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Trump admin pauses visa appointments worldwide amid heightened screening for applicants
The Trump administration has directed U.S. embassies and consulates around the world to postpone immigrant visa interviews while consular officers complete training on new public-charge guidance, temporarily stalling applications that have reached the interview stage.
The State Department told diplomatic posts to reschedule immigrant visa interviews until consular officers complete the training on how to evaluate whether an applicant is likely to become a public charge.
A public-charge determination can make an immigrant visa applicant inadmissible under federal immigration law if officials determine the person is likely to become dependent on certain forms of public assistance after arriving in the U.S.
"In early August, we launched a global training initiative at all of our embassies and consulates worldwide. To accommodate this in-depth training, appointments for visa services will be adjusted," a State Department official said in a statement.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PROPOSES SIX-FIGURE PRICE TAG FOR NEW H-1B VISAS
The official added that the training is intended to ensure evaluations of visa applicants are made "comprehensively and consistently."
For most diplomatic posts, the training sessions are expected to take place this week.
The State Department did not say when affected applicants would be notified of their rescheduled interview dates.
The scheduling changes have sparked uncertainty among immigrant visa applicants who received emails informing them that their interviews had been canceled without instructions for immediately rescheduling them.
STATE DEPARTMENT BLASTS BACK AT 'ROGUE JUDGE' WHO OVERTURNED AGGRESSIVE VISA CRACKDOWN
Applicants were told they would receive future notice of a new interview date but were not given a timeline for when that communication could be expected.
The move comes as President Donald Trump pursues a broader immigration crackdown that has extended beyond illegal immigration to legal immigration pathways. While Trump campaigned in 2024 on curbing illegal immigration, his administration has also imposed additional restrictions on legal immigration, including higher fees for certain work visas and new limits on how long some foreign students and journalists can remain in the US.
The administration has also pursued visa revocations and removal proceedings in cases involving political activity and speech, including some anti-Israel activists. Those efforts have prompted court challenges alleging violations of free-speech and due-process protections.
The administration said Monday that it was preparing to revoke the business and tourism visas of up to 200,000 foreigners who have applied for or are seeking asylum in the U.S., a move that would represent the largest mass visa revocation in U.S. history.
The immigration agenda has also faced legal setbacks. On Friday, a federal judge struck down a State Department policy suspending the issuance of immigrant visas to applicants from 75 countries, ruling that the policy exceeded Secretary of State Marco Rubio's statutory authority.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Prosecutor in infamous killer mom case says women on Lindsay Clancy jury may bring ‘strange twist’ to verdict
A South Carolina lawmaker who prosecuted Susan Smith in her infamous double-murder case says the women on Lindsay Clancy's jury could prove to be a "strange twist," and may be less sympathetic to her than many assume.
Clancy, 36, has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of her children — Cora, Dawson and Callan, all younger than 6 — who were discovered strangled at the family's home in January 2023.
Her defense attorney says she was experiencing postpartum psychosis at the time she killed her children.
LINDSAY CLANCY'S THREE CHILD VICTIMS FORGOTTEN AMID CROWDS OF SUPPORT: MOTHER OF SIX
Testimony is expected to finish on Wednesday, with closing arguments anticipated for Thursday, after which the case will go to the jury. The panel seated for the trial is made up of 12 women and six men, but only 12 of them will deliberate, the rest serve as alternates and will be dismissed before deliberations begin.
Smith is the South Carolina mother who was convicted of killing her two young sons, 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alexander, by strapping them into her car and letting it roll into a lake. Prosecutors argued she killed them in part because the man she was romantically involved with didn't want a relationship with women who had kids. She was sentenced to life in prison.
Rep. Tommy Pope, who is currently the speaker pro tempore for the South Carolina House of Representatives, prosecuted Smith and told Fox News Digital that women on the jury might be less sympathetic to Clancy than people think.
"For the most part, the women were the ones that said, you know, when I had my kids, I went through hell, or I went through depression, or I battled this, or I was overwhelmed. But they're the most important thing in my life," Pope said. "And so, strange twist, while a woman may have even faced postpartum depression, she may have overcome it and then be less sympathetic to Clancy."
On the flip side, Pope said Clancy's current physical condition might complicate things for the prosecution in an unexpected way.
"A weird mix, too, is having her in the courtroom, whether she intentionally injured herself or, as the prosecution said, tried to slide down and just got injured. You have somebody that's now paralyzed, which obviously doesn't equate to killing three children," Pope said. "But some jurors, and I would think maybe even more so men, would think, well, she's already punished. She's in a wheelchair. So in a strange twist, it could almost be the opposite."
LINDSAY CLANCY DEFENSE SCORES ‘EXTREMELY HELPFUL’ PSYCHOSIS CONCESSION AS EXPERT FLAGS NEXT HURDLE
Prosecutors on Tuesday continued to challenge the psychosis argument that Clancy's defense attorney says frees her from criminal responsibility for her children's deaths.
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Gregory Saathoff, a forensic psychiatrist at the University of Virginia who consults for the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit, told jurors that Clancy's self-described auditory hallucinations were "very unusual."
PROSECUTOR CORNERS LINDSAY CLANCY'S CATHOLIC MOTHER-IN-LAW WITH 'MORTAL SIN' QUESTION
"What was significant to me is that she had not spoken about hearing voices before to any of the mental health professionals, psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, physicians and staff in the emergency department, or at McLean," Saathoff said.
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"This was the first time she reported that, and that she experienced an auditory hallucination, according to what she told me. So that was unusual. And then what was very unusual was the fact that the voice stopped with the strangling of her youngest son," he added.
In another blow to Clancy's defense, prosecutors asked psychologist Kirk Heilbrun whether someone hearing a command hallucination could still conform their conduct to the law.
WATCH: Prosecution expert says psychosis doesn't always erase knowing right from wrong
"In some cases they can," he responded.
Earlier in the week, Clancy's defense called its own experts and argued she's not criminally responsible. Dr. Phillip Resnick, a forensic psychiatrist, testified that Clancy killed her children while she was experiencing a "command hallucination," stating she felt like "a puppet."
"Not only did she hear a command, but she felt that her body was taken over by an external force where she was in a dream state and did not have control of her own body. It was almost like she was a puppet and someone else was pulling the strings," Resnick said.
Outside the courtroom on Tuesday, one person told Fox News Digital she was there in support of Lindsay Clancy because "I've always been aware that mental health is something that's woefully in need of funding, education, all that."
WATCH: Lindsay Clancy supporter outside court says trial exposes gaps in mental health support
"This trial has really made a lot of us realize just how bad things are. Obviously, a really sad story and hard to listen to at times. But if this moves the needle just a teeny tiny bit, and women start to experience more support, then I'm here for that. I was just telling my friend that when I had my children and left the hospital, nobody really said anything about postpartum, you know, be on the lookout for things. And...you know, we just had to figure it out ourselves. It shouldn't be that way. And I hope things change," the woman said.
NYC manhunt underway for suspect accused of deadly shootings across 2 boroughs days apart
A man accused of gunning down a customer during a Bronx deli robbery is also wanted in connection with a deadly Brooklyn shooting two days earlier, police said.
The suspect, identified by the NYPD as 31-year-old Jesus Acosta, is being hunted in connection with two deadly shootings that unfolded days apart across New York City, police told Fox News Digital.
The latest attack happened around 12:16 a.m. Tuesday at 149 Grill & Deli at 143 East 149th Street in the Bronx, where a gunman approached a 33-year-old man and opened fire, striking him multiple times in the chest, according to police and FOX 5 New York.
NEW YORK BODEGA WORKER KILLED LESS THAN A YEAR AFTER EXPRESSING FEAR TO REPORTER OVER VIOLENCE
After the shooting, the gunman forcibly removed an unknown amount of cash from behind the register and fled, police said.
The victim was rushed to Lincoln Hospital and was initially listed in stable condition, but later died from his injuries Tuesday. Police subsequently deemed the case a homicide.
Acosta is also wanted in connection with a shooting inside 842 Rockaway Ave. in Brooklyn shortly after midnight Sunday that left a 44-year-old man dead and another man wounded, the NYPD said.
The New York Post identified the location as American Best Wings & Pizza.
MAN FACES MURDER CHARGE AFTER INNOCENT 12-YEAR-OLD IS KILLED IN BRONX STREET GUNFIRE
Officers responding to a 911 call about an assault in progress found the 44-year-old victim with a gunshot wound to the head and a 39-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg.
Both men were taken to One Brooklyn Health-Brookdale Hospital Medical Center, where the 44-year-old was pronounced dead. The 39-year-old man was listed in stable condition, according to police.
"Have you seen Jesus Acosta? He is wanted for the fatal shooting of a 44-year-old man on 8/23 inside 842 Rockaway Ave in Brooklyn and a robbery from 8/25 at 143 East 149 St in the Bronx," the NYPD wrote on X before announcing that the Bronx victim had also died.
Acosta is described as 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighing about 175 pounds, with short brown hair and brown eyes.
He has the word "Bronx" tattooed on his hand and the name "Bobby" tattooed on his left forearm, the NYPD told Fox News Digital.
Police released surveillance images of Acosta and are urging anyone who recognizes him to come forward.
Trump-endorsed candidate clears key hurdle in red state gubernatorial race
Mike Mazzei, a former Oklahoma state senator and financial planner, won a primary election runoff on Tuesday evening with the backing of President Donald Trump to secure the GOP nomination for governor in Oklahoma.
Having beaten out Gentner Drummond, the current Oklahoma attorney general, Mazzei is now the heavy favorite to become the Sooner State’s next governor. His win is also a political victory for outgoing Gov. Kevin Stitt, who has opposed Drummond for years.
Stitt and Drummond have sparred over lawsuits, pointed letters and public criticisms. At one point, Stitt even described Drummond as a "longtime political enemy" in a quote to local outlets.
TRUMP-BACKED CANDIDATE SPARKS RUNOFF AGAINST POPULAR PROSECUTOR IN KEY GUBERNATORIAL RACE
The feud between them centers on Drummond’s attacks of Oklahoma poultry companies for what he sees as decades of phosphorus pollution in water supplies. Stitt has rebuffed those characterizations, calling them an overreach of Drummond’s role as attorney general and warning that litigation against the companies could threaten jobs and the agricultural industry of the state.
Stitt endorsed Mazzei, stating that "we want a pro-business governor in there to take the lead for the next four years."
Stitt is prevented by term limits from running again. His exit prompted a crowded field of hopefuls to replace him, but after an initial primary on June 2, no candidate secured the 50% support needed to lock up the nomination outright.
Only Drummond and Mazzei advanced to a runoff.
Like Stitt, President Donald Trump also endorsed Mazzei, calling him a "MAGA warrior."
"As a successful Businessman, and former Chairman of the State Senate Finance Committee, and later, as Oklahoma’s Secretary of Budget, Mike knows the AMERICA FIRST Policies required to Grow our Economy, Create GREAT Jobs, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., and Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE," Trump wrote in a May post to Truth Social.
TRUMP-BACKED FIREBRAND WINS ARIZONA GOP GOVERNOR PRIMARY, SETTING UP HIGH-STAKES SHOWDOWN
Mazzei based his campaign on promises to cut taxes, among other state-government reforms.
"I have a detailed plan to eliminate Oklahoma’s income tax in six years. I have a plan to eliminate property taxes for seniors and veterans," Mazzei said in a campaign video posted to Instagram.
In addition to tax reforms, Mazzei highlighted preventing foreign nationals from buying up state land, bolstering the Oklahoma education system and government spending accountability.
In turn, Mazzei tried to paint Drummond as a fake Republican with a penchant for expanding government.
"His solution to every problem is to raise taxes and grow government," Mazzei said.
"He doesn’t understand money and finance. Crunching numbers is a skill you pick up when you earn your wealth rather than inherit it."
In his own campaign, Drummond, a multigenerational rancher and former fighter pilot, highlighted his record as attorney general. On his website, he touted having confronted Chinese criminal operations growing illegal marijuana farms, shutting down thousands of their illegal grow operations and enforcing immigration law.
"As a tough-on-crime attorney general and decorated fighter pilot, I have proven I will always fight for our freedom and defend our values," Drummond said in a campaign video.
"I’ll keep standing strong with President Trump to secure the border, deport illegals and stop the flow of drugs and crime," Drummond said.
The Club for Growth, a pro-small-government group that advocates for lower taxes and free-market principles and contributed $9 million in support of Mazzei, praised his win.
"Mike Mazzei is a principled conservative who will advocate for lower taxes, fewer regulations, and for Oklahoma parents to have a voice in their children’s education," Club for Growth PAC President David McIntosh said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"Meanwhile, Gentner Drummond has spent his career putting radical education bureaucrats ahead of families by opposing school freedom. The message is clear, if you oppose school freedom and call yourself a Republican, expect to lose your next primary."
Having cleared the primary, Mazzei will face off against Democratic nominee Cyndi Munson, House minority leader in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The general election is set for Nov. 3.
Newly released texts confirm Anthony Fauci and other 'experts' always knew mask mandates wouldn't work
When Sen. Rand Paul released private texts and messages from Anthony Fauci to the public several weeks ago, it brought the now-former head of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases back into the national conversation.
Many involved in that national conversation have been critical of what the "Fauci diaries" revealed. That the supposedly unbiased "expert" was, in fact, anything but. Instead, he was an arrogant, self-obsessed, fame-hungry, frequently dishonest narcissist.
Other "news" outlets like CNN or MSNBC either ignored the controversy over his diary, and the many inconsistencies in it, preferring to avoid humiliating themselves for their past hero worship.
ANTHONY FAUCI DIARY ENTRIES SET SOCIAL MEDIA ABLAZE AS CRITICS MOCK, CONDEMN BEHAVIOR
It wasn't just the emails that caused embarrassment for Fauci and his media partners, however. Text messages released by Sen. Ron Johnson showed that he had legitimate concerns over the possibility that COVID vaccines were causing side effects in pregnant mothers. Concerns that warranted further investigation, regardless of the outcome.
Well, there are some more new text messages that should cast doubt on both Fauci's public statements and the media's all-too-willing promotion of them.
One such message came from Michael Osterholm. Osterholm is an epidemiologist at the University of Minnesota, as well as a professor in the school's public health department. Importantly, he's also the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP). CIDRAP became famous during COVID when one of their articles, published in April 2020, acknowledged the truth, that there was no evidence to support cloth masking to stop the spread of the virus. They then were forced to issue "clarifications" when pressure became overwhelming to support masks, regardless of the data and evidence.
Osterholm sent this text message in August 2021 to several people, with just their first names included. One was "Jeff," likely Jeff Zients, the COVID response coordinator at the start of the Biden administration. Another was "Vivek," again likely Vivek Murthy, the Surgeon General under Biden. Then there was "Tony," the popular nickname for Fauci among those who knew him personally. And finally "Rochelle," which was almost certainly a reference to then-CDC director Rochelle Walensky.
The contents of the text were enormously revealing, as it confirmed what most Fauci-critics long suspected: they all knew the masks they'd been recommending didn't work.
"Dear Jeff, Vivek, Tony and Rochelle, I'm sending this via text messaging to avoid any FOIA issues," Osterholm started, in a clear admission that these "experts" frequently worked to hide information from the public.
"On Friday a Newsmax reporter asked Jen Psaki about my comments on face cloth coverings and protection against SARS-CoV-2 transmission. The reporter completely mischaracterized my comments made on numerous occasions over the past 16 months about 'masks' and the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. She was taking the Florida governor's approach. Since April, 2020, I have been consistent in my messaging about the roles that aerosols play in transmission, and the limited benefit that cloth face coverings play in reducing risk."
Ah, yes. The very cloth masks that Fauci, Walensky, Murthy and Zients had worked tirelessly to promote to the American people. The cloth masks that were mandated by politicians across the country, forced onto toddlers, those with learning disabilities, or with compliance requirements that resulted in disagreements, fights, or being removed from businesses or other public places. They didn't work, because the virus was transmitted via aerosols and not droplets. And the science on this was clear, and had not changed since April 2020.
Osterholm knew this, had clearly told the other "experts" the same, and they ignored the science and pushed masks anyway.
The text continues by acknowledging that the "national industrial hygienists expert group on respiratory protection" had found that cloth face coverings had virtually no protective benefit as opposed to wearing nothing.
"N-95s are necessary to be effective reducing risk with aerosol transmission. Here is a link to the ACGIH website (the national industrial hygienists expert group on respiratory protection.) (https://1lnfej4c7wie44voctzq1r57-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Fact_Sheet_Face-Mask.pdf) Note the very limited protection from face cloth coverings versus no respiratory protection at all."
In order to save face with Fauci, Walensky and Murthy, Osterholm then adds that he supports "masking," but that it should be with N95 masks. That's also wrong, as we'll see shortly, but at the very least there's more rational basis for it than the masks Fauci and Walensky demanded people wear. More importantly though, Osterholm once again reveals the uncomfortable truth: all of the CDC's supporting "evidence" was essentially fake.
"CMS has supported an expert review group process for evaluating respiratory protection studies since the early days of the pandemic and have found none of the studies that CDC uses to support its statement as to the significant protection of face cloth coverings stand up to scientific scrutiny," he wrote.
Imagine if this had been widely reported and acknowledged in 2020 and 2021. The CDC's research on masks was virtually useless. Some, who, ahem, wrote books about this, had pointed that out at the time. But to see Osterholm tell Fauci and Walensky that the "studies" they used and referred to were garbage is both refreshing and infuriating.
These are highly credentialed "experts" who know what high-quality research looks like. For all their flaws, they weren’t and aren’t unintelligent or uneducated. They knew that the CDC had put out junk science to justify their position on masks, then promoted and defended it anyway because they wanted mask mandates, even though those mandates were obviously failing.
Osterholm wasn't done there, saying that the CDC's mistakes didn't end there.
"As we all know, CDC was very late to the game recognizing that aerosols play a significant role in the transmission picture. Just look at the current US map of Delta activity and see how fast and far it has spread throughout the US. This is largely aerosol transmission driven, not respiratory droplets," Osterholm said.
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Aerosols were the driving force of COVID transmission. Which meant that masks were always going to be useless, as pre-pandemic planning research had already confirmed. The CDC took an extraordinarily long time to admit that, likely because they knew what it meant about masking.
Osterholm goes on to urge more N95 masks, but closes with this important takeaway: "I am certain one day that one of the take-away findings of this pandemic was the constant USG emphasis on masking while at the same time providing minimal guidance to the public what effective masking means."
He was right, to an extent. There is no such thing as "effective masking." But the obsessive government emphasis on it was and is a constant, permanent source of embarrassment and failure. Masks didn't work, and public health officials torched their credibility to pretend they did.
Oh, and those N95 masks? Yeah they didn't work either. Several German states followed Osterholm's advice and mandated N95-grade masks in public. They then reported higher case rates than the states that had "lower quality" mandates.
None of it worked. And they all knew it and pretended otherwise anyway.
Dolly Parton refused to pick political sides for decades: ‘I’m not in politics, I’m an entertainer’
Dolly Parton spent decades singing about love, heartbreak, faith and working "9 to 5," but there was one arena the country music legend repeatedly resisted entering: partisan politics.
"I am not political, and I refuse to get caught up in political things," Parton told USA Today in a 2020 interview.
Parton, who died Tuesday at 80, maintained that position through the presidential elections, pointed questions about President Donald Trump, offers of the nation's highest civilian honor and controversies involving some of her fellow entertainers.
KENNY CHESNEY TELLS BILL MAHER THE KEY REASON HE REFUSES TO TELL HIS LISTENERS HOW TO VOTE
"I don't like to get involved in politics, because first of all, I have as many Republican fans as I do Democrats," Parton told USA Today. "I don't want to offend anybody, I have a right to myself."
"Like God gave us free will, America gave us free speech, but you've got to be responsible for anything you say and do," she added.
Two years earlier, Parton was repeatedly pressed about Trump during an interview with ABC's David Wright, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel.
DWAYNE 'THE ROCK' JOHNSON REJECTS HOLLYWOOD’S POLITICAL OBSESSION, BLASTS CELEBRITY ATTACK CULTURE
"I have a lot of fans out there, and I don’t want to offend anybody," Parton said.
When Wright attempted to draw a parallel between Trump and the sexually abusive boss in Parton's 1980 film "9 to 5," she refused to bite.
"I’m not addressing that," Parton said. "I learned a long time ago, keep your damn mouth shut if you want to stay in show business. … I’m not in politics, I’m an entertainer."
When Wright pointed out that Parton was also a role model, she responded: "Yes I am. That’s why I don’t talk about people."
JOHNNY CARSON'S FRIEND SAYS LATE-NIGHT KING WISELY AVOIDED PARTISANSHIP AS KIMMEL CONTROVERSY GROWS
Parton's determination to avoid partisan politics with one of America's highest honors.
She revealed in 2021 that the Trump administration had twice offered her the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Parton said she declined the first offer because her husband, Carl Dean, was ill and the second because she would not travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the BBC.
By then, the Biden administration had also approached her about the award. "Now I feel like if I take it, it'll be doing politics, so I'm not so sure," Parton told NBC's "Today."
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Her aversion to political camps did not mean she kept quiet about everything she believed.
"I know whatever I say, people are going to listen, and they’re going to make more of it than maybe what I meant. So I have to be careful," Parton told People in 2021. "Of course I have my opinion, but I’m not an opinionated person as a rule. You’re allowed your own beliefs and your own faith, but you don’t have to use it like a weapon when it could be a tool."
Parton's political neutrality was something she could joke about.
"My daddy was a Republican, my mama was a Democrat, and I’m a hypocrite!" Parton famously quipped, pronouncing 'hypocrite' as 'hypo-crat' in her iconic Tennessee drawl.
Parton's philosophy was tested again when she recorded a duet with Kid Rock for her 2023 album, "Rockstar."
Parton defended working with the conservative musician after she was questioned about the collaboration, telling The Hollywood Reporter that she had recorded the song before a controversy involving Kid Rock but would likely have worked with him anyway, according to Rolling Stone.
"Hey, just because I love you don’t mean I don’t love Kid Rock. Just because I love Kid Rock don’t mean I don’t love you," Parton said. "I don’t condemn or criticize. I just accept and love."
Parton said she still would "probably" have recorded the duet because she considered Kid Rock talented and believed accepting someone did not require agreeing with everything they did.
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"I think that’s terrible," Parton said, according to Rolling Stone. "We all make mistakes. We don’t all get caught at it."
Parton tied that belief to her Christian faith, arguing that people deserved forgiveness and second chances.
"I ask God every day to let Him shine through me. He’s given me that gift to be able to talk to them, and I’m very careful with it. And people don’t really come to see me be me — they come to see me be them, the parts of me they can relate to," she told People in 2021.
During the 2016 presidential campaign, Parton clarified that she had not endorsed Hillary Clinton after comments she made about the Democratic nominee were interpreted as an endorsement, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel.
Asked later about the race between Clinton and Trump, Parton jokingly called the campaign "the greatest show on television," and described both candidates as "nuts."
Even running for president herself wasn't entertained by the iconic entertainer for a moment.
"No. I don’t think anybody could actually do a great job at that," Parton told Metro in 2023, according to People. "I think we’ve had enough ‘boobs’ in the White House."
Parton said she preferred trying to make a difference through music and the way she treated others.
"I’m not smart enough to be in politics, or maybe I’m too smart," she said. "Either way, I’m not qualified for that type of a job. But I’m pretty qualified to do what I do, which is to point people in the right direction, to write about it in songs or speak about things."
Parton died after a "brief battle with cancer," according to her representatives. At her request, a small, private service will be held for her immediate family, with the family asking for donations to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library rather than flowers.
College athletics' latest mess: Court orders say athletes can play, but SEC and Big Ten ready to fight
The college athletics world is reeling after the SEC and Big Ten created new guidelines governing the eligibility of athletes who planned to join teams this week following injunctions and temporary restraining orders granted by multiple judges.
On Tuesday, both conferences, who will soon be joined by the ACC and Big 12, voted to enact new rules that would prevent athletes who have participated in professional sports from reentering the college landscape.
The decision comes after players in several states were granted injunctions or temporary restraining orders allowing them to play this season.
Most of the lawsuits stem from the NCAA’s new eligibility guidelines, which give athletes five years to play five seasons of college athletics.
Under the new policies, any athlete who has signed with a professional team, declared for the NFL Draft or participated in any type of professional training camp will be ineligible for conference competition.
But, there was one difference from a public standpoint with the SEC and Big Ten.
On Tuesday evening, SEC presidents and chancellors held a vote on how to move forward with the new guidelines pertaining to these ongoing cases revolving around athletes who have participated at the professional level in some form or fashion.
In addition to the guidelines created by the SEC, the conference has also given Greg Sankey the power to enforce these rules, which include suspension of coaches and monetary fines to each school who violates them.
So, what does this mean for schools who are preparing to bring athletes onto campus for the upcoming college football or basketball season?
According to attorney Ryan Downton, who represents a number of players, the are currently "working on a legal strategy" on how to move forward against both the NCAA and participating conferences who have enacted these new guidelines.
"The SEC’s actions put the NCAA in contempt of multiple court orders," Downton told OutKick-Fox News on Tuesday night. "It is cartel-like conduct when NCAA conferences attempt to create their own spur of the moment rules in response to Courts enjoining those same rules at the NCAA level"
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Multiple sources told OutKick that the vote within the SEC was unanimous, though that does not mean there will not be legal action taken over the next few days.
"We are still working on a legal strategy," attorney Ryan Downton noted.
At the forefront of this fight, even though he was not the first coach or team to bring in a player who has in some way competed at the NFL level, is LSU coach Lane Kiffin.
Over the last few days, Kiffin has voiced his reasoning behind the recruitment of such athletes who have already gained NFL experience. Essentially, the Tigers coach mentioned that if he didn’t strike first, some other school would.
"So, you know, we have you know made a decision to recruit some kids around the country, and through these multiple injunctions around the country, which, this is not a first time in college sports, a group of players were granted a fifth year of eligibility, in multiple sports. And through them winning their injunction and entry into the portal, they’re available to recruit," Kiffin noted on Monday.
"So ourselves, like many places around the country, are recruiting them. At the end of the day, you know, because of these rulings, they’re either going to play for you or they’re going to play somewhere else around the country. So, we made a decision to recruit them, like probably most people are."
This includes former Ole Miss football players Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, who are both set to join the LSU roster thanks to a ruling from the 19th District Court of Louisiana that granted them an additional season of eligibility.
But, there have been plenty of others who have gone down this route, winning cases in state courts that allow them to return this season. Texas offensive lineman Cole Hutson is another, who sued the NCAA in a Texas court for an additional season.
Attorney Darren Heitner, who represents Dae'Quan Wright, told OutKick that the SEC should abide by the order granted by the 19th District Court of Louisiana.
"He should be rostered by LSU and be a great contributor for the Tigers. The SEC should heed the court order recently issued by a Louisiana judge," Heitner said.
The question is whether LSU, and others, will move forward in bringing in athletes knowing that it would be in violation of conference rules, but also legal in the eyes of the courts who have granted them injunctions.
Buckle up, this could get interesting over the next few days.
Surrogate, California couple clash in court as newborn fights for life after heart surgery
The critically ill newborn at the center of a bitter surrogate custody fight was placed back on a breathing tube after his condition worsened following open-heart surgery, according to newly filed court documents.
The baby is in critical condition and being closely watched at the hospital, intended parents Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed said in filings obtained by TMZ.
The couple said the child suffered possible complications after a Norwood procedure, an operation used to treat his severe heart defect, and had to be re-intubated after his condition declined overnight.
In a Dallas courtroom Tuesday, Gilkar and Ahmed faced surrogate McKenna West as they fought over who should make medical decisions for the newborn. The clash has drawn national attention because West says she refused the California couple’s earlier request to terminate the pregnancy after the baby was diagnosed with a life-threatening heart condition.
Gilkar and Ahmed call the baby Rumi. West, an Alaska cardiac nurse, calls him Gabriel and is asking a Texas judge to give her sole conservatorship, which would put medical decision-making in her hands.
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Gilkar told the court the couple has been at their son’s bedside as he fights through treatment. She said that since surgery, he has struggled to breathe, choked on tubes and needed a blood transfusion, according to court reporting by The Associated Press.
"He’s our child," Gilkar said, according to the AP.
She accused West of trying to take him away. "She’s trying to take him from us," Gilkar said.
Gilkar described the newborn as "the love of our lives" and said, "He’s suffering a lot."
The custody feud began after the baby was diagnosed at about 20 weeks with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, or HLHS. West says Gilkar and Ahmed then asked her to terminate the pregnancy. She refused and later traveled to Texas to give birth, Fox News Digital previously reported.
HLHS leaves one side of the heart underdeveloped and disrupts normal blood flow. Without treatment, the condition can be fatal within days or weeks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Budner disputes key parts of West’s account and says the couple did agree to the baby’s treatment. He told Fox News Digital that doctors determined on Aug. 14 that the child was eligible for the Norwood procedure, the first of three open-heart surgeries generally used to treat HLHS.
Gilkar and Ahmed consented to the surgery, which was performed Aug. 17, he said. At the time, Budner described the baby’s condition as "critical and complex."
BOARD-CERTIFIED OBGYN WARNS NEW MASSACHUSETTS LATE-TERM ABORTION LAW EXPOSES MOTHERS TO DANGER
West’s lawyers have argued that the court should make sure the baby continues to receive life-saving care. West told the judge she would abandon her custody request if the court determines the intended parents are committed to that care, according to the AP.
Gilkar and Ahmed have asked the court to delay a hearing over the temporary restraining order that gave them custody while the legal fight continues, TMZ reported.
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The custody battle is only one part of the couple’s broader legal fight with West.
Before the baby was born, Gilkar and Ahmed filed counterclaims seeking more than $100,000, alleging West breached their surrogacy agreement and caused them emotional distress. The counterclaims, obtained by TMZ, said the couple paid West $60,000 during the pregnancy under an agreement that addressed termination. West has denied wrongdoing and asked the court to dismiss the claims.
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The dispute has only grown more personal since the baby’s Aug. 12 birth. West said in a New York Post opinion piece last week that she had only about a minute with the newborn, while his umbilical cord was still attached, before he was taken away. A court order has since barred her from seeing or holding the baby.
On Tuesday, the judge left that order in place and did not immediately decide the larger question of custody or conservatorship, according to the AP.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton secured an emergency court order before the birth directing that medically necessary care not be delayed or obstructed, Fox News Digital previously reported. Paxton’s office also notified two Dallas medical centers of their obligations to provide life-saving treatment.
The Associated Press and Fox News Digital's Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.
Hochul remains defiant after sheriffs sue over law banning cooperation with ICE: 'Bring it on'
More than a dozen New York sheriffs are suing over a state law prohibiting law enforcement from entering into or maintaining certain agreements with ICE for civil immigration enforcement, as Gov. Kathy Hochul dared the agency heads to "bring it on."
A federal lawsuit led by Rensselaer County Sheriff Kyle Bourgault argues that the law is unconstitutional and unlawfully restricts elected sheriffs’ ability to enter into federally authorized immigration-enforcement agreements.
"Today, Kathy Hochul escalated her administration’s war on the police and she expanded polices to put criminals before the citizens of New York," Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin said on Tuesday.
The Local Cops, Local Crimes Act, which Hochul signed in May, took effect on Tuesday, barring local and state law enforcement agencies from entering into partnerships with federal authorities to assist on civil immigration matters. The law also bars new agreements to house civil immigration detainees; existing detention agreements must be terminated under their applicable termination provisions within three months of the law’s effective date.
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Police may still assist ICE in cases of violent or other forms of non-immigration crime, but officers may not divert local resources to help with civil immigration enforcement as part of an effort to advance President Donald Trump's mass deportation agenda.
Hochul threatened to sue localities that refuse to end cooperation agreements with ICE, setting up a confrontation between herself and her Republican challenger, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, as his county is among those with agreements with ICE.
"No county executive should think that they are above the law in the state of New York," Hochul said at a press conference on Tuesday.
She said any police department or sheriff’s office that ignores the law and maintains an agreement with ICE will face legal action.
"And to those suing us, those trying to block the implementation of this law who’ve tried before and failed, our law has already been upheld by the courts, but if you try me again, I say, bring it on," the governor declared.
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New York Attorney General Letitia James also issued subpoenas to law enforcement agencies that either did not confirm plans to end their agreements or failed to provide what her office viewed as a satisfactory response. The subpoenas were sent to the sheriff's offices of Broome, Steuben, Nassau and Rensselaer counties, as well as the Nassau County Police Department.
If the agencies fail to comply, the attorney general is vowing to file a civil suit, a spokesperson for her office told CBS News.
Hochul has said law enforcement will assist ICE "only if a real crime has been committed" but officers cannot use resources to help on civil immigration matters.
"Because we need local cops hunting down criminals, not kindergartners. Breaking up drug rings, not breaking up families. Arresting gun runners, not grandmas," Hochul said.
Blakeman, who held a press conference at the same time as Hochul's, did not address whether he would comply with the state's orders, but he later told the New York Post he would "probably" join the sheriffs' lawsuit.
He has previously defended working with ICE to remove illegal immigrants, claiming at a recent event with Trump that about 2,000 of these individuals in his county have criminal records.
"Kathy Hochul, where do you want those guns? What neighborhood do you want to destroy? Where do you want those drugs? What community do you want to destroy? Where do you want those illegal immigrants with criminal records to live? You want it back in New York? We say no," Blakeman said at the time.
The Department of Homeland Security said Hochul "must stop putting politics above public safety."
"This type of insanity leads to more crimes and more innocent victims," a department spokesperson told the New York Post.
Attempted drone incursion at Virginia prison leads to $324K contraband haul with meth, 17 cellphones
Virginia prison officials intercepted a package containing an estimated $324,000 worth of contraband, including a pound of suspected methamphetamine and more than a dozen cellphones, following an attempted drone incursion at a state prison, authorities said.
The Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) said corrections staff discovered the "suspicious package" at Sussex I State Prison at around 1:30 a.m. Monday.
Inside, officials said they found a one-pound bag of suspected methamphetamine, 17 cellphones with charging cables and 20 sheets of paper that appeared to be saturated with an unknown liquid.
The agency said it also seized multiple hex wrenches, three USB Wi-Fi adapters and two SIM cards.
Officials also discovered an unusual assortment of other items, including 30 disposable lighters, two cartons of cigarettes, one pound of loose-leaf tobacco, three packs of cigars, two bottles of professional-grade tattoo ink, two bottles of perfume and two bottles of glue.
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VADOC estimated the contraband had a combined value of roughly $324,000 inside the prison.
VADOC Director Joseph Walters said the seizure highlighted the sophisticated methods people may use in attempts to smuggle contraband into correctional facilities.
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"This investigation is an important reminder that some people will use sophisticated methods in an attempt to smuggle drugs and other dangerous contraband into Virginia Department of Corrections facilities," Walters said in a statement.
"I thank our institutional staff at Sussex I State Prison for their vigilance and focus on ensuring the safety and security of our facility," he continued. "Our dedicated correctional staff and OLES members stand ready to intercept any dangerous contraband that individuals may attempt to introduce into correctional settings to ensure the safety and security of our dedicated corrections team members, of incarcerated individuals in our custody, of probationers, and of people in communities all across the Commonwealth of Virginia."
The incident remains under investigation by VADOC's Office of Law Enforcement Services (OLES).
Anyone with information about attempted smuggling into a VADOC facility is asked to call OLES at 540-830-9280.