Fox News 2025-08-08 20:10:16


‘No safe harbor for criminals’: White House deploys federal forces to combat DC crime

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President Donald Trump has directed federal law enforcement to increase its presence throughout Washington, D.C., following a concerning surge in violent crime, including an incident in which a former DOGE worker nicknamed “Big Balls” was brutally beaten in the streets this week.

Trump signed an executive order in March establishing the “Making DC Safe and Beautiful Task Force.” Now the administration is taking a whole-of-government approach by deploying additional law enforcement to increase presence and improve overall public safety in the nation’s capital city, according to a source familiar with the plans.

The operation, which will use both local and federal law enforcement agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, DEA and others, begins at midnight on Thursday and will initially last for seven days with the option to extend “as needed.”

Law enforcement will focus on improving safety in high-traffic tourist areas and other known hotspots.

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In a statement to Fox News, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced “there will be no safe harbor for violent criminals in D.C.” beginning on Thursday night.

Washington, DC is an amazing city, but it has been plagued by violent crime for far too long,” Leavitt said. “President Trump has directed an increased presence of federal law enforcement to protect innocent citizens. Starting tonight, there will be no safe harbor for violent criminals in D.C.”

She added, “President Trump is committed to making our Nation’s capital safer for its residents, lawmakers, and visitors from all around the world.”

The source familiar with the plans noted that stamping out the “out-of-control violent crime plaguing DC” has been an “ongoing priority” for the president and that the move is him delivering on his campaign promise to restore the capital city.

TRUMP THREATENS TO FEDERALIZE DC AFTER EX-DOGE EMPLOYEE ‘BIG BALLS’ VIOLENTLY BEATEN

Among the priorities laid out in Trump’s executive order, he directed the task force to deploy a more robust federal law enforcement presence and coordinate with local law enforcement in the District of Columbia, including the National Mall and Memorial Parks, museums, monuments, Lafayette Park, Union Station, Rock Creek Park, Anacostia Park, the George Washington Memorial Parkway, the Suitland Parkway, and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.

The order also instructs the task force to review and, if needed, revise federal prosecutorial policies on pretrial detention of criminal defendants to ensure individuals who pose a threat to public safety are detained to the maximum extent permitted by law.

Additionally, the order instructs the task force to direct maximum enforcement of federal immigration law, redirecting federal, state or local law enforcement resources to apprehend and deport illegals throughout the area.

WATCH: TRUMP HINTS HE WILL FEDERALIZE DC SOON, BRING IN NATIONAL GUARD AFTER ‘BIG BALLS’ ATTACK

The source said the additional law enforcement will be devoted to protecting D.C. residents and visitors from the “scourge of violent crime plaguing” the city.

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“President Trump promised to Make DC Safe Again on the campaign trail – this is another promise kept,” they said.

Gutfeld reveals wild night with Fallon during ‘Tonight Show’ appearance

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Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld revealed how he first met fellow late-night host Jimmy Fallon during his Thursday appearance on NBC’s “The Tonight Show.”

After giving Fallon a warm embrace, Gutfeld quipped that it “brought back memories.”

“This is hilarious – we’ve met before,” Fallon began. 

“Yes, you have no memory of it,” Gutfeld responded. “Which is understandable, because we were wasted.”

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The “Gutfeld!” host said their encounter took place at an “illegal speakeasy” in Hell’s Kitchen roughly 15 years ago owned by their mutual friend Tracy, saying the inside looked “like a place where special ops forces waterboard terrorists.”

“You’re not making this up. I totally know what you’re talking about,” Fallon interjected as his memory was coming back to him. “I think I remember bringing beer into the bar, and then him charging me for my own beer.”

“That’s Tracy. He’s very cheap, but if you want somebody dead, he’ll do it,” Gutfeld joked. 

Gutfeld then said he and Fallon saw each other, and the latter’s eyes lit up.

FOX NEWS CHANNEL DOMINATES ALL OF TELEVISION IN JULY, CNN HITS ROCK BOTTOM AMONG KEY DEMO

“And you run towards me, and you tackle me, like you’re a giant golden retriever,” Gutfeld recalled. “You’re like on top of me. And so we’re wrestling. We’re wrestling. And then you change, and you start wrestling my buddy Andy, and you’re wrestling him. And you guys get on the ground. You guys are now on the ground wrestling.” 

“What?!” Fallon reacted in disbelief.

“Yes,” Gutfeld told him. “So I pull out a cigarette. I light a cigarette, and I’m smoking it, and you stop, and you come over to me, and you grab it, and you crinkle it, and you go, ‘These things will kill you!’ and you threw it. And then I go, ‘Dude, I’m not rich. You’re rich.’ Cigarettes are expensive in New York City. I yell, and all of a sudden, your face changed, and you looked sad, and then you left.”

But, Gutfeld revealed, Fallon returned with a fresh pack just five minutes later and handed it to his future guest.

“I go, ‘That was really sweet. You want me to die,'” Gutfeld said, as Fallon and the audience laughed. 

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“I’m sorry I tackled you,” Fallon said later with a grin. 

“It was all very good-natured, and it was a great memory,” Gutfeld told the NBC host. “And I’m so glad I finally got to tell you!”

“I’m so happy,” Fallon replied. “That’s a true story… I remember. All the details you said are correct.”

Gutfeld and Fallon also discussed his FOX Nation game show, “What Did I Miss?”, where contestants who’ve been isolated for months try to pick real news from fake news, as well as Gutfeld’s winding path to his top-rated hosting gigs on “Gutfeld!” and “The Five.”

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Melania scores victory as Carville apologizes for comments about first lady

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First lady Melania Trump shared an X post in triumph on Thursday after Democratic strategist James Carville retracted claims disputed by her lawyer.

Carville opened his latest episode of the Politics War Room podcast with a legal note, abandoning his usual folksy and avuncular style for a more serious tone. 

“In last week’s podcast episode, we spoke with Judd Legum,” he said. “After the episode, we received a letter from Melania Trump’s lawyer. He took issue with our title of one of those YouTube videos from that episode and a couple of comments I made about the first lady. We took a look at what they complained about, and we took down the video and edited out those comments from the episode. I also take back these statements and apologize.”

Melania Trump shared a screenshot of the above apology’s transcript and a crossed-out screenshot of a video of the episode titled, “The Epstein connection: Trump & Melania.”

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Melania Trump’s dispute was about how Carville characterized how she met her future husband.

An aide to the first lady, Nick Clemens, told Fox News Digital in a statement, “First Lady Melania Trump’s attorneys are actively ensuring immediate retractions and apologies by those who spread malicious, defamatory falsehoods. The true account of how the First Lady met President Trump is in her best-selling book, ‘Melania.’”  

Last week, The Daily Beast pulled an article detailing allegations by journalist Michael Wolff that Melania Trump was introduced to her husband Donald Trump via a modeling agent connected to Jeffrey Epstein, after a challenge from the first lady’s lawyers.

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The outlet shared an Editor’s Note in place of the article, declaring, “After this story was published, The Beast received a letter from First Lady Melania Trump’s attorney challenging the headline and framing of the article. After reviewing the matter, the Beast has taken down the article and apologizes for any confusion or misunderstanding.” 

Colorectal cancer diagnoses soar among younger adults for one key reason

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Updated cancer screening guidance has reportedly caused a spike in diagnoses among younger Americans.

According to two studies by the American Cancer Society (ACS), there’s been a recent surge in colorectal cancer in people aged 45 to 49.

ACS scientists found that after 15 years of stable colorectal cancer (CRC) trends, U.S. diagnoses of local-stage disease skyrocketed in this age group from 2019 to 2022 — including a 50% relative increase from 2021 to 2022.

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“It is promising news, because the uptick in cases is likely due to first-time screening in the wake of new recommendations for younger, average-risk adults to begin testing for colorectal cancer earlier,” lead author Elizabeth Schafer, an associate scientist and cancer researcher at ACS, commented in a press release.

In 2018, ACS lowered the recommended age for CRC screenings from 50 to 45. The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) enforced the same guidance in 2021.

In the first study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the researchers analyzed CRC diagnoses from 2004 to 2022 among adults aged 20 to 54, sorted by age, location and stage at diagnosis.

‘WESTERN DIET’ BLAMED FOR GROWING RISK OF GI CANCERS AMONG YOUNG ADULTS

Diagnoses have increased by 1.6% each year since 2004 in the 20 to 39 age group, and by more than 2% annually since 2012 in those aged 40 to 44 and 50 to 54.

A 1.1% annual increase in people 45 to 49 years old accelerated to 12% per year from 2019 to 2022.

The ACS confirmed the increase was driven by the detection of local-stage tumors, which increased by nearly 19% each year for colon cancer and more than 25% for rectal cancer in that timeframe.

Before this period, colon cancer detection rates had been stable, and rectal cancer detection rates had been declining.

RARE CANCER DIAGNOSES SURGE DRAMATICALLY AMONG MILLENNIALS AND GEN X

Advanced-stage disease also continues to steeply increase, ACS reported, rising from 1.7% to 2.9% annually since 2004 among adults under 45 and “even more rapidly” in the past 10 years in those aged 45 to 54.

These findings led to another ACS study, also published in JAMA, which found that CRC screening among U.S. adults between 45 and 49 increased by 62% from 2019 to 2023.

The scientists analyzed the data of more than 50,000 individuals to compare changes in screening. They found that CRC screening, which was at 20% in 2021, jumped to 37% in 2023.

Among 45- to 49-year-olds, colonoscopy screening increased by 43%, and stool-based testing increased more than five times from 2019 to 2023.

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Lead author Jessica Star, associate scientist at ACS in Atlanta, considers it “thrilling” to see this increase in screening among younger individuals, as it’s likely linked to earlier-stage diagnoses.

“However, we still have a long way to go,” she said in the release. “Screening for colorectal cancer in ages 45 to 49 remains suboptimal, and has not increased equitably by both educational attainment and insurance status.”

Paul E. Oberstein, M.D., medical oncologist and assistant director of the Pancreatic Cancer Center at NYU Langone Perlmutter Cancer Center, said the increase in screening is “successful in detecting more cancers at an early stage where the chance of cure is very high.”

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“This ultimately should mean that fewer people are diagnosed later in life and fewer people have advanced colon cancer,” Oberstein, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.

“This study reinforces the need to focus research on understanding the causes of colon cancer increases – and possible steps to reduce these cases.”

The rate of colon cancer in those under 45 remains “substantially lower,” he noted, “so it is not clear yet if universal screening at a younger age is beneficial.”

Some specific patients who are younger than 45 may benefit from earlier screening, however, such as those with a family history or personal risk factors, the oncologist added.

EXERCISE PROGRAM REDUCES COMMON CANCER RECURRENCE AND BOOSTS SURVIVAL

As colon cancer continues to increase in younger individuals, Oberstein recommends contacting a doctor if any concerning symptoms are noticed.

Dr. Craig Eagle, chief medical officer of Guardant Health in California, added that early detection is “crucial,” noting that the five-year survival rate for CRC is over 90% when the disease is caught in early stages.

“[This] plummets to 13% in late stages when symptoms usually appear,” Eagle, who also was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital.

“The rise in diagnoses for those in their 40s is an alarming reminder that screening must be easier and more accessible to reach the 50 million Americans who remain unscreened.”

‘We are going back to basics’: Hegseth eyes return of banned military training tactic

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is considering reversing a ban on the “shark attack,” the time-honored aggressive practice used by drill sergeants to train U.S. Army recruits in basic training.

The practice was usually employed at the beginning of training by having several drill sergeants swarming trainees and yelling in their faces at the top of their lungs.

“It starts at basic training. It starts at our military academies,” Hegseth said Thursday during an appearance on “The Will Cain Show.” 

“We are going back to basics. Drill sergeants will be drill sergeants with knife hands who ensure, who maintain good order and discipline and train up great recruits who will make great formations. Just like we need military officers with that same rigorous discipline and background. So, we’re going back to the basics, and it’s bearing fruit.”

HEGSETH VOWS TO RESTORE WARRIOR MENTALITY AND RAISE STANDARDS IN SWEEPING MILITARY TRANSFORMATION

The Army began phasing out the shark attack in recent years and largely ended it in 2020. It was replaced by the ‘First 100 Yards,’ a more structured training exercise designed to build camaraderie and encourage teamwork under stress.

“‘The First 100 Yards’ is a U.S. Army trainee’s first exposure to their Basic Training (BCT), Drill Sergeants, and their first opportunity to begin their transformation as members of the world’s most potent and lethal fighting force,” the U.S. Army Center for Initial Military Training posted on Facebook. “‘The First 100 Yards,’ a homage to their lineage of closing the last 100 yards of the fight, incorporates teamwork into a competition that features mental and physical challenges on the day they arrive to their basic training company.”

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The act of replacing the shark attack grew out of deliberations at the Army Infantry School in Fort Benning, Georgia. Senior leaders believed the practice was outdated but stressed at the time that the Army was not going soft despite the absence of the in-your-face pile-on trainees were subjected to. 

Supporters of the shark attack said it helps trainees transition from civilian to military life and prepares them for the chaotic environment some will experience on the battlefield

“The secretary is very excited to be making basic training great,” Defense Department press secretary Kingsley Wilson said Thursday. “Again, I can confirm that he’s going to be looking at basic training and making sure that the standards are where they should be. 

“We want our warfighters to be strong, and that starts in basic training, and we want to make sure we really, again, go back to basics. And shark attacks are going to be something that he is looking at reinstating.”

One Army unit recently reversed a ban on “tossing bays,” another traditional practice in which drill sergeants overturn bunks and mattresses, wall lockers, garbage cans and other items in the bays where enlisted trainees sleep, forcing them to clean the area. 

A July 31 memo by Col. Christopher J.C. Hallows, commander of the 197th Infantry Brigade, which trains infantry soldiers, announced that bay tossing was “strictly prohibited.”

Drill sergeants will not ‘toss’ the bay to include flipping mattresses, knocking over wall lockers, touching and/or damaging Trainee personal items or equipment,” the memo states. “Drill sergeants will not use bay ‘tossing’ for any reason to include methods of corrective action.”

On Sunday, Hallows issued another memo reversing the ban. 

On Thursday, Hegseth noted that bay tossing and the shark attack have been part of basic training for decades. 

“It’s the basic stuff that anyone who went through any form of basic training for decades understood as a recruit, you were going into a crucible,” he said. “You were going to be forged. You were gonna be challenged. You were to be scared, nervous and anxious.

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“And by coming through that, you are gonna be forged an American warrior. A shark attack is when drill sergeants surround one particular enlistee, right?” he added. “Creating a stressful situation that they have to figure out how to manage. Bed tossing inside barracks after you’ve had a long day doing map out on the range or walk in patrol — this is basic stuff. This is not beyond what’s been done. This is a restoration.”

Indianapolis star quarterback sustains injury in first preseason game after brutal hit

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Indianapolis quarterback Anthony Richardson sustained an injury in his first preseason game of 2025 Thursday night when he was sacked by the Baltimore Ravens’ David Ojabo.

Ojabo had a clean run at Richardson and appeared to injure the quarterback’s finger. After the sack, Richardson jogged to the sideline and was replaced by Daniel Jones.

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Jones stayed in at quarterback for the team’s next offensive series.

Richardson guided the Colts to a field goal on his first drive.

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The plan for Indianapolis prior to the game was for Richardson to start and play 1½ quarters, with Jones playing half a quarter.

‘The truth shall set you free’: Conservative actress wins battle against Disney

Disney settled a wrongful termination lawsuit on Thursday that was filed by former “Star Wars” actress Gina Carano, bringing to an end a years-long dispute.

“I have come to an agreement with Disney/Lucasfilm @disney @Lucasfilm which I believe is the best outcome for all parties involved. I hope this brings some healing to the force… I hope to make you proud. I am excited to flip the page and move onto the next chapter. My desires remain in the arts, which is where I hope you will join me,” Carano said in a statement. 

Carano, 43, was fired from her role as Cara Dune in the “Mandalorian” in February 2021, after Disney objected to a controversial social media post she wrote. The actress maintained that she had lost her job for her conservative views, and was wrongfully discriminated against.

The former MMA star has been vocal about her conservative views on social media, voicing her opposition to Black Lives Matter, COVID lockdowns and transgender dogma. Carano came under fire after she posted a picture of a Jewish woman beaten savagely in the city of Lwow while it was occupied by the Germans during World War II, and compared the hatred conservatives in the U.S. were experiencing at that time to that experienced by the Jews during the Holocaust.

GINA CARANO SAYS CO-STAR PEDRO PASCAL ADVISED HER TO ‘JUST PUT #TRANSRIGHTS IN YOUR FEED’ TO APPEASE FANS

“Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighbors…. even by children, because history is edited, most people today don’t realize that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbors hate them simply for being Jews. How is that any different from hating someone for their political views?” the actress posted at the time. 

Disney fired her from the hit “Star Wars” spinoff and accused Carano of “denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities” in a statement. She was also dropped by her talent agency, UTA. Carano sued Disney in 2024 for putative damages alleging wrongful termination and discrimination. She also demanded the studio recast her in her role. The lawsuit was backed by Elon Musk as part of an initiative where his social media platform, X, would fund the lawsuits of anyone who felt they were wrongfully discriminated against by their employer due to something they posted on the app. 

Disney filed a motion in April 2024 to have the suit dismissed, claiming they had a First Amendment right not to associate their brand with Carano’s views. The actress blasted the entertainment giant on her social media in response, claiming that Disney had shown they “will fire you if you say anything they disagree with” and alleging her former employers had mischaracterized her statements. In a statement announcing the settlement Thursday, Disney reversed course and said Carano was “always well respected” by her colleagues and vowed to try to work with her again “in the near future.”

GINA CARANO ON DISNEY FIRING FROM ‘THE MANDALORIAN,’ ‘DANGEROUS’ CANCEL CULTURE: ‘I WAS FIGHTING FOR MY NAME’

“The Walt Disney Company and Lucasfilm are pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement with Gina Carano to resolve the issues in her pending lawsuit against the companies. Ms. Carano was always well respected by her directors, co-stars, and staff, and she worked hard to perfect her craft while treating her colleagues with kindness and respect. With this lawsuit concluded, we look forward to identifying opportunities to work together with Ms. Carano in the near future,” Disney said in a statement. 

“… and the truth shall set you free,” Carano posted on X on Thursday. 

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Trump’s nuclear submarine chess move should send chills down Putin’s spine – and yours

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Forget Tom Cruise and Top Gun 3. After President Donald Trump’s astonishing comments about repositioning Ohio-class nuclear submarines, perhaps Hollywood should remake The Hunt for Red October. The classic 1990 submarine thriller starred former 007 actor Sean Connery as a Russian navy captain trying to prevent nuclear war by defecting to the United States with the Soviet Union’s killer nuclear-armed submarine, the Red October.

The SSBN Ohio-class Trident ballistic missile submarines or “boomers” carry 20 intercontinental missiles with multiple nuclear warheads apiece. They patrol underwater for weeks at a time without resurfacing. U.S. presidents basically never talk about their tactical locations. Yet last Friday, Trump broke that rule for a good reason: reminding Russia that the deadly Trident submarine fleet assures Russia will never win a nuclear war. “I have ordered two nuclear submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that,” Trump wrote Aug. 1.

Trump’s move to put the submarines in position is nuclear signaling that goes well beyond Ukraine. The range of the Trident missiles is about 4,000 miles. For maximum deterrence, the submarines patrol in an area where they are in the optimal range to hold Russian targets at risk. On Sunday, just to make sure, Trump announced that the nuclear submarines were “in the region.”

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Here’s why Trump’s Armageddon chess move with the Ohio-class submarines should send chills down your spine.

Undetectable. Trump was provoked by ex-Russian president Dmitry Medvedev’s remarks on the so-called “dead hand” or Perimeter system, where Russian nuclear weapons allegedly launch automatically even if leadership is knocked out. Trident submarines are a guarantee of deterrence because they cannot be targeted. Russian nuclear warheads on intercontinental ballistic missiles could reach the U.S. in approximately 30 minutes. However, the Trident system is the most secure leg of America’s strategic triad because they are “virtually undetectable in the opaque oceans of the world,” says Submarine Force Pacific, which operates eight Tridents. That means the nuclear weapons on submarines would survive any Russian (or Chinese) strike. For that reason, the submarines are considered the heart of nuclear deterrence.

Multiple warheads. These submarines are enormous. At over 550 feet long, they are nearly two times the length of a football field. Their 18,000-lb. displacement is twice as heavy as a U.S. Navy destroyer and more in line with a World War II aircraft carrier. The Ohio-class has to be big, for they carry 20 Trident II D5 missiles which are themselves 44 feet long. Each missile holds multiple, independently-targeted re-entry vehicles or MIRV for short. Warhead options include 100 kilotons, 400 kilotons and the new low-yield 5 kiloton warhead, deployed in 2020 in case “potential adversaries, like Russia, believe that employment of low-yield nuclear weapons will give them an advantage over the United States and its allies and partners,” the Pentagon said at the time.

They are survivable. No GPS? No problem. The submarines also navigate by ocean-floor bathymetric maps and the missiles fly with old-school inertial guidance systems. Because the boomers are mobile and well-nigh undetectable at sea, they cannot be targeted. Their mission is to lurk at sea to ensure that no Russian pre-emptive strike can take out all of America’s nuclear arsenal. The ultra-quiet Ohio-class takes advantage of the longer Trident II D5 missile ranges to operate in literally tens of millions of square miles of ocean.

China’s building up their nukes. This week, China’s taken a “nothing to see here” attitude, but you know they are monitoring Trump’s every word. A Chinese navy “Great Wall” submarine for the first time joined Russian naval wargames in the Sea of Japan this week. China’s nuclear arsenal surpassed 600 nuclear warhead last year on the way to an arsenal of 1500 by 2035, the Pentagon reported.

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Eighty years have passed since B-29 bombers of the United States Army Air Forces dropped atomic weapons on Hiroshima on Aug. 6 and Nagasaki on Aug. 9. This generation of Americans is not familiar with nuclear posturing. From Kennedy to Reagan, American presidents relied on nuclear-armed submarines at sea to keep the peace. The fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 relaxed the nuclear posture considerably. Then came Putin and his delusions of Russian grandeur at a cost of close to one million casualties in Ukraine.

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Fortunately, America’s nuclear Triad is built so that Putin knows the submarines will always have the last word. The replacement Columbia-class is already under construction, and a high priority for Secretary of the Navy John Phelan.

These boomers truly can go anywhere without a trace. It’s the ultimate deterrent, as the Russians perfectly well know.

Las Vegas casino CEO says tourism drop is due to a ‘mixed bag’ of reasons

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The latest statistics have confirmed the social chatter that Las Vegas tourism has hit a “dramatic low,” with some even calling Vegas an experience of the past.

Even as reports indicate Las Vegas tourism is down overall, Circa Resort & Casino CEO Derek Stevens told Fox News Digital in an interview that the assessment may be “premature.” (See the video at the top of this article.) 

Only 3.1 million people visited Sin City in June, down 11.3% compared to last year, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA).

LAS VEGAS CASINO CULTURE SUFFERS REJECTION BY GAMBLERS OF YOUNGER GENERATIONS

“I think some of the data in Las Vegas indicates that some of these stories are a bit exaggerated,” said Stevens. “The June gaming numbers were just released and not everything is terrible.”

The Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGB) announced that on a statewide level, gaming revenues were $1.33 billion, which is a 3.5% increase from June 2024.

“In specific pockets, like where we at Circa Las Vegas are located in downtown — I think people feel there’s maybe a little better value. Things were really booming,” said Stevens. 

He added, “If you really start unpeeling some layers of the onion in Las Vegas, I think you’re going to find companies that have very specific areas that are a little less subject to the economy and that are doing OK.”

Stevens said he’s spoken with other Las Vegas casino CEOs and said across the industry, there’s a “mixed bag” of opinions regarding the current state of tourism.

“[The] high end is a little less impacted by the economy, and then there are others that are doing well as well,” he said. 

“On the other side, there’s definitely some pretty significant concern about … flights [into the city].”

LAS VEGAS TOURISM DROPS SHARPLY AS SOME VISITORS CLAIM ‘CASINOS ARE EMPTY’ AMID RISING COSTS

The Harry Reid Airport has shown a decline, dropping 4.1% compared to the same time last year, according to the website.

“Clearly, [there are] some concerns with regard to international tourism,” said Stevens.

“I think that’s something that you see in any heavily, heavily visited area, whether it’s San Francisco, Hawaii, Southern California, Las Vegas, Florida,” he added. 

“I think everyone is in a position where you can say we’re missing some of our Canadian friends who aren’t visiting this year,” he also said. 

Nevada is among the top five most visited states by Canadians, according to the U.S. Travel Association. 

“We’re missing some of our Canadian friends who aren’t visiting this year.”

The association warned that the United States could see a 10% reduction in Canadian travel, which is about 2 million fewer visits, according to recent reports. 

Stevens said he believes the lack of international visitors right now may be due to the overall global economy and exchange rates. 

Stevens said Circa has found a niche by being “very sports-oriented,” with the resort and casino drawing in crowds for recent events. 

“UFC has been terrific those particular weekends,” he said, referencing the Ultimate Fighting Championship, headquartered in Vegas. 

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“[The] fights have been great. Now we’re getting into really a boom time of both groups coming for fantasy football drafts, as well as people coming to sign up for our world’s largest football contest in Circus Survivor and Circa Millions.”

Other Vegas properties associated with attractions, said Stevens, are also keeping afloat, such as entertainment events at Sphere and musical concerts this summer.

“I think some properties may be feeling it more than others, but I think that’s something you’re going to see in any type of tourist destination … It doesn’t mean that every sector is necessarily down.”

Amid some uncertainty, he said the industry has come to the realization that the economy has slowed a bit. 

“I think in six months, I would believe that Vegas tourism and our economy overall will be in a much better place,” predicted Stevens.

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He noted the finalization of trade agreements will provide stability and “set the table going forward.”