Top cop resigns amid sex allegations in latest scandal to rock largest US police force
The NYPD’s highest-ranking uniformed police officer resigned abruptly Friday amid bombshell allegations he demanded sexual favors from his subordinates on the force, the latest scandal to rock the NYPD and the Adams administration.
The sudden resignation of Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey came just hours before Lt. Quathisha Epps, who holds an administrative post in Maddrey’s office, filed a sexual harassment complaint against him with the state Division of Human Rights, according to documents obtained by Fox News Digital.
Epps claims Maddrey “engaged in a quid pro quo sexual harassment” by coercing her into performing unwanted sexual favors in exchange for overtime opportunities in the workplace.
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The complaint also alleges Maddrey forced Epps to “take care” of another female officer, “to subject that officer to unwanted sexual advances and conduct, including sexual intercourse, within the workplace.”
Epps also accuses Maddrey, who is married, of maintaining an inappropriate sexual relationship with another female detective, subjecting Epps to “further sexually offensive conduct in person and through her cellular phone.”
The NYPD said in a press release Saturday morning that NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell had taken the position of interim chief of department Friday night and that Philip Rivera is now interim chief of patrol.
The release made no mention of Maddrey, but the NYPD on Saturday confirmed to Fox News Digital that Maddrey had resigned from the NYPD, although the agency would not provide a reason.
“Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch accepted the resignation of Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey Friday night, effective immediately,” an NYPD spokesperson said via email. “The NYPD takes all allegations of sexual misconduct seriously and will thoroughly investigate this matter.”
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Epps made headlines earlier this week when the New York Post, citing payroll records, revealed she earned a whopping $400,000, including roughly $204,000 in overtime alone last year, for her administrative job in Maddrey’s office. She claims in the filing that Maddrey cooked her overtime figures in October after she started rejecting his advances.
She says that led to a criminal and internal investigation against her in retaliation.
Epps, in the complaint, said she met with Maddrey earlier this week with the intention of leaving the force after she says she was portrayed publicly as an “overtime abuser.” She says Maddrey demanded a sexual favor, to which she complied. Afterward, she filed for retirement from the NYPD via a Vested Interest Retirement Pension.
A spokesperson for Adams said his office is “deeply disturbed by these allegations, and the NYPD is investigating this matter.”
“Mayor Adams is working in close coordination with Police Commissioner Tisch as the NYPD conducts a separate department-wide review to ensure no high-ranking officers are using their power inappropriately. We will refrain from commenting further to avoid jeopardizing either investigation.”
The controversy is the latest turmoil to hit the NYPD. Former Commissioner Edward Caban resigned in September amid the swirling federal investigation surrounding New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
Adams then appointed Tom Donlon, a former FBI counterterrorism expert, as interim commissioner, and he was replaced after two months by Tisch, who was then appointed on a permanent basis.
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Adams was indicted by a federal grand jury in September and faces five charges, including bribery, soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals, wire fraud and conspiracy. Federal prosecutors charged Adams with accepting luxury travel perks and illegal campaign contributions from a Turkish official and other foreign nationals looking to buy his influence. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Ingrid Lewis-Martin, a top adviser to Adams, resigned Sunday and has since been indicted on bribery charges.
Prosecutors said Lewis-Martin and her son raked in over $100,000 and got other help in exchange for her speeding approvals for construction projects. She has pleaded not guilty.
Lara Trump hints at ‘big announcement,’ takes herself out of running for Senate seat
Lara Trump, President-elect Trump’s daughter-in-law, said Saturday she is removing herself from consideration for Florida Republican Marco Rubio’s seat in the U.S. Senate.
“After an incredible amount of thought, contemplation, and encouragement from so many, I have decided to remove my name from consideration for the United States Senate,” she wrote on X Saturday.
The president-elect has nominated Rubio to be secretary of state.
“I could not have been more honored to serve as RNC co-chair during the most high-stakes election of our lifetime and I’m truly humbled by the unbelievable support shown to me by the people of our country, and here in the great state of Florida,” Lara Trump added.
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Trump, the wife of Eric Trump, the president-elect’s son, stepped down as co-chair of the Republican National Committee earlier this month.
” I have read so many of your kind messages and I cannot thank you enough,” Lara Trump said, adding she has a “big announcement that I’m excited to share in January.”
She said she remains “incredibly passionate about public service and (looks) forward to serving our country again sometime in the future. In the meantime, I wish Governor DeSantis the best of luck with this appointment.”
The president-elect had previously pressed DeSantis to name Lara as Rubio’s replacement, a source in his political orbit told Fox News Digital, but he later told reporters he didn’t necessarily expect him to select her.
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“That’s his choice,” the president-elect added.
Rubio’s senate replacement will be appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and will serve the remaining two years of Rubio’s term.
In 2026, the seat will be open for a full six-year term.
Lara Trump had previously said she was “seriously considering” the position, although she wasn’t sure it was right for her.
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DeSantis previously said he would make an appointment by early January.
Lara Trump did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
US military unleashes airstrikes against Iran-backed terrorist group
The U.S. military confirmed it conducted airstrikes in Yemen, saying it targeted a missile storage site and a command-and-control center operated by Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the successful strikes in a release Saturday, saying they were meant to “disrupt and degrade” Houthi operations.
“CENTCOM forces conducted the deliberate strikes to disrupt and degrade Houthi operations, such as attacks against U.S. Navy warships and merchant vessels in the Southern Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb and Gulf of Aden,” CENTCOM said in a news release.
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Footage from CENTCOM showed F/A-18’s taking off. The agency said it also used assets from the Navy and the Air Force.
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“The strike reflects CENTCOM’s ongoing commitment to protect U.S. and coalition personnel, regional partners and international shipping,” it said.
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The attacks against shipping are ongoing, and Houthi militants have vowed to continue until Israel ends its campaign in Gaza.
The terrorist group has targeted more than 100 merchant vessels since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023.
Hollywood A-lister’s friends rave about sweet holiday gift: ’10 out of 10′
‘Tis the season for Tom Cruise‘s famous Christmas cakes.
The Hollywood actor gifted the decadent dessert to his top celebrity friends this year, including “Top Gun: Maverick” co-star Glen Powell.
Powell, 36, took to Instagram to share that he received Cruise’s annual coconut cake.
‘TOP GUN: MAVERICK’ STAR ON TOM CRUISE’S CHRISTMAS CAKE: ‘IT’S LITERALLY LIKE GETTING A TROPHY’
“The Cruise cake has arrived…” Powell posted on his Instagram Story earlier this month.
The “Twisters” star was gifted a personalized note from his celebrity friend, which read, “To Glen Powell, warmest wishes to you this holiday season, Tom Cruise.”
Another A-list celebrity who made the cut on Cruise’s nice list was comedian Mindy Kaling.
The 45-year-old actress posted a photo of the delicious gift on her social media with the caption, “Iykyk,” which stands for “If you know, you know.”
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Meanwhile, Spanish singer Victoria Canal excitedly shared that she was a lucky recipient of Cruise’s coconut cake.
Canal showed off Cruise’s cake wrapped in an ivory satin and gold bow with a bedazzled reindeer ornament decorated on the box.
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In an Instagram video, Canal declared after she took a bite of the cake, “Let it be known: The Tom Cruise Cake is a 10 out of 10.”
This past August, the 26-year-old shut down romance rumors that she was dating Cruise in the summer.
Last year, Cruise’s other “Top Gun: Maverick” co-star Jay Ellis opened up about the honor of receiving the special treat.
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“The cake is coveted in this town,” Ellis explained on “The Jennifer Hudson Show.” “It’s literally like getting a trophy. We get the cake every year. It’s always a surprise when you get it, because you’re so excited to get it — and you wanna make sure you’re still on the gift list.”
Cruise is known for sending a coconut cake from a bakery in Woodland Hills, California to famous friends, including Tom Hanks and Rosie O’Donnell.
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O’Donnell shared a photo of the gift on her Instagram around Christmas, with the caption, “My Tommy sent me a coconut cake!! I love that guy.”
In July 2023, “Captain America” actress Hayley Atwell said she was on her fourth Christmas coconut cake from Cruise after working with him for three and a half years on the action movie.
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“Guardians of the Galaxy” actress Pom Klementieff has also been gifted Cruise’s famous cake, and said she savors the reportedly more than $100 bundt cake from Doan’s Bakery in the Los Angeles area.
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“I freeze it and then I eat it frozen, so I just eat it every day. That’s what I did last year for Christmas. I started it when I got it and I ate it every morning, so I had a sugar rush. It was not good for my health, but it was delicious,” Klementieff said.
Legendary franchise in turmoil as longtime producer clashes with ‘f—- idiot’ Amazon execs
The next installment in the “James Bond” franchise is still in development limbo due to a rift between the series’ main producer and its new owners, Amazon.
In a report from The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), longtime Bond producer Barbara Broccoli and Amazon — which bought MGM studios in 2021 — are in an “ugly stalemate” over decisions about the future of the franchise. These include decisions on whether Bond should be turned into a streaming series, or more philosophical ones, like whether the titular character is even a hero.
“I have to be honest, I don’t think James Bond is a hero,” one Amazon executive said during a recent meeting about upcoming Bond content, the outlet reported. That quote seemed to point to Broccoli’s fear that Amazon does not understand the very character that she has dedicated her career to.
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Broccoli, who has had creative control over the “007” film franchise for over thirty years, “has told friends she doesn’t trust algorithm-centric Amazon with a character she helped to mythologize through big-screen storytelling and gut instinct,” WSJ reported.
According to the report, the relationship between Broccoli and Bond’s new owners is so rocky, that as recently as this fall, Broccoli “characterized the status of a new movie in dire terms—no script, no story and no new Bond.” This lack of momentum in the franchise nearly three years after the last movie, 2021’s “No Time To Die” is unprecedented for a series that used to have an installment nearly every year or two since it began in the 60s.
“These people are f— idiots,” Broccoli has reportedly told her friends about Amazon executives.
WSJ spoke to 20 people familiar with the Amazon-Broccoli feud to understand the nature of the stalemate, writing that it “boils down to a clash between the 20th-century Hollywood of big screens and big swings and a new entertainment industry ruled by Silicon Valley firms that prize data, algorithms and streaming subscriptions.”
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Broccoli “has complained that Amazon isn’t a good home for Bond, since the company’s core business is selling everything from toilet paper to vacuums,” the report stated, though it noted she didn’t speak out against Amazon purchasing MGM because she “didn’t want to complicate what many in Hollywood viewed as a massive payout for MGM’s owners.”
As part of the deal, MGM executives ensured that Amazon committed to putting Bond on the big screen instead of relegating the franchise to a streaming series. The outlet noted that when one eager Amazon executive floated the idea of various Bond TV spin-offs, including a potential “Moneypenny” spin-off, or a female 007 spin-off, Broccoli shot the idea down.
“Did you read the contract?” she reportedly replied.
For the last several years, Broccoli has fended off a variety of ideas within the industry that Bond could take on a different identity in terms of gender or race in upcoming films. But as the outlet reported, she believes the spy “should always be played by a man, and should always be played by a Brit.”
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WSJ also mentioned Broccoli shooting down Bond villain ideas inspired by current real-world figures that some people see as evil.
“’Elon Musk?’ she said to one friend. ‘I did that back in 1997.’” Broccoli was referencing the villain from that year’s 007 franchise, “Tomorrow Never Dies.” The outlet described that villain as “a wealthy tycoon whose global media empire includes a satellite network.”
Liberal media outlets and Democratic lawmakers have grasped onto a new talking point recently, as the incoming administration gets ready to enter the White House — Elon Musk is a “shadow” president, taking the reins from President-elect Donald Trump.
WSJ rounded out its report with one last example of the tense relationship between Broccoli and Amazon. It noted that during her acceptance speech at a film industry awards show in November, “she did not mention Amazon.”
Amazon did not reply to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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Paul McCartney wraps world tour with surprise guest as audience goes wild
Paul McCartney wrapped up his Got Back tour with a surprise reunion with the only other surviving member of the Fab Four.
During his final show at London’s O2 Arena Friday, McCartney welcomed former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr to the stage ahead of a showstopping performance by the duo.
In a video posted to X, McCartney introduced his longtime pal, who gave him a hug and told the roaring crowd, “I want to tell you, I’ve had a great night tonight.”
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“Shall we rock?” McCartney asked Starr.
The duo performed fan favorites “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” and “Helter Skelter.”
Last year, Starr opened up about his time as a Beatle.
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During an interview with AARP The Magazine, the musician said, “We all went mad at different times. You can’t imagine what it was like being in the Beatles. It got bigger and crazier.
“We were playing clubs, and then we made a record, ‘Love Me Do.’ My God, there’s nothing bigger than that, our first vinyl. We found out the BBC was going to play ‘Love Me Do’ at 2:17, or whatever time it was, and we pulled the car over. ‘Wow! We’re on the radio, man!'”
Starr joined the band as a fan, having seen them perform at a nightclub in Germany with Pete Best on the drums. With Starr on board, a legendary partnership was formed between him and the other members of the band, McCartney, John Lennon and George Harrison.
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Reflecting on the band’s dynamics, Starr joked he “used to be a rock drummer” before his bandmates “ruined [his] whole career” by continuing to write songs for him. During his time in the Beatles, Starr sang lead on “Yellow Submarine,” “Act, Naturally,” “With a Little Help from My Friends” and “Octopus’s Garden.”
Lennon was gunned down Dec. 8, 1980, by a crazed fan. Harrison died of cancer in 2001. Starr said while the four were once as close as siblings in the early days, he and Paul have a close bond that continues.
“Paul loves me as much as I love him,” he said. “He’s the brother I never had. As an only child, suddenly I got three brothers.”
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Quinn Ewers made his political support clear ahead of one of the biggest games of his life.
Ewers’ Texas Longhorns are hosting the Clemson Tigers in the first round of the College Football Playoff, and members of Texas’ football team arrived dressed to impress.
Ewers rocked a navy blue suit with white pinstripes, a red tie and a gold tie clip.
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The clip had “Trump” engraved on it.
Ewers seemed to show support for the president-elect when he shared a picture of Trump holding his fist in the air shortly after the assassination attempt on Trump’s life in Butler, Pa.
After Trump won the presidential election, Ewers also shared a graphic of Trump and JD Vance on his Instagram story, captioning it “Legendary.”
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Athletes have shown support for Trump since he won the election. Perhaps the most notable tribute to Trump has been players mimicking the president-elect’s YMCA dance.
San Francisco 49ers star Nick Bosa wore a “Make America Great Again” hat after a game in October, a move that cost him an $11,000 fine.
Trump attended the Army-Navy game last week, and it could be argued his attendance led to the game’s highest viewership of all time. Over 9 million people watched the Midshipmen’s 31-13 victory over the Black Knights.
The president-elect has also attended NFL games and UFC events this year.
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The Longhorns led Clemson, 28-10, at the half. The winner has a date with Arizona State in the Peach Bowl New Year’s Day.
Report exposes how the most elite universities are side-stepping Supreme Court ruling
FIRST ON FOX: The Equal Protection Project, founded and led by Cornell professor William Jacobson, has released a deep-dive report on the prevalence of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training at Ivy League universities.
In his comprehensive report, “Poison Ivies: DEI and the Downfall of the Ivys,” Jacobson examines programs the eight Ivy League institutions use and require for students.
“The review of Ivy League practices by our CriticalRace.org project reflects substantial efforts by Ivy League schools to purport to comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action, while maintaining work-arounds and DEI practices that continue the obsession with racial identities,” Jacobson told Fox News Digital.
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In his report, Jacobson shows how Ivy League institutions are sidestepping the June 29, 2023, ruling by the Supreme Court that says race cannot be used in admission decision-making at universities.
“Ivy League universities pretend not to take race into consideration but then provide essay question opportunities for students to talk about their race,” he said.
“The Supreme Court affirmative action ruling took place in the context of university admissions, but it’s clear that the court’s opinion at its core was an Equal Protection Clause ruling that applies in other university contexts.”
The findings
In his report, Jacobson found that out of the eight Ivy League universities:
- Four require DEI training in student orientation programs (Columbia, Harvard, Princeton and Yale).
- Six require faculty or staff DEI training in some capacity (Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Penn, Princeton and Yale).
- All eight have DEI offices at the institutional and/or department level.
- Five have a strategic plan devoted to DEI or anti-racism (Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth and Yale).
- All eight have DEI or CRT (critical race theory) topics in classes and curricula.
- All eight have bias reporting systems.
Jacobson said he found that while the universities “pretend” not to consider race, in practice, they often do.
“Ivy League universities pretend not to take race into consideration but then provide essay question opportunities for students to talk about their race,” he said.
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“It’s hard to believe that in environments in which DEI is the dominant ideology, taking on a quasi-religious fervor, that race does not enter into admissions decisions in fact, even if there is window-dressing to provide possible legal cover.”
Brown University
The report found that all departments at Brown require a multiyear plan for DEI.
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Columbia University
In their orientation programming, students at Columbia undergo their “Inclusion & Belonging” program, which, Jacobson says, “includes concepts such as inclusion, diversity, equity, allyship and bias.”
Cornell University
At Cornell, the DoBetterCornell student group is involved in the development of an educational requirement that focuses on themes like systemic racism, bias, colonialism and inequity.
In addition, Jacobson found that, in 2024, the Center for Racial Justice and Equitable Futures was launched to center on anti-Black racism.
Dartmouth University
All students at Dartmouth University are required to take a culture and identity class.
Harvard University
Harvard has an Office for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging, which also has the Inclusive Teaching Institute, which is dedicated to training faculty and staff to incorporate inclusive teaching.
Princeton University
Princeton, the report notes, requires all employees, student leaders, faculty involved in graduate admission and hiring recruitments to take a culture and difference class and DEI training.
University of Pennsylvania
Penn has a cultural diversity course requirement for all undergraduate students as well as a cross-cultural perspective course for all Wharton School students.
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In 2022, the Ivy League introduced DEI and environmental, social and governance factors for business (ESGB) majors and concentrations for Wharton students as majors and as undergraduate concentrations.
Jacobson noted that Penn also has a program known as Projects for Progress, which offers up to $100,000 grants for projects focused on topics like systemic racism.
Yale University
Yale has a stipulation that each school and administrative division should have a five-year plan on DEI, Jacobson reported.
The Equal Protection Project focuses on challenging race-based discrimination. The organization has challenged over 100 scholarships and programs discriminating against White and Asian students at universities across the country.
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“To fully achieve the nondiscrimination standards of the Supreme Court ruling, the race-obsessed cultures at the Ivy League schools need to change,” Jacobson said. “It will be a long process. The Supreme Court ruling was just the first step.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of Education for comment.