Latest & Breaking News on Fox News

Maine Democrats decide fate of Senate candidate dogged by explosive allegations

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 05:00:59 -0400

BANGOR, Maine — It's judgment day for Graham Platner, the embattled Democratic Senate candidate in left-leaning Maine who is aiming to oust longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in a crucial race that's among a handful that will determine if the GOP holds its slim Senate majority in the midterm elections.

Platner, an oyster farmer and military combat veteran who is backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and other top progressive champions, is facing a slew of controversies, which could make his expected Democratic primary victory in Maine much more interesting than originally expected.

Meanwhile, one week after President Donald Trump's endorsement-winning streak in high-profile Republican primaries was snapped, the president's immense clout over his party is facing another key test in South Carolina's GOP gubernatorial nomination face-off.

Those two ballot box showdowns will take top billing and grab plenty of national headlines as Maine and South Carolina, along with Nevada and North Dakota, hold primary elections on Tuesday.

PLATNER TO SUPPORTERS: 'MAINE, YOU HAVE MY BACK'

Platner has been playing defense the past month, amid mounting controversy. It includes inflammatory online comments made on Reddit, a well-publicized and now covered-up tattoo on his chest that resembled a Nazi symbol, recent reports that he exchanged sexually explicit messages with several women while married, and new allegations last week from ex-girlfriends of a history of rape fantasies, heavy drinking and violent episodes. Platner has called the latest allegations of violence untrue.

The negative headlines have triggered some Democrats in the nation's capital to question whether Platner was damaged goods. The candidate this past weekend thanked Maine voters for continuing to support him.

"When hurtful things I said on the internet a decade ago came out into the public, as I shared my personal journey through PTSD and darkness of recovery and accountability and growth, Maine had my back," Platner said at a rally Friday not far from his hometown in Down East, Maine.

"Now, as every single piece of that past and journey gets dug up, litigated, and weaponized, you have my back. And when politically motivated, serious and false accusations are made against me. Maine, you have my back."

SEE IT: MAINE VOTERS SOUND OFF ON PLATNER CONTROVERSIES

Platner, who has acknowledged his battle with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) from his three tours of duty in the war in Iraq with the Marines and one tour with the Army National Guard in Afghanistan, apologized for his controversial Reddit posts after they made headlines last fall soon after he launched his Senate campaign.

And Platner has said he got the skull and crossbones tattoo in 2007 while drinking with fellow Marines stationed in Croatia. He added that he covered up the tattoo with a new design after learning last year that it resembled a Nazi symbol. But new allegations from an ex-girlfriend raise questions about Platner's timeline regarding knowledge of the tattoo.

Rep. Ro Khanna, the progressive leader from California who organized Friday's rally with Platner, was asked by Fox News Digital whether he's concerned if the current allegations, and any potential future ones, could sink Platner's campaign and hurt Democrats' hopes of winning back the Senate.

"I’m more concerned about making it clear that we’re opposed to misogyny, those relationships were toxic and volatile, there’s no excuse for that," Khanna said. "I talked to Graham and he says he was at a very dark period, he had come back from two tours of duty in Iraq as an infantry man seeing violence and death. That doesn’t excuse it."

SEE IT: DEM SENATORS DODGE ON BACKING PLATNER AS MAINE CANDIDATE’S SCANDAL CLOUDS FINAL DAYS BEFORE PRIMARY

But Khanna noted that Platner said "he really grew as a person when he came back to Maine and he was an oyster farmer and he found peace and he is ashamed of that period. To me, that suggests someone taking accountability and improving their lives, and we need that redemption in this country. And I agree with a lot of his economic policies, that we should be taxing the billionaires, we should be focusing on the working class."

Platner has been considered the all-but-certain Democratic nominee after two-term Gov. Janet Mills, who was backed by longtime Senate Democratic Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer and the Democratic Party establishment, dropped out of the race earlier this spring after significantly trailing Platner in fundraising and polling.

He's facing two long-shot rivals for the nomination in Tuesday's primary, but Mills' name remains on the ballot, which she highlighted in a recent interview. A source in Mills' wider political orbit confirmed to Fox News last week that the governor was receiving calls urging her to get back in the race amid Platner's controversies. But there's no active campaign effort on behalf of Mills.

Maine voters Fox News reporters spoke with ahead of the rally were divided on whether Platner's controversies would impact their opinions of the candidate and whether the allegations would weaken his ability to defeat Collins.

Collins, returning to Maine on Friday after a busy week on Capitol Hill where she reached a milestone by casting her 10,000th consecutive vote in the Senate, was asked by reporters about the latest allegations facing Platner.

"The allegations in the latest story are troubling," Collins responded. "And I believe that Graham Platner has a lot of questions to answer."

THE TEN RACES THAT WILL DETERMINE THE SENATE'S MAJORITY

Platner is facing plenty of incoming political fire from Republican groups. A super PAC aligned with Collins has been blasting Platner, running ads spotlighting his multiple controversies.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) charged that Platner is a "fraud."

"He's preaching about living a small but decent life growing up in Maine. The truth? Graham Platner is an elitist whose parents sent him to boarding school in Connecticut and bought him a house," the NRSC wrote.

And the Republican National Committee (RNC) also targeted Platner.

"Graham Platner says his violent and erratic past is being "weaponized" against him. Platner said he would rape someone to show his dominance and "rape was about power," the RNC research team wrote on X, pointing to the latest allegations against the candidate.

Despite the allegations and the incoming fire from the GOP, no Democratic politicians who have backed Platner have rescinded their endorsements.

"We need to unite and realize that the goal is defeating Susan Collins. And everyone from Schumer to Sanders is unified around that goal," Khanna told Fox News Digital.

Platner has drawn large crowds and built a healthy fundraising war chest, and Democrats see Maine as a crucial pickup opportunity as they aim to win back the Senate majority.

But beating Collins, a moderate who is running for a sixth six-year term in the Senate and has a history of voting against President Donald Trump's agenda, won't be easy. Six years ago public opinion polls indicated the senator was headed to defeat, but Collins defied expectations and won re-election by topping then-Democratic state House Speaker Sara Gideon by nine points.

DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB

There's a crowded and competitive field of Democrats running for their party's gubernatorial nomination in the race to succeed the term-limited Mills. On the Republican side, Bobby Charles — former federal investigator — leads eight other candidates, including Jonathan Bush, nephew of the late President George H.W. Bush.

Also in the spotlight, the Democratic primary in the state's 2nd Congressional District, in the race to replace moderate Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, who announced last year that he would not seek re-election due to political polarization.

Republicans, who are aiming to hold their razor-thin majority in the House, view the mostly rural district which Trump carried in the 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential elections, as a top pickup opportunity. Former two-term Republican Gov. Paul LePage is uncontested for the GOP nomination.

In South Carolina, Trump's endorsement is in the spotlight.

The president, a week and a half ago, handed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette 11th-hour support as she seeks to succeed a top Trump ally, term-limited Republican Gov. Henry McMaster.

Evette is facing off in the GOP primary against a handful of top rivals. They are longtime South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, nationally known Rep. Nancy Mace, Rep. Ralph Norman and multimillionaire businessman Rom Reddy.

Since no candidate was expected to top 50% of the primary vote and land a majority, the top two finishers will advance to the June 23 Republican runoff.

The brute force of the president's endorsement power has been on display in GOP primaries over the past month, with his candidates ousting incumbents he targeted in showdowns in Indiana, Louisiana, Kentucky and Texas that grabbed plenty of national attention.

But his last minute endorsement of Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra of Iowa — which came on the same day he also backed Evette — in the race to succeed retiring GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds wasn't enough to muscle the three-term congressman to victory.

Feenstra was narrowly edged by Zach Lahn, a businessman, farmer and former political strategist who was backed by the political wings of MAHA — the acronym for the Make America Healthy Again movement aligned with Trump Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — and Turning Point USA, the powerful conservative organization co-founded by the late Charlie Kirk.

In the South Carolina GOP gubernatorial primary, the major contenders had long been highlighting their support for Trump and his agenda, in hopes of landing his support.

Trump, after staying neutral for months, endorsed Evette, praising her as an "America First Patriot" and a "WINNER" in his announcement.

After Trump backed Evette, Mace said that her very vocal push last year for the Justice Department to release the files related to its probe into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein contributed to the president's backing of her rival.

"I know I put the likelihood of an endorsement on the line when I demanded transparency on the Epstein files," the lawmaker wrote. "I demanded it because you deserved the truth — ALL OF IT," Mace emphasized in a post on X.

Trump, in a social media post endorsing Evette, also said he expected Evette to choose Henry McMaster Jr., the governor's son, as her running mate for lieutenant governor.

The comment by the president led to blowback in South Carolina political circles and speculation that McMaster, who succeeded then-Gov. Nikki Haley when she stepped down to serve as U.N. ambassador during Trump's first term and who is in his 10th year as governor, was trying to give his son a political boost.

But McMaster denied any deal or pressure, and Evette has said she wouldn't name any running mate until after the primary is over.

And on Friday, the younger McMaster took his name out of contention, saying it was "incredibly humbling" to be mentioned as a possible lieutenant governor candidate, but that "now is simply not the right time."

The winner of the Republican gubernatorial nomination will be considered the clear favorite in November's general election in South Carolina.

State Rep. Jermaine Johnson, trial attorney and 2010 gubernatorial candidate William Mullins McLeod Jr., and businessman Billy Webster, who served as chief of staff to then-Democratic Gov. Richard Riley, are running for their party's nomination.

Longtime Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham is the clear favorite in the Republican Senate primary, but is facing a tougher than expected challenge from South Carolina businessman Mark Lynch in a race that has devolved into mudslinging.

In Nevada, incumbent Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo is expected to fend off a handful of primary challengers as he seeks re-election. On the Democratic side, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford is the clear favorite over Washoe County Commissioner Alexis Hill.

And in solidly red North Dakota, there is a competitive GOP house primary for the state's at-large district.

Fox News Digital's Alexis McAdams, Sally Persons, Jessica Sonkin and Luke Trevisan contributed to this report.

MORNING GLORY: The countryside versus the capitol part I

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 05:00:45 -0400

Who can handle "the pressure?"

The new film "Pressure" is an accurate retelling of the fateful days leading up to the Allies’ invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944. The success of the D-Day landings were far from a forgone conclusion either as to the date of their launch or its chances of success.

Then General Dwight "Ike" Eisenhower had to make the decision to "go-no go" in the early days of June 82 years ago, and the pressure on "Ike" was enormous and unrelenting. Tens of thousands of soldiers’ lives hung in the balance, as did the fate of millions under Hitler’s evil rule. The film provides a superb lesson on such moments and Ike’s (played by Brendan Fraser) willingness to make the final decision amidst the uncertainties of weather and Wermacht deployments is a testament to the granite from which he was made.

DOUG SCHOEN: DEMOCRATIC BATTLE PITS MODERATES VS. PROGRESSIVES FOR SOUL OF THE PARTY

Ideally, American voters would look for Ike’s qualities in every presidential election — for the ability to make the best decisions on the most important choices — but that’s not how it turns out. Rarely do voters think about the biggest decisions and who ought to make them. Usually, voters are carried along by their own sense of their own well-being as well as cross-currents in the culture that are driving deep divides across the country’s vast electorate.

If there is an incumbent in the Oval Office seeking re-election, it is almost always a "referendum election" on how he has done in the job.

But when there is no incumbent, American voters use entirely different calculations.

One theory of how Americans actually pick presidents when "change" dominates the country’s political atmosphere and there is no incumbent: Voters choose the candidate with the personality type most different from the incumbent when the incumbent isn’t running. This grand theory of presidential politics is often associated with David Axelrod, longtime advisor to former President Barack Obama and the Democrat’s answer to Karl Rove when it comes to a grasp of the big and the small details of American politics.

A second "grand theory" is the "capital versus the countryside." One of America’s sharpest analysts of politics over the past half century is Michael Barone. A decade ago, the American Enterprise Institute scholar observed "The capital versus the countryside: that’s the new political divide, visible in multiple surprise election results over the past eleven months. It cuts across old partisan lines and replaces old divisions — labor versus management, North versus South, Catholic versus Protestant — that traditionally divided voters." Another way of putting this divide is coastal elites v. "fly-over" country.

Combine both approaches and you get the classic four square box. A candidate of either party has a general personality either like or not like the incumbent, and a candidate represents the Beltway or the anti-Beltway sentiments.

Two candidates who embodied change from the termed-out incumbent as well as being anti-Beltway were Presidents Obama and Trump. Joe Biden was very much a creature of the Beltway and the elites who despised Trump, and when Trump roared back with the greatest political comeback in American history it was very much countryside v. capital at work.

The 2028 cycle unofficially kicked off with first big, splashy profile of an almost-certain candidate in the form of a lengthy Wall Street Journal profile of former Ambassador to Japan, Mayor of Chicago, Chief of Staff to Obama and Deputy Chief of Staff to President Bill Clinton as well as former Congressman and investment banker Rahm Emanuel.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION

Emanuel is as close to the complete Beltway insider as Democrats will come in the 2028 cycle. He’s also very smart, exceptionally skilled in the dark arts of politics, and a traditional center-left Democrat. While as combative as Trump, Emanuel is sheep-dipped in the language of legacy media and very much an intellectual and master of the details.

He is also Jewish and his middle name is Israel. Can such former qualifications among Democrats be turned again from the disabilities they now represent in a party deeply infected with antisemitism.

"Outsiders" likely to be opposite Emanuel on debate stages in early 2027 — let the games begin! — are California Governor Gavin Newsom, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Members of Congress Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ro Khanna. All four and probably more will want to run against both Trump and the Beltway.

Expect from Emanuel some obligatory critiques of Trump — "the most corrupt White House in history, one run like EBay" has been penciled in on Democratic talking points — but mostly a focus on education and the reality of an eroding middle class. Emanuel will have to find his way through a Democratic Party poisoned with anti-Israel and indeed antisemitic tropes, but his is the candidacy most likely to keep Republicans awake at night. Emanuel could awaken the long dormant Henry "Scoop" Jackson/Sam Nunn pulse in the Democratic Party. His four years as Biden’s Ambassador to China polished his foreign policy credentials and gave him an appreciation for the menace of Xi Jinping.

The GOP field is also beginning to emerge. As with the Democrats, there’s a divide within it, one certain to appear in the debates of 2027 and the primaries of 2028.

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

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM HUGH HEWITT

LIZ PEEK: Democrats must answer who they support if they abandon Israel

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 05:00:35 -0400

The Democratic Party is turning against Israel.

Increasingly, Democrats running for office, kowtowing to their base, disavow any allegiance to our long-time ally in the Middle East. A recent New York Times survey found 74% of Democratic voters opposed "providing additional economic and military support to Israel", with the number even higher among young people.

Someone needs to ask the anti-Israel crowd: who are you for?

Are they for Hamas, the terror group in Gaza that outlaws homosexuality, steals aid meant for their countrymen and provoked the current war with the Jewish state by slaughtering 1,200 innocents on October 7, 2023?

FOX NEWS ‘ANTISEMITISM EXPOSED’ NEWSLETTER: DEMOCRATS, INDEPENDENTS TURN ON ISRAEL

Or are anti-Israel Democrats aligning with Iran, which is guilty of mowing down tens of thousands of peaceful protesters in cold blood? A repressive regime that routinely calls for "Death to America" — Israel is at war with Iran, because Iran’s proxies in Lebanon, Gaza and Yemen wage constant attacks on their men, women and children.

Democrats are, in effect, supporting terrorists. It is a binary choice. You are either backing Israel or you are backing those organizations fighting on behalf of Iran.

It is time to make Democrats openly avow that alliance.

DOUG SCHOEN: AS A DEMOCRAT, I BACK TRUMP'S IRAN STRIKE — MY PARTY IS WRONG

They will argue that their opposition to Israel stems from sympathy for the Palestinian people, or dislike of Bibi Netanyahu, Israel’s long-time leader. But Palestine is governed by Hamas; polling in the region shows a solid majority of the people of the West Bank and Gaza supported Hamas’ reign of terror and attack on Israel. If you denounce the state of Israel because you deplore the military aggressiveness of Netanyahu, shouldn’t you also denounce Palestinians for backing the thugs that burned babies alive on October 7?

The anti-Israel crowd will also regurgitate vague charges of "colonialism" or what the liberal Economist magazine calls "spurious genocide allegations." Many young Americans don’t know that Israel goes to great lengths to protect civilians as it hunts down Hamas terrorists. They alert the population to upcoming military engagements and avoid schools and hospitals; Hamas takes advantage of that caution by storing weapons next to children and secreting its agents among doctors.

While the American Left berates Israel for its harsh treatment of Palestinians, some on the American Right accuse President Trump of ignoring his America First platform and claim we derive no benefit from our support of Israel. That is not true. There is no other nation in the volatile Middle East, and indeed few in the world, who offer as productive a partnership as does Israel.

MORNING GLORY: ISRAEL IS AMERICA’S MOST IMPORTANT ALLY

Israel’s military, the IDF, is one of the most capable in the world. It benefits from a strong military-industrial and technological base, and is, along with its 170,000 active personnel, battle-tested.

In addition, its Mossad-led intelligence capabilities are considered among the best in the world. The extraordinary targeting and assassination of dozens of senior Iranian officials, coordinated with the United States, reflects Mossad’s expertise. Mossad is only getting stronger thanks to Israel’s powerful tech sector, which is powering an AI revolution similar to that taking place in the U.S.

Israel’s tech industry, home to thousands of start-ups, is renowned for its innovation and venture capital success, and no wonder. Israel has one of the highest ratios of research spending relative to GDP on the globe.

In short, unlike most European countries, Israel consistently provides the U.S. with vital military, intelligence and technological collaboration. It is not solely because the U.S. hosts a large Jewish population that we have partnered with the Middle East’s sole democracy over the years. It is also because the alliance benefits our country.

That is not what Democrats will tell you. They insinuate that our alliance with Israel is somehow shameful and are weaponizing support for the Jewish state against Republicans. Democrat Graham Platner (he of the Nazi-themed tattoo and infamous Kik account), who is running to replace Senator Susan Collins in Maine, derides his opponent for accepting campaign donations from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobbying group. Last week, Platner posted on X: "Senator Collins is bought and paid for by Benjamin Netanyahu, and she votes accordingly."

Collins should demand to know who is funding Platner. Is Platner, who has outraised the incumbent, getting funding from American Priorities PAC, a pro-Palestinian super pac backing progressive candidates, that is funded largely by Muslims? American Priorities was set up to counteract AIPAC; why isn’t it getting the same level of scrutiny as the pro-Israel group? Who is behind that organization and where else does their money go?

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION

The charge that Israel is commanding American politicians is hardly limited to Platner; it is often directed at President Trump. Earlier this year Ruben Gallego, Democrat senator from Arizona, accused Trump of waging war against Iran out of deference to Israeli leader Netanyahu.

Pro-Israel Democrats are also under fire. Politico reports that Democrats competing in numerous primaries this year are routinely condemning their rivals’ ties to Israel, writing "Even tangential ties to the longtime U.S. ally are likely to become campaign issues across the country."

Some of this anti-Israel sentiment stems from good old-fashioned antisemitism; some reflects criticism of Israel’s military response in Gaza after the Hamas attack of October 7. All of it undermines U.S. self-interest.

Just 25 years ago, on September 11, 2001, Muslim extremists killed nearly 3,000 Americans by flying planes into the Twin Towers in Manhattan. Since 1994, Muslim jihadists have plotted out 140 attacks on U.S. soil against Americans, including driving trucks into crowded streets in New Orleans or shooting up the Pulse nightclub in Orlando.

President Obama warned against Islamophobia, and rightly so. But it isn’t Islamophobia to acknowledge that our country’s alliance with Israel is centered in self-interest, and that Muslim terrorists, such as those enabled by Iran, have been our enemy.

Ask yourself: when was the last time a Jewish terror group attacked Americans?

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM LIZ PEEK

Top Republican pushes for reconciliation 3.0 to address affordability

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 05:00:25 -0400

As Congress scrambles to assemble a third reconciliation package, the Chairman of the Republican Study Committee (RSC) struck an optimistic tone in an interview on the Ruthless Podcast.

"On affordability, on fraud, and on defense, I think that we're going to run a two-minute drill," Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, said in an exclusive interview released Tuesday morning. "In fact, we’re in the middle of planning for it right now."

Reconciliation is a budget-related measure that can pass the Senate on a simple majority vote. Most other forms of legislation require 60 votes to bypass the filibuster in the upper chamber.

SEN RAND PAUL: MY PLAN WOULD FORCE CONGRESS TO STOP OVERSPENDING YOUR HARD-EARNED MONEY

The House is expected to vote on the second, immigration-focused, reconciliation bill later this week. The Senate approved the measure last week.

Pfluger lamented that Republicans needed to use reconciliation to pass reconciliation 2.0 and fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP).

"I’m hopeful about this country," Pfluger said. "But it is a sad state of affairs when you have to do partisan-only bills like reconciliation, especially for defense-related things."

TRUMP CALLS FOR SECOND 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL' TO FUND ICE ON HIS DESK BY JUNE 1

Podcast co-host Josh Holmes struck a similar tone.

"[The Democrats] forced it on a partisan basis on something that should be a consensus," Holmes said. "Particularly at a time of war used to be an afterthought."

Pfluger outlined his vision for this third bill. He emphasized tackling affordability, fraud, and defense along with housing, energy, and healthcare as central components of the next legislative package.

"3.0 is different," Pfluger said. "3.0 is us going into our districts, listening to our constituents who are saying, ‘Hey, things are pretty expensive.’ ‘We know it's not your fault.’ ‘We know, it's [President Joe] Biden and the inflation that he created, but what can we do for housing, energy, and healthcare?’"

Pfluger believes that congressional action will give Republicans substance to run on in the upcoming midterm elections.

"Our constituents, we have a group of 75 to 80 million people that came out in support of Donald Trump, and we’ve got to get those people back out," Pfluger said. "We gotta give them something to be excited about. We have to tell them, we heard you in Minnesota, we hear you in California, we know there's fraud in many states, and we're going after it."

GOP MUST RACE FOR NEW 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL' TO SLASH COSTS BEFORE MIDTERMS, TOP HOUSE REPUBLICANS WARN

Fraud has emerged as a core theme in the Republicans’ message for November. Vice President JD Vance’s Fraud Task Force has uncovered billions in government waste.

Pfluger’s fellow Texan, Rep. Brandon Gill, highlighted fraud in a viral hearing last week. In an interview with Ruthless, the Republican nominee for Governor in Ohio, Vivek Ramaswamy, said that the state and federal governments have approximately $1.1 trillion in improper Medicaid payments.

Pfluger’s interview took place as part of the Ruthless Midterm Interview Series, an ongoing initiative to interview major candidates across the country. The hosts have already interviewed candidates in 15 states, with more scheduled ahead of the November midterms.

Voters in the Lone Star State and across the country will head to the polls for the general election on November 3rd.

GOP senators rally around new DHS proposal targeting sanctuary cities: 'Should pay a price'

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 05:00:25 -0400

Republican senators signaled support for imposing consequences on sanctuary cities after Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin floated a proposal to pull Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers from airports in jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

"I think there should be consequences to cities and states that undercut federal law," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital. "I think they should pay a price for what they do. I agree with what he’s doing."

Mullin has framed the proposal as a response to sanctuary cities that are limiting or refusing cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and disputes over immigration enforcement funding.

MULLIN WEIGHS USING AIRPORT CUSTOMS AS LEVERAGE AGAINST SANCTUARY CITIES

The plan has received mounting backlash from Democrats as pulling these agents from blue city airports would halt all international travel into major airports. Without customs agents, passengers and cargo are unable to travel internationally, and would also impact Americans coming back to the United States after travelling overseas.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also expressed opposition to the idea, emphasizing the need for open travel.

But, Mullin still says the idea is on the table and actively being considered.

"I think it’s a choice that those cities make and they’d have to weigh the consequences of it," Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., said. "If they want to be a sanctuary city, they’ve made that choice and they’re getting a response now from Homeland Security."

Other GOP senators said they had not yet reviewed the proposal and wanted additional details before weighing in.

"I don't know about this," Sen. Josh Hawley, R-MO., said. "Somebody else asked me about that, and I hadn’t seen that from him yet. So I don't know. I don’t know what to make of that."

DHS SECRETARY MARKWAYNE MULLIN SIGNALS CLOSER SCRUTINY OF CUSTOMS AT MAJOR SANCTUARY CITY AIRPORTS

"I need to learn more about it," Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., said.

"I’m gonna find out what’s going on," Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said.

Mullin was grilled last week during a Senate hearing about these threats to pull officers from major city airports, where Democrats referred to the idea as "outrageous" and "insane," citing the likelihood of chaos and devastating impacts to the economy as a result of the projected high travel rates that would be effectively killed throughout the upcoming summer months.

Fischer was also asked whether the proposal, if implemented, would change how sanctuary cities communicate and cooperate with ICE.

"I have no idea what the cities would do," Fischer replied. "I would hope that their law enforcement would cooperate with ICE. ICE is federal law enforcement. They're doing their job. They’re following the law."

The proposal comes as the U.S. prepares to host millions of international visitors for the World Cup, which is expected to generate some of the highest inbound travel volumes in years.

Susan Collins refuses to weigh in on Platner's sexting scandal as Maine voters head to polls

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 05:00:17 -0400

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, repeatedly declined to weigh in on Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner's sexting controversy last week, opting to keep her distance from the escalating scandal as Maine voters head to the polls Tuesday.

"I really have nothing to add to it," Collins told Fox News Digital when asked about the allegations surrounding Platner, the Democratic frontrunner and her presumed opponent.

Collins reiterated that position when pressed further, declining multiple opportunities to comment as scrutiny surrounding Platner intensified ahead of the Democratic primary.

WATCH: DEM SENATORS EXCUSE PLATNER'S CONDUCT AT CRISIS HUDDLE WITH EMBATTLED MAINE CANDIDATE

"As I said to you earlier, I do not have anything to add to this," Collins said.

Collins' refusal to engage comes as Republicans have increasingly made Platner's controversies a central line of attack ahead of the primary. Outside organizations backing Collins have aired ads and amplified criticism of the Maine Democrat, while the senator herself has largely avoided publicly weighing in despite being expected to face him in November’s midterms.

Collins' recent reluctance to comment differs from her earlier remarks about Platner. Last month, she criticized the Democratic candidate when speaking to Fox News Digital after he mocked a wounded U.S. soldier.

"It’s never appropriate to mock a downed American soldier," Collins said to Fox News Digital last month. "It’s just appalling."

PLATNER SUPPORTER KHANNA CALLS SENATE HOPEFUL'S PAST RELATIONSHIPS 'TOXIC,' BUT SAYS HE DESERVES 'REDEMPTION'

But she has repeatedly declined to address the more recent sexting scandal allegations that occurred while Platner was married, which have dominated discussion of the race in the final days before the primary.

The silence also shows the difference in how Democrats have responded to the controversy. Party leaders and allies have increasingly backed, and even formally endorsed, Platner as more controversies continue to surface in his campaign. Democrats have directly targeted Collins over her voting record and argue that flipping the seat remains a top priority despite all the allegations surrounding Platner.

WATCH: MAINE VOTERS DIVIDED ON PLATNER AS SCANDALS SHADOW DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY

Platner has continued campaigning, with top lawmakers such as Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who reiterated his support for the Maine Democrat to Fox News Digital in an interview Friday night, arguing that Platner is "taking accountability" for his past and that "we need that redemption in this country."

With polls open Tuesday, Maine voters face a choice that could shape one of the country's most-watched Senate races, as Platner seeks to move past the controversy and secure a matchup against Collins.

JONATHAN TURLEY: California proves voters get the government they tolerate

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 05:00:07 -0400

This week, the nation watched as California grappled again with the ordinarily straightforward task of counting votes in an election. While large states such as Florida declare election winners within 24 hours, California may take up to two weeks to count all the votes.

Even Los Angeles cannot count its votes in the time of large states despite giving the Clerk an annual budget of $336 million and a $448,179 a year salary with the help of 1,100 budgeted positions.

In most states, voters would be outraged by the incompetence, waste, and inefficiency. However, in the Golden State, voters shrug, as if they can demand no more from their elected officials than subpar performance.

Call it the Politics of Low Expectations and California is the model for the nation.

CALIFORNIA’S SLUGGISH VOTE COUNTING RIPPED ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM: 'EXTREMELY EMBARRASSING'

For years, my students have asked me what the secret is to a successful marriage approaching four decades (For full disclosure, there is an ongoing contractual dispute over my counting eight years of monogamous dating — leading to two dates on our anniversary cakes). The answer is simple. I reduced her expectations so low that I have exceeded them on a daily basis.

That began with our eloping on New Year’s Eve. We were married after an actual shotgun wedding where the clearly expectant teenage bride’s family was screaming profanities at the teenage groom. After paying $50 and using my high school ring for a wedding ring, we stepped out on the street of Old Town Alexandria as a drunk was retching in the gutter. That left only room for improvement.

On any given day, my wife is simply grateful that I have not traded the house and car for a handful of magic beans.

California Democrats seem to have applied my approach to matrimony to politics, creating a politician’s dream voter with few expectations.

That is most evident with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s infamous high-speed train to nowhere.

In 2008, voters were promised a 500-mile High-Speed train running from San Francisco to Los Angeles for $33 billion. It is now projected to cost somewhere between $126 billion and $231 billion. After roughly two decades, no track has been laid, and the current plan is to focus on building a track between Bakersfield and Merced.

Without any track to display, Newsom recently stood before a freight train on an existing track to insist that his train is moving speedily along.

One would think that citizens would be coming for their leaders with torches and pitchforks. Instead, there is a collective shrug as if it is perfectly normal to spend more than the entire budget of Amtrak on a non-existent train.

The same leaders have burned billions in other boondoggles, including a massive solar power farm that produced energy at a higher cost and incinerated thousands of birds a year.

HOUSING FIRST IS A DISASTER. I SAW SACRAMENTO'S HOMELESS CHAOS FIRSTHAND

California is facing a growing crisis of rising homelessness, dismal education scores, and an exodus of business and wealthy taxpayers. It has also imposed taxes that make gas the most expensive in the nation while suppressing its own energy industry.

Now, after many voters took the unprecedented step of voting for Republican candidates for governor and L.A. mayor, citizens will wait for weeks to learn the results of an election that would have been called days ago by third-world countries.

The same politics of low expectations are evident in other states. In New York City, voters just shrug when told that they have a budget rivaling that of the entire state of Florida, resulting in awful educational, infrastructure, and other conditions. Voters have watched as wealthy taxpayers have taken their money and jobs to other states.

In return, figures like Mayor Zohran Mamdani promise state-run grocery stores, which will cost tens of millions of dollars to build and operate at a loss.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION

In Minnesota, elected officials allowed billions to be stolen in fraud while businesses fled a state rife with rioting and homelessness.

In virtually every major city from Los Angeles to Chicago to New York, public schools are spending massive amounts on education to graduate many students who lack basic proficiency in English and Math. In Baltimore, a student failed all but three of his classes and was ranked in the top half of his graduating class.

Yet, voters reelected the same leaders who have denied generations any real opportunity for advancement. While other countries maintain superior school systems at a fraction of the cost, urban voters cast their ballots like lemmings for the same party and politicians.

In states like California, politics has long been run on Henry Ford’s pitch that you can have any color Model T so long as it is black. This election seemed to offer voters something they had not seen in many years: a real choice between a Republican governor and an L.A. mayor.

As California slowly counts its votes, the odds still heavily favor the continuation of California as a one-party state. Poor services, rising crime, rampant homelessness, hundreds of billions in waste and other failures are treated as virtually inevitable. The result is an electorate that only a politician would love: passive voters who expect little from their government and receive even less.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM JONATHAN TURLEY

The ‘crooked’ charge against NBC: Why the Donald Trump-Kristen Welker slugfest went off the rails

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 03:00:55 -0400

The headlines say Donald Trump "stormed" out of his interview with NBC’s Kristen Welker.

The reality was a little more subtle.

It’s easy to second-guess. The natural tension that comes with interviewing any politician for television – but especially this president, who can dominate this kind of sit-down – calls for split-second judgments.

Having interviewed Trump numerous times – especially in a high-stakes session two weeks before the election, at his invitation – gives me a certain perspective.

TRUMP STORMS OFF 'MEET THE PRESS' INTERVIEW, RIPS WELKER, ABC, CBS, CNN AS 'CROOKED'

Things did not end well with Welker:

"You’re crooked, your press is crooked, And ‘Meet the Press’ is crooked."

"To be fair, I’m not crooked."

"Really? Well, you play right into their hands then. You’re either crooked or you’re stupid."

Geez.

TRUMP RIPS OBAMA’S ‘STUPID’ IRAN DEAL IN CLASH WITH KRISTEN WELKER

And then: "Sorry. Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough. Thank you, darling. Have a good time."

I’m pretty sure Trump has never called me darling. He does seem to treat certain women differently.

The other day he ripped CNN’s Kaitlan Collins for asking a question, saying she’s "beautiful" but he never sees her smile and that she has "hatred in her eyes." Even in the Welker interview, Trump said ABC, CBS and CNN were also crooked.

It’s close to a no-win situation. You prepare a bunch of blue cards, knowing you won’t get to everything. No matter how wide-ranging the interview, armchair critics will whack you:

"Yeah, why didn’t you ask that?"

My approach is that you’ve got to let the guest speak, but jump in when it’s becoming what senators call a filibuster. And do some real-time fact-checking when you can.

Where Welker fell into a trap, in my view, is that she interrupted Trump so often that it looked like she was debating him.

Now there were times when Welker’s persistence paid off. When she asked about the $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" that even Republican members of Congress are denouncing, there was this exchange.

WELKER: Just to be very clear, are you backing off the fund completely, as your acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has said, or are you looking for another avenue to revive the fund?

TRUMP: So let me explain what the fund is. People have been hurt so badly by radical left lunatics that worked for the Biden administration and Sleepy Joe. They’re vicious.

They’re violent, what they did to people. And, of course, they went after me more than anybody else. They raided Mar-a-Lago and all the other things. But people have been badly hurt. They’ve committed suicide. They’ve lost their jobs. They've lost their families.

They’ve lost their wives. They’ve lost everything. They’ve lost everything over a fake weaponization of government. Now, let me just tell you—"

WELKER: So are you looking for a way to revive it?

TRUMP: I wouldn’t be inclined to say so, but I have to see it. I can tell you this: 97% of those people, you look at them, the FBI or whoever it was, cause you had a lot of crooked cops, you had dirty cops. Comey was a dirty cop. A guy like Bolton was a dirty cop."

WELKER: But there is no evidence that people who—"

TRUMP: Wait a minute. You think Comey was a straight cop?

WELKER: We had 170 people who pleaded guilty to assaulting police officers.

TRUMP: Comey was a dirty cop.

TRUMP ASKS NBC HOST IF IT 'SOUNDS GOOD' TO REPORT THE BORDER CROSSINGS ARE AT RECORD LOWS DURING INTERVIEW

"But the people who assaulted police officers," Welker shot back.

"I don’t know what’s going to happen with the weaponization fund. I love the idea, because people like you, the fake dirty press, the crooked press, people like stupid Biden, he’s not smart enough to know what’s going on, but people that surrounded him, surrounded his beautiful Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, what they did to the lives of people, they destroyed people. They sent people to jail who did nothing wrong."

Welker interjected again. "Just to be very clear, there’s no evidence of what you’re saying."

"There’s a lot of evidence. Listen to me… There’s tremendous evidence. There’s nothing but evidence."

"Well, it’s not been presented in a court of law."

"The election was rigged," Trump proclaimed. "It was a dirty election. And it’s happening again right now in California."

"Do you have evidence to support that?"

"All I have to do is look."

"But that’s not evidence."

"Well, it’s not been presented in a court of law," Welker said.

"The election was rigged," Trump declared.

"There’s no evidence of that, sir."

It’s as if she worried about media criticism that she was somehow going easy on him if she wasn’t seen challenging him every few seconds.

But here’s where the final six minutes became an interrupt-a-thon.

WELKER: All right, this is, just to be very clear, there’s no evidence of what you’re saying, but let me ask about Todd Blanche.

TRUMP: There’s a lot of evidence.

WELKER: Let me ask about Todd Blanche.

TRUMP: Listen — listen to me — listen to me.

WELKER: Let’s talk about Todd Blanche.

TRUMP: There’s tremendous evidence. There’s nothing but evidence.

WELKER: Well, it’s not been presented in a court of law.

TRUMP: The election was rigged. It was a dirty election.

WELKER: Mr. President –

TRUMP: And it’s happening again right now in California.

WELKER: — you’ve never presented evidence –

My view is that the viewers are smart. They know when a guest is ducking the question or changing the subject–heavily influenced, of course, by partisan loyalties. You don’t have to keep pounding it into them. Welker could have explained this to viewers after the taping.

One last bit of perspective.

By the time that last segment went off the rails, the president and the moderator had talked in a Wisconsin barn for roughly an hour, about Iran, nuclear issues, the economy, gas prices, struggling farmers and more. He had given her plenty of time. They were interrupted by rain.

SUBSCRIBE TO HOWIE'S MEDIA BUZZMETER PODCAST, A RIFF ON THE DAY'S HOTTEST STORIES

Welker asked about his campaign pledge to end foreign wars.

"I didn’t guarantee no war," Trump insisted. "Why would I have built the strongest military in the world?"

There are several examples from the 2024 campaign. At an August rally in Pennsylvania that year, for instance, the candidate said: "Under Trump, we will have no more wars, no more disruptions, and we will have prosperity and peace for all." Again, that could have been added in an on-camera tag.

One thing is certain: Kristen Welker’s interview made plenty of news, so that should make her and her network rather happy.

Vance refers Tim Walz, Minnesota attorney general to DOJ for criminal investigation over state's alleged fraud

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 02:40:47 -0400

Vice President J.D. Vance Monday announced that he has referred allegations involving Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison to the Justice Department's fraud division for a potential criminal investigation over alleged fraud in federally funded social services programs.

Vance made the announcement during an appearance on Fox News' "Jesse Watters Primetime," when he was asked about a report released by the House Oversight Committee alleging that state officials, including Walz and Ellison, were warned of fraud in the state but did not take action to stop it in part because of litigation threats and concerns about being accused of discrimination.

"We're certainly going to investigate this, Jesse, and I guess now I can make a bit of breaking news because I left the White House to come here to do this interview with you. And before I did, we actually referred this particular case to the Department of Justice for a full criminal investigation. We are not going to do what the Biden administration did and make judgments of the law before all the facts are in," Vance said.

MINNESOTA FRAUD REPORT ACCUSES STATE AG OF 'INCOMPETENCE, WILLFUL BLINDNESS OR WORSE'

"But here's what's particularly troubling about this to me is, Jesse, you had people within Governor Walz's office who were saying, you know what? This looks like fraud. It looks like these Somalian illegal immigrants are doing something that's very shady, and then you had people who shut them down, who shut these whistleblowers down and said, you know, you're a racist or you're a xenophobe for asking questions about where taxpayer money is going," he continued.

"What that means to me, Jesse, is that clearly people weren't taking fraud seriously. Whether it rises to the level of a criminal violation, we're gonna investigate it, and of course, if it does rise to that level, we're going to prosecute it. We have to," Vance added.

MINNESOTA TAXPAYER DOLLARS FUNNELED TO AL-SHABAAB TERROR GROUP, REPORT ALLEGES

The vice president, who was tapped in February to lead the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud after President Donald Trump announced a "war on fraud" in his State of the Union address, later reiterated his comments on social media.

"Minnesota state officials are not above the law, and if they facilitated fraud, lied under oath about what they knew, or harassed and intimidated whistleblowers, they must face justice," Vance wrote on X.

Vance and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz also previously said they were pausing federal Medicaid reimbursements to Minnesota, which Walz said at the time had "nothing to do with fraud" as he described the effort as a "campaign of retribution."

"Trump is weaponizing the entirety of the federal government to punish blue states like Minnesota," Walz said on Feb. 25.

Karmelo Anthony stays silent as analysts warn defense faces uphill battle in track meet stabbing trial

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 00:00:10 -0400

With closing arguments looming on Tuesday, Karmelo Anthony's defense rested without calling him to testify — a move that came as legal analysts questioned whether his self-defense claim will persuade jurors.

Anthony is charged with murder in the April 2025 stabbing death of 17-year-old Memorial High School athlete Austin Metcalf during a confrontation at a Texas high school track meet. Anthony admits he stabbed Metcalf but claims he acted in self-defense.

Anthony's defense rested its case on Monday, setting the stage for closing arguments when court resumes at 9 a.m. local time Tuesday.

The case has drawn national attention, fueled by debate over Texas self-defense law, questions surrounding race, competing narratives about what happened beneath a Memorial High School team tent and demonstrations outside the Collin County courthouse.

As the defense case neared its conclusion Monday, an unexpected delay in proceedings fueled speculation about what was happening behind the scenes.

DIDDY DEFENSE'S COURTROOM STRATEGY IS A 'CALCULATED RISK': EXPERT

Speaking on Fox News' "The Story," legal analyst Joshua Ritter suggested one possibility was that Anthony and his attorneys were discussing whether he should testify.

"Perhaps they're talking to Karmelo Anthony about whether or not he wants to testify," Ritter, a criminal defense attorney and Fox News contributor, said on Monday.

🔎 Know something we should investigate?

📩 Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com

📸 Share photos on Instagram: @fndstephprice

🎥 Submit compelling video and breaking news footage on X: @Stephenyprice

🗞️ Your information could help uncover the next big story.

No plea agreement materialized, and the defense ultimately rested without calling Anthony to the witness stand.

SELF-DEFENSE CLAIM IN AUSTIN METCALF SLAYING IS 'UPHILL BATTLE': EXPERT

Ritter suggested the defense may have been reassessing its strategy after several days of prosecution testimony.

"We're hearing that the defense case may not be going as they had hoped and planned," Ritter said.

According to Ritter, defense attorneys could have been searching for a final opportunity to strengthen Anthony's position before the case reached the jury.

SURVEILLANCE VIDEO SHOWS FATAL STABBING OF AUSTIN METCALF AT TEXAS TRACK MEET, OFFICIALS SAY

"Perhaps they're looking for some last-ditch effort to try to spare him a lifetime in prison," he said.

Ritter later offered a blunt assessment of the competing cases presented to jurors.

"The prosecution case went very strongly. The defense case doesn't look like it's going well," Ritter said.

KARMELO ANTHONY DEFENSE, PROSECUTORS WAGE FIRST-IMPRESSION WAR AS EMOTIONS ROCK OPENING OF TRIAL: EXPERT

Ritter was not the only Fox News legal analyst who questioned the strength of the defense's case.

Speaking on Fox News' "America Reports", criminal defense attorney and Fox News contributor Donna Rotunno said testimony presented during the trial reinforced her belief that Anthony's self-defense claim faces significant obstacles.

WATCH: Self defense claim will not 'hold water' in Karmelo Anthony case: Donna Rotunno

"I never thought that this case rose to the level of self-defense," Rotunno said. "This is a sad, awful, tragic circumstance where a young person made a really horrible decision, but decisions have consequences."

AUSTIN METCALF’S SUSPECTED KILLER INDICTED ON FIRST-DEGREE MURDER CHARGE IN TRACK MEET STABBING

Rotunno pointed to testimony from multiple student witnesses, including one witness who agreed under questioning that Anthony had provoked the confrontation.

"That one question could really turn the tide here," Rotunno said.

Rotunno also dismissed defense efforts to highlight testimony that the knife Anthony carried was legal under Texas law because its blade measured less than five inches.

PREPPY PARTY MURDER SUSPECT'S LAWYER SAYS CLIENT'S TESTIMONY KEY TO ACQUITTAL

"Whether you could have the knife legally doesn't mean that you could use it in the way that it was used," she said.

Addressing testimony that athletes from different schools commonly interact at track meets, Rotunno said jurors are likely to focus less on whether Anthony was permitted under the Memorial High School tent and more on how he responded after being repeatedly asked to leave.

"He obviously didn't want to leave," Rotunno said. "I think they're trying to show that he knew exactly what he was doing when he put his hand inside that bag."

GOT A TIP?

Prosecutors called 21 witnesses, including student athletes, police officers, investigators and the medical examiner.

Several students testified that Anthony was repeatedly asked to leave the Memorial High School tent before the confrontation escalated. Witnesses recalled Anthony telling Metcalf, "Touch me and you'll find out" and "If you want me to move, you have to move me."

FOLLOW US ON X

Multiple students testified that Metcalf did not appear to be looking for a fight. One witness recalled Metcalf saying, "I'm not going to fight you at a track meet."

Defense attorneys countered by highlighting testimony that athletes from different schools routinely mingle at track meets, that Anthony was smaller than Metcalf and that witnesses gave differing accounts of the physical interaction immediately before the stabbing.

GET BREAKING NEWS BY EMAIL

The trial has unfolded amid demonstrations outside the Collin County courthouse. Supporters of Anthony have gathered throughout the proceedings carrying signs reading "Justice for Karmelo Anthony."

Outside the courthouse Monday, Next Generation Action Network President Dominique Alexander urged Anthony supporters not to be "baited" into confrontations.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE US NEWS

"We do not support chaos. We do not support intimidation. We do not support threats," Alexander said.

The defense has argued Anthony feared for his safety when he stabbed Metcalf. Prosecutors contend the evidence shows Anthony escalated a verbal dispute into a deadly encounter.

WATCH: Father speaks out after son was stabbed to death at track meet

The case now rests on competing versions of what happened beneath the Memorial High School tent and whether jurors believe Anthony's actions were justified.

Fox News' Brooke Taylor, Peter Cuddihy and Lindsey Reese contributed to this report.

Spurs snap Knicks' 13-game playoff win streak with Game 3 victory behind Victor Wembanyama's 32 points

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 23:42:19 -0400

The home team in the NBA Finals remained winless in their building, as the San Antonio Spurs took Game 3, 115-11, in much-needed fashion on Monday night at Madison Square Garden.

New York still owns the lead, 2-1, in the series, but the Spurs closed out thanks to tremendous defense, timely buckets, and forcing the Knicks to go 2-of-12 from three-point territory in the fourth quarter. As a result, the Knicks' 13-game playoff win streak has been snapped.

Victor Wembanyama, who had a chance to win Game 2 but missed his final shot, finished with 32 points, eight rebounds and six assists to lead the Spurs.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

But it was Wembanyama’s teammates, De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle putting in clutch baskets, to help the winning efforts.

The Spurs came out with a clear determination to set the tone on the road, and it’s what all basketball fans should’ve expected considering where the series stood at tip-off. San Antonio owned an 11-point lead after the first quarter, as Wembanyama scored nine points on 4-of-6 shooting, while Castle was a perfect 3-of-3 for seven points.

SPURS COACH MITCH JOHNSON CONTRADICTS HOW HIS STAR FEELS ABOUT TRUMP'S PRESENCE BEFORE GAME 3

But if there’s anything we’ve learned about the Knicks, they will mount a comeback no matter the deficit. And it happened again before the end of the half.

New York started to get their rhythm, using the sold-out home crowd at Madison Square Garden to their advantage. They closed out the half with a seven-point lead, 64-57, as OG Anunoby dropped 17 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including two made threes and five free throws made.

Jalen Brunson also poured in 15 points, while Josh Hart, left wide open on purpose by the Spurs, was hitting his three pointers for 13 points.

The Knicks had all the momentum heading into the second half, but the Spurs started similarly to the beginning of this game. They forced turnovers and capitalized, erasing their seven-point deficit almost immediately.

Both teams traded buckets, with San Antonio taking a one-point lead into the fourth quarter that was bound to be a heavyweight bout at "The Mecca."

This time, though, the Spurs were finally able to hang on to their fourth-quarter lead, as the Knicks quickly got into foul trouble and allowed San Antonio to get into the bonus right away. It was Wembanyama taking advantage of those, while the Knicks were cold to start the quarter.

SECRET SERVICE, TSA AND NYPD TRANSFORM MADISON SQUARE GARDEN INTO FORTRESS FOR TRUMP'S NBA FINALS VISIT

San Antonio got the lead up to eight in the fourth quarter with 4:50 left to play after Wembanyama knocked in two more free throws, and that was leading to some key defensive plays for the Spurs. The epitome of that was the Knicks trying to move the ball around for a three-point attempt, swinging it along the arc. But the Spurs continued to close out, all to end with Wembanyama swatting away Landry Shamet’s layup attempt.

The first clutch basket that the Spurs hit came from Castle with 1:53 left in the fourth quarter. San Antonio owned just a four-point lead and Wembanyama past the ball up with mere seconds left on the shot clock. With a good contest from the Knicks in Castle’s face, he buried a deep three-point on the wing to get the lead back to seven in a moment where the Knicks had momentum.

Then, after Brunson drained the Knicks’ first three-pointer of the quarter to cut the deficit to three, Fox drained a 15-foot stepback jumper that seemed like a dagger with 12.2 left in the game.

Anunoby, who finished with 28 points on 9-of-12 shooting, kept the Knicks’ hopes alive with a three of his own following a timeout to cut it to two with 9.4 left. But Castle buried both free throws in a much-needed situation to close the door on New York.

In the end, Castle finished with 23 point of 8-of-14 shooting with five rebounds and five assists, while every Spurs starter finished the game with double-digit points. Dylan Harper, who has played tremendous bench minutes for San Antonio, also scored 13 on 18 shot attempts.

For the Knicks, one stat line that stands out is Shamet’s 1-of-8 from the field, including 1-of-7 from three-point land where he has thrived all throughout these playoffs.

The Spurs pulled off the win with President Donald Trump in attendance. He was seated with Knicks owner James Dolan in a suite. The president's presence led to heightened security around the arena throughout the afternoon and into the evening.

Game 4 of the NBA Finals will tip off from Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night at 8:30 p.m. ET.

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

ESPN pulls use of AI images from NBA Finals coverage after getting cooked by internet

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 22:57:35 -0400

ESPN's high-tech experiment flopped on national TV.

The Worldwide Leader in Sports has decided to bench its controversial AI-generated "moving portraits," which debuted during the NBA Finals and quickly drew backlash online.

The digital misfire tipped off during Game 1 of the championship series between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs.

As ABC headed to a commercial break, viewers were shown what was intended to be an animated version of a classic image featuring Spurs legend Tony Parker.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE GLITCH AT ARIZONA COLLEGE GRADUATION SPARKS UPROAR FROM CROWD

Instead, many fans saw what they described as an uncanny-valley nightmare.

The network used AI to animate a photo of Parker celebrating after winning the 2003 NBA championship.

But the result drew criticism online, with viewers saying the technology distorted the former Spurs star's facial features.

Social media users quickly piled on ESPN over the graphic.

CHICAGO PAPER PUBLISHES AI-GENERATED 'SUMMER READING LIST' WITH BOOKS THAT DON'T EXIST

Many questioned why the network, which has access to decades of NBA footage and photography, chose to use AI-generated animation at all.

"Why use AI when they literally have the pictures?" one fan wrote on X.

Another posted: "As soon as I saw this last night I was like is that supposed to be Tony Parker bc who the f--- is that guy."

AI-GENERATED VOICE OF FORMER NARRATOR JIM FAGAN TO BE FEATURED NEXT NBA SEASON, NBC SPORTS SAYS

Parker wasn't the only NBA icon to receive the AI treatment.

ESPN also used the technology to animate images of Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell and Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant.

The moving portraits were absent during Game 2 and will not return for the remainder of the NBA Finals.

ESPN executives quietly pulled the plug on the experiment.

A network resource confirmed the graphics were created using AI tools and said management was evaluating whether to continue using the technology in future broadcasts.

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

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

Massachusetts lawmakers pass bill to scrap 'offensive language' from state's General Laws

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 22:39:25 -0400

The Massachusetts legislature passed a bill that would remove "outdated and offensive language" used to describe people with disabilities in the state’s General Laws.

The measure would eliminate various terms, including "handicapped," "disabled," and the "r-word" in favor of language such as "persons with a disability" and "person with an intellectual or developmental disability."

The bill, which was introduced by Democratic state Sen. Pat Jehlen and listed with 17 petitioners, now heads to Democrat Gov. Maura Healey's desk.

The 61-page bill updates 346 sections of Massachusetts law.

CALIFORNIA SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER 'PERSONALLY OFFENDED' WHEN SPEAKER SAYS 'HOMELESS' INSTEAD OF 'UNHOUSED'

"Language is constantly changing. And it's changing because of the activism of people who were ignored and demeaned for too long," Democrat state Sen. Pat Jehlen, the Senate’s primary sponsor of the legislation, said in a statement. "When people tell us they feel insulted and offended by the use of outdated words, we worked to change the legal language. It took a long time, because we kept finding more examples of offensive language. Language and activism will continue to evolve, and there'll always be more work to do, but this is a gigantic step forward in respect."

Some of the updated language featured in the bill includes replacing "disabled person" with "person with a disability," "handicapped" with "disability" and "retarded" with phrases such as "person with an intellectual or developmental disability."

The legislation also scraps terms such as "crippled" and "deformed" when referring to people with disabilities.

The term "hearing-impaired" was revised to "deaf or hard of hearing" and the "chronically ill" was changed to "persons who are chronically ill."

Additionally, the bill amends specific legal definitions, including changing the current definition of "caretaker" — which describes an individual or entity responsible for a "disabled person" — to instead use the phrase "a person with a disability."

"When dusty and dangerous relics of a bygone era darken our laws, it creates the potential for real harm to residents today," Senate President Karen Spilka, a Democrat, said in a statement. "Thanks to the voices of advocates like former Senate staff member Melissa Reilly and the leadership of Senator Jehlen and Senator Kennedy, the Legislature has acted to make our laws better represent who we are in 21st-century Massachusetts."

MASSACHUSETTS DROPS CONTROVERSIAL GENDER IDEOLOGY MANDATE FOR LICENSING FOSTER CARE PARENTS

"With a White House that glorifies, and seemingly longs for, the days when many Americans were discriminated against because of who they are, now is the time to make sure our state laws respect and support the rights and dignity of our residents," she added.

The passage of this measure comes after a 2024 law that renamed the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission to MassAbility, which state officials argued was a display of a broader effort to modernize disability services and promote inclusion. That law also reflected a broader move away from terms state officials described as outdated or offensive.

"As lawmakers, we know that words matter," said state Speaker of the House Ronald J. Mariano, a Democrat. "This legislation is our latest effort to ensure that our state laws do not use antiquated words that carry negative connotations, words that also serve as a reminder of past injustices."

The bill passed with broad legislative support, including unanimous recorded votes in both chambers.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Massachusetts GOP for comment.

Victor Wembanyama puts hand on Jalen Brunson's head, pushes him down as refs look the other way in Game 3

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 22:30:28 -0400

Victor Wembanyama’s aggression on the court was once again called into question as the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks played Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden.

During the first half, Knicks All-Star guard Jalen Brunson was trying to guard Wembanyama near the free throw line when the 7-foot-4 center put his hand on the back of Brunson’s head and shoved him to the court.

However, Wembanyama was never called for the foul and play continued with the Knicks in possession of the ball.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Brunson immediately got into Wembanyama’s face, and it appeared the Frenchman was smiling before the point guard got back to business.

The incident was similar to one that occurred in Game 2’s win for the Knicks on the road, when Brunson’s backup, Jose Alvarado, went to box out Wembanyama. Alvarado, who has comparable stature to Brunson, was wrapped up by Wembanyama and thrown away from the play.

NBA RESCINDS MITCHELL ROBINSON'S TECHNICAL FOUL FROM GAME 2 OF FINALS AFTER REVIEWING SHOVING MATCH

Once again, no foul call was made.

The Spurs are known for their physicality, but many believed that Wemby should’ve been called for fouls in these cases.

San Antonio started this game red-hot, owning an 11-point lead after the first quarter, 33-22. But these Knicks have consistently shown their ability to come back no matter the deficit.

After a second quarter run, the Knicks ended the locker room with a seven-point lead at halftime.

Brunson was a main reason why that was the case, going 5-of-11 from the field for 15 points with three assists and one rebound.

As for Wembanyama, he was an efficient 6-of-10 from the field for 15 points of his own, while hauling in four rebounds and dishing out three assists.

The Spurs are trying to avoid a brutal 3-0 deficit in the best-of-seven series, while the Knicks are hoping they can keep momentum in the second half to have the chance at a sweep in their own building on Wednesday night in Game 4.

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

Justin Gaethje targets Ilia Topuria's divorce, igniting feud before White House showdown

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 22:20:08 -0400

President Donald Trump is hosting his long-awaited UFC brawl on the South Lawn this weekend, and the main event is already spiraling into chaos.

UFC Freedom 250 goes down Sunday (June 14), marking the first time a major MMA pay-per-view will take place at The People's House.

But the biggest storyline entering fight week is the growing bad blood between UFC Lightweight Champion Ilia Topuria and Interim Champion Justin Gaethje.

Topuria has spent recent months dealing with a messy divorce.

Gaethje let go of all dignity by targeting that personal drama into fight-week ammunition. The American targeted Topuria during an appearance on FOX Sports.

UFC ANNOUNCES CARD FOR WHITE HOUSE EVENT

"I can say this: I would leave him [too]. That's all I'm saying. I would leave him. No way I would put up with his s---," Gaethje said.

The comment didn't sit well with Topuria.

The champion fired back with a response on X:

UFC STAR SAYS HE'S FACING EXTORTION PLOT WITH 'FALSE ALLEGATIONS OF DOMESTIC ABUSE'

"Justin crossed a line. What happened between my ex-wife and me is our business. We may no longer be together, but she is the mother of my daughter. To everyone insulting her or speaking about things they know nothing about: show some respect. You don’t have to respect our relationship. But respecting someone’s mother should be one of the most basic codes in life. Be better.

Gaethje wasted little time responding and brought his own father into the conversation.

"Proving my point. Insufferable little b**** boy. Never said a thing about your wife. You want to speak words to my father then act like I crossed some line. We already fighting buddy."

Then Topuria delivered one final response ... which was a scorcher.

"You should've kept your father out of this. He was the one calling me a short guy and saying you'd smash me, all while holding a beer in his hand. Then you started talking about my divorce and telling the world you wouldn't want to be my roommate. Idiot.

"First, we're fighting, not dating. Second, I'm not looking for a roommate. When I put you to sleep and you're lying there next to the rose, I'll look at your father and ask him one simple question: Who's the short one now? I'm gonna break you Justin."

Trump is expected to be cageside as one of the UFC's most personal rivalries takes center stage on the White House lawn.

If the fight delivers even half the drama of the pre-fight trash talk, Sunday's fight on the South Lawn could be a thing of legend.

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

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

Navy sailor admits killing fellow service member as mother questions missed warning signs

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 22:16:50 -0400

A Navy sailor admitted Monday to strangling fellow sailor, 21-year-old Angelina Resendiz, inside his barracks room last year, bringing what her mother described as "peace of mind" while renewing questions from Resendiz’s family and advocates about whether military leaders missed opportunities to intervene before the killing.

Esmi Castle, whose daughter was found dead in a wooded area in Norfolk, about 10 miles from Naval Station Norfolk in June 2025, told Fox News Digital that hearing Jeremiah Copeland admit responsibility in court answered lingering questions about how her daughter died. But she said she believes the killing could have been prevented.

According to USNI News, Copeland pleaded guilty during a general court-martial Monday to the unpremeditated murder of Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Angelina Resendiz, as well as making a false official statement, aggravated assault involving a second victim and indecent recording involving a third victim.

During the hearing, Copeland admitted to strangling Resendiz on May 29, 2025, telling the military judge, "I killed CS3 Resendiz on May 29, 2025 ... I strangled her with my hands," according to USNI News. Although the medical examiner previously ruled Resendiz’s cause of death undetermined, Copeland admitted in court that he strangled her, according to USNI News.

SOLDIER CHARGED WITH MURDER AFTER FEMALE SERGEANT'S BODY FOUND IN DUMPSTER AT MISSOURI BASE

According to Copeland, Resendiz came to his barracks room on May 29, 2025, where the two drank alcohol and kissed before she became upset after seeing something on his phone. Copeland admitted in court Monday that he strangled Resendiz while trying to keep her from attracting the attention of other sailors.

Under the plea agreement, Copeland faces a minimum of 40 years in prison, a dishonorable discharge from the Navy, forfeiture of all pay and a reduction in rank. He will also be required to register as a sex offender, USNI News reported.

Castle said hearing the admission brought "peace of mind" after more than a year of uncertainty.

ACTIVE-DUTY US AIRMAN CHARGED IN KILLING OF MISSING WOMAN ON MILITARY BASE

"Now that I know, I don't have to think about it anymore," she told Fox News Digital.

Still, Castle argued that Navy leadership failed to adequately respond to earlier allegations involving Copeland.

"If they would have dealt with him when he started harming women, he would never have gotten to Angie," she said.

BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS MISSING AND MURDERED UNIT INVESTIGATING ALLEGED MILITARY BASE KILLING

Castle said she believes multiple incidents involving other women should have triggered stronger action before her daughter's death. Court records and prior reporting have described allegations involving other women, though not all allegations resulted in guilty pleas.

"Absolutely, yes," Castle said when asked whether Copeland had a history of harming women. "There were four other women before he harmed Angie in the military."

Before her death, Resendiz was working to advance her Navy career as a culinary specialist and hoped to one day join the service's elite culinary competition team. Castle said her daughter dreamed of eventually cooking for presidents and other world leaders.

GRIEVING MOMS DIG WITH ‘BARE HANDS’ TO UNEARTH THE DARK TRUTH BEHIND THEIR MISSING AND MURDERED CHILDREN

"She was trying to grow," Castle said. "She was doing everything she could to get ready for promotion."

Since her daughter's death, Castle has become an outspoken advocate for military sexual violence victims, arguing that active-duty service members often lack meaningful avenues to seek accountability outside the military justice system.

One of her primary goals is creating a pathway for military sexual assault and violence survivors to pursue claims in civilian courts. Castle said victims are too often left with limited options when allegations are mishandled or ignored within the ranks.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHARGED IN CHEERLEADER'S MURDER 'KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING' DESPITE LATEST CLAIM, MOM SAYS

"There's no justice," Castle said. "Victims are retaliated against. They get transferred. They get moved around."

Castle recently traveled to Washington, D.C., with advocacy groups and other military families pushing for reforms. Through those efforts, she said she has met relatives of service members from multiple branches whose experiences convinced her the problem extends beyond a single case.

"Nothing's changed," Castle said. "We have statutes, and we have policies, and we have procedures that were implemented by Congress to protect service members from this type of violence. And nothing's changed."

CHEER MOM, DAUGHTER DEAD IN APPARENT MURDER-SUICIDE AFTER YEARS-LONG CUSTODY FIGHT: DOCS

Fox News Digital has reached out to the U.S. Navy for comment.

Despite her criticism of the system, Castle said she does not harbor hatred toward Copeland. In fact, after the hearing, she spoke directly with him.

"I thanked him for telling the truth," she said.

Castle also met with Copeland's mother and grandmother, who attended the proceedings.

"We technically have all lost our kids," Castle said.

Rather than expressing anger, Castle said she hopes Copeland uses the decades ahead of him in prison to change.

"He still can choose better," she said, adding that she told Copeland that even while serving a lengthy prison sentence, he "still can do some good."

VP JD Vance addresses US-Israel relationship, whether Iran is trying to 'play' the United States

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 22:06:23 -0400

Vice President JD Vance addressed the United States’ diplomatic relationship with Israel Monday as President Donald Trump’s partnership with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly been strained recently.

"The Israelis and the United States, we have a lot of shared interests, but we also have some situations where our interests diverge," Vance said on "Jesse Watters Primetime."

"I think where the president has been very clear here is that while Israel obviously has some objectives that it has, the United States’ main objective in Iran is to ensure that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon," he added.

Vance’s remarks come after recent U.S. intelligence reports raised concerns about Israel’s surveillance efforts targeting American negotiators involved in U.S.-Iran peace talks.

TRUMP, NETANYAHU TO MEET AT WHITE HOUSE IN HIGH-STAKES TALKS ON IRAN, GAZA PLAN

Those who have reportedly been surveilled include the Pentagon’s top policy officer, Elbridge A. Colby, and Trump’s top negotiator, Steve Witkoff.

Trump also recently confirmed calling Netanyahu "f---ing crazy" in a heated phone call over Israel’s military operations in Lebanon, exposing a rare rift between the two leaders.

As tensions between Israeli and American officials intensify over how to proceed with Iran negotiations, the Pentagon has raised Israel to be a top counterintelligence threat.

The vice president acknowledged that while Israel's security concerns remain important, U.S. policy toward Iran will always be guided by American national interests.

JD VANCE SAYS IRANIAN NUCLEAR PROGRAM 'SUBSTANTIALLY' SET BACK AFTER 'PRECISE, SURGICAL' US STRIKES

"Over the last year and a half, we've created the space necessary where the president believes – and I think that he's right – that we can get the long-term settlement to Iran's nuclear deal," Vance said.

"Now, Israel may like that, they may not like that," he continued. "But fundamentally, we think this is in the best interest of the United States of America."

Israel and Iran halted exchanges of military fire after a tumultuous weekend started by the IDF pressuring Trump’s fragile Middle East ceasefire.

TRUMP BROKERS IRAN CEASEFIRE AS EXPERTS SAY REGIME’S ARSENAL IS SHATTERED BUT THREAT REMAINS

The attacks mark the first time Iran and Israel have targeted each other since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire went into effect in early April.

Vance signaled negotiations are showing signs of progress, saying Iran is putting "real things" on the table and arguing that a prolonged conflict is not ideal for Tehran.

"The Iranians don't want this war to continue," the vice president told Fox News. "It's not in their best interest, and I think they're coming to the table, putting some real things on the table."

FORMER WHITE HOUSE ENVOY HAS WARNING FOR TRUMP ON HOW NOT TO GET PLAYED BY IRAN

Fox News host Jesse Watters asked Vance whether he believes the Iranians are trying to "play" the US at the negotiating table.

"Everybody's always trying to play everybody," Vance responded.

"I don't assume that anybody's acting in good faith."

JD VANCE SAYS TRUMP IS 'LOCKED AND LOADED' TO RESTART MILITARY CAMPAIGN AGAINST IRAN IF NUCLEAR TALKS FAIL

Vance expressed optimism that a finalized Middle East peace deal could be reached, while stressing that robust monitoring and inspections will be critical to ensure Iran keeps up their end of the nuclear deal.

"We've been very involved in these negotiations," he said. "We're going to take the attitude of: ‘Accomplish the president's mission, but verify over the long term that the Iranians are keeping their end of the bargain.’ It's a tall order, but it's one that the president has put us in a good position to achieve."

"The number one thing that went wrong with the Obama deal is that there was not a proper inspections regime to ensure that the Iranians could never build a nuclear weapon," Vance added.

Vance emphasized how significant a victory a U.S.-Iran peace agreement would be for the United States.

"If we get to this deal, it’s gonna be a home run win for the American people," he said.

DHS approves plan to verify voter citizenship, monitor mail ballots as Trump push intensifies

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 22:02:13 -0400

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has approved a plan to help states verify that registered voters are U.S. citizens while also monitoring mail ballot flows for potential signs of voter fraud, advancing a central pillar of President Donald Trump’s election integrity agenda.

The department approved the plan last Thursday, with the initiative expected to launch by the end of June, according to a court filing submitted Friday.

Under the proposal, states would be permitted to submit their entire voter registration rolls to a federal immigration database to verify citizenship and voting eligibility. State election officials would also be given secure access to citizenship information maintained by federal agencies, including the Social Security Administration and the State Department.

DHS also plans to coordinate with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to monitor mail-in and absentee ballot flows, identify unusual patterns, detect potential fraud, and generate investigative leads, according to the filings.

TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER OVERHAULING MAIL-IN VOTING IN MAJOR ELECTION INTEGRITY PUSH

"DHS contemplates working with the United States Postal Service (USPS) … to monitor mail-in and absentee ballot flows, identify anomalies that may suggest voter fraud or misuse, and generate authorized investigative leads," the filing said.

The move follows President Donald Trump’s March 31 executive order, "Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections," which directs the creation of "state citizenship lists," requiring the DHS to identify confirmed U.S. citizens age 18 and older and share that information with state election officials.

GOP TRIGGERS MARATHON SENATE FIGHT TO EXPOSE DEMS' OPPOSITION TO TRUMP-BACKED VOTER ID BILL

It also stated that the USPS is prohibited from delivering mail-in ballots to anyone who is not officially enrolled on a state-provided "Mail-In and Absentee Participation List." All outgoing mail-in ballot envelopes must feature an "Official Election Mail" marking and a unique tracking barcode to confirm that only citizens cast ballots.

According to a June 5 court filing, states would be allowed to submit their full voter registration lists to a federal immigration database known as the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program. The system would compare voter records with federal immigration and citizenship data, including records from the Social Security Administration, to help confirm whether voters are eligible.

In addition, the plan includes a secure online system that would let state election officials directly check citizenship information held by federal agencies, including U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the Social Security Administration (SSA), and the State Department.

To maintain data security, the information would stay within each agency’s system, and state officials would run checks through the secure portal when verifying voter eligibility.

Caitlin Clark buries clutch 31-foot jumper with time running out to give Indiana Fever 78-76 win

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 21:58:09 -0400

It hasn't exactly been the easiest start to the 2026 WNBA season for the Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark.

After Clark missed most of 2025, expectations were high that she would return to her rookie season form for 2026. But after a strong start, it's been undeniably an unusually shaky and inconsistent run of production for the 24-year-old superstar.

She put up more than 20 points in five straight games to the start the year, but failed to reach that level in four straight afterward.

Despite a strong performance against the Golden State Valkyries, putting up 22 points along with nine assists and 44% shooting from 3-point range, Clark's struggled to maintain that momentum. She had five turnovers in the rematch with the Valkyries, then just six points against the Portland Fire on May 30.

CAITLIN CLARK HELD TO JUST SIX POINTS IN FEVER'S BRUTAL BLOWOUT LOSS TO FIRE

Saturday's loss to the New York Liberty was a microcosm of Clark's play thus far. Just 10 points on 28.6% from the field, 33.3% from three, three turnovers and five fouls. Though in a sign of her ability to contribute even when not at her best, she did add nine assists and seven rebounds.

Entering Monday, she was just 14 for 50 from the floor in the Fever's most recent games. More surprisingly, she was just 6 of 22 on 3-point attempts.

With the Fever just 5-5, Monday night's game against the Washington Mystics was an important opportunity to get back on track. And that's exactly what she did.

CAITLIN CLARK DEFENDS COACH STEPHANIE WHITE AFTER SIDELINE CONFRONTATION SPARKS DEBATE

Clark started out strong, scoring 10 points in the first quarter, going 2-5 from three. Coach Stephanie White left her on the bench for much of the second quarter, however, playing under 4 minutes total. Though she still found a way to impress with an incredible pass to find Myisha Hines-Allen for a layup.

In the second half, however, she showed off some more of her trademark shooting. With seven minutes left in the third, Clark made a 25-foot jump shot, all while Cassandre Prosper interfered with her ability to land. The foul was deemed not to be flagrant, and Clark completed the rare four-point play.

Despite the Fever opening up a sizable lead at that point, the Mystics battled back, whittling it down to just two points halfway through the fourth and one point with a minute remaining. Thanks to a loose ball foul, the Mystics took a one-point lead. But Clark drew contact in the lane, giving herself two free throws to give the Fever back the lead. She missed both.

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

But again, even while something is just a bit off with her shooting, she found a way to contribute. After a Mystics' turnover, Clark found Aliyah Boston with a beautiful half court pass to make it 75-74 Fever.

The Mystics came right back, taking the lead 76-75 after a late foul. But then, the dagger. Sophie Cunningham threw a long, cross court pass to Clark on an in bounds play, and she buried a 31-footer to give the Fever the win, 78-76.

After the run of questionable performances, Monday was much closer to a return to form for Clark. 19 points on 7-16 shooting, 4 of 10 from 3, five assists and a steal. Including the incredible game winner.

With the win, the Fever improved to 6-5 ahead of their next game on Thursday against the Chicago Sky.

Trump draws much different reaction at NBA Finals than he did at CFP national title game

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 21:37:17 -0400

President Donald Trump received a massive reaction from a sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden for Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on Monday night.

As the national anthem was being sung, Trump was shown on the MSG big screen above the court, and a mixed reaction from the crowd ensued.

While there was some cheering, as Trump saluted the crowd from his suite, the boos from those in attendance rang louder before the video panned back to NYPD officers holding flags on the court.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Trump was accompanied by his granddaughter, Kai Trump, who was on his right with her hand over her heart. Knicks owner James Dolan was also in the suite with Trump on his left when he was shown.

This reception by fans in New York City was much different from another key sporting event this year – the College Football National Championship.

College football fans ate up the moment that Trump was on the Jumbotron at Hard Rock Stadium. Similarly, Trump was shown during the national anthem before the game. As he was surrounded by his grandchildren, Trump waved to the crowd, who went raucous with cheers.

SECRET SERVICE, TSA AND NYPD TRANSFORM MADISON SQUARE GARDEN INTO FORTRESS FOR TRUMP'S NBA FINALS VISIT

New York fans clearly didn’t share the same sentiment as those from Florida.

Trump’s arrival in New York involved enhanced security throughout the city. A security fence went up around MSG, Secret Service and more law enforcement officials performed their duties to the highest standard, which meant longer lines and wait times to get into the arena.

NYPD also announced vehicles and pedestrian traffic were closed from West 30th Street to West 35th Street between Sixth Avenue and Eighth Avenue at 4 p.m.

And watch parties in the area were canceled, with NYPD claiming it was because of security for Trump’s visit.

"The NYPD in coordination with the Secret Service made the decision for Game 3, where we have a presidential visit, that we could not support watch parties right outside of the Garden," Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said during a news conference. "We are looking forward to bringing back watch parties for Game 4. But I think New Yorkers are used to presidents coming to town, and they understand that that generally means lockdowns of areas and that's what you're going to see tonight at the Garden."

MSG pushed back on NYPD’s stance, saying the permit was denied by local city officials rather than Trump’s presence.

Trump has attended numerous sporting events since beginning his second term, including the Super Bowl in New Orleans two seasons ago, the Daytona 500 and the Ryder Cup.

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

California professor argues need for 'objective measures' after state drops ACT/SAT requirement

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 21:00:48 -0400

A growing consortium of University of California professors is urging the state university system to bring back standardized testing, warning that the elimination of admissions tests has degraded academic readiness and forced instructors to teach "middle school math" to college undergraduates.

More than 1,400 UC faculty members have signed an open letter calling on leadership to reinstate the SAT and ACT mathematics requirements for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) majors. The massive pushback follows a dramatic multi-year decline in student proficiency after the university went completely "test-blind" in 2021.

Karajean Hyde, Co-Director of the UC Irvine Math Project and a Lecturer of Education, told Fox News Digital that objective benchmarks are desperately needed to restore academic baselines.

"I'd say we need some objective measures to go along with the whole picture," Hyde said. "A student's not just a single number or a single letter, but standardized testing can play an important role in ensuring one level of measuring where that bar is so that the bar doesn't move."

EDUCATION SECRETARY LINDA MCMAHON RIPS CALIFORNIA TRANS ATHLETE ‘COMPROMISE,’ TELLS NEWSOM TO ‘PICK A SIDE’

While Hyde is not directly involved in the university's internal admissions decisions, her work focuses heavily on K-12 educational outreach and preparing undergraduate STEM majors to become future educators.

The open letter, spearheaded primarily by STEM faculty, notes that instructors are witnessing preparation gaps so severe that they must dedicate finite university class time to remedial math instruction. Data cited from diagnostic testing across several campuses—including UC Berkeley and UC San Diego—revealed that a significant portion of incoming calculus students displayed severe foundational deficits.

Neetu Arnold, a Paulson Policy Analyst at the Manhattan Institute, told Fox News Digital that "grade inflation" in high schools has left universities flying blind.

"I think these professors are dealing with the consequences of relying too heavily on grades, especially when grade inflation has made GPAs less informative," Arnold said.

Arnold noted that the lack of standard metrics ultimately hurts both professors and students, resulting in a distinct loss of academic rigor across university classrooms. Because instructors are forced to slow down advanced lectures to catch up underprepared students, STEM courses have become increasingly polarized, leaving classrooms fractured between those ready for college-level work and those missing baseline skills.

This disparity, Arnold warned, ultimately creates inequitable outcomes for the students themselves. Many are admitted into highly demanding majors without the foundational tools necessary to succeed, leading to higher drop-out or failure rates in critical gatekeeper courses.

CALIFORNIA MOM SPEAKS WITH COMPASSION BUT BRUTAL HONESTY ABOUT PRESENCE OF TRANS ATHLETE IN DAUGHTER’S SPORT

Hyde echoed these concerns, pointing out that an "A" grade no longer means the same thing across different school districts.

"In the K-12 system, we're struggling a little bit with what does an 'A' mean? Does it mean they have content mastery? Do they work hard? Does it mean they do homework?" Hyde said. "And so we need to understand better who are those kids that actually know their content."

The UC system initially halted standardized testing requirements during the pandemic in 2020. The policy was made permanent following the settlement of a 2019 lawsuit filed by advocacy groups who argued that the SAT and ACT were inherently biased against low-income students of color and students with disabilities.

However, UC faculty signatures on the petition argue that eliminating the test has actually hindered true equity by masking preparation gaps rather than solving them. Hyde emphasized that standardized tests can act as a tool to spot talent in underserved areas, referencing successful localized programs in Southern California that provide free SAT prep to dozens of middle and high schools.

HARVARD FACULTY VOTE TO CAP 'A' GRADES AT 20% IN SWEEPING EFFORT TO COMBAT DECADES OF GRADE INFLATION

"Standardized tests – they can play a great role in ensuring more equitable access for students to reach that bar," Hyde noted, adding that foundational standards must be raised starting in kindergarten.

"I absolutely don't believe the bar should be lowered for what we're expecting out of our STEM students in the university system. My angle then is how do we ensure that students are coming ready to reach the bar that's needed at the university level," she said.

The faculty's demand comes as elite institutions nationwide—including Dartmouth, Yale, Brown, and Princeton—have completely reversed their test-optional or test-blind policies over the last two years, citing internal data showing that standardized test scores remain the single best predictor of a student's college success.

The University of California Board of Regents did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

New Jersey Democrats advance bill criminalizing interference with abortion, transgender healthcare

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 20:50:57 -0400

A New Jersey Assembly committee on Monday advanced a Democratic-backed bill that would criminalize individuals who interfere with access to transgender and reproductive health care.

The Assembly Appropriations Committee approved the measure along party lines, clearing the way for a potential full vote in the Legislature later this week before reaching Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill for her signature.

If enacted, the measure would make New Jersey the first state in the nation to explicitly criminalize such interference.

First introduced in the summer of 2024, the legislation would establish a new criminal offense for "interference with reproductive health services," including abortion procedures. The New Jersey Monitor indicated that the measure would also protect access to transgender healthcare for minors, including puberty blockers, hormone therapy and related mental health treatments.

NEW YORK GOV. HOCHUL SIGNS LAW PROTECTING ABORTION PILL PRESCRIBERS AFTER DOCTOR INDICTED IN LOUISIANA

Protections would extend to individuals who travel to New Jersey from jurisdictions where abortion is restricted or illegal. Health care providers and facilities would also be shielded under the proposal, which includes legal penalties for alleged interference originating from outside the state.

"This bill is to protect healthcare. Not a political debate. Not a culture war talking point. Healthcare," bill sponsor Sen. Teresa Ruiz, D-Essex, previously said, according to the New Jersey Monitor. "Our law enforcement will not carry out another state’s agenda."

According to the outlet, Republican lawmakers and opponents argued Monday that the bill could infringe on free speech rights, further erode parental rights and effectively make New Jersey a "sanctuary state" for certain providers.

PRO-LIFE CENTER FIGHTS NEW JERSEY ATTORNEY GENERAL'S 'FISHING EXPEDITION' IN SUPREME COURT BATTLE

Gregory Quinlan, founder and leader of the conservative advocacy group Center for Garden State Families, said anti-abortion activists could face arrest simply for praying outside clinics or engaging in what he described as "sidewalk counseling" sessions, the outlet reported.

Despite the criticism, Ruiz has previously said the bill "is not a violation of First Amendment rights," according to the New Jersey Monitor.

According to the bill, medical entities and public officials will be barred from disclosing patient information without explicit consent, further strengthening privacy protections.

The measure would also make it a fourth-degree crime to harass, harm or block individuals from accessing or providing such services, while extending protections to providers against extradition to states that have criminalized reproductive or transgender treatments.

Violators who inflict significant bodily injury on individuals who receive such services could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $150,000.

Beyond criminal penalties, the proposal would also allow for civil litigation and authorize the state attorney general to seek injunctions and financial penalties against alleged violators.

Spurs coach Mitch Johnson contradicts how his star feels about Trump's presence before Game 3

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 20:40:31 -0400

The heightened security and anticipation for President Donald Trump attending Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday night at Madison Square Garden didn’t please at least one of the San Antonio Spurs stars.

De’Aaron Fox said Trump, who became the first sitting president in history to attend an NBA Finals game after entering MSG 40 minutes prior to tip-off, was "inconvenient on everybody else." But his head coach, Mitch Johnson, had a contradicting statement about the situation.

"No, I have not felt any inconvenience or – we’ve got a big game tonight," Johnson responded during a pre-game presser conference, "and trying to continue to find a way to play closer to our standard and our identity than we had in the first two games.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

"There’s a lot going on, and I’d much rather be a part of it than not."

The enhanced security protocols, which included Secret Service, TSA and more joining the NYPD, shook up midtown Manhattan around MSG on Monday. A security wall was placed around the arena, while those fans lucky enough to snag tickets have been seen moving in slow masses due to the extra security checkpoints.

DEMOCRAT HAKEEM JEFFRIES RIPS TRUMP FOR "RUINING" KNICKS' FIRST NBA FINALS GAME IN 27 YEARS

Fox spoke at the Spurs’ shootaround on Monday, where he was admittedly irked about his usual routine being changed.

"We got, obviously, more security. We gotta like send stuff early. I think our busses are a little earlier."

Fox also noted being "screened like it’s TSA," with photos surfacing on social media of Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama getting screened by security personnel before entering "The Garden."

"It’s a little inconvenient for the people that’s got to play, but it is what it is," Fox added.

Knicks head coach Mike Brown didn’t answer when asked if it was appropriate for the president to attend the game, but he did answer what his own commute was like back at home after winning the first two games of this best-of-seven series on the road.

"A lot of people text me all the time about this and that, and for me, my focus is just what’s next and what’s in front of me, and Game 3 is front of us right now. I feel our group is that way, too," he said.

"Coming here, I stayed downtown because we were practicing here. So I stayed downtown at the team hotel. I’ve never done that on a game before. But it’s easier because we’re practicing here, and so staying downtown and coming from our hotel to here was shorter driver or a shorter commute than what I’m used to coming from Westchester County."

Trump has attended numerous sporting events since beginning his second term, including the Super Bowl in New Orleans two seasons ago, the Daytona 500 and the Ryder Cup.

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

Platner floats jailing billionaires in fiery pre-primary speech pushing far-left agenda

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 20:23:39 -0400

Scandal-plagued Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner used a fiery pre-primary address to pitch universal health care, wealth taxes, a Green New Deal and other far-left agenda items, like floating an idea that billionaires should be jailed for looking at political ads "the wrong way" in remarks about campaign finance reform.

The comment about jailing billionaires earned the candidate backlash from his Republican critics, who pointed out some of Platner's biggest endorsers are funded by billionaires, highlighted the "Marxist dystopian" nature of the remarks, and joked that Platner must have some sort of affinity for locking people up against their will, referring to recent allegations from an ex-girlfriend.

"We need to get money out of politics. We need to get rid of Citizens United. And, if I had my way, elections would last two months, they will be publicly funded and if a billionaire looked at a TV ad the wrong way, we'd put 'em in jail," Platner told a crowd of constituents Sunday night in Maine, earning applause. The comments came as Platner was laying out his far-left agenda and railing against conservatives, including calling President Donald Trump "dumb."

"That's one way to thank some of his own supporters for their generosity!" quipped veteran Republican strategist Colin Reed, who pointed to Platner's prominent endorsers, like Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who received several contributions last month from billionaires like George Soros, Pat Stryker, Jon Stryker and Jennifer Pritzker, according to campaign finance watchdog OpenSecrets.

PLATNER’S ANTI-CORPORATE CRUSADE HITS AWKWARD SNAG AS RECEIPTS TELL ANOTHER STORY

"Why worry about slowly slipping into a Marxist dystopia? With Graham Platner, you can sprint toward it!" Jason Savage, Executive Director of the Maine GOP, said in response to Platner's stump speech remarks about jailing billionaires.

"Dude is big on locking people in rooms against their will, apparently," joked CNN senior political commentator Scott Jennings, an apparent reference to recent reporting on Platner’s past romantic relationships, including one ex-girlfriend’s allegation that he once twisted her arm behind her back, pushed her into a bedroom and held the door shut from the other side. Platner has denied the allegations.

‘HE HATED WOMEN’: EXPLOSIVE ABUSE, NEW NAZI TATTOO ALLEGATIONS FROM EXES ROCK PLATNER'S CAMPAIGN

Platner’s campaign has been dogged by controversies since he emerged as a progressive challenger in Maine’s closely watched Senate race against incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins, including recent complaints from multiple ex-girlfriends about his behavior during their relationships. The reports included accusations from one of Platner's ex-girlfriends, Lyndsey Fifield, who told The New York Times about being trapped in a room by Platner during their relationship more than a decade ago.

"The Platner campaign has already spent more than $14 million and we aren't even past the primary," Shawn Roderick, a spokesperson for the Collins campaign told Fox News Digital. "Does Graham Platner really think that American taxpayers should be paying his high-priced political consultants and the tech billionaires who own the platforms where he does his advertising? He is floating this idea to distract from the many disturbing problems his campaign has faced over the past two weeks."

Platner has also been facing backlash for exchanging sexually explicit messages with multiple women early in his marriage on the platform Kik. Following those reports, Platner was found to still have an active profile on Kik, an anonymous messaging app that has faced criticism from child-safety groups and law enforcement officials. The profile reportedly featured a shirtless mirror selfie of Platner with a towel around his waist, which Republican staffers later appeared to mock outside the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee by showing up in towels.

SENATE CANDIDATE GRAHAM PLATNER SENT EXPLICIT TEXTS TO MULTIPLE WOMEN WHILE MARRIED, WIFE SAYS: REPORT

Platner’s wife, Amy Gertner, reportedly disclosed the messages to campaign officials during an internal vetting process, and the campaign has acknowledged the messages existed while arguing the matter was addressed privately between Platner and his wife.

Meanwhile, Platner has argued that the allegations from former girlfriends are politically motivated, while his campaign has accused critics and national media outlets of focusing on private matters and personal attacks rather than the issues affecting Maine voters.

By the time those controversies hit the news, Platner had already faced scrutiny over a tattoo that critics identified as a Nazi-linked symbol, which he later covered up and said he was not aware of its meaning when he got it. One of Platner's former staffers, Genevieve McDonald, alleged that even though Platner has said he was unaware of the symbol’s association with Nazis when he got the tattoo years ago, he has been aware of its meaning for some time.

Platner also apologized after his old Reddit posts resurfaced in which he made a series of inflammatory comments about rape, race, political violence, police, rural Americans and military veterans. Platner has said his views have changed and that some of his past comments reflected a darker period in his life after military service.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Platner campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) for comment but did not hear back in time for publication.

LA mayoral race heads to November runoff as Karen Bass faces Mamdani-style socialist

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 20:13:30 -0400

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nithya Raman advanced Monday evening to a runoff election against Mayor Karen Bass in a heated race that has garnered national attention.

The outcome sets up a general election that pits Bass, an incumbent fending off criticism about her record, against Raman’s progressive message of government-led affordability measures. The result means Spencer Pratt, a Republican and former "The Hills" reality TV star, is out of the race, according to The Associated Press.

Voters will decide the overall winner on Nov. 3.

"I’m incredibly honored that voters have given us the opportunity to advance to the general election for Mayor of Los Angeles," Raman said in a statement. "… If you’re as frustrated by the broken status quo as I am, I hope you’ll join our movement to build a city that works for everyone."

LA CITY COUNCILWOMAN PREVIOUSLY BACKED BY DSA RUNNING FOR MAYOR IN PRIMARY CHALLENGE TO BASS

In a post on X, Bass took aim at both Pratt and what she characterized as the "MAGA agenda," while also criticizing Raman.

"We won on Tuesday — and LA rejected Spencer Pratt and the MAGA agenda. Next, we'll win in November!" Bass wrote. "Because this is an election with a choice between whether we keep making change together or Nithya Raman, who allows encampments near schools and fights against hiring more cops, yet is MIA on saving Hollywood jobs and fighting back when ICE invades LA."

Raman, a member of the Los Angeles City Council and Democratic Socialists of America, has served as chair of the Housing and Homelessness Committee since 2023. She has also been dubbed a Mamdani-style socialist, referring to far-left New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

In her view, there is more the city could be doing to address not just its homelessness problem, but also increasing housing supply, maintaining public safety, furthering climate goals and pushing back against federal immigration enforcement efforts.

SPENCER PRATT TELLS BILL MAHER HE WOULD ARREST HIM AS LA MAYOR FOR SMOKING POT IN FRONT OF KIDS

"We can bring LA back to what it really is: one of the most creative, beautiful and most hopeful places in the world. But only if we come together to fight for it," Raman said in a campaign video.

During the race, Raman pitched herself as a hopeful alternative to Bass’ leadership and what she called a fear-fueled campaign from Spencer Pratt, a rightward-leaning independent who gained traction in the closing weeks of the campaign.

"We have a mayor who has failed to lead this city and, on the other hand, a right-wing extremist, powered by MAGA, who’s channeling people’s frustrations about this city into fear and anger and hatred," Raman said.

Bass, who first came into office in 2022, argues she has a track record that is taking the city in the right direction.

Despite fending off criticisms about the Palisade fires, a stubbornly visible homelessness population and budget deficits, Bass argued she’s taken steps to address all of those areas in her three years in the role.

LOS ANGELES MAYOR BASS SAYS 'HELL YEAH' SHE REGRETS GHANA TRIP AFTER WILDFIRES RAVAGED CITY

"Los Angeles is at a turning point. After decades of rising homelessness, under-built housing and a shrinking police force, it’s Mayor Karen Bass who finally stepped up to change how City Hall works," Bass’s website reads.

"Homelessness is down, more housing is being built and LAPD is hiring new officers."

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom endorsed Bass on May 28.

Bass originally won election in 2022 in a 54.8% to 45.2% victory over independent challenger Rick J. Caruso.