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AOC endorses Sen Ed Markey as incumbent faces Dem US Senate primary challenge from Rep Seth Moulton
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., endorsed Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., as the incumbent senator faces off against Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., in the Massachusetts Democratic U.S. Senate primary.
"At a time when powerful special interests are making life harder for everyday Americans, Massachusetts working families need a champion in the U.S. Senate to stand up for them and fight corporate greed," Ocasio-Cortez said in a statement released by Markey's campaign.
"Ed Markey has spent his career doing exactly that, from our partnership on the Green New Deal to running his campaign without accepting a dime of corporate PAC money. His work is an inspiration to many of us who are committed to building a better future for all, and that’s why I’m proud to endorse him," the congresswoman added.
AOC DOCUMENTS EGG-FREEZING JOURNEY, TAKES AIM AT TRUMP ADMIN OVER WOMEN'S REPRODUCTIVE CHOICES
The House lawmaker previously backed Markey during his last election cycle.
"The toughest fights need the most inspiring leaders, and that’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. She’s got vision, she knows what’s at stake, and she never backs down," Markey said in a statement. "We introduced the Green New Deal to tackle the climate crisis, lower costs, and build an economy that works for working people, not corporations and billionaires. I am incredibly proud to have her endorsement and look forward to continuing to fight alongside her for the livable future we deserve."
BOMB-THROWER DEM MAKES SHOCKING PROMISE TO KICK SCHUMER TO CURB DURING SENATE DEBATE
Markey, who turned 80 this year, has served in the Senate since mid-July 2013, but he had previously served in the House for more than 36 years.
Moulton, who is 47 and will turn 48 in October, has served in the House since 2015.
DEMOCRATIC SENATOR CLAIMS GOP 'STOLE' TWO SCOTUS SEATS IN 2016, 2020, CALLS FOR EXPANSION
The Massachusetts Democratic U.S. Senate primary is on Sept. 1, and early voting is Aug. 22–28.
Videos show three suspects in shooting death of Tucson police recruit Carlos Ramirez
The Pima County Sheriff's Department is now on the hunt for three men in connection with a Wednesday morning shooting that left a Tucson police recruit dead and his corrections officer fiancée hospitalized with a gunshot wound.
Authorities say they've obtained an arrest warrant for Alex James Barnett, 33, one of the three suspects. The other two men have not yet been publicly identified as of Friday morning.
Surveillance video released Thursday night shows at least two other men wearing black in separate clips — one at a gas station at 5405 West Valencia Road around 5:20 a.m. on Wednesday and later in a parking lot near South Palo Verde Road and East 33rd Street at around 10:50 a.m.
The suspect vehicle, a gray Acura MDX SUV, was abandoned there and recovered by police Thursday, authorities said.
One of the unidentified men appears to have tattoos on his arms and legs. He had short, dark hair and a short beard. The person seen dropping off the Acura was pictured only in grainy video and appeared to be wearing a shirt without sleeves.
The murder victim has been identified as 23-year-old Carlos Ramirez, who was due to graduate from the police academy on Aug. 27 and previously worked as a corrections officer for the sheriff's department.
His fiancée, also 23, was taken to a hospital in stable condition. Authorities did not immediately release her name.
MASS SHOOTING ROCKS CROWDED DOWNTOWN TUCSON DISTRICT, LEAVING 10 WOUNDED
"The Tucson Police Department is deeply saddened by the passing of Carlos Ramirez, a member of Basic Recruit Class 26-1," a spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "Carlos was fatally shot early this morning. His fiancée was also injured and is currently receiving medical care. Our thoughts are with Carlos's family and loved ones, his fiancée, and his classmates, instructors, and academy staff during this difficult time."
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Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos previously said the suspects were wearing all black clothing and ski masks at the time of the shooting — which happened around 6 a.m. Wednesday.
It happened at Ramirez's home in the 7700 block of South Enchanted Spring Drive, about 17 miles southwest of Tucson.
Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or 520-88-CRIME.
NFL to NCAA? Courtroom chaos Is giving pro athletes a bizarre path back to college, and it's only just begun
Just as the college football season is set to begin next weekend, there has been an influx of NFL players being given the chance to enter the transfer portal in hopes of joining a college roster over the next few weeks.
Are you confused or baffled any of that?
Trust me, you aren’t alone.
But thanks to one particular ruling in Louisiana this week, players who have at least signed some type of contract with an NFL team now have the opportunity to return for an additional season at the collegiate level.
While most, if not all, of this sounds absurd right now, it can be traced back to the NCAA establishing new eligibility guidelines that afford athletes five years to play five seasons of college sports.
What we're seeing play out in courtrooms across the country centers on the NCAA's decision not to include the 2022 class under its new rules. That left players declaring for professional drafts under the impression that they had exhausted their collegiate eligibility, which they technically had under the old rules.
On Thursday, former Ole Miss tight end Dae'Quan Wright reportedly created a first, of many to come, in college football: He entered the NCAA transfer portal while under contract with an NFL team.
Wright is currently participating in training camp with the Cleveland Browns after initially signing a free-agent contract with the Philadelphia Eagles.
But, one of the bigger questions is who is actually pulling the strings for him to enter the transfer portal, without actually being enrolled at a school? Yes, these questions are being answered on the fly, which seems par for the course during this madness.
Technically, the court order from the Louisiana judge noted that a 'member institution' would have to enter his name into the database. Does that mean Ole Miss would accommodate Dae'Quan Wright, knowing he's not enrolled in school?
Also, don’t forget, the SEC has a rule in-place that does not allow athletes to transfer within the conference outside of the portal period.
So, is Wright actually in the portal or is he planning to enter?
Dae'Quan is one of a number of players who are either participating in NFL preseason camps or went through the draft process before being invited to camps across the league.
In this particular case, one of many currently unfolding across the country, 19th Judicial District Court Judge Will Jorden in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, granted the plaintiffs a temporary restraining order in their lawsuit against the NCAA.
The order also allows them to use a makeshift transfer portal that will remain open for seven days.
There have been other cases as well, from California to South Carolina, with most of them going in the favor of athletes suing the NCAA over the eligibility guidelines enacted in June.
"The evidence in the record demonstrates that the NCAA has applied its rules inconsistently and arbitrarily, applying certain eligibility rules to certain athletes but not to others," Chancellor I'Ashea Myles wrote in her recent ruling that denied an NCAA appeal in a Tennessee court.
Those types of statements from judges across the country have become increasingly common, leading to more lawsuits being filed against the NCAA by athletes hoping to receive similar relief while their underlying cases play out.
You can also add former LSU starting defensive lineman Jack Pyburn to that list. He is currently battling for a spot on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 53-man roster.
And no, it probably shouldn’t shock you that the latest victory for plaintiffs suing the NCAA came in the same city LSU calls home.
Meanwhile, colleges are toeing the line between abiding by rules they voted to enact and trying to navigate a legal system that could allow them to add a few weapons to their rosters.
No, schools aren't allowed to file these lawsuits on behalf of athletes. But the way things are going, the day might not be far off when a school sues its own conference over enforcement of rules pertaining to intra-conference transfers.
These athletes are not eligible under current NCAA rules. But judges granting them the opportunity to return to college athletics are also shielding schools that add them to their rosters from punishment by the organization.
Essentially, if a school adds one of these players under the protection of a court order, it is not at risk of NCAA punishment for doing so.
But here's where things get even more awkward: For an athlete who has received money during the NFL process to take the field again in college, that money may have to be repaid.
Remember Tennessee linebacker Arion Carter?
The Vols starter declared for the NFL Draft but withdrew his name from consideration after discovering a few weeks into the process that a foot injury would prevent him from participating in pre-draft workouts.
Tennessee Coach Unloads On NCAA's 'Bulls–t', After Star Linebacker Suspended For Outdated Rule
So, he returned to Tennessee.
But to regain his eligibility, Carter had to repay $427 that was provided for a plane ticket.
Seems pretty small compared to what we're seeing right now, huh?
Carter was also suspended for the first two games of the 2026 season because he initiated the NFL process. For now, Arion has not filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in hopes of having that suspension overturned.
Going forward, expect more lawsuits from athletes looking for an additional year of college eligibility.
"This is just the second quarter, and we're all having to make decisions on how to deal with this," one Big Ten personnel staffer told OutKick. "If the NCAA wins their appeal in Colorado, then it will just lead to more lawsuits filed at the state level. If they (NCAA) lose, then you could see teams adding players to their rosters as late as October.
"Have a spot open up because of injury or you move the chess-pieces around with roster limits, there are players you could potentially add from an NFL practice squad. I wish I was kidding."
If you haven’t figured it out yet, the college athletics world has been turned upside down over the past few months.
Will the NCAA finally tap out and grant a blanket waiver to everyone in the 2022 class who technically has another year of eligibility under the new guidelines but was excluded from the recent rule change?
The pressure is clearly mounting as the NCAA continues fighting these cases across the country, while more players with NFL "experience" contemplate filing lawsuits of their own for the chance to return to college.
At this point, the idea of going from an NFL practice squad back to a college football roster doesn't sound nearly as crazy as it would've just a few months ago.
AT&T star Milana Vayntrub shows off her arm during first pitch at Mets game, WNBA flying object & LLWS grass
It's Friday, we've all made it to the end of another week of life and I've made it to my 12th consecutive day of pumping out a fresh edition of Screencaps. The normal Substack guys will write like twice a week and act like they're overworked.
Meanwhile, this column just keeps humming along day after day. For those of you who are new here, I want you to give Screencaps a chance for at least an entire week. After a week, if you hate it, then by all means, move along. I'm betting after seven straight days, you'll find a new home.
Let's get into it.
RAIDERS' FERNANDO MENDOZA FACES CRITICISM FROM COLLEGE FOOTBALL COACH OVER NFL READINESS
• How long can Fernando Mendoza go with the Leave It To Beaver persona before it wears out its welcome? This season is a hall pass. He just won a national title and is still relatively unknown to NFL fans. I predict by November 2027, Mendoza will either show he's ready to be a star or he'll be headed to the scrap heap like so many other No. 1 picks.
That said, if Mendoza wins, you are looking at an advertising & media machine. He's going to make billions if he can put together 10-11 win seasons. And if he ends up in some sort of wholesome, Tebow-like marriage, while putting together an AFC title game run, watch out.
• What a night it was in the WNBA. Watch how Angel Reese reacts to the sex toy thrown on the court in Los Angeles. I can't read lips. You guys tell me what she said.
Was this the guy who threw the green sex toy? I have no idea. All I can go off of is what the woke WNBA reporters who can actually get a press pass are reporting.
AMERICANS CLASH OVER TRANSGENDER ATHLETES AS DEBATE HEATS UP: ‘JUST GETTING OUTRAGEOUS'
• Eric P. in the PnW wants to know if I'm aware of the guy who quit his Seattle Times job over the woke newsroom (allegedly) refusing to run his work on trans in sports: I read this guys column every day. He’s fair and enjoys going against the grain. Even when I disagree with him, I can see his points , which makes a good writer. He would fit at OK in my opinion. Matt Calkins claims the Seattle Times refused to publish his column on two student-athletes who oppose transgender athletes in women's sports.
Kinsey: I have some good news, Eric. We let Calkins have his say on the matter. I don't know if there's a conversation on working more closely with Calkins, but I can say that you're not going to find a site more dedicated to this topic of keeping biological males out of female sports.
INSIDE THE SUPREME COURT BATTLE TO 'SAVE WOMEN'S SPORTS'
Search Fox News for the OutKick Sports story on why the Seattle Times sports columnist resigned after 11 years:
Seattle Times columnist resigns after paper allegedly refused to run 'Save Women's Sports' column
Our track record speaks for itself. In December, it will be five years since I became the first writer to talk to a Lia Thomas teammate, who turned out to be Paula Scanlan. For at least 2-3 years, before she revealed herself, the only people who knew the source to my story was my wife and Clay Travis.
SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM SPEAKS OUT ON PROTECTING GIRLS FROM COMPETING AGAINST 'BIOLOGICAL MEN'
OutKick has been on the right side of history on this topic since day one. I can tell you that Fox News Digital is incredibly committed to this subject. Just take a look at where our reporters have been around the country. Dan Zaksheske and Jackson Thompson have literally criss-crossed the U.S. covering this topic.
We'll see if Calkins fits into the coverage. I was at a junior high open house last night. I'm not sure where we stand as of this morning.
📩 Email: joe.kinsey@outkick.com
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PIZZA HUT BRINGS BACK VINTAGE VIBES AS FRANCHISEES EMBRACE NOSTALGIC MAKEOVERS
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Talk about a Screencaps and Nightcaps legend. Between Paige Spiranac, Mikayla Demaiter and Milana Vayntrub, you have three Mount Rushmores of this website. Do you know how many millions of people have clicked on headlines associated with these three?
We have scientific data from AI researchers that tell us these three are the most-clicked on personalities in OutKick history.
Milana, 39, surfaced this week –– she rarely posts on Instagram these days –– at a Mets game where she threw out the first pitch. It was news to me that she even cared about sports.
And I love it every single time. Every email. Every tweet where you praise me for being early on Pizza Hut Classics.
– Bill C. emails: I bet this wasn’t on your bingo card today.
Kinsey: Bill, it never shocks me when I see Hut Classic headlines. These posts do millions of pageviews. The nostalgia associated with Pizza Hut as we all remember is one of the strongest nostalgia plays on the Internet right now. Go on TikTok or Instagram. Hut content is undefeated. It's like Screencaps posting AT&T Lily or Pageviews Spiranac. Part of this job is to just play the classics.
– Drew in Katy, TX emails: In a prior email to you on August 12th I had stated. "If they will put dine-in restaurants with all of the Pizza Hut nostalgia in towns where boomers live, they will thrive again." Well, the nostalgia is not just attracting the boomers according to the article which states, "Sparks said he encountered skepticism early on from those who believed the concept would primarily cater to Baby Boomers." "That's where they were dramatically wrong," he said. "When we started to get a lot of traction with social media, these weren't 50- and 60-year-olds coming in and doing TikToks, right? These were [people in their] teens and 20s coming in and doing them." Interestingly, Pizza Hut started this process back in 2017, but apparently never got fully behind it. Yum Brands sold off Pizza Hut recently. If the new owners of Pizza Hut will invest in this business model, I predict success.
Kinsey: Pizza Hut is No. 2 behind Domino's as America's top pizza chain in terms of sales. One thing to keep an eye on is this "Total Change in Units from 2024" stat. Pizza Hut has had to clear out stores.
Can Pizza Hut get Americans to sit inside and eat a pizza again? I have my doubts, but if there's a Classic nearby, you need to give it a shot. Trust me. You'll feel like you were transported back to simpler times.
The grandson is tough, but fair.
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That's it this morning. You're not going to get many more summer weekends. Get out there and go nuts this weekend. I'll see some of you tonight at the National Tractor Pull Championships in Bowling Green, OH for some FULLLLLLLL PULLLLLLLL action.
Let's go get after it.
Socialism surges among Democrats as party leaders reject DSA agenda: ‘Pack of fools’
The top Democrat in the House is making it clear that he doesn't support the Democratic Socialists of America's (DSA) agenda.
But even though House Democratic Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York doesn't back the DSA's far-left policy proposals, a majority of Democrats hold favorable views of socialism, according to two national polls released in recent weeks.
That's not the case for most Americans, and especially Republicans, who hold negative views of socialism, according to the surveys.
"I don’t support the DSA agenda, as has been articulated by the DSA itself," Jeffries said during an interview this past weekend on NBC News' "Meet the Press."
CHECK OUT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS IN THE MIDTERM RACES
Jeffries wasn't the only major Democrat taking aim at the socialist agenda on the Sunday talk shows.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender, called socialism a "failed experiment" during an appearance on CBS News' "Face the Nation."
Longtime Democratic strategist and pundit James Carville was less diplomatic.
"They're a bunch of silly people... a pack of fools," Carville said as he referred to DSA members, during a Monday appearance on Fox News' "Jesse Watters Primetime."
DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB
The DSA's agenda includes defunding and abolishing police and prison systems, ending Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportations and detentions, abolishing borders, granting voting rights to noncitizens and implementing a single-payer "Medicare for All" health system. The DSA's new platform also calls for abolishing the Senate, and replacing the presidency and Supreme Court with leadership chosen by and subordinate to Congress.
Candidates backed by or aligned with the DSA, as well as other left-wing progressives, have won a series of victories over more moderate incumbents and candidates supported by the party establishment in primary showdowns this spring and summer, including high-profile wins this month in crucial Democratic Senate primaries in Michigan, Minnesota and Florida.
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Ahead of those victories, a Fox News national poll conducted last month indicated 52% of Democrats but just 11% of Republicans held positive views of socialism. According to the poll, Democrats had more favorable opinions of socialism that capitalism. A CBS News survey in the field earlier this month had similar findings.
The poll results come in the wake of years of pessimistic views of the nation's economy, as Americans have struggled with persistent inflation for most of this decade.
"Health insurers have acted irresponsibly making access to affordable and quality care beyond challenging for Americans, wages aren’t keeping up with soaring inflation and there is no plan to reconcile any of these issues. Voters are looking for a solution to the affordability crisis," longtime Democratic strategist Joe Caiazzo told Fox News Digital.
Caiazzo, a veteran of progressive champion Sen. Bernie Sanders' 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns, emphasized that "progressives are winning primaries around the country because the electorate is desperate for leaders that will address the affordability crisis that has swept the country."
Sanders' marathon battle with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination has had a lasting impact on the party.
"Since 2016 and the Bernie Sanders campaign, there are lots of Democrats, particularly younger ones, who don't think socialism is scary and wouldn't mind seeing more of it in U.S. policy-making," political scientist Chris Galdieri told Fox News Digital.
It's a different story for Republicans.
"For Republicans, 'socialism' has been a boogeyman for almost a hundred years, and it was used as a criticism of everything from the New Deal to Obamacare," Galdieri, a politics professor at Saint Anselm College, said. "Republicans take it as a matter of fact that socialism is a bad thing and polls reflect that."
Polling from Gallup conducted late last year also highlighted that "socialism starts from a much less favorable position in Americans' minds" compared to capitalism or free enterprise.
"Republicans are far more likely than Democrats or independents to say there is nothing good about socialism," a release from Gallup noted. It also pointed out that a majority of Democrats "praise socialism either for providing access to basic services and strengthening the social safety net or for promoting greater economic equality."
New England College President Wayne Lesperance, a veteran political scientist, points to a different reason for the ongoing socialist surge.
"Most Americans do not know what socialism means in theory or in practice," Lesperance argued. "I'd wager that the votes for democratic candidates identifying as socialists has much more to do with being young and new, and not the same as establishment candidates that have dominated elections for years."
"That is the bigger story here — voters participating in democratic primaries want new options, and they will even vote for self-described socialists to force the change they want to see," Lesperance told Fox News Digital.
Regardless of the contributing factors, Republicans see the leftward lurch in the Democratic primaries as ammunition they can use to try and save their congressional majorities in the upcoming midterm elections as they face a rough political climate.
"I'm absolutely convinced we're going to defy the historic trend and keep and grow the House majority for Republicans," House Speaker Mike Johnson said Monday in an exclusive campaign trail interview with Fox News Digital.
Referring to Republicans, Johnson said, "I'm so grateful we have common sense on the ballot. This really is a contrast election between commonsense candidates... and crazy, and that's what the other side represents."
President Donald Trump has repeatedly referred to Democrats as "communists." And this week, referring to socialist politicians, the president charged, "They're driving out the middle class. You're not going to have anybody left to pay any taxes. And if you don't pay taxes, you know what happens. Squalor, squalor, filth."
But Democrats discount the GOP attacks.
"It’s an attempt by Republicans to try to frame the debate around labels rather than the failed policies of Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans," Caiazzo argued.
Another sex toy was thrown during a WNBA game, and Dream's Angel Reese absolutely lost it
I've got good news and bad news for the WNBA ...
The good news? The trans drama has subsided, at least for now. All has been quiet on that front for a few days. A nice little summer break, I guess.
The bad news? The sex toy drama has returned. That's right. Remember the drama from last summer, when there was a serial sex toy thrower on the loose? Man, those were the days. Simpler days. Simpler times.
Everything is so serious now. We've spent all summer fighting about very serious issues (despite the left swearing it's not), and, while important, it's also been exhausting.
Sometimes, you just need a break from the real stuff, and you need to get back to basics.
And that's what happened last night in Los Angeles (shocker), where a sex toy appeared to make its way to the court in the third quarter of the Dream-Sparks game.
Guess who was QUICK to point out the perpetrator, too? Angel Reese!
What a night:
My goodness. Sometimes, you think the perfect video(s) doesn't exist, and then the content Gods throw you a softball right down the middle of the plate. Amazing sequence here.
The green sex toy that we all grew very familiar with last summer returning to the court. Angel Reese's reaction. The video of the alleged man fleeing the scene.
It was all perfect. It certainly brought me back to last summer.
For those who forget — or blocked it from their minds — the WNBA had a serious sex toy problem for about three weeks last year. Purple and green ... sex toys ... were being tossed onto the court at various WNBA games on random nights, and it was all anyone could talk about.
We were all on high alert. All on edge. At one point, betting markets were allowing you to wager on the next color sex toy to hit the floor. It was the Wild Wild West.
There were two (!!!) arrests eventually made by August, and Sophie Cunningham was even hit by one back before she became a household name.
SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM TAKES VICIOUS ELBOW TO FACE, AND FANS FUME AT WHAT REFS DID NEXT
Take a look:
"Stop throwing dildos on the court… you’re going to hurt one of us," Cunningham jokingly posted just days before getting hit by the projectile.
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"This did NOT age well," she added in the aftermath.
See? She was even likable last summer when nobody really knew who she was!
Doesn't seem like Angel Reese had the same sense of humor last night.
As a US attorney, I see fentanyl's horrifying toll up close. Congress must act now
As U.S. Attorney, I have a lot of heavy days. There is no joy in sending people to prison, no matter how much they deserve it. But the greatest weight comes from meeting families who have lost someone they love. More often than not, the killer is not a person. It’s fentanyl.
Fentanyl is a ruthless killer, targeting the very young. It is now the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45. Think about that: if you have reached age 18, but are not yet 45, you are more likely to die of fentanyl than anything else. Every day, fentanyl claims the lives of more than 100 Americans with only a tiny amount — a lethal dose fits on the tip of a sharpened pencil.
In my office, fentanyl has become a daily reality in all types of cases. Other drugs are laced with fentanyl — making it more potent and addictive, driving more business to drug dealers — and counterfeit pills marketed as prescriptions for sleep or focus are nothing more than fentanyl in disguise. Fentanyl has been found in fake candy and baby bottles. I even met a mother who lost her daughter after taking a sip from a water bottle that had been contaminated with fentanyl. It is an epidemic.
President Trump has recognized the problem and taken extensive executive action — five executive orders in addition to other proclamations and determinations. Those efforts, along with stronger border security, have produced measurable results. Less fentanyl is making it to the streets and drug dealers are using less of it in their products, resulting in lives saved. The number of fentanyl pills containing a lethal dose has dropped dramatically, from 76% in 2023 to just 29% now. The same is true in powder form, where purity dropped from 19.5% to 10.3%.
But to truly dismantle drug trafficking organizations, prosecutors must have the tools to remove the most dangerous dealers from the streets and deter others from entering the trade. The best way to do that is lengthier mandatory minimum sentences.
Currently, there is no federal mandatory minimum sentence for trafficking up to 40 grams of fentanyl — enough to kill 20,000 people. After that, the minimums are low — just five years. The minimum only rises to 10 years for 400 grams, which could kill 200,000 people.
Despite the death rate associated with fentanyl, those minimum sentences pale in comparison to other drugs. Federal prosecutors often prioritize methamphetamine charges because the mandatory minimum for selling just 50 grams is 10 years. It would take eight times as much fentanyl to trigger the same mandatory sentence, but fentanyl kills twice as many people.
We know that higher mandatory minimums produce results because states have already conducted the experiment. In my state of North Carolina, mandatory minimums begin at just 4 grams. Traffic 28 grams of fentanyl, and you face a mandatory 19 years in prison. Alabama has gone even further: trafficking just 4 grams there carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years, while anything over 8 grams requires life imprisonment. In other words, what requires a life sentence in Alabama carries no minimum in the federal system; five times that would require just a 10-year federal sentence.
States with strict minimum sentences have shown results. In both Alabama and North Carolina, drug overdose deaths are down 25% over the last year.
West Virginia has taken a different approach. Although its mandatory minimum sentences are less severe than those in North Carolina or Alabama, they apply at even smaller quantities — less than one gram, the lowest threshold in the nation. There, fentanyl deaths fell by nearly 20% in a year.
In early 2025, Senator Kennedy and five colleagues introduced a bill to lower the fentanyl thresholds for federal mandatory minimums, but the bill has not gained meaningful traction.
Meanwhile, more than 38,000 Americans died from fentanyl in 2025. Their graves would stretch across nearly 30 football fields. Imagine standing at one goal line and looking across row after row of headstones until they disappeared into the distance. It is difficult to comprehend how anyone can look at that devastation and conclude there are more pressing priorities.
American tourist stranded after volcano eruption sparks mass flight cancellations
FIRST ON FOX: An American traveler's vacation in Sicily turned into a travel nightmare after volcanic activity from Mount Etna disrupted flights and left her scrambling to find another route back to New York.
Julie Sagoskin, editor-in-chief of Park Magazine in New York City, told Fox News Digital that she arrived in Sicily through Catania International Airport on Aug. 1 and spent more than a week traveling around the Italian island.
The trouble began when it was time to return home Aug. 10. Sagoskin said her flight from Catania was canceled amid ongoing volcanic activity.
CARIBBEAN HOT SPOT GRIPPED BY WATER CRISIS, AND TOURISTS SCRAMBLE TO RESCHEDULE PLANS
"Right when we arrived at the airport, we did get a notice that our flight was canceled," Sagoskin said.
She said another traveler in her group who had reached the airport earlier described the scene as "total chaos."
Sagoskin's group knew volcanic activity was affecting travel. Friends who had planned to fly out two days earlier had their flight canceled and returned to stay with the group, she said.
Sagoskin hoped conditions would improve by her scheduled departure.
VACATION NIGHTMARE UNFOLDS AS FERRY PASSENGERS BATTLE SEASICKNESS AT ISLAND HOT SPOT
Instead, she found herself weighing whether to wait for flights to resume or find another way off the island.
"You're in a foreign country, first of all," Sagoskin said. "It's obviously a big ... natural disaster. So there's nothing anybody can do about this."
The cancellation came amid widespread disruption at Catania's airport. Between Aug. 6 and Aug. 12, more than a third of the 1,974 scheduled flights were canceled, Reuters reported.
The disruption affected thousands of travelers during the busy summer season, with some passengers spending days waiting for a way out, according to Reuters.
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Sagoskin and others gathered at a hotel near the airport. Some discussed waiting another couple of days, while others began looking for flights from different cities.
Sagoskin decided to head to Rome hoping there would be more flights there.
She quickly booked a ticket for an approximately 11-hour overnight train ride from Catania to Rome as seats began filling up.
The journey brought another unexpected twist when the train was transported across the water by ferry.
"The trip really turned into a trip upon a trip," Sagoskin said.
The journey was made more challenging by stretches without air conditioning, she said.
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After days of uncertainty, Sagoskin said seeing that her flight from Rome wasn't delayed brought a sense of relief.
She finally flew home from Rome on Aug. 11, one day after her original return date.
Other members of her group took different approaches. Some traveled through Palermo, while others dealt with additional flight cancellations, overnight stays and lost luggage, Sagoskin said.
"I think you have to come up with one plan and stick to it," Sagoskin said, noting that it would be easy to second-guess her decisions afterward.
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Mount Etna's activity was visible during the ordeal, Sagoskin said. She recalled seeing the volcano while traveling toward the airport.
She saw ash around the hotel near the airport, including near the pool area, where guests were temporarily told to leave.
Despite the difficult journey, Sagoskin said the ordeal did not overshadow her positive experience in Sicily.
"It was memorable," she said. "We will remember this for a lifetime."
She said the experience reinforced the importance of staying flexible.
"We got out safely," Sagoskin said.
"Things can happen in life at any time. You just have to ... make decisions, be prepared and move on."
Hayden Panettiere's final PETA campaign captured weeks before her death marked lifetime of advocacy work
Hayden Panettiere was remembered as more than just an actress in her final campaign with PETA, a project that was captured in Los Angeles weeks before her sudden death at 36.
In an image shared earlier this week, Panettiere posed from a bathtub to protest marine parks like SeaWorld, "who sentence dolphins to a lifetime of suffering and loneliness in captivity," the organization said.
Panettiere's quest for marine life conservation was a life-long pursuit, beginning when she was just a teenager advocating for animals with the Whaleman Foundation.
HAYDEN PANETTIERE'S MOTHER POINTS FINGER AT BRIAN HICKERSON AFTER 'NASHVILLE' STAR'S DEATH AT 36
Her advocacy work involved protesting, lobbying and fundraising for animal welfare efforts. Most recently, the "Heroes" actress begged for an end to marine life captivity.
"Can you imagine their frustration, their trauma, their depression? All that is important and crucial for their well-being is ripped away. … We can end this. You and me," Panettiere pleaded in her last PETA campaign.
"In their ocean homes they can be with their families, dive deep to escape the hot sun and enjoy the rain on their backs… all of that is taken from them when they are confined to small tanks."
The "Remember the Titans" star became a prominent spokesperson at a young age for the Whaleman Foundation and the Save the Whales Again! campaign.
In 2007, Panettiere, along with actress Isabel Lucas and a number of activists, traveled to Taiji, Japan, to protest the slaughter of dolphins by Japanese fishermen.
Panettiere donned a wetsuit and entered the water on a surfboard to help form a memorial circle for dolphins that had already been killed that morning.
The peaceful demonstration turned violent when the fishermen attacked the floating protesters with poles and spinning propellers, the foundation reported.
Footage from the protest appeared in "The Cove," a documentary about the Taiji dolphin hunts, which later won the 2009 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
She later returned to Japan with Whaleman Foundation founder Jeff Pantukhoff and attempted to meet with local leaders to discuss alternatives to dolphin hunting, but was prevented from entering town hall.
HAYDEN PANETTIERE AND THE CHILD STARS WHOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR MOMAGERS TURNED COMPLICATED
"I wasn’t sure what to expect on my trip back to Japan," Panettiere said after returning. "I think a lot of people assume that I hate Japan, or would want to boycott Japanese products because of my issues with their dolphin hunting policies. But really, nothing could be further from the truth.
"It’s a beautiful place — the people there have such an intense appreciation for nature. I absolutely love it. I think the media likes to paint a picture of West vs. East — Us vs. Them. But I think we all have more in common than that."
She added, "I wanted to take this trip to reach out to people in Japan that feel the same way. You see, the majority of people living there don’t know about the dolphin hunts, and would never condone them if they did. And for the few who do eat dolphin meat, there is a serious human health concern. Dolphin meat is highly toxic and isn’t safe for people to eat."
Panettiere was able to meet with officials and political leaders in the area, and despite tense times, she had "never been more hopeful" for the future.
"The word is getting out in Japan, and I have faith that the people there will ultimately be the ones to shut down the cove for good," Panettiere said at the time.
HAYDEN PANETTIERE: A LIFE IN PICTURES
Her advocacy work helped land her a spot on the Time's celebrity "do-gooders" list, and in 2008, Panettiere earned The Humane Society's Wyler Award for her efforts against the slaughter of dolphins in Japan. Past recipients of the award include Paul McCartney, Ellen DeGeneres, Portia de Rossi, Ian Somerhalder and Kesha.
That same year, Panettiere stood alongside Senator John Kerry for a joint press conference on Capitol Hill to urge the government for strong leadership in opposing commercial whaling and protecting marine life.
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"Dolphins and whales are some of the most contaminated animals on the planet and, like canaries in a coal mine, they are telling us that something is seriously wrong with our oceans," Panettiere said.
"We are poisoning the oceans' food chain and ultimately poisoning ourselves and I think that it is vitally important to get this truth out to the younger generations who, after all, will be the ones to face up to the problems that are occurring today."
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The "Nashville" actress died Sunday in Greenville, South Carolina. Brian Hickerson and his brother, Zach Hickerson, were with Panettiere at the time of her death, according to a police report.
Hickerson was among those at the Greenville apartment when Panettiere was found, and authorities executed a search warrant at the residence, according to the report. Police also conducted a welfare check Wednesday at a South Carolina home linked to the Hickerson brothers, but no one answered the door.
Preliminary autopsy results found no signs of trauma that contributed to her death, Fox News Digital confirmed.
"First responders and Emergency Medical Services arrived on scene and located a female in cardiac arrest," the Greenville County Coroner’s Office said in a statement. "EMS personnel initiated advanced cardiac life support measures; however, resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, and the individual was pronounced deceased at 2:32 PM."
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The Greenville County Coroner’s Office and Greenville City Police Department launched parallel investigations into her death.
"At autopsy no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death," the coroner's statement continued. "The cause and manner of death remain pending further investigation and the completion of additional studies.
"This investigation remains active and ongoing. No further details are available for release at this time."
On Wednesday, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was contacted and is assisting in the investigation.
Panettiere is survived by her daughter Kaya, who was born in 2014, with her ex-fiancé, Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko.
AEW star Willow Nightingale shares how she's able to keep her joyful personality going
When Willow Nightingale is coming out to the ring, you know it.
The fun music hits, the fans in the crowd go crazy and Nightingale comes down the aisle with complete joy and a big smile. And there’s plenty for her to be happy about right now.
Nightingale defeated Thekla at Redemption to become the All Elite Wrestling (AEW) women’s world champion and she’s set to be in one of the marquee matches at the company’s biggest show of the year, All In, when she squares off against Mercedes Moné in a title defense (as long as she doesn’t lose to Maya World on "Collision" this Saturday).
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But how does Nightingale keep that joy when it feels like the world is falling apart? She explained to OutKick in a recent interview that it’s not always easy to keep smiling but her upbringing and knowing what her mother went through helps her stay resilient.
"I mean the truth is — it's not always like that. I am a person," Nightingale said. "Human beings experience human emotion and I'm no exception. I think the difference is I was really fortunate in growing up in a household that had a lot of love and support. I saw my parents struggle with a lot. My mom moved to this country when she was 24 years old with no other family. She had two kids already. She was pretty alone when she came here, but she did it for better opportunity.
"And even when I saw my parents struggle financially or through whatever, my mom was like, ‘We always have each other. No matter what happens in this world, you guys are going to be there for each other. There's always something to look forward to. There's always something ahead, even if things are tough right now.’ And so, for me, that is how I always think about it."
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Sometimes, it’s the little things that help Nightingale remind herself that nothing is too big to overcome.
She recalled a moment on a roller coaster at Disney World where the universe seemed to be telling her all is well.
"It's like when I'm in a really, really good moment — this is going to sound funny or maybe not as heavy as everything else I'm saying — but I was just on the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ ride at Disney this past weekend and I got ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World,’ and it was my second time getting that song like I got a few years ago," she said. "But that experience is something that moves me and makes me feel just like I'm left in awe. So being on that ride for those few moments, I remember thinking to myself, ‘Hold on to this feeling because in a week's time, you're probably going to be kicking your own butt and you're going to be feeling terrible. But you have to remember that there's little moments like this.
"Something as silly as being on a roller coaster to one of your favorite songs. It's going to be so beautiful and you will experience something like this again. Hold on to this. Enjoy it now.’ And I try to do that when I wrestle because this is what I love. This is what I've dedicated my adult life to. And I get to see how I impact people and other people impact me. And that is the thing that brings the smile of ‘nothing matters, smile anyway’ smile of Willow Nightingale."
As of now, Nightingale will defend the AEW Women’s World Championship against Moné on Aug. 30 at All In. The show is set to take place at Wembley Stadium in London.