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Red Sox pitcher gets rocked, throws incredible tantrum, gets dealt immediate reality check by organization
In a season full of absolute misery, the Boston Red Sox finally did something right following another embarrassing home loss Thursday.
The organization demoted starting pitcher Brayan Bello after another horrific outing, coupled with a postgame tantrum with the media.
You can be awful at your job. You can be a clown. But — and this is important — you cannot be bad at your job AND be a clown.
We'll get to the postgame interaction here in a minute, but first, some quick context ...
THE ORIOLES POUNDED THE PATHETIC RED SOX INTO THE GROUND SO BADLY THEY RAN OUT OF HOME RUN FIREWORKS
Bello has been, by far, Boston's worst starting pitcher this season. Things got so bad, interim manager Chad Kelly actually started using him as a "bulk" pitcher as of late, meaning the team would use an opener in the first inning or two, and then bring Bello in for the rest of the game.
That actually worked.
In games where Bello would simply not pitch the first inning or two, he was excellent. In games where he actually had to start, he was literally incapable of not getting rocked. I'm serious. He could not NOT give up multiple runs in the first inning.
Baffling stuff.
Anyway, the Sox had Bello start once again Thursday against Baltimore, he gave up five (!!!) runs in the first inning, promptly yelled at the media about it after the game, and was then sent down to Worcester.
What a day!
Amazing. What a miserable season.
Look, I was ready to hop on today and berate the Red Sox for starting Bello again. I couldn't believe Kelly had the gall to throw this kid back out there Thursday when he had been so good out of the "bulk" role.
And I mean GOOD:
I mean, just night and day. Uncanny.
So, yes, I was prepared to rip the Red Sox today for once again starting him against the Orioles ... and then Bello had the audacity to say all of that after getting rocked, and I completely changed my tune.
Who does this guy think he is? The team is in the middle of an absolute embarrassing season, you've been among the worst starting pitchers in all of baseball, and you have the stones to stand there and berate the media because they asked about your role?
After THAT outing?! What world am I living in here?
I've got a newsflash for anyone that hasn't followed the Red Sox this year (lucky you!): Brayan Bello ain't worth that headache. The Red Sox are pretty awful in every single area, but starting pitching actually isn't one of them.
That's probably the only area they're good in. I'd argue they have too many starting pitchers.
If I were them, I'd not only leave Bello in Worcester for the rest of the season, I'd try to ship him out of Boston for good before next month's trade deadline. They do not need him.
RED SOX RAISE DOXXING CONCERNS TO POLICE AFTER RAFAEL DEVERS TRADE, OFFICIALS SAY
Frankly, nobody needs a starting pitcher with an ERA hovering around double-digits. Nobody. Again, let me reiterate this ...
Brayan Bello has the WORST ERA of any qualified starter in Major League Baseball. He's currently 2-6 with a 6.34 ERA. Teams are hitting .310 off of him, which is also worst in the league.
And he's going to have the audacity to tell us to "stop talking about the bullpen-starter crap because when I'm pitching well as a starter nobody talks about it"?
Buddy ... you haven't pitched well ALL SEASON LONG. It's June! You STINK when you have to actually do your job and pitch in the first inning.
Enjoy Worcester, pal. Get comfy. Make friends with the locals. Get a summer membership at the local course. Get one of those punch cards at Madulka's so you get a free ice cream every fifth order.
Most importantly, get a grip — both on and off the mound.
Randy Travis' health crisis began with 'congestion' and ended in a five-month hospital stay
Randy Travis' intense health journey started with a symptom of the common cold.
During a recent interview with Fox News Digital while at The Nashville Palace — where a celebration took place on June 3 in honor of the 40th anniversary of his first album "Storms of Life," the 67-year-old and his wife, Mary Travis, spoke about a time in his life where he leaned on his faith the most, noting he initially went to the doctor after having issues with "congestion," but ended up finding something much more serious.
The "Forever and Ever, Amen" singer was hospitalized in 2013 for congestive heart failure tied to viral cardiomyopathy. A blood clot that formed in his heart then caused a massive stroke, which left him with partial paralysis and affected his speech.
"Obviously, during the stroke, that was probably the closest life or death, if you will, situation," she said. "We were there for five and a half months. We left home one morning thinking we were just going to go to the critical care and get something for congestion that he had, and we didn't walk back in the house for five and a half months."
While in the hospital, Mary shared that Randy spoke with the Lord "all the time," saying that while Randy has "always been close to the Lord," they "leaned hard on the Lord" in those moments.
WATCH: Randy Travis went to the doctor for congestion and ended up in the hospital for five months
When looking back at that time, Mary said, "We hit that brick wall at 100 miles an hour, and things changed overnight," but said that in terms of their relationship, it "definitely made it stronger."
"There was never any question that we were gonna go in any other direction. It concreted it, is what it did. I knew that I was put in his life and he was put my life right where we were, how we were," she said. "Everything was in a plan, and it strengthened it because I needed him more than anything, and he needed me more than anything. And you know what? That was a great place to be for both of us."
After going through his health crisis together, Mary urges others not to "take for granted the people closest to them."
"I think that's what we've learned is just embrace every single one," she said. "I tell people, I say, put the phone down, turn the TV off, go out to the country, sit by a stream, eat peaches, enjoy life, and thank God for more life."
CARRIE UNDERWOOD'S TRIBUTE TO RANDY TRAVIS MOVES GRAND OLE OPRY AUDIENCE TO TEARS
The event will not only celebrate the country legend's debut album, but will also include a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the naming dedication of our Randy Travis Room at the venue.
WATCH: Mary Travis admits her husband Randy Travis' health crisis made their marriage 'stronger'
"I think what amazes us is when he and Kyle Lehning finished putting that album together, they agreed that if they sold 40,000 copies of it that maybe Warner would let him make a second album," she said. "Of course, that followed up with 'Always and Forever,' so we know what happened with that. That was even bigger than 'Storms of Life.'"
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While Randy has gone on to become one of the most legendary performers in country music, Mary explains, "He had no plan to be the legend that he has become," and had never planned on being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and just thought "if I could make a living maybe out of making music, that'll be okay with me."
"He just came by it naturally because of his God-given natural talent," she said.
WATCH: Randy Travis is celebrating the 40th anniversary of his debut album 'Storms of Life'
Throughout his 40 years in country music, Randy has won seven Grammy Awards, 11 ACM Awards, 10 American Music Awards and many others, and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016. He has also had four albums go platinum, one go double platinum, another go triple platinum and a third go Quintuple Platinum.
"I think every artist dips their paintbrush deep down into their soul, and then they paint on their palette their own different way, and they hope that it touches somebody's life somewhere along the line. Boy, Randy, he did that. He had a string of masterpieces, if you will, with his music and his songs, and Storms of Life, there's not a bad song on it."
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She continued: "There's three or four of them that became hits, but if you take any of those songs, they could all be hits, if there was just room enough for that many hits. So Randy got to pick a lot of the great music that he wanted to pick because he was singing traditional country music and most of the artists weren't singing that. So he said, ‘I had pick of the litter as far as the music.’ He said, ‘My time was just right.’"
USPS reveals shocking number of dog attacks on mail carriers, issues urgent warning to pet owners
The United States Postal Service (USPS) is issuing an urgent warning to Americans to keep their dogs secured during mail deliveries after more than 5,200 postal workers were attacked by canines last year.
The warning comes as the USPS kicks off its annual Dog Bite Awareness campaign, a month-long June initiative aimed at reducing attacks on mail carriers and promoting responsible pet ownership.
"Every single day, our postal employees serve their communities across dynamic, fast-changing environments," Leeann Theriault, employee safety and health awareness manager for USPS, said in a statement.
USPS POSTMARK TIMING MAY CHANGE FOR SOME MAIL, SHIPPING PRICES ALSO SET TO RISE
"Preventing dog-related incidents requires constant, shared vigilance."
Even dogs that are typically calm and well-behaved, the USPS said, can react unpredictably when they feel threatened or become protective of their territory.
The agency is urging pet owners to secure dogs before opening their doors.
They should also keep animals leashed during delivery hours and avoid accepting mail directly from carriers while pets are nearby.
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Postal officials also warned that dog attacks can carry significant financial consequences for owners — including medical expenses, lost wages, replacement costs and other damages.
The agency highlighted the experience of San Antonio letter carrier Fiona Hudson as an example of the dangers mail carriers can face on the job.
"I was walking my route when a dog jumped the fence and lunged at me," Hudson said in a statement.
"I was rushed to the hospital bleeding, with a broken bone, a severe arm sprain and was barely able to move," she also said.
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"While my physical wounds have healed, the trauma of that vicious attack stays with me."
Hudson urged customers to take responsibility for securing their pets during delivery hours.
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The USPS noted that failing to do so can have consequences for mail service.
"When a carrier feels unsafe because of a roaming dog, mail service can be temporarily suspended," USPS said.
In some cases, residents may be required to pick up their mail at a local post office until the situation is resolved.
If a dangerous dog issue persists, homeowners could be required to rent a post office box to continue receiving mail.
"If a dog is roaming the neighborhood, the pet owner's neighbors also may be asked to pick up their mail at the area’s post office," the USPS says on its website.
The city of Los Angeles recorded the highest number of reported dog attacks on mail carriers last year, with 70 incidents, according to USPS data.
Dallas ranked second with 50 incidents — followed by Denver with 45, Houston with 44 and Chicago with 43.
Fox News Digital reached out to the USPS for further comment.
"The Postal Service places the safety of its employees as a top priority," the USPS says.
Graham Platner accuser hits NYT for allegedly softening allegations, says coverage was 'gift' to Democrat
Lyndsey Fifield, an ex-girlfriend of Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, hit The New York Times for allegedly softening her allegations of abuse, saying coverage was a "gift" to the Democrat's campaign.
After speaking to the New York Times about Platner's history of being a "narcissistic abuser," Fifield claims the outlet failed to include corroboration from other women that she offered and left out screenshots and other evidence she provided.
"Why does it say ‘nobody could corroborate’ when I offered them sources that COULD corroborate?" she wrote on X.
"Where were the screenshots they’d said they would use? Or the mention that I’d supported local democrats and that most of my family (and husband) are liberal? The editors said it was too much, they explained. The Times also failed to include any mention that I DID confide in multiple friends through the years that Graham had been abusive — long before he was running for office. Those friends confirm they told the Times so."
THE GROWING LIST OF CONTROVERSIES THREATENING DEMOCRAT GRAHAM PLATNER'S MAINE SENATE BID
In a story the Times posted Thursday night, the outlet identified Fifield as "a Virginia conservative who has worked for right-leaning groups and Republican campaigns."
Fifield, however, claims the outlet neglected to include the fact that she has supported Democrats and that her family is liberal.
"Where were the screenshots they’d said they would use? Or the mention that I’d supported local democrats and that most of my family (and husband) are liberal?"
She also says that, in an effort to get her to go on the record, the outlet put her in contact with other women who Platner allegedly abused and who the Times said would be in the story. But when the story was published, Fifield wrote, these women were nowhere to be found.
'HE HATED WOMEN': EXPLOSIVE ABUSE, NEW NAZI TATTOO ALLEGATIONS FROM EXES ROCK PLATNER'S CAMPAIGN
"After the story went up I began to ask them … wait, where are the stories from the other women? Where are their accusations of sexual assault? Why am I the focus? Why are there 11 paragraphs dedicated to detailing my work history (more than has been published about Graham’s by far)?" she wrote on X.
PLATNER’S ANTI-CORPORATE CRUSADE HITS AWKWARD SNAG AS RECEIPTS TELL ANOTHER STORY
"The Times also failed to include any mention that I DID confide in multiple friends through the years that Graham had been abusive — long before he was running for office. Those friends confirm they told the Times so."
Fox News Digital contacted the Platner campaign and the New York Times for additional comment.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Democrat bankrolling Graham Platner's campaign ripped for downplaying abuse allegations and more top headlines
1. Democrat downplays Graham Platner's abuse allegations
2. Senate passes $70B ICE, Border Patrol funding package
3. ‘Jumanji’ actor James Handy allegedly killed
CLEAR DECISION — Trump says only US, China have capability to retrieve enriched uranium from Iran. Continue reading …
DANGEROUS WATERS — Coast Guard intercepts overloaded migrant vessel carrying 240 people. Continue reading …
JURY SCRAMBLE — Murdaugh’s murder retrial may crack open secret ‘egg juror’ transcripts. Continue reading …
DOUBLE LIFE EXPOSED — American admits spying for China, infiltrating US political circles for over $100K. Continue reading …
BACKSEAT TAKEOVER — Handcuffed man slips cuffs, hijacks Dallas police cruiser with cop inside: video. Continue reading …
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PARTY LIKE IT'S 1776 — Trump announces massive new DC rally to kick off America's 250th celebration. Continue reading …
PARTY LINE CROSSED — House passes Ukraine aid package despite Trump's veto threat as GOP rebels break ranks. Continue reading …
UNRAVELING FAST — AOC dodges questions on abuse allegations, Nazi tattoo claims rocking Platner's campaign. Continue reading …
RED HANDED — Rubio sanctions alleged Cuban influence operation that cultivated ties with US groups. Continue reading …
EQUAL PLAYING FIELD — Education Department fires back at AP for framing civil rights probes as racial. Continue reading …
RESCUE MISSION — Senate passes $108.5M to hire 200 new agents fighting child sex trafficking. Continue reading …
CAMPAIGN UNDER FIRE — Graham Platner calls his ex a liar over wrist-grab in first national interview. Continue reading …
THE COMEBACK — Nike CEO Elliott Hill outlines sports-focused strategy to revive iconic sportswear company. Continue reading …
JOHN TILLMAN — AOC’s billionaire attack sells Gen Z a smaller, sadder American Dream. Continue reading …
DOUGLAS MACKINNON — Danny DeVito's 1991 film warned about communists 'waiting in the bushes' and now they're here. Continue reading …
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CRACKED FOUNDATION — Aaron Judge diagnosed with stress fracture in rib, out indefinitely for Yankees. Continue reading …
FOUNDING FLAVOR — George Washington's 'small beer' recipe from 1757 now brought back to life. Continue reading …
DUST SETTLED — Caitlin Clark's emphatic chest bump with coach speaks louder than any critic. Continue reading …
DIGITAL'S NEWS QUIZ — Think you followed this week's headlines? Put your knowledge to the test. Take the quiz here ...
DANIELLE ALVAREZ – Democrats stick by Graham Platner as new allegations rock campaign. See video …
KURT KNUTSSON – New AI teddy bear risks and selfie fingerprint hacking. See video …
Tune in as FOX News Sunday anchor Shannon Bream discusses the controversies surrounding Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Plattner. Check it out ...
What’s it looking like in your neighborhood? Continue reading…
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Olympians unite to speak out against Iran for the execution of the country's star athletes
A coalition of athletes, including several Olympians, have signed a letter advocating against Iran for its history and plans to execute star athletes, as the planned execution of Iranian boxing champion Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani looms.
Sani is a boxing champion, coach and political prisoner who is currently facing an imminent risk of execution in Iran by the Ayatollah.
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He was arrested by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in March 2020 following his participation in the November 2019 nationwide protests, which were initially sparked by a sudden hike in gas prices. The Iranian judiciary charged him with "corruption on earth," which is a capital offense in the country.
The Olympians, headlined by women's tennis legend Martina Navratilova and British swimming gold medalist Sharron Davies, call on world governing powers and sports bodies to intervene to prevent the execution.
"Currently, Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani, a 31-year-old boxing champion and coach, remains on death row," the letter states.
"We call on the United Nations, international sports federations, and governments to act immediately to save the lives of Iranian dissidents, including athletes. The world must not stand by while Iran silences its champions. We stand with the victims. We stand for justice."
'KILLING OFF THE COUNTRY': IRAN EXECUTES DOZENS, ARRESTS 4,000+ IN WAR CRACKDOWN
The letter also pointed to past incidents of Iranian execution of star athletes in the country, including 19-year-old champion wrestler Saleh Mohammadi, whose execution sparked a global uproar in March.
"Since mid-March, Iran has witnessed a horrific spree of executions of political dissidents, marking one of the most severe crackdowns in the past three decades. Dozens of people have been executed following unfair trials and coerced confessions. The theocratic regime, fearing another uprising, has exploited the cover of war to suppress growing dissent. Several victims of these executions were protesters arrested during the January 2026 uprising. Among them were Saleh Mohammadi, a 19-year-old national wrestling champion, and Sasan Azadvar Joonaghan, a 21-year-old karate champion," the letter states.
"Tragically, Iran has a grim history of executing athletes for their beliefs, including Habib Khabiri, the captain of Iran’s national football team, who was executed for his affiliation with the PMOI, and Forouzan Abdi, captain of Iran’s national women’s volleyball team, who was executed alongside 30,000 political prisoners during the 1988 massacre. In 2020, Iranian wrestling champion Navid Afkari was executed after participating in peaceful protests in 2018."
The letter includes a total of 24 athlete signees, including nine Olympians and five Iranians.
Carnival breach may put your travel data at risk
Carnival Corporation has confirmed a data breach affecting nearly 6 million people, and the fallout could reach travelers who may not think of themselves as Carnival customers.
The company says the incident involved a social engineering attack on a single user account. In other words, someone fooled an employee and gained access to part of Carnival's IT system.
For cruise customers, the real concern starts after the breach. Stolen personal details can help scammers write messages that feel far more believable. Here is what may have been exposed, what Have I Been Pwned found in the leaked data and what you can do now to protect yourself.
MAJOR CRUISE LINE HACK EXPOSES SENSITIVE DATA OF NEARLY 6 MILLION TRAVELERS
Carnival Corporation says the breach began with a social engineering attack on a single user account. An unauthorized actor gained access to a limited part of the company's IT system. Carnival says it immediately blocked the activity, brought in third-party security experts and alerted law enforcement.
A Carnival Corporation spokesperson told CyberGuy,
"In April, we identified unauthorized access to a limited part of our IT system caused by a social engineering attack on a single user account. We immediately blocked the activity, engaged third-party security experts and alerted law enforcement. Our investigation found certain personal information was illegally accessed. We're notifying affected individuals and deeply regret any concern this causes. Protecting the privacy and security of personal data is a priority for us and we've added new layers of security and monitoring on top of the comprehensive protections already in place. We'll also continue advancing our defenses against evolving threats."
State breach reporting shows 5,995,277 people were affected. Carnival says the impacted data varies by individual. However, the company says the information known to be involved includes names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth and government-issued identification numbers, such as driver's license numbers and passport numbers.
Have I Been Pwned also analyzed the data published by ShinyHunters and said it contained 8.7 million records with 7.5 million unique email addresses. That data appeared tied to Holland America's Mariner Society loyalty program and included names, dates of birth, email addresses, genders, geographic locations, salutations and loyalty program details.
That means this breach could affect you even if you think of yourself as a Holland America customer, not a Carnival customer. Even without a credit card number, this type of data can create problems. Criminals can use it to build fake emails, texts and calls that sound like they came from a real cruise brand. For example, a scammer could mention loyalty points, an upcoming trip, a refund or a cabin upgrade. That one familiar detail may be enough to get you to click.
Carnival has not publicly confirmed that ShinyHunters carried out the attack. However, the extortion gang claimed responsibility in April 2026 and said it stole millions of records and internal corporate data.
ShinyHunters has also been tied to broader data theft and extortion activity involving Salesforce customers. The group often pressures companies by threatening to leak or sell stolen information.
The FBI has warned victims not to pay ransom demands from the group. Paying does not guarantee stolen data will be deleted. It also does not stop criminals from trying to extort victims again.
For you, the concern is what happens next. Once your data leaks, scammers may try to use it in emails, texts or calls that sound more believable than the usual junk.
Travel scams work because they catch you when you are excited, rushed or distracted. Maybe you booked a cruise years ago. Maybe you joined a loyalty program and forgot about it. Maybe you sailed with Holland America, Princess Cruises or another Carnival-owned brand. That old account can still have value to criminals.
Carnival has also dealt with several cybersecurity incidents before. The company disclosed breaches in March 2020 and June 2021 after attackers accessed employee email accounts. Ransomware incidents in August 2020 and December 2020 also exposed personal information tied to Carnival customers and employees.
That history does not mean every Carnival customer will face fraud. But it does show why old travel accounts deserve attention. A loyalty account can reveal more than points. It can connect your name, email, birthday, travel history and brand preferences.
That gives scammers more ways to sound convincing. A fake email may claim your loyalty points are expiring. A text may say you qualify for a refund. A caller may say your account needs verification. Those tricks can lead to stolen passwords, malware, fake payment pages or identity theft attempts.
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR ONLINE PRIVACY AND SECURITY ON YOUR NEXT CRUISE VACATION
If you receive a Carnival breach notice, read it closely so you know what information may have been involved. Some impacted data may include government-issued identification numbers, so take these steps to lock down your accounts, spot fake cruise messages and reduce the chances that scammers can use your personal details against you.
Carnival says it is offering eligible U.S. individuals two years of complimentary credit monitoring. If you receive a notice, use the contact details in that notice or Carnival's official breach webpage. Do not trust random links in emails, texts or search ads claiming to help you enroll.
Go directly to the official website or app. Do not click a link from an email or text. Use a strong, unique password for every travel account. A password manager can help you create and store better passwords. Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at Cyberguy.com
Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds another layer of protection. Even if someone steals your password, they still need a second approval. Use an authentication app when possible. Text codes help, but they can be weaker if a scammer tries a SIM swap attack.
Be suspicious of messages about refunds, loyalty points, upgrades, cancellations or account verification. Scammers love urgent wording. They want you to click before you think. Instead, go straight to the company's website or app. Check your account there.
A data removal service will not undo the Carnival breach. However, it can help remove your personal information from data broker and people-search sites. That can make it harder for scammers to combine leaked breach data with your home address, phone number, relatives' names or other details found online. Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com
Breaches often lead to phishing emails with dangerous links or attachments. Strong antivirus protection can help block malicious websites, scam pages and malware before they do damage. Also, keep your phone, tablet and computer updated. Security updates close holes that criminals try to exploit. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com
If someone calls and claims to represent a cruise line, do not give out your date of birth, payment details or login codes. Hang up and call the company using a number from its official website.
10 SIGNS YOUR PERSONAL DATA IS BEING SOLD ONLINE
Check your statements for charges you do not recognize. Small test charges can show up before larger fraud attempts. Report suspicious activity right away. Many banks also let you lock a card from the app while you investigate.
A credit freeze can block criminals from opening new credit accounts in your name. You can freeze your credit for free with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. You can also lift the freeze when you need to apply for credit.
Check your credit reports for accounts, addresses or inquiries you do not recognize. You can get free weekly credit reports from the three major credit bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com.
Because Carnival says some impacted data may include driver's license or passport numbers, be extra cautious with messages asking you to "verify" your identity. Do not upload a photo of your ID through a link in an email or text. Go directly to the official company, bank or government website instead.
Identity theft protection can help monitor your personal information, credit files and financial activity for warning signs of fraud. Some plans also include breach or dark web monitoring, which can alert you if your email address or other personal details appear in known leaks. See my tips and best picks on Best Identity Theft Protection at Cyberguy.com
Keep a copy of any notice you receive from Carnival. It may explain what information was involved and what support the company offers. Be careful with fake settlement or claim websites. Scammers often create lookalike pages after major breaches.
The Carnival data breach shows why travel accounts need the same care as banking, shopping and email accounts. A cruise may last a week, but the data you shared can stick around for years. Take a few minutes now to tighten your accounts. Change reused passwords, watch for cruise-themed scams and consider freezing your credit if you want stronger protection.
Have travel companies earned enough trust to keep collecting so much personal data, or should loyalty programs start asking for far less? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com
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'I thought I had the flu': Mom nearly died after dismissing deadly sepsis symptoms
In the wake of NASCAR star Kyle Busch’s death from sepsis, a Virginia Beach mother who almost lost her life to the deadly condition is sharing her harrowing experience to raise awareness.
In 2015, Audrey Wiggins was a healthy 31-year-old when she thought she’d come down with the flu. Instead, her condition spiraled into a severe case of sepsis that left her in the ICU for 10 days, including five days in a medically induced coma.
Now recovered, Wiggins – who is married to professional golfer Marc Leishman – is dedicated to raising awareness about the condition through her nonprofit organization, the Begin Again Foundation. She has also written a children's book aimed at helping families recognize the warning signs.
NASCAR CHAMPION KYLE BUSCH’S CAUSE OF DEATH REVEALED BY FAMILY
Wiggins’ ordeal began when she began to feel ill one evening while caring for her sons, then 19 months and 3 years old, while her husband was traveling.
"I had never actually had the flu before, but I was achy, feverish and cold. And so I thought, this seems like the flu," she told Fox News Digital during an on-camera interview.
As the days went on, Wiggins started to feel worse. Her fever spiked higher and she developed severe stomach issues.
CATHOLIC INFLUENCER'S 5-YEAR-OLD SON DIES AFTER 11-DAY FLU BATTLE FOLLOWED BY THOUSANDS
"At one point, I actually thought I was going a little bit crazy, because my right elbow and left big toe started hurting – it was the most random thing. I hadn't injured myself," she said. "I was really confused as to what was going on."
When Wiggins became too weak to care for her sons and started to have nosebleeds, her friend insisted that she see a doctor.
At Urgent Care, Wiggins’ temperature and heart rate were abnormally high, and her blood pressure was dangerously low. She was taken by ambulance to the emergency room.
While today’s hospitals have "come a long way" toward sepsis awareness and recognition, Wiggins noted that wasn’t the case in 2015.
"They took a very long time to figure out what was going wrong with me," she said, adding that doctors at first thought she was afflicted with autoimmune diseases.
INVASIVE STREP THROAT STRAIN HAS MORE THAN DOUBLED IN US, REPORTS CDC
"They kept testing me for different things. Eventually, they admitted me, and I was in the ICU for a total of 10 days – five of which were in a medically induced coma."
The sepsis ultimately turned into acute respiratory distress syndrome.
"I very much remember not being able to breathe," Wiggins recalled. "That was by far the scariest part. It got to the point where I had to pause between every word to take a breath, and it was basically like sipping air."
At one point, she later learned, there was a "good chance" she wasn't going to wake up from the coma.
"When I finally did wake up, it was quite the process of relearning how to walk again, dealing with at-home physical therapy and being on a PICC line (peripherally inserted central catheter)," Wiggins shared.
The first year of recovery was "very difficult," she said. "My immune system was so compromised that I was sick constantly."
WOMAN WITH 5% CHANCE OF SURVIVAL AFTER SKI ACCIDENT MAKES 'MIRACLE' RECOVERY
Today, Wiggins says she is healthy but that her memory "is not what it used to be" and that she gets fatigued more often.
The original cause of her sepsis remains unclear, she said, but it may have been linked to her recent IUD removal.
"I did have the diagnosis of toxic shock syndrome, but I also had tonsillitis, strep throat, a UTI and pneumonia," she said. "I was a very, very sick person."
In severe cases, infection can spread into the bloodstream, triggering the widespread, life-threatening inflammatory response that is sepsis.
It can quickly lead to tissue damage, organ failure and death if not treated right away, according to Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel.
"The body reacts by making inflammatory chemicals. It’s the immune system revving up … but it can hurt more than help," he previously told Fox News Digital.
Wiggins explained the response with an analogy: "Instead of your body sending out the Navy SEALs, it sends out the entire U.S. armed forces."
As sepsis worsens, it can cause a drop in blood pressure and interfere with the delivery of oxygen to the body’s tissues, potentially leading to lactic acidosis — a dangerous buildup of lactic acid in the bloodstream.
Organ failure is a serious risk, particularly affecting the kidneys, Siegel warned.
"The kidneys fail, toxins from the kidneys build up, blood pressure goes down, fever goes up, the lungs fail — something called ARDS," he said.
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) occurs when inflammation causes fluid to leak into the lungs, making it difficult for oxygen to reach the bloodstream.
Common warning signs of sepsis can include high fever, confusion, rapid breathing, extreme weakness, low blood pressure, fast heart rate and bluish or mottled skin, per the CDC. Patients can also feel very cold and experience extreme pain, Wiggins added.
After Wiggins was discharged from the hospital, she was struck by how little people knew about sepsis, which led her to start the Begin Again Foundation.
"I had never heard of sepsis – and I realized that was why I almost died," she shared. "If I had known what the symptoms were and what to look out for, I would have sought treatment earlier."
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The expensive medical costs – for everything from home healthcare to antibiotics to a walker and other equipment – were also shocking. "I learned that sepsis is the most expensive hospitalization bill there is," Wiggins said. "I remember thinking, ‘What if we didn't have the money to afford this?’"
"In a time when people are struggling, if I can help ease that burden – even just the tiniest bit, so they can focus more on the recovery – it is my absolute passion and honor to continue to do that. And that is the main focus of the organization."
Wiggins’ children’s book, "Katie Koala's Biggest Bite," focuses on a young girl who gets injured and becomes ill, then her mother takes her to the doctor soon enough to catch sepsis before it becomes life-threatening.
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"My goal for this book is that it will be in both little hands and their parents' bigger hands … and that by reading this story, they learn about what sepsis is and what symptoms to look out for," she said.
"I've read too many stories of parents who did seek treatment, who took their child to the doctor, and were told it was just a virus."
Wiggins said the simplest thing parents can do is to ask the doctor: "Could this be sepsis?"
"Just asking that question could lead them on the path to run a different lab panel or look at the symptoms in a different way," she added.
Every hour that sepsis goes untreated, the mortality rate increases by up to 8%, Wiggins noted.
"Time truly is the most important thing – and getting that early treatment can prevent you from even being hospitalized."
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One of the most important things people should know, according to Wiggins, is that sepsis can happen from any infection.
"The most common causes are respiratory infections, UTIs and kidney stones, but it can happen from a cut. It can happen from strep throat, the flu," she warned.
China’s grip on rare-earth magnets could crush US drone industry before it grows
Modern battlefields consume drones the way 20th-century conflicts consumed artillery shells: by the thousands, every day, with no end in sight. Ukraine built 5 million drones last year. Russia launched 805 in a single night against Ukrainian cities. In this kind of warfare, victory doesn’t go to the side with the most sophisticated weapon but to the defense industrial base that continues manufacturing at scale. And production, in the age of drone warfare, starts with a permanent magnet. Every motor in every drone flying over Ukraine and Iran today contains at least one. China makes almost all of them.
President Donald Trump's June 6, 2025, executive order on drone dominance directed every federal agency toward American-made platforms and gave the industrial base a clear demand signal to organize around. Traditional acquisition timelines have been compressed from years to months, with vendors competing in field evaluations that move directly to production contracts. The Pentagon's Drone Dominance Program has committed $1 billion to purchasing more than 200,000 drones by 2027, with a staggering escalation to 340,000 systems by 2028.
But translating that ambition into durable production capacity requires following the supply chain below the motor. America consumes approximately 50,000 tons of permanent magnets annually, nearly all imported from China. The magnet is not a smart component. It carries no data. It cannot surveil. It generates the magnetic field that drives lift and torque, and when it stops arriving, the program stops scaling.
T.S. Allen, who ran the Pentagon's rapid drone fielding program before leaving the Defense Innovation Unit last year, told a Brookings Institution forum last year that scaling drone production to battlefield demand requires "figuring out … the batteries and all the critical components that will need to be produced at scale." The underlying challenge, he said, was singular: "Almost the only processing for most critical minerals is occurring in China and Malaysia."
CHINA WEAPONIZED SCIENCE AGAINST THE US. WE'VE FIGURED OUT A KEY ELEMENT THEY MISSED
China's rare-earth dominance was carefully constructed through state subsidies and below-cost pricing that bankrupted Western competitors over the course of decades. The same leverage enables price manipulation as easily as export restrictions. Rare earth prices have swung by triple digits within single years. Iron and nitrogen, the two domestically abundant and low-cost inputs used to create iron nitride permanent magnets, carry none of that exposure. Both are globally traded commodities with no government controls as strategic exports, making the cost of scaling predictable in a way that rare-earth inputs never will be.
In April 2025, China imposed export licensing requirements on seven rare earth elements and the permanent magnets derived from them, targeting materials that flow directly into defense and industrial motor supply chains. Within weeks, fewer than a quarter of export license applications had been approved.
Chinese rare earth magnet shipments fell roughly 75% year-over-year in May before a partial recovery. Motor-G, Europe's largest drone motor producer at nearly 100,000 units a month, still draws every magnet from Chinese rare earth supply. Ukraine crashed into the same wall when it tried to localize its motor production: it has mineral reserves but lacks the magnet-manufacturing infrastructure to convert them into finished products at scale. Scaling Western rare-earth capacity is not the only path to permanent magnets.
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Allen estimated that meeting the full demands of battlefield attrition would require producing roughly 10 times what Replicator delivered, a program that itself aimed for thousands of drones. At that scale, every input to the drone supply chain gets stress-tested in ways smaller programs never encounter. A fleet of hundreds tolerates a magnet shortage. A fleet of hundreds of thousands does not. In wartime, losing access to a single critical material can halt production across an entire class of drones.
Iron nitride is already being deployed across a variety of commercial sectors. Neither input of iron nor nitrogen carries export license risk, and neither can be embargoed. The magnets deliver competitive performance at elevated temperatures and reduced weight, two characteristics that matter directly to drone motor design.
American university research developed the underlying science, and American manufacturers are scaling production to meet growing demand. Incorporating iron nitride into the drone motor supply chain extends a proven commercial technology into a sector where the stakes are already enormous and growing.
Attrition warfare is a production contest. The side that keeps producing wins. Supply chains break under the pressure of disruptions, diplomatic crises and export controls that arrive without warning. Every critical input in the drone motor supply chain needs a source no adversary can shut off. The magnet is the one that does not yet have one.
Republicans face ticking midterm clock as Iran fallout keeps pressure on gas prices
As the Trump administration weighs diplomacy and military pressure against Iran, a political clock is ticking at home.
Even if the Strait of Hormuz — the global oil choke point largely shuttered since the conflict with Iran due to Iranian attacks — reopened immediately, it could take months for oil flows to return due to logistical bottlenecks involving trapped tankers, swollen inventories and damaged oil infrastructure, according to Kpler oil analyst Matt Smith, pushing normalization of global energy markets closer to the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
"It's then going to take until the fourth quarter of the year for things to return to normal," Smith said.
The question facing Republicans is whether the economic consequences of the conflict will outlast the conflict itself. While the White House continues to pursue a diplomatic resolution with Iran, strategists and energy analysts say disruptions to global energy markets could linger long after any agreement is reached, leaving voters with months of elevated costs heading into the midterms.
The economic effects are already visible.
The national average price of regular gasoline stood at $4.241 per gallon Thursday, according to AAA, up from $3.144 a year earlier — an increase of nearly 35%.
Moody's Analytics estimates the conflict has cost American households roughly $100 billion throughout the past three months, or about $750 per household, through higher fuel, transportation and related costs.
To some, the conflict has already gone on long enough to create lasting political consequences.
"There is a timeline, and we've already passed it," GOP strategist Doug Heye told Fox News Digital.
The White House rejected the notion that the conflict could become a long-term political liability, arguing that any economic disruption would be temporary.
"President Trump remains laser-focused on keeping the American people safe, lowering costs for working families, and making our country greater than ever before," White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers told Fox News Digital. "The President and his energy team anticipated short-term market disruptions, communicated them openly to the American people, and implemented an aggressive plan to mitigate any impacts."
Rogers said Trump "will never allow Iran to possess a nuclear weapon" and argued that "when the President forces this conflict to a successful end, gas prices will drop back to multi-year lows and global energy markets will be much more stable in the long term."
"We were promised that this would be a short operation, and repeatedly told it would all be over in 24–48 hours," he went on. "This is no longer a blip."
Others see a narrow window remaining.
"I think that it really needs to be resolved by July Fourth," Republican strategist John Feehery told Fox News Digital. "If it's not resolved by July Fourth, I don't think the economy is going to have time to really kind of get going on all levels."
Feehery's July 4 benchmark coincides with a period in which the White House hopes to shift public attention toward the kickoff of America's 250th anniversary celebrations.
The administration has alternated between signaling that a deal is near and warning that military action remains possible. More recently, Trump has expressed frustration with the pace of negotiations, saying they had become "very boring" and that he "couldn't care less" if the talks collapsed because Iran was taking too long, while also predicting that oil prices would "be dropping like a rock" in the near future and maintaining that a deal remains possible.
But regardless of how the negotiations conclude, strategists argue that economic relief must arrive soon if Republicans hope to avoid carrying the conflict's fallout into the midterms.
Republicans enter the midterms defending a narrow House majority that many analysts view as vulnerable to the traditional midterm backlash against a president's party. The Senate landscape is more favorable to Republicans, though several races in states such as North Carolina, Maine, Ohio and Texas are expected to be closely watched.
Feehery argued that the political impact of the conflict ultimately will have less to do with uranium stockpiles, enrichment levels or the details of any final agreement than with whether voters feel economically secure.
"They don't care about that," Feehery said when asked about the substance of a potential deal. "From the voters' minds, they're not worried about far-flung issues. They're worried about the economy at home."
TRUMP THREATENED TO 'BLOW UP' OMAN — WHY THE TINY GULF KINGDOM IS CAUGHT BETWEEN DC AND IRAN
"George H. W. Bush kicked Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait and his approval ratings were around 91%, and he lost the next election," Feehery said.
Even if a diplomatic breakthrough comes in the coming weeks, Americans may not see immediate relief at the pump.
Smith said the U.S. has been insulated from the worst supply disruptions because of its own domestic production, but the country is increasingly serving as an energy supplier to regions cut off from Middle Eastern flows.
"We're likely going to be seeing higher prices coming through in the U.S. because of that because, you know, we're getting to a scarcity issue," Smith said.
As Asian countries replace lost Middle Eastern crude and Europe seeks alternative sources of jet fuel, overseas buyers are increasingly competing for American energy exports, he said.
"Countries outside of the U.S. are bidding up U.S. prices," Smith said.
For Republicans, the concern is that the economic fallout could outlast the conflict itself.
"Even if this were all over tomorrow, prices won't immediately come back to normal and if or when they do, voters don't get a refund from the high bills they've already paid," Heye said.