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Trump’s affordability plan faces conservative pushback as pocketbook issues loom over midterms
FIRST ON FOX: As Americans grapple with soaring housing, food and energy costs, both parties are racing to convince voters they have the answer to the affordability crunch ahead of the high-stakes midterm elections.
A new report from the conservative group founded by former Vice President Mike Pence lays out 10 proposals aimed at lowering costs by cutting red tape and expanding production across the economy.
"Yes, there's an unaffordability crisis and it's the government's fault," Richard Stern, vice president of the Plymouth Institute for Free Enterprise at Advancing American Freedom, told Fox News Digital.
That argument is at the heart of the report, "10 Ways to Improve Affordability Now Across 10 Levels of the Economy," which calls affordability the "No. 1 issue facing the American people" and targets costs associated with housing, energy and business, among others.
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Its proposals in the report range from easing zoning restrictions and expanding oil and gas access to overhauling Social Security and SNAP eligibility, echoing parts of President Donald Trump’s second-term agenda.
But the conservative blueprint breaks with Trump on two key pocketbook issues: tariffs and credit card interest rates.
On trade, the report argues Trump’s sweeping tariffs have come at a cost to American consumers and the broader economy by raising prices, straining U.S. alliances and resulting in nearly 900,000 fewer jobs than expected.
The authors at Advancing American Freedom (AAF) call for shifting more tariff authority back to Congress.
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If nothing else, Trump's tariffs proved to be a windfall for Washington.
In January alone, duties totaled $30.4 billion, that's up about 242% from $8.9 billion a year earlier, according to Treasury data.
The report also opposes Trump’s proposed 10% cap on credit card interest rates, warning it could make lending to roughly 60% of Americans unprofitable. Stern framed the broader affordability debate as a question of whether Americans can still build a better future for their families as many see hopes of living the American dream slipping from their fingers.
Housing and energy, he said, are two areas where rising costs have put "a sharper edge on this question of affordability." Stern blamed zoning restrictions for pushing families farther from jobs and making homeownership harder for younger Americans.
Those costs can be substantial. The National Association of Home Builders estimates government regulations account for about 26% of the price of a new single-family home.
The report recommends limiting local zoning restrictions, streamlining approval for projects that meet existing rules and tying roughly $50 billion in annual federal housing aid to zoning reform.
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On energy, the proposal calls for more oil and gas leasing and rejecting state fracking bans. Stern argued greater domestic production could lower costs throughout the economy because energy touches "every good we move, every service provided."
Stern warned that economic frustration can turn Americans against one another, toward "viewing each other as the enemy, and that’s what socialism is."
"I hope that people can take away from this, that it's not businesses that are the problem," he said. "It's not entrepreneurs. It's not other Americans. It's government."
Kushner touts unprecedented Iran contacts as Tehran denies Trump backchannel
Senior Trump advisor Jared Kushner confirmed that communications between the U.S. and Iran are "more robust" than ever, despite Iran's denial of a backchannel between President Donald Trump and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Kushner made the statement in an interview with Fox News' Trey Yingst on Monday after a series of meetings across the Middle East about the future of Gaza and Iran. Kushner emphasized that Trump remains committed to making a deal, but there remain severe roadblocks.
Kushner emphasized that Iran needs to get serious about making a deal, saying Iranian officials have so far been trying to "trick" the U.S. with false concessions and trying to "hide certain cards."
It remains unclear who exactly the U.S. is communicating with through its so-called backchannel with the IRGC. The IRGC has been the most radical faction within Tehran's government, frequently sabotaging past negotiations with attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and other efforts.
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Previous negotiations have been with members of the Iranian civilian government, such as Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and representatives of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, but reports from within Iran suggest the IRGC holds more influence in the country.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio alluded to that earlier this year when he told reporters at the White House that Iran's negotiators often don't know what they are allowed to concede.
"An offer will be made, and then it takes five or six days to get a response because you have to get it through the whole system. They have to find the supreme leader wherever he hides. They have to get him to sign off. And that's their system," Rubio said in May.
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Kushner said that Trump is open to making an economic deal with Iran that will allow the country to thrive, but first the nation must give up its efforts to build a nuclear weapon.
"They have to want to be a real country," Kushner said. "They can be one of the wealthiest countries in the world if they choose to pursue it. They have incredible people, incredible history, so they have so much potential."
Kushner said Iran has to want to "pursue that potential instead of... spreading revolution and causing instability throughout the region and the world."
As of Tuesday, a deal seems further away than ever, however, with the Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. and Iran having expired on Monday. Iran is continuing to target vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian officials are even making threats against Trump's life.
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"I think, as we said, we continue to have communications, and when the deal is ready, the deal will be ready. Deals are hard. I mean, it's funny, President Trump is always aiming for the impossible deals," Kushner said.
One possibility for enacting lasting change in the region would be to expand the Abraham Accords, which Kushner said the administration is still focused on accomplishing.
"We have a very good active conversations going with countries, some obvious, some not obvious. And I think once we get this Gaza situation moving forward, I think that will hopefully de-escalate the tensions here," Kushner said, adding that more concrete talks may have to wait until after the upcoming Israeli elections.
Sammy 'The Bull' Gravano recalls chilling mob request that helped clear John Gotti's path to power
Former Gambino crime family underboss Sammy "The Bull" Gravano dished on the moment he was asked to help pull off one of the mob's most audacious power plays — the murder of John Gotti's own boss.
"We have problems with Paul. I need your help. We need you — me and John Gotti," Gravano recalled being told by Gotti associate Angelo Ruggiero.
"I said, 'To do what?'" he recounted on the "Hang Out With Sean Hannity" podcast.
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"We're gonna kill him."
The target was Paul Castellano, then-boss of the Gambino crime family, one of the most powerful figures in organized crime — making the request anything but an ordinary mob "favor."
"You're gonna kill the boss of bosses?" Gravano recalled asking, prompting Ruggiero to respond, "Yes, and we need your help."
The gravity of the request wasn't lost on him, he told host Sean Hannity. A hit on a boss could carry serious — even deadly — consequences for everyone involved. Gravano recalled pressing the issue and asking where Gotti was himself.
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"I told him, 'Angelo, first of all, where's John Gotti? You're talking to me. Where is he?'"
The back-and-forth between the two men continued, with Ruggiero insisting that Gotti "had something to do."
"[I said], 'He had something more important than asking me to kill the boss of bosses or help you kill the boss of bosses? I don't know what's more important than that,'" Gravano recounted.
"This is a big deal," he added.
Castellano and his new underboss, Thomas Bilotti, were ultimately murdered outside a New York City steakhouse in 1985. Gotti was the mastermind behind the incident and would soon be convicted for ordering the crime.
Gravano's sit-down conversation with Hannity went beyond the incident, into his time with the mob, his involvement in nearly 20 murders and much more.
To catch Gravano's full appearance on Hannity's podcast, look for the latest episode on iHeart, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other major podcast platforms.
Family seeks $105 million from New York City after teen’s fatal Central Park carriage ride
The family of an 18-year-old tourist who died after a horse bolted during a carriage ride in Central Park is seeking $105 million from New York City, alleging that stray electrical voltage may have caused the animal to panic.
Romanch Mahajan, who was visiting New York from India with his family, spending the day snapping photos around Manhattan, suffered fatal head injuries during the June 17 incident near Cherry Hill in Central Park. His family says the unsecured carriage horse, Sampson, suddenly took off while the driver stopped to take their picture.
"This was an avoidable accident," Sagar Chadha of Liakas Law, counsel for the Mahajan family, wrote in a statement. "The allegations set forth in the Notice of Claim describe a preventable tragedy that followed years of warnings, prior incidents and failures to implement basic safeguards."
"An 18-year-old young man came to New York City with his family and never made it back home," the statement continued. "His family deserves answers, accountability and meaningful change so that no other family experiences what they have endured."
MAN KILLED AFTER HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGE BOLTS AND FLIPS NEAR POPULAR NEW YORK CITY TOURIST DESTINATION
The tragedy came just over two weeks after New York City horse-drawn carriages would have disappeared under an earlier proposed ban that failed last year. That bill, introduced in 2024, would have prohibited horse-drawn cab operations beginning June 1, 2026, but it was defeated by the City Council’s Health Committee in November 2025.
"If the city had passed the law last year, our son would still be alive today," Deepak Mahajan said in a recorded video statement that played at a July 17 New York City Council hearing, as he and Romanch's mother wept. "The only measure that can prevent another death is a full and complete act.
"Let his death not be in vain."
The effort was revived this year just days before Mahajan’s death: Council Member Christopher Marte introduced a new version of the ban June 11 — six days before the June 17 accident — that would phase out horse-drawn cabs by June 1, 2028. That bill is now being renamed "Romanch’s Law," and has the backing of New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin.
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"His death was heartbreaking, and it was preventable," Menin wrote in a statement to support and rename the bill. "That tragedy is why I have decided to support Romanch’s Law, legislation that would begin the transition away from horse-drawn carriages as a tourist attraction in Central Park — for the safety of New Yorkers, visitors from around the world, and the horses themselves."
The family alleges in four notices of claim – documents that are generally required before someone can sue New York City – that "stray voltage and/or contact voltage" in the area "caused, precipitated, contributed to and/or was a substantial factor" in causing the horse to be "shocked, stimulated, startled, agitated, frightened and/or spooked, and to bolt and run away."
The filings filed Friday name the city, Con Edison and several municipal agencies, including the departments of Parks and Recreation, Transportation, Health and Mental Hygiene, and Consumer and Worker Protection.
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Mahajan’s father has said the family was inside the carriage, posing for a photo with the driver, when the horse abruptly bolted. As the carriage sped through the park, Romanch’s mother, Priya, fell out.
Romanch then jumped from the moving carriage in an attempt to help her, according to his father. The teenager struck his head on the pavement and was later pronounced dead at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.
Other members of the family suffered minor injuries, with the four notices of claim totaling $105 million.
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The family’s claims add a new dimension to the investigation by focusing on the possibility that electrical voltage in the park contributed to the horse’s behavior.
Con Edison acknowledged that low levels of stray voltage were detected in the area on July 16 and July 23, weeks after the fatal incident, according to the filings.
"These allegations demand a complete and transparent investigation," Chadha said. "The family intends to determine not only why an occupied carriage was allegedly left unsecured, but whether dangerous electrical conditions existed in the very area where this horse suddenly became spooked and whether anyone knew or should have known about those conditions before Romanch was killed."
Jill Wagner reveals the month-long boot camp 'Lioness' cast endures for Taylor Sheridan's show
The cast of "Lioness" undergoes significant training for the hit Paramount+ series.
The epic CIA/military drama series created by Taylor Sheridan is currently airing season three. The first three episodes of the new season are out, and as expected, it's awesome.
The best part of "Lioness" is that it has the best action scenes on TV, and there's no comparable rival. Season two had some absurdly neat shootouts. The season three premiere took things to new levels.
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How much training is required of the cast to make the shootouts feel real?
A lot.
"Lioness" star Jill Wagner, who plays Bobby on the series, recently appeared on "The Gold Shields Show" to reveal the intense boot camp the cast goes through to make sure the movements and weapons handling is as accurate as possible.
"We train for a month prior. He puts you through basically a boot camp and we have our whether it be a SEAL or Green Beret or Delta Guy, whatever, they come out and they help us and they really work with us. And these are people that are, I mean, I look at these guys, I'm like, 'You guys are extremely patient people.' Because we are actors. We are not operators like we are trying our best to play but I think we are all very aware that we, you know, we are not the real deal but in order to portray it, like you you have to go through, for us, we have to go through a month if not more training," Wagner explained on the podcast.
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The talented actress continued, "And that's just for the technical side of things. That's just for the gun side of things. And then as you know, I'm sure you guys know, it's a perishable skill. So if you're not shooting every day, if you're not doing something, you can forget and you can pick up bad habits. So, our technical advisors, there was at least one on set at all times, if not two, and we would go over all of our choreography and, you know, wear those guys out with questions. But they were always great, and I and I think that was very important with Taylor. You know, a lot of these shows don't have technical advisors there behind the camera every single day watching every move that all of us do."
"Now, and I'm sure now that I say that, I'm sure that I'm going to do something dumb in the next episode and everybody's going to be like, 'Where was the technical advice for that day?" Look, I get it all the time, but yeah, it's really important to I know all of our actors that we at least look the part as much as we can," Wagner further commented.
The "Lioness" actress also revealed she underwent a physical transformation to look the part of an elite operator.
You can watch Wagner's full comments in the video below starting around 8:22, and let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.
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The effort and training the "Lioness" cast puts in certainly doesn't go unnoticed. While my CQB knowledge is limited (I have never done CQB at a high level and would get melted by any well-trained guy in a heartbeat), I know enough to understand the show makes it feel as real as possible.
After all, it's a TV show. Expecting it to be as accurate as SEAL Team 6 or Delta Force hitting a target is utterly ridiculous.
All you can hope is for the action sequences to be as believable as possible, and "Lioness" easily accomplishes that goal.
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It's another masterclass from Sheridan and everyone involved. Check out the season three premiere if you want an outstanding example.
What do you think about "Lioness"? Let me know at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.
FIRST ON FOX: Man found dead on street triggers ICE action after shocking hit-and-run
FIRST ON FOX: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged a detainer against an illegal immigrant accused of a hit-and-run that left a North Carolina father dead in the street.
Fox News Digital learned that ICE filed a detainer request for 21-year-old Honduran illegal immigrant Mauricio Josue Alberto Sarmiento, who is charged with hit-and-run resulting in death in Sylva, North Carolina.
The Sylva Police Department said Sarmiento struck 51-year-old James Robert Bagley III with his car before leaving the scene early Aug. 2. Officers and first responders found Bagley unresponsive in the street. He died from his injuries.
Five days later, the Sylva Police Department announced it had arrested Sarmiento and charged him with felony hit-and-run resulting in serious injury or death, no liability insurance, driving with a revoked license, exceeding safe speed and failure to reduce speed. He also had an outstanding arrest order in Jackson County, North Carolina.
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The same day Sarmiento was arrested, ICE lodged a detainer with the Jackson County Jail.
The Department of Homeland Security told Fox News Digital that Sarmiento entered the country illegally through Texas as an unaccompanied minor in October 2021. U.S. Border Patrol arrested him after his entry. DHS said he was "reunified" with an unrelated sponsor and released into the country under the Biden administration.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin told Fox News Digital his agency is "asking officials in Jackson County to cooperate and not release this criminal from jail without notifying ICE."
Mullin said "if it weren’t for the Biden Administration’s disastrous open borders, James Bagley would still be alive."
Fox News Digital reached out to a representative of the former Biden administration for comment but did not receive a response.
Mullin said "by securing our border and deporting illegal aliens, we can save lives and prevent tragedies like this one from ever happening again."
After Sarmiento’s arrest, Sylva Police Chief Aimee Sumner said his arrest "represents a significant step forward in our investigation" but added that "while an arrest has been made, this case is not over, and we remain committed to conducting a thorough investigation and ensuring that the facts are presented through the judicial process."
Sumner noted, "Our thoughts remain with the family and loved ones of James Bagley as they continue to cope with this tremendous loss."
The police chief confirmed the charges against Sarmiento to Fox News Digital. Sumner also confirmed that Sarmiento remains in custody at the Jackson County Detention Center, which the Jackson County Sheriff's Office operates.
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Regarding the ICE detainer, Sumner said, "Our department was not involved in that process; you would need to speak with the Jackson County Sheriff's Office."
Fox News Digital contacted the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
'Everybody Loves Raymond' star Patricia Heaton reveals the mortifying moment that made her quit drinking
"Everybody Loves Raymond" star Patricia Heaton is recalling the moment 10 years ago when she decided to become sober.
During an interview with Woman's World, Heaton shared that during the Coronavirus pandemic, her children left her home and she didn't know how to spend her time.
"Right before the pandemic, my children had left home and I wasn’t working. The things that had always anchored me — my family and my work—were gone. I started thinking, 'What am I supposed to do today?'" Heaton said.
The actress explained that her drinking didn't escalate all at once, and she noticed her alcohol intake increased over time.
"A glass of wine while cooking became wine with dinner, wine while cleaning up and wine while watching 'Wheel of Fortune' and 'Jeopardy!' One night I realized I had almost finished an entire bottle by myself," she said.
Heaton said at this moment, she started "thinking about alcohol differently" and turned to religion to help her.
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"I said a prayer: ‘God, I think you want me to stop drinking. I would be willing to stop, but you have to make it happen because I can’t. I’m willing, but I’m unable.' The next night I was with my sons and their friends, and I couldn’t pronounce the word ‘tradition.’ I tried three times. My youngest son said, ‘That’s great, Mom. You can’t even speak,'" she recalled.
Heaton said the incident "mortified" her and prompted her to begin her sobriety journey. "The next morning I said, ‘Okay, God. Message received.’ That was eight years ago," she said.
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Heaton is a proud mom of four sons: Samuel, John, Joseph and Daniel. She shares all four children with her husband, British actor and director David Hunt, whom she married in 1990.
Chicago found millions for migrants. Why are its own children being left behind?
The numbers for the elementary school down the block from my church are discouraging. The latest CPS data for Dulles Elementary School show that just 13.7% of Dulles students are proficient in English language arts and 3.9% are proficient in math. Dulles spends significantly less per student than some districtwide estimates of CPS spending. This is shocking, mind-boggling, and if this isn’t a crime against humanity, then I don’t know what is.
The numbers only get worse. The school spends about $16,200 per student. The Chicago Public Schools district average is roughly $27,000 to $32,000 per student. How is this inequity possible in this age of DEI?
We live in one of the bluest cities in America, and our mayor, Brandon Johnson, brags about having the "Blackest administration" and always talks about fighting White supremacy. And yet he is comfortable with this disparity in school spending? Why aren’t all the White DEI folks on the North Side of Chicago outraged over this inequity?
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On top of this, Chicago Public Schools is staring down a roughly $732 million budget deficit. Just last summer, the district laid off 1,458 employees, including 432 teachers and 677 special education assistants. This year, the board restored proposed cuts in part by assuming an additional $150 million from the state that lawmakers have not committed. But this is not a solution, and it will only lead to more debt.
Now here is what is infuriating to me. Guess how much the city spent on services for the migrants and asylum seekers coming into town between August 2022 and the end of 2024. Chicago’s inspector general found that roughly $639.6 million in city and grant funds was spent on services for new arrivals between August 2022 and the end of 2024. Why weren’t more unrestricted city resources directed toward our struggling schools instead?
I am a pastor. I believe in compassion. But it is morally wrong to assign so many of our taxpayer dollars to noncitizens who came to the United States and are now receiving taxpayer-funded services in Chicago. Every dollar of unrestricted public money spent on one priority is a dollar that cannot be spent on another, including our schools. We can apply the cold tools of cost-benefit analysis here, and I’m always going to take the side of our children. I believe in taking care of our own home first because it puts us on the right footing to extend a strong, helping hand to others. Right now, we are creating children weak in the mind, and in what universe is that moral or right?
What I want to know is why we have chosen to prize the newly arrived over those of us who were born, through no fault of their own, into generational poverty.
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Just a few years ago, nearly every leader in Chicago was chanting "Black Lives Matter!" I guess that was just an empty slogan and they’re insincere people.
Where is the urgent help for the kids who cannot read, the special-needs students who need consistent aides, and the teachers stretched thin every day? If equity means anything, it should start with the children who have been failed the longest in the neighborhoods that vote most consistently for these leaders.
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I don’t agree with their vote, and I’ve told them so. Yet, I have no problem telling Mayor Brandon Johnson, "They voted for you, so why don’t you start doing your job and representing them? Or are they just your pawns?"
If you walk the halls of our South Side schools, you will meet students who cannot read at grade level, special-needs children who need consistent support and teachers who are exhausted from doing more with less. Enrollment has declined. Buildings are aging. Pensions and debt eat huge portions of the budget. Yet year after year, the deficit returns, and year after year, the conversation turns to everything except the hard choices that put local kids first.
I have spent years in the streets of this city trying to build something better for the next generation. Project H.O.O.D. is about opportunity, not excuses. Education is the foundation of that opportunity. When a district repeatedly faces shortfalls in the hundreds of millions of dollars while hundreds of millions flow to other priorities, the message to our children is unmistakable: You are not the priority.
I do not write this out of anger. I write it out of love for the kids I see every day. They deserve adults who will fight as hard for their classrooms as they fight for every other cause. Until that happens, the view from the South Side will keep showing the same picture: struggling schools, deferred maintenance on our children’s futures and a city that keeps choosing everything else first.
Former Nickelodeon child star reveals hidden price of fame after sharing residual checks worth pennies
The price of childhood fame can be steep. The checks that come afterward? Sometimes just pennies.
"Ned's Declassified" alum Jennifer Tedmori recently went viral after revealing the surprisingly small residual checks she still receives from her time on the hit Nickelodeon sitcom.
The former child star-turned-lawyer, who now hosts the mental health podcast "Off My Meds," told Fox News Digital that those small payments expose just one part of the hidden cost of fame that can follow child actors long after the cameras stop rolling.
"I've had a lot of time to think about why so many child actors struggle into adulthood," she said. "I think it's a couple of things. I think home life is a big part of it. I think upbringing, I think intentions as to why somebody is in the business is a big one.
"But I think, as I watch some colleagues and co-stars go through really tough times with being an adult, I think I would just want the public to know that these are human beings. And I think there should be a level of compassion that is given to some of them because, as much as they're prepared for being a child star, they really aren't prepared for the adult world. And they're not really taught the real world things outside of acting that can prepare them for just being a regular human being."
When Tedmori sifts through stacks of unopened mail only to find residual checks worth pocket change — sometimes just a few cents, occasionally $5 — she laughs. But behind the humor is a reality that could have looked very different.
WATCH: JENNIFER TEDMORI REVEALS REALITY BEHIND ACTORS’ RESIDUAL CHECKS
Growing up, Tedmori said she was encouraged to build a life beyond acting and pursue other passions. Many of her peers, she noted, were prepared for fame and success — but not for what happens when the spotlight fades and the hit show ends.
"I made the conscious decision after I was around 18 and figuring out part-time jobs and how I was going to move forward with the uncertainty of an actor's life that I decided to go to law school," she said. "And I think that was the best decision I could have ever made for myself because I am someone that values stability, financial stability. But when it comes to child actors, there's a misconception that they are set for life."
"There is a misconception that, if we see somebody on a show, that fame equals wealth," Tedmori said. "That's not the case for most people."
On "Ned's Declassified," Tedmori played Doris Trembly, a member of the "Huge Crew," a group of girls who had crushes on Ned (Devon Werkheiser). The show aired for three seasons from 2004 to 2007.
"... Anybody that's getting residuals, they taper off over time," she said. "And if it's anything like what I'm getting, which from what my colleagues and former co-stars have been saying, they're all getting the same type of checks. ... So, there is a misunderstanding that you are set for life, and that isn't necessarily the case. ... And in most cases, I think it costs more in their mental health than it does in the checks that they're getting in terms of the value lost and value earned for a child actor. ... I think it ends up being kind of rough for them."
In her viral video, Tedmori opened checks for 68 cents, 87 cents, 36 cents, 45 cents, two for three cents, three for 81 cents and two for $1.01.
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"So for 'Ned's Declassified,' that earned me a grand total of $8.63," she said while sitting in her car. "With '90210,' $30.06. Maybe I can go buy a coffee at Starbucks. Do I even report this to the IRS? They're not even going to give a f---."
The largest check Tedmori found in the pile wasn't for "Ned's Declassified," but for her work on CW's "90210." She appeared in the reboot as "Goth Girl." The check was for $21.43.
WATCH: JENNIFER TEDMORI REVEALS SURPRISING ‘90210’ RESIDUAL CHECK
"I'm super grateful for the opportunities I've had in my career, and with 'Ned's Declassified,'" Tedmori clarified.
"... But the lawyer in me really has to contemplate if there’s a better system for doing this. ... It costs more to pay somebody to issue the check and for them to go to SAG-AFTRA, and then for them to write a statement, print the check, put it in an envelope and then send it to me for all of 2 cents. ... And what’s crazy is I can’t even electronically deposit these checks. It’s too low of an amount. ... So then I’ve got to go to the bank, look somebody in the eye, and be like, ‘Here’s my check for all of 2 cents that I’m cashing.’"
Fox News Digital reached out to SAG-AFTRA for comment.
Tedmori believes there's a more meaningful way to put these "penny checks" to use. She suggested actors with envelopes piling up could pool the money. Collectively, she said, those pennies could help create a fund for struggling peers.
"So many actors have talked about their experiences with residual checks, specifically the penny checks and not depositing them, but not throwing them away," she said. "[We should allow] actors the opportunity to donate them or put them in a charity fund for creatives."
"I think about when I go to the grocery store, and they ask me if I want to donate the remainder of the less than a dollar amount to round up to a charity of their choosing," she said.
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"I think, why can't we do the same as actors? I don't know what that looks like, but I did have the thought that I would so gladly donate all of my residual payments to a charity or some sort of actor's equity fund to help struggling creatives. And I think specifically, with these checks, it adds up. So for me, what seems like $8.63 from 'Ned's Declassified' and $8 from my co-star and another, that might not be a lot of money to a charity, but I think, as a whole, could actually be a significant amount that could go help a greater cause."
Tedmori said she's considering a social media series about the residual checks to shed light on the realities of child stardom.
"I think it's something that probably should be talked about more, just because more people don't realize it," she said. "Growing up, I don't think that there was a whole lot of conversation about finances. Maybe there should have been. I was just doing it because I love to act. I love to perform. And for me, it was fun. I didn't really think about what that might look like financially down the line."
Fox News Digital's Tracy Wright contributed to this report.
Spanish journalist says Ceuta residents believe government isn't doing enough to prevent another migrant rush
Residents of Ceuta, Spain's North African enclave bordering Morocco, are saying that the government is not doing enough to prevent another mass immigration event like the July 30 influx of approximately 70,000 migrants into the city, conservative Spanish journalist Javier Negre told Fox News Digital.
"The local citizens, they are really sad. And no matter if they are left or right, What they say is like, it's really complicated to live right now in Ceuta," Negre told Fox News Digital in an interview.
Negre said citizens have cited incidents in which migrants committed crimes, including robbery and attempted rape, adding "they live in the street and the people are really scared."
"We need in Spain, we need in Europe, governments that try to avoid the illegal immigration right now because it's not fair for the citizens that pay taxes to have social security, to have healthcare and these illegal migrants, they collapse the hospitals, they collapsed the universities, the schools, and it's not fair for the Spanish people," Negre said.
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The residents who reportedly spoke to Negre seemingly echoed comments from Juan Jesús Vivas, Ceuta's mayor-president. Speaking during an extraordinary session of the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, Vivas said the migrant rush put public safety and public health at risk and threatened to collapse the city's immigration infrastructure.
"Furthermore, the morale of Ceuta's residents is severely affected. Our population feels sad, helpless, uneasy, fearful and worried — and with good reason. It is inevitable to wonder whether this will happen again, and if that next time will be the definitive plunge into the abyss, causing us to cease being what we are: Spain and Europe," Vivas said.
Following a circulation of social media messages in Morocco calling for migrants to again rush the Spanish enclave on Aug. 15, both Spain and Morocco beefed up security on their respective sides of the border, in addition to the maritime barriers Spain put up after the initial incident saw migrants swim ashore.
But, Negre said Moroccan officials told him that the increased measures are not enough.
"I know that today the Spanish government and the Moroccan government, they say that they are going to put more police, but it's not enough," Negre said.
"We need more police," he continued. "We need to have more border security because people don't understand why they're paying taxes, why they're giving a lot of money to the state if they can't block the frontier to these illegal migrants that they are not escaping from a war or a difficult situation," Negre told Fox News Digital.
Negre criticized Spain's government, led by left-wing Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and his party, Vox. The journalist pointed to Spanish media reports arguing that Sánchez's frosty relationship with Morocco may have contributed to the migration incident.
"Pedro Sánchez, who is involved in a lot of scandals of corruption, he went to Algeria, and there are some rumors that maybe the king of Morocco try to promote this illegal invasion to tell the Spanish government, 'hey, take it easy,'" Negre explained.
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Sánchez traveled to Algeria on July 20, 10 days before the migration incident, in an effort to restore diplomatic ties after a freeze in the countries' relationship over Morocco's claim to the Western Sahara.
Western Sahara, a desolate region in northwest Africa, has long been the focus of hostile relations between Algeria and Morocco. In 2020, the U.S. officially recognized Morocco's claim of sovereignty over the region.
While Spain does not officially recognize that claim, Sánchez did endorse Morocco's autonomy plan for the region, which proposes limited self-governance under Moroccan sovereignty to be the "most serious, realistic, and credible basis" for resolving a long-standing dispute between Morocco and Algeria over the territory.
Sánchez revealed his decision in a March 2022 letter to Morocco's King Mohammed VI, a letter he sent less than a year after another migrant influx from Morocco into Ceuta. During that May 2021 incident, Moroccan border guards appeared to stand down while 10,000 people flooded into Ceuta from the African nation.
While Moroccan officials denied they instructed border guards to stand down, the European Parliament passed a resolution condemning Morocco for the incident, citing statements from Morocco's Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledging that the incident was retaliation for Spain treating the leader of a Western Saharan rebel group at a Spanish hospital.
Negre also took aim at European leadership writ large, contrasting the European Parliament with President Donald Trump.
"Europe is going really bad with illegal immigration, with the open frontiers, completely opposite as the politics of President Trump with border security and deporting all the illegal migrants," he told Fox News Digital, while praising Trump's proposed legislation to require voter identification, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, known as the SAVE Act.
Fox News Digital contacted the governments of Spain, Ceuta, Morocco and Algeria for further comment.