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WATCH: Repeat offender leads deputies on 100 mph chase before hiding under porch in his underwear
A Colorado repeat offender turned a routine traffic stop into a dangerous chase and a manhunt that the district attorney says should never have happened.
Zakary Dean Hirschfield, 24, of Centennial, received a five-year prison term after pleading guilty to felony eluding of a peace officer following the January pursuit through Douglas County, authorities said.
Video released by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office captures the nighttime escape, the pursuit through traffic and the moment deputies finally took Hirschfield into custody.
District Attorney George Brauchler said Hirschfield should have been locked up before he ever hit the gas.
"This case highlights the ripple effects of decisions made by other law enforcement agencies who had opportunities to lock this guy up before this dangerous episode," Brauchler said.
The pursuit began when a Douglas County sheriff’s deputy pulled Hirschfield over for speeding in Castle Pines. During the stop, Hirschfield suddenly accelerated toward the deputy, forcing the deputy to jump out of the way to avoid being hit, authorities said.
Video of the stop shows a deputy standing beside the vehicle before it abruptly pulls away. The deputy moves clear as the vehicle speeds down the residential street.
FOUR WISCONSIN COPS INJURED AFTER SUSPECTED DRUNK DRIVER BARRELS TOWARD CROWD, SPARKS POLICE CHASE
The deputy can be heard reporting over the radio that the driver tried to hit him. His female passenger screamed as he sped away, according to authorities.
Hirschfield tore through Highlands Ranch and Littleton at speeds exceeding 100 mph, crossing medians and driving against traffic before crashing into another vehicle, according to authorities.
SUSPECTED DUI DRIVER LEADS COPS ON WILD CHASE BEFORE DRAMATIC TAKEDOWN ON POPULAR CALIFORNIA BEACH
Pursuit video shows deputies following the vehicle along roads busy with nighttime traffic, passing other motorists as emergency lights flash ahead.
His passenger later told deputies she repeatedly begged him to stop. Instead, he abandoned her and the wrecked vehicle and ran, authorities said.
WATCH: DEPUTIES HUNT WANTED MAN THROUGH CORNFIELD AFTER HIGH-SPEED CHASE CAUGHT ON CAMERA
Dozens of deputies, specialized units and aerial resources joined the search, with drones and a K9 tracking Hirschfield through a Littleton neighborhood.
Thermal drone video shows a person moving through an area with trees and brush as the aerial camera follows from above.
About an hour after the initial traffic stop, deputies found Hirschfield beneath a porch, wearing only his underwear, authorities said. Body camera video shows deputies approaching a raised wooden structure with flashlights, then restraining the shirtless Hirschfield on the ground with his hands behind his back.
"Put your hands behind your back, behind your back," a deputy orders as officers restrain him.
A search of his vehicle turned up cocaine and drug paraphernalia, authorities said.
"Don’t run from our deputies. We will catch you and hold you accountable," Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly said. "This defendant learned that the hard way and is now headed to prison. Putting our deputies and the public at risk will not be tolerated in Douglas County."
The chase followed a series of earlier court decisions that Brauchler pointed to in criticizing Hirschfield’s repeated releases.
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In November 2024, an Arapahoe County judge gave Hirschfield probation and community service after a plea agreement resulting in a conviction for attempted distribution of fentanyl, according to prosecutors.
His probation was revoked less than three months later, but he was placed back on probation in June 2025.
Another motion to revoke his probation was filed Aug. 19, 2025, the same day he was released without having to post cash bail in Jefferson County on a new felony robbery charge, prosecutors said.
Five months later, he led deputies on the high-speed chase.
"This defendant put countless lives at risk that evening," Deputy District Attorney Zach Idris said. "Thanks to the efforts of the Sheriff’s Office, Hirschfield will now spend several years in the Department of Corrections, where he will have plenty of time to think about his reckless actions that put him there."
Brauchler closed with a blunt warning.
"Commit your crimes somewhere more forgiving, or heck, maybe don’t commit them at all."
Two helicopters collide near Mount Everest during rescue flight, killing one, injuring others
Two helicopters collided while attempting to land just below Mount Everest base camp in Nepal.
The accident happened at about 8:12 a.m. Tuesday in the Pheriche area of Solukhumbu District, according to a translated press release from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN). The helicopters were identified as an Air Dynasty aircraft and a Fishtail Air aircraft, the aviation authority said.
Two foreign tourists were aboard the Fishtail Air helicopter. One of them, 47-year-old Vasanth Kumar Balaramudu of Chennai, India, died in the accident, according to CAAN.
DEADLY HELICOPTER CRASH KILLS 2 PILOTS BATTLING RAGING WILDFIRE IN YOSEMITE
The other tourist, New Zealand national Shailesh Kisan Patel, was injured, along with at least one pilot involved in the collision, the authority said.
Those injured in the collision were admitted to a hospital in Kathmandu for further treatment, according to the aviation authority.
CAAN has opened an investigation into the accident and will determine whether corrective action is needed based on its findings.
Fishtail Air said its helicopter crashed during landing while transporting passengers rescued from the Everest region, Reuters reported.
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The Air Dynasty helicopter was carrying only cargo, an official with the company told Reuters.
Helicopters are a key form of transportation around Everest, where there are no roads. They are used to evacuate trekkers and guides suffering from illness or exhaustion amid the region's cold temperatures and high altitude, according to The Associated Press (AP).
Pheriche, where the accident occurred, sits about 13,780 feet above sea level and is located below Everest base camp, the AP reported.
The collision also came after heavy snow had covered trekking routes in the region.
Conditions improved Sunday, allowing thousands of trekkers to begin moving through the area again, according to the outlet.
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Nepal has faced other major travel and safety challenges in recent months.
In September, about 70 Americans remained unaccounted for following catastrophic flooding along the Nepal-China border, while 18 Americans had been confirmed safe, Fox News Digital previously reported.
The flooding was triggered by an Aug. 26 glacier collapse and caused widespread destruction, including flash floods and landslides. Rescue crews were searching areas, including hydropower project tunnels, where workers were believed to be trapped.
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U.S. officials warned Americans at the time not to travel to the disaster zone because of the continued threat of additional flash floods and landslides.
At least 1,399 people across Nepal and China's Tibet region died in the disaster, with more than 5,400 others still missing at the time of the report.
Fox News' Gillian Turner, as well as Sophia Compton of Fox News Digital, contributed reporting.
Chargers lose again over the weekend, but Madison Beer's Halloween costume was a winner
The Los Angeles Chargers are now 0-7 on the season after losing to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday 24-9. The winless start after going 11-6 last season has been as unexpected as anything that's happened this season.
The finger pointing and blame game are well underway. Is new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel at fault? What happened to Justin Herbert? Is his fiancée, Madison Beer, to blame? Did she ruin the star quarterback?
Did the NFL set them up for failure with the training camp WAG propaganda campaign? Those are only a few of the questions surrounding the team's miserable start to the season.
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The only thing left for the Chargers to do is start winning games. Nobody is going to feel sorry for them. Nobody is going to wait around for them to figure it out. They have to show up and keep working through it.
There will be hecklers. There will be outside noise. There will be calls for jobs. All of that comes with being a bad team and right now the Chargers are a bad team. You can't let any of that distract you.
BODY LANGUAGE EXPERT SAYS NFL FANS ARE WRONG ABOUT JUSTIN HERBERT & MADISON BEER VIRAL CAMP VIDEOS
There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe Madison Beer is the one to lead them out of the darkness. She's shrugging off hecklers like a veteran, standing in the pocket and delivering.
That's the only way to describe the Nurse Ratched Halloween costume she ended up wearing this year.
It's been said many, many times before, but it's always worth repeating. It's easy to show up when you're winning. It's much more difficult to do when you're not.
You can learn a lot about what you're made of when you're going through a tough stretch. I think we all learned that Madison Beer has what it takes to ride the ups and the downs that come with life in the NFL.
Hard Rock Bet Promo Code: Bet $5, Get $500 in No Sweat Bets for Tonight’s NHL Slate
The NBA is off for Election Day, which leaves Tuesday night to the NHL. Eleven games are on the board, from an eight-game 7:00 p.m. ET window to a late finish in Vancouver. Hard Rock Bet is offering new users the chance to bet $5 and get $500 in No Sweat Bets, with a token waiting for you every day for 10 days.
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl against Connor Hellebuyck is the best matchup of the night. Hellebuyck is 2-0-0 with a 1.50 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage since joining New Jersey, which is why the Devils are home favorites. Edmonton counters with Tristan Jarry, who has two shutouts but a .901 save percentage.
The Devils won the last meeting 2-1 in January, and the books are expecting another tight game with the under juiced at -125. That’s exactly the kind of game where the puck line matters.
The Pick: Oilers +1.5 (-180). If this is a one-goal game either way, Edmonton covers. Even against an elite goalie, McDavid and Draisaitl rarely let a game get out of hand, and the Oilers only need to lose by one or win outright. It’s the safest way to back the best offensive duo in hockey on the road.
Odds are subject to change
Hurricanes at Predators, 8:00 p.m. ET. Carolina raised its second Stanley Cup banner on opening night, and the champs get Nashville’s best effort every time they come to town. Road games against hungry home teams are where defending champions get tested in November.
Red Wings at Lightning, 7:00 p.m. ET. Nikita Kucherov won his second Hart Trophy last season and still drives everything Tampa Bay does. When the Lightning are at home, Kucherov’s line is usually the first place to look.
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Kansas postal worker indicted for stealing mail, including hundreds of Republican election flyers
A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment Tuesday charging Kelly R. Cram, a 59-year-old postal worker, with stealing thousands of pieces of mail including hundreds of political flyers all related to Republican candidates, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas wrote in a release.
The Baxter Springs native was indicted on one count of unlawful secretion, destruction, and delay of mail, according to the release.
Cram allegedly stole 4,404 pieces of mail beginning in October, according to the release.
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"Among the mail items she allegedly stole and placed in her garage, were nearly 400 political mailers solely related to Republican candidates or Republican Partly affiliated political action committees," the statement read.
Additionally, "agents found no mailers related to candidates of any other political party at Cram’s residence."
The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General is investigating the incident, per the release.
Kansas voters on Tuesday will decide on a large slate of candidates, including in the gubernatorial race, where they will choose between Republican Ty Masterson, the president of the state's Senate, and Democrat Cindy Holscher, also a member of the state's Senate.
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All four of the state's seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are on the ballot, as well as one of the state's two Senate seats.
Incumbent Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., is being challenged by Democrat Adam Hamilton.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Kansas did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for additional comment.
Why isn’t Angel Reese held to the Caitlin Clark standard when fans attack her teammates?
The WNBA media constantly demands that Caitlin Clark answer for internet trolls. They tell her she needs to condemn "racism, misogyny and homophobia," even though she has nothing to do with the messages other players receive on social media.
But does that standard change when the players facing online trolling are being attacked due to their proximity to a different WNBA star, one who receives very different treatment from those same commentators?
ANGEL REESE, ATLANTA DREAM DISAPPOINTED AFTER WNBA FINALS GAME 7 LOSS: 'WE'LL BE BACK'
Atlanta Dream players Jordin Canada and Rhyne Howard are now on the receiving end. And the hate isn't coming from supposed Caitlin Clark fans; it's coming from supposed Angel Reese fans.
Will the commentators who keep assigning Clark responsibility for other people’s behavior apply their standard to Reese?
Don't hold your breath.
For the record, I don’t think either player owes anyone a statement. Neither Clark nor Reese is responsible for what other people do or say online. However, I do think the people who keep demanding condemnations from Clark owe us an explanation as to why they aren't keeping up that energy when it's Reese at the center.
The list of WNBA media members who have openly called for Clark to denounce online hate, something Clark has done multiple times by the way, is almost too long to count. But let's recap a few of the biggest ones:
Those examples span from 2024 through this season. So, this isn't new. These people have been making demands of Clark for three seasons, despite her repeated condemnations of the behavior.
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On July 3, Clark once again delivered a lengthy statement condemning online hate. She explicitly extended that condemnation to the treatment of opponents, teammates and coaches.
"The harassment, the hate, none of that is okay. … There should never be question of character. Like I’ve always stood up here and said that and that’s truly what I believe. That’s how I was raised. … none of that is okay. And I don’t want anybody to ever experience that," Clark said.
A reporter raised the subject again at her October 8 season-ending news conference. Asked about Kelsey Mitchell’s comments on the treatment she receives, Clark was also asked to address "the attention this team receives because of you, but maybe not attention that you necessarily asked for."
There’s that familiar framing again. Other people send the messages, but Clark gets asked to account for the attention surrounding her teammates.
So she answered. Again.
"As far as people that have used me to demonstrate racist rhetoric or hate or discrimination, that’s not something I stand for," Clark said.
The expectations come from commentators, the questions come from reporters, and Clark keeps giving them an answer.
But apparently, that still wasn’t enough.
On October 23, ESPN analyst Monica McNutt said: "There is no way that someone would use my likeness to support causes that I am against."
Clark has already told people she opposes that behavior. Repeatedly. How many more statements would satisfy McNutt?
And now that people defending Angel Reese are attacking Reese’s own teammates, does McNutt expect the same response from her?
My guess? Not a chance.
Jordin Canada returned to social media after avoiding it during the playoffs and immediately found a reminder of why she had stayed away.
"It blows my mind that as fans yall CHOOSE to say the hurtful and cruel things out loud and on here," she wrote, describing the comments as "heartless, rude, insensitive."
Some of the posts targeting her and Howard make their allegiance clear. One account accused Howard, coach Karl Smesko and the Dream’s owners of selling Reese out in a supposedly rigged Finals. Another defended Reese while calling Canada and Howard "BOTH selfish players and human beings" and accusing them of not caring about winning. And some of the attacks were explicitly racist, including posts using the N-word.
So where is the insistence that Reese address online trolls "invoking her name" as an excuse to attack other players? So far, the WNBA media has been silent.
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Reese, meanwhile, outlined her plans for the next six months. In an Instagram post (on her private secondary account), Reese announced she is pausing her podcast for the offseason, plans occasional YouTube vlogs and will spend time resting and working out in Florida.
Her explanation: "i’m dedicating this off season to myself."
Can you imagine Caitlin Clark announcing that she's taking the next six months to focus on herself while her teammates are complaining about receiving nasty messages on social media? The WNBA media might never recover from such a scenario.
We’d get days, probably weeks and maybe even months of lectures about leadership, accountability and whether Clark was abandoning the teammates receiving online abuse.
Think pieces would be plastered all over The Guardian, The Athletic, ESPN and other left-wing sites explaining how White women have the privilege of focusing on themselves while Black women have no choice but to always worry about everyone else in their "community."
They would all demand that Caitlin Clark issue yet another statement. Then, they would complain that the statement wasn’t enough. The whole cycle would fuel the WNBA media ecosystem through the entire offseason.
So, where are the lectures for Angel Reese? Anyone see any think pieces about how Reese is being selfish? Didn't think so.
All of this unfolds in a league that spends an extraordinary amount of time talking about what people (and bots) say on the internet.
In August, after Sophie Cunningham’s comments about "biological men" competing in women’s sports sparked a debate over eligibility, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert told teams an upcoming meeting of the league’s anti-hate task force would address whether males should be eligible to play in the WNBA.
Yahoo Sports reported that meeting instead largely focused on online hate directed at players. Even with eligibility rules on the agenda, the WNBA couldn’t stop talking about internet trolls.
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That’s what I wanted to ask Engelbert about when I attended her October 17 press conference before Game 1 of the WNBA Finals. Why does online commentary warrant so much of the league’s time and attention? And does repeatedly highlighting negativity overshadow the positive things happening with attendance and television audiences?
I wasn’t called on.
Engelbert nevertheless returned to the subject in her final answer, condemning people who sit "behind a keyboard to spew vitriol and hate and racism and misogyny at our players."
After all those meetings, statements and lectures, you’d think the reporters, analysts and commentators demanding more from Caitlin Clark would recognize a familiar situation in Atlanta.
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Where are you, Elle Duncan, Monica McNutt, Sarah Spain, and Nancy Armour? Where are your demands for Angel Reese to defend her teammates?
Again, I don’t think Reese owes anyone a statement. Clark doesn’t, either.
But the people who have spent three seasons assigning that responsibility to Clark should explain why their standard apparently disappears when applying it would require them to make demands of Reese.
In the WNBA media’s world, Caitlin Clark has to answer for the internet.
But Angel Reese gets to focus on herself.
'Grand Theft Auto' community organizing 'last ride' on old game before release of 'GTA VI,' but why?
November is finally upon us, and aside from setting our clocks back an hour, that also means we are a little more than two weeks away from the release of "Grand Theft Auto VI."
The hotly anticipated title is set to drop on November 19, and the gaming community at large can hardly wait, which is understandable considering they've gone 13 years between installments.
Yes, hard to believe that, as of September 17 of this year, "Grand Theft Auto V" would be old enough to see a PG-13 movie in theaters.
Given the large time gap between games, you would expect there to be equal parts yearning for the new game as there is nostalgia for the old one, and from that nostalgia comes the "Last Ride."
The "Last Ride" was pitched by the GTA community, and will see thousands of players take one last lap around the map of Los Santos — the in-game world for "GTA V" based heavily on Los Angeles — the night before "GTA VI's" big release.
It's been trending heavily on social media, with gaming outlets all over the world picking up on it.
As a particularly nostalgic person myself as well as a fan of the "Grand Theft Auto" series, I can see where these guys and gals are coming from with the "Last Ride," but it doesn't make a whole lot of sense when you peel the layers back a bit.
For starters, "GTA V" isn't going anywhere.
On November 20, you will still be able to pop the disc into your Xbox or Playstation and ride around Los Santos in your vehicle of choice to your heart's content.
Hell, I still play "GTA IV" about as much as I play its predecessor, and I doubt I'll stop playing either once VI comes around.
If you love the game that much, I guarantee you November 18 won't be the last time you ever play "GTA V."
I appreciate the symbolism, but let's not get melodramatic here.
When "Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask" came out, do you think everyone just immediately chucked their copies of "Ocarina of Time" in the trash?
No, and as a matter of fact, the demand for "Ocarina of Time" has remained so high over the last 28 years that a remake is coming to the Nintendo Switch 2 later this month.
This isn't "Madden" or "FIFA," where an updated version makes last year's game immediately obsolete.
"GTA V" is unique because of the world the developers created as well as the memories those who played the game created for themselves.
I'm not here to yuck anyone's yum; take the "Last Ride."
Enjoy it.
Reminisce on all the good times you had these last 13 years, but let's not act like "GTA V" is being relegated to the shelf for all of eternity come November 19.
NTSB finds 'no evidence' of Mar-a-Lago connection after Florida jet crash kills nine people
A critical piece of the private jet that plunged into a Florida neighborhood was found miles from the impact site, federal investigators revealed Tuesday as crews prepared to drain the crater left by the crash that killed nine people.
Asked about the crash occurring less than 10 miles from President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home and any potential connection to Secret Service operations, National Transportation Safety Board member Tom Chapman dismissed a link.
"There is no evidence of connection. Purely coincidence," he said.
Most of the jet’s left elevator, a movable part of the tail that helps control the aircraft’s nose up or down, was recovered between 1.3 and 3.8 miles from the crash site, Chapman said.
The discovery adds to evidence that the aircraft began breaking apart before impact. The elevator is a movable surface on the aircraft’s tail that helps control whether its nose points up or down.
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But Chapman said he did not believe the component would have enabled the aircraft to recover even if it had remained attached, given the speed of the jet’s descent.
The Learjet was carrying seven passengers and two crew members from Austin, Texas, to North Eleuthera in the Bahamas when it crashed Sunday, killing everyone aboard.
Investigators are now preparing to remove water from the impact crater, where Chapman said they expect to recover additional aircraft components. Given the force of the crash, pieces buried there will likely be small.
Severe weather has hampered some recovery efforts, and weather remains a key focus of the investigation. The cause of the crash has not been determined.
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Investigators have also obtained dashcam footage to help reconstruct the aircraft’s final moments, Chapman said. Recovered wreckage is being retained for analysis, and officials urged anyone who encounters debris to leave it untouched and notify authorities.
The crew had reported light clear ice and moderate turbulence while flying at about 35,000 feet before requesting permission to climb to 37,000 feet. Less than 30 seconds after controllers approved the request, the crew reported they were descending and issued a mayday call.
Roughly 600 residents near Military Trail and Cresthaven Boulevard were evacuated after the crash, according to The Palm Beach Post.
Between 40 and 50 people were staying at the Greenacres Community Center, Palm Beach County spokesperson John Jamason told the outlet. County officials were seeking state funding to help displaced residents with housing and transportation while authorities worked at the crash site.
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Officials said during Tuesday’s briefing that Military Trail remained closed in both directions between 10th Avenue North and Purdy Lane. They did not provide a timeline for reopening the road or allowing displaced residents to return home.
Among those killed were Austin technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson, 45, his wife, Helen Sharp, 40, and their children, Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2.
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Robinson, CEO and co-founder of Retention.com, had celebrated a business milestone in his final LinkedIn post the day of the crash, announcing that RB2B had reached $10 million in annual recurring revenue. He was also preparing for a live business debate scheduled for Tuesday.
"Adam and Helen were devoted parents, and Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2, were the light of their lives. Helen and Adam were the love affair that will last forever," the families said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.
"Their warmth, generosity and gift for making people feel welcome touched so many lives. Their loss will be felt deeply by all those who loved them and who they loved in return."
Chapman expressed confidence that investigators would determine what happened and thanked Florida and Palm Beach County authorities and first responders for their assistance.
Officials added that further investigative updates will be posted on the NTSB’s website.
Fox News Digital's Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
ASRA NOMANI: Muslim reformers reject ‘fire will rise’ warning if El-Sayed loses as 'Jihad First'
American Muslim reformers are torching political commentator Wajahat Ali after he warned that "the fire will rise" and people will be "radicalized" if Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed loses his Michigan Senate bid, saying his language echoes a "Jihad First" intimidation rhetoric used by religious tyrants before elections in the Middle East.
On Monday, Ali drew fire on X when he wrote: "If, God forbid, Abdul loses, this will be a watershed moment in Democratic politics. The fire will rise. It’s over. People will be radicalized against corporate, pro-Israel Dems. There will be a reckoning. If, when, he wins, it will be a watershed moment. And that reckoning will still come."
After facing backlash, Ali posted another message Tuesday morning, expressing no regrets and instead scolding critics for alleged bigotry. "Ah, that Islamophobia and anti-Arab bigotry are so pure and naked," Ali wrote. "People are just coming out in the open about how they’ve always felt. Great. Please, be honest. Just share the ugliness with the world so we can all see."
Ali didn't respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Reform-minded Muslim leaders aren't buying Ali's rhetoric.
The divide with Muslim reformers reflects a broader fissure within American Muslim politics: between establishment organizations and leaders who accept political Islam, or Islamism — the idea that religion should shape government and political life — and reform-minded critics who challenge orthodoxy, reject anti-Israel and anti-Western rhetoric and support secularism, including the separation of mosque and state.
"What Wajahat Ali said on the eve of elections is actually the language we’ve seen Islamists use before elections in countries in the Middle East, including Egypt," Dalia Ziada, an Egyptian Muslim reformer and critic of political Islamism, told Fox News Digital.
"The threat is usually: If you don’t choose us, this will lead to radicalization, and this will lead to violence," added Ziada, who is Washington, D.C., director at the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy. "Maybe we need to expect troubles coming up."
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Soraya Deen, a Muslim reform activist, attorney and co-founder of the Los Angeles Women's Multifaith Alliance, said Ali’s language shouldn't be treated as a routine social-media outburst.
"His words are deeply troubling," Deen told Fox News Digital. "His warning that ‘the fire will rise,’ that people will be ‘radicalized,’ and that a ‘reckoning’ is coming deserves serious scrutiny."
"Losing an election is not a license for radicalization," added Deen, . "We must reject intimidation, political extremism and the politics of perpetual grievance."
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Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, a Muslim reformer and founder of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, said Ali’s comments reflect what he describes as a "Jihad First" lens for viewing political conflict.
"Wajahat Ali, like Abdul El-Sayed, proves yet again their decades of anti-American Islamist obsession and the ‘Jihad First’ lens through which they view every cultural, social, military and political conflict," said Jasser, who is running for Congress as a Republican candidate in Arizona’s 4th Congressional District.
Jasser’s comments were directed at what he described as the political rhetoric surrounding El-Sayed’s campaign. The reformers didn't accuse Ali of belonging to an Islamist organization. Their criticism focused on language they said resembles tactics used to pressure voters by warning that rejecting a candidate could produce violence or radicalization.
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Ali’s comments came as El-Sayed’s campaign draws support from a wide network of Muslim advocacy groups, Palestinian activist organizations, progressive groups, labor organizations and political influencers.
A Fox News Digital review of campaign endorsements, public statements and voter-mobilization efforts identified 70 Muslim groups and influencers supporting El-Sayed’s political orbit one way or another. The records include formal endorsements, campaign-listed support, voter mobilization and public amplification. Not every organization has the same relationship with the campaign.
They include CAIR Action, Americans for Justice in Palestine Action, Bangladeshi Americans for Political Progress, Emgage Action and the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights. El-Sayed's official website includes endorsements from "Muslims for Abdul," the Yemeni American Michigan Democratic Caucus, the Michigan Bangladeshi American Democratic Caucus and Palestinian American political operative Linda Sarsour's MPower Action, among others.
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The broader coalition supporting El-Sayed includes Democratic Party organizations and Democratic Socialists of America chapters, as well as online commentators and political figures including Hasan Piker, Linda Sarsour, Rep. Ilhan Omar and Rep. Rashida Tlaib.
The organizations and individuals have overlapping priorities, including opposition to U.S. support for Israel, demands for an arms embargo or cease-fire, support for Palestinian activism, criticism of Democratic moderates and efforts to mobilize Muslim and progressive voters.
The coalition’s critics have described it as a "red-green" alliance involving "red" left-wing political organizations and "green" Muslim advocacy groups.
"Their red-green ‘Jihad First’ filter — threatening fire and radicalization — is simply an unmooring of their own dreams to live the jihad of Islamism and destroy the American dream and everything for which it stands," Jasser said. "Patriotism is not in their vocabulary."
TRUMP SAYS ISRAEL WILL STOP RECEIVING $4B IN US AID BY YEAR'S END, CAN STILL BUY WEAPONS
For Ziada, the significance of Ali’s post lies in the suggestion that an election loss could trigger radicalization.
"Muslims like Wajahat Ali are just using the political movement backing Abdul El-Sayed as a staircase to bring them to the power of a chair they want to claim," Ziada said. "Once they get there, they don’t care what they may have promised. And if they don’t get there, they will turn it into fire."
Ziada also criticized El-Sayed’s campaign rhetoric about Israel, comparing what she described as repeated attacks on Israel to political tactics used by leaders in the Middle East. Tuesday morning, President Donald Trump announced that he would cut off $4 billion of aid to Israel, one of the network's demands, designed to isolate the nation.
"The demonization of Israel that we saw very prominently in the campaign of El-Sayed is a tactic that we saw Middle Eastern dictators resorting to every now and then," Ziada said.
"Whenever they are stuck with economic issues or politics, they just bring up the ‘Israel is bad’ card," she added. "Again, he is just copying dictators in the Middle East."
Jasser said the episode should prompt Muslim voters and Democratic leaders to examine the language used by political influencers who claim to speak for Muslim communities.
"Any honest Muslim who reads that post will see ‘Jihad First’ and everyone else be damned, including patriotic Muslims," Jasser said.
Ali has emerged as a prominent media figure over more than two decades, writing for and appearing on outlets including The Daily Beast, The New York Times, CNN and The Guardian. He also hosted programming for Al Jazeera America.
His political activism began after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when he became involved in campus protests at the University of California, Berkeley. He later worked with Democratic operative Faiz Shakir, who became campaign manager for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign, at the Center for American Progress, a nonprofit established by former Clinton administration chief of staff John Podesta.
Ali has continued to weigh in on Israel, Democratic Party strategy and Muslim political activism, regularly drawing fire. Earlier this year, in a broadcast with former MSNBC host Joy Reid, the two decried "weak White mean" in a heated anti-Trump rant.
Most recently, Ali hosted a speaker who criticized Democratic House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries for receiving political contributions from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, calling him an "AIPAC monkey." The smear drew cries of racism against Jeffries, who is Black.
Now, Muslim reformers are scolding Ali for making comments that seem to threaten voters with "fire," a "reckoning" and a "radicalized" citizenry if his preferred candidate loses.
Deen said the response to an election should be political disagreement, not warnings of unrest.
"Losing an election is not a license for radicalization," Deen said. "We must reject intimidation, political extremism and the politics of perpetual grievance."
Supreme Court offers support for Catholic preschools challenging state funding requirements
The Supreme Court's conservative majority offered clear support Tuesday for Catholic preschools that claim Colorado's taxpayer-funded program improperly excludes them by unconstitutionally intruding on their religious rights.
At issue is whether those private education institutions that deny admission to children of LGBTQ+ parents violate state anti-discrimination laws, and can therefore be denied a generally applicable public benefit.
It is the latest high-profile religious rights appeal to reach the high court in recent years, several of them originating from Colorado.
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS, BANNED RIFLES AND ‘CLIMATE LAWFARE’: BLOCKBUSTER FIGHTS AWAIT SUPREME COURT
In a lively two-hour oral argument, the justices debated competing interests involving both religious liberty and a state's interest in ensuring equal opportunity for gay and lesbian parents.
"I'm hard-pressed to think that, given those [Catholic] teachings, that any homosexual family is going to choose to go to one of these schools, but that should be their choice, not your choice to exclude them," said Justice Sonia Sotomayor to the lawyer for the plaintiffs. "That's what you're asking for... You want an official statement by the State that I will subsidize you with public money even though – because I have a right to reject children."
ANDREA PICCIOTTI-BAYER: COLORADO'S UNIVERSAL PRESCHOOL REVIVES VILE ANTI-CATHOLIC LAWS
But Justice Brett Kavanaugh said the state's motives, however well-intentioned, are promoting a kind of conformity that is not constitutionally permissible.
"Why not seek the win/win?" Kavanaugh asked the attorney for the state. "There are plenty of opportunities to respect the rights of the religious believers and respect the ability of LGBT parents to find among the 2,000 [Colorado] schools an appropriate fit for their children.
"It seems like this is a would-be solution in search of a problem that is unnecessary to create this clash," he added. "There's an ability for everyone to go to the school, a good school that's a fit for them, and respect religious rights."
Colorado established a Universal Preschool Program (UPK) in a 2020 ballot measure, distributing public funds for participating schools, with the requirement they "provide eligible children an equal opportunity to enroll and receive preschool services regardless of race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, lack of housing, income level, or disability."
Two Catholic parishes sued, arguing the policy targets their sincerely held beliefs about same-sex marriage.
The archdiocese in the state manages 34 preschools, with a policy to only admit students from families who support Catholic ideology, including on same-sex relationships and gender identity.
They seek exemptions to the Colorado law, arguing their exclusion is a form of religious discrimination in violation of the First Amendment.
The Trump administration has signaled its support of the religious plaintiffs.
The state counters its public benefit conditions are neutral and generally applied to every preschool.
It provides a $6,300 annual benefit per child for up to 15 hours a week of preschool, with money coming from a tobacco tax.
Officials told the nine-member bench that religious schools are free to participate but must abide by nondiscrimination laws, similar to those affecting low-income and disabled students.
As part of its review of the Colorado dispute, the high court will decide whether to narrow a 36-year-old precedent that religious practices do not create exemptions from broadly applicable laws.
The First Amendment states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
The Supreme Court in prior decades had focused on the first part, ensuring a constitutional separation of church and state, when disputes over religious rights reached the public sphere.
But the current conservative bench in the past few years — led by Justice Samuel Alito — has trended toward favoring religious institutions raising "free exercise" claims.
The justices have separately backed a Colorado baker, mental health counselor and website developer, who all challenged the state's anti-discrimination policies.
The oral arguments Tuesday seemed to divide along ideological lines.
Conservative justices focused on the "free exercise" claims by the Catholic parishes that state requirements for receiving public benefits amounted to religious discrimination.
"Explain what the difference is between [explicitly excluding Catholic schools] and then choosing to impose a condition that you know that those schools will be unable to agree to?" said Justice Amy Coney Barrett.
But Justice Elena Kagan cited the court's prior cases, which she said affirmed the idea "you can't treat religious institutions differently."
"That's not the principle that's at issue here," Kagan said. "The principle at issue here is: Do you have to treat them better?"
Chief Justice John Roberts asked tough questions of both sides and his vote could prove determinative. At one point, he expressed skepticism that recent rulings favoring the rights of religious schools over similar claims should also prevail in the current petition.
"The law in those cases, in each of them, expressly discriminated against religious schools on its face," Roberts told Reaves. "That's not the case here," suggesting Colorado's law may be applied fairly across the board.
The current dispute was brought by plaintiffs including St. Mary Catholic School.
Erika Nagle, whose children attend the Littleton facility, told Fox News Digital that two of her children were denied access to the state's preschool funding program, leaving her family to cover additional education expenses.
"We are being excluded from this benefit because we are Catholic," Nagle said in an interview with Fox News Digital. "And so in a state that preaches inclusion, they are actively going out of their way to exclude a huge chunk of people because of our religious beliefs.
"We have had two preschools in the archdiocese that have been closed down," she added. "The state is dangling a carrot over here, incentivizing people to leave their faith, to abandon the Catholic education that they want."
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty represented the plaintiffs in court, arguing the state's policies are having severe consequences, with enrollment at archdiocesan preschools falling 20% and two schools shuttered.
The state counters that religious entities like Catholic Charities, at least three dozen Christian schools, one Muslim and three Jewish schools continue to participate in the preschool funding program.
"Colorado welcomes religious preschools" to its program, state attorney Helen Norton told the high court. "The only thing Colorado asks is that they comply with the same conditions that every publicly funded preschool must meet, religious and secular alike."
The case is St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy (25-581), with a ruling expected by next spring.