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Pro-life group ramps up NC ground game as report finds fed abortion message gives GOP candidate biggest boost
FIRST ON FOX: A new study commissioned by Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America found that messages highlighting North Carolina Democratic Senate candidate and former Gov. Roy Cooper’s abortion record shifted support, according to the study, toward Republican candidate Michael Whatley among voters in the state, with a message focused on federal abortion legislation producing the largest movement.
The group said it has reached more than 770,000 homes across North Carolina as it deploys a new voter-contact strategy targeting what is expected to be one of the nation’s most competitive Senate races as Republicans attempt to hold onto their majority in the Upper Chamber and fill the seat currently held by retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis.
Canvassers are targeting persuadable and low-turnout voters with messages focused on abortion and Cooper’s record on the issue, including his support for federal abortion legislation that the group says could override state limits and his actions as governor to veto state-level restrictions.
Cooper vetoed North Carolina's 2023 law banning most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy, arguing it would harm women and families. The Republican-controlled General Assembly later overrode his veto, allowing the law to take effect.
"When it comes to the life issue, the issue that works best in North Carolina for the Senate race is that Gov. Cooper vetoed the 12 week limit, which is wildly popular in North Carolina and across the country, to stop abortion at the first trimester. He vetoed it and then his veto was overridden. It was a very unpopular move that really moves voters," SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser told Fox News Digital.
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"The other is that when he vetoed a bill that would give appropriate health care to a baby who was born alive after an attempted abortion. So those issues contrasted with Michael Whatley helped move voters in the direction of Whatley," she added.
The study analyzed which messages were the most effective at shifting opinion and looked to predict the impacts for voters, allowing the group to identify the people most likely to switch their vote from Democrat to Republican when exposed to one of their pro-life messages.
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America commissioned Evolving Strategies to conduct a randomized-controlled trial and test the effectiveness of four different abortion messages about the positions Senate candidates in North Carolina hold on abortion. Evolving Strategies recruited an online panel of 2,607 confirmed registered voters in the state using a technique that allowed them to match respondents to their voter file and consumer data.
The study measured respondents’ stated candidate and policy support after they read the messages, while its estimates for the most persuadable voters were based on predictive modeling.
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"Our one goal when we are finding our targeted voters in any state is to find our best voters. They will end up being Democrats, they'll end up being Republicans, they'll end up being Independents. We don't start with party profile. We don't even start with where you live or what your religious affiliation is. Where we start is how your vote will be moved. So we use consumer data to create a profile of our best voter and we score those voters," Dannenfelser said.
"What we're looking for is our best voters, whether they're inclined to vote or not, and then making sure that we communicate them with them at their doors through digital communications and every other form of communication that they receive," she continued.
Respondents were randomly assigned one of four messages — "Fed" message, "Record" message, "Soft Positive" message and "Hard Positive" message — or the control condition where they read a placebo message.
The "Fed" messages criticized Cooper's support for federal legislation that the organization argued could override states' ability to make abortion laws, "Record" messages went after his abortion record during his time as governor in an effort to portray him as an extremist, and "Soft Positive" and "Hard Positive" messages each highlight Whatley's pro-life positions.
All messages were at least somewhat effective, shifting the Republican vote margin a net +1.7 to nearly +5 points, according to the study.
The two attack messages against Cooper performed best, with +4.9 points for the "Fed" message and +3.2 points for the "Record" message. The "Hard Positive" message performed substantially better at +3.9 points than the "Soft Positive" message at +1.7 points, the study found.
Among the voters identified as the best persuasion targets, the study estimated the impact could be much larger, moving the Republican vote margin a net +12 points or more.
"We are finding that these messages really resonate. We're finding that voters really feel left behind by the Democratic Party, either ones that were leaning Democrat or were thinking about Cooper. We're finding that it really resonates and that it still is a top performing issue in North Carolina and makes a big difference," Dannenfelser said.
Trump to zero-in on Iran nuclear threat, Gaza plan and UN overhaul in world stage speech
NEW YORK — President Donald Trump will take the world stage Tuesday facing a convergence of wars and geopolitical challenges that could define his second-term foreign policy, from the conflict with Iran and Russia's war in Ukraine to intensifying strategic competition with China.
Trump is set to address the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) as his administration pushes to end some of the world's most entrenched conflicts while simultaneously confronting adversaries that have deepened their economic and security ties in recent years.
And he's expected to use the address to argue that this White House has confronted global problems that previous administrations allowed to fester, according to officials previewing the president's remarks.
Trump will address Iran's nuclear ambitions, the administration's Gaza peace plan and developments in the Western Hemisphere, among other issues, the White House said ahead of the speech.
But Iran is also expected to dominate diplomacy on the sidelines of the gathering.
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A senior U.S. official said Iran would be a "key topic of conversation and diplomacy" throughout the week as the administration continues its campaign to economically isolate Tehran. Trump is scheduled to meet with leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council following his address Tuesday, with the war and security in the Strait of Hormuz expected to be a prominent topic of those discussions.
Trump is also expected to renew his push to overhaul the United Nations itself, after using the same stage last year to sharply question the institution’s effectiveness.
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"What is the purpose of the United Nations?" Trump asked during his 2025 address, arguing that the body had played little role in resolving conflicts around the world. He said the U.N. had "tremendous potential," while suggesting it remains unrealized.
A senior U.S. official said ahead of Tuesday’s speech that the administration has helped cut more than $1 billion from the U.N. budget, while roughly 3,000 headquarters positions are being trimmed and more than a quarter of U.N. peacekeepers are being sent home.
"We call it having the U.N. on a diet, getting it back focused, leaner, and back to basics, focused on peace and security," the official said, describing the administration’s approach as doing "less things better."
The push builds on a broader effort by Trump to scale back U.S. involvement in international organizations his administration argues do not serve American interests, while still using the U.N. as a venue for diplomacy.
In his address last year, Trump offered "the hand of American leadership and friendship" to countries willing to work with the United States, even as he sharply criticized the institution’s record.
The General Assembly could also provide an opening for diplomacy with Tehran, whose president and foreign minister are expected to be in New York for the annual gathering.
The president will leave New York Tuesday night and almost immediately turn to another major foreign policy challenge: China.
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Washington Wednesday ahead of meetings with Trump at the White House Thursday, putting Trump's U.N. appearance and the U.S.-China relationship in unusually close succession.
LIZ PEEK: Can Trump Make the UN Great Again despite its globalist agenda?
Today, President Trump will address the UN General Assembly. As New Yorkers fume over traffic nightmares created by the president and by hordes of visiting diplomats, they may (again) question, as do many Americans, why U.S. taxpayers support this badly managed and scandal-scarred institution. Especially when the UN so frequently works against our interests and seems incapable of accomplishing its primary mission.
A new Gallup poll shows that 73% of Americans think the UN does a poor job of "maintaining international peace and security" and 70% say the same about the UN "upholding international law" and "protecting human rights." That’s a lousy report card for an organization that spends roughly $70 billion per year.
Elsewhere in the world, the UN scores better, which is not surprising since poor countries, which constitute the majority of members, look to wealthier nations for handouts via the UN. The nations of Sub-Saharan Africa, for instance, are especially keen on the sprawling organization.
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How does that wealth transfer happen? One way was described by President Trump’s UN Ambassador Mike Waltz in recent testimony before Congress: "The UN let countries use peacekeeping missions as cash cows for their militaries. Peacekeepers could bring equipment, park it, never use it, take it home brand new, and get it paid for by the UN." Those operations can employ "10,000 to 18,000 soldiers"; the costs, Walz says, are "quite significant". He is ending that practice — just one step in reforming the bloated UN, whose budget has quadrupled over the past 25 years.
Americans have reason for skepticism, given the frequent votes that go against the U.S. or our ally Israel. For thirty-three years in a row, the General Assembly has voted to end our embargo on Cuba, and for decades it has opposed Israel’s attempts to protects its citizens from Palestinian terrorists. Waltz calls the body a "cesspool of antisemitism."
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Not only is the UN frequently hostile to the US; it is often ridiculous. Most recently, the UN voted overwhelmingly to adopt a new map which blows up Africa’s presence on the globe; the US was the sole dissenter. In a memo explaining our outlier vote, Deputy U.S. Representative Yaryna Ferencevych called such resolutions "barnacles on our work here" and wrote: "Instead of focusing on genuine problems of international peace… this body is debating map projects from the 16th century, and their role in promoting reparations and "cognitive justice."
The UN rarely has much real-world impact. Critics might question, for instance, what the UN has done to resolve the Russia-Ukraine War, or how it has helped keep the world’s oil flowing through the Straits of Hormuz. The answer in both cases is zero.
Instead, the UN is hyper-focused on climate change, gender equality and other issues that may scratch a globalist itch, but appear little related to the cause of peace.
Meanwhile, the UN is going broke. Last year the Economist reported: "On May 5th the UN will brief members on a previously unreported $600m (17%) cut to its $3.7bn [administrative] budget aimed at avoiding default this year. It will include a hiring freeze… Yet it may not be enough. A combination of deadbeat members and mad budget rules have led to a liquidity crisis."
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The article goes on to warn that a "leaked memo" suggesting that the Trump administration might cut off funding to the UN threatened "a financial crash in the citadel of peace and security."
The Trump White House has not bankrupted the UN by withholding payments. Instead, it appointed Waltz to drive much-needed reforms and who is, according to Politico, "generally well-regarded, including among many Democrats on Capitol Hill". That’s rare praise for a Trump appointee.
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Walz is working to downsize the bloated UN, focusing on its staff of 100,000 — individuals who are paid roughly 17% more than equivalent U.S. civil servants, according to Walz. According to testimony he gave to Congress a few months ago, Walz’ team pushed through a "historic 15% cut. $570 million out of the UN’s regular budget. That will eliminate nearly 3000 headquarters positions." That change alone provided a savings for U.S. taxpayers of $126 million. Walz recently told Fox Digital that budget cuts now total $1 billion.
Walz is also overhauling UN peacekeeping operations, some of which, as he has said, have been around for "30, 50 or even 80 years." Walz argues such forces are important to provide breathing room for political settlement of a conflict, but it "can’t then become an excuse to not have a political resolution. When you have a peacekeeping force, for example, in DRC and Congo, at the cost of a billion dollars a year, that’s been there for 30 years", it should end.
Walz is just getting started; reforming an institution so large and complex takes time, which he may not have. Soon the UN will elect a new secretary-general to succeed Portugal’s António Guterres, who has served since 2017. Currently, most of the candidates who have stepped forward appear eager to embrace the reforms advocated by the White House, alarmed that President Trump is ready to eviscerate the UN’s funding if changes are not made and a U.S.-friendly official not elected.
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Finances are not Trump’s only weapon. As Politico reported, when the White House announced the creation of the Board of Peace last year to oversee the Israel-Gaza conflict, "U.N. officials and diplomats were really, really unnerved", seeing that Board as some sort of "rival peacemaking institute"…
However, permanent members of the Security Council, which include Russia, China, France, the UK and the U.S., can veto candidates. That is making the race unpredictable. If the members cannot agree, they could extend Gutterres’ term by another year, which would likely mean that President Trump would have less say in the outcome.
That could trash the White House’s push to Make the UN Great Again and would be disastrous for the UN.
MORNING GLORY: The best case for AI? Let it decide who gets into college
There is a debate about whether the widespread adoption and application of artificial intelligence models will cost jobs, and if so, in which industries.
If some obvious employment categories can be identified as ripe for replacement by AI, patterns should emerge about which sorts of jobs are in immediate peril.
One obvious candidate for replacement by AI is the staff of admissions offices at the nation’s colleges and universities. There are not enormous numbers of these positions, but there are excellent reasons to put AI to work in those offices, and not just to save money in the budgets of increasingly beleaguered schools.
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The College and University Professional Association for Human Resources released a study in April 2023 of 12,042 admissions employees at 940 institutions. On average, there were more than a dozen admissions staff members at every institution. There are more than 4,000 degree-granting institutions in the U.S., so a workforce of at least 40,000 is a reasonable estimate of the size of one group AI is coming for. (Even at the institutions where cost-cutting pressure is highest, there will still be a need for a couple of admissions officers, so don’t project a 100% loss of jobs here.)
Why the focus on the staffs of admissions offices?
Because the college and graduate application process is driven by paper and numbers: test scores, GPAs, essays, resumes, and recommendations from tens of thousands of young people all aiming for a prized result. Almost all of the applicants share a hope for a fair process.
The sorting and scaling of numbers—GPAs and test scores—are exactly what AI can compile and assess in hours, if not minutes. If AI is even a tenth as powerful as advertised, it should be able to sort resumes and recommendations by truthfulness, quality, and sincerity. Essays can be combed through for originality as well as for evidence of outside assistance.
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AI can also be given weights for factors that are legitimate indicators of merit beyond academic achievement, such as in-state/out-of-state status, gender, family income, the difficulty of life circumstances, and the need for broad geographic and class diversity. AI models can also be trained to evaluate grades and performance based on the nature of the secondary school or college attended.
AI models can be instructed not to give any weight to applicants’ race, ethnicity, or religion—characteristics whose use in admissions is restricted by federal law and Supreme Court precedent.
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Athletic ability and legacy status are legitimate factors, as are musical and theater talent, forensics, foreign-language fluency, and many more characteristics. Indeed, AI is going to be a far better agent for modeling an incoming class and targeting the long-term success of that applicant pool on that campus and in later lives than the work of young admissions officers.
AI could also be used to assure many constituencies—donors, evaluators of colleges, and, yes, courts—that the admission process is not tainted by the use of prohibited screens. Indeed, a school that wants a pretty airtight defense against suits challenging its admissions process for relying on prohibited-by-law factors such as race should be greatly assisted by laying out its own AI model’s weights, even if the model’s results aren’t the final word on admissions.
Schools have to worry about many factors beyond academic chops, including the ability to pay tuition, the likelihood of employment after graduation, and the likelihood of any particular applicant becoming a financial supporter over the years.
Reputation matters greatly, too, as the benefit of network effects for a student body is a real thing. AI can, of course, be coached to weight markers for all these things, including how much an applicant has worked and whether he or she is a first-generation college student—two indicators generally thought to be predictive of life success.
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The application process has become clouded in recent decades by suspicion of politicization and the use by admissions officers of controversial factors such as race, a practice the Supreme Court has significantly restricted. The collective process across the country could use a large dose of objectivity and a consequent rise in trust in the results. An AI-driven admissions process that is transparent to outside evaluators would be a welcome evolution in the increasingly controversial question of choosing elites.
What about those 40,000 employees for whom AI is like a great white shark just offshore?
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What these folks do now is sort, sift, and make recommendations to higher-ups in the chain. They deploy judgment and make conclusions that allow their own biases to play out across a vast ocean of applicants.
Everyone, including them, would be better served doing work that can be objectively evaluated and that does not encourage the exercise of subjective judgment.
AI should be welcomed in any job category where a mass of data must be objectively analyzed. At a minimum, colleges and universities should want to deploy a parallel admissions process run by AI alongside their existing structure. How interesting and illuminating would a side-by-side comparison of accepted applicants be?
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Hugh Hewitt is a Fox News contributor and host of "The Hugh Hewitt Show" heard weekday afternoons from 3 PM to 6 PM ET on the Salem Radio Network, and simulcast on Salem News Channel. Hugh drives Americans home on the East Coast and to lunch on the West Coast on over 400 affiliates nationwide, and on all the streaming platforms where SNC can be seen. He is a frequent guest on the Fox News Channel’s news roundtable, hosted by Bret Baier weekdays at 6pm ET. A son of Ohio and a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Michigan Law School, Hewitt has been a Professor of Law at Chapman University’s Fowler School of Law since 1996 where he teaches Constitutional Law. Hewitt launched his eponymous radio show from Los Angeles in 1990. Hewitt has frequently appeared on every major national news television network, hosted television shows for PBS and MSNBC, written for every major American paper, has authored a dozen books and moderated a score of Republican candidate debates, most recently the November 2023 Republican presidential debate in Miami and four Republican presidential debates in the 2015-16 cycle. Hewitt focuses his radio show and his column on the Constitution, national security, American politics and the Cleveland Browns and Guardians. Hewitt has interviewed tens of thousands of guests from Democrats Hillary Clinton and John Kerry to Republican Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump over his 40 years in broadcasting. This column previews the lead story that will drive his radio/ TV show today.
Presley Gerber’s death sparks questions about overdose, withdrawal and rehab safety
Presley Gerber’s death at age 27 has renewed questions about overdose risk, withdrawal complications and the challenges of addiction recovery.
The son of model Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber died Sunday at a California rehabilitation facility, according to Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office records.
Presley's death was confirmed by his mother’s representative to Fox News Digital, who shared a statement from the family: "The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time."
While an official cause of death has not yet been confirmed, audio recordings obtained by People suggest that police received a 911 call Sunday morning reporting a cardiac arrest at a facility in the 1000 block of Berkeley Street. A separate dispatch identified the response as a potential overdose.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office later confirmed that an autopsy had been completed, but the cause of death remained undetermined pending further testing.
Gerber had spoken publicly over the years about his struggles with substance use and mental health.
Nicholas Kardaris, Ph.D., CEO and chief clinical officer of the New York Center for Living in Manhattan and a clinical professor at Stony Brook Medicine’s School of Social Welfare, spoke with Fox News Digital about what families should know about relapse, overdose risk and seeking help for a loved one.
As Gerber’s official cause of death has not yet been released, Kardaris — who has not treated Presley Gerber and is not connected to the case — cautioned against drawing conclusions from the fact that he died at a rehabilitation facility.
Possible explanations could include an acute medical or cardiac event, an undiagnosed condition or a medication-related complication, he said.
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People in residential treatment facilities may have complex medical histories, and some conditions may not be immediately apparent when someone enters a program.
"Younger people can sometimes die suddenly, and we don’t know whether they had an underlying medical issue," Kardaris said.
"It’s not impossible to have a medication-related event, particularly if someone has an underlying heart disorder," he continued. "Certain medications can trigger a cardiac episode."
Entering treatment does not necessarily mean that a person’s issues have been resolved or that no danger exists, Kardaris emphasized.
"People are in rehab because they’re struggling with addiction. It doesn’t mean they’re cured of their addiction," he said.
While treatment facilities work to create a controlled environment, they cannot eliminate every risk associated with addiction, withdrawal, relapse or medical complications, according to Kardaris.
"Facilities take great pains to make sure substances don’t come in, but it’s not a perfect system."
He stressed that this is a general observation about treatment settings and not an indication of what occurred in Gerber’s case.
Another potential risk during rehab is withdrawal itself, which can range from uncomfortable to life-threatening depending on the substance involved and the person’s level of physical dependence, according to Kardaris.
"People can die from withdrawal, but the substances that are most dangerous to withdraw [from] without proper medical supervision are benzodiazepines, such as Valium or Xanax, and alcohol," he told Fox News Digital.
While opioid withdrawal can be extremely uncomfortable, it is generally not fatal by itself, the expert said.
Benzodiazepine withdrawal can trigger seizures, delirium and other life-threatening complications. The FDA warns that abruptly stopping or reducing drugs such as Xanax or Valium too quickly can cause serious withdrawal reactions, including seizures.
"Someone might disclose heroin use but not mention that they’re also withdrawing from a benzodiazepine, such as Valium," Kardaris noted. "If they don’t receive medication to treat that withdrawal, they can have a seizure that can lead to fatal complications."
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One of the most dangerous periods for someone with opioid use disorder may come after detox because a person’s tolerance may have decreased — increasing the risk of overdose if they return to a previously used amount, he added.
"If someone relapses after rehab, they may use the same amount they were using before treatment — but their tolerance has gone down, and that amount can now be fatal."
Gerber had previously posted on social media about undergoing an ibogaine treatment in Mexico. Kardaris cautioned that ibogaine is not FDA-approved for any medical use in the U.S.
Although it has been studied experimentally as a possible treatment for opioid use disorder, its safety and effectiveness remain uncertain. Kardaris grouped ibogaine with other psychedelic or psychoactive substances that have drawn public interest.
"Ketamine, ayahuasca and ibogaine are psychoactive or psychedelic treatments that have become increasingly popular," he said. "There is some research indicating potential benefits, but they remain largely unregulated."
Ketamine is FDA-approved as an anesthetic but is not approved to treat psychiatric disorders, although some clinicians use it off-label in mental health settings.
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Ibogaine and ayahuasca are not FDA-approved treatments in the U.S., and the evidence and regulatory oversight vary considerably among these substances.
Overall, Kardaris described the field as unsettled. "It’s a bit of the Wild West right now."
He emphasized, however, that Gerber’s prior ibogaine treatment does not establish which substances he may have used and should not be interpreted as evidence of what caused his death.
Families should investigate a treatment center and make sure it is licensed before enrolling a loved one, Kardaris advised.
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That includes confirming that qualified medical professionals are involved in patient care and that the facility has appropriate protocols for withdrawal, medication management and emergencies.
"Families should make sure licensed professionals are working there and that the program has a strong reputation," he said.
"There are bad actors in every profession — so families should look for a well-regarded treatment program with qualified people who know what they’re doing."
DR. MARC SIEGEL: 'THE ANGELS AMONG US' -- A dying woman, the shofar and the miracle that followed
A shofar is made from the horn of a ram and is hollowed out and crafted to be blown like a trumpet. It symbolizes God’s majesty and also serves as a call to repentance.
During the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, it is blown as a spiritual wake-up call for us to return to being who God wants us to be. On Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which ended on Monday night, the shofar is blown at the end of the service to break the day-long fast, with the hope that our prayers have been accepted by God and that we are sealed in the Book of Life for another healthy, prosperous year.
The shofar also stands for healing, wholeness, and spiritual redemption.
In my new book, "THE ANGELS AMONG US," the shofar is used by one of God’s special messengers to bring a miracle recovery to the widely celebrated journalist Nikki Goldstein, in Sydney, Australia. Nikki (57 years old at the time) has had chronic lung disease and an autoimmune disease for many years and has been in and out of the hospital frequently. But in early September 2022, it looks like the end is near.
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The CT scan of her chest shows extensive consolidation and scarring, plus a severe acute lung infection. She is put on a ventilator. She is not expected to survive. She says she is giving herself over to God. Her doctor puts her on the emergency lung transplant list. She is put into a coma.
Her husband Rowan (who is not Jewish) and her daughter are with her. All at once, Nikki’s daughter looks up and says, "Is that a rabbi?" Nikki’s husband, Rowan, approaches him and says, "My wife would love it if you could say some prayers. This is going to be her last day on earth."
The rabbi stands at her bedside and recites prayers for her health.
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His name, Rowan finds out later, is Rabbi Eli Schlanger, the longtime assistant rabbi at the Chabad synagogue in Bondi Beach. He is portly, with thick spectacles, a bushy beard, and thinning hair.
Rabbi Eli is about to leave when he stops and reaches into his jacket and pulls out something shiny. It is his shofar, and he asks if it’s okay to blow it over Nikki. Rowan says, "I cannot think of a single thing she would want more."
The rabbi blows the shofar loudly.
Twenty-four hours after this, Goldstein’s lungs start to respond. The "whiteout" is improving on her chest X-ray. They wake her up and bring her out of the coma. The whiteout is retreating very rapidly. A medical miracle has occurred. Goldstein goes on to write a book with Rabbi Schlanger, "Conversations With My Rabbi."
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It is December 14, 2025, a warm summer's day in Sydney. Near the center of Archer Park, Bondi Beach, in the middle of a celebration (with over 1,000 people attending) for the first night of Hanukkah (the Festival of Lights), right before the menorah lighting, two gunmen open fire in an antisemitic terrorist attack. Rabbi Schlanger sees one of the gunmen pause to reload.
Schlanger—the father of five, including a two-month-old baby—raises his hands above his head and walks toward the terrorists.
"Please stop!" he yells. "No more! There has to be another way."
One of the gunmen raises his rifle and fires. Schlanger falls to the ground dead. His wife, Chyale, is grazed by a bullet in her back. Their two-month-old baby takes shrapnel to his leg. They survive.
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This year my daughter, a medical student, meets a rabbi who is admitted to the hospital after a very small stroke. He was blowing the shofar when his lips became numb, and he had to stop blowing.
"It is a very good thing this happened," he says to her. "Blowing the shofar caused the stroke, but it also caused the doctors to discover that I have diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Blowing the shofar led to the miracle of this life-saving discovery."
The shofar was first blown in the Old Testament at Mount Sinai when God gave the Ten Commandments to the Israelites (Exodus 19:16). It continues to inspire us and bring us healing miracles.
Editor's note: Dr. Marc Siegel’s new book, "THE ANGELS AMONG US" will be published on Nov. 18, 2026. It is available for preorder through Fox Books, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.
Giants' season-opening high comes crashing down as Jaxson Dart's knee injury overshadows Rams' blowout win
The New York Giants were riding high coming into Los Angeles to face a frustrated Rams team that returned home from a beatdown in Australia.
After defeating the Dallas Cowboys on their own home turf, the talk around the league after just one week was that the Giants could be a problem for the rest of the NFL in this John Harbaugh era.
But those giant expectations took a massive hit on "Monday Night Football" after quarterback Jaxson Dart was ruled out after a brutal hit led to a knee injury that now has the organization and fan base collectively waiting for MRI results with bated breath.
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Once Dart left the game, and Jameis Winston took over for the Giants, the offense that surprised the Cowboys last week with its ground-and-pound nature struggled to find its footing against a revitalized Rams defense—one that lacked Myles Garrett, but featured the return of future Hall of Fame defensive tackle Aaron Donald at SoFi Stadium.
Meanwhile, Matthew Stafford looked more like the reigning MVP in this game compared to Week 1, and with tons of time in the pocket, he dissected the Giants’ defense as the Rams cruised to a 28-6 victory to get its first of the new season.
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Now, things hang in the balance as the Giants await Dart’s MRI results, which should come on Tuesday. Dart was clutching at his knee after getting sandwiched between two Rams defenders that beat the Giants’ tackles off the edge, and while airborne, video replay showed his leg shift in an awkward way.
Dart was able to walk off on his own power, and ESPN’s Jordan Raanan even reported during the game that he tried to let the coaching staff put him back in the game. They refused to let him.
It's a good sign to see Dart’s fight to get back in the game, which could also showcase that his injury isn’t as severe as initially thought. OutKick's Armando Salguero reported a possible MCL could be what Dart and the Giants are looking at, but in a Week 2 filled with key quarterback injuries, every party is just hoping the 2026 season isn't awash for the second-year signal caller out of Ole Miss.
If Dart is to miss time, this new Giants regime will be tested to keep their lofty expectations afloat because, after watching what occurred on both sides of the ball, there’s certainly work to do.
On offense, while it’s a tough task for any backup quarterback to take over on a moment’s notice, the run game that worked so well in Week 1 was non-existent this time around. It certainly helped that Donald was back in a Rams uniform, but the rest of their defenders were solid at the line of scrimmage, limiting New York to just 44 rushing yards as a team compared to 165 in Week 1. Donald finished his first game back in two years with three total tackles, one for loss.
It also didn't help the Giants that star receiver Malik Nabers gave the team a scare when he left after getting a target from Winston, gripping at his right shoulder. He would eventually return to the game, but occurring just a few snaps between Dart's injury, Giants fans were thinking the worst yet again.
Then, on defense, Stafford didn’t have Puka Nacua, who was sidelined due to injury, but he did have future Hall of Fame receiver Davante Adams. With the Giants finding no amount of pressure on most of Stafford’s dropbacks, he couldn’t stop finding Adams for chunk plays.
It was a 31-yard touchdown pass to Adams for his first score of the game, a 64-yard catch-and-run set up a touchdown pass to running back Kyren Williams, and a signature fade route where Giants rookie cornerback Colton Hood had no chance after Adams’ release off the line. Adams finished the game with eight catches for 195 yards and two scores.
The Giants' pass rush, which was expected to be a potentially fearsome group this season, will be a talking point throughout the week as Abdul Carter, Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux and more couldn't get through the Rams' offensive line, which held up nicely for their 38-year-old quarterback to operate. And the injury bug continued toward the end of the game for the Giants, as Burns rolled his ankle. The cart came out to take him to the locker room, but he turned it down to walk on his own.
It was a tail of two sidelines where the Rams got back on the right path, while the Giants, in the midst of hoping for the best for their quarterback, need to go back to the drawing board with crucial home games ahead.
Trump was a 'caged lion' roaring to return to WHCA Dinner ballroom after shooting, Leavitt says
Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed new details on President Donald Trump’s behind-the-scenes response after shots were fired at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in April.
Leavitt said in a new episode of "Hang Out with Sean Hannity" that Trump was behaving like a caged animal and was adamant about returning to the ballroom, despite having just narrowly escaped from an alleged assassination attempt.
"He was like a caged lion backstage, like just roaring to get out, like, 'We gotta go back out there,’" she said. "And I'm sitting there like, ‘I don't know if I want to go back out there.’"
TRUMP ADMITS HE 'WASN'T MAKING IT THAT EASY' FOR SECRET SERVICE DURING WHCD SHOOTING
Minutes after the WHCA Dinner began at the Washington Hilton, a gunman, later identified as Cole Allen of Torrance, Calif., allegedly stormed the hotel while armed with weapons. Trump and Vice President JD Vance were quickly escorted out of the ballroom by members of the Secret Service.
Allen, who was quickly apprehended by Secret Service agents, allegedly wrote in a manifesto that his targets were Trump administration officials except for FBI Director Kash Patel.
Guests dived under tables as the gala, meant to celebrate White House correspondents, descended into chaos.
Yet, Leavitt said, the president was eager to return to the ballroom and willing to wait hours for the event to resume.
"[Trump] really was asking hard questions of his detail, like, ‘Why can't I go? I will wait all night. I don't care if it's 3 in the morning, get it started,’" Leavitt shared.
The former White House spokeswoman said officials even began making preparations to resume the dinner as she described Trump’s impatience to make a public statement immediately after the incident.
WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' DINNER SHOOTING SHARPENS FOCUS ON TRUMP’S BALLROOM CONSTRUCTION PROPOSAL
"[Trump] wanted to say something and the best way to say it was in the briefing room. And we did," Leavitt said.
Trump held a news conference at the White House later that night alongside top administration members, recounting how the shooting unfolded.
After the shooting, the president reignited calls to build a ballroom at the White House to create a space for safe and secure official events. Trump attended the rescheduled WHCA Dinner that took place in July.
Leavitt’s full interview on the latest "Hang Out with Sean Hannity" will be available Tuesday on YouTube, Spotify and Apple.
Sylvester Stallone reveals what he said to Trump after surprise Hollywood ambassador appointment
Sylvester Stallone revealed that he was blindsided when President Donald Trump announced his appointment as a special ambassador to Hollywood.
Days before his second inauguration in January 2025, Trump shared a post on his platform Truth Social in which he named Stallone, Mel Gibson and Jon Voight as "Special Envoys," describing the role as a way for the three actors to serve as his "eyes and ears" in Hollywood and advise him on efforts to bring film and television production back to the U.S.
During a recent interview with The Sunday Times, the 80-year-old "Rocky" star recalled that he found out about the appointment while watching television.
SYLVESTER STALLONE'S 'TULSA KING' SEASON 4 TEASER SPARKS FAN FRENZY: 'THE KING IS BACK!'
"I was watching TV one night, and they go, ‘So Stallone and Mel Gibson and Jon Voight will be …’ And I went, ‘What?’ I said, ‘Excuse me? Really?’ Because if they had asked me in the beginning, I would have said, ‘This is not possible,'" Stallone said.
Stallone told the outlet that he was hesitant about taking on the role because he didn't believe it was feasible. When asked if he had reservations after Trump's announcement, Stallone said, "Yes. Yes, because Hollywood, I guess it’s like feudal states."
"They have their little kingdoms," he continued. "You don’t go in and tell six studios how to do things. And Mel Gibson and Jon Voight, we’re kind of do-our-own-thing people. No, it won’t work."
The "Tulsa King" star recalled that he later explained his reasoning to Trump.
"I said thank you and ciao, because it’s impossible," Stallone said. "Hollywood works, and it will evolve."
"It’s corporate, and corporate people won’t want to hear me tell them about finance," he added.
'I PLAY ROCKY' REVIVES THE GAMBLE THAT MADE SYLVESTER STALLONE A SUPERSTAR
In his original post on Jan. 16, 2025, Trump wrote, "It is my honor to announce Jon Voight, Mel Gibson, and Sylvester Stallone, to be Special Ambassadors to a great but very troubled place, Hollywood, California."
"They will serve as Special Envoys to me for the purpose of bringing Hollywood, which has lost much business over the last four years to Foreign Countries, BACK—BIGGER, BETTER, AND STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE!" he continued. "These three very talented people will be my eyes and ears, and I will get done what they suggest. It will again be, like The United States of America itself, The Golden Age of Hollywood!"
DWAYNE 'THE ROCK' JOHNSON REJECTS HOLLYWOOD’S POLITICAL OBSESSION, BLASTS CELEBRITY ATTACK CULTURE
At the time, Gibson, 70, shared that he was caught off-guard by Trump's announcement and did not have previous knowledge about his presidential appointment.
"I got the tweet at the same time as all of you and was just as surprised," he told Variety in January 2025. "Nevertheless, I heed the call. My duty as a citizen is to give any help and insight I can."
"Any chance the position comes with an Ambassador’s residence?" Gibson joked.
Though Stallone may not have been onboard with his role as a special Hollywood ambassador, the action star appears to have a friendly relationship with Trump and heaped praise on the president during a speech following his victory in the November 2024 election.
Days after the election, Stallone introduced Trump at the America First Policy Institute Gala held at the president-elect's Mar-A-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida.
"We’re in the presence of a really mythical character," Stallone said of Trump. "I love mythology. And this individual does not exist on this planet. Nobody in the world could have pulled off what he pulled off, so I’m in awe."
"When George Washington defended his country, he had no idea that he was gonna change the world," he added. "Because without him, you could imagine what the world would look like. Guess what? We got the second George Washington."
Stallone was later selected as a 2025 Kennedy Center honoree, with Trump personally naming him among that year’s recipients alongside George Strait, KISS, Gloria Gaynor and Michael Crawford.
The actor has backed Republicans, including John McCain and Trump, but his political history has not been strictly partisan. Over the years, Stallone has made financial contributions to both political parties, donating to various Democratic candidates and committees, including former President Joe Biden and the Democratic National Committee, as well as Republican campaigns.
Meanwhile, Voight, who is a staunch supporter of Trump, appears to have embraced his role as a special ambassador. He has met with the White House and advocated for policies aimed at bringing film and TV production back to the U.S., especially a federal film tax incentive. Voight has been working with his manager Steven Paul and Paul’s associate Scott Karol as part of his push.
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After meeting with the trio at the end of last month, Trump threw his support behind a federal film and television production incentive, urging Congress to pass bipartisan legislation to "save" the American entertainment business.
In a Truth Social post on Aug. 31, Trump wrote that "Hollywood is a Complete and Total Disaster" and said there was "no incentive" for productions to stay there. He said meetings were being set up with leaders of both parties and urged Republicans and Democrats to "immediately craft Legislation to save the Movie, Television, and Entertainment Business in America."
Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and U.S. Representative Laura Friedman (D-CA) later issued statements in which they voiced their support for Trump's proposal.
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While speaking with the Hollywood Reporter earlier this month, Voight was asked whether Stallone and Gibson were involved with his efforts.
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They’ve been very busy, both of those guys actually have been extremely busy," Voight said.
However, Paul, who joined Voight for the interview, said, "Sly’s been doing his TV show, but Sly’s been very involved and he signed our letter."
Mamdani tells Trump banned White House outlets are welcome at NYC meeting
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday said NYC welcomed all members of the media for a joint meeting with President Donald Trump, who recently banned certain media outlets from the White House.
The remarks came during a press conference at Gracie Mansion, where a reporter asked Mamdani whether he had challenged Trump on his decision to bar CNN, MS NOW, and Politico.
"I told the president that we're going to have all of the members of the press here on the lawn. And that is something that I believe in, as everyone, no matter the opinion or the critique that we engage in," Mamdani said.
Trump then took the stage, defending his decision and addressing the subsequent suspension of presidential pool coverage by the remaining television networks, which included FOX News Media, ABC News, CBS News, CNN and NBC News.
TRUMP, MAMDANI SET TO MEET AGAIN ON MAYOR’S HOME TURF AFTER MONTHS OF POLITICAL WHIPLASH
"It's interesting because they said they were going to boycott me, but they never boycott me. So I wasn't very worried about that. Look at all that press," Trump said.
He then explained why he chose to engage with the outlets at Gracie Mansion despite what he described as their failure to fairly cover his accomplishments, including winning the election, settling wars and improving economic numbers.
"I'm only doing it because I think the press also has an obligation," he said.
"We have the best economic numbers for the country in the history of our country. We have $21 trillion pouring in, the biggest number ever... Nobody's ever done what we've done," he added.
Trump then argued that allowing certain media outlets into the White House would be harmful to national security, accusing them of reporting what he called "fake news."
"I never get anything positive. It's always negative, even having to do with the war. We've done so well," he said, referring to Iran.
"You would think that an outlet would write at least reasonably well, but never. If you look at CNN, it’s fake news," he added.
"They're very bad for the country, very bad for national security. So I have that obligation. So we'll see how it works out," he said.