America’s neighbor uses coffee stunt to complain about looming tariff deadline
Some coffee shops in Canada are changing the name of an internationally recognized drink in response to the Trump presidency.
Since winning the election and being sworn into office, President Donald Trump has made multiple comments that have caused controversy among Canadians. These range from proposing Canada become the 51st state, to calling the country’s current prime minister, Justin Trudeau, “Governor Trudeau.”
He also proposed a new 25% tariff on Canadian goods to force the country to toughen up its border and stop the flow of deadly fentanyl into the United States.
The Washington Post recently reported that Canadians, incensed by Trump’s statements and tariff policy, are now referring to Americano coffee drinks, made from espresso and hot water, as “Canadianos.” The outlet recalled, “The movement is reminiscent of U.S. Republican lawmakers’ push to change the name of french fries to ‘freedom fries’ in 2003, after France expressed opposition to U.S. military action in Iraq.”
TRUMP SAYS US SUBSIDIES TO CANADA MAKE ‘NO SENSE,’ SUGGESTS CANADIANS WANT ‘TO BECOME THE 51ST STATE’
William Oliveira, the owner of Toronto-based Cafe Belém, told The Post that while he doesn’t want his coffee shop to be a “political place,” he wanted to show support for his country.
“It’s good for us to just, you know, stand up for being ourselves and reminding other people… that we’re not to be pushed around and bullied by others,” he said.
Oliveira claimed that customers find the name change clever, and that when someone orders an Americano, employees jokingly inform them that isn’t the drink’s correct name.
“It’s definitely me saying, ‘Hey, just in case anybody was wondering, this is where we stand on that subject: We are pro-Canadian,’” he said.
British Columbia-based Kicking Horse Coffee, which has been referring to Americanos as “Canadianos” for 16 years, reportedly called on coffee shops across their country to do likewise.
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The Washington Post reported that the now-deleted post said, “We’re officially making it a thing and asking coffee shops across the country to make the switch.”
Elizabeth Watson, the owner of Palisades Cafe, also based in British Columbia, told The Post that a customer had sent her the now-deleted post weeks ago. She responded by arguing the movement was “bold and brave,” and followed suit in her own shop.
“Employees cut two small pieces of paper and wrote ‘CANADIANO’ on them,” The Post reported. “Then they placed the new titles on their menu, over ‘Americano’ and ‘Americano Misto,’ which is made similarly to an Americano but adds steamed milk.”
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“We aren’t necessarily aiming to be political,” Watson told the same news outlet. “But we love the idea of really just supporting Canadian pride.”
“I would be happy to stick with it,” she said, “at this time.”
Portnoy unloads on ‘trash’ Democrat and his latest megaphone
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy unloaded on California Gov. Gavin Newsom, calling him “trash” and a “slick” politician who is more interested in promoting his career than “actually governing.”
“He’s trash, like I hate him,” Portnoy told Fox News Digital in an interview this week.
“I just think he’s everything that you think of when you think of, like, a slick politician. That you take a cold shower after you talk with them.”
Newsom set social media ablaze on Tueday after announcing he was launching a podcast where he’d have “real conversations” with people he disagreed with and people he admired.
SOCIAL MEDIA BLASTS ‘GASLIGHTING’ GAVIN NEWSOM AFTER HE ANNOUNCES NEW PODCAST
“We need to change the conversation. And that’s why I’m launching a new podcast,” Newsom said in a video posted to social media. “And this is going to be anything but the ordinary politician podcast. I’m going to be talking to people directly that I disagree with, as well as people I look up to, but more important than anything else, I’ll be talking directly with you, the listener. Real conversations.”
The new podcast will be produced by iHeartMedia and will be the second podcast that the governor has been involved with. Newsom currently co-hosts the “Politickin’” podcast alongside former NFL player Marshawn Lynch, and sports agent Doug Hendrickson.
Portnoy revealed to Fox News Digital that he was once invited on Newsom’s “Politickin” podcast but turned it down.
“They asked me to go on. I said, ‘No,’ because I just don’t like the guy so much,” Portnoy said.
Portnoy said he didn’t know much about Newsom before the Covid-19 pandemic, but quickly became a critic after seeing how the Democratic leader managed the state of California during that fraught time.
MEL GIBSON JOINS EFFORT TO RECALL GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM, BLAMES HIM FOR ‘GROSS MISMANAGEMENT’ OF LA FIRES
“I hate hypocrisy,” Portnoy said. “It’s like the biggest thing I hate about politicians and almost all of them are.”
He said he was angered after the governor was caught attending an intimate dinner party, without wearing a mask, at the elite French Laundry restaurant in November 2020, while state residents were told to stay home.
“California had the strictest lockdowns just about in the entire country,” Portnoy continued. “I think they were taking sand off beaches, doing ridiculous stuff to keep people socially distancing. Then you see this and it just, it drives me crazy, those type of ‘rules for thee, not for me.’'”
Portnoy helped raise over $40 million for dozens of small businesses who struggled during the pandemic, through his “Barstool Fund,” which drew support from celebrities including former NFL player Tom Brady, Food Network host Guy Fieri, and musician Kid Rock.
Newsom has repeatedly apologized for his actions, admitting he made a “terrible mistake.”
GAVIN NEWSOM ADMITS DINING AT SWANKY FRENCH LAUNDRY DURING PANDEMIC WAS ‘DUMB MISTAKE’
Portnoy also accused Newsom of “campaigning to be president” while his state was “falling apart.”
“The state’s falling apart, but you’re in China like basically campaigning already to be president. So I really don’t care for him. I think everything he does is self-interest, not for his constituencies in an eye towards the presidency like he is going to run for president. He’s been planning it for so long now,” Portnoy told Fox News Digital.
Last week Portnoy joined several others mocking the California governor on social media after his podcast announcement.
“Let’s start with why did you throw a party for yourself at the French Laundry with no masks on in the middle of Covid when California had just about the strictest COVID regs in the country and thousands of small businesses were going outta business because of said policies?,” Portnoy posted to X in response to Newsom.
NEW STUDY REVEALS BLUE STATE’S FAST-FOOD MINIMUM WAGE HIKE JEOPARDIZED THOUSANDS OF JOBS
Portnoy also mocked Newsom for a viral video from 2023 where Newsom ran into a child while playing a game of basketball with kids in China.
“Question 2: Why were you in China playing hoop against little kids when you’re the Gov of California?” Portnoy asked. “Question 3 Is this kid who took the charge dead?”
Portnoy continued his outspoken criticism of the governor, whom he called a “slimeball,” during an interview with Fox Business host Stuart Varney on Friday.
“This guy spends more time with podcasts or going to China or press tours than actually governing the state of California which is falling apart,” Portnoy said. “I have really hated this guy since Covid.”
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Fox News Digital reached out to Gavin Newsom’s office for comment but has yet to receive a response.
Welcome to Colony Ridge — a maze of nowhere roads and illegal alien hideouts
CLEVELAND, Texas – Colony Ridge, the illegal immigrant and cartel-infested Texas housing development raided by the Department of Homeland Security on Monday, is one of the most bizarre places I have ever been, and I get around.
My colleague Elizabeth and I entered Colony Ridge from Plum Grove, where a murder took place even as the feds were arresting about 90 alleged illegal immigrant criminals this week, and almost immediately, the action started.
My head was buried in my phone’s GPS when Elizabeth spotted two Texas Department of Public Safety cruisers and said, “Let’s follow them.”
Once inside, Colony Ridge, about 30 miles northeast of Houston, is a bizarre corn maze of dead ends, with haphazard housing spilled across it. It is almost incomprehensible. If you dropped me in the middle of Colony Ridge without a map, I’m not sure that I could make it out.
DAVID MARCUS: WHY SOME TEXANS SAY ICE RAID ON COLONY RIDGE IS A GOOD START
But we didn’t need a map as we tailed law enforcement, and sure enough, five minutes later, in the midst of the bizarre sprawl, they pulled up to two Liberty County Sheriff’s cruisers and two unmarked cars with lights flashing.
Elizabeth and I walked toward a taco truck with a makeshift bar to find four officers of the Department of Homeland Security police talking to a slight man in a t-shirt that read “Honduras” next to a white van with no license plate.
If you dropped me in the middle of Colony Ridge without a map, I’m not sure that I could make it out.
Trying to assess the situation, I approached one of the sheriffs, notebook and pen in hand. “Excuse me,” I began, to which immediately, though without disdain, the officer simply said, “No.”
Nobody in any of the branches of law enforcement seemed eager to answer any questions.
The dilemma one is faced with in Colony Ridge is, why? It is a sprawl of non-uniform housing riddled with roads to nowhere, abandoned cars and trucks, some half sunk in the wetlands mud, which is why the Environmental Protection Agency has launched an investigation.
What is the purpose of this place? Local business owner George Cuellar told me, “It makes no sense.” It is hard to draw any conclusion other than the fact this whole massive development was designed to be sold to illegal immigrants. It is an excellent place to hide.
Another business owner nearby, Floyd, who runs Fat Floyd’s BBQ, expressed sympathy for the residents. “Those people work hard,” he told us, but added, “of course, you have to get the criminals out.”
In the taco truck parking lot, the conversation between the DHS officers and the man, apparently detained, was civil, almost cordial, with a few laughs. Then we saw there was a woman in the van, and two children, the little one cute as a button in his blue and white Honduras soccer jersey.
We wondered if this family was about to be taken away. But after much muddled mingling by law enforcement and a few files checked out, the family was free to go, and the police cars dispersed, deeper into Colony Ridge.
Perhaps owing to the recent raids, there was nobody around in the 60-square-mile development, not in the scant dollar stores, not in yards, not on porches. It felt like a Potemkin village, as if it wasn’t real, but rather some kind of ruse.
Many of the houses are ramshackle trailers, but others are boastfully large, with high gates, barbed wire and fancy cars in the driveway. Patriotism was displayed with flags all around, but it was not the flag of the United States of America, it was the flag of Mexico.
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I felt glad that the family was released. In my mind, I saw the kid being shuffled around child protective services, scared, and I’m glad that didn’t happen. But I don’t know if this family is here legally, if DHS simply decided they weren’t a threat, and so not a priority.
Inside Colony Ridge, the reality is far more complicated than the either extreme in the illegal immigration debate would acknowledge. These are human beings, not pieces on a game board.
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It’s hard to know what the solution to Colony Ridge will be, if it will be weeded of criminals but allowed to remain, or if, through state or federal action, it is dismantled. But either way, it stands as testament to the destructive force of our open border policies.
Shutting down the border is an obvious and good first start, but what of the millions already here? In Colony Ridge, and across America, that question still remains to be answered.
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Gene Hackman’s pacemaker data hints at eerie nine-day timeline
Santa Fe, New Mexico – Gene Hackman and his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, tested negative for carbon monoxide, according to the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department. And the Oscar-winning actor likely died about nine days before his body was discovered by authorities.
During a news conference Friday, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza confirmed the last event noted on Hackman’s pacemaker was Feb. 17. When asked if Feb. 17 — nine days before his body was found — could be the day Hackman died, Mendoza noted that was a “very good assumption.”
“According to the pathologist, I think that is a very good assumption that that was his last day of life,” Mendoza said. He also confirmed after a discussion with the medical examiner that Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, “tested negative for carbon monoxide.”
“The manner and cause of death has not been determined,” Mendoza said.
GENE HACKMAN AND WIFE’S DEATHS CALLED ‘SUSPICIOUS,’ BODIES SHOWED SIGNS OF ‘MUMMIFICATION’
Mendoza noted that detectives will analyze “cellphone data, phone calls, text messages, events, photos in the cell phone to try to piece the timeline together.”
“One of the things is, in an investigation we try to piece the timeline together, usually before the event happens, and that gives us a lot of information,” Mendoza said. “But in this case, it seems like we’re doing a reverse timeline.
WATCH: Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza gives insight into Gene Hackman’s likely ‘last day of life’
“The manner and cause of death has not been determined.”
“We’re doing a timeline from the time of death and the autopsy and the results. We’re going to start working our way backwards. We’re going to do both and then hopefully make a determination as to what may have happened to both of the individuals.”
GENE HACKMAN, WIFE FOUND DEAD IN SPRAWLING SANTA FE ESTATE: WHAT THE INVESTIGATION TELLS US SO FAR
Hackman and Arakawa were last publicly photographed together March 28, 2024. Hackman was spotted holding onto his wife’s arm. He held onto a walking cane in his other hand. Arakawa looked out in the distance and held up her arm to support her husband.
The couple were pictured outside Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Hackman has lived in the area since the 1980s.
While Hackman and his wife mainly lived a private life, the last event they attended together appeared to be the 2003 Golden Globes, when he was honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Award.
The Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office released a search warrant inventory Friday of the items collected from Hackman and his wife’s home after their deaths, Fox News Digital has learned.
In the documents, obtained by Fox News Digital, investigators list two cellphones, MyQuest records, a 2025 planner, thyroid medication, blood pressure medication and Tylenol as the items they took from the house.
GENE HACKMAN’S DEATH MOURNED BY HOLLYWOOD: ANTONIO BANDERAS, GARY SINISE, FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA REMEMBER STAR
An orange prescription bottle was found near Hackman’s wife, according to a search warrant affidavit. It appeared to be open with pills scattered on a countertop.
WATCH: Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza discusses the investigation into Gene Hackman and his wife’s death
When asked whether the prescription bottles could have been related to the deaths, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza told the “Today” show Friday, “That’s obviously very important evidence at the scene. That information was collected … passed to the medical investigator to help them make a determination. … Yes, we’re looking at that specifically and other medications possibly in the residence. … That is something of concern.”
Sheriff Mendoza and Santa Fe Fire Chief Brian Moya shared more information about the ongoing investigation with “Today,” saying Hackman and Arakawa may have been dead “up to a couple of weeks.”
“Just based on their bodies and other evidence on the body, it appears several days and possibly up to a couple weeks,” Mendoza said when asked when the couple died.
GENE HACKMAN DEAD AT 95: HIS LIFE IN PHOTOS
When asked whether Hackman and his wife died simultaneously or whether one died before the other, the sheriff replied, “I think that’s very difficult to determine. I think it’s going to be pretty close.
“You know, there’s no indication that anyone was moving about the house or doing anything different. So, it’s very difficult to determine if they both passed at the same time or how close they passed together. We’re trying to put that information together and, obviously, with the assistance of the office of the medical investigator, I think the autopsy report is going to be the key to this investigation.
“We’re trying to put things together, a timeline when the decedents were last spoken to. Of course, we understand that is a challenge because they were very private individuals, and a private family. So, we’re trying to put all that information together right now.”
WATCH: Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza shares details about the death of Gene Hackman and his wife
The Oscar-winning actor was found dead alongside his wife, a classical pianist, and their dog in their sprawling Santa Fe, New Mexico, home Wednesday afternoon.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department revealed that autopsies have been completed for both Hackman and his wife. No external trauma was seen on either the actor or the musician.
Carbon monoxide and toxicology tests were ordered for Hackman and his wife because the manner and cause of death have not been determined.
Moya said his team had not found anything that was “concerning” and declared that it was safe to investigate the home.
He noted that the home had natural gas and that there could have been a carbon monoxide leak that had dissipated by the time officials arrived. But he added that he had not found any evidence of an active leak.
“When we arrived, we made sure that our people, as well as the sheriff, were safe, and there was nothing that we found. We also went back yesterday to do another round of searches,” Moya told “Today.”
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He continued to describe the layout of Hackman’s home, saying, “It was a very large home. It took a while for all of us to locate.”
Sheriff Mendoza confirmed there were several doors “unlocked at the residence.”
“I believe the front door was closed but unlocked and unsecured. There was one door that was ajar and that was towards the rear of the residence that two of the dogs that survived were coming in and out of the residence. … We’re not sure if that door was open upon the arrival of the emergency personnel,” Mendoza said.
The Santa Fe sheriff said the toxicology report may take up to three months for results or “possibly longer,” depending on how “busy the laboratory is.” Mendoza added his team hopes the results come “sooner rather than later.”
Mendoza said he is “pretty confident there is no foul play, just based on the lack of evidence of foul play.”
GENE HACKMAN, WIFE FOUND DEAD AT SANTA FE ESTATE: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE PROPERTY
“But we, of course, we’re not ruling that out. … The autopsy results, the official results, will steer us in the right direction. That could change, obviously, and we’re not ruling that out. This is an open investigation. It’s a couple [of] days old. We’re putting together the timeline. We’re trying to figure out all the evidence. … The autopsy is key, and that’s going to take some time.”
In the search warrant affidavit obtained by Fox News Digital, officials revealed that Arakawa’s body had been found decomposed with bloating on her face and mummification in her hands and feet. Hackman showed the same signs of decomposition as his wife.
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A harrowing 911 call, obtained by Fox News Channel, was made by a distressed maintenance worker after the man discovered the bodies of Hackman and his wife.
The employee frantically pleaded for police to rush to the New Mexico home.
“A search warrant was executed just before 10 p.m. last night. They’ve been working diligently through the night and starting again in the morning to completely process the scene. We’re still in the preliminary steps of the investigation,” authorities said.
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Hackman’s daughter Leslie told Fox News Digital Thursday that although her father “was 95, he was in very good health,” adding he did yoga and Pilates regularly.
WATCH: Santa Fe Fire Chief Brian Moya shares how Gene Hackman’s dogs may have survived
Leslie said she hadn’t seen her father in a “few years,” only because he no longer traveled much, and she lives in California. But she said they were close and had “been in touch over the last couple of months.”
“I loved him dearly,” she said. “He was a genuinely good-hearted person.”
Flames in the sky as Boeing plane is forced to make emergency landing
A FedEx cargo plane made an emergency landing at Newark Airport in New Jersey Saturday morning after a bird strike caused one of its engines to catch fire, an airport official told Fox News Digital.
Dramatic video shows the plane banking right when it lets off a large plume of smoke as fire appears from its right engine.
Eyewitnesses said that they heard a loud explosion too, while another can be heard in one video frantically yelling, “Oh my God, oh my God.”
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In another video, the FedEx cargo plane can be seen landing safely while its engine is still in flames.
There were no reported injuries and the plane touched down at 8:07 a.m., the official said. It is unclear how many people were on board at the time. Air traffic was briefly halted as a precaution at the airport, but operations have since resumed, the official said.
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The cargo plane is a Boeing 767-300 twin-jet aircraft, according to Flight Radar.
FedEx, in a statement to Fox News Digital, said the flight was on its way to Indianapolis when the strike occurred.
“FedEx Flight 3609 from Newark to Indianapolis experienced a bird strike during takeoff,” the statement reads. “Our crew declared an emergency and returned safely to Newark. We are thankful for the quick actions of our crew and first responders.”
The FAA confirmed the flight landed safely after striking a bird while departing the airport. The agency said it will investigate the incident.
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Bird strikes are common in aviation and can prove fatal.
In 2023, 19,603 strikes were reported in the U.S., an increase of 14 percent compared to the 17,205 strikes reported in 2022, according to an FAA report.
Bird strike-related aircraft incidents have killed 76 people and destroyed 126 aircraft from 1988 through 2023, per the report.
The infamous botched music festival is back as founder fans the flames for round 2
Second time’s the charm.
Or so says Billy McFarland, creator of the disastrous 2017 Fyre Festival, which scammed people out of thousands of dollars and landed McFarland six years of prison time for his financial crimes, though he only ended up serving about four years from 2018 to 2022.
“I’m sure many people think I’m crazy for doing this again,” McFarland said Monday in a statement. “But I’d feel crazy not to do it again. After years of reflection and thoughtful planning, the new team and I have amazing plans for FYRE 2.”
McFarland added that the “adventure seekers out there who trust the vision and take the leap will help make history.”
CONVICTED FYRE FESTIVAL FRAUDSTER RETURNS, CHARGING $1M TICKETS TO MUSIC EVENT
Tickets for Fyre Fest 2 range from $1,400 to more than $1 million.
The $1 million ticket includes private air travel from Miami to Cancun and private yacht travel from Cancun to Isla Mujeres. Accommodations for this ticket include the choice of either a four-stateroom yacht or four-bedroom villa with access to the festival grounds for three nights. It also grants festival access over four days to eight people.
FYRE FESTIVAL FOUNDER BILLY MCFARLAND BREAKS SILENCE IN FIRST TV INTERVIEW
Fyre Fest has not officially named any music acts, but it does promise “an electrifying celebration of music, arts, cuisine, comedy, fashion, gaming, sports, and treasure hunting — all set in the stunning location of Isla Mujeres, Mexico.”
The original Fyre Fest promised big-name music acts from Blink 182, Migos and other artists; celebrity model attendees including the Hadid sisters and Emily Ratajkowski; luxury accommodations; and fine food, with tickets ranging from $1,200 to over $100,000.
The festival reached a settlement with 277 ticket holders in 2021, when it was ordered to pay each recipient an award of $7,220.
FYRE FESTIVAL FOUNDER RETURNS FROM PRISON WITH NEW ISLAND EVENT IDEA, OLD ALLIES WARN: ‘PROCEED WITH CAUTION’
Now, McFarland wants a do-over, and he’s promising a successful three-day event in Isla Mujeres, Mexico, between May 30 and June 2.
“Thank you to my partners for this second chance.”
Thomas Mustac, a publicist with Otter PR, told Fox News Digital that “Fyre Festival 2.0 sounds like a ticking time bomb.”
FYRE FESTIVAL PROMOTER SENTENCED TO SIX YEARS IN PRISON
“Whenever you, as an individual or organization, burn your stakeholders so badly, it’s hard to regain trust,” Mustac said. “Something as heavily publicized will have a tough sell to restore trust, but you will always have a crowd of supporters who like to live with a risk. That way, they are in an in-crowd IF things happen as planned and are on the frontlines of a successful major event as Fyre Festival claimed to be.”
Mustac added that McFarland’s track record may make it difficult for the festival to sign major performers or organizations to help with the event.
FYRE FESTIVAL FOUNDER BILLY MACFARLAND WORKING ON PRISON MEMOIR
“Social media seems to be loving the Fyre Festival news, which is probably the attention that Billy wants, but this is not a way to repair an image or trust when you’re looking to make a profit on folks while STILL being in debt to the original festival goers and leaving them with nothing years later still,” Mustac said.
Media Culture CEO Christena Garduno had a slightly different opinion, telling Fox News Digital that “Fyre Festival 2 can certainly capitalize on its notorious past by embracing the ‘bad press is good press’ mantra, but it requires a strategic shift.”
WATCH: MODELS, INFLUENCERS FACE LEGAL TROUBLE FOR PROMOTING FYRE FESTIVAL:
“The key to overcoming their reputation will be complete transparency and a commitment to delivering an experience that exceeds expectations,” Garduno explained. “This time, they should lean into their redemption story — showing growth, accountability and a genuine effort to do things right. If they can balance the allure of exclusivity with strong brand messaging and ensure real customer value, the negative press could actually fuel curiosity and drive ticket sales.”
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The 2017 Fyre Fest scam went viral on social media after Hulu and Netflix published documentaries about the failed beach bash, making the #fyrefraud hashtag go viral at the time.
A photo of a meal at the fest — specifically, a shabby sandwich on white bread thrown together in a Styrofoam box — also went viral, showcasing one small part of the larger scam that was the original Fyre Fest eight years ago.
A massive dinosaur footprint of the Iguanodon species, which dates back over 100 million years, has been found on a beach in England, news agency SWNS reported.
Paleontologist Joe Thompson, a fossil guide with Wight Coast Fossils who unearthed the print, told Fox News Digital that he made the discovery on the Isle of Wight as he set out for the beach with the intention of finding some fossils.
“The geology is perfect for it,” he said in an on-camera interview. (See the video at the top of this article.)
ARCHAEOLOGISTS UNEARTH 2,000-YEAR-OLD MASK MOLD BELIEVED TO DEPICT MEDUSA
Thompson had been walking for an hour or two when he came across a large purple object in the clay.
“It turned out it was an absolutely huge Iguanodon footprint,” he said.
Iguanodon fossils are quite common all over the world, according to Thompson. Specimens have even been found in some U.S. states, including Utah and Colorado.
The Isle of Wight and the U.K. as a whole are exceptionally rich areas for fossil hunting, Thompson said.
Some of the most famous dinosaurs from the Cretaceous period include the three-horned Triceratops and the giant Patagotitan — but those won’t be found on the Isle of Wight, he noted.
HIDDEN STAIRCASE IN CHURCH LEADS ARCHAEOLOGISTS TO UNEARTH 400-YEAR-OLD BURIAL VAULT
Instead, people are likely to find remnants of animals like the Iguanodon, which left the giant footprint that Thompson discovered last week.
“They’re just amazing beasts,” he said of the dinosaurs, which could grow as large as 32 to 36 feet long. “They walked around in huge groups eating vegetation — they were herbivores.”
The most dazzling aspect of the discovery lies in its size, according to Thompson.
“This footprint was absolutely massive — just under a meter [roughly 3 feet] long. So a pretty huge Iguanodon, a lot bigger than almost every other Iguanodon footprint found on that section of the coast,” he said.
ANCIENT TOMB OF PHARAOH THUTMOSE II UNEARTHED BY ARCHAEOLOGISTS IN EGYPT
“It’s possible it could be a species of Iguanodon we don’t know about yet, because it is a lot bigger than the other footprints found in the slightly older rocks on the Isle of Wight.”
“We’re not really going to know until we find fossils from those same layers [of rock].”
As the coast’s layers are constantly eroded by the sea, fossils do turn up, making the Isle a popular tourist attraction.
Wight Coast Fossils, the company for which Thompson conducts tours, leads groups along the shore to find pieces of history.
“It’s possible it could be a species of Iguanodon we don’t know about yet.”
Thompson recently launched his own company, South Coast Fossils, which offers people the opportunity to search for things like shark teeth and fossil shells.
Digging into the cliff isn’t allowed, but if those on the tour see any fossils that are washed out onto the beach, they’re welcome to take them home, he said.
“It’s always good to report it to a museum if it could be something important,” Thompson added.
If the discovery does end up being recognized as a new variety of Iguanodon, this wouldn’t be the first species Thompson has discovered along the Isle.
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“I actually found a mammal jaw on the north coast of the Isle of Wight,” he said, speaking about a 30 million-year-old bone.
“Nobody really knows what it could be from, but probably from a small carnivorous mammal. So something eating small rodents and stuff like that. That’s really exciting.”
Thompson’s Iguanodon find, while impressive, has likely disappeared due to the soft clay in which he found it.
“The soft nature of the rock it is preserved in means it probably won’t last very long,” he said. “So the likelihood is that it’s probably not visible or accessible anymore, which is a shame.”
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He added, “That makes it quite special in that way, that it’s just a fleeting glimpse of this amazing footprint probably never to be seen again. So, quite lucky I caught it in time.”