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Knicks coach Mike Brown turns reporter's ringing phone into a funny moment during press conference
New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown was talking about center Mitchell Robinson’s free-throw shooting issues when another one arose: a reporter’s phone went off.
Brown, 56, playfully picked up the phone and spoke into it, while giving a lecture on reporters need to keep their phones muted.
"Whosever phone this is, you need to do a better job of muting when you get a text," Brown said, into the phone. "Because when you get a text, it interrupts the press conference. And people here don’t like when the press conference gets interrupted. So, I’d appreciate your help next time, whosever phone this is. Thank you. I’m sorry, was there another question?"
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A reporter stepped up and claimed the unmuted phone as his.
"I’m sorry, coach. I’m guilty," the reporter said.
"Okay, no problem," Brown said while laughing. "You’re a stand-up guy. I like it."
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Brown’s Knicks squad took a 1-0 series lead over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night, winning 113-102. Jalen Brunson (28 points) and Karl-Anthony Towns (25 points) led the way in the series-opening victory.
Brown is in his first season as the Knicks head coach, as the team fired Tom Thibodeau after losing to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals last season.
There is a heightened-pressure on Brown and the Knicks to at least reach the NBA Finals, as team owner James Dolan said as much in a rare radio interview with WFAN in January.
"I'd say we want to get to the Finals and we should win the Finals," Dolan said during the interview. "This is sports; anything can happen. Getting to the Finals, we absolutely have to do. Winning the Finals, we should do."
The Knicks got off on the right foot with their win on Saturday night, a win Dolan hopes is the first of 16 games the team will win en route to a title. The Knicks play the Hawks in Game 2 on Monday at 8 p.m. ET.
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Aaron Rodgers is training but Steelers voluntary minicamp without certainty about QB
Aaron Rodgers, still deciding whether he’ll play in the 2026 season, has been working out to stay in shape likely in preparation for the season, per a source, and that seems like good news for the Pittsburgh Steelers because the NFL team is holding a spot for him as their starting quarterback.
But here’s the sobering news for the club: Rodgers, who has been speaking regularly with Steelers coach Mike McCarthy, has not yet definitively committed to playing in 2026 for the Steelers.
Or anyone else.
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"We’ve had some great communication with Aaron and nothing’s changed, but it’s always positive and good," General manager Omar Khan said Monday. "I said this to you guys in March when we met, he knows how we feel about him and we know how he feels about us."
Now searching for that sentence in which Khan says Rodgers is definitely playing for the Steelers ....
Nope, not there.
The best way to describe the affinity each party "feels" currently is a long-distance romance because Rodgers has been traveling and not in Pittsburgh, while the Steelers on Monday opened a voluntary minicamp where Rodgers was not present.
Second-year quarterback Will Howard was expected to take a majority of the first-team repetitions with the offense during the camp that runs until Wednesday.
And suddenly the excitement that Rodgers would possibly make his commitment to the Steelers at the NFL draft, which is being held in Pittsburgh starting on Thursday evening, is losing steam.
It should be noted it was the Steelers who led everyone to believe a Rodgers decision could be made by this week. Club owner Art Rooney II told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette at the NFL annual meetings that he expected certainty by now.
Steelers ownership hopes for clarity on Aaron Rodgers’ future 'in the next month or so'
"I expect we’ll get an answer before the draft," Rooney said.
Khan, noting that Rodgers took until June to certify his decision to play the 2025 season for the Steelers, said at the NFL Combine in February that the process would not be so drawn out this year.
"I think neither side wants to have this drag on like it did last year," Khan said.
And yet, here we are.
Rodgers, by the way, has two choices to pick from:
Play for the Steelers.
Or retire.
There is no option C because the only NFL team that hasn’t already made other plans for its starting quarterback job is the Arizona Cardinals and joining a rebuilding program wouldn't be enticing to Rodgers.
It is possible, depending on what Steelers talent evaluators and Khan decided, that the Steelers take a hard look at drafting Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson.
Simpson is the only QB prospect not named Fernando Mendoza with a serious hope of being selected in the first round. So it might be smart for the Steelers to take that long look at him as an investment with their No. 21 overall selection, regardless of whether they have Rodgers or not.
If Rodgers takes the off ramp on playing and retires in the next couple of days, the Steelers might want a player such as Simpson as a possible addition to their quarterback room.
Even if Rodgers tells the Steelers he's coming back, it might behoove the club to still consider Simpson in the draft because Rodgers is 42 years old and will turn 43 during the season.
Khan said the club’s decision on a quarterback in the draft will have nothing to do with Rodgers.
"Yeah, we will evaluate it," Khan said. "That doesn’t change our evaluation process. We’re still putting the guys up (on the draft board), where they need to be, and, you know, we’ll just see how it shakes out."
Killer undone by decades-old threads — glove, towel and shirt stitch together cold case justice
A man who got away with rape and murder for nearly four decades will now spend the rest of his life behind bars after investigators used a covert DNA sample, collected with help from the FBI, to finally identify him.
A Santa Barbara County judge sentenced Aloysius Winthrop James, 59, to life without the possibility of parole, the maximum sentence allowed by law.
A jury had already convicted him in February of first-degree murder in the killing of 30-year-old Ofelia Sandoval, with the special circumstance that the murder was committed during a rape.
Sandoval was killed on Sept. 18, 1988, in Santa Maria. She was found strangled to death, and despite what authorities described as an extensive investigation at the time, the case went cold the following year.
REALTOR'S COLD CASE MURDER FINALLY SOLVED AFTER 15 YEARS, POLICE SAY
For decades, it stayed that way.
"For nearly four decades, the 1988 murder of Ofelia Sandoval remained unsolved. This past week, justice was delivered," the FBI said.
The break didn’t come until years later, as DNA technology advanced. In the early 2000s, investigators developed a DNA profile from evidence collected in Sandoval’s room, but it didn’t match anyone in national databases.
Investigators said DNA evidence ultimately became the key to solving the case. According to Cal Coast News, evidence collected in 1988 included DNA found on a towel and shirt near Sandoval’s body. When that evidence was tested years later, it did not match anyone in law enforcement databases at the time.
That’s when the FBI partnered with Santa Maria police to obtain a covert DNA sample from James. As the case was revisited, investigators later obtained DNA linked to James, including from a glove he discarded, which ultimately matched the profile developed from the original evidence, authorities said, Cal Coast News reported.
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James was arrested in Georgia in April 2024. A jury ultimately found him guilty.
"A jury in California convicted Aloysius Winthrop James of first-degree murder in this long-running cold case — a breakthrough made possible in part by the work of the FBI in Atlanta collecting a covert DNA sample," the FBI said.
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During the investigation and again after his arrest, James denied having any contact with Sandoval, according to Cal Coast News. But at trial, he admitted the two had sex, while claiming he initially lied because his father was a pastor.
His attorney argued the DNA evidence did not prove he committed the murder.
Now, investigators believe there could be more victims.
"Investigators believe there may be additional victims connected to James involving threats, sexual assault, domestic abuse, or other crimes," the FBI said, urging anyone with information to contact the Santa Maria Police Department.
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Santa Barbara County District Attorney John Savrnoch called the sentencing "the culmination of almost 38 years of work," and said it marks the beginning of "some sense of closure" for Sandoval’s family.
That closure has been a long time coming.
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According to prosecutors, four generations of Sandoval’s family supported the case over the years. In court, her children spoke about the lasting impact of her death.
"The bravery, dedication, and resilience of Ofelia’s three children, Marcelino, Maricela and Alex, is truly remarkable," the DA’s office said.
Fox News Digital reached out to James' lawyer for comment.
Texas Tech to recognize only two sexes, freezes gender programs
Texas Tech University has announced it will recognize only two sexes, male and female, and freeze all gender programming related to sexual orientation and gender identity(SOGI).
An April 9 memo from Texas Tech said the Lubbock university would recognize "only two human sexes" and, following a program review, "initiate the closure of all academic credentials centered on SOGI."
The announcement came after the Texas Tech University System implemented a formal review process for course content in December 2025 to ensure compliance with state and federal laws, with materials evaluated by the Board of Regents.
The December memo, signed by Brandon Creighton, chancellor of the Texas Tech University System, said that the December review was part of oversight obligation under Senate Bill 37, which passed in June. It is authored by Creighton, who is also a Republican state senator, which increased state oversight of college curriculum and governance.
The April announcement says that in addition to freezing all gender programming related to SOGI, there will be a "strict prohibition on SOGI content in all core and lower-level undergraduate courses, requiring alternate materials if primary texts center on or include these topics. Conversely, upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses are restricted but feature clear exemptions for strictly defined academic purposes."
According to the memo, exemptions will be considered for "carefully delineated, strictly temporary instructional frameworks for certain graduate coursework," highlighting that "certain SOGI instruction is permitted only for currently enrolled students completing formally identified teach-out programs at the graduate level."
There will also be a ban on what the memo calls "prejudiced advocacy," which it defines as "instruction that advocates for concepts of inherent racial or sexual superiority, inherent bias, or collective guilt, which include exemptions for "independent student-directed research and necessary professional licensure or patient-care requirements."
SUPREME COURT CONSERVATIVES SIGNAL SUPPORT FOR STATE TRANSGENDER SPORTS BANS DURING ORAL ARGUMENTS
The memo also directs that the school will recognize that there are only two sexes, male and female, and that "instructors may not teach that gender identity is a fluid spectrum, endorse the existence of more than two genders, or decouple gender from biological sex as a factual or scientific baseline."
It clarifies, however, that the recognition of two human sexes will not ban discussion of objective scientific realities of anatomy, genetics, or endocrinology, such as intersex biological conditions.
The memo notes "faculty may not use these biological conditions to advocate for or validate sociological frameworks of fluid gender identities."
Fox News Digital reached out to Texas Tech for comment.
Texas AG Paxton sues Dem fundraising platform ActBlue, alleging 'fraudulent and foreign donations'
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit Monday against Democrat fundraising platform ActBlue, accusing them of misleading donors about safeguards meant to block fraudulent and foreign political contributions.
"BREAKING: I just filed a landmark lawsuit against ActBlue for deceiving Americans by lying about its donation processes that allow fraudulent and foreign donations," Paxton wrote Monday on X.
The state’s lawsuit, filed in Tarrant County district court, seeks injunctions barring ActBlue from accepting contributions made through gift cards and prepaid debit cards, along with civil penalties, attorneys’ fees and costs.
"The radical left has relied on ActBlue as a way to funnel foreign donations and dark money into their political campaigns to subvert our laws and compromise the integrity of our elections," Paxton said in a statement announcing the case. "ActBlue lied to Congress and to the American people, and I will ensure justice is served.
"It has blatantly ignored state law that prohibits deceptive practices, and it must pay for its illegal conduct. Fair elections are the foundation of our democracy, and I will work to ensure no illegal campaign donation flies under the radar."
DEM FUNDRAISING GIANT IN THE HOT SEAT AS GOP LAWMAKERS DEMAND ANSWERS OVER DODGED SUBPOENA
The state is suing under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, alleging that ActBlue engaged in false, misleading and deceptive practices by marketing its service as compliant and secure, while continuing to allow payment methods Texas says can facilitate unlawful donations.
The allegations in the lawsuit have not been proven in court.
In the complaint, Texas alleges that ActBlue falsely claimed it had tightened donor-vetting procedures and stopped accepting certain high-risk forms of payment while continuing to process donations that, according to the state, could mask a donor’s true identity.
The lawsuit argues that gift cards and prepaid debit cards are especially vulnerable to abuse because they can be used without the same level of identification tied to traditional payment methods.
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Paxton’s office said the lawsuit grew out of an investigation opened in 2023 into whether ActBlue was enabling donor fraud in violation of Texas law.
The attorney general’s office later petitioned the Federal Election Commission in 2024, arguing that suspicious actors appeared to still be using the platform to make straw donations.
Paxton now says recent reporting and the office’s own investigation show ActBlue’s public claims about its compliance systems were false.
The lawsuit leans heavily on allegations that ActBlue misrepresented its security practices to Congress and the public.
DEMOCRATS' ACTBLUE FUNDRAISING PLATFORM FACES FEDERAL INVESTIGATION
According to the filing, the platform told congressional investigators it had stopped accepting gift card donations and had implemented multilayered checks to screen for foreign or otherwise impermissible contributions. Texas alleges those assurances were untrue and says investigators were later able to make donations through ActBlue using gift cards, including donations to the Democratic National Committee and Texas candidates.
"ActBlue claimed it stopped its illegal operations," Paxton's news release read. "Now, recent reporting and internal OAG investigations have shown that ActBlue lied about its donor vetting policies and its operations. As The New York Times recently reported, ActBlue’s own outside counsel acknowledged that the organization’s representations about its donation safeguards were not true."
The complaint says those internal findings showed a "substantial risk" that some impermissible foreign contributions might have been processed, and alleges that ActBlue chose not to fully correct the record with Congress.
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The issue comes as the Democratic National Committee reportedly carries more than $17.5 million in debt, according to the FEC.
The House Administration, Judiciary and Oversight committees, amid an ongoing investigation, had issued a 2025 report titled "Fraud on ActBlue."
"This report reveals that ActBlue made its fraud-prevention rules 'more lenient' twice in 2024 — even though there is extensive fraud on the platform, including from foreign sources," a House Judiciary Committee news release related to the report said. "Internal documents show that ActBlue executives and staff are aware that both foreign and domestic fraudulent actors are exploiting the platform but do not take the threat seriously. In fact, they attempted to hide the changes to avoid sparking discussions about fraud on the platform."
ActBlue, founded in 2004, has processed more than $16 billion for Democrat and progressive candidates and causes, according to Paxton’s filing.
In the lawsuit, Texas says the platform handled $1.78 billion in donations in 2025 alone.
Reese's family member escalates battle with Hershey over chocolate ingredients, blasts 'PR stunt'
The grandson of the Reese's candy founder continues to blast Hershey after the company said it will return some products to classic recipes by 2027 — as he argues the fix isn't coming fast enough.
Brad Reese, grandson of founder H.B. Reese, has criticized The Hershey Company in recent months for allegedly switching real milk chocolate for cheaper ingredients.
In a recent interview with NewsNation this month, Reese accused the Pennsylvania-based candy giant of swapping out "milk chocolate for compound coating."
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Compound coating is a cheaper, chocolate-like product that does not contain cocoa butter — a key requirement for real chocolate. Instead, it uses vegetable fats.
"If it doesn't say milk chocolate, then it doesn't have cocoa butter — and they're using vegetable oils, and they quietly swapped that out," Reese said in the interview.
His criticism appears to focus on certain seasonal or specialty items, specifically Reese's Unwrapped Chocolate Peanut Butter Crème Mini Hearts.
Hershey told FOX Business earlier this month that it intends to phase out certain compound coatings and transition those products to traditional milk or dark chocolate by next year — but Reese told NewsNation that response was merely "a PR stunt."
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"They have the ability to switch back [to] using real milk chocolate in three days," Reese said.
"This is all a stunt. They're hoping that the outrage will die down."
Reese, who is based in Florida, previously told FOX Business he discarded a bag of Reese's Unwrapped Chocolate Peanut Butter Crème Mini Hearts candies after sampling a few bites.
"I couldn't eat it," Reese said. "It was not edible, and I looked at the packaging. … There was no milk chocolate. There was no peanut butter. It was all vegetable oils and fats."
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He added, "I can't go on representing being the grandson of Reese's when the product is total bunk. You have no idea how devastating it is."
A Hershey official told Fox News Digital on Monday that the company "is committed to making products consumers love, and that means continually reviewing our recipes to meet evolving tastes and preferences."
"A series of enhancements taking effect in 2027 reflect that commitment: We're transitioning to colors from natural sources across our sweets portfolio, enhancing Kit-Kat's recipe for a creamier taste and texture, and bringing a small portion of remaining Hershey's and Reese's products in line with their classic milk and dark chocolate recipes," the statement said.
"The core recipes for our Hershey's chocolate bars and Reese's peanut butter cups have not changed."
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The official also shared a statement from the Reese family.
It stated that they "would like to make it clear that we have no involvement in, nor do we support, the recent claims made by Brad Reese regarding The Hershey Company."
The comment went on, "His statements and opinions are entirely his own and do not reflect the view or position of our family. … We believe H.B. Reese would take great pride in the products produced under his name today and in the integrity with which the brand continues to be managed."
Brad Reese's comments went viral earlier this year.
In an X post that drew some 26,000 likes and more than 820,000 views, thousands of commenters sounded off, with almost no positive response to the changes.
"Reese's were my favorite chocolate candy as a kid. I had one recently, and it tasted gross and waxy," one user said. "Literally could not finish it."
"I got roasted last Halloween at work for saying they aren't the same anymore and that I don't even eat them now," another person wrote. "They said I was crazy. Vindicated."
Sophia Compton of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.
Orange Crush beach blowout nets 26 arrests, cops seize makeshift machine gun as massive crowd tests crackdown
Tybee Island’s controversial Orange Crush weekend ended with 26 arrests and five firearms seized, including one weapon police say had been converted into a makeshift machine gun capable of fully automatic fire.
Between Friday, April 17, and Sunday, April 19, the Tybee Island Police Department and Georgia State Patrol made a total of 26 arrests during the annual beach bash, according to preliminary figures provided to Fox News Digital by Tybee Island Police Capt. Emory Randolph.
Of those arrests, 19 were made by Tybee Island police and seven were made by the Georgia State Patrol. The total marks four more arrests than last year’s event, when authorities made 22 arrests over the weekend. There were 54 arrests during Orange Crush in 2024 and 26 in 2023.
No other details on the arrests were immediately available.
Police also handed out 100 traffic citations over the three-day span, with 49 issued by Tybee Island officers and 51 by state troopers.
During the same period, the island’s 911 center handled 297 calls for service, Randolph said.
The annual event branded this year as "Crush Reloaded," returned to Tybee Island over the weekend with organizers promoting it online as "THE BIGGEST HBCU BEACH BASH IS BACK" and saying more than 50,000 people were expected.
WATCH: Tybee Island mayor says Orange Crush Reloaded is no longer 'destructive'
Tybee Island Mayor Brian West told Fox News Digital the city’s security approach closely mirrored what authorities have used in recent years.
"It's pretty similar to what we did last year. It looks like we might have more people this year, but we put in a safety protocol three years ago that seems to be pretty effective. And it's pretty much what we've seen for the past three years now," West told Fox News Digital.
West said authorities brought in help from agencies across the region and the state, including the Georgia State Patrol, Department of Natural Resources, Motor Carrier Division, Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, Chatham County Police Department and Tybee Island’s own police force.
West said the stepped-up safety measures followed problems in 2023, when he said people who were not college students came to the event and brought "drugs and guns."
"We had a really bad situation in 2023. And what happened was we had a lot of people that came to this event that weren't college students. They were older people that were trying to take advantage of the group, and they were bringing drugs and guns," West said. "And with the security that we put in place, we've been able to filter those people out. And so now we have college students that are here, and it's more of a spring break type group than it is a destructive type group."
He also said city leaders have found the event runs more smoothly when students have organized entertainment.
"It really works much better when we work together and have some type of activity for the students to do. In the past, when they just showed up, they kinda had to make their own fun. And sometimes that fun really wasn't the best thing to be doing," West said. "So when there's an activity, when there is a band, when there are things to keep their attention, it works much better."
WATCH: CEO of Orange Crush says event is 'rebranded' with collaboration with police, city
Orange Crush Reloaded CEO Steven Smalls similarly told Fox News Digital the event is intended to give college students a place to celebrate safely.
"It's about the college students more than anything to come out and have a good time and focus on the graduation that's coming up in May. It's a college-based thing and hopefully in the future I'm able to give back to some student debt relief and hopefully one day help one of SSU (Savannah State University) students. Give one of these kids a scholarship if I do good out here, you know, just put back towards the college community," Smalls said.
Smalls said the rebranded event and cooperation with city officials helped create a better environment for attendees.
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"This is the rebrand. I think that's probably the best thing that happened. I love the way the relationship is built, and I understand what they got going on, and they understand what I have going on. And working together, it became just right here what you see today," Smalls said.
He also argued that the organized festival helps channel the crowds.
"If I wasn't doing this, then they would just be popping out here. There wouldn't be no sound, no entertainment. It wouldn't nothing for them to do, it'd just be them being so pushed out. So me bringing the entertainment and me being here, they come out here to have fun. The police presence, that helps you be safe," Smalls said.
Known for drawing massive crowds to the small Georgia beach town, Orange Crush has long stirred controversy among residents and law enforcement because of past violence, arrests and trash left behind in its wake.
Ahead of this year’s festivities, Tybee Island officials said they were heightening enforcement and preparing for an influx of visitors, as local concerns grew over public safety and so-called "teen takeovers" that have been reported around the country and in the region.
"Rest assured that we have heard you and that public safety will always be our top priority," Randolph previously told Fox News Digital when asked about residents’ concerns over the event.
Beginning Thursday before the festival weekend, residents and visitors saw an increased law enforcement presence from various local and state agencies across the island. Authorities also launched a road safety checkpoint on Highway 80, carved out emergency lanes on main roads and closed the 14th and 16th Street parking lots in an effort to maintain order.
WATCH: Teen takeover in Georgia caught on camera
On April 4, police said an unpermitted pop-up event near the Tybee Island Pier and Pavilion was interrupted by gunfire after hundreds of teens gathered in the area.
Officers said they heard a single gunshot around 6:30 p.m., sending the crowd running.
Orange Crush dates back decades and earned a reputation in the early 1990s as a rowdy, crime-filled weekend.
The festival later moved to Jacksonville, Florida, in 2021, citing issues including limited parking, lack of resources and alleged civil rights concerns, before returning to Tybee Island in 2023 for the first time since 2020.
CBS host presses former AG Eric Holder on defending partisan redistricting efforts in Virginia
CBS anchor Margaret Brennan pressed Eric Holder on Sunday over whether Democratic-backed redistricting efforts in Virginia amount to partisan "stacking the deck," as the former Barack Obama official defended the proposal as a response to Republican-led map drawing nationwide during an appearance on "Face the Nation."
"So by holding this referendum and changing the maps, how do you guarantee that this is temporary and that this doesn’t keep happening?" Brennan asked, after questioning how drawing maps along partisan lines is not simply "stacking the deck."
Holder, who chairs the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, framed the push as part of a broader effort to counter Republican gains in states such as Texas, North Carolina, and Missouri.
"This is really a national fight. It’s not a fight only about Virginia," Holder said. "What Virginia is doing, what California did is only in response to that which Republicans started in Texas."
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Brennan pointed to Virginia’s existing bipartisan redistricting commission, suggesting it already provided a fairer system and questioning why Democrats were seeking to alter it.
"In Virginia, there already was a bipartisan commission that was set up to do these things… that sounds fair," Brennan said.
Holder responded that the current proposal is limited in scope and tied directly to voter approval.
"The measure itself says that it is time-limited," Holder said. "It is only for this cycle, an additional cycle, and after the census that could be changed again."
BATTLE FOR THE HOUSE RUNS THROUGH VIRGINIA AS COURT OKS HIGH-STAKES REDISTRICTING VOTE
Brennan further pressed whether the move signaled Democrats lacked confidence in winning under current conditions, noting historical midterm trends and political headwinds facing the president’s party.
"Why do Democrats need to do this? It sounds like it’s acknowledging that the Democratic Party can’t win on its own," Brennan said.
Holder rejected that characterization, framing the effort as a necessary countermeasure.
"The Democrats can certainly win if it’s a fair fight," Holder said. "It wasn’t going to be a fair fight nationally if you try to steal seats in Texas, in North Carolina, and in Missouri."
Brennan also cited Holder’s past statements opposing partisan gerrymandering, including warnings that it leads to governments that do not reflect voter preferences and contributes to political gridlock.
"If we don’t respond to that which they are trying to do, we could lose our democracy," Holder said. "And not have the ability to get back to that fairness fight."
Brennan also raised criticism from redistricting advocates, including concerns that proposed maps in Virginia could dilute Black political influence.
"What’s in this for us?" Brennan said, referencing criticism from the National Black Nonpartisan Redistricting Organization.
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"That’s simply untrue," Holder responded. "Do you think that another two years of unchecked Trump power is in the best interest of African-Americans in this nation? No."
"I hope we’ll pass federal legislation that will ban partisan gerrymandering just outright and do away with this altogether," Holder said.
Bill Maher, Woody Harrelson sound off on California business climate, say state deserves to be 's--- on'
Comedian Bill Maher and actor Woody Harrelson unloaded on the state of California over its business climate during Maher's "Club Random" podcast on Monday.
Maher and Harrelson co-own a cannabis dispensary and lounge in West Hollywood called The Woods. The pair discussed the difficulties of owning a pot shop in the liberal state.
"We're trying. It's not easy to make a business work in California," Maher said as he explained why he decided to record the April 20 episode at the pot store.
Harrelson agreed and added, "California just messes with every business."
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"I mean, I don't want to like start this off — why not? Why, just s---ing on California. But California deserves to be s--- on for a lot of this kind of stuff. And people know and this is why people flee the state," Maher continued.
The comedian said it "sucks" to do any kind of business in California, but said the state still treats cannabis like it's "poison."
"They treat it like you're lucky that we allow you to do this, and so we're going to tax you 35%, which is way more. It's more than double anything," Harrelson said.
California has a 15% gross receipts tax on the retail sale of cannabis or any cannabis product. It briefly rose to 19% in 2025, but a bill passed in September brought it back down to 15%.
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However, with other local taxes and the state's sales tax, the rate can exceed 30%.
Later in the discussion, the pair said business at their store was picking up, and Harrelson hammered the tax rate again.
"But I tell you what, there's nothing we can do when the government is charging 35%. Like they can't tax us 35%, it's not right," he said.
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California metro areas have seen net losses from businesses and corporations leaving the state, led by the San Francisco Bay Area, with a net loss of 156 headquarters since 2018.
Ted Danson says Bill Clinton grilled him about his 'intentions' with Mary Steenburgen using Secret Service
Ted Danson's early romance with Mary Steenburgen included a high-stakes moment at the White House.
Danson, 78, recalled an intense one-on-one with then-President Bill Clinton that centered around the actor's "intentions" with Steenburgen — a close, personal friend of the Clintons.
"One of the first things she did was take me to meet her dear friends in the White House," Danson recalled while moderating a History Talks panel alongside Bill and Hillary Clinton, according to Variety. "Bill — Mr. President — took me around the corner, and there were three Secret Service agents behind him, all of them looking at me. The president asked me what my intentions were."
"My first question is to you, Mr. President: Do you think that was fair?" the "Cheers" star quipped.
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"No, but it was effective," Clinton replied. "And I didn’t think I had to be fair. As it turned out, you became the best thing that ever happened to her."
The couple met in 1993 while on the set of the movie "Pontiac Moon" and quickly became one of Hollywood's most-loved couples. They got married in October 1995 in a ceremony on Martha's Vineyard.
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When speaking about their relationship to People in February 2021, Danson explained he knew he had to propose to her because he "couldn't imagine not being with her at all times."
"Not to sound corny, but I would sign up for 100 more lifetimes," Steenburgen told the outlet. "He makes me a better person. He's a truly beautiful human being. A great big soul. I love how he sees the world and how he cares about people, and he's deeply hilarious, which is super, super sexy to me, and he smells really nice."
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After years of leading successful careers, Danson and Steenburgen got the opportunity to work together on Netflix's "Man on the Inside." Steenburgen joined the cast for season 2 of the comedy as the love interest for Danson's character.
Steenburgen told People in November 2025 when she found out she had landed the role, "there was a lot of screaming and jumping up and down ... because we were so excited to work together."
"We’re both actors," Danson told the outlet. "We were trained the same way. We had some really good material to work with. We'd get up every morning giggling about what we get to do."
Fox News Digital's Lori Bashian contributed to this report.