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Former New York Knicks forward Charles Oakley has lawsuit against Madison Square Garden dismissed
Former New York Knicks forward Charles Oakley’s lawsuit against Madison Square Garden and owner James Dolan was dismissed for a third time Friday.
The legal drama between the former Knicks star and Dolan dates back to February 2017, when Oakley was thrown out of MSG following an altercation with arena security guards.
The case was initially tossed in early 2020, then again in 2021 and revived in early 2023 before once again being tossed this week.
After Oakley's removal from MSG, he was subsequently arrested and although the charges were eventually dropped, Oakley filed suit claiming false imprisonment and defamation, among other claims.
MSG released a statement saying they plan on pursuing legal action against Oakley's lawyer Douglas Windsor and his "unscrupulous law firm," according to the New York Post.
"For more than nine years, Mr. Oakley’s lawyers have pursued claims they knew were false," MSG said in its statement to the Post. "Those claims have now been dismissed by the Court in their entirety — for a third time. We are pursuing legal action against Douglas Wigdor, and his unscrupulous law firm, to hold them accountable for years of frivolous litigation and their blatant abuse of the judicial system."
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Oakley's legal team released a statement of its own concerning the dismissal of his lawsuit.
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"We are disappointed with the Court’s rulings. We believe there are conflicting accounts and only a jury can decide what exactly happened. We are hopeful that the Second Circuit will agree for a third time and remand the case for an immediate jury trial."
The 6'8" Oakley played for the Knicks for more than a decade, helping the team reach the NBA Finals in 1994 and earning All-Star and All-Defensive Team considerations during that same season.
His long-standing public feud with Dolan hasn't stopped Oakley from supporting the team, though, as the former Knicks enforcer attended several road playoff games en route to New York's first NBA Championship in over 50 years.
Court filings reveal Kyrsten Sinema had sex multiple times with married bodyguard while serving as senator
Former U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema testified that she repeatedly had sex with her then-married security guard while she was in office representing Arizona, according to federal court filings.
Matthew Ammel's ex-wife, Heather Ammel, is suing the Democrat-turned-independent, who left office at the beginning of last year, for allegedly breaking up her 14-year marriage.
Heather Ammel sued Sinema in a North Carolina court under the state’s alienation-of-affection law. Sinema's legal team moved the case to federal court, then sought dismissal there, arguing her relationship with Matthew Ammel occurred outside North Carolina and that the federal court lacked personal jurisdiction over her.
Sinema, who is unmarried, said in a July 31 deposition that she first had sex with Ammel around Memorial Day 2024.
"We were staying at an Airbnb in Napa, California. We were outside. Matt kissed me. We went inside and had sex," Sinema said in her deposition, which took place at a law office in Raleigh.
Sinema said she and Ammel were staying at the property with her friends Penny and Grant Croissant, along with another member of her security detail.
Their next tryst came in June when Sinema said she attended the wedding of CNN anchor Jessica Dean in New York City. She and Ammel had separate hotel rooms but were "intimate" in Sinema's room, she said in the deposition.
In mid-July, the two had sex at her Washington, D.C., apartment after taking a red-eye flight from the West Coast, Sinema said, according to the transcript.
And in mid-August, Sinema and Ammel traveled to Aspen, Colorado, for a "fundraising trip." She had sex with him again during that trip, she said.
Sinema was not able to recall another supposed sexual encounter with him in Washington, D.C., in late September, though Ammel confirmed it in his own deposition.
The affair continued into October 2024, when the two had sex at Sinema's house in Phoenix.
Sinema acknowledged that she knew Ammel had three children and was married amid all the sexual encounters.
During her deposition, a lawyer asked Sinema about a photo she texted to Ammel of herself in a towel.
"I'm an endurance athlete. So a photograph of me with cupping marks is about sports," Sinema responded, saying she didn't specifically recall a photo of herself in a towel that she sent.
In another message to Ammel, Sinema wrote, "Putting my hand on your heart. I'll see you soon. I miss you."
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"You understand, Ms. Sinema, don't you, that a wife reading this might get concerned about who is sending her husband that kind of message referring to putting his — her hand on his heart? Can you see that?" the lawyer asked. Sinema said, "Yes."
Heather Ammel also sat for a deposition in the case. She recalled discovering the affair when her husband came home "severely intoxicated" while they were staying at her parent's house, according to her testimony.
In the deposition, Heather Ammel read aloud a message she discovered on her husband's phone from Sinema.
"I hope your day was okay. Thinking of you. I am with you. I keep waking up during my sleep and reaching over for your arms to hold me," the message read. A screenshot of the message was visible in court filings.
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In a text message she sent to her husband in June 2024, Heather Ammel described Sinema as "insidious" and "a woman who is willing to break up a family."
Later in the deposition, Heather Ammel testified that her husband is an "established liar and manipulator," adding that she thought he was "actively manipulating" her and Sinema.
The Ammels separated on Nov. 1, 2024, and their divorce was finalized in March 2026, according to court records.
In the case against Sinema, there will be an evidentiary hearing on Aug. 19, per court documents.
Bill Maher rips immigrants who refuse to adapt, says American values are ‘not negotiable’
Comedian Bill Maher argued Friday that immigrants must assimilate to American culture and accept certain fundamental values like gay rights, women's equality and free speech, saying those principles are "not White values," but liberal ones.
During his latest episode of HBO’s "Real Time," Maher blasted both sides of the political spectrum for their approach to immigration within the country — adding that there is "no doubt" that Democrats and Republicans "went to extremes."
"If you want the American dream, you have to take the American values," he said.
However, a public policy professor at Penn State University told Fox News Digital that Maher had it wrong.
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"Biden's policy of open doors, and then Trump's policy of broken windows," Maher continued. "Now, I'm on the page of America doing what it used to do so well — stealing hard-working, talented immigrants from around the world and making them Americans."
He went on to point to his belief that "something has changed" in the attitude of those immigrating to the United States who may no longer believe they should adapt to western cultural standards.
"Now, most immigrants still want to assimilate, but some now have this other attitude of, ‘melting pot? F--- you, you melt," Maher said, while cracking a joke. "Look, you don’t have to love everything about America. We don’t. That’s why Yelp was invented."
"But, you know, if you do get past ICE, America’s actually pretty cool," he continued. "We say, ‘You do you.’ Eat the food your grandma cooked. Speak another language at home. Celebrate religious holidays. We welcome your food, your art, your fashion, your first ladies."
But according to Maher, the price of immigration comes with a cost.
"But you have to answer one question: Do you like Western civilization? Because that’s what we are. And that’s not negotiable," he said.
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"Honor killings, not letting women show their faces, polygamy, cousin f---ing, female genital mutilation — there’s lots of stuff we don’t do here, and it’s non-negotiable," Maher said. "And it’s not ‘White values.’ These are liberal values. People fought and died to establish them. And it’s not racist to say if you want to come here to help form a more perfect union, great. But some things are too fundamental to change."
But the framing itself drew pushback from Nicole Kreisberg, an assistant professor in the School of Public Policy and the Department of Sociology at Penn State, who told Fox News Digital that Maher had the country's history backward.
"In my view, Maher makes it seem as if America is built on a foundation of the 'melting pot,' rather than on 'assimilation,'" Kreisberg said. "To me, America is built on an attitude of 'assimilate or don't come.'"
Kreisberg said that immigrants from all countries have historically been expected to assimilate to American culture, with harsh cultural consequences for those who either fail or cannot manage to do so.
"Throughout history, the U.S. state has actually built up systems to discourage immigrants from pursuing this ‘melting pot’ strategy," Kreisberg told Fox News Digital. "Immigrants often face discrimination for speaking languages other than English in public; and for immigrants to advance in their U.S. careers, they often must speak English."
Kreisberg added that for over two centuries, immigrants who hailed from countries with a large European population fared better than those who arrived in the country as racial minorities.
"Immigrants past and present — such as Irish and Italians historically, or Chinese immigrants today — have sought to assimilate to avoid discrimination by changing their names to more ‘American’ ones, by adopting their food preferences for their children and by changing their political preferences," Kreisberg said, adding, "But unlike was the case with Irish or Italians, who eventually did manage to assimilate to become ‘White’ Americans, contemporary immigrants are struggling because of pivotal differences in how they are racialized."
"In other words, no matter how much they try to assimilate, they may continue to face discrimination based on their skin tone," she said.
On Friday, Maher turned to the audience and asked if "gay rights is one of our values that’s non-negotiable?" — eliciting a round of applause from the crowd.
He pointed to congressional candidate Melissa Chaudhry, a progressive Democrat challenging longtime Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., and her failure to include LGBTQ+ rights as one of the causes she supports.
When she was previously asked why her website did not mention LGBTQ+ issues, Chaudhry reportedly said, "because a lot of Muslims do not feel that way, unfortunately," according to The Stranger.
Maher blasted this stance during his segment Friday, while condemning what he believes is a shift in progressive policy to see "everything as oppressor versus oppressed, but can’t see who actually does a lot of oppressing."
"So let me ask, is this the progressive policy now? Is Ms. Chaudhry right?" he said. "We throw gay people under the bus any time it clashes with what makes Muslims uncomfortable?"
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He then looked to dismantle a quote from activist Linda Sarsour, saying, "Our number one priority is our community. It is not to assimilate."
"OK, but that’s not really how immigration works," Maher said. "If I move to Japan, I don’t get to say, ‘OK, everybody. A couple of changes. First of all, shoes stay on in the house now. Also, no more tentacle porn, that’s gone.'"
Maher’s argument continued as he pointed out several cultural practices that are considered taboo in western civilization — adding that anyone who comes to America should not expect the country to compromise on such beliefs.
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However, Maher concluded his argument by contradicting Kreisberg’s stance, insisting that his belief that immigrants should respect American values has nothing to do with "Islamaphobia," but instead a basic belief that those living within the country should respect the fundamental rights it protects.
"Now, you can, and I’m sure some of you are screaming, ‘Islamophobia!’ But that’s just a bulls--- word to cow people into not talking about this," Maher said. "This has nothing to do with non-whites becoming the majority. I don’t give a s--- about that. I don’t give a s--- about colors. White people — they’re White, they’re not pandas. I care about liberal values being replaced by illiberal ones."
Fox News Digital's Stepheny Price contributed to this report.
Actor charged with 24 felony counts in alleged child sexual abuse case
A California actor and producer is facing 24 felony charges after investigators said he used online casting calls to contact minors as part of an alleged pattern of child sexual abuse spanning decades.
Shane Ryan Gledhill, 46, of Lompoc, was arrested Aug. 3 after Santa Barbara County Sheriff's detectives spent nearly five years investigating accusations of exploitation.
Gledhill, whose work involved projects connected to actors including Shelley Duvall, Tom Arnold, Richard Dreyfuss and Ed Harris, was initially booked on 15 felony charges. That total has now climbed to 24.
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The investigation began in November 2021, when a 17-year-old survivor approached Santa Barbara County Sheriff's investigators about what they described as suspicious and inappropriate conduct involving Gledhill when she was 15, according to authorities.
That initial report led to an investigation that eventually identified nine survivors, the Sheriff's Office said. All were minors at the time of the alleged offenses.
In February 2022, investigators executed a search warrant at his residence in Lompoc. Investigators seized thousands of digital files, which underwent an extensive forensic examination.
The Sheriff's Office said the investigation uncovered a pattern in which Gledhill allegedly used online casting calls and film-making projects to contact aspiring young actors.
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That detail prompted authorities to publicly release his booking photograph.
"The Sheriff’s Office is releasing Gledhill’s booking photograph because detectives believe he often used the professional names ‘Shane Ryan’ and ‘Shane Ryan-Reid’ when contacting aspiring actors and filmmakers."
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The press release continued, "Individuals who interacted with him under those names may not recognize his legal name. Detectives hope the photograph will assist in identifying additional survivors or witnesses."
The charges against Gledhill include alleged offenses such as child molestation, rape, forcible sexual assault, contacting a minor with the intent to commit a sexual offense, possession of child sexual abuse material and providing harmful matter to a minor.
Gledhill was taken into custody at his Lompoc home on an arrest warrant and booked into the Northern Branch Jail. His bail is set at $2 million.
"Based on evidence developed during the investigation, detectives believe there may be additional survivors who have not yet been identified or come forward," the press release shared.
Investigators believe the alleged conduct could span roughly 25 years, with potential survivors or witnesses located not only along California's Central Coast but also in the Los Angeles area and on the East Coast.
Gledhill has a preliminary hearing set for Sept. 9 at Santa Barbara County Superior Court's Lompoc division.
Five college football teams ranked outside the preseason top-10 that went on to win it all
In recent years, preseason polls in college football have caused quite a few fans to lose their marbles, so if you're one of the many who fall in this camp, you may want to take a mental health day on Monday, because that's the day the preseason AP Poll drops.
While the release of the AP Top-25 should be a reason to celebrate – since it signals the arrival of college football – it's had the opposite effect lately.
Most of the consternation comes from fans who believe their favorite team or conference is being under-ranked or under-represented, so if that's your particular gripe, fear not.
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Many championship-winning teams over the past quarter century have found themselves ranked outside the top-10 of the inaugural AP Poll of any given season, and today I wanted to look at five notable examples from the turn of the 21st century.
These are teams who defied the odds and turned what many thought would be a respectable season into an unforgettable one.
Let's take a stroll down memory lane.
We start this list off with a familiar face, as the most recent national champion is a prime example of shattering preseason expectations.
Coming into last season, the idea was that the Indiana Hoosiers were able to catch a ton of teams by surprise while navigating an extremely friendly schedule in 2024 en route to a shocking Playoff appearance.
Not many fans or media pundits were predicting a repeat of 2024 for Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers, and they were right, in a way.
Not only did the Hoosiers make it back to the College Football Playoff, they won the whole damn thing, doing so while playing an infinitely harder schedule.
The Hoosiers' preseason ranking took many things into account: undermanned roster (at least as far as recruiting rankings are concerned), tougher schedule, and more, but they didn't know how much of a wizard Coach Cig would be.
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A guy like Fernando Mendoza deserves special mention, too.
The Hoosiers' signal caller went from a little-known transfer from Cal to a Heisman Trophy winner and a number one overall NFL Draft pick.
With the benefit of hindsight, it's easy to point and laugh at the pollsters for not ranking Indiana higher, but it made the victory even sweeter for Hoosier fans everywhere.
This one might feel like a bit of a reach, given that they were literally just outside the top ten to start the season, but the 2013 Florida State Seminoles ended up being one of the defining teams of the 2010s and the last ever BCS champion, so the fact they started the season at 11 makes them an even more mythical story.
The Noles had won the ACC Championship as well as the Orange Bowl just a season prior, but they also lost a ton of veteran leadership to the NFL, including quarterback EJ Manuel and two first-round NFL Draft picks on defense.
Head coach Jimbo Fisher recruited well enough to offset those personnel losses, but no one knew how all these new players would gel, particularly redshirt freshman signal caller Jameis Winston.
An undefeated season for the Noles and a Heisman Trophy-winning campaign for Winston proved every single one of the doubters wrong, as FSU ran roughshod over the ACC en route to its third national title in program history.
When I say roughshod, I mean it, too.
FSU slaughtered pretty much everyone on its schedule, including beating all four ranked conference opponents on its schedule by a combined score of 200-35.
Pure dominance.
And to think, this dream season probably started with Seminole fans lamenting the AP Poll for giving their team the shaft.
Fascinatingly enough, there are a few key parallels that can be drawn between the first national champion of the 21st century and the most recent.
The 2000 Oklahoma Sooners were only one spot higher than the 2025 Indiana Hoosiers, both were led by second-year head coaches, and neither had been ranked in the preseason polls for quite some time prior to this season.
At the turn of the millenium, the Sooners had fallen on tough times, new head coach Bob Stoops hadn't done much to inspire hope in the folks of Norman following a 7-5 season in 1999.
Despite this, Oklahoma was given a preseason ranking for the first time in five years, and although it wasn't exactly a symbol of confidence from the pollsters, it signified progress.
Stoops showed everyone that he and his Sooners may have been a little ahead of schedule, though, with a perfect 13-0 season and a national championship over a Florida State team that had lost only one game in its previous 24 contests.
Though Stoops was known for his defensive prowess, the offense showed out for most of Oklahoma's biggest games, including hanging 63 points on its rival, the 11th ranked Texas Longhorns.
Not bad for a team no one thought would do much more than make another repeat appearance to the Insight Bowl.
Hey look, it's another team with a second-year head coach coming off a 7-5 campaign the year prior.
Other than a win over rival Michigan the year prior, coach Jim Tressel and the 2002 Buckeyes didn't have a lot to be excited about coming into the season.
At least, that's what the general public thought.
Behind the bruising running of precocious freshman tailback Maurice Clarette and a suffocating defense, Ohio State didn't allow more than 17 points throughout the entirety of its conference slate, which included a 14-9 strangling of a top-ten Michigan team.
The real feat of accomplishment, though, came in the national championship game, as the Buckeyes defeated a Miami team many football historians believe is one of the best in the history of the sport.
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Against all odds, the 11.5-point underdogs toppled the Hurricanes and their staggering 17 first-round NFL Draft picks in a thrilling (and somewhat controversial) double-overtime thriller in the desert.
Many fans remember this Buckeyes team as the one that toppled a budding Miami dynasty, and it all started with a double-digit preseason ranking.
If there is one shining example of a team shattering preseason expectations, it's the 2010 Auburn Tigers.
Aside from the brilliance of quarterback Cam Newton, this team had no business winning anything of significance in the 2010 campaign.
Coach Gene Chizik was in year two of a very questionable hire, one that was roundly booed by Auburn fans from the time he exited the plane in eastern Alabama due to his 5-19 record at his previous stop of Iowa State.
An 8-5 record in year one did little to quell those grumblings, and the recruiting was stagnating behind other SEC rivals like Alabama and LSU.
It looked like the Tigers were headed for another eight or nine-win season with more questions than answers until Clark Kent opened his shirt to reveal his "SuperCam" costume.
I can't put into words how magical Newton was throughout the 2010 season, but to put into perspective just how much of the burden he shouldered for Auburn during its championship run, the Tigers led the SEC in scoring offense despite not having a single skill player other than Newton take a single regular season snap in the NFL.
Those kind of mind-bending facts are what make this season so special for Auburn, but it also proves the preseason pollsters right in a way.
Who could have seen the kind of carry-job coming that Newton pulled off in 2010?
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The Tigers beat six ranked teams that year en route to a perfect 14-0 season in which Newton captured a Heisman and Auburn hoisted a crystal football.
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What makes Newton even more special is the fact that both the Tigers and Chizik immediately crashed back down to Earth the moment the star signal caller bolted for the NFL.
Auburn would plummet back to a pedestrian 8-5 record in 2011, followed by a 3-9 campaign the next year that saw Chizik hit the unemployment line.
Truly a team that captured lightning in a bottle.
Seattle Seahawks make Devon Witherspoon NFL's highest-paid CB of all time, but probably not for long
It is an NFL business fact that when its best players agree to new contracts, they break records as well as the bank. That's the case with Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon, who on Saturday became the league's highest-paid cornerback.
Witherspoon agreed to a four-year deal worth $132 million that includes more than $101 million in guarantees, according to a source. And this:
It not only makes Witherspoon the league's highest paid player at his position today but also all-time.
Witherspoon's deal will average $33 million per season on an annual average basis which beats the $31 million per season Denzel Ward got from the Cleveland Browns last month.
That's not all.
Witherspoon, a Pro Bowl selection all three years he's been in the NFL, is getting paid to stop opposing wide receivers and quarterbacks. And this deal pays him more than many opposing wide receivers and quarterbacks.
Consider that Witherspoon's deal pays more on an annual average than Aaron Rodgers gets from the Pittsburgh Steelers on an annual average – $22 million.
It pays more than Kirk Cousins gets from the Las Vegas Raiders – $11.3 million.
And while it doesn't eclipse what Baker Mayfield ($33.3 million) gets from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, his total guarantees of $101 million are more than twice Mayfield's $50 million in total guarantees.
Witherspoon's deal is in quarterback territory and Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold can attest to that.
Darnold last season signed a deal that averages $33.5 million per season with $55 million in guarantees.
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Witherspoon blew the guarantees figure away. And Witherspoon is obviously in the same neighborhood on an annual average.
The business of the NFL is thriving and these deals are proof.
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And it is not likely to stop.
Witherspoon's deal signals that another, likely bigger, contract is en route for a cornerback across the country.
The New England Patriots and cornerback Christian Gonzalez have been negotiating a new deal for months. Patriots owner Robert Kraft is on record as saying the Patriots were offering to make Gonzalez the highest paid cornerback in the NFL.
It was a race to see whether Gonzalez and the Patriots or Witherspoon and the Seahawks would agree to a contract first.
Witherspoon won that race. And you know what spoils go to the loser?
Gonzalez will now be aiming to surpass Witherspoon's contract – because for the best of the best in the NFL, the next contract is usually the biggest.
Justice Thomas reveals this elite institution is ‘off limits’ to him: ‘That's the world we're in’
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas recently claimed that certain law schools and colleges were completely "off limits" for him and other conservatives to visit.
"You know, I have never been to Stanford Law School," Thomas told Peter Robinson during an on-stage discussion hosted by the Hoover Institute.
He went on to say that current conservative thought leaders, like himself, are largely unwelcome from high education institutions like Stanford Law School.
"That's the reality," Thomas said. "That's the world we're in, because there’s certain places that are just presumptively off limits. This is the way it works. And that's true. I mean, I've been to Yale Law School, but that's the way it works. And to say it isn't, is to lie."
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The comments from the high court justice came amid ongoing criticism from conservative pundits that college campuses have become intolerant to right-wing ideas and that students are being indoctrinated by liberal professors.
Thomas alleged that, if not for YouTube, the ideas and works of American economist Thomas Sowell, who profoundly shaped his political views, would be lost to the younger generation of students because some people's views are "unpalatable" to the student body.
"And so what these kids are getting is all that stuff [that] is not there," Thomas said, referring to colleges. "It's just on YouTube. It's available to everybody, and they get to make up their own mind."
A Stanford spokesperson rejected Thomas' notion that the law school was "off-limits" for him to visit.
"We would be honored to host Justice Thomas at Stanford Law School," a spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "The Stanford Constitutional Law Center, directed by Professor Michael McConnell, former Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, regularly hosts members of the judiciary on campus."
"Our students and faculty would welcome the opportunity to hear from Justice Thomas and engage with his perspectives on the Court, the Constitution, and the law," the spokesperson continued.
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But in the past couple of years, there have been multiple incidents in which a conservative speaker's visit to the school was disrupted by student protesters.
When Judge Stuart Kyle Duncan, who serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, visited in 2023 to give a presentation titled "Covid, Guns, and Twitter," he was met with fierce backlash from students affiliated with LGBTQ groups because of his judicial record. The student groups — OutLaw and Identity and Rights Affirmers for Trans Equality (IRATE) — repeatedly pressured the hosting organization, Federalist Society, to cancel the event or move it to Zoom.
When that failed, a group of 90 law students appeared with signs and bullhorns to protest Duncan's talk, causing major disruptions that made it impossible for Duncan to complete his presentation. Duncan requested assistance and DEI administrator Tirien Steinbach took the podium acknowledging his free speech rights, but siding with the student protesters.
"For many people here, your work has caused harm," Steinbach said to Duncan. "Is the juice worth the squeeze?"
The incident led Stanford dean Jenny Martinez and president Marc Tessier-Lavigne to issue an apology to Duncan. The school required students to participate in mandatory training and subsequently made the school's position unusually explicit: protesting Duncan was protected, but preventing an invited speaker from effectively delivering a presentation violated Stanford's disruption policy.
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Three years earlier, when then-Texas Solicitor General Kyle Hawkins visited the law school to host a discussion, twelve student organizations organized a walkout. The groups took issue with Hawkins' role in litigation to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status.
Just five minutes into Hawkins' address, more than three-quarters of the audience left.
Thomas did not point to either incident during his remarks at the Hoover Institution, nor did he say whether he had ever been invited to speak at Stanford. He did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Still, Thomas suggested that the ideological divide he sees within higher education has made engagement between conservatives and some of the nation's most prominent academic institutions increasingly difficult.
Palisades Village to re-open, marking new milestone for fire-devastated community
Nineteen months after the Pacific Palisades wildfire destroyed more than 5,000 homes and uprooted the lives of tens of thousands of residents, locals and visitors to the affluent Los Angeles Westside neighborhood are marking one of the first positive milestones.
Palisades Village, the neighborhood’s 100,000-square-foot, walkable luxury retail and restaurant enclave featuring more than 40 curated boutiques, eateries and experiences, is celebrating its reopening on Aug. 15. Festivities will range from a ribbon-cutting ceremony to shopping experiences, tastings, family-friendly activities and entertainment.
"The way we reopen is a sign throughout the city that’s suffering in so many ways that we actually are resilient," Rick Caruso said during an earlier tour of the property. "We’re on a mission to bring back this city."
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The billionaire businessman, who is the founder and former CEO of real estate company Caruso, is considered a leading civic figure in Los Angeles. He has served on several local government commissions and established Steadfast LA, a public-private, recovery-focused partnership in the wake of the fires.
Caruso reportedly spent more than $100 million of his own money on a failed mayoral campaign against Karen Bass in 2022 and has been an outspoken critic of how she has handled the wildfire and the running of the city since.
While the Palisades Fire burned for three and a half weeks in January 2025 before being contained, Palisades Village largely survived the disaster but remained closed for extensive $100 million smoke remediation and rebuilding. The surrounding downtown commercial corridor, however, was severely impacted, with numerous local businesses and structures reduced to ashes.
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"His complex was great, and I think it’s great that it’s reopening," one well-known Hollywood music composer who lost his home in the tragic fire and preferred to remain anonymous told Fox News Digital. "That will definitely help to just get some momentum where people will feel hopeful and that we’re getting back to normal and progressing in the right direction."
He noted the continued need for a grocery store in the immediate area. Both a Gelson's and Ralphs Fresh Fare were obliterated in last year’s blaze.
"… Houses are starting to pop up. It would definitely be nice to see in the next 12 months anything from the little restaurant that was once there, the supermarket and one of the gas stations — those basic needs that a community needs would be nice," he added.
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For his part, Caruso has stressed the importance of taking every step possible to ensure the Palisades Village revamp was clean, safe and free of toxins.
"We took everything down to the studs and rebuilt it after having environmental engineers test it," Caruso told the Hollywood Reporter.
Since 2018, Palisades Village has served as a see-and-be-seen hub for Hollywood types and locals.
Its reopening will feature both legacy and new businesses. For instance, the Netflix-run Bay Theatre will return, along with namesake fine jewelry company Jennifer Meyer Jewelry, which gained a massive celebrity following after actress Jennifer Aniston wore one of its signature pieces in the 2006 romantic comedy-drama "The Break-Up."
Approximately 60% of its original tenants will return, while others, such as Lululemon and Saint Laurent, will not. New business debuts include a New American grill run by award-winning chef and restaurateur Timothy Hollingsworth. The eatery will join Nancy Silverton’s new Italian chophouse, Spacca Tutto.
"This is one of many positive steps in this journey," Traci Park, LA City Council member for the 11th District, told Fox News Digital. Park has worked closely with Caruso and his team and has been heavily involved in the recovery efforts in the Palisades.
"We have been really excited to celebrate the return of every school, every business, every new home breaking ground across the Palisades, but I would say this may be one of the biggest developments in terms of spurring overall recovery, but specifically local business economic recovery," she said.
Jacqui Irwin, Assemblymember for District 42, who introduced Assembly Bill (AB) 2692 to help residents of a Palisades condo community who were in legal limbo after discovering that the Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&Rs) governing their property had expired shortly before the fires, called the reopening an "important milestone."
"This is about more than reopening stores and restaurants, it’s about restoring a place where neighbors can reconnect, families can gather, and a community can begin to feel whole again," Irwin told Fox News Digital. "While there is still a great deal of work ahead, this reopening reflects the resilience and determination of the Palisades business community and offers a meaningful sign of healing, hope, and moving forward together."
Corinne Verdery, CEO of Caruso, said, "Opening day will celebrate the resilience and shared determination that made this moment possible."
She called it a "meaningful milestone" and "a celebration of all that lies ahead."
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Beyond business aspirations and re-creating the high-end Palisades hub, the venture is deeply personal for Caruso. Both his daughter and son lost their homes in the blaze, while he and his wife lost a family home. The shopping center’s reopening, he said, is just one chapter in the Palisades’ comeback story.
‘A Man Without Love’ singer Engelbert Humperdinck credits underwater workout for keeping him ‘alive’ at 90
At 90, Engelbert Humperdinck has an unusual workout routine he credits with keeping him "alive" and going strong.
The British singer, known as the "King of Romance," recently appeared on "The Jim Masters Show," where he shared his unconventional exercise regimen.
"I walk out in the pool all the day," he told the host. "I do all my martial art moves in the pool underwater, which makes it even more effective. … And that’s how I stay alive and keep going and keep myself as fit as possible so that the audience can see me in a respectable way."
JOAN COLLINS SHARES HER SIMPLE SECRETS TO AGING GRACEFULLY AT 93
"That's where I work out there in the pool," he said. "I do all my stuff up there, which is great."
And it appears to be working. The "Release Me" singer is still performing regularly, with concert dates scheduled into 2027 abroad. He's also preparing to release a new album, "Faithfully," on Aug. 28. The album features Humperdinck putting his own spin on songs by Journey, the Cars, KISS and Aerosmith, with several guest musicians joining him on the record.
While Humperdinck is working to keep his body young, a decades-old song is helping him reach younger audiences. His 1968 track "A Man Without Love" was featured in two episodes of Marvel Studios' "Moon Knight."
"… Since ‘Man Without Love,’ it’s triggered something off," he said. "And it’s so nice. It’s so nice to know that people are now not worried about an age. They’re worried about the music, and that’s all that counts as far as I’m concerned. But I try to stay as young as possible all the time."
While Humperdinck continues connecting with audiences through the love songs that made him famous, the lyrics have taken on a deeper meaning since his wife, Patricia, died in 2021 after living with Alzheimer's disease and contracting COVID-19. The couple married in 1964 and remained together for 57 years until her death at age 85.
"She’s the backbone. She was the backbone to my whole life, I think, because she started with me when I was nobody. … And so she was instrumental in the early years. And when I really made it in the industry and got a family, I used to have to leave home for about three months at a time. And she raised the children by herself."
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While his heartfelt ballads are now bittersweet, Humperdinck still finds joy in performing them for audiences today.
"There's no better feeling. There's no better feeling than walking on stage," he said. "I call myself a thespian of song. So when I'm singing, I act a part. It's not acting really, it's reality coming through. But I give my all and I read the lyrics a little differently now, especially since I lost my wife. And it comes out more sincere."
"I’m a ballad singer, and I love, love singing ballads," he said. "There’s nothing like a good romantic ballad to touch the heart. And it puts people together. ... I feel responsible for putting people together."
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When the final curtain eventually falls, Humperdinck hopes those songs will continue bringing people together.
"My legacy is my music, and music is timeless," he said. "And I listen to the radio and I watch on my phone, and I see the people in the past who have had massive, massive hits, and they're still being viewed by the living. And that's just wonderful. That's the kind of legacy I want to leave behind. I want to leave a good taste in my career behind."
Rashida Tlaib rally moved after Jewish-owned Florida venue cancels event, cites 'increased security concerns'
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., an outspoken critic of Israel, was set to headline a rally in South Florida boosting three progressive Democratic candidates before the Jewish-owned venue hosting the event backed out a day before.
The "Chomp the Oligarchy" rally to support two U.S. House candidates and one Senate candidate was scheduled for Friday night at The Venue in Fort Lauderdale, just four days before Florida’s primary election.
State Rep. Michael Gottlieb, a Democrat, posted Thursday morning calling the event "anti-Jew," while also accusing House candidates Elijah Manley and Oliver Larkin, along with state Rep. Angie Nixon — who is seeking the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate — of being part of an "Anti-Israel and Anti-Zionism coalition."
Gottlieb then said Tlaib "has by far the deepest record of antisemitic allegations and is being brought here to help these candidates raise funds for their campaigns."
Following Gottlieb's post, The Venue posted a statement Thursday night indicating that the event was canceled, citing "increased security concerns."
The statement did not mention Tlaib by name but said management pulled out after becoming aware of the "full scope" of the event and reviewing promotional materials.
"Due to the increased security concerns as well as the welfare of attendees and staff, the decision was then made that the event would not proceed at our property," the statement said. "The Venue Fort Lauderdale is Jewish-owned and operated and our values and commitment to the Jewish community are deeply important to us."
Fox News Digital reached out to The Venue for additional comment. Tlaib's representatives did not immediately return a request for comment.
DEMOCRATS SPLIT OVER TLAIB'S LEBANON MEASURE AS REPUBLICANS SEIZE ON HEZBOLLAH OMISSION
Prior to the event being canceled, The Venue reached out to Gottlieb asking him to take down his post, something he refused to do, The New York Times reported.
Cameron Driggers, a lead organizer for the rally, told the Times that the Venue reached out to the rally organizers saying it would only host the event if Tlaib was uninvited, but the organizers refused.
Manley, who has been endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America, is facing off against Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., while Larkin, a self-identified DSA member, is challenging incumbent Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla.
Nixon is running against Alexander Vindman, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel known for testifying during President Donald Trump’s first impeachment inquiry.
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The "Chomp the Oligarchy" event's organizers said on Instagram that they "will not be silenced by racist right-wing agitators and conservative Democrats," adding that they will "keep fighting to deliver for working-class Floridians."
The rally ended up taking place at an alternate outdoor location reportedly with about 300 supporters in attendance.
In his speech, Larkin addressed the tumult surrounding the event.
"What we've seen in the last 36 hours is a mobilization campaign to try to intimidate and harass us with a campaign of Islamophobia. A campaign that seeks to excuse AIPAC's corrupting influence over our elections," Larkin said to a chorus of boos from the crowd.
DEMOCRATS SPLIT OVER TLAIB'S LEBANON MEASURE AS REPUBLICANS SEIZE ON HEZBOLLAH OMISSION
Tlaib also appeared at the rally as planned, introducing Nixon before she delivered her remarks.
Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital on Wednesday "it’s no coincidence" Tlaib would be appearing at an event supporting candidates seeking to defeat Jewish Democrats.
Tlaib, the first Palestinian American woman in Congress, has faced bipartisan criticism for her comments on Israel and Jewish people. The Michigan congresswoman has denied accusations of antisemitism.
Congress censured Tlaib in 2023 for her embrace of the slogan "from the river to the sea," which she says is an "aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence" from Palestinians. Many Jews view the slogan as a veiled call for genocide against Israelis.