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NFL great Patrick Peterson says locker room political discourse was 'unnecessary,' most players are uninformed
NFL great Patrick Peterson was not a fan of politics in sports during his illustrious 13-year career.
Peterson, 35, played from 2011-2023, and said he felt the political discourse that took place in locker rooms was not only unnecessary but also uninformed.
"I'm not letting politics dwindle its way into how I'm trying to get my team prepared to beat the Cincinnati Bengals or the Pittsburgh Steelers or whoever it may be. I just felt like it was unnecessary," Peterson told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.
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"And again, in my opinion, it's not a place for guys who play football or sports in general. Eighty percent of (players in the NFL) have no idea what's going on in politics. For me, I always run my own lane and stay in my own game."
The eight-time Pro Bowler said that political discussions with teammates became more frequent as his career went on. Peterson even said that politics eventually became part of team meetings.
"(Politics) crept into a lot of team meetings," Peterson said. "Which I felt like, in my opinion, was unnecessary. Like, yes, we have a voice. Yes, we have an obligation. But if you're not doing what you're supposed to be doing on the field, which is your livelihood and what's keeping lights on in your household, that's kind of like outside noise to me, especially in the field of work that we're in."
"Like that has nothing to do with us. Yes, we can do that on our own time. We're focusing on at this given time is winning ball games."
The Arizona Cardinals selected Peterson with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft out of LSU, and he spent the first 10 seasons of his career in the desert. The three-time All-Pro then spent two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings before finishing his career with one season with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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He recalled a game in 2017 when the Cardinals played the Dallas Cowboys and they all locked arms before the game in response to President Donald Trump calling on owners to fire players who knelt for the national anthem. Peterson said the conversations about politics started to become more prominent in 2016.
Peterson was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 2010’s. In 201 career games, Peterson recorded 36 interceptions, 122 pass deflections, 652 total tackles and four sacks.
The Fort Lauderdale, Florida, native will be playing in the American Century Championship from July 10-12 at Edgewood Golf Course in Lake Tahoe.
Peterson said the event has evolved tremendously over the years,and said it’s something that his whole family enjoys.
"My girls look forward to going to Lake Tahoe each and every year to not only walk with dad, but to go out on the lake," Peterson said. "Go on top the mountain and doing the zipline and things like that. So, the memories that they're able to create for the families that are involved are countless."
Peterson is using AI to help improve his golf game and prepare for the American Century Championship.
"I'm using this app called Performance Golf. It's basically a app that you can download on your phone, and you can basically have a AI coach," Peterson said.
"You can video yourself, you can use any club, any swing, putter, wedge, chip, pitch, driver, irons, whatever you need that you need help in or want to see better results in, you can video yourself, submit the video, and then what'll happen is the AI coach will tell you what your flaw is what you need to work on to have better results. And I've been using it for the last four months and it's helped my game tremendously."
The tournament will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock.
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Caitlin Clark hard contact timeline: WNBA's growing history of brutal hits against the face of the sport
Caitlin Clark has appeared to carry a target on her back since she came into the WNBA in 2024, or at least many fans see it that way.
From the very first month of Clark's rookie season, she absorbed controversial hits from opposing players, sparking outrage among many fans. Some referees have also come under heavy scrutiny for how they've handled those moments.
The hits on Clark have sparked ensuing debates that often invoke race, sexual orientation and politics.
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Here's how it's all gone down:
Clark was whacked in her first pro game in the Big Apple.
New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart sent Clark flying to the hardwood simply by standing still and setting a screen. Clark was blindsided as she ran full speed into Stewart without looking ahead.
The play was legal, and appeared more to do with Clark not seeing what was in front of her as opposed to Stewart intentionally trying to hurt Clark. But the hit still got the fire started on social media, with many brandishing the play as Clark's "welcome to the league" moment, and some fans criticizing her teammates for not warning her of the screen.
CAITLIN CLARK REVEALS 'WELCOME TO THE W' MOMENT WHEN SHE WAS INJURED EARLY IN 2024 SEASON
Clark spoke her mind very early.
During an early-season game against the Los Angeles Sparks, veteran guards like Kia Nurse and Aari McDonald shadowed Clark relentlessly, full-court pressing her, face-guarding her, and bumping her off her spots every time she tried to navigate through screens. Clark ended up shooting 15 free throws in that game alone.
But even with all those free throws, Clark suggested the Sparks players may have gotten away with some more.
"I think everybody is physical with me, they get away with things that probably other people don’t get away with," Clark told reporters after the game. "It's tough, but it's a very physical game. That's just professional basketball."
Two days later, Clark was chest-bumped by Seattle Storm guard Victoria Vivians.
After Clark hit a three-pointer, Vivians bumped into her, sparking a face-to-face exchange that resulted in double technical fouls for both players.
"I think just being competitive is who I am and what I've done my whole career. At times, there's ways I can probably channel it a little better. That's just basketball at the end of the day. That's never going to change, I'm never going to lose that. Feel like I'm getting hammered," Clark said after the game.
The "Caitlin Clark vs. the rest of the WNBA" culture war essentially began during Clark's first game against the Chicago Sky.
During a dead-ball inbound play, Sky guard Chennedy Carter approached Clark and delivered a hard shoulder/hip-check away from the ball, knocking Clark to the floor.
WNBA CHAMP NATASHA CLOUD SAYS FAN OUTRAGE OVER FOULS ON CAITLIN CLARK AMOUNTS TO 'RACISM'
Footage of the foul set the internet ablaze with anger, and then even more anger in response to that anger.
The officials initially called it a common away-from-the-ball foul, but the WNBA retroactively upgraded it to a flagrant-1 violation the following day. This hit sparked a massive media firestorm — even reaching mainstream daytime talk shows — about whether Clark was being unfairly targeted with non-basketball plays and whether her teammates were doing enough to protect her on the court.
Meanwhile, many long-time WNBA fans opted to defend Carter, claiming the criticism against her was racially charged.
ANGEL REESE, CAITLIN CLARK HAVE HEATED EXCHANGE AFTER HARD FOUL DURING SKY-FEVER GAME
Carter prompted more scrutiny with her post-game press conference, when she refused to answer any "Caitlin Clark questions."
Just one day after getting leveled by Carter, Clark suffered a ruptured eardrum during a play with former league MVP Jonquel Jones.
During a game against the Liberty, as Clark chased her matchup around the perimeter, she slammed into Jones's screen. Clark could immediately be seen grabbing the side of her head and motioning to the bench. She briefly left the game to get checked out.
Weeks later, Clark revealed to reporters that the impact of the screen had actually ruptured her eardrum. However, she candidly stated that the play was a "great screen" and her own fault for not hearing her teammates call it out.
"I actually ruptured my ear drum when we were in New York on a tough screen….great screens, I just didn’t hear them. So, it’s kind of my own fault," She said.
Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese had arrived in the WNBA.
After the Fever and Sky's first matchup that ignited a national media controversy, Reese was set to take center stage over Carter in the Clark defense force.
During the third quarter, Clark drove to the basket and went up for a layup. Her college rival in Reese contested the shot but missed the ball entirely, instead smacking her forearm into Clark's head and knocking her to the hardwood.
After reviewing the play, officials upgraded the common foul to a Flagrant-1.
Then after the game, Reese threw a bone to the people arguing online.
"Going back and looking at the film, there were a lot of calls that weren't made. I guess some people got a special whistle," Reese told reporters.
Clark took the high road.
"Just a part of basketball. It is what it is. Trying to make a play on the ball, get the block. It happens," Clark told reporters.
During a July 14 matchup against the Minnesota Lynx, Clark finally let her frustration boil over into a physical retaliation.
In the third quarter, Clark was trying to push the pace up the court on a fast break. Lynx forward Alanna Smith reached out and hooked Clark's arm to slow her down. And Clark unleashed a forceful arm swipe backward to free herself, accidentally striking the Lynx player squarely in the face.
The referees went to the monitor to review the play. They assessed a personal foul on Minnesota for the initial grab, but they slapped Clark with a technical foul for the swipe to the face.
The Chicago Sky went three for three in delivering controversial hits to Clark in their first three games agains the superstar.
In their third meeting, it was Diamond DeShields that took the spotlight in the Clark rogues' gallery, with one of the most brutal levelings of the then-22-year-old rookie for Iowa of the season.
DeShields charged nearly full speed into Clark like a linebacker, smashing into her and sending her flying horizontally and sliding across the floor, as her skin scraped against the hardwood.
Clark shrieked in pain on the floor in a harrowing image.
The foul was upgraded to a flagrant-1 after review.
And just like fellow Sky players Reese and Carter did after fouling Clark in the prior two games, DeShields garnered more controversy after the game.
DeShields posted a screenshot of her notifications list on Instagram, which included a string of hate comments from a user. The comments were about a tumor DeShields overcame in 2020. That year, she was diagnosed with a benign tumor on her spinal cord in 2020. She risked paralysis when she had it surgically removed and suffered painful tremors while recovering from the procedure, according to Yahoo Sports.
Over her screenshot of the comments, DeShields wrote, "Thank you God for covering me, I pray [you] cover those who wish harm unto me as well."
Clark took a hard, inadvertent elbow directly to the face from Aces guard Jackie Young during a Sept. 11 loss to the Las Vegas Aces.
Clark went down to the hardwood grimacing in pain. Visibly upset by the contact, she made a stern plea to the referees, arguing that the play warranted a review for a Flagrant-1 foul.
The referees did not upgrade the foul and allowed the game to continue without assessing a flagrant penalty. This lack of a whistle further fueled the ongoing narrative among fans that officials were turning a blind eye to shots directed at Clark's head and face.
The most graphic injury Clark suffered her rookie year came in the first round of the playoffs against the Connecticut Sun.
The Fever traveled to Mohegan Sun Arena for Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs. Early in the game, Clark was met with the aggressive perimeter defense of Sun guard DiJonai Carrington — the same player who had heavily guarded her in her WNBA debut back in May.
CAITLIN CLARK'S BROTHER BLAMES REFS FOR LATEST INJURY TO FEVER STAR
In the first quarter, as Clark was making a pass, Carrington lunged to swat the ball. But Carrington missed the ball entirely, and her came down hard across Clark’s face, with her long fingernail poking right into Clark's right eye.
Despite Clark staying on the hardwood in visible distress, the officials did not blow the whistle for a foul, allowing play to continue.
Clark was left with a black eye and struggled to shoot for the rest of the series, as the Fever's season ended in a playoff sweep to Carrington's Sun.
Things escalated when slow-motion, zoomed-in replays of the incident went viral on social media. Many fans and commentators analyzed the angle of Carrington’s wrist and fingers, arguing that it looked like an unnatural basketball motion and accusing her of intentionally gouging Clark's eye.
The discourse became so heated that it actually spawned a secondary media controversy off the court. A few days later, veteran USA Today sports reporter Christine Brennan directly asked Carrington in a press gaggle if the eye poke was intentional. This line of questioning infuriated the WNBA Players Association (WNBPA), which released a scathing public statement condemning Brennan for asking a question they felt fed toxic and racist online narratives aimed at Carrington.
Carrington insisted that she didn't do it on purpose, and that when she was seen laughing with another player, it wasn't about Clark.
However, she appeared to make light of the controversy over Clark's black eye in an Instagram Live video weeks later in October 2024. In the video, Carrington and her girlfriend, NaLyssa Smith, who plays for the Indiana Fever with Clark, were in their kitchen when Smith poked Carrington in the eye.
"Ow, you poked me in the eye," Carrington said. Smith apologized, and the two laughed. "Did you do it on purpose?" Carrington asked.
STEPHEN A. SMITH SUGGESTS SUPPORT FOR FEDERAL INVESTIGATION INTO WNBA FOR TREATMENT OF CAITLIN CLARK
Clark threw up her arms, yelled at WNBA referees and punched the air in frustration after a controversial no-call cost her team a chance to knock off the defending champions early in her second season.
In the final seconds of the Indiana Fever's 90-88 loss to the reigning champion New York Liberty, Clark took the ball with a chance to tie or win the game.
New York's Natasha Cloud was defending Clark and leaned into the superstar enough to knock the ball out of Clark's hands and knock Clark back slightly.
A replay showed Cloud pushing her shoulder into Clark the moment the ball came loose.
But the referees did not blow the whistle, and the game ended there.
Clark immediately looked to the officials for a foul and quickly began to shout at them when she realized no foul call was forthcoming.
It also cost Clark a chance at a major WNBA milestone.
Clark, finishing with 18 points, fell just two points shy of a 20-point, 10-rebound game. It would have been the 11th of her career and the most by any player in league history. Clark is tied with Courtney Vandersloot with 10.
In Clark's second season, she had a new teammate that was ready to fight for her. That came in handy during a revenge game against the Sun, when Clark was poked in the eye again.
While defending Clark, the Sun's Jacy Sheldon poked Clark in the eye. When Clark reacted by pushing Sheldon away, Connecticut's Marina Mabrey intervened and forcefully shoved Clark, knocking the star guard completely to the ground.
Fever star Sophie Cunningham committed a hard foul on Sheldon, initiating an on-court fight that resulted in three ejections. It earned Cunningham adoration from Clark fans, and an immediate reputation as the "enforcer" teammate.
Fever head coach Stephanie White was visibly furious, stating that "bad officiating" was a league-wide issue and noting that the physical escalation was entirely predictable. She bluntly told reporters, "They've got to get control of it. They've got to be better."
Then after facing public backlash and a review of the tape, the WNBA stepped in the following day. The league retroactively upgraded Marina Mabrey's technical foul for shoving Clark to a Flagrant-2 penalty, which carries an automatic fine.
Clark's second season was cut short less than a month later. After already missing multiple games due to quad and left groin injuries, she suffered a season-ending right groin injury on July 15 of that year. And the league would have to finish the season without its biggest star.
The punch that is shaking the nation occurred on Wednesday in a game between the Fever and Phoenix Mercury.
During the second quarter of the Fever's 111-109 loss, Clark drove into the lane and fell to her side after some initial contact. In the ensuing scramble for the loose ball, veteran Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas dove to the floor. As the two jostled, Thomas appeared to knee Clark in the groin, and then pressed a closed fist directly into Clark's throat as she fell. To cap it off, Thomas stepped right over the young star to get back into the play.
Despite the shocking nature of the contact, the referees swallowed their whistles. No foul was called on the play, allowing the game to continue in real time as if nothing had happened. Clark managed to pass the ball away, but the lack of intervention sent the Fever bench — and soon, the entire internet — into an absolute frenzy.
Fever head coach Stephanie White did not hold back in her postgame press conference, calling the non-call "egregious" and "utterly disrespectful."
"We have a generational talent and a WNBA superstar who had two cheap shots right there that weren't called," White fumed to reporters. "[Clark] is not called the same way as everybody else is called. The fist in the throat is crazy. It's crazy. It's dangerous."
The incident was only amplified by the fact that the two teams had played a highly volatile matchup just two nights prior, a game that featured six technical fouls and an ejection. White voiced her sheer disbelief that the officials hadn't reeled in the physicality after that first meeting.
To make matters worse for Indiana, Clark ended up leaving the game in the third quarter with a back injury, adding injury to insult on a miserable night for the franchise.
Following massive public outcry, and a statement from Fever president Kelly Krauskopf demanding that player safety be "paramount," the WNBA league office finally stepped in the following day. The league retroactively deemed Thomas's hit a "non-basketball act," hitting her with a Flagrant-2 penalty and handing down a one-game suspension.
But for the legion of fans who have watched Clark take a beating over the last three seasons, a retroactive suspension felt like too little, too late. Once again, the cycle of hard hits, missed live calls, and ensuing social media culture wars continues to define the young superstar's incredibly turbulent — and immensely scrutinized — WNBA career.
Mackenzie Shirilla's appeal rejected by court after 'The Crash' revives ‘Hell on Wheels’ case
Mackenzie Shirilla’s bid to get Ohio’s highest court to review her latest appeal has crashed.
The Ohio Supreme Court declined to accept jurisdiction in Shirilla’s case, leaving intact a lower-court ruling that tossed her postconviction petition because it was filed one day too late.
In an entry filed June 23, the court said it had reviewed the jurisdictional filings but would not take the case. The order was signed by Chief Justice Sharon L. Kennedy.
Shirilla's case is back in the limelight after Netflix's new series, "The Crash."
Shirilla, now 21, is serving two concurrent sentences of 15 years to life in prison for killing her boyfriend, Dominic Russo, 20, and their friend, Davion Flanagan, 19, after prosecutors said she deliberately slammed her Toyota Camry into a brick building in Strongsville, Ohio, on July 31, 2022.
She was later convicted after a bench trial of four counts of murder, four counts of felonious assault and two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide.
Prosecutors argued at trial that Shirilla drove into the building to end her toxic relationship with Russo, and that Flanagan was an unintended victim who happened to be in the car.
Shirilla has maintained the crash was not intentional. Fox News Digital has reached out to her attorneys for comment.
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Since the docuseries, Shirilla’s lawyers filed an appeal with the Ohio Supreme Court, arguing that her trial lawyers failed to adequately investigate evidence that she suffered from Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, or POTS. The syndrome, they say, could have caused her to lose consciousness before the crash.
The defense says the condition was only "cursorily referenced" at trial despite Shirilla and her family allegedly putting her attorneys on notice about it. Her lawyers argued trial counsel should have dug deeper and sought expert testimony to explain whether POTS could account for Shirilla’s failure to brake before impact.
Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley "believes without question that Mackenzie Shirilla is guilty of murder," his office said in a May 27 statement.
Her convictions were already upheld on direct appeal in 2024, but the appeals court found Shirilla missed the statutory deadline.
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Under Ohio law, a postconviction petition must generally be filed within 365 days after the trial transcript is filed in the court of appeals. The court said the relevant transcript was filed Oct. 24, 2023, making the deadline Oct. 23, 2024. Shirilla filed on Oct. 24, 2024, the 366th day.
Shirilla argued the clock should have started later, when juvenile bindover transcripts were filed, and also pointed to the 2024 leap year. The appellate court rejected both arguments, finding that the statute refers to the "trial transcript," not supplemental juvenile-hearing transcripts, and that the law says 365 days, not a calendar year.
The court also refused to excuse the late filing on fairness grounds, saying the deadline is jurisdictional and Shirilla had not met any statutory exception.
DOUG SCHOEN: Two years after Biden’s disastrous debate, Dems still dealing with fallout
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From the minute former President Joe Biden exited the debate stage in Atlanta two years ago, Democrats have wished to put that disastrous night behind them, but for a variety of reasons have been unable to do so.
Even now, barely a month can go by without some Democrat reminding us of the challenges Biden and Democrats faced, culminating in Biden’s withdrawal from the race.
Whether its former First Lady Jill Biden, former VP Kamala Harris, the widely-panned DNC "audit" of what went wrong, or other members of the administration, Democrats are reminding Americans that plainly, Biden had no reason running for a second term.
FLASHBACK: THE DEBATE NIGHT AGAINST TRUMP THAT THREW BIDEN'S REELECTION CAMPAIGN INTO A FREE FALL
They also remind voters that the party as a whole is struggling to recover from the defeat in 2024, a challenge made worse by Harris’ name and record consistently being in the spotlight as she considers a second run in 2028.
Moreover, in doing so, Democrats remind everyone of the lengths they went to hiding Biden’s declining capabilities at the very moment they were asking voters to trust them.
The former First Lady says as much. According to her memoir, she knew something was wrong, writing that she wondered if her husband was having a stroke, yet none of that seemingly mattered when she was forcefully defending him in the hours and days after.
And while voters are – understandably – still angry that the Democratic establishment did not admit what was obvious to the public, the political consequences of that night and the weeks after are still playing out. Indeed, as Carlos Lozada headlined a recent article in the New York Times, "The Biden Verdict is in. It Isn’t Pretty."
Describing a book summing up Biden’s presidency, Lozada writes that "The administration was ‘an ominous interregnum’" and that his term "ended somewhere between tragedy and farce."
Whether due to Biden’s age, stubbornness, or additional factors, throughout his presidency, the country lacked direction and an overarching vision.
Further, when the Biden White House did attempt to steer the country, they were often woefully out of step with what the majority of Americans wanted.
From throwing the Southern border wide open, to economic policies that stoked inflation – which ultimately proved to be Biden’s downfall – and a humiliating withdrawal from Afghanistan, the administration simply appeared rudderless.
Likewise, Biden’s emphasis on transgender issues generated considerable backlash, leading to perhaps the most devastating political ad in recent memory, President Trump’s "Kamala is for they/them, I’m for you."
Even when the administration did identify a problem many Americans cared about such as climate change, they routinely failed to promote their policies, resulting in virtually no political points.
At the same time, despite promising to be a bridge between older, moderate Democrats and younger, more progressive Democrats, Biden exacerbated that ideological struggle, setting the stage for the ongoing fight today.
Put another way, rather than bringing both wings of the party together in order to set a new agenda, Biden allowed progressives to rapidly ascend, while the pool of moderates shrunk ever smaller.
To be sure, the consequences of that cannot be overstated, as it threatens the political viability of all Democrats, especially for state or national offices.
While popular in deep-blue pockets, progressives struggle when the electorate expands from ultra-liberal cities to entire states, let alone for the presidency.
And yet, progressives have grown so powerful within the Democratic Party that moderates are being primaried out of existence by an insurgent far-left that could keep the party out of the White House for decades to come.
As evidenced by the New York City primaries last Tuesday, that is no longer hyperbolic. Insurgent socialist candidates, backed by socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani won three races against more moderate candidates.
In that same vein, in Michigan, Maine, and even Texas, where far-left candidates Abdul El-Sayed, Graham Platner, and James Talarico, respectively, have surged in the polls, with Platner and Talarico winning primaries and El-Sayed a frontrunner in his.
In some ways, the rise of the socialist left is the result of frustration with the Democratic establishment that Biden embodied.
Having tried to hide his diminished state, then forcing through Harris without a primary, Biden and his enablers undermined confidence in the Democratic Party’s leadership, creating the conditions for an ascendent far-left.
Beyond his impact on the Democratic Party, Biden’s presidency handed Trump and Republicans a gift. Despite Fox News polling showing Trump with just a 39% approval rating, and Americans signaling their desire for change, Republicans can – credibly – still run against Biden.
They can ask Americans, do you want to go back to unprecedented inflation and open borders? If not, give us a chance. In fact, they are making that very point. Speaking to CNBC on Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stressed that current inflation is nowhere near the 21.5% cumulative inflation seen under Biden and that the Trump administration is still dealing with those effects.
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Whether or not voters buy it remains to be seen, yet it would not be surprising if a considerable number do.
Taken together, midterms are often referendums on the incumbent, and 2026 figures to be no different. But in the aftermath of the Biden presidency, Harris candidacy, the DNC audit, and continued drips coming from Biden administration insiders, Democrats have a number of hurdles to overcome.
Worse still, aside from the tell-all books, Hunter Biden, Joe’s scandal-plagued son continues to make himself an extremely visible presence on Twitter. As one USA Today article described Hunter’s "X-rated X posts" have gone viral, providing voters with constant reminders of a former First Family that many Democrats simply want to settle out of the spotlight.
Ultimately, viewed through these lenses, Joe Biden’s biggest legacy may not just be handing Donald Trump a second term.
Rather, it may be the ongoing polarization and division within the Democratic Party that may allow Republicans, notwithstanding Trump’s low ratings and his own baggage, to avoid losing one – or both – chambers of Congress.
US Marine missing off Southern California coast after training exercise; search shifts to recovery
A U.S. Marine serving aboard the USS Anchorage went missing during a training exercise off the Southern California coast, prompting a massive multi-agency search that has since transitioned to a recovery operation, the Navy said.
According to the Navy, the Makin Island Amphious Ready Group launched the search at about 1:21 a.m. Thursday after the Marine was reported missing during integrated training with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
The Navy said the Marine's identity is being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin are notified.
COAST GUARD USING SHIP, HELICOPTER TO SEARCH FOR MISSING CREW MEMBER IN EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and all who are affected during this difficult time," the Navy said in a news release on Saturday.
The Navy transitioned from search-and-rescue efforts to a search-and-recovery operation at about 9 p.m. Friday.
The search covered approximately 2,400 square miles over 43 hours and involved three surface ships and 12 aircraft from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Air Force, according to the Navy.
The USS Anchorage is an amphibious transport dock ship assigned to the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Navy for additional information.
Gun-wielding couple in viral BLM standoff got firepower — and 'a voice' — back after legal saga
One of the defining images of 2020 featured two homeowners, two firearms and a confrontation that ignited a national firestorm.
Six years later, the legal, political and cultural fallout from that moment continues to reverberate through debates over self-defense, private property rights, public protest and prosecutorial power.
On June 28, 2020, as racial justice protests swept cities across America following the death of George Floyd, Black Lives Matter demonstrators made their way through Portland Place, a private, gated street in St. Louis, toward the home of then-Mayor Lyda Krewson.
As the crowd passed through the neighborhood, the McCloskeys emerged from their home carrying firearms — Mark with an AR-15-style rifle and Patricia with a handgun. Within hours, images of the encounter had spread nationwide, turning a confrontation on a private St. Louis street into a flashpoint in America's debate over self-defense, property rights and public protest.
ARMED AMERICANS FIGHT BACK: INSIDE 2025’S MOST GRIPPING SELF-DEFENSE SHOOTINGS ACROSS THE US
Supporters viewed the couple as homeowners defending their property during a period of unrest that had swept cities across the country. Critics argued they unnecessarily escalated the situation by brandishing firearms at demonstrators.
Six years later, the legal and political aftershocks of that day are still being felt.
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MCCLOSKEYS WIN BACK AR-15 RIFLE 5 YEARS AFTER BLACK LIVES MATTER PROTEST CONFRONTATION
Looking back today, Mark McCloskey said the experience reinforced one lesson above all else.
"You can't rely on others," McCloskey told Fox News Digital. "You have to be prepared. You have to know how to defend yourself."
One of the latest developments came in 2025, when he announced that his AR-15 had finally been returned after what he described as three lawsuits, two trips to the Missouri Court of Appeals and more than 1,800 days of litigation.
"It only took 3 lawsuits, 2 trips to the Court of Appeals and 1,847 days, but I got my AR15 back!" McCloskey wrote on social media after recovering the rifle.
STORE OWNER HELD WITHOUT BOND FOR 3 YEARS ACQUITTED OF MURDER IN TEEN'S SHOOTING DEATH
Looking back, McCloskey said the yearslong legal battle reinforced the value of perseverance.
"It teaches the benefit of perseverance," he said. "It took me 1,847 days, three lawsuits and two trips to the Court of Appeals to get my rifle back and then another 60 days or so to get that pistol back."
He said the ordeal also took a significant toll on the couple's law practice.
"Our business was relatively destroyed," McCloskey said. "If you Googled the McCloskey Law Center for two years after that event or longer, it said 'permanently closed.' If you Google my name right now it still says Mark McCloskey is a former personal injury lawyer. Nobody told me I retired."
The legal battle over the firearms was only the latest chapter in a saga that quickly expanded far beyond the confrontation itself.
Then-St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner charged the couple with unlawful use of a weapon, triggering a closely watched legal fight that drew national attention. Then-Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt criticized the prosecution and sought to intervene, arguing the case raised broader questions about Missourians' rights to defend themselves and their property.
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Looking back six years later, Schmitt, now a Missouri senator, said the case reflected what he believes was a broader trend among progressive prosecutors during that period.
"As rioters razed St. Louis, activist prosecutors like Kim Gardner chose to go after law-abiding citizens like the McCloskeys—not the looters and criminals destroying our cities," Schmitt told Fox News Digital.
"Unfortunately, the McCloskey case became the rule, not the exception," he said. "As violent crimes skyrocketed, progressive prosecutors like Gardner targeted conservatives in an obvious attempt to beef up liberal bona fides and advance partisan agendas instead of upholding the letter of the law."
'THE VIEW' HOSTS DEFEND GUN OWNERSHIP AS CHECK TO TYRANNY AFTER YEARS OF SHOW CRITICIZING GUN RIGHTS
Fox News Digital reached out to Gardner's attorney.
As attorney general, Schmitt said his office intervened because it viewed the case as an example of "the justice system being weaponized against law-abiding Missourians."
"In the Senate, I'm fighting to undo the damage caused by the Left's crusade against our justice system and punish violent criminals, not innocent Americans," he said.
The McCloskeys ultimately pleaded guilty to misdemeanor offenses in 2021 as part of a resolution to the case. Shortly afterward, they received pardons from then-Missouri Gov. Mike Parson.
BRITISH MAN SAYS HE WAS ARRESTED AFTER POSTING PHOTOS HOLDING GUNS DURING JULY 4 TRIP TO FLORIDA
In another significant development, a Missouri appeals court later affirmed the expungement of the couple's convictions. Under Missouri law, the expungement effectively treats those convictions as though they never occurred.
Attorney Al Watkins, who represented the McCloskeys during the early stages of the controversy, said one of the biggest misconceptions about the case is what triggered the confrontation in the first place.
"The precipitating event was not the protest," Watkins told Fox News Digital. "It was the decision by local powers that be to mandate that local law enforcement be strictly 'hands off' protesters, regardless of their acts."
Looking back, Watkins said the case offers lessons for lawyers and prosecutors facing intense public and political pressure.
"Do not be afraid to ignore political pressure," he said. "Mr. and Mrs. McCloskey were immediately, incorrectly and unfairly labeled as racially motivated members of a privileged class."
Watkins noted that the couple had chosen decades earlier to purchase and restore a home in the city and raise their family in a diverse St. Louis neighborhood.
WATCH: McCloskeys speak out against Soros-backed St. Louis DA
As for the national reaction that followed, Watkins said he was not surprised by the intensity of the public response.
"The national reaction was an unsurprising and natural progression of the then-burgeoning divisiveness in our nation," he said.
The events of June 2020 also reshaped the course of Mark McCloskey's public life.
In the years that followed, the St. Louis attorney became an increasingly visible figure in conservative politics, speaking at the 2020 Republican National Convention and launching a bid for the U.S. Senate in Missouri in 2022. More recently, he has represented some defendants charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot and advocated for compensation for those prosecuted after the attack, according to reporting by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Earlier this year, McCloskey briefly stepped away from representing hundreds of Jan. 6 defendants before returning after the Justice Department announced plans for what it called an "Anti-Weaponization Fund," which supporters say could compensate individuals they believe were unfairly prosecuted.
According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, McCloskey said he had initially stepped back because of a serious medical diagnosis, describing his condition as an "incurable, always-fatal disease," though he declined to identify it publicly.
Yet despite his later involvement in politics, McCloskey remains most closely associated with the confrontation that unfolded outside his home in June 2020.
What began as a tense encounter on a private St. Louis street evolved into a legal battle, a political flashpoint and a national conversation that continues nearly six years later.
Despite the lingering fallout, McCloskey said the experience ultimately gave him and his wife a platform they never expected.
"It has given us a voice that we would not otherwise have," he said. "I still speak around the country on constitutional rights in the First Amendment and the Second Amendment."
For his part, Watkins said he hopes the couple can finally move beyond the controversy.
"I am hopeful they can live out their lives without again being demonized, victimized or prosecuted for protecting their American dream," he said.
While he said he and Patricia continue to receive occasional death threats and hate mail, McCloskey said they remain committed to speaking publicly about the constitutional issues they believe the case represents.
"Some lingering negatives," he said. "But overall, once again, it has given us an opportunity to spread the word."
Fox News Digital's Sophia Compton contributed to this report.
American Culture Quiz: Test yourself on cruise controversies and wedding whispers
The American Culture Quiz is a weekly test of our unique national traits, trends, history and people — including current events and the sights and sounds of the United States.
This week's quiz highlights cruise controversies, wedding whispers — and much more.
Can you get all 8 questions right?
Give it a try and see how you do!
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AOC puts major tech company on notice amid looming price increases: 'Far too big'
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., revealed that she believes Congress should look to break up companies like Apple amid news that the tech giant might soon raise its prices on phones and laptops due to a strained processing chip supply chain.
"We need to break up a lot of these companies that are far, far too big and we need to be instituting consumer protections for people," Ocasio-Cortez said.
Her statements reveal one of the many ways lawmakers are grappling with the realities of the AI race as companies feel the squeeze of global demand for processing power and as local communities wrestle with the costs of their use.
Like many other progressives, Ocasio-Cortez has advocated for a more government-led response, citing a distrust of corporate influence.
THE RISE OF AI: WHEN WILL CONGRESS REGULATE IT?
"The problem that we have is that these big companies think they are governments. They want to be governments. They want to have totally unchecked power," Ocasio-Cortez said.
In recent weeks, Apple’s outgoing CEO Tim Cook signaled that the company might soon have no choice but to pass some of its climbing costs off to consumers.
"Unfortunately, price increases are unavoidable," Cook said in a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal.
"We’re doing our best to mitigate the huge increases that are being passed to us, and we’ve been trying to shield our customers from the increases, but the situation has become unsustainable."
For years, companies like Apple have dominated demand for the processing chip market, the part of a computer that acts as the brain of a device. These chips, which require highly sophisticated production, allow computers to perform calculations, process data and execute commands.
AI COMES WITH A HEFTY CHARGE. ARE YOU THE ONE WHO GETS STUCK WITH THE BILL?
Now that AI companies are also adding to demand, Apple finds itself competing for a dwindling supply of processors, driving the company’s costs up.
Beyond her views on the relationship between the government and business, Ocasio-Cortez said that she believes it's time Congress re-visit ways it can mitigate costs of the AI-race that have climbed on a local level. In particular, she believes it’s time for lawmakers to address the energy strain of data centers.
When asked if she believed Congress should consider something beyond the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) Act, President Joe Biden's signature technology investment bill that became law in 2022, Ocasio-Cortez said she thought so.
"The CHIPS Act was passed before we saw this huge development in AI, so the CHIPS Act was really passed before data centers were a thing, so it wasn’t designed to anticipate the huge amount of supply that these centers are sucking up," Ocasio-Cortez said.
IN 2026, ENERGY WAR’S NEW FRONT IS AI, AND US MUST WIN THAT BATTLE, API CHIEF SAYS
Among other provisions, the CHIP act included $11.2 billion to modernize the country’s energy grid, created clean energy innovation programs and included $39 billion in domestic semiconductor production incentives.
The bill did not address the energy consumption strain caused by data centers.
"We are subsidizing a lot of these pieces of these AI data centers," Ocasio-Cortez said.
Massie lashes out when pressed on ex-girlfriend's allegations of affair with GOP firebrand
Rep. Thomas Massie lashed out at a Fox News Digital reporter when asked about allegations from his purported ex-girlfriend before turning his phone on the reporter, asking him if he likes "gay porn."
The exchange unfolded after a woman who claims to be his ex-girlfriend came forward with allegations that he offered her money and asked her to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) related to a wrongful termination dispute. She also made allegations that he had bragged to her about an alleged sexual encounter with Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., just weeks after his wife died.
After the reporter told Massie he wanted to give him an opportunity to respond publicly to the allegations, the Kentucky Republican turned the exchange around.
"So let me ask you, I heard that you like gay porn," Massie said as he pulled out his phone and began recording the reporter. "Is that true?"
As the reporter began to walk away from the heated exchange, Massie continued to bombard the reporter with more questions while filming.
"Are you a real loser?" he asked the reporter.
"No, come back man," Massie said to the Fox News Digital reporter as the reporter walked away as he continued to follow behind him recording.
"Are you with Fox?" he asked. "Is that a legitimate news organization? Is this what you do for a living?"
The interaction started with the reporter asking Massie if he could "clear up" the allegations from his ex-girlfriend, former congressional staffer Cynthia West, that claimed he offered her $5,000 in exchange for her to drop a lawsuit for wrongful termination against Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., — an ally of Massie.
"It’s all false," Massie said when asked.
Massie was then questioned about the allegations of him having alleged sexual relations with Boebert, as West also claimed Massie bragged to her about a sexual encounter with Boebert within weeks after his wife’s death.
"It’s all false," he said again when asked about Boebert.
Boebert also erupted at the same Fox News Digital reporter earlier this month for asking the same questions about their alleged sexual encounter.
"F--- you, first of all!’ Boebert said to the reporter when bringing up the claims from Massie’s alleged ex-girlfriend.
RAND PAUL PLEDGES SUPPORT FOR MASSIE AGAINST TRUMP-BACKED CHALLENGER: 'I'M GOING TO HELP HIM'
"If you're gonna bring me into this, like, the sexist stuff is like out of control," she continued. "So there's your clickbait that you were looking for."
Earlier in the exchange with Massie, he questioned why Fox News was asking about the allegations.
"When did you all become a tabloid?" Massie asked. "Seriously, dude."
The allegations against Massie surfaced just a week before Massie was defeated in the race to keep his House seat in the May 19 Republican primary.
Bill Clinton reveals how he feels about upcoming midterms after socialist victories
Former President Bill Clinton expressed confidence in Democrats' prospects after three socialist candidates won key New York primaries, stating he believes the Democratic Party is in "good shape" to be successful in November’s midterm elections.
"I think we’re in good shape for the fall," Clinton told Fox News Digital when asked about the outcome of Tuesday’s elections.
The victories by three far-left candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America who won their respective races on Tuesday — Darializa Avila Chevalier, Brad Lander and Claire Valdez — have fueled debate within the Democratic Party over whether these progressive campaigns offer a winning blueprint heading into the midterm elections and a legitimate roadmap to national success for the party.
Clinton, however, appeared unfazed by the results.
The former president has previously aligned himself with more moderate Democrats in New York politics. Last year, he endorsed former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary over socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who defeated Cuomo in the Democratic primary in June 2025 and went on to secure the mayoral nomination.
The latest primary results come as Democrats continue to wrestle with the party's ideological direction. While many Democrats have embraced the new wave of socialism and those candidates representing the ideology, many mainstream Democrats have cautioned against embracing socialism as the party's national brand — and have defended capitalism.
Fox News Digital also asked Clinton about the Iran situation, but the former president dodged the question, declining to answer.
CLINTON JUDGE ORDERS DOJ TO UNSEAL THE EPSTEIN FILES IT HAS BEEN KEEPING HIDDEN
Clinton's refusal to comment comes as tensions surrounding Iran remain high as the United States and Iran work to navigate a recently announced, fragile peace deal
After coming to a ceasefire agreement, U.S. forces launched strikes against Iranian targets Friday after Tehran attacked a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.
President Donald Trump said Thursday, before the strikes, that the U.S. is negotiating with Iran from a "position of pure strength."