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Klobuchar's fraud fight claim takes hit after GOP opponent combs through receipts: 'Where were you?'

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 06:00:57 -0400

Minnesota Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Klobuchar is facing heat from her Republican opponent and critics on social media for campaigning on addressing the massive fraud scandal in her state despite not mentioning it a single time in any press release since the crisis emerged.

A Fox News Digital review found that Klobuchar's Senate office repeatedly issued press releases addressing other forms of fraud between 2022 and 2025, but a review of 1,000 of her official press-release archive found no release directly addressing or offering solutions to fix Minnesota's sprawling social-services fraud scandal or Feeding Our Future.

The $250 million Feeding Our Future scandal, that has ballooned into an overall social services scandal that prosecutors say could total over $9 billion, broke in late January of 2022. In more than 1,000 press releases from Klobuchar’s office from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2025, the Feeding our Future scandal was not mentioned in Klobuchar’s releases, nor were the terms "Minnesota fraud," "social services fraud," "Medicaid fraud," "autism fraud," "Housing Stabilization Services," "child nutrition fraud," "DHS fraud," or "nonprofit fraud."

"As Feeding Our Future was breaking and all of the fraud that was being talked about, the absent voice that I was noticing was Senator Klobuchar," Minnesota Republican House Speaker Lisa Demuth told Fox News Digital in an interview on Friday.

FINAL WALZ FRAUD REPORT RIPS ‘CULTURE OF TOLERANCE’ AS MINNESOTA TAXPAYERS FACE BILLIONS IN ALLEGED LOSSES

"She with her extended time, twenty years as a senator, could have held hearings but not only did she not hold hearings, the hearing that took place a few months ago about fraud here in the state of Minnesota she didn't even attend and so i think that speaks very loudly to the people of Minnesota that we have a twenty-year senator, the most explosive fraud that has taken place a theft of our tax dollars here and yet, there was no mention."

Demuth drew attention to the Klobuchar press releases not mentioning the scandal earlier this week during a speech where she released her plan to fight fraud and criticized Klobuchar for not doing enough.

"Billions of our tax dollars stolen," Demuth posted on X. "It’s time for change."

Since announcing her run for governor, Klobuchar has focused on fraud, including in a campaign ad released earlier this month promising a state audit on her first day in office that will "root out waste fraud and abuse."

"It’s time for results, not excuses," Klobuchar posted on X.

MINNESOTA AG ELLISON LASHES OUT WHEN GRILLED ON FRAUD SCANDAL: 'I’M DONE TALKING TO YOU'

Klobuchar breezed through the primary election and heads to November as the favorite to replace Gov. Tim Walz, who dropped his re-election bid amid the fraud scandal, but Demuth says that voters will have a hard time ignoring Klobuchar's record on combatting fraud as well as her ties to Walz.

"My question is, where were you for the last 10 years, but absolutely the last eight years?" Demuth said. "She could have done press conferences, she could have partnered with Governor Walz. She has called Governor Walz an exceptional governor, 'he's a great governor.' Back when he was running for vice president, she was giving all of his accolades. Where was she to help him where our state was falling apart? I think it's a little bit too late for her to say that this was really a priority."

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Republican candidates in Minnesota have been making the case that voters of all political parties are motivated and upset by the fraud scandal, including Senate hopeful Michele Tafoya who told Fox News Digital earlier this month that voters are "ready for a change."

Demuth touted her fraud efforts in the legislature and said that as soon as she became Minnesota House Speaker in 2025 she immediately took steps to make sure cracking down on fraud was front and center, including setting up the Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee.

"Who are Minnesotans gonna trust for their next governor?" Demuth said. "Somebody that has just decided to talk about fraud now that they're running for office or someone that has been fighting fraud this entire time? And I think I am the most trustworthy when it comes to ending fraud and respecting taxpayer dollars as your next governor."

Fox News Digital reached out to Klobuchar's campaign for comment.

AMB GORDON SONDLAND: Our allies enjoyed a free ride trading with Iran. Trump is shutting that down

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 06:00:30 -0400

President Donald Trump is finally proposing the Iran policy that our allies have spent decades avoiding: If you want the benefits of doing business with the United States, you cannot also help finance the regime in Tehran.

It really is that simple.

Trump’s "Economic D-Day" is not merely another sanctions package filled with the names of Iranian officials who do not have American bank accounts and never planned to visit Disneyland. The important idea is to punish the foreign countries, banks, refiners, shipping companies and middlemen that keep Iran in business.

TRUMP THREATENS 'UNPRECEDENTED' ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES FOR ANY NATION AIDING IRAN

They must choose between Iran and America. They should no longer be allowed to choose both.

When I served as U.S. ambassador to the European Union, I watched European governments twist themselves into diplomatic, legal and moral contortions to avoid seriously sanctioning Iran. There was always a deal that took precedence over principle.

AMB. GORDON SONDLAND: EUROPE CAN’T CONDEMN IRAN, THEN COMPLAIN WHEN TRUMP FINALLY ACTS TO STOP IT

One country had an energy contract to protect. Another had companies pursuing Iranian business. Someone else wanted to preserve a diplomatic channel. Brussels was perpetually waiting for another negotiation that would supposedly moderate the regime if only we remained patient, constructive and commercially engaged.

Europe claimed that commerce created leverage. Iran got the commerce and Europe rarely exercised the leverage.

IRAN IS NOT A NORMAL NATION YOU CAN MAKE DEALS WITH; IT’S A NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT

Tehran took the money, funded its proxies, expanded its missile program, brutalized its own population and continued advancing its nuclear capabilities. Then, whenever Iran created another crisis, the Europeans looked to Washington to solve it.

That has been the international bargain for far too long: Our allies make money, Iran makes trouble and America gets its hands dirty.

IRAN LOSES KEY ECONOMIC LIFELINE IN MIDDLE EAST THAT TRUMP'S SANCTIONS COULDN'T REACH AS DEADLOCK PERSISTS

Trump is turning that arrangement on its head.

The United Arab Emirates’ decision to suspend trade and financial transactions with Iran is a major development. Dubai has been much more than another Iranian trading partner. It has served as a gateway to the world — providing access to re-exports, currency conversion, trade finance, shell companies and goods that sanctions were supposed to keep beyond Tehran’s reach.

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Closing that door will hurt. But the UAE cannot be a heroic exception. It must become the model.

Trump should look every allied leader in the eye and ask: Are you prepared to close your country’s Iranian commercial and financial channels, or do you intend to continue financing the threat you expect America to contain?

TRUMP ‘RIGHT TO BE OUTRAGED’ BY EUROPE’S BETRAYAL ON IRAN, SAYS FORMER THATCHER ADVISOR

This time, we are not asking our allies to fight a kinetic war. We are not asking them to send troops, drop bombs or put their citizens in harm’s way. We are asking them to help choke off the economic lifelines of the axis of evil.

That is not too much to ask. It is the minimum.

Countries enjoying American security guarantees, favorable trade arrangements and access to the world’s most valuable economy have obligations. Access to America is not a birthright. It is a privilege, and privileges come with conditions.

Those refusing to cooperate should face inferior trade terms, tighter visa rights and greater scrutiny of their financial institutions. Companies knowingly facilitating Iranian trade should lose access to American government contracts, capital markets and banking relationships.

Trump’s message should be unmistakable: If you help keep Iran open for business, America will become less open for business to you.

This effort also needs sunlight. Congress should create a bipartisan "Naughty and Nice List" identifying the countries, banks, refiners, shippers, insurers and intermediaries either helping isolate Iran or helping it evade pressure.

The "nice" list should recognize those that shut down Iranian accounts, stop buying its oil, expose front companies and enforce sanctions honestly. The "naughty" list should name those moving Iranian money, disguising cargo, processing oil sales or supplying dual-use technology.

Update it every month. Read the names publicly. Make the executives, ministers and heads of government explain their conduct.

That may sound theatrical. Good. Theater gets attention — and attention creates accountability. Governments and companies depend upon complexity, deniability and public boredom to maintain relationships they would rather not defend. Drag those relationships into the daylight.

There must be a reputational cost in addition to an economic one. Leaders continuing to trade with Iran should have to explain why their commercial interests take precedence over stopping nuclear proliferation, terrorism and attacks on international shipping.

Europe, in particular, needs to stop pretending that continued engagement with Tehran is a neutral act. Money is fungible. Every commercial relationship that provides Iran with hard currency strengthens the regime’s ability to finance the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, missiles and proxy warfare.

The same applies to Asian energy buyers, flag registries, ports, insurers and banks. If they facilitate Iranian trade, they are part of Iran’s economic infrastructure and should be treated accordingly.

China is the ultimate test. Beijing cannot receive the full benefits of access to American consumers and capital while providing the economic oxygen that keeps Tehran alive. Chinese refineries, banks, trading houses and shipping companies handling Iranian commerce should face direct restrictions in the United States.

If Trump backs away when the first major Chinese institution is implicated, this becomes another slogan. If he follows through, the effect will be immediate and global.

Critics will call this escalation. They call almost any exercise of American leverage escalation. In fact, this is the opposite of what a warmonger would do.

A warmonger would send hundreds of thousands of American troops into Iran, occupy the country and spend another generation trying to rebuild it. Trump is instead using America’s economic power to avoid the continuation of a major American war.

Israel should not be prevented from taking covert gloves off.

Israel has the intelligence, operational capability and motivation to disrupt Iran’s nuclear program, missile systems, procurement networks and proxy infrastructure. The United States should provide intelligence, logistics, missile defense and strategic support while allowing Israel to do much of the difficult covert and kinetic work.

If Tehran continues its aggression, further highly selective action against the commanders, nuclear architects and operational leaders responsible must remain available. This is not a call for indiscriminate warfare or American occupation. It is a strategy of making the people directing Iran’s aggression personally accountable while steadily dismantling their capabilities.

In blunt terms, let Israel handle much of the wet work. America should set the strategy, organize the allies, enforce the economic quarantine and prevent China, Russia or anyone else from rescuing Tehran.

This is burden-sharing with teeth.

The endgame must also be clear. Iran must abandon any path to a nuclear weapon, dismantle its dangerous enrichment capabilities, stop attacking international shipping and end its financing of proxy warfare. Any relief must be conditional, reversible and tied to verified conduct — not Iranian promises or another vague agreement Tehran can manipulate.

For years, the foreign-policy establishment has told us that the Iran problem is terribly complicated. Some parts are. The central choice is not.

Why should America protect countries that help finance the threat? Why should access to our market be treated as an entitlement? Why should the United States bear the military risk while others preserve their profitable relationships with the adversary?

Trump is asking the right questions.

If he constructs a genuine economic quarantine, forces our allies to choose, empowers Israel to eliminate the most dangerous threats and keeps American military involvement selective and decisive, this could become his finest hour.

It would also expose the hypocrisy of those who routinely call Trump a warmonger. He is not leading with an invasion. He is leading with American economic power and demanding that our allies finally participate.

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The world has spent long enough hedging — trading with Iran during the good times and calling Washington when Tehran becomes belligerent.

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The talking is over. Now comes the choosing.

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King Charles' deadly avalanche escape heightened his awareness of life's 'fragility': expert

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 06:00:19 -0400

King Charles narrowly escaped death — and Britain's royal future almost changed forever.

The monarch recently opened up about escaping a 1988 avalanche that killed his close friend, Major Hugh Lindsay, an equerry to Queen Elizabeth II, and seriously injured Patti Palmer-Tomkinson.

The 77-year-old held a special event at the Castle of Mey for members of the Assynt Mountain Rescue Team to mark the group's 50th anniversary, The Times of London reported.

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"Those close to the king have always shared that the event increased his sense of mortality and awareness, overall, of the fragility of life," British royals expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital. "... The avalanche and its outcomes were confirmations that even with his position in the royal family, he was not immune from tragedy."

"[The king] spoke of the near miss he had in that avalanche in the context of the dangers mountains contain," team leader Ben Dyson told The Times. "He said 'it was a close thing.' Obviously, after all these years, it is still much in his memory, but it had given him an insight into the valuable work we do and the dangers we face."

Dyson noted that Charles was "very appreciative" of the work that mountain rescue teams carry out.

WATCH: WHY KING CHARLES ALWAYS CAME BACK TO QUEEN CAMILLA: AUTHOR

"Charles has lived his entire life knowing that one day he would become king," Kinsey Schofield, host of YouTube’s "Kinsey Schofield Unfiltered" told Fox News Digital.

"The avalanche presented him with the opposite possibility, that he might never become king at all. He survived by seconds. ... I think an experience like that inevitably changes your understanding of how fragile even the most carefully predetermined life can be. ... There is something very poignant about hearing a 77-year-old king reflect on a moment at 39 when he very nearly lost his life."

The BBC reported that the incident occurred on March 10, 1988, while Charles and his companions were skiing off-piste above his favorite Swiss resort of Klosters. Lindsay was sent 1,312 feet down the mountainside when the avalanche hit the royal party. Palmer-Tomkinson suffered serious leg injuries. The then-prince and several other members of the group, including their guide, were able to ski to safety.

Once the avalanche passed, Charles and the others rushed to help. Charles later recalled that their guide, Bruno Sprecher, located Palmer-Tomkinson, revived her with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and then handed Charles a shovel to help dig her out; Charles also used his hands. Sprecher then went to find Lindsay, who had been killed.

At the time, Marie Griffiths told the BBC she saw Charles being airlifted off the mountain.

"As far as I know, he hadn't been injured," she said. "He looked very distressed; somebody said he was crying, but he did walk to the helicopter, so he looked uninjured."

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Christopher Andersen, author of "Kate!," told Fox News Digital that Charles later reflected, "I've never forgotten the sound of it. The whole mountain exploding outwards — vast clouds of snow. A whirling maelstrom. I thought to myself, 'My God, the horror.'"

"Charles and his friends ignored the danger and went off to tackle an infamous slope that was off the beaten path," Andersen explained. "... The resulting avalanche slammed into Patti Palmer-Tomkinson and Hugh Lindsay. Lindsay was killed instantly, but the king helped dig Palmer-Tomkinson out of the snow and kept her conscious by telling her that a rescue helicopter was on its way. ... People forget King Charles had a career in the Navy, was a military pilot, and was extremely athletic his entire life. Obviously, his reflexes kicked in."

Swiss officials had warned of avalanche danger that day. A later Swiss investigation found that the group was skiing outside the marked area but concluded that the skiers were not culpable for Lindsay's death.

Charles said in an account released after the accident that he and several others managed to ski out of the avalanche's path, while Lindsay and Palmer-Tomkinson were swept away. He said Lindsay had been "killed outright during the fall." Charles also described helping dig Palmer-Tomkinson from the snow and staying with her during the rescue effort.

"The constitutional what-if is staggering," said Schofield. "Had Charles died in that avalanche, five-year-old Prince William would immediately have become heir to the throne. Princess Diana would have been a 26-year-old widow raising the future king, and Queen Elizabeth would have spent the remainder of her reign preparing her grandson rather than her son to succeed her."

"That is what makes Charles saying, 'It was a close thing' so chilling in retrospect," Schofield said. "It was a close thing personally, but constitutionally it was enormous. The U.K. and Commonwealth came frighteningly close to having a five-year-old second in line suddenly become heir apparent and the entire trajectory of the modern monarchy being rewritten."

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Lindsay's wife, Sarah, who worked in the Buckingham Palace press office, was six months pregnant when she learned of her husband's death.

"Within hours, Charles called Sarah and described what had happened," said Andersen. "Diana later said her 'blood ran cold' at Charles' lack of emotion.

"After Lindsay's daughter Alice was born, Charles became her godfather and kept his promise to pay for her education. ... But it was Diana who came to Sarah Lindsay's emotional rescue, calling her every Sunday to cheer her up."

Charles later returned to ski at Klosters, including with his sons. Contemporary reports said he returned to the avalanche site at least twice to reflect alone.

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"Charles may have been shaken up by the catastrophe that took his close friend's life, but in true British stiff upper lip tradition he didn't really show it at the time," Andersen said. "Charles has always been, to some extent, emotionally strangled. I think it has taken years for him to come to terms with his friend's death and his own narrow escape."

Diana and Sarah Ferguson, then the Duchess of York, were at their chalet when the avalanche hit. While Diana later questioned Charles' response to the tragedy, Schofield said Charles privately grappled with remorse.

"I suspect there was an element of survivor's guilt that was difficult for Charles to process," she said. "He escaped, his friend died, and another friend was seriously injured. He reportedly felt a sense of responsibility afterward. Those are enormously complicated emotions for anyone, regardless of whether you happen to be the future king."

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"We often see the king through the formality of monarchy, but there was nothing formal about what happened on that mountain. Charles narrowly escaped being swept away himself and then participated in the desperate effort to rescue the people who hadn't."

In February 2025, the king, who continues to receive treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer, said his skiing days were behind him during a visit to Teesside.

"I think my skiing days are behind me," he told a Swiss engineer he met, according to Hello! magazine.

Woman’s alleged ISIS radicalization unfolded online before Capitol bomb plot: court docs

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 06:00:07 -0400

Jessica Bowie, a 35-year-old woman from upstate New York, is now facing terrorism charges after authorities allege she converted to Islam, swore allegiance to the Islamic State group and plotted to bomb the State Capitol building — just weeks before the U.S. will mark 25 years since the Sept. 11 terror attacks.

According to the FBI, she became a Muslim five years ago and took on a new name, Aisha Saif.

The FBI arrested Bowie after she allegedly enlisted a group of confidential informants in her plot, thinking they were ISIS handlers, under the impression she was arranging for them to turn bomb-making materials she'd purchased into an explosive device and to provide her a handgun.

FBI ARRESTS WOMAN WHO ALLEGEDLY PLOTTED ISIS-LINKED ATTACK ON NEW YORK STATE CAPITOL BUILDING

Bowie allegedly praised the terrorists behind the 9/11 attacks that killed 2,977 people on Sept. 11, 2001, according to court documents.

The federal criminal complaint has few details about her alleged embrace of terrorism from before May 2026, but authorities say she was radicalized at some point online.

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She had also allegedly lost multiple social media accounts for violating their terms of service with her posts, according to the criminal complaint — in separate posts in May, she allegedly wrote about poisoning "infidels" and "praise be to Allah for September 11th." By the end of the month, she'd allegedly sworn allegiance to ISIS.

"The key with these sorts of cases is the initial lead," said Paul Mauro, a retired NYPD inspector and Fox News contributor with experience working counter-terrorism cases. "This can come in a number of ways. We criticize social media plenty, but the fact that she was repeatedly banned on these platforms could have been a crucial pointer."

By July, according to the complaint, she was allegedly using encrypted apps to post support for radical Islamic terror and anti-American rhetoric.

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On July 16, she allegedly told an FBI informant that she had begun thinking about "Jehad" more seriously over the past several months. She was also allegedly posting online about how she was sharing ISIS propaganda and attempting to recruit.

In July and August, Bowie allegedly made five visits to scout the State Capitol.

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On Aug. 5, photos released by the Justice Department allegedly show her buying bomb-making materials at a Rensselaer Home Depot store, including a large bucket of nails that was allegedly meant for shrapnel. "We definitely want to make sure the senators get killed for sure," she allegedly told an informant.

On Aug. 13, she allegedly asked an FBI informant whom she thought was an ISIS operative for help obtaining a handgun, according to the complaint.

On Aug. 19, the FBI arrested her after she allegedly gave $350 to a pair of FBI informants and got out of their vehicle carrying an inert handgun and dummy explosive that they'd given her, according to the complaint.

"There's no helping me," she allegedly told the FBI after being read her Miranda rights. "You guys know enough...I'm going to prison for the rest of my life."

She added that she'd already looked up potential sentences online.

"Material support is up to 20 years in prison," she said, according to the complaint. "I already googled it before. I know I'm going to jail."

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Earlier that day, she allegedly told an FBI informant that she had grown from "a little girl waving an American flag after 9/11 to now having stickers of the falling towers." She was 10 years old on Sept. 11, 2001.

Bowie, who also has addresses listed in Schenectady, allegedly planned to hide a bomb in a DoorDash delivery bag at the New York State Capitol, according to the complaint.

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"I want to destroy as much of the building as possible and kill the senators while they are meeting," she allegedly told an informant. "I want them to lose a lot of important documents as well"

Then she allegedly wanted to escape to Syria before returning to the U.S. in the future for more attacks.

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A woman who picked up a call to the number listed for Bowie's mother hung up when contacted by Fox News Digital Friday.

Senator launches assault on illegal immigration gaps as GOP races midterm clock to lock in key wins

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 05:00:49 -0400

EXCLUSIVE: Republicans risk seeing some of President Donald Trump’s signature immigration priorities erased by a future Democratic administration unless Congress acts now to lock them into law, Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., told Fox News Digital as he presses the Senate to take up a package of seven immigration bills.

Banks said his immigration package is needed as Republicans approach the midterms with control of Congress at stake and a shrinking window to deliver legislative wins to voters. The bills target birthright citizenship, visas, commercial driver’s licenses and other immigration policies Banks wants Congress to codify.

"I don't just fear a Democrat majority. I fear a Democrat-Socialist majority because the [DSA] who control today's Democrat Party support wide open borders, they support eliminating ICE, they are anti law enforcement, they want to defund the police," Banks said.

While current Senate Democratic leaders are not aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America, Banks argued a future Democratic-led Senate would be "owned by the socialist wing of their party."

TRUMP ADMIN INVESTIGATING 75 TRUCK DRIVER SCHOOLS FOR FRAUD, HELPING NON-CITIZENS GET LICENSES

"I cannot believe that the Democrats are so radical and extreme today that they're OK with what's happened to our country [with] illegals taking jobs for Americans or allowing illegals to be behind the wheel of semi-trucks," Banks said, pointing to his "Dalilah Law."

The bill honors Dalilah Coleman, a first-grader who was critically injured when an illegal immigrant driving a big rig caused a multi-car pileup on an Indiana highway. Partap Singh, an Indian national licensed in California, was driving the truck. Coleman suffered catastrophic injuries, spent months in the hospital and had a craniectomy.

The Dalilah Law, described by supporters as the CDL equivalent of the Laken Riley Act, would require states to stop providing commercial driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants and certain foreign nationals. It would also require states to revoke certain existing licenses and administer commercial driving tests only in English.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCKERS ACCUSED OF MOWING DOWN AMERICANS IGNITE FURY OVER LOOPHOLES UNLEASHING DEADLY ROADS

Banks compared the CDL measure to Congress’ Reagan-era push to raise the drinking age by threatening federal transportation funds. He argued that several Hoosiers have been injured or killed in crashes involving foreign drivers licensed by "states that hand CDLs out like candy," including California, Pennsylvania and New York. He also wants Congress to take greater control over Temporary Protected Status authority, which he said previous Democratic administrations abused.

"If we legislate it and give Congress power to determine when TPS is appropriate when it's not, then we'll be able to address these issues long after President Trump leaves the White House," Banks said.

ILLEGAL TRUCKER CASES FUEL GOP PUSH TO CRACK DOWN ON CDL MILLS AS DEMS LARGELY SILENT

The American Tech Workforce Act would raise the minimum salary threshold for many H-1B visa positions from $60,000 to $150,000. Experts have said the change would significantly alter incentives for companies seeking to hire young foreign workers.

Immigration attorneys argued Banks’ bill would make the U.S. "far less attractive as a study destination" and encourage foreign talent to look to Canada instead.

"Many employers would be unable or unwilling to meet this threshold, effectively limiting H-1B hiring to top tech companies or highly specialized roles," Texas firm Reddy Neumann & Brown said on its website.

AMERICA’S BROKEN LEGAL IMMIGRATION SYSTEM IS REPLACING US WORKERS BY DESIGN

Proponents have argued such changes would give American graduates a better chance of entering the job market after college.

Other bills in the package would provide additional border security funding to the War Department, restrict chain migration and target grants to colleges employing illegal immigrants.

"These seven bills are common sense, everything from stopping illegals from driving semi-trucks to banning birthright citizenship, to stopping chain migration, to cracking down on those who misuse the H-1B visas for cheap labor," Banks said.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., for comment on the package and to ask whether any of the bills will be expedited ahead of the midterms.

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

EXCLUSIVE: 5-time illegal entrant admits ‘mistake’ that finally got him busted by ICE

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 05:00:39 -0400

EXCLUSIVE: An illegal immigrant who re-entered the U.S. five times said his drinking is the "mistake" that finally led to his arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement early Thursday morning.

Ernesto Alejandro Perez-Garcia, a Mexican national, was arrested by ICE in Redondo Beach, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. Perez-Garcia has a history of arrests dating to 2003 for alcohol-, controlled substance- and driving-related offenses, as well as making terroristic threats and illegally re-entering the U.S. ICE said he illegally entered the country five times and made four additional attempts to enter.

Fox News Digital witnessed ICE arrest Perez-Garcia on Thursday. When agents first encountered him on the Redondo Beach esplanade, he denied his identity. However, when confronted with a previous mugshot, Perez-Garcia acknowledged that he was the man they were seeking.

After ICE booked and processed him, Perez-Garcia told Fox News Digital that he lied to agents "to see if I could get away with it." He said that after he was confronted with his mugshot, he realized, "I’m busted, you know, in other words, I’m f---ed."

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Perez-Garcia said that despite national headlines about ICE operations, he did not expect to be arrested Thursday morning. He said he was on his usual morning walk when agents encountered him.

"Once I saw the officer … with the picture of me, there was no way I was going to run," he said.

"At the end of the day," he continued, "it’s the alcohol that got me back in this mess." While he said a friend’s recent death "got me caught up [in alcoholism]," he said, "It shouldn’t have, so it’s my mistake, and I’ve got to be responsible for that."

Perez-Garcia first entered the U.S. at an unknown date and location. The Torrance Police Department in California initially arrested him on April 3, 2003, for driving without a license. He was convicted and sentenced to 30 days. Over the next few years, he was also convicted of driving with a suspended license and possessing controlled substance paraphernalia.

According to ICE, the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, convicted Perez-Garcia on April 10, 2006, of threatening crime with intent to terrorize. He was sentenced to 60 days in jail and three years of probation. ICE removed him to Mexico for the first time the next month.

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However, he re-entered the U.S. at an unknown date and location. On June 27, 2006, he was arrested again for threatening crime with intent to terrorize.

Over the next two decades, Perez-Garcia was arrested for various offenses, including repeated attempts to cross the southern border in Tecate, California.

Since 2020, Perez-Garcia has been arrested five times for disorderly conduct, including four arrests by the Redondo Beach Police Department. He was arrested twice this year for disorderly conduct, on April 17 and May 8. ICE said the department declined to honor its detainer requests twice, in 2020 and again in 2026.

Perez-Garcia claimed that the Redondo Beach Police Department "let me know a couple years ago" that ICE was looking for him.

"Redondo PD had told me about it, you know, Redondo PD was cool with it. They let me go with it, you know what I mean, but they also told me I had a warrant for my arrest," he said.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Redondo Beach Police Department for comment on Perez-Garcia’s assertion.

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Los Angeles Field Office Director Tom Giles spoke with Fox News Digital shortly before ICE arrested Perez-Garcia. Giles emphasized that "when these detainers aren't honored, what it does for us is it sends our officers out into the community, putting our officers at risk and other community members at risk to go out and try to apprehend this individual."

"So, for sanctuary policies, what we ask these jurisdictions is to cooperate with us," he said, adding, "It will make our communities safer."

Perez-Garcia said he believes his arrest by ICE is "fair."

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"I was trying to lie about it because I actually don’t got nothing there in Mexico right now, you know what I mean? I grew up right here, and this is what I know," he said. Perez-Garcia also said his children live in the U.S. and that he has heard stories about how "so hard" it is to return to the U.S.

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"I don’t know what’s going to happen, to tell you the truth," he said. "I already knew it was going to catch up to me; I just didn’t know when."

Sammy Gravano reveals the moment he decided to cooperate with the government against John Gotti

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 05:00:34 -0400

Sammy "The Bull" Gravano lived by the Mafia's code of loyalty for years, but secretly recorded footage of John Gotti — and what Gravano says came next ultimately convinced him the oath was dead and it was time to switch sides.

"I said, 'Okay.' And I walked away," Gravano recalled on the "Hang Out With Sean Hannity" podcast.

"Well, as I walked away, I said, 'F--- the Mafia, f--- the oath and f--- John Gotti — I'm switching sides. He wants to play chess with me. Let's play chess.'"

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At the center of that decision were secretly recorded conversations in which Gotti discussed the Castellano hit and other mob activity, recordings Gravano said initially left him frustrated with the boss.

Gravano said Gotti's loose talk initially angered him, but the final straw came later.

"At first, I was annoyed in a way, like, man, you don't know when to shut your f---ing mouth," he said. "But it went beyond that."

Gravano said the situation escalated after their arrests, when Gotti sought to control the lawyers and Gravano learned how the defense planned to address the tapes before a jury.

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"They're going to turn around, including your lawyer, and say to the jurors, 'You heard the tapes. Sammy's a monster. Killed all these people, took over the businesses and everything. Poor John Gotti. You hear him complaining on the tape. It's not him. It's him,'" Gravano recalled.

The strategy, as Gravano described it, reflected a deeply ingrained Mafia mentality: "The boss must go free" — even if that meant casting him as the fall guy.

After that exchange, Gravano said, he walked away and resolved to cooperate with the government.

He would later learn that Gotti's intentions toward him were much more sinister.

"I find this out way later, so it's not the reason I cooperated – but I find out later he's going to take me out," Gravano recalled.

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"But he wants Frankie [LoCascio] to go around to the captains and explain Sammy has lost his mind. He's really killing all kinds of f---ing people. It's crazy," Gravano added.

In his wide-ranging interview with Sean Hannity, Gravano also pulled back the curtain on a life spent inside one of America's most notorious crime families — from taking the Mafia's blood oath and participating in 19 murders to helping orchestrate the infamous hit on Gambino boss Paul Castellano.

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Watch the full "Hang Out With Sean Hannity" interview with Sammy "The Bull" Gravano on iHeartRadio, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Missing New York grandmother found dead near Las Vegas airport after mysterious Bitcoin texts

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 23:54:21 -0400

A New York grandmother who vanished without a trace while visiting Las Vegas earlier this month has been found dead, her family announced Friday.

Alisa Goods, a 63-year-old grandmother of five, was reported missing Aug. 10, two days after she was last seen leaving a friend's apartment near Maryland Parkway and Tropicana Avenue, according to her family and a missing person report obtained by KLAS-TV.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police responded early Thursday after a caller reported a "deceased woman in a drainage ditch area near Wayne Newton Boulevard and the Terminal 1 parking garage at Harry Reid International Airport," according to KTNV.

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Officers located a woman who was later identified as Goods and pronounced dead, the outlet reported.

"Our hearts are broken. We were notified that my aunt was found—unfortunately, not the way we wanted her to be," Goods' niece, Alana Calloway, said in a statement provided to the station.

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"This is an unimaginable time," the statement continued. "Words cannot describe the pain our family is experiencing right now. We just want to thank the public for the outpouring of love, support, and prayers. We also want to thank the media for helping bring attention to this situation. This hurts so deeply. We are still trying to learn the details surrounding her death. We ask for continued prayers and privacy as we grieve."

Police reviewed surveillance footage that appeared to show Goods "falling down an embankment, getting back up and then collapsing" on Aug. 8, the day she disappeared, with "no further movement observed after that," according to KTNV.

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Additional surveillance video from that day showed a woman believed to be Goods near the airport that afternoon, the station reported.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for additional information.

Goods had been staying with her longtime friend Roger John, who told KLAS-TV that she left his apartment around 12:45 p.m. Aug. 8 to take a bus to a nearby CVS to buy iron pills but never returned.

"Last I saw her, she was going down the stairs. And I said, 'OK, see you later,' And that's the last time I saw her," John told the station.

John said he was not immediately alarmed because Goods sometimes spent hours shopping. When she failed to return, however, he began calling and texting her before contacting her family.

"This is not like her to just go missing," Calloway previously told the outlet. "She has a family that loves her, cares about her. We want her home and want her home safe and alive."

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The mystery surrounding Goods' disappearance deepened when her family said they began receiving unusual text messages from her phone on Aug. 12, four days after she was last seen.

The sender allegedly asked for gas money and Bitcoin , requests that raised suspicions because Goods did not drive and did not have a car in Las Vegas, according to her family.

"I said, 'What do you need gas for? The car?' My aunt does not drive. There is no car," Calloway told CBS News.

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The family previously said the messages raised concerns that Goods may have been kidnapped. It was not immediately clear Friday who sent the messages.

Fox News Digital's Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.

Surprise traveler trapped beneath car for hundreds of miles gets new chance at life

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 22:46:00 -0400

An animal discovered wedged beneath a car after the vehicle traveled hundreds of miles from New Jersey to Georgia is recovering after an unusual rescue on a college campus.

The roughly 10-week-old kitten, now named Jersey, was discovered Aug. 10 after University of Georgia student Jadyn Sawyer arrived on campus from New Jersey and spotted one of the cat's legs dangling from beneath her vehicle, Kelly Bettinger of Cat Zip Alliance - Campus Cats told Fox News Digital.

Bettinger, founder of the nonprofit, said Sawyer called UGA Police, who then contacted the organization for help.

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Bettinger and fellow volunteer Lisa Donovan arrived to find Jersey wedged into a small space beneath the car.

"I'll admit my heart dropped at first as I thought the kitten wasn't alive, but thankfully he cried and moved when I touched his leg," Bettinger said.

After officers were unable to reach him, the car was taken to a nearby Tires Plus, where mechanics placed it on a lift and removed the front driver's side tire before Jersey could finally be pulled free.

The young cat was hot and panting but quickly settled down in air conditioning and showed no visible injuries, according to Bettinger.

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A veterinary exam the following day found him healthy aside from a minor upper respiratory infection and coccidia, an intestinal parasite commonly found in kittens that are born outdoors.

The small animal initially appeared frightened of people but quickly began warming up to his rescuers, Bettinger said.

"He's now talkative, playful, likes to be held and really sweet," she said.

Rita Reimers, a North Carolina-based certified cat behaviorist, told Fox News Digital that kittens can crawl into vehicles while looking for shelter or protection.

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"Cats can hide in the smallest little places," Reimers said. "If their head fits, their body will fit."

Drivers should be particularly cautious in areas where outdoor cats are common, said Reimers.

"I always tell people, especially in the winter, but all year long, if you park your car outside before you start it, bang on the hood," she said.

Jersey is now staying in a foster home and is expected to be neutered, microchipped and vaccinated against rabies on Sept. 1.

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Sawyer's sister and her fiancé in New Jersey plan to adopt Jersey, Bettinger said — so the kitten will eventually make its way back to the state where his unexpected journey apparently began.

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"Now we have to figure out the logistics to get him back to New Jersey the first week of September, in a much safer and more comfortable way than as a stowaway." Bettinger said.

Trump to honor Artemis II astronauts who traveled farther from Earth than any humans in history

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 22:04:31 -0400

President Donald Trump is set to honor four astronauts who traveled farther from Earth than any humans in history during a record-breaking journey around the moon earlier this year.

Trump will award the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen during an Aug. 28 ceremony at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the agency announced.

The four made history in April aboard Artemis II, the first crewed flight of NASA's Orion spacecraft and the first mission to take astronauts around the moon in more than half a century.

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At their farthest point, the crew traveled 252,756 miles from Earth, surpassing the human spaceflight distance record set by Apollo 13 in 1970, according to NASA. The astronauts covered 695,081 miles during their nearly 10-day mission.

Their voyage began April 1, when NASA's Space Launch System rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida with 8.8 million pounds of thrust. After testing Orion's systems in space, the crew headed toward the moon and passed within 4,067 miles of the lunar surface during an April 6 flyby, NASA said.

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The astronauts captured more than 7,000 images along the way, including views of earthrise and earthset, lunar craters, ancient lava flows and a solar eclipse seen from Orion. NASA said the crew also reported meteoroid impact flashes on the moon's night side.

Orion returned to Earth on April 10, entering the atmosphere at roughly 25,000 mph before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off California.

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NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said after the crew's return that the astronauts had accepted "significant risk" while testing the spacecraft and systems intended to carry future crews deeper into space.

The medal they will receive has roots in the Apollo era. Congress authorized the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 1969, declaring that America's space program relied on the "intelligence, the dedication, the bravery, and the self-sacrifice" of astronauts who flew missions into the "hostile environment of space."

Under the law, the president may award the medal in the name of Congress to astronauts who distinguish themselves through exceptionally meritorious efforts and contributions to the welfare of the nation and mankind.

NASA says the medal has been awarded to only a "very select group" of astronauts. Its official list includes 30 recipients, among them Neil Armstrong, John Glenn, Alan Shepard and Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell. Armstrong was among six astronauts who received the medal from President Jimmy Carter on Oct. 1, 1978, according to NASA.

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The four Artemis II astronauts would bring the number of recipients to 34.

Artemis II also served as a stepping stone toward returning astronauts to the lunar surface. NASA said the crew tested Orion's life-support systems, manually piloted the spacecraft and gathered data intended to prepare for future missions.

NASA plans to test commercial lunar lander operations during Artemis III in low Earth orbit in 2027 and is targeting Artemis IV for the program's first lunar landing in 2028.

The agency says Artemis ultimately aims to establish an enduring human presence on the moon and lay the groundwork for sending astronauts to Mars.

"The NASA leadership team was in Mission Control, alongside the flight control team, watching as the Artemis II crew crossed that historic threshold and became the explorers that ventured farthest from Earth," NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said to Fox News Digital in a statement.

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"Certainly, the astronauts were aware and monitoring their spacecraft systems. Under President Trump’s leadership, Artemis II captivated the world, inspired a generation, and gave us the confidence to press on as America returns to the Moon to build a base and to stay. Artemis III is the next mission up in that campaign, but it will be in 2028 during Artemis IV, when NASA astronauts will once again walk on the Moon."

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Trump fires back after protester interrupts Myrtle Beach rally for Graham: 'Mom is voting for us'

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 21:31:05 -0400

President Donald Trump had a striking message for a protester who interrupted his South Carolina rally Friday night: Mom isn't going to be happy.

A protester stood up and interrupted Trump at about 7:28 p.m., before being escorted from the Myrtle Beach Convention Center by police and convention center staff, according to a White House pool report.

As the protester was still being escorted out, Trump briefly paused his remarks and turned to the commotion.

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"That's all right. That person's going home to mom. Gonna get scolded because mom is voting for us. You know, mom is voting for us," Trump said before quickly continuing his speech.

Trump was in Myrtle Beach to campaign for Darline Graham ahead of Tuesday's South Carolina Senate runoff, urging his supporters to turn out even though his own name won't be on the ballot.

"If Trump isn't actually on the ballot," Trump said while discussing Republican turnout, before asking supporters to "pretend, please, that I'm on the ballot.

"Just come and vote. It's so important," Trump said. "So, just say that I'm on the ballot one more time. You got to say it, and you got to come out and vote."

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Trump said he personally encouraged Graham to run and laid out the case for sending her to Washington.

"With your support, Darline will defend common sense in our nation's capital," Trump said. "She'll fight for lower taxes, bigger paychecks, no amnesty for illegal aliens. And she'll always protect your Second Amendment, the right to keep and bear arms."

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Trump also said Graham would be a strong advocate for the armed forces.

"But as much as anybody in this Senate and maybe more, Darline will support our military," Trump said.

Graham later joined Trump onstage, thanking him for his endorsement and his friendship with her late senator brother, Lindsey.

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"Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you for your endorsement. It has meant the world to me," Graham said. "Thank you for your support. Thank you for coming to South Carolina. This is MAGA country, right?"

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Florida Democrat Senate nominee Angie Nixon insists ‘I’m not a socialist’ after joining DSA

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 21:30:14 -0400

Florida Democratic Senate nominee Angie Nixon distanced herself from several major planks in the Democratic Socialists of America's (DSA) national program Thursday on "Meet the Press NOW," after host Kristen Welker pressed her to explain why she joined an organization that called for abolishing the office she is seeking.

Nixon said she joined the DSA because it supported public housing, healthcare, helping homeless veterans and removing big money from politics, but rejected incumbent Republican Sen. Ashley Moody's characterization of her political identity.

"Ashley Moody knows that I’m not a socialist," Nixon said. "I joined the DSA because I believe in them in regards to fighting for adequate public housing, as well as fighting for quality healthcare, as well as making sure that we are getting our veterans off the street, taking big money out of politics, right?"

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The DSA's program called for a new Constitution, abolishing the Senate, defunding the Department of War, ending sanctions on countries including Iran and establishing public ownership of the largest corporations and essential industries.

Nixon explicitly rejected abolishing the Senate and drafting a new constitution. She also said she did not support defunding the military, although she called for greater scrutiny of defense spending. Nixon did not directly answer Welker’s question about lifting sanctions on Iran.

"I don’t believe in defunding anything. I think we need to make sure that we are scrutinizing them, and we need to make sure we’re spending money the right way," Nixon said.

The Republican National Committee sought to use Nixon’s defense of her DSA membership against Democrats nationally, accusing the Senate nominee of embracing far-left positions on crime, immigration and taxes.

"Socialist lunatic Angie Nixon wants to empty our prisons, open our borders, and raise your taxes to bankroll their far-left agenda," RNC spokeswoman Emma Hall said in a statement to Fox News Digital Friday. "Every word out of Nixon’s mouth is an in-kind contribution to Republicans in Florida and across the country."

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Welker asked Nixon whether she considered herself a capitalist after Florida Democratic gubernatorial nominee David Jolly described himself that way.

"I live in a capitalistic society. I’m a small business owner. I like to make money. I don’t see what the problem is," she said. "I’m a capitalist who believes that we need some strong regulation."

Nixon campaigned on Medicare-for all, free child care, a national rent freeze, an eviction moratorium, a universal jobs program and abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

She dismissed scrutiny of her DSA membership as a distraction from the issues Florida voters face.

Welker played video of Moody describing the general election as a fight against Nixon and her fellow socialists. Moody also discussed the race Wednesday during an appearance on Fox News’ "Hannity."

"Angie Nixon, who will be my opponent in November, and her comrades want to destroy this country and everything that it is built on," Moody said.

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Nixon advanced to face Moody after defeating former National Security Council official Alexander Vindman by nearly 12 percentage points despite being outspent roughly 16-to-1.

Moody was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to replace Marco Rubio after Rubio became Secretary of State. The winner in November will serve the final two years of Rubio’s term.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Nixon, Moody and the DSA for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Mavericks buy out Klay Thompson’s contract, NBA champion set to join Giannis Antetokounmpo in Miami: report

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 21:08:10 -0400

The next chapter of likely future Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Klay Thompson’s career appears set to unfold in Miami, where he is expected to suit up for the Heat during the 2026-27 NBA season.

The five-time NBA All-Star will reportedly sign with the Heat after clearing waivers following a contract buyout with the Dallas Mavericks, according to ESPN. Thompson, a four-time NBA champion, could ink a two-year contract worth nearly $13 million, sources told ESPN on Friday.

The 36-year-old was scheduled to make $17.5 million in the final season of his contract with Dallas before the two sides agreed to part ways. The Mavs confirmed the roster move Friday.

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After a 13-season run with the Golden State Warriors, Thompson joined the Mavericks following the 2023-24 season via a sign-and-trade deal. He spent the next two seasons in Dallas, averaging 12.9 points across 141 regular-season appearances.

Thompson has long been regarded as one of the NBA’s premier 3-point shooters.

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His expected arrival in South Florida would give Miami another proven perimeter threat as the Heat continue building around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. Antetokounmpo, the 2019 and 2020 NBA MVP, was sent to the Heat as part of a blockbuster trade in June.

Mavericks president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri praised Thompson’s impact during his time with the Mavericks. "Klay is one of the great players and competitors of his generation, and we are grateful for everything he brought to the Mavericks organization," Ujiri said in a statement.

"We have tremendous respect for Klay and all that he has accomplished throughout his career, and we wish him nothing but the best moving forward," Ujiri added.

Thompson was sidelined for back-to-back seasons earlier in his career while recovering from an Achilles injury.

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The Mavs struggled to a 26-56 record in 2025-26. Jason Kidd exited after five seasons, with the franchise describing the move as a mutual decision. The Mavericks hired Dusty May in June after he guided Michigan to the NCAA Division I men’s national championship in April.

'Mutiny' Review: Jason Statham takes no prisoners in mindless but amusing brawler flick on the high seas

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 21:00:53 -0400

When you see one Jason Statham movie, you've seen them all.

That's the case with "Mutiny," his latest shoot-em-up flick where he, once again, stars as a one-man army. Swap his job, swap the backstory, swap the location, swap the villain and keep everything else. It's a winning formula for him and for anyone who appreciates mindless entertainment.

Here, Statham is Cole Reed, a former British police officer who now serves as the head of security for Tibu Campallo (Ramon Tikaram), the owner of a large cargo shipping company in Bangkok and a surrogate father figure to Cole. On the cusp of selling his company, Tibu is assassinated, and Cole is framed for the murder.

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Cole's search to find who's responsible leads him aboard one of those cargo ships, where he uncovers a human smuggling operation that's embarking on the high seas to do a tradeoff led by the villainous captain Markos Madsen (Danish actor Roland Møller).

Seek vengeance. Save lives. Kick butt. Sounds like a plan.

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Statham, 59, seems ageless because he appears to do most of his own stunts. And just like every Statham movie, there are well-choreographed fight scenes and brutal deaths of his various foes that often result in chuckles from viewers.

On a ship with a menacing European captain and his 20-plus henchmen, the only help on Cole's side is Angie Ellis (Annabelle Wallis), the third mate who was just as shocked as him to be on the same boat as a bunch of helpless migrants.

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To that end, Statham succeeds. But at this point, he can do these kinds of movies in his sleep. He's only challenged as an actor when he's forced to step out of his own element, like in the 2015 underrated Melissa McCarthy comedy "Spy," where Statham essentially plays a hilarious version of one of his characters.

"Mutiny" was directed by French filmmaker Jean-François Richet, who previously directed the 2023 Gerard Butler action flick "Plane," which, if you haven't seen, also falls in the same category of absurd but amusing.

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The Verdict

At the end of the day, "Mutiny" doesn't pretend to be anything than it actually is: a mindless, entertaining Jason Statham action movie. If you're bored and looking to kill time, this flick at least doesn't wear out its welcome. Nothing worth jumping for joy nor jumping overboard with this one.

★★ ½ — STREAM IT LATER

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"Mutiny" is rated R for strong/bloody violence and language. Running time: 1 hour, 35 minutes. In theaters now.

Log Cabin Republicans removes 'T' from LGBT advocacy, says 'radical' trans activists are eroding gay support

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 20:21:38 -0400

The country's most prominent gay conservative advocacy group is distancing itself from what it calls the "radical" transgender movement that has been at the center of a cultural firestorm in recent years.

Ross Hemminger, the president of the Log Cabin Republicans (LCR), announced in an op-ed published Thursday by Townhall.com that his organization is renewing its focus on prioritizing the representation of gay, lesbian and bisexual GOP voters.

"Fifty years ago next year, Log Cabin Republicans was founded on a simple conviction: that gay Americans who believe in limited government, individual liberty, and equality deserve equal protection under the law and a voice inside the Republican Party," Hemminger began the op-ed.

"From the start, Log Cabin Republicans grounded its advocacy in constitutional principles — equal protection, limited government, and individual freedom."

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Hemminger noted that, in 2015, the group's board of directors voted to "add the 'T' under the umbrella of our mission," which is now being reversed.

"At the time, we did not believe that we would find ourselves where we are today," Hemminger wrote. "The transgender movement has ceased focusing on adults at all — nearly all of their efforts and those of their aligned special interest groups focus on minors.

"They push schools to teach radical gender ideology; they want biological men in women’s sports regardless of the consequences; perhaps most offensively, they support gender reassignment treatments for minors, often without the knowledge or consent of the parents, knowing full well these treatments are mostly irreversible," the op-ed added.

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The LCR chief lamented that "gay men and women are losing public support across the country, and support for gay marriage and other once-widely accepted rights is eroding," alluding to polls showing such declines.

He suspected the root cause is that voters "weren't alive or cognizant" to the decades-long fight for gay marriage and in the court of public opinion and that "their view of the gay community is based on today’s radical transgender activists."

"That is why, after significant discussion with our membership, our Board of Directors voted to refine Log Cabin Republicans’ national advocacy focus to concentrate specifically on issues of sexual orientation and conservative values — in other words, we are an LGB advocacy organization, as our founders envisioned and as our moral center calls us to be," Hemminger said.

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Hemminger stressed that membership of Log Cabin Republicans remains "open to all conservatives," and it welcomes all allies aligned with its mission.

"Issues of sexual orientation — marriage, adoption, military service, nondiscrimination rooted in equal treatment, and religious liberty protections applied fairly — are grounded in constitutional clarity," Hemminger wrote.

"They align directly with the Republican commitment to limited government and equal protection under the law.

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"When we remain focused on those principles, we win."

Ravens' Rashod Bateman faces domestic charges for alleged attack on car carrying ex-girlfriend and their baby

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 20:08:22 -0400

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman turned himself in to police and faces three domestic violence charges in connection to a June incident in which he allegedly attacked his ex-girlfriend's car while she had their newborn on board.

The details of the incident, first reported by TMZ, remain sketchy, but documents say the player entering his sixth NFL season allegedly smashed the glass of his girlfriend's car while their three-month-old child was inside.

The victim, whose name was not immediately available, told police that Bateman used a blunt object to break the windshield and driver's side windows of her 2021 Mercedes-Benz.

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When the glass shattered, it allegedly caused multiple small lacerations and contusions to the alleged victim’s face.

The couple’s child was sitting in a baby seat in the back row.

Bateman, 26, was charged with battery-family violence, reckless conduct and first-degree criminal damage to property. He turned himself in to police immediately following the incident.

The incident was not public until TMZ's report on Friday. The Ravens then released a statement about their starting wide receiver.

"We are aware of the situation involving Rashod and have been in direct communication with him," the statement reads. "We notified the league office and have been cooperating throughout the process.

"As this is a pending legal matter, we will not have further comment."

It is unclear at what point the Ravens became aware of this incident. It happened on June 3.

The Ravens opened their 2026 training camp the last week of July, with the first day of practice coming on July 29. Bateman was present and has remained so since then.

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Indeed, Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson told reporters he was happy to have one of the team's top receivers "back on the field."

So the question is: Did Bateman keep the arrest secret as he was with the team at the opening of camp last month, or did the club know and simply let him practice as if no legal matter was pending?

Bateman in June 2025 signed a three-year, $36.75 million with Baltimore that includes $20 million in guaranteed money.

Bateman originally was told to have no contact with his baby's mother. But later he asked the court to remove the no-contact order when the mother agreed.

The court signed off on the request, per TMZ, though Bateman was ordered to complete a training class aimed at preventing violent contact.

The NFL, by the way, has had a considerable number of domestic violence incidents, arrests and court hearings during the 2026 offseason.

Bateman's legal team released a statement that reads in part, "We will let the process play out and the fact will come out at that time."

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Fauci's lawyers launch legal defense fund as federal, state investigations mount against him

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 19:50:18 -0400

Lawyers representing Dr. Anthony Fauci have created a legal defense fund for the infectious disease expert as investigations against him continue to mount.

Fauci, who helped lead the country through the pandemic, has been accused by Republicans of misleading the public about the origins of COVID-19 and faces multiple federal and state investigations.

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul has called on the U.S. Department of Justice to prosecute Fauci after Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment numerous times during a high-profile July congressional hearing.

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The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, chaired by Paul, held him in contempt of Congress after the hearing.

Fauci has denied all the accusations made against him.

FAUCI IN THE CONGRESSIONAL WRINGER: A TEST FOR TRUMP'S NEWLY-MINTED ATTORNEY GENERAL

"The Anthony S. Fauci M.D. Legal Defense Fund was established to help cover the legal representation and associated administrative costs for Dr. Fauci," the defense fund’s website says.

"Your contributions directly support these defense efforts and ensure comprehensive legal support during ongoing inquiries and proceedings."

Fauci retired in 2022 after leading the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for nearly 40 years.

He also advised seven presidents, including President Donald Trump during Trump's first term as a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force.

During his time navigating the country through the pandemic, he was a proponent of wearing masks, social distancing, vaccines and lockdown measures.

Former President Joe Biden issued Fauci a preemptive pardon before he left office.

FAUCI REFUSES SENATE APPEARANCE AFTER INVOKING FIFTH AMENDMENT MORE THAN 100 TIMES IN COVID PROBE

"Fauci is facing an unprecedented legal barrage for a retired civil servant, and he deserves a robust defense against these unfounded and frivolous actions," David Schertler, a lawyer for Fauci, told Reuters.

"Dr. Fauci has not done anything wrong, and we are prepared to fight back against this shameful harassment of an honorable man who dedicated his career to saving lives."

His lawyers added that any funds remaining after all of his investigations conclude will be donated to charity.

Prior to his retirement, Fauci was the highest-paid federal employee, making nearly $500,000 each year, Fox News Digital previously reported. In retirement, Fauci collects a federal pension that rivals a presidential salary, OpenTheBooks CEO Adam Andrzejewski estimated.

Fauci and his wife reported a combined $12.6 million net worth in 2021.

FAUCI'S HHS IPHONE TURNED OVER TO SENATE INVESTIGATORS AS CONTEMPT VOTE LOOMS

Fox News Digital has reached out to the legal defense fund and Paul's office for comment.

On Tuesday, David Morens, a former Fauci advisor, pleaded guilty to attempting to conceal pandemic-related documents by evading public records laws.

FLORIDA AG THREATENS FAUCI INVESTIGATION AFTER SENATE HEARING

Florida Attorney General James ⁠Uthmeier has said he will investigate whether Fauci "personally profited off the COVID 'guidance' he issued" during the pandemic and has issued a subpoena to the 85-year-old.

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Louisiana and West Virginia are backing Florida’s effort.

Fox News Digital's Joe Schoffstall and Reuters contributed to this report.

Here are 5 drivers to keep an eye on as IndyCar hits the streets of Washington for Freedom 250 Grand Prix

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 19:33:14 -0400

The NTT IndyCar Series is set to hit the streets of Washington, D.C., for a once-in-a-lifetime racing spectacle to celebrate the United States' 250th anniversary.

There will be a lot of eyes on this race, with more than a few of them tuning into IndyCar for the first time since the Indianapolis 500, or maybe even ever.

No shame if that's you (although, seriously, you're missing out), but to get you up to speed, here are five drivers you might want to keep an eye on when the race gets underway at 1 p.m. ET this Sunday on FOX.

RACER STING RAY ROBB GEARS UP FOR FREEDOM 250 GRAND PRIX: 'THIS IS MORE THAN JUST AN INDYCAR EVENT'

Alex Palou

The driver of the No. 10 Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing is going to come into the weekend as the man to beat, which shouldn't be a surprise considering he almost always is.

The four-time series champ and 2025 Indy 500 champ is currently leading the standings by 133 points.

INDYCAR STAR ALEX PALOU REFLECTS ON WHITE HOUSE, OVAL OFFICE VISIT WITH TRUMP: 'INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE'

In case you were wondering, the most you can score on a single race weekend (not including the upcoming double-header weekend in Milwaukee) is 54 points.

Palou makes very few mistakes, if any, and the bad news for the field going into the Freedom 250 Grand Prix is that he made one of those mistakes last weekend in Markham, Ontario. A poor qualifying meant that he started the race in 11th.

Of course, he still finished in fourth.

As I said, always dangerous.

Kyle Kirkwood

The Jupiter, Florida, native, who drives the No. 27 Honda for Andretti Global, is currently sitting second in the championship standings behind Palou. However, he should be licking his chops going into the weekend because this kind of race is where Kyle Kirkwood excels.

Five of his six IndyCar wins have come on street circuits, and he'll want to lean on the same skillset that has helped him take two wins at Long Beach, two in Detroit and another at Arlington earlier this season.

It feels like it has been a feast-or-famine season for Andretti Global. They're coming off a win for Marcus Ericsson last time out in Markham, but it was a rough weekend for Kirkwood. He qualified a disappointing 22nd and crashed out of the race before seeing the checkered flag.

David Malukas

While he is still hunting for that first IndyCar win, David Malukas has been stellar in his first season behind the wheel of the No. 12 Chevrolet for Team Penske.

PRESIDENT TRUMP REPORTEDLY WILL GO ON A LAP OF HONOR AROUND THE FREEDOM 250 GRAND PRIX STREET CIRCUIT

It has been a daunting task to fill Will Power's shoes, but the 24-year-old from Chicago hasn't seemed fazed by it at all.

That's why he's third in the championship, but he needs that first win.

It'll come eventually; there's no doubt about it. But what better way to get it than by winning in the nation's capital while driving for motorsports legend Roger Penske?

Aside from maybe getting your first win in the Indy 500, there isn't a better way.

Pato O'Ward

Arrow McLaren's Pato O'Ward is a fan favorite and one of the series' most talented and well-rounded drivers. He always seems to be in the mix whether it's an oval, a road course, or a street circuit.

He's been the centerpiece of the Arrow McLaren lineup for years and is the only driver from this year's lineup who will return in 2027 when Felix Rosenqvist and Scott Dixon join the team.

However, O'Ward is trailing teammate Christian Lundgaard in the standings and in race wins by a margin of 2-1. Drivers are a competitive bunch, and that can't sit well with the 27-year-old from Monterrey, Mexico.

Scott Dixon

The six-time champion is in a strange spot with just a few races left in the season and in his time with Chip Ganassi Racing.

The legendary Kiwi is staring down what could be his first winless season since 2004.

Dixon is leaving CGR after this season — his 25th with the team — to join Arrow McLaren in '27.

A final win with the team in Washington seems like a perfect way to cap off an incredible run.

And it's not outside the realm of possibility. There's a reason the Dixon-CGR combination has been so successful; they're almost always in contention.

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Pre-race coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix begins at 11:30 a.m. ET, with the race slated to get underway at 1 p.m. ET on FOX.

Far-left Florida Democrat Angie Nixon claims GOP is ‘literally trying to kill’ Black Americans

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 19:28:46 -0400

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Friday rejected Florida Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Angie Nixon's accusation that Republicans were "literally trying to kill us" and her characterization of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as a "weaponized paramilitary force" designed to terrorize people.

Nixon made the comments during an interview on the "QNA: Questions Need Answers" podcast earlier this month, days before she won Florida’s Democratic Senate primary.

While explaining why she believed voters should send fighters to Washington, Nixon dismissed the prospect of bipartisan cooperation.

"Folks often say, like, ‘Oh, are you going to be able to work across the aisle with the Republicans?’ They’re not trying to work across the aisle. They’re literally trying to kill us. And they are doing it on camera," Nixon said.

FLORIDA SOCIALIST ANGIE NIXON SAYS SHE DOESN’T ‘REALLY KNOW’ HASAN PIKER

Nixon described what she viewed as state-sanctioned violence in Black communities before turning to immigration enforcement.

"Like, actually state-sanctioned violence. They’ve been doing it in the Black community. And they’re doing it even more so now with ICE," she said. "ICE is now a weaponized paramilitary force that is designed to terrorize us."

Nixon used a September 2025 operation at an apartment building in Chicago's South Shore neighborhood as an example, alleging that agents zip-tied men, women and children. The operation resulted in about two dozen detentions and targeted suspected Tren de Aragua members.

DHS later rejected a viral allegation involving a toddler, saying the image came from a parody video.

"Allegations that DHS law enforcement engages in ‘racial profiling’ are disgusting, reckless and categorically FALSE," a DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital Friday.

DEMOCRAT COMPARES ICE TO 'DOMESTIC TERRORISTS' AS 111 HOUSE DEMS DEMAND TEXAS DETENTION CENTER CLOSE

DHS said immigration status, not race or ethnicity, determined who was targeted for enforcement. The department cited ICE's authority under § U.S.C. 1357 and pointed to its use-of-force policy, which included minimum-force and de-escalation standards.

The department also referred to a 2025 Supreme Court order. The decision temporarily allowed immigration operations in Southern California to resume while litigation over whether officers conducted stops without reasonable suspicion continued.

DHS said Nixon’s rhetoric came as ICE personnel faced escalating attacks and threats. A spokesperson repeated figures the department had cited last month.

"We have seen a highly coordinated campaign of violence against our law enforcement. Our brave law enforcement is facing a 1,300% increase in assaults, 3,300% increase in vehicular attack, and an 8,000% increase in death threats against them. This violence must end," the spokesperson said.

5 TAKEAWAYS FROM FLORIDA SENATE PRIMARY: GOP SEN ASHLEY MOODY WILL FACE DSA'S NIXON

Republican National Committee spokeswoman Emma Hall told Fox News Digital Friday that Nixon's comments would benefit Republican candidates nationwide.

"Socialist lunatic Angie Nixon wants to empty our prisons, open our borders and raise your taxes to bankroll their far-left agenda," she said. "Every word out of Nixon’s mouth is an in-kind contribution to Republicans in Florida and across the country."

Nixon defeated former National Security Council official Alexander Vindman, a whistleblower who became a key witness in President Donald Trump’s first impeachment inquiry, by nearly 12 points despite his $16.27 million campaign war chest, compared with approximately $1 million raised by Nixon.

She will face Republican Sen. Ashley Moody in November to fill the remainder of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s former Senate term.

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

Late-night bull run ends with a little cowboy know-how on busy California highway

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 18:57:55 -0400

Some calls for service require a little extra horsepower or, in this case, bull power.

On Tuesday evening, San Mateo County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to assist the California Highway Patrol (CHP) after a large bull was found running loose along Highway 35.

Photos released by the department captured officers attempting to corral the animal and the moment a good Samaritan arrived and helped bring the wandering bull under control.

GOOD SAMARITAN IN SPIDER-MAN COSTUME HELPS MAN IN WHEELCHAIR CROSS BUSY INTERSECTION IN VIRAL MOMENT

According to the sheriff’s department, after hours of unsuccessful attempts to corral the animal, deputies decided to call in someone with the right expertise.

That’s when Half Moon Bay community member Samuel Ramos Palomino arrived to save the day and assist authorities in moving the unyielding animal back to it’s home.

Palomino, a foreman at Sea Horse Ranch with 35 years of experience working with large animals, was asleep when deputies reached out shortly after midnight. Despite having to be at work at 4 a.m., he immediately got up, prepared his truck and livestock trailer and came to help.

What followed was no easy task, authorities said.

ESCAPED WOLF NEUKGU RETURNED TO SOUTH KOREAN ZOO AFTER NINE-DAY SEARCH INVOLVING THERMAL IMAGING DRONES

Palomino worked alongside Sheriff’s Office deputies and CHP officers as they followed the bull for several miles, making repeated attempts to lasso it.

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Eventually, the team was able to take the bull literally by the horns.

MAINE MAN USES TRUCK TO RESCUE MOOSE CALF FROM CHARGING BEAR: 'I KNEW WHAT I HAD TO DO'

Once the animal was secured, Samuel used his expertise to safely load it into his trailer. He then went one step further, providing a secure location for the bull until it could be returned home at daybreak.

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By the time the job was done, it was about 2:30 a.m. or just 90 minutes before Palomino had to get up for work, the sheriff’s department said.

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The department lauded the foreman’s hands-on assistance, saying he likely prevented a serious collision or injury on the busy highway.

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Coastside Patrol Bureau Capt. Allen and Half Moon Bay City Manager Chidester later met with Samuel in person to thank him for answering the call.

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"Samuel, thank you for answering ours," the department said. "Your skill, courage, and willingness to help made the Coastside a safer place that night."

New Jersey mother allegedly drunk when boat hit channel marker on Memorial Day, killing her son

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 18:55:50 -0400

A 59-year-old New Jersey mother was allegedly drunk at the helm when her boat slammed into a channel marker on Memorial Day, killing her 28-year-old son.

Jennifer L. Pearson, 59, was charged with death by vessel, a second-degree offense; operating a vessel under the influence; reckless operation of a vessel; operating a vessel without a boating safety certificate; and failure to have a proper lookout, according to a New Jersey State Police news release.

On Memorial Day at around 5:45 p.m., Pearson was boating in Barnegat Bay near the Brant Beach Yacht Club in Long Beach when she allegedly smashed her 23-foot center console into the marker, sending her son, Gunnar Pearson, 28, and his girlfriend flying into the water, according to charging documents obtained by NJ 101.5.

COLLEGE STUDENT'S FATAL CANOE TRIP TAKES TURN AFTER LONE SURVIVOR IS ARRESTED MONTHS LATER

Gunnar Pearson was rushed to a hospital and later died. Four others were hospitalized with minor injuries. Pearson voluntarily surrendered at the New Jersey State Police Troop C Tuckerton Station Wednesday, Aug. 19, state police said.

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According to court documents cited by NJ 101.5, Pearson's blood alcohol level registered between .09 and .12, just above the legal limit of .08. Investigators detected the smell of alcohol when she arrived to speak with them, and she told them she had consumed two alcoholic drinks earlier that afternoon.

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Pearson is being held at the Ocean County Jail.

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According to an online obituary, Gunnar, who was described as "kind, funny, and deeply caring," had recently completed renovations on his first home in Forked River.

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He was also described as an avid outdoorsman who loved skiing, fishing, boating, running and hunting.

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"He found his greatest joy in spending time with those he loved — whether at home, on the beaches of Long Beach Island, on the ski slopes of Stratton, Vermont, or during family vacations in Maine. These moments together meant everything to him and will remain treasured by those who were fortunate enough to share them," the obituary said.

UNLICENSED NYC BOAT OPERATOR ALLEGEDLY IGNORED SAFETY WARNINGS BEFORE MOTHER, BABY DIED IN CAPSIZING: FEDS

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Police said the fatal crash remains under investigation.

ADF sends letter to WNBA after controversies over treatment of Sophie Cunningham supporters

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 18:50:18 -0400

Alliance Defending Freedom, the law firm that recently led two successful Supreme Court challenges to uphold state laws that protect women's sports, has sent a cautionary notice to the WNBA.

ADF sent a letter to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert Friday after separate incidents involving Sophie Cunningham supporters at games in Seattle and Atlanta.

Suzanne Beecher, legal counsel for ADF, told Fox News Digital that free-speech protections at the federal, state and local levels may apply. Citing the possible use of public funds at WNBA facilities, Beecher said "there could even be First Amendment arguments."

TEXAS AG KEN PAXTON SENDS MESSAGE TO WNBA AMID 'CONCERNS' OVER TREATMENT OF SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM SUPPORTERS

"So there could be cases here," Beecher said.

When asked if she believes civil liberties were infringed upon during the incidents in Atlanta and Seattle, Beecher said, "Absolutely. The fans should be able to go and be respected in voicing their viewpoints."

No lawsuit has been filed. However, the organization is calling on the WNBA to establish clearer policies and train league employees and security personnel to enforce them equally.

"The WNBA claims to stand for female athletes, but we’ve seen recent current events undermine that claim," Beecher said. "We have seen just in the past few weeks that there have been two separate incidents where fans have been silenced or berated when they tried to peacefully express their viewpoint."

The first incident occurred during the Indiana Fever’s July 28 game against the Seattle Storm at Climate Pledge Arena.

Two teenage girls sat courtside wearing XX-XY Athletics shirts and holding signs supporting Cunningham, who had recently spoken out against transgender athletes competing in girls’ and women’s sports.

One sign read, "Thank you Sophie for speaking up for girls!"

Seattle Storm minority owner Celeste Keaton allegedly approached the girls and used profanity while criticizing them. One of the girls was left in tears, according to her family.

SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM SUPPORTERS OPEN UP ON ENCOUNTER WITH SECURITY, PRO-TRANS FANS IN LATEST WNBA CULTURE CLASH

The WNBA later fined Keaton and barred her from attending the Storm’s next five home games. The Storm also apologized and said everyone who attends its games deserves to feel welcome.

A similar dispute unfolded Aug. 16 during the Fever’s game against the Atlanta Dream.

Kasey Thomason and her teenage daughter, Annie, wore XX-XY Athletics shirts to the game. During overtime, WNBA security personnel told them to cover the shirts or leave the arena, the family said.

A third fan wearing a shirt supporting transgender rights was also told to cover it.

The WNBA subsequently acknowledged that security personnel had improperly restricted the fans’ clothing.

"The WNBA is aware of interactions at Sunday night’s game in Atlanta in which fans were asked by league security to cover their shirts," the league said. "This should not have happened."

The Atlanta Dream said its employees were not involved.

"The Atlanta Dream believes in creating a safe and inclusive environment for everyone. Unfortunately, at last night’s game, WNBA security took actions that fell short of that standard," the team said. "At no point was Dream personnel involved in the decisions made by WNBA security." The league reportedly informed the security workers that their actions were improper.

Beecher called the statements an important first response but said the Atlanta incident demonstrated that the WNBA had not done enough after the confrontation in Seattle.

"I think it’s absolutely a first step for the WNBA to say at least that they don’t stand behind what happened in those incidents, but the fact that after the first time they, you know, they said that they didn’t stand behind the co-owner’s berating of the teenage girls, but then again a few weeks later a similar incident occurred shows that more needs to be done," Beecher said.

"The WNBA needs to clarify their policy, educate their staff and partners that they need to respect the viewpoints of people regardless of what those beliefs are that they’re, that the fans are expressing."

Beecher acknowledged that the league may impose reasonable limits on how fans express themselves. She argued, however, that those restrictions must be enforced without favoring one position in the transgender-athlete debate.

"You can, you can have reasonable restrictions on the manner in which things are expressed, but it needs to be equal across the viewpoints being expressed," Beecher said. "It can’t be that one, one side of the argument is silenced while the other side is amplified."

The dispute comes as the WNBA considers whether to clarify its player-eligibility rules.

The league’s collective bargaining agreement states that "only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA," but it does not define the term based on biological sex or gender identity. Engelbert recently told team officials that a task force of presidents and general managers would continue discussing transgender participation. She said the league’s eligibility rules are collectively bargained.

Beecher said ADF also wants the league to resolve that question.

"So I think another step is providing clarity to their players and their future players on who’s eligible to compete in the WNBA," Beecher said. "Is it limited to females?"

Engelbert said Thursday that people were attempting to use the league to "sow divisiveness" and turn it into a "political football." She also denounced what she called "haters" targeting the league amid the debate. Her remarks came before the Fever played the Dallas Wings.

Beecher said ADF would prefer to work with the WNBA to prevent future conflicts instead of immediately pursuing litigation.

"The preferred path would be to have this be a stepping off stone for the WNBA to make sure that going forward they’re really respecting the rights of all fans," she said.

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OutKick reached out to the WNBA for a response to the letter and Beecher’s claims.

Texas Gov Abbott asks the Justice Department to investigate 'discriminatory' Islamic washing stations

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 18:44:35 -0400

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Friday he had referred "discriminatory" religious facilities at two of the state's major airports to the Justice Department over the installation of Islamic foot-washing stations in its bathrooms.

Last week, Abbott directed the state to conduct a review of grants to entities operating Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston for possible revocation and denial of future funding over plans to install Islamic wudu washing facilities.

He previously referred both airports to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for investigation and threatened state funding.

DFW AIRPORT SCRAPS CONTROVERSIAL ISLAMIC FOOT-WASHING STATION PLAN AS TEXAS GOV ABBOTT TAKES AIM

"These ablution stations single out one subset of the population for special treatment based on religion," Abbott said in a statement. "They are not interfaith chapels open to all. They exist to benefit the Muslim population alone. Government-owned airports cannot favor one religion over all others."

Abbott called on the Justice Department to review policies at both airports, noting both are subject to numerous conditions because they receive federal funding, including the requirement to comply with all laws prohibiting discrimination and protecting the rights of all Americans.

‘MUSLIM ONLY’ EVENT AT TEXAS WATER PARK CANCELED AFTER ABBOTT THREATENS TO PULL $530K IN STATE GRANTS

Fox News Digital has reached out to both airports.

In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, Abbott said the washing facilities at IAH are furnished with "copies of the Quran, prayer rugs, prayer beads and a turbah." He noted that both airports are owned by the government.

"Yet, these stations are designed to single out one subset of the population for special treatment based on religion," he wrote.

"It is clear that these government-owned airports have used — and continue to use — funds charged to the public to finance, maintain, advertise, and operate Muslim-only spaces on property that should be open and accessible to all citizens.

"Airports can no more offer Muslim-only bathroom spaces than they can maintain white-only bathrooms. Your office has the authority to investigate and put a stop to these discriminatory practices."

CALIFORNIA LAWMAKERS' PUSH TO MAKE MUSLIM HOLY DAYS STATE HOLIDAYS SPARKS DEBATE OVER SCHOOL NEUTRALITY

The matter drew increased public attention as DFW was evaluating a proposal to add ablution washing stations in Terminal D, its international terminal. Airport officials eventually decided not to move forward with the plan.

A projected filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation said the plan would have been privately funded with an estimated cost of $300,000, but an airport spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital that the figure was closer to $120,000.

WATCH: HOUSTON FACES $110M HIT AS TEXAS GOV LAYS DOWN LAW ON 'SANCTUARY' POLICIES

Despite DFW abandoning plans for a washing station, "it has since been discovered that two such stations are already in operation at the airport," Abbott said.

At IAH, the washing station was in response to requests from passengers, Houston Mayor John Whitmire said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. He noted that the Mickey Leland International Terminal serves around 365,000 passengers annually from Emirates Airlines, Turkish Airlines and Qatar Airways.

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"The ablution room allows Muslim travelers, as well as other travelers whose religion requires ritual washing prior to prayer, to do so in this facility," Whitmire said. "The ablution room leads into a prayer room.

"Prior to the development of the dedicated washing station, travelers often used restroom sinks and other public water facilities for personal washing needs, highlighting the need for a more appropriate and designated space."

Whitmire said the ablution room also has interfaith chapels, like many airports, and is open to travelers of all faiths and beliefs.

"Therefore, their operations do not entail any discriminatory actions," he said.

Pentagon fires longtime publisher, editor, reporter from military newspaper Stars and Stripes

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 18:19:18 -0400

The Pentagon fired the top brass at the military newspaper Stars and Stripes and one of its reporters Friday over alleged insubordination.

Stars and Stripes' longtime publisher Max Lederer, its editor-in-chief Erik Slavin and Middle East reporter Lara Korte were issued their dismissal notices, Fox News Digital confirmed.

The firings, first reported by CBS News, stem from Slavin and Korte's unauthorized participation in a "CBS Sunday Morning" segment that aired last month about the Pentagon's efforts to overhaul the paper and Lederer's refusal to fire them at the direction of Pentagon leadership, a source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital.

PENTAGON OFFICIALS MULLING THE FIRING OF MILITARY NEWSPAPER STARS AND STRIPES PUBLISHER

"According to the notice, I am being fired for stating in a CBS interview that censorship of news for service members would constitute a red line. The Pentagon's public affairs office has charged me with insubordination," Slavin said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

"I stand by the principle that Stars and Stripes must remain editorially independent, as required by law and by the department's own policies."

Slavin was appointed editor-in-chief of Stars in Stripes in September 2025. He joined the paper in 2005 as a reporter in Japan and later an embed reporter with U.S. Forces in Iraq, his work eventually taking him across the globe, according to the paper's report about the firings.

Korte, who joined the paper in 2024, took to social media, posting on X, "Today, I was informed that the Department of Defense is firing me for insubordination after I told a CBS reporter that I work for Stars and Stripes — not the Pentagon, not any administration and not any policy maker.

PENTAGON VOWS TO REFORM MILITARY NEWSPAPER STARS AND STRIPES, REMOVE 'WOKE DISTRACTIONS'

"I consider it a great privilege to live alongside members of the military and share their stories. It’s a shame for the institution and service members, who swore to defend the Constitution and deserve the right to a free and independent press," Korte wrote.

"I’m proud of the work my colleagues and I do at Stars and Stripes, especially the last six months covering the protracted conflict in Iran. Military families and service members have trusted us to share their experience with the world and I don’t take that lightly."

Lederer, an Army veteran who joined Stars and Stripes in 1992 and has served as its publisher for 19 years, previously announced to staff his intention was to retire at the end of September due to "fundamental" differences he had with Pentagon leadership on the direction of the paper.

"I have thought a great deal about the right time to step aside, and I have concluded that this is it," Lederer wrote, according to a Stars and Stripes report on his retirement. "I leave with real pride in what we have accomplished together and with complete confidence in what you will accomplish next."

The fired staffers were granted five days to appeal their dismissals, Fox News Digital has learned.

WASHINGTON POST OPINION EDITOR TO EXIT PAPER AFTER JUST ONE YEAR, STAFF COMPLETELY 'BLINDSIDED'

When asked for comment, a Pentagon spokesman cited an open letter to stakeholders penned by Military Deputy to the Publisher Captain William Urban, a portion of which was shared on X by Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell.

"We may never be able to have the same impact for our service members digitally that our paper had during World War II in a vastly different media environment, but I also believe that we can do better — that we must do better for our most important constituency, the men and women who make up the U.S. Armed Forces," Urban wrote.

"My vision for the future of Stars and Stripes is simple: More eyeballs on our content and more impact on our service members while maintaining the highest standard of professional journalism with the credibility that comes with editorial independence."

A spokesperson for Stars and Stripes cited its own report on the firings and declined to comment further. Neither Lederer nor Korte responded to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.

The Pentagon kicked off 2026 by announcing its overhaul of the long-running newspaper.

"The Department of War is returning Stars & Stripes to its original mission: reporting for our warfighters," Parnell posted on X in January. "We are bringing Stars & Stripes into the 21st century. We will modernize its operations, refocus its content away from woke distractions that syphon morale, and adapt it to serve a new generation of service members.

"Stars & Stripes will be custom tailored to our warfighters. It will focus on warfighting, weapons systems, fitness, lethality, survivability, and ALL THINGS MILITARY. No more repurposed DC gossip columns; no more Associated Press reprints. Stars & Stripes has a proud legacy of reporting news that’s important to our service members. The Department of War is committed to ensuring the outlet continues to reflect that proud legacy."

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The Pentagon fired the Stars and Stripes ombudsman in April after being an outspoken critic of the Trump administration's oversight of the paper.

Iryna Zarutska's family files wrongful death lawsuit alleging no security guard was on train

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 18:03:13 -0400

The family of Iryna Zarutska is suing the city of Charlotte, North Carolina, and its private transit security contractor one year after her murder shocked the nation. The suit alleges "systemic failures" left the city's light-rail system dangerously vulnerable.

"This case arises from the preventable death of Iryna Zarutska," the wrongful-death complaint filed against the City of Charlotte and Professional Police Services Inc., doing business as Professional Security Services, or PSS states. The allegations have not been adjudicated.

"What it shows is the systemic failures that have been within the CATS system for years that the city has been aware of," Lauren Newton, an attorney representing Zarutska's family and estate, previously told WBTV.

CHARLOTTE TRAIN STABBING SUSPECT DODGES POTENTIAL DEATH PENALTY FOR NOW AFTER HE'S RULED INCOMPETENT

The lawsuit alleges no security guard was aboard the Lynx Blue Line train when Zarutska was fatally stabbed Aug. 22, 2025, and accuses PSS of failing to adequately staff and deploy armed and unarmed personnel.

Charlotte's amended contract with PSS provided funding for 219 security personnel for fiscal years 2025 and 2026, according to the complaint, which alleges PSS had hired 183 at the time of Zarutska's killing.

The lawsuit further alleges PSS had only 11 armed guards despite the contract providing for up to 39 armed personnel.

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"They weren’t fully staffed," Newton told WBTV. "If there had been a security guard on that train, Iryna Zarutska would be here." Her assertion that a guard would have prevented Zarutska's death has not been established in court.

The complaint also takes aim at fare enforcement, alleging Zarutska's accused killer, Decarlos Brown Jr., rode CATS transportation without paying before the attack. It alleges there were no physical barriers preventing non-ticketed riders from accessing the light rail.

"There’s been literally no fare enforcement and those things, at a basic level, are what’s necessary for safety. And there’s been none of that," Newton told WBTV.

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The lawsuit alleges Charlotte and PSS knew or should have known about the Blue Line and its stops had repeatedly been the site of criminal activity before Zarutska's death.

"Violent crime was absolutely foreseeable," Newton told WBTV.

The estate brings claims including wrongful death based on allegedly negligent and inadequate security and gross negligence. It seeks damages exceeding $25,000 and punitive damages against PSS, but not against Charlotte.

"The family doesn’t want this to happen to anyone else’s loved one," Newton previously told WBTV.

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Fox News Digital separately reached out to PSS and Newton for comment but did not receive immediate responses.

The City of Charlotte informed Fox News Digital it does not provide comment on active litigation.