A man in Georgia was sentenced to 12 years in jail for scamming millions of dollars from a potential basketball Hall of Famer.
Three-time Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard testified in court that he gave Calvin Darden Jr. $7 million, thinking it was an investment toward the purchase of the WNBA's Atlanta Dream.
Howard, an eight-time All-Star, then learned Darden was not an owner of the team when ESPN reported the team had been sold to an investor group.
Prosecutors said Darden and a sports agent also conned ex-NBA player Chandler Parsons into sending $1 million that was supposed to aid in the development of James Wiseman, who was drafted by the Golden State Warriors as the second overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
But the two didn't know Wiseman, and the player never agreed to be represented by the agent as they claimed to Parsons. Wiseman last played for the Indiana Pacers before being traded to the Toronto Raptors, who waived him earlier this year.
A Manhattan federal court judge on Thursday ordered Darden to forfeit $8 million and several luxury items he acquired with his ill-gotten gains, including a $3.7 million Atlanta mansion, $600,000 in artwork by Jean-Michel Basquiat, a Lamborghini and a Rolls-Royce.
Darden was convicted by a jury in October of wire fraud, bank fraud and money laundering charges.
He was previously sentenced to a year in federal prison in New York for impersonating his father, Cal Darden, a former executive at Atlanta-based United Parcel Service, in a failed bid to buy Maxim magazine.
The Atlanta Dream were once co-owned by former Republican U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, but she was pressured to sell after clashing with players over her opposition to the league’s racial justice initiatives.
Howard was the first pick of the 2004 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic.
A group of conservative students were assaulted and had their equipment destroyed on Thursday when masked protesters attacked them before an event on a California university campus.
Turning Point USA at UC Davis, a registered student organization, was hosting a "Prove me Wrong" event with Brandon Tatum, a guest speaker, when protesters destroyed camera gear, a tent, event signage, flipped tables, and assaulted group staff, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, wrote on X.
"While our people were under attack, police stood aside and did nothing," he wrote. "Our team is understandably shaken up, but they assure me they will not back down."
In a statement to Fox News Digital, the university said protesters disrupted the event at Memorial Union Quad by confronting members of the student organization and others.
"The UC Davis Police Department took one report of an assault," the school said. "No one requested medical aid. The event with the guest speaker took place on schedule and was completed without further incident. The university protected the free speech rights of the campus community throughout the event."
The student group invited Tatum, a former police officer known for his popular YouTube Channel, to speak on the campus at 1 p.m. An hour before the event began, about 30 people approached the tent and table staffed by supporters of the event.
One demonstrator struck someone who approached the table with a cell phone, the school said. Other demonstrators pulled down the tent and engaged in shoving with those staffing the tent and others nearby. The protesters left the area before returning minutes later and trying to remove a tent.
Videos of the chaos posted online show protesters holding a large banner with "ACAB," an acronym for "All Cops Are Bastards," as they approached the event area.
Kirk criticized the university, which he called the "most militant school in the country, with the largest Antifa presence."
"When I spoke there in March of 2023, Antifa foot soldiers vandalized the school, smashed windows and fought the police," he said. "What we have is a pattern, with no signs of improvement."
Reacting to the news of the incident, Elon Musk wrote on X that "the left is the party of violence & hate."
A video posted by Tatum online shows him defending himself as the protesters appeared to destroy a TPUSA tent and tables.
"This is what mostly peaceful looks like," he wrote.
Kirk called for the arrest of those involved and that failing to do so will result in "radical anarchists" resorting to "more and more violence if they think doing so will stop conservatives from speaking."
He urged UC Davis to show its willingness to protect free speech and freedom of assembly on a public campus.
"If they won't, then the Trump Administration should investigate their continued receipt of federal taxpayer dollars," he said.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Turning Point USA.
A father has filed a lawsuit against an Ohio school district he claims "punished" his son for wearing a "Let's Go Brandon" T-shirt to school.
The lawsuit, obtained by Fox News Digital, alleges a teacher and principal at Madison Middle School in Mansfield violated a student's First Amendment right to free speech and 14th Amendment right to due process when he was punished for wearing the shirt to school several times.
The first incident happened in November, according to the lawsuit, when the boy wore the T-shirt beneath a flannel shirt in a hallway before class had started.
A teacher, identified as a registered Democrat in the complaint, allegedly made the boy button up the shirt to cover the message, telling him, "I know what that means."
The next incident happened later in the day, when the boy attended the same teacher’s class.
The student reportedly removed his flannel to cool off, but when the teacher noticed the T-shirt again, she issued the boy a "pink slip" and sent him to the principal's office for discipline.
According to the complaint, the principal "demanded" the boy wear the flannel for the rest of the day and "never again wear an item communicating the content of this speech."
A third incident occurred when the student wore the same T-shirt again in January, when the teacher who was involved in the November incidents noticed and pulled him aside and asked, "Do you like offending people?" according to the complaint.
"That’s not my problem, nobody has to read my shirt," the boy responded, and the teacher allegedly gave him a "dirty look" and walked away.
The principal later met with the boy and his father, Richard Conrad, and claimed the phrase is "code" for a vulgar expression. However, his father argued he does not interpret the slogan that way.
A fourth incident happened when the boy was given detention by the principal for wearing the T-shirt to school again March 24. The school emailed the father about the boy’s "repeated violations" of the student code of conduct, which it said is set by the board of education.
The complaint alleges the school's dress code is "unconstitutionally vague" and gives individual employees too much discretion in enforcing it.
The "Let's Go Brandon" catchphrase, used by American conservatives to criticize Biden, originated in October 2021.
The phrase originiated during a NASCAR interview and is a G-rated substitute for "F--- Joe Biden" chants popular during the COVID-19 pandemic. The explicit saying was recited at sporting events across the country in defiance of the president's coronavirus mandates.
Conrad’s lawsuit claims the phrase is "a popular expression of certain people’s opinions toward the American media and politics" and is not vulgar.
Madison Local School District Superintendent Robert Peterson told Fox News Digital he was aware of the lawsuit but could not comment on any details since it’s being actively litigated.
In 2023, two students who were prohibited from wearing clothing with the same phrase to school filed a lawsuit against their Michigan school district.
The district and its employees were "censoring students who try to express support for former President Donald Trump or opposition to President Joe Biden," according to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, Southern Division.
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), which describes itself as "a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to defending and sustaining the individual rights of all Americans to free speech and free thought," represented the Tri County Middle School students who sued the school district for viewpoint discrimination after they were ordered to remove sweatshirts they wore to school that featured the phrase in February 2022.
In a similar situation to Conrad's, an assistant principal and a teacher "ordered the boys to remove their sweatshirts" for allegedly violating a dress code while allowing other students to wear other political apparel like "gay-pride-themed hoodies," according to FIRE.
"Criticism of the president is core political speech protected by the First Amendment," FIRE attorney Conor Fitzpatrick previously said. "Whether it’s a Biden sticker, ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ sweatshirt or Gay Pride T-shirt, schools can’t pick and choose which political beliefs students can express."
FIRE said the incident involving the two students is part of a "pattern of political favoritism" by the school district that it is "wrongly relying on a policy that prohibits ‘profane’ clothing to censor this particular message."
"When the school district relaxed the dress code for field day, a school administrator ordered a student to stop wearing a Trump flag as a cape but permitted other students to wear gay pride flags in the same manner," the group said in a press release announcing the lawsuit.
"The slogan exists as a way to express an anti-Biden message without using profanity," Fitzpatrick said. "A public school district cannot censor speech just because it might cause someone to think about a swear word."
Fox News Digital's Andrea Margolis and Kyle Morris contributed to this report.
Luna and Rep. Brittany Pettersen, D-Colo., are pushing a proposal that would let new parents vote by proxy for 12 weeks while caring for their newborns. With 218 lawmakers backing the move, it has enough support to force a vote.
Johnson, however, has historically opposed proxy voting, previously calling it unconstitutional and warning it was misused under then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi during COVID. But after Trump’s endorsement, Luna revealed that Johnson reached out to her.
"@SpeakerJohnson has called me after POTUS statement and we discussed limiting the vote to just new moms who cannot physically travel in event of emergency etc. This is smart," Luna tweeted. "Remember: only 13 in US history."
Johnson had tried to kill the effort earlier this week, but nine Republicans joined all Democrats to block him, voting 206-222. After the loss, Johnson canceled votes for the rest of the week.
Despite the setback, Luna made it clear the issue isn’t about advancing any legislation for the president, saying she personally told Johnson as much.
It is unclear whether the issue will be brought back for a vote on the House floor before the April Recess.
A man miraculously survived after he drove his truck over a cliff and into Niagara Falls Gorge in New York on Wednesday.
New York State Park Police said the 42-year-old man was able to get out of the badly damaged truck and walk out of the gorge on his own.
It happened just before 6:30 p.m. near Depot Avenue and the Whirlpool Bridge. Police found the man, who police said was from the Niagara Falls area, outside the Aquarium of Niagara.
It's unclear what caused the man to drive his 2008 Toyota Tundra through a fence and into the gorge.
Authorities have launched an ongoing investigation with assistance from the New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Niagara County District Attorney’s Office.
New York State Parks officials are still determining how to safely remove the truck from the gorge, though there is currently no specific timeline for recovery.
"Freak accident, you can't really make it up, crazy," Freeman said earlier this week.
Freeman reinjured the ankle Sunday, which was an off day for LA.
"Halfway through my morning coffee, I was like, 'Oh, I'll just shower to get ready for the day.' And next thing I know I'm down in the bathtub," he said. "It's a great mental picture if you guys want to think about it. Big guy falling all over the place."
Freeman's wife and son couldn't help but make fun of him, the first baseman quipped.
"Chelsea actually made the joke, 'I thought I was going to deal with this when you're 70, not when you're 35,'" Freeman said.
The bum ankle did not deter Freeman in October. He was named MVP of the World Series, driving in a record-tying 12 runs (in just five games), four of which came on his walk-off grand slam in Game 1. He also had two RBIs in the clincher and hit home runs in each of the first four games of the series.
Freeman was thankful the ankle injury is all he's dealing with.
"It could have been much worse. I could have hit my head," he said.
Freeman has missed five of the Dodgers' eight games, but they are doing just fine without him. They're off to an 8-0 start.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell says his Seattle-area home was broken into last week.
No one was at the home at the time of the break-in. Snell was in Los Angeles for the Dodgers' home opener the following day, which he started.
"I can confirm that our home was recently broken into," Snell said in a statement, via NBC KING 5. "Thankfully no one was harmed. We’re working closely with local authorities and are incredibly grateful for their swift response and ongoing support.
"We have security footage that is actively assisting in the investigation, and we’re confident the individuals responsible will be caught and removed from our community. If you know something, say something — please contact local law enforcement."
Police were notified of the break-in March 26, one day before the game. Officers found a broken window when they arrived at the home.
Edmonds Police Commander Josh McClure said it was unclear whether anything had been stolen because "there had clearly been some high-value items that had been left there."
Snell's home was broken into the same week as former Seattle Seahawks star Richard Sherman's in nearby King County. The homes are separated by a 6-mile ferry ride.
"Of course, there's always the possibility that they're connected. We don't have enough information to say they're connected," McClure said.
A number of break-ins were reported at the homes of several high-profile athletes during the fall, including Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Joe Burrow, prompting alerts from leagues to use caution.
Tua Tagovailoa said he hired armed security and jokingly dared burglars to try breaking into his home.
Snell, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, signed a five-year, $162 million deal with the Dodgers in the offseason, joining an already stacked squad. The Dodgers' home opener was their third regular-season game after they played a two-game set in Tokyo earlier in the month.
-Trump's DOGE push slashes millions in DEI contracts funding 'divisive ideologies' in blue states
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President Donald Trump’s national security advisor, Mike Waltz, has repeatedly landed in hot water in recent days, beginning with an uproar from Democrats over a Signal chat leak with high-ranking national security officials that has since snowballed.
Trump and his administration, however, repeatedly have defended the national security leader publicly.
Waltz, who previously served as a Florida congressman and as a decorated combat Green Beret, has come under fire from Democrats and critics since March, when the Atlantic magazine's editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg published a firsthand account of getting added to a Signal group chat with top national security leaders, including Waltz, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, while they discussed strikes against Yemen terrorists…Read more
Dr. Phil has had enough of CNN and other major news organizations enabling what he believes are wild claims from Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., about President Donald Trump and Russia.
Since he first ran for president in 2016, Trump has been dogged by accusations about his associations with Russia and its president, Vladamir Putin.
"I have come to the conclusion that a bunch of so-called journalists in the legacy media have decided that you are stupid. Stupid, I tell you!" Dr. Phil said in a "The Real Story" monologue released Thursday. "They apparently think they could tell you crap was candy, and you would eat it."
Dr. Phil pointed to how Murphy did several interviews where he claimed Trump and his administration have become an arm of the Kremlin.
"He wasn't exaggerating to make a point, he wasn't being sarcastic. He went on multiple outlets, CNN with Dana Bash, MSNBC, posted it on X and there were other outlets out there as well," Dr. Phil said.
The talk show host said what most offended his sensibilities was Murphy's claim that Trump was cozying up to dictators because it would make it easier for the president to turn the United States into a "kleptocratic-oligarchy."
"It appears as if America is trying to align itself with dictators, that Donald Trump wants us to have our closest relationships with despots all around the world, because that makes it easier for him to transition America into a kleptocratic-oligarchy where Elon Musk and Donald Trump rule and steal from the American people," Murphy claimed during a CNN interview with Bash in March. "If we were allied with democracies, that would be harder. But if the United States' closest partner is Russia, then it makes it a lot easier for Donald Trump, Elon and their billionaire pals to steal from the American people, to steal our data, to steal our Medicare, to steal our Medicaid in order to enrich themselves."
Dr. Phil called out Bash for only responding, "There was a lot there," and not pressing the Democratic senator to prove his allegations.
"What about [asking], ‘Wait a minute, do you have any proof? What do you base these allegations on?’" Dr. Phil asked.
"We are the most powerful country in the world," Dr. Phil argued. "Why would we become an arm of a lesser country? One that is so weak they’re having to abduct men to take to the front in the war with Ukraine?"
He also said that those in the media should be more skeptical about the idea that somebody as fabulously wealthy as Elon Musk would steal from everyday Americans.
"Look, this is the land of free speech, but if you're a U.S. senator, is there a point at which trying to be compelling becomes reckless?" he asked. "If you're employed as a journalist, but you don't ask common-sense questions, why do we even need you? Is there a point where unchallenged accusations contribute to inciting people to violence, unrest, whatever?"
Dr. Phil said that while he understands politics may be contentious, the current state of the media is intolerable. He encouraged viewers to not "substitute" their judgment for his and to think for themselves.
Tom Hanks’ only daughter, E.A. Hanks, remembers a complicated childhood marred by her parents’ divorce and a mother she claims could be emotionally and physically "violent."
E.A., whose initials stand for Elizabeth Anne, wrote about her experience in her upcoming memoir, "The 10: A Memoir of Family and the Open Road." The 42-year-old's parents separated after five years of marriage in 1985, and her mother, Susan Dillingham, whom she describes as Hanks' first "non-famous" wife, got primary custody.
The "Big" actor saw E.A. and her older brother Colin Hanks, 47, on weekends and in the summer, she wrote in an excerpt obtained by People magazine.
E.A. said she was born in the Los Angeles area, but her mother moved them to Sacramento after the separation.
"Eventually a divorce agreement was settled, and I would visit my dad and stepmother (and soon enough my younger half brothers) on the weekends and during summers, but from 5 to 14, years filled with confusion, violence, deprivation, and love, I was a Sacramento girl," she wrote. "I lived in a white house with columns, a backyard with a pool, and a bedroom with pictures of horses plastered on every wall."
She said Dillingham, who also went by the stage name Samantha Lewes, failed to tell their father she was leaving LA with the children.
"My dad came to pick us up from school, and we’re not there," E.A. explained, according to People. "And it turns out we haven't been there for two weeks, and he has to track us down."
In Sacramento, E.A. and Colin’s life with Dillingham was troubled.
"As the years went on, the backyard became so full of dog s--- that you couldn’t walk around it, the house stank of smoke," she wrote, adding she believes her mother, although undiagnosed, suffered from bipolar disorder and episodes of extreme paranoia and delusions.
"The fridge was bare or full of expired food more often than not, and my mother spent more and more time in her big four-poster bed, poring over the Bible."
Then Hanks suddenly got primary custody after an incident.
"One night, her emotional violence became physical violence, and in the aftermath I moved to Los Angeles, right smack in the middle of the seventh grade," she wrote. "My custody arrangement basically switched — now I lived in L.A. and visited Sacramento on the weekends and in the summer."
E.A. added that, in her senior year of high school, her mother "called to say she was dying."
Dillingham died of lung cancer in 2002 at the age of 49.
The memoir is mainly focused on a road trip she took in 2019 from LA to Palatka, Florida, where Dillingham’s family used to live to try and learn more about her mother. It was inspired by a different road trip she and her mom took together.
"When I was 14, my mother and I drove across America along Interstate 10 to Florida, in a Winnebago that lumbered along the asphalt with a rolling gait that felt nautical," she wrote of one of her last memories of Dillingham.
She said the only time she remembers her parents being "in the same place at the same time" was at Colin’s and her high school graduations.
"I have one picture of me standing between my parents," she wrote. "In it, my mother’s best wig is slightly askew."
Fox News Digital reached out to reps for Hanks for comment.
After his divorce from Dillingham in 1987, Hanks married Rita Wilson in 1988. They share two sons — Chet, 34, and Truman, 29.
A top Russian negotiator said his country and the United States are having "good discussions" to end Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine after more than three years of fighting.
Kirill Dmitriev, a close advisor to Putin and CEO of Russia’s Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), met Wednesday with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in Washington, D.C.
RDIF and Dmitriev were placed under sanctions by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control in February 2022, just days after Russia’s full-scale invasion began.
The Treasury Department temporarily waived sanctions on the Russian envoy so the State Department could give him a visa to enter the United States.
Dmitriev praised the Trump administration for making "tremendous progress" in peace negotiations and took aim at the Biden administration for reportedly not engaging with Russia in an interview on "Special Report."
"There was no trying to understand [the] Russian position," he said. "There was no really solutions that could have been successful and what President Trump[‘s] team has done — they understood what the solution space may be and they achieved the first de-escalation ever in the conflict, which is stopping hits on energy infrastructure between Russia and Ukraine."
Russia has repeatedly violated the energy ceasefire since it was agreed to in mid-March.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a Tuesday post on X that his country shared information with the United States, indicating all of Russia’s violations, including a drone attack in Kherson on an energy facility and equipment.
Dmitriev said Ukraine has also violated the energy infrastructure ceasefire but claimed it’s not being covered a lot in Western media.
President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs Wednesday at the White House on his self-proclaimed "Liberation Day," targeting close allies and more than 180 countries and territories with so-called "reciprocal" tariffs. Most notably, Russia was not on the list.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier that neither Russia nor Belarus were included on the list of tariffed countries because the U.S. doesn’t trade with them, and they are sanctioned.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, however, found in 2024 that the United States’ total goods trade with Russia was an estimated $3.5 billion.
Dmitriev said Russia not being on the tariff list was a "technical issue" for the Trump administration as Washington and Moscow work to further peace talks and reestablish ties and partnerships.
The Stanford University grad suggested future economic collaboration as well as a potential deal in rare earths and minerals.
Dmitriev maintained that Putin wants to make a deal to end the war in Ukraine and claimed Russia is not making any preconditions on sanctions relief as part of a ceasefire agreement.
The Kremlin said in late March that it would not implement a ceasefire in the Black Sea until the United States lifts sanctions on Rosselkhozbank, a Russian state-owned agricultural bank, and other unspecified financial organizations, according to the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington D.C.-based research group that closely monitors the shifting frontlines in Ukraine.
Val Kilmer's family has broken its silence on the death of the late "Top Gun" actor.
Kilmer died Tuesday of pneumonia, according to The Associated Press. He was 65.
"Thank you for honoring our extraordinary father’s memory," his family shared in a statement provided to Fox News Digital Thursday. "We are so proud of him and honored to see his legacy celebrated.
Earlier in the day, his "Top Gun" co-star, Tom Cruise, honored Kilmer's legacy while promoting the upcoming "Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning."
"I’d like to honor a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer, for a moment," Cruise said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "I can’t tell you how much I admired his work."
Cruise said he was grateful to work with Kilmer again in the 2022 film "Top Gun: Maverick" before asking for a moment of silence. Kilmer portrayed Tom "Iceman" Kazansky in the original "Top Gun."
"If we just all take a moment to remember the wonderful time we had with him — let’s just take a moment," he said. "I wish you well on your next journey."
Although Kilmer appeared in the 2022 film, he still had difficulty due to damage from a tracheostomy. Kilmer required the use of a breathing tube.
"I can't speak without plugging this hole [in his throat]. You have to make the choice to breathe or to eat," he told People Magazine in 2021. "It's an obstacle that is very present with whoever sees me."
Kilmer was born and raised in Los Angeles and attended Juilliard School in New York City. He made his film debut in the 1984 comedy, "Top Secret!"
His breakthrough role, though, was playing Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone's 1991 rock docudrama, "The Doors."
Kilmer then portrayed Doc Holliday in "Tombstone" and Elvis Presley's spirit in "True Romance," before taking on the role of a caped crusader in "Batman Forever."
Kilmer is survived by his two children, Mercedes and Jack.
Grundy County authorities charged Haley Layman, 25, with leaving the scene of an accident involving a death and tampering with evidence in connection with the fatal hit-and-run of a man named Bobby Green.
Following the alleged crash and before her arrest, Layman not only shared a post about the incident from the Grundy County Sheriff's Office on Facebook, but she also shared a Facebook post from Green's daughter sharing the news of his death.
"I know I don’t post a lot of personal stuff and I never ask for anything, but please if anyone knows who hit my daddy Bobby Dan Green from the back while he was riding his bike down the road going toward Palmer market (pretty sure it was intentional because they came back after they hit him looked at him and left) … please please let me know or Tennessee highway patrol," Green's daughter, Clara, wrote on Facebook.
The Grundy County Sheriff's Office said authorities on March 31 "responded to a hit-and-run incident at the intersection of Rock Avenue and Main Street in Palmer, Tennessee" in an April 1 Facebook post.
"An individual riding a bicycle, later identified as Bobby Dan Green of Palmer, was struck by a vehicle that subsequently fled the scene. Tragically, Mr. Green succumbed to his injuries." the sheriff's office wrote.
Layman's own Facebook profile shows she shared both posts on April 1, the same day authorities arrested her.
"During a joint investigation involving the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office, Constable Collins, 12th Judicial Drug Task Force, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol, authorities arrested 25-year-old Haley Layman in connection with a fatal hit-and-run that claimed the life of Bobby Green," the sheriff's office said in an April 1 Facebook post.
An arrest warrant filed in Grundy County and obtained by Fox News Digital alleges that Layman fatally struck a cyclist with her truck on March 31 and then left the scene.
Authorities said Layman, a mom of two, then drove to a neighboring county "for repairs" on her vehicle "in an effort to conceal or tamper with evidence of the crime."
The 25-year-old suspect also apparently told police she had been drinking, which is "why she left the scene," authorities wrote.
Women's fencer Stephanie Turner became a household name overnight among activists for women's rights in sports.
A viral video of Turner kneeling to protest a transgender opponent ignited more debate about transgender inclusion in women's sports, especially fencing.
"It will probably, at least for the moment, destroy my life," Turner told Fox News Digital. "It's very hard for me to do this."
Her decision was driven by her opposition to competing against biological males.
"This is a serious issue that is happening within all sports, and it needs to be addressed. There is a difference between men and women," Turner said. "It is a civil rights movement for women and girls, and I prioritize the safety and rights and protection of women and girls over trans-identified males."
Her belief even overpowered her lifelong political allegiance.
Turner, a long-time registered Democrat who broke from the party for the most recent election, says she is now a "new Republican conservative."
She switched parties over the issue of transgender athletes in women's and girls sports.
"A small group of people is holding a much larger athlete base hostage to extremist liberal views," Turner said.
How did it get to this point?
Turner was born and raised in Washington D.C., and now lives in deep blue Montgomery County, Maryland.
Over the years, she's been involved in a close friend group, which includes other fencers. It also includes multiple members of the LGBT community.
"They did not know I had this opinion about transgender women in women's sports. And one of them was one of my really good friends at the [fencing] club. He's in the LGBT community, and a lot of my friends are also in the LGBT community. And I don't want them to be mad at me for this. I love them on a personal level.
"I don't want them to think that I somehow hate them. And I don't want to lose them as friends."
But Turner also feels she can't have legitimate discussions with some people about the issue.
"They lie and say that estrogen can make a man a woman also to the point where you can not tell the difference, and it just becomes an insane argument."
Turner, 31, ventured into competitive fencing 12 years ago at age 19. She joined the club at the University of Maryland and has stuck with it ever since. She later qualified to compete in USA Fencing.
"I commit a lot of time and money for this," Turner said, citing travel, equipment and registration expenses.
Turner's official Fencing Tracker page shows 21 podium finishes, including a gold medal in women's foil at an event called the Trick or Retreat ROC Aug. 18 in Edison, New Jersey.
But she got to a point in her career when she had to be aware of the USA Fencing official gender eligibility policy.
The official policy allows for transgenders to compete in the women's category in both the junior and senior level after completing one calendar year of testosterone suppression treatment. Proof of compliant hormone therapy must be provided prior to competition.
USA Fencing has a policy announced in November 2022 to give preference when selecting host cities for national tournaments to states without laws that "harm members of LGBTQ communities" and states that do not "have laws undermining the reproductive health of women."
"In fencing, personally, I see it quite often," Turner said. "I have witnessed transgender fencers in women's tournaments and girls tournaments in different age categories, specifically Y-14 (the youngest age group)."
Turner had a previous experience avoiding a trans opponent in the summer of 2013. She saw reports of a trans athlete who she had previously known as a biological male fencer, by another name. When Turner saw the athlete was listed as a competitor in that year's Summer Nationals, she decided not to go.
"I never registered because I knew that he was going to be in there," Turner said. "In previous years, when I had known about transgender fencers being present, I just didn't register."
Turner always made sure to avoid registering for events after vetting them for trans athletes.
But what she couldn't foresee was one of them registering after she did.
That happened for the first time last weekend for a Division I-A event called the Cherry Blossom Open at her alma mater, the University of Maryland. Redmond Sullivan, who previously competed in the men's division, according to Fencing Tracker, was registered and placed in the same bracket as Turner.
She only learned this at 10:30 p.m. the night before her matchup with Sullivan.
By that point, she was considering a different approach to handling the situation considering how frequent trans inclusion was becoming.
"I had contemplated in the future that I wanted to avoid not registering for events, just because a transgender person was there, because it could just be every single one of my events has a transgender person," Turner said.
"So, I was like, ‘You know what, I’m just going to give it to God. If this person shows up into my event, and they're on my strip, then I will take a knee, and that would be God's will."
But Turner wanted to take things a step further, a step she knew could "destroy her life," but she did it anyway.
Just minutes before she took the strip to kneel against Sullivan, she went to one of her closest friends on the club for a favor.
"I said, ‘I’m about to do something, and I want you to film it. I'm really nervous about it, and this is your last chance to leave if you want to,' because I didn't know what the reaction was going to be," Turner said.
Her friend agreed to film the kneel, recording a scene that would be witnessed across the fencing world.
Turner was then dealt a black card, disqualified from the event and escorted out so quickly she didn't get to say another word to her teammates, trainers or anyone else.
Turner didn't want this role. She admits to being a private person without any social media channels who "enjoys anonymity."
"I was hoping someone else would come forward or the board of directors would have a change of heart," Turner said.
A nonprofit fencing organization penned an open letter to USA Fencing Board Members in December, urging the national governing body for the sport to reevaluate its stance on several issues, including transgender inclusion.
"Politics aside, it is a reasonable request to form a task force to do a deeper dive on this issue in fencing and create a safe space where the voices of all women are heard without ridicule and abuse," the letter said.
But nothing was done.
Turner is the latest combatant in the ongoing culture war over the issue of trans athletes in women's sports. She has done a televised interview on Fox News Channel, her story has been covered by multiple media outlets and she is even featured in a commercial.
The sports activist brand XX-XY Athletics released its new commercial featuring the clip of Turner's kneel Thursday.
For her, it's all worth it if it means holding institutions like USA Fencing and politicians who have continued to enable trans inclusion accountable.
"It's a litmus test for common sense in whether a politician is able to lie to your face to abide to common culture," Turner said.
"Something needs to be done."
USA Fencing provided a statement to Fox News Digital addressing the incident.
"USA Fencing enacted our current transgender and nonbinary athlete policy in 2023. The policy was designed to expand access to the sport of fencing and create inclusive, safe spaces. The policy is based on the principle that everyone should have the ability to participate in sports and was based upon the research available of the day," the statement said.
"We respect the viewpoints on all sides and encourage our members to continue sharing them with us as the matter evolves. It's important for the fencing community to engage in this dialogue, but we expect this conversation to be conducted respectfully, whether at our tournaments or in online spaces. The way to progress is by respectful discussion based in evidence."
A USA Fencing spokesperson also told Fox News Digital Turner was not penalized for her stance against trans inclusion, but simply for refusing to fence.
"In the case of Stephanie Turner, her disqualification was not related to any personal statement but was merely the direct result of her decision to decline to fence an eligible opponent, which the FIE rules clearly prohibit," the spokesperson said.
"According to the FIE (International Fencing Federation) Technical Rules, specifically Article t.113, a fencer is not permitted to refuse to fence another properly entered fencer for any reason. Under these rules, such a refusal results in disqualification and the corresponding sanctions. This policy exists to maintain fair competition standards and preserve the sport’s integrity."
Choking back tears, the grieving Texas mother and twin brother of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf struggled to explain the devastation they feel after he was stabbed to death in a terrifying scene at a track meet in Frisco, Texas.
Austin Metcalf, a junior at Memorial High School in Frisco, was stabbed in the chest allegedly by 17-year-old Karmelo Anthony, a student-athlete from Frisco Centennial High School. The altercation reportedly began as a seating dispute as the teams waited for the delayed competition to begin.
The suspect has been arrested and charged with murder.
"My son is gone, and I don't really have words," Meghan Metcalf wept Thursday on "The Will Cain Show." "He's just going to be so missed by mostly our family, but this whole community has really wrapped their arms around us. If I could say anything to the nation, I would say to make sure that you just hug your babies tight, because you don't know when [is] the last time you get to do it."
Austin was "extremely smart" and a "highly recruited" football player, and his twin brother Hunter remembered him as "just a great person overall" who was "always there to check on me and keep me straight, so I wouldn't get in trouble."
Hunter Metcalf recounted the tragedy Thursday on "The Will Cain Show." He explained that the brothers noticed the suspect near their team tent. When the brother tried to question the suspect, the situation escalated, he said.
"My brother stepped in. He started being how he always is. We're just brothers, just having my back. Things started getting more, like, higher intensity, and the kid said some, like, aggressive stuff — like, reckless stuff — and Austin tried to handle the problem," Hunter said, recounting Austin's final moments.
"I whipped my head around, and then all of a sudden I see him running down the bleachers just grabbing his chest… I put my hand on there, tried to make it [the bleeding] stop, and I grabbed his head and I looked in his eyes. I just saw his soul leave, and it took my soul, too."
The incident occurred at about 10 a.m. at Kuykendall Stadium at the University Interscholasic League's District 11-5A championship meet. Anthony attends Frisco Centennial, roughly 7 miles away from Frisco Memorial.
According to the Frisco Independent School District, the meet was suspended shortly after the incident. The ISD added that the stadium "was immediately secured, and students were released and sent back to their home campus on FISD buses with expediency."
Meanwhile, the Metcalf family is grappling with rage and grief over the sudden loss of Austin.
"I am so angry at that boy. It's just not fair," Meghan cried out.
The Metcalf family’s church held a vigil in Austin's honor on Wednesday night, drawing hundreds of people.
"Seventeen years, my best friend, just there in the blink of an eye, I lost him. So I'm not at that point to forgive and forget, but eventually I will," Hunter said.
"I just pray for [the suspect's] family," he added. "I pray that they understand what we're going through as well."
A GoFundMe page was started by Austin's father, Jeff Metcalf, to help the family heal.
Fox News Digital's Madison Colombo and Ryan Morik contributed to this report.
At least six victims were left injured in the nation's capital on Thursday after an intoxicated suspect began randomly stabbing people on the street, including himself.
The incident was reported at around 3:22 p.m. in Washington D.C.'s Trinidad neighborhood on Thursday afternoon. Metropolitan Police Department officers arrived at the scene and found "numerous people suffering from stab wounds."
Pamela Smith, the chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, told reporters at a press conference that the suspect was "in an altered mental state from an unknown substance."
"While walking down the street, the individual began stabbing himself, and then he stabbed a female acquaintance who was also with him," Smith described.
"Four women and two men were transported to area hospitals as a result of a senseless assault."
All the victims are in stable condition as of Thursday evening. Two of them included good Samaritans who tried saving others from the attacker.
"I will say this, even though we're grateful for their intervention, we would ask that individuals who see incidents such as this to not intervene, because these two individuals, although good Samaritans, were also stabbed as part of this assault," Smith noted.
Smith also noted that the suspect "attempted to assault" a grandmother and two granddaughters, but did not disclose if they were injured.
"The grandmother and her granddaughters were getting in a car, primarily minding their own business, doing whatever they were doing," Smith said.
Washington, D.C. has been plagued with crime in the past. In January, a man was sent to the hospital after protecting his 21-year-old girlfriend in a near-fatal carjacking in Northwest D.C.
In Oct. 2023, three girls in D.C. were arrested and charged in connection with the murder of a 64-year-old man in Northwest D.C. The victim, Reggie Brown, was beaten to death.
The 2025 NFL Draft is less than a month away, and there are some in the football world already focused on next year’s prospects, especially Texas quarterback Arch Manning.
The son of Cooper Manning and the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning, Arch is finally expected to start for the Longhorns after Quinn Ewers entered the 2025 Draft class. Arch had been sitting behind the former Ohio State Buckeyes signal-caller the past two seasons.
While many are hoping to see Arch tear up his college schedule next year, one NFL insider says it's not a foregone conclusion Manning will be going pro in 2026.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter made an appearance on "Get Up" Thursday and warned NFL teams and fans not hold out too much hope Arch will be available this time next year.
"First of all, there’s no guarantees that Arch Manning’s coming out after next year," Schefter said, via the New York Post. "It sounds like he certainly could be staying beyond next year.
"I’m not a college football insider, but none of the Mannings ever went out early, and I don’t know, with NIL money being what it is, why Arch would do that? So, all of this conversation about tanking for Arch next year, he could be in the draft in 2027, not even next year."
Arch redshirted his first year in Austin, which means he meets the three years removed from high school requirement to enter the NFL Draft if he chooses in 2026.
But what if Arch doesn’t have a great season? And considering what his uncle did with the San Diego Chargers, basically forcing a trade to the New York Giants, maybe Arch won’t like teams trying to "tank for Arch," Schefter suggested.
There are a lot of what-ifs that will become more clear later this year when Arch takes over Steve Sarkisian’s offense.
In 10 appearances last season, including two starts due to Ewers’ injuries, Manning threw for 939 yards with nine touchdowns and two interceptions. He also ran for 108 yards on 25 carries with four touchdowns on the ground.
Arch is valued at $6.6 million in NIL money, according to On3. So, as Schefter mentioned, he doesn’t have to jump to the pros to be paid.
Ahead of a LIV Golf event at his Trump National Doral Golf Club in Miami, President Donald Trump is hosting members of the tour at the course.
PGA Commissioner Jay Monahan recently dubbed Trump the "facilitator" of the ongoing discussions between the two golf tours — but nearly two years since the bombshell announcement was made of a potential deal, there has yet to be one.
Trump gave his stance on what he hopes will happen on his way to South Florida.
"Ultimately, hopefully, the two tours are going to merge. That’ll be good. I’m involved in that, too," Trump said. "But hopefully we’re going to get the two tours to merge. You have the PGA Tour and the LIV Tour. And I think having them merge would be a great thing."
Trump called the LIV golfers — a roster that includes Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and others — "some of the best players in the world."
Back in February, the PGA Tour credited Trump for "[getting] involved for the good of the game," and it appears there has been movement since he got involved.
"Those talks are real. They’re substantial, and they’re being driven at the top levels of both organizations. Those talks have been significantly bolstered by President Trump’s willingness to serve as the facilitator," Monahan said last month. "President Trump is a lifelong golf fan. He believes strongly in the game’s power and potential, and he has been exceedingly generous in his time and influence to help bring a deal together. He wants to see the game reunified. We want to see the game reunified, and his involvement has made the prospect of reunification very real."
Monahan added, "We believe there’s room to integrate important aspects of LIV Golf into the PGA Tour platform," and said he could envision "a future" in which Public Investment Fund governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan can join the Tour's board.
"We’re doing everything that we can to bring the two sides together. That said, we will not do so in a way that diminishes the strength of our platform or the very real momentum with our fans and our partners," he said, adding that "hurdles remain" between the two sides.
Trump last month expressed optimism the two sides will get some type of deal done.
"They’re gonna have to get together," he said. "They’ve had a lot of discussion back and forth. They both are meaning well, and a deal will ultimately happen. I think it will happen pretty quickly. It would be nice to see the best golfers play against each other."
"They are all great people, and they want to work it out," Trump added. "So, if I can help work it out… I don’t get anything out of it. I can help them work it out. I just think golf — it’s very much an individual sport, and you want to see the best players playing against each other and not playing in two different locations."
Trump's courses have hosted several LIV events since its inception, last hosting a PGA event in the mid-2010s.
Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson announced he's leaving the paper after 20 years in protest of opinion editorial decisions made by its billionaire owner, Jeff Bezos.
"I wanted to let you know that I've decided to leave The Post," the liberal columnist wrote to his colleagues in an email Thursday first reported by The New York Times. "The announced ‘significant shift’ in our section's mission has spurred me to decide that it's time for my next chapter."
That was a direct reference to Bezos' announcement in February that The Post opinion pages would begin prioritizing pieces defending "personal liberties and free markets," though Robinson refrained from naming the paper's owner.
"Our sincerest congratulations to beloved Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson on his retirement," a spokesperson for The Washington Post told Fox News Digital in a statement. "For 45 years, his reporting and commentary spanned continents and beats, earning countless recognitions, including a Pulitzer Prize. Eugene's strong perspective and impeccable integrity have regularly shaped our public discourse, cementing his legacy as a leading voice in American journalism."
Robinson confirmed to Fox News Digital he is only retiring from The Post, not from journalism, and has yet to make any commitments regarding his next chapter.
Robinson, also an MSNBC analyst, joined The Post in 2005 and won a Pulitzer Prize in 2009 for commentary.
Bezos made headlines when he announced his paper was going to be "writing every day in support and defense of two pillars: personal liberties and free markets" and that "viewpoints opposing those pillars will be left to be published by others." That led to the ousting of The Post's opinion editor David Shipley, who opposed Bezos' new mission.
"This is a significant shift, it won’t be easy, and it will require 100% commitment — I respect his decision. We’ll be searching for a new Opinion Editor to own this new direction," Bezos said at the time.
Robinson wasn't the only columnist to leave as a result of this change. Ruth Marcus, a 40-year veteran of the paper, left The Post last month after she penned a column criticizing Bezos' decision that was spiked by her bosses.
"I stayed until I no longer could—until the newspaper’s owner, Jeff Bezos, issued an edict that the Post’s opinion offerings would henceforth concentrate on the twin pillars of 'personal liberties and free markets,' and, even more worrisome, that 'viewpoints opposing those pillars will be left to be published by others.' I stayed until the Post’s publisher, Will Lewis, killed a column I filed last week expressing my disagreement with this new direction. Lewis refused my request to meet," Marcus wrote.
Several other staffers quit The Post after Bezos halted the paper's endorsement of then-Vice President Kamala Harris just days before the 2024 election.
The 23-year-old Finley was released without having to post bond after being booked Wednesday on a charge of possession of stolen goods valued at $25,000 or more.
The Green Wave conducted spring practice without Finley on Thursday, when all QB duties were handled by two other transfers, Kadin Semonza from Ball State and Donovan Leary from Illinois.
After practice, coach Jon Sumrall briefly addressed Finley's suspension with reporters, largely deferring to the university's official statement but adding, "When guys make mistakes, then they have to have accountability."
During his time with Auburn nearly three years ago, Finley was arrested for allegedly evading police during a traffic stop.
The arrest came shortly after he became the first college athlete to ink an NIL deal with Amazon. He reportedly discovered there was an active warrant for his arrest after he was cited for riding a moped without a helmet on July 26 on campus and turned himself in.
Finley is now with his fifth college football program and entering his sixth college season. He transferred to Tulane after spending last season with Western Kentucky, where he played in just three games before an ankle injury sidelined him for the rest of the season. Tulane will be his fourth school in as many years.
That allowed him to take a redshirt and preserve his final season of eligibility.
The Ponchatoula, Louisiana, native began his college career at LSU in 2020. He transferred to Auburn in 2021 and spent two seasons there before moving in 2023 to Texas State, where he passed for a career-best 3,439 yards and 24 touchdowns.
The parents of Calvin "CJ" Dickey Jr. filed a lawsuit against Bucknell University on Wednesday, nearly a year after the 18-year-old died after collapsing during his first-ever football practice with the team over the summer.
Mike Caspino, the attorney representing the family, announced the lawsuit during a press conference, alongside Dickey’s parents.
"He was a superb athlete. He was a great student and an unbelievable human being. And on July 12, 2024, he died a very painful, very brutal death because of the football coaches at Bucknell University," Caspino said.
"Despite the fact that CJ Dickey died nearly nine months ago, the school has withheld – is not telling his parents the circumstances and the facts around why he died. They refuse to tell them the story about how their son died. … They are hiding what happened, and we are forced to file this lawsuit so that we can find out the truth."
According to Caspino, Dickey died from rhabdomyolysis, which is a rare and life-threatening muscle condition triggered by intense workouts. He was more likely to suffer from the condition after previously being diagnosed with sickle cell trait, something the lawsuit alleges Bucknell was aware of before Dickey began training camp.
The lawsuit, obtained by ESPN, claimed that Dickey performed 100 up-downs on July 9 "as punishment" after the team "messed up" at a workout and that players performing the drill noticed him "falling behind the rest of the group."
According to ESPN’s previous reporting, Dickey collapsed and was transferred to a hospital where he was put on dialysis. He underwent emergency surgery to relieve pressure in his extremities, but his heart stopped and he died two days after the incident.
"He died a horrible, painful death that was 100% preventable," Caspino said Wednesday.
In a statement to several outlets, Bucknell called Dickey's death "a tragic loss" but would not comment further due to pending litigation.
"The death of a student is always a tragic loss. While the University will not comment on pending litigation, we again extend heartfelt sympathies to CJ's family, and we will continue to focus on our most important priority -- the health and safety of all Bucknell students."
According to the NCAA policy, all athletes are required to undergo sickle cell solubility testing or provide results from a test within six months of participating in sports activities. In Dickey’s case, the lawsuit alleged that he tested positive and that a trainer from Bucknell spoke to his mother prior to the incident on July 12.
The lawsuit accused the university and others of negligence and is seeking compensation and information surrounding Dickey’s death.
FIRST ON FOX: The Trump administration has set new preconditions for Harvard to combat antisemitism in exchange for access to federal funding.
In a letter addressed to Harvard President Dean Garber, senior administration officials claimed Harvard had "fundamentally failed to protect American students and faculty from antisemitic violence and harassment" in violation of the Civil Rights Act.
"U.S. taxpayers invest enormously in U.S. colleges and universities, including Harvard," a letter signed by Josh Gruenbaum, Commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service at the General Services Administration, Sean Keveney, acting general counsel at the Department of Health and Human Services and Thomas Wheeler, acting general counsel at the Department of Education.
"It is the responsibility of the government to ensure that all recipients are responsible stewards of taxpayer funds," the memo, obtained by Fox News Digital, read.
The letter stipulated that Harvard must ban the use of masks that could conceal identities at protests and establish a clear "time, place and manner" policy for protests. Harvard must also eliminate all Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs, adopt "merit-based" admissions and hiring reform and end any admissions based on race or national origin.
The university must commit to "full cooperation" with the Department of Homeland Security and all other agencies in government, according to the letter.
It also said Harvard must review and make changes to programs and departments that "fuel antisemitic harassment," cooperate with law enforcement. It must hold all recognized and unrecognized students accountable for violations of policy and ensure senior administration officials are responsible for disciplinary decisions.
The three federal agencies - HHS, GSA and ED - last week announced a review of some $8 billion in "multi-year grant commitments" as part of a probe launched by the Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism.
The review also includes some $255 million in contracts.
"The message is clear: reform is not optional," the task force told Fox News Digital when reached for comment.
"The era of elite impunity is over. With billions in taxpayer dollars at stake, Harvard must either confront its institutional failures—including its inability to protect students from anti-Semitic abuse—or risk losing funding."
"Harvard received the letter from the federal task force this afternoon," a university spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
Garber said earlier this week that Harvard would engage with the task force "to ensure that they have a full account of the work we have done and the actions we will take going forward to combat antisemitism."
"Much is at stake here. In longstanding partnership with the federal government, we have launched and nurtured pathbreaking research that has made countless people healthier and safer, more curious and more knowledgeable, improving their lives, their communities, and our world," Garber said. "But we are not perfect. Antisemitism is a critical problem that we must and will continue to address."
Weeks ago the Trump administration clawed back more than $400 million in funding from Columbia University, demanding changes to disciplinary policy and placing some programs under administrative control.
Columbia acquiesced to many of the trio of agencies’ demands - prompting backlash from liberal critics - and the university replaced its interim president Katrina Armstrong.
The university’s board of trustees denied caving to the administration, calling the new changes "Columbia-driven decisions made in accordance with our values and our mission."
"Where this work aligns with recommendations of others, we believe constructive dialogue makes sense," the trustees wrote.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has targeted international students who study at U.S. universities and participate in Gaza protests that they say veer into pro-Hamas territory.
Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 30 to combat the explosion of anti-Semitism on our campuses and streets" since October 7, 2023, and since then the State Department has revoked some 300 visas, many of them held by college students.
"If you apply for a visa to enter the United States and be a student, and you tell us the reason you are coming to the United States is not just because you want to write op-eds, but because you want to participate in movements that are involved in doing things like vandalizing universities, harassing students, taking over buildings, creating a ruckus – we're not going to give you a visa," Rubio said before adding, "Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visa."
Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Hopi E. Hoekstra said this week that the department was working on a contingency plan in case of federal funding cuts.
"I know this news is extraordinarily disconcerting and that it’s hard to process," Hoekstra said, according to the Harvard Crimson. "There is some important work that we, and only we, can do right now: maintain the continuity of our teaching and research mission."
Harvard and Columbia were among 10 universities the task force said it is reviewing. Harvard already instituted a hiring freeze in response to the review, given the uncertain funding environment.
Senate Republicans cleared the way on Thursday for an eventual vote on the latest version of a budget to push through several key agenda items for President Trump, including the southern border and extending his 2017 tax cuts.
A motion to proceed was agreed to in the upper chamber just one day after Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham unveiled the Senate's amendment to the House's budget plan.
The Senate agreed to the motion by a vote of 52 to 48, along party lines. The only exception was Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who voted against it. Paul has criticized the budget framework's provision on the debt ceiling.
The changes made by the Senate include raising the debt ceiling by up to $5 trillion and making Trump's tax cuts permanent by using what's known as a current policy baseline, as determined by the chairman.
The Thursday motion kicks off roughly a day's worth of debate, before a "vote-a-rama" begins. The marathon amendment votes are expected to take place at some point on Friday afternoon or evening after debate concludes.
During a vote-a-rama, senators are able to introduce an unlimited number of amendments, and many are expected to get floor votes.
After the amended budget resolution passes in the Senate, which it is expected to do at some point on Saturday, the House will need to take it up again.
This is a significant step forward for Republicans in their quest to get Trump's priorities done through the budget reconciliation process. This key budget process lowers the vote threshold in the Senate from 60 to 51, allowing the GOP to pass things without support from their Democrat counterparts. Reconciliation is considered a key tool for the Republican trifecta in Washington to get Trump's policies passed.
Early on, Republicans in the House and Senate were split on how to organize the key resolution. House Republican leaders largely preferred doing one reconciliation bill that addressed both the border and tax cuts, while Senate Republicans wanted to separate the issues into two bills.
Republicans in the lower chamber made it clear they would only accept one reconciliation bill that included border funding and tax cut extensions, as they have less room for dissent in their slim majority.
Each chamber passed their preferred resolution, but Trump's support for one bill on multiple occasions put the House's strategy over the top. Senate Republicans themselves even described their resolution as a backup plan to the House's.
A junior at the University of South Carolina was killed Wednesday in a hit-and-run near campus involving an illegal immigrantfrom El Salvador, according to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials.
In an X post Thursday, Tricia McLaughlin, DHS assistant secretary for public affairs, said the driver was "in our country illegally," noting 21-year-old Nathanial "Nate" G. Baker "should be alive today."
"@DHSgov prays for Nate’s family, friends, and loved ones and will work every day to protect innocent Americans like Nate," McLaughlin wrote.
Rosali I. Fernandez-Cruz, 24, is charged with hit-and-run resulting in death, failure to give information and render aid, failure to yield the right of way and driving without a license, according to a statement from the Columbia Police Department (CPD).
A DHS source told Fox News Fernandez-Cruz was arrested by border patrol in Hidalgo, Texas, on Dec. 24, 2016.
Nearly two years later, on Sept. 6, 2018, an immigration judge in Charlotte, North Carolina, ordered Fernandez-Cruz to be sent back to El Salvador.
Just after 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Fernandez-Cruz allegedly failed to yield the right of way while turning left at Blossom and Assembly streets, hitting Baker, who was on a motorcycle, with his truck, according to police.
Baker was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead, according to the Richland County Coroner's Office.
Fernandez-Cruz is accused of not stopping or rendering aid to Baker or reporting the incident to police, according to the statement.
He reportedly drove away from the accident site and ran from the vehicle.
A nearby CPD officer found and detained Fernandez-Cruz on the 1100 block of Greene Street.
Two men were with Fernandez-Cruz at the time of the accident and also fled, according to police. No charges are pending against them. The immigration status of the other men is unknown.
The university confirmed in a statement that Baker was a business major from Glen Allen, Virginia.
"Our prayers and deepest sympathies go out to Nate’s family and friends during this difficult time," according to university officials. "Counseling staff are actively working with those impacted, and services are available to any member of our campus community affected by this tragedy."
Phi Gamma Delta confirmed in an Instagram post Baker was a member of its fraternity.
"Yesterday, we lost not just a brother, but a leader, a role model, and a true embodiment of what our fraternity stands for," the fraternity wrote in the post. "Nate Baker brought light, laughter, and love into all of our lives. Nate will always be remembered for the way he showed up for others and the impact he had on everyone around him.
"His passion, loyalty, and love for this brotherhood will never be forgotten. May we honor his memory by living with the same kindness, selflessness and generosity that he showed to everyone around him. Rest in Peace Nathaniel Baker."
The University of South Carolina College Panhellenic Association called the situation a tragedy in a statement on Instagram.
"Our thoughts, prayers and hearts are with Nate's family, friends, loved ones and our entire Greek community during this time," the statement said. "Nate's impact will continue to live on throughout the USC community, and will never be forgotten. We encourage our FSL community to stand together, love each other, and offer unconditional support to the brothers of Fiji following this tragedy."
Fernandez-Cruz is being held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Columbia, according to CPD.
The Columbia Police Department, ICE, DHS and Phi Gamma Delta did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant is not expected to be punished by the NBA for a gun-related gesture he made during a recent game.
According to ESPN, the league issued a warning to Morant but is not planning to fine or suspend him in response to the finger gun gesture the two-time NBA All-Star directed toward the Golden State Warriors' bench Tuesday.
The "[l]eague ruled the celebrations were not intended to be violent in nature, but inappropriate and should refrain," ESPN reported.
Morant has been disciplined by the NBA multiple times throughout his career, and some of those punishments were due to gun-related incidents. The league handed down an eight-game suspension in 2023 after Morant flashed what appeared to be a gun during a social media livestream at a Colorado nightclub.
Later that year, Morant appeared to flash a weapon while he was in a car during another social media video. He was suspended an additional 25 games.
"Ja Morant’s decision to once again wield a firearm on social media is alarming and disconcerting given his similar conduct in March for which he was already suspended eight games," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said at the time of his second suspension.
"The potential for other young people to emulate Ja’s conduct is particularly concerning. Under these circumstances, we believe a suspension of 25 games is appropriate and makes clear that engaging in reckless and irresponsible behavior with guns will not be tolerated.
"For Ja, basketball needs to take a backseat at this time. Prior to his return to play, he will be required to formulate and fulfill a program with the league that directly addresses the circumstances that led him to repeat this destructive behavior."
Morant was also placed under the microscope after a January 2023 game in which an unidentified individual in the NBA star's vehicle was accused of shining a laser pointer at the Indiana Pacers' team bus. It happened after some members of Morant's entourage were involved in a confrontation with a group of people in the Pacers' traveling party.
The Grizzlies enter Thursday's game against the Miami Heat in the eighth spot in the Western Conference standings.
