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Flight reductions likely to continue — or worsen — if shutdown persists, experts warn
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) started reducing air traffic across 40 airports Friday due to air traffic controller staffing issues stemming from the government shutdown.
As the government shutdown has hit 40 days, more air traffic control workers have refused to come to work as they’re about to miss a second paycheck next week – prompting the FAA to make cuts to ensure no safety issues arise.
But these flight reductions will likely continue if the shutdown does — or worsen — and could impact thousands of flights daily, according to Marc Scribner, a senior transportation policy analyst at the libertarian Reason Foundation think tank.
"This would affect thousands of flights per day, and tens of thousands of passengers potentially seeing their flights canceled — a major disruption," Scribner told Fox News Digital Thursday.
There are now enough Senate Democrats willing to back a revamped plan to reopen the government. But if the shutdown doesn't end, air travel disruptions are at risk.
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"I don't think we would expect, if the shutdown continues, for staffing levels to improve over what they are right now," Scribner said. "If anything, they will continue to deteriorate as controllers call out sick or perhaps even resign. So I would expect it would not get better as long as the shutdown continues."
Scribner said that travelers shouldn’t be concerned that the reduction in flights would translate to a lapse in safety, but said they should be aware that their travel schedules will likely take a hit as a result.
"They're not going to allow unsafe flights. So whatever that means in terms of staffing capability and workflow, they are going to reduce the flights in order to maintain that very high level of safety that's demanded of that," Scribner said. "Travelers shouldn't be concerned about safety in this, but they should be concerned about their travel schedules, which are likely to be impacted."
Richard Stern, director of the Grover M. Hermann Center for the Federal Budget at conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation, also said he expects this reduction to continue until the shutdown ends.
"Unfortunately, I think it's going to have to continue until the shutdown ends, because they're running through resources that they don't have until this funding again," Stern told Fox News Digital Thursday.
Stern said the government has been entering into uncharted territory now with what minimum services the government is required to provide, despite the fact that funding has expired.
"No one really knows exactly what the next steps are after this," Stern said.
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No clarity has been provided regarding how long this reduction in flights is expected to continue. The Department of Transportation, which oversees the FAA, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
The FAA said Friday that air traffic will be cut by 10% in the coming days across 40 "high-volume" markets, including those in major cities like Atlanta, Denver, Dallas, Orlando, Miami and San Francisco, according to a list of airports obtained by The Associated Press. Major metropolitan areas with several airports like New York and Chicago will have outages at multiple locations.
Reducing air traffic in response to the lapse in funding from the government shutdown is unprecedented, according to FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford.
AMERICANS COULD FACE AIRPORT CHAOS IF DEMS DON'T END SHUTDOWN, TRUMP OFFICIAL WARNS
"I’m not aware in my 35-year history in the aviation market where we’ve had a situation where we’re taking these kinds of measures," Bedford said at a news conference on Wednesday.
Air traffic controllers have been working without pay since the shutdown kicked off on Oct. 1, and often are required to work six days a week in addition to mandatory overtime.
Bedford said that the decision to reduce air traffic was made in order to prevent a crisis from emerging, amid increased staffing pressures and voluntary safety reports from pilots suggesting that air traffic controllers were facing heightened levels of fatigue.
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"We’re not going to wait for a safety problem to truly manifest itself when the early indicators are telling us we can take action today to prevent things from deteriorating," Bedford said. "The system is extremely safe today and will be extremely safe tomorrow. If the pressures continue to build even after we take these measures, we’ll come back and take additional measures."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Kelly Clarkson helps fans get engaged, renew vows during first Vegas show since ex Brandon Blackstock’s death
Kelly Clarkson turned her latest show into a celebration of love as she made her return to the stage at her Studio Sessions residency in Las Vegas for the first time since the death of her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock.
On Friday night, the 43-year-old singer paused her concert at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace to help a couple get engaged during her first full performance since Blackstock's passing in August at the age of 48 from skin cancer.
In a video from the show that was posted on TikTok, a fan was seen kneeling in the front row of the venue as he proposed to his boyfriend while Clarkson held her microphone out and encouragingly yelled, "Speak louder!"
KELLY CLARKSON'S LATE EX BRANDON BLACKSTOCK VALUED COWBOY WAY OF LIFE IN EMOTIONAL OBITUARY
"Will you marry me?" the fan asked his partner as Clarkson shouted playfully, "Say, ‘yes,’ b----!"
"Yes, b----!" the partner yelled into Clarkson's microphone before becoming emotional while accepting his ring.
Clarkson beamed and called out, "That's so sweet!" before the newly engaged couple embraced and shared a kiss while the crowd clapped and cheered.
The pair, who explained that they were French and visiting from their home in London, told Clarkson "You're invited to the wedding now!"
The "Since U Been Gone" hitmaker congratulated the couple before jokingly warning them to "do me a favor and ignore this next song."
"Just stay in this moment, hang out there, you know what I'm saying?" she said. "Maybe go to the bathroom!"
"I don't wanna poo on your parade," Clarkson added.
Later in the show, Clarkson facilitated another romantic moment when she helped a couple renew their wedding vows after ten years of marriage.
"You made it a decade? F-- yeah, look at that," she exclaimed in a TikTok video.
After the couple handed Clarkson a paper with their vows and requested her to read it, the three-time Grammy Award winner joked that she wasn’t officially allowed to officiate. However, Clarkson gamely stepped into the role, adding a cheeky dig at one of her fellow "The Voice" coaches.
"If Blake Shelton can do this, any f------ person can do this, they’ll let anyone do it," she quipped.
Shelton and Clarkson worked together for several seasons on "The Voice" and were known for their playful banter and good-natured rivalry. The 49-year-old country star has previously officiated weddings, including the 2024 nuptials of Clarkson's former father-in-law Narvel Blackstock and his wife Laura Stroud.
"Do you both promise to keep dancing through life together — this is amazing! — offbeat or not, for at least another 10 years?" Clarkson read. "F--- that — 50, 60. Aim high!"
On Aug. 6, Clarkson announced that she was postponing shows from her Las Vegas residency due to a family emergency involving Blackstock. Clarkson and Blackstock were married from 2013 to 2022 and shared daughter River Rose, 11, and son Remington Alexander, 9.
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"Unfortunately, I need to postpone the remainder of the August Studio Session dates in Las Vegas," the singer captioned an Instagram post at the time.
"While I normally keep my personal life private, this past year, my children’s father has been ill and at this moment, I need to be fully present for them."
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Blackstock's family announced his death on Aug. 7 in a heartfelt statement. "It is with great sadness that we share the news that Brandon Blackstock has passed away," the statement read. "Brandon bravely battled cancer for more than three years. He passed away peacefully and was surrounded by family. We thank you for your thoughts and prayers and ask everyone to respect the family's privacy during this very difficult time."
The former "American Idol" winner resumed production on her talk show, "The Kelly Clarkson Show" on Sept. 8 and its seventh season premiered on Sept. 29.
On Nov. 3, Clarkson announced that she was returning to her residency and adding four new shows scheduled for next August.
"Come see me," she wrote in an Instagram post.
'Handmaid's Tale' author claims she's received more blowback from the left for not 'preaching the sermon'
"The Handmaid's Tale" author Margaret Atwood told CBS' "60 Minutes" that she receives more backlash from critics on the left than from the right for not pushing politics the correct way.
While discussing her new memoir, "Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts," the 85-year-old author was asked about criticism her dystopian novel has faced since its 1985 release.
Though Atwood's work has been praised and embraced by people on the political left, she surprised "60 Minutes" correspondent Jon Wertheim by saying she has "always" faced more attacks from the left.
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"I think the right thinks I'm irrelevant," Atwood said. "The left thinks that I should have been preaching their sermon, whatever it may happen to be, and that I am therefore a traitor for not having done that which they themselves would do."
She joked that any response she has to left-wing critics was "unprintable" but added that it involved "a finger."
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Left-wing protesters have often dressed as handmaids from "The Handmaid’s Tale" to demonstrate against the Trump administration, most notably in response to the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022.
During the interview, Atwood suggested the United States was on the path to totalitarianism, calling it "concerning."
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"There are certain things totalitarian coups always do," Atwood said. "One of them is trying to control the media. But the other thing is making the judicial arm part of the executive. In other words, judges just do what the chief guy tells them to."
"The Handmaid’s Tale" saw renewed popularity after Hulu’s series adaptation premiered in 2017, during President Donald Trump’s first term. The show’s sixth and final season debuted in April 2025.
Atwood released a sequel to "The Handmaid's Tale" titled "The Testaments" in 2019. A Hulu adaptation of "The Testaments" is set to premiere in March 2026.
Billionaire Miriam Adelson voices support for Stefanik's New York governor campaign launch
EXCLUSIVE – Though she stopped short of a formal endorsement, billionaire philanthropist Miriam Adelson voiced support for Rep. Elise Stefanik’s New York gubernatorial bid during the Zionist Organization of America’s Justice Louis D. Brandeis Award Dinner on Sunday night, praising her for confronting antisemitism in government and higher education.
Stefanik, chairwoman of the House Republican Leadership, was honored with the Zionist Organization of America’s Mortimer Zuckerman Maccabee Warrior Award for her efforts to combat antisemitism.
Introducing her at the gala, Adelson lauded Stefanik for confronting university leaders over antisemitism and invoked her late husband Sheldon Adelson’s insistence on moral conviction.
"When I heard you talking to the heads of the universities, I said to myself, ‘She has the guts to say the truth,’" Adelson said. "Sheldon used to say, ‘stand up for what you believe in even if you stand up alone,’ and you showed us and all the world courage."
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Adelson went on to describe Stefanik as "a great leader," crediting her for defending "the Jewish people, Israel and the Free World."
"Thank you for continuing to be what you are — a brave lady," Adelson said. "I send to you from here a hug for all your achievements, and I hope to visit you in the office of New York governor next year after the election."
Adelson, the majority owner of Las Vegas Sands and a philanthropist and physician whose net worth is estimated in the $30 billion-plus range, has been a prominent Republican mega-donor and backed the pro-Trump super PAC Preserve America in multiple election cycles.
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The Zionist Organization of America event, held in New York, drew political and philanthropic leaders from across the pro-Israel community.
"I am honored to receive such high praise and support from my friend Dr. Adelson who has served as a pillar of Jewish advocacy and strength in her fight to ensure the light of freedom, faith, and truth never goes out," Stefanik told Fox News Digital. "I thank her for her glowing words of encouragement in my fight to save New York and fire Kathy Hochul."
Stefanik launched her long-anticipated Republican campaign for New York governor on Friday, entering the 2026 race as she challenges Democratic Gov. Hochul.
A top House Republican and one of President Donald Trump’s closest allies, Stefanik represents a conservative-leaning district in upstate New York and had been weighing a gubernatorial run for months.
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"I'm running for governor to make New York affordable and safe. We have seen decades of single-party rule led by Democrats. And Kathy Hochul is the worst governor in America," Stefanik said Friday morning on "Fox & Friends."
"New York is the most unaffordable state in the nation, with the highest taxes, the highest energy bills, the highest utility bills. We also have a crime crisis because Kathy Hochul has brought us failed bail reform and has embraced the defund the police Democrats," Stefanik continued.
"And after this week… when we saw a raging anti-Semite pro-Hamas communist who wants to raise taxes. And frankly, he barely won the majority of New York City voters, Kathy Hochul endorsed him and bent the knee," Stefanik added, referencing New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic socialist.
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When announcing her campaign the day before she launched it, Stefanik said, "I am running for Governor to bring a new generation of leadership to Albany to make New York affordable and safe for families all across our great state."
"Our campaign will unify Republicans, Democrats, and Independents to fire Kathy Hochul once and for all to save New York," she pledged in her statement and accompanying video.
Stefanik, a member of the House Republican leadership, again charged that "Kathy Hochul is the worst governor in America," repeating a line that she's used for months.
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"People are looking for strong, commonsense leadership to be a check on this radical insanity that we’re seeing play out in New York City with Zohran Mamdani as a tax-hiking, defund the police, antisemite socialist," Stefanik said in an interview Thursday on "The Story with Martha MacCallum."
And in her campaign launch announcement, she reiterated that Hochul "bent the knee" to Mamdani.
Hochul has since turned to social media and interviews with CNN to attack Stefanik’s record of being a "Trump Republican."
On Friday, Hochul posted, "While I’m fighting like hell to lower costs for New York families, Elise Stefanik is screwing over New Yorkers and jacking up costs to please Trump. Stefanik will always put Trump first and you last."
In another post that same day, Hochul shared a clip from her appearance on CNN, on X.
"Elise Stefanik is more than just Trump’s ally. She’s voted with him 100% of the time this year," Hochul wrote. "She owns this shutdown. She owns the fact that 3 million New Yorkers are trying to figure out how to feed their families. That’s Sellout Stefanik."
Fox News Digital has reached out to Hochul’s office for a comment regarding Adelson’s voice support for Stefanik.
Stefanik, who once criticized Trump during his first presidential run, has since become one of his staunchest defenders in Congress.
Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
NBA legend Lenny Wilkens, rare Hall of Fame inductee as player and coach, dead at 88
Lenny Wilkens, a Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee as both a player and coach, died Sunday at 88.
Wilkens, who played 15 years in the NBA — including four seasons as a player-coach — was one of just five men to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame in both roles. The others were John Wooden, Bill Sharman, Tom Heinsohn and Bill Russell.
"Lenny Wilkens represented the very best of the NBA — as a Hall of Fame player, Hall of Fame coach and one of the game’s most respected ambassadors," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. "So much so that, four years ago, Lenny received the unique distinction of being named one of the league’s 75 greatest players and 15 greatest coaches of all time."
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Wilkens made nine NBA All-Star teams during his playing career and twice led the league in assists. Standing just over six feet tall, he broke into the league after a standout career at Providence College, where he helped lead the Friars to their first NIT appearance in 1959 and an NIT finals berth in 1960.
A two-time All-American at Providence, Wilkens became the first player in school history to have his jersey retired, in 1996.
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Wilkens was selected by the then–St. Louis Hawks in the first round of the 1960 NBA Draft. He played only 20 games in his second season after serving in the military, but upon returning full time, he became a cornerstone for the Hawks.
St. Louis reached the playoffs six straight seasons with Wilkens, a Brooklyn native who didn’t play basketball in high school until his senior year. He made five All-Star teams during that span and averaged 15.5 points, 5.5 assists and 4.9 rebounds over 555 games in eight seasons with the Hawks.
The Hawks traded Wilkens to the expansion Seattle SuperSonics in 1968, where he flourished. He averaged 22.4 points, 8.2 assists and 6.2 rebounds in his first season, then led the league in assists (9.1) the following year.
Before the 1969-70 season, SuperSonics general manager Dick Vertlieb named Wilkens player-coach. He helped set the tone on and off the court, guiding Seattle to its first winning season in his third year in the dual role.
The smooth left-hander continued to rack up assists in Seattle, then spent two seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers and finished his career with the Portland Trail Blazers in 1974-75.
Wilkens ranks 17th on the NBA’s all-time assists list with 7,211 across 1,077 games.
He also served as a player-coach in Portland before moving full time into coaching. Wilkens later returned to Seattle for the 1977-78 season, leading the SuperSonics to the NBA Finals, where they defeated the Washington Bullets for the franchise’s first and only championship.
Wilkens went on to coach the Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks, compiling a 1,332-1,155 record (.536) over 2,487 regular-season games. His playoff record stood at 80-98.
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NFL Week 10 scores: Dolphins shock Bills, Matthew Stafford leads Rams to win
There were several NFL teams that could have used a victory as the playoff races tightened in Week 10 of the 2025 season.
Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers and Green Bay Packers were among them. Among the teams that came out on top before Sunday night’s matchup between the Chargers and the Pittsburgh Steelers were the Ravens and Lions.
Baltimore picked up a win over the Minnesota Vikings as the team set its sights on the AFC North lead. Detroit rebounded and put together a masterful offensive performance in a win over the Washington Commanders.
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The Falcons fell to the Indianapolis Colts in overtime in Berlin, while the Jaguars gave up 26 fourth-quarter points and lost to the Houston Texans.
The Miami Dolphins pulled off the biggest upset of the day with a win over the Buffalo Bills. The Dolphins snapped a five-game losing streak against Buffalo.
Read below for the rest of the NFL scoreboard.
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Transgender ex-lawmaker, first in state's history, pleads guilty to federal child sex abuse charges
Stacie-Marie Laughton, a former New Hampshire lawmaker who is believed to be the first elected openly transgender lawmaker in U.S. history, recently pleaded guilty to child sex abuse charges in federal court.
According to WMUR, the 41-year-old ex-politician recently entered her plea in a Boston federal courtroom. The charges included sexual exploitation of children involving child sexual abuse materials.
Laughton, who authorities identify using feminine pronouns, is accused of working with her ex-girlfriend Lindsay Groves to exploit children at a daycare center called Creative Minds in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts.
Groves, a former employee of the daycare center, took nude photographs of children and sent them to Laughton in 2022, while Laughton served as a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives.
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According to an affidavit filed that year, authorities said that Groves took four photos of children under the age of 5.
Per the filing, Laughton and Groves "exchanged thousands of text messages" around the time that the images were sent. In the messages, Laughton expressed interest in having sex with the children, according to investigators.
When Laughton was elected as a state representative in 2012, she was considered to be the first openly transgender person elected to a state legislature. She was also the first one in New Hampshire's history.
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However, Althea Garrison, a former Massachusetts state representative elected in 1992, was technically the first transgender elected lawmaker, though not openly. She did not come out until shortly after the 1992 election.
Laughton's political career was marked by complications and legal troubles. Shortly after Laughton was elected in 2012, she announced that she would not serve due to previous felony-level credit card fraud convictions.
She tried to run again in 2014, but the New Hampshire Ballot Law Commission denied her request on the basis of the suspended sentence. In 2020, Laughton ran to represent the New Hampshire House of Representatives for District 31 and won.
She represented Nashua's Ward 3 until 2022, when she resigned after being arrested over a stalking incident.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Hitchhiker’s Guide to what to expect tonight on the government shutdown
The Senate is moving toward a test vote tonight to break a filibuster on a new GOP spending plan. This test vote is not to be underestimated. If the Senate breaks a filibuster on the test vote tonight, it’s likely the government shutdown is just a few days from ending.
Here’s what we expect:
Sometime between 8 and 10 pm EST, the Senate will take the test vote to break the filibuster on the revised GOP spending package. The revamped bill re-opens the government through at least January 30. That buys lawmakers time to work on individual spending bills. However, the package includes full spending bills until next fall for the Department of Agriculture, veterans and military construction programs plus Congress.
It’s about the math. Sixty yeas are needed to break a filibuster Republicans believe they can get a group of Democrats to side with them to at least break the filibuster.
SENATE COULD TAKE TEST VOTE ON NEW SPENDING BILL AS EARLY AS SUNDAY AFTERNOON
FOX is told to keep an eye on these senators who caucus with the Democrats: Sens. Tim Kaine, D-Va., Mark Warner, D-Va., Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., John Fetterman, D-Pa., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., Angus King, I-Maine, and Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H. Also keep an eye on Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., has expressed interest in opening the government.
THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO WHERE WE STAND WITH A POTENTIAL BREAK IN THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
In addition, it is unclear if Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., could vote yes. Paul previously voted to block the old GOP funding plan. A potential yea or nay vote by Paul could determine how many Democrats are needed to break the filibuster. After all, it’s about the math.
Voting to break the filibuster does not necessarily mean that these senators would eventually vote for the underlying bill. However, Republicans can haul the freight on their own with a simple majority and won’t need any Democrats for final passage.
What happens if the Senate scores 60 yeas? By the book, it would take until NEXT weekend to get to a final vote on the bill. But that probably doesn’t happen.
There are two schools of thought:
One school says that Democrats are frustrated with one another and just want to get out of the Capitol. So it’s possible they could forge a time agreement and vote on final passage of the bill overnight tonight or maybe during the daylight hours on Monday.
The other school says Democrats are so mad over the health care capitulation that they require the Senate to burn significant time over the next few days and pass the bill mid-week.
Some Democrats are outraged that their colleagues may help out the GOP and re-open the government – without an ironclad agreement to re-up expiring Obamacare subsidies. This chasm will spark a Democratic civil war. House Democrats fumed at Senate Democrats for helping the GOP avoid a shutdown in March. This battle will only intensify between those who support the test vote tonight and those who were dug in on Obamacare.
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Moreover, it’s entirely possible that Democrats blocked government funding for 40 days – and their own party threw them under the bus without a solution to the Obamacare problem.
However, Democrats pushing for the Obamacare assistance may have lost the battle - but could yet win the war. They have successfully put the health care affordability issue on the radar and could force Republicans and President Trump to address it. If they don’t Democrats may have secured a crucial issue ahead of next year’s midterms.
Here’s another factor:
Some rank-and-file Democrats are fuming at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Liberals raged at Schumer when he sided with the GOP in the spring. Now some think Schumer overcorrected and went too far this time. This could have consequences for leadership elections down the road.
So what changed for some Democrats?
The pressure of the shutdown was beginning to mount. It was a toxic combination of aviation delays (with the holidays looming), air traffic controllers off their jobs, federal workers missing paychecks, no distribution of SNAP benefits, Capitol Police officers and Congressional aides working without pay… you name it. Plus, some Democrats scored spending priorities important to them in the appropriations bills tacked on to the package. That’s what makes this measure different from the one which Democrats have blocked since late September. And, a new funding deadline of January 30 gives lawmakers the chance to finish the other spending bills and get their big asks into those bills. So, it was a combination of things which altered the equation.
Iran's 'water bankruptcy' will weaken regime and nuclear program, UN expert warns
Iran is facing its worst drought in decades, raising fears of evacuations in Tehran while threatening the regime’s stability and nuclear ambitions, according to a leading environmental expert.
Kaveh Madani, Director of the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, said Iran’s worsening "water bankruptcy" would impact the country’s ability to function and weaken its position on the global stage.
"This water bankruptcy weakens Iran on the world stage," Madani told Fox News Digital.
"If they want to stick to their ideology and fight with the West, they must use their natural resources and burn them, so if there is no water, there is less resilience and less capacity to resist."
Madani, who has long warned of environmental mismanagement in Iran, said the current water crisis across the nation was predictable.
"The water bankruptcy situation was not created overnight," he said. "The house was already on fire, and people like myself had warned the government for years that this situation would emerge."
President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that without rainfall before winter, Tehran could face partial evacuation, according to The Associated Press.
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Of the five major dams supplying the capital, one has already run dry and another is operating below 8% capacity, according to AP.
Energy Minister Abbas Alibadi also announced that water supplies will be cut off on some evenings to refill reservoirs, urging citizens to reduce consumption by 20% to avoid rationing.
"The symptoms were already present, and now the flames are undeniable. We are discussing Day Zero, when the taps would run dry in Tehran and other cities once immune to shortages," Madani said.
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"Iran is in a state of water bankruptcy, the result of decades of mismanagement, worsened by prolonged drought and climate change," he added.
Madani also said that the collapse of basic infrastructure could spark wider unrest.
"When people are out of water and electricity, you face domestic and national security problems that even Iran’s enemies, not even President Trump or Prime Minister Netanyahu, could have wished for this to happen."
Madani warned that the crisis threatens not just its citizens but also Iran’s energy and nuclear infrastructure.
Despite U.S. claims that airstrikes destroyed Iran’s nuclear facilites, new intelligence reported by The New York Times suggested ongoing enrichment at a fortified site known as Pickaxe Mountain.
"If water and electricity shortages persist, any nuclear program would also be impacted," Madani claimed.
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"Lack of rain means less hydropower generation, leading to both water and power outages," he said.
The U.S. and its allies reimposed sweeping sanctions on Iran’s oil exports and banking sector and the end of the 2015 nuclear deal triggered penalties.
"Additionally, they face the issue of sanctions," said Madani. "There were already sanctions in place, imposed by the United States and there were also Security Council sanctions that, as you know, have been reintroduced."
"Iran is in resistance mode, and remaining in this mode means increased pressure on Iran's ecosystem, natural resources, and water, but it also means heightened concerns about food insecurity issues and dependence on food imports."
Evacuation of Tehran, however, remains improbable, Madani said. "People have jobs, children are in school, so it can’t happen overnight. The government hopes for rain, but people are already afraid."
"Iran is in resistance mode, and remaining in this mode means increased pressure on Iran's ecosystem, natural resources, and water," Madani concluded.
Texans score 26 fourth-quarter points to complete dramatic comeback victory over Jaguars
A thrilling AFC South matchup between the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars ended with a 26-point fourth quarter for Houston, leading to a crucial come-from-behind victory at home.
The 36-29 finish in favor of the Texans gave them a 4-5 record on the season, while the Jaguars fell to 5-4.
It was all Jaguars for the first three quarters, as Trevor Lawrence and company took a 29-10 lead into the fourth. But Davis Mills, starting in place of the injured C.J. Stroud, never backed down and came through in the clutch over the final 15 minutes.
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Mills and the Texans’ offense scored a touchdown on all three of their fourth-quarter drives, including the veteran quarterback capping a 14-play, 93-yard drive with a 14-yard run to complete the comeback and give Houston a 30-29 lead — its first of the game.
Mills found rookie receiver Jayden Higgins from 12 yards out for his first fourth-quarter score, and after a three-and-out by Jacksonville, he connected with tight end Dalton Schultz to get the NRG Stadium crowd roaring as Houston cut the deficit to five with plenty of time left on the clock.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS WILL REPORTEDLY PLAY 2027 HOME GAMES IN ORLANDO
Lawrence and the Jaguars still had a chance for a miracle if they could reach field goal range for Cam Little, who rewrote the NFL record books in Week 9 with his 68-yard field goal — the longest in league history.
Lawrence made things interesting when he scrambled for 21 yards to reach midfield with 21 seconds to play. Then, Parker Washington, who had scored on both offense and a punt return earlier in the game, caught a 12-yard pass to move into Houston territory. However, an illegal use of hands penalty wiped out the play and spoiled the drive.
On the very next snap, Lawrence was strip-sacked by Will Anderson Jr., and veteran defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins recovered and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown as time expired to seal the victory.
Just a few weeks ago, the Denver Broncos shocked the New York Giants with a 33-point fourth quarter to win at home. While Houston’s rally wasn’t quite as explosive, the Texans pulled off what once seemed impossible.
Mills finished 27-of-45 for 292 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. On the other sideline, Lawrence went 13-for-23 for 158 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
For Houston, Nico Collins lived up to his No. 1 receiver status, hauling in seven of 15 targets for 136 yards to lead all players. For Jacksonville, Travis Etienne Jr. scored once while rushing for 58 yards on 16 carries, and Jakobi Meyers, making his Jaguars debut on his 29th birthday, caught three passes for 41 yards.
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