Fox News Latest Headlines
Masked burglary crews terrorizing ritzy neighborhoods show ‘they’re doing their homework,’ veteran cop warns
A fast-moving burglary spree is unfolding across Los Angeles, with thieves targeting some of the city’s most affluent neighborhoods and striking multiple communities over the past week — even as police flood the area with patrols.
The latest incidents unfolded Wednesday night in the San Fernando Valley, where burglars hit homes in Studio City and Toluca Lake and targeted a commercial property in a separate theft that led to a police chase.
The violence escalated Thursday night when a woman in her 70s was strangled during a home invasion in the Hollywood Hills, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The suspects, described as at least two masked men, fled with cash and jewelry and remain on the run.
Those break-ins are the most recent in a pattern that began around April 10, with similar crimes reported across Sherman Oaks, Encino, North Hollywood and surrounding communities, in some cases with homes hit within minutes of each other.
HOMEOWNERS IN LEAFY ENCLAVES HIT BY BURGLARS ZEROING IN ON HIGH-END HOMES FOR SMASH-AND-GRAB SCORES
Former LAPD investigator Moses Castillo said the scope and speed of the crimes point to a broader shift in how burglars are operating.
"We used to think high-end neighborhoods were exempt from crime...that’s no longer the case," Castillo told Fox News Digital. "You’re not safe anywhere anymore, especially in affluent areas."
"These criminals aren’t looking at zip codes — they’re looking at opportunity."
Castillo said the pattern suggests many of these burglars are strategic, often researching homes and victims in advance.
"They’re doing their homework — tracking patterns, watching when people are home or away," he said.
That preparation, Castillo said, can start online.
"If you’re posting your valuables, your lifestyle...you’re making yourself a target," Castillo warned. "If you can find your information online, so can they."
He added that some crews use lookouts and real-time communication to move quickly and avoid police detection.
The pattern of burglaries across multiple neighborhoods may reflect how suspects adapt when enforcement intensifies.
TECH-SAVVY THIEVES EXPLOIT OBITS, ONLINE POSTS TO STRIKE HOMES WHILE FAMILIES GRIEVE, EXPERT WARNS
"These crime waves last as long as the suspects are still out there," Castillo said. "If an area gets too hot, they just move to the next neighborhood."
That mobility may help explain why communities across the Valley have continued to see break-ins, even as patrols increase.
For victims, the impact goes far beyond stolen property.
"People describe this as a ‘house rape’ — a complete violation of their home," Castillo said. "It’s not just about what’s taken. It’s that someone invaded your sanctuary."
He said many victims struggle to feel safe again after a break-in, with some choosing to leave their homes altogether.
Castillo warned the danger increases if homeowners encounter suspects during a burglary.
"If you walk in during a burglary, you can become a victim of violence," Castillo said. "These crimes can escalate — home invasions, assaults, even kidnappings."
He also described cases in which suspects used a ruse to get victims to open the door.
RESIDENTS IN EXCLUSIVE ENCLAVE DEMAND DEM MAYOR ACT ON CRIME SURGE
"They’ll use a ruse... knock on the door, get you to open it and then it’s over," he said.
The LAPD has increased patrols, deployed air support and license plate readers, and expanded coordination across units in response to the spike.
Mayor Karen Bass said the city is taking a zero-tolerance approach.
"The safety of every Angeleno is my number one priority," Bass said. "The City has zero tolerance for these recent burglaries."
But despite the increased presence, the break-ins have continued, leaving residents on edge.
Castillo said enforcement alone will not be enough to stop the spree.
"Police can’t do it alone, it’s going to take the community," he said. "If you see something, even if you’re not sure, call it in. That could be the break that blows the case wide open."
As the spree stretches across multiple communities, Castillo said homeowners should take extra precautions.
"Don’t rely solely on cameras or basic alarm systems," he cautioned, warning that some burglars may cut power and compromise them. "Be vigilant."
He also urged residents to be mindful of what they share publicly.
"Sometimes we are our own worst enemies," Castillo said. "Whatever you can find about yourself online, they can too."
Latin American leftists met in Spain, signaling push against US influence on continent
MEXICO CITY: The recent high-profile gathering of leftist leaders in Barcelona, convened by Spain’s socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, is drawing increasing attention for what analysts describe as a broader geopolitical positioning that could challenge U.S. influence across Latin America and beyond.
The summit brought together Brazil president Lula da Silva, Colombia’s Gustavo Petro, and Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum. Framed as a platform for addressing inequality, climate change and the rise of right-wing political movements, yet the rhetoric coming from it has raised questions in Washington and across the region about whether a more coordinated political counterweight to the United States is taking shape.
Without naming the Trump administration, Sánchez warned of the "normalization of the use of force" and "attempts to undermine international law", as criticism of U.S. foreign policy. He also pushed for reforms to global institutions, arguing that the current system no longer reflects today’s geopolitical realities, a position that implicitly challenges long-standing U.S. leadership in those bodies.
"The Barcelona summit reflects a deliberate effort by Pedro Sánchez to position himself as a leading figure within an emerging progressive bloc that is increasingly critical of U.S. foreign policy under President Trump," Juan Angel Soto, founder and CEO of Fortius Consulting told Fox News Digital.
"This positioning is particularly complex given Spain’s structural anchoring in both the European Union and NATO, which traditionally align it closely with Washington. However, Sánchez has simultaneously deepened ties with the Global South, evident in his growing proximity to China, as well as to leaders such as Lula, Sheinbaum, and Petro, suggesting a dual-track foreign policy that seeks greater autonomy from U.S. influence," Soto said.
The Colombian leader tied global tensions directly to economic and energy systems, arguing that fossil fuel dependence has fueled conflict and inequality, an argument that aligns with broader criticism of Western-led economic models.
Roberto Salinas León, Director of International Affairs at Universidad de la Libertad in Mexico City, told Fox News Digital: "The ill-named summit "In Defense of Democracy" held in Barcelona brought together notable "progressives" with an aim to bring together a global contingent opposed to, well, Trump 2.0. How convenient."
TRUMP CRITICIZES SPAIN AMID IRAN, NATO RIFT AS PM SANCHEZ FACES QUESTIONS OVER POLITICAL MOTIVES
"Petro stated that ‘Latin American progressivism is a ray of hope for a humanity in crisis.’ Yet these would-be spokespersons for democracy have supported such inhumane brutal dictatorships like Cuba, Nicaragua, Maduro’s Venezuela, Iran, and others. This gathering is more aptly characterized as a political mascara of electoral autocracies, each leader undermining the institutional checks and balances of open liberal democracies," he said.
Brazil’s Lula criticized what he described as interventionist policies by major powers and called for a rebalancing of global governance, including changes to the U.N. Security Council. At one point, he characterized recent U.S. leadership as contributing to global instability, reinforcing a central theme of the summit: that the current international order needs to be redefined.
"The new Cold War is being waged between China and the United States; it is this very rivalry that is at stake in every country participating in the summit. Lula’s concern regarding the resurgence of the right has become patently obvious, particularly when observing Argentina and Chile, where the victories of Milei and Kast have ushered in ‘winds of change.’ We are, quite literally, living through times reminiscent of the fall of the Berlin Wall, specifically, the collapse of ‘21st-century socialism’ across Hispanic America, and this is precisely what has them so worried," Brazilian political analyst Sandra Bronzina told Fox News Digital
"When the global progressive left rails against the United States, talking about sovereignty and peace, or speaking out against war, they are not doing so out of mere altruism or good intentions. Rather, they are driven by a shadowy self-interest: ensuring that China continues to colonize our nations, a process that is, evidently, already well underway."
Mexico’s Sheinbaum underscored the principle of national sovereignty, reiterating Latin America’s longstanding emphasis on non-intervention. She joined other leaders in opposing sanctions on countries such as Cuba, signaling a willingness to coordinate positions that diverge sharply from U.S. policy in the region.
Taken together, analysts say the messaging out of Barcelona suggests the early stages of a loosely aligned bloc, one that is increasingly willing to challenge U.S. positions on global governance, regional policy and economic strategy.
Yet even as leaders in Barcelona warn of a rising right-wing threat, political realities across the Americas tell a different story, one that may resonate more directly with U.S. audiences.
In Argentina, sweeping economic reforms focused on deregulation and fiscal discipline have captured global attention as an alternative to state-led models. In El Salvador, aggressive security policies have dramatically reduced violence. And in Ecuador, a renewed focus on law-and-order and institutional control is emerging as a response to escalating cartel violence.
Analysts say these examples highlight a counter to the Barcelona narrative in that a significant portion of the region is moving toward policies centered on security, market reforms and stronger state authority — priorities that often align more closely with U.S. strategic interests.
Experts say the contrast is striking. On one side, a group of leaders in Barcelona is calling for a rethinking of global systems long associated with U.S. leadership. On the other, governments across the hemisphere are experimenting with approaches that emphasize economic liberalization and strong security measures.
Parents in Bronx neighborhood plead for NYPD guard as Mamdani cuts cops, halts hires: 'Horrible situation'
FIRST ON FOX: NEW YORK — As New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani moves to cut the NYPD’s budget and resists calls to hire more police officers, parents in The Bronx are asking for more police, not less, saying their kids face an increase in danger.
The push highlights growing tension between the mayor’s policing agenda and safety concerns from local families.
Over 1,000 people have signed a Change.org petition supporting the families of Zeta Bronx Tremont Park Lower Elementary school, who are requesting an NYPD crossing guard to be assigned to a treacherous corner, where they say a tragic accident is waiting to happen.
Fox News Digital went to the busy intersection at Arthur Avenue and Tremont Avenue and spoke to parents about the dangers their children face every day as cars zoom by on their way to Interstate 95.
"The situation is very horrible for the kids and the parents too," Aimee, a parent at the school, said. "There have always been small accidents on the street because the intersection crosses to go right to the highway, and it's something that worries us a lot. They don't take us into consideration and I feel that we should raise our voice for the entire community of the school."
MAMDANI MOVES TO SIDELINE NYC POLICE WITH NEW SAFETY OFFICE UNDER SWEEPING OVERHAUL
A parent named Christine explained that the school has been trying to get a crossing guard or police officer "for a long time" but were told "they didn’t have anyone." Several NYPD vehicles could be seen parked near the intersection but were unoccupied, and parents told Fox News Digital they belonged to a nearby station and were not monitoring the street crossing.
"[There have] almost been accidents so many times, and we really need help," Christine said.
Fox News Digital reached out to Mayor Mamdani’s office for comment but did not receive a response.
Mamdani has faced criticism over his relationship with police dating back to his mayoral campaign, which was dogged by questions about his past support of defunding the police. After his election, Mamdani was in the hot seat from critics again when his budget included cutting police funding and cancelling 5,000 new NYPD hires.
Some parents near the Bronx school, including some who previously supported Mamdani, aren’t sold on the idea of less police.
"Removing or preventing us from having those resources is a step in the wrong direction when our schools and children clearly need more support," Paola, a Zeta parent, said in a press release. "We need more preventive officers and programs to keep our neighborhoods in the Bronx safe."
"I am one of those who initially had a lot of faith in Mayor Mamdani, but I’m starting to get scared because he doesn't seem aware of the actual needs of my community. The safety of my child and my own students is non-negotiable, and we must find the funding to keep our little ones safe."
Aimee told Fox News Digital "we need more police" to "help us" and urged the mayor to "consider us."
The Change.org petition requests a "dedicated traffic officer" during arrival and dismissal hours at the school and argues that "traffic officers are assigned at busy school crossings across New York City" and the children at the charter school "deserve the same protection" as those public schools.
A parent named Lou described the situation as "very dangerous" and that many vehicles simply "don't abide by the law."
Fox News Digital witnessed several close calls at the intersection with cars making illegal or dangerous turns, honking horns, and coming to an abrupt stop as children were being ushered to school nearby.
"I don’t get why he’s saying less cops or less funding," Paola told Fox News Digital, adding that the neighborhood is also suffering from crime issues related to drugs.
"There has to be money somewhere."
In a statement to Fox News Digital, an NYPD spokesperson said "The Commanding Officer of the 48 precinct is working with community leaders and elected officials to get more School Crossing Guards."
"Additionally, personnel from the 48 precinct are working with Department of Transportation to work on additional signage and redesign of the intersection. Year-to-date, there have been no collisions at the intersection Arthur Avenue and East Tremont Avenue. Year-to-date, the NYPD has issued 67 summonses to vehicles in the vicinity of Arthur Avenue and East Tremont Street. Traffic safety is a shared responsibility and the NYPD, along with personnel from the 48 precinct, are committed to supporting local schools in achieving that goal."
Mamdani won the Bronx in November’s mayoral election with 51% of the vote, compared to 40% for former Governor Andrew Cuomo and 7% for Republican Curtis Sliwa.
House GOP pushes back on Senate's 'skinny' plan to end record-breaking DHS shutdown
Senate Republicans are forging ahead with a two-step plan to end the record-breaking Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown, but their House counterparts tell Fox News Digital they are not on board with the strategy.
A swath of House Republicans have voiced growing frustration that a forthcoming GOP-only funding package does not include other policy priorities beyond funding immigration enforcement ahead of November’s midterm elections.
"I think we've got one last opportunity for reconciliation," Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., told Fox News Digital in an interview. "I know some people are talking about two, but I think we’ve got one guaranteed shot."
"I like the idea of making it bigger," he added, mentioning defense funding and affordability concerns. "We've got a lot of important stuff to do and we need to get it done."
ICE SHUTDOWN FIGHT MIGHT RESTRICT FEMA, COAST GUARD TO ‘LIFE-THREATENING’ EMERGENCIES
"I’m undecided," Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., a member of the House Freedom Caucus, told Fox News Digital, referring to the Senate’s approach. "I’ve got issues with it. We believe it should be more expansive."
The Senate approved a budget resolution early Thursday largely along party lines that would fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for the rest of President Donald Trump’s term.
Republicans are pursuing the partisan budget reconciliation process to bypass Democrats and fund immigration enforcement with GOP votes after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., refused to fund the department without sweeping reforms added to the proposal.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is racing to pass the Senate’s budget resolution as early as next week, at which point he can afford to lose only a handful of votes. President Donald Trump has set a June 1 deadline to fully fund immigration enforcement through a GOP-only bill, forcing Republicans to act quickly with little room for error.
Before the DHS shutdown House Republican leadership teased a budget reconciliation sequel to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that would incorporate a diverse set of priorities, such as a defense supplemental package, spending cuts targeting fraud and policies aimed at lowering the cost of living.
Concerns among rank-and-file Republicans that a forthcoming budget bill will not include those provisions threaten to jeopardize that timeline.
House conservatives have also fiercely objected to the Senate passing a bipartisan partial DHS bill carving out ICE and the Border Patrol from the normal appropriations process and keeping those two agencies unfunded.
After Democrats in the upper chamber repeatedly filibustered DHS funding bills, the Senate approved legislation funding parts of the department that Democrats would support. The House has yet to take up that legislation.
"The bill the Senate sent over is totally unacceptable to conservatives," House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., said Thursday, referring to the upper chamber’s partial DHS bill. "We will never vote or support in any way a bill that puts in a zero" for immigration enforcement, he added.
"The very premise of needing a reconciliation bill to pass funding for ICE and CBP is repulsive to me," Higgins told Fox News Digital. "That sort of thing has never been done up here, to take an appropriations bill and sort of cherry pick what you don't want in it and isolate whole agencies … I’m against that whole premise."
BEHIND THE SCENES OF CONGRESS' ELEVENTH-HOUR RUSH TO FUND THE DHS
Senate Republicans are largely unified on keeping the package as narrow as possible out of concern that adding more to the pot could stall lawmakers’ progress.
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., has sought to expedite the passage of a forthcoming budget bill by involving in the process just two panels — the Senate Judiciary and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committees.
"The vast majority of Republicans stuck together to do something Democrats are refusing to do: Fully fund the Border Patrol and ICE for three and a half years through the Trump presidency," Graham said Thursday after the upper chamber adopted the budget blueprint. "As Senate Budget Committee Chairman, I am very proud of my colleagues."
Still, some Senate Republicans agree with their House colleagues who want to super-size the forthcoming package out of fear that they may not get another shot before the midterms.
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., argued that Republicans should try to beef up the package despite promises from leadership that there could be a third bite at the apple later in the year.
"I'm not saying anybody's lying, they're not. People probably intend to do a third reconciliation bill," Kennedy said on the Senate floor. "But you're not looking at Bambi's baby brother here. There won't be a third reconciliation bill. You know it … and I know it. This is it. This is the last train leaving the station."
It is unclear whether the House will ultimately modify the Senate’s budget blueprint funding immigration enforcement.
Any changes to the resolution would kick it back to the Senate for reconciliation and require another marathon vote series before Congress could officially unlock the reconciliation process.
DHS, meanwhile, has warned this week it is short on funds to continue paying its employees through May.
Earlier in April, Trump ordered the department to use existing funds to provide backpay to federal employees, who had been furloughed or reporting to work without their salary during the funding lapse, which began in mid-February.
No husband, no problem. Is this the beginning of an era of spouse-less weddings?
No husband? No problem. That is what Brittany Allyn, a New York-based influencer, thought when she decided to throw herself a wedding party to celebrate turning 40. Could this be the start of a new trend?
Allyn has over 402,000 Instagram followers and over 383,000 TikTok followers under the username @thirtywaves.
Allyn spoke to Fox News Digital about the decision to throw herself into what became the viral birthday celebration.
It wasn't always the plan to have a wedding-themed party. The content creator originally planned to throw a Saltburn-themed birthday party in the British countryside. The wedding party came to mind when Allyn was struggling to find the perfect dress for the occasion.
REESE WITHERSPOON'S 50TH BIRTHDAY PARTY DRAWS A-LIST CROWD TO LAINEY WILSON'S NASHVILLE BAR
"I was, like, you know, what? Why don't I just wear the white dress? Why don't I kind of go through those motions and find the dress, the dream dress, and, you know, you don't really get to wear like a white extravagant dress other times in your life," Allyn said.
Allyn said she didn't want to miss out on the opportunity to wear the white dress.
"This might be my only wedding, I hope not," Allyn said. "Like I love marriage and celebrating love, but I was, like, why not just go really big?"
Allyn made it clear that the emphasis was wedding-themed. She did not marry herself, and instead of a wedding cake there were cupcakes.
"I didn't marry myself, it was really just about like self-love for the weekend and kind of dressing up and making it a fun thing party and then just celebrating the friendships and family that I have there."
However, there were some parts of the party that were similar to a wedding, including speeches and walking down the aisle.
Allyn emphasized that the party was not about "putting down men" or "giving up."
"It is not about putting down men and saying you don't need a man. It's just, if this is where you're at, and you're 40, and you have great friends, and you've done a lot for them, then maybe it's time for them to also do a lot for you and show up how they should," she said.
Allyn believes all women should have their bridal moment regardless of their relationship status.
UNORTHODOX SINGLES PROGRAM AIMS TO PUT 'THE FEELS' BACK IN MODERN DATING
"This message is for all women that want to have that bride moment. You will never regret it. It is so much fun," she said. "Pick your favorite people. Pick your best friends, your family members. Dress up, feel absolutely beautiful. Wear the dress you've always wanted to wear that you've never had a celebration to wear it to."
Allyn believes women have been given an "extra decade in the modern world" and have more time for their dreams to come true.
"I think 40 really is almost the new 30. I think you know women are doing egg freezing, they're having kids at 45. You can do so much even at 40 and there's beauty and there is youth and there's silliness in it."
When Allyn announced the decision to throw her wedding birthday party on TikTok, she received many comments and over 200,000 views on the video.
"I think you’re starting a cultural phenomenon," one commenter wrote.
"Absolutely iconic. A new movement begins," said another.
And when she posted about the party, more comments showed up.
"I fear you are doing life correctly my dear," a TikTok user wrote.
"Anyone in the comments wanting to do this and needs a planner, I'm right here," said another.
Many comments applauded Allyn's unique party. "This is what self-love is," said a TikTok user.
BROADCAST BIAS: Networks downplay Southern Poverty Law Center funding KKK, Nazis
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has been a favorite elitist media source for decades to warn constantly of a dangerous "far right" threat to America, from neo-Nazis to the Ku Klux Klan. They wanted you to believe that 23 skinheads meeting at a state park in Kentucky had national significance. All that fell apart this week.
A 2018 Anti-Defamation League report on the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan reported it "is the largest and the most active Klan group in the country with approximately 100 members." But this somehow defines America with 340 million people as deeply racist.
On April 21, the Justice Department indicted the SPLC for financial fraud, taking money from leftist donors and paying informants inside racist and extremist groups and trying to hide the money trail. Naturally, the same media that has promoted SPLC's narrative of an America gripped by White supremacy doesn't want to get into the ugly specifics of the indictment underlining that alleged scam.
Even the "paper of record," The New York Times ran a front-page story that laid out all the conservative complaints about the group in recent years, but didn’t get into their allegedly fraudulent payoffs.
BROADCAST BIAS: ‘PUBLIC’ MEDIA FURIOUS WASHINGTON POST CUT BACK ON ANTI-TRUMP CRUSADE
The Democrats came out and said, this is just paying informants like the FBI or the cops. But the informants are often not just keeping tabs, they're pushing these groups into action. So, in this case, if the SPLC informant is helping push a far-right rally in Charlottesville that becomes a huge national news story, which leads to a massive influx of donations to SPLC, isn't that an obvious scam?
On the evening after the indictment, only the "PBS News Hour" reported the story, and only for 69 seconds. Anchor Amna Nawaz was fairly straightforward. While there was no soundbite from acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, they did have a soundbite of SPLC leader Bryan Fair claiming that they used informants to "save lives" in the 1970s.
Nawaz concluded: "The Southern Poverty Law Center was founded in 1971 and has long been criticized by Republicans who say it unfairly targets conservative groups and individuals. Last year, FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency was severing its ties with the center, which for years had provided law enforcement with research on domestic extremism."
NETWORKS CAN'T FIND ANY BLAME FOR THE LEFT IN CHARLIE KIRK'S MURDER
The network newscasts think "domestic extremism" is only a right-wing phenomenon. There are no left-wing extremists in America.
A few weeks after President Donald Trump won re-election in 2024, PBS put on the SPLC to suggest Trump would cause a big uptick in bigotry. Their online headline: "Is the political climate influencing a spike in racist incidents?"
On April 22, ABC’s "Good Morning America" gave just 31 seconds to the SPLC indictment, with anchor Robin Roberts polishing it up as a "prominent civil rights organization." Under the words on screen "Civil Rights Group Indicted on Fraud Charges," reporter Aaron Katersky relayed the SPLC was accused "of defrauding donors by secretly paying informants inside the Ku Klux Klan and other extremist groups that it long investigated. The Southern Poverty Law Center said, ‘we are outraged by the false allegations’ and accused the Trump administration of targeting it for political reasons, guys."
BOZELL, GRAHAM: TRUMP SUCCESSFULLY DEFUNDS NPR AND PBS AND HE'S JUST GETTING STARTED
The "CBS Evening News" was much more even-handed in a report that night. Reporter Jan Crawford aired clips of Blanche and Fair, and concluded by noting the SPLC has faced other scandals: "In 1995, the Montgomery Advertiser was the finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for articles alleging that the center was misleading donors and wasting their money, and more recently, critics say that its Hatewatch list of extremists includes many mainstream conservatives."
No one recalled Floyd Corkins, who brought his SPLC "hate map" to a violent attack on the headquarters of the Christian conservative Family Research Council in Washington, D.C., in 2012. He carried a bag of Chick-fil-A sandwiches that he wanted to smear on his potential victims after he murdered them. Corkins was sentenced "to 25 years in prison on three felony charges, including a terrorism offense," according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
On broadcast radio, NPR aired a report on the April 22 "Morning Edition" featuring both sides of the SPLC case. A similar report aired on that evening’s "All Things Considered," but reporter Debbie Elliott implied the paying of informants happened long ago, not in the Trump era, and brought on MS NOW contributor Joyce Vance to argue, "What they were doing using paid informants had nothing to do with stoking the work of these terrorist groups and everything to do with exposing it."
CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION
On the April 23 talk show "Fresh Air," host Terry Gross made a point of asking author Stephen Ross to explain the SPLC indictment in the context of his book on racist and anti-Semitic groups that formed after World War II. The SPLC was taking this battle against bigotry into our times and being punished for it.
The indictment also drew 17 minutes on "The NPR Politics Podcast," featuring their "domestic extremism correspondent" Odette Yousef, who doesn’t find any extremism on the left. Typically, she declared on this program that the Trump administration is attempting to redefine extremism to focus on "what it characterizes as the far left and what it often refers to as Antifa." They’re investigating "what this administration considers to be extreme left antifa extremists."
After the assassination of TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk, Yousef energetically said no one could find evidence his killer was a left-wing extremist. When Trump declared Antifa was a domestic terrorist group last fall, Yousef was upset: "So I'm hearing a real fear that this conflation of anti-fascism and terrorism may stigmatize anyone or any group working on movements for community building and racial or social justice."
This isn’t "public" broadcasting. It’s anti-public. It’s a good thing they were defunded.
Rare royal artifact linked to influential king-turned-saint uncovered after decades missing
Officials recently unveiled the discovery of an 11th-century wax seal belonging to one of the most influential monarchs in English history.
The seal, which had been missing since the 1980s, was found by a Ph.D. student in the Archives Nationales in Paris, where it has been held since the 18th century.
Known as the Saint-Denis seal, the artifact was uncovered in 2021, though the discovery has only now been made public.
LEGENDARY CAPTAIN WHO INSPIRED 'THE THREE MUSKETEERS' MAY HAVE BEEN FOUND UNDER CHURCH ALTAR
The seal was used by Edward the Confessor, who ruled England from 1042 to 1066.
"By far the best-preserved impression of the three seals known to have been used by Edward, its loss sparked great consternation among international historians," the University of Exeter said in an April statement.
"But it has now emerged that the wax artifact was found by a curator and a Ph.D. student conducting research in a section of the Paris archive that contained a collection of detached and damaged seals," the release added.
Edward was the last ruler of the Anglo-Saxon royal line before the Norman Conquest.
DISCOVERY AT MONTICELLO REVEALS CONSTRUCTION SECRETS THOMAS JEFFERSON LEFT OUT OF MAPS AND LETTERS
Harold Godwinson, who died at the Battle of Hastings, was technically the last Anglo-Saxon king, though he was not part of the same royal line.
Edward, known for his strong piety, is also distinguished as one of the few English kings to be canonized.
He was canonized by Pope Alexander III in 1161, and his shrine at Westminster Abbey became a major pilgrimage site in medieval England.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER
Pictures of the artifact show that the wax seal impression bears the image of a crowned ruler, surrounded by faint inscriptions and marked by visible age and wear.
One striking detail was how well-preserved the seal was, said Levi Roach, a medieval history professor at the University of Exeter.
Roach, whose findings were recently published in the journal Early Medieval England and its Neighbors, told Fox News Digital there is "clear evidence of modern restoration" on the seal, which was not there when it was last photographed in the 1950s.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES
"The detached seals section of the French National Archives was used to train up archivists in restoration practices in the ‘80s and ‘90s, so this is presumably the product of such work," he said.
"Whoever restored it clearly was blissfully unaware that the seal was thought lost!"
Roach also noted the seal shows Byzantine influence, including its use of the imperial title "basileus" and sword imagery.
The find highlights how those ideas spread across Europe — and even reached England faster than previously understood.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
"Direct contacts with the Byzantine Empire existed, but are much less well evidenced than indirect ones," he noted.
"The seal's iconography demonstrates not only that Byzantine influences reached England via France, Germany and Italy — as has long been known — but also did so directly from Byzantium, in some cases within the span of little more than a decade."
These influences show that England was more connected to continental Europe before the Norman Conquest than people might assume, Roach added, pointing to rare royal documents — among the only known examples — produced by continental scribes and Edward's close ties to Normandy.
"This demonstrates growing continental influence under Edward," he said.
"Many of the processes we classically associate with the Norman Conquest had already begun in his reign."
Carrie Underwood says her family could be 'self-sustained' on Tennessee farm away from Hollywood spotlight
Though she's one of the biggest names in country music, Carrie Underwood is prepared to live off the grid.
After Monday's Disney-themed episode of "American Idol," the country music superstar opened up about her life away from the glitz and glam of Hollywood, revealing she and her family of four could be "self-sustained" on their Tennessee farm.
"I think if I had to, I could be self-sustained at home. I love growing things," Underwood — who won the singing competition in 2005 and joined as a judge last year — told Fox News Digital. "If I had all the time in the world, I would… not really need to go to the grocery store for too much. But it’s a lot of fun. You know, I love our chickens. We have cows, we have sheep, we have donkeys. We have horses. I have my garden, and it's a great way to connect with the earth. That's my contribution to the family."
CARRIE UNDERWOOD SHARES SECRET TO RAISING GROUNDED CHILDREN ON TENNESSEE FARM
"I feel like a lot of other responsibilities are mine," Underwood added. "We have a farm manager who is wonderful… He's taking care of my sheep while I'm gone. He looks after the horses and things like that. We do as much as we can, but I'm obviously not there all the time, and neither is my husband, so we do have help."
Last month, during an appearance on "The View," Underwood — who was joined by her fellow "American Idol" judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie — opened up about how she manages to keep her home life grounded at her Tennessee farm with husband Mike Fisher and their two sons, Isaiah and Jacob.
WATCH: CARRIE UNDERWOOD REVEALS SHE COULD BE ‘SELF-SUSTAINED’ ON TENNESSEE FARM
"I don't bring work home with me," Underwood told the TV hosts. "And it is the opposite of what I do everywhere else, like being on stage and being at home. These are two different people, pretty much, and I love that because it's like they'll come to shows, and they'll see me do what I do, and I feel like they're proud."
"But mom makes dinner," she continued. "I'm usually covered in dirt, or I have farm animals everywhere, or I'm covered in poop or whatever it is. That's mom, and I hope, more than anything, that's what they take away from me and that's what they remember about me. Like she was mom, and every once in a while she goes and gets on stage."
But home on the farm is where Underwood thrives the most.
In addition to raising livestock, canning foods, harvesting her own fruits and vegetables, crocheting and more, the country music star takes pride in her farm-to-table way of living.
"I love that our meals, especially dinner. It's like you look on our plate and everything on our plates is something that either came from the garden, or my husband's a hunter, you know. The meat is something that he got," she said during a 2023 episode of "The Dr. Josh Axe Show."
"We eat what we have. We eat seasonally. It all tastes delicious because it's food."
With a hectic schedule, Underwood finds solace in the quiet moments at home.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
Last year, the "Before He Cheats" singer explained that, at the time, she'd gone to her orchard to feed some of her animals, and while she was checking on her fruit, she got the idea to pray.
"I love praying out loud in the orchard…it’s so beautiful and peaceful," she wrote. "I was about 15 seconds into my chat when I was surprised by a snake in the blueberry bush. Just a rat snake…nothing dangerous. But he was there…JUST as I began to pray. It obviously made me think…about God…about the devil."
"The devil is always there…watching…lurking…even when we feel at our closest with God. Being a Christian isn’t a free ticket out of trouble. The world is full of evil…BUT God is with us. The snake and I kept our eyes on each other…but I got what I came for, finished my prayer and went about my morning…having faith that Mr. Snakey and the devil will both be moving along…out of my orchard and out of my way!"
In 2023, Underwood collaborated with Epic Gardening, a gardening brand with a YouTube channel. The team behind the brand traveled to her farm to help her build one of her greenhouses.
There, she explained that as soon as she and Fisher moved to their home outside Nashville, they started working on the garden. But, in 2020, when the pandemic hit, they were able to really get something major started.
"I love the heat here in Tennessee, and it just made me happy to, you know, grow something from nothing," she said. "It feels like little miracles every time I get something."
Fox News Digital's Emily Trainham contributed to this report.
Former 'FSU Cowgirl' at center of Brett Favre photo scandal suffers terrifying breast explosion
Jenn Sterger, the former NFL reporter and current comedian who accused Super Bowl champion Brett Favre of sending her inappropriate text messages and pictures in 2008, revealed Friday that she had a double mastectomy this week because her implants "exploded."
See? Your life doesn't seem that hard now, does it?
Sterger, also known as the famous FSU cowgirl from the mid-2000s, said in a lengthy Instagram post that she's been dealing with pain in the right breast for over a month now, and she was rushed to the ER on Thursday because her right breast exploded.
"Not the implant, the actual breast," she said.
"I was rushed into the ER and redlined into surgery. It was terrifying. I was literally just meeting people, who that same night would hold my life in their hands. It was an emergency implant removal, nipple sparing, double mastectomy. And with it, the final piece of my mask that's protected me all these years," she continued.
"As a late diagnosed neurodivergent woman, I've lost count of the number of people who told me, you'd be nothing without your breasts. They said, 'Your career will be over.' And maybe they're right. Or maybe, it will just remove the part of my career I've outgrown anyway."
Goodness gracious. Imagine my surprise when I hopped on Instagram this morning for the news of the day, and this little bombshell was waiting for me right at the top. Brutal way to start a Saturday.
For those who don't remember, Sterger was at the center of the Brett Favre photo scandal with the Jets back in 2008. She was the team's sideline hostess, and allegedly received inappropriate text messages and ... lewd ... photos from the Hall of Fame quarterback the one year he was with the New York Jets.
KRISTIN CAVALLARI DISCOVERS RUPTURED BREAST IMPLANT DURING SURGERY
Feel free to look up what those "lewd" photos were, by the way. I'd suggest going on Incognito mode first, though. Just to be safe.
Sterger, now 43, called Favre's Parkinson's diagnosis "karma" two years ago, for those wondering if she's moved on.
"PSA. Please don’t send me links to it. I’ve seen it. I can read. I don’t wish bad things on anyone but I know Karma never forgets an address," she wrote on her Instagram Stories.
If all of that doesn't ring a bell for you as far as Jenn Sterger goes, you may remember her as the iconic FSU cowgirl who Brent Musburger made famous back in 2005.
Amazing. Can't believe it's been 21 years since that moment. What a special day that was in the college football world.
Anyway, Sterger's now recovering after a long week. Glad she's OK. Also glad she hasn't lost her sense of humor.
"I have spent the past month in and out of countless doctors offices, hooked up to all kinds of devices and tubes in an effort to find out what’s been wrong with my right breast," she wrote. "They’ve been largely trying to determine if I have a rare form of breast implant induced lymphoma.. BIA ALCL. But testing for it has proven brutal. Multiple biopsies.
"Two were utter failures, and the other was one of the most painful experiences in my whole life... and I’ve worked for the Jets."
Amazing.
Bette Midler latest to assault people's ears with terrible protest song
I guess we can start calling 2026 the year of the protest song, because another washed-up celebrity is back to fight the man.
First, we had Bruce Springsteen regale us with some of the worst slapped-together lyricism this side of slam poetry with his ICE diss track, "Streets of Minneapolis."
Now, according to Rolling Stone, none other than Bette Midler has joined the fray with a spin on a "classic" protest song(and I use that term VERY loosely) called "Hey You Facists" by Woody Guthrie.
The song was written in 1940 and addressed issues such as the poll tax, Jim Crow, and race hatred in the U.S., but Midler turned it into a modern tune to fight back against that evil, oppressive Orange Man in the Oval Office.
TRUMP CRITICS TAKE ISSUE WITH GREEN DAY'S SUPER BOWL LX PERFORMANCE
Yay, another song bashing Trump! I bet you all haven't had your fill of those yet.
"I was talking to Jane Fonda the other day, and she said, ‘We need an anthem,'" Midler told Rolling Stone. "So I looked back at [some] catalogs and an old Woody Guthrie song stuck in my head."
I can't think of anything we need LESS than an anthem courtesy of Jane Fonda and Bette Midler, but go on.
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN SLAMMED AS ‘TOTAL LOSER’ BY TRUMP, PRESIDENT URGES FANS TO BOYCOTT CONCERTS
"The insanity that’s happening, this unprecedented destruction of all of normal behavior, has affected me very badly."
I'm sure it has, Bette.
Let's take a look at some of these lyrics, shall we?
"We’ll battle ICE together/Until they cut and run/Just like in Minneapolis/And when the midterms come," Midler sings, "You’re bound to lose/You fascists, bound to lose." She continues: "Trying to distract us from the Epstein files/You gas and beat and murder us, protecting pedophiles/Let’s turn the screws/You pervs are bound to lose."
I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.
I love how she thinks they "battled" ICE until they "cut and run" from Minneapolis.
If this was true fascism we were experiencing, the ending in the Twin Cities would have been a whole lot worse, and ICE would probably still be in Minnesota rounding up citizens and immigrants alike to this day.
Oh that evil Donald Trump, he's such a fascist the way he checks notes got on the phone with the governor of Minnesota and promised to scale back ICE operations.
The idiocy of these people knows no bounds.
Also, "gas and beat" you? In what world?
Are we talking tear gas here, or gas chambers? You might want to be a little more specific because one is what actual fascists use and is a lot worse.
Oh, and I don't think anyone is trying to distract from the Epstein files given that millions of pages of documents have been released, most of which featured unfounded claims of cannibalism from (at best) unreliable sources.
'NO KINGS’ PROTESTERS DEBUT REWRITE OF ‘AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL’ VERSE TO INCLUDE 'THY IMMIGRANT'
But other than that, great work! Woody Guthrie would be proud.
This got me thinking: have protest songs always been this bad? And I think the answer is "yes."
Protest songs, by their very nature, are very lame and cringey.
For example, the other day I was in a restaurant and I heard "Ohio," the song about the Kent State shooting by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young playing over the speakers, and I realized I never paid attention to the lyrics.
So I looked them up, and yeah, they're just as cringey as Midler's ode to Woody Guthrie, albeit slightly more poetic.
"Tin soldiers and Nixon's comin'/We're finally on our own/This summer I hear the drummin'/Four dead in Ohio/Gotta get down to it/Soldiers are gunning us down/Should have been done long ago/What if you knew her and/Found her dead on the ground?/How can you run when you know?"
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Piss off!
No wonder Lynyrd Skynyrd hated these pricks so much.
From this point forward, I'm protesting protest songs.
I have to draw the line somewhere, and I encourage you to do the same.