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MORNING GLORY: We're living through the Summer of the DSA (and Hasan Piker)

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 05:00:51 -0400

1967’s "Summer of Love" kicked off the American habit of defining a summer season with a phrase. Some phrases stick. Some do not.

1968’s "Summer of Rage" tagline stuck.

The "Summer of Watergate" could be 1973 and the Senate Select Committee’s hearings would have stuck, but President Richard Nixon survived those and would have survived the summer of 1974 but for the release of the tapes.

MORNING GLORY: HASAN PIKER’S RADICAL RHETORIC IS BECOMING DEMOCRATS’ 2026 BRAND

The Bicentennial Summer was as memorable as this summer’s celebration of the 250th birthday of the United States — but those months are defined by a day, not months. 1977’s Summer of Sam, 1994’s Summer of O.J. and 2020’s Summer of George Floyd are not fixtures of the language, but do serve as reference points.

With a week left in this summer, the touchpoints seem likely to be the rise of Democratic Socialists of America ("DSA") and the meteoric rise in awareness among the general public of Hasan Piker, an online Twitch streamer whose toxic combination of radical politics, profanity, vulgarity, anti-Israel and hate-filled rhetoric merged with the DSA’s march through the Democratic primaries to make it appear to "normal" Americans from the center-left to the center-right as though the Democratic Party had become unhinged and taken over by a cult-like group of crazed anti-American extremists.

The "Summer of the DSA and Hasan Piker" is unwieldy, but accurate. Shorthand will probably reduce it to the "Summer of the DSA," and even though Piker is closely ideologically aligned with DSA, appearing at DSA events and rallies, Piker does not appear to be a dues-paying DSAer.

Still, the "Summer of DSA" will catch him up even as it includes the primary election victories of Chris Rabb in Pennsylvania, Claire Valdez, Darializa Avila Chevalier and Brad Lander in New York (Lander is a former DSA member but left in 2023), and Democratic Senate nominees Angie Nixon in Florida and Troy Jackson in Maine who are DSA-endorsed candidates. Hard-left "progressive" Democrats running for Senate like Peggy Flanagan in Minnesota, Sherrod Brown in Ohio and James Talarico in Texas have not been formally endorsed by their state DSAs or the national group, but their ascendancy compliments rather than contradicts the enormous shift to the left of the Democrats in the wake of President Trump’s re-election in 2024.

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Will the "Summer of DSA" define the actual midterms ahead? Many in legacy media want to define the fall’s voting, which culminates on November 3, as a referendum on President Trump but that’s not what is unfolding. The rise of the DSA and unhinged rantings like those of Piker as well as numerous "co-chairs" of the DSA has muddied what would typically be a "referendum" election, turning it in many if not most statewide or Congressional district races into a "choice election" of the sort Republicans are hoping for.

Because the DSA, Piker, candidates like Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan and James Talarico in Texas are just so far outside of the mainstream of American politics as to shift the awareness of the American electorate away from the issues of 2026 to the much bigger issue of the future of the country. The vast majority of Americans love their country. They can and do disagree among themselves on the politics of the moment and the policies that would best serve the country’s future.

MARK HALPERIN CALLS HASAN PIKER A 'HORRIBLE PERSON' AS DEMOCRATS FACE PRESSURE TO DISTANCE FROM STREAMER

But, that they want a future similar to the past, but improved at the margins remains the central and abiding truth of the American experience. We don’t want the "DSA way" and we sure do not want people addicted to rage the way Hasan Piker is to dominate our politics. El-Sayed’s limp attempt to distance himself from Piker this past weekend as summer draws to a close only guaranteed another week or more of scrutiny on El-Sayed’s choice to bring Piker into the Wolverine State’s politics. El-Sayed put on the Piker bodysuit and it turns out it is very difficult if not impossible to erase that choice from the electorate’s consciousness.

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El-Sayed’s political free-fall has spillover effects across the country, as does the fact that the "Squad" in the House of Representatives is probably going to at least double in the next Congress. The Squad is almost certainly going to control the choice of the next House Democratic Leader. The increase in "Squad" numbers may remove Hakeem Jeffries as Leader of House Democrats, but it may not. Republicans are well aware of what a small majority means: The empowerment of the party’s fringiest members. The DSA could well be running the next House majority.

DEMOCRATS NO LONGER HAVE THE NO. 1 WEAPON TO KEEP THEIR SOCIALIST WING IN LINE

The "Summer of the DSA" has made that possibility a crucial issue across every federal race. It is not a cause for celebration among Republicans, who realize that the country needs a healthy Democratic Party and not one run by extremists from the left.

Democrats need a way back to "between the '30s" competition in American political debates or the Democrats could face a wipeout of their extremist candidates outside of deep blue Congressional districts. (A "between the ‘40s" field would be even better for them.) An electoral train wreck in 2026 would, however, prevent an even worse crack-up in 2028, a presidential election year that could become a replay of the 1972 crash-out of the Democrats under the banner of George McGovern.

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The post-mortems of the 2026 cycle will be remarkable to read. The headlines of the ones faithful to the facts will include the abbreviation "DSA" and the name "Hasan Piker."

Hugh Hewitt is a Fox News contributor and host of "The Hugh Hewitt Show" heard weekday afternoons from 3 PM to 6 PM ET on the Salem Radio Network, and simulcast on Salem News Channel. Hugh drives Americans home on the East Coast and to lunch on the West Coast on over 400 affiliates nationwide, and on all the streaming platforms where SNC can be seen. He is a frequent guest on the Fox News Channel’s news roundtable, hosted by Bret Baier weekdays at 6pm ET. A son of Ohio and a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Michigan Law School, Hewitt has been a Professor of Law at Chapman University’s Fowler School of Law since 1996 where he teaches Constitutional Law. Hewitt launched his eponymous radio show from Los Angeles in 1990. Hewitt has frequently appeared on every major national news television network, hosted television shows for PBS and MSNBC, written for every major American paper, has authored a dozen books and moderated a score of Republican candidate debates, most recently the November 2023 Republican presidential debate in Miami and four Republican presidential debates in the 2015-16 cycle. Hewitt focuses his radio show and his column on the Constitution, national security, American politics and the Cleveland Browns and Guardians. Hewitt has interviewed tens of thousands of guests from Democrats Hillary Clinton and John Kerry to Republican Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump over his 40 years in broadcasting. This column previews the lead story that will drive his radio/ TV show today.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS: Yes, we must hit the pause button on AI before it is too late

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 05:00:08 -0400

Very few people disagree. Artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics will profoundly impact the lives of every man, woman and child in our country.

These revolutionary technologies will radically change our economy and, quite likely, eliminate tens of millions of jobs over the next decade.

They will result in the evisceration of our privacy, negatively impact the mental health of our children, radically alter how we as human beings relate to each other, undermine our democracy and transform the very nature of warfare.

FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS SEE AI AS A RISK TO PRIVACY AND PAYCHECKS

Further, AI data centers are raising electricity prices, straining water systems and harming the environment. That is why 75% of Americans oppose data centers near where they live and why over 500 communities have put in place restrictions on their construction.

Let’s be clear: this revolutionary transformation of society is being driven by the wealthiest people on Earth – including Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel and Larry Ellison.

FOX NEWS POLL: MOVE OVER BIG BROTHER, VOTERS SEE BIG TECH AS GREATER THREAT TO US

As most Americans understand, these Big Tech oligarchs are not investing many hundreds of billions of dollars into AI because they want to improve the lives of ordinary Americans. Rather, they are doing it because they want to become even richer and more powerful than they already are – no matter how many lives they ruin in the process.

And here is something even more alarming. Over just the past month, there has been a frightening new story nearly every day about how Big Tech companies are losing control of the technology they are developing, with potentially cataclysmic results. Last month, we learned that AI has been used for the first time ever to create new viruses. In the wrong hands, this could lead to new bioweapons that might result in the deaths of tens of millions of people.

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Further, in July, we learned that OpenAI had lost control of an AI model that hacked into another company’s computers – a clear violation of federal law. AI models from Anthropic and Meta had similarly escaped human control. Just last week, we learned that the OpenAI incident was even more serious than we were initially told.��

It turns out that over 1,000 AI agents figured out how to access the internet on their own, sent tens of thousands of secret messages to each other and coordinated to break the restrictions imposed upon them by the company. Shockingly, it took OpenAI nearly two weeks to discover this breach.

Bottom line: AI is developing at an extraordinarily rapid speed. It is becoming smarter and smarter every day. The leaders of the major AI companies publicly acknowledge that the technology is escaping their control.

Yoshua Bengio, the most cited living scientist in the world, said these incidents "should serve as a wake-up call."

I agree.

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If the CEOs of the major AI companies acknowledge that they are losing control of their extremely dangerous technology, it is irresponsible for society to allow them to move forward and make these products even more advanced. These CEOs must immediately pause the development of increasingly powerful AI. And that pause must be international in scope.

At the height of the Cold War, U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, President of the Soviet Union, represented nations with vastly different political and economic systems. But they both understood a fundamental truth: a nuclear war would benefit no one.

FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS SEE AI REGULATION AS URGENT, RANK SAFEGUARDS AHEAD OF INNOVATION

When the survival of humanity is at stake, adversaries have an obligation to reduce the danger. And Reagan and Gorbachev found a way to negotiate nuclear arms control.

Presidents Trump and Xi will be meeting in Washington later this month. Like Reagan and Gorbachev, they must negotiate an agreement that protects humanity from a potential AI-caused disaster.

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Neither country benefits from an uncontrolled AI arms race to develop machines that are rapidly becoming too powerful for humans to control.

The future of humanity cannot be left in the hands of a handful of Big Tech oligarchs. The American people and people throughout the world must determine that future.

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We cannot simply sit by and be passive observers of a technology that could negatively impact and endanger not only us, but our kids and future generations.

Our goal: we must make certain that AI and robotics are safe and work to benefit all of humanity, not just to enrich some of the wealthiest people on Earth.

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Fears of a Canadian trade war are overblown. So far, it’s more of a skirmish

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Listening to most of the media and Canada’s prime minister, you’d think the U.S. and its northern neighbor were in a full-blown trade war after new tariffs were announced days ago. Au contraire: Anyone who checks the numbers can see this is merely a skirmish.

On Aug. 22, the administration's Section 338 tariffs took effect, at 50% on roughly $20 billion of Canadian goods, or about 5% of what Canada sells the U.S. Ottawa's answer, effective Sept. 8, will be varying tariffs on roughly $20 billion of American exports to Canada, about 6% of what Canada buys from the U.S.

While tariffs on $40 billion aren’t chump change, they’re a small portion of the roughly $900 billion in products and services that are exchanged across the U.S.-Canadian border annually. Roughly 95% of transactions are proceeding exactly as they did in July.

People should be much more focused on January, because that’s when 50% tariffs hit many more Canadian exports, including cars, trucks and auto parts. Throw in potential Canadian retaliation, and we’re looking at higher tariffs on well over $100 billion of trade between the two countries.

When the artillery joins in like that, we go from a skirmish to a war. However, that doesn’t mean we can brush off these recent developments as insignificant. The current skirmish feels eerily similar to Union and Confederate reconnaissance units encountering each other outside Gettysburg.

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What makes this time different is the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Other tariffs had carveouts for USMCA-compliant products. This was extremely important because businesses invested billions of dollars over several years to create supply chains in North America, and they shouldn’t be punished for playing by the rules.

That principle was violated, though not for the first time, with the recent implementation of these Section 338 tariffs, which apply regardless of USMCA qualification and which stack on top of the ordinary rate. Companies that played by the rules are now being punished for complying with a trade agreement that was heralded as "the new gold standard."

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This is pulling the rug out from under firms that acted in good faith, and on a large scale. The share of imports from Canada and Mexico claiming USMCA preference climbed from roughly 45% in late 2024 to 86% by February. Federal Reserve economists priced this regulatory compliance at $39 billion to $71 billion per year in manufacturing.

Ironically, some firms that spent years moving some of their production and assembly plants to Ontario now face higher effective tariff rates than some firms that stayed in Shenzhen, China. Certain tariffs that are supposed to serve as leverage for benefiting American production are instead hamstringing it.

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Consider that an American appliance manufacturer buying Canadian steel pays 50% on that input. The foreign competitor builds the finished washing machine overseas and typically ships it in at a lower rate. Because of how the current tariff regime has been thrown together, an appliance that’s USMCA-compliant can be hit with a tariff higher than an appliance made entirely in China.

If a trade deal is not reached by January, the situation will get even worse. An American automotive assembly plant will pay 50% on Canadian components while a finished Korean car will enter at a lower rate.

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President Donald Trump has threatened to take auto parts from no tariff to 50%, slap higher tariffs on medium- and heavy-duty trucks and their components and effectively double the tariff rate on finished cars and light-duty trucks. If that happens, and Canada follows through with its threat to retaliate, then we’ll be in a full-fledged trade war.

That very expensive fate can be avoided, however, if both sides agree to reduce trade barriers and open their respective consumer markets to the other nation’s producers. That’ll reduce manufacturing costs and consumer prices alike through increased efficiency and more competition.

Unfortunately, that’s a tall order because of certain protectionist lobbies in both the U.S. and Canada, especially Ottawa’s notorious dairy lobby which has an outsized influence on its nation’s trade policy. Canada’s cozying up to China and permitting it to abuse country-of-origin provisions are also not helping negotiations.

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It’s important that a deal is reached soon because no one wins in a trade war. Yet not everyone loses equally. Hopefully, Canada realizes it has more to lose than the U.S. and backs down before both sides incur more casualties.

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Even if a deal is reached, the U.S. still needs to rationalize its remaining slapdash tariff schedule. Under no circumstances should American-made products face higher effective tariff rates than foreign-made competition. There’s no need to wait on Canada to address that particular issue.

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Georgia cop kills beloved pet donkey in his own pasture as heartbroken owner demands justice: 'We miss him'

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 02:47:27 -0400

A Georgia police officer shot and killed a family's beloved pet donkey after officers searched the animal’s pasture in search of a missing child who was later found at a nearby church.

Hannah Israel, 30, said officers entered her family’s property in Rockmart, Polk County without warning at about 12:45 a.m. on Sunday while looking for the missing child when they noticed the baby donkey named HeeHaw.

"They claimed he ran up to them braying and they thought they were in danger and shot and killed him after trying to Taze him," Israel wrote on Facebook. "HeeHaw was shot and killed in his OWN pasture for doing what donkeys do. Alerting to a stranger. There is no way this is legal!"

She vowed to take legal action as she demanded justice for HeeHaw.

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"We are heart broken. He was my SON!!" she wrote.

"We miss him so much where is safe?? When my own baby was shot in his own home?" she added in another post.

A photo taken after the shooting showed Israel crying over her pet donkey, as the animal's eyes remained wide open as it lay lifeless on the ground.

"He would normally be standing right over there talking while I'm talking because he thought he could talk like a person could talk," Israel told 11Alive.

"Every time he saw somebody, he would run up and bray," Israel said. "And then do a really goofy sound, and because he loved people, and he thought he was a person. He slept in my bed for the first three months of his life," she added.

The Cedartown Police Department said the officer who shot the beloved baby donkey has been placed on paid administrative leave.

"The Cedartown Police Department has turned over the investigation of the animal shooting to the Georgia Department of Agriculture Law Enforcement Division for investigation and placed the officer involved on paid administrative leave while this investigation is ongoing," the department said in a statement.

Cedartown Police Chief Jamie Newsom said body camera footage exists and he has viewed it, according to 11Alive.

"That search took them to the incident location where this very unfortunate and heartbreaking event occurred," Newsom said, according to the outlet.

Newsom said he understands the heartbreak that the family and the community is facing after the donkey's death.

"They're members of the human family, and I am too, and heartbroken," he said.

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The Georgia Department of Agriculture's Law Enforcement Division was at Elsberry Farm on Monday investigating HeeHaw's death.

Israel created a GoFundMe to help cover legal costs related to HeeHaw’s death. She said any donations left over would go toward the farm, care of the animals and a future HeeHaw foundation. She has raised more than $113,000 as of Tuesday morning.

"My bottle baby donkey 'HeeHaw' was killed in his own pasture on Saturday night by trespassing cops," she wrote on the fundraiser. "He was a loved member of our family and did many petting zoos and made many people smile."

She said she hired a lawyer but stressed that donations left over after legal costs would not be used for personal needs.

Lindsay Clancy’s future could rest with ‘prosecution doctors’ as case echoes infamous Maine killings: expert

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 00:30:45 -0400

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

A retired Massachusetts Superior Court judge says that a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity wouldn't be an easy out for Lindsay Clancy, saying that "prosecution doctors" would be the ones deciding when she would be released, and are likely more inclined to keep her locked up.

Clancy, 36, faces three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her children — Cora, Dawson and Callan, all under age 6 — who were found strangled at the family's home in January 2023.

Retired Massachusetts Superior Judge Jack Lu told Fox News Digital that even if Clancy is found not guilty by reason of insanity, she would likely face a significant amount of time in a mental institution.

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He said a group of mental health officials would be responsible for periodically reviewing her commitment at the facility, but noted these are people who overwhelmingly side with prosecutors and usually testify on their behalf.

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"They're viewed as an arm of the prosecution," Lu said of the officials. "I'm going to be very frank, they kind of view this through the lens of if in doubt, lock them up...The people making release decisions have a prosecutorial mindset."

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Lu said, if Clancy is committed to a mental hospital, "I imagine she'd be committed year after year after year for some period of time."

"If you are committed on a mental health basis because of a major criminal case in Massachusetts, it is hard to get out... It is very difficult," he said.

He said there is another way for Clancy to be released from a mental institution if found not guilty by reason of insanity, which would be through the courts.

"The other way she could get out is if the government kept moving to commit her and the doctors did not really decide that she should be released, and then it goes to court and then a judge would decide whether she is a danger to herself or others," Lu said. "It could be more of a contested hearing, and if she were to win that contested hearing, that is the second way that she gets out."

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Clancy's case has drawn parallels with Constance Fisher, a then-24-year-old Maine woman who drowned her three children in a bathtub in 1954, according to the New York Times.

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She was committed to a mental hospital, and after several years, she returned home. She was accused of drowning three more children in 1967 and was sent back to the mental hospital, before she escaped and was found dead in the Kennebec River.

PROSECUTOR IN INFAMOUS KILLER MOM CASE SAYS WOMEN ON LINDSAY CLANCY JURY MAY BRING ‘STRANGE TWIST’ TO VERDICT

The jury in Clancy's case, consisting of nine women and three men, led by a female foreperson, concluded a third day of deliberations on Monday without coming to a verdict.

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The jurors asked Judge William Sullivan around 4 p.m. to be dismissed for the day, and will return on Tuesday morning to continue deliberations.

Grand Canyon water pipeline damaged again as flooding complicates repairs

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 00:30:05 -0400

The one pipeline that supplies water for millions of visitors in Grand Canyon was badly damaged by flash flooding over the weekend, setting up a complicated repair scenario and disrupting a yearslong project to upgrade the aging line across rugged terrain where helicopters are often needed for even basic maintenance.

Park officials estimate after conducting flyovers that about 40% of the pipeline sustained damage. The 12.5-mile long Transcanyon Waterline has suffered dozens of breaks in recent years. A more than $200 million repair and replacement project was well underway when the floods began.

The long-term impacts on the park’s infrastructure, visitors and year-round residents were not immediately clear.

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"We anticipate miles of the pipeline being destroyed," Grand Canyon Deputy Superintendent Brian Drapeaux said.

A full survey of the devastation will not be completed until Tuesday at the earliest.

At least two people died in the floods, and one person remained missing as of Monday night after roughly 80 people were rescued over the weekend, according to officials.

The park stopped overnight accommodations, with officials saying significant water reductions are needed. This includes limiting shower time, turning off the tap while brushing teeth and flushing toilets selectively to protect the limited stored water on the South Rim, where most visitors frequent.

"They have got to keep law enforcement going, they have to keep rescue operations going, backcountry operations, park admin going, the clinic and the campground," longtime river runner and Grand Canyon hiker Tom Martin said, adding that the park has hauled water in tanker trucks in the past.

The pipeline, which was completed in the 1970s, has broken more than 85 times since 2010.

The pipeline moves water from one side of the canyon, down to its base, across a bridge and back up the other side of the rough landscape. Any attempt to fix a break from rock falls or flash floods is precarious and costly and can take time, so fixing the latest damage will be complicated.

The pipeline upgrade project, which began in 2023, took more than a decade to design and fund. The project involves installing helicopter pads, building water treatment facilities and replacing several miles of pipeline. It also seeks to move the water intake for the pipeline further down the canyon to Bright Angel Creek, which would put it closer to Phantom Ranch, a popular lodge at the base of the canyon.

A 2018 evaluation of the project said key infrastructure for the intake would be outside of areas likely to flood.

Officials said even basic decisions proved to be complicated.

For example, the original pipe was aluminum, which is lighter and easier to move into the steep canyon but is more susceptible to breaking. Engineers chose a flex-steel material to balance weight and durability.

Even routine pipeline breaks lead to water restrictions. A decade ago, a hotel on the canyon’s rim that offers luxury dining and highlights its history hosting presidents had to reduce dishwashing and use paper plates and plastic utensils.

In 1995, a nearly month long repair on the pipeline required officials to truck in water.

The park had water conservation initiatives in place even before the latest flooding and damage.

MISSING GRAND CANYON HIKER, 83, RESCUED AFTER GETTING SEPARATED FROM COMPANION

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The flooding has forced parts of the park to close, and more flooding was possible on Monday, according to the National Park Service.

"Consider changing your plans if you were going to hike, boat, or paddleboard to a slot canyon or normally dry wash. If you do still decide to recreate, check in at a nearby visitor center or ranger station," the park website reads.

Officials previously said that the repair and replacement project would allow the park to meet its water supply needs for at least the next 50 years.

As the original pipeline was nearing completion in the 1960s, more than a foot of rain fell, which flooded the inner canyon and caused 40% of the project to be destroyed, according to officials.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Tyler Robinson hearing could decide death penalty fate, finally see plea in Charlie Kirk case

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 00:00:04 -0400

PROVO, Utah — Accused Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson returns to a Utah courtroom Tuesday for a hearing that could send his case to trial or dramatically reshape it, with a judge to weigh whether prosecutors have shown enough probable cause to support the aggravated murder charge that puts the death penalty on the table — and the suspect may finally be asked to enter a plea nearly a year after the slaying.

Robinson, a 23-year-old from Washington, Utah, is accused of firing a single shot that killed the 31-year-old father of two during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on Sept. 10, 2025.

While the defense has argued that prosecutors have not established enough probable cause to pursue aggravated murder, which carries the potential death penalty, experts tell Fox News Digital that they don't expect Judge Tony Graf Jr. to take it off the table just yet.

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"We’re at a preliminary hearing stage, so we’re at a very low burden," said Skye Lazaro, a Salt Lake City-based defense attorney who is not connected to the case. "It’s probable cause, and everything is taken in a light most favorable to the state."

The court held a week-long hearing in early July, then gave both sides weeks to file briefs before Tuesday's expected decision from Judge Graf.

WATCH: Retired FBI sniper says Charlie Kirk shooting put many lives in danger

She said she expects the entire case to be bound over for trial, including the sole aggravating factor that makes the aggravated murder charge eligible for the potential death penalty — that Robinson allegedly put other people at great risk of death by shooting Kirk in a crowded place.

Greg Rogers, a former FBI agent and SWAT sniper who now teaches at Utah Valley University, said the alleged risk to the crowd should be enough to preserve the aggravating factor at this stage.

"Shooting into a crowd is always dangerous because you don’t know if someone moves, someone walks behind him," Rogers told Fox News Digital. "There are all sorts of things that could happen in the very instant you pull that trigger."

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Rogers said even highly trained law-enforcement snipers would consider such a shot dangerous.

"When you have a rank amateur that is shooting, it’s clearly, clearly very dangerous," he said.

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Potential plea:

Separately, a court spokeswoman said last week that Graf may or may not hold an arraignment after deciding whether there's enough probable cause to bind the case over for trial.

If he does, it would be the first time that Robinson is asked to enter a plea.

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"I would expect that they would enter not guilty pleas and move forward," Lazaro said.

Lazaro said a different plea would likely require an agreement taking the death penalty off the table.

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"I think the state has been so assertive on their position about the death penalty in this case that I don’t see them doing that right now," Lazaro said.

To attack the aggravator, Robinson's defense argued that only a single shot was fired, from an elevated position. It traveled over the crowd, rather than through it, and it only struck Kirk.

TYLER ROBINSON'S AND LANCE TWIGGS' DNA BOTH ALLEGEDLY FOUND ON KEY EVIDENCE IN CHARLIE KIRK'S ASSASSINATION

Prosecutors countered that Robinson was a bad shot, one who "seldom hit the bullseye and sometimes misses the target completely" when practicing shooting with the suspected murder weapon.

Other evidence against Robinson includes the suspected murder weapon, a .30-06 Mauser rifle that prosecutors have said belonged to his grandfather and had his DNA on it. Robinson allegedly confessed to multiple people, including his roommate and lover, Lance Twiggs, according to court documents.

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"This is likely as straightforward a bindover decision as this Court will ever see," prosecutors wrote. "After admitting to several friends, including his roommate and romantic partner, that he assassinated Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025, in front of approximately 3,000 eyewitnesses, Defendant surrendered to law enforcement for that crime."

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Prosecutors also presented surveillance video, ballistic evidence, an alleged handwritten confession and witness statements.

In one message to Twiggs, Robinson allegedly wrote that, "I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I took it."

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A source close to the Kirk family said last week that Kirk's widow Erika, and his parents, Rob and Kathy, all plan to attend the Sept. 1 hearing together as they did during the July hearing.

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But even if the case moves forward, Lazaro said the pretrial sparring won't end any time soon.

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"I do think we’re going to see a lot more litigation come down the road in terms of 1102 and expert-witness designations, forensic testimony on the ballistics and things like that," Lazaro said.

Get right out of town

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 23:31:22 -0400

The House of Representatives is back in town after not voting since July 23.

But the House is only back for less than a week. And the Senate doesn’t even return until Monday, September 14.

The first day of school, this is not.

House members descending on the Capitol this week – then abandoning Washington for Labor Day is kind of like the third and final preseason game in the NFL.

THE WILL OF 100: TRUMP’S SAVE AMERICA ACT SIDELINED AFTER SENATE UNANIMOUSLY AGREED TO AUGUST EXIT

Lots of fans show up for the first game of the NFL preseason. It’s usually a nice – if sweltering – August night. Not some bone-shivering chill in Cleveland with a foot of snow on the ground in mid-December. There’s anticipation. The first look at the new team. The first tailgate. First-string players and highly touted draft picks even play a series or two.

But by the third preseason game, few want to be there.

The die is cast for the roster spots. Players are cut. Even the most robust fans only show up for a quarter or two.

In the NFL, everyone is waiting for the regular season to begin in a few weeks.

That’s kind of where things are now in the House. Congress has tackled most of its business for the year. The highly-touted GOP "Reconciliation 3.0" likely falls by the wayside. Lawmakers even tucked into bed the usual autumn drama surrounding a possible government shutdown. The chances of a repeat following last year’s 43-day shutdown saga dissipated in early August when the Senate approved an interim, bipartisan bill which will fund the government through December 11. The House votes on that bill Tuesday.

Everyone on Capitol Hill is now waiting for the regular season to begin. That’s what awaits the body politic following the midterm elections in November.

And most members don’t even want to linger in Washington right now. As fast as they came to Washington, they wanted to skate out of town to campaign. That’s why attendance might be sparse over the next few days.

The House had 384 members present for one non-controversial measure Monday night. A second vote recorded 388 members present. Those attendance figures could slide if the House returns to Washington in mid-September – as the schedule dictates. Especially among those who either lost their primaries or are retiring. In fact, Fox is told that some members in both camps have even considered resigning early.

Imagine what that could do to the narrow Republican majority.

TRUMP DEMAND PUTS VULNERABLE REPUBLICANS IN IMPOSSIBLE SPOT AHEAD OF MIDTERMS

So, will the House stick it out this week, go home and come back in a few weeks?

"Are we going to be here the entire period?" yours truly asked House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. "We’re going to be here this week and then we're going to come back in a couple weeks?"

"Well, it’s on the schedule," Johnson replied.

That’s a schedule which the House Republican leadership etched out last December – on the heels of that epic government shutdown.

Who could have anticipated that government funding could work out so easily this time around.

So what’s on the agenda?

Republicans plan a vote on a resolution to get Democrats on the record of either supporting socialism or democracy. In other words, the GOP wants Democrats to put their voting cards where their policies are.

"They want to abolish things like the U.S. Supreme Court. The United States Senate," said Rep. Jeff Crank R-Colo.

Republicans hope to compel Democrats to either accept or reject progressive, left-wing ideologies.

"We need to see where Democrats stand on this because the American people are rejecting it," said Rep. Tom Tiffany R-Wis., on Fox.

"They're going to try to distance themselves as much as they can," said Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla. "But the fact is that's where the Democratic Party is going. That's where the energy of the Democratic Party is going."

This is what’s described in Congress as a "gotcha" vote. Republicans will dare Democrats to vote no. And if they do, the GOP will deploy that vote against vulnerable Democrats in campaign ads this fall.

Some Democrats could vote to reject any relationship with socialism. In fact, the vote could give those Democrats a gift to say they’re opposed to socialists in the Democratic Party. But Republicans ensconced a measure in the resolution which could oblige Democrats to vote no.

The measure includes the SAVE America Act. That’s the hallmark of the GOP’s agenda. It requires proof of citizenship for voting. Most Democrats view the SAVE America Act as a poison pill. So Democrats could vote nay. And some Republicans will still say "gotcha" if they oppose it.

"The resolution elevates the so-called Save America Act, which is just the ‘suppress the vote act,’ said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries D-N.Y. "I'm not clear how many Democrats are actually going to support a resolution whose focus is on trying to rig the midterm election by elevating this voter suppression legislation that Donald Trump has been trying to jam down the throats of the American people for the last year."

The House could also wrestle with a resolution to censure Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C. He admitted to inappropriate conduct around female aides and dropped his reelection bid. There could be an effort to expel Rep. Cory Mills R-Fla. He faces allegations of financial misconduct and alleged assault of a woman at his apartment last year. But Mills lost his primary.

Then there is Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio. The Ohio Republican faces allegations of spousal and child abuse. Republicans implored Miller to drop his reelection bid. But Miller doubled down, saying the allegations are false.

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Johnson says he supports Miller’s "reelection." He contends the House shouldn’t take action until the Ethics Committee completes its inquiry.

"He has been a great Member of Congress," said Johnson of Miller. "He has some personal issues he’s still working through."

But it’s possible Democrats – and even some Republicans – could engineer a special resolution to expel or otherwise punish Miller. Johnson and the GOP leadership want nothing to do with that. So the solution? Get lawmakers off Capitol Hill and back into their districts. Fast.

Yes, it’s unclear what the Senate may address when it returns in a few weeks. But House Republicans are more concerned with clinging to their narrow majority in November. So recessing until after the election could prove to be the safest political tactic for Republicans.

Don’t be surprised if the House leaves Washington until November in the next few days.

Think it’s not possible? Get right out of town.

Beloved Texas chiropractor killed in Grand Canyon flash flood, 2 friends still missing after hike

Sun, 30 Aug 2026 22:14:47 -0400

A beloved Texas chiropractor and father of three who disappeared during devastating flash flooding at the Grand Canyon has died, his former chiropractic practice announced Monday.

Dr. John Giusti, of Granbury, Texas, had been exploring the Grand Canyon when a flash flood tore through Bright Angel Creek on Aug. 29, turning what his wife described as a "lifetime dream" into tragedy.

"We are heartbroken to make this update. Dr. John was one of the victims of the Grand Canyon flooding," Whipple City Family Chiropractic, where Giusti previously practiced for eight years, announced on Facebook.

"John was a real-life superhero to everyone blessed enough to know him," Janet Giusti wrote in a tribute shared on the fundraiser.

PARK VISITORS FACE FLOOD DANGER OUT WEST WHILE SEVERE STORMS RIP THROUGH NY, NJ

Photos posted to Giusti’s ChiroHabit business page also show him in the Grand Canyon before the flooding began.

Janet remembered her husband as a dedicated chiropractor who "truly lived to treat and heal," but said his most cherished role was being a father.

"Beyond his practice, he was a man of electric energy and boundless passion---an avid runner, an enthusiast of fast cars, and a massive fan of comic books and legendary heroes," she wrote. "Yet out of all the titles he carried, his absolute favorite was being a devoted father to his three beautiful girls."

ARIZONA STATE STUDENT VANISHES DURING GRAND CANYON TRIP JUST DAYS BEFORE GRADUATION, FAMILY PLEADS FOR HELP

Janet said her husband was fulfilling a longtime dream when the deadly flood struck.

"John was living out a lifetime dream exploring the majesty of the Grand Canyon when tragedy struck," she wrote. "On August 29, 2026, a sudden flash flood swept through Bright Angel Creek, tragically taking him from us while he was immersed in an adventure he had longed for."

GRAND CANYON MYSTERY ILLNESS REPORTEDLY TRIGGERS NPS INVESTIGATION AFTER RAFTERS REPORT ALARMING SYMPTOMS

While describing the family's grief as "as vast and profound as the canyon itself," Janet said they were finding some solace in how John spent his final moments.

"We find a small comfort in knowing he spent his final moments surrounded by breathtaking beauty, living life to the fullest," she wrote.

Her tribute ended with a heartbreaking description of the different roles Giusti played in the lives of those around him.

"To the community, he was a gifted healer. To his friends, a powerhouse of life. To his daughters, he was their ultimate hero. To me, he was my whole world," Janet wrote.

The National Park Service has not publicly identified the approximately 15 people it is working to locate or account for, and officials have not confirmed Giusti’s name.

The agency is asking anyone who knows of hikers or backpackers who were in the Bright Angel Creek corridor on Aug. 29 or who had a campground reservation there to contact investigators.

Whipple City Family Chiropractic separately announced it was collecting donations at its Greenwich and Cambridge offices and would match the contributions to provide immediate support to the Giusti family.

Giusti practiced chiropractic care for 19 years and was a partner at Whipple City Family Chiropractic in New York for eight years before moving to Granbury in 2020, according to his business biography. He and Janet were raising their three
daughters in Texas.

ARMY BLACK HAWKS AIRLIFT 200-PLUS STRANDED CAMPERS AS MISSOURI FLOODS TRIGGER MORE 350 RESCUES

Giusti was not alone in the canyon when the flooding struck.

Loved ones identified the other two members of his hiking group as Brent Rosenkranz and Tim Smith, saying both men remained missing Monday as search-and-rescue efforts continued.

Rosenkranz had posted selfies from the Grand Canyon before the flooding, tagging Giusti and sharing his excitement about the grueling adventure ahead.

"Just arrived at the Grand Canyon. Will be hiking over 31 miles next four days with vertical change of over a mile," Rosenkranz wrote. "Carrying a 40 lb backpack. This should be an adventure!"

Rosenkranz joked that his fear of heights would likely make the trip even more memorable.

"Most of you know don't handle heights," he wrote. "So I should have lots of funny stories when I get back."

The post offered a glimpse of the group's trip before flash flooding tore through Bright Angel Creek.

Tina Newberry, whose daughter co-owns the ATA Glen Rose martial arts location, said Giusti had been exploring the canyon with fellow "ATA fathers" Rosenkranz and Smith when disaster struck.

"At this time, Brent and Tim remain missing, and search and rescue teams continue working to locate them," Newberry wrote in a public Facebook post.

Newberry said Rosenkranz is the husband of Elisha Rosenkranz and that the couple is deeply connected to ATA martial arts schools in Granbury, Cleburne and Glen Rose, Texas. She described Smith as a husband and father of three children who attend the schools.

"This tragedy is touching four ATA school communities---students, parents, instructors, and team members who know and love these families," Newberry wrote. "Please keep all of them, along with the search and rescue teams, in your thoughts and prayers."

"We continue to hold onto hope and pray in faith for Brent and Tim to be found," she added.

The flash flood began at about 2:30 p.m. on Aug. 29, according to the National Park Service. As of Sunday morning, 62 people had been evacuated from Phantom Ranch and the lower North Kaibab Trail, and no injuries had been reported.

Nearly all footbridges across Bright Angel Creek were destroyed, cutting off hiker access across the waterway. The flooding also forced the closure of Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Campground, the North Kaibab Trail to Phantom Ranch, Black Bridge, Silver Bridge and the Colorado River to river traffic.

EXPERTS ZERO IN ON LIKELY CAUSE OF DEADLY NEPAL MUDSLIDE, WITH MORE THAN 1,400 MISSING

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said her "heart is with the families and loved ones of every person unaccounted for after the flash flooding at the Grand Canyon."

Hobbs said the Arizona Division of Emergency Management is coordinating with the National Park Service and Coconino County Emergency Management to support search and recovery efforts.

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Anyone with information about people who may have been in the affected corridor is asked to contact the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch Tip Line at 888-653-0009 or nps_isb@nps.gov.

CBS News takes heat over report on Dem hopeful Abdul El-Sayed's now-deleted 9/11 posts

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 22:07:23 -0400

CBS News faced heat from the far-left Monday over a report about past comments Democratic Michigan Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed made about 9/11 ahead of the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attack.

"As the nation prepares to mark 25 years since Sept. 11, 2001, Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan, may be facing the risk of renewed scrutiny and fresh political attack," CBS News wrote Monday.

The report cited El-Sayed's deleted social media posts, including some from 2020 comparing the nearly 3,000 Americans killed on 9/11 to the death toll from the coronavirus pandemic. Another post from Sept. 11, 2021, first uncovered by The Washington Free Beacon, read, "Today, I mourn the 3K lives, 6K injuries, & infrastructural devastation in NYC, perpetuated ignorantly in the name of my faith. Tomorrow, I'll mourn ~1M lives, millions of injuries, & infrastructural devastation in 3 countries, perpetuated ignorantly in the name of my country."

UNEARTHED EL-SAYED ESSAY DRAWS EXPLOSIVE TRUMP-BIN LADEN PARALLEL: ‘RECRUITED, RADICALIZED AND REASSURED’

However, many of El-Sayed's supporters and other liberal critics expressed outrage linking El-Sayed to the forthcoming 9/11 anniversary.

"What an insane headline," far-left commentator Hasan Piker reacted on X. "This is why the [new Paramount owner David Ellison] bought CBS and put Bari Weiss in charge."

Bari Weiss was tapped by Ellison to become the network's editor-in-chief last fall as part of Paramount's multimillion-dollar acquisition of her outlet The Free Press.

"Hi @CBS @CBSNews @bariweiss do you think it's super offensive and disgusting and Islamophobic to do a tweet about the potential first ever Muslim Democratic senator which begins by referencing 9/11?" Zeteo founder and former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan asked.

"Despicable anti-Muslim woke right garbage from the house CBS account," The Bulwark podcast host and MS NOW analyst Tim Miller wrote.

SOCIALIST CANDIDATES CAN DELETE OLD POSTS, BUT THEY CAN'T ERASE THEIR RADICALISM

"What an insane, blatantly racist headline. Unreal," Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., posted.

"The current state of institutional media legit bums me out," Vox host and editorial director Astead Herndon said. "We’ve burned through so much credibility in recent years. And our information ecosystem is worse for it."

YOUTUBE STAR MS RACHEL GIVES FUNDS TO DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST MICHIGAN SENATE HOPEFUL ABDUL EL-SAYED

A CBS News source familiar with the story shrugged off the criticism, telling Fox News Digital that reports about deleted social media posts from politicians are published "all the time."

El-Sayed was confronted about his deleted posts by a local CBS News reporter on the campaign trail.

"What happened on 9/11 is a disaster. It was a terrible attack on our country," El-Sayed said. "And our responsibility is also to think about, how do we build an America where we are protecting our servicemen and women from being asked to fight in wars we have no business fighting in?"

CBS News did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

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WATCH: Maryland carjacking suspect plows toward cops as they open fire

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 22:00:00 -0400

Newly released body camera footage shows an alleged carjacking suspect driving toward Maryland police officers, striking an officer and multiple cars before officers opened fire as she attempted to flee.

Police in Anne Arundel County responded on May 7 at around 9 p.m. to the area of North Crain Highway and 11th Avenue in Glen Burnie for a report of a hit-and-run. When police arrived at the scene, they learned a woman had crashed her car into another vehicle before forcibly taking the vehicle belonging to a family member who had shown up to help her.

The woman, identified as Jasmin L. Cooper, 28, was later located inside the vehicle on the 8500 block of Severn.

WATCH: DEPUTIES HUNT WANTED MAN THROUGH CORNFIELD AFTER HIGH-SPEED CHASE CAUGHT ON CAMERA

Officers can be seen in the video pointing their guns at the woman inside the car, yelling at her to "turn the car off" and "get out of the car." At one point, she raises her hands from the wheel, but she does not exit the vehicle.

"So what, she stole her son's car?" one officer is heard saying in the footage.

A short time later, the woman pulled out of the parking space and sped away while officers hurried out of the way.

SUSPECT ACCUSED OF HURLING CHAINSAW AT DEPUTIES DURING CHAOTIC STOLEN CAR CHASE CAUGHT ON VIDEO

Police said Cooper drove toward the officers, striking an officer, two patrol cars and another vehicle, prompting officers to discharge their firearms, striking her..

Additional officers responding to the scene observed Cooper turn onto Reece Road. She crashed into another car in the area of Reece Road and Telegraph Road and attempted to break into another occupied vehicle before officers apprehended her.

The footage shows the woman lying on the ground in handcuffs. The video also shows officers bandaging the woman's wound after she was shot in the parking lot.

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Cooper was charged with carjacking, attempted carjacking , multiple counts of reckless endangerment, first- and second-degree assault and related charges.

The suspect and the officer who was struck by her were both treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Chad Ochocinco warns Browns' Deshaun Watson has 'very short' leash, could lose starting job by Week 3

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 21:44:29 -0400

The Cleveland Browns made their quarterback decision entering the 2026 NFL season, but football fans are still trying to process why Deshaun Watson is getting the Week 1 start against the Jacksonville Jaguars over Shedeur Sanders.

The decision by first-year head coach Todd Monken may have answered the question on everyone’s mind for the Browns this preseason, but the debate still rages on throughout the football world considering Watson’s track record in Cleveland and how the $230 million man hasn’t lived up to his contract in the slightest.

In fact, fans booed Watson during their home preseason against the Buffalo Bills, to which he called them "disrespectful" and "personal" rather than a reaction to his performance on the field.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Either way, Watson heads into the new campaign – his first regular-season play since tearing his Achilles in 2024 – with an immense amount of pressure. However, one former NFL star believes the leash will be quite tight for the veteran signal caller.

Maybe to the point where he doesn’t start under center come Week 3 – the Browns’ home opener against the Carolina Panthers.

"If they start the season 0-2 – you open with the Jaguars. Then, you have Tampa Bay, then you come home. I’m not sure you play the third game, but you’d have to start that season off either 1-1 or 2-0. Either 1-1 or 2-0. One or the other. If you start off 0-2, they’re making a move. They’re making a move before the season gets too far away from them," Chad Ochocinco told OutKick in a recent interview while highlighting his partnership with DraftKings ahead of this NFL season.

DESHAUN WATSON SAYS 'EMOTIONS GOT THE BEST OF ME' AFTER RIPPING CLEVELAND BROWNS FANS FOR BOOING

Ochocinco has been very vocal about the Browns’ quarterback conundrum on his "Nightcap" podcast with Shannon Sharpe, where he’s noted on numerous occasions that there was never really a position battle between Watson, Sanders, Dillon Gabriel and anyone else on the quarterbacks' depth chart.

"It was never a quarterback competition. It never was. At no point in any game is the $46 million man competing for a job and would lose to the younger player based on salary," Ochocinco said. "As an owner and person writing the check, Deshaun Watson was always going to be the starting quarterback no matter what. Now, it’s his job to lose now going forward, and his leash is going to be very short."

From the fan perspective, Ochocinco also understands why the Browns faithful feel the way they do about Watson.

Since he came over in a now-infamous trade with the Houston Texans, Watson, who was given a whopping $230 million, fully guaranteed contract over five years, has started just 19 games across three seasons, with injuries and his lengthy 11-game NFL suspension coming in 2022. In those games, the Browns have gone 9-10, including the most recent in 2024 where he went 1-6. Watson has thrown 19 touchdowns compared to 12 interceptions, competing 61.2% of his passes for 3,365 yards and a passer rating of 80.7.

For comparison there, in his four years with the Texans, where he earned three Pro Bowls and led the NFL with 4,823 yards in 2020, he had a passer rating of 104.5.

"The fans are upset, the fans are booing because they have nothing to cheer for," Ochocinco said. "You haven’t given them anything to cheer for in general. So, the bad taste that’s left in their mouths are the issues that came with you from Houston on top of coming here to Cleveland. You’ve given them nothing to cheer for, therefore that’s why they’re gonna feel the way they feel."

So, what do Watson and the Browns do if even their home crowd seems to be against the most important player on the field for them come Week 1? As the saying goes, the shortest way through a storm is straight.

Watson is going to have to face the music, and Ochocinco is hoping he can do it.

HALL OF FAMER JOE THOMAS ON SKIPPING THE NFL DRAFT TO FISH, RAISING WAGYU AND TRANSFORMING HIS HEALTH

"But one thing can happen: performing and winning cures all," he said. "Listen, they come out the gate, somehow find a way to beat Jacksonville, find a way to beat Tampa, and you go into Cleveland the first home game 2-0. Man, they will cheer their a—off. You’re gonna hear cheering and eruptions of cheering for Deshaun that he’s never heard before. Honestly, I’m hoping he does.

"Winning cures all. It doesn’t matter what you did. You’re the quarterback of their team. If you start out the gate 1-1 at best – 2-0 best scenario – they’re going to love you in Cleveland despite what you’ve done. They’ll love you because you’re winning – something they haven’t had consistently for a very long time."

It will be a tough task for Watson and the Browns to get those wins against playoff hopefuls in Weeks 1 and 2. But Ochocinco sees no other way for Watson to hang on to his job even if it is just the start of a new campaign.

OCHO LOVES DRAFTKINGS GAMEDAY

College football is already underway, and the NFL is right around the corner, which has Ochocinco very excited about football being back. Also, he’s excited to impact the fan experience with DraftKings.

"DraftKings Gameday," which will take place on Sept. 2, was announced on Monday with quite the activation as it celebrates the first football season with DraftKings Sports & Casino available in all 50 states. As a way to fuel fans with the return of football, DraftKings will be offering free gas, while supplies last, to passenger vehicles at select gas stations in Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas, Atlanta and Detroit. Specific locations and event times will be announced separately.

"For me, I think it’s fun because who else would do something like this outside of DraftKings. This is a great touch for NFL fans to start the season," Ochocinco said. "We’re giving you free gas, so when your respective team plays, you’re fueled up to go. And word of mouth will be, ‘You won’t believe this? You know what DraftKings did? I was able to save money and get tickets to go to a game because they paid for my gas.’ That makes sense."

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There will also be exclusive DraftKings Gameday promotions for customers, a customized in-app experience, in-person activations, a charitable donation through the DraftKings SERVES program, and a new campaign featuring Kevin Hart and Nick Jonas this season.

"It’s all about the fan experience, so some of the offers and luxuries throughout the season is what sets us apart from everybody else. I’m happy to be a part of them," Ochocinco said.

Gen Z Democratic lawmaker spars with Baby Boomers over whether American Dream is dead

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 21:38:23 -0400

Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., engaged in a fiery debate with a group of Baby Boomers this week on the web series Surrounded, arguing that Generation Z faces economic hurdles their generation did not experience.

The 29-year-old congressman appeared in the viral debate on the Jubilee YouTube channel, where a single public figure faces an entire room of challengers.

In the debate, Frost argued that young Americans were raised with the expectation that going to college — even if it required taking on student debt — would lead to a good job, allow them to repay that debt and provide a pathway toward the American dream. He argued that this bargain, and the American dream prospect itself, no longer holds for many young Americans.

Frost cited his working-class family background and noted that he worked as an Uber driver to make ends meet while running for Congress.

VANCE WARNS THERE WILL BE A SOCIALIST PRESIDENT IN THIS COUNTRY IF GOP DOESN'T FIX ECONOMY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

"So that’s the American dream! You lived it!" his debate opponent, comedian Geno Bisconte, responded in a clip that went viral on Monday.

"The American dream isn't driving Uber to barely make ends meet," Frost replied. "The American dream is upward mobility and being able to have success."

"You went from driving an Uber to being a politician!" Bisconte shouted. "Is that upward!? What am I missing?"

"But it's not about one person. It's about the totality of a generation," Frost replied. "That's part of the reason that I have the claim that I have. The majority of my generation is struggling and having a hard time to just survive. Just to survive. The American dream isn't survival, my friend. Is the American dream survival or is it thriving? The American dream is thriving. The fact of the matter is the vast majority of young people feel like they're not able to put aside enough money to have mobility."

Another participant named William argued that many of Frost’s complaints can be attributed to population growth from mass immigration.

BIDEN'S ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION SURGE CAUSED HIGHER RENT AND HOME PRICES, FED STUDY FINDS

"When we started school, there was less than 157 million people in America today. Now there's 340," William responded. "More people needing homes means home prices go up. More people needing food means food prices go up. We can't correct that until we get rid of all the foreigners that have come in here. And your party is refusing to do that, even if they’re illegal!"

Frost pushed back, saying immigrants provide a net economic positive and share more in common with everyday Americans than billionaires do.

He added that entry-level wages haven't kept pace with living costs, making the prospect of buying a home on a retail or service job "a fantasy." Frost also pointed to competition in real estate, noting young buyers now face off against private equity firms.

Analysts and policy experts offered mixed takes on the generational exchange in comments to Fox News Digital.

Judge Glock, director of research and a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, argued that in general young adults have a much higher net income than Baby Boomers did at the same age, but agreed that housing affordability is at its "worst it's been in decades." However, Glock disputed Frost’s contention that institutional investors or older generations are to blame, attributing price spikes to regulatory constraints that limit new housing construction alongside high mortgage rates.

CEO UNDER FIRE FOR MASS LAYOFFS AMID FOREIGN WORKER HIRING SPREE NOW APPOINTED TO FED'S TASK FORCE ON JOBS

"Frost is wrong that higher housing prices are due to competition from Baby Boomers or Wall Street," Glock said. "The fundamental reason housing prices have gone up is that we are building less than we used to. And we are building less than we used to because of ever-increasing regulations, from zoning to environmental mandates. When combined with high mortgage rates due to both inflation and high levels of government debt, homeownership is becoming increasingly out of reach."

Glock also noted that "This generation also has much higher student debt levels than earlier ones. Due to their high student debt, and lack of wealth in housing, older Millennials have a lower net worth than Gen Xers at the same age. That's not because of a lack of jobs, but because colleges have been handing out ever more low-quality degrees at an ever higher cost."

Elizabeth Pipko, a former Republican National Committee national spokesperson, agreed that Gen Z faces certain major challenges, but argued they should not overestimate the luxuries the Baby Boomer generation had.

"Nobody is arguing that young Americans have it easy. And it is true that housing prices in many parts of America have risen much faster than incomes, particularly in desirable cities and suburbs. But, with that being said, times have changed and the comparison to baby boomers is not exactly fair," she said. "Households back then consumed much less. Today’s family is purchasing a much higher material standard of living. What is considered 'normal' today would have been a dream to many a few decades ago. For example, the material things that improve our quality of life which were mere dreams are now not only attainable by most, but vastly cheaper. Think about computers, televisions, household technology, air travel, etc. Times have changed, yes, and with that comes difficulties, but also incredible advantages and benefits."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

Pipko added that immigration, artificial intelligence, and post-pandemic work shifts are compounding the tough entry-level job market for recent graduates. She cautioned against abusing H-1B visas for cheaper labor, warning that such practices put "American graduates in direct competition for the entry-level jobs that traditionally gave them their start."

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Link Lauren, an influencer and former senior advisor to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., also told Fox News Digital, "For years, I’ve recommended trade and technical schools. If you go to college and major in queer theater or LatinX literature, don’t be shocked when there aren’t tons of jobs waiting for you. Unless you really need that four-year degree to go on to medical school or law school, you really have to think twice about spending all that time and money on a college campus. The American dream is certainly attainable. But the landscape has shifted. This is something Charlie Kirk spoke about often."

Fox News Digital also reached out to Frost's campaign and did not receive an immediate reply.

Suspected DUI driver leads cops on wild chase before dramatic takedown on popular California beach

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 21:17:29 -0400

A man accused of driving recklessly led police on an erratic pursuit through San Diego before the chase spilled onto a popular beach Sunday morning, where stunned beachgoers watched officers move in and take him into custody.

The chaotic pursuit began just before 7:30 a.m. when the San Diego Police Department received multiple calls from witnesses reporting a man driving recklessly in the Pacific Beach neighborhood, police told Fox News Digital.

Witnesses described a man behind the wheel of a tan or gold Nissan Frontier doing donuts in parking lots, nearly hitting other vehicles and possibly striking curbs and a retaining wall, according to police.

Officers arrived in the area within minutes and spotted the truck heading west toward the ocean. An officer attempted a traffic stop, but police said the driver fled and a pursuit ensued.

HUNDREDS BLOCK FLORIDA INTERSTATE IN ALLEGED STREET TAKEOVER BEFORE 140 MPH POLICE CHASE

Officers eventually terminated the pursuit because of what police described as the driver's "increasing wanton disregard to public safety."

BODYCAM SHOWS POLICE K-9 LEAPING INTO ACTION AFTER SUSPECTED IMPAIRED DRIVER REFUSED TO SURRENDER

Police later located the truck again, but the driver allegedly failed to yield a second time, sparking another pursuit that officers also terminated.

By then, police said the Nissan was wanted in connection with felony evading, and officers saturated the area in an effort to locate it.

WATCH: DEPUTIES HUNT WANTED MAN THROUGH CORNFIELD AFTER HIGH-SPEED CHASE CAUGHT ON CAMERA

Officers eventually spotted the truck again driving slowly but held off on another attempted stop until the department's ABLE, or Airborne Law Enforcement, helicopter was overhead and able to track it.

The helicopter followed the Nissan as it drove onto the beach and headed toward the water, police said.

WATCH: FELONY SUSPECT'S OCEAN GETAWAY UNRAVELS AFTER 90-MINUTE STANDOFF WITH LIFEGUARDS

Video from the scene shows stunned beachgoers watching as officers converge on the pickup on the sand. The driver, identified by police as 25-year-old Griffin Charles Foy, is seen outside the truck with his hands raised as officers move in to detain him.

A police K-9 was also at the scene but was not deployed during Foy’s arrest, authorities said.

FLORIDA MAN IN BUNNY HELMET ALLEGEDLY LED POLICE ON 120 MPH CHASE BEFORE SURRENDERING TO TROOPERS

Police said officers conducted a high-risk vehicle stop because of the nature of the alleged violations and Foy's "disregard to public safety."

Foy was taken into custody without further incident.

REPEAT OFFENDER WITH MASSIVE RAP SHEET LEADS COPS ON WILD CHASE AS BLIND PASSENGER BEGS TO ESCAPE: POLICE

He was booked into San Diego Central Jail on charges of felony evading a peace officer with wanton disregard for safety, obstructing or resisting a peace officer and driving under the influence of drugs, according to police.

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Despite the chaotic pursuit, police said no one was injured.

Knife-wielding woman accused of stabbing 2 in Times Square before being shot by police

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 17:26:12 -0400

A woman armed with two knives went on a random stabbing spree through the heart of Times Square Monday before a tense confrontation with NYPD officers ended in deadly gunfire, authorities said.

The attack left a 32-year-old woman dead and a 68-year-old man wounded after the two strangers were stabbed within just 20 seconds of each other, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said during an evening news conference.

Police identified the alleged attacker as 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros of Queens, who was also killed after officers opened fire.

The violence began around 4:24 p.m. near West 41st Street and Seventh Avenue, where a 68-year-old man had just exited the subway and was standing with his wife waiting to cross the street.

WITNESSES RECOUNT 'SCARY' NYC STABBING AFTER SUSPECT ALLEGEDLY YELLED 'ALLAHU AKBAR' DURING ATTACKS

A witness told investigators Cisneros pulled two knives from a red Target bag, waved them and approached the man before stabbing him in the right side of his abdomen in what Tisch called a "random and unprovoked attack."

The man was rushed to Bellevue Hospital and remained in stable condition Monday evening.

Cisneros then headed north on Seventh Avenue toward West 42nd Street, where police said she approached a 32-year-old woman and stabbed her in the abdomen in another apparently random attack.

MAN DEAD, ANOTHER CRITICAL AFTER DOUBLE STABBING AT BROOKLYN PARK AS POLICE DETAIN PERSON OF INTEREST: NYPD

The woman was rushed to Bellevue, where she died from her injuries. Police had not released her identity pending notification of her family.

The two attacks unfolded within approximately 20 seconds of each other, Tisch said. The second stabbing was captured on an NYPD Argus camera.

NYPD OFFICERS FATALLY SHOOT MAN ARMED WITH BUTCHER KNIFE AFTER HE ADVANCED TOWARD COPS: POLICE

As Cisneros continued north, witnesses flagged down officers who confronted her between West 42nd and West 43rd streets. She was still holding both knives, police said.

What followed was a roughly four-minute standoff as officers repeatedly ordered Cisneros to drop the weapons and attempted to talk her into surrendering them.

MACHETE-WIELDING SUSPECT CLAIMING TO BE 'LUCIFER' SHOT BY POLICE AFTER ALLEGEDLY STABBING 3 AT TRANSIT HUB

But she made clear she had no intention of surrendering the knives, Tisch said.

"I’m not dropping anything. I would rather kill both of you," Cisneros told the officers, according to Tisch.

"I will kill you," she repeated.

Police said Cisneros then began waving the knives and advancing toward the officers. Multiple officers deployed Tasers, but they failed to stop her.

As Cisneros continued advancing with the knives, two officers opened fire, striking her. She was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

The confrontation and police shooting were captured on officers’ body-worn cameras, Tisch said.

EIGHT NYPD OFFICERS INJURED IN MASSIVE EXPLOSION WHILE RESPONDING TO KNIFE-WIELDING MAN IN QUEENS HOME

"This was an extraordinarily dangerous situation unfolding in the heart of Times Square, the crossroads of the world," Tisch said.

She noted that thousands of New Yorkers, commuters, tourists, families and workers can be moving through the area at any given moment.

"Our officers were confronted with a rapidly evolving threat, with countless innocent people around them," Tisch said. "In that moment, they did what we train them to do."

Mayor Zohran Mamdani also credited the responding officers with preventing further bloodshed.

NYPD OFFICER SHOT, GUNMAN KILLED AFTER ARMED BARRICADED STANDOFF IN BROOKLYN: POLICE

"I want to thank the NYPD officers who stepped in and prevented a horrific attack from becoming even worse," Mamdani said. "This is what the men and women of this department do every single day to keep our city safe."

Mamdani said the standard internal investigation into the police shooting will take place and that body-worn camera footage will be released to the public.

Cisneros had no arrest history with the NYPD, but department records documented a mental health history involving police interactions in 2018 and 2019, Tisch said. Investigators were still working to determine what brought her to Times Square before the attack.

Police said there was no reason at this stage of the investigation to believe the stabbing was an act of terrorism.

Tisch called the killing a "senseless act of violence" as she reflected on the victim and the family now confronting her death.

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"One life cut far too short by a senseless act of violence," Tisch said. "There are family members and loved ones who are now confronting the unimaginable loss, and our hearts are with them."

Duane 'Keffe D' Davis found guilty of first-degree murder in 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 20:20:25 -0400

A Nevada jury on Monday found Duane "Keffe D" Davis guilty of first-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon in the 1996 drive-by shooting death of rap icon Tupac Shakur.

Davis, 63, could face life in prison after becoming the first person convicted in the nearly 30-year-old case, according to The Associated Press.

Jurors deliberated for about three hours following closing arguments in the closely watched trial.

Shakur’s sister, Sekyiwa "Set" Shakur, cried after the verdict was read, while Davis’ son covered his face with one hand.

TUPAC MURDER TRIAL FACES ‘SNITCHES GET STITCHES’ PROBLEM BUT DEFENDANT'S GHOSTWRITER COULD BE KEY

In closing arguments, Prosecutor Binu Palal said Davis obtained a gun and "went hunting" for Shakur and Marion "Suge" Knight after they attacked Davis' nephew, according to The Associated Press.

He said Davis consistently placed himself inside the Cadillac used in the shooting.

TUPAC SHAKUR MURDER TRIAL'S FIRST WEEK HAD HEATED TESTIMONY FROM RELUCTANT WITNESSES WITH OLD GANGLAND TIES

Meanwhile, defense attorney Michael Sanft argued that no evidence beyond Davis’ statements placed him in Las Vegas or inside the car.

The 16-member panel, including four alternates, heard nine days of testimony from 24 prosecution witnesses and three defense witnesses.

Davis was ordered held without bail pending sentencing, which is scheduled for Oct. 13.

TUPAC SHAKUR MURDER SUSPECT TAKES CENTER STAGE AT TRIAL NEARLY 30 YEARS AFTER SHOOTING SHOCKED MUSIC WORLD

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A gunman in a white Cadillac opened fire on a BMW carrying Shakur and Knight on Sept. 7, 1996, on the Las Vegas Strip. Knight recovered from minor injuries.

Shakur succumbed to his injuries six days later at 25 years old.

Fox News' Melissa Chrise and Fox News Digital's Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.

Ketel Marte breaks unexplained absence from Diamondbacks, will face his teammates 'like a man'

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 20:59:13 -0400

Arizona Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte finally graced his team with his presence Monday, returning to the lineup after ghosting the club and leaving fans holding the bag for two weeks. Naturally, the D-backs rewarded his unexcused vacation by plugging him right back into the clean-up spot as the designated hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies.

"I'm going to stand in front of my teammates like a man," Marte said through a translator. "I'm going to ask for forgiveness. We're human, we all commit mistakes."

Marte walked away from the club in Boston on Aug. 17 without permission, initially leading to a restricted list placement before the team cited knee inflammation.

Marte admitted the no-show was entirely on him.

PHILLIES SEND CY YOUNG CONTENDER CHRISTOPHER SANCHEZ TO THE MOUND IN WILD CARD RACE SHOWDOWN

"A moment of frustration," he explained. "No one made the decision for me, I'm the one that made the decision to not show up." He added, "I get along really well with Torey, and in that instance I failed him by not showing up," referring to manager Torey Lovullo.

If that wasn't wild enough, Lovullo openly stated after Marte's return that this marks the fourth consecutive season the second baseman has missed a game without team authorization.

If any normal American walked off the job without permission once a year for four straight years, security would escort them out of the building. In Major League Baseball, it just gets you slotted right back into the middle of the order for a playoff push.

DIAMONDBACKS MANAGER TOREY LOVULLO APOLOGIZES TO CHICAGO CUBS AFTER SIGN STEALING CONTROVERSY: 'BUSH LEAGUE'

While sidelined on the injured list, videos surfaced of Marte casually playing roulette at Talking Stick Casino in Scottsdale while his teammates were grinding out a home game across town. Pressed on the optics of hitting the gaming tables mid-game, Marte shrugged off the backlash like it was nothing. "I've been injured before, those are things that I do in my personal time," he told reporters.

"I've been injured before, those are things that I do in my personal time," Marte told reporters.

When asked directly if he had any message for the Arizona fans who pay his salary, the D-Backs star offered complete silence and simply shook his head no.

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The Diamondbacks are stuck in a corner.

At 73-65 and fighting for a Wild Card spot, they desperately need Marte's bat (.249 average, 21 home runs). Locked into a contract through 2031 with full no-trade protection, Marte holds every piece of leverage in the building.

Arizona gets its star back for the stretch run, proving once again that as long as you hit home runs, accountability is completely optional.

Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela

Texas Tech head coach blasts USC, Lincoln Riley, for poor attendance at LA Coliseum in Week Zero

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 20:52:03 -0400

Boy oh boy, do we need a full slate of college football games to start. Immediately, if not sooner.

Despite the LSU Tigers program under Lane Kiffin essentially blowing up the college football model by adding NFL players in order to make their team better and pivotal week one storylines to track, the only topic of discussion around the sport this week has been the attendance at USC's home opener.

The Trojans hosted San Jose State at the LA Coliseum on Saturday at noon, a game time that made little sense for everyone other than NBC. SC entered the game as 38-point favorites, temperatures were in the mid-90's with extreme, and unusual, humidity for Southern California, and the kickoff time ensured there'd be no shade or relief from the miserable conditions.

USC FOOTBALL RIPPED FOR PATHETIC CROWD AT HOME OPENER: 'ABSOLUTELY EMBARRASSING'

Unsurprisingly, many chose to stay home, rationally deciding that they could simply wait for the weather and a more favorable kickoff time to deal with the atrocious LA traffic, elevated parking prices, long walk, and terrible security lines. This has sparked days of outrage and clickbait videos from commentators and analysts in comfortable studios who are certain they'd sit in the heat to watch a full game that was over within 15 minutes. All while ignoring the many examples of other big schools, like the Florida Gators, that have struggled to fill seats for noon games in August.

Now we can add the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders, a program known for its moral character, to the list of complainants.

At a news conference on Monday, Joey Maguire explained, just before taking a shot, that he did not want to "take any shots," before saying he's excited to play in front of a sold out crowd in Lubbock this weekend.

"Not to take any shots because I have a lot of respect for USC and Lincoln Riley, but man, it's really awesome to be playing in Lubbock, Texas, knowing we're going to be playing front of 60,000, and it's going to be warm," he said. "It's going to be every bit as warm as it was Saturday. The great thing is we got some really tough people in West Texas that love their football and they're going to show up."

DOES USC'S POOR OPENING GAME ATTENDANCE MEAN LINCOLN RILEY'S ON THE HOT SEAT ALREADY?

It actually won't be as warm in Lubbock as it was in LA, with a forecast high of 92 degrees and lower humidity. And the game is at 4 p.m., meaning the sun will be going down behind the stadium by the second half, instead of only getting increasingly hot as the game wears on.

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Though, since weather is the topic of conversation in college football right now, it is a credit to fans in Lubbock that they show up to watch their teams in the heat. The problem though? They have no choice.

Most Texas Tech home games in August and September are going to be miserable, because the weather in Lubbock in August and September is miserable. There's no, "I'll just go to the next game because it'll be more comfortable," because doing so would mean missing half the season. Same with Gainesville, Florida, and most of the South. The weather is objectively awful for two straight months, which means you have little choice but to subject yourself to hell in order to watch the team play.

With USC, by contrast, these outlier heatwaves are pretty easily avoidable. The forecast for Friday night's game against Fresno State, for example, is 72 degrees. By the end of the game, it'll be 68. Some fans make the rational decision to simply...go to that game instead, not waste their time to watch 15 minutes of competitive football. Especially when there are multiple events per week that compete for entertainment dollars.

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Fans in other parts of the country have no choice and are used to atrocious conditions, because they live in places with atrocious summer climates. There's no competition for Texas Tech football in Lubbock, not the NFL, not Major League Baseball, and not Major League Soccer, all of which will have games in LA in the coming weeks.

Should USC's attendance have been higher? Yeah, absolutely. Did it fill in more after kickoff? Also yes, though obviously well below what it could have been. For those who've never been to the Coliseum, it's in downtown LA, which means horrific traffic trying to get to the USC campus. There's little parking at the Coliseum, meaning fans are forced into a nightmarish hellscape of distant structures, and the security lines are infamously awful at an old stadium. Late arriving crowds are part of the LA sports experience, even at USC, because getting places in LA is an unpredictable guessing game.

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Oh, and not that it matters to Maguire or to anyone else, for that matter, but there are plenty of good seats available for most Texas Tech home games this year. Yes, week one is sold out, but their game against Arizona has thousands of tickets just waiting for those "tough" fans to snap up. Even their "biggest" home game, against Arizona State, has seats readily available. Lower level tickets are $170, whereas desirable seats for SC's home game against Oregon in September are $425-$475. For a family of four, that's nearly $2,000 to go to a game, with parking and stadium concessions.

Maybe that's part of the problem too, USC's administration simply pricing their tickets too high for what the market can support. Particularly given the competition in LA and Southern California. USC's student composition has also changed dramatically in recent decades, as the school now has a shockingly high percentage of international students, thanks to their wealthy donor parents, who have little interest in football.

But nuance, rationality, perspective, and experience are not valuable commodities in college football, however, considering social media dunks are far more exciting and attention grabbing.

Teen girl indicted on murder charges for allegedly helping spread livestream of deadly mosque shooting

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 20:45:07 -0400

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide or experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.

A 17-year-old North Carolina girl has been charged with murder by aiding and abetting after allegedly recording a livestream of the deadly San Diego mosque shooting and sharing the attackers’ manifesto.

Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill said Monday that the teenager, identified as Sarah L. Santiago in court records, was indicted on three murder counts and one conspiracy count, according to The Associated Press.

Although she was across the country during the May 18 attack, she allegedly recorded and helped distribute the attackers’ livestream and published their manifesto.

"She disseminated that information. And she published their manifesto," O'Neill said.

NORTH CAROLINA WOMAN CHARGED IN ALLEGED HOUSTON SYNAGOGUE ATTACK PLOT AS INVESTIGATORS SEARCH FOR 2 OTHERS

Caleb Vazquez, 18, and Cain Clark, 17, stormed the Islamic Center of San Diego armed and intending to kill people inside, according to authorities.

The gunmen killed three men — Amin Abdullah, Nadir Awad and Mansour Kaziha — who confronted them and helped prevent further bloodshed.

The attackers later died by suicide in a vehicle nearby, police said.

Authorities said the mosque was one target in a broader attack plan.

"Their plan that day was to commit mass murders not only at the mosque, but to follow up at a local Jewish temple. And finally, at a predominantly African-American high school there in town," O'Neill said.

FBI NABS 7 FOR ALLEGED 'CAMPAIGN OF VIOLENCE' TO PRESSURE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, BUSINESSES OVER ISRAEL TIES

The indictment alleges Santiago agreed before the attack to record and distribute the gunmen’s livestream and publish their manifesto. She is also accused of buying a patch bearing a white-supremacist symbol for one of the attackers to wear during the shooting, The Associated Press reported.

O’Neill said Santiago could face charges in North Carolina even though she was not physically present in California.

"She didn't have to be in California, she's in our jurisdiction," O'Neill said. "And today, a grand jury indicted her and held her responsible for her actions leading up to that disastrous day in May."

O’Neill noted that North Carolina law allows a 17-year-old accused of such conduct to be treated as an adult.

FBI BRINGS IRAQI MAN ACCUSED OF COORDINATING NEARLY 20 TERROR ATTACKS IN EUROPE TO FACE TRIAL IN NEW YORK

Authorities said the broader investigation has included more than 100 interviews, over 30 search warrants and a review of more than 4 million messages.

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"Our investigation shows that the individual had multiple opportunities to come forward to law enforcement and alert us of these deliberate actions, and the failure to do so must have consequences," FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Texas Tech head coach blasts USC, Lincoln Riley, for poor attendance at LA Coliseum in Week Zero

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 20:36:54 -0400

Boy oh boy, do we need a full slate of college football games to start. Immediately, if not sooner.

USC FOOTBALL RIPPED FOR PATHETIC CROWD AT HOME OPENER: 'ABSOLUTELY EMBARRASSING'

Now we can add the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders, a program known for its moral character, to the list of complainants.

DOES USC'S POOR OPENING GAME ATTENDANCE MEAN LINCOLN RILEY'S ON THE HOT SEAT ALREADY?

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ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

But nuance, rationality, perspective, and experience are not valuable commodities in college football, however, considering social media dunks are far more exciting and attention grabbing.

LSU alum Ben McDonald says he doesn't agree with NFL-to-college returns, but understands why coaches want them

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 20:29:16 -0400

As the LSU Tigers prepare for their season opener against the Clemson Tigers, not all eyes are focused on the current matchups to expect in Death Valley.

The college football world is waiting to see if tight end Dae’Quan Wright, as well as former Notre Dame defensive end Junior Tuihalamaka, among others, will be available to play for LSU after causing quite the controversy by reuniting with Lane Kiffin at the NCAA level after being released by the Cleveland Browns following a training camp stint with the NFL team.

Even as college football's Week 0 has passed, the debate continues over a growing trend: former NFL rookies and other athletes attempting to move from the professional ranks back to college in pursuit of a fifth year of eligibility. The SEC and other major conferences have pushed back on new guidelines, but injunctions and temporary restraining orders issued by local judges have generated a series of court proceedings and strained relations among the NCAA, conferences, schools and others.

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Ben McDonald, the first overall pick of the 1989 MLB Draft, Olympic gold medalist, and former LSU Tigers star pitcher, appeared on "America Reports" where he told Sandra Smith about his stance on the current stir running through the college ranks.

"Personally, I don’t believe in it," McDonald explained. "I think once you get to play your four years, for me, it’s time to move on at that point. But things are so different now when you talk about the NIL money and the money that’s out there now, you get why these kids want to come back.

"So, if you can’t make it in the NFL, MLB, wherever, maybe you have that opportunity to return for a fifth year of college and make some money. You don’t blame the players for wanting to continue to play. They love the sport, they want to continue their athletic career. But also, money is involved."

MATT RHULE SOUNDS ALARM ON NFL RETURNEES, $45 MILLION ROSTERS AND COLLEGE FOOTBALL'S PAYROLL PROBLEM

One of the NFL’s top agents, Drew Rosenhaus, who also represents Wright, explained why he supports players returning to college if they are within the current "5-for-5" rule set by the NCAA in June, which gives student-athletes five years of eligibility to play five seasons. For one, as McDonald mentioned, there’s the financial perks of returning to college rather than sitting on a practice squad for NFL rookies.

"He is not going to make an NFL team this year," Rosenhaus said on "One Nation with Brian Kilmeade." "At best, he would be on a practice squad. He feels playing another year in college would be great for his development, and it will allow him to get bigger, stronger, more experienced and take another shot at the NFL. Oh, by the way, he would make more money in college than he’d make on an NFL practice squad."

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule recently appeared on OutKick’s "Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich," where he added how much of a boost players like Wright got already because they’ve gone against pros in an NFL training camp.

"Twice as good," Rhule said about Wright’s development having been with the Browns. "I think the hardest thing when you’re coaching these guys, you’re always telling them, ‘Hey, do this. This is what it’s like at the next level.’ It would be at least twice, if not three, times better than they were."

So, in that respect, McDonald understands a coach like Kiffin wanting to go after these players wishing to get back to college.

"Whether you agree with it or not, if I’m a college coach and I have the opportunity to get a kid that’s got four years of college experience, and he was in an NFL training camp, why would I not want him to come back to my roster? It only allows us a better chance to win," he said.

"Everybody’s picking on Lane Kiffin because it’s low-hanging fruit for him. There’s been a lot of controversy over Kiffin lately, leaving Ole Miss and the great year he had the last few years at Ole Miss, and now he’s the head coach at LSU. But it’s not an LSU thing. This is across the board. …I don’t totally agree with it, but I understand where it’s at right now. And if I’m a head coach, hey, I want those players. There is pressure to win now, and why not get the best players you can?"

NFL WARNS CLUBS THEY CANNOT SIGN ANY PLAYER WHO RETURNS TO COLLEGE FOOTBALL FOR 2026 SEASON, MEMO SAYS

McDonald added the other side of the argument, believing "it hurts our incoming freshman class because those kids don’t have really nowhere to go with the 5-for-5 deal that’s out there right now."

Kiffin said that he spoke with his players’ leadership committee, where they were at a consensus to "bring ‘em" into the program if it meant winning this season.

"We understand we have a team that's practiced together and worked together all offseason, but one of them said, 'Hey, this is how it works at the next level, and this is how the real world works.' So, that made me feel a little better in the struggle and being torn back and forth," Kiffin told reporters on Monday.

Kiffin’s final roster is due to the SEC on Friday, which is the day before the team will take on Clemson. On Thursday, a judge in a Louisiana courtroom will either uphold the temporary restraining order, which would prohibit the SEC from punishing schools if they were to add a player like Wright, or reverse the decision after hearing from the SEC and NCAA following a show-cause order.

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Elsewhere in the SEC, coaches like Texas’ Steve Sarkisian opposed the idea of bringing back players that went pro.

"The fact that somebody out there is going to take a player off of an NFL roster and tell somebody who's been doing it for nine months to go kick rocks, that doesn't sit well with me. I think that's wrong. That, morally, is wrong," he said, via ESPN.

Roughly 80 Americans still unaccounted for after Himalayan disaster kills 903, officials say

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 20:07:23 -0400

Roughly 80 Americans remain unaccounted for following the catastrophic Himalayan flood last Wednesday that killed hundreds of people, the State Department said.

The update marks a decrease from a previous estimate of at least 90 Americans who went missing near the Nepal-China border.

"We can confirm that 13 American citizens have made their way to safety in Nepal," a State Department spokesperson told Fox News.

Meanwhile, Nepal’s death toll has risen to 903, while the number of people still unaccounted for has nearly doubled to roughly 4,200, according to an update from local officials Sunday.

TRAPPED NEPALI WORKERS PULLED FROM HYDROPOWER TUNNEL AFTER CATASTROPHIC FLOODING

According to officials, the disaster occurred in north-central Nepal when a distant slope failure involving a glacier triggered a rapidly moving debris flow that traveled roughly 62 miles downstream before striking a populated area. Footage from the disaster showed a massive surge of water and debris suddenly rushing through the valleys, engulfing buildings in its path.

On Sunday, a spokesperson for Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs provided an update on the toll.

"So far, 903 bodies have been recovered from the areas and about 4200 people are still unaccounted for. Over 10,000 people have been rescued from the regions, including over 323 foreign nationals. As per the available data, about 590 foreign nationals are still missing, from 39 countries," the spokesperson said.

Twenty-two of the missing Americans were part of a pilgrimage affiliated with a Tennessee-based nonprofit group, Isha Foundation coordination leader Jyoti Jankowski told Fox News Saturday. They were inside an immigration building when the flooding struck the area, Jankowski said.

MORE THAN 3,000 MISSING AFTER COLOMBIA EARTHQUAKE AS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PROVIDES $15.5 MILLION IN RELIEF

Authorities said Nepal is coordinating with neighboring countries and the international community to provide relief, with supplies already arriving from countries including India and China.

More supplies are expected to arrive from the U.S., United Arab Emirates, Myanmar, Qatar, the U.K., Australia, the Republic of Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, Bangladesh, Pakistan and other international organizations, officials said.

"Relief and humanitarian assistance are being provided in the affected areas. We are deeply grateful to our friends and partners for their solidarity, goodwill and generous offers of support at this difficult time," the spokesperson said.

DEATH TOLL FROM MUDSLIDES, FLOODING AT NEPAL-CHINA BORDER CLIMBS PAST 670; NEARLY 3,000 MISSING

The State Department said last Wednesday that it was "monitoring the situation and is deploying a disaster response advisor to the region to support response efforts."

"The Department will also provide $500,000 in assistance through its global award with Catholic Relief Services, supporting emergency shelter, relief items, and water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance to flood-affected communities," the department said.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) investigators remain uncertain whether the initial failure was a landslide incorporating part of a glacier or a glacial collapse, in which a portion of a glacier breaks off and rapidly moves downslope with surrounding debris.

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The glacier-related event resulted in a magnitude 5.2 earthquake, according to the USGS. A second seismic event was recorded approximately three hours later, generating energy equivalent to a magnitude 4.2 earthquake.

"The glacial debris contained water and ice that rapidly melted, picking up more material and water as it flowed downslope in the existing stream and river channels, creating a fast-moving, far-traveled landslide and flood laden with boulders and other rubble," the agency said.

Trump calls Hollywood a 'total disaster,' pushes federal tax incentive for film after meeting with Jon Voight

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 19:58:54 -0400

President Trump boasted about progress made with one of his Hollywood Special Ambassadors, Jon Voight.

The commander-in-chief admitted he had a "great and very interesting meeting" with the "movie legend," who he appointed to a special envoy in 2025 which includes Mel Gibson and Sylvester Stallone.

"He is a fantastic man who loves our Country, and feels strongly about the Motion Picture and Television Industry," Trump shared on his Truth Social platform.

MEL GIBSON APOLOGIZES FOR MOCKING ASL INTERPRETER, BLAMES 'SPONTANEOUS THOUGHTLESS IDIOCY'

"He hates what’s happened to it! It is being dissipated in its entirety. It has moved to Canada, and other Countries, with very little work being done anymore in the United States."

Trump continued, "Hollywood is a Complete and Total Disaster! Despite the name, it is getting very little work. There is no incentive to be there, and it is hurting California very badly."

TRUMP NAMES SYLVESTER STALLONE, MEL GIBSON AND JON VOIGHT AS SPECIAL AMBASSADORS TO 'VERY TROUBLED' HOLLYWOOD

The president noted that Jon, along with industry leaders, suggested a federal tax incentive in order to "Make our Movie and Television Production Business GREAT AGAIN, perhaps GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE!"

"The amount of money spent on Tax Incentives will be made up tenfold by the money pouring into the Treasury’s coffers," Trump wrote. "Meetings are being set up with the Leaders of both Parties in order to get this done. It should be Bipartisan, especially since so much money is being lost in California, and other largely Blue States.

"I am going to suggest that Republicans and Democrats get together, and immediately craft Legislation to save the Movie, Television, and Entertainment Business in America. Congress should approve, immediately, a Federal Production Incentive to create Entertainment Jobs in America."

He added, "It can be done quickly, accurately, efficiently and, importantly, will benefit ALL of America. What we watch on the Silver Screen should be made in what was once the Movie and Motion Picture Capital of the World. Let’s get this done!"

Voight's representatives did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

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Motion Picture Association Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin welcomed the proposal from Trump.

"For over a century, American studios, casts, and crews have produced the films and series that the world wants to see," he said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. "A federal incentive would be a landmark step toward bringing more production to local communities in all 50 states, strengthening our nation’s economy, and making our country a more competitive place to produce, create, and tell great stories."

Rivkin added, "We applaud President Trump’s support for this vital action, and we look forward to continuing to work with the White House and bipartisan leaders in Congress to enact a meaningful and effective national incentive into law."

Shortly before Inauguration Day for his second term in office, Trump revealed the Special Ambassadors program in efforts to promote business in Hollywood.

"It is my honor to announce Jon Voight, Mel Gibson, and Sylvester Stallone, to be Special Ambassadors to a great but very troubled place, Hollywood, California," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

"They will serve as Special Envoys to me for the purpose of bringing Hollywood, which has lost much business over the last four years to Foreign Countries, BACK—BIGGER, BETTER, AND STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE!"

He added, "These three very talented people will be my eyes and ears, and I will get done what they suggest. It will again be, like The United States of America itself, The Golden Age of Hollywood!"

In May 2025, Voight, along with special advisor Steven Paul, submitted a "comprehensive plan" to the president to save the film and television industry.

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Voight and Paul met with "dozens of leading film and television organizations (guilds, unions, studios and streamers) about what changes need to be made to increase domestic film production," according to a statement.

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The meeting was conducted in person with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida and included SP Media Group/Atlas Comics President Scott Karol.

"The proposal includes federal tax incentives, significant changes to several tax codes, the establishment of co-production treaties with foreign countries, and infrastructure subsidies for theater owners, film and television production companies, and post-production companies," the statement said. "The proposal also includes a focus on job training, and tariffs in certain limited circumstances."

He added, "This plan is about leveling the playing field so that producing right here in America is not only a competitive option, but the first choice."

The White House and its relevant policy advisors were in the process of reviewing the proposal.

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"While President Trump regularly corresponds with his Hollywood Ambassadors, including Jon Voight, to restore America’s cultural dominance, it was President Trump himself who formulated the idea of using tariffs to Make Hollywood Great Again," White House Spokesman Kush Desai told Fox News Digital at the time.

Abdul El-Sayed stands by criticism of fireworks, tells Americans to find other ways to 'show you love'

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 19:15:03 -0400

Democratic Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed defended his past controversial comments about Fourth of July fireworks during a radio appearance Monday.

While appearing on "The Breakfast Club," El-Sayed was asked by host Charlamagne tha God about his previous support for defunding the police and criticism of firework celebrations on Independence Day. El-Sayed pushed back against the criticism.

"They're coming at me on fireworks," El-Sayed said. "I'm like, 'All right, first, if your whole conception of America is that it's fireworks, I'm so sorry. You don't have a complete conception of America. But even then, right, like what is it?'"

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He continued: "I said, 'Well, every time we do a fireworks show, it destroys the air quality and people have asthma exacerbations and heart attacks the next day.' That's all I was saying. You know what I mean? I'm not saying we shouldn't have fireworks. I'm just saying maybe like there are other ways to show your love."

El-Sayed's comments follow a CNN report earlier this month that revealed that El-Sayed deleted or hid approximately 100 YouTube videos before launching his Senate campaign. Among them included a plea that Americans "please" find another way to celebrate the Fourth of July besides using fireworks, citing air quality and the risks to children and pets as reasons.

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The video allegedly included four reasons "why fireworks suck" and a chapter titled "Fireworks just aren't worth it: hear us out."

While appearing on "Hannity" earlier this month, Republican nominee Mike Rogers called out El-Sayed for his deleted posts and comments.

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"This guy spent hours hating on what most Michiganders would enjoy in their pastimes, and he should be held to account for that," Rogers said. "These are views that he held, that he was pretty strong about, but he knew that he had to delete them all… If people really knew who he was, they wouldn’t vote for him."

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Fox News Digital reached out to the El-Sayed and Rogers campaigns for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

CNN admits error after suggesting US troops abroad would be impacted by Trump's mail-in ballot crackdown

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 19:10:35 -0400

CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer issued a mea culpa Monday after he falsely suggested U.S. troops abroad would be impacted by the Trump administration's crackdown on mail-in voting.

On Friday's installment of "The Situation Room," Blitzer sat down with Democratic Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger to discuss the lawsuit the commonwealth filed alongside other blue states to block President Donald Trump's executive order from March to curb mail-in voting, which was slapped with a 14-day temporary restraining order last week by a federal judge.

"The continued attacks that we're seeing from the Trump administration is really just an effort to get people fearful, to get people to stay home, and, in many cases, to eliminate what is a valid, safe, secure way for people to be able to have their voices heard and to vote," Spanberger said.

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"And in Virginia, you have a lot of military personnel who totally rely on mail-in ballots if they want to be able to express their opinions," Blitzer told the governor.

"That's true," Spanberger replied. "It's members of the military service, of our diplomatic service, intelligence services, people serving overseas in service to our country who get their ballots mailed to them at the various postings throughout the world."

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However, Blitzer made a "quick note of clarification" at the end of Monday's program in reference to his exchange with Spanberger.

"We discussed legal challenges to the Trump administration’s directives for the Postal Service on mail-in voting. A comment I made suggested that U.S. military and overseas voters' ballots would be impacted by these directives. I want to be clear right now: those ballots are exempt from the Postal Service’s new rules implementing the president’s March executive order," Blitzer told viewers.

"Those groups are covered under the Uniformed and Overseas Absentee Voting Act, just to be specific on that point," he added.

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A spokesperson for CNN pointed to Blitzer's comments and declined to comment further.

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