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Manhattan DA to retry Etan Patz's killer after conviction in deadly 1979 kidnapping was overturned
The Manhattan District Attorney's Office announced Tuesday that it intends to retry Pedro Hernandez, the man found guilty of kidnapping and murdering a 6-year-old boy decades ago.
Etan Patz went missing in 1979 after he walked to his bus stop alone for the first time in New York City. He was one of the first missing children to appear on milk cartons.
Hernandez confessed to the crime nearly three decades later, and was sentenced to 25 years to life after being convicted of murder in 2017. His first trial ended in a hung jury in 2015.
"The District Attorney has determined that the available, admissible evidence supports prosecuting defendant on the charges of Murder in the Second Degree and Kidnapping in the First Degree in this matter, and the People are prepared to proceed," Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Sarah Marquez wrote in a statement.
Hernandez's defense attorneys, Harvey Fishbein and Alice Fontier, told the Associated Press they "remain convinced that Mr. Hernandez is an innocent man."
"But we will be prepared for trial and will present an even stronger defense," the pair of attorneys added.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit overturned Hernandez’s conviction in July, finding that the jury in 2017 had not received a thorough enough explanation of its options, including that it could ignore Hernandez’s confessions.
Years before his conviction, Hernandez admitted to police that he lured Patz into the basement of the convenience store where he worked. Prosecutors claimed Hernandez choked Patz, stuffed his body into a plastic garbage bag hidden inside a box and took it out with the trash.
The appeals court found that the trial judge had issued "clearly wrong" and "manifestly prejudicial" instructions to the jury in response to a question about the suspect’s confessions to police.
In October, Judge Colleen McMahon of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled that Hernandez must receive a third trial by June 1, or he would ultimately be released.
A court hearing is scheduled for Dec. 1.
Fox News Digital's Brie Stimson contributed to this report.
Migrant teenagers charged in fatal stabbing of homeless man in Chicago
A trio of migrant teenagers were charged in the fatal stabbing of a 49-year-old homeless man in Chicago over the weekend, according to officials.
Wuinayker Rodriguez-Vasquez, 16, was charged as an adult with first-degree murder in connection with the incident that happened on Sunday morning, according to the Cook County State's Attorney's Office. He appeared on Tuesday for a detention hearing, in which a judge ordered him to be held pre-trial.
Two 14-year-olds were also charged — one was charged with first-degree murder and the other was charged with armed robbery. The two 14-year-olds appeared in juvenile court on Monday and were ordered held in custody.
Officials said the victim did not know any of the suspects.
TRUMP CALLS CHICAGO 'OUT OF CONTROL' AFTER TRAIN ATTACK LEFT WOMAN CRITICALLY BURNED
All three suspects are reportedly from Venezuela.
The Department of Homeland Security told Fox News that records show Rodriguez-Vazquez is believed to have crossed into the U.S. in September 2023 near Eagle Pass, Texas. He was arrested and released at the time along with his mother.
Assistant State’s Attorney Todd Kleist also said in a court filing in the stabbing case that Rodriguez-Vasquez's contact with Texas law enforcement in 2023 was documented as an "alien inadmissibility" case.
Rodriguez-Vasquez has no prior criminal history in Illinois, according to Kleist.
STATEN ISLAND TEEN CHARGED WITH MURDER AFTER ALLEGEDLY BEHEADING MOTHER’S BOYFRIEND: REPORT
Prosecutors said the stabbing attack happened at around 5:45 a.m. on Sunday in the Chicago Loop, where the victim was sleeping near his cat and belongings, including a skeleton mask.
A group that included Rodriguez-Vasquez and the two 14-year-olds allegedly approached the victim while Rodriguez-Vasquez had a knife hidden in his sleeve and another teenager held a metal rod, according to prosecutors.
One of the teenagers grabbed the victim’s mask and ran. When the victim stood up, Rodriguez-Vasquez allegedly kicked him, prosecutors said. One of the 14-year-olds allegedly struck the victim, and Rodriguez-Vasquez is accused of stabbing him in the back, causing him to collapse.
The attack was captured on surveillance video.
The victim was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The medical examiner ruled the cause of death a stab wound to the back and the manner of death a homicide.
Police later detained the teenagers after spotting people on camera wearing the same clothing seen in surveillance footage. Rodriguez-Vasquez was found with a knife, and he was later identified by his mother and another member of the group.
Prosecutors said Rodriguez-Vasquez was seen in stills from after the incident "displaying a knife to the group, making stabbing motions, and wearing the victim’s skeleton mask on his head."
A Chicago police source told Fox News this was an especially heinous and cruel murder of an innocent homeless man, saying that it was a "mob style" attack in which some of the suspects were laughing afterward.
Fox News' Patrick McGovern and Mathew Finn contributed to this report.
Muslim groups, other leaders demand Abbott rescind CAIR's ‘terrorist’ designation: 'Defamatory'
A group of Muslim and interfaith leaders are urging Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, to reverse his proclamation designating the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as a "foreign terrorist organization."
Texas’s designation is state-level only. It does not carry the legal force of a federal Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) listing, which only the U.S. State Department can issue. Abbott’s proclamation, therefore, does not trigger federal terrorism penalties or authorities.
The leaders of several Muslim groups held a news conference on Tuesday to denounce the governor’s proclamation, which also labeled CAIR as a "a transnational criminal organization."
The groups called on the governor to retract his labeling of the civil rights group, calling it defamatory, destructive and dangerous, according to Fox 4.
MUSLIM CIVIL RIGHTS GROUP CAIR SUES TEXAS OVER ABBOTT'S ‘TERRORIST’ DESIGNATION
This comes after CAIR filed a lawsuit against Texas over the governor's declaration, arguing that it violates both the U.S. Constitution and state law.
CAIR argues the order violates its First Amendment rights and due-process protections, and that Texas overstepped its authority because terrorism designations fall under federal, not state, jurisdiction.
"The governor is attempting to punish the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization simply because he disagrees with its protected First Amendment rights to criticize a foreign state that is conducting genocide. This is not only contrary to the United States Constitution, but finds no support in any Texas law," Mustaffa Carroll, the executive director for CAIR Dallas Fort Worth, said at the news conference on Tuesday.
"You know that CAIR has condemned Hamas attacks. You know that CAIR has spent 31 years fighting terrorism and bigotry. You know that the terrorism boogeyman you invoke is nothing more than a tired, formulated playbook to stoke fear of Muslims," Marium Uddin of the Muslim Legal Defense Fund said on Tuesday.
Leaders from other faiths, including Jewish voices, also spoke out against Abbott's label.
"We stand steadfast in solidarity with our comrades in CAIR and in unwavering support in their lawsuit against Abbott’s false and unconstitutional proclamation," Jewish Voice for Peace's Deborah Armintor said.
State Rep. Terry Meza, a Democrat, added that the governor's words "are not just wrong, they’re dangerous. Making comments like this is dangerous to our Muslim community."
TEXAS GOV ABBOTT DECLARES CAIR, MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD AS TERRORIST GROUPS, PREVENTING LAND PURCHASES
The lawsuit is ongoing, and it remains unclear whether a court will uphold Abbott’s order or strike it down as exceeding state authority.
The governor’s decree bars CAIR from buying land in the Lone Star State under a new statute aimed at curbing purchases tied to "foreign adversaries."
Abbott’s order also extended the "terrorist" label to the Muslim Brotherhood, despite the federal government never classifying either group that way.
Rep. Swalwell sues Trump official over mortgage fraud allegations: ‘A gross abuse of power’
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., accused a top housing official of secretly pulling Democrats’ private mortgage records and weaponizing them to trigger federal criminal probes, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday.
In the suit, filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., Swalwell claimed that Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte abused his position to obtain the mortgage records of numerous Democrats, which he used in criminal referrals to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The civil suit argued that the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) did not have the authority to obtain, use or leak private data belonging to several prominent Democrats, who are widely viewed as staunch critics of President Donald Trump.
"Today I have filed a civil lawsuit against FHA Director Bill Pulte for violating the Privacy Act and First Amendment," Swalwell said in a statement. "Director Pulte has combed through private records of political opponents. To silence them."
REPUBLICANS FEUD OVER 'ARCTIC FROST' ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURE, BUT CRITICS OFFER NO CLEAR ALTERNATIVE
According to the lawsuit, Pulte "abused his position" by scouring government-sponsored databases for the private records of a number of Democrats, including Swalwell, which he then used "to concoct fanciful allegations of mortgage fraud" that he referred to the DOJ for prosecution, the lawsuit stated.
The DOJ opened a probe into Swalwell on Nov. 13 over alleged mortgage fraud.
The lawsuit stated that Pulte claimed in his referral to the DOJ that Swalwell falsely claimed his D.C. home as his primary residence on a mortgage agreement to help secure more favorable loan terms.
But the California Democrat’s suit described the allegations in the referral as a "gross mischaracterization of reality" that represents "a gross abuse of power that violated the law."
"The allegations in Pulte’s referral are patently false," the suit argued.
The DOJ probe came as Swalwell set his sights on a higher office, announcing last week that he is launching a campaign for California governor in 2026. The lawsuit claims that the release of his personal information has harmed his reputation ahead of his gubernatorial campaign and forced him to "expend personal resources" as he fights the DOJ probe.
LAWYERS FOR COOK, DOJ TRADE BLOWS AT HIGH-STAKES CLASH OVER FED FIRING
Swalwell added in his complaint that the "widespread publication of information about the home where his wife and young children reside has exposed him to heightened security risks and caused him significant anguish and distress."
Swalwell claims in his suit that his political views have "earned him the ire of President Trump." The lawsuit points to additional referrals FHFA made to the DOJ involving political figures who are seen as critics of Trump, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Lisa Cook, a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, arguing that there is a pattern of political retaliation.
A federal judge threw out the indictment against Letitia James on Monday.
Swalwell argued that Pulte's "unlawful actions" were intentional and represented "a purposeful attack on core democratic norms and reflect a base desire to achieve exactly what the First Amendment and the Privacy Act exist to prevent: the use of government machinery to chill and silence the government’s critics."
Swalwell is seeking damages, a declaration that FHFA violated federal law and an injunction forcing the agency to retract its referral.
Pulte and the Federal Housing Finance Agency did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
College Football Playoff rankings: Oregon climbs after win over USC
The latest College Football Playoff rankings showed minimal movement as the college football regular season approaches its final week.
One notable change from last week saw Oregon overtake Ole Miss, swapping the No. 6 and No. 7 spots.
Oregon’s win over USC moved the Ducks ahead of Ole Miss during the Rebels' bye week.
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The other meaningful shift was Miami’s move to No. 11 in a switch with Utah after the Utes gave up 472 yards rushing in a tight win over Kansas State.
There are two more rounds of rankings to be revealed, ending on Dec. 7, when the rankings will set the bracket for the 12-team playoff starting Dec. 19,
CFP COMMITTEE EXPLAINS KEEPING INDIANA AT NO. 2 AFTER CLOSE CALL VS. PENN STATE IN LATEST RANKINGS
Ohio State and Indiana will play in what should be a No. 1 vs. No. 2 Big Ten title game if both win rivalry games on the road over Thanksgiving weekend. Ohio State’s task is more difficult against Michigan, which moved up three spots to No. 15. Indiana plays Purdue.
No. 10 Alabama plays at Auburn with a spot in the Southeastern Conference title game on the line. The Tide’s opponent would be Texas A&M if the Aggies win at No. 16 Texas.
Here are the full rankings:
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Paramount revives 'Rush Hour' franchise reportedly after Trump's request
Paramount Pictures is distributing "Rush Hour 4" after a report suggested President Donald Trump personally lobbied the company for another sequel.
Deadline confirmed Tuesday that Paramount Pictures will distribute the fourth installment of the buddy-cop action series starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker on behalf of Warner Bros. Discovery. Chan and Tucker are expected to return, along with franchise director Brett Ratner.
The news followed a Semafor report Sunday that Trump had been speaking with Paramount owner David Ellison, son of longtime donor Larry Ellison, about possibly reviving the franchise.
"Trump appears to want to revive the raucous comedies and action movies of the late 1980s to late 1990s," the report read. "He’s passionate, for instance, about the 1988 Jean-Claude Van Damme sports flick 'Bloodsport.' A person directly familiar with the conversations told Semafor that the president of the United States has personally pressed the Paramount owner to revive another franchise from Ratner: 'Rush Hour,' a buddy-cop comedy starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker that blended physical comedy, martial arts and gags about racial stereotypes."
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and Paramount for comment.
ACTORS GO BEHIND-THE-SCENES ON HOW TRUMP IS MAKING HOLLYWOOD GREAT AGAIN
Ratner previously worked with the Trump family after directing a documentary about first lady Melania Trump in the days leading up to the 2025 inauguration that is set to be released in January.
Arthur M. Sarkissian, who produced all three "Rush Hour" films, also produced the 2024 documentary "The Man You Don't Know" through his company, Global Ascension Studios. The documentary, released before the 2024 presidential election, sought to offer "fresh perspectives" on Trump through interviews with friends and family.
Franchise stars Chan and Tucker have been comparatively supportive of Trump in the past, especially when compared with outspoken liberal figures in Hollywood.
HOLLYWOOD POWERHOUSE SAYS HE RECEIVED 'BLOWBACK' AFTER VOTING FOR TRUMP
In 2016, Chan encouraged people to give Trump "a chance to try to change America and change the world" after he won his first presidential election.
"He’s a businessman…I think he knows how to handle these types of things," Chan told Yahoo Celebrity.
In 2018, Tucker told "Good Morning Britain" that he hoped Trump "does a good job" and that he would "pray for him."
"I hope he does a good job because, listen, we need a great president. We need a lot of things to happen in our country, in America. I hope he does good. I hope tomorrow he wakes up and does the right thing," Tucker said.
Miami woman allegedly slices boyfriend with machete after restaurant fight over infidelity
A South Miami woman was arrested for allegedly attacking her boyfriend with a machete and injuring him during a violent confrontation at her home, according to reports.
Officers first encountered the victim at the South Miami Hospital Emergency Department, where he was being treated for what police said was a "deep laceration" to his right elbow, according to Law & Crime.
The man reportedly told investigators he was injured during a fight with his girlfriend, Liz Frechel, 49, the outlet reported.
According to the arrest report, the argument began the evening of Nov. 20 during a date at a Texas Roadhouse restaurant in Fontainebleau.
ATTEMPTED MURDER SUSPECT WITH FOUR PRIOR CASES WALKS FREE ON $9.5K BOND AFTER BRUTAL TRAIL ATTACK
The man said the couple argued after he confronted Frechel over a photo that appeared to show her hugging and holding hands with another man. He told police he left Frechel at the restaurant.
The situation reportedly worsened the following day, Nov. 21, when the man drove to Frechel’s home near Southwest 72nd Street and 62nd Avenue in Miami to return her medication, glasses and a mug.
At that point, he said, Frechel became enraged and yelled at him, according to the report.
Police said that once he was in Frechel's bedroom, she "locked him inside the bedroom against his will." She then allegedly told him, "You are not going anywhere, you son of a b----. You're going to pay." Frechel then went into her closet and pulled out a machete, police said.
According to Law & Crime, the arrest report states the boyfriend tried to grab his keys and make a run for it, but Frechel allegedly swiped the machete at him and sliced his right elbow while she shouted, "I'm going to kill you, you son of a b----."
The boyfriend ran out of the apartment and back to his car and drove himself to the hospital with a wound on his elbow.
STATEN ISLAND TEEN CHARGED WITH MURDER AFTER ALLEGEDLY BEHEADING MOTHER’S BOYFRIEND: REPORT
Police arrested Frechel shortly after 7:15 p.m. that evening at her home. She was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center just before midnight, per reports.
According to records reviewed by Fox News Digital, Frechel faces charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, attempted murder with a deadly weapon and false imprisonment with a deadly weapon.
Frechel appeared in bond court Nov. 22, where a Miami-Dade judge ordered her to have no contact with the victim.
The court denied bond on the attempted murder charge and set a combined $15,000 bond for the aggravated battery and false imprisonment counts, according to documents.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Miami-Dade Police Department and Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation for comment.
Gary Bettman defends NHL’s integrity as league eyes expanded oversight tools amid wider gambling scandals
Several gambling scandals have dominated headlines across the sports world in recent weeks and months.
On Tuesday, longtime NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman touched on the topic during a wide-ranging interview. The league recently struck a partnership with leading prediction market platforms Kalshi and Polymarket.
Bettman argued that the harmony between prediction markets and sports betting positions the NHL to have better oversight and ultimately more power to "take down any contracts that we don’t think are appropriate."
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While no current NHL players or coaches have been implicated in the recent scandals that have rocked the NBA and MLB, Bettman believes the top pro hockey league is positioned to avoid similar issues.
"I don’t believe our game is susceptible in the way that some others might be ... you can’t really get away with that kind of cheating anymore," Bettman told CNBC.
In early November, Cleveland Guardians pitchers Luis Ortiz and All-Star pitcher Emmanuel Clase were the targets of the investigation and the two face charges in the alleged scheme.
The pitchers face charges of wire fraud, wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery and money laundering. Both pitchers pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Also, last month, the NBA was rocked by a widespread betting investigation. Dozens of individuals with ties to the league, including a current head coach, were arrested on Oct. 23.
Despite Bettman's assertion that the league he oversees is not currently limited in its potential problematic gambling exposure, a look back reveals the complicated history the league and betting share.
In 2003, Jaromir Jagr reflected on the decisions he made that led up to $500,000 in betting losses through an online gambling site. Jagr spent more than a quarter-century in the NHL, playing for nine franchises. He last appeared in an NHL game for the Calgary Flames during the 2017-18 season.
Despite acknowledging he made missteps, Jagr insisted he did not engage in illegal gambling activity.
"It was 1998, and I made mistakes," Jagr, who played for the Washington Capitals at the time, told reporters. "I just wasn’t smart. It was stupid. It wasn’t illegal, and it was five years ago. Everything was taken care of in 1999. That’s all I can tell you."
Several decades before Jagr ever took the ice, Don Gallinger was at the center of a high-profile gambling scandal. The NHL suspended Gallinger on an indefinite basis in 1948 after an investigation determined he placed wagers on Boston Bruins games. Billy Taylor, Gallinger's teammate at the time, also faced punishment.
Fox News' Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
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Joy Reid suggests JD Vance could ditch ‘Brown Hindu’ wife for ‘White queen’ Erika Kirk to appeal to MAGA base
Former MSNBC host Joy Reid wondered on the "I’ve Had It" podcast whether Vice President JD Vance is planning to find a new wife to appeal to the MAGA base because she's Indian American.
Reid speculated that Vance might not be the 2028 heir apparent to President Donald Trump because MAGA supporters wouldn't accept someone like Usha Vance as first lady.
"They can't have the successor to MAGA be the guy with the Brown Hindu wife," she said of Vance. "They're also Christian nationalists. That ain't going to work. That's why he's throwing his wife under the bus. Poor Usha. Or she's in on it."
JD VANCE DISCUSSES INTERFAITH MARRIAGE AND RAISING CHRISTIAN CHILDREN WITH HINDU WIFE
"Playing slap and tickle with Erika Kirk, it's the weirdest s--- I've ever seen," "I’ve Had It" co-host Jennifer Welch said. "She's like in her Tammy Faye era."
"Holding on the back of his head and rubbing on his head," Reid said in surprise, adding she would be suspicious if a woman held her husband like that, referring to how Erika Kirk embraced the vice president at a Turning Point event last month.
"You not doing that right thing. [You're] supposed to be a widow, you in leather pants?" Reid said of Erika Kirk. "That's not widow wear."
VANCE CALLS PSAKI COMMENTS ABOUT WIFE USHA 'DISGRACEFUL'
Reid appeared to suggest that Vance ditching his current wife for Erika Kirk would be a strategic political move to consolidate the MAGA bases around him.
"Wouldn't it be the most perfect fairy tale, MAGA fairy tale, if he finally sees the light that he needs a White queen instead of this Brown Hindu?" she asked. "I mean, I'm not saying that's happening, or maybe that Usha is not even in on it."
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Fox News Digital reached out to the White House, JD Vance’s team and to TPUSA and did not receive an immediate response.
Reid's show was canceled in February by MSNBC, the progressive cable channel that changed its name to MS NOW earlier this month. The far-left anchor now hosts "The Joy Reid Show" on YouTube.
Shedeur Sanders is the 'most powerful Black man' since Obama took office, NBA champ says
NBA champion Kendrick Perkins fired off a scorching hot take about Cleveland Browns rookie Shedeur Sanders as the quarterback gets ready to make the second start of his NFL career.
Perkins, an analyst on ESPN who has had his share of fiery opinions before, compared Sanders to former President Barack Obama in a recent podcast appearance.
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"You ready for this take? Shedeur Sanders is the most powerful Black man since 2009. You know what happened in 2009? That’s when President Obama got elected into office. He’s the most powerful Black man since 2009," Perkins said on "LGND TLK."
"Here’s why I say that. You said you were sitting there watching the game in your house, and what you did? You ran with the TV. … What were you doing? You were cheering like a motherf---er. When Shedeur Sanders is on the field, this is the only time that I see what Black people come together as one, drop all the swords. There’s no Black people beefing on nothing across … Everybody rooting for Shedeur Sanders.
"And when I say powerful, there’s two sides of it. He’s bringing the whole Black community together. I ain’t ran across one Black person that has said one bad thing about Shedeur. Not one because he has the balance. He has the balance of, ‘I’m arrogant but I’m humble too.’ And he’s having fun with this s---. … He’s the most powerful Black man in sports. You know, what, f--- Black man, he’s the most powerful player in sports. Because even when he’s not playing, he’s still getting talked about. "
Sanders has only appeared in two NFL games this season. The Browns selected him in the fifth round of the draft back in the spring and he had to work his way up to become the starter.
The former Colorado standout has shown how poised he is and how much confidence he has in his abilities as a football player. His debut against the Baltimore Ravens went much differently than the win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Browns gave him the nod for Week 13 against the San Francisco 49ers.
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