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Woman wins massive settlement after bladder mistakenly removed during surgery for benign cyst
A Maine woman has been awarded $17 million after a catastrophic surgical error resulted in the removal of her bladder during a procedure intended to address a benign ovarian cyst.
The damages were awarded to Emily Mitchell last Thursday by a Kennebec County jury following a two-week medical malpractice trial against Northern Light Inland Hospital and Northern Light Health, according to her attorneys on Friday. The verdict is reportedly the largest medical malpractice award in Kennebec County.
The devastating procedure occurred on March 1, 2023, and resulted in what Mitchell’s attorneys described as an irreversible injury with extreme health repercussions that are still ongoing.
"According to evidence presented at trial, what began as a routine gynecologic surgery resulted in one of the most devastating surgical errors imaginable," Berman & Simmons said in a statement.
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Northern Light Inland Hospital in Waterville officially closed in May 2025 after serving the community for more than 80 years, according to the state.
The healthcare system cited "immense pressure of higher operational costs, unsustainably low reimbursement rates, and a tight labor market" as factors behind the closure in a statement issued that month.
According to the attorneys, Michell scheduled the surgery after imaging showed that a benign ovarian cyst had significantly increased in size.
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Following the procedure, Mitchell’s condition worsened, and she was transferred to another hospital for emergency surgery.
Surgeons later discovered that her bladder had been removed during the original operation, and pathology confirmed the tissue taken during the procedure was "full-thickness bladder tissue," according to her attorneys.
The damage appeared irreversible, as "surgeons determined there was insufficient healthy bladder tissue remaining to reconstruct or repair the organ," according to Berman & Simmons.
For the next eight months, Mitchell relied on bilateral nephrostomy tubes to drain urine directly from her kidneys. The treatment involves thin plastic tubes surgically placed through the skin of the lower back and into both kidneys, allowing urine to flow into external bags attached to the exposed ends of the tubes.
During that time, Mitchell reportedly experienced recurring urinary tract infections, kidney infections, multiple medical procedures and ongoing complications.
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She was eventually referred to Massachusetts for complex reconstructive surgery, where surgeons used a portion of her small intestine to create a new bladder, known as a neobladder.
Mitchell’s attorneys said she "continues to live with the permanent effects of those injuries" nearly three years after the original operation.
She must insert a catheter multiple times a day to drain the neobladder and requires ongoing medical treatment from specialists related to the loss of her bladder.
After hearing the evidence, the jury found Northern Light Inland Hospital and Northern Light Health liable and awarded Mitchell damages covering past and future medical expenses, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress and permanent impairment.
"For our clients, this isn't just a legal victory—it's the closure they've needed for a long time," attorney Susan A. Faunce said in a statement.
"They can finally begin to move forward, knowing that what happened to them was seen, heard, and acknowledged. This verdict won't undo the pain our clients have endured, but it does offer something they haven't had in a long time: closure. They can finally put this chapter behind them."
Tony Romo allegedly refused intoxication test after OWI arrest following Milwaukee golf event: report
Details of Tony Romo’s arrest on charges of alleged operating while intoxicated emerged, with the ex-Dallas Cowboys quarterback being allegedly uncooperative with law enforcement during the incident.
Records obtained by The California Post showed Romo was issued a citation for "refusing to take test for intoxication after arrest" during the July 23 incident with police following his appearance at a Milwaukee golf event.
Romo was stopped on an interstate following his round at the Wisconsin Amateur Championship and he performed poorly during field sobriety tests, FOX6 in Milwaukee reported. He was released and is due in court on Sept. 21.
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The California Post added that the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s office said that, since Romo’s situation is allegations, the case is considered a traffic violation and not a criminal charge in Wisconsin.
Other information regarding the arrest was not immediately available. Neither the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office nor CBS immediately responded to emails from Fox News Digital.
TONY ROMO'S BRUTAL GOLF SCORE BEFORE GETTING ARRESTED PAINTS A NIGHTMARISH PICTURE
Romo was set to appear at another golf tournament, the M&P Group Texas State Open, but he withdrew over the weekend.
Romo retired from football in 2017 and soon joined CBS as a color commentator.
He was the Cowboys' starter from 2006 to 2015, but an injury cost him his spot in 2016 to Dak Prescott. The Cowboys released him after the season, and he eventually hung up the cleats.
Romo threw for 34,183 yards, 248 touchdowns, and 117 interceptions, completing 65.3% of his passes.
He was named to the Pro Bowl four times and finished tied for third in the MVP vote in 2014 behind Aaron Rodgers and J.J. Watt — he was tied with DeMarcio Murray.
Romo went 2-4 in the playoffs, famously dropping a snap for a potential game-winning field goal in his first against the Seattle Seahawks. Romo then picked up the ball and tried to run for a touchdown but was stopped short, giving Seattle the win.
Since retiring, Romo and Jim Nantz have been the main tandem for CBS, calling three Super Bowls, including the Kansas City Chiefs' overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII.
Romo has yet to comment on his arrest.
Fox News’ Ryan Morik contributed to this report.
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Chuck Todd suggests DNC primary calendar intended to thwart potential progressive insurgent candidate in 2028
Former NBC News host Chuck Todd said Monday that the Democratic National Committee's (DNC) primary calendar looked as though the national Democratic Party was trying to thwart a progressive insurgent candidate from breaking through in 2028.
During his podcast, "The Chuck ToddCast," the ex-NBC host said the schedule looked like it was made to make life harder for a progressive candidate.
"The more I study this map, the more I think, whether intentionally or simply by consequence — though I don't think there's any accidents in presidential politics — this calendar is intended to make life harder for an insurgent progressive. That's its intent," he said.
"The sequence itself is the story, right?" he continued. "Opening with South Carolina and closing with Virginia, a state that has been very friendly to Democrats, but not very friendly to progressive Democrats, right? But the sequence here does tell you something: South Carolina, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Michigan, Virginia — not a place that's home to many super progressive electorates, right?"
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Todd said if Wisconsin or Iowa were included in the early primary window, progressives would be happier.
The DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee (RBC) voted to keep South Carolina as the first-in-the-nation primary on Friday. The panel also voted to allow Nevada, New Hampshire, Michigan, Virginia and New Mexico to hold primaries in the early voting window, before the rest of the states hold nominating contests starting ahead of Super Tuesday.
Axios reported Sunday that progressives were frustrated by the South Carolina decision.
A member of the RBC told the outlet, "the public is swinging left, and the establishment is trying to fight the winds of change."
The member said putting South Carolina first could "shut down" a progressive candidate early, according to Axios.
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The RBC member also said it was "not a strategy for winning the electorate," per Axios.
However, the report included some pushback from South Carolina Democratic Party chair Christale Spain.
"I hate that the narrative kind of seems like 'Well, a progressive can't win in the South,'" Spain, who also worked for Sen. Bernie Sanders' 2016 campaign, told Axios. "The work that you have to do in the South is retail politics."
Spain also said that a candidate such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez could "absolutely" win in South Carolina.
The DNC did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Todd said during his podcast, "If I were to create a calendar that was going to do two things — make it much harder for a progressive to get the nominee and much harder for progressives to say the calendar was designed to stop a progressive from getting the nomination — this is the calendar I would come up with."
He added that Virginia, the final state in the early primary window, would become "the last stand for the establishment to stop a progressive if indeed a progressive has the momentum."
STATES MAY DEFY DNC PRIMARY CALENDAR AS 'NOBODY IS SCARED' OF KEN MARTIN, CNN REPORTER SAYS
The ex-NBC moderator said that South Carolina has not been "very open" to progressive socialist campaigns. However, he said in a crowded race, 20% of the vote might be enough to get second place, citing Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and his previous percentage of votes when he ran for president, 26% in 2016 and almost 20% in 2020, finishing in second in South Carolina both times.
Todd said that it was also possible the situation could benefit a progressive, as there might be multiple moderates trying to secure the moderate vote.
"There might be multiple candidates trying to win over the more moderate vote, it splinters and a progressive consolidating the progressive support in the state — well, guess what? Twenty percent is a terrible number in a two-way race. Twenty percent might be a great number in a six-way race," he said.
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New Hampshire's National Democratic Party chair Ray Buckley spoke out against the South Carolina pick in a statement on Friday.
"Today’s vote shows that many party insiders have learned nothing from 2024. New Hampshire has a proven track record of testing our candidates with a rigorous, fair, and efficient process, yet those qualities did not prevail. This committee’s vote does not change the realities governing New Hampshire’s primary, which are beyond the control of both this committee and our state party," Buckley said.
"Democrats’ guiding North Star should be winning general elections, and New Hampshire Democrats will get back to work focusing on the 2026 elections and addressing the significant challenges facing America’s overwhelmed working class," he continued. "Today’s vote moves the party further away from that objective."
Anthony Fauci's private diary and emails show he knew lockdowns failed and pushed masks without evidence
Sometimes, people are exactly who you think they are. And that may never apply more accurately and comprehensively than it does with Anthony Fauci.
Fauci was portrayed, starting in early 2020, as an objective, brilliant, virtually infallible God-like figure. He was the voice of opposition to President Donald Trump, a clear-eyed force of evidence-driven policy, contrasting with the evil Trump who didn't "listen to the science."
That's not an exaggeration; there were Christmas tree ornaments made up of Fauci dressed as a Pope, shrines put up in people's houses, and he was given a parade of endless, relentlessly glowing media appearances from his fawning, adoring fans. Fans like CNN's Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.
FAUCI'S NEWLY RELEASED COVID DIARIES REVEAL BIZARRE FIXATION ON FAME AS PANDEMIC DEATHS MOUNTED
For most critics, it was clear almost immediately that these portrayals and friendly media appearances were the exact opposite of reality. Fauci was a narcissist. Someone who enjoyed the attention, power, and influence he now unexpectedly wielded. He was unimaginably arrogant, unwilling to listen to new evidence if it contradicted what he wanted to believe. And someone who bought into himself as that virtually infallible, God-like figure.
Well, Sen. Rand Paul over the weekend released a series of diary entries, emails, and inside information from Fauci himself and it turns out that the critics were more right than they could have ever imagined.
There are so many humiliating, embarrassing, discrediting revelations from the emails and diary entries that many are still compiling them. Combing through the list of statements that he made privately, in direct contradiction to his public pronouncements, could be a full-time job. For weeks.
But let's highlight a few, revisit what he said, and explain what it all means.
One of Fauci's most heinous legacies was the push for lockdowns, school closures and mask mandates. Those three policies were and are significant contributors to many of the negative outcomes from our response to the COVID pandemic.
School closures set back an entire generation of children. Lockdowns led to governments printing money to allow people to stay home, setting off a spiral of runaway inflation that is still not under control. And masks permanently damaged millions of people, from school children forced to wear them, to hospital workers who are now indefinitely required to mask in healthcare settings unnecessarily, or for those who continue to mask out of irrational fear and effective propaganda.
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Many of these policies can be traced directly back to Anthony Fauci. And now we have proof of just how inept and incompetent his recommendations were, and how dishonest he was as it became clear he'd failed.
Here's one example. In an email to Deborah Birx, another key architect of our failed response, Fauci unwittingly admitted that he was aware lockdowns and closures did not impact the spread of COVID.
"I have been obsessing about the increases in cases that do not seem to be related to openings or closings or massive crowds,"he wrote. "I believe that ultimately we will see increases related to all of the above; however, right now we may be looking for the lost keys under the light of the lamppost. There is something inherent here that we are missing and that is insidiously keeping the outbreak alive in the USA, and that is more concerning than anticipated spikes associated with identifiable events."
Surely, this email was written in 2021 or 2022, right? After closures and lockdowns became less common?
Nope. June 18, 2020. That's just a few months after the initial shutdowns. He knew in June 2020 that closures did not lead to increases in cases, and for quite literally years afterward, he demanded closures and shutdowns continue. He criticized Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for reopening his state, months later. In September, for example, he said Florida was "asking for trouble" by opening. Three months after he knew, and admitted privately, that closures were not impacting the spread of the virus. Indefensible.
What about masks? Here's another email from April 15, 2020, less than two weeks after the CDC abandoned science and recommended public masking out of panic. Apparently the White House, or then-Vice President Mike Pence did not fully support masks, and Fauci and Birx once again got involved.
"We should push back a bit on the masks. I think that it is important. Since when do comms people dictate public health suggestions? Walk out of the streets and people are wearing them anyway," Fauci wrote. "We should be on board with them. I would be happy to do that tomorrow. We are meeting with the VP tomorrow morning. Can you arrange for you and I to meet with the relevant person so I can give it a pitch?"
No new evidence. No studies to reference. No peer-review. No data. Just, "people are wearing them anyway" and "we should be on board" with the CDC. That's how Fauci decided to push one of the most important and harmful "interventions" of the pandemic. Because everyone else was doing it too.
Then there's the lab leak. By now it's widely accepted that the lab leak is the most likely explanation for the origin of COVID. The Wuhan Institute of Virology proposed doing exactly the type of gain-of-function research that could have led to the creation of an enhanced virus, and did not have proper safety protocols for the work they were doing. As just one example.
Early on in the pandemic, however, the forces of institutional science came together to tell the public that a lab leak was a conspiracy theory. The Wuhan wet market was the source, they said, of a naturally occurring virus. They had no evidence for this suggestion, only speculation and hope to avoid scrutiny of their profession and hopes of avoiding a decrease in funding.
One pivotal moment in the early weeks of the pandemic was a phone call with 12 subject matter experts where they discussed their opinions on a natural vs lab origin. For years, the contents of this call were mostly hidden. Not anymore.
"There was not total agreement about the likelihood of deliberate insertion," Fauci's dairy entry from 2020 explained. "Ron Fouchier said he was sure that this could occur naturally and we should not waste our time and divert effort to pursue this. This is expected of him since he was the original GOF person with Yoshi Kawaoka. Also, Christian Drosten was with Ron; the rest felt that deliberate insertion was possible and given the fact that Dr. Zheng-Li Shi at the University of Wuhan has been working for years in GOF in coronaviruses to allow adaptation of the spike protein to bind to the human ACE2 receptor..."
So a prominent gain-of-function advocate believed it was natural, of course, along with one other scientist. The other 10? They believed that "deliberate insertion was possible" and potentially even likely, given they knew that scientists in Wuhan had long been doing this exact type of work. Surely, then, those scientists came forward to say a lab leak was possible...right?
Of course not. They did the opposite, to avoid scrutiny, criticism, and funding loss, then misled the public for years afterwards to cover it up. Fantastic.
Fauci's diary entries are littered with descriptions of his media appearances, excitement and joy that his fame and public profile had risen. He realized quickly that the mortality rate from COVID was significantly lower than most public estimates, then said the opposite weeks later.
In one diary entry, he believed the mortality rate was "more like 0.2-0.3%." Then said in an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity shortly afterward, "The mortality for this is about 2-2.5%. It's probably lower than that, closer to 1%. But even if it's 1%, it's 10x more lethal than the seasonal flu."
Wrong.
He admitted in another diary entry that he advised the then mayor of New York City, Bill deBlasio, to shut down schools and other business, then did the same with the chief of staff for California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Yet in a 2023 interview with the New York Times, "Show me a school that I shut down and show me a factory that I shut down. Never. I never did."
Hard to be more dishonest than that.
More emails showed NIH employees working to get Fauci paid awards for his "work." He catalogued media interviews, which ranged from joyful celebration of his work to vomit-inducing fan service.
And why was the media so bad? Not just because of their obvious political ideology, but because they were friends with him. There are multiple emails and diary entries from Fauci discussing his dinner plans with CNN's Jake Tapper. Fauci goes so far as to call it building a "friendship." No wonder, then, that CNN and Tapper's coverage of Fauci bordered on reverential worship instead of, as the capital J Journalists like to pretend, speaking truth to power or holding those in charge accountable.
OutKick reached out to Jake Tapper's public relations representative at CNN to ask whether their dinner plans involved removing their masks only to take bites of food, or if their "friendship" impacted his coverage. They declined to comment.
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None of this comes as much of a surprise to those who have been following Fauci and the story of COVID since early 2020. This is exactly who he thought he was. A dishonest, narcissistic, egomaniacal, arrogant person who frequently made policy recommendations and proposals without considering or even knowing the evidence behind them. Someone who the media treated with reverence instead of demanding accountability or even asking difficult questions.
He was obsessed with his image and fame, wanted public recognition and salivated at the thought of paid awards for his "success." He misled the public for years about lockdowns, the lab leak, and his political ideology. And he got away with all of it, thanks to the protection of his friends in the media and Joe Biden.
His critics knew all of it. And now we have proof that we were right.
Luigi Mangione plea talks raise showdown over Brian Thompson murder trial
Manhattan prosecutors are signaling they could fight a federal plea deal for Luigi Mangione if it threatens to derail his upcoming New York murder trial in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
In a newly unsealed letter reviewed by Fox News Digital, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office said it is aware of reports that Mangione could seek a guilty plea in his separate federal case before the state trial begins.
Prosecutors warned that if such a deal would interfere with New York's prosecution, they could ask the federal judge to take that into account before accepting it.
The filing follows a June hearing in federal court, where U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett pushed Mangione's federal trial to January 2027, clearing the way for his New York murder trial to move forward first.
LUIGI MANGIONE'S FEDERAL TRIAL PUSHED TO NEXT YEAR IN ASSASSINATION OF UNITEDHEALTHCARE CEO
Mangione, 28, has pleaded not guilty in both the state and federal cases stemming from the December 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, who was shot outside a Manhattan hotel as he headed to a conference.
"If a proposed federal guilty plea would operate to defeat a just outcome in the state prosecution, the People could advise the federal district court of that consequence, and the court should consider that fact in deciding whether to accept the plea," Assistant District Attorney Joel Seidemann wrote in the July 2 letter.
LUIGI MANGIONE'S EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE DEFENSE MAY HAVE HUGE IMPACT IN HIS OTHER CASE: LAWYER
Prosecutors added that the court should also consider any opposition from Thompson's family before accepting such a plea.
The letter marks the clearest sign yet that Manhattan prosecutors are prepared to push back against any deal they believe could keep the state's high-profile murder case from ever reaching a jury.
The DA's office said it has already shared its position with federal prosecutors and Mangione's defense team.
Prosecutors argued that any resolution should reflect "the seriousness of defendant's offenses," "the loss of an innocent life," the impact on Thompson's family and New York's interest in prosecuting the homicide.
The dispute comes after reports surfaced in June that Mangione's legal team and federal prosecutors had discussed a possible plea deal but failed to reach an agreement.
Mangione attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo blasted information attributed to anonymous sources at the time as "a troubling, deliberate pattern by prosecutors and law enforcement to prejudice Luigi."
A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York previously declined to comment on the reported negotiations.
At a June 29 hearing, Garnett delayed Mangione's federal trial after concluding there was no practical way for his attorneys to prepare for two high-profile trials at the same time.
During that hearing, Agnifilo confirmed Mangione's New York murder trial remained on track to begin Sept. 8 and said the defense had been told there would be no delays.
"We've been told that no requests for adjournments will be granted and to be ready on that date," Agnifilo told the court.
The judge said there was simply no realistic way to move both cases forward at once.
"It's simply impossible for us to be moving through the jury selection process in this case while the defendant and his counsel are fully occupied actually conducting the state trial," the judge said. She rescheduled federal jury selection for Jan. 5, 2027, with opening statements set for Jan. 25.
Under the revised schedule, about 800 prospective jurors will complete written questionnaires in early December before in-person jury selection begins.
Manhattan prosecutors also argued New York should get the first opportunity to try Mangione because he was extradited there on the state case before he was later transferred into federal custody. Prosecutors argued that the transfer did not change New York's priority to prosecute him first.
Prosecutors allege Mangione fled the city and was arrested five days later at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
Fox News Digital's Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.
9/11 families push to ban Mamdani from 25th anniversary remembrance over 'hostile' record
Families of 9/11 victims are urging organizers to bar New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani from attending this year's 25th anniversary remembrance ceremony in Lower Manhattan.
Several families of 9/11 victims published a petition urging the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, which organizes the annual remembrance, to reconsider inviting Mayor Zohran Mamdani, citing a laundry list of criticisms of the Uganda-born socialist Democrat.
"Concerns have been raised about Mr. Mamdani’s public positions, associations, and responses to rhetoric that many perceive as hostile to these shared values," a Change.org petition organized by several victims' families states.
"Given these concerns, we respectfully ask that the organizers carefully consider whether Mr. Mamdani’s participation would align with the intention of the ceremony and the expectations of the families most directly affected by the tragedy."
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Concerns listed include a "perceived reluctance" by Mamdani to unequivocally condemn phrases like "globalize the intifada" — a slogan associated with calls for the eradication of Jews.
They also expressed concern over Mamdani’s alleged support for or association with individuals either dismissive of American institutions or insufficiently critical of extremist ideologies.
A 2025 release by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, outlined one such association with a radical Bed-Stuy imam who hosted the Blind Sheikh, mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, and has made controversial statements about jihad.
MAMDANI'S POLITICS LINKED TO MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD IDEOLOGY AS NEW YORK VIOLENCE ESCALATES: REPORT
Siraj Wahhaj, born Jeffrey Kearse, hosted Mamdani at his At-Taqwa mosque during the campaign and received criticism at the time from former FBI agents for failing to condemn the cleric.
The victims’ families also called out Mamdani’s father, Columbia government professor Mahmood Mamdani, whom they cite as authoring a book shortly after the attacks in which he argued suicide bombers should be "understood as a feature of modern political violence rather than stigmatized as a mark of barbarism."
They wrote that Professor Mamdani’s book – "Good Muslim, Bad Muslim: America, the Cold War, and the Roots of Terror" – also included a passage arguing a moral equivalency between the United States and Al Qaeda.
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When the passage was resurfaced in 2025, prominent New York billionaire Bill Ackman quipped on X that the "apple doesn’t fall far from the tree."
Fox News Digital reached out to both Mamdanis for comment.
While the mayor did not immediately return a request for comment, he told a reporter at an unrelated press conference Monday that he still plans to attend.
"I will proudly honor families the survivors the first resp forever impacted by that horrific terror attack by standing alongside them at this year’s 9/11 commemoration — reaffirming that we will never forget the solemn day...," he said.
Victims’ families also excoriated the mayor for supporting and standing with socialist candidates they said hold radically anti-American views, including the DSA-endorsed woman who defeated left-wing Rep. Adriano Espaillat in Washington Heights.
The petition noted Darializa Chevalier once tweeted that she nonchalantly wiped soiled hands on an American flag after running out of napkins.
"For 9/11 families, this is not simply a public ceremony—it is a deeply personal day of mourning. The presence of individuals whose words or associations are perceived as conflicting with the solemn purpose of the event risks detracting from that focus and causing additional pain," the consortium wrote.
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One organizer told the New York Post that mourning dignitaries from both parties will be welcomed, but emphasized they have all been involved in the healing process for years, citing former mayors Rudolph Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg, former Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and City Council Speaker Julie Menin, D-Upper East Side.
The memorial museum said it has "intentionally worked to keep the commemoration free of politics because remembering those we lost on 9/11 should never be a partisan issue," according to a statement to the Post from staffer Julie Wood.
The petition comes amid elevated rhetoric directed at Mamdani as he prepares to take office before his first September 11 commemoration as mayor, as Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., and radio host Sidney Rosenberg both recently declared the mayor a "terrorist."
Monica McNutt is trying to become the female Ryan Clark with latest Caitlin Clark smear
Chicago Sky's DiJonai Carrington spiraled on social media over the weekend, accusing her ex-girlfriend of cheating on her with multiple women around the WNBA.
"Since mfs wanna be funny today ima be hilarious! yes, nalyssa cheated on me with Deja Kelly and Aaliyah Nye +++ many more," Carrington posted on X.
According to ESPN commentator Monica McNutt's logic, there is one person to blame for this alleged WNBA hit-it-and-quit-it scandal. Caitlin Clark. Who else?
McNutt maintains that Clark has a moral obligation to uplift the WNBA "sisterhood," even when it has nothing to do with her.
On Sunday, McNutt insisted Clark is to blame for the negative headlines surrounding the WNBA because she lacks "accountability" and "self-awareness."
In other words, Clark is the reason USA Today compared her flopping on the court to the lynching of Black people and falsely accused her of skipping an All-Star event to get her hair done. Both of those headlines originated last week.
Apparently, Clark is also to blame for people noticing Black women on the court driving their fists into her throat and raking her eye with their fingernails.
Again, this is all according to the logic of Monica McNutt.
McNutt using her ESPN platform to smear and belittle Clark is hardly new. She previously accused little White girls of favoring Clark because of racism and pretended as if obscure WNBA players are more famous than Clark. However, the fact that she is still doing it is quite telling.
In case you weren't aware — because apparently McNutt isn't — ESPN is done with the racial idolatry, wokeness, and buffoonery that defined much of the network over the past decade. Here are some of the names ESPN has moved on from in recent years: Mark Jones, Bomani Jones, Sarah Spain, Kenny Mayne, Clinton Yates, Jalen Rose, Israel Gutierrez, Michelle Beadle and Katie Nolan.
Add Ryan Clark and Cam Newton to that list. ESPN ended relationships with both of them last week — as OutKick first reported — as part of a round of talent layoffs and nonrenewals.
Chiney Ogwumike, McNutt's fellow Mean Girl and Caitlin Clark adversary, got the hint. Last Friday, she admitted her coverage of Clark went too far and needed to recenter the conversation back to basketball.
"The ESPN Purge (firing of Ryan Clark) is showing initial signs of success. They're already walking back their racial idiocy on air. Amazing. They must've threatened them with bringing me back for a third time," Jason Whitlock joked about Ogwumike's sudden shift.
McNutt didn't get the hint. And for many of the same reasons ESPN parted ways with Ryan Clark, McNutt should be ESPN's next casualty.
We don't say that because of her political views or her opinions. We say it because she is undermining the network's credibility for selfish reasons. We assume those reasons include building her brand on Bluesky and indulging her own personal biases.
RYAN CLARK MADE IT TOO DIFFICULT FOR ESPN TO JUSTIFY KEEPING HIM AFTER YEARS OF CONTROVER
McNutt doesn't just have issues with Clark. She also has issues with Taylor Swift. During the NBA Finals, McNutt was caught on a hot mic sneering at Swift, accusing her of bandwagoning the New York Knicks. In actuality, Swift has been a Knicks fan for years and attended games even during their losing seasons.
Why exactly McNutt has such a snarky view of Swift is unclear. Though perhaps you could take a guess, considering her equally snarky views of Caitlin Clark, little White girls, and Sophie Cunningham.
Hmm.
A tearful Ryan Clark, utterly devoid of accountability, called himself the "best analyst in the world" while addressing his firing last Friday. While that's subjective, we acknowledge Clark was at least capable as a sports analyst. McNutt is not.
Last August, she hosted an NFL preview show with Stephen A. Smith and did not know who Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders was.
Watch below:
Blame Caitlin Clark for that, too.
Let's recall a few paragraphs we wrote last week explaining why ESPN could no longer justify employing Ryan Clark.
We first cited the reasons to cut him: Clark made around $2 million per year, roughly four times what the average NFL analyst earns. He was unpopular with much of the audience. He had a strained reputation with staffers and a mixed one among on-air colleagues. Over the past year alone, he generated a string of negative headlines for ESPN, including shaming Robert Griffin III for marrying a White woman and making dubious claims about police officers involved in what was ultimately ruled a suicide. He also created both on- and off-air tension by belittling Peter Schrager, around whom ESPN is now building a new television show, because Schrager never played football. Clark also had a habit of injecting race into discussions where it simply didn't belong.
And then the reasons to keep him: None.
We then explained why this dynamic is not exclusive to Clark.
As large as their egos may be, the overwhelming majority of employees at ESPN — or any major television network — are simply filling airtime. They are interchangeable. There is no meaningful financial difference between having one analyst instead of another. That's not to say these analysts and reporters aren't good at their jobs. Many are. It's simply that their value above replacement is essentially nonexistent. The same is true across corporate America. The gap between good and indispensable is significant.
Employees are inherently replaceable. Across corporate America, employers replace workers every day without suffering a single quantifiable disadvantage.
Most employees understand this and, accordingly, don't create headaches. When your value is expendable, every problem you create becomes another reason you aren't worth the trouble. Yet so many current and former ESPN employees can't seem to understand that.
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By definition, Monica McNutt provides nothing to ESPN.
More people don't watch the channel because of her. Sponsors don't pay more because she is on the network. She doesn't provide news or insight that is exclusive to her. She doesn't improve the public perception of ESPN.
And like Ryan Clark, she has provided ESPN with a lengthy list of reasons to cut her. McNutt isn't valuable enough to be this reckless, this racial, and this uninformed.
She is also either too arrogant or too naïve to read the room. Look at those thriving at ESPN. They cover sports and do so positively and entertainingly. Meanwhile, McNutt is caterwauling and gaslighting, often by forcing oversized words into sentences.
Note: "matriculate" did not fit her otherwise slang-filled rant about Clark.
OutKick asked McNutt on Monday why she continues to cover Clark so negatively and whether she disagrees with ESPN's new direction. She did not respond as of publication.
Most likely, she believes the onus falls on Caitlin Clark to defend the Mean Girls in the media who are smearing her.
McNutt's logic. Not ours.
Illegal immigrant accused of murdering college student dials into hearing from hospital bed
The illegal immigrant accused of gunning down 18-year-old Loyola University freshman Sheridan Gorman appeared in court Monday from a hospital bed after suffering a reported seizure, according to his defense attorney.
Jose Medina-Medina, a Venezuelan national charged with Gorman's murder, did not appear in person for a hearing before a Cook County judge. Instead, he joined the proceedings remotely via Zoom from a local hospital, where his attorney said he was admitted after experiencing a seizure over the weekend.
The judge ordered Medina to appear in person at his next court hearing if he is physically able.
Defense attorneys have repeatedly argued that Medina has suffered seizures and other health issues stemming from a 2018 shooting in Colombia, where they say he was shot in the head.
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On Monday, Medina's attorney told the judge the defense is still waiting for additional information about his medical condition before deciding which pretrial motions it may file.
Meanwhile, prosecutors said the murder case continues to progress.
They told the court they have turned over several additional pieces of evidence to the defense, including most of the DNA testing completed on the firearm recovered at the scene. Trace evidence testing is still underway, and prosecutors said they may request additional DNA analysis depending on those results.
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Prosecutors also said they've turned over more evidence in the separate case accusing Medina of possessing a homemade shank while in custody. They are still waiting for subpoenaed body-camera video and hospital surveillance video to be added to the case.
The case was continued until Sept. 3 for another status hearing.
Sheridan Gorman's family did not attend Monday's hearing.
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Medina has remained behind bars since his March arrest and has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge.
Gorman, an 18-year-old Loyola University freshman, was fatally shot in March while walking with friends near Tobey Prinz Beach in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood. Authorities allege Medina opened fire during the incident, killing the college student.
Fox News' Patrick McGovern contributed to this report.
Nurse impaled by pole during hike forced to trek 10 miles for help: 'A freak thing'
A wound care clinic nurse survived a freak hiking accident — and impressively hiked 10 miles to safety after suffering a serious injury.
David Cifaldi, who previously worked as an emergency room nurse, was impaled by a trekking pole while climbing Montana's Granite Peak on July 20.
Cifaldi was hiking with two friends before the accident occurred, according to a GoFundMe page set up to help him.
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At about 11,800 feet, Cifaldi "stepped on a small loose rock, dropped his trekking pole and fell forward," per the GoFundMe set up by a friend.
"The pole went all the way through his lat, sticking out both ends, with roughly 8 inches between the two holes," the page said.
Cifaldi, who works at a local wound care clinic, self-assessed the situation "calmly," his friend wrote.
"No bleeding, full feeling, no lightheadedness, nothing vital hit, and the pole stable in place," said the GoFundMe page.
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"Given his condition, he made the call to self-rescue rather than wait for extraction — hiking 10 miles back to the trailhead with a trekking pole still through his body."
As they descended, Cifaldi also asked one of his friends to go ahead and warn approaching hikers so that no children would unexpectedly encounter his injuries, according to the fundraiser.
After reaching the trailhead, Cifaldi was driven about two hours to an emergency room in Billings, the nearest hospital equipped to remove the pole, according to the GoFundMe page.
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"All told, it was in place for 8–9 hours from the fall to removal," the friend wrote. "David is now receiving ongoing care, with the possibility of surgery still to come."
Cifaldi described the incident to local outlet KTMF as "just kind of a freak thing."
"I think my nurse brain clicked on," said Cifaldi.
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"As soon as I was able to self-assess and establish that this was not life-threatening right now, I was pretty convinced I was going to get off that mountain under my own power."
The healthcare professional added that he feels "very lucky."
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"A couple inches the other way and this would be a different story," he said, per KTMF.
Fox News Digital reached out to Cifaldi for additional comment.
On a Reddit forum dedicated to odd news, users praised Cifaldi's grit and determination.
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"Good job, man!" one person wrote.
"Yikes!! Glad they made it to treatment," another said.
Trans influencer breaks silence after Trump's comparison to CNN anchor at WHCA Dinner
A transgender influencer fired back at President Donald Trump after his joke comparing the biological male to CNN's Kaitlan Collins during Friday night's White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) Dinner went viral.
"Maybe being publicly mocked and criticized by this administration is actually like the greatest compliment of all," said Dylan Mulvaney in a TikTok post on Sunday. "Because it puts me in the company of some of the most brilliant, empathetic people in our world today."
Mulvaney, once a social media star and one of the most recognizable transgender people in the United States, has maintained a low profile over the past few years since an advertising debacle featuring the influencer tanked the stock of a major beer company.
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But Mulvaney was thrust back into the spotlight after Trump's WHCA Dinner joke comparing the transgender influencer to Collins, a longtime media foe of the 45th and 47th president.
"I thought Kaitlan Collins had really made it big with a major new sponsorship, but then I informed her that it wasn't her on the Bud Light can, it was Dylan Mulvaney," he said, referencing the beer brand's failed marketing campaign.
In 2023, Bud Light partnered with Mulvaney for a March Madness promotion. On Instagram, Mulvaney posted a video featuring a Bud Light can with their face on it, sparking intense backlash, a prolonged boycott and a more than $27 billion loss in market cap for Anheuser-Busch.
"To the president, thank you for reminding me that I am more powerful than I even knew," Mulvaney said in the Sunday video. "And to quote my favorite recording artist, Shea Diamond, ‘I am America.’"
Trump took his time roasting Collins in his hour-and-four-minute remarks at the WHCA Dinner on Friday.
Besides comparing her to a biological male who transitioned to female in a TikTok series where they would chronicle every day of 'becoming a girl,' Trump also took a swipe at her apparently steely demeanor.
"I want to personally congratulate CNN's Kaitlan Collins on receiving her award. It was all about me. It's a fake. She shouldn't get the award. It was a fake, but I didn't mind. I said, 'Kaitlan, congratulations.' But it was fake. There's no question about it," Trump said.
Collins received the WHCA Award for Excellence in Presidential News Coverage Under Deadline Pressure for broadcast due to her reporting on the contentious Oval Office meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Trump in February 2025.
"But she's a young, attractive woman," Trump went on, adding, "She never smiles. I said, 'Kaitlan, do you ever smile? Smile. You have a nice position. You're at CNN — fake news. You should be a happy person. So smile, Kaitlan. Just smile.'"
Collins appeared to respond to Trump's jokes at her expense in an Instagram post over the weekend featuring a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt.
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent," the quote said.
CNN's public relations team also posted a statement on X after Trump's remarks about one of their biggest stars.
"We stand by our journalists and the integrity and fair mindedness with which the CNN team reports the news," the statement, attributed to Chairman and CEO Mark Thompson, said.
"Honest, accurate journalism may sometimes irritate politicians, but our right to report and present that reporting to the public without government interference is fully protected by the U.S. Constitution. CNN will continue to exercise this right."