President-elect Donald Trump's incoming press secretary Karoline Leavitt vowed that the incoming administration will offer more press access than their predecessor.It's typically White House tradition for the sitting president to offer a year-end press conference. Yet when asked if President Biden planned to do one, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters this week she "didn't have anything to share.""He's been spending a lot of time in Delaware as he did throughout his entire term," Leavitt told Dana Perino on Fox News' "America's Newsroom" Wednesday, concerning President Biden. "We haven't seen or heard much from the leader of the free world over the past several weeks since the November 5 election. It's clear that he realizes this is over for him. But I think it's a dereliction of duty on his behalf. And he owes it to the American people to speak directly to them."TRUMP PICKS KAROLINE LEAVITT TO SERVE AS WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY"But that's not what we've seen from this White House over the past four years," she continued. "Talk to reporters who sit inside that briefing room. They have been incredibly frustrated with the lack of access and transparency from the Biden White House. I can assure them of one thing: their access to the president and the transparency will increase when President Trump is back in the Oval Office. We saw that in his first term. He often brought the press into the Oval Office when he was signing bills. I can expect that is going to continue when he returns in January."Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' ASSOCIATION PROTESTS ‘UNACCEPTABLE’ LACK OF PRESS ACCESS AT BIDEN'S QUAD SUMMITThe Biden administration has been criticized for a lack of transparency both at home and abroad. When the White House didn't allow press access at the Quad Summit in September, when Biden spoke with leaders from Australia, India and Japan at his Wilmington, Delaware home, the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) called it "unacceptable." "My understanding is that the current posture of the administration is for the press to only see the leaders drive in with no eyes, or cameras on POTUS in this historic moment," WHCA president and Politico correspondent Eugene Daniels said in a message to the White House at the time. "I can’t remember a time where this president has had a bilateral meeting on US soil and the press and therefore the American people were blocked from seeing it."WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' ASSOCIATION SLAMS BIDEN ADMIN FOR NOT HOLDING BRIEFINGS AS DEFAULT DEADLINE LOOMSAgain, Jean-Pierre was confronted about the White House's decision."There's going to be plenty of opportunities," Jean-Pierre said. "It's not like we're not allowing all of you to see many other things that are going to develop throughout the day. I just went through them. A quick family photo. He's going to take them to his high school. You all are going to be there. There's going to be some really important announcement about cancer moonshot. You all are going to be there. There's going to be an opportunity to see them when they leave on Saturday as well. You'll see him saying goodbye to the leaders on Saturday. I hear you all, but can you also appreciate that we have created other opportunities?"The WHCA also took issue with Biden snapping at a reporter for asking an off-topic question at the G-7 Summit in Italy in June."The White House Correspondents’ Association believes it is in the public interest to make clear that at a presidential press conference, at home or abroad, there are no preconditions regarding question topics," the statement read. "While the White House does determine the number of reporters the president will recognize, it is up to professional journalists to decide what to ask." When Leavitt assumes her role, the 27-year-old will be the youngest White House press secretary in history. Fox News Digital's Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.

50 Cent took a jab at Jay-Z after the rap mogul was accused of raping a 13-year-old girl alongside Sean "Diddy" Combs at an MTV Video Music Awards after-party in 2000.50 Cent, known as Curtis James Jackson III, shared an AI video of Jay-Z and Combs being arrested on Instagram."I want to post this but I’m afraid I’m gonna get shot. LOL," 50 Cent captioned the since-deleted post.The AI-generated video, originally shared by Man Meets Machine on Instagram, shows the two music moguls being arrested at an event and ending up in jail with bars behind them.READ IT: JAY-Z SENDS BLISTERING MEMO AMID DIDDY ALLEGATIONSAccording to the lawsuit, which now names Jay-Z, the 13-year-old girl was dropped off at Radio City Music Hall by a friend because she wanted to attend the MTV Video Music Awards in 2000. In an attempt to gain entry to the venue, she began approaching limousine drivers waiting outside the celebrity-filled event."One of the limousine drivers she spoke to claimed to work for [Diddy]," the lawsuit read. "He told her that Combs liked younger girls and said she ‘fit what Diddy was looking for,’ not allowing her into the Awards, but inviting her to an afterparty."After allegedly consuming one drink, the 13-year-old became disoriented and found a bedroom to rest in. Jay-Z, Combs and female "celebrity B" seemingly followed the girl into the room. She "immediately recognized all three celebrities," according to the court document.Jay-Z allegedly raped the girl, followed by Combs' alleged rape of the plaintiff, all while "celebrity B" watched, the court document stated.LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSJay-Z denied the allegations in a statement shared on a Roc Nation social media account."My lawyer received a blackmail attempt, called a demand letter, from a ‘lawyer’ named Tony Buzbee," Jay-Z shared in the statement online. "What he had calculated was the nature of these allegations and the public scrutiny would make me want to settle.""No sir, it had the opposite effect! It made me want to expose you for the fraud you are in a VERY public fashion. So no, I will not give you ONE RED PENNY!!"Jay-Z's statement continued, "These allegations are so heinous in nature that I implore you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil one!! Whomever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked away, would you not agree? These alleged victims would deserve real justice if that were the case."CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTERIn a statement provided to Fox News Digital, Combs' reps once again denied the allegations, saying, "This amended complaint and the recent extortion lawsuit against Mr. Buzbee exposes his barrage of lawsuits against Mr. Combs for what they are: shameless publicity stunts, designed to extract payments from celebrities who fear having lies spread about them, just as lies have been spread about Mr. Combs." They continued, "As his legal team has said before, Mr. Combs has full confidence in the facts and the integrity of the judicial process. In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone—man or woman, adult or minor." Fox News Digital's Tracy Wright contributed to this report.If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org/.

Former President Bill Clinton said Wednesday that President-elect Donald Trump had won the 2024 race "fair and square," in contrast to what he still feels was an illegitimate result in 2016."This time, Donald Trump won the race, fair and square," Clinton told "The View," adding, "I think."In an appearance on the ABC talk show, the ex-president was reminded by co-host Joy Behar that he wrote in his memoir he was so outraged over his wife Hillary Clinton's loss in 2016 that he couldn't sleep."How are you sleeping now?" Behar asked, referring to Trump's defeat of Vice President Kamala Harris. "What's going to happen now?"BLACK HARRIS STAFFERS SAY THEY WERE MISTREATED ON THE CAMPAIGN, BLAME LEADERSHIP FOR TAKING BASE FOR GRANTED"I'm sleeping better now because I did everything I could for the alternative," he said. "But I also think it's important for everybody to just take a deep breath and say, unlike in 2016, there was no outside influence like the FBI Director interfering at the last moment in violation of 70 years of policy, and it changed 5% [in polling] overnight."The Clintons have repeatedly assigned blame to then-FBI Director James Comey's late October 2016 letter re-opening the investigation into her use of a private email server as a critical factor in her narrow loss to Trump.President Clinton said Wednesday that in his lifetime, he'd never seen such a rapid polling shift. Nevertheless, Hillary Clinton was widely favored by experts going into the election that year to defeat Trump, in spite of Comey's letter to Congress about the investigation."Anybody that says that he didn't give Trump the election needs to --" he said Monday, trailing off.‘THE VIEW’ CO-HOST BLAMES CHATGPT AFTER MAKING PANTS ON FIRE CLAIM ABOUT BIDEN PARDONIn this year's election, though, Clinton said Trump had won fairly, or so he thought."I'm not like [Trump]. I have to have some evidence to make a charge, so as far as I know, he won it, and there're a lot of reasons why," he said.The former president called on the party to observe a peaceful transfer of power and work with Trump and Republicans when possible."I do not think we should just be jamming them, even though they do that to us a lot," he said. "I think it's a mistake."WHOOPI GOLDBERG BRISTLES AT DANIEL PENNY CELEBRATING ACQUITTAL: 'YOU KILLED A GUY'Clinton was governor of Arkansas before his successful run for the presidency in 1992, building a coalition of both rural and urban voters. A generation later, rural, working-class voters have fled the Democratic Party in droves.Asked about winning back that section of the voting base on the show, Clinton said Democrats had a tendency to write off certain groups based on demographics and likelihood of support."We need to quit screaming at each other and listen to each other," he said.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the country's largest labor union for federal employees, is fighting back against GOP criticisms that government employees are abusing the use of remote work.With the incoming Trump administration, Republicans have gone on the offensive when it comes to challenging remote-work and work-from-home policies that came out of the COVID-19 pandemic and have been maintained for years later. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., unveiled a package of bills last week that she plans to introduce, aimed at holding the federal government more accountable for its use of taxpayer dollars. One of the bills seeks to require federal agencies to submit a report on the impacts of expanded teleworking since the pandemic, as well as details about how they plan to implement remote-work policies going forward. Blackburn's bills coincide with a report penned recently by Sen. Joni Ernst, R–Iowa, chair of the new Department of Government Efficiency caucus, which posits ways to reduce the level of government employees working remotely, such as by tracking their individual productivity and tying it to their ability to work-from-home.TO BE REMOTE OR NOT TO BE? THAT IS THE BURNING FEDERAL WORKPLACE QUESTIONMeanwhile, AFGE, which represents roughly 800,000 civil servants, is rebuking these efforts, deriding them as "a deliberate attempt to demean the federal workforce and justify the wholesale privatization of public-sector jobs."AFGE put out a press release Friday to "set the record straight" on what the group described as an exaggeration from GOP politicians about the misuse of telework. "AFGE believes that facts matter, and that lawmakers should be guided by the facts when making decisions that affect the lives of their constituents," the press statement said. The document laid out a handful of "myths" about federal employee telework. Several they named came from Ernst's report that she presented to President-elect Trump's new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) last week, including one that claims "nearly one-third" of the federal workforce is "entirely remote." According to AFGE, only 10% of federal civilian workers "were in remote positions where there was no expectation that they worked in-person," citing an August 2024 report to Congress from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). SENATE DOGE LEADER ERNST TO TAKE ON GOVERNMENT TELEWORK ABUSE AT FIRST MEETING WITH MUSK, RAMASWAMYThe labor group also challenged Ernst's claims from her report that "most federal workers are eligible to telework and 90% of [them] are," as well as her claim that only 6% of the federal workforce goes into the office every single day. Citing the same OMB report to Congress, AFGE argued that actually fewer than half – roughly 46% – of federal workers are eligible for telework, while adding that 54% of the federal workforce have jobs that require them to be in-person every single day.In response to AFGE's challenge of her claims, Ernst said "the real myth" was that bureaucrats are showing up to work."Federal employees are already squealing, and the unions representing them are shamelessly fighting tooth and nail against returning to the office," the Iowa senator told Fox News Digital. "I invite public sector unions to support my legislation to track their productivity during the workday. This will show how hard they are working for the American people and settle this debate once and for all. In the coming days, I will be highlighting more profiles of ‘working’ from home. The tips from whistleblowers just keep coming into my office."Other "myths" the labor union sought to debunk included claims from Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, both tapped by Trump to lead DOGE, and Russell Vought, Trump's nominee to lead the Office of Management and Budget. One claim AFGE focused on from Musk argued that when you exclude federal personnel who cannot work remotely due to their day-to-day responsibilities, such as "security guards and maintenance personnel," the number of federal workers going into the office for at least 40 hours per week is around 1%.A similar claim was also backed up by a source familiar with the data used in Ernst's report, who said the numbers used by AFGE are cherry-picked because they rely on federal workers who could not work remotely if they wanted to, such as Border Patrol officers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents.Last week, AFGE secured a deal with the Biden administration's Social Security Administration to set current levels of telework at the agency through 2029. The move will impact roughly 42,000 federal workers, according to Bloomberg News, and will serve to protect the ability to do remote work until the agreed upon contract…

The Fulton County District Attorney's Office declined this week to turn over any new communications between District Attorney Fani Willis and outgoing special counsel Jack Smith, asserting in a new court filing that the documents either do not exist or are exempt from disclosure under Georgia law.The update was shared Tuesday by Judicial Watch, a conservative legal group that sued Willis in March after her office denied having any records of communication between Willis and Smith or between Willis and the House January 6th Committee.HOUSE JUDICIARY INVESTIGATING WHETHER FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS ‘COORDINATED’ WITH JAN 6 COMMITTEEBoth Smith and the House Select Committee had been investigating alleged efforts by President-elect Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election—putting their investigations directly in the crosshairs of Judicial Watch and other conservative activists. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney ordered Willis last Monday to produce any records of communication with either Smith or the House Select Committee on Jan. 6 within five business days, siding with Judicial Watch in determining that Willis had indeed violated the state’s open records act by failing to respond to the lawsuit. Willis, for her part, claims she was not properly served by the group.The Fulton County Open Records Department appears to disagree. In a new court filing this week, they said that their staff conducted a "diligent search" but had not uncovered any records of documents or communications between Willis and Smith, the special counsel tapped by Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2022 to oversee two investigations into the alleged actions of former President Donald Trump.Additionally, staff for the Open Records Department asserted any records or documents between Willis and the House Select Committee on Jan. 6 are still "legally exempt" or "exempted from disclosure" to Judicial Watch under the Georgia Open Records Law, which itself protects against the release of documents or records that arose from an investigation, subsequent indictment, or prosecution in the ongoing case against Trump and his allies. The filing comes as Willis's actions have come under scrutiny by Republican lawmakers and conservative nonprofit groups. Members of the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee have said Willis asked the House Select Committee on January 6th to share information with her office, prompting additional scrutiny into those communications.TRUMP BOOKED AT FULTON COUNTY JAIL AFTER CHARGES STEMMING FROM 2020 ELECTION PROBETrump and 18 others pleaded not guilty in Fulton County last year to all charges stemming from a sweeping racketeering indictment brought by the DA's office, which accused them of attempting to overturn the results of the presidential election. The charges against Trump in Georgia had been on hold after his attorneys filed an appeal to have Willis disqualified from the case, citing alleged conflicts of interest.Importantly, the charges against Trump in the state have not yet been officially dropped, despite his status as president-elect. The case's status comes as Smith has wound down all federal court proceedings against Trump following his victory in the 2024 election and longstanding Justice Department policy that prevents U.S. prosecutors from bringing federal criminal charges against a sitting president. Fox News Digital’s Haley Chi-Sing contributed to this report.

"The Golden Bachelor" star Gerry Turner's health had a decline earlier this year.On Wednesday, Turner told People magazine that he was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer in March, which greatly impacted his decision to get a divorce from Theresa Nist."There's a topic that I haven't wanted to talk about until now," Turner told the outlet, referring to his split from Nist. "I think it's time, also because it probably will clear up a lot of mystery around what happened back in February, March and April."‘GOLDEN BACHELOR’ GERRY TURNER FINALIZES DIVORCE WITH THERESA NISTHe continued, "As Theresa and I were trying very hard to find our lifestyle and where we were going to live and how we were going to make our life work, I was unfortunately diagnosed with cancer."Turner's bone marrow cancer goes by a "really long name," according to the star. He was diagnosed with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia, which, according to the Mayo Clinic, "is a type of cancer that begins in the white blood cells. Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia is considered a type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. It's sometimes called lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma.""Unfortunately, there's no cure for it," Turner told the outlet. "So that weighs heavily in every decision I make. It was like 10 tons of concrete were just dropped on me. And I was a bit in denial for a while, I didn't want to admit to it."After receiving his diagnosis in mid-March, Turner decided to tell Nist "what I knew, and I explained the situation to her." "Certainly, it was hard for me," Turner said of explaining his health to his then-wife. "But the conversation was brief, and I think [she was] a little bit awestruck by the news. So understandable."He continued, "I wanted my life to continue on as normal as possible, and that led me to believing that as normal as possible more meant spending time with my family, my two daughters, my two son-in-laws, my granddaughters. And the importance of finding the way with Theresa was still there, but it became less of a priority."Nist told People that Turner's cancer diagnosis was not the reason she decided getting a divorce was a good idea."It was when I visited Gerry in Indiana [some time in March]," Nist recalled. "That's devastating news, really. I was extremely upset."Speaking of the diagnosis, Nist said, "He told me though, that it was the type of cancer that he would most likely outlive."She continued, "He's a very positive person and I am too, and I know that he will do the best that he can to make this a positive experience. And I have every faith that is going to work out that way, that it's going to be the type of cancer that will not affect his life and that he'll live to be a very healthy old age."Instead, she said that their inability to purchase a home together was what ultimately led to their split – something they've spoken about in the past.She lives in New Jersey while Turner lives in Indiana, and they made the decision find a home together in South Carolina. But at one point, Nist said he "kind of changed his mind.""He said, 'No, let's do it six weeks here and six weeks there.' And I didn't want to do that," she explained. "I really wanted a home together. I wanted the joy of being in a home together and designing a home together. I really thought that was going to be phenomenal. I was looking forward to that so much."Nist said that they looked at homes in South Carolina "virtually," adding, "I think it just petered out that we were looking at homes back and forth and we could never agree on one. And then the emails just stopped, [and] we weren't looking anymore."Turner addressed the "judgments" that circulated about the former couple's split and called the rumors "unfair" for Nist and himself."When you are hit with that kind of news and the shock wears off after a few days or a few weeks, and you regroup, and you realize what's important to you, that's where you start to move forward," he said. "And I hope that people understand in retrospect now that that had a huge bearing on my decisions and I think probably Theresa's as well."LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSTurner added, "Hopefully they'll look at things a little bit differently, that maybe it wasn't quite a rash, fast decision that people thought. That there was something else going on."Amid Turner's…

By now you may have seen the headlines, "Trump assassination attempt hearing devolves into screaming match." I encourage you to watch the full exchange between myself and acting Secret Service Director Rowe. Heated back and forths are nothing new when it comes to Congress. But last week's exchange had nothing to do with partisanship and everything to do with his agency’s competency, or rather the lack thereof. At its core, the sparks flew because the current head of the US Secret Service (USSS) seemingly learned no lessons from the historic failures in Butler, Pennsylvania. We’re just under five months removed from the tragic events of July 13, 2024, that left Corey Comperatore, a volunteer firefighter and father of two, dead, the leading Republican presidential candidate wounded, and the nation in shock. History could have, and should have played out much differently at President Trump’s Butler rally. Those shots would never have been fired had the leadership within the USSS simply lived up to its zero-fail mission. TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT HEARING DEVOLVES INTO SCREAMING MATCHThis week, the bipartisan House Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump issued its final report that details the failures of the USSS at the Butler rally and recommended measures the agency should implement going forward. This report underscores why the exchange between acting Director Rowe and I was in fact so heated. The head of the Secret Service deflected and refused to answer direct questions about his actions while at the helm of what should be the world’s premier protection agency. If the USSS can’t be fully transparent months after the Butler rally, can we trust that high-profile protectees, regardless of their politics, are safe? Our Task Force has heard from former USSC agents, and whistleblowers themselves that the agency is in need of systemic culture change. This is reflected in the USSS’s failure to secure the perimeter and the high ground at the venue with the right equipment in the proper manner. Here are three failures that must be addressed based on our report.It’s well known now that the location from which would-be assassin Thomas Crooks fired from, the AGR complex, was left unsecured prior to and during the July 13 rally, despite concerns from local law enforcement on the ground. The local law enforcement present at the rally displayed true courage and deserve our thanks, but the simple fact is that USSS leadership bears ultimate responsibility for the safety of its protectees. If the USSS feels it does not have the necessary personnel to secure a potential site, it needs to stick to a consistent, streamlined process to secure additional resources, rather than the ad hoc approach it employed in Butler.Moving forward, the USSS needs to ensure it is on the same page as every partner agency involved in securing the perimeter. This means open communication between everyone involved, in advance, and disseminating that information so that all parties know who is in charge and where. TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SUSPECT RYAN ROUTH TO FACE COURT HEARING AFTER MOVING TO DELAY TRIALUSSS must also plan for coverage both inside, as well as outside the perimeter, which was not the case when it came to the AGR complex. The failure to do so on July 13 meant that Crooks was left with a clear line of sight to the rally stage, and rally goers nearby impeded USSS and partner agencies’ ability to locate him. These line of sight vulnerabilities must be determined and considered ahead of time. When it comes to communications, USSS missed opportunities to apprehend Crooks before he opened fire. Faltering radio communications led to confusion. Some USSS countersnipers and local sniper teams had to instead communicate via text message. Critical information was not sent wide to USSS personnel, which meant the agents stationed closest to President Trump were not made immediately aware of the threat posed by Crooks until he opened fire. The existence of two, rather than one unified command post further impaired USSS’s ability to react quickly and decisively. Communications failures on the ground could have been fixed if the USSS ensured there was a hierarchy in place to alert not only all of its own agents, but local law enforcement as well. There needs to be a definite plan of action and communication that can be accessed afterwards for any potential reviews and investigations. The lack of uniform training standards meant that agents involved in operational planning and execution ahead of the Butler rally were simply not experienced for the task at hand. Personnel is policy, and the lack…

Boxing legend Floyd Mayweather was out shopping in London this week when he and his entourage were seemingly targeted by an angry mob that, according to reports, were furious over his support for Israel. Several videos posted to social media showed the former boxing champion surrounded by a group of people while shopping at Hatton Gardens in London. The crowd, seemingly more agitated, followed Mayweather into the street. Videos showed the angry group shouting expletives as Mayweather’s security attempted to get him into a black SUV and away from the scene.  CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMAccording to reports, it was Mayweather’s support of Israel that agitated the crowd. A source told The Sun that someone had questioned Mayweather over his support while shopping, to which the American boxer doubled down. The source added that someone then "took a swing" at Mayweather. "Floyd took a few hits during it, but his security was trying to push people back," the source told the outlet.FLOYD MAYWEATHER SHARES MESSAGE OF SUPPORT AFTER HAMAS ATTACKS: 'I STAND WITH ISRAEL'Floyd addressed the reports with a statement posted to Instagram on Tuesday. He denied being "touched in any way.""Let me set the record straight... there's no truth to the rumors going around. I wasn't punched or touched in any way. What you're seeing is just my security doing their job to keep things under control."I was in the UK for a quick 48-hour stop to do some shopping, and unfortunately, people let jealousy and negativity fuel false stories," he continued. "I'm perfectly fine, and there's really nothing more to it."The dustup comes just days after Mayweather announced the "Mayweather Israel Initiative," aimed at offering support to orphans. "​​Over the next year, every orphan in Israel will be visited by the Floyd Mobile and receive special birthday gifts. To all the widows and orphans: keep your heads held high as we honor the cherished memories of those who have passed," he wrote in a post on Instagram. Mayweather, 47, has been outspoken about his support for Israel. He has taken several trips there and in October met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "It was an honor to meet with you today. Your strength and courage are unmatched, and your commitment to protecting the Jewish people and citizens of Israel is truly inspiring. Keep using your voice and never back down," he said in a post at the time. "This week in Israel has been deeply emotional for me. Visiting injured soldiers, meeting families of fallen heroes, and connecting with the people of Israel has been a humbling experience." Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Attorneys for lawyer-turned-convict Alex Murdaugh filed to appeal his sentence on Tuesday, saying improper testimony and court clerk Becky Hill's alleged jury tampering "infected the trial with unfairness."Murdaugh, 56, is serving a life sentence for fatally shooting his wife, Maggie, and youngest son, Paul, in June 2021 on their family's hunting estate in Colleton County, South Carolina. Prosecutors argued that their murders were an attempt to distract from Murdaugh's mounting financial crimes, which were beginning to come to light around that time. This April, the disgraced legal scion was sentenced to an additional 480 months, on top of his two life sentences, for conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud, bank fraud, five counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and 14 counts of money laundering. WATCH ‘THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF MURDAUGH’ ON FOX NATIONProsecutors allege that Murdaugh used his power and family influence in the Lowcountry to take on clients' cases, win them "significant funds" and then keep a decent portion of the earnings for himself.ALEX MURDAUGH SENTENCED TO 40 YEARS FOR FINANCIAL CRIMES AFTER POLYGRAPH CONTROVERSYBut in their 132-page appeal, filed on Tuesday, Murdaugh's attorneys argue that their client's financial crimes should not have been included in his earlier murder trial, stating they were irrelevant and could have painted him in a bad light that negatively influenced jurors. ALEX MURDAUGH'S LAWYERS WANT TO MAKE PUBLIC STATEMENTS ABOUT STOLEN MONEY. FBI SAYS MURDAUGH LIEDThe appeal also alleges that former Colleton County Clerk Becky Hill, who resigned over allegations of jury tampering in Murdaugh's case, swayed jurors to find him guilty.ALEX MURDAUGH COURT CLERK BECKY HILL RESIGNS AFTER ALLEGATIONS OF JURY TAMPERINGOf 12 jurors who found Murdaugh guilty of murder in March 2023, 11 said Hill did not influence their decisions. One said he heard the clerk make comments about watching Murdaugh's body language, but said her words did not influence his verdict.  SOUTH CAROLINA JUDGE DENIES ALEX MURDAUGH'S REQUEST FOR A NEW MURDER TRIALJudge Jean Toal ruled in January that the allegations against Hill were not enough to grant the defendant a new trial in the murder case. Murdaugh's attorneys argued against that ruling in their appeal. ALEX MURDAUGH'S PUSH FOR NEW TRIAL COULD DEPEND ON ONE JUROR, ATTORNEY SAYSHill, who is accused of 76 ethics violations, was expected to face the State's Ethics Commission on Dec. 19. But that hearing is on hold in light of a pending criminal investigation by the Attorney General's Office, the State newspaper reported.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPThe appeal also alleges that prosecutors introduced multiple guns as evidence that had no evidence linking them to the murders, and that gunshot residue on a raincoat shown as evidence in court were not linked to their client by any evidence. Fox News Digital's Audrey Conklin contributed to this report.

IN TODAY’S NEWSLETTER:- Get ready to build your own Lego masterpieces with this new tech- OpenAI releases text-to-video AI model Sora to certain ChatGPT users- The AI-powered grandma taking on scammersBUILD LEGO CREATIONS : This innovative app is here to make custom Lego creation fun and accessible for everyone, whether you’re a seasoned builder or just getting started. By using advanced artificial intelligence and mobile scanning technology, Brick My World opens up a world of creative possibilities.'OUR HOLIDAY GIFT': OpenAI released its text-to-video artificial intelligence model, Sora, this week after the completion of its testing phase.GRANNY FIGHTS BACK: Daisy is an artificial intelligence-powered grandma developed by Virgin Media O2 to interact with scammers. When a scam call comes in, Daisy automatically answers and engages the caller in conversation, wasting their time.'I GOTTA FEELING': [will.i.am doesn’t think true artists should worry about artificial intelligence. The Black Eyed Peas singer does think people not involved in the creative process in the music industry are the ones who should worry about AI taking away their jobs. FOLLOW FOX NEWS ON SOCIAL MEDIAFacebookInstagramYouTubeTwitterLinkedInSIGN UP FOR OUR OTHER NEWSLETTERSFox News FirstFox News OpinionFox News LifestyleFox News HealthDOWNLOAD OUR APPSWATCH FOX NEWS ONLINEFox News GoSTREAM FOX NATIONFox NationStay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future with Fox News here.

Attorneys for lawyer-turned-convict Alex Murdaugh filed to appeal his sentence on Tuesday, saying improper testimony and court clerk Becky Hill's alleged jury tampering "infected the trial with unfairness."Murdaugh, 56, is serving a life sentence for fatally shooting his wife, Maggie, and youngest son, Paul, in June 2021 on their family's hunting estate in Colleton County, South Carolina. Prosecutors argued that their murders were an attempt to distract from Murdaugh's mounting financial crimes, which were beginning to come to light around that time. This April, the disgraced legal scion was sentenced to an additional 480 months, on top of his two life sentences, for conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud, bank fraud, five counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and 14 counts of money laundering. WATCH ‘THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF MURDAUGH’ ON FOX NATIONProsecutors allege that Murdaugh used his power and family influence in the Lowcountry to take on clients' cases, win them "significant funds" and then keep a decent portion of the earnings for himself.ALEX MURDAUGH SENTENCED TO 40 YEARS FOR FINANCIAL CRIMES AFTER POLYGRAPH CONTROVERSYBut in their 132-page appeal, filed on Tuesday, Murdaugh's attorneys argue that their client's financial crimes should not have been included in his earlier murder trial, stating they were irrelevant and could have painted him in a bad light that negatively influenced jurors. ALEX MURDAUGH'S LAWYERS WANT TO MAKE PUBLIC STATEMENTS ABOUT STOLEN MONEY. FBI SAYS MURDAUGH LIEDThe appeal also alleges that former Colleton County Clerk Becky Hill, who resigned over allegations of jury tampering in Murdaugh's case, swayed jurors to find him guilty.ALEX MURDAUGH COURT CLERK BECKY HILL RESIGNS AFTER ALLEGATIONS OF JURY TAMPERINGOf 12 jurors who found Murdaugh guilty of murder in March 2023, 11 said Hill did not influence their decisions. One said he heard the clerk make comments about watching Murdaugh's body language, but said her words did not influence his verdict.  SOUTH CAROLINA JUDGE DENIES ALEX MURDAUGH'S REQUEST FOR A NEW MURDER TRIALJudge Jean Toal ruled in January that the allegations against Hill were not enough to grant the defendant a new trial in the murder case. Murdaugh's attorneys argued against that ruling in their appeal. ALEX MURDAUGH'S PUSH FOR NEW TRIAL COULD DEPEND ON ONE JUROR, ATTORNEY SAYSHill, who is accused of 76 ethics violations, was expected to face the State's Ethics Commission on Dec. 19. But that hearing is on hold in light of a pending criminal investigation by the Attorney General's Office, the State newspaper reported.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPThe appeal also alleges that prosecutors introduced multiple guns as evidence that had no evidence linking them to the murders, and that gunshot residue on a raincoat shown as evidence in court were not linked to their client by any evidence. Fox News Digital's Audrey Conklin contributed to this report.

The Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua has now spread to one of the most remote states in America, after an alleged member was arrested for felony theft last month. Local authorities in West Fargo, North Dakota, arrested suspected gang member Henry Theis, 25, in early November, according to the Cass County Jail roster.The violent gang, which made national headlines in 2023 after reports of members of the group holding an apartment building hostage in Aurora, Colorado, has now expanded its territory to more than a dozen U.S. states. VENEZUELAN NATIONAL AND TREN DE ARAGUA GANG MEMBER ARRESTED IN TRUMP’S BACKYARD"Tren de Aragua now has a presence in 17 states." Congressman Troy E. Nehls, R-Texas, posted on X. "I look forward to working with President Trump to secure our border and restore safety in our communities."West Fargo has a population of less than 40,000, and North Dakota itself is one of the least-populated states in the country, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The origins of Tren de Aragua, which means "Train from Aragua," have been traced to a Venezuelan prison more than a decade ago. VENEZUELAN GANG MEMBERS ARRESTED IN SOUTHERN STATE SAME WEEK OFFICIALS WARNED OF TREN DE ARAGUA RESURGENCE Police originally pulled over Theis for driving without his headlights on, but they soon discovered more than $24,000 in cash he allegedly stole from a nearby bank, a facemask, a latex glove, cables and a computer keyboard during a search of his car, according to KXLG.Theis admitted to being part of an organization of hackers who were "jackpotting" ATMs, using a virus to steal money, court documents revealed, according to the outlet. Two other suspects were arrested, bringing the total theft amount to almost $100,000. Theis provided names of the other individuals involved, including Jefferson Rodriguez-Quintero and Ryber Sanchez, who were also arrested, the local outlet reported. Another Venezuelan national, suspected of being a member of the Tren de Aragua gang, was recently arrested near President-elect Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida."U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested a Venezuelan national who was identified as a Tren de Aragua gang member," Jeffrey Dinise, the chief patrol agent of the U.S. Border Patrol's Miami Sector, wrote on X on Tuesday. HERITAGE REPORT OFFERS ROADMAP TO DEFEAT TREN DE ARAGUA, THE MEGA-GANG TAKING OVER US CITIESViolent crimes by Tren de Aragua members have spread across the nation and have been linked to the high-profile murders of nursing student Laken Riley in Georgia and 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray in Houston. In addition to North Dakota, the gang has a presence in Colorado, Texas, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Nevada, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Tennessee and Wisconsin, and most recently in Virginia, Montana and Wyoming, according to a New York Post report that cites a Homeland Security memo. 

Days after his acquittal in the chokehold death of Jordan Neely, lawyers for Marine veteran Daniel Penny are floating the possibility of a malicious prosecution lawsuit against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who secured an indictment against their client days after police let him go, then failed to convince a jury he committed a crime.Penny, 26, was on his way to the gym after class when Neely, 30, barged onto a subway car and started threatening to kill passengers. Penny grabbed him in a headlock and held him as other riders called 911. By the time police arrived, about seven minutes later, Neely had lost consciousness. He never woke up."It's not necessarily even about breaking the law," attorney Steven Raiser told "Fox & Friends" on Wednesday morning. "It's blurring ethical boundaries and failing to act in the manner in which you are expected, because of your office."DANIEL PENNY SAYS HE COULDN'T LIVE WITH GUILTY IF JORDAN NEELY HURT SUBWAY PASSENGERSThat included pushing for an arrest not to protect the public, but allegedly to protect Bragg's image, he said. "It was clear that there was a fear that if an arrest wasn't made – and made very quickly – that there might be rioting in the streets, and that that may ultimately look very bad for District Attorney Alvin Bragg," he said. "And if that in fact happened, that could affect his re-election."In addition to Bragg, he said the lawsuit could also potentially name Dr. Jason Graham, New York City's chief medical examiner, who signed off on Neely's cause of death as a homicide by strangulation before toxicology results had come back.DANIEL PENNY HITS NYC BAR FOR POST-ACQUITTAL CELEBRATION, LETS LAWYERS DO THE TALKING"He was appointed by Mayor [Eric] Adams, same political party as Alvin Bragg," he said. "There was collusion there, and, I mean, the collusion began from the very beginning of this case and all the way through. The district attorney needed the medical examiner and needed the medical examiner to act quickly, and he did just that."During the trial, Penny's lawyers also argued that the politically charged case unfairly carried racial undertones, highlighted by Bragg's underling, Assistant Manhattan District Attorney Dafna Yoran, who also prosecuted the city's first ever "restorative justice" case on a homicide charge, resulting in a 10-year sentence for someone who snuck up on an elderly retiree and killed him for $300."There were some highlights that were put out there, quite extensively, in regards to this office's practice of not prosecuting crime, and some very serious cases to talking about restorative justice and such, which, by the way, in some circumstances, that's a great thing," Raiser said. "But some brutal cases of an individual who attacked an 80-year-old man, mugging him and punching him and ultimately killing him, and yet you're going to go after full-throated against my client, who you admit did a laudable thing and is a fine young man? Despicable."Now that the criminal case is behind him, Penny still faces a civil lawsuit from Neely's father.Penny, a Marine veteran who received a humanitarian award for helping hurricane victims, is a Long Island native who friends described as calm and empathetic during trial testimony.He played lacrosse and was in his school's orchestra as a teen and worked two jobs while studying architecture at the New York City College of Technology following his honorable discharge.Neely had a lengthy criminal history and an active arrest warrant at the time of his death. He was high on a type of synthetic marijuana called K2 and had schizophrenia.Witnesses testified that Neely's threats scared them more than a typical subway outburst would. They were thankful for Penny's intervention.

COCKEYSVILLE, Md. – Alleged CEO killer Luigi Mangione's prominent Maryland family has been shaken to its core over his arrest, but friends and acquaintances of the Mangiones describe them as a "great" family.Thomas Maronick Jr., a friend of the family and radio host in Maryland, said Mangione's arrest was "stunning," adding that they are a "deeply respected family." The Mangione family owns several golf courses and clubs across the state, as well as at least one radio station and other facilities."This just doesn't seem like anything associated with them," Maronick, whose radio station was owned by the Mangione family, told "Fox & Friends" on Wednesday. "They own golf courses, they own WCBM, they own a retirement home. They just couldn't be more involved in charity and respected in general."Maronick said he does not remember any time he met Mangione in-person, but said he may have run into him "in passing." He described the family as very "tight-knit," with the patriarch, Nick Mangione Sr., passing down leadership of the family to his son, Nick Jr., who is Luigi's uncle.SUSPECTED UNITEDHEALTHCARE CEO KILLER LUIGI MANGIONE MUGSHOT RELEASEDAn acquaintance of the family who requested not to be named said he was a longtime neighbor of Nick Jr. more than a decade ago. He praised the family in comments to Fox News Digital on Tuesday, talking about Nick Sr. as "the one who started it all," and reminiscing about giving popsicles to the family's youngest members."They are a great family, well I guess except for the one," the man said.UNITEDHEALTHCARE CEO MURDER SUSPECT HAS OUTBURST OUTSIDE PENNSYLVANIA COURTHOUSELuigi's father, Louis Mangione, owns Haysfield Country Club in Cockeysville, Maryland, and the family lives on the property. The club, along with a nearby up-scale shopping center, are the heart of the town.The family's affluence allowed Luigi to attend Baltimore's Gilman School, a private K-12 school with tuition costing around $40,000 per year. He graduated as valedictorian of his class in 2016.Neither the former neighbor nor Maronick said they had any knowledge of the Mangione family running into health issues or being denied insurance claims. Luigi himself, however, suffered a back injury and resulting chronic pain in recent years. It is unclear whether he or his family struggled with insurance to cover treatment.WHO IS LUIGI MANGIONE, SUSPECT IN UNITEDHEALTHCARE CEO MURDER?"I didn't hear anything about that, but it would really surprise me because the family had a lot of means--or excuse me, has a lot of means," Maronick said of the insurance issue. "Especially being involved in healthcare, owning retirement homes. So this is something where they wouldn't have struggled to pay the bills."The Mangione family released a statement saying they are "devastated" by Luigi's arrest. Maryland State Delegate Nino Mangione, Luigi's cousin, echoed that in his own statement.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP"Unfortunately, we cannot comment on news reports regarding Luigi Mangione," the Republican lawmaker said in a statement. "We only know what we have read in the media. Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi's arrest. We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved. We are devastated by this news."

1. Accused Ivy League killer is fighting extradition.2. Legendary actor evacuated amid Malibu wildfire.3. Marine veteran breaks silence after acquittal.NOTHING TO ‘BRAGG’ ABOUT – Anti-Trump DA's decision-making questioned in handling accused Ivy League killer case. Continue reading …TRIGGER CLAUSE – Accused Ivy League killer's mind may have been driven by ObamaCare fine print, former FBI agent says. Continue reading …BAD APPLE – Mayor cracks down on services for illegal immigrants, protesters attempt to stop him. Continue reading …JUSTICE STRIKES – Man who jumped a desk to attack judge in courtroom sentenced. Continue reading …LOST IN SPACE – UFO researcher scorches FBI's admission about SUV-sized drones terrorizing Americans. See video ...--‘UNFAIRLY TARGETED’ – Republican leading charge on transgender policies allegedly attacked on Capitol grounds. Continue reading …'PREEMPTIVE’ ACTION – Here's who President Biden could pardon among Trump antagonists. Continue reading …'A NO-BRAINER' – Florida lawmaker introduces bill to require DACA students to pay out-of-state tuition. Continue reading …ROOTING OUT WOKE – Democrats in a bind over defense bill that bans transgender surgeries for minors but boosts enlisted pay. Continue reading …Click here for more cartoons… ‘DEAR WHITE PEOPLE’ – Squad member posts screed about 'evil of White supremacy' after Penny acquittal. Continue reading …KEEP THE CHANGE – Al Sharpton pocketed nearly $1 million in bonuses from his nonprofit. Continue reading …BOYCOTTING THE SHOW – MSNBC's 'Morning Joe' continues suffering post-election slump as co-hosts remain defiant over Trump meeting. Continue reading …PACKING THEIR BAGS – Safeway announces decision to close San Francisco store location amid theft and safety concerns: report. Continue reading …CHARLES LISTER – Assad's departure surprised Biden, US leaders. Now America must step up and seize the moment. Continue reading …BOBBY JINDAL – Don’t let Biden sneak in more Medicare cuts on his way out the door. Continue reading …--ARE YOU READY FOR IT? – Taylor Swift invites Caitlin Clark to Chiefs game. Continue reading …LEFT HOOK – Female boxer gets her 'revenge' after Olympic forfeit to athlete who failed eligibility tests. Continue reading …AMERICAN CULTURE QUIZ – Test yourself on frozen firsts, Santa scholars and constitutional achievements. Take the quiz here …MYSTERY REMAINS – US military research center denies NJ drones are theirs. Continue reading …'NOT A CONSPIRACY' – Pilot reveals real reason passengers should set phones to airplane mode. See video …STATE SEN. DOUGLAS STEINHARDT – ‘Irresponsible and dangerous’ to dismiss drone activity as non-threatening. See video …ATTORNEY ALEX SWOYER – Why the CEO shooting suspect is not being charged with first degree murder. See video … What’s it looking like in your neighborhood? Continue reading… FacebookInstagramYouTubeTwitterLinkedIn   Fox News FirstFox News OpinionFox News LifestyleFox News Entertainment (FOX411)Fox BusinessFox WeatherFox SportsTubiFox News GoThank you for making us your first choice in the morning! We’ll see you in your inbox first thing Thursday.

The legal team for Ryan Routh, the man accused of trying to assassinate then-presidential candidate Donald Trump at a Florida golf course in September, is considering an insanity defense.Routh appeared for a hearing in federal court Wednesday morning in Fort Pierce, Florida, with Federal Judge Aileen Cannon presiding. Cannon previously presided over and eventually dismissed Trump’s federal classified documents case.Public defenders said a mental health expert has met with Routh at least twice, and Routh has also met with jail mental health professionals who they say can prove his mental health state.The last witness to see Routh before he was arrested claims Routh was "hallucinating" and that other witnesses said he was "delusional," according to the prosecution.WHO IS RYAN WESLEY ROUTH: ALLEGED GUNMAN AT TRUMP GOLF CLUBProsecutors also said that Routh had written up to 40 letters to national news outlets in what appeared to be an attempt to persuade the press that he’s an "honorable guy." The letters were intercepted before being received, though Cannon made it clear that she had not put a gag order on his free speech up to this point.Routh allegedly lay in wait for over 12 hours in the brush with a rifle on the perimeter of the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach as Trump was golfing on Sept. 15. A Secret Service agent saw Routh pointing a rifle through a fence and fired at him. Routh fled and was arrested that day.The alleged would-be assassin has pleaded not guilty to five counts, including the attempted assassination of a presidential candidate and assault on a federal officer. His trial is currently scheduled for Feb. 10, 2025.Routh’s attorneys have already filed a motion for a continuance, asking for the trial to be delayed until December 2025 because of the "extraordinary volume" of discovery still being examined.TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT HEARING DEVOLVES INTO SCREAMING MATCH"Proceeding with the scheduled trial or anytime soon thereafter — on charges punishable by life imprisonment — would result in a miscarriage of justice," the defense attorneys said in the filing.Prosecutors said they will be prepared for trial in February but are not opposed to a "reasonable" delay, though they said a continuance until December 2025 would not be "reasonable."The prosecution's response to Routh's request for a continuance filed on Tuesday detailed some of the discovery. Prosecutors said 17 of the 18 cell phones found during the investigation belonged to Routh. Routh's notebook had "dozens of pages of names and numbers pertaining to overseas locations."The filing said a "massive amount of law enforcement agents and agencies" have been working "around the clock" to assess Routh's movements in both the U.S. and "multiple countries abroad."Fox News’ Heather Lacy contributed to this report.

The base commander of a New Jersey military research center said the mysterious drones flying over the area are not theirs, but confirmed sightings to a local media outlet."While the source and cause of these aircraft operating in our area remain unknown, we can confirm that they are not the result of any Picatinny Arsenal-related activities," Lt. Col. Craig Bonham II said in a news release obtained by the Morristown Daily Record. The local media outlet reported that Picatinny has recorded 11 confirmed sightings overhead since Nov. 13. Another seven reports could either not be confirmed or turned out to be airplanes, Bonham said. Reports of large drones flying over different parts of the Garden State, including President-elect Trump’s Bedminster golf course and near military research sites, have been on the rise in recent weeks. NEW JERSEY LEADER CALLS FOR LIMITED STATE OF EMERGENCY AS DRONE MYSTERY DEEPENSThe Federal Aviation Administration first received reports of drone activity Nov. 18 in Morris County, which is nearly 2 miles north of Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in Somerset County. The drones have been seen nightly in some areas, and are occasionally reported traveling in groups, Patch reported. On Monday, Gov. Phil Murphy announced there were dozens of reports of drones on Sunday alone.White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday that drones flying over New Jersey were not foreign, adding that President Biden has been made aware of the situation, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and FBI are investigating.NEW JERSEY SEES MORE DRONES OVERHEAD, AS GOV CANDIDATE FLOATS THEORY ON UNSOLVED MYSTERYWhen pressed if the federal government had ruled out that the drones are being controlled by foreign entities, Jean-Pierre promptly responded, "Yeah."State officials have said they are taking the mystery drone sightings "seriously," and Democrat Gov. Phil Murphy posted to X on Thursday that "there is no known threat to the public" at that time.More recently, drone sightings were also reported on Staten Island.Fox News' Greg Wehner contributed to this report. 

A Florida man allegedly shot his parents — killing his father and wounding his mother — after his father grilled him for spending too much time playing video games and not getting a job.Joseph Voigt, 23, fled after leaving Marvin Voigt, 63, dead and Susan Voigt, 58, with a gunshot wound to the head. Police responded to the scene after Susan Voigt reported the incident at around 11:20 p.m. on Saturday.The Bartow Police Department said they arrived to find Marvin Voigt dead in the driveway from apparent gunshot wounds and Susan Voigt inside the home suffering from a serious gunshot wound. She was taken to a hospital in critical condition."They found the mother sitting up on the couch," police chief Stephen Walker told reporters, according to Fox 13. "She was alive. She had been shot in the head once."FLORIDA MAN WHO WAS HALF-NAKED, 'HIGH ON METH' BREAKS INTO HOME, GRABS CARPET CLEANER"Everything we've heard about this couple was that they were really good people," Walker added. "And it's sad, you know, to see something like this happen."Law enforcement agencies in Polk County and the surrounding areas were told to be on the lookout for the vehicle Joseph Voight was driving. His vehicle was located around 2 a.m. Sunday morning on International Drive in Orlando, and Orlando Police conducted a felony traffic stop on Voigt's vehicle and took him into custody.The Polk County Sheriff’s Office, which was assisting Bartow Police, said Joseph Voigt confessed to shooting both his parents.FLORIDA MAN ACCUSED OF BREAKING INTO HOME, STABBING WOMAN WHILE SHE WAS SLEEPINGThe sheriff's office said Joseph Voigt told deputies that his father was upset with him for spending most of his time playing video games and had been pleading with him to make something of himself and get a job."It's really sad, you know," Walker said. "Senseless, you know, something silly that he was upset about."Joseph Voigt appeared in Orange County court Monday morning. He will be transported to jail in Polk County, where he will be charged with murder and attempted murder.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPHe has a criminal history that includes arrests for firing a weapon in a residential area and battery. He was released from jail on Dec. 1 after being arrested for battery, arrest records show."Thanks to the rapid response of the Bartow Police Department this violent and dangerous suspect was quickly apprehended," Polk County sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement. "They asked for our assistance and we were happy to oblige. My detectives will continue their thorough investigation into this crime to ensure Voigt will face the full consequences of his actions."Walker added in a statement: "We are deeply saddened by this tragic and senseless shooting."

A California man who was reported missing in 1999 was identified by his sister when his picture was printed in a USA Today article in April of this year, but the joyous discovery unveiled disturbing details. Tommy Manizak, the long-lost brother of Marcella (Marcie) Nasseri, is a registered sex offender who was convicted in 1993, according to the Lassen County Sheriff’s Department via USA Today.Manizak served three years in county prison, Capt. Mike Carney said.Details about the circumstances surrounding the case suggest that Manizak was reported as being fingerprinted, but Carney later learned it never actually happened, which kept police from being able to identify him, according to the reports.CALIFORNIA MAN, WHO VANISHED 25 YEARS AGO, TO REUNITE WITH FAMILY AFTER PICTURE IN NEWS ARTICLELCSO received a call from Nasseri, who told sheriff’s deputy Derek Kennemore she had been sent the article and believed the man in the article was her brother, who had not been heard from since his disappearance 25 years ago. Manizak had been admitted to a hospital in the Los Angeles area, according to the sheriff's office. Kennemore reached out and learned the man had been transferred to another hospital in July.This triggered the police to run his fingerprints through the database, and he was found in the 1993 sex offender listing."I guess he wasn't cooperative when they tried to fingerprint him," Carney told USA Today. "We were told that he was unable to walk and was unable to talk, so I don't know what happened to him."MASSACHUSETTS MAN MISSING IN SOUTH CAROLINA AFTER HE VANISHED FROM HILTON HEAD FAMILY VACATION Manizak registered as a sex offender in Lassen County but when he left town he never registered in his new location, Carney said."He went to Oregon and after that, according to his family, he was just kind of a free soul and he just floated around," Carney said.While Nasseri is aware of the newly uncovered circumstances, describing what her brother did as "sickening and horrible," she told USA Today she is still overjoyed to reconnect with him."But at the end of the day, he's still my brother, and I'm not turning my back on my flesh and blood," Nasseri said. "I love him and I've been looking for 25 years – all the other stuff is outside noise, he's my brother and I love him."

It is unlikely but not out of the question that Luigi Mangione, who is suspected of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week, will face federal charges, and it is "fair to be concerned" that Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg will "mishandle this case," former prosecutors told Fox News Digital.Mangione was arrested by police in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Monday morning after a five-day manhunt when a McDonald's patron recognized his face from wanted posters.On Tuesday, Mangione refused to waive his right to an extradition hearing in a Pennsylvania court, and his attorney said he intends to file a writ of habeas corpus challenging Mangione's arrest. Bragg and Blair County District Attorney Peter Weeks are working to get the 26-year-old Ivy League graduate to New York."There is no obvious hook for a federal murder prosecution," James Trusty, who served as a prosecutor in Maryland for 27 years, told Fox News Digital, based on the publicly available details of the case. UNITEDHEALTHCARE CEO MURDER SUSPECT HAS OUTBURST OUTSIDE PENNSYLVANIA COURTHOUSEHowever, Trusty said, evidence for potential federal charges could be found on Mangione's laptop that was seized upon his arrest.Although federal authorities can hand down murder charges, Trusty said "the types of things that could make it go federal is if [the murder] was in conjunction with organized crime, drug trafficking or a hate crime, which has a more narrow definition than just ‘I hate insurance companies,’" Trusty said.Members of the Altoona Police Department wrote in a criminal complaint obtained by Fox News Digital that they found a "black 3D-printed pistol and a black silencer." Possessing such a "ghost gun" – a home-cooked weapon that is unserialized and therefore untraceable – is a federal offense, former Joint Terrorism Task Force head and Port Authority Chief Security Officer John Ryan told Fox News Digital.UNITEDHEALTHCARE CEO MURDER SUSPECT LUIGI MANGIONE COMPLAINED ABOUT BACK SURGERY BEFORE SLAYINGBut sentencing for such a charge would amount to a far shorter sentence than a murder charge at a state level, Trusty said, likely just a year behind bars. "If there's something like a ghost gun that becomes a separate standalone federal case, you could do that as a matter of a ‘safety net’ to say, 'We're going to get something out of this [prosecution]," Trusty said. Fox News contributor Andrew McCarthy wrote in a Monday National Review article that he has misgivings about Bragg prosecuting Mangione's case. UNITEDHEALTHCARE CEO SLAYING SUSPECT LUIGI MANGIONE'S FIRST MEAL BEHIND BARS REVEALED"Can Alvin Bragg – the paragon progressive prosecutor who seems to regard the streets of New York as if they popped out of Howard Zinn’s revisionist American history textbook – be trusted to prosecute a radical leftist for carrying out a ‘direct action’ against a capitalist oppressor?" McCarthy wrote.McCarthy, also a former prosecutor, wrote that it would "not surprise [him] if President-elect Donald Trump's Justice Department nominees and the State Department "[take] a hard look at the Travel Act, an old standby in organized-crime prosections" to take the case out of Bragg's hands.A conviction for a federal charge also carries the possibility of a death sentence; capital punishment in New York was outlawed in 2004.But Trusty said this outcome was "highly unlikely." Even if Mangione didn't act alone, there would need to be some evidence that he was "part of an entity that commits crimes" for the Travel Act to apply."Think the Mafia, MS-13, Tren de Aragua," Trusty said. "Even someone that helped him in an active conspiratorial role does not create a federal hook." Mangione could have been charged with murder by federal authorities if Thompson had been murdered on federal property, Trusty said, but that is not the case.Trusty said it is "fair" for McCarthy to have misgivings about Bragg's potential handling of Mangione's case.CLICK HERE TO GET FOX NEWS APP"I think Bragg has shown a proclivity towards political-minded prosecution decisions," he said. "Charging Daniel Penny 11 days after the event was immediately a bad sign that he was listening to political voices and not doing a thorough investigation to determine what the facts are and what is a just result.""To add to that, his unprincipled prosecution of President Trump after he and the [State Department walked away from a Michael Cohen-led case] is another bad sign," he said. "It is fair to be concerned that he will mishandle this case, perhaps by allowing politics to be injected into the decision-making process instead of being a professional prosecutor."

EXCLUSIVE - In a rare bipartisan push Wednesday morning, senators on both sides of the aisle called on President Biden to instruct his administration to brief the upper chamber by Dec. 20 on efforts underway to free Austin Tice from Syria. A letter, first obtained by Fox News Digital, was sent to the Oval Office by Sens. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md, calling on Biden to "seize" the rapidly changing situation in Syria and secure Tice’s return."Given the recent fall of the Assad regime and the rapidly changing dynamics on the ground in Syria, we think this moment presents a critical opportunity to secure Austin’s release and bring him home to his family," the letter, signed by 34 senators, read. COLLAPSE OF SYRIA’S ASSAD REGIME RENEWS US PUSH TO FIND AUSTIN TICEThe letter applauded comments issued by both Biden and his national security advisor Jake Sullivan affirming that Tice’s return was a "top priority" amid the rebel takeover of Damascus, but lawmakers are looking to be briefed on detailed steps being taken to secure his release.Multiple rewards systems have been initiated by both the FBI, which is offering up to $1 million, and the State Department's Rewards for Justice program, which is offering up $10 million, for information pertaining to Tice’s whereabouts. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters Monday evening, "There are intensive efforts underway by the United States to find Austin Tice and bring him home to his family."HERE IS WHO IS VYING FOR POWER IN SYRIA AFTER THE FALL OF BASHAR AL-ASSADEfforts to connect U.S. officials with on the ground sources who may have information on where Tice is have been renewed. Sullivan told ABC’s "Good Morning America" on Monday that the U.S. was working with partners in Turkey through back-channel communications with people in Syria who may have information on which prison Tice was kept in, and the State Department confirmed that hostage-affairs envoy Roger Carstens has been engaging in a similar outreach approach in Beirut. The fall of the Assad regime on Sunday brought renewed hope for the return of Tice, who is still assessed to be alive despite his 2012 capture in Damascus and unknown condition, as rebel groups in recent days have begun freeing men, women and children held in Syria’s notoriously deplorable prisons.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP"For more than 12 years, Austin’s parents have demanded our government bring him home, and given the evolving situation in Syria, we urge you to seize this opportunity to launch an urgent effort to secure Austin’s release," the letter penned by Cronyn and Van Hollen stressed. "As a beloved son, brother, Eagle Scout, journalist, and veteran, Austin represents the best our nation has to offer and deserves the full and active support of our government to secure his release. "Congress is committed and more than willing to work with you to return him to his loving family. We encourage your administration to utilize all available means to further discourage the hostage taking of American citizens," it added. 

This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).North Korea condemned South Korea as a "fascist dictatorship" Wednesday in reaction to President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed attempt to impose martial law.North Korea had remained silent for roughly a week after Yoon's attempt, which was foiled by the nation's legislature. Kim Jong Un's regime finally commented on the issue through its state-run news outlet, KCNA."The shocking incident of the puppet Yoon Suk Yeol regime, which was faced with a serious governance crisis and an impeachment crisis, suddenly declared a martial law decree and unhesitatingly wielded the guns and knives of its fascist dictatorship," KCNA said in a report.SOUTH KOREA IMPOSES A TRAVEL BAN ON PRESIDENT YOON OVER MARTIAL LAW DECLARATION"Yoon Suk Yeol, who was faced with the possibility of being kicked out, committed an insane act that was reminiscent of the coup during the military dictatorship several decades ago and that drew strong condemnation from all walks of life, including the opposition party and further ignited the public anger demanding impeachment, the statement continued."The international community is sternly watching, with assessments that the martial law incident exposed vulnerabilities in South Korean society ... and that Yoon Suk Yeol’s political life could face an early end," KCNA added.SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT APOLOGIZES FOR DECLARING MARTIAL LAW AHEAD OF IMPEACHMENT VOTEWhile the legislature blocked Yoon's attempt to enforce martial law earlier this month, it failed in an impeachment vote against Yoon this week. Investigations into Yoon's power grab remain active, however.South Korea’s former defense minister, Kim Yong Hyun, attempted suicide while in detention over the president's martial law declaration before officials stopped him.The main liberal opposition Democratic Party plans to hold a second impeachment vote against Yoon on Saturday for his declaration to impose martial law after the first attempt failed.Shin Yong Hae, commissioner general of the Korea Correctional Service, told lawmakers Wednesday at a parliament committee meeting that Kim attempted to kill himself overnight at a detention center in the capital of Seoul but that the attempt to end his life was unsuccessful after officials stopped him.

This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).South Korea’s former defense minister, Kim Yong Hyun, attempted suicide while in detention over the president's martial law declaration before officials stopped him.This, as police raided President Yoon Suk Yeol's office Wednesday amid the investigation into the president's declaration.The main liberal opposition Democratic Party plans to hold a second impeachment vote against Yoon on Saturday for his declaration to impose martial law after the first impeachment attempt failed last weekend.Shin Yong Hae, commissioner general of the Korea Correctional Service, told lawmakers Wednesday at a parliament committee meeting that Kim attempted to kill himself overnight at a detention center in the capital of Seoul but that the attempt to end his life was unsuccessful after officials stopped him.SOUTH KOREA IMPOSES A TRAVEL BAN ON PRESIDENT YOON OVER MARTIAL LAW DECLARATIONKim is listed in a stable condition.Justice Minister Park Sung Jae also confirmed Kim’s failed suicide attempt during the parliament committee meeting.Kim was detained early Wednesday after a Seoul court approved a warrant for his arrest on allegations of playing a key role in a rebellion and committing abuse of power. Kim was the first person formally arrested over the president's Dec. 3 martial law decree.A close associate of Yoon, Kim is accused of recommending martial law to the president and sending troops to the National Assembly to block lawmakers from voting on the motion. Lawmakers eventually managed to enter a parliament chamber, where they unanimously rejected Yoon’s decree, forcing it to be lifted just hours after it was declared.Prosecutors have up to 20 days to decide whether to indict Kim in the case.Cho Ji Ho, commissioner general of the National Police Agency, and Kim Bong-sik, head of the metropolitan police agency of Seoul, were detained over their actions during martial law on allegations of deploying police forces to the National Assembly to block lawmakers from voting.SOUTH KOREA'S PRESIDENT YOON SURVIVES IMPEACHMENT ATTEMPT AFTER HIS PARTY BOYCOTTS VOTEThe country’s main law enforcement agencies are centering on whether Yoon, Kim and others involved in the martial law decree committed the crime of rebellion, for which a conviction carries a maximum sentence of death.Yoon, a conservative, apologized on Saturday for the martial law declaration, saying he would not seek to avoid legal or political responsibility for the motion. He also said he would leave it to his party to lead the country through its political turmoil, "including matters related to my term in office."In declaring martial law, Yoon said he wanted to rebuild the country by eliminating "shameless North Korea followers and anti-state forces," a criticism of his liberal rivals who control parliament.Opposition parties and many experts say the martial law decree was unconstitutional. This was the first time martial law was imposed in South Korea in more than 40 years.During a parliamentary hearing Tuesday, Kwak Jong-keun, commander of the Army Special Warfare Command whose troops were sent to parliament, testified that Yoon called him and requested that troops deployed at parliament "quickly destroy the door and drag out the lawmakers who are inside."Kwak said he did not follow Yoon's order.Senior officer Kim Dae-woo of the military’s counterintelligence agency said at the same hearing that his commander, Yeo In-hyung, asked him if an army bunker in Seoul had space to detain politicians and other figures after martial law was declared. Yeo is considered a close associate of Kim.If Yoon is impeached, his powers will be suspended until the Constitutional Court decides whether to remove him from office. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, the second in command in the South Korean government, would take over his presidential responsibilities.Should the president be removed, an election to replace him must be held within 60 days.The Associated Press contributed to this report.

U.S. Navy destroyers shot down Houthi missiles and drones for the second time in a month, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Tuesday.The USS Stockdale (DDG 106) and USS O’Kane (DDG 77) successfully defeated a range of Houthi-launched weapons while transiting the Gulf of Aden on Dec. 9 and 10, the Navy said.The ships were escorting U.S. owned and operated merchant vessels when they successfully engaged and defeated multiple one-way attacks, uncrewed aerial systems and one anti-ship cruise missile.DISAPPROVAL MOUNTS BOTH AT HOME AND ABROAD AS US AVOIDS DIRECT ACTION AGAINST HOUTHI REBELSThis attack marks the second in a month, with the first taking place from Nov. 30 to Dec. 1 when the ships defeated an Iran-backed Houthi attack.US NAVY SHIPS REPEL ATTACK FROM HOUTHIS IN GULF OF ADEN "These actions reflect the ongoing commitment of CENTCOM forces to protect U.S. personnel, regional partners, and international shipping, against attacks by Iran-backed Houthis," the command said in a statement.American personnel were not injured, CENTCOM added, and there were no injuries or damage to the ships.The attacks against shipping are ongoing and Houthi militants vow to continue until Israel ends its campaign in Gaza.

Footage from the streets of China captured a scene straight from a science fiction novel – spherical drones alongside patrolling law enforcement. Chinese robotics company, Logon Technology, unveiled the RT-G autonomous spherical robot in a release, saying it was a "technological breakthrough" designed to assist and even replace humans in dangerous environments.The spherical robots are capable of operating both on land and water. The robots can reach speeds of up to 35km/h (approximately 22 mph) and withstand impact damage of up to 8,818 pounds (4 tons), the company said.NO TENNIS PARTNER? NO WORRIES WITH THIS AI ROBOTIn footage, posted by TikTok user @di.q60, a large spherical robocop was seen patrolling Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China. The large robocop was flanked by 4 officers along the busy streets of Hangzhou, which has a population of nearly 12 million.Along with the robocop's intimidating presence, the robots are equipped with an impressive lineup of technological advancements.According to Logon Technology, the robots are powered by advanced AI. ROBOTIC SHORTS GIVE YOUR LEGS A BOOST TO WALK FARTHER AND TIRE LESSThe company said that the RT-G will assist law enforcement by identifying and immobilizing criminals through using advance AI and using facial recognition technology.China's recent use of robots points to countries blending technology and traditional policing methods to enhance public safety.In the U.S., New York Mayor Eric Adams unveiled robotic dogs in April 2023."We want the public to know that the use of these technologies will be transparent, consistent, and always done in collaboration with the people that we serve," NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said at the unveiling.The robotic dogs were designed to assist the NYPD in investigating high-risk or hazardous incidents.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday he wants to establish "relations" with the new regime in Syria after the ousting of Bashar al-Assad, but he warned Israel will not hesitate to attack the Middle Eastern nation should it pose a threat."We want relations with the new regime in Syria," Netanyahu said in a live address. "But if this regime allows Iran to return to establishing itself in Syria or allows the transfer of Iranian weapons or any other weapons to Hezbollah or [if it] attack[s] us, we will respond strongly. And we will exact a heavy price."What happened to the previous regime will also happen to this regime." ISRAEL DEPLOYS PARATROOPERS TO SYRIA IN 'DEFENSE ACTIVITIES' AFTER FALL OF ASSADIt remains unclear who exactly will take over the leadership of Syria or what that government will look like now that rebel forces control Damascus.Overnight on Monday, Israel launched massive strikes against Syrian military targets, including two Syrian naval sites, the Al-Bayda port and the Latakia port, where 15 Syrian naval vessels were docked, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed Tuesday afternoon. "Manned aircraft flew hundreds of hours over Syrian airspace, conducting over 350 aerial strikes together with fighter jets," the IDF reported.Israel said a "wide range of targets were struck" including anti-aircraft batteries, Syrian Air Force airfields and dozens of weapons depot sites in Damascus, Homs, Tartus, Latakia and Palmyr that housed sophisticated weaponry like ballistic and cruise missiles, UAVs, fighter jets, attack helicopters and tanks. Netanyahu appeared to claim the strikes were similar to actions taken by Britain during World War II when it bombed a French fleet at the Algerian port of Mers-el-Kébir to prevent the ships from falling into the hands of the Nazis.NETANYAHU HAILS 'HISTORIC' FALL OF BASHAR ASSAD IN SYRIA, CREDITS ISRAELI ATTACKS ON HEZBOLLAH, IRANIt is unclear if any casualties were inflicted in Israel’s overnight strikes, though the United Nations on Tuesday condemned the attacks as well as Israel’s military encroachment beyond the Golan Heights and into a demilitarized buffer zone."We are continuing to see Israeli movements and bombardments into Syrian territory. This needs to stop," U.N. Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen said, calling Israel’s developments "troubling.""This is extremely important," he added. "We need to see a stop to the Israeli attacks, and we need to make sure that the conflict in the northeast stops. And we need to make sure that there are no conflicts developing between the different armed groups."Israel received some international criticism after it sent a military contingent this week beyond the Golan Heights, a contested area that Jerusalem seized in 1967 and which is still internationally recognized as a part of Syria, though the U.S. recognizes Israeli sovereignty over the area.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP"We're against these types of attacks. I think this is a turning point for Syria. It should not be used by its neighbors to encroach on the territory of Syria," U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric reportedly said Tuesday. In his address, Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel’s position and said, "We have no intention of interfering in the internal affairs of Syria, but we clearly have the intention of doing what is necessary to ensure our security."

The fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria over the weekend has brought a renewed effort by the Biden administration to find American journalist and Marine veteran Austin Tice and bring him home. An immense push to return Tice, who was abducted in Syria 12 years ago, has been initiated as hostage-affairs envoy Roger Carstens has begun outreach in Beirut, and efforts to engage with sources in Syria to gain information on Tice's whereabouts have begun, according to White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan."There are intensive efforts underway by the United States to find Austin Tice and bring him home to his family," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Monday evening. "We encourage anyone who has information about Austin’s whereabouts to contact the FBI immediately." HERE IS WHO IS VYING FOR POWER IN SYRIA AFTER THE FALL OF BASHAR AL-ASSADMiller pointed to the FBI's reward program offering up to $1 million for anyone with credible information pertaining to Tice and his safe return.The State Department's Rewards for Justice program is also offering up to $10 million for information about Tice's whereabouts. "As Secretary [of State] Blinken has said directly to Austin’s family – including in the past few days – we will not rest until he is returned home safely to his loved ones," the spokesman confirmed.Similarly, Sullivan told ABC’s "Good Morning America" on Monday that the U.S. was also working with partners in Turkey to communicate with people in Syria who may have information to help locate the prison where he may be being held."This is a top priority for us," Sullivan said. Tice was 31 years old when he was detained in Damascus in August 2012 while reporting on the uprising against the Assad regime, which marked the early stages of the Syrian civil war, and ultimately ended with Assad’s ousting on Sunday after rebels seized the capital city.The Tice family has said they believe he is still alive, and reports have suggested the U.S. has received intermittent information pertaining to his whereabouts, though one official told Reuters the credibility of this information has been difficult to verify.The U.S. reportedly received information over the summer from a Lebanese source who claimed they saw Tice alive and said he was believed to be held captive by a group connected with Hezbollah, a former U.S. official familiar with the intelligence told Reuters. In 2020, President Biden issued a statement that said he knew "with certainty" that the Assad regime was responsible for Tice’s imprisonment and demanded they release him. The regime responded by claiming it neither abducted nor held the American journalist. THE RISE AND FALL OF BASHAR AND ASMA ASSADThe U.S. has reportedly engaged in back-channel talks with Syria with the help of Lebanese intermediaries for years, including under the Biden administration, though to no avail.Syrian officials apparently refused to engage in talks regarding the release of Tice and offered only proof-of-life information if the U.S. would meet its demands, like the withdrawal of its forces from the country. The last communication the Biden administration reportedly had with Syria regarding Tice was one month prior to the fall of Aleppo, which fell to rebel forces in late November.Since the demise of Hezbollah following Israel’s campaign in Lebanon, along with Russia and Iran’s inability to once again back the Assad regime, and the subsequent rebel takeover of the country, tens of thousands of captives held in Syria’s notoriously brutal prisons have been released. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPThe infamous Saydnaya military prison, dubbed the "human slaughterhouse" where torture, disease, starvation and secret executions were common, was liberated on Sunday by the rebels who smashed open cells where they found men, women and children held, reported The Associated Press.Prisoners in cities including Aleppo, Homs, Hama as well as Damascus have been freed, giving new hope to relatives who have not seen family members held in these prisons for years.In a Saturday address, Biden expressed some hope regarding Tice and said, "We believe he’s alive. We think we can get him back, but we have no direct evidence to that yet.""We have to identify where he is," the president added.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is recovering in an intensive-care unit after undergoing surgery for an intracranial hemorrhage, the Sirio-Libanes hospital said in a statement in the early hours of Tuesday.The procedure was performed after the 79-year-old leftist leader felt headaches doctors believed resulted from a fall at home in October.BRAZIL'S FIRST LADY AIMS EXPLICIT JOKE AT KEY TARGET OF HUSBAND'S ADMINISTRATION: 'F--- YOU, ELON MUSK'The hospital said Lula, who traveled from the capital Brasilia to be treated 620 miles south in Sao Paulo, is "well, under monitoring in an ICU bed" after the bleeding was drained.Brazil’s presidency has yet to issue any comment.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPLula canceled a trip to Russia for a BRICS summit after the accident, his office said at the time. It left him with a cut visible on the back of his head, slightly above his neck.Sirio-Libanes said a press conference will be held at 9 a.m. local time to discuss the surgery.

The regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad fell after over 13 years of civil war and nearly 54 years of his family’s dynastic rule. While many Syrians across the country and members of the Syrian diaspora cheered the downfall of his brutal dictatorship, many in the region and in the U.S. fear what will come of his substantial stockpile of chemical weapons. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said in a statement that it was monitoring closely the developments in Syria, with "special attention" to the status of its chemical weapons. TRUMP URGES US TO STAY OUT OF SYRIAN CIVIL WAR, BLAMING OBAMA FOR FAILURE AS ISLAMISTS CLOSE IN ON CAPITALIzumi Nakamitsu, the U.N. high representative for Disarmament Affairs, said in a statement on Sunday that Syria’s reported destruction of large quantities of chemical weapons still cannot be verified."I reiterate that this is extremely worrying," Nakamitsu said in a statement.Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday that the U.S. will "support international efforts to hold the Assad regime and its backers accountable for atrocities and abuses perpetrated against the Syrian people, including the use of chemical weapons."It is unclear what specific chemical weapons Assad had left at the time of his regime crumbling and his fleeing to Moscow. As part of international negotiations following Assad’s use of chemical weapons, Syria joined the Chemical Weapons Convention in 2013 and agreed to destroy over 1,300 tons of chemical warfare material in 2014. The OPCW said that there remain serious concerns about the completeness of Syria’s initial declaration in 2013 and "the fate of significant amounts of chemical weapons are unaccounted for."U.S. Ambassador to the OPCW Nicole Shampaine warned that Syria’s undeclared chemical weapons posed a "proliferation risk."Assad was not the only bad actor to use chemical weapons on Syrian civilians. A joint United Nations and OPCW investigation found that the Islamic State conducted chlorine attacks and used sulfur mustard gas in 2015 and 2016. Fears are growing around where exactly Assad’s chemical weapons are hidden and what groups may gain control of them. Chemical weapons falling into the wrong hands, particularly ISIS or other terrorist groups, would be a worst-case scenario for the region.ISLAMIST REBELS IN SYRIA CATCH ASSAD, PUTIN, IRAN REGIMES OFF GUARD GIVING US NEW MIDEAST HEADACHEHayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the rebel group that led the offensive in the eventual overthrow of Assad, released a statement in its newly created Political Affairs Department, asserting it has no intention of using what’s left of Assad’s chemical weapons and committed to maintaining the security of the sites while working with the international community to monitor the sites.Despite the initial positive rhetoric from HTS, there is trepidation among experts and policymakers about how reliable assurances are from a group that once pledged allegiance to al Qaeda. HTS is a designated foreign terrorist organization by the State Department and has a Salafi-Jihadist ideology. The leader of HTS, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, is wanted, and the FBI is offering up to $10 million for information leading to his capture.Some experts who closely monitor nuclear weapons proliferation are advocating for the U.S. to join forces with Israel to destroy the remains of Assad’s chemical weapons."Israel and the United States must immediately destroy any known, remaining Syrian chemical weapons capabilities, while laying the basis for resumed OPCW inspections and efforts to attribute responsibility for the Assad regime and Russia’s past chemical weapons attacks," Andrea Stricker, deputy director of Foundation for the Defense of Democracies Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program, told Fox News Digital."Allowing such weapons to fall into the wrong hands risks terrorist attacks across the globe if such actors seek to exploit their newfound weaponry," Stricker added.ASSAD ARRIVES IN MOSCOW, IS GRANTED ASYLUM BY RUSSIAIsrael already announced that it has conducted strikes on some of Assad’s suspected chemical weapons. So far, the U.S. has conducted dozens of precision air strikes targeting ISIS camps and operatives, striking over 75 targets, according to U.S. Central Command. The U.S. has not yet targeted the Assad regime's chemical weapons sites.The HTS statement also noted that the Assad regime used chemical weapons against innocent Syrians during the civil war, and the group sees these weapons as a crime against humanity. One of the most gruesome attacks was in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta in August 2013, when the regime launched rockets carrying sarin gas that killed more than 1,400 people.The OPCW concluded in extensive investigations that the Assad regime "definitely or likely" used chemical weapons in at least 17 cases during the civil war.…

Taiwan defense officials are raising concerns about a substantial deployment of Chinese naval ships and military planes in the past 24 hours, saying the build-up could eventually lead to war as tensions continue to rise in the area.Officials say China has sent about a dozen ships and 47 military planes to regional waters around the Taiwan Strait, as the nation braces for military drills following Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s recent overseas trip that included visits to Hawaii and Guam, an American territory.The trip angered China, which claims Taiwan as its own.TRUMP CABINET PICKS DELIGHT TAIWAN, SEND STRONG SIGNAL TO CHINALai, who has been in office since May, spoke with U.S. congressional leaders by phone while in Guam. The visits came just weeks after the U.S. approved a potential $2 billion arms sale package to Taiwan, including the delivery of an advanced air defense missile system battle tested in Ukraine and radar systems. The potential sales package includes three National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) and related equipment valued at up to $1.16 billion, according to the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs.The Chinese communist government has pledged to annex Taiwan, through military force if necessary, and sends ships and military planes near the island almost daily.Regarding the latest build up, Taiwan's Lt. Gen. Hsieh Jih-sheng said China’s navy is creating two walls — one at Taiwan's perimeter and another outside the first island chain, which extends south from Japan and through Taiwan to the Philippines. "The message they are sending is very simple: The Taiwan Strait is ours," he said, referring to the waters between Taiwan and China.Taiwan officials say the deployment came without an announcement and are calling the ongoing activity a training exercise.However, Hsieh warned that training can become drills, and drills can become war."It’s in the status of regular training," he said. "But under the status of normalized training, it’s able to mobilize military forces on such a large scale and carry out exercises in such a large area."Taiwan's military is on high alert, setting up an emergency response center on Monday and announcing flight restrictions in seven zones off China's east coast. The restrictions are in place until Wednesday.PHILIPPINES WARNS OF ‘RED LINE’ WITH BEIJING AMID HEIGHTENED TENSIONS IN SOUTH CHINA SEAThe U.S. has repeatedly signaled its support for Taiwan through military deals, operations and diplomatic interactions with Taiwanese officials.Recent years have found a cadence of U.S. officials, such as former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, meeting with Taiwanese officials only for Beijing to react with saber-rattling.Pelosi made a rare trip to the island in 2021, and China reacted by holding live-fire military drills surrounding Taiwan. Those drills occurred again in 2023 when then-Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met with former Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.China, which views Lai as a separatist, also held major military exercises around Taiwan following his inauguration in May and his National Day speech in October.Meanwhile, President-elect Trump’s nominees to serve as United Nations ambassador, national security adviser, and most importantly, secretary of state are regarded by many as "China Hawks." For instance, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who has been tapped for secretary of state, said during the Republican National Convention in mid-July that he expected a re-elected Trump to "continue to do what he did in his first term and that is … continue to support Taiwan."Rubio, however, has been in lockstep with Trump on insisting Taiwan increase defense spending, a view shared by security experts, but not necessarily the majority of Taiwanese people.Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., has been nominated as ambassador to the United Nations while Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., is Trump’s choice for national security adviser.Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom and Eryk Michael Smith, as well as The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.