Rescued astronauts reveal what they were willing to do to get home
After spending nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS), veteran astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are finally back on Earth – and they opened up about their mission for the first time in an exclusive Fox News interview that aired Monday.
Sitting down with “America’s Newsroom” co-anchor Bill Hemmer at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, the duo reflected on their time in orbit, their reactions to learning they’d be staying longer than planned, the future of space exploration and what it means to serve their country in space.
“My first thought was we’ve just got to pivot,” Williams said, recalling the moment the duo learned their return would be delayed.
“If our spacecraft was going to go home based on decisions made here, and we were going to be up there ’til February, I was like, ‘Let’s make the best of it.'”
A little “excited” about the prospect of spending months in orbit, Williams enthused about her love for living in space – witnessing “scientific experiments” unfolding around them and seeing the changes made to the International Space Station since her last visit.
“I’m honored to be a little part of it,” she added.
For Wilmore, his reaction focused on reminding himself that the mission was not about him or his feelings.
FOX NEWS TO AIR FIRST INTERVIEW WITH STRANDED ASTRONAUTS SINCE THEIR RETURN TO EARTH
“It’s about what this human spaceflight program is about. It’s our national goals,” he told Hemmer.
“And I have to wrap… my mind around, what does our nation need out of me right now? That’s going back to when we’re in the fleet, and we’re operating from the pointy end of the spear… We’re an instrument of our nation, of our national goals. Did I think about not being there for my daughter’s high school year? Of course. But… we’ve trained them to be resilient, my daughters and my family.”
Wilmore continued, sharing that his family is forced to develop some resilience, an understanding that there’s no “given” when it comes to “test flights.”
“We don’t know what’s going to happen,” he continued. “We might not be back in eight days or whatever the plan was. Focus on that, focus on the mission. Certainly [we] deal with the personal side of it, but I can’t let that interfere with what I’m called to do at the moment.”
Wilmore and Williams spent over 280 days in space after their eight-day mission, which began last June, was derailed when their Boeing Starliner spacecraft encountered technical issues.
STRANDED ASTRONAUTS PREPARE FOR LONG-AWAITED RETURN TO EARTH
NASA decided it was unsafe to send the astronauts back on the spacecraft, and it returned to Earth unmanned in September.
The duo told Hemmer they didn’t blame Boeing for the hiccup, with Wilmore calling spaceflight “hard.”
“This is new technology that we’re dealing with, so when you put all that together, it’s tough,” he said.
Williams, similarly, said she wouldn’t characterize the spacecraft’s issues as Boeing “failing” them.
Wilmore disputed the narrative that he and Williams were “stranded” and “stuck,” telling Hemmer that everyone, including himself, was culpable to some extent.
“‘They’ failed you. Who? Who’s ‘they’?” he asked. “There are many questions that, as the commander of CFT, I didn’t ask, so I’m culpable… I’ll admit that to the nation. There’s things that I did not ask that I should have asked. I didn’t know at the time that I needed to ask them, but, in hindsight… some of the signals were there. Is Boeing to blame? Are they culpable? Sure. Is NASA to blame? Are they culpable? Sure. Everybody has a piece in this… There were some shortcomings in tests and shortcomings in preparations that we did not foresee.”
Wilmore added that he doesn’t “want to point fingers” and instead wants to “look forward” and learn from past mistakes.
A rescue mission, conducted by NASA and SpaceX earlier this month, helped bring the astronauts home on March 18.
The mission thrust SpaceX – and CEO Elon Musk – even further into the spotlight. Hemmer asked Wilmore and Williams what they would like to say to Musk and President Donald Trump, who frequently called out the Biden administration for allegedly not acting with urgency to bring them home sooner.
“I respect you, I trust you. You’ve given me no reason not to trust you, either one of them…” Wilmore replied.
“I am grateful that our national leaders actually are coming in and taking part in our human spaceflight program, which we see is hugely important global significance, and they take an active role. Based on the past and what we see now, with them doing that… it’s not just refreshing, it’s empowering. It’s strengthening, for our nation. I think it’s a good thing for our nation when the national leaders, especially something that’s high visibility, are involved in the process. I’m grateful for that.”
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Williams echoed that sentiment, saying she is glad to see them “involved” and “taking notice.” She added that their nine-month orbit allowed a lot of people, including Musk and Trump, to see what is happening at the ISS and “take it very seriously.”
“[It allows them to] understand that our involvement as a country, as a spacefaring nation, is really important throughout the world. It sets an example, and it shows our ability to be able to do the hard things, put people in space, operate in space, work in space, and then bring us back. It’s important, and I appreciate that,” she added.
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 astronauts, including Wilmore and Williams, are slated to discuss their expedition during a postflight news conference at 2:30 p.m. EDT Monday, March 31, from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Trump boots cash-flashing illegal influencer who bragged about living rent-free in US
The Trump administration said “adios” to an illegal immigrant from Venezuela who garnered a massive online following by posting videos of him flashing stacks of cash and urging migrants to “invade” American homes and take them over under squatters’ rights laws.
Leonel Moreno, 26, told his audience he planned to make a business out of selling them for a profit.
“He has been deported,” the Trump administration announced Friday on its @RapidResponse47 X account.
FREELOADING MIGRANT INFLUENCER MOCKS US TAXPAYERS WHO ‘WORK LIKE SLAVES’ WHILE WAVING CASH IN LATEST VIDEOS
In his videos, he mocked U.S. taxpayers and even other immigrants who work for a living, alternately waving stacks of hundred-dollar bills, crying, singing or posing with an infant with mucus running out of his nose.
“I didn’t cross the Rio Grande to work like a slave,” Moreno said in Spanish, according to a translation of his videos. “I came to the U.S. to mark my territory.”
He bragged about raking in cash via TikTok as well as entitlement payments from U.S. taxpayers. He claimed that his family had received $350 a week in government handouts since entering the U.S. illegally and that at one point he was raking in as much as $1,000 a week with his viral videos.
PROPOSED BILL IN CONGRESS TO COMBAT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS SQUATTING WOULD MAKE PRACTICE A DEPORTABLE OFFENSE
“You’re hurt because I make more than you without much work while you work like slaves, understand?” he said in one of his videos. “That’s the difference between you and me. I’m always going to make lots of money without much work, and you’re always going to be exploited and miserable and insignificant.”
TikTok eventually shut down his account, which had amassed about 500,000 followers. He continued to post videos on Facebook and Instagram until his arrest last year in Ohio.
ICE picked him up after his online profile exploded, but he spent months in custody under the Biden administration. Now, he is gone.
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A federal judge ordered his removal in September, but the Venezuelan government refused to accept deportation flights under the Biden administration.
He had originally been released into the U.S. in 2022 under the border parole system after crossing into the country illegally near Eagle Pass, Texas.
Glitz, glamour… and a backdoor for America’s enemies? Inside the secret route
In a ritzy enclave of South Florida, Chinese migrants are coming ashore via boat, leading to an investigation into human smuggling networks.
Coral Gables is a picturesque city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, known for its Mediterranean Revival architecture, tree-lined streets and lush landscapes. One Coral Gables neighborhood, Gables Estates, is ranked as the most expensive housing market in the country, according to data by Zillow.
But in recent months, the dazzling city has seen an uptick of Chinese migrant interceptions.
The city’s uptick is representative of the Sunshine State’s influx of Chinese nationals since 2020, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data. In 2020, Florida Border Protection officers interacted with 406 Chinese migrants and by 2024, that number jumped to 723 – a 78% increase.
CHINA EXPANDS INFLUENCE NEAR WEALTHY FLORIDA ENCLAVE AS MIGRANTS FROM COMMUNIST COUNTRY FLOOD INTO US
Fox News Digital spoke with Eric Brown, a retired Green Beret and the founder and CEO of Imperio Consulting, about the increase of migrants in the South Florida town.
“Coral Gables is adjacent to international waterways, and with Cuba just 90 miles from the coastline of Florida, it just makes sense,” Brown said.
In January – just days before President Donald Trump was sworn into office – a group of more than 30 migrants, most of them Chinese citizens, was found inside a U-Haul van.
Coral Gables Police Chief Edward James Hudak Jr. said the department issued a BOLO – a be on the lookout alert – for the van and a Toyota car after a resident reported the suspicious vehicles.
The vehicles were stopped by officers, and the woman who was allegedly abducted was taken from the Toyota. Between the U-Haul and Toyota, police found more than 20 Chinese migrants, one male from Cuba and a female from Ecuador.
“We do believe these individuals were brought here by the water,” the chief said. “They were probably dropped off, we’re assuming somewhere around the southern end of Coral Gables, and approached on foot to the van where they were loaded into.”
Brown said he believes that migrants are entering illegally through the U.S. because the northern border has a “bit more security.”
“It’s also a lot easier to fly into a South American country and smuggle across than it is through Canada,” he said. “And human smugglers are using an established pathway through South America and Central America to bring migrants through safely.”
MIGRANT BORDER ENCOUNTERS UNDER TRUMP CONTINUE TO DWARF BIDEN’S RECORD HIGHS
At the end of January, Florida law enforcement intercepted dozens of Chinese nationals in Coral Gables. Two smugglers were arrested, one from Cuba and one from Puerto Rico, Coral Gables police said.
“For the second time in just over a week, a very alert resident saw suspicious activity which was later determined to be illegal entry into our country,” Hudak said. “They called the Coral Gables Police and within minutes, our police units arrived in the area and detained 26 Chinese nationals and two men (one Puerto Rican and one Cuban) in two separate vans.”
Brown noted that the border initially saw an influx of family groups fleeing to the U.S. from China, butnow two-thirds of Chinese migrants coming into the U.S. are single men of military age, traveling alone, and claiming they don’t speak any English.
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“There needs to be better discussion between the state and national levels about sharing resources, increasing air-based technology at the border,” he said. “For instance, the use of surveillance drones and updating technology could be a good place to start.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Coral Gables Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security for comment.
Noem responds to man’s viral call to ‘shoot at ICE agents on sight’
A TikTok user posted a disturbing video on the popular social media website, calling on people to “shoot at ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] agents on sight.”
“Shoot at ICE agents on sight. That’s right. If ICE agents are trying to take you or a loved one, shoot them on sight,” TikTok user belal_donq said in his video.
The user claimed agents had been showing up in masks, unmarked vehicles, and without their badges, claiming that the agents “could be anybody.”
“The way they’re pulling up with masks on, with unmarked vehicles, no badge, no nothing. It could be anybody. It can be gang members. You have every right to shoot at them,” he continued. “This would be the best self-defense case. You’re just in fear for your life. You don’t know who’s behind that unmarked vehicle or who’s behind that mask.”
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He then says the way agents have been allegedly showing up “is ridiculous.”
“What is our country coming to? Why would you want to be an ICE agent anyway? Do you like separating kids from their parents? Do you like deporting students that are studying? I can understand deporting a gang member or criminals. But innocent people. It’s ridiculous.”
“They’re pulling up like the Mafia. You might as well shoot them on sight and have your day in court.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem shared a thread of the video and vowed that actions would be taken against the person who posted the video.
“If you threaten or attempt to harm a law enforcement officer we will find you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law,” Noem wrote in a post on X.
User belal_donq appeared to take down the video Sunday evening after Fox News Digital reached out to him on TikTok.
National Border Patrol Council Vice President Hector Garza told Fox News Digital that this type of message is not only dangerous, but that it also “incites real-world violence.”
“This kind of rhetoric is not only dangerous, it incites real-world violence and undermines the rule of law. Our agents risk their lives every day to protect this country, and they deserve to do their jobs without fear of being targeted simply for wearing the uniform,” Garza said.
“The National Border Patrol Council unequivocally condemns any form of violence or threats directed at federal law enforcement officers, including our colleagues at ICE,” he continued.
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Garza added that he “urges all social media platforms to take swift and decisive action against content that promotes violence.”
“Free speech does not extend to inciting criminal acts, and allowing such content to remain online puts lives at risk,” Garza said.
JUDGE ORDERS DEPORTATION OF ‘MIGRANT INFLUENCER’ WHO BRAGGED ABOUT HANDOUTS, ENCOURAGED SQUATTING: REPORT
This incident comes less than a week after TikTok removed the hashtag, “#CartelTok,” from its search engine after cartel members were caught using it to highlight their crimes and recruit human smugglers.
A TikTok spokesperson told Fox News Digital that in addition to removing “#CartelTok,” from its search engine, the platform also removed “known leaders of cartels or gangs” that violated the organization’s policy.
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Many of the videos in question showed cartels flashing piles of money, jewelry and luxury items that were used to entice teens in America and Mexico to smuggle illegal immigrants across the U.S. border.
Representatives for Snapchat, TikTok and Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, previously told Fox News Digital that they have policies in place to crack down on such content and remove such content when it does appear on their platforms.
Fox News Digital reached out to TikTok and ICE for comment on the video, but did not receive a response.
Voters pick a side in trans showdown between Trump and Democrat
Most Maine residents do not believe transgender athletes should compete in girls’ and women’s sports, a University of New Hampshire poll released Thursday showed.
The survey came as the Trump administration’s deadline for the state to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive order to bar biological males from girls’ and women’s sports came. Maine refused to comply with the order and the Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights referred the state’s “noncompliance with Title IX” to the Justice Department.
The poll showed that 64% of Maine residents believe transgender athletes “definitely should not” or “probably should not” participate in girls’ and women’s sports. Only 29% of Maine residents believed that transgender athletes “probably should” or “definitely should” compete against girls and women in sports.
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The poll also showed that 56% of Maine Democrats believe that transgender athletes should be allowed to compete in girls’ and women’s sports.
When it came to enacting policies to combat the issue of transgender participation in sports, the poll showed that 50% of Maine residents wanted it at the federal level, while 41% believe policy should be left up to the states.
Around 1,057 Maine residents completed the poll between March 20 and 24 with the margin of error being around 3%.
The poll’s results came as Maine officials continued to thumb their nose at Trump’s “No Men in Women’s Sports” executive order, which he signed in February.
“Today, OCR referred Maine’s noncompliance with Title IX to @TheJusticeDept for enforcement in court for continuing to unlawfully allow males to compete against females,” the department announced in a social media post on Friday.
“HHS will continue to protect women’s sports and keep the promises of Title IX for America’s women and girls.”
The Maine School Administrative District 51, home to Greely High School, where a transgender athlete incited national controversy after winning a girls’ pole vault competition in February, said Thursday it was not complying and will instead “continue to follow state law and the Maine Human Rights Act.”
MAINE GOV. JANET MILLS RESPONDS TO TRUMP’S DEMAND FOR APOLOGY OVER TRANS-ATHLETE POLICIES
The Maine Principals’ Association said in a statement it is also “bound by the law, including the Maine Human Rights Act, which our participation policy reflects.”
The situation involving the trans athlete at Greely High School attracted national attention after Maine Republican state Rep. Laurel Libby identified the athlete by name with a photograph in a social media post. Libby was later censured by the Maine legislature, and she has since filed a lawsuit to have it overturned.
Libby reacted to the OCR’s referral to the DOJ on Saturday.
“Gov. Mills and the Democrat majority refusal to comply with federal Title IX protections has now resulted in Maine being officially referred to the Department of Justice. This is a direct consequence of their radical policies that put ideology ahead of fairness and safety for Maine girls and the education of our students,” Libby told Fox News Digital.
“Mainers believe in common sense, fairness and protecting the rights of women and girls in sports and spaces. While this extreme stance does not reflect the values of our state, it is ultimately Maine’s schools, students and taxpayers who will suffer the consequences of their reckless decisions and ongoing feud with biological reality.”
Representatives for Mills or Maine Attorney General Anthony Frey have not responded to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
Trump’s issue with the state of Maine came to a head at a meeting of the National Governors Association in late February.
Trump threatened to cut federal funding to the state for not banning biological males from girls’ and women’s sports.
The next day, Mills’ office responded with a statement threatening legal action against the Trump administration if it did withhold federal funding from the state. Then, Trump and Mills verbally sparred in a widely publicized argument at the White House during a bipartisan meeting of governors.
“Are you not going to comply with that?” Trump asked Mills.
Since then, multiple protests against Mills have been held outside the state Capitol, and the Maine University System has cooperated with the Trump administration to ensure no trans athletes compete in women’s sports after a temporary funding pause.
The OCR announced earlier this month it found the Maine Department of Education, the Maine Principals’ Association and Greely High School in violation of Title IX for continuing to enable trans inclusion in girls’ sports.
OCR Acting Director Anthony Archeval previously provided a statement to Fox News Digital warning of potential consequences for continued defiance of the executive order.
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“What HHS is asking of the Maine Department of Education, the Maine Principals’ Association (MPA) and Greely High School is simple — protect female athletes’ rights. Girls deserve girls-only sports without male competitors. And if Maine won’t come to the table to voluntarily comply with Title IX, HHS will enforce Title IX to the fullest extent permitted by the law,” Archeval said.
Ivy League boss accused of having her own history of downplaying hate rhetoric
Columbia University’s new acting president dismissed the congressional hearings on campus antisemitism as “nonsense” in a 2023 text message.
Claire Shipman, co-chair of the university’s board of trustees, was appointed as the acting university president on Friday.
Shipman derided congressional oversight efforts on antisemitism as “capital [sic] hill nonsense” in a text message to Columbia’s then-President Minouche Shafik while referring to a New York Times article that claimed the university navigated tensions over the Israel-Hamas war more skillfully than other universities.
“[M]ost critically I think it heavily inoculates us for a while from the capital [sic] hill nonsense and threat,” Shipman wrote in the message, which was revealed in a 325-page report from the Republican House Committee on Education and the Workforce in October.
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY YIELDS TO TRUMP ADMIN DEMANDS OVER REVOKED $400M IN FEDERAL FUNDING
Shipman wrote in another message that she was seeking to “unsuspend the groups” who the report said had violated university rules while engaging in antisemitic and pro-Hamas conduct.
Columbia was at the heart of 2024’s anti-Israel campus protests, with NYPD officers ultimately breaking up a barricade at Hamilton Hall in a highly publicized raid.
Shipman, who has been on the Columbia University board since 2013, is replacing interim school president Katrina Armstrong until the board completes its presidential search.
HAWLEY BLASTS ‘INSANE’ LIBERAL ATTORNEY DURING SENATE HEARING ON CAMPUS ANTISEMITISM
Armstrong stepped in after Shafik resigned in August amid claims of institutional antisemitism. Armstrong later stepped down amidst a clash with the Trump administration over $400 million in federal funding.
Shipman previously worked as a CNN White House reporter, a White House correspondent for NBC News and a senior national correspondent for ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
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Shipman is married to Jay Carney, who served as the White House press secretary under former President Barack Obama.
Army makes grim discovery after missing soldiers’ vehicle pulled from swamp
Three American soldiers were declared deceased on Monday after crews in Lithuania retrieved the M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle they were traveling in, which sank in a swamp last week.
The announcement came as search and recovery efforts are ongoing for a fourth soldier near Pabradė, Lithuania, according to U.S. Army Europe and Africa.
“Three U.S. Army soldiers assigned to 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division were found deceased in Lithuania today, March 31. The soldiers, whose identities are being withheld pending notification of next of kin, went missing in the early morning hours of March 25 in their M88A2 Hercules armored recovery vehicle while conducting a mission to repair and tow an immobilized tactical vehicle,” U.S. Army Europe and Africa said in a statement.
“The M88A2 was removed from the peat bog early Monday morning, March 31, after a six-day-long effort that required tremendous resources from Lithuania, our steadfast ally, and hundreds of service members from the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, Lithuanian Armed Forces and the Polish Armed Forces – along with other elements from the Lithuanian government and civilian agencies – to solve the engineering challenge of recovering the 63-ton-vehicle from an area surrounded by unstable ground conditions,” it added.
US ARMORED VEHICLE PULLED FROM LITHUANIAN SWAMP
“The soldiers we have lost in this tragedy were not just soldiers – they were a part of our family. Our hearts are heavy with a sorrow that echoes across the whole Marne Division, both forward and at home,” said Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, 3rd Infantry Division commanding general. “We stand in grief with the families and loved ones of these extraordinary ‘Dogface Soldiers’ during this unimaginable time.
“But the search isn’t finished until everyone is home. Words cannot express our gratitude to those still working around the clock during these extensive search and recovery efforts and your unwavering commitment not to rest until all are found,” he also said.
The Army said “Lithuanian armed forces provided military helicopters, fixed wing aircraft, unmanned aerial systems, and search and rescue personnel immediately to join the effort, and over the sequence of days brought in excavators, sluice and slurry pumps, other heavy construction equipment, technical experts, and several hundred tons of gravel and earth to enable the recovery.”
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said Monday, “It is with deep sadness and sorrow that I received the news of the tragic loss of three U.S. soldiers during a US-led training exercise in Lithuania.”
In a post on X, Nausėda tagged President Donald Trump and wrote, “Lithuania mourns together with the American nation.
“Please accept my heartfelt condolences, as well as those of the Lithuanian people, to you, the loved ones of those who lost their lives, and all the people of the United States of America,” he continued.
LITHUANIAN, POLISH TROOPS AID IN ‘SEARCH AND RECOVERY’ FOR 4 MISSING US SOLDIERS FROM FORT STEWART
Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė announced on Facebook earlier this morning that “The armored vehicle was pulled ashore at 4:40 a.m., the towing operation is complete, Lithuanian Military Police and U.S. investigators continue their work,” according to the Associated Press.
“The soldiers were deployed to Lithuania in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, and were permanently stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia,” according to the Army.
“U.S. Navy divers assigned to Commander, Task Force 68 assisted the recovery team with finding and accessing two hoist points Sunday evening. They maneuvered through thick layers of mud, clay, and sediment with zero visibility to reach the vehicle and hook steel cables that were attached to two M88A2 Hercules,” it added. “Partway through the extraction the M88A2s began to lose traction, so several dozers were attached to provide additional grip. It took approximately two hours of winching to remove the M88A2 from the bog.
The soldiers first disappeared early Tuesday. The next day, the M88 Hercules was discovered in a peat bog and was “assessed to be around four meters below the water’s surface and encased in about two meters of mud,” U.S. Army Europe and Africa also said.
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The cause of the accident remains unclear.
Morgan Wallen walks off SNL — posts not-so-cryptic message about where he’d rather be
Morgan Wallen left “Saturday Night Live” for “God’s country.”
The country singer returned to the late-night sketch comedy show as the musical act for the first time in five years to promote his upcoming album, “I’m the Problem.” After host Mikey Madison thanked the “Last Night” singer for appearing on the show, Wallen walked directly off the stage, as cameras panned out to the cast congratulating each other for another completed episode.
COUNTRY STAR MORGAN WALLEN’S HIT SONG WAS ‘STUPIDLY’ PASSED ON BY LUKE BRYAN
Shortly after leaving Manhattan’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza, Wallen wrote that he was excited to return home.
“Get me to God’s country,” the “Sand in My Boots” singer told his millions of fans on Instagram stories.
MORGAN WALLEN FANS LEFT DISAPPOINTED OVER COUNTRY STAR’S ‘I’M THE PROBLEM’ TOUR
Sources told Fox News Digital that nothing was wrong at “SNL,” and Wallen’s walk-off appeared to be an “oops” moment.
“That was the way he entered and exited the studio all week during rehearsal and camera blocking, so he just walked that way after hugging Mikey,” an insider revealed.
Wallen performed two songs from his upcoming album, including “Just in Case” and “I’m the Problem.”
His return to “SNL” was years in the making following a controversial debut.
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Roughly seven months into the pandemic, Wallen was asked to be the musical guest on an October episode of “Saturday Night Live.” Days before he was scheduled to perform, footage went viral across social media showing the singer not wearing a COVID mask at an Alabama football game and celebrating with various women at a bar afterward. People who supported masks and social distancing during the pandemic were outraged.
He was immediately removed from the scheduled “SNL” appearance. Wallen apologized in a video shared online.
“I’m in New York City in a hotel room, I was getting ready for ‘SNL’ this Saturday, and I got a call from the show letting me know that I will no longer be able to play,” he said. “That’s because of COVID protocols, which I understand.”
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After apologizing, he added, “I think I’ve lost myself a little bit. I’ve tried to find joy in the wrong places, and it’s left me with less joy. So I’mma go try to work on that. I’m gonna take a step back from the spotlight for a while and go work on myself.”
Two months later, Wallen was invited back to 30 Rockefeller Plaza for a second chance on “Saturday Night Live.” He not only performed, but also poked fun at his bar antics while appearing in a sketch with Pete Davidson, Jason Bateman and Bowen Yang.
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When the episode was over, he thanked the audience for “giving this poor Southern boy a second Yankee chance.”
Wallen was recently nominated for a host of 2025 ACM Awards, including entertainer of the year, male artist of the year, artist-songwriter of the year, and single of the year with Post Malone for their hit, “I Had Some Help.”
Mom’s take-no-prisoners candy rule sparks feud at home and firestorm online
A woman has sparked strong reaction on Reddit after sharing a family drama about her refusal to buy junk food for her children and the problems this take-no-prisoners stance has caused among the five siblings in the household.
The woman, 38, wrote that her five children are ages 17, 16, 12, 9 and 7.
“Three of them are overweight/obese,” she wrote, “and I’m trying to do what’s best for them when it comes to food.”
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She said she’s “noticed how unhealthy it is for my kids to be eating so much junk food, so I’ve made the decision not to keep any junk food in the house at all.”
But for the two children that are not overweight or obese, this decision has caused some big problems, she said.
The Reddit writer said that her 16-year-old and her 12-year-old “are both relatively healthy and have no weight issues.”
She noted that “they’re also really close to their siblings, and they’re the ones who are most affected by the no-junk-food rule.”
“My priority is helping my overweight kids make better choices and lose weight.”
These two, she said, have “expressed frustration,” claiming “it’s not fair” that they cannot now enjoy their “favorite snacks just because their siblings struggle with their weight.”
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She wrote, “I get that it feels unfair to them, but my priority is helping my overweight kids make better choices and lose weight.”
For context, she said she tries to make “healthy, delicious meals for everyone.”
Yet this has posed a challenge, she said, when the “overweight” kids want to “grab chips or candy when they’re stressed or bored” — and yet the other two “can’t because there is no junk food in the household.”
This situation, she shared, has led to “multiple arguments” between them.
The writer continued, “I just want to make sure that the kids who need to make changes [to] their eating habits aren’t tempted by unhealthy snacks — but now I’m wondering if I’m being too harsh and affecting my non-overweight kids negatively in the process.”
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She asked others for thoughts about her dilemma.
Fox News Digital reached out to a psychologist and a nutritionist for insights.
Many commenters on the platform criticized the woman’s approach, with some even calling her actions “misguided.”
Wrote one person about the issue, “Explaining this to them as ‘we can’t have junk food in the house because A, C, and E are overweight’ is a bad approach from the start.”
The same person added, “It would be much better to present this as helping all your kids to learn to eat more healthfully” — as that is something the whole family can benefit from, the person noted.
“You’re teaching your kids that junk food is a reward for being slim.”
Instead, right now, the person said, “you’re teaching your kids that junk food is a reward for being slim.”
TORTILLA CHIPS SOLD IN 13 STATES RECALLED FOR ‘UNDECLARED MILK ALLERGEN’
The same commenter pronounced the mother “not malicious, just kind of misguided.”
Lauren Manaker, a mother and registered dietitian in Charleston, South Carolina, told Fox News Digital that there are many factors that can influence a parent’s decision when it comes to feeding children, “and these choices often stem from a desire to do what they believe is best for their kids.”
Although every family is unique, Manaker said that in her experience, “when certain foods are entirely restricted or labeled as ‘bad,’ it can sometimes lead to an unintended outcome.”
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She added, “Children may develop an intense focus on these foods, which could result in overindulgence when they encounter them outside the home. Striking a balance and fostering an understanding of moderation can help children build a healthier and more sustainable relationship with food over time.”
One of the best things parents can do for their children is to “model healthy habits,” Manaker said.
“Even if you don’t think they are watching what you are doing, they are – and data supports this notion,” she said.
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She’s found that “an all-or-nothing approach typically doesn’t work in the long run,” said Manaker.
“Creating an overly restrictive environment can sometimes lead to increased cravings or unhealthy relationships with food.”