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MLB fans explode as fishy images of Sonny Gray's neck raise eyebrows after Red Sox get trounced

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 08:10:26 -0400

Another year, another miserable first round playoff exit for the Boston Red Sox.

Gone are the days of 2004 (and 2007, 2013 and 2018). After owning the New York Yankees — and baseball — for the better part of 15 years, the Red Sox have lost their grip on their rival, and the league.

Speaking of grip ...

Fans spent the night digging into Boston's Game 2 starter, Sonny Gray, after images of the Red Sox pitcher's neck went viral on social media after ... something ... appeared to caked onto the back of it during the latter stages of last night's start.

RED SOX TROUNCED IN WILD CARD SERIES GAME 1 VS YANKEES

That's right. As if the Red Sox didn't just embarrass themselves enough on national TV for two straight nights, we now have cheating allegations flying as the organization limps into the offseason on quite possibly the most sour note of all time.

Take a look, and judge for yourselves:

Sonny Gray's neck sends social media into a frenzy

Thoughts? First impressions?

Look, I've watched Sonny Gray all season. The guy has been touching his neck like that since the first pitch in Cincinnati back in March. That alone means nothing to me, because it's just what he does.

It's also important to note that this stuff on Gray's neck didn't appear at all until the fifth inning, best I can tell. Doesn't mean it wasn't there, but it just wasn't at all an "issue" until the final few batters of Gray's outing.

YANKEES BULLPEN CATCHER HEAD BUTTS BEN RICE'S GRAND SLAM VS RED SOX

Obviously, fans are convinced it was pine tar. Even Jomboy — the media company MLB bought a stake in last summer — put out that long video accusing Gray of using "sticky stuff."

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By the way, that's pretty rich coming from a VERY FAIR AND BALANCED outlet like Jomboy, which is made up of 90% Yankees fans.

Glad MLB partnered with them! But that's neither here nor there.

I'm not telling you Gray had pine tar on the back of his neck or not. He's a 36-year-old veteran who is probably going to retire here in a few days. At least that's what he's hinted at this season. He's most likely done.

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Why would he risk this in what could be his final big league start? No idea. Doesn't make a ton of sense to me.

These pitchers nowadays are also patted down like they're going through a TSA line after every single inning. It's not exactly as simple to pull off as it was a decade ago when this stuff was all over the sport. That's sort of the point.

Not saying it wasn't something on his neck, just saying it probably deserves a little more context. Gray never addressed what was on his neck in the postgame press conference with reporters.

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And if it was pine tar, perhaps Red Sox manager Chad Tracy should've just left Gray in there instead of yanking him at 70 pitches and turning it over to a bullpen that promptly got shelled?

He seemed to be doing just fine, skip!

Jerry Jones goes all in as Cowboys trade for Steelers' Joey Porter Jr in hopes of Super Bowl push

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 08:02:25 -0400

"F--- them picks," Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead once wore on a T-shirt as the team celebrated a Super Bowl championship in 2022.

The Dallas Cowboys appeared to have taken a shine to the mantra as team owner Jerry Jones goes all in to get his team back to glory.

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The Cowboys agreed to trade a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for cornerback Joey Porter Jr., early Thursday, according to multiple reports. The team later confirmed the deal.

Porter was dealing with a back issue and a contentious contract negotiation with the Steelers, which led to the inevitable trade three weeks into the 2026 regular season. He had an interception, 52 tackles and a sack last season.

"Here I come ... Dallas," Porter wrote on his Instagram Stories, confirming a deal was in place.

Porter was inactive for the first three Steelers games of the season. He had already been ruled out for Pittsburgh’s Thursday night game against the Cleveland Browns.

Jones had already made clear in the offseason he was willing to give up draft capital to reshape his roster. Though the team didn’t pull the trigger on a trade for Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby when they seemingly had the chance, the Cowboys went out and got a whale to bolster their secondary.

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He told 105.3 The Fan in September the team was "in play" to make another trade with a focus on the defensive side of the ball. The trade came weeks later, but better late than never.

Dallas has already allowed an average of 387 yards per game – third-worst in the league above the Detroit Lions and Indianapolis Colts. They head into Week 4 with a point differential of plus-6, but have losses to the New York Giants and Baltimore Ravens already on their docket.

The Cowboys have wheeled and dealt over the last 13 months or so.

Dallas traded Micah Parsons right before the start of the 2025 season to the Green Bay Packers for Kenny Clark and some draft picks. The Cowboys then used picks to trade for Quinnen Williams, who was with the New York Jets, during the season.

Now, there’s no excuse.

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Jones had a little extra pep in his step after the team beat the Washington Commanders in Week 2. Everyone knows the 83-year-old billionaire is willing to do what it takes to get one more Super Bowl. Porter is another piece to make those dreams come true.

Sacred pages of 1,000-year-old gospel reveal ancient DNA scientists never expected

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 08:00:14 -0400

Scientists recently discovered traces of an ancient disease in an unlikely place: the pages of a 1,000-year-old gospel book.

The discovery, which centered on the York Gospels, was announced by University College Dublin (UCD) in early September.

In a study recently published in Science Advances, UCD researchers traced thousands of years of evolution of the sheeppox virus using ancient DNA preserved in manuscripts and animal remains.

DAMAGED FRAGMENT DEEMED 'UNREMARKABLE' TURNS OUT TO BE RARE PIECE OF HOMER'S 'ODYSSEY' HISTORY

The highly contagious disease affects sheep but is not known to infect humans. Researchers detected its DNA in the animal skins used to make parchment, according to the university.

The York Gospels were written in Canterbury in the late 900s by Anglo-Saxon scribes and were later brought to York Minster — where they've been housed for centuries.

Unexpectedly, researchers found traces of sheeppox virus on parchment made from calfskin and goatskin, suggesting either cross-species infections or contamination during the parchment-making process.

Comparing the manuscripts with DNA recovered from Bronze Age sheep teeth, researchers found that sheeppox has plagued livestock for over 3,700 years.

LOST SERMONS FROM ONE OF CHRISTIANITY'S GREATEST SAINTS DISCOVERED AFTER 1,600 YEARS

In a statement, UCD described the York Gospels as a "biological time capsule" that preserved evidence of the virus for centuries.

"The research reveals that sheeppox has threatened livestock for more than 3,700 years," the university said.

"Unlike other skeletal material, teeth can preserve genetic evidence of infection over thousands of years, providing a valuable record of past outbreaks."

Sheeppox can spread rapidly through flocks and can be deadly, particularly for young animals — making outbreaks a potentially serious threat to livestock-dependent communities.

"A highly contagious disease, sheeppox spreads rapidly and can affect large portions of a flock in a short time," UCD said.

EXPERTS STUNNED AFTER UNCOVERING HOMER'S 'ILIAD' ON EGYPTIAN MUMMY IN UNPRECEDENTED FIND

"The disease is particularly dangerous because it can cause very high mortality rates, especially in young animals, and dramatically reduce productivity by damaging wool, meat and milk yields."

Louis L'Hôte, a Ph.D. candidate at UCD who was the lead author of the study, told university officials that the discovery shows parchment can preserve traces of animal pathogen DNA for centuries.

"It is possible that archives and libraries around the world also contain the genetic traces of disease outbreaks in animals in the past," said L'Hôte.

"These genomes help us understand how these pathogens evolved and how they affected past societies — such as sheeppox virus, which we show has been affecting Eurasian sheep herds for at least three-and-a-half millennia."

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L'Hôte added that the pathogen remains a threat today — and that studying its ancient DNA could help researchers better understand how to eradicate it.

"People around the world are still fighting against this pathogen — there is currently an outbreak of sheeppox in Greece, causing much economic damage," he said.

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"We find that unlike the smallpox virus, the sheeppox virus genome was very stable over the last few millennia," he added.

"This might mean that genetic changes before this point were very important to how the sheeppox virus evolved to infect its host, which may help us fight the pathogen in the future," he added.

Fox News Digital reached out to L'Hôte for further comment and insight.

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A growing number of ancient DNA discoveries have shed new light on diseases that afflicted humans and animals centuries ago.

Earlier this year, scientists discovered smallpox DNA in centuries-old Chilean mummies — providing the first evidence of the disease in that part of South America during the early colonial period.

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At Yale, researchers analyzed ancient DNA from a 16th-century Italian ruler and found evidence that he died of malaria, helping resolve a centuries-old mystery surrounding his sudden death.

Tennessee death row inmate survives 2 lethal injection doses in failed execution attempt

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 11:50:33 -0400

Tennessee officials were unable to execute death row inmate Christa Pike on Wednesday night after she remained alive following two doses of a lethal injection drug, according to court filings from her attorneys.

The failed execution prompted Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee to halt the state’s remaining scheduled execution this year and order "a comprehensive, third-party review to determine exactly what occurred." Pike was taken to a hospital by ambulance for treatment, her attorneys said.

"Carrying out a lawfully imposed sentence is among the State's most serious responsibilities, and the people of Tennessee expect it to be done in a manner that is not only legal and constitutional, but is effective," Lee said in a statement.

The Tennessee Department of Correction said it "followed every step of the State's lawful, established execution protocol approved by the Attorney General's Office."

MULTIPLE DEATH SENTENCES IN DIFFERENT STATES ARE SET TO BE CARRIED OUT WITHIN 24 HOURS: 'NOT VERY COMMON'

Witnesses said Pike was strapped to a gurney when the curtains to the execution chamber were raised at 7:27 p.m. local time. In what were expected to be her final words, Pike said she was "at peace."

But the execution did not proceed as expected. Pike remained awake and at one point raised her head, asking prison officials whether her arm was supposed to feel that way.

At 8:26 p.m. local time, witnesses said the executioners had "injected both syringes of lethal injection chemicals and Pike is still alive and snoring," her lawyers said in a federal court filing, according to The Associated Press.

Pike’s attorneys said in emergency court filings that she "has not lost consciousness and still has a heartbeat," arguing that the attempted execution was causing "unnecessary agony."

At 8:53 p.m., media witnesses were escorted from the area after Pike could still be heard snoring behind the closed curtain.

The state’s protocol calls for a secondary set of drug syringes to be administered "if the inmate is not deceased" after the first set. The protocol does not specify what should happen if the inmate remains alive after the second set.

This comes after the U.S. Supreme Court late Wednesday vacated a last-minute stay that had temporarily spared her from becoming the first woman executed in the state since the early 1800s.

The Supreme Court granted Tennessee's application to vacate the stay issued Wednesday morning by the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, clearing the way for the state to carry out Pike's execution.

In a 2-1 split decision, the Sixth Circuit issued a stay "until further notice" as the court weighed motions filed by Pike's attorneys and the Tennessee Attorney General's Office.

The state immediately appealed to the Supreme Court, seeking to have the stay lifted.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented from the Supreme Court's decision, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Sotomayor argued that the Sixth Circuit should have been given time to consider Pike's pending legal challenge before the execution proceeded.

Read the Court of Appeals order:

"In capital cases, "[a]ppreciation of our own fallibility, and respect for the judgment of an appellate tribunal," demand caution before "acting irretrievably.""

She added that the Supreme Court "chooses to overlook that principle precisely when it matters most."

Pike, 50, was 18 in 1995 when she, her boyfriend and another person beat, kicked and stabbed their 19-year-old classmate Colleen Slemmer to death in a brutal "satanic" attack that Pike claimed took between 30 minutes and an hour, according to court documents.

Pike and Slemmer knew each other through a vocational program in Knoxville called the Job Corps Center, the documents state.

Pike had accused Slemmer of "trying to get [her] boyfriend" and "running her mouth," the case file shows. A day before the killing, she told another classmate she wanted to kill Slemmer because she "just felt mean that day," according to the records. She was armed with a box cutter and a meat cleaver.

Pike and her accomplices lured Slemmer out, telling her they wanted to go to a music store and pick up some marijuana they'd hidden in a park nearby.

Pike attacked her, knocked her to the ground and hit her in the face with her knee and foot, according to court documents.

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At one point, Slemmer broke away from Pike and tried to flee, but Pike's boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, grabbed her and held her down while Pike slashed her with the box cutter. The victim begged for her life, but the attackers kept going. At some point, they gagged her with a hair tie.

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Shipp also carved pentagrams into the victim's face and chest.

JUDGE BLOCKS ALABAMA'S NITROGEN GAS EXECUTION METHOD, RULES IT IS UNCONSTITUTIONALLY CRUEL

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At trial, forensic psychiatrist Dr. William Bernet testified that the crime had "satanic elements" but also appeared to involve "the phenomenon of collective aggression, in which a group of people become emotionally aroused and 'the end result is that they engage in some kind of violent, extremely violent activity,'" court records show.

SOUTH CAROLINA INMATE WHO BELIEVES HE IS IMMORTAL CANNOT BE EXECUTED DUE TO MENTAL ILLNESS, JUDGE RULES

Dr. Eric Engum testified that Pike had been diagnosed with "very severe borderline personality disorder" in addition to showing signs of cannabis dependence and depression. However, he said, she had no symptoms of brain damage or insanity.

NEW HAMPSHIRE RESENTENCING GIVES DARTMOUTH KILLER ROBERT TULLOCH A PAROLE PATH AFTER SUPREME COURT RULING

GOT A TIP?

Pike took a piece of the victim's crushed skull as a trophy and later showed it off in school, recounting that Slemmer had begged the trio to stop, according to court records. Pike told the friend she'd cut Slemmer's throat a half-dozen times and then smashed her head with a rock. She showed off her bloodstained sneakers to another classmate and brought Slemmer's skull fragment to breakfast the next morning.

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Neither Shipp nor the third attacker, Shadolla Peterson, received death sentences. Shipp was under 18 at the time and not eligible for capital punishment. Peterson testified for the state.

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Pike's supporters counter that her defense did a poor job presenting mitigating factors before her sentencing, including untreated bipolar disorder and PTSD stemming from repeated domestic violence and sexual assaults. Just under 25,000 people had signed a petition to Gov. Bill Lee asking him to commute her death sentence to life in prison.

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The Associated Press and Fox News' Shannon Bream and Bill Mears contributed to this report.

Netanyahu praises heroic bystander for preventing ‘another 9/11’ and more top headlines

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 07:20:08 -0400

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

TOP 3

1. Netanyahu praises heroic bystander for preventing ‘another 9/11’

2. Iran leaders 'overstayed their welcome' in US after talks stalled

3. GOP senator joins push for AI liability

MAJOR HEADLINES

EXECUTION CHAOS — Tennessee inmate Christa Pike still alive after two lethal injections, lawyer says. Continue reading …

DOUBLING DOWN — Lindsay Clancy lawyer pushes back on claims he shifted strategy after mistrial in new interview. Continue reading …

VICTORY LAP — Right erupts in celebration after White House post showing huge Trump win on key issue. Continue reading …

PERILOUS PLUNGE — Frantic 911 call captures moments after UGA student falls from eighth floor. Continue reading …

SHOW GOES ON — Actor unloads after $110B Hollywood megadeal gets green light. Continue reading …

POLITICS

‘DISGUSTING’ — Progressive lawmaker's baby bump photo sparks online firestorm as she faces prison time. Continue reading …

BALLOT BOX GRIEF — Teen's tragic killing by illegal immigrant becomes flashpoint in battle for control of Congress. Continue reading …

COMPETING REALITIES — Election crime arrests keep piling up as Dems insist it 'just doesn't happen'. Continue reading …

WINNERS & LOSERS — States leading nation on the biggest education battles gripping classrooms revealed in first-ever report. Continue reading …

Click here for more cartoons…

MEDIA

OVERDUE DEBTS — Advocates push $800K direct checks for each qualifying Black American. Continue reading …

OVAL OFFICE DREAMS — Newsom reveals late-night calls with former president as 2028 buzz builds around him. Continue reading …

LEGAL U-TURN — 'The View' rips Lindsay Clancy's attorney's latest defense strategy denying evidence. Continue reading …

NETWORK ON NOTICE — Radio host issues 'hell to pay' threat to ABC in interview on Jimmy Kimmel's show. Continue reading …

OPINION

DAN GAINOR — Deadly cartels know where our border agents live. We have to protect their families. Continue reading …

LYNNE JORDAL MARTIN — I escaped communism. America must not ignore the urgent warning signs. Continue reading …

IN OTHER NEWS

POSTSEASON PUSH — Dream put past playoff nightmares to bed with convincing series win over Washington. Continue reading …

NOT BUYING IT — Piers Morgan questions Princess Diana’s brother’s explosive claims about King Charles. Continue reading …

HIDDEN PATHOGENS — Surprising culprit tied to 1 in 8 cancer cases worldwide. Continue reading …

AMERICAN CULTURE QUIZ — Test yourself on Taylor's triumph and favorite food findings. Take the quiz here …

LISTEN

Tune in as President Trump hits the campaign trail as Senate races, fundraising pressures and agricultural concerns shape the GOP’s midterm strategy. Check it out ...

PODCASTS

Sean Hannity sits down with legendary philosopher and professor Dr. Cornel West on ‘Hang Out With Sean Hannity.’ Check it out…

Solo episode of ‘Planet Tyrus' as Tyrus talks about his weight-loss journey. Check it out…

‘Will Cain Country' explores culture, sports, and comedy with Vince August & Lawrence Jones. Check it out…

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What's it looking like in your neighborhood? Continue reading…

Thank you for making us your first choice in the morning! We'll see you in your inbox first thing Friday.

How to protect family photos and files from ransomware

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 07:16:39 -0400

Think about what you would be most upset to lose if something happened to your computer. For me, it would be the photos and videos you cannot replace. But your computer may also hold years of tax returns, medical records, scanned IDs, insurance paperwork, legal documents and other files you would hate to suddenly lose access to.

That is exactly what makes ransomware so damaging. It can lock or encrypt files so you can no longer open them, then the attacker demands money to give you access again. Even if you pay, there is no guarantee you will get everything back. By the time a ransom message appears on your screen, a lot of the damage may already be done.

The smarter move is to prepare before that ever happens. Here are the steps I would take to protect the files you care about most and make recovery a lot easier if ransomware ever hits.

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Our free CyberGuy LIVE class Get Better Healthcare With AI has ended, but you can still watch the full replay. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson walks you through five practical ways AI can help you organize your health history, remember important appointment details, understand complicated medical information, research prescriptions and prepare smarter questions for your doctor. No technical experience is needed.

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153 MILLION DRIVER'S LICENSE SCANS MAY BE ON THE DARK WEB

Start with the files you would hate to lose

Before choosing a backup method, make a short list of your most important files. You do not have to organize your entire computer in one afternoon. Start with family photos and videos, recent tax returns, medical and insurance records, passports or scanned IDs, mortgage or lease documents, wills, financial statements and work or creative projects. Include files stored in your Downloads, Desktop and Documents folders if they are important to you.

Give files clear names and place them in easy-to-find folders. For example, you might create folders called "Taxes," "Medical," "Home," "Family Photos" and "Important IDs." This makes it easier to back up the right material and find it later. Avoid keeping the only copy of a document in an email inbox, on a phone or inside a single computer folder. Those locations may be convenient, but they should not be your entire backup strategy.

Build backups before you need them

A backup is another copy of a file stored somewhere else. If your computer fails, is stolen or becomes infected, you have a way to recover your information. One commonly recommended approach is the 3-2-1 backup strategy: keep three copies of important data on two different types of storage, with at least one copy kept somewhere separate from your main device or location. For many households, a practical setup might include the files on your computer, a regularly updated external drive and a trusted cloud backup or storage service.

Keep an external backup drive disconnected when you are not using it. If it remains attached to an infected computer, ransomware may be able to reach files on that drive too. Cloud services can add another layer between your files and your computer. Before relying on one, check what it covers, how much storage is included and how file restoration works. Also remember that cloud storage and cloud backup are not always the same thing. A storage service may sync changes across devices, while a backup service may provide separate copies or previous versions that can help with recovery.

Make your backups useful, not just automatic

Automatic backups are helpful because you do not have to remember to run them every week. But an automatic backup does you little good if you cannot restore anything from it. Choose a few files occasionally and confirm that they appear in your backup location. Then try restoring a copy to a different folder. This can uncover problems with permissions, file selection or an expired account before you are dealing with an emergency. Protect backup and cloud-storage accounts with strong, unique passwords and multifactor authentication. Multifactor authentication requires another form of verification beyond your password and can make it harder for someone to get into your account if your password is compromised.

Pay attention to the date of your most recent successful backup. A backup that has not run for months may be missing your newest family photos, tax records or work. Also look at whether your service keeps previous versions of files. Version history can be useful if something is accidentally deleted, overwritten or encrypted. Check your provider's retention and recovery policies so you know how far back you can restore files.

SCAMMERS KNOW THE BEST TIME TO TEXT YOU

Reduce the chance of ransomware getting in

Ransomware can start with a deceptive email, text message, website, attachment or download. A few habits can help reduce the chances of letting it onto your computer in the first place:

Be suspicious of unexpected messages. A scam may claim that a package is delayed, an account needs attention or an invoice is overdue. Pause before opening attachments or clicking links.
Go directly to the source. If a message appears to come from a bank, tax service, medical provider or government agency, open the organization's official website or app yourself instead of following a link in the message.
Download software from trusted sources. Stick with the developer's official website or a trusted app store. Be cautious with free screensavers, unexpected browser-update warnings, unofficial video players and software that asks you to turn off security protections before installing it.
Keep your software updated. Install updates for your operating system, browser and commonly used applications. Turn on automatic updates where practical so known security holes are patched sooner.
Use a standard account for everyday use. When possible, avoid using an administrator account for routine tasks. That can limit some of the changes an unwanted program is allowed to make.
Give each person their own account. If several people share a computer, use separate accounts instead of sharing one login and password.

What to do if files suddenly look encrypted

If files suddenly will not open, filenames or extensions have changed or a ransom message appears, act quickly. What you do next can help limit the damage and protect any clean backups you still have.

Disconnect the affected device

Disconnect the computer from Wi-Fi and unplug its Ethernet cable if one is connected. This can help stop ransomware from reaching shared drives, other computers or network resources. Also disconnect external hard drives or other backup storage if you can do so safely. If you cannot disconnect the affected computer from the network, powering it down may help stop further spread. Disconnecting it first is preferable because shutting down the computer can erase information from memory that may be useful during an investigation.

Leave the encrypted files in place

Do not start deleting encrypted files or the ransom note. They may contain information that helps identify the ransomware involved. If a ransom message is displayed, take a photo of it with another device so you have a record of what appeared on the screen. Do not open additional suspicious files, install random recovery programs or follow instructions in the ransom note without first getting professional guidance.

Do not rush to pay the ransom

Paying does not guarantee that you will receive a working decryption key or get your files back. The FBI does not support paying ransomware demands and recommends that victims report ransomware incidents.

Get help and report the attack

If this is a personal computer, contact your security provider or a reputable computer-repair or cybersecurity professional. You can also report ransomware to the FBI through the Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov or contact your local FBI field office. If the affected computer belongs to your employer, stop using it and contact your IT or security department immediately. Do not attempt to clean or restore a work computer yourself unless your organization instructs you to do so.

Restore backups only after the threat is removed

Do not reconnect an external backup drive to an infected computer. The affected device should first be evaluated, cleaned or rebuilt so you do not accidentally expose a good backup to the same ransomware. Once the computer is clean, you can restore files from a backup created before the ransomware infection. If you do not have a usable backup, recovery can be much more difficult. Some ransomware variants have free decryption tools available, but there is no universal tool that can recover every encrypted file.

Add another layer of protection against ransomware

Strong security software can add another layer between your important files and ransomware. Look for real-time protection that continuously monitors for malware, suspicious downloads and other threats instead of relying only on occasional manual scans.

A firewall can also help monitor network activity and block suspicious connections, while tools such as password managers and scam protection can help reduce other ways attackers may try to get into your accounts or devices.

Security software can lower your risk, but no product can guarantee that every threat will be stopped. That is why it should work alongside safer online habits and a separate, tested backup that gives you another way to recover your files if ransomware gets through.

Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at CyberGuy.com.

A simple monthly protection routine

You do not need to spend hours managing your cybersecurity. Once a month, set aside a few minutes to check the protections you already have in place.

Check your software and security

Confirm that your operating system, browser and security software are updated.
Delete old downloads and remove software you no longer use.
Review important accounts and turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) where it is available.

Make sure your backups actually work

Check the date of your most recent successful backup and make sure it includes your newest important files.
Open your backup and restore one backed-up file to a different folder so you know recovery works.
If you use an external drive, disconnect it after the backup finishes instead of leaving it plugged in all the time.
Keep at least one backup isolated from your main computer, such as on a disconnected external drive or in a separately protected backup service.
If you use cloud backup, review its file-version history and recovery settings, so you know how far back you can restore files.

Give everyone in the house a quick reminder

Make sure family members know not to click unexpected links, open suspicious attachments or approve unusual sign-in requests.

This routine is not complicated, and it does not require you to become a cybersecurity expert. The goal is to make sure that if ransomware, a device failure or another problem hits, you already have another copy of the files you care about and know how to get them back.

Kurt's key takeaways

Ransomware can turn years of family photos and important records into files you suddenly cannot open. For me, security software and safer online habits are only part of the protection I want in place. I also want a separate backup of anything I would be devastated to lose, and I want to know that backup actually works before I need it. Spending a few minutes each month checking updates, backups and account security can put you in a much better position if ransomware ever hits.

If ransomware locked your computer today, how confident are you that you could recover the photos and documents you care about most? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.

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NASCAR star Ross Chastain reacts to Darrell Waltrip's 'sad' frontotemporal degeneration diagnosis

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 07:10:04 -0400

The NASCAR community is rallying around Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip.

Waltrip and his family announced in a statement last week that he had been diagnosed with frontotemporal degeneration (FTD), complicated by possible chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). NASCAR star Ross Chastain said Waltrip has been a staple of the sport for Chastain’s entire life.

"Sad. I mean, Darrell's a guy that I've known his name my entire life, and then I've gotten to meet him just a few times. Yeah, it's just, it's sad to think of age and everything that they said the announcement is, I read it just like everybody else did, and I haven't talked to anybody," Chastain told OutKick in a recent interview on behalf of Busch Light.

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Chastain said that he and the community will support Waltrip however they can. Waltrip’s family said his condition was likely caused by injuries sustained during his illustrious racing career.

"While this disease will inevitably progress, thankfully it is currently limited to some minor noticeable symptoms," the statement, put out by Darrell and his wife, Stevie, said. "As a result, he will be stepping further away from the public limelight. Be assured, Darrell is happy and otherwise healthy — spending his time with his wife, Stevie, two daughters and his three young grandchildren. We are all grateful for your continued prayer, love and support!"

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The family signed the statement with Waltrip’s famous "Boogity! Boogity! Boogity!" catchphrase, which he said as a NASCAR on FOX analyst at the beginning of every race. Waltrip was a broadcaster for 19 years before retiring in 2019.

He has made a few brief appearances in the booth since his retirement, with his most recent appearance coming in March at Darlington, when he delivered his trademark catchphrase.

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As a driver, Waltrip is a three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and a Daytona 500 winner. His 84 Cup Series wins are the fifth-most in NASCAR history.

Players and media hate Fever fans for one simple reason: They think they're conservative

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 07:03:26 -0400

They don't hate them because they're White.

A myriad of White fans have supported the WNBA since the league's inception, and they've backed Black players like Maya Moore, Lisa Leslie and Sheryl Swoopes with the same enthusiasm as they have White players like Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, and Lauren Jackson.

They don't hate them because they're "new," either. Players and media all want to see the league grow because it puts more money in their pockets or eyeballs on their stories.

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No, the reason there is such contempt for Indiana Fever fans — who seem to endure a new slight or attack every week — is for one reason: They're viewed as conservative.

Former ESPN anchor Cari Champion put it about as plainly as possible in a podcast a couple weeks back when she said Fever star Caitlin Clark is "an avatar for middle America" and represents a fan base that "wants to spread hate." Translation: People who live in live flyover states are likely to be as backward as they are bigoted.

A couple months earlier, CNN contributor Leah Asmelash wrote a column entitled: "How the right wing decided to care about women's basketball in Indiana," in which she zeroed in on conservatives' support for Clark and fellow Fever guard Sophie Cunningham.

Before that, the Guardian's Manny Fidel published a piece entitled "The right's fury over Caitlin Clark is about everything except Caitlin Clark," with Fidel noting how "politicians, pundits and fans from across the right decried the decision" of Clark being left off the Olympic team. How he knew that the fans upset with the snub were on the right is unclear. That has simply become the assumption.

First off, there is no way to know whether the majority of Fever fans are conservative or not. It's likely that most of them have simply been lured in by the two most popular players in the WNBA. One is Clark, who built an unprecedented fan base during her time at Iowa, where she was half Magic Johnson and half Steph Curry — pulling up from 28 feet several times per game while leading the nation in scoring and assists three times. The other is Cunningham, who, in addition to having end-your-marriage looks, is as effervescent and engaging as anyone in the sport. Her devoted following preceded any political stances she took.

Nevertheless, these players' fans have been labeled "right wing," and that has predictable consequences in a league that overwhelmingly leans the other way.

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The most recent example, of course, is Aces forward A'ja Wilson furiously charging toward a Fever fan in the fourth quarter of Tuesday's playoff game in Indiana after he (gasp!) pointed at her and said "that (foul) is on you. As OutKick's Dan Zaksheske pointed out, none of the announcers or pundits on the Amazon Prime broadcast came to the fan's defense, and it was Wilson who later said that she was disrespected.

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This seems to keep happening, evidence be damned. In August, Aces guard Jackie Young had two fans removed from their seats at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis for "chirping all game," but an investigation determined that the fans hadn't violated any code of conduct.

Last year, then-Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese claimed Fever fans hurled racist comments her way, but again, an investigation yielded no proof. And in 2024, then-Mercury center Brittney Griner said "I don't appreciate the new fans that sit there and yell racial slurs at myself, my teammates and the people they play against."

We know what "new" fans she was talking about, but there wasn't a morsel of evidence backing up her words.

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Unsurprisingly, no player, coach or mainstream media member has challenged any of these narratives. Why? Because they desperately want these so-called right-wing fans to be the villains. And when the evidence doesn't cooperate, it threatens their worldview and causes considerable consternation.

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It's sort of like when the Mueller report failed to establish criminal collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. How many anti-Trumpers saw that and went "phew! The president isn't conspiring with a hostile foreign power!"? Approximately zero. Because they were seeking affirmation, not information.

The WNBA is a league in which coaches, such as Cheryl Reeve, say that those who want to separate biological males and females in sports "don't want transgender people to exist." It's an organization in which players such as Wilson and DiJonai Carrington decry "white privilege." And a good chunk of the media who cover them walk in lockstep with their ideology.

In their minds, fans ignoring such politics aren't everyday people who just want to watch hoops. They're deplorables.

Perhaps the most egregious tweet regarding this matter came from USA Today writer Prince J. Grimes, who introduced his column Tuesday by writing "You can say A'ja Wilson overreacted, but in a split second of looking up, she perceived a fan's forward movement as a threat. In the context of everything with that fanbase, I can't blame her."

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No doubt there's a great deal of hate surrounding Fever fans. But it's not coming from them —it's coming toward them.

Piers Morgan questions Princess Diana’s brother’s explosive claims about King Charles after error about him

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 07:00:48 -0400

Piers Morgan says Charles Spencer's public apology isn't enough.

The British broadcaster told Fox News Digital he is still pursuing legal action over what he calls defamatory passages in Spencer's memoir, "Swan Song: Diana, My Sister," even after Spencer acknowledged a factual error and apologized.

"He's published an egregious defamatory lie about me, and that lie remains in copies of the book being sold all over the world, including the United States," Morgan told Fox News Digital. "Although he's rushed out an apology and admitted that it was completely untrue what he said about me, he hasn't removed it from the book."

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"My legal team has been in touch with him and his publishers demanding that they remove the book from sale and reissue the book without the offending pages," Morgan said. "It's not just a one-off reference. We're talking about several pages here."

Spencer denied that Morgan had sued him, prompting Morgan to release correspondence from his lawyers showing they had contacted Spencer and his publisher, The Sun reported.

Morgan wants any damages paid to The King's Trust, a youth charity King Charles III founded in 1976 as the Prince of Wales.

WATCH: PIERS MORGAN CHALLENGES CHARLES SPENCER'S CLAIMS ABOUT KING CHARLES

Fox News Digital reached out to Penguin Press, the U.S. publisher of "Swan Song," and Althorp for comment.

The book incorrectly identifies Morgan as the editor of the Daily Mirror when Mirror Group newspapers published photographs of Diana exercising in a gym in November 1993, People magazine reported. According to the outlet, Morgan was working at The Sun at the time and didn't become editor of the Daily Mirror until 1995.

Spencer acknowledged the error but stood by his recollection that Morgan was "surly and annoyed" when Spencer called Morgan to tell him he was not welcome at Diana's 1997 funeral.

"Earl Spencer's account of his conversation with Piers Morgan is accurate," read a statement published by People magazine. "Mr. Morgan was surly and annoyed when Earl Spencer called personally to tell him that he was not welcome at his sister's funeral."

"The book then records Earl Spencer's assumption that Mr. Morgan's response was because he was editor of the Daily Mirror when the Mirror Group had published highly intrusive photographs of Princess Diana at the gym," the statement continued.

"As a historian, accuracy is important to Earl Spencer. He therefore wishes to clarify that his assumption was incorrect. Earl Spencer apologizes to Mr. Morgan for this error."

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People reported that the passage will be corrected in the second edition of "Swan Song." Spencer has not withdrawn his account of the conversation itself, only his mistaken assumption that Morgan was editor of the Daily Mirror at the time.

Morgan said the error casts doubt on the accuracy of other claims in the memoir, including Spencer's account of what King Charles allegedly said after Diana's death.

"He's claiming to be a historian," Morgan said. "He says he's written this as a work of historical record to set the record straight about his sister, Princess Diana, one of the most talked-about people, obviously, of modern times. But he makes incredibly incendiary allegations against our now-king, Prince Charles, in which he claims that within hours of Diana dying, he spoke to Prince Charles on the phone and Prince Charles sounded as giddy as a lottery winner with excitement that Diana had died."

"It's hard to imagine a more disgusting thing to say," Morgan said. "I don't believe for a moment that Charles was like that. In fact, I had Paul Burrell, Diana's former butler, on my show last week saying that he saw the prince in Paris within hours of Diana dying and the man was a broken man. [He] was utterly grief-stricken. So why this matters about what happened to me is that people have been questioning the accuracy of his memory of these phone calls with King Charles."

In the book, Spencer recalled a conversation with then-Prince Charles about whether Diana's sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, then 15 and 12, would walk behind her coffin during the funeral procession. Spencer said a royal aide informed him about the plan and that he opposed it. Charles then called Spencer, leading to what Spencer described as a heated exchange.

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

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Spencer wrote that he was "so stunned" that he took a few seconds before replying, "I can't believe you just said that," and hanging up.

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

A palace spokesperson told Fox News Digital they had no further comment.

Spencer has stood by the account, telling the BBC, "I'm telling the truth."

Morgan rejected Spencer's account.

"I can't imagine for a moment [the king] would say that about the mother of his children," Morgan said. "This goes to the heart of the credibility of the book. If he can get something so grotesquely wrong about me over several pages, which is so easy to check and prove he got it wrong, then why should we believe him about anything he says about King Charles? That's why it matters."

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Morgan also disputes Spencer's recollection of their phone call.

"His account of how he did that and how I was with him is completely untrue," Morgan said. "He says that I was snarling, I was rude, I was all these things. I would simply ask people, how realistic is that? This guy's just lost his sister. Is it likely that I, as a newspaper editor who was very friendly with Diana, friendly with her mother and Earl Spencer's mother, that I would treat a family member in a snarling or rude manner? I don’t think it is."

"At the end of the call, I said to him that I would like him to pass on my deepest condolences to his mother, who I knew very well. And he said he would do that and thanked me. That's not a snarly, rude conversation."

Morgan said he wrote about the phone call in his 2005 book, "The Insider."

"I put it to people that if he's so wrong about the tone of my conversation with him that week, then why should we believe him when he says that Charles was giddy with excitement?"

Spencer told People magazine during an interview at Althorp that his duty as a historian is "to lay down facts."

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"And that's what I'm doing," he told the outlet. "There's no viciousness. I'm not resentful or bitter or any of those things."

Spencer said his priority was to honor his sister.

"The central person, the only one that really matters, is Diana," he said.

Exclusive: New church campaign says America's family crisis won't be solved by politics, but by pastors

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 07:00:25 -0400

America's birthrate has fallen to just 1.57 births per woman, a level that one Christian leader warns could reshape the nation's future if the trend continues.

"For every 200 people in a population, they'll be replaced by only 157," Communio founder and President J.P. De Gance told Fox News Digital. "We're at the cusp of a major civilizational bottleneck."

Now, Communio is launching a nationwide "Family and Civilization" campaign, obtained first by Fox News Digital, urging churches to take a more active role in strengthening marriages and families.

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The initiative argues that churches, not government, have historically helped rebuild family life during periods of societal decline and can do so again by encouraging healthy relationships before they reach crisis.

"Our message to churches is we should be helping," De Gance said. "Our young people know this, right? We shouldn't be talking to our kids more frequently about a great college, a great career over and above. These are good things, but they shouldn't be spoken of in exclusion to seeking and being intentional about relationships."

According to De Gance, the loneliest and unhappiest segment of the population are unmarried young people.

"And the reality is, the loneliest people in America right now are not the elderly and are not the widow, it's the unmarried in their 30s are disproportionately the most likely to say that they're lonely," De Gance said. "And if parents understood that this means that their kids are more likely to die 15 years shorter — that's what the public health data says — they would be probably sharing a different message to their kids in youth, in high school, in those college years and to be intentional with their relationships in their 20s."

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In addition to churches encouraging marriage, De Gance said it is also on parents to encourage their children, as marriage is often the last thing prioritized when it comes to a child’s future career and life decisions.

"Nine out of 10 parents say it's important that their kids have a fulfilling career, but only 2 in 10 or 1 in 5 parents say it's important that their kids get married, and only 1 in 5 say it's important that their kids have children, right," De Gance said.

"Now the reality is, our kids, our young people, are actually doing what they're being taught to do. That they're seeking material well-being over and above these enduring, lifelong goods of close connection through marriage and family. What we're hoping to do is inspire churches to cast vision positively around marriage and family," he said.

A 2023 study from Pew Research found nearly half the parents who responded to the survey said that it is not very important or not important at all to them for their kids to marry, or even have kids themselves.

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Being financially independent, having careers, and earning a college degree ranked much higher for parents than their kids getting married or having children.

Part of their ask to churches and pastors, De Gance said, is to encourage churches to talk about marriage more.

"Look, 85% of all churches spend nothing in the area of marriage and relationship ministry. Ninety-one percent have nothing for singles," DeGance said.

"But one thing they can do this Sunday and in future Sundays is always talk aspirationally, preach aspirationally about the beauty of Christian marriage, help folks, aspire to it, lay out that great mystery that the Apostle Paul talks about in Ephesians 5, that human marriage is actually the symbol, the sign of Christ's sacrificial love for his bride, the church? And that's something a church can do right now, so that our young people are always thinking about it. And aspire to it, and then provide the practical guidance to be able to seek it out," he said.

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Another thing churches can do, De Gance said, is to bring young people together, both inside and outside of church, in order to help spur more marriages.

"We can become a lot more strategic after that, where we're creating environments where people meet in real life. We should not abdicate our responsibility to technology and dating apps, right," he said.

"Church should be a venue where young people meet, form community, have fun outside of spiritual and faith formation. The local church used to be the hub for civic life. And it's our message that given the loneliness and isolation, the church is perfectly positioned, to be that hub once again."

He said he holds on to hope that society will be reminded of the beauty of marriage by witnessing it.

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"There's an old saying in economics, ‘A trend that can't go on forever, won't,’ and the reality is, our current decline isn't going to continue," De Gance said.

"At some point, there will be a major rebound. I'm filled with hope, and I'm also an optimist that those who grasp the great good of married life and seek the happiness that's most frequently found in it. These are the folks that are most likely to marry, the most likely to have kids. It's going to bring about a significant renewal and revival in the West. We think that the church can accelerate that."

DAN GAINOR: The AI apocalypse is the media's latest scare campaign. Don't buy it

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 07:00:22 -0400

The legacy media have decided we are facing mankind’s doom. The phrase "AI apocalypse" crops up on numerous news sites, from Reuters to The Economist. Other outlets have gone with "AI doomsday" or other formulations that look like they come from Revelation.

Journalists aren’t entirely to blame, either. The problem is being spammed into our culture by a combination of artificial intelligence (AI) industry experts, conspiracy theorists, and Chinese-sponsored social media. Turn to CNN, and it asks, "Will AI really kill everyone? How, exactly?" Meanwhile, Axios writes, "Here's how AI could kill us all (if the worst fears come true)." Scared? That’s the goal.

Here’s a sentence from CNN that sums up pretty much every warning you can read anywhere: "‘It really is about literally everyone on the planet dying, like the last human drawing the last breath,’ said Nate Soares, the president of the Machine Intelligence Research Institute (MIRI) and the coauthor of ‘If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies: Why Superhuman AI Would Kill Us All.’"

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Subtle.

But it’s also very familiar. It reads like every apocalyptic warning we’ve had in the past 50 years. Let’s recap: Killer bees (at least that got us some classic "Saturday Night Live" John Belushi humor), then murder hornets, the more recent version. Supervolcanoes or the earthquake that will sink California into the sea. Fracking, meteors, pandemics (ahem!), economic collapse, space aliens and lots more.

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The media especially love stories tied to weather because those are good year-round. We’ve had global cooling (1970s), global warming, or the Al Gore-inspired version called "climate change." That’s good no matter what happens. Go back to the late 1800s, and the press warned about global cooling. Then it warned about warming in the 1930s during the Dust Bowl. Then the Cold War brought us cooling, and so on. A 1975 New York Times piece cautioned, "Scientists Ponder Why World's Climate Is Changing: A Major Cooling Widely Considered to Be Inevitable." I guess it was pretty evitable, and, yes, that’s a word. (Thank you, Susie Dent.)

We even had pollution, DDT and the hole in the ozone layer as well. None of those make the news much now because we have moved on to other timely crises.

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Those of us who follow the media are used to all this. It all comes from the Fear Industrial Complex. That’s a mixture of governments, NGOs, politicians, activists, journalists and business people who want us all scared. Because scared people don’t do what we want. We do what they want. And they don’t want us to ask questions while we do it.

Fund the cause! Support the issue! Don’t you care about ______? How dare you?

Oh, wait, I know where I heard that last line before.

"Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg," as she is sometimes described, popularized it. No one embodies the flexible nature of the fear freakout better than she does. She broke onto the scene in her native land protesting climate change. She famously rebuked the U.N. Climate Summit with the scolding quote, "How dare you?" Then, when that drifted from the news, she took up "Free Palestine," even appearing on one of the phony boat flotillas to Gaza and bashing Israel and anyone who doesn’t agree with her. Mark my words, she’ll be whining about AI soon enough. If you are a leftist activist, you need to keep your name in the news on whatever the protest du jour is.

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It doesn’t even matter whether the cause of the day is real or not. Look at our ever-changing climate. The press is so convinced it is right about global warming that it doesn’t report when it is wrong. Former CBS News anchor Scott Pelley, who used to cover the environment, actually compared climate change skeptics to Holocaust deniers and claimed, "There comes a point in journalism where striving for balance becomes irresponsible." That’s from 2006, around the time of former Vice President Gore’s "An Inconvenient Truth." Twenty years later, we are still alive … inconveniently.

For those in the Fear Industrial Complex, that lack of balance is an everyday occurrence, moving from one fear-inducing cataclysm to another. And if you don’t go along, you are, as Pelley put it, a "denier." Yet, back in May, even the New York Times ended up reporting, "Why Scientists Retired the Dire Climate Scenario Used for Over a Decade." Turns out, the claims were overblown. I’m not surprised.

All of this is reminiscent of the Michael Crichton book "State of Fear." I say "book" because it was politically incorrect, so it never got a movie treatment, even though adaptations of his works have brought in billions of dollars, including "Jurassic Park," "Westworld" and "The Andromeda Strain." In "State of Fear," environmental extremists cause disasters and blame them on climate change.

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One character in the book made a point I will never forget: "Industrialized nations provide their citizens with unprecedented safety, health, and comfort. Average life spans increased fifty percent in the last century. Yet modern people live in abject fear. They are afraid of strangers, of disease, of crime, of the environment. They are afraid of the homes they live in, the food they eat, the technology that surrounds them."

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Sure, some of this can be blamed on a media tendency to go with, "If it bleeds, it leads." But it’s a bad day when our science — on AI, climate, robots, and more — is being decided by science fiction. Speaking as a sci-fi author, leave that territory to us. You buy our books, so we can thrill, entertain, and, yes, even scare you. That’s not the job of journalism.

Remember that the next time you read about the end of the world.

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Surprising culprit tied to 1 in 8 cancer cases worldwide, major study reveals

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 07:00:21 -0400

About one in eight new cancer cases worldwide in 2024 — 2.3 million cases — have been linked to infections, according to a new analysis from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

The researchers identified 12 specific infections that were linked to human cancer cases, including Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus, Schistosoma haematobium, HTLV-1, Opisthorchis viverrini, Clonorchis sinensis, Merkel cell polyomavirus and HIV.

The following five infections contributed to nearly all the global cases.

H. pylori : ~760,000 cases
HPV: ~750,000 cases
HBV: ~360,000 cases
EBV: ~260,000 cases
HCV: ~160,000 cases

"The findings underscore the major role that infection control can play in reducing the global cancer burden," said study co-author Dr. Harriet Rumgay, a scientist in the Cancer Surveillance Branch at IARC, in a press release.

"Despite progress in vaccination and screening, infection-related cancers remain a major global challenge, with the burden falling disproportionately on populations in low- and middle-income countries."

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The researchers say many of these cancers could have been prevented through vaccination, treatment or screenings.

The study, conducted in France, analyzed cancer data from 2024. The findings were published in The Lancet Oncology on Sept. 28.

Study limitations

The study had several limitations, the researchers acknowledged.

Because the study used population-level estimates rather than tracking individual patients over time, the results depended on the quality of available cancer data in each country.

Additionally, it only included infections already proven to cause cancer, so the total impact could be underestimated.

"We know that there are certain infections that we are exposed to over our lifetime that may result in an increased risk of certain cancers," Dr. Joshua Cohen, medical director of the Gynecologic Cancer Program of City of Hope Orange County in Irvine, California, told Fox News Digital.

"However, most cancers are not caused by infection."

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HPV is one of the most common drivers of cancers that arise along the rectum, vagina or cervix, as well as the oropharynx (back of the throat), according to Cohen, who was not involved in the study.

"Eighty percent of the population has been exposed to certain types of HPV strains," he said. "About 40,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with these cancers each year."

For most people who are exposed to HPV, the body will clear the virus on its own, Cohen said.

"We don't know why some patients' immune systems allow them to clear the HPV infection and some don't."

Another very common cancer, although less so in the U.S., is gastric cancer, he noted, which is linked to H. Pylori, an infection in the stomach.

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"We don't screen everybody for H. pylori in the U.S. — it's more common in other parts of the world, like Southeast Asia."

However, those who have peptic ulcer disease or significant epigastric pain should talk with a gastroenterologist about getting screened and treated for H. pylori, the doctor advised.

Prevention strategies

There are things people can do to reduce the risk of infection-related cancers, according to Cohen.

"As a patient, the most important thing is to think about your health, what you can do to prevent yourself from developing these infections or your family," he said.

"And if you do have one of these infections, what can you do to reduce your risk of developing a subsequent cancer?"

Cohen emphasized that Americans have access to an HPV vaccination that can help prevent many of these infections.

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"If you’re under the age of 45 and you've not had an HPV vaccination, there is various good safety data that you should get vaccinated," he said. "That will cover, at least in the U.S., most risks regarding oropharyngeal cancers, vaginal cancers, cervical cancers, penile cancers and anal cancers."

The doctor reiterated that developing one of the listed infections doesn’t necessarily mean someone will develop cancer.

"The vast majority of patients who have an HPV infection or H. Pylori, or even hepatitis B or C, are not going to develop cancer," he said.

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But because these infections have been associated with certain cancers, it’s important to seek treatment for them.

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Symptoms such as epigastric pain (pain or discomfort in the upper middle part of your abdomen), acid reflux, abnormal vaginal bleeding or pain with swallowing could be related to medical conditions that may be associated with certain infections or cancer, the doctor warned.

"There are steps we can take as doctors to keep you safe and hopefully reduce the risk of developing cancer for those that have had an infection," Cohen added.

FAA breaks controller hiring record after chief warned system was ‘chronically understaffed’

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 07:00:19 -0400

FIRST ON FOX: The Federal Aviation Administration broke its all-time record for air traffic controller hiring this year, bringing on 2,235 trainees as the agency works to reverse years of staffing shortages across the nation.

The FAA surpassed its fiscal year 2026 goal of hiring 2,200 air traffic controller trainees, marking the most hired in a single fiscal year in agency history, the Department of Transportation told Fox News Digital exclusively.

The agency also reached its highest certified controller staffing level in a decade, with 11,027 certified professional controllers as of Sept. 30, up from 10,694 at the end of fiscal year 2025, according to the DOT.

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"We’re recruiting, hiring, and training more air traffic controllers than ever before—and the numbers show it," Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told Fox News Digital.

"Thanks to President Trump, we've shaved months off the hiring pipeline, dramatically expanded our collegiate training programs, and inspired thousands of young gamers to pursue this exciting career," Duffy said. "This is an important milestone, but not the finish line as we work to reverse decades of staffing shortages."

The record comes less than five months after the FAA unveiled an aggressive three-year workforce plan aimed at rebuilding a controller workforce strained by staffing shortages, mandatory overtime and lengthy training timelines.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford had offered a stark assessment of the problem during congressional testimony last December, warning lawmakers that the agency would "never" reach adequate staffing under its previous structure.

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"We’ll never catch up," Bedford said. "The system is designed to be chronically understaffed."

The FAA's 2026-2028 Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan, first reported by Fox News Digital in May, called for hiring 2,200 controller trainees in fiscal year 2026, 2,300 in fiscal year 2027 and 2,400 in fiscal year 2028.

The agency finished the fiscal year 35 trainees above its first benchmark.

The latest numbers also show growth among controllers who have completed training and become fully certified.

The FAA entered fiscal year 2026 with 10,694 certified professional controllers and ended it with 11,027, a net increase of 333. The agency's workforce plan identifies 12,563 certified professional controllers as the staffing target needed to meet forecast demand.

That leaves the FAA 1,536 certified controllers below its target as it enters fiscal year 2027.

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The DOT told Fox News Digital it does not have an exact timeframe for reaching that benchmark, but said the administration is "supercharging" hiring and expanding its Enhanced Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative.

The record follows another major hiring year in fiscal 2025, when the FAA brought on 2,028 controller trainees, its highest total since 2008.

The administration has moved to accelerate the hiring and training pipeline as the FAA contends with retirements and other workforce losses.

The FAA said in its May workforce plan that roughly 4,000 controllers were in the training pipeline at the time, including approximately 1,000 previously certified controllers training at new facilities.

Becoming a fully certified controller can take more than two years for a new hire, depending on the complexity of the facility where they are assigned.

The administration has also worked to retain experienced controllers while accelerating the pipeline for new ones. Nearly 400 retirement-eligible controllers were retained through a new bonus structure, while DOT says changes to the hiring process have shaved more than five months off the time it takes to bring on new recruits.

The FAA has also expanded its Enhanced Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative, allowing qualified graduates of participating college programs to bypass the FAA Academy and report directly to facilities for on-the-job training.

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The hiring surge comes as the Trump administration undertakes a broader overhaul of the nation's air traffic control system, backed by $12.5 billion for upgrades including telecommunications infrastructure, new radios and radars, and electronic flight strips. The FAA is also expanding simulator-based training and exploring artificial intelligence and machine learning tools to better manage air traffic demand.

The record-setting year marks the first step in the FAA's three-year hiring push. The agency is targeting another 2,300 controller trainees in fiscal year 2027 and 2,400 in fiscal year 2028.

"This is an important milestone," he said, "but not the finish line."

Father-in-law of trans NYT exec admitted killing him, worked 'in concert' with mother-in-law: docs

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 07:00:07 -0400

A California man accused of gunning down his transgender son-in-law allegedly admitted to the shooting after surveillance video captured him and his wife opening fire together in a crowded park, newly filed court documents allege.

Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77, were charged Wednesday with murder in the death of their son-in-law, Jonathan McKinsey, 40. Prosecutors also accused the couple of intentionally killing him by "lying in wait."

Several 911 callers reported gunfire at the Dublin Sports Grounds before a Dublin Police Services sergeant arrived and found McKinsey lying face up with multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

IN-LAWS ARRESTED AFTER NEW YORK TIMES GAMES ENGINEERING DIRECTOR FOUND FATALLY SHOT

Witnesses pointed police toward a black Honda Civic leaving the parking lot, leading officers to conduct a high-risk traffic stop nearby, the filings state.

Chen was driving and allegedly had a firearm in her possession when she was detained, while Zhang was in the passenger seat.

GEORGIA MAN, 18, CHARGED WITH MURDER AFTER DISMEMBERED HUMAN REMAINS FOUND IN CAR TRUNK

Three witnesses identified Chen and Zhang as the shooters, while surveillance video allegedly captured the couple opening fire "in concert" on McKinsey.

Police said the couple opened fire in a crowded park's parking lot with "blatant disregard for public safety," even as several children were nearby.

Police transported Chen to headquarters after her arrest, where she invoked her Miranda rights during questioning.

YEMEN-BORN VAPE SHOP OWNER NEAR OLE MISS FLED COUNTRY AFTER SYNTHETIC DRUG TRAFFICKING INDICTMENT: DOCS

Zhang, however, allegedly spoke with investigators and admitted shooting McKinsey.

"During a later interview [with] Zhang, he admitted to shooting the victim," the court document states.

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Police later searched the Honda and recovered a second firearm that Zhang allegedly admitted using in the shooting.

TRANS NYT GAMES EXECUTIVE KILLED AFTER ACCUSING IN-LAWS OF YEARS OF ABUSE AMID BITTER CUSTODY BATTLE

Prosecutors also added a special-circumstance allegation accusing Chen and Zhang of intentionally killing McKinsey by lying in wait – essentially alleging an ambush in which the attackers waited for an opportunity to strike.

They also allege both Chen and Zhang opened fire on McKinsey, killing him.

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The complaint alleges the killing involved "great violence" and acts showing a "high degree of cruelty, viciousness, or callousness." Prosecutors also allege both defendants were armed or used a weapon during the killing.

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McKinsey's killing came amid a bitter divorce and custody battle with Chen and Zhang's daughter, Candice Jang.

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McKinsey had accused Jang and her parents of years of abuse in court filings before his death. The New York Times reported that McKinsey, a transgender man, alleged some of the abuse stemmed from his gender identity.

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McKinsey accused Chen of directing anti-LGBTQ slurs at him and one of his children and alleged Zhang struck him in the chest while he was recovering from double mastectomy surgery, The Mercury News reported. Jang made competing allegations of domestic violence and child abuse against McKinsey, which he disputed.

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Fox News Digital reviewed court dockets showing McKinsey and Jang were locked in multiple legal battles when McKinsey was killed, including competing domestic violence restraining order cases, a child custody dispute and a pending divorce.

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Jang sought a domestic violence restraining order against McKinsey in October 2025, while McKinsey filed his own request two months later. The competing domestic violence matters were headed toward a three-day hearing in December.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the Alameda County District Attorney's Office and Dublin Police Services for additional information. McKinsey's divorce attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

It was not immediately clear if the suspects had attorneys representing them.

White Sox, Yankees, Padres advance to next round with sweeps as Munetaka Murakami provides quote of the year

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 23:52:30 -0400

Wednesday afternoon had plenty of potential for drama, with all four wild card series offering the potential for teams to advance into the division round of the Major League Baseball playoffs.

The first game of the quadruple-header, the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies, delivered in spades. A Bryce Harper misplay in the 7th inning allowed two Braves' runs to score, putting the Phillies on the brink of elimination. But Schwarber and Harper hit back-to-back homers in the 8th to tie it, and a 10th inning homer for Alec Bohm won it for Philadelphia to force a winner-take-all game three on Thursday.

Then there's the Houston Astros. The Astros entered game two needing a win to force a game three, sending their ace, Hunter Brown, to the mound against the White Sox' powerful lineup. 36 pitches, five hits, four runs, two errors and just two outs later, the White Sox had a 4-0 lead and Brown was out of the game.

YANKEES BULLPEN CATCHER HEAD BUTTS BEN RICE'S GRAND SLAM ON THE FLY IN HILARIOUS MOMENT AGAINST RED SOX

That summed up Houston's series; just not quite good enough to overcome Chicago's offense. The White Sox, one of baseball's most strikeout-prone offenses, had 13 in Wednesday's game, but kept chipping away, fending off an attempted Astros comeback with a massive three-run homer from Chase Meidroth in the 6th inning to give them some breathing room.

Four combined innings from Jordan Hicks and Erick Fedde closed it out to send the White Sox through for a massive ALDS against their division rival Cleveland Guardians. But they weren't done with the entertainment quite yet.

In the postgame clubhouse celebrations, star first year third baseman Munetaka Murakami gave what might be the quote of the season. When asked how he felt, Murakami answered, "100."

A minute later, after being joined by another member of the White Sox staff, Murakami, covered in beer, added, "I'm drunk, I'm drunk. Yesterday, maybe hungover, you know?"

After the interviewer offered a gentle correction, he said, "No, not yesterday, tomorrow. Sorry, I don't speak English."

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Impossible not to root for him.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the American League postseason bracket, the New York Yankees had an opportunity to sweep the hated Boston Red Sox after a dominant 9-0 win in game one. And after Cam Schlittler's remarkable outing on Tuesday, Max Fried was nearly as good on Wednesday.

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Six innings with just one run allowed, three hits, one walk and six strikeouts, enough for New York to take a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth. Which is where everything imploded for Boston. Garrett Crochet, making his first appearance on a big league mound since late-April, took over, hoping to keep the Yankees at two.

Instead, Spencer Jones reached on a strikeout, then stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error from catcher Adley Rutschmann. George Lombard singled in a run, Jazz Chisholm poked one through the right side, Trent Grisham got a bunt down for a hit, knocking Crochet out of the game without getting an out. Garrett Whitlock came in to stop the bleeding, but after two more runs scored on a sac fly and groundout, Cody Bellinger delivered the big blow.

On a 1-0 changeup, Bellinger took advantage of the short right field porch and knocked in three to make it 8-1.

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New York cruised home with a 9-2 win, setting up an ALDS matchup with the Tampa Bay Rays.

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There are a few big takeaways from these two sweeps, namely the importance of power in October baseball. It's an old adage that small ball wins against quality pitching, but it was the homers from Chicago in game one and two that gave them the edge, while Bellinger's bomb effectively put the game out of reach in the Bronx. Even without Aaron Judge, the Yankees' lineup outscored Boston 17-2. And with two days off before the start of the ALDS, Schlittler will be able to start in game two of the ALDS, with Gerrit Cole or Carlos Rodon available for game one.

While the Yankees are through, the other three teams left in the AL bracket are the Guardians, Rays and White Sox. Those teams rank 25th, 26th and 28th in total payroll respectively. There's a long ways to go to reach or win the World Series, but it's a bit of a tough look for MLB that the league office has spent the past few months preparing to lock players out by claiming that small market teams with low payrolls have no hope of meaningful baseball.

Pretty sure those three organizations should have hope. Saturday in Cleveland and Tampa should be a blast. Playoff baseball always is.

Meanwhile, out west, the San Diego Padres sent the Chicago Cubs packing. The electric crowd at Petco Park hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning to bolster the team's lead.

Mason Miller closed the door on the Cubs in the ninth to pick up the save. San Diego won the game, 4-1.

The Padres are set to take on the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Division Series.

Pro-life group says mail-order abortion pills violate federal law, urges Trump admin to take action

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 06:50:33 -0400

EXCLUSIVE: A pro-life group has released a new report calling on the Trump administration to take action against mail-order abortion drugs, arguing that it can enforce a 19th-century federal law to crack down on abortion pill shipments.

In the report obtained by Fox News Digital, the Restoration of America Foundation (ROAF) said Democrat-led states' shield laws — adopted to protect providers in blue states from being prosecuted by GOP state governments — allow providers to ship, or are being used by providers to ship, the abortion pill mifepristone into red states "with no in-person exam or verification of who takes them or whether they take them willingly."

ROAF attributed the growth in mail-order abortions in part to FDA policy changes that suspended the in-person dispensing requirement during the COVID-19 pandemic before making the change permanent, allowing abortion drugs to be prescribed through telehealth and mailed to patients.

BLUE STATE SHIELD LAWS ALLOWED 330K ABORTION PILLS TO BE SENT TO ABORTION BAN STATES, PRO-LIFE GROUP FINDS

The report said nearly 15,000 medication abortions each month were provided under blue state shield laws by June 2025. It also said that by the end of 2024, about 15% of all U.S. abortions were through medication mailed to women in states with abortion restrictions.

ROAF also cited an insurance claims analysis that the organization said found serious adverse health events following 10.9% of drug-induced abortions from 2017 through 2023, roughly 22 times the rate reported on the FDA-approved label for the abortion pill regimen. The group said the rate reached 11.2% in 2023 as the drugs were used more broadly.

According to the report, ROAF estimated that mail-order drugs were "directly responsible" for more than 300,000 abortions in 2025 alone.

This comes just ahead of the 110th anniversary of Planned Parenthood in the U.S., as the nation's largest abortion provider will be commemorating its Oct. 16, 1916, founding later this month.

The ROAF report is urging Attorney General Todd Blanche to enforce the Comstock Act, an 1873 law criminalizing sending certain abortion-related materials that the pro-life group argues should be used by the Trump administration to stop shield laws from protecting mail-order medication abortions.

"As we come up with this anniversary for Planned Parenthood, we think it's a good moment to release this paper. We really want to talk about the Comstock Act and the impact it could have on abortions going forward in this country," ROAF CEO Doug Truax told Fox News Digital.

"The Comstock Act says it's illegal to put these drugs in the mail, so we're just asking them to enforce the law," he continued.

After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which returned the power to make abortion laws to the states, the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel under the Biden administration in December 2022 issued an opinion that concluded that the Comstock Act does not prohibit mailing mifepristone or misoprostol when the sender lacks intent that the recipient use the drugs unlawfully.

The Biden administration's Office of Legal Counsel concluded in a December 2022 opinion that the Comstock Act does not prohibit mailing mifepristone or misoprostol when the sender lacks the intent that the drugs be used unlawfully.

But Blanche said during his confirmation hearings over the summer that he would review how the DOJ interprets the Comstock Act. ROAF says the department should withdraw the Biden administration’s opinion, investigate providers and organizations involved in mailing the drugs and enforce the 150-year-old federal law, which the group argues would effectively ban the mailing of abortion drugs nationwide.

PRO-LIFE GROUP FINDS BIDEN-ERA FDA POLICY IS DRIVING 500 ABORTIONS PER DAY, SAYS TRUMP HAS POWER TO END IT

"We are asking the administration to take a step back and say, okay, when Roe was the law of the land, Comstock was unenforceable. But since Roe is out, Comstock is back on the table, and it is valid law, and it is illegal to put abortion drugs in the mail. You have thousands of people in basically blue states mailing a ton of pills around this country ... it's resulting in the amount of deaths that we're talking about here. So this is an illegal action that they're taking. We just want you to enforce Comstock, and it will save hundreds of thousands of lives going forward," Truax said.

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"It's a great way to get momentum back on our side in the pro-life community, which, frankly, I think the president and all conservatives around the country would appreciate now, as we head into November 3, and then, especially as we head into the next election cycle," he added.

Who is A'ja Wilson? WNBA star who confronted an Indiana Fever fan at a playoff game

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 06:47:27 -0400

A'ja Wilson didn't give a damn.

When she saw "a man" pointing at her, she approached him, pointed back and exchanged words, before teammates and arena personnel pulled her away. She received a technical foul for unsportsmanlike conduct, while the fan was initially escorted from his seat.

Arena security later interviewed the fan and nearby witnesses and determined that he had not violated the Fever’s Fan Code of Conduct. He was allowed to return to his seat, reportedly to applause and high-fives from the home crowd.

But Wilson stood behind her reaction after the game.

"If I see a man come at me, taking steps toward me and pointing at me, I don’t give a damn what you said," Wilson told reporters. "I don’t give a damn how you said it, the tone. That is unacceptable. You don’t step towards me — you never should — and point at me. I’m not for that s--- at all."

JEMELE HILL SAYS WE CAN'T BLAME A'JA WILSON FOR CHARGING AT FANS BECAUSE OF WHAT 'MEN' HAVE DONE

And just like that, the WNBA had its next dramatic episode in a long-running series of such episodes in the 2026 season.

So who exactly is the WNBA legend who didn’t give a damn on Tuesday night?

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Forged in faith, music and a military background

A’ja Riyadh Wilson was born Aug. 8, 1996, and raised just outside Columbia, South Carolina, by Roscoe and Eva Wilson.

Her distinctive first name originated with her father’s taste in music. Roscoe, who played professional basketball in Europe, attended a Steely Dan concert overseas and decided that if he ever had a daughter, he would name her after the band’s 1977 song and album "Aja." Her middle name, Riyadh, came from the capital of Saudi Arabia, where her maternal aunt was stationed during Operation Desert Storm, per NBC Olympics.

Christianity and church life were fixtures of Wilson’s upbringing. Her paternal grandfather, Roscoe Wilson Sr., served as a minister at Saint John Baptist Church in Columbia for approximately 50 years, while her grandmother was a missionary. Wilson grew up attending the church and has credited its congregation and the surrounding community with helping raise her, per NBC Sports.

Wilson recalled that Saint John had a children’s church and that she sometimes chased other children around the pews.

Basketball was not initially part of Wilson’s plan. Despite her father’s playing career and her older brother’s interest in the sport, she gravitated toward activities such as soccer, volleyball, ballet and piano. She later joked that she "was not a girly that liked to sweat."

""I was not a girly that liked to sweat. Now, I sweat for a living, and it pays my bills," Wilson told TIME in 2025.

Wilson attended Heathwood Hall Episcopal School, a predominantly White private school where she struggled to fit in socially and academically. She has written that classmates directed racial comments at her and made her feel different because she was Black, in The Players’ Tribune.

She was also diagnosed with dyslexia during her sophomore year of high school after years of struggling to process large blocks of text. Wilson later wrote that she dreaded being asked to read a pregame Psalm aloud more than playing in front of a hostile crowd. The experience eventually inspired her foundation’s work supporting children with dyslexia and combating bullying.

SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM VS DIJONAI CARRINGTON: HOW TWO EX-FOOTBALL PLAYERS COLLIDED IN THE 'PRIVILEGE' DEBATE

Her father started taking her to the gym for early-morning and weekend workouts, setting her on the path from reluctant basketball player to the nation’s top high school recruit.

Wilson has frequently discussed race

While sitting courtside with then-Las Vegas Aces teammate Kelsey Plum at the 2024 Final Four, Wilson turned a conversation about UConn star Paige Bueckers into a racial discussion.

"Us, as Black women, Paige reminds me a lot of you," Wilson told Plum. "She knows how her privilege has gotten her to that point. And also, like, she’s good at basketball. She understands her privilege. It’s like what pushes her over the top, in a sense. It reminds me a lot of you."

In 2020, Wilson became one of the players selected to lead the newly created WNBA/WNBPA Social Justice Council. The league dedicated that season to racial-justice causes following the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, placing "Black Lives Matter" on its courts and Taylor’s name on players’ jerseys as part of the "Say Her Name" campaign.

After a Kentucky grand jury declined to charge any officers directly in Taylor’s death, Wilson called the decision a "slap on the wrist, and invoked the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

"People remember exactly where they were when 9/11 happened or when other things happened. This is my 9/11. ... I was too young [for that]; I was in preschool [in 2001]. But this here is going to be something I remember all the time. I have to fear for my life as a Black woman, whether I'm asleep, I'm awake, whether I am walking down the street. Justice was not served, and that just really broke my heart." Wilson said, per ESPN. The article was published 13 days after the 19th anniversary of 9/11.

Wilson also published an essay titled "Dear Black Girls" in 2020, describing the racism and isolation she experienced while attending a predominantly White private school. She wrote that her broader purpose was to assure young Black girls that they were seen, heard and capable of making an impact.

"This isn’t just a hashtag," she wrote in the Player's Tribune essay ahead of the 2020 season. "We’re all in it and we demand change."

Her activism extended into electoral politics during the same season. WNBA players publicly opposed then-Atlanta Dream co-owner and Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler after Loeffler criticized the league’s embrace of Black Lives Matter.

Players wore "Vote Warnock" shirts supporting Democratic challenger Raphael Warnock, who later defeated Loeffler in Georgia’s Senate runoff. Wilson’s Social Justice Council also held discussions about voting rights, LGBTQ advocacy and gun control.

Wilson has continued to argue that Black women must work harder to receive the same recognition as others. In a 2024 ESPN interview, she said Black girls are often taught that they must work "10 times as hard just to get a foot in the door."

She has built one of the most decorated résumés in basketball history

Wilson’s basketball résumé includes success at every level.

At South Carolina, she became the first three-time SEC Player of the Year and led the Gamecocks to their first national championship in 2017. She was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player that year before sweeping the major national player-of-the-year awards as a senior. Wilson finished her college career as South Carolina’s all-time leader in points and blocked shots.

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The Las Vegas Aces selected her with the first overall pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft, and she immediately won Rookie of the Year. Wilson has since captured a record four league MVP awards and four Defensive Player of the Year honors, including a share of the defensive award in 2025.

Wilson led Las Vegas to WNBA championships in 2022, 2023 and 2025, earning Finals MVP honors in the latter two title runs. Entering the 2026 season, she ranked first in WNBA history in career scoring average and first in 30-point double-doubles.

She has also won two Olympic gold medals with Team USA, starting for the Americans at both the Tokyo and Paris Games.

Wilson added another honor in September 2026 when the Associated Press named her its WNBA Player of the Year for the third consecutive season.

What comes next?

Wilson and the Aces will have little time to dwell on the confrontation.

Las Vegas will host Indiana in a winner-take-all Game 3 Thursday at 9 p.m. ET. The game will air on USA Network and CNBC, with the winner advancing to the WNBA semifinals and the loser’s season coming to an immediate end.

The teams have already traded decisive victories. Wilson overwhelmed Indiana with 38 points and 16 rebounds in Las Vegas’ 102-85 Game 1 win, but Caitlin Clark answered with 27 points and 15 assists as the Fever won Game 2, 99-89. Wilson finished the loss with 22 points and nine rebounds, while her fourth-quarter confrontation became the game’s defining controversy.

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Now, Wilson will return to a friendly Las Vegas crowd with an opportunity to redirect the conversation. A dominant Game 3 would move the defending champions one step closer to their fourth title in five seasons. A loss would end their reign—and ensure that Wilson’s final act of the postseason included charging into the stands to confront a fan.

Ole Miss students died near drug listing newly illegal ingredient, ex-prosecutor says selling it is 'unlawful'

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 06:30:14 -0400

OXFORD, Miss. – Two Ole Miss students were found dead near tablets whose labels list an ingredient the federal government recently made illegal, and the product is nowhere to be found on the brand's website.

According to court documents, Ole Miss students Aidan Hamilton, 18, and Robert Strang, 20, were discovered dead on Sept. 21, each found near similar packages of kratom or synthetic kratom. Officials noted that Hamilton "could have died due to a Pulmonary Edema," a finding consistent with a drug overdose. When first responders reached Strang's house near campus, he was found "cold to the touch."

Packaging found near both students bears the name Modus, according to court documents. The affidavit describes the tablets as Smax Pseudo-DHM, and lists pseudoindoxyl and MGM-15(DHM) among the ingredients on the pack found near Hamilton.

The Drug Enforcement Administration temporarily placed mitragynine pseudoindoxyl in Schedule I on Aug. 26, which bars its sale. A Mississippi law enforcement agent investigating the Ole Miss students' deaths said he believes "pseudoindoxyl" refers to that compound, and lab results confirming the tablets' contents are pending, court documents say.

OXFORD MAYOR WARNS KRATOM IS 'ROLLING THE DICE ON DEATH' AS FEARS LINGER OVER OLE MISS DEATHS

Toxicology results, which are still pending, could help determine how Hamilton and Strang died, according to the affidavit.

Modus Brand, which has offices in Florida and California, doesn't list the Smax Pseudo Tablets on its website, but says the product is a "next-generation approach to botanical supplements, offering a carefully formulated, high-quality product in a convenient chewable format."

While it's unclear if the Smax Pseudo Tablets were once on the Modus website, they're not listed at the moment.

In September, Hamilton made multiple purchases at Puffs Vape, Tobacco and Beer Store in Oxford. Two employees at that store, Yahya Mohamed Mosleh, 51, and Islam Mohamed, 18, were arrested and face a charge of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, according to court documents. They were handed bonds of $100,000 each. Officials have said they do not believe there is any connection between the arrests and Hamilton's death.

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Court documents do not establish that the kratom found near Hamilton at the time of his death originated from that store. Among his purchases, at least one transaction took place the day before Hamilton was discovered dead.

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Officials said the synthetic kratom-derived product Strang had bought was purchased at a gas station about 30 minutes away from Oxford, Mississippi.

OLE MISS NAMES STUDENTS FOUND DEAD AS OFFICIAL ADDRESSES POTENTIAL FOR FOUL PLAY

The owner of that gas station told Fox News Digital that the Smax tablets found near Strang did not come from his store. He said he does not put price stickers on his packages, unlike the one on the pack by Strang's nightstand. He didn't dispute that his store sold Smax Pseudo Tablets.

He said that federal agents seized all of his kratom inventory on Friday.

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Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told Fox News Digital it's illegal for anyone to sell products containing MGM-15 after the DEA rescheduled it, but prosecuting it is trickier.

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"It would be unlawful for anyone, whether it's a drug dealer or a gas station convenience store owner, to sell MGM-15 after it was categorized as Schedule I," Rahmani said. "Now, to be prosecuted, the Department of Justice would have to prove intent."

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Kratom is a plant, but MGM-15 and related chemicals are synthetic versions of it, and the two are "certainly not an apples-to-apples comparison," he said.

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Modus, the company whose name appears on the packaging, could face civil and even criminal liability if its product is found to contain a Schedule I substance, Rahmani said.

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"There's no doubt that Modus and any company that distributed this drug can face civil, even criminal, liability. If you put out a dangerous product, doesn't matter if it's a pharmaceutical, street drug, or really, frankly, anything else. It could be a vehicle, it could be social media. Products liability law does hold the company responsible," Rahmani said.

"Now, in the case of something that's outright illegal in Schedule I, there's no question that criminal liability for the distributors can attach as well, and it can be the manufacturer, it can be the street level dealer, the wholesaler, anyone in the supply chain that distributes a Schedule I drug can absolutely be held responsible."

Multiple calls and emails to Modus by Fox News Digital went unanswered.

Fox News Digital reached out to the FBI, DEA, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Lafayette County Metro Narcotics, Yahya Mohamed Mosleh and Islam Mohamed for comment.

Sports cartoons of the day

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

Texas BBQ joint takes drastic step as soaring beef prices devour restaurant

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 06:00:56 -0400

A Texas barbecue restaurant in the small town of Sinton, about a 30-minute drive from Corpus Christi, recently made the decision to remove brisket from its standard menu.

The choice wasn't made overnight, Andrew Soto, the owner and operator of Butter's BBQ, told Fox News Digital.

"We've been dealing with the price hikes, specifically in beef and briskets, for the better part of, I would say, five years," Soto said.

AMERICA'S BEEF SUPPLY SHRINKS AS CATTLE FARMER WARNS 'THE NUMBERS ARE JUST NOT HERE ANYMORE'

Soto noted that prices have fluctuated over the last five years, and, at times, they even appeared to be heading in the right direction.

But over the last eight months to a year, beef prices climbed rapidly, and it eventually became too much to keep up with, he said.

When the restaurant tried adjusting prices and cooking less brisket, its foot traffic and sales took a hit.

CHICKEN WING PRICES ARE DOWN — HERE'S WHY YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT MAY NOT CUT PRICES

"I guess the straw that broke the camel's back was last week. I was talking to one of my food reps, and he informed me that brisket had once again gone up in price," Soto said, noting that the price had increased by almost $1 per pound.

That might not sound like a lot, he acknowledged, but it adds up when buying hundreds of pounds of beef at once. And in a small town, it's hard to anticipate how much people will buy.

According to the USDA's Economic Research Service, beef and veal prices were 5.9% higher in August 2026 than in August 2025. In total, prices are expected to increase 9.4% in 2026, with a forecast interval of 7.4% to 11.6%.

Fox News Digital reached out to the National Cattlemen's Beef Association for comment.

It became too much of a "gamble," Soto said, to pay the steep prices for brisket and not be sure if the quantity he purchased would sell.

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"It was a hard one, but I made the decision to pull our brisket from the menu completely," Soto said.

The restaurant is currently experimenting with alternatives like beef cheek as a brisket alternative, but overall, pork is the priority, and Butter's BBQ is trying to encourage guests to reach for ribs and sausage.

Soto clarified that the restaurant would still sell brisket, but not in the way or quantity it had been.

"We're going to implement an online pre-order system where you'll be able to order it in advance, pay for it in advance," he said.

Guests who really want brisket can still get their fix from Butter's, but it will not be part of the everyday menu.

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"We're in Texas. It's a big deal," Soto said about brisket's popularity in the Lone Star State.

A Facebook post in which Butter's BBQ shared the news about the menu change to its community said: "We apologize tremendously, we've done all we can to combat the constant price hikes, but we can no longer sustain our current business model with brisket eating up over 70% of our total grocery costs."

Some people were shocked, commenting that brisket was an essential at any Texas barbecue joint.

"In my opinion, not selling brisket will hurt your business," one Facebook commenter wrote. "Best move is to raise your prices to match the rising cost of beef. If your brisket is good then people will pay whatever price you set."

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Another agreed, saying: "Just raise your prices, I've seen brisket sandwiches go from $10 to $12 up to $20."

Other commenters were more understanding, with one commenter saying: "Bring on the pork!!!" Another offered a suggestion: "I'd love to see some smoked pork steaks. That could be an affordable alternative to add to the menu."

Soto wants people to remember that the decision was not personal.

"We're just trying to protect our business and our livelihood," he said.

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"Please come and support us. We still have some really good barbecue, despite not having the brisket on our menu."

Biden-era federal prosecutor hit with criminal investigation referral over alleged false statements to FBI

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 06:00:52 -0400

FIRST ON FOX — A former senior federal prosecutor who served in the Biden administration has been hit with a criminal investigation referral asking the Justice Department to look into whether she misled federal agents about her role in an investigation, Fox News Digital has learned.

Jina Choi joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California in late 2023, shortly after which Biden-appointed U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey tapped her to lead its Corporate and Securities Fraud Section, which handles major corporate and securities cases across the Bay Area, including Silicon Valley.

Before joining the office, however, Choi had represented IRL, a social-media startup co-founded by Abraham Shafi. The company was built around organizing and connecting people through events. IRL shut down in 2023 after a board-directed investigation concluded that 95% of its users were likely bots, a finding Shafi disputed. Shafi was later indicted in 2025 on federal fraud and obstruction charges.

The referral represents an unusually aggressive challenge to the conduct of a former prosecutor involved in the broader matter.

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Cully Stimson, acting director of the Heritage Foundation’s Legal Policy Center and himself a former federal prosecutor, told Fox News Digital that, while it is common for defense teams to attack prosecutors, resorting to a criminal investigation referral is rare.

The referral, sent on Tuesday by a lawyer Shafi retained separately from his defense, turns on whether Choi remained involved in the IRL investigation after joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office despite being screened from the matter because of her prior representation of the company. The Justice Department generally has no obligation to respond to referrals like this.

Prosecutors said Choi was walled off from the federal investigation involving IRL and Shafi. But Shafi’s lawyer now alleges that internal communications and an FBI interview report show she remained involved in the matter and later understated that involvement to federal agents.

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The FBI declined to comment when reached by Fox News Digital.

In the criminal referral sent to the Justice Department on Tuesday, Shafi’s lawyer asked federal authorities to investigate whether Choi made false statements about her role in the investigation into IRL.

The federal investigation into IRL predated Choi’s arrival at the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors have said she was screened from the matter because of her prior representation of the company.

Shafi’s defense claims to have obtained internal emails sent by Choi as well as FBI interview memoranda recounting a conversation she had with federal agents from the prosecution. Shafi’s lawyer argues the documents contradict Choi’s account to agents.

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While Choi’s communications are quoted or described in public court filings, the government filed the underlying email exhibits under seal or as sealed exhibit slip sheets. As a result, the public cannot independently inspect the original documents or assess their full context.

Choi worked for IRL as outside counsel before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, according to court filings. During this time, Shafi’s defense alleged in its motion to dismiss the case against him that Choi attempted to get federal authorities to target Shafi to shield other stakeholders at the firm. The government denied this characterization, acknowledging that she advocated that the firm itself not be targeted, but disputing that she wanted the government to go after Shafi.

The tech founder’s defense argues that Choi’s prior representation of IRL created a conflict of interest. Prosecutors have said she was walled off from the investigation because of that prior relationship. As of publishing, no ruling has been made finding that Choi operated under a conflict of interest that warrants dismissal.

Shafi’s lawyer argues that documents they obtained tell a different story.

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The FBI, which was investigating the Shafi case, interviewed Choi in July and questioned her about her role in the IRL investigation, according to the referral. Choi allegedly told agents that she did "not have any kind of role in the investigation."

An internal message purportedly obtained by the defense, however, quotes her as saying, "I talked to [her predecessor]] and I wanted to see if it would be ok to add [him] to the IRL team to help move it along."

In other instances, documents obtained by the defense allegedly show that she inquired about the name of the FBI agent working on the IRL case and that she sent press coverage of the case against Shafi to other prosecutors.

At one point during her FBI interview, Shafi's lawyer claims Choi said that she was not aware "who was assigned to the case team."

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According to the criminal investigation referral, Choi "admitted keeping a written case tracker on which ‘the SHAFI investigation was listed.’" The defense claims that the U.S. Attorney’s Office refused to turn over the case tracker by describing it as a "privileged and internal work product."

Shafi was charged with wire fraud, securities fraud and obstruction a few months after Choi left the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The charges stem from allegations that he misled investors by misrepresenting user growth on his platform. Prosecutors allege that he used paid advertising to attract people to IRL, then passed off the resulting growth as organic while raising about $170 million from investors.

He also stands accused of misusing investors’ funds for clothing, home furnishings, travel, hotels and wedding-related costs. The founder’s lawyer argues that Choi’s alleged false statements to federal agents, coupled with her prior representation of IRL, taint the charges against Shafi.

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Shafi’s defense has a strong incentive to prove that Choi acted improperly, as doing so could seriously derail the prosecution of their client.

"Here, the defense's allegations are troubling if true, because if their allegations end up being true, there was spillage," Stimson told Fox News Digital. "And that would mean some other members of that office are therefore conflicted, and it could result in the entire office being conflicted if a judge found that the taint was so bad that it permeated the whole office."

Stimson also said that, in his experience, individual U.S. Attorneys’ Offices generally operate with significant independence on casework, cautioning against attributing Choi’s alleged conduct to the Biden administration more broadly.

As of publishing, Choi has not been charged with any crime or disciplined for any professional misconduct in connection with the Shafi prosecution.

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Choi did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital.

Billion-dollar power link connecting Israel to Europe hits roadblock in bitter regional feud

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 06:00:40 -0400

UNITED NATIONS — Cyprus Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of "hypocritical and provocative" rhetoric over Gaza while warning that Ankara is trying to obstruct a major energy project linking Israel, Cyprus and Europe.

"Turkey has been making threats and has been acting on threats against Cyprus, especially in the exclusive economic zone," Kombos told Fox News Digital in an on-camera interview on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.

Kombos pointed to the Great Sea Interconnector, a planned subsea electricity cable linking Israel to Cyprus and Cyprus to Greece, connecting the island to Europe’s power grid.

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"The main project of the electrical connection between Greece-Cyprus and then Cyprus-Israel has been blocked by Turkey because of illegal claims they have in terms of delimitation in the exclusive economic zone," Kombos said.

The roughly €1.9 billion Great Sea Interconnector is designed to carry up to 1,000 megawatts across more than 1,200 kilometers of subsea cable. The EU has committed €657 million to the Cyprus-Crete section, which is intended to end Cyprus’ isolation from the European electricity system and eventually connect Israel more directly to the European market.

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The project has faced financial delays and geopolitical tensions tied to competing Greek and Turkish maritime claims in the Eastern Mediterranean.

"The fact that we have someone challenging all the bases and all the norms of international law cannot be the answer to how we plan the future of our people," Kombos said.

Those tensions also framed his sharp response to Erdoğan’s speech at the U.N. General Assembly.

"We decided to stay in the room and hear Mr. Erdogan’s speech," Kombos said, referring to himself and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides. "And we are both, at the same time, thinking that this is hypocritical and provocative."

Kombos said Erdoğan’s appeals to the U.N. Charter stood in stark contrast to Turkey’s record on the divided Mediterranean island.

"It’s an ongoing violation, an act of aggression, of invasion, of occupation," he said. "So it’s a very clear example of a distance between rhetoric and action, words and deeds."

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Erdoğan delivered a blistering attack on Israel during his Sept. 22 U.N. address, accusing the Israeli government of refusing to end its "occupation" and saying Gaza had become "the most inhumane and shameful concentration camp of our time." He also accused Israel of having a "genocidal mindset." Israel has repeatedly rejected allegations that it is committing genocide in Gaza.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when a coup backed by Greece’s then-military junta was followed by a Turkish military intervention that left the island split. The internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus controls the south, while the northern third is administered by Turkish Cypriots with Turkey’s support. The self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is recognized only by Turkey, and a U.N.-patrolled buffer zone separates the two sides.

Efforts to reunify the island have repeatedly stalled. The U.N.-backed framework has centered on a bizonal, bicommunal federation, while Turkey has in recent years backed a two-state solution.

Kombos said Cyprus wants negotiations to resume from where they broke down in 2017 but argued that progress ultimately depends on Ankara.

"We need Turkey to give the green light to the Turkish Cypriot leadership," he said, adding that a two-state approach "runs contrary to everything this very organization and the United Nations Security Council have decided."

The U.N. has recently stepped up efforts to revive the process. Secretary-General António Guterres traveled to Cyprus from July 28–29, meeting separately and jointly with Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman in an effort to advance talks toward a "comprehensive and sustainable settlement."

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Kombos also raised concern over the possibility of Turkey obtaining U.S. F-35 fighter jets.

"This is something that is of concern to us, of course, as well as to other countries in the region," he said. "We cannot just accept this as the usual day at the office. This is something that’s important. It’s upsetting regional balances."

At the same time, Cyprus has moved significantly closer to Washington.

Kombos said the U.S.-Cyprus relationship is "probably right now at the highest level we have ever been," pointing to strategic dialogue, military cooperation, joint exercises and work to make Cypriot facilities compatible with assets used by the U.S. and NATO partners.

Earlier this month, Washington renewed Cyprus’ exemption from U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations restrictions for fiscal year 2027, allowing transfers of US defense articles and services. Cyprus is also eligible for U.S. Foreign Military Sales and the Excess Defense Articles program.

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"We want to make sure that we are an active, useful partner in the international system," Kombos said, arguing that Cyprus’ location and close ties with Israel, Gulf states, Europe and the US give it an increasingly important regional role.

Old men and the seams: Two moguls take their cuts at the knuckleball

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 06:00:35 -0400

In the summer of 2012 — when knuckleballer R. A. Dickey came out of nowhere to win the Cy Young award — I discovered my sons in our backyard teaching themselves the pitch. The knuck, a slow trick pitch that doesn’t spin, has a storied history of elevating longshots, retreads and dreamers to the major leagues — even the Hall of Fame.

I resolved to see how far my kids could go. On the decade-long odyssey that followed, I learned that not only baseball-crazy boys harbored knuckleball dreams. Two wealthy business moguls did too. Their intersecting lives are one of the strange but true stories in my new book, "School of Hard Knucks: My Three Sons and Baseball’s Wildest Pitch."

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Brooklyn real estate investor Howard Rich, a free-market guy who founded Americans for Limited Government, had Mets season tickets six rows behind home plate — the ideal place to watch Dickey’s knuckleball baffle hitters in 2012.

"If the knuckleball’s so hard to hit," Rich ’ s wife Andrea asked one game, "why does only one pitcher throw it in the major leagues?"

Great question, Rich thought. This was a market failure. He’d fix it by opening a school — the International Knuckleball Academy (IKA). He hired two minor league knucklers, Chris Nowlin and Zach Staniewicz to run it.

On the other side of the globe, a 36-year-old South Korean who made a fortune in video games had never given up on his boyhood dream of playing pro baseball.

"I thought if I could master the knuckleball," Min Hur told me, "I might still have a chance."

Hur converted the roof of his Seoul office building into a personal training facility, with a retractable dome and cutting-edge pitch tracking technology. He’d also reached out to the greatest knuckleballer of all, Phil Niekro.

"Phil invited me to his home in Atlanta and over a month taught me everything from the grip to the philosophy behind the pitch. He became my great mentor."

Hur worked with another knuckleball legend, Charlie Hough, too.

"He could take the spin off the ball pretty darn well," Hough recalled.

In 2013, Hur hired a well-connected agent who got him tryouts with the Rangers, Mariners, and Diamondbacks. They all passed on Hur. Then the Rockland Boulders, an independent minor league team in upstate New York, agreed to give him a look.

Min’s chauffeur drove him and his translator up from Manhattan every day of tryouts. He made the team and stepped away from his businesses to focus on his knuckleball career.

The Boulders promoted Hur’s pro debut as" Min-Sanity," playing off the NBA’s "Lin-Sanity" craze when point guard Jeremy Lin caught fire with the Knicks.

Min bussed up spectators from New York’s Korean neighborhoods and flew his family in from Seoul. They watched him pitch three innings and surrender five runs on five hits and four walks. He also hit three batters.

Howard Rich read all about it, and wondered if Hur would want to partner with the IKA. He called Nowlin.

" There’s a Korean billionaire in New York right now, and he loves knuckleballs," said Rich. "Set up a meting for us."

Rich, Hur, Nowlin, and Staniewicz had dinner in Koreatown, but much was lost in translation. Hur remembers talking about knuckleballs, but nothing about an academy.

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Rich forged ahead with the IKA, renting Dodgertown, the one-time spring training complex of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Staniewicz worried.

"It’s hard enough to find people who want to throw the knuckleball, much less pay thousands of dollars a week to try to learn it," he told me. "That cut the pool of possible clients from, like, ten to two."

Rich offered a financing plan. He told me about it last year when he took me to a Mets game.

"I hired a hot-shot attorney to draft a contract so players could come for free, but if any went on to throw, say, ten pitches in the majors, we'd get a small percentage of their pay."

Even still, the International Knuckleball Academy shut its doors before a single aspiring knuckler walked through them.

Min Hur is still at it. I recently met him at a batting cage in Lower Manhattan. He’d flown in from Australia after a stint with the Melbourne Aces and was rendezvousing with a knuckleball coach from Buffalo named Joe Gannon.

Hur’s now 50 years old. That’s ancient for most baseball players, but not too old for a knuckleballer. So the dream lives on.

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"I’m better than ever," he told me.

Lindsay Clancy lawyer pushes back on claims he shifted strategy after mistrial in new interview

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 06:00:35 -0400

PLYMOUTH, Mass. — Lindsay Clancy's defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, is pushing back on claims that he changed strategies in court Tuesday when he raised doubts over whether prosecutors proved his client killed her three children, insisting he has attacked the strength of the Commonwealth’s case from the beginning.

Reddington, speaking with Fox News contributor Billy Bush on his "Hot Mics" podcast, called the investigation into his client "horrific" and "atrocious" after arguing in court that prosecutors hadn't presented enough evidence in their case to prove his client guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

"That’s exactly what I was saying," Reddington said in the interview — right after Clancy's return to court for the first time since her mistrial. "I’ve been arguing that from the very beginning. I argued it in a closing argument to the jury. I argued in our motions."

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Reddington was arguing a Rule 25 motion for a required finding of not guilty, in which he is seeking to convince the court that the evidence given at trial wasn’t good enough to support a conviction.

"Where’s the evidence that she did this?" Reddington asked Judge William Sullivan in court Tuesday, before running down a list of what he painted as insufficient evidence and faulty statements. "Where is the evidence she did this?"

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Although Reddington's comments on his motion for a required finding of not guilty garnered national headlines, Sullivan made no rulings and pushed oral arguments on other pending motions back to Nov. 2, leaving many who are following the case, including Bush, disappointed with the lack of answers.

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"He didn't get any answers on the insufficiency of evidence," Bush told Fox News Digital Wednesday. "He wanted, immediately, her to be declared not criminally responsible because of that. I think that was a stretch. He probably knew it. He brought in his double jeopardy expert, Martin Weinberg. That was punted to Nov. 2. That wasn't immediately successful. And the alleged juror misconduct, we didn't get anything on that because Judge Sullivan, Reddington told us, impounded that information. We want to see the jury questionnaire. Everybody wants to see it."

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Sullivan declared a mistrial on Sept. 4 after jurors could not agree on a verdict following roughly a week of deliberations.

Rule 25 motions are routine but seldom successful, according to Carol Erskine, a retired Massachusetts judge and child welfare advocate who has been following the case closely.

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WATCH: Clancy attorney questions ‘where is the evidence’ that she killed children

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"He is arguing that [they] did not prove each and every element as required by law," she told Fox News Digital. "I understand why people don’t get this, but he had to argue sufficiency of evidence under Rule 25(b)(2) case law. He told the judge he asked for a Bowden instruction and was denied, which meant he was challenging the poor investigation/search at the home by police. It’s a very nuanced argument."

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Plymouth County prosecutors had a tougher take on Reddington, calling it "a laughable argument" and asking the judge to deny his motion.

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Clancy is due back in court on Nov. 2 for a motions hearing. A date for a potential retrial has not yet been scheduled.

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While Clancy's future remains uncertain, Reddington has developed a following of his own outside the courthouse, where Bush said the well-known Massachusetts defense lawyer regularly mingles with people covering the trial and has garnered a national reputation, including nicknames like "Big Red" and "Shreddington."

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"Big Red goes out to the parking lot," Bush said. "He talks to the different people who are covering this in their own way. He asks them questions about themselves. He sits there in a lawn chair, having coffee and connecting with everybody."

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That also includes a large proportion of women watching the case play out, he said.

"They support Lindsay Clancy," he said.

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"But they love Reddington because he's the man who's fighting for her," he added. "And they're all seeing him as that guy, 'Geez, I'd like that man fighting for me someday, if I needed it.'"

States leading nation on the biggest education battles gripping classrooms revealed in first-ever report

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 05:00:54 -0400

FIRST ON FOX: The escalating battle over what children should be taught in public schools continues to drive America's culture wars, and a new report ranks every state on some of the most contentious issues affecting today's classrooms.

Red states dominated the ranking, which measures all 50 states and Washington, D.C., on issues spanning parental rights, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), gender and sexuality, teacher and union policies, and foreign influence, according to Defending Education's first-ever Rankings on Integrity in State Education, released Thursday.

Tennessee claimed the top spot, followed by Alabama, Florida, North Carolina and Iowa, while Washington, D.C., ranked last, followed by Rhode Island, California, Oregon and Illinois.

The rankings do not account for test scores or graduation rates. Instead, the report said it is designed to show how states are approaching hot-button issues as parents demand greater transparency in their children's education.

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"For the first time, parents have a single resource to see how their state handles the issues they've voiced concerns about over the last five years, empowering them to evaluate local schools and hold leaders accountable at the ballot box," Paul Runko, senior director of strategic initiatives at Defending Education, said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Of the report's five categories, the parental rights category ended in a four-way tie, with North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia earning the top spot. Each was awarded points for policies that give parents more say over student gender transitions, sex education instruction and whether their children participate in those lessons.

Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina, all red states, received perfect scores on teacher policies. According to the report, laws governing teacher unions, strikes and collective bargaining, along with work authorization requirements, were key factors in the scoring.

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Iowa, Missouri and West Virginia topped the report's DEI category after receiving high marks for laws restricting DEI initiatives and other policies related to restorative justice, teacher diversity and antisemitism.

Another major flashpoint in education has been a growing conversation on gender identity and transgender athletes competing in women's sports. The report examined state policies blocking LGBTQ-specific curriculum, restricting transgender athlete participation, and state nondiscrimination and anti-bullying laws related to gender identity, finding Alabama, Florida and Indiana tied for the highest scores.

But the report went further than policies shaping the classroom. Seven red states received perfect scores for laws limiting Chinese government influence in education, including Confucius Institutes, China-backed language and cultural education centers. Alabama, Florida, Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee and Texas aced the category.

In another statement to Fox News Digital, Dr. Terry Stoops, director of government affairs at Defending Education, congratulated the frontrunners.

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"If your state is at the top of Defending Education's rankings, congratulations!" he said. "You live in a state with public school policies that prioritize sound academics over shameless antics."

Stoops also blamed elected leaders for the lowest-scoring states, accusing them of having "sacrificed educational excellence at the altar of social justice."

"For parents in bottom-feeder states who value rigor over ridiculousness, the choice is either fight or flight," he said.

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Despite more blue states embracing DEI and social justice policies, the report said it wants parents to have a clearer picture of where their state stands on education and how those policies could impact their children and future generations.

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