Database maintenance

Oct. 25th, 2025 08:42 am
mark: A photo of Mark kneeling on top of the Taal Volcano in the Philippines. It was a long hike. (Default)
[staff profile] mark posting in [site community profile] dw_maintenance

Good morning, afternoon, and evening!

We're doing some database and other light server maintenance this weekend (upgrading the version of MySQL we use in particular, but also probably doing some CDN work.)

I expect all of this to be pretty invisible except for some small "couple of minute" blips as we switch between machines, but there's a chance you will notice something untoward. I'll keep an eye on comments as per usual.

Ta for now!

[syndicated profile] fox_news_feed

"Real Time" host Bill Maher battled CNN political commentator Kate Bedingfield on Friday over New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani's dual citizenship, as the comedian warned electing the democratic socialist candidate might not be a good look for the party.

"I think the whole Democratic Party in the country is on the ballot, and the whole country will be looking at this race to see which way are the Democrats going to go," Maher said. 

Maher said former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo wasn't inspirational or all that exciting, but said he was "kind of normal." Bedingfield said that there were things in Cuomo's past that she didn't want to embrace as normal.

"They’re going to have to decide on this mayor’s race. Now, they say it’s getting closer. If it is Mamdami in New York, again, I think this has very important national implications," Maher said. 

SPARKS FLY AS CUOMO, MAMDANI TEAR INTO EACH OTHER DURING FIERY DEBATE: 'TOXIC ENERGY'

"I think that if Mamdani wins with a coalition of voters who have been not all that excited about the Democratic Party over the last few years, I think that’s a good thing for the Democrats. And I think if you’re in a purple district, say you disagree with some of the things that he does and use that to establish your independent cred," Bedingfield said.

Maher pushed back as he pointed to Cuomo's criticism of Mamdani's ties to Uganda, where he was born, due to the country's treatment of LGBTQ people. Cuomo is running as an independent against Mamdani.

"You make it sound like he’s a little more mainstream than I think he is. I mean, the issue now that Andrew Cuomo is bringing up in New York is that he is a Ugandan citizen. Uganda is a country where they kill homosexuals," Maher said. "I would renounce, if I was the dual citizen with a country whose policy was we kill homosexuals. I would renounce that citizenship," Maher said.

MAMDANI RIPPED BY RIVALS FOR UNPOPULAR STANCE DURING FIERY NYC DEBATE: 'YOU WON'T SUPPORT ISRAEL'

At the Oct. 22 mayoral debate, Cuomo said to Mamdani, "How do you not renounce your citizenship or demand BDS [Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions] against Uganda for imprisoning people who are gay just by their sexual orientation? Isn't that a basic violation of human rights?" 

On the HBO show, Bedingfield told Maher he was buying into a "fear framework" that wasn't good for the country. She also accused Cuomo of "race baiting," and said the former governor suggested that he couldn't be a leader in a "terror situation."

Maher pushed back on Bedingfield, suggesting it wasn't a good look for the Democratic Party.

"He campaigned this week with a guy who was an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and served as a character witness for Omar Abdel Rahman, the terrorist who organized it. So Sarah Palin used to say Obama palled around with terrorists, which was bulls---, but I just don’t know if this is a great look for the party," Maher said, referring to an image of Mamdani posing alongside Siraj Wahhaj.

Mamdani addressed criticism of the photo at a "Cost of Living" soccer tournament, according to CBS New York.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

"The same imam met with Mayor [Michael] Bloomberg, met with Mayor [Bill] de Blasio, campaigned alongside Eric Adams, and the only time it became an issue of national attention was when I met with him. And that's because of the fact of my faith and because I'm on the precipice of winning this election," Mamdani said, according to CBS New York.

MSNBC host Michael Steele also appeared on the panel and said it was ultimately up to New Yorkers to decide.

"My take is, I think what’s being left out in this conversation is probably the most important ingredient — and that is the people of New York. They will decide whether or not everything you’ve just leveled up, and every concern that people have put out there about Mr. Mamdani, is relevant to them when they go to the polls," he said.

Mamdani's campaign did not immediately return a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

[syndicated profile] fox_news_feed

Early voting is now underway Saturday in New York and New Jersey with the public casting their ballots in the hotly contested races for New York City mayor and New Jersey governor.

The New York State Board of Elections said early voters are given nine days to vote in person prior to Election Day, starting on Oct. 25 and ending Nov. 2. The race to become the next mayor of the Big Apple is drawing national attention.

On Friday, Democrat mayoral nominee and frontrunner Zohran Mamdani scored an endorsement from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. Earlier this week, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent mayoral candidate, was formally endorsed by current New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

"Tomorrow, I vote on the first day of early voting," Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa said Friday on ‘The Will Cain Show.’ "That should put a nail into the coffin for anybody who thinks I’m dropping out."

MAMDANI ACCUSES CUOMO OF ‘ISLAMOPHOBIC RHETORIC’ AS CONTENTIOUS NYC MAYORAL RACE COMES DOWN TO THE WIRE

Sliwa has been facing pressure to drop out of the race to boost the chances of Cuomo defeating Mamdani.

Meanwhile, the New Jersey Division of Elections said every county in the state "will designate in-person early voting locations that will be open Saturday, October 25, 2025 – Sunday, November 2, 2025 (the in-person early voting period)."

"In 2021, historic legislation established in-person early voting in New Jersey. This law makes our state even more voter-friendly and strengthens our democracy by expanding opportunities to exercise your right to vote," it added.

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SENDS FEDERAL ELECTION WATCHERS TO CALIFORNIA AND NEW JERSEY COUNTIES AMID REPUBLICAN REQUESTS

In the Garden State, Democrat Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli are competing for the governorship. Current Democrat Gov. Phil Murphy is set to leave office in January.

"Our polling's looking good. I think we're feeling really good right now," Sherrill touted as she spoke with Fox News Digital after headlining a major party gathering this week in this northern New Jersey township.

"I think we're in a great position," Ciattarelli also said in a Fox News interview after a campaign stop at a diner in Linden, N.J.

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

[syndicated profile] fox_news_feed

EXCLUSIVE: Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that Belgrade is willing to host peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.

"Serbia is also among the countries that are offering their good services, given our background, given the fact that we are friends with all the parties involved, to try and, if needed or if there's an interest, host any kind of talks … on how to bring this horrible tragedy, which has resulted in so many deaths and so much destruction to an end," the foreign minister said.

He said the war in Ukraine needs to come to an immediate end. "Serbia is, in principle, supportive of territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states in line with their U.N. borders," including Ukraine.

ZELENSKYY URGES DIRECT TALKS WITH PUTIN AS TRUMP SETS PEACE DEADLINE

The foreign minister’s offer to host peace talks between Ukraine and Russia comes after a proposed summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to be held in Hungary had been shelved.

Some analysts say Serbia would be a surprising choice to host the next round of ceasefire talks between Russia and Serbia, given the historic ties Russia and Serbia share, rooted in cultural and religious connections through the Serbian Orthodox Church.

While Serbia joined U.N. resolutions condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the referendums annexing parts of Ukrainian territory, Belgrade has refused to join Western sanctions targeting Russia over the invasion. Yet Djuric points out that both Ukraine and Russia support Serbia's territorial integrity regarding Kosovo.

Djuric was in New York for a United Nations Security Council meeting on Kosovo. In 1999, a nearly three-month NATO bombing campaign ended a war between Serbian government forces and ethnic Albanian separatists in Kosovo. Serbian forces were pushed out, but Belgrade still considers Kosovo a Serbian province.

PUTIN AND XI DEEPEN TIES AS IRAN, NORTH KOREA LEADERS VISIT BEIJING

Some European officials have questioned Serbia’s commitment to European unity. Foreign Minister Djuric countered that Serbia values its place in Europe between East and West, while also noting the country’s close relationship with the U.S.

"Serbia is very proud of its independent foreign and security policy, which has been deeply rooted in the history of our nation and has enabled us to remain independent for centuries, although we are small," he said. "We value very much our strategic partnership growing with the United States, for which there is bipartisan consensus in this country," he said.

Djuric continued, "We value very much our strategic partnership growing with the United States, for which there is bipartisan consensus in this country. But also, we should bear in mind the fact that President Trump is by far the most popular foreign leader in our country and is the most popular leader for Serbs. I mean, in comparison to all other European countries, President Trump's popularity in Serbia is unparalleled. More than 71% of the Serbs have a very favorable opinion of the U.S. president and of his policies, which really gives a very fertile ground for the further growth of our relationship."

Yet Serbia’s ties with China, widely viewed as the United States’ main economic and military competitor on the world stage, have caused some concern in Washington.

The U.S. recently sanctioned Serbia's Russian-owned oil company, Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS), which is Serbia's main supplier of oil and gasoline.

China conducted military exercises in Serbia in July despite stern warnings from the European Union, and Belgrade provides Beijing with a security foothold in Europe. Serbia has also purchased medium- and short-range surface-to-air missile systems from China.

Beijing's biggest penetration into Serbia is in the economic space, as it has invested more than $10 billion in infrastructure projects over the last 15 years, according to the Center for European Policy Analysis.

EUROPEAN LEADER PRAISES TRUMP'S 'PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH' FOR KEEPING COUNTRY SAFE FROM CONFLICT

"I also have to admit that we have very good economic relations with China, and China also supports our position on Kosovo in the sense that it recognizes Serbia and its U.N. borders. So they are, as a U.N. Security Council member, also an important partner for us," Djuric said.

Djuric said great power competition between the U.S. and China is "above the pay grade of a small Balkan nation" and that the Serbian government will continue to focus on its economic development.

Domestically, Serbia has been roiled by student-led anti-corruption protests for nearly a year, demanding justice and accountability after the deaths of 16 people in the collapse of a railway station in the Serbian city of Novi Sad. Critics across the European Union have called out Serbian security forces for a heavy-handed response against the protesters.

Djuric said he wants to establish an honest dialogue with the protesters and find a way to de-escalate tensions.

"We treat the views of our citizens who disagree with the government with respect, and I don't want to label any of them in any way. I believe that we are mature enough to have a dignified, decent, democratic dialogue, and we will always stand for democracy in Serbia," Djuric said.

He continued, "Serbia's government has shown accountability in the wake of the tragedy that happened in Novi Sad. Ministers have been replaced. Some of them have been called, held to account and even imprisoned. We've changed the government since then and included Professor [Djuro] Macut, who is our current prime minister, into the government, a university professor, and the vision of President Vucic remains to unify the people of Serbia, to overcome political divisions, and to create a society based on dialog and social cohesion rather than polarization."

The Associated Press contributed to this article. 

[syndicated profile] fox_news_feed

The Miami Heat showed "full support" for guard Terry Rozier after he was arrested for his alleged involvement in an illegal betting scheme this week.

Rozier is alleged to have faked an injury during a game on March 23, 2023, when he was a member of the Charlotte Hornets, so his friends and co-conspirators could place wagers on his "under" prop bets.

Rozier did not play in Miami's season opener on Wednesday and was arrested the next morning, and later was placed on leave by the NBA.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM 

Friday's shootaround without Rozier prompted reality to set in for the Heat, who had a game that night against the Memphis Grizzlies.

"You support him through and through. That's our brother at the end of the day," Heat captain Bam Adebayo said at the shootaround, via ESPN. "It felt kind of weird without him being here, actually, because he's the first person I get to talk to in the morning. He brings that great energy to our team."

"We stand behind him. Full support."

"Terry is somebody who is very dear to all of us," added head coach Erik Spoelstra. "He's had a real positive impact on our locker room, and the staff and players alike, and that includes last year, when he wasn't in the rotation oftentimes. We send our thoughts and our care for him as he goes through this."

WHO ARE CHAUNCEY BILLUPS, TERRY ROZIER AND DAMON JONES? NBA SUBJECTS ARRESTED IN ILLEGAL GAMBLING PROBE

"You're left with no other choice (but to move on)," Spoelstra added. "The league doesn't wait. It doesn't stop for you. ... You have to learn how to compartmentalize and focus on the most immediate thing, and that's preparing for an important game tonight."

Miami walloped the Grizzlies, 146-114.

Neither Hornets officials nor betting companies were made aware of Rozier's plan, according to the Department of Justice indictment, and Rozier was not listed on the team's injury report.

Deniro Laster then allegedly sold that information to other co-conspirators, and numerous people placed wagers totaling roughly $200,000 on Rozier's "under" prop bets to hit in both parlay and straight wagers. After Rozier played just nine minutes and never returned, the bets won. Rozier and Laster counted cash winnings at Rozier's home in Charlotte roughly a week later, the indictment says.

Rozier and Chauncey Billups, the latter of whom was arrested as part of an illegal poker ring, were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The NBA announced that Billups and Rozier were placed on immediate leave from their teams, "and we will continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities."

"The integrity of our game remains our top priority," the NBA said.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

[syndicated profile] fox_news_feed

For members of Generation Z, romance can come with a price tag — and a budget, according to a new report.

Nearly one in three singles (31%) born between 1997 and 2012 admit they've gone on a date just for the free meal, according to an Intuit survey of 1,500 U.S. adults conducted in September. 

The study found that money is increasingly shaping relationships, from date-night budgets to deciding who pays the bill. 

Overall, 51% of Americans said they're dating less due to economic concerns, with Gen Z hit hardest at 58%, yet many are redefining a "good" date around affordability and creativity.

GEN Z DRINKERS LEAVE BARTENDERS FRUSTRATED WITH SHRINKING TIPS AS 'TERRIBLE' TREND EMERGES

"For Gen Z, financial habits and ambition are becoming part of the new love language," said Ashleigh Ewald, a Georgia Tech public policy student in her twenties.  

"Money and financial security have become major forces in dating because they represent stability."

Nearly half of Gen Z and millennials say they don't feel financially secure, according to a Deloitte survey released earlier this year. 

Ewald said inflation and cost-of-living pressures have made creative, budget-friendly dates more common — from home-cooked dinners to shared side hustles.

Almost half of Americans say the sweet spot for a first-date budget is between $50 and $100, Intuit found.

For 22-year-old Jacksonville, Florida, media professional Katie Fites, the trend rings true.

TEST YOURSELF ON THE GEN Z SLANG OF 2025: CAN YOU DECODE 'HUZZ' AND 'GLAZING'?

"A girl's gotta eat, but I wouldn't go out with just anyone for a free meal," Fites told Fox News Digital. "The risk usually outweighs the reward." 

She said she's fine with splitting costs or even covering a round of drinks, but she expects effort in return. 

"If you can't afford a $15 drink, don't ask someone out," she said. "I want to go out with someone ambitious who knows what they want. It doesn't mean they have to make a lot of money, but they should have direction."

Like many of her generation, Fites said she prefers low-pressure, affordable dates — grabbing coffee, walking on the beach or getting a drink instead of an expensive dinner.

SPLITTING A RESTAURANT BILL WITH FRIENDS? EXPERT SHARES 'MOST DESIRABLE' APPROACH

Jason Lee, founder of the dating app LoveTrack, which provides date ideas, conversation starters and birthday and anniversary reminders, said members of Gen Z are more frugal and creative when it comes to date nights. Some of the most popular date ideas on the app are free or low-cost, such as scavenger hunts, picnics and movie nights at home, he said. 

Licensed therapist Allison Guilbault, who counsels Gen Z clients in New York City, said splitting tabs, sharing Ubers and buying their own drinks has also become the standard. 

"I don't even think they notice if their date is cheap the way that my peers and I would absolutely notice," the 44-year-old said.

Money, however, often becomes the "third wheel," according to Intuit. A third of Americans have ended a relationship over finances, and 44% of Gen Z daters say they'd only go out with someone who earns more than they do.

Sabrina Romanoff, a New York-based psychologist and relationship expert with dating app Hily, said these financial dynamics aren't new, but they've intensified. 

"Historically, women tended to date men of equal or greater education or income," she said. 

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Today, dating has become increasingly transactional, she added. 

"In the past, a first date might have led to the hope of a future together or a potential relationship, whereas now, more cynical daters may have lower expectations, such as a free dinner or free drink."

A Hily survey found that more than half — 57% of women and 63% of men — would stop seeing someone who can't manage money responsibly, and about a third of women and 37% of men even find frugality attractive.

"The goal of getting free meals, drinks or even vacations was prevalent when I was in college," Guilbault said. She recalled the early 2000s "Sex and the City" era in New York City, when she and her friends would often hustle men to pick up the tab for dinner or drinks.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES

For many young couples, financial independence has become the ultimate form of security. More than half keep separate accounts, preferring autonomy to joint control, Intuit found — and they don't dance around the "money talk."

"We're asking the salary question when we get exclusive because we've learned that love doesn't pay the rent," said Gen Z money expert Taylor Price.

"Money has always mattered in relationships, but for Gen Z, it's been front and center from day one," Price told Fox News Digital. 

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

"We're the generation that graduated into a pandemic economy, watched inflation eat our paychecks and realized our parents' financial playbook doesn't work anymore."

"A free meal isn't just about the food," she added. "It's about one less transaction on a card that's already running on high tabs."

[syndicated profile] fox_news_feed

"The Blind Side" star Quinton Aaron revealed he lost more than 200 pounds after a near-death experience that he believes was a wake-up call from God.

Since 2021, the 41-year-old actor's weight has dropped from his all-time high of 575 to 366 pounds after a lifestyle transformation. During an interview with Fox News Digital, Aaron, who stars in the new BET+ movie "War Dawgz," recalled the moment that forced him to rethink his life. 

"I had this come to Jesus kind of moment a few years back," he remembered.

"I was at this waterfront in Mandeville, Louisiana," Aaron continued. "This is like during COVID, 2021ish. And I used to always go there and sit and just meditate, listen to the water and stuff."

‘BLIND SIDE’ ACTOR WHO PLAYED MICHAEL OHER SAYS ‘BLOWS THAT HAVE BEEN THROWN’ FROM BOTH SIDES ARE ‘SHOCKING’

"There's one day I'm sitting there on the wall, and I'm just listening to the water vibe, and then I wake up underwater," he recalled. "So I literally passed out, fell off the wall, and it was like a 12-foot drop, but the water was only three feet deep. I didn't know that at the time. Well, thank God it was three feet deep because I can't swim." 

Aaron said he believed he was saved by a voice he heard telling him to stand up.

"I literally woke up underwater," he recalled. "I didn't have a chance to take a breath and brace myself. When I woke up, I was submerged, and I just felt this pain on the back of my neck and shoulder from going down. But while I'm underwater, I hear this voice say, ‘Stand up.’ And so I stand, like I start trying to get to my feet. The water is pushing me into the rocks, and I'm kinda like hitting my head up against something. I don't know what it was, but I can't see because the water's dirty brown."

WATCH: BLIND SIDE STAR QUINTON AARON SAYS GOD SAVED HIM FROM NEAR-DEATH FALL, SPARKING 200 POUND WEIGHT LOSS

The actor managed to pull himself upright but was in excruciating pain. He said he later learned that his fall may have been caused by diabetic ketoacidosis, a complication from extremely high blood sugar levels.

"The Left Behind" star told Fox News Digital that he had been seen sitting on the wall by a passing couple who turned around and came back to check on him after hearing a splash. 

"They were like, ‘Are you alright?’ And that's when I screamed, and so they called 911," he said. 

Aaron recalled that he was rushed to a local hospital where doctors conducted a full-body examination on him and discovered that he had an infection in one of his big toes that had spread to his bone. 

"I was in the hospital for a few weeks getting IV antibiotics," Aaron said. "I almost lost my toe, but thankfully I didn't. They just cut a piece of it off, and it had to heal."

Aaron, who is a devout Christian, shared that he believed that he had a pivotal encounter with God while he was recovering. 

"God visited me, and he was like, ‘Do you want to die?’ And I said, ‘No.’ And I didn't know who I'm answering, but I hear this voice talking to me. And I said, ‘No.’ And he goes, ‘So what are you gonna do?’ And I said, ‘I need help.’"

The actor said he believed God "rewired something" in him during his recovery.

"From that moment on, I couldn’t stand the taste of sugar," he said. "It’s not permanent because today I eat sugar again, but at that time, when I said ‘I need help,’ it was like He knew what the help was, and He just erased it from my memory."

After leaving the hospital, Aaron adopted intermittent fasting, portion control and cutting out sugar as the foundation of his new health plan.

"I stopped overeating," he said. "I started intermittent fasting and I cut out sugars, and so with just those three things, the weight just started dropping off tremendously."

Aaron said doctors told him his diabetes and elevated blood sugar contributed to his fall.

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"I was in diabetic ketoacidosis," he said. "The blood becomes acidic and your organs start to shut down. So that’s why God was like, ‘Do you want to die?’ And I’m like, ‘No.’ Because I was on the way."

"It wasn't an overnight process," Aaron continued. "It definitely took some work, but my mindset was at that point where it was like, I got a lot of things I want to live for. At the time, I was single. I've always wanted to be married and have kids. And I'm like, ‘What condition am I gonna be in if I had kids? I gotta make these changes.’"

"So I started taking it serious," he continued. "Once you change it up here, everything else falls into place because you now have the mindset that you need to get to where you're trying to go. And for me, that was the biggest part."

"I said, God has a sense of humor because I felt like he could have done a lot more subtle than knocking me off the wall into the water and knowing I can't swim," Aaron added with a laugh. 

WATCH: ‘BLIND SIDE’ STAR QUINTON AARON SHARES HOW HE LOST OVER 200 POUNDS AFTER A NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE

Aaron acknowledged that years of depression and emotional eating contributed to his weight struggles. The actor suffered a tragic loss in September 2008 when his mother, Laura Aaron, died from a heart attack at the age of 44. 

At the time, Aaron had recently been cast in his breakthrough role as Michael Oher in the 2009 biographical sports drama "The Blind Side" after a nationwide search for the right actor to portray the NFL player’s story. The movie also starred Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw as Oher's adoptive parents, Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy. 

"The Blind Side" became a major commercial and critical success, receiving Oscar nominations for best picture and best actress for Bullock, who took home the trophy. The 61-year-old star also won the Golden Globe Award for best actress.

Aaron earned rave reviews for his performance and the role launched his Hollywood career. Looking back, the actor told Fox News Digital that he compartmentalized his pain over Laura's death to take advantage of the opportunities that were coming his way. 

FAMILY IN MICHAEL OHER DRAMA WANTS TO END CONSERVATORSHIP, LAWYERS SAY

However, he said that when "the noise kind of started to settle, then the grieving became loud again." 

"I'm a mama's boy through and through. I miss my mama," Aaron said. "I couldn't share any of that with her, and it just started eating at me. And I still thank God to this day that I chose food as a vice because there are so many other things. There's drugs and alcohol, you know, God forbid. I didn't turn to those things."

Aaron shared that he has stayed close with Bullock, who reached out to him during his hospital stay as well as after he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure in 2019. 

"She's always been amazing, and she's been a huge part of my life since the movie," he said. "We've had such an amazing friendship over the years that still goes on."

"That's my mama, you know, that's my on-screen mama," he added. "I always got her back. She's dope. She's definitely been a big factor in my life while going through what I went through."

WATCH: ‘THE BLIND SIDE’ STAR QUINTON AARON ON HIS NEW MOVIE 'WAR DAWGZ'

Aaron credited his faith and mindset for helping him maintain progress that once eluded him.

"My first weight loss journey was when I trained for ‘The Blind Side,’" he recalled. "I lost a hundred pounds just to do the movie. A couple years later, I had another health thing because I had put on some weight. My weight would go up and down over the years."

He said his new motivation comes from his marriage to wife Margarita, who he wed in December 2024, and his desire to "break the generational curse" of diabetes and heart disease.

"It's about making sure that when I have my children, they don't fall into that stigma of the unhealthy habits that has plagued me and my family for generations," he said. "My mom was diagnosed with congestive heart failure at the age of 37. I got diagnosed at 35. She died at 44. I ain't trying to die no time soon. I ain't trying to die in my forties and my fifties. I'm trying to be here for the long run. I wanna see my kids have kids. And I ain't got kids yet, so I gotta be here."

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Aaron told Fox News Digital that he achieved his 200 pound weight loss without the help of Ozempic, the diabetes drug often prescribed off-label for weight loss. He said that he briefly tried Ozempic to treat his diabetes but quickly stopped after experiencing an allergic reaction. 

Now, the actor hopes his transformation will be lasting.

"I’m gonna get rid of that diabetes, I’m gonna get rid of that congestive heart failure — those are reversible," he said. "If you tell me something’s impossible, I’ll show you it’s possible."

Aaron said he feels he’s "almost there" in his weight-loss journey.

"I wanna be around 340, 350, but I want to put on some muscle, bulk up, get ready for these movies," he said. "Feel good when I take my shirt off at the beach. I’m not necessarily looking for a six-pack — I’m good with my keg."

'BLIND SIDE' ACTOR DEFENDS SANDRA BULLOCK AMID CALLS FOR HER TO LOSE OSCAR: 'STAY HOME, SIT DOWN, GET A JOB'

The actor recently played the role of Raw Dog in the action film "War Dawgz," which is currently streaming on BET+. During his interview with Fox News Digital, Aaron shed some light on his character. 

"He’s the leader of a gang, and he’s kind of ran South Central L.A. for years," Aaron said of his character. "While he’s a bad guy, there are some redeeming qualities about him, which is what I love because you want to root for him as well."

Aaron also shared advice for anyone struggling to change their lives.

"It’s never too late," he said. "As long as you get the opportunity to wake up and breathe the breath of life every single day, you still got work to do. You’re still here for a reason."

"Being where I was and getting to where I’m at — if you had asked me when I was at my heaviest, would I ever see this weight again? I would’ve said no," he added. "That was my mindset at the time. And God had different plans."

[syndicated profile] fox_news_feed

Cognitive decline is typically considered a hallmark of aging — but research suggests that not everyone is susceptible.

A study from Northwestern University looked at a group of 80-year-olds who appeared to have memory skills on par with 50-year-olds, as the researchers aimed to understand the differences in their brains.

These people were classified as "SuperAgers," defined as those 80 and older who have memories of those 30 years their junior, according to a university press release. People in this category score at least 9 out of 15 on a delayed word recall test.

The "SuperAger" term was coined by Dr. M. Marsel Mesulam, founder of the Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease at Northwestern, in the late 1990s.

In studying nearly 300 SuperAgers for the past 25 years, the Northwestern researchers identified some common traits, including being "highly social and outgoing" and having strong interpersonal relationships.

7 STEPS TO ‘SUPER-AGING’ ARE KEY TO LIVING A LONGER, MORE FULFILLING LIFE, EXPERTS SAY

"It's really what we've found in their brains that's been so earth-shattering for us," noted co-author Dr. Sandra Weintraub, professor of psychiatry, behavioral sciences and neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, in the release.

The research team examined 77 of the SuperAgers’ donated brains after they died. They found that some of the brains showed no buildup of amyloid and tau proteins (plaques and tangles), the toxic substances that are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. Other brains did have the proteins, but they didn’t appear to have affected cognitive health.

STUDY REVEALS WHY ‘SUPER AGERS’ MAINTAIN ‘OUTSTANDING MEMORY’ INTO THEIR 80S

"What we realized is there are two mechanisms that lead someone to become a SuperAger," Weintraub said in the release. "One is resistance: they don't make the plaques and tangles. Two is resilience: they make them, but they don't do anything to their brains."

Unlike most aging brains, SuperAgers did not experience significant thinning of the cortex, which is the brain’s outer layer. They also had a thicker anterior cingulate cortex, the region of the brain involved in decision-making, emotion and motivation.

They were also found to have a greater number of "von economo neurons," specialized cells associated with social behavior, and larger entorhinal neurons, which are crucial for memory.

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The study outcome was published as a perspective article in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association.

"Our findings show that exceptional memory in old age is not only possible, but is linked to a distinct neurobiological profile," said Weintraub. "This opens the door to new interventions aimed at preserving brain health well into the later decades of life."

Armed with this information about the commonalities among SuperAgers, the researchers hope to develop new ways to boost cognitive resilience and prevent or delay Alzheimer’s and other dementias, they noted.

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Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, was not involved in the study but commented on the findings to Fox News Digital.

"The buildup of senile plaques — beta amyloid and tau — did not impact neuronal function in those who continued to do very well in terms of thinking, memory and decision-making," he noted.

"Those with positive outcomes shared continued socialization, interaction and a high level of intellectual engagement."

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Siegel concluded, "So the answer is a combination of genetic predisposition as well as continuing to keep exercising the brain like a muscle — both socially and intellectually."

The study was funded by Northwestern Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) and the National Institute on Aging (part of the National Institutes of Health).

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Before the iconoclastic chaos of 2020, when historic statues were toppled both legally and via riot, the debate over Confederate monuments was generally a respectful one. But today, as a new art exhibit in Los Angeles shows, the left has replaced respect with barbaric desecration.

‘Monuments’ is a new show at the Brick in association with the Museum of Contemporary Art, and it features removed Confederate statues on display, some still covered in graffiti from protesters, some given historical context and in one case, a pure mutilation.

The New Yorker, in a glowing review, described ‘Monuments’ as "at once an act of carnivalesque retribution and a recognition of the Confederacy’s zombie-like persistence."

Let’s take both of these ideas in their turn, starting with retribution, by asking, retribution against whom, exactly?

CONFEDERATE MONUMENT DISMANTLED AFTER SPARKING DEBATE, WILL BE MOVED TO VETERANS PARK

The statues have already been removed. The men and women depicted in them have already had their place in history erased. This mockery, this retribution, is not directed against them, but rather against anyone who believes that our historical monuments should be protected, not destroyed.

One statue is titled ‘Confederate Women of Baltimore,’ and depicts two women holding a dying Confederate soldier. Originally an expression of the terrible losses of America’s deadliest war, it is now displayed alongside myriad photographs of black mothers cradling wounded children in modern urban settings.

The message is clear, it is that whatever pain the Daughters of the Confederacy who commissioned the statue or the actual sculptor sought to embody, they should just shut up about it.

DAVID MARCUS: TRUMP TAKES ON SMITHSONIAN’S LEFTY BIAS AND STATUE-TOPPLING LIBS MELT DOWN

The most grotesque of the works is called "Unmanned Drone," it was formerly an equestrian statue of Gen. Thomas ‘Stonewell’ Jackson in Virginia, but the artist, Kara Walker used a plasma cutter to tear the statue apart and reshape it into a hideous monster.

Brick Director Hamza Walker said of the piece, "Ideologically it’s an affront, aesthetically it’s an affront." So again I ask, an affront to whom? Is the idea to offend people? If so, why?

There is a strong element of projection in all of this. Many of the very same people who are celebrating ‘Monuments’ believe that President Donald Trump’s new White House ballroom is meant as a middle finger to the left. Maybe that’s because that is exactly what exhibits like ‘Monuments’ actually are to the right.

This art says, 'Not only did we take down your statues, usually without anybody voting on it, but now we are going to mock, mutilate and desecrate them to rub it in," while all the high-minded art journals call it stunning and brave.

‘Monuments’ brings to mind the Nazi’s Degenerate Art Exhibit of 1937 in which works of modern art deemed insulting to German values were displayed for the purpose of publicly demeaning them, just as the statues in Los Angeles are being demeaned.

Viewers are meant to come away with a deeper hatred of the Confederacy and, more than that, an almost inhuman tolerance for desecrating works of art that once were crafted by loving and talented hands.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE ANNOUNCES IT WILL RESTORE, REINSTATE STATUE HONORING CONFEDERATE GENERAL ALBERT PIKE

So yes, a carnival of retribution this art show most definitely is. But what about the other part of the New Yorker description, the "Confederacy’s zombie-like persistence?"

Allow me to suggest that almost the only people obsessed with the Confederacy in 2025 are progressives.

There is no neoconfederate movement to confront, nobody is trying to secede or defend slavery. Rather, it is the left who constantly point to the stars and bars as if they have anything to do with today’s conservative movement.

HEGSETH ANNOUNCES RETURN OF CONFEDERATE MEMORIAL TO ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, REMOVED BY 'WOKE LEMMINGS'

The original removal of the statues was an abominable act of damnatio memoriae, or destruction of memory, a practice dating back to Ancient Egypt. But ‘Monuments’ is far, far worse, it is mean spirited, meant as ritual humiliation.

The good news is that there are two sides in this fight, as the Trump administration has already restored two confederate statues in Washington, D.C. And it's a fight worth having, between those who want to build and those who want to destroy, those who want to celebrate our history and those who seek to desecrate it.

Thankfully, all but the massacred Stonewall Jackson statue will go back to storage after this exhibit, no longer to be the butt of a spiteful joke. One day, if good people stay true and work hard, we might get them all the way back to their original podiums.

The fight for the past is never really about the past. It is about the present and the future, and it is a fight that we cannot afford to lose.

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Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and former NBA guard and coach Damon Jones were among those arrested by the FBI as part of an illegal gambling and sports betting probe on Thursday.

The investigation was tied to the members of the La Cosa Nostra crime families. 

The arrests, which have rocked the NBA world, are another chapter in which notable players and coaches have been involved in illegal sports gambling over the last century.

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Here is a look back at some of the biggest betting scandals in professional sports. 

NBA LEGEND CHAUNCEY BILLUPS, HEAT'S TERRY ROZIER ARRESTED AS PART OF FBI GAMBLING PROBE

NBA PLAYER TERRY ROZIER'S LAWYER SLAMS FBI AFTER ARREST

Fox News' Ryan Morik and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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Dealing with aging requires a lot of adaptation and planning, which can be stressful, costly and time-consuming. Not dealing with it can be even worse, leading to accidents, more costs and even death. As you – or your loved ones – age, here are some things to plan for to make the process easier and safer.

The CDC reports that around 25% of older adults – more than 14 million – fall each year, with approximately 3 million emergency room visits and 1 million hospitalizations.

The bedroom, bathroom and stairs are top locations where falling accidents occur. Adding lighting, making sure that there aren’t "trip traps" like movable throw rugs or cords around, and adding grab bars and handrails are good steps for prevention.

Scot Cheben, author of "Eldercare: Helping Businesses Support Employees Who Are Caregivers," also suggests making sure that lighting is accessible from the bed and at the top and bottom of any stairs, as well as putting a whistle in the bedroom and in the shower or bathtub.

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To create a safe environment, you may even need to find a new living situation that removes stairs and has fewer hazards. 

Taking classes to improve balance and strength can help prevent falls. And there are even new class offerings across the country that teach you how to fall safely. 

Nobody likes to lose independence and aging family members often fight to drive for as long as possible. But if you wait too long to stop driving, it can be dangerous for your loved ones – and others, too. 

Vision and reflex issues, getting lost, and missing or not understanding signage can all be signs that it is time to retire the car keys. 

WHAT’S THE RIGHT TIME TO GET YOUR KIDS OFF THE FAMILY PAYROLL?

There are quizzes and self-assessments that can help you with evaluation, like this one from AAA. 

Cheben suggests encouraging family members to do an "unannounced" test drive for evaluation. 

Now that Uber, Lyft and even driverless transportation options like Waymo exist, there are more options for older Americans to retain independence without having to be in the driver’s seat (although, keep in mind the tech limitations discussed below and find ways to assist your loved ones, such as ordering transportation for them, if they can’t do it themselves).

While technology can help make our lives easier, for aging Americans who have memory problems, technology can become an obstacle. 

I UPDATED MY WILL. HERE’S WHY YOU SHOULD, TOO

This becomes a bigger issue as many companies are directing their customer service and other functions to websites and online portals.

Make sure that you have someone that you trust with your sensitive information and financial accounts available to both help you navigate technology and make sure you are not getting scammed, as technology scams often target aging individuals. 

Also, ensure that your trusted helper has access to your passwords and important information. You can do this through a legacy planning kit, like a Future File system, which shares your information and wishes. 

We Americans love our stuff, and the longer we live, the more stuff we seem to have! But also, as we age, we may need to downsize our homes or move into assisted living, 

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Once we are gone, it is often a large project that loved ones must go through in terms of organizing and disposing of personal effects.

Make it a practice to do yearly or twice-yearly purges. Whether you have a yard sale, donate to charity, gift personal effects to loved ones or otherwise, this will help keep your home manageable. 

As a bonus, for anything you gift to loved ones, not only will they get to enjoy your gift sooner, but you will get to witness their enjoyment.

Also, to the extent that you go into a care facility, consider leaving most or all of your valuables behind, and secure any you bring with you. While there are a lot of wonderful, caring people who work in these facilities, there are also some that take advantage and prey on the elderly, particularly as people lose cognition. 

While aging causes new obstacles in the way you live, being proactive can help reduce frustration and improve safety and your quality of life.

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One of the Democratic Party’s top potential 2028 figures will stump for Virginia gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger on Sunday.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who has notably made a lane to the right of far-left Democratic Party figures like New York Assemb. Zohran Mamdani, will rally with Spanberger in the crucial Hampton Roads area.

The former Virginia congresswoman plans to hold multiple rallies in the Tidewater alone before Election Day, including another with former President Barack Obama across the ‘roads’ in Norfolk.

"Governor Shapiro this weekend is headed to New Jersey and Virginia to help elect Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger; two more Democratic governors who will focus every day on getting stuff done, delivering results for hardworking families and protecting freedom in their states," Shapiro campaign spokesman Manuel Bonder told Fox News Digital on Friday.

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Shapiro also plans to stump for Rep. Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey as she hopes to keep Trenton in Democratic hands.

Shapiro – who has announced he will run for reelection to Harrisburg in 2026 and has not officially indicated interest in a presidential bid – is one of several Democrats whose names repeatedly come up in such conversation – including Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Kentucky Gov. Andrew Beshear.

He was also the reported runner-up to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in Kamala Harris' 2024 veepstakes.

Shapiro lambasted antisemitic behavior at the University of Pennsylvania following the Hamas attack on Israel, while separately adding of Mamdani’s view of the Jewish State:

"You have to speak and act with moral clarity, and when supporters of yours say things that are blatantly antisemitic, you can’t leave room for that to just sit there."

THE ONLY TWO DEMS RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR IN 2025 ARE FORMER ROOMMATES WITH MIRRORING POLITICAL CAREERS

While Shapiro has faced criticism from Republicans in his own state for supporting former Gov. Tom Wolf’s COVID-era shutdowns and for the current budget impasse, he’s also been a rare Democrat to earn praise from some in the GOP.

Jack Ciattarelli, the Republican nominee in New Jersey’s sweeps, namedropped Shapiro favorably enough times that Newark Mayor Ras Baraka – then running for governor – suggested he cross the Delaware and run in the Keystone State instead.

"[Pennsylvania doesn’t] have a property tax crisis [like New Jersey], they don’t have a business climate crisis, they don’t have an energy crisis," Ciattarelli said, contrasting the two neighbors.

Pennsylvania Republicans, however, disputed some of those descriptions, with state Rep. Russ Diamond, R-Lebanon, and Sen. David Argall, R-New Ringgold, recently drafting bills to eliminate property taxes altogether.

State Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Gettysburg, who challenged Shapiro in 2022 and is being urged by the conservative wing to do so again in 2026, also blasted Shapiro’s budget proposals as "fantasy," warning in a statement that "eventually, the funds from ‘we the people’ will run dry."

Shapiro has also been vocal on election law itself, rebuking the president over a Truth Social post potentially foreshadowing an end to mail-in balloting.

"Donald Trump can sign whatever the hell executive orders he wants… But he can't change the Constitution with an executive order, and the Constitution gives the authority to set our election rules to the states." Shapiro said.

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With less than two weeks before critical elections across the country, Democrats have tough questions to grapple with in terms of their messaging and whether they can navigate the growing movement in their party that is embracing or downplaying political violence, attorney and political commentator Kaitlin Puccio told Fox News Digital. 

"We do hear a lot of just the Democrats are against Trump, but we don't hear a lot of what they're actually for, which is problematic and it kind of seems to me like they don't really have a cohesive message," Puccio, adjunct professor at Fordham Law and the Director of the Art and Bioethics Initiative of the UNESCO Chair in Bioethics and Human Rights, said in an interview with Fox News Digital. 

Puccio said the ‘No Kings’ protests last week, where several examples of promoting violence went viral on social media, show a "fracture" in the Democratic Party that the mainstream elected officials will have to contend with. 

Additionally, messaging at those rallies, Puccio explained, lacked substance. 

CHICAGO SCHOOLS SILENT ON PUNISHMENT OR PUBLIC CONDEMNATION OF TEACHER WHO MOCKED CHARLIE KIRK'S DEATH

"It's mostly ‘we are against Trump.’ Okay, but, specifically, what are you against? What is the specific policy that you are against?" Puccio said. "'No Kings’: great. But we don't have a king. We all know that. We're not supposed to take this phrase literally, but what about the policies that are in place right now, do you think are authoritarian? And what do you want instead? So we're hearing a lot of slogans and phrases and kind of catch phrases. And really that leaves the message without substance."

Questions about Democrat support for political violence have been front and center in recent weeks after Virginia Democratic attorney general candidate Jay Jones was outed for past texts fantasizing about killing a Republican colleague and wishing death on that colleague’s children.

"I don't think that it's lost on voters that there are these horrible texts that came out recently from Jay Jones and the strange thing is that there are very few people who are condemning these texts," Puccio said, highlighting that prominent Democrats, particularly in Virginia, have refused to call on Jones to drop out of the race. 

WATCH: 'NO KINGS' PROTESTER STEPS UP TO MIC AND CALLS FOR ICE AGENTS TO BE 'SHOT,' 'WIPED OUT'

"But I think the reason for that is that the party of tolerance, right, the Democrats, is actually, it's become a very intolerant party," Puccio added. 

"So if you have people condemning these texts, this sort of violent political rhetoric and things like that, they don't want to be alienated by their own party. Look at what they've done or tried to do to John Fetterman. When he tries to think for himself instead of having the party tell him what to think, they ostracize him. I think that is kind of the reason that we're in this weird place with our leaders, because everyone is kind of being quiet."

In addition to Jones, Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner has faced scrutiny over advocating for political violence in the past and a tattoo that resembles a Nazi Germany symbol.

Puccio told Fox News Digital that Platner's apology seemed to show remorse compared to the reaction from Jones, which could serve as a blueprint going forward on how Democrats can acknowledge past mistakes.

"The point is that every situation has to be evaluated separately, but the conversation still has to be had over what to do within our Democratic Party about this violent rhetoric, which is, it's basically being accepted right now," Puccio said. "What we're about to see, I don't know how long it's going to take, but I do think there's going to be a shift toward the middle because I think there is going to be a realization that we are leaving out and by we, I mean, all Americans in general were forgetting from both sides of the political aisle about the middle."

While Democrats are expected to perform strongly in next year's midterms, given that, historically, the party not in power does well in those elections, Republicans have been closing the gap in the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial elections being held in early November, which could send a signal that Democrats aren't in as strong of a position as many experts think. 

Puccio said today's Democratic Party is "unrecognizable," which will hopefully push leaders to come out forcefully and take back control.

"I think that there will be this realization that the loudest voices on either side of the political aisle are not necessarily representative of the entire party and I think that people are going to be forced to say no to this kind of uncivil discourse that we're seeing, because people, we citizens, are going to get very tired of seeing our leaders behave in very childish and frankly, disrespectful ways toward each other," Puccio said. 

"These are not supposed to be the way our elected leaders act. And I would hope that there emerge some actual leaders and not just politicians in the future who recognize that they need to speak to everyone and not a small niche in their party."

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Seven out of nine universities that the Trump administration solicited for feedback on its Compact for Academic Excellence in Education have rejected the plan, while two others remain noncommittal.

The administration sent the compact to universities on Oct. 1, soliciting responses from the University of Arizona, MIT, Vanderbilt University, Brown University, Dartmouth College, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California, the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Virginia.

The compact's principles include merit-based admissions and hiring practices regardless of race, sex, political orientation, ethnicity and nationality, a commitment to freedom of ideas "abolishing institutional units that purposefully punish, belittle, and even spark violence against conservative ideas," recognizing biological sex for the purpose of athletics, restrooms and locker rooms, institutional political neutrality, along with a measure about financial responsibility and some restrictions on admissions for foreign students.

If universities signed the deal, they would be subject to preferential federal funding.

AZ SENATE PRESIDENT URGES UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA TO JOIN TRUMP’S NEW HIGHER-ED REFORM COMPACT

While most of the universities provided feedback by the Monday deadline, none agreed to the compact.

Brown University President Christina Paxson wrote a letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon which says, in part, "I am concerned that the compact, by its very nature and by various provisions would restrict academic freedom and undermine the autonomy of Brown's governance, critically compromising our ability to fulfill our mission."

MIT's president, Sally Kornbluth, said the school rejected the compact because it already does what the compact asks.

TRUMP CONGRATULATES IVY LEAGUE SCHOOL AFTER $50M DEAL TO RESTORE FEDERAL FUNDING: 'WOKE IS OFFICIALLY DEAD'

"These values and other MIT practices meet or exceed many standards outlined in the document you sent. We freely choose these values because they’re right, and we live by them because they support our mission – work of immense value to the prosperity, competitiveness, health and security of the United States. And of course, MIT abides by the law," she wrote in a letter to McMahon on Oct. 10.

University of Pennsylvania President J. Larry Jameson said in an Oct. 16 statement that the school rejected the compact.

"Earlier today, I informed the U.S. Department of Education that Penn respectfully declines to sign the proposed Compact. As requested, we also provided focused feedback highlighting areas of existing alignment as well as substantive concerns," the statement said.

WHY ELITE COLLEGES FEAR TRUMP AND MCMAHON'S NEW ACADEMIC COMPACT TYING FUNDING TO FREE SPEECH

On Oct. 17, Dartmouth rejected the deal, saying it does not believe that "the involvement of the government through a compact—whether it is a Republican- or Democratic-led White House—is the right way to focus America’s leading colleges and universities on their teaching and research mission."

"Our universities have a responsibility to set our own academic and institutional policies, guided by our mission and values, our commitment to free expression, and our obligations under the law," a letter to McMahon said. "Staying true to this responsibility is what will help American higher education build bipartisan public trust and continue to uphold its place as the envy of the world.

The University of Southern California acknowledged that while many of the values outlined in the compact were compatible with the school's established practices, it would not agree to the deal.

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"Notwithstanding these areas of alignment, we are concerned that even though the Compact would be voluntary, tying research benefits to it would, over time, undermine the same values of free inquiry and academic excellence that the Compact seeks to promote," a letter from USC Interim President Beong-Soo Kim said. "Other countries whose governments lack America’s commitment to freedom and democracy have shown how academic excellence can suffer when shifting external priorities tilt the research playing field away from free, meritocratic competition."

The University of Virginia declined to join the compact as well, with Paul Mahoney, its interim president, saying, "A contractual arrangement predicating assessment on anything other than merit will undermine the integrity of vital, sometimes lifesaving, research and further erode confidence in American higher education."

Similarly, the University of Arizona felt its principles had common ground with the compact, but also declined to sign it.

MIT REJECTS TRUMP ADMIN FUNDING COMPACT, CITING FREE EXPRESSION CONCERNS

"We have much common ground with the ideas your administration is advancing on changes that would benefit American higher education and our nation at large," UA President Suresh Garimella wrote to McMahon.

"At the same time, a federal research funding system based on anything other than merit would weaken the world’s preeminent engine for innovation, advancement of technology, and solutions to many of our nation’s most profound challenges," the letter continued. "We seek no special treatment and believe in our ability to compete for federally funded research strictly on merit."

Vanderbilt University responded Tuesday, saying it had not been asked to accept or deny the compact, but rather to provide feedback to the administration, which it says it will do.

"Vanderbilt believes deeply in the power of constructive dialogue, particularly among people of differing views and perspectives," said a letter to the Vanderbilt community from President Daniel Diermeier. "This is often how the greatest progress is made. We look forward to continuing the conversation—on our campus and with leaders in government and higher education—as we work toward our shared goal of restoring public trust in higher education and ensuring that America’s universities remain the best in the world."

The University of Texas at Austin has not officially accepted or denied the compact, and Kevin Eltife, the chairman of the UT System Board of Regents, said the school was "honored" to be solicited for feedback, according to FOX 7.

"We enthusiastically look forward to engaging with university officials and reviewing the compact immediately," Eltife said.

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Election season is in full-swing, with only days left before races in 2025's quiet election cycle are called. 

Fox News Digital compiled key deadlines for early in-person voting as it comes to a close. 

The 2025 election season is mild compared to the whirlwind federal election cycle of 2024, but will feature major races, including statewide elections for governor in New Jersey and Virginia, and New York City’s high-profile mayoral election, the ballot proposition over congressional redistricting in California, and three state Supreme Court contests in Pennsylvania.

VOTING UNDERWAY IN 2025 ELECTION THAT MAY DETERMINE IF REPUBLICANS HOLD HOUSE IN 2026 MIDTERMS

The races have seen a handful of political surprises in recent weeks as key races hit hot water — from Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones’s leaked text scandal to controversy over military records in New Jersey’s governor’s race, and backlash against Zohran Mamdani's left-wing policies as the self-identified Democratic socialist works to secure Gracie Mansion. 

Voter enthusiasm is high across the country — and there’s still time for people to cast their ballots early.

New Jersey's in-person early voting began Saturday and will conclude Nov. 2. Early in-person voting is held from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with Sunday hours running from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Appointments are not necessary to vote early. 

FIVE RACES TO WATCH WITH 5 WEEKS TO GO UNTIL ELECTION DAY 2025

Big Apple residents began early in-person voting Saturday and will have until Nov. 2 to cast early in-person votes. 

TRUMP'S SHADOW LOOMS LARGE OVER HEATED RACES ONE MONTH BEFORE ELECTION DAY

Early in-person voting kicked off in the Old Dominion State Sept. 19 and will run until Nov. 1. All localities in the state offer early voting. 

The Golden State is holding a special election in 2025 to decide ballot proposition 50, which would redraw state congressional district maps in response to efforts in Republican states to redraw congressional districts ahead of the midterms. Early in-person voting begins Saturday and will run through Election Day. 

Pennsylvanians can vote early and in-person by returning mail ballots to their local election offices until 8 p.m. on Election Day. Voters must apply for a mail-in ballot by Tuesday or vote on Election Day. 

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Sylvester Stallone is getting candid about the struggles he experienced throughout his career.

In a recent interview with AARP, the 79-year-old actor discussed feeling like Hollywood had abandoned him, noting that "For almost a decade, I couldn’t find work."

"Nobody wanted me after 'Cop Land.' Even my agents," he told the outlet. "I was fired from CAA. My personal manager at the time let me go. He said, 'I can’t do anything for you. Nobody really wants you anymore.' And I go, 'How’d this happen?' I was told these studios feel as though you’re not what you were."

He recalled going to his former agent who was in charge of Universal Studios at the time, and telling him "please, I'll take anything," and hearing "I’ll try to help you, but it’s not up to me," in response.

SYLVESTER STALLONE SHARES WHAT SET HULK HOGAN APART IN HOLLYWOOD DURING 'ROCKY III'

Despite being told his "time has passed" and that his "genre is over," Stallone didn't give up. "I wanted to go back to 'Rocky,'" Stallone recalled, calling it his "safe place."

"But there I am, 60 years old, and the previous one, 'Rocky V,' was an abject failure, so the original producers didn’t want to do the sixth film, 'Rocky Balboa,'" he said. "They said, basically, 'Over our dead bodies.' Even my wife was going, 'I don’t know if it’s such a good idea.'"

A chance encounter with a film producer while on vacation in Mexico led to the making of the successful fifth film in the Rocky franchise, which put Stallone back on the map. He went on to write and star in two more "Rambo" films, "The Expendables" franchise and reprised the role of Rocky Balboa in the "Creed" films.

The first Rocky film helped launch his film career and earned him Oscar nominations for best original screenplay and best actor. When speaking about one of his more iconic characters, Rambo, Stallone said he can identify with him due to his difficult childhood.

"I feel closer to Rambo than Rocky in many ways because he’s a scorned child," he explained. "He’s rejected by America, his parent. 'I did everything you wanted me to do, but I wasn’t good enough. And I came back and you want to bury me.' So I would fill Rambo with over-the-top violence."

He has previously spoken about his violent childhood, saying in his 2023 Netflix documentary, "Sly," that he "was raised by a very physical father" and that he "was no stranger to serious pain." He went on to explain that through his many experiences, his mindset "just became, ‘I’m not gonna break.’"

SYLVESTER STALLONE ADMITS HE WAS NERVOUS WORKING WITH THIS HOLLYWOOD LEGEND FOR FIRST TIME

During his interview with AARP, Stallone bluntly shared "My mother didn’t want me," calling her "a narcissist with a borderline personality disorder" who hated affection and never gave any.

"She never hugged me, my brother—forget a kiss," he said. "My father certainly was not prepared to be a father. They really didn’t want children, and they had them and thought, So how do we get rid of them?"

Stallone also discussed his complicated relationship with his parents during an episode of Sean Hannity's Fox Nation series, "Sean."

"Today, people would have been arrested, but in one part... I have the ability to channel that," Stallone said. "And that's why I think I'm successful, because I understand rejection. I understand hardship, I understand fear, and if my father couldn't break me, nobody was going to break me... I know what it's like to live on the dark side."

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The "Samaritan" star described himself as "disruptive," but found a passion for art and later "got into acting by accident." Despite the stage being somewhere he felt comfortable, getting casting directors to hire him proved to be difficult.

Stallone came to the conclusion that "acting is 97 percent guaranteed unemployment" and came to the realization that he "was never going to make it as an actor," unless he was content just playing "the second goon." It was at this point that he "decided to learn about writing."

"I was terrible. I mean, I still, today, don’t know what a pronoun is. I’m just still working on a verb. It’s an action word, right? Because it doesn’t matter in screenwriting," he told AARP. "When you’re writing dialogue, the way you speak is as personal as your fingerprints. I just had that ear. So my point is, I knew I was going to be a thug, and then an older thug, and then an unemployable thug. But maybe, instead, I could write a story about a thug who is not a thug. He’s really quite a broken man, kind, and just realizes he’s a failure."

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When speaking about the enduring success of the Rocky franchise, Stallone told Fox News Digital in December 2023, he believes the film resonates because everyone can relate to it.

"There are certain conundrums, issues, problems, journeys, challenges that everybody from every country, every culture has to face," he said. "And they may be somewhat different, but they usually deal with the same kind of — I just want to achieve something, I want people to be proud of me, I want to raise a family, I want to support my daughter. It’s this kind of fear — or [thinking] I’m really nobody inside. People look at me but, on the inside, I feel weak and shallow, that’s what the character was."

The actor currently stars in the Paramount + series, "Tulsa King," and also appears in the reality show, "The Family Stallone," alongside his wife, Jennifer Flavin and his daughters, Sophia, 29, Sistine, 27, and Scarlet, 23.

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The Trump administration said it could soon deport Salvadoran illegal immigrant Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia to the African nation of Liberia after reaching an agreement with that country, according to a Department of Homeland Security filing Friday.

The court filing said that Abrego Garcia could be sent to the West African nation as soon as Oct. 31 to fulfill a standing deportation order against him.

Abrego Garcia was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March despite a 2019 protection finding and a court order barring his removal to his home country. His case has become a focal point in the clash between Trump’s hardline deportation agenda and Democratic efforts to block removals.

ABREGO GARCIA RELEASED FROM JAIL, WILL RETURN TO MARYLAND TO AWAIT TRIAL

The filing noted that Abrego Garcia’s attorneys cited more than 20 countries he allegedly fears would prosecute or torture him if he were removed there and that Liberia is not on that list.

"Liberia is a thriving democracy and one of the United States’s closest partners on the African continent," the filing said.

The filing said the country's national language is English, its constitution "provides robust protections for human rights," and Liberia is "committed to the humane treatment of refugees."

DHS said in the filing that it has received diplomatic assurances from Liberia about the humane treatment of people removed there.

Attorneys for Abrego Garcia blasted the administration’s latest move as political retribution, arguing the latest deportation plan is part of a pattern of punitive deportation tactics.

"After failed attempts with Uganda, Eswatini, and Ghana, ICE now seeks to deport our client, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, to Liberia, a country with which he has no connection, thousands of miles from his family and home in Maryland," attorney Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg said in a statement, according to The Associated Press.

ABREGO GARCIA RENEWS PUSH FOR ASYLUM IN US, REVEALS NEW COUNTRY WILLING TO ACCEPT HIM

"Costa Rica stands ready to accept him as a refugee, a viable and lawful option," the lawyer added. "Yet the government has chosen a course calculated to inflict maximum hardship. These actions are punitive, cruel and unconstitutional."

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., a staunch supporter of Abrego Garcia, condemned the latest filing on Friday. Van Hollen flew to El Salvador in April in a publicized visit to meet Abrego Garcia in prison and has led the effort to get him released.

"The Trump Administration has been desperately shopping for faraway countries they can ship Kilmar Abrego Garcia to in order to deny his constitutional due process right to defend himself against the charges they have brought," Van Hollen said in a statement.

"Clearly, Trump’s cronies want to avoid answering for the claim that they are engaged in a vindictive prosecution against Abrego Garcia, after a federal judge concluded earlier this month that his prosecution ‘may stem from retaliation by the DOJ and DHS due to Abrego’s successful challenge of his unlawful deportation in Maryland.’ Kilmar must be allowed his day in court to fight for his rights," the senator said.

Abrego Garcia entered the U.S. illegally in 2011 and was issued a deportation order in 2019. Two previous judges found he was likely affiliated with MS-13.

Trump administration officials acknowledged in court that his deportation had been an administrative error, although some top Trump officials said he was correctly removed and contended he's a member of the notorious MS-13 gang.

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One immigration judge in 2019 found that Garcia had not sufficiently refuted evidence of MS-13 affiliation and was thus removable to anywhere other than El Salvador because of a threat from a rival gang.

The latest move to deport him comes as Abrego Garcia remains in immigration detention in Pennsylvania. A federal judge in Maryland previously barred his immediate deportation while reviewing claims that the government is retaliating against him for successfully challenging his wrongful removal earlier this year.

The same judge wrote in an October order that his prosecution "may stem from retaliation by the DOJ and DHS," while a separate case in Tennessee over human smuggling charges is still pending.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Two former NBA players turned coaches, one of whom is a Hall of Famer, were arrested Thursday after alleged involvement in a rigged poker scheme in which members of the La Cosa Nostra crime families were also listed as defendants.

Chauncey Billups and Damon Jones, the latter of whom is also a defendant in the sports betting case with Terry Rozier, were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

The two are alleged to have knowingly taken part in rigged poker games, being dubbed "face cards," which the Department of Justice said were "members of the Cheating Teams and received a portion of the criminal proceeds in exchange for their participation in the scheme."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM 

"Billups and Jones, in particular… were utilized to attract victims to the games because of their status as former professional athletes," the DOJ said.

The scheme resulted in victims losing at least $7.15 million dating back to April 2019, according to the Department of Justice.

With successful NBA careers, though, both playing and on the sidelines, one may wonder what could lead them to be allegedly wrapped up in such schemes.

"Well, they're risk-takers. Athletes like that, they’ve got a lot of adrenaline," Meyer Lansky II, the famous mobster's grandson, speculated in a Fox News Digital in a recent interview. "They think they can not only have millions to be paid by a team, but they can make more with their gambling, too. Or they have an addiction to gambling. There's a lot of people like that. They just want to get involved with that. Maybe they like the affiliation with the people that are in charge of that, or behind those gambling setups and situations again."

WHO ARE CHAUNCEY BILLUPS, TERRY ROZIER AND DAMON JONES? NBA SUBJECTS ARRESTED IN ILLEGAL GAMBLING PROBE

Lansky II added that there is a potential sense of power from the athletes themselves.

"I think anybody that gets an extraordinary amount of money, and they've got a lot of fans behind them, yeah, they can get to the point where they're just blind to ‘Nothing can happen to me. Why don't I just do this?’ I do think that with any background, not just sports. It's a powerful thing. Money and power and fame, it takes over sometimes," he said.

As for the mafia, "sports was always a big thing," according to Lansky II.

"It was pretty easy to fix. It's always been beneficial…" he said. "Yeah, I think it's pretty easy to access that. You can do it because, if you're in the casinos, you have surveillance and people watching, and that's a lot riskier than it would be for sports betting."

With the legalization of gambling throughout the country, it is much easier for athletes to get involved in harming the integrity of the game. However, Lansky II believes that illegal ties and schemes will always occur for multiple reasons.

"Protection — you don't have to come up with the front money, you place it with a bookie a lot of times. They’ll look for you if you don’t pay up, but you know, reasons like that, they have great control and great power. They have different ways they do things with somebody. They're influential themselves when they talk to maybe a player. There's an affiliation with the mafia and famous people and sports people, they like that connection sometimes. It gives them something. It's a strong entity in our society, so that's one of the reasons. They trust them, too."

Lansky II will release a book, "The Lansky Legacy," on Tuesday, where he is a co-author who tells "the truth" about his grandfather and nixes "a lot of misconceptions" about him.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

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Independent journalist Andrew Leyden's casual bike ride through the nation's capital took an unexpected turn in July 2023 when he noticed hazmat fire trucks approaching the area around the White House. 

"Something big was going on, something bigger than normal," Leyden said in the new Fox Nation special, "Cocaine at 1600."

50 CENT PARTNERS WITH FOX NATION TO TAKE ON TRUE CRIME WITH NEW SERIES THIS SEPTEMBER

The "something bigger" was a small baggie of white powder identified as cocaine. 

That baggie would become the source of speculation for some time, as the Trump administration now takes another look into the case that was shuttered during former President Joe Biden's term. That incident, and the mysteries surrounding it, are the focus of "Cocaine at 1600." 

The show investigates who brought the substance into the White House in the first place and incorporates stories and perspectives like Leyden's to explore the incident in detail.

NEWLY UNCOVERED TED BUNDY FOOTAGE EXPOSES THE MULTI-STATE EFFORT TO CAPTURE THE INFAMOUS SERIAL KILLER

A source close to the investigation has confirmed to Fox Nation that a guest in the White House found the baggie and alerted the Secret Service, which in turn called the D.C. Fire Department.

"There are hazmat incidents at the White House every week outside with backpacks and usually the Secret Service handles that on their own," Leyden explained.

"They can see it's a backpack, they maybe bring their dogs up, the firemen don't even come nearby, [the hazmat teams are] not even needed."

But, when hazmat teams went into the perimeter and down West Executive, he knew something was amiss.

Leyden, who usually carries a scanner with him, said the fire department would typically make hazardous material calls on an encrypted channel, meaning no one can hear them.

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However, this call went out on a publicly open channel. Despite not knowing about the discovery of cocaine in the building, Leyden described spending approximately an hour on the scene, hearing chaotic radio calls amid the chaos. 

"Cocaine at 1600" is available now on Fox Nation. 

Fox Nation programs are viewable on-demand and from your mobile device app, but only for Fox Nation subscribers. Go to Fox Nation to start a free trial and watch the extensive library from your favorite Fox Nation personalities.

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President Donald Trump isn’t the first commander-in-chief to face scrutiny over White House renovations. 

Throughout its 223-year history, the iconic residence has seen numerous updates — both large and small — under nearly every administration. 

Many on the left have been in an uproar of late, accusing Trump of damaging White House history as construction begins on a new White House ballroom.

FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP COMMITTED TO ‘TRADITION’ OF WHITE HOUSE TOURS AFTER BALLROOM CONSTRUCTION

President Trump’s privately funded $200 million White House ballroom is the latest "bold, necessary addition" to the executive residence, officials said, describing the East Wing construction as a continuation of presidential upgrades dating back more than a century.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., questioned what leverage contributors might have over Trump if they are donating to the renovation.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also criticized the move, writing Tuesday on X, "It’s not his house. It’s your house. And he’s destroying it."

Construction on the ballroom kicked off Monday, with the project "expected to be completed long before the end of President Trump’s term," according to the White House. 

"Nearly every single president who’s lived in this beautiful White House behind me has made modernizations and renovations of their own," said Karoline Leavitt, press secretary, at the podium recently.

TRUMP CELEBRATES WHITE HOUSE DEMOLITION AS NEW BALLROOM RISES: ‘MUSIC TO MY EARS’

"In fact, presidents for decades — in modern times — have joked about how they wished they had a larger event space here at the White House, something that could hold hundreds more people than the current East Room and State Dining Room," she added.

President Trump recently directed the addition of stone pavers to the Rose Garden lawn, a change designed to better accommodate press conferences and ceremonial events. 

Dubbed the Rose Garden Club, the event space recently hosted Senate Republicans on Tuesday.

From President Bill Clinton's creation of a jogging path around the South Grounds driveway to President Dwight Eisenhower's installation of a putting green, the People’s House has continually evolved to reflect the times and the presidents who called it home.

Here's a look at some of the most notable renovations that have shaped the White House through the years.

Before it was officially known as the White House, the residence was commonly called the Executive Mansion or the President’s House. President Theodore Roosevelt is credited with making the "White House" official when Congress allocated funds for repairs and refurnishing, according to the National Park Service. 

KAROLINE LEAVITT: THE WHITE HOUSE WILL HAVE A BIG, BEAUTIFUL BALLROOM FOR GENERATIONS TO COME

During this period, Roosevelt also replaced the old conservatories with new executive offices, establishing what became known as the West Wing. Work began in June 1902 and was completed by the year-end.

President Taft held a competition to select an architect to make Roosevelt’s temporary West Wing permanent, according to the White House Historical Association (WHAA).

Washington, D.C's Nathan C. Wyeth designed the expansion and created the Oval Office. Wyeth was inspired by the Blue Room in the White House for its oval shape, creating a "levee."  

"The levee, a tradition that evolved from the English court, was an occasion to allow men of prominence to meet the president," writes the WHAA.

Guests entered the room, approached the president by the fireplace, and bowed as an aide announced their names.

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The doors would then close with guests standing in a semi-circle as the president moved around the group, greeting each person.  

The East Wing was erected in 1942 during FDR’s administration to house additional staff and offices. The East Wing project was highly controversial amid World War II

"Congressional Republicans labeled the expenditure as wasteful, with some accusing Roosevelt of using the project to bolster his presidency’s image," the WHAA notes on its website.  

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An indoor swimming pool had been installed earlier, in 1933, following FDR’s polio diagnosis so he could swim regularly for exercise

The Daily News created the "Roosevelt Swimming Pool Fund" for the project, raising over $12,000, according to the WHAA. 

President Richard Nixon then converted the pool into the White House Press Room in 1970 to create a space for the growing press. 

Nixon reportedly did not want any harm done to the structure, so the pool could be restored easily, with a project architect saying this was "in case he received comments that he destroyed the FDR pool." 

(The Gerald Ford administration installed an outdoor pool on the South Lawn in 1975.)

President Truman "gutted" the White House starting in 1948, costing a total of $5.7 million. T

he work was authorized by Congress to fix the physical stress the building was under, as there were fears of a collapse.

Two automatic bowling lanes were first installed in the White House during the administration of President Harry Truman. 

This was later moved to the Executive Office Building basement. 

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Avid bowlers, President Nixon and Mrs. Nixon added a new one-lane alley. 

The alley was paid for by Nixon’s friends, according to documents housed by the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library. 

President Obama transformed an existing tennis court into a full-court basketball court

"The White House has had a smaller outdoor court since 1991, but the adapted tennis court allows enough room for a full-court game of basketball," reads the Obama White House official website. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Obama Foundation for comment.

Madison Colombo of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.

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Phishing scams target every kind of institution, whether it's a hospital, a big tech firm or even a fast-food chain. Educational institutions aren't an exception, especially in 2025, when attackers are actively directing their efforts toward them. Universities across the U.S. are facing a new type of cybercrime where attackers are targeting staff to hijack salary payments. Researchers have discovered that since March 2025, a hacking group known as Storm-2657 has been running "pirate payroll" attacks, using phishing tactics to gain access to payroll accounts. Let's talk more about this attack and how you can stay safe.

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SCAMMERS NOW IMPERSONATE COWORKERS, STEAL EMAIL THREADS IN CONVINCING PHISHING ATTACKS

According to Microsoft Threat Intelligence, Storm-2657 primarily targets Workday, a widely used human resources platform, though other payroll and HR software could be at risk as well. The attackers begin with highly convincing phishing emails, carefully crafted to appeal to individual staff members. Some messages warn of a sudden campus illness outbreak, creating a sense of urgency, while others claim that a faculty member is under investigation, prompting recipients to check documents immediately. In some cases, emails impersonate the university president or HR department, sharing "important" updates about compensation and benefits.

These emails contain links designed to capture login credentials and multi-factor authentication (MFA) codes in real time using adversary-in-the-middle techniques. Once a staff member enters their information, the attackers can access the account as if they were the legitimate user. After gaining control, the hackers set up inbox rules to delete Workday notifications, so the victims do not see alerts about changes. This stealthy approach allows the attackers to modify payroll profiles, adjust salary payment settings and redirect funds to accounts they control, all without raising immediate suspicion.

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY DATA BREACH HITS 870,000 PEOPLE

The hackers don't stop at a single account. Once they control one mailbox, they use it to spread the attack further. Microsoft reports that from just 11 compromised accounts at three universities, Storm-2657 sent phishing emails to nearly 6,000 email addresses at 25 institutions. By using trusted internal accounts, their emails appear more legitimate, increasing the likelihood that recipients will fall for the scam.

To maintain access over time, the attackers sometimes enroll their own phone numbers as MFA devices, either through Workday profiles or through Duo MFA. This gives them persistent access, allowing them to approve further malicious actions without needing to phish again. Combined with inbox rules that hide notifications, this strategy lets them operate undetected for longer periods.

Microsoft emphasizes that these attacks don't exploit a flaw in Workday itself. Instead, they rely on social engineering, the absence of strong phishing-resistant MFA and careful manipulation of internal systems. In essence, the threat comes from human behavior and insufficient protection, not software bugs.

Protecting yourself from payroll and phishing scams isn't complicated. By taking a few careful steps, you can make it much harder for attackers to gain access to your accounts or personal information.

The more information scammers can find about you, the easier it is to craft convincing phishing messages. Services that remove or monitor personal data online can reduce exposure, making it harder for attackers to trick you with targeted emails.

While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren't cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It's what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.

Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.

Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com

Scammers often send emails that look like they come from your HR department or university leadership, warning about payroll, benefits or urgent issues. Don't click links or download attachments unless you are 100% sure they are legitimate. Even small mistakes can give attackers access to your accounts.

The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.

Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.

If an email mentions salary changes or requires action, call or email the HR office or the person directly using contact information you already know. Phishing emails are designed to create panic and rush decisions, so taking a moment to verify can stop attackers in their tracks.

Never reuse passwords across multiple accounts. Scammers often try to use credentials stolen from other breaches. A password manager can help you generate strong passwords and store them securely, so you don't have to remember dozens of different combinations.

Next, see if your email has been exposed in past breaches. Our No. 1 password manager pick includes a built-in breach scanner that checks whether your email address or passwords have appeared in known leaks. If you discover a match, immediately change any reused passwords and secure those accounts with new, unique credentials.

Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2025 at Cyberguy.com.

Add an extra layer of security by enabling 2FA on all accounts that support it. This means even if someone steals your password, they still can't log in without a second verification step, such as a code sent to your phone.

Even if you follow all precautions, it's smart to monitor your accounts for any unusual activity. Catching unauthorized transactions quickly can prevent bigger losses and alert you to potential scams before they escalate.

The Storm-2657 attacks show that cybercriminals are targeting trust, not software. Universities are appealing because payroll systems handle money directly, and staff can be manipulated through well-crafted phishing. The scale and sophistication of these attacks highlight how vulnerable even well-established institutions can be to financially motivated threat actors.

How often do you check your payroll or bank accounts for unusual activity? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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When pressed on why Democrats are using working-class Americans as "leverage" amid the ongoing government shutdown, several Democratic senators offered varying responses — but only one rejected the premise that their party is holding Americans hostage.

"It's the only lever we have," Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., responded when asked about the matter.

"We're doing this because we're hearing from so many families concerned about their healthcare," said Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J. "We're doing this because we're hearing from them and wanting to address that." Kim also blamed President Donald Trump and his allies, arguing that "this administration has been unwilling to actually negotiate."

DEMOCRATS REFUSE TO BUDGE OVER OBAMACARE FIGHT AS SHUTDOWN DRAGS ON

"Schumer and Jefferies have asked yet again to talk to Trump before Trump goes on an international trip," Kim lamented. "When we have all this problem here at home, for the amount of money that Donald Trump has organized to send over to Argentina, we could have funded the ACA subsidies for another year."

Republicans counter that Democrats are the ones refusing to negotiate, noting the Obamacare subsidies at issue don’t expire until year’s end and can be debated once the government reopens.

"The way I see it, 2024 was about one issue above and beyond all else, and that was about lowering costs," said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.

TOP REPUBLICAN SLAMS KATHERINE CLARK FOR ADMITTING SUFFERING FAMILIES ARE 'LEVERAGE' IN SHUTDOWN BATTLE 

But, it was swing-state Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., who objected to the framing of the question, telling Fox News Digital that "this isn't a political game."

"I would never say – I'm not going to describe the lives of millions of Americans as a euphemism, as ‘leverage,'" Fetterman shot back in response to the question. "This isn't a political game. I'm not checking about how it's polling or who's going to blink. Millions of Pennsylvanians are going to lose their SNAP benefits and I think we should have them both at the same time."

Fetterman, appearing to side with an argument coming from the GOP that the Obamacare subsidies can be negotiated after the government reopens, said he believes there can be "an honest conversation" between Republicans and Democrats once the government gets to a place where it can turn the lights back on. 

"I think plenty of [Republicans] are going to want this too – have that conversation – open up this government because that's not leverage, this is a fail," Fetterman said.

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President Donald Trump said Saturday that he is "open" to meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un at the demilitarized zone (DMZ) while he is in South Korea during his trip to Asia.

"I'd be open to it, 100%. I got along very well with him, Kim Jong Un," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

"They don't have a lot of telephone service," the president said. "They have a lot of nuclear weapons, but not a lot of telephone service." 

Trump, who departed for Asia on Friday night, told reporters that they could "put out the word" that he was willing to meet the dictator. The president also responded to a question about recognizing North Korea as a nuclear power. 

TRUMP AND KIM JONG UN SHOULD MAKE 'BOLD DECISION' TO MEET DURING HIS ASIA TRIP, SOUTH KOREAN OFFICIAL SAYS

"I think they are sort of a nuclear power," Trump said. "I mean, I know how many weapons they have. I know everything about them and I have a very good relationship with Kim Jung Un. When you say they have to be recognized as a nuclear power, well, they’ve got a lot of nuclear weapons, I’ll say that."

South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young urged Trump and Kim to "make a bold decision," according to Reuters, which reported he made the remark to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.

A White House official noted Friday that Trump and the North Korean leader met during his first term in office.

"President Trump in his first term, held three historic summits with North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un that stabilized the Korean Peninsula," the official said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "U.S. policy on North Korea has not changed. President Trump remains open to talking with Kim Jong Un, but such a meeting is not currently on the schedule for this trip."

Earlier this month, a White House official told Fox News Digital that, "President Trump remains open to talking with Kim Jong Un, without any preconditions."

"President Trump in his first term held three historic summits with North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un that stabilized the Korean Peninsula. U.S. policy on North Korea has not changed," the official added.

NORTH KOREA LAUNCHES BALLISTIC MISSILES DAYS BEFORE TRUMP'S VISIT TO THE PENINSULA

The week-long trip includes stops in Malaysia, Japan and South Korea. Additionally, the White House said that Trump will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit.

In 2018, during his first term, Trump and Kim met in what was the first ever U.S.-North Korea summit. The meeting took place in Singapore. A joint statement at the time said that the two leaders "conducted a comprehensive, in-depth, and sincere exchange of opinions on the issues related to the establishment of new U.S.-DPRK relations."

A summit between Kim and Trump in Hanoi, Vietnam, in February 2019 ended without the two reaching a deal.

One year later, in June 2019, Trump met Kim again, this time in the DMZ, making him the first sitting U.S. leader to set foot in North Korea. He took 20 steps into North Korean territory during the visit where he shook hands with Kim.

When speaking to reporters in 2019, Trump said he and Kim agreed to revive talks on North Korea's nuclear program. He said he was not aiming to make a deal fast, but rather to "get it right."

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The Republican running against New York Democratic attorney general Letitia James took aim at her relationship with socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani in an interview with Fox News Digital, arguing that it puts New York voters in jeopardy.

"That association is not a surprise, because when she first ran for the New York City Council in New York City, she ran on the Working Family Party line because the Democrat party wouldn't endorse her, she's been a supporter of cashless her whole political career," Michael Henry told Fox News Digital about James’s endorsement and association with Mamdani. 

James spoke at a rally in front of Mamdani supporters earlier this month, telling the roughly 3,000 people in the crowd after she was indicted for mortgage fraud, "You come for me? You gonna come to all of us!" 

Henry told Fox News Digital that James’s closeness to Mamdani, who has been labeled a communist by many, shows she’s "out of touch" and suggests that will be a "problem" for her long term.

KNICKS SEND CEASE-AND-DESIST TO MAMDANI OVER LOGO USE, SAY THEY ‘WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR’ THEY DON’T ENDORSE HIM

"She introduced him on election night, she says it's her brother, she owns him and, you know something she's jeopardizing the people of state of New York because, forget about the fact the kids an anti-semite and a communist he's never had a job he's never showed up five days a week to a real job, I will tell you, when there's a blizzard, you've got to get the sanitation trucks out, when there is a structural collapse, there's serious fire, there is civil unrest and the police are dealing with an uprising, maybe with rioters or some kind of confrontation, does anybody think this kid and his practice smile and his word salad is going to be able to handle those situations?" Henry said.

"He's not a serious person. He's a failed actor."

CURTIS SLIWA VOWS TO BE ZOHRAN MAMDANI'S 'WORST NIGHTMARE' IF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST WINS NYC MAYORAL RACE

James, who appeared in federal court on Friday to plead not guilty to mortgage fraud charges, has been a staunch advocate of Mamdani in recent months saying he is "the leader New York City needs" as the socialist candidate appears to hold a commanding lead in the polls to be the city's next mayor. 

"She's put the people of the state of New York, all New Yorkers, not political affiliations included, all New Yorkers in jeopardy because of her horrible judgment by embracing this kid," Henry told Fox News Digital.

Henry ran unsuccessfully against James in 2020, but his 45% of the vote was one of the best showings for a Republican in the state in decades.

Henry told Fox News Digital New Yorkers need an "outsider" candidate who has "no fear of Letitia James at all."

Henry explained, "Look, let's be honest, she wakes up every day focused on three things: targeting the President of the United States, weaponizing her office against political opponents, and ignoring the issues that matter most to hardworking families."

"And she's forgotten that the New York state attorney general is the people's lawyer, and it's not the enforcer for the Democrat National Committee."

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The partner of a dead motorcyclist in Washington state said she felt "hopeless" as her sweetheart's alleged killer walked out of jail after posting a $50,000 bail, which one expert says is extremely low.

Dennis "D.J." Thornlow was killed on July 2 as he was riding his motorcycle in Anacortes, Washington. Detectives said 49-year-old Josue Flores "intentionally" ran over Thornlow and dragged him with his car for more than 50 yards across a parking lot, according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital. Flores was charged with felony hit-and-run, vehicular homicide and second-degree murder.

Authorities claim Flores was following Thornlow "too closely" when the motorcyclist "swerved" into a parking lot, falling off as a result. Flores then "intentionally" ran over Thornlow with his car and dragged his body for 62 yards, the probable cause affidavit states.

When Thornlow's body came to a resting place after falling off the motorcycle, the court document details that Flores then "quickly" turned right into the parking lot and angled his car directly toward Thornlow, running over his head and leg. Surveillance video reviewed by investigators allegedly shows Flores' car turn sharply toward Thornlow after he crashed the motorcycle.

MURDER SUSPECT ARRESTED OVER 40 TIMES BEFORE ALLEGEDLY KILLING HOTEL GUEST

When questioned by police, Flores said it was a "rare occurrence" for him to leave his apartment because his neighbors were "constantly harassing him," but needed to cash his social security check. Flores claimed Thornlow "tried to hit me" and became violent after their first interaction at an intersection. However, Flores' claim of leaving the house was contradicted by his own mother, who allegedly told police he had already cashed the check.

Flores also claimed Thornlow was "yelling racial slurs" at him and making death threats, adding the motorcyclist was wearing a "Nazi-type helmet." When asked by police why Thornlow would act so violent, Flores said he presumed it was because he's Hispanic and had a run-down car, according to the court document, adding that he claimed Thornlow kept following his car too closely. Police found no evidence corroborating Flores' claims about Thornlow.

After leaving the parking lot, Flores allegedly told authorities his car began shaking and he thought he was out of gas, so he pulled over to "figure out how to get to the Anacortes Police Department to ‘own it.’" When police asked what he meant by wanting to "own it," Flores responded: "All I know is that he crashed. He hit the curb of the sidewalk," adding that he had "hit a tree or something."

ATTEMPTED MURDER SUSPECT WITH FOUR PRIOR CASES WALKS FREE ON $9.5K BOND AFTER BRUTAL TRAIL ATTACK

Flores never admitted to running over Thornlow or dragging his body during his interview with police, according to the affidavit. Two witnesses told police it appeared that Flores' sedan "was chasing the motorcycle," the documents state.

Judge Thomas Verge set bail at $50,000 during an Aug. 19 hearing on the second-degree murder charge despite a higher request from prosecutors, records show.

Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told Fox News Digital the fact a judge would set bail for second-degree murder at $50,000 is "shocking."

ICE SLAMS 'OPEN BORDER POLICIES' AFTER FOUR-TIME DEPORTEE MURDERS TACOMA AUTO DEALER

"It really shocks the conscience," Rahmani said of the judge's bail decision, adding he's never seen anything like this in his career.

"This is extraordinarily low for any type of bail and certainly, in a case like this, there should be no bail at all," he said. "So the fact that the victim's family and the public, they're outraged, I think they're justified. This is someone that should be spending the rest of his life in prison, and instead, he's out a free man."

Records reviewed by Fox News Digital also show Flores previously served time in prison after being found guilty. In 1996, Flores was found guilty of fourth-degree assault and was sentenced to one year in jail, with 335 days of that sentence suspended. Charging documents say Flores shot a BB gun at someone riding a bike.

FLORIDA SERIAL OFFENDER ACCUSED OF DRAGGING BICYCLIST TO DEATH IN HIT-AND-RUN

In March 2022, he was charged with assaulting a health care worker. A probable cause affidavit alleges that Flores punched a health care worker in the head "4 or 5 times" while he was trying to administer medicine.

According to the affidavit, Flores admitted to hitting the individual in the head because "[the worker] makes me nervous." That case was dismissed, documents show.

A neighbor told detectives in summer 2025 that one time, when talking with Flores about a family member in jail, he said: "if someone f----- with me, they wouldn’t live to tell about it." Other neighbors at his old apartment complex told detectives that Flores would "often speak about his past gang involvement with SUR13," the court document shows.

Jordan Weeks, Thornlow's partner, told Fox News Digital she felt "hopeless" when she heard Verge rule that Flores' bail was only set at $50,000.

"I was shocked. I didn't understand. I thought, did I hear him wrong?" Weeks said. "I think I was trying to have faith and I still do have faith, but that was a big crack."

Weeks said that she's known Thornlow for six years, adding that he has always treated people with respect and said Flores' accusations don't add up.

"He was friends with everybody. You know, it doesn't matter what you looked like or what background you had or, you know, if you, it didn't matter the type of person you were. He always met you with kindness and respect. And it just doesn't sound, it sounds unfounded to me. It doesn't sound like the DJ that I know. And I know him very well," Weeks said of Flores' accusations.

She said that Thornlow had a 13-year-old daughter whom he had a "very beautiful relationship" with.

"He loved me enough to see that I was going through something, working towards my career and having a very stressful year. So he tried to make sure that in other areas he could support me," Weeks said. "I could tell even before I met his daughter, how much he loved and cared about her. Being a father is one of the most important things to him."

Fox News Digital reached out to Flores' attorney and a representative of Verge for comment.

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Renovations in large public buildings are not exactly unusual. Even at the White House, renovations are common. But the national media despise President Donald Trump so deeply that they’ll turn anything he does into a scandal. This week, it’s building a new ballroom at The White House with private donations.

The president originally said the East Wing would remain intact, but it came down this week, which led to an outpouring of angst. First came the "optics" of this. CBS reporter Weijia Jiang relayed, "Some Democrats have criticized President Trump for focusing on a new ballroom while the government remains shut down." That’s shameless, since it’s the Democrats who refuse to end the shutdown.

ABC’s Mary Bruce, who routinely cheer-led President Joe Biden’s time at the White House, also brought the "growing controversy" chatter and found Republicans for the optics argument: "Some Republicans tonight [are] now questioning the optics of this, especially during the shutdown." She located just one: outgoing North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis.

Then Bruce added, "former First Lady Hillary Clinton saying to the American people, ‘it's not his house, it's your house and he's destroying it.’" Her daughter Chelsea Clinton penned an op-ed for USA Today with the same "people’s house" theme.

FETTERMAN DEFENDS TRUMP'S 'TASTEFUL' $200M WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM MAKEOVER AMID DEM CRITICISM

This is rich, considering the Clintons sold overnight stays in the Lincoln Bedroom to top donors and President Bill Clinton turned the White House into an intern sex den. It’s also rich considering the Clintons were caught trying to steal $28,000 worth of donated furniture as they vacated the house in 2001. Guess what? The Washington Post broke the story, but the broadcast networks didn’t want to repeat it.

Imagine the Reagans trying to make off with donated furniture? Imperious Nancy never would have heard the end of it. But the Clintons were let off the hook. ABC reported nothing on air. On CBS, Dan Rather gave it 19 seconds. NBC offered a full story in the evening after the Post, but by the next morning, "Today" co-host Matt Lauer was calling the whole thing off: "Is this a big deal, or are we in the middle of Pick On The Clintons Month?" Newsweek’s Howard Fineman helpfully replied, "Well, it’s always Pick On The Clintons Month."

Anyone who watches these Clinton-coddling networks and their incessantly hyper-negative coverage of the Trumps can only roll their eyes.

DAVID MARCUS: TRUMP'S BALLROOM IS NO VANITY PROJECT, IT'S ABOUT AMERICAN GRANDEUR

Even on the ballroom story, NBC trotted out Connecticut Democrat Senator Richard Blumenthal to throw the tyranny card: "It's his personal whim and it is sort of emblematic of the authoritarian, tyrannical approach that this president takes to power."

It’s privately funded, so it needs no congressional approval. The liberals can’t stop it from happening. So, somehow, it’s a power grab to build a grand new ballroom for future presidents to enjoy. At least NBC News shows had to disclose that their owner Comcast is a donor to the renovation, which will be for all future presidents.

Unsurprisingly, the unanimous Trump-haters at ABC’s "The View" offered nothing but cauldrons of spite. Sunny Hostin couldn’t stop calling the ballroom plans "tacky and gaudy," and Whoopi Goldberg falsely said, "your taxes are probably going to be paying for that ballroom." Joy Behar said this demolition proved Trump was a "one-man wrecking ball" and bungled into calling him an "annihilist." He "annihilates."

They really hated Trump asking for millions of dollars of reimbursement from the Justice Department over all the investigations of him, leading Hostin to uncork the conspiracy that he was never leaving the White House: "If he gets this $230 million, it’s going to be used to renovate a White House which he never intends to leave!"

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The late-night comedians performed their usual leftist rituals. Outgoing CBS host Stephen Colbert cracked: "As of this morning, the East Wing looks like a rotisserie chicken your dog got into." He called it a "ball-doggle" funded by "groveling corporations like Amazon, Apple, Comcast, Google, Microsoft, T-Mobile, Meta Platforms and Hard Rock International."

Previous renovations under Democrats were not controversial. On September 10, 2010, CNN aired a cheery story from anchor Suzanne Malveaux about all "the banging, the jack-hammering, the dust" from a taxpayer-funded $375 million renovation. They said Congress approved funding in 2008, and no one went looking for politicians to cry "authoritarian."

Back in 1962, CBS and NBC aired a prime-time special promoting First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy offering a tour of the White House under renovation. ABC ran it four days later. They were all engaged in "Camelot" myth-making, creating "cultural icon" Jackie while JFK was besmirching the White House with extramarital affairs.

If the White House is "the people's house," then why would the people object to a glamorous ballroom that can accommodate large gatherings, especially important foreign dignitaries? It's only an outrage because it's Trump's project.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM TIM GRAHAM

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In his Oct. 13 address to Israel's Knesset in Jerusalem, President Donald Trump upset Israeli leftists when he called for Israel's largely ceremonial President Isaac Herzog to use his one actual power – the power of pardon – and pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu has been on trial for more than five years on absurd charges regarding cigars and champagne he received over 20 years ago from old friends.

Those charges fell apart in the opening months of the trial as one prosecution witness after another exposed the emptiness of Israel's Netanyahu-hating prosecutors' indictments against the country's longest-serving and most successful leader. All the same, the Netanyahu-hating judge presiding over the trial is now requiring Netanyahu to appear in court three days a week for a total of 24 hours a week to testify.

Leftists in Israel dominate the country's media and legal fraternity, much as they do in America. And they were incensed that President Trump dared to interfere in Israel's "internal affairs." One anchorman referred to Trump's call for a pardon as "disgusting, and revolting."

But the truth is that by asking Israel's left-leaning president to put an end to Israel's Deep State's assault on Netanyahu, Trump was defending America's national interests.

'VIEW' CO-HOST PRAISES FORMER BOSS TRUMP FOR 'MASSIVE DIPLOMATIC ACHIEVEMENT' IN HOSTAGE DEAL

This is true for two reasons.

First, the corrupt legal authorities involved in the trial are abusing their power over Netanyahu in a way that undermines American interests.

On Wednesday, just two days after President Trump gave his address, Netanyahu was back in the courtroom in Tel Aviv. He had asked the judges to let him delay his testimony so that he could hold certain meetings. The judges and prosecutors demanded to know what meetings could possibly justify delaying his testimony. He explained one was highly classified, and they demanded to know what it was about.

Within hours of the exchange, the story leaked that Netanyahu was scheduled to meet secretly with the president of Indonesia. The leader of the largest Muslim state in the world, President Prabowo Subianto, was scheduled to pay a top-secret trip to Jerusalem as a step toward opening diplomatic relations with Israel. This was to be one of the most important fruits of Israel's U.S.-supported victory in its seven-front war against Iran and its axis of terror. But thanks to Israel's corrupt legal fraternity, the meeting leaked to their press allies and President Subianto stayed away.

President Trump made clear in his speech that expanding the circle of peace between Israel and the Islamic world is a chief U.S. goal. Israel is America's most powerful ally in the troubled Middle East. Trump sees it as an essential U.S. interest that the Arab and Islamic world accept Israel as a permanent entity and an allied state. But for Israel's politicized Deep State, undermining and humiliating Netanyahu by chaining him to a courtroom and subverting his diplomatic actions is apparently more important.

These radical jurists must be stopped not only for Netanyahu to be able to devote himself entirely to serving his country, they need to be stopped to enable President Trump to secure America's goals in the Middle East.

WITH HOSTAGES FREED, TRUMP THANKS OTHERS IN ISRAEL SPEECH BUT IS TOO QUICK TO DECLARE WAR IS OVER

The second reason that ending this farce of justice against Netanyahu is in the United States’ interests is that there is a link between the forces of political warfare and lawfare in Israel and the U.S. If you scratch just beneath the surface, you'll doubtlessly find that for the same billionaire agents of anarchy, who funded and brought the unprecedented lawfare against both President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, working to undo Israel as a key way to unravel American society. For example, the Tides Foundation funds radical groups, including pro-Hamas protesters in America, and it funds groups involved in the protests and riots and political violence in Israel.

Tides is one of several foundations whose actions in the U.S. and Israel are the subject of multiple congressional investigations. One of the investigations focuses on well-documented claims that the billion-dollar, multi-year effort to criminalize Netanyahu that engulfed Israel in political instability for years, was funded in part by the Biden administration. That investigation must continue and the U.S. government officials who funded and facilitated political chaos in Israel should be forced to account for their actions.

Even more importantly, the IRS should investigate how U.S. non-profits groups that enjoy U.S. tax exemption valued in millions of dollars have abused their status to fund political violence, insurrection, and mayhem in Israel. In some cases, according to Hamas's own internal documents, these U.S.-based non-profit-funded groups' campaigns convinced the genocidal terror group that Israel was ripe for annihilation on October 7, 2023.

TRUMP CALLS FOR NETANYAHU PARDON AFTER HAILING SWIFT REMOVAL OF LEFT-WING LAWMAKERS BY SECURITY

In his historic speech in Jerusalem, President Trump laid out great plans for building a new Middle East that will join Israel's genius and power to the oil-wealth of its neighbors and transform the Middle East into a driver of global prosperity under American leadership. Trump would have been hard-pressed to lead this momentous undertaking if the Deep State were still persecuting him, his top aides and his children.

Netanyahu has miraculously been able to lead Israel to one of the most important military victories in its history. With Trump's assistance, Israel destroyed Iran's axis of terror across seven fronts. Netanyahu achieved this while forced to spend days on end in a courtroom answering asinine questions from shameless prosecutors before brazen judges.

Imagine what Netanyahu and President Trump would be able to do together if Netanyahu doesn't have to spend 24 hours per week in a courtroom.

President Trump was right to ask President Herzog to put an end to the madness that is Prime Minister Netanyahu's trial. And he would be right to order the IRS to start investigating the role American non-profits have played and continue to play in destabilizing Israel and corrupting its legal system. Israel's leftists, like their American funders, may not like President Trump for doing it, but generations of Americans, Israelis, and peoples of the wider Middle East will thank him.

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California authorities released new surveillance images Friday of a missing 9-year-old child who the FBI said may have been with her mother on a road trip "as far as the state of Nebraska" before vanishing.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office said its investigation into the disappearance of Melodee Buzzard began on Oct. 14, after a school administrator reported her extended absence. Deputies then responded to her home in Lompoc and encountered her 35-year-old mother, Ashlee Buzzard, although "Melodee was not at the home, and no verifiable explanation for her whereabouts was provided."

"As part of this update, detectives are sharing surveillance images of Melodee captured at a local car rental business on October 7. In the photo, Melodee is wearing a hooded sweatshirt with the hood pulled up and what appears to be a wig that is darker and straighter than her natural hair," the sheriff’s office said in Friday's update. "Investigators believe the wig may have been used to alter her appearance. Detectives also note that Ashlee is known to wear wigs."

"Through their ongoing investigation, detectives have narrowed the critical timeline to between October 7 and October 10, 2025. Investigators have confirmed that Ashlee was seen returning to her Lompoc residence on October 10, driving the same rental vehicle she departed with on October 7 — but Melodee was not in the car," the sheriff’s office continued.

POLICE RELEASE MAJOR UPDATE AFTER VIRAL VIDEO SHOWS SCREAMING WOMAN BEING PULLED FROM DOORWAY

"Investigators understand that this three-day road trip went from Lompoc to the Nebraska area, with the return trip including the state of Kansas. Detectives are now focused on determining where Melodee was during those three days and where she may be now," it also said.

Melodee Buzzard is described by police as being around 4 feet, 6 inches tall and weighing approximately 60 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.

MISSING MOM FOUND ALIVE IN FOREST AS OFFICIALS INVESTIGATE ‘SUSPICIOUS’ HOUSE FIRE

"Our detectives are following every lead in this case. We continue to seek information from the public that could help us find Melodee," Santa Barbara Sheriff Bill Brown said in a statement. "We remain determined to bring her home safely."

The FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office is assisting in the search.

"The investigation indicates that Melodee was with her mother as recently as October 7, 2025. It has also been determined that Ashlee may have driven with Melodee in a White Chevrolet Malibu (Lic #9MNG101) to locations outside of Santa Barbara County, California, to include as far as the state of Nebraska," the agency said. "The vehicle was determined to be a rental car and is no longer in Ashlee’s possession."

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office said Melodee remains an "at risk-missing person," while her mother has been "uncooperative with investigators."

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The administration at Rutgers University is doubling down on its push for the school’s Turning Point USA chapter to hold elections that would replace officers who spoke out against Antifa-aligned professor Mark Bray, according to emails obtained by Fox News Digital.

In a Thursday email, Neela Patel, executive director for student centers and activities at Rutgers, directed the TPUSA chapter to hold elections to replace its treasurer, Megyn Doyle, the student who started the petition to remove Bray, as well as the vice president, who recently stepped down.

"I am following up on the email below, which I sent on October 17, 2025, about the officer follow-up for Turning Point USA–Rutgers," Patel wrote. "As of today, I have not received a response to discuss the necessary next steps. Therefore, I am requesting that the organization proceed with holding elections to fill the Vice President and Treasurer positions, in accordance with University policies and the organization’s constitution."

Patel added that elections must be completed by Nov. 19 and that all candidates must meet specific eligibility requirements.

RUTGERS TURNING POINT USA CHAPTER LAUNCHES PETITION TO FIRE PROFESSOR THEY CALL ‘DR ANTIFA’

"When conducting elections, please ensure the following University requirements for student organization officers are met," Patel added. "Officers must be full-time undergraduate students at Rutgers University — New Brunswick. Officers must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 at Rutgers University. First-semester students are not eligible to hold officer positions."

The email follows earlier correspondence obtained by Fox News Digital from Karima Woodyard, Rutgers’ director for student involvement and leadership, who told the TPUSA chapter that both Doyle and Ava Kwan, the chapter’s outreach coordinator, should be removed from their positions.

Woodyard argued that neither student was eligible to serve in executive roles because Doyle is enrolled at the Rutgers Newark campus and Kwan is a graduate student.

RUTGERS TPUSA OFFICERS SLAM PETITION TO SHUT DOWN CHAPTER, ‘BLATANTLY DEFAMATORY’

Woodyard maintained that since the TPUSA chapter is "classified as an undergraduate student organization for the New Brunswick campus, both individuals are ineligible to hold executive board positions within your group."

Earlier this month, members of Rutgers’ Turning Point USA chapter launched a petition, spearheaded by Doyle, to remove Bray, the assistant teaching professor, citing concerns over his past statements supporting Antifa.

Bray, who recently moved abroad "for safety reasons" and said that he had been doxxed and "received multiple death threats," has expressed strong support for "antifacism" ​​in previous online posts. He is teaching his classes remotely from Spain.

RUTGERS LEADER DEMANDS TPUSA OFFICERS BE OUSTED AFTER THEY CALLED OUT ANTIFA-LINKED PROFESSOR

He is the author of "Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook," which openly calls for "militant anti-fascism." That book says that "at the very least 50 percent of author proceeds will go to the International Anti-Fascist Defense Fund, which is administered by more than three hundred antifa from eighteen countries."

On its website, the International Anti-Fascist Defense Fund says that it has "provided over $250,000 USD to more than 800 anti-fascists in 26 different countries."

Doyle, a student at Rutgers who is the treasurer for the Turning Point USA chapter, told Fox News Digital in a statement that "Woodyard's decision to step down as TPUSA's advisor for the academic year is a way for her to avoid accountability. Ava and I have been trying to find answers as to why our student statuses are being affected now, since we have held these positions since the start of the school year."

"We have reason to believe that Rutgers is choosing to enforce its policy whenever they like based on the timing of the whole situation," she added. 

In an email to Patel obtained by Fox News Digital, Kwan wrote, "Based on the timing of this investigation, this seems like a deliberate weaponization of procedure due to Megyn and I’s public opposition to a self-proclaimed Antifa affiliate, who is employed at our public university on the NJ taxpayers' dime."

She added that "Given the circumstances, we request transparency as to who ordered this investigation into our chapter, and an answer as to why it was launched. At no point during the student organization onboarding process were we informed of any issue." 

In a statement to Fox News Digital last week, Rutgers said, "Turning Point USA is a recognized student organization on the New Brunswick campus of Rutgers University. Like all student organizations, it is expected to operate in compliance with our stated policies and procedures.

"The university identified that two individuals presenting themselves publicly as officers of the TPUSA chapter were not properly registered as officers in accordance with university procedures. Additionally, these individuals do not meet the eligibility requirements for officer positions in a New Brunswick undergraduate student organization. 

"The university is reviewing this internally and working with the chapter to address the compliance matter and ensure the organization's continued operations on campus, consistent with our approach to all student organizations." 

In an emailed response Friday from Patel to Kwan obtained by Fox News Digital, Patel said that there has been no investigation into the Rutgers TPUSA chapter and that the university reached out when they learned that Doyle and Kwan did not meet the eligibility requirements. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Rutgers for additional comment.

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Analysts say China has developed a chilling strategy for fighting a war with the United States: destroy America’s fighter jets before they ever leave the ground.

In nearly every modern conflict, disabling enemy aircraft on the ground has been the first move. When Israel struck Iranian nuclear sites earlier this year, it began by destroying Iranian runways — grounding Tehran’s air force before it could take off. Russia and Ukraine have done the same throughout their ongoing war, targeting airfields to cripple enemy aircraft. And when India clashed with Pakistan, the opening salvos hit Pakistani air bases.

Beijing has taken that lesson to heart. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has spent years building an arsenal of long-range precision missiles — including "carrier killers" like the DF-21D and DF-26 — capable of destroying U.S. aircraft carriers and striking American airfields across the Pacific. The goal: keep U.S. air power out of range before it can even launch.

ISRAEL TO DEPLOY FIRST COMBAT-READY LASER WEAPON SYSTEM FOR OPERATIONAL AIR DEFENSE

Now, a U.S. defense technology firm says it has built a way to fight back. Shield AI, based in San Diego, has unveiled a new AI-piloted fighter jet designed to operate without runways, without GPS, and without constant communication links — an aircraft that can think, fly, and fight on its own.

Shield AI says the jet, called X-BAT, can take off vertically, reach 50,000 feet, fly more than 2,000 nautical miles, and execute strike or air defense missions using an onboard autonomy system known as Hivemind. It’s designed to operate from ships, small islands, or improvised sites — places where traditional jets can’t. The aircraft’s dash speed remains classified.

"China has built this anti-access aerial denial bubble that holds our runways at risk," said Armor Harris, Shield AI’s senior vice president of aircraft engineering, in an interview with Fox News. "They’ve basically said, ‘We’re not going to compete stealth-on-stealth in the air — we’ll target your aircraft before they even get off the ground.’"

The jet launches vertically, and three X-BATs can fit in the space of one legacy fighter or helicopter.

According to Harris, the U.S. has spent decades perfecting stealth and survivability in the air while leaving its forces vulnerable on the ground. "The way to solve that problem is mobility," he said. "You’re always moving around. This is the only VTOL fighter being built today."

X-BAT’s Hivemind autonomy allows it to operate in denied or jammed environments, where traditional aircraft would be blind. The system uses onboard sensors to interpret its surroundings, reroute around threats, and identify targets in real time. "It’s reading and reacting to the situation around it," Harris said. "It’s not flying a pre-programmed route. If new threats appear, it can reroute itself or identify targets and then ask a human for permission to engage."

That human element, he emphasized, remains essential. "It’s very important to us that a human is always involved in making the use of lethal force decision," Harris said. "That doesn’t mean the person has to be in the cockpit — it could be remote or delegated through tasking — but there will always be a human decision-maker."

Shield AI says X-BAT will be combat-ready by 2029 and is designed to deliver fifth- or sixth-generation performance at a small fraction of the cost of manned fighters. The aircraft’s compact footprint allows up to three X-BATs to fit in the deck space of a single legacy fighter or helicopter, giving commanders more flexibility in launching sorties from limited space.

AMERICA’S NEW STEALTH B-21 RAIDER TAKES NEXT STEP WITH SECOND BOMBER’S FIRST FLIGHT

While Shield AI isn’t disclosing specific numbers, the company says X-BAT is priced in the same range as the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, the next generation of autonomous wingmen meant to fly alongside — and eventually ahead of — manned fighters. Costs vary depending on mission systems and configurations, but the company’s goal is to scale production to keep the jet affordable and sustainable throughout its lifecycle, breaking what it calls the traditional "fighter cost curve."

The company estimates the aircraft will deliver about a tenfold improvement in cost per effect compared to legacy fifth-generation jets, including the F-35, while remaining "affordable and attritable" enough to be risked in high-end combat.

Shield AI is in discussions with both the Air Force and Navy about integrating X-BAT into future combat programs and with several allied militaries exploring joint development opportunities.

Harris said the company views X-BAT as part of a generational shift toward distributed airpower — one that mirrors what SpaceX did in space. "Historically, the United States had a small number of extremely capable, extremely expensive satellites," he said. "Then you had SpaceX come along and put up hundreds of smaller, cheaper ones. The same thing is happening in air power. There’s always going to be a role for manned platforms, but over time, unmanned systems will outnumber them ten-to-one or twenty-to-one."

For Harris, that shift is about restoring deterrence through flexibility. "X-BAT presents an asymmetric dilemma to an adversary like China," he said. "They don’t know where it’s coming from, and the cost of countering it is high. It’s an important part of a broader joint force that becomes significantly more lethal.

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Prince Andrew now lives a "disconnected existence" holed up watching hours of TV after relinquishing his remaining royal titles.

"Stripped of status and purpose, Prince Andrew allegedly frequently cuts a lonely, disconnected existence," British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital. "Reportedly, his lifestyle sees him spending most of his days holed up in his large sitting room, TV room doing rather dull activities which funny enough suits his rather odd character."

"The super-size wall TV blares out war films and war-themed games, and he also reportedly enjoys a live plane spotting tracker app as well as online golf tournaments," she continued. "He also poodles around his Windsor Estate occasionally gardening, and quite regularly horseback riding."

PRINCE ANDREW FACES PUBLIC 'DISGUST' AND OUTRAGE AFTER LIVING RENT-FREE FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS: EXPERTS

Chard noted Prince Andrew's gardening is likely "incredibly grounding" and gives him a lot of time to think. The horseback riding and golf could also contribute a "much-needed boost to his mental health."

"I imagine he is feeling incredibly wronged and hard done by, as it's always everyone else's fault, rather than thinking long and hard about the right path of action," Chard explained.

"On occasion, his bombastic, inappropriate character has enjoyed a kick out of being seen out and about in public," the photographer told Fox News Digital, referring to an outing to the "Harry Potter" set that Prince Andrew had with his grandchildren a few weeks ago. According to Chard, people were "absolutely horrified and shocked" to see the prince in public "seemingly without a care in the world."

PRINCE WILLIAM FORCES PRINCE ANDREW OUT TO SAVE THE MONARCHY FROM BEING 'OVERSHADOWED BY SLEAZE': EXPERT

Buckingham Palace is reportedly strongly pushing to get Prince Andrew out of his home at the Royal Lodge, just days after he gave up his remaining royal titles, according to the Daily Mail.

The palace reportedly summoned broadcast media to the Royal Lodge on Thursday, hinting at an announcement. It was later called off, according to the outlet.

Royal expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital Prince Andrew "is moving out of Royal Lodge," but isn't sure when it will be announced.

"In consideration of King Charles III’s visit to Rome, and not wanting any Prince Andrew reports of a move out to dominate press coverage, this was not previously announced," Fordwich said. "In terms of where he’ll go, probably in the Scottish highlands, rather remote."

WATCH: PRINCE ANDREW, JEFFREY EPSTEIN HAD ‘MONEY AND SEX’ IN COMMON, AUTHOR SAYS

PRINCE ANDREW GIVES UP ROYAL TITLE WITH KING CHARLES' SUPPORT

According to Fordwich, Prince Andrew likely isn't plotting any "next move." 

"He’s just desperately clinging to the Lodge. While there was speculation regarding some sort of tell-all memoir, he’s far more likely to remain quiet."

"He knows he’s lost all remaining prestige," she added. "He’s behaving far more like a naughty little boy than a sophisticated public figure or strategist."

While not a strategist, Prince Andrew is "undoubtedly" under somewhat of a siege, according to royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams. "He is reportedly periodically visited by his daughters and their children," he told Fox News Digital. 

Outside of time with family, Fitzwilliams claimed the prince rides and plays golf. "He also reportedly watches television for hours," he added. "He also walks his dogs."

Fordwich pointed out that "Andrew's shooting life will actually pick up as pheasant shooting season begins in 10 days."

"However, it might be a bad mistake to assume he is totally down and out. He has an extremely stubborn, mulish streak," Fitzwilliams said. "He reportedly canceled a party to commemorate Sarah Ferguson's 66th birthday and this would probably have been lavish. I suspect, despite everything, he might receive funds from abroad. That, however, if this goes on and on, is where he and Sarah Ferguson might be heading."

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Prince Andrew's possible move comes after he chose to relinquish his remaining royal titles. His Royal Highness title has been inactive since 2019. While continuing to "vigorously deny" the accusations against him, Prince Andrew noted in a statement that Virginia Giuffre's claims have become a distraction from the work of the royal family.

"In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family," a statement released by the royal on Oct. 17, and obtained by Fox News Digital, read. "I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life."

"With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further," the statement continued. "I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me."

While he will no longer be referred to as the Duke of York, Prince Andrew will remain a prince as he is the son of the late Queen Elizabeth. Due to the loss of his title, Prince Andrew will not attend the royal family Christmas celebrations.

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Giuffre's family released a statement following the news, telling Fox News Digital: "We, the family of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, believe that Prince Andrew’s decision to give up his titles is vindication for our sister and survivors everywhere. This decisive action is a powerful step forward in our fight to bring Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s child sex-trafficking network to justice. Further, we believe it is appropriate for King Charles to remove the title of Prince."

"This moment serves as victory for Virginia, who consistently maintained, ‘He knows what happened, I know what happened, and there’s only one of us telling the truth, and I know that’s me.’ This is not just a victory for her, but for every single survivor of the horrific crimes perpetrated by Epstein and his co-conspirators."

Giuffre's family pointed to alleged emails that recently surfaced between Epstein and Prince Andrew from 2011, contradicting the royal's claim he ceased contact with the multi-millionaire in 2010.

"We hope that the days of impunity for the powerful are over, and protection for predators will no longer be tolerated," the statement concluded. "We hope a higher standard has been set for our leaders in office in the United States – one we will work tirelessly to follow here. It is time for accountability, transparency, and justice for all survivors."

Giuffre's book, released posthumously, gave details about her long-standing accusations against Prince Andrew. Giuffre has alleged she was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein and had sex with the prince when she was 17.

Giuffre claimed she had sex with Prince Andrew three times in the memoir titled "Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice."

"In the years since, I’ve thought a lot about how he behaved," she wrote about the first night she allegedly had sex with Prince Andrew. "He was friendly enough, but still entitled – as if he believed having sex with me was his birthright."

She claimed she was paid $15,000 by Epstein for having sex with "Randy Andy."

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The Trump administration urged a federal judge during a hearing in Oregon on Friday to terminate a restraining order and clear the way for the government to deploy National Guard troops in Portland.

The administration argued to Judge Karin Immergut that a higher court had already greenlit President Donald Trump’s use of the National Guard there. Immergut, a Trump appointee, said she would decide by Monday whether to toss out her order.

"[I’ll be] working as fast as I can to get a decision that honors the 9th Circuit decision but also takes into account some of the new arguments and new information that’s been provided," Immergut said.

TRUMP WINS BIG IN NATIONAL GUARD CASE, BUT COURT FIGHTS ARE FAR FROM OVER

The Trump administration has remained blocked from deploying the reserved troops to support the president’s law enforcement crackdown in Portland, a liberal haven that Trump claims is rife with illegal immigrants, street crime and threats to federal law enforcement.

"I looked at Portland over the weekend, the place is burning down, just burning down," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office this week.

Immergut’s hearing was only the latest in a string of clashes between local Democratic leaders and the president over their division of law enforcement powers. The president has claimed he is authorized to deploy National Guard troops in cities to support federal immigration enforcement officers, while several blue states and cities claim Trump is wildly mischaracterizing the level of crime and unrest and that military reinforcements are unwarranted and encroach on their sovereignty.

WHITE HOUSE REBUKES ‘EGREGIOUS’ COURT ORDER BLOCKING TROOP DEPLOYMENTS AMID PORTLAND UNREST

A lawyer arguing on behalf of Oregon told Immergut on Friday that Trump's attempt to deploy 200 National Guard soldiers from other states into Portland had "no justification whatsoever."

The lawyer called it a "grossly disproportionate response to the situation."

The court saga in Oregon began when Immergut issued two back-to-back restraining orders blocking Trump from deploying California National Guard soldiers to Portland and blocking Trump from deploying any National Guard soldiers to Portland, respectively.

The government appealed the first order, and a 9th Circuit panel decided this week in a 2-1 decision to side with Trump in that matter. But a full bench of judges might now reconsider that decision, and Immergut's second order also remains intact, meaning Trump currently cannot deploy the National Guard to Oregon.

A Department of Justice lawyer said the 9th Circuit panel's decision halting Immergut's first order means both of her orders should "rise and fall together."

"I just don’t know that there’s any way around that," the lawyer said.

The 9th Circuit panel had found that Trump was likely to succeed in his case as it proceeds through the courts and also accused Immergut of discounting months of violence and disruptions in Portland over the summer.

Regardless of what Immergut does with her remaining active restraining order, the court fights are far from over as the existing orders from the courts have all been on an emergency basis.

A similar question about Trump's use of the National Guard in Illinois is pending before the Supreme Court.

In Oregon, Immergut is also holding a short trial next week to make a more long-term finding about Trump's use of the National Guard in that state.

Fox News’ Lee Ross contributed.

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A woman has died a day after the U.S. Coast Guard rescued her and two family members stranded on a remote Massachusetts island that they swam to when their boat went up in flames while anchored in a cove overnight Monday.

Cynthia Sullivan, 73, died Thursday, according to a Facebook post shared Friday by a family member, and after succumbing to injuries she suffered in the incident, Boston 25 News reported.

The family’s dog, who alerted Cynthia Sullivan and her husband Patrick, 72, and their 37-year-old son, Tyler, to the fire as they slept aboard their 30-foot powerboat The Third Wave, also died in the blaze.

The Sullivans swam to Naushon Island — a small island roughly four miles from Martha’s Vineyard — after they awoke to heavy fire.

Burned and injured, the trio took shelter inside a barn on the island, where they spent more than 24 hours until their marine radio washed ashore Wednesday morning, enabling Tyler to call for help.

MONTAUK YACHT DEATH: TIMELINE REVEALS BIKINI MOGUL’S FINAL DAYS IN HAMPTONS BEFORE MYSTERIOUS DEMISE

"Mayday, mayday, mayday, our ship went down in Tarpaulin Cove," Tyler is heard saying in a radio transmission to the Coast Guard. "Our ship burned while we were sleeping, and we barely escaped."

A Coast Guard helicopter rescue crew soon arrived and airlifted the family to Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis.

A family member had reported the Sullivans missing when they didn’t arrive home Tuesday and calls to their cellphones, which went down with the boat, went straight to voicemail.

Multiple agencies searched the area Tuesday night and early Wednesday, and were unable to get accurate pings from the family's submerged phones until Tyler reached them on the recovered handheld radio, according to the Coast Guard.

EIGHT PEOPLE RESCUED FROM SINKING BOAT AFTER RUNNING LOW ON FUEL IN ROUGH MIAMI WATERS

In a Facebook post, Chris Sullivan memorialized his mother and provided updates on his father and "hero" brother. 

"She went in peace. We played her some John Mellencamp as she passed, he was her absolute favorite, she adored him," Sullivan wrote. "This hurts more than anything I could have ever imagined, I am leaning on my close friends and family and my two young children. We will get through this together.

"My dad is awake and breathing on his own. My brother saved both of them, he was able to get them off the boat under extremely chaotic circumstances, he doesn’t want to be called a hero, but he is. Again, thank you for all the support, it means the world." 

"Quick thinking and having quality equipment allowed the family to survive and call for help," Scott Backholm, a search and rescue mission coordinator from Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England, said in a statement. "Mariners are encouraged to pursue first aid training and ensure their vessels are outfitted with proper safety equipment."

The Sullivans had left nearby Falmouth, Massachusetts, last Friday and had planned to return Tuesday afternoon.

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EXCLUSIVE: RYE, N.H. — It's been 15 years since Republicans won a U.S. Senate election in swing state New Hampshire.

But former Sen. John E. Sununu is confident he can break his party's losing streak.

"This is a race I know I can win," Sununu told Fox News Digital last month.

Sununu launched his 2026 GOP Senate campaign earlier this week, and on Friday explained why he's the right person to flip the seat currently held by longtime Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, who's retiring after next year. The seat is heavily targeted by Republicans, who are hoping to not only defend but expand their 53-47 majority in the Senate.

FIRST ON FOX: FORMER GOP SENATOR EMERGES FROM PRIVATE SECTOR WITH NEW MISSION -'SOMEBODY HAS TO STEP UP'

"It's the right message, the right set of issues, and also the right person," Sununu told Fox News Digital, in his first national interview after declaring his candidacy.

Sununu is a former three-term representative who defeated then-Gov. Shaheen in New Hampshire's 2002 Senate election. But the senator lost to Shaheen in their 2008 rematch.

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Shaheen announced earlier this year that she wouldn't seek re-election in next year's midterms and Republicans are working to flip the seat as they aim to not only defend but expand their Senate majority.

Now, after nearly two decades in the private sector, Sununu is returning to the campaign trail in New England's only swing state.

Sununu, in his launch video, said that nowadays "Congress just seems loud, dysfunctional, even angry," and that he wants to "return to the Senate to help calm the waters."

Asked if that's the kind of message that the Republican base wants to hear, the former senator said: "They want to win. I think they want to have someone who advocates for New Hampshire and gets things done. Someone like me, who can walk into the Oval Office and work to keep taxes low for New Hampshire, work with the administration, work with President Trump."

FORMER REPUBLICAN SENATOR ON POTENTIAL BID TO FLIP SWING STATE SEAT RED: 'THIS IS A RACE I KNOW I CAN WIN'

Sununu's said his "priorities are, affordability, keep taxes low, give our state just a strong, clear voice in Washington," and that he's "carrying that message across the state, meeting with activists, meeting with businesses, talking to them about their needs."

"There are three things I've spent my life doing: standing up for New Hampshire, solving tough problems and working with people to get things done for New Hampshire. That's exactly what I'll do as senator," he said.

Sununu is a brand name in New Hampshire politics. The former senator's father, John H. Sununu, is a former governor who later served as chief of staff in then-President George H.W. Bush's White House. And one of his younger brothers is former Gov. Chris Sununu, who won election and re-election to four two-year terms steering the Granite State.

But Sununu won't have a glide path to the GOP nomination.

Former ambassador and former Sen. Scott Brown, who was elected and served three years in the Senate in neighboring Massachusetts, and who, as the 2014 GOP Senate nominee in New Hampshire, narrowly lost to Shaheen during her first re-election, jumped into the race in late June.

"Our campaign will have the necessary resources for the long haul, and allow me to campaign the only way I know how: relentless hard work and a focus on retail politics that Granite State voters expect," Brown said after Fox News first reported a couple of weeks ago that he hauled in roughly $1.2 million in fundraising the past three months.

SCOOP: FORMER TRUMP AMBASSADOR SHOWCASES MAJOR FUNDRAISING HAUL IN BATTLE TO FLIP DEM SENATE SEAT

Brown has repeatedly taken aim at Sununu the past month over the former senator's lack of past support for Trump, who holds immense clout over the GOP.

Sununu served as national co-chair on the 2016 Republican presidential campaign of then-Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who declined to support Trump as the party's nominee.

And Sununu, along with then-Gov. Chris Sununu, endorsed former ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in the 2024 New Hampshire Republican presidential primary, as she battled Trump for the nomination.

And on the eve of the first-in-the-nation presidential primary, the former senator wrote an opinion piece titled, "Donald Trump is a loser," that ran in the New Hampshire Union Leader, the state's largest daily newspaper.

Brown endorsed Trump ahead of his 2016 New Hampshire primary victory, which launched him toward the GOP presidential nomination and ultimately the White House. Brown later served as U.S. ambassador to New Zealand during Trump's first term.

"Anyone who thinks that a never Trump, corporate lobbyist who hasn’t won an election in a quarter century, will resonate with today’s GOP primary voters is living in a different universe. While John was supporting John Kasich in 2016, I was campaigning with Donald Trump," Brown charged in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Asked about the criticism, Sununu said: "This race is about who is going to do the best job for New Hampshire, and I absolutely can work with the Trump administration on issues important to New Hampshire."

Brown, pointing to Sununu's past decade and a half in the private sector, argued that "while John was fighting for special interests, I was serving in the first Trump administration."

And the New Hampshire Democratic Party also blasted the former senator over his private sector tenure.

"John Sununu went to Washington almost 30 years ago, then cashed in, making millions selling out to corporations and working for Big Oil, Big Pharma, and Wall Street while the people of New Hampshire paid the price," longtime state party chair Ray Buckley argued in a statement. "The only reason Sununu wants to go back to Washington now is to sell out New Hampshire to the same corporations and special interests that have lined his pockets for years. Granite Staters won’t let him sell us out again."

Sununu, pushing back, said: "I have never lobbied any member of Congress on any issue for any business. My work has been in technology in the private sector."

"We need that background of business and private sector experience in Washington. We don't want a bunch of lawyers making all the decisions in Washington," Sununu added, in a jab at Brown, an attorney who served as dean of New England Law Boston after returning to the U.S. at the end of the Trump administration.

Trump, whose endorsement in Republican primaries is extremely influential, has remained neutral to date.

But the president may be willing to overlook Sununu's past jabs.

Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, a Trump ally and chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, announced hours after Sununu's launch that the Senate GOP's campaign arm would back the former senator's bid.

And the Senate Leadership Fund, the top super PAC supporting Senate Republicans — which is aligned with Senate Majority Leader John Thune and steered by Trump world veterans — praised Sununu.

Sununu told Fox News Digital he "would certainly like to have his [Trump's] endorsement, and it would be, I think, helpful in the primary."

"But the more support and endorsements you can have, the stronger your overall campaign is going to be," he added as he listed a number of top New Hampshire Republicans who are now backing him, including Steve Stepanek, a longtime top Trump Granite State ally who chaired the president's 2016 campaign in New Hampshire and served as senior adviser on last year's campaign.

"They've all sort of joined this effort because they know I will be the best and most effective senator for the state of New Hampshire," he touted.

If he clears next September's primary, Sununu would likely face off with four-term Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas.

Pappas, who launched his Senate campaign in early April, is the clear frontrunner for his party's nomination.

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Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said he will be supporting fellow liberty-minded lawmaker, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., as he faces a primary challenge from a candidate backed by President Donald Trump.

Trump endorsed vocal loyalist and former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein last week after calling for a 2026 challenger to Massie, who continues to pressure the administration to release the remaining files related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.

Massie has stood up to Trump and bucked his party on other issues, including by voting against the president's spending bill over the summer and affirming that Trump needs congressional approval for a war declaration. Paul, who has also stood up to Trump, voted against the bill in the Senate and has criticized the administration for moving forward with military strikes without authorization from lawmakers.

Now, Paul is endorsing Massie's re-election campaign and is vowing to help him hold onto his House seat.

SCOOP: TRUMP-BACKED FORMER NAVY SEAL LAUNCHES GOP PRIMARY CHALLENGE AGAINST MASSIE

"Thomas Massie is going to win," Paul told POLITICO. "I’m going to help him. I’m going to be with him every step of the way."

Paul said Massie represents an "independent voice" within the GOP after his repeated splits with the party, but stated that both Massie and himself support Trump’s agenda "significantly more" than other Republicans who have sought to remain close allies of the president.

"The people who’ve gotten close to him who want regime change in Venezuela and want to send more advanced weaponry to Ukraine, those are the interventionists from the interventionist wing of the party who have never been the ones really closely allied," Paul said. "These are the people who have always opposed Donald Trump."

Paul said he and Massie will continue to push for "enumerated powers" as well as "balanced budgets, low taxes and less foreign war."

The Kentucky senator said Trump’s efforts to single out Massie should raise concerns for all Republican lawmakers, stressing that there are potential political consequences for opposing the president’s agenda.

"It’s a warning sign," he said. "'Oppose me or any of my policies and I’ll come after you.' And I don’t think that’s good for the Republican Party, nor do I think it’s good for the country."

The senator said he is also tired of being the Republican Party’s "whipping boy," as many of his colleagues always want him "to do their job for them" when they are afraid to tell Trump if his nominees do not have the votes in the Upper Chamber.

"They say, 'Oh, well, you’re not afraid of the president. You go tell him his nominee can’t make it,'" Paul said. "So, I’m just tired of always being the whipping boy. I’m tired of [being] the only one that has any guts to stand up and tell the president the truth."

Paul has also been met with Trump's ire in recent months, but continues to hold his ground. Most recently, he has criticized the administration's military strikes on boats it accuses, without evidence, of carrying narco-terrorists.

Paul raised concerns about killing people without due process and the possibility of killing innocent people. He cited Coast Guard statistics that show a significant percentage of boats boarded for suspicion of drug trafficking are innocent.

MASSIE FIRES BACK AFTER JOHNSON CALLS HIS EPSTEIN RECORDS PUSH 'MEANINGLESS'

Earlier this week, Paul revealed that he was not invited to a White House lunch with other GOP senators over his tiffs with Trump. But Paul said he had a previously scheduled "Liberty Caucus Lunch" with Massie during that time anyway.

Paul also campaigned with Massie last month and said he plans to do it again in the near future.

"We had big rallies and a great deal of support. So people think they can waltz into Kentucky with a bunch of New York money and buy a seat. They’ve got another thing coming," Paul told POLITICO.

Massie easily won the GOP primary for his district in 2024, securing 76% of the vote before running unopposed in the general election.

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"Real Time" host Bill Maher sounded the alarm on the "symbolism" behind President Donald Trump’s renovations to the White House and revealed what "bothers" him about the demolition of the East Wing.

"The symbolism is he’s not leaving," the late-night host told his panel on Friday. "Who puts in a giant ballroom if you’re leaving?"

On Friday, the East Wing, where guests and tourists entered for events, was demolished.

Trump’s plan to construct a 90,000-square-foot ballroom is estimated to cost $300 million, which he says is privately funded by himself, several major tech companies and "many generous patriots." 

CHELSEA CLINTON RIPS TRUMP'S 'DISREGARD FOR HISTORY' WITH WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM CONSTRUCTION

Although Maher objected to Trump’s demolition, he sparred with former RNC chairman Michael Steele over whether the White House is "just a building."

"We watched this week the destruction of a symbol of this government," Steele lamented. "Of our democracy, of our pluralistic society."

"You’re talking about the White House?" Maher countered. "Oh, it’s a building, Mike."

"Okay, Bill, it’s a building maybe to you, but to a lot of Americans it’s not," the MSNBC political analyst argued.

DEMOCRATS, LIBERAL MEDIA FIGURES FUME OVER TRUMP DEMOLISHING WHITE HOUSE EAST WING FOR BALLROOM

Steele went on to call the White House his "childhood," describing what it meant to him as he grew up in Washington, D.C.

"I’m going to tell you as a young kid growing up in D.C., when my daddy took me by ‘that building,’ it meant something to me as a 10-year-old," he continued. 

"It meant something to me to grow up in a town where everybody in this country came and protested and cried and screamed and laughed," Steele said. "And I was a part of that. So that building, to me, was my childhood."

WHITE HOUSE RESPONDS TO REPORTS TRUMP NAMED NEW BALLROOM AFTER HIMSELF

Steele then said that Trump tore the East Wing down "without accountability." The late-night host said he agreed with Steele on that. 

"You know, he should have gotten the permits, but that's how he does things," Maher contended. "I agree, but it is just a building, first of all."

"That part of the building wasn't always there," he continued. "Presidents do change the buildings. Nixon put in a bowling alley. Obama made the tennis court a basketball court. I can't get this mad about everything, Mike. I just can't."

Steele’s fellow panelist, former Biden White House communications director Kate Bedingfield, weighed in on the dispute. 

"If this was the only impulsive, reckless, you know driven by his own desire for self-aggrandizement, if this was only the only thing he had done on that front, then I would give you it's just a building," Bedingfield conceded. 

"But it's not. It's part of a manner of governing that is tearing at some of the foundations, the institutional foundations in this country," she argued. "And that's scary."

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Similar to his panelists, the late-night host warned that Trump is "drunk with power" at another point in the show.

"What could President Trump not do?" Maher asked. 

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In her posthumous memoir, Virginia Giuffre recounts being groomed as a teenager and sexually exploited by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell — writing that the abuse included rape by an unnamed prime minister and encounters with powerful men such as former President Bill Clinton and President Donald Trump.

The book, "Nobody's Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice," was released Tuesday and garnered global attention. While it made no explicit allegations against Clinton or Trump, Giuffre did chronicle meetings with both in contexts not related to Epstein's alleged crimes.

The story Giuffre recounts of how she was sucked into Epstein and Maxwell's high-powered orbit begins when her father helped get her a job at Mar-a-Lago, where he worked as a maintenance worker. Giuffrie's discussions of Trump in the book largely place him as a background figure during her early days at Mar-a-Lago, where she eventually met Maxwell in the summer of 2000.

VIRGINIA GIUFFRE’S MEMOIR REVEALS HOW EPSTEIN, MAXWELL ‘BROKE DOWN’ GIRLS STEP BY STEP IN PSYCHOLOGICAL WAR 

"It couldn’t have been more than a few days before my dad said he wanted to introduce me to Mr. Trump himself. They weren’t friends, exactly. But Dad worked hard, and Trump liked that—I’d seen photos of them posing together, shaking hands," Giuffre writes. "Trump couldn’t have been friendlier, telling me it was fantastic that I was there. 'Do you like kids?' he asked. 'Do you babysit at all?' He explained that he owned several houses next to the resort that he lent to friends, many of whom had children that needed tending."

Giuffre also recounts how Epstein and Trump's relationship eventually broke down, an explanation for which differs from the one Trump has publicly provided. Giuffre said Trump withdrew Epstein's membership at Mar-a-Lago after hitting the teenage daughter of another guest, but Trump has publicly said that a spat about Epstein coaxing his Mar-a-Lago spa employees was what led to the end of their relationship. 

Giuffre, working an entry-level position at the resort's spa, recounted how Maxwell sought to hire her as a masseuse despite her lack of experience. Before she knew it, Giuffre was traveling alongside Epstein and Maxwell around the world performing sexual favors. According to Giuffre, it was difficult to reconcile the fact that her abusers commanded so much respect from such powerful figures.

"This was a man who displayed framed photographs of himself with the Dalai Lama, with the pope, and with members of the British royal family. A photo in his Palm Beach house showed Epstein posing behind the podium of the White House briefing room," Giuffre writes. "This was a man who’d had former president Bill Clinton over for dinner (I was at the table that night) and who’d hosted Al and Tipper Gore as well (again, I was there)."

PRINCE ANDREW VIEWED SEX WITH TEENAGE VIRGINIA GIUFFRE AS HIS 'BIRTHRIGHT', NEW MEMOIR CLAIMS

"Maxwell was proud of her friendships with famous people, especially men," Giuffre added in the memoir. "[Maxwell] loved to talk about how easily she could get former president Bill Clinton on the phone." According to Giuffre, Epstein and Maxwell visited the White House together during Clinton's tenure in the Oval Office. In the book, Giuffre also recalled how Clinton flew on Epstein's plane in 2002, but she was not present for that trip.

"On September 21, Epstein and Maxwell were leaving New York on an extended trip to Africa. Marcinkova was flying with them on Epstein's Boeing 727, as were several high-profile guests: the actors Chris Tucker and Kevin Spacey and former president Clinton, not to mention six U.S. Secret Service agents. (Clinton has said the trip was a humanitarian mission that included stops related to the work of his foundation.)" Giuffre wrote. 

However, despite naming Clinton in the book about her experience being sex trafficked by Epstein, Giuffre lamented the media's propensity to connect the former president to Epstein's crimes. "Right away, the article noted that I had never been ‘lent out’ to the former president. But I guess the Mail found it newsworthy simply that I’d witnessed Epstein and Clinton together," she writes.

Among the various trafficking incidents Giuffre talked about in her book, which do directly involve powerful people from Epstein and Maxwell's orbit, was a brutal rape by an unnamed former prime minister on Epstein's private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2002. According to Giuffre's account of the incident, she was ordered by Epstein to have sex with the prime minister, who choked her nearly to unconsciousness and mocked her fear of the situation. Giuffre said that upon returning to Epstein after the incident, she begged not to be sent back to the prime minister, but Epstein told her the brutality was just part of the job.

According to Giuffre, this horrific incident was a turning point for her.

"Before the Prime Minister’s attack, Epstein had me fooled. I thought that Epstein’s predilection for childlike girls was a sickness, but that, in his twisted way, he meant well. After the attack, I couldn’t stay a fool. Having been treated so brutally and then seeing Epstein’s callous reaction to how terrorized I felt, I had to accept that Epstein meted out praise merely as a manipulation to keep me subservient. Epstein cared only about Epstein," Giuffre writes in her memoir. "At that point, I hit bottom. I now knew I wouldn’t survive. I saw only two possible options: either someone Epstein trafficked me to would kill me or I would take my own life."

Giuffre would eventually die by suicide in April, roughly six months before the release of her memoir.     

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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on Friday accused President Donald Trump of "skipping town" for a trip to Asia during the ongoing government shutdown.

Trump departed for Asia Friday night for a weeklong trip that will include stops in Malaysia, Japan and South Korea. Republicans and Democrats remain divided on negotiations to end the shutdown that began earlier this month, with each side blaming the other as the GOP controls the White House and both chambers of Congress.

"In the midst of the longest full government shutdown in American history — a crisis of his own making — President Trump’s priorities are severely misplaced," Schumer said in a statement.

TRUMP SAYS SCHUMER, SENATE DEMOCRATS HOLDING GOVERNMENT 'HOSTAGE' WITH SHUTDOWN: 'WE WILL NOT BE EXTORTED'

"While Americans are struggling to make ends meet, federal workers are going without pay, and millions of families are bracing for soaring health care costs, the President is leaving the country," he continued.

Schumer added: "America is shut down and the President is skipping town."

The senator said Democrats have sought to meet with Trump, but that the president is "abandoning" his responsibilities.

"Democrats have asked, again and again, for President Trump to meet with us to negotiate a bipartisan deal that would address the healthcare crisis, and find a path forward to reopen the government. But instead of doing his job, President Trump is abandoning it," Schumer said.

Schumer also called on GOP lawmakers in Congress to work across the aisle to reach a deal to end the shutdown.

"With the President out of the country, the responsibility falls squarely on Congressional Republicans to act — to come to the table, to do their jobs, and to deliver an agreement that reopens the government and protects Americans from another health care disaster," he said.

"Americans deserve a government that works as hard as they do— not a leader that flies away from responsibility at the time they need one most," the top Senate Democrat added.

BERNIE SANDERS CLASHES WITH TOWN HALL ATTENDEE OVER SCHUMER LEADERSHIP DURING SHUTDOWN

While in Asia, Trump is expected to meet with regional allies about trade, including the trade war with China, as well as Beijing's tightening of export controls on rare-earth minerals critical for certain technologies. 

The president is also expected to address security in the region and affirm America's commitment to supporting its allies.

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The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 11-4 in Game 1 of the World Series Friday night at the Rogers Centre.

The Dodgers jumped out to a 2-0 lead with runs in the second and third inning, but Toronto tied it up in the fourth with a two-run homer by Dalton Varsho.

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Then, the Blue Jays seemingly put the game away with a nine-run sixth inning, which included the first pinch-hit grand slam in World Series history by Toronto's Addison Barger.

DODGERS ATTEMPT TO JOIN EXCLUSIVE MLB RANKS IN WORLD SERIES TITLE DEFENSE VS. BLUE JAYS

Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani then hit the first World Series home run of his career in the seventh, but it was too little too late for the Dodgers. 

Ohtani was booed ahead of the game by Blue Jays fans. 

By the ninth inning, the Toronto crowd broke into a unified chant, shouting, "we don't need him!"

The Dodgers will look to even up the series on Saturday night, and will send Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the mound against Toronto's Kevin Gausman.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

[syndicated profile] fox_news_feed

The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 11-4 in Game 1 of the World Series Friday night at the Rogers Centre.

The Dodgers jumped out to a 2-0 lead with runs in the second and third inning, but Toronto tied it up in the fourth with a two-run homer by Dalton Varsho.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Then, the Blue Jays seemingly put the game away with a nine-run sixth inning, which included the first pinch-hit grand slam in World Series history by Toronto's Addison Barger.

DODGERS ATTEMPT TO JOIN EXCLUSIVE MLB RANKS IN WORLD SERIES TITLE DEFENSE VS. BLUE JAYS

Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani then hit the first World Series home run of his career in the seventh, but it was too little too late for the Dodgers. 

Ohtani was booed ahead of the game by Blue Jays fans. By the ninth inning, the Toronto crowd broke into a unified chant, shouting, "we don't need him!"

The Dodgers will look to even up the series on Saturday night, and will send Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the mound against Toronto's Kevin Gausman.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

[syndicated profile] fox_news_feed

California officials are giving Planned Parenthood $140 million to keep 109 clinics open and offset the financial strain from cuts imposed by Republicans in Washington, Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom announced.

Newsom said the move affirms the state’s continued commitment to abortion access for women in the Golden State amid efforts by President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans to shut down Planned Parenthood.

"California is a reproductive freedom state, and this latest investment continues to show our belief in protecting access to essential health care in times of distress," Newsom said in a statement on Thursday. "Trump’s efforts to defund Planned Parenthood put all our communities at risk as people seek basic health care from these community providers."

State lawmakers will also address the issue when the legislature reconvenes in January.

APPEALS COURT HEARS MEDICAID FRAUD CASE THAT COULD COST PLANNED PARENTHOOD $1.8 BILLION

Planned Parenthood had announced it would eliminate primary care at clinics in Orange and San Bernardino counties starting in December. Five other clinics in the Bay Area, Santa Cruz and Central Valley, also shuttered in recent months over federal efforts to defund the organization.

Dr. Janet Jacobson, medical director of the Orange and San Bernardino counties clinics, told CalMatters the federal actions are "destroying our primary care program."

"It’s inhumane to take away people’s health care," Jacobson said. "Folks that have Medi-Cal should be able to see the provider of their choice for primary care."

Planned Parenthood needs about $27 million a month to operate all its local facilities, Jodi Hicks, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, told CalMatters.

"The Planned Parenthood affiliates in California are grateful to Governor Newsom and our allies in the Legislature for taking this necessary step to keep Planned Parenthood health centers open and able to provide critical services as they weather the impacts of the federal defund," Hicks said in a statement.

California is the fourth state to allocate public funds to support Planned Parenthood, joining Washington, Colorado and New Mexico. Lawmakers in Oregon and New York are also considering giving public money to the organization.

DEMOCRATS ESCALATE ANTI-TRUMP LAWFARE BY TARGETING CONGRESS IN PLANNED PARENTHOOD FUNDING FIGHT

Republicans in the nation's capital and across the country have targeted Planned Parenthood over abortion services. Trump's spending bill signed over the summer prohibited Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid money for its services, including abortions, mammograms, pap smears, birth control and sexually transmitted infection testing.

Facilities in GOP-led states with abortion restrictions have also been forced to cease the procedures following the 2022 Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe V. Wade and returned the power to make laws regarding abortion back to the states.

Planned Parenthood facilities have been shuttering in various states across the country, including California and New York. Planned Parenthood Mar Monte — which operates 30 health centers along the California coast, Central Valley and Nevada — shuttered five health centers in July after Trump blocked Planned Parenthood’s funding.

Mar Monte Chief of Staff Andrew Adams said the organization is working on ways to maintain its financial stability. Adams said the closures helped keep services at the organization’s other clinics until the end of the year but that it could be met with a "financial cliff" in the new year.

PRO-LIFE GROUP 'ELATED' AFTER PLANNED PARENTHOOD SHUTTERS HOUSTON FACILITIES: 'TREMENDOUS VICTORY'

"We are planning for an environment where there is no federal funding," Adams told CalMatters. "What that looks like is having to potentially charge patients some amount of money for services we provide."

The organization has claimed that abortions make up only 3% of its services, but pro-life groups contend that the clinics' closures in states with abortion bans prove that to be false.

"If that were true, they wouldn't be closing all these facilities in pro-life states where you can't do abortions. So that's hardly believable anymore in 2025," 40 Days for Life CEO and founder Shawn Carney told Fox News Digital in August.

Newsom, California lawmakers and Planned Parenthood have spent much of the year searching for a solution to keep the organization afloat without federal dollars, according to CalMatters. 

But with a multibillion-dollar state deficit, that has been a challenging goal.

conuly: (Default)
[personal profile] conuly
Since I belong to a little bitty credit union, my branch is closed tomorrow and I have to go into the city to get a replacement and, while I'm there, have them fix my name - if they remove my middle initial from my card, my last name will fit properly, easy-peasy. Or I can wait until Monday, since I'm certain I lost it in the house, but it turns out there's another protest tomorrow so I may as well go in.

Anyway, speaking of protests and politics and food banks, [personal profile] petra is offering up fanworks:

If you donate at least $25 in cash or in-kind to a food bank at any point between now and the end of the Trump Administration, and you either share a fandom of mine and want a drabble or fannish poetry, or you want original poetry, drop me a comment, and I will write for you.

So, there you go, that's a win-win for everybody.

Edit: Well! As you might expect, as soon as I posted I happened to roll my chair over my card! It's fine, chair and card are both fine. I still need to make them fix my name, but it can wait.
conuly: (Default)
[personal profile] conuly
This is the last mending they'll take, and I'm not sure how long it'll hold. I've ordered a new pair, and on the one hand I know $100 is cheap - especially for my prescription! - but on the other hand, I didn't want to spend it. And I didn't exactly love my choice of frames, either, but they were inexpensive and fit my pupil distance, so I'll live with them.

(Though, looking on the website, it seems glow in the dark frames are an option!? I would never, sounds like a real visual annoyance, but man, so much respect for anybody who goes in that direction!)

*********************


Read more... )
[syndicated profile] fox_news_feed

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made his first public comments since the federal indictments of Portland coach Chauncey Billups and Miami guard Terry Rozier and former player Damon Jones in a wide-ranging gambling-related scheme.

"My initial reaction was I was deeply disturbed," Silver said in an interview during the Amazon Prime Video broadcast of the New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics game Friday. "There’s nothing more important to the league and its fans than the integrity of the competition. I had a pit in my stomach. It was very upsetting.

"I apologize to our fans that we are all dealing with this situation."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM 

Silver added the NBA investigated and found no reason to sanction Rozier when his case opened in March 2023 as a member of the Charlotte Hornets, and sports books alerted the NBA to irregular patterns involving Rozier’s "prop bets."

"We frankly couldn’t find anything," Silver said. "Terry at the time cooperated. He gave the league office his phone. He sat down for an interview. And we ultimately concluded that there was insufficient evidence despite that aberrational behavior to move forward.

"He still hasn’t been convicted of anything, in fairness to Terry. Obviously, it doesn’t look good. But he’s now been put on administrative leave. There’s a balance here of protecting people’s rights and investigating."

Earlier Friday, Congress got involved. 

The House Committee on Commerce Friday sent a letter to Silver requesting information and a briefing to obtain information related to the scandal.

The committee is seeking five key points of information from Silver:

"1. Details about the fraudulent, illegal, and alleged betting practices in connection with NBA players, coaches, and officials, including the actions of NBA players and coaches identified in the recent indictment; as well as prior instances, some of which are identified above," the letter states.

"2. Actions the NBA intends to take to limit the disclosure of nonpublic information for illegal purposes. 3. Whether the NBA’s Code of Conduct for players and coaches effectively prohibits illegal activity, including the disclosure of non-public information for the purposes of illegal betting schemes. 4. An explanation of the gaps, if any, in existing regulations that allow illegal betting schemes to occur. 5. Whether and how the NBA is reevaluating the terms of its partnerships with sports betting companies." 

NBA LEGEND CHAUNCEY BILLUPS, HEAT'S TERRY ROZIER ARRESTED AS PART OF FBI GAMBLING PROBE

The bipartisan letter was signed by six members of Congress on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Rozier was arrested because federal officials allege he conspired with associates to help them win bets based on his statistical performance. The charges are similar to what former Toronto player Jontay Porter faced before he was banned from the league by Silver in 2024.

Billups faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering for participating in what federal officials called Mafia-backed rigged poker games. He also matches the credentials of someone described only as Co-Conspirator 8 in an indictment detailing how some people gave bettors inside information on player health statuses.

The arrests have overshadowed the opening week around the league.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

[syndicated profile] fox_news_feed

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made his first public comments since the federal indictments of Portland coach Chauncey Billups and Miami guard Terry Rozier and former player Damon Jones in a wide-ranging gambling-related scheme.

"My initial reaction was I was deeply disturbed," Silver said in an interview during the Amazon Prime Video broadcast of the New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics game Friday. "There’s nothing more important to the league and its fans than the integrity of the competition. I had a pit in my stomach. It was very upsetting.

"I apologize to our fans that we are all dealing with this situation."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM 

Earlier Friday, Congress got involved. 

The House Committee on Commerce Friday sent a letter to Silver requesting information and a briefing to obtain information related to the scandal.

The committee is seeking five key points of information from Silver:

"1. Details about the fraudulent, illegal, and alleged betting practices in connection with NBA players, coaches, and officials, including the actions of NBA players and coaches identified in the recent indictment; as well as prior instances, some of which are identified above," the letter states.

"2. Actions the NBA intends to take to limit the disclosure of nonpublic information for illegal purposes. 3. Whether the NBA’s Code of Conduct for players and coaches effectively prohibits illegal activity, including the disclosure of non-public information for the purposes of illegal betting schemes. 4. An explanation of the gaps, if any, in existing regulations that allow illegal betting schemes to occur. 5. Whether and how the NBA is reevaluating the terms of its partnerships with sports betting companies." 

NBA LEGEND CHAUNCEY BILLUPS, HEAT'S TERRY ROZIER ARRESTED AS PART OF FBI GAMBLING PROBE

The bipartisan letter was signed by six members of Congress on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Rozier was arrested because federal officials allege he conspired with associates to help them win bets based on his statistical performance. The charges are similar to what former Toronto player Jontay Porter faced before he was banned from the league by Silver in 2024.

Billups faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering for participating in what federal officials called Mafia-backed rigged poker games. He also matches the credentials of someone described only as Co-Conspirator 8 in an indictment detailing how some people gave bettors inside information on player health statuses.

The arrests have overshadowed the opening week around the league.

The Rozier case has gone on since March 23, 2023. He was with the Charlotte Hornets at that time, and sportsbooks — legal ones — alerted the NBA to irregular patterns involving Rozier’s "prop bets" that day. Rozier went on to play about 9 1/2 minutes, and those who bet that he would underperform the listed stat lines won those wagers. Federal officials said more than $200,000 was bet on those lines alone.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

[syndicated profile] fox_news_feed

At least three former Eastern Michigan men's basketball players refused to cooperate with the NCAA's investigation into questionable sports betting activities, the governing body of college athletics announced Friday.

Several games from the 2024-25 season fall within the probe's scope.

The NCAA imaged the personal phones of Jalin Billingsley, Da'Sean Nelson and Jalen Terry in January. The examination stemmed from unusual betting activity associated with Eastern Michigan's matchup against Central Michigan on Jan. 14, according to findings that were made available Friday.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

The players opted against participating in interviews and later informed NCAA officials, via legal counsel, that they did not intend to cooperate in the investigation. The three former Eagles athletes also requested that the phone images be deleted, the release stated.

WHO ARE CHAUNCEY BILLUPS, TERRY ROZIER AND DAMON JONES? NBA SUBJECTS ARRESTED IN ILLEGAL GAMBLING PROBE

The three individuals' lack of cooperation is considered an NCAA violation and can trigger the permanent loss of eligibility. However, the players named in the probe have already exhausted their eligibility.

NCAA officials noted that the lack of cooperation stalled the investigation, as enforcement personnel could not determine whether sports gambling violations occurred.

"When individuals choose not to cooperate — particularly when cases involve potential integrity issues — those choices can and will be met with serious consequences including prohibitions on athletically related activities, the loss of eligibility and/or being publicly named in an infractions decision," a release from the Division I Committee on Infractions said.

Fox News Digital was unable to reach Terry, Nelson or Billingsley for comment Friday.

Terry's 16.6 points per game during the 2024-25 season lead the Eagles in scoring. Nelson, a former DePaul athlete who transferred to Eastern Michigan, averaged 16.1 points per contest last season. In July, Nelson reached an agreement on a contract with Swiss Basketball League's Fribourg Olympic Basket.

Including the trio of former Eastern Michigan players, 13 athletes across six different schools are under NCAA investigation for alleged sports wagering violations.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

[syndicated profile] fox_news_feed

A missing dog named Moose is safely back home after a dramatic rescue by New York Police Department officers beneath a subway train in Manhattan.

The small black dog slipped away from its owners and ended up hiding under a northbound 2 train at the 14th Street station Thursday. 

The animal was hit by the train before seeking refuge beneath one of the cars, a spokesperson for the NYPD told People magazine.

WOMAN CHARGED WITH ABANDONING NEWBORN CHILD AT NYC SUBWAY STOP

"When Moose the dog got loose and went hiding underneath a 2 train, our [NYPD Special Ops Emergency Service Unit] officers came to the rescue," the NYPD posted to X. 

Bodycam footage released by the NYPD shows an officer climbing down a ladder onto the tracks, shining a flashlight to search for the missing pup.

WHO SAVED WHO? DAVE PORTNOY REFLECTS ON LIFE-CHANGING BOND WITH HIS RESCUE DOGS

"Where is it?" the officer can be heard saying before spotting the small dog hiding in the shadows.

"Come here," the officer says, luring the dog. "Come on. Come on, buddy."

VIDEO SHOWS HURRICANE MILTON-IMPACTED FAMILY, DOGS RESCUED FROM FLOODWATERS

Moments later, the officer scoops Moose up and carries him away from the tracks before lifting him onto the subway platform where other officers are standing.

"Yay!" one person can be heard saying.

Moose was showered with pets before being reunited with his owners, according to People.

"Thanks to [NYPD Transit] officers, Moose was safely reunited with its owner!" the NYPD posted to X.

Earlier this year, NYPD officers similarly jumped into action to save a small dog spotted swimming in the East River, according to FOX 5

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

[syndicated profile] fox_news_feed

Podcaster Joe Rogan praised the merits of religion, noting he enjoys going to a church and hearing about the Bible and its teachings.

During his interview with "Triggernometry" hosts Francis Foster and Konstantin Kisin, the three commentators noted the benefits of inner peace and moral certainty religion provides. After Kisin noted that he started going to church services again and genuinely enjoys it, Rogan agreed.

"I do too. It's a bunch of people that are going to try to make their lives better," he said. "They're trying to be a better person, and they're trying to — I mean for me at least, the place that I go to — they, you know, they read and analyze passages in the Bible. I'm really interested in what these people were trying to say because I don't think it's nothing."

Rogan added that he has seen many self-professed intellectuals scoff at religion and minimize it as "fairy tales," arguing this is a shallow way to look at thousands of years of accumulated human experience.

PRIEST SAYS US CATHOLIC COLLUMITY ‘BUSY,IN A GOOD WAY’ AS STATS SHOW MASSIVE WAVE OF YOUNG ADULTS CONVERTING

"There's a lot of, like, atheists and secular people that just like to dismiss Christianity as being foolish. You know, ‘It's just fairy tales.’ I hear that amongst, you know, self-professed intelligent people, like, ‘It's a fairy tale,’" Rogan said. 

"Like, I don't know if that's true. I think there's more to it. I think it's history, but I think it's a confusing history. It's a confusing history because it was a long time ago. And it's people telling things in an oral tradition, then writing things down in a language that you don't understand in the context of a culture that you don't understand. And I think there's something to what they're saying."

Rogan noted the ubiquity of flood myths across the world and pointed out there appears to be scientific evidence for a prehistoric flood caused by comet impacts. He argued there clearly is some physical evidence for the claims made in Biblical stories.

Rogan praised Jesus Christ in particular, noting he is both a philosophically remarkable and a historically valid figure.

"Christianity in particular is the most fascinating to me because there's this one person that everybody agrees existed, that somehow or another had the best plan for how human beings should interact with each other and behave and was the best example of it and even died in a nonviolent way, like didn't even protest, died on the cross supposedly for our sins," Rogan said. "Like, it's a fascinating story."

CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION WILL SPARK FAITH REVIVAL AMONG YOUTH, CARDINAL DOLAN PREDICTS

"It's a historically documented human being," Rogan later noted, speaking about the uniqueness of the Christian messiah. "That's where it gets weird because there's a there's a universal depiction of what this human being was like. That doesn't seem to vary that much between all the people that knew him. That gets weird."

Francis Foster praised the part of the Roman Catholic Mass where worshipers wish each other peace, noting how powerful it is for some strangers to make a real human connection with a handshake and three words, "Peace be with you."

Rogan agreed on what a powerful gesture this is, arguing that people need something outside themselves and their whims to offer guidance.

"If you're just relying on your whims and your, you know, whatever you think is the moral thing to do, you know, then you know what you get? You get those people that are unable to answer the question of whether or not you should protect an unborn fetus or whether or not they have human rights," he said. 

"If you have religion, you go ‘Wow, that’s a good question.'"

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

Foster recalled the New Atheist movement that was popular in the early 2000s and its claim that people don’t need religion.

"I think that’s fundamentally inaccurate," he said.

Kisin and Rogan both noted they had once been interested in the New Atheist movement.

"But a lot of those guys fell apart" Rogan said. "A lot of those guys get real persnickety; they don’t seem very enlightened. They don't seem like they're at peace, which is interesting."

While Rogan noted he has met Christians he agrees and disagrees with politically, he called them some of the happiest and kindest people he has met in his life. 

[syndicated profile] fox_news_feed

Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones faced new political fallout Friday after a report revealed his wife had donated to the Minnesota Freedom Fund, a controversial bail organization that used millions to spring violent offenders, including accused rapists and murderers, from jail.

In May 2020, during unrest in Minneapolis after George Floyd’s death, Mavis Jones posted on Twitter: "I just donated to the Minnesota Freedom Fund," linking to the group’s donation page and urging others to do the same. The account has since gone private.

The revelation, first reported by The Washington Free Beacon, comes as Jones, a Democrat, trails Republican incumbent Jason Miyares in a tightening race for Virginia’s top law enforcement post. The state’s attorney general oversees state-level prosecutions and police oversight.

JAY JONES TEXT SCANDAL SPARKS DONATION SURGE AS GOP GROUP POURS MILLIONS MORE INTO VA RACE

The Minnesota Freedom Fund, promoted at the time by several progressive figures, including Sen. Kamala Harris, raised more than $41 million during the 2020 protests, pledging to support demonstrators arrested during clashes with police. 

But a FOX 9 investigation later found the group spent most of its money bailing out defendants accused of serious violent crimes rather than low-level protest offenses.

Among those bailed out was Christopher Boswell, a twice-convicted rapist facing new kidnapping and assault charges who was freed after the fund posted $350,000 in cash bail.

The group also paid $100,000 to release Darnika Floyd, who was charged with second-degree murder, and $75,000 for Jaleel Stallings, who allegedly fired at a Minneapolis SWAT team before being acquitted at trial.

Greg Lewin, then the fund’s interim executive director, told FOX 9 that same year, "The last time we were down there, the clerk said, ‘We hate it when you bail out these sex offenders.’ I often don’t even look at a charge when I bail someone out."

JONES AND MIYARES CLASH OVER MURDER TEXTS AS DEM REPEATEDLY INVOKES TRUMP AT HEATED, HIGH-STAKES DEBATE

In one case, the fund posted bail for George Howard, a career criminal later charged with fatally shooting a man in a Minneapolis road rage incident just weeks after his release.

The news adds to a string of controversies for Jones, 35, who has already apologized for violent text messages directed at Republican leaders. In one exchange, he wrote that then–House Speaker Todd Gilbert gets "two bullets to the head" and that Gilbert’s wife Jennifer should "watch her children die."

Court records also show Jones was convicted of reckless driving in 2022 for traveling 116 mph on a Virginia highway. He was fined $1,500 and ordered to perform 1,000 hours of community service, but a state ethics review is examining whether hours spent volunteering for his own political committee should count toward the sentence.

The latest controversy gives Miyares and Republicans new fodder in the closing weeks of the campaign. A Trafalgar Group poll released Oct. 17 found Miyares leading 49.5% to 44.6%, a reversal from earlier surveys that had Jones up six points before the text scandal broke.

As of Friday, Mavis Jones has set her X account to private.

The Minnesota Freedom Fund and the Jay Jones campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

[syndicated profile] fox_news_feed

FIRST ON FOX: Georgia Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, described by CNN as the nation's "most endangered Senate Democrat," has touted "an unstoppable grassroots coalition." But, according to the latest Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings released, his campaign is being propped up by a lot of out-of-state money.

Ossoff’s latest quarterly filing shows that more than 80% of the money he raised last period came from out-of-state donors. The report, which details contributions from individuals who have given at least $200 this cycle, also reveals that over half of his maxed-out donors hail from California, New York or the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia region.

After the release of an October filing, Ossoff's team touted in a press release that, in the face of "heavy spending from GOP Super PACs," it raised $12 million during the last third-quarter filing period that runs from July 1 through Sept. 30. 

The same press release said Ossoff's "re-election juggernaut" was "overwhelmingly" powered by small donors with an average of $36 from approximately 233,000 donors. If a donor has not given an aggregate of at least $200, that donor's contribution remains undisclosed in FEC filings.

NATIONAL DEMS BANKROLL CAMPAIGN OF 'FAKE INDEPENDENT' SENATE CANDIDATE FROM MIDWESTERN STATE

Ossoff is running for re-election in a state Trump won in 2024, albeit by a thin two-point margin. He first arrived in Congress in 2021 after defeating incumbent Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., in a razor-thin election that required a runoff. During that first election cycle, according to The Washington Free Beacon, Ossoff raised 60% of his contributions from outside the state of Georgia. 

According to Ossoff's recent October FEC filing, California is leading the pack in terms of the most donations to his campaign during the third quarter, totaling about 20% of all donations. Georgia is second with about 17.5%.

But when it comes to donors who have maxed out their contribution limits, more of those political donors came from California (33.3%) New York (15.65%) and Massachusetts (10.8%) than from Georgia, which accounted for only 6.1% of maxed-out donors who contributed to Ossoff in the third quarter. 

REPUBLICAN DOOLEY JUMPS INTO GEORGIA'S SENATE RACE WHILE TOUTING SUPPORT FOR TRUMP AND TAKING AIM AT OSSOFF

Given Ossoff’s vulnerability heading into Election Day, GOP strategists and Senate sources say the Georgia Democrat is unlikely to break with his party to vote for reopening the government, fearing it could cost him crucial support from liberal donors nationwide.

"There is no middle ground for him when it comes to these big decisions that have to be made, and I think the shutdown proves that," Ryan Mahoney, a Georgia-based GOP strategist who has worked with Republican senators in the state told The Washington Examiner.

"His calculus is, ‘Do I vote to open the government up and get crushed and can’t raise a single dollar of low-dollar money, or do I vote to shut the government down and get $3 million [from online fundraising]?’" a Democratic Party insider also told The Hill. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Ossoff's campaign declined to comment when reached for this article. 

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