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Berkeley math professor sounds alarm on liberal 'test-blind' policies, warns many students badly behind
A Berkeley mathematics professor is sounding the alarm that many students are woefully unprepared when they arrive at college because the University of California system's progressive "test-blind" policies have proven disastrous.
"Three days a week, I stand in front of lecture halls with 500 to 1,400 students. By the second week of the semester, I already know who is in trouble," professor Zvezdelina Stankova wrote in a San Francisco Standard op-ed published Saturday.
"Some students are five to eight years behind in mathematics. Office hours that should be spent discussing integrals instead become lessons on fractions and basic algebra you would expect students to learn in middle school," he said.
Stankova and thousands of faculty members across the 10 UC campuses have signed open letters urging the university system to reinstate the SAT and ACT in admissions. Former UC president Janet Napolitano, who also served in the Obama administration, led the way in 2020 to phase out the standardized testing, in part out of "equity" concerns.
"Since then, admissions officers have been forbidden from considering the one standardized measure that provided a common academic benchmark across California’s thousands of high schools," Stankova wrote.
CAMPUS ANTISEMITISM EXTENDS BEYOND STUDENT PROTESTS AND INTO CLASSROOMS, ADL WARNS
"After UC adopted test-blind admissions, the picture changed dramatically," she wrote.
Stankova laid out brutal data showing a sharp decline in student math readiness after UC stopped considering standardized tests. From 2018 to 2020, 71% of roughly 2,200 tested Calculus I students were deemed ready or nearly ready, while just 0.14% tested below basic algebra.
Among roughly 2,800 students tested from 2021 to 2023 using a different diagnostic, only 51% were ready or nearly ready. That fell to 44% in 2023, and a whopping 17% answered none of eight tested topics correctly.
"Those of us teaching such courses don’t experience the consequences as abstractions. We watch students struggle through material they were expected to master years earlier. We pause lectures to reteach linear equations instead of expanding students’ understanding of differential equations," Stankova wrote.
In an open letter from UC STEM faculty written in June, instructors specifically rejected the notion that "equity" was affected by the math requirement.
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"The SAT/ACT mathematics requirement is not an obstacle to equity; rather, it is a prerequisite for it," they wrote. "Failing to measure preparation gaps does not remove barriers; it moves them into the classroom, where they become harder to overcome. An admissions process that ignores foundational readiness does a disservice to the most vulnerable students. True access requires an honest assessment of the support students need and where, within California’s public higher education system, they can best receive it."
The UC announced that month it was launching a review of its standardized testing policy.
"The Board of Regents and University leadership take very seriously the critical issue of college preparedness, and the UC Academic Senate has proposed a comprehensive, data-driven review to support its recommendations to strengthen student readiness and success at UC," University of California President James B. Milliken said at the time. "There are few things more important on our agenda."
The op-ed comes as more elite universities are moving away from the test-optional policies that were in vogue during what Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., might call the "Woke 1" era around 2020.
CONSERVATIVES SHRED AOC AS SHE ATTEMPTS TO BRUSH OFF RADICAL 'WOKE 1' WAVE AMID 2028 SPECULATION
Columbia University in June joined seven other Ivy League institutions in going away from test-optional policies, announcing it would reinstate standardized testing requirements for undergraduate applicants starting next year, according to HigherEdDive.
Berkeley did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Concerns about coddled or underprepared students at elite schools are hardly exclusive to California.
Fox News Digital reported last week that freshmen at the University of Michigan next year will get a semester-long break from having letter grades appear on their transcripts as school officials look for new ways to combat the "mental health crisis" affecting higher education.
Ex-WWE star wins world title in emphatic return to Game Changer Wrestling in violent Atlantic City showcase
It was a true homecoming for Joseph Sawyer on Saturday night.
The former WWE star, then known as Joe Gacy, made his return to Game Changer Wrestling (GCW) as the company held Homecoming Night 1 at the Showboat Resort Atlantic City in New Jersey. Sawyer survived a bloody affair to capture the GCW World Championship in a victory over Atticus Cogar.
COMPLETE PRO WRESTLING COVERAGE ON FOX NEWS DIGITAL
"What a f---ing Homecoming," he told the crowd after winning the title.
Indeed it was.
It was Sawyer’s first match in GCW since 2020 when he went by Psycho Joe. The Franklin, New Jersey, native went to war with Cogar. The match featured brutal chair shots and multiple attempts at putting Cogar through a door set up in the corner of the ring.
It was also a night that featured tributes to the late Bray Wyatt. Cogar’s entrance music was a nod to the former WWE star who died unexpectedly in August 2023. Cogar also wore a jacket and a mask in tribute.
Sawyer hit a Sister Abigail DDT to finish off Cogar. The GCW crowd that packed the event space at the Showboat went wild. Fans started to bang on the apron of the ring as Sawyer celebrated.
The violence portrayed in the ring only scratched the surface of what occurred throughout the night. Light tubes, chains, scaffolds, chairs and a barbed wire table all made an appearance.
Otis Cogar retained the GCW Ultraviolent Championship against Anakin Murphy, who played into the New Jersey crowd coming out in gear inspired by My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way.
Cogar pulled out all the stops to finish off a resilient Murphy, who told Cogar to "f---ing end it" before the champion hit him with a brutal chair shot. Murphy tried to get Cogar down the best he could, even taking a fan’s Buffalo Bills helmet to use it as a weapon. Regardless, it was Cogar’s night but he learned later he would have a new challenger for his championship.
Vipress and Christian Napier battled in a brutal Chola Chain Match. The competitors were connected to each other by a chain tied to their wrists. Once Napier threw Vipress into a chair that was placed in between turnbuckles, she was busted wide open.
With blood dripping down her face, Vipress was able to power through. She took back control of the match when Napier got tied up in the ropes. She found some light tubes and smashed them over Napier’s head.
Vipress was able to wrap the chain around Napier’s face to make him tap out and secure the win.
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She took the mic after the match and called out Cogar to challenge for the GCW Ultraviolent Championship.
In one of the scarier moments of the night, Nick Gage, Nino Extremo and Sicko The Clown defeated Conor Claxton, Dr. Redacted and Jimmy Lloyd in a six-man deathmatch.
Claxton was attempting to end the match when he followed Sicko The Clown to the top of a scaffold that was set up on the side of the ring. Claxton had already prepared to do some damage, setting up a bundle of light tubes on the match. Extremo followed them both to the top of the scaffold and it allowed Sicko The Clown to regain control.
Sicko The Clown hit a Spanish fly on Claxton through the light tubes. Sicko The Clown pinned Claxton, who appeared to be bleeding profusely from his arm. Claxton was taken to the hospital and appeared to be OK.
Elsewhere, KJ Orso and Sam Stackhouse defeated Alec Price and Jordan Oliver to become the new GCW tag team champions. Bobby Flaco, Hunter Drake, Jay Lucas and Terry Yaki defeated Leedz Lewis, Ryan O’Neill, Sal Mistretta and Tarzan Duran in an eight-man tag match.
Joey Janela staved off the possibility of retirement when he defeated Marko Stunt with the help of O’Neill. Bear Bronson and Gabby Forza defeated Charles Mason and Slade.
GCW Homecoming Night 2 is set for Sunday at the Showboat once again. Pro wrestling fans can watch the event on Triller TV+.
Anti-Israel nonprofit under federal investigation over financial dealings: report
The Department of Homeland Security is investigating a nonprofit with connections to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for potentially providing donor funds to a sanctioned Palestinian group, the New York Post reported Friday.
The report says federal authorities are probing the U.K.-based organization known only as PFF, which has a roughly $100 million war chest used to support anti-Israel causes. It also may have contributed donor funds to Al-Haq, a Palestinian group sanctioned by the U.S., the Post reported.
"A new fund set up by Arabs across the US, UK, and Australia has been built to take on Israel," one source familiar with the operation told the Post.
One source who spoke to the Post described one Bassema Yousef as the "lynchpin" for the PFF's fundraising. Born in New York, Yousef is a longtime ally of Mamdani and a prolific Democratic donor, though she now lives in London, according to the Post.
MAMDANI'S POLITICS LINKED TO MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD IDEOLOGY AS NEW YORK VIOLENCE ESCALATES: REPORT
Her social media presence shows multiple anti-Israel rants, claiming Israel is committing "war crimes with U.S. tax dollars," among other things.
Sources told the Post that Yousef established the PFF with backing from two wealthy donors: Austin, Texas-based investing executive Basil Qunibi and Palestinian-Australian motorsports magnate Yasser Shahin.
Corporate filings in the U.K. confirm Shahin's role in supporting the PFF, the Post reported. The IRS also confirmed the PFF has a nonprofit arm based in Delaware.
Sources with direct knowledge of the PFF's operations told the Post the organization's executives work to finance anti-Israel messages and defend pro-Palestinian activists.
"PFF is a strategic foundation that is large, well-funded, and institutional in quality," the foundation says on its website. "We partner with organisations that we believe have an ability to consistently deliver results that align with our strategic objectives."
"PFF and its partners are unequivocally committed to justice, peace, inclusion and non-violence," the nonprofit said.
The DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. The DHS declined to comment in a statement to the Post.
"HSI does not comment on the existence or status of specific investigations, nor on investigative methods, intelligence sources, or potential enforcement actions," a DHS spokesperson told The Post, referring to the Homeland Security Investigations unit.
The Post went on to note that the reported DHS investigation does not indicate any criminal wrongdoing.
Progressive Minneapolis mayor's viral hip-hop moves spark 'humiliation ritual' mockery online
Social media is erupting over a viral video of Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey showing off his awkward dance moves while attending the Black Entrepreneur State Fair, with the clip quickly spreading across X as users call the dance a "cringe" performance.
The clip, posted on TikTok last week, shows Frey moving his hips and shoulders to hip-hop music while wearing sunglasses and interacting with an emcee on the dance floor, prompting a wave of mockery from conservative commentators.
"Why are they always like this? This is almost worse than when he pretended the Somali food he was choking down his throat was delicious. He’s a walking humiliation ritual," said conservative commentator Benny Johnson.
"What an embarrassment," said one user.
SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS WITH MOCKERY AS DEM SENATE CANDIDATE'S PEP TALK GOES VIRAL: 'IS THIS FOR REAL?'
"I’d honestly prefer that he defund the police," joked commentator Emily Jashinsky.
"One of the worst parts of Democrats becoming the party of theater kids isn’t just that they’re destroying American cities, it’s that they were clearly the worst and least talented theater kids, which is why they went into politics," said Outkick writer Ian Miller.
"The world is full of white liberals willing to play the fool," wrote a user.
MILLION-DOLLAR SNAP FOOD STAMP FRAUD SCHEME IN WALZ'S BACKYARD SPARKS OUTRAGE: 'CRUEL JOKE'
"Mayor Frey is out here dancing like his state his city is not in complete disarray and plagued with rampant fraud at every level. His ability to put on blinders and just vibe is unmatched," said X host Mario Nawfal.
"Cringe: Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey looking like the classic white guy dancing caricature," said one user.
Fox News Digital reached out to Frey's office for comment.
The annual Black Entrepreneur State Fair, a weeklong celebration of Black-owned businesses, was held Aug. 9-15 at Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis.
The video comes amid a string of Democratic lawmakers and candidates drawing online mockery over attempts to connect with voters through dance and other lighthearted performances, with critics branding the moments awkward and bizarre.
HASAN PIKER CALLS FOR DEMOCRATS WHO OPPOSE ABDUL EL-SAYED TO BE 'PUNISHED'
Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed also faced criticism after a campaign video parodying the children's series "Blue’s Clues" to explain voting by mail resurfaced online.
Wearing a green-striped shirt, he recreated the show’s "Mail Time" song and dance, while pulling an "Abdul for Senate" ballot from a mailbox to explain ballot deadlines and voting procedures in the style of the children’s program.
He ended the video by adapting the show’s "Blue’s Skidoo" catchphrase to "Vote ski-doo. We can too!" and disappearing into a campaign-themed picture frame.
The internet piled on El-Sayed, with critics calling the video "the most cringeworthy political advert" and "disgusting."
Fox News Digital’s Hannah Brennan and Peter D'Abrosca contributed to this report.
Stephen A Smith warns national Black journalists group ‘I’m coming’ after receiving ‘Thumbs Down’ award
ESPN host and political commentator Stephen A. Smith vowed Sunday to confront the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) after it gave him a "Thumbs Down" award at the group's Saturday night gala in Atlanta because of what it characterized as his repeated disparagement of prominent Black women.
Smith framed the award as the beginning of a broader dispute with the organization.
"This is the epitome of Christmas arriving early. The @NABJ wants to call folks out, fine! You had your turn, now mine is coming. And make no mistake…..,I’m coming," Smith said in a post on X.
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Smith also indicated that he planned to scrutinize NABJ's own record after remaining silent about the organization for years.
"Remember @NABJ, you asked for it. I’ve shut my mouth for years. Now y’all started something," Smith said.
The NABJ announced the decision during its Salute to Excellence Awards Gala at the organization's annual convention. A video of the presentation was shared by Washington Association of Black Journalists President Phil Lewis. Lewis also said that the NABJ presented the disparaging award to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, CBS News, DuJuan McCoy, owner and CEO of Circle City Broadcasting and WISH-TV, and The Washington Post.
"Smith has established a recurring public pattern of disparaging commentary directed at prominent Black women across politics, sports, and media," the award presentation said.
"Such commentary reinforces harmful narratives, undermines the fair and respectful representation of Black women in public discourse, and stands in direct conflict with NABJ’s longstanding commitment to accurate, responsible, and inclusive portrayals of Black communities," it continued.
NABJ's published criteria said the annual distinction goes to a person or organization responsible for especially insensitive, racist or stereotypical coverage or commentary about the Black community, or practices contrary to NABJ's goals. The clip online did not identify any particular women or remark(s) made by Smith behind the decision.
NABJ President Errin Haines said recipients could respond to the criticism and change their conduct, but the organization said it would continue speaking publicly.
"The door is open. The conversation is available, and the opportunity to change is real. But NABJ will not be silent. Not in this moment, and not on my watch," Haines said during the presentation.
JASMINE CROCKETT WARNS DEMOCRATS ARE TOO FOCUSED ON WHITE VOTERS, IGNORING BLACK VOTERS
An editor for the conservative watchdog, the Media Research Center, told Fox News Digital Sunday that the award reflected what he viewed as a broader disconnect between journalism organizations and the public.
"This charade is further proof these so-called journalist trade groups are an absolute scam. They exist to keep Woke 1 alive, and illuminate the reality elitist journalists are wildly disconnected from the rest of the country," NewsBusters Managing Editor Curtis Houck said.
"Stephen A. Smith was exactly right to eviscerate them. Smith is known as someone who can be a bloviator, but he also calls out all sides if he feels they did something wrong. It's a lesson those in the NABJ should take a page from instead of masquerading as clownish activists," he added.
Democratic strategist and political commentator Ameshia Cross, who attended the awards dinner, criticized NABJ’s presentation.
"I think NABJ wanted to trend again because that was messy for no damn reason," Cross said on X. "I left the awards dinner, which was otherwise a ceremony dedicated to great journalism across multiple regions and descended into petty...with thousands of unemployed Black folk in the field."
iCloud Private Relay leaks can expose your real IP
If you pay for iCloud+ and use Safari, you may have turned on iCloud Private Relay for an extra layer of privacy. Apple designed the feature to prevent websites from seeing your actual IP address and exact location.
Now, security researchers have found three ways that certain WebKit features can slip outside that protection.
Researchers Talal Haj Bakry and Tommy Mysk discovered that DNS prefetching, a WebAuthn feature connected to passkeys and WebTransport can bypass WebKit's proxy configuration. Two of those methods can expose your real internet protocol (IP) address. The other can reveal information about the DNS servers your device is using.
What makes this especially concerning is that these are legitimate browser technologies. A website does not necessarily need to convince you to download a suspicious file or install a shady app for the network requests to occur.
Here's how these iCloud Private Relay leaks work, who may be affected and what you can do to better protect your privacy.
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ARE APPLE DEVICES SPYING? WHAT YOUR IPHONE TRACKS
Apple's iCloud Private Relay is available to iCloud+ subscribers and works with Safari browsing. When you turn it on, Apple sends your Safari requests through two separate internet relays. Your internet provider can see your IP address, but your DNS records are encrypted. A second relay then gives the website a temporary IP address instead of your actual one.
The design keeps any single party from seeing both who you are and which websites you visit. That makes Private Relay useful if you want to reduce the amount of location and browsing information websites can collect about you. However, the newly documented WebKit behavior creates paths around that relay.
The researchers identified three separate mechanisms. Each works a little differently.
Browsers often try to make websites load faster by looking up the addresses of links before you click them. This process is called DNS prefetching. Normally, you would expect those lookups to follow the same privacy path as the rest of your browsing.
The researchers found that WebKit can instead send these DNS requests through your device's normal DNS connection. As a result, a website could see DNS requests coming from your real network instead of the proxy. The issue has been available on iOS since iOS 26.0, according to the researchers.
This does not directly hand over everything you are doing online. However, it can expose network information that Private Relay was expected to shield.
The second issue involves WebAuthn, the web standard used by passkeys. Some companies operate several websites and want the same passkey to work across those related domains. WebAuthn has a feature that lets a device verify whether those websites belong together. To do that, the operating system may contact a website directly to retrieve a small verification file.
According to the researchers, that request happens outside Safari's normal proxied network path. Therefore, the destination server can receive your device's real IP address even while Private Relay is active.
Importantly, this research does not show that an attacker can steal your passkey through this flaw. The privacy exposure comes from the network request used during verification. So, there is no reason to abandon passkeys because of this finding.
WebTransport gives websites a faster way to maintain low-latency connections with servers. Certain interactive web services can benefit from that speed.
However, researchers found that WebKit can establish a WebTransport connection directly from your device instead of sending it through the configured proxy.
When that happens, the server on the other end can see your actual IP address. Private Relay does not intercept that connection because it occurs outside the network path Private Relay normally protects. WebTransport became publicly available on iOS with iOS 26.4.
SHARED VPN VS DEDICATED IP: WHICH ONE IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
The findings matter most if you rely on Safari with iCloud Private Relay to hide your IP address. They can also affect privacy-focused browsers or apps that use WebKit's proxy configuration. The researchers specifically examined WebKit-based proxy browsers on iOS and macOS. That means the issue reaches beyond one particular browser feature.
The researchers say VPNs do not suffer from these specific WebKit proxy leaks because a VPN tunnels network traffic at the system level instead of relying on WebKit's browser-level proxy configuration.
That does not mean a VPN eliminates every form of online tracking. Websites can still recognize you through account logins, cookies and other signals.
If you use Private Relay, there is no reason to panic or immediately switch it off. Most Safari browsing still follows Private Relay's normal privacy architecture. Apple says the service is designed to prevent websites from seeing your IP address and exact location during Safari browsing. The problem is that certain WebKit features can create exceptions.
A website using one of these mechanisms could potentially learn your real IP address or information about your DNS connection. You may not see an obvious warning when that happens.
Your IP address usually will not reveal your home address. Still, it can expose your internet provider and approximate location. It can also give websites another identifier to connect with other information they have collected about you. For someone using Private Relay specifically because they do not want websites seeing that information, that matters.
We reached out to Apple for comment on the researchers' findings but did not hear back before our publication deadline.
There are several steps you can take while this WebKit behavior remains a concern.
Turning Private Relay off would remove its protection from Safari traffic that currently does travel through Apple's relay system.
On iPhone, you can check it by going to: Settings > your name > iCloud > Private Relay.
Apple also lets you choose between maintaining your general location or using only your country and time zone.
Install new iOS, iPadOS and macOS updates when Apple releases them.
On iPhone: Settings > General > Software Update.
Apple currently lists iOS 26.6 as its latest iPhone software release. Security and privacy fixes often arrive through operating system updates, so automatic updates can help you receive future fixes more quickly.
If hiding your real IP address is especially important to you, a reputable VPN offers a different type of protection. The researchers specifically note that VPNs are not affected by these three WebKit proxy leaks because the traffic is tunneled at the system level. Keep in mind that a VPN cannot make you invisible online. Websites can still recognize you if you sign in or provide identifying information. For the best VPN software, see my expert review of the best VPNs for browsing the web privately on your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at CyberGuy.com.
The WebAuthn finding may sound alarming because passkeys are involved. However, the researchers describe an IP-address exposure caused by a related network request. They do not describe attackers stealing the passkey itself. Passkeys remain one of the stronger options available for protecting accounts from phishing and stolen passwords.
The browser developer Psylo has already changed how its browser handles the three mechanisms. Psylo version 1.3.1 blocks DNS prefetch hints while WebTransport and WebAuthn are disabled by default. Users can turn those features back on for individual sites when needed. The changes show that browser developers can take steps to close these particular paths.
Privacy features work best when you understand what they actually protect. I still see value in iCloud Private Relay because it gives Safari users meaningful protection with almost no effort. However, I would not treat it as a replacement for a full-device VPN when keeping your real IP hidden is critical. What concerns me most here is how invisible these exceptions can be. You can turn on a privacy setting, see that it is enabled and reasonably assume every relevant connection follows it. These findings show why the plumbing underneath matters as much as the switch you see in Settings. Apple has built privacy into the way it markets the iPhone. That makes discoveries like this especially important because users should know where those protections have limits.
Would knowing that a website could potentially bypass Private Relay make you trust the feature less, or would you keep using it while waiting for Apple to address the loopholes? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.
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Sen Johnson releases new Fauci text flagging COVID vaccine concerns during pregnancy
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., on Sunday unveiled a new text exchange from Dr. Anthony Fauci’s government-issued phone as his committee reviews records concerning federal officials’ handling of COVID-19 vaccine safety concerns, including risks surrounding pregnancy.
On "Sunday Morning Futures," Johnson showcased a new text message conversation between Fauci and Dr. John Mascola, then-director of the Vaccine Research Center under NIAID. The senator said the message shows that Fauci received information about pregnancy-related concerns connected to vaccines.
"I am corrected on pregnancy studies. Initial Studies avoid vaccination in first trimester due to possible fever and higher rates of miscarriage in first trimester," Mascola wrote in a freshly disclosed text message that Fauci read on Jan. 25, 2021.
FAUCI TEXTS SUGGEST OFFICIALS WERE ‘TOO SLOW TO PIVOT' AMID PANDEMIC, SAYS DR MARC SIEGEL
"This text really raises more questions than it answers," Johnson said, adding that it was still unknown from whom Fauci received information about cytokine storms, an adverse reaction associated with COVID-19, according to a January 2022 study posted on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) website.
Johnson said his team reached out to Mascola, who retained an attorney, and he hopes the doctor will cooperate.
Johnson's team also released an email Fauci received from Dr. Janet Woodcock, who was the commissioner of the FDA at the time, who raised concerns on May 27, 2021, about "adverse events" after COVID vaccination. She called for a study into the matter.
Johnson accused Fauci of sitting on that information and failing to act accordingly.
"We see time and time again, these government officials, whose responsibility was to surveil for safety signals, weren't doing their job," Johnson said. "When they saw something, they covered it up."
Fauci on Friday declined a request from Johnson, who is chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, to voluntarily appear before a second Senate panel, opening another front in Republicans’ investigations into the former public health official’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fauci's attorney argued that compelling him to testify again after his contentious July 29 Senate hearing, during which he invoked the Fifth Amendment 111 times, would "impermissibly harass or degrade Dr. Fauci for political purposes."
Fox News' Brittany Miller contributed to this report.
Kate Moss and daughter Lila stun in swimsuits during Spanish getaway
Hollywood's biggest stars are soaking up the summer sun and bringing the heat.
Stars like Kate Moss and Emily Ratajkowski were photographed in their swimsuits enjoying the water, while Halle Berry rang in a new decade in a see-through dress.
Whether on vacation or at home, these stars had no issue flaunting their fit figures for all to see.
SHAKIRA SOAKS UP THE MIAMI SUN AS BIKINI-CLAD NINA DOBREV, KIM KARDASHIAN SHOWCASE SUMMER GETAWAYS
Here are some of this week's best celebrity photos.
Kate Moss and her daughter, Lila, were spotted enjoying the summer sun while on vacation in Spain.
The mother-daughter duo were photographed spending the day on a boat off the coast of Formentera, Spain, with a group of friends.
The iconic '90s supermodel sported a black one-piece bathing suit with a plunging neckline and a low-cut back, while her daughter stunned in a red bikini with a white paisley print that showed off her toned abs.
Both Lila and Kate decided to cool off in the ocean, with photographs showing Kate diving off the back of the boat into the blue water.
Other photos show the two laughing and spending time with their friends, including Lila's godmother, Rose Ferguson, before they covered up to head home.
While walking off the boat, Lila was spotted in an oversized T-shirt, while Kate wore a black-and-white floral cover-up.
Halle Berry kicked off a new decade by sharing a series of risqué photos on social media.
The "Monster's Ball" star started her 60th birthday celebration by posting photos on Instagram featuring her in a floor-length black knit dress with a plunging halter neckline.
She paired the sheer dress with black sunglasses, small hoop earrings and long gold necklaces, captioning the post, "60 here I come…."
"Still absolutely beautiful, stunning, gorgeous …..You get the idea 🥰," one fan wrote in the comments section. Another added, "Because age is only a number! 😍"
A third fan chimed in, "60 looks absolutely stunning on you. I hope to look this beautiful, confident, and full of life when I reach your age. You’re truly inspiring. ❤️✨"
Bella Thorne continues to tease "Spring Breakers: Salvation Mountain," the sequel to the 2013 film "Spring Breakers."
She shared a series of photos on Instagram, captioned, "spring break baby 🫧🔫💦😵💫🫦👀."
EMILY RATAJKOWSKI'S SHREDDED RED BIRTHDAY DRESS LEAVES LITTLE TO THE IMAGINATION AT NYC CELEBRATION
In the photos, the former Disney Channel star posed on a white Jeep while wearing a tie-dye bikini. One of the photos shows Thorne sitting on the Jeep's spare tire with one arm on her head as she looks up.
Another photo shows her leaning against the Jeep as she looks into the camera, while another shows her sitting in the backseat and looking out the front window.
The actress paired the bikini with several bracelets and high-top Converse sneakers with white socks.
"Omg I can’t wait for Spring breakers 2 ❤️," one fan wrote in the comments section, while another added, "We ready for that sequel🤩🤩." A third wrote, "You look incredible girl !!😍"
Emily Ratajkowski is having a dreamy seaside summer with her son and friends.
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In a recent Instagram post, the model and actress shared a carousel of photos from her summer getaway, including several that showed off her toned physique in different bikinis.
"The summer i finally read ferrante (it’s all i want to talk about)" she captioned the post.
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One of the photos featured Ratajkowski standing in a kitchen wearing a black-and-white polka-dot bikini with intricate straps tied around her abs and waist, which she paired with white polka-dot pants.
She also included photos of herself lounging on a yacht in a striped bikini, taking a selfie of herself in an animal-print bikini, lounging on the beach with her son and spending time with her friends.
"The absolute most beautiful ❤️," one fan wrote in the comments section. Another added, "Sweet sweet Emily."
1 in 6 adults plagued by loneliness as researchers reveal lasting impact of COVID pandemic
A study of over 135,000 adults found that a surprising number of individuals feel lonely often — and that some of the loneliest people live in urban areas, shocking the researchers. Not only that — but the COVID pandemic made it worse.
Professors at Imperial College London conducted the study. They recruited a total of 135,725 volunteers aged 16 and older to complete an online survey in England throughout a five-month period in 2023.
Almost one in six adults reported feeling lonely "often or always" — and more than one in five people frequently felt a lack of companionship or had feelings of being left out or isolated, news agency SWNS reported.
WHEN IS A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS TOO SEVERE FOR TELEHEALTH? WARNING SIGNS FAMILIES SHOULDN'T IGNORE
The findings of the study, called INTERACT, surprised those involved.
When the researchers dug deeper into the data, they found that some of the loneliest people were clustered in urban environments and cities, including London, Birmingham and Manchester.
Austen El-Osta, Ph.D., public health researcher and study lead for INTERACT, said, "The key message is not simply that many people feel lonely, but that loneliness is strongly influenced by people’s surroundings, social network and their environment."
This reflected the "urban paradox" theory, the study said — where those in major cities that offer greater economic, cultural and social advantages often report lower life satisfaction, connectivity and happiness, compared to people in rural areas.
The team also found a significant lasting effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nearly 44% of respondents said the pandemic increased their feelings of loneliness — while 48.2% reported increased feelings of isolation.
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Senior author of the study, Dr. Azeem Majeed of the National Health Service, said, "As an NHS GP, I see how loneliness affects both the mental and physical health of my patients. It contributes to problems such as anxiety and depression, increases the risk of long-term conditions, and often leads to more frequent GP consultations."
He said that "by strengthening community connections and social capital, we can help prevent loneliness and enable people to live healthier, happier and more connected lives."
Whether people were in relationships or not didn’t seem to impact their loneliness levels.
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The research found that 45% of respondents were married or in a civil partnership — while almost 20% were single.
El-Osta said, "Loneliness is often treated as a private experience, but our findings reinforce that it is also a public health and community issue."
He added that "public health responses need to look beyond individual resilience and consider the environments, services and community assets that help people feel connected, supported and able to participate."
The team believes that this is "one of the world’s largest dedicated studies of loneliness and the largest of its kind conducted in a single country," according to Imperial College London.
The group also cautioned that while the findings offer an important snapshot, "the study cannot be used to estimate the scale of the problem at the population level."
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In addition, the researchers noted several limitations of their study, including that it overrepresented highly educated individuals and underrepresented minority ethnic groups.
They also highlighted the "inherent self-selection bias of this type of online survey, where those more interested or affected by an issue are more likely to take part."
Recently, another study found that feeling lonely may take a toll on older adults' memory — though it may not speed up cognitive decline.
Researchers from Colombia, Spain and Sweden analyzed data from more than 10,000 adults ages 65 to 94 across 12 European countries.
They found those who reported higher levels of loneliness did worse on memory tests at the start of the study, according to research published in the spring in the journal Aging & Mental Health.
The researchers also suggested that screening for loneliness be incorporated into routine cognitive assessments as one way to support healthy aging.
Deirdre Bardolf of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.
CBS News correspondent accused of sexual harassment in former ABC producer's lawsuit
Former ABC News field producer Samira Said sued CBS News chief correspondent Matt Gutman, ABC News, The Walt Disney Co. and an ABC bureau chief on Friday, alleging Gutman made sexualized workplace comments and ABC later fired her after denying medical accommodations related to trauma from covering the Uvalde school massacre.
Said alleged Gutman initiated a conversation about another female correspondent while Said worked on an otherwise all-male team, according to the complaint filed In Los Angeles Superior Court.
"While the team waited in a public queue during the assignment, Gutman initiated a discussion rating a female correspondent’s appearance and reducing her professional standing to a numerical score based on her physical attributes," the complaint said.
"The male crew joined in, continuing to assess the woman’s body and looks in Said’s presence. The men attempted to draw Said into the conversation by soliciting her views. Said declined and stated the conversation was inappropriate."
The filing described a second alleged incident during a movie-release press event, when Said and Gutman disagreed over whether their team should leave the work site.
"In front of multiple coworkers, Gutman responded by making a sexualized insinuation that Said must have an after-hours date in the city and that this is why she did not want to relocate," the complaint said. "The remark, made audibly to others, demeaned Said and reduced her professional judgment to a sexualized stereotype."
The allegations against Gutman are part of a broader lawsuit in which Said accused ABC and Disney of discrimination, retaliation, failing to accommodate her medical conditions and wrongfully terminating her. Said worked in ABC News' Los Angeles bureau from May 2021 until March 2025, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
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Said alleged she was experiencing COVID-19 symptoms when management urged her to cover the May 2022 mass school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Her assignment included interviewing children who witnessed their classmates and teachers being killed, after which she said she experienced severe psychological symptoms, the lawsuit states.
A psychiatrist later cleared Said to return from medical leave with accommodations, but she alleged then-Los Angeles bureau chief David Herndon would not permit a restricted schedule.
Herndon "made it clear that unless she returned without restrictions and with full-week availability, she would not be permitted to resume her role," the complaint said.
Said alleged she was subsequently moved to weekend desk shifts. She was later assigned to cover the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires and other hazardous weather events in the city, during which, the complain alleges, heavy equipment allegedly struck her foot and caused a bone contusion.
ABC terminated Said during what had been presented as a routine meeting on March 5, 2025, the filing said. She is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, attorneys’ fees and a jury trial. The allegations have not been adjudicated.
Gutman joined CBS in January after 17 years at ABC and became the first major on-air hire under CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss. CBS announced that Gutman would report for "CBS Mornings" and the "CBS Evening News," lead reporting for "48 Hours," contribute to "60 Minutes" and serve as a fill-in anchor.
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Weiss praised Gutman’s reporting when CBS announced his hiring.
"Matt Gutman goes there," Weiss said. "He brings the audience along with him to whatever story he is covering, and he approaches his work with the qualities we look for in all our journalists: fearlessness, energy and relentlessness."
Fox News Digital reached out to Disney and CBS for comment, but did not immediately receive a response. A Disney representative told The Los Angeles Times that executives had not yet reviewed the complaint.