American pastor kidnapped at gunpoint is rescued after ‘high-intensity shootout’
Authorities in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa rescued a kidnapped American pastor during a deadly shootout on Tuesday at a house in KwaMagxaki, Gqeberha.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (HAWKS) released a statement announcing that an operation led by the agency “resulted in the successful rescue” of an American pastor who was kidnapped.
Though the news release did not name the pastor, 34-year-old Josh Sullivan, of Tennessee, was kidnapped by several armed, masked men last week at his church in the Eastern Cape, Fellowship Baptist Church Motherwell.
AMERICAN PASTOR’S KIDNAPPING IN SOUTH AFRICA FUELED BY SOARING ARMED ROBBERY INCIDENTS IN RECENT YEARS
Police said they received tips that Sullivan was inside a safe house in KwaMagxaki, Gqeberha.
When they arrived at the home, suspects inside a car on the premises began firing at law enforcement and attempted to flee.
A “high-intensity shootout” took place and three unidentified suspects were killed.
Sullivan was found inside the same car that the suspects were in, but he was “miraculously unharmed,” police said, adding that he is “currently in an excellent condition.”
‘SLOWING THINGS DOWN’ IS ‘KEY’ TO SAFE RETURN OF TENNESSEE PASTOR KIDNAPPED IN SOUTH AFRICA: RETIRED FBI AGENT
Tom Hatley, pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church in Maryville, Tennessee, confirmed Sullivan’s rescue early Wednesday morning in a Facebook post.
“Josh has been released. I just got ‘the go ahead to let it be known’. SA media has started broadcasting. American media will follow. Thank you for your support and prayers. Please do not stop praying for The Sullivans. Praise The Lord Jesus Christ!” he wrote.
Sullivan is from Maryville and spent years learning how to be a pastor under Hatley’s leadership, according to congregation members on Facebook.
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Sullivan went to South Africa with his wife and two children in 2018 after the couple participated in a six-month internship there in 2015 as part of their Bible training to become missionaries.
“It was during this time that the Lord began to stir their hearts specifically for the Xhosa people,” fellow Missionary Mark Coffey said. “They returned in 2018 as full-time church-planting missionaries, determined to share the Gospel and see lives changed. Josh committed himself to two years of language school and became fluent in Xhosa so he could preach, disciple, and minister more effectively.”
Trump’s latest tax push could put Dems in a tricky position by forcing them to pick sides
White House aides are quietly floating a proposal within the House GOP that would raise the tax rate for people making more than $1 million to 40%, two sources familiar with discussions told Fox News Digital, to offset the cost of eliminating taxes on overtime pay, tipped wages, and retirees’ Social Security.
The sources stressed the discussions were only preliminary, and the plan is one of many being talked about as congressional Republicans work on advancing President Donald Trump’s agenda via the budget reconciliation process.
Trump and his White House have not yet taken a position on the matter, but the idea is being looked at by his aides and staff on Capitol Hill.
Meanwhile House GOP leaders including Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., have publicly opposed the idea of any tax hikes.
TRUMP OPEN TO SENDING VIOLENT AMERICAN CRIMINALS TO EL SALVADOR PRISONS
“I’m not a big fan of doing that. I mean, we’re the Republican Party and we’re for tax reduction for everyone,” Johnson said on “Sunday Morning Futures.”
One GOP lawmaker asked about the proposal and granted anonymity to speak candidly said they would be open to supporting it but preferred a higher starting point than $1 million.
They said the reaction was “mixed” among other House Republicans. But not all House GOP lawmakers are privy to the discussions, and it’s not immediately clear how wide the proposal has been circulated.
Nevertheless, it signals that Republicans are deeply divided on how to go about enacting Trump’s tax agenda.
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Extending Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) and enacting his newer tax proposals is a cornerstone of Republicans’ plans for the budget reconciliation process.
By lowering the Senate’s threshold for passage from 60 votes to 51, it allows the party in power to skirt opposition to pass a sweeping piece of legislation advancing its own priorities – provided the measures deal with tax, spending, or the national debt.
Extending Trump’s tax cuts is expected to cost trillions of dollars alone. But even if Republicans use a budgetary calculation to hide its cost, known as current policy baseline, they will still have to find a path forward for new policies eliminating taxes on tips, overtime pay, and retirees’ Social Security checks.
Hiking taxes on the ultra-wealthy could also serve to put Democrats in a tricky political situation in forcing them to choose between supporting Trump’s policies and opposing an idea they’ve pushed for years.
The top income tax rate is currently about 37% on $609,351 in earnings for a single person or $731,201 for married couples.
But raising the rate for millionaires could be one way to pay for Trump’s new tax policies.
House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., one of the deficit hawks leading the charge to ensure new spending is paired with deep cuts elsewhere, said “That’s one possibility.”
“What I’d like to do is I’d actually like to find spending reductions elsewhere in the budget, but if we can’t get enough spending reductions, we’re going to have to pay for our tax cuts,” Harris told “Mornings with Maria” last week.
“Before the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the highest tax bracket was 39.6%, it was less than $1 million. Ideally, what we could do, again, if we can’t find spending reductions, we say ‘Okay, let’s restore that higher bracket, let’s set it at maybe $2 million income and above,’ to help pay for the rest of the president’s agenda.”
But Johnson’s No. 2, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., again poured cold water on the idea Tuesday.
“I don’t support that initiative,” Scalise told “Mornings with Maria,” though he added, “everything’s on the table.”
“That’s why you hear all kind of ideas being bounced around. And if we take no action, then you’d have over 90% of Americans see a tax increase,” Scalise warned.
Bloomberg News was first to report House Republicans’ 40% tax hike proposal.
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When reached for comment, the White House pointed Fox News Digital to comments by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt earlier on Tuesday when she said Trump had not made up his mind on another proposal to raise the corporate tax rate.
“I’ve seen this idea proposed. I’ve heard this idea discussed. But I don’t believe the president has made a determination on whether he supports it or not,” Leavitt said.
Fox News Digital also reached out to Johnson’s office for comment.
Biden’s new message about Trump after spending months on the sidelines
Former President Joe Biden took shots at the Trump administration’s Social Security policies in his first major speech since leaving the White House on Tuesday evening.
“Seriously, people are now genuinely concerned for the first time in history, for the first and only time in history, that Social Security benefits may be delayed or interrupted,” Biden said from the Advocates, Counselors and Representatives for the Disabled (ACRD) conference in Chicago on Tuesday evening.
“In the 90 years since Franklin Roosevelt created the Social Security system, people have always gotten their Social Security checks. They’ve gotten them during wartime, during recessions, during the pandemic. No matter what, they got them. But now, for the first time ever, that might change. It would be a calamity for millions of families, millions of people,” he added.
The ACRD conference was billed as the 46th president’s first public speech since leaving the White House. Biden, however, has delivered other public remarks since Jan. 20, Fox News Digital found, including speaking before the National High School Model United Nations in March, which received little media attention, as well as joining an International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers event this month.
ACRD is an advocacy organization that works to equip “disability professionals with the tools, technology, and training to lead the industry forward,” according to its website.
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Biden’s keynote address, which ran less than an hour, overwhelmingly focused on his accomplishments with Social Security when he was president, taking aim at how the Trump administration is allegedly keeping the elderly up at night with worry over their Social Security benefits, as well as cracking a few jokes about his decades in politics.
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“Why are these guys taking aim at Social Security now?” Biden asked, referring to the Trump administration. Well, they’re following that old line from tech startups. The quote is, ‘Move fast, break things.’ They’re certainly breaking things. They’re shooting first and aiming later.”
“The result is a lot of needless pain and sleepless nights,” Biden said.
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The Trump administration has cut about 7,000 Social Security Administration staffers since taking office as part of its mission to cut government fat and bureaucracy and realign agencies with “America First” policies. Democrats have slammed President Donald Trump over the cuts, claiming he will cut Social Security benefits to seniors.
The White House has repeatedly rejected claims that the Trump administration will cut such benefits, vowing to “always protect” Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits.
Biden continued that the Trump administration is allegedly looking to “wreck” Social Security to “rob it.”
“My friend, [Maryland] Gov. [Martin] O’Malley, knows what they’re really up to. He says, and I love his quote, ‘They want to wreck it so they could rob it.’ They want to wreck it so they could rob it. Why do they want to rob it? In order to deliver huge tax cuts to billionaires and big corporations and keep it going. They want to make permanent the 2017 tax cuts, which overwhelmingly benefits the wealthiest Americans and the biggest corporations. That’s going to cost $5 trillion. Where are they going to get $5 trillion to pay for when they continue to run the deficit up?”
“What they always do … by running up the national debt, No. 1, then by taking the money from someplace else. What are the two big pots of money out there in raw numbers? Social Security and Medicaid. … Republicans, these guys are willing to hurt the middle class and the working class in order to deliver significant, greater wealth to their already very wealthy [friends]. Who in the hell do they think they are?” he said.
Former Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and former Democrat Social Security Administrator and Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley joined the event. O’Malley presented Biden with ACRD’s “beacon of hope award” for his accomplishments as president, including his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and fighting for the “dignity of every person.”
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Biden added that the nation is “divided” under Trump and can’t continue on the same path.
“We can’t go on like this as a divided nation, as divided as we are. I said, I’ve been doing this a long time, it’s never been this divided. Granted, it’s roughly 30%, but it’s a 30% that has no heart,” he continued.
The Trump administration’s official Social Security X account hit back after the speech that “Biden is lying to Americans” before providing a detailed list of “facts,” including that Trump has repeatedly pledged to protect benefits and that no field office has been closed since Jan. 20.
“SSA is taking commonsense steps to transform how we serve the public – last month, we spent $16.5 million to modernize telephone services nationwide. We’re developing cutting-edge, AI-powered tools to streamline simple tasks,” the thread continued. “SSA Inspector General report released while Joe Biden was President found $72 billion in improper payments from fiscal years 2015 through 2022.”
The event comes as political books investigating the 2024 campaign cycle hit the shelves, including “Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History” and “FIGHT: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House.”
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Excerpts from Chris Whipple’s “Uncharted” reported that White House staffers allegedly kept Biden from socializing with others, including close allies and friends, out of fear the 46th president “might say the wrong thing or might feed the mental acuity narrative.” He also appeared “absolutely exhausted” ahead of his ill-fated debate against Trump in June, according to the book, which opened the floodgates to public concern over Biden’s mental acuity as he tripped over his words and lost his train of thought during the debate.
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Biden has been spending his days in both Delaware and the nation’s capital since his Oval Office exit, with the 46th president working on his own book while also meeting with various Democratic Party leaders, NBC News reported in March.
Social media erupts as Dems plan visit to check on deported alleged MS-13 gang member
Many conservatives on social media were outraged over what they called Democrats’ “pathetic” plan to visit an El Salvadoran prison in protest of the Trump administration’s deportation policies.
Axios reported on Tuesday that Reps. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., and Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., sent a letter to House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., requesting an official congressional delegation (CODEL) to conduct a “welfare check” of deported El Salvadoran and alleged MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
The Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s order last week requiring the government to “facilitate” Abrego Garcia’s release after what the Trump administration admitted was an “administrative error.” However, the White House has defended the deportation based on Abrego Garcia’s alleged ties to MS-13, a designated terrorist organization, and said his release is up to El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele.
Several Democrats have attacked the Trump administration for this decision, with Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen revealing on Tuesday that he plans to travel to El Salvador himself to “show solidarity” with Abrego Garcia if he is not returned.
‘OUTNUMBERED’ PANEL ‘SICK AND TIRED’ OF DEMS, MEDIA SHOWING SOLIDARITY WITH DEPORTED EL SALVADORAN MAN
Conservatives called out Democrats for planning an “elaborate international photo-op” in support of illegal immigrants and criminals while ignoring victims in the U.S.
Washington Times columnist Tim Murtaugh declared, “They should go. Let the whole country see that they care more about illegal aliens than they do about law-abiding Americans. There could never be a clearer example. Also, this is further proof that the grip the extreme left has on Democrats is increasingly tighter.”
“Democrats will orchestrate an elaborate international photo-op on behalf of non-citizens but won’t even stand to pay respects to the family of Laken Riley who was murdered by an illegal alien,” National Review staff writer Caroline Downey remarked.
GOP deputy comms director Abigail Jackon wrote, “1. He’s an illegal alien, not a ‘Maryland man.’ 2. It’s pathetic watching Democrats care more about illegal aliens with gang ties than they do about their own constituents who were murdered by illegal aliens. This is why they lost and will keep losing.”
“Gonna be wild when we find out Democrats’ little Zero Dark Thirty op to bust a cartel terrorist out of prison in El Salvador is just cover for a taxpayer-funded weekend jaunt to a tropical paradise none of them has visited before,” Federalist CEO Sean Davis joked.
“They’ll travel to a foreign country to protest an illegal being returned to their home country but couldn’t be bothered to vote for the Laken Riley Act or meet with any of the families of victims of illegal immigrant crime,” Daily Caller senior editor Amber Duke wrote.
“They wouldn’t even stand up at President Trump’s Joint Session speech to honor Laken Riley’s family, but they will travel to a different country in order to bring an illegal alien back to the United States,” White House staffer Greg Price commented.
PAM BONDI CALLS OUT ‘DETACHED FROM REALITY’ DEMS FOR DEMANDING ALLEGED MS-13 GANG MEMBER BE RETURNED TO US
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and Comer’s office for comment.
Though the Trump administration claimed Bukele had the authority to release Abrego Garcia, Bukele cast doubt on a return.
“How can I smuggle a terrorist into the U.S.? I don’t have the power to return him to the United States,” Bukele said.
Abrego Garcia was granted temporary protection status in the U.S. by a court in 2019 from being removed to El Salvador, after it was determined he would face persecution from gangs if he were removed to his home country.
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The Supreme Court last week upheld a lower court’s decision to facilitate the return of Abrego Garcia. It acknowledged that Abrego Garcia was subject to a 2019 withholding order forbidding his removal to El Salvador, and that the removal to El Salvador was “therefore illegal.” The Court stressed that the government must facilitate his release from custody in El Salvador and treat his case as if he were never deported.
However, top Trump officials said the Supreme Court’s decision was actually a victory that reaffirmed the president’s broad authority over foreign policy.
Gene Hackman’s wife’s internet searches shed light on couple’s heartbreaking final days
Gene Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa Hackman, inquired about COVID-19 and flu-like symptoms multiple times before she died, according to a report obtained by Fox News Digital.
Detectives with the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department also released footage from inside the Hackman home on the day their bodies were discovered in February.
Through a search of Betsy’s computer, investigators discovered an email Betsy sent to her massage therapist on Feb. 11 where she admitted Gene (G) took a “covid test” after experiencing “flu/cold-like symptoms.”
Prior to her email, Betsy had researched “COVID” at least four times before pursuing medical attention at the Cloudberry Health center in Santa Fe, New Mexico, documents showed.
GENE HACKMAN’S HOME FOUND TO BE INFESTED WITH RODENTS AFTER WIFE DIED OF HANTAVIRUS
With the release of the records as ordered by the First Judicial District Court, Santa Fe County, sheriffs extended their appreciation to first responders, and offered sincere condolences to the Hackman family in their time of loss.
“Our statutory and fiduciary responsibility to taxpayers requires us to find compassionate and workable solutions that respect both public transparency requirements and a grieving family’s dignity,” Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said.
Internet search history
Beginning Feb. 8 through 9, “multiple searches related to flu and COVID symptoms” were discovered in Betsy’s Google search history, detectives reported.
On Feb. 10, Betsy searched “flu and nosebleeds” at 11:52 a.m., followed one minute later with another search for “COVID nosebleeds.” At 1:15 p.m., she searched, “Can COVID cause dizziness?”
In an email correspondence with Katia Van Horn sent on Feb. 11 at 10:24 a.m., Betsy wrote, “So, G woke up today with flu/cold-like symptoms, did a COVID test, negative. But out of an abundance of caution, I should cancel my appt tomorrow and rebook, say, in a couple weeks, last week of Feb if something is available..”
GENE HACKMAN DEATH: BODYCAM FOOTAGE REVEALS WIFE FEARED BEING FOLLOWED
Van Horn told investigators that she had not seen Gene “for over a year,” but mentioned that he had previously “undergone surgery performed by a doctor in New York.”
- Feb. 8-9, 2025 – Multiple searches related to flu and COVID symptoms
- Feb. 10, 2025 at 11:52 a.m. – “Flu and nosebleeds”
- Feb. 10, 2025 at 11:53 a.m. – “COVID nosebleeds”
- Feb. 10, 2025 at 1:15 p.m. – “Can COVID cause dizziness?”
- Feb. 12, 2025 at 8:59 a.m. – “How long do the effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy last”
- Feb. 12, 2025 at 9:26 a.m. – “Cloudberry Health Santa Fe, New Mexico”
Additionally, Van Horn saw Betsy on Feb. 5, and remembered the late pianist discussing a recent car accident where she had “hit a median with her vehicle” and needed to visit a Toyota repair shop.
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Betsy’s final two search queries were on Feb. 12, including “How long do the effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy last” at 8:59 a.m., and “Cloudberry Health Santa Fe, New Mexico” at 9:26 a.m.
“This data suggests that Betsy was actively researching medical conditions related to COVID-19 and flu-like symptoms in the days leading up to her death,” the report stated.
Dog guarding Betsy’s body
The Hackmans, and one of their dogs, were found dead in their home on Feb. 26. The couple had been married for more than 30 years.
In newly released video footage from the day authorities discovered Gene and Betsy’s bodies, body camera footage revealed one of the Hackmans dogs protecting Betsy’s body.
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Bear and Nikita, the late couple’s dogs, helped authorities find Gene and Betsy’s bodies when officials arrived at their home in New Mexico.
Santa Fe Fire Chief Brian Moya explained the department immediately located Betsy in a bathroom after entering the front door of the New Mexico home. However, officials searched for nearly 30 minutes with no sign of Hackman.
WATCH: AUTHORITIES SEARCH GENE HACKMAN, WIFE BETSY ARAKAWA HACKMAN’S HOME
Detectives initially described the couple’s deaths as “suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation,” according to a search warrant affidavit obtained by Fox News Digital.
While paramedics and officers from the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department searched the home, one of the couple’s dogs kept running up to them. Authorities originally thought the dog wanted to play but later realized the pup was trying to help. One of Hackman and Betsy’s dogs died, but two remained alive at the home and were able to roam through an open back door.
The deceased dog, Zinna, likely died from dehydration and starvation, according to the report, which specified the dog’s stomach was empty.
Zinna’s body was discovered in a crate that was in a closet about “10 to 15” feet away from where Betsy’s body was found on the floor of the bathroom.
Betsy, a classical pianist, died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, according to New Mexico officials. Gene died from hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer’s disease as a significant contributing factor.
Gene likely survived alone in the home for about a week, until he died around Feb. 18, which was the last time activity was recorded on his pacemaker. Authorities assumed this was his last day alive, as the Oscar winner’s body was not discovered for nine more days.
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Protesters forcibly escorted out of public event hosted by GOP representative
Police forcibly escorted at least six people out of a town hall being held by GOP Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on Tuesday night and were forced to deploy a taser against two of the individuals.
Reporters on the ground at the event in Georgia indicated there were at least six protesters escorted from the town hall within minutes of it starting. Three of the individuals were eventually charged by police for their involvement in the disruption, including one for disorderly conduct, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
“Put your hands behind your back!” a police officer can be heard in a video of the incident shared on social media by CBS News reporter Jared Eggleston. “F— off –” the man can be heard yelling as he disappeared off-screen behind a wall, before a loud bang could be heard followed by the sound of a taser.
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A second bang from another taser going off could be heard shortly thereafter.
Different videos from the event show a handful of others being escorted out, with some leaving on their own volition and others having to be literally dragged out by police.
“Free Garcia,” one protester could be heard saying as they were exiting in a video posted to X, referring to Kilmar Ábrego García, who has been at the center of a deportation controversy after a federal judge said the Trump administration wrongly deported him with a group of Venezuelan gang members.
“Free Kilmar!” another could be heard screaming repeatedly on video as they were escorted out.
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At moments, as police escorted the protesters out of the town hall, Green engaged with the disruptors.
“The protest is outside. Thank you very much,” Greene said. “If you were to sit and listen, you’re welcome to listen. Everyone across the aisle – Democrats, Independents,” she added while someone was being escorted out.
“I’m glad they got thrown out,” Greene said following the event. “That’s exactly what I wanted to see happen … This isn’t a political rally or a protest. I held a town hall tonight. You know who was out of line? The protesters.”
The disruption at Greene’s rally follows increased volatility at local GOP town halls. Things have gotten tense enough that the chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee, Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., has told his fellow Republicans to temporarily refrain from holding in-person town hall events.
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Citing the uptick in “Democrat threats of violence,” GOP Wyoming Rep. Harriet Hageman followed Hudson’s advice and moved all of her in-person town halls online. The move came after an incident in which an attendee of one of her in-person events followed Hageman as she left and initiated a physical confrontation with her staff, eventually requiring police to intervene.
Green was only one of a handful of GOP members that decided to do an in-person event amid the current ongoing legislative recess, according to NBC News.
Emails shed light on Bill Belichick’s concerns over relationship with 24-year-old
Bill Belichick is apparently well aware that if things don’t go smoothly in Chapel Hill, he can face some tough social media jargon.
The 72-year-old joined UNC to become its head football coach after being away from the sidelines in 2024 for the first time in nearly five decades.
But as Belichick’s career has progressed, so has social media, and he’s clearly no stranger to how people can operate online.
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According to a recent report by The Athletic, citing emails obtained through an open records request, Belichick emailed school officials showing his concern about potentially being called a “predator” online. Belichick is currently dating 24-year-old Jordon Hudson, who is also included in emails with the university.
“Is there anyone monitoring the UNC Football page for slanderous commentary and subsequently deleting it / blocking users that are harassing BB in the comments?” Hudson reportedly asked on Feb. 13.
Belichick reportedly followed up the next day, “I cannot believe that UNC would support my being called a ‘predator.'”
Robbi Pickeral Evans, UNC senior associate athletic director for external affairs and strategic communications, replied that the social media team hides or erases comments about personal life.
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“UNC would NEVER support,” Evans reportedly said in her reply.
Hudson also reportedly expressed concerns about fans calling out “nepotism,” given that Belichick’s son, Steve, is the team’s defensive coordinator.
The two were linked romantically last year and have recently “discussed marriage,” according to Page Six. Belichick, 72, and Hudson, 24, met on a flight headed to Boston in 2021 and apparently hit it off.
The two were first publicly linked last year, three years after meeting on the flight. They apparently got more serious after his breakup with Linda Holliday in 2022.
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At the NFL Honors, Belichick wore all eight of his Super Bowl rings, including the pair he won with the New York Giants as their defensive coordinator. Hudson wore a national championship ring she won for cheerleading in 2021.
Americans scrambling to get new required identification before deadline finally get help
Many Americans are rushing to book appointments at their local motor vehicle bureaus to obtain “Real IDs” as the deadline for the license is fast approaching.
Beginning May 7, air travelers at domestic airports and people entering some federal buildings must have what’s known as a Real ID.
Some states, such as New Jersey, are so overwhelmed with demand right now that there are virtually no appointments available for many people to obtain a Real ID, even with the addition of extra booking slots.
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“Besides the appointments currently available, approximately 3,500 new appointments for Real ID upgrades are added each morning on a rolling basis,” a NJDMV spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
“On top of that, over 4,600 appointments will be added for each new ‘Real ID Thursday’ as they roll over on the schedule,” said the spokesperson.
The spokesperson added, “Once again, we recently boosted these appointment figures.”
Fox News Digital reported on Monday that the Department of Motor Vehicles (NJDMV) website showed “0 appointments available” for Real ID services on its site.
The spokesperson added, “TheNJMVC is currently among the leaders of all state DMVs regarding operating hours and Real ID appointments, as we are open 49.5 hours each week and offer Real ID appointments, as well as dedicating Real ID Thursdays across the state, for over 10,000 weekly appointments.”
REAL ID DEADLINE FOR TRAVELERS, SOME FEDERAL BUILDING ACCESS QUICKLY APPROACHING
“We utilize our four mobile units for Real ID events around New Jersey on top of those 10,000 appointments scheduled weekly in the agencies,” the spokesperson also said.
New York State also introduced “Real ID Thursdays” on April 3.
Other states have announced they will be extending their DMV hours to meet the demand of Americans rushing to obtain the new form of identification.
The California DMV announced on April 7 that select locations will be opening an hour early to accommodate Californians rushing to get their ID before the deadline.
Eighteen locations will open at 7 a.m. on weekdays except for Wednesdays — and will be reserved only for those with scheduled Real ID appointments.
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“We’re excited to offer Californians earlier hours this spring and summer,” said Steve Gordon, DMV director, in a press release.
“These additional appointments will make it easier than ever to obtain a Real ID,” Gordon added.
In Virginia, two DMVs hosted a four-hour “Real ID Appointment-Only Event” for the past two Saturdays.
“This special event offers dedicated, convenient service for Hampton Roads-area customers seeking to obtain a Real ID,” said one of the event’s announcements.
A New Jersey resident sparked a discussion on Reddit when sharing the frustration over trying to book an appointment for the new ID.
“I’ve tried checking at different times of the day, but still no luck.”
In the “r/jerseycity” forum, a user recently posted, “I’ve been trying to book an appointment for a Real ID at various NJ MVC locations, but every location I check says no appointments are available. I’ve tried checking at different times of the day, but still no luck.”
The user asked fellow residents for advice when trying to book an appointment.
“Go for non-Real ID appointment, bring all requirements … Ask nicely, ‘Can I apply [for a] Real ID?’ That’s how it worked for me,” said one Redditor.
The person added, “I didn’t plan ahead, since I thought it [was] two types of ID, not a star added.”
Another user added, “Might be easier to get a passport. I renewed mine online. It took 2 weeks to get to me.”
Said another person, “Apparently, there will be Real ID pop-ups on weekends throughout the state this month, not sure exactly where or how it works.”
A Redditor said, “They get released (and snapped up) all day long. It’s a matter of getting lucky, or find an automated school to alert you when an appointment becomes available. That’s how I got mine a few years back.”
Said another user, “I read somewhere that appointments open up on Thursdays. Last week, I checked every hour from midnight Thursday on, checking at 1 a.m., 2 a.m., 3 a.m., but accidentally fell asleep and missed 4 a.m. but checked at 4:40 a.m. and saw about 15-20 spots at each location for Real ID. Try on Thursday at 4 a.m.? Good luck.”
Another user commented, “If you have to renew your license, you can get a Real ID at the same time. That’s what I did just this past week in North Bergen. They will ask if you want to upgrade to Real ID when you verify your ID.”
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The New York State DMV says that a Real ID is a “federally compliant DMV-issued driver license, learner permit or non-driver ID that will be required to board a domestic flight (within the U.S.) or enter certain federal buildings starting on May 7, 2025, unless you have a valid passport.”