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Christian university aims to produce 'irreplaceable' graduates as AI reshapes higher education
Colleges and universities across the country are scrambling to respond to the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence. One Christian university is looking to embrace the technology and graduate students who are "irreplaceable." Cornerstone University wants to show other higher education institutions that the goal shouldn't be keeping AI out of the classroom, but rather help students learn to use it wisely.
"We want to lead," Cornerstone University President Gerson Moreno-Riaño told Fox News Digital. "We want to be ahead of other institutions, but we need the insight of experts in the marketplace right now that can give us guidance, direction and insight to do this and to do it well."
Cornerstone University, located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, recently announced the President’s Artificial Intelligence Advisory Board. The board is made up of experts in several fields, including philosophy, engineering, enterprise AI, theology and higher education. The members are tasked with advising Cornerstone on AI curriculum, ethics and long-term strategy.
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Moreno-Riaño said the board was formed to ensure that Cornerstone's curriculum keeps pace with the rapidly evolving AI landscape, help faculty adapt to the technology and ensure the university's approach remains grounded in its Christian values.
Top universities across the country are taking different approaches to AI as the technology becomes more widely available. However, many do not have school-wide policies and instead ask faculty to use their discretion in their classrooms.
Harvard University does not have a university-wide policy regarding AI, but instead requires instructors to inform students of their policies. The university has three examples of policies that faculty can use, but it also allows them to make their own guidance. One policy prohibits the use of generative AI, such as ChatGPT, in all stages of work, while another encourages students to "explore" the limits of the tech.
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Vanderbilt University also encourages faculty to establish their own generative AI use policies for their courses, as long as they align with the school's Honor Code. While the university does not have a blanket policy on generative AI, it holds faculty members responsible for clearly articulating their expectations to their students.
Moreno-Riaño said that kind of fragmented approach is exactly what Cornerstone is hoping to avoid.
"I've spoken to many college presidents and experts and have a sense that many universities right now don't know what to do with artificial intelligence," he said. "They lack a coherent strategy and focus, and what happens is that both the students suffer, and the faculty and the staff suffer. There's no guidance and direction."
"So, we want to ensure that we prepare and develop our faculty well, our staff well too, to how do we engage this in a way that continues to form our students, not just inform them. And prepare them with wisdom, not just information," he added.
The Cornerstone president also said that higher education institutions are too often focused on the potential risks of students using AI to cheat, rather than trying to teach them how to use it responsibly. Moreno-Riaño suggested that many higher education professionals who ban AI because of potential cheating are not approaching the technology in the right way. He acknowledged the negatives of AI, but said that those who are only focused on the bad, have failed to see how it can be used for good.
"Our job in academia is to prepare our faculty and ultimately our students to be able to use it with discernment and for institutions to use it to extend the reach of what they're accomplishing and quite frankly, lower the costs of what it takes to deliver an education," he said.
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As AI becomes more capable and accessible, the conversation surrounding its relationship with higher education has expanded beyond the classroom. Students and parents are increasingly questioning which degrees and career paths will be valuable as AI reshapes the modern workforce. However, Moreno-Riaño believes they're asking the wrong question, saying that AI will change nearly every profession.
"I don't think there's a safe career or a safe diploma, a safe major. I think every field will be significantly transformed by this. But I think the question we should be asking is that we should think about producing graduates that can't be replaced," Moreno-Riaño told Fox News Digital.
For the Cornerstone president, it comes down to producing graduates who are "irreplaceable" in their fields. He argued that this does not necessarily mean teaching them to code or to focus on career paths that are AI-driven or resistant; rather, it requires universities to nourish the aspects of their students' humanity that cannot be replicated.
"I think careers are going to be transformed and changed. There's no doubt about it," he said. "But it's a human capability for wisdom and discernment that can't be replaced."
Moreno-Riaño said that students do not become wiser just by memorizing the correct answer to a question, arguing that the process played an important role in their development. He recalled a high school math teacher who insisted that students show every part of their work rather than simply writing the answer.
"The dilemma with AI is it gives you the right answer, but robs you from the struggle," he said.
Moreno-Riaño argued that the struggle to solve problems, work through mistakes and develop judgment, is ultimately what produces "irreplaceable" graduates. He added that universities should use AI to enhance students' learning experiences with the aim of helping them develop wisdom, something he thinks will be key as people question the value of a college degree in the AI age.
"Faculty need to be sources of wisdom for our students," he said.
What makes Cornerstone's approach unique, according to Moreno-Riaño, is the university's efforts to adapt to cutting-edge technology while also staying true to its Christian values.
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"I think Christianity has so much to offer here to say, we understand what the person is, we're image bearers of God, this means something," he told Fox News Digital. He added that America's founders understood this principle, which he says still sits "at the core of Christianity and of Christian higher ed."
Ultimately, Moreno-Riaño believes universities should not resist AI and instead must find ways to ensure that AI remains a tool that serves people rather than replacing them.
"It's here to stay," he said. "Now we have to learn how to use it and ensure that it serves our good purposes, not that we serve its purposes."
What happened to Michelle Hadley? 5 things to know about ‘A Toxic Love Story’ case
A California woman spent 88 days behind bars and faced the possibility of life in prison after she was accused of using online advertisements to send men to sexually assault her former fiancé’s new wife.
Threatening emails, witnesses and men claiming to respond to "rape fantasy" ads initially seemed to support accusations against Michelle Hadley. However, state and federal prosecutors say the evidence was fabricated and the alleged victims were the perpetrators.
Netflix’s new documentary, "A Toxic Love Story," revisits the 2016 case involving Hadley, her former fiancé, Ian Diaz, and his then-wife, Angela Connell, who used the name Angela Diaz during their marriage.
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Here are five things to know about the case.
Hadley began dating Ian Diaz in 2013 after they met online, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. The couple bought a condominium together in Anaheim, California, but separated in 2015 amid a dispute over the property and their finances.
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Ian Diaz met Angela Connell online in January 2016 and married her the following month. She moved into the condominium he had purchased with Hadley.
Beginning in June 2016, Angela Diaz told Anaheim police that Hadley was sending her increasingly violent emails and threatening her and her alleged unborn children. She also accused Hadley of impersonating her online and directing men to the home for "rape fantasy" encounters.
At least two men who intended to travel to the condominium told investigators that they believed they had been invited to participate in consensual "rape fantasy" encounters, prosecutors said. On June 24, Angela Diaz called 911 and claimed a man had entered her garage and tried to rape her.
Police arrested Hadley that day and released her on $100,000 bail. She was arrested again on July 14 and held on $1 million bail as the alleged threats continued.
Hadley faced felony charges carrying a potential life sentence as authorities initially portrayed her as a jilted former lover who had launched a calculated revenge campaign.
But there were problems with the case.
After Hadley’s first arrest, Angela Diaz reported that the emails had stopped. When Hadley was released, the threatening messages resumed even though Hadley did not yet have access to her email, prosecutors later said.
Hadley remained jailed until Oct. 7, 2016, when prosecutors released her.
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On Jan. 9, 2017, Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas dismissed every charge and publicly declared her "fully exonerated."
Investigators traced the threatening emails and sexual advertisements not to Hadley, but to the condominium shared by Ian and Angela Diaz, Angela’s cellphone and her father’s home in Arizona, according to the district attorney’s office.
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Authorities said Angela Diaz used approximately eight email accounts, VPNs and proxy servers to hide the messages’ origins.
She sent herself threats, posed as Hadley and provided men with photographs of herself, her address and details about her daily routine.
The investigation also uncovered a wider pattern of deception. Prosecutors said Angela Diaz had faked cervical cancer, pretended to be an attorney, forged doctors’ notes, fabricated a pregnancy and altered checks.
Angela Diaz pleaded guilty in October 2017 to charges including kidnapping, false imprisonment, forgery, perjury, grand theft and falsely reporting crimes. She was sentenced to five years in state prison.
Ian Diaz insisted he knew nothing of Angela's machinations, but a federal probe into Diaz launched in 2017 revealed that he masterminded the entire plot. He was indicted in 2021 and was relieved of his duties as a criminal investigator in Los Angeles.
A jury in the Central District of California convicted Ian of one count each of conspiracy to commit cyberstalking, cyberstalking, perjury and obstructing a federal proceeding.
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He was sentenced to 10 years and one month in prison.
"Diaz's egregious actions and lies to law enforcement stripped a woman of her freedom and liberty," Special Agent in Charge Harry Lidsky of the Department of Justice's cyber crimes unit previously said in a press release. "This kind of stalking, harassment and obstruction is unconscionable."
Hadley later filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Anaheim, four city employees, Angela Diaz and Ian Diaz over the case that led to her arrest and imprisonment.
In an April 2021 court filing reviewed by Fox News Digital, Hadley’s attorneys said she and the Anaheim defendants had reached a settlement that was approved by the City Council on April 27. The agreement would result in the dismissal of her claims against the city and its employees.
The filing also said Hadley and Angela Diaz were finalizing a separate written agreement. It did not reveal the financial terms or other details of either settlement.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Hadley's attorneys for comment.
GOP's freshman firebrand goes viral targeting 'utterly intellectually indefensible' DEI policies
Texas Republican Brandon Gill has emerged as one of the House GOP's most effective digital communicators, turning pointed committee questioning into viral moments that reach millions at a time when commanding attention online has become nearly as valuable as controlling the House floor.
The 32-year-old freshman lawmaker's talents have quickly elevated his profile within the Republican conference, earning praise from colleagues who view him as a rising conservative voice and potential future leader while helping him build an audience far beyond Capitol Hill.
"You can go in there and I can yell and scream at a witness. I can give a massive soliloquy about whatever political views happen to be at the front of my mind that day — but whenever you have a witness on the other side of the witness stand who is sworn in, they can't lie to you, or they're not supposed to, it's a huge opportunity to be able to just ask probing questions about what they believe, what they're doing with our tax dollars, about ideologies that they are pushing or that the left has been pushing," Gill said of his strategy.
"I think that so much of what the left believes in…is utterly intellectually indefensible. So what I try to do is to ask probing questions that really get to the heart of whatever issue — we can take DEI as an example — try to ask probing questions that strike at the heart of what the left is actually advocating for."
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And Gill’s supporters have lauded him for doing just that.
As chairman of the House Oversight Committee’s new Task Force on Defending Constitutional Rights and Exposing Institutional Abuses, he’s already grilled the director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and the president of the American Bar Association.
During one notable moment, Gill clashed with the museum director over an exhibit arguing that Mickey Mouse’s creation was rooted in racism.
"The left has weaponized DEI, I think, to politicize American institutions like the Smithsonian or like law schools. And that's a problem. We're a country that believes you should receive your just deserts. You should receive what you deserve regardless of the color of your skin. And that is something that everybody ought to be able to get behind," Gill said.
Critics argue Gill's rapid-fire questioning prioritizes viral moments over nuanced policy discussions. Shaun Harper, a University of Southern California professor who clashed with Gill during a House hearing on DEI, later wrote that the congressman repeatedly interrupted his attempts to provide context, insisting on yes-or-no answers. Supporters, meanwhile, say Gill's pointed questioning exposes the ideological underpinnings of progressive policies.
The Republican millennial grew up on a cattle ranch in West Texas, and currently lives in the town of Flower Mound with his wife and two young children while representing the northern part of the state.
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He’s also one of the most recognizable faces in a wave of young people who are changing the face of the GOP, which had long been known as the party of old age.
Gill argued it comes down to the left’s growing number of cultural landmines.
"So you have the left forcing, you know, children in high school to believe that men can get pregnant, or telling, you know, college students, who just want to like live a normal life and have a good time that they're racist, or they have implicit transphobia," Gill said. "And then you look at the other side of the aisle and Republicans, by and large, are much more laid back. They're much more nice. They're not going around calling everybody they see racist or sexist. They're just normal people."
He continued, "We're not the party who's going to deride you and to slander you. We're the party that I think has much more open arms towards young people."
And among many of his House GOP colleagues, that does indeed seem to be how Gill comes across. Fellow Republicans have called Gill low-key and easy to talk to in person — a far cry from his intense persona in the hearing room.
Several have also said they see Gill having a bright future on Capitol Hill.
One House Republican, granted anonymity to speak candidly, told Fox News Digital, "He is a pretty humble guy. I always enjoy talking with him on the [House floor]."
"He clearly does his homework and a great job preparing questions and exposing the left in committee," that Republican said. "I can see him as the next US senator from Texas."
Another GOP lawmaker also complimented Gill’s readiness, and said he would style him as a "future Jim Jordan," referencing the House Judiciary Committee chair who’s been a leader of the conservative movement for years.
Jordan, R-Ohio, also happens to be one of the House Republicans Gill said he looks up to the most.
"I would say there's a few members that I particularly look up to. One of them is Jim Jordan, who's the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. I think he does a brilliant job of exposing the left, and he's somebody who just never misses. He always makes his point very clearly and succinctly. Somebody else I look up a lot is Byron Donalds, who is going to be the next governor of Florida, a brilliant guy," Gill said.
Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, of which Gill is a part, praised the young congressman as a "rising star."
"He’s putting the Left in the hot seat, exposing Democrat delusions with simple, devastating questions," Harris told Fox News Digital. "He’s showing America the corruption the Freedom Caucus is determined to root out."
And Gill is rising quickly in the right-wing group, getting a featured speaking slot at the caucus’s 10-year anniversary last year.
But Gill has made headway with rank-and-file Republicans as well, winning the position of "class president" among his fellow first-term GOP lawmakers.
Asked where he thought that would take him in the future — whether a committee gavel or even a role in House GOP leadership — Gill would not say.
"Right now, I just want to do a good job where I'm at and make sure that Republicans can maintain control of the House. We have a huge opportunity to defy history and make sure that we continue doing the great work, the investigations, the hearings and the legislation that we've been doing for the past year and a half, for another two years," Gill said, adding that he particularly enjoyed serving on the House Judiciary Committee.
While the Texas Republican's critics, mainly on the left, paint him as far-right and divisive, Gill views the criticism as validation.
"I would say, first and foremost, I do believe that if the left isn't criticizing me, then I'm not doing a good job, and I'm not being effective. The left only attacks people that they believe are making a difference," Gill said.
"Secondly, I would ask Democrats who are critical of me or of the hearings that we do, to simply imagine that they're in the witness stand and actually defend, intellectually defend, the views that they have. If you believe that DEI is a righteous endeavor, please explain to the American people in a simple and straightforward way why racial quotas are good, how that promotes meritocracy, how that makes America better off?"
'Fit Mom' did 'everything right' — then a colon cancer diagnosis changed her life
Maria Kang built her career around fitness, healthy eating and helping other moms prioritize wellness. But despite believing she had done "everything right," the California mother of three was blindsided by colon cancer.
Kang, now 46, said the diagnosis completely reshaped her understanding of what it means to be healthy.
She became an internet sensation in 2013 after a photo of her sculpted physique alongside her three young sons sparked a global conversation about fitness and motherhood.
The viral image — captioned "What’s your excuse?" — led to her being dubbed the "No Excuse Mom" and inspired the launch of hundreds of wellness communities around the world.
More than a decade later, Kang’s world was turned upside down when she learned that she had stage 4 colon cancer in November 2023.
"It was definitely a complete shock — because I was the healthiest person I knew," she shared with Fox News Digital. "I wanted to blame the food, but I didn't eat bad food. I filtered my water. There was no excuse why I had this cancer."
Looking back, Kang said she had experienced persistent digestive problems since adolescence, including chronic constipation and bloating that worsened with stress.
"It didn't matter how many fiber pills or laxatives, it just took a long time to go," she said. "So that's been an ongoing journey throughout my life."
Over the years, Kang said, she convinced herself that her digestive problems were just something she had to live with.
"One thing that I realized is that we normalize problems, and we think it's OK, but it’s not OK," she said. "Digestion should be like breathing. It should be like inhaling and exhaling. It should be simple. But it wasn't simple."
After a tumor was detected through a biopsy after colonoscopy, Kang said she initially pursued holistic approaches for 12 weeks, but the tumor did not shrink and may have grown slightly. She then began FOLFOX — a combination of chemotherapy drugs used to treat some gastrointestinal cancers — in 2024.
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After one treatment, Kang went to the emergency room when her colostomy stoma retracted, and a scan reportedly showed that the tumor had shrunk substantially. She then asked to stop chemotherapy and proceed with surgery.
Kang later underwent extensive surgery to remove the tumor and about a foot of her colon, along with multiple reproductive organs and her appendix. She temporarily required a colostomy and later an ileostomy.
Today, Kang says her MRIs have shown "no suspicious mass detected." She gets regular blood screenings and scans every six months.
"Much of what remains appears related to postoperative healing and inflammation," she shared. "Because of my history, my doctors continue surveillance, but I have not been formally declared NED (no evidence of disease)."
An estimated 158,850 Americans will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2026, and around 55,230 people will die from the disease this year, according to the American Cancer Society.
Although colorectal cancer incidence has declined overall — largely among older adults, a trend linked in part to increased screening and changes in certain risk factors — rates are rising in younger age groups.
Among adults younger than 50, colorectal cancer incidence increased by 2.9% per year from 2013 to 2022.
The American Cancer Society and U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommend that people at average risk begin regular colorectal cancer screening at age 45, although those with certain risk factors may need to start earlier.
Anyone experiencing persistent or concerning symptoms should consult a doctor, regardless of age.
"It was a really big, humbling look in the mirror when you say to yourself, 'I look healthy, but I'm not healthy,’" Kang told Fox News Digital.
"When someone is at a normal range in their weight, they could have cancer. They could have autoimmune issues."
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"We don't know what's going on inside of a person. We always just want to look the part versus be the part."
Kang said her cancer journey has changed her perception of health and what’s important in life.
"Cancer makes everything extremely clear — what's important, what is not important, what you should eat, what you shouldn't eat," she said. "If you really listen to yourself, it becomes crystal clear when you have no energy."
Kang said her fitness and nutrition regimens also look drastically different from her pre-cancer routines.
"I used to train five or six days a week, but now I only move when I want to," she said. "Walking is my best friend. I love to dance. I still love to strength-train because it's fun for me and it makes me strong."
Perhaps the biggest shift is that Kang no longer does anything that feels forced: "If there's anything that I feel forced to do, I don't do it ... If I feel awful, my body's going to express awful."
Her approach to food has also shifted, she shared.
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"In the past, there were bad foods and good foods, and cheat days … what I understand now is balance," Kang said.
While she does naturally veer toward fruits and vegetables — "things that have water and life and light in them" — Kang said she is still open to eating any other foods, including pizza.
Overall, Kang wants people to know that maintaining healthy habits does not eliminate the possibility of developing cancer.
"It could happen to anybody — that was the most humbling realization," she said.
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"You may think you're young and healthy and this won't happen to you, but this world is so unpredictable right now. Anything can happen to anybody."
"Health is not what you think it is," she said. "It's not just how you look. It's how you feel."
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The American Cancer Society recommends seeing a healthcare provider about persistent changes in bowel habits, blood in the stool, abdominal pain, unexplained weight loss or other concerning gastrointestinal symptoms.
While such symptoms can have many causes other than cancer, they should be evaluated regardless of a person’s age.
Cruise passenger horrifies diners by scratching bare foot with restaurant fork
An unidentified Carnival Cruise passenger has gone viral after she was caught on video apparently using a restaurant fork to scratch the bottom of her foot.
Instagram user lucky_charmedcourt posted a series of six videos earlier this week chronicling a woman with an apparent skin condition scratching her foot.
The Instagram poster also documented her own efforts to bring the fork-scratching scandal to the attention of guest services and the captain.
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In part one — set to an instrumental soundtrack — viewers see the cruise passenger scratching dry and scaly patches of her foot before using the same hand to eat pizza.
In part two, captioned "foot fungus lady uses fork on cruise," the woman uses the tines of her fork to scratch her foot more aggressively.
Part three shows footage of the unidentified passenger picking at her foot — which appears to have dry skin — on one of the boat’s decks.
The cruise blog "CruiseHive" identified the ship as Carnival Sunrise, which was previously known as Carnival Triumph.
Carnival Cruise Line has not confirmed the vessel.
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Fox News Digital reached out to Carnival Cruise Line and the Instagram poster for comment.
On July 22, Carnival Cruise Line posted a statement on social media regarding the incident.
"We can confirm that forks are intended for food, not foot care," the statement read. "Once we became aware of the situation, our team quickly addressed it with the guest and removed the utensil from service."
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"While the video may be generating laughs and gasps online, cleanliness and hygiene are no joke to us. Our crew works hard every day to maintain high standards across our feet fleet and to ensure all guests enjoy a safe, clean, and comfortable vacation," Carnival’s statement continued.
With the video clips racking up more than 150,000 comments on Instagram to date, the footage has renewed a debate about cruise ship hygiene.
Several cruise fans flocked to Reddit to discuss the fork fiasco.
"In the buffet dining area no less, people never stop surprising me," one Reddit user said.
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"I mean, it’s just nasty no matter where she is at. I just don’t understand people," another said.
Others have left comments on Instagram. "You will never spot me on a cruise for a multitude of reasons, and here’s another one," an Instagram follower said.
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"This [is] why I eat with plastic utensils," another joked.
Yet another said, "No one should be shaming Carnival. This was a passenger."
The incident comes at a time when cruise ship sanitization protocols are under heightened scrutiny.
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Despite increased concern, however, travelers don’t appear to be avoiding cruising.
The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) recently estimated that more than 38 million people worldwide will take ocean cruises this year, an increase from a record-breaking 37.2 million passengers last year, according to The Associated Press.
Kelly McGreal of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.
GOP lawmaker demands answers after Smithsonian chief urged moving beyond 'America First mentality'
Rep. Mike Carey, R-Ohio, grilled Smithsonian leadership at a hearing on Wednesday on why the National Museum of American History (NMAH) had dropped mention of "American history" from its mission statement in
"You explained that the museum removed the phrase ‘American history’ from the mission statement in order to help people ‘to get out of the America-first mentality,’ Carey said, posing his question to Anthea Hartig, NMAH administrator.
"What did you mean by America-first?" he asked.
Carey’s line of questioning, made during a Committee on House Administration hearing on Wednesday, comes as Republicans in Congress have made preserving America’s heritage a proxy for larger struggles over national identity and cultural values.
Progressive thinkers, such as Hartig, have argued that keeping the darker parts of American history in view should inform an understanding of the country’s past — and help set its policy direction in the present.
In response, many Republican lawmakers have voiced deep unrest over efforts to characterize the U.S. as marked by oppression or slavery — such as the New York Times’ 1619 Project. Many conservatives have argued that the American ideals, laid out in documents like the Declaration of Independence, transcend even the country’s most blatant failures to live up to those aspirations; that they are anything but definitive of the American experience.
The conversation has also taken on a new focus in President Donald Trump’s second term as the administration has pulled out all the stops in celebrating the country’s 250th anniversary.
With calls to "Make America great again" and put "America first," the administration released a report called "Saving America’s Story."
That report highlighted the American History Museum’s decision to change its mission statement and called out Hartig specifically.
"That shift from history to activism is clearly documented in this report. Anthea Hartig, NMAH’s director since 2019, has explicitly stated that she sees history as a ‘prime tool of social justice’ and one of her roles as connecting ‘research and scholarship to activism and advocacy,’" the report stated.
The report also details how Hartig had explained the change to NMAH's mission statement in a 2024 presentation to a group of undergraduate and graduate history students.
"It’s hard to get out of the ‘America First’ mentality ...It’s just that, and why we changed our mission when I first came," Hartig said. "I think it’s a big challenge, especially going into 2026, which will be the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the 25th year since 9/11, the fifth year since January 6th."
Speaking before the committee on Wednesday, Hartig defended her view, claiming that she had not tried to make history a matter of activism through her leadership at NMAH.
"The museum does not take sides in America’s political debates. We preserve and document the evidence of American life in all its breadth, so that the public can encounter the past and draw their own conclusions," she stated.
"When historians talk about reframing a traditional narrative, we do not mean erasing it. We mean adding the evidence, voices and objects that earlier tellings left out, so that more Americans can see themselves in the national story. Examining the harder chapters of our history is not the same as hostility toward America."
But Carey, alongside other Republicans, appeared unconvinced.
"'The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history.’" Carey cautioned, quoting George Orwell’s cautionary book on authoritarianism, 1984.
"Let me get back to my original question — why do you think that ‘American history’ should be erased from the American History museum?" Carey added.
Hartig, pressed for time, did not give a response.
Ryan Clark openly weeps about ugly ESPN exit during insane podcast appearance
Brace yourselves ...
Ryan Clark has spoken for the first time since ESPN cut bait earlier this week, and folks, it was a DOOZY. Frankly, I've never, in my life, seen anything like it.
For those who missed it, Clark was part of several ESPN layoffs on Tuesday. Cam Newton was let go. Karl Ravech was let go. Tim Pelissero was cut. It was a bloodbath.
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The Clark situation stood out because he was actually told on Monday ... during an actual taping of NFL Live ... after OutKick had obtained the story and asked ESPN for comment.
That forced ESPN into panic mode, and, essentially, forced them to tell Clark during a live taping of an actual show because they didn't want OutKick to break the story. Instead, they let the insufferable Athletic do it.
Amazing.
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Anyway, that's all he said/she said stuff, and I'm quite sure Bobby Burack will address it later on. I'm not here to relitigate that.
I'm here to break down Ryan Clark's first comments since that moment, and they came on his podcast — "The Pivot" — and included him openly weeping into the camera:
"All I ever wanted to do was be accepted," said Clark, as he weirdly sobbed because he ... got fired from a job?
One of the wildest videos I have ever seen. It's amazing. I can't stop watching. The pandering and the grifting and the insane theatrics from Ryan Clark here are so painfully spot-on, it personally makes ME want to cry.
Bravo, Rhino. Just an incredible performance. Truly amazing. It's all BS, of course, but that's what makes it top-tier.
Ryan Clark is not that sad he got fired from ESPN. Come on. What are we doing here? Nobody in their right mind has even been this sad over a job — especially a professional athlete!
Ryan Clark has been cut before. I assume this isn't the first starting job he's lost. ESPN is a business. The NFL is a business.
When you start becoming bad at your job, businesses usually move on. When you start becoming a pain in the butt and a headache and not worth the trouble, businesses usually cut ties.
When you make asinine declarations – on air – about a car crash, and publicly humiliate your colleague, and weirdly fixate on a former colleague's White wife, and spend all your days race-baiting and gaslighting, businesses usually cut ties.
No need to hop on your podcast and weep about it. The writing was on the wall here. It's embarrassing. It's pandering. It's nonsense.
And, more importantly, folks see right through it.
Like former NFL defensive back Asante Samuel, who played in the NFL at the same time as Clark:
"ESPN Ryan, I tried to stay quite pimp but you’re taking this fired s–t too far," he tweeted Friday night. "Why are you so sensitive and emotional brother? People get fired everyday B."
Yeah, I'm gonna have to agree with Asante here. You dug your own grave, Ryan. You can sit there on your fancy podcast and peddle nonsense and sob all you want, but how about a little humility? How about some remorse? How about an ounce of self-respect and reflection?
Instead, we got sobbing.
What a week.
Far-left victories rip mask off Democrats as top conservative sounds alarm party is ‘way beyond socialism’
A top conservative leader in the House GOP is arguing that supporters of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) are pushing Democrats further left than even they are letting on.
House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., told Fox News Digital he's still hopeful that Republicans have a chance of retaining their razor-thin majority in the lower chamber of Congress because Democrats' left flank will make American voters nervous come November.
"The Democrat party is now being infiltrated with truly communist elements. I think Americans are going to realize that the Democrats are truly the crazy party now, and the country can't tolerate that," Harris said. "So I think that improves our chances in November."
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Republicans are facing an uphill battle to retain control of the House of Representatives as the midterm elections creep closer. House lawmakers raced out of Washington on Thursday back to their home districts, where they will spend the next five weeks making the case to their constituents as to why the GOP should keep control for the latter half of President Donald Trump's final term.
One line that is already popping up frequently on the campaign trail references the recent slate of victories for DSA-backed candidates in Democratic primaries across the country.
In New York City, for example, two House candidates backed by Democratic socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani defeated incumbent progressive lawmakers and will likely sail to victory in the November general election.
A third open House race saw a Mamdani-backed candidate defeat an opponent who was endorsed by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.
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"I think Mr. Mamdani in New York says exactly where the party is. He wants government-run everything. That's called communism. That's way beyond socialism. That's communism," Harris said.
When you want to control – for instance, you want have the grocery stores run by the government – that's the way it is in Russia. That's is the way is in China. That's it the way in communist-controlled countries. And anybody who's interested in that, ought to look back at history and see how that works out."
Harris himself is in a safe red seat after Maryland Democrats thwarted an effort by their own party to redraw congressional lines there ahead of November.
'Baywatch: Hawaii' star Brandy Ledford says she 'wanted to truly check out' before rehab saved her life
Brandy Ledford has plenty of reasons to celebrate these days.
The actress, who made hearts race as lifeguard Dawn Masterton on "Baywatch: Hawaii," recently marked 14 years of sobriety. Today, the 57-year-old is a wellness advocate, yoga teacher and creator on Passes, where she shares exclusive content and connects directly with fans.
But before she found peace, Ledford said she reached her breaking point.
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"There was a moment when I realized something had to change in my life," Ledford told Fox News Digital. "I definitely was abusing substances to avoid my feelings. And I was doing it in a way that was really harmful to me, to my mental health and to my family. And I had a harrowing last night before I checked myself into rehab."
"I didn't know there was going to be a way out," she admitted.
Ledford said addiction ultimately left her feeling trapped, hopeless and convinced nothing could numb her pain.
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"I didn't feel like there was a way out," she shared. "Drinking didn't solve my problems. I was addicted to prescription pain medication. [That] didn't solve my problems. And in the end, it didn't really take away any of the things I didn't want to be feeling. And that was my last hope. And when I figured that that didn't work anymore, I really just wanted to truly check out because I didn't see a way out."
Ledford previously told Basic magazine that she struggled with alcohol and drug addiction for much of her life. According to the outlet, she began smoking marijuana at age 11 and was using cocaine and drinking alcohol by age 14. Ledford was jailed twice on alcohol-related charges before turning 17 and developed a cocaine addiction by 18.
Years later, Ledford said she reached a turning point after what she described as "a really horrible last night," the moment she realized something had to change.
"The next day, I checked myself into rehab and found the way out," she said.
Ledford said the greatest gift sobriety gave her wasn't the one she expected. Instead, she found something she never knew she was missing.
"The friendships," she said, fighting back tears. "I didn’t know that I would find my best friends in sobriety. I have a really solid network of girlfriends I've had for 40 years, and they’re here in my life. I made a couple of friends in sobriety who are my lifelines."
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"I didn't expect the friendships," she said. "I didn't know that was a possibility. Then I found the community and the network of sober sisters who really support each other and lift each other through everything we go through. I didn't expect my life would be perfect. I never thought, 'Oh good, now I'm sober, everything's going to line up.' But I do know that if I stay sober, eventually things line up. And I learned that from the really brave women in this recovery program."
Ledford once kept her addiction struggles private. Today, she's sharing her story in hopes of inspiring others to seek recovery while leaning on her faith in God every step of the way.
The actress said sharing her recovery journey has become one of the most meaningful parts of her life.
"It really is one day at a time," she said. "I give a lot of credit to my higher power, my God, because I couldn't do it without God's help. I have a strong faith. I also didn't expect people to want to hear from somebody in the public about their sobriety. I didn't expect so many people to talk to me about my sobriety and be helped by my story. And what I love about that is I'm able to share my experience so that my experience wasn't wasted."
"I went through a lot, a lot of really challenging, tough times," she said. "And the fact that I can use that now to help others and create strength and hope in others — and in myself — is such a gift of sobriety. It's such a way to keep us sober, to share our stories. But I never really expected people wanted to hear what I had to say."
"I didn't expect to ever talk about that in a public way. And I'm so proud to do so. I'm so proud to be able to help others and just share my truth, my story. And I'm not ashamed of it. I just want to shine a light on how good your life can get when you can be free of addiction."
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Ledford said sobriety didn't just transform her life. It also strengthened her relationship with God.
"My relationship with God has helped shape this new chapter in my life by listening to His will, by turning my will and my life over to God," she said. "Any time I have a decision to make, I lean on my faith to help me find the answers. I pause instead of making rash decisions, and ... I have even more trust that the answers will come."
"There's an expression: 'Trust God, clean house,'" she beamed. "I didn't know that before I got sober, but I always talked about how much faith I had. Faith and trust are so different, and it's such a layered concept."
Ledford said she has developed a deeper understanding of her relationship with God by learning to trust Him while remaining true to herself.
The desire to connect with others has also shaped Ledford’s latest venture. As a creator on Passes, she said the platform allows her to build meaningful relationships with fans on her own terms.
The site lets celebrities, athletes and digital creators share content and interact directly with subscribers.
"I don't answer my DMs on Instagram, TikTok or Twitter (now X) only because I get a lot of them," she said. "It's not personal. But in this way, I feel like I get to have a relationship with fans, and they get to know the real me. I get to really connect on a one-on-one level, but I also get to be my full self and benefit from it, benefit from being who I want to be without somebody dictating how they think it should be. And it's fun. It's a really fun way to share my life with others and connect."
"My whole idea of connection is the opposite of addiction," she said. "And to be able to connect with people in a one-on-one way and to really be free to do so, it's kind of brilliant. I love this new world, with us getting to be in control, getting to be in charge and still being super creative."
These days, Ledford is embracing a new chapter. In addition to doing voiceover work for "King of the Hill," she serves on the board of the Red Songbird Foundation, a nonprofit founded in 2009 by singer Hilary Roberts, who has been sober from drugs and alcohol since 1997. The organization provides support for people struggling with trauma, mental health challenges, substance abuse disorder and PTSD.
"I'm really proud to be in a position where I can do things that help others," Ledford said. "I just want to continue."
Defeated progressive ‘Squad’ lawmaker in hot seat for non-profit’s missing paper trail
Months before losing re-election, former Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., touted the work of her non-profit to donors even though records indicate the organization may have never been registered as a tax-exempt organization.
Bush described Poltivist Power Inc. as "a new 501(c)(4) organization uniting grassroots organizing with political strategy to fight oppression," in a fundraising email.
"My team and I are on the ground, and we could use your support. Can we count on you to donate to our tornado fund today so we can continue our relief efforts?" Bush wrote.
Bush made the same characterization in a second fundraising email sent weeks later.
But Fox News Digital could not identify any IRS record showing Poltivist Power had obtained or claimed tax-exempt status. While not proof of wrongdoing, the lack of a paper trail for Bush’s organization raises questions about whether the former "Squad" member misled donors during her time in office.
Without reporting, it’s unclear how much the group fundraised.
Bush, who first arrived to Congress in 2021, was known for her progressive stances that grouped her with fellow Democrats like Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.
Among them, Bush began taking a critical view of the U.S. relationship with Israel amid its protracted war with Hamas in Gaza. Her criticisms became a centerpiece topic in her 2024 primary against Democratic challenger Wesley Bell — a race she lost.
Now out of office, Bush has remained involved in progressive politics in her local scene.
When approached about Poltivist Power Inc., Bush did not respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital on whether Poltivist Power had received donations, on why it hadn’t yet reported a 990 and about the nature of its activities.
The organization’s domain, Poltivistpower.com, was first purchased on April 1, 2025, records show. Bush announced the creation of the group shortly after a tornado struck the St. Louis area, killing at least four people and causing widespread damage.
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"The Politivist team is on the ground, providing supplies, checking on families, and showing up for those who've been left behind," Bush said.
Since then, in addition to not having a filing recorded with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the group seem to have wrongly filed paperwork with Delaware’s Department of State and with ActBlue Civics, a fundraising site for Democratic groups.
In its March 2025 Delaware incorporation filing, Poltivist Power was registered as an "exempt" corporation, a designation Delaware says is reserved for entities that meet the requirements of Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code.
In both cases, the application requires tax-exempt status with the IRS. The organization is still listed on ActBlue Civics.
Notably, Bush’s fundraising emails, in which she highlighted the organization, also included a disclaimer clarifying that "Contributions to Politivist Power are not affiliated with Politivist Action PAC and are not political donations." The note distinguishes the non-profit from a dedicated fundraising group by the same name.
Despite Bush’s departure from Congress, enough anomalies about Politivist Power have surfaced to catch the attention of Missouri Attorney General Catherine L. Hanaway earlier this month.
She announced her office would look into whether Bush had personally benefited from her fundraising efforts during the tornado recovery and the work that Politivist allegedly did at the time.
"The investigation started when a local news station reported that people had reported to it that contributions they had made for a tornado relief fund had actually gone to her political activity," Hanaway said in a statement about the investigation.
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"We do not have our own evidence of that, but that is what we are investigating," she added.
Bush has not been formally charged with any wrongdoing.