West Point alumni association cancels planned ceremony honoring Tom Hanks
The official West Point alumni association has canceled an awards ceremony later this month for veterans advocate Tom Hanks, according to a report.
Hanks, who is known for military movies like “Saving Private Ryan” and “Forrest Gump,” was also a former President Joe Biden supporter who has criticized President Donald Trump in the past.
He has received backlash from Trump supporters for his recurring MAGA character Doug on “Saturday Night Live,” who has appeared in “Black Jeopardy” sketches.
He also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from former President Barack Obama in 2016.
Retired Army Col. Mark Bieger, president and CEO of the West Point Association of Graduates, sent the news of the cancellation in an email to members, according to the Washington Post.
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Hanks had been set to receive the Sylvanus Thayer Award for “outstanding” non-West Point graduates who exemplify “Duty, Honor, Country.”
The ceremony was scheduled to be held on Sept. 25.
“This decision allows the Academy to continue its focus on its core mission of preparing cadets to lead, fight, and win as officers in the world’s most lethal force, the United States Army,” Bieger wrote in the email, according to the Post.
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Bieger didn’t specify if just the ceremony was canceled or if Hanks would no longer receive the award.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the alumni association and reps for Hanks for comment.
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The group announced Hanks would receive the award in June.
“Tom Hanks has done more for the positive portrayal of the American service member, more for the caring of the American veteran, their caregivers and their family, and more for the American space program and all branches of government than many other Americans,” Honorable Robert A. McDonald, Class of 1975, WPAOG Board Chairman, said in a statement at the time.
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Hanks called the honor “simply astounding,” adding, “West Point’s legacy of leadership, character, and service to the nation is a powerful example for all Americans. To be recognized by an institution whose graduates have shaped our country’s history through selfless service is both humbling and meaningful.”
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In the announcement, the association also noted Hanks serving as a spokesperson, along with the late Sen. Bob Dole, for the World War II memorial in Washington, D.C., his serving as national chairperson of the D-Day Museum Capital Campaign, and the Elizabeth Dole Foundation naming its veterans caregiving award the Tom Hanks Caregiver Champion Award.
Backlash as first official LGBTQ pilgrimage enters Vatican 1,000-plus strong
Over 1,000 LGBTQ Catholics and their families walked through the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica this weekend as part of a Jubilee pilgrimage listed on the Vatican’s official Holy Year calendar.
The event appeared under the neutral title “Pilgrimage of the Tenda di Gionata Association (Jonathan’s Tent) and other associations” for Sept. 6, 2025 on their website.
The listing marks the first time an LGBTQ pilgrimage has been included in the Vatican’s Jubilee program.
Many pilgrims hailed it as a sign of welcome following Pope Francis’ 12-year papacy, while critics in Catholic media blasted the move as undermining Church tradition.
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Some participants wept as they entered the basilica. “It just felt epic, like I was able to touch the hand of God,” Justin del Rosario told the Associated Press, who carried a crucifix across the threshold with his male partner.
Pilgrims came from the U.S., Italy and Brazil. Groups included DignityUSA, Outreach and a delegation of transgenders from Rome.
Many pointed to Pope Francis’ record, from his 2013 remark, “Who am I to judge?” to his decision allowing priests to bless same-sex couples as paving the way for the pilgrimage. While never changing the Church’s teaching on homosexuality, Francis met repeatedly with LGBT advocates.
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Pope Leo XIV, only months into his papacy, did not mention LGBTQ Catholics during his Jubilee audience but met privately this week with Jesuit Fr. James Martin, who said the Holy Father echoed Francis’ welcoming message.
Vatican officials stressed that adding the pilgrimage to the calendar was logistical, not endorsement. “They are not sponsored activities. Once it is ascertained that there is space, we insert the pilgrimage into the general calendar,” Vatican spokeswoman Agnese Palmucci told Reuters.
Online reaction showed sharp divides.
“Yes, the Vatican’s first LGBTQ+ pilgrimage approved by Pope Francis a few months before his death is taking place this weekend under Pope Leo.” posted Pope Crave (@ClubConcrave) on X.
Others condemned it as a betrayal of doctrine. “F— the Rules inside Saint Peter’s. The LGBT group La Tenda di Gionata makes their entrance into St. Peter’s Basilica today… this is the New Church. Behold the legacy of Pope Francis,” wrote Catholic commentator Michael J. Matt (@Michael_J_Matt) on X, posting photos from the basilica.
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The Vatican did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Florida football suffers embarrassing defeat after player’s vile conduct costs team
Florida Gators defensive lineman Brendan Bett was ejected from Saturday night’s upset loss to South Florida after he spit on one of his opponents.
The crucial moment came on the Bulls’ game-winning drive. Bett came face-to-face with South Florida offensive lineman Cole Skinner and spit right into the player’s facemask.
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Bett was immediately ejected from the game with 2:07 left to play and the Gators were assessed a 15-yard penalty. Seven plays later, Nico Gramatica nailed a 20-yard field goal to give South Florida the 18-16 win.
Bett is a redshirt sophomore who transferred from Baylor. He played in 10 games for the Bears in 2023 but was redshirted during the 2024 season. He saw some action off the bench in the Texas Bowl. He played in 15 defensive snaps against Long Island last week.
South Florida picked up another huge win. The team knocked off No. 25 Boise State last week, 34-7. This time, Florida was the No. 13 team in the nation.
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Bulls quarterback Byrum Brown had 263 passing yards and a touchdown pass in the win. He also picked up 66 yards on the ground. Eight different South Florida receivers had catches.
Gators quarterback D.J. Lagway had 222 passing yards, a touchdown pass and an interception. Jadan Baugh added 93 yards on the ground. Florida went up one point early in the fourth quarter. But the team punted on back-to-back drives.
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The spitting incident is the second that has captured the attention of the football world. Philadelphia Eagles star Jalen Carter was ejected from Thursday night’s NFL opener against the Dallas Cowboys for spitting on Dak Prescott.
72-year-old suffers ‘extensive injuries’ in state’s first bear attack in decades
A 72-year-old man had to be airlifted to the hospital this week after he was mauled by a 70-pound bear in Arkansas, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission spokesperson Keith Stephens confirmed to Fox News Digital.
“His injuries were extensive,” he told Fox News Digital.
He added to the Arkansas Times: “It was a pretty severe attack. It attacked him on his face, his arms, his upper body.”
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Vernon Patton, 72, was listed in critical condition and underwent surgery at the Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville and was then transferred to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
He is now in stable condition but remains in the hospital, Stephens told Fox News Digital.
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It was the first known bear attack in Arkansas in at least decades, Stephens told USA Today. He added that he believes the last attack may have been in the 19th century.
“This incident is highly unusual, as there have been no documented bear attacks on humans in Arkansas in at least 25 years,” he told USA Today.
Patton was working outside in the Mulberry Mountain area of Franklin County when the bear began to maul him, and it was “in the process of attacking him” when Patton’s son showed up.
His son began throwing rocks at the bear, and “It actually kind of charged at [Patton’s son] one time” before running away, Stephens said, according to USA Today.
Officials later euthanized the bear, Stephens said.
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“If we have an animal that attacked a human being, you’ve got to put it down,” he said, according to the Arkansas Times. “You can’t have that happening again.”
Aircraft crashes, bursts into flames in Minnesota, killing all aboard
Authorities say there are no survivors after a helicopter crashed Saturday afternoon near a small airport in the Twin Cities suburbs and burst into flames.
Officers found the downed aircraft, later identified as a Robinson R66, at about 2:45 p.m. local time in an area west of Airlake Airport, according to a statement from the Lakeville Police Department.
Emergency personnel determined there did not appear to be any survivors of the crash.
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It is unclear how many people were onboard the helicopter.
A Robinson R66 is a single-engine turbine helicopter with a glass cockpit that seats one pilot and four passengers.
The crash site is in a non-residential, non-commercial area, and there is no indication of any injuries to those on the ground, according to police.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) told Fox News Digital the helicopter crashed “under unknown circumstances and a post-crash fire ensued.”
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An NTSB investigator is en route to the scene and is expected to arrive in Minnesota Sunday afternoon, officials said.
Once on site, the investigator will document the scene and examine the aircraft. The helicopter will then be taken to a secure facility for further evaluation.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has also been notified and will be responding to the scene, according to police.
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The FAA and NTSB will lead the investigation.
Lakeville, Minnesota is about 20 miles south of downtown Minneapolis, and 25 miles south of St. Paul.
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The City of Lakeville, FAA and NTSB did not immediately respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital.
Doctors warn against common toilet habit tied to health issue: ‘Stand up and move on’
A new study suggests that bringing your smartphone into the bathroom could raise your risk of hemorrhoids by nearly 50%.
Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston found that adults who use their phones while sitting on the toilet face a 46% higher risk of developing the painful condition, according to findings published this week in the journal PLOS One.
The study surveyed 125 adults undergoing colonoscopies and compared their bathroom habits. Of the participants, 66% admitted to using their phones on the toilet.
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People who said they took their phone into the bathroom were 46% more likely to have hemorrhoids compared to the others, regardless of age, weight, sex or fiber intake.
Hemorrhoids, swollen veins in or around the rectum and anus that can cause pain, itching and bleeding, are often linked to straining during bowel movements and prolonged sitting on the toilet.
About 37% of participants who brought their phones into the bathroom sat for longer than five minutes, while only 7% of non-users lingered that long.
Younger adults, particularly those in their 40s and 50s, were especially prone to the habit compared to those over 60. Respondents said they typically used their phones to read news, scroll social media or send texts and emails.
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“Whether someone is reading email or playing a game, the risk likely comes from how long they’re sitting,” said lead author Dr. Chethan Ramprasad, a gastroenterologist at Beth Israel Deaconess and faculty member at Harvard Medical School.
The risk remained even when researchers accounted for other factors, including straining, fiber intake and exercise routines.
“This extended duration may be linked to the passive engagement that smartphones facilitate, potentially resulting in prolonged sitting and increased pressure in the hemorrhoidal cushions,” the researchers wrote.
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Toilets keep the rectum and pelvic floor unsupported compared to sitting in a chair, causing more pressure on rectal veins, according to the researchers.
Ramprasad noted that posture can also play a role and that toilet stools, which prop up the feet and put the body in a more natural squatting position to help eliminate straining, can help, but do not solve the underlying problem.
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“Tools like a Squatty Potty can reduce straining, but they won’t offset the risk of just sitting too long,” he said. “If you’re on your phone for 10 minutes, you’re still exposing those veins to pressure.”
Hemorrhoids are among the most frequent gastrointestinal complaints in the United States, sending nearly 4 million people to clinics and emergency rooms each year, according to BIDMC.
The researchers called for long-term studies to confirm causality and explore prevention strategies. And while younger participants were more likely to use their phones and had higher hemorrhoid prevalence, they can’t say yet if that is because of phone use specifically or other age-related behavior.
In the meantime, Ramprasad advises to keep things moving.
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“Do what you need to do, then stand up and move on,” he said. “Don’t turn the bathroom into a scrolling break.”
Chicago Sky hands down punishment after Angel Reese makes critical remarks
The Chicago Sky decided on Friday how to penalize their most high-profile player.
Angel Reeese will be on the bench for the first half of the Sky’s matchup with the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday, the team announced.
The decision came after the star forward issued remarks that were deemed “detrimental to the team.”
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The punishment is separate from the one-game suspension Reese served Friday night when the Sky faced the Indiana Fever. Reese was assessed her eighth technical foul of the year in Wednesday’s game against the Connecticut Sun.
According to WNBA rules, an eighth technical foul automatically triggers a one-game suspension.
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Chicago suffered a 20-point loss Friday with Reese sidelined, dropping to 10-31 on the season.
The two-time All-Star voiced her frustrations with the franchise, telling the Chicago Tribune that she “might have to move in a different direction and do what’s best for me” if the team doesn’t improve its outlook earlier in the week.
She walked back those comments after Wednesday’s win over Connecticut and had already apologized to the team.
“The Chicago Sky values the safety, respect, and well-being of every player. We are committed to accountability so our players can stay focused on playing basketball,” the team said in a statement. “This matter has been handled and resolved internally, and we are moving forward as a team.”
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Reese, the seventh overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, enters Saturday averaging 14.7 points and a league-best 12.6 rebounds. She has appeared in 30 games this season.
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13-year-old’s massive catch leaves fishing crew ‘ecstatic’ as he eyes new world record
A 13-year-old New Hampshire boy hauled in the catch of a lifetime this week, a massive 177-pound Atlantic halibut that outweighed him and could set a new junior world record.
Jackson Denio, who stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 120 pounds, set out on an overnight deep-sea fishing trip with about 30 other people off Cashes Ledge, a fishing ground off the New England Coast. He caught the fish on Monday morning.
“I think I screamed, honestly,” Denio told The Associated Press. “I don’t know exactly what happened, but I was very excited.”
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Catching a halibut in New England is rare, Denio said, because the fish are more commonly found in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.
“Halibut this size is like a once-in-a-lifetime fish catching in the Atlantic,” he added.
By Monday, those aboard Al Gauron’s Deep Sea Fishing and Whale Watching boat had caught plenty of pollock and other fish when Denio told them he wanted to catch a shark.
He dropped his hook, which was baited with pollock, and, soon after, the line pulled straight down — a telltale sign of halibut.
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“The line was pretty much straight up and down the whole fight, which usually means a halibut,” Denio recalled. “A shark kind of would run up and to the side a little bit, but it was straight up and down. … That’s the way they swim. They move their head and their tail and whack it hard.”
Footage from the trip (see video at top) shows the crew cheering as Denio fought the fish for about 30 minutes before finally tiring it out.
“He did not let go once,” said Jim Walsh, the captain of the boat. “He never let anybody else touch the rod.”
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“We looked and went, ‘Oh my God, look what it is,'” Walsh said.
“It was great,” he added. “We were all ecstatic.”
The fish was officially weighed, photographed and then carved up.
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Denio’s family plans to file an application with the International Game Fish Association under the junior record for Atlantic halibut and under another class that includes all fish.
His mother, Jill Denio, said the family, which is from Hampton, New Hampshire, didn’t know what to think when her son told them he might have caught a record-breaking fish.
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Then, they saw the “monstrosity” of it, she said. “For a kid his size to be able to bring in a 170-something-pound fish is, you know, pretty awesome.”
Atlantic halibut are the largest flatfish in the world and can reach weights of well over 600 pounds.
Denio believes his catch is 20 pounds larger than the existing record, and now he’s aiming to beat his personal best.
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“It makes me want to keep fishing even more and try and beat the record if I can,” he said.
Father forced to surrender son’s prized catch after heated ballpark confrontation
A young Philadelphia Phillies fan got the chance to meet center fielder Harrison Bader after Friday night’s win over the Miami Marlins – a consolation for having to give up Bader’s home run ball following a heated dispute with a woman in the stands.
The incident, which went viral on social media, happened in the fourth inning when Bader hit a solo home run into the left-field stands. Fans scrambled for the ball, including the young boy’s father, who walked away victorious.
But moments later, a woman, also in Phillies clothing, approached the father and son.
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Several videos posted to social media appeared to show the woman shouting at the man, claiming, “You took it from me.”
“That was in my hands,” the woman could be heard repeating.
The father then appeared to take the ball out of his son’s glove and hand it over to the woman, adding, “Bye” before she stormed off.
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But later in the game, the young fan was approached by a Marlins staffer at loanDepot Park, who handed him a gift bag.
“This is for you, I’m so sorry,” the staffer could be heard saying in a video shared on social media.
In the end, the young fan walked away with a souvenir of his own.
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The Phillies shared photos to their social media of Bader meeting with the fan and handing him a signed bat.
“Going home with a signed bat from Bader,” the post read.