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Former ABC News correspondent Terry Moran worried Tuesday that the U.S. will soon lose its free press if President Donald Trump is not "stopped."

Moran, who was fired in June from the network where he worked for almost 28 years after posting a scathing social media rant against Trump and White House aide Stephen Miller, discussed the state of the media with former MSNBC host Chris Matthews on Substack.

Lamenting the recent CBS/Paramount settlement with Trump, and other media shakeups, Matthews worried about the implications of media outlets caving to the president’s demands.

"Is this going to keep going?" Matthews asked. "Or is he going to keep going from network to network, to newspaper to newspaper?… Are they willing to be what they’ve been or are they just going to keep groveling?"

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Moran made a bold prediction that there will be no independent news in the U.S. because media organizations will have their power stripped from them by the current administration.

"I think they’re going to, at some point, get rid of the news divisions, is my prediction," he told Matthews. "It will either be stripped from them—look, unless Trump is stopped, there’s a playbook here. You see it in all the authoritarian countries."

"[Viktor] Orban did it, [Vladimir] Putin did it in Russia and the Law and Justice Party in Poland — they stripped the media, the news operations away from independent corporations that will stand up and they sell them to their cronies," he continued.

Moran then brought up the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) investigating ABC News over debate moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis's fact-checking of Trump during the 2024 presidential debate that he said favored his opponent, former Vice President Kamala Harris.

"Muir did nothing wrong, but because, you know, the law that governs these news operations and networks is that they have to operate in the public interest as defined by the Trump administration," he warned. "At some point, they will find a reason to strip the ownership of these things from the corporations that now own them and sell them to their cronies, unless someone stops them."

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

Shortly after leaving ABC, Moran said that it was not a journalist's job to be "objective."

EX-ABC JOURNALIST FIRED FOR CALLING TRUMP A ‘WORLD-CLASS HATER’ SAYS IT'S NOT A REPORTER'S JOB TO BE OBJECTIVE

"My own feeling is that you don't sacrifice your citizenship as a journalist. Your job is not to be objective," he told The Bulwark's Tim Miller in a Substack interview in June.

"There is no Mount Olympus of objectivity where a Mandarin class of wise people have no feelings about their society," he continued. "We're all in this together. What you have to be is fair and accurate."

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EXCLUSIVE: Artist Amy Sherald canceled her upcoming exhibit featuring a portrait of a transgender Statue of Liberty at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery after Vice President JD Vance raised concerns the show included woke and divisive content, Fox News Digital has learned. 

President Donald Trump signed an executive order in March that placed Vance in charge of overseeing the removal of programs or exhibits at Smithsonian museums that "degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with Federal law and policy." 

Vance said Sherald’s "American Sublime" exhibit violated Trump’s executive order and was an example of woke and divisive content during a meeting June 9 with the Board of Regents, a source familiar with the meeting told Fox News Digital. 

ARTIST PULLS ART FROM SMITHSONIAN GALLERY AFTER MUSEUM TRIES TO ALTER HER TRANS STATUE OF LIBERTY PAINTING

"Vice President Vance has been leading the effort to eliminate woke indoctrination from our beloved Smithsonian museums," an administration official said in an email to Fox News Digital. "On top of shepherding the One Big Beautiful Bill through the Senate and helping President Trump navigate international crises, the vice president has demonstrated his ability to get President Trump’s priorities across the finish line."

Sherald, best known for painting former first lady Michelle Obama’s official portrait in 2018, announced Thursday she was pulling her show, "American Sublime," from the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery slated for September, The New York Times first reported. 

Sherald said she was rescinding her work from the exhibition after being told that the National Portrait Gallery had some concerns about featuring the portrait of the transgender Statue of Liberty during the show. The painting, "Trans Forming Liberty," depicts a trans woman with pink hair wearing a blue gown. 

TRUMP WHITE HOUSE CALLS OUT SMITHSONIAN FOR PUSHING 'ONE-SIDED, DIVISIVE POLITICAL NARRATIVES

"These concerns led to discussions about removing the work from the exhibition," Sherald said in a statement, The New York Times first reported Thursday. "While no single person is to blame, it’s clear that institutional fear shaped by a broader climate of political hostility toward trans lives played a role. 

"This painting exists to hold space for someone whose humanity has been politicized and disregarded. I cannot in good conscience comply with a culture of censorship, especially when it targets vulnerable communities.

"At a time when transgender people are being legislated against, silenced and endangered across our nation, silence is not an option," Sherald added. "I stand by my work. I stand by my sitters. I stand by the truth that all people deserve to be seen — not only in life, but in art."

The Smithsonian did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding Vance’s involvement in the matter. 

DEFUNDING DEI: HERE’S HOW THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS UNDONE BIDEN’S VERY PRIZED PROGRAMS

The White House said the removal of Sherald’s exhibit is a "principled and necessary step" toward cultivating unity at institutions like the Smithsonian. 

"The ‘Trans Forming Liberty’ painting, which sought to reinterpret one of our nation’s most sacred symbols through a divisive and ideological lens, fundamentally strayed from the mission and spirit of our national museums," Trump special assistant Lindsey Halligan said in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

"The Statue of Liberty is not an abstract canvas for political expression. It is a revered and solemn symbol of freedom, inspiration and national unity that defines the American spirit."

Other members of the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents include the Chief Justice of the United States, John Roberts, along with senators John Boozman, R-Ark.; Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev.; and Gary Peters, D-Mich., along with several other House members. 

Fox News’ Gabriel Hays contributed to this report. 

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DEATH STARE: Bryan Kohberger transferred to maximum security state prison

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A South Carolina dance teacher was arrested after an investigation that began when parents raised flags about a dance routine "that conflicted with their morals."

Andrea Mizell, 45, is accused of giving her students alcohol, having vulgar conversations with them, showing them sexually explicit photos of herself and touching them inappropriately during dance practice, according to a police incident report obtained by Fox News Digital. 

She was charged with four counts of second-degree assault and battery, four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and three counts of disseminating harmful material to minors, according to court documents.

FORMER PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER, 33, CHARGED AFTER 'PROLONGED PATTERN OF ABUSE' WITH TEEN BOY

Police in Hanahan began investigating Mizell when officers responded March 12 to reports of an argument at a dance school. Some of the parents told authorities they were morally conflicted over a dance routine being taught to their children.  

When Mizell reportedly set a time to meet with one concerned parent to discuss the problem, she fled in her car and drove away after seeing several parents at the school, the police report states. Mizell later told police she felt intimidated and left out of fear. 

FORMER PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHER CHARGED WITH MULTIPLE SEXUAL OFFENSES AGAINST 3 CHILDREN

When officers spoke to the children who attended the dance school, they were told Mizell had given them alcohol and was having "vulgar conversations" with them. She also allegedly invited some of them to her apartment and served them margaritas while they watched a movie.

She also allegedly discussed her sex life with the students. 

Students told investigators Mizell had also touched them inappropriately, including "in the private parts on the butt," according to court documents reported in local media.

One student allegedly told police the touching happened multiple times during dance practice and that Mizell would "go out of her way" to touch the student.

Some students claimed Mizell would also change her clothes in front of them, often exposing herself. Fox News Digital has reached out to Mizell for comment. 

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In a milestone moment, the Army Friday conducted a live-fire test of its precision strike missiles in Australia, the first ever west of the international dateline. 

The test, seen in footage obtained by Fox News Digital, marks a significant advancement in the region’s long-range strike capabilities. The precision strike missile (PrSM) has an unclassified range of 300 miles and can hit moving targets on land or at sea. 

The test saw a U.S.-manufactured PrSM launched from a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) vehicle owned by the Australian Defence Force. 

TAIWAN CONDUCTS LIVE-FIRE DRILLS WITH US-MADE TANKS AS PRESIDENT LOOKS ON

It was a show of force between the U.S. and Australia at a time of increasing tension in the Indo-Pacific. 

"This is just one of the key steps we’re taking throughout the region to deter conflict, while ensuring that our soldiers have the best capabilities available," said Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who observed the test at the Mount Bundey Training Area in Australia. "The PrSM allows our forces to hold land and maritime regions at risk, which gives adversaries pause and increases deterrence."

The PrSM is the U.S. Army’s newest addition to its long-range precision fires (LRPF) portfolio, a triad of advanced strike systems that includes HIMARS-launched missiles, the mid-range capability platform and the Dark Eagle hypersonic missile.

While HIMARS has already proven itself in combat zones like Ukraine, where its ability to rapidly fire and evade counterattack has made it a prized system, the integration of the PrSM into this platform significantly enhances its strategic utility. 

The mobile launcher can be deployed from C-17 and C-130 aircraft, a U.S. Navy landing craft and even from ships at sea, a capability tested in joint drills with the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.

Unlike the 90-mile-range Extended Range Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (ER GMLRS), which fires six missiles per HIMARS, the PrSM packs two missiles per launcher and can reach more than triple the distance.

Asked why the missiles were an important part of preparation for a potential war in the Indo-Pacific, Driscoll told reporters, "I think if you look at the way conflict is unfolding now, what is not being rewarded is large, massive presences with static locations and big footprints and signatures. What is being rewarded is the ability to be agile, hide your signature and move quickly." 

Fielding of HIMARS continues across the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, with the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii recently receiving 16 launchers, a first for a light infantry division tasked with jungle and archipelagic warfare. Officials say they are looking to increase munitions production with key allies.

PENTAGON MAY SINK BIDEN-ERA DEAL TO SELL AUSTRALIA NUCLEAR-POWERED SUBMARINES

The test comes after it was revealed the Pentagon privately pressed Australia to define how it might help if war broke out over a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. Australia responded by stressing it would not commit troops in advance of any conflict.

Australia does not permit permanent foreign military bases, but the U.S. is expanding its rotational presence at Australian sites. Australia and the U.S. recently led a major joint exercise in Sydney involving 30,000 troops from 19 countries.

It also comes at a time when Washington is reconsidering whether to sell nuclear-powered, Virginia-class submarines to Sydney through the Australia-UK-US (AUKUS) deal.

The three nations would jointly design a new class of submarines, with Australian production beginning in the 2040s. 

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Passengers aboard Southwest flight 1496 from Burbank, California to Las Vegas, Nevada experienced a frightening few seconds when the aircraft took a sudden nosedive to avoid a midair collision shortly after takeoff.

The dramatic maneuver caused passengers to fly up out of their seats and into the ceiling as children and adults screamed, fearing the worst.

Two flight attendants are being treated for injuries, a Southwest Airlines spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

AMERICAN AIRLINES PLANE MAKES EMERGENCY LANDING AFTER ENGINE STARTS SMOKING

Caitlin Burdi, who was on flight 1496, told Fox News Digital she had been on the same flight path before, so she knew the extreme turbulence was abnormal.

"About 10 minutes into the flight, we plummeted pretty far, and I looked around, and everyone was like, 'OK, that's normal'," Burdi said. "Then, within two seconds, it felt like the ride Tower of Terror, where we fell 20 to 30 feet in the air. The screaming, it was terrifying. We really thought we were plummeting to a plane crash."

Southwest confirmed the crew responded to two onboard traffic alerts after takeoff, "requiring them to climb and descend to comply with the alerts." 

AMERICAN AIRLINES PLANE HIT WITH 'UNEXPECTED TURBULENCE,' 5 HOSPITALIZED

The airline said the flight continued to Las Vegas, where it landed "uneventfully," according to a statement. 

"Southwest is engaged with the Federal Aviation Administration to further understand the circumstances," Southwest wrote. "We appreciate the professionalism of our Flight Crew and Flight Attendants in responding to this event. Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of our Customers and Employees."

One flight attendant was dazed after hitting her head, passengers said. Another flight attendant announced he was quitting.

SMALL PLANE HIT POWER LINES BEFORE DEADLY SAN DIEGO CRASH, NTSB CONFIRMS

Following the dramatic drop, the pilot came on the intercom and said the plane almost collided with another plane, and they had lost air traffic control signal.

"It was absolutely terrifying," Burdi said. "I just remember him saying, ‘What just happened was we almost collided with another plane, and I had to make the emergency attempt to go under because we lost service with the air traffic controller.’"

Other passengers on the fearful flight took to social media to share their experience.

"Myself & Plenty of people flew out of their seats & bumped heads on ceiling, a flight attendant needed medical attention," stand-up comedian Jimmy Dore wrote in an X post. "Pilot said his collision warning went off & he needed to avoid plane coming at us. Wow."

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One of Hulk Hogan’s former good friends wants the unfortunate credit of being "right" about the wrestling legend’s health issues.

Bubba the Love Sponge had said since last month that Hogan’s health was declining, even saying he was in the ICU for six weeks and on his deathbed. 

Hogan died Thursday at the age of 71.

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"I can’t take away from what I’ve already said, and what I’ve already correctly predicted. But I am officially the guy that was the only one telling the truth about Hulk Hogan’s physical condition," Bubba the Love Sponge said on his radio show. 

"And that has caused some people to say, ‘You know what, Bubba was right.’ No, I wish to God I wasn’t right, because being right means we have a dead Hulk Hogan."

The two men have a complicated history. It was Bubba’s wife at the time who Hogan was involved with in a sex tape released by Gawker in 2012. The ordeal resulted in an eventual $115 million awarded to Hogan from the media outlet after he argued the release of the tape was an invasion of privacy.

Nonetheless, Bubba appeared upset that his reports were dismissed by people in Hogan’s inner circle.

"I don’t know if my telling the truth would be such a big deal if the people like his wife [Sky Daily], Brian Blair, Jimmy Hart, Eric Bischoff, Missy Beefcake and all the other keyboard tough guys were [calling me out]," he said. "I have a special connection to this guy that’s not so special anymore. But, for 15 years, this guy was one of my best friends. We saw each other every day. There are things that I’ll take to my grave that I know that him and I went through."

A statement was released on Hogan's Instagram page about his death.

"It is with a heavy heart and deep sadness that we confirm we have lost a legend," the post said. "Our beloved Terry Bollea, known worldwide as Hulk Hogan, passed away today surrounded by his loved ones.

"At this time of grief, we ask that everyone please respect the privacy of his family and friends. May we all take solace in the wonderful memories he left behind for the millions of fans worldwide whose lives he touched for more than four decades. He will be missed, but never forgotten."

FIVE UNFORGETTABLE HULK HOGAN MATCHES THAT DEFINED WRESTLING HISTORY

The superstar pro wrestler, whose real name was Terry Bollea, got his start in Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF) in the late 1970s before he eventually joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1979. However, it wasn’t until his return to the WWF, now the WWE, when he became the superstar that fans came to know.

Vince McMahon had purchased the WWF from his father and chose Hogan to be the main attraction for the company. He started to wrestle when he saved Bob Backlund from an attack by the Wild Samoans. "Hulkamania" became the rage from there.

Hogan was a six-time WWE champion, won the Royal Rumble twice and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as an individual in 2005 and as a member of the NWO in 2020. He was also a six-time world heavyweight champion in WCW and the IWGP champion in New Japan Pro-Wrestling once.

Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.

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Scottie Scheffler has dominated on the golf course in recent years. 

This year alone, the world No. 1 golfer has won two major tournaments — the PGA Championship and The Open Championship. Scheffler is also a two-time Masters Tournament champion, but he admitted he would sacrifice at least one of his four coveted major titles in exchange for seeing his beloved Dallas Cowboys reach the mountaintop. 

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"Gosh, I don't know. I would trade one, for sure, for a Super Bowl," the University of Texas alum responded when asked during a recent edition of the "Pardon My Take" podcast whether he would trade a major to see the Cowboys win it all.

COWBOYS LINEMAN TYLER SMITH BANGS DRUM ON SUPER BOWL HYPE: 'THAT'S ALWAYS THE EXPECTATION'

Those comments follow an admission Scheffler made before teeing off at The Open last week at Royal Portrus about the sport he dominates not completely fulfilling him before teeing off at The Open last week at Royal Portrus.

While Scheffler is a New Jersey native, he has resided in Dallas for the majority of his life and is a self-proclaimed fan of the Cowboys.

While the Waste Management Phoenix Open is not one of golf's four majors, Scheffler noted he would sacrifice several of his victories in that tournament in favor of seeing the Cowboys hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

"I've been rooting for a Super Bowl for a long time as well," the top-ranked golfer said before jokingly suggesting he's dealt with more disappointment when it comes to football than he has in golf. "A lot of hard work has gone into cheering on the Boys."

The Cowboys have won five Super Bowl titles in the franchise's history. However, the upcoming 2025 season marks three decades since the team has won a championship. 

The Cowboys have also experienced limited postseason success over that span, and the have failed to advance to a conference championship game since the 1995 season. During Scheffler's lifetime, he's seen Dallas win just five playoff games.

A hamstring injury derailed Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott's 2024 season. The team finished with a 7-10 record and failed to qualify for the playoffs. Mike McCarthy was not retained as the head coach. 

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The New York Yankees have a reinforcement on the way ahead of their postseason push. 

The team acquired third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for minor league pitchers Griffin Herring and Josh Grosz, the teams announced Friday.

McMahon, 30, will fill a gaping hole the Yankees have had all season at third base. The Yankees have gotten a .645 OPS from their third basemen this season, the eighth worst at the position in the big leagues. 

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McMahon has just a .217 batting average with 16 home runs this year, but his .717 OPS is an upgrade over what Oswald Peraza and Jorbit Vivas have provided. 

While McMahon’s overall numbers at the plate are not strong, he has hit better of late. Since May 1, McMahon has a .246 average with 14 home runs. 

Regardless of how McMahon hits, he is a great defensive third baseman who, at the very least, will upgrade the Yankees' infield defense. 

McMahon had spent his entire nine-season career with the Rockies.

MLB TRADE DEADLINE ACTION GETS UNDERWAY AS MARINERS ACQUIRE FIRST BASEMAN JOSH NAYLOR FROM DIAMONDBACKS

"While it is never easy to part ways with a player and person of Ryan’s caliber, our focus at this deadline is build for a competitive future," Rockies senior vice president and general manager Bill Schmidt said in a statement. 

"We can’t thank Ryan enough for all that he has given to this organization and community since we drafted in 2013. His impact on and off the field has been tremendous, and we wish Ryan, Natalie, and Austyn nothing but the best moving forward."

Herring, 22, has a 7-3 record with a 1.71 ERA in 16 starts between Single-A Tampa and High-A Hudson Valley. Herring was picked in the sixth round of the 2024 MLB Draft. 

Grosz, 22, has a 4-8 record with a 4.14 ERA in 16 appearances (15 starts) with High-A Hudson Valley. He was selected in the 11th round of the 2023 MLB Draft. 

The Yankees (56-46) hope McMahon can give them a boost down the stretch as they vie for a postseason spot. 

The Rockies (26-76) could look to trade away more players ahead of the July 31 trade deadline as they build toward the future. 

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Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently arrested a criminal illegal immigrant who is accused of stalking a mother and U.S. government official despite being ordered to leave the country in 2022, Fox News Digital has learned.

Jose Madrid Reyes, a Salvadoran national, was arrested July 12 and remains in ICE custody pending his deportation, which is expected within the coming days, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began investigating after a U.S. government official contacted the agency and said she feared she was being stalked. 

The government official, whose name has not been released for her protection, was worried about her family’s safety, including her child, according to DHS.

'WORST OF THE WORST’ ARRESTED IN NATIONWIDE CRIMINAL ILLEGAL-ALIEN CRACKDOWN: DHS

During the investigation, HSI identified Reyes as the suspected stalker.

His criminal record stretches back nearly two decades, with a history of assault and driving while intoxicated.

In August 2006, Reyes was convicted in Manassas, Virginia, of driving while intoxicated (DWI). 

DHS ARRESTS FIVE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CONVICTED OF SERIOUS CRIMES, INCLUDING MURDER AND CHILD ABUSE

Nearly a decade later, in May 2017, he was convicted in Fairfax, Virginia, of misdemeanor assault on a family member.

In September 2019, he was convicted of a second DWI in Fairfax County General District Court.

Despite being ordered removed from the country by an immigration judge in 2022 and denied permanent legal status in 2024, Reyes remained in the U.S. illegally.

ANTI-ICE ACTIVISTS HELP MIGRANT CHILD RAPIST ESCAPE ARREST IN COLORADO: OFFICIALS

"Day in and day out, our brave ICE agents are nabbing creeps who shouldn’t be in our country in the first place," said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. "On July 12, ICE arrested Jose Madrid Reyes, a criminal illegal alien from El Salvador, who was suspected of stalking a U.S. federal official. 

"We will not allow these predators to terrorize American citizens. Despite facing an 830% increase in assaults against them, ICE law enforcement is keeping Americans safe from criminal illegal aliens and sending these slimeballs back to their home countries." 

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ICE encourages the public to report crimes or suspicious activity by contacting the ICE tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or visiting www.ice.gov.

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Rumors about Nick Saban potentially returning to the sideline ran rampant last week, but the seven-time national champion does not appear to be in a rush to get back.

Former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy said on his radio show he was told by a source Saban may return in the future, although McElroy didn't believe it himself.

In any case, college football fans got their hopes up, and Saban poured cold water on it all in an appearance with "Fox & Friends."

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"You know, it is amazing to me that that came up in the media, and the media speaks for you and thinks for you," Saban said.

Then, he cracked a joke.

"I never really had a thought into getting back into coaching until, two days ago, Miss Terry said I had to run the sweeper in the entire downstairs. So, while I was running the sweeper, the thought occurred to me, you know, ‘When you were coaching, you had a heck of a lot better job than this.’ So, that is the only time I considered it," he said.

"I am really happy with what I am doing right now. You know, it is exciting to still be involved in the game. It’s exciting for me to work with athletic directors, conference commissioners, people in Congress to preserve the integrity of our game and continue to be able to create opportunities to help young people value for their future that will help them be successful in their life, which is what we always tried to do as a coach."

NICK SABAN PRAISES TRUMP'S EXECUTIVE ORDER CRACKING DOWN ON PAY-TO-PLAY IN COLLEGE SPORTS

Saban didn't seem to rule it out entirely, but he simply said there is "no opportunity" that appeals to him right now.

"I enjoy what I am doing. I did it for 50 years. I loved it. I loved the relationships with the players. I love the competition. But you know it is another station of life now, and I enjoy what I am doing right now and want to continue to do it," he added. "Spend more time with my family, my grandchildren, my children, and it has been really, really good."

Saban left the game in 2024, shortly after a loss in the Rose Bowl to eventual national champion Michigan, citing the changing landscape of college athletics.

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Scottie Scheffler has dominated on the golf course in recent years. 

This year alone, the world No. 1 golfer has won two major tournaments — the PGA Championship and The Open Championship. Scheffler is also a two-time Masters Tournament champion, but he admitted he would sacrifice at least one of his four coveted major titles in exchange for seeing his beloved Dallas Cowboys reach the mountaintop. 

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"Gosh, I don't know. I would trade one, for sure, for a Super Bowl," the University of Texas alum responded when asked whether he would trade a major to see the Cowboys win it all.

COWBOYS LINEMAN TYLER SMITH BANGS DRUM ON SUPER BOWL HYPE: 'THAT'S ALWAYS THE EXPECTATION'

Those comments follow an admission Scheffler made before teeing off at The Open last week at Royal Portrus about the sport he dominates not completely fulfilling him before teeing off at The Open last week at Royal Portrus.

While Scheffler is a New Jersey native, he has resided in Dallas for the majority of his life and is a self-proclaimed fan of the Cowboys.

While the Waste Management Phoenix Open is not one of golf's four majors, Scheffler noted he would sacrifice several of his victories in that tournament in favor of seeing the Cowboys hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

"I've been rooting for a Super Bowl for a long time as well," the top-ranked golfer said before jokingly suggesting he's dealt with more disappointment when it comes to football than he has in golf. "A lot of hard work has gone into cheering on the Boys."

The Cowboys have won five Super Bowl titles in the franchise's history. However, the upcoming 2025 season marks three decades since the team has won a championship. 

The Cowboys have also experienced limited postseason success over that span, and the have failed to advance to a conference championship game since the 1995 season. During Scheffler's lifetime, he's seen Dallas win just five playoff games.

A hamstring injury derailed Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott's 2024 season. The team finished with a 7-10 record and failed to qualify for the playoffs. Mike McCarthy was not retained as the head coach. 

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New York Mets star closer Edwin Diaz sustained a major injury at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, but that won't stop him from playing in 2026’s edition of the international tournament. 

Diaz, 31, injured himself while celebrating team Puerto Rico’s win over the Dominican Republic. He tore his patellar tendon in his right knee and missed the entire season. 

"I didn’t get hurt pitching," Díaz said via the New York Post last week. "That’s something that can happen at my house or wherever. If I was pitching, maybe I would be a little bit scared (to return)."

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Diaz didn’t fully commit to playing for Puerto Rico but said he is open to it. 

"As of now, I would play if I had the chance to play. I would play to represent my country," Diaz said. 

The three-time All-Star said if he got hurt pitching, he might view playing in the World Baseball Classic differently. 

12-YEAR-OLD LITTLE LEAGUER ALLOWED BACK IN STATE TOURNEY AFTER JUDGE OVERTURNS BAT FLIP SUSPENSION

"But I just want to go there and represent my country and have fun." Diaz said.

Diaz’s Mets teammate, star shortstop Francisco Lindor, also played for team Puerto Rico. Diaz said that if he gets the chance to play for Puerto Rico, he would want to play with Lindor again. 

Diaz has been lights-out for the Mets this season and made the National League All-Star team. In 40 games this season, Diaz had a 1.55 ERA with a 5-0 record and 21 saves.

Diaz and the Mets (59-44) start a three-game series with the San Francisco Giants (54-49) on Friday at 10:15 p.m. ET. 

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The NFL's secondary ticket market is a very profitable business, but when folks are simply scalping tickets, well, the NFL and its teams don't love that. And they definitely don't love it when players and club employees do it for a Super Bowl.

But that is apparently what happened at Super Bowl LIX, played on Feb. 9 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. 

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And the league, which frowns on this, caught the scalpers. 

The NFL can track the tickets to its games and has the digital capability to confirm if the people who purchased a Super Bowl ticket actually used it.

So the NFL is fining approximately 100 players – 100! – and two dozen club employees for violating league policy of selling Super Bowl LIX tickets above face value, a league source told OutKick on Friday. The story was first reported by the Associated Press.

The NFL isn't done. There is an ongoing investigation into the matter.

The actual amount of the fines will vary. Players who resold their tickets will have to pay 150 percent of the face value of the ticket they originally bought. Those players will also forfeit their privilege of buying tickets to future Super Bowls unless they're actually playing in the game.

BRANDON AIYUK'S WIFE GIVES INTEL ON WHY NFL WAGS ARE 'IN A PANIC' DURING TRAINING CAMP

Club employees who were caught scalping will be fined 200 percent of the face value of the tickets they purchased.

No names of the players or other employees already caught are known. What is known is that coaches were involved as well as players.

The players and coaches apparently sold their tickets to so-called "bundlers" who were working on behalf of a ticket reseller, who then marked up the price of the tickets a second time.

This isn't the first time this has happened, although the scale this year is quite something.

Former Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Tice admitted to scalping part of his allotment of Super Bowl tickets in 2005. Tice was eventually fined $100,000 by the NFL.

Super Bowl LIX tickets were averaging around $4,708 on the secondary market the week of the game, according to various reports. The cheapest tickets started around $2,668 on TickPick, while the most expensive seats, particularly those close to the field and sidelines, exceeded $10,000.

Some seating for the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles climbed to prices as high as $50,000.  

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President Donald Trump's political team and top advisers to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia apparently aren't on the same page when it comes to the key southeastern battleground state's Republican Senate primary.

The race is crucial for Republicans aiming to expand their Senate majority, as Sen. Jon Ossoff, who is running for re-election in a state that Trump narrowly carried in last year's election, is viewed by the GOP as the most vulnerable Democrat seeking re-election in next year's midterm elections.

Kemp, a popular two-term conservative governor whom Trump had heavily criticized in the past, was courted by national Republicans to take on Ossoff. But Kemp, who is term-limited, announced earlier this year that he would pass on a 2026 Senate run.

Sources in Trump's political orbit and Republican sources in Georgia confirm to Fox News that there was an agreement between the president’s political operation and Kemp’s political team that they would work together to find a candidate that they could all unify behind to take on Ossoff in the Senate race.

FIRST ON FOX: TRUMP HOUSE ALLY TO LAUNCH SENATE BID NEXT WEEK IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE

Those sources also confirm that Kemp and Trump – the ultimate kingmaker in GOP politics – met two weeks ago to discuss the Senate race in Georgia.

But when the governor floated the name of former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley, a source close to the president's political team said "they were told to stand down, because Trump’s team wasn’t ready to move forward on anybody."

And when Kemp and his team did move forward with Dooley, it upset Trump’s advisers, who, according to sources, were "already pretty annoyed" that Kemp had passed earlier this year on taking on Ossoff in the Senate race.

POPULAR GOP GOVERNOR PASSES ON SENATE BID IN 2026

"We had a deal to work together," a top political source in the Trump orbit told Fox News on Friday.  "Kemp went out on his own – which has frustrated and pissed off Trump orbit."

The source added that "the best option for the GOP in Georgia was and is Brian Kemp. Unfortunately, he has chosen the path of the weak, and – instead of leading – has decided to circumvent and self-anoint a candidate no one has heard of and the president hasn’t met."

"The operation that delivered the win in Georgia was the Trump organization – not a faux operation – it’s hard to see it rallying behind the blind ambition of someone more interested in 2028 than in 2026," the source said, in a not-so-veiled reference to Kemp's potential interest in seeking the 2028 Republican presidential nomination. 

But a source close to the governor told Fox News that it's factually not true that they were told to stand down on Dooley.

And the source added that Kemp meant what he said that he wants to work with the president and his team and remains that way.

Kemp's political team first floated the Dooley trial balloon about two months ago. A longtime Georgia-based Republican strategist said the reaction in the Peach State among Republicans "was very negative."

Dooley, who is the son of former longtime University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley, is close with Kemp, who is a longtime friend.

And Dooley has hired two top Kemp political advisers to help with his potential Senate campaign.

A Republican source in Georgia says a decision by Dooley on whether he'll run could come as early as next week.

Republican Rep. Mike Collins, a Trump ally and supporter in the House, will announce his candidacy for the Senate next week, sources with knowledge told Fox News Digital on Friday.

Republican Rep. Buddy Carter, who for a decade has represented a district in coastal Georgia, launched a Senate campaign in the spring.

Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King also announced a run, but ended his bid on Thursday.

Trump and Kemp have a turbulent political history. 

Trump backed the then-Georgia secretary of state in his successful 2018 campaign for governor.

But during the two years after his 2020 election defeat to former President Joe Biden, which included a razor-thin loss in Georgia, Trump attacked Kemp for failing to overturn the election results in his state. 

Trump toned down the criticism in 2022 after Kemp crushed Trump-backed former Sen. David Perdue in the state's GOP gubernatorial primary, as Kemp successfully cruised to re-election to a second term as governor.

KEMP SPEAKS OUT AFTER TRUMP FLIPS AND PRAISES THE GEORGIA GOVERNOR

But last summer, amid the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump went on a 10-minute tirade against Kemp at a rally in Atlanta just blocks from the Georgia State Capitol. Trump blamed the governor not only for failing to overturn the 2020 vote count but also for not stopping a county prosecutor from indicting the former president for his attempts to reverse the results.

Trump quickly changed his tune on Kemp days later, and praised the governor in a social media post "for all of your help and support in Georgia, where a win is so important to the success of our Party and, most importantly, our Country."

Kemp, in a Fox News Digital interview a few days later, downplayed Trump's tirade against him, calling it a "small distraction that’s in the past."

As Dooley moves closer to launching a campaign, Collins is just days from declaring his candidacy.

Collins, a businessman who founded a trucking company, is in his second term representing Georgia's 10th Congressional District, which includes a large swath of urban, suburban, and rural areas between Atlanta and Augusta.

The conservative lawmaker, who's the son of the late Republican Rep. Mac Collins of Georgia, has been moving closer to launching a Senate campaign for weeks.

Collins was an early backer of the president, supporting him as Trump first ran for the Republican presidential nomination in the 2016 cycle.

Collins at the beginning of this year reintroduced the Laken Riley Act, which mandates that undocumented immigrants charged with burglary or theft be detained. It's named after a Georgia nursing student killed by a man who had illegally entered the U.S. The case grabbed national attention.

The bill, which quickly passed the Republican-controlled House and Senate, became the first legislation signed into law by Trump as he started his second tour of duty in the White House.

A Republican source said that Collins has a "great relationship" with the president and his political team.

And a Georgia-based Republican consultant told Fox News that "the lane that Mike is going to run in is the America First fighter who's been with President Trump.

Carter is also courting a Trump endorsement in the GOP primary.

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The Washington Post continues to lose staff, as all but one of its obituary reporters have accepted the media outlet’s buyout offer and left the company, according to a new report.

Politico Magazine senior editor Michael Schaffer detailed how the paper’s obit desk has been decimated by The Washington Post’s new buyouts – or "Voluntary Separation Program" (VSP).

"I’ve learned that all but one person on the obit desk has taken the organization’s buyout offer, which aims to shed staff by the end of July. The lone holdout is too junior to qualify for the buyout deal," he wrote.

WASHINGTON POST CEO URGES STAFFERS WHO DON'T ‘FEEL ALIGNED’ WITH PAPER'S NEW DIRECTION TO TAKE BUYOUT

Adam Bernstein, the paper’s longtime obit chief, was one of the latest Post staffers to accept the buyout. The journalist announced Tuesday that he would be joining The New York Times as deputy editor of its Obituaries Desk.

Schaffer lamented the exit of Bernstein and other obit writers, stating, "If you care about warts-and-all journalism, the change is a big deal. Unlike beat reporters, full-time obituary writers don’t have to worry about whether including unsavory details about the dearly departed will offend the grieving sources they still need to cultivate. Getting rid of them is a recipe for toothless pieces that pull punches about deceased power players."

The Washington Post announced in May that it was rolling out its VSP program to its veteran employees, offering them an option to leave the company in exchange for months of base pay from the company following their departure.

In a staff memo obtained by Fox News Digital at the time, Washington Post executive editor Matt Murray told staff, "Today, we are announcing that The Washington Post is offering a Voluntary Separation Program (VSP) to news employees with 10 or more years’ service at The Post, as well as to all members of the video department and to all members of the copy desk and sports copy desk."

LONGTIME WASHINGTON POST COLUMNIST QUITS PAPER, SLAMS GROWING EDITORIAL CONSTRAINTS UNDER BEZOS

According to a VSP document viewed by Fox News Digital, nine months of base pay would be given to staffers employed for 10-15 years, 12 months of base pay for 15-20 years, 15 months of base pay for 20-25 years and 18 months for anyone who has worked at the Post for more than 25 years. 

One anonymous Post staffer told Schaffer that the buyouts have caused an "absolute exodus" at the company. The reporter noted some of the recent big name departures, including "longtime political reporter Dan Balz, veteran columnist David von Drehle, and dozens of others."

Additionally, Washington Post columnist and MSNBC show host Jonathan Capehart reportedly accepted a buyout earlier this month and is leaving the Jeff Bezos-owned paper after nearly two decades.

Many Post staffers have quit the paper in recent months, some spurred on by their concerns over the Washington Post’s editorial slant taking a rightward shift following President Donald Trump’s re-election.

In February, Bezos announced that the editorial section of the paper would be changing course, prompting then-opinion editor David Shipley to leave.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

Bezos’ changes led to a sharp backlash in his newsroom, with staffers telling Fox News Digital earlier this month that morale has collapsed at the paper.

People at the outlet "’have no idea’ how or if they’ll replace the expertise, another longtime Postie said. (People I spoke to at the Post asked to remain anonymous to talk about what remains a wrenching and uncertain experience for the organization.)," Schaffer added. 

A Washington Post spokesperson declined to give comment to Fox News Digital on "personnel matters" but stated the paper "will continue to have staff-written obituaries."

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Heather El Moussa and Christina Haack seem unbothered in their bikinis after HGTV pulled the plug on their shows. 

"What happens in Vegas…ends up on Instagram," Heather captioned her photo dump that included a bikini shot with her husband's ex-wife.

El Moussa wore a pink bikini with a matching sarong while holding a glass of champagne. Haack wore a black bikini with silver, circle details and large black sunglasses.

"Too much fun and perfect song choice," Haack commented on El Moussa's post, shouting her out for using Katy Perry's "Waking Up In Vegas."

HGTV STAR HEATHER RAE EL MOUSSA GETS BIKINI-READY WITH THIS ONE THING AT EVERY MEAL

In one of the photos, Haack was seen wearing a birthday sash that said, "I'm 21 bit--es." The reality TV star turned 42 on July 9.

"The Flipping El Moussas" was canceled after two seasons and the network also axed Haack's "Christina on the Coast."

Christina appeared to joke about the cancellation in a separate Instagram post, writing: "Summer so far. Basically just eating and laughing. Canceled looks good on me…. Only kidding only kidding."

However, Heather and Christina will continue to appear alongside Tarek El Moussa in their HGTV series, "The Flip Off," which was recently renewed for a second season.

Earlier this month, El Moussa told Fox News Digital how she's able to maintain a bikini body after welcoming her son, Tristan, with Tarek in early 2023.

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"Well, I’m vegan. I’ve been vegan since I was in my 20s. So, I eat very clean. I think that’s a big part of it," she said.

The 37-year-old revealed that it had taken time to find her rhythm again after giving birth.

"After Tristan, it took me a little bit to get back into my workout routine, having a newborn and figuring out the balance of that," she explained. "I would walk a lot. And then I met my trainer, Paulina, and she started coming to my house. We would do workout routines at home. We added in weights."

For the reality star, weight training was a game-changer.

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"I was never a weights girl," she admitted. "I was always like Pilates or running and cardio … I restricted carbs … I was really strict with what I ate. And after I started lifting weights and after I had Tristan, I really just needed — I wanted — to nourish my body… I just needed calories. I wanted healthy calories … I wanted to feel strong and empowered."

In a social media video, El Moussa showed off her transformation and some of her routine. "I have 3 meals and 2 snacks, all with some sort of protein," she shared in the caption. "Smoothies are my [go-to], or I love rice cakes with avocado and hemp hearts! I eat a [balanced] diet with healthy carbs."

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Tourists and locals in Oahu, Hawaii, are once again able to view an ancient marvel.

Hawaiian petroglyphs dating back at least half a millennium are visible for the first time in years, according to The Associated Press (AP). (See the video at the top of this article.) 

The stick figure-like etchings were revealed due to seasonal ocean swells that peel away sand that had been covering over two dozen images, AP reported.

BEACH TOWN BANS MEN'S TOO-SHORT SWIM TRUNKS, SPARKING DEBATE AND RULE FLIPFLOP

Petroglyphs are also known as kiʻi pōhaku.

They're lava rock carvings etched into stone centuries ago made by Native Hawaiians, according to the Hawaii Island’s government site.

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While researchers are not sure what the echings mean, it is believed they mark birth records or other important events.

Carvings of human forms, canoes, turtles and other objects are pictured around the islands.

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In 2023, 9.6 million visitors traveled to Hawaii, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

Oahu is home to the state capitol of Honolulu and is the third largest and most populated island in Hawaii.

The island of Oahu has two main extinct volcanoes, Waiʻanae and Koʻolau. They're responsible for forming the island.

The Associated Press contributed reporting. 

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The star-studded benefit concert that raised more than $100 million dollars for wildfire victims in California is itself under fire for how the money was spent.

"I have not seen any benefit from the FireAid money, and I am very involved here and neither have my neighbors," said David Howard, who lost two homes in Pacific Palisades.

FireAid billed itself as "a benefit concert for wildfire victims." Aside from music by the likes of Lady Gaga, Jelly Roll, Katy Perry and Olivia Rodrigo, the five-hour show featured multiple stories from victims of the Altadena and Palisades fire who'd lost their homes.

FOX CORPORATION RELIEF CAMPAIGN RAISES $6.5 MILLION TO AID TEXAS COMMUNITIES HIT BY DEVASTATING FLOODS

"My house is gone," Altadena fire victim Mark Jones told the audience. Six months later, Jones told Fox 11 in Los Angeles he expected someone to reach out and provide help, but that didn't happen. Did Jones believe he would receive money? "I did, and I am sure with most Altadenians. The fire aid was for us. So, we figured where is the money? Where is it going?"

Fox News asked that question Wednesday of FireAid and the Annenberg Foundation, which helped put the concert together.

We have yet to receive a response, but officials acknowledged receiving our inquiry.

The FireAid website says the concert raised an estimated $100 million designated for "direct relief".

During the concert, host and actor Miles Teller told viewers "all the money raised will go directly to people who need it now and long-term efforts to build it back."

CELEBRITIES, CORPORATIONS OPEN WALLETS AFTER DEADLY FLOOD IN TEXAS HILL COUNTRY

That was echoed by host and actor Samuel L. Jackson, who said, "Go to the website and give what you can. All the money will go directly to people who need help in the short term and the long-term effort to get this city back on its feet."

But last week, in a statement to the Fox affiliate in Los Angeles, the charity said, "FireAid does not have the capability to make direct payments to individuals and that was never the plan. We partnered directly with trusted local non-profits...to reach communities in need."

Fox News contacted more than 70 of those non-profits. Some replied. Others declined. Some are well known like the Boys and Girls Club, YWCA and Meals on Wheels.

Others are more obscure or promised to help specific ethnic groups or artists.

One that promoted "self-determination in the Latino community" vowed to use their FireAid grant to create "a more humane and democratic society by responding to the needs and problems of disenfranchised people."

Another claimed to use natural helpers or 'promotores' to "cultivate egalitarian relationships based on trust and respect."

LOS ANGELES POLICE HOPE TO REUNITE FIREARM OWNERS WITH GUNS AFTER DEVASTATING PALISADES FIRE

At least $6.5 million in donor money also went to the County of Los Angeles.

All told, FireAid says it has granted $75 million so far to 188 non-profits. The remaining $25 million should go out in August and will focus on "long-term wildfire mitigation, environmental resilience, and sustainable rebuilding," according to the group.

The LA Times this week published an extensive piece on FireAid funding, contacting 100 non-profits receiving aid. It said the money provided a lifeline to many groups, allowing them to provide food, shelter, mental health services and animal care.

So who exactly who is responsible for how the money is spent? That's not entirely clear. The Annenberg Foundation helped organize the concert but claims only an advisory role in how the money is spent.

An Annenberg spokesperson says spending decisions are made by the FireAid Advisory Committee made up of respected philanthropists. They make recommendations to the FireAid Board of Trustees. It includes several executives from the LA Clipper basketball team, a businessman and wife of a prominent media executive.

While there is no evidence of fraud, California Congressman Kevin Kiley wants U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate "where these donations went and who benefited." 

We asked fire victim David Howard if the thought that was necessary.

"100%," he said. "No question. We need to get to the bottom of where the money is going. A lot of money is going to non-profits in a lot of different areas and it's not going to where it needs to."

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The U.S. Department of Education ramped up its campaign against schools defying Title IX and President Donald Trump's executive order on Friday. 

Secretary Linda McMahon announced actions against the states of Oregon and Virginia for their policies on gender ideology. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

In Oregon, McMahon is launching an investigation against the state's Department of Education (ODE) after a high school sports season that featured multiple incidents involving trans athletes in girls' sports that garnered public attention, and two lawsuits over the matter. 

"If Oregon is permitting males to compete in women’s sports, it is allowing these males to steal the accolades and opportunities that female competitors have rightfully earned through hard work and grit, while callously disregarding women’s and girls’ safety, dignity, and privacy. Title IX does not permit that shameful arrangement, and we will not tolerate it," said Craig Trainor, the acting assistant secretary for the DOE's office of civil rights (OCR).

On Thursday, Oregon girls' track athletes Alexa Anderson and Reese Eckard filed a lawsuit against the Oregon School Athletics Association (OSAA) after an incident at the state's track and field championships on the last day of May. Anderson and Eckard alleged that the OSAA not only excluded them from official photos, but also withheld their medals. The suit argues that the girls' First Amendment rights were infringed upon by the officials.

Earlier in July, two other female students, Maddie Eischen and Sophia Carpenter, filed a lawsuit against the ODE and OSAA for its policies that allow males to compete in girls' sports after an incident where they withdrew themselves from a track meet in April, because a male was set to compete against them. 

TRACKING THE TRANS ATHLETE HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS CONTROVERSIES SHAKING THE NATION OVER THE LAST YEAR

Both Carpenter and Eischen previously told Fox News Digital the experience was "traumatic." 

"My experience at the Chehalem track meet and scratching myself from the meet was traumatic, something I never imagined ever having to do," Eischen said. 

Carpenter added, "It was emotionally traumatic trying to know what I should do and how I should respond to competing with [the trans athlete]."

The U.S. DOE investigation directly cites the lawsuits and the firm representing the athletes, the America First Policy Institute. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the ODE for a response. 

Meanwhile, Friday also saw the DOE OCR announce an update on its investigation against five school districts in Virginia for "allegations of discrimination on the basis of sex." 

The OCR concluded its investigation and determined that the five school districts had violated Title IX. The investigation was based on complaints alleging that the Divisions have similar anti-discrimination policies pertaining to "transgender-identifying" students, which violate the sex-based protections of Title IX. 

"Although this type of behavior was tolerated by the previous Administration, it’s time for Northern Virginia’s experiment with radical gender ideology and unlawful discrimination to come to an end. OCR’s investigation definitively shows that these five Virginia school districts have been trampling on the rights of students in the service of an extreme political ideology," Trainor said.

"The Trump Administration will not sacrifice the safety, dignity, and innocence of America’s young women and girls at the altar of an anti-scientific illiberalism." 

The five school districts now have 10 days to come to a voluntary agreement with the Trump administration or risk a referral to the U.S. Department of Justice. 

The DOJ has already launched lawsuits against officials in Maine and California for those states' policies that allow trans athletes in girls' and women's sports.

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

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Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here's what's happening…

- SCOOP: Key GOP group starts work on 2nd 'big, beautiful bill' for Trump

- Democrats have hit 'rock bottom,' party leader says. Here's his unorthodox rebound plan

- Two illegal immigrants charged in NYC shooting of off-duty CBP officer

EXCLUSIVE: Federal authorities arrested a staff member of a clinic in Ontario, California, for allegedly interfering with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrest, while another remains at large. 

Earlier this month, Honduran national Denis Guillen-Solis, a landscaper, allegedly left on foot to evade law enforcement and went inside the Ontario Advanced Surgical Center, where he was not a patient. 

"This story is another example of a false narrative peddled by irresponsible members of the media in furtherance of a political agenda to delegitimize federal agents. The illegal alien arrested inside the medical center was not a patient and was not in any way affiliated with that location. He ran inside for cover and these medical workers attempted to block his apprehension by assaulting our agents," U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli told Fox News in a statement… READ MORE.

'DOESN'T MATTER': Trump shrugs off Macron's Palestine recognition plan while GOP hawks fume over decision

'OWES ME BIG': Trump says SCOTUS immunity ruling likely helps Obama in light of Gabbard, DNI findings

'A HUGE WIN': US-Mexico Tijuana River sewage crisis deal is ‘massive’ win for Americans, EPA says

STATEHOOD PUSH: French President Emmanuel Macron to recognize 'State of Palestine' in September at UN General Assembly

BAGPIPES & BARGAINS: Trump heads to Scotland to talk golf, politics and trade

TRUTH BURIED DEEP: 'Louder by the hour': Senate GOP wants the Epstein drama to end, but Democrats aren't letting it go

SAFETY UNDER REVIEW: FDA chief has no 'plans' for abortion pill policy changes but continues safety review

TRIFECTA TAKEOVER: SCOOP: Key GOP group starts work on 2nd 'big, beautiful bill' for Trump

BACKING THE PATRIOT: Trump-backed Republican who lost 2024 Senate bid scores president's endorsement while trying again

MAKING A COMEBACK: Democrats have hit 'rock bottom,' party leader says. Here's his unorthodox rebound plan

'FABULOUSLY YOURS': Former Congressman George Santos makes 'glamorous' farewell before going to prison: 'The curtain falls'

THE NEXT GENERATION: Pelosi confident about Dems' chances to win House, predicts Jeffries will be speaker

PALMETTO PLAN: House Freedom Caucus conservative to enter race for South Carolina governor

GAME ON: SCOOP: Trump ally to launch key battleground state campaign in bid to flip Democrat-held Senate seat

SILENT NO MORE: Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell could be eyeing three outcomes as she meets with DOJ again: expert

'TREMENDOUS JOB': DeSantis-appointed US senator scores major endorsement ahead of 2026 special election: 'Tremendous job'

BLAST FROM THE PAST: Mamdani outlines 'unabashed' commitment to supporting anti-Israel sanctions as lawmaker in unearthed video

STREAMLINE IN MOTION: Youngkin unleashes cutting-edge AI technology in effort to slash Virginia's government red tape

'FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT': Federal appeals court rules California ammunition background checks unconstitutional

'NEAR-DEADLY ATTACK': Two illegal immigrants charged in NYC shooting of off-duty CBP officer

HOSTAGE NIGHTMARE: Columbia University janitors settle case after being held hostage by anti-Israel rioters on campus

WRONG RING, BROTHER!: Heckler hijacks Florida governor's Hulk Hogan tribute with profane tirade against 'Alligator Alcatraz'

NOT BRIEFED: Los Angeles mayor says 'hell yeah' she regrets Ghana trip during wildfires

JUSTICE DENIED: Grieving parents of American terror victim plead with top criminal prosecutor for justice

Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

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Rep. Ro Khanna sounded off on the Democratic Party establishment in his address to the Voters of Tomorrow Summit for young progressives in Washington, D.C.

"How can we trust government to do big things when government has been corrupted? My friends, for those who want a progressive future, for those who want a government that works to build security and opportunity for the working class, we must get rid of the big money in politics," Khanna said in his address on Friday afternoon.  

The California Democrat then mentioned the Jeffrey Epstein files, which have become a major point of debate in Washington as some demand more information about the case.

PELOSI CONFIDENT ABOUT DEMS' CHANCES TO WIN HOUSE, PREDICTS JEFFRIES WILL BE SPEAKER

"We must restore a government for the people, by the people, of the people. The release of the Epstein files is not a magic cure for trust, but it is a first step. It's a first step to say we will have a new era of transparency," he continued.

Khanna then bluntly called out his party’s establishment in his closing call to action.

"I'll end with this clear point: The old guard needs to go. The old ways have not been working. This party needs a new rebirth. This party needs a rebirth to stand for human rights," he said. "This party needs a rebirth to stand for the working class. This party needs a rebirth to stand for people over the donor class."

Former Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to give virtual remarks at the summit on Friday, and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi was also a major speaker at the event.

"We have no doubt that we will win the election with the House of Representatives," Pelosi said during her speech. "No doubt."

I’M ONE OF THE VOTERS DEMOCRATS NEED TO WIN. 2028 IS THEIR ONLY CHANCE TO REGAIN OUR TRUST

"It's important to be strong in the year in advance, because that's when the troops line up. We have our messaging, we have our mobilization, we need the money to do it, but they go only next to a school to hold up the most important part: the candidate," she continued. 

Younger Democrats, like freshman Arizona Rep. Yassamin Ansari and Illinois congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh, took part in panels at the summit.

Khanna’s address comes as the Democratic Party is striving to navigate the second Trump administration and adapt to the major shifts that occurred across voter demographics in the 2024 election, including among Generation Z. The 2026 election is being seen as an opportunity to get more information about Gen Z voters, as many voted for the first time in 2022 and 2024. 

Some in the party have encouraged a more moderate direction, while others have echoed Khanna’s populist sentiment.

TRUMP SUPPORTERS FIND UNLIKELY COMMON GROUND WITH BLUE STATE CONGRESSMAN AT TOWN HALL: 'I LOVE IT'

"This party needs a rebirth to find our courage in standing up for immigrant rights instead of running away when people talk about immigration. This party needs more people like you in Congress than the current people we have in Congress," Khanna added.

"I'm here to say that a new Democratic Party, a reborn Democratic Party, a populist Democratic Party, a multiracial Democratic Party, a Democratic Party that centers the working and middle class, a Democratic Party that looks like the future is a Democratic Party that can lead us back to victory and lead us to a better America. It's time to take back our party and then to take back our country," he continued. 

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NFL veteran Von Miller referenced his new team by their former name after President Donald Trump threatened to block federal support for the Commanders’ new stadium project in Washington D.C. over his desire to reinstate the Redskins name. 

Speaking to the media after training camp on Thursday, Miller expressed the motivation behind his desire to return to the gridiron. 

"My 15th year in the league, it never gets old – especially being out of work for four months, perspective kind of changes a little bit. You know, back when you were young it was like, ‘Man why do we gotta go to OTAs? Man, I wish I was home.’ And then you’re sitting on the couch for four months, and it’s like, ‘Man, I wish I was at OTAs.’"

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But in his message to the media, Miller referenced the team as the Redskins. 

"It’s good dropping the kids off, and it’s good picking the kids up from school, but I wanna go to work. The Washington Redskins called me a month and a half ago and started talking, and agreed to come here to Washington about a week and a day ago, and here I am. Excited to be here." 

The slip-up comes as President Trump has called on the team to revert to its former name, which was dropped in 2020. 

COMMANDERS GENERAL MANAGER, DC MAYOR UNFAZED BY TRUMP'S COMMENTS ON TEAM NAME

"My statement on the Washington Redskins has totally blown up, but only in a very positive way," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. "I may put a restriction on them that if they don’t change the name back to the original ‘Washington Redskins,’ and get rid of the ridiculous moniker, ‘Washington Commanders,’ I won’t make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington. The Team would be much more valuable, and the Deal would be more exciting for everyone."

Commanders general manager Adam Peters said earlier this week that issues like the stadium rights "don’t really make it to us." 

"We’re just trying to focus on what’s going on here and getting ready for the season."

A vote on the deal that would allow the Commanders to return to their former home at RFK Stadium is set to take place on Aug. 1. The deal includes a $3.7 billion redevelopment project featuring a new stadium, housing units, retail space and parkland. 

The plan to move back to D.C. from the Maryland suburbs is estimated to be around 2030 – that is, if the legislation is approved.  

The White House has made it clear that the president’s comments on the NFL team are legitimate. 

"The president was serious," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday. "Sports is one of the many passions of this president, and he wants to see the name of that team changed."

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.


 

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Authorities believe there was no foul play in the death of 22-year-old graduate student Eliotte Heinz, who was found dead Wednesday in the Mississippi River after vanishing over the weekend in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

The La Crosse Police Department said Friday that, based on the preliminary autopsy results, it does not believe there was any criminal conduct related to Heinz's death. 

The Viterbo University student disappeared Sunday morning after a night out at bars with friends, Fox News Digital previously reported. Heinz was last seen walking along the Mississippi River waterfront at about 3:30 a.m. and was spotted on surveillance footage heading toward her apartment, which was less than a mile away.

FISHERMAN FOUND WISCONSIN GRAD STUDENT FACE DOWN IN MISSISSIPPI RIVER DAYS AFTER MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE

Four days into the search, a young fisherman found her body face down, wrapped in duckweed in the Mississippi River near Brownsville, Minnesota.

It remains unclear how she ended up in the river.

Final autopsy results will not be completed for several months, and investigators will continue to follow up on information, according to a statement from the police department. The investigation remains open.

MISSING WISCONSIN GRAD STUDENT ELIOTTE HEINZ’S MOM SAYS CELLPHONE FOUND AS POLICE EYE TIMELINE: EXPERT

The University of Wisconsin River Watch, a program started in 2006 to prevent alcohol-related accidental drownings, reported that between 1997 and 2006, eight college students drowned in the Mississippi River as a result of excessive drinking.

Heinz's family previously told Fox News Digital they are embarking on a path to healing.

"Eliotte is a beautiful person," the Heinz family wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital. "She was smart, funny, caring, and loved fiercely by us. We don't know why we were so blessed to have her as a daughter, or why we are unable to keep her. She is amazing and would have continued to amaze us. We are devastated that she is no longer with us. Our family will forever have a missing piece.

"We cannot thank our family, friends, the La Crosse community, Viterbo University, or the La Crosse PD enough for showing up for Eliotte. They were an amazing light in an incredibly dark space. Eliotte's walk home is finished. Unfortunately, our family's walk down this new hard path is just beginning. We love you Eliotte."

The La Crosse County Sheriff’s Office, Houston County Sheriff’s Office, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Vernon County Sheriff’s Office, La Crescent Police Department, Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigations, Fort McCoy Fire and Rescue, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, La Crosse Fire Department, La Crosse Dive and Rescue, Wisconsin DNR, Minnesota DNR, La Crosse County Medical Examiner Office, Southern Minnesota Regional Medical Examiner's Office-Mayo Clinic and Viterbo University assisted in the investigation.

Fox News Digital's Stepheny Price contributed to this report.

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President Donald Trump's political team and top advisers to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia apparently aren't on the same page when it comes to the key southeastern battleground state's Republican Senate primary.

The race is crucial for Republicans aiming to expand their Senate majority, as Sen. Jon Ossoff, who is running for re-election in a state that Trump narrowly carried in last year's election, is viewed by the GOP as the most vulnerable Democrat seeking re-election in next year's midterm elections.

Kemp, a popular two-term conservative governor whom Trump had heavily criticized in the past, was courted by national Republicans to take on Ossoff. But Kemp, who is term-limited, announced earlier this year that he would pass on a 2026 Senate run.

Sources in Trump's political orbit and Republican sources in Georgia confirm to Fox News that there was an agreement between the president’s political operation and Kemp’s political team that they would work together to find a candidate that they could all unify behind to take on Ossoff in the Senate race.

FIRST ON FOX: TRUMP HOUSE ALLY TO LAUNCH SENATE BID NEXT WEEK IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE

Those sources also confirm that Kemp and Trump – the ultimate kingmaker in GOP politics – met two weeks ago to discuss the Senate race in Georgia.

But when the governor floated the name of former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley, a source close to the president's political team said "they were told to stand down, because Trump’s team wasn’t ready to move forward on anybody."

And when Kemp and his team did move forward with Dooley, it upset Trump’s advisers, who, according to sources, were "already pretty annoyed" that Kemp had passed earlier this year on taking on Ossoff in the Senate race.

POPULAR GOP GOVERNOR PASSES ON SENATE BID IN 2026

"We had a deal to work together," a top political source in the Trump orbit told Fox News on Friday.  "Kemp went out on his own – which has frustrated and pissed off Trump orbit."

The source added that "the best option for the GOP in Georgia was and is Brian Kemp. Unfortunately, he has chosen the path of the weak, and – instead of leading – has decided to circumvent and self-anoint a candidate no one has heard of and the president hasn’t met."

"The operation that delivered the win in Georgia was the Trump organization – not a faux operation – it’s hard to see it rallying behind the blind ambition of someone more interested in 2028 than in 2026," the source said, in a not-so-veiled reference to Kemp's potential interest in seeking the 2028 Republican presidential nomination. 

But a source close to the governor told Fox News that it's factually not true that they were told to stand down on Dooley.

And the source added that Kemp meant what he said that he wants to work with the president and his team and remains that way.

Kemp's political team first floated the Dooley trial balloon about two months ago. A longtime Georgia-based Republican strategist said the reaction in the Peach State among Republicans "was very negative."

Dooley, who is the son of former longtime University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley, is close with Kemp, who is a longtime friend.

And Dooley has hired two top Kemp political advisers to help with his potential Senate campaign.

A Republican source in Georgia says a decision by Dooley on whether he'll run could come as early as next week.

Republican Rep. Mike Collins, a Trump ally and supporter in the House, will announce his candidacy for the Senate next week, sources with knowledge told Fox News Digital on Friday.

Republican Rep. Buddy Carter, who for a decade has represented a district in coastal Georgia, launched a Senate campaign in the spring.

Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King also announced a run, but ended his bid on Thursday.

Trump and Kemp have a turbulent political history. 

Trump backed the then-Georgia secretary of state in his successful 2018 campaign for governor.

But during the two years after his 2020 election defeat to former President Joe Biden, which included a razor-thin loss in Georgia, Trump attacked Kemp for failing to overturn the election results in his state. 

Trump toned down the criticism in 2022 after Kemp crushed Trump-backed former Sen. David Perdue in the state's GOP gubernatorial primary, as Kemp successfully cruised to re-election to a second term as governor.

KEMP SPEAKS OUT AFTER TRUMP FLIPS AND PRAISES THE GEORGIA GOVERNOR

But last summer, amid the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump went on a 10-minute tirade against Kemp at a rally in Atlanta just blocks from the Georgia State Capitol. Trump blamed the governor not only for failing to overturn the 2020 vote count but also for not stopping a county prosecutor from indicting the former president for his attempts to reverse the results.

Trump quickly changed his tune on Kemp days later, and praised the governor in a social media post "for all of your help and support in Georgia, where a win is so important to the success of our Party and, most importantly, our Country."

Kemp, in a Fox News Digital interview a few days later, downplayed Trump's tirade against him, calling it a "small distraction that’s in the past."

As Dooley moves closer to launching a campaign, Collins is just days from declaring his candidacy.

Collins, a businessman who founded a trucking company, is in his second term representing Georgia's 10th Congressional District, which includes a large swath of urban, suburban, and rural areas between Atlanta and Augusta.

The conservative lawmaker, who's the son of the late Republican Rep. Mac Collins of Georgia, has been moving closer to launching a Senate campaign for weeks.

Collins was an early backer of the president, supporting him as Trump first ran for the Republican presidential nomination in the 2016 cycle.

Collins at the beginning of this year reintroduced the Laken Riley Act, which mandates that undocumented immigrants charged with burglary or theft be detained. It's named after a Georgia nursing student killed by a man who had illegally entered the U.S. The case grabbed national attention.

The bill, which quickly passed the Republican-controlled House and Senate, became the first legislation signed into law by Trump as he started his second tour of duty in the White House.

A Republican source said that Collins has a "great relationship" with the president and his political team.

And a Georgia-based Republican consultant told Fox News that "the lane that Mike is going to run in is the America First fighter who's been with President Trump.

Carter is also courting a Trump endorsement in the GOP primary.

Fox News reached out to the governor's political team for comment but had not received a response by the time the story was published.

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Columbia University's $200 million-plus discrimination settlement with the Trump administration is laying the groundwork for a culture of accountability, Education Secretary Linda McMahon shared in an interview with Fox News Digital. 

President Donald Trump's administration is celebrating what it considers a "historic settlement" with the university that has become the epicenter of protests rejecting the war in Gaza since Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel. 

"I'm very pleased that we were able to bring those negotiations to a close and have an excellent working agreement now with Columbia. They knew they had an antisemitism problem," McMahon said ahead of her remarks at the National Governors Association (NGA) Summer Meeting in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The settlement not only combats antisemitism on college campuses, it takes measures to remove discriminatory hiring practices and enhance campus safety, the education secretary explained. 

TRUMP SECURES $221M COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY SETTLEMENT OVER ALLEGED CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

"This agreement is going to be an excellent template for other universities to be able to use as well," McMahon said. 

COLUMBIA PROFESSORS DEMAND ANSWERS AS WHITE HOUSE FINALIZES NEGOTIATIONS WITH IVY LEAGUE UNIVERSITY

Several Jewish leaders have spoken to Fox News Digital about the "existential threat" they say Jewish New Yorkers are facing since 33-year-old socialist Zohran Mamdani became the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City.

During the primary campaign, Mamdani's refusal to condemn the phrase "Globalize the intifada" and recognize Israel as a Jewish state triggered accusations he was antisemitic. 

He has since said he would discourage others from using the phrase and has continuously affirmed his commitment to condemning the rise of antisemitism in New York City.

Yuval David, a Jewish advocate and advisor, told Fox News Digital that Mamdani, as mayor, would "enable, and more importantly, empower antisemitic protesters."

In light of the Columbia University settlement, Fox News Digital asked McMahon if the Trump administration was worried about a surge in antisemitism on New York City college campuses if Mamdani is elected in November. 

"We didn't discuss that as part of what we were doing. We weren't looking at a specific incident that might occur in the future," McMahon explained.

But the education secretary said what is most important in Columbia University's settlement is that it will "lay the groundwork, so regardless of what incidents may or may not occur, you're prepared for it."

McMahon said Columbia now has a "great working relationship" with the New York Police Department (NYPD). 

The settlement includes Columbia's commitment to "enforcing strict rules against disruptive protests, prohibiting masked protests and maintaining trained security officers and ongoing cooperation with the New York Police Department."

"They won't hesitate to bring them in to make arrests," McMahon warned. "There will be consequences. People will be expelled. They'll be suspended. If there's criminal activity, they can go to jail.

"The accountability factor of this agreement is incredibly strong, and that's the message we intend to send, that students on campus need to be in an environment for study." 

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Authorities believe there was no foul play in the death of 22-year-old graduate student Eliotte Heinz, who was found dead Wednesday in the Mississippi River after vanishing over the weekend in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

The La Crosse Police Department said on Friday that, based on the preliminary autopsy results, it does not believe there was any criminal conduct related to Heinz's death. 

The Viterbo University student disappeared Sunday morning after a night out at bars with friends, Fox News Digital previously reported. Heinz was last seen walking along the Mississippi River waterfront at about 3:30 a.m., and was spotted on surveillance footage heading toward her apartment, which was less than a mile away.

FISHERMAN FOUND WISCONSIN GRAD STUDENT FACE DOWN IN MISSISSIPPI RIVER DAYS AFTER MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE

Four days into the search, a young fisherman found her body face down, wrapped in duckweed in the Mississippi River near Brownsville, Minnesota.

It remains unclear how she ended up in the river.

Final autopsy results will not be completed for several months, and investigators will continue to follow up on information, according to a statement from the police department. The investigation remains open.

MISSING WISCONSIN GRAD STUDENT ELIOTTE HEINZ’S MOM SAYS CELLPHONE FOUND AS POLICE EYE TIMELINE: EXPERT

The University of Wisconsin River Watch, a program started in 2006 to prevent alcohol-related accidental drownings, reported that between 1997 and 2006, eight college students drowned in the Mississippi River as a result of excessive drinking.

Heinz's family previously told Fox News Digital they are embarking on a path to healing.

"Eliotte is a beautiful person," the Heinz family wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital. "She was smart, funny, caring, and loved fiercely by us. We don't know why we were so blessed to have her as a daughter, or why we are unable to keep her. She is amazing and would have continued to amaze us. We are devastated that she is no longer with us. Our family will forever have a missing piece.

"We cannot thank our family, friends, the La Crosse community, Viterbo University, or the La Crosse PD enough for showing up for Eliotte. They were an amazing light in an incredibly dark space. Eliotte's walk home is finished. Unfortunately, our family's walk down this new hard path is just beginning. We love you Eliotte."

The La Crosse County Sheriff’s Office; Houston County Sheriff’s Office; Jackson County Sheriff’s Office; Vernon County Sheriff’s Office; La Crescent Police Department; Wisconsin Department of Justice; Division of Criminal Investigations; Fort McCoy Fire and Rescue; U.S. Fish and Wildlife; La Crosse Fire Department; La Crosse Dive and Rescue; Wisconsin DNR; Minnesota DNR; La Crosse County Medical Examiner Office; Southern Minnesota Regional Medical Examiner's Office-Mayo Clinic; and Viterbo University assisted in the investigation.

Fox News Digital's Stepheny Price contributed to this report.

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EXCLUSIVE: The secretary of the Army has ordered the U.S. Military Academy at West Point to restore the school’s crest on the Bibles at the West Point Cadet Chapel, reversing a Biden-era decision to not include the crest when replacing the Bibles. 

"Since the founding of West Point and before, generations of cadets, officers, and Soldiers have drawn strength and inspiration from God’s word," Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll said in a Friday statement to Fox News Digital. "The decision to remove the Academy’s historic crest from the Bibles in the Cadet Chapel is yet another example of the previous administration pushing far-left politics into our military institutions. I am directing West Point to reverse this decision immediately and restore this important symbol of Duty, Honor, Country."

WEST POINT BIBLE CREST CONTROVERSY SPURS PENTAGON LAWSUIT FROM CONSERVATIVE WATCHDOG

Driscoll’s statement comes after Fox News Digital first reported that a conservative judicial and government watchdog group had filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit Tuesday against the Department of Defense over documents regarding why the crest was absent from the new Bibles. 

A spokesperson for West Point declined to provide comment to Fox News Digital on Friday. 

Judicial Watch first submitted a FOIA request in December 2024 seeking records related to the Bibles, after the MacArthur Society, a group for West Point graduates concerned about potential politicization at the military academy, notified them of the removal of the crest from the Bibles. 

WEST POINT DECISION TO CUT ‘DUTY, HONOR, COUNTRY’ FROM MISSION STATEMENT UNDER FIRE AGAIN'

When asked for comment about the new Bibles, a spokesperson for West Point told Fox News Digital that the chapel's Bibles now feature the name of the military academy.

"The bibles purchased for the West Point Cadet Chapel are emblazoned with ‘The United States Miliary Academy, West Point, New York,'" the spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital Wednesday. 

Judicial Watch filed the original FOIA request to learn more about the decision, due to concerns that the military academy is seeking to eliminate ties with what the group labels "traditional values."

But after receiving no response for the documents, Judicial Watch filed a lawsuit against the Department of Defense for the documents Tuesday. 

"Judicial Watch's heavy lifting gets results," Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a Friday statement to Fox News Digital. "Goes to show again how our lawsuits exposing corruption can fix corruption. The US Army and West Point can't go wrong in honoring God."

HEGSETH QUIPS '99.9%' OF DEI INITIATIVES ARE GONE FROM THE MILITARY UNDER TRUMP’S WATCH

The Pentagon told Fox News Digital that it does not comment on pending litigation. 

Combining religious content or symbols with military material has faced backlash historically. 

In 2012, all four branches of the military pulled approval for a military series of Holman Christian Standard Bibles that had been sold in military exchanges amid concerns that the series indicated that the Bible served as the official religious text of the military services, according to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. 

The West Point crest has undergone several iterations but historically has included an eagle above the school's mascot, the Black Knights.

West Point is one of several U.S. military academies that train students to become military officers.

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The U.S. and Israel announced on Friday that their respective forces had killed terror leaders from ISIS and Hezbollah in separate counterterrorism operations.

CENTCOM troops carried out a raid in al-Bab, Aleppo Governorate, Syria, and killed senior ISIS leader Dhiya’ Zawba Muslih al-Hardani and his two adult sons, who also have ties to the terror organization, according to a statement from CENTCOM. 

It added that three women and three children who "were also on the target" were unharmed in the raid.

"These ISIS individuals posed a threat to U.S. and Coalition Forces, as well as the new Syrian Government," CENTCOM said in a statement.

CENTCOM ELIMINATES ISIS PLOTTER RESPONSIBLE FOR THREATENING US CITIZENS, PARTNERS AND CIVILIANS

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a U.K.-based organization, said the raid was the first of its kind. The group also stated that ground troops of SDF-backed special units and Damascus special forces participated in the operation, though Fox News Digital was unable to confirm their involvement.

Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, CENTCOM commander, vowed U.S. forces would "relentlessly pursue ISIS terrorists."

"ISIS terrorists are not safe where they sleep, where they operate and where they hide," Kurilla said in a statement. "Alongside our partners and allies, U.S. Central Command is committed to the enduring defeat of ISIS terrorists that threaten the region, our allies and our homeland." 

IDF KILLS KEY HAMAS FOUNDER AND MASTERMIND OF OCT 7 TERROR ATTACK IN ISRAEL

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced its troops had killed Ali Mohammad Hassan Qoutan, who served as the personnel officer for Hezbollah’s Bint Jbeil sector. According to the IDF, Qoutan was involved in efforts to rebuild the organization, which was dealt a blow when Israel killed its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in September 2024.

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"The terrorist's activities constitute a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon," the IDF wrote in a statement.

Israel recently concluded a 12-day war with Iran while simultaneously fighting Hamas in Gaza in a war that has been ongoing since the brutal attacks of Oct. 7, 2023.

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President Donald Trump's political team and top advisers to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia apparently aren't on the same page when it comes to the key southeastern battleground state's Republican Senate primary.

The race is crucial for Republicans aiming to expand their Senate majority, as Sen. Jon Ossoff, who is running for re-election in a state that Trump narrowly carried in last year's election, is viewed by the GOP as the most vulnerable Democrat seeking re-election in next year's midterm elections.

Kemp, a popular two-term conservative governor whom Trump had heavily criticized in the past, was courted by national Republicans to take on Ossoff. But Kemp, who is term-limited, announced earlier this year that he would pass on a 2026 Senate run.

Sources in Trump's political orbit and Republican sources in Georgia confirm to Fox News that there was an agreement between the president’s political operation and Kemp’s political team that they would work together to find a candidate that they could all unify behind to take on Ossoff in the Senate race.

FIRST ON FOX: TRUMP HOUSE ALLY TO LAUNCH SENATE BID NEXT WEEK IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE

Those sources also confirm that Kemp and Trump – the ultimate kingmaker in GOP politics – met two weeks ago to discuss the Senate race in Georgia.

But when the governor floated the name of former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley, a source close to the president's political team said "they were told to stand down, because Trump’s team wasn’t ready to move forward on anybody."

And when Kemp and his team did move forward with Dooley, it upset Trump’s advisers, who, according to sources, were "already pretty annoyed" that Kemp had passed earlier this year on taking on Ossoff in the Senate race.

POPULAR GOP GOVERNOR PASSES ON SENATE BID IN 2026

"We had a deal to work together," a top political source in the Trump orbit told Fox News on Friday.  "Kemp went out on his own – which has frustrated and pissed off Trump orbit."

The source added that "the best option for the GOP in Georgia was and is Brian Kemp. Unfortunately, he has chosen the path of the weak, and – instead of leading – has decided to circumvent and self-anoint a candidate no one has heard of and the president hasn’t met."

"The operation that delivered the win in Georgia was the Trump organization – not a faux operation – it’s hard to see it rallying behind the blind ambition of someone more interested in 2028 than in 2026," the source said, in a not-so-veiled reference to Kemp's potential interest in seeking the 2028 Republican presidential nomination. 

Kemp's political team first floated the Dooley trial balloon about two months ago. A longtime Georgia-based Republican strategist said the reaction in the Peach State among Republicans "was very negative."

Dooley, who is the son of former longtime University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley, is close with Kemp, who is a longtime friend.

And Dooley has hired two top Kemp political advisers to help with his potential Senate campaign.

A Republican source in Georgia says a decision by Dooley on whether he'll run could come as early as next week.

Republican Rep. Mike Collins, a Trump ally and supporter in the House, will announce his candidacy for the Senate next week, sources with knowledge told Fox News Digital on Friday.

Republican Rep. Buddy Carter, who for a decade has represented a district in coastal Georgia, launched a Senate campaign in the spring.

Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King also announced a run, but ended his bid on Thursday.

Trump and Kemp have a turbulent political history. 

Trump backed the then-Georgia secretary of state in his successful 2018 campaign for governor.

But during the two years after his 2020 election defeat to former President Joe Biden, which included a razor-thin loss in Georgia, Trump attacked Kemp for failing to overturn the election results in his state. 

Trump toned down the criticism in 2022 after Kemp crushed Trump-backed former Sen. David Perdue in the state's GOP gubernatorial primary, as Kemp successfully cruised to re-election to a second term as governor.

KEMP SPEAKS OUT AFTER TRUMP FLIPS AND PRAISES THE GEORGIA GOVERNOR

But last summer, amid the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump went on a 10-minute tirade against Kemp at a rally in Atlanta just blocks from the Georgia State Capitol. Trump blamed the governor not only for failing to overturn the 2020 vote count but also for not stopping a county prosecutor from indicting the former president for his attempts to reverse the results.

Trump quickly changed his tune on Kemp days later, and praised the governor in a social media post "for all of your help and support in Georgia, where a win is so important to the success of our Party and, most importantly, our Country."

Kemp, in a Fox News Digital interview a few days later, downplayed Trump's tirade against him, calling it a "small distraction that’s in the past."

While it's unclear if Dooley will move forward and launch a campaign, Collins is just days from declaring his candidacy.

Collins, a businessman who founded a trucking company, is in his second term representing Georgia's 10th Congressional District, which includes a large swath of urban, suburban, and rural areas between Atlanta and Augusta.

The conservative lawmaker, who's the son of the late Republican Rep. Mac Collins of Georgia, has been moving closer to launching a Senate campaign for weeks.

Collins was an early backer of the president, supporting him as Trump first ran for the Republican presidential nomination in the 2016 cycle.

Collins at the beginning of this year reintroduced the Laken Riley Act, which mandates that undocumented immigrants charged with burglary or theft be detained. It's named after a Georgia nursing student killed by a man who had illegally entered the U.S. The case grabbed national attention.

The bill, which quickly passed the Republican-controlled House and Senate, became the first legislation signed into law by Trump as he started his second tour of duty in the White House.

A Republican source said that Collins has a "great relationship" with the president and his political team.

And a Georgia-based Republican consultant told Fox News that "the lane that Mike is going to run in is the America First fighter who's been with President Trump.

Carter is also courting a Trump endorsement in the GOP primary.

Fox News reached out to the governor's political team for comment but had not received a response by the time the story was published.

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New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has found herself in the red, owing thousands of dollars to a Black-owned, female-led accessories brand after breaching the House "Gift Rule." 

The violation stems from not paying the full market value for items she donned at the 2021 MET Gala, where she famously wore the "Tax the Rich" dress, and accepting free admission to the event for her fiancé, Riley Roberts.

Tickets to the Met Gala cost at least $30,000, the Associated Press reported. It is unclear whether Ocasio-Cortez purchased her own ticket. 

The House Ethics Committee released its report on Friday, finding that although Ocasio-Cortez "proactively took steps" to comply with the Gift Rule in relation to her Met Gala appearance, she failed to fully comply.

AOC SLAMS PROGRESSIVE CRITICS FOR 'LYING' ABOUT HER IRON DOME STANCE IN DEFENSE BILL FIGHT

The committee found evidence suggesting that the designer, Brother Vellies, may have lowered costs in response to statements from Ocasio-Cortez’s staff, and that payments to vendors were significantly delayed, according to the report.

In several cases, payment did not occur until after the investigation was initiated, the committee noted.

The report also concluded that members of AOC’s staff were "overly reliant" on the vendors themselves to ensure her compliance with the Gift Rule, despite the vendors’ countervailing incentives to ensure she would be able to promote their goods and services.

AOC’S CONSTITUENTS WEIGH IN ON PRESIDENTIAL RUN, RECALL HER STUNNING 2018 POLITICAL UPSET

However, the committee said it did not conclude that the alleged underpayments had been "intentional," instead placing the blame on a campaign staffer who handled payment discussions.

AOC herself blamed her staff while speaking with investigators in March 2023, saying she did not know of any unpaid expenses related to the dress she had worn and stylists who prepared her for the gala, Fox News Digital previously reported.

"I just never, ever, ever would have allowed that to happen, knowing what I have learned," Ocasio-Cortez said at the time. "But I wasn't privy to the invoices, wasn't privy to the ones that had been sent."

Based on its findings, the committee determined it would be appropriate for the Democrat to make additional payments from personal funds to compensate for the fair market value of certain expenses. 

MAXINE WATERS CAMPAIGN TO PAY $68K FOR VIOLATING CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAWS

No sanctions will be imposed, so long as she donates the $250 value of Roberts' Met Gala meal to the Costume Institute and pays Brother Vellies an additional $2,733.28 for the fair market value of the accessories she received in connection with the gala.

After the committee receives confirmation that the payments were completed, it said it will consider the matter closed.

Ocasio-Cortez, the Costume Institute and Brother Vellies did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.

Fox News Digital's Aubrie Spady contributed to this report.

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A pediatric death from a "brain-eating amoeba" has been reported in South Carolina, according to health officials.

Prisma Health Richland Hospital in Columbia publicly confirmed the death on July 22, according to a statement from the South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) sent to Fox News Digital.

The patient died after exposure to Naegleria fowleri, a rare amoeba that causes a life-threatening brain infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM).

FOUR PEOPLE DEAD IN FLORIDA FROM FLESH-EATING BACTERIA FOUND IN COASTAL WATERS

"The July 2025 exposure to the organism Naegleria fowleri likely occurred at Lake Murray, but we cannot be completely certain, as this organism occurs naturally and is present in many warm water lakes, rivers and streams," the South Carolina DPH told Dox News Digital.

"Water activities like swimming or diving in warm freshwater areas, such as lakes and rivers, may increase the risk of exposure and infection."

Naegleria fowleri can be a risk when swimming in fresh water. The amoeba is most active in the months that the water temperature stays above 77F – July, August and September, the health official said.

Infection in humans is very rare, as this is the first case of Naegleria fowleri in South Carolina since 2016. 

There is no increased risk to the public, as Naegleria fowleri is not transmissible person to person, according to the statement. 

DANGEROUS FUNGUS COULD SPREAD TO PARTS OF US, RESEARCHERS CLAIM

"Historically, one infection does not increase the chances that another will occur in the same body of water."

Fox News Digital previously spoke with Tammy Lundstrom, chief medical officer and infectious disease specialist for Trinity Health in Michigan, about the risks of infection.

"The risk of brain-eating amoeba is very low," she said. "Fewer than 10 people in the U.S. every year get infected — but unfortunately, most cases are fatal. There are only a handful of survivors of known cases."

The death rate for Naegleria fowleri exceeds 97%, per the CDC.

The initial symptoms of PAM usually begin about five days after exposure, but they can be noticed sooner.

Early signs usually include headache, nausea, fever and/or vomiting, the CDC’s website states.

As the infection progresses, people may experience confusion, stiff neck, disorientation, hallucinations, seizures and coma.

"People usually start to feel ill one to 12 days after water exposure," Lundstrom said. "Early symptoms should prompt a medical evaluation, as they are also signs of bacterial meningitis."

Death can occur anywhere between one and 18 days of infection, at an average of five days.

To prevent potentially fatal infections, South Carolina health officials said it's important to know how and when exposure could be dangerous.

"How exposure occurs is when water forcefully enters the nose," the officials told Fox News Digital. "To reduce the risk of infection from Naegleria fowleri, hold your nose shut, use nose clips, or keep your head above water, and avoid jumping or diving into fresh water."

Lundstrom reiterated that it's best to avoid immersing your head in the water when swimming in summer.

"Infection occurs when water harboring the amoeba goes up a person’s nose, usually during swimming," she previously told Fox News Digital. "It is not known why some people get infected and others, even swimming companions, do not."

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Drinking contaminated water does not present a risk, and the infection does not spread from one person to another, Lundstrom added.

Because the amoeba is found in soil, the CDC also recommends avoiding stirring up the sediment at the bottom of lakes, ponds and rivers.

When a patient has been diagnosed with a brain-eating amoeba, treatment usually includes a variety of antifungal medications, as well as antibiotics like rifampin and azithromycin, according to Lundstrom. 

Miltefosine, a newer antifungal drug, has been shown to kill Nagleria fowleri in laboratory tests and was used to treat some surviving patients, the CDC states on its website.

"However, the effect of all of these drugs on actual infected people is unknown due to the high fatality rate," Lundstrom noted.

Those who experience sudden headache, fever, stiff neck or vomiting — especially if they have recently been swimming in warm freshwater — should seek immediate medical attention, the CDC recommends.

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Despite the infection’s high fatality rate, Lundstrom emphasized the rarity of cases. 

"Millions of people enjoy swimming every summer, but only a few become infected," she said.

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Bill Self, the longtime head coach of the Kansas men's basketball team, was hospitalized Thursday after he experienced "some concerning symptoms."

A university spokesperson confirmed the 62-year-old coach had two stents inserted during a heart procedure. 

Self remains "in good spirits" and is expected to be discharged from the hospital in the near future. 

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"The procedure went very well, and he is expected to make a full recovery," the school said in a statement. "He is in good spirits and expects to be released from the hospital soon."

COLLEGE BASKETBALL CROWN ANNOUNCES DATES FOR 2026 TOURNAMENT

This isn't the first time Self has been admitted to a hospital after a health scare. In 2023, he missed the Big 12 and NCAA Division I men's basketball tournaments after he experienced chest tightness. Self also contended with balance issues at the time.

The two-time national championship-winning coach underwent a heart catheterization and received a pair of stents to treat the blocked arteries.

Self has patrolled the Kansas sideline since 2003. In addition to the two national titles, Self coached the Jayhawks to 14 consecutive Big 12 regular-season championships from 2004-2018. 

In 2017, Self was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

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Ever feel like your devices are wearing you down? 

Whether you're up until 3 a.m. watching videos or checking work messages on the weekend, it's easy to let technology blur the lines between downtime and overload. However, here's the catch: a growing connection exists between technology and mental health, affecting everything from focus to sleep.

We're breaking down five buzzworthy terms that explain how our digital habits are shaping the way we think, feel, and function. So, if you've ever wondered why your mind feels foggy or why you can't stop scrolling, this is a judgment-free zone, with smart insights and doable tips to help you reset.

Stay tuned for more in this series as we dive deeper into tech terms and other essential concepts, answering the top questions we get from readers like you.

YOUR LATE-NIGHT TV BINGE COULD SABOTAGE YOUR BRAIN HEALTH, DOCTOR WARNS

The downward spiral in your feed

Doomscrolling occurs when you compulsively browse negative news, social media posts or disturbing content, often late at night or during vulnerable moments. At first, you might believe you are staying informed. However, as you continue, anxiety builds and the world quickly feels overwhelming.

As you scroll from one distressing update to the next, time slips away unnoticed. Soon, you notice your mood sinking, yet you keep looking for something positive that rarely appears. Therefore, if you find it difficult to stop-despite feeling worse-you are probably doomscrolling. You're probably doomscrolling when:

WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?

Try this: Set a time limit on news apps or swap your nighttime scroll for a podcast or audiobook. The goal isn't to disconnect entirely, it's to stop spiraling.

On iPhone:

On Android:

Settings may vary depending on your Android phone's manufacturer.

The glow that messes with your sleep

Blue light is a type of high-energy light emitted by screens (phones, tablets, laptops) that can trick your brain into thinking it's daytime. Too much exposure, especially at night, can disrupt melatonin production and throw off your sleep cycle. Where you'll find it:

To minimize the effects: Use "Night Shift" or "Dark Mode" on your devices, avoid screens at least 30 minutes before bed, or try blue light-blocking glasses if you're stuck in front of a screen after sunset.

On iPhone:

On Android:

Settings may vary depending on your Android phone's manufacturer.

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The hours you didn’t mean to spend on your phone

Screen time tracks how long you spend on your device each day. Most phones will even break it down by app, often to shocking effect.

Why it matters: High screen time has been linked to lower mood, disrupted sleep, and reduced focus. It can sneak up on you, especially with multitasking (e.g., TV + phone).

Good to know: Setting app limits, using focus modes, or even just checking your weekly screen time summary can help you get real about your digital habits, without judgment. It can also help you reduce screen time.

On iPhone:

On Android:

Settings may vary depending on your Android phone's manufacturer.

The reset your brain didn't know it needed

A digital detox is when you intentionally unplug from tech, whether that's for a few hours, a weekend or a whole vacation. The point isn't punishment; it's about giving your brain space to rest and reset.

You don't have to go full "off the grid" to benefit:

Even mini detoxes can reduce stress, improve focus and boost your mood. Think of it as mental floss.

When tech reinforces stereotypes without meaning to

Algorithmic bias happens when the data powering algorithms reflects human biases, leading to skewed results in everything from job recommendations to facial recognition to social media feeds.

Why it matters for your mental health:

Stay mindful: Be curious about why certain content shows up in your feed. Follow a range of voices, diversify your digital space and question the default settings.

You don't need to throw your phone in a lake to reclaim your peace of mind. Just understanding how certain tech habits and systems affect your mental health is a great place to start. From blue light to doomscrolling to the hidden hand of algorithmic bias, each term is a reminder to use tech with more intention and care.

Want more tips for protecting your peace in a screen-heavy world? Curious about how to reset your feed or set better boundaries with your phone? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

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"South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone discussed their controversial season 27 premiere at San Diego Comic-Con on Thursday, revealing a behind-the-scenes battle with network executives over airing a less-than-flattering depiction of President Donald Trump's penis during Wednesday's episode.

The duo behind the long-running Comedy Central series spoke alongside a panel of other adult cartoon creators at the event, including "Beavis and Butt-Head" creator, Mike Judge, and "Digman!" co-creator, Andy Samberg. 

When asked if they had been following the reaction to their season 27 premiere by the panel's moderator, Josh Horowitz, Parker jokingly replied, "We're terribly sorry."

'SOUTH PARK' CREATORS RIP SKYDANCE-PARAMOUNT MERGER AS A 'S---SHOW', BLAME DEAL FOR DELAYING NEW SEASON

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, that's about as far as the creators went in responding to the controversy stirred by the episode, although Stone did address Trump more directly later in the discussion when the duo were asked about how they originally met.

"For me and Trey, we met over ‘Monty Python,’" he said. "In this day, when PBS is getting their funding cut, that’s how I found ‘Monty Python.’"

Stone's comments on PBS come on the heels of a congressional vote last week to cut funding for public broadcasting. Trump signed the $9 billion spending cuts package into law on Thursday.

According to Parker, the show's team finalized the season's premiere episode just shortly before it aired.

"Just three days ago, we were going, ‘I don’t know if people are going to like this,'" Parker said, adding that the duo were reading news headlines and said to each other, "Let’s put that in there."

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Horowitz questioned the "South Park" creators about whether there were any concerns about the season premiere from higher-ups at Comedy Central, with Parker detailing a discussion with the network about showing Trump's penis on the show.

"They were like, ‘We’re gonna blur the penis,’ and we’re like, ‘No, you’re not gonna blur the penis,'" Parker responded, adding that the show's team agreed to add eyes to the depiction of the president's penis to make it a character.

The White House, however, did not seem thrilled about the season 27 premiere of "South Park." White House Assistant Press Secretary Taylor Rogers issued a statement regarding Wednesday's episode to Fox News Digital on Thursday.

"The Left’s hypocrisy truly has no end — for years, they have come after South Park for what they labeled as ‘offense’ [sic] content, but suddenly they are praising the show," Rogers stated. "Just like the creators of South Park, the Left has no authentic or original content, which is why their popularity continues to hit record lows. This show hasn’t been relevant for over 20 years and is hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention. President Trump has delivered on more promises in just six months than any other president in our country’s history — and no fourth-rate show can derail President Trump’s hot streak."

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A Little League team in Venezuela will be unable to participate in the Senior Little League World Series after their travel visas to the United States were denied.

The Cacique Mara team, from Maracaibo, Venezuela, was scheduled to participate in the tournament after winning the Latin American championship in Mexico.

However, Venezuela is among a list of countries with restrictions on entering the U.S., and President Donald Trump has banned travel to the U.S. from 12 other countries, citing national security concerns.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM 

The Senior League Baseball World Series, a tournament for players aged 13-16, is played each year in Easley, South Carolina, and begins on Saturday.

"The Cacique Mara Little League team from Venezuela was unfortunately unable to obtain the appropriate visas to travel to the Senior League Baseball World Series," Little League International said in a statement, adding that it is "extremely disappointing, especially to these young athletes."

12-YEAR-OLD LITTLE LEAGUER ALLOWED BACK IN STATE TOURNEY AFTER JUDGE OVERTURNS BAT FLIP SUSPENSION

"It is a mockery on the part of Little League to keep us here in Bogotá with the hope that our children can fulfill their dreams of participating in a world championship," the team said in a statement of their own. "What do we do with so much injustice, what do we do with the pain that was caused to our children?"

The tournament organizers replaced the Venezuelans with the Santa Maria de Aguayo team from Tamaulipas, Mexico, the team that was a runner-up in the Latin American championship.

The Venezuelan team traveled to Colombia two weeks ago to apply for their visas at the U.S. embassy in Bogotá.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Aaron Rodgers kicked off his tenure in Pittsburgh with an interception on his first pass in the Steelers’ first team period on Thursday. But the veteran NFL quarterback isn’t viewing it as a bad omen. 

"It’s good to get that out the way," Rodgers told reporters with a smile during the team’s post-practice media availability.

"Anybody that’s watched me practice over the years – you know, you like to try certain throws at certain times – anybody that’s watched me in the games knows I’ve been pretty stellar taking care of the football over the years."

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Rodgers, 41, signed with the Steelers last month after a disappointing two-year stint with the New York Jets. Injury hampered the four-time league MVPs hopes of bringing the Lombardi Trophy back to New York, and his second season didn’t fare any better. 

But one bad pass won’t make or break the season, Rodgers said Thursday – admitting that pick certainly won’t be the only one fans see this season. 

"There’s going to be picks, for sure. I’m going to try to fit certain things in – you gotta deal with some sweat on the ball from time to time. So, it’s going to be a good challenge for me throwing in this heat every single day. I look forward to it, but I'm gonna throw some picks, but I'm  gonna throw some touchdowns, too." 

STEELERS' AARON RODGERS SAYS HE'S 'PRETTY SURE' THIS SEASON WILL BE HIS FINAL ONE

Rodgers was every bit confident in his ability to turn the Jets organization around after he joined the team in 2023. He has seemingly maintained that optimism in Pittsburgh despite how things ended in New York.

"I think that there's really only six to eight that really have a legitimate chance [at winning the Super Bowl]," Rodgers said. "Sometimes, it's 10 to 12, and there's teams that surprise you, but I would say on paper, we're probably one of those 10 to 12."  

Rodgers threw for 3,987 yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 17 games last season. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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The Pentagon has suspended participation in all think tank events until further notice, departing from a history of dialogue with Washington’s civilian national security realm.

The move is an attempt "to ensure the Department of Defense is not lending its name and credibility to organizations, forums and events that run counter to the values of this administration."

"Going forward, no DOD official will attend events by America Last organizations that promote globalism and hate (President Donald Trump)," Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson wrote on X. 

In the future, the Defense Department (DOD)’s Office of Public Affairs will conduct a "thorough vetting" every time an official is invited to a conference to decide whether the event advances Trump’s agenda.

HEGSETH ORDERS SWEEPING ARMY OVERHAUL AND CONSOLIDATION AIMED AT COUNTERING CHINA AND GOLDEN DOME CAPABILITIES

Such security events often are funded by foreign governments or defense contractors and serve as a space for such players to push a message or a product they sell to key officials and for defense officials to put out a message of their own from the U.S. government. 

The move comes after the Pentagon yanked its officials from participation in the Aspen Security Forum — a gathering of defense-minded industry leaders and researchers. 

Wilson had said the secretary’s office believed that event "promotes the evil of globalism, disdain for our great country, and hatred for the President of the United States."

Several top military officials had been scheduled to speak at the event. 

HEGSETH ABRUPTLY PULLS PENTAGON OFFICIALS FROM 'GLOBALIST' ASPEN CONFERENCE

Historically, defense secretaries have participated in defense conferences and think tank events like the Munich Security Conference or the Reagan Defense Forum.

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Hegseth skipped out on the Munich Security Conference but attended the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore in May.  

Aspen previously told Fox News Digital, "For more than a decade, the Aspen Security Forum has welcomed senior officials – Republican and Democrat, civilian and military – as well as senior foreign officials and experts, who bring experience and diverse perspectives on matters of national security. We will miss the participation of the Pentagon, but our invitations remain open."

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A California man was federally charged for allegedly scamming more than $2 million from people over popular dating apps by posing as someone who was "financially successful and knowledgeable about investments," prosecutors said. 

Christopher Earl Lloyd, 39, of Whittier, is now facing a 14-count federal indictment in connection with the alleged scheme he carried out for nearly three years on dating apps such as Tinder, Hinge and Bumble, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Central District of California. 

"According to the indictment that a federal grand jury returned on July 2, from April 2021 to February 2024, Lloyd used dating apps and websites to befriend and engage in romantic relationships with his victims. Lloyd lied to his victims to give them the impression that he was financially successful and knowledgeable about investments," the Attorney’s Office said. 

"Lloyd fraudulently induced his victims to provide money and property to him, including in the form of purported investments, by telling them he knew of investment opportunities that would benefit them. Lloyd also told his victims that he would invest their money, that they would receive regular returns on these investments, and that they could withdraw these investments at any time," it added. 

UK MAN INDICTED IN ALLEGED $99M WINE FRAUD SCHEME THAT LEFT INVESTORS HIGH AND DRY 

However, Lloyd used the money that his victims sent him for his own personal benefit, prosecutors said. 

"For example, in May 2023, Lloyd allegedly withdrew $40,000 in funds a victim sent him to write a check to a Lexus car dealership in Mission Viejo," according to prosecutors. 

They said Lloyd helped sell the scam by telling his victims that "he had closed on multiple properties, that he had been a financial manager for years, that he was the vice president of a company called Planet 13 Holdings, and that he worked for an investment company called Landmark Associates." 

"None of these statements was true," the Attorney’s Office said. 

FEDS BUST ARMENIAN FRAUD RING ACCUSED OF STEALING $30M IN COVID, SMALL BUSINESS LOANS 

It added that Lloyd "supported his false statements by signing contracts with victims that specified the investments that the victims were to make and setting a false schedule of investment returns" and that they then "sent him money, including via wire transfers, Cash App, Zelle, or cash payments." 

Lloyd was charged with 13 counts of wire fraud and one count of engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from the fraud. 

"If convicted, Lloyd would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count and up to 10 years in federal prison for the monetary transaction count," prosecutors said. "The FBI is investigating this matter." 

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President Donald Trump said that those asking about the late financier Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking case should direct their attention to former President Bill Clinton and former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers. 

Trump’s remarks come a day after U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche met with Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell in Florida amid heightened scrutiny about the case after the Trump administration announced it would not unseal investigation materials concerning Epstein. 

JEFFREY EPSTEIN ACCOMPLICE GHISLAINE MAXWELL HAD ‘VERY PRODUCTIVE DAY MEETING’ WITH DEPUTY AG: ATTORNEY 

"You ought to be speaking about Larry Summers. You ought to be speaking about some of his friends that are hedge fund guys," Trump told reporters Friday while departing for Scotland. "They're all over the place. You ought to be speaking about Bill Clinton." 

Trump then accused Clinton of visiting Epstein's private island the financier used as a home base for his sex-trafficking operations. Trump said he'd never visited the island before. 

Meanwhile, Clinton has also said he has never visited the island either. In his new memoir "Citizen," released in 2024, Clinton said he'd never gone to the island and that he wished he'd never even met Epstein in the first place. 

Spokespeople for Summers and Clinton did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

Summers previously served as treasury secretary for Clinton, as well as the director of the National Economic Council for former President Barack Obama

GHISLAINE MAXWELL SUBPOENAED BY HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE AMID EPSTEIN FILES PUSH

Trump’s comments come amid outrage from some conservatives after the Department of Justice and the FBI announced in July the agencies will not release new documents from the Epstein sex trafficking case, and that their review into Epstein is closed. 

Additionally, the agencies said that they did not detect a list of sexual predators with ties to Epstein, and concluded there were no new people who could face charges. 

FEDERAL JUDGE RULES ON TRUMP'S REQUEST TO UNSEAL EPSTEIN GRAND JURY TRANSCRIPTS

Trump has sought to quash curiosity about the Epstein case and said that no credible information is left to share with the public. 

"He's dead for a long time. He was never a big factor in terms of life. I don't understand what the interest or what the fascination is. I really don't, and the credible information's been given," Trump said July 14. 

Blanche said after his Thursday meeting with Maxwell that he would meet with her again on Friday and would share more details later. 

"Today, I met with Ghislaine Maxwell, and I will continue my interview of her tomorrow," Blanche said in a Thursday post on X. "The Department of Justice will share additional information about what we learned at the appropriate time."

Meanwhile, Maxwell has been convicted on charges including sex trafficking of a minor and is serving a 20-year sentence. 

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Major League Baseball’s trade deadline is officially underway.

The Seattle Mariners acquired first baseman Josh Naylor from the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, the teams announced. The Diamondbacks acquired minor league pitchers Brandyn Garcia and Ashton Izzi in exchange for Naylor. 

Naylor, 28, has been very productive for the Diamondbacks this season. In 93 games, Naylor has a .292 batting average with 11 home runs and 59 RBI. 

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The Diamondbacks acquired Naylor this past season from the Cleveland Guardians to replace Christian Walker, who departed in free agency for the Houston Astros. 

Naylor made the American League All-Star team last season, as he had 31 home runs and 108 RBI with the Guardians. 

"We are thrilled to add Josh as we make a push for the postseason," Seattle general manager Justin Hollander said in a statement. "Josh’s ability to hit for both average and power is unique, and we are excited to not face him anymore."

Naylor will slot in the top of the Mariners' lineup alongside AL MVP candidate Cal Raleigh, center fielder Julio Rodriguez, and left fielder Randy Arozarena. 

FORMER GUARDIANS MANAGER TERRY FRANCONA DEFENDS TEAM'S NAME CHANGE AMID TRUMP'S PRESSURE

The Mariners are 55-48 and currently hold the second wild card spot in the American League, while they are second to the Astros in the American League West. 

Garcia, 25, made his MLB debut with the Mariners on July 21 after he quickly ascended through the team’s farm system after being selected in the 11th round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of Texas A&M. 

Garcia had a 2.16 ERA in eight appearances with the Mariners’ Triple-A team. 

Izzi, 21, was selected by the Mariners in the fourth round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of East Oswego High School in Illinois. 

In 12 starts at High-A Everett, Izzi had a 5.51 ERA over 47 1/3 innings. 

The Diamondbacks are expected to be active as the July 31 trade deadline approaches. At 50-53, the team has had a disappointing season and could look to shed some players on expiring contracts. 

The Diamondbacks’ third baseman Eugenio Suarez, and starting pitchers Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly could be on the move as well. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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An unconventional approach to reproduction is reportedly reducing the risk of metabolic disease.

Three-person in vitro fertilization (IVF), a new concept developed by scientists in New Castle, U.K., has resulted in the births of eight healthy children.

In the study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, the researchers found that pathogenic variants in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) are a "common cause" of severe — and often fatal — inherited metabolic disease.

SPERM DONOR'S GENETIC MUTATION LINKED TO CANCER IN 10 CONCEIVED CHILDREN

This DNA in the mother's mitochondria can cause "harmful mutations" in children, which can lead to diseases that affect tissues in the heart, brain and muscles, according to the journal Nature.

At the Newcastle Fertility Centre, 22 women with pathogenic mtDNA variants underwent a "pronuclear transfer," in which they received a mitochondrial donation.

This involved the transfer of the nucleus of a fertilized egg with "faulty mitochondria" into a donor egg cell with healthy mitochondria, Nature detailed.

MEN FACE DOUBLE DEMENTIA RISK IF THEY HAVE A HIDDEN GENETIC MUTATION

The result includes nuclear DNA from both the biological mother and father, as well as mitochondrial DNA from the separate egg donor.

From this, eight children were born healthy, with no levels or low levels of mtDNA detected in their blood.

The researchers noted that one child did develop hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol) and cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) — as the child's mother had hyperlipidemia during pregnancy — but both conditions responded to treatment.

Another child developed infant myoclonic epilepsy — a rare type of epilepsy that typically affects infants between 6 months and 3 years old — which concluded in "spontaneous remission." 

"At the time of this report, all the children have made normal developmental progress," the researchers noted.

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Dr. Zev Williams, director of Columbia University Fertility Center in New York City, said this latest research "marks an important milestone."

"Expanding the range of reproductive options … will empower more couples to pursue safe and healthy pregnancies," he said in an interview with Fox News Digital.

In a press briefing, Robert McFarland, a pediatric neurologist at Newcastle University, who co-led one of the studies, reportedly noted the team’s "cautious optimism" about the results. 

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"To see babies born at the end of this is amazing, and to know there’s not going to be mitochondrial disease at the end of that," he said.

Fox News Digital reached out to the study researchers for comment.

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Training camp has arrived, and football fans everywhere are counting down the seconds until it ends.

Apparently, so are the players' significant others.

Late July is one of the most exciting times to be a football fan, as it begins fantasy season and the countdown to the first kickoff of the year. However, it's a rather stressful time for the wives and girlfriends (WAGs) of the players, according to one star's wife.

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Brandon Aiyuk's wife, Rochelle, posted a TikTok to give an inside look at what it's like to be a significant other of an NFL player during camp, and why they "go into a frenzy" and "in a panic."

"Training camp does last for multiple weeks and the women freak out because — so in my situation, I’m a mother. Now he has to abruptly leave, and [I’m] taking care of my rambunctious four-year-old by myself, who has never slept, and he is off the walls. He's a hard one," Rochelle admitted. 

"For some other people’s situations, they’re not based in the same city that the team plays… The wives and girlfriends who are back home now have to get left and [their significant other] have to go report to work, go to camp. I get to see my husband every few days, they don’t get to see their man at all for like weeks."

Rochelle then said that a family life could be turned upside down at the flip of a switch.

RAIDERS CUT TIES WITH DEFENSIVE TACKLE CHRISTIAN WILKINS IN SHOCKING MOVE, IGNITING FEUD OVER BONUS MONEY

"Another thing, training camp is so intense. Some of the men are not guaranteed a spot yet, they are fighting for their spot on the team. So if they don’t make this team and they end up on a different team, the family has to pack up and move. It’s just a lot," Rochelle continued. "Abrupt training camp change is no joke, so that’s why you’ll see all of the girlies going crazy online and then social media is a fun way to just distract from that time. So no, our men aren’t our whole personality people. It just gives us a fun thing to look forward to. It’s just content."

Thankfully for the Aiyuks, they seem to be set in stone in San Francisco, as the wide receiver signed a four-year, $120 million extension last year that begins with the 2025 kickoff.

However, Aiyuk suffered a torn ACL last year, and the 49ers still don't have a timetable for his return.

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Fans called out Justin Timberlake for not singing during a concert in Romania.

Timberlake performed at the Electric Castle festival, but many weren't pleased with his performance. In one video, the pop singer can be heard continuously telling the audience to sing while walking around the stage and occasionally dancing.

"When you pay for a concert but get a mute singer," a fan wrote while sharing the video on TikTok. "Dude took a day off on stage…"

JESSICA BIEL SHARES RARA GLIMPSE INTO MONTANA FAMILY LIFE WITH JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE AFTER LEAVING HOLLYWOOD

Users flooded the comments with jokes about the performance.

"So y’all went to karaoke?" one wrote, while another added: "This performance could’ve been an email."

"It looks like he doesn’t even care," one user said. And another wrote: "So basically u paid ur ticket to listen to urself."

"I would 100% request a refund," another chimed in.

Fox News Digital has reached out to representatives for Timberlake for comment.

LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Timberlake was in Romania as part of the European Leg of his Forget Tomorrow World Tour. 

The "Cry Me a River" singer will head to Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey next.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

Timberlake's tour was almost derailed after the singer was arrested for DWI in June 2024. The former *NSYNC member pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of "driving while ability impaired" and was given community service.

Timberlake addressed reporters after his hearing. The musician made a public apology and gave a drunk-driving PSA as required in his plea agreement.

"So I don't, I don't know how many of you were in the courtroom and heard what I had to say in the courtroom, but I'll reiterate that and say this to you. Many of you have probably been covering me for a lot of my life. And as you may know, I try to hold myself to a very high standard for myself. And this was not that. I found myself in a position where I could have made a different decision, but I've had some time to reflect on that."

"And I also understand by, you know, the fact that all of you are here, that I have a platform, you have a platform, we share that platform. And so what I like to say to everyone watching and listening, even if you've had one drink, don't get behind the wheel of a car. There's so many alternatives. Call a friend. Take an Uber. There's many travel apps … take a taxi."

[syndicated profile] fox_news_feed

The artist who painted former First Lady Michelle Obama’s official White House portrait has pulled her latest show from a D.C. Museum this week after the space’s owners wanted to alter one of her works to avoid offending President Donald Trump, The New York Times reported Thursday.

Artist Amy Sherald withdrew her solo show from the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery after she was told her painting "Trans Forming Liberty" — a depiction of the Statue of Liberty as a trans woman — may be removed by the gallery.

"I entered into this collaboration in good faith, believing that the institution shared a commitment to presenting work that reflects the full, complex truth of American life. Unfortunately, it has become clear that the conditions no longer support the integrity of the work as conceived," Sherald said in a letter to Smithsonian secretary Lonnie Bunch III.

DEFUNDING DEI: HERE’S HOW THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS UNDONE BIDEN’S VERY PRIZED PROGRAMS

Sherald painted the portrait of Obama currently owned by the National Portrait Gallery. The work, which is a grayscale image of the former First Lady that features some brighter colors near the bottom of her floor-length dress, generated controversy when it was unveiled in 2018. 

Critics online savaged the more abstract elements of the portrait, and some ripped the work for not looking anything like Obama. 

Courting controversy once again, Sherald refused to have "Trans Forming Liberty" altered or removed from her "American Sublime" gallery that was set to debut at the museum in September. In a statement she produced Thursday that was shared with Fox News Digital, the artist said she was "informed that concerns had been raised internally" about the work. 

"These concerns led to discussions about removing the work from the exhibition," she said. "While no single person is to blame, it's clear that institutional fear shaped by a broader climate of political hostility toward trans lives played a role."

In a separate statement obtained by The Times, Sherald said that Bunch had proposed replacing the transgender depiction with a video of people reacting to it — an idea the artist rejected.

"When I understood a video would replace the painting, I decided to cancel," she said. "The video would have opened up for debate the value of trans visibility and I was opposed to that being a part of the ‘American Sublime’ narrative."

WHITE HOUSE VOWS TO IMPLEMENT 'SYSTEM OF MERIT' IN US, DISMANTLE DEI 'STRANGULATION'

However, a Smithsonian spokesperson disputed Sherald’s account of Bunch’s proposed alterations.

"The video was to accompany the painting as a way to contextualize the piece, "It was not to replace Amy Sherald’s painting," they said in a statement. 

When asked for comment, the Smithsonian pointed Fox News Digital to its recent statement on the matter. 

"While we understand Amy’s decision to withdraw her show from the National Portrait Gallery, we are disappointed that Smithsonian audiences will not have an opportunity to experience ‘American Sublime,'" it read.

"Unfortunately, we could not come to an agreement with the artist. We remain appreciative and inspired by Ms. Sherald, her artwork and commitment to portraiture," it added.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

Sherald’s exit comes after Trump signed an executive order in March to remove leftist ideology and historical revisionism from government institutions. In the order, he called out the Smithsonian for having "come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology."

"This shift has promoted narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive," he added. 

Trump also declared he would be firing the Portrait Gallery’s director, Kim Sajet, for being a "strong supporter of D.E.I." Sajet resigned from her role in June.

The White House provided Fox News Digital with a quote from Trump admin official Lindsey Halligan blasting Sherald's artwork.

"The ‘Trans Forming Liberty’ painting, which sought to reinterpret one of our nation’s most sacred symbols through a divisive and ideological lens, fundamentally strayed from the mission and spirit of our national museums. The Statue of Liberty is not an abstract canvas for political expression — it is a revered and solemn symbol of freedom, inspiration, and national unity that defines the American spirit."

She added, "President Trump’s Executive Order mandates that such institutions serve not as platforms for ideological division, but as sources of unity, inspiration and pride of our shared history. The removal of this exhibit is a principled and necessary step toward restoring that purpose."

[syndicated profile] fox_news_feed

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass continued to express regret for her controversial Ghana trip ahead of the devastating fires earlier this year in a recent interview with Vice News.

"I was asked, ‘Do I regret going?’ Hell yeah. I mean, let me just do a comparison. If you are out of town and your kid or a member of your family gets sick or hurt, it doesn't matter where you were or why you were there. You feel horrible," Bass said in an interview with Vice News earlier this month. 

"I'm really not trying to give excuses, but there was no way in the world I knew that the city was in danger when I left," she later added. "Absolutely no way. And if you think about it through, if you take a step back, and because I did ask the chief when I came back, you know, like ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ and basically the response was ‘Because we have Santa Anas all the time and nobody expected hurricane-force winds.'"

The mayor faced intense scrutiny for the presidential delegation's visit to Africa even though there were warnings of the fire ahead of time. The Los Angeles Times reported that her team was aware of the fire risk before her trip. 

She ended up returning the day after the fires began ripping through Los Angeles neighborhoods, like the Pacific Palisades, where thousands of buildings were destroyed.

LA MAYOR RIPPED FOR INTERFERING WITH ICE RAID AT CRIME-RIDDEN LOCAL PARK: 'FULL OF S---'

"Well, I mean to be with honest with you. Well, I didn’t get briefed. That’s true. But I think that, again, people did not anticipate the historic wind. And it wasn’t just LA. It was the county too."

"What typically happens is that if there's going to be a big weather event, there are these briefings that happen and, uh, it's either initiated by the fire department or the emergency department," she said. "I was used to the fire chief calling me and telling me, you know, this is getting ready to happen. Come over. I need to brief you and all, you know, everything goes into motion. That didn't happen in the county, meaning LA and LA County."

On her flight back, she said she was on the phone almost the entire 12-hour flight back to the U.S. from Ghana.

SOCIAL MEDIA, TRUMP ADMIN ERUPTS OVER LA MAYOR'S REACTION TO ICE RAIDS: 'YOU'RE A CRIMINAL TOO'

"Well, they’re telling me what’s happening in the fire. We were preparing the emergency declaration. They were talking to the mayor, the council president who serves as acting mayor while I’m gone. I don’t remember if I talked to him or not then, but because there were just a lot of phone calls. Sometimes a lot of people. I think I even did a news interview, but all of that was while I was on the way home," she said, noting that she had phone access on the plane because it was a military plane, and she did not realize that the Sky News, who she went viral for not answering his questions, was even on the flight.

Bass ousted Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley from her position in February, and Crowley unsuccessfully appealed her removal.

"Our firefighters support Chief Crowley because she stood up for the men and women of our department," United Firefighters of Los Angeles City posted to X at the time.  

In the interview, Bass claimed there were "lies told" about the budget and fire engines.

LOS ANGELES MAYOR SLASHES FIRE DEPARTMENT DEI BUREAU IN PROPOSED BUDGET MONTHS AFTER WOKE BACKLASH

"Yes, there were broken fire engines. We find out later that those fire engines were there broken because they're used for spare parts. But there were 40 fire engines that were idle because they didn't have the staff that [Crowley] sent home. And the budget cut and I don't I don't know the reasons for it, and then the budget cut that never happened," she added.

"Yes," Crowley notably responded in an interview at the time of the fires when asked if city leadership "failed" her when it came to resources.

"What we did when we did the budget was we put money aside for fire because we were in labor negotiations. If the budget was signed before then, but when the labor negotiations were done, we put it back in the budget. Which is a common thing. We’re doing that right now," Bass said.

When asked about the after-action report for the fire, Bass said she would ‘look and see, but they should be about finished now."

Fox News Digital reached out to Bass' office and Crowley. Fox News Digital also reached out to the Los Angeles Fire Department, but they did not immediately comment. 

[syndicated profile] fox_news_feed

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., exuded confidence as she declared to Gen Z activists at the Voters of Tomorrow summit that the Democrats would take back the House in 2026.

"We have no doubt that we will win the election with the House of Representatives," Pelosi said, eliciting applause from the crowd. She then responded to the cheers by once again saying "No doubt."

The longtime California lawmaker also said she was confident that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., would be speaker of the House after the 2026 midterms.

PELOSI'S STOCK TRADING LEGACY HAUNTS DEMOCRATS AS JEFFRIES SLAMS GOP FRESHMAN'S 'THIEVERY'

While Pelosi was confident about the Democrats’ chances, she also emphasized the need for preparation. The former House speaker credited early preparation for the Democrats’ victories in 2006 and 2018 to early preparation, saying that 2026 could be the same. 

"It's important to be strong in the year in advance, because that's when the troops line up. We have our messaging, we have our mobilization, we need the money to do it, but they go only next to a school to hold up the most important part: the candidate," she said.

21 DEMOCRATS WHO MAY TRY TO SUCCEED TRUMP IN THE 2028 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

However, Pelosi sees another element as being key to Democrats’ victory: bringing down President Donald Trump’s approval rating. The former House speaker called Trump’s current numbers "terrible."

"By October — certainly by November, but by October, we will have — with the help of so many people working — we’ll have taken what’s his name’s numbers down," Pelosi said.

A recent Fox News Poll found that 46% of voters approve of Trump’s performance, while 54% disapprove. That’s exactly where things stood last month, and better than at this point 8 years ago when 41% approved.

The Voters of Tomorrow summit boasts a lineup of high-profile speakers alongside Pelosi, including former Vice President Kamala Harris, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and David Hogg. Both Harris and Raskin are set to address the group virtually.

Fox News’ Dana Blanton and Victoria Balara contributed to this report.

[syndicated profile] fox_news_feed

A House GOP lawmaker is entering the race to become South Carolina governor on Friday, his campaign confirmed to Fox News Digital.

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, is expected to kick off his campaign with an event in Rock Hill, South Carolina, on Friday.

As of Friday morning, his non-congressional X account had been changed to say, "Ralph Norman for Governor."

He's a fiscal hawk on the House GOP's rightmost flank, where he's joined other like-minded colleagues in upending leaders' legislative agenda at times in the name of pushing for more conservative policy wins.

COMER DISMISSES BIDEN DOCTOR'S BID FOR PAUSE IN COVER-UP PROBE: 'THROWING OUT EVERY EXCUSE'

Norman is joining a crowded Republican primary field with his new gubernatorial bid. South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and state Sen. Josh Kimbrell are also in the race.

Meanwhile, Norman's House colleague, Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., is also said to be considering a campaign for governor.

"We wish Congressman Ralph Norman the best of luck today as he announces his run for Governor," Mace said in a statement on X.

Norman previously ran the Warren Norman Company, a commercial real estate development business started by his father.

Before being elected to Congress via special election in 2017, Norman served in the South Carolina state House from 2009 to 2017.

A longtime ally of former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Norman was the only House Republican to formally endorse her before Haley dropped out of the race, after which Norman emphatically backed President Donald Trump.

He told Fox News Digital of his endorsement in January 2024, "When I supported Nikki Haley, I had the respect of Donald Trump to call him, and I told him what I was gonna do, and I decided I was going to do it."

Norman has been a vocal supporter of Trump since Haley's exit. He was most recently at the White House earlier this week with other House Republicans for a reception celebrating their legislative successes.

THOM TILLIS ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT FROM SENATE AFTER CLASH WITH TRUMP

Earlier this year, he was part of a group of conservatives in the House Freedom Caucus forcing last-minute changes to the president's "big, beautiful bill" that they said fell more in line with what Trump actually wanted.

Current South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, also a close Trump ally, is term-limited at the end of 2026.

The president's endorsement will likely play a decisive role in the Palmetto State's GOP primary.

[syndicated profile] fox_news_feed

A House GOP lawmaker is entering the race to become South Carolina governor on Friday, his campaign confirmed to Fox News Digital.

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, is expected to kick off his campaign with an event in Rock Hill, South Carolina, on Friday.

As of Friday morning, his non-congressional X account had been changed to say "Ralph Norman for Governor."

He's a fiscal hawk on the House GOP's rightmost flank, where he's joined other like-minded colleagues in upending leaders' legislative agenda at times in the name of pushing for more conservative policy wins.

COMER DISMISSES BIDEN DOCTOR'S BID FOR PAUSE IN COVER-UP PROBE: 'THROWING OUT EVERY EXCUSE'

Norman is joining a crowded Republican primary field with his new gubernatorial bid. South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and state Sen. Josh Kimbrell are also in the race.

Meanwhile, Norman's House colleague, Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., is also said to be considering a campaign for governor.

"We wish Congressman Ralph Norman the best of luck today as he announces his run for Governor," Mace said in a statement on X.

Norman previously ran the Warren Norman Company, a commercial real estate development business started by his father.

Before being elected to Congress via special election in 2017, Norman served in the South Carolina state House from 2009 to 2017.

A longtime ally of former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Norman was the only House Republican to formally endorse her before Haley dropped out of the race – after which Norman emphatically backed President Donald Trump.

He told Fox News Digital of his endorsement in January 2024, "When I supported Nikki Haley, I had the respect of Donald Trump to call him, and I told him what I was gonna do, and I decided I was going to do it."

Norman has been a vocal supporter of Trump since Haley's exit. He was most recently at the White House earlier this week with other House Republicans for a reception celebrating their legislative successes.

THOM TILLIS ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT FROM SENATE AFTER CLASH WITH TRUMP

Earlier this year, he was part of a group of conservatives in the House Freedom Caucus forcing last-minute changes to the president's "big, beautiful bill" that they said fell more in line with what Trump actually wanted.

Current South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, also a close Trump ally, is term-limited at the end of 2026.

The president's endorsement is likely to play a decisive role in the Palmetto State's GOP primary.

[syndicated profile] fox_news_feed

Lucid Motors is about to make highway driving a lot more relaxing. 

The electric vehicle startup is rolling out a major upgrade to its driver-assistance technology, placing it squarely alongside Tesla and GM in the growing hands-free driving market.

VOLKSWAGEN’S ICONIC CUTE VAN DRIVES ITSELF WITH 360-DEGREE VISION

Starting July 30, Lucid Air owners who opted for the DreamDrive Pro package will have access to an over-the-air update unlocking two key features:

WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?

The update launches first for the Lucid Air sedan, with the upcoming Gravity SUV getting these features later this year.

DreamDrive Pro combines advanced hardware and intelligent software to power Lucid's driver-assistance system. It uses 32 integrated sensors, including LiDAR, radar, visible-light and surround-view cameras and ultrasonic sensors. This setup delivers precise environmental awareness for everything from highway cruising to close-range maneuvers.

Because the platform is software-defined, Lucid can roll out new features like hands-free highway driving and automated lane changes through over-the-air updates. Drivers receive continuous improvements without needing hardware upgrades or service appointments.

GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE

These updates are just the beginning. Lucid is investing heavily in advanced driver-assistance and automation, with a clear focus on safety, comfort and long-term innovation.

Lucid now joins the ranks of top hands-free driving systems. Tesla's Full Self-Driving and GM's Super Cruise both offer hands-free driving on highways, though they differ in how they monitor driver attention and what roads they support. Ford's BlueCruise is another major option, available on a growing number of mapped highways. Mercedes-Benz Drive Pilot goes a step further by letting drivers take their eyes off the road in certain traffic conditions, though it's only available in limited markets for now.

If you're driving a car with advanced driver-assistance features, such as the Lucid Air or similar models, you're likely noticing real changes in your daily routine. With hands-off driving now available on select highways, those stressful commutes can feel a little easier. Sitting in stop-and-go traffic doesn't have to be such a chore anymore. Long road trips? Suddenly, they're much more comfortable. Many automakers, not just Lucid, are pushing out updates directly to your car, so you can access new tools without ever stepping into a service center.

Safety is at the forefront with these new systems. As you drive, a network of sensors and smart software helps keep your lane changes smooth, your following distances steady and your ride free from abrupt surprises. These advances can give you peace of mind, but it's essential to remember that these systems don't drive for you. You still need to stay alert and keep your hands ready.

With more cars using similar technology each year, the roads themselves are changing. There's hope that fewer accidents caused by distraction or delayed reactions will benefit not just tech-savvy drivers, but everyone out there. While these models, like the Lucid Air, showcase what's possible, the real transformation comes as driver-assistance features become the new normal in cars everywhere.

Lucid's new hands-free driving update puts it in direct competition with Tesla, GM, and other automakers working to change the way we drive. With DreamDrive Pro, Lucid shows that combining advanced hardware, in-house software, and frequent updates can deliver real capability. As more companies roll out similar systems, drivers are getting more options, and the convenience once reserved for luxury models is becoming more accessible.

Would you trust your car to drive hands-free on the highway? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

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