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Cowboy chef says phones and screens at dinner are tearing American families apart
"Cowboy" Kent Rollins has spent decades cooking for ranches across America, but his message goes far beyond cast-iron pans and campfire tips.
The longtime chuck wagon cook and TV personality is urging Americans to put down their phones at the dinner table, saying the habit is taking away from family connections.
"There are more people sitting at a table now, whether it's at a restaurant or at home, holding a cell phone instead of a fork," Rollins, based in New Mexico, told Fox News Digital in an interview.
COWBOY CHEF SHARES 6 SURVIVAL COOKING TRICKS FOR MINUS-30 WIND CHILLS AND 117-DEGREE HEAT
Known for his appearances on the Food Network and his Outdoor Channel show "Cast Iron Cowboy," Rollins said he believes the simple act of gathering to share a meal without digital distractions can strengthen families and communities.
"America would be a better place all the way around if we still all gathered around the table, took our hats off, held hands, thanked God for what we have and the blessings that we're getting every day, and thanked him for the meal and the hands that prepared it," he said.
As modern life becomes increasingly fast-paced and tech-driven, Rollins suggests returning to more traditional mealtime habits, which he said can have a meaningful impact.
"The world has sort of gotten away from that, but let's all get gathered back up at that table," he urged.
While about 55% of Americans report eating dinner with family, 63% say they watch TV during the meal and 28% say they use their phones, while just 41% say they talk with others at the table, according to a YouGov survey conducted last year.
But for Rollins, the dinner table has long served as more than just a place to eat.
"As my mother said, it's not the legs of the table that hold it up," he recalled. "It's the family around it."
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That means "keep that phone in your pocket, enjoy the food and don't forget to bless it," he said.
Looking back, Rollins said some of his strongest memories come from Sunday dinners after church, when families gathered in the kitchen to prepare and share a meal together.
"Whether it be an old pot roast that they pulled out of an oven or a double fried chicken with gravy and mashed potatoes, beans, you know, and bread and cobbler, and you sit down — that's family," he said.
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Those moments went beyond feeding the body, he added.
"Not only is it nourishing your stomach, but you're getting that bond that you need from other people to give you strength," Rollins said. "You shared a story, you shared laughter, and you shared love."
Even as he shares cooking tips — from simple oven-baked ribs to proper grill care heading into spring — Rollins grounds his approach to food in simplicity.
He spreads that message through his growing platform, including his YouTube channel, which has millions of subscribers, his Outdoor Channel series and his new podcast, "Cowboy Coffee Hour," which he hosts with his wife.
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"If cooking was really difficult, I never would have made it," he said. "Life is simple and don't complicate cooking with it."
He added, "Gather your friends and your family around the table, bless the food and have a good time because, hey, summer's coming, and it's time to eat."
Danica McKellar names the 'Wonder Years' co-star she's 'closest with' decades after show's end
Danica McKellar made lifelong friends during her time as a child actress.
During an interview with Fox News Digital, the 51-year-old star shared who she is closest to from her former "The Wonder Years" cast members, noting they see each other "here and there."
"We try to see each other. Not so much with Fred [Savage]. We text every now and then, but I see Josh [Saviano] sometimes when I'm in New York, and Dan Lauria for sure. Dan is the one I'm the closest with," she said. "And then a lot of us were all at a convention, an autograph convention in 2024, and that was really fun. I think it was all of us except for Fred."
When they do manage to get together, McKellar said, "it's just great to see everybody."
McKellar was 12 years old when she landed the role of Winnie Cooper in the hit show, and was 18 when the show aired its final season in 1993.
WATCH: DANICA MCKELLAR KEEPS IN TOUCH THE MOST WITH THIS ‘WONDER YEARS’ CO-STAR
As members of the cast get older, they are able to be there as each of them reaches certain milestones, such as Jason Hervey becoming a grandfather, and all of them turning 50.
"Fred's going to turn 50 in July," she said. "And once he turns 50 — he was the youngest of all of us — at that point… we'll all be 50-plus. Pretty wild."
The show aired on ABC for six seasons from 1988 to 1993, and in that time won four Emmy Awards for writing and directing.
In addition to acting, McKellar has made a name for herself as an author and a mathematician, writing many math books, including "Math Doesn't Suck," which focuses on middle school-level math, "Kiss My Math," for those looking for help with pre-algebra, and more advanced books such as "Hot X: Algebra Exposed" and "Girls Get Curves: Geometry Takes Shape."
WATCH: DANICA MCKELLAR REACTS TO ALL THE ‘WONDER YEARS’ CAST MEMBERS TURNING 50
The "Swing Into Romance" star is gearing up to release her new book, "I Love You 100," which she will present at the 31st annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, taking place at the University of Southern California on April 18 and 19.
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"I am so excited to be returning to the LA Times Festival of Books. It's been so many years, and I love this event," she told Fox News Digital.
As the nation's largest literary festival, the LA Times Festival of Books features over 550 authors, poets and storytellers, as well as hundreds of exhibitors, and free outdoor activities, including panels, cooking demos, and live music. McKellar's favorite part is the people.
"It's a great event. I love talking to audiences, especially book lovers, because I just feel like in today's society, today's world, we need more people who love books, and let's celebrate people who love books and love reading books. And I just love seeing the faces of teachers, parents, sometimes there's a bunch of kids in the audience too, which I also love."
When it comes to reading and writing books, McKellar previously told Fox News Digital that she credits her focus on her education as the reason she managed to avoid the devastating downfall experienced by many child stars when they get older.
"When I got done with 'The Wonder Years,' I graduated from high school within a couple months, went to UCLA, got a degree in mathematics, and that's why I write math books in addition to continuing to be an actress."
McKellar has since starred in a number of films with Great American Family, including "Grounded in Love," "Have We Met this Christmas" and "A Royal Christmas Ball."
WATCH: DANICA MCKELLAR WILL PRESENT HER NEW BOOK AT THE LOS ANGELES TIMES FESTIVAL OF BOOKS
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She told Fox News Digital she considers herself "fortunate to be making my movies on Great American Family Channel," as there is less pressure to be "a sex symbol in my 50s."
"I mean, I still want to put cute dresses on and look attractive and work out and show off my abs here and there or whatever, but it's not the ideal of Hollywood, and I don't feel like I need to try to do that," she explained.
Athena Strand’s killer FedEx driver's split personas, defense scream ‘manipulation,’ not madness: expert
Disturbing video played in a Texas courtroom shows the former FedEx driver who pleaded guilty to killing 7-year-old Athena Strand flipping between personalities as his defense argues his life should be spared due to his struggles with mental health.
Tanner Horner, 34, pleaded guilty to the abduction and murder of Athena just moments before his trial was set to begin in Fort Worth this week. A jury will decide if he will be sentenced to life in prison or the death penalty.
Jurors have spent several days watching body camera footage and police interrogation videos of Horner’s interactions with authorities after he was taken into custody as they weigh whether he will receive the death penalty.
Defense attorney Lindsay Thompson has looked to paint Horner as sympathetic to the jury by revealing he has been diagnosed with autism and suffers from brain damage, mental illness and extreme lead exposure.
Haunting body camera video played in court Thursday showed Horner directing officers to speak with his alter ego, whom he referred to as "Zero."
"Hey Zero, when you took her, was she wearing a jacket or anything?" the officer said in the clip, referring to Athena.
"No jacket, no shoes," Horner, speaking as Zero, replied.
The apparent personality switch seemingly came out of nowhere during Horner’s interaction with law enforcement, raising red flags for Dr. Carole Lieberman, a forensic psychiatrist and expert trial witness.
"What stands out the most, from a criminal profiling perspective, is the multiple sides that Horner has presented of himself in different scenarios," Lieberman told Fox News Digital.
"He has seemed perfectly sane at times, while he also claims to have a separate identity or alter ego, which could mean that he was being manipulative – like a malingerer or psychopath at other times."
WATCH: Athena Strand's killer says he ‘just kind of tossed her’ in woods
As the body camera video continued to play, jurors heard authorities directly address Zero upon learning that the alter ego appeared to be more "helpful."
"So did you hit her before you dropped the package? I’m sorry, did Tanner hit her before the package was dropped off, or after?" the officer asked.
"Do you want to talk to him?" Horner replied, referring to himself.
"No, I want to talk to Zero. I want to talk to you. Because you’re being more honest, you’re more helpful," the officer said.
In light of the video, Lieberman suggests Horner’s alter ego could be a way for him to avoid accountability for his actions.
"Sometimes criminals like to call the ‘bad’ part of themselves a separate identity, so that they don’t have to own it," Lieberman said.
"It can be a coping mechanism – when the person splits off the part of his personality he doesn’t want to acknowledge – or it could be psychopathic manipulation or malingering."
However, Lieberman noted that most criminals claiming to have an alternate personality typically drop the act once in custody, unlike Horner.
"In my experience, violent offenders do sometimes try to claim a separate identity or alter ego," Lieberman told Fox News Digital. "But they usually give it up under intense psychiatric evaluation, or when they are ‘busted.’"
Interrogation video played for the court also showed Horner pleading with investigators to allow him out of jail for a month so he could spend one last Christmas with his family, while also appearing to show remorse for the strangulation of Athena.
"Did you know what you did was wrong?" Texas Ranger Job Espinoza asked him, according to FOX 4.
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"Of course," Horner said. "I haven't been on that medicine for five days, and it's starting to wear off. I've actually been crying. Do you know what it's like, not being able to cry for months and months and months?"
"I’m a father," he continued as he grew emotional. "All I want is to spend one last Christmas with my son, and I’ll tell you everything."
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Lieberman points to Horner being a father and holding a job as a FedEx driver as a potential snag for his defense surrounding his history of mental illness.
"Horner’s job history would hold clues too," Lieberman said. "If he has just held low functioning jobs, or if he’s been fired from jobs a lot, this could speak to his autism or brain damage."
WATCH: Tanner Horner pleads guilty to killing Athena Strand
"But people with autism or brain damage aren’t as able to make up stories about having an alter ego."
Horner initially claimed he accidentally struck Athena with his delivery truck while delivering a package to her father’s home, but later admitted to abducting and strangling her in November 2022 in Paradise, Texas.
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He previously said he "kind of tossed" the young girl into the woods after killing her, according to an interrogation video shown to jurors.
Prosecutors have revealed evidence showing Horner covered a camera inside his FedEx truck before launching an extensive attack against Athena as she fought back. He later disposed of her body in a wooded area near Boyd, Texas.
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Authorities said he then returned to work, continuing to deliver packages in nearby neighborhoods as authorities launched a desperate search for the girl. Her body was located three days later.
Lieberman suggested jurors will likely have a strong emotional reaction to the case, given that it involves the murder of a young child, and may not put much weight into Horner’s mental health defense.
"Cases involving children cause people to have strong emotional reactions because they quickly identify with the child – both in terms of their own children and in terms of themselves when they were a child," Lieberman said. "So they usually want the strongest punishment for the perpetrator and have little patience or compassion for a mental health defense."
"What makes this case even less sympathetic is that Horner was delivering Barbie dolls for her Christmas present," Lieberman added. "A chilling juxtaposition of sweetness with evil."
Fox News Digital's Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
Debra Messing opens up on antisemitism, October 7 and backlash over pro-Israel stance
Actress Debra Messing reflected Tuesday on her upbringing, experiences with antisemitism and her public advocacy following the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel.
"I knew at a very young age that I was different," Messing told "Being Jewish" podcast host Jonah Platt at an event hosted by the Jewish Federation of Broward County. "People didn’t like me. And I just instinctively shrunk because I always felt the sense of danger."
The conversation centered on Messing's childhood in Rhode Island, where she described repeated incidents of anti-Jewish harassment, as well as her later decision to speak out more publicly in defense of Israel and Jewish identity.
Messing said her early experiences shaped how she understood her identity and safety, recalling how her family's property was repeatedly vandalized and how she concealed her faith in school.
FOX NEWS ‘ANTISEMITISM EXPOSED’ NEWSLETTER: HOLLYWOOD'S HATEFUL HORROR SHOW
"We were not liked," Messing said. "My parents had to sit me down and say, ‘People don’t like us. There is no reason. It’s just a fact, but we are proud Jews.’"
She described one early incident in elementary school that marked her awareness of antisemitism.
"The first thing that happened was in second grade," Messing said. "This little boy turned to me and said, ‘Get to the back of the line.’ And I didn’t know what the word was."
Messing said she did not feel a sense of belonging until attending college, where she encountered a strong Jewish community.
"It wasn’t until then that I realized I’ve never felt safe in my entire life until now," she said.
Platt asked about her public advocacy, particularly after the October 7 attacks in Israel. Messing said the global response influenced her decision to speak out more forcefully.
"When October 7th happened, I expected the whole world to be mourning with us," Messing said. "And then the very next day when they were celebrating in the streets and siding with Hamas … I remember saying, ‘If not now, now.’"
"There’s absolutely no option," Messing said. "We have to get out there and defend Israel, defend the Israeli people, and straighten people out."
Messing also addressed her use of social media, explaining that her initial goal was to provide information and encourage dialogue.
"I wanted to educate," Messing said. "I wanted to put out information about Israel, about our history … to try and encourage a dialogue."
"It became very clear very quickly that that was impossible."
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Messing added that she continues to respond to criticism while maintaining her public pro-Israel stance.
"As soon as I started defending Israel and being a proud Jew, the kind of comments that I get … they are so deranged and hurtful and painful," she said.
Hungarians vote in record numbers as Trump-ally Viktor Orbán faces biggest electoral threat since 2010
The U.S. and Europe are watching closely as Hungarians turned out in record numbers to vote Sunday in a high-stakes election that sets up Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, supported by President Donald Trump, against his former political ally, Péter Magyar.
Trailing in the opinion polls, Orbán received a major boost earlier this week when Vice President JD Vance visited the country, making clear what the administration’s position was on the importance of having a pro-U.S. candidate in the heart of Europe, as so many of its continental allies have proven lackluster, most notably for a lack of help in the war against Iran.
In his remarks, Vance made clear why he was there. "The reason why we're doing it is because we thought there was so much garbage happening against Viktor in this election that we had to show that there are actually a lot of people and a lot of friends across the world who recognize that Viktor and his government are doing a good job, and they're important partners for peace," he said at the Mathias Corvinus Collegium, a private university in Budapest, the capital of Hungary. "That's why we're here, but ultimately the Hungarian people are going to be sovereigns because that's how it should be."
TRUMP CALLS INTO VANCE-ORBAN HUNGARY EVENT: 'MY KIND OF PEOPLE'
Following Vance’s return to the U.S., Trump weighed in on Truth Social Friday: "My Administration stands ready to use the full economic might of the United States to strengthen Hungary’s Economy, as we have done for our great allies in the past, if Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and the Hungarian People ever need it. We are excited to invest in the future prosperity that will be generated by Orbán’s continued leadership!"
Beloved by many older and more rural Hungarians and reviled by detractors, Orbán has emerged as the country’s most consequential leader since its transition to democracy at the end of the Cold War. Still, the election campaign has become intense.
Orbán’s strained relationship with the European Union comes from his positioning on Russia’s war against Ukraine, his country’s firm support of Israel and his hard stance on not accepting migrants, which led to EU financial sanctions for his refusal to open the country's border to foreigners.
During the 16-year Orbán government, the Hungarian economy has grown relatively quickly for an EU country. The country’s GDP per capita (what the average person earns annually) rose to nearly $17,000 last year, up from approximately $12,000 in 2014, according to Trading Economics data. However, it’s not all good. Inflation has recently been relatively high at an annual rate of 4.9%, and business sentiment has been consistently negative since August 2022.
TRUMP SAYS HUNGARY'S BORDER STANCE KEEPS CRIME DOWN, SAYS EUROPE 'FLOODING' WITH MIGRANTS
The polls shows Magyar’s Tisza party with 50% of the vote and Orbán’s Fidesz party behind at 39% as of April 9, according to Politico. Magyar now poses the largest electoral threat to Orbán since 2010.
"The polls are going well for the opposition," Daniel Wood, portfolio manager at William Blair Investment Management, told Fox News Digital. "If the opposition wins, there’s a chance that the EU unlocks the frozen funds, which are around 7% of the GDP."
Speaking to reporters outside a polling station Sunday, Orbán, 62, said the campaign had been "a great national moment on our side" and thanked activists and supporters for their work. "I’m here to win," the Associated Press reported.
In an interview earlier in the week, Magyar complained the EU’s longest-serving leader has led the country on a "180-degree turn" in recent years, endangering its Western orientation while cozying up to Moscow. Yet despite that drift, "Hungarians still see that Hungary’s peace and development are guaranteed by membership of the European Union and NATO," Magyar said. "I think this really will be a referendum on our country’s place in the world," he told the Associated Press.
Results are expected later Sunday afternoon.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
NASA chief declares America 'absolutely back' in space race, says US will beat China to the moon
A top NASA official declared America is "absolutely back" in the space race, as the U.S. races to beat China to the moon under an aggressive push from President Donald Trump to build a lunar base and eventually plant Old Glory on Mars.
"We are absolutely on an achievable path now," NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said Saturday.
"There is no question... President Trump gave us the Artemis program that's currently underway right now during his first term... he gave us the resources to actually execute on an achievable plan through the Working Family Tax Cut Act and the mandate not just to go back to the moon with the national space policy, but to go back, to stay, to build the moon base," he added.
Isaacman told "Saturday in America" host Kayleigh McEnany that the president has repeatedly told him that NASA should "figure out what we need to do to go to Mars."
BEIJING LEVERAGES UN TROOPS, FUNDING TO EXPAND GLOBAL INFLUENCE, HOUSE REPORT WARNS
"That's exactly why you build the moon base to master the skills that we can send American astronauts to plant the Stars and Stripes on Mars someday," he added.
Isaacman said the U.S. is now on a clear trajectory to return astronauts to the lunar surface and stay there.
"We are getting underway building the moon base essentially right now," he said, noting that Americans will be able to follow along as early as 2027, when NASA begins a near-monthly cadence of robotic missions to the moon’s South Pole.
NASA RETURNS HUMANS TO DEEP SPACE AFTER OVER 50 YEARS WITH FEBRUARY ARTEMIS II MOON MISSION
Those missions will lay the groundwork for a sustained American presence beyond Earth, as NASA also builds toward its long-term goal of sending astronauts to Mars.
"[We're going to be] test[ing] out mobility, crewed mobility, uncrewed mobility, power, navigation and the In-Situ resource manufacturing, which is going be paramount for future missions to Mars."
The aggressive timeline comes as China has signaled ambitions to land astronauts on the moon by 2030, setting up a new space race between the world’s two superpowers.
Fox News' Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
Trump gets Dana White to add fight to UFC White House card after personal ask
Two UFC fighters can thank President Donald Trump for getting onto the card for the White House event two months from now.
Trump was at UFC 327 in Miami on Saturday night as a special guest of UFC president Dana White, marking his first appearance at a pro sporting event since the beginning of the Iran war.
During the event, UFC added a bout between Derrick Lewis and Josh Hokit for UFC Freedom 250, and Dana White said the bout was prompted by Trump.
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"About an hour ago, the president leans over to me and says, 'Why is Derrick Lewis not on the White House card?' and I said, 'Hold on, Mr. President.' I stepped away and called Derrick Lewis and said, 'Derrick, the president just asked why you're not on the card. Do you want to fight on the White House card?' He said, 'Of course,'" White told reporters.
Hokit was fresh off a victory against Curtis Blaydes on Saturday when he found out he'd be on the card.
TRUMP GREETED AT UFC 327 IN FIRST SPORTING EVENT APPEARANCE SINCE START OF IRAN WAR
Saturday's event was Trump's first appearance at a major sporting event since he attended the college football national championship in January, in which Indiana defeated Miami.
Since his second term began, Trump has attended several UFC events, last year's Super Bowl, the Daytona 500, the NCAA wrestling championships, the FIFA Club World Cup final, the U.S. Open, a New York Yankees game, the Ryder Cup, and the Army-Navy game.
The event will take place on the South Lawn as part of the America250 celebration on June 14, Trump's 80th birthday, and will be headlined by Justin Gaethje and Ilia Topuria in a lightweight championship unification bout.
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Bill Maher says society must accept that bad people can still do good things amid Cesar Chavez controversy
Comedian Bill Maher waded into a moral discussion during Friday's episode of "Real Time," arguing that society must accept the uncomfortable reality that "bad people" can still accomplish good things.
"Stop asking me how it is that bad people can do good things," Maher said during the show's closing commentary.
"Here in California, we've been busy lately scraping a name off every building in the state because famed labor leader Cesar Chavez turned out to be not the folk saint we had been told," he said, referencing emerging accusations that the famed labor activist sexually abused young girls.
The accusations, highlighted in a recent New York Times report, include claims from women such as Ana Murguia and Debra Rojas, who say Chavez abused them multiple times in the 1970s.
"Officials here have been in such a rush to get his name off schools, half the kids in LA now go to TBD Elementary," Maher added, drawing laughter from the audience.
Maher said the controversy highlights what he called "the age-old quandary of purists versus utilitarians," presenting a stark moral question that weighs personal wrongdoing against broader societal impact.
BILL MAHER DEFENDS WESTERN CIVILIZATION ON 'REAL TIME,' CITING REMARKS FROM JD VANCE
"Chavez undeniably made the lives of millions better, so, the question is, if you could go back in time and kill him to spare the young girls he assaulted, would you?" he joked.
"A purist says yes. I say no," he continued, citing labor activist Dolores Huerta, whom he said was among Chavez’s alleged victims, noting she prioritized the farmworker movement over exposing his behavior.
Maher went on to argue that history is filled with flawed figures whose positive contributions coexist with serious wrongdoing, pointing to Thomas Jefferson's controversial relationship with slave Sally Hemings and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for allowing women to drive in the country. He contrasted that with the death of a journalist for which Saudi Arabia was blamed, according to a declassified report from 2021.
Maher also pointed to President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as well as figures in entertainment, noting that audiences often separate art from the artist, citing artists like Kanye West continuing to sell out stadiums despite prior controversies.
"Here's where someone always says, 'Why can't we just have great deeds done by good people?' I don't know. Because we live on Earth. Things are really imperfect here," Maher said.
IDF uncovers Hezbollah weapons stash inside hospital in Lebanon
Israeli forces say they discovered a Hezbollah weapons stash inside a hospital in Lebanon this weekend.
The Israel Defense Forces carried out the operation in Lebanon's Bint Jbeil municipality. Images shared with Fox News show weapons, ammunition and explosives that Israel says were found within a hospital in the area.
The IDF says it eliminated "approximately 20 terrorists" inside the hospital compound after Hezbollah was detected conducting surveillance and firing upon IDF troops from a window of the hospital.
"The Hezbollah terrorist organization systematically and repeatedly used the hospital compound and its immediate surroundings for military purposes, constituting a serious violation of international law," the IDF said in a statement.
VANCE WARNS IRAN WILL 'FIND OUT' TRUMP IS 'NOT ONE TO MESS AROUND' IF CEASEFIRE DEAL FALLS APART
"The IDF operates in accordance with international law, and clarified prior to the operation to the relevant Lebanese authorities that all military activity within hospitals in Lebanon must cease, and disseminated these warnings through various channels. Despite this, Hezbollah continued to use the hospital for military activity," the IDF said in a statement.
Israel has continued operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon amid a ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran this week.
GEN JACK KEANE 'SKEPTICAL' THAT IRAN CEASEFIRE WILL HOLD, WARNS TEHRAN WILL 'DELAY AND OBFUSCATE'
The operation comes after U.S. talks with Iranian officials failed to make progress this weekend in Pakistan.
Speaking during a press conference from the Serena Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan, Vice President JD Vance said Iran has "chosen not to accept our terms."
"The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement," Vance said. "And I think that's bad news for Iran much more than it's bad news for the United States of America."
The vice president said talks with Iranian officials lasted 21 hours, describing them as "substantive discussions," but adding the U.S. was unwilling to compromise on its "red lines."
"So we go back to the United States, having not come to an agreement. We've made very clear what our red lines are, what things we're willing to accommodate them on and what things we're not willing to accommodate them on," Vance added. "And we've made that as clear as we possibly could, and they have chosen not to accept our terms."
Fox News Digital asked Vance if he had been in contact with President Donald Trump during the talks, and the vice president said he had been "consistently."
"I don't know how many times we talked to him — a half dozen times, a dozen times over the past 21 hours," Vance said, adding that the U.S. team was also communicating with other members of the Trump administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
Fox News' Preston Mizell contributed to this report.
Catholic nuns caring for dying patients fight New York trans rule, face jail time
Catholic nuns who have spent more than a century caring for the dying poor are suing New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, saying a new state law could force them to choose between their faith and their mission or face fines, loss of licensing and even jail time.
"We are consecrated religious Sisters and have one mission," Mother Marie Edward, O.P., told Fox News Digital in a statement. "It is to provide comfort and skilled care to persons dying of cancer who cannot afford nursing care. We do not take insurance or government funds or money from our patients or families. The care is totally free."
"We are supported by the goodness of our benefactors," she continued. "We do this without discriminating on the basis of race, religion, or sex. We do it because Jesus taught us that, when the least among us are sick, we should care for them, as if they were Christ himself."
Signed into law on Nov. 30, 2023, the "Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, and people living with HIV long-term care facility residents' bill of rights" bans long-term care facilities and staff "from discriminating against any resident on the basis of a resident’s actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or HIV status," according to a press release from Hochul's office.
DOJ FIRES WARNING SHOT AT LETITIA JAMES OVER TRANSGENDER TREATMENTS FOR MINORS
The Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, who run Rosary Hill Home in Hawthorne, New York, filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the law they say would require them to assign rooms by gender identity, not biological sex; allow access to opposite-sex bathrooms; allow expression, relationships and identity practices; use preferred pronouns; require staff training in gender ideology; and post a public notice stating compliance with the law.
Edward told Fox News Digital that "New York’s gender ideology mandates not only violate our Catholic values, they threaten our existence with fines, injunctions, license revocation, and even jail time. This is why we were forced to go to court to seek protection of our religious exercise and freedom of speech so that we can continue our ministry to the poor."
A press release from the Catholic Benefits Association said the New York State Department of Health sent the first in a series of "Dear Administrator" letters to the Hawthorne Dominicans' Rosary Hill Home, a 42-bed facility, on March 18, 2024.
The letters listed New York’s demands and included a training curriculum "requiring the sisters to align patient care and the training of their sisters and employees with the State’s gender ideology."
If the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne do not comply, they face fines up to $2,000 per violation — rising to $5,000 — court-ordered forced compliance, loss of licensing and up to one year in prison and fines up to $10,000.
In their lawsuit, the sisters highlighted that during the four-year reporting period from Feb. 1, 2022, through Jan. 31, 2026, the New York State Department of Health had received "zero complaints" from Rosary Hill Home residents, compared with "more than 55,000 complaints against other nursing homes," and an average of 23 citations per facility during the same period.
CBS NEWS' MARGARET BRENNAN ACCUSED OF MOCKING PEOPLE OF FAITH AFTER PETE HEGSETH'S PRAYER REMARKS
In the press release, Sister Stella Mary, O.P., administrator of Rosary Hill Home, said, "Our foundress, Mother Alphonsa Hawthorne, charged us to serve those who are ‘to pass from one life to another’ and to ‘make them as comfortable and happy as if their own people had kept them and put them into the very best bedroom.’ We intend to continue honoring this sacred obligation but need relief from the Court to do so."
Fox News Digital reached out to Hochul's office for comment and was referred to a spokesperson at the New York State Department of Health who said, "While the Department does not comment on pending or ongoing litigation, the NYS Department of Health is committed to following state law, which provides nursing home residents certain rights protecting against discrimination including, but not limited to, gender identity or expression."