Criminal defense attorney predicts Diddy will have ‘some form of confinement’
After Sean “Diddy” Combs was found guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution, the government argued the rapper should remain behind bars.
The prosecution insisted Diddy is still a danger to the community despite his acquittal on racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. The government pointed to his alleged assault on Jane in June 2024. The assault reportedly occurred while Diddy was under federal investigation and only three months before his arrest.
The rapper was also in possession of drugs and materials for a “freak off” while in New York City before his arrest, according to the government. They argued this proves he is “either unable or unwilling to follow the law.”
The prosecution suggested Diddy should be sentenced to four to five years.
Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer, Donna Rotunno, gave her prediction on whether Sean “Diddy” Combs’ will spend time behind bars after being found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
“I definitely think that he will have some form of confinement,” she told Fox News. “The federal government is not going to put him on any type of house arrest. If the judge sentences him to prison time, he will do that in a federal prison system housing unit.”
However, the criminal defense attorney noted that she doesn’t think Diddy will be away from home for long.
“I don’t think it’s gonna be a very long time. A maximum of 10 years and given the circumstances here and given his no background, his extensive business dealings, I just don’t see that the court will keep him for a 10-year maximum sentence,” Rotunna explained.
Diddy is facing up to 20 years behind bars for his two convictions. Each count of transportation to engage in prostitution
carries a 10-year maximum sentence.
Cassie Ventura’s friend, Deonte Nash, sent a letter to the judge asking for Sean “Diddy” Combs to remain detained ahead of the rapper’s sentencing.
Diddy was convicted on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
Nash, who testified during the trial, noted Combs would be “a serious and immediate threat to victims, witnesses, and the broader community.”
“His pattern of violence – particularly while engaged in the trafficking of individuals for prostitution – combined with unchecked substance abuse, makes it clear that he is not ready to re-enter society safely or responsibly,” the letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, read.
Nash claimed that releasing Diddy would send a message “that wealth and influence can shield someone indefinitely from accountability.”
The former stylist of Diddy and Cassie testified that the rapper had become physically violent with him on at least one occasion. He told the jury that he also witnessed Diddy physically assault Cassie multiple times. Nash, who worked for the “Last Night” rapper from 2008 until 2018, claimed Cassie and Diddy went to hotels nearly every week. To prepare for these hotel outings, Cassie would allegedly pack a duffle bag with sex toys.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
A jury found Sean “Diddy” Combs guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution after seven weeks of witness testimony in the rapper’s trial.
The “I’ll Be Missing You” rapper was acquitted on charges of racketeering conspiracy
and sex trafficking. Diddy’s career requires a “complete overhaul” despite the court win, brand expert Doug Eldridge told Fox News Digital.
“At this point, Diddy is still facing jail time, so the question surrounding his brand really hinges on whether you’re talking about a post-prison or prison-free Combs,” he explained.
“He was always a master marketer, so Diddy will likely try to package and rebrand this as being ‘the victim of a corrupt judicial system.’ But even if that were true, it still came down to a jury of his peers and that reality undercuts the victim high ground he’d almost certainly try to command.”
“If there is a future for Combs, it’ll require a complete overhaul. The only difference between a pile of broken tiles and a beautiful mosaic is how (and whether) you can pick up the pieces and make something entirely new. It remains to be seen whether Combs possesses that ability or will be given that opportunity…”
Sharay Hayes revealed he believes the verdicts in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ trial were “proper.”
The male escort, also known as The Punisher, testified to having sex with Diddy’s ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura while the rapper watched.
“As I have empathy for all involved and their experiences, I do believe todays verdict was the proper one,” Hayes said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Mr. Combs actions at times are clearly not favorably but, in my opinion, align with Domestic Violence.”
“The long-standing partnered relationship dynamics, expression of mutual love and care, coupled with numerous examples of sexual consent made it difficult to shift from a complicated relationship to sex trafficking,” he added. “I hope all involved are on the road to healing and being in a better space in spite of this extremely difficult time.”
Hayes told the jury about the “freak offs” he participated in with the former couple. According to Hayes, he and Cassie would allegedly perform oral sex on each other, while slathered in baby oil, in front of Diddy. The male escort claimed Diddy would direct Cassie’s movements.
Former Danity Kane singer Dawn Richard, who testified in Diddy’s sex trafficking and racketeering trial, reacted to the verdict Wednesday.
“Today’s split verdict is a disappointment, but the criminal charges are different than the civil claims we filed and have been fighting against Sean Combs,” Richard’s attorney, Lisa Bloom, wrote. “We will continue to aggressively fight our case until we obtain full and complete justice for Dawn.”
Richard testified that she told Cassie Ventura
to leave Diddy after witnessing the Bad Boy Records founder’s violent behavior toward his girlfriend. Although Cassie was allegedly torn, Richard testified that Cassie would listen, but she could see the fear.
The singer said she “observed Cassie being attacked.” She alleged that Diddy came downstairs screaming, hit her in the head and beat her.
Richard claimed Diddy “came downstairs angry saying where the f— is his eggs.” She then alleged Diddy grabbed a skillet of eggs and attempted to hit Cassie in the head. Cassie allegedly fell to the ground, anticipating the hit, but it didn’t hit her.
“She went into a fetal position … literally trying to hide her face,” Richard said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Cassie Ventura’s lawyer requested Sean “Diddy” Combs remain behind bars until his sentencing hearing.
“Detention is mandatory post-conviction on these charges, and Ms. Ventura believes that Mr. Combs is likely to pose a danger to the victims who testified in this case, including herself, as well as to the community,” the attorney wrote in a letter.
Cassie testified in the sex trafficking and racketeering trial against Diddy. She claimed she was forced into participating in “freak offs,” where she had sex with male escorts while the rapper watched.
The singer-songwriter claimed she took drugs in order to participate in the sex sessions.
Sean “Diddy” Combs will return to the Manhattan courthouse Wednesday at 5pm ET to find out if he’ll be released pending sentencing.
Diddy has remained behind bars following his September 2024 arrest. After the jury found him not guilty of RICO and sex trafficking, the rapper’s legal team argued for Combs to be released until a sentencing hearing is held.
His defense team argued it would be “inappropriate” for him to remain at MDC Brooklyn while awaiting a decision on his sentence on two counts of transportation to engaged in prostitution.
The disgraced music mogul could be sentenced to 20 years, as each count carries a 10-year maximum.
Prosecutors in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex-trafficking and racketeering trial chose to rest their case against the disgraced music mogul on June 24.
Diddy’s defense team immediately moved for a judgment of acquittal before resting their case. Attorney Alexandra Shapiro argued the government failed to prove the counts against the rapper.
“There’s, at best, thin proof any of the other employees participated,” Shapiro said before noting that “there is no evidence any of them believed he was sex trafficking.”
Shapiro argued the employees “cleaned hotel rooms, but didn’t know any of what happened, aside from them using baby oil, Astroglide, and drank alcohol, and perhaps did drugs.”
Diddy addressed Judge Arun Subramanian. When asked how he was doing, he told the judge, “I’m doing great your honor,” and “thank you, you’re doing an excellent job.”
The judge asked if Diddy understood he had the right to testify or not testify, and if he had discussed his rights with his attorney. Diddy responded, “Yes, thoroughly,” before admitting it was “solely my decision” to not testify.
Fox News’ Kirill Clark contributed to this report.
Diddy’s jury seemed to believe that his relationships were genuine, according to Fox News contributor Paul Mauro.
The jury found the “Last Night” rapper not guilty of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking on Wednesday.
“At the end of the day, the jury did not believe that the sex trafficking was coercive,” the retired NYPD inspector told Fox News Digital.
“They seemed to believe the relationships were genuine and/or transactional. That took those charges and the RICO with it. It argues that the case was overcharged under the evidence the government had.”
Diddy’s ex-girlfriends, Cassie Ventura and Jane, testified throughout the rapper’s seven-week trial. Each claimed they had traveled with Combs to multiple states to engage in “freak offs” or “hotel nights,” where the women were allegedly forced to have sex with male escorts while Diddy watched.
Prosecutors in Sean “Diddy” Combs federal trial cited the Bail Reform Act for keeping the rapper in custody, and said he is “not entitled to release.”
The jury on Wednesday found Diddy not guilty of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. He was found guilty on both counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
“Over the course of seven weeks, the jury heard evidence of the defendant’s violence, interstate transportation of numerous individuals for prostitution, drug use and distribution, and attempts to escape law enforcement detection,” prosecutors wrote in a letter to Judge Arun Subramanian.
“This conduct spanned two decades. At trial, the defendant did not walk away from these facts—indeed, the defendant embraced the fact that he was a habitual drug user who regularly engaged in domestic abuse.”
They added, “The evidence presented over the course of seven weeks showed that the defendant did this repeatedly, including after the defendant undisputedly knew that he was under federal investigation.”
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ legal team proposed release conditions for the rapper to the tune of $1 million.
In a letter sent to Judge Arun Subramanian, Diddy’s defense offered a bail package co-signed by his mother, Janice Combs, his sister and the mother of his oldest daughter.
Additionally, “Mr. Combs’s travel will be restricted to the Southern District of Florida, Central District of California and the Southern District of New York (to attend Court and meet with his counsel) as well as the Eastern District of New York or the District of New Jersey (only to the extent that his travel to and from New York involves an airport in those Districts),” the proposed offer noted.
Diddy would also surrender his passport to pretrial services, in addition to drug testing.
The jury on Wednesday found Diddy not guilty of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. He was found guilty on both counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ defense moved for release of the rapper pending his sentencting proceeding.
In a letter sent to Judge Arun Subramanian Wednesday, Diddy’s legal team cited the jury’s “clear verdict acquitting Mr. Combs of the RICO conspiracy and sex trafficking counts,” and said that “conditioned detention of Mr. Combs is inappropriate.”
“As these proceedings have demonstrated, and as we told the Court from the outset of this case, Mr. Combs came to New York to surrender in order to defend against the government’s charges because he was ‘committed to showing his innocence,’” the defense wrote.
“Since his arrest and detention on September 17, 2024, Mr. Combs has obeyed the Court, respected these proceedings, and demonstrated model behavior at the MDC. And today, the jury unambiguously rejected the government’s allegations that Mr. Combs ran a years-long criminal enterprise or engaged in sex trafficking—the core of the government’s case.”
The jury on Wednesday found Diddy not guilty
of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. He was found guilty on both counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
Sean “Diddy” Combs is now facing up to 20 years behind bars after being found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. The jury found Diddy guilty of transporting his ex-girlfriends, Cassie Ventura and Jane, for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
Each count carries a maximum of 10 years.
The jury acquitted the disgraced music mogul on charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ legal team for his sex-trafficking and racketeering trial in New York is stacked with a high-profile group of lawyers.
Marc Agnifilo
, who represented NXIVM cult leader Keith Raniere, and Brian Steel, who recently represented rapper Young Thug, are among the team of lawyers who were listed on Diddy’s court docket.
The others included Teny Geragos, Anna Estevao, Jason Driscoll, Xavier R. Donaldson and Alexandra Shapiro.
Since the musician had a hefty legal team, experts have estimated the price tag for his eight-week trial and months of pretrial motions and preparations will cost him a pretty penny.
Criminal defense attorney John Day told Fox News Digital that he estimates Combs’ trial will cost him $15 million “for the entire package.” “This is literally a ‘money is no object’ defense,” Day said.
The jury on Wednesday found Diddy not guilty of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. He was found guilty on both counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Janelle Ash and Larry Fink.
After Sean “Diddy” Combs
was found not guilty of sex trafficking and racketeering, crowds gathered outside the Manhattan courthouse. A woman took her clothes off while maybe 50-60 people filmed her.
A man sprayed baby oil on onto her while people cheered. Court officers did not allow press cameras in the vicinity.
Fox News’ Marly Carroll contributed to this report.
The verdict in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal trial was not surprising, attorney David S. Seltzer told Fox News Digital.
“This verdict is not a shock,” Seltzer said. “The Government brought State Court charges in Federal Court, at huge taxpayer expense and man hours. The Government charged Mr. Combs as a mobster, yet they were only able to prove that he is a sexual deviant, likes sex toys, and not boyfriend material.”
Seltzer added, “Additionally, the Government was unable to prove any evidence of a criminal enterprise, which was the crux of their indictment. Given the expedition, Mr. Combs now has the strong possibility of being home for Christmas since his estimated federal guidelines are now in the 1-3 year range. That’s a big defense verdict.”
The jury on Wednesday found Diddy not guilty
of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. He was found guilty on both counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
The government reacted to the not guilty verdict in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking and racketeering trial. The rapper was found guilty on two counts of transportation to engaged in prostitution.
“Sex crimes deeply scar victims, and the disturbing reality is that sex crimes are all too present in many aspects of our society,” representatives for the Southern District of New York and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) said in a statement. “Victims endure gut-wrenching physical and mental abuse, leading to lasting trauma. New Yorkers and all Americans want this scourge stopped and perpetrators brought to justice.”
“Prosecuting sex crimes requires brave victims to come forward and tell their harrowing stories. We and our law enforcement partners recognize the hardships victims endure and have prioritized a victim-centered approach to investigating and prosecuting these cases.”
Hollywood immediately reacted after the jury in the Sean “Diddy” Combs sex trafficking and racketeering trial reached a verdict on all counts Wednesday.
The jury on Wednesday found Diddy not guilty
of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. He was found guilty on both counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
Rosie O’Donnell shared on Instagram, “Guess a jury just never wants to believe that a woman stays because of power and coercion—wow—they just think women stay because what? money—fame—‘they love the abuse.’ What a f—ing joke. This decision got me angry.”
Rapper 50 Cent also reacted.
“Diddy beat the Feds,” he wrote, “that boy a bad man ! beat the Rico.”
Queen Latifah shared her thoughts on Diddy’s ex-girlfriends who testified against the disgraced rapper during the intense nearly two-month trial as well as “all the other people harmed over the decades.”
“Please send prayers for Cassie and all the other people harmed over the decades. All that evidence and people still don’t believe women the first time,” she wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox New’s Stephanie Giang-Paunon.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’
family showed up to court throughout the trial to support the disgraced music mogul. The family returned to the courtroom right before 1pm ET as the rapper awaited a decision on whether he’d be released until sentencing.
The jury on Wednesday found Diddy not guilty of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. He was found guilty on both counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
Diddy’s mother, Janice Combs , along with his children, Chance Combs, Jessie Combs, D’Lila Combs, Justin Combs, Quincy Brown, King Combs and Christian Combs sat in the courtroom as opening statements began in May for the rapper’s trial. His mother and a handful of his children have attended previous court hearings.
Diddy’s children have defended their father since his arrest in September.
“The past month has devastated our family,” they wrote in a joint post shared in October. “Many have judged both him and us based on accusations, conspiracy theories, and false narratives that have spiraled into absurdity on social media.”
Sean “Diddy” Combs was found not guilty of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking on Wednesday morning.
The case against Diddy proved to be a “total failure” by the prosecution, who made a number of “fatal self-induced errors,” former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told Fox News Digital.
“Today’s verdict
is nothing less than a complete and total failure by the prosecution in what will go down as the most expensive prostitution trial in American history. The jury didn’t believe any of the victims. Cassie was discredited because of her emails and text messages saying she enjoyed the freak offs. Mia didn’t tell law enforcement or prosecutors that she was sexually assaulted, and she posted on social media that she loved Diddy. Jane accepted money and gifts from Diddy and he continues to pay her rent, so the jurors concluded that she knew what she was getting herself into and that it was a transactional relationship.”
“The sex trafficking charges were weak because of the overwhelming evidence of consent. The prosecution’s only real chance of a victory was racketeering and to prove a non-sex related predicate act like kidnapping, arson, extortion, or bribery. The fact that the jury even rejected that argument shows the many flaws in the prosecution’s case.”
“The government made a number of fatal self-induced errors. They included Gina in the indictment as victim 3 when they didn’t have assurances that she would show up, and she went missing days before trial. They failed to lean on and flip key members of Diddy’s inner circle like KK and D-ROC. They didn’t anticipate that the victims’ messages and social media posts would be used against them and failed to elicit the bad testimony during their direct examination to take the sting out of cross. The prosecution didn’t call any of the sexual assault victims who filed civil lawsuits who did not have a romantic or professional relationship with Diddy. Victims who were minors can’t consent, so that avoids the defense’s best argument. And victims who don’t have a relationship with Diddy wouldn’t have messages expressing admiration for him.”
“The big question in the case was why did the victims stay if they were abused? The prosecution failed to answer that question. And the prosecution in the Harvey Weinstein retrial also failed to answer that question.”
“Even though the Mann Act carries a potential 10 year maximum sentence, Diddy is going to get time served or close to it. His sentencing guideline range may be as low as 15-21 months. Judge Subramanian should grant him bail today, and Diddy should be a free man. The jury has spoken and prosecutors in the prestigious Southern District of New York should take this very embarrassing loss and move on.”
Cassie Ventura’s lawyers spoke out after jurors reached a verdict in Sean “Diddy” Combs federal trial.
The jury found on Wednesday Diddy not guilty of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. He was found guilty on both counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
“This entire criminal process started when our client Cassie Ventura had the courage to file her civil complaint in November 2023,” Cassie’s lawyer, Doug Wigdor, said in a statement.
“Although the jury did not find Combs guilty of sex trafficking Cassie beyond a reasonable doubt, she paved the way for a jury to find him guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution. By coming forward with her experience, Cassie has left an indelible mark on both the entertainment industry and the fight for justice.”
Wigdor added, “We must repeat – with no reservation – that we believe and support our client who showed exemplary courage throughout this trial. She displayed unquestionable strength and brought attention to the realities of powerful men in our orbit and the misconduct that has persisted for decades without repercussion. This case proved that change is long overdue, and we will continue to fight on behalf of survivors.”
The jury in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking and racketeering trial reached a verdict on all counts Wednesday.
The jury found Diddy not guilty of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. He was found guilty on both counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
COUNT 1 – RICO: NOT GUILTY
COUNT 2 – SEX TRAFFICKING, CASSIE VENTURA: NOT GUILTY
COUNT 3 – MANN ACT TRANSPORTATION, CASSIE VENTURA: GUILTY
COUNT 4 – SEX TRAFFICKING, JANE: NOT GUILTY
COUNT 5 – MANN ACT TRANSPORTATION, JANE: GUILTY
A federal RICO violation can result in a 20-year sentence. The transportation to engage in prostitution charge could carry a sentence of up to 10 years, while sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion may carry a 20-year sentence.
Obama-appointed judge halts Trump’s border crackdown as Miller slams ‘marxist’ ruling
A federal judge on Wednesday blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order that sought to prevent migrants crossing the border from seeking asylum or applying for withholding of removal in the U.S., a major blow to Trump as he looks to further enforce his broad immigration crackdown.
U.S. District Judge Randolph Daniel Moss, an Obama appointee, said Wednesday that Trump’s Jan. 20 proclamation, which sought to block all migrants “engaged in the invasion across the southern border” from claiming asylum or seeking withholding of removal, exceeds his authority — siding with the ACLU, who brought the suit on behalf of several migrants groups and 13 asylum-seekers earlier this year.
The group urged the court in February to block Trump’s proclamation from taking force, arguing that the action was “as unlawful as it is unprecedented.”
Moss said Wednesday that Trump “lacks the inherent constitutional authority” to supplant federal statutes governing removals.
JUDGES V TRUMP: HERE ARE THE KEY COURT BATTLES HALTING THE WHITE HOUSE AGENDA
“To hold otherwise would render much, if not most, of the INA simply optional,” he added in the 128-page opinion.
Moss also stayed the order for a 14-day period to allow the Trump administration to seek emergency relief and appeal the case to a higher court.
The judge also granted plaintiffs’ request to certify a class of migrants who would were either subject to Trump’s proclamation heard by the court or would be subject to it in the future.
The class certification also allows the lawsuit to proceed under the new limitations set forth by the Supreme Court last week in Trump v. CASA. That ruling limited the scope of injunctive relief that lower courts can provide to plaintiffs, except in certain cases, including challenges brought by a certified class.
Moss said Wednesday that neither the U.S. Constitution nor the Immigration and Nationality Act give Trump “the sweeping authority asserted in the proclamation and implementing guidance,” Moss said, adding: “An appeal to necessity cannot fill that void.”
JUDGES V TRUMP: HERE ARE THE KEY COURT BATTLES HALTING THE WHITE HOUSE AGENDA
Moss stayed the order for a 14-day period to allow the Trump administration to seek emergency relief and appeal the case to a higher court.
The decision was blasted by Trump adviser Stephen Miller, who described Moss as a “marxist” judge in a post on X.
“To try to circumvent the Supreme Court ruling on nationwide injunctions a marxist judge has declared that all potential FUTURE illegal aliens on foreign soil (eg a large portion of planet earth) are part of a protected global “class” entitled to admission into the United States,” Miller said.
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The news comes as Trump has sought to prioritize hard-line immigration policies in his second presidential term. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments earlier this year over another order Trump signed, which seeks to end birthright citizenship in the U.S.
The administration has also cracked down on deportations, invoking a 1798 wartime immigration law to more quickly send hundreds of migrants to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador earlier this year.
ICE flips script on Los Angeles mayor after telling authorities to ‘go home’
Immigration and Customs Enforcement clapped back at Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass after she suggested that federal immigration authorities “go home.”
“We would like for the ICE raids to stop. We would like the array of federal officials or civilians dressed as federal officials to go home,” she said at a news conference on Tuesday held in response to the Department of Justice’s lawsuit against the city’s sanctuary policies.
When asked if there could be a deal made between ICE and the Department of Homeland Security, she doubled down.
LA MAYOR BASS CLAIMS IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT CREATING GHOST TOWN EFFECT COMPARABLE TO COVID LOCKDOWNS
“I don’t know if there’s a deal to be made. Like I told you, the deal that needs to be made is for them to go home,” the Democrat said.
ICE directly responded, noting that they will continue their operations in the city and in the region.
“ICE isn’t going anywhere and will continue to do what Mayor Bass has utterly failed to do – protect the citizens of Los Angeles. If she wants distance from federal law enforcement, I’m sure there is an upcoming diplomatic trip to Ghana,” Emily Covington, assistant director, ICE Office of Public Affairs, said in a statement to Fox News.
LA MAYOR HITS BACK AT TRUMP MARINE DEPLOYMENTS SAYING ‘WE DON’T WANT THEM HERE’
The comment hearkened back to the mayor’s controversial visit to the African country earlier this year, which she visited to attend the country’s presidential inauguration.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE
She returned from the trip as fires were ripping through the city of Los Angeles, which destroyed significant portions of the beach-side community of Pacific Palisades.
The National Weather Service warned about the fire risk before she left on the trip, and the Los Angeles Times reported that her staff were aware that fires were possible. Bass later expressed regret over the trip, saying it was a mistake to travel at the time.
“Absolutely it is, and I think that I have to demonstrate that every day by showing what we’re doing, what is working, what are the challenges,” Bass said in an interview with NBC Los Angeles in February.
MAYOR KAREN BASS’ HANDLING OF LA RIOTS ADDS TO DECADES OF POLITICAL BAGGAGE
The mayor re-entered the national spotlight in June as anti-ICE protests and riots broke out in the city, amid news that the agency was conducting illegal immigration sweeps in the area. President Donald Trump then deployed the National Guard, which resulted in a legal challenge from Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. Bass said ICE and the National Guard served as instigators for the civil unrest, which she condemned the violent elements of while encouraging peaceful protest.
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“Last Thursday, ICE entered our city and provoked the city by chasing people through Home Depots and car washes and showing up at schools and, today, showing up at emergency rooms and homeless shelters,” Bass said last month.
“ICE intervened as a pretext to federalize the National Guard, and then, in the White House, the National Guard was complimented for the work that they did to keep peace in the city Saturday night. But I will tell you, the Guard didn’t even arrive here until Sunday. They used this as a pretext to send the U.S. Marines into an American city, which will target our own citizens,” she added.
Caitlin Clark finally claps back at WNBA opponents during team’s victory celebration
Caitlin Clark has finally snapped back at her opponents.
Since making her WNBA debut last year, Clark has been the victim of hard fouls on the court and cultural wars off of it.
The cries from fans saying Clark’s opponents are jealous of her have been loud and clear, and they were recently amplified when players ranked her the ninth-best All-Star guard in the WNBA.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Well, it appears Clark is hitting back.
The Indiana Fever won the WNBA’s Commissioner’s Cup, an in-season tournament, with their 74-59 win over the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night, and the team celebrated in the locker room with some champagne and vodka seltzers.
Fever forward Aaliyah Boston took to Instagram Live to give a behind-the-scenes look at the celebration when Clark, who did not play due to a groin injury, took a shot.
“Guys, I just know everybody in the league is sick,” Clark is heard saying from out of the shot.
The teammates replied with laughter, with Boston adding, “They’re p—ed.”
SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS AS FELLOW PLAYERS RANK CAITLIN CLARK 9TH-BEST ALL-STAR GUARD: ‘THESE GIRLS ARE LAUGHABLE’
While celebrating, Clark also voiced an opinion on the tournament and the $500,000 prize for the winning team.
“You get more (money) for this than you do if you’re the (WNBA Finals) champion. It makes no sense. Someone tell [WNBA commissioner] Cathy [Engelbert] to help us out,” she said in another video.
It’s been reported that WNBA champions win an extra $20,000, but the in-season tournament winnings come out to around $30,000 per player.
Clark was the first overall pick last year after becoming the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer in both men’s and women’s Division I basketball. Her games in both college and the pros have been among some of the most-watched of all time. Her return from a calf injury on June 14 garnered 2.2 million viewers, the third-most watched WNBA game ever on ABC. The game peaked at 2.8 million viewers, a 76% increase from last season’s regular-season average on the network.
The WNBA had its most-watched regular season in 24 years last season and its highest attendance in 22 years.
Ahead of the WNBA season, the Fever had the 10 most in-demand games on StubHub, with most of their games being moved to larger capacity venues.
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Despite this, Angel Reese once said that the rise of women’s basketball “is not just because of one person – it’s because of me, too.” A’ja Wilson also once said that Clark’s race was a “huge thing” when it came to her popularity.
Liberal judges toss 176-year abortion ban after record-breaking $100M election battle
The Wisconsin Supreme Court’s newly elected liberal majority on Wednesday voted to strike down a near-total state abortion ban, voting 4-3 to overturn the stringent, 176-year-old law.
The decision reflected a deeply partisan split, with all four liberal justices voting to invalidate the 1849 abortion law and the three conservative justices dissenting.
It also crystallized the impact of the state’s Supreme Court election earlier this year that raked in millions of dollars in donations, the highest amount in U.S. history for a judicial race. It included involvement from then-Trump ally Elon Musk, former President Barack Obama and others.
Writing for the majority, Justice Rebecca Dallet said the law had been superseded by more recent precedent, including a 1985 statute that allowed for abortions up to the point of fetal viability, or around the 20-week mark.
AFTER STINGING ELECTION DEFEATS, DNC EYES RURAL VOTERS AS KEY TO 2026 MIDTERM SUCCESS
“We conclude that comprehensive legislation enacted over the last 50 years regulating in detail the ‘who, what, where, when, and how’ of abortion so thoroughly covers the entire subject of abortion that it was meant as a substitute for the 19th century near-total ban on abortion,” Dallet wrote.
“Accordingly, we hold that the legislature impliedly repealed [the 1849 ban] to abortion, and that [that law] therefore does not ban abortion in the State of Wisconsin.”
Conservative Justice Annette Ziegler, in a dissent, described the ruling as “a jaw-dropping exercise of judicial will” and charged that the liberal justices ruled on the matter based on their personal preferences.
The 1849 law, and efforts to revive it, came to the fore in Wisconsin in 2022, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade — effectively snapping back into place the state law that had been dormant for decades.
JUDGES V, TRUMP: HERE ARE THE KEY COURT BATTLES HALTING THE WHITE HOUSE AGENDA
The Wisconsin law made it a felony for individuals in Wisconsin to perform abortions, including when the health of the woman was at risk, and without exceptions in cases of rape or incest.
Though the law was not enforced by the state in recent years, at least some Republicans had urged the state Supreme Court to keep it in place, prompting opponents to push more urgently for it to be struck down.
The 4-3 decision puts to rest the possibility that it could be revived.
NINTH CIRCUIT REJECTS TRUMP’S BID TO REINSTATE BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP ORDER
It’s also the clearest sign to date of the impact that liberals on the bench could have after they regained the court majority in 2023 for the first time in 15 years.
The closely watched state Supreme Court race in Wisconsin was the most expensive judicial election in U.S. history, attracting more than $100 million in donations and far eclipsing the $56 million spent on the state Supreme Court race just two years earlier, according to figures compiled by the Brennan Center for Justice.
Susan Crawford ultimately beat out conservative candidate Brad Schimel, who was backed by President Donald Trump and Musk.
Musk personally donated $3 million to the Wisconsin Republican Party earlier this year, while his two super PACs spent more than $17 million on Schimel’s behalf.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers praised the state Supreme Court decision Wednesday, describing it as a win “for women and families” and healthcare professionals in the state.
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“Three years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court upended five decades of precedent and threw reproductive freedom in Wisconsin and across our country into chaos,” Evers said in a statement. “I promised then to fight like hell to ensure every Wisconsinite has the freedom to consult their family, their faith and their doctor and make the reproductive healthcare decision that is right for them, and I’ve never stopped.
“Today, the Wisconsin Supreme Court upheld that basic freedom.”
Feds to airdrop millions of radiation-treated flies in bizarre border operation
The federal government is planning to breed millions of flies and dump them over Mexico and Texas via airplanes in an effort to combat a flesh-eating maggot.
The pest being targeted is the flesh-eating larva of the New World Screwworm (NWS) fly. The Department of Agriculture plans to ramp up the breeding and distribution of adult male flies. The flies will be sterilized with radiation before they are released.
They mate with females in the wild, and the eggs laid by the female aren’t fertilized and don’t hatch. There are fewer larvae, and over time, the fly population dies out.
US SHUTS SOUTHERN BORDER TO LIVESTOCK IMPORTS TO STOP SPREAD OF DEADLY FLIES
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of Agriculture.
The USDA expects a new screwworm fly factory to be up and running in southern Mexico by July 2026. It plans to open a fly distribution center in southern Texas by the end of the year so that it can import and distribute flies from Panama if necessary.
The New World Screwworm was considered to be eradicated in the U.S. since 1966, but has recently emerged as a threat following an outbreak in Mexico.
In May, the news triggered a shutdown of cattle, horse and bison imports along the southern border, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins announced at the time.
FLESH-EATING NEW WORLD SCREWWORM COULD POSE HEALTH RISKS TO CATTLE, HUMANS
“Due to the threat of New World Screwworm I am announcing the suspension of live cattle, horse, & bison imports through U.S. southern border ports of entry effective immediately,” she wrote on X.
The pest is endemic in Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and some South American countries, according to the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Despite being found in forests and other wooded areas, they often seek hosts like cattle or horses in pastures and fields, per the above source.
A female fly will often lay eggs in a wound or orifice of a live, warm-blooded animal. The eggs then hatch into larvae (maggots) that burrow into the flesh, causing potentially deadly damage.
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Between 1962 and 1975, the U.S. and Mexico bred and released more than 94 billion sterile flies to eradicate the pest, according to the USDA.
McMahon slams Newsom for WWE clip mocking Title IX ultimatum amid trans athlete feud
EXCLUSIVE: Last week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s press office made a social media post mocking the latest announcement by the U.S. Department of Education that the state had violated Title IX by allowing trans athletes in women’s sports.
Newsom’s press office X account mocked U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon with an old clip of her being body-slammed during a WWE skit. The clip was of current Knox County Mayor Glenn Thomas Jacobs, also known as “Kane,” hitting McMahon with move known as the “tombstone piledriver” during an episode of “Monday Night Raw” in the early 2000s.
The post incited mass backlash by Californians and women’s rights activists across the nation. Now McMahon has responded to the controversial social media post.
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“I think what that said is that Gavin Newsom doesn’t really take this seriously at all. And I was surprised that that was the clip that he used,” McMahon told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview.
“He was trying to be funny on a very serious matter. We have women who are training to compete in these sports who lose scholarship and sponsorship opportunities, who get injured, who are compelled to be in dressing rooms or their intimate spaces with men, and that is absolutely unfair.”
McMahon pointed out that her office also used a clip of Newsom, but a more recent one of the governor saying on his podcast that he believes letting trans athletes compete in women’s and girls sports is “deeply unfair.”
“Here’s what was so funny: We also put online the actual footage of Gavin Newsom saying it was unfair on his own podcast. So I had sent him a letter. I said, basically, ‘Put your money where your mouth is, because you talk about how this is unfair, but you don’t do anything to change,’” McMahon said.
WHITE HOUSE RESPONDS TO NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN PROBE OF SJSU TRANS ATHLETE ALLEGEDLY CONSPIRING TO HARM TEAMMATE
McMahon said in an appearance on “Fox & Friends” last Wednesday that California would be at risk of losing its federal funding for its K-12 schools if the requirements are not met.
A press release by the U.S. Department of Education states that California’s high school sports league, the CIF and the California Department of Education (CDE) have 10 days (from last Wednesday) to amend their policy or risk referral to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Newsom’s office responded to the Education Department’s announcement later last Wednesday.
“It wouldn’t be a day ending in ‘Y’ without the Trump Administration threatening to defund California. Now Secretary McMahon is confusing government with her WrestleMania days — dramatic, fake, and completely divorced from reality. This won’t stick,” Newsom spokesperson Izzy Gardon told Fox News Digital.
The Department of Education and other branches of President Donald Trump’s administration are fighting the issue on multiple fronts, with an active lawsuit against the state of Maine for refusing to comply with Trump’s mandate on the issue. The administration is also in a standoff with Minnesota over the issue.
McMahon, the DOE and the Trump administration as a whole took a big step forward in their campaign to combat trans athletes in women’s and girls sports on Tuesday, announcing an agreement with the University of Pennsylvania.
The agreement ensured UPenn apologizes to all women’s swimmers who were affected by the inclusion of trans swimmer Lia Thomas in the 2021-22 season, all of Thomas’ program accolades are rescinded, and the school will adopt biology-based definitions for the words “male” and “female.”
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McMahon hopes UPenn’s agreement sends a message to states that are defying Trump.
“Our sincere hope is that they absolutely recognize what they’re going to have to do relative to comply with Title IX. It is the law,” McMahon said. “There are federal funds that have been withheld and withdrawn, so there’s penalties involved in this. But it’s actually just the right thing to do. It’s common sense to do, that men should not compete in women’s sports.”
MS-13 boss who ordered Long Island teen girls’ machete murders faces sentencing
An MS-13 gang leader from the suburbs of New York City is expected to be sentenced Wednesday in a federal racketeering case involving eight murders, including the 2016 slayings of two Long Island teenage girls.
Also known as “Blasty” and “Plaky,” Alexi Saenz pleaded guilty last July to his role in ordering and approving the killings as well as other crimes during a rash of bloody violence that prompted President Donald Trump to make several visits to Long Island promising to eradicate the criminal organization.
Among the killings Saenz oversaw were the deaths of Kayla Cuevas, 16, and Nisa Mickens, 15, lifelong friends and classmates at Brentwood High School who were brutally slain with a machete and a baseball bat. Other victims included Javier Castillo, 15, of Central Islip, who was befriended by gang members only to be hacked with a machete in the head, neck, torso and extremities in an isolated marsh. His remains were buried and not found until a year later.
Another victim, Oscar Acosta, 19, was found dead in a wooded area near railroad tracks nearly five months after he left his Brentwood home to play soccer.
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Cuevas and Mickens were honored during Trump’s 2018 State of the Union address, with the victims’ parents in attendance.
During his first term, Trump announced in 2020 that the Justice Department would be seeking the death penalty against Saenz.
Under the Biden administration, however, Attorney General Merrick Garland informed federal prosecutors in November 2023 that the DOJ was pulling its intent to seek capital punishment against Saenz or his brother, Jairo Saenz.
Saenz’s lawyers are seeking a sentence of 45 years behind bars, but federal prosecutors want the judge to impose the maximum sentence of 70 years and argue Saenz deserves to live out his days in prison for his “senseless” and “sadistic” crimes.
“The eight victims who lost their lives did nothing to deserve what the MS-13 did to them,” prosecutors wrote in legal filings ahead of Wednesday’s hearing. “The defendant and the others killed them in service of the gang without remorse or any regard for them as human beings.”
But Saenz’s lawyers have argued for leniency, saying in their own legal filings that the now-30-year-old is remorseful and “on a journey of redemption” while incarcerated.
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“With the passage of time and much reflection, it is hard for Mr. Saenz to reconcile the person he is today with the person he was when he committed the crimes,” their sentencing memo reads. “He is profoundly sorry, and although he knows the families may not accept his apology, it is sincere, and he accepts full responsibility for his participation in these crimes.”
Saenz’s lawyers also say he suffers from intellectual disabilities and lasting trauma from an abusive father and difficult upbringing in El Salvador. They say Saenz was recruited and unwittingly “groomed” into MS-13 because he was an “easily influenced” and “gullible” high school student on Long Island.
Prosecutors, however, counter that Saenz has remained “firmly entrenched” in MS-13 while in a federal lockup in Brooklyn for the past eight years. They cited photos of him posing with other gang members behind bars and displaying gang signs and gang paraphernalia. They also say Saenz has been disciplined for assaulting other inmates, refusing staff orders and possessing sharpened metal shanks, cellphones and other contraband.
“Indeed, the same pattern of violence and mayhem that has marked his life on the street has not waned with the passage of time,” prosecutors wrote.
The DOJ says Saenz was the leader of an MS-13 “clique” operating in Brentwood and Central Islip known as Sailors Locos Salvatruchas Westside.
He admitted in July 2024 that he’d authorized the eight killings and three other attempted killings of perceived rivals and others who had disrespected or feuded with the clique.
Saenz also admitted to arson, firearms offenses and drug trafficking – the proceeds of which went toward buying firearms, more drugs and providing contributions to the wider MS-13 gang.
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Trump designated MS-13, or Mara Salvatrucha, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in February, shortly after beginning his second term.
‘Oasis at the bottom of the world’ attracts wealthy Americans fleeing uncertainty
A new trend has emerged among America’s elite as New Zealand’s Active Investor Plus visa — also dubbed the “golden” visa — sees a recent boom.
“[There has been] a flood of formal interest in the new ‘golden’ visa,” said New Zealand Immigration Minister Erica Stanford, according to Reuters.
In April, the government relaxed its visa rules to attract more high-net-worth individuals, with such changes as removing an English language requirement.
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The country also reduced the amount of time required to spend in New Zealand.
Once the golden visa is obtained, it can be held for life. People do not need to reapply.
In under three months, 189 golden visa applications were received, while previous applications were at 116 submissions over the span of more than two-and-a-half years, Reuters reported.
Nearly half the applications were submitted by U.S. citizens, with Chinese citizens having the second-highest number of applications, the same source noted.
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Former New Zealand Minister for Economic Development Stuart Nash, co-founder of Nash Kelly Global, told Fox News Digital the visas are getting more popular.
“There’s a lot of global uncertainty at the moment,” he said.
“You’ve got a war going on in Europe, you’ve got the tinderbox, which is the Middle East. You’ve got a change in the U.S. administration, which is causing more polarization than we’ve seen in a long, long time,” said Nash.
“There are many Americans wanting to settle in New Zealand, as we’re seen as this oasis at the bottom of the world,” he added.
“You can live the New Zealand dream.”
Nash pointed to New Zealand’s “stable banking system” and lack of capital gains, wealth and death taxes.
“In this time of global uncertainty, geography is just as important as anything else. You jump on a plane and you’re 1,200 miles away from trouble spots,” said Nash.
He added, “In the past, people were looking for tax havens. Now they’re looking for safe havens for them and their family.”
Nash said the country’s low population is a unique perk.
“We have wonderful scenery, sailing, golf — and we have some pretty cool people,” Nash said.
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He added, “You don’t have to renounce your U.S. citizenship at all. You can get permanent residency for life and you can live the New Zealand dream.”