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WATCH: Handcuffed inmate breaks free, punches deputy in wild courthouse escape attempt

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 23:09:53 -0400

Wild courthouse video appears to show a newly sentenced Ohio man slipping out of his handcuffs, punching a bailiff and making a desperate run for the exit before deputies stopped his escape.

Timothy J. Reaggle, 20, of Wellsville, allegedly attacked two Columbiana County Sheriff's Office deputies Monday shortly after learning he would spend a year in prison in a separate case, according to local reports.

Columbiana County Sheriff Brian McLaughlin told WFMJ that both deputies suffered broken bones but have since been released from the hospital.

Video released by the sheriff's office shows a deputy escorting Reaggle down a hallway after his sentencing. Reaggle then suddenly breaks free of his handcuffs and allegedly punches the deputy before sprinting away.

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As he runs down the hallway, Reaggle is seen crashing into another deputy, knocking him to the ground.

Reaggle then allegedly headed toward the courthouse exit, where video shows him sliding down the steps and racing toward the front doors before he was subdued with a Taser and taken into custody.

The video also shows people rushing to assist the injured deputies. One deputy was later seen lying on the floor, bleeding from the head and holding a paper towel against his face, according to WFMJ.

Reaggle had just been sentenced to one year in prison in a case dating to Feb. 14, 2025, according to WKBN.

He pleaded guilty in July to charges including aggravated burglary, aggravated assault, aggravated menacing, failure to comply and two misdemeanor counts of assault.

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McLaughlin said Reaggle is being held at the Columbiana County Jail and will eventually be transported to state prison.

Reaggle is also awaiting potential new charges stemming from the courthouse incident.

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According to WFMJ, McLaughlin said those charges are expected to include assault on a police officer and felony escape.

Sam Leavitt injury bombshell sends LSU-Ole Miss showdown into chaotic mode, as Kiffin's return looms

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 22:56:44 -0400

Just when you thought the upcoming showdown between LSU and Ole Miss could not get any crazier, the initial SEC availability report was released on Wednesday night with Sam Leavitt on it.

As the mood began to shift on Wednesday night around Oxford, with tension starting to increase around town ahead of Saturday's game, there was an audible gasp that could probably be felt from living rooms across the country.

If you were looking for additional drama between the Rebels and Tigers, it was Lane Kiffin that provided the smoke when starting quarterback Sam Leavitt was listed as 'doubtful' on the SEC's website pertaining to injuries.

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After throwing for 366 yards and four touchdowns last week against Louisiana Tech, with three interceptions, everything around Leavitt seemed normal as the week began in Baton Rouge.

That changed when Leavitt was held to limited participation in Wednesday's practice because of an upper-body injury, according to sources who spoke with OutKick.

Would this be enough to keep him out of action come Saturday? That's a question being asked across college football on Wednesday night.

LSU'S LANE KIFFIN ADMITS HE LET TIGER STADIUM WEATHER DELAY DRAG ON IN ORDER TO HURT CLEMSON

During his press conference on Monday, head coach Lane Kiffin did not bring up any type of injury that Leavitt had sustained during the win over Louisiana Tech, although he wasn’t asked either. Did something transpire last weekend that we did not see during his four-touchdown game?

This could be answered on Thursday night, when Lane Kiffin is scheduled to hold his coaches show in Baton Rouge before the team leaves for the Oxford area on Friday afternoon.

For those unfamiliar, the SEC and other conferences began issuing availability reports several years ago, with the initial report coming out three days before a team is set to play.

How do availability reports work in the SEC?

On Thursday, there will be a second update to the report, and another on Friday, before the SEC requires a final availability report to be issued 90 minutes before the respective hits the field for warm-ups. Teams are fined if they do not adhere to conference protocol.

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And yes, a school can be punished for any type of gamesmanship when it comes to these reports. How seriously Sam Leavitt is injured — and whether that injury will sideline him for Saturday's highly anticipated game against Ole Miss — will remain unclear for as long as Lane Kiffin chooses to keep it under wraps.

Being designated as 'doubtful' means that the player is "unlikely to play due to significant concerns", according to the SEC handbook. If Leavitt had been designated as 'questionable', it would mean he is "uncertain to play due to injury or condition."

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So, for LSU to put him near the bottom of their status monitoring, the Tigers are certainly at least concerned that he might not suit up for the game.

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We will continue to monitor this situation, as the drama continues to build before this SEC showdown that has Lane Kiffin returning to Oxford as the LSU head coach.

Clock controversy: NCAA says officials botched replay protocol in Michigan's win over Western Michigan

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 22:22:21 -0400

Turns out, had the officials followed the correct protocol during the highly-controversial finish to the Western Michigan versus Michigan game earlier this month, the Wolverines would currently have a loss on their record.

The ending of what was one of the wildest games of the season remains a major talking point nearly three weeks after Michigan won on a second Hail Mary attempt in the final seconds of its season opener.

Should the Wolverines have been awarded an additional second on the clock? The NCAA's FBS oversight committee doesn’t think so.

MICHIGAN-WESTERN MICHIGAN CLOCK CONTROVERSY LEAVES PLAYERS, FANS AND A RULES ANALYST PUZZLED

During the first attempt, Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood put too much on his pass, which sailed through the back of the end zone.

But, due to a Western Michigan player touching the ball with what Big Ten officials said transpired with :01 seconds remaining on the clock, Michigan was allowed to line up for one final play with the game on the line.

I think you know what happened next: Bryce Underwood connected with a receiver for the second Hail Mary attempt of the drive, with Michigan winning 13-12 in shocking fashion.

The controversy centered around how the Wolverines were awarded the additional time needed to complete the second pass. During their review of the play, Big Ten officials were using a different clock than what was being seen on national television, causing all sorts of confusion across the country as viewers looked on in shock.

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How in the world could the NBC broadcast clock show that time had expired, but Big ten officials were seeing this in a different light? Turns out, the network and Big Ten explained that the television clock was not synced up correctly with the actual game clock.

So, the review team awarded Michigan with one final second of game action, but they actually shouldn’t have even been in that situation.

NCAA committee says officials screwed up the replay protocol

But, on Wednesday night, the FBS Oversight Committee released a summary of the events, noting that if the officials had gone about the replay process in the correct manner, Western Michigan would be sitting here today with a win over the Michigan Wolverines.

"The committee consulted with national officiating leadership regarding the instant replay protocols," the FBS committee stated. "Based on that information, the committee agreed that the instant replay protocols were not followed in the contest’s second-to-last play. Had the protocols been followed, the outcome of the game would have been different."

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Unfortunately for anyone hoping Western Michigan would be awarded the win, a caveat in the NCAA’s statement makes that a moot point.

"The committee confirmed that it does not have the authority to overturn the contest," the NCAA noted. "The playing rules governing the result of a contest are clear. Once the referee declares a contest to be final, no appeal of the outcome is permitted, according to Rules 1-1-3-b and 5-2-9 of the NCAA football rules:

Rule 1-1-3-b: When the referee declares that the game is ended, the score is final.
Rule 5-2-9: No rule decision may be changed after the ball is next legally snapped, legally free-kicked or the second or fourth periods have ended.

Essentially, the NCAA is saying that the officials did not follow procedure in how they were using instant-replay, but there is nothing they can do about it now.

That's it. Done. Michigan keeps its win over Western Michigan.

All of the controversy that took place in the days following the wild ending in Ann Arbor, with statements from the MAC, Big Ten, NBC and NCAA all lead to the same result.

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The Wolverines are still undefeated, for now, and this topic continues to be a point of frustration around college football.

Democrat candidate seen sobbing, praying in patrol car after DUI arrest: Video

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 22:11:53 -0400

Washington state Democrat Krista Perez, who is running for a state House seat, was seen on police video admitting to drinking wine, declining field sobriety tests and begging to go home before praying and crying in the back of a patrol car after her DUI arrest.

Perez finished first in last month's primary in the 29th Legislative District, Position 1, and will face incumbent state Rep. Melanie Morgan, also a Democrat, in November, as the top two candidates advance to the general.

Tacoma Police said Perez's 2019 Chevrolet Silverado allegedly struck a parked car on South G Street shortly after midnight on August 11, setting off a chain reaction that damaged five vehicles, according to The Jason Rantz Show on Seattle Red.

Prosecutors charged her with DUI, with a refusal enhancement in connection with the collision and a later encounter with police.

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Body camera footage shows police questioning Perez after the crash and her subsequent arrest, while footage from the backseat of the patrol car shows her praying and sobbing, according to video obtained by The Jason Rantz Show on Seattle Red.

After police arrive at the scene, Perez told an officer she did not understand what was going on and claims she was not involved in an accident, the footage shows.

"Did you get into an accident here?" the officer asks.

"I did not," Perez responded.

The officer then asked what happened.

"I don’t know. I’ve never been in an accident before," she replied.

She also said she switched insurers just weeks before the incident when asked for her documents. She was able to tell the officer the name of the insurance company.

Perez told the officer she was driving from a friend’s business on Tacoma Avenue South when the collision happened.

"Did you have anything to drink tonight?" the officer asked.

"I just had some wine while I was there," Perez replied.

Asked how much wine she had, Perez said she had one glass.

When the officer asked how big the glass was, she told him, "I think you might need to contact the business."

The officer then asked her to rate her sobriety on a scale of zero to 10, with zero being completely sober.

She first told the officer that she wants to go home. But when asked a second time, she rated herself a four.

The officer then asked her to take standardized field sobriety tests but stated multiple times that the tests are optional.

"So it’s a series of tests that I take you through to make sure to see if you’re impaired by alcohol, or you’re not. Are you okay with doing that? It’s totally voluntary," he said.

Perez declined the tests, kept saying she wanted to go home and repeatedly said that she was "confused."

"Not right now. I’d like to go home first," she said.

"You’re not going to go home first. I’m going to tell you that right now, okay? So your options between the test, yes or no, that’s going to be determined tonight, right now, not when you go home. So would you like to take these tests or no?" the officer asked.

Perez responded by asking if she was allowed to decline the tests.

"You do have a choice. You can either say yes, or you can say no. They’re totally voluntary tests," the officer answered.

"Yeah, I would like to go home first," she replied.

The officer asked whether her answer meant she was declining the tests, and she said yes.

She was then told she was under arrest for DUI and to put her hands behind her back.

"Hold on. Hold on. One second. Hold on," she said.

Perez repeatedly told the officer that she did "not know what any of this means." He told her it means she is under arrest for DUI.

Under Washington state law, roadside sobriety tests are not required and declining them is separate from the refusal enhancement prosecutors allege in Perez's case. According to an arrest report cited by The Jason Rantz Show on Seattle Red, the enhancement stems from what occurred later at Tacoma Police headquarters, where police said she did not provide a usable breath sample after three attempts before the machine timed out.

BODYCAM SHOWS TONY ROMO ARGUING WITH OFFICER BEFORE REFUSING BREATH TEST DURING DUI ARREST

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Inside the patrol car, she can be seen in the footage sobbing, praying and asking God to help her, with her crying lasting several minutes.

"Help me, God. Help me. Help me. Holy Spirit, help me, God," she said.

State law does not prohibit someone with a DUI charge from serving in the legislature. Other Democrat lawmakers have kept their seats after an alcohol-related incident, including House Majority Leader Joe Fitzgibbon, who apologized after acknowledging he drank alcohol before a House Appropriations Committee hearing in February.

"I made a poor choice last night by drinking alcohol before we had finished our work for the day. I am disappointed in myself and take responsibility for that poor choice. It won’t happen again, and I’m committed to completing my work this session without alcohol," Fitzgibbon said in a statement at the time to The Jason Rantz Show on Seattle Red.

Plane passengers scream in harrowing mid-flight video as violent shaking sends cabin ceiling panels flying

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 22:10:11 -0400

Video captured an Iranian flight descending into chaos Tuesday as sudden, violent shaking appeared to tear apart the plane's cabin, causing overhead compartments and ceiling panels to collapse onto passengers.

The incident happened during a Sepehran Airlines Boeing 737 flight over Iran that departed from Mashhad for Kermanshah, according to Jam Press.

According to the outlet, the aircraft may have suffered engine damage and a tire blowout during takeoff.

During the chaos, the plane's cabin appeared to disintegrate, causing ceiling panels and debris from damaged bins to fall and strike travelers. Passengers were heard screaming and praying as they held their hands up against the falling debris.

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The pilot reportedly declared an emergency landing and sought to return to Mashhad Hashemi Nejad International Airport in Iran.

The aircraft landed safely, Jam Press said, citing NeedToKnow. No injuries were reported among the 127 passengers and crew members.

TWO PLANES BLOW TIRES WHILE LANDING AT MAJOR US AIRPORT HOURS APART, FAA INVESTIGATING

The incident caused the temporary closure of one of the airport's two runways.

An investigation into the incident is underway, reports said.

Passengers were reportedly placed on another flight to complete their journey.

According to Jam Press, decades of international sanctions have left Iran's aviation industry struggling to access newer Western-built aircraft, genuine spare parts and other modern upgrades.

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Local carriers have been forced to rely on aging aircraft while completing complex maintenance on their fleets.

Macklemore donates $1M to Palestinian aid organizations after Ed Sheeran tour fallout

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 21:55:12 -0400

Macklemore announced that he is donating the $1 million he earned opening for Ed Sheeran's U.S. tour to organizations providing humanitarian aid to Palestinians, prompting a public response from New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

On Monday, the 43-year-old rapper was dropped from Sheeran's "Loop Tour" after he repeatedly called for a "Free Palestine" and performed his anti-Israel song "Hind’s Hall" during his opening act at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sept. 4 and 5.

Macklemore alleged that Kraft, 85, pressured Sheeran to remove him from the tour by telling the singer he would not be allowed to perform at Gillette Stadium and by rallying other stadium owners to issue a similar ultimatum. Kraft later confirmed he opposed Macklemore's participation at Gillette based on what he described as the "Thrift Shop" rapper's history of antisemitic rhetoric.

ED SHEERAN SAYS HE TRIED TO ‘BUILD A BRIDGE’ OVER MACKLEMORE TOUR SPOT BEFORE VENUES SAID NO

Sheeran, 35, has said the decision was made by the tour promoter and venue owners, not by him personally.

In an Instagram post on Wednesday, Macklemore shared his plans to donate his paycheck from the "Loop Tour" to six organizations including the Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF), HEAL Palestine, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Medical Aid for Palestinians, UNRWA USA National Committee and American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA).

"With everything that has happened over the last 48 hours, I want to bring the conversation back to where it belongs: to the Palestinian people who are still being killed, still living under military occupation, and still fighting for their freedom," he wrote.

"I will be donating the entire $1 million of my net earnings from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour to six organizations working directly to support the Palestinian people," he continued. "And I invite Robert Kraft to match my donation. Whatever we disagree about, perhaps we can agree on this: Palestinian lives are worth protecting. A Palestinian life is no less valuable than any other life on this earth."

"I want to center the parents carrying their children into hospitals without the basic resources to treat them, and the physicians, paramedics, journalists and aid workers who keep going back in. I want to center the organizers and activists who have paid real costs for standing with Palestine," Macklemore added. "Their risk is of a far different order than mine."

HANNAH EINBINDER'S BRUTAL MESSAGE TO ED SHEERAN FUELS GROWING CELEBRITY REVOLT OVER MACKLEMORE TOUR DRAMA

Macklemore noted that "writing a check is one of the least costly forms of solidarity to me."

"I am doing it because I can and because these organizations are doing the work while much of the world debates it," he wrote.

"Palestinians have lived for decades without basic rights and should not have to wait another day to be free," Macklemore added. "That is where my focus will remain. I will continue to stand with the Palestinian people and their fight for liberation."

MACKLEMORE DOUBLES DOWN AFTER GETTING KICKED OFF ED SHEERAN TOUR AFTER PRO-PALESTINE STANCE

"When the news cycle moves on, which it will, don’t move with it," he concluded. "Free Palestine."

Shortly after the rapper challenged Kraft to match his contribution, Kraft said Sheeran had already asked him to commit $2 million to match the singer's own donation toward humanitarian relief in the region.

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"I have dedicated much of my life to building bridges between all people. I believe deeply that all lives are worth protecting. Earlier today, before Macklemore challenged me to match his donation, Ed called me and asked me to commit $2 million to match his donation to aid in the region and fight this humanitarian crisis," Kraft wrote in a statement shared on Gillette Stadium's social media pages.

MACKLEMORE'S LONG HISTORY OF CONTROVERSY FROM GRAMMY WINS TO 'FREE PALESTINE' CONCERT REMARKS

"Ed now plans to reach out to other venue owners and our goal is to continue to work together to build bridges," Kraft continued.

"In addition, I’d like the people who are speaking in support of the Palestinian people to know that for decades, I have supported efforts that create opportunity for Palestinians and have brought young Palestinians and Israelis together to build businesses, create jobs, and forge relationships," he added.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to Sheeran and Macklemore's representatives for comment.

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Macklemore was originally scheduled to open at eight of Sheeran's upcoming tour dates following his two performances at MetLife Stadium.

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The rapper's removal triggered a wave of withdrawals from Sheeran's tour, with fellow supporting acts Finneas, Lukas Graham Aaron Rowe and Beoga all pulling out in solidarity.

Kevin Stefanski 'not ruling anybody out' as injuries to Cooper Rush, Tua Tagovailoa cloud Falcons' QB plans

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 21:49:29 -0400

Atlanta Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski offered little clarity this week on the team’s murky quarterback situation ahead of a Week 2 home game against NFC South rival Carolina Panthers.

Stefanski told reporters Wednesday that he is "not ruling anybody out." His comments came as Cooper Rush, who replaced an injured Tua Tagovailoa in the Falcons’ season-opening loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, participated fully in practice after dealing with a back issue four days earlier.

Rush finished the 20-13 loss to the Steelers with 143 passing yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown by Steelers star pass rusher T.J. Watt.

Tagovailoa sustained an oblique injury in practice days before the Falcons were scheduled to kick off against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was ruled out for the opener, remained listed as day to day entering Wednesday’s practice and had yet to participate in practice this week.

Rush continued to receive treatment Wednesday for a back spasm that flared up Saturday, Stefanski said.

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Stefanski declined to say whether Tagovailoa would start if healthy.

"Of course, ideal world, I think everybody, every team, you'd love to know who's playing at every position," Stefanski said. "That's a no-brainer. I get that part. But we're going to be flexible and make sure that we're giving all of our guys the ability to go play and play well."

Michael Penix Jr. is widely expected to take the starting quarterback job at some point this season. Penix, a 2024 first-round pick, started nine of the Falcons’ first 10 games last season, missing the Week 8 loss to the Miami Dolphins with an injury before returning in Week 9.

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He tore his ACL in a Week 11 match-up against the Carolina Panthers and has since been medically cleared to return, though he recently told reporters he wants to feel closer to full strength before taking the field in 2026.

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"I had that conversation and I just told [coach Stefanski], 'I'm not where I want to be right now,'" Penix said earlier this month. "I want to be able to be 100 percent so I can help this team win football games. And I'm really close."

Jack Strand, an undrafted free agent from Minnesota State Moorhead, was listed as Rush’s backup in Week 1. He quickly won over many fans with a series of highlight-reel plays during the preseason, finishing the exhibition slate with 306 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

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His opportunities to build on that momentum, however, have been limited, as practice reps typically dwindle once training camp ends and the regular season begins. Even so, Strand remains a possibility for Sunday’s game against Carolina.

"Jack is not being ruled out for this game," Stefanski said.

The Panthers lost their season opener 59-37 to the Chicago Bears in Charlotte.

Maryland family speaks out after ‘4-foot-long’ rabid beaver attacks 13-year-old boy

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 21:34:58 -0400

The family of a 13-year-old boy who was viciously attacked by a rabid beaver in Maryland has spoken out about the incident, describing the animal as a massive, four-foot-long adult.

The July 26 incident was the first of three rabid beaver attacks that prompted Cunningham Falls State Park in Frederick County to close, according to the family's GoFundMe.

The teen was identified as Dominick Cebula by WUSA 9.

Dominick was swimming and looking at fish underwater in a designated area when the beaver suddenly struck his chest and latched onto him, the family said in their online fundraiser.

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The family said the unprovoked attack unfolded in front of the boy's mother and younger brother, who watched in horror from the shore.

"This 4-foot-long beaver (not a cute little cuddly beaver — this thing was as big as his 8-year-old brother) came out of nowhere from the deep of the lake, beelined straight toward D, and began biting and attacking him," Dominick's aunt, Leigh Cebula, said.

"He did not provoke it, poke it, or mess with it in any way. This was completely unprovoked."

Dad Jeff Cebula told WUSA 9 the beaver began shaking its head and refused to let go.

"He grabbed its head and a leg, and he tried to get it off of him," Jeff said. "At that point, he kind of felt that it was locked onto him. And then it started shaking its head, kind of like a dog would do."

Dominick eventually managed to pull the beaver off his chest and tried to back away with his hands raised, his dad said.

The beaver then lunged at him again and bit his right hand, prompting Dominick to fight it off a second time.

He was promptly airlifted to Johns Hopkins Hospital, where doctors began treating his wounds and administering rabies post-exposure treatment.

"It was so traumatic. He was lifeflighted to Johns Hopkins because the paramedics were worried his lung was punctured. Luckily it wasn't," Dominick's mother, Alishia Cebula, told Fox News Digital.

The boy is now recovering well after undergoing surgery earlier this month.

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"He is doing much better. He just had surgery on 9/4 to repair a severed nerve in his finger," Alishia said. "He had a lot of appointments, especially with the rabies vaccines he had to get. Thank God for the vaccine.

"Luckily, we're getting to the end of this traumatic event."

Leigh added that the incident happened in an area where the family had swum for years and had never spotted beavers before.

After the attack, the beaver was euthanized after testing positive for rabies. Swimming access to Hunting Creek Lake at the park was closed soon afterward.

The incident marked the first in a series of three attacks at the park.

On Aug. 5, a 19-year-old fisherman was bitten in the ankle by a beaver.

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Less than three weeks later, a 10-year-old girl at Seneca Creek State Park was also attacked while wading with an organized group.

Amanda Seyfried and Thomas Sadoski say separation is 'right move' for family after nearly 10 years of marriage

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 21:00:29 -0400

Amanda Seyfried and her husband of nine years have called it quits.

Seyfried and Thomas Sadoski issued a joint statement to People, sharing that they have been separated "for a while" and filing for divorce is what's right for their family.

"We have been separated for a while, and it’s proven to be the right move for us and our family unit. We’ve got each other forever — and it’s GOOD," Sadoski and Seyfried said.

ACTRESS AMANDA SEYFRIED SAYS SHE'S ‘NOT F---ING APOLOGIZING’ FOR CHARLIE KIRK POST CALLING HIM HATEFUL

In January, Seyfried touched on her marriage and said Sadoski "sacrifices a lot" for her.

"He also knows that, in this moment, the opportunities I’m being afforded are insane… I do say no a lot," Seyfried told Vogue.

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At the time, Seyfried was appearing in "The Housemaid," "The Testament of Anne Lee" and "Long Bright River."

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Seyfried and Sadoski first met in 2015 while starring together in the Off-Broadway play "The Way We Get By." They reunited on the set of the movie "The Last Word," began dating in 2016 and secretly eloped in March 2017, just days before welcoming their first child, daughter Nina.

They later expanded their family with the birth of their son, Thomas Jr., in September 2020.

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Seyfried and Sadoski kept their private life private. They lived together on a farm in upstate New York, raising their two children. The "Mean Girls" star gave fans little glimpses into her life via Instagram, sharing photos of her farm animals, pets and kids.

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Travis Kelce among pro athletes defrauded by Ponzi scheme that funneled funds into one stock

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 20:38:05 -0400

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, 36, was officially identified as a victim in a $35 million Ponzi scheme run by a Texas fund manager.

During a Tuesday sentencing hearing in a St. Louis federal courtroom, prosecutors named Kelce among those defrauded by 38-year-old Siddharth Jawahar.

Jawahar operated Swiftarc Capital LLC, an investment firm that collapsed into a federal wire fraud investigation.

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According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Jawahar raised more than $35 million from investors between July 2016 and December 2023.

Instead of managing a diversified portfolio, he allocated roughly 99% of client capital into a single stock, Philip Morris Pakistan.

As that position tanked, Jawahar hid the losses, issued falsified statements and used funds from new investors to pay out earlier clients.

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Federal prosecutors noted Jawahar actually invested roughly $10 million of the total funds raised. He spent the remainder funding personal luxuries, including private jet charters, upscale apartments in Austin and New York, high-end dining and exclusive private club memberships.

Court filings did not specify the exact financial loss suffered by Kelce.

Kelce was not the only professional athlete caught up in the operation.

A 2021 Forbes report previously linked Swiftarc funds to several NBA players, including Gary Harris, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Mason Plumlee.

Jawahar pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud in January 2026.

U.S. District Judge Zachary M. Bluestone sentenced Jawahar to 11 years in federal prison and ordered him to pay $31.35 million in restitution.

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Kelce is currently playing in his 14th NFL season after signing a contract extension with Kansas City. Luckily for the Chiefs star, marrying Taylor Swift earlier this year means any bad investment can easily be covered by loose change tucked behind her couch cushions.

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

Republican congressman presses NHL over Alex Ovechkin’s appearance in Putin party campaign ad

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 20:25:02 -0400

Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., has a problem with Alex Ovechkin appearing in a campaign advertisement for the Vladimir Putin-backed United Russia party, and he wants NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to address it.

Wilson sent Bettman a letter Tuesday calling the Washington Capitals captain’s participation "shameful" and asking the league to review the matter. Capitals owner Ted Leonsis was copied on the letter.

Ovechkin does not speak in the ad. He stands behind Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in a United Russia campaign video ahead of Russia’s Sept. 18-20 parliamentary elections. Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of the Russian state-controlled network RT, also appears in the ad.

"While Mr. Ovechkin has every right to hold personal political views, actively participating in campaign material for Putin’s oppressive party while serving as the captain of an NHL franchise in our nation’s capital raises serious questions about the standards expected of players who represent the League and their communities," Wilson wrote.

STEPHEN A SMITH WARNS POLITICS IS CAUSING 'DIVISION' WITHIN AMERICA'S LAST UNIFYING PASTIME

The letter does not ask Bettman to suspend or fine Ovechkin. Wilson wants the NHL to explain whether it has any policies governing active players who appear in political advertisements for foreign parties or regimes.

He also wants the league and Capitals to make clear that Ovechkin’s participation does not represent either organization’s position.

Wilson was more direct on social media.

"It is incredibly alarming that [the NHL] and [the Capitals] have allowed Alexander Ovechkin to appear in a campaign advertisement supporting the party of war criminal Putin," he wrote. "American hockey fans deserve better leadership from their star players!"

Wilson elaborated on the letter Wednesday during an interview with Fox News’ Dan Scully.

Asked what he wanted Bettman to do and whether he was seeking discipline for Ovechkin, Wilson did not directly answer.

"For Ovechkin to be campaigning for a person who is indeed the new Hitler of the 21st century, it’s just inconceivable," Wilson said.

Scully also asked whether Wilson had information that the NHL or Capitals knew about the advertisement beforehand.

"Ahead of time, I’m not sure," Wilson said.

Capitals respond to Ovechkin ad

The Capitals said Ovechkin was approached while spending the offseason in Russia.

"This summer, while in Russia, he was asked by his country to participate in a video campaign," Capitals spokesperson Sergey Kocharov said in a statement to Reuters.

But who asked him?

The Capitals did not say. The team also did not answer questions from Fox News Digital/OutKick about whether it knew of Ovechkin’s participation beforehand or whether anyone within the organization approved or facilitated it.

Kocharov noted that Ovechkin lives with his family in Moscow during the offseason and plans to return there after his NHL career. He said Ovechkin and the Capitals are focused on the upcoming season and his continued impact in Washington.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS STAR ALEX OVECHKIN CRASHES A COUPLE'S WEDDING PHOTO SHOOT ON A HOTEL STAIRCASE

Ovechkin has publicly supported Putin for years. He founded "PutinTeam" in 2017 to rally support for the Russian president, and his Instagram profile photo remains an image of the two men standing together.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ovechkin called for peace but declined to criticize Putin.

"Well, he is my president," Ovechkin said at the time. "But, like I said, I’m not in politics. I’m an athlete."

Wilson says Ovechkin should face ‘consequences’

Wilson argues that the Kremlin has a history of using athletes and international sporting achievements to promote the Russian government abroad.

"An NHL superstar appearing in campaign propaganda for Putin’s political party cannot simply be dismissed as an activity wholly disconnected from the League," Wilson wrote.

Wilson also writes that the broader United Russia campaign features Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights. The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Lvova-Belova and Putin in 2023 over the alleged unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children from Russian-occupied territory.

Scully asked Wilson how Ovechkin’s appearance differs from an American athlete supporting a U.S. politician.

"The difference is that the American politician is not a mass murderer," Wilson said.

"Now, we can all disagree," he continued. "There is a right to free speech, of course, but there should also be consequences of being associated in promoting a war criminal."

Wilson did not say what those consequences should be. When Scully later asked directly whether he wanted the NHL to suspend Ovechkin, Wilson again did not answer.

Wilson also said he is working with Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch, R-Idaho, and that Risch agrees Ovechkin’s participation "is just not right." Wilson did not describe what action, if any, he and Risch intend to pursue.

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The congressman said he has not received a response from the NHL but is willing to give the league time to answer.

Throughout the interview, Wilson repeatedly referred to Putin as a "convicted war criminal," echoing the handwritten message beneath his signature.

The ICC issued arrest warrants for Putin and Lvova-Belova in 2023, but neither has been convicted by the court.

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The NHL did not respond to questions about Wilson’s letter, the advertisement or its policies governing political activity by players. Ovechkin did not provide a comment through the Capitals prior to publication.

We will update this story if we receive a response from Ovechkin, the NHL or the Capitals.

Dem insurgent turns on the charm with party establishment as Schumer leaves bitter feud hanging

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 20:18:57 -0400

Michigan’s insurgent progressive Senate nominee ran as far as he could from Washington, D.C., but, on Wednesday, he traveled to the nation’s Capitol for a closed-door meeting with top Democratic brass as the race for power intensifies.

Abdul El-Sayed met with top Senate Democrats just hundreds of yards away from Congress, where lawmakers and the wunderkind candidate huddled to discuss his campaign and how to keep Michigan blue.

Many left boasting that the Wolverine State would not turn a shade of purple.

But few, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., would say whether the fences broken during El-Sayed’s primary fight had been mended.

SCHUMER DUCKS QUESTION ON CAMPAIGNING WITH SOCIALIST CANDIDATE WHO REFUSES TO BACK HIM AS LEADER

"Look, we have to win Michigan, and we had a great and friendly meeting," Schumer said when asked by Fox News Digital if he and El-Sayed had moved on from their differences.

Still, El-Sayed held court with Democratic brass for hours at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s (DSCC) headquarters in Washington, where a steady flow of lawmakers — both allies and skeptics of his Senate bid — milled in and out of the building throughout the day.

Schumer and Democrats are confident and determined that they can flip the Senate, which Republicans hold with a 53-47 margin. Losing Michigan to the GOP and former Rep. Mike Rogers would serve a mortal blow to that push.

"He’s gonna win," Sen. Kirstin Gillibrand, D-N.Y., who is also the DSCC chair, said.

The key mission for Democrats is getting independents and Republicans on the fence. But few, including Schumer, said they would actually hit the campaign trail with El-Sayed.

It all comes after El-Sayed and Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., locked horns in one of the most bitter Democratic primary fights of this cycle that pitted the Democratic old guard versus a progressive movement gaining steam across the country.

SEE IT: DEM SENATORS RALLY BEHIND EL-SAYED BUT DUCK QUESTIONS ON PROGRESSIVE AGENDA

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who initially endorsed Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow before she dropped out, told Fox News Digital, "Obviously, primaries can get really hot, and the Michigan primary got hot.

"This is what you do after a primary is you try to unite the party and then you do the work to reach out and cross over to independent voters and Republican voters," Murphy added. "So, I don't think anybody should be surprised that he's trying to build bridges after a heated primary. That's what good candidates, that's what winning candidates do."

Another McMorrow backer, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., painted a rosy picture of the closed-door session and noted it was "hard to hear in there because so many people were talking and laughing and wanted to hear about the campaign.

"He makes good connections because it's a lot of people in there who are talking about, ‘What can we do next? What can we do to lower costs for families? What can we do to make this government work better for working people?’ So, it was a very enthusiastic, very cheerful group of people."

Retiring Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., whose seat El-Sayed is gunning for, initially endorsed Stevens. Now, he’s shifting gears.

DEMS' LEFTWARD LURCH GETS LEGS AS EL-SAYED'S MICHIGAN SENATE VICTORY SPARKS PARTY DEBATE

"I'm endorsing him, and he's been getting support across the board in Michigan. The Democrats are coming together," Peters said in response to a question about whether the Democratic establishment was uniting behind El-Sayed. "We understand how important this election is."

Others were more keen to lend an assist to El-Sayed, including Murphy and Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., who said, "I’m gonna be in Michigan here in a couple of weeks."

Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., who is running for re-election in deep blue Massachusetts, said that Democrats’ strategy heading into the final stretch was pitching an affordability agenda, and El-Sayed "is the answer."

"I'm helping him. I think we're all gonna help," Markey said when asked if he would raise money for El-Sayed.

The specter of El-Sayed’s relationship with controversial Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, who helped to amplify his campaign in the primary battle, wasn’t something that Democrats focused on during their huddle.

"Hasan what?," Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., told Fox News Digital when asked if he came up during the meeting. "I don’t even know who that is."

When asked if Piker came up or if Democrats encouraged El-Sayed to further distance himself from him, Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., said, "Not in terms of the conversation. Like I said, I was just trying to get to know him."

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After initially dodging Fox News Digital’s question on whether he would campaign with Piker, El-Sayed later told reporters, "This conversation is so far removed from what people are talking about.

"Everyday, in Michigan, people sit at their kitchen tables and ask, 'How am I going to make this work next month?’ That’s not a middle, right, left issue, that’s a basic affordability issue."

When further pressed, he countered that Michigan voters "really don’t care about that."

"They really don't," El-Sayed said.

Skid Row forgeries, illegal votes and a mayoral candidate: Election fraud cases pile up nationwide

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 19:00:07 -0400

The Trump administration continues to crack down on voter fraud cases, including a noncitizen who allegedly voted in a mayoral race he was fraudulently registered for and a noncitizen arrested for allegedly lying about her citizenship to vote in federal elections.

These allegations span a slate of federal election-related cases highlighted by the Justice Department in recent days, adding to a series of prosecutions targeting noncitizen voting, fraudulent voter registrations and other alleged election-related crimes.

The DOJ's latest announcements involve California, Kansas, Louisiana, Texas and Massachusetts, while federal prosecutors have brought a number of other cases across the country in recent weeks amid the Trump administration's broader efforts to bolster election security ahead of the midterms.

The White House pointed to the new cases that continue to pile up as evidence supporting the administration's crackdown.

DEMOCRAT NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR SAYS THOUSANDS OF NONCITIZENS DISCOVERED ON VOTER ROLLS, PURGED

"Despite extreme Democrats and the media claiming it never happens, the evidence of noncitizens registering and voting in our elections continues to pile up," White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital. "Any noncitizens found registering and voting in our elections will be arrested and held accountable. Only Americans should be electing American leaders."

The more than a dozen defendants charged in cases announced this week face allegations ranging from illegal voting and false claims of U.S. citizenship to fraudulent voter registration and identity fraud. U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche warned that individuals "gaming the election system, voting illegally or committing voter fraud" will face prosecution, while federal prosecutors in Texas said their seven cases "send a clear message" that laws barring noncitizens from voting will be enforced.

Among the defendants were Louisiana mayoral candidate Bridget Johnson, who prosecutors allege fraudulently registered Jamaican noncitizen Michael Wedderburn before he voted in the 2024 federal election and the same mayoral race in which Johnson was a candidate. Johnson allegedly electronically submitted a Louisiana voter registration application in Wedderburn's name on July 14, 2024, falsely stating that he was a U.S. citizen, according to court documents.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT LEARNS FATE AFTER USING STOLEN IDENTITY TO VOTE IN US ELECTIONS FOR DECADES

Johnson was charged with fraudulent voter registration and voting by an alien, while Wedderburn was charged with voting by an alien. If convicted, Johnson faces up to five years in prison, while Wedderburn faces up to one year, along with potential financial penalties, according to federal prosecutors.

Other cases announced this week included allegations against three people in California accused in an alleged scheme that used stolen identities of registered voters to manufacture signatures on ballot initiative petitions.

California frequently uses ballot initiatives to put major policy questions directly before voters, with citizen-backed measures capable of changing state law or amending the state constitution. Recent initiatives have included Proposition 36, which increased penalties for certain drug and theft crimes, and measures dealing with the minimum wage and rent control.

Prosecutors allege James Brass and Courtney Price went to Los Angeles' Skid Row, where they handed people stolen identities belonging to registered California voters and paid them to copy those voters' personal information onto ballot petitions and forge their signatures.

Brass and a third defendant, Jateisha Herron, then allegedly falsely certified that they had personally witnessed the registered voters sign the petitions. Brass allegedly received about $41,600 from coordinators working with a petition-management company helping collect signatures, according to prosecutors.

EX-NEW JERSEY MAYOR, HER HUSBAND CHARGED FOR USING FAKE BALLOT SIGNATURES AFTER SHE PLEADED GUILTY TO DUI

The case is the second election-related federal prosecution announced this year involving alleged payments to people on Skid Row. In May, federal prosecutors charged a longtime ballot initiative signature collector with paying individuals, including homeless people living on Skid Row, to register to vote.

In Kansas, prosecutors charged 24-year-old Peruvian national and U.S. permanent resident Mariana Alexandra Dewey with falsely claiming U.S. citizenship, fraudulent election conduct and voting as an alien in a federal election after arresting her earlier this month.

In Massachusetts, federal prosecutors announced a case this week against Nigerian national Gladys Adaeze Okafor, who allegedly claimed to be a U.S. citizen while registering to vote before casting ballots in multiple federal elections.

A handful of cases were announced by federal prosecutors in Texas this week as well, including multiple cases where individuals registered to vote illegally when applying for a Texas driver's license. On the same day those defendants were indicted, a Mexican national was also sentenced to 36 months in federal prison for aggravated identity theft, false statements of citizenship, and illegal voting by an alien, according to federal officials.

INSIDE HOUSE REPUBLICANS' PLAN TO END RUN DEM OPPOSITION AND PASS TRUMP-BACKED VOTER ID

The cases add to the growing list of federal election-related cases brought in the past few weeks on top of other prosecutions earlier this year involving noncitizens accused of illegally registering or voting in U.S. elections. Less than two weeks ago, the Justice Department charged five people in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Wisconsin in cases involving alleged illegal voting or fraudulent registration tied to the 2022 or 2024 elections.

The DOJ separately charged an Indian national in Minnesota last week with falsely claiming U.S. citizenship in order to vote in the 2024 general election.

Despite the mounting prosecutions, the Trump administration also faced a setback this week in its efforts to boost election security.

The Supreme Court ruled Monday that the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) could not implement the president's stricter mail ballot requirements for the 2026 elections, leaving a lower court's nationwide injunction in place. The blocked rules would have required states to use specially designed mail ballot envelopes with unique voter barcodes, submit envelope designs to USPS for review and provide it with information about intended ballot recipients.

The ruling, however, did not block a separate part of Trump's March executive order directing the federal government to create citizenship lists for states to use in checking their voter rolls.

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Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who was appointed by Trump, agreed the rules should not take effect for this year's elections, writing that state and local officials did not have sufficient time to reasonably implement them.

Nonetheless, Kavanaugh said there was "at least a fair prospect" that the Postal Service ultimately has the statutory authority to impose the requirements. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented.

Trump blasted the decision Tuesday as another "bad decision" from the Supreme Court and praised Alito and Thomas as "legends," while arguing the ruling would make cheating through mail ballots easier.

Christian Pulisic and Megan Moroney dating rumors heat up again after singer spends time in Italy

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 19:30:08 -0400

Earlier this summer (and yes, it is still summer for a few more days), USMNT star Christian Pulisic was spotted with Megan Moroney in Nashville while recovering from the ankle injury that ended his World Cup earlier than the rest of his team.

Prior to being seen with the country music star at Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row on Broadway, he had taken his cousin to one of her shows. You add that they follow each other on social media, and you have enough for a solid rumor.

At the time, I asked all the right questions. Questions I never got answers to, but the right questions that needed to be asked nonetheless.

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Are these two friends? Or is there something more going on here? Is she helping to nurse him back to full strength through the power of song and companionship?

The internet sleuths, while they didn't have the answers at that time, never lost the scent. They stayed on top of the Pulisic and Moroney dating rumor and a few days ago they believe they found some new clues.

WORLD CUP COMES BETWEEN PROFESSIONAL SOCCER COUPLE, SHE LOSES AND HE GETS KICKED OUT OF BED

The first is that Moroney posted on Instagram from a stop in Italy ahead of a few European dates on her Cloud 9 Tour. Pulisic plays for the Italian soccer team AC Milan. A coincidence? Perhaps.

It's certainly not a smoking gun. But combined with a recent Instagram Story she posted, it does add some more fuel to the fire.

The Instagram Story appeared to show her wearing what Whiskey Riff reports is a PUMA Christian Pulisic Fanwear Collection jersey. As you would expect, the rumor mill suspects it belongs to him.

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There's no way of knowing for sure if the jersey is one from Pulisic's personal collection or not, short of one of them saying that it is.

But the one Megan Moroney is wearing does, at the very least, look a lot like one from the soccer player's "fanwear collection," even if it's not his personally.

For now, the rumors are hot but nothing has been confirmed.

Young newlyweds killed after boat collides with water taxi and sinks in Venice lagoon

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 19:16:22 -0400

A pair of young newlyweds were killed in an accident involving a water taxi in Venice just three months after they were married.

Gabriella Querino, 26, and Sean Michieli, 25, were killed Saturday morning in a collision involving a 5-ton water taxi, Jam Press reported.

The couple was in a boat that had departed from Burano, an island in the Venetian Lagoon, about 6 miles northeast of central Venice.

BELOVED CRUISE SPOT WILL BE OFF LIMITS THROUGH 2027 AS SAFETY CONCERNS LINGER

They had set out to collect bait for Michieli's work as a clam fisherman.

Shortly afterward, the couple's boat collided with the water taxi and sank.

Querino was reported missing in the immediate aftermath of the crash, and search efforts were hampered by strong currents and poor visibility.

Her body was eventually recovered from the lagoon.

Michieli was rushed to Venice-Mestre Hospital with severe head and facial injuries and other injuries across his body. He was pronounced brain-dead the next day.

CRUISES THROWN INTO CHAOS AS DROUGHT STRANDS SHIPS, LEAVES PASSENGERS SCRAMBLING

Querino, originally from Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, moved to Italy about two years ago.

She developed a passion for fishing alongside her husband, who was from Cavallino-Treporti, Italy, according to Jam Press.

She was working to obtain the necessary license to join her husband in the fishing industry, according to the outlet.

The couple was expecting their first child, Italian newspaper Il Resto del Carlino reported.

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They were married June 8.

Querino's mother, Gisele Elorriaga, told Brazilian media her daughter "was building a life for herself over there, and she was happy," Jam Press reported.

The cause of the collision remains unknown.

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The water taxi driver is under investigation for nautical homicide as authorities work to determine the circumstances surrounding the collision, Italian news outlet Notizie.it reported.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Venice Public Prosecutor's Office for additional information about the investigation.

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The tragedy comes amid a series of deadly boating incidents around the world in recent weeks.

Last week, a passenger ferry carrying 47 people sank while traveling between two islands in Vanuatu, leaving at least one person dead and more than 30 others missing.

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Just a few weeks earlier, a ferry carrying 267 passengers and crew capsized off northern Cyprus, killing multiple people.

Gavin Newsom blames Trump for housing costs using chart showing massive increase under Biden

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 19:05:49 -0400

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom faced backlash Tuesday after taking a swipe at President Donald Trump for high housing costs, using a chart showing a massive cost spike during the Biden administration.

On his X account, Newsom, a potential 2028 presidential candidate, shared a post reporting that U.S. homes are "now the most unaffordable in history," along with a graph showing the income needed to qualify for a median-priced home from 2005 to 2026.

"Great work, @realDonaldTrump!" Newsom wrote.

CALIFORNIA DEM, FORMER LA MAYOR VILLARAIGOSA ADMITS TRUMP'S NOT TO BLAME FOR STATE’S HOMELESSNESS, COST CRISES

However, several X users pointed out that although the chart reached its highest level during Trump's second administration, it shows a substantial increase between 2021 and 2024, when former President Joe Biden was in office.

"Hey @GavinNewsom, who was president during the biggest uptick in home unaffordability?" the Libs of TikTok account asked.

Meteorologist Chris Martz wrote, "Evidently, @GavinNewsom doesn't know how to read graphs. Housing prices skyrocketed under Joe Biden's presidency."

"California is the most unaffordable state in the country to buy a house, and it’s only gotten worse since Gavin Newsom took over. And no one in the media will call him out for saying this," OutKick writer Ian Miller commented.

California Post opinion editor Joel Pollak wrote, "You would be ashamed if they broke it down by state."

"Gavin, I guess you can’t read a graph. The biggest spike was before DJT took office," actor Doug Davidson commented.

Author Jens Heycke joked, "Aspiring presidential candidate Gavin Newsom demonstrates that he is unable to read a simple graph. This level of numeric and economic illiteracy is disqualifying."

THE SURPRISING HIDDEN COST QUIETLY ADDING NEARLY $132K TO NEW HOME PRICES REVEALED

Other users compared Newsom's post to a since-deleted X post from the official Democratic Party’s account featuring a graph claiming that "U.S. Grocery Prices Reached Record Highs in 2025" with prices "higher today than they were on July 2024" in categories such as dairy, produce and meat.

At the time, users pointed out that the graph, in fact, showed prices skyrocketing in 2021, when Biden was president, and only leveling off at the end of 2024 when Trump was re-elected.

Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom's office for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Newsom's post came as the California governor has been working to tackle housing affordability in his state. In 2025, he signed into law a housing package to exempt certain projects from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and streamline environmental review for qualifying housing and infrastructure development.

In July, he signed into law more housing affordability reforms focused on streamlining affordable-housing financing and project reviews.

TRUMP-BACKED HOUSING OVERHAUL TARGETING WALL STREET INVESTORS CLEARS SENATE

White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told Fox News Digital Trump is more "laser-focused" on affordability than the "incompetent" Newsom.

"Unlike incompetent Governor Gavin Newscum, President Trump has been laser-focused on making housing more affordable. The president signed an executive order prohibiting large Wall Street firms from purchasing single-family homes, directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to purchase $200 billion in mortgage bonds that helped drive rates to four-year lows and cut unnecessary red tape at a historic pace to boost supply, speed construction, and lower costs," Ingle said.

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"The president will not stop fighting until the American dream of homeownership is within reach for every American, which is why he continues to sign bold new executive orders and calls on Congress to pass further legislation."

Lawmakers say they are standing at the gates against 'Trojan horses' promoting malign foreign interests

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 19:05:04 -0400

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a series of exclusive interviews with Fox News Digital, lawmakers on the House Foreign Affairs Committee sounded the alarm on a sprawling network of "Trojan horse" activists, nonprofits and social media influencers allegedly amplifying the hostile messages of foreign adversaries straight through the open gates of American democracy.

The warning came into sharp focus Tuesday when CodePink co-founder Medea Benjamin and two fellow activists walked into House Rayburn 2172 for a hearing on covert foreign influence operations, then strategically positioned themselves behind witnesses in T-shirts supporting the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Communist Party of Cuba.

About 30 minutes into the hearing, South and Central Asia Subcommittee Chairman Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., stopped the hearing and had Capitol Police escort them out.

LAWMAKERS THROW OUT 'TROJAN HORSE' ACTIVISTS THEY SAY ARE ENGAGED IN AMERICAN SUBVERSION

"They're coming in, trying to look like one thing, but we know that once they're inside the gates that those doors are going to spring open, and there's a whole other motivation for what they're trying to do," Huizenga told Fox News Digital.

At the center of the controversy is communist tech tycoon Neville Roy Singham, who married CodePink co-founder Jodie Evans in a tropical wedding in Jamaica in 2017, soon after funneling $285 million to six pro-China, pro-communist, anti-American nonprofits in the U.S., including CodePink, according to a Fox News Digital investigation.

Lawmakers say the answer is transparency and following the money and exposing who finances the alleged "Trojan horse."

In their series of interviews, Huizenga and other committee members explained how the modern "Trojan horse" isn't made of wood but rather a network of activists, nonprofits, social media influencers and other ostensibly American voices that foreign governments and foreign-linked actors can allegedly fund, amplify or exploit to carry their messages through the open gates of American democracy.

"They're coming in, trying to look like one thing, but we know that once they're inside the gates that those doors are going to spring open and there's a whole other motivation for what they're trying to do," Huizenga told Fox News Digital.

At the hearing, devoted to "Trojan Horses: Covert Foreign Malign Influence Operations in America," lawmakers expressed concern about how the Communist Party of China, Russia, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Communist Party of Cuba spread their propaganda and influence in the U.S.

The phrase "Trojan horse" comes from the ancient Greek story of soldiers concealed inside a wooden horse presented to the city of Troy. Once the horse was taken behind the city's fortified walls, the soldiers emerged and opened the gates, destroying Troy.

Huizenga stressed that Americans can hold sincere beliefs while also having those messages funded or amplified by foreign actors without necessarily knowing it. He argued that the answer to foreign influence is exposing the origins of the messaging through transparency and robust debate.

Rep. Huizenga: 'It's really about theatrics'

Inside the hearing room, as Fox News Digital reported, Benjamin and her fellow CodePink activists offered a vivid illustration of the debate over how political messages are created and amplified.

They sat directly behind the witnesses, placing their T-shirts in the sight line of the official committee cameras.

Benjamin then turned toward a television monitor on the side of the hearing room displaying the official video feed. She pulled out her phone, zoomed in on the image of herself and a fellow activist appearing behind the witnesses and took photo after photo of the screen.

HOUSE PANEL PROBES FOREIGN ‘TROJAN HORSES’ AS SINGHAM SCRUTINY WIDENS

Huizenga said he viewed the episode as political theater designed for an audience beyond the committee room.

"This isn't about discourse. This is about disruption," Huizenga told Fox News Digital. "It's all planned out. You see people in the crowd filming with their phones, getting ready. You knew something was going to happen because, all of a sudden, the phones would come out.

"It's really about theatrics," he added, arguing that confrontations can subsequently be circulated on social media to attract attention, donations and volunteers.

The episode captured the central tension running through the hearing: How does the United States expose genuine covert foreign influence without treating protected American political speech as foreign subversion?

"Transparency. Transparency is the watchword," Huizenga told Fox News Digital. "We really need to make sure that people know not only the why, but the who is behind all this."

Rep. Baumgartner: 'We need to know who's behind it'

Rep. Michael Baumgartner, R-Wash., told Fox News Digital that America's open political system creates opportunities for foreign governments to try to influence legitimate domestic debates through social media, universities and other institutions.

"The American people need transparency and need to understand what is going on in these public policy discussions and whether it's podcast hosts, certain actors on social media or things going on our college campuses," Baumgartner said. "We need to know who's behind it and what their motivations are."

Baumgartner pointed to "clear transparency on this issue" as a solution, adding that if evidence showed organizations were acting on behalf of foreign governments without complying with applicable disclosure laws, the matter could potentially be referred to the Justice Department, which oversees the Foreign Agent Registration Act, or FARA. The law requires that people and organizations acting on behalf of foreign interests register with the Justice Department.

Rep. Randy Fine: Trojan horses ‘poison people’s minds’

Other lawmakers said the modern Trojan horse doesn't necessarily have to walk physically through the doors of Congress, but rather arrive via social media.

Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., described social media, influencers and protests as potential channels through which foreign governments influence American political debate. He said "it's a real issue, whether it's on social media, influencers, protests, these things are all designed to destabilize our country."

Fine characterized what experts call "cognitive warfare" as "using our information platforms to try to poison people's minds and to create division from within."

Rep. Darrell Issa: ‘It’s a network’

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., focused on another battlefield: artificial intelligence.

"Trojan horses are things like the announcement that we should slow down on AI," Issa told Fox News Digital, arguing that foreign adversaries can benefit when American political pressure slows U.S. technological development.

"We are in a war in which the other side uses all the clandestine tools," Issa said. "They use their, quite frankly, their social media to our detriment."

Huizenga similarly argued that Americans should view the organizations under examination not individually but as a network.

"It's a network. It's not independent organizations or even people," he said. "You will see some of the same people at different organizations, rallies, or protests."

‘Origins aren’t organic’

At the center of much of the hearing were findings from a Fox News Digital investigation into Neville Roy Singham, an American-born communist tech tycoon who lives in Shanghai and has pumped $285 million into six nonprofits, including CodePink, the People's Forum and other groups examined during the hearing.

Huizenga alleged in his official opening remarks that Singham uses his wealth and relationships in China to support organizations that promote communist ideology and destabilize American society. He explicitly described Singham, CodePink and a growing network of pro-communist, pro-China groups as "Trojan horses."

‘TROJAN HORSES’ IN AMERICA: CONGRESS PROBES INFLUENCE NETWORKS TIED TO CHINA, IRAN AND CUBA

Singham and CodePink have denied taking direction from the Chinese government. Singham has said his activities reflect his own political beliefs, while Benjamin has said CodePink doesn't receive money from the Chinese Communist Party.

As Fox News Digital reported in June, the Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York have convened a grand jury investigation into alleged money laundering, bank fraud and wire fraud by Singham and the organizations he has funded.

No criminal charges have been filed against Singham or CodePink with respect to those allegations.

Huizenga argued that the funding relationships deserve scrutiny.

"Oftentimes, it's frankly the origins aren't organic, or if there is a part of it being organic, this is getting fed by outside organizations, oftentimes even outside countries," Huizenga alleged.

‘Transparency is the watchword’

Being escorted through the committee room doors didn't end CodePink's political theater.

Outside the hearing room, Benjamin positioned herself beside the House Foreign Affairs Committee placard and began recording another video, pulling out a comb first to straighten her hair.

When Rep. Fine emerged from the hearing, Benjamin followed him down the hallway firing questions as another member of her team recorded the encounter.

After Fine disappeared into an office, Benjamin returned to the committee entrance, straightened her hair with a comb and resumed recording.

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About two hours after Capitol Police escorted the activists from the hearing, CodePink posted a carefully edited video of the day's confrontation on social media, where activists in the broader network began sharing it.

The physical protest was over, but the images it produced were just beginning to travel.

That sequence was precisely why lawmakers said Americans should look beyond the spectacle to who finances and amplifies political messaging.

"This is theater for many of these people," Huizenga said. He said he wanted Americans, through "transparency and disclosure," to understand "not just the what they are doing, but the who is financing them."

The lawmakers gathered to investigate modern "Trojan horses" said the lesson of the ancient story wasn't simply to keep the horse outside the gates but also to understand what — and who — might be inside.

"Transparency. Transparency is the watchword," Huizenga said.

Lawmakers say 'transparency and disclosure' are the best defense against influence campaigns exploiting America's democracy.

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Fox News Digital's Reagan Schroeder and Brooke Curto contributed to this report.

First data center bill clears House as both parties scramble for answers on affordability

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:57:49 -0400

The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the Ratepayer Protection Act (RPA), a bill that looks to shield communities from higher energy electricity and grid infrastructure costs associated with data center development.

The bill, which succeeded with broad bipartisan support in a 417-3 vote, is likely one of the last pieces of legislation lawmakers will consider until after the Nov. 3 midterm elections.

It also puts a spotlight on the data center issue, which has garnered attention as a proxy for affordability, energy and regulatory debates.

It marks the first data center-related bill passed in the 119th Congress.

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In its current form, the bill does not seek to ban data centers, set limitations on their expansion or even set regulatory guidelines for them. Instead, it amends existing energy law, the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA), so states must consider a federal standard. Large data centers that consume 100 megawatts or more would pay the full extra cost of the generation, transmission and distribution upgrades built to serve them.

Companies would also be required to make financial assurances in the event a project is canceled or moved to prevent communities from being left holding the bill.

Its sponsor, Rep. Gabe Evans, R-Colo., framed it as a needed step toward keeping data center energy costs from spilling over to local communities.

"As America races to lead the world in AI, we must build the energy infrastructure needed to support this innovation and stay ahead of competitors like communist China," Evans said in a statement earlier this year.

"But Colorado families, farmers and small businesses should not be forced to cover the costs of new power generation driven by these developments. The Ratepayer Protection Act is a bipartisan, commonsense solution that protects everyday Americans and ensures our nation can continue to win the AI race."

The bill’s Democratic co-sponsor, Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla., echoed Evans’ thinking.

AMERICA NEEDS AI TO SURVIVE. WORKING FAMILIES ALSO NEED TO SURVIVE IT

"My neighbors across Florida are grappling with skyrocketing electric bills. Ratepayers should not have to subsidize wealthy corporations’ growing energy demands, especially from AI data centers," Castor said.

In recent months, candidates from both sides of the aisle have carefully framed their thinking about data centers. Democrats, in particular, have linked the issue to affordability.

Such is the case for Roy Cooper, former governor of North Carolina, who is now waging a bid for the seat of retiring Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C.

Cooper, once having celebrated data center expansion as an avenue for job growth in the Tar Heel State, has since qualified his support.

"Roy believes local communities must have the final say on new projects coming to their area, which includes local moratoriums, and data centers must pay for all of the energy they use without passing on any of their costs to consumers," a spokesperson for Cooper’s campaign said in a statement to Fox News Digital earlier this month.

Republicans have also navigated the political noise around data centers with care.

Cooper’s opponent, former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley, also stressed allowing local communities decide for themselves about whether data center expansion is right for them.

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"Michael Whatley's standard is simple: Data centers pay their own way, families pay nothing and communities decide. That means Big Tech builds or buys every megawatt it needs and covers every dime of the grid upgrades to deliver it, with zero costs shifted onto residential ratepayers. It means no special subsidies and no sweetheart deals cut over the heads of taxpayers," Whatley’s campaign said.

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Having cleared the House, the data center bill passed Wednesday heads to the Senate, where its fate is uncertain.

Democrats begrudgingly hand Trump victory on tariffs in sprawling sanctions bill

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:29:35 -0400

Several Democrats voted with Republicans to pass a sweeping sanctions package targeting Russia Wednesday, handing President Donald Trump a key authority the left has long raged against.

The House of Representatives passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, named after the late Republican senator who was one of Ukraine's biggest champions in Congress until his sudden death in July.

The legislation passed in a 262 to 159 vote. Fifty-three Democrats voted with 203 Republicans to pass the bill. Seven Republicans and 152 Democrats opposed it.

It comes despite opposition from key Democrats over a provision giving Trump tariff authority over countries fueling Russia's war in Ukraine.

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"What we're not for is giving more tariff authority to this president," Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., said during debate on the bill.

"There is no guarantee in this legislation that the president could not use these tariffs against Ukraine if he decided to do so. There is no guarantee in this legislation that the president can impose these tariffs on Russia, with the enthusiasm that our friends on the other side have offered."

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said, "The manner in which this bill has been written doesn't require the president of the United States to impose sanctions on Russia. In fact, there are so many loopholes written into the bill, I believe that it's very unlikely that the sanctions relief contemplated in the legislation will ever see the light of day."

LINDSEY GRAHAM'S FINAL MISSION TO PUNISH PUTIN CLEARS SENATE AFTER YEARLONG FIGHT

The bill was led in the House by Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, a longtime supporter of Ukraine.

"This is a critical time in history, a time my friend Lindsey Graham described as a magic moment, a moment that we cannot afford to waste," McCaul said during debate. "We shared a fundamental belief that America is strongest at home when it projects strength abroad. This legislation does exactly that.

EUROPE BANKROLLS PUTIN'S WAR MACHINE EVEN AS NATO RACES TO BOLSTER DEFENSES

"It targets the money that fuels Russia's war machine. It sanctions Russian officials and oligarchs, banks and financial institutions and the shadow fleet that helps cheap Russian energy moving and through precisely targeted tariffs. It also punishes countries providing financial support for the deadliest war in Europe since World War II. Why? Because, as we've heard from President Zelenskyy's team, you can evade sanctions, which the Russians have done for years. But you cannot evade tariffs."

The bill, which has gone through several iterations, still primarily focuses on kneecapping Putin’s war machine in Russia’s ongoing fight with Ukraine.

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But tweaks were needed to get sign-off from the White House. However, it reinserted sanctions targeting Iran’s weapons and energy sectors in the hopes of incentivizing a lasting peace deal as the war in the Middle East marches on.

Key components of the legislation allow for up to 500% tariffs on Russian imports, and tariffs of up to 100% on the top five countries buying Russian energy. And it provides Trump flexibility for when to turn off some aspects of the sanctions.

The tariff authority has proven a hard sell for House Democrats, though their colleagues in the Senate largely bought in.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., helped create the bill and largely spearheaded Democrat support in the Senate.

PUTIN, RUSSIA PUT ON NOTICE AS SENATE TAKES CRUCIAL STEP TO GRIND DOWN THE KREMLIN’S WAR MACHINE

Blumenthal defended the tariff language in the bill to Fox News Digital.

"If Donald Trump wants to break this law, he will be restrained by the courts, just as when he broke the law on tariffs previously," he said.

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It now heads to Trump's desk for his signature.

At least two Democrats signaled early on that they would support the bill; Reps. Jared Golden, D-Maine, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., defied their party leaders on Tuesday to help Republicans break gridlock on advancing the legislation.

Their votes rescued the sanctions package from dying on the House floor amid a conservative rebellion over an unrelated issue. A similar move by the pair earlier this month earned a public reprimand from Jeffries, who called it a "breach of trust."

"Congressman Golden has been a consistent supporter of America’s allies in Ukraine. He didn’t want to see the Russia sanctions bill die in a rule vote after passing with overwhelming bipartisan support in the Senate," Golden's spokesman told Fox News Digital of the vote.

Fans falsely claim to have spotted moving trucks outside FSU head coach Mike Norvell's house

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:14:55 -0400

On the last episode of "As The Florida State Seminoles Turn," FSU had just fired their athletic director, Michael Alford.

Part of the reason why this news was so significant to Noles fans is because Alford was the man who gave head coach Mike Norvell his now infamous contract extension, making him practically unfireable from a monetary perspective.

While that buyout still looms over the university and its boosters, the Florida State faithful may have gotten a small bit of news that their master plan of moving on from coach Norvell is in motion.

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A video has surfaced on social media of a Seminole fan driving past what appears to be Norvell's house with a special vehicle parked in the front driveway.

A moving truck? Say it isn't so!

It's not just those crazy conspiracy theorists on X that are spreading this rumor, though, as the moving truck video has gained traction on FSU's subreddit.

So, is this it?

COLLEGE FOOTBALL COACHES ON HOT SEAT: BILL BELICHICK, MIKE NORVELL AND OTHERS FACING MAKE-OR-BREAK 2026

Have the Florida State boosters finally scratched together enough dough to send Norvell packing?

I hate to burst everyone's bubble in Tallahassee, but the vast majority of college football fans not wearing their garnet and gold tin foil hats all seem to agree that's a delivery truck.

Not only is Norvell not going anywhere, but it looks like he's making himself even more comfortable in his current digs.

And if you don't believe me, take Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger's word for it, as he is apparently being told that the Seminole brass still isn't comfortable paying their head coach's nearly $50 million buyout.

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Do they really like the coach, or do they really like not having to fork over 50 large to have to pay out his contract and then put together a search committee?

So, it sounds like a false alarm from the Florida panhandle as of right now.

No, Mike Norvell isn't moving in broad daylight in the middle of the week without a formal announcement coming down.

Sorry, Noles fans.

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It sounds like you'll have to wait a little longer to move on from the Norvell era, much to your chagrin and much to the glee of all of your rivals.

Fox News Digital leads in unique visitors, other key metrics against CNN, NY Times during August

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:04:57 -0400

Fox News Digital closed the summer trouncing other news organizations across key metrics, including in unique visitors.

During the month of August 2026, Fox News Digital reached 76 million unique visitors on desktop and mobile devices, leading the metric for four months straight, according to Comscore.

CBS News came in second 70 million unique visitors, followed by NBC News' 65 million, The New York Times' 63 million, CNN's 56 million and ABC News' 29 million.

FOX NEWS CHANNEL TOPS NBC, ABC AND CBS IN KEY RATINGS MEASURABLE FOR SECOND STRAIGHT SUMMER

Fox News Digital maintained its dominance in multiplatform views and multiplatform minutes last month, reaching 1.47 billion and 3.2 billion, respectively.

The New York Times trailed in second with 1.27 billion multiplatform views and 1 billion multiplatform minutes. CNN trailed even further with 415 million multiplatform views and 647 million multiplatform minutes.

August 2026 marked Fox News Digital's 28th consecutive month as the top news brand in multiplatform views and the 66th consecutive month in multiplatform minutes.

FOX NEWS DIGITAL THUMPS ALL NEWS BRANDS, INCLUDING BROADCAST NETWORKS, IN KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS DURING JULY

Fox News also maintained its status as the most engaged news brand across social media for the 144th consecutive month, totaling a whopping 85 million interactions, according to Emplifi and Comscore Social. More than 26 million of those interactions came from Facebook, 14.5 million were on Instagram and 4.7 million came from X.

On TikTok, Fox News notched more than 39 million interactions, a staggering 80% increase from last year.

FOX NEWS SURGES 29% IN UNIQUE VISITORS DURING Q2, WHILE CNN POSTS ITS WEAKEST DIGITAL AUDIENCE SINCE 2015

Collectively, Fox News reached 1.4 billion video views across social media platforms throughout August.

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King Charles responds to Charles Spencer's claims about Princess Diana in a rare statement

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:03:36 -0400

King Charles responded to claims made about him in Charles Spencer's upcoming book in an unusual move.

The Daily Mail published an excerpt of Spencer's upcoming memoir, "Swan Song: Diana, My Sister," Wednesday, in which the king's former brother-in-law alleged a heated conversation he had with Charles after the death of his sister and the former Princess of Wales, Princess Diana.

"Prince Charles continued his stream of anger, without me interrupting. Then he stopped. I assumed the pause signaled an effort to bring himself under control, but then he unleashed down the phone what I have always taken to be his pent-up contempt for Diana, and his horror that the world was so bowled over by her death," Spencer alleged, according to the Daily Mail. "‘Rest assured,’ he hissed, ‘we’ll forget her soon enough!’"

According to the excerpt, the disagreement between King Charles and the 9th Earl of Spencer was regarding the decision to have Prince William and Prince Harry, then 15 and 12, walk behind their mother's casket during the funeral procession.

KING CHARLES CONSIDERED QUEEN CAMILLA 'NON-NEGOTIABLE' AFTER PRINCESS DIANA, AUTHOR CLAIMS

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson issued a rare statement on behalf of the king responding to Spencer's claims.

"While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and color memory in ways others do not recognize, even many years after such a loss," the statement said, according to People.

Princess Diana died in August 1997 at age 36 after suffering injuries sustained in a car accident in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris, France. Her partner, Dodi Fayed, and the driver, Henri Paul, also died in the crash.

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At the time of her death, she and King Charles had been divorced for one year. The two married in July 1981, announced their separation in December 1992 and finalized their divorce in August 1996.

Prince Harry wrote about the decision to have him and his brother walk behind their mother's coffin in his 2023 memoir, "Spare," writing that "several adults were aghast" and that "mummy’s brother, Uncle Charles, raised hell," and that he told the royal family, "You can’t make these boys walk behind their mother’s coffin! It’s barbaric."

This is not the first time Spencer has spoken about his opposition to the boys walking behind their mother's coffin. He told BBC Radio 4’s Today in 2017 that he found the decision "bizarre and cruel."

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"It was the most horrifying half an hour of my life," he said. "It was just ghastly. And it was far worse than having to deliver a speech at the end of it. It was the worst part of the day by a considerable margin, walking behind, well, my sister’s body, with two boys who were obviously massively grieving their mother.

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"And it was this sort of bizarre circumstance where we were told you had to look straight ahead," he continued. "But the feeling, the sort of crashing tidal wave of grief coming at you as you went down this sort of tunnel of deep emotion, it was really harrowing actually, and I still have nightmares about it now."

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"Swan Song: Diana, My Sister" is set to be released Sept. 22.

Chase Briscoe says deer hunting gives him a bigger rush than driving 200 mph in NASCAR

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:00:40 -0400

Chase Briscoe has spent years chasing adrenaline at nearly 200 miles per hour. Apparently, that still isn’t enough.

The NASCAR driver says deer hunting now gives him a rush that rivals — and may even surpass — anything he feels behind the wheel.

"It’s the closest thing I’ve ever been able to come to racing, and honestly, I feel like it’s surpassed racing," Briscoe told OutKick OutDoors.

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That might sound like a bold statement coming from a NASCAR driver, but Briscoe says the explanation is actually pretty simple: racing has become normal.

"You know, the racing deal, I do it so often," he said. "We race 38 weekends a year that, truthfully, the adrenaline kind of goes away because you do it all the time.

"Getting to go hunting and getting to feel that adrenaline is like this drug that I can’t get rid of."

Briscoe, who drives the No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota, didn’t grow up as a diehard hunter. His love of the outdoors started instead around his grandfather’s pond back home in Indiana.

"Ever since I was a little kid, I remember we would go over there every Sunday and would just spend time outside, out by the pond fishing," he said.

Watch Chase Briscoe's full interview with OutKick OutDoors here:

As he got older, fishing became a regular part of life with his friends.

"Especially in my high school years, that was all me and my buddies would do," Briscoe said. "We would go find other little farm ponds or go to creeks or wherever and just go fishing."

Hunting came later.

After moving to North Carolina, Briscoe and his family bought roughly 30 acres that happened to be loaded with deer. A few years ago, he finally decided to give hunting a try.

He was hooked almost immediately.

"I went for the first time and just fell in love with it," he said.

Part of the appeal is the rush. But part of it is the exact opposite.

Briscoe and his wife, Marissa, have three children, and the NASCAR calendar doesn’t exactly leave much room for peace and quiet.

"For me, it’s been just an amazing getaway," he said. "Just to kind of be able to get out in the outdoors and start my morning and just watch the sun come up, or just go out there and be by myself."

He added: "We have three kids, and then obviously the chaos of just my career. You don’t get a lot of time just to yourself."

For Chase Briscoe, hunting is a family affair

These days, though, Briscoe doesn’t always hunt alone.

His four-year-old son Brooks has caught the bug, too — perhaps even worse than his dad.

"Brooks is ate up with it," Briscoe said.

North Carolina’s deer season had just begun when Briscoe spoke with OutKick OutDoors, and the two had already been discussing their plans.

"Last night we were talking about it," Briscoe said. "I said, ‘Hey, tomorrow deer season starts. I won’t be home, but Monday maybe you can go with me.’ And he was jumping up and down."

Then Briscoe remembered another conversation from about a month and a half earlier.

"We were just driving down the road, and he said, ‘Hey Dad, I want to talk to you about something,’" Briscoe recalled. "I was like, ‘Okay.’ He’s only 4, and he said, ‘I think this year I’m just gonna just shoot bucks this year. No more does.’"

Briscoe laughed.

"I’m like, ‘Okay, buddy. That sounds like a plan.’"

Brooks has reason to be confident.

The very first time he ever went hunting with his dad, he got a buck.

"It was a total, like, one of those Hollywood stories, I guess," Briscoe said. "Literally the first time he ever went out there with me, he got a buck.

"Not that it was — I mean, it was a tiny little four-pointer — but for him, it was his first experience going out there, and he got to do it."

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Brooks helped his dad sight in the rifle and pull the trigger. The following season, Briscoe said his son took another step.

"Last year, he got a doe on his own," he said. "Like, actually lined it up. I mean, I helped him, obviously — he’s 4 — but he got it right on the crosshairs and pulled the trigger."

For comparison, Briscoe said it took him about a year and a half to get his first buck.

"He definitely was beating me already."

But for Briscoe, getting his kids into the outdoors isn’t really about who shoots the biggest buck or catches the biggest fish.

It’s about the time spent together.

"There’s so many distractions in today’s world with phones and tablets and TV and just everything else," Briscoe said. "For me to be able to get them outside and just get away from all those distractions. You get to spend one-on-one time and just make a lot of great memories."

Those memories matter to Briscoe because he still carries his own from childhood.

"I remember going fishing with my grandpa, and some of those memories are some of my favorite memories as a kid," he said.

Now he gets to experience that from the other side.

"To be able to be the one that’s taking my son out there and letting him have these amazing memories — he’ll always remember catching a big bass or getting that big buck," Briscoe said. "That’s just one of those core memories that you never forget."

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Go West, Briscoes

Briscoe is still relatively new to hunting compared to lifelong outdoorsmen, but he’s already thinking about what comes next.

"I would love to do an elk hunt," he said. "I’ve been able to do a lot of really cool whitetail hunts. Even last year, I got to go to South Texas — now two years in a row — and I’ve loved that. But I would love to go out west and do an elk hunt or even a mule deer hunt."

The different terrain and challenge appeal to him, particularly the idea of getting close to an elk with a bow.

"Going archery hunting for an elk, I just find that so fascinating," Briscoe said. "I think that would be one of the coolest things to do, is get an elk and get one that close."

The hiking part? Maybe slightly less appealing.

"I don’t know if I would enjoy that part as much," he joked.

Still, Briscoe hopes he gets the chance someday.

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And if he does, there’s already an obvious candidate to tag along.

Brooks.

"He would have the energy too, to be hiking and walking around all the time," Briscoe said. "So yeah, if we get to do it one day, maybe he’ll go with me."

Love all things hunting, fishing and outdoors? Follow OutKick OutDoors on Instagram and TikTok!

Democrats embraced AI’s growth before Trump came along; now, they want to slow it down

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:00:16 -0400

Some of the Democratic Party’s most prominent voices are pushing for tighter limits on artificial intelligence, including former President Barack Obama, who has joined calls for a slower pace of frontier AI development after years of Democratic leaders touting the technology’s economic and strategic potential.

"We need government — and specifically our leaders in Washington — to get proactive in coming up with concrete proposals, laws and regulations that deal with serious safety concerns, anticipate AI’s impact on jobs and our kids and make sure that AI’s benefits are widely spread," Obama said in a statement Monday night.

Obama’s latest comments put greater emphasis on slowing frontier AI development than his White House did in 2016, when his administration highlighted the technology’s economic potential while also warning about disruption and calling for policy responses.

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Democrats have long paired enthusiasm for AI’s economic and strategic potential with warnings about its risks, but some of the party’s most prominent voices are now going further, calling for a slower pace of frontier AI development and tougher limits on how the technology is built and deployed.

Attorney General Todd Blanche argued Tuesday that Democrats’ renewed focus on the potential risks of artificial intelligence should not be treated as "breaking news," suggesting the timing, months before the midterm elections, is politically significant.

"Every Democrat senator suddenly races to a microphone to talk about AI after being eerily silent for months and months, a month. So, to talk about the timing of this as being nothing but an effort to influence the midterms, I shouldn't have to say that out loud, of course," said Blanche.

The comments came as President Donald Trump has made rapid AI development and the data centers needed to power it a priority, while the administration promotes the technology’s potential economic benefits and faces growing political scrutiny over the cost and impact of expanding data-center infrastructure.

Obama issued a statement Monday on X, writing that AI is "moving at lightning speed – and even faster than those who are engineering it can keep up with."

"Given what we know about technology, we can’t stuff AI back in a box. But we can collectively determine how it's developed and how it’s used, rather than sitting back and letting AI and its fallout happen to us," he wrote.

He called for regulation, saying choices to slow down should not be left up to the tech companies.

Any "potential catastrophe will depend on the choices that we make right now," said Obama.

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In 2016, Obama’s White House touted AI’s potential to open new markets and drive progress across industries while warning about job disruption and broader safety and policy challenges.

"Advances in AI technology hold incredible potential to help the United States stay on the cutting edge of innovation," the White House said in its December 2016 Artificial Intelligence, Automation, and the Economy report.

"Advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology and related fields have opened up new markets and new opportunities for progress in critical areas such as health, education, energy, economic inclusion, social welfare, and the environment. … AI should be welcomed for its potential economic benefits," the report added.

Similarly, then-Vice President Kamala Harris said in January 2025 that "it is imperative that the United States remain the global leader on AI" as the Biden administration moved to speed up the buildout needed to support large-scale AI operations.

The Biden administration announced an executive order aimed at accelerating AI infrastructure in the U.S., including large data centers and clean-energy projects, as the administration sought to keep the country ahead of its global competitors.

Harris has also recently called for slowing the pace of frontier AI development, arguing that the technology is advancing at an "alarming speed" and urging Congress to establish stronger oversight and safety standards.

"The frontier of artificial intelligence is advancing at an alarming speed. Over the weekend, industry leaders voiced support for an idea that the American people and many AI researchers in their own labs have been calling for: We must responsibly slow the pace of frontier AI development," she wrote.

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AI and data centers have quickly become a major midterm issue, as concerns over electricity costs, jobs and the rapid buildout draw increasing attention from candidates in both parties.

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President Donald Trump has pushed back on the Democrats’ urgency to caution about using AI, calling it a "hoax."

Fox News Digital reached out to Obama, Harris and Schumer's teams for comment.

Fox News Poll: Squeezed by costs, frustrated voters turn to the Democrats

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:00:01 -0400

Roughly three-quarters of voters have rated economic conditions negatively for the past year, and more than three times as many say they are falling behind financially as getting ahead, according to a Fox News survey released Wednesday.

And by a wide margin, the Democrats are considered the party that would better handle inflation at a time when the cost of living and the economy are voters’ top concerns.

Costs of everyday items are a hardship for voters: 61% say gas prices are a major problem, up from 48% two years ago, while 52% say the same for healthcare costs, up from 44%. Majorities also view housing costs (54%, down from 60%) and grocery prices (62%, down from 66%) as major problems.

FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS OPPOSE THE IRAN WAR, SEE PROLONGED COMMITMENT

Views on tariffs have grown more negative since last summer, with a high of 64% saying tariffs hurt the U.S. economy, up from 57%. Most Democrats and independents say tariffs hurt, while views among Republicans are mixed (41% help, 36% hurt, 21% no difference).

FOX NEWS POLL: COOL YOUR SERVERS! VOTERS REJECT DATA CENTERS

Overall, nearly two-thirds of voters (63%) say the Trump administration has made the economy worse, including a quarter of Republicans.

All of this contributes to greater pessimism about the future. The portion saying life will be worse for the next generation has risen from 53% two years ago to 62% last year and 68% today, just two points below the high of 70% in 2022.

Only 8% are enthusiastic about how the government is working, with another 23% satisfied. A 68% majority is unhappy, including a high of 33% who are "angry" — driven by 56% of Democrats and 36% of independents vs. just 9% of Republicans.

Despite these economic headwinds and with 48 days until Election Day, maybe the good news for the Republicans is that the Democrats' advantage on the congressional ballot has stayed in the single digits. If the election were today, 51% say they would back the Democratic candidate in their House district and 44% the Republican. The Democrats’ 7-point edge is just outside the survey’s margin of sampling error. Since January, the Democrats have been preferred by 5-7 points.

Women, those under age 35, Hispanic voters and Whites with a college degree give Democrats their edge, while White men and non-college Whites are strengths for the GOP.

Party loyalty slightly favors the Democrats, as more of them (97%) than Republicans (92%) support their party’s candidate. Independents favor the Democratic candidate 53-31%, with 14% undecided.

Higher engagement boosts Democrats: 64% are extremely interested in the election compared to 53% of Republicans (+11 D margin). And more Democrats (71%) than Republicans (65%) rate their likelihood of voting as a 10 on a 10-point scale, meaning they feel certain they will vote (+6 D margin).

Among those certain to vote, the Democrats’ lead in the generic ballot grew to 11 points (54-43%).

The edge holds among those in "close" counties, where the 2024 presidential vote between President Trump and former Vice President Harris was within 10 points; the Democratic candidate is favored by 9 points, 52-43%.

"When pundits and analysts talk about the fundamentals favoring the Democrats in this midterm, they are mostly referring to the economy," says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts the Fox News Poll with Democratic pollster Chris Anderson. "Time is running out for the administration and its supporters to convince voters that things are improving."

Those with a negative view of both the Democratic and the Republican Party ("double haters") favor the Democratic candidate in their district by a 26-point margin.

Voters trust Democrats on most issues in the survey: inflation (by 15 points), large AI data centers (+14), corruption (+11), and foreign policy (+10). The parties are about evenly rated on immigration (R +1).

Prior to this summer, the Republicans held a four-year advantage on immigration, and they led on foreign policy until January of this year. Four years ago, Republicans were preferred by 9 points on inflation.

Democrats have improved their ratings on inflation by 5 points just since July.

Voters trusting Democrats on inflation are more likely to attribute this to Republican failures (51%) than confidence that Democratic policies are likely to reduce prices (47%).

Those views contribute to Trump’s 39% job approval (61% disapprove). His approval has not exceeded 39% since April, when it stood at 42%. His current rating trails former President Biden’s 43% at this point in 2022 and aligns with former President Obama’s 38% before the 2014 midterms. Trump received 43% approval on immigration, 37% on foreign policy (one point above his record low), and 24% on inflation (matching a previous low).

Trump’s standing puts him in a difficult spot to help GOP candidates this year. He lags his party in popularity, holding a 24-point net negative favorability rating (38-62%), unchanged since July.

Sixty percent of voters think the U.S. made the wrong decision in taking military action against Iran, and 77% of that group favor the Democratic candidate in their district.

Four years ago, more voters said a Trump endorsement made them less likely to support a candidate by a 15-point margin. Today, that’s a 26-point gap (25% more likely, 51% less likely).

Still, Trump’s approval matters within the GOP: 52% of Republicans and 75% of MAGA Republicans say it increases their support.

In addition, 53% say the Trump administration is more corrupt than previous administrations compared to 26% who say it is less corrupt.

Both major parties are viewed negatively: the Democratic Party is underwater by 11 points (44% favorable, 55% unfavorable) and the Republican Party by 17 (41-58%).

Nearly two-thirds support raising taxes on the wealthy to expand government programs (65%) and redistribute wealth (63%). However, 52% disagree with increasing taxes on the wealthy so that "nobody gets too rich."

Still, dissatisfaction with capitalism has grown. Fifty-seven percent say the way capitalism works in the U.S. these days doesn’t give people a fair shot, up from 42% in 2019. That shift spans political views, increasing among Democrats (by 17 points), Republicans (+13), and independents (+22).

Poll-pourri

When asked what the most important issue is facing the country unprompted by a list, 34% of voters say the cost of living and 14% say the economy/jobs. The next closest are immigration (8%) and Republicans/Trump/MAGA (7%). Only a handful mention issues like the war with Iran (4%), corruption (4%), healthcare (4%), or AI/data centers (1%).

MAGA holds a 5-point favorability edge compared with the Democratic Socialists of America (35% vs. 30%), although 15% are unable to rate the DSA. Nearly 3 in 10 Democrats view the DSA negatively, and 3 in 10 Republicans view MAGA negatively.

Overall, 59% view labor unions favorably, including 48% of Republicans and 73% of Democrats.

Eighty-one percent of voters favor banning Congress members and their immediate family and staff from trading stocks (up from 75% in January), including 8 in 10 Democrats, Republicans, and independents.

CLICK HERE FOR CROSSTABS AND TOPLINE

Conducted September 11-14, 2026, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,211 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (96) and cellphones (821) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (294).

Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education and area variables to ensure the demographics are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and voter file data.

Fox News’ Victoria Balara contributed to this report.