Sherrill’s husband reportedly involved in massive cheating scandal rocking governor’s race
A massive cheating scandal that rocked the U.S. Naval Academy in 1994 and involved New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rep. Mikie Sherrill also involved her husband, Jason Hedberg, according to reporting by the New York Post.
This follows the improper release of bombshell private military records by the National Archives and Records Administration, which revealed that Sherrill was not allowed to walk with her graduating class at the Naval Academy and that her name was not included in the commencement program due to her involvement in the scandal.
Sherrill, a congresswoman representing New Jersey, has not been accused of cheating at the Naval Academy but rather of failing to report those who had cheated on an exam.
The Post reported that Hedberg was also caught up in the scandal. The outlet said Hedberg was one of nearly 50 midshipmen who sued the Naval Academy, the Navy and the Pentagon to block an honor board at the school from deciding whether they should be dismissed.
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The suit alleged that each named plaintiff was denied due process by the academy and ordered by their superiors to make incriminating statements, according to the outlet.
The complaint stated that “in compliance with the orders of their superior military officers, each named plaintiff was compelled to make inculpatory statements to Navy Inspector General investigators.”
While Sherrill did not walk in her commencement ceremony, Hedberg’s name is included in the 1994 commencement program, indicating he was cleared to take part in the ceremony, which took place three months after the suit was filed.
Sherrill is locked in a tight race against Republican Jack Ciattarelli to replace term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy.
Sean Higgins, a spokesperson for Sherrill’s campaign, responded to the development by telling Fox News Digital that “the fact Jack Ciattarelli and MAGA Republicans are going after Mikie’s family is sick and desperate.
“Jason graduated, served honorably as a Naval Officer and the illegal disclosure of Mikie’s unredacted personal military records, including her Social Security number and the unlawful dissemination of those records by the Ciattarelli campaign is a disgrace and must be investigated.”
While investigating Sherrill’s suspected involvement in the 1994 cheating scandal, Ciattarelli’s campaign also submitted its own FOIA request, which confirmed her name was not on the U.S. Naval Academy graduation program that year.
The revelations have rocked the already tight race in blue-leaning New Jersey.
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The Ciattarelli campaign said Nicholas De Gregorio, a friend who is not directly involved in the campaign, “submitted a lawful FOIA request” about Sherrill’s military background of his own accord.
A spokesperson for the National Archives and Records Administration stated that the technician who responded to De Gregorio’s request about Sherrill’s military record “should NOT have released the entire record,” which included private information such as her Social Security number.
The National Archives apologized for the breach of privacy and has committed to holding its staff accountable for the blunder.
In response, Sherrill has accused Ciattarelli of illegally obtaining the records.
“To have a guy I’m running against, it will stop at nothing, it will stop at nothing, who will illegally obtain records. It’s just beyond the pale,” Sherrill charged Thursday night on the campaign trail in Plainfield, New Jersey.
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“I didn’t turn in some of my classmates, so I didn’t walk but graduated and was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy, serving for nearly ten years with the highest level of distinction and honor,” Sherrill told the Globe when confronted with the commencement program. She defended not releasing any disciplinary records from her time at the academy.
Sherrill has also accused the Trump administration of colluding with Ciattarelli’s campaign.
“This is an illegal and dangerous weaponization of the federal government,” Sherrill said in a statement Thursday as she criticized Ciattarelli and the Trump administration for “breaking the law and exposing private records for political gain.”
On Thursday, Higgins accused the Trump administration of “targeting political opponents with an absolute disregard for the law, this time in concert with the Ciattarelli campaign.”
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For his part, Ciattarelli is calling on Sherrill to release her records to prove why she was blocked from attending her graduation ceremony.
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In a letter sent to Sherrill’s lawyers, a lawyer representing the Ciattarelli campaign said that any claim that Ciattarelli for Governor (CFG) was “part of a conspiracy to smear [Sherrill] with ill-gotten documents is completely false. In fact, it is defamatory and if [Sherrill] and her campaign continue to push this false narrative and allege that CFG and/or [campaign strategist Chris] Russell acted illegally, we will pursue defamation claims.”
Sherrill’s campaign did not immediately provide a response to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on her husband’s involvement in the scandal.
DNA identifies man as suspect in decades-old quadruple yogurt shop murders
Investigators have identified a suspect in a Texas quadruple murder cold case more than three decades old.
Police in Austin said on Friday that they had linked Robert Eugene Brashers to the murders of four teen girls at a yogurt shop in 1991 through DNA.
Brashers, who committed suicide in 1999, was also suspected of being a serial predator at the time, according to the Austin American-Statesman.
He was convicted of attempted murder after shooting a woman in the head in 1985, and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. He was released in 1989 after only serving three years in prison, the Statesman reported.
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He fatally shot himself following a police standoff at a motel where he had been hiding with his wife, daughter and two stepdaughters, after releasing them from the motel.
DNA evidence also linked Brashers after his death to three rapes and murders in Missouri and South Carolina – including a mother and daughter – and a rape in Tennessee.
Robert Springsteen and Michael Scott, who were teenagers at the time of the murders, were charged and convicted of the killings in 2001 and 2002.
They were sentenced to death and life in prison respectively, but their convictions were overturned on appeal, one of the reasons being that there was no DNA evidence linking them to the crimes.
Later becoming known as the “Yogurt Shop Murders,” the violent case remains infamous in Austin and is still open. HBO premiered a docuseries called “The Yogurt Shop Murders” last month about the killings.
Amy Ayers, 13; Eliza Thomas, 17; and sisters Jennifer and Sarah Harbison, ages 17 and 15, were bound, gagged and shot in the head at the “I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt” store where two of them worked. The building was then set on fire.
“Our team never gave up working this case,” Austin police said in a statement on Friday.
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The department has a conference planned on Monday to discuss the new evidence in the case.
Georgia businessman’s billboard honoring Charlie Kirk sparks nationwide response
A Georgia businessman’s billboard tribute to Charlie Kirk is drawing national attention in the wake of the Turning Point USA founder’s recent murder.
Wayne Robinson, president of Wayne Robinson Holdings, owns a Steak ‘n Shake location in Rome, Georgia. The 1950s-inspired chain serves milkshakes and burgers, and the Rome location is one of hundreds across the country.
Robinson told Fox News Digital he was devastated after Kirk was fatally shot in the neck while speaking to audience members at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10.
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“I’ve always been a follower of Charlie,” said Robinson, noting he was impressed by Kirk’s debates with students on college campuses.
“He was bringing so many of those young people to Christ. … He touched me, and when the assassination happened, it was something that really wore heavy on me.”
The day after Kirk died, Robinson was compelled to act quickly. He alerted one of his marketing partners to “put something out there to honor Charlie.”
The billboard reads, “Charlie Kirk, 1993-2025,” followed by the words, “Stand up, speak out, stay bold.”
“I don’t think he would have ever thought, in his wildest dreams, the response that would have taken place after he was assassinated.”
Within days, the response went viral with millions of likes on X – and Robinson said the local response “has been phenomenal.”
“I think it’s got 58,000 local comments. … People from outlying areas [are] saying they’re going to drive to my store just to eat lunch, eat dinner, just to pay respect for what I’ve done for Charlie,” he said.
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Robinson’s location wasn’t the only Steak ‘n Shake spot that received an outpouring of customers after the billboard went viral.
After Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who represents Rome, shared an image of the billboard on social media, people across the country said they’d patronize the chain.
“Eating at Steak ‘n Shake because they put up a Charlie Kirk billboard,” one person wrote on X. “This is the second time this week, all because I saw they put up a billboard in Charlie’s honor.”
“They should be rewarded for this with our business,” another said.
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Robinson said his store received calls across the country, from Michigan to Wisconsin to California, just to say thank you.
“They took the time to physically find us, find our phone number at the store and call to say thank you for doing that,” he said.
Robinson said Steak ‘n Shake’s corporate office contacted him shortly after the billboard went viral.
“They said, ‘You know, you’re supposed to get everything OK’d through corporate when you use the name Steak ‘n Shake on it, but we really like it,'” Robinson recalled.
“It reached [the Steak ‘n Shake owner] and he liked it so much he asked if they could have permission … to do this across the nation.”
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Steak ‘n Shake did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Although Robinson is still saddened by Kirk’s death, he said he believes the 31-year-old’s legacy is “reaching a lot of people and changing a lot of minds.”
“He has started a revival across the country that has been so needed,” Robinson said.
“I don’t think he would have ever thought, in his wildest dreams, the response that would have taken place after he was assassinated,” he added. “But the movement is great … and I just appreciate all that he did.”
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Robinson’s billboard is one of many tributes to Kirk that have emerged in the past two weeks.
Grooveberries Frozen Yogurt in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, received backlash after honoring Kirk through stickers on its frozen yogurt cups.
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Last week, a group of Kirk supporters petitioned Starbucks to honor him by adding his signature tea order to menus nationwide.
Loved ones reeling after pro golfer’s girlfriend dies at 28: ‘One of a kind’
Makena White, the girlfriend of PGA Tour golfer Jake Knapp, has died, her loved ones confirmed. She was 28.
“Hi everyone – this is Makena’s friend, writing with the heaviest heart to share that Makena passed away earlier this week,” a social media post read. “She is already so deeply missed by her Dad, her family, her friends, and of course by Nelly and Fergie.”
The names Nelly and Fergie refer to White’s beloved dogs.
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The post also highlighted White’s remarkable ability to make a lasting impact on others.
“Makena was one of a kind. She had this rare way of making you feel special, and her huge heart was always overflowing with love. To be loved by Makena was a gift; one that came with endless laughter, so much joy, and a healthy sprinkling of chaos as we tried to keep up with her travel schedule.”
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The announcement also encouraged support for the Bruyère Brain Health & Memory Clinic or the Griffin Bell Endowment Fund.
“If you would like to honour Makena’s memory, donations to the Bruyère Brain Health & Memory Clinic or the Griffin Bell Endowment Fund would mean a lot.”
White’s mother, Crystal, began visiting the clinic in 2018, after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. In a 2022 social media post, White announced her mother’s death.
Additional details surrounding White’s cause of death were not released.
Fox News Digital requested comment from Knapp’s representatives but did not immediately receive a response.
Knapp is not part of the U.S. team for the Ryder Cup in New York. Last month’s FedEx St. Jude Championship marked the most recent time Knapp competed in a pro golf event.
On Knapp’s birthday in May, White described the golfer as her “very best friend.”
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White attended the 2024 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club, where Knapp tied for 55th place.
Latest Jeffrey Epstein documents mention more influential figures
House Oversight Democrats released more documents relating to Jeffrey Epstein that mention X CEO Elon Musk, political strategist Steve Bannon and tech billionaire Peter Thiel.
Democrats on the committee released six heavily redacted pages on Friday afternoon out of the 8,544 documents it received, which includes portions of Epstein’s apparent schedule and ledger.
Musk was mentioned in Epstein’s apparent schedule regarding a potential trip to his island.
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Epstein owned a private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands at the time.
“Reminder: Elon Musk to island on Dec. 6 (is this still happening?),” the apparent schedule stated, listing Dec. 6, 2014.
On Nov. 27, 2017, Epstein was scheduled to have lunch with Thiel. Bannon was scheduled to have lunch with Epstein on Feb 16, 2019.
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In releasing the documents, a Democrat spokesperson for the House Oversight Committee said they “will not stop until we identify everyone complicit in Epstein’s heinous crimes.”
“It should be clear to every American that Jeffrey Epstein was friends with some of the most powerful and wealthiest men in the world. Every new document produced provides new information as we work to bring justice for the survivors and victims,” the spokesperson said. “It’s past time for Attorney General Bondi to release all the files now.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital, a GOP spokesperson for the House Oversight Committee accused Democrats of cherry-picking the documents.
“It’s unfortunate that Democrats continue to meaninglessly cherry-pick documents and politicize this investigation. They are intentionally withholding documents that contain names of Democrat officials, and the information they released today is old news. We are focused on delivering transparency and accountability for the survivors, and will release documents in full,” the spokesperson said.
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Epstein faced several sex-related charges as prosecutors alleged he ran a sex trafficking operation that preyed on underage girls, but killed himself in August 2019.
Fox News Digital reached out to representatives for Musk, Thiel, Bannon and House Oversight Democrats for comment.
Liberal justices fume as Supreme Court lets Trump block $5B in foreign aid
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday extended an earlier order that allows the Trump administration to continue blocking nearly $5 billion in congressionally appropriated foreign funds.
The U.S. Department of Justice had reached out to the high court for an emergency appeal after a district court judge ruled the administration’s decision to hold the aid was likely illegal, adding that Congress would need to approve the withholding of funds.
“This case raises questions of immense legal and practical importance, including whether there is any avenue to test the executive branch’s decision not to spend congressionally appropriated funds,” District Judge Amir Ali said at the time.
Friday’s ruling was 6 to 3, with the three liberal justices dissenting.
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President Donald Trump last month sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, explaining he was using a pocket rescission, which allows a president to submit a request to Congress to hold approved funds near the end of the fiscal year.
Under federal law, Congress has to approve the rescission within 45 days or the money must be spent. But the budget year will end before the 45-day window closes, and, in this situation, the White House is asserting that congressional inaction allows it not to spend the money.
It was the first use of a pocket rescission in 50 years.
Friday’s ruling extends a temporary block put on the lower court ruling by Chief Justice John Roberts on Sept. 9.
The conservative justices in the majority Friday said that Trump’s authority on foreign policy weighed in the decision but cautioned that it wasn’t a final ruling on the matter.
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Reductions in foreign aid have become a hallmark of the Trump administration’s America First agenda.
In her dissenting opinion, Justice Elena Kagan, joined by justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson, said, “The effect is to prevent the funds from reaching their intended recipients — not just now but (because of their impending expiration) for all time.”
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The administration called the funds, which would have been used as foreign aid, for United Nations peacekeeping efforts and to promote democracy in other countries, “contrary to U.S. foreign policy.”
Common vitamin may slash skin cancer risk when taken at specific time
A common vitamin could help prevent the development of skin cancer, new research suggests.
The study, published in JAMA Dermatology, found a decreased risk of three types of skin cancer associated with the use of nicotinamide, which is a form of vitamin B3.
The research examined the health data of more than 33,000 veterans from 1999 to 2024, pulled from Veterans Affairs (VA) records.
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Patients who took nicotinamide were matched with similar patients who did not, based on characteristics like age, sex, race, skin cancer history and exposure to other treatments.
The researchers also considered whether patients had health conditions like an organ transplant history or chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
Among the study group, 12,287 patients were exposed to oral vitamin B3 at 500 mg twice daily for more than 30 days and were compared to 21,479 patients who did not take it.
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The researchers found that patients who took vitamin B3 had fewer skin cancers overall.
The risk of developing skin cancers — including basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma — was reduced by about 14% in those exposed to the supplement.
The researchers also investigated the rate of skin cancer recurrence, noting that those who started taking nicotinamide right after their first skin cancer diagnosis had a 54% reduced risk of the disease coming back. The benefit was not as significant after being diagnosed with more than one skin cancer.
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Patients with organ transplants did not have a large difference in overall risk unless they began taking vitamin B3 early, which seemed to lower the risk of squamous cell carcinoma.
These results suggest a “decreased risk of skin cancer among patients treated with nicotinamide, with the greatest effect seen when initiated after the first skin cancer,” the researchers wrote.
In a recent JAMA Dermatology podcast episode, co-researcher Dr. Lee Wheless of Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Tennessee discussed the link between skin cancer recurrence and nicotinamide exposure.
The doctor said he wouldn’t recommend that anyone who gets their first skin cancer diagnosis “immediately” starts taking nicotinamide, but the findings have “shifted” his thinking.
“If a patient has developed that field cancerization already, I really question — is this going to be as effective as if we had started before?” he asked. “I think we’re all really good at seeing that patient who has lots of [skin damage]. They’ve had a couple skin cancers, and you just get this sense that they are teetering on the edge of exploding with a number of skin cancers.
“I think this really pushes me to say we need to start now and not wait for you to have that sixth, seventh or more skin cancer before we start doing something preventive.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the study authors for comment.
School superintendent arrested on immigration and weapons charges
An Iowa school district superintendent living in the United States illegally who also faces weapons charges was arrested Friday, authorities said.
Ian Andre Roberts, who heads the Des Moines Public Schools—the largest school district in the state—was taken into custody on a fugitive warrant. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents pursued Roberts after he sped away, authorities said.
They later found his vehicle abandoned, and an Iowa State Patrol K-9 was called in to help search for him.
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“After a search of the area, the subject was located in the brush approximately 200 yards south of where the vehicle was abandoned,” an ICE statement said.
Inside the vehicle, authorities found $3,000 in cash, a fixed-blade hunting knife, and a loaded Glock 19 firearm, ICE said.
“This suspect was arrested in possession of a loaded weapon in a vehicle provided by Des Moines Public Schools after fleeing federal law enforcement,” said ICE Enforcement Removal Operations St. Paul Field Office Director Sam Olson. “This should be a wake-up call for our communities to the great work that our officers are doing every day to remove public safety threats. How this illegal alien was hired without work authorization, a final order of removal, and a prior weapons charge is beyond comprehension and should alarm the parents of that school district.”
Roberts entered the U.S. illegally from Guyana, authorities said. He last entered the country through New York on Aug. 30, 1999, on an F-1 student visa to attend St. John’s University in Queens.
Roberts was not legally authorized to work in the U.S. after his employment authorization card expired in 2020, authorities said.
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“Subject was encountered by Port Authority PD and arrested for weapons possession charges, which are still pending,” ICE said of existing weapon possession charges from Feb. 5, 2020.
On May 22, 2024, a judge ordered that he be deported. The proceedings were held in absentia. On April 24, 2025, an immigration judge in Dallas denied a motion to reopen the case.
Roberts was hired to serve as superintendent for Des Moines Public Schools on July 1, 2023, following a nationwide search for qualified candidates. A statement announcing his hiring said he was “chosen through a comprehensive national search based on the leadership profile prepared by the Board after receiving input from staff, parents, students and community members.”
“Dr. Roberts proudly shares that he was born to immigrant parents from Guyana, and spent most of his formative years in Brooklyn, NY.,” the DMPS news release stated at the time.
Roberts worked in education in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and St. Louis.
A message from Des Moines School Board Chair Jackie Norris said Associate Superintendent Matt Smith will serve as interim superintendent until further notice.
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“This action follows Dr. Ian Roberts being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents this morning. We have no confirmed information as to why Dr. Roberts is being detained or the next potential steps,” the Friday message stated.
Before a career in education, Roberts competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games in track and field for Guyana as a middle-distance runner, the Des Moines Register reported.
Roberts also served on the board of the Directors Council, a local group comprised of several nonprofits focused on Des Moines’ Black community.
“Dr. Roberts has been a trusted partner, a dedicated advocate for equity, and an unwavering supporter of families and youth in Polk County,” the group said in a statement. “His contributions to both The Directors Council and the wider community are immeasurable, and we stand with him during this uncertain moment.”
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“We know this news raises many questions and concerns. As an organization, our priority is to continue advancing our mission with stability and integrity while also offering our full support to Dr. Roberts and his family,” the statement continued. “We are committed to sharing updates with you as we receive confirmed information.”