The State Department told Fox News Digital that President Donald Trump's views on France are "spot on" after French President Emmanuel Macron criticized foreign leaders for making "unacceptable and stupid comments" about the protests rocking the European country.

Speaking at a midterms rally on Monday, Trump said that "the migrants have taken over France" and that the country should close its borders following a weekend of anti-government demonstrations that evolved into rioting and looting. He added that France, a "once great nation," is "being conquered, looted and burned to the ground by migrants, jihadists and communists who hate Christianity" and "the Western civilization itself."

Macron then claimed Wednesday that "there was foreign manipulation of information" following the protests, including AI-generated images that showed scenes that never happened in France, which gave way to "unacceptable and stupid comments from many people including foreign leaders." Macron said he was referring to Trump, "among others," and also mentioned, "We’ve had people claiming that we were invaded by hordes of migrants and Islamists, which is completely false," The Associated Press reported.

When asked for a reaction to Macron's remarks, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott told Fox News Digital that Trump "is on point as he is consistently on point."

"He has been clear about the dangers of mass migration for years, especially since the beginning of this administration, but certainly long beforehand as well. The president has secured the border on day one when it comes to the United States of America," Pigott said. "But we've also been clear from the State Department's perspective that we are going to oppose international institutions, for example, that seek to impose an agenda upon sovereign nations to encourage mass migration.

FRANCE'S MACRON BLAMES PROTESTS ON 'ULTRA-LEFT GROUPS WHOSE AIM IS TO BRING DOWN THE REPUBLIC'

"Mass migration is inherently destabilizing. It is inherently destabilizing. It is something that we don't believe solves problems, but actually creates problems. And this is something the president has raised time and time again. He's raised it in reaction to these recent protests," Pigott added.

"He's also raised it directly to world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly. Two years in a row raising this issue, calling for an end to the destructive policies of illegal amassed migration. Illegal amassed migration that, by the way, only helps criminal cartel groups. That's something we see in our own hemisphere, for example," Pigott continued. "The fact that cartel groups have traveled along these migration pathways. So the president is spot on, he's bringing attention to this issue, he is taking action to address this issue and, from the State Department's perspective, we have also taken concrete action to end the era of mass migration."

FRANCE'S RIOT CHAOS FUELS FARAGE'S WARNING THAT MASS IMMIGRATION FAILURES COULD HAUNT ANOTHER COUNTRY NEXT

The Louvre and other major museums in Paris will be closed on Saturday as more protests are scheduled in the French capital, according to the AP. Reuters also reported that businesses in central Paris have started boarding up their windows over concerns of violence.

French officials said more than 3,000 shops were looted, and some 2,500 people were taken into police custody in connection to last weekend's nationwide protests.

"One of things that we really stress to Americans is that when they're traveling abroad, if they could please register for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). That program lets you tell us which countries you're going to so that we can provide real-time information to Americans in the country that have registered," Pigott told Fox News Digital.

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"Speaking generally, when it comes to Americans that need assistance, we have personnel across the world at the State Department, at embassies and consulates that are working 24/7 to help the American people. If you have an issue when you're abroad, please contact the embassy or consulate," he added. "There are people that are there to help you that can provide information. Everything from a lost passport to responses to a security situation, that is something that is hugely important and a huge factor for the State Department."

Selma Blair is revisiting a terrifying encounter with a Hollywood director who she says threatened her into silence after allegedly pressuring her to undress early on in her career.

During an appearance on "The Jenny McCarthy Show," the "Cruel Intentions" actress — who filmed the podcast episode prior to her arrest this month — opened up about her alleged experience with filmmaker James Toback, recalling how the Oscar-nominated screenwriter left her fearful for her life.

"He really put the fear of God in me in my early 20s," Blair told McCarthy, describing Toback as "really, really scary."

'TEACHER'S PET' STAR MAMIE VAN DOREN SAYS SHE FELT 'USED' AS YOUNG ACTRESS NAVIGATING HOLLYWOOD'S DARK SIDE

Blair recalled an alleged encounter in which Toback pressured her to remove her clothes while performing a monologue, presenting the request as part of her acting development.

"I took my clothes off," Blair recalled. "It was horrifying."

She said Toback instructed her to "do the monologue naked," despite her discomfort.

"I was really uncomfortable," Blair said. "It was really traumatic."

Blair explained that she initially believed the director was trying to improve her acting abilities, rather than making a sexual advance.

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"I was scared, and I was a people pleaser," she admitted.

'BLUE BLOODS' STAR JENNIFER ESPOSITO SAYS SHE WALKED AWAY FROM HOLLYWOOD AFTER YEARS OF REJECTION AND ‘ABUSE’

The actress said Toback later made disparaging remarks about her appearance, including comments about her hips.

"How dare you? Like, how are you going to make someone feel bad?" Blair recalled thinking.

She also described an alleged threat that she said prevented her from speaking publicly about the experience for years.

"He said, 'You know, if you ever tell a soul, I'll gouge your eyes out with a Bic pen.' And I believed it and I kept quiet."

Blair's allegations were among those examined in a 2017 Los Angeles Times investigation by reporter Glenn Whipp, which initially detailed sexual harassment accusations from 38 women against Toback.

The women described encounters in which the filmmaker allegedly used promises of acting opportunities to initiate sexually inappropriate interactions.

Blair was initially an anonymous source in the investigation. As additional women came forward, the number of accusers grew to more than 300, according to subsequent reporting by the Los Angeles Times.

Blair said she ultimately decided to publicly identify herself after learning that Toback had disputed the women's accounts.

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"When I found out he called all these women liars ... I was like, oh no, I can't stand for that," Blair told McCarthy.

"I will no longer be anonymous because he's not going to do that."

In October 2017, Blair and fellow actress Rachel McAdams publicly detailed their allegations against Toback in a Vanity Fair interview.

Toback denied the sexual misconduct allegations reported by the Los Angeles Times at the time, saying he either had not met the women or did not recall their encounters.

Reflecting on the experience years later, Blair expressed anger about the treatment she said she endured.

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"It was all awful. It was so upsetting and awful," she said.

Blair also offered a message to other women who might face similar pressure in the entertainment industry: "You don't have to do it. You don't have to do it."

Earlier this month, Blair — who revealed publicly in 2018 that she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis — was arrested and arraigned on two counts of second-degree assault stemming from accusations that she assaulted a nurse and a police officer after an incident involving crew members aboard a Delta Air Lines flight to New York City. Blair pleaded not guilty. 

The judge set bail at $20,000 cash/$60,000 bond/$60,000 partially secured bond. She's expected in court in January 2027.

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Fox News Digital's Tracy Wright contributed to this post.

• Over the past decade, I've traveled solo to all 50 US states and most major US national parks.
• Although I've found beauty in every state, there are some that I want to visit over and over again.
• I love traveling to places like New Mexico, Montana, New Hampshire, and Arizona.

Over the past decade, I've successfully visited all 50 US states solo, and have even made it to most of the major US national parks along the way. Because of this journey, I'm often asked which states I'd recommend to travelers.

Although most international travelers gravitate toward states like Florida and New York, I've found fantastic beauty and history in every state.

However, these are the 10 I always return to.

Four pledges at a Texas State University fraternity were arrested on Tuesday after an 18-year-old was allegedly forced into a pickup truck and heard screaming, according to police.

Police officers received several calls about men who were allegedly forcing another man into a blue pickup truck at around 10:40 p.m. on Tuesday, Russell Wilde, public safety communications specialist for the city of San Marcos, told Fox News Digital.

According to KSAT, a probable cause affidavit by law enforcement stated that an 18-year-old man was forced into a truck with his mouth taped shut and was yelling for help and to be let go.

THREE COLLEGE FRATS IN CROSSHAIRS AS HAZING CLAIMS OF BOOZE, BURNS AND HOSPITAL TRIPS SPARK CRACKDOWN: SCHOOL

Officers later located the truck at the Arba Apartments in San Marcos and determined the incident involved Texas State University Phi Delta Theta fraternity pledges, according to court documents.

Police took the following students into custody: William Oldner, 19, Noah Lara, 20, Tyler Fogg, 18, and Wyatt Carr, 18.

THE FRAT OMERTÀ: WHISTLEBLOWER WARNS OF ‘CODE OF SILENCE’ AFTER OLE MISS DEATHS, ALLEGED PENN STATE COKE RING

The 18-year-old who was forced into the pickup truck is an active member of the fraternity and was not injured.

Wilde said they were taking part in a tradition that was part of their fraternity initiation.

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"Those involved told officers the incident was a tradition," Wilde said.

All men were arrested on misdemeanor hazing charges.

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A spokeswoman for Phi Delta Theta General Headquarters told Fox News Digital it is aware of the alleged hazing incident.

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"Phi Delta Theta is aware of an incident involving several students associated with the Texas Mu Chapter at Texas State University. Upon learning of the matter, Phi Delta Theta began gathering information and is working closely with the university and local law enforcement. The Fraternity will continue to cooperate fully throughout the investigation," the spokeswoman said. "Phi Delta Theta holds the safety of every member of the Fraternity as well as the individuals of the campuses and communities they are a part of, in the highest regard, and does not support or condone behavior that jeopardizes the safety of others."

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Fox News Digital reached out to Texas State University and Carr, Oldner, Lara and Fogg for comment.

Las Bolsas han encontrado un respiro en el último momento del viernes, pero no el suficiente para borrar las pérdidas de una semana marcada por la escalada del petróleo. El barril de brent alcanza ya los 117 dólares, lo que supone el nivel más alto desde abril, ante el temor a una escalada del conflicto en Oriente Próximo que avive aún más la inflación. La subida del crudo añade presión a una renta variable que también acusa las dudas sobre la rentabilidad de la multimillonaria inversión en inteligencia artificial y la crisis de la deuda francesa y lleva a los inversores a buscar activos refugio con los que capear el temporal. El resultado es una semana con una corrección a nivel global en la que el castigo se extiende a ambos lados del Atlántico.

Seguir leyendo

© FEDERICO PARRA (AFP / GETTY IMAGES) (EL PAÍS)

Another incredible nature video has hit the web.

We've been on an incredible run here at OutKick when it comes to OutKick Outdoors, nature and wildlife footage.

It never gets old as people are always captivated by animals in their natural habits.....or people behaving like idiots around animals. It's always gold.

GOLFER DISTRACTED BY 'A NICE RACK' SHANKS TEE SHOT IN THE DIRECTION OF LARGE BULL ELK, WISELY GRABS A NEW BALL

That now includes some wild footage of some elk.

Massive elk get into fight.

Good Bull Outdoors shared a video this week on Instagram of a pair of massive elk locking antlers in a feisty scrap in Colorado.

"Our moose steak dinner was interrupted by bugling elk tonight so what do a couple of elk obsessed wildlife photographers do? We pack up the pup and roll out to get some video," the caption states, in part.

It continues, "Crazy doesn’t really describe the evening. A big 6x7 bugling while swimming across the lake, a 15 minute long fight, a second fight in a place we could hear but not see, a bull repeatedly walking down the road trying to get to cows inside the fairgrounds, a gunshot coming from the road which we found out was a policeman shooting a wounded elk calf hit by a car, and another bull jumping out towards our truck and nearly hitting it as he ran by. What a night!"

Check out the wild video below, and let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.

People in the comments had plenty of reactions to share. One person wrote, "All pumped up, showing their strength!"

Another added, "Dude, that’s crazy. Cool!"

A third commented, "Great work! Very cool."

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It's clear that people can't get enough of seeing two massive elk smash antlers. There's no question it's some awesome wildlife footage.

OUTKICK IS NOW AVAILABLE ON THE FOX NEWS APP: CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

What do you think of the video? Let me know at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.

In The Federalist No. 78, Alexander Hamilton famously promised that the federal judiciary would have "neither FORCE nor WILL, but merely judgment." The climate lawfare movement has spent the better part of a decade trying to prove Hamilton wrong.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court heard oral argument in Suncor Energy v. County Commissioners of Boulder County, in which Boulder seeks to use Colorado public nuisance law to make two energy companies pay for the effects of global climate change.

The case is the culmination of a long campaign.

SUPREME COURT BEGINS NEW TERM WITH HIGH-PROFILE LOOK AT CLEAN AIR AND FEDERAL AUTHORITY

A small, well-funded network of climate activists, convinced that drastic action is needed to save the planet and frustrated that their fellow citizens have not voted to dismantle the fossil-fuel industry, have turned to state and local courts after the Supreme Court unanimously shut down federal climate-nuisance suits in 2011’s American Electric Power v. Connecticut. Their strategy rests on a single premise: When the front door of democracy is closed, try the courthouse back door.

But thanks to documents released September 30 by the House Judiciary Committee, we no longer have to guess. One of the movement’s architects put the strategy in writing.

CLIMATE SEMINARS FOR JUDGES FACE FUNDING TRAIL PROBE AMID FEARS OF OUTSIDE INFLUENCE ON COURTS

"It seemed to me that without legislative or executive action to address the climate problem, real government action might still be derived from court decisions," Paul Hanle wrote in a May 2022 email. Hanle founded the Environmental Law Institute’s Climate Judiciary Project, which has put at least 140 federal judges through its climate "education" seminars. In the same email, he laid out CJP’s strategy to target "key judges" with seminars, hoping to "make a great difference in the final outcome of cases."

The crown jewel was the judges’ own science manual. In December 2022, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine invited Michael Burger to write the climate chapter of the Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence, the federal judiciary’s go-to science guide. Burger runs Columbia’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law and is of counsel at Sher Edling, a firm representing many of the cities and counties suing oil companies. The Federal Judicial Center balked, citing his litigation work.

CHINA-LINKED GREEN GROUP TRAINING US JUDGES DRAWS FRESH HEAT AS FOREIGN TIES FUEL PRESSURE AT HOME

The next day, Burger told his Sabin Center colleagues, the chapter’s eventual named authors, that he’d "be happy to contribute behind the scenes." Within weeks, one of them was circulating a draft with "Mike’s edits" and revising the legal section in response to his comments. Soon after the manual was published, the FJC withdrew the climate chapter. The National Academies finally followed suit in August.

Why all the stealth? Because climate plaintiffs have a causation problem they cannot solve in the open.

SUPREME COURT CAN RESTORE SANITY AND STOP THE LEFT’S RADICAL CLIMATE AGENDA

At the Suncor Energy oral argument, Justice Elena Kagan told the oil companies’ lawyer, "Well, you sound like you have a very good causation argument." She meant it as a brush-off; she immediately questioned why causation should matter for preemption.

But Kagan is right: No climate plaintiff has a good causation argument. Greenhouse gases mix globally, and about 90 percent of emissions occur outside the United States. Tying a drought in Boulder to any particular company’s barrels of oil is simply not possible.

ECO-WARRIORS WANT TO TURN UP THE HEAT ON YOUR WALLET TO FUND THEIR CLIMATE AGENDA

That is why the climate lawfare movement needs judges to swallow "extreme event attribution." Boulder’s trial court has already shown what the endgame looks like, declaring, "in a multiple contributor tort case, there is no need to tie specific injuries to the actions of defendants." If you can’t meet the standard, lower it.

This is precisely what the Constitution’s structure exists to prevent: a small minority weaponizing federalism to impose its policy preferences on the entire nation. One county cannot regulate the world. If Boulder prevails, the companies’ lawyer warned, some 90,000 municipalities could make national energy policy through jury awards. Pressed by Justice Clarence Thomas at oral argument, Boulder’s lawyer conceded that "nothing in our theory" prevents suing retailers too.

WAVE OF OVERLOOKED 'LEFT-WING' LAWSUITS COULD COME WITH AN UNEXPECTED PRICE TAG FOR AMERICANS

And it won’t stop with oil companies. The Climate Judiciary Project’s own curriculum for judges shows where this is headed. One module touts "source attribution" studies tracing nearly two-thirds of all carbon dioxide emitted since the 1750s to 90 fossil-fuel and cement producers. Then it turns to the dinner table: "Though its members have not yet been named as defendants in climate change lawsuits, the heavily concentrated industrial animal agriculture industry also has been subjected to source attribution analysis." Note the word "yet."

The module is candid about the point of the exercise. These studies take an alleged problem that could be attributed to "several billion past and present human individuals" and reduce it "to one driven by a few dozen companies," which makes climate change "appear to be more amenable to traditional tort law adjudication." This is regulation by litigation, pure and simple. Punish the companies that supply Americans’ fuel, food and building materials, and every family pays the bill at the pump and the grocery store. 

Chief Justice John Roberts cut to the heart of the matter: "Isn’t your suit an attempt to evade those decisions?" He meant the Court’s long line of cases treating interstate air pollution as a matter of federal law, which Justice Brett Kavanaugh had called "a wall of precedent." Kavanaugh then read aloud from Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s opinion in AEP: Federal judges "lack the scientific, economic, and technological resources" to set emissions policy. If that is true of federal judges, Kavanaugh asked, doesn’t it apply to "a six-person state jury in Boulder?"

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Take it from Ginsburg herself. Greenhouse-gas regulation, she wrote, "cannot be prescribed in a vacuum." It demands weighing environmental benefits against "our Nation’s energy needs and the possibility of economic disruption."

The climate lawfare complex lost at the ballot box. It lost in AEP. So its backers went behind the scenes—into judicial seminars and judges’ own science manual. Enough already. The Supreme Court should shut the courthouse door for good.

CLICK FOR MORE FROM JOSH HAMMER

Welcome to Fox News’ Artificial Intelligence newsletter with the latest AI technology advancements.

IN TODAY’S NEWSLETTER:

- It took 3 months to get inside this massive Texas data center — here’s what we saw

- Google's new AI shopping cart tracks deals across stores

- Elon Musk pledges to give every child in America a SpaceX share next year

ACCESS GRANTED: During an exclusive tour of Compass Datacenters' sprawling campus in Red Oak, Texas, Fox News Digital got a rare look inside the infrastructure behind the nation's growing appetite for computing.

ONE-STOP HUB: Ever find something you want to buy online, leave it sitting in a browser tab and then completely forget where you saw it? Maybe you spotted a great pair of headphones while searching Google. Later, you found a birthday gift at another retailer. Before long, you've got a dozen tabs open and no idea which store had the better deal.

BIG GIVEAWAY: Elon Musk has pledged to give every child in America one share of SpaceX next year, signaling that the planned giveaway could be the first of several.

FEAR FACTOR: Over the last several years, we have heard a lot about the doomsday scenarios of artificial intelligence (AI). Tech giants have told us all about how AI will take control away from society, steal our jobs, allow bad actors to design dangerous pathogens or cause a catastrophic cyberattack or destroy our financial systems.

RUST NEVER SLEEPS: The U.S. Navy is quadrupling the ceiling on a contract for AI-powered robots used to inspect warships to $300 million.

ARTIFICIAL INFORMANT: Artificial intelligence can write your emails, research complicated questions and even handle tasks while you're away. But what happens when an AI system takes an action nobody intended? Philadelphia police recently got an unexpected answer.

SILENT TREATMENT: Artificial intelligence giant Anthropic remained mum on whether the company would consider giving away shares it pledged to a public benefit fund directly to Americans.

DATA DESTRUCTION: America seems to be on the precipice of a future technological golden age. Whether we take steps toward that future could depend on which political vision prevails over the next few election cycles.

COMMON GOOD: Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed called Tuesday for AI companies to be "rebuilt" as public benefit corporations, for-profit companies with a public interest.

BOT SURE: Kansas Democratic Senate candidate Adam Hamilton on Wednesday called for a federal commission to regulate artificial intelligence, but couldn't say what specific regulations he would like to see.

PAUSE AND EFFECT: Tensions flare in Tennessee as the Memphis City Council rejects an 18-month pause on new data center development despite pushback from local residents.

Subscribe now to get the Fox News Artificial Intelligence Newsletter in your inbox.

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Pierce Brosnan is opening up about how he has prepared his sons for the acting world.

The 73-year-old actor spoke with Fox News Digital at the premiere of his son Paris' new film, "Seniors," about Paris' acting career and how he's warned his sons about how "tough" the entertainment industry is.

"No, it's a very tough business, it is a very capricious business at times, but Paris has the strength and the stamina, he has a talent there, he's got a charisma, and he's got good sense and intuition, he really has a talent there that will need to be nurtured and worked on," he said. "The work that you need to do, the discipline it takes to be an actor, to work on your voice, to work on your body, to work on your mind and the discipline of reading and studying. So he has all of that."

The "Die Another Day" star shares two sons with his wife, Keely Shaye Smith — Dylan, 29, and Paris, 25 — and welcomed Sean, 43, with his late first wife, Cassandra Harris. He also adopted Harris' two children from a previous relationship, Christopher, 53, and Charlotte, who died in 2013 at the age of 41.

SCOTT EASTWOOD CREDITS HIS FAMOUS FATHER'S WORK ETHIC FOR MAKING HIM AWARE OF 'BULLS---' IN THE FILM INDUSTRY

Brosnan credited the "simple life" he and Smith provided for their two youngest sons with keeping them grounded despite growing up with a famous father.

WATCH: Pierce Brosnan kept his children grounded by keeping them close

"We kept them close," he said. "We had family dinners, drive them to school, pick them up from school. We are very close, the whole family. My sons, Sean, Christopher, all of them. So, just keep them close."

"Seniors" stars his youngest son, Paris, as a teenager doing community service at a retirement home who forms an unlikely bond with one of the residents, played by John Rhys-Davies.

Brosnan described Rhys-Davies as "a dear friend from many, many years ago," sharing they met in 1976 at the York Theatre Royal, where Brosnan was working as an acting assistant stage manager, and Rhys-Davies was playing Macbeth.

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"It was such a pleasure and an honor to work with him on this first project," Paris said. "It's somewhat a full circle moment because my father started his career working with John and I got to begin mine and the experience was nothing short of a master class, truly. His method and his small bits of lore and inspiration and little details of how to be a better actor. I'll never forget the moments shared with him on set. So proud of this movie and to celebrate it with him."

Having worked with both Pierce and Paris, Rhys-Davies told Paris they "have differences, but he sees some similarities," with Paris noting that it was "a real lovely thing to hear from" someone he has been a fan of and respected since childhood.

WATCH: Paris Brosnan called working with John Rhys-Davies 'a masterclass'

While he may have seen some similarities, Rhys-Davies told Fox News Digital he doesn't "see Pierce there" when working with Paris.

"I think this man is already his own man. It's always very hard to come out under the shadow of a giant," he said. "What I see is a vulnerability and an innocence and a willingness ... an openness to evolve, adapt, and become. He's still defining what he really is and what he wants. And I think it's fascinating to watch. All credit to Pierce and his mum for bringing him up so well. But I think he's his own man."

WATCH: John Rhys-Davies gives Paris Brosnan credit for paving his own path

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Paris also touched on his decision to become an actor despite his father trying to deter him from going down that path, noting he always interpreted his dad's words not as a way of discouraging him from acting, but saying, "unless you love it, and you want it, then don't pursue it … just because it's on the table."

He explained he came into the industry with a love for it and revealed that his father has always preached about how much work it takes to be an actor.

WATCH: Paris Brosnan admits his father, Pierce, always encouraged him to 'study' his craft

"Go to class, read, learn from the greats. He's given me countless books on it," Paris said. "So I think he just means if you want it, you have to study it, and you have to earn your way and pave your own way."

The adventure-comedy movie "Seniors" is scheduled to hit select U.S. theaters on Oct. 23.

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Cooler weather calls for heated jackets, warm hoodies and soft blankets. This week, Amazon, Wayfair and other retailers are offering deals on all three, with discounts of up to 86%. You'll also find steep discounts across tech, home goods and tools.

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READ MORE: From cozy robes to toys, these 36 Amazon holiday deals offer up to 55% off

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READ MORE: Christmas gifts she'll actually use (and love)

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Deals ending soon

Grab these deals before they're gone.

DeWalt LED work light: $38.85 (54% off)

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READ MORE: Best fall mattress deals: Up to 83% off DreamCloud, Saatva and sleep accessories

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READ MORE: 16 fall home finds that make your space feel warm and inviting, starting at $10

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READ MORE: Best fall mattress deals: Up to 83% off DreamCloud, Saatva and sleep accessories

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FAQs

What brands are having the best sales this week?

FOX News Deals' favorite retailers and brands, including Kate Spade Outlet, Anker and Eddie Bauer, are rolling out top deals this week on everything from new phones and delivery services to fall apparel and Christmas trees. This week's standout offers include Shark stain cleaning tools, compression socks and Columbia rain jackets.

If you're an Amazon Prime member, you can get these items sent to your door ASAP. You can join or start a 30-day free trial to start your shopping today.

Since the dawn of civilization, mankind has looked to the stars and wondered: How did the universe come to be? What lies beyond our own world? Are we alone in this vast expanse? And will we ever venture far enough to set foot on another planet?

Over the centuries, human ingenuity has helped answer some of these questions. Others may only be known to our Creator. But whether mankind will ever live and work on another world is a question we are closer to answering now than ever before.

What once belonged to the pages of science fiction is rapidly becoming reality. And at the forefront of this extraordinary new era of exploration stands the United States of America.

PETER NAVARRO: TRUMP'S ARTEMIS VISION IS NOW FLYING — AND CHINA IS PAYING ATTENTION

From the Apollo program to today’s groundbreaking missions to the moon and beyond, the American pioneering spirit has continually pushed the boundaries of what is possible. But what truly sets America apart is not simply the vision of our government or the brilliance of our scientists. It is the unmatched capabilities of our commercial space sector.

That success did not happen by accident. It is the product of decades of American innovation, investment and cooperation between the public and private sectors.

TRUMP TO TRANSFORM SPACEFLIGHT FROM SPECTACLE TO STATUS QUO TARGETING 3 LAUNCHES PER DAY

One of the clearest examples of what this partnership can accomplish is unfolding right in my home state of Texas.

In February 2024, Houston-based Intuitive Machines made history when its Odysseus lander became the first American spacecraft to touch down on the moon in more than half a century — and the first privately built spacecraft to achieve a soft lunar landing. Just over a year later, Cedar Park, Texas-based Firefly Aerospace landed its Blue Ghost spacecraft on the lunar surface, delivering 10 NASA science and technology instruments and completing two weeks of operations.

NASA'S ARTEMIS FOLLOW-UP MISSION 'RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER' AFTER SUCCESSFUL LUNAR FLIGHT

These achievements are more than historic milestones. They demonstrate what is possible when NASA’s expertise and resources are paired with the talent and innovation of American companies. Through initiatives like NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, the federal government is helping develop a thriving commercial lunar industry while advancing the technologies needed to return astronauts to the moon and eventually reach Mars.

As chairman of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, I have seen firsthand the role thoughtful policy can play in supporting these achievements. From commercial lunar deliveries to the next generation of space stations, our committee has worked to advance the partnerships, research and technologies shaping America’s future in space.

INNOVATION IS KEY TO AMERICA STAYING A SUPERPOWER. BUT IT IS MISSING AN ESSENTIAL PIECE

But the work is far from finished. As more nations recognize the economic and strategic importance of space, the United States faces growing competition, particularly from China. The future of exploration will be determined not only by what we accomplish in orbit or on the lunar surface, but also by where companies choose to invest, develop new technologies and build the infrastructure that makes those missions possible.

For America’s commercial space industry, the regulatory environment is a central part of that equation. Companies designing next-generation spacecraft, launch systems and other capabilities must navigate federal requirements that can affect everything from testing and licensing to operational deployment.

TRUMP SWINGS FOR MOON WITH NUCLEAR REACTOR PLANS AS CHINA, RUSSIA TEAM UP IN SPACE RACE

Our committee has a responsibility to build on this progress and ensure American space companies have the freedom to innovate and grow. That means examining outdated requirements, improving coordination across federal agencies and fostering an environment where the next generation of commercial capabilities can move from the drawing board to the launchpad.

We must also recognize what is at stake. As China sets its sights on expanding its presence beyond Earth, America cannot afford to become complacent. Our past achievements are no guarantee of future success. We should be making it easier for companies to build, invest and innovate here at home while working alongside allies and partners who share our commitment to peaceful exploration and a future in space guided by our shared principles.

The possibilities before us are nearly limitless. From establishing a lasting foothold on the moon to sending the first humans to Mars, the next great chapter of our journey into space will depend on the ingenuity and resolve of the American people and the conditions we create for them to succeed.

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For thousands of years, mankind has looked to the stars and wondered what lies beyond. Today, we have the chance to go farther, discover more and accomplish what generations before us could only imagine.

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America’s commercial space sector will help take us there. And Congress must ensure it has every opportunity to do so.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM REP. BRIAN BABIN

Longtime "Saturday Night Live" cast member Kenan Thompson said he would sit Shane Gillis down "like a little kid" to discuss the comedian's controversial joke about women's gym attire during his recent hosting stint, which drew criticism from fellow entertainers earlier this month.

Speaking at the Axios Media Trends Live summit on Tuesday, Thompson addressed the criticism of Gillis and discussed how he would handle the comedian's potential return to host the show for a fourth time.

"If he were to come back, I'm sure we would have a conversation of like, ‘How do you think that went?’ You know what I mean? And what do you think you could have done? Like a little kid, you know? Like I would just sit him down and be like, ‘Yeah, so what do you think we could change there, pal?’ And just figure it out," Thompson said.

BROADCAST BIAS: FEMINIST FREAKOUT OVER SHANE GILLIS COMMENT IS THE REAL JOKE

Thompson, who is now in his 24th season of the show, stopped short of condemning the routine, but suggested performers must strike a balance between taking "creative liberties" in comedy and avoiding "harmful words."

"I guess it's just finding the balance of both things, like allowing creative liberties, but also kind of like watching your step as far as harmful words are concerned," Thompson said.

"Because I think everybody's focusing in on this one specific word or one specific part of the monologue, and then the rest of the monologue, or even the rest of the show, is getting overshadowed."

SWIFTIES CLAIM TRAVIS KELCE DID THE UNSPEAKABLE BY LIKING SHANE GILLIS' 'SNL' MONOLOGUE & THEY'RE NOT HAPPY

Thompson also said the decision to invite Gillis back was not up to him, but he suggested the two would need to talk if the comedian returned.

"But if he were to come back, then yeah, I think we would have to have some sort of like, a real chat where, you know, people's actions don't, you know, kind of overly like wave pool the rest of us, if you will," he said.

Sitting alongside Thompson on the panel, Range Media Partners CEO Peter Micelli defended Gillis, arguing that fear of offending audiences is stifling comedy.

Calling Gillis a "lovely human being" and a "wonderful man" who spent most of his opening monologue poking fun at himself, Micelli argued that comedians need room to take risks without fear of backlash.

"There's so much focus on what makes you angry and afraid. And there needs to be more focus on what makes you laugh and love and enjoy life," Micelli said.

"Comedians need some space to do some stuff to make us laugh. And if every time they step a little too far, in your opinion ... then we're gonna shut the whole thing down, then what kind of world are we [going to] live in?"

SETH MEYERS ADMITS SHOCK OVER SECOND TRUMP VICTORY PROMPTED SIT-DOWN WITH LATE-NIGHT TEAM TO ADJUST TONE

Gillis drew criticism from entertainment figures after joking during his opening monologue earlier this month that women at gyms "just dress like whores now." The appearance marked his third time hosting the NBC sketch series.

"I haven’t been to the gym in so long. I didn’t know women just dress like whores now?" Gillis said. "Look, I’m sorry, there’s no other way to describe [it]. Have you seen it? I’ve seen it. You’ve seen the shorts? They’re those neon, like, artificial bait-colored [shorts], and the wrinkles go around the cheeks and all combine at the butthole. And don’t look! You’re not allowed to look."

Among those who criticized the routine was "Schitt’s Creek" co-creator and star Dan Levy, who posted a video on social media condemning Gillis' remarks.

"Women wearing short shorts at the gym does not make them whores. It makes the men calling them whores misogynists," Levy said. "There’s a difference there. By the way, I’ve seen more men’s nipples at the gym than I’ve ever seen women showing their bodies off."

RICKY GERVAIS REJECTS CALLS TO TONE DOWN COMEDY: 'BE OFFENDED IF YOU WANT'

Other comedians, however, offered a different perspective. Fellow "SNL" cast member Michael Che addressed the controversy on NBC's "Today" show Thursday, arguing that jokes don't always land with audiences.

"That’s comedy. It’s like, you think it’s funny, and then some people don’t," Che said.

He said he did not initially see Gillis' monologue when the show aired. When he eventually watched it, Che said he "didn’t think about it, honestly." He added that his experience delivering jokes that haven't landed while co-anchoring "Weekend Update" with Colin Jost has kept him from criticizing other comics.

"That’s why I can’t criticize anybody for swinging and missing, because I’ve definitely swung and missed, too," Che said. "I try to keep that heat off of me."

Former "SNL" cast member Dana Carvey also questioned the criticism during Monday's episode of his "Fly on the Wall" podcast with David Spade, saying he didn't "understand the kerfuffle."

"When you say jokes, you’re not literally saying ‘women are whores.’ You are literally joking," Carvey said. "Isn’t that kind of the idea? No? Did I just get canceled?"

BILL MAHER ARGUES CANCELED STARS LIKE LOUIS CK, KEVIN SPACEY SHOULD BE LET OUT OF 'SHOW BUSINESS JAIL'

Comedian and media analyst Tim Young had a similar take, telling Fox News Digital that the controversy surrounding Gillis reflects what he sees as a growing divide between comedy fans and audiences of traditional network television, including "SNL."

"Comedy is the last bastion of free speech. So if we’re [going to] start policing comedy, then we’re going to lose basically our First Amendment," Young said. He also pointed to Gillis' success selling out arenas outside traditional network television.

"This wasn’t for that audience in New York, and it wasn’t for the ‘SNL’ audience," Young added. "It was for his audience, and his audience, I think, is much larger than the ‘SNL’ audience."

Young also argued that comedians should resist pressure to apologize in response to criticism on social media.

"Never apologize, because the apology is never enough," Young said. "This audience, the leftists, they want this attention. They want to keep drowning out any other voices that they disagree with, and when you acknowledge that by apologizing, and you give them the power, they will never give it up and they will always want more. So it is very important to never apologize."

Fox News Digital reached out to Thompson's representatives for comment but did not receive a response. Gillis' team declined to comment.

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Fox News’ Lindsey Kornick contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump is holding back on sweeping new economic penalties Congress handed him to squeeze Russia.

He is betting that keeping those sanctions in reserve will help bring Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table, a strategy drawing criticism from Republican allies amid questions about whether Moscow believes he will ever use them.

Over roughly a week, the administration waived most of the new Russia sanctions and tariffs enacted last month while separately easing restrictions on Russian diesel exports, moves one foreign policy expert described as Trump's most significant effort yet to unwind economic pressure on Moscow.

"It's probably the biggest effort that the Trump administration has made to start unwinding the U.S. sanctions architecture that's been in place against Russia since 2022 or even earlier in some cases," Hal Brands, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, told Fox News Digital.

TRUMP TRIES DIFFERENT APPROACH WITH RUSSIA TO BRING AMERICANS RELIEF AMID ONGOING WAR WITH UKRAINE

Trump argues that imposing the new penalties could drive Russia away from peace negotiations. But Brands said repeatedly holding back economic punishment risks convincing Putin that Washington is unwilling to follow through on its threats.

"The threat of imposition may lose some credibility if over a period of time you've demonstrated that you would prefer not to impose those penalties in the first place," Brands said.

REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS BREAK WITH TRUMP ON DIESEL DEAL WITH RUSSIA

The decision has drawn criticism from Republicans who helped advance the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, including Trump allies who worked with his White House to pass it.

Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., who played a leading role in passing the legislation and joined Trump in the Oval Office when he signed it last month, said Tuesday the administration should be turning up economic pressure on Moscow.

"It is my belief that we need to use economic firepower to help drive Putin to the table," Britt told Semafor. "I believe that Russia is at the darkest point that they've been at in this entire war, and now is the time for us to turn up the pressure."

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said Congress had coordinated the legislation's timing with the White House, making Trump's decision to waive most of its new penalties particularly surprising.

"This was an act of Congress that we had worked with the White House on," Capito said. "We had timed this to when the president and the White House felt it was a good time to move forward with this, where it could be effective."

Other Republicans were more blunt in their criticism.

"Beyond irresponsible," Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., wrote on X. "What part of enforcing a law passed 86-11 by the Senate does the President and his advisors not understand?"

"It's unconscionable that this administration is capitulating to a Russian dictator who illegally invaded Ukraine and butchers innocent civilians every single day," he added.

Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., the lead sponsor of the legislation named for her late brother and a Trump-endorsed candidate, said she would "choose to keep the pressure on Russia" because "I don't trust Putin and I don't trust Russia."

The Graham Act, signed into law in September, provided for steep tariffs targeting Russia and major purchasers of Russian energy, along with sanctions on Russian financial institutions and foreign entities doing significant business with them.

Congress also included presidential waiver authority, which Trump invoked to put most of the law's new Russia penalties on hold.

Brands said including a waiver was not necessarily a mistake, even if it ultimately allowed Trump to avoid imposing the penalties lawmakers had sought.

"It's really tough to craft a sanctions or tariffs bill that forces the president to do something, and typically you don't want to do that because there are always circumstances one can imagine in which you might want to be able to waive sanctions," he said.

Trump has defended his decision as necessary to keep Putin at the negotiating table.

"My decision on Russia is a very simple one. I am in the process of negotiating Peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine, and don't want to do anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table," Trump wrote Sunday.

In his formal certification to Congress, Trump said imposing the Graham Act penalties now "would impede ongoing U.S. efforts to negotiate a durable and comprehensive peace." He left open the possibility of imposing them later to "incentivize resolution" of the war.

Brands acknowledged that holding sanctions in reserve can give a president bargaining power, but questioned whether Putin believes Trump is prepared to follow through.

"The challenge is that it's been clear for about 18 months now, since Lindsey Graham started pushing this bill in the first place in the early parts of 2025, that the president simply doesn't have much appetite for squeezing the Russian energy export system to the degree that people like the late Senator Graham envisioned and desired," Brands said.

The administration has separately eased existing restrictions to allow more Russian diesel onto the market, a move intended to relieve pressure on global fuel prices.

Trump has criticized Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries, arguing they are straining diesel markets. Energy Secretary Chris Wright has described sanctions relief as a "carrot" that could encourage Russia to de-escalate.

Brands said the immediate financial benefit to Moscow from diesel relief is probably "fairly marginal." The more consequential decision, he argued, was Trump's refusal to activate the broader sanctions and tariffs Congress authorized.

"There's a potential for pretty serious pressure to be exerted if he had used both the sanctions authorities and essentially the secondary tariff authorities to go after purchasers of Russian energy products overseas," Brands said.

Such measures could "put a fairly significant squeeze on the Russian war economy" while discouraging other countries from doing business with Moscow, he added.

Brands acknowledged that squeezing Russian energy exports could further strain global energy markets when Trump is focused on lowering fuel prices at home.

But he argued that the larger risk lies in what Putin concludes about Washington's willingness to sustain economic pressure.

"Putin's theory of victory in Ukraine for a long time has been that at some point the West, particularly the United States, will get tired of the costs of confrontation with Russia and support for Ukraine," Brands said.

The concern, he explained, is less about the immediate revenue Moscow gains from additional diesel exports than the possibility that easing restrictions reinforces Putin's belief that Washington is growing tired of confronting Russia.

"The risk you run here has less to do with the precise dollar or ruble amount that Russia will gain by being allowed to export some additional diesel than with the strategic signal you're sending that, in fact, the U.S. is getting tired of applying economic pressure against Russia and that the U.S.-Ukraine relationship is entering another period of conflict and divergence," Brands said.

Brands sees little prospect for a negotiated settlement in the immediate future and argued that changing Putin's calculation would require convincing him that the costs of continuing the war outweigh the potential gains.

"I think the only way you get there is by continuing to support Ukraine so it can take an increasing toll on Russia on the battlefield and by finding ways of ramping up rather than ramping down the economic pressure on Russia," Brands said.

Trump's waiver does not eliminate sanctions against Russia that predated the Graham Act, and the administration can revisit the new penalties.

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The dispute now centers on whether keeping those penalties in reserve strengthens Trump's hand with Putin — or diminishes their value if Moscow doubts he is willing to use them.

Ahead of the midterms, Natasha Sarin and Catherine Rampell unpack the state of the economy — and how much responsibility the president bears for it.

© The New York Times

More than 200 years ago, President James Monroe established a simple principle: the security of the United States is directly tied to the security of the Western Hemisphere. Today, that principle is just as vital. With communist China expanding its influence throughout Latin America and transnational criminal organizations threatening American communities, it is time to reaffirm the Monroe Doctrine and put American interests first in our own hemisphere.

President Donald Trump's efforts to expand military training and security cooperation with Latin American partners represent the exact forward-thinking America First policies our national security demands. Deploying elements of the 10th Mountain Division to Panama for jungle training and joint exercises marks an important step toward strengthening the Shield of the Americas initiative.

By strengthening our regional allies, we take the fight to criminal organizations before their operations reach American communities. Providing partners with the training, equipment and intelligence they need helps them dismantle drug-trafficking networks, disrupt smuggling routes and stop deadly drugs before reaching our borders. This protects American interests while allowing allies to take the lead in securing their own countries.

PENTAGON SENDS HUNDREDS OF ARMY TROOPS TO LATIN AMERICA FOR TRAINING AS DRUG-TRAFFICKING CAMPAIGN EXPANDS

The Trump administration is also expanding regional intelligence capabilities by shifting MQ-9 Reaper drones from U.S. Africa Command to U.S. Southern Command. Supporting operations in Colombia and Ecuador, these aircraft deliver critical surveillance to track trafficking networks across remote jungles, borders and maritime routes. Combined with greater intelligence sharing and coordinated operations, these efforts help dismantle criminal networks at the source.

However, drug trafficking is only one part of the threat. During a recent congressional delegation trip to Ecuador, Peru and Colombia, we saw firsthand the growing influence of communist China. Beijing has spent years expanding its economic and strategic footprint through investments in ports, mining operations, critical infrastructure and key industries. These investments are not simply about trade; they give China leverage over regional economies, access to critical resources and influence over historically reliable American partners.

TRUMP ADMIN'S LIST OF US-DESIGNATED 'FOREIGN TERRORIST' GROUPS IN LATIN AMERICA EXPANDS TO 21

One of the clearest examples is the Port of Chancay in Peru. Built and operated by Chinese state-owned COSCO, this deep-water port has the capacity to transform trade between South America and Asia. While increased trade benefits Peru's economy, China's control of critical infrastructure raises serious security concerns regarding intelligence collection, logistical support or future military use. The United States cannot stand by while our greatest strategic competitor establishes a foothold in our backyard.

While in Peru, our delegation met with U.S. Ambassador Bernie Navarro, who is actively strengthening this crucial partnership. Navarro is demonstrating the value of strong American diplomatic leadership. His recent coordination with Peruvian defense officials and Southern Command commander General Francis Donovan to combat narcoterrorist organizations, including those in the Valle de los Ríos Apurímac, Ene y Mantaro (Valley of the Apurímac, Ene and Mantaro rivers), also known as the VRAEM region, is the results-driven engagement we need.

RUBIO WARNS CHINA AFTER PANAMA SHIP DETENTIONS, CALLS HEMISPHERE SOVEREIGNTY 'NON-NEGOTIABLE'

These efforts reinforce a central truth: a strong American presence in the hemisphere does not require us to act alone. It requires working with willing partners who share our interest in combating criminal networks, protecting sovereignty and preventing hostile foreign powers from gaining strategic influence. That is why renewing our commitment to the Monroe Doctrine is critical.

The Western Hemisphere cannot be treated as a secondary priority while China expands its influence and criminal organizations exploit weak institutions and porous borders. The threats emerging from Latin America directly affect American national security, our economy and the safety of our communities.

WALTZ WARNS OF CHINESE, RUSSIAN-FUELED ‘NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT’ LOOMING CLOSE TO US SHORES

As a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs, I believe our foreign policy and assistance must produce tangible benefits for the American people. Our embassies, security partnerships and diplomatic resources must focus on advancing American interests, countering Chinese influence and helping allies confront shared threats.

That also means demanding accountability. Taxpayers deserve to know their dollars are spent effectively, that partners contribute their fair share and that investments deliver measurable results. We should cut wasteful programs and direct resources toward initiatives that strengthen national security.

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America First does not mean America alone. It means recognizing that American strength, backed by capable regional partners, is the best defense against regional threats. Trump's expanded security cooperation in Panama, increased intelligence capabilities in Colombia and Ecuador, and renewed diplomatic engagement in Peru are vital components of that strategy.

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The Monroe Doctrine was built on the understanding that foreign threats in our hemisphere cannot be ignored. Two centuries later, that lesson remains true. A secure Western Hemisphere is essential to a secure United States — it is time we start treating it that way.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday allowed New Hampshire officials to reject student IDs as a valid form of identification when voters cast their ballots in next month's midterm elections.

A lower court judge previously found that state officials had improperly gone further than a new law restricting the use of student IDs to obtain a ballot, ruling that officials still had to consider student IDs alongside other evidence when voters lacked other means of verifying their identity.

But the Supreme Court took issue with the judge intervening this close to the elections.

ARIZONA VOTER LAW FIGHT REACHES SCOTUS AS ELECTION GROUPS WARN ‘ABSURD’ CONSEQUENCE COULD ENSUE

The high court has said orders handed down too close to an election can cause voter confusion, an idea known as the Purcell Principle. The court cited the recent legal back-and-forth over Missouri’s redistricting maps.

"Here, the District Court did not point to anything that would justify deviating from that principle," the majority wrote in its opinion.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, saying the rule did not apply since the lower court judge was helping ensure the public received accurate information.

JACKSON RIPS INTO SUPREME COURT COLLEAGUES' 'SERIOUS LEGAL ERROR' ON TRUMP MAIL-IN VOTING ORDER

"When a federal court determines that material misrepresentations are being made about a State’s election rules, an injunction to prohibit that conduct does not contribute to public confusion, it prevents that very problem," Jackson wrote. "I would not disturb a clearly justifiable federal-court order issued to ensure that the public receives accurate information about a State’s electoral processes," she wrote.

This comes after Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed House Bill 323 into law in April, removing student IDs from the list of identification expressly considered valid for obtaining a ballot. The law took effect June 2. After the law went into effect, New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan issued guidance to election officials about the change, and multiple trainings were held.

"New Hampshire has a responsibility to protect the integrity of its elections and ensure that election laws are applied as written," New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella, a Republican, said in a statement.

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"The Supreme Court’s decision is an important victory for our efforts to defend those laws and prevent last-minute court orders from creating uncertainty for voters and election officials. We will continue to defend New Hampshire’s election laws and the safeguards they provide," he continued.

The Supreme Court's decision was not a final ruling on the merits of the case, and the underlying litigation over the law remains ongoing.

World Series champion Mitch Garver has announced his retirement from baseball at age 35.

Garver played for the Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners during his 10-season major league career. He confirmed his retirement to MLB.com in a text message.

The Albuquerque native spent the first five seasons of his career with the Twins. The catcher and designated hitter won a Silver Slugger Award in 2019 when he hit 31 home runs, drove in 67 runs and posted an impressive .995 OPS.

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In 2022, Garver was traded to the Rangers and became a key contributor to their 2023 World Series championship team. During the 2023 postseason , Garver played in 14 games, hitting .226 with three home runs and 14 RBI.

Following his postseason success, Garver signed a two-year, $24 million contract with the Mariners. At the time, it was the richest contract Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto had ever handed out. First baseman Josh Naylor set a new high mark with his five-year, $92.5 million contract last offseason.

THE CRAIG CARTON SHOW–UNFILTERED, UNAPOLOGETIC AND UNMISSABLE. DOWNLOAD HIS DAILY PODCAST NOW!

Garver struggled offensively in Seattle compared with his time in Texas and was relegated to a backup role behind catcher Cal Raleigh. Despite no longer being a starter, Garver remained an important clubhouse presence and helped Raleigh during his record-setting 2025 season.

The Mariners released Garver in August, and he signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees but never appeared in a major league game for the team.

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In 701 games, Garver had a career batting average of .229 with 110 home runs and 324 RBI.

The New York Knicks raised their first NBA title banner in 53 years on Tuesday night before tipping off their 2026-27 season, and we were all reminded of just how much this championship meant to the city of New York.

For one family, the championship was so impactful, it inspired the name of their firstborn son.

Yvonne Gonzalez-Bradford and her husband Vance were expecting their son when the Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in five games during the NBA Finals this summer, capping a run of destiny in the best way possible – ending a 53-year title drought for a city that has been waiting forever to celebrate them again.

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The historic moment ultimately led the Bradfords down a path of names, and they settled on one: Knickson Fyve Bradford.

The Bradfords spoke with TODAY.com about the name choice, saying they already had Prestige Wisdom in place if the baby were a boy, and Lady Victoria if it were a girl.

But the Knicks changed everything.

"You know how when something happens so well in your favor, you don’t want to jinx it?" Vance said. "I was just like, ‘Yep! Absolutely. That’s it!"

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Knickson was the first time, but Fyve as the middle name brought together the "Knicks in Five" slogan this fan base rallied around after they defeated the Spurs in five games.

Knickson was born on Aug. 8, weighing a healthy eight pounds, eight ounces. And for Yvonne, he was born on her birthday.

"We wanted to have a very strong and firm name that would lead to a cool life," Vance told the outlet. "Knickson Fyve is definitely our motto, Knickson Fyve forever!"

It’s also worth noting the Bradford family has a strong Knicks connection, with Vance’s mother being a scorekeeper for the 1972-73 Knicks. They went on to win the NBA title that season as well – and it remained the last time New York hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy before this group, led by Finals MVP Jalen Brunson, got the job done.

Brunson spoke to a sold-out, emotional Madison Square Garden crowd on Tuesday night before facing LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers, thanking the crowd and the Knicks fans at home for their support throughout the playoff run.

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Well, he and his teammates have one new supporter who has no choice but to be a Knicks fan for life now that his name is attached to franchise history.

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The New York City Council voted Thursday to ban horse-drawn carriages by June 2028, moving to end a nearly 170-year tradition after the death of a teenager in Central Park and prompting threats of legal action from carriage drivers.

The council voted 40-7, with two abstentions, to approve Romanch's Law, named after 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan, who died in June after being thrown from a runaway carriage in Central Park.

The legislation would phase out the industry by June 1, 2028, while requiring Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration to develop a transition program for more than 150 active carriage drivers and other workers. 

The plan would include job training, career counseling and employment referrals, although financial compensation is not guaranteed.

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President Donald Trump weighed in on the decision Thursday, criticizing the move to eliminate one of New York City's longtime tourist attractions.

"The Horse-drawn Carriage in New York City is a quintessential New York experience. So sad that, for political reasons, we will see it go!" he wrote on Truth Social.

The Transport Workers Union (TWU), which represents carriage industry workers, threatened to challenge the ban in federal court and seek a temporary restraining order. Union representatives accused City Council Speaker Julie Menin of failing to adequately consult drivers whose livelihoods are at stake.

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Opponents argued the city had failed to establish a concrete financial plan for drivers and carriage owners. An effort to delay the phaseout until January 2030 failed before the final vote.

Menin defended the legislation Thursday, saying the council had strengthened worker protections and was prepared for a legal fight.

"We're very confident in the legislation. That's why we took the time to work over the summer on the legislation," she said at a news conference.

"We made changes to legislation to beef up worker protection. We are very confident in defending this law and will vigorously defend it. I've already talked to Steve Banks about it and our team, and we will vigorously defend this law."

Animal rights group PETA also celebrated the vote, pledging $50,000 to help carriage horses retire as the industry winds down.

The Central Park Conservancy celebrated the decision, arguing that horse-drawn carriages pose growing safety risks in a park that welcomes roughly 40 million visits annually.

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"In the modern era, carriages pose a serious — and even fatal — safety risk to park visitors, carriage drivers and the horses themselves. Our hearts break for the family of Romanch Mahajan, who stepped into a carriage earlier this summer and never thought he might lose his life," the organization wrote in a press release.

The Conservancy said Mahajan's death was the ninth carriage-related incident in just over a year.

The legislation also includes protections intended to prevent retired carriage horses from being sold for slaughter, while allowing owners to keep their animals.

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The bill now heads to Mamdani, who has expressed support for ending the industry. If signed, it would bring an end to a decades-long political battle over one of New York City's most recognizable tourist attractions.

The Justice Department (DOJ) has launched an investigation into longtime Trump advisor Corey Lewandowski, a source familiar with the matter told Fox News.

The probe stems from a criminal referral sent to the Justice Department by the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general, marking a legal escalation for the high-profile political figure.

Asked about the inquiry by reporters outside the White House, President Donald Trump said he wants his staff held accountable and that he had "heard something about it."

"All I know is I want my people to be honest," Trump said.

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"If they're not going to be honest, they have to be prosecuted," Trump warned, adding that dishonesty amounts to "stealing from me as president."

"They are stealing from me. So, I want my people to be honest. And if they're not honest, I'll have my DOJ go and do whatever they have to do."

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Adam Trigg, an attorney for Lewandowski, said his client has not been contacted by the Justice Department and denies any wrongdoing.

"Mr. Lewandowski has not been contacted by the Justice Department regarding any investigation, and he denies any wrongdoing when he was proudly serving his country in a voluntary capacity," Trigg said in a statement posted on Lewandowski's X account.

Lewandowski is a longtime political ally of Trump who previously served as an advisor to former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

He also served as Trump's first campaign manager during the 2016 presidential race before being fired that June. 

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Lewandowski stayed close to Trump, also serving as a senior advisor during his 2020 and 2024 campaigns. 

After The Wall Street Journal reported that the Department of Justice was reviewing allegations of corruption and personal financial gain involving Corey Lewandowski, he said on X that the report was "another example of the kind of anonymous-source, politically driven reporting that Americans have seen time and again." 

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Lewandowski added he was proud of his work as a volunteer in "advancing this administration's agenda and (remains) confident that the facts and not anonymous accusations will ultimately speak for themselves."