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Arizona sheriff's helicopter crew rescues man stranded atop overturned truck in rapidly rising floodwaters
Dramatic video shows an Arizona sheriff's helicopter crew rescuing a man stranded on top of his overturned truck as rapidly moving floodwaters surrounded the vehicle.
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office said its Fox 1 aviation crew responded Tuesday morning to a flooded wash in Tonopah, where deputies found the man sitting atop the overturned vehicle with water rushing around him.
Video released by authorities shows the man perched on the truck as muddy floodwaters rush past him.
Because of the dangerous conditions, first responders determined that directly reaching the man was too risky and decided a "hoist rescue" would be the safest option.
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A member of the Fox 1 crew is seen being lowered toward the vehicle before securing the man in a rescue harness and being hoisted to safety with him.
The man was taken to the riverbank, where fire personnel were waiting, according to the sheriff's office.
The helicopter's pilot, Rich Dickner, told CBS News that the water was quickly rising around the vehicle.
"We didn't waste much time," Dickner said.
"As opposed to when we first got there, you can see the water line on the video — it's below the window — and it had risen up to the top of the window," he continued. "So there was that urgency."
People reported that Deputy Lindsey Smith was lowered approximately 80 feet from the helicopter toward the overturned truck.
She initially struggled to get her footing before securing herself to the vehicle, according to the report.
The entire rescue took less than five minutes, authorities said.
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office credited the crew's swift response with getting the man to safety.
"Thanks to the skill and quick response of our Aviation crew, the subject was safely brought to shore," the sheriff's office said.
"Excellent work, Fox 1!"
DEADLY GRAND CANYON FLOODING KNOCKS OUT CRITICAL WATER LINE AMID RACE TO FIND MISSING HIKERS
The Weather Channel reported that remnants of Hurricane Polo brought historic rainfall to parts of the Desert Southwest, contributing to dangerous flash flooding.
The Flood Control District of Maricopa County warned drivers not to attempt to cross flooded roads.
"Remember: Conditions can change fast. If you encounter a flooded roadway, Turn Around, Don't Drown."
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office for additional information.
White Sox, Yankees advance to next round with sweeps as Munetaka Murakami provides quote of the year
Wednesday afternoon had plenty of potential for drama, with all four wild card series offering the potential for teams to advance into the division round of the Major League Baseball playoffs.
The first game of the quadruple-header, the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies, delivered in spades. A Bryce Harper misplay in the 7th inning allowed two Braves' runs to score, putting the Phillies on the brink of elimination. But Schwarber and Harper hit back-to-back homers in the 8th to tie it, and a 10th inning homer for Alec Bohm won it for Philadelphia to force a winner-take-all game three on Thursday.
Then there's the Houston Astros. The Astros entered game two needing a win to force a game three, sending their ace, Hunter Brown, to the mound against the White Sox' powerful lineup. 36 pitches, five hits, four runs, two errors and just two outs later, the White Sox had a 4-0 lead and Brown was out of the game.
That summed up Houston's series; just not quite good enough to overcome Chicago's offense. The White Sox, one of baseball's most strikeout-prone offenses, had 13 in Wednesday's game, but kept chipping away, fending off an attempted Astros comeback with a massive three-run homer from Chase Meidroth in the 6th inning to give them some breathing room.
Four combined innings from Jordan Hicks and Erick Fedde closed it out to send the White Sox through for a massive ALDS against their division rival Cleveland Guardians. But they weren't done with the entertainment quite yet.
In the postgame clubhouse celebrations, star first year third baseman Munetaka Murakami gave what might be the quote of the season. When asked how he felt, Murakami answered, "100."
A minute later, after being joined by another member of the White Sox staff, Murakami, covered in beer, added, "I'm drunk, I'm drunk. Yesterday, maybe hungover, you know?"
After the interviewer offered a gentle correction, he said, "No, not yesterday, tomorrow. Sorry, I don't speak English."
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Impossible not to root for him.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the American League postseason bracket, the New York Yankees had an opportunity to sweep the hated Boston Red Sox after a dominant 9-0 win in game one. And after Cam Schlittler's remarkable outing on Tuesday, Max Fried was nearly as good on Wednesday.
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Six innings with just one run allowed, three hits, one walk and six strikeouts, enough for New York to take a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth. Which is where everything imploded for Boston. Garrett Crochet, making his first appearance on a big league mound since late-April, took over, hoping to keep the Yankees at two.
Instead, Spencer Jones reached on a strikeout, then stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error from catcher Adley Rutschmann. George Lombard singled in a run, Jazz Chisholm poked one through the right side, Trent Grisham got a bunt down for a hit, knocking Crochet out of the game without getting an out. Garrett Whitlock came in to stop the bleeding, but after two more runs scored on a sac fly and groundout, Cody Bellinger delivered the big blow.
On a 1-0 changeup, Bellinger took advantage of the short right field porch and knocked in three to make it 8-1.
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New York cruised home with a 9-2 win, setting up an ALDS matchup with the Tampa Bay Rays.
There are a few big takeaways from these two sweeps, namely the importance of power in October baseball. It's an old adage that small ball wins against quality pitching, but it was the homers from Chicago in game one and two that gave them the edge, while Bellinger's bomb effectively put the game out of reach in the Bronx. Even without Aaron Judge, the Yankees' lineup outscored Boston 17-2. And with two days off before the start of the ALDS, Schlittler will be able to start in game two of the ALDS, with Gerrit Cole or Carlos Rodon available for game one.
While the Yankees are through, the other three teams left in the AL bracket are the Guardians, Rays and White Sox. Those teams rank 25th, 26th and 28th in total payroll respectively. There's a long ways to go to reach or win the World Series, but it's a bit of a tough look for MLB that the league office has spent the past few months preparing to lock players out by claiming that small market teams with low payrolls have no hope of meaningful baseball.
Pretty sure those three organizations should have hope. Saturday in Cleveland and Tampa should be a blast. Playoff baseball always is.
Atlanta Dream advance to WNBA playoffs semifinals for first time since 2018 with Game 2 win
The Atlanta Dream avoided a first-round playoff exit for the first time in four years.
Atlanta, which finished with the Eastern Conference’s best regular-season record, had little trouble dispatching the Washington Mystics in Game 2 of their first-round WNBA playoff series Tuesday night. Star guard Allisha Gray led the Dream with 22 points in the 83-75 victory, punching Atlanta’s ticket to the semifinals for the first time since 2018.
Atlanta’s postseason run will continue Sunday, when the Dream host Game 1 of the semifinals against New York. The Liberty made league history by sweeping Minnesota, becoming the first No. 8 seed to eliminate a No. 1 seed in the league's 30-year history.
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Jordin Canada made 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions in the fourth quarter, and she added a jumper from the free-throw line on Atlanta’s next trip for an 89-70 lead with just under three minutes left on the clock.
Rhyne Howard, the top pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft, ended the night with 15 points before fouling out with just over six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Angel Reese also had 15 points and seven rebounds.
The Mystics committed 11 first-half turnovers.
Washington went on a 14-2 run starting in the third quarter to get within 65-62. But Atlanta scored the next 13 points, capped by a 3-pointer by Canada, to rebuild a double-digit lead at 78-62.
The Mystics were making their first playoff appearance since winning the 2019 WNBA championship, while the Dream have captured the conference title three times from 2010-13 but have never won a WNBA championship.
The Dallas Wings hosted the Golden State Valkyries in Wednesday's other first-round series matchup.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Pete Davidson calls out NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani over highway mess
Pete Davidson didn’t hold back while delivering a blunt message to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
On Monday night, the 32-year-old comedian appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" where Kimmel, 58, told him that Mamdani, 34, would be his next guest. The late night host then pointed out that Davidson was a "lifelong resident of this city" and asked if he had any questions for the mayor.
"Yes, could he fix the "f-----g BQE, please?" Davidson said in a clip shared on the show's Instagram page.
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The BQE, short for the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, is a major New York City highway that runs through Brooklyn and Queens and has long been criticized for traffic congestion and aging infrastructure.
Davidson's request was immediately met with cheers and thunderous applause from the studio audience.
"You hit on something," Kimmel noted.
"Look at that," Davidson said, gesturing toward the crowd.
"That's the loudest response I've ever gotten," he added with a laugh.
The "Saturday Night Live" star went on to explain that his frustration stemmed from the seemingly endless construction and what he described as a lack of visible work at the site.
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"The BQE has been under construction since before I was born. And here’s my problem with it," Davidson said. "They’re never doing anything. Someone’s just standing there eating a sandwich or on the phone, and there’s all these cones around."
"So I don't know what mob front or whatever, who's getting money from whatever, but just fix it, please," he added.
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"I'm going ask him about it. I will ask him about it," Kimmel assured Davidson, who replied, "Yeah, please!"
At the end of Mamdani's appearance on the show, Kimmel presented the mayor with Davidson's question.
"One more thing," Kimmel told Mamdani.
"Hit me," Mamdani said with a smile.
"Pete Davidson wants to know what's going on in the BQE," Kimmel said. "He says he drives by it and he sees nobody doing anything. He said it's been like since before he was born."
Mamdani responded by highlighting his office’s BQE Central Project, a $4 billion plan to rehabilitate the city-owned section of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway between Atlantic Avenue and Sands Street, with construction expected to begin in 2030.
"We're gonna be putting a multi-billion dollar plan to actually repair the part the city owns," Mamdani said. "Which is the part that is currently the most at risk and that's going to be proceeding over the next 10 years. Full safety. No diversion of traffic into local neighborhoods and actually bring it back."
"So you’re saying Pete’s daughter will also be complaining about this," Kimmel joked as Mamdani and the audience laughed.
Fox News Digital reached out to Davidson's and Mamdani's reps for comment.
Mamdani, a Democratic socialist, emerged as a surprise winner in New York City’s mayoral race last November after building a strong following through social media and grassroots campaigning. He took office on Jan. 1 when he was sworn in as mayor.
Davidson has mostly talked about politics jokingly, but he has openly criticized President Donald Trump and supported the Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election.
After Clinton lost the 2016 election, Davidson posted an angry pro-Clinton message and later got a tattoo of the former Secretary of State, calling her his "hero."
In an interview with Variety that was published Wednesday, Davidson discussed how he is in the process of removing nearly all of his almost 200 tattoos.
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"One, they were f----n' horrible," he said of his tattoos. "Two, it was a business decision. I hated coming into the makeup trailer three hours early to spray-paint over horrible f----n' tattoos. And third, I was like, ‘I’m not this dude.’ I got these when I was in an immense amount of pain and I was trying to show people my pain."
Davidson admitted that some of his tattoos were a result of his past struggles with self-harm, saying he initially used the ink to cover scars.
"I used to cut, so some of [the tattoos] covered up the cuts," he told Variety.
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However, Davidson confirmed that he would be keeping his Clinton tattoo despite removing most of his other ink.
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"She stays," he said of the tattoo depicting Clinton in a power suit on his right leg.
"That’s my dog," Davidson added of Clinton. "I love Hillary, man. She’s awesome and a good friend."
Netanyahu praises heroic bystander in bloody cockpit attack for preventing ‘another 9/11’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the bloody cockpit attack that occurred on a flight headed from Dubai to Tel Aviv during an exclusive interview with Fox News on Wednesday.
Netanyahu recounted how the event unfolded and praised the "unbelievable courage" of passengers who quickly corralled the alleged attacker and stabilized the plane, specially crediting Yaniv Chayon, the man who broke into the cockpit and tamed the attacker.
The prime minister said he prevented the world from a disaster of "unbelievable proportions."
"The passengers, including 30 children, are already saying their prayers. They know they're gone from this world," he told "Hannity." "And this young man just acts with incredible, incredible heroism and saves the day."
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"He acted with coolness of judgment and heroism… just tremendous courage that prevented another 9/11."
The 9/11 terrorist attacks killed nearly 3,000 people.
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A pilot aboard the Israel-bound FlyDubai flight allegedly stabbed another pilot and apparently attempted to "crash the plane" with more than 100 people onboard — an incident authorities describe as a suspected hijacking.
The wounded captain unlocked the cockpit door, letting in passengers who worked together to subdue the attacker and stabilize the nosediving aircraft.
Netanyahu met with Chayon earlier on Wednesday, lauding his act of courage and praising him for taking control of the plane under "impossible" circumstances.
"I met with this Israeli, this unbelievable Israeli. His name is Yaniv, who did this thing," he explained. "And I asked him, ‘How did you do it?’ And he said, ‘Well, I just had to do it.’"
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"His family was there, 174 passengers, most of whom were Israelis, were there. He had to save them."
Netanyahu blamed "hatred" for the attack and said it was rooted in antisemitism and that many have "fallen prey" to what he described as "propaganda" that vilifies Israel.
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"I don't know the exact background of this person, the attacker, but he obviously hated Israelis because he was going to kill about 170 of them on this plane, killing himself, too," the prime minister said.
"That's fanaticism and hatred of an incalculable level."
While the captain was incapacitated, the aircraft dropped from 30,000 feet to 17,000 in roughly one minute before it diverted to Saudi Arabia, according to flight radar. Other pilots aboard the aircraft took control and landed it safely.
The pilot of Flight 1073 has been identified as Capt. Smit Machchhar. Netanyahu says he is "fighting for his life" after sustaining severe injuries.
"Apparently, he stabbed him, or he hit him with an ax. He was bleeding profusely. The plane began to go out of control and began a nosedive," Netanyahu said.
"The pilot who was there was an Indian pilot with sort of a very badly wounded. He's fighting, I think, for his life right now, but in an act of unbelievable courage, he managed to unlock the door to the cockpit."
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Netanyahu told Reuters that the alleged cockpit attacker was arrested after the plane made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. An Israeli official identified the co-pilot as an Omani national.
FlyDubai cautioned that the suspect’s motive remains unknown and declared that all flights in and out of Israel will be suspended while the investigation is carried out.
Israeli officials say investigators are working to examine the co-pilot’s motive and whether he acted alone.
"Just think about it... If you're next hijacked, make sure an Israeli is sitting next to you," Netanyahu said.
TikTok couple charged with arson after house fire causes $10K in damage
A TikTok couple was arrested Tuesday for allegedly setting an abandoned West Virginia home on fire, possibly causing more than $10,000 in damage to a nearby church.
Dakota Harper, 21, and Felicity Eatmon, 22, were each charged with first-degree arson and one count of conspiring to commit an offense that carries a potential life sentence, according to the Kanawha County Magistrate Court.
The pair is known for posting videos together on social media and have amassed 28,000 followers on TikTok.
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A video showing Harper at his arraignment has since gone viral for highlighting his stature. According to court records, Harper stands at 3-foot, 9-inch height and weighs 43-pounds.
At the Kanawha County courtroom, Harper took a seat before an officer approached from behind and tucked his chair closer to the table, leaving his head barely above the desk.
Eatmon, who referred to herself as Harper’s fiancée in their social media videos, also appeared alongside him. She stands at 5 feet, 1 inch tall, records indicated.
According to WCHS-TV, the fire was reported at 11:15 p.m. Sunday in the West Side of Charleston.
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Surveillance footage captured Eatmon giving Harper what appeared to be a piece of paper that was then lit on fire and placed inside the home, the outlet reported, citing a complaint.
Investigators reportedly said the home was abandoned and had no active utilities. The remains continued to smolder into Monday morning.
The adjacent Canaan United Methodist Church sustained significant damage as a result of the blaze, according to the complaint.
Both suspects are currently being held on a $10,000 bond each.
Actress Monet Mazur's $1.5M Hollywood Hills home targeted by masked suspects in break-in attempt
Monet Mazur's Hollywood Hills property was the target of a home invasion Saturday, Fox News Digital confirmed.
Los Angeles Police Department officers responded to a "hot prowl burglary" radio call before 11:30 p.m. with the suspects reportedly still at the location, officials told Fox News Digital.
"At least one victim was inside the residence when the suspects attempted to gain entry," authorities said. "The suspects fled the scene before officers arrived."
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The "All-American" actress reportedly spotted three people on security cameras who were dressed in black clothing and wearing ski masks, according to the Post.
The outlet claimed Mazur, 50, "confronted" the suspects before they entered her home, which then prompted them to flee.
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Images obtained from the property appeared to show pepper spray "visible on the doormat outside" of the two-bedroom, $1.5 million property, The Post claimed.
TMZ, however, reported that the actress's alarm was triggered by the suspects when they allegedly tried to open her front door, which prompted them to run off, noting that no one confronted them and nothing was taken.
"Officers searched the location; however, they did not locate any suspects," officials told Fox News Digital. "No suspect description is available at this time. No injuries were reported, and officers completed a burglary report."
Mazur's representatives did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Last month, Olympian Simone Biles told TikTok followers her Chicago home was robbed earlier this year after three suspects allegedly stole her Porsche GTS, which was later recovered by authorities.
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Biles told followers about the "absolute insanity" surrounding the theft, and admitted she debated sharing more with followers in an upcoming "storytime."
In response to the intrusion, Biles, 29, and husband Jonathan Owens increased their home security by acquiring a Doberman Pinscher.
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After another celebrity residence was targeted by suspects, U.S. Army veteran Stephen Scott, founder of Scott's K9, told Fox News Digital professionally trained protection dogs can provide an added layer of defense for homeowners.
"A protection dog in a situation of a home break-in, they're gonna hear way before you, they're gonna smell way before you," Scott said.
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"The biggest thing that they're going to do is they're going to buy you a lot of time."
Scott noted that a trained K-9 will "start barking" at the sight and sound of an intruder and essentially provide more time for an owner to assess any situation.
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"They're gonna go to where the person's coming through the door," he said. "It's gonna give you a chance to grab the kids, grab a gun, or call 911 ... these dogs definitely buy you a sense of time."
When questioning a particular vulnerability some homeowners may have, Scott noted digital footprints can add to unnecessary access.
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"They post everything online when they're gone from the house, what time, what their schedule is," he said. "'Oh, going to drop Joey off at school at 7:45. Gotta go back, go on an errand.'
"That's probably the biggest thing that we've seen an increase in is just online and everyone posting a picture of where they're at. Everyone knows when they're gone."
Patrick McEnroe on U.S. Open weed smell, trans athletes, foreign recruits reshaping college tennis
Tennis icon Patrick McEnroe is pushing for federal reform in college athletics while weighing in on transgender participation and the mysterious weed stench that hit the U.S. Open this year.
Appearing on OutKick's "Tomi Lahren is Fearless," the former U.S. Davis Cup captain sounded the alarm on foreign recruits dominating American college rosters, calling tennis the ultimate "canary in the coal mine." Watching a marquee matchup between top SEC and ACC teams, McEnroe noticed a staggering imbalance: 21 of the 24 players on court were foreign recruits.
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McEnroe stressed, "So I knew that the numbers were getting pretty high in tennis. I've been in tennis my whole life. I played college tennis, had an amazing experience, and I became, quite frankly, deeply concerned."
McEnroe is taking a stand in order to award the most opportunities possible to American collegiate athletes. The response prompted McEnroe to pen a Wall Street Journal op-ed and take his fight straight to Capitol Hill, meeting with Washington politicians to push a new bill currently heading before the House of Representatives.
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"American universities were put in place, the athletic departments, to help our kids, to educate them, to give them opportunity," McEnroe argued, stressing U.S. schools should prioritize domestic talent over international pros.
McEnroe didn't pull punches on trans athletes in women's sports either. As a father of three daughters, McEnroe wants to protect young girls in sports.
"I'm not for a trans playing in female sports, no, I'm not," McEnroe said.
The veteran broadcaster also weighed in on the marijuana haze that disrupted play at the U.S. Open, urging complaining players to lighten up. McEnroe blamed tournament workers taking quick breaks on the street behind the venue.
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"Instead of taking a break and having some Gatorade, I guess they were taking a little puff," he joked.
Broadcasting one night with brother John, Patrick admitted he actually misses the old days when charcoal grill smoke drifted over the courts.
"I kind of miss the smell of the burger," McEnroe laughed. "A little weed, if I smelled it in the air, wouldn't affect me as much as a burger, the smell from the charcoal of the burger."
"Get over it," McEnroe declared. "Making a mountain out of a molehill, not that big of a deal."
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela
Hasan Piker speaks to UT Austin students after backlash from Texas lawmakers
After much scrutiny, controversial Twitch streamer Hasan Piker spoke to students at the University of Texas in Austin. Sporting a Longhorn orange tie and pin, Piker began the stream in his hotel room and continued it backstage at UT Austin before he finally took the stage.
On Sunday, the University Democrats said they were forced to "return tickets to thousands of students," claiming that UT Austin refused to give them a larger space and an off-campus venue decided it would not host the event after "internal discussions."
The student group declared it would not cancel the event despite outside pressure to do so.
Piker was welcomed into the event Wednesday evening with loud cheers and applause. The venue looked almost entirely filled. He opened his speech with "Hook 'Em Horns," garnering another wave of cheers. The streamer went on to thank the students for attending the event despite the backlash it received.
"There was supposed to be 3,000 people here today. Three thousand. It's a real testament to how much progress can be made in even a state like Texas that the people in the national Democratic Party have left behind," Piker told the crowd.
"That's why I wanted to come here today, not just because of the pushback, not in spite of the pushback, but because I know for a fact that there are people who want their voices to be heard."
At the top of his speech, Piker addressed allegations he hates the U.S., saying, "I always tell people that if I hated America, I'd be a Republican." He went on to accuse President Donald Trump of "destroying" the country.
In his remarks, Piker focused much of his ire on Republicans, Trump, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Israel.
The event was hosted by the University Democrats, a student group at UT Austin, and it drew backlash soon after it was announced. Ahead of the event, Texas lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, including Gov. Greg Abbott, Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Henry Cuellar condemned Piker's appearance in the Lone Star State.
And Piker condemned all of them at the beginning of his remarks at the university.
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Cuellar raised concerns on X about Jewish students at UT Austin being made to feel unsafe due to Piker's presence.
The Twitch streamer approached their criticism by speaking about the First Amendment and the importance of freedom of speech. However, he argued that those on the left are not given the same freedom as their ideological counterparts on the right.
Additionally, Andrew Mahaleris, press secretary for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, also chimed in, telling Jewish News Syndicate (JNS), "Terrorist sympathizers have no place in Texas."
In a statement provided to Fox News Digital Sept. 16, Cruz said the event was a statement about the status of the Democratic Party.
"Hasan Piker is an America-hating Marxist who has said that America deserved 9/11 and celebrates political violence against Republicans," Cruz's statement said.
"Americans are entitled to free speech, but it is incumbent upon good people to condemn Piker's incitement. Instead, some Democrats are bringing him to college campuses, while almost all other Democrats are conspicuously silent or worse. It says everything about the state of their party."
In his criticism of the Texas lawmakers, Piker spoke about the First Amendment, claiming that those on the right are often given more freedom than those on the left.
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"I want to talk about the hypocrisy of free speech," Piker said. "It seems to only go in one direction, right? You can't have an opinion that's outside of the permission structure, and the permission structure year over year seems to swing wide in the right direction."
Despite the bipartisan backlash, the event at UT Austin was relatively smooth and proceeded without any major disruptions. After his speech wrapped, Piker thanked the audience on his livestream and admitted that while he was apprehensive about being in Texas, the turnout proved the demand for progressive voices even in a red state.
Suspect arrested after alleged plot to attack Texas Capitol: officials
A Texas man was arrested Wednesday after allegedly planning to attack the Texas State Capitol, according to officials.
Benny Caldera Jr., 40, was taken into custody early Wednesday morning at his home in Converse, Texas. He was charged with the felony offense of making a terroristic threat against a public servant and taken to the Bexar County Jail.
The Texas Department of Public Safety said in a news release it received "credible information" Tuesday about someone plotting a "violent attack" for Thursday on the Capitol.
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DPS special agents worked alongside the FBI and local law enforcement agencies to investigate the threat.
Around 3 a.m. Wednesday, DPS SWAT arrested Caldera, who the agency described as the "main suspect," at his home and transported him to jail.
"Outstanding work by @TxDPS. Proud of our @FBISanAntonio team for standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our state and local partners. Within HOURS of the tip, @TxDPS had the main suspect in custody — with @FBISanAntonio and local law enforcement assisting. Threaten Americans or our institutions and law enforcement will move FAST," FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X.
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Caldera was initially released on a $75,000 bond from the Bexar County Jail. Later Wednesday, however, DPS said he was taken into federal custody by the FBI to face additional federal charges. Officials have not yet released details about those charges.
"Late this evening, Benny Caldera Jr., 40, was arrested by the FBI at the Bexar Co. Jail to face additional federal charges in connection with a possible planned attack at the Texas State Capitol. Caldera Jr. was then released from the Bexar Co. Jail into federal custody, where he will remain. For questions about the federal case, we would direct you to the FBI," DPS spokesperson Kevin Cooper said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Officials did not outline the specifics of the alleged planned attack or the nature of the credible information they received. DPS also has not publicly identified any additional suspects.
DPS leadership also notified Texas state legislators about the threat and Caldera's arrest. The agency said the Capitol remained open for regular operating hours.
DPS will have an increased presence at the Capitol to protect employees, state officials and visitors.
The incident remains under investigation.
"Texas DPS and the FBI stopped a planned attack on the Texas Capitol. Texas will NOT tolerate threats of violence against our Capitol. Thank you, @TxDPS, for a job well done," Texas Gov. Greg Abbott wrote on X.