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Barred Little League team from Tulsa gets reinstated for chance to play in World Series

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 10:43:17 -0400

Little League Baseball is on fire even before the big days in Williamsport.

Little League on Monday ruled that Tulsa National Little League's 12U team had an ineligible player on the roster and booted it from the Southwest Region Tournament, the final stop before the Little League World Series.

However, a Texas judge reinstated the team just hours later through a temporary restraining order, despite Little League saying its decision was "final and binding."

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Thus, Tulsa National Little League is set to face Boerne Little League, representing Texas West, on Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET in Waco, with a trip to Williamsport on the line.

Little League initially ruled that Boerne Little League's Monday game against Louisiana (Ascension Parish Little League) would be for the Southwest championship - Boerne won 4-1 and celebrated on the field, thinking it had just earned a trip to every child's dream.

However, it now must play one more game against a team with an ineligible player.

Little League did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"Judge [Ryan] Luna made the right decision to give the boys an opportunity to play the game and decide everything on the field," Tulsa National's attorney, Griffin Media, said, via News on 6. "These boys are ball players and ball players do just that - play ball.

MIKE TROUT GOLF OUTING GOES FROM TEAM-BONDING EVENT TO AWKWARD MLB TRADE DEADLINE MESS FOR ANGELS

"Legally, I find it surprising that an esteemed organization would withhold the protest documentation from this ball club and decide their fate in a cloak of darkness. Simply put, the law does not allow for arbitrary and capricious actions."

Little League said its decision came after "a recent protest related to the eligibility of players on the Tulsa National Little League Baseball team." It is not clear which player is ineligible, nor is the reason. Tulsa National Little League's softball team was recently removed from the Little League Softball Southwest Region Tournament for a separate eligibility case.

"To uphold the integrity of the International Tournament and provide an opportunity for every team, community, and, most importantly, child, to have a fair and equitable experience, Little League International relies on adult volunteers and parents to adhere to our Rules, Regulations, and Operating Policies," Little League said in its announcement.

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"Little League International is committed to supporting all children impacted by this decision and will continue to provide support and administrative guidance to the families in Tulsa National Little League."

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Alex Murdaugh lawyers allege ‘fabricated’ evidence was used to secure murder indictments

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 10:42:50 -0400

Attorneys for Alex Murdaugh allege that the lead agent in his murder case lied to the grand jury and presented "fabricated" evidence, and they are asking a judge to dismiss the indictments.

In a motion to dismiss dated Aug. 7, Murdaugh's attorneys alleged that David Owen, the lead South Carolina Law Enforcement Division agent on his case, delivered "perjurious testimony and fabricated evidence" before a grand jury, characterizing his conduct as prosecutorial misconduct.

Murdaugh's attorneys said more information about the alleged prosecutorial misconduct would be shown in a later filing.

"The grounds for this motion, as will be more fully set forth in a supporting memorandum, are that the lead case agent for the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division in this case, David Owen, testified that he presented physical evidence directly inculpating the Defendant to the Colleton County Grand Jury that he admitted was false and which Defendant has proven was fabricated by law enforcement," Murdaugh's attorneys wrote.

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His attorneys also filed a motion to transfer the venue of Murdaugh's new murder trial to Charleston County, arguing that an impartial jury cannot be found in Colleton County, stating, "this prosecution has generated publicity without precedent in the history of this State."

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Rather, they argued that a change to nearby Charleston County would "preserve the values of a local trial while curing the local prejudice."

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The motions come ahead of a pretrial hearing scheduled for Friday.

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Murdaugh, formerly a prominent Lowcountry attorney from an influential legal dynasty, was convicted in March 2023 of fatally shooting his wife and son, Maggie and Paul.

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The murder case descended into chaos when allegations that court clerk Rebecca Hill made inappropriate comments to jurors while the trial was ongoing.

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While prosecutors believe Murdaugh got a fair trial, the South Carolina Supreme Court reversed the convictions and ordered a new trial.

Flames shoot from American Airlines flight before emergency landing

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 10:36:36 -0400

A video purportedly captured flames shooting out of an American Airlines flight following a bird strike before the aircraft made an emergency landing at Myrtle Beach International Airport.

The pilot of American Airlines Flight 1760, a Boeing 737-800 heading to Charlotte with 172 people on board, was heard on air traffic control recordings issuing a "mayday" call after the incident Monday morning.

"Mayday, mayday, mayday, we got an engine problem here," the pilot said.

"The engine is backfiring like crazy," another voice was heard saying in a video taken by a passenger on board the plane, which showed flames. "I think she is on fire now."

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

"American Airlines Flight 1760 returned to Myrtle Beach (MYR) shortly after departure due to a maintenance issue. The aircraft landed safely and has been taken out of service to be inspected by our maintenance team," American Airlines told Fox News Digital in a statement. "Our team worked to get customers on their way to Charlotte (CLT) on a replacement aircraft. We thank our team members for their professionalism and our customers for their understanding."

American Airlines also said there was no indication of a fire in the plane's engine and there were no reported injuries. It's unclear where the flames originated.

"American Airlines Flight 1760 returned safely to Myrtle Beach International Airport around 8:40 a.m. local time on Monday, Aug. 10, after the crew reported striking a bird while departing," the Federal Aviation Administration told Fox News Digital. "The Boeing 737-800 was headed to Charlotte Douglas International Airport. The FAA will investigate."

In air traffic control recordings captured by LiveATC, a worker said a "significant" number of birds were found on the runway and were being removed.

22-YEAR-OLD PASSENGER DIES AFTER SUDDEN MEDICAL EMERGENCY STRIKES ABOARD SOUTHWEST FLIGHT TO LA

Data from the website FlightAware shows the plane departed Myrtle Beach at 8:00 a.m. ET before landing about 36 minutes later.

The FAA said on its website that there have been about 292,000 reported wildlife strikes with civil aircraft in the U.S. between 1990 and 2023.

"About 54% of bird strikes occur from July to October which is when young birds recently have fledged from nests and fall migration occurs," it said. "About 62% of bird strikes with civil aircraft occur in day, 8% occur at dawn or dusk, and 30% occur at night."

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Around 70% of the strikes happen between 0 and 500 feet above ground level, the FAA also said.

Former Disney star Jennifer Stone found a lifeline in the ER as fellow child actors spiraled

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 10:34:26 -0400

Jennifer Stone credited her work as an ER nurse with keeping her grounded after growing up in the heightened world of Disney Channel fame.

Stone’s two worlds collided when she found herself balancing the return of the "Wizards of Waverly Place" franchise with the realities of working in an emergency room.

"I was like trying to post, and my hospital has terrible Wi-Fi, so I was getting outside, trying to post and do my job with that, and then literally coming in and wiping a-- and I just was like, nothing keeps you more humble," she told Avery Woods during an appearance on the "Cheers" podcast. "Nothing keeps you more humble."

FORMER DISNEY STAR MAITLAND WARD SAYS YOUNG ACTORS WERE TREATED LIKE A 'PRODUCT' IN HOLLYWOOD FACTORY

The realities of Stone’s work in healthcare stood in stark contrast to the Hollywood bubble she experienced as a teenage Disney star.

"I mean, I joked that it was like Disney High, because it was," she explained. "I mean, everybody dated everybody. There were feuds, there were people mad at so-and-so, like it's just nonsense. It was our high school, right? So, all the high school stuff that would normally happen in that environment, but you have access to so many things you wouldn't normally have."

"You have money, you have all these things that at 16, in high school, you wouldn't have, so it's just a heightened version of high school, I think," Stone added.

BROOKE SHIELDS REFLECTS ON BEING MADE A 'SEX SYMBOL' AT A YOUNG AGE AND HOW SHE TURNED THE PAGE ON FAME

Stone credited her parents with helping her avoid getting swept up in that world and maintaining a sense of normalcy.

"I would have probably been a mess," she said, referring to how things would have been without the support she had from mom and dad. "I mean, and it's sad, because I've been in this industry for so long that it's like I've seen people I used to audition with. I mean, last month, there was a girl that I used to see all the time, and we would hang out as kids, and she overdosed, you know what I mean? It's like there's so many sob stories with kid actors, and I got really lucky."

Stone said her parents, both computer science majors with no creative backgrounds, supported her acting ambitions because they recognized her passion for the craft. Their efforts to keep her grounded became particularly clear when a writers’ strike sent Stone home to Texas at 16 during the run of "Wizards of Waverly Place."

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"I think it was second season or something, and I went and got my driver's license, and they were like, 'You need to get a job while you're here,' so I literally was an elf at one of those places that take pictures with Santa Claus and stuff," she recalled.

After "Wizards" ended, Stone said she still "needed to be humbled" and "taken down a few pegs." That perspective came in a far more serious way when she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 20 and spent the following years in and out of hospitals.

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Her experience as a patient ultimately inspired Stone to pursue a nursing degree, while working through the COVID-19 pandemic further reshaped how she viewed the pressures of Hollywood.

"You do not sweat the small stuff," Stone explained. "The entertainment industry stuff, like I'll have my actor friends spin out about like, 'Oh, I didn't get a call back or this happened,' and I'm like, 'Doesn't f---ing matter. You're alive. You're getting to do what you love. You're alive. You're healthy, and you don't know how much time you have.'"

"It makes all this stuff so small and so much easier to digest because you've digested such bigger, harder things," she added. "You know, it's like exposure therapy."

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Progressive praise for Trump as Warren backs push to curb defense contractor CEO payouts

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 10:32:40 -0400

FIRST ON FOX: Progressive Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., issued extremely rare credit to President Donald Trump for pressuring defense companies to put more money back into building weapons and expanding production rather than returning it to investors and lining stakeholders' pockets.

Warren and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, are urging War Secretary Pete Hegseth to make Trump's restrictions on stock buybacks for defense contractors permanent, according to a letter obtained by Fox News Digital.

The bipartisan duo argue the policy is already changing how major defense companies spend their money and bolstering national security and military readiness.

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

"The Pentagon is handing companies billions – and now potentially trillions – of taxpayer dollars," the senators wrote in their letter. "Congress and the Administration must work together to ensure they fulfill their contractual obligations and enhance national security."

They are asking Hegseth to support their Prioritizing the Warfighter in Defense Contracting Act, which would codify central provisions included in Trump's January executive order, like executive incentives being tied to on-time delivery and production improvements rather than short-term financial metrics.

A keystone of the executive action also allows the Pentagon, where law permits, to cap the base salaries of executives at underperforming contractors.

Staff for Warren and Lee reviewed recent earnings calls and financial reports from the top 20 publicly traded U.S. defense contractors.

The offices found that the companies cut buybacks and dividends by $2 billion in the first quarter of 2026, compared with the same period a year earlier, while capital spending rose by $1.2 billion. Capital spending is money companies put into long-term needs such as factories, equipment and new production lines.

Trump’s order directs the Pentagon to identify contractors falling behind on performance, investment or production and, in future contracts, restrict stock buybacks and corporate distributions during periods of underperformance.

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The senators’ analysis does not prove that every dollar withheld from shareholders went into those investments, but Warren and Lee argue the trend shows Trump’s policy is pushing defense firms to focus more on building weapons and expanding capacity.

The push comes after years of cost overruns and delays across major Pentagon weapons programs, even as defense contractors reported strong profits and returned billions of dollars to shareholders.

Among four top defense contractors — Lockheed Martin, RTX, Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics — the firms' combined buybacks and dividends fell from about $4.2 billion in the first quarter of 2025 to about $2.7 billion in the first quarter of 2026, according to the letter. The reductions were not uniform: RTX’s reported payouts rose slightly year over year, while Lockheed, Northrop and General Dynamics reported declines. This means stakeholders at the top of these firms saw $1.5 billion less, and instead those funds were freed up for ramping up weapon production.

Warren and Lee also pointed to GE Aerospace, which increased its stock buybacks, as evidence that an executive order alone is not enough to stop companies from directing more money to shareholders.

PENTAGON RACES TO BUY 10X MORE MISSILES AS IRAN WAR DWINDLES ARSENAL

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The senators said key elements of their legislation were included in the Senate’s version of the fiscal year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act.

Fox News Digital reached out to the War Department, Lockheed Martin, RTX, General Dynamics and GE Aerospace for comment but did not hear back at time of publication.

Cat stands its ground against a black bear and comes out on top in viral TikTok video

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 10:20:08 -0400

An incredible video showing a cat holding its ground against a bear is going viral.

As our loyal readers know, nature content is easily some of the best content on the internet. It's one of the few topics where you truly never know what you're going to get.

Sometimes, it's incredibly uplifting and a feel-good story. Other times, you watch an idiot tourist get the scare of a lifetime from a massive bison.

VIRAL VIDEO SHOWS MASSIVE BISON POPPING TOURIST VEHICLE'S TIRE IN YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

Today is definitely in the former category over the latter.

Cat stands down bear in viral video

A TikTok video shared by @statbeauty_michelle going viral online shows a regular cat standing down a black bear.

Yes, you read that correctly.

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A cat went toe-to-toe with a black bear and came out the victor.

Give the video a watch below, and let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.

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Admittedly, I am not a pro-cat guy at all. I love dogs, and I think choosing a cat over a dog is absolutely insane. Last time I checked, nobody was ever about to get in a gunfight and said, "Let's bring a cat to help us out."

Having said that, fair is fair, and this cat held the line. It certainly has some courage.

People in the comments also had plenty of fun reactions. One wrote, "Cats will square up with a bear but the vacuum is where they draw the line."

Another added, "Cats have absolutely no fear, except for household objects."

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

New midterm battleground takes shape as parties build election armies

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 10:19:29 -0400

President Donald Trump has long argued that who is counting the votes can matter nearly as much as who is on the ballot — a view that has helped turn the mechanics of elections into their own political battleground.

That fight is becoming more organized, more expensive and more sophisticated ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Tuesday marks National Poll Worker Recruitment Day, a once-obscure observance created in 2020 that has become a significant organizing marker for both parties. Republicans and Democrats are recruiting poll workers, observers, lawyers and voter-protection staff as they prepare for one of the most consequential midterm elections in history.

"We have more poll workers in the 2026 cycle than we did in the 2024 cycle," Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters told Fox News Digital in a recent interview. "We're better prepared. We have staffers in 25 states. We are on the ground, ready to do battle."

TRUMP WILL ‘DELIVER’: RNC CHAIR SIGNALS MIDTERMS CONFIDENCE DESPITE ‘DOOM AND GLOOM’

The RNC, in data shared exclusively with Fox News Digital, is 42% ahead of its 2024 pace, with 16,971 volunteer signups nationwide compared with 11,917 at the same point in the past presidential cycle.

"The RNC has shattered our 2024 poll worker recruitment benchmarks, built the largest election integrity operation in Republican Party history, and mobilized thousands of volunteers to help secure the ballot box," Gruters added in a statement. "With less than 90 days until the midterms, we’re seeing record-breaking grassroots engagement, expanding our operation into new states, and building the infrastructure needed to defy history in 2026."

That effort came from the top from Trump, post-2020, and has led to the RNC's election integrity unit buildout with its multimillion-dollar campaign.

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

And "parity" election laws regulating poll workers from both the national party apparatuses have the Democratic National Committee, facing widely reported fundraising hiccups, playing catch-up with the RNC and its $128.5 million midterm war chest.

"We're going to have to be a lot sharper the next time when it comes to counting the vote," Trump told Pennsylvania Republicans in 2022, starting one of his oft-repeated, campaign-rally mantras. "There's a famous statement: 'Sometimes the vote counter is more important than the candidate.' And we can't let that ever, ever happen again. They have to get a lot tougher and smarter."

Trump also says every next election tends to be more important than the past one, but grassroots voter enthusiasm and donor fundraising tend to be bigger in presidential elections than in the midterms. But, while Trump might not be on the ballot, his "Save America" grassroots enthusiasm will be, even as the Senate sits on passing his landmark Save America Act to set nationwide voter ID standards.

RNC LEGAL VICTORY CLEARS NORTH CAROLINA VOTER ROLL PURGE OF NONCITIZENS THROUGH JURY RESPONSES

"We've been continuing to build on the election integrity efforts of the last cycle where Lara Trump and Michael Whatley [former RNC co-chairs] did such a great job," Gruters said in Friday's interview. Lara Trump now hosts "My View with Lara Trump" on Fox News Channel.

That statement pointed back to the nexus of the RNC's multimillion-dollar election integrity unit at ProtecttheVote.com that has Democrats, its famed election lawyer Marc Elias and Democracy Docket founder and the DNC forced to play catch-up, to match the RNC's poll worker masses. Parity laws in some states nationwide legally require it.

"The Democratic National Committee continues to invest in our voter protection infrastructure to defend Americans’ sacred right to vote," a DNC spokesman told Fox News Digital, when reached for comment on recent data before National Poll Worker Recruitment Day. "The Democratic Party currently has voter protection staff in more than 30 states, and we will recruit, train, and deploy tens of thousands of observers across the country this November.

"We have seen a surge of citizens who have joined our training programs and stepped up to defend our democracy. We will continue our work to ensure all eligible voters have their voices heard."

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

The DNC did not share its 2026 numbers with Fox News Digital, but did share 2021 to 2024 data showing Democrats mobilized more than 120,000 voter protection volunteers, including over 65,000 trained poll observers, and recorded more than 465,000 confirmed hours of poll observation across over 63,000 polling locations.

The Save America Act is stalled in the Senate, but Trump and Republicans efforts are playing out on the ground and running up expenses for lawyers, legal election experts and staff.

"We got to do everything we can to make sure we have these safe and secure elections," Gruters said Friday, pointing to the "most litigation we've ever done as a party." "We have, I think, almost 200 lawsuits now this cycle. I think 177 active lawsuits right now."

"We're not being reactive. We're being as proactive as we can."

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"We're bringing the absolute hammer wherever we can in defending freedom and these safe and secure election policies everywhere we have to, anywhere we can go, we will go from coast to coast," he said.

The numbers underscore how election administration itself has become a major front in modern campaigns.

Election Day itself has also become election season, Trump has long lamented. With early voting stretching for days or weeks in many states, the staffing burden no longer falls on a single Tuesday or even a weekend. Parties and local officials need poll workers, observers and legal support across an extended voting window — a costly undertaking for national organizations and a significant time commitment for the Americans on the ground who sign up to serve.

The RNC says it has expanded recruitment into Maryland, Colorado, New Mexico, Kentucky, Alaska and Ohio, producing 2,076 additional submissions in those states. The committee says the effort is part of a multimillion-dollar election integrity program with directors deployed in 22 states and a year-round voter-protection operation nationwide.

At the center of the Republican push are the state "parity" laws that require or encourage bipartisan representation among poll workers.

Election rules vary significantly by state and locality, but a number of states have provisions intended to give both major parties representation in election administration. The RNC says its job is to build a large enough pool of Republican applicants that local election officials have GOP workers available to fill those slots.

"Recruitment is what turns parity laws from words on paper into reality," the committee said in written responses to questions about the program.

More Republican signups do not necessarily mean more Republicans will ultimately be stationed inside polling places. Poll workers are generally selected or appointed by state and local election authorities, and the number of positions available varies by jurisdiction.

But party officials argue that a deep recruiting bench gives Republicans more opportunities to fill vacancies, meet bipartisan staffing requirements and keep trained volunteers available for future elections.

FOX NEWS POLL: GOP DIVISIONS SHAPE TEXAS SENATE RACE

The RNC identified Michigan, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, Maryland, West Virginia, Delaware, Connecticut, New York and Indiana among states with some form of bipartisan or balanced poll worker representation.

Michigan, with the high-profile Senate race of Democrat Abdul El-Sayed against Republican Mike Rogers, is one state where the RNC told Fox News Digital it has a sizable poll worker recruitment edge. Texas' Senate race between Democrat James Talarico and Republican State Attorney General Ken Paxton is another big battleground, while the North Carolina Senate race between former RNC Chair Whatley, Gruters' former boss, and former Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, will be the biggest dollar race in the nation these midterms, if not Senate history, according to Gruters.

The RNC and Elias are battling in messaging and courtrooms, and RNC officials have told Fox News Digital privately its case-winning is deeply frustrating its opponents.

"It's an on the ground effort, and it's an effort overall with litigation, and we are winning a lot of these cases," Gruters said. "I expect us to continue to move forward to try to make sure these elections are fair."

Vote counting, one of the trained poll workers' most important roles in the process, can vary in returns from state to state. Gruters points to the size and success of Florida results on election night.

"I always say, go look at Florida, my home state, a state of 23 million people, a state where, literally within 90 minutes, we can give you results: Everybody has full faith and confidence," Gruters said. "That's with Democrat and Republican supervisor of elections across the state.

"We could do this nationwide, it's not rocket science, but when you have a party that does everything they possibly can to cheat, lie, and steal to win elections – when it's all about control and power, rather than trying to make sure we protect democracy – we got to do everything we can to put the ship in the right direction."

"We're going to continue to do anything we can to make sure these elections are safe and secure."

The two parties describe their missions differently.

Republicans frame the buildup as an election-integrity effort designed to increase transparency, enforce election rules and give GOP voters confidence that members of their party are represented inside the process.

Democrats describe their operation as voter protection, focused on ballot access, monitoring polling places and ensuring eligible voters can cast ballots.

That has turned the period before Election Day into a contest not only over candidates, advertising and turnout, but also over the people staffing polling sites, watching election officials and challenging the rules in court.

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National Poll Worker Recruitment Day was established by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) in 2020 to highlight the vital role of election workers and encourage more Americans to serve their local communities.

Andy Cohen defends 'Real Housewives' for having 'MAGA women,' says show is 'not about politics'

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 10:06:44 -0400

Bravo host Andy Cohen defended "The Real Housewives" show and brand on Sunday for having what a critic referred to as "MAGA women."

On his Threads account, the "Watch What Happens Live" host took part in a brief question-and-answer session during a plane flight where one user asked why there were "so many MAGA women" on the series and how she could no longer watch "The Real Housewives of Orange County" because of it.

Cohen denied that the show was political and emphasized the need for "different" perspectives.

ANDY COHEN BLASTS GOP SENATORS OVER FAUCI GRILLING, CLAIMS THEY WERE 'BERATING' HIM OVER 'IMAGINARY CRIMES'

"If we didn’t showcase people with different POV’s there would be no show. Also it’s a show about the women and their relationships, not about politics," Cohen wrote.

Fox News Digital reached out to NBCUniversal, the parent company behind Bravo TV, for comment but did not immediately hear back.

Over the past few years, multiple former "Real Housewives" have spoken out about facing pushback for conservative views — even when they themselves were not conservative.

In 2021, former "Real Housewives of Orange County" star Kelly Dodd was fired from the series following controversial remarks about the COVID-19 pandemic and accusations of her mocking the Black Lives Matter movement.

In an interview on Jamie Kennedy's podcast in June, she described herself as the victim of cancel culture.

"I feel like if you don't believe along the same lines they do, they don't like you… I feel like I am an outcast," Dodd said.

'REAL HOUSEWIVES' STAR LEAH MCSWEENEY PLANNING TO FLEE NYC OVER CRIME, CITY LEADERS WHO 'DO NOT CARE'

She added, "I feel that I'm getting politically discriminated against."

Former cast member Annemarie Wiley, of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," spoke to Fox News Digital last year about no longer being invited to the show after leaving in 2024 for expressing conservative views, like protecting girls' sports.

"I was given a terrible edit by Bravo and I found out after the season was finished when they didn't invite me back, that that was the reason that I was given that edit, apparently… because I was a conservative," Wiley told Fox News Digital.

Wiley said she was apolitical and actually fairly liberal before her time on the show.

"I grew up in Canada. I'd been a Democrat my entire life. And then, all of a sudden, I, you know, was forced to talk about this," she said. "I was very apolitical. I was not at all into the political space, and so that experience made me look at what the two parties stood for," she told Fox News Digital.

ANDY COHEN BLASTS JOE ROGAN AS A 'F---ING IDIOT' AFTER HE BACKS PRATT FOR LA MAYOR

"Real Housewives of New York" star Jill Zarin, a friend of the Trump family, has also been critical of her Hollywood peers for ignoring the plight of the hostages during the Israel-Hamas war.

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"I'm sorry that Hollywood can't even get behind getting the hostages home. I just don't understand it. They're not wearing a yellow ribbon, but when there were other things in the world, you know, hashtag… Michelle Obama, hashtag, get the girls home," Zarin told Fox News Digital in 2025.

Danica Patrick & her girlfriends respect summer by partying in Aspen, Wade Boggs is shredded, plus Big J Hong

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 10:05:30 -0400

The sun is trying to come up this morning for Tuesday Screencaps after we got absolutely ROCKED last night by hundreds of lightning strikes for the second night in a row. But, thanks to my Purple® pillow (#notsponsored; I bought the damn thing), I slept like an absolute rock.

Typically, I wouldn't start off Screencaps with real estate news because this is a pop culture/sports column, but opportunities like this one don't come up very often. The old jail here where we live is for sale and let's just say this is going to cause an absolute feeding frenzy among the YouTube generation who are thinking the same thing I'm thinking: This could be a legitimate content play.

The key on YouTube, that I've found, is that you need to have a hook. I'm talking something like, "I bought this house and now I've learned it has six jail cells and used to house murderers."

AIRBNB GUESTS CHECK INTO THEIR RENTAL TO FIND STARTLING DISCOVERY ON WALL

I have no idea if the Perrysburg, Ohio jail built in 1847, and used until the 1870s held murderers. It's highly unlikely, but this was the wild west for a time.

I'm also thinking of an AirBnb play here: "Stay in a jail cell for a night. No water. No electricity. It's as close to jail as you're going to get without committing a crime. Live like an (alleged) criminal for a night." I'll even throw in a terrible plate of eggs and porridge for $139 per night. Make sure you throw the paper thin blanket I provide into the washing machine before you leave.

"Is my house (a jail from the 1840s) haunted? I called in an expert," could be a content play. There are so many options here.

The haters will say this old jail is a terrible purchase at $400,000. I say it's a content machine waiting to happen.

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I hate to step on Zach Dean's Danica turf, but he's off on Tuesdays.

Ten days ago, Danica, 44, was partying in Ibiza with her new boyfriend. Now she's on a girls' trip to Aspen partying her ass off like she's 23. I have to give credit to Danica and Wade Boggs this morning.

These two are clearly all about two things:

Respecting Summer®
Getting busy living

They could be spending their days online bitching about the world and everything wrong. Instead, they're out getting shredded and living.

Wade Boggs:

How prophetic of her to say she was going to be a sports writer only to pivot into being a communist who hates Thanksgiving and would love to abolish its existence

Readers react to the Alabama interior decorator dorm room video

– Lee D. in Tampa has thoughts: Two things on the Alabama dorm:

* Tell me that’s not a scene right out of "Legally Blonde," only it is a dorm not a sorority house.

* You know how dads get a bad wrap (sometimes, deserved) for living out their athletic fantasies through their sons? This is the same thing, only moms are living their I-wish-when-I-was-in-college fantasies through their daughters.

FLIGHT PASSENGER BLASTS 'INCOMPETENT PARENTS' AFTER UNRULY CHILD FORCES PLANE DELAY

Kinsey: Yep, it's the same moms living out their fraternity and sorority dreams through travel ball weekends spent at Hampton Inns suckin' down High Noons and secretly s–t talking the other parents behind their backs while claiming on social media that they're one BIG FAMILY. Same crowd. I'm out, dawg.

– Bill D. is fired up: Regarding your comments today about crazy suburban moms ruining their boys with unusual first names, are you aware there is a 17 year old girl named Asterisk Talley who just won an amateur golf tournament yesterday? I had never heard of her so I had to look that up to make sure that was really her first name. It is.

Who does that to their own daughter? Asterisk? Can you imagine how much teasing and grief she endured in grade school and junior high in California?

https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/49570836/asterisk-talley-wins-us-women-amateur-2nd-usga-title

SMOKIN' HOT CHARLEY HULL SUFFERS A BRUTAL QUADRUPLE BOGEY, USA TODAY GASBAGS & ANGEL REESE IS BACK AT IT!

And where is the father in all this to step in and put a stop to the madness? He caddied for his daughter yesterday, but I blame him also for allowing this to happen to her.

I hope when she’s 18, she legally changes her name to Abby or something else normal. Poor kid.

Kinsey: I did some research on how Asterisk was named and Google says the mother, Brandii, is Greek and asterisk is translated to "little star." The story goes that the parents gave her the name because she was their little star.

– Jon in Laurens, SC took exception with one of the names I used to rip modern suburban moms and their need to give their kids ridiculous names: Haven't emailed in a long while, but I am still a loyal, daily reader of Screencaps. I am 100% in agreement with your sentiment in today's column that "... insane suburban moms ... have ruined things like travel ball and the first names of millions of boys who will have to go through their lives with names like Kolton, Kommander, Zade & Britton".

However, I have to take issue with the name "Britton" being included in that list, and here's why.

My grandad, Horace Britton Henderson (1911-1996) was known by "Britton" for his entire life. He was born, raised, lived and died in a rural section of Spartanburg and Cherokee counties in South Carolina. He probably wasn't anything special based on the ways our society defines success, but he was one pretty cool dude as evidenced by this story which I vividly remember from my youth.

One weekend my grandparents came to visit us in northwest Georgia where I lived. When it came time to go to church on Sunday we couldn't all fit in one car, so my grandad and I were going to make the trip in his 1970 Buick Electra 225 Limited. After everyone else had pulled out the the driveway in a separate car, he handed me the keys and said "drive us to church boy!". I was 14 ... not even old enough to have a learner's permit!

But, I got us there safely, and he also let me drive us back home after church. My mom almost had steam coming out of her ears when I pulled in the driveway. Anyway, that's my story about the name "Britton", and I respectfully disagree that it belongs in a list with the names Kolton, Kommander, and Zade.

VIRAL VIDEO SHOWS MASSIVE BISON POPPING TOURIST VEHICLE'S TIRE IN YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

Kinsey: I will take Britton off the list if you guys give me some of the more ridiculous names you're seeing on 8 & 9U travel baseball rosters. Give me some options.

– Will in Mississippi writes: As to paying decorators to decorate dorm rooms, that’s been around (at least in SEC country) for quite a while. My daughter’s (25) freshman year of college was 2020/2021 and she attended online at a local community college due to COVID fear by her mother. The next year when she went to Mississippi State, she moved into an apartment.

There are also sorority rush consultants that charge thousands to help your sweet baby get into the "right" sorority. Missed that one too because my daughter didn’t go out for rush until her junior year. Got a bid and got in the sorority of her choice. And I made her pay for half the dues.

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This lady's backyard might be the most entertaining backyard in North America

Yes, I confirmed this isn't AI. It's in a remote part of British Columbia where a couple lives on a spillway where the salmon run and attract the bears. The bags of rocks were brought in to repair the spillway.

The only reader who can come close to this is Marty in Idaho who has mountain lions rolling in at night.

I thought this was an email on food based on the photos, but then I realized it's actually about being hit by lightning

– Brad S. reveals: As a lightning strike survivor, any lightning video scares the crap out of me! But did you notice where this guy got struck? He was standing underneath the tree! Didn’t we all learn back in sixth grade you’re not supposed to do that?! Anyway, here’s a pork shoulder I smoked and pulled for my son’s birthday party.

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Kinsey: Do we have any other readers who've been struck by lightning?

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

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That is it this morning. While I was writing this up, we sent Screencaps Jr. off to his first day of 8th grade. He was entering 2nd grade when I started at OutKick. That just seems absolutely impossible.

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And with that mental reset, it's time to get the day rolling.

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Prosecutors warn Luigi Mangione supporters may intimidate witnesses and jurors at murder trial

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 10:01:47 -0400

New York City prosecutors are warning that the defendant's supporters may intimidate witnesses and jurors in the trial of accused assassin Luigi Mangione, who is charged with gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in a Dec. 4, 2024 shooting from behind outside a Manhattan hotel.

"The media attention surrounding this case — and the efforts of some of defendant’s supporters both to intimidate witnesses and to interfere with the functioning of the jury — will place extraordinary pressure on witnesses and potential jurors alike," Assistant District Attorney Joel Seidemann wrote in a letter to Judge Gregory Carro Monday evening.

Prosecutors are asking the judge to limit courtroom access and strictly enforce decorum rules at the high-profile trial, scheduled to begin next month.

MANGIONE LAWYERS SAY MEDIA LIMITS AT MURDER TRIAL ARE UNCONSTITUTIONAL, FEAR COURT WILL 'HAND-PICK' PRESS

They also claimed that court officers would face difficulty enforcing courthouse rules in an overflow room if one were made available to accommodate more reporters than can fit in the main courtroom.

"We are particularly concerned about the possibility that a spectator in an overflow courtroom will clandestinely record the proceedings and share any such recordings with others," prosecutors wrote. "That concern will only be heightened if the overflow room includes a video feed as well as an audio feed."

Seidemann recommended that if the judge does approve an overflow room, "it include only an audio feed so as to minimize the potential for witness intimidation and harassment."

Read the prosecution letter:

"The conventional wisdom is that the defense usually doesn't want high-profile cases broadcast. It can put implicit pressure on jurors to return a guilty verdict," Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor, told Fox News Digital last week.

But Mangione's defense team is likely aware that the defendant has a sizable number of supporters and is aiming to leverage that, he said.

"There's upwards of 10 to 20 percent of the people who have been surveyed who believe that even if he did it, it was justified," Rahmani said. "And I think the defense knows this, and they know that more attention creates the possibility of jury nullification, or maybe even an acquittal."

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Thompson, a 50-year-old father of two from Minnesota, was walking to a business conference when surveillance video shows a man firing multiple bullets into his back. Police arrested Mangione days later at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

LUIGI MANGIONE WINS BID TO DITCH JAIL CLOTHES FOR POLISHED LOOK AT UPCOMING HEARING IN CEO SLAYING CASE

He was due in court Tuesday for a conference ahead of his trial, which is set to begin next month before Judge Carro.

GOT A TIP?

Mangione's legal team has requested a publicly televised trial, something that New York law doesn't typically allow.

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

In June, Mangione's defense team announced plans to assert a psychiatric defense in the state case — then withdrew it a day later.

Mangione has pleaded not guilty to eight state charges, including second-degree murder, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison under New York law.

LUIGI MANGIONE'S FEDERAL TRIAL PUSHED TO NEXT YEAR IN ASSASSINATION OF UNITEDHEALTHCARE CEO

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He is expected to go to trial in a parallel federal case early next year.

Fox News' Adam Sabes contributed to this report.

Palantir's Shyam Sankar says ‘every day we’re making progress’ as AI supercharges American workers

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 10:00:36 -0400

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Palantir CTO Shyam Sankar said he’s seen significant progress since his Fox News op-ed imploring America to take advantage of both AI and the American worker, while sharing some observations on China’s use of AI.

"China treats AI as industrial policy," Sankar wrote on X in July. "Our labs treat it as theology, a race to birth a machine god. Beijing's play: commoditize the complement. All that frontier lab market cap gets transmuted into demand signal to scale the stack below the models: power, chips, minerals, etc. Americans can and must win the full stack."

Yet, Sankar acknowledged that even if America's not thinking about how to scale AI in all these other industries like China, it will happen naturally in the U.S. as the technology develops.

THE BIGGEST THREAT IN AMERICA'S RACE WITH CHINA ISN'T BEIJING, TECH EXECUTIVE WARNS

"The only threat to AI generating prosperity for America is suicide and homicide," Sankar told Fox News Digital at Palantir's American Builder Summit in July. "I'm not really worried about what is China going to do per se. I'm more worried about bans on data centers and kind of unfettered and unwarranted fears curtailing our ability to actually generate wage growth for the American worker."

"And so, I think really having a strong narrative that is told not by any companies, but actually by the people themselves, is important for us to get excited and motivated and get lined up behind that opportunity," he added.

In February, Sankar wrote an op-ed for Fox News Digital noting that in order to catch up to China, the U.S. would have to harness the tools at its disposal: the American worker and AI.

"AI development and deployment should prioritize American workers and American industry," he wrote. "The goal is not efficiency in the abstract — it is American prosperity in the concrete."

PALANTIR'S SHYAM SANKAR: AMERICANS ARE ‘BEING LIED TO’ ABOUT AI JOB DISPLACEMENT FEARS

"China's manufacturing productivity grows at 6% per year. Ours grows at 0.4%. If we don't invest in AI and automation, we'll lose. The American worker with AI superpowers erodes China's competitive advantage."

Sankar believes the U.S. has made significant progress since the piece's publication.

"Yeah, I think every day we're making progress," Sankar told Fox News Digital. "I always love the — I have a very small submarine parts manufacturer, and it used to take them two weeks to do their production plan. During that period of time, the line was down, they weren't making any parts. So with AI, they've been able to take that down to less than an hour.

PALANTIR'S SHYAM SANKAR: US MUST USE AI AS ‘SLINGSHOT’ AGAINST CHINA OR FACE ECONOMIC DEFEAT

"So now they actually have more parts to make than they had people. They only had two shifts before, they hired a third shift," he continued. "There is no one on that shift who thinks, 'Hey, I got my job because of AI, but that's actually what happened. In a fundamentally supply-constrained economy, which we are, if you can get rid of the deadweight loss, you can unleash productivity. And I think every company is kind of leaning into and taking advantage of that."

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Palantir's American Builders Summit in late July celebrated the efforts of their American Tech Fellowship grads. The alumni shared their stories and showed how they’re using AI to amplify their trade craft and advance their professions.

Country star Tyler Hubbard says ‘The Chosen’ brought the Bible to life for his family

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 10:00:34 -0400

Country singer, Tyler Hubbard, is sharing why his most recent musical project is special for him.

During a recent interview with Fox News Digital, the 39-year-old musician spoke about the upcoming season of "The Chosen" and his corresponding album, as well as how the television show brought the Bible alive for his children and has started a "lot of conversations about Jesus and about all the different stories of his life."

"We talk through all these stories, we talk through all their questions, but then it doesn't go in one ear and out the other," he said. "It really kind of sticks. It could be two years down the road, we'll be reading a Bible story and they'll already know it. They're kind of teaching us or teaching their friends at that point."

He called the idea that the show helps his kids understand the Bible better "a testimony to how well the show is produced and how accurate" the stories it is telling are, saying it "is really special" to reference them in the Bible and then "reliving it with the kids."

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

Hubbard shared that he and his family watch the show together as a tradition, noting that "it's really opened up our kids' eyes to the gospel and to Jesus and how he lived." When the chance to write a song for the show came up, Hubbard admits he "was excited about the opportunity."

WATCH: Tyler Hubbard says 'The Chosen' brings stories from the Bible alive for his kids

"It was just one of those things where a buddy of mine said, 'Hey, I've got the opportunity to letting us write a song for 'The Chosen' and if they like it, they might use it for something,' And I thought, 'Well, that'd be really cool.' Just something a little different for me," he said.

He explained that growing up he got into music by "leading worship in church," so "getting to write a faith-based song, a song that has some meat on the bone" and a deeper meaning, "and some heart and some truth behind it was really cool."

"So we had a great day and ended up that 'The Chosen' team really liked the song, and it turned into something special and something I'm proud of and excited to be a part of," he added.

The song, "All I Need Is You," is the first single from the new album inspired by the show and will be featured on the soundtrack of its upcoming sixth season. It dropped on Aug. 7. The unnamed album, from 5&2 Studios and Capitol Christian Music Group, is set to debut in the fall.

He also spoke with Fox News Digital about a unique injury he had while on a recent fishing trip with his family.

WATCH: Tyler Hubbard was 'excited' to write a song for season six of 'The Chosen'

"I was just fishing one morning, and I was on a river bank and I got caught in a bush with my back cast and I went to cast it and it just, I had a treble hook just stick me pretty hard right in the back of the head. I ended up, I couldn't get it out myself," he shared.

TYLER HUBBARD STAYS CALM AS WIFE PULLS FISH HOOK FROM HIS SCALP ON FAMILY CAMPING VACATION

After trying and failing to get it out himself, he "asked for some help from my wife," who then "spent about a half an hour dealing with it." During that time, his son took his phone and began filming the removal process.

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He shared the video of his wife, Hayley, hard at work trying to get the fishhook unstuck on Instagram, captioning the post, "Breakfast had to wait…"

"We were way out, kind of in the middle of nowhere," he said about why they didn't go to the ER. "And we did have some people be like, you should probably go, maybe get that checked out, or maybe have someone else take it out. But I was pretty determined. I was like, 'Baby, you got to get this hook out of here, cause I don't want to leave this place and I don't want to mess up this day.' So anyway, she did a good job."

In the background of the video, viewers can hear the couple's children asking various questions out of concern. One asks, "Is it bleeding mom?" with Tyler telling him, "Probably not bleeding a lot, but it might be a little."

They then asked him if it hurts a lot, with another telling him, "Dad, just don't think about it. Mom is just going to pull it right away."

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The comment section was full of people sharing similar experiences, with one saying: "Did that to my dad, first AND last time I ever fished….45 years ago 🤣 this made my stomach flip just like it did back then. You’re a trooper @tylerhubbard 🙌."

"I’m an urgent care nurse so we see a lot of this … we numb the area and then pull out with pliers 👏," another added.

Hayley also shared a video from their weekend camping trip on her Instagram, including clips of the family fishing, swimming, rafting and enjoying nature, writing in the caption, "next time we’ll try to avoid fish hooks in the head 🪝."

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I watched Chicago promise food equity. Now my neighborhood has empty shelves

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 10:00:32 -0400

On the South Side of Chicago, we all know the script. The government announces with great fanfare some new program that is going to come save us and make our lives better. Ribbons are cut, and the aldermen and bureaucrats toast themselves as saviors, another notch of the "good" in their belts. Then time passes and, as sure as a 30-point game used to be for Michael Jordan, the program fails and there’s no one around to own up to the failure.

We recently experienced another failure when, on July 25, seven Save a Lot stores operated by Yellow Banana on Chicago’s South and West Sides closed their doors for good.

By closing day, shoppers encountered half-empty shelves and little fresh produce, tangible evidence that the stores were shutting down. Where can they go now in neighborhoods already struggling with limited options? My own immediate neighborhood doesn't have one supermarket. We have residents without cars and residents with disabilities, and they’re wondering where they can go next.

GOVERNMENT-RUN GROCERY STORES FACE RENEWED SCRUTINY AFTER CHICAGO'S EXPERIMENT FIZZLES

One local woman even stepped up and said she would love to take over the Englewood store at 63rd and Halsted and make it work for the community where she grew up. They didn’t listen to her or care. The store is still closed.

Beginning under Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Chicago committed millions in public financing to rehabilitate and reopen six Save a Lot stores on the South and West Sides as part of an effort to preserve grocery access.

Many of us saw the problem right off the bat: the government was funding both the stores (the supply side) and the customers (the demand side). Chicago provided Yellow Banana with $13.5 million in TIF financing to acquire, rehabilitate and reopen six Save a Lot locations.

Taxpayers were supporting both sides of the equation: Chicago subsidized the stores' redevelopment, while many shoppers relied on federally funded SNAP benefits to buy groceries.

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

At the same time, many customers relied on federally funded SNAP benefits to purchase food.

Save a Lot said the stores had experienced a 26% year-over-year decline in SNAP/EBT tender types and cited reductions in SNAP benefits as one of the financial pressures on the stores.

When the SNAP benefits were cut, the stores saw a sharp drop in SNAP/EBT transactions.

To me, that illustrates the vulnerability of government-supported retail models when their economics depend heavily on continued public assistance.

When the survival of a store rests on government money flowing to both the seller and the buyer, you do not have a market. You have a political arrangement that is only as stable as the next appropriation. Cut either subsidy and the shelves empty out.

It was Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson who took many of us White-guilt Chicagoans on this "grand" vision. When he first announced that he was exploring the idea of government grocery stores, he said: "All Chicagoans deserve to live near convenient, affordable, healthy grocery options. We know access to grocery stores is already a challenge for many residents, especially on the South and West Sides."

He promised the people the golden road to food equity.

Johnson's proposal was separate from the Lightfoot-era Yellow Banana deal, but it reflected the same instinct: when private grocery access falls short, turn to government intervention. The collapse of the Yellow Banana arrangement should give Chicagoans every reason to be skeptical of that approach.

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

Look at the results of government-backed efforts in those same neighborhoods: closed stores and empty shelves. The mayor and his administration are now arranging transportation assistance for some affected seniors — another government response to a problem government spending failed to solve.

This same idiocy is repeating itself in New York City, where Mayor Zohran Mamdani is creating government-owned grocery stores.

New York has allocated $70 million for five planned municipal grocery stores, while the projected cost associated with constructing the planned 9,000-square-foot La Marqueta location has been reported at roughly $30 million.

I wonder if a real entrepreneur could launch a better-run store for just $4 to $5 million? But who knows? The socialist always responds to failure with the statement that true socialism has yet to be tried.

MY WALK ACROSS AMERICA IS OVER, BUT MY MISSION FOR SOUTH SIDE KIDS IS NOT

The notion that government can do it better than the private citizen is absolute nonsense. Private owners succeed or fail by serving customers well, and this means quality, selection, prices and cleanliness. The government does not know that business. A bureaucrat is not a businessman. Bureaucrats playing with other people’s money have no skin in the game, and that means waste, inefficiency and, ultimately, failure. And the very people they tooted their horns about helping are now worse off.

Thomas Sowell said, "Although the big word on the left is ‘compassion,’ the big agenda on the left is dependency."

Shelby Steele later added that by accepting the idea that government would take over the responsibility that only we can take, "we relinquished authority over ourselves. We became child-like."

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What no one is saying is how the government has played a huge role in creating the conditions for these food deserts in the first place. It has cut off pathways to opportunity or incentivized people to stay dependent. Failing schools. Violent, unsafe streets that drive businesses away. Rules and policies that punish work and reward staying stuck in intergenerational poverty. A culture of dependency that tells people they are permanent victims who need the state as a caretaker. This is what they call the permanent underclass.

Now, the same government that helped create the problem wants to ride in as the savior, promising that its sterile, taxpayer-funded grocery stores will fix everything?

Our people want good schools with great teachers, safe playgrounds, paved roads, local businesses that can actually open and thrive, loans for homes and small enterprises, and real pathways to opportunity. We pay taxes. Government has a responsibility to provide the most basic elements of civic viability, and this means law and order, safety, parks and basic functioning services. Yet these neighborhoods are now also saddled with empty supermarkets, adding to an already blighted landscape.

Our people have been told America is evil, so government must ride to the rescue. They’ve been told the rich are out to get them, so government must redistribute. They’ve been fed nothing but hate for this country. But America is not a failure. We forget that America is an idea, a set of principles: individual liberty, personal responsibility, and the right to rise by your own effort. Principles are just principles, and they cannot fail. It is the people who abandon those principles who fail.

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What happened in Chicago is a warning. We know that Mamdani and his supporters in New York are too arrogant to listen, and those stores will fail or sink into mediocrity with time. Where will Mamdani be then?

The people of Chicago, New York, and communities all across our country should demand something better. They should push for the principles that made America work in the first place.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM PASTOR COREY BROOKS

The best places to buy a lab-grown diamond engagement ring online

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 09:52:36 -0400

Lab-grown diamonds offer an alternative to mined stones and often cost less, giving you more options when shopping for an engagement ring. Whether you're looking for a classic round diamond or something more distinctive, these retailers offer hundreds of lab-grown styles.

With Clarity

With Clarity offers a wide range of diamond cuts that you can pair with several metal options. Here are a few ready-to-ship styles.

Round classic lab diamond ring: $2,465 (15% off)

Original price: $2,900

Add extra sparkle to a classic setting with this round lab-grown diamond ring. The center stone sits between scalloped shoulders lined with additional diamonds, and a 14-karat white gold band completes the look.

Emerald comfort fit lab diamond ring: $3,281 (15% off)

Original price: $3,860

With Clarity's comfort-fit ring pairs a yellow gold band with a bold emerald-cut diamond. Its streamlined profile creates a clean, modern look designed for comfortable wear.

Brilliant Earth

Brilliant Earth offers everything from classic solitaire settings to intricate, nature-inspired designs.

Petite Elodie solitaire round lab diamond ring: $2,490

The Petite Elodie pairs a petite round diamond with a simple setting for an understated take on the classic solitaire. Choose an 18-karat white or yellow gold band to complete the look.

Secret Garden round lab diamond ring: $4,990

Bring a nature-inspired touch to an engagement ring with the Secret Garden. Marquise-shaped diamonds wind around the band like vines, framing the round center stone.

Quince

Shop Quince lab-grown diamonds in classic round and oval settings, plus more distinctive designs.

Lab-grown diamond twisted engagement ring: $1,000

The twisted band on this lab-grown diamond engagement ring comes in white or yellow gold or platinum. According to Quince, the diamonds come from a Responsible Jewellry Council member and meet the brand's conflict-free sourcing standards.

Lab-grown oval diamond engagement ring: $2,900

Rounded edges give this oval engagement ring a streamlined profile. Choose a yellow gold or platinum band to complement the elongated lab-grown center stone.

Blue Nile

Blue Nile offers a wide selection of lab-grown diamond rings, including customizable settings and classic designs.

Scalloped Pavé diamond engagement ring: $1,725 (25% off)

Original price: $2,300

Diamonds wrap around much of the Scalloped Pavé band's setting for added sparkle. Choose from six band options and customize the center stone's shape to create a more personalized ring.

Heart lab-grown diamond ring: $2,195

For a more understated option, consider this heart-shaped lab-grown diamond ring. The stone sits low in a 14-karat white or yellow gold band, creating a streamined profile that's less likely to catch on fabrics.

Ritani

Ritani offers several lab-grown engagement rings for less than $1,000.

The Geneva pear cut engagement ring: $880

At $880, the Geneva is the most affordable ring in this roundup. A gently twisted band frames the pear-shaped center stone for a simple yet distinctive look.

The Teya radiant cut engagement ring: $935

For less than $1,000, the Teya ring pairs a radiant-cut center stone with a polished white gold band. You can also add a complimentary engraving for a personalized touch.

VRAI

VRAI grows its diamonds in the Pacific Northwest and says its foundry operates with zero carbon emissions.

The Signature Floral: $2,700

Choose a nature-inspired setting with the Signature Floral. Round side stones form petal-like clusters around the center diamond for a distinctive floral look.

For more deals, visit www.foxnews.com/deals

The Floral Cathedral: $3,410

The Floral Cathedral puts the center diamond in a sun-inspired setting surrounded by smaller stones. A yellow gold band adds warmth to the design.

Socialism moves into the mainstream — the warning signs are all here

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 09:00:37 -0400

For the 333 million Americans who don’t live in New York City, there are plenty of reasons not to care what goes on there. It doesn’t affect our day-to-day lives. New Yorkers democratically elected their socialist leader. It’s their bed, let them lie in it. Or as the mainstream media likes to put it, it’s probably just hyped-up right-wing hysteria.

And of course, that’s exactly how the communists in our country want us to think.

But right now may be the most important moment to push back. It’s incumbent on all of us to resist the normalization of socialism in America. Speak up now, so that what’s radical in New York today doesn’t become the norm in your neighborhood tomorrow.

AOC ACCUSED OF PUTTING ON NEW ACCENT DURING MEMPHIS RALLY: 'GOING FULL KAMALA'

And to be clear, there are plenty of radical things going on in New York right now. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has published a searchable database listing more than 960,000 properties worth over $1 million, with the owners’ full names and home addresses attached.

He then went on X to gloat that anyone with a second home in the city worth more than $5 million should check the mailbox, because notification letters for his new pied-à-terre tax had already gone out. "You’ve got mail," he wrote.

It was clear that the mayor of America’s largest city had one goal: intimidation.

Even worse, the co-chair of the Democratic Socialists of America has said as much. The goal, in Ashik Siddique’s words, is "to replace capitalism with socialism." That kind of power, he says, "is not conceded without struggle."

MAMDANI’S ‘DERANGED’ ISRAEL TAKE RESURFACES AS HE TARGETS NETANYAHU

That’s why Mamdani was proud to film his "Happy Tax Day" video doxxing Ken Griffin’s Manhattan penthouse. Again, the natural response might be to move on quickly. Mamdani’s video is just one billionaire’s problem, right? Wrong.

Mamdani is drawing up the blueprint for socialist tactics and the weaponization of government around the country. He’s testing what the American people will tolerate. So long as the rest of us shrug our shoulders and move on, he’s one step closer to something far more aggressive.

That’s why everyday Americans must push back in one of the most powerful but overlooked ways: by talking about it. The best way to resist the normalization of socialism is to expose it and treat it as the serious threat it is. Americans have short attention spans, and every story, no matter how outrageous, competes for clicks in our attention economy. That is exactly the kind of environment that allows socialism to spread.

If one thing is clear, socialism rarely stays put. The leaders of the DSA make it their mission to push socialism all across the country. For Mamdani and his ilk, this is a marathon, not a sprint. Contrary to what the media might lead you to believe, they have no intention of running NYC into the ground and packing up to go home. They’re here to stay, and they aren’t sitting on the sidelines.

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One of the greatest lies propagated in the media is that the Democratic Socialists are just a far-left wing of the Democrat Party. They want us to believe that communists are only on the fringe of Democrat Party politics. That might have been the case when avowed socialist Bernie Sanders was pushed out of the way for Hillary Clinton 10 years ago. But times are different now.

The socialists are now the heart of the Democrat Party, with a co-chair who muses openly about abolishing the Senate and the Electoral College and insists none of it is extreme. They might have played the supporting role in years prior, but now they’re monopolizing all the main character energy that the left has to offer.

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Thankfully, those of us who love our country still have an important role to play too. Expose every socialist policy and every destructive DSA platform, and call the leaders who champion them what they are: communists. It is better to be accused of overreaction now than of complacency later.

Mom, 2 co-parents arrested in boy’s murder after grandparents hire PI to probe ‘house of horrors’

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 09:00:31 -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).

A 7-year-old boy’s mother and two co-parents were charged with murder in Ohio after his grandparents hired a private investigator over concerns the child was being abused, according to reports.

Cincinnati police said Kaitlin Evans, 38, and her co-parents, Kirby Rankin, 33, and Nessa Keaney, 23, have all pleaded not guilty to murdering 7-year-old William Evans.

The Hamilton County jail and Municipal Court databases list Rankin’s sex as male, while Cincinnati police identify Rankin as female.

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911 and police-dispatch records trace the response from a Mercy Rookwood emergency room to a Cincinnati apartment, where officers ultimately found William bound in a closet and unresponsive.

The sequence began when a charge nurse called 911 to report that a barefoot woman had entered the emergency department, dropped to the floor and said someone was trying to kill her and had taken her son.

The nurse told the dispatcher the woman claimed her son was being held in the attic of a nearby apartment.

FOX19 NOW reported that the woman identified herself as William’s mother and named Rankin as the partner she accused of trying to kill her and taking the boy.

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Police were sent to the hospital and the apartment for a welfare check, according to radio traffic and computer-aided dispatch records. An officer reported that a juvenile boy was in a closet and "not moving."

A dispatch entry also stated that a child was "found tied up in closet." Dispatchers then asked fire personnel to expedite their response, records show.

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Cincinnati police said officers found William unresponsive inside the residence and that Cincinnati Fire Department personnel determined he was dead.

FOX19 NOW reported that Cincinnati homicide Detective Kyle Smith testified in court on Friday that William had been severely beaten over the previous two months, calling the case "probably one of the most disturbing cases of child abuse" he had encountered during decades in law enforcement.

Smith told the judge investigators believe William was held underwater for a prolonged period. He also said Rankin disclosed her involvement in what he described as a prolonged child-abuse incident and implicated Evans and Keaney as active participants.

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Rankin’s attorney sought a competency evaluation, citing what the attorney described as serious mental health issues.

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William’s grandparents, Mike Evans and Tina Evans, told WLWT they feared their grandson’s home had become a "house of horrors."

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The grandparents said William, who regularly spent Fridays and many Saturdays with them, told them about six weeks before his death that he did not want to return home.

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They said Kaitlin later restricted their contact with William. Mike and Tina said they saw him once during the final six weeks of his life and noticed a bruise on his shoulder. That visit, nearly four weeks before William’s death, was the last time they saw him.

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Mike and Tina said they met with an attorney alongside William’s other grandparents and hired a private investigator to monitor Kaitlin and William. Mike said relatives feared both William and Kaitlin were being abused.

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He said he rented a car Thursday intending to watch the home but arrived to find police vehicles outside. A detective then told Mike that William had died and Kaitlin was being questioned downtown.

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The Cincinnati Police Department’s Homicide Unit is investigating.

Former Syrian President Assad sentenced to death in absentia

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 08:58:32 -0400

A Syrian court sentenced ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad along with his younger brother to death in absentia on Tuesday for crimes against humanity and war crimes during Syria’s 14-year conflict that left about half a million people dead.

The sentences at the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus are the first against Assad or members of his inner circle since the Assad family's five decades in power came to an end 20 months ago.

"Bashar Assad used state agencies to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity," said Judge Fakhareddine al-Aryan during a court session that was aired live on state TV.

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Also sentenced to death in the same case was Assad’s maternal cousin Atef Najib, who was convicted of overseeing a crackdown in the southern province of Daraa that led to the uprising and later the civil war.

Amid tight security, Najib stood inside a cage wearing a prisoner’s uniform as the judge read the sentence. A crowd of people gathered outside the courthouse in central Damascus to hear the verdict.

Assad and his brother Maher fled to Russia after the government's fall in December 2024 and received political asylum. Syria's new rulers have asked Russia to hand the Assads over.

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Najib, who was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury in April 2011, was later detained and is one of the highest-ranking officials to be put on trial.

Najib is a former Syrian army brigadier general who was head of the Political Security Branch in southern Syria’s Daraa province under Assad in 2011.

During his tenure, more than a dozen teenagers who scrawled anti-government graffiti on a school wall in Daraa were arrested and tortured. The case became a catalyst for mass protests against the repressive policies of Assad’s security forces.

The protests were met by a brutal government crackdown and spiraled into a 14-year civil war that ended with Assad’s ouster in a lightning rebel offensive.

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Maher Assad was a former commander of the Syrian military’s 4th Armored Division — which Syrian opposition activists have accused of killings, torture, extortion and drug trafficking, in addition to running its own detention centers.

High school football player practices with venomous snake hiding inside helmet before coach's discovery

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 08:47:58 -0400

Thousands of high school football players across the country are taking the practice field, preparing to kick off the 2026 season in the coming weeks, but one young man in Arkansas recently had a practice experience unlike any other.

With the Maumelle High School football team split into position groups during practice, a player noticed there was movement inside his helmet. Obviously, nothing is supposed to be moving inside a football helmet, but when he handed the helmet over to a defensive coach, nobody could have predicted what was hidden inside.

According to NBC KARK, there was a two-foot-long snake hiding underneath the helmet's padding. While there are plenty of high school football coaches who would have immediately tossed the helmet into the woods or taken care of the snake themselves, athletic director Kirk Horton called on Animal Services.

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Officers for Animal Services received a report that the snake was a copperhead, which is venomous, but when they arrived to see it for themselves, it was identified as a cottonmouth, which is also venomous.

"It really was just shock and disbelief," Horton told the outlet. "I’ve got a better shot at winning the lottery than seeing this in my ten years."

Oh, and it's worth mentioning that the player didn't feel the movement inside of his helmet until an hour into practice. The snake did a great job hiding, as it wasn't one of those situations where it was discovered while the team was stretching before getting practice underway.

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"I’ve removed a snake out of a car vent, in the engine, purses, backpacks," Animal Services Director Chris Davis told KATV. "In a helmet? Never." He also noted that the cottonmouth is the second most venomous snake found in Arkansas, only behind the rattlesnake.

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Practicing football with a two-foot-long, deadly snake inside your helmet is the stuff of nightmares. Thankfully, the young man avoided an accident, but he also picked up a story he can tell for the rest of his life.

Animal Services relocated the snake, by the way, so for the folks concerned about the deadly animal, everything is okay.

Cleveland Clinic launches prescription drone delivery

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 08:41:13 -0400

A trip to the pharmacy can feel like a routine errand on a normal day. When you feel sick or care for someone else, that same trip can become a serious burden. Now, some Cleveland Clinic patients can skip the drive and have eligible prescriptions lowered into their yards by drone.

Cleveland Clinic just announced the launch of its prescription drone delivery program with Zipline. The first successful deliveries took place in and around Beachwood, Ohio.

Cleveland Clinic describes the launch as the first long-term deployment of a prescription drug drone delivery program by a U.S. health system. While other hospitals have tested medical drone services, this program is designed for ongoing delivery to patients' homes.

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Cleveland Clinic drone delivery starts in and around Beachwood

The service currently covers eligible addresses within five miles of Cleveland Clinic's Beachwood Administrative Campus. That location serves as the home base for Zipline's electric drones. Initially, Cleveland Clinic is offering the service to certain patients who already use its pharmacy home delivery program. The pharmacy team will notify eligible patients through their electronic patient portal.

Patients do not have to use a drone. The delivery option is voluntary, and Cleveland Clinic says it will not charge an additional fee. According to Zipline, the program initially covers shelf-stable prescriptions. Controlled substances will not travel by drone at this time.

How prescriptions arrive by Zipline drone

The process begins inside a Cleveland Clinic pharmacy. A pharmacy technician places the packaged medication into a secure Zipline drop box. Next, an autonomous drone retrieves the order and flies to the patient's address. When the aircraft reaches its destination, it remains as high as 300 feet above the ground. A small delivery pod then descends on a tether. The pod places the prescription at the selected delivery location before rising back to the drone. The aircraft returns to its charging station after completing the delivery.

Since the drone stays in the air, it does not need to land in your yard. You also do not need to clear space for a landing pad. Once a pharmacy order enters the Zipline drop box, it can reach the patient's home within minutes. According to Zipline, its average flight time is under five minutes.

Patients can follow the delivery through a tracking link in the MyChart messaging portal. Because delivery information arrives through a health portal, be careful with unexpected texts or emails claiming to contain a tracking update. Open the official MyChart app or type the portal address into your browser instead of tapping an unplanned link. CyberGuy's guide to using health apps and patient portals safely explains why going directly to the official app can help you avoid phishing attempts.

Who can use Cleveland Clinic prescription delivery

For now, eligibility remains narrow. You must live within the initial delivery zone near Beachwood. You must also participate in Cleveland Clinic's pharmacy home delivery program. Cleveland Clinic patients who are interested in participating should ask their doctor if they are eligible. The Beachwood launch gives the Cleveland Clinic and Zipline a chance to incorporate the experience during regular pharmacy operations.

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Patients can choose where the package lands

Eligible patients can select a delivery location on their property. According to Zipline, that location will typically be in the front yard or backyard. Patients can also schedule delivery for a time when they expect to be home. After the pod places the package on the ground, the patient can collect it without touching the drone or the delivery pod. That setup may help keep a prescription from sitting outside longer than necessary. It also gives patients more control over where the package appears on their property.

How Zipline handles privacy and flight monitoring

Zipline says it does not know what is inside a Cleveland Clinic order. The company receives only the information it needs to complete the delivery and follow healthcare requirements, including package handling or temperature instructions. The drones do not send a live video or image feed to Zipline employees. Instead, trained specialists monitor flights at the fleet level through operational dashboards. Each drone and delivery pod flies autonomously using onboard sensors. Those sensors help the system navigate the airspace and avoid obstacles near the delivery area. Cleveland Clinic and Zipline say they worked together to meet the regulatory and technical requirements for the program.

Zipline has delivered medical products since 2016

While a prescription hovering over an Ohio neighborhood may seem unusual, Zipline has spent years building autonomous medical delivery networks. The company began delivering blood and other medical products in 2016. Today, Zipline says it serves more than 5,000 hospitals and health facilities around the world. It has delivered tens of millions of medical products through its network.

CyberGuy first examined how Zipline planned to deliver medicine and food when the company revealed its Platform 2 system in 2023. That design introduced the tethered pod that can place a package in a precise location while the main aircraft stays overhead. Since then, Zipline has moved further into everyday U.S. delivery. To date, the company reported more than 2.7 million commercial deliveries. Roughly 70% of its flights now take place in the United States. Outside healthcare, Zipline carries restaurant orders and retail products. In parts of Texas, customers can receive drone deliveries from national brands and local businesses.

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Drone delivery can continue through difficult weather

Cleveland Clinic's program arrives as drone delivery becomes more visible in the U.S. CyberGuy recently covered a drone food delivery pilot in New Jersey. That service also uses a tether to lower orders while the aircraft remains in the air. Food delivery gives companies a way to test flight paths and neighborhood acceptance. Delivering medicine raises the stakes because patients may rely on the package for their care.

According to Zipline, its drones can operate in rain, wind, storms and cold conditions that may slow road traffic. However, weather or another issue could still make a drone flight unavailable. In that situation, Cleveland Clinic would use another delivery option. Zipline says the prescription would typically travel by ground courier instead. According to Cleveland Clinic, each Zipline drone performs more than 500 safety checks per second while flying.

Cleveland Clinic plans to expand medical drone delivery

Prescription medication is the starting point. Over time, Cleveland Clinic plans to add other medications and lab samples. The program may also transport medically tailored meals and medical supplies.

Zipline has already announced its next expansion will be to Austin, Texas. Zipline's president of U.S. healthcare, Hillary Brendzel, described the immediate benefit in simple terms: "That's one less errand to run, and more time back in people's days." That may sound modest compared with the technology involved. However, saving one pharmacy trip can matter when someone feels ill or cannot easily drive. In fact, in Texas, according to Zipline, its most frequent customers are older adults and busy parents.

Kurt's key takeaways

What caught my attention here is how ordinary the problem is. People need medicine, but getting to a pharmacy can be difficult when they are already dealing with an illness or mobility problem. Cleveland Clinic and Zipline are using drone technology to remove that errand for some patients. The drone stays above the property while a tethered pod handles the final delivery. Patients can track the order through MyChart without paying an extra fee. The average flight takes under five minutes, according to Zipline. Patients can choose where the package arrives and schedule the delivery for a time when they will be home. If the drone cannot fly, Cleveland Clinic can use a ground courier instead. Zipline also says it does not know what medication is inside the package, and its drones do not provide employees with a live video feed. Those details may reassure patients who have questions about privacy. Still, the launch remains limited to a small area near Beachwood. Only shelf-stable prescriptions qualify at first, and controlled substances are excluded. If this works reliably, prescription delivery could become one of the most meaningful uses for autonomous drones.

Would you trust a drone to deliver medication you depend on, or would you rather keep your prescriptions on the ground? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.

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Wisconsin progressive Hong's supporters are confident she's the answer to affordability ahead of primary

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 08:25:11 -0400

MADISON, Wis. – Supporters of Democratic candidate for Wisconsin governor Francesca Hong expressed confidence ahead of Tuesday that the far-left progressive and member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) can win the Democratic gubernatorial primary on a platform centered on economic relief.

"She's speaking to working-class issues. Everybody's struggling right now. The price of gas is insane. Trying to pay for your groceries is insane, trying to pay your rent is insane," campaign canvasser Josiah Wampfler told Fox News Digital at Hong’s campaign headquarters in Madison. "We're all struggling, and she's presenting solutions to bring down prices and to have improved government programs."

The affordability crisis has plagued many Americans amid rising costs of groceries, housing and healthcare. The House passed legislation — showing a rare display of bipartisanship earlier this year with a 390-9 vote — to deliver policies aimed at growing the supply of affordable housing in the U.S.

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Hong enters primary night as a polling frontrunner in a Democratic showdown that was upended this summer after several high-profile contenders — including former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes and current Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez — exited the race, while Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley briefly suspended his campaign before re-entering.

A member of the DSA, the 37-year-old former chef and single mother has drawn backing from prominent national progressives, including Reps. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif.

Hong’s platform includes state-guaranteed paid leave, raising Wisconsin’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $20 per hour, and placing a one-year moratorium on new AI data center construction. Her tax proposal would raise state income taxes by 1% on couples earning over $431,000 and individuals earning over $323,000.

Supporters and volunteers poured into the Madison headquarters on Election Day, preparing for final voter outreach pushes.

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"When I first started this campaign, I figured it was a long shot, but seeing her grow, it really feels like a people-powered movement," volunteer Peter German said following a canvassing briefing. "I think it's been clear where the momentum is heading for a little bit now."

Another supporter, Dana, wearing a "Hotties for Hong" campaign shirt, argued that Hong represents the disruption the state needs.

"I think what I've seen inside of Madison and throughout the state is that people are looking for change — dare I say radical change — because we have been subjected to a lot of very moderate views for a long time, and people are suffering," she said.

Despite her grassroots momentum, high-profile national figures like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and the national DSA organization declined to endorse her in the Wisconsin gubernatorial contest. Hong has also been forced to backtrack from previous far-left stances like wanting to cancel Thanksgiving, and abolishing the police, prisons and the U.S. Senate itself.

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Speaking to reporters in the campaign's HQ, Hong responded to the lack of endorsements.

"I have so much respect for the senator and the congresswoman, and they are working tirelessly to make sure that we can that we can flip Congress and the Senate," she said to a crowd of reporters and her supporters standing behind her.

Hong's supporters, however, dismissed the lack of national backing as standard procedure for state-level executive races.

"They haven't really endorsed in gubernatorial races. They're focused on the federal level," Dana added. "And I think it's actually really, really impressive that Fran has been able to do this without many national endorsements."

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Wampfler echoed that sentiment, pointing out that national progressive leaders have concentrated their primary endorsements on federal contests this cycle — such as Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders backing Dr. Abdul El-Sayed in his recent Michigan U.S. Senate primary victory.

"I know that they don't generally endorse gubernatorial campaigns," Wampfler said. "I think that it shows that Fran is building this out of Wisconsin."

WNBA silence on DiJonai Carrington's 'White privilege' post exposes Sandy Brondello double standard

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 08:10:06 -0400

Three weeks ago, the WNBA needed less than 24 hours to suspend Toronto Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello for making a comment that wasn't explicitly racial.

More than two days after Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington explicitly invoked race by posting "WHITE PRIVILEGE @indianafever" on Threads moments after being ejected from a game against the Fever, the league apparently had nothing to say.

Carrington then suited up and played for the Sky against the Seattle Storm on Monday night.

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Seems like a pretty clear double standard.

Let's start with Brondello.

During a July 17 game against the Atlanta Dream, Brondello became upset after officials called a foul on Nyara Sabally while she battled Angel Reese for a rebound. Sabally went down in pain, and Brondello complained that Reese was a "protected species."

Brondello is Australian, where "protected species" is a common sports expression used to describe an athlete perceived to receive favorable treatment from officials. The context made her meaning pretty clear, too. She was complaining about a foul call.

Still, because Reese is Black, the comment was quickly given a racial interpretation. Reese also leaned into the racial narrative by posting "ARE WE SURPRISED" shortly after the game.

Brondello apologized the following morning, saying her frustration was with the officiating and acknowledging that her words had an impact beyond what she intended, "particularly for Black women in our league."

Apparently, that wasn't enough.

On July 18, less than a day after Brondello made the comment, the WNBA suspended her without pay for one game. The league called it an "inappropriate comment" and said coaches and team personnel are expected to uphold the "highest standards of professionalism and respect."

Reese later thanked the WNBA for taking action and said there is "no place for discrimination or hate" in the league.

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Keep that standard in mind.

DiJonai Carrington explicitly invoked race after WNBA ejection

On Saturday afternoon, Carrington struck Fever guard Sophie Cunningham across the head while Cunningham attempted a layup. Officials reviewed the play, upgraded the foul to a Flagrant 2 and ejected Carrington late in the first quarter.

Minutes later, while the game was still being played, a post appeared on Carrington's Threads account.

"WHITE PRIVILEGE @indianafever."

Not "protected species," which is an Australian sports phrase that someone else interpreted through a racial lens.

"WHITE PRIVILEGE."

Carrington made an explicitly race-based comment and tagged another WNBA franchise almost immediately after being ejected from a WNBA game.

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OutKick and Fox News Digital contacted the league shortly after Carrington's post Saturday and asked whether the WNBA viewed it as an allegation that race or racial bias played a role in her ejection, whether the league had spoken with Carrington and whether it was reviewing the matter for potential discipline.

No response.

OutKick followed up with the WNBA again Monday morning and Monday night, giving the league another opportunity to explain its position before publication.

Again, no response.

The Chicago Sun-Times also reported Monday that the WNBA didn't respond to its request for comment.

Meanwhile, Carrington wasn't backing away from her use of the phrase.

Responding Monday to Emmanuel Acho, who criticized the idea that her ejection represented white privilege, Carrington insisted people were misunderstanding her.

"I've never once claimed that the assessment of the foul was white privilege (that was your assumption)," Carrington wrote.

OK.

Then what was?

Carrington didn't say.

Instead, she defended her qualifications to discuss white privilege, saying she attended "one of the top universities" to educate herself on the subject and would never use the term as a "rhetorical weapon" without "the proper evidence to substantiate it."

Evidence of what?

Carrington posted "WHITE PRIVILEGE," tagged the Fever and did so almost immediately after an ejection. She now says she wasn't referring to the assessment of the foul and insists she has evidence to substantiate whatever accusation she was making.

Yet neither Carrington nor the WNBA has explained what that accusation actually is.

The WNBA needs to explain its standard

Maybe the league believes the situations involving Brondello and Carrington are completely different.

It’s hard to identify a material distinction that explains the dramatically different responses, and the WNBA hasn’t offered one. The league could argue that Brondello’s comment was made by a head coach during live game action, while Carrington’s came from her own social media account after she was ejected.

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Still, is the league OK with one of its players posting on social media about an incident moments after being ejected, while the game is still being played, especially when the post makes a race-based allegation whose target remains unclear?

Maybe the league is perfectly fine with it.

Then it should say that.

The league didn't offer Brondello days of silence while it figured out how to handle an ambiguous phrase. It acted the next day, even though Brondello publicly apologized and explained that her comment had nothing to do with race.

Carrington, meanwhile, used an unmistakably racial term, tagged an opposing franchise, later said she had evidence to support using that term and still hasn't explained exactly whom she was accusing of white privilege.

More than two days later, she took the floor for another WNBA game without the league publicly acknowledging the situation at all.

That's particularly notable given what WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert recently told Congress when lawmakers questioned whether the league fairly protects and disciplines all of its players.

"In all instances, the League seeks to apply the WNBA rulebook and applicable disciplinary processes consistently across all games and for all players," Engelbert wrote.

Well, this would be a good time to demonstrate that consistency.

This isn't an argument that Carrington automatically deserved the exact same one-game suspension Brondello received. Perhaps the WNBA reviewed the situation and concluded Carrington violated no league rule.

If so, say that.

But the league can't aggressively police one comment because of its perceived racial implications, then simply look the other way when a player explicitly invokes race during a game and pretend nobody is going to notice the difference.

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Brondello was suspended for words that weren't explicitly racial but were interpreted that way.

Carrington explicitly wrote "WHITE PRIVILEGE."

So far, only one of them has faced consequences from the WNBA.

And until the league explains why, its supposed commitment to consistent standards falls completely flat.

The only thing consistent about the WNBA is its uncanny ability to get in its own way.

Cruise fee doubles at vacation hot spot as passengers brace for even steeper hikes

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 08:00:43 -0400

Cruise passengers heading to Mexico are now paying a higher fee to visit some of the country's most popular destinations as the latest increase in a phased tax plan takes effect.

As of Aug. 1, the fee for foreign cruise passengers visiting Mexican ports increased from $5 to $10 per person, with additional increases scheduled over the next two years, according to Mexico's phased plan.

The charge applies to foreign cruise passengers visiting popular cruise destinations, including Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Cozumel and Costa Maya. It can be collected by cruise lines or their shipping agents.

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Clint Henderson, a managing editor of the travel site The Points Guy and based in New York, told Fox News Digital the increase likely won't be enough to deter most travelers, but said it adds to the growing expenses consumers face when traveling.

"While it's not horrible and likely won't be a deal-breaker for most tourists, it's another example of prices going up for travel across the board, and it's frustrating as a consumer rights advocate," Henderson said.

"Consumers keep getting hit with more and more taxes and fees for everything related to travel," he added.

The $10 charge is only one step in Mexico's plan, with the fee scheduled to increase again over the next two years.

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"The messed-up thing about this new fee is [that it's] just one of several increases to come over the next few years," Henderson said. "It will eventually go up to $21 over the next few years."

"We'll have to see if this ends up denting cruise demand for Mexico," he added.

Henderson noted that cruise passengers had previously been exempt from the immigration fee imposed on certain foreign travelers entering Mexico.

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"That's no longer the case," he said, "and it's going to raise costs for tourists."

The $10 charge, however, is still significantly lower than the fee Mexico originally planned to impose on cruise passengers.

Fox News Digital previously reported that Mexico's Congress approved an immigration levy of 860.56 pesos, roughly $42 at the time, on foreign cruise passengers in December 2024 — prompting pushback from the cruise industry.

The law took effect Jan. 1, 2025, but Mexico granted cruise passengers a 100% fiscal credit through the end of June, effectively postponing collection of the fee.

Following negotiations between the Mexican government and the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), the two sides reached an agreement that set the initial fee at $5 per passenger beginning July 1, 2025.

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"On behalf of the FCCA and our member cruise lines — representing over 95% of cruise capacity in the Caribbean and Latin America — we thank the Federal Government of Mexico for working with us to reach an ‘in transit fee’ agreement," the FCCA told Fox News Digital at the time.

The association said the agreement was intended to protect cruise tourism while supporting Mexican communities that rely on visitors.

Under the phased plan, foreign cruise passengers paid $5 beginning in July 2025 before the fee doubled to $10 on Aug. 1 of this year.

The next increase is scheduled for July 1, 2027, when the charge will rise to $15 per passenger.

Then, beginning Aug. 1, 2028, travelers will pay $21 through Sept. 30, 2030, under the current plan.

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The impact of additional taxes and fees can become more noticeable when travelers are paying for an entire family, Henderson said.

"It's definitely making Mexico more expensive as all these taxes and fees start to add up," he said.

The increase arrives as travelers are seeing jumps in costs throughout the industry.

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"Unfortunately, cruising, like everything else, is getting more expensive," Henderson said in a previous interview.

He pointed to higher expenses for staffing, entertainment, food, beverages and fuel as some of the costs facing cruise operators.

"There's a lot of demand. There's a lot [of] people [who] want to cruise," Henderson said. "It's become very popular and things have gotten much more expensive."

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Still, Henderson said cruising can offer good value when travelers consider the transportation, accommodations and entertainment included in the price.

"Cruising is still a relative bargain," he said.

Fox News Digital’s Ashley DiMella contributed reporting.

Oklahoma victim fights back after teen charged in rapes walks free — as feds could storm in: attorney

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 08:00:35 -0400

An Oklahoma teenager accused of sexually assaulting and strangling two high school girls walked free without serving a day in prison, spurring public outrage as a victim’s family prepares to fight back.

"We’re moving on to the next phase, which is civil litigation," Rachel Bussett, an attorney representing the family of one girl in the case, told Fox News Digital.

Jesse Mack Butler was initially charged as an adult at 17 with counts including attempted first-degree rape, rape by instrumentation, sexual battery, forcible oral sodomy, and domestic assault and battery by strangulation. But he ultimately received youthful-offender status and pleaded no contest to all 11 counts in August 2025.

OKLAHOMA TEEN ACCUSED OF RAPING TWO GIRLS WALKS FREE; DA FURIOUSLY CALLS IN FEDS: ‘MADE MY BLOOD BOIL’

Instead of being sent to prison, he was placed under the supervision of the Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs and ordered to complete a rehabilitation plan. Once Butler reached age 19 at midnight on Aug. 4, the court's jurisdiction lapsed, and the case was dismissed by operation of law.

For the family she represents, Bussett said, the outcome was painful but hardly unexpected.

"They were sad and upset, obviously, because they didn't want the deal to go through this way, but they weren't surprised," Bussett said. "They knew that it was going to happen from the beginning."

The family may now have two possible paths forward.

80% OF CLAIMS IN AMERICA'S LARGEST SEXUAL ABUSE SETTLEMENT IN HISTORY COULD BE FRAUDULENT, LA DA SAYS

Bussett said the family is preparing for civil litigation while also hoping federal authorities take a fresh look at the case.

She said her understanding is that materials are being referred for review to determine whether content allegedly found on Butler’s phone could qualify as child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and whether it was distributed. Bussett said her client had seen material she believes was on the phone.

"We know that that's a long shot," Bussett said of possible federal action, "but we're holding confident in the process."

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of Justice for additional information on the case.

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Bussett also blasted her client’s treatment during the earlier prosecution, describing an encounter with the former elected district attorney that she characterized as a "mock cross-examination."

Bussett said the teen believed she was speaking with someone she could trust to protect her, only to feel "absolutely attacked."

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"Not only are they often not believed, but then they're attacked by those who are supposed to help them," Bussett said of sexual-assault victims coming forward.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the previous district attorney for comment.

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Beyond the family's troubling encounters with public officials, Butler's defense attorney, Derek Chance, drew further criticism at the hearing after suggesting Butler was innocent and had been victimized by the case, according to newly elected Payne and Logan County District Attorney Jeremiah Gregory.

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"Today’s hearing included disingenuous assertions from the defense regarding the defendant’s innocence, that he was the victim in this matter and that the victim’s assertions were false and had no bearing. The defense portrayed that somehow the perpetrator suffered more than these victims. What was said was insincere, untruthful and an affront to these victims and what they have endured," Gregory said in a statement.

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"Nothing has made my blood boil more."

WATCH: Police bodycam shows arrest of Oklahoma teen Jesse Butler

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Gregory said constitutional double jeopardy protections bar Oklahoma from prosecuting Butler a second time, and he has contacted the appropriate federal agency to request a prosecutorial review of the case.

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"I cannot undo what has already been done," Gregory said, "but I can — and will — continue to stand as a strong voice for all victims of violent crime."

Fox News Digital reached out to the Payne and Logan County District Attorney’s Office, the Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs and Butler's attorney for additional comment.

Pentagon makes dramatic missile shift as repeated conflicts drain US stockpiles and more top headlines

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 07:28:02 -0400

Good morning and welcome to Fox News’ morning newsletter, Fox News First. And here's what you need to know to start your day ...

TOP 3

1. Pentagon makes shift as repeated conflicts drain US stockpiles

2. Fauci’s 'truly sick' private texts exposed

3. Mamdani’s luxury-home tax rollout gets derailed

MAJOR HEADLINES

LIMITS ARE OFF – Applause erupts as Democratic governor signs law allowing abortion up to birth. Continue reading …

TABLES TURNED – Trump answers Iran’s demand for war payments with a sweeping bill of his own. Continue reading …

DEFENSIVE STANCE – Controversial WNBA player pushes back on Sophie Cunningham's assertion on hard foul. Continue reading …

BACKFIRE POLITICS – Kamala Harris accidentally becomes the SAVE America Act's best saleswoman. Continue reading …

SWING FOR SHOW? – Tim Walz stuns the internet with his golf swing and questionable course attire. Continue reading …

POLITICS

TARMAC TRICK – Trump security team reportedly staged elaborate Air Force One fakeout. Continue reading …

DOSE OF CHANGE – Child vaccine schedule reduced as Trump moves to dramatically shift medical power to parents. Continue reading …

MIDWEST SHOWDOWN – Socialist winning streak puts prized Democratic battleground at risk. Continue reading …

'NOT FIT TO LEAD' – Conservatives shred AOC as she attempts to brush off radical 'Woke 1' wave amid 2028 speculation. Continue reading …

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MEDIA

‘HOW EMBARRASSING’ – 'Pod Save America' accused of temporarily deleting clip critical of Piker after ex-Biden staffer amplified it. Continue reading …

HOT AIR – AOC tries to laugh off 'crazy' woke era as thing of the past, but conservatives aren't amused. Continue reading …

UNWELCOMED THREAT – Democratic Michigan AG accuses her party of 'absolutely not' doing enough to counter antisemitism. Continue reading …

CITY LIMITS – Mamdani clashes with Democratic Socialists' push to abolish police and prisons. Continue reading …

OPINION

LIZ PEEK: A brave Democrat leaves his party as radical socialists take over. Continue reading …

SEAN DUFFY – Fraudsters on the run as highway deaths hit record lows after sweeping crackdown. Continue reading …

IN OTHER NEWS

CAUGHT AGAIN – Repeat offender illegal immigrant accused of plowing pickup into Nashville crowd – now ICE wants him. Continue reading …

TROUBLED WATERS – Unlicensed NYC boat operator allegedly ignored safety warnings before mother, baby died in capsizing: feds. Continue reading …

HILLSIDE HAVOC – Suspect arrested at Kim Kardashian's mansion after stolen vehicle, break-in reported in Hidden Hills. Continue reading …

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LISTEN

Tune in to break down contests in Connecticut, Vermont, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Plus, South Carolina's special primary for the U.S. Senate. Check it out ...

PODCASTS

'Ruthless' dives into Democrats' woke agenda. Check it out ...

Kansas City Chiefs Brand Development Executive Gracie Hunt joins 'The Riley Gaines Show.' Catch the new episode at 10am ET ...

The parents of University of Idaho murder victim Kaylee Goncalves join ‘Hang Out with Hannity.' See the new episode at 10am ET ...

Matt Moneymaker joins Planet Tyrus. The new episode goes live at 11am ET ...

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Repeat offender accused of college student’s murder was known ‘threat’ after prior arrest: victim’s mom

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 07:00:50 -0400

FIRST ON FOX: "This happening to her feels so unfair in so many ways," said the mother of slain University of Arizona student Julissa "Julie" Salazar.

Salazar, 19, was found strangled to death in her apartment near campus on Thursday.

Investigators say her alleged killer, Varun Batchigari, 20, from India, boarded a flight out of the U.S. and was captured by law enforcement in Berlin, Germany.

INDIAN NATIONAL ACCUSED OF ARIZONA GIRLFRIEND'S MURDER ENTERED US ON STUDENT VISA: FEDERAL SOURCES

Reports say his alleged motive may have been tied to a breakup with Salazar.

Her mother told Fox News Digital that Salazar had "broken up" with the suspect before she was found dead.

"She had already had that conversation with him" about ending the relationship, said Salazar's mother, who asked not to be identified.

Federal law enforcement sources confirmed to Fox News that Batchigari entered the U.S. on an F-1 student visa in January 2024.

In a statement sent to Fox News Digital, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said:

"Indian national Varun Batchigari is a foreign student who lawfully entered the United States and enrolled at the University of Arizona in January of 2024 under the Biden administration. As this is an ongoing criminal investigation, limited information is available at this time. Visas provided to foreign students to live, study, and work in the United States are a privilege, not a right. When you break our laws, that privilege should be revoked, and you should not be in this country. ICE, like all our federal and local law enforcement partners, is focused on public safety."

He was expelled from the University of Arizona following a "fight," KOLD reported.

The university confirmed to Fox News Digital that Batchigari was expelled on July 22.

"We can confirm that Julissa Rubi Salazar was a University of Arizona student and offer our deepest condolences to her family, friends and all who knew her as a member of our campus community," the university said in a statement. "We have been in contact with Julissa’s family and are providing support and resources to those who need them during this very difficult time."

US STATE DEPARTMENT HAS YANKED MORE THAN 175K VISAS UNDER TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SO FAR

"He no longer had any business here [in the U.S.] or around the student body, especially as a threat," Salazar's mother said.

Court records from Pima County, Arizona, indicate the University of Arizona Police Department charged Batchigari with assault on May 26.

Before his expulsion, he was a business analytics student who said, "I don't see work as my purpose. I see it as a tool, something that helps me build a life I actually want," according to a video he posted to his YouTube account.

In the video he posted in April, he said, "I want to travel, see different places, experience different cultures, and do that with someone I care about."

As Batchigari awaits extradition back to the U.S., the Salazar family is beginning to come to terms with their new normal.

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Salazar leaves behind her mother, father and two younger sisters. She was a "bright light," her mother said – in more ways than one.

Salazar was just 17 years old when she began her studies – with a scholarship – at UA.

"She was our first-generation child going off to college. So this was a huge deal for our entire family," her mother said.

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She went on to say, "Us sending her off to be able to live that dream that she wanted to live was such an amazing and proud moment for us."

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Before she was killed, she was an aspiring child psychologist working toward her degree at UA; her mother said she was about to begin her third year at the university.

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"She was a big advocate for survivors. She was a big advocate for new first-generation students. She was a big advocate for mental health."

Prior to her academic career at UA, Salazar graduated from high school in the top 5% of her class, her mother said.

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"She skipped seventh grade and moved on to eighth grade because of how smart she is," her mother said.

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"I know we will get justice for my baby girl," she said.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to authorities in Berlin, Germany, for comment.

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

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Oklahoma victim fights back after teen charged in rapes walks free — as feds could storm in: attorney

Pentagon makes dramatic missile shift as repeated conflicts drain US stockpiles and more top headlines

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Repeat offender accused of college student’s murder was known ‘threat’ after prior arrest: victim’s mom