Understaffed police plead for help as union boss warns of unprecedented riot ‘onslaught’
LOS ANGELES – As the protests against Los Angeles’ immigration raids spread, state law enforcement leaders are sounding the alarm on the dangers facing officers on the front lines of the riots.
“I’ve been around a very long time, and I have seen similar to what we’re facing now,” Jake Johnson, president of the California Association of Highway Patrolmen (CAHP), told Fox News Digital. “But I’ve never seen the amount of onslaught.”
Thousands of protesters descended on Los Angeles in the last two weeks after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers began conducting raids throughout the sanctuary city. The violence included rioters hurling projectiles at law enforcement officers and lighting numerous self-driving electric vehicles on fire.
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In response to the protests, over 640 highway patrol officers have been sent to Los Angeles. Additionally, nearly 400 additional CHP Special Response Team officers have been deployed to aid law enforcement.
“There’s hundreds of state troopers [and] highway patrolmen that are deployed in both the Bay Area and particularly in Los Angeles,” Johnson said. “[They] are working very long hours, anywhere from 16 to 20 hours a day, trying to keep the peace down there. It’s been a very dangerous situation.”
Los Angeles police have made more than 500 arrests related to protest activity, with the most serious charges ranging from assault against police officers to possession of a Molotov cocktail and gun, according to the police department. Nine police officers have been injured in the protests, with the majority being minor injuries.
The LAPD and CHP did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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Several CHP cars were damaged along the 101 Freeway as officers tried to clear protesters from the road, marking yet another assault on law enforcement operations in the midst of the riots.
“I witnessed one of our officers get hit in the head with a rock,” Johnson said. “Had he not had his helmet and mask on, [there is] no doubt in my mind he would have been killed. It smacked him right in the face and he was actually pulled to safety by an [officer] I know very well.”
While on the ground, CHP officers are faced with the task of identifying in real-time who is following the law and who is looking to break it, a situation that Johnson called “very difficult.”
“The persons that are down there participating in their First Amendment rights are quickly overtaken by these bad actors that are definitely in the crowd,” Johnson told Fox News Digital. “There’s a significant amount of them in the crowd, and it really takes over the peaceful protests that there are hundreds of people participating in. It really turns these into bad situations where now we have to decide who’s a peaceful protester and who is a bad actor.”
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Johnson believes the answer to ensuring the safety of both law enforcement and demonstrators who may be acting peacefully is by civilians reporting sightings of violent protesters to police.
“It’s time to start turning these people in,” Johnson said. “It’s time to start recording them, getting information for the crimes that you see committed and turning them in to the police.”
The call for cooperation between peaceful protesters and law enforcement comes as an appeals court blocked a federal judge’s decision forcing President Donald Trump to return control over National Guard troops to California last Thursday.
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Trump has deployed more than 4,000 Guard soldiers to Los Angeles, along with roughly 700 Marines, Maj. Gen. Scott Sherman said.
The appeals court declined to rule on the status of the Marines, since they had not taken to the streets yet.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump thanked the appeals court for its ruling, writing: “If I didn’t send the Military into Los Angeles, that city would be burning to the ground right now.”
Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom continue to clash in a legal battle over control of the National Guard and the troops’ role in the riots.
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The Guard has been sent to protect federal property and accompany officials on immigration raids. While the troops do have the ability to temporarily detain people who attack officers, any arrests must be made by law enforcement.
“As far as the interaction with [the National Guard], I haven’t seen any interaction with them,” Johnson said. “For the three or four nights I was out there, I didn’t see any National Guard. I saw what [was] on the news. They’re guarding federal facilities, but they haven’t been integrated with any of us.”
Johnson leads a union that represents approximately 7,000 patrolmen deployed throughout the state. However, he points to staffing shortages caused by attractive retirement packages, leaving a gaping hole in the department’s headcount.
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“We’re almost down one thousand bodies for highway patrolmen in California,” Johnson said, adding, “We have a really hard time filling in the positions.”
As the anti-ICE protests stretch into their second week, law enforcement throughout Los Angeles is bracing for the unknown.
“When you’re out there and it’s a very dangerous situation, you don’t think about the politics or your personal politics,” Johnson said. “Cops are very good at that. I’ve been around these guys for decades and they’re my brothers and sisters. And I know they’re very, very good people. And although they might have their personal views, it doesn’t spill over into these situations.”
America’s Iran dilemma: How to strike Fordow without losing sight of China threat
The simmering conflict between Israel and Iran is more than a geopolitical flashpoint—it reflects a historical rivalry stretching back nearly 2,500 years. When the Persian Empire under Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon in 539 BCE, it issued a decree allowing Jewish captives to return and rebuild Jerusalem’s temple. Though that act was viewed as benevolent, it also placed Persia at the center of the region’s civilizational balance. Since then, Persia and Israel have frequently occupied opposing poles of power in the Middle East.
Today, that long arc has reached a perilous apex. A direct Israel–Iran confrontation is underway, and President Trump, appears poised to commit U.S. forces. Bomber task forces and carrier groups are moving into position, and speculation is mounting that America will launch a strike against Fordow—Iran’s most secure nuclear facility. If such a strike occurs, it must be precise and restrained. While Iran’s nuclear threat must be blunted, America’s strategic focus must remain fixed on its greatest rival: China.
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Ancient Identity, Modern Stakes
Iran’s self-perception is steeped in its Persian heritage—a deep cultural identity that sees itself not only as a nation but as a civilizational anchor of the region. Though the Islamic Republic has distanced itself from pre-Islamic monarchy, it still invokes the legacy of Persian greatness. This fuels a deeply rooted view that Iran—not the Arab world or the West—is the rightful power broker of the Middle East.
That mindset helps explain Iran’s nuclear ambition. The regime believes regional leadership and deterrence demand atomic capability. This view is not merely ideological—it is strategic, historical, and, in Tehran’s eyes, just.
Fordow: The Nuclear Redoubt
The Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant is buried deep—some 80 meters under Mount Alvand, near Qom. It houses IR-6 centrifuges and is shielded against conventional strikes. While Israel has conducted attacks on Natanz and Esfahan, Fordow remains intact—untouched in part because only the United States possesses the GBU-57A/B “Massive Ordnance Penetrator” capable of reaching it.
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If the U.S. acts, it must be to eliminate Fordow and set back Iran’s breakout timeline significantly. But it must do so with clear limits.
Iran Will Strike Back
No one should assume that Iran will capitulate after a single strike—even a successful one. Ayatollah Khamenei has already warned, “The battle has just begun.” Iran retains the means to retaliate: proxy militias, ballistic missiles, cyber warfare capabilities, and naval forces prepared to strike U.S. assets and disrupt oil flows in the Strait of Hormuz. The regime’s Revolutionary Guards and domestic intelligence apparatus are loyal and brutal—so hopes of a popular uprising in the wake of a strike are, for now, unrealistic.
Thus, a military operation must be seen not as a war-ending blow, but a time-buying maneuver.
Strategic Discipline: Follow Israel’s Lead
Israel’s primary goal is not regime change, but to deny Iran nuclear weapons capability. Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter recently stated, “The entire operation… really has to be completed with the elimination of Fordow.” That clear, narrow mission should also be the U.S. objective.
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America should support Israel with logistics, surveillance, munitions, and deterrence—but avoid entangling itself in a broader regional war. Any strike must be followed by verifiable proof—seismic signatures, ISR evidence, and ideally IAEA confirmation—that Fordow is inoperable. Without that, the mission lacks strategic and political clarity.
China Remains the Pacing Threat
All the while, the United States must remember this: Iran is a regional actor with limited global reach. China is a peer competitor with global ambition. The U.S. National Defense Strategy has repeatedly identified China as the pacing threat to U.S. global primacy—in technology, trade, cyber, and military strength.
Xi Jinping is watching closely. A prolonged U.S. entanglement in the Middle East is precisely the kind of strategic distraction China hopes for. The Indo-Pacific remains the theater where America’s future will be decided. Allowing a secondary conflict to drain U.S. bandwidth plays directly into Beijing’s hand.
The Real Mission: Contain, Don’t Convert
Regime change in Iran is not achievable through airpower alone, and it is not necessary to achieve our strategic aims. Washington must be content to degrade Iran’s nuclear capacity, isolate the regime diplomatically, and fortify its regional allies.
Deterrence must be reestablished through credible action—not open-ended intervention. Let the U.S. strike, when necessary, but not stay longer than required. Let Fordow fall, but let American strategy remain focused on China.
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Consequences of Inaction
The alternative—doing nothing—has grave implications. A nuclear Iran would shift the balance of power, embolden its proxies, and trigger proliferation in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey. Tehran would hold Tel Aviv hostage, threaten U.S. bases, and nullify American deterrence. Inaction sends a signal: U.S. red lines are negotiable. That would ripple far beyond the Middle East.
Conclusion
Iran’s nuclear ambition is rooted not just in military calculus, but in a civilizational memory—one that casts Iran as the heir to ancient Persia’s regional dominance. Israel, born from exile and forged in conflict, sees its very survival at stake. The United States must support its ally—but on clearly defined terms.
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We can and should eliminate Fordow. We can endure Iran’s response. But we must not lose sight of the greater contest. America’s future will not be shaped by the mountains of Qom, but by the islands of the South China Sea.
Let history remember: we struck hard, struck smart, and remained focused. Fordow may fall—but our eyes must stay on China.
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Elon Musk reacts to massive SpaceX Starship explosion at Texas Starbase
SpaceX’s Starship exploded Wednesday night during a test at SpaceX’s Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas.
Around 11 p.m. local time Wednesday, “the Starship preparing for the tenth flight test experienced a major anomaly while on a test stand at Starbase,” SpaceX said in a post on X.
“A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for,” the company said. “Our Starbase team is actively working to safe the test site and the immediate surrounding area in conjunction with local officials. There are no hazards to residents in surrounding communities, and we ask that individuals do not attempt to approach the area while safing operations continue
The rocket’s explosion was caught on camera by several livestreams of Starbase.
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Cameron County Constable Precinct 1 shared a NASASpaceflight stream on his Facebook page.
“Whoa! Whoa! No,” a man can be heard saying once the explosion happened. “Oh, my God.”
The caption at the bottom of the stream read: “SpaceX is expected to perform a static fire test of ship 36. The second in this series of testing for flight 10.”
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SpaceX CEO Elon Musk appeared to shrug off the incident in a post on X Thursday morning.
“Just a scratch,” he said.
Portnoy cites ‘big time distrust’ of legacy media amid CNN’s declining viewership
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy said that there is “obviously big time distrust of legacy media” during an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital.
Portnoy’s comments come in response to a Fox Digital report that CNN staffers are worried about the future of the former most-watched cable network.
“It is obviously big time distrust of legacy media,” Portnoy explained. “And there’s so many different ways to consume media. Whether that’s online podcasts, some of it good, some of it bad, to be honest, you just have to be really careful where you’re getting your information from. There’s so many different people speaking now and people can access it in so many ways.”
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CNN dominated the airwaves in the ’90s, leading coverage on Baghdad and the O.J. Simpson trial. Since then, prime-time viewership has plummeted from the Ted Turner-founded network to third in ratings.
On Monday, Variety reported that one of the network’s most notable stars, Anderson Cooper, hired high-powered Hollywood agent Bryan Lourd of Creative Artists Agency, which may indicate Cooper is either looking to bolster his contract with CNN or potentially leave the network altogether.
Cooper has been at CNN for more than 23 years.
One Cable News Network staffer also told Fox “the mood remains really grim” and that “people are uncertain” about what may come after an expected corporate restructuring by their parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery.
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Portnoy explained his thinking behind the shift in media, saying the internet has played a large role in where people get their information.
“The internet has given a way for people to fact-check and come to their own conclusions,” Portnoy added. “You just don’t have a couple of network TV anchors or chairs telling you what to think.”
The Barstool Sports empire is a leading example of the change in how people interact with the media. The mostly podcast and social media-driven strategy has propelled the sports outlet into a giant, with Dave manning the helm.
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Portnoy’s infamous “one bite” pizza reviews are one of the many bits that put Barstool on the map, which feature Dave testing slices of pizza and rating them accordingly. Many of his reviews have gone viral and his scores can make or break pizzerias in New York City and across the country.
Following the success of the pizza reviews, Dave launched the “One Bite Pizza Festival” in 2023 in Brooklyn, and now plans to host the event for a third year in Randall’s Island Park this September for thousands to try his top-rated pizza choices. The event has sold out each time the festival has been held.
“Like if you like pizza, obviously if you don’t like pizza, forget about it, but everybody loves pizza,” Dave told Fox. “We have the best pizzerias, 40 plus. We’re always adding new ones. Like I just did this spectacular place series that went super-viral in New York City.”
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“Tickets go on sale Friday, and then September 13th is the actual day, and if you like pizza you can’t miss it,” Dave added.
Creative Artists Agency did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Agents discover massive narcotics tunnel with hidden entrance linking US and Mexico
U.S. Border Patrol agents recently discovered and disabled a nearly 3,000-foot-long narcotics smuggling tunnel sitting beneath the US-Mexico border.
Agents found the tunnel — which linked Tijuana and San Diego — in early April while it was actively under construction.
The underground passageway ran under part of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry and had a projected exit point near or inside a commercial warehouse space in San Diego, according to an announcement from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Upon entering the “highly sophisticated” tunnel, authorities were met with barricades seemingly placed to prevent law enforcement from finding its entrance, the announcement noted.
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The tunnel — which reached depths of around 50 feet underground at its deepest point — measured 2,918 feet long, 42 inches tall and 28 inches wide. It was equipped with lighting, electrical wiring, ventilation systems and a track system for transporting large amounts of contraband.
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Border Patrol agents — working alongside Homeland Security Investigations and Government of Mexico authorities — found the entrance point to the tunnel on Monday inside a house in the Nueva Tijuana neighborhood in Tijuana. The entrance had recently been covered up with freshly laid tile, according to the announcement.
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Thousands of gallons of concrete will soon be poured into the tunnel to prevent it from being used by Foreign Terrorist Organizations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection noted.
“As we continue to strengthen the nation’s air and maritime border security, it’s not surprising that foreign terrorist organizations would resort to underground routes,” Jeffrey D. Stalnaker, acting chief patrol agent of the San Diego Sector, said in a statement. “Disruption of narcotics smuggling tunnels is critical to protecting American lives.”
More than 95 tunnels have been decommissioned in the San Diego area since 1993.
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Vindicated Karen Read’s ‘fantastic’ legal team propelled after verdict comes in
Karen Read, finally vindicated after two murder trials in the 2022 death of her former boyfriend, Boston cop John O’Keefe, thanked a vocal crowd of supporters Wednesday, minutes after jurors found her not guilty of all homicide-related charges.
She will serve a year on probation for drunken driving.
Read’s father, William Read, credited her legal team for the result — which spared her the maximum punishment of life imprisonment as well as multi-year stints behind bars on a series of lesser charges.
“I want to acknowledge the greatest team of attorneys,” he told her cheering supporters from the courthouse steps. “Our first one that we found was David Yannetti. We added Alan Jackson and Liza Little. Bob Alessi you know about, all right. It was a fantastic team, but we needed them all to defeat this.”
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He also thanked Read’s vocal supporters and internet “content providers.”
But it was her legal team that put in the legwork. They were already high-powered lawyers from a trio of America’s largest cities: Boston, New York and Los Angeles. Now they’ve risen to new heights, experts say.
“All those lawyers can write their tickets in terms of what type of high-profile cases they want to handle moving forward, but I’m sure they want to take a break after this one,” said Maryland attorney Randolph Rice, who represents the family of Rachel Morin, a mother of five whose murder on a hiking trail at the hands of a fugitive illegal immigrant prompted congressional hearings.
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“Trials like these take it out of you, both physically and emotionally,” he told Fox News Digital. “I’ve seen some lawyers that like to step back and do smaller cases for a while, and others like the high and want to get right back and do another one.”
But he said viewers can expect to see them making the rounds on TV and in additional documentaries.
Read famously sat down for numerous interviews after her first trial — an unorthodox move that prosecutors attempted to use against her by playing soundbites for the jury. She also spoke out repeatedly during the trial, but her lawyers remained tight-lipped due to the court’s gag order.
WATCH ‘KAREN READ TRIAL LIVE’ ON FOX NATION, HOSTED BY PAUL MAURO
“I think this catapults them into a stratosphere of representing celebrities and big cases, which furthers their fame, as long as they keep winning,” Rice said.
The Los Angeles-based Jackson has already put that theory into action. He delivered the opening and closing for the defense. He previously prosecuted music producer Phil Spector for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson and defended actor Kevin Spacey from Nantucket groping charges.
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Little works for the firm where Jackson is a partner: Werkman Jackson and Quinn.
Robert Alessi is a partner at the international law firm DLA Piper. Read added him to the team ahead of her second trial, in which he translated complex data through questioning of experts who discussed the details of their fields and findings.
And David Yannetti — Read’s Boston lawyer and the local lynchpin — may have the most to gain.
Even Hank Brennan, the special prosecutor who also came into the case with a high profile as the former lawyer for mobster Whitey Bulger, will likewise see a boost in his business, according to Jack Lu, a retired Massachusetts judge and Boston College law professor.
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“They will all be flooded with new clients,” Lu told Fox News Digital. “Brennan will be catapulted to stardom because anyone can see his talent. I would say Yannetti and Brennan’s practices go national.”
As for Read, prominent lawyer turned legal analyst Linda Kenney Baden expects her to file a slew of new lawsuits against the investigators who charged her.
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“Especially a civil rights lawsuit against [Michael] Proctor,” she said, referring to the former homicide detective who lost his job over texts he sent about Read’s case.
New research reveals why some people can’t lose weight despite healthy eating habits
Your genetic makeup could be the reason you’re not losing weight.
New research from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Ben Gurion University in Israel found that one-third of people who followed a healthy diet did not lose any weight — although they did experience health benefits.
Participants exhibited “significant improvements” in cardio-metabolic markers, including improved cholesterol, lower levels of the hunger hormone leptin and less visceral fat, which is found “deep inside” the abdominal cavity, according to a press release.
OBESITY MOST PREVALENT IN THESE 3 SOUTHERN CITIES
The study, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, analyzed changes in weight and health for 761 individuals in Israel who had abdominal obesity.
During three trials, participants were assigned to specific healthy diets — such as low-fat, low-carb, Mediterranean and green-Mediterranean — for 18 to 24 months.
Across all clinical trials, 36% of participants achieved “clinically significant” weight loss, while 36% achieved moderate weight loss. Another 28% lost no weight or even gained weight.
Those who were resistant to weight loss, mostly older individuals and women, showed the same health improvements as participants who lost weight.
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“We have been conditioned to equate weight loss with health, and weight-loss-resistant individuals are often labeled as failures,” lead study author Anat Yaskolka Meir, postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Epidemiology at Harvard Chan School, wrote in a statement.
“Our findings reframe how we define clinical success,” he added. “People who do not lose weight can improve their metabolism and reduce their long-term risk for disease. That’s a message of hope, not failure.”
The study, funded by the German Research Foundation, did have some limitations.
The majority of participants were men, researchers noted, adding that similar studies should focus on women in the future.
“People who do not lose weight can improve their metabolism and reduce their long-term risk for disease.”
Dr. Philip Rabito, an endocrinologist and weight-loss specialist in New York City, told Fox News Digital in an interview that the study findings support what he’s experienced in his own practice.
“There are likely genetic factors that affect an individual’s ability to lose weight,” said the doctor, who was not involved in the study. “Simply stated, despite similar efforts, caloric restriction and lifestyle interventions, some patients lose more weight than others.”
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Some individuals will not respond “as robustly” to interventions as others, although this can be overcome with correct guidance, according to Rabito.
“With proper counseling, dedication and adherence to a lifestyle program, all patients should be able to appreciate weight loss,” he said.
“Even if there is minimal or no weight loss, the study shows that there are still improvements in health parameters just from participating in a weight-loss program.”
For those who fail to lose weight with traditional weight-loss programs, prescription medications may be an option, he added.
Manoel Galvao Neto, M.D., director of bariatric research at Orlando Health Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery Institute, agreed that DNA can influence weight loss.
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“It is a true combination of genetic factors, and it affects the metabolism, appetite, fat storage and response to diet and exercise,” he said in a separate interview with Fox News Digital.
Based on emerging research, Neto noted that obesity treatment can be more easily personalized, allowing those with genetic setbacks to reach their fitness goals.
“If you have the marker for ‘hungry brain,’ and you take the GLP-1, you maximize your weight loss by up to 20%,” the doctor said.
“Obesity is a disease that is chronic, it is progressive, and so far, we don’t have a cure, but we are getting more and more information to help control it in a personalized way.”
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Neto encouraged individuals looking to lose weight to “understand yourself” and seek professional help for the best possible outcome.
WNBA team faces backlash over player photo featured in social media post
The Los Angeles Sparks came under fire on social media this week for a post that some users claimed sexualized one of the team’s players.
The Sparks’ X page shared a post Tuesday afternoon teasing the team’s game against the Seattle Storm later that evening.
The post shared a graphic of rookie guard Sarah Ashlee Barker wearing what appeared to be a crop top.
“Back in front of the home crowd,” the post said, adding game details.
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Fans seemed unimpressed with the decision to post Barker dressed in that way.
“Where’s the jersey’s man,” one user wrote.
“These gameday posts frying me. No unis or nothing, just thirst traps,” another added.
Another user wrote, in part, “What kind of chance does women’s sports have if this is OFFICIAL team communication??? Are they playing in lingerie? Then put them in the fkn jerseys on gameday.”
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The Sparks have previously shared game day posts of players wearing their uniforms.
Just last week, Sparks forward Cameron Brink faced similar criticism from a fan online, accusing the former first-round pick of putting more time into “walking down red carpets and schmoozing” than rehabbing her ACL injury.
“She should’ve been back on the court now, and something tells me that if she put as much work into rehab as she puts into walking down red carpets and schmoozing, she’d be back by now,” the fan wrote in a comment that Brink posted on her Instagram stories last week.
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“I’m working INCREDIBLY hard every day. I would give anything to be out on the court right now. Basketball is my passion and everything to me… to say this you aren’t a real fan.
“Thank you to those who understand ACLs can take a year & giving me grace. I cannot wait until I get to play again.”
Brink, 23, has been sidelined since she tore the ACL in her left knee during a June 2024 game against the Connecticut Sun. She was averaging 8.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocks a game before the injury.
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After Kate Middleton canceled Royal Ascot, experts warn of more sudden changes ahead
Kate Middleton canceled her Royal Ascot appearance at the last minute — and several royal experts claimed we can expect more sudden changes from the princess.
On Wednesday, Fox News Digital learned that the mother of three was originally set to appear at the annual horse racing event with her husband, Prince William. While the Princess of Wales was said to be disappointed not to be there, she is still trying to find the right balance as she returns to public-facing engagements following her cancer treatment.
“She has been forthright regarding her still experiencing ‘good days and bad days,’ as she once said,” British royals expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital. “She is hoping the public will be patient since she is ‘not out of the woods quite yet.’ She has acknowledged having to be sensible, listening to what her body is telling her as she eases back to public life.”
KATE MIDDLETON UNEXPECTEDLY PULLS OUT OF ROYAL ASCOT APPEARANCE
“We should expect her to maintain a lighter schedule of engagements than previously for the foreseeable future,” said Fordwich. “Her decisions, as always, will be responsible and dignified.”
Royal experts told Fox News Digital that as a future queen consort, Kate is breaking the mold, prioritizing her health while being a supportive player in the House of Windsor. Following her cancer diagnosis in March 2024, Kate has reduced her appearances to focus on recovery. And while the princess is now cancer-free, healing continues to be a priority for Kate, and she has adopted a case-by-case approach to fulfilling royal duties.
On Wednesday, William made a solo appearance on the second day of the horse racing event at Ascot Racecourse in Ascot, England. He was accompanied by his father, King Charles III, and stepmother, Queen Camilla.
Kate’s mother, Carole Middleton, was also present. At one point, she shared a warm exchange with the king, 76, as they watched the action take place.
It’s a good sign, said Fordwich.
“Princess Catherine is making steady progress in her recovery,” said Fordwich. “This announcement is confirmation that she’ll remain cautious, flexible and measured with her health taking precedence. We should expect similar last-minute adjustments since navigating such challenging health issues isn’t easy.”
“I believe she might well attend Wimbledon, which she so loves,” Fordwich added.
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Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital that the U.K. is experiencing blistering temperatures. It could have contributed to Kate’s decision.
“At the moment we are experiencing a heatwave making London warmer than the Caribbean,” he said. “I presume Kate may be feeling the effects of this and, still taking aggressive drugs, may have been told by her doctors to be very careful.”
“We are hearing apparently all is well and that Kate is making steady progress but still finds an energy lapse on some occasions,” Turner noted.
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams agreed.
“The Princess of Wales had been expected to join the royal procession at Royal Ascot, which commemorates 200 years this year since it was first held in 1825,” he explained. “According to a source, she was disappointed not to be able to attend. She would have joined Prince William, who presented the trophy to the winner of the Prince of Wales stakes.”
“Catherine is in remission from cancer and is striving to find the right balance of engagements as she recovers, obviously much influenced by medical advice,” he shared. “She has recently appeared at [several key events]. It may also be that the heat affected her decision.”
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People magazine reported that Royal Ascot is a social event, not a ceremonial commitment, on the royal family’s calendar. They noted that the royal family’s attendance is an “informal tradition.”
“Royal Ascot is a splendidly organized royal event which is the highlight of the royal calendar,” said Fitzwilliams. “It was the first event listed in the diary of Queen Elizabeth, who was renowned for being an equestrian enthusiast every year.”
“It is hoped that the Princess of Wales will attend next year, her last appearance being in 2023 due to her cancer treatment,” he added.
Despite Kate’s absence, British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard, who was at Ascot, assured Fox News Digital royal watchers shouldn’t be worried.
“[Kate] and her medical team would have decided that today’s event would be too much for her, hence the last-minute cancellation,” said Chard. “It is also super hot here, and I imagine she could be left feeling very unwell. I really don’t believe we should be worried.”
“Princess Catherine is doing well and, as previously confirmed, has been given the all-clear from her medical team, cancer-wise,” said Chard. “Like many of us, she has medical challenges (not necessarily cancer-related) which, on occasion, impact her everyday and working life.”
Queen Elizabeth II’s former spokeswoman, Alisa Anderson, recently told People magazine that this year, Kate will be prioritizing her health as she returns to royal duties.
“She’s being sensible, listening to what her body is telling her and easing back into public life,” Anderson told the outlet.
Kensington Palace, which handles the offices of the Prince and Princess of Wales, has emphasized that Kate will tackle royal duties. The outlet pointed out that her withdrawal from the Royal Ascot is an example of her case-by-case approach that we’ll likely see more of, as necessary.
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“She has not been able to have the privacy that a person who faces this kind of illness is normally afforded,” a source close to the royal household told the outlet.
In March 2024, Kate announced in a video she had cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy. The revelation came after weeks of speculation about her health and whereabouts. In January of that year, she was hospitalized for unspecified abdominal surgery.
The news was another jolt to the royal family. In February of that year, Buckingham Palace announced Charles was being treated for an unspecified type of cancer. The illness was discovered while he was undergoing a procedure for a benign enlarged prostate.
In September 2024, Kate announced she had finished her preventative chemotherapy, although she said her path to full recovery would be long and that she would take it day by day.
“As the summer comes to an end, I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment,” she wrote. “The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life, as you know it, can change in an instant, and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown.”
“The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you. With humility, it also brings you face to face with your own vulnerabilities in a way you have never considered before, and with that, a new perspective on everything. This time has, above all, reminded William and me to reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things in life which so many of us often take for granted. Of simply loving and being loved. Doing what I can to stay cancer-free is now my focus.”
KING CHARLES WON’T HAND THRONE TO PRINCE WILLIAM AS MONARCHY SHAKE-UP COULD SPARK ‘CRISIS’: EXPERTS
“Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long, and I must continue to take each day as it comes,” said the princess. “I am, however, looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months when I can. Despite all that has gone before, I enter this new phase of recovery with a renewed sense of hope and appreciation of life.”
“William and I are so grateful for the support we have received and have drawn great strength from all those who are helping us at this time,” she shared. “Everyone’s kindness, empathy and compassion has been truly humbling. To all those who are continuing their own cancer journey – I remain with you, side by side, hand in hand. Out of darkness, can come light, so let that light shine bright.”
In January of this year, Kate announced that her cancer was in remission, and she would remain “focused on recovery.”
WATCH: KATE MIDDLETON ANNOUNCES SHE HAS COMPLETED CHEMOTHERAPY TREATMENT
“As anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis will know, it takes time to adjust to a new normal,” she said at the time.
Since then, Kate has slowly returned to royal duties.
Over the weekend, she and William joined their children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7, for Trooping the Colour, King Charles’s birthday parade. On Monday, Kate also appeared at the annual Order of the Garter service at Windsor Castle.
Turner previously told Fox News Digital that both the Prince and Princess of Wales have faced mounting pressure as future king and queen in support of Charles, who is still seeking treatment.
“King Charles is looking his age now and his illness has taken its toll,” said Turner. “A new era of [a] young monarchy is set to take over the mantle in the future.”
“The pressure of being the Princess of Wales, looking after a young family, being by William’s side, still recovering from cancer treatments, as well as the mental trauma she faced still weighs heavily on Kate. But she seems to be smiling throughout, delighting crowds when seen in public, and giving a new confidence to the future monarchy.”