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US kills two 'narco-terrorists' in strike 2 months since last announced anti-'narco-trafficking' attack
The U.S. military conducted a deadly attack against a vessel on Sunday, killing two people that it described as "narco-terrorists."
Video footage shows the explosive strike on the low-profile vessel.
"On August 23, under the commander of U.S. Southern Command, Gen. Francis L. Donovan’s direction, Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere executed a lethal kinetic strike on a low-profile vessel operating along established narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific," an Aug. 24 news release stated.
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"Confirmed intelligence revealed the vessel's active involvement in narco-trafficking. The operation killed two narco-terrorists," the release noted.
The military has executed dozens of strikes against alleged drug trafficking vessels during President Donald Trump's second term in office, a policy that has been controversial.
US MILITARY CONDUCTS STRIKE ON ANOTHER VESSEL CARRYING ALLEGED NARCO-TRAFFICKERS, KILLING 2
The last time U.S. Southern Command announced such a strike was just over two months ago on June 21 — that strike killed two, but there were six survivors.
"When I ordered the establishment of Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere, it was precisely for this purpose: to accelerate, synchronize, and execute lethal actions against these destabilizing narco-terrorist networks," Donovan said, according to the Monday announcement about the strike carried out on Sunday. "We are committed to imposing total systemic friction on narco-terrorists -- disrupting their operations, dismantling their leadership, and eliminating cartel terror across the region."
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"Let me be clear, we will not permit narco-terrorists to operate with impunity in the Western Hemisphere, nor will we allow their deadly poison to reach American communities. This operation is a powerful demonstration of our lethal precision, overwhelming capability, and absolute resolve to protect the U.S. homeland," he said.
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Driven by progressive doomism, liberals are having fewer babies than conservative families
America’s political divide is extending into the nursery, as data shows conservatives are having more children than liberals.
The Atlantic, citing research from the Institute for Family Studies (IFS), reported that self-identified conservatives have an average of 1.4 children, compared to 1.09 for liberals. It’s a gap IFS researchers said remained even after controlling for other variables, such as sex, religion, race, income, age, marital status and education.
"Having children — particularly lots of children — has become a bit right-coded, as the kids say. Americans and Europeans who identify as leftist or liberal tend to have fewer children than those who identify as conservative or right-leaning," Atlantic staff writer Olga Khazan wrote in her article, "Another Big Difference Between Liberals and Conservatives."
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The Trump administration has positioned itself as pro-family, with prominent members, including Vice President JD Vance, urging the country to have more babies.
The administration has also proposed financial incentives aimed at raising the birthrate, including a $5,000 "baby bonus" for mothers giving birth, while Trump signed an executive order expanding access to in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Khazan argues that research shows that the birthrate divide between parties may have more to do with lifestyle choices and different priorities between the two groups. She argues that conservatives are more likely to view family as vital to a fulfilled life, while liberals may place greater emphasis on higher education, creative pursuits or career success.
"In one recent Pew Research Center poll, for instance, Republicans were more likely than Democrats to say that having children was ‘highly important’ for living a fulfilling life, and in another, Democrats were more likely than Republicans to say that creative activities were ‘one of the most important things’ to them," Khazan said.
"Democrats, then, may be less willing to choose parenthood when it competes as a priority with career, friendships, travel, and other pursuits," she added.
The article also suggested that liberal anxiety extends beyond daily stress to include systemic worries over climate change, reproductive healthcare access and therapy-driven fears of repeating family trauma.
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The Institute for Family Studies research also found that liberals report significantly higher levels of concern about parenting and their mental health.
Ken Burchfiel, an IFS research fellow who worked on the study, told Fox News Digital that where Democrats live could also help explain the difference.
"We found that partisan differences in parenting attitudes held up even when controlling for age, sex, race, household income, relationship status, education, religion, and parental status. That means that these differences aren't merely a result of diverging faith preferences or income gaps," Burchfiel said.
"The question remains, then: what is driving this change? My hypothesis is that Democrats' tendency to live in more urban areas may help explain these gaps. If you live in a small apartment in a major city, you probably are more likely to see parenting as very stressful and difficult; after all, raising a child is more expensive and complicated in the heart of an urban area than in the suburbs," he added.
Burchfiel also suggested that adults in major urban centers may have fewer daily opportunities to interact with parents and children, potentially leaving them less confident about starting families of their own.
AMERICA’S BABY BUST MAY BE LINKED TO THE IPHONE, STUDY SAYS
"As a result, you might feel less confident about your own ability to be a parent. Such opportunities might continue to decline now that major cities are experiencing a drop in the numbers of children," Burchfiel added.
Overall, the number of births in the United States and the general fertility rate have decreased, according to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics.
A CDC report shows that provisional U.S. births decreased by 1% from 2024 to 2025.
'Perfect' workout formula can take just 10 minutes a day, Hilaria Baldwin says
Being motivated to work out is one thing, but staying committed to a routine is what yields results, experts say.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, certified yoga and fitness instructor Hilaria Baldwin shared her tips for building an effective exercise routine – and sticking to it.
"One of the most important things about exercise is consistency," said the mother of seven. "For many of us, life gets in the way – we are parents, and we work and all the chaos comes in, so bite-sized movements are really important."
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Baldwin revealed that her "perfect" workout routine trifecta always includes cardio, strength training and stretching, even if it’s just 10 minutes per day.
For lasting consistency, a fitness routine should fit naturally into one’s lifestyle and schedule, Baldwin said. She recommends setting aside kid-free, work-free blocks of time for movement and self-care.
Baldwin said she makes time for a daily run as her cardio, which she said helps "work out her lungs." She also incorporates stretching and strength training, which might include physically picking up her kids or toning with weights.
She has also started exercising with her children as a way to blend family time with physical activity.
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The instructor emphasized consistency without overcommitment, noting that doing too much, too soon can lead to burnout.
"If something's overwhelming, we're not going to do it," Baldwin said. "Ultimately, we are going to be creatures of habit … we are going do what we feel like needs to get done – but starting to think of a workout more like brushing our teeth is really important."
"People are not moving their bodies enough, and then we get sick," she went on. "So, the question is, can we do a little bit to prevent that? And obviously not everything can be prevented, but we know that we should move our bodies most days."
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Baldwin advised against "biting off more than you can chew." For example, instead of running three miles as a response to being frustrated about your fitness goals, try running for just 10 minutes – or run for just two minutes at a time and take walking breaks.
"Doing something is better than thinking about it and doing nothing," she added.
The fitness instructor also suggested making exercise a family commitment, helping to reinforce that movement and self-care are priorities.
"As moms, we [often] put ourselves last," she said. "Everybody says put your oxygen mask on first, but we don't do that."
"I think showing our children that we are human, and we are worth taking care of is really important – not just for our relationship with them, but how they will treat themselves when they're older."
When life gets busy, she said, it’s easy to make excuses for not working out. Baldwin admitted that on most days, especially in the summer heat, she has "zero interest" in going for a run.
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"But I know that I'm not going to regret it," she said. "It’s just about creating the habit and saying, ‘Okay, I'm going to do this, and it's going to be 30 minutes, and I might hate it, but I’m going to be happy to do it.’"
Baldwin added, "Showing up is the hardest thing. Once you do it, and you create a commitment, it completely changes everything."
Baldwin encouraged the public, especially women, to tap into how "special and unique each person’s body is."
"Start loving yourself and loving your body, no matter what outside opinions you feel like people are directing at you," she said. "Feel capable and feel strong and that you're worth investing in."
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Baldwin shared that she herself has struggled "tremendously" with this in her own life. "That is one of the reasons that I show up – to tell my body, ‘I love you, you're worth it.’"
She continued, "Nobody has ever existed who is exactly like you, and no one will ever be exactly like you again. So please live every single day cherishing your body, your unique self, and let's have fun and move together."
Ten Commandments belong in Texas schools and the Supreme Court can protect them
The U.S. Supreme Court has been asked to decide if the Ten Commandments can be posted in Texas public schools.
In the coming months, the justices will decide whether or not to review a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit which found that the posting the Ten Commandments in schools is not only constitutional, but also consistent with America’s historical understanding of religion’s role in public life.
Documents and history are not banned in this country because they are religious or have religious content. Are students allowed to read the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s "Letter from Birmingham Jail"? Of course, they are.
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Banning parts of our religious history and heritage is not an act of compliance with the First Amendment. It is hostility to religion and a religious cleansing, foreign to our Constitution. The First Amendment forbids the government from establishing an official state religion — something akin to the Church of England, where the state controlled doctrine, compelled worship and punished dissenters.
The Fifth Circuit’s ruling made clear that such "establishments" historically involved acts of coercion such as mandatory church attendance or legal penalties for noncompliance. Displaying a religious text on a classroom wall bears no resemblance to such practices.
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The Ten Commandments are a foundational moral, literary and historical text. Their influence on Western legal traditions is widely acknowledged, even by critics. The Commandments articulate basic ethical principles such as prohibitions against murder, theft and perjury that underpin modern legal systems. Displaying them in classrooms is simply a recognition of their historical and cultural significance.
A quality education must include instruction on the religious and historical heritage of our country. Without it, students cannot understand the founding rationale of our nation, nor its system of laws.
Critics argue that posting the Ten Commandments amounts to coercion, especially for impressionable students. But this claim does not withstand scrutiny. The Texas law at issue requires only that a poster be displayed. It does not mandate prayer, belief or participation in any religious activity. Students are not asked to recite the Commandments, affirm their truth or even engage with them at all. In other words, exposure is not indoctrination.
This distinction is crucial. Public education inevitably exposes students to a wide range of historical, philosophical, and, yes, religious ideas. The Constitution does not demand that schools become religion-free zones; rather, it protects against government coercion in matters of faith. As the Fifth Circuit notes, "the mere presence of religious language in a school display is [not] ipso facto religious coercion." If it were, many longstanding features of American public life, from the national motto "In God We Trust" to references to a "Creator" in the Declaration of Independence, would be constitutionally suspect.
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The legal foundation for the Fifth Circuit’s conclusion rests heavily on First Liberty Institute’s victory in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, which fundamentally reshaped Establishment Clause jurisprudence. As the Fifth Circuit explains, Kennedy abandoned the long-criticized "Lemon test" and replaced it with an approach rooted in "historical practices and understandings."
Under this framework, courts no longer ask whether a government action has a secular purpose, but whether it resembles the kinds of coercive religious establishments the Founders sought to prohibit. This shift is decisive: because a classroom display imposes no religious exercise, no punishment for dissent and no government control over belief, it falls far outside the historical definition of an "establishment of religion." In short, Kennedy clarifies that the Constitution protects against coercion, not mere exposure to religious ideas, history and heritage.
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The Founders themselves did not envision a strict separation of religion from public education. As Judge James Ho quoted President George Washington in his concurrence, they believed that "religion and morality are indispensable supports" of a free society. Far from excluding religion, early American institutions often incorporated it as a source of moral guidance and civic virtue.
Just consider the U.S. Supreme Court building where the Ten Commandments are displayed both on the outer façade of the courthouse, as well as the internal courtroom itself. Do the justices need to sandblast those images from the court?
Removing all the references to the Biblical Decalogue built into the architecture of government buildings throughout Washington, D.C., would require jackhammers, chisels and high-powered sand blasters.
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Allowing such displays respects both the Constitution and the nation’s heritage. It’s also good education. It acknowledges the role that religious ideas have played in shaping American law and culture, without compelling anyone to adopt those beliefs. In a pluralistic society, exposure to diverse perspectives, including religious ones, is not a threat to freedom, it is a reflection of it.
Rather than fearing the presence of the Ten Commandments in classrooms, the plaintiffs should recognize it for what it is: a modest, constitutionally sound acknowledgment of the moral and historical foundations that continue to influence our society today.
Dem House candidate's 2013 arrest resurfaces in pivotal race for control of Congress
A far-left candidate running for the House of Representatives in Michigan was arrested for resisting police during a 2013 protest.
William Lawrence, co-founder of the progressive Sunrise Movement, is challenging Rep. Tom Barrett, R-Mich., in one of the most closely-watched elections in the country. With so few congressional seats still expected to be up in the air, a victory there could be decisive for whichever party wins control in November.
Fox News Digital obtained documents that show Lawrence was among a group of people arrested in 2013 during a demonstration against the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline, a 645-mile piece of infrastructure running crude oil and natural gas between Wisconsin and Ontario — with Michigan in between.
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He and others chained themselves to machinery in protest of the pipeline, which helps the U.S. meet critical energy needs but has also been a subject of pushback by environmental groups and indigenous tribes whose land the pipeline partially runs through.
The defendants were charged with trespassing, as well as resisting and obstructing a police officer. The documents stated that Lawrence and three others had to be cut off of the equipment but were then arrested without incident.
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Lawrence himself previously posted on X, "Defund the Police!" in May 2020. A tweet the following month called to defund the Lansing, Michigan, police, specifically.
He told Fox News Digital in a statement this weekend, "I don't support defunding the police. I follow the lead of first responders and gun violence prevention advocates I have met with here in the district, who support increased funding for youth programs, mental health resources, and community violence intervention, working in collaboration with law enforcement."
His campaign also pointed out the conviction was expunged under Michigan state law.
He's also since addressed the arrest himself on Instagram. He said in a video earlier this year that he "took a stand" against energy company Enbridge, adding, "Was it righteous? Absolutely. Was it wise? Perhaps not."
"The fact is, they were back operating that afternoon, while my collaborators and I faced legal consequences for years," he said. "I wouldn't advise you do what I did, but my conviction remains, and you can always count on me to fight for pure Michigan and our water."
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While Lawrence was backed by progressive groups in his primary election, he has since said he's left the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) as his general race begins to heat up.
But it did not stop House Republicans' campaign arm, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), from tying him to the far-left.
"Socialist felon William Lawrence is a radical far-left liberal who puts his extreme climate agenda ahead of common sense and the priorities of hardworking Michiganders. Lawrence’s extreme agenda makes one thing clear: he is far too radical for Mid-Michigan and can’t be trusted to put Michigan families first," NRCC spokesman Zach Bannon said.
Republicans are facing an uphill battle to keep control of the House this year, with the party in power traditionally facing significant losses during the midterms. But the far-left insurgency that's gripped the Democratic Party has given the right new hope that they could buck historic political trends.
Lawrence's upstart primary campaign saw him defeat establishment-backed candidates Matt Maasdam and Bridget Brink, the latter of whom formerly served as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine.
Thune-aligned groups unleash historic war chest to defend Senate majority: 'Winning message'
The Senate Leadership Fund (SLF), a top GOP campaign group aligned with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., announced that it and other allies have raised over $500 million ahead of the 2026 U.S. Senate elections, setting new records as they look to defend a Republican majority in the upcoming midterms.
Despite a historical precedent that sets long odds for the president’s party in the midterms, Republicans have built a war chest in recent months to put Democrats on the defensive in the House and Senate.
"Thanks to Leader John Thune and our generous investors, Senate Leadership Fund and its affiliated groups have raised more resources than any other Senate effort in history," SLF Executive Director Alex Latcham said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
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"However, we cannot slow down as Chuck Schumer and Radical Democrats seek to take our nation back to open borders, rampant crime and crushing inflation."
It's those elements the group hopes to put front and center.
In many of their materials, SLF looks to pin Democrats over their opposition to many pieces of President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda and past support for far-left policies.
Across races in Alaska, Iowa, Maine, Michigan and North Carolina, they are using ad campaigns to highlight elements like violence caused by soft-on-crime policies, opposition to wage hikes for veterans and past scandals that have followed some of the Democratic candidates.
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"Logan was a casualty of an agenda," one featured interviewee said, recounting how his daughter had been killed by Alexander Dickey, a repeat criminal who had faced nearly 40 criminal charges.
In another ad, SLF reminded voters in Iowa how Josh Turek, a Senate hopeful who had won gold for the U.S. in the Paralympic Games, had missed over 50% of his votes while running his campaign.
"We expect our lawmakers to show up, yet liberal politician Josh Turek missed 58% of his votes in the Iowa legislature — votes to help veterans and fund schools, yet still collected his full taxpayer-funded paycheck," the ad states.
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Latcham said he anticipates SLF’s layered strategy of messaging — and the resources needed to bring that message to voters — combined with the GOP’s candidate strengths will deliver wins in November.
"With incredible candidates, a winning message and record funding, we are confident that Senate Republicans will maintain their majority this November and continue to deliver for the American people," Latcham said.
Andrew feels ‘abandoned’ by royal family, rejects King Charles’ invitation over outcast fears: experts
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor reportedly feels "abandoned" by his family as his royal exile deepens.
British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital that friends are reportedly checking in regularly on the former Duke of York and "he's certainly not hiding away" from them.
"Rather than spending the summer at Balmoral hidden away with the rest of the family, Andrew seems to be opting for time abroad with friends," she said. "Allegedly, he feels abandoned by certain family members."
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British royal expert Hilary Fordwich echoed Chard's sentiments, citing her sources.
"Andrew isn't important anymore," said Fordwich. "No one is very concerned about how he's feeling. However, it's important to ensure he doesn't cause any more damage to the monarchy."
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A friend of the ex-royal's told The Sun that "Andrew feels he's been abandoned" and "he feels like he is no longer part of the family."
"He was invited but has got no great desire to be at Balmoral as he has nothing to gain and would be treated as an outcast," the unnamed friend told the outlet. "What's the point, he feels, of going all the way there for a much-needed holiday and being treated as an elephant in the room?"
Andrew stepped away from royal duties in 2019 following a widely criticized BBC "Newsnight" interview in which he attempted to explain his friendship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In 2022, he was stripped of his military titles and patronages by his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, as he faced Epstein survivor Virginia Giuffre's sexual assault lawsuit against him. Andrew and Giuffre settled out of court for an undisclosed sum that year.
Giuffre died in April 2025.
In October 2025, King Charles III stripped his younger brother's royal titles as Andrew faced renewed scrutiny over his ties to Epstein. The scrutiny intensified following the publication of Giuffre's posthumous memoir and the release of documents detailing Andrew's relationship with Epstein.
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Buckingham Palace also served Andrew formal notice to surrender the lease on his longtime residence, Royal Lodge. His ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, was expected to make separate living arrangements.
On Feb. 19, Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office over an allegation that he shared confidential information with Epstein during his time as a U.K. trade envoy. He was released after being held for 11 hours in police custody. The investigation remains ongoing.
Andrew has repeatedly denied wrongdoing in connection with Epstein and the allegations against him.
"Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor obviously is feeling the contempt and distancing from other senior members of the royal family," royal broadcaster Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital.
"So his mental health will become more prevalent. Some of his favorite activities, like riding and shooting, may have been curtailed. The ongoing police investigation is a continuous worry for him. And still, his soulmate and former wife is being distant."
"Andrew is confined to a lonely existence," Turner continued. "Allegedly, he watches a TV channel which shows planes landing as one of his new methods of relaxation."
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Andrew's friend told The Sun that the disgraced ex-duke rejected the king's invitation to Balmoral Castle because he feared he would be treated as an "outcast."
Every summer, the royal family gathers at Balmoral to spend time together privately. About 30 family members are expected to join the king for the traditional gathering this year. The Sun reported that the king is not believed to have seen Andrew this year, despite at times staying only a mile away from him.
"Why would Andrew reject an olive branch from his brother?" said Turner. "There's a mixture of anger at what happened to him, a disdain for Charles, which he may see as a weak man, and, no doubt, arrogance with his belief that he can do what he wants without punitive measures taken against him. Also add to the tension with Prince William. Andrew is boxed in."
"There will never be any public restoration for Andrew at all, not now with King Charles and certainly not when Prince William ascends to the throne," said Fordwich.
"If Andrew did decline an invitation from the king, it might just be Andrew’s classic self-concern that he’d feel too awkward knowing he wasn’t wanted by the extended family at large. The only family member, I believe, who had visited Andrew was Prince Edward."
The Sun reported that Andrew’s ex-wife and their two daughters have "avoided" his new home, Marsh Farm, where he’s "lonely."
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Even as Andrew becomes increasingly isolated from royal life, one royal privilege reportedly remains intact.
The Daily Mail reported that Andrew remains on a confidential government list of royal family members with funeral plans prepared in advance. The arrangements are known as "bridge plans," with plans for senior royals named after bridges in the U.K.
When Queen Elizabeth II died in 2022, "Operation London Bridge" went into action. The plan for her husband, Prince Philip, was known as "Operation Forth Bridge" when he died in 2021.
The plans are kept confidential until the royal dies, People magazine reported. According to the Daily Mail, Andrew's funeral service is expected to be held at St. George's Chapel before he is laid to rest at the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore in Windsor.
Retired Rear Admiral Chris Parry, who captained HMS Fearless, told the Daily Mail that he believes the Royal Navy would provide volunteers to serve as pallbearers at Andrew's funeral. Andrew served in the Royal Navy from 1979 to 2001.
"... He had a Falklands medal, and you can't take that away from him, and he deserves the credit for that," said Parry. "... If somebody said to me, 'Would you do it?' I'd do it."
Spencer Kuvin, an attorney who represented nine of Epstein's victims, told the outlet that "taxpayers should not ever be funding a funeral for a private individual."
"No public money should be used to benefit him during death," he said. "It’s an embarrassment to the Crown."
Fox News Digital reached out to Buckingham Palace for comment.
Baker busts common sourdough myth that keeps busy Americans out of the kitchen
A loaf of sourdough can take three days to make. That doesn't mean you'll spend three days making it.
That's the distinction Kate Freebairn wants busy would-be bread bakers to understand.
Freebairn, a sourdough recipe developer and food blogger in rural Western Australia, says one of the biggest barriers keeping beginners away from sourdough is the perception that making it will take over their lives.
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"I think that people think that sourdough is really difficult and that it takes a lot of time, but really, even though a loaf of sourdough might take three days to complete, the actual time that you'll have your hands in the dough might only be an hour," Freebairn told Fox News Digital.
Her debut cookbook, "Easy Sourdough on Any Schedule," is built around fitting bread baking into everyday life rather than fitting life around bread baking.
For someone working a typical weekday, Freebairn suggests feeding the starter before bed, mixing the dough over morning coffee and tending to it while the kids are having breakfast. The dough can ferment while its baker is at work, then be shaped and refrigerated that evening.
The next morning, "you can wake up, pop the oven on, make your coffee and bake a fresh loaf of sourdough," Freebairn said. "So, the actual time that you have your hands in the dough is very minimal."
Freebairn also points to potential health benefits as another reason to choose sourdough.
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Because it is naturally fermented, she said, "the microbes in the sourdough starter, they're already doing some of the digestion for you," adding that sourdough "tends to not spike your blood sugar" and "has lots of prebiotics, which are really good for gut health."
Her favorite benefit, however, is simpler.
"Probably the best thing is it really does taste better," she said.
Beginners don't need a kitchen full of specialized equipment, either. Freebairn said an old pickle jar can hold a starter, and an ordinary bowl can substitute for a proofing basket. Her own Dutch oven isn't an expensive status piece.
"I literally still to this day use a $30 Dutch oven I bought from Aldi," she said.
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Perhaps the bigger investment is patience. Freebairn recommends beginners expect their earliest loaves to be imperfect and says it may take five to 10 attempts to start getting the hang of the process.
"There's a lesson in every loaf," she said.
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It's advice that captures her approach to sourdough: Start with what you have, fit it around the life you're already living and don't worry if the first loaf isn't perfect.
"Easy Sourdough on Any Schedule" hits bookshelves in September.
AI's massive appetite for power, water ignites fight in high-stakes Texas Senate race
FIRST ON FOX: There’s an ugly political fight brewing in the Lone Star State over data centers, and both candidates running for Senate are racing each other to unveil their plans to slow the AI boom in Texas.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is rolling out his own plan to address what has become a political pressure point in Texas politics during this midterm cycle: how to add guardrails to the explosion of data centers across the state as voters’ concerns rise about skyrocketing power and water costs.
The four-point plan, first obtained by Fox News Digital, details steps at the federal and state levels on the issue and comes in the waning weeks of a closely watched contest for power in the Senate between Paxton and state Sen. James Talarico, the Democratic nominee.
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"There’s no doubt in my mind that the United States will beat the Chinese Communist Party in the AI race," Paxton said in a statement. "This plan will ensure that happens while putting Texas First, protecting our culture and land, and safeguarding our families and communities. My plan will also work to ensure that data centers are not utilized to power AI platforms that endanger our children."
His plan comes after Talarico, who has used the issue of data centers as a political cudgel against Paxton, convened bipartisan roundtables and hit the Republican nominee for taking in nearly $500,000 in campaign donations to a variety of political action committees (PACs) that support him.
"Ken Paxton took nearly half a million dollars from data center companies and has ignored Texans in Hood County who asked him to help block a data center development in their community," Talarico campaign spokesperson JT Ennis told Fox News Digital.
"While Ken Paxton funnels data center money into his campaign, James is fighting to hold data centers accountable. Texans can’t afford a Senator who’s bought by big data center companies," he continued. "Texans can’t afford Ken Paxton’s corruption."
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He’s also not scot-free from receiving data center-adjacent money, either.
Talarico’s political operation, through his Lone Star Rising PAC, has received about $10 million from LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, an advocate for data centers who has argued about the value that they present in the AI arms race against China.
"While James Talarico and his campaign infrastructure accept millions of dollars from data center-affiliated donors and put their interests first, I will lead with Texans at the forefront. That’s exactly why I am proud to release my 4-Point Plan that will put Texans First and protect our communities," Paxton said.
The first three pillars of Paxton’s plan address actions against data centers at the federal level.
They would see Paxton author two bills in the Senate to prevent Chinese technology from powering data centers or being used in American infrastructure and creating criminal liabilities for data center companies if the centers empower AI chatbots that undermine children's safety.
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He would also join as a co-sponsor on the DATA Act, a bill from Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., that would create a new federal category for data centers to produce their own independent power away from preexisting power grids.
Talarico’s offering would repeal state tax exemptions for data centers, mandate that data centers cover 100% of grid connection costs, and require closed-loop water recycling systems. It would also give local governments the power to veto project developments.
Paxton similarly wants to undo sales tax exemptions for data centers, something he notably supported over a decade ago while in the state legislature.
Back in 2013, when he was serving as a freshman state senator in the Texas Legislature, Paxton voted in favor of 100% sales tax exemptions for data centers, which passed on a nearly unanimous vote out of the state Senate.
While that exemption required a hefty ground-floor investment of $200 million and employment requirements to receive, it also sparked the present-day boom in data centers.
Meanwhile, at the state level, Paxton would also push Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s new directive unveiled earlier this month to effectively freeze the data center explosion.
Abbott touted earlier this week that his directive has so far halted roughly 1,800 data center projects in the Lone Star State. It requires data centers to disclose how much power they’re using and whether they will produce independent power, their water consumption, financial incentives they’ve received, a plan to lower the impact on local communities and documented ownership of the center.
"These guidelines are now the universally applied standard in Texas," Abbott said on X.