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Outraged cruise passengers sound off about 'immense disappointment' after abrupt cancellation
Passengers aboard a cruise ship preparing to set sail for Alaska were left scrambling recently after the cruise line abruptly canceled the trip — citing unspecified technical problems.
The seven-night Alaska cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas was scheduled to depart Vancouver, Canada, on Aug. 30 but had been delayed until Sept. 1 for maintenance, according to the blog "Cruise Critic." But the trouble didn't end there.
Some two days after passengers embarked in Vancouver, Royal Caribbean reportedly announced that the voyage aboard Serenade of the Seas was canceled.
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Passengers were able to use the ship’s amenities as they worked on booking flights home, several cruise blogs reported.
The voyage was originally scheduled to stop in Sitka, Juneau, Ketchikan and Prince Rupert.
"To accommodate ongoing maintenance, we’ve had to cancel our sailing. We apologize to our guests for the inconvenience and have worked with them to adjust their travel plans," a Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a shared statement.
"Repairs have now been completed, and the ship is ready to welcome guests on its next scheduled sailing," the spokesperson added.
The problem started on Aug. 22. Royal Caribbean emailed guests to inform them that the sailing would be reduced to five days to accommodate additional maintenance, "Cruise Critic" reported.
Guests who weren't interested in the shortened trip were given several options, including a refundable onboard credit and a future cruise credit, according to the blog.
The ship ultimately did not leave Vancouver because the repairs were not finished, the blog said.
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All booked passengers will receive a full refund, retain their previously issued onboard credit, receive a future cruise credit for 100% of their cruise fare and receive reimbursement for eligible flight-change fees, the "Royal Caribbean Blog" reported.
Serenade of the Seas, a mid-sized Royal Caribbean vessel, can accommodate 2,143 guests at double occupancy.
The ship is known for its floor-to-ceiling windows that offer views of the surrounding scenery, alongside amenities like a rock-climbing wall, a glass-domed solarium and multiple dining venues.
The ship has experienced other technical difficulties in recent years.
In July 2025, Serenade of the Seas experienced engine trouble soon after leaving Vancouver for a seven-night Alaska cruise, forcing it to return to port for overnight testing, several publications reported.
The vessel set sail again the following evening, but passengers missed out on a planned stop in Sitka, Alaska.
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Days earlier, technical problems on the ship's June 29 sailing had caused it to skip Icy Strait Point and scenic cruising in Tracy Arm Fjord, with those passengers receiving onboard credit equal to one day of their cruise fare.
Some passengers affected by the canceled Alaska cruise took to Reddit to express their frustration.
"This has been an immense disappointment. This was my girlfriend’s birthday cruise with my family and some family friends, and it has been an utter disaster and disappointment from start to finish," a Reddit user said.
"I was told [to] feel free to use my onboard credits on the ship — but for what? Only a few of the bars are open. None of the shops or casinos [are] open," a Reddit user said in another thread.
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"Oh my, what a disaster. Glad I canceled and didn’t board. Still waiting for my cruise fare refund, though," said another person.
Several online commenters expressed sympathy for those inconvenienced by the cancellation, while others expressed apprehension about future trips they've booked with the line.
One Reddit user asked what a group of eight can "absolutely not miss in Vancouver" as they planned to "enjoy the rest of the week and keep our flights home."
Serenade of the Seas welcomed passengers aboard again on Sept. 6 for its next seven-day, round-trip Alaska cruise, the "Royal Caribbean Blog" reported on Sept. 7.
Menendez brothers granted 2027 parole hearing a year earlier than expected
Erik and Lyle Menendez have been granted a parole hearing for next year, a year earlier than previously expected.
The brothers, who were both convicted of the Aug. 20, 1989, shotgun slayings of their parents, Jose and Mary Louise "Kitty" Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home, are scheduled to have a parole suitability hearing in March 2027 instead of August 2028, Fox News confirms.
The change stems from two provisions included in Proposition 9, which allow a prison inmate's next parole hearing date to be moved up if there is a change in circumstances or new information indicating the person may be suitable for parole, The Orange County Register reported.
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"For almost 40 years, Erik and Lyle have worked to take responsibility for their actions, confront and heal from the unimaginable abuse and trauma they endured, grow as individuals, and dedicate themselves to serving others," a statement by family members reads.
"Through efforts such as helping to establish a hospice program and creating Green Space, they have sought to build an environment that reminds people serving life sentences that their lives still have meaning and that, regardless of their circumstances, they can choose each day to grow, heal, accept accountability, and contribute something of value to the world around them," they added.
The brothers were handed life sentences without the possibility of parole for the murders, which drew widespread media attention. However, they were resentenced to life in May 2025, making them eligible for parole.
The new sentencing came amid a push by supporters following a Netflix series on the case that resurrected calls for their freedom. They were denied parole last year.
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The brothers have said the murders were committed after years of sexual abuse by their father. However, prosecutors have contested the claims, arguing the pair killed their parents out of greed.
"Erik and Lyle were once sentenced to life without the possibility of parole," the family statement said. "We will always be profoundly grateful that they have been resentenced and that our family can now imagine a future in which they are once again part of our everyday lives… We are incredibly proud of the men they have become and deeply grateful to the Parole Board for recognizing their efforts and allowing them to advance their parole hearing."
Lyle Menendez, 58, and Erik Menendez, 55, are both incarcerated in the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego.
Olivia Dunne pours beers like a patriot while her LSU tigers run up the score, Gator Bait & Lane's subtle shot
'Nightcaps' is a daily column that catches you up on the biggest sports, news and culture stories you may have missed while pretending to do work at your desk. It runs Monday–Friday on OutKick.com.
"The Week 1 college football schedule stinks, the NCAA needs to try a little harder next time!"
Idiot. Goodness, I was an IDIOT Friday. That was my big gripe going into this glorious first weekend of college football.
The schedule wasn't great. On paper, it wasn't.
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Of course, college football games are played on the field, and they never, ever disappoint. Simpletons like myself look at the paper and see "Western Michigan-Michigan" and think we're in for a snoozer.
And then the Big Ten refs slap you across the face and tell you to SNAP OUT OF IT. What a game! What a weekend. And how about the Ole Miss-Louisville shootout from last night?
How lucky are we? How great is college football. Welcome back, old friend. Let's have a season.
Welcome to a Labor Day Nightcaps — the one where Olivia Dunne serves up booze while Lane Kiffin serves up an a–kicking to Clemson and poor Dabo Swinney.
Lordy, what a mismatch.
What else? I've got the Florida Gators reviving a lib-triggering chant, the field for last night's game in Nashville was disgraceful, and how great is the ESPN broadcasting team of Sean McDonough and Greg McIlroy?
I said it last year, and I'll say it again today: If those two are on a call, expect fireworks. Every time. It never fails.
OK, grab you one final summer beer before the unofficial calendar tuns to fall at 12 a.m., and settle in for a special holiday 'Cap!
Look, it's a holiday. You're all (hopefully) grilling/drinking/both right now, and paying very little attention to this class.
Trust me, I don't take it personally.
Because of that, we're gonna keep it short and simple. We all have things to do and more football to watch. Lord knows I do.
So, let's go ahead and get this Labor Day party started with Olivia Dunne returning to her roots and pouring some ice cold Miller Lites for the Tiger faithful before LSU absolutely annihilated Clemson on Saturday:
OutKick pointed this out months ago, but it's worth repeating today: Miller Lite partnering with Livvy Dunne to promote their beer was the smartest move a beer company has made in quite some time.
Look at the Bud Light fiasco from a few years back. I'm pretty sure Bud is still trying to recover. I'm not sure they ever fully will.
Miller saw that, took some notes, used their brains, and decided to bring in Olivia Dunne this year instead. It worked out perfectly with Lane Kiffin going to LSU, too.
Talk about a 1-2 punch!
Speaking of Lane at LSU ... those with good hearing caught this little remark during his halftime interview of Saturday's blowout win against Clemson:
Amazing.
Look, I'm no longer the biggest Lane Kiffin fan. I used to be, but the way he left Ole Miss last fall really turned me away. At this point, the proof is sort of in the pudding.
He will, inevitably, leave things in terrible shape. Tennessee. USC. Oakland. Ole Miss. There will always be drama.
That being said, he's still a #content machine.
Fair is fair, and that was a funny little one-liner at the end. Sure, it's a little silly given he's the one choosing to create all this NFL-college drama, but if his team's gonna go into the locker room up 31-3 at the half, he's welcome to talk all the crap he'd like.
And I'll eat it up.
OK, let's rapid-fire this quick holiday class into a big Labor Day night. First?
You know who is also a #content machine in the world of college football? New Florida coach Jon Sumrall.
Look at what this DEMON brought back to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday:
Goodness, did I miss that song! I grew up going to Gators games during the glory years ('98-2011), and that song was such a banger every time.
For those confused as to why the left deemed it racist ...
The former UF president canceled it back in 2020 because of what he deemed racist imagery and literature from way back in the early 1900s.
That imagery? Black children being used as bait to catch alligators. Yeah, disgusting. Not good.
Also, not at all associated with the Gator Bait chant. Literally no correlation!
"While I know of no evidence of racism associated with our ‘Gator Bait’ cheer at UF sporting events, there is horrific historic racist imagery associated with the phrase," former UF president Kent Fuchs wrote in a letter in June 2020.
Still, he bent the knee because the world went absolutely crazy during that horrible summer, and the Gator Bait chant had been locked away ever since.
Until this past weekend, when the fine folks in Gainesville dusted it off and unleashed it for the first time in six years.
Perfection. Sanity wins again!
Next? How great was Sean McDonough last night? I know Fowler and Herbie get all the shine, but I maintain that any time Sean McDonough is on the call for a college football game, it's destined to be electric:
Sean McDonough, by the way, is the only announcer I can think of who excels in not one, not two, but THREE sports.
He's a great baseball guy. I grew up listening to him call Red Sox games for WEEI, and he still does occasionally during the summer. Amazing.
He's also ESPN's hockey guy, and he nails it.
Obviously, he's done both college and the NFL. Don't forget, he took over for Tirico on Monday Night Football during a pretty down time for ESPN in terms of games. They used to get some pretty awful MNF games. That, of course, changed when Joe Buck and Troy Aikman came in a few years ago.
Weird!
My point? Sean McDonough probably deserves more praise than he gets. I'd put him up there with the best of the best. In terms of college football, there is no one better at the moment.
Frankly, it's not close.
OK, that's it for today. Good start to the week. Let's enjoy some football tonight. And Wednesday. And Thursday. And Friday. And Saturday. And Sunday.
And again, next Monday!
I just hope the fields don't look like this abomination from Tennessee last night:
Where does McDonough rank for you? Email me at Zach.Dean@OutKick.com.
Tennessee linebacker Arion Carter turns $427 NCAA suspension into powerful cancer research fundraiser
Tennessee linebacker Arion Carter walked out of the tunnel as the Vols’ sole captain during their home opener this past weekend, even though he was not suited up for the game.
Amid the controversial decisions surrounding former professional athletes returning to college athletics, Carter accepted his punishment when he could have easily sought help from a local judge to create a path back onto the field.
Following the 2025 season, the Vols linebacker decided to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft and leave Tennessee to pursue his professional dreams.
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Unfortunately, Carter found out he was dealing with a foot injury that would require him to have surgery and miss out on preparations for the upcoming draft. So, he made the decision to return to college.
There were a few complications. Carter accepted $427 from an agent to cover a flight to a workout, and he knew his return to Tennessee could lead to an NCAA suspension.
The NCAA's punishment came in the form of a one-game suspension that was initially set to keep the star linebacker out for the opening three games of the season.
With all of the chaos surrounding college athletics — from state courtrooms to federal court — Carter handled the situation with the utmost respect.
Arion's girlfriend is currently in the middle of her own battle with cancer.
To show his support, Carter recently shaved his head for the woman he loves. Mariah Bryant was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer earlier this year. She lives in the Nashville area, where she works as an ICU nurse at a local hospital.
But now, he's also raising money for cancer research with his play on the field. First reported by Austin Price of VolQuest, Arion Carter will donate $427 for each tackle that he makes this season to Nashville area charities that support women struggling to pay bills during their battles with cancer.
He is turning the $427 plane ticket reimbursement into something positive for the community, further demonstrating the character of a young man who has handled this entire ordeal with tremendous class.
Wearing a "Team Jesus" shirt on Monday, Carter explained how he is turning a negative situation into a positive one.
"It also goes back to my mom. She has always wanted a create a foundation, a non-profit for women and little girls," Carter reflected on Monday. "With my girlfriend, going what she's went though over these last few months, and me seeing it firsthand, it just really touched my heart and made me have a different perspective.
"I wanted to raise awareness and set up a foundation for cancer research and be able to do this. So, that was the origin of that."
In addition to the first amount, Carter will donate $500 for each sack recorded this season, along with $1,000 for every interception or forced fumble. If he ends up scoring a touchdown while on defense, he will donate $5,000 for cancer research.
"I think it’s indicative of who he is, right? He’s passionate about a cause for multiple reasons – obviously for his girlfriend and his family history, as well," Tennessee's Josh Heupel said Monday. "He’s a guy that cares about community, so it’s indicative of who he is as a person."
Although Carter repaid the $427 plane ticket, he was punished for declaring his intentions to enter the NFL Draft. While the rule may make sense on paper, the NCAA could have used this entire situation as a positive public-relations opportunity.
"I feel like some things you can't control," Carter said. "I feel like you have to take everything with a grain of salt, not be too bitter about certain situations because there are rules at the end of the day. Even if the rules may not seem they are fair in a sense, I can’t control them.
"This is another way for me to turn a negative into a positive and get the season started in a great way."
Now, the Tennessee linebacker is writing his own story on how this all played-out, with the Vols set to battle Georgia Tech this weekend in Atlanta in primetime.
Every time Carter makes a play, someone battling cancer will benefit from his outstanding character.
King Charles III clarifies Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not resume royal duties after UK move
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may be back on British soil, but their return home won’t come with a royal reset.
Buckingham Palace has drawn a firm line around the Sussexes’ homecoming, reaffirming that the couple will not resume official duties and that their status remains unchanged from when they stepped back as working royals in 2020.
"It is well known that in January 2020 the Duke and Duchess stepped down from undertaking representative duties on behalf of The Sovereign, and are no longer working Members of The Royal Family," a letter sent on behalf of King Charles III read, Fox News can confirm. "This position, distinct from the State and Royal duties undertaken by the working Royal Family, and with the personal latitude it brings the couple in respect of financial independence and protection of their privacy as they would wish, will continue to be fully respected."
The letter further underscored that a change in address does not mean a change in royal status.
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"It follows that there is no change to the current status of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex," the letter added. "Their styles as His and Her Royal Highness remain in abeyance and are not used. The charitable work of the Duke and Duchess is a personal matter for them both and undertaken in their private capacity. In short, their position is akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests."
The letter was sent by the Lord Chamberlain, the most senior official in the royal household, to senior officials in the government and military, as well as lord lieutenants, the king’s personal representatives around the country.
Fox News Digital reached out to a representative for Prince Harry and Markle for comment.
Markle and Prince Harry moved back to the U.K. in late August.
The couple’s children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, have already enrolled at British schools and will start classes sometime in September. The family plans to live at a private, nonroyal residence outside of London, but haven’t said exactly where that will be.
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The couple won't return to any semblance of the life they held before, according to one royal expert.
"While Harry and Meghan are returning, they are not regaining official royal roles," British royals expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital. "Nor was there any agreement to a 'half-in, half-out' construct. They have been thwarted by trying to do what they agreed to with Queen Elizabeth II."
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If a return to royal duties was off the table, Harry's motivation for coming home could be far more personal.
Former butler to King Charles III, Grant Harrold, wondered if Harry's desire to spend more time with his father had shifted the prince's priorities after feeling homesick for some time.
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But a return to Britain would put Harry and Meghan firmly back under the royal microscope, he warned, with both the public and the palace watching their every move.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
FCC boss signals major crackdown on TV networks pushing 'fake polls' ahead of the midterms
The Federal Communications Commission could soon issue guidance to broadcast television networks over what FCC Chairman Brendan Carr called "fake polls" ahead of the midterms.
Speaking on "The Sunday Briefing," Carr argued that broadcast television is subject to different federal requirements than cable channels or online platforms because stations operate under FCC licenses.
"The one thing that President Trump gets, fundamentally, is that broadcast TV is completely different than other forms of distribution, including cable," Carr said Sunday.
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"And so many broadcasters right now, they [want to] break the deal that they cut with the American people. They get billions of dollars in taxpayer, effectively, subsidized distribution. And what they're supposed to do in exchange is operate in the public interest, not some sort of narrow partisan interest," he added.
His comments come after President Donald Trump criticized NBC News’s Kristen Welker on August 30 over what he said was a mischaracterization of his endorsement record in political primaries. Welker, speaking during a segment on a local NBC affiliate, noted that Trump would "loom large" over the midterms before pointing to his endorsement record.
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"He, of course, has endorsed a slate of candidates in the primaries," Welker said. "He's had some mixed results, but most recently, his pick of Senator Darline Graham, of course, the sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, was successful in her primary battle."
Trump responded on Truth Social, writing, "Kristen Welker, the Unpopular ‘Hostess’ of the once great Meet the Press, now considered Meet the Fake Press, just stated that Donald Trump has ‘mixed results’ on his Endorsements of Candidates," before pointing to his endorsement record, including his backing of Sen. Darline Graham.
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"How can anyone be allowed to say this, working for freely given Public Airwaves? Results are attached. Because of this purposeful inaccuracy, she will be reported to the FCC for rebuke or punishment," he added.
NBC News defended Welker in a statement to Fox News Digital, backing its "Meet the Press" moderator following Trump’s threat.
"Kristen is one of the best in the business, and we stand by her," an NBC News spokesperson said.
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Carr said there has been particular interest in reminding broadcasters about their obligations regarding what he called "fake polls," which he warned could be used to suppress voters heading into the fall midterms.
"I think President Trump is over the target, and we're looking at a lot of actions. For instance, there's a lot of interest right now in fake polls that are out there," Carr said.
"And so the FCC may put guidance out soon to remind broadcasters about their obligations with respect to not airing fake polls, particularly if they're done to suppress people heading into the fall," he added.
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FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez publicly rejected the idea of penalizing reporters, posting on X: "As I've said many times, the FCC has no authority to punish journalists this administration doesn’t like. These threats to press freedom are dangerous. They undermine the foundation of our democracy, and they have no place in it."
Fox News’s CJ Womack contributed to this report.
Supporters of Alabama school bus driver charged in deadly accident say she suffered from 'medical crisis'
An Alabama woman accused of causing a deadly crash while driving a school bus experienced a medical crisis during the accident, her supporters reportedly said.
Theresa McCloud, 75, faces charges of vehicular homicide and criminal negligence for the Nov. 18, 2025 crash in Auburn.
McCloud was driving a bus for Auburn City Schools when she struck a vehicle. Jennifer Leigh Cooper, 42, a well-known local bakery owner, was killed in the collision, AL.com reported.
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McCloud's supporters said she suffered a medical crisis during the fatal crash. However, a lawsuit filed by Cooper's husband against McCloud and the Auburn City Schools Board of Education alleges that McCloud had diabetes and had been prescribed opiates.
On the day of the accident, McCloud told her supervisors that she was not feeling well, the lawsuit states. Two days prior, she had visited a doctor who prescribed opiates to help with her symptoms. Those medications came with a warning label against driving while taking them, according to the suit.
"Theresa’s blood sugar suddenly dropped to 23 mg/dL while driving, causing confusion and loss of consciousness," stated a GoFundMe page that has since been removed.
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"Theresa had never experienced a low blood sugar episode before, and doctors confirmed that this was a medical crisis," the page continued. "Even so, Theresa is now facing the overwhelming challenge of defending against charges connected to that emergency. On September 4, 2026, Theresa turned herself in and began facing the legal process head-on."
While driving, McCloud lost control "based on either her known medical conditions, her use of opiates and/or a mix of both," the lawsuit alleges.
The suit further said that the opiates and her diabetes "severely impaired her ability to drive any vehicle and made her unable to perform her duties as a bus driver," according to the newspaper. McCloud's family reportedly disputes the allegations.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the school district.
Erika Kirk reflects on first year of grief after Charlie Kirk's assassination in NYT essay
Erika Kirk explained why simply getting "through the next 15 minutes" has been a critical step in getting through the first year since the tragic assassination of her husband Charlie Kirk.
Kirk, who took over leadership of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) following the fatal shooting of her 31-year-old husband at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025, penned a New York Times guest essay headlined, "What I’ve learned about grief," that was published on Monday.
Kirk said the first 24 hours after her husband was assassinated felt "like a fever dream," and she told second lady Usha Vance that she didn’t know how she would move forward. The wife of Vice President JD Vance then offered words that are now "seared into" Kirk’s heart.
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"You know when you’re on an airplane with your kids, and you’re going to land in 15 minutes, but the kids are going crazy, screaming, throwing things, and then the plane lands, and the kids relax, and everything is fine again? That’s how it will be. Just get through the next 15 minutes," Vance told Kirk, according to Kirk’s guest essay.
Kirk explained that things like seeing his toothbrush and towel in their shared bathroom were tough, but she constantly thought of Vance’s advice.
"I stood in the doorway of our bedroom. I turned on the light and walked toward his side of the bed. I stared at his pillow and wondered how long a person’s scent can last in sheets. I stood there in silence, replaying all of the completely ordinary mornings we woke up there together. I wasn’t ready to be there, so I turned off the light and crawled into bed with my 3-year-old daughter. Just get through the next 15 minutes," Kirk wrote.
"For months, I avoided my bedroom. I told myself it was OK to confront the pain gradually and to sit with each memory as it came to me," she continued. "The first Saturday without a love note from him passed. His 32nd birthday. My birthday. Thanksgiving. When I put the Christmas tree together wrong, it made me realize that being a widow means old traditions will need to make room for new ones. The wave crashes on me again and again. Every time, just get through the next 15 minutes."
The CEO of the conservative nonprofit listed other family milestones that her beloved late husband had missed, and she eventually realized their young daughter was also "surviving her own little crashing waves."
"Grief is strange. Time continues even when every part of you wants it to pause or, better yet, rewind. But the people we love who have passed on would not want us to spend the rest of our lives trying to rewind. At first, I needed to survive the next 15 minutes. Over time, I’ve realized that Charlie would want me to live them," Kirk wrote.
"Occasionally, I’m asked whether I’m angry at God. I say no. My husband was one of one. I was blessed to be his wife, and I understood his assignment here on Earth, which he more than fulfilled. He wanted people who felt lost to know the everlasting hope he found through faith and the sense of meaning and purpose that can fill the deeper longings we so often try to satisfy elsewhere," she added. "To the world, he was Charlie Kirk. But to me, he was the love of my life. To our children, he was the center of their world."
Kirk believes that it’s easy to struggle to understand God’s plan after losing a loved one and faith is truly tested when "bad things happen."
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"True faith means accepting that we won’t get every answer and finding peace in that," Kirk wrote. "I have seen extraordinary good born out of something unimaginably evil. I have watched people return to faith in droves, reconcile with their families and forgive old wounds because of Charlie. I know my husband is in heaven, but I ache for him to be here. Still, I can stand and say without a shadow of a doubt that God is good."
She wrote that the wave still comes, but it is different a year later, and she even welcomes it, as "a moment the grief makes Charlie feel impossibly close." Kirk believes grief is universal," doesn’t care whom you voted for" and never truly goes away.
"I am learning that grieving Charlie and living life at the same time are part of the rhythm of grief. I can miss him with every part of me and still laugh with our children. I can have a broken heart and still experience joy," Kirk wrote.
"If you are living through grief, I won’t tell you what to feel or that tomorrow will be better than today. I will tell you what a dear friend told me: Just get through the next 15 minutes," she continued. "One day, maybe when you least expect it, you’ll start to see that those 15 minutes hold more than just grief. The grief is there, always, but so is the beautiful gift of life."
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Psychotherapist and author Jonathan Alpert told Fox News Digital that the second lady provided strong advice.
"One of the hardest parts of grief is that your mind races ahead, filling you with anxiety. How am I going to do this for the next year? How am I going to raise my kids without this person? What are holidays going to look like? How do I build a life I never expected to be living? Suddenly you’re trying to solve the rest of your life at the worst possible moment.
Sometimes you really do need to shrink the window and just get through the next 15 minutes," Alpert said.
"Resilience isn’t pretending you’re fine. It’s being able to hurt and still live your life," he added. "Erika’s piece shows that those two things can exist at the same time."
TPUSA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Charlie Kirk founded TPUSA to promote conservatism on college campuses nationwide. He was speaking before more than 2,000 people at a TPUSA event in Orem, Utah, where he was assassinated, leaving behind Erika and their two children.
Fox News Digital’s Michael Sinkewicz contributed to this report.
Ritzy Miami steakhouse manager held on ICE detainer after mom found stabbed to death
A Miami steakhouse manager allegedly emerged from his luxury apartment covered in blood and clutching a knife before telling police he had acted in self-defense after his mother was found stabbed to death inside.
Stefano Eduardo Cremasco-Cicero, 36, told officers, "I was defending myself," after Miami police were called to the Brickell high-rise early Friday, according to an arrest report obtained by WPLG.
Cremasco-Cicero is charged with second-degree murder with a weapon, Miami-Dade County jail records show.
Officers were dispatched at about 4:47 a.m. for an "unknown request for police assistance," according to the outlet.
Officers found Cremasco-Cicero in the lobby with blood on his hands, clothing and shoes, the outlet reported.
He allegedly directed officers upstairs to the apartment.
Inside the apartment, police found his mother lying behind the front door with multiple apparent stab wounds, according to WPLG. Miami Fire Rescue pronounced her dead shortly after 5 a.m.
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Authorities have not publicly identified the woman or disclosed her age. Police said she was visiting from Mexico and staying with her son.
The unusual chain of events began when a food delivery driver arrived at the building and encountered Cremasco-Cicero in the lobby, according to the report.
He allegedly opened the door for the driver and asked her to call 911. Cremasco-Cicero ultimately placed the call himself but handed the phone to the woman so she could give the dispatcher the building information, WPLG reported.
The driver noticed blood on him as they waited for police, according to the outlet. When she tried to return his phone, he allegedly refused to take it, and she later handed it to responding officers.
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Investigators then turned to surveillance video and building access records to piece together what happened in the hours before police arrived.
Surveillance video showed Cremasco-Cicero and his mother returning to the building together at about 10:32 p.m. Thursday, according to WPLG. They were reportedly alone in the elevator.
At about 4:26 a.m., surveillance video allegedly captured Cremasco-Cicero entering an elevator wearing a white shirt, khaki pants and white shoes that appeared to be covered in blood. Police said he was carrying a knife.
He allegedly dropped the knife after stepping out of the elevator, picked it back up and rode another elevator upstairs, according to the report.
Investigators said Cremasco-Cicero later reappeared in a different, long-sleeved blue shirt and walked out of the building while using his phone. He returned minutes later and sat on a couch in the lobby before flagging down the delivery driver, WPLG reported.
Police said Cremasco-Cicero had small cuts on his hands and blood residue on his body and clothing. Crime scene investigators photographed him and collected his clothes, according to the outlet.
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After obtaining a search warrant, homicide detectives allegedly recovered several kitchen knives with blood on them, blood-spattered shirts, broken glass and a broken wine bottle from the apartment, WPLG reported.
Cremasco-Cicero’s wife told detectives she was in France attending a wedding when the killing happened, according to the report. She said her husband and his mother had not been close since his parents divorced and that he had recently been under stress while preparing to open a restaurant in Coconut Grove.
The Miami Herald identified Cremasco-Cicero as the U.S. operating manager of the high-end 1986 Steakhouse in Miami.
The arrest report identified Cremasco-Cicero as a Miami resident through an investor visa, according to WPLG.
Miami-Dade Corrections records reviewed by Fox News Digital show Cremasco-Cicero was booked Friday night and is being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. The records list no bond, a domestic-violence designation and a hold for immigration authorities.
The jail record does not provide additional details about the immigration hold.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital that Cremasco-Cicero is an illegal immigrant.
"On August 5, 2026, ICE lodged a detainer for Stefano Eduardo Cremasco Cicero, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico, charged with homicide," the DHS spokesperson said. "We are calling on Florida to honor our detainer. His claims will be heard by an immigration judge and he will receive due process. This administration will not ignore the rule of law."
"Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, if you break the law, you will face the consequences," the spokesperson added. "Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S."
A motive for the killing remains unclear.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Miami Police Department, the Miami-Dade Clerk of Courts and 1986 Steakhouse for additional information.
Rob Lowe says Tom Cruise was his ‘nemesis’ in the fight for blockbuster roles
Rob Lowe had plenty of competition for blockbuster roles in the 1980s and ’90s – and one Hollywood heavyweight repeatedly stood in his way.
"That dastardly Tom Cruise was always a nemesis," Lowe told the New York Post.
"I remember reading ‘Jerry Maguire’ ... and they were like, ‘Tom Cruise.’ I also remember reading ‘Top Gun’ and going, ‘Oh, this movie is going to be f---ing massive,'" he recalled. "They were like, ‘Tom Cruise.'"
Despite losing out on what he considered to be big roles, Lowe found his stride as a core member of the Brat Pack. He starred in several career-defining films of the Brat Pack-era, including "St. Elmo's Fire," "The Outsiders," "Class" and "Oxford Blues."
Yet one major piece was missing from Lowe’s ’80s résumé – a coveted role in a John Hughes movie.
Lowe admitted he was never in the running for the coming-of-age hit "Ferris Bueller’s Day Off."
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"No, that’s a big regret," he said, noting Hughes was not interested in casting Lowe for the role that went to Matthew Broderick.
"John Hughes never got what I was selling," Lowe explained.
"I met with John once, and it’s not like he didn’t have a lot of parts I could have done," he added. "When you really look at it, there were more than a few parts, multiple parts in some movies. Never, phone never rang."
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Decades later, Lowe has come up with his own explanation for why Hughes never came calling.
"I have a theory about it; I think I was actually already too well known," Lowe said.
"John put in people who [weren’t] already well known," he explained. "He made people well known. At least that’s what I tell myself to make myself feel better for not getting a role in ‘The Breakfast Club.'"
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Lowe's early movie roles established him as a teen heartthrob, but he later built a remarkably durable career spanning film, network television and streaming projects.
A major second act came with his role as Sam Seaborn on "The West Wing," which earned him Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. He later showed off his comedic side as the relentlessly upbeat Chris Traeger on "Parks and Recreation."