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Caleb Williams avoids major hamstring injury as MRI reveals a strain but no tear after Vikings game scare
The most important MRI in the history of the Chicago Bears (maybe) returned good news on Monday because quarterback Caleb Williams avoided a major injury.
A source tells OutKick that Williams has a strained hamstring injury and that he is not expected to miss significant time following a major scare during Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings.
Williams has what is being described as a Grade 1 hamstring strain.
CALEB WILLIAMS CARTED OFF AT SOLDIER FIELD WITH APPARANT HAMSTRING INJURY
That means he may miss between one and three weeks while he rehabilitates. Bears coach Ben Johnson told ESPN1000 in Chicago on Monday he expects Williams to be "week-to-week."
Netflix Sports reported the Bears have not ruled out Williams for next Monday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The source told OutKick that was a "very optimistic" outlook.
What is realistic is that Williams avoided a full detachment of his hamstring, which was the fear after he went down untouched during a scramble out of the pocket in the game against the Vikings.
SCARY SCENE AS JAYDEN REED CARTED OFF ON SPINE BOARD DURING PACKERS GAME AGAINST THE JETS
But the player's reaction was not indicative of the injury's seriousness, apparently.
Not even close, apparently.
His hamstring remains completely attached and structurally intact.
Williams was heard screaming as he lay on the turf and was eventually carted off the field amid the fear it could be his last time in uniform this season.
Williams, who has suffered and overcome hamstring issues in the past, is expected to begin a rehab program as early as Monday.
The Bears will go with backup quarterback Tyson Bagent in the games Williams misses, coach Ben Johnson said on Sunday.
Chargers star gives blunt take on team's defensive struggles after loss to Raiders: 'That s— looks trash'
What is going on with the Los Angeles Chargers?
When the NFL schedule was released in the spring, it appeared the Chargers could start 2-0 with the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders on the docket in the first two weeks. Those prospective wins on paper turned into losses in reality.
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The Chargers allowed 26 points and only scored 14 points in both losses. The defense, specifically, has allowed an average of 349 yards per game and has only one takeaway.
Pro Bowl safety Derwin James, who broke his left pinky finger, put the defense’s struggles bluntly when talking to reporters following the team’s loss Sunday to the Raiders.
"We got to look each other in the eye, man, and just tell the truth and just get better," he said, via the team’s website. "Because, right now, that s--- just looks trash. … I’m angry, but being angry don’t fix anything. Being angry don’t fix the problem that we have.
"We have to get it fixed. I feel like we’re a couple of plays away. It ain’t like we’re getting blown out. But we have to win these games, there’s no reason we’re going out there playing like that."
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James has 17 tackles and a pass breakup in the first two games of the year but the rest of the team will have to come around to make a real impact going into Week 3.
Teams that start the year 0-2 don’t generally do well the rest of the season but a note from OPTA Stats showed just how crushing it’s been for Los Angeles to begin the year.
"The Chargers are the second team in NFL history to lose back-to-back games by double digits with both coming at home against teams that had a sub-.200 win pct the previous season," OPTA Stats wrote on X. "The other was the 1926 Racine Tornadoes (Oct. 10-17), who played just one more game before folding."
The schedule doesn’t get any easier.
Los Angeles hits the road to take on the Buffalo Bills in Week 3 followed by a trip to Seattle to take on the Seahawks in Week 4.
Spanberger sparks outrage after sneakily ending Youngkin-era women's sports protections
Critics, including parents of athletes, expressed outrage Friday after Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger's administration quietly shut down a rulemaking process that would have required school sports to be divided by sex.
The move to end protections for scholastic sports based on sex is the latest development in the debate over whether biological males who identify as transgender should compete in girls' sports.
"My jaw dropped when I saw the news," former Del. Kim Taylor, R-Petersburg, told Fox News Digital on Friday. "As a mom of a daughter, I’m furious that protecting the privacy, safety, and opportunities of Virginia’s girls has somehow become controversial."
"Governor Spanberger had a chance to stand up for women and girls, and instead she turned her back. Our daughters should never be asked to sacrifice their privacy or a fair playing field for someone else’s political agenda."
VIRGINIA GOVERNOR ABIGAIL SPANBERGER QUIETLY ROLLS BACK YOUNGKIN'S PLANS TO PROTECT GIRLS' SPORTS
Taylor focused on maternal and children’s issues during her time in Richmond and was the target of an assassination threat during her unsuccessful re-election bid last year.
Del. Wren Williams, R-Stuart, called the move "classic Spanberger."
"Say one thing, do another, don’t tell anyone, and ignore them if they ask about it," he told Fox News Digital.
Former Ball State basketball player and Indiana state Rep. Michelle Davis added that Spanberger appears to be "taking Virginia backwards."
"Women’s sports exist for women, and protecting a fair playing field shouldn’t be controversial," said Davis, R-Whiteland.
"Democrats talk constantly about empowering women, yet we continue to see Democratic leaders roll back protections for female athletes. Virginia’s girls deserve better."
Fox News Digital reached out to Spanberger and a representative for Youngkin for comment.
Former Gov. Glenn Youngkin started the process of barring biological males from girls' scholastic sports, but the process, which was expected to take years, was ended by his successor, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
"[We] did not proceed with the proposed regulation," Virginia Health Commissioner Cameron Webb told the Richmond Times-Dispatch of his agency and the governor’s office.
The rule, supported by the separate Virginia Board of Health during the Youngkin era, would have prevented "biological males from participating in organized female-only athletic teams and competitions in Virginia, and to prevent biological males from using designated female spaces where females are likely to be in any state of undress."
HOUSE DEMS HAND GOP A WIN ON TRANS SPORTS AS PARTY UNITY CRACKS
The decision was made in late July but did not surface until this week. Spanberger did not issue a press release or announcement on it in the interim.
Meanwhile, the Youngkin-appointed chairwoman of the State Board of Health told the Times-Dispatch she had no idea the process was ending.
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"Our hearts go out to everybody involved, the athletes on all sides of it," Nelson told the paper.
Williams added that the case shows "Democrats continue to fall all over themselves to openly discriminate against our female athletes," as several states continue debating whether to separate transgender students in athletics.
Fox News Digital's Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
Dem lawmakers scoff at Trump's $5K 'fantasy land' promise: 'Ain't happening'
President Donald Trump’s promise of a hefty payout for all Americans if Republicans win big in the midterm elections is taking heat from Democratic lawmakers who blast the vow as a "hysterical" lie and unlawful bribe.
"I think it's hysterical," Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., said about the promise. "Literally, I think, it's insane. It's effectively a proposed bribe of the American people that we can't afford."
"This is just fantasy land, right?" Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., told Fox News Digital. "$5,000 checks, plus, you know, puppies and rainbows and ponies."
VOTERS HAVE A BLUNT MESSAGE FOR TRUMP ABOUT HIS IDEA TO DOLE OUT $5,000 CHECKS
He continued, "The president will make any promises he can."
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., waved off Fox News Digital when asked about the checks, declining to comment.
Trump pledged to issue the $5,000 dividend during his speech at the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention in Dallas earlier this month — as long as the GOP wins to keep control of both the Senate and the House in November.
"$5,000 to gain a majority?" Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., said. "He already has the Senate and the House and the White House, and it's been an unmitigated disaster."
"It's just a campaign promise that he's trying to make to the American public, because he knows he's underwater, and he's not doing well and people are angry," Aguilar said.
Most Democrats who spoke with Fox News Digital about the payments waved off the president’s $5,000 pledge as a "lie" and argued it's something Americans have heard from him before.
"If you have an opportunity to provide relief to the American people, you should take it," Rep. Christian Menefee, D-Texas said. "But lying to Americans around election season, what the president has done numerous times, I think it’s sad and shameful."
‘STILL WAITING ON THE DOGE CHECK’: BATTLEGROUND STATE VOTERS CAST DOUBT ON TRUMP’S NEW $5K PROMISE
He continued, "I can guarantee you those checks ain't happening."
"I think it's one more lie, and people aren't going to fall for this," Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., said.
It’s not just Democratic lawmakers who disagree with Trump’s idea. Many Republicans have also been vocal about their outright opposition, with others questioning whether it could actually be achieved or approved by Congress. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said last week congressional approval would be necessary.
"You've already seen House Republicans and Capitol Hill Republicans say that this isn't going to happen," Aguilar said. "It's just a campaign promise that he's trying to make to the American public, because he knows he's underwater, and he's not doing well and people are angry."
"He's done this before," Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., said. "He's never followed through on it. If he does follow through, how are we gonna do it?"
The payments to 240 million Americans would cost the federal government roughly $1.2 trillion. Trump brushed off affordability criticism of the pledge, saying the U.S. could "easily" afford the payouts.
TRUMP DEFENDS $5,000 DIVIDEND PROPOSAL, PRAISES 'BEAUTIFUL' TARIFFS ON 'INGRAHAM ANGLE'
Vice President JD Vance suggested one source for the money could come from tariff revenue. He also proposed excluding wealthy Americans from receiving the payout to make the pledge’s price tag more feasible.
Democrats also scrutinized Trump’s prioritization, urging the president to shift his focus to deliverables for the American people — particularly emphasizing healthcare.
"I'd rather give people their healthcare and their food assistance back," Subramanyam said. "That'd be way more than $5,000 for most people."
"If he really cared about the American people, he would have made sure they had healthcare," Alsobrooks said.
Warnock even blamed Trump’s policies for being the reason Americans would need the $5,000 check.
"The only reason why Americans would need $5,000 is because of Trump's awful policies," Warnock said. "He should fix his policies. He shouldn't wait until after the election."
Suspects in Haitian president's assassination transferred to Miami, accused of funding plot with COVID fraud
Eighteen allegedly involved in the brazen 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse have touched down on U.S. soil to face federal charges, with Fox News cameras on the tarmac for their arrival Sunday.
In exclusive footage, the defendants can be seen stepping off a U.S. military aircraft in Miami, shackled and tightly guarded by FBI and Department of Homeland Security agents in military-like fatigues. The dramatic transfer marks a major turning point in the international investigation into the plot that left the Haitian leader dead in his bedroom.
"Today, the FBI and our interagency partners executed the largest foreign transfer of custody in FBI history," FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital in a statement. "It is the latest in an all-out 18-month blitz by this FBI man-hunting high-value targets across the world and bringing them back to the United States to face justice."
The 53-year-old president was shot dead in July 2021 at his private residence in the hills above Port-au-Prince, a killing that left a gaping political vacuum in the Caribbean nation and emboldened powerful armed groups in the country.
According to FBI Miami, the accused — comprising operatives from Haiti and Colombia — were transferred from Haitian custody to face the U.S. justice system. Federal prosecutors established jurisdiction because the conspiracy was largely organized and financed in South Florida.
Prosecutors allege the defendants utilized fraudulent COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans to bankroll the deadly mission. A complex five-year federal investigation into 30 suspects charged with crimes revealed the assassination was financed by American taxpayer dollars to businesses based in Florida to gather the weapons, tactical gear, and Colombian mercenaries that killed Moise inside his own home.
The charges include conspiracy to kill or kidnap a person abroad, as well as wire fraud. Some of the assassins even allegedly posed as federal agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in order to get inside the presidential residence in Haiti.
MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO STEALING OVER $1M IN PPP LOANS FOR SUPPOSED AMATEUR BASKETBALL LEAGUE
As the 18 suspects arrived in Miami, Department of Justice prosecutors unsealed an indictment detailing the sprawling conspiracy. Court documents outline a plot initially aimed at violently overthrowing the Haitian President, which ultimately escalated into an assassination.
This was "really about greed," Miami Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles told Fox News. "These were people that owned business interests in the United States that were looking to get lucrative contracts from the government of Haiti and believed that if they could initiate a regime change to the assassination, that those contracts could then come their way, and they would profit off of it."
The defendants were making their first appearance in federal court in Miami Monday morning. Because cameras are strictly prohibited inside federal courtrooms, the exclusive tarmac video serves as the only visual of the suspects entering U.S. custody.
"This assassination plot was planned, financed, conspired, here in Miami," U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Jason Reding Quiñones told Fox News. "It's not only just holding people accountable for committing murder, but it's holding people accountable if they use government funds in a fraud to facilitate that murder."
KASH PATEL REVEALS FBI'S CAPTURE OF ALL 10 MEMBERS OF MOST WANTED FUGITIVE'S LIST DURING HEARING
The four ringleaders of this 2021 assassination plot were convicted in Miami in May and they face life in prison.
Prosecutors argued during the nine-week trial in a Miami federal court that the men assembled two dozen former Colombian soldiers and supplied them with money, guns, ammunition and tactical vests.
"When you pick up the phone and engage with foreign partners at a historic level, as we’ve done – a 400% increase these last 18 months – this is what happens," Patel's statement concluded.
"Thank you to FBI Miami for their leadership in this investigation as well as our law enforcement partners who executed."
Haitian Justice Minister Patrick Pelissier confirmed in a statement that suspects had been transferred from Haiti to the US, adding that Haitian judicial proceedings had been delayed.
"While the American procedure has recorded significant progress, notably arrests, prosecutions, and convictions, the Haitian procedure remains confronted with major difficulties and has not, to date, resulted in a trial being held, after five years of proceedings," Pelissier said.
In Haiti, prominent human rights activist Pierre Espérance said that the slow pace of the Haitian case and the transfer of the 18 suspects to the U.S. was a "disgrace for the Haitian justice system."
He argued for strengthening the country's justice system to allow for such complex cases to be tried inside Haiti, rather than sending them to the U.S. for prosecution.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Trump, Mamdani set to meet again on mayor’s home turf after months of political whiplash
President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani will sit down Monday at Gracie Mansion, testing a budding working relationship even as the two remain deeply divided over immigration and other major policy fights.
Trump and Mamdani have continued to trade criticism while also finding areas where they can work together, most notably during a cordial February Oval Office meeting focused on New York housing. But their policy fights have continued, with Mamdani challenging Trump’s immigration policies and Trump repeatedly criticizing the mayor’s agenda.
"Sadly, Mayor Mamdani is DESTROYING New York! It has no chance!" the president wrote in April, a day after Gov. Kathy Hochul unveiled a proposal backed by Mamdani to impose a new tax on New York City second homes valued at more than $5 million.
MAMDANI SAYS EVEN IF HE CAN GET ALONG WITH TRUMP, HE STILL DEMANDS THAT 'ICE SHOULD BE ABOLISHED'
Trump first met with the socialist mayor last November and said Mamdani could "surprise some conservative people" and declared, "The better he does, the happier I am."
Their last meeting, on Feb. 26 at the Oval Office, was notably cordial, with Mamdani seeking Trump’s support for an ambitious New York housing proposal despite their political differences.
"The new communist mayor of New York City, I think he’s a nice guy, actually," Trump said in his State of the Union address in February. "I speak to him a lot. Bad policy, but nice guy."
Mamdani sought Trump’s support in February for a massive housing project, calling their meeting "productive" as he pitched more than $21 billion in federal grants to build 12,000 affordable homes, along with parks, schools, health clinics and union jobs.
Trump is traveling to New York City this week for the United Nations General Assembly and is meeting with Mamdani ahead of the summit before returning to Washington on Wednesday, when Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to arrive for a state visit.
WORLD LEADERS DESCEND ON NEW YORK FOR UNGA — BUT WHO REALLY HAS AMERICA’S EAR?
Trump and Mamdani have consistently clashed over immigration enforcement, with tensions intensifying after federal officials announced that ICE had arrested more than 2,100 people across New York during a monthlong operation dubbed "Operation Rotten Apple" as of earlier this month.
Mamdani’s administration also joined a coalition lawsuit challenging a new Trump administration public-charge rule that rescinded Biden-era regulations governing how immigration officials assess an applicant’s potential use of public benefits.
"If you are a citizen, or an individual seeking humanitarian relief like asylum, these changes will not affect you," Mamdani said at a news conference last week.
"The new public charge rule not only sweeps aside more than a century of established law, it is intentionally vague as a means of creating uncertainty and fear to isolate immigrant New Yorkers," he added.
MAMDANI BLASTS FEDS FOR WAGING 'CAMPAIGN OF VIOLENCE AND TERROR' AGAINST NYC'S IMMIGRANTS
Mamdani is expected to speak to reporters after the meeting.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and the mayor’s office for comment.
MN Dem Senate candidate's viral hijab video takes new turn as woman beside her faces major state investigation
An autism center run by a longtime friend of Minnesota Democratic Senate candidate Peggy Flanagan, who stood next to Flanagan while she wore a hijab defending the Somali community in a viral video, is being investigated for fraud, sparking a flurry of criticism of Flanagan on social media.
The Milestone Development Center, operated by Nimco Ahmed, is being investigated along with the Spectrum Therapy Center, Alpha News first reported, in a move the Minnesota Department of Human Services confirmed to Fox News Digital.
"These agencies are on our radar," a DHS spokesperson said. "The Minnesota Department of Human Services has open investigations into both Spectrum Therapy Center and Milestone Development Centers. If a provider is part of an open investigation, the department cannot by law disclose details."
"We can, however, share the following: Several months ago, the Minnesota Department of Human Services terminated both agencies from participating in the Medicaid program as part of Minnesota Revalidate 2026. Revalidation is a process to verify that agencies have required credentials and are otherwise compliant with state and federal regulations. Both providers have appealed their termination."
MN SENATE CANDIDATE RIPPED FOR BLAMING WALZ FOR FRAUD DESPITE BEING HIS #2: 'KNOWS SHE'S COOKED'
Ahmed, listed online as the CEO of Milestone, was featured in a video posted on Somali TV that went viral on social media amid the massive fraud scandal, largely involving the local Somali community, where Flanagan wore a hijab and said, "The Somali community is part of the fabric of the state of Minnesota."
Ahmed, born in Somalia, is a longtime Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) activist in Minnesota, and Alpha News reports she has been friends with Flanagan for almost 25 years.
Fox News Digital reached out to Flanagan’s campaign for comment.
‘YOU DON’T GET A PROMOTION’: GOP RIVAL URGES PEGGY FLANAGAN TO QUIT SENATE RACE AFTER WALZ BOWS OUT
News of the fraud investigation quickly sparked criticism of Flanagan, who has served as the state’s lieutenant governor since 2019 and is often questioned about why more was not done to address the fraud scandal over the past several years.
"Nimco Ahmed, who stood alongside Peggy Flanagan wearing a hijab, runs an autism center that is now under investigation," Townhall columnist Dustin Grage posted on X. "You can’t make this stuff up. "
" It just never ends," conservative influencer LibsofTikTok posted on X.
"I can’t even keep up anymore," retired NYPD inspector and Fox News contributor Paul Mauro posted on X.
Alpha News reported that former Milestone therapist Grant Morgan worked directly with clients six days a week during his two months there in late 2023 and said he never saw a Qualified Supervising Professional or Board Certified Behavior Analyst overseeing the work, and that many practitioners appeared unqualified and knew little about applied behavior analysis.
He also said he was never asked to write or sign session notes documenting services, despite those notes being central to how providers bill Medicaid.
Morgan described the treatments as ineffective and said Milestone did not provide comprehensive autism services. He also claimed some clients did not appear to be autistic and said he saw potential billing fraud red flags, though he was not involved in billing.
Fox News Digital reached out to Milestone for comment.
Ahmed reportedly told Alpha News’ that questions about care at her center were "bias" and said the outlet pursued the story because she is Somali. She denied that Milestone lacked QSP or BCBA oversight, said all children had autism diagnoses, and maintained that the center follows state requirements and is regularly audited.
Fox News Digital’s Preston Mizell contributed to this report
Americans warned again to rethink travel as missile attack rattles historic region
The State Department renewed its warning on Saturday to Americans who may be traveling in and through the Middle East as escalating regional tensions raise concerns among travelers.
The warning came as Iran-backed Houthi rebels launched a ballistic missile toward Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, over the weekend — which Saudi Arabia said its air defenses intercepted.
Residents reported hearing an explosion and later seeing a plume of smoke near King Khalid International Airport, according to The Associated Press (AP). No casualties or damage from the attack were reported.
AMERICANS WARNED AGAINST TRAVEL PLANS AS TERRORISM THREATENS POPULAR DESTINATION
In an X post on Saturday, the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs warned that the security environment in the Middle East "remains complex with the potential for unforeseen escalation."
The agency added, "Americans currently in the Middle East should exercise heightened vigilance and be aware of potential flight cancellations, airspace closures, and travel disruptions."
Officials specifically cited hostilities between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthis in its warning.
"Iranian-supported Houthis have engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including civilian airports," the post said.
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"This military conflict has the potential to escalate rapidly. Americans outside the Middle East should seriously reconsider travel to and through the region."
The agency also advised those traveling to or from the region to monitor airport and airline operations, warning that U.S. diplomatic facilities have been targeted, including outside the Middle East.
"Iran and groups supportive of Iran may target other U.S. interests overseas or at locations associated with the United States and Americans throughout the world, including U.S. businesses and other institutions," the post added.
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The alert comes as a periodic reminder from the State Department and does not signal a change in advisory status.
The worldwide caution has been in place since February.
The latest warning follows a series of similar alerts from U.S. officials amid heightened tensions across the region.
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In June, U.S. officials similarly urged Americans across the Middle East to remain vigilant as tensions mounted across the region.
At the time, officials warned that airspace closures, demonstrations and threats to locations associated with the United States could disrupt travel with little notice.
The State Department also maintained its "Level 3: Reconsider Travel" advisory for Oman in an Aug. 30 update, warning of risks from armed conflict and terrorism, including the threat of drone and missile attacks from Iran.
The Associated Press contributed reporting.
Presley Gerber, son of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber, dead at 27: A life in photos
Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber's son, Presley Gerber, died in a rehab facility at 27. His death was confirmed by Cindy’s rep to Fox News Digital, sharing a statement from the family: "The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time."‘American Idol’ contestant’s 100K texts with mistress show motive in wife’s murder, prosecutors say
Former "American Idol" contestant Caleb Flynn allegedly told his mistress he was "literally trying to think of ways to kill" his wife without going to jail before prosecutors say he shot her and staged the scene to look like a break-in.
The chilling message was among more than 100,000 texts prosecutors say Flynn exchanged with his mistress in the year before his wife, Ashley Flynn, was killed Feb. 16, WHIO in Dayton reported.
"I was up until 4 a.m. last night crying, literally trying to think of ways to kill her and not go to jail," Flynn allegedly wrote in one of the messages.
Prosecutors revealed during opening statements Friday that Flynn had been carrying on a year-long affair and argued the messages showed his motive and intent, WHIO reported.
Miami County Prosecutor Paul Watkins told jurors the messages, some sent months apart and others just hours before Ashley was killed, showed Flynn repeatedly expressing hatred toward his wife and a desire to be free of her so he could pursue a future with his mistress.
Flynn has pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder and other charges in his wife's death.
Fox News legal analyst Josh Ritter said Sunday that one message sent the day before Ashley's killing could be particularly damaging.
LUIGI MANGIONE'S LIVESTREAM STUNT AIMS TO GET INFLUENCERS TO 'PRESSURE' JURORS: FORMER PROSECUTOR
Flynn allegedly indicated that the following day would be one he would never forget and that he would make his choice for his mistress, Ritter said on "Fox & Friends Sunday."
"If we were curious at all about how the prosecution would attempt to prove motive in this case, it became abundantly clear during opening statements," Ritter said.
Flynn's defense acknowledged the affair during opening statements but argued his conduct as a husband does not establish that he murdered Ashley, WHIO reported.
Defense attorney Emily Smith told jurors prosecutors were offering a theory built around circumstantial evidence rather than proof that Flynn killed his wife, arguing Ashley deserved justice based on more than speculation.
TEACHER FOUND DEAD WITH THROAT SLIT; DETECTIVES SCRUTINIZE HUSBAND’S SHIFTING STORY
Prosecutors allege Flynn used a 9mm handgun to kill Ashley inside the couple's Tipp City, Ohio, home and then staged the scene to make it appear an intruder was responsible.
Flynn called 911 and claimed someone had broken into the home and shot his wife, audio previously obtained by Fox News Digital shows.
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"Oh my god, somebody broke into my home, somebody broke into my home and shot my wife," Flynn told the dispatcher. "My wife, she's got two shots to her head, there's blood everywhere. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my God."
Jurors on Friday were shown police bodycam footage from inside the Flynn home on the night of the killing as the first officers to arrive testified about their initial investigation, WHIO reported.
SUSPECT IN MICROSOFT EXECUTIVE JARED BRIDEGAN'S MURDER CONVICTED IN ROADSIDE AMBUSH
The footage showed Flynn telling officers someone had broken into the home and killed his wife. An officer testified that Flynn said he had fallen asleep before waking to sounds of a break-in and gunfire.
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An FBI agent also testified that investigators canvassed more than 80 homes looking for cameras or other evidence that could support Flynn's claim that an intruder had been in the neighborhood.
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Flynn was a contestant on "American Idol" and spoke publicly about his love for his wife during a 2013 hometown interview for the show.
"I absolutely love the Lord. I love my wife more than anything. She is very, very pretty.... I love her," Flynn said at the time.
Ritter called the alleged messages between Flynn and his mistress "really, really damning evidence."
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He noted Flynn remains presumed innocent and said the defense appears to be pursuing a theory that investigators rushed to judgment.
"But given that abundance of digital evidence, I think they're going to have a really tough time proving, or trying to create any kind of reasonable doubt in this case," Ritter said.
Jurors are expected back in court Monday morning as testimony continues.