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Rory McIlroy gets snarky on the return of LIV Golf players to PGA Tour: 'have they brought value?'
Despite the FedEx Cup Playoffs entering their second week, and even more historic dominance from world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, the main topic of conversation in golf right now is the future of the breakaway LIV Golf tour.
With Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund pulling their financial support for LIV after the 2026 season and the lack of clarity around the mysterious investors who are reportedly willing to back it, there's plenty of discussion around what comes next.
Some players, like Ian Poulter, have said that time is running out for LIV to arrange more funding. Bryson DeChambeau, arguably the tour's biggest star, has seemingly been keeping his options open. While it appears likely that Jon Rahm, the other big star on LIV, may try to bolt and return to the PGA Tour sooner rather than later. Even if it includes substantial financial penalties.
Given all the discussion, it's not surprising that one of the most prominent figures in the PGA-LIV battle was asked his thoughts about it, again, at the BMW Championship in St. Louis.
During media availability on Wednesday, Rory McIlroy was asked about LIV golfers returning to the PGA Tour and whether they'd provide value by returning, and gave just about the snarkiest possible answer.
"I mean, I’d argue have they brought value to LIV?" he said. "I think the PGA Tour's in a really good spot."
McIlroy added a bit more context, saying that while he's not involved with whatever negotiations might be happening, he's confident that whatever deal they get may not be as lenient as the one Brooks Koepka got.
BROOKS KOEPKA CALLS FIRST YEAR BACK ON PGA TOUR 'PRETTY PATHETIC' AFTER MISSING FEDEX CUP PLAYOFFS
"I mean, look, eventually they will," McIlroy said. "I'm not part of these discussions, but I'm pretty sure they're not going to be welcomed back straight away. If they were offered this returning member program back in February, the one that Brooks took, then maybe. But that has sort of come and gone.
"And I think it was said at the time that the deal that they might get going forward, if they do decide to come back, isn't going to be as good as the one that Brooks got. So, yeah, I would say it's going to be a tough, tough road back."
To an extent, McIlroy is right. If Rahm, DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Tyrell Hatton or even Phil Mickelson were enough of a draw on their own, LIV wouldn't be in the situation it's in. On the other hand, some of LIV's apparent failure comes down to the business model itself.
They paid out massive purses and guarantees that were unsupported by ratings and fan attendance, in an effort to entice top stars to leave the tour. They offered equity to players in their LIV team, as though they would eventually become meaningful franchises people were attached to, like the Lakers or Yankees. Even though that might take years, if not decades, if it ever happened at all. An unlikely proposition considering golf is very different from traditional team sports.
Then there was the other problem; fans are used to the courses on the PGA Tour. They know Torrey Pines and Riviera, Pebble Beach and Bay Hill, or TPC Sawgrass and Muirfield Village. LIV went to some very high quality courses, but without the history and tradition that many fans appreciate. International events were popular, including in Australia and South Africa, but that's clearly not enough to support the financial model LIV used.
Still, you could make the case that if those stars were big enough, maybe it would have.
In sharp contrast to McIlroy, Scheffler was asked a similar question and gave a much more magnanimous answer. He said LIV has some "really good" players that would, in fact, provide "a lot" of value in a return to the PGA.
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"When we talk about the best players, LIV has a few players that are really good," Scheffler said. "I think the depth that we have on our tour is unmatched, but I think when you look at the higher levels of LIV Golf there’s definitely some players that would provide a lot of value to the tour, and guys that I love competing against as well."
Rahm and DeChambeau in particular would inarguably provide value to the PGA Tour. They have fanbases, are in the prime of their careers, are consistent contenders in big tournaments or major championships, and in DeChambeau's case, have an existing competitive rivalry with McIlroy.
It's also odd that McIlroy would make this argument when Rahm and Hatton are key members of the European Ryder Cup teams. The narrative on Europe's dominance in that event is that the players are all closer than the U.S. team, and that their desire to win gives them an intangible advantage. Now McIlroy's bad mouthing two of Europe's best players. Doesn't seem like they're that close, does it?
Regardless, as McIlroy said, it seems inevitable there'll be a reunion. How and when? Well, that's still up for debate.
Idaho county probation officers compile ‘foreign-born list’ to hand over to ICE as critics raise alarms
A southwestern Idaho county's probation officers have been compiling a list of foreign-born people on probation for federal immigration authorities, even though county officers did not independently verify whether everyone identified was in the U.S. illegally.
In Canyon County, Idaho, more than 140 emails between county probation officers and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from May to July 2026 show how the probation department has coordinated with ICE’s Boise office, including by combing through its case files to create a list of foreign-born people on probation to hand over to ICE, according to communications obtained by InvestigateWest.
In May, a probation officer emailed ICE about a man she would meet the next day for his regular check-in.
"His meeting has not changed and he is expected to be here tomorrow morning at 7:30 a.m.," Norma Naranjo, a senior probation officer for Canyon County’s misdemeanor probation department, wrote in a May 13 email to six ICE agents.
MISSISSIPPI LAW COULD CREATE STATEWIDE REGISTRY OF UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS
The next day, the man arrived for his appointment a few minutes early, and Naranjo contacted the ICE agents again to ask if they would be coming soon.
"He is here are you guys on your way?" she wrote.
It was unclear from the heavily redacted emails if ICE agents took the man into custody at his probation appointment, according to InvestigateWest.
The list compiled for ICE appeared to have been made without confirming that the people in question are in the country illegally. According to InvestigateWest, one probation officer said in an email that the names he submitted included everyone in his files who had reported being born outside the United States. Foreign birth alone does not indicate unlawful immigration status; foreign-born people can include naturalized U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, commonly known as green-card holders.
Idaho law enforcement agencies have long worked with federal immigration officials to detain illegal immigrants who are in jail or serving their sentence on probation, but immigration attorneys and advocates fear that Canyon County’s foreign-born list could lead to probationers in the country legally being detained, particularly as ICE agents during the Trump administration detained or caught up U.S. citizens and people with lawful or pending immigration status in immigration enforcement actions. Some lawfully present noncitizens, including green card holders, can also be subject to removal based on certain criminal convictions or other grounds under federal law.
Nikki Ramirez-Smith, an immigration attorney with Ramirez-Smith Law in Nampa, Idaho, said the county’s efforts to compile a list of foreign-born people on probation for ICE is "an invasion of privacy."
"It’s one thing to know that someone is "undocumented", it’s another thing to just start targeting every single person who was born in another country," she told InvestigateWest.
Jeff Breach, the director of Canyon County's misdemeanor probation department, said the list includes "individuals whose place of birth is a foreign country — and can also include individuals that have been previously flagged with an immigration hold."
"Verifying and determining legal presence/status, along with any related enforcement, is within the purview of federal authorities," Breach told the outlet.
Breach said ICE has requested a list of people that could be in the country illegally, typically on an annual basis and across administrations. He said the probation department coordinates with ICE the same way it would with any local or state law enforcement agency by providing them "information to carry out their lawful duties."
Steve Cushman, director of constituent services for Canyon County, said he did not know exactly when the lists were first requested and provided, but added that it is his understanding that it goes back as far as the Obama administration.
On June 3, Naranjo told five ICE officers that she would talk to Breach about
the "foreign-born list."
"We are working on a procedure to keep a list current for your agency," Naranjo wrote. "I will get back to you on this as soon as we figure something out."
Two days later, Breach sent an email to his staff directing them to compile a list of illegal immigrants.
"ICE has requested a list of offenders who are in the country illegally," he wrote. "I need you to go through your caseload this month and send me a list of names of offenders who you believe are in the country illegally. I’ll review the names and put together a list that can be sent to ICE so that they can look into if the person is in the country illegally and if they want to take any action."
The email shows ICE requested offenders believed to be in the country illegally, rather than all foreign-born probationers. Subsequent messages, however, show at least some probation officers used foreign birthplace as a way to identify people for review.
Most of the emails from May 1 to July 10 are heavily redacted, but they show how probation officers used information in their case files to compile the list.
"That’s everyone in my cabinet that filled out (an) intake form and stated not born in US," Brandon Black, a Canyon County probation officer, said in an email back to Breach on June 8.
Another officer, Justin Donovan, told Breach that he only identified one person under his supervision who "may be here illegally," adding that the man "only had an ID from Mexico during his last arrest."
More than half of the people on the list were on probation for driving under the influence, five people were on probation for drug-related crimes and nine people for disturbing the peace, according to InvestigateWest. Only seven people were identified as having an ICE hold, meaning the federal government had already identified them for potential deportation.
Probation officers were regularly alerting ICE agents about the dates and times that certain probationers would be arriving at their office, according to the emails. In some cases, probation officers asked ICE if a person who had missed check-ins was in their custody. In two instances, officers emailed ICE just before and during the appointments to verify they were on their way to detain a probationer. One officer also gave ICE agents the home address and make, model and license plate of a probationer’s car.
Breach estimated that in the last three months, ICE agents have been at one or two probation appointments per month.
"All the law enforcement agencies we work with prefer to meet with offenders up in the office due to it being a controlled environment, which means it is safer for the offender, the officer, and the public," he wrote. "There is an expectation from law enforcement agencies and the public that probation officers work cooperatively with law enforcement to ensure the safety of all parties involved."
Pressed on whether the department is concerned that U.S. citizens or others with legal status could be included in the list, Breach referred to a previous statement that verifying a person’s status "is within the purview of federal authorities."
"ICE may still target someone if they think the conviction is a deportable or removal offense even if they (have legal) status. Sometimes, ICE doesn’t get that right," Alycia Moss, an immigration attorney with Fennemore Law in Coeur d’Alene, told InvestigateWest, noting that ICE agents should know if someone on the list is deportable or not but may still target people who are in the U.S. legally.
NEW YORKER SUING ICE AFTER OFFICERS WENT TO HIS HOME TO WARN HIM OVER CRITICISM OF AGENCY
Canyon County has faced criticism in the past for its attempts to help ICE.
In 2019, staff at the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office were told to notify immigration officials of "all foreign-born inmates" who were booked into the jail. Some of the people they alerted agents to were U.S. citizens who had posted bond, according to the Idaho Press. If inmates served jail time and posted bond, staff were directed to contact immigration officials.
That year, Canyon County faced three lawsuits from people who said they were illegally held in jail, despite posting bond, because the county refused to release them over their immigration status. The county settled with at least one man for $13,000.
The sheriff’s office is also facing a lawsuit from the ACLU of Idaho over allegations that the county and other law-enforcement agencies involved in an October 2025 ICE raid racially profiled Latino attendees and unlawfully detained people at a horse-racing venue. The allegations have not been adjudicated.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the county's probation department and ICE for comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Chinese national in blue state charged with illegally voting in federal election under another man's name: DOJ
A Chinese national living in Massachusetts was arrested Wednesday after federal prosecutors said he impersonated another Chinese national to register and vote in the 2024 presidential election then reported the alleged victim to immigration authorities for illegally voting.
Yupeng Sun, 33, of Andover, was charged with one count of fraudulent voter registration and one count of fraudulent voting, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts.
The criminal complaint alleges Sun admitted during a July interview with federal investigators that he registered the victim to vote and later cast a ballot using the man's identity.
"I tell you the truth, I register," Sun told investigators when shown the victim's voter registration information, according to the complaint.
CANADIAN NONCITIZEN ACCUSED OF ILLEGALLY VOTING IN FEDERAL AND STATE ELECTIONS
After investigators showed Sun a photograph of the early voting ballot envelope submitted at Malden City Hall on Oct. 31, 2024, Sun allegedly responded, "I used his name to vote."
Massachusetts voter records show the ballot cast under the victim's name was accepted for the 2024 presidential election, according to the complaint.
Sun previously rented a room from the victim and his family in Malden, and investigators allege he also impersonated the victim and his wife in immigration documents requesting that they abandon their legal permanent resident status.
When the couple returned from an international trip in June 2024, their green cards were confiscated, and they were placed into removal proceedings.
An immigration judge restored their legal permanent resident status in January 2026 after finding their testimony credible and receiving forensic evidence that they had not signed the forms, according to the complaint.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT LEARNS FATE AFTER USING STOLEN IDENTITY TO VOTE IN US ELECTIONS FOR DECADES
Federal investigators say Sun later submitted anonymous tips to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services accusing the victim of illegally voting in the 2024 election.
Sun allegedly acknowledged sending the tips when investigators interviewed him.
"I went to post office and, uh, to report the father vote," Sun said, according to the complaint.
Sun is a citizen and national of China who entered the U.S. in September 2020 on a B-2 tourist visa that expired in March 2021, according to the complaint. He has deferred action status based on a U-Visa application submitted in February 2022.
DHS DIRECTS ICE TO DEPORT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHO VOTE IN AMERICAN ELECTIONS UNDER NEW DIRECTIVE
The Massachusetts Secretary of State's office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Each voter fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Prosecutors said Sun could also face deportation after completing any sentence imposed.
U.S. Attorney Leah Foley and Jeff Grimming, acting special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England, announced the charges. The Lexington and Andover police departments assisted in the investigation.
AJ Brown says there's been silence between him and ex-teammate Jalen Hurts since his move to New England
A.J. Brown experienced a reunion of sorts this week when his new team, the New England Patriots, hosted his former team, the Philadelphia Eagles, for joint practices during training camp.
After an uneven 2025 season for both Brown and the Eagles' offense, Philadelphia traded him to the Patriots for a pair of future draft picks amid signs that his once-close friendship and productive on-field partnership with quarterback Jalen Hurts had deteriorated.
While more than two months have passed since Brown's move to New England, questions about his relationship with the Eagles quarterback resurfaced Wednesday. Following the latest Eagles-Patriots joint practice, Brown confirmed that he has not spoken with Hurts since changing teams.
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"No," Brown said in a one-word response when asked whether he had a conversation with Hurts since June. He otherwise kept his comments about his former Eagles teammates upbeat.
"Honestly guys, none of that stuff even matters, man. You all should want to report something positive. You know asking the question is going to turn negative," Brown said when reporters pressed him with follow-up questions about his relationship with Hurts. "So let's not get into that. Let's keep everything positive. It's love my way."
Meanwhile, Hurts offered a similarly warm assessment of Brown. "I've got a lot of love for him and always have," the Super Bowl LIX MVP said.
Brown did note that he could eventually reconnect with Hurts at some point during the joint practices in Foxborough.
Brown set the two highest single-season receiving yardage marks in Eagles history, with 1,496 yards in 2022 and 1,456 in 2023. Philadelphia was eliminated in the wild-card round in January, losing at home to the San Francisco 49ers. Brown then told the Eagles' front office he wanted a change of scenery, general manager Howie Roseman said at the time. Sources told ESPN that part of Brown's frustration centered on Hurts and a belief that he was not being targeted enough when he faced zone coverage.
Brown also made several social media comments and comments during media sessions during the 2025 season that appeared to reflect frustration with his role in the offense.
During breaks in practice and after the session ended, Brown was seen chatting with former teammates Saquon Barkley and Cooper DeJean.
Brown caught all six of his targets from third-year quarterback Drake Maye during 7-on-7 and team drills. He was unable to come down with a pass during a one-on-one rep against All-Pro cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.
Brown said that while his chemistry with Maye is still developing, he has already seen what makes the young quarterback special.
"There's definitely been some challenges, but he's very special, and he makes my job a lot easier. Just learning how he sees the game and getting on the same page," Brown said.
Brown also made clear he did not view Wednesday’s moment with the Eagles as a sign of closure, saying his affection for Philadelphia remains even as his focus has shifted to New England.
"It's love. I won a Super Bowl ring with them. It will always be love no matter how anyone feels. I love Philly and I will always love Philly but I'm here now," said Brown. "That's where my feet are and that's what I'm focused on."
The Eagles open the regular season Sept. 13 at home against the Washington Commanders. The Patriots, meanwhile, visit the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 9 to open their 2026 season.
RNC warns Democrats face 'political suicide' after DSA praises Fidel Castro, demands Rubio's prosecution
The Republican National Committee warned Wednesday that the Democratic Socialists of America's online tribute to Fidel Castro would damage Democrats in November after the group praised the late Cuban dictator and demanded U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's prosecution over the Trump administration's pressure campaign in Cuba.
"Democrats are openly embracing the same policies that left the people of Venezuela, Cuba and China with empty shelves, no electricity and their freedoms stripped away," national press secretary Natalie Baldassarre told Fox News Digital. "Their embrace of this poisonous ideology is political suicide, and it will be their downfall in November."
Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, condemned Castro's legacy in a post on X last Thursday about Castro's death. He did not mention the DSA by name.
CUBA'S FOREIGN MINISTER ACCUSES MARCO RUBIO OF LYING TO AMERICANS TO JUSTIFY ACTION AGAINST CUBA
"Fidel Castro was a complete failure at everything except destroying Cuba and impoverishing, jailing and murdering his own people," Rubio said.
"I strongly suggest that anyone tempted to try and follow his example should carefully reconsider, because if they do they would be dooming themselves to failure as well."
The DSA statement described Castro, who ruled Cuba for nearly half a century after the 1959 revolution, as a model of anti-imperialist resistance.
"Fidel was an organizer, a fighter, and endures as a stalwart symbol of anti-imperialist struggle and self-determination for the Global South," the organization said.
TRUMP EXPANDS CUBA SANCTIONS BEYOND US COMPANIES IN MAJOR CRACKDOWN ON FOREIGN ENABLERS
The DSA said U.S. restrictions had blocked critical resources from reaching Cuban civilians and constituted genocide under Rubio’s leadership.
"By intentionally imposing conditions calculated to kill a civilian population, Marco Rubio is leading a genocide," the organization said.
The group demanded an end to what it called a U.S. blockade and threats of military action, normalized relations, reparations for what it claimed were trillions of dollars in damage and Rubio's prosecution for crimes against humanity.
The White House rejected DSA’s characterization of Rubio’s Cuba policy and blamed Cuba’s communist government for the island’s economic hardships and human rights abuses. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement to Fox News Digital Wednesday that the administration was prepared to pursue a new relationship with Havana.
"The Cuban regime exemplifies everything that’s wrong with communism as its population suffers from food shortages, blackouts, poor standards of living and egregious human rights abuses," Kelly said.
"Secretary Rubio wants a better future for the Cuban people, and the United States is ready to open a new chapter in the relationship between our two countries. The only thing standing in the way are those who control Cuba for their own gain."
RUBIO WARNS CUBA HAS INFILTRATED US WITH SPIES, CALLS COMMUNIST REGIME AN 'ESPIONAGE SUPERPOWER'
The administration’s pressure campaign expanded in June when Rubio designated five entities that he said generated revenue for Havana, including three associated with the military-controlled conglomerate GAESA, as well as a member of Castro’s extended family. The action followed a May executive order authorizing sanctions against those deemed responsible for repression in Cuba or threats to U.S. security.
A State Department report released last month called Cuba the "capital of 21st century communism" and named DSA among organizations it alleged helped sustain pro-Cuba activism in the United States. DSA rejected the report three days before its tribute, saying it organized independently of the Cuban government and accusing the administration of trying to silence its movement.
Castro died in 2016 at age 90, 10 years after illness led him to hand power to his brother, Raúl.
Fox News Digital reached out to the DSA for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Parents seek six figures from surrogate who refused abortion after baby’s heart diagnosis: report
The biological parents of a baby born after their surrogate refused their request for an abortion are now seeking more than $100,000 from the woman who carried their child, alleging she breached their surrogacy agreement.
TMZ reported Wednesday that it obtained the countersuit filed by Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed against surrogate McKenna West, weeks before she gave birth in Texas Aug. 12.
The couple is seeking more than $100,000 for alleged breach of their surrogacy agreement, along with unspecified damages over what they call West's "malicious, outrageous conduct."
The couple alleges they paid West $60,000 during the pregnancy under the surrogacy agreement, which included provisions addressing termination, TMZ reported. The counterclaims accuse West of breaching that deal and causing the couple emotional distress.
SURROGATE GIVES BIRTH IN TEXAS TO BABY WITH HEART DEFECT AFTER PARENTS REQUESTED ABORTION
The filing comes after the pregnancy became the subject of a multistate legal fight. The baby was diagnosed around 20 weeks with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), a severe congenital heart defect. Gilkar and Ahmed allegedly asked West to terminate the pregnancy after the diagnosis, according to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office. West refused and later traveled to Texas to give birth.
West denies wrongdoing and is asking the court to dismiss the counterclaims, TMZ reported Wednesday.
Live Action founder and President Lila Rose, whose pro-life organization has been working with West, sharply condemned the lawsuit in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"The people who ordered McKenna to abort this little boy because of his heart condition are now dragging her into court, trying to punish and financially ruin her for refusing to kill him, while demanding custody of the same child they ordered to be killed," Rose told Fox News Digital.
"This lawsuit is retaliation against a courageous woman who is barely a week postpartum after carrying this baby and fighting to save his life."
The biological parents have disputed allegations that they threatened or tried to force West to terminate the pregnancy. The Texas Tribune previously reported that, in a court filing, their attorneys claimed West initially agreed to terminate and made the appointment before later changing her mind.
TWO FAMILIES SUE NORTH DAKOTA HOSPITAL ON ALLEGATIONS BABIES WERE SWITCHED AT BIRTH
The dispute has since played out in Alaska, California and Texas, with West asserting parental rights and the biological parents prevailing in key parental proceedings. West calls the baby "Gabriel," while Gilkar and Ahmed call their son "Rumi."
The child was born Aug. 12. LifeNews reported Tuesday that he underwent a Norwood procedure Monday, the first of three surgeries typically required for children with HLHS.
Rose said the baby's survival underscores why West was right to refuse the abortion.
"This child is alive today and recovering from his first life-saving surgery because McKenna had the courage to say no," Rose said. "No contract can give one person the right to order the killing of another. Women are not incubators for hire, and children are not products to be discarded when they are sick.
"McKenna acted heroically to save the baby boy she carried, and Live Action will continue to stand with her and defend the dignity and right to life of every child."
Attorney Lee Budner, who represents Gilkar and Ahmed, confirmed the procedure in a statement reported by LifeNews and said the child's condition "remains critical and complex." Budner has also called West's continuing claims of custody "baseless" and said they violate court orders in Alaska and California.
BOARD-CERTIFIED OBGYN WARNS NEW MASSACHUSETTS LATE-TERM ABORTION LAW EXPOSES MOTHERS TO DANGER
The fight over the baby's medical care also drew intervention from state and federal officials. Paxton secured an emergency court order before the birth requiring that medically necessary care not be delayed or obstructed. His office also notified UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children's Medical Center of Dallas of their obligations to provide life-saving treatment.
"The court has made the right decision in immediately acting to protect baby Gabriel's life and ensure he receives the care he deserves," Paxton said at the time. "My office utilized every tool at our disposal to protect life, and we will not back down in continuing to support baby Gabriel's well-being. Every child in our state deserves to be cared for and protected, and that's exactly what I'll fight for."
The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights later notified the two Dallas hospitals of their obligations under federal disability law, including requirements barring discrimination in medical treatment based on a patient’s disability.
The parents ultimately authorized the heart surgery, and their attorney has said they are focused on their son's recovery.
West continues to seek parental rights in Texas. A hearing in the Dallas County case is scheduled for Aug. 25.
Fox News Digital reached out to Budner and Paxton's office for comment on the biological parents' counterclaims.
Iran taps financial lifeline, Russian arms as Trump escalates 'crushing' economic warfare
Tehran is deepening its financial and military ties with Beijing and Moscow, forging a critical lifeline as it seeks to circumvent U.S. sanctions and weather Washington’s renewed "maximum pressure" campaign, regional security analysts warned Wednesday.
As the U.S. continues to ramp up Operation Economic Fury, Iran, they say, has turned to non-Western blocs and alliances to unite further with Russia and China while positioning itself as a "linchpin" in a network that directly challenges American influence.
The warning came as President Donald Trump announced Wednesday what he called the "most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country," threatening sweeping consequences for nations and businesses that provide Iran with an economic lifeline as he seeks to further isolate Tehran.
"This will be Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale," Trump said in a post shared on Truth Social.
IRAN DEAL CLOCK HITS ZERO AS TRUMP DEMANDS ‘WHITE FLAG’ WITH NEW PRESSURE CAMPAIGN LOOMING
"The Islamic Republic is looking to survive, but in order to survive, it needs to adapt," Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of the Iran Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), told Fox News Digital.
"It needs to adapt not just to U.S. and Israeli military pressure, but this U.S. political and economic pressure.
"There's no doubt the Islamic Republic is looking to maximize its enmeshment with countries like Russia and China that have been subject to U.S. political and economic pressure in the past."
BRICS, an economic bloc consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and several recent expansion nations, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a Eurasian political, economic and security alliance led by Beijing and Moscow, have become key vehicles for Iran’s outreach of late.
Trump has previously labeled BRICS policies "anti-American," CNBC reported.
CHINA ORDERS FIRMS TO IGNORE US IRAN SANCTIONS, DARING US TO ENFORCE CRACKDOWN
Abdolnaser Hemmati, governor of the Central Bank of Iran, said Tehran will soon join the BRICS-backed New Development Bank, though the bank told Reuters it could not confirm Iran’s membership.
"The most important result of cooperation among BRICS member countries is the establishment of the New Development Bank, and our country will soon become a member of this bank," Hemmati said, according to state media.
"You can see Iran trying to benefit from its role in BRICS, as well as a constellation of other organizations, that really would allow itself to be shielded — or try to make itself more shielded — from U.S. political and economic pressure," Taleblu explained.
"The Islamic Republic is looking to be more formally integrated into economic orders brought about by Russia and China, which are looking to contest the U.S. dollar as much as they're looking to contest U.S. power and influence.
"It is quite key and important for policymakers in Washington to wake up and see how interconnected these state threats are becoming.
IRAN TURNS TO PUTIN AS US TALKS COLLAPSE, HORMUZ STANDOFF THREATENS GLOBAL OIL FLOW
"These are independent relationships that have been coming together. They have differences, but as an authoritarian axis, these are countries that are better able to manage their differences at present than it seems like America and the liberal western order are able to handle their differences."
NBC News also reported Aug. 17 that Russia is supplying Iran with ammunition, drone components and TNT via Caspian Sea shipping routes, citing a European government document verified by a Western official.
The report comes amid indications that Tehran is relying on Russian technology and military support to adapt to U.S. military and economic pressure.
"Even limited technology and military flows from Russia to the Islamic Republic help it fight to survive, adapt and live another day to combat the U.S. order in the region," Taleblu said.
"In the short term, there is less transaction cost on this anti-American authoritarian order that is fast emerging than there is on the pro-American order."
TRUMP TO CONFRONT XI AT HIGH-STAKES SUMMIT OVER CHINA BACKING FOR IRAN, RUSSIA
Taleblu also highlighted Iran’s dual role in what he terms the "Axis of Aggressors," a coalition of hostile, authoritarian states including Russia, China and North Korea, and the "Axis of Resistance," Tehran’s network of regional proxy groups including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and Shiite militias in Iraq.
"They all have hostile intentions towards the U.S. and the liberal world order. They are authoritarians at home and creditors abroad.
He also noted that even if Tehran’s economic goals within BRICS fail to fully materialize, the political and military backing it gets from Moscow and Beijing is significant.
"So, even if what the Islamic Republic wants from the BRICS countries, particularly the likes of Russia and China, doesn't happen, that doesn't mean that political, economic and military support to this regime at a critical time is not happening.
"The linchpin between the state threats that the U.S. faces in the 21st century, from the Axis of Aggressors and the non-state threats in the Middle East, is the Islamic Republic of Iran," Taleblu clarified.
"It is actually a bridge for capabilities, money and technology from states to flow to non-state actors."
Hayden Panettiere death: DEA reportedly joins probe into what happened to late star
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has reportedly joined the investigation into actress Hayden Panettiere's death.
TMZ is reporting that the DEA has agents assisting parallel death investigations that are already underway.
Panettiere died Sunday at the age of 36. She was found unresponsive and in cardiac arrest at an apartment in Greenville, South Carolina. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful and the "Nashville" and "Remember the Titans" actress was pronounced dead.
Preliminary autopsy results found no signs of trauma that contributed to her death, Fox News Digital confirmed.
HAYDEN PANETTIERE AND THE CHILD STARS WHOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR MOMAGERS TURNED COMPLICATED
A police report obtained by Fox News Digital revealed Panettiere's on-and-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother, Zach, called 911 after finding the actress unresponsive. Hickerson later handed authorities a bag of medication Panettiere had allegedly been taking.
Hickerson was among those at the Greenville apartment when Panettiere was found, and authorities executed a search warrant at the residence, according to the report. Police also conducted a welfare check Wednesday at a South Carolina home linked to the Hickerson brothers, but no one answered the door.
Panettiere’s death came just weeks after the actress spoke publicly about her past struggles with addiction and the difficult decisions she made while seeking help.
The New York native began acting as a child, landing a role on the soap opera "One Life to Live" at just 4 years old. She later appeared alongside Denzel Washington in the 2000 football drama "Remember the Titans" before becoming widely known for her role as Claire Bennet on NBC's "Heroes."
Panettiere went on to star as country singer Juliette Barnes on "Nashville," a role that earned her two Golden Globe nominations.
The actress had also been candid about her history with alcohol and opioids. In a 2022 interview with People, Panettiere said she was first given "happy pills" at age 15 ahead of interviews and later began drinking and occasionally using opioids as her career accelerated.
"As I got older, the drugs and alcohol became something I almost couldn’t live without," she told the outlet at the time.
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Panettiere revisited some of those struggles in her memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning," and recently spoke with Fox News Digital about her decision to allow her daughter, Kaya, to live with her father, former heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko, in Europe.
"I just knew that if I wanted to... I knew how bad a place I was in," Panettiere told Fox News Digital last month. "I hid it from my daughter as much as I could."
She said she ultimately decided against fighting Klitschko over custody because she believed doing so would hurt their daughter.
"I said, ‘You know what? Let her grow up here,’" Panettiere said. "I know she's safe. I know she's well taken care of — beyond well taken care of. She has an incredible life."
Just weeks before her death, Panettiere also filmed what would become one of her final public campaigns, partnering with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to condemn the captivity of dolphins and other marine mammals.
PETA released the video following her death as a tribute to the actress, who had advocated for marine mammals for nearly two decades. Her activism gained international attention in 2007 when, at 18, she paddled into waters near Taiji, Japan, to confront dolphin hunters during an annual hunt, an episode later featured in the Oscar-winning documentary "The Cove."
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In the recently recorded campaign, Panettiere urged the public not to patronize marine parks that keep dolphins in captivity.
"Vow today to never go to a marine park that keeps dolphins in extreme captivity," Panettiere said in the video. "Together, we can end this cruelty."
Panettiere is survived by her daughter, Kaya.
Fox News Digital's Tracy Wright and Lauryn Overhultz contributed to this report.
Harvard agrees to $53M settlement with families after donated body parts were stolen, sold on black market
Harvard University has agreed to a proposed $53 million settlement with families who accused the school of negligently handling its anatomical gift program after a former morgue manager stole and sold body parts from remains donated for medical research and education.
Massachusetts Superior Court Judge Debra A. Squires-Lee on Tuesday granted preliminary approval to the class action settlement, which would establish two funds totaling $53 million to resolve claims against the university.
A final approval hearing is scheduled for Dec. 9, 2026, when the court will consider whether to grant final approval of the settlement.
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The litigation followed the 2023 arrest of Cedric Lodge, who managed Harvard Medical School's morgue for nearly three decades and who prosecutors said stole and sold parts of cadavers donated to the school for medical research and education.
Lodge pleaded guilty to interstate transport of stolen human remains and was sentenced to eight years in prison. His wife, Denise Lodge, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison.
Lodge admitted that, from 2018 through at least March 2020, he participated in the sale and interstate transport of human remains stolen from the Harvard Medical School morgue, including organs, brains, skin, hands, faces, dissected heads and other parts from donated cadavers after they had been used for research and teaching purposes but before they were disposed of in accordance with anatomical gift donation agreements.
He transported the remains to his home in New Hampshire without the knowledge or permission of Harvard, the donors or their families, officials said.
Harvard condemned Lodge's conduct in a message to the school's community Monday.
"His violations … were despicable, abhorrent, and a flagrant betrayal of our values as a medical community," George Daley, Harvard's dean of the faculty of medicine, and Bernard Chang, dean for medical education at Harvard Medical School, wrote in the letter.
The university noted that the federal indictment said Lodge acted "without the knowledge or permission of HMS."
Harvard said the proposed settlement also includes a pledge by HMS to provide a statement to claimant families reaffirming that Lodge's criminal acts were "morally reprehensible and inconsistent with the standards that Harvard University and HMS expect for the treatment of anatomical donors and their loved ones."
The university also said it will establish an annual financial aid scholarship for medical students beginning in the 2027-2028 academic year in appreciation and honor of its anatomical donors.
"We hope that this resolution ensures that this never happens to another family ever again," John Morgan, whose law firm, Morgan & Morgan, represented families in the litigation, said in a statement.
Fox News Digital's Alex Koch and Reuters contributed to this report.
Ex-New York Magazine writer announces he will 'take some time away' after plagiarism scandal
Former New York Magazine writer and The Metropolitan Review editor-in-chief Ross Barkan apologized once again after several plagiarism allegations against him and revealed Wednesday he plans to "self-reflect" with some time away.
"Let me first begin by saying I'm sorry. I truly am sorry for the mistakes I made," Barkan wrote on X.
"None of them, genuinely, were willful or intentional. In the course of writing many columns a week, I did not use citations as aggressively as I should have and did not paraphrase well enough. I never intended to crib from anyone's work. I promise all of you that. I recognize, though, how I failed. I am sorry to the journalists whose work I did not properly cite.
"I'm going to take some time away and self-reflect," he added. "I promise to do a much better job going forward."
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Barkan originally hinted at an event in September through the Metropolitan Review in an X post last week but has not provided any updates since then beyond his new statement. He has not yet clarified whether he will retain his position at the Metropolitan Review.
Fox News Digital reached out to Barkan and The Metropolitan Review for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
The controversy originally began in May when Washington Post reporter Drew Harwell accused Barkan of lifting from his report about conservative commentator Ben Shapiro and his outlet, The Daily Wire, for one of his columns.
After Harwell highlighted the similarities between the two articles, New York Magazine updated its piece with an editor's note crediting The Washington Post, though Harwell explained he wasn't "entirely sure what happened."
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NPR correspondent Bobby Allyn found additional examples of what appeared to be Barkan lifting similar phrases and descriptions from The Intercept and Compact Magazine in other reports.
Barkan initially denied these accusations, calling them "ridiculous," but New York Magazine announced Friday it would be severing ties with Barkan after an investigation found he "did not adhere" to editorial standards of proper citation.
"After an independent editorial review, New York found that Ross Barkan did not adhere to our editorial standards, and we have updated 67 columns that did not include proper attribution of language, information, and/or sourcing," the publication said in a statement obtained by Semafor.
"We have updated our archives to include proper attribution in all of the stories that our review found previously inadequate, noting that those updates were made, and are committed to addressing any other instances that come to light."
In a statement to Fox News Digital at the time, Barkan wrote, "We've decided to end the column, and I send all the best to New York Magazine. In the course of nearly 250 pieces, there were times I should have been more careful with citation. I'm sorry about these errors and will work to do better, more careful in the future."