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Pentagon drops 180 faiths from military's recognized religions list
The Department of War has officially removed 180 faiths from its list of recognized religions, acting on a change previously announced by War Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The U.S. Military Chaplain Corps previously recognized over 200 faith codes that servicemembers could claim affiliation with. That number now sits at just 31 as of a Thursday memo from Undersecretary of Defense Anthony Tata, according to Military.com.
Tata's memo says the change will "streamline the DoW collection of religious preferences for service members to enhance the delivery of targeted religious support from the Chaplaincy."
"The new list will provide chaplains with clear, readily available information that will better enable them to anticipate the religious support needs of service members and to provide religious support activities that align with service members’ personal faith and practices," he added.
AMERICA'S COMBAT CHAPLAINS OF 'ALL FAITHS' ARE THE FOCUS OF NEW FILM
The new list includes Agnostics, Buddhists, Hindus, Islam (Muslims), Judaism, Sikh, and a wide range of Christian-based groups like Baptists, Catholics, Lutherans and Methodists, the outlet reported.
Hegseth had announced the intention to trim the list of faiths earlier this year.
"The previous system had ballooned to well over 200 faith codes.… It was impractical and unusable, and many codes were never used at all," Hegseth said in March. He went on to note that the vast majority of military members fit under just six of the faith codes.
Alongside that change, the Pentagon also directed serving chaplains to replace their rank insignia with their religious insignia.
"A chaplain is first and foremost a chaplain, and an officer second. This change is a visual representation of that fact," Hegseth said in a statement in March.
"Specifically unique to the role of a chaplain, they are first and foremost called and ordained by God. And, while they will retain rank as an officer to those they serve, their rank will not be visible," he added.
Iowa GOP governor nominee recounts viral clash that put Obama on the spot at 2009 town hall
The Republican nominee for governor in Iowa pulled back the curtain for Fox News Digital on the time he went viral for stumping Barack Obama at a 2009 town hall centered on the then-president's namesake legislation.
Zach Lahn pulled off an upset victory Tuesday night when he defeated Trump-backed Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, for the party's nomination for governor.
But 17 years ago, when he was a student at the University of Colorado Boulder, Lahn confronted Obama at a town hall where the 44th president was promoting the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare. The old clip went viral after his Tuesday win.
At the time of the exchange, the video was circulated by late conservative radio titan Rush Limbaugh, who praised Lahn as "amazing," and said that with "one simple question that Obama can't answer, [he] nukes the entire foundation of Obamacare."
The candidate in what will be a hotly contested Iowa gubernatorial race posted the clip to his social media in May, but it gained widespread traction after Tuesday's primary election.
Lahn recounted the moment to Fox News Digital on Thursday and remembered how shocked he was to be called upon at the event. Lahn and his roommate purchased tickets to the 2009 event in Grand Junction and then drove eight hours round trip twice to attend the event — first to pick up tickets and again days later to attend the town hall.
"You know, I was young, and, I was in college at the time, going to University of Colorado Boulder, and so I was pretty fired up about this whole healthcare discussion," he said. "It was just my entrance, sort of, into some of the political discussions."
Speaking to Obama in 2009, Lahn said: "We all know the best way to reduce prices in this economy is to increase competition."
"How in the world can a private corporation providing insurance compete with an entity that does not have to worry about making a profit, does not have to pay local property taxes, they're not subject to local regulations? How can a company compete with that?" he questioned.
REPUBLICANS DIVIDED OVER WHETHER TO SALVAGE OBAMACARE — OR REPLACE IT — AHEAD OF SUBSIDY DEADLINE
"I don't want generalities — I'm not looking for philosophical arguments. I'm just asking a question," he asserted.
Obama thanked him for the question, and then for the first time during the Obamacare debate, said he might not be in favor of the public option, which would have allowed Americans to buy government-run health insurance alongside private insurance.
"Certainly they can't compete if the taxpayer is standing behind the public option just shoveling more and more money in," Obama replied. "That's certainly not fair, and so I've already said I would not be in favor of a public option of that sort because that would just mean more expenses out of our pockets and we wouldn't be seeing much improvement in quality."
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There was no public option when Obamacare became law.
"Ultimately, what came out of it was, maybe in an inadvertent way, he mentioned for the first time that they might not have the public option in Obamacare," Lahn told Fox News Digital. "Then right afterwards, Fox and CNN and these people wanted to talk to me because Obama had just said that this key part of his plan may not be included, and then it ended up not being included."
For another minute or so, Obama stuttered through an answer to Lahn's question about competition, wrestling publicly with the idea that private insurance companies would also have to borrow money at high interest rates, something else the government would not have to do.
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Lahn told Fox News Digital he wasn't quite satisfied with Obama's answer at the time, describing it as "word salad."
"I feel like most politicians today, like, they can't give me a real answer or they or they dance around something and never get to the real issue," he said.
Lahn, a farmer and businessman who has centered much of his campaign on making Iowa healthy again and was strongly backed by the MAHA wing of the conservative movement, now squares off with Democratic Auditor of Iowa Rob Sand.
Though he stepped away from politics for several years to build his business and run his family farm, Lahn's passion for issues plaguing Iowans drew him back into the fold.
"I really haven't been involved in this in over a decade, and these issues that I'm running on I truly care about, whether it's all these kids leaving Iowa, our family farms, our education system or the outlier cancer rate that we are in the world."
"I don't know how much longer we can go as a state without addressing these issues."
FBI launches 'Most Wanted Fraudsters' list as DOJ charges Ohio defendants in $30M Medicaid scheme for kids
A multimillion-dollar Medicaid fraud scheme intended to provide mental health services to children instead helped fund a fleet of luxury vehicles, federal authorities said Thursday, as the Justice Department unveiled a broader crackdown on fraud nationwide, including the FBI’s new "Most Wanted Fraudsters" list.
The case was among a series of prosecutions announced by the Department of Justice as officials rolled out what they described as an unprecedented federal-state effort to combat healthcare fraud, government program fraud and consumer scams that collectively involved more than $57 million in alleged losses.
"I think you'll agree with me that some criminals have gotten so bold, so audacious as to defraud the government of tens of millions of dollars," acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said during a news conference in Ohio, adding that the cases "should shock your conscience."
According to prosecutors, four defendants in Ohio were charged in connection with an alleged behavioral health fraud scheme that generated more than $30 million in fraudulent Medicaid claims. The defendants allegedly operated behavioral health organizations that billed Medicaid for therapeutic services and psychotherapy provided to children and young adults attending summer camps, church groups and recreational programs.
I'M OHIO'S STATE AUDITOR — MEDICAID FRAUD IS NOT JUST A WASHINGTON PROBLEM
Authorities allege the services were medically unnecessary or were not provided as represented. Prosecutors further claim that after one company lost its credentialing with the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, the defendants continued submitting claims through another entity.
As part of the investigation, authorities seized three bank accounts containing roughly $469,000 and 14 vehicles valued at approximately $800,000, including six Mercedes-Benz vehicles, a Bentley, a BMW, a Jaguar, a Maserati, two Land Rovers, a GMC and a McLaren.
The Ohio case served as the centerpiece of a broader DOJ announcement that included new partnerships between federal and state agencies, expanded data-sharing efforts and the launch of the FBI's new "Most Wanted Fraudsters" list.
"Thanks to Vice President JD Vance’s vision, he had an idea," FBI Director Kash Patel said. "He said, ‘Hey, you guys have a top ten most wanted list for all gangbangers, terrorists, narco traffickers, murderers and rapists around the world. How about we have a top ten list for most wanted fraudsters?’"
JD VANCE ANNOUNCES MULTI-STATE FRAUD TASK FORCE IN WAKE OF MINNESOTA SCANDAL
The list is live on the FBI website, Patel said, and includes individuals who have stolen tens of millions and billions of dollars to help law enforcement locate and apprehend fugitives accused of large-scale fraud schemes.
The department also announced charges against four defendants accused of fraudulently obtaining more than $1.4 million in COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program loans.
Prosecutors allege the defendants submitted false information about business income and later sought loan forgiveness through fraudulent applications.
In a separate case, authorities announced charges and detention orders tied to an alleged international romance scam that prosecutors say defrauded more than 130 victims across the United States out of over $15 million.
According to court documents, suspects operating from Ghana allegedly used dating websites, social media platforms and artificial intelligence-driven video technology to create fictitious female personas and persuade victims — many of them older Americans — to send money through wire transfers.
Authorities said assets seized during that investigation included a Lamborghini, a Tesla Cybertruck, a Mercedes-Benz and a BMW, with total assets valued at more than $3 million.
The Justice Department said Ohio's efforts could serve as a model for future state-federal partnerships as the Trump administration expands its broader campaign to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse in government programs.
Popular weight-loss diet shows surprising impact on serious mental health condition
The keto diet may help individuals with anorexia nervosa, new research from UC San Diego School of Medicine suggests.
The small study, published in the journal Nature, enrolled 22 women between 18 and 45 years old who had a history of anorexia nervosa and a BMI (body mass index) above 17.5.
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe psychiatric disorder involving food restriction and low body weight, the researchers describe. This is often followed by body dissatisfaction, an intense fear of eating, and a preoccupation with body shape and size even after weight restoration.
KETO DIET HAS SURPRISING IMPACT ON MENTAL HEALTH, RESEARCHERS DISCOVER
The participants followed a ketogenic therapy plan for 14 weeks, aiming for a diet consisting of 70% fat, 20% protein and 10% carbohydrates, according to a press release.
The goal was to maintain weight while inducing nutritional ketosis — a metabolic state in which the body produces and uses ketones for energy because carbohydrate intake is low enough to shift metabolism toward fat burning.
The researchers monitored the participants via ketone testing, weekly weight checks, symptom questionnaires, and nutritional and psychiatric support.
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Among the remaining 18 participants, eating disorder symptoms reportedly improved in several areas, including restraint, depression scores, and concern with eating, shape and weight.
Overall scores on the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) also improved, with 72% of participants scoring in the recovered or normal range.
The participants’ body weight did not change significantly, and no BMI fell below 17.5, according to the results.
Those who continued to follow ketogenic therapy three months after the intervention had slightly better EDE-Q scores.
The study authors concluded that ketogenic dietary therapy is "well-tolerated" and demonstrated "potential efficacy" in reducing anorexia nervosa symptoms in adults who are mildly underweight or weight-restored.
Although the study was "sufficiently powered," the authors noted that the small sample size of predominantly White females limits the scope of the findings.
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"Future research should replicate these findings in more diverse populations and incorporate objective assessments of brain function, such as metabolic PET imaging, to assess brain glucose metabolism," they wrote.
Lead study author Guido Frank, MD, professor of psychiatry at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, who has studied and treated anorexia patients for more than 25 years, launched this study to broaden treatment options for this high-risk population.
Frank wrote in a statement that new approaches to anorexia nervosa are "urgently" needed.
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"Our work with ketogenic therapy looks beyond standard therapies and potentially at the underlying physiology of the disorder," he went on.
"Growing evidence links anorexia nervosa to neurometabolic dysfunction, and we are hopeful that direct metabolic intervention can regulate neural function and address the psychological symptoms patients experience."
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will not testify before Congress amid scrutiny of past testimonies
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, invited earlier this week to testify before the House Judiciary Committee in a hearing that will examine whether the Sports Broadcasting Act has been used "to harm consumers," is declining the invitation.
And that's probably a wise choice by the commissioner given his past history testifying before Congress.
ROGER GOODELL ASKED TO TESTIFY BEFORE CONGRESS ON NFL ANTITRUST EXEMPTION
Goodell declined the invitation to appear at the June 10 hearing "due to ongoing litigation related to the topic of the hearing," NFL general counsel Ted Ullyot wrote in a letter Wednesday to Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio)Jim Jordan, (R-Ohio).
The ongoing litigation Ullyot was referring to is likely the NFL's Sunday Ticket antitrust case, which remains in post-trial and appellate proceedings.
All of this is tied to the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 that provides limited antitrust exemption for the collective sale of over-the-air broadcast rights. The SBA does not clearly protect cable, satellite, streaming or subscription products, the rising cost of which has incited consumer complaints and government scrutiny.
According to the Associated Press, Ullyot repeated in his letter the well-chronicled NFL narrative that 87 percent of its games will be available over the air this season, and that every game in the competing teams' home markets is on broadcast television.
WATCHING THE NFL WILL COST MORE, REQUIRE MORE STREAMING SERVICES THAN EVER THIS SEASON
"The NFL’s decision to license a few more games to widely adopted streaming services is simply a reflection that those platforms now offer significantly more reach than the current pay TV ecosystem and that broadcast television remains the foundation of our media distribution," Ullyot wrote.
The NFL's stated reasoning for not putting Goodell in front of Congress is legitimate but league counsel almost surely took Goodell's past performances before lawmakers into account. The NFL has declined to comment on Goodell's decision despite multiple requests by OutKick and Fox News.
And how has Goodell fared before Congress in the past? "Debacle," was the word one congressional source used to describe it.
That's obviously someone's opinion that is up for debate, but it is fair to say that when Goodell has appeared on Capitol Hill, it has not been a smooth ride. His appearances have historically served as platforms where lawmakers aggressively targeted the league's multi-billion-dollar business models, safety protocols and accountability.
Goodell has testified before Congress on two previous occasions: in October 2009 on the league's concussion crisis of that time, and in June 2022 on the Washington Commanders workplace investigation.
In 2009, the House Judiciary Committee called a hearing titled "Legal Issues Relating to Football Head Injuries" following independent research and media reports linking repeated football head trauma to Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).
Representative Linda Sánchez (D-CA) excoriated Goodell for the league’s refusal to acknowledge independent medical data. She famously compared the NFL’s stance to Big Tobacco executives denying the link between smoking and lung cancer in the 1990s. Goodell sat in silence as she blasted the league’s "blanket denial."
Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) pressed Goodell with a simple question: "Does a medical link exist between playing football and long-term brain damage?"
Goodell refused to say "yes." Instead, he deflected by saying, "I’m not a medical expert."
In 2022, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform held a hearing called "Tackling Toxic Workplaces," investigating decades of rampant sexual harassment, verbal abuse and structural misconduct within the Washington Commanders organization under former owner Dan Snyder.
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Goodell testified via Zoom but the virtual format didn't shield him.
Lawmakers hammered Goodell over the NFL's refusal to release a report authored by attorney Beth Wilkinson's independent investigation into the Commanders. Members of Congress and former employees pointed out the NFL released a 200-plus-page public report when investigating whether Tom Brady deflated footballs, but chose to keep the findings of a 20-year sexual harassment culture secret, delivering only an "oral report" to Goodell.
Goodell’s defense — that they withheld the written report to protect the privacy of the victims — was dismissed by some committee members as a hollow excuse to protect Snyder.
Goodell tried to paint the NFL as both powerless and an ally that had successfully "held Snyder accountable," which obviously didn't fly.
He pointed out the league levied a $10 million fine and forced Snyder to cede day-to-day operations but also repeated, "I don't have the authority to remove [Snyder]," which frustrated was panned by the lawmakers.
Canada's Carney pledges action on antisemitism amid backlash over new anti-hate council members
Prime Minister Mark Carney warned this week that Jewish Canadians are being "brutally targeted," while also announcing a new anti-racism council that reportedly includes two members with troubling views on the Jewish state.
Following Carney's speech on antisemitism, critics reacted with anger at the makeup of the council and questioned how a body meant to fight hate and antisemitism includes two members who are reportedly hostile to the concerns of the Jewish community.
Omar Alghabra, a former Liberal party cabinet minister and Member of Parliament, has faced criticism for publicly mourning former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. The former leader of the PLO was described by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies as "the father of modern terrorism." In the days following the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks on Israel, he declined a request to condemn them, when asked by Canada's Rebel News.
Alghabra has also faced scrutiny over past comments regarding Israel. In 2005, he criticized Toronto's police chief for participating in and leading a "Walk with Israel" event, according to The Jerusalem Post. He described the event as "a show of solidarity for a foreign state currently in the midst of an unresolved conflict" and referred to Israel as "a country that is conducting a brutal and the longest contemporary military occupation in the world."
CANADA’S CARNEY UNDER PRESSURE TO ACT AFTER SYNAGOGUES SHOT AT IN LATEST ANTISEMITIC INCIDENTS
Canada's opposition leader, Pierre Poilievre, pointed to a separate encounter with him involving a terrorist organization. "I remember Mr. Alghabra lobbying me before he was in politics to keep Hezbollah legal, so I'm not sure that he's the right guy to combat antisemitism," he told reporters.
Howeer, the Jerusalem Post reported that Alghabra had described Hamas as a terrorist organization during a 2016 parliamentary debate.
The other controversial member of the council, Avnish Nanda, represented efforts to keep a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Alberta in place. Critics of the encampment argued it created a hostile atmosphere for Jewish students following Hamas' Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel.
In April, B’nai Brith Canada’s League for Human Rights released a report showing that 6,800 antisemitic incidents took place in the country in 2025, representing a 9.4% increase over 2024. On average, this represented 18.6 incidents a day and was the "highest volume" the group has recorded since it began tracking incidents.
"I'm a Canadian-born Jew serving as rabbi of the vibrant Tifereth Beth David Jerusalem community in Montreal, and I was truly shocked to learn that among the people chosen to sit on Prime Minister Carney's newest council is Omar Alghabra, who publicly mourned the death of Yasser Arafat and remained silent when asked to condemn the attacks of October 7th," Rabbi Zolly Claman of Montreal's Tifereth Beth David Jerusalem Congregation told Fox News Digital.
"Canadian Jews are struggling to understand how our prime minister believed this would be a constructive appointment," Claman said.
When announcing the new Council on Rights, Equality and Inclusion, Carney stated, "The council has a clear mission to combat racism and hate in all their forms and to guide the Government of Canada as part of our efforts to build a fairer, more just, more inclusive society," He also said that, "The crisis of antisemitism in Canada today is specific, it’s severe, and it demands a targeted response. And that is what our government is fully committed to," Reuters reported.
FROM AUSCHWITZ, HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR ISSUES URGENT WARNING OVER RISING ANTISEMITISM IN CANADA
When asked about Prime Minister Mark Carney's announcement, B'nai Brith Canada, one of the country's leading Jewish advocacy organizations said that while it welcomed the prime minister's acknowledgment of rising antisemitism, it believes additional action is needed to address what it views as a growing crisis facing Canada's Jewish community.
"B'nai Brith Canada acknowledges the Prime Minister's solidarity with the Jewish community," Simon Wolle, the organization's chief executive officer, told Fox News Digital. "He was right to mandate that the Special Advisory Council on Rights, Equality and Inclusion prioritize researching and combating antisemitism."
At the same time, Wolle questioned whether the newly announced council has the authority and scope necessary to effectively address the problem.
"But we are concerned because the council does not have the power or scale to address this crisis in an appropriate and meaningful manner," he said. "It is an important aspect of the government's approach to combating antisemitism, but it is not sufficient."
Wolle added that B'nai Brith Canada will "continue to call on the government to establish a National Emergency Task Force on Antisemitism, among other initiatives, because the Jewish community needs immediate action, not just words during this time of violence, hate, and threats to our right to exist and participate in Canadian society," he said. Wolle did not offer comment on either Omar Alghabra and Avnish Nanda appointments.
NON-JEWISH PROFESSOR SAYS HE WAS FIRED FOR CALLING OUT HAMAS SUPPORTERS IN ONLINE POST
Canadian Jewish activist Ariella Kimmel also questioned the effectiveness of the newly announced council.
"The Jewish community makes up just 1.2% of Canada's population, yet is the target of 75% of hate crimes, which is astoundingly disproportionate. Canada does not have a hate problem; it has a Jew-hatred problem. There is a very specific virus spreading rapidly across this country, and our prime minister is administering a broad catch-all antibiotic that will not help."
Kimmel said his speech lacked concrete solutions and failed to address what she described as growing hostility toward Jewish communities.
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"There was nothing on the vile chants we hear on the streets, nothing about the mobs that target Jewish neighborhoods, nothing calling for police to enforce the laws that already exist," she said.
"What Canada doesn't need is another special council on racism. We need to address the real elephant in the room, the targeting of Jews using 'Zionism' as an excusable reason, led by radicalized progressives and Islamist fundamentalists."
Fox News Digital reached out to Carney’s office and Omar Alghabra and Avnish Nanda for comment.
Man found with zip ties and duct tape charged with assaulting five women on UCLA campus in under an hour
A man found with zip ties and duct tape has been charged with assaulting five women in less than an hour on the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus last week.
Olumuyiwa Akindahunsi, 29, allegedly sexually assaulted two women and tried to sexually assault a third at UCLA, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. He allegedly physically assaulted two other women. Four of the women are students.
Akindahunsi, who is not a student at the university, is charged with one felony count of attempted kidnapping to commit a forcible rape, three felony counts of assault with the intent to commit a forcible rape during the commission of a first-degree burglary, and two felony counts of assault likely to produce great bodily injury.
"These disturbing attacks strike at the core of campus safety, traumatizing five victims and unsettling campus life," Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said. "We are working closely with the UCLA Police Department to bring the attacker to justice and ensure that he will be held fully accountable for his actions."
FORMER UCLA GYNECOLOGIST SENTENCED AFTER PLEADING GUILTY TO SEXUALLY ASSAULTING PATIENTS AT SCHOOL
"Our swift actions should send a powerful deterrent message to anyone thinking of coming onto a college campus to harm anyone: they will be arrested, prosecuted, and punished," he added. "Our university campuses need to be safe and protected spaces for our students, faculty, staff, and community, and we will do everything in our power to ensure that this happens."
Akindahunsi's alleged spree began at 11:30 p.m. on May 28 when he attacked a woman on Bruin Walk, a main campus walkway, and fled with her phone, authorities said.
Minutes later, he slipped behind two women into their dorm building and followed them to their room, prosecutors said. He allegedly sexually assaulted one of the women and assaulted the other. Both women managed to escape.
STUDENTS AT TOP PARTY COLLEGE ON EDGE AFTER RAPE, STRANGULATION REPORTED IN CAMPUS HOUSING
Afterward, Akindahunsi entered a different dorm building and attempted to kidnap a woman walking down a hallway, authorities said. She broke free and fled.
Authorities said that shortly after, Akindahunsi sexually assaulted a woman in the hallway of her dorm, when a resident intervened and Akindahunsi fled the scene.
He was arrested by campus police minutes later near a parking structure after officers were flagged down by witnesses, the UCLA Police Department said.
Multiple witnesses identified Akindahunsi as the attacker, police said. He was found with zip ties, duct tape, and paracord, authorities said.
Akindahunsi is being held in the Los Angeles County Jail with no bail, according to jail records. His citizenship status was not immediately clear.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the university, as well as the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Family whose children were killed by World Series champion's former lover awarded $176 million
The family of two Los Angeles children who were killed by a city socialite was awarded $176 million by a jury.
Rebecca Grossman, the estranged wife of prominent Dr. Peter Grossman, was found guilty of second-degree murder in the deaths of Mark and Jacob Iskander, 11 and 8, respectively, after striking them with her vehicle at nearly 80 mph in September 2020.
Grossman had prescription drugs and alcohol in her system at the time of the 2020 crash, prosecutors told Fox News Digital.
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Although she was married to a prominent Los Angeles surgeon, Dr. Peter Grossman, she was racing her boyfriend, former MLB pitcher Scott Erickson, home from a restaurant. Each of them was driving Mercedes-Benz SUVs above 70 mph, and Grossman fled from the scene.
Both were found negligent in the crash.
The boys were walking with their youngest brother and mother, who both avoided the crash. The mother said she grabbed the youngest son and dove out of the way of Erickson's car.
Erickson started 364 of his 389 games pitched, pitching to a 4.59 ERA with a 142-136 record. He pitched for the Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees.
Erickson made a name for himself with the Twins, winning the World Series with them in 1991 and finishing in second place in Cy Young Award voting that season, falling short of Roger Clemens. Erickson spent six seasons with the Twins and seven with the O's before abbreviated stints with the others.
Grossman was sentenced to 15 years to life in 2024.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Joseph Brandolino rejected a request from prosecutors that Grossman be sentenced to 34 years to life, saying such a lengthy term is "just not warranted here," Fox Los Angeles reported. He said the children's deaths were an "unimaginable loss," but he noted Grossman's lack of a criminal record and philanthropic history.
Fox News' Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
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Why investigators are searching both land and sea for missing Michigan woman in Bahamas
HOPE TOWN, Bahamas – The U.S. Coast Guard entered day three in the renewed search to find 55-year-old Lynette Hooker, who has been missing since April, as teams comb both land and sea for evidence in the case.
Fox News Digital got an up-close look at how the team has been carrying out the mission, with divers seen scouring the Sea of Abaco near Elbow Cay in the Bahamas.
On land, investigators are relying on help from the Broward County Sheriff's Office cadaver dog.
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"At this point they will leave no stone unturned. The investigators will backtrack into the last known moment that she was seen based on hard evidence. Then they’ll move forward from there," said Nicole Parker, former FBI special agent and Fox News contributor.
LYNETTE HOOKER MISSING IN BAHAMAS: TIMELINE OF MICHIGAN WOMAN’S DISAPPEARANCE, HUSBAND’S ARREST
Lynette Hooker's husband, Brian Hooker, initially told police his wife went overboard from a dinghy boat and she was swept away by the currents, while he was able to paddle to shore.
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The specific location where he says she fell overboard allegedly contradicts the GPS data investigators gathered from his cellphone, a U.S. official familiar with the investigation told Fox News Digital.
As for why officials are also conducting a search for clues on land versus in the water? Parker said it all comes down to ruling out all possible scenarios.
"It would’ve been easy to get rid of her in a remote location at sea or if there are other theories popping up, they [investigators] won’t rule those out," she said.
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COAST GUARD SEIZES BRIAN HOOKER'S SAILBOAT AS IT LEAVES BAHAMAS AFTER WIFE’S DISAPPEARANCE: REPORT
Parker believes there is more intel than what is available to the public. "Law enforcement almost always knows much more than what they share," she said.
"Thankfully, the Bahamas has an excellent relationship with the United States in jointly working these sorts of investigations. Their cooperation and assistance is crucial for potential successful prosecution of this case."
Brian Hooker has not been charged with any crime or wrongdoing.
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Fox News Digital has repeatedly reached out to Hooker's attorney for comment.
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Victor Wembanyama crossing his arms during U.S. national anthem is a problem for the NBA | Bobby Burack
At just 22 years old, Victor Wembanyama entered the NBA Finals on Wednesday with an opportunity to establish himself as the face of the league for the next decade.
Known simply as "Wemby," he has the look, personality and seemingly unearthly style of play to become the NBA's next one-name superstar, joining the ranks of Michael, Kobe and LeBron.
Unfortunately, his Finals debut fell short.
The Spurs blew a 14-point second-half lead in a Game 1 loss to the Knicks. Wembanyama finished with 26 points, but he shot just 6-for-21 from the field and struggled to impose his will down the stretch.
Yet by Thursday morning, much of the discussion surrounding Wembanyama had little to do with basketball.
Before the game, cameras caught Wembanyama standing with his arms crossed during the U.S. national anthem. Fans noticed immediately.
It's unclear why Wembanyama chose to stand that way. He has done it before, though it drew little attention given the difference in scale between the Finals and the rest of the NBA season.
Was he making a political statement? Was it simply a natural posture? As a native of France, does the gesture carry a different meaning altogether?
OutKick contacted representatives of the NBA, the Spurs and Wembanyama seeking clarification. As of publication, none had responded. We will update this story if they do.
Still, fans who interpreted the gesture as a statement about America are not doing so in a vacuum. In January, Wembanyama accused U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents of "murdering" civilians.
MEDIA NETWORKS SHOULDN’T HIRE STEVE KERR OR DOC RIVERS AFTER FALSE CLAIMS ABOUT ICE | BOBBY BURACK
"Yeah, PR has tried, but I'm not going to sit here and give some politically correct answer," Wembanyama told reporters who asked him about unrest following the shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.
"Every day I wake up and see the news, and I'm horrified. I think it's crazy that some people might make it seem like or make it sound like the murder of civilians is acceptable."
For the record, "murder" is a legal term. The agents involved in the shootings were never charged with murder. Nonetheless, Wembanyama used the term, echoing rhetoric from others in sports, including NBA coach Doc Rivers.
If Wembanyama is the NBA's next defining superstar, turning himself into the league's next political activist would be a mistake.
LeBron James is one of the greatest basketball players in history, yet his decision to become deeply involved in politics alienated a significant portion of the public. That is one of the clearest differences between LeBron and Michael Jordan — that and the rings.
Jordan largely avoided political discourse during his playing career. He never fractured his fan base along ideological lines. LeBron did.
For the record, the NBA reached its peak of mainstream popularity during Jordan's reign as the league's face. By contrast, the NBA's ratings fell sharply around 2020 and 2021, when James and other players became heavily associated with political and social causes, including BLM activism, DEI initiatives and Democratic political campaigns.
Even the NFL, America's true pastime, experienced similar pushback in 2016 and 2017. Television viewership declined by double digits during the height of the Colin Kaepernick anthem protests.
Further, a YouGov/Yahoo News poll found that "nearly half of Americans" changed their sports-viewing habits between 2016 and 2020 because of "political and social messaging."
Fans at large do not want politics mixed into sports. They generally don't care what athletes do on their own time. That's the difference between Jaxson Dart introducing the sitting president in the offseason and the NBA painting "Black Lives Matter," as in the Marxian organization, on the court.
Regardless of Wembanyama's intent during the national anthem, the moment is now a story.
Videos of him standing with his arms crossed were among the most widely circulated sports clips on social media Thursday morning. Media outlets in New York are discussing the gesture. The conversation has spread beyond basketball.
That's the last thing the NBA needs right now.
For the first time in nearly a decade, the NBA is experiencing positive momentum. The viewership — albeit misleading — is no longer declining. The New York Knicks are back in the Finals for the first time since 1999. The president plans to attend Game 3 in New York City. After years of struggling to develop new mainstream attractions, the NBA appears to have found one in Wembanyama.
Taken together, those storylines should make this one of the league's most compelling Finals in recent memory. For casual sports fans, it may be the most intriguing championship matchup since Cavaliers-Warriors in 2016.
Yet instead of talking about the basketball, many fans are debating Wembanyama's posture during the national anthem. Casual fans likely did not know about his remarks regarding ICE. They do now.
For fans who just started to watch the NBA again, and there are many, that's a disheartening development. It's a reason to support something else, something more unifying instead.
At a minimum, Wembanyama previously spread harmful political propaganda by claiming that ICE agents were "murdering" civilians. Depending on his intent Wednesday night, some Americans will now view his anthem gesture as disrespectful to the flag.
To those fans, the fact that Wembanyama is French is beside the point. He is building a soon-to-be hundred-million-dollar brand in the United States, playing in an American sports league in front of an American audience.
On the court, Wembanyama has a chance to become better than both Michael Jordan and LeBron James. Keyword: chance.
At 7-foot-4, he possesses a combination of ball-handling, shooting, passing and defensive ability that the sport has never seen. He is already one of the NBA's most dominant defenders. His ceiling is impossible to quantify.
Yet for the NBA to capitalize on its resurgence, it needs Wembanyama to handle his stardom and platform much more like Jordan than LeBron.
Republicans buy sneakers — and subscribe to all the streaming services required to watch pro sports in 2026 — too.