Massive blaze threatens 4,000 homes as officials warn ‘winds can shift at any moment’

Firefighters battling the Oregon Flat Fire, which has so far torched nearly 22,000 acres, could face setbacks if the latest weather conditions shift, officials cautioned Monday.

The raging blaze, which is only 5% contained, has destroyed homes and buildings. Thousands of families have been forced to evacuate. 

“The winds here can shift at any moment and that could change everything,” Jason Carr, public information officer for the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, told Fox News Digital.

About 4,000 homes are still under evacuation notice, including 1,000 families ordered to “go now.” 

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Officials have since mapped 827 structures still at risk within the fire’s wide perimeter. Carr said crews were cautiously optimistic Monday afternoon after building new containment lines in the south Oregon area.

“The weather has cooperated, in the sense that we had a small disturbance come through which provided some cloud cover and raised the humidity levels,” he said.

“That has helped tamp down fire activity, but that could change at any moment if the winds shift or the sun comes back out,” he said.

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Despite modest progress, officials stressed the volatility of the blaze. Spot fires remain a constant threat, sparked when embers jump existing fire lines.

“They can create spot fires and smaller fires outside the perimeter that crews then have to attack,” Carr explained.

Governor Tina Kotek invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act on Friday, enabling additional state resources. Fire officials had confirmed no new evacuation orders as of Sunday evening, a sign the fire had not advanced into new neighborhoods. While containment remains minimal, authorities emphasized that hundreds of homes have been spared thanks to aggressive firefighting and residents’ proactive reduction efforts.

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“We are deeply saddened by the loss of homes and personal property. We are also encouraged that hundreds of homes have been protected thanks to aggressive firefighting efforts,” said Deschutes County Sheriff Ty Rupert.

Residents are under Level 1 (Be Ready), Level 2 (Be Set), and Level 3 (Go Now) evacuation levels. 

A Red Cross shelter is also operating in Redmond, and the Jefferson County Fairgrounds is housing large animals.

With hot, dry weather forecast to return, officials said the next few days will be critical.

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“We’re certainly hopeful we don’t end up in the situation we were in last week,” Carr warned.

“With triple-digit heat, 10% humidity and high winds, this really pushed the fire quickly.”

Cracker Barrel loses big in markets after woke brand fiasco triggers outrage

Cracker Barrel investors are still taking a cautious tone despite the restaurant chain’s mea culpa on Monday over its brand remake, which was quickly labeled woke, alienating core customers. 

Shares ended the session fractionally lower but have lost over 10% since the announcement last week, erasing over $143 million in market value, as tracked by Dow Jones Market Data Group. 

By comparison, the S&P 600, the benchmark which includes the restaurant chain, has gained over 2.4%. While the larger S&P 500 is off 0.07%. 

“If the last few days have shown us anything, it’s how deeply people care about Cracker Barrel. We’re truly grateful for your heartfelt voices,” the company said. “You’ve also shown us that we could’ve done a better job sharing who we are and who we’ll always be” the company said in a statement Monday.  

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The company said what has not and “will never change” are the values Cracker Barrel was built on when the Lebanon, Tennessee-based chain first opened in 1969.

Those values, the statement read, are “hard work, family, and scratch-cooked food made with care.”

Last week, CEO Julie Felss Masino made the rounds promoting the change, including an appearance on ‘Good Morning America’ in which host Michael Strahan asked her what if all the customers are coming at you hard enough about the look of the restaurant, and they want to go back to the old way?”

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She responded with, “Honestly, the feedback’s been overwhelmingly positive, that people like what we’re doing.”

Backlash ensued from customers after the company removed “Uncle Herschel” leaning against a barrel from its longstanding logo, replacing it with a more modern text-only design. 

Conservative activist Robby Starbuck called out the company for so-called woke policies and spotlighted board member Gilbert Davila, 61, and his focus on DEI initiatives, as well as his company, DMI Consulting, which promotes DEI projects. 

CRACKER BARREL BOARD MEMBER UNDER DEI FIRE

In response to Starbuck’s allegations, Cracker Barrel told FOX Business:

“Mr. Davila is an expert in multicultural marketing and advertising, with experience including market segmentation, data management and digital marketing. His service as a marketing executive with Fortune 500 companies has provided insights for Cracker Barrel, where we serve around 200 million guests annually across the country.”

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Cincinnati assault suspect finds trouble with feds after viral beating

A suspect described by prosecutors as “the man who started” the viral July 26 downtown Cincinnati beatdown faces new legal trouble, this time with the federal government. 

Jermaine Mathews, 39, has been indicted on federal drug charges, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio announced in a Monday afternoon release. 

“According to the superseding indictment, Mathews is responsible for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl,” said United States Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “He is also charged with operating a premises on Kenton Street in Cincinnati for the purpose of trafficking narcotics.” 

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“Mathews, who was described as a primary ‘coordinator’ of the July 26 brawl in downtown Cincinnati, was on bond after being charged locally with aggravated riot and assault,” the release said. “He was arrested today by federal agents and Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office RENU officials on the superseding indictment.”

Three other Cincinnati men were charged as co-conspirators. 

Mathews was initially arrested and charged with aggravated riot and assault on July 30. He posted a $100,000 bond and was released from jail. 

He and five others were later charged with three counts of felonious assault, three counts of assault and two counts of aggravated rioting for their alleged participation in the assault that occurred at around 3 a.m. outside LoVe, a nightclub in the downtown business district of Cincinnati. 

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Upon his arraignment for the new charges on Aug. 14, Mathews’ bond was kept at $100,000. 

His lawyer, Brandon Fox, declined to comment. 

He becomes the second of eight people who have been arrested in connection with the beating to be charged federally. In both cases, the federal charges are unrelated to the alleged assault.

On Aug. 13, Montianez Merriweather, 34, was charged with illegally possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. 

The latest person charged in the incident was one of the victims, 45-year-old Alex Tchervinski. He can be seen slapping one of the perpetrators in the viral video, and has been charged with disorderly conduct. 

Tchervinski’s lawyer, Douglas Brannon, said his client was allegedly hit in the head 28 times and robbed during the attack, while trying to protect his girlfriend and another friend during the melee. 

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“What this has done, it has made Alex a victim now for the second time by bringing criminal charges against him,” Brannon told Fox News Digital. “What actually occurred is Alex was hit multiple times, before he slapped back in an attempt to try and defend himself and back off this group of thugs.” 

Americans flee to Canada seeking refugee status as numbers spike dramatically

As America’s elite increasingly seek “golden” visas across the globe, others are seeking “refugee status” closer to home.

Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Board released data highlighting a spike in Americans moving to the Land of the Maple Leaf.

The data, shared Thursday, found that more Americans applied for refugee status in Canada in the first half of 2025 than in all of 2024, Reuters reported.

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There have been 245 refugee claims so far this year, with 204 claims filed last year.

The 245 Americans who applied surpassed the numbers of each previous full year since 2019, according to Reuters.

While the data does not specify the reasons Americans are seeking refugee status, many reports suggest political disagreements with the Trump administration.

Yale philosophy professor Jason Stanley, for example, told the Financial Times (FT) he accepted a position at the University of Toronto and cited academic freedom concerns.

“I believe in the values of academic freedom and defending democratic institutions … Not the idea that the proper response to authoritarians is to hide and hope you’re not next,” Stanley said.

Historians Timothy Snyder and Marci Shore also accepted positions at the University of Toronto, according to FT.

Leading up to the 2024 presidential election, various celebrities publicized their plans to move if President Trump was re-elected. 

Sharon Stone, Cher and Barbra Streisand all threatened to relocate, Fox News Digital previously reported. 

Streisand once said she wouldn’t be able to “live in this country if he becomes president,” while Stone said she was “certainly considering a house in Italy.”

David Lesperance, a lawyer who represents ultra-high net-worth families, told Axios he is seeing people move to the U.K.

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“A lot of the movement that we’re now seeing of Americans moving … would be people who don’t want to live in Trump’s America,” said Lesperance.

Canada-based Mohamed Bennis, an associate vice president at Arton Capital, previously spoke with Fox News Digital about the increase in “golden” visas.

Political divisions, said Bennis, have influenced wealthy Americans to weigh their options.

They’re not necessarily changing their primary residences, but they might be acquiring the freedom to have another option. 

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He said that Malta, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Portugal are becoming increasingly popular for Americans seeking residency or citizenship through investment.

Fan-favorites Beth and Rip return in ‘Dutton Ranch’ as Oscar nominee joins cast

Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly will be returning to the “Yellowstone” universe.

Fox News Digital confirmed that Hauser and Reilly will be reprising their roles as Rip Wheeler and Beth Dutton in the “Yellowstone” spin-off that has a working title of “The Dutton Ranch.” 

The new series’ storyline will pick up right after the “Yellowstone” series finale. 

A description of the show reads, “Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler are grateful for the peace they sought, fought, and nearly died for with their 7,000-acre Dutton Ranch. With tough times and stiff competition, Beth and Rip do what they must to survive, all while ensuring Carter becomes the man he’s supposed to be.”

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Academy Award nominee, Annette Bening, will be joining the cast as Beulah Jackson, “the powerful, cunning and charming head of a major ranch in Texas.” 

“With tough times and stiff competition, Beth and Rip do what they must to survive, all while ensuring Carter becomes the man he’s supposed to be.”

Finn Little will also be returning in his role as Carter, the young boy Beth and Rip took under their wing.

“Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan will serve as producer on the show, alongside Reilly and Hauser. Other executive producers include: David C. Glasser, John Linson, Art Linson, Ron Burkle, David Hutkin, Bob Yari, Michael Friedman, Chad Feehan, Christina Voros and Keith Cox.

Aside from “Yellowstone,” Sheridan already has “1883” and “1923” as prequels to the main show. “The Madison,” starring Michelle Pfeiffer, is expected to be released this year.  

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In April 2024, Hauser told Country Living that he knew Sheridan had a few things up his sleeve for Beth and Rip’s love story.

“But I know that there’s some stuff on the horizon when it comes to Taylor’s ideas for Kelly Reilly and myself, and some of the other cast. I’m excited to see where he goes creatively with that. But right now, it’s just: Let’s finish strong; let’s do the best we can,” Hauser said at the time.

In an interview with Radio Times in March 2024, Reilly advised “Yellowstone” fans not to pay attention to everything they read ahead of the finale and also made a subtle hint that Beth Dutton’s story was not over.

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“I just care about finishing [the main show] with as much care and as much passion and as much love as I can muster to put into it,” she told the outlet. “That’s what I care about. I’m sort of prepping for that now [and] that’s my tunnel vision thing that I care about most. And what goes on beyond that? There are discussions, you know. Don’t believe everything you read. It’s just nonsense. But we’re gonna, you know, let’s wait and see. I don’t have an answer right now. But we’ll see.”

The second installment of the fifth season of “Yellowstone” premiered in November. The finale of the series, which starred Kevin Costner, aired in December. 

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Critics slam DNC speaker who said migrant crime, carjackings ‘don’t matter’ to many Americans

Insha Rahman, vice president of advocacy and partnerships of the far-left criminal justice reform group, Vera Institute of Justice, caused an uproar on social media after she told Democrats on Monday that migrant crime and carjackings “don’t matter to that many Americans.”

During a political strategy session about crime and safety at the Democratic National Committee’s summer meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Rahman urged Democrats to seize on President Donald Trump’s crime crackdown, calling it a “political liability.”

“Trump is not about safety,” Rahman said. “This is a political power grab, and he will do it however he can, whether that’s at the ballot box or taking over our cities.”

While Rahman focused her remarks on how Democrats can reject Republicans’ “tough on crime scare tactics,” the Vera Institute, where the Democratic strategist serves as a senior official, has a long record of supporting defunding the police. 

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“We must dismantle the current culture of policing in the United States,” the Vera Institute said in a 2020 statement during the anti-police protests that erupted across the country after George Floyd, a Black man, was murdered by a White police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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The liberal criminal justice think tank went on to affirm their support for “the outrage we’re seeing,” and announced they were “building on this unique moment of public awareness, outrage, and calls to defund the police.”

Fox News Digital has covered the Vera Institute for years, including its ties to former President Joe Biden’s Justice Department and billionaire liberal megadonor George Soros. 

The Vera Institute has advocated for defunding the police and has openly stated their mission is to demolish a “racist” criminal justice system. 

Fox News Digital discovered in 2022 that the non-profit secured a staggering $171.7 million federal contract to provide legal assistance to unaccompanied minors, according to a federal database. 

“Don’t take the bait in talking about migrant crime or carjackings or the things that actually don’t matter to that many Americans, and then go to the policy proposals that we think work,” Rahman instructed Democrats on Monday.

This clip went viral Monday afternoon with conservatives slamming Rahman for her rhetoric and pointing out her organization’s ties to the Defund the Police movement.

“Who has given money to the George Soros-tied Vera Institute?” conservative communicator Steve Guest posted on X. “The Biden DOJ, the Open Society Foundations, Rockefeller, Tides, the Ford Foundation and MacKenzie Scott. Vera Institute in turn supports BLM and numerous left wing causes. FOLLOW THE MONEY!”

“This Democrat Speaker is a member of the Vera Institute of Justice which advocates for defunding the police,” the Republican National Committee’s research account posted on X.

“She makes over $300k in salary according to last year’s tax filings, and the Vera Institute brought in around $140 million in revenue,” the Project for Immigration Reform posted on X.
 

Trump last week floated the deployment of federal law enforcement to address major U.S. cities, including Chicago, after mobilizing more than 2,200 National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., to fight a “crime emergency.”

The president signed an executive order on Monday, seeking to eliminate cashless bail for suspects arrested in the nation’s capital. 

Rahman said Democrats should respond by saying, “They want money and privilege and to give a handout to the bail bondsman while we want to make sure safety, not wealth, determines who stays in jail and who goes home to their families.”

She also advised Democrats not to let Trump “take credit” for crime going down. 

“It’s going down in spite of him and because of Democratic leadership like mine. That is the phrase you want to use. Don’t be afraid of the crime debate. Lean all the way in. Call out what Trump is doing and say, ‘The reason crime is going down, our communities are becoming safer, is because of us,'” Rahman said. 

Regarding questions about defunding the police, Rahman said Democrats should “call out the scare tactics.”

“I’m not about scare tactics or slogans,” she said Democrats should tell their Republican opponents. “I’m not afraid to have an honest conversation.”

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“We keep expecting police to solve every social problem. No one profession can do that. We’re spending too much and putting too much burden on them. It’s time to pry out some promising new solutions to lift the burden. It’s time for support and change, not blame,” she added. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the DNC and Vera but did not immediately receive a response. 

Young woman’s life cut short after hospital visit for routine procedure

A 22-year-old law graduate recently died after suffering a rare but catastrophic allergic reaction during a routine CT scan, shining a spotlight on the risks of a procedure millions undergo every year.

Letícia Paul, who had recently earned her law degree and was pursuing postgraduate studies in real estate and business law, went into anaphylactic shock moments after receiving an iodinated contrast dye, Jam Press reported. 

The incident occurred at Hospital Regional Alto Vale in Rio do Sul, in Santa Catarina, Brazil.

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Doctors intubated the young woman and placed her under intensive care, but she died on Aug. 20, less than 24 hours later.

Paul had originally visited the hospital for a scan linked to her history of kidney stones.

In a statement, the hospital said it “regrets the loss and extends its condolences to the family,” adding that all procedures followed recommended clinical protocols, per Jam Press.

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According to one study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, approximately 93 million computed tomography (CT) examinations are performed on 62 million patients annually in the U.S.

Contrast-enhanced CT scans are often performed with iodinated dye, helping doctors capture sharper images of organs and tissues. 

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The procedure is generally considered safe, but in rare cases, the contrast can trigger allergic reactions.

“Although rare, medical problems or allergic reactions can happen with contrast material,” Mayo Clinic warns. 

“Most reactions are mild and result in a rash or itchiness. More rarely, an allergic reaction can be serious, even life-threatening.”

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Studies show that severe reactions occur in roughly one in 5,000 to one in 10,000 scans.

While hospitals are typically equipped to handle such emergencies, in some cases, even immediate intervention may not be enough.

Paul’s funeral was held on Aug. 21 in Rio do Sul, followed by cremation in Balneário Camboriú, as reported by NeedToKnow.

While most people experience only mild symptoms, experts advise patients to alert a healthcare professional if they notice a reaction to contrast material.

Trump admin brings down notorious cartel boss who ‘will die in a US federal prison’

Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada — co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel — pleaded guilty Monday to leading a criminal enterprise and racketeering.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the plea in Brooklyn, saying Zambada confessed to a lifetime of crime with the Sinaloa Cartel, labeled a foreign terrorist organization. 

“Thanks to the relentless work of our prosecutors and our federal agents, El Mayo will spend the rest of his life behind bars. He will die in a U.S. federal prison where he belongs,” Bondi said. “His guilty plea brings us one step closer to achieving our goal of the elimination of the drug cartels and the transnational criminal organizations throughout this world that are flooding our country with drugs and human traffickers and homicides.”

Over the past three decades, Zambada and his accomplices made billions of dollars by importing poisonous drugs like fentanyl into the U.S., Bondi noted. Zambada founded the Sinaloa Cartel alongside Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.

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While the cartel initially built their businesses through cocaine, it turned to heroin and fentanyl under Zambada’s leadership.

“They purchased fentanyl precursor chemicals from China. They made the drug in Mexico and flooded it into our communities, killing our kids,” Bondi said. “El Mayo also ensured that the Sinaloa Cartel operated and protected its drug trafficking business by relying on extreme violence.”

For instance, she explained the cartel used military-grade weapons and directed hitmen to kill their adversaries. The cartel also committed “gruesome” assassinations, kidnappings and horrible crimes to maintain discipline within the organization, she added.

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Zambada is also accused of paying bribes to government officials to control corrupt officials and officers, who in turn protected his workers and drug shipments as they traveled from Mexico to the U.S.

“El Mayo’s crimes have been so prolific that in the past two decades, he’s been indicted in no fewer than 16 federal courts across our country, 16 from Western District of Texas to Chicago to here in the Eastern District of New York. He escaped justice for decades,” Bondi said. “But under President Trump’s leadership, he has finally been brought to justice.”

The Department of Justice (DOJ) said Zambada had previously been charged by indictments filed in the Eastern District of New York, the Western District of Texas, the District of Columbia, the Northern District of Illinois, the Southern District of California and the Central District of California.

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Under the plea agreement, Zambada agreed to the transfer of the Western District of Texas indictment to the Eastern District of New York for plea and sentencing. With that agreement, he is also being held accountable in the Eastern District of New York for the crimes in both indictments. All other indictments will be dismissed when Zambada is sentenced on Jan. 13, 2026.

He faces a mandatory minimum term of life in prison for leading a continuing criminal enterprise and a maximum sentence of life in prison for racketeering.

He also agreed to a $15 billion forfeiture at sentencing.

Sought by American law enforcement for more than two decades, Zambada has been in U.S. custody since July 25, when he landed in a private plane at an airport outside El Paso in the company of another fugitive cartel leader, Joaquín Guzmán López, according to federal authorities.

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Zambada later said in a letter that he was forcibly kidnapped in Mexico and brought to the U.S. by Guzmán López, one of El Chapo’s sons.