU vacancy mid-season after the firing of Brian Kelly.

Both Wright and Harris received a temporary restraining order that allows them to return to college football, granting them an extra year of eligibility.

But hours after Wright cleared waivers, he and the rest of the college football world saw the SEC and Big Ten, which will soon be joined by the ACC and Big 12, create new guidelines for eligibility that would prevent players like Wright who have participated in professional sports from reentering college athletics.

Under the new policies set by the SEC and Big Ten, any athlete that has signed with a pro team in the NFL, declared for the NFL Draft or participated in any type of professional training camp will be ineligible for conference competition.

Attorney Ryan Downton, who represents a number of players trying to get back into the college landscape, told OutKick’s Trey Wallace on Tuesday night that they are currently "working on a legal strategy" on how to move forward against both the NCAA and the respective conferences that enacted the new guidelines.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

"The SEC’s actions put the NCAA in contempt of multiple court orders," Downton told OutKick-Fox News on Tuesday night. "It is cartel-like conduct when NCAA conferences attempt to create their own spur of the moment rules in response to Courts enjoining those same rules at the NCAA level."

ATF investigates ‘major’ cybersecurity incident as ransomware group claims attack

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 21:26:10 -0400

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) said Wednesday it is investigating a cybersecurity incident involving a standalone system, which senior Justice Department officials have designated a "major incident" under federal guidelines.

The disclosure comes as the Qilin ransomware group claimed ATF as a victim, according to cybersecurity outlets tracking the group's leak site. The group has not publicly provided evidence substantiating its claim, and the ATF has not attributed the incident to Qilin.

The ATF said the affected system operates separately from its enterprise network and that there is no indication the incident affected the agency's broader network, its eForms system or any other ATF system.

The agency disconnected the affected environment after discovering the incident and launched forensic and incident-response efforts. The ATF is coordinating with the Justice Department as it investigates what happened.

FBI WRAPS UP CYBERCRIME OPERATION TARGETING GLOBAL NETWORKS PREYING ON AMERICANS

The agency did not identify the affected system, say when the incident was discovered or disclose whether any data was accessed or stolen.

Cybernews reported Wednesday that Qilin claimed ATF as its latest victim but had provided no evidence or details supporting the claim.

GalaxyWarden, a breach-monitoring service, separately reported that ATF appeared on Qilin's leak site and that the group claimed it obtained files from the agency. GalaxyWarden said it had not independently verified the group's assertions.

Fox News Digital reached out to the ATF and the Justice Department for additional information, including whether officials believe Qilin was responsible for the incident, whether any data was accessed or stolen and what prompted officials to designate the event a "major incident."

The ATF said senior Justice Department officials designated the cybersecurity event a "major incident" under applicable federal guidelines and that required notifications have been completed.

DOJ CHARGES 3 RUSSIANS IN ALLEGED $63M CYBERCRIME SCHEME TARGETING AMERICANS

The incident has not disrupted ATF operations or affected the agency's ability to carry out its missions, according to the agency.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The agency asked anyone with information related to the incident to contact the ATF Tipline at 1-888-ATF-TIPS, or 1-888-283-8477.

Hawley rips Flock’s sprawling surveillance web as Texas cities cut cameras over privacy and data fears

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 21:04:12 -0400

Sen. Josh Hawley is demanding answers from Flock Safety over whether its rapidly expanding network of AI-powered cameras has helped create a searchable national database of Americans’ movements as communities across the country pull the plug on the technology amid mounting privacy concerns.

"Flock has assembled an unprecedented national surveillance network," Hawley, R-Mo., told Fox News Digital. "They boast more than 120,000 cameras across 49 states and more than 20 billion vehicle scans every month."

"I’m investigating Flock cameras to determine who has access to hundreds of millions of Americans’ data and what they’re doing with it," he added. "Americans deserve answers."

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

Robert Frommer, director of the Institute for Justice’s Project on the Fourth Amendment, told Fox News Digital the core concern is not simply the use of cameras, but police being able to search a person’s past movements without first getting approval from a judge.

"The No. 1 reform that I think is needed here is a warrant," Frommer said. "Go to a judge, explain to the judge why you should be able to use this tool."

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

Frommer said police should still be able to act immediately in genuine emergencies, including cases involving imminent danger or missing people, but should be required to justify the search afterward if there was no time to obtain a warrant.

"Most law enforcement searches are things that happen within a few days of the crime," he said. "You don’t need to be keeping this gigantic database on everybody’s movements."

FLOCK SURVEILLANCE SPREADS ACROSS THE SOUTH AS RED STATE LAWMAKERS SEEK TO AX '1984'-STYLE TRACKING TOOLS

Hawley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, launched the investigation Wednesday in a letter to Flock CEO Garrett Langley.

The Missouri Republican said Flock’s camera network goes far beyond the discrete, local investigations for which law enforcement surveillance tools are traditionally used.

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

"Instead of serving discrete local investigations, as contemplated by our constitutional processes and safeguards, these camera networks harness artificial intelligence to pool what they capture into a national database that customers can search," Hawley wrote.

Flock’s automated license plate reader cameras capture passing vehicles and can log details, including a vehicle’s license plate, description, location and time. The Atlanta-based company markets its technology to law enforcement agencies, businesses and homeowners associations.

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

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Flock Safety spokesperson Paris Lewbel said the company had received Hawley’s letter and would respond directly to the subcommittee’s questions.

"We look forward to working with Senator Hawley and the Subcommittee to provide additional context about how our technology works, the safeguards built into our platform and how law enforcement agencies use Flock to solve crime and find missing people," Lewbel said.

Hawley said law enforcement needs tools to catch offenders and keep communities safe but argued Americans should not have to surrender their privacy while carrying out everyday routines.

DAVID MARCUS: CHINA TRIP A GLIMPSE INTO THE SURVEILLANCE STATE AMERICA MUST NEVER BECOME

"Americans do not surrender their privacy rights when they drive to work, drop their kids off at school, or go to church," Hawley wrote. "The Supreme Court has recognized that a comprehensive, retrospective record of a person’s movements is different in kind from ordinary observation in public."

Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, echoed Hawley’s concerns in a post Wednesday on X, arguing the Fourth Amendment "is not up for ‘compromise.’"

"Our Founders did not risk their lives so a CEO could trade our rights for profit and perceived ‘safety,’" Self wrote, invoking Benjamin Franklin’s warning against giving up essential liberty for temporary safety.

Axios first reported Hawley’s investigation.

Frommer said Flock’s position that agencies control their own data-sharing settings does not resolve the privacy issue when those agencies can be connected to far broader networks than they realize.

"The fact that they technically control the data is a false promise when reality has shown that these things are often spread much further than agencies expected," he said.

The scrutiny comes as a growing number of cities and counties reconsider their relationships with Flock, citing concerns over data sharing, privacy and the potential for misuse.

On Tuesday, the Pflugerville City Council voted unanimously to end the Texas city’s agreement with Flock. City staff will turn off all 28 automated license plate reader cameras covered by the contract and disable access to the system, according to the city.

"Public safety and public trust have to go hand in hand, and recent revelations about the Flock system have fueled concerns throughout the community; we can’t engage with organizations we can’t trust," Pflugerville Mayor Doug Weiss said in a statement.

Pflugerville police had used Flock cameras since 2020. The city had considered a new two-year agreement that included updated privacy, security and data policies, but officials said they lost confidence in the company’s ability to meet the city’s standards.

FOREIGN ENEMIES HAVE A SHOCKINGLY SIMPLE WAY TO TRACK US TROOPS OVERSEAS, LAWMAKERS WARN

"ALPR technology is a valuable investigative tool, and we have seen firsthand its ability to help protect our community during critical incidents," Pflugerville Police Chief Willie Richards said. "But as useful as this tool is, we must have confidence that the safeguards and settings we put in place function exactly as intended. Unfortunately, we’ve lost confidence in the current system and the vendor’s ability to meet our data and privacy standards."

Lewbel said Flock respects Pflugerville’s decision and said the city had participated in Texas’ statewide sharing network, which she described as distinct from one-to-one sharing between agencies.

"Statewide sharing allows participating Texas agencies to search across the network using a full license plate," Lewbel said. "Agencies control their sharing settings and can change or revoke them at any time."

Lewbel said Flock’s audit logs showed statewide sharing had been enabled for Pflugerville since 2024, and that agencies receive monthly emails detailing their sharing relationships.

She said the company identified two out-of-state agencies that had been mistakenly categorized as Texas agencies and included in the statewide network.

"We take responsibility for that error, which was corrected months ago," Lewbel said.

NORTHEASTERN CITY VOTES TO END SHOTSPOTTER CONTRACT FOR GUNFIRE-DETECTION TECH DESIGNED TO FIGHT CRIME

In Hood County, Texas, the Commissioners Court voted to end its relationship with Flock and later unanimously directed that the county’s three cameras be disconnected and covered until they can be removed.

Constable John Shirley said his office carried out the court’s decision, sharing photos of the cameras unplugged and covered.

"Today is a good day for the Freedom of the people of Hood County," Shirley wrote in a Facebook post. "These cameras were constantly scanning and recording regular folks just going about their day.

"That kind of permanent, warrantless tracking doesn’t belong in a free society," he added. "Privacy isn’t optional, and mass surveillance isn’t how we do things here."

Shirley later stressed that he supports technology that helps police solve crimes, find missing people and locate dangerous suspects, but he said public safety cannot end the conversation about individual liberty.

"We can have good policing and still insist on boundaries," he said. "We can use technology without giving government unlimited surveillance capability."

Shirley said the cameras remain Flock’s property and that he was carrying out the Commissioners Court’s direction, not acting independently. He told the company to "come get your garbage out of my county."

Tempe, Arizona, has also turned off its Flock automated license plate reader system and will end its contract with the company, city officials said.

The cameras are no longer collecting license plate data, and Tempe said it does not plan to hire another company to replace the system.

While Tempe police said the cameras had helped solve crimes, the city cited recent misuse of automated license plate reader systems in Arizona and elsewhere as raising concerns about the risks associated with the technology.

Tempe police found no misuse of its own Flock system, according to the city. Flock will remove the cameras, and Tempe said previously collected data will be automatically deleted after 30 days unless it is tied to an ongoing case or investigation.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Frommer said the constitutional concerns extend beyond Flock to any provider of interconnected license plate reader technology.

"License plate readers, as a technology, are incredibly helpful. They can help solve crimes," he said. "But there have to be safeguards in place, constitutional safeguards in place — no matter whether it’s Flock or Axon or Motorola or another company."

Three-time Pro Bowl defensive end Za'Darius Smith stepped away last year after losing three family members

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 21:01:03 -0400

Within months of abruptly stepping away from the NFL last season, Za'Darius Smith lost his mother, his grandmother, and his father in rapid succession.

Now, after navigating unimaginable grief, the three-time Pro Bowl edge rusher is back on the field, using football as his sanctuary with the Atlanta Falcons.

After playing for six different franchises across 11 seasons, the 33-year-old was ready to hang up his cleats when he left the Philadelphia Eagles mid-season in October 2025.

FALCONS COACH KEVIN STEFANSKI MAY POACH FORMER PRO BOWL PASS RUSHER FROM BROWNS TEAM THAT FIRED HIM

But when Atlanta came calling, Smith was navigating a heavy personal trial that ultimately brought him back to the game.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Smith opened up about heartbreak, healing, and his return to the field.

"I was in a dark place," Smith said.

He visited with the Cleveland Browns before reaching a deal with Atlanta, his seventh NFL team, saying football served as a much-needed outlet during a brutal stretch.

Smith’s signing gives Atlanta needed pass-rushing reinforcement following a season-ending ACL injury to Jalon Walker and an eight-game suspension for James Pearce Jr.

FALCONS SELECTED TWO PASS RUSHERS IN NFL'S 2025 DRAFT AND NEITHER MIGHT BE AVAILABLE TO START 2026

"This is my happy place," Smith said. "Come back, play football. I was in a dark place, but, you know, coming out, running out on the field, the fans, not just the fans, man, the joy that I get from winning and just getting sacks."

"My mom, rest her soul, man, she always wanted me to be in Atlanta with the Falcons."

Since entering the league in 2015, the defensive end has put up consistently strong production, tallying 343 total tackles, 70.5 sacks, 16 pass deflections, 10 forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Smith will turn 34 near the start of the season.

VON MILLER SIGNS WITH COWBOYS IN HOMECOMING MOVE FOR 2-TIME SUPER BOWL CHAMPION: 'LET'S MAKE THIS ONE SPECIAL'

Speaking on his career sack count, Smith added: "Now I'm trying to reach 100. However I need to do that, I'm going to try."

"I'm happy to be in Atlanta."

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela

'View' host Ana Navarro rejects Hunter Biden's assertion that Trump is 'already' a 'dictator'

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 20:26:31 -0400

"The View" co-host Ana Navarro appeared to disagree with former President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, after he accused President Donald Trump of being a dictator on her podcast Monday.

In the second half of a two-part interview on "Bleep! with Ana Navarro," Hunter Biden told Navarro the U.S. has "already" lost democracy under Trump regardless of who wins the midterm elections.

"He is a dictator ... in no uncertain terms," Biden said. "Everybody understands this. He has broken the system. It is gone. It is completely broken."

'THE VIEW' CO-HOST LAUDS HUNTER BIDEN AS 'RIVETING' AFTER PODCAST SIT-DOWN, CALLS HIM 'BIGGEST TROLL'

"They’re going through confirmation hearings right now of his personal attorney to be the attorney general of the United States," he continued. "He has used his position as president of the United States to jail, to attempt to jail journalists. He is prosecuting Don Lemon for following someone into … and we’re not all sitting here up in arms?"

Trump's former personal attorney and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche was confirmed as attorney general earlier this month. Lemon has pleaded not guilty to federal civil rights charges stemming from his coverage of an anti-ICE protest that disrupted a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota. Lemon maintains he was there as a journalist.

"He goes on Air Force One, and he gets a question that he doesn’t like, and he looks at a veteran woman reporter and tells her to ‘Be quiet, piggy,’ and no one says anything," Biden added. "We have lost our democracy at this point."

"Can you imagine if your father had ever done that?" Navarro asked.

"I can't even remotely imagine," Biden said.

However, Navarro stopped short of calling Trump a dictator, though she said "he would like to be."

"I fled dictatorship," she said. "I fled the Sandinistas in 1980, and I live in Miami, where there’s a lot of Cuban-American exiles, a lot of Venezuelan-American exiles, a lot of Haitian-American exiles. I think he definitely would like to be a dictator and have no guardrails, have no pushback.

"I still have some hope in some of the courts. And I think we still have elections. And despite the fact that there's threats against the free press, we still do have the free press."

ANA NAVARRO AND FORMER TRUMP CAMPAIGN AIDE CLASH OVER PRESIDENT'S COMBATIVE EXCHANGES WITH FEMALE JOURNALISTS

She argued that the larger problem was a lack of congressional oversight from Republicans to balance out Trump's power and questioned whether Democrats retaking the House and Senate could make a difference.

"I don't know that they have the stomach to do some of the s--- that Republicans do without any qualms," Navarro said.

Navarro's response on the podcast marked a stark departure from her past comments on Trump, when she warned of him behaving like a dictator and suggested his actions were dictatorial.

During her speech at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, Navarro compared Trump to several communist dictators.

"Let me tell you what communist dictators do, and it's never just for one day," she said at the time. "They attack the free press. They call them the enemy of the people like Ortega does in Nicaragua. They put their unqualified relatives in cushy government jobs so they can get rich off their positions like the Castros do in Cuba.

"And they refuse to accept legitimate elections when they lose and call for violence to stay in power like Maduro is doing right now in Venezuela," Navarro continued. "Now, you tell me something. Do any of those things sound familiar? Is there anybody running for president who reminds you of that?"

DAN RATHER AMONG 200 JOURNALISTS DEMANDING TRUMP BE CALLED OUT AT WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' DINNER

As recently as May, Navarro accused Trump on "The View" of being a "wannabe dictator" or having "small dictator energy" after a golden statue of Trump was installed at Trump National Doral golf course after the PGA Tour's Cadillac Championship.

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

White House spokesperson Davis Ingle dismissed the suggestion that Trump was a dictator and mocked Hunter Biden in a statement.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

"Just like sleepy Joe, Hunter Biden’s brains are fried potatoes. We wish him and his family well during this difficult time," Ingle told Fox News Digital.

HEAR IT: 911 call captures horrifying first moments of deadly shooting at Seattle’s Bite of Seattle festival

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 20:24:27 -0400

Newly obtained 911 calls shed new light on the deadly shooting at Seattle’s famed Bite of Seattle festival, capturing the frantic response as first responders raced to help with multiple people down.

"I’m losing blood," a caller who described being shot in the back told a dispatcher.

The caller did not know who had opened fire.

GUNFIRE SHATTERS TORONTO LATIN STREET FESTIVAL LEAVING AT LEAST 2 DEAD AND MULTIPLE WOUNDED

"I don’t know who did it. I took cover. I see the officers down here," the caller said.

The dispatcher tried to keep the wounded person calm as help was sent toward the water fountain where the caller was believed to be waiting.

"It’s OK. Just breathe. Breathe with me. I’m going to stay with you," the dispatcher said.

Moments later, the caller spoke of being with an officer.

Other emergency transmissions capture dispatchers and first responders working to assess the scope of the unfolding violence near the Seattle Center Armory.

"Multiple people down at this point," one dispatcher said when asked whether anyone had been shot.

TOLEDO POLICE FOLLOWING 'MULTIPLE LEADS' AS MANHUNT ENTERS 3RD DAY AFTER FESTIVAL SHOOTING

As reports continued to come in, another dispatcher requested "as many aid units as possible," saying there were at least two people down "but more than that."

Emergency crews initially treated the area as an active scene while officials worked to determine whether it was safe for responders to enter.

"Let’s treat that as an active scene for now," a dispatcher said.

A dispatcher later said there were "six confirmed gunshot wounds" amid the chaotic response.

MULTIPLE PEOPLE KILLED IN SHOOTING AT IDAHO IN-N-OUT RESTAURANT, SUSPECT DEAD

The calls come as Seattle police have offered few public updates on the investigation.

Fox 13 Seattle reported that interim Police Chief Andre Sayles said earlier this month that investigators had developed new information and expected to make an arrest, but he declined to disclose details.

SEATTLE MAYOR'S INTERVIEW CUT SHORT AS STAFF BLOCKS QUESTIONS ON GUN VIOLENCE, SURVEILLANCE

"I think the biggest thing is, you know, it’s going to cause a little bit of frustration, is the integrity of this investigation," Sayles said Aug. 7, according to the outlet. "There’s some information that we have. I want to make sure that we keep the integrity of that investigation close to the vest until we can make the appropriate arrest."

A 15-year-old suspect remains in custody in the shooting.

TWO TEEN SUSPECTS HELD AFTER 5 FAMILY MEMBERS KILLED IN 'TARGETED MASS SHOOTING'

The Mayor’s Office said in a statement to the outlet that the administration "continues to work closely with the Seattle Police Department to ensure information about critical events reach(es) the public."

The shooting erupted last month outside the Seattle Center Armory during the Bite of Seattle food festival near the Space Needle. Three people were killed, and four others were wounded, including a 2-year-old boy, authorities previously said.

The dead included a 19-year-old man and a 44-year-old man who were pronounced dead at the scene. A 56-year-old woman later died after she was transported to a hospital in critical condition.

Wilson called the shooting "an act of horrific violence."

"Impacted families are living through the worst moment of their lives, and an entire community is trying to understand how a gathering built around culture, connection and joy ended in gunfire," Wilson said at the time.

"No one should have to weigh the risk of being shot before attending an event, gathering with friends, or experiencing their city."

Wilson said officials believed a 15-year-old had opened fire into the crowd, though details remained under investigation. The teen was booked into juvenile detention on suspicion of gun violations and first-degree assault. No homicide charges had been filed as of the most recent update.

Former Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes said investigators believed gunfire was exchanged outside the Armory after a conflict involving small groups believed to be at odds with one another, leaving bystanders caught in the crossfire.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Investigators initially believed two gunmen were involved. But a juvenile court document later indicated the detained teen and an acquaintance who was found dead at the scene may have exchanged gunfire with at least one other, unidentified suspect.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Seattle Police Department and mayor's office for comment.

2026 TOUR Championship picks for East Lake: Why Chris Gotterup, Hideki Matsuyama and Russell Henley stand out

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 20:14:08 -0400

The 2026 PGA TOUR season concludes this week anticlimactically with the TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia. After using a "starting strokes" format from 2019-24 that no one liked — not the fans nor the golfers — this is the second year all 30 guys in the TOUR Championship field will start at even-par.

Fortunately, new PGA TOUR commissioner Brian Rolapp announced a new postseason format earlier this week that will start in 2028. The top 90 players will compete in a final stroke-play event (the first round of the playoffs) before the top 32 advance to a two-week, match-play TOUR Championship.

'PAR TALK': WHY WYNDHAM CLARK DESERVES PGA TOUR PLAYER OF THE YEAR, LIV GOLF'S FINAL HOORAH, AND SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER'S MONEY

Designed by the legend Donald Ross, East Lake is a 7,455-yard, par-70 that has hosted the TOUR Championship every year since 2004. It is a driver-heavy layout with wide fairways, long approach shots and fast Bermuda greens, rewarding players who can bomb it off the tee and create birdie looks with their irons.

This has been a nightmare season for me betting on golf. I've donked off -50.94 units (u) in 2026, finished 4,133rd out of 5,297 entries in the Race for the Mayo Cup (one-and-done league) and I've only hit one outright: Nico Echavarria at the Cognizant Classic (+5900).

That said, I'm trying to minimize the loss and end the season on a high note by backing these three dudes.

2026 TOUR Championship Betting Card

The following odds are from when I bet on the golfers listed below. Subject to change.

🇺🇸 Chris Gotterup +2654 (0.75u) and Top-10 with ties +124 (1u), both at Kalshi

🇯🇵 Hideki Matsuyama +3200 at DraftKings (0.63u) and Top-10 with ties +146 at Kalshi (1u)

🇺🇸 Russell Henley +3500 (0.57u) and Top-10 with ties +167 (1u), both at Kalshi

Chris Gotterup

I love Gotterup's price because, as I wrote last week, his game travels. His four wins over the last 13 months have been at different types of courses and conditions: 2025 Genesis Scottish Open, Sony Open in Hawaii, WM Phoenix Open in Arizona, and the John Deere Classic in Illinois.

East Lake is a driver-heavy course that favors distance over accuracy and has easy Bermuda greens, according to Betsperts Golf.

Well, Gotterup ranks second in this field for Strokes Gained (SG): Off-the-Tee (OTT) and second in driving distance over the last 30 rounds. He's picked up more than eight strokes on the greens last week in a T4 finish at the BMW Championship, and Bermuda is his best putting surface.

Ultimately, we are getting such a good price on Gotterup because he's not as popular as the names ahead of him on the oddsboard, such as Tommy Fleetwood (+1900), Patrick Cantlay (+1700) and Ludvig Åberg (+1450). Yet, Gotterup is playing better than all of them, hence the value.

Hideki Matsuyama

Hideki let me down last week by tying for 28th at the BMW Championship when I bet him outright (+3000) and to finish in the top 10.

Nonetheless, Matsuyama is getting a better price this week at Kalshi in a field with 20 fewer golfers, and he is third in my model at Betsperts Golf behind World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Gotterup.

My model includes stats for East Lake and comparable course history, putting on Bermuda greens, SG: OTT, approach shots from 200+ yards, birdie-or-better rate, etc. Over the last 24 rounds, Hideki is second in this field for total scoring, SG: T2G and SG: Ball-striking (driving and approach), per Betsperts Golf.

Matsuyama’s short-game held him back last week at the BMW, but he gained strokes with his driver for a seventh straight tournament and with his irons for a fourth straight, according to DataGolf.com.

Driving has been the biggest weakness in Hideki's game, and I'm expecting his short-game to bounce back because he is a wizard around the green.

STAY "FEARLESS" ON THE GO! TAKE TOMI LAHREN WITH YOU. DOWNLOAD THE TLIF PODCAST NOW!

Granted, Matsuyama's TOUR Championship history is nothing to write home about (his best finish was T4 in 2018). But the 2021 Masters champion is knocking on the door, and this number is too good to pass up.

Russell Henley

This is a "good number" for a few reasons.

First, Henley is a native Georgian who played college golf at the University of Georgia, so he’s familiar with East Lake’s agronomy and playing conditions, including Atlanta's hot, sticky summer weather. The Georgia Bulldog has gained strokes on the greens in five consecutive starts and Bermuda is his best putting surface.

Henley has also finished higher on the leaderboard in the last three TOUR Championships: T14 in 2023, T4 in 2024, and T2 last year. Per DataGolf.com, he’s gained strokes across the board (driving, approach, chipping and putting) in the last two TOUR Championships and tee-to-green (driving, approach and around-the-green) in the last three.

OUTKICK IS NOW ON THE FOX APP: CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Finally, Henley is underrated and playing better than several guys with shorter odds. He won the Charles Schwab Challenge in May and hasn’t missed the cut in his seven starts since, which includes a T9 at the British Open.

_____________________________

Follow me on X @Geoffery-Clark, and check out my "OutKick Bets Podcast" for more betting content and random rants.

Internet reacts to Georgia schoolteacher's groundbreaking invention, the 'fart corner'

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 19:45:45 -0400

The old adage goes, "Necessity is the mother of invention," and nowhere is that perhaps more true than with one Georgia teacher’s invention: the "fart corner."

That's not a euphemism. It is indeed a corner one goes into to release a little gas.

But, like many pioneering inventions and technological breakthroughs, it is dividing — and at times clearing — the proverbial room.

'SPIDER-MAN' SHOWING WAS REPORTEDLY EVACUATED DUE TO SOMEONE'S UNCONTROLLED GAS RELEASE

According to NBC San Diego, second-grade teacher Candy Sydney-Browning had about enough of her students' inability to control their gas.

"I have a very weak stomach, so I cannot take it," Sydney-Browning told TODAY. "And so I was like, OK, I’m just gonna create this little area over here, and you just get up, you go over there, do your business, come back, and that’s just it."

Boom. Fart corner.

The "Gusty Winds Area" is stocked with Febreze (veteran move) and gives innocent bystanders a significant buffer zone from wayward odors.

SCIENTISTS REVEAL SURPRISING BRAIN BENEFIT OF LAUGHTER: 'IT'S A MENTAL WORKOUT'

But is this a good idea? I mean, are kids so coddled today that they don't understand the kind of intestinal fortitude it takes to hold a gasser in for several periods because you don't want it to escape in front of the girl you have a crush on in your biology class?

While some see it as a way to normalize a bodily function — by the way, why does everything have to be normalized? — fart corners are not winning over those with an old-school view on public flatulence.

I think fart corners are a slippery, rather foul-smelling slope.

Ripping one in front of the class is something that will haunt you for the rest of your life. I could rattle off several names of my grade school chums who did it, but I'm not going to because I'm a gentleman.

So, I think while this teacher's heart is in the right place, that stigma will still be there, just in a different form.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

No longer will they be the "smelly kid who farted in class," but instead they'll be the "smelly kid who is constantly getting up to use the fart corner to the point that everyone else is like, 'Seriously, what the hell does that kid eat? Nothing but baked beans and kimchi?!'"

Justice Thomas recalls why he wasn't friends with Alito in law school: 'Clarence, you were scary'

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 19:37:42 -0400

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas recently recalled a funny conversation with Justice Samuel Alito about why they weren't friends during their time at Yale Law School.

When asked why they were never friends at the Ivy League institution, Alito told Thomas he was "scary."

Thomas sat down with Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, for a rare interview in which the pair discussed race, politics and a variety of other issues on an episode of the "Verdict with Ted Cruz" podcast, which aired Wednesday.

CLARENCE THOMAS SCORCHES RACIAL LITMUS TESTS POLICING THOUGHT: ‘STAY BLACK AND DIE’

Thomas was talking about his Supreme Court colleagues when he noted that Alito attended Yale a year behind him.

"He was a year behind you. But you didn't know each other," Cruz said.

"He's a funny guy. He's brilliant. He was always nerdy. Princeton guy like you, right?" Thomas replied.

Thomas then recalled asking Alito about their time at the university.

"So I said, 'Sam, how come we were there two years together? Why weren't we friends?'" Thomas recalled.

JUSTICE THOMAS REVEALS THIS ELITE INSTITUTION IS ‘OFF LIMITS’ TO HIM: ‘THAT'S THE WORLD WE'RE IN’

"'Clarence, you were scary,'" Thomas said Alito told him.

The justice explained that he wore bib overalls and combat boots throughout law school.

"I'm so glad they didn't have these phones where you could take a lot of pictures," he added.

During an appearance Wednesday on "The Will Cain Show," Cruz noted that Thomas was a "left-wing radical" in college before eventually embracing conservatism.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

"He journeyed to become an extraordinary thinker," Cruz said. "No other justice has overcome so much adversity to reach the very pinnacle of American law."

Trump's lawyers put Dem AG on notice for targeting his family in NY fraud fight: 'Cannot stand'

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 19:33:56 -0400

On Wednesday, representatives of President Donald Trump filed a brief in the New York Court of Appeals, arguing the court should throw out his liability finding in a $464 million civil fraud case that centered on Trump's real estate valuations.

The reply, made in response to an appeal from New York Attorney General Lititia James' efforts to resurrect those penalties after a lower court tossed them out, argues the case had several legal flaws that should have prevented it from being heard in the first place.

"This case should have never been brought, and the judgment cannot stand," the appeal states. "This case is extremely unusual; it involves not only reams of improper statements targeting President Trump, his family, and his businesses, but also a decision to apply [New York law] against those targets in a completely unprecedented and unlawful way."

The response is the latest instance of President Donald Trump pushing back against what he has characterized as politically charged lawfare that he endured between his two administrations. It also gives Trump a renewed opportunity to push back against some of the penalties that still apply to him from that verdict.

LETITIA JAMES HAMMERED AFTER NY MEDICAID FRAUD UNIT FUNDING FROZEN OVER INEFFECTIVE ENFORCEMENT

In 2022, New York Attorney General Letitia James sued Trump, alleging 200 instances of fraud. Specifically, her office alleged that Trump had routinely overvalued properties in New York City to secure favorable loans or insurance rates in violation of New York Executive Law § 63(12). The provision instructs the attorney general to prosecute cases of repeated fraudulent or illegal acts.

The law defines fraud as "any device, scheme or artifice to defraud and any deception, misrepresentation, concealment, suppression, false pretense, false promise or unconscionable contractual provision."

Trump was found liable in 2023.

As a result, Trump was required to pay $355 million plus interest in damages and was banned from serving as an officer or director of any New York company for two years.

He was also banned from applying for loans from any New York bank or financial institution for three years. Although an intermediate appeals court later vacated the monetary award, Trump's lawyers argue the underlying liability finding and the remaining restrictions should also be overturned.

APOLOGIES AND CASH HEADED TO ALLEGED ‘WEAPONIZATION’ VICTIMS IN BILLION-DOLLAR TRUMP SETTLEMENT

The appeal filed Wednesday argues against the verdict along five key lines.

The document argues that Attorney General James lacked the authority to bring the case, noting that the case involves private commercial transactions rather than harm to the public. It also contends that Trump’s valuations reflected subjective estimates that lenders independently evaluated rather than fraudulent misrepresentations.

"The only supposed 'victims' here are a handful of ultrasophisticated banks and insurers that have never claimed to be injured, were eager to do business with President Trump and his family, and made over $100 million from these transactions," the appeal states.

The appeal further argues that the prosecution’s premise of overvaluation is based on the misguided idea that real estate has one objective value and that deviations from that value must be fraud.

"Under that breathtakingly broad theory, NYAG can second-guess any business transaction in this State on almost any imagined grounds," the filing states.

And, on the penalties, the appeal argues that the $450 million disgorgement is excessive, unlawful and even unconstitutional.

Finally, the appeal argues that the politically charged nature of the case, on its own, should have been enough to halt its consideration.

"NYAG cannot point to a single Section 63(12) enforcement action against similarly situated developers (or any other type of defendant) based on practices comparable to those alleged here," the filing states.

TRUMP PICKS JAMES MCDONALD TO LEAD POWERFUL SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK AFTER JAY CLAYTON'S DEPARTURE

"Ms. James repeatedly called President Trump a 'criminal'; promised to 'investigate President Trump and his business transactions,' 'review ... Trump-related real estate transactions,' and 'take on ... his business in New York'; and threatened President Trump's 'family' and 'anyone in his orbit," the document states.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

James' office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.