Welcome to Screencaps, "America's Best Daily Column," as named by the readers. Screencaps, which publishes seven-days-a-week, is a mix of sports, pop culture, and emails from sane readers from around the world. This column isn't for the coastal elites. Give us a week to steal your heart. Our track record is pretty good. Let's have some fun.

I know this is an older video of John Daly explaining his gambling losses, but there's a nugget in here I hadn't heard before

As someone who has cigs and an empty pack of M&Ms signed by JD, there's something else I need signed for my Daly collection: an ace and face card. I've seen parts of this interview over the years, but I'd never heard that Daly was losing millions — he estimates his losses got as high as $55 million – playing 7-handed blackjack at casinos.

"The game of golf, if you’re in the hunt, you’ve got adrenaline going. But you got 140 to 300, 400,000 on the blackjack table, you’re going to have adrenaline. And I think that’s what I loved more than anything," Daly said in the "Hit It Hard" ESPN 30 for 30.

BRYCE HARPER VIDEO TO FANDUEL USER WITH GAMBLING ADDICTION UNDER REVIEW BY PENNSYLVANIA OFFICIALS

In that documentary, JD said gambling for four days straight was his life. He estimated the net losses once he'd hit rock-bottom were north of $50 million after gambling somewhere just south of $100 million.

Good luck at the casinos this weekend. Just don't be like Big John. Take a break. Go for a walk. Call it a day if the tables turn cold while playing SEVEN hands.

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Tipping culture in 2026 is out of control

Have you guys been asked by an airport kiosk to add a tip at a self-checkout? This guy caught a self-serve airport kiosk where you buy water and drinks asking for a tip. I guess this isn't any different than grab & go drink stations at sporting events asking for tips.

The lesson here is that you better have your head on a swivel or that $7.50 bottle of water is going to be nearly $10 when the computer gets its tip because you're not paying attention.

TIPPING SCREEN PUTS CUSTOMERS ON THE SPOT AS EXPERTS REVEAL WHEN IT'S OK TO HIT 'NO TIP'

Guys, I'm trying to look out for you.

Speaking of airports, why is there so much gum in urinals?

• Tom in Virginia asks: I'm sitting in the Charlotte airport, and able to read today's column because the Wi-Fi works for a change. Because I spend a lot of time in airports, I pose the following: Do guys purposely spit their gum in urinals, or are there a suspiciously high number of accidental drops? It's so common, and I move along to a clear option, but I think about the custodian dude who knows, and I mean death-and-taxes knows, that will be a part of his shift today.

POPULAR US AIRPORT CALLED OUT AS 'MOST STRESSFUL' IN AMERICA FOR TRAVELERS

Also, I get your Superbar idea, but it will never happen. I will give you a minute to visualize what derelict behavior will inevitably follow the ribbon cutting.

Good weekend to you. Take your hats off indoors, gents.

Dump Dinners and standing for the anthem

• Chris from California is fired up: Until it showed up in your column I didn’t even know "Dump Dinners" were a thing and having watched that video, now think they may be one of the dumbest things I’ve ever seen.

While I think some parents do it for the social media attention, I also think a lot of it is because of the infantilization of the modern adult.  Remember, parents with kids this age are also the ones that are still living with their mom and dad, have to have coloring books and fidget toys at work to settle their nerves and focus and flat out refuse to grow up.  They say it’s because the economy, the political system, blah, blah, blah… but honestly it’s because they’ve been allowed and are still being allowed to act like children and they are passing that along to their children.

It’s difficult and frustrating to teach your children table manners and how to eat like something other than a wild animal, so why not do something trendy that removes that headache and responsibility?

I will continue to bang the drum until the day I die, but the habits and manners we instill at home are what makes the difference between a successful persona and a whiny layabout.  Could I have my children eat like animals and have no sense of order or decorum because it makes my life easier?  Sure, but then what happens when they go over to a friend’s house or actually out in public and act like that?

JILLIAN MICHAELS URGES PARENTS TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST BIG TECH'S 'ADDICTIVE' GRIP ON KIDS

I have 3 boys, all of whom are very active and do a ton of activities outside of school and have very active, robust, healthy social lives.  Two of them are teenagers so I’ll let them go meet their friends at McDonald’s or go bum around the mall and I know that when they are doing those things they are reflecting the responsibility and values I helped instill in them.  If I wasn’t 1000% sure they were doing that I wouldn’t let them leave the house.

It may make a few dinners here and there more difficult to teach your kids to use silverware, wipe themselves with a napkin, clean up after themselves, say, please and thank you but that little bit of extra effort makes a HUGE difference in their lives, maybe not right then and there but later on in life.

Also, another Outkick writer asked if we are all over getting up in arms about all of the stupid antics held during the National Anthem.  The answer, at least for me is a resounding NO!!!  It’s two minutes of a 3 plus hour sporting event used to honor and remember all of the men and women that made that very sporting event possible!

Once again, I have teenage boys, they don’t take anything seriously but to go back to my earlier point I taught them from the moment they were old enough to stand that they stand and show some damn respect when the anthem is sung.  They don’t question it, they don’t fight it.  I explained exactly why it means something and they may not agree with whatever the politics are of the moment but they know the anthem is about far more than that and these are teenage boys that also punch each other through walls and try to shotgun Dr. Pepper’s.

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We do need to make a big deal out of it when athletes blow the anthem off.  They are making millions of dollars that they couldn’t make anywhere else in the world because of the very things that flag and that anthem represent.  If they really can’t be bothered to show some respect then we shouldn’t be bothered enough to give them our attention and money.  Grow up, stand up, stand still and when you eat… eat like a human!!!

How to watch the NFL while listening to the radio broadcast

• Travis says: There's free software that has been around for at least 12 years called Radiodelay that allows you to pause live radio so it can sync to your TV broadcast.  I started using it in 2013 and it's probably older than that.

You can either connect an external radio to your microphone in jack or use a URL if your favorite radio station streams their content online.

Food that too many places screw up: Nachos

• Steve in Texas spent time near where I live: Sad to hear about the lack of quality nachos in NW OH.   More years back than I care to count there was a Mexican restaurant in downtown Perrysburg, OH that had great Macho Nachos.  I gained about 15 lb having them  and a margarita a couple times a week while on an internship in Toledo one summer.  I think it was Casa de Barron and it was back in the late 80’s.  Also still need to get back to Tony Packo’s, the job was just down the street from the original location.

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Kinsey: There's good news and bad news, Steve. The bad news is that Casa Barron is gone, but it was replaced by a legit Mexican restaurant operated by one of the the real good guys in the food industry. I haven't been to the new place even though it's been there a few years.

As for Packo's, I have bad news: The food is all factory-made and overpriced. Yes, even the original Packo's. It's just not the same as 15-20 years ago. And if you were eating it pre-2000, it's going to be really disappointing. The original Packo's is still an institution, but the food has gone downhill.

Don't forget to vote in my poll

My phone hadn't been hammered until Thursday. I don't know what list I ended up on, but it's officially being lit up. Amy Acton is pleading with me to donate $5 to battle Vivek. This election can't get over with fast enough.

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Go have an incredible weekend. We'll be in Columbus for the Ohio Junior High Cross Country State Championships. Can Screencaps Jr. run in the 11:20s or maybe even the 11:19s at one of the fastest courses of the season? The weather should be just about perfect. Stay tuned.

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EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital that he plans to pursue an effort to expel Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., if the Justice Department finds her guilty of immigration fraud.

Fine, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, made the comments after Fox News Digital reported that a federal court filing identified Omar under the name "Ilhan Nur Said Elmi," also listing "Ilhan Abdullahi Omar" as an alias. The filing has raised questions about Omar’s identity and immigration records but does not establish that she committed fraud.  

"I assume that she’s not a citizen, so we might not even have to do that," Fine said. "You can’t be in Congress if you’re not a citizen of the United States, but if it isn’t automatic, I absolutely will demand expulsion immediately."

ILHAN OMAR IS NOT THE MINNESOTA CONGRESSWOMAN’S 'REAL NAME': SOURCES

Omar is a naturalized U.S. citizen. She was born in Somalia and became a U.S. citizen in 2000. She has denied wrongdoing and called the investigation politically motivated.  

Fine said Democrats would attempt to block any Republican effort to censure or expel Omar.

HOMAN SAYS ILHAN OMAR COULD BE STRIPPED OF NATURALIZATION, DEPORTED IF IMMIGRATION FRAUD IS PROVEN

"I don’t think Democrats think you should have to be American. They don’t believe in borders," Fine said. "They’ve made that clear. They don’t believe in America."

The House has the constitutional authority to expel a member, but doing so requires a two-thirds vote. A criminal investigation or allegation alone does not automatically remove a member from Congress.

Fine also criticized Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., who in September introduced the Reimagining Safety Act, legislation that would dismantle the Department of Homeland Security and abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, while preserving some of its functions under a new agency, the Department of Community Safety.  

"Look at this bill filed by the congresswoman from Chicago, where she doesn’t believe we should have borders, border protection or the ability to deport anyone," Fine said.

ILHAN OMAR'S TURBULENT WEEK EXPLAINED: THE DUELING PROBES THAT THREW THE SOMALI-BORN PROGRESSIVE INTO CHAOS

Fine also criticized Democrats who have called the Justice Department’s investigation into Omar politically motivated, pointing to the separate inquiry into her financial disclosures. The investigation into her finances began under former President Joe Biden in 2024, a detail that Fine claimed Democrats have intentionally overlooked.

"Democrats don't get held accountable for anything, and they agree on this agenda that is anti-American and anti-citizen," Fine continued.

Omar’s Washington, D.C., residence was searched by Homeland Security Investigations agents on Oct. 12 as part of a federal investigation into possible false statements on immigration and naturalization documents. Federal authorities have also issued grand jury subpoenas to members of Omar’s family and seized her cellphone, according to The Associated Press.  

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Omar’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Fox News Digital's Peter D'Abrosca contributed to this report.

You might use artificial intelligence to write an email, make dinner reservations or plan your next vacation. But would you ever consider dating it? Some people are taking that idea seriously with Meta's new Muse AI agent. They're having romantic conversations with it, developing emotional attachments and even calling it their girlfriend.

What makes this especially interesting is that Muse was designed to help people manage their lives. Yet some people are finding companionship in the same technology. Meta allows users 18 and older to have these romantic interactions, including conversations that become sexually explicit. And as these digital romances grow more personal, they raise questions about intimacy, emotional dependence and just how much private information we're comfortable sharing with artificial intelligence.

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Join us Saturday, October 31, at 11 AM ET / 8 AM PT. Register free now at CyberGuyLive.com.

AI AGENTS CAN NOW MAKE PHONE CALLS FOR YOU

People are falling for Meta's Muse AI

When Meta introduced Muse on Sept. 8, the company presented it as a personal AI agent that could manage tasks and learn about its users. However, some people quickly discovered another side of the technology. They started treating Muse like a romantic companion. In a Reddit discussion about Muse, one person explained that they regularly experiment with new AI models, but had never developed a romantic relationship with one. That changed after downloading Muse. The person described having extended philosophical conversations with the agent before eventually referring to it as a girlfriend. The original Reddit post has since been deleted by its author, although some responses remain visible.

Other people shared their own experiences with romantic interactions and affectionate responses, showing how some individuals are choosing to use the technology. We've seen this behavior before. In fact, we previously reported on a woman who got engaged to her AI chatbot boyfriend after five months of dating Kasper, an AI designed to simulate human conversation and companionship. Now, Muse is attracting similar attention, partly because of how the assistant learns about the person on the other side of the conversation.

Why Meta's Muse can feel like someone who knows you

One reason Muse may become emotionally appealing comes down to its design. According to Meta's official product design blog, the company built Muse around a continuous conversation that resembles messaging another person. It remembers previous discussions and can send messages without waiting for you to start a new conversation. You can also customize the agent's name and appearance, creating an avatar with a personality that suits your preferences. Some avatars even look like cute, cuddly stuffed animals rather than people, giving Muse a playful and approachable appearance. Over time, those features can make the experience feel increasingly familiar.

Think about what happens when you tell Muse about a difficult day. Later, it remembers what you discussed and brings it up again. Maybe it responds with reassurance when you're feeling lonely. As those exchanges continue, you might find yourself looking forward to the next conversation. That sense of familiarity can be powerful. However, there's an important limitation. Muse generates responses using artificial intelligence. There is no evidence that it experiences romantic feelings or forms the same mutual emotional connection that people can. The attachment someone develops to Muse may be genuine, even though the relationship itself operates very differently from a human romance.

Meta allows romantic and sexually explicit conversations

Here's something that may surprise you. Muse can participate in sexual roleplay and respond to explicit prompts, allowing conversations that go well beyond what you might expect from a digital assistant. In a statement, a Meta spokesperson explained the company's approach: "Muse is an app for people 18 and over that allows them to engage in adult conversations, if they choose, using a private and secure VM only accessible to them. Muse is built to help people get things done, and it doesn't block legal adult behavior."

Can romantic relationships with AI become unhealthy?

There's a reason people may find AI companionship appealing. An AI agent can respond whenever someone wants to talk. It can remember personal information and adapt its responses to the user's preferences. We've heard from CyberGuy readers about their experiences with other AI agents and how surprisingly personal those interactions can become. For someone feeling isolated, that kind of connection may offer comfort. However, emotional dependence is a concern. Someone who spends hours discussing intimate feelings with an AI companion may gradually begin relying on those conversations for emotional support. That could become problematic if the relationship starts interfering with their connections to other people.

We've already seen what happens when a company changes the technology behind an AI companion. In August 2025, OpenAI introduced GPT-5, replacing the popular GPT-4o model in ChatGPT. Some users who had developed emotional attachments complained that their AI companions suddenly felt different. OpenAI brought GPT-4o back following the backlash but retired it in February 2026. Some users described feeling genuine grief over losing the AI companion they had grown attached to. Of course, that doesn't mean every AI relationship is harmful. People develop attachments for different reasons, and their experiences can vary considerably. The bigger question is whether users understand what the technology can realistically provide.

AI ROBOT PET COULD KNOW YOUR FAMILY TOO WELL

What Meta says about protecting intimate Muse conversations

When someone begins treating an AI like a romantic partner, the conversations can become extremely personal. That makes privacy especially important. Muse can also access information from connected accounts, including emails and messages, depending on the permissions you grant it. So what happens to all that information? Meta has outlined several protections in its published security and privacy documentation.

How Muse verifies users are adults

The Muse app carries an 18+ age rating in Apple's App Store, but its age checks go further. Everyone signing up must provide their date of birth, and users who identify themselves as younger than 18 cannot create an account. For people who say they're adults, Muse performs additional checks, including examining connections between their Muse account and their Facebook or Instagram accounts. If those checks cannot establish that someone is an adult, the app requires credit card verification to continue. Meta says it does not charge users for age verification or store their credit card information.

How Meta protects your personal information

According to Meta's security documentation, Muse runs inside a system called Muse Secure VM. Each user receives an isolated virtual computer where their agent operates and stores information. Meta also uses a protective system called Sentinel to control certain actions involving outside services. Sentinel operates separately from the main Muse agent and must approve its internet access. For sensitive actions, including sending an email or making a purchase, Muse asks for your approval before proceeding.

You can also review an activity log showing what Muse has done and what it plans to do. The app lets you control which services it can access, including whether it can only read your email or send messages on your behalf. You can change those permissions or disconnect an account whenever you choose.

New privacy concerns emerge over Muse sharing links

A new security discovery raises additional questions about how Muse protects personal information. On Oct. 20, researchers revealed that more than 6,800 Muse sharing links could be discovered through publicly accessible DNS records. Some led to sensitive business documents and personal information. Meta temporarily suspended the sharing feature while reviewing the findings. The issue involved content users had shared through links, rather than evidence that all private Muse conversations were exposed. Still, it shows why users should be cautious about sharing sensitive information with AI assistants.

Your intimate conversations may be used for AI training

Meta says conversations with Muse and information related to tasks it performs can help train its AI models. The company says it removes key personally identifiable information before using that material for training. Users can opt out through Muse's settings. Meta also says it doesn't share conversations or information stored inside a user's virtual computer with its advertising systems.

CAN TECH REALLY GET YOU OFF YOUR PHONE AND INTO REAL LIFE?

Can you delete romantic conversations with Muse?

You may decide that something you've shared with Muse is too personal to keep. Meta says users can inspect and edit information stored in the agent's memory. They can also ask Muse to forget specific details it has learned. For broader deletion, Muse offers additional controls, including a feature called Reset Muse. Meta describes this option as permanently deleting chat history, stored files and active tasks.

To limit how Muse uses your information for AI training, follow these steps:

• Open Muse and select Settings.
• Choose Data Controls.
• Turn off Help improve our AI models.

The same section includes Reset Muse, while individual side chats can be deleted separately. Keep in mind that resetting Muse removes stored information you may want to retain. Meta's published explanation does not establish whether resetting the agent also removes information already incorporated into AI training or every backup copy.

Could Meta's next AI models make these relationships stronger?

Meta is already developing technology that could make Muse feel even more personalized. On Oct. 12, the company introduced Muse Wonder and Muse Wonder Full, two new AI models designed to handle more complex tasks and improve ongoing assistance. One feature, called Active Memory, helps the AI remember relevant information between conversations. Meta says Muse Wonder will begin powering experiences in its personal agent, starting with subscribers. That rollout remains upcoming as of publication. For someone who already treats Muse as a romantic partner, better memory could make conversations feel more personal.

What this means to you

You may have no interest in developing a romantic relationship with artificial intelligence. However, this trend shows how quickly AI assistants are becoming part of people's emotional lives. A technology that remembers personal conversations and responds affectionately can begin to feel familiar, even when someone originally downloaded it for practical reasons.

If you use Muse or another AI companion, consider how much information you're sharing. Review its memory settings and connected accounts before discussing highly sensitive topics. Check the permissions you've granted and review the agent's activity log so you know what it's doing on your behalf. Also, consider whether your interactions with the AI are supporting your everyday life or beginning to interfere with relationships you value. You can learn more about protecting personal information in our article on AI chatbot privacy.

Kurt's key takeaways

I knew people were getting attached to AI chatbots, but I never expected an assistant designed to help manage your day to become someone's girlfriend. Yet here we are. And the more I learn about Muse, the more I understand how it could happen. We've heard from CyberGuy readers who have developed surprisingly personal connections with other AI agents. When something remembers your conversations and seems genuinely interested in your life, it's easy to see how feelings could develop. I'm certainly not going to judge someone for finding comfort in that. But I do wonder what happens when those feelings become so strong that someone starts treating an AI like a real-life partner.

What concerns me is how easily people could let their guard down. Once you're comfortable sharing your deepest feelings with Muse, how much personal information are you handing over without thinking twice? Meta has put privacy protections in place, but I'd still be cautious about what I share. And there's another concern we've already seen play out with ChatGPT. When OpenAI changed its models, some people felt they'd lost the AI companion they'd grown attached to. That says a lot about how powerful these connections can become. I think AI companionship could be helpful for people who feel lonely, but I'd hate to see it pull them further away from meaningful relationships with the people around them.

Would you consider having a romantic relationship with an AI companion? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.

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Chicks dig the ... small ball?

Bunting, situational hitting, and productive outs had seemed to become a lost art in today's baseball. But the two teams in this year's World Series brought it all back.

The Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays were each the top seed in the National and American Leagues, respectively, and throughout this postseason, they've shown why.

Now, one of those franchises will be crowned World Series champions for the first time, and all the action will be on FOX.

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The Brewers had the second-lowest payroll in all of baseball, while the Rays had the eighth-smallest. Those payrolls have led to a heavy emphasis on analytics. But their analytics have zigged when the rest of the league's have zagged.

It is no secret, despite how much people want to deny it, that home runs win (more on that later). That has been the case in the regular season as well as the postseason since stickball. Yet the Brewers and Rays ranked 29th and 22nd in total home runs this season.

Their success, instead, has come at the hands of good old batting average - they both hit .258, good for the top two spots in the league. Both teams also had the highest batting averages with runners in scoring position (Rays were .284, Brewers were .276).

Tampa Bay also ranked first in sacrifice bunts with 45, and Milwaukee's 37 were the fifth-most. That's not to say that bunting means you will win - the Los Angeles Dodgers had 23 combined sac bunts in 2024 and 2025, both seasons that ended in titles.

But it works for the Rays and Brewers.

The Rays (49) and Brewers (32) also ranked first and second in bunt hits. They also were tied for second in infield hits, behind only the Pittsburgh Pirates.

In the days where exit velo has taken over (hitting the ball hard has always mattered, by the way), the Rays had the highest soft-hit percentage and second-worst hard-hit percentage. The Brewers ranked 12th and 18th in those categories and ranked sixth in medium-hit percentage.

Nobody pulls the ball less often than the Brewers, and nobody goes up the middle and oppo more than they do, as well. The Brewers even hit ground balls at a higher rate than anybody and fly balls at the lowest (the Rays are fifth in grounders and 25th in fly balls). All of that is a tremendous shy-away from modern-day data taking over.

Strikeouts have become more acceptable in baseball, but not in Florida. The Rays had the lowest strikeout percentage this season. Milwaukee, though, actually struck out at a higher percentage than most teams - they ranked 14th throughout the season, and they're actually striking out a ton this October.

YANKEES OWNER HAL STEINBRENNER CONFIRMS HE SUPPORTS OWNERS' SALARY CAP PROPOSALS AHEAD OF LIKELY MLB LOCKOUT

The Brewers have actually strayed away from their brand of baseball this October. In the National League Championship Series, they had the largest three-true-outcome percentage (home run, walk, strikeout) out of any LCS team since 1969. They were outhit in two games and struck out more than the Dodgers in each game. The walks shouldn't surprise anybody, as they had the highest walk rate in the regular season.

But they out-homered the Dodgers in each game (the Dodgers went homerless in three of the games), and all season long, Milwaukee hit home runs that hurt badly.

Despite hitting the second-fewest in the league, they actually had the ninth-most home runs with a runner on base and the highest percentage of multi-run homers in the league.

The Rays also used the long ball throughout their American League Division Series against the New York Yankees and to clinch the pennant against the Cleveland Guardians.

In all of this, the pitching cannot be dismissed. The Brewers have maybe the best pitcher in the sport in Jacob Misiorowski, and it feels like the Rays can pick up anyone reading this and turn them into a weapon on the bump.

Brewers pitchers own a 2.03 ERA this postseason, while the Rays' staff sits at 2.59. Opponents are hitting just .183 and .201 off them, respectively, and they are allowing fewer than one homer per game.

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Small ball and elite pitching undeniably got these small-market juggernauts to the big dance, but what they've proven this October is they can beat you in multiple ways - even by going the apparently dreaded "boom or bust." Now, all that is to be seen is which style while bring it home.

All the action begins Friday in Milwaukee at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

FIRST ON FOX: A federal timeline provided by officials overseeing unaccompanied migrant children challenges reports that a 1-year-old boy was left to navigate immigration court without counsel, showing that legal service providers intervened to secure representation following an initial hearing.

Addressing media reports highlighting toddlers appearing before immigration judges, Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) Acting Director Angie Salazar and Senior Advisor John Fabricatori pushed back on headlines alleging systemic gaps in child legal representation, arguing that contractor failures and lack of invoice oversight created the initial court lapses.

"We don't have this big movement where we have a bunch of 1-year-olds who are going to court," Fabricatori told Fox News Digital.

SEX CRIMINALS, GANG MEMBERS ABUSED CHILD IMMIGRATION PROGRAM TO ENTER US, DHS REVEALS

According to ORR timeline records obtained by Fox News Digital, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers first encountered the 1-year-old boy and his 17-year-old mother near Naco, Arizona, on June 25. The child was accompanied by his mother at all court proceedings.

The critical gap occurred in July under the agency's former contractor, the Acacia Center for Justice, records show.

On July 1, Acacia completed legal orientation and consultation for the mother and child, but failed to file an E28 notice of appearance before the immigration court.

Consequently, during the child's first scheduled court hearing on July 8, no attorney was present — not even as a friend of the court — despite Acacia holding an active federal legal services contract at the time. The federal legal services contract with Acacia officially ended July 31.

FORMER USCIS OFFICIAL, ACCOMPLICE CHARGED IN ALLEGED $960K CITIZENSHIP BRIBERY SCHEME

Following the end of the Acacia contract, the agency transitioned legal service oversight to the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI), which officially initiated legal services Aug. 5. During an Aug. 7 appearance, the mother and child were granted additional time to obtain counsel, while USCRI representatives attended subsequent hearings on Aug. 17 and Aug. 28 as a friend of the court.

On Aug. 31, a motion was filed by the friend of the court and mother requesting court-appointed counsel at government expense, which was later denied by the immigration judge.

Progress continued into September as child advocates were officially appointed on Sept. 23, and USCRI filed a formal E28 notice of appearance on Sept. 25 to become the attorney of record. On Sept. 29, USCRI officially represented both mother and child in immigration court. The judge subsequently granted a continuance on Oct. 2, leading into a follow-up hearing scheduled for Friday.

Officials explained that the July breakdowns highlighted the core reason the administration terminated Acacia's multimillion-dollar contract, which was awarded under the Biden administration in November 2023. According to federal contract records on USAspending.gov, the Department of Health and Human Services had awarded the Acacia Center for Justice a $356.3 million bridge contract for legal services for unaccompanied children. Of that total award, more than $236.9 million had been outlaid prior to the contract's dissolution.

The network previously provided counsel to roughly 20,000 migrant children across the U.S., according to its website.

"I knew we were signing off on every invoice that we were receiving for legal services to the tune of $20-plus million sometimes each month," she told Fox News Digital. "So it made no sense to me that legal service providers were saying kids were unrepresented for a lack of funding."

"I tried to understand who was represented before," she added. "I tried to understand what we were paying for under this direct representation, but the invoices we received were completely redacted. There is no way I could ever know exactly what service was provided during the month."

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Acacia Center for Justice for comment. The contract funded a slew of services, including legal screenings, representations and presentations on the rights of migrant children in detention.

Following the dissolution of the Acacia contract, the ORR entered into a $20 million contract with USCRI, which expires Dec. 31.

"So USCRI was showing up in court as a friend of the court to ensure that there was at least somebody present in case Acacia did not show up," Fabricatori said. "Now, as those cases are being looked at, USCRI is able to go in and actually meet with these children and then represent them in a follow-up hearing. So there may be some hearings where a child shows up, and initially they don't have representation, but USCRI will be there, identify that child, and then be able to move forward in the future as a representative for that child."

WOMAN EXPOSED RUNNING VISA FRAUD SCHEME SPANNING YEARS, POSING AS IMMIGRATION OFFICER

Salazar emphasized that ORR officials track which children are represented by which lawyers on specific dates, noting that the agency respects attorney-client privilege.

"The former provider refused to give us those measurables," Fabricatori said. "They refused to give us the alien registration number so we could determine what cases they were actually representing. They didn't want to give that. They refused to give that, and that was a holdup for us because we needed to know who was actually being represented so we can ensure that every kid at least had their legal orientation and had a legal representative that was talking to them."

HUNDREDS OF JAILED ILLEGAL ALIENS RELEASED BACK ONTO BLUE-STATE STREETS DESPITE ICE DETAINERS, RECORDS SHOW

Salazar noted that about 2% of migrant children in ORR custody are under the age of 5. Another 85% are ages 13 to 17, with 62% falling into the 16-to-17 bracket.

"What we said to our new grantee (USCRI): ‘We want you in 100% of the hearings where kids in our care are showing up to their immigration hearings,’" she said. "That is happening. I think we're at like 98%."

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Fabricatori added there are currently 1,690 migrant children in ORR custody.

"Under Biden, they had 22,000 in care a day. So it's a very vast difference," he said. "We've been able to lower that census, get kids through the court process quicker, and get them back with their parents if possible."

FIRST ON FOX: Some 50 radical Antifa cells in a wider network of nearly 300 groups are mobilizing to ensure this weekend's demonstrations in France devolve into chaos and mayhem, Fox News Digital has learned.

Self-described Antifa groups are working with a sprawling network of communist, socialist, far-left and anti-Israel groups to mobilize on two fronts this weekend: an "anti-fascist village" against conservative leader Marine Le Pen's National Rally in the city of Orléans and nationwide protests called Acte II to replicate last week's violent riots.

A Fox News Digital investigation has mapped 287 groups in France's expanding protest ecosystem, including 50 explicitly Antifa organizations, 27 explicitly communist, socialist, Trotskyist or revolutionary-left organizations, 24 labor unions and an expanding coalition of far-left anti-Israel, migrant-rights, environmental, feminist, transgender and other activist organizations. The demonstrations, which claim to be about youth education, include just 27 student and youth organizations.

The coordination comes amid a wider transnational campaign of mayhem organized by communist, socialist and leftist groups in Greece, Italy, Spain, India and elsewhere.

Fox News Digital has compiled a running who's who of organizations in what has been dubbed "Chaos Inc." and will keep updating the directory.

The size of the mobilization represents a huge expansion from the original 54 organizations identified in last weekend's riots. The number of Acte II actions has also increased to 649 planned protests, as of early Friday morning in Paris, including at 21 train stations, three ports, two oil depots and one refinery.

Scores of pages of planning documents and social media posts analyzed by Fox News Digital reveal that agitators have laid the groundwork for a coordinated campaign with money, logistics and a communications infrastructure behind their efforts.

The fundraising, transportation, youth outreach, ready-made materials and centralized information hub reveal an organized mobilization operation in place days before protesters even reach the streets with expected hammer-and-sickle and Palestinian flags.

A French administrative court reportedly overturned a ban on street protests issued by Paris police, although the order was not made public and it was unclear if it would have applied to other cities which have imposed similar orders.

Already, organizers have begun planning a next-stage Acte III on Oct. 31, a broader strike and blockade mobilization on Nov. 5 and a Europe-wide action on Nov. 20.

In France, the numbers include signatories to two streams: a Ciao Fachos, or "Good-bye Fascists," coalition that will descend on Orléans and the Acte II, or "Action 2," campaign, led by a group called the Yellow Vests that organized last week's mayhem. Organizations have signed onto a roster and list headed to Orléans.

"Macron must leave and make way for the people!" the Acte II organizers declared, calling "Yellow vests, high school students, university students, workers" into "demonstrations, roundabouts and blockades, everywhere in France."

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Last September, after the murder of conservative leader Charlie Kirk by an alleged leftist gunman, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that designated Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization. Soon after, Trump issued National Security Presidential Memorandum 7, targeting far-left groups. It said the "groups and entities that perpetuate this extremism have created a movement that embraces and elevates violence to achieve policy outcomes, including justifying additional assassinations."

Despite the clear global presence of groups with self-described names of Antifa, former FBI Director Christopher Wray told Congress in 2020 that Antifa was "not a group or an organization" but rather "a movement or an ideology."

In the U.S., while they will wave flags that say "ANTIFASCIST," far-left activists don't typically operate under one formal national organization called "Antifa," leading to denials that any "Antifa" organization exists.

In Europe, it's a different story. Activists openly organize under the Antifa name, "antifascist" banners and Antifa flags with emblems of their local chapters, and a Fox News Digital investigation has found a sprawling network mobilizing activists for another weekend of protests.

Last November, the State Department designated four European groups linked to Antifa — Antifa Ost in Germany; the International Revolutionary Front, or Informal Anarchist Federation, in Italy; and Armed Proletarian Justice and Revolutionary Class Self Defense in Greece — as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specifically Designated Global Terrorists, accusing them of organizing or carrying out bombings, shootings and other politically motivated attacks.

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Worldwide, Antifa chapters have built their movement around a seemingly noble opposition to "fascism," but critics argue that they deploy tactics of threats, intimidation, harassment, violence, destruction and even murder that make them coercive, authoritarian, dangerous and deadly. What's more, parroting the propaganda language of Russia, China and the Islamic Republic of Iran, "fascism" has become a loaded catch-all phrase to describe Western democracies.

For example, late last year, Neville Roy Singham, an American-born communist tech tycoon living in China, took to the stage at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Shanghai for a "Global South" conference and critiqued the alleged "fascism" of the United States.

Days ago, Fox News Digital reported exclusively that an internal State Department assessment warns that antifascist groups could participate in a "potentially more confrontational protest" this weekend that could "expose further security shortcomings and deepen political tensions."

Now, the organizations themselves provide a look inside the infrastructure being assembled on the ground.

Free Buses to the "Antifascist Village"

On Friday night, a bus is set to leave Marseille at about 9 p.m. local time for Orléans, in a journey organized by "La Riposte Antifasciste Marseille," established in October 2023 with a "strategy of massification of anti-fascism." In its promotion, the pilgrimage leaders tell followers, "Anti-fascism is everyone's business." It's joined by Marseille Unite Communiste Libertaire.

Other organizing materials advertise collective transportation from locations including Paris, Saint-Denis, Stains and Brest.

The logistical preparations provide a more concrete measure of organization than simply finding similar flags or slogans at demonstrations.

On Saturday morning, at 8 a.m., in the city of Bagnolet outside Paris, the Assemblée Antifasciste de Bagnolet, or "Bagnolet Antifascist Assembly" has plans in place to meet at the town hall, Mairie de Bagnolet, on Rue Hoche for a two-hour ride to Orléans. Its online sign-up sheet advertises 50 free seats.

La Marche des Solidarites, or "The March for Solidarity," an online hub, directs supporters in the Paris region to buses leaving from Saturday morning from Place de la République in Saint-Denis and Stains with #NousToutes and Carré Citoyen.

On Instagram, Saint-Denis Antifa, Carre Citoyen and Marche des Solidarites are sending people to a fundraising page on the Solidaire website, where organizers have raised about $13,300 for expenses for the Saturday action, including the "printing of mobilization materials: leaflets, posters, etc." and a "truck/sound system for a large procession of the solidarity march."

The Saint-Denis Antifa also made crêpes last week at the Saint-Denis Hip-Hop Festival to raise money for the protest.

And organizers have centralized the machinery for mobilization online. Adults are facilitating space for high-school students, telling them, "free places are for you."

The Marche des Solidarités online repository on antiracisme-solidarite.org describes itself as a place containing "all the information to mobilize," including "calls, signatories, visuals, etc."

Ciao Fachos has gone further. Its organizing documents call for "tractages, collages, réunions publiques, récoltes de fonds, transports collectifs" — distributing leaflets, putting up posters, holding public meetings, fundraising and organizing collective transportation.

The group also urges activists to prevent National Rally supporters from distributing literature at markets or putting posters on walls.

The network has also advertised Signal channels, much like far-left activists have done in the U.S., to swap information and coordinate logistics.

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A Two-Day Orléans Antifa Operation

The schedule is carefully organized with Antifa groups like Loiret Antifasciste, which is promoting a detailed program. The group's own declaration describes the objective as larger than opposing a single National Rally convention.

Building a "mouvement antifasciste," or "antifascist movement," is a "collective responsibility," the organization says, calling for a united political front.

For Saturday, organizers advertise:

• 10:30 a.m. — A demonstration beginning near the Cathédrale Sainte-Croix d'Orléans, including a "Ciao Fachos" procession.
• 1 p.m. — An "antifascist village" at Campo Santo with food, political roundtables and other activities, including a plan to "parade together behind a common banner" of "anti-racism" and "anti-fascism."
• Evening — Food, concerts and accommodations for activists.

On Sunday, Ciao Fachos advertised another demonstration toward CO'Met, the location of the National Rally gathering.

The Association France Palestine Solidarité says its members will participate in a Palestinian contingent during Saturday's demonstration and operate a stand at the antifascist village until 10 p.m. Protest leaders chose the last protest date of Oct. 17 to memorialize a protest on the same day in 1961 when a protest by Algerian "martyrs" turned deadly in Paris.

Organizations include Urgence Palestine Orléans, AGIR POUR LA PALESTINE, Union juive française pour la paix, migrant-rights organizations including FASTI, Droits Devant!!, Coordination Sans-Papiers 75, La Cimade Aix-en-Provence, Tous Réfugiés, GASPROM-ASTI Nantes, ASTI Orléans, the Association des Travailleurs Maghrébins de France and UJFP, the French Jewish Union for Peace, which is promoting the demonstration.

The CGT Paris, the Paris branch of one of France's largest labor confederations, is also organizing transportation to the demonstration and published the Loiret Antifaciste coalition's call for an antifascist movement.

Solidaires 37, the Indre-et-Loire branch of the left-wing labor federation, is organizing pay-what-you-can transportation from Tours.

The coalition lists demonstrate how explicitly antifascist organizations operate inside a considerably larger political coalition.

Antifa Joins 'Acte II'

The Orléans demonstration isn't the only place explicit Antifa organizations are mobilizing Saturday.

Fox News Digital separately identified antifascist groups attached directly to local Acte II demonstrations.

In Angoulême, Action Antifasciste 16, also known as Action AntiFa16, appears as an official collaborator on an Oct. 24 Acte II announcement alongside NPA Charente, Révolution Permanente Angoulême, Maison des Peuples et de la Paix, Fanfare en lutte d'Angoulême and Organisation de Solidarité Trans Angoulême.

In the city of Caen, the "Caen Antifa Squad" appears as a collaborator on another announcement explicitly advertising "ACTE II — 24 OCTOBRE."

The presence of Antifa groups provides a connective point between the nationwide Yellow Vest mobilization and the antifascist ecosystem.

One of the figures attempting to bring the different grievances together is Benjamin Ball, editor of the website coordinating the Yellow Vest action map.

"Our role is to make sure that the social anger aggregates," Ball recently told French media, saying organizers want representatives of different sectors received at the Élysée.

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Communists, Socialists and Antifa

French Antifa activism substantially overlaps with anarchist, communist, anticapitalist and revolutionary-socialist networks whose organizations frequently cooperate in demonstrations and campaigns.

The Oct. 24 coalition illustrates those connections.

Union Communiste Libertaire, a libertarian-communist organization advocating revolutionary political change, has joined the mobilization.

The revolutionary socialist Nouveau Parti anticapitaliste, or NPA, is promoting the Orléans demonstration. Its publication "L'Anticapitaliste" reported that dozens of organizations were mobilizing against the RN congress.

La France Insoumise, the French Communist Party, Union pour la Reconstruction Communiste and Le Poing Levé appear in the wider local coalition.

The coalition also includes labor organizations, environmental activists and student groups, such as Fédération Syndicale Étudiante, a left-wing student union already involved in France's October student revolt, is joining the mobilization.

Extinction Rebellion France is represented through its Île-de-France organization. Its agitators rappelled the Marianne statue and hoisted a vest with an anti-police message, creating the iconic image used for the next phase of activation.

And the coalition includes feminist organizations such as NousToutes, whose current social-media material is promoting transportation to Orléans and mobilization resources.

Labor Unions Move Activists to Orléans with Antifa

Organized labor is providing another piece of the mobilization infrastructure.

Along with CGT Paris and Solidaires 37, the expanded roster includes CNT Fédération Éducation, CNT 49, CNT Education 93, SNETAP-FSU, Solidaires 44, Solidaires 35, SUD Protection Sociale 93 and CGT ArianeGroup Issac, among other labor organizations.

VISA 93, part of the Vigilance et Initiatives Syndicales Antifascistes labor-antifascist network, has promoted union transportation for the demonstration.

Meanwhile, as Antifa and other leftist agitators readied for the weekend, French authorities arrested a 34-year-old man, Hodei Docampo Ciarra, this week in the town of Val d'Issoire (Haute-Vienne). Police suspect him of being one of the rioters who devastated City Hall in Limoges, torching the building.

French police said he was allegedly involved in the "ultra-left."

They arrested the man, 34, at about 6:15 a.m. as he got out of bed at his parents' home.

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Rabbi Arnold Resnicoff never intended to be in Beirut in Lebanon, on Oct. 23, 1983, when suicide bombers drove explosive-laden trucks into Marine Corps barracks, killing 241 American service members. But as Resnicoff told Fox News Digital, his presence during that event and advocacy thereafter would bring solace and support for a multitude of American service members, leading to his strong belief that "a coincidence is just God acting anonymously."

Tasked to the U.S. Navy’s 6th Fleet, Resnicoff was part of a three-chaplain team supporting service members across 40 ships stationed in the Mediterranean. On Friday, Oct. 21, Resnicoff arrived in Beirut to perform a memorial service for a Jewish Marine who had been killed in the line of duty. Navy leadership wanted to send him back to the boat the following day, but as an observant Jew, he refused to travel on the Sabbath.

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Resnicoff woke early on the morning of Oct. 23 and was brushing his teeth at 6:22 a.m. when his building began to shake violently. As doors came off their hinges and windows exploded, Resnicoff and others took cover on the floor, believing their building had been hit by a rocket or mortars.

When the ruckus stopped, the men began to hear "these terrible, terrible screams" coming from the building 50 yards away from where Protestant minister Danny Wheeler lived with a host of Marines. 

Whenever Resnicoff visited Beirut, he alternated staying with a Catholic chaplain, George Pucciarelli, and Wheeler. Based on his schedule, Resnicoff ought to have stayed at Wheeler’s residence on Friday, but chose instead to stay with Pucciarelli, who had something to discuss with the rabbi. "Who knows what it was we talked about," Resnicoff reminisced. "But that probably saved my life."

As recognition dawned on those around him, Resnicoff watched Pucciarelli put his purple stole around his neck, "probably because he knew he was going to have to say many last rites." Pucciarelli looked at Resnicoff and said, "Follow me."

Outside, Resnicoff said that "the big, four-story building was gone with the smoke." Buried under the rubble were 241 American service members, including 220 Marines, 18 Navy sailors and three Army soldiers. The Navy casualties included "a complete medical detachment," leaving no one "trained medically to help those left alive."

Resnicoff, Pucciarelli and other first responders began working their way through the debris looking for survivors. He said, Pucciarelli "went to one body on the ground, I went to another. We just cradled these wounded men and said, ‘Help is coming.’" Each attended to the men as best they could, ripping apart their clothes to wipe the blood, dirt and dust from their faces. When Resnicoff had torn apart his shirt, he used his Jewish head covering, called a kippah, which soon "got bloody and dirty and lost."

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Eventually, ambulances and helicopters arrived on scene, allowing Pucciarelli and Resnicoff to catch their breaths. Pucciarelli remarked that he had never seen Resnicoff without his head covered. "I told him what happened to my kippah, so he tore a piece of his camouflage uniform and put it on my head."

Pucciarelli told Resnicoff that, "In this country where every religion is killing every other religion, I want everyone here to remember not only that you and I, the chaplains, were helping everyone regardless of whether they had a religion or what religion they had, but that you and I had different religions [and were] standing together."

Wheeler was the last living service member to be pulled from the wreckage five hours after the explosion. Resnicoff said that it took four days to dig out the hundreds of bodies buried in the rubble. "These tough Marines were crying, helping their fellow military personnel," Resnicoff said.

Resnicoff pulled from an element of his own Jewish tradition as he ministered to the Marines mourning and laboring in the wreckage. "After the death, we have a week of family gathering around and telling stories about the person who died," he explained. "The tradition is if you visit the family during that period, you don’t initiate the conversation, just show your concern and love through your presence, and if the mourners talk to you, then you have a conversation. So, when I would go from Marine to Marine, they were digging up the bodies of their comrades, I used that Jewish approach. I didn’t start the conversation, I just stood next to them to show them I was there, and then if they wanted to talk, I talked."

Resnicoff said that the tradition hearkened on the words of Catholic friar St. Francis of Assisi, who taught his followers to "preach the gospel everywhere. Use words only if absolutely necessary."

The Legacy of the Camouflage Kippah

Before the Beirut bombing, Resnicoff reported that gaining permission to wear the kippah "was always a struggle" for Jewish service members.

In the early 1980s, Resnicoff says that Congress was debating the Religious Apparel Amendment, which would have allowed Jews serving in the military to cover their heads. "For two years, this amendment had failed. And then, in the Congressional Record, they told the story of this priest making this head covering for me," Resnicoff said. "The amendment passed. They understood that it was a matter of pride that we could work side by side from different religions. Then-Vice President George H. W. Bush asked Resnicoff to write a report on his experience. Former President Ronald Reagan would share that report with a group of 20,000 Baptists, "who evidently appreciated it," Resnicoff recalled.

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In chaplain school, Resnicoff said that chaplains were trained to attend to severely wounded personnel from different religious backgrounds than their own. "But it turned out none of the people I comforted in Beirut asked me a religious question. It was just ‘if I die, tell my mother I love her.’ Most of those Marines were too young to have their own children." He says that "I was reminded that the role of the chaplain is so much broader and bigger than just being a religious representative."

"I always used to believe that the military was ahead of the civilian world when it came to understanding and working together. And when you’re in a foxhole or a bunker, you don’t really care if the guy next to you is a Democrat or Republican or independent, you don’t really care what their religion is. You just care that they’re going to protect you like you’re going to protect them and we’re all in this together."

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Resnicoff says that the Beirut bombing showed him that "if the world had more interfaith foxholes, we would have less need for foxholes and more room for faith."

Jimmie Allen is maintaining his innocence and insisting he is the "victim" after a federal judge ordered the country star to pay nearly $1.8 million to a woman who accused him of sexual assault.

The 41-year-old singer faced two separate civil sexual assault and abuse lawsuits from two women in 2023. During an interview with Fox News Digital, Allen spoke candidly about the allegations that derailed his career, maintaining that his sexual encounters with both women who sued him were consensual while acknowledging that he was unfaithful to his then-wife, Alexis Gale.

When asked what he would say to his accusers today, Allen said he has forgiven both women but admitted that he struggled with being unable to publicly defend himself without being accused of blaming alleged victims.

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"I wanted to just get on social media and call them liars and things like that," Allen said. "But it was interesting when I thought about it, someone said, 'No, well, you'll be a victim blamer and stuff like that.'"

"But I was like, 'I'm the victim here,'" he continued. "So they can say this about me, these horrible things about me and try to ruin and destroy everything that I worked my butt off for. But I can't say that they're lying."

In May 2023, the first woman, Jane Doe 1, who worked as the country singer's day-to-day manager, filed a lawsuit against Allen, in which she accused him of raping her in 2021 and subsequently sexually harassing her over the next 18 months.

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The second woman sued Allen in June 2023, accusing the "Big In A Small Town" singer of sexually assaulting her while she visited him at a Las Vegas hotel in the summer of 2022 while he was in Sin City for a bowling tournament. Jane Doe 2 claimed Allen had also recorded the encounter without her permission.

Allen denied both women's allegations and filed counterclaims against them in July 2023, accusing his former manager of defamation and other claims and accusing Jane Doe 2 of unlawfully taking his cellphone following their encounter.

In August 2025, Allen was found liable by default rather than following a trial in which a jury weighed the competing accounts.

The following June, a federal judge ordered Allen to pay Jane Doe 2 $1,790,541 in compensatory and punitive damages.

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While speaking with Fox News Digital, Allen said that he does not intend to simply accept the judgment.

"I'm pursuing options because I – me as a man and as a father and as the son and brother of real sexual assault victims – I cannot in good conscience do that," he said. "And that's why I feel like as a man and as a father, it is my job to fight it and find and chase whatever other options I can."

Allen did not specify what legal action he intended to pursue. Fox News Digital reached out to his current attorney, Ted Anastasiou, for comment.

The default ruling followed a series of missed deadlines and court orders. According to court records, Allen and his touring company failed to meet discovery requirements, attend court-ordered mediation and obtain new counsel within deadlines set by the court.

Allen claimed that much of the breakdown was due to his former attorney, Alandis Brassel, becoming seriously ill while representing him. The singer told Fox News Digital that Brassel was a solo practitioner and claimed that he had difficulty reaching his lawyer while he was sick.

"I'm not in contact with the court. He is," Allen recalled. "So during that time, we missed a deadline."

Allen said Brassel later informed the court about his illness but claimed the judge "didn't care."

"So the judge dropped my countersuit, and they awarded Jane Doe 2 default judgment because I missed the deadline," he said.

However, court records detail multiple missed deadlines and failures to comply with court orders.

The Grammy Award nominee acknowledged that there was at least one deadline during that period of time that he believed he could have met himself.

"I have no problem taking responsibility," Allen said. "I could have, you know, maybe done more. Absolutely."

"The other ones, I should have been more, I guess, involved with the court, but I've never been in a situation like this," he continued. "I didn't know even how to connect with the court. I didn't know if I could speak to the court without my lawyer because he was the one that was handling it."

Anastasiou later became Allen's legal representation. After the default ruling, Anastasiou similarly blamed Allen's "prior counsel's repeated failures to comply with discovery obligations and court orders" and said his client intended to seek to set aside the judgment.

"This ruling was not based on the merits of the allegations. Mr. Allen has consistently and unequivocally maintained his innocence, and he firmly denies these accusations," Anastasiou told People magazine in August 2025.

"As with earlier accusations brought on the same baseless grounds, this case is equally meritless," he continued. "The default judgment reflects the shortcomings of prior representation, not any wrongdoing by Mr. Allen. It is well-established that a client should not be penalized for the failures of their attorney, and Mr. Allen should not be deprived of his right to a fair defense."

Fox News Digital was unable to reach Brassel for comment.

WATCH HERE: JIMMIE ALLEN SAYS HE'S ‘PURSUING OPTIONS’ TO FIGHT $1.8M SEXUAL ASSAULT

According to her lawsuit, Jane Doe 2 met Allen on a flight to Nashville in May 2022 and the two remained in contact over the following months before meeting in Las Vegas.

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Jane Doe 2 alleged that she willingly joined Allen in his hotel room and initially consented to having sex with him, but repeatedly told the singer that she was not on birth control and did not want him to ejaculate inside her. According to the complaint, Allen agreed but later disregarded her requests to stop and instead ejaculated inside her.

She also alleged that Allen secretly recorded their sexual encounter without her knowledge or consent. According to the lawsuit, Allen had asked her to remain on the hotel room's balcony after they arrived while he went inside, which she believed was because he was planning a surprise. Jane Doe 2 alleged that Allen instead used the opportunity to position his cellphone to later record them.

Jane Doe 2 alleged that after Allen fell asleep, she discovered the phone recording them, stopped the recording and deleted the video. According to the complaint, she was unable to permanently delete the footage without Allen's passcode and took the phone with her when she left the hotel room before later turning it over to police.

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Allen disputed Jane Doe 2's account, maintaining that their encounter was consensual and that she knew she was being recorded. He said that they were together on the balcony when he explicitly told her he wanted to record and asked permission. While speaking with Fox News Digital, he described their alleged conversation regarding the recording.

"She said, ‘You were recording us without my permission.’ I said, 'Oh, no, no.' I said, 'We were on the balcony.' And I have all this in texts that we were on the balcony. I told you, 'I'm recording, is it OK?' And I don't ever hide my camera, ever. Ever. It's not my thing,'" he told Fox News Digital.

Allen has maintained since 2023 that Jane Doe consented to the recording.

The singer claimed to Fox News Digital that the recording depicts him "passing out."

"In the video, you can see me passing out," he claimed. "You can see me black out, like pass out."

Allen further claimed the recording shows Jane Doe 2 continuing to engage in sexual activity with him after he passed out, later getting dressed, returning to bed and rubbing his back before approaching the camera and turning it off.

WATCH HERE: JIMMIE ALLEN SAYS SEXUAL ASSAULT LAWSUIT ‘LITERALLY SAVED MY LIFE’ AFTER DOCTOR'S DIRE WARNING

Elizabeth Fegan, an attorney who represented both Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, blasted Allen's claims in a statement to Fox News Digital.

"Mr. Allen's attempt to portray himself as the victim is as outrageous as it is offensive to the women who have come forward to report his sexual misconduct," Fegan said. "Two women have accused Mr. Allen of sexual abuse. Rather than accepting responsibility for his actions, he has repeatedly denied their accounts, sought to discredit them, and now attempts to rewrite the facts through the media, all while evading his financial obligations to the women who sought justice through the courts."

"Let there be no ambiguity: Jane Doe 2 never consented to being recorded," she continued. "Mr. Allen's continued insistence otherwise does not change her account or the Court's findings. Nor do his self-serving descriptions of selected portions of the recording establish consent to its creation. His attempt to shift attention to her behavior is yet another effort to blame the woman whose rights he violated."

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"The real victim here is the woman whose privacy, bodily autonomy, and trust were violated and who has endured years of trauma and litigation seeking accountability," Fegan added. "Mr. Allen has had ample opportunity to tell his story in court. He chose not to do so. He should stop attacking the women who came forward and start taking responsibility for his conduct."

While speaking with Fox News Digital, Allen also addressed the allegations made by his former day-to-day manager, whose 2023 lawsuit first thrust the country singer into the scandal.

Jane Doe 1, who worked as Allen's day-to-day manager, accused the singer of repeatedly sexually harassing and assaulting her over an approximately 18-month period while she was employed by his management company.

In her lawsuit, Jane Doe 1 alleged that Allen first sexually assaulted her in March 2021 after a work trip to Los Angeles, where he was filming an appearance on "American Idol." She claimed that after having several drinks at a business dinner, she woke up naked in her hotel room with Allen beside her and had no memory of what happened after dinner. According to the complaint, she was bleeding and in pain and Allen insisted that she take Plan B.

Jane Doe 1 alleged that Allen continued to sexually harass and assault her afterward, including by touching her without her consent and forcing her to engage in sexual acts despite her objections. She claimed she repeatedly told Allen "no," pushed him away and tried to avoid being alone with him, but feared that resisting him could jeopardize her career because she was responsible for managing him.

While speaking with Fox News Digital, Allen vehemently denied Jane Doe 1's allegations but acknowledged that the two had a sexual relationship, which he characterized as a consensual affair that continued on and off for approximately a year and a half.

"What I want people to understand about those allegations is one, they're not true," he claimed.

"I had an affair off and on for like a year and a half with my day-to-day manager," Allen said. "And it started, then we would cut it off, and it would start, and then we will cut it off. And it slowly became one of the things where I was like, I know what I was doing was wrong, but I was afraid to end it because I didn't really know exactly how to end without one, hurting her, right, and without hurting myself. Because it's one of those things where it's like you spend so much time, go, go, go, go, go on the road. And, you know, we were around each other a lot. We were adults that made a decision."

While speaking with Fox News Digital, Allen accepted responsibility for having the extramarital relationship but denied Jane Doe 1's characterization of it as sexual abuse.

"If I would have never cheated on my wife, I wouldn't have been in that situation anyway," he said. "And that's the part that I take accountability for."

Allen and his former manager reached a settlement in 2024 in which they agreed to dismiss their respective claims against each other. Jane Doe 1's attorney said at the time that she continued to stand by her sexual assault allegations against Allen and had agreed to settle to avoid reliving the alleged abuse at trial.

While Allen maintained he never sexually assaulted either woman, he told Fox News Digital he does not consider himself blameless for the circumstances that led to the scandal.

"Did I cheat on my wife? Yes. Did I apologize to my wife? Yes. Did I owe my wife an apology? Absolutely," he said. "And I'm not going to put the blame on my life on those two individuals. Yes, they might've fabricated a story, but I still slept with them and I put myself in that position."

While speaking with Fox News Digital, Allen recalled the impact that the allegations had on his personal and professional life.

The singer said that he would tell his accusers that they "made life really hard for my kids."

Allen and Gale, who share daughters Naomi and Zara and son Cohen, initially separated and filed for divorce in April 2023, shortly before the first sexual assault lawsuit was filed against the singer. They simultaneously announced that Gale was pregnant with their third child, Cohen.

In a May 2023 Instagram post, Allen apologized to Gale for having an affair and acknowledged that his choices brought shame and humiliation to his family.

Gale gave birth to Cohen in September 2023 and the following month, Allen's representative said the divorce had not been completed and that the couple had decided to "work on things" and were still together.

The former couple's divorce was ultimately finalized in October 2024.

Allen told Fox News Digital that the "hardest conversation" that he had was with Gale. He admitted that he failed to even warn his then-wife before the first lawsuit became public.

"I handled that completely wrong," Allen said.

Allen said the fallout also affected his oldest son, Aadyn, whom he shares with a previous partner. He recalled struggling to explain why some of his son's friends stopped speaking to him or inviting him to parties after the allegations against his father became public.

The singer also recalled how his thriving career collapsed amid the scandal and worried about how he would continue providing for his children.

"Everything I've worked for is just gone," he said. "Record label gone, management gone, bookings gone, PR gone, endorsement deals gone."

He said that his mounting fears sent him into an increasingly dark place and eventually led him to contemplate taking his own life.

"Two years ago, I was riding around my truck at like three in the morning and I had my gun in my lap and I was trying to decide, do I want to live or not?" he told Fox News Digital.

Allen said he eventually sought help, turning to therapy and spending time in rehabilitation as he worked to get his mental health back on track.

He recalled that his struggles had begun well before the allegations became public. As Allen's career took off, the singer said he began taking pills to stay awake and others to keep himself in a good mood while trying to meet the demands of touring, his record label, radio, his family and fans.

Allen said that by 2021 and 2022, he felt like he was on a "train" going "a thousand miles an hour," knowing he needed to get off but unsure how.

"I would say in 2023, when that lawsuit came out, I felt like that was God derailing the train," he said. "One, it hurt because of what was being said about me. But at the same time, it literally saved my life."

"My doctor said if I had kept going, I'd have been dead in six months," Allen continued.

Allen told Fox News Digital that getting help also forced him to reconsider his relationship with music, which he admitted he had grown to hate at the height of his struggles.

However, Allen said that as he worked to rebuild his life, he also began rediscovering the love of music that he had lost.

Allen told Fox News Digital that while some relationships disappeared amid the controversy, he was surprised by the support he received from others in the entertainment industry.

"Dolly Parton being one of them," he said. "She called me, and she told me she loves me. She said, ‘Jimmie, I know who you are.’ She said, ‘Try to just keep yourself surrounded by people that love you.’"

Allen recalled Jelly Roll, Darius Rucker, Kathie Lee Gifford and Kid Rock were among others who reached out to him.

Kid Rock's support eventually extended beyond words of encouragement. The "Freedom Was a Highway" singer recently collaborated with Kid Rock on his Christian album "Halfway to Jesus," marking another step in Allen's return to recording music.

Allen recalled Kid Rock telling him, "'As Christians, we're quick to ask for forgiveness but don't want to give it.'"

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The musician is also working on several projects of his own, including Christian and gospel music as well as country and R&B material. He said his approach to his career has changed dramatically from the relentless pursuit of success that he described before the allegations surfaced.

"It's not about winning Grammys or CMAs or number one records," he said. "It's about doing what I love."

When asked whether he believes Nashville is ready to give him another chance, Allen explained being accepted back into the country music establishment was not his priority.

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"I haven't even thought about it," he said. "That's not even really a part of my mindset."

PUT YOUR ENTERTAINMENT KNOWLEDGE TO THE TEST AND SEE HOW YOU SCORE

"I don't feel like anybody owes me an apology," Allen added. "I'm not holding a grudge towards people that don't want to work with me."

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"I feel like it's just my job just to, you know, stay resilient like I've always been."

Customers at America's biggest buffet chain can pile their plates high with steak, shrimp and comfort food favorites, but behind the all-you-can-eat spread is a carefully calculated balancing act, according to a new report.

Golden Corral has developed a sophisticated system to keep the buffet model viable despite challenging economic conditions, The Wall Street Journal recently reported.

The chain, with roughly 350 restaurants across the U.S., predominantly in the South and Southeast, offers about 150 different buffet items. What customers might not realize is that they are carefully arranged into "modules" that mix expensive and inexpensive foods, CEO Lance Trenary told the Journal.

AMERICA'S FAVORITE FAST-FOOD CHAIN NAMED: MCDONALD'S WINS HEARTS BUT NOT BEST BURGER, SURVEY SAYS

Pricier items like meat and seafood are paired with lower-cost items like hush puppies and french fries. Meatloaf goes side-by-side with potatoes, gravy and green beans, for example.

"We have to be pretty creative in the way that we present our menu," Trenary told the Journal.

The chain also has to adapt to changes in the market.

As beef prices have shot up, Golden Corral added a bone-in fried pork chop as a cheaper alternative to sirloin. 

RED LOBSTER'S 37-YEAR-OLD CEO BETTING ON NOSTALGIA, AI TO FUEL CHAIN'S COMEBACK AFTER BANKRUPTCY

The pork chop costs the chain only about 40% of what the sirloin costs, so every customer who chooses pork instead of steak helps reduce Golden Corral's overall food costs.

Quality also matters more at a buffet, where customers can simply discard a poorly prepared dish and return for something else.

Golden Corral tries to prevent that by keeping food fresh, making about 80% of its buffet items in-house and preparing only what it expects customers to eat. The chain uses demand data to forecast needs in 15-minute increments rather than cooking large quantities in advance and leaving them under food warmers.

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But the careful approach doesn't mean it has been smooth sailing for Golden Corral.

"This has been a difficult year for us, don't get me wrong," Trenary said. "We are trying to at least tread water."

About 38 cents of every dollar Golden Corral brings in goes toward food, while the chain is trying to keep its dinner buffet priced below $20 at many locations. 

Selling drinks separately helps bring in additional revenue, but rising food and other costs are making the all-you-can-eat model increasingly difficult to sustain.

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Still, the promise of getting more food for a set price remains appealing to budget-conscious diners and other restaurant chains have leaned into that appeal, according to industry data.

Red Lobster, Applebee's and Olive Garden are among those offering different types of unlimited promotions. 

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Major chains rolled out about 150 such deals in the first half of 2026 — roughly four times the number offered in 2021, according to Technomic data.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Golden Corral for comment.

Two Israeli Defense Forces soldiers were killed and three other people were wounded by two suspected gunmen, who were also killed, in a shooting Friday in the southern West Bank, officials said.

Staff Sergeant Ron Yonatan Roytman, aged 23, from Ashkelon, a squad commander in the Ari Battalion (775), Search and Rescue Brigade and Sergeant Yuval Shai Svilem, aged 20, from Hod Hasharon, a combat soldier in the Ari Battalion, Search and Rescue Brigade, both died as a result of the attack, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

The IDF reported that it responded to a shooting in the Judea Junction area Friday and killed two people it identified as "terrorists." 

Hours after the attack, Israel ordered the army to prepare for a full closure of the West Bank, according to the Associated Press. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held an emergency meeting of his Security Cabinet, claiming Hamas was "planning a major attack aimed at murdering innocent civilians."

Netanyahu also said a large scale operation in the West Bank is to begin soon.

INSIDE ISRAEL'S MISSION TO TRAIN CIVILIANS TO STOP THE NEXT OCT 7-LIKE TERROR ATTACK

"Our brave soldiers thwarted this attack with courage and determination," Netanyahu said. 

ISRAELI COMBAT MEDICINE SLASHES IDF DEATHS AFTER OCT 7, DRAWS US MILITARY INTEREST

The identities of the suspected gunmen were not immediately released, but the Israeli army did identify them as Palestinians from Hebron armed with an M16 rifle and a handgun. 

Israeli intelligence groups and security forces conducted dozens of raids throughout the West Bank on Friday, apprehending dozens of people, including those who Israeli officials claimed were members of Hamas and affiliated with Islamic Jihad. 

The Israeli army’s chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, said a "large quantity of ammunition was found" in a vehicle used by the perpetrators.

"This ammunition was intended to be used in a larger-scale attack," he said.

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This is a developing story; check back for updates.

Fox News' Yonat Frilling and Thomas Ferraro contributed to this report.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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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Deals we love

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Columbia's fall jacket is nearly 50% off this week if you choose the black option. It's easy to stuff in your hiking or camping gear, and the hood stows away on nicer days. The Omni-Shield fabric sheds rain and dries quickly, so you stay comfortable longer.

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

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With the Snap-N-Charge charger, you can power up all your devices cable-free. The three rotating magnetic connectors make it a universal charging option for smartphones, tablets, headphones and more across different brands. 

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

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Wrap up in this Eddie Bauer throw blanket now that chillier temperatures have arrived. Its blue-and-green plaid complements most spaces, while the generous size gives you plenty of room to cozy up.

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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.

Enes Kanter Freedom has come forward with new allegations regarding the culture of the NBA during his playing career and sent a warning to the WNBA amid his ongoing feud regarding the league's gender eligibility policy.

Freedom's new statements come one day after the WNBA tried to direct him to sit in a private luxury suite at Game 3 of the WNBA Finals in Atlanta instead of the courtside seat he purchased, amid security concerns. The change in arrangement resulted in a highly-publicized encounter with police at the entrance of State Farm Arena, which resulted in Freedom leaving the venue entirely amid disagreements over where he wanted to sit.

Now Freedom is revealing that his former Boston Celtics teammate Dennis Schröder privately questioned LeBron James’ motives as an activist, and that his Celtics teammates once shunned him for making an appearance on Fox News in his final year in the league in 2021.

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According to Freedom, he asked Schröder that season what James was like as a teammate and how he viewed James’ public advocacy.

"He said, 'Whatever is LeBron doing is for LeBron.' I was like, enough said. We don't have to say a word anymore. Because, uh, I used to respect him a lot, you know, uh, for what he'd done for Black community. Uh, but when one of his former teammates said, you know, all his advocacy is for, is for LeBron, um, that's where, that's where he lost me."

Freedom also criticized James’ conduct during the national anthem before Philadelphia’s season opener against the Knicks on Tuesday. Video showed James making apparent golf and shooting motions during the performance, prompting criticism from President Donald Trump on Thursday.

"But I mean, everybody knows LeBron James... I call him the dictator of the NBA. And I think President Trump said the best. You know, he disrespects our country and disrespects our flag," Freedom said. "LeBron James is the reason the NBA is woke still. I promise you, once he retires, NBA is not going to be as woke as now."

In terms of the league's "woke" culture, Freedom also recalled an incident in his final year when he was praised for doing a television appearance on CNN, but shunned for going on Fox News to discuss the same topic of human rights abuses in China.

"I actually attended a show on CNN. The next day I walk in the locker room, they were saying, 'Good job last night, we watched your interview, keep doing what you're doing," he said. "The next morning I walk in the locker room, nobody said a word to me. They were not even looking at me. I was getting these dirty looks. I asked one of my teammates, I'm like, what happened?"

Freedom said a teammate explained that the objection was to the outlet carrying his message.

NBA STAYS SILENT ON WNBA FINALS TEAMS SKIPPING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM BEFORE GAMES 1 AND 2

"They said, well, we watched your interview again last night. I'm like, okay. It's not your interviews, it's who you did it with. I walk on the court, one of my assistant coaches came up to me and whisper— he was whispering in my ear, hey man, me and my family watched you last night, good job. I'm like, why are you whispering?"

According to Freedom, the coach feared a backlash of his own.

"He said, because I don't want your teammates to know that I watch Fox News. I was like, why? They said, well, because none of them will talk to me the rest of the year."

Freedom said he explained to teammates that appearing on the network did not mean endorsing a political party, and that he wanted his human rights advocacy to reach a wider audience. But they weren't receptive to that reasoning, he claims.

"In NBA circles, we don't talk about Fox News, we don't watch Fox News, and if you do, you will realize that you are going to get cancelled and you're going to get hated on," Freedom said.

But Freedom also claimed that those beliefs are different in private, for some, claiming that that some players privately support conservative causes and President Donald Trump but conceal those views because they fear how they would be treated.

But Freedom claimed some NBA players privately support conservative causes and Trump while concealing those views because they fear how others would treat them.

"But there are many people actually that supports the conservative movements, supports the Republican Party, uh, many of them actually supports President Trump, but just because of they know that they will get canceled and they will get hated on throughout the whole year, they're just hiding it. I mean, you're not even allowed to say you watch Fox News," Freedom said.

GOP CONGRESSMAN PRESSES WNBA TO DEFINE ‘WOMEN’ AFTER ENES KANTER FREEDOM, ROYCE WHITE RULED INELIGIBLE

Freedom said he has encountered similar reluctance to speak publicly among former NBA colleagues discussing his current campaign to push the WNBA to explicitly restrict eligibility to biological females.

He said some initially questioned his tactics, but expressed support after he explained his intentions.

"I don't want to give their name because I know, I just know that as soon as I expose their name, then there will be a lot of questions," Freedom said.

According to Freedom, those conversations included players telling him "we cannot help you," while also saying, "but now we understand what you're doing and we support you and we will pray for you."

Freedom also pointed to a podcast conversation with Michael Porter Jr., saying Porter initially had questions about the campaign and understood his position better after they discussed it. He did not identify the other players he said privately supported him.

Meanwhile, Freedom named Kevin Durant, Patrick Beverley, Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson among the current and former NBA players he said have criticized him, challenging them to discuss their disagreements directly.

"Invite me to your podcast and let's sit down and talk. And let me explain to you why am I doing the things that I'm doing. Don't just go on Twitter. Don't just go on social media and just tweet about it. You know how to, you know, you have my number."

His campaign to join the WNBA has now culminated in two hostile incidents at WNBA arenas after he was ejected from a Chicago Sky game in August, and then faced police resistance while trying to enter State Farm Arena on Wednesday night.

Freedom said one of the reasons that sitting courtside on Wednesday was so important to him was because he wanted to make sure that his shirt, which read "What is a woman?" would be as visible as possible during the game. Asked whether he wanted television cameras to capture his "What is a woman?" shirt from courtside, he acknowledged that visibility was part of his thinking.

"I mean, that was one of the reasons maybe. My main reason was I wanted to support the WNBA," he said.

But he said accepting the suite was never an option.

"They were trying to put me in a prison box. And I mean, everyone knows me that I'm not going to bow down or kneel to someone who is trying to silence me," Freedom said.

The Atlanta Dream and State Farm Arena said the arrangement responded to safety concerns Freedom himself had raised with authorities and basketball officials. They said the suite would have additional security and was intended to protect him and other guests.

Although Freedom objected to being surrounded by police at the entrance, he acknowledged that the officers treated him courteously.

"They were very, actually very kind. They were trying to do their job, and I was being very very nice to them as well," he said. "This is not their fault."

He nevertheless rejected suggestions that he should have accepted the seating arrangement or handled the encounter more diplomatically.

"I think I handled everything perfectly," he said.

Freedom also pushed back against accusations that his campaign is a publicity stunt, pointing to threats he said included references to Charlie Kirk’s shooting.

"I think people need to understand I'm getting death threats every hour. I mean, I showed you that the text messages, you know, yesterday that people are sending me pictures and videos of the moment that Charlie Kirk got shot and said, you are next," he said.

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"So I'm not that crazy. I'm not going to put my life on risk just to get attention."

Freedom said the campaign would end if the WNBA explicitly restricted eligibility to biological females. The league has already declared Freedom and fellow former NBA player Royce White ineligible, while its collective bargaining agreement limits participation to women without specifying sex assigned at birth.

"I'm literally telling the league that define what a woman is, or add the word biological in your collective bargaining next to the word female. I will disappear the next day," Freedom said.

But he said he was finished initiating further discussions with league officials.

"If they would like to sit down and have a conversation with me, listen, I love diplomacy," he said. "But I'm done reaching out. So if they would like to reach out, uh, go ahead. You have my number."

Despite the league’s eligibility determination, Freedom said he still intends to attend the next draft and continue preparing for it. He also claimed the campaign could expand to include additional male professional players, whom he did not identify.

"If they don't draft me and if they don't change the rules, now they have to deal with 6 other male professional players," he said.

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"And if not, again, this is not a threat, next year will be very interesting."

Good morning and welcome to Fox News' morning newsletter, Fox News First. And here's what you need to know to start your day ...

TOP 3

1. Revelation about Ilhan Omar's name could put records in question

2. Trump to rally in Florida, where gubernatorial and Senate races loom

3. Appeals court tears into federal judge for AI hallucinations

MAJOR HEADLINES

RALLYING CRY — White House blasts Biden border policies ahead of Trump Florida visit, citing brutal killing. Continue reading …

RED FUNDING FIGHT — $40M Singham money trail sparks House showdown as nonprofits refuse to back down. Continue reading …

ACT OF DISHONOR — Illegal alien accused of beheading Iwo Jima statue previously had DACA. Continue reading …

NEIGH SAYER — Trump blasts ban as NYC votes to end 170-year horse carriage tradition. Continue reading …

CLEAR MISSION — Netanyahu calls for US, Israel to overthrow Iranian regime. Continue reading …

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POLITICS

SENATE ON THE LINE — Jackson surges among early ballots as Susan Collins fights to hold her base. Continue reading …

DIRTY POLITICS — Antifa supporter charged with stealing GOP campaign signs in NY race to replace Stefanik. Continue reading …

EMPTY THREATS — Trump sidelines sweeping Russia sanctions as GOP allies warn pressure on Putin is slipping. Continue reading …

LEGAL SCRUTINY — DOJ opens investigation into longtime Trump adviser after criminal referral. Continue reading …

Click here for more cartoons…
 

MEDIA

STAND-UP STANDOFF — Comedy civil war erupts as comics take sides over Shane Gillis monologue. Continue reading ...

VIOLENT RHETORIC — Far-left podcaster Jennifer Welch urges to keep 'pistols firing' at VP Vance. Continue reading …

COURT ORDER — Judge orders Trump to sit for deposition in his $10B defamation lawsuit against BBC. Continue reading …

MONEY TALKS — Big money foe Elizabeth Warren confronted on Democrats' billionaire donations. Continue reading …

OPINION

ERFAN FARD — Trump can’t let Iran turn a military defeat into a diplomatic victory. Continue reading … 

DAN GAINOR — Bringing back the Monroe Doctrine is the ideal America First strategy. Continue reading …

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IN OTHER NEWS

DEADLY EXCEPTION — Gabby Petito court battle could decide whether Charlie Kirk family can prevail in Utah wrongful death lawsuit. Continue reading ...

MIND OVER MEDS — Popular sleep aids before surgery could prevent painkiller dependence later. Continue reading ...

‘WAIT A MINUTE’ — Mom spots shipwreck hiding beneath lake after years of beach visits. Continue reading ...

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A mother was enjoying a day at the beach recently with her 9-year-old son when the two of them unexpectedly stumbled upon a small piece of Midwestern history: a century-old shipwreck.

Hannah Damon, director of outreach and administration at Camp Amnicon Adventures and Retreats in South Range, Wisconsin, made the discovery while spending time with her son along the camp's sandy shoreline.

The shipwreck is the A.H. Pitz, a steam-powered tugboat built in 1923. It was abandoned in 1951.

ARCHAEOLOGISTS UNCOVER UNEXPECTED TWIST IN SHIPWRECK MYSTERY AFTER CLUES DON'T ADD UP

Although Damon had known about the sunken vessel for years, she had never actually seen it until unusually clear water gave her and her son a rare glimpse of its remains.

"We started seeing beams and cables and this massive pipe, and it was like, wait a minute, this is a shipwreck, this is a shipwreck," Damon told Fox News Digital on Thursday.

Thrilled by the unexpected sighting, Damon rushed to grab her camera. 

"I ran back to shore and I got my camera, and I was like, OK, you are not allowed to splash me, this is a really exciting discovery," Damon recalled telling her son.

UNDERWATER ROBOTICS EXPERT REVEALS 'SHIPWRECK CITY' HIDING BENEATH MAJOR URBAN LAKE

Video taken by Damon shows the remains of the tugboat beneath clear water, with weathered wooden beams and other debris visible along the lakebed.

Damon described the water as "crystal clear" and glassy, an unusual sight along that stretch of Lake Superior.

The area sits within the Lake Superior clay plain, where the surrounding soil is largely composed of clay, which can make the water murky and obscure objects beneath the surface.

Damon said the wreck is fully submerged and usually difficult to see.

PARK RANGERS UNEARTH 200-YEAR-OLD SHIPWRECK ON REMOTE ISLAND DUBBED 'GRAVEYARD OF THE ATLANTIC'

"I was actually just down back at the beach yesterday, and again, the water was calm, but it was murky again," Damon said.

"I hope it's one of those things that, every once in a while, if you know where to look, you'll be able to find it. But it's definitely a rare find. It's really exciting."

The A.H. Pitz was built in 1923 for the McMullen and Pitz Construction Company in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and named after Armond Pitz, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society.

The nearly 70-foot-long tugboat changed ownership several times before it was abandoned at the mouth of the Amnicon River in 1951.

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Damon said she'd heard the tugboat was intentionally sunk in 1951 to help stabilize a sandbar along the beach.

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"Even after swimming [here] and [being] on this particular beach for 10 or 11 years in a row, I had just never actually seen the shipwreck before," she said.

"It was really exciting to find it, to come across it, and I just couldn't wait to share it with the world."

Damon later showed footage of the shipwreck on social media, where others shared their own memories of the vessel.

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"It was probably the closest thing to ‘viral’ the Camp Amnicon has ever experienced," Damon told Fox News Digital.

Some commenters recalled seeing the vessel as far back as 1967, while others recognized its location along the Lake Superior shoreline.

Damon said the response has helped reconnect members of the community through a shared piece of local history.

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"I think that's the cool thing about archaeology and history and local culture, that this kind of stuff can bring us together," she said.

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.

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A sheriff in California is fighting a plan that would place a convicted rapist in a taxpayer-funded rental home that's located near a Girl Scout camp.

State officials are weighing a plan to transfer Michael Thomas Cheek, 74, from a locked psychiatric facility to a rental home valued at more than $800,000 in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Santa Cruz County Sheriff Chris Clark told Fox News Digital the property is near a Girl Scout camp and schools, and that the rugged terrain could make it more difficult for deputies to respond if Cheek were to commit another crime.

"The community for which he's being considered to be released, it's a really tight-knit community," Clark said. "It's not necessarily the easiest place for us to get to, you know, if and when something were to happen."

CONVICTED SERIAL RAPIST ORIGINALLY SENTENCED TO 124 YEARS WALKS FREE AFTER 20, SPARKING OUTRAGE

The sheriff said the proposed rental property is located within a few miles of a Girl Scout camp and schools, which he calls "obviously concerning."

Clark also says he has concerns about how Cheek would be monitored electronically.

NEWSOM-BACKED LAW LETS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHILD RAPIST SEEK EARLY RELEASE AGAIN AS DA URGES 'STOP THE MADNESS'

"When you talk about our mountain communities, it's not uncommon that during the winter, you know, these folks lose power. The cell connectivity is extremely poor up there. And so, when you think about monitoring him electronically, how effective are those systems if you have no electricity? And how about if people can't call for help if they suspect Mr. Cheek is up to something when cell service is poor?"

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In 1980, Cheek was convicted of raping a young woman at gunpoint. He subsequently escaped from the Contra Costa County jail and raped a 15-year-old girl at gunpoint.

CONVICTED RAPIST WHO PREYED ON WOMEN AT AMERICA'S TOP PARTY SCHOOL FACES RECKONING AFTER COURTHOUSE DASH

Cheek was classified as a sexually violent predator after being convicted.

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He completed a sex offender treatment program located at a psychiatric facility in 2019, but two attempts previously failed that would have put him in Santa Cruz County.

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"Mr. Cheek has no tie to our county. He's not from Santa Cruz County. And so his only tie here is that he frankly abducted somebody and raped them. And so he victimized people here. And so to me, it is completely unfair and shouldn't be the case where a county that somebody's victimized people is then burdened with the thought of having to house him here in one of the most expensive places frankly in the country to live, which we are," Clark said of the convicted rapist.

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A Superior Court judge will hear arguments for Cheek's proposed housing on Oct. 30.

Fox News Digital reached out to Cheek's attorney for comment.

EXCLUSIVE – The White House is highlighting the brutal hammer killing of a Florida mother as President Donald Trump prepares to headline a midterm rally in Fort Myers on Friday, with a spokesperson telling Fox News Digital that the case demonstrates the consequences of former President Joe Biden's border policies.

Trump is scheduled to speak at 2 p.m. at Florida Gulf Coast University's Alico Arena ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. The White House is pointing to the killing in the same city as it prepares to put a spotlight on the president's immigration enforcement record.

"A few short months ago, an illegal alien barbarically killed a woman outside of a gas station in Fort Myers by hitting her on the head with a hammer multiple times," White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital exclusively.

DEM-LED PUSH TO EXTEND PROTECTIONS FOR HAITIANS FACES OUTRAGE AFTER BRUTAL HAMMER KILLING

"This heinous murderer was RELEASED into the country by the Biden administration. Not only did the Biden administration release him into the country, but they then gave him Temporary Protected Status. This is the result of Democrats open-border policies. If you import the third world, you become the third world."

Trump previously condemned the killing in an April Truth Social post, calling the surveillance video "one of the most vicious things you will ever see" and blaming the Biden administration for allowing the suspect into the country.

"This one killing should be enough for these Radical Judges to STOP impeding my Administration’s Immigration Policies," Trump wrote at the time.

The remarks refer to the brazen killing of a Florida mother in April. Haitian national Rolbert Joachim is accused of repeatedly striking the woman in the head with a hammer outside a Fort Myers gas station.

ICE-LED FLORIDA OPERATION NETS 500 — INCLUDING ILLEGAL ALIENS ACCUSED OF MURDER, CHILD ABUSE, CARTEL TIES

According to the Department of Homeland Security, surveillance video showed the suspect smashing the woman's windshield before approaching her and repeatedly striking her in the head with a hammer in broad daylight. The victim, a gas station clerk and mother of two teenage daughters, died in the attack.

Fort Myers police enlisted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to help locate Joachim, who was subsequently arrested on Mango Street, DHS said.

The department said Joachim entered the United States in August 2022 and was released into the country under the Biden administration. A federal judge issued a final removal order against him that year, but he later received Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which expired in 2024.

The designation allows eligible foreign nationals from certain countries to remain and work temporarily in the United States because of conditions in their home countries. It does not provide permanent residency.

TRUMP ADMIN MARKS 15 STRAIGHT MONTHS WITH ZERO BORDER RELEASES AS APPREHENSIONS PLUNGE 94%

The White House is putting a spotlight on the case as Trump prepares to address supporters in southwest Florida, a region that has delivered strong election results for the president.

Trump carried Florida in all three of his presidential campaigns, expanding his statewide winning margin from roughly one percentage point in 2016 to more than 13 points in 2024.

In Lee County, home to Fort Myers, Trump won 63.6% of the vote in 2024, compared with 35.3% for former Vice President Kamala Harris, according to official county election results.

The White House says Trump's immigration crackdown has led to 17 straight months without releases at the border and the deportation of more than 3 million people who were in the United States illegally.

DHS said in April that ICE had lodged an immigration detainer against Joachim following his arrest and that he would face deportation regardless of the outcome of his criminal case.

Prosecutors later announced they would seek the death penalty against Joachim, according to local reporting.

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Friday's rally comes as Trump continues to hit the campaign trail supporting Republican candidates across the country ahead of the midterm elections.

CAMAS, Wash. — The sign seemed innocuous enough. So did the man holding it. But a passing jogger apparently saw things differently.

Outside a district cross country meet in which a biological male was competing against girls, Steve Lynch held a sign that read: "Coached X-C & Track for 24 years. If you have questions about the differences between Girls & Boys...answers given here FREE of charge!"

But as Lynch began explaining those differences, the jogger shouted: "Jesus loves a firing squad! Go kill Muslims! Go kill trans people! That's your rhetoric, right? F--- you!"

DAD BANNED FROM SCHOOL GROUNDS AFTER PROTESTING TRANS RUNNER COMPETING AGAINST HIS DAUGHTER

Lynch didn't even flinch. In fact, he smiled.

"Oftentimes I have to deal with that," he said.

Lynch represents courage on this issue, which is something many adults lack. Over the past few weeks, it's been mostly students, not grown-ups, who have led the opposition to a Camas High cross country runner competing against girls after starting the season on the boys team.

But a rally outside Wednesday's meet — where the boy finished second among a field of 25 to help lead Camas to the girls district championship — showed that the adults are catching up in the bravery department.

PARENTS SPEAK OUT ON THE INGRAHAM ANGLE AFTER GIRLS FORFEIT RACE OVER BIOLOGICAL MALE RUNNER

There looked to be more than 100 grown-ups, maybe 200, in attendance — mostly dressed in garb advocating for the separation of males and females in sports. At the heart of the rally was Initiative 638 — a Nov. 3 ballot measure in Washington state that would enforce such separation in K-12 athletics.

People such as Sarah Burns, the mother of a Camas runner who walked off the start line in protest last week, never imagined herself playing the role of activist when the cross country season began. But now she finds herself at the center of one of the most contentious debates in Washington state.

"I was just a mom going to watch her daughter, and then we found out what was happening, and I couldn't not say something," said Burns, wearing an XX-XY Athletics shirt. "These are teenage girls that should be able to be teenage girls and run and compete in their sport and not have their achievements taken from them."

Burns was not the only Camas parent willing to speak out on Wednesday. Also in attendance was Sarah Babb, whose daughter Madeline walked off the start line last week as well. Like Burns' daughter, Holly, Madeline had no idea her actions would prompt such widespread media attention. But as reporters from across the nation showed up to cover Wednesday's rally and meet, Sarah was no longer feeling quite so isolated.

"As a mom who comes to these races all season long, it feels very alone as I stand there and go, 'This is awful,'" Babb said. "So it was great to see such support last week, and this is wild this week. It's hard to be the quiet majority, to feel like we're being bullied into silence. I think a lot of people feel that way. I know it's scary. It's scary."

It certainly can be. Over the past couple weeks that I've been covering this story, most parents have been reluctant to speak — even anonymously. Many have expressed fear of losing their jobs, and one even said, "I don't want my house burned down."

It's easy to catastrophize, especially when you see how vicious opponents of the Protect Women's Sports crowd can be. There was the aforementioned jogger. There was the Golden State Valkyries fan who told an XX-XY shirt-wearer to "f---ing kill yourself" at a WNBA Finals game last week. There was the Seattle Storm co-owner telling a girl with the same shirt that she's "f---ing insane" in July, bringing that girl to tears.

WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL GIRL WALKS OFF STARTING LINE ALONE IN PROTEST OF TRANS RUNNER, ENDING HER SEASON

Surely one can see why parents would want to sit this issue out, right? Women's sports advocate Amy Sousa isn't so sure.

"I don't have a lot of patience for adults who are willing to let the girls take the hits," Sousa said. "If these girls are willing to stand up to their peers, I think adults can stand up to theirs. And if they can't do it in public, at least they can do it at the ballot."

There were some people at Wednesday's rally very much against I-638. One was a woman named Stephanie, who didn't want her last name used but was cordial with me and my photographer.

She said the measure would require invasive genital exams to prove one's sex, which is not true. When I mentioned that there were other options such as cheek swabs, she argued that that would be too expensive and that there weren't enough trans athletes for such testing to be worthwhile. When I mentioned all the female athletes speaking out against having to compete against biological males as a matter of fairness, she offered the following:

"Fairness is reasonable, and I do think there should be rules. Even in the Olympics, each sport can set up certain rules. I don't want to wrestle with somebody who's got 40 pounds on me, whether they're male or female," Stephanie said. "But that's about size, not just about what gender you're born."

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Come on, though. It's more than about size, isn't it? How many women under 6'4" have you seen dunk a basketball? Yet there are countless men under that height who can. Biology matters in every sport.

In fact, it was a difference in biology that ultimately led Camas High senior Kate Westfall — the fastest girl on the cross country roster — to quit the team earlier in the month. Westfall won districts last year. She had bigger aspirations in her final high school season. But she walked away from it all because she felt racing against a boy simply wasn't fair.

So Wednesday, her parents — Joe and Jennie — showed up to districts in protect-women's-sports attire to honor their daughter's courage.

"She made the brave decision to forgo the rest of her senior season and give up opportunities in order to bring awareness to the impact the current state policy is having on females who are being forced to compete in this unfair environment," Jennie said. "As her parents, we are proud of her courage and are honored to stand with her."

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Jennie and Joe admit to a fear of backlash. But that's the thing about courage — without fear, it doesn't exist.

Former Obama White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel encouraged the Democratic Party to appeal to moderate "McCain-Romney Republicans" in an op-ed Wednesday.

"The top story from the 2026 cycle will be the electoral opening Democrats seized — and will have to maintain," Emanuel wrote for The Wall Street Journal. "Most important, the McCain-Romney Republicans, who are politically homeless, need to be welcomed into Democrats’ governing and electoral coalition."

Emanuel argued that moderate Republicans who associate their politics closer with former Utah Sen. Mitt Romney and former Arizona Sen. John McCain have been dissuaded from the GOP by President Donald Trump and could be the deciding factor in the 2026 midterm elections.

LEE CARTER: 2026 ELECTION COULD ALL COME DOWN TO JUST ONE TYPE OF VOTER

Romney and McCain were the last Republican nominees for president before Trump in 2012 and 2008, respectively, losing each time to Barack Obama.

"Millions of McCain-Romney voters are redefining their political identities, and they will be most responsible for Democratic gains in November. These voters don’t want to be associated with MAGA, and they see themselves as free agents. The question for Democrats is whether we’re willing to give them a permanent home," Emanuel wrote.

The former Clinton advisor pushed back on the idea that the Democratic Party should embrace the more extreme Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) members, warning that the results of the midterm elections would be less a show of support for socialism than a rejection of "MAGA" politics.

"The activists who reside in blue bubbles are sure to interpret the election results as vindication. But the party’s ascent won’t be born of some newfound enthusiasm for far-left policies such as defunding the police or offering free healthcare to illegal immigrants," Emanuel wrote.

He added that Democrats should hesitate to impeach Trump and instead be focused on passing meaningful legislation, which is what moderate Republicans support as well.

CARVILLE SAYS HE'D RATHER REPUBLICANS KEEP THE HOUSE THAN DEMOCRATS WIN BY FIVE SEATS, HELD 'HOSTAGE' BY DSA

"Rather than vilifying those whose support we need, Democrats should be inviting them into our coalition. Voters willing to give Democrats a second look need convincing to trust us," Emanuel wrote.

In a comment to Fox News Digital, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle defended Trump's record and encouraged all Republicans to double down on his agenda.

"President Trump is the unequivocal leader, best messenger, and unmatched motivator for the Republican Party, and he is committed to maintaining Republican majorities in Congress. The President signed the largest working-class tax cuts in history, lowered the cost of prescription drugs, sealed the border, drove violent crime to the lowest level in nearly a century, unleashed an energy revolution, added more than a million private-sector jobs and sent Americans’ 401(k)s climbing to record highs. The choice has never been more clear: doubling down on President Trump’s winning, commonsense agenda or the Democrats’ extreme liberal policies and obstruction," Ingle said.

RAHM EMANUEL WARNS DSA AGENDA DOESN'T PLAY WELL OUTSIDE 'UPPER WEST SIDE OF MANHATTAN'

The Republican National Committee (RNC) also denied that Republicans could align themselves with the values of the Democratic Party.

"Democrats are the party of abolishing private healthcare, defunding the police and hammering working families with higher taxes — those are not Republican values, or American values for that matter. If Democrats had their way, our country would look more like Caracas or Moscow," RNC national press secretary Natalie Baldassarre told Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Democratic National Committee for comment.

While speaking on the "Hang Out with Sean Hannity" podcast earlier this month, Emanuel downplayed the impact the DSA candidates have on the Democratic Party as a whole.

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"I don't believe the socialists are a wing," he said. "I think they are a separate party. They believe in defunding the police, which is not the party position. They believe in open borders and open prisons. That's not the party’s position."

The former NYPD detective accused of shooting and killing a man on the George Washington Bridge in a horrific road rage attack sped away in a Range Rover owned by his hedge fund employer, according to a report.

Victor Romero, 62, is facing charges relating to the killing of Con Edison worker Koran Irvine, 46, on the bridge Tuesday evening. Romero previously worked as an NYPD detective.

Prosecutors say he was driving in an employer-owned SUV at the time of the shooting. He worked as a driver and private security guard for QVT Financial, a biotech and energy investment firm, the New York Post reported.

Romero had been working as a driver for the company's CEO, Dan Gold, according to the outlet.

RETIRED NYPD DETECTIVE CHARGED WITH MURDER IN GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE SHOOTING OF CON ED WORKER: OFFICIALS

"We are aware of the press reports concerning Victor Romero and are cooperating with the authorities in this matter," QVT Financial said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Romero appeared in court on Thursday and a judge granted the DA's request to set his bond at $1 million. He is facing a first-degree manslaughter charge.

WATCH: Police investigate fatal George Washington Bridge shooting

In court, Assistant District Attorney Matthew Sears alleged the encounter began when Romero and Irvine nearly collided as they approached the bridge — a moment captured on surveillance video.

DRIVER OPENS FIRE ON STRANGERS ALONG MAJOR US INTERSTATE, TELLS COPS HE ‘HAD TO KILL PEOPLE TODAY’

Video shows Romero tailgating Irvine’s car closely and aggressively as both crossed the span.

Prosecutors said Romero then quickly pulled to the right side of Irvine's moving vehicle and fired a single shot from his driver’s seat. The bullet pierced the rear passenger window of Irvine’s car, striking him in the right shoulder and causing his death.

NEW YORK'S 'WRONG-HEADED' DEFENDANT-FRIENDLY LAWS HELPED TOSS MANGIONE EVIDENCE: RETIRED COP

Surveillance footage shows Irvine’s vehicle abruptly lurching into the far-right lane and coming to a stop in the middle of active traffic.

Video evidence and vehicle registration records confirmed the SUV driven by Romero was owned by his employer and assigned directly to him.

NYPD DETECTIVE GIVES UPDATE ON CONDITION AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT DUO ALLEGEDLY STABBED HIM 7 TIMES

Prosecutors said that Romero's car was the only vehicle in position to fire the fatal shot.

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Immediately after the shooting, Romero allegedly sped past Irvine’s vehicle, crossed the bridge, and fled northbound on the Palisades Interstate Parkway toward his Rockland County home without calling 911 or surrendering to police, authorities said.

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Detectives located Romero and his employer-issued vehicle the following day at his Manhattan workplace.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SUSPECTS WITH LENGTHY CRIMINAL RECORDS ARRESTED IN STABBING OF OFF-DUTY NYPD DETECTIVE

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Authorities recovered a revolver from him, which Romero admitted to carrying daily, prosecutors said. A subsequent search of his residence yielded two additional handguns.

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All three weapons are currently undergoing forensic processing, prosecutors said.

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With members of Irvine’s family present in court, Sears pointed to the strong video evidence, the severe mandatory prison sentence Romero faces if convicted, and his flight from the scene in requesting the million-dollar bail.

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Romero is scheduled to return to court on Oct. 27.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to Romero's attorney, Alan Abramson, for comment.