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DAVID MARCUS: Calling 9/11 'inevitable' is same as justifying it, and it is disgraceful
The parade of Democratic Socialists ousting incumbent Democrats rolled on in Denver on Tuesday night with upstart 29-year-old, Ethiopian-born Milot Kiros defeating Rep. Diana DeGette, first elected to the seat before 9/11. Her would-be replacement justifies those attacks.
Kiros and her commie allies may use the word "inevitable" as a euphemism for "justified," but in this context, they mean exactly the same disgraceful thing.
In a recent interview, the socialist Kiros was asked if 9/11 was an inevitable consequence of American foreign policy.
MUSLIM MAMDANI-BACKED SOCIALIST PRIMARY WINNER SUGGESTED AMERICA DESERVED 9/11 IN UNEARTHED VIDEO
"Inevitable in the sense that we destabilized a lot of the Middle East, which led people to believe that another act of violence was the only response," Kiros replied. "Our responsibility is to get rid of those conditions that lead to violence in the first place."
Let’s be clear, by calling the cold-blooded murder of nearly 3,000 Americans "inevitable," Kiros is saying that Usama bin Laden had no other choice but to commit this massacre, and further, that if only the United States had acted differently, then maybe Bin Laden could have avoided it.
That is absolutely a justification for 9/11, because if the United States created the conditions that made it impossible for anything but a 9/11 style attack to happen, then how can we blame Bin Laden? He had no choice, right?
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Some will argue that Kiros is simply stating the cause of 9/11, not justifying that cause. Obviously, the cause of 9/11 was resentment and anger at U.S. foreign policy. But when you say that cause made the attack "inevitable," you are saying Al Qaeda only did what it had to do.
With all due respect to Kiros, who was 4 years old when the attack on our nation that to this day still leaves searing emptiness in the hearts of the tens of thousands who lost loved ones, there was nothing inevitable about it. Not one thing.
For decades before 9/11, America sought peace in the region time and again. In fact, it was in 2000 that former President Bill Clinton says then-Palestinian leader Yasser Arrafat "walked away from a once-in-a-lifetime peace opportunity." A year later, Clinton’s efforts would be rewarded in American blood.
MUSLIM MAMDANI-BACKED SOCIALIST PRIMARY WINNER SUGGESTED AMERICA DESERVED 9/11 IN UNEARTHED VIDEO
I’m sorry, but Kiros and her purple-haired communist band of overeducated theater kids are not going to make America the bad guy of 9/11. We know exactly who the bad guy was, which is why we celebrated when former President Barack Obama took him out.
In fairness to Kiros, while she is clearly saying that Bin Laden had justification for 9/11 based on America’s actions, she isn’t quite as ghoulish as podcaster and apparent kingmaker of the Democratic Party, Hasan Piker, who says America "deserved" 9/11.
One can believe, as supporters of Israel do, that military action leading to civilian casualties is justified even though no civilian deserves to die, but clearly Piker does believe our 3,000 countrymen had that fate coming.
This attempt by the far-left Marxists to make 9/11 a day of shame for Americans is not likely to work outside their small bubbles, even if they say "inevitable" instead of "justified." Because even 25 years later, what that day means to most Americans is pride in the sacrifice of those who gave their lives.
Of course, for the Democratic Socialists, 9/11 is not about New York, or Washington, D.C., or Shanksville, Pa. Like everything else, it is about the poor terrorists in the Middle East who, in the DSA’s depraved minds, have no choice but to kill Americans.
Just as, for those of us aged enough to remember the Cold War, it seems crazy that we must explain again why communism is bad, for those of us who truly remember 9/11, it seems crazy to blame the victims. But here we are.
Not every act of murder and terrorism committed by jihadis across the globe is the inevitable result of American foreign policy, which by the way, has done more to uplift the freedom and prosperity of the global poor than any nation in history.
Don’t let the communists get away with this shameful euphemism. Words mean things, and what Kiros and her ilk are clearly saying is that the attack on America was made inevitable and therefore justified, by America and its people. And it’s disgusting.
NFL Hall of Famer Dwight Freeney calls out league for putting games on too many streaming services
Dwight Freeney understands why the NFL has leaned further into streaming.
He also sees why many fans are frustrated.
The Pro Football Hall of Famer said he believes NFL games should remain broadly accessible, even as the league continues to place more games across subscription platforms. Freeney, who played 16 NFL seasons and finished his career with 125.5 sacks, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2024.
"I don’t like it," Freeney said when asked about the growing number of services fans may need to follow the league. "Just to be honest with you, I think it should be accessible to all fans, no matter what your economic bracket is."
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The issue has become a larger part of the NFL media conversation. The league’s 2026 schedule includes games across traditional broadcast networks, cable and multiple streaming platforms. According to the NFL, Prime Video will carry Thursday Night Football, Netflix will stream games in Week 1, on Thanksgiving Eve and on Christmas Day, and Peacock will exclusively stream a regular-season game in January.
Freeney said the local fan experience should remain central.
"If you can afford to get the local channels, you should be able to watch your favorite team on your local networks," he said. "And it shouldn’t be blacked out based on streaming and all of that."
The NFL has noted that its games remain available free over the air in local markets. In its 2026 schedule announcement, the league said it is the only sports league that presents all regular-season and postseason games on free over-the-air television in local markets.
But the broader access question has still drawn scrutiny in Washington. In June, the House Judiciary Committee released an interim staff report on the Sports Broadcasting Act and the NFL’s media model, saying fans increasingly need a combination of over-the-air, cable and streaming services to watch their favorite teams. The committee also said some fans must pay more than $600 per season to watch all of one team’s games.
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Sen. Mike Lee also asked the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission to examine whether the NFL’s current distribution practices still fit within the Sports Broadcasting Act’s limited antitrust protection. In that request, Lee said fans spent nearly $1,000 last season when cable, streaming and internet costs were combined.
Freeney did not dismiss the business side of the arrangement. He said the league’s streaming and television deals have financial benefits, including for players.
"I understand the money and the economics behind it," Freeney said. "A lot of money goes into signing those contracts with the Amazons and, you know, and I don’t even know if it’s Netflix now... I know it helps the players obviously, because the more money that you, the deals that you do off the field and TV deals, the more money the players are gonna get. And so I know it’s good for the league."
But he is still concerned for the consumers.
"The fans, I’m not so sure," Freeney said.
That balance is where Freeney’s position sits. He recognizes that streaming gives some viewers more flexibility. Fans who have the right subscriptions can watch on tablets, phones and other devices, without being tied to a traditional television setup.
"If you can afford it, great," Freeney said. "And then you have your iPad, you can bring it, you can stream everything, you don’t have to be at home, that’s great."
But Freeney still believes the league should look for a model that keeps streaming available while preserving local access.
"Maybe there’s a combination of things to whereas though they can do to whereas though you have the ability to stream, but it also is on your local networks," Freeney said. "I wish there was a way to figure that out."
Freeney acknowledged that he is not personally shut out by the current system. He said he subscribes to the services he needs, and then some. But he knows that does not reflect the reality for every fan.
"I’m a junkie," Freeney said. "I have all of them. I have every single streaming. Even if I don’t need it, I have it...
"I’m blessed enough to be able to have that ability to get all of those things," Freeney said. "My cable bill or my streaming bill is probably one of the higher ones... Not everyone has that ability maybe," Freeney said. "So, you know, I think they should have some way of changing certain things."
Even with every service, Freeney said the modern setup can still be difficult to follow.
"Sometimes, you know, even me, I’m having a hard time finding games from time to time," he said.
When asked what he is most interested in seeing during the upcoming NFL season, Freeney said he is looking for the team that exceeds expectations.
"I think it’s just seeing what team is gonna be the new team this year that no one’s talked about," Freeney said.
He said preseason predictions often miss on at least a few teams, even when the league’s most established rosters remain near the top. Every season, he said, there are teams that enter the year with little attention before emerging as legitimate contenders.
"So I wanna see who those surprises are," Freeney said.
As for Freeney's longtime team, the Indianapolis Colts, he saidIndianapolis Colts, saying Daniel Jones’ health will be a major factor in how far the offense can go. He praised head coach Shane Steichen’s ability to work with quarterbacks and said Jones could benefit if he trusts the system.
"If Daniel can stay healthy, I mean, sky’s the limit," Freeney said.
Defensively, Freeney said the Colts need to improve in key areas, particularly with the pass rush. As one of the best pass rushers of his generation, he said that will be one of the first things he watches.
"My question is, are we gonna get the pass rush that we need?" Freeney said. "If we can kind of mix the coverage with the rush, I think we’re gonna be good."
Freeney was more cautious when asked about the Seahawks’ chances of repeating. He said winning back-to-back championships is one of the hardest things to do in the NFL, especially in a competitive division.
"I would bet against the fact that they’re gonna repeat," Freeney said. "But that doesn’t mean they’re not gonna have a good year."
Freeney is making his return to the American Century Championship this month, saying he is trying to measure how much progress he has made since last year.
"I’m trying to see if my golf game is up to par," Freeney said, adding that he believes he has "an opportunity to be better this year than last year."
He described his previous performance as uneven, saying his game was "really good until it’s not." Freeney said the key for him is limiting the damage when a round starts to slip away.
"My whole goal right now is just to get to a point where I can be consistent, and my bad can’t be that bad," he said.
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Freeney said he is not focused on beating one particular competitor. Instead, he wants to manage the course, avoid letting one bad stretch turn into several bad holes, and put himself in position for a respectable finish.
"I’m not playing any individual, I’m really playing the course," Freeney said. "As long as I can stay steady, play golf the way that I know I can play, I’m gonna be in the top 15, hopefully."
He said he does not believe his game is ready to win the event, but he thinks he can compete for a top-15 or top-10 finish.
WWE star touts pro wrestlers tearing it up on independent circuit
Matt Cardona knows a thing or two about the independent pro wrestling scene.
After his release from WWE in April 2020, Cardona rebranded himself as the "Indy God" after spending years as Zack Ryder. He spent years cultivating his new look through several independent promotions and top companies in the U.S. whose names aren’t WWE or AEW.
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There are several pro wrestlers on the indies currently who are finding success with their own branding and marketing as well. Cardona named a few in a recent interview with Fox News Digital when asked who he thought was the new "Indy God."
"Who’s the ‘Indy God?’ Oh, I don’t know if anyone’s the ‘Indy God.’ But there are people who definitely have stepped up. For instance, Shotzi, who was in WWE at one time. When she left, I think she copied the Matt Cardona formula and good on her and we had some incredible matches together. She’s somebody who cares. I think effort is very, very important not just in independent wrestling but professional wrestling in general. If you aren’t doing whatever you can to succeed, like, if you don’t treat yourself like a big deal, I don’t think anyone else will. I would definitely put Shotzi on that list.
"Two others to look out for on the independents – Richard Holliday. He’s another one who is always on social media. He’s always trying to force himself down your throat just like I did when I was gone. When you’re not in WWE, you can’t take a day off of being on your phone. Like, Chelsea (Green), would always yell at me for always being on my phone, ‘You’re posting too much on social media.’ I said, babe, if you don’t want to be on your phone, WWE will post about you, WWE Shop will post about you, USA Network will post about you, ESPN, Netflix. If I don’t post about myself, no one is going to post about me. So, Richard Holliday, he’s taking that to heart.
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"Also, Ben Bishop, another guy. So, I would say, Shotzi, Ben Bishop and Richard Holliday, the three to look out for."
Right now, Shotzi is the Major League Wrestling women’s world champion and has appeared in several different promotions around the world.
Holliday and Bishop have also built up massive followings on social media, helping raise their profiles in the sport.
Cardona shared some advice to those who were trying to follow his path.
"It’s funny because guys and girls in the independents, they’d always ask me for advice. The answer was simple – don’t quit," he said. "Everyone has a different path. Everybody has a different journey but if you don’t quit … here’s what I would say, if you don’t quit, you might make it. If you quit, you definitely won’t. It’s as simple as that."
Missing mom's remains found, suspect with rap sheet already in jail on different charge
Deputies discovered the remains of a young mother buried at a home in North Carolina.
Jordan Wishon was reported missing by the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office on Friday. Two days after she vanished, investigators pivoted the search to a murder investigation after making the grim find while executing a search warrant.
In a post to social media, the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office said in part, "At approximately 5:17 a.m., investigators executed a search warrant at a residence on Pebblestone Lane in Rutherfordton. During the search, human remains were discovered buried on the property. Investigators were able to positively identify the remains as Jordan Wishon."
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The man accused of killing her has had prior run-ins with the law, reports show. Jaydakis Kashaune Hamilton, 25, of Rutherfordton, North Carolina, is now facing a first degree murder charge.
Hamilton was already in jail on another unrelated charge.
WLOS reported Hamilton was arrested for an alleged vehicle theft in Polk County, and prior to that the North Carolina State Highway Patrol charged him with reckless driving offenses and resisting arrest.
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Hamilton is currently in jail in Polk County awaiting his newest charge.
According to her obituary, Wishon was a 30-year-old mother who had one child and a fiance.
Casandra Toney, who said she is Wishon's sister, made a post to Facebook that said, "I’m gonna miss you so much. This is unfair. You did not deserve this, but I can’t promise you we will get justice for you."
She went on to say, "I hope you know at the end of the day. I do love you and we’ll always love you. You’re my sister you’re my big sister at that."
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The murder investigation is ongoing.
Two people climb to the top of Empire State Building with massive banner
Two people climbed on top of the Empire State Building Wednesday afternoon holding a banner reading "when the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace."
The New York City Police Department (NYPD) confirmed officers are responding.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Russian generals' assassinations expose growing rift inside Putin's security apparatus
For the second time in little more than a year, a blast tore through the Moscow suburb of Balashikha, Russia, and left a Russian military figure dead.
On June 9, explosives planted under a BMW detonated as the driver began leaving a parking lot, according to independent Russian outlet The Insider. The outlet identified the man killed as Lt. Gen. Damir Davydov, a Russian Defense Ministry official responsible for supplying missiles and artillery ammunition to Russian forces fighting in Ukraine.
The location was striking. The explosion occurred roughly 1,150 feet from the site where Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, deputy chief of the Main Operations Directorate of Russia's General Staff, was killed in a car bombing in April 2025, according to the French newspaper Le Monde.
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Months before Moskalik’s death, another senior Russian officer was assassinated in Moscow.
Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, the head of Russia’s nuclear, biological and chemical protection troops, was killed when a bomb hidden in an electric scooter exploded outside an apartment building. A source in Ukraine’s Security Service, known as the SBU, told Reuters the agency carried out the operation.
Together, the attacks are part of a broader pattern of assassinations and attempted assassinations targeting senior Russian military figures — a campaign that a European intelligence source says is now exposing tensions inside Putin’s own security system.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, senior Russian military figures have been killed in missile strikes, drone attacks, car bombings, crashes and frontline combat — a toll that, according to a European intelligence source, is now fueling internal tensions between Russia’s military and the FSB, Russia’s powerful domestic security service and successor to the Soviet KGB.
"There are internal frictions between Russian security institutions," a European intelligence source told Fox News Digital. "The Russian military wants the FSB to guarantee physical protection for Russian generals, but the FSB is opposed to taking responsibility for the military."
The dispute reflects a deeper rivalry inside Russian President Vladimir Putin’s system, where the security services have long held a privileged position over the armed forces, according to multiple sources.
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"This goes back to Soviet times," the European intelligence source said. "The security services do not like the military, and the military does not like the security services."
The central tension, according to the European intelligence source and Russian opposition figure Maxim Katz, is inside Putin’s own system: the war has elevated the importance of the military on the battlefield, while the political structure in Moscow still treats generals as a potential threat.
The result is a paradox for the Kremlin. Russia needs its military commanders to sustain the war, but the security services that dominate Putin’s system appear reluctant to take responsibility for protecting them.
At least 15 Russian generals have been confirmed killed since the full-scale invasion began, according to independent Russian outlet Mediazona.
The toll includes five lieutenant generals, seven major generals and three former generals.
Some died far from Moscow, closer to the battlefield.
Lt. Gen. Oleg Tsokov, deputy commander of Russia’s Southern Military District, was killed in July 2023 in a Ukrainian Storm Shadow missile strike on the Russian-occupied city of Berdiansk. Maj. Gen. Sergei Goryachev, chief of staff of the 35th Combined Arms Army, was killed in June 2023 during Ukraine’s counteroffensive in the Zaporizhzhia region. Maj. Gen. Vladimir Zavadsky, deputy commander of the 14th Army Corps, was killed near Krynky in southern Ukraine in November 2023.
Others were struck inside Russia or in Russian-controlled territory.
Lt. Gen. Alexander Otroshchenko, a senior Russian air force commander, died in a military transport plane crash over occupied Crimea in March 2026. Retired Maj. Gen. Kanamat Botashev, flying for the Wagner Group, was killed in May 2022 after his Su-25 was shot down over Ukraine’s Luhansk region.
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The losses began in the opening weeks of the invasion of Ukraine, when Maj. Gen. Andrei Sukhovetsky, deputy commander of Russia’s 41st Combined Arms Army, and Maj. Gen. Vladimir Frolov, deputy commander of the 8th Army, were killed.
Katz said the military has long occupied a vulnerable position inside the Russian power structure.
"In Russia, the FSB is the biggest and most powerful security organization, and Putin himself comes from that system," Katz told Fox News Digital. "The army, on the other hand, has always been viewed by these people as a threat."
Katz said the Kremlin historically has feared popular military figures because the army is one of the few institutions with the capacity to challenge political power.
"You will not find Russian military men in senior government positions," Katz said. "Since Stalin, they have been afraid of the army. Whenever there is a relatively well-known military figure with a name of his own, they deal with it somehow — legally, or like with Prigozhin, or like with other generals. In Russia, there is no such thing as a popular general."
Katz argued that even during wartime, when the military might be expected to gain status, Putin’s system keeps the army politically weak.
"The army does not take part in decision-making," Katz said. "It is funded now, but everything goes to the war. The generals are rich, but not like ministers or FSB people. Among the elites, they are the most deprived."
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That dynamic, Katz said, helps explain why Russian generals may not want the FSB responsible for their protection.
"For them, the FSB is a much bigger threat than the Ukrainian army," Katz said. "The Ukrainian army kills a general once in a while. The FSB puts generals in prison much faster."
The European intelligence source said the killings matter not only because of the operational losses, but because of the psychological effect inside the Russian army.
"Putin understands that losing prominent Russian generals can affect morale within the Russian army, which is already low from the Russian perspective," the source said.
The apparent compromise, according to the European intelligence source, was to shift responsibility away from the FSB.
"The FSB did not want to deal with military protection, so the security service of the Russian presidential administration would take care of those generals," the source said.
Katz said the internal pressure on Putin may also collide with Russia’s parliamentary elections in September — a moment he believes Western observers are largely ignoring.
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He said the vote will not be free, and the Kremlin is expected to manipulate the results.
But he argued that if public support for Putin’s United Russia party has fallen sharply, it may become harder for the regime to make the official results appear believable.
"Everyone already knows what results they will announce," Katz said. "The question is whether anyone will believe those results."
Katz said Putin’s system has long depended not only on control, but on the perception that the Kremlin still commands broad public support.
"Putin has never ruled in a situation where he does not have a majority," Katz said. "His legitimacy rests on everyone believing that he has majority support. Once everyone believes he does not have a majority, and that he did not just cheat a little but simply drew the results, that is a different story."
He compared the potential challenge to authoritarian systems that are forced to move from managed popularity to open coercion.
"Putin cannot lose like Orban," Katz said. "But if everyone in Russia knows that everyone voted against him and he drew the results in his favor, that would be a new situation. He has never been in that position before."
Fox News Digital reached out to the Russian and Ukrainian governments for comment but did not receive responses in time for publication.
RNC chair predicts first-ever midterm convention will turn Dallas into ‘Trumpapalooza’ for 2026 fight
EXCLUSIVE - Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters predicted Wednesday that Republicans will "knock it out of the park" at the party’s first-ever midterm convention, casting the Dallas gathering as a "Trumpapalooza" aimed at firing up GOP voters in a difficult midterm climate.
Gruters spoke exclusively with Fox News Digital a day after President Donald Trump announced the Sept. 9-10 convention in Dallas, an unusual effort to put Trump and the GOP’s 2026 message center stage before voters decide control of Congress.
"It gives us a chance to highlight all the wonderful things this president has done in our effort on this great American comeback to highlight the ideas, policies and people that's making it happen," Gruters said.
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National political conventions, where party delegates from around the country formally nominate their party's presidential candidates, normally take place during presidential election years.
But with Republicans facing a rough political climate as they aim to protect their narrow control of the Senate and their razor-thin House majority in this year's elections, they see the midterm convention as an effective vehicle to get their message out.
"We can win. It's going to start here at the convention. I'm super excited about it," Gruters emphasized.
And pointing to primary victories in recent weeks by far-left and socialist candidates over the Democratic Party establishment, Gruters said "we're going to be able to highlight and contrast where the Republican Party is versus what the left is, and the fact that they're getting pushed and now controlled and being run by these radical leftists that want to fundamentally change our country."
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Party leaders are also hoping the convention will help to energize MAGA voters who don't always vote when Trump isn't on the ballot.
Gruters called Trump the "best showman that's ever existed in politics, bar none... He knows how to deliver these low-propensity voters. He knows how to get people up, motivated, excited about the midterms, and that's what we're going to need."
Currently, the president's approval ratings remain well underwater, with many Americans rating him poorly on his handling of the economy and on the issue of affordability.
Democratic National Committee (DNC) Director of Rapid Response Kendall Witmer told Fox News Digital on Tuesday evening, "The American people can’t afford their bills or to fill up at the pump because of Donald Trump, and Republicans’ response is to throw a multi-million dollar televised celebration for Trump that will only remind Americans of his failed promise to them and tie already flailing Republican swing-seat candidates to a historically unpopular president."
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The DNC, which significantly trails the RNC in fundraising, considered holding a midterm convention but decided earlier this year not to move forward with the costly event.
Witmer emphasized that "Democrats are already hitting the trail and speaking directly with American voters about our plans to cut costs and make health care affordable.
WATCH: Obama, Harris advisor warns ‘betrayed’ Black voters could be Texas Senate candidate's kryptonite
Democratic strategists are worried that Senate hopeful James Talarico’s chances of flipping Texas blue are being jeopardized by what they see as a major vulnerability: a lack of enthusiasm on the part of Texas Black voters, who are feeling "betrayed" by the party.
Veteran Democratic strategist Ashley Etienne, a former advisor to President Barack Obama and Vice President Kamala Harris, said that despite Talarico’s history of controversial statements, she believes he is "incredibly well positioned" to become the first Democrat to flip a Texas Senate seat blue in decades. However, she identified one major vulnerability, saying Black voters are "feeling like they were betrayed" by "what happened to Jasmine Crockett."
Talarico, a Texas state lawmaker and Presbyterian seminarian, defeated Black congresswoman Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate earlier this year.
Etienne explained that following Crockett’s defeat, "some voters, Black women in particular, are feeling as though the Democratic Party and Democratic candidates want our labor, but not our leadership." The "two biggest examples," she said, are "Kamala Harris' loss and Jasmine Crockett's loss."
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Talarico’s history of hot takes, such as saying he "hates Christianity," calling God "nonbinary" and asserting that there are six sexes, has caused significant controversy. While Etienne believes that Talarico can swat away these resurfaced comments, she believes the feeling of Black voter "betrayal" could sink his Senate hopes.
A Texas native, Etienne also served as a senior advisor to former President Joe Biden, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and several members of Congress from Texas. She now runs the communications firm, Etienne & Saint.
She referenced an opinion piece she co-authored in the Houston Chronicle, in which she quoted one Black female voter, who said, "We as Black women give 92 percent of our vote to the Democratic Party, and we get nothing out of the deal."
"That's one example of what I think is a larger sentiment across Black women," she explained.
This, Etienne posited, is an "alarm warning for Talarico."
Why should Talarico be worried about this? According to Etienne, approximately 1.1 million registered Black voters in Texas are not voting. To pull off an upset in the traditionally solid red state, Etienne said Talarico will have to motivate that untapped voter base. The key to doing that, she said, is appealing to Black women.
When it comes to motivating the Democratic base, Etienne posited that "Black women aren't just another constituency."
"We are a force multiplier effect when it comes to Black voters," she said. "We have the ability to bring the entire community to – and we have proven that we do this every cycle after cycle – bring the entire community to the polls."
In other words, Etienne explained that "if the mood of Black women is low, then you lose an opportunity … to really reach and mobilize and engage and energize the rest of the Black community."
"That's the nut he's going to have to crack," she said.
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Dallas Jones, a Democratic strategist who served as the Texas political director for the 2020 Biden-Harris campaign, echoed Etienne's assessment. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Jones criticized Talarico supporters for pressuring Crockett to stump for him. Crockett has endorsed Talarico but has been notably absent from the campaign trail.
"There's rhetoric that's being turned up that she has to come and support him, and a lot of that is coming from people that support him," he noted. "So, what it translates to is people basically telling this accomplished, decorated, Black female member of Congress what she ought to do. And all that does is stoke flames and fires for her supporters, who are saying, ‘She really doesn't have to do anything. You won, you're the nominee, you come earn our vote, she doesn't have to help you do that.’"
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"There are millions of black Texans out there ready for the taking, ready to support the campaign … [but] every day that goes by there's an erosion of that support," Jones continued.
Jones said that he does not think Talarico’s controversial statements will have much of an impact on the Black vote in Texas "considering the alternative" is Republican state Attorney General Ken Paxton.
"There will be a lot of energy and effort to weaponize those types of statements," he said. "But I truly don't think that it's going to have a huge impact."
"Black Texans that show up in November are not voting for Ken Paxton," Jones asserted. "The challenge is creating the enthusiasm to get enough of them to go and vote for him."
"He himself has admitted that he cannot win the state without Black voters," he continued, adding, "It's not a persuasion game, it's an enthusiasm game."
Fox News Digital reached out to Talarico's campaign for comment. Fox News Digital also reached out to Crockett's office and Paxton's campaign for comment.
As American pride hits a 25-year low, a new 9/11 education platform urges the nation to never forget
FIRST ON FOX — A new national push to preserve the memory of the September 11 terrorist attacks for generations too young to remember that day is launching this week ahead of America’s 250th anniversary.
Starting July 1, the 9/11 Legacy Foundation will offer a free national curriculum on Freedom250.org to educate, increase awareness and encourage civic action. Built around an "Active Remembrance" model, the curriculum is designed to help participants not just learn about these historical events but also preserve these memories through community engagement. The website features modules designed from audiences of all ages that are customizable for elementary schools, universities, families, churches and corporations, and it maps out more than 1,100 memorial sites across the nation.
Dr. Chris Meek, founder of the 9/11 Legacy Foundation, told Fox News Digital the initiative is more important now than ever, citing educational gaps, alarming online trends and declining patriotism.
Only 14 states currently mandate 9/11 education in schools, he said. Meek is also concerned by data showing American pride has hit a 25-year-low, according to Gallup, following other polling indicating many young people struggle to define the phrase, "Never Forget," along with TikTok videos sympathizing with Usama bin Laden’s 2002 "Letter to America" that racked up millions of views.
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The release also comes just days after Colorado Democratic Socialist candidate Melat Kiros drew national headlines for saying that the 9/11 attacks were "inevitable" after U.S. and Israeli military actions in the Middle East.
Meek told Fox News Digital this curriculum combats online misinformation by sticking strictly to the documented facts surrounding that day.
"This is presenting all the facts, not the theories of conspiracy theories that are out there," Meek said. "We've just mapped out everything that's factual in nature... So it's allowing people to put their fingertips on the facts, and not listening to somebody's video or read a social media post based on theory or rhetoric."
With over 100 million Americans born in the years after September 11, Meek says it's more important than ever to help new generations of Americans understand what these attacks cost America.
Terrorists hijacked four jets and crashed three of them into the World Trade Center and Pentagon; the fourth was forced down in a field in Pennsylvania by heroic passengers trying to prevent another building from being attacked.
Nearly 3,000 people were killed by the attacks. Thousands of deaths have also been attributed to illnesses related to toxic exposure at Ground Zero in New York City.
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"September 11 is not just a chapter in a history book, it is a living legacy that continues to shape who we are as a nation," he said in a statement. "Being part of the Freedom 250 platform on this milestone observance means that as Americans pause to reflect on 250 years of freedom, they will also have the opportunity to engage deeply with one of the most defining moments of the last 25 years."
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Meek's mission is born out of his first-hand experience as a survivor of the terror attacks. On Sept. 11, 2001, he was working as a trader for Goldman Sachs, less than half a mile from Ground Zero. The experience drove him to dedicate his life to giving back to U.S. service members, leading him to co-found SoldierStrong, a nonprofit that provides medical technology to help injured veterans.
With the 25th anniversary of 9/11 falling 69 days after America's 250th, Meek hopes the resource will help Americans embrace the unity and patriotism that arose in the days following that tragic day.
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"More than ever this country is divided, for various reasons. We need to go back to the way we were on Sept. 12, where everyone was the United States of America," he said.
This Sept. 11 will mark the 25th anniversary of the attacks.
Kathy Griffin claims gatekeepers at Jimmy Fallon’s ‘Tonight Show’ banned her for being 'too controversial'
Kathy Griffin claimed in an Instagram post on Tuesday that she had been banned from "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" for being inappropriate and controversial.
"I have not done the Jimmy Fallon show since it was on at 12:30 Eastern and Pacific, so I guess I’m banned from the Fallon show, or inappropriate, or too controversial," Griffin said in the video posted to Instagram. "I don’t even know. When you’re banned from a show — and if you guys know me, I’m banned from most of them. You’re welcome, America and Indonesia — they don’t usually tell you you’re banned. They just can’t seem to find room for you."
In 2017, Griffin drew bipartisan backlash after posting an image of herself holding a Halloween mask covered in ketchup that appeared to resemble the severed head of President Donald Trump. In addition to facing condemnation, Griffin was investigated by the Secret Service over whether the image constituted a threat against the president.
A source with knowledge on the matter told Fox News Digital that there is no ban on Griffin.
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She said she liked Fallon, but then slammed him for having Conor McGregor on in her Instagram tirade.
"I think the Fallon folks made a mistake by having Conor McGregor on," Griffin said. "I think it sends yet another message to women and marginalized folks everywhere that we’re not equal and you can do anything to us and the perpetrators are still going to be out there being glorified."
Griffin said it reminded her of when Fallon had Trump on the show and it didn't sit well with her.
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"I think it’s time we kind of make up our minds about who we’re going to cancel and who we’re not," she added. "Take it from the most canceled celebrity in history, look it up. As the kids say, do better."
Griffin recently addressed an old photo she had taken with Trump, who she regularly criticizes now.
She clarified that an old image of her and Trump sitting amicably next to each other at an event was, in fact, "not an AI photo."
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At the start of a video posted to her YouTube channel in early June, Griffin claimed that several people had been sending her a picture of her with Trump, whom she described as "someone I used to know, but now I don’t care to know any longer."
Griffin confirmed that the photo was real, adding that she previously had a friendly relationship with Trump.
"I know. Can you f---ing believe it?" Griffin exclaimed. "There was a time I knew Donald as someone who would show up at the opening of an envelope, and I would sit next to him sometimes, and he’d laugh at my jokes. I’m not glorifying him in his last, final days in any way. I want to show you that is not an AI photo, and that's why I got the dress out, which I still fit into, by the way, because that picture's got to be 20 years old."