Family of victim in Bryan Kohberger case say they were sent into ‘panic mode’ after plea deal
The family of Kaylee Goncalves — one of the victims of Idaho murder suspect Bryan Kohberger — said Monday they were sent “scrambling” and “jumped into panic mode” after Kohberger accepted a plea deal to avoid the death penalty.
Kohberger, 30, is accused of killing Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, in a 4 a.m. home invasion attack on Nov. 13, 2022.
Goncalves’ 18-year-old sister, Aubrie, said she refuses to stay silent and reaffirmed her family support for the death penalty in this case. She said she was unable to attend the family’s meeting with prosecutors in person to make her case.
She said what the victims’ families have endured since the murders is “beyond comprehension,” pointing to delays and the relocation of proceedings that made it harder for loved ones to attend. She argued that the justice system has placed “heavy burdens” on people “already carrying unimaginable grief” but that they have attempted to hold on to hope.
BRYAN KOHBERGER ACCEPTS PLEA DEAL IN IDAHO STUDENT MURDERS CASE
“We’ve believed in the process. We’ve had faith in the system. But at this point, it is impossible not to acknowledge the truth: the system has failed these four innocent victims and their families,” Aubrie wrote on the family’s Facebook page.
“These are not just names or headlines. Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, and Xana Kernodle were beautiful human beings who touched countless lives,” she continued. “They are not just ‘The Idaho Four.’ They were sons, daughters, siblings, and friends—real people with real dreams. They deserve to be remembered for who they were in life, not only for the tragedy of their deaths. But before that can truly happen, they deserve justice. Nothing less.”
The introduction of the plea deal weeks before the scheduled trial is “both shocking and cruel,” she said, adding that the families could have had time to “process, discuss and potentially come to terms with the idea of a life sentence” if it had come sooner.
BRYAN KOHBERGER RETURNS TO COURT FOR HEARING ON PILE OF EVIDENCE HE WANTS THROWN OUT BEFORE TRIAL
“Bryan Kohberger facing a life in prison means he would still get to speak, form relationships, and engage with the world,” she said. “Meanwhile, our loved ones have been silenced forever. That reality stings more deeply when it feels like the system is protecting his future more than honoring the victims’ pasts.”
She said the justice system “was created to serve and protect—not to retraumatize grieving families,” adding: “time and time again, we find ourselves blindsided, unheard, and unsupported.”
“This last-minute plea deal feels less like an act of justice and more like an afterthought,” she said. “We are not asking for vengeance. We are asking for accountability. We are asking for dignity for our loved ones. And we are asking—pleading—for a justice system that truly lives up to its name.”
The family said in another post that they vaguely spoke to prosecutors Friday about the possibility of a plea deal but that it was a “hard no” for them. They said the majority of the conversation was about the upcoming trial and nothing prepared them for the next steps.
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They said they received an email Sunday night that sent them “scrambling” and they “immediately jumped into panic mode and started making phone calls and sending emails.”
The family met with the prosecution again on Monday to reiterate their support for Kohberger receiving the death penalty.
“Unfortunately all of our efforts did not matter,” the family said. “We DID OUR BEST! We fought harder than anyone could EVER imagine.”
The four victims had all been stabbed multiple times with a large knife, according to prosecutors. Police recovered a Ka-Bar sheath that they allege had Kohberger’s DNA on it near Mogen’s body.
Idaho ambush suspect’s social media post released after firefighter shooting
Authorities on Monday released a social media picture of the suspect in the Idaho firefighter shooting and identified the firefighters who were killed and injured in the ambush.
The suspect, 20-year-old Wess Roley, was seen in a picture posted to his Instagram story wearing black face paint and camouflage clothing with a bandolier on his waist, authorities shared at a news conference.
Roley, who was found dead near the scene of the shooting hours after the attack that killed two firefighters and injured another, is believed to have killed himself, according to Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris.
The firefighter victims in the attack were identified at the news conference. Frank Harwood and John Morrison were killed, while Dave Tisdale is hospitalized in stable condition.
SUSPECTED SHOOTER IN IDAHO FIREFIGHTER AMBUSH IDENTIFIED
The suspect is believed to have deliberately set a brush fire on Canfield Mountain, near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, on Sunday to lure in first responders arriving to put out the blaze. The suspect was found to be in possession of a Flint starter that Norris said Monday was believed to be used to ignite the fire.
Fire crews responded to the blaze at around 1:30 p.m., and gunshots were reported about a half-hour later.
In audio from the scene, a firefighter said there was an “emergency situation” and an “active shooter at a fire.”
“We need law enforcement up here immediately,” the firefighter told a dispatcher, adding that there were “two battalion chiefs down.”
“We have another Coeur d’Alene firefighter down … we’ve got two unresponsive battalion chiefs down, multiple gunshot wounds, two Coeur d’Alene are down … I’m pinned down,” the caller continued.
The caller also said that the fire “was set intentionally to draw us in.”
“It’s clear to me that this fire was set intentionally to draw us in,” the caller said.
AUDIO RELEASED OF MOMENT IDAHO FIREFIGHTERS AMBUSHED WHILE RESPONDING TO BLAZE: ‘EMERGENCY SITUATION’
Law enforcement launched a manhunt, tracking the suspect through the terrain. Using cellphone data, a tactical team located Roley’s body and a firearm several hours later in a wooded area near the origin point of the fire.
Idaho Governor Brad Little condemned the incident as “a heinous, direct assault on our brave firefighters” and pledged full state support for the investigation.
“They answered the call to protect others and paid the ultimate price,” Little said.
The motive behind Roley’s actions remains unclear, and Norris said Monday that no manifesto has been found. Federal authorities, including the FBI, are assisting in the investigation.
“We have information that he at one time wanted to be a firefighter,” Norris said. “So we don’t know if there’s a nexus to that desire. And what happened yesterday. But, there is information that we’ve received that he at one time wanted to be a firefighter.
AUTHORITIES FIND MAN DEAD WITH FIREARM NEARBY HOURS AFTER IDAHO FIREFIGHTERS KILLED IN AMBUSH
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Norris said there had been five law enforcement interactions with Roley, which he said were very minor in nature, such as trespassing incidents.
Roley had an interaction with firefighters before shooting about where his car was parked, the sheriff said.
It appeared that the suspect was living in his vehicle, Norris noted.
“We know that he was a transient here,” the sheriff said. “We knew that he lived here for the better part of 2024. But as far as when he got here, why he was here, why he chose this place. I don’t know. He has relatives in the Priest River area, but I don’t know why he chose that. We don’t find any nexus to anything else. Maybe we’ll find more once we do an inventory of the vehicle. But as of right now, we don’t know.”
Actor says Iran should build nukes to protect Middle East from US and Israel
Anti-Israel and anti-Trump actor John Cusack expressed hope last Friday that Iran will get a nuclear weapon.
In a post shared to X, the actor said Iran should get a nuclear weapon so that it can deter the U.S. and Israel’s aggression in the Middle East.
“Iran will surely rush to get a nuclear weapon- and they should get one,” he wrote, adding, “it’s the only way to deter US and Israel from bombing every country in Middle East.”
WATCH: BERNIE SANDERS REACTS TO TRUMP’S IRAN STRIKES IN REAL TIME AT ‘FIGHTING OLIGARCHY’ RALLY
Cusack published his post almost a week after President Donald Trump ordered U.S. military strikes on three major Iranian facilities believed to be developing nuclear weapons.
Long-range B-2 stealth bomber aircraft dropped 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on the locations on June 21 in an attack that Trump called “a spectacular military success.”
Cusack has been harshly critical of Israel’s actions in its war in Gaza and war with Iran on social media. Prior to posting support for Iran getting nukes, he appeared to suggest that U.S. support for Israel meant the country was supporting a “genocidal” regime.
He wrote, “Blind allegiance for Israel is alliance to a genocidal regeme[sic] – it’s a nation state – run [by] a murderous gangster – not some fixed star.”
FAR LEFT, ANTI-ISRAEL VOICES DECRY TRUMP IRAN STRIKE, DISMISS IDEA HE’S ‘ANTIWAR PRESIDENT’
Earlier, he posted that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been killing innocent children, and he accused the U.S. of being complicit.
The actor also condemned both countries for recent strikes in Lebanon.
“Isreal [sic] bombs Lebanon! [W]ell they can’t have any days when they are not illegally bombing someone while US grovels,” he wrote.
Additionally, Cusack posted that democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani winning the New York City mayoral Democratic primary was a “f— you to billionaires, dem establishment, and the genocide in Gaza – the bombing of Iran.”
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And in a post from last Wednesday, Cusack accused Israeli soldiers of murdering innocent Palestinians seeking aid and blasted Democratic Party figures for not speaking out about it.
“The fact that so many in the dem party will not speak out and work every day to stop this genocide – Should haunt them for the rest of their lives – and end their political careers,” he wrote in part.
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‘Tell Your Children’: Marijuana’s deadly impact is real as new studies emerge
PROGRAMMING ALERT: Watch author Alex Berenson discuss this topic and more on Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends” on July 1 at 7: 30 am.
The news about marijuana keeps getting worse.
As drug advocates pushed marijuana legalization over the last 15 years, they portrayed the drug as harmless, a mild intoxicant with few side effects. Cannabis – the term scientists prefer for marijuana – might even have medicinal value, advocates said.
The truth is the opposite.
CANNABIS USE RAISES RISK OF HEART ATTACK AND STROKE MORE THAN COCAINE, OTHER DRUGS, MAJOR REVIEW SUGGESTS
Even in states, from Maine to California, that have legalized cannabis, researchers have published paper after paper showing its risks, particularly to heavy or daily users. I do not mean the munchies or falling asleep on the couch. Powerful evidence links the drug to heart attacks, strokes, severe mental illness, and even suicides.
Cannabis and its active ingredient, the chemical called THC, are toxic to the heart and brain. They are also much more addictive than many users realize. Though cannabis does not cause the physical dependence of alcohol, it can make users psychologically dependent, leading to irritability, depression, and mood swings if they cut back. And a huge new study shows that legalization is linked to a sharp increase in diagnoses of cannabis addiction.
As more Americans see the problems firsthand, their views of cannabis are slowly turning negative, a recent Gallup poll found. Even in deep-blue New York, almost twice as many residents say cannabis legalization has hurt their quality of life as helped it.
MORE SENIORS ARE USING CANNABIS THAN EVER BEFORE DESPITE HEALTH RISKS, RESEARCH SHOWS
But just as it took decades for the public to realize the cancer risks of cigarettes, the health harms of cannabis are not completely understood. A majority of Americans still favor legalization – a fact that makes the emerging science even more alarming.
In March, scientists in Boston reported cannabis users under 50 had a higher risk of heart attacks compared to people who didn’t. In February, Canadian researchers found people hospitalized with a diagnosis of cannabis abuse were six times as likely to die as the average person over the next five years. Suicides and trauma-related deaths made up much of the increase.
The research on the psychiatric harms of cannabis is also piling up.
The connection between cannabis and severe mental illness, including the psychotic disorder schizophrenia, comes as no surprise to me. In 2019, I wrote the book “Tell Your Children: The Truth About Marijuana, Mental Illness, and Violence.” At the time, drug legalizers and their media handmaidens sharply criticized the book. The Guardian, a leftist British newspaper, called it “pure alarmism.”
Six years later, “Tell Your Children” has been vindicated. In April, researchers in Quebec found a crucial mechanism in the brain by which cannabis can cause hallucinations and delusions.. And just weeks ago, physicians in Colorado – the first state to legalize cannabis – reported that diagnoses of psychosis in young people have soared in the last 15 years, with diagnoses in heavy cannabis users driving the increase.
The science is clear.
Even for adults, cannabis isn’t safe, especially for daily use. For teens, whose brains are still developing, it is highly risky – and at worst can lead to lifelong psychiatric problems. It is addictive.
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It is far more potent than a generation ago, and THC, its active ingredient, is now available in brightly colored gummies and other “edibles” that are the leading cause of poisonings in young children.
As The New York Times itself admitted last year:
Meanwhile, the promises of cannabis legalization have not come true. Tax revenue from legal cannabis is a rounding error in state budgets, and legalization has not ended the illegal market in cannabis, which remains large and violent. If anything, legal stores are actually ground to illegal dealers at this point.
The core reason is that legal sellers face regulations, taxes, and insurance costs that illegal sellers do not. Illegal sellers can undercut the legal price. And the heavy users who buy most cannabis want the lowest price, legal or not.
Thirteen years after Colorado became the first state to legalize recreational cannabis, the experiment has failed. But powerful economic forces and the media’s refusal to admit what’s really going on mean that most Americans don’t know the truth yet.
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Eventually, they will.
In the meantime, Tell Your Children – cannabis is far from benign.
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Experts share which breads are healthiest — and which should be avoided
After Joe Rogan voiced his concerns about the bread offerings in America, experts are sharing their tips on choosing the healthiest varieties.
On a recent episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” the famed podcaster claimed that most of the breads in the U.S. are unhealthy and contribute to inflammation.
“A lot of inflammation comes from diet,” Rogan said. “Our bread is f—-d — if you go overseas, and go eat bread in Italy, you won’t feel bad at all.”
BREAD WITH SPROUTED GRAINS OFFERS ‘ENHANCED NUTRITIONAL PROFILE,’ MAY BE HEALTHIER WAY TO ENJOY CARBS
The podcaster then shared an Instagram reel from holistic health influencer Dennis Echelbarger (Denny_Dure) claiming that bread can leave people feeling “bloated, brain-fogged and tired.”
Many point to gluten as the culprit, Echelbarger said in the video, but he claims it’s “just the scapegoat.”
“The real issue is ultraprocessed, chemically altered, bleached, bromated, fake vitamin-filled wheat soaked in glyphosate,” he concluded.
Rogan added, “I know when I cut that stuff out of my diet, it made a giant difference.”
He noted that one exception is sourdough bread, which he said is “great for you.”
WHITE BREAD VS. WHOLE WHEAT BREAD: IS ONE ‘BETTER’ FOR YOU?
For those who do eat bread, Rogan said, “You have to get it from a place that has heirloom wheat.”
(Heirloom wheat, also known as heritage wheat, refers to older varieties that have not been genetically modified and may have higher nutritional value.)
The ideal ingredient list
New Jersey-based dietitian Erin Palinski-Wade, author of “2-Day Diabetes Diet,” says it’s not necessary to completely avoid bread to improve your health, but pointed out that not all varieties are created equal.
“There’s a wide range of breads — from those that can negatively impact your health to options that offer potential health benefits,” she said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
“The first ingredient is what makes up the majority of the bread, so this should be a whole grain.”
Breads made from refined flours, such as white bread, can cause rapid spikes and crashes in blood sugar, increasing the risk of weight gain and type 2 diabetes over time, the dietitian warned.
Instead, she recommends opting for whole-grain and high-fiber breads that break down more slowly, helping to stabilize blood sugar and improve long-term glycemic control.
When choosing a bread, it’s important to read labels carefully and assess the ingredient list, Palinski-Wade advised.
“The first ingredient is what makes up the majority of the bread, so this should be a whole grain,” she said. “From there, the shorter the ingredient list, the better.”
An ingredient list made up of whole grains, yeast and a bit of salt — as well as limited added sugars and preservatives — is ideal, according to the dietitian. “Some brands add seeds or legumes as well,” she added.
CONTROVERSIAL SEED OILS MAY OFFER UNEXPECTED HEALTH BENEFITS, NEW RESEARCH SHOWS
Among store-bought breads, one of Palinski-Wade’s top recommendations is Ezekiel bread, which includes sprouted whole grains and legumes, uses minimal processing and has limited added sugars and preservatives.
“Another easy-to-find option is the line of breads from Dave’s Killer Bread,” she shared. “Made with organic whole grains, this line of bread contains minimal preservatives, added sugars or refined grains.”
Overall, the dietitian said, it’s best to choose bread that contains mostly whole grains with little added sugars and preservatives, has a taste you enjoy, and works for your lifestyle.
Julie Stefanski, RDN, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics in Chicago, said that lumping all bread together as potentially harmful is a “big oversimplification.”
“As Americans, we have access to an enormous number of food choices,” she told Fox News Digital. “When deciding what type of bread to purchase, a person should consider how often they choose it, how large a portion they consume and their own medical issues.”
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Those who eat bread frequently or in multiple servings may want to prioritize choosing a healthier, whole-grain option, she advised.
“When choosing bread with fewer preservatives and simpler ingredients, consumers need to be aware that the bread will not last as long, and may need to be frozen and toasted to eventually make use of an entire loaf,” Stefanski pointed out.
Is sourdough really better?
Sourdough bread has been shown to have a lower glycemic index (GI) than white bread, Stefanski noted, and thus can be easier to digest than other wheat breads.
“A lower glycemic index (which measures how quickly any given food spikes a person’s glucose levels) means the bread digests and turns into blood sugar slightly slower than typical white bread,” she said.
“In the process of making sourdough bread, the bacteria and yeast in the starter for the bread partially breaks down the carbohydrates that are in the wheat.”
People who are typically sensitive to digesting the sugars in wheat may notice less bloating, gas and digestive issues when eating sourdough bread compared to other varieties, according to Stefanski.
Palinski-Wade agrees that sourdough bread is a good choice, but “not superior.”
“If you eat commercial white bread, the glucose in that starch is very, very quickly turned into glucose in the blood.”
“Whole-grain sourdough would be better than white sourdough, but sprouted grain breads would most likely be superior in antioxidants, fiber and nutrient composition,” she told Fox News Digital.
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Making your own sourdough bread at home can be a healthy choice, Palinski-Wade added — but that isn’t always a feasible option for people who are short on time or traveling.
Avoiding the sugar spike
Dr. Jason Fung, a Toronto-based physician who is also an expert in intermittent fasting, agreed that bread’s effect on health hinges not only on its carbohydrate content, but also on how quickly the starches are absorbed into the bloodstream.
“If you eat commercial white bread, the glucose in that starch is very, very quickly turned into glucose in the blood,” he reiterated to Fox News Digital.
“This is because the flour is very refined — removing fiber, fats, proteins and bran, which all slow absorption — and is also very finely machine ground. This fine grind creates white flour, which is a dust that is quickly absorbed by intestinal cells.”
The texturizers and emulsifiers in commercial white breads — which are added to make them softer and easier to eat — also cause them to be more quickly digested and absorbed, Fung noted.
“You can see the effect of this on the glycemic index, which measures how quickly bread spikes your glucose,” he said.
The GI is a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 being the highest glucose spikes. White bread has a very high GI of 73, Fung said, while machine-ground whole wheat is not much better, at 70.
To counteract this effect, Fung recommended choosing any of the following healthier options:
- Stone-ground flour
- Ezekiel bread (sprouting process lowers GI to about 36, with more fat and protein)
- Sourdough bread (the acid slows down absorption)
- Pumpernickel (course-ground rye flour and sourdough starter, with a GI of about 50)
- Rye bread (rye flour is denser, chewier and slower to digest, with a GI of about 45-50)
“You can also slow down the absorption of glucose by eating bread with olive oil and also vinegar,” Fung advised.
Palinski-Wade agreed it’s important to carefully choose what bread is paired with.
“Choosing breads with a low glycemic index and pairing them with foods rich in fat, protein or fiber can help minimize blood sugar spikes and support better glucose management,” she said.
Former child actor ‘terrified’ to speak out now reaches millions as media star
Once a child actor, and now a conservative media star, Brett Cooper has taken the internet by storm with her commentary on a variety of political and cultural issues to millions of followers and subscribers across her social media platforms.
Fox News Digital sat down with Cooper, host of “The Brett Cooper Show,” ahead of her live show in Atlanta, Georgia, to discuss her media career and new podcast. Cooper has since signed as a Fox News media contributor.
Cooper attended UCLA and felt like the political climate of the school and the city of Los Angeles didn’t represent her.
BRETT COOPER: PEOPLE HAVE A VOICE NOW IN A WAY THEY NEVER HAVE
“I went to UCLA, I just kind of decided that really wasn’t the path for me, at least being an actor wasn’t, and so I got really interested in production and being on the other side of Hollywood, and that sort of led me down a path of making videos.”
When Cooper started making videos, she gained the attention of conservative media.
“I got in contact with some conservative organizations like PragerU,” Cooper said.
As Cooper was making videos for PragerU, she received attention from the Daily Wire to start a show, and then her career “took off from there.”
In January, Cooper launched “The Brett Cooper Show.”
“My family was always super vocal and open about politics and values and philosophy,” Cooper said. “We were a big debate-over-the-dinner-table family, but I didn’t really follow politics, and we didn’t discuss news and current events in that way.”
While attending UCLA, Cooper found herself having to analyze her political views.
“Going to UCLA, I was confronted with people who were very much involved in that world and cared very deeply,” Cooper said. “So it forced me to kind of reconcile with the values that I had been raised with. So I think that was probably a turning point where I just had to be confronted with that and figure out, you know, do I actually believe in the things that I was raised with.”
Cooper was initially hesitant about making politics a big part of who she is.
“I definitely didn’t make it the forefront of my personality, especially because I knew that so many of my friends were on the left, I never really wanted to cause any problems, but over time they figured out kind of what I believe,” she said.
However, the political differences at her school were very evident to Cooper.
“My favorite story is that I was hit in the head with a ‘Communist Manifesto’ at a party because they were like, ‘you should read this,’ and they like chucked it at me.”
In 2020, Cooper posted a video on Instagram where she spoke out about the COVID lockdowns in Los Angeles.
“I make a video, and I was literally so terrified that I turned off my phone and I like chucked it across the room. Um, because I was just so terrified to publicly, you know, put myself out there in that way.”
JOY BEHAR MOCKED FOR ‘RIDICULOUS’ CLAIM TRUMP DOESN’T LIKE ‘STRONG WOMEN’
Now, Cooper hopes that she can help others by providing unique perspectives and starting conversations.
“I’m not asking you to change your mind, but if I help you understand something in a different light or see a different perspective that just makes you think about something in new way, that’s great. And if I can foster that in this community with my audience, my comment section, then I think I’m doing something right.”
Cooper will provide cultural, social, and political commentary across all Fox News Media platforms.
Cooper launched her podcast “The Brett Cooper Show” in January and has amassed over 9 million followers across her social media platforms. The Gen Z conservative is known for “her grounded perspective, sharp wit and distinctive takes,” Fox News Media said when announcing her new role.
In January, Cooper appeared on “Jesse Watters Primetime” to discuss the changing media landscape.
“I watched the media landscape change… and young people are just hungry for independent voices who are authentic and honest with their audiences. They don’t want to hear from traditional pundits 24/7,” Cooper said.
Cooper is a graduate of UCLA and is based in Tennessee, where she lives with her husband.
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Family’s strategic maneuver on flight impresses passenger who documented entire scheme
A mom flying with her family was able to “successfully” swindle an entire row of seats for her group as others weighed in on the move.
Posting in the “r/unitedairlines” forum on Reddit and using the title “Seat Shenanigans – advanced tactics,” a user revealed in real time how he saw the mom hack the system.
“I preboarded (10C). Row in front of me is completely open. [A] family of four comes on in group 2. They take 9A, C, D and F. Mom says to kids, ‘Don’t unpack yet,’” the post relayed.
VICTIM OF ‘SEAT SWAP SHENANIGANS’ REVEALS HOW FELLOW FLYER ATTEMPTED TO TRICK HER
The user then said the “mom is anxiously refreshing the seating chart in the app. I’m thinking they are waiting for the upgrade to Polaris (as am I). I check the app, see that row 9 is showing completely empty.”
The user believed at first the family was given an upgrade — until he realized this was about an upgrade.
“They’re watching the seating chart like hawks, hoping the seats don’t get booked, waiting for the door to close, because they wanted to take over an empty row,” the person wrote.
“Door is closed, and we’re taxiing. The seats are theirs! Well played, mom,” said the user.
PASSENGER DEFENDS CONTROVERSIAL ‘GATE LICE’ BEHAVIOR AS AIRLINES CRACK DOWN ON EARLY BOARDING ATTEMPTS
Many Redditors took to the comments section to discuss the travel “win” and to weigh in on taking seats in this manner.
“I really think people should sit in the seats they paid for,” commented one user.
“There was no doubt what they were up to.”
Another user said, “The seat map is notoriously inaccurate, so that alone wouldn’t incline me to think shenanigans — but the mother’s behavior with telling the kids to not unpack yet and constantly refreshing her phone display is rather sus[picious],” the person wrote.
“They were all smiles and high-fives once we started taxiing,” the Reddit poster responded. “There was no doubt what they were up to.”
Wrote one user, “Some FA’s [flight attendants] will enforce the walk of shame.”
Another user shared, “I was on a half-empty plane once and the FA didn’t care where people [sat]. I asked if I could move to an empty row and she said, ‘Feel free to.’”
Wrote another person, “I don’t see the issue here. They waited until doors were closed to capture the seats. They knew they could be moved. I think it’s fine.”
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Another user shared, “Lately I have seen FAs call people out and make them pay. A guy went full ‘man child’ when they told him to pay for the exit row he invited himself to or go back.”
“You gotta admire their strategy. Not something I would do, but wow,” said another.
Gary Leff, a Texas-based travel industry expert and author of the blog “View From the Wing,” told Fox News Digital that some airlines have changed their policies regarding switching seats when flights are not fully booked.
“You used to be able to take any open seat in your cabin once the doors closed,” he said.
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“You might move closer to the front, grab an aisle seat or head for an empty row in the back so you could stretch out.”
Added Leff, “[Flyers] may not be able to get what they want from the airline when reserving seats, or the airline may want a fee for the seats they want and the passenger doesn’t want to pay — so they’ll try their luck on board.”
Teachers’ union leaders clash over court decision on religious families’ rights
The bosses of America’s largest teachers’ unions appear to have taken opposite stances on the recent Supreme Court ruling about LGBTQ books in school, with one saying the “expertise of trained educational professionals” should have been deferred to, while the other said, “Parents must have a say.”
On Friday, the justices decided 6-3 in Mahmoud v. Taylor that parents could opt their children out of a Maryland public school system’s lessons that contain themes about homosexuality and transgenderism if they feel the material conflicts with their religious faith.
“Students pay the price when books are censored and educators are silenced,” National Education Association President Becky Pringle said in reaction to the decision on BlueSky.
“Today, in the ruling on Mahmoud v. Taylor, the Supreme Court failed students. They have discounted and ignored the expertise of trained educational professionals, and harmed students in the process,” she added. “Shameful.”
AUTHORS BLAST ‘HARMFUL’ SCOTUS RULING ALLOWING PARENTS TO OPT KIDS OUT OF READING THEIR LGBTQ+ BOOKS
The National Education Association is the largest teachers’ union in the country, presiding over 3 million members.
However, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said on Friday that parents and families should be respected.
“We have to respect all children and all families. Bad facts make bad law. Mahmoud should have been worked out on a local level, it’s a shame it went all the way to SCOTUS,” Weingarten said. “Parents must have a say about their own kids, they are our partners in education.”
SUPREME COURT TO HEAR CASE ON LGBTQ-THEMED STORYBOOKS AND PARENTS’ RIGHT TO OPT OUT
Weingarten shared similar sentiments on “The Story” in April, when the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the case.
“This is something that has to be happening at the local level and not in the Supreme Court,” Weingarten said, while also noting that the books containing LGBTQ content are not ones she would read to children.
The two teachers’ union bosses usually align in political views, having both endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.
In the past, Weingarten has pushed back on book challenges from parents. In 2023, Weingarten launched a hotline called “Freedom to Teach and Learn” to report instances of book banning and challenges against curricula.
Weingarten, the leader of the 1.7 million-member union, claimed at the time that “MAGA lawmakers have used culture wars to divide communities and other schemes that drain resources from public education.”
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Amazon Prime members brace for sticker shock as analysts predict imminent price hike
The cost of an Amazon Prime membership could potentially rise next year, according to Wall Street analysts.
J.P.Morgan analyst Doug Anmuth said last week in a research note that the bank thinks the Seattle-based e-commerce giant could raise the price of its popular Amazon Prime membership in 2026.
Amazon has charged an annual fee of $139 for its Prime membership in the U.S. since 2022. Before that, it cost $119 a year.
Setting a higher price for it next year would be “consistent with its cadence of raising the price every ~4 years,” the J.P.Morgan research note said.
AMAZON ANNOUNCES $20B INVESTMENT IN RURAL PENNSYLVANIA FOR AI DATA CENTERS
Prime memberships provide subscribers with free same-day, one-day and two-day shipping on many products, along with access to Prime Video, Amazon Music, Prime Reading, and discounts at Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh.
Anmuth said the value of the various aspects of a Prime membership make the subscription worth about $1,430 per year, an estimate that is “~10x the $139 annual Prime subscription cost, +6% from our estimated value of ~$1,345 in 2024, & more than double the $544 value in 2016.”
The e-commerce giant has been introducing new benefits and “scaling existing offerings” for Amazon Prime in recent years, making it increasingly more valuable, according to the J.P.Morgan analyst.
Anmuth highlighted Amazon’s expansion of its fulfillment network and last-mile transport network, as well as an increased emphasis on “regionalized fulfillment infrastructure” and other initiatives when it comes to logistics.
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The research note also mentioned Prime’s grocery benefits, complimentary Grubhub+ memberships for U.S. users, new shopping features and the investments the company has been making in its video streaming service.
Amazon and GrubHub started making a free GrubHub+ membership available to Prime subscribers in the U.S. “as an ongoing offer” in May of last year, even giving them the ability to place orders through Amazon’s website and app.
Prime “is a key driver of the Amazon flywheel and helps Amazon build a loyal customer base,” according to the J.P.Morgan analyst.
In the note, Anmuth suggested a Prime price hike of $20 in the U.S. could bring Amazon a roughly $3 billion boost in “incremental annualized Net sales.”
He also indicated J.P.Morgan doesn’t think an increase in the price next year would cause “significant churn” or negatively impact membership growth.
This year, the bank estimated Prime’s membership count will hit roughly 350 million, with international markets offering “strong growth opportunity” in the future.
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Amazon first started offering Prime memberships in 2005, about a decade after the company was first founded by Jeff Bezos.
The e-commerce giant had a market capitalization of over $2.3 trillion as of Monday, making it one of the most valuable companies in the world.