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Natalee Holloway's confessed killer caught trying to extort $250K from grieving mother in FBI sting video

Sat, 14 Nov 2026 08:00:02 -0500

Joran van der Sloot spent years tormenting Natalee Holloway's family with a tangled web of lies. But behind closed doors, the convicted killer was playing an even more sinister game.

Now, previously unseen video from an FBI sting reveals just how far he was willing to go to exploit a grieving mother's desperate search for answers. The Netflix true crime docuseries "Taken: Natalee Holloway," co-directed by Dani Sloane and Matthew Galkin, features video of the 2010 sting operation showing the Dutch national attempting to extort money from Holloway's family.

"His brazenness stood out to me, the fact that he's sitting across from lawyer John Q. Kelly, and he's going 'Can I have a soda? It's so hot outside, I had to wait for a cab,'" Sloane told Fox News Digital. "He's having a casual conversation while he's extorting the mother of his victim for money, for information that only he knows. It's astonishing. You really don't often get to look at a perpetrator like that. He feels really cavalier and he's just casual about the whole thing."

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"It’s pretty haunting to see," Sloane added.

Holloway, 18, disappeared on May 30, 2005, while she was on a graduation trip in Aruba with her high school classmates. She was last seen leaving a bar with van der Sloot, a student at an international school on the Caribbean island where he grew up.

Van der Sloot, long suspected in connection with her disappearance, was never charged with her murder. A judge declared Holloway dead in 2012, but her body was never found.

Nearly five years after Holloway's disappearance, van der Sloot emailed Kelly, an attorney for Holloway's mother, Beth Holloway, the film revealed. For $250,000, he offered to provide information about Holloway's death and the whereabouts of her remains.

Kelly and van der Sloot agreed to meet at a hotel in Aruba in May 2010, where Kelly would hand over a $25,000 deposit in exchange for the information, starting with $10,000 in cash. By then, according to the documentary, van der Sloot had changed his story about what happened to the Alabama teen roughly 40 times.

"Joran went on TV countless times and continued to tell slightly different fabricated stories," Sloane said.

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"I think it's probably an even higher number than that. We did our own approximations and it's a pretty staggering number of different stories he told, even just small details he changed within the storytelling about what happened that night. It's astonishing. I've been doing this for a really long time, but I personally have never seen anything like this where it's very clear who did this."

"He is so masterful at evading law enforcement and evading consequences by just outright lying," Sloane added.

According to the film, Beth agreed to give van der Sloot $25,000 because she believed it was her chance to finally learn what happened to her daughter from the man she had long suspected of killing her. She was on standby at an Alabama bank, ready to wire the remaining $15,000 as soon as van der Sloot signed their agreement.

Beth subsequently wired the remaining $15,000 to van der Sloot's bank account, bringing the initial payment to $25,000.

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Before the meeting, Kelly had contacted the FBI, which worked with police in Aruba to secretly record the exchange in hopes of building a criminal case against van der Sloot.

The previously unreleased video of the exchange shows Kelly handing over $10,000.

"To be completely honest, for me, the biggest deal is the 225 afterwards," van der Sloot tells Kelly in the recording. "Did you put in the contract that that would be paid within a month?"

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Kelly said yes and van der Sloot signed the agreement.

In the docuseries, Kelly explained that van der Sloot was never going to receive the remaining $225,000.

"If he disclosed Natalee's whereabouts then he was going to be arrested for it," Kelly explained. "And if he didn't disclose what happened to Natalee, he was going to get arrested anyway for extortion or fraud."

Van der Sloot then took Kelly to a nearby house, claiming Holloway's body had been buried in the foundation while the home was under construction.

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"It's honestly a horrific thing to watch," Sloane said. "Just to see how that conversation played out is really stunning."

Investigators determined the information was false. But before U.S. authorities could file charges against van der Sloot, he left Aruba for Peru.

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Van der Sloot's trail of lies was about to take an even deadlier turn. On May 30, 2010, exactly five years after Holloway's disappearance, van der Sloot murdered 21-year-old Stephany Flores Ramírez in his hotel room in Lima, Peru.

According to the film, van der Sloot told investigators he attacked Flores Ramírez after she discovered information about Holloway's disappearance on his laptop. He beat and strangled her.

In July 2014, van der Sloot married Leidy Figueroa, a Peruvian woman. They later had a daughter.

In the film, retired FBI special agent Alexandra Montilla recalled an encounter in which the "charismatic" van der Sloot told her about a pet rabbit he shared with his daughter. According to Montilla's account, the rabbit scratched his daughter while she was petting it. Montilla said van der Sloot told her that he grabbed the animal and "ripped his head off."

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"I've dealt with a lot of criminals and, as a female, I thought this is probably one of the most dangerous ones," Montilla said.

Sloane said Montilla still vividly remembers the encounter.

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"It really lives in her memory," Sloane said. "It's something that stands out to her out of all the offenders and perpetrators she has spent time with. It counts a lot when a seasoned member of the FBI is horrified by something."

In June 2023, van der Sloot was temporarily transferred from Peru to the United States to face federal extortion and wire fraud charges stemming from his 2010 scheme targeting Beth. On Oct. 18, 2023, he pleaded guilty to both charges in federal court in Alabama and was sentenced to 20 years in prison, to be served concurrently with his Peruvian prison sentence.

If van der Sloot is released from prison in Peru before completing his U.S. sentence, he would serve the remaining time in the United States.

As part of his plea agreement, van der Sloot also confessed to killing Holloway in 2005. The convicted killer said he struck her in the head with a cinder block after she rejected his sexual advances, then disposed of her body in the ocean. This time, Beth said she believed he was telling the truth.

"This case was difficult to solve," Sloane said. "There were no forensics to speak of. Natalee’s remains were never found and have never been found to this day. All of this hinged on dealing with Joran. It was incredibly difficult for anyone that was interrogating him to pin him down. He was good at spinning a story. This was someone who told years of stories, one more outlandish than the next about what happened to Natalee."

Beth spent nearly two decades seeking answers about her daughter's disappearance and now advocates for other families of missing people. Sloane said that while Beth finally has answers about Holloway's death, she continues to live with the loss of her daughter every day.

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"I think Natalee would be proud of all of us," Beth says in the film. "I think Joran tangled with the wrong girl."

Play Sunday or forfeit: Oklahoma AD rips SEC commissioner over controversial Ole Miss FAA scheduling decision

Sat, 14 Nov 2026 07:53:02 -0500

BATON ROUGE, La. - The FAA ground stop ended Friday night. The drama in the SEC was just getting started, over scheduling.

After a nationwide air travel shutdown left college football teams scrambling to reach their destinations, a bitter dispute erupted over the Oklahoma–Ole Miss game in Norman.

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From Washington to Tennessee, multiple schools were set to take off on Friday afternoon for their Saturday games, which involved teams getting on their respective charter flights, only to be told they'd have to deplane due to the FAA groundstop.

This included the Texas Longhorns, who were scheduled to play LSU on Saturday night here in Baton Rouge.

Once the ground stop lifted, some teams managed to get back in the air. Kickoff times shifted where necessary, and schools worked to salvage their Saturday schedules.

But Ole Miss remained grounded in Oxford. And Oklahoma wanted answers.

Oklahoma and Ole Miss involved in heated situation over scheduling

Within the SEC, a battle was brewing between Ole Miss and Oklahoma regarding their scheduled kickoff on Saturday afternoon in Norman.

After being forced to deplane Friday, Ole Miss players and staff returned to the football facility to await word on when they could leave for Norman.

When the FAA lifted the ground stop, the Rebels prepared to head back to the airport. But another problem emerged: Their charter operator could no longer accommodate a Friday night departure.

According to sources, flight crew duty limits were part of the issue, leaving Ole Miss without a crew available to complete the trip that night.

Early Saturday morning, the SEC released a statement regarding the situation, which it says also was due to the Rebels not being able to depart Oxford until late Saturday afternoon.

"The Ole Miss football team was unable to depart Oxford Friday night due to the FAA ground stoppage," the SEC said in a statement. "After the stoppage was lifted, a late-night departure could not be accommodated by the charter company with which Ole Miss was contracted and the team’s departure has been delayed until Saturday afternoon."

That explanation did little to ease the anger in Norman.

Sooners blast Greg Sankey over Sunday game or forfeit ultimatum

Oklahoma officials wanted the game played Saturday, even if that meant moving kickoff into the evening.

During multiple calls with the SEC and Ole Miss on Friday night, the Sooners made their objections clear. According to Oklahoma athletic director Roger Denny, it was commissioner Greg Sankey who ultimately made it clear that the decision was final.

Denny released a very pointed statement early Saturday morning, pointing out that Sankey told them that it was either play on Sunday or forfeit the game against Ole Miss.

"We were told that Ole Miss explored every avenue to travel to Norman and play on Saturday as planned. But, unlike every other team traveling for competition tomorrow, they were unable to find a solution," Oklahoma AD Roger Denny noted. "After multiple conversations with the league office, Commissioner Sankey informed us of his decision to move our game to Sunday, over our strong objection. After continued discussions, he further informed us that our failure to play on Sunday at the directed time would result in a forfeit.

"Rescheduling the game has a significant impact, particularly on our fans. Those who have made travel arrangements, accommodations, and personal plans around a Saturday game now face unnecessary disruption and hardship. Their time, commitment and investment deserve greater consideration than they were afforded in the conference's decision tonight."

Fans left scrambling as Oklahoma–Ole Miss showdown gets extra juice

Texas, Tennessee and others across college football were among the teams able to reach their destinations Friday night, so Ole Miss will face plenty of questions from frustrated Oklahoma fans about why the Rebels couldn't do the same.

That comparison alone doesn't establish that Ole Miss had another workable option. To be fair, different charter arrangements and crew availability can produce different outcomes.

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But, when an athletic director says that his team was forced to go along with the conference's decision against their will, it's not hard to understand why the Oklahoma football program would feel more than agitated.

"I understand that difficult decisions sometimes must be made under extraordinary circumstances," Sooners AD Roger Denny continued. "But those decisions must also consider the impact on everyone involved. Put simply, this decision isn't fair to our athletes, our institution, or to Sooner Nation.

"But we've been given no other choice. We are obligated to play the game when directed, but we remain steadfast in our belief that the wrong outcome was reached this evening."

I think it's fair to say that Ole Miss and Oklahoma will not be sharing Christmas cards this year, and Saturday's game will have some extra juice to it.

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As for the rest of this bizarre weekend, I headed down to my Baton Rouge hotel lobby for a bottle of water around 12:30 a.m., only to run into Texas coach Steve Sarkisian and quarterback Arch Manning.

An elevator ride with Longhorns defensive coordinator Will Muschamp helped put a bow on a Friday that college football won't soon forget.

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Texas had made it to Baton Rouge, Tennessee made it to College Station, and other college football teams will leave on Saturday morning and play on the same day, while Ole Miss will still be waiting to leave Oxford.

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We'll have you covered from Texas–LSU, with major College Football Playoff implications on the line.

Assuming this weekend has run out of surprises.

Sports cartoons of the day

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

One industry surged DC lobbying 337% under Trump — here’s what’s driving the push

Sat, 14 Nov 2026 07:30:39 -0500

FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump has made tariffs a centerpiece of his trade agenda, and businesses are spending more on D.C. bureaucrats to help navigate those rules.

Rachel Greszler, who authored a new report from Advancing American Freedom (AAF), said companies are paying lobbyists to seek exemptions from tariffs instead of using that money to grow their businesses, hire workers or raise wages.

A new report from former Vice President Mike Pence's group found that lobbying disclosures mention tariffs rising 239% in the third quarter of 2026 compared with the same period in 2024. The total spending reported on those filings jumped 337%, though it may include lobbying on issues beyond tariffs.

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"Affordability is top of mind for many Americans," Greszler told Fox News Digital, arguing that changing tariffs are raising costs, threatening jobs and squeezing paychecks.

Businesses are responding by stepping up their lobbying efforts. Fourteen organizations spent more than $1 million on lobbying in the third quarter, up from two in the same quarter of 2024. Another 105 spent more than $100,000, compared with 26 two years earlier.

Tariffs may also be affecting prices consumers pay.

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FLOURISH NY FED TARIFFS CHART: 30552508

Federal Reserve Bank of New York researchers estimated they added 2.9 percentage points to prices across the consumer goods they studied, including imported and U.S.-made products.

Greszler warned that small businesses unable to afford lobbyists to seek tariff exclusions could be forced to scale back or close.

Trump has defended tariffs as a central part of his trade agenda, arguing they will strengthen U.S. manufacturing and bring jobs and investment back to the country. The White House has also said foreign exporters will ultimately bear the cost.

FLOURISH TARIFF REVENUES CHART: 30871804

A separate analysis from Advancing American Freedom estimated tariffs resulted in about 75,000 fewer manufacturing jobs in their first year and up to 1 million fewer jobs nationwide than would have been expected under pre-tariff trends.

The group said manufacturing was among the hardest-hit sectors, despite being a central target of the administration’s effort to bring factory work back.

The group also said U.S. trade with Canada fell by $50 billion, or 6.5%, before the latest round of Section 338 tariffs took effect. During that period, imports from other countries rose instead of U.S. manufacturing expanding.

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As the administration continues to reshape trade policy, businesses will have to decide whether to keep spending on lobbyists and tariff planning or delay investments, hiring and expansion until the rules become clearer.

Inside Arab nation's battle against radicalism as top official warns of threat brewing on Europe's streets

Sat, 14 Nov 2026 07:00:53 -0500

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — A senior Emirati official is warning that demonstrations in Europe have crossed a line from political expression into a national security threat, arguing that extremism must be confronted before it turns violent.

"You can go demonstrate, talk, give a speech, but what [we] saw in the street in 11 cities in Europe is not freedom of speech. It is a threat to national security," Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, chairman of the Defense, Interior and Foreign Affairs Committee of the UAE's Federal National Council, told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview.

The remarks come against a wider European debate over radicalization. On Nov. 3, Europol reported that authorities from 16 countries had referred more than 9,000 links to extremist and terrorist material appearing across 47 social media and gaming platforms. The operation targeted online role-playing content promoting jihadist, far-right, far-left and anarchist violence, including material that could draw minors toward extremist networks.

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What makes the UAE's response distinctive, officials and experts argue, is its belief that the struggle against extremism begins long before police make an arrest — in classrooms, families and the way people of different backgrounds learn to live together.

"The root is extremism, not violent extremism. … In our school system, we promote coexistence. We promote the values that bring us together, regardless of our religion, our nationality, our ethnic [background], our color. … We have to learn how to live with our differences and to accept everyone as they are," Al Nuaimi said.

Preventing extremism before violence

At Hedayah, the Abu Dhabi-based International Center of Excellence for Countering Extremism and Violent Extremism, Fox News Digital spoke with Maqsoud Kruse, chairman of the center's International Steering Board and the UAE foreign minister's envoy for countering extremism and terrorism.

Kruse, an organizational psychologist who helped establish Hedayah in 2012, described radicalization as a process that can begin with ideas, develop through emotional responses and, in some cases, lead to violent behavior. Understanding that progression, he argued, creates opportunities to intervene long before violence occurs.

"When we talk about countering extremism and terrorism, we understand and realize that no one country, no one institution, no one individual can deal with this on their own," Kruse told Fox News Digital. "We need that international collaboration, that networking, that bridging, where everyone is part of the solution."

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Within the UAE, he explained, the emphasis is on an integrated approach that brings together psychology, sociology, education and economics rather than treating extremism solely as a security problem.

"That integrated approach means we need to shift from a problem-focused approach to a solution based approach where we create patterns of hope," he said.

The distinction is central to the UAE's tolerance strategy: rather than waiting until extremist beliefs turn into violence, Kruse argues that societies must invest in education, community engagement and other preventive measures that address the underlying drivers of radicalization.

He also challenged the assumption that poverty alone drives extremism. Wealthy, educated individuals can embrace extremist ideologies, while millions of people living in hardship never do. Kruse pointed to the experiences of former extremists who abandoned radical movements, arguing that their stories demonstrate the possibilities for rehabilitation and reintegration.

The institution he leads works with governments, researchers and civil society on prevention programs. Kruse's argument is not that education replaces counterterrorism operations, but that security alone cannot address the ideas and human vulnerabilities that recruiters exploit, and a holistic approach is needed.

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Messages of coexistence at the Grand Mosque

That philosophy becomes visible in a very different setting across Abu Dhabi: the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.

During a visit to the sprawling white-marble landmark, Fox News Digital passed displays on the approach to the prayer halls emphasizing tolerance, mutual respect and the legacy of the UAE's founding president, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The messages are difficult to separate from the architecture: bright courtyards, floral inlays and rows of colonnades that draw visitors toward one of the country's most recognizable religious sites.

The mosque, with its 82 domes and architectural influences from across the Islamic world, functions as a place of worship and a destination for visitors interested in the country's religious and cultural traditions.

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The vision behind the displays predates the UAE's opening to Israel. Sheikh Zayed helped establish the federation in 1971, and the leadership has long presented tolerance as a central part of national identity. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre points to religious accommodation and the importance of welcoming people from different cultures as elements of his legacy.

The policy became more formal over time. In 2015, the UAE adopted legislation against discrimination and religious hatred. In 2016, it appointed a minister of state for tolerance and launched a national tolerance program. The government updated its legal framework in 2023 to address discrimination, hatred and extremism.

Today, the UAE government says the country is home to more than 200 nationalities, a scale of diversity that creates an everyday test of how different cultures and faiths share public space.

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From interfaith dialogue to the Abraham Accords

The UAE has also tried to extend that vision beyond its borders. In February 2019, Pope Francis and Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, signed the Document on Human Fraternity in Abu Dhabi, calling for dialogue and peaceful coexistence.

Four years later, the country inaugurated the Abrahamic Family House on Saadiyat Island. Its mosque, church and synagogue occupy separate but equally prominent buildings linked by common spaces intended for learning and conversation.

During Fox News Digital's visit to the UAE, the Abrahamic Family House was temporarily closed. Emirati officials told Fox News Digital that the closure followed an Iranian attempt to target the interfaith complex during the war.

In Dubai, Mohammed Baharoon, director general of the B'huth research center, argued that the Emirates' commitment to tolerance cannot simply be credited to oil wealth.

"So it is will, not wealth. It's vision, views, and respect to people," Baharoon told Fox News Digital, describing what he sees as a deliberate policy decision to attract people from different countries and give them a stake in the UAE's development.

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For Baharoon, the Abraham Accords, brokered during President Donald Trump's first term in 2020, reflected the same thinking on a regional scale. The agreement normalized relations between the UAE and Israel, but he said its ambition went beyond opening embassies.

"The Abrahamic Accords are not just normalization," he explained, in his view, the aim was to challenge a pattern in which the Israeli-Palestinian dispute had increasingly been framed as a confrontation between entire religions and peoples. Diplomatic recognition, he argued, matters only if it creates opportunities for relationships that survive disagreements between governments.

Al Nuaimi similarly described the accords as an investment in people rather than a bet on any particular Israeli leadership.

"We believe in people-to-people diplomacy. We believe that we have to work on the people, build bridges with the people. … Regardless of the government that will be in charge in Israel, … the only solution is to start working on a permanent solution for both sides, where the Israelis and the Palestinians will accept to live as neighbors, will respect each other, [and] will care about the future of each other."

He argued that maintaining trust with Israel has also helped the UAE provide humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza.

"Through that trust, we were able to go and help the Palestinians in Gaza. … We have three hospitals, eight bakeries, and we did the infrastructure for the water, and many facilities. … It's because of this relationship with the Israelis."

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The limits — and the test — of tolerance

There is a tension in the Emirati model. Cultural and religious coexistence does not mean the same freedom to challenge the government. Freedom House's 2026 assessment describes a political system in which parties are banned and freedom of expression and assembly are sharply restricted. Its civil liberties record complicates any suggestion that the UAE's system can be transplanted wholesale into European democracies.

Still, during reporting in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the emphasis on coexistence appeared in settings as varied as the Grand Mosque's visitor displays, discussions with counter-extremism specialists and the country's effort to sustain ties with Israel while supporting Palestinians.

On Saadiyat Island, the temporarily closed Abrahamic Family House offers a stark image of the challenge. Three places of worship were built to stand beside one another, yet the wider regional conflict has disrupted the setting in which they were intended to bring people together.

For Kruse, the answer begins with preventing radicalization at its earliest stages. For Baharoon, it requires political will rather than wealth alone. And for Al Nuaimi, whose warning to Europe opened the debate, it means teaching coexistence at home while seeking a diplomatic future in the region.

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Whether those ambitions can outlast the pressures of war — or travel beyond the UAE — remains the question.

Texas takes on LSU with College Football Playoff hopes on the line in must-win matchup tonight

Sat, 14 Nov 2026 07:00:21 -0500

College Football is very close to the finish line of the regular season. There are just a few weeks remaining, and then the Conference Championship games. The season has flown by, and it has been a wild one. It seems like every single week we have a new team at the top of the charts for the Top 25 ranking. Even if the #1 seed doesn’t get rearranged, it doesn’t seem like anyone is truly locked into their spot. Two teams that are still figuring it out are taking each other on tonight as Texas takes on LSU.

Texas is 7-2 for the season and has been one of the more annoying teams in football this season. This is a team that really can’t be given extra excuses. The Longhorns don’t really have any glaring weaknesses on paper, but for some reason the team just can’t get it together. Maybe it is nerves, maybe it is a tough schedule; I really don’t know what the issue is. Either way, this team has the potential to win the National Championship, but I also wouldn’t be shocked if the Longhorns missed the College Football Playoffs altogether.

Arch Manning came into the year with buzz that he would be the top pick for the NFL Draft this summer. Manning has been average at best this season. His numbers aren’t terrible. He has completed about 66% of his passes this season for just more than 2,000 yards. He has 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions, but there are more passes that feel like they should’ve been picked off. In the Longhorns' four games against ranked opponents, Manning is 83-for-124 for 905 yards with five touchdown passes and five interceptions.

I’m not really sure what to make of LSU this year. The Tigers are 6-3 for the season, their first under Lane Kiffin. Kiffin came into a solid roster, but I think the Tigers will need to have his recruiting take root before we fully assess this move. Unfortunately, that means we have to wait and see how the team performs over the next few years to judge his impact on the team. The Tigers still have an outside shot at making the Playoffs, but if they lose today, that hope is completely gone.

The team is led by Sam Leavitt under center. He has put together a decent year, but it feels like if you traded him and Arch Manning, neither team would be that much better or worse. Leavitt is completing 71% of passes for roughly 2,500 yards. He has also thrown 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions this year. Most of his success has come when targeting Jackson Harris, who has 800 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.

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LANE KIFFIN IS ALREADY GETTING HIS EXCUSES READY FOR LSU'S DISAPPOINTING REGULAR SEASON

This should be one of the best games on the schedule. The loser is likely out of the College Football Playoffs. I don’t know how you can justify putting Texas in after losing to Florida and Oklahoma. I know their wins have been good, but that victory over Ohio State actually looks worse than before. LSU has lost to Ole Miss, Kentucky, and Alabama. Both teams have had plenty of challenges, and LSU is a tough place to play, but I think the line has gotten out of hand. Texas is now a +3.5 dog, and that just feels like it is too high. I really don’t think the Longhorns will lose this game, but I’ve bet, and lost, too much on them this season. I think this game goes over the total of 46.5. It opened at 54.5 and has dropped significantly, but now I think it has adjusted too much. Give me the over.

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GOP newcomer who toppled Cory Mills sets sights on fraud, inflation as he heads to Capitol Hill

Sat, 14 Nov 2026 07:00:08 -0500

EXCLUSIVE: Florida Republican congressman-elect Ryan Elijah told Fox News Digital that he is heading to Washington with an "appetite" to crack down on fraud, protect consumers and tackle inflation, while calling for bipartisan cooperation in the incoming Congress.

Elijah, a former Central Florida sports broadcaster, made his remarks amid heightened scrutiny of fraud involving taxpayer-funded federal programs across the country.

"I'm going to lean into consumer protection — that's something I fought for my whole life — and lean into fraud," Elijah told Fox News Digital. "There is so much more Washington could do against fraud. I hope there is a bipartisan appetite on both sides to not only protect consumers but also target some of this fraud that is wasting so much of our tax dollars."

The incoming Republican, who beat embattled Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., in the Republican primary in August, expressed optimism that lawmakers from both parties could find common ground on addressing fraud and rising costs, arguing that voters sent a clear message during Tuesday's midterm elections.

Elijah said voters "made it loud and clear to both parties" that they "want change, they want inflation to come down, and they want life to become a little easier. So I think both parties need to look at that."

Elijah also emphasized that members of Congress represent "100% of the people in their district, not just 50%," arguing that bipartisan solutions are necessary to restore public trust and accountability in Washington.

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Beyond fighting fraud, Elijah pledged to restore a spirit of public service to Congress, criticizing lawmakers who use their positions to enrich themselves.

"What you do see is the people that enhance themselves, and people don't want to see that. None of that should be taking place," Elijah said while discussing congressional insider trading.

"Members of Congress should not sit on a committee and be able to trade stocks, and that is something that I would support if it moves forward in the next Congress," he continued. "We all have to be on the same playing field, the person back home and the person on Capitol Hill."

Elijah outlined his preferred committee assignments, telling Fox News Digital that he would like to serve on the House Energy and Commerce Committee or the House Financial Services Committee, where he could focus on consumer protection and financial oversight.

He also expressed interest in serving on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, describing it as "a great way to bring projects back to my district."

Elijah said his district has "so much growth ahead of us," arguing that a seat on the committee could help address its infrastructure needs.

The incoming lawmaker addressed the challenges facing Republicans after losing control of Congress in the midterm elections, urging his party to remain united.

Elijah said Republicans must "hold the line" on the "progress we've made so far" while working to advance their priorities in a divided Washington.

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Elijah is expected to be sworn into the 120th Congress in January.

The 2028 presidential race is already full of surprises, prediction markets say

Sat, 14 Nov 2026 06:50:21 -0500

The 2028 presidential election seems far away. Or is it already here?

The midterm ballots are barely counted, and a long list of would-be candidates is already elbowing for a lane in a campaign that, by Election Day, will feel like it started during the Truman administration.

Outside the Super Bowl, few things are as popular on prediction markets as a presidential race. Two years before anyone casts a ballot, Kalshi's 2028 markets have already drawn nearly half a billion dollars in trading.

While prediction markets have an excellent long-term record of accuracy, this far from an election, you can't expect surgical precision.

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What the markets can show us is who's trading like a blue chip, who's stuck in the middle, and whose campaign feels like a penny stock that needs a miracle rally to be competitive. So let's look ahead with a way-too-early presidential market report, starting at the top.

The blue chips

What if I told you the Democratic front-runner for 2028 is a man a third of Democrats have never heard of? That's what a new Reuters/Ipsos poll found when it comes to Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff, and plenty of other Americans are drawing a blank too.

Still, a Democrat who wins Georgia by 18 points, in a state President Trump carried in 2024, doesn’t stay anonymous for long. Kalshi gives him a 26% chance of winning the Democratic nomination, the best in the field. Not bad for a guy much of his own party couldn't pick out of a lineup.

NEW POLL COMPLICATES VANCE’S STATUS AS TRUMP’S LIKELY 2028 HEIR APPARENT

On the Republican side, Vice President J.D. Vance leads the pack, with a 33% chance of winning the nomination but only a 12% chance of winning the presidency. That gap fits what election analyst Nate Silver calls the VP curse. Vice presidents whose bosses are underwater in the polls tend to win their party’s nomination, then lose in November. Then again, Vance has been underestimated before, and he seems to be at his best in high-leverage situations.

Both men have also hinted they might not run at all. Coming from politicians, that promise has roughly the credibility of a vow of celibacy from Jensen Huang.

The mid-caps

California Gov. Gavin Newsom looked like a blue chip a year ago. His chance of winning the Democratic nomination has since cratered from 37% to about 12%. He leaves office in January, which frees him up for a full-time campaign and gives even more airtime to a man who has never been accused of camera shyness. Whether voters want that is another question.

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sits around 13% to win the Democratic nomination. The bigger question is which race she's running in. Traders actually think she's more likely to run for the Senate than for president. Either way, somebody is going to claim the democratic socialist lane. If it's not her, maybe Bernie Sanders takes a third crack at it. He'll only be 87.

Like Ocasio-Cortez, Secretary of State Marco Rubio faces a which-job question. He's at 18% to win the Republican nomination, and the market sees him as just as likely to be the running mate as the nominee.

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who ran in 2024 and also leaves office in January, has been the biggest riser in the Republican market since the midterms. He was under 5% to win the nomination before the votes were counted and is now at 17%, nipping at Rubio's heels.

The penny stocks

Then come the penny stocks. On the Democratic side, that's a crowd in the single digits for the nomination: Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. Former Vice President Kamala Harris lands here too, a somewhat embarrassing showing for the woman at the top of the ticket two years ago.

If you're shopping the bargain bin, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore at 2.2% and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer at 0.7% might be in your wheelhouse.

(In dead last, at 0.0%: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.)

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On the Republican side, the penny stocks include Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley could be value plays. And somewhere in that mix is President Donald Trump, who I wouldn't put past publicly flirting with a constitutionally prohibited third run just to annoy the media.

The long-term outlook

Many of these names won’t make it to the first primary. Today’s penny stock could be next summer’s blue chip. That’s the fun of watching these markets this early: prices will move with every speech, stumble and suspiciously timed book tour between now and then.

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Check back in a year. A few of these stocks will have soared, and plenty will have been quietly delisted.

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Restaurant chain may rethink controversial 20% service charge in some venues after customer pushback

Sat, 14 Nov 2026 06:00:44 -0500

Ford's Garage may be reconsidering a controversial policy that automatically adds a 20% service charge to customers' checks at select Florida restaurants, with the chain's president acknowledging that some diners are unhappy with the mandatory fee.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Billy Downs said the policy, which is being tested by one franchisee at five Florida locations, remains under review.

"I think that we need to listen to the consumer on those things, to be honest with you," Downs said. "So, we are, and we may be encouraging a change to that program."

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Marc Brown, president of franchisee 23 Restaurant Services, told Fox News Digital the program has been largely successful, resulting in higher wages for employees without alienating most customers.

"Our servers in the locations that run our service charge program are making significantly higher average hourly pay than our servers and bartenders in locations that do not have it," Brown said.

The policy is part of a team service model introduced by 23 Restaurant Services, which operates Ford's Garage restaurants throughout Florida.

Rather than relying on traditional tipping, the model automatically adds a 20% service charge to each check to support a commission-based compensation structure.

Servers and bartenders earn commissions based on sales, while the model is also designed to provide more equitable compensation for kitchen and support staff, according to the franchisee's website.

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Additional tips are optional.

Downs said the experiment was intended to explore whether a different compensation model could help control costs while rewarding employees for their service.

"It certainly was a test to see if this can help keep the cost down to the consumer, as well as reward the server," he said.

The Ford's Garage location in Plantation near Fort Lauderdale is among the restaurants that have implemented the policy "in lieu of a traditional gratuity," according to its website. That location also adds a separate 1% entertainment fee assessed by the shopping center.

"This fee is passed directly to the retail center, is not a gratuity and is not retained by Ford's Garage or distributed to employees," the website states.

APPLEBEE'S CUSTOMER PUSHES BACK ON SUGGESTED TIP AFTER CHECKING THE MATH

Brown said the service charge is disclosed to customers multiple times verbally and in writing before they order, giving them the choice of whether to dine there.

"So, to us, it's no different than just charging a higher price on the menu," he said.

Most guests aren't bothered by the fee, Brown said, "because they like the Ford's Garage experience."

But Downs acknowledged the policy has produced some controversy.

"There's been some big wins, and there's been consumers that just do not want to pay a service charge," he said.

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The experiment comes as restaurant operators grapple with rising labor costs and changes to tipped minimum wages.

"But the biggest pushback is people don't want to have a mandated service charge, and I get it," Downs said. "You know, I'm not sure I want it either in certain times."

Brown, however, said the criticism appears to come from a relatively small percentage of diners, noting that most participating restaurants have experienced year-over-year growth after operating under the model for multiple years.

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He also rejected the notion that an automatic service charge diminishes a server or bartender's incentive to provide quality hospitality, saying employees are expected to "provide great service to every guest regardless of what they expect to get in terms of additional tip."

Founded in Fort Myers in 2012, Ford's Garage has grown to 36 restaurants across nine states. Downs said the chain has prioritized affordability, with an average customer check of about $26 and weekday value meals starting at $10.99.

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Downs, who previously spoke to Fox News Digital about the chain's emphasis on old-fashioned hospitality, said providing consistently good service can help address customer concerns.

"If you give great service all the time, that can help to eliminate problems," Downs said.

As for whether the service-charge policy could change, Brown said discussions are ongoing.

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"We have not made any decisions, but we talk about it regularly," he said.

Prince William, Kate Middleton get unexpected help enforcing strict rule for George at elite school: experts

Sat, 14 Nov 2026 06:00:37 -0500

Prince William and Kate Middleton are reportedly giving Eton College's smartphone ban the royal thumbs-up — especially for their eldest son, Prince George.

The 13-year-old began his studies at the prestigious boarding school in September, where first-year Etonians are banned from using smartphones, according to The Telegraph. Instead, Year 9 students like George are issued basic "brick phones" with no internet access, limiting communication with their parents to calls and texts outside school hours.

Eton College said the decision to ban smartphones for first-year students is intended "to balance the benefits and challenges that technology brings to schools." Eton reportedly tightened restrictions on first-year students' school-issued iPads in September 2026, following parental concerns about gaming and internet browsing.

PRINCE WILLIAM, KATE MIDDLETON COULD SEEK 'GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT' TO PROTECT PRINCE GEORGE AT ETON: EXPERTS

Fox News Digital reached out to Eton College and Kensington Palace for comment.

In 2025, William told actor Eugene Levy on the Apple TV+ series "The Reluctant Traveler" that "none of our children have any phones, which we’re very strict about."

That same year, William told Brazilian TV host Luciano Huck during the 2025 Earthshot Prize events in Brazil that it had been "really hard" to protect his children from the harms of social media.

WATCH: PRINCE GEORGE'S FUTURE AT ETON COLLEGE COULD LOOK VERY DIFFERENT: EXPERT

"Our children don't have phones," he explained at the time. "I think when George moves on to secondary school, then maybe he might have a phone that has no internet access. And to be honest, it's getting to a point where it's become a little bit of a, like, tense issue."

"But I think he understands why," William continued. "We communicate why we don't think it's right. And again, I think it's the internet access I have a problem with. I think children can access too much stuff they don't need to see online, and so having a phone and text message, the old sort of 'brick phone' as they call them, I think that's fine."

"It has been rumored that William and Kate were having battles with George over having a smartphone with internet access," royal broadcaster Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital. "Usage could get him into trouble but also allow him access to views on the royal family, good and bad, which may worry him."

"It is now becoming more common practice for schools to ban smartphone usage during school days, and parents want age-appropriate locks on internet technology," Turner added.

British broadcaster Helena Chard told Fox News Digital that Eton's smartphone policy is "music to Prince William and Princess Catherine's ears."

"Prince William and Princess Catherine restrict smart devices to protect their children from internet safety risks," she explained. "A healthy rule of accessing only 'brick phones' at Eton only enables essential communication and calls and texts at home. The couple take great comfort in knowing that Prince George will not be wasting his time gaming, 'doom-scrolling,' or accessing inappropriate online content."

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"Prince George has never owned a smartphone," Chard continued. "He will be more than happy with a brick phone. As Princess Catherine has shared, smartphones can create an emotional disconnection. Prince George has years of smartphone access ahead of him and certainly will not go without!"

Eton College, a world-renowned all-boys boarding school, was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI. It serves students between the ages of 13 and 18. About 1,350 students attend Eton, where they live in 25 boarding houses, each housing approximately 55 pupils, according to the school's website. People magazine reported that tuition was about $80,000 for the 2025-26 academic year.

William and his younger brother, Prince Harry, attended Eton, making them both "Old Etonians." Princess Diana's father, John Spencer, and brother, Charles Spencer, also attended the school, as did Queen Elizabeth II's cousins, the Duke of Kent, the Duke of Gloucester and Prince Michael of Kent.

Hugo Vickers, author of "Behind Closed Doors" and a fellow "Old Etonian," told Fox News Digital that Eton College's use of "brick phones" is "sensible." Vickers has written several books about the British royal family.

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"In my day, most of our communication was by writing a letter home," he said with a smile.

"And there was about, if I remember rightly, about four telephone boxes planted at different places around the school. On a Sunday morning, if you wanted to ring your parents, you had to get there, and then you'd have to queue up while other people were in there. It sounds very archaic now. And sometimes you never got into the telephone box because it's time to go to chapel or something."

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"So I think the whole thing about communicating with parents is a whole new concept," Vickers continued. "Basic communication with parents is a good thing, but of course, to get the full advantage of the school, it's probably better not to be linking to things all over the world via internet."

Melanie Sanderson, managing editor of The Good Schools Guide, told People magazine that Eton College's phone decision "was very much welcomed by parents."

"And the boys are so busy, they don't have time to be sat on their beds scrolling TikTok," she said.

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George was recently on Eton's "Long Leave," a 16-day break that ended Nov. 8. The royal family lives at Forest Lodge in Windsor. When George returns to Eton, the school's restrictions on first-year students' smartphones could offer some additional privacy, although older students and parents may still have access to the devices.

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"I do know that when George and his siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis … if one of them was going to play a match at a neighboring school, the headmaster would send out a message saying … 'Please, no photographs, no posting,'" Vickers said.

"And the parents would respect that because they're all well brought up. … We never saw any pictures of them at other schools. Nothing was ever leaked because people respect William and Catherine very much."

Inside the House GOP strategy to capitalize on Democrats' warring factions in the new Congress

Sat, 14 Nov 2026 06:00:13 -0500

EXCLUSIVE: House Republicans are heading into the next Congress ready to brawl.

Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., who is set to go from the No. 3 most powerful House Republican to No. 2 next year, told Fox News Digital that the GOP will hold the new Democrat majority "accountable" for their far-left faction's ideas over the next two years, even if they cannot control what bills get a vote.

Emmer, who has served as House majority whip for the past four years, was elected Tuesday to serve as minority whip alongside incoming House Minority Leader Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. The Speaker of the House position turns over to Democrats, and will likely be won by current minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

And despite Jeffries poised to take control of what legislation gets to the House floor, Emmer signaled House Republicans would find ways to push their agenda as well.

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"What's their answer to dealing with costs and wages? We're going to investigate Trump," Emmer said in reference to Democrats. "That's not going to solve the problems that they created. So that's going to be the job of the whip, is to make sure that we have a coordinated process — committee hearings, floor votes — to expose and define exactly who these people really are."

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Emmer, in his first print interview since winning the House minority whip job, would not go into detail about how Republicans would utilize floor votes, however.

"There's a toolbox with a bunch of different tools, and you're going to have to build that strategy as you go from week to week," he said.

The Minnesota Republican also signaled there would be little appetite for bipartisanship over the next two years, a sentiment he suggested would come from the other side of the aisle.

"Well look, they're not going to work with us, that's pretty clear, and I don't even know if they're going to be able to work with each other," Emmer said.

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He repeated a short time later, "I see nowhere where they're going to work with Republicans. And Republicans who think they are should think again, because they will tell you nice things, and then they will just go do what they do."

Meanwhile other House Republicans are already coming up with ideas on how to put Democrats on the spot on the House floor in the new Congress.

"We'll file amendments," said Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla. "And I think that'll be where having good debaters and communicators would be important."

Holding amendment votes is commonplace before large pieces of legislation like the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which Congress has enacted annually for decades to update and reauthorize critical national security policies.

Rep. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., suggested an emphasis on a parliamentary procedure called the "motion to recommit," which allows the minority party to get a vote on altering or even killing a bill in its tracks.

"I expect we'll use that smartly," LaLota said. "But as well, a Speaker Hakeem Jeffries will be wise to work these problems backwards, to know that anything he puts on the floor that he wants to become law or budget needs President Trump's signature and probably 60 votes in the Senate."

Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., said "there's been a lot of conversation about going on offense."

"We want to make sure that they know when they come to the floor, they're gonna dread it, I hope," Harris said.

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But there's another mechanism for forcing a House vote that's been used more and more often in recent years — often by their fellow Republicans.

Privileged resolutions allow lawmakers on either side to get a vote on a given bill within two days of its introduction. It generally begins with a procedural vote on whether to "table" the bill or refer it to committee in order to stop it, before a vote on the measure itself.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., most recently invoked it to force the House to consider impeaching Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. But that was defeated when the rest of the House GOP banded together to refer the bill to committee.

The GOP lawmakers who spoke with Fox News Digital, however, signaled little appetite for using it.

"I think either party would be wise to build consensus around things that help actually deliver for the American people," LaLota said. "The privileged resolutions have been abused in my time here, and there's a better way to do business."

And Emmer said his main goal for the next two years would be winning back the House majority in 2028 — which he insisted was a realistic goal.

He said at least 38 seats flipped by Democrats would be "ready to return to Republican hands," and could see some old faces return.

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Asked whether he wanted to see some of those losing GOP incumbents run for their seats again, Emmer said, "I absolutely hope so, I've talked to several already."

Trump keeps signaling an end to Iran war, but expert warns a crucial piece of his strategy is missing

Sat, 14 Nov 2026 06:00:05 -0500

President Donald Trump declared Thursday that the United States no longer needs a deal with Iran, abruptly shifting his diplomatic message just three days after expressing optimism about negotiations and directing Vice President JD Vance to focus on domestic issues instead.

"We don’t need a deal with Iran. Those days have long since passed," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "We’ve got their money, Hundreds of Billions of Dollars, and we’ve got their Strait!"

Trump's latest declaration came just one day after he proclaimed victory over Iran during a Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, while acknowledging that the conflict had not yet formally ended.

"We won," Trump said Wednesday. "It’s just a question of when we end it. I want to make sure we have a total victory, not a 93 percent victory."

TRUMP DEFENDS IRAN WAR DURING VETERANS DAY ADDRESS, SAYS HE IS MAKING THE WORLD 'SAFER'

The president also thanked veterans "working to ensure the world’s number one sponsor of state terrorism, the Islamic Republic of Iran, will never have a nuclear weapon."

An administration official defended Trump's strategy, arguing that the United States has substantial leverage over Iran through its naval blockade and continued military pressure, even as questions remain about how the conflict will end.

"The United States is in a very strong position with control of the Strait of Hormuz and the Iranian economy collapsing. The President has been clear that the greatest naval blockade in history, Operation Economic Outcast, and the new Operation Iron Gate will continue with full effect," a U.S. official told Fox News Digital.

"President Trump holds all the cards, will do what is best for the United States, and will make sure that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon," the official added.

Trump's latest words follow months of predictions that an agreement could be reached soon, including comments earlier this week that Tehran "would love to make a deal."

Trump's declaration raises questions about the future of U.S.-Iran negotiations, including whether diplomatic efforts will continue through other administration officials as Washington maintains its military and economic pressure on Tehran.

AFTER 47 YEARS OF CONFRONTING IRAN, DOES AMERICA HAVE A STRATEGY FOR ENDING THIS WAR?

Trump has suggested on at least a dozen occasions since February that Iran wanted to negotiate or that an agreement could be reached soon, according to a preliminary review of his public remarks.

Ludovic Hood, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, said the administration's combination of economic coercion, military force and regional partnerships is sensible, but warned that a crucial diplomatic component remains underdeveloped.

"What’s lacking is disciplined diplomacy to complement the economic squeeze and possible airstrikes," Hood told Fox News Digital. "Our Gulf partners are singing from different hymn sheets and we need to draw European partners in more meaningfully."

Trump's optimistic assessments began before U.S. military operations against Iran commenced. On Feb. 13, he suggested Tehran could avoid an attack by accepting Washington's terms. After military operations began, he increasingly emphasized Iran's weakened capabilities and the prospect of ending the conflict.

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On March 20, Trump said the United States was "getting very close" to achieving its military objectives.

The administration agreed to a ceasefire in April and continued pursuing a diplomatic settlement, but subsequent military actions and disagreements over Iran's nuclear program and regional shipping have left the broader conflict unresolved.

Trump continued expressing confidence that Iran wanted an agreement, including in May, when he suggested Tehran was eager to negotiate because of the damage inflicted on its military.

During an unscheduled appearance in the White House briefing room Monday, Trump said, "Iran, militarily, is effectively over," while warning that U.S. forces remained "locked and loaded" should circumstances change.

Hood said Trump's seemingly contradictory messages could be part of a deliberate negotiating strategy.

"The administration is pursuing a sensible hybrid strategy of economic coercion, selective use of force, and reliance on capable regional allies," Hood said.

TRUMP SAYS IRAN IS 'NEGOTIATING ON FUMES,' BELIEVES REGIME THOUGHT THEY COULD OUTWAIT HIM

"Trump’s messaging seems designed to both signal his preference for a diplomatic solution while preserving the option of force," he added.

Hood defended the president's willingness to maintain military pressure.

"Bluster, bluffing and brinkmanship are inherent in the public dimension of negotiations like this; Trump does it, Rubio does it, and senior figures in Tehran do it," he said.

"Strategic patience is essential in this standoff, which has essentially been 40 years in the making."

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But Hood also suggested that securing meaningful nuclear concessions or a more cooperative government in Tehran would require coordination with regional partners.

Sexual predator deported to Mexico hauled back to US for assault and murder of American mom

Sat, 14 Nov 2026 06:00:02 -0500

A serial rapist from Mexico who murdered an American woman more than two decades ago and terrorized other women in the United States has finally been brought to justice.

Miguel Angel Urbano-Vazquez, who was previously deported to Mexico before being extradited back to the U.S., was found guilty earlier this month of aggravated first-degree murder in the March 2002 rape and strangulation of 39-year-old Sharon Van Gilder in Washington state. Her body was discovered along a rural road in Pierce County, Washington.

Van Gilder's cousin, Brenda Doty, told Fox News Digital the fact that her killer was finally convicted nearly 25 years later is an overwhelming relief.

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"I'd wake up in the middle of the night thinking about it," Doty said. "She didn't deserve that."

Van Gilder, a mother of two, was very close with her family.

"We just had so much fun together, riding ponies and horses and playing in the barn," Doty said.

Doty remembers her cousin not just as a wonderful friend, but as a hero who decades ago saved her own daughter from drowning in a lake during a family outing.

"[Sharon] jumped into the water, swam over there, dove underneath and pulled her up. She saved my daughter's life," Doty said. "

"My daughter was 8 years old, and she's 40 now," she said.

Van Gilder was last seen leaving a bar in Tacoma with the killer and another man in March 2002, the Pierce County Sheriff's Office said.

KILLER UNDONE BY DECADES-OLD THREADS — GLOVE, TOWEL AND SHIRT STITCH TOGETHER COLD CASE JUSTICE

Hours later, her naked and badly beaten body was discovered on the side of a road in Spanaway, southeast of Tacoma. Investigators determined she had been strangled.

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Prosecutors said Van Gilder was the first victim in a series of violent sexual assaults that unfolded between March and October 2002.

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Urbano-Vazquez was deported to Mexico sometime after Van Gilder's killing, the FBI Seattle said.

Knowing his history, Doty suspects the trail of violence is even longer.

"I'm sure [from the time] when he was in Mexico, there are more [victims]," she said.

KILLER’S CHEWING GUM BLOWS OPEN 40-YEAR-OLD MURDERS, DETECTIVE WARNS THERE MAY BE MORE VICTIMS

She went on to say, "He's such a violent, violent person."

The Pierce County Prosecutor's Office said, "In 2012, DNA tests linked the 2002 rape and murder of Sharon Van Gilder to three other nearby rapes. Suspect Miguel Urbano-Vazquez was captured abroad in 2023 and extradited in 2025, when a DNA sample could be taken and compared to the 2002 samples."

DNA FROM CHEWING GUM NAILS LONGTIME SEXUAL PREDATOR DECADES AFTER REIGN OF TERROR: REPORT

A jury found Urbano-Vazquez guilty on Nov. 3. He will be sentenced on Dec. 11.

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In addition to murder, he was convicted of rape charges stemming from attacks on three other women in the Tacoma area during the same year, bringing an end to a decades-long effort to hold him accountable for the crimes.

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Doty praised the immense courage of those three survivors who took the stand against the killer.

"The gals that testified, they were so brave to come. Now this is 24 years ago, their stories were heartbreaking and they came in and put themselves in front of juries," Doty said.

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She went on to say, "when each one left the courtroom, my cousin and I went out and hugged them and told them that we loved them. It wasn't their fault. We thanked them because their testimonies were key in getting the guilty plea."

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In Washington, the punishment for a charge of aggravated murder is life in prison without the possibility of parole.

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For Doty, the verdict is a victory not just for her family, but a beacon of hope for others waiting for answers.

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"So many people had been part of this and it was a win, and it feels good to have a win," Doty said.

"If there anybody out there with a cold case, don't give up," she said.

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NYC woman allegedly struck by LGBTQ+ activist after questioning trans youth treatments: 'Never have answers'

Sat, 14 Nov 2026 05:56:50 -0500

A woman says she was assaulted by a prominent LGBTQ+ activist at a recent New York City protest as she was questioning his push for transgender medical procedures for children, according to video of the incident provided by the alleged victim.

Christiane Torello was a counter-protester at the rally outside Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan on Nov. 5 when she was allegedly elbowed in the chest by Jay Walker, the president of Gays Against Guns who also served as a 2026 NYC Pride Grand Marshal.

Walker was part of a group rallying against the hospital's decision in September to end transgender treatments for minors to resolve a Department of Justice investigation into youth gender transition procedures.

"The hospital is no longer providing any type of gender-affirming care for minors, including surgeries, puberty blockers and hormones," Torello told Fox News Digital. "There’s always a group of individuals who go to these protests to show their discomfort and displeasure with the hospital stopping these procedures because they want the children to transition. I usually go there in opposition to them. I support the hospital’s decision to stop providing that care. I always go by myself and ask questions."

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In the video she captured of the incident, Torello questioned Walker why he wanted to "have penises in the locker room" as he was yelling and walking away from her on a sidewalk. Walker then stopped, wound his elbow up and allegedly struck her in the chest before repeatedly shouting at her to "get away from me."

She said demonstrators often attempt to obstruct her path and shove their signs in her face, but that this incident was more violent than most of the rallies she has been to.

"I'm usually followed around the protest by two or three people. They block me and put signs in my face, which is fine because they’re allowed to do that. But this time, it became particularly violent," Torello said.

"When I asked the organizer of the protest, Jay Walker, what size dongs he’d like in the girls’ locker room, he didn’t have an answer. They never have answers to those questions. They don’t like to talk about it," she continued.

Torello said Walker was shouting slurs at her as he was walking away from the protest and she followed him to question him more about what he was saying.

She then accused Walker of hitting her in the chest with his elbow, adding that she thinks he intended to strike her in the face but had "pretty bad aim."

"As we were walking, he stopped in front of me, wound up his elbow and blasted me in the chest," she said. "He’s about 6'5" and I’m 5'5", so I’m pretty sure he intended to hit me in the face but had pretty bad aim and hit me in the chest."

After the alleged assault, Torello continued following Walker down the street.

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The video shows both Torello and Walker yelling and cursing at one another as they were walking.

Walker was heard calling her "psychotic," "scumbag," a "garbage person" and a "stalker," while she accused him of being a "woman abuser." At one point, he was allegedly seen lunging at Torello, to which she dared him to "do it again" and said she would post the video on social media.

"I'm so glad I got it on camera," she shouted at Walker.

Torello told Fox News Digital that she reported the incident to the New York City Police Department, but she is not confident any charges will be filed.

"I want to press charges because I feel like New York doesn’t do anything when it comes to a lot of violence," she said. "But this is a different type of violence. I have a First Amendment right to be there and peacefully protest. I wasn’t hitting anybody. Do I ask questions that may be annoying or triggering? Sure. But that’s the extent of what I do. That doesn’t warrant me getting hit, elbowed or punched."

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"This is actually the second time a man has put his hands on me at a protest," she continued. "The first happened about a month and a half ago. There were two NYPD detectives in front of that other protest who watched me get hit, and they didn’t even talk to me. I asked them if they could direct me somewhere, and they wouldn’t say one word to me. I had to figure it out on my own. I filed a report, and nothing happened to that man either."

It is unclear if police plan to make any arrests in connection with the alleged assault.

The NYPD and Walker's group, Gays Against Guns NY, did not respond to Fox News Digital's multiple requests for comment.

"I just really hope this brings some awareness and puts pressure on the NYPD to do something, because they don’t do anything at all," Torello said.

SEN BERNIE SANDERS: Democrats won big. Deliver real change now, or pay a terrible price

Sat, 14 Nov 2026 05:50:58 -0500

On Election Day, the American people, all across the country, sent a very powerful message to our country’s ruling class. In a loud and surprisingly unified voice, they said NO to Trump’s pathological lying, his contempt for the Constitution and the rule of law, his narcissism, his corruption and his disastrous policies. But they also said something more.

At a time when 60% of our people are living paycheck to paycheck, when we have unprecedented income and wealth inequality, when we have the highest rate of childhood poverty of any industrialized nation, when millions of seniors are unable to retire with dignity, and when our younger generation may end up having a lower standard of living than their parents, working families voted for change, REAL change. Despite billions of dollars in ugly and dishonest TV ads, Americans made it clear. They want an end to status quo politics and status quo policies that prop up a rigged economy and a corrupt campaign finance system.

And it wasn't just the election results. According to a recent AP poll, 80% of registered voters want either "complete and total upheaval" or "substantial change" in how this country is run, including 97% of Democrats, 90% of independents and 58% of Republicans.

BERNIE SANDERS WARNS DEMOCRATS NOT TO SPEND ALL THEIR TIME INVESTIGATING TRUMP

On Election Day, Democrats won a massive victory. When the new Congress convenes, Democrats will have more than 250 members in the House and at least 55 members in the Senate.

Democrats now have the votes to pass legislation that will greatly improve the lives of millions of working families. And that’s exactly what they must do. No more empty rhetoric and poll-driven messaging. No more telling people, over and over again, how terrible Donald Trump and the Republicans are. No more excuses. The new Democratic majority must deliver for a long-neglected working class.

Will Trump veto that legislation? Maybe, maybe not. If he signs the bills, the American people will benefit and be grateful. If he doesn’t, Republicans will pay a terrible political price.

In my view, here is some of what the new Democratic Congress must focus on:

HAKEEM JEFFRIES REJECTS MEDICARE FOR ALL, DSA AGENDA AS RO KHANNA CALLS HEALTH PLAN 'MOST IMPORTANT PRIORITY'

HEALTH CARE: Our health care system is broken and wildly expensive. We spend twice as much per person as other major countries, yet more than 90 million Americans are uninsured or underinsured, over half a million go bankrupt each year because of medical debt and more than 60,000 die unnecessarily because they cannot afford care.

Health care must be a human right, not a privilege. Democrats must pass Medicare for All, now supported by 66% of Americans. As a first step in a four-year transition, we must lower Medicare eligibility to 55, expand coverage to include dental, vision and hearing, and guarantee health care for every child from birth through age 19.

INCOME AND WEALTH INEQUALITY: We have more income and wealth inequality in America today than at any time in our history. The top 1% now owns more wealth than the bottom 93%. Elon Musk alone owns more wealth than the bottom 53% of American households.

Democrats must pass a 5% wealth tax on billionaires, supported by 61% of Americans. The new funds raised would provide working-class families of four with a $12,000 direct payment, build 7 million affordable housing units, make public colleges and universities tuition-free, establish free child care for 13 million children and improve public education.

RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE: While the rich get richer, 60% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. The federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour is a starvation wage. We must raise it to at least $20 an hour and pass the PRO Act to make it easier for workers to organize unions. A job must lift people out of poverty, not keep them in it.

PROTECT SENIORS: One-third of seniors are struggling economically, and more than 20% try to survive on less than $15,000 a year. Nearly half of older Americans have no retirement savings. Meanwhile, billionaires pay the same amount into Social Security as someone earning $184,600.

THERE IS A WAY TO FIX SOCIAL SECURITY. AND THE SOLUTION MIGHT SURPRISE YOU

That is absurd. We must apply the Social Security payroll tax to all income above $250,000, including capital gains and dividends. This would increase benefits by $2,400 a year, lift millions of seniors out of poverty and extend Social Security's solvency for generations, without raising taxes on the bottom 91% of Americans. We must also restore guaranteed pensions so workers can retire with dignity.

AI AND ROBOTICS: Big Tech oligarchs are investing trillions in artificial intelligence and robotics with virtually no regulation. AI is the most transformative technology in the history of humanity. Left unchecked, it could destroy tens of millions of jobs, devastate children's mental health, eviscerate privacy, drive up electricity rates and strain water supplies. Uncontrolled superintelligence could even threaten humanity's existence. We cannot allow a handful of oligarchs to dictate our future. Democrats must enact a national moratorium on AI data centers, supported by 63% of Americans, pause advanced AI development and ban superintelligence.

THE AI REVOLUTION COULD BECOME A NATIONAL SECURITY DISASTER IF WE AREN'T CAREFUL

CLIMATE CHANGE: Rising temperatures, deadly heat waves, massive forest fires and extreme weather make it clear that we must act boldly. Democrats must create millions of good-paying jobs by moving our energy systems away from fossil fuels and toward energy efficiency and sustainable energy.

MILITARY SPENDING: The wars in Vietnam, Iraq and now Iran were based on lies. We spend more on the military than the next six countries combined, yet the Pentagon repeatedly fails independent audits and cannot account for trillions in spending. Trump's illegal war in Iran is costing us hundreds of billions of dollars. We must end this disastrous war, cut off funding for the genocidal government in Israel and substantially reduce military spending.

ICE AND IMMIGRATION: Since Trump took office, ICE agents have shot American citizens, broken down doors and sent 5-year-old children to detention centers. These actions are immoral, unconstitutional and economically counterproductive. Democrats must rescind the $75 billion Republicans gave Trump for his ICE domestic army. Instead of terrorizing communities, we need comprehensive immigration reform and a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

FEDERAL APPEALS COURT COMPARES TRUMP MIGRANT DETENTION POLICY TO JAPANESE AMERICAN INTERNMENT

CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM: Elon Musk and his billionaire friends poured a record-breaking $2 billion into recent elections. That is not democracy. Americans overwhelmingly want Congress to overturn Citizens United and abolish super PACs. Democracy must mean one person, one vote, not billionaires buying elections.

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Let's be clear: None of the policies I’ve articulated are "radical." They are now mainstream ideas supported by strong majorities of the American people.

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At this extraordinary moment in our history, we must restore faith in democracy. One way we do that is by delivering tangible benefits for working families and showing every man, woman and child that their government can work for them and not just the 1%.

Election Day gave Democrats an extraordinary opportunity. Let’s not blow it.

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Socialist LA mayor's bold homelessness promise ahead of 2028 Olympics hit with reality check: 'Not optimistic'

Sat, 14 Nov 2026 05:30:51 -0500

Incoming Los Angeles Mayor Nithya Raman has promised to cut the number of people sleeping in tents and homeless encampments by at least 50% before the 2028 Summer Olympics, but one local activist believes her vision may not be realistic.

The blue city’s growing homeless population became a major focus of Raman’s mayoral campaign. A member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), she plans to expand shelter and housing options while stretching "every dollar as far as possible."

John Alle, a business owner and co-founder of the Santa Monica Coalition, told Fox News Digital Raman won’t be able to "hide" the city’s homelessness problem from tourists arriving for the Games and raised concerns about potential gaps in in her plan to deliver lasting results.

"I don't think we're going to be able to hide that before the crowds," Alle said, adding that the city has become a "third-world country."

4 OF NATION'S LARGEST CITIES NOW LED BY SOCIALIST MAYORS AFTER TUESDAY'S ELECTION, AFFECTING TENS OF MILLIONS

"We're not hiding it now. We're seeing tourists being attacked in Santa Monica, we're seeing tourists being attacked in LA. Our tourism, everything that funds our general fund, our retail sales taxes are all down. The morale of the police, which we need, is down."

Alle warned that Raman’s plan will be a temporary solution that will have homeless people moved off the streets ahead of the Olympics and returning once the Games are over.

"When the Olympics come, they'll be picked up, they'll be bused, they’ll be sent elsewhere, and they'll wander right back after the three-week Olympic and Paralympic events."

Former Mayor Karen Bass accepted the Olympic flag during the closing ceremony in Paris two years ago, marking the handoff of hosting duties. This will be the first time LA has hosted the Games since 1984.

According to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority’s 2026 annual count, homelessness rose 3.4% in LA and 1.2% across the broader LA area, undoing two consecutive years of declines under Bass.

But how does Raman plan to follow through on that promise?

By the end of her first term, Raman has pledged to expand housing, shelter capacity and rental assistance to eliminate long-term encampments. Raman has previously called the city's "desensitization to homelessness" a "moral failing." Her plan calls for sending medical teams directly into encampments to provide mental health and addiction treatment and help with transitions into long-term housing or care within 90 days.

Raman has also criticized Bass' Inside Safe program, which often places homeless people in costly hotels and motels. Instead, Raman wants to shift funding toward less expensive alternatives, like rental vouchers.

SEATTLE MAYOR KATIE WILSON'S SOCIALIST AGENDA STALLS AMID HOMELESSNESS AND PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERNS

Other parts of Raman’s proposal include sending unarmed crisis response teams rather than police officers to certain emergencies, auditing stalled housing projects and increasing oversight of homelessness spending.

Despite Raman’s ambitious vision, Alle said he isn't convinced her plan will bring meaningful change and argued that city leadership has gone "from bad to worse."

"It's not that much different than Mayor Karen Bass's plan," Alle said.

Alle, who manages roughly 1 million square feet of commercial property across Los Angeles, said he sees the homelessness crisis firsthand and raised concerns about its impact on local businesses and workers.

He warned that treating homeless people on the streets will only prolong the crisis, saying that many Angelenos avoid parts of the city that have been left untouched.

"Pick up the individuals and take them to their facilities away from the parks, away from kids, away from seniors," he said.

Alle said there must be more transparency over how the city has handled more than $1 billion in homelessness funding before allocating more taxpayer dollars.

"She’s got a billion-dollar problem on her hands right now, and she knows," he said.

FURIOUS RESIDENTS CONFRONT HOMELESS HOUSING LEADERS AS POPULAR BEACH COMMUNITY HITS BREAKING POINT

Raman chaired the City Council's Housing and Homelessness Committee from 2023 until her removal this year amid her mayoral campaign. Alle said Raman will have to explain where the money went but acknowledged her push to investigate the spending.

"To her credit, she wants to audit every single non-profit and every single agency that spent money, including the non-profits that are supported by the city with taxpayer funds for programs," he said.

One of the biggest red flags in Raman’s plan is the proximity of supportive housing to families and children, according to Alle. He added that some facilities don't require residents to remain sober.

"There is no commitment for anyone not to use drugs while they're there," he said.

Pointing to her past opposition to restrictions on camping in public spaces and near schools, Alle argued Raman's approach isn’t "aggressive enough."

"I don't see the solutions that have been put forth that could work being used and so I'm not optimistic," he said.

Alle described LA as having a drug and mental health problem, not a homelessness problem. He said the city needs to stop making life on the streets more comfortable for those who refuse help.

"Until those two issues are addressed, we're not gonna solve homelessness," he said.

He urged Raman to find a more practical solution by moving outreach services off the streets and ending LA's sanctuary city status for good.

"Of course I want her to succeed," he said. "If Nithya succeeds, we all succeed."

Raman ousted Bass in the midterm elections and will take office in December as mayor of Los Angeles, a city of roughly 4 million residents.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Raman's team and LA28 for comment.

Democrats seize on midterm wins to push massive minimum wage hikes, but economists see trouble ahead

Sat, 14 Nov 2026 05:00:15 -0500

Democrats are pushing major minimum-wage increases after their midterm victories, but economists warn the proposals could come with unintended consequences for small businesses and inexperienced workers.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is pledging to more than double his state's $7.25 minimum wage, while Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is calling for a federal increase as Democrats make affordability a central part of their governing agenda.

The renewed push comes as Seattle, which has one of the nation's highest minimum wages, faces concerns about rising business costs and employment opportunities — raising questions about the tradeoffs of higher wage mandates.

"We’re going to more than double Pennsylvania‘s minimum wage," Shapiro wrote in an X post this month. "Codify abortion rights into our state Constitution. Fund mass transit. Build more housing. These are the commonsense things that Pennsylvanians want done."

AMERICA SAW THE BLUE WAVE COMING — BUT DRASTICALLY UNDERESTIMATED THE EXTENT OF THE DEM TSUNAMI

"And with a Democratic trifecta, we will deliver on all of them," he continued.

Shapiro's proposal would raise Pennsylvania's minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour, an increase of roughly 107%, prompting questions about how small businesses would absorb the additional labor costs.

Tom Savidge, an economist with the American Institute for Economic Research, warned in an interview with Fox News Digital that steep wage increases could force small businesses to raise prices, reduce workers' hours or cut back on hiring.

"A federal minimum wage hike will worsen the affordability crisis," Savidge told Fox News Digital. "A one-size-fits-all mandate ignores regional differences in wages and business costs. It risks higher prices, fewer hours, and fewer jobs, especially for inexperienced workers. Politicians can mandate higher wages, but they cannot mandate that businesses can afford to pay them."

"Small businesses employing minimum-wage workers cannot absorb such a sharp increase without adjusting elsewhere," he added. "Some may raise prices, cut hours, or stop hiring. A higher minimum wage means little to workers who cannot find a job."

The debate comes as Democrats seek to deliver on campaign promises to make life more affordable, even as businesses in cities with higher minimum wages report growing financial pressures.

Seattle, where the minimum wage is currently $21.30 an hour and will rise to $22.14 in January, offers one example of the economic questions surrounding such policies. While proponents have asserted that minimum wage increases will be a boon to employees, some Seattle business owners have previously raised concerns about facing additional cost burdens, KOMO News reported in December 2025.

Rising labor costs have been among the financial pressures cited by Seattle restaurant owners who have closed locations, alongside higher food prices, declining customer demand and other operating expenses, Fox News Digital previously reported.

A January survey by The Intentionalist found that 67% of 136 independent small businesses surveyed in Seattle and surrounding Washington communities reported greater financial strain than during the pandemic, with respondents pointing to rising labor costs, rent, insurance and weaker customer demand.

A 2022 study published in the American Economic Journal: Economic Policy found that Seattle's 2015 and 2016 minimum-wage increases boosted pay for longer-tenured workers but reduced hours worked, particularly among less-experienced employees, and limited opportunities for people entering low-wage jobs.

However, a separate 2017 study by University of California, Berkeley researchers found that Seattle's earlier minimum-wage increases raised wages in the food-service industry without a statistically significant decline in restaurant employment.

Savidge went on to say that steep minimum wage increases often benefit major corporations over Main Street businesses.

"Higher minimum wages can favor big corporations over small businesses," he explained. "Large corporations can spread higher labor costs across more sales, invest in automation, or relocate operations. Small businesses have fewer options."

FOX NEWS VOTER POLL: HOW DEMOCRATS TOOK CONTROL OF THE SENATE

Despite concerns about the potential economic consequences, Shapiro has made raising Pennsylvania's minimum wage one of his first priorities after Democrats won control of both chambers of the state legislature.

"Half a million workers in Pennsylvania still make less than $15 an hour — you can’t live off of that in 2026," Shapiro said. "Now, we’re finally able to change that. The very first bill that I will sign into law with our new Democratic majority this January will be to raise our minimum wage — and make sure every Pennsylvania worker has a livable wage. It’s long overdue."

His comments come after Democrats secured a trifecta in Harrisburg in the 2026 midterms after flipping the Pennsylvania state Senate.

$25 AN HOUR? MAJOR CITIES EYE MASSIVE WAGE HIKES AS LABOR ACTIVISTS SEEK FEDERAL MANDATE

When reached for comment, Shapiro's office referred Fox News Digital to the governor’s comments on raising the minimum wage during an interview with former CNN host Don Lemon released on Sunday.

"Some of your some of your viewers and listeners are going to think it's crazy, but job number one is going to be raise the minimum wage to 15 bucks an hour, and now your listeners like, 'What do you mean 15 bucks an hour?'" Shapiro said during the interview. "Everybody's at 15 bucks an hour. Well, we're not in Pennsylvania. We've been stuck at $7.25 an hour for decades, right? Because the Republicans in the state senate, every time we've sent a bill over there, have blocked it."

The minimum-wage push is also gaining traction beyond Pennsylvania.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who signed legislation in 2019 gradually raising his state's minimum wage to $15 an hour, is now calling on Congress to increase the federal minimum wage as part of his post-election economic agenda.

"Americans made their voices heard and this is an opportunity for Congress to immediately address the challenges of working people – higher wages, lower costs, rooting out corruption," Pritzker said in a statement. "The people of Illinois cannot afford to wait."

AOC-BACKED $25 MINIMUM WAGE PLAN SOUNDS GREAT — BUT AT WHAT COST?

Savidge told Fox News Digital that Pritzker and Shapiro's minimum wage proposals "risk giving large corporations a competitive advantage while squeezing out smaller competitors."

Critics question whether higher wage mandates translate into better overall economic outcomes, particularly for workers with little job experience.

Adam Gorcyca, a policy researcher at the Illinois Policy Institute, warned that employers may respond to higher labor costs by reducing hours, limiting hiring or raising prices.

"Mandating higher wages doesn't immediately guarantee workers will take home more money," Gorcyca added. "Employers often respond to these policies by cutting back hours, slowing hiring or raising prices. It can help select workers, while also making it harder for entry-level or younger workers."

Gorcyca also questioned whether Illinois' minimum-wage increases had delivered broader employment gains, pointing to the state's slow pandemic recovery as evidence of its economic struggles.

"In Illinois, Gov. J.B. Pritzker passed a minimum wage hike in 2019, slowly increasing the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025," he said. "While he has campaigned that it was the ‘right thing to do,’ the state doesn’t have a stronger labor market for workers. In fact, Illinois was one of the slowest to recover from the pandemic."

Pritzker's office did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on Tuesday.

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The push is also emerging as a priority for congressional Democrats.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said Monday that the federal minimum wage needs to be raised and that he plans to discuss the issue with members of both chambers of Congress.

"It's a conversation that I look forward to having with not simply the members of the House Democratic caucus, but with the Senate as well, to see what is possible," Jeffries said. "It certainly needs to be increased. It's a disgrace that the minimum wage hasn't been raised in 20 years and is currently $7.25 per hour."

Massie's push to impeach Hegseth splits constituents in his own backyard: 'Pure spite'

Sat, 14 Nov 2026 04:00:19 -0500

KENTON COUNTY, Ky. — Rep. Thomas Massie's push to impeach War Secretary Pete Hegseth over the Iran war drew sharply different reactions from northern Kentucky residents interviewed by Fox News Digital, who offered competing assessments of the outgoing Republican congressman — and whether his latest confrontation with the Trump administration reflects principle or political payback.

Fox News Digital visited Covington, the population center of Massie’s district, along with Newport, Erlanger and other communities across the river from Cincinnati, to ask residents about their outgoing congressman and his efforts to impeach the Pentagon chief.

Richard Hassebrock, a Covington resident who said he has not always agreed with Massie, welcomed the impeachment effort.

"I'm not always a huge fan of Thomas Massie, but on this point I am," Hassebrock told Fox News Digital.

TRUMP DEFENDS PENTAGON CHIEF AS MASSIE TARGETS HIM: 'HEGSETH SHOULD BE PRAISED, NOT IMPEACHED'

Craig Cuskey, who works in the Covington area but lives just outside the bounds of Massie’s district in Louisville, described the impeachment push as "pure spite" and "petty," saying his opinion of the congressman had deteriorated.

The contrasting reactions came after House Republicans voted to refer Massie's impeachment effort against Hegseth to committee, adding another confrontation to the Kentucky Republican's long-running disagreements with President Donald Trump and his party's leadership.

Democrats poised to take the gavel in January, however, signaled they will likely take up Massie’s mantle and seek the Pentagon chief’s impeachment.

Hassebrock said he was disappointed by Massie's electoral defeat and praised the congressman's independence.

"He stands up for himself, he stands up to what he believes in, he's got principles unlike 99% of the other congress people out there," he said.

Rilla, a Fort Wright resident who provided only her first name, offered a more complicated assessment.

"I think he's just trying to get back at Trump," she said, while adding that she had been proud of Massie for standing up to the president and was disappointed by his defeat.

7 REPUBLICANS REBEL AGAINST TRUMP, VOTE WITH DEMS TO REIN IN IRAN WAR POWERS

Rilla said she opposed the Iran war, particularly the prospect of military action without congressional involvement.

"I don't think anyone should just go in and declare war without Congress being a part of it," she said.

Phil Wiseman, an Independence resident, said he doubted the impeachment effort would accomplish much, even as he questioned the administration's military strategy.

"I don't see a definable outcome," Wiseman said. "And if you're going to fight a war, there needs to be a definable outcome."

Wiseman said he identifies as a "RINO" — a term often used derisively by conservatives for "Republican in Name Only" — and voted for an independent instead of supporting Rep.-elect Ed Gallrein, the Trump-endorsed Republican who defeated Massie in Kentucky's primary earlier this year.

He said his family has discussed Hegseth, noting that his father was a 27-year military veteran and his son served in the Marine Corps.

"We all had the same discussion," he said. "Who is advising him? Because this [war] is very ill-thought-out and not well-planned."

Wiseman compared that aspect of the Iran conflict to how the U.S. previously became mired in Afghanistan.

"So I seriously question the military advisors that are giving them this advice, or maybe they gave them contrary advice and it was ignored," he said.

Anthony Tuemler of Covington supported impeachment and accused Hegseth of violating the Constitution through his conduct of the war.

Tuemler's assessment of Massie was similarly mixed. Although he said he was glad the congressman was leaving office, he credited Massie with speaking up when he believed it was necessary.

"I'm glad he's gone," Tuemler said of Massie. "But the only thing I'm distressed about or sorry about is like when it came time to say the right things, Massie was the one who did it."

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Randall Thompson of Newport, dressed in a military uniform for Veterans Day as he walked with his children near Covington's Mainstrasse Village corridor, said he supports the defense secretary and pointed to their shared military experience in the Middle East.

"I support the troops and Pete Hegseth," Thompson said, adding off-camera that he was in the same area of Iraq as the former Fox News host when they were both deployed.

Cuskey also defended Hegseth, saying he had initially been skeptical of his nomination but had grown more impressed with his performance.

"I think for his background, he's done a remarkable job," Cuskey said, arguing that Hegseth was carrying out directives from the commander in chief.

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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., has voiced support for impeaching the Pentagon chief, while other Democrats have signaled plans to revisit his conduct when they take control of Congress in January.

Some lawmakers are also eyeing investigations and potential impeachment proceedings involving other senior Trump administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and border czar Tom Homan — setting the stage for a broader confrontation between congressional Democrats and the White House.

Blue wave meets ballot box surprises as voters split on abortion, voter ID and billionaire taxes

Sat, 14 Nov 2026 04:00:00 -0500

While Democrats’ midterm sweep dominated Election Night, voters in several states delivered consequential — and sometimes crosscutting — verdicts on voter ID, abortion access, taxes and English-language laws.

But the down-ballot decisions largely unfolded beneath the shadow of the GOP’s crushing losses, offering a separate look at the policy priorities voters chose to elevate in their states.

Read on to learn more about some of the most significant ballot measure results that will be shaping the lives of thousands of Americans.

New voter ID voting requirements

DEMOCRATS ‘DIVORCED FROM VOTERS’ AS 5 STATES BACK CITIZEN-ONLY VOTING, BOLSTERING GOP PUSH

Voters in Nevada, North Carolina and Ohio all voted to pass voter ID requirements, even as talks among federal lawmakers have stalled on the issue, showcasing that the issue remains a point of public interest.

In North Carolina, the state has required photo ID for in-person voting since 2018. But with the adoption of a constitutional amendment in a 59.6% to 40.3% vote, the Tar Heel State expanded the requirement to all forms of voting.

Similarly, in Ohio, voters passed Issue 3 in a 65.3% to 34.6% vote. Although Ohio already had pre-existing in-person voter-ID laws, Issue 3 codified the requirement in the state’s constitution, making it harder to overturn later.

Finally, in Nevada, Question 7 passed in a 62.1% to 37.8% vote, establishing a constitutional amendment to enact the state’s first voter-ID requirement. It compels voters to show ID when voting in person and, for mail and absentee ballots, asks voters to provide the last four digits of their driver's license or Social Security number.

English is the official language of Idaho

EVERYTHING TO KNOW ABOUT HOUSE AND SENATE CONTROL, BALLOT MEASURES AND 2026 ELECTION DAY POLL CLOSING

In Idaho, voters approved HJR6 in a 63.1% to 36.8% outcome, a measure that makes English the official language of the state, codifying it for use in public proceedings with a constitutional amendment.

English had already been made Idaho’s official language through statute since 2007.

State Rep. Dale Hawkins, one of the champions behind HJR6, called it reflective of efforts from the Trump administration to make English the official language of the United States through executive order.

"Our current administration signed an executive order doing this for the entire United States so we are just in line with what’s going on," Hawkins said in public remarks.

In an interview with local media, Hawkins also cited a concern that many newcomers to the U.S. had, in his view, overlooked the country’s linguistic identity.

"One of the things that unites us all as a culture, as a country, as a state, is language. And what used to be the desired effect, which was assimilation — learn the language, learn the culture, learn the history — those things have slipped away. And we don’t see assimilation anymore. And I believe that if we have a common language, then our culture will survive," Hawkins told the Idaho Capital Sun.

Voters reject a ‘viability’ right to abortion

DEM GOV MAURA HEALEY SIGNS SWEEPING MASSACHUSETTS BILL ALLOWING ABORTIONS UP TO BIRTH

Alongside their English language constitutional amendment, voters in Idaho rejected Proposition 1, which would have created a right to abortion up to the point of fetal viability, except in cases of medical emergency.

In the words of the proposition itself, it "would support creating a right to abortion before fetal viability—defined as a fetus’ ability to survive without extraordinary medical measures—and after fetal viability in cases of medical emergency; providing protections against professional discipline and civil and criminal liability for healthcare providers; and codifying a statutory reproductive right to freedom and privacy."

Proposition 1 failed in a 44.0% to 55.9% outcome.

Had it been successful, the measure would have greatly reduced the state’s current limits on abortion except to save the life of a pregnant woman or in cases of rape or incest.

To onlookers like Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, the outcome demonstrates that protecting life in the womb remains a priority and an ongoing contest at the state level.

"We are incredibly grateful for Stop Prop 1 and all who stood up to defend the unborn. This is a hard-fought win and an example to pro-life voters, candidates and elected officials across the country… Voters were not fooled because pro-life leaders spoke up boldly to expose this initiative," Dannenfelser said in a statement.

Socialist-backed 5% tax for billionaires goes up in smoke

STATE OF PLAY: BLUE WAVE SWEEPS DEMOCRATS INTO POWER, WITH KEY RACES STILL HANGING IN BALANCE

In California, voters rejected the implementation of a 5% billionaire tax that carried the backing of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). The measure, Proposition 40, failed in a 47.5% to 52.4% loss.

The proposition would have applied a 5% tax on assets like businesses, securities, art, collectibles and intellectual property while excluding select pensions, real estate and retirement accounts.

To prevent billionaires from simply leaving the state, Proposition 40 was designed to retroactively apply to billionaires who were residents of California on Jan. 1, 2026.

The DSA framed the measure as a way to distribute wealth and as a kind of scaled-up version of a progressive tax, a tax that scales relative to income.

"We have the money in California to pay for the quality schools and healthcare that we need. It just needs to be transferred from the wrong pockets to the right ones. We can do that by taxing the rich," the slideshow reads.

Notably, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom opposed Proposition 40, arguing that it would lessen California’s competitiveness relative to other states.

California rejects voter ID

Alongside Proposition 40, voters in California also rejected Proposition 39 — a proposed constitutional amendment that would have required ID for in-person voting and checks for the state’s voter registration lists.

Like Nevada's Question 7, it also would have asked absentee voters to provide the last four digits of a unique government-issued ID number before securing a mail-in ballot.

The measure failed in a 39.4% to 60.5% vote.

Ahead of Election Day, Gov. Newsom characterized Proposition 39 as an extension of efforts to restrict access to voting rights.

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"Trump and his MAGA allies tried to rig our elections once, and California voters shut them down with Prop 50. Prop 39 is just their latest attempt to silence us, because they know they can’t win in California in a fair fight. It’s voter suppression, full stop, and Californians will vote it down in November," Newsom said in a statement.

Democrat flips Alaska governor's mansion after Trump-backed GOP infighting

Sat, 14 Nov 2026 01:09:34 -0500

Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins has won Alaska's gubernatorial election, defeating Trump-endorsed Republican Bernadette Wilson and flipping the governor's mansion.

The Associated Press called the race for Kreiss-Tomkins, a former state lawmaker, Friday evening local time. He is the first Democratic governor in Alaska since 1998.

Alaska's gubernatorial election became an unusual contest as Republicans battled among themselves over who should succeed Gov. Mike Dunleavy, who was barred from seeking a third consecutive term.

A BLUE WAVE IN GOVERNORS' MANSIONS COULD HURT FAMILIES MORE THAN A BLUE CONGRESS

Wilson, a conservative activist and former political operative, received President Donald Trump's endorsement during a campaign in which multiple Republicans competed for the governor's office.

Trump publicly criticized fellow Republicans Dave Bronson and Treg Taylor, accusing them of dividing conservative voters and potentially jeopardizing the party's hold on the governorship.

Bronson, a former Anchorage mayor, and Taylor, a former Alaska attorney general, remained part of the Republican field, creating a complicated general-election contest.

ALASKAN POLITICAL SCION HOPES TO HOLD ONTO STATE'S SINGLE HOUSE SEAT

Kreiss-Tomkins, a former state representative from Sitka, emerged as the Democratic contender, seeking to return his party to the governor's mansion after Dunleavy's two terms.

The election unfolded under Alaska's ranked-choice voting system, which allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference.

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If no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes, the lowest-performing candidate is eliminated and those ballots are redistributed according to voters' next preferences. The process continues until a candidate secures a majority among continuing ballots.

The system has added an unusual dynamic to Alaska politics, allowing multiple candidates from the same party to compete in the general election without a traditional partisan runoff.

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The contest also came as Alaska remained a reliably Republican state in presidential elections, despite occasionally electing Democrats and independents to statewide office.

Mike Evans ruled out, Trent Williams questionable as NFC-leading 49ers' injury concerns persist

Fri, 13 Nov 2026 22:45:06 -0500

The San Francisco 49ers will be without wide receiver Mike Evans for a third straight game Sunday after ruling him out against the Dallas Cowboys as he continues to deal with Achilles tendinitis.

Meanwhile, it remains unclear whether standout left tackle Trent Williams will suit up after injuring his shoulder in practice this week.

Injuries are an unavoidable part of the NFL, but few teams have dealt with them as consistently as the San Francisco 49ers have in recent seasons. Their injury report has become a weekly storyline.

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Evans and Williams were not the only concerns for San Francisco this week. Coach Kyle Shanahan said cornerbacks Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green were also on the injury report. Both missed practice Wednesday and Thursday after suffering injuries in last week’s game against Las Vegas, but they were limited participants Friday.

Linebacker Dre Greenlaw was also listed as questionable after hurting his knee at practice Thursday, while cornerback Nate Hobbs (adductor), defensive back Upton Stout (shoulder, neck) and defensive tackle C.J. West (knee) were also questionable.

At 38, Williams remains a 12-time Pro Bowler playing at a high level, making his availability significant for San Francisco. He left practice early Thursday and did not participate Friday, but Shanahan remained hopeful the veteran tackle would feel well enough to play Sunday.

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Vederian Lowe would likely start if Williams is unable to go, but replacing the longtime standout would be a major challenge for the 49ers.

"The left tackle in general is always huge. Then a guy of Trent’s caliber is huge," Shanahan said. "Just the way he plays out there, down in and down out, what he means to the team, just his presence, the type of person he is, and just what he brings on game day. He’s a captain for a reason, and everyone knows Trent Williams is one of the best players in this league."

San Francisco will have more help at receiver this week with Deebo Samuel set to return after missing the past three games with a hamstring injury and Keenan Allen set to make his debut for the 49ers after being acquired earlier this week in a trade from Indianapolis.

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But they will be missing Evans again after he left a Week 6 game against Washington early with the injury. He missed the next two games and has been unable to practice since then but is making progress. Shanahan said there’s a chance Evans could play next week in Mexico against Minnesota.

The 49ers enter Sunday’s game with an NFC-best 7-1 record.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Kentucky needs buzzer-beating three to survive Northern Arizona's upset bid at Rupp Arena

Fri, 13 Nov 2026 22:25:11 -0500

The Kentucky Wildcats have one of the most expensive rosters in college basketball. It didn't look like money well spent for 39 minutes and 58 seconds on Friday night.

Kentucky needed a last-second three-pointer from Alex Wilkins to beat winless Northern Arizona 78-77 at Rupp Arena. NAU, which entered the game as a 30.5-point underdog, had every opportunity to pull off a massive upset in the closing minute. The Lumberjacks had a 77-73 lead with just 22 seconds remaining.

Kentucky cut the deficit to two on a basket by Mason Williams, then had to intentionally foul Northern Arizona. Max Majerle, son of former Phoenix Suns All-Star Dan Majerle, missed the front end of the one-and-one, but a Kentucky player knocked the ball out of bounds in the scramble for the rebound.

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Once again, Kentucky had to foul. Northern Arizona got the ball in the hands of Chris Komin, an 82% free throw shooter last season. But like Majerle, Komin missed the front end of the one-and-one. The Wildcats grabbed the board with 7 seconds left, moved the ball into the frontcourt on a pass from Mason Williams to to Wilkins, and Wilkins hit the game-winner.

CBS Sports puts Kentucky’s roster in its $20 million-plus spending tier. The team it barely beat Friday had lost its first three games by an average of 24 points.

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When Northern Arizona went to the line with a chance to go up four, I wondered how far back I’d have to go to find a Kentucky loss as a 30-point favorite. I couldn’t find one. The Wildcats were favored by 25 when Evansville won at Rupp Arena in 2019 and by 26 when Gardner-Webb won there in 2007.

So how did Kentucky get that close to losing? The same problem I brought up before the Kansas game. The Wildcats had given up 80 points to James Madison, and I wondered whether they could get enough stops against the Jayhawks. Kansas scored 89 and won by 20.

Then Northern Arizona came into Rupp, having scored an average of 62 points in their two losses to New Mexico and No. 12 Arizona, and shot 13-for-26 from 3 en route to 77 points.

Kentucky shot 56.4% and turned the ball over just four times Friday. If you’d told me that before tipoff, I would’ve figured the walk-ons were getting a few minutes.

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Grambling State comes to Rupp on Monday before Kentucky plays Indiana on Friday.

If the Tigers are still in it with 22 seconds left, at least I know where to find the Evansville and Gardner-Webb box scores.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones updates timeline for NFL's 18-game schedule, floats preseason reduction

Fri, 13 Nov 2026 21:55:41 -0500

The NFL expanded from a 16-game schedule to 17 games in 2021. Since then, speculation has persisted about whether the league will eventually add an 18th regular-season game.

Such a change would require negotiations over roster sizes, player salaries, the preseason schedule and the timing of the Super Bowl. The NFL Players Association would also have to approve the plan before it could move forward.

But Jerry Jones, one of the NFL’s most high-profile and outspoken owners, offered a timeline Friday for when the league could add another regular-season game. "I don’t think we’re far away from it," Jones told Dallas sports radio station 105.3 FM.

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Jones suggested the league could move to an expanded regular season as soon as 2027.

"I don’t know what is far away — next month, next year, maybe. Next year, maybe. That has to be negotiated with the players. But it’s in everybody’s best interest."

Interest in potentially adding another game to the schedule for each of the NFL’s 32 teams has been fueled by the league’s growing popularity and expanded international schedule. This season features a record nine games played outside the U.S.

A 10-game international slate has been approved for 2027.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has been a vocal supporter of many owners’ push for an 18-game schedule. Jones suggested the preseason could be shortened if the change becomes reality, with teams using the early weeks of the regular season to ramp up.

"You’d cut back on the preseason games, you’d have teams more developed in the first few games, the type of thing you were trying to get done in the preseason. It’s in everybody’s interest, and it certainly is in the players’ best interests, in my mind."

Jones’ comments suggest an ambitious timeline.

The NFL Players Association has expressed mixed feelings about expanding the regular season. In March, NFLPA executive director JC Tretter told The Athletic that the union was determined to "defend our players and their health."

ROGER GOODELL DETAILS NFL EXPANSION POSSIBILITIES AND A TIMETABLE FOR A FULL SEASON OF INTERNATIONAL GAMES

"There are things that are not good for our players that we need to make sure we’re protecting them from," Tretter said. "And as of right now, those are all subjects of bargaining. The league can’t expand past 10 international games. The league’s at 17 games in the CBA. That is where we’re at, and we’re going to make sure we defend our players and their health and safety because our guys feel they know what this feels like."

Tretter, a former offensive lineman, spent eight seasons in the NFL and last played for the Cleveland Browns in 2021.

"I understand what it felt like when I played 16 (games) and then moved to 17," Tretter said.

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"I understand the toll that takes on the body … I understand the same thing with international. I played an international game. I understand the timeline and how tough it is to recover, how tough it is to turn around and get on the flight on the way back and then get ready for the next week. That is not easy."

The Washington Commanders and New York Giants opened Week 10 of the 2026 season. The Commanders defeated the Giants 24-21.

NBA star Dejounte Murray requests trade after Pelicans clash, public frustration spills onto social media

Fri, 13 Nov 2026 21:30:13 -0500

The apparently strained relationship between Dejounte Murray and the New Orleans Pelicans took another turn Friday.

Representatives for the All-Star guard at Klutch Sports requested a trade, prompting the team to say it would evaluate potential opportunities. "Today, Dejounte Murray’s representatives informed us of his request to be traded," the Pelicans said in a statement. "We will evaluate potential trade opportunities that are in the best interest of our organization."

Murray, 30, was ruled out Friday night against the Memphis Grizzlies due to a left ankle sprain. Pelicans coach Jamahl Mosley said Murray was not at Smoothie King Center.

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"He’s not in the building, from what I’ve been told," Mosley said.

The Pelicans acquired Murray in a June 2024 trade with the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for two first-round picks, Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance Jr. and E.J. Liddell.

David Griffin, then serving as the Pelicans’ executive vice president of basketball operations, viewed Murray as a defender and playmaker who could provide ball-handling help for Zion Williamson, but he never approached the play that had earned him All-Star honors in 2022.

DEJOUNTE MURRAY ACCUSES NEW ORLEANS PELICANS OF INSIDE 'SABOTAGE' IN DELETED SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS

Murray’s tenure with the Pelicans was dogged by injuries. He broke his hand in the 2024 season opener and then suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in January 2025.

Over the last three seasons, Murray has played just 54 games with New Orleans, averaging 16.6 points, 6.6 assists and 5.9 rebounds. The Pelicans have gone 1-8 with him in the lineup.

Murray's salary is reportedly $32.8 million this season. He has a player option for $30.8 million next season. He recently made his frustrations with the team clear through several critical social media posts.

After one social media reporter mentioned the Pelicans were 3-0 without him in the lineup, Murray wrote back: "From what’s going on INSIDE, this sounds like someone hit you to say this! THE ‘SABOTAGE’ IS REAL!"

The tweet was deleted shortly after.

The timing of Murray’s trade request drew some scrutiny, as it surfaced while the Pelicans were on a four-game losing streak. Nevertheless, Mosley said his focus remained on the players available to him and maintaining the team’s standards.

"How well we play is very important to me, and making sure that we keep up that standard," Mosley said. "That’s why it’s so glaring when we don’t, because I know what this team has shown during training camp, what it has shown during the preseason."

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Mosley also said the Pelicans need to return to the style of play they showed earlier this season.

"The first couple games didn’t go on the win column, but the way we played, we did a lot of good things. … As the leader of this group, how we’ve been playing these last three games have not been a representation of this organization, the city, of the way we said we were going to play. That’s been my focus over this last day or so. How do we get back to that style of basketball that we know represents this organization the right way?"

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

ADF seeks to defend Washington girls' sports measure, argues state cannot fully represent female athletes

Fri, 13 Nov 2026 21:12:14 -0500

Alliance Defending Freedom filed a motion on behalf of Female Athletes United to defend Washington’s voter-approved girls sports initiative against an ACLU-backed lawsuit, arguing that the state cannot adequately represent the athletes’ interests.

The Nov. 13 motion asks King County Superior Court to allow Female Athletes United to join the case as a defendant to defend Initiative 638. The request seeks the court’s permission to participate; it is not an order granting intervention.

"We’re asking to be allowed to step in and help the state of Washington defend the validity of the law so that I-638 goes into effect on December 3rd, just like the voters in the state of Washington asked for," ADF attorney Hal Frampton told Fox News Digital.

WASHINGTON AG'S OFFICE INDICATES IT WILL DEFEND GIRLS' SPORTS BALLOT MEASURE AFTER ACLU SUES TO BLOCK IT

The initiative would prohibit students who are biologically male from competing in school athletic competitions designated for female students. It also requires participants in girls’ competitions to provide verification of their biological sex from their personal healthcare provider as part of the sports physical process.

The lawsuit challenging it includes parents, TransFamilies and the Washington Education Association as plaintiffs. They argue the measure violates Washington’s constitution, including privacy and equal-rights protections, by excluding transgender girls and imposing sex-verification requirements on participants in girls’ sports that do not apply to boys’ sports.

Asked whether he trusted Washington Attorney General Nick Brown to defend the initiative, Frampton pointed to the athletes his organization represents.

"We trust female athletes to defend the law on behalf of the state of Washington," he said. "That’s why we’re seeking to intervene and make sure that their perspective is part of the, part of the picture and part of the process."

The motion argues that Washington’s previous defense of transgender participation in girls’ sports could prevent it from advancing all the arguments Female Athletes United wants the court to consider.

"While the State may defend its law as a permissible policy choice, FAU will argue not only that the Initiative is valid but that the U.S. Constitution, Title IX, and Title IX’s regulations require Washington to have female-only sports teams, as do pre-existing state laws," the motion states.

SEATTLE MAYOR BACKS EFFORT TO BLOCK GIRLS' SPORTS INITIATIVE THAT PASSED IN 36 OF WASHINGTON'S 39 COUNTIES

Those assertions are the organization’s legal arguments, which the motion asks the court to consider.

Brown announced Nov. 12 that he had appointed outside law firm Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner to defend I-638 on the state’s behalf. He said the arrangement would allow the initiative to be defended while his office continued its work protecting transgender rights.

"My personal views do not dictate what laws get defended or the strength of that defense," Brown said in his announcement.

Frampton said ADF was prepared to work with anyone defending the measure. Asked during the interview whether ADF had contacted the attorney general’s office, he answered, "Not that I’m aware."

"What I know is that we will mount a vigorous defense for Initiative 638 on behalf of female athletes and that we will do everything in our power, make every argument available to us to ensure that democracy prevails and that fairness and safety for women reign in Washington," he said.

The motion draws on accounts from athletes who describe competing against transgender athletes and, in some cases, considering leaving their school teams if the initiative is blocked.

WASHINGTON HS GIRLS BLAST MALE ATHLETE PARTICIPATING IN TRACK MEET: 'DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S RIGHT OR FAIR'

The motion cites declarations from five Female Athletes United members: Soleil Hoefer, Charlie Garrett, Sierra Retzlaff, Elise Bierer and Ahnaleigh Wilson.

In a separate declaration, FAU board chair Kristine L. Brown describes the organization as a coalition of prospective, current and former female athletes, coaches, family members and other supporters. She says its work includes legal advocacy and protecting athletes’ privacy in locker rooms and other intimate spaces.

Brown says the organization does not engage in election campaigning, but individual members advocated for or voted for I-638. She identifies Washington athletes whose school sports opportunities the group seeks to protect.

Hoefer, who joined Frampton for the interview, said her experience in high school track helped motivate her advocacy.

"In my personal experience, I was made to run against a boy at state track, and my teammates had run against him the year prior," she said.

Her declaration says she graduated from Prosser High School in 2025 and now attends Walla Walla Community College on a soccer scholarship. She also points to her younger sister, who plays high school volleyball and basketball, as a reason she supports the initiative.

Hoefer said the election result carried personal significance.

"I think it’s a matter of the voters seeing that they didn’t need to vote red or blue. It was voting for women and for our safety and our protection in sports," she said.

Garrett, a Skyview High School runner, describes in her declaration walking off the starting line with teammate Retzlaff at a September meet involving a transgender runner from Camas High School.

Garrett says she later competed against the Camas athlete at postseason meets. According to her account, she finished third behind the athlete’s second-place finish at districts, and eighth behind the athlete’s seventh-place finish at regionals.

WOMEN WHO FACED BIOLOGICAL MALES IN GIRLS' SPORTS AND LOCKER ROOMS SPEAK OUT AHEAD OF WASHINGTON STATE VOTE

"Standing up for what I believe is right has been isolating and difficult," Garrett says in her declaration. "But it will all be worth it to protect girls from unfair competition and to protect girls’ safe spaces and opportunities."

She says she might run for a club instead of her school this spring if a court blocks the initiative.

Retzlaff makes a similar statement in her signed declaration, dated Nov. 13, saying she might choose club running over school competition next year if I-638 does not take effect.

"It would break my heart if a court blocked Initiative 638," Retzlaff says. "I have been fighting for it the last few months, and it has been one of the hardest things I have ever done."

Bierer, a Battle Ground High School runner, describes in her declaration walking off the starting line alone at districts rather than competing against the Camas athlete.

"When the starting gun went off for the varsity race, I walked off the line with tears in my eyes," her account says. "I was the only runner who did."

Bierer says she will not return to the cross-country team next year if she must continue racing against biologically male athletes.

Wilson, an Eastmont High School runner, describes in her declaration supporting I-638 through public advocacy and signature gathering. She says she traveled around Washington gathering signatures and asking adults to vote for it.

"If a court blocked Initiative 638, it would be devastating to me," Wilson says. "It would feel like my two and a half years of advocating for girls and the mental toll it has taken on me were a waste."

Several of the athletes also address the verification requirement challenged in the lawsuit. Hoefer, Garrett, Retzlaff and Wilson say in their declarations that they would be comfortable having their doctors verify their sex for athletic eligibility.

Frampton said the athletes’ future participation is central to ADF’s effort.

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"We’ll have members of FAU who are going to be competing next season, next year, and are depending on I-638 to guarantee them fairness and safety in women’s sports," he said.