Fox News Latest Headlines
White House fires back after 'slob' JB Pritzker says Trump is suffering from 'dementia'
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker attributed President Donald Trump’s attacks on the growing influence of socialists within the Democratic Party to "dementia."
Pritzker’s remarks come after Trump classified socialism as the "biggest threat" to America since its founding – including World War I, World War II and the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
"Look, the man is continually suffering from dementia. I don't think he really understands what he's saying," the Illinois governor told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins.
TRUMP MARKS 80TH BIRTHDAY, NOW SECOND OCTOGENARIAN SITTING PRESIDENT: 'SEEMED TO UTTERLY DEFY AGE'
"I’m not a doctor. I haven’t diagnosed anything," he continued. "I’m just suggesting to you that just look at the way he puts words and sentences together and thoughts and they’re almost divergent in the same sentences."
Pritzker pointed to what he described as a decline in Trump’s public appearances to support his dementia assertion.
"Look at any of the videos from 2015 or 2016 and look at how he responded to questions and how he was at press conferences and then you fast forward and look at him now, I really think that there's something genuinely wrong with him," he said.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, the White House called Pritzker's comments a "desperate" attempt to stay relevant.
BILL MAHER'S DIRE MIDTERM ELECTION WARNING TO DEMS AFTER 'REALLY CRAZY' SOCIALISTS WIN PRIMARIES
"JB Pritzker is a slob and an incompetent governor who pushes blatantly false narratives like this in a desperate attempt to stay relevant. Instead of lying in media interviews, Pritzker should focus on fixing his broken state and do his job," a White House spokesperson said.
The White House also defended Trump's health, telling Fox News Digital in part: "Unlike the Biden White House, President Trump and his entire team have been fully open and transparent about the President’s health, which remains exceptional."
Trump recently reupped warnings of socialism’s growing influence within the Democratic Party after several socialist candidates secured primary victories, indicating an increasing acceptance of the far-left movement within the party.
All three congressional candidates endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani – Brad Lander, Claire Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalie – won their respective Democratic primaries.
"It’s too easy to get elected, giving everything away," Trump said Monday. "It’s easy for them to get followers because they make promises they know they can’t keep."
Pritzker also slammed Trump for "regularly" threatening to use the powers of the federal government to target political opponents and said the president often speaks without thinking.
"[Trump] has these concepts in his head and he blurts them out without really thinking," Pritzker said.
Coalition of 25 states sues Trump admin over Medicaid work rule designed to prevent fraud
A coalition of blue states and jurisdictions is suing the Trump administration over new Medicaid work requirements designed to prevent fraud, arguing the policy unlawfully restricts access to health care coverage.
The lawsuit, filed by at least 25 states and the District of Columbia, alleges the newly implemented Interim Final Rule (IFR) — issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) — violates federal law and departs from Congress' original intent and early CMS guidance.
The IFR requires certain individuals to provide documentation proving they are exempt from Medicaid rules requiring enrollees to work, volunteer or attend school due to severe medical conditions.
Before the rule was issued in early June, highly vulnerable Medicaid recipients were set to be automatically exempt from such requirements. Agencies would have granted those exemptions by reviewing existing health records, without requiring individuals to complete additional paperwork ahead of the requirements taking effect in January 2027.
The lawsuit names Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which issued the IFR, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), as defendants.
Oz previously argued that such guardrails are designed to prevent programs from being "defrauded into a turmoil," adding that able-bodied enrollees receiving American tax dollars should contribute to society.
"If you can work, you should get up and work," Oz said.
"If we put guardrails around these programs, we'll allow them to thrive. I'm here because I love Medicaid. The president has already said he loves and cherishes Medicaid and Medicare. … We cannot allow these programs to be defrauded into a turmoil that they cannot pull up from. If we love these programs, we will make the difficult decisions."
The new rule would require able-bodied individuals to work 20 hours a week, volunteer, or pursue education while enrolled in free healthcare coverage.
Fox News reached out to the White House and HHS for comment.
FED AUDIT, EMERGENCY MEDICAID UNDERCUT DEMS ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT HEALTH COVERAGE
The plaintiffs involve California, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Wisconsin and Kentucky.
"People with disabilities, patients in the middle of cancer treatment, or those struggling with another serious or complex health condition, shouldn’t be at risk of losing the care that helps maintain their health," the suit stated.
According to the suit, CMS’s own projections estimate that 2.3 million enrollees will lose Medicaid coverage in the first year alone.
The agency also estimates that 7% of enrollees who are working or qualify for an exemption will lose coverage due to confusing paperwork requirements, strict deadlines or missing documentation, according to the document.
Beginning in 2028, enrollees who do not have immediate medical records on file would be limited to a single opportunity to submit a "self-attestation" form declaring, under penalty of perjury, that they are too sick to work.
Under previous guidance, enrollees were allowed to use self-attestation multiple times as their medical needs evolved.
In addition, plaintiffs said the new rules would force states to abandon automated systems they have already invested in and instead build more complex and costly manual review processes.
As the Aug. 31 deadline to mail notices to Medicaid enrollees approaches, the plaintiffs are seeking a temporary stay and a preliminary injunction to block CMS and HHS from enforcing the rules.
Captain Aaron Judge calls out Yankees' 'lack of focus' before team drops 7th straight game
New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge may not be able to play for his squad right now, but that doesn’t mean he’s looking away from the poor performances they’ve had of late.
Judge was straight-forward with his response to the Yankees dropping six games before their series finale against the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday afternoon in the Bronx.
"Well, it’s not great," he said after his team’s woes. "Just a little lack of focus. We just gotta dial it in. Our ultimate goal is to win a World Series. I think guys have to remember that every single day they show up here, we’re here to win a World Series."
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Judge didn’t specifically go into what the lack of focus is, but he followed up by saying, "I think you guys see it."
Judge, who has been on the injured list with a rib injury, believes getting that elusive 28th world championship for the franchise should be enough motivation to right the ship.
"That should motivate you every single day you step on that field, no matter what happens, no matter what happens the day before," he added. "I got a job to do. We’ve got an important sign when you walk out on the field. It’s the last sign you see before you’re out there: it says 'do your job.' Guys are here to do their job."
Unfortunately for the Yankees, Judge’s pre-game speech didn’t result in snapping that losing streak on Wednesday. They fell to Detroit 6-2 in 11 innings, where four runs were scored in the top of the 11th by the Tigers.
The Yankees have dropped seven straight and eight of their last 10 games to fall three games back of the Tampa Bay Rays for the lead in the AL East.
Yes, the Yankees remain in clear playoff position, sitting atop the American League Wild Card standings despite the skid. But, while the AL has been mediocre this season, it’s still a tight race as other teams are starting to get right.
New York could certainly use their captain back on the field, but there’s no timetable for his return and he didn’t have anything positive to say about his rehab in terms of putting the pinstripes back on soon.
"You know how it goes around here — guys can feel good, feel bad, but you’ve got to wait on images," Judge said about his rib. The Yankees said when he was diagnosed with the injury that they would get additional imaging done roughly four-to-six weeks later.
"There’s no need to talk about this now," Judge said. "I know it’s an important topic and a big issue, but I want to give you guys the full story."
The story right now for the Yankees is a bleak one, but there’s a lot of season left to play. Perhaps the All-Star break, which begins July 13, could be a good reset as they look to get back to their winning ways.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
DNA from soda bottle allegedly links Massachusetts woman to 1985 murder of 'Baby Boy Doe'
DNA from a soda bottle allegedly has linked a Massachusetts woman to the 1985 death of her newborn son, who was found dead in the woods by a father and son hunting rabbits, authorities said this week.
Dianne Curry Peck, 59, appeared in court on Tuesday, where she pleaded not guilty to a murder charge in connection with the death of her son, who became known as "Baby Boy Doe" of Mansfield, Massachusetts.
"Few cases are more heartbreaking than one involving a newborn baby, allegedly abandoned and left to die in the woods by his mother, deprived of the care, love and protection every child deserves," FBI Boston Special Agent-in-Charge Ted Docks said outside the courthouse. "For 41 years, this child was known simply as Baby Boy Doe. He entered this world with limitless promise, but was denied the most basic right to live."
COLD CASE CRACKED AS ILLINOIS SUSPECT CHARGED IN BRUTAL 1993 KILLING OF MOTHER FOUND SLAIN IN FIELD
The newborn's body was discovered on Jan. 26, 1985, by a father and son who noticed a set of footprints in the snow. The pair initially thought the child was a doll before realizing it was a naked infant lying on the ground, WCVB reported.
An autopsy determined the child was born alive before dying a short time later.
"It was naked, lying on its back; the umbilical cord was still attached to the baby," Kenneth Martin, who at the time was working as a Massachusetts State Police trooper assigned to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office, told the outlet.
The Mansfield Police Department, along with former New England Patriots quarterback Steve Grogan, paid for the baby's funeral, Boston 25 News reported.
The case went cold until Bristol County investigators reopened it in 2022, partnering with the FBI and state authorities.
DNA FROM CHEWING GUM NAILS LONGTIME SEXUAL PREDATOR DECADES AFTER REIGN OF TERROR: REPORT
Using forensic genetic genealogy, investigators analyzed the baby’s DNA, which eventually led them to Peck.
DNA recovered from a soda bottle taken from her trash ultimately linked her to the child, authorities said.
At the time of the birth, Peck was a 17-year-old student at Mansfield High School. She allegedly admitted to investigators that she had given birth to a child in the back seat of her ex-boyfriend’s car, Boston 25 reported.
She claimed she gave the baby to him because he said he knew someone who would adopt the infant. Peck told investigators she believed she had given birth to a girl and never spoke to her ex-boyfriend again. He died in 2020, according to the FBI.
COLD CASE CRACKED AS ILLINOIS SUSPECT CHARGED IN BRUTAL 1993 KILLING OF MOTHER FOUND SLAIN IN FIELD
Prosecutors also noted there is no evidence that anyone — including Peck’s ex-boyfriend — knew she was pregnant, according to the news outlet.
Peck allegedly told police she gave birth on Jan. 20, 1985, but prosecutors argued in court that the timeline is inconsistent with the condition of the baby’s body and the freezing temperatures at the time.
According to a medical examiner, the infant had likely been in the woods for only about 12 hours before being discovered.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Bristol County District Attorney's Office and Peck's attorney.
Internal emails expose how July 4th bash is being derailed by Dem-run county: 'Offensive'
San Diego County's officials and its Democratic-led Board of Supervisors are facing backlash after an America 250 Fourth of July celebration originally pitched as a tribute to the Declaration of Independence was reshaped with DEI-focused sponsorship rules.
The celebration's main programming is expected to feature a tribal blessing, a land acknowledgment, and nearly two-hours of community-story segments centered on "historically underserved populations."
Bill Wells, the mayor of San Diego County's City of El Cajon, and other critics pointed out that America's founding appeared to be sidelined in tentative plans for the upcoming countywide Fourth of July event held along a San Diego-area waterfront. The event, which is lacking funds needed for a full setup, saw at least one sponsor drop after it was mandated they attest to a series of DEI principles as a condition of participating, according to county board materials and internal county emails obtained by Fox News Digital.
"I have an alternative plan: 1. Acknowledge America and its greatness. 2. Celebrate with fireworks and the American National Anthem," Wells posted on X, alongside a copy of the 4th of July celebration's planned schedule, which matches an internal county "run of show" obtained by Fox News Digital.
CALIFORNIA DEMS ACCUSED OF PUTTING SANCTUARY LAW OVER MIGRANT CHILD WELFARE CHECKS: ‘REAL CHILDREN’
The rundown obtained by Fox News Digital lists a "Tribal Intimate blessing welcoming to land" shortly after guest arrival and sound check, followed by a "Welcoming and Land Acknowledgment" led by the emcee, then a "Tribal Invocation," the Black national anthem and regular national anthem, and then nearly two hours of community-story segments focused on local tribal, Latino, Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, LGBT, and Black and African communities.
The event, which will also feature music, food trucks, booths and other "cultural presentations," then concludes with closing remarks, fireworks and clean-up.
"The official government July 4th itinerary of San Diego reads like the opening ceremony of the Democratic Socialists of America convention," quipped David McIntosh, President of the conservative political advocacy giant Club for Growth.
DEMS PUT ON BLAST OVER POLL THAT SHOWS RECORD-LOW PATRIOTISM IN US: ‘TEAR OUR SOCIETY APART’
Back in February, Jim Desmond, a Republican San Diego County Supervisor, introduced an agenda item to bring forward a Fourth of July event "commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence," citing the area's "deep-rooted relationship to the nation’s defense and civic institutions."
Subsequently, the board, which is controlled by a 3-2 Democratic majority, introduced and passed a motion to amend weeks later, which directed the county’s chief administrative officer to coordinate with the Office of Equity and Racial Justice and the county’s Tribal Liaison to incorporate community engagement focused on tribal nations, immigrant communities, LGBT communities and other "historically underserved groups."
"Supervisors Desmond and Anderson brought forward a 250th celebration for the whole region. The three Democrats rewrote it, tied it to the county's ‘equity, inclusion, and racial justice goals,’ and handed planning to the Office of Equity and Racial Justice," Wells explained on X, posting images of the meeting minutes that showed the Democrats' amendments.
"Independence Day, especially this one, is about celebrating and honoring America," the mayor added in comments to Fox News Digital. "What the county of San Diego has created ignores this in favor of grievance and a sense that our country is not great or worthy of pride. That’s just offensive, especially in light of the fact that they’re using taxpayer money to do so."
‘JESSE WATTERS PRIMETIME’ QUIZZES BEACHGOERS ON AMERICAN HISTORY FOR JULY 4TH
Among the changes was a requirement for event donors and sponsors to commit themselves to supporting the county's woke DEI principles, which led at least one to drop out, according to internal county emails obtained and reviewed by Fox News Digital.
The sponsor's pending $2,500 donation did not move forward after the donor declined to complete a required form mandating they show alignment with the county's values on DEI and support for immigrant communities, the county staff emails indicated. Meanwhile, staff separately said in the emails that the event was short thousands of dollars needed for a full stage, lighting and sound setup.
"Democrats are essentially excluding White community members from the Fourth of July" anti-DEI activist Robby Starbuck contended in response to the event's planned schedule and "equity" focus on "underserved populations," describing it as "vile."
Fox News Digital reached out to San Diego County, as well as its Department of Parks and Recreation, for comment on the criticism, but did not hear back.
Service member among 2 arrested after missing man probe leads cops to body dump site on Army base
A missing person investigation in Washington state has escalated into a homicide probe after human remains were discovered on military property, leading to the arrest of two people, including an active-duty service member.
The investigation began on June 12, when the Tacoma Police Department received a missing person report for local resident Caelick Bradley, 28, who was last seen June 8, according to Washington State Patrol.
Tacoma detectives soon discovered an unauthorized person was actively using Bradley's credit card, which led them to a suspect identified as Humberto Rodriguez Hernandez.
During police questioning, Hernandez provided details about a murder that took place on Addision Street SW in the neighboring city of Lakewood, Lakewood Police Department (LPD) officials told Fox News Digital.
HIKER DISCOVERS BODY OF MISSING NEW MEXICO NUCLEAR LAB WORKER, POLICE SAY
He subsequently led detectives to human remains in a publicly accessible training area on Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) property near Spanaway, Washington.
Authorities said Hernandez also implicated a second suspect, Aydee Casado-Dominguez, who was later detained outside her home.
NAVY SAILOR SENTENCED TO 44 YEARS FOR STRANGLING FELLOW SERVICE MEMBER IN VIRGINIA BARRACKS ROOM
Both Hernandez and Casado-Dominguez have been charged with homicide and booked into the Pierce County Jail, LPD officials said.
In a statement provided to Fox News Digital, Joint Base Lewis-McChord confirmed the discovery of the remains and revealed that one of the two suspects taken into custody by the Tacoma Police Department is a service member currently assigned to JBLM.
The Army Criminal Investigation Division is now working closely with both the Tacoma and Lakewood police departments on the ongoing investigation.
While the remains were found following the investigation into Bradley's disappearance, official identification and the cause of death are pending an examination by the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The exact date of the homicide remains unclear.
Here's why the Toronto Maple Leafs work is far from over after signing Sergei Bobrovsky
The first few hours of NHL free agency saw a flurry of signings, but one of the most intriguing involved the Toronto Maple Leafs putting pen to paper with two-time Stanley Cup champion Sergey Bobrovsky.
The 37-year-old is headed to Toronto on a three-year deal worth $7 million a year, which, for a goalie who has won two Cups in the last three years, is one heck of a deal.
However, this deal may not be as foolproof as you'd think given Bobrovsky's resume, which includes a pair of Vezina Trophies.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
For starters, Bobrovsky is coming off what was statistically the worst season of his career. His .877 save percentage this year was the lowest of his career, while his 3.07 GAA was tied for the highest.
Of course, that's not a total surprise considering the banged-up Panthers missed the playoffs this season. However, according to Statmuse, they were still in the top third of the league in limiting shots.
MAPLE LEAFS TOP PICK GAVIN MCKENNA KICKS OFF HIS TIME IN TORONTO WITH A ROUGH CEREMONIAL PITCH
The problem, though, is that Bobrovsky is headed to the Leafs, who led the league in shots allowed last season.
It stands to reason that Bobrovsky got at least a little help from playing behind a fairly solid defensive team, and still, the numbers were pretty rough.
The Leafs have to know that this is an issue.
Bobrovsky should still have tread on the tires, and maybe last season was an anomaly. But, regardless, the Leafs can't just say, "We've got a Stanley Cup-winner in net; mission accomplished!" and then dust off their hands.
Nope. They've got to beef up their blue line and make sure that they have some defensively responsible forwards in the mix too.
If they can do that, then this could work out nicely, especially if they use a tandem of Bobrovsky and fellow former Panther Anthony Stolarz.
If they don't? Well, it's hard to imagine next season — the rookie campaign for top pick Gavin McKenna — being kind to the Leafs.
Belgium completes stunning World Cup comeback against Senegal to set up potential showdown with USA
The United States now knows which team could be waiting in the Round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup.
Belgium rallied from a two-goal deficit to defeat Senegal, 3-2 in extra time, in Wednesday's World Cup Round of 32 match, earning a potential matchup with the Americans if the United States takes care of Bosnia and Herzegovina later in the night.
HOW TO WATCH USA VS BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA: LIVE STREAM THE 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP ROUND OF 32
A win over Bosnia would not just send the Americans into the Round of 16 for the second straight World Cup. It would set up a meeting with a Belgium team that just completed one of the wildest comebacks in the tournament.
Belgium finished third in the 2018 World Cup and failed to advance past the group stage in 2022, but the roster still had the star power to make another deep run. Kevin De Bruyne, Jérémy Doku, Romelu Lukaku and Thibaut Courtois gave the Belgians the kind of skill that makes a team dangerous in any tournament. It's why Belgium was favored to defeat Senegal.
But games aren't played on paper.
Senegal got on the board first in the 25th minute, when Habib Diarra cleaned up a rebound after Ismaila Sarr hit the post to give Senegal a 1-0 lead.
The match was briefly interrupted in the 32nd minute when at least three pitch invaders made their way onto the field, forcing officials to stop play while security responded.
Security personnel swarmed the field during the interruption as Belgium defender Maxim De Cuyper held onto the ball while the scene unfolded.
Photos from the match showed multiple people being apprehended or escorted away by security during the bizarre stoppage.
It was a strange interruption in the middle of a match Senegal had largely controlled. And it didn’t do much to change the flow of the game.
Senegal doubled the lead early in the second half. Sarr, who had already helped create Diarra’s opener by hitting the post, made Belgium pay again in the 51st minute off a pass from Moussa Niakhaté to put Senegal firmly in control.
At that point, Senegal seemed like a lock to advance to the Round of 16 for the second straight World Cup.
But the talented Belgium squad refused to go down easily.
Lukaku cut Senegal’s lead in half in the 86th minute, finishing off a setup from Thomas Meunier to give Belgium life.
Moments later, Youri Tielemans completed the comeback, scoring off a pass from Leandro Trossard to make it 2-2 and throwing what looked like a Senegal upset into complete chaos.
Perhaps surprisingly, Belgium mounted its wild comeback without two of its stars on the field. De Bruyne and Doku were both subbed off in the 56th minute with Belgium trailing 2-0.
The immediate replacements did not factor directly into either goal, but Belgium’s bench still played a major role: halftime substitute Lukaku scored the first, and Thomas Meunier, who came on in the 78th minute, assisted it.
After scoring the equalizer late in regulation, Tielemans stepped to the penalty spot in the 120+5th minute and buried the go-ahead goal to complete Belgium’s stunning comeback.
Senegal went from leading 2-0 in the 86th minute to watching its tournament run come to an end less than an hour later.
Now the focus shifts to the Americans.
The U.S. enters Wednesday night's match at Levi’s Stadium with a chance to keep its World Cup run alive in front of a home crowd. The reward is clear: beat Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Belgium is next.
The USMNT was favored to advance to the quarterfinals on its side of the Round of 32 draw, with Belgium as the second favorite. For most of the match, it looked like the Americans might avoid Belgium altogether.
Not anymore.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGE
The Belgians survived and are riding high off a heroic comeback, perhaps making the U.S. path that much more difficult. But before the Americans can even think about that, they have to take care of business against Bosnia.
If they do, their Round of 16 opponent is set.
Belgium will be waiting.
Boyfriend accused of stabbing defense tech engineer 15 times denied bond after 911 call played in court
A Florida man is accused of stabbing his girlfriend 15 times inside their home before later admitting to killing the defense technology engineer in a recorded 911 call played in court, according to local reports.
Kyle Sanchez, 35, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder with a weapon in the death of his girlfriend, Amanda Roark, 37, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies were called just after 3 p.m. June 19 to a home on Tuscan Loon Drive in the Palm River area after a 911 call reported an emergency at the residence, authorities said.
'HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER' ACTOR NICK PASQUAL CONVICTED OF ATTEMPTED MURDER FOR STABBING EX-GIRLFRIEND
When deputies arrived, they found Roark dead with upper-body trauma. Sanchez, who was also at the home, was taken to Tampa General Hospital with minor injuries and was listed in stable condition, the sheriff’s office said.
Detectives later determined Sanchez killed Roark while the two were inside the home together, according to authorities.
FOX 13 Tampa reported that Sanchez is accused of stabbing Roark 15 times. During a pretrial detention hearing, prosecutors played Sanchez’s 911 call, in which he told a dispatcher, "I murdered my girlfriend."
After hearing arguments from both sides, the judge denied Sanchez bond. He will remain in custody as the first-degree murder case moves forward.
Authorities have not released a motive or additional details about what led up to the fatal attack.
SIGN UP TO GET THE LATEST TRUE CRIME NEWS
Roark worked at SOFWERX, a Tampa-based technology organization that describes itself as "an innovation platform for the United States Special Operations Command," which remembered her as a cherished teammate and "a light in the Tampa community."
"We are heartbroken by the loss of our Teammate Amanda Roark," SOFWERX said in a statement. "Amanda was a cherished member of the SOFWERX family and a light in the Tampa community. Her warmth, her dedication, and the genuine care she brought to everyone around her made a lasting impact that words cannot fully capture."
NFL STAR'S BROTHER CHARGED WITH MURDER OF MOTHER AFTER POLICE FOUND HIM SELF-BARRICADED NEAR BODY
Roark’s college friend, Talia Landman, told FOX 13 that Roark was "an absolute light" who welcomed everyone with a "gigantic smile."
"She was taken from us in such a horrific, tragic, and just, I mean, terrible, scary way," Landman told the station.
Landman said Roark was a talented engineer who mentored young women pursuing careers in math, technology and engineering. She told FOX 13 that she believed Roark could have had a future with NASA missions to the moon in the next decade.
"He didn’t just kill or murder his girlfriend. He took away Amanda Roark," Landman said. "He took her life as this woman who had so much going for her."
LIKE WHAT YOU'RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE
The sheriff’s office said the case appeared to be domestic-related.
Liberal faculty still hugely outnumber conservatives in higher education: report
FIRST ON FOX: Liberal faculty members continue to vastly outnumber their conservative colleagues on college campuses, according to a new report exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital.
The report, released by the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), revealed that liberal faculty members outnumber conservatives nearly 7-to-1 nationwide — a massive shift from 1969, when the ratio sat at less than 2-to-1.
"Having helped build a university founded on open inquiry, I've seen what higher education is supposed to be, and this report documents how far the academy has drifted from its primary purpose," said Michael Shires, Ph.D., vice chair of Center for Education Opportunity at America First Policy Institute.
"When an institution weaponizes academic freedom to purge the views it dislikes, it forfeits the very principle it claims to defend. Reviving genuine viewpoint diversity isn't an attack on academic freedom — it is its restoration," Shires added.
According to AFPI, the left-wing dominance over campus culture carries deeper implications for academic freedom and hiring practices. The data shows that 40% of surveyed faculty members openly admitted they would oppose hiring a Trump supporter, while over 80% of Ph.D. students acknowledged they would discriminate against a conservative job candidate.
"At many elite universities, registered Republican faculty are now more underrepresented than African American faculty," the AFPI report states. "More than half of conservative professors say they hide their views to keep their jobs."
CAMPUS GRADUATION CHAOS SHOWS HIGHER EDUCATION NEEDS A SERIOUS MORAL RESET
The findings come amid a broader push by the Trump administration to rein in viewpoint discrimination, antisemitism, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices across higher education.
The administration previously identified civil discourse as one of four key areas of "national need" through its competitive grants program. Following that directive, the Department of Education unveiled seven priorities under the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) for the FY 2025 competition cycle to target those needs.
As part of the initiative, $60 million in federal grants is being distributed under "one absolute priority" specifically titled "Promoting Civil Discourse on College and University Campuses."
Colleges and universities qualifying for the FIPSE funding are required to support initiatives designed to "foster respectful deliberation and debate on college and university campuses, where free expression has too long been eroded by censorship, harassment, and even violent unrest."
The approved campus programs include seminars, speaker series, conferences, debates, and alternative learning opportunities designed to welcome a broader range of political viewpoints and encourage open dialogue.
TEXAS’ LARGEST SCHOOL DISTRICT SEES TEST SCORES SOAR AFTER STATE TAKEOVER DESPITE RACISM CLAIMS
AFPI argues that aggressive policy interventions are necessary to break the current ideological monopoly, pushing back against critics who argue federal involvement threatens university independence.
"Many well-meaning reformers nonetheless oppose government-led efforts to address viewpoint discrimination on ‘academic freedom’ grounds," the AFPI report states. "In practice, this elevates institutional autonomy over individual academic freedom, allowing one of higher education’s means to obstruct its ends."
The report concludes by urging a shifting of priorities to protect vulnerable faculty: "Education reformers should instead prioritize the public interest in higher education by defending individual academic freedom and supporting all viable efforts —internal and external — to restore viewpoint diversity and equal treatment to viewpoint minority scholars and students."