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Cops rule college freshman’s deadly dorm fall an accident, but DA delays closure as family fights for answers
Nearly 10 months after UC Santa Barbara freshman Elizabeth "Liz" Hamel suffered a fatal fall from a campus residence hall balcony, police say the case is closed as an accident. But her family says the explanation doesn’t add up and the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office now confirms the case is still "under review."
The UC Santa Barbara Police Department (UCPD) told Fox News Digital in a new statement that after conducting a months-long investigation, the department concluded Hamel died as the result of an accidental fall.
"Following a thorough investigation into the tragic passing of one of our students outside a residence hall in February 2025, UCPD forwarded its findings to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office for review," the department said.
UCPD said it worked closely with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office and the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office during the case.
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"Based on the totality of the exhaustive investigation, which entailed a systematic review and account of all available information and numerous interviews, including a person of interest identified during the course of the investigation, it is the Department’s conclusion that the incident was an accidental fall," the statement continued.
The department said it met regularly with Hamel’s immediate family and extended condolences.
"Our hearts and thoughts are with the family and friends who have suffered a terrible loss. Out of respect for the privacy of the family, we do not have any additional information to share."
The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office separately told Fox News Digital the case remains "under review." The office did not provide a timeline for when there might be an update on the status of the case.
Hamel, an 18-year-old biology and chemistry student from Bellevue, Washington, was discovered around 10:26 p.m. on Feb. 14, 2025, beneath a third-floor walkway at UC Santa Barbara’s San Rafael Residence Hall. She died six days later at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.
The Hamel family, through their attorney, provided a statement to Fox News Digital expressing disagreement with the police conclusion and concern over unanswered questions.
"We are aware of UCSB Police’s conclusion, but we still have unanswered questions about how Liz died. We will continue working with our counsel and the appropriate authorities to ensure that all available evidence is carefully reviewed."
Family attorney Tyrone Maho and private investigator Michael Claytor told Fox News Digital they disagree with the police department’s conclusion and believe the evidence does not support closing the case.
They said there is still critical information missing and flagged what they view as inconsistencies in the investigative record that "remain unaddressed."
They also raised concerns about UCPD handling the investigation, saying there may be a "potential conflict of interest" in having the university police department investigate the death of one of its own students.
"Our own investigation continues," they added.
According to SFGATE, Hamel’s father and Maho held a news conference in June at the spot where she was found, pleading for information, particularly about the unidentified man who was last seen with her the night she died.
At the news conference, Maho told reporters that Hamel had spent nearly two hours at Lao Wang Noodle Bar in Isla Vista with the man, whom she appeared to be "very close with" inside the restaurant. She apparently left her phone and identification behind, which friends later recovered.
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SFGATE reported that the pair did not walk toward San Miguel, Hamel’s freshman dorm, but instead headed toward San Rafael, another residence hall on campus. "She lived on the other side of campus," Alain Hamel said, noting that the dorm where his daughter was discovered is not on the route from the restaurant to her own residence hall.
"One doesn’t just stumble across this dorm. It’s not the first place one would go," Maho said, adding that they believe the man may have known someone there or may have been staying in the building.
At 10:26 p.m., a passerby, not the man who left the restaurant with her, found Hamel critically injured beneath a third-floor walkway outside San Rafael Residence Hall. She was still alive when first responders arrived and died six days later in the hospital.
Hamel moved to California in 2024 to pursue studies in biology and chemistry and hoped to become a scientist. She was also a member of Pi Beta Phi’s California Zeta chapter, which publicly mourned her death in March.
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"With heavy hearts, we share the passing of our beloved California Zeta sister Liz Hamel," the chapter wrote. "Sending Pi Phi Love and support to her family, loved ones, and our sisters at Pi Beta Phi UCSB during this time."
"Liz Hamel was a loved and cherished member of Pi Beta Phi. She will be remembered for the kindness and joy she brought to others."
Her father expressed the family's grief in his earlier interview with Fox News.
"She was our world. She’s our only child. And she was everything to us. … We were so lucky to have 18 years with her. We wish we had more time."
As prosecutors continue their review and the family presses for answers, the events leading to Hamel’s fatal fall remain unclear.
Fox News Digital's Brie Stimson contributed to this report.
UK faces backlash as teacher dismissed for telling student Britain is a Christian country
An elementary school teacher in London was dismissed and referred to authorities after telling a Muslim pupil that Britain was a "Christian country," according to the lawyer supporting his legal challenge.
The case from earlier this year has added to the broader debate about free expression, multiculturalism and the use of safeguarding mechanisms in British schools — the system designed to ensure a safe environment in which children can learn.
Lord Toby Young, director of the Free Speech Union, told Fox News Digital that the central accusation was triggered by the teacher’s statement that Britain remains a Christian country." To claim that Britain is a Christian country and to point out that the king is the head of the Church of England isn’t a particularly politically contentious thing to say. It’s just stating a pretty straightforward fact."
The complaint also involved the pupil washing his feet in a school sink — a pre-prayer ritual for Muslims. "The parent of a boy at the school complained because the teacher had told the boy not to wash his feet in one of the sinks in the school lavatories," Young added.
He said the Free Speech Union is seeing a rise in referrals to safeguarding panels for mainstream views. "We’ve got over a dozen cases of people being referred to safeguarding panels because they are said to be a threat to children’s safety just because of the views they’ve expressed."
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After the school dismissed the teacher, the case was referred to the Teaching Regulation Authority (TRA). Young said the TRA held a full hearing and ultimately "dismissed the charges," finding "no case to answer." Had it gone the other way, he said, the teacher could have been barred from the profession for life. The Free Speech Union is now funding the teacher’s lawsuit for unfair dismissal.
Young also tied the case to a national debate over the U.K. government’s work on a nonstatutory definition of Islamophobia, something his organization opposes. He warned such a definition could be embedded into "speech codes," with potential disciplinary consequences.
He said the governing party fears losing parliamentary seats to Muslim independent candidates — a dynamic he argues has created political incentives to grant "special protections" to Muslim constituencies.
Death threat towards TPUSA chapter at Illinois college sparks investigation, forces leaders to leave campus
Olivet Nazarene University officials are investigating death threats to Turning Point USA chapter leaders at the Illinois campus.
Chapter president Jacob York had to leave campus for his safety due to the threats. York told Fox News Digital that he was given "academic accommodations" allowing him to finish the rest of his semester online.
"The first death threat that I received was anonymous through Instagram," York said. "It said that someone was going to come in the middle of the night and slit my throat."
York said he received the death threats last Thursday but wasn't the only student to leave campus. Mara Hudson, who is the chapter's vice president and runs the group's Instagram account that received a threat, was also sent home for safety concerns.
Fox News Digital obtained an email from the university's president responding to a concerned parent about the death threats. Olivet Nazarene President Gregg Chenoweth stated that the students received an "anonymous threat of physical harm via social media, to a specific person, not a group or to all students."
"I’m a parent, not just a president, so I’m sincerely invested on the seriousness of this, and understand the fear it can create. I hope this quick note is sufficient, as we are getting lots of requests for information. I’ve been working on this myself for 7 hours so far today," Chenoweth told the parent in an email last Friday.
Chenoweth also said law enforcement is working to get access to records to help identify the anonymous person that sent the threats and that it could take several days, adding a detective told them the case was in an "urgent" category.
Last week, the university released a statement to the community stating that their Department of Public Safety and the Bourbonnais Police Department are investigating "concerning threats directed toward specific members of our campus community."
"At no time is this sort of behavior acceptable in our society and certainly not at Olivet, and it will be handled accordingly," the statement continued.
The threats were sent from an anonymous social media account and were directed at specific students who received and reported them, the university added. There has not been an identified threat to the campus community at any point during the incident.
"The University will continue to work proactively with Bourbonnais Police Department throughout their investigation to ensure Olivet’s campus remains a safe environment where our community can thrive. Additionally, the Department of Public Safety will continue to follow up on any leads that may possibly be related to this incident," the university added.
In regard to the death threats, ONU officials did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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The TPUSA chapter has not been recognized by the university and the chapter is conducting events off of campus. York is the chapter's president and Hudson is the vice president. Registering the chapter fell through after conversations with university officials.
"There is an active TPUSA group formed of current Olivet Nazarene University students. It is our understanding that the group has officers, including a president and vice president. The group is organized but not recognized," an university spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
The university added that the group has yet to complete the process of forming an official campus group but acknowledged the group has had conversations with officials.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Bourbonnais Police Department for comment.
Democrat John Fetterman decries 'dehumanizing' attack against Charlie Kirk's widow Erika
Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania condemned an attack against Erika Kirk, the widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, whose assassination shocked the world earlier this year.
"It’s gross and dehumanizing to attack a widow with young children after just witnessing his public assassination," the senator noted in a post on X.
"It shouldn’t be controversial to put our political views aside and extend the grace for a deeply traumatized family to grieve," he added.
He made the comments when sharing a screenshot of a Fox News Digital article headline that read, "Liberal podcaster labels widow Erika Kirk a 'grifter' who should be 'kicked to the curb.'"
"This woman should be kicked to the curb," Jennifer Welch said on her "I've Had It" podcast. "She is an absolute grifter, just like Donald Trump, and just like her unrepentant, racist, homophobic husband was," she said of Erika Kirk.
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GOP Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, who is running for governor, responded to Fetterman's post by thanking the senator.
Fox News Channel political analyst Gianno Caldwell expressed full agreement with Fetterman's comments.
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Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot during an event at Utah Valley University in September. He and his wife Erika had two children.
Sophie Kinsella, 'Confessions of a Shopaholic' author, dead at 55 following brain cancer battle
Sophie Kinsella, best known for her bestselling "Confessions of a Shopaholic" book series, has died after a battle with brain cancer. She was 55.
On Wednesday, her family announced her death on Instagram.
"We are heartbroken to announce the passing this morning of our beloved Sophie (aka Maddy, aka Mummy). She died peacefully, with her final days filled with her true loves: family and music and warmth and Christmas and joy," the statement, which was posted on Kinsella's official Instagram account, read.
"We can’t imagine what life will be like without her radiance and love of life. Despite her illness, which she bore with unimaginable courage, Sophie counted herself truly blessed - to have such wonderful family and friends, and to have had the extraordinary success of her writing career. She took nothing for granted and was forever grateful for the love she received."
"She will be missed so much our hearts are breaking," the post concluded.
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Kinsella first revealed her diagnosis in April 2024 with a lengthy Instagram post.
"To my dear readers & followers, I’ve wanted for a long time to share with you a health update and I’ve been waiting for the strength to do so," she wrote. "At the end of 2022 I was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a form of aggressive brain cancer. I did not share this before because I wanted to make sure that my children were able to hear and process the news in privacy and adapt to our ‘new normal.’"
She continued, "I have been under the care of the excellent team at University College Hospital in London and have had successful surgery and subsequent radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which is still ongoing."
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"At the moment all is stable and I am feeling generally very well, though I get very tired," she added, joking, "and my memory is even worse than it was before!"
During an appearance on "Good Morning America" in July 2024, the British author – whose real name is Madeleine Wickham – sat down with Robin Roberts to discuss the moments she realized "something really was wrong" with her body before discovering she had a brain tumor.
"The first symptoms that I had was... my legs. I was stumbling, I was tripping," she said. "I started getting very severe headaches. I got very confused. But it was really when I started tipping over in my chair that we realized something really was wrong."
After undergoing a brain scan at the hospital, Kinsella learned she had a grade 4 glioblastoma brain tumor. She underwent surgery 10 days later.
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"It was an eight-hour operation," she said. "They found the tumor, and they got it all out as much as they could see.... You have to take your triumphs where you can. And the surgery was a triumph."
Kinsella said she "couldn't do anything" during her recovery.
"I just have these gaps in my memory, and it's never really got[ten] back to normal," she admitted.
But her husband, Henry Wickham, continued to show up for her every day during her recovery.
"He has just been such a hero," she said. "He stayed with me in the hospital the whole time. I once said to him, I got very teary at one stage and I said, ‘Oh my God, but you didn't sign up for this.’ And do you know what he said? He said, ‘Yes, I did. In sickness and in health.’"
"Every morning, he brings me a cup of tea," she added. "And he comes to me with a story of hope. I've already lasted more than the average. So, you know, that's how we get through.... We just hope."
Kinsella is survived by her husband and their five children.
Netflix set to air transgender coal miner film 'Queen of Coal' in December
Netflix's "Queen of Coal," a film about a transgender coal miner starring a transgender activist, has garnered more attention ahead of its Dec. 19 release date.
The description for the film reads, "A trans woman dreams of working the coal mines — but in a town steeped in superstition and patriarchy, Carlita must fight to earn her place underground."
The story is based on the true story of Carla Antonella "Carlita" Rodríguez, the first transgender woman miner in Río Turbio, Argentina, who spoke about the importance of the film after its premiere in Spain.
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"It’s a very complex time for Argentina, for audiovisual workers, for culture, education, and public sector workers. I’m a public sector worker myself. The government is destroying the country from within by defunding public policies. I think we need to look more closely and become a little more humane, supporting the people who are really suffering," Rodríguez said in an interview in June.
Rodríguez continued, "I work in mining. Mining is a company that was taken over by the national government, which is currently being restructured, transitioning from public to private under [President] Javier Milei’s administration."
"Carlita" is played by transgender actor and activist Lux Pascal, who is the sibling of progressive Marvel actor Pedro Pascal.
Conservative commentators have criticized the film in the lead-up to its premiere.
"'Queen of Coal,' a movie about a man pretending to be a woman fighting the 'patriarchy,' is set to release on Netflix this month. If you haven't already, now would be a good time to CANCEL NETFLIX," The Libs of TikTok wrote.
"Netflix is pushing Queen of Coal about a man who dreamed of being a coal miner even before he dreamed of being a woman," The Post Millennial editor-in-chief Libby Emmons commented.
"Just in time for the holidays," UnHerd writer Emily Jashinsky wrote.
Fox News Digital reached out to Netflix for comment.
Netflix has been accused of pushing progressive ideology in its content over the last few years. A campaign to cancel Netflix resurfaced earlier this year after online influencers highlighted a series of pro-transgender content for children available on the streaming platform.
Bills legend sees Super Bowl path for team as kryptonite in Chiefs may miss out on playoffs
The Kansas City Chiefs' playoff chances took a big hit over the weekend, much to the delight of Buffalo Bills fans everywhere.
The Bills have dominated the AFC East so far this decade, but the New England Patriots are back on the prowl, and the two rivals will face off in New England this weekend.
With a win, the Patriots would clinch the division and inch closer to the No. 1 seed and bye in the AFC, but Bills legend Andre Reed is still holding on to some hope.
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"This is going to be one of those games that we got to go up and win this game. And hopefully if that happens, when that happens, the Patriots lose one or two of the last three games that they have, and Buffalo sneaks in there and wins the division. I don't know if they'll get a bye or not, but they'll be able to host a playoff game at the stadium there," Reed told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.
"The Bills, really all year have been kind of, up, down, up, down, up, down. They played like that all year. But as long as you got one-seven back there, as long as you got Josh Allen back there leading the charge there and being the quarterback there, they got a chance in any game."
The final game before the Bills move across the street is slated for Jan. 4 against the New York Jets, and Bud Light's new Blizzard Brews will be sold at the stadium's farewell. The 16-ounce cans will be made of real snow from Highmark Stadium, shoveled up by Bills fans, to pay tribute to the stadium.
"This is to celebrate the fans and the atmosphere there, Bills Mafia, this is for them. And I'm glad to be partnering with Bud Light, for this Blizzard Brew here. And believe me, it's going to be good," the Bills legend said.
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"Bills fans are obviously just, they're great fans. They live and die, sleep, drink, eat football in Buffalo. So this is, again, it's a testament to them and their passion for the Bills and their city."
In 1990, as the Bills made the first of four straight Super Bowls, one could have almost guaranteed that the organization would have a Super Bowl by the time Highmark Stadium closed its doors. But the Bills fell short in each of those Super Bowls, and this iteration of the Bills has yet to get over the hump.
It would be a dream to either close Highmark Stadium with a Lombardi Trophy or open the new venue with one, and with the Chiefs on the cusp of playoff elimination, the door appears as open as it ever has. The Bills have been eliminated by the Chiefs in four of the last five Januaries.
Reed does not believe that there is pressure on the Bills to win before the stadium closes, but if anything, it's there because the Chiefs might be home this postseason.
"Well, I mean, there's always been pressure on them. The one team that has stopped them is the Chiefs, everyone has put them out of the pasture. Until I see them laying on their back, I’m not going to say anything…" Reed said. "The Bills just got to worry about them. They can't worry about the Chiefs or anybody else. They got to go out and play football this week against the Patriots, and then try to run the table."
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US Chamber of Commerce accused of leading ‘woke corporate America’ as Trump dismantles DEI agenda
FIRST ON FOX: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is coming under fire for allegedly becoming "one of the biggest engines driving woke corporate America" amid the Trump administration's battle to strip diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives from the fabric of industry and government, a conservative watchdog alleges.
"Once a voice for small businesses and Main Street, the Chamber now advocates for DEI mandates, (environmental, social and governance) investment schemes, and radical climate policies that punish consumers," said Will Hild, the executive director of Consumers' Research, a free-market-oriented nonprofit focused on consumer advocacy.
ESG is an investing framework focused on prioritizing environmental, social and governance investments.
"They have strayed far from their original mission of advocating for free markets in favor of a political agenda," he continued. "Now, that the Chamber has made itself a leader in pushing woke policies in corporate boardrooms, it should come as no surprise that they are also supporting legislation to cripple litigation finance, one of the few tools consumers have to hold woke corporations accountable for pushing political ideology. Consumers' Research will continue to call out organizations like the Chamber for pushing a woke agenda."
Hild’s comments come as Consumers' Research published a "Woke Alert" this week accusing the U.S. Chamber of Commerce of being "totally woke, pushing DEI and a left-wing climate agenda."
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is a business association that represents and lobbies for the interests of local and national companies in Washington, D.C., and operates in a nonpartisan manner. The chamber has received praise and criticism from both Republicans and Democrats across the years for its various politically focused initiatives.
Consumers' Research, as part of its mission to strip "woke" ideology from the fabric of American businesses, publishes "Woke Alerts" sounding the alarm on practices the group views as harmful to consumers or serving "woke politicians." The latest alert focuses on the Chamber of Commerce's promotion of DEI initiatives, as well as prioritizing "a radical climate agenda."
The alert pointed to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's website stating that "diversity is America's strength" in its mission to remove DEI initiatives, which conservatives argue promotes group-based preferences and ideological conformity over individual merit, free speech and equal treatment.
"Diversity is America’s strength, spurring the innovation and creativity that have made the U.S. economy the most vibrant and dynamic in history," the Chamber's website declares. "When businesses recognize and embrace different perspectives, they are better able to create value, serve customers, support employees, and solve problems. By providing opportunities for everyone, businesses help lift communities and strengthen the health, prosperity, and competitiveness of our nation and our society."
The Chamber’s push on DEI came as such race-based workplace initiatives were promoted from the highest echelons of industry down to grade school classrooms in the 2020 era, especially after the police-involved killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, when "defund the police" and Black Lives Matter dominated the news cycle with protests and riots.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce was among the flood of industries that heightened their promotion DEI policies, including the Chamber reporting in a 2021 video that Floyd's death helped spark its launch of the "Equality of Opportunity Initiative."
Fox News Digital reviewed archived links to the Chamber of Commerce's "Equality of Opportunity Initiative" and found that it focused on efforts to "develop real, sustainable solutions to help close race-based opportunity gaps in six key areas: education, employment, entrepreneurship, criminal justice, health, and wealth."
The link to the former website page redirects users to the chamber's website homepage, with archived links showing the race-based URL was still active in January. The chamber launched the effort in June 2020, just days after Floyd's death.
"This work is a priority for the chamber and our members because as we all know its not just a moral imperative, it's an economic imperative," U.S. Chamber President Suzanne Clark said in 2021 during the 2nd Annual National Summit on Equality of Opportunity of DEI practices.
Consumers’ Research also flagged the chamber's 2022 impact report, which said it helped deliver $8.1 million in race-based grants to 1,414 Black-owned small businesses across 42 states. The alert also noted that the chamber has promoted reading materials such as a 2021 guide on DEI, and publicly supported the "Equality Act" in 2021 — legislation Consumers' Research described as "radical" and claimed would "enshrine in federal law a right for males to participate in women’s sports and lead to the punishment of small business owners based on their religious beliefs."
When asked about the Woke Alert, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce took issue with Hild arguing that the business group is "supporting legislation to cripple litigation finance," which Hild said "is one of the few tools consumers have to hold woke corporations accountable for pushing political ideology."
"It is sad this organization has become a mouthpiece for trial lawyers whose tactics have imposed a stealth tax on American families who are paying up to $4,200 extra a year for insurance, food, clothing and other items as a result of sham lawsuits that only line the pockets of trial lawyers," Stephen Waguespack, the president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform, said. "These lawyers, who donate overwhelmingly to progressive causes and candidates, and those who align with them, are undermining President Trump’s efforts to lower costs for American families."
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce supports a Republican-introduced bill, the Litigation Transparency Act of 2025, which aims to ensure greater transparency in litigation by requiring parties receiving payment in lawsuits to disclose their identities.
Consumers’ Research has used litigation finance in recent years to push back against "woke capitalism" to counter ESG and DEI policies, Fox News Digital previously reported, with Hild saying that he views the legislation as an "attack" on one of the "few tools Americans have to hold powerful, woke corporations accountable."
The new criticisms land as President Donald Trump's return to the Oval Office in January marked an end to DEI initiatives at the federal level and set off a sweeping effect on private industries as well.
Trump has moved to systematically unwind DEI programs across the federal government, signing a pair of executive orders in January that direct agencies to identify and shut down DEI offices, terminate equity-focused grants and contracts, and scrap long-standing affirmative action-style requirements for federal contractors in favor of what the White House calls "colorblind" merit based rules.
While Consumers’ Research is now attacking the chamber from the right, the organization has previously faced scrutiny from Democrats as well. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., led the charge in a 2019 letter demanding the group "accept that human-caused climate change is real and warrants immediate action," claiming the chamber "marshaled considerable lobbying resources on behalf" of companies working to "oppose congressional, executive, and judicial actions that would meaningfully address climate change," according to the letter.
The Chamber has been lauded by other prominent U.S. leaders, such as former President Barack Obama in 2011, when he thanked the group for pushing Congress on infrastructure investments. He said during an address focused on resetting relations with corporate America following the recession that had rocked the U.S. that the White House and the Chamber "must work together" on the economy.
Consumers’ Research also knocked the U.S. Chamber of Commerce over its climate agenda, saying the group has paired its DEI push with aggressive environmental goals. A 2023 blog post on the chamber's website titled "Fostering a Sustainable and Inclusive Energy Future" promoted prioritizing and working with "diverse suppliers" to strengthen businesses.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce also attended the United Nations Climate Change Conference earlier in 2025, which the Trump administration effectively boycotted by not sending a delegation to the annual conference. Instead, Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom attended the event in the federal government's absence, where he took shots at Trump for his environmental policies.
"Our climate is changing and humans are contributing to these changes. Inaction is simply not an option," the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's website. "Combating climate change will require citizens, government, and business to work together. American businesses play a vital role in creating innovative solutions to protect our planet."
Fox News Digital's Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
USPS returns hundreds of troop care packages as charity turns to Trump for 'Christmas miracle'
A nonprofit claims the U.S. Postal Service mishandled its shipment of hundreds of care packages for American service members and is now calling on President Donald Trump to step in.
"I'm really hoping that President Trump can perform a Christmas miracle for us and get these boxes to our troops for Christmas because if we send them U.S. postal mail, they'll never get there," Kristen Gauvin, president of Boxes to Boots, said on "Fox & Friends First" Wednesday.
The organization sends essential packages to deployed troops who can’t be home for the holidays. They include necessary toiletries, snacks and other small comforts meant to lift their spirits.
But this year, Gauvin says the group has run into a major shipping problem.
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Boxes to Boots mailed its packages in mid-November, yet more than 800 of its 1,100 boxes were unexpectedly returned, with more than 100 missing entirely. USPS flagged the packages for insufficient customs descriptions.
"We are currently investigating why these packages were returned. When customs forms are incomplete or lack the detail needed to meet export compliance requirements, packages may be returned," USPS said in a statement to "Fox & Friends First."
Gauvin says the organization has never experienced anything like this before and has heard from other groups reporting similar issues. She also noted that roughly 300 identical packages went through without a problem.
"Every single one of these boxes had my name and phone number on the return information… Someone could have [taken] the extra minute to call me and say, ‘Hey, we have a huge problem here. Let me tell you what it is,’" she said.
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Gauvin, who has led Boxes to Boots for several years, said she or volunteers would have driven anywhere necessary to correct the labeling if that was the issue.
"Clearly these boxes are all marked with military addresses. So, I would think people, if anything, would bend over backwards for our troops. This is just disgusting," Gauvin said.
Boxes to Boots is urging federal officials to step in to ensure the packages reach troops before the holidays, specifically calling on President Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to help. The group warns the boxes could miss the holiday season and arrive in mid-January if the issue is not resolved soon.
Zelenskyy appears to change his mind on holding elections after Trump's criticism
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country could be ready to hold its first election since Russia's invasion in 2022 as long as partners can give him security guarantees.
Zelenskyy, whose term was set to end in May 2024, said there are two main issues that have to be addressed before Ukraine can hold elections: security and the legislative framework. Zelenskyy said he has asked lawmakers from his party to work on legislative proposals to allow Ukraine to hold elections while the country remains under martial law, according to The Associated Press.
Because Ukrainian law prohibits elections when martial law is in place, Zelenskyy has declined to call a vote, a stance widely supported by Ukrainians, according to the AP. The country has been under martial law since the war with Russia began in February 2022.
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"Moreover, I am now asking — and I am stating this openly — for the United States, possibly together with our European colleagues, to help me ensure security for holding elections," Zelenskyy told reporters on WhatsApp, according to reports. "And then, within the next 60–90 days, Ukraine will be ready to hold them."
Zelenskyy's change in tune comes after President Donald Trump accused him of using the war as an excuse to not hold elections. The U.S. president, who has called Zelenskyy a "dictator without elections" in the past, warned that Ukraine was on the verge of not being a democracy anymore.
"They haven’t had an election in a long time," Trump told Politico. "You know, they talk about a democracy, but it gets to a point where it’s not a democracy anymore."
NO UKRAINE PEACE DEAL AFTER LENGTHY FIVE-HOUR PUTIN-WITKOFF-KUSHNER MEETING
In his interview with Politico, Trump also accused Zelenskyy of not being up-to-date on peace talks, saying he heard the Ukrainian president had not read the White House's most recent proposal.
The Trump administration has been working to secure a peace deal to end the war that has gone on for nearly four years. Late last month, the administration presented a 28-point plan that Ukrainian and European leaders thought was too deferential to Russia’s demands. Ukrainian officials met with White House envoy Steve Witkoff and whittled the plan down.
"We are working very actively on all components of potential steps toward ending the war," Zelenskyy posted on X on Tuesday. "The Ukrainian and European components are now more developed, and we are ready to present them to our partners in the U.S. Together with the American side, we expect to swiftly make the potential steps as doable as possible."
"We are committed to a real peace and remain in constant contact with the United States," he added.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and the State Department for comment.