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California board of regents to review SAT/ACT testing ban after 1,400 professors warn of ‘severe’ math gaps

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 08:27:11 -0400

The University of California (UC) announced Thursday that it is launching a comprehensive review of its standardized testing policy. The pivot follows a massive revolt by faculty members who warn they are being forced to re-teach middle school mathematics to incoming university students.

"The Board of Regents and University leadership take very seriously the critical issue of college preparedness, and the UC Academic Senate has proposed a comprehensive, data-driven review to support its recommendations to strengthen student readiness and success at UC," University of California President James B. Milliken said in a statement. "There are few things more important on our agenda."

Milliken noted that the faculty-led Academic Senate review will focus on both preparation and admissions, including whether standardized testing should be reinstated as a requirement. The UC Board of Regents and Milliken are expected to receive an initial update on the findings in July.

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The sudden policy review comes just weeks after more than 1,400 faculty members across UC campuses signed an open letter demanding the reinstatement of SAT/ACT mathematics requirements, specifically for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) majors. The petition has garnered massive institutional backing, including signatures from seven of UC’s nine mathematics department chairs.

According to the faculty, eliminating standardized testing requirements has stripped admissions officers of an objective benchmark, masking severe academic deficiencies in incoming classes.

"We now observe preparation gaps so severe that instructors must re-teach middle school mathematics while simultaneously teaching the material students need for sciences, engineering, economics and other quantitatively demanding fields," the letter read.

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The faculty's concerns are backed by stark internal numbers. A report by UC San Diego’s Senate–Administration Working Group on Admissions (SAWG) exposed a near-thirtyfold explosion in underprepared students, revealing that the number of incoming first-year students whose math skills tested below a high school level jumped from roughly 1 in 200 students in 2020 to nearly 1 in 8 students over a five-year period.

Even more alarming, 70% of those underprepared students actually fell below middle school proficiency, accounting for roughly 1 in 12 members of the entire entering cohort. Professors also warned that high school transcripts have become "nearly meaningless" due to rampant grade inflation, while application essays have been severely compromised by the pervasive use of generative artificial intelligence (AI).

Karajean Hyde, co-director of the UC Irvine Math Project and a lecturer of education, previously told Fox News Digital that objective benchmarks are desperately needed to restore academic baselines.

"I'd say we need some objective measures to go along with the whole picture," Hyde said. "A student's not just a single number or a single letter, but standardized testing can play an important role in ensuring one level of measuring where that bar is so that the bar doesn't move."

Though faculty members acknowledged UC's history of helping under-resourced students succeed, they pointed out that the university system has finite resources. Pushing underprepared students into demanding STEM fields without baseline checks, they argued, could ultimately backfire and hurt the very students the policy aimed to help.

"The SAT/ACT mathematics requirement is not an obstacle to equity; rather, it is a prerequisite for it," the faculty letter asserted. "Failing to measure preparation gaps does not remove barriers; it moves them into the classroom, where they become harder to overcome."

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The UC system completely suspended the use of standardized testing for undergraduate admissions in May 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, later moving to a permanent, strict "test-blind" policy following a legal settlement.

A spokesperson for the UC Office of the President and the Board of Regents told Fox News Digital that the UC Board of Regents retains the final authority to officially alter or reinstate admissions policies. If the Academic Senate recommends a rollback, the fall 2028 admissions cycle is the earliest a testing requirement would take effect.

The UC system's re-evaluation aligns with a broader national trend. A growing number of elite institutions — including MIT, Yale, Dartmouth, Brown and the University of Texas at Austin — have reversed their pandemic-era test-optional policies after concluding that standardized tests remain the most reliable indicator of college readiness, particularly for lower-income students who may lack access to padded extracurricular resumes.

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Country star Zac Brown defends UFC White House performance saying 'f--- all the division'

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 07:43:53 -0400

Country music singer Zac Brown defended his upcoming performance at the UFC Freedom 250 at the White House this weekend.

Brown, best known as the lead singer of the Zac Brown Band, confirmed on "The Pat McAfee Show" Wednesday that he plans to perform the national anthem for the event alongside the Marine Band on Sunday.

He denied on Wednesday having any political concerns about performing at the White House under President Donald Trump.

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"Man, I’m there for the troops, man," Brown said. "I’m there to honor America. This is patriotism, not politics for me. I mean, f--- all the division. I don’t believe in that. I love this country. I love all the people that have sacrificed so that I can live my American dream and that everyone that lives here gets a chance to do that if they work hard and make the right decisions. So it doesn’t have a place in politics for me."

Brown added he had heard approximately 8,000 service members would also be attending the event and felt "honored" as a fan of UFC to be given the opportunity.

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"I’m so excited for this weekend," Brown said. "And it’s history, man, getting to be part of American history, man. Having the first sporting event that’s on the lawn of the White House. I mean, it’s an honor."

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and UFC for comment.

Preparations for the UFC match have been underway on the South Lawn of the White House for weeks, including the installation of a roughly 90-foot-tall steel arch, dubbed the "claw." The match is set for June 14 to coincide with Flag Day as well as Trump's 80th birthday to celebrate the 250th anniversary of America's founding.

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Over the weekend, The Public Integrity Project filed a lawsuit on behalf of two Virginia residents in an effort to block the event, claiming it will interfere with the White House and National Mall area while describing its setup as "hideous."

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America’s baby bust may be linked to the iPhone, study says

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 06:00:28 -0400

America's baby bust may have an unlikely culprit: the iPhone.

A new study suggests Apple's smartphone may account for as much as half of the decline in U.S. birth rates following its 2007 launch, with researchers arguing the device fundamentally changed how young people socialize, date and form relationships.

The working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research, entitled, "Is the iPhone Birth Control? Causal Evidence from AT&T’s 2007–2011 Carrier Monopoly," says that the iPhone may be the reason for 33% to 52% of the decrease in the general fertility rate among 15–44-year-old women between 2007 and 2011.

SCREEN TIME BLAMED FOR CROSS-CULTURAL DROP IN BIRTH RATES

"Overall, the diffusion of the iPhone explains 33–52% of the decline in the general fertility rate among women aged 15–44," the paper reads. "National-survey evidence on time use and sexual behavior is consistent with the iPhone reducing in-person interactions, increasing pornography use, and reducing sexual frequency."

The working paper, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, said that the general fertility rate for the U.S. has fallen by 22% since 2007.

The iPhone's launch in 2007 created a unique opportunity for researchers to study its impact. From 2007 to 2011, the iPhone was available only through AT&T, so areas with better AT&T coverage got access to the device earlier than areas with little or no coverage.

The working paper found that teen birth rates fell 4.5%–8% because of iPhone diffusion, and birth rates among women 20–24 fell 3.2%–6.6%.

Time spent with friends dropped 69% among 15- to 19-year-olds, and the working paper also found that searches for "porn" more than doubled over the study period from 2007 to 2011, with the paper stating that "the iPhone provides more access to pornography, which can substitute for partnered sex."

AMERICANS ARE HAVING FEWER BABIES AS BIRTH RATE HITS HISTORIC LOW, CDC REVEALS

The paper also suggested that the iPhone "substitutes for in-person interaction, displacing the peer time in which most sexual encounters occur," and also suggested that the device makes information about contraceptive practices and products more readily available.

"We do not claim that the iPhone is the sole cause of the post-2007 decline, nor that no policy lever can move the trajectory," the paper reads. "But over the 2008–2011 window that our design identifies, our estimates imply that the introduction of the modern smartphone played a sizable role in the decline in U.S. births. The mechanism evidence suggests this operates through the formation of relationships and the time and inclination for partnered intimacy, not the cost of raising children."

GLOBAL FERTILITY RATES MAY BECOME TOO LOW TO SUSTAIN POPULATION LEVELS, STUDY SAYS

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Schmitt goes in-depth on diving catch & changes to college athletics on ‘Ruthless’

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 05:00:14 -0400

In an exclusive interview with the "Ruthless Podcast," Senator Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) discussed his spectacular diving catch in Wednesday’s Congressional Baseball Game and the changing landscape of college athletics.

"You’re just like locked in and focused," Schmitt told the Fellas in an interview released Friday morning. "After I caught it, I just happened to hear somebody say, ‘No way he caught that.’ So that's why I stood up and held the glove up. Like, ‘no, I caught that thing. I got it.’"

With the Republicans leading the Democrats 3-0 in the bottom of the third inning, Rep. Johnny Olszewski (D-Md.) hit a fly ball. As the ball approached the dirt on the left field line, Schmitt leaped and snagged the ball out of the air.

KNICKS GUARD NEARLY WIPES OUT MICHAEL BLOOMBERG DIVING FOR LOOSE BALL DURING NBA FINALS GAME 3

Schmitt returned to his feet with a bloody nose and to thunderous applause from the Republican faithful. The grab, which has gone viral on social media, was the number five play on "SportsCenter’s" Top 10.

"I didn’t even know my nose was bleeding," the leftfielder said. "[Rep. August] Pfluger [(R-Texas) and the whole team] came out, and you gave me a high five and were like, ‘Your nose is bleeding.’ And I was like, ‘Oh,’ then I just started wiping it on my pants."

In the 11-2 victory for the GOP, Schmitt was named most valuable player.

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Schmitt’s passion for athletics extends beyond his annual appearance on the field at Nationals Park. He has been an active legislator in reforming college athletics. In the last few weeks, he has led efforts with Commerce Committee Chair Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) to bring change to college sports.

"What you see now is this landscape has shifted, and it's very chaotic," the former state attorney general said. "And it's on the brink of having a situation where college football previously had sort of subsidized all the other non-revenue sports, the women's sports, Olympic sports, that's at risk because if you're losing money in your college football program or all of your money is going to your college football programs, you're just not gonna have all those other sports."

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In February, he released a blueprint for college athletics addressing transfer portal chaos, non-revenue sport protections, and conference realignment stability. In January, he wrote a letter with Senator Jon Husted (R-Ohio) to Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman advocating for the conference to add Saint Louis University and the University of Dayton.

"If you would have asked me a couple of years ago, ‘Does Congress have a role in any of this?’ ‘I would have been very skeptical, right?’ Schmitt said. "But I've been convinced that the only entity on the planet that can do something about it and grant antitrust exemption status to the NCA or some other governing body is Congress."

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In a city known for suit jackets and memos, Schmitt’s lighthearted touch and charisma have set him apart from his colleagues in the political arena. Podcast co-host Josh Holmes noted how the Senator’s genuine nature and love for sports make him popular with the general public.

"One of the reasons why he’s our absolute favorite is that when you became a senator, you obviously first and foremost represent everything Missouri, which you've never lost and you've ever lost sight of any of that," Holmes said. "And then secondarily, you find things that you are acutely interested in, like college athletics."

Washington Post faces class-action lawsuit alleging 'surveillance pricing' of subscribers

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 20:00:39 -0400

The Washington Post was accused of "surveillance pricing" in a new class action lawsuit filed against the paper on Thursday.

According to the complaint, the Washington Post "covertly harvested" personal data from subscribers to set unequal prices for longtime customers based on their browsing habits and profile information.

"Rather than rewarding loyalty, The Post's system converted Subscribers' engagement into leverage against them. Longtime Subscribers would end up paying more than new customers simply because the company knew more about them," the lawsuit read.

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Lawyers at the Clarkson Law Firm, who represent the people behind the case, also asserted that the Washington Post has been taking part in surveillance pricing since at least late 2024, though the paper did not disclose this practice until March 2026 under New York law.

"The Washington Post has gone from an iconic institution of journalism to just another profit-obsessed technology company remade in the image of its tech bro billionaire owner and his move-fast-and-break-things mindset of value extraction," Clarkson Law Firm founder Ryan Clarkson said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "The Post’s deeply invasive practice of consumer surveillance is squeezing consumers for all they've got through a campaign of deception, rigging the cost of services against the very people keeping these companies in business."

JEFF BEZOS CONFRONTED ON WASHINGTON POST LAYOFFS, ARGUES PAPER MUST BE PROFITABLE REGARDLESS OF HIS WEALTH

He continued, "Consumers did not agree to be surveilled. They did not knowingly sign up to be charged a different amount from their neighbor to read the same newspaper. Discriminatory pricing systems have no place in a fair market, and they need to be dismantled."

Currently, only Maryland and Connecticut have laws banning surveillance pricing. New York's general assembly recently passed a law banning the practice that awaits the governor's signature, though state law already requires companies to disclose whether they take part in surveillance pricing.

Other states are also exploring legislation to limit companies' abilities to shift prices based on a customer's personal data.

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"Surveillance pricing has been widely condemned as unfair and deceptive," said Kristen Simplicio, partner at Clarkson Law Firm. "The Post’s exploitation of its subscribers shows just how far companies will go to pad their bottom line. Action must be taken. Consumers cannot be left behind to bear the worst of these practices while corporations profit."

The law firm is seeking punitive damages as well as statutory damages of at least $1,500 per person.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Washington Post for comment.

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The lawsuit came amid the Washington Post facing several sweeping layoffs across the company, including the closing of its sports division in February. At the time, the Post reported that it had nearly 13 million total digital-only subscribers and reported more than $800 million in revenue for the fourth quarter of 2025.

RFK Jr accuses NYT of publishing 'hit piece' sourced by 'disgruntled' employees he purged

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 19:21:00 -0400

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. launched an attack against The New York Times on Wednesday, accusing the paper of publishing a "hit piece" sourced by disgruntled former employees.

Kennedy’s post on X comes after a report claimed Kennedy was "checked out" from his position amid the latest Ebola outbreak in Africa. Kennedy rejected the narrative as "propagandist" journalism.

"In order to prove your preconceived case for my disengagement, you quote anonymous employees, some of whom I fired or who quit to avoid being fired," Kennedy wrote Wednesday.

"You had a preconceived thesis, and you set out to prove it," he later added.

ATTORNEY FOR RFK JR BLASTS 'HYSTERICAL' MEDIA REPORT AS DISTORTION OF HHS PICK'S VIEWS ON VACCINES

The article, published earlier this week by New York Times correspondent Sheryl Gay Stolberg, was titled "Kennedy Shows Minimal Engagement With Vast Health Portfolio."

It questions Kennedy's management of the department, focusing largely on his handling of the Ebola outbreak, which exposed at least six Americans. The article argues Kennedy has "shown little interest" in actually managing the major health organization and instead is focused on advancing his top priorities.

"Mr. Kennedy has shown little interest in managing the details of work in his department, according to multiple colleagues," Stolberg wrote. "Instead, they say, he is single-mindedly focused on his top priorities, including food recommendations and pesticide exposures, and hunting for evidence to support his long-held beliefs that vaccines are harmful."

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The piece added that Kennedy has made one known visit to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters. The visit to the Georgia facility came after a gunman opened fire at its headquarters and killed a police officer.

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It went on to call him "deeply mistrustful" of career civil officials and in turn has surrounded himself with people who support his views, adding, "While major posts have sat vacant and a wave of veteran health experts and scientists have departed, Mr. Kennedy has remained isolated from much of the department’s top staff."

"When I took this job, the building was empty. About 90% of the employees were not coming to work. I changed that, but your newspaper never covers my reforms," Kennedy wrote. "Nor did you cover the fact that my predecessor almost never showed up for work here during his four years in office."

He also criticized them for citing multiple unnamed sources and ex-employees, adding, "Standards have devolved, and journalism is dead. The Times now employs propagandists," he said. "The fact that you have minimal access to decision makers leaves you covering trivia and relying on your own capacity for invention."

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The New York Times responded to Kennedy's criticism, saying he declined an interview and didn't address the "detailed questions" prior to publication.

"The Times set out to examine Secretary Kennedy’s leadership and management style in light of numerous vacancies within the Department of Health and Human Services and concerns internally about his detachment from key issues and officials," a spokesperson for the Times told Fox News Digital. "The secretary declined an interview request and did not address detailed questions before publication about his approach to running the department. This article is based on conversations with a dozen people who have worked directly with Mr. Kennedy during his tenure as secretary. We are confident in our reporting."

Jerry Seinfeld gives blunt three-word response to influencer asking for a 'Free Palestine'

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 18:00:05 -0400

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld gave a blunt response to an influencer who asked the comedian to say "free Palestine," telling the streamer that it didn't exist.

"What up Seinfeld, what up? Can we get a 'free Palestine?'" the streamer Finesse Fave asked in a video posted to TikTok, as Seinfeld laughed. "Come on, give us one 'free Palestine.'"

Seinfeld responded, "It doesn't exist."

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The comedian also faced anti-Israel hecklers while leaving a New York Knicks game in May. Seinfeld, sporting a Knicks hat, took it in stride and laughed in the protester’s face as she accused him of supporting "the genocide of babies in Gaza."

A video of the incident, posted on the Palestinian Assembly for Liberation’s Instagram page, appears to show the comedian heading to his car as someone off-camera begins shouting at him.

"F--- you, Jerry Seinfeld! Free Palestine," the off-camera person yelled at Seinfeld. "You support the genocide of babies in Gaza!"

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The comedian previously slammed the "free Palestine" movement during an appearance at Duke University in September.

The "Seinfeld" creator attended a campus event for Omer Shem Tov, an Israeli hostage abducted by Hamas during the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks and held captive for 505 days. Seinfeld gave a brief introduction to Shem Tov before ridiculing anti-Israel activists, joking that at least the KKK was "honest" about their hatred for Jews.

"Free Palestine is, to me, just — you’re free to say you don’t like Jews. Just say you don’t like Jews," Seinfeld said.

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"By saying ‘Free Palestine,’ you’re not admitting what you really think," he continued. "So it’s actually — compared to the Ku Klux Klan, I’m actually thinking the Klan is actually a little better here because they can come right out and say, ‘We don’t like Blacks, we don’t like Jews.’ Okay that’s honest."

The "Seinfeld" creator, who is famous for his classic car collection, also recently spoke out on electric cars.

"I’m not interested in electric cars at all," he told AirMail in an interview published Saturday. "Anybody else wants to do it, that’s fine. I think it’s a big, stupid virtue signal. ‘Look at me. I’m saving the planet, yeah.' What about the lithium? It’s all BS."

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The stand-up comedian joked after he was asked about self-driving cars, that he always tells his kids: "that their kids will say to them, ‘You mean, when you grew up, they would let people just drive at any speed and steer the car themselves? Didn’t they just crash and kill themselves constantly?’ Yeah."

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The 72-year-old is known for collecting rare Porsches, and he’s not sure how many he has right now.

"I always say it’s an amount that if you looked at it, you would not say, ‘This makes sense.’"

Fox News' Brie Stimson and Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.

Sen Eric Schmitt shows off glove that made viral Congressional Baseball Game diving catch

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 16:32:00 -0400

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., described his history with the glove that made a thrilling catch at the annual congressional baseball game Wednesday night.

"I have had this for a long time," Schimitt told the Ruthless podcast on Thursday. "In fact, it was the summer after my freshman year in high school. I mowed lawns all summer to save up to buy this glove. I remember it was like a Rawlings outlet store in Branson, Missouri. We were on vacation, and I bought this glove and had it in high school and college."

He continued, "When I started this thing, I got it restrung at Play It Again Sports for $40 or whatever it was. And so, yeah, I've had the glove for a long time."

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Schmitt went viral Wednesday night after making a diving catch in left field at the bottom of the third inning. He quickly stood after having caught the ball, displaying a bloody nose from the fall.

"Thirty years ago, I had dreams of that, but I did not think that getting it restrung again at Play It Again Sports that somehow it would be a highlight on Sportscenter," Schmitt remarked.

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Republicans continued their winning streak, defeating Democrats at the annual game for the sixth year in a row at 11-2.

The Ruthless panel jokingly asked if Schmitt received any calls to donate the glove since the game.

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"We're still waiting for that call, but when the time comes, we'll send it along with the uniform and all the blood and the dirt all over it," Schmitt remarked.

Over 32,000 tickets were sold for the charity game, which raised over $3.1 million for Washington, D.C. charities.

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Cleveland Clinic commits $2M to detransition care under DOJ settlement

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 16:08:49 -0400

The Cleveland Clinic has agreed to commit $2 million toward detransition care as part of a settlement with the Department of Justice resolving allegations that the hospital system submitted inaccurate insurance claims related to gender-related medical procedures for minors.

The agreement, announced June 5, requires Cleveland Clinic to pay $308,000 to settle billing allegations and dedicate $2 million toward what the DOJ described as "restorative care" for detransitioners.

"We are pleased to have worked collaboratively toward a resolution related to an unintentional coding issue involving a small number of patients," Cleveland Clinic told Fox News Digital in a statement Thursday. "We remain focused on providing exceptional care to our patients and communities. We have complied and will continue to comply with all federal and state laws."

The clinic added that it had already provided detransition care to patients who requested it.

LARGEST CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL IN US TO OPEN ‘DETRANSITION CLINIC’ AFTER $10M SETTLEMENT WITH TRUMP DOJ, STATE

A press release from the Department of Justice highlighted that Cleveland Clinic’s settlement came less than a month after Texas Children’s Hospital agreed to pay a $10,000,000 penalty for similar infractions, including billing Texas Medicaid for "unallowable and illegal ‘gender-transition’ interventions," according to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, as well as starting a clinic for treating detransitioners.

"These historic commitments pair the cessation of these dangerous practices masquerading as medical treatment with substantial investments in remediating the destruction they cause and restoring the health of the victims," the press release read.

"In working towards this settlement, the United States acknowledged that Cleveland Clinic took significant steps entitling it to credit for cooperation with the Department in its investigation," it added. "At all times during the investigation, Cleveland Clinic remained cooperative, proactive, and solution-driven, as highlighted by its multi-million dollar commitment to providing care to the victims who most need it."

TEXAS TRANSGENDER CARE WHISTLEBLOWER'S LAWYERS BELIEVE UNSEALED COURT DOCS PROVE DOJ NEVER HAD A CASE

Brett Shumate, assistant attorney general for the Civil Division, said in a statement that he is "grateful that institutions like Cleveland Clinic and Texas Children’s have decided to be part of the solution, not part of the problem."

He added, "Cleveland Clinic’s commitment to providing millions of dollars towards care for detransitioners is emblematic of just that. I am grateful for this resolution with Cleveland Clinic, but our work is far from over, and our division will continue to work tirelessly to protect America’s children and hold accountable those that have preyed on vulnerable children, whether they be pharmaceutical companies or medical providers."

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Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Justice for comment.

Democratic lawmaker claims Black Americans will stop voting if they don't get reparations

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 15:30:15 -0400

Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., said during an interview on Sunday that Black Americans would stop voting if they aren't given reparations.

Lee slammed President Donald Trump's "anti-weaponization fund," and argued, "They are playing psychological warfare with us."

"And that's what they do," she continued. "Because, again, they're trying to disenfranchise you. Because if you believe that you're never going to get reparations from this system, then you tap out, and you don't just tap out of the conversation, you tap out of the system. You don't want to vote anymore. You don't participate anymore."

"And they know that that's how they don't control Congress," Lee added. "That's how you can get your school boards, your board of supervisors. They want us that far out of this system. So right now, we fight for reparations because it's owed us. It is owed us, so we're not going to back down on that one way or another."

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Lee reintroduced a resolution in May that, if passed, could give federal dollars to the descendants of enslaved people brought from Africa to the United States. Former Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo. — who lost her 2024 primary to a more moderate Democrat — introduced the reparations bill in the last Congress. Bush's bill, unveiled in May 2023, called for $14 trillion to be put toward reparations payments for descendants of slavery in the United States, but it did not go anywhere.

Lee told "The Native Land Pod" that she wasn't surprised Democrats weren't backing reparation efforts.

"I'm not shocked that my colleagues are not on it, that Democratic colleagues aren't on it," she said. "Again, there is a level of comfort in this building that sustains people. And I know that the people who don't want reparations back a lot of my colleagues, Democrat and otherwise. So no, I'm not shocked, but it is why we have to keep people on the outside encouraged."

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The Democratic congresswoman was asked about how reparations would work in practice, and about what host Andrew Gillum said was how the right has made the term reparations so "raggedy, ugly, so unattractive that White liberals are avoiding signing onto it."

"The reality is, is that the cowardice that liberals are able to show when it comes to all types of things that sound scary, but we know you have, you know, just data, evidence, empirical evidence behind it," Lee said. "And that comes with — that comes with police accountability, that comes with criminal legal reform, that comes with reparations, right?"

"We give liberals very often a pass to not be their most courageous selves," she added. "So whatever it is that we're talking about, we have to create the conditions for them to be more courageous."

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Lee said in May that she knew there would be pushback on reparations legislation.

"We know there will be pushback," she said after she reintroduced the proposal. "Reparations are a proposal to level the playing field, but the only way we could ever have a level playing field is by remedying the harms that have been done by the system."

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But Lee signaled on Wednesday that the long odds would not deter her.

Loudoun County parents not 'satisfied' after school officials testify on transgender policies

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 14:06:44 -0400

Outraged Virginia parents spoke out on the battle for parental rights after a Loudoun County education official got attention for his statements during a Capitol Hill hearing this week.

One concerned mother told Fox News she feels obligated to speak out against the "long-standing problem," not only for her own children, but for others who feel they have no voice.

"I feel compelled to stand up and speak to protect my own children, but also to protect 70,000+ other kids whose parents maybe work for the federal government or who work for a corporation that they're afraid that they'll lose their job if they should speak up," Abbie Platt told "Fox & Friends."

"And that retaliation, that retribution is well known, so I can't not speak [on] that because our school systems were so good for so long," she said.

SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE HOT SEAT AMID FRESH ALLEGATIONS OF HIDING STUDENTS' GENDER TRANSITION

Platt's children have attended school in the Loudoun County district, where transgender debates have abounded in recent years.

Her children, she said, have witnessed students socially transitioning for quite some time.

"We've been putting up with this for a very long time. That means there are boys in the girls' locker room. There are boys in the girls' bathrooms," she said.

SCHOOL BOARD SETTLES WITH BOYS ACCUSED OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT OVER TRANSGENDER STUDENT LOCKER ROOM INCIDENT

In one incident, she alleged a biological girl who claimed to be transitioning to male entered the boys' bathroom and violated her son's privacy as he stood at a urinal.

"My son came home devastated and in tears, distraught that a girl in his class would come and look at him while he was using the bathroom," she said.

She lamented that most, if not all, of the local private schools are filled, meaning many students have little opportunity to leave public schools.

Pronouns and transgender policies took center stage at heated hearings on Capitol Hill this week, where Loudoun County Public Schools Superintendent Aaron Spence affirmed that "Transgender women should be allowed in women's spaces."

School officials from other parts of the U.S. — including Chicago and San Francisco — also testified before members of Congress, answering whether biological males should be allowed to enter spaces designated for girls.

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Loudoun County father Seth Wolfe reacted to school officials' responses on Thursday, telling "Fox & Friends First" he wasn't "satisfied" with their remarks.

"This should be about our kids' education or safety," he said.

"We send our kids to public schools for them to get an education and then for them to have to worry about all those policies that keep these kids unsafe. It's just not right."

Wolfe alleged the problem has worsened over five years, arguing that policies in place "take the rights of parents."

When reached for comment, the Loudoun County Public School's communications office directed Fox News Digital to Dr. Spence's opening statement to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

White House blasts Washington Post's claim Reflecting Pool 'looks almost the same' after Trump renovations

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 13:26:28 -0400

The Washington Post faced backlash, including from the Trump administration, after suggesting that the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool "looks almost the same" following President Donald Trump's renovations.

"After Trump's $10 million renovation, the Reflecting Pool is full again — and looks almost the same," The Washington Post wrote alongside an image comparison of the Reflecting Pool in 2022 and 2026 on X Tuesday.

The paper also shared an article from last week on the renovations in an X post that read, "The Reflecting Pool on the National Mall has been refilled following President Trump’s renovations. The project ultimately took six weeks and cost more than $10 million, far more than Trump initially projected."

TRUMP TORCHES 'STUPID' QUESTION FROM REPORTER ON BEAUTIFICATION PROJECTS AMID IRAN WAR

The social media post quickly went viral as several social media commentators remarked that images The Washington Post shared already showed differences made by Trump's renovations.

The backlash also extended to Trump's team, which called out the paper for allegedly misleading readers.

"The water was green. Now it's not. Hope this helps," the Trump War Room account posted along with an older image of the Reflecting Pool.

"This successful renovation not only made the Reflecting Pool more beautiful, but it was completed at a fraction of the time and cost of Obama's botched project — AND it finally addressed the leaks that caused millions of gallons of water loss per year. But the Fake News @washingtonpost won't acknowledge that," the White House Rapid Response 47 account wrote.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum's communications director, Cody Sargent, commented, "Why is the @washingtonpost so committed to this stupid lie? Here’s an actual before and after from @EarthCam."

Sargent also posted two images of the Reflecting Pool from March 2026 and June 2026.

WASHINGTON POST SLAMMED FOR DESCRIBING AYATOLLAH KHAMENEI AS ‘AVUNCULAR’ WITH ‘EASY SMILE'

Several other commentators and political figures called out the Post for its claim as well.

"Why put this spin on it when it’s obvious that it looks much better? Not exactly helping in the media credibility department," Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., commented.

Podcast host Katie Miller remarked, "The original cost estimate was $300 million way more than the $10 million it cost. President Trump saved the taxpayers $290 million."

"It works. It doesn’t leak. It doesn’t smell like wet dog hair. It doesn’t have algae swirling in it. Go pound sand," Media Research Center President David Bozell commented.

The Washington Post referred to past reporting on the Reflecting Pool when reached for a comment by Fox News Digital.

In a piece from Saturday, the Washington Post reported how Trump's renovation projects throughout Washington, D.C. had "triggered a growing backlash from preservationists, members of Congress and voters across the country, who say that he is exceeding his authority by unilaterally remaking public spaces."

However, the article also acknowledged that critics have also supported his efforts to clean up the city and restore crumbling infrastructure.

CNN PANEL ERUPTS OVER TRUMP'S $13M LINCOLN MEMORIAL REFLECTING POOL RENOVATION AFTER DOGE-ERA CUTS

Trump announced intentions to fix what he called the "absolutely filthy" Reflecting Pool in March with the intention of having it repaired by the time of July 4 celebrations.

Critics have voiced concerns over the pool resurfacing with "industrial-grade" material in the color "American flag blue," with a nonprofit called the Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF) going so far as to file a lawsuit against the National Park Service (NPS) to halt the project.

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Trump confirmed last week during a White House event that renovations were complete.

The article was updated to include the Washington Post's response.

Michigan lawmaker moves to shut down 'guardrail-free' cash handout program for new mothers

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 11:21:52 -0400

A Michigan state lawmaker is taking aim at a taxpayer-funded cash assistance program for pregnant mothers, calling it "bad policy" and demanding changes to how millions of dollars are distributed.

"The reason I don't think it's good policy is because we are asking taxpayers to put money on the table with no guardrails, with no independent analysis of whether it is actually accomplishing anything," House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Jay DeBoyer, R-Clay Township, told Fox News Digital.

The pushback intensified last week when Michigan House Republicans demanded a rigorous inspection of the initiative, aggressively questioning its long-term benefits and sounding the alarm over how state funds are being allocated. While the program previously enjoyed bipartisan support across three state budgets — earning praise from Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and some GOP lawmakers — a growing faction of Republicans are now levying sharp criticism.

Michigan House Republican Leader Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, has also slammed the initiative, previously labeling it "a scam."

ALBUQUERQUE USES WEED TAX TO FUND 'NO-STRINGS-ATTACHED' GUARANTEED INCOME, SPARKING POLICY DEBATE

The initiative is designed to issue a "no-strings-attached" $1,500 cash payment to expectant mothers, followed by $500 per month during the child's first year.

"The problem that I think exists, the thing that red flags me the most, is that you can spend it on anything," DeBoyer said. "That's just a social welfare program. You're just saying, 'Here's money to make your economic condition better,' right? So the question is, should we do that in perpetuity?"

The scrutiny boiled over during a June 2 House Oversight Committee hearing, where GOP lawmakers targeted "Rx Kids"—an initiative billed as the nation's largest citywide cash aid program for prenatal and infant care. The intense debate over the merits of the program has been escalating for months, with House Republicans previously characterizing the measure as a "cash-for-votes scheme."

DeBoyer challenged assertions made by Dr. Mona Hanna, the co-director of the program, who has argued that Rx Kids should not be classified as a traditional guaranteed income program.

The lawmaker pointed to the state's Department of Health and Human Services Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) plan, which explicitly notes that a "guaranteed income program is a cash payment provided on a regular basis to members of a community with no strings attached and no work requirement," listing Rx Kids payments as a direct example.

"So which one is it? And that's when I really started to get skeptical," DeBoyer told Fox News Digital. "So what are you trying to hide, right? Why are you giving me a half-truth, or are you just ignorant?"

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According to the Rx Kids website, the initiative distinguishes its model from standard guaranteed income by framing it as a "child allowance" consisting of "targeted, life-course investments." The program notes these funds "focus specifically on pregnancy, infancy, and childhood — periods when resources matter most for brain development, health, and long-term outcomes."

Similar basic income experiments have launched nationwide, utilizing a mix of public taxpayer funds and private donations. However, several programs have been forced to halt operations following legal challenges from Republican officials who object to no-strings-attached cash distributions.

Responding to DeBoyer’s criticisms, H. Luke Shaefer, a key architect of the program and a professor at the University of Michigan, told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that the lawmaker is standing on an "island." Shaefer emphasized that the measure historically received broad bipartisan backing in the legislature, including strong support from lawmakers representing Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

First launched as a pilot program in Flint in January 2024, Rx Kids has since expanded to several municipalities across the state, including Detroit. To date, more than 12,000 families have received upwards of $42 million in direct support.

DeBoyer also set his sights on the program’s administrative overhead. Rx Kids is led by Michigan State University (MSU) and administered by GiveDirectly, a nonprofit specializing in direct cash transfers. The program has raised nearly $400 million in total commitments from a blend of state, municipal, and philanthropic funding.

"By the way, the Department of Health and Human Services manages those programs, for the most part," DeBoyer argued. "Why are we paying $45 million for someone else to manage a program when we have an entity in the state that already does this?"

CALIFORNIA ‘BASIC INCOME’ EXPERIMENT FAILS TO PROVIDE ‘FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE,’ STUDY FINDS

Dr. Hanna, who serves as the associate dean for public health at MSU, countered DeBoyer's concerns in a statement to Fox News Digital, stressing that the program operates with high efficiency and rigorous oversight.

"Funds are distributed through established systems with extensive safeguards, eligibility verification, fraud prevention protocols, auditing processes, data-use agreements, and independent oversight," Hanna said.

"The program also had two previous years of state funding. When you consider the 5–6 years of state funding, the administration of the program is about $7–8M/year," she continued, noting that Rx Kids is a public-private partnership that has leveraged nearly $90 million from non-state philanthropic sources.

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"The overwhelming majority of funding supports families directly — approximately 15% of state funds support the administration of the program — that is an incredible level of efficiency," Hanna added.

JD Vance to appear on 'The View' next week in first visit to the reliably liberal ABC News program

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 10:31:14 -0400

Vice President JD Vance will appear on "The View" next week, marking his first appearance on the reliably liberal ABC News program, Fox News Digital has learned.

Vance, who is set to join the show on June 16, will be the third sitting vice president to appear on "The View." All six co-hosts, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, Alyssa Farah Griffin and Ana Navarro, are expected to be in studio for the rare interview with an elected Republican.

"The View" had a total of 341 guests in 2025, but only two of them were conservative, while 128 were liberal, according to a study conducted by the Media Research Center's NewsBusters.

‘THE VIEW’ HAD 128 LIBERAL GUESTS BUT ONLY TWO CONSERVATIVES IN 2025, STUDY FINDS

Vance will discuss his new book, "Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith," along with news of the day and his goals for the Trump administration.

Vance's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

"The View" has been famously anti-Trump for years, frequently criticizing the president and members of his administration.

'THE VIEW' HOSTS HAVE FIERCE CLASH OVER MIDDLE EAST, WHOOPI GOLDBERG COMPARES U.S. TO IRAN

In March, Hostin and Behar attacked second lady Usha Vance as they suggested she was "addicted" to power and that their values should align because the country is in an "existential crisis." Hostin argued that Usha and Vice President’s values did not align, as she quoted Vance once saying that he hoped Usha, who is Hindu, would "come to see" and believe in the Christian gospel.

That same episode, Behar pointed to the vice president's past criticism of President Donald Trump and said Vance now kisses Trump's "butt every day."

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UFC star Bo Nickal says he always wanted cauliflower ear because 'the toughest guys' he knew had it

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 10:15:48 -0400

While most people might consider cauliflower ear an injury, Bo Nickal saw it as a goal.

The UFC star said in the latest episode of the "Hang Out with Sean Hannity" podcast that, growing up around fighters, he viewed the sport's recognizable badge of toughness as something to aspire to.

"I always wanted it," Nickal told Hannity, pointing to others in his life who had cauliflower ear.

The three-time NCAA wrestling champion said he fell in love with wrestling at a young age. While his mother wasn't thrilled about her son gravitating toward combat sports, Nickal said the tough wrestlers and fighters around him became some of his earliest role models.

TRUMP MARVELED AT SIZE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BO NICKAL AND PAUL CRAIG, UFC PRESIDENT DANA WHITE SAYS

"I wanted [cauliflower ear] because the toughest guys I know all have cauliflower ear. I want to be like that," he said.

"My grandpa had cauliflower ears and stuff like that, so everybody that I saw that I looked up to … they all had mangled ears, and I was like, 'I'm gonna have those too.'"

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"Cauliflower ear" refers to a permanent outer-ear deformity resulting from repeated blunt trauma. Health experts say the phenomenon occurs when a hematoma, or bruise, forms in the outer ear and disrupts the cartilage's blood supply, eventually prompting fibrocartilaginous overgrowth.

Nickal's conversation with Hannity traced his path from a blue-collar upbringing and youth wrestling mats to the UFC Octagon, including the influences that have shaped his career.

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Nickal will face Kyle Daukaus in the ring June 14 as part of UFC Freedom 250 on the White House's South Lawn.

"Hannity" fans can check out the latest podcast episode on YouTube, Spotify, Apple and more.

Kathy Griffin addresses old photo of her and Trump appearing to be friendly

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 07:42:39 -0400

Comedian Kathy Griffin clarified that an old image of her and President Donald Trump sitting amicably next to each other at an event was, in fact, "not an AI photo."

At the start of a video posted to her YouTube channel Tuesday, Griffin claimed that several people had been sending her a picture of her with Trump, whom she described as "someone I used to know, but now I don’t care to know any longer."

Griffin confirmed that the photo was real, adding that she previously had a friendly relationship with Trump.

KATHY GRIFFIN STANDS BY BELIEF THAT TRUMP DIDN'T WIN 2024 ELECTION, DESPITE 'TINFOIL HAT' LABEL

"I know. Can you f---ing believe it?" Griffin exclaimed. "There was a time I knew Donald as someone who would show up at the opening of an envelope, and I would sit next to him sometimes, and he’d laugh at my jokes. I’m not glorifying him in his last, final days in any way. I want to show you that is not an AI photo, and that's why I got the dress out, which I still fit into, by the way, because that picture's got to be 20 years old."

Despite her frequent attacks against Trump, Griffin admitted she loved one of the images of her, Trump and financial TV personality Suze Orman.

"It captures the 2000s so much, where I would just run into Donald quite often at events, and he was ever-present," Griffin said.

KATHY GRIFFIN SAYS SHE’S MADE ‘TRUMPER FRIENDS’ YEARS AFTER BLOODY TRUMP PHOTO SPARKED OUTRAGE

She added, "I just wanted you to know that I’m aware there are many pictures of me with Donald on the internet, and MAGA people love to post them and act like I’m a phony when I acted like I jokingly, Perseus-style, wanted to decapitate him in a photo that's been memorialized over and over again which I stand by because it was satire."

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.

In 2017, Griffin drew bipartisan backlash after posting an image of herself holding a Halloween mask covered in ketchup that appeared to resemble the severed head of Trump. In addition to facing condemnation, Griffin was investigated by the Secret Service over whether the image constituted a threat against the president.

KATHY GRIFFIN TELLS FANS TO FIND OUT WHICH NEIGHBORS ARE 'MAGA' AND ORGANIZE ICE RESISTANCE

Though she initially apologized for the image, Griffin has since retracted the apology, recently claiming she was "proud" of posting it.

"People still define me by it. Now, I really own it, and I absolutely lean into it, because I was right, and I was ahead of my time," Griffin said in an interview.

"And, so, when I look at that picture now, I'm very proud of it."

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Film producer says 'made in America' movies can help revive Hollywood's struggling industry

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 06:00:39 -0400

A Hollywood executive who spent nearly two decades helping American studios break into China's film market now says the industry has become too dependent on Beijing and says his latest movie shows how things can turn around.

Chris Fenton, a veteran producer who worked to bring major releases such as "Iron Man 3" to Chinese audiences, later became an outspoken critic of Hollywood's reliance on China, writing about his concerns in his 2020 book, "Feeding the Dragon."

"We were really at the trailblazing, pivotal spot in terms of collaborating with that superpower and bringing in a product and service which had never been in that market before in any sort of serious monetizable way," Fenton told Fox News Digital.

TRUMP TRIES TO SAVE HOLLYWOOD WITH 100% TARIFF ON FOREIGN-PRODUCED FILMS, BUT INSIDERS SAY INDUSTRY IS 'DYING'

"And we did that for well over a decade during, really, the glory days between the U.S. and China in terms of the entertainment business."

Fenton began to realize this relationship came at a cost. He said U.S. studios were making creative and business decisions to satisfy Chinese authorities that ended up boosting their film industry and spreading their messaging around the world.

"We placated them both by allowing their domestic industry to learn and progress as quickly as possible to become best in class like Hollywood," he explained. "We censored our content, and we reprogrammed our content to fit the narrative that Beijing directed in order to have access to that market."

One example, he said, involved the 2012 science-fiction film "Looper," starring Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Fenton said scenes of the story originally set in France were moved to China as filmmakers sought to appeal to Chinese authorities and audiences.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, TARIFFS: WILL TRUMP'S PROPOSAL TO BOOST AMERICAN FILM JOBS WORK? AMERICANS AREN'T SURE

He argued these compromises ultimately failed to preserve Hollywood's standing there.

"That market was about anywhere from 50% to 80% Hollywood titles. Now it's under 5%," he said. "So, not only have we spread Beijing's messaging around the world ... but we also lost the market in the process."

Around 2019, Fenton began to speak publicly about the long-term consequences of Hollywood's dependence on China. But it wasn't enough to just sound the alarm about the problem for Fenton; he also wanted to show a way forward.

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That effort led to his new movie, "Bad Counselors," a comedy produced entirely in the United States, with an all-American cast and crew.

"It's a nostalgic story about summer camp," Fenton said.

The film, which arrives in theaters July 23–27 through Fathom Entertainment, follows two fraternity brothers who pose as counselors at a Christian summer camp while completing court-ordered community service.

Fenton said the production employed roughly 1,200 Americans, from actors and writers to crew members and vendors.

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"We went out of our way to make sure that we employed and hired only Americans," he said. "It was really harmonious and a fantastic process. … We ended up getting a really good movie out of it."

The producer believes Hollywood should place greater emphasis on domestic production at a time when the industry is facing economic pressures, layoffs and foreign incentives to bring film projects over.

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He's advocating for federal incentives to keep film and television jobs here in America, arguing that America's existing infrastructure and workforce are already the best in the world.

"All it's doing is allowing us to play on a level field with the rest of the nations around the world, and once we get there, we're going to be able to bring essentially a full 2.7 million jobs back. Which, by the way, is about a quarter of a trillion dollars in wages, which is pretty unbelievable," he said.

Teachers union facing years of deficits seeks to become Oregon's largest PAC, internal documents show

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 21:00:36 -0400

The largest teachers union in Oregon is looking to become the state's biggest political action committee by 2026, internal documents provided to Fox News Digital by Defending Education show. The Oregon group is also proposing new member assessments, expanding its political influence and advancing resolutions on a variety of issues including taxation and artificial intelligence.

The Oregon Education Association (OEA), which represents almost 41,000 educators and education support staff, is an affiliate of the National Education Association. In a section of its 2026 Representative Assembly Handbook labeled "strategic metrics," the group lists its goals by category.

In the "Transforming Politics: Creating a pro-public school environment" category, the OEA states that it aims to be the largest PAC in Oregon by fall 2026. Under the same category, the OEA states that it is seeking to "increase engagement and success of endorsed candidates."

In a new report, watchdog group Defending Education details OEA's goals, activities and spending based on internal documents, campaign finance records and tax filings. The organization argues that OEA's political ambitions are reflected both in its strategic planning documents and its spending history.

CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION BUDGETING MILLIONS FOR 'POLITICAL ACTIVITIES,' ACCORDING TO FISCAL REPORT

State campaign finance records reviewed by Fox News Digital show that the OEA contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to political organizations, ballot measure campaigns and candidates. This included contributions to Legislative Accountability 1 and Transparent Elections for Grassroots Engagement. The state records also show OEA donated to campaigns for John Wasielewski, Michael Sugar and Lesly Muñoz, among others.

Defending Education's report also cites contributions to then-gubernatorial candidate Tina Kotek's campaign. Fox News Digital was unable to independently verify those contributions through the records reviewed for this report.

The OEA's strategic planning documents also outline racial and social justice goals. Under the Racial & Social Justice category, the OEA stated that its goal for 2026-27 was to "improve pK-CC funding to build racially and culturally responsive schools that attract and retain historically marginalized students and educators."

The OEA handbook also laid out a series of proposed resolutions, including one calling for heavy taxation for billionaires and top income earners, another opposing AI-powered weapons and guidance limiting the use of AI as a tool to reduce staffing in schools.

SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER’S EXPLOSIVE LAWSUIT CLAIMS TEACHERS UNION LIED ABOUT FUNNELING MONEY TO POLITICAL GROUPS

Even as it strives to be Oregon's largest PAC, the OEA acknowledges that it must work to reach a balanced budget, saying in its 2026 Representative Assembly handbook that it has had budget deficits since the 2018-19 school year.

The organization said in its documents that it "has been projecting budget deficits (expenses in excess of revenues) since 2018. We are making progress toward returning to a balanced budget."

"Expected budget deficits have decreased $2.1 million from 2021 to 2026, while assumed reserve strengthening has increased to 1% of membership dues in the past 2 years," OEA's documents say.

AMERICAN STUDENTS' LACK OF BASIC CIVICS KNOWLEDGE ALARMS EDUCATION ADVOCATES

At the same time, OEA leaders are proposing a bylaw that would impose a $20 annual assessment per member for a "Public School Funding Campaign" for a period of three years unless extended by the union's Representative Assembly. With nearly 41,000 members statewide, the assessment could generate roughly $820,000 if approved.

Meanwhile, the OEA projects that personnel spending will surpass $23.8 million in the 2026-27 fiscal year, according to budget documents reviewed by Fox News Digital. The documents also show that salaries and benefits account for roughly 79.3% of projected expenditures.

Defending Education argues that the union's political goals, spending priorities and policy agenda show an increasing focus on activism.

Rhyen Staley, director of research at Defending Education, said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital that the OEA presented "another example of how teachers unions utilize member dues to fund left-wing political campaigns and far-left activism."

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Staley argued that the union's political ambitions come as Oregon students struggle to keep up in crucial subjects. According to 2024 data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, Oregon students scored significantly below the national average in fourth-grade math, fourth-grade reading and eighth-grade math.

"It should be infuriating for parents and community members that while the union continues to spend tens of millions on pet projects and their own salaries, Oregon continues to rank poorly when it comes to educational outcomes. There needs to be accountability for these organizations that continue to benefit while children and families struggle," Staley said.

Fox News Digital reached out to OEA for comment.

Abortion 'severely stigmatized' in Hollywood with 'dangerously misleading distortions,' new doc claims

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 20:00:57 -0400

A new documentary called "Hollywood Does Abortion" asserted that abortion has been "severely stigmatized" by the entertainment industry until recently.

The movie, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival Sunday, is described as diving into how, "from the 1970s to the present, film and television have too often relied on dangerously misleading distortions about abortions and the people who seek them."

"In programs like 'Roseanne' and 'Party of Five" or movies like 'Juno,' characters often agonized over whether to have the kid and either had a false positive or miscarriage that prevented them from needing to make a choice or opted to give birth," Variety reported on the documentary.

OUTCRY OVER YOUTUBER'S DOWN SYNDROME ABORTION PROVES AMERICANS ARE 'REPULSED BY EUGENICS,' ACTIVIST SAYS

"Other films and series like 'Dirty Dancing' or 'The Sopranos' depicted women nearly dying from their abortions or having long-term medical consequences that left them unable to have children. The negative portrait of abortion in these films and series contributed to is counterintuitive because Hollywood is often seen as a bastion of liberal politics."

Directors Barbara Attie, Janet Goldwater and Mike Attie argued that although there have been more media portrayals of abortion in recent years, many of them are still depicted in a negative light.

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"We think of Hollywood as being very progressive, yet we went through a pretty big era where abortion was severely stigmatized," Barbara Attie said, according to Variety.

"It was made to be shameful. There would be a plot line where somebody would be thinking about getting an abortion. They would ask their friends what they should do, and they would agonize over it. And then they would miscarry. The kind of messaging that TV and films were giving us was eye-opening."

Even in movies or television shows depicting women having abortions, the documentary claimed that Hollywood films and TV have either exaggerated medical complications or inaccurately depicted post-abortion regret.

NEW CHILDREN’S BOOK SPARKS OUTRAGE FOR CALLING ABORTION A ‘SUPERPOWER’

"It continues this idea that there will be long-term regret," Goldwater said. "There’s a study that shows people who are turned away and who don’t have abortions are actually the ones who experience regret and long-term negative financial and emotional repercussions. And it turns out that people who have abortions don’t experience much regret. They experience a lot of relief."

In a comment to Fox News Digital, the pro-life organization Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America called the film's suggestion a "hard position to argue."

"From Jean Harlow to Judy Garland, Hollywood has relied on abortion and coercion to control actresses, cover abuse and maintain glamorous illusions," communications director Kelsey Pritchard said. "Many have suffered terribly because of it; women who have abortions are significantly more likely to experience negative mental health effects, especially the majority who face pressure and endure abortions they don’t really want.

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"Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood, America’s largest abortion business, and other pro-abortion groups put considerable effort into normalizing abortion on our screens. Where there are exceptions, they tend to meet real popular success even in spite of censorship, while attempts to make light of killing unborn children are box office flops."

New director's cut of 2024 ‘Reagan’ biopic will return to theaters for America’s 250th anniversary

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 19:00:39 -0400

The "Reagan" biopic with Dennis Quaid playing former President Ronald Reagan will return to theaters with new scenes as America celebrates its 250th birthday.

According to Deadline, there are plans for both limited audience screenings on July 4 in over a dozen cities and a wider-scale rerelease in September in 600 theaters. This theatrical run will include an additional 10 minutes of footage not included in the original run of the film.

Deadline specified, "The additional scenes include moments between Reagan and his wife Nancy (Penelope Ann Miller) in the Oval Office, a scene between Reagan and his alcoholic father, Jack, and scenes at the Reagans’ ranch near Santa Barbara. In its initial run, the film had a worldwide gross of more than $30 million, per Box Office Mojo."

Director Sean McNamara said of the extended cut in the rerelease, "One of the hardest things about directing a feature film is leaving behind incredible moments on the cutting room floor. I’m so happy to have some of my favorite scenes back in the film for audiences to experience them for the first time."

'REAGAN' SCREENWRITER CLAIMS OSCARS' DEI REQUIREMENTS EXCLUDED FILM FROM BEST PICTURE CONSIDERATION

One memorable aspect of the film’s original release was its parallels with the rise of Reagan himself.

Author Paul Kengor, whose books on Reagan were used as the basis for the film and who worked directly with the filmmakers, suggested the "disparity" between review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes critics' score and audience score for the movie "Reagan" was comparable to Reagan's landslide presidential win in 1980 as he recalled his books' whirlwind ride to the theaters.

As of the time of this reporting, the "Reagan" film on Rotten Tomatoes maintains a massive disparity between the dismal critics' score of 17% versus the wildly popular audience-rated score of 98%.

A writer for The Boston Globe called it an "interminable hagiography" and "a wretched 2½-hour bore that's uncurious about its subject." A Washington Post critic called it "worthless" as a piece of history, while The Daily Beast called it the worst movie of the year.

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Kengor said the disparity between the audience and critics' reviews reminded him of the 1980 presidential election, which Reagan won in a landslide against Democratic incumbent President Jimmy Carter.

"Yeah, the disparity is really profound," Kengor said of the reviews. "In fact, it reminds me of what happened in 1984 when Ronald Reagan won 49 out of 50 states, which is probably about 98% of the states. If you do the math on this, 49 of 50 states won about 60% of the vote, won the Electoral College 525 to 13.

"But you had these liberal critics who didn't like him, and they were very much in the minority. And I tell my students today, I tell other people, when you meet some liberal professor who is slamming Ronald Reagan in the classroom, just say, 'You know, professor, but how did the guy win 49 out of 50 states?' Right? I mean, he was liked. He was always liked."

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Fox News' Cortney O'Brien contributed to this report.

Ms Rachel visits Delaney Hall, laments Trump admin 'terrorizing children'

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 18:31:19 -0400

Popular children's educator Ms. Rachel visited Delaney Hall, an immigration detention facility in Newark, N.J., on Monday, to visit families she said had been "terrorized" by immigration enforcement.

The YouTuber, whose real name is Rachel Griffin Accurso, shared a video of herself speaking with the daughter of a detained man in the facility, who emotionally recounted her visit with him. Accurso wrote that the man had lived in the United States for 20 years and worked as a truck driver. She encouraged followers to donate to the family.

"Please let their kind, loving father be with his family again," she wrote in the post.

"How is ripping this family apart and taking him from his children, one with severe special needs, OK?" she asked. "I spoke with many traumatized kids who are scared to sleep at night. Why are we terrorizing children?"

GOV MIKIE SHERRILL ACCUSES ICE OF DENYING HER ACCESS TO NEWARK DETENTION FACILITY DELANEY HALL

She also posted a video of herself singing alongside families and immigration activists to a song with the lyrics, "Together we'll sing down the walls everywhere... together we'll sing until everyone's free."

Accurso tagged the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice in the posts.

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson strongly pushed back on those claims in a statement to Fox News Digital, saying that critics of immigration enforcement have ignored children exploited by smugglers and sex traffickers who crossed the border under the Biden administration.

The spokesperson also disputed claims of family separation, saying, "ICE does not separate families. Parents are asked if they want to be removed with their children or ICE will place the children with a safe person the parent designates."

The spokesperson also said that DHS "has led the efforts to rescue and stop the exploitation of the 450,000 unaccompanied children the Biden administration lost or placed with unvetted sponsors" and is "laser focused on protecting children and will continue to work with federal, state, and local law enforcement to reunite children with their families."

CELEBRITIES DEMAND TEXAS ICE FACILITY BE SHUT DOWN AND 'END CHILD IMPRISONMENT' IN NEW PETITION

On Wednesday, Accurso also shared she was in Washington, D.C. to urge members of Congress "to end family detention and separation and unite in not wanting to be people who harm, abuse, traumatize and terrify children."

Accurso said she delivered letters from children, whose parents were in detention centers, to both Republicans and Democrats.

"This is not a partisan issue," she said. "We will all look back on this time and remember if we stood with children being abused in detention centers or with corporations making millions and harming them with our tax dollars."

Accurso's visit to Delaney comes just days after anti-ICE agitators were arrested outside the facility on Friday for allegedly assaulting law enforcement officers, engaging in obstruction and threats, according to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

This isn't the first time Accurso has visited children with parents detained in immigration facilities. Accurso visited children at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in South Texas in March.

GOP REP GONZALES SAYS VIDEO OF KIDS EXPOSES DEM ‘GRANDSTANDING’ OVER CONDITIONS AT TEXAS ICE FACILITY

In an interview with NBC News at the time, she embraced the label that she was being "political."

"I am political," Accurso previously said. "It’s political to believe that children are worthy of love and care, and that every child is equal, and that our care shouldn’t stop at what we look like, our family, at our religion, at a border."

The visit is the latest example of the YouTube star's political activism. Accurso has been outspoken about her support for Gaza children and has been a fierce critic of the Israel-Hamas war. She's garnered criticism for citing the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry’s casualty statistics in her social media posts.

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In January, she apologized for liking an antisemitic comment from one of her followers, and posted a video afterward saying it was accidental.

"I do not support language that targets or harms the Jewish community or any community," she told Fox News Digital at the time. "Antisemitism and hate of any kind have no place in my life or my work. Everything I do is rooted in kindness, inclusion, and care for all humanity. Those values guide me every day, and I remain firmly committed to them."

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Accurso did not immediately return Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Fox News' Lindsay Kornick and Madison Colombo contributed to this report.

'The View' co-hosts battle over Graham Platner after scandal-plagued Dem wins Maine primary

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 17:54:20 -0400

After Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner won the state's Democratic primary on Tuesday, the co-hosts of "The View" locked horns on Wednesday over whether to set aside concerns about his multiple controversies and support him.

"When you show me you have so much hate in your heart, that you can literally wipe off full groups of people and you name it, fill in the blank, he has, that Nazi tattoo that he supposedly has covered up and said he didn’t know what it meant, but many ex-girlfriends said he used to proudly call it what it is, a Totenkopf, which is a Nazi symbol," co-host Sara Haines said. "He has shown us who he is."

"This is the party of MeToo. Women have made accusations," she continued. "They have not been proven yet, but weren’t we supposed to listen and hear them? Literally we are in a time of antisemitism. The numbers of antisemitic hate and this guy proudly wore a tattoo for years, all the things he’s shown us and we’re going to say, well this time because we might agree with his policy we can turn our heads. I cannot turn my head, and I hope other people will join me."

Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin said, "He also mocked wounded veterans, he has a bunch of homophobic slurs that have emerged online. The track record is really bad."

'THE VIEW' ERUPTS AFTER HOSTIN DECLARES 'I WOULD HOLD MY NOSE' AND VOTE FOR SCANDAL-PLAGUED GRAHAM PLATNER

"I know his accuser — I’ve known her for over a decade — who spoke to The New York Times," Griffin continued. "I believe her. I believe it’s very credible what she’s accused him of. He denies it, but we have to care."

Griffin concluded that just because Democrats don’t approve of the current administration doesn’t mean they should engage in a "race to the bottom."

Meanwhile, co-host Sunny Hostin, who proclaimed last week "I would hold my nose" to vote for Platner if she lived in Maine, doubled down on her support.

"I don’t think Republicans, at this point, can ask us to take the moral high ground," she argued. "That is over at this point. I’m sorry."

Hostin went on to urge Democrats to "put emotions on the side, let’s be strategic, let’s get some power, let’s take over the Senate, let’s take over the House and let’s right the ship. Let’s get our country back."

"I am sorry, I am someone that believes in character, I am someone that believes that morals matter," she concluded. "But because of the state of this country, I would — if I lived in Maine I would hold my nose and I would vote for Platner. I would."

‘HE HATED WOMEN’: EXPLOSIVE ABUSE, NEW NAZI TATTOO ALLEGATIONS FROM EXES ROCK PLATNER'S CAMPAIGN

Platner, a military combat veteran and oyster farmer who is backed by progressives, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., defeated two long-shot rivals in Maine's Democratic Senate primary.

Platner has been playing defense the past month, amid multiple controversies, including inflammatory online comments made on Reddit, a well-publicized and now-covered-up tattoo on his chest that resembled a Nazi symbol, recent reports that he exchanged sexually explicit messages with several women while married, and new allegations last week from ex-girlfriends of a history of rape fantasies, heavy drinking and violent episodes.

Platner has called the allegations of violence untrue.

Fox News Digital reached out to Platner’s campaign but did not immediately receive a response.

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Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser and Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.

Nikki Haley says Trump should threaten Russia, China with 'force' over their military aid to Iran

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 17:27:57 -0400

Former U.S. Amb. to the United Nations Nikki Haley said President Donald Trump must take a tougher stance on Russia and China to further weaken Iran, suggesting he threaten them with "force."

Her remarks on "The Story" come as Trump vows to hit Iran "hard" again after U.S. forces launched strikes against the nation for shooting down a U.S. helicopter.

"I think Trump was right to absolutely say, 'We're going to hit them,' especially after they've gone after us. But let's take it a step further and go after China and Russia," the former South Carolina governor said Wednesday.

Haley said Russia and China have provided military assets – like drones and satellite imagery – to Iran and argued that Trump should threaten the world superpowers with "force" if such support continues.

PETRAEUS CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA OVER ALLEGED INTELLIGENCE SUPPORT TO IRAN

"When we go after China and Russia, and hold them accountable, and tell them to stop, that's when we'll start to really see Iran get weakened," she added.

Haley said the pressure the U.S. is putting on Iran must extend beyond Tehran to the regime’s allies, including Russia and China, which she accused of aiding Iran’s war effort.

"[Trump] needs to pick up the phone and call Xi, and he needs a pickup a phone and call Putin and say, 'Stop it'," she said.

TRUMP DELAYS XI MEETING AS IRAN CONFLICT LETS US STRONG-ARM CHINA’S OIL SUPPLY

"He needs to let them know that they will be held accountable, and he will put force on them if they continue to help Iran in this war. And they need to know he's serious, and he has to be prepared to follow through with it," she continued.

Trump had a positive visit with Chinese President Xi Jinping last month and said the world leader offered to help end the Iran conflict and agreed Tehran cannot possess a nuclear weapon.

The president warned Wednesday that Iran has "taken too long" to negotiate an agreement and reiterated calls for officials to "sign a deal."

TRUMP KEEPS FORECASTING AN IRAN DEAL — WHY THE WHITE HOUSE STILL THINKS IT CAN HAPPEN

Iran remains stubborn in abandoning its nuclear capabilities. The nation’s president Masoud Pezeshkian responded to Trump’s threat on X Wednesday, saying Iran "will stand firm against any pressure."

Haley said Iran is willing to endure "a lot of pain" to maintain its pre-war position in the Strait of Hormuz and preserve capabilities to develop a nuclear weapon.

The diplomat also suggested Iran may be using negotiations to buy time as the conflict drags on, warning that they are likely "strategizing."

"The reality is, Iran never had any intention of negotiating," Haley asserted. "They've done this so many times. They stall. They make you think they are going to do something. Right when you think you've got a deal, they throw cold water on it. And then, the whole time, they're strategizing."

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The former South Carolina governor called on the U.S. and Israel to finish the job, as the war drags on past 3 months.

"I think Israel and the U.S. have done an amazing job at weakening Iran," Haley said. "And now they just need to finish what they started."

California's 'leisurely' ballot counting faces backlash, Dems ripped for 'defending the indefensible'

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 16:23:07 -0400

California's "leisurely" ballot counting process is facing backlash from The New York Times editorial board, which ripped Democrats for defending the "indefensible" in a piece published Wednesday.

"This slowness is a failure of governance, and it should help inspire the creation of a better system," the editorial board wrote. "There is no good reason that California takes so long to count votes. Most democracies around the world count votes quickly. So do most other large U.S. states, including Texas, Florida, Michigan and Virginia."

California's primary occurred on June 2 and the state is still counting ballots.

"California’s leisurely approach to vote counting is a recent phenomenon. Before 2015, the state required that mail-in ballots arrive by Election Day. It now allows them to arrive seven days later so long as they are postmarked by Election Day. The state also uses a burdensome process for confirming voters’ signatures. Lawmakers say they are prioritizing accuracy and access, but states that tabulate results quickly have elections that are neither less accurate nor less accessible than California’s," the editorial noted.

CALIFORNIA ELECTION LIMBO FUELED BY 4 PRESSURE POINTS DRAGGING OUT VOTE COUNT, EXPERT SAYS

The Times called out the many excuses for slow counting, and said none were persuasive.

They called for a national law to establish Election Day as the final day to accept mail-in ballots.

The editorial board also argued that Congress should push states to count all ballots on Election Day.

"In the case of vote counting, California Democrats are defending the indefensible. The rapid counting of ballots was the norm for more than a century and remains the norm in other democratic countries. It is time for California to catch up to its own past," it wrote.

California holds what's known as a jungle primary in which all candidates, regardless of party affiliation, appear on the same ballot, with the top two finishers advancing to the general election.

After a week of counting ballots, it was confirmed late Tuesday that Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton will advance to the November California gubernatorial election in the race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

RNC RAILS AGAINST CALIFORNIA'S LATE MAIL-IN BALLOT COUNTING AMID NATIONAL LITIGATION: 'IT IS ABSURD'

California faced criticism over its ballot counting even before the June 2 primary.

"The fact that California elections often can't be resolved for weeks is kind of insane and not common in other electoral systems around the world," Nate Silver, a top political data analyst, wrote on X last week. "Like honestly ‘it's going to take us several weeks to tell you who won the election’ is failed state sh-t and should be much more stigmatized. The fact that it's tolerated is bad too a textbook example of learned helplessness."

Lengthy vote counts in California are a product of the state's reliance on mail voting and its thorough review process. Under California law, every registered voter receives a mail-in ballot and votes that arrive at election offices up to a week after Election Day are considered valid so long as they were postmarked by Election Day.

LA TIMES EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBER DEFENDS CALIFORNIA'S SLOW VOTING PROCESS AS 'ELECTION INTEGRITY' IN ACTION

Gov. Newsom's office told Fox News Digital that "Governor Newsom wishes the vote count moved faster, too — which he has stated many times."

During a press conference last month regarding the state budget, Newsom was asked about California's electoral process. He told reporters: "What you're referring to is a letter I put out to all the county registrars to say get your act together, get these ballots, you know, counted. I'm very concerned that if we don't do that — particularly on the basis of the new rules and regulations that we've now implemented where we're requiring them to do so — I think it will expose us to accusations that will be exploited by the Trump administration."

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Fox News' Robert Schmad contributed to this report.

Trump signs Hawley measure adding 200 child exploitation investigators in largest crackdown effort yet

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 16:11:15 -0400

President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed legislation from Sen. Josh Hawley that will fund 200 additional child exploitation investigators, a major expansion of federal resources after the Department of Homeland Security operated with just seven forensic analysts dedicated to such cases nationwide.

"My legislation with Tim Tebow to rescue thousands of kids from online child exploitation was just signed into law by President Trump," Hawley told Fox News Digital in a statement. "I want to thank the President for leading on this vital issue. This is the largest surge against child trafficking ever by the federal government. Time is of the essence. Let’s rescue these children."

The measure, included in the $70 billion reconciliation package, which provides $38 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and $26 billion for Border Patrol, which passed the House Tuesday, would invest $108.5 million in child trafficking and exploitation enforcement. Hawley's office said it would be the largest federal investment ever made to combat child trafficking.

DHS HAS ONLY 7 CHILD EXPLOITATION ANALYSTS, HAWLEY MEASURE WOULD FUND 200 INVESTIGATORS

The provision, according to Hawley’s office, was driven in part by former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow, who testified March 3 during Hawley’s Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism on exposing rampant child trafficking.

Tebow said during his testimony that 338,000 unique IP addresses have downloaded, shared or distributed child rape images in the United States in a matter of months, but only a small number are looked into.

The measure, developed from Hawley’s Renewed Hope Act, gives Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) the funding to hire 40 new forensic analysts at the Victim Identification Laboratory at the Child Exploitation Investigations Unit of HSI, as well as 30 new child exploitation investigators at the Victim Identification Laboratory of the Child Exploitation Investigations Unit of HSI.

TRUMP LOCKS IN ICE FUNDING THROUGH END OF PRESIDENCY AFTER HOUSE PASSES $70B PACKAGE

It also gives HSI the ability to employ 130 additional forensic analysts and child exploitation investigators, as well as create a dedicated training program in victim identification for federal, state and local law enforcement to collaborate more effectively on investigations.

The White House referred Fox News Digital to Trump's comments in the Oval Office during the signing of the Secure America Act.

"The bill provides crucial funding to domestic law enforcement investigations, combating child exploitation, continuing our work to restore law and order across our nation and to protect America’s youth," Trump said.

Fox News Digital also reached out to DHS for comment.

HAWLEY LAUNCHES GOOGLE INVESTIGATION AFTER 'SHOCKING' CHILD TRAFFICKING TESTIMONY AT SENATE HEARING

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