https://meenews.co/post/6a77a9632c5335ae10448dca Students sip up wine class, learning viticulture and enology te 2026-08-08T22:10:43.423Z Students sip up wine class, learning viticulture and enology Southwest Wine Center bottles last of season’s grapes into future vintage Yavapai College’s Southwest Wine Center routinely turns water into wine. In preparation of the final bottling of its season, on July 18, Jason McCluskey took four of his students through the filtration process before bottling Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a9622c5335ae10448dc1 YCSO seeks info on truck that ran over man in VOC te 2026-08-08T22:10:42.916Z YCSO seeks info on truck that ran over man in VOC Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office opened an investigation into a hit-and-run on June 29 after a white pickup truck reportedly ran over a man’s legs near Clark’s Market in the Village of Oak Creek. “At this time, the investigation has not yielded any leads,” YCSO Public Information Officer Paul Wick wr Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a9612c5335ae10448db8 Jamie Kennedy blasts left-wing double standards following 'maggot' attacks te 2026-08-08T22:10:41.943Z Jamie Kennedy blasts left-wing double standards following 'maggot' attacks Jamie Kennedy is calling out what he sees as hypocrisy in America today. The actor released a solo episode of his podcast, "Hate to Break It to Ya," this week, and spoke at length about current events, namely the Fauci hearings and the renewed conversation around the COVID-19 pandemic and its lasting effects. During the episode, Kennedy's discussion of the public response to the pandemic became a bit broader when he spoke about some people today being "beyond brainwashed." JAMIE KENNEDY BLASTS MARK HAMILL'S DEAD TRUMP POST AS 'EVIL' AFTER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT "And I've never seen this in the history of our race of human beings," he continued. "For instance, if I like something that a Republican does, or Trump does, they call me not just MAGA, they call me a maggot. A maggot." He explained that while he does lean right, he "never even voted," and he said there are some more liberal policies he agrees with as well, "but if I say I like that Trump secures the borders, I'm just a maggot." The "Scream" star said he believes that people like him, who focus on policy over party, are "open-minded," while people on the left have "no leniency." "How can you say that you're the party of inclusion when you don't include us?" he asked. "All we want to do is talk to people, figure out things, go through different ideas, see what we like. And if we don't, we don't feel like we've looked under every stone. And I feel like that's what's happening – people don't want you to investigate. If you even investigate or go against their beliefs, they just put you in a box." LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS Kennedy also spoke about performing an hour-long comedy set in a parking lot to raise money for a bar that had been struggling to stay afloat under lockdown restrictions. The event was nearly shut down while, at the same time, he claimed, a crew of dozens was shooting a television show in another parking lot nearby with no issues because it had been "sanctioned by the state." "That's the hypocrisy," he complained. "A female, family-owned business, probably very left-leaning ... and you've turned them into me. And you know what you think I am." He continued, "So when you say that people are like this, it's because you're so repressive. You're so judgmental, you're so mean. You're so arrogant, you're so impatient, you're so ... there's nothing sweet about you. There's nothing open or forgiving." "The reason why no one believes your bulls— when you're this wild, angry, crazy left-leaning person ... is that the right-leaning people, if they say hateful things, they kind of stand by it," Kennedy said, claiming that if someone on the right holds "hateful" beliefs, "at least you know where you stand with them." "If you're a wild leftist, your whole thing is inclusion," he argued, and "the minute they don't get what they want," they turn into a "gremlin-possessed demon." CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER "Why we don't listen to you is because we don't believe a word you say," he went on, "because you're all words. You're nothing but ... you're air. You're not a really good person, you're fake. We all know it. People like me know it. There's tons of people like me – we know it." As another example, Kennedy brought up the murder of Charlie Kirk, saying that "if you're an empathetic person, you were f—ing ruined for a week. I don't care what you are – if you're a human, and you have blood in your veins and love in your heart, you don't wish what happened to him on anyone." But the people who celebrated Kirk's death, he said, are "beyond sick, and we saw how many people did that." "These are the people that want all the inclusion and say that we're not," he said. "No, we just know your bulls—. You just want what you want, and if you don't get it, 'it's my ball, and my that, I'm going home,' but you don't just go home, you burn ours down. You're not just crybabies, you're psychopaths." "You talk about a cult," he said later. "The cult of closed-mindedness. That's what it is." Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a9612c5335ae10448daf White Sox manager Will Venable forgets key rule in inexplicable blunder, costs team in loss te 2026-08-08T22:10:41.419Z White Sox manager Will Venable forgets key rule in inexplicable blunder, costs team in loss Chicago White Sox manager Will Venable has done a tremendous job in his first season with the club, with many fine moments throughout the season. However, in the White Sox’s 8-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians at Rate Field on Friday, Venable did not have one of his finer moments, as he forgot a key rule and cost his team dearly. Just four batters into the game, White Sox starting pitcher Noah Schultz had loaded the bases, drawing a mound visit from pitching coach Zach Bove. One batter later, left fielder Angel Martinez ripped a two-run single. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM Venable then went to the mound to talk about an appeal play but forgot that he wasn’t allowed to do so. Under official rule 5.10(l), "a manager or coach is allowed only one visit to the mound per pitcher in a single inning without penalty. If the same coach or manager makes a second visit to the same pitcher in the same inning, the pitcher must be removed from the pitching position." Venable’s visit to the mound meant that he had to remove Schultz from the game just five batters in. His gaffe was especially costly, because the team lost in 13 innings the night before and taxed its bullpen. Venable’s blunder meant that his already taxed bullpen was going to have to work 8 2/3 innings. David Sandlin, who replaced Schultz, hadn’t even begun throwing in the bullpen when Venable went to the pitcher’s mound; he was just getting loose and stretching. ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW! While Venable said after the game that Schultz was not going to pitch long in the game anyway, he certainly would have lasted more than the five batters he faced if it weren't for Venable's mound visit. The 43-year-old manager took full responsibility for his error. "Yeah, just an inexcusable mistake by me where we had an appeal play that we wanted to execute, and in the urgency of trying to make that happen, just totally lost that we had visited," Venable said, according to MLB.com. "Obviously that was a mistake. So, just messed it up." SIGN UP TO GET THE LATEST SPORTS NEWS Sandlin, who was callup from Triple-A before the game, ended saving the bullpen, as he pitched 5 1/3 innings on 96 pitches. While the circumstances of his entering the game were odd, he didn’t make any excuses. "I got a little extra time out there," Sandlin said. "I think I got about eight pitches in the 'pen and then got to warm up out there. Can't make any excuses, just have to get going. Felt good enough and started off great." For the White Sox, it was their fourth straight loss, making them the last team in baseball to have a four-game losing streak this season. They had not lost more than three in a row before Friday. STAY "FEARLESS" ON THE GO! TAKE TOMI LAHREN WITH YOU. DOWNLOAD THE TLIF PODCAST NOW! The White Sox (59-56) will look to bounce back in the second game of their three-game series against their American League Central foe, the Guardians (58-59), on Saturday at 7:15 p.m. ET. Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a9602c5335ae10448da6 Cornell bans bear butchering after students carved up creature in dorm kitchen te 2026-08-08T22:10:40.901Z Cornell bans bear butchering after students carved up creature in dorm kitchen Cornell University has added a new rule banning the processing of wild game in school kitchens months after two students went viral for carving up a bear in a dormitory kitchen. "Processing wild/game animals in community kitchens is strictly prohibited," the school's new policy reads. The school confirmed to a student newspaper that the rule's addition was a direct response to the 2025 incident, which saw two students drag the carcass of a black bear they had killed into Cornell's Ganędagǫ Hall for preparation. One of those students, Aaron Chin, revealed himself as one of the butchers on a podcast a few months after the incident. CODY JOHNSON FIRES BACK AT CRITICS, CALLS ALASKA GRIZZLY BEAR HUNT A 'CONSERVATIONIST EFFORT' Chin explained that he and his hunting partner, a fellow Cornell student, had planned on bringing the bear from the hunting grounds located roughly two hours from the school to a friend's house to prepare it, but claimed the friend had an emergency that left them unable to use his home. Chin also said that before bringing the bear meat on campus, he and his partner ensured they weren't breaking any campus rules. "We were really diligent in reading all of the rules [and] regulations," Chin told the MeatEater podcast in September. "We made sure we did everything by the book because we knew we were going to be under scrutiny." The incident incurred swift social media and on-campus backlash, prompting state regulators to investigate. However, after an inspector from New York's Department of Environmental Conservation visited the kitchen where the carving took place, the agency found no code violations, according to an NBC report. BLACK BEARS INVADE LAKE TAHOE HOMES AS BREAK-INS SURGE AND LOCALS FORTIFY DEFENSES Fox News Digital contacted Cornell and Chin for further comment. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a9602c5335ae10448d9d Saturday at 'the Spa': Saratoga Race Course picks for Whitney Day, including four Grade 1 stakes races te 2026-08-08T22:10:40.341Z Saturday at 'the Spa': Saratoga Race Course picks for Whitney Day, including four Grade 1 stakes races Take my word for it: Saratoga, New York is one of the best summer towns in the country. The concerts, restaurants, nightlife, and most importantly, the Saratoga Race Course, attract a terrific party vibe. Every Saturday during the summer, horse racing's best thoroughbreds, jockeys and trainers go to The Spa. And Whitney Day, headlined by the self-titled Grade 1 stakes, is one of the best of the days in Saratoga’s summer meet. Along with the Whitney are three more Grade 1 races, such as the Test Stakes, Fourstardave Stakes and Saratoga Derby. In my first trip to The Spa this summer, I went 0-for-3 on Jim Dandy Day last week, losing $100. I'm heading back to Saratoga for this loaded Whitney Day card with $125 I'm willing to risk. Here's how I'm betting races 9-12 Saturday, August 8. Saratoga Race Course Bet Slip: 'Whitney Day' Statistically speaking, #6 On Time Girl (7-2) has the best jockey (Irad Ortiz) and trainer (Brad Cox) combo in this field. OUTKICK SPORTS CARTOON OF THE DAY Ortiz is a multiple-time winner of the best jockey during the Saratoga summer meet, and he has the highest winning percentage of any jockey this summer with a minimum of five starts. Cox has the highest winning rate of any trainer this summer at Saratoga with a minimum of 25 starts. On Time Girl has two wins and a second in three races at this distance and has gone off as the top betting choice in five of her last six starts, including four straight. She is the only filly in this field with tactical speed, so she can win whether there is a fast or slow pace. This is just a good price for #3 Zulu Kingdom (7-2), who has gone off as the top betting choice in seven of his 11 career races. He has eight wins and one third in his career. ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW! In five starts at The Spa, Zulu Kingdom has three wins and a third. At this distance, he has four wins and a third in seven races. Zulu Kingdom’s jockey (Flavien Prat) and trainer (Chad Brown) are leading this summer’s Saratoga meet in earnings. He is coming off his fastest career Beyer Speed Figure (101) in a dead-heat win at the Grade 3 Kelso in Saratoga last month. Zulu Kingdom is experienced in these tough fields; he’s been in seven Graded stakes races, including six straight. I’m putting #6 Capitol Hill (10-1) underneath in an exacta because he is the only horse in this field with "late speed" and could sneak into the money on the final stretch. #1 Glavine (12-1) has clocked 86, 83 and 85 Beyers in his three races this year, which isn’t far off the top speeds in this field. He broke his maiden in May and finished fourth and third in his last two starts, both at Saratoga. If he can improve a little, Glavine will outrun his odds. Speaking of which, he’s gone off at $4.17 or shorter in his three races this year, making Glavine’s 12-1 Saratoga Derby morning-line a great price. At the end of the day, the top-three betting choices in this field are 9-2 or shorter, and Glavine isn’t nearly three times worse than them. The 2025 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes champion, #6 Sovereignty (3-1), has a second and a third in his first two starts this year, which is disappointing, considering his resume. But Sovereignty has three wins in four races at The Spa, which includes last year’s Belmont Stakes and a 10-length victory in the Grade 1 Travers in a field with the top betting choice Saturday, #1 Magnitude (9-5), who lost by 20.75 lengths. Granted, Magnitude got his revenge by beating Sovereignty in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster at Churchill in May. Nevertheless, Sovereignty’s floor is the rest of this Whitney field's A-game; he has run a 104+ Beyer in six consecutive races. SIGN UP TO GET THE LATEST SPORTS NEWS Lastly, Sovereignty broke his maiden in his third start as a two-year-old and won the Kentucky Derby in his third start last year, followed by his three wins at Saratoga last summer. At this price, I'm betting Sovereignty will continue this pattern as a four-year-old. STAY "FEARLESS" ON THE GO! TAKE TOMI LAHREN WITH YOU. DOWNLOAD THE TLIF PODCAST NOW! _____________________________ Follow me on X @Geoffery-Clark, and check out my "OutKick Bets Podcast" for more betting content and random rants. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a95f2c5335ae10448d94 Florida business owners allegedly scattered 1,500 mothballs on beach to send endangered birds packing te 2026-08-08T22:10:39.813Z Florida business owners allegedly scattered 1,500 mothballs on beach to send endangered birds packing Two Florida business owners have been charged with third-degree felonies after allegedly spreading about 1,500 "toxic" mothballs across a beach in hopes of keeping an "imperiled" bird species from nesting there. If convicted, they could each face up to five years in prison, fines of up to $5,000 and up to five years of probation. The problem started in late April when beachgoers noticed mothballs on the white, sugary sand on St. Pete Beach in St. Petersburg, Florida. Officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and bird-loving volunteers from the Audubon Society mobilized. They plucked about 1,000 of the small, white orbs from the sand behind the Plaza Beach Hotel. MASSACHUSETTS HOMEOWNERS STUNNED AFTER TOWN WARNS JULY 4 FLAGS THREATEN ENDANGERED BIRDS Then 500 more appeared overnight. The smelly balls containing pesticides dotted an area where endangered shorebirds known as black skimmers were "attempting to establish a nesting colony," FWC officials said in a news conference. Their placement also meant other wildlife and children "could easily come in contact with them." It quickly became clear that someone might be targeting the birds, they said. So FWC investigators flew into action. Meanwhile, the discovery of the mothballs ruffled feathers in the community. There was "a lot of public outcry" expressing concern for the birds, while investigators tried to locate the source of the mothballs, FWC officials said. Law enforcement served search warrants, combed through "terabytes" of data and eventually seized cellphones to try to locate the individuals behind the caper. That work led them to Christopher Monroe, owner and manager of Chris’s Beachside Bar, and Robert Czyszczon, owner of the Plaza Beach Hotel, FWC officials said. Out of fear of lost revenue, the two allegedly hatched a plan to use mothballs to deter birds from congregating on the beach behind their businesses, authorities said. HIKERS FACE $25,000 FINE AFTER OFF-LEASH DOG BARKED AT GRIZZLY BEAR ON BANFF NATIONAL PARK TRAIL Through video surveillance and receipt records, investigators found that Czyszczon spent about $60 buying "a large quantity" of mothballs at a Walmart the day before they first appeared on the beach, FWC officials said. Upon examining his phone, investigators found "incriminating" text messages between him and fellow business owner, Monroe, discussing their objections to the native fowl. Text conversations revealed plans for placement of the mothballs on the beach, officials said. That’s what led investigators to Monroe as a suspect. The men discussed how they "were going to do something" to prevent the birds from nesting on the beach, FWC officials said. Black skimmers don’t nest in trees. They kick beach sand backwards to make depressions on the ground. Then they lay their eggs and raise their young near the surf. "They're the worst birds," one of the men allegedly wrote in anticipation of nesting season. "The bird people will put up fence around the area, and then the beach people will not be able to get to and from because they will fence around that space." Cellphone tower data showed Monroe’s phone was at the same location as Czyszczon’s phone on both nights when the mothballs appeared on the beach, FWC officials said. The men feared that nests on the beach would lead to fewer customers and less money being spent there, authorities said. "Why didn't you tell me we lose $25,000 to $50,000?" one allegedly wrote in a text. Monroe and Czyszczon were charged with illegal dumping, a third-degree felony, according to Pinellas County court records. They also were charged with the "attempted take of a state-listed imperiled species by harassment," a misdemeanor, according to FWC officials. Both are out of jail on bond. MASSACHUSETTS HOMEOWNERS STUNNED AFTER TOWN WARNS JULY 4 FLAGS THREATEN ENDANGERED BIRDS LIKE WHAT YOU'RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE About 6,800 black skimmers live in Florida. FWC officials estimate that several hundred live on the beaches of Pinellas County. SEND US A TIP The pesticide in mothballs can harm people and wildlife that come into contact with their vapors, according to an educational publication by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS). "With any pesticide, the label is the law," Brett W. Bultemeier, director of the UF/IFAS Pesticide Information Office, wrote in a 2021 educational publication about mothballs. "The label language is not simply a set of directions. Rather, they are requirements that are legally enforceable." GOT A TIP? The birds probably weren’t hurt by the "harassment," FWC officials said. But it did delay their nesting, they said. That pushes the date that their young can fledge from the nest further back in the season. And that could put them in danger. GET BREAKING NEWS BY EMAIL A big storm at the end of hurricane season, which ends on Nov. 30, "can wipe out a colony if those young birds haven't fledged yet," an FWC official said. An attorney for Czyszczon did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Court records indicate that Monroe doesn’t have an attorney. He couldn’t be reached for comment. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a95f2c5335ae10448d8b Joe Biden's cancer has spread further, leaving him in 'very painful' condition, Hunter reveals te 2026-08-08T22:10:39.327Z Joe Biden's cancer has spread further, leaving him in 'very painful' condition, Hunter reveals Former President Joe Biden's prostate cancer has spread to other parts of his body and is causing him significant pain, his son Hunter Biden revealed during a Friday interview. "The cancer has spread, metastasized into his bones and further," Hunter Biden told the BBC in an interview which aired Friday. "It’s very painful and it’s very debilitating in many respects," he added. "It’s really sad to watch," Hunter Biden said. "The only thing that I’d say about my dad, about his health right now, is I wish he would complain more, because it’s not good." Despite his poor health, Hunter Biden said his father is "still doing his thing," and attending speaking engagements. HUNTER BIDEN CLAIMS UNDER OATH THAT HIS FAMILY IS BROKE AMID FIGHT OVER $17M LEGAL BILL Joe Biden revealed his prostate cancer diagnosis in May 2025, just months after he departed the Oval Office. The diagnosis at the time was that the cancer was Stage 4, "aggressive" and had already spread to his bones. He received a Gleason score of 9, indicating both the cancer's aggressive nature and the potential that he had been living with it for years. WATCH: WOULD-BE SECOND-TERM PRESIDENT BIDEN LEFT SEARCHING FOR FAMILY ON STAGE AFTER OBAMA CENTER OPENING "He had it while he was president," said Dr. Ezekiel J. Emanuel, vice provost and oncologist at the University of Pennsylvania, adding Joe Biden "probably had it at the start of his presidency in 2021." "He did not develop it in the last 100 to 200 days," Emanuel said, according to the American Journal of Medical Care. Joe Biden's wife, Jill, previously told the hosts of ABC's "The View" that his cancer has slowed him down. "He keeps his schedule, but he’s slowed down," she said in June. "I mean, stage four cancer is — and he's 83 — so, I think the mix of everything and the medications that he's taken has made life a little more difficult these days." Fox News Digital contacted the Office of Joe and Jill Biden for further comment. Fox News Digital's Brie Stimson contributed to this report. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a95e2c5335ae10448d82 Chris Sale and Gerrit Cole set up a pitching duel as Atlanta Braves host the New York Yankees te 2026-08-08T22:10:38.790Z Chris Sale and Gerrit Cole set up a pitching duel as Atlanta Braves host the New York Yankees We hit another winner on the diamond yesterday with the Rays and Drew Rasmussen getting the victory over the Mariners. It was a very low-scoring game, but that didn't matter because we came out on the correct side of it. Unfortunately, I lost the full game bet on the Padres, so it was basically a wash. However, I hit on our Jose Altuve bet, so we did end up profitable for the day, and that's the ultimate goal. Let's get some profit here as the Braves take on the Yankees. The Atlanta Braves are quietly having one of the best seasons of any team in baseball. They are the second team to reach 70 wins and are now 8.5 games ahead of the second-place Phillies. There is a lot to like about this team that just keeps winning. They have really strong hitters up and down the lineup. They can beat you with speed, contact hitting, power, and a fairly strong defense. Their pitching staff has had some concerns, but no team is perfect. They do have one of the best pitchers in baseball on the roster, and he takes the pill tonight. Chris Sale has been as good as it gets since coming over to Atlanta. He had two phenomenal years with them already, and this might be his best. He is 12-6 with a 2.08 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP. He also has 143 strikeouts for the season. His wins, ERA, and WHIP are all in the top-10 in the Majors. He was very good in July, allowing just six runs over 27 innings. He had three starts where he didn't allow a run, although one was a short, three-inning outing. The Yankees don't have a ton of experience against him, and they are just 4-for-29. The New York Yankees were going to catch some heat from their fans unless they added Tarik Skubal to the roster at the trade deadline. That didn't happen, but the team did do some work to try and address their needs. Their biggest need is filling the shoes of Aaron Judge, who has been out for months. You're not going to find that on the trade market. Instead, they got Luis Garcia Jr. and Heliot Ramos. Neither of those players will make you overly excited, but this is still a team that has 65 wins and is in a comfortable position to make the postseason. Additionally, Judge is trying to return to action sooner rather than later. SIGN UP TO GET THE LATEST SPORTS NEWS STAY "FEARLESS" ON THE GO! TAKE TOMI LAHREN WITH YOU. DOWNLOAD THE TLIF PODCAST NOW! The team turns to Gerrit Cole this afternoon. Cole started the season on the injured list, but has now been back for two full months and is looking more and more like his old self. He has allowed three or fewer runs in each of his past six outings. Two of those were fewer than six innings of work, but he still hit the five-inning threshold in those. He hasn't been wildly different on the road or at home so far this season, but he has allowed more homers in Yankee Stadium than he has on the road. Braves hitters are not very successful against him, going just 6-for-52. ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW! Today might be a day to give off to Matt Olson, he is 0-for-21 against Cole with just two walks and 14 strikeouts. Ouch. I'll put a player prop on him to not have a hit today. That's a +122 payout. I'm also going to take the under here. I think Sale and Cole will battle each other out and post lost of scoreless innings. I expect this to be closer to a 2-1 game than a 7-5 score. Give me the under as well as the Olson prop. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024 Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a95e2c5335ae10448d79 Maher blasts Rand Paul for releasing Fauci’s COVID diaries as PR expert suggests a new course for the Senator te 2026-08-08T22:10:38.273Z Maher blasts Rand Paul for releasing Fauci’s COVID diaries as PR expert suggests a new course for the Senator Comedian Bill Maher is taking aim at Sen. Rand Paul for what the host says betrays Paul's own brand. During Friday's episode of HBO's "Real Time," Maher accused Paul, R-Ky., of breaking with his libertarian views by releasing Fauci's pandemic-era diary and threatening to hold him in contempt of Congress. Meanwhile, a public relations expert told Fox News Digital that Paul should focus on why the diary matters rather than how he obtained it. "Stop threatening to put everyone in jail who you just don’t like," Maher said more broadly about politics.  "Rand, babe, your entire brand is ‘Senator Right to Privacy,’" he added. "You’re the libertarian guy, the Fourth Amendment guy. It’s your family legacy." BILL MAHER BREAKS WITH THE LEFT TO HAMMER ANTHONY FAUCI AFTER EXPLOSIVE SENATE HEARING Maher’s comments come on the heels of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which is led by Paul, voting 8-5 to refer Fauci for contempt after he repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment during a Senate hearing regarding his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic last week. Fauci, who received a preemptive pardon from then-President Joe Biden last year, exercised his right against self-incrimination a total of 111 times during the hearing while being questioned over his leadership as the White House chief medical adviser during the pandemic. In the days before the hearing, Paul released more than 1000 pages of Fauci's private "COVID diaries" — medical notes and personal reflections Fauci wrote and stored on his government computer. FAUCI'S NEWLY RELEASED COVID DIARIES REVEAL BIZARRE FIXATION ON FAME AS PANDEMIC DEATHS MOUNTED The move was blasted by Maher, who argued Paul's decision to publish the documents directly contradicted his longtime political platform of personal privacy and limited government intrusion. "Your entire political career has been about warning us about government overreach," Maher said, speaking directly to Paul. "You printing someone's diary? It's like [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez] wearing a gown that says, ‘Tax the poor.’" Fauci's diaries were located and stored on government servers.  Jason Mudd, CEO of Axia Public Relations, told Fox News Digital that the criticism surrounding Paul's release of Fauci's private diary is unfounded, while adding he would advise Paul to change approach to explaining why the document is important. "If Sen. Paul were my client, I’d tell him to stop defending how he got the diary and start defending why it matters," Mudd said. "A public official’s notes on a government computer aren’t a private citizen’s journal, and that distinction should have been his first sentence, not his fifth."   Maher’s comments come after he previously made headlines by suggesting that his "vote is in play" after voicing his discontent with the socialist direction the Democratic party is heading. "Politically, Bill Maher carries resonance with a fairly non-tribal group of viewers. While that means he can often piss off both sides, it also means he can be seen as above the partisan back-and-forth, without a specific left or right agenda," media expert Kaivan Shroff told Fox News Digital. DAVID MARCUS: BILL MAHER'S NO REPUBLICAN, HE'S JUST A RARE DEMOCRAT WHO THINKS Shroff added that Maher's words carry more weight when he criticizes both sides of the political spectrum because of his willingness to call out his own party. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE "Maher can spend one week arguing that Democrats have lost the plot and the next saying Republicans have gone too far," Shroff said. "That gives moments like this outsized significance: when someone who has repeatedly criticized Fauci and the left still looks at what Rand Paul is doing and says it crosses a line, it gives permission to viewers who aren’t particularly sympathetic to Fauci to reach the same conclusion." "In a polarized media environment, the messenger can matter as much as the message," Shroff added.  Fox News Digital reached out to Senator Paul and Dr. Fauci for comment. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a95d2c5335ae10448d70 America’s best fast-food burger revealed — and it’s not available in every state te 2026-08-08T22:10:37.706Z America’s best fast-food burger revealed — and it’s not available in every state The best fast-food burger in America can’t be found in every state, but it’s been named a fan-favorite for the third year in a row. The Double Char burger from Habit Burger & Grill earned first place in USA TODAY’s 2026 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards, marking the third consecutive year the chain's burger earned top honors. Habit was also voted the best fast-casual restaurant for the second year in a row. "Charring burgers over an open flame since 1969, Habit Burger & Grill started in Santa Barbara, California, and has grown to include over 350 restaurants," USA TODAY reported. "Order the Double Char from the Habit’s California-inspired menu and get ready for two freshly chargrilled beef patties, caramelized onions, fresh lettuce, and tomato, pickles and mayo on a toasted bun. You can also add cheese." About the restaurant itself, USA TODAY reported that Habit Burger & Grill has been offering "a diverse array of menu items spanning from chicken clubs to Caesar salads to ahi tuna filets, but the restaurant chain really shines when it comes to red meat," highlighting the Charburgers and the way they’re cooked individually over an open flame as their particular appeal. The annual readers’ choice contest includes several travel and lifestyle categories nominated by a panel of experts and voted for by USA TODAY readers. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER In-N-Out’s Double-Double burger came in second place on the survey, due, according to USA TODAY, to the item's "freshly baked bun made with slow-rising sponge dough, two slices of American cheese, two patties of 100% American beef, onions, tomato, lettuce and a proprietary spread recipe unchanged since 1948." Coming in at number three was Freddy's Original Double, which USA TODAY noted is a classic sandwich offering "two savory steakburger patties loaded with cheese, onion, pickles and a healthy dose of mustard." CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE NEWS The Papa Burger from A&W, "with two 100% beef patties and two slices of melted American cheese, plus lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and A&W Papa Sauce on a lightly toasted bun," came in at number four. Rounding out the top five was Culver’s double ButterBurger Cheese. "This burger made Wisconsin a serious contender in the burger wars," USA TODAY reported. "It’s made with fresh, never-frozen beef seared to order and topped with real American cheese made in Wisconsin." TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ Shake Shack’s SmokeShack cheeseburger, the cheeseburger from Five Guys, Burger King’s Whopper, Wendy’s Son of Baconator and Whataburger’s Double Meat Whataburger also made the top 10 list, in that order. Habit Burger is owned by Yum! Brands, the parent company of Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut. According to the chain’s website, there are more than 380 Habit locations across 14 states and internationally. Habit Burger locations include Arizona, California, Florida, Idaho, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia and Washington. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a95d2c5335ae10448d67 Antonio Banderas says he always knew Los Angeles wasn't where he belonged te 2026-08-08T22:10:37.210Z Antonio Banderas says he always knew Los Angeles wasn't where he belonged Antonio Banderas is getting real about why he ditched Los Angeles to move back to his hometown in Spain. During a recent interview with People, the 65-year-old explained he originally moved to Los Angeles to be with Melanie Griffith after the two fell in love. She had two young children at the time and couldn't relocate to Spain. "Those were beautiful, exciting years. But I always had this sense of provisionality that it was not going to last my whole life," Banderas said. "I knew that Málaga was there, my hometown. I was not supposed to be in Malibu, but in Málaga." Griffith and Banderas went on to marry in 1996, just one year after making a connection on set of the 1995 movie "Two Much." Not long after tying the knot, the two welcomed their daughter, Stella, in September 1996. 'FIRE COUNTRY' STAR DIANE FARR LEAVES LOS ANGELES AFTER 30 YEARS TO START HER 'THIRD ACT' The two were married for 18 years before Griffith filed for divorce in June 2014, citing irreconcilable differences. They went on to finalize their divorce a little over a year later, in December 2015. "When we separated, we were always very sincere. And now she is, if not my best friend, one of my best friends," Banderas explained. While married to Griffith, Banderas was stepfather to her two children, Alexander Bauer and actress Dakota Johnson. When speaking to E! News in February 2025, Banderas admitted he "would love to work with Dakota someday," not only because she is his family, but "because she's a good actress." LIKE WHAT YOU'RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS "She's a good actress in many different ways, because she's a great comedian, too," he said. "She developed now her career more in drama, but I remember when she did a TV show called Ben and Kate that I got a lot of fun [out of seeing] her on the screen, because she got the rhythm of comedy, too." Banderas is currently starring in the Anthony Bourdain biopic "Tony," but got his big break in mainstream American films in the 1993 movie "Philadelphia." He went on to star in "Interview with the Vampire," "Desperado," "The Mask of Zorro" and others, including "Pain and Glory" in 2020, which earned him an Academy Award nomination. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER During an interview with The Times in March, Banderas reflected on the early days of his career, and recalled being told upon his arrival in Hollywood that he was there "like the Blacks and the Hispanics, to play the bad guys." "The problem was, a few years later, I had a mask, hat, sword and cape and the bad guy was Captain Love, who was blond and had blue eyes," he said. "Even more important is 'Puss in Boots,' because it's for young kids. They see a cat that has a Spanish, even an Andalusian accent, and he's a good guy." Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a95c2c5335ae10448d5e Four criminally underrated guitarists from the 1980s that are guaranteed to melt your face off te 2026-08-08T22:10:36.683Z Four criminally underrated guitarists from the 1980s that are guaranteed to melt your face off This opinion might land me in some hot water with music purists everywhere, but I believe the greatest era of guitar wizardry came in the 1980s. The decade featured some of the most revered and celebrated virtuosos to ever walk the planet, both critically and commercially. But for every Eddie Van Halen or Randy Rhoads, there were plenty of other face-melters who existed in some form of relative obscurity compared to their more famous counterparts. BARRY MANILOW RESCHEDULES CONCERT 45 MINUTES BEFORE START AMID ONGOING LUNG CANCER RECOVERY That's not to say the bands these guitarists were in weren't successful in their own right, but if you were to ask a mainstream pop-listener from the era who these guys were, chances are you'd get looks of befuddlement. Which is a shame, because these guys were just as talented (if not more talented) than some of the more popular axe-slingers of the 80s. And hey, since I love you dear readers so much, I decided to include a bonus guest pick from my good buddy and fellow guitar junkie, Matt Reigle! With that said, here are four (plus one) of the most criminally underrated guitarists from the Decade of Decadence. Of all the late 80s hair metal groups who got unfairly characterized as a bunch of no-talent hacks, Winger might be the most egregious victim. It's a fairly famous story by now, but some combination of Beavis and Butt-head roasting their nerdy friend for wearing a Winger shirt and Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich throwing darts at a picture of the hair band's frontman Kip Winger effectively ruined any credibility the band had. Which is a shame, because, with all due respect to the members of Metallica, whom I have a great deal of respect for, the members of Winger could play circles around them. Chief among those talented members is guitarist Reb Beach, whose buttery smooth legato tapping runs and percussive riffs like the one from hit-single "Seventeen" made him an underground guitar god in his own right. Unfortunately, Winger committed the mortal sins of having a pretty boy lead singer and painfully cheesy videos (even by 80s standards), so most people dismissed them and Beach as cheap imitators. Though his time in the spotlight was brief, any of guitar-oriented hair metal knows Beach is one of the more technically accomplished shredders of his era, Mike Judge be damned. ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW! Their eponymous debut features some tasty licks and haunting solos and should be an immediate listen for any fans of the genre. Metal acts from far off lands was nothing new even back in the mid-80s, as fellow Axis Power Germany showed us with groups like Accept and, more importantly, Scorpions, but Japan's Loudness filled the void of bands who melted face from the Land of the Rising Sun. The group featured a singer who barely spoke a lick of English, so if you were looking for a hair metal act with poetic, introspective lyrics, you might want to search elsewhere (or pick a different genre entirely). What they lacked in lyrical depth they made up for with crushing riffs and explosive solos courtesy of their fleet-fingered lead guitarist and founding member Akira Takasaki. The first time I heard Loudness was on Satellite Radio driving back to college one weekend. The song in question was perhaps their most well-known, "Crazy Nights," off their 1985 glam metal masterpiece "Thunder in the East." I was blown away by the balls on display from Takasaki's guitar tone and immediately went home and looked the band up only to be shocked to find out they hailed from Japan. Takasaki's incendiary lead stylings and creative riffing likely inspired a million bedroom guitar players in Japan alone, and he has definitely influenced my tastes over the years as well. The Sunset Strip is famous for producing hundreds of wildly talented shredders in the late 70s and early 80s, with the aforementioned Eddie Van Halen likely taking the crown as the king of Los Angeles-area guitarists from that era. One six-stringed genius who came up right alongside Eddie was none other than George Lynch, lead guitarist extraordinaire from the hair metal band Dokken. Dokken had everything you could want in a popular metal act in the early-to-mid 80s: a charismatic frontman, an untouchable lead guitar player, memorable songs, and catchy riffs. The only problem is that the two principal members, Lynch and lead singer Don Dokken, absolutely despised each other, and that friction led to the band imploding right before their rocket went from "popular" to "superstars." Despite this, Dokken released plenty of material beloved by both guitar tech-heads and leg warmer-wearing chicks of the 80s, and Lynch etched out a spot in metal history with his blistering solo runs and deceptively heavy hooks. Mr. Scary himself is often seen as the third head in the Sunset Strip triumvirate of himself, Van Halen and Rhoads, and anyone worth their salt in the guitar community has absolutely counted him as an influence in their playing. I know I've invoked his name quite a bit throughout this article, but Eddie Van Halen is my favorite guitarist of all-time. He has been the most influential on my personal style of playing by far and his band is my number one by a country mile. With all that being said, many people may be surprised to learn that my second-favorite axe-slinger is none other than Ratt's Warren DeMartini. The guy had it all: rip-roaring solos, creative and catchy riffs, and a cool, calm, and collected demeanor that had many tabbing him as the 1980s' answer to Joe Perry. DeMartini was a principal songwriter on two of Ratt's biggest hits, "Round and Round" and "Lay It Down," showing that he had a knack for crafting radio-friendly tunes just as much as he had a mastery of the fretboard. Ratt had lasting popular appeal throughout the 80s, but it was always a case of the sum being more notorious than its parts, so DeMartini never got the acclaim he rightly deserved. Their first three full-length albums, "Out of the Cellar," "Invasion of Your Privacy" and "Dancing Undercover," represent some of the finest pop-metal the era had to offer, and several students of the 80s guitar scene will often cite these as quasi-sacred texts from which they pull inspiration quite often. There are plenty of guitar heroes in the Big 4 thrash metal bands like James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Kerry King, Jeff Hanneman, Dave Mustaine, Marty Friedman and Scott Ian. But while Ian gets most of the attention in Anthrax due to him being the band leader and a monster rhythm player, someone had to play the leads on the band’s biggest songs like "Caught in a Mosh," "Indians" and "Madhouse." That was Dan Spitz. Spitz played on every Anthrax album from their debut, "Fistful of Metal," to 1993’s "Sound of White Noise." He briefly reunited with the band in the mid-aughts, but I think he gets overlooked because he wasn’t in the band for the re-appreciation of classic thrash that came about through the 2010s. Spitz brought some unique flavor to Anthrax. His leads and contributions to the band’s famous forays into rap metal are huge. He was responsible for the short acoustic piece, "A.D.I.," which serves as the intro to the song "Horror of it All." It’s a real change-up on the album with some really solid, Middle Eastern-inspired playing. But I think the high-water mark is his lead on the song "Only" from "Sound of White Noise." It’s an absolute monster solo that can rip your face off through the first two-thirds, then shifts gears into a section with some of the most deliciously wah-soaked melodic phrasing you’ll ever hear. It’s so, so good. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a95c2c5335ae10448d55 Tori Spelling poses in racy bikini top as she addresses Jennie Garth podcast departure te 2026-08-08T22:10:36.182Z Tori Spelling poses in racy bikini top as she addresses Jennie Garth podcast departure Tori Spelling is taking an "intermission" while navigating a new chapter in her life and career. The 53-year-old actress shared a new photo of herself posing outdoors in a black halter-style bikini top and oversized denim shorts. The "90210" alum accessorized with layered gold necklaces, oversized black sunglasses and green sandals as she stood on a sunlit wooden deck surrounded by trees and distant hills. "Intermission," she captioned the post. TORI SPELLING LIVING IN A 'BORDERLINE HOARDER' HOME AS LIVING CONDITIONS WORSEN The brief message comes as Spelling steps away from one of the projects that kept her closely connected to her "Beverly Hills, 90210" past. Spelling recently confirmed that she is no longer participating in "90210MG," the rewatch podcast she launched with former co-star Jennie Garth in 2020. The "90210MG" podcast launched in November 2020, with Spelling and Garth revisiting "Beverly Hills, 90210" from the beginning and sharing memories from their years on the hit teen drama. The rewatch has taken listeners back to West Beverly High, the Peach Pit and other memorable moments from the series while offering behind-the-scenes stories from the cast. Nearly six years after its launch, the podcast is currently working its way through Season 8 of the show's 10-season run. Spelling's departure means she will not continue alongside Garth for the final stretch of the rewatch. Spelling addressed her departure more directly during a recent episode of Brian Austin Green's "Hump Day Live," a weekly video series that streams on the Origami Network. When Green suggested she needed "a little time" to gather her thoughts about the situation, Spelling agreed. "I like the way you phrased that," she said. "Yeah. You want to really take the time, really assess, really reflect and then be able to speak your truth in a thoughtful way instead of a reactive way." Green noted that he tries to avoid ruling anything out permanently, while Spelling did not directly say whether she could eventually return to the podcast. Instead, she encouraged fans to continue supporting Garth and co-host Amy Sugarman. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER "Please, please, please keep watching," Spelling said. "Jennie and Amy [Sugarman] are doing it. They’re bringing on tons of fun hosts, so please keep watching it." The exchange also highlighted Spelling’s enduring friendship with Green, who played her on-screen love interest David Silver opposite her Donna Martin on "Beverly Hills, 90210." The two recently reunited for what Spelling called a "Play date," sharing photos together on Instagram and prompting nostalgic reactions from fans. "David and Donna together again.💕 so awesome that you two have remained friends all these years," one commenter wrote. Spelling has also been openly affectionate about her decades-long bond with Green. For his birthday in July, she shared a tribute reflecting on how their friendship has evolved since their days working together on the hit series. "He’s a little bit VINYL… I’m a little bit THREAD 🎵💃🏼. Happy Birthday @brianaustingreen," Spelling wrote. "What a dream it’s been to grow with you. I’d choose you every lifetime. I love you with every ounce of my being. Don’t ever stop pushing me to be the best version of myself and I promise to never stop making you laugh! xo" Spelling and Green's bond stretches back to their teenage years on "Beverly Hills, 90210," where they spent a decade playing fan-favorite couple Donna and David. Their relationship wasn't limited to the screen, with the co-stars becoming romantically involved early in the show's run. LIKE WHAT YOU'RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS Their lives eventually moved in different directions, and the two went years without communicating after the series ended. They have since found their way back to a close friendship, with Green now among the people Spelling has turned to while navigating changes in her personal and professional life. Spelling’s decision to leave "90210MG" came with two seasons remaining in the podcast’s effort to rewatch all 10 seasons of the original series. Garth addressed Spelling’s departure during the July 31 episode of "90210MG," admitting she was disappointed they wouldn't complete the rewatch together. "I’m sad that she’s not finishing this out with us. We started this together. I’m sad about that, if I’m honest," Garth said. However, she also expressed support for her former co-star’s decision. TORI SPELLING SETS THE RECORD STRAIGHT ON 30 YEARS OF PLASTIC SURGERY RUMORS "I’m really happy for her," Garth said. "I’m excited for her to choose herself." Sugarman said Spelling’s departure was her own decision. "This was 100 percent her decision," she said. She added that the team could be disappointed by Spelling’s departure while still supporting whatever comes next. "We can be really bummed, disappointed that she’s not going to do seasons 9 and 10 with us, with you, while still wanting her to be happy and to be excited for her about the things she is working on and does want to do," Sugarman said. Spelling has not yet shared the full reason behind her exit, making clear that she wants time to process the decision before saying more. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a95b2c5335ae10448d4c University of Michigan plans to shield 2027 freshman letter grades from transcripts in new mental health plan te 2026-08-08T22:10:35.678Z University of Michigan plans to shield 2027 freshman letter grades from transcripts in new mental health plan Freshmen at the University of Michigan next year are set to get a semester-long break from having letter grades appear on their transcripts, as school officials look for new ways to combat the "mental health crisis" affecting higher education. Starting in fall 2027, incoming first-year students enrolled in the public research university's College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) will have their first-semester grades designated as pass or no credit on their transcripts in an attempt to "curb the mental health crisis unfolding among college-aged individuals," according to the university. "Our goal is to help first-year students acclimate to the demands of college and allow intrinsic motivations to guide personally meaningful academic journeys — core elements of a liberal arts and sciences education," the statement continued. EDUCATION SECRETARY LINDA MCMAHON RIPS CALIFORNIA TRANS ATHLETE ‘COMPROMISE,’ TELLS NEWSOM TO ‘PICK A SIDE’ The LSA, which is the largest of the university’s 19 colleges and serves approximately 19,700 undergraduate students, will provide students with their letter grades throughout the semester — but will not include the final average on their transcripts. Transcripts will instead show a "P" for pass or "NC" for no credit. The covered grades will not be factored into students' grade point averages, a move university officials say will give first-year students greater freedom to explore academically. "For example, they can explore a subject that may not come easily to them or take a course in a new field without the fear that a low grade may have long-term consequences," the university added. " LSA is investing in students’ well-being and growth by fostering a culture of connection and collaboration — rather than competition." HARVARD FACULTY VOTE TO CAP 'A' GRADES AT 20% IN SWEEPING EFFORT TO COMBAT DECADES OF GRADE INFLATION Under the new policy, university officials will keep students' first-semester letter grades internally for administrative purposes, including academic advising, potential academic awards and scholarships, internship and other professional applications, athletic eligibility, compliance reporting, degree progress and financial aid determinations. Additionally, the 2027 policy only applies to incoming freshmen enrolled in the LSA, with school officials adding there is no opt-out option. "An opt-in structure would defeat the purpose of facilitating students’ transition to campus, supporting mental health and well-being, and bolstering intrinsic motivations for learning," the university said. Michigan is now the latest in a small group of schools throughout the country that have chosen to enact similar policies, including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Swarthmore College and the California Institute of Technology. CALIFORNIA PROFESSOR ARGUES NEED FOR 'OBJECTIVE MEASURES' AFTER STATE DROPS ACT/SAT REQUIREMENT While the program is aimed at supporting students’ mental health, psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert believes it runs the risk of doing more harm than good. "We’re raising a generation of students to believe that discomfort is dangerous," Alpert, author of "Therapy Nation," told Fox News Digital. "It isn’t. A bad grade can be upsetting, embarrassing and stressful. That’s not a mental health emergency. That’s college." CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE Alpert went on to add that while the policy was created to relieve students of the pressure and stress from the first semester of college, it could actually risk harming their preparedness for life outside of the learning environment. "This is therapy culture invading the classroom. We’ve spent years turning normal human emotions into symptoms. Stress becomes a mental health issue," Alpert said, adding, "College should be one of the places where young people discover that they’re tougher than they think." "A bad grade isn't psychological harm," Alpert continued. "Sometimes it's the wake-up call a student needs." Fox News Digital reached out to the University of Michigan for comment. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a95b2c5335ae10448d43 The Hitchhiker’s Guide to what the Senate did and didn’t do overnight te 2026-08-08T22:10:35.196Z The Hitchhiker’s Guide to what the Senate did and didn’t do overnight The Senate wrapped up its summer session at 4:57 a.m. ET. Senators knocked two major items off their checklist. They confirmed Todd Blanche as the nation’s 88th Attorney General.  They also approved a bipartisan interim spending bill that likely goes a long way toward preventing a government shutdown in October. But nearly as important as what senators accomplished is what didn’t get done. REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: SUMMER ENDS, BUT THE SENATE'S FALL CRUNCH BEGINS The Senate did not stay in session and attempt to pass the SAVE America Act.  In fact, there was not even procedural stunting by the pro-SAVE America Act Republicans, who advocated blowing up the August recess. TRUMP PUMPS BRAKES ON SENATE BUDGET PLAN, DELAYING GOP SAVE AMERICA PUSH Moreover, the Senate did not take a vote on a budget framework which could enable them to eventually tack on some election integrity measures – and pass them at a later date in a bill not subject to a filibuster. Expect some conservatives to rail against the Senate for not working this out.  The SAVE America Act continues to lack votes. However, advocates of the bill can use the decision by the Senate to leave town without passing it as an opportunity to apply pressure on its opponents. That said, the Senate did take a test vote on a more narrow voter ID bill backed by Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio. The Senate blocked that bill.  But the test vote got Democrats on the record for opposing it. And giving Husted a vote on his measure was a tactical move to boost his chances in a competitive race this fall against former Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio. The Senate did not take a test vote on the bipartisan bill to regulate money for intercollegiate athletics – despite the endorsement by the Big 10 and SEC.  PROTECT COLLEGE SPORTS ACT STALLS IN OVERNIGHT SENATE SHOWDOWN, VOTE PUSHED TO SEPTEMBER AFTER CHAOTIC EVENING In fact, President Trump even implored the Senate to stay in session in August to pass the bill authored by Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., the top Democrat on the panel.  The legislation was beset by an internecine fight among Republicans about whether the legislation kept men from competing in women’s sports.  The President published a full-throated endorsement of the legislation Friday night, declaring that the measure did go far enough. "Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying," wrote the President on Truth Social.  In an overnight statement, Cruz said that the bill was still in play. "The good news is that when the Senate returns in September, the Protect College Sports Act will be one of our first orders of business, having locked in a vote," said Cruz. However, no vote is officially secured on the Senate docket. But what about a test vote on a bill to regulate cryptocurrency? It was thought that the Senate might pursue that bill in the closing days of the summer session. But the differences were just too wide to close.  However, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., teed up a procedural vote on cryptocurrency for September 15. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a95a2c5335ae10448d3a Everyone wants what one minor league baseball team put out as a hilarious tribute to the Carolina Hurricanes te 2026-08-08T22:10:34.592Z Everyone wants what one minor league baseball team put out as a hilarious tribute to the Carolina Hurricanes I love minor league sports. That's because, while at the top levels they're often worried about taking political stands to the point that the WNBA is like, "Meh, we're not going to slam the door on letting fellas play just yet," minor league teams have to focus on putting butts in seats. The best way to do that is with fun promotions. So, that's what we're getting from one minor league ballclub's unintentionally — or, I think more likely, intentionally — hilarious tribute sweaters to the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes. The Fayetteville Woodpeckers — the Single-A affiliate of the Houston Astros — don't play too far from Raleigh, home of the Hurricanes. So, it makes sense that they would want to bathe in the warm glow of a Stanley Cup win. And the best way to do that? This phenomenal jersey! I know what it says. CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGE CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM Imagine wearing that jersey outside a 100-mile radius of Fayetteville. There's a good chance no one will have any clue why you own a hockey sweater that says "PECKERS" across the front. And, frankly, I don't think it's anyone's business. You do you, pal. I also get the feeling at least one kid will have to take a detour to the principal's office or flip their jersey inside-out in a couple of weeks when school gets underway. I promise you, some humorless school marm who only knows baseball from Ernest Lawrence Thayer's 1888 poem, "Casey at the Bat," won't get it (but will somehow still understand that "pecker" is a slang term for male genitalia). SIGN UP TO GET THE LATEST SPORTS NEWS STAY "FEARLESS" ON THE GO! TAKE TOMI LAHREN WITH YOU. DOWNLOAD THE TLIF PODCAST NOW! But the public response has been about as good as the organization could hope for. You rarely do anything on the internet that garners universal acclaim — trust me; I know — but I think the Peckers sweater may have done it. Unfortunately, unless the plans change, only the first 1,350 fans at the Woodpeckers' game on August 15 will be able to cop them. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a95a2c5335ae10448d31 WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert sends trans inclusion memo after Enes Freedom, Royce White announcements te 2026-08-08T22:10:34.048Z WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert sends trans inclusion memo after Enes Freedom, Royce White announcements WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert sent a letter to teams on Friday addressing concerns over the inclusion of transgender athletes in the league as two former NBA players announced their intentions to declare for the next WNBA Draft. "I know many of you have received questions in recent weeks regarding transgender athlete participation in women’s basketball, and I expect this topic will continue to receive significant attention," Engelbert wrote in the memo, per The Associated Press. "I wanted to reach out to share how we are approaching these conversations at the league office and to thank those of you who have responded to questions from the media with thoughtfulness and professionalism." THE WNBA HAS LIMITED OPTIONS AFTER TWO MEN DECLARED FOR THE DRAFT, AND THOSE OPTIONS AREN'T GREAT Engelbert went on to call the debate "nuanced." "We recognize that this is a complex and nuanced topic, and we will continue to have important conversations with all of you and the Players Association in the weeks and months ahead," Engelbert said in the memo. "We also plan to convene additional discussions and offer listening sessions for any team leaders who would like to participate. Your perspectives and feedback are invaluable, and I appreciate those who have already reached out to share their thoughts." Engelbert's memo came on the same day that two former NBA pros, Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White, said they plan to declare for the 2027 WNBA Draft. The announcements became the top trending topic across social media, as sports fans across the world mocked the WNBA for its policy that doesn't clearly define who is allowed to play in the league based on genetic sex. The WNBA players’ association also released a statement on social media Friday that emphasized diversity and inclusion while saying the group "will not be used as political pawns." WNBPA ISSUES STATEMENT EMBRACING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AMID TRANS ATHLETE DEBATE IN WOMEN'S SPORTS "We embrace justice equity, diversity, and inclusion," the statement read. "Those are the values that unite this Union and allow it to protect women’s sports while creating transformational change. Hate, abuse, and demonization of any person or group of people, including transgender people, only fuel fear, division, and harm. We will continue to have hard conversations. But we will not be used as political pawns." The entire WNBA has become the epicenter for the national debate on trans athletes in women's sports in recent weeks after Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham, a fan favorite teammate of Caitlin Clark, revealed her stance supporting the protection of women's sports in an ESPN interview in July. Since then, four head coaches have gone on record with responses to questions about the issues, with two of them, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve and Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase, appearing to support the inclusion of trans athletes in women's sports. Now, Kanter and White's entrance into the conversation has amplified the discussion across the sports realm, and it appears that Engelbert now has to address the issues. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a9592c5335ae10448d23 Heartbroken fathers find divine hope in secret notes left by girls killed in Camp Mystic flood te 2026-08-08T22:10:33.485Z Heartbroken fathers find divine hope in secret notes left by girls killed in Camp Mystic flood One year after flash flooding at Camp Mystic took 28 lives, three fathers are sharing how their young daughters’ private faith continues to lift their families. Speaking on "Saturday in America," Ryan DeWitt, Wade Lytal and Cole Naylor shared how their daughters' deep-rooted faith has sustained them through tragedy. DeWitt and Lytal said they found journals their daughters left behind filled with Bible verses, prayers and messages to God, bringing them comfort as they grieved. "We knew that she was deeply rooted in her faith, but she wasn't outward about it or braggadocious about it. She just felt it. She felt very deeply," Ryan DeWitt said of his daughter Molly, who was 9 years old when she died in the floods. "She just had the biggest heart, and we taught her as much as we could, but there was certainly something else at play, and that was her faith, and it was comforting. As difficult as those days were and still are, it's comforting to know how close she was to God," he added. DEVASTATED MOTHER BLAMES SOFT-ON-CRIME POLICIES AFTER CAREER CRIMINAL IS CHARGED IN SON’S DEATH The fathers each recalled moments when they learned more about the depth of their daughters’ faith. DeWitt shared that Molly kept notebooks under her bed filled with hand-drawn crosses and Bible verses, including one page that read, "I can do anything through Christ." Wade Lytal recalled entering the bedroom of his 8-year-old daughter, Kellyanne, weeks after the tragedy and pulling open a drawer to find a journal entry that read, "Jesus I love you. Thank you for dying on the cross for all of our sins." "I think that's the most important responsibility that we have as parents is making sure that, you know, our children are raised to love the Lord," Lytal said. YOUNG TEXAS CAMP SURVIVOR DESCRIBES HARROWING MOMENT SHE PREPARED FOR WORST DURING DEADLY FLOOD Lytal said that after the flood, he no longer believes in coincidences and views finding her journal as a gift during a dark time. "We were going through her things and the first drawer I pulled open, that was the notebook that was in there. We saw what she wrote, and it did bring some comfort to us in a very, very dark moment in our life," he said. Cole Naylor, father of 8-year-old Wynne, emphasized that reliance on daily prayer has carried his family through the loss. He shared that he refuses to speak about his daughter in the past tense, standing firm in the promise that they will be reunited. "Our girls are very much alive," Naylor said. "They are more alive than any one of us are. Alive in heaven, we don't get to see them, we don't get to touch them, we don’t get to kiss them anymore, but they're with us, and we will see them again." CAMP MYSTIC PULLS PLAN TO REOPEN THIS SUMMER AFTER BACKLASH FROM GRIEVING FAMILIES In April, Camp Mystic announced it would not be reopening for the 2026 season despite having previously planned to welcome hundreds of girls back to the property. "No administrative process or summer season should move forward while families continue to grieve," the camp said in a statement. "This decision is intended to remove any doubt that Camp Mystic has heard the concerns expressed by grieving families, members of the Texas House and Senate investigating committees and citizens across our state. Respect for those voices requires that we step back now." Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a9582c5335ae10448d1a 'Harry Potter' actor says OnlyFans videos earned her more than her entire acting career te 2026-08-08T22:10:32.963Z 'Harry Potter' actor says OnlyFans videos earned her more than her entire acting career "Harry Potter" star, Jessie Cave, is opening up about how joining OnlyFans "saved" her and her family. During a recent interview with The Times, the 39-year-old actress shared how much money she's made from the subscription-based social media platform, noting she has "earned more, easily, than my entire acting career within one year." "I thought I’d make five grand, be on it for a few months, and it would buy me time to work out what we’re going to do," she shared. "But it’s now been over a year and a half, and it’s genuinely saved our lives." The actress charges subscribers $6 a month for non-explicit "hair content," which includes videos of her fully-clothed, brushing her hair while dressed in costumes, braiding it, tying it in a ponytail or anything else her followers want to see. ‘AMERICAN PIE’ ALUM SHANNON ELIZABETH TURNS TO ONLYFANS FOR ‘FRESH START’ AS DIVORCE UNFOLDS Cave had her big break in Hollywood playing Lavender Brown in the final three films in the Harry Potter franchise, from 2009 to 2011. She later appeared as a guest in a number of projects, including "Black Mirror" and "Industry," and worked on the stage. Her decision to transition to OnlyFans came after she was rejected by a callback audition, and her need to support herself and her four children, who she shares with her fiancé, Alfie Brown, admitting "it was a point of complete desperation." "I couldn’t go and, say, work in a supermarket because I can’t afford the childcare, and also I don’t want people shouting Harry Potter spells at me as I work at Tesco," she explained. "I could retrain, but I can’t afford to do a degree. I had a breakdown and I thought, ‘That’s it with acting, I give up.’ But also we have no money." According to The Times, she earned roughly $20,200 in just one day on the platform. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER Her one rule when creating her content is that her "hair is the main character," she said. "That's how I justify it. "And yes, [OnlyFans] is largely porn. But there are cooking videos, tarot readings, personal training — it’s just all done with a sexy edge," she added. "It is about wanting some kind of gaze… I wear baggy T-shirts on stage, I’ve never posted a bikini shot, I wear huge glasses. For so long I’ve just been this quirky figure. After having four kids and feeling invisible for so long, that was really appealing to me." Cave said that she can foresee other artists turning to "other platforms to make money when they’re not being an artist." LIKE WHAT YOU'RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS She first spoke out about starting her OnlyFans account in March 2025, writing on her personal Substack account that she started the account in an effort to "get out of debt." "I’ll try for one year," Cave wrote. "My aim? To get the house safe, cover the arsenic/lead wallpaper, build a new roof etc. My aim? To get out of debt. My aim? To empower myself? To prove to those in the past who have misjudged me that I’m not so sweet? To put time into something I never invested in before: self-love." Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a9582c5335ae10448d11 Graham replacement hopefuls make final pitches before special election: Iran war, DSA, Flock cams and more te 2026-08-08T22:10:32.422Z Graham replacement hopefuls make final pitches before special election: Iran war, DSA, Flock cams and more Nine Republican candidates vying to permanently fill late Sen. Lindsey Graham's Senate seat spoke directly to voters Saturday at an event in Florence County, South Carolina, where they addressed the war with Iran, the rising tide of socialism in the Democratic Party and potential privacy concerns around Flock cameras. The event was hosted by Alan Wilson, South Carolina's Republican gubernatorial nominee, who pitched the gathering a kind of "speed dating," since each candidate was given six minutes to address the crowd. The special Republican Senate primary is coming up on Aug. 11, which made Saturday's event one of the last chances for the candidates to make their closing arguments to voters. Here's what they chose to focus on in their elevator pitches. REPUBLICANS DEFY TRUMP, JUMP INTO SOUTH CAROLINA SENATE RACE DESPITE HIS HANDPICKED SUCCESSOR Sen. Darline Graham — who was chosen to finish out her brother's term after his death in July — was the last to speak but was quick to tell attendees that she intended to earn their votes. "I'm not a politician. I never wanted to be a politician. But like Lindsey, I have a servant's heart. I am a hard worker. And yes, I have President Trump's endorsement, but I know I have to earn your votes," she said at the beginning of her speech. She emphasized that she was not a "DEI" candidate, hyping her experience running the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, a state agency with a $90 million budget and dozens of employees. "We help blind people and people with disabilities get jobs so that they don't have to rely on the government. How is that DEI?" she said. TRUMP MAY HAVE ENDORSED DARLINE GRAHAM, BUT GOP SENATE HOPEFULS AREN’T BACKING DOWN She also made sure to highlight issues she and President Donald Trump agree on, including keeping transgender girls out of female sports, standing with Israel, supporting implementing voter ID through the SAVE Act and ending blanket birthright citizenship. Graham briefly touched on socialism within the Democratic Party, calling it a problem that has to be stopped. She also described Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., as crazy. Her speech concluded by answering a question about Flock cameras, which can automatically read license plates and are being installed all over the country. "I need to look into that one, because there's two sides to that story. I know that some people are concerned about privacy and protecting their privacy, and I'm all for protecting the privacy of U.S. citizens. The other side of it is, if there's an emergency situation that an ambulance can be called quicker, and it can save lives," Graham said. "I'm going to be honest. That's a hard one for me. So I want to look into it a little bit more." Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., focused on his frustration with the Senate, calling it the place where "good bills go to die." He proposed overhauling the Senate's rules to get measures like the SAVE Act passed. "I will use my, whatever expertise I have to go to the Senate and force the vote, whether it's blowing up the filibuster or having a walking filibuster or getting with the parliamentarian and changing some of these stupid, arcane rules that the Senate has," Norman said. The Senate filibuster allows a minority of senators to delay or block most legislation, effectively requiring 60 votes to advance a bill and making it harder for a narrow majority to enact its agenda. TRUMP'S VOTER ID BILL CATCHES UNLIKELY BREAK AS MCCONNELL REMAINS SIDELINED Following his remarks, Norman was asked a question about the extent to which AI data centers should be regulated. He said the federal government should not have a role but appeared to disagree with Trump's recent full-throated support of bringing data centers to communities around the country. "Do I think it's bad for the community? Yes. Do I think it hurts the environment? Yes. And I will do whatever I can," Norman said. The key takeaway from former Myrtle Beach Mayor Mark McBride's speech is that he broke away from Trump's position on the war with Iran. "Y'all, there is something we have to address if we're going to win in November," McBride said. "We need to end the war. We need to end the war now." "We just have to admit we've lost the war. We've lost this battle," he continued. "Come home and regroup for another day." He then addressed the crowd, saying: "There's not one of y'all in here who voted for President Trump a year and a half ago because this is where you thought we would be." RETIRED LT. COL. RUNNING FOR CONGRESS BACKS TRUMP IRAN STRATEGY: 'HE'S ENDING A 47-YEAR CONFLICT' Sam Shepherd, an engineer, inventor and entrepreneur, took the opposite approach to McBride, claiming he is "more conservative than Trump." Shepherd cast himself as someone who has the skills to fix complex issues within the bureaucracy and the military. He also took a moment to one-up Elon Musk, the former head of the Department of Government Efficiency, arguing he had more patents than the Tesla billionaire. "I've actually authored more patents than Elon Musk. I have 44. I'm asking for you to bring common sense back to the government," Shepherd said. Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C., spent much of his speech tying the affordability issues Americans are facing to "onerous regulations." "We see this on farms. We see this in every manner of our government — regulations strangle us," he said. "You've got to get government out of the way if we're going to solve this affordability crisis." In response to a question about how he would secure the border if elected, Fry started off by attacking former President Joe Biden's work ethic and praising Trump's. "You actually have to have a president who's awake for more than four hours a day, right? We went from a president who slept for 20 and was awake for four, to a president who is awake for 20 and sleeps for four," Fry said. Fry said he would work to close "loopholes Biden used" to grant thousands of Haitians and Nicaraguans asylum in the U.S. Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford zeroed in on the ballooning national debt, which is about to reach a staggering $40 trillion. Sanford, who also twice served as South Carolina congressman, said the debt is incomprehensible and unsustainable. "We've got a federal government that goes out and spends money it doesn't have, and then it turns around, and it prints money that's not there," Sanford said. He argued that the growing national debt is inextricably linked to Americans reaching financial and life milestones later in life. "The average age to buy a house, not that long ago, was 39 years of age, just 15 years ago. Today, that number is 59. In 15 years, it slid back 20 years, which is to say the American dream is becoming that much more difficult — whether it's my four boys or y'all's kids or grandkids out there," Sanford said. Mark Lynch, a businessman, was another candidate who favored getting rid of the filibuster. He also said he wouldn’t "take a penny from AIPAC," making him one of the few candidates, along with McBride, to stake out a position at odds with the field’s staunch support for Israel. Lynch's "number one" issue was his strong opposition to abortion. He talked at length about how he has spent time convincing women not to go through with terminating their pregnancies and how he has lobbied state legislators to toughen abortion restrictions. Danny Ford II, the son of the championship-winning former head football coach at Clemson University, was the first to address Flock cameras and the potential privacy issues they raise. He also talked about rapid data center development getting "out of control." "It's getting pushed straight down our citizens' throats without any say so," he said. On the issue of data centers, Ford said they need to be sustainable, produce their own power and not "leave a stain on South Carolina." Glenda Gail Parker, a retired budget analyst with the U.S. Air Force, described herself as a conservative independent who leans Republican, but broke with Trump on energy policy, saying the country needs to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels. In response to a question about how she would ensure South Carolina farmers get the assistance they need after natural disasters, Parker said she would work to mitigate "the climate extremes that we are experiencing now." "And I do that by reducing our consumption of fossil fuels, and lower[ing] the demand for fossil fuels. In fact, today I want to challenge the oil and gas companies," Parker said. "Those companies that are interested in longevity must realize that they are in the energy business, not the oil and gas business. And so I would like to challenge the oil and gas businesses to clean up their image." She concluded by saying the U.S. needs to pursue solar, wind, geothermal energy and hydropower. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a9572c5335ae10448d08 James Carville responds to 'vicious' progressive Democrats trying to drive him out of the party te 2026-08-08T22:10:31.867Z James Carville responds to 'vicious' progressive Democrats trying to drive him out of the party James Carville fired back at progressives who have suggested that the longtime Democrat leave the party, highlighting growing tensions between the moderate and progressive wings of the Democratic Party. Speaking on "Saturday in America," Carville reacted to clips from Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed's recent appearance on progressive influencer Hasan Piker's Twitch stream. "James Carville fantasizing about leaving the party. I'm like, 'You're sweetening the deal,'" Piker said. El-Sayed responded, "Why does anybody still listen to James Carville? He said one smart thing once, which he seems to have forgotten." HASAN PIKER UNLOADS ON 'ISLAMOPHOBIC PIECES OF S---' DEMOCRATS AS EL-SAYED FACES PARTY UNITY TEST Carville feigned distress, saying, "I don't know what I can do. I can't take it, please mama help me," before adding, "Such vicious people, wow." El-Sayed, a progressive backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., narrowly defeated Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan's Democratic Senate primary Tuesday and will face Republican Mike Rogers in November. Sanders defended El-Sayed and Piker on CNN, saying that if Carville doesn't want to share a party with progressives, "he can start his own party." Carville responded by pointing to Sanders' status as an independent and past electoral defeats. "When he was a socialist, I was a Democrat," Carville said. "I'm still a Democrat. Is he one now? I have no idea. I do know that maybe he has some animosity, because he tried twice to get the Democratic nomination for president, and he failed rather spectacularly both times." BERNIE SANDERS TELLS JAMES CARVILLE TO START HIS OWN PARTY AS MODERATE DEMS WARN AGAINST 'EMBRACING EXTREMISM' Carville has repeatedly warned about the influence of progressives in the Democratic Party and previously told "The Sunday Briefing" that he would not remain in the party if far-left figures like Piker became a larger force. JD VANCE WARNS 'LIMOUSINE SOCIALISTS' WILL DESTROY MICHIGAN AUTO JOBS, DEPRESS AMERICAN WAGES "Look, I think that these, the progressive left, they're very tech people. I think they've come up with an AI random stupid idea generator," Carville said when asked about Francesca Hong, a progressive candidate for governor of Wisconsin. "And I think the stupid idea generator can think of things that humans can't, like canceling Thanksgiving or being against interracial dating. So, I'm just waiting for the next stupid idea AI generator that comes out," he added. Fox News Digital reached out to Sanders, El-Sayed's campaign, Hong's campaign and Piker for comment. Despite his concerns about progressives in the party, Carville said he thinks El-Sayed will win the Michigan Senate seat. "[El-Sayed's] got some slack. He'd probably use every bit of it, but I still think he's going to win," Carville added. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a9572c5335ae10448cff Fauci in the congressional wringer: a test for Trump's newly-minted Attorney General te 2026-08-08T22:10:31.338Z Fauci in the congressional wringer: a test for Trump's newly-minted Attorney General Contempt of Congress. It sounds bad. And it usually is. But what does it mean? Holding someone in contempt of Congress usually stems from them refusing to testify before a House or Senate committee or declining to provide documents and information requested by lawmakers. Especially if someone rejects an inquest by subpoena.  REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: WHY FAUCI'S 111 FIFTH AMENDMENT PLEAS COULD END UP BEFORE THE COURTS You refuse to cough up the goods, and Congress may try to hold you in contempt. And if you’re held in contempt, lawmakers may send a referral to the Justice Department. That’s kind of a parliamentary suggestion box, informing the feds that House Members or senators believe you’ve earned prosecution.  The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted recently to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress for refusing to answer questions at a hearing. The panel issued a subpoena to compel Fauci’s compliance. Republican senators say that’s all the more reason why Fauci should testify. They point to his pardon by then-President Joe Biden. That’s why they believe Fauci was obligated to answer their inquiries. Instead, he invoked the Fifth Amendment. "On the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution," said Fauci. Twenty-one words. Uttered an astounding 111 times. That’s a grand total of 2,331 words. Fauci never deviated from the script. WATCH: GOP SPLIT OVER RAND PAUL’S DOJ STRATEGY IN FAUCI CONTEMPT PUSH Democrats say it was a Republican ruse. "The goal was to wait for Dr. Fauci to make any kind of misstatement and then have a weaponized Department of Justice file criminal charges for that new statement that would not have been covered by the pardon," said Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H. So the panel took action. It voted 8-5 to hold Fauci in contempt. A party line vote. "I've never voted to hold somebody in contempt. But if there's one person that should be held in contempt, it is Anthony Fauci," said Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., is the ranking Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security Committee. He warned that the GOP gambit is dangerous. "Criminal contempt is punitive. It does not compel a witness to answer questions or produce the documents we'd all like to see. What we'll do is create a damaging precedent that future witnesses will use to resist legitimate Congressional oversight and weaken this committee's ability to compel testimony." Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul, R-Ky., was unbowed. "We will hand carry this over to the Attorney General. We will hand carry this to the district court here in (the District of) Columbia," said Paul. Even though at the time, the DOJ only had an acting Attorney General. FAUCI'S NEWLY RELEASED COVID DIARIES REVEAL BIZARRE FIXATION ON FAME AS PANDEMIC DEATHS MOUNTED However, Paul was freelancing. He ignored the custom of the entire Senate voting to refer someone to the Justice Department for prosecution. The Kentucky Republican himself previously sent other, unilateral referrals to the DoJ asking for Fauci’s prosecution. But those efforts never even went through committee. Fox can’t locate any precedent for such an independent maneuver. Especially circumventing the Senate floor. Republicans control the Senate. It’s unclear whether there would be 51 votes to hold Fauci in contempt. But there is almost no scenario where the Senate could find 60 votes to break a filibuster on a contempt of Congress resolution of this nature.  This is why Democrats argued that Paul is out of line. "No individual center senator and no committee speaks for the entire Senate as a whole," fumed Peters. "The chairman has also suggested he may attempt to refer this matter to the Department of Justice without approval of the full Senate. That would be even more dangerous and widely unprecedented." The DOJ says it "seriously reviews all Congressional referrals." But Democrats believe the GOP’s disregard for Fauci invoking the Fifth could undermine any prosecution. "It is almost certainly never going to be approved by a court because it violates basic constitutional rights," said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. In a statement, Fauci’s attorney, David Schertler, accused Paul of trying to "weaponize the Justice Department" against his client. Democrats asserted that before Fauci’s hearing, Republicans cut them out of their inquiry. "We have been excluded from witness interviews," said Peters. FAUCI HELD IN CONTEMPT AS COVID CELLPHONE LANDS IN HANDS OF SENATE INVESTIGATORS But Republicans say Democrats showed no interest in their findings and revelations. "They have all been uploaded on a website that you were invited to join," said Paul. "You never even asked for the password." However, the Republican inquiry is just starting. Another Senate panel has now obtained a copy of the Health and Human Services phone Fauci used during the pandemic. "It's frustrating we haven't gotten these devices until now. But now we have them," said Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., on Fox. Johnson says decrypting that phone could answer questions which Fauci refused to address during the hearing. Two interesting developments emerged since Fauci testified in late July. First, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeannine Pirro dropped her prosecution of former Olympian David Hearn for allegedly vandalizing the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall. President Donald Trump then upbraided Pirro. Does this mean that Pirro is doing things by the book? Would that diminish chances for prosecution of Fauci? Or, since Pirro enraged the president, could she redeem herself by prosecuting Fauci? After all, Trump said he wanted Fauci prosecuted. However, the ultimate decision to prosecute is up to the new Attorney General, Todd Blanche. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, vowed to oppose Fauci. With former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., out, the GOP couldn’t lose any more votes without tanking the nomination. It boiled down to Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La. – who was undecided. Cassidy announced Friday morning he would vote yea on Blanche. "I am particularly concerned about episodes of apparent lawfare. DoJ bringing suits against political enemies. Presidents of both parties have been guilty of this. It must stop. It should stop now. A never-ending cycle of prosecuting political enemies undermines the rule of law," said Cassidy. "I'm not entirely satisfied where where this is." But Cassidy said he was comfortable enough to confirm Blanche. Democrats will say any prosecution of Fauci is emblematic of the very weaponization which Cassidy fretted about. And this could be a special test case for the new Attorney General. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a9562c5335ae10448cf6 Trump’s White House ballroom foes face ‘very tough argument’ at Supreme Court, legal experts say te 2026-08-08T22:10:30.762Z Trump’s White House ballroom foes face ‘very tough argument’ at Supreme Court, legal experts say President Donald Trump could win the legal fight over his planned White House ballroom, say two legal experts who believe the U.S. the Supreme Court could end the case without weighing in on the underlying constitutional issue. In a lengthy social media post Friday, Trump vowed to take the fight over his White House ballroom to the Supreme Court after the D.C. Circuit upheld a lower court order blocking above-ground construction. In a 2-1 decision, the appeals court ruled that the project cannot move forward without Congressional approval. Trump pointed to the dissent written by Judge Neomi Rao, appointed by Trump in his first term, as grounds for appealing the decision to Supreme Court. Rao argued that the plantiffs, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, lack legal standing in the case. The National Trust for Historic Preservation built its case for legal standing around Alison Hoagland, a member who lives near the White House and regularly visits President’s Park. Hoagland said she visits the area about once a month and argued that the proposed ballroom’s size and design would diminish her enjoyment of the area by overshadowing the White House and weakening its aesthetic. TRUMP SAYS WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM RULING JEOPARDIZES LIVES OF FUTURE PRESIDENTS, VOWS SUPREME COURT APPEAL But according to Rao, the National Trust did not establish the kind of injury necessary to invoke the courts’ authority to block the project. "The district court elevated the aesthetic displeasure of a single passerby over the government’s security interests in the ballroom and the security risks of leaving an open construction site at the President’s home and office," Rao wrote. Former Justice Department attorney Abhishek Kambli agreed, telling Fox News Digital the National Trust could face a particularly difficult hurdle on standing at the Supreme Court. He noted that, while Congress created the National Trust, the group still must show that its lawsuit is germaine to its interests. "While they do have ownership of some properties, the President's Park, where the White House East Ballroom is, is not one of them," Kambli said. "And I think that's going to be a very tough argument to sustain, especially with the Supreme Court, that's more likely to agree with Rao than they are the [circuit court] majority, given the makeup of the Supreme Court, and the fact that the Supreme Court is very strict on standing." OBAMA JUDGE RULES ON EFFORT TO BLOCK AMERICA 250 EVENTS AT WH AND LINCOLN MEMORIAL Kambli also suggested that the National Trust faces a strong hurdle in proving it has standing based on aesthetic injury because it would have to prove it actually uses the space where the ballroom is being built . . . "Normally, aesthetic standing requires that you intend to use it," Kambli said. "So, for instance, if you're planning to be visiting the East Ballroom — and even this is kind of a stretch — that's one thing, but if you're someone on the outside that just passes it by, that's a little tougher." A similar standing issue surfaced earlier in July when U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, an Obama-appointed judge, rejected a lawsuit seeking to block the America 250 UFC event at the White House. He ruled that the plaintiffs had not met the standard of aesthetic harm to establish standing. Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow at Advancing American Freedom, said he expects Trump to prevail on appeal as well, based on the standing issue. "Under Supreme Court precedent, you cannot bring a claim, you cannot bring a lawsuit, until and unless you can demonstrate a concrete, actual injury," Spakovsky told Fox News Digital. "The idea that a passerby, who claims she will be aesthetically injured because of what she sees at the White House, has an actual injury is absurd, and obviously, and clearly defies that precedent." If the Supreme Court takes the case, it could resolve it without deciding whether the administration had the legal authority to build the ballroom in the first place. TRUMP WARNS JUDGE AGAINST SACRIFICING NATIONAL SECURITY BY BLOCKING WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM, DRONE BASE "The Supreme Court won’t rule on the substantive issue if it can dismiss the case based on a lack of standing by the plaintiffs," von Spakovsky said. "I also don’t know of anyone else who could establish standing to bring a lawsuit. Perhaps Congress could collectively, but the chances of that happening are very slim given the partisan divides in both the House and Senate." The National Trust argued in its lawsuit that federal law requires Congress to approve new construction on federal property in Washington, D.C., while the administration says existing law already gives the president authority to make alterations and improvements to federal property, including the White House. Abhishek agreed with Rao’s reasoning that the terms "alteration" and "improvement" should be understood in their ordinary real-property sense. "For instance, if I have an extension to my house, it doesn't become a new house," Abhishek said. "It's the same house, but that's an improvement done on the house. Or if I tear down some walls and then just create an open living space in my like between my living room and my kitchen, that's also not a new house at that point. "It's the same house, but there was an alteration or an improvement done, so if you're using real property terms, then it's pretty clear how how the statutory authority would make sense," Abhishek continued. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a9562c5335ae10448ced As AI reshapes dating, a Jewish organization is betting on the return of the human matchmaker te 2026-08-08T22:10:30.201Z As AI reshapes dating, a Jewish organization is betting on the return of the human matchmaker Artificial intelligence has made it harder to trust what you see online, including on dating apps. Singles are left wondering whether the person they're matching with is who they claim to be, whether their witty messages were written by them or by ChatGPT or whether the profile is even real. Rather than abandoning artificial intelligence (AI) altogether, Chabad, a Jewish organization, is combining it with old-fashioned human matchmaking to help singles find lasting relationships. On Aug. 9, the group is set to hold what it hopes will be the world's largest Jewish virtual speed dating event, bringing together 13,000 singles from more than 30 countries. The event comes just after Tu B'Av, a Jewish holiday traditionally associated with love and matchmaking. Every participant is vetted by a local rabbi or rebbetzin (a rabbi's wife), while artificial intelligence helps match participants for five rounds of one-on-one video dates, blending human oversight with technology. AI IS CHANGING MODERN DATING, BUT EXPERTS WARN IT'S MAKING PEOPLE 'RELATIONALLY STUPID' Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, executive director of Merkos 302, said that the initiative isn't meant to replace technology, but to use it in addition to the human element that many singles feel is missing from modern dating. "AI can aggregate data and information and suggest people that match based on interests, based on patterns, based on values, and stuff along those lines, but you need the human element," Kotlarsky told Fox News Digital. For Kotlarsky, that personal touch goes beyond verifying that participants are real people. It's about bringing an old-fashioned touch to modern dating that was effectively eliminated by apps. While he acknowledged the advantages of AI's fast-paced matchmaking, Kotlarsky argued it can't replace the judgment, mentorship and trust that come from someone who knows the people involved. AI DATING CAFES ARE NOW A REAL THING Kotlarsky told Fox News Digital that the Met@Chabad initiative was about more than making couples. Rather, he sees it as part of a larger effort to strengthen marriage and family in a time when people are waiting longer to marry and are increasingly looking for love behind screens. "It's not just a dating platform, it's not a marriage platform, it's almost like a marriage solution," he said. In addition to its singles events, Met@Chabad offers dating and relationship courses, as well as personalized guidance. The platform's mission is "to transform Jewish dating into a meaningful journey towards marriage, by combining cutting edge technology with timeless Torah wisdom." The guidance part of Met@Chabad is a crucial aspect of the initiative, according to Kotlarsky. Beyond connecting singles, rabbis and rebbetzins serve as mentors and advisors, helping participants identify the qualities they're looking for in a spouse, navigate relationships and prepare for marriage. "It's not just about connecting people. It's actually about coaching and moving people along," he said. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE Kotlarsky said people are increasingly looking for more than just an algorithm to find them a spouse. He added that AI should be used to enhance the process of finding a spouse, arguing that relationships are ultimately rooted in something that technology cannot replicate: human connection. "To date and to build relationships for real, to be true to yourself and true to the person that you are connecting with... to build a life together and to always focus on something that's larger than the two of you because that's really what marriage and relationships in general are about," he said. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a9552c5335ae10448ce4 World’s largest motorcycle rally roars into Sturgis as bikers flood tiny US town te 2026-08-08T22:10:29.657Z World’s largest motorcycle rally roars into Sturgis as bikers flood tiny US town The annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is officially underway, with hundreds of thousands of riders descending on the small South Dakota town and surrounding Black Hills regions for the 86th edition of what’s billed as the world’s largest motorcycle rally. The rally is held annually for 10 days in August and involves races, concerts and group rides and typically draws about 500,000 attendees to Sturgis, population 7,100. During the rally, Sturgis is transformed as motorcycles pack downtown streets and riders fan out across the Black Hills.  ONCE-AFFORDABLE SUMMER ESCAPE ROCKED BY SOARING COSTS AS FAMILIES SHELL OUT THOUSANDS The event extends far beyond the city itself, with concerts, races, stunt shows, motorcycle demonstrations, vendor exhibitions and organized rides taking place throughout the region. This year’s headliner is country star Lainey Wilson, who is set to perform August 12. Ofox newther acts on the concert schedule include YUNGBLUD, Megadeth, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rob Zombie and Insane Clown Posse. Two long-distance women’s motorcycle rides — the Women Riders World Relay and Shantell’s Sisterhood Ride — will conclude at the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame’s second annual Pearl’s Jam event, which celebrates women in motorcycling. Harley-Davidson announced it would be debuting its new Deadwood motorcycle at this year’s event, "a new model inspired in part by the post-war history of the Sturgis Rally," Motor Sports NewsWire reported. Indian Motorcycle is also introducing a new bike. CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE NEWS "The new Indian Chief Vintage Sturgis SD Edition celebrates Indian’s place in the rally’s history with special paint and badging inspired by Indians of the 1930s," reported Rider Magazine. "It features a classic two-tone Indian Motorcycle Red and Cream paint with a multicolored Indian Motorcycle headdress logo." TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ The rally also serves as a jumping-off point for motorcycle rides throughout the Black Hills, with visitors venturing to Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Custer State Park, Badlands National Park, Wind Cave National Park and Bear Butte State Park, along with historic towns such as Deadwood. One other attraction Sturgis attendees frequently visit is Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming, a particularly popular motorcycle destination in the Black Hills. The Sturgis Rally was started by Indian dealer Pappy Hoel in 1938, according to the official Sturgis Rally website. "Pappy was the man who put the brotherhood in motorcycles," Coe Meyer, a Sturgis motorcycle historian, told Fox News Digital previously. "He’s the reason so many people come here today." CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER Hoel’s marketing ingenuity, enthusiasm for motorcycle racing and — unbeknownst to many — his paternal fondness for America’s World War II veterans struggling with the mental wounds of combat made Sturgis synonymous with motorcycles, Fox News Digital reported. "He was like a P.T. Barnum-type character. He always had a trick up his sleeve," said Vinny Terranova, who knew Hoel and his wife Pearl and who operates their original Junction Avenue motorcycle shop today as Pappy’s Vintage Cycles. "He loved motorcycles, loved racing and loved motorcyclists," said Terranova of Pappy Hoel.  "He and Pearl always had a pot of beans and franks on the grill. Nobody left hungry." The Hoels ran the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally for nearly 50 years, before turning it over to the City of Sturgis in the 1980s. Kerry J. Byrne contributed reporting. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a9552c5335ae10448cdb DiJonai Carrington declares 'White privilege' after ejection for smacking Sophie Cunningham in the face te 2026-08-08T22:10:29.045Z DiJonai Carrington declares 'White privilege' after ejection for smacking Sophie Cunningham in the face Chicago Sky player DiJonai Carrington sent a post on Threads that read "white privilege" and tagged the Indiana Fever after she was ejected from Saturday's game for smacking Sophie Cunningham in the face. Carrington has previously garnered controversy for poking Cunningham's teammate Caitlin Clark in the eye during the 2024 playoffs, and making controversial statements in the media. With about two minutes left in the first quarter, Cunningham had the ball and was headed in for a layup. Carrington was on her tail. CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGE Carrington hustled and got to Cunningham in time, but then delivered a brutal shot straight to the Fever star's head. The incident prompted Cunningham to get back up and scream at Carrington, as referees had to separate the two players. Upon review, Carrington's foul was upgraded to a flagrant 2 foul, and she was ejected from the game. Carrington then made the post on Threads shortly after her ejection, presumably from the locker room. Carrington did not elaborate on the post, leaving unclear whether it referred to Cunningham, the officiating decision or the Fever organization. She also did not accuse Cunningham by name, and there was no immediate evidence that the foul was connected to Cunningham’s position on transgender athletes. SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM TAKES VICIOUS ELBOW TO FACE, AND FANS FUME AT WHAT REFS DID NEXT The collision nevertheless unfolded as Cunningham remained at the center of a widening political debate. Supporters held a fourth rally outside the venue of a Fever road game on Saturday, while counterprotesters also gathered near the United Center. Cunningham has said she does not harbor hatred toward transgender people but believes protecting girls and women in sports is "common sense." White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt previously defended Cunningham, saying the backlash against her was "astonishing." With another Cunningham rally already scheduled ahead of the Fever’s Aug. 22 game against the New York Liberty, controversy is bound to surround Cunningham and Indiana beyond Chicago. Meanwhile, Carrington already had a contentious history with the Fever before Saturday. During the 2024 season, she mocked Caitlin Clark for what she believed was flopping and later called Indiana supporters "the nastiest fans in the W" after receiving racist abuse from some online users. Carrington then struck Clark in the eye while defending a pass during the 2024 playoffs, leaving the Fever star with a black eye. Both players said the contact was accidental, although Carrington later drew renewed criticism after appearing to joke about the controversy during an Instagram Live video. Carrington has also responded to accusations that she plays dirty, insisting she simply plays aggressively and always attempts to make a play on the ball. Beyond basketball, she has drawn attention for wearing an explicit anti-President Donald Trump sweatshirt and urging WNBA players to oppose Trump administration policies affecting women and the LGBTQ community. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a9532c5335ae10448cc9 Eli Crane Tours Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District, Highlights Rural Priorities And Federal Investments te 2026-08-08T22:10:27.934Z Eli Crane Tours Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District, Highlights Rural Priorities And Federal Investments By Ethan Faverino | U.S. Representative Eli Crane (R-AZ-02) spent the last week of July traveling across Arizona’s Second Congressional District, meeting with constituents, educators, ranchers, business leaders, and local officials while highlighting legislative priorities ranging from agriculture and energy to education and public lands. The weeklong tour included stops in Douglas, Show Low, Holbrook, Williams, Camp Verde, and other communities where Crane promoted recent federal investments, discussed ongoing policy initiatives, and gathered feedback from residents on issues affecting rural Arizona. One of the week’s most significant announcements came Wednesday, July 29 in Douglas, where Crane joined fellow Republican Representatives Andy Biggs (AZ-05) and Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06) alongside Secretary Brooke Rollins as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) unveiled a $25 million investment to construct a new sterile fly production facility in Douglas. Thank you, @SecRollins. Rural Arizona matters. https://t.co/CSAp5O622s — Rep. Eli Crane (@RepEliCrane) July 31, 2026 The project is intended to strengthen the nation’s defenses against the New World screwworm, a destructive livestock pest that has prompted growing concern among ranchers across the Southwest. The announcement followed a letter signed by Crane, Biggs, and Ciscomani along with Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ01) and Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ09), urging the USDA to modernize the Douglas facility to improve the nation’s long-term response capabilities. Following the announcement, the congressmen toured livestock inspection facilities at the Douglas Port of Entry, which is scheduled to re-open to livestock trade on August 24th after preparations aimed at safeguarding American agriculture. Crane later traveled to Show Low, where he visited Linden Valley Arena, a well known destination within Arizona’s roping community that has been owned and operated by the Perkins family since 2010. The following morning, Crane addressed teachers and staff with the Show Low Unified School District ahead of the upcoming school year, sharing lessons on leadership and teamwork drawn from his experience as a Navy SEAL and small business owners. He also thanked educators for their commitment to students while highlighting what he described as a recent legislative victory for rural schools. Last year, Crane helped build congressional support for a three-year reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools program, legislation that was ultimately signed into law and continues funding for education and essential county services in communities located near national forests throughout Arizona’s Second Congressional District. After leaving Show Low, Crane visited Northland Pioneer College in Holbrook, where he met with administrators to discuss the college’s Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) program. The visit coincided with the Trump administration’s recently announced Freedom Haulers Initiative, a federal effort designed to expand career opportunities for veterans entering the trucking industry. Crane praised the initiative while recognizing the college’s work to strengthen workforce development through its CDL program. Later that day, Crane met with the Murph family at H Bar and Y Ranch in Holbrook. The Murph family, whose cattle operation pre-dates Arizona statehood, faces uncertainty over long-held Arizona State Land Department grazing leases because of a proposed solar development by a foreign company. Crane said he has been working behind the scenes to help resolve the dispute. The meeting also followed last month’s signing of a memorandum of understanding between the USDA and the Small Business Administration (SBA) establishing cooperation between the USDA Lawfare Portal and the SBA’s Office of National Ombudsman. The agreement is intended to ensure complaints from farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers alleging legal harassment are investigated and resolved. According to the USDA, the Lawfare Portal has received more than 400 complaints from 47 states over the past two years. Crane also toured the Cholla Power Plant, which stopped burning coal in March 2025 after more than six decades of operation. Arizona Public Service is pursuing plans to convert the facility to natural gas, a transition expected to generate approximately 380 megawatts of capacity while preserving jobs and maintaining reliable power generation for the region. On Saturday, August 1, Crane attended the annual Coconino County Farm Bureau and Cattle Growers Association banquet in Williams, where he updated attendees on several legislative priorities pending before Congress. Among the measures discussed was the House-passed Farm Bill which includes Buy American requirements for school meal programs, increased reporting requirements for agricultural land purchases by foreign adversaries, and strengthened farm credit and crop insurance programs. Crane also highlighted his amendment intended to accelerate recovery efforts following the White Sage Fire, while noting his support for proposals removing pesticide liability protections and ensuring compensation for livestock losses caused by Mexican wolves. Crane additionally provided updates on the House-approved Fix Our Forests Act and North Rim Restoration Act of 2025. The measures seek to improve forest management through expanded technology and reduced litigation while accelerating reconstruction efforts at the Grand Canyon’s North Rim following the Dragon Bravo Fire. Both bills have passed the House but remain pending in the Senate. The congressman’s final stop took him to Camp Verde, where he met with ranchers to discuss ongoing concerns involving the U.S. Forest Service. Crane said he is developing legislation aimed at simplifying fence repairs following natural disasters while also addressing what he characterized as abuses of the Equal Access to Justice Act. The district also received additional federal infrastructure support during the week as the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded more than $5 million in airport improvement grants throughout Arizona’s Second Congressional District. The funding Includes: Bagdad: $90,389 for design work to expand terminal parking. Chinle: $339,000 to reconstruct aircraft apron pavement. Cottonwood: $536,876 to reconstruct portions of Taxiway A. Page: $679.031 for design of a new aircraft rescue and firefighting facility. Springerville: $443,000 to construct a new taxilane serving future hanger development. Prescott: $2.97 million to construct a new aircraft storage hanger designed to improve airport self-sufficiency. ICYMI – The @USDOT awarded more than $5 million to improve airport infrastructure in #AZ02. See below for key details: pic.twitter.com/BUEKxYbbvU — Rep. Eli Crane (@RepEliCrane) August 4, 2026 The latest awards follow additional federal grants announced last month totaling approximately $10 million for improvements at Polacca Airport and Coolidge Municipal Airport. Reflecting on the week’s events, Crane emphasized the importance of maintaining close ties with constituents while Congress remains out of session. “Last week, I had the privilege of visiting with constituents, industry leaders, and remarkable institutions within Arizona’s Second Congressional District,” said Rep. Crane. “While there is much work to be done in Washington, D.C., it’s refreshing to get back home and meet face to face with the people I’m honored to represent. I look forward to building on these relationships and delivering principled and effective solutions for all Arizonans.” Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link. The post Eli Crane Tours Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District, Highlights Rural Priorities And Federal Investments first appeared on AZ FREE NEWS. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a9522c5335ae10448cc0 City Of Surprise Launches ICE Facility Monitoring Site te 2026-08-08T22:10:26.406Z City Of Surprise Launches ICE Facility Monitoring Site By Staff Reporter | The city of Surprise now has a webpage to monitor the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility planned for their area.  The page offers a chronicled outline of the actions undertaken by the city and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as well as the current knowns, unknowns, and courses of action the city may take.  Last month, DHS and ICE entered into an agreement with Attorney General Kris Mayes to pause the conversion of a purchased West Sweetwater Avenue warehouse into a detention facility pending an environmental review in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Mayes sued to halt the property conversion in April. ICE had originally estimated its initial intakes to occur around the end of May.  According to the DHS-Mayes agreement, DHS failed to engage in a proper environmental review. That concession by the federal government appears to conflict with earlier communications DHS had provided to city officials following a March meeting in Washington, D.C.  In those communications, DHS reported that ICE had completed a NEPA analysis in addition to a site history assessment, existing facility condition report, environmental due diligence audit, engineering assessments, and site feasibility assessments.  DHS had initially told Surprise that its warehouse conversion would have a negligible environmental impact and was therefore in compliance with NEPA.  “ICE processing centers share key operational and physical characteristics with industrial facilities, including a similar footprint and traffic patterns. Zoning conformity reports were conducted for all sites,” stated the DHS response. “Based on this analysis, DHS determined that the facility’s functional use remains consistent with the industrial use category and that the acquisition and modification do not introduce significant new environmental impact.” City of Surprise officials stated that they weren’t made aware of the detention facility prior to the purchase of the warehouse for about $70 million in late January. The Surprise warehouse was one of multiple warehouse purchases across several states for similar conversion plans totaling more than $1 billion.  Mayor Kevin Sartor asked then-DHS Secretary Kristi Noem in a February letter for more information about the planned detention facility and its potential impacts on the community. DHS staff met with Sartor and other Surprise officials the following month, and provided a four-page response with information on the planned facility.  According to those communications, the facility would contain 500 to 1,500 beds for the temporary intake and transfer of illegal aliens undergoing removal proceedings. DHS estimated that those aliens would remain in the facility for a week or less, and then they would be removed to a larger detention center. It is unclear when, if ever, the Surprise detention facility will become operational.  After Markwayne Mullin succeeded Noem as secretary of DHS in March, the fate of the Surprise facility and others grew murky. Mullin expressed skepticism of Noem’s approach to immigration enforcement proceedings. The new secretary told The New York Times that he would like “lightning speed” deportations using existing detention space, not additional processing pathways at the expense of taxpayers. DHS advised in court proceedings earlier this summer that it would offload or sell off seven of the warehouses purchased for more than $700 million collectively, though the Surprise warehouse wasn’t named among them. AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link. The post City Of Surprise Launches ICE Facility Monitoring Site first appeared on AZ FREE NEWS. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a9502c5335ae10448cb7 Scottsdale Council Candidate Withdraws From Race To Avoid Splitting Votes With Fellow Axon Opponents te 2026-08-08T22:10:24.925Z Scottsdale Council Candidate Withdraws From Race To Avoid Splitting Votes With Fellow Axon Opponents By Staff Reporter | Scottsdale City Council candidate Bob Littlefield withdrew from the race this week to avoid splitting votes among candidates seeking to stop the Axon development. Littlefield, a three-term councilman from 2002 to 2014, dropped out of the race just days after expressing gratitude for winning in the primary. Littlefield expressed a desire to have more votes in the general election go to fellow, likeminded candidates Barry Graham and Michelle Ugenti-Rita — all three have been vocal in their desire to prevent a development effort by Axon Enterprises. Dear Friends, Today I made the difficult and personally painful decision to withdraw from the City Council race and return to my position as the Chairman of TAAAZE (Taxpayers Against Awful Apartment Zoning Exemptions). I made this decision based on the results of the recent… — Bob Littlefield (@BobLittlefield) August 5, 2026 Raoul Zubia, the fourth primary victor, and incumbent Councilwoman Solange Whitehead, have expressed support for the Axon apartment development, though they have lamented the legislative intervention that thwarted a ballot referendum.  Littlefield, Graham, and Ugenti-Rita have opposed Axon, citing concerns with overdevelopment. The trio recently accused the company of engaging in a pay-to-play scheme to sway the council election. They claimed certain Axon executives funneled more than $1 million into cohort-run political action committees (PAC) dedicated to ensuring only development-friendly candidates were elected: Arizonans for a Better Future, and Better Together.  Arizonans for a Better Future has collected more than $1.1 million, which included $500,000 from Axon, $500,000 from Axon CEO Rick Smith, $100,000 from Axon President Josh Isner, and $20,000 from Axon Chief Legal Officer Isaiah Fields.  In June, the PAC gave $225,000 to American Perspective, a Virginia-based PAC, and spent around $30,000 for communications, more than $16,700 for polling and research, and $1,500 for legal services.  Better Together has raised more than $335,000 from National Horizon, a Virginia-based conservative super PAC. Better Together has spent approximately $200,000 to oppose Littlefield, Graham, and Ugenti-Rita, and $62,000 to support Whitehead. “Bottom line, if Axon defeats the candidates who told them ‘no,’ Axon will never hear ‘no’ from the Scottsdale City Council again,” said Littlefield in June.  Dear Friends, For 25 years, overdevelopment has been the dominant issue in Scottsdale elections — and the biggest threat to our city’s character and quality of life. Clogged roads, blocked views, higher taxes, and strained infrastructure are its lasting legacy.… — Bob Littlefield (@BobLittlefield) June 16, 2026 The city council approved a deal with Axon to fast-track its headquarters expansion last November following the company’s legislative intervention against grassroots opposition. Axon executives had initially called it quits on the city last summer after declining to break ground on its new headquarters early last year.  A ballot referendum led by Littlefield, Taxpayers Against Awful Apartment Zoning Exemptions (TAAZE), had gained enough signatures to appear on the ballot and allow voters to decide on the rezoning.  TAAZE emerged following a lame-duck city council agreement in 2024. The group had accused Axon of paying petition blockers to prevent Scottsdale residents from signing petitions to put Axon’s apartment development to a vote on the November 2026 ballot.  TAAZE raised 26,000 signatures and was poised to put the fate of the development to a vote.  Axon Referendum Update: I am happy to report our effort to collect the necessary signatures to refer the massive Axon apartment complex to the ballot is ahead of schedule. This in spite Axon's efforts to undermine our petition drive by deploying blockers to harass our petition… pic.twitter.com/opxb1Qaec6 — Bob Littlefield (@BobLittlefield) December 15, 2024 However, in the months following the petition signature dropoff, Axon successfully lobbied the legislature to pass a bill preventing certain municipalities from allowing residents to decide land zoning measures pertaining to hoteling and housing. Gov. Katie Hobbs signed that bill into law in April 2025.  In May, the Maricopa County Superior Court ruled the law to be constitutional.  Littlefield promised to continue to fight the Axon apartment development from outside the council.  Turning Point COO Tyler Bowyer commended Littlefield for withdrawing.  “Huge props to Bob Littlefield for putting Scottsdale ahead of himself, which he has always done,” said Bowyer.  True! 🇺🇸 Huge props to Bob Littlefield for putting Scottsdale ahead of himself, which he has always done Scottsdale must not elect a DSA backed councilmember! https://t.co/hmI8Oq5du3 — Tyler Bowyer (@tylerbowyer) August 5, 2026 Ugenti-Rita commended Littlefield’s decision as “sacrifice” and an exemplar of leadership. “For decades, Bob has been one of this city’s fiercest and most principled advocates, always willing to stand up to special interests and fight for the residents of Scottsdale, no matter the personal or political cost,” said Ugenti-Rita I want to honor Bob Littlefield for his extraordinary service to #Scottsdale. For decades, Bob has been one of this city’s fiercest and most principled advocates, always willing to stand up to special interests and fight for the residents of Scottsdale, no matter the personal or… https://t.co/jpvAHbL8eE — Michelle Ugenti-Rita (MUR) (@MichelleUgenti) August 5, 2026 AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link. The post Scottsdale Council Candidate Withdraws From Race To Avoid Splitting Votes With Fellow Axon Opponents first appeared on AZ FREE NEWS. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a94e2c5335ae10448cae GOP leaders defend voucher measure: legal even if it bans all reforms te 2026-08-08T22:10:22.364Z GOP leaders defend voucher measure: legal even if it bans all reforms Illustration via Getty Images Republican legislative leaders deny that a measure they proposed was aimed at heading off a rival measure to regulate the state’s school voucher system – but say it would be constitutional even if it did.  Voucher opponents are preoccupied with a clause in Proposition 145 that they say will nullify Proposition 212, the Protect Education Act, which seeks to place a series of regulations on Arizona’s school voucher program, attorneys for Senate President Warren Petersen and House Speaker Steve Montenegro wrote in their appeal to the Arizona Supreme Court. They didn’t concede that their proposal actually does that, but said it doesn’t matter if it does. GET THE MORNING HEADLINES. SUBSCRIBE “But assuming arguendo that this is true, so what?” attorney Thomas Basile wrote. “Even if (Prop. 145) preempted the entire field of ESA regulation — for example, if it stated something like: ‘no law may limit, abrogate, or abolish the Empowerment Scholarship Account program in any manner whatsoever’ — it would pose no constitutional conundrum.” A trial court judge last month removed Prop. 145 from the ballot after concluding that it goes far beyond its stated purpose of protecting voucher money for schoolchildren that military families have saved for college tuition. The court said it would also ban any future reforms to the voucher system.  And that, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Joseph Kreamer ruled, is unconstitutional because it violates the Arizona Constitution’s Separate Amendment Rule, which demands that proposed constitutional amendments be limited to a single action. The Republican lawmakers have appealed that ruling directly to the state Supreme Court. They say Kreamer made two fundamental errors in his analysis.  First, he “elevated stylistic paragraphing and punctuation conventions to determinants of constitutional validity.” Kreamer held that the first section of the proposed amendment, which bars any confiscation of unspent voucher money that military families have saved for college tuition, “derives no meaning or effect from” the second section of the amendment — a clause voiding any law or voter-approved measure taking effect on or after Nov. 1, 2026 that conflicts with it. That provision has been denounced by legislative Democrats and the backers of the Protect Education Act as a poison pill aimed at invalidating Prop. 212 even before voters get a chance to weigh in, and as a way to block any future voucher reforms. Second, the GOP leaders said the trial court judge wrongly treated severability as a “freestanding fount of judicial or legislative power” instead of a “gesture of judicial restraint.” In his ruling, Kreamer wrote that lawmakers have never before tried to openly bar voters or future legislatures from enacting laws in the way they hoped to with Prop. 145, and that “it would potentially force the judiciary to invalidate laws that do not violate a constitutional right.” But in their own filing with the Supreme Court, legislative Democrats said that Kreamer correctly found that the severability clause, which requires that the totality of any future law that violates any provision of Prop. 145 is deemed unconstitutional, is genuinely unprecedented. Severability clauses are historically written to apply to the legislation in question: they order a court to allow parts of a law to go into effect even if a portion of the law is deemed invalid or unconstitutional. But the way Republicans crafted the severability clause in Prop. 145 turns that on its head and instead disallows severability in any future laws.  And, Democratic caucus attorneys Rhonda Barnes and Elizabeth Higgins wrote, GOP lawmakers know how to craft a severability clause, as evidenced by the ones they placed in Proposition 144 and Proposition 318. “In fact, there are no known instances of any legislature approving or asking voters to approve a statute or constitutional provision dictating such an antiseverability clause that would control future legislation,” they wrote, noting that “this clause is an attempt to tie the hands of future legislatures, the people, and the courts.” And while the Republican legal defense disputes that the provision is aimed at Prop. 212, the Democratic brief notes that GOP lawmakers openly acknowledged that was their goal during a hurried debate on the measure in the final hours of the annual legislative session. Rep. Michael Way, a Queen Creek Republican and the sponsor of the legislation, said the measure “strikes down such egregious measures, including the currently proposed anti-(voucher) ballot initiative.”  And Senate Majority Leader John Kavanagh, a Republican from Fountain Hills, said that Democrats had brought this measure on themselves after they rejected an earlier compromise proposal that would have seen moderate voucher reforms enacted and the ballot initiative campaign scrapped. “It makes a mockery of the very constitution that legislators swear an oath to uphold,” the Democrats wrote in their brief. Two military veterans whose families would be affected, Robert Figueroa and Nick Kupper, a GOP state lawmaker, argued in their appeal brief that the trial court applied the wrong test: Instead of asking whether the two sections of the proposed amendment are “sufficiently interrelated,” it asked whether subsection B was “necessary” to subsection A, thereby “revers[ing] the burden of proof.” “Voters are entitled to decide that ordinary severance is too weak a response to a law that confiscates military-family scholarship funds,” their attorneys from the Goldwater Institute, which drafted the constitutional amendment, argued. The pro-voucher Arizona Free Enterprise Club also urged the court to reverse the trial judge, and argued that close calls on constitutionality should be resolved in favor of letting voters decide since removing something from the ballot “cannot be undone.” “If it is merely debatable whether a referred amendment satisfies the separate amendment rule, the Court should permit it to appear on the ballot,” attorney Beau Roysden wrote. School choice advocacy group EdChoice urged the Supreme Court to go even further and to reconsider Arizona’s entire approach to the Separate Amendment Rule. Instead of relying on making a distinction between “multiple amendments,” it should evaluate whether the amendments cover “multiple subjects.” Under the case law dating back to 1934, proposed constitutional amendments can be invalidated if they include multiple amendments, even if they all relate to the same subject — in this case, to school vouchers. The Protect Education Accountability Now Committee, which is backing Prop. 212 and sued to block Prop. 145, has until the end of Monday to file its response brief in the appeal.  All litigation surrounding the general election must be finalized by Aug. 20, the date that ballots will be sent to the printer. YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE. SUPPORT Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a94d2c5335ae10448ca5 LGBTQ advocates prep for a difficult campaign against ‘Protect Girls Sports in Arizona Act’ te 2026-08-08T22:10:21.827Z LGBTQ advocates prep for a difficult campaign against ‘Protect Girls Sports in Arizona Act’ Photo via Getty Images/Illustration by Jim Small | Arizona Mirror Arizona law already forbids trans girls from joining school sports teams that align with their gender identity, but Republican lawmakers want voters to ban them from school locker rooms and private sports leagues, too.  In November, voters will decide the fate of the “Protect Girls Sports in Arizona Act”, also known as Proposition 318. The wide-ranging proposal lets disgruntled athletes sue their school or athletic association if a trans girl joins a team consistent with her gender identity or for letting someone use a locker room, bathroom or shower room that is “integral to athletic engagement” if it’s designated for the opposite biological sex.  And while Arizona law already requires public and private schools to separate sports teams by biological sex, the new law would go further, forcing even privately funded sports organizations that operate outside of schools to exclude trans girls. The initiative defines an athletic association as broadly as any league, corporation, association or organization whose primary purpose is to sponsor or set up athletic competitions.  GET THE MORNING HEADLINES. SUBSCRIBE Darrell Hill, the policy director for the Arizona chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, criticized the ballot initiative as discriminatory, saying it unfairly singles out trans girls and violates the First Amendment because it restricts private organizations. He added that it likely prevents parents from creating intentionally inclusive teams, making it impossible for trans girls to participate in any organized competitive sports in a way that reflects who they are. “It doesn’t matter if it’s bowling, badminton, or chess, if the league designates a team for girls, then trans girls can’t participate on that team,” Hill said.  State law and the new proposal both require athletic teams to be designated as one of three categories based on the members’ biological sex: male, female or mixed. Acceptance onto a team hinges on the participant’s sex as recorded on their birth certificate and female teams are prohibited from being opened up to athletes whose biological sex is male. The same isn’t true for male teams, however, leaving schools and athletic associations free to accept trans boys if they choose. But trans girls seeking to get involved in competitive sports would have to join either co-ed or male teams.  The ballot measure also restricts who can use what public facilities. It expressly forbids schools and athletic organizations from knowingly allowing a person to use a locker room, shower room, bathroom or other “private space” intended for a person of the opposite biological sex if it is “integral to athletic engagement.” That likely loops in locker rooms and other public facilities used by sports teams during practice sessions and even competitive events open to the public.  And the vague wording may also be used to bar trans and nonbinary students from using any bathrooms in the school aligned with their gender identity, not just those used by a school sports team or during sporting events. In a July ruling rejecting a lawsuit that sought to keep the proposal off the ballot, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Greg Como acknowledged that possibility.  “The latter provision arguably applies to all restrooms in a school, not just those that are used for sports, such as locker rooms,” Como wrote.  Hill noted that the requirement for schools to clamp down on who uses which bathrooms doesn’t just apply to students, but also to family members and spectators who visit the school to watch a sports game. And that opens the door to intrusive questions because the ballot initiative doesn’t include any criteria for how schools should go about ensuring people use school facilities that match their biological sex. “It forces schools into an uncomfortable position of becoming bathroom police in a manner in which they are ill equipped and the law gives no direction on how to do so,” Hill said.  But letting people make their own choices isn’t an option; the provision that empowers athletes to sue schools and athletic organizations if they believe they’ve suffered “direct or indirect harm” also applies to the mandates around the use of school facilities.  Unlike a ballot measure in Washington that requires girls to undergo genetic tests or physical inspections from a doctor before joining a girls school athletic team, the Arizona ballot measure doesn’t expressly include invasive criteria. But critics fear the lack of clarity on how schools should handle bathroom and locker room use could potentially lead to similar outcomes. Hill said that the confusion over how to stay on the right side of the law would force school officials to come up with their own procedures, and enforcement could vary across the state.  LGBTQ advocacy organizations are gearing up to campaign against the proposal, hoping to educate voters on how it hurts trans girls and their cisgender peers. Bridget Sharpe, the director of the Arizona branch of the Human Rights Campaign, warned that targeting trans girls opens the door to enforcing a narrow view of femininity and will invariably lead to cisgender girls who don’t fit that view being questioned and humiliated.  “When rules are built around who is ‘woman enough’, it doesn’t protect women, it only puts them under scrutiny,” she said.  “There’s been a lot of that sort of fear mongering that there may be some kind of threat to our kids but really the threat is from the folks who want to bully and divide our children and to impose their version of what a girl is supposed to be,” added Joel Edman, the strategic initiatives director for Progress Arizona, which is also planning to advocate against the initiative ahead of the November election.  While Republicans have defended the proposal and others like it in the past as a safeguard for women, advancing evidence-free claims that allowing transgender people into women’s spaces increases the risk of assault, Sharpe argued that authentic concern over women’s sports would address longstanding issues, like the funding disparity between men and women’s athletic programs.  “Folks who are pushing these funding policies raise absolutely no flags about the huge funding gaps between men’s and women’s sports teams. They make absolutely no effort to address the increased risk of sexual violence women and girl athletes face,” Sharpe said. “They completely ignore the lack of options female athletes have to participate in the full variety of sports programs that male athletes have access to.”   Studies have consistently shown that there is no link between trans-inclusive policies and the harassment of cisgender women. By contrast, policies that bar transgender people from using facilities consistent with their gender identity does increase the risk of them suffering violence or sexual assault.  Sharpe criticized the ballot measure as nothing more than a flashy political stunt to draw voters away from issues Republicans are underwater on. She pointed out that the state’s transgender population is small, and athletic participation among trans girls is rare, undermining Republican calls to legislate transgender people out of public facilities and off of sports teams.  “Its a way for Republicans to distract voters from the real issues: affordability of housing in Arizona, gas prices — a whole slew of issues that actually need to be addressed,” Sharpe said.   A 2022 population study by the Williams Institute found that just 3% of Arizona youth between the ages of 13 and 17 identified as transgender. And the same year that Republicans passed Arizona’s trans athletic ban, officials with the Arizona Interscholastic Association told lawmakers in public hearings that only 16 transgender students were allowed to join sports teams consistent with their gender identity between 2017 and 2022. About half of them were transgender girls. The AIA oversees 170,000 student athletes across the state. Sam Parkes, the president of PFLAG Phoenix, a parent and LGBTQ support group which is also looking ahead to voter outreach efforts, added that Arizonans need to be made aware of the detrimental impacts the ballot measure could have on transgender kids in the state.  A 2025 national survey from The Trevor Project, an LGBTQ suicide prevention advocacy group, found that 90% of LGBTQ youth reported higher rates of anxiety and depression as a direct result of discriminatory laws, policies and political debates. But being a part of an accepting community drastically reduces the rate of suicidality among LGBTQ youth, who are at a higher risk of attempting suicide compared to their peers. The survey estimated that LGBTQ young people who lived in supportive communities attempted suicide at less than a third of the rate that LGBTQ youth in unaccepting communities did.  “The more we marginalize these people and do not allow them to live up to their own experience and their own body, we are jeopardizing their mental health and their social well-being,” Parkes warned. “We are hurting kids and families.” Progressive groups likely face an uphill climb in convincing voters to reject the ballot measure, however. A 2023 joint poll conducted in partnership between Arizona State University, Stanford University and the University of Houston found that the majority of voters in the Grand Canyon State oppose trans inclusive policies. About 54% of Arizonans at the time said they were against trans people using bathrooms that best aligned with their gender identity and 63% disagreed with transgender participation in women’s sports.  But LGBTQ advocates say they remain undeterred by that potential pitfall, saying it’s too soon to say where voters might fall on the issue. Parkes pointed out that Arizona is increasingly purple and Edman said voters have bucked Republican priorities in the past.  “The government doesn’t belong in certain places, whether that’s in our decisions over reproductive health care or over where we want to send our kid to school,” Edman said. “It certainly doesn’t belong in telling our kids what teams they can and can’t play on. These are things that should be left to schools, school districts, sports associations that have been figuring this out for decades.”   YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE. SUPPORT Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a94c2c5335ae10448c6c Judy Saiz te 2026-08-08T22:10:20.023Z Judy Saiz Judy Saiz, 66, of Holbrook, passed away peacefully at her home on Aug. 4, 2026.       Born and raised in Holbrook, Judy was the daughter of Atanasio “Speedy” Espitia and Margaret Espitia.       She is survived by her loving husband of 47 years, John Saiz; her son, John Scott (Christy), and their children, Rylan, Jason and Ilithyia Rae; and her daughter, Erica (Chris), and their new son, Ruben. Judy is also survived by her mother, Margaret Espitia; her twin brother, Cristoval Espitia; her brothers, Johnny and Tony Espitia; her sisters, Debbie Sanchez and Sandy Doyle; many beloved nieces and nephews; and her special goddaughter, Jade Espitia.       She was preceded in death by her father, Atanasio “Speedy” Espitia, and her sister, Dolores “Dodo” McGraw.       Judy dedicated her life to caring for others. She spent many years looking after countless children in her home and community. She later worked at Rainbow Foundation, caring for children with special needs, before joining the Holbrook School District as a paraprofessional and special-needs bus driver. Her compassion, patience and love for every child she met left a lasting impact on so many lives.       Above all, Judy cherished her family. She especially enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren. She loved a good yard sale, watching movies and treating herself to a popcorn, and a Diet Coke. She had a knack for collecting treasures and was known for her baking, including her famous yeast rolls, cookies and popcorn balls.       Judy will be remembered for her kind heart, humble spirit, and unwavering generosity. She touched many lives throughout the Holbrook community with her warmth, love and selflessness. Her memory will live on in all who knew and loved her.       She will be greatly missed. Rest easy, our beautiful angel.        Mass will be held in Judy’s honor at 11 a.m. on Aug. 15 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Holbrook. The post Judy Saiz first appeared on Painted Desert Tribune. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a9492c5335ae10448c2c Kelly’s visa bill gives Arizona a third option on immigration te 2026-08-08T22:10:17.240Z Kelly’s visa bill gives Arizona a third option on immigration Richard T. Herman Arizona is usually offered two choices on immigration: accept illegal migration or demand more enforcement. Sen. Mark Kelly has articulated a more constructive principle. “We’re a nation of immigrants. We’re also a nation of laws. And we’re fully capable of honoring both,” he said earlier this year. Kelly’s new bipartisan visa proposal would begin turning that principle into policy by giving Arizona a role in building lawful immigration pathways tied to the state’s actual economic needs. The Arizona Democrat and Republican Sen. John Curtis of Utah have introduced the State Sponsored Visa Pilot Program Act of 2026. It would allow participating states to sponsor foreign workers, entrepreneurs and investors through a federally administered immigration program. Washington would retain authority over admissibility, security screening and immigration status. Arizona would assess its labor needs, select participants and oversee its program. For a border state, that is not an alternative to enforcing the law. It is a recognition that enforcement is more credible when the legal immigration system provides realistic alternatives. Arizona has a strong reason to consider the experiment. The state’s Office of Economic Opportunity projects that Arizona will add 454,167 jobs by 2034, including more than 113,000 in health care, nearly 52,000 in construction and approximately 29,000 in manufacturing. Job gains are projected in all 15 counties. Those numbers do not establish that employers should be allowed to recruit abroad whenever they ask. They show why Arizona needs a more precise tool than national visa categories and numerical limits established in Washington. Under the proposed legislation, participating states would have to assess labor demand and occupational wages, investigate allegations that U.S. workers were displaced and determine that sponsored hiring would not displace American workers. States would also have to permit participants to seek employment beyond the company that initially hired them. That mobility is essential. A state visa should not make a worker’s lawful status entirely dependent on one employer. Workers who can change jobs are better able to report wage theft, leave unsafe conditions and participate in the labor market on more equal terms. But Arizona should not wait until the bill passes to decide what a responsible state program would require. First, sponsorship should be based on published workforce data, not pressure from individual industries. Arizona should identify eligible occupations, regions and economic-development priorities and explain why domestic recruitment, training and wage adjustments have not met the need. Second, the state should require employers to pay sponsored workers at least what similarly qualified Arizona workers receive. The pilot must supplement the state’s workforce—not give businesses access to discounted labor. Third, Congress should revise the geographic restrictions. The bill could terminate a participant’s status for residing or working outside the sponsoring state or an approved interstate compact. But Arizona employees travel for training, serve clients in neighboring states and work remotely for companies headquartered elsewhere. Participants should have to maintain genuine Arizona residence and economic ties. Ordinary business travel, temporary assignments and remote work should not become immigration violations. Fourth, Arizona should guarantee meaningful review before asking the federal government to terminate someone’s status. The bill leaves state appeals optional and largely insulates sponsorship decisions from federal review. An inaccurate employer report or mistaken residency determination could therefore have devastating consequences. Arizona can enforce program rules while still providing written notice, access to the evidence and review by a neutral decision-maker. Finally, the Legislature should require annual public reports identifying the occupations sponsored, wages paid, displacement complaints received and compliance results. A pilot program should generate evidence that lawmakers and the public can evaluate. For decades, Arizona has experienced the consequences of a dysfunctional immigration system while exercising little authority to improve it. Kelly’s proposal offers the state something Washington rarely provides: a meaningful voice in legal immigration policy. Congress should advance the pilot, and Arizona should prepare to implement it with measurable workforce criteria, wage protections, job mobility, due process and public accountability. The immigration debate need not remain trapped between illegality and enforcement. Arizona can help construct a lawful third path. Richard T. Herman is an immigration attorney and founder of Herman Legal Group.  The post Kelly’s visa bill gives Arizona a third option on immigration first appeared on Arizona Capitol Times. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a9482c5335ae10448c23 Court rejects fears about 2022 voter registration law, allows it to be enforced te 2026-08-08T22:10:16.589Z Court rejects fears about 2022 voter registration law, allows it to be enforced PHOENIX — A federal appeals court has given the go-ahead for the state to enforce a 2022 law that challengers argued could inadvertently make felons out of volunteers who register people to vote. In a 35-page opinion Friday, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected arguments that the law is so poorly written that anyone reading it would not know what is — and is not — legal. Judge Anthony Johnstone, writing for the full court, acknowledged that the law, approved by Republican lawmakers amid claims of election fraud, makes it a Class 5 felony to anyone who “knowingly provides a mechanism for voting to another person who is registered in another state.” That carries a presumptive 18-month prison term. And he said that the phrase “mechanism for voting” arguably encompasses voter registration and education — all activities undertaken by Arizona Alliance for Retired American, Voto Latino and Priorities USA. But Johnstone said he and the other judges were not convinced the 2022 law would actually put anyone from any of those organizations at risk of winding up behind bars. “The full text and statutory context of the Felony Provision show that it likely does not criminalize those activities,” he wrote. Separately, the judges also allowed county recorders to cancel the registration of people if they confirm based on “credible information” that those people are living in another county. But in this case, they weren’t deciding on the legality of that provision. Instead, they said the three groups lacked the legal standing to sue in the first place. Friday’s ruling is a victory for Sen. J.D. Mesnard, a Chandler Republican, who crafted the 2022 legislation containing both provisions. He said the target was anyone who would forward an early ballot addressed to someone not living in Arizona. Mesnard acknowledged at the time he had no first-hand knowledge of people getting early ballots from Arizona who are actually registered to vote elsewhere. “I’ve had folks come to me and insist this has happened,” he said. “I’ve not gone to investigate,” he continued. But Mesnard said that his legislation will “make it clear” what the law requires. The measure at issue here was one of several approved by GOP lawmakers in 2022 with the stated intent of curbing what they claimed was fraud. As approved, it makes it a felony to knowingly provide “a mechanism for voting to another person who is registered in another state, including by forwarding an early ballot address to the other person.” That is backed up with another provision saying that anyone who receives an early ballot meant for someone who no longer lives there must write “not at this address” on the envelope and send it back. Attorney Daniel Arellano, in filing suit, said all that presents problems. He said if someone helps register a voter here and that person also happens to be registered in another state, the person doing the registration could face prison time. Arellano said that ignores the fact that the person doing the registration may be unaware that there is a registration that is active in another state, perhaps because the person just moved here and has yet to cancel the earlier one. “This risk will severely chill voter registration and mobilization efforts in Arizona, resulting in an undue burden on groups and individuals engaged in these efforts and voters who benefit from them,” he argued. Arellano also argued the provision could affect parents who receive an early ballot in the mail for their child who just finished college out of state but is eligible to vote in Arizona. “That parent could face felony charges if they forwarded the student’s early ballot to them if the student at some point registered to vote in their out-of-state college town — even if the student has no intention to, and never actually does, vote in two places,” he argued. Johnstone, however, said that Arellano and his clients were misinterpreting the effect of the law. He pointed out that the new provision was added to an already existing list of what is a crime — things like voting more than once, voting without eligibility and tampering. “None of the listed actions implicate conduct before voting, such as registration, so ‘mechanism for voting’ should be interpreted consistently and include only a ballot itself and a ballot affidavit envelope,” the judge wrote. “The Felony Provision does not criminalize voter registration and mobilization.” Strictly speaking, Friday’s ruling is not the last word. All it does is allow the state to enforce the provision until there is a full-blown trial. Whether that will occur remains unclear. None of the attorneys involved in the case returned messages seeking comment. The post Court rejects fears about 2022 voter registration law, allows it to be enforced first appeared on Arizona Capitol Times. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a9462c5335ae10448c0f Havasu man asks judge to send him to prison te 2026-08-08T22:10:14.319Z Havasu man asks judge to send him to prison A down on his luck Lake Havasu City man longs for the stability he believes the Arizona Department of Corrections can provide him. Levi Horner, 37, addressed Mohave County Superior Court Judge Derek Carlisle during his change of plea hearing… Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a9452c5335ae10448c06 New Mexico woman hits $80,987 jackpot at Aquarius Casino Resort te 2026-08-08T22:10:13.682Z New Mexico woman hits $80,987 jackpot at Aquarius Casino Resort A New Mexico woman turned a penny slot into an $80,987 payday Thursday at Aquarius Casino Resort in Laughlin. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a9452c5335ae10448bfd Pat Culhane: Get the biggest benefit te 2026-08-08T22:10:13.026Z Pat Culhane: Get the biggest benefit Editor: As having raised a child in the desert, activities are key. However, all this talk about another splash pad raises many questions for me. Is this the best use of funds? Will this serve a broad base of our… Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a9442c5335ae10448bf4 Michael Rundlett: We're not extremists te 2026-08-08T22:10:12.250Z Michael Rundlett: We're not extremists Editor: I have seen a few of those bogus “MAGASU” flags flying at houses around our town. Hey, guess what, living in Lake Havasu City is not exclusively reserved for you extreme MAGA fanatics only. You may dream that it… Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a9432c5335ae10448beb Joel Schlosberg: Red all over? It's not so black and white te 2026-08-08T22:10:11.360Z Joel Schlosberg: Red all over? It's not so black and white In the month celebrating 250 years of red, white and blue, Americans were seeing plenty of red -- and not just as part of commemorative trifectas or midterm forecast maps. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a9412c5335ae10448be0 Two Killed in Firefighting Helicopter Crash Near Utah Wildfire te 2026-08-08T22:10:09.841Z Two Killed in Firefighting Helicopter Crash Near Utah Wildfire The aircraft was responding to the Widemouth 2 fire, which has burned more than 100,000 acres since starting last month. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a9412c5335ae10448bd7 Hunter Biden Says His Father’s Cancer Is Worsening te 2026-08-08T22:10:09.217Z Hunter Biden Says His Father’s Cancer Is Worsening In an interview with the BBC, Mr. Biden said that former President Joseph R. ⁠Biden Jr.’s prostate cancer had spread into his bones and was causing pain. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a9402c5335ae10448bce OpenAI says it slowed Astra model development over security concerns te 2026-08-08T22:10:08.037Z OpenAI says it slowed Astra model development over security concerns OpenAI said this model, which is still in development, reached its "critical cybersecurity threshold," meaning it could independently identify and carry out cyberattacks against traditionally well-protected real-world systems. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a93f2c5335ae10448bc5 Google’s top hacker hunter explains why hacking groups get codenames te 2026-08-08T22:10:07.359Z Google’s top hacker hunter explains why hacking groups get codenames Google recently changed how it refers and assigns names to hacking groups. TechCrunch spoke with one of the world’s foremost experts on tracking hackers to understand why companies give hackers codenames. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a93e2c5335ae10448bbc The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is a lot of fun, but it’s not a must-have te 2026-08-08T22:10:06.584Z The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is a lot of fun, but it’s not a must-have While the device is pretty and lightweight, it’s not something the everyday person needs due to its hefty price tag and size. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a93d2c5335ae10448bb3 X replaces ‘misaligned’ revenue sharing program with Original Content Rewards te 2026-08-08T22:10:05.830Z X replaces ‘misaligned’ revenue sharing program with Original Content Rewards X is winding down its existing Revenue Sharing program. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a93c2c5335ae10448baa OpenAI acquires presentation startup NextSlide te 2026-08-08T22:10:04.237Z OpenAI acquires presentation startup NextSlide NextSlide says its team members are now working on ChatGPT. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/post/6a77a93b2c5335ae10448ba1 Planned Amazon data center could become the biggest climate polluter in the U.S. te 2026-08-08T22:10:03.096Z Planned Amazon data center could become the biggest climate polluter in the U.S. As part of a planned Texas data center, Amazon is investing in an on-site power plant that could reportedly become the largest source of climate pollution in the United States. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana https://meenews.co/home