Fox News Latest Headlines
AOC documents egg-freezing journey, takes aim at Trump admin over women's reproductive choices
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., revealed that she is freezing her eggs, opening up about the deeply personal decision in a series of Instagram Story videos while saying the procedure will give her more control over her future and using the announcement to criticize the Trump administration's policies on women's reproductive health.
The progressive "Squad" member posted the videos Saturday, explaining that she had spent years considering the procedure and saving for it before deciding to undergo fertility preservation.
Ocasio-Cortez said she wanted to be open about the process because women are often not taught enough about their reproductive health or family-planning options.
"I have made the decision to start freezing my eggs," Ocasio-Cortez said.
"I was weighing it for a very long time, and I think that I was saving for it for a very long time."
Ocasio-Cortez, who was first elected to Congress at 28, said serving in office at a young age meant navigating major life decisions publicly in a way many people do not.
"When you get elected young, you have to grow up in the public eye in a time that most people usually get to grow more privately," she said.
MELINDA FRENCH GATES SAYS IT TOOK 3 DOCTORS TO DIAGNOSE THE CONDITION SHE WAS SUFFERING FROM
The New York Democrat said she hoped sharing the experience would help normalize conversations about fertility, pregnancy, menopause, perimenopause, PCOS and other aspects of women's health that she believes are too often overlooked.
"As women in general, we are not taught about our bodies," Ocasio-Cortez said, referencing puberty, pregnancy, perimenopause, menopause and conditions including PCOS.
"I think we need to show more depictions of women having full lives in every context and every choice," she added.
Ocasio-Cortez framed the move as an effort to take more control over her future.
NEW JERSEY DEMOCRATS ADVANCE BILL CRIMINALIZING INTERFERENCE WITH ABORTION, TRANSGENDER HEALTHCARE
"This is a choice that I am making to feel more in control of my life," she said. "If people want to make assumptions about my decision, let them make those assumptions. I feel empowered to make this choice."
She acknowledged that being able to undergo the procedure was a privilege and said advances in technology had helped make egg freezing more financially accessible.
Ocasio-Cortez then pivoted to politics, saying she was aware there could be a "political tax" associated with disclosing such a personal decision and arguing that female politicians face scrutiny around marriage, pregnancy and family planning that male politicians often do not.
She also blamed the Trump administration for what she described as an increasingly hostile environment for women's reproductive choices.
LATE-TERM ABORTION TAKES FRONT SEAT AS BLUE STATE RUSHES TO EXPAND ACCESS BEFORE SESSION ENDS
"In the political context that we're in, in an administration that is dedicated to politicizing women's bodies and taking our choices away from us and punishing us around decisions to be pregnant or not be pregnant," she said.
"Frankly, this administration has made pregnancy more dangerous than probably at any point in the last 30-plus years," Ocasio-Cortez added.
"We're going to take our power back," she said. "And we have to talk about it."
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment on Ocasio-Cortez's remarks.
SEE IT: MARK KELLY BLAMES TRUMP'S AGENDA FOR BOOSTING AOC AS DEMS PRESIDENTIAL PICK
The announcement quickly drew criticism from some conservatives on social media, including Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet, who argued that Ocasio-Cortez's decision reflected what he described as a broader progressive message prioritizing careers over starting families.
"This is the message progressives spread when it comes to family formation, and one of the reasons why fertility rates are cratering," Kolvet wrote on X.
"Just freeze your eggs, kids! Pursue that career, even if you've been engaged for 4 years to a man you've known since college," he continued.
"AOC turns 37 in a few weeks so if she got pregnant tomorrow it would already be a geriatric pregnancy. This is not female 'liberation,' it's a cautionary tale."
FDA TO REVIEW 7 POPULAR PEPTIDES TOUTED FOR WEIGHT LOSS, HEALING AND LONGEVITY
Ocasio-Cortez has been engaged to longtime partner Riley Roberts since May 2022.
Her egg-freezing announcement comes roughly seven years after the New York Democrat famously warned in 2019 that "the world is gonna end in 12 years if we don't address climate change," leaving about five years remaining under that timeline.
Ocasio-Cortez said she plans to take viewers through parts of the egg-freezing process, including the hormone injections required ahead of egg retrieval.
She said she had already filmed herself unboxing her medications and administering her first shot.
The congresswoman said she would even give herself one of the injections in the green room before appearing on an ABC morning show.
"I'm gonna take my shot in the green room before my interview," Ocasio-Cortez said. "Because women can do anything."
"I think it's bad--- that I'm gonna be, you know, giving myself shots in the green room, get my glam on, roll out, talk about international events, domestic policy, elections, pop out, live my life, do my thing."
Buffalo Bills fans at the brand new $2.2 billion Highmark Stadium are finding their views are obstructed
The old Highmark Stadium, home of the Buffalo Bills', was not especially popular towards the end of its lifespan. It was cold, dreary and outdated, and overdue to be replaced.
It seemed like good news, then, when the Bills started construction on the replacement, their sparkling new $2.2 billion facility just across from the old building. They were adamant that the new construction would be a showpiece for the region, a key part of securing a record-setting taxpayer contribution from New York state. And sure enough, Highmark is loaded with new technology and supposedly thoughtful design touches.
Instead of a roof, the Bills new home retains the outdoor element that's an integral part of the NFL experience. But to protect against the elements, roughly 65% of the seats are still covered by the stadium's awning. There are infrared heaters under the seating areas to keep fans comfortable in the frigid Buffalo winters. The natural grass field is also heated, and the canopy incorporates a snow-melt system.
NY GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL TRIES TO GET BILLS CHANT GOING AT NEW STADIUM, COMPLETELY FAILS
All sounds great, right? Stadium designers and the team clearly thought through the details of a modern NFL stadium in the Buffalo area. Retain the outdoor character and intimate seating, but update the technology and concourses for a better fan experience.
There's just one problem: you can't actually watch the game from a number of the seat locations.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
The Bills held their return of the Red and Blue practice at Highmark on Saturday, and posts on social media started flooding in, racking up millions of views and engagements, showing the frankly inexcusable views from some seats at the new stadium.
Some have a pane of glass blurring views, including at the 50-yard-line. Some in the upper deck legitimately block most of the red zone on the far side of the field, specifically the end zone. Expensive seats, in the lower level about 30-40 rows up at the 12-13-yard line have their view of the other side of the field blocked by a standing platform.
Another post showed off how the view of a field from a higher level seat is almost completely through glass with staircase railings.
Other fans said they felt misled by Bills personnel after being assured that the railings wouldn't impede their view of the game.
That's not great!
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Some obstructed views in a modern stadium are unavoidable, and staircases always present an issue for designers trying to incorporate fan movement and pack in as many seats as possible. And at least some of those obstructed views are through mostly glass.
But then again, for the cost of these seats, the "personal seat licenses," and so on, it's not unreasonable to expect better.
Still, if Josh Allen and new head coach Joe Brady can lead the Bills to a Super Bowl, no one will be complaining that their seats weren't good enough.
WWE's Chelsea Green dealt more bad luck, reveals broken orbital bone less than week after winning title
Chelsea Green has overcome serious obstacles to get to the top of the WWE women’s division.
She’s suffered numerous injuries over the last 12 months or so, including a heart issue that landed her in the hospital and in need of a procedure. Still, she managed to put those problems in the rearview to become the interim WWE women’s champion last weekend at SummerSlam.
COMPLETE PRO WRESTLING COVERAGE ON FOX NEWS DIGITAL
On Friday, Green was in a tag team match with Tiffany Stratton as they went up against Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid. Green told her followers that she suffered a broken orbital bone during the match as her string of bad luck continues.
"I did get injured last night. Stuff happens. It’s live television. It’s wrestling. It’s an occupational hazard," Green said in a video posted to her Instagram. "I ended up in the emergency room and I have a broken orbital bone. It looks amazing all things considered. It feels awful but looks pretty amazing."
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
"I have no idea what that means for me. Usually, you guys have seen me play into every single injury but this feels different, obviously. This feels very different. It feels frustrating. I’m upset. I feel like if I didn’t have bad luck, I’d have no luck at all. So, I just need to take a bit more time to process and to heal from, obviously, the head trauma that is going on right now and then we’ll see what happens. We’re just gonna take it day by day. So, world domination continues. We’ve just had a minor blip."
It’s unclear whether Green will be forced to relinquish the interim championship already. She outlasted four other women in a ladder match at SummerSlam to win the title.
Meanwhile, Rhea Ripley also revealed last week that she underwent knee surgery and could be out for a few more months. Ripley is the WWE women’s champion, which was why the interim belt was introduced going into SummerSlam.
Lions announce Teddy Bridgewater has retired again, leaving team in middle of training camp
NFL veteran quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has once again retired from the game.
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell told reporters on Sunday that Bridgewater, who was competing for the backup role to Jared Goff in the quarterbacks room, has decided to step away from the team in the middle of training camp.
The Lions officially placed Bridgewater on the reserve/retired list ahead of their Sunday practice.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Campbell added that he believes retirement could stick this time for Bridgewater, who had previously retired following the 2023 season. But he quickly rejoined the Lions for the 2024 season.
"I think he can only truly answer that, but I feel like this is where it’s at for sure right now," Campbell said, via ESPN. "This is where it needs to be and where he felt. And his biggest worry was letting us down. That’s the type of guys he is, and he’s not.
RUSSELL WILSON ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT FROM NFL AFTER 14 SEASONS
"That’s as far as it can get. He meant a lot."
As a result, the Lions were reportedly quick to sign another journeyman, Josh Dobbs, to a $1.425 million contract with $475,000 fully guaranteed, per NFL Network. Dobbs is familiar with Detroit, having been on the team’s practice squad during the 2022 campaign.
Dobbs has also recently backed up Drake Maye with the AFC-winning New England Patriots a season ago. He is a dual-threat quarterback, having the ability to use his legs to pick up crucial yardage, which is the opposite of Goff’s game as a true pocket-passer.
As for Bridgewater, he joined the Lions again as an unrestricted free agent in March after backing up Baker Mayfield with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2025. Bridgewater was expected to back up Goff this year, but the Lions have to pivot now.
One of the many reasons Bridgewater remains someone NFL teams want in their locker room is due to his mentorship abilities, understanding his role as a backup and helping the starter on a weekly basis before, during, and after the season. That includes working with Goff in 2023 and 2024, as he developed into one of the best pure passers in the league in an explosive Lions offensive scheme.
Bridgewater, who was a first-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings in 2014 out of Louisville, was a Pro Bowler early in his career. In just his second season, he got the nod after going 11-5 with 3,231 passing yards, 14 passing touchdowns, while rushing for 192 yards with three scores.
But Bridgewater’s career was derailed, as a starter at least, when a horrific knee injury led to a left knee dislocation and a torn ACL during a practice just before the start of the 2016 season.
FERNANDO MENDOZA REVEALS TOM BRADY'S NO-NONSENSE MENTORSHIP PLEDGE AHEAD OF NFL DRAFT
Bridgewater would move on to the New Orleans Saints in 2018, getting six starts across two seasons before getting a heavier workload with the Carolina Panthers in 2020. He went 4-11 in Carolina before going 7-7 with the Denver Broncos the following year.
Bridgewater also played a season with the Miami Dolphins in 2022, going 0-2 in his only two starts with the franchise.
If this is officially Bridgewater’s last time on an NFL football field as a quarterback, he threw for 15,182 yards with 75 passing touchdowns over 83 games. He owned a 33-32 record as a starter across 11 seasons.
"I've known Teddy a long time and the human being is unbelievable," Campbell said. "Certainly, the player, everything that he's about. The type of teammate he is, the way he prepares ... always played the game up here and had a huge heart.
"He's going to be missed."
Hasan Piker stands by 'intentionally provocative' claims that Hamas is 'a thousand times better' than Israel
Far-left Twitch streamer Hasan Piker defended his rhetoric calling Hamas "a thousand times better than the fascist settler colonial apartheid state" of Israel on Sunday despite acknowledging it was "intentionally provocative."
"I say that on purpose," Piker told Rolling Stone Magazine. "I want to force people to really think about what I’m saying. I want to challenge them to think about it a little bit."
Piker made the comment in an X post from January and has since doubled and tripled down on the claim while facing backlash. Though he conceded that he would likely alienate fewer people by simply saying Israel was "worse" than Hamas, Piker told the magazine that it wasn't his style.
"First of all, everyone says that," Piker said. "I’m not interested in the many bad things Hamas has done. I’m trying to get people to understand why someone becomes Hamas. Do I agree with everything they do? Of course not. I’ve called out their war crimes myself. But the point is to make people identify from their perspective. Palestinians have lived under this brutal occupation for 75 years. Put yourself in their shoes."
In the same article, Rolling Stone Magazine reported that the Democratic Party had a more favorable opinion of Palestinian people than the Israelis with the Israeli government ranking only three points higher than Hamas, suggesting Piker's opinions were more mainstream than they appeared. Piker joked that the backlash he faced for his comments were a result of "having the correct position too early."
Still, he didn't regret his hyperbolic comments made on his livestreams or elsewhere.
"In some ways it is a performance. But existence is a performance," Piker said. "I could speak in sanitized, academic language all day — but that wouldn’t be as entertaining or reach as many people. So, I speak in a way that people understand. And sometimes I push buttons."
Fox News Digital reached out to Piker for comment.
During an April appearance on "Pod Save America," Piker doubled down on his Hamas comparison despite pushback from co-host Jon Favreau.
"I've also said I'm a harm-reduction voter," Piker said. "I'm a lesser-evil voter and, therefore, I would vote for Hamas over Israel every single time because I'm looking at the situation as a paramilitary organization that has a political party as well, a political bureau as well that is entirely comprised not as an alien force but of orphaned children that have, you know, had their parents killed by an apartheid state that has been dominating the lives of Palestinians for 80 years at this point and have done a genocide at this point as well."
DAVID MARCUS: DON'T BLAME CONSERVATIVES. IT WAS THE LEFT THAT CANCELED HASAN PIKER
During an interview with CNN last week, Piker denied that he supported all of Hamas' actions but insisted that Palestinians "have a right to resist militarily."
"Well, I wouldn't say I express support for all of Hamas's actions or anything," Piker said. "I do say that the Palestinian resistance largely does have an internationally recognized right to resist. Do they violate that sometimes with war crimes? Absolutely. And Hamas certainly has as well. But at the end of the day, Palestinians do have a right to resist militarily."
In a previous comment to Fox News Digital, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) condemned Piker's comments along with Democratic officials who continue to ignore them.
"Hasan Piker repeated multiple times that ‘Hamas is a thousand times better than Israel,’ while also shrugging off ‘war crimes.’ That is a person with more than 11 million followers sincerely expressing support for a designated terrorist organization, on a mainstream platform, to thunderous silence from the Democratic officials who continue to campaign and appear alongside him," an ADL spokesperson said.
Credit to the QVC host who went viral for a live NSFW slip-up for handling it like a pro 'the show must go on'
Saying the show must go on when you make a mistake live and actually doing it are two different things. Credit to QVC's Toni Brattin for pulling it off like a true professional. As a result, she gave the internet a gift.
The host was taking the QVC audience through a live demonstration of her "Salon Select" wig when she accidentally let "blow job" fly out of her mouth instead of "blowout" while describing the look the product provides.
Almost 30 years under your belt can't fully prepare you for everything. But she did a decent job of keeping it together. She was talking texture and wave pattern when she let slip, "It looks like you went and got a blow job... a blowout at your salon."
VALERIE BERTINELLI APOLOGIZES AFTER DROPPING F-BOMB ON LIVE TV
She caught the mistake immediately, whispered "Oh my God," and managed to collect herself enough so that she could finish her thought and hand it off to her co-host.
After handing it off, Brattin couldn’t help but shake her head and kneel down behind the display table. It's one of those moments that brings everyone together and a relatable moment that the internet can't help but run with.
Brattin told TMZ of her viral blooper that she was hoping the producers were going to switch to another camera. That would have been helpful, but when it didn't happen, she powered through.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
QVC was very understanding of the mistake. They were able to laugh about it and knew that she wasn’t dropping words like "blow job" on their customers on purpose with any sort of malicious intent.
The company even showed up in the comments of the viral clip. They wrote on Instagram, "Kuddos to @terriconnqvc for handling this like a pro. Is there an award for Best Live Blooper Recovery??"
I agree. Credit to Toni Brattin for handling her "blow job" slip-up like a pro. It's a funny moment and there's no need to overreact.
CNN stands by Iran war reporting after retired general challenges ‘unnamed sources’ on air
CNN stood by its reporting in a statement to Fox News Digital on Sunday after retired Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt challenged the network during a Saturday interview over its anonymous sourcing on the Iran war, including claims involving negotiations and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine.
"We stand by our reporting," a CNN spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
Joseph Holstead, public affairs adviser to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, declined to comment on CNN’s report or Kimmitt’s assessment but agreed with Fox News Digital’s characterization that CNN’s sources lacked firsthand knowledge of the conversations described in the report.
"We are not going to comment on it nor the opinion of a commentator," Holstead said to Fox News Digital in a statement.
CNN did not respond to Fox News Digital's questions about how it vetted the anonymous sources or Kimmitt’s claim that earlier anonymously sourced information about the negotiations was inaccurate.
Kimmitt raised the accuracy concern after CNN anchor Omar Jimenez asked about the network’s report that Caine was privately seeking an "off-ramp" because further military escalation could backfire.
"I read the CNN article and I saw quotes from unnamed sources that last week were saying there were no negotiations going on, and that proved not to be true," Kimmitt said.
By the time Kimmitt appeared on the network, President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance had publicly confirmed that negotiations were underway.
Trump said Thursday that he was personally involved in the discussions, while Vance told Fox News Digital on Saturday that American officials were speaking with Iran about restoring oil and gas traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
RNC national spokesperson Natalie Baldassarre defended Trump’s approach in a statement to Fox News Digital, portraying his Iran policy as effective and politically popular.
"President Trump’s ‘Peace through Strength’ foreign policy has been effective in preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon – something voters overwhelmingly support," she said. "The American people trust President Trump and voters will continue to gravitate toward our candidates who are in line with his efforts to strengthen our national security and keep American communities safe."
TRUMP SAYS IRAN'S MISSILES 'AREN'T THE PROBLEM' AFTER WHITE HOUSE MADE THEM CENTRAL TO WAR RATIONALE
CNN’s Friday article did not report that negotiations were nonexistent. Citing three sources familiar with the matter, it reported that Caine had privately told senior Trump administration officials that airpower alone was unlikely to accomplish Trump’s objectives and that some options for escalating the conflict carried substantial risks.
One of the unnamed sources summarized Caine's position in the CNN report.
"Caine is looking for an off-ramp," the source said.
TRADE VESSEL STRUCK BY PROJECTILE IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ AMID US-IRAN TALKS
The article also included an on-the-record response from Caine spokesman Joseph Holstead, who rejected anonymous descriptions of the chairman’s private discussions while declining to disclose what Caine had told Trump and other senior officials.
"We do not discuss the Chairman’s confidential conversations with the President, the Secretary, or other senior leaders, nor do we comment on anonymous, agenda-driven characterizations of those conversations by sources who were not privy to them," Holstead said.
Kimmitt's criticism extended beyond CNN's sourcing. The former general said the United States had not yet accomplished its central objectives involving Iran's nuclear program, missile capabilities and support for regional proxies.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE
"Look, I think it’s fair to say that we are not close to achieving our strategic objectives of ending the nuclear program, ending the missile program, and cutting off support for the proxies," Kimmitt said. "We do have the situation with the Strait of Hormuz. Those issues are undeniable."
Kimmitt also said Caine had to consider the threat from China, continued support for Ukraine and the military resources available to other combatant commanders while advising the president about Iran.
Jimenez responded that CNN reporters also preferred officials to attach their names to information.
"Hey, General, you said something that we preach all the time. I sure wish more folks would go on the record, too. But that’s me as a reporter," Jimenez said.
The sourcing dispute unfolded as the Trump administration continued negotiations intended to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Fox News Digital reported Friday that U.S. Central Command had halted attacks after 13 consecutive days of strikes against Iranian military targets while Washington and Tehran pursued an agreement.
Fox News Digital reached out to Kimmitt for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
Braves' Chris Sale ejected before game sees first pitch for yelling at umpire over Saturday balk call
Atlanta Braves starter Chris Sale was ejected on Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium, and he wasn’t even scheduled to pitch.
Before the game even started, Sale was still fuming about a balk call on Saturday night against the New York Yankees that he decided to unload on the umpire who called him for it.
As umpires took the field for the series finale between the Braves and Yankees in the Bronx, Sale started to yell toward umpire Dan Merzel before Yankees starter Cam Schlittler threw an official pitch.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Merzel clearly didn’t like what he was hearing, and who can blame him after the ordeal occurred the night before. Merzel quickly ejected Sale, but the veteran left-hander continued to get his money’s worth as he shouted something toward crew chief Dan Bellino.
Sale rarely balks. In fact, he did it only twice prior to Saturday night for his entire career.
ROYALS MANAGER MATT QUATRARO EJECTED BEFORE TEAM THROWS A SINGLE PITCH VS YANKEES
But Merzel called him for that third career balk in the fifth inning on Saturday night, which allowed Yankees rookie Spencer Jones to score after hitting an RBI triple the at-bat prior.
In the end, the run proved costly with the Yankees picking up the victory, 5-4. Braves manager Walt Weiss was tossed from the game, but he likely did so because Sale was barking at Merzel and he stepped in between to continue the argument.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
After the game, Bellino said to a pool reporter that Sale was called for the balk after not declaring he was going to be pitching from the windup. He said Sale was pitching from the windup when he struck out José Caballero, but he didn’t do so before facing Austin Wells.
Sale’s night in the Bronx ended with three runs allowed on five hits across six innings in what was his first loss since late June. He has enjoyed quite the season with the NLEast-leading Braves, owning a 2.20 ERA across 21 starts.
The Braves managed to salvage the series on Sunday, as they defeated the Yankees, 2-1, in extra innings. But Sale couldn’t watch it from the dugout all game long after being tossed.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Moscow, Kyiv assassins hunt weapons bosses as Ukraine war spills beyond the battlefield
A dangerous new front is emerging in the Russia-Ukraine war as attackers and alleged intelligence operatives increasingly target executives and engineers developing the cutting-edge drone technology that is reshaping the battlefield, industry experts warned Sunday.
The attacks include an Aug. 4 car bombing near Yekaterinburg that critically injured Vladimir Tkachuk, head of Russian drone manufacturer Uraldronzavod, and killed his driver, according to Russian state news agency TASS, The Associated Press reported.
His company produces the "Upyr," or "Ghoul," a first-person-view attack drone used by Russian forces in Ukraine.
'A NEW KIND OF WAR': INSIDE UKRAINE'S HIDDEN FACTORIES MASS-PRODUCING COMBAT DRONES
Days earlier, Andrei Cherezov, head of another Russian drone company, was shot three times in Tula overnight July 28-29 in an apparent assassination attempt, according to Ukrainian outlet Pravda. Authorities have not publicly attributed either attack to Ukraine.
Draganfly CEO Cameron Chell told Fox News Digital that the rise in attacks comes as Russia and Ukraine race for an edge in drone warfare, making the relatively small number of people responsible for developing new technology increasingly important targets.
"When you can't take out all the distributed infrastructure, drone manufacturing leadership becomes the primary target," Chell said.
"These strikes in Russia and Ukraine and Germany on founders, leaders, engineers of defense and, in particular, drone-type companies are down to drones and these companies having such an impact themselves."
UKRAINE’S BATTLEFIELD IS TRANSFORMING THE FUTURE OF NATO
"Because drone technology evolves rapidly — often with significant iterations occurring every 10 to 30 days — targeting a key engineer, founder, or product lead creates immediate operational disruptions on the battlefield."
"Taking out a particular engineer or taking out a particular leader can set a very important weapons program back quite some time and disrupt shipments to the front line," Chell added.
German authorities have also arrested two suspected operatives accused of spying on a Bavarian drone manufacturer for Russian intelligence, while reports this month said the alleged operation included preparations to target company executive Stefan Thumann, according to Germany’s Die Zeit.
The case follows a reported 2024 plot disrupted by U.S. and German intelligence to target Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger.
ZELENSKYY ANNOUNCES 'THE FUTURE IS HERE' AFTER WAR'S FIRST ALL-ROBOT CAPTURE
Chell said as Ukraine and Russia push toward artificial intelligence and autonomous weapons systems, engineers developing those technologies are more strategically important.
"What we see in the Ukraine-Russia conflict is nobody in the loop — total autonomy is the direction things are going because it moves with more speed and precision," Chell said.
"AI and total autonomy are the big innovations for the next 18 months, so a potential reason we could see more targeted activity against leaders is because Ukrainians have that technology advantage."
"Targeting small drone companies is a relatively easy operation compared to targeting individuals in state-run weapons programs," he said.
"It is a fairly inexpensive, low-risk tactic for intelligence agencies that yields an immediate impact on the battlefield, and that's why we've seen this tactic."
"It is a very interesting turn or tactic that's being played by both sides here."
Chell highlighted how Russia and Ukraine approach such plots differently.
"I wouldn't suggest one side has an advantage over the other in terms of tactics, but psychologically, it has a deeper effect on the Russian side," Chell said.
UKRAINE UNLEASHES MORE THAN 400 DRONES NEAR MOSCOW IN ONE OF WAR'S BIGGEST ATTACKS
"The volume of drone advantage will remain with the Russians for the foreseeable future, but the innovation of drones, tactics, and technology lies with the Ukrainians right now."
"Ukraine faces an existential threat, so they are ready for anything. Their tactics tend to be much more blunt — a direct shooter in a hallway or a car bomb," he added.
"The Russian tactics tend to be much more state-organized, using old Cold War tactics: low-level contacts, extensive intelligence and surveillance ahead of time, and inserting into other countries like Germany," he said.
"The Russians have a long-standing, well-established intelligence infrastructure dating back to World War II and the Cold War."
TRUMP IS PROVING THAT THE WAY TO BETTER OUR MILITARY IS TO SECURE OUR SUPPLY CHAINS
As the drone manufacturing industry takes greater precautions, Chell maintained that threats against companies and individuals in the defense supply chain are receiving increased scrutiny.
"We are very cognizant of it, and we're in contact with the proper authorities to make sure we're taking precautions on both a cyber and physical level to ensure we're at less risk," he said.
"We certainly don't take anything for granted."
"There are training and programs in place to ensure executives have a level of safety, primarily around awareness, cybersecurity, and physical location protection," Chell added before stating that the attacks and attempted assassinations have "heightened the conversation around it."
"We as an industry are taking it with a measured amount more seriously," he said.
WNBA media defends DiJonai Carrington after dangerous Sophie Cunningham hit reveals glaring bias
WNBA media wasted no time jumping to DiJonai Carrington's defense after her dangerous hit on Sophie Cunningham earned her a Flagrant 2 and an early shower Saturday.
Carrington got the boot after catching Cunningham above the neck as the Fever guard went airborne for a transition layup.
But instead of taking her lumps, Carrington retreated to the locker room and immediately pulled out her phone, posting "WHITE PRIVILEGE @indianafever" on Threads.
Just like that, Carrington turned punishment for her own reckless play into an accusation about race. If anything, that response warranted even greater scrutiny. Instead, WNBA media circled the wagons around Carrington, downplaying the hit.
ESPN quickly joined the defense when analyst Andraya Carter rationalized the hit as little more than a product of Carrington's aggressive style of play.
ESPN BURIES DIJONAI CARRINGTON DIRTY FOUL ON SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM, 'WHITE PRIVILEGE' POST
"These are plays we've seen from DiJonai, right? So getting in the right position, jumping over the top, getting these transition blocks," Carter explained.
"She's always gonna make that effort. So even for some of these, she's behind the offensive player coming over the top. So again, she was behind Sophie Cunningham. She wasn't able to get over the top. Had she got over the top and made that play, we wouldn't have been talking about it. She was too far behind the play. The contact above the head was too much. But that's what DiJonai Carrington does. Like, this wasn't, to me, because it was Sophie Cunningham making the layup."
Carter's own analysis undermined the defense she was making.
She acknowledged that Carrington was behind the play and that the contact above the head was "too much," only to excuse it with a familiar refrain: "that's what DiJonai Carrington does."
JD VANCE PRAISES SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM FOR 'SAVE WOMEN'S SPORTS' ACTIVISM
It's clear that Sophie Cunningham is in the WNBA's crosshairs for speaking out against male athletes competing in women's sports and refusing to toe the league's preferred line.
That stance has created an environment where she carries a target on her back, leaving players like Carrington to expect their aggression toward her to be rationalized after the fact.
The response to Saturday's incident exposes a persistent imbalance within WNBA coverage.
When physical aggression is directed at White players such as Cunningham or Caitlin Clark, commentators have repeatedly shown a willingness to search for explanations that soften the actions of the offending player.
The disparity becomes even harder to ignore when the circumstances are reversed.
Imagine a White player drilling a Black opponent above the neck, getting tossed and then immediately posting a racial accusation aimed at the opposing team.
Saturday was not Carrington's first go at controversy. During the 2024 postseason, Carrington struck Clark directly in the eye, leaving the league's signature star with a visible black eye, then mocked the ensuing public outrage online.
REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS PRESS WNBA COMMISSIONER CATHY ENGELBERT TO PROTECT CAITLIN CLARK
Less than two years later, another dangerous play involving Carrington has produced another controversy, followed by another effort to shift the conversation away from her own responsibility.
The facts from Saturday are straightforward. Carrington delivered a dangerous hit that officials deemed serious enough to warrant a Flagrant 2 and an ejection, then responded by invoking race.
Rather than scrutinize both actions, prominent voices within WNBA media devoted their energy to explaining her conduct.
Player safety cannot depend on who delivers the hit, just as media scrutiny should not depend on the racial identities of the players involved.
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela