Marine Corps training demo goes wrong at celebration attended by VP Vance

A piece of metal shrapnel from an “explosive ordnance” that detonated overhead prematurely struck a law enforcement vehicle in California on Saturday, during an event attended by Vice President JD Vance.

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) confirmed the incident in a press release shared with Fox News Digital. It took place near Camp Pendleton, a Marine Corps base in San Diego County.

The shrapnel was fired while CHP officers supported a traffic break along I-5, the same day that Vance visited Camp Pendleton to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps.

It is unclear when exactly the incident occurred on Saturday. The CHP said it happened “during an exceptional U.S. Marine Corps live-fire training demonstration over the freeway, and where the CHP had elected to stop traffic during the live-fire exercise.”

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No injuries were reported. CHP officers alerted the Marine Corps, who then “canceled firing additional live ordnance over the freeway,” per the agency.

In a statement, CHP Border Division Chief Tony Coronado called the incident an “unusual and concerning situation.”

“It is highly uncommon for any live-fire or explosive training activity to occur over an active freeway,” said Coronado. 

“As a Marine myself, I have tremendous respect for our military partners, but my foremost responsibility is ensuring the safety of the people of California and the officers who protect them.”

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“The CHP has filed an internal report on the incident, with a recommendation to conduct an additional after-action review into the planning, communication and coordination between federal, state, and local government around the event on Saturday, October 18, to strengthen protocols for future demonstrations and training events near public roadways,” the release concluded.

Camp Pendleton officials confirmed to Fox News Digital that they are also conducting an investigation after a 155mm artillery round may have detonated outside the designated impact area.

“We are aware of the report of a possible airborne detonation of a 155mm artillery round outside the designated impact area during the U.S. Marine Corps Amphibious Capabilities Demonstration at Camp Pendleton, CA, Oct. 18,”  the I Marine Expeditionary Force Communication Strategy and Operations team told Fox News Digital. “The demonstration went through a rigorous safety evaluation, and deliberate layers of redundancy, to ensure the safety of fellow citizens. Following established safety protocols, firing was suspended. No injuries occurred, and the demonstration concluded as scheduled.

“An investigation has been initiated. We are committed to determining the incident’s root cause and applying findings to future missions,” the statement continued. “An investigation has been initiated. We are committed to determining the incident’s root cause and applying findings to future missions.”

In a post on X, California Governor Gavin Newsom wrote that President Donald Trump and Vance “put lives at risk to put on a show.”

“If you want to honor our troops, open the government and pay them,” Newsom said.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Vance’s office for comment.

Karine Jean-Pierre unloads on Democratic Party, says she couldn’t ‘stomach’ being in it

Former Biden White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre unleashed on the Democratic Party in an excerpt from her new memoir, explaining why she decided to become an independent after years as a party flack. 

In the excerpt, Jean-Pierre detailed the phone call in which then-President Joe Biden told the White House team that he was dropping out of the race, Newsweek reported.

“Biden seemed to be totally at peace with his decision, but I was stunned, my feelings a blur. I was angry and sad. I was enraged and heartbroken that this man had given more than 50 years of his life to serving the American people, and in the end he’d been treated poorly by members of his own party. It was horrible,” Jean-Pierre wrote.

In her new book, “Independent,” Jean-Pierre revealed that she never thought Biden would drop out. Jean-Pierre repeatedly touted Biden’s physical and mental viability over the years from her position behind the podium, but his cognitive decline wound up dearly costing his party.

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Nevertheless, Jean-Pierre thought Biden had been betrayed.

“The Democratic Party had defined my life, my career,” Jean-Pierre wrote. “Everything I’d done to make people’s lives better had been connected to it. The party was the vehicle that allowed me not just to have a front seat to history, working first on [Barack] Obama’s presidential campaign then in his administration, but also to make some history of my own as the first Black woman and openly queer person to ever be a White House press secretary. Never had I considered leaving the party until now.”

The former press secretary also wrote about how she planned to make her first appearance after Biden’s announcement on “The View,” the liberal ABC talk show.

“Now the cloud of unease hovering over me solidified into an idea about how I could possibly do something different. How I could channel my disappointment into some kind of concrete action that would allow me to fight for what I believed in without giving blind loyalty to a party I felt no longer deserved it,” she continued.   

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Pierre wrote, “‘You know what? I’m going to become an independent. I don’t think I can stomach being in the Democratic Party anymore.'”  

Jean-Pierre accused Democrats of unleashing a “firing squad” on the former president, who was forced off the presidential ticket last July after weeks of pressure from his party following his dismal debate against Republican Donald Trump.

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Jean-Pierre revealed that she was leaving the Democratic Party in June while announcing her book. Before her high-profile White House role, she worked on multiple Democratic presidential campaigns and was an MSNBC political analyst.

Former NFL star who rushed for 251 yards in a single game passes away at 36

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers star running back Doug Martin has died, his family said on Sunday. He was 36.

Martin’s family released a statement to FOX Sports confirming his death. TMZ Sports first reported that the ex-NFL player had passed away. His cause of death was not made known.

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“It is with great sadness to inform you all that Doug Martin passed away Saturday morning. Cause of death is currently unconfirmed. Please respect our privacy at this time,” Martin’s family said.

The former Boise State standout was the No. 31 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. The California native made an immediate impact when he stepped on the field for Tampa Bay.

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He played in all 16 games in his rookie season, rushing for 1,454 yards and 11 touchdowns. He had a breakout game against the Oakland Raiders when he ran for 251 yards and four touchdowns. He earned a Pro Bowl nod that season.

Martin played most of his career with the Buccaneers. He was a two-time Pro Bowler and was a first-team All-Pro selection in 2015. In 2018, Martin played for the Raiders and had 723 rushing yards and four touchdowns.

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He ran for 5,356 yards and 30 touchdowns in 84 career games.

Serial killer’s daughter confronts dad behind bars, walks away shaken after final talk

Nearly 20 years after Dennis Rader was sent to prison, his daughter Kerri Rawson found the strength to confront him face-to-face.

In 2023, the mother of two was enlisted by investigators to determine whether the man who once terrorized Wichita, Kansas, and taunted police during a 17-year murder spree might be linked to other unsolved killings. Facing the father who called himself BTK — short for “bind, torture, kill” — would mark the final break in a relationship already shattered by his crimes.

Rawson, 46, who has spoken out about the serial killer over the years, is the subject of a new Netflix documentary, “My Father, the BTK Killer.” It explores how the Michigan resident is struggling to reconcile the loving father she once knew with the monster exposed by police.

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“It was really hard for Kerri to confront her father,” director Skye Borgman told Fox News Digital. “She talks about coming out of that prison. She was shaking after she talked to him about things that she had kept bottled up for a long time. And she was also surprised at her own feelings when talking to him. 

“There were moments where she talks about seeing him switch between these two men, between her dad and BTK. One moment she felt like he was her dad, and then the next moment he shifted when she would ask him a question he didn’t like. He would switch to BTK.”

“Having the knowledge that she knows now about his crimes, she was able to see that more,” Borgman shared. “It was incredibly hard for her. But at the same time, I think it gave her an ending to a chapter. She’s OK with not seeing him again. She’s OK with not talking to him again. Whereas before, there was a question mark there — do I want to see him? And now, the question is answered.”

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Rawson and two other investigators were hoping to see if Rader, now 80, could offer information about cold cases for the Osage County Sheriff’s Office.

“If my father has committed more murders, then we really need to get to the bottom of the truth, and we need to get to it before my father passes away,” Rawson said during filming.

In the documentary, Rawson questioned whether she may have been sexually abused by Rader as a child. She had read one of his notebooks from the 1980s, where he wrote about a bondage game in a bathtub. It included her name. 

Investigators warned her not to ask Rader about her suspicions, fearing he would shut down and refuse to answer questions.

“He’s frail, he’s in a wheelchair, and he was literally crying, so happy to see me — like, over the moon to see his kid,” Rawson recalled in the film.

When Rawson asked him about the cold cases during their three-hour conversation, he told her, “What are you talking about? Can’t we just reminisce? Can’t we just have a father-daughter — can’t we just have memories?”

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Then, he “turned on a dime,” said Rawson. When she asked him about his journal entry, Rawson said he told her, “That was just a fantasy. I never touched the family. You’re just making stuff up about me to be famous.”

Rawson described unleashing “a blast of 45 years of anger” at Rader as she went “completely off script.” 

“He was literally gaslighting me, manipulating me, lying to me, five feet from me,” she said. “It was like I wasn’t talking to my dad. It was like I was talking to a subhuman. What everybody talks about — him being a psychopath and a narcissist and not wanting to be around him — I had still been able to find humanity in him. And then, I wasn’t able to.”

Borgman told Fox News Digital that the experience left Rawson so shaken that she never wants to see or speak to Rader again.

“I think Kerri thinks about her dad as two different men,” Borgman explained.

“She talked about him being two different men. In her own words, she said she had a good childhood. They explored, they went places, they camped together, they had great family vacations. So those memories of her father, I think, she was able to hang onto them because she was able to separate that man from BTK. But as far as I know, they’re no longer speaking. She got to the point where she knew she needed to separate herself from him to continue on her healing journey.”

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“They’re not speaking anymore,” Borgman shared. “I think a lot of that communication was her trying to get information out of him. She realized that probably was not going to happen.”

Rader played a cat-and-mouse game with investigators and reporters for decades before he was arrested in 2005, The Associated Press reported. The former church leader and animal control officer confessed to murdering 10 people between 1974 and 1991 in and around Wichita. He is now serving one life term for each of the 10 people he was convicted of killing.

Loved ones of the victims declined to participate in the documentary. Borgman said she made sure her film featured their voices prominently.

“We found the reasons for them not wanting to participate are very different,” said Borgman. “They’ve been reached out so many times, especially over the last 20 years. But the film shows the ripple effects of a crime like this. I hope the victims’ families feel represented. It was always our intention to make them equal participants in this story.”

Borgman said that when looking back, Rawson wondered if her father’s sudden bursts of anger were glimpses into his double life. Rawson is aware she may never know the truth. Throughout the film, Rawson stressed that she and her family had no idea about her father’s crimes and were blindsided when it came to light.

“When she was a little girl, Dennis would have these outbursts,” said Borgman. “She just thought, ‘Well, that’s my dad. He can get angry from time to time. He had a bad day at work, or the dishes weren’t cleaned when he came home.’ I think in looking back, she has more perspective about the surrounding circumstances that may have gotten him to be that way.”

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“It may be similar to how Kerri views her father as two different men,” said Borgman. “I think he was able to separate himself and come up with these lies where he had been able to sneak away. I think it provided something in him that he was able to hide when he came back home. And look, I’m not a psychologist. I can’t diagnose him, but I do think he got something out of this — that it provided something that he wanted and needed. And once he was able to get that, he was able to return to his role as a family man, a father figure.”

Today, Rawson is an advocate and mentor for those who have discovered that their relative is a violent offender. Borgman said the experience has been “a double-edged sword” for Rawson, who wants to be recognized for more than just being Rader’s daughter.

“The investigation with Osage County hasn’t really produced any evidence,” said Borgman. “[But] it’s required Kerri to dive into her father’s crimes. I think what’s healthier for her is when she’s working with other families and bringing perspective on what it’s like to be the daughter of a serial killer. She can speak to what a family may be going through and how hard that is, how the backlash and violence thrown at the family is a real thing.”

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In the film, Rawson shared that since speaking out, she’s estranged from her mother and brother. Still, she remains hopeful about her future.

“I think that’s something she feels incredibly dedicated to doing — helping other families in similar circumstances,” said Borgman. “If she can ease somebody else’s pain, she’s going to do that, even if it causes her pain. And I think it’s largely because she wants to do something good just to take away a little bit of the bad her father did.”

Scientists discover how massive stone statues ‘walked’ across Easter Island

The mystery of the Moai stone heads has eluded onlookers for centuries — and now, researchers say they finally know how they got there.

The statues, which were carved and placed on the South Pacific’s Easter Island between the 12th and 17th centuries, have puzzled travelers since the first European contact was made there in 1722.

Though the structures appear to only be heads, many of them have full bodies that have been concealed by sediment over the centuries.

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According to Rapa Nui legend, the heads “walked” to their spots — and the new study sheds light on that foundational story.

In a study recently published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, researchers Carl P. Lipo and Terry L. Hunt argue that the heads were “walked” vertically — not horizontally — from a nearby quarry.

The scientists analyzed 962 statues to reach their conclusion. Using 3D modeling and statistical mapping, Lipo and Hunt found that the heads’ D-shaped bases and forward lean made rope transport possible.

While Lipo and Hunt first demonstrated that the Moai could “walk” in 2012, this new study is the first to prove the method with large-scale statistical and archaeological evidence.

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“Our experiments revealed that the forward-leaning design enabled efficient transport, covering [328 feet] in 40 min with a team of 18 people—a significant improvement over earlier vertical transport attempts that used incorrectly proportioned forms,” the study’s abstract reads.

The statues were rocked and pivoted along Easter Island roads by multiple people at a time — making the process more efficient.

“The walking method required minimal resources and labor compared to horizontal transport hypotheses, revealing sophisticated engineering rather than environmental destruction, and aligning with Rapa Nui oral traditions that describe ‘walking’ from the quarry,” the authors wrote.

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The findings come as tourists continue to flock to the Polynesian island to enjoy the privacy it offers as one of the most isolated places on Earth.

To get to Easter Island, most tourists fly to Santiago, Chile, before taking a six-hour flight to the isle’s Mataveri International Airport.

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Spanish newspaper El Pais reported that, before the COVID-19 pandemic, the island received 156,000 yearly visitors — and $120 million in annual tourist revenue.

Trump family member shares why she never sits down at airports in travel confession

“My View with Lara Trump” host Lara Trump has sparked a travel debate regarding airport arrival time for passengers before their departing flights.

She spoke to Fox News Digital about how her “no-wait-at-the-gate” approach maximizes her time without requiring her to hang around needlessly at the airport beforehand.

“My goal is to make it to the gate right as they’re calling my zone to board the airplane, because I don’t want to waste a single minute,” she said. “If I sit down at all at any point when I’m in an airport — the mission has failed.”

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She added, “Whenever you’re trying to spend a little more time with your kids at home, or fit a lot into a day, what I’ve found is that, instead of being one of those people that kind of hovers around the gate and waits around for 30 minutes before they start boarding, my goal is to cut that back as much as humanly possible.”

Summing it up neatly, she said her goal is to “get through security, walk up to the gates, board the airplane — and then they close the doors.”

The TSA advises travelers to arrive at the airport two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight.

Passengers spend an average of 29 minutes of lost time, with 12 of those minutes due to departure delays and 17 minutes on the runway before takeoff, according to a 2024 study done by Upgraded Points.

President Donald Trump‘s daughter-in-law shared that she began her no-wait-at-the-gate hack during campaign season, when the family and members of the staff were trying to fit a lot into each day as they traveled from one place to another quickly. 

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“There is a technique that goes into all of this,” added Lara Trump. “I have all the apps for the airlines on my phone, so if there is a delay of any variety, it usually alerts you — which is very helpful.”

She also shared a helpful tip about searching for flight numbers on Google. 

“There are a couple of different websites that pop up, and they give you a lot of information, such as where your plane is coming from, how often it’s delayed, is there another flight that you might be able to take.”

She said it can be helpful for travelers to check flight numbers if they’re not already at the airport, allowing for a little more time at home if possible.  

She joked that if she does face a delay while already at the airport, she is always moving and looking to get her steps in.

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Trump joked that now that she has Secret Service agents with her, they “have to keep up with [her] everywhere [she goes], but they [all get] a lot of steps in.”

In a clip she posted on social media discussing her travel strategy, followers took to the comment section to share their thoughts. 

“I like to get to the gate as my boarding group is called, walk on and buckle up,” a person said, agreeing with Trump.

Another person wrote on Instagram, “I’m sick of getting there 1.5 hours before. I’ll try this next time, maybe.”

“I would die waiting until the last minute to get to the gate,” said yet another user. 

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The person added, “I am arriving two hours before.”

A different user said, “We are the airport four hours early.”

Trump said she understands that her travel style is not for everyone and that some people don’t like it. 

“I’ve traveled with some people who get a little stressed out over that,” she said.

She admitted that sometimes even she and her husband, Eric Trump, “disagree on this whole tactic and technique in terms of what time we should leave our house or wherever we are in order to make it to the airport.”

“I’ve traveled with some people who get a little stressed out over that.”

She said that when she travels solo, she tries to execute the no-wait-at-the-gate mission, so that she is “not spending an extra minute or two or 10 or more hours in an airport.”

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In July, TSA ended the shoe-off requirement at security checkpoints at every airport nationwide.

Trump said that she has CLEAR, so she’s never had to take off her shoes — but she thinks the change is great for efficient travel.

“Going through security is tough,” she said. “There’s no doubt about it, especially when there’s a long line.”

She said she dislikes the automated bin systems used in airports such as LaGuardia and Atlanta, saying that process slows things down compared to when bins are handled by humans.

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“I feel like having this robot doing it for you actually adds more time,” she said. “It takes a lot longer for this thing to give me a bin than it would be if I just picked a bin up and put all my stuff in it myself.”

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She joked, “I would be in favor of eradicating those. Let’s go back to human beings actually doing it.”

Star QB engineers 33-point explosion as Broncos shock Giants in final minutes

The Denver Broncos were punched in the mouth, but they were never knocked out.

Second-year quarterback Bo Nix led Denver to a 33-point fourth quarter and guided the Broncos on a 19-point comeback victory to shock the New York Giants, 33-32, on Sunday.

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It felt like the Giants had the Broncos figured out for most of the game. The front seven was continuously getting their hands up to block Nix’s passes. The highly touted defense was making silly mistakes, which led to New York jumping out to a massive lead.

The fourth quarter completely turned the game on its head.

Nix started the fourth quarter finishing an eight-play, 78-yard touchdown drive that led to a Tony Franklin touchdown on a tipped pass. The Giants responded with a Jaxson Dart touchdown to Theo Johnson, who also caught a ricocheted ball off the hands of Wan’Dale Robinson.

But Nix followed up with a 13-play, 74-yard drive that ended with a Nix rushing touchdown. Denver was down 10 points with 5:13 left in the game. The Broncos needed to force a mistake on defense and they got their wish. Justin Strnad intercepted Dart and got Denver into scoring position again.

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Four plays later, Nix found RJ Harvey for a 2-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit to three points. The Broncos forced the Giants to go three-and-out and it would result in Nix running for an 18-yard touchdown to take the lead.

Dart fired back with a seven-play, 65-yard drive that ended with a touchdown run on the goal line. He implored his teammates to go win the game, but the Giants’ defense failed to make any semblance of a defensive stop.

Nix found Marvin Mims Jr. and Courtland Sutton quickly to move the ball up the field. He was able to set up a Will Lutz 39-yard game-winning field goal.

It was truly a miracle at Mile High.

Nix was 27-of-50 with 279 passing yards, two touchdown passes and two rushing touchdowns. Sutton finished with six catches for 87 yards. Mims had six catches for 85 yards.

Dart was 15-of-33 with 283 passing yards, three touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown. The Broncos defense mostly kept him from scrambling out of the pocket. The loss was more demoralizing than being held to just 11 rushing yards.

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Denver improved to 5-2 on the year. New York fell to 2-5.

Americans flock to southern city as experts reveal flight booking secrets

As the weather begins to cool down this fall, the interest in holiday season travel is already beginning to heat up. 

About 79.9 million Americans were set to travel at least 50 miles from home over the 2024 Thanksgiving holiday period — with 119.3 million people traveling during the Christmas period, according to AAA. 

Google has released its trends and tip data on holiday travel for 2025, sharing the best times to book flights and noting the most popular destinations.

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For Thanksgiving, the lowest prices were found to be 35 days before departure — with 24–59 days said to be in the “low-price range.”

“If you want to fly right before or after Thanksgiving, you’ll probably find the cheapest options in October,” the report says.

As for Christmas, the lowest prices can be found 51 days before departure, Google says.

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About 32–73 days before departure is the low-price range, with Google recommending booking between mid-October through mid-November. 

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For international travel, it is recommended to book early — 49 days before departure, to be exact. 

The most expensive day to book flights is on a Sunday, with Tuesday being the cheapest, according to Google.

The most popular destination for Thanksgiving travel is Columbia, South Carolina, the organization says.

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This year’s top trending destinations are Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and St. Lucia, according to Google. 

“It’s no surprise that with colder temperatures on the horizon for many parts of the U.S., travelers are opting for palm trees over fir trees,” the report noted.

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The average domestic round-trip price for the first quarter of 2025 was $397, which is down 0.4% from last year, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. 

Private jet fever grips America after tax break from ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’

Demand for private jets is surging, with Honeywell projecting a record-setting number of new business jet deliveries over the next decade despite ongoing macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty.

Honeywell, whose most visible divisions are industrial technologies and aerospace, recently published its 34th annual Global Business Aviation Outlook, which estimated that there will be 8,500 new business jet deliveries worth $283 billion, the highest total in the 34-year history of its aviation outlook, over the next 10 years with an average annual growth rate of 3%.

Heath Patrick, president of Americas aftermarket at Honeywell Aerospace Technologies, credited the combination of recent economic growth, increasing demand for fractional ownership and a steady cadence of new aircraft development and technology upgrades for creating “record levels of demand in business aviation.” 

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“Operators are increasing their usage rates and, in turn, manufacturers are continuing to ramp up production to keep pace with growing demand,” Patrick said, adding that the corporation expects these record-setting levels of deliveries and usage to continue over the next decade. 

Today, 20% of global operators surveyed in the report said they have at least one aircraft on firm order, up from 17% a year ago.

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One reason in particular that there has been such a surge in purchase activity is due to the return of 100% bonus depreciation following the signing of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act earlier this year. The tax rule allows businesses to immediately write off the full cost of large expenses like an airplane in the year they are put into use rather than slowly over several years.

That policy shift quickly made an impact.

Tia Minzoni, CEO of Texas-based Stella Jets, said her company was “flooded” with clients looking to make new purchases after the tax rule was restored, following its gradual phase-down after 2022. The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act let businesses immediately deduct 100% of the cost of eligible assets – including new and used business aircraft – placed in service after Sept. 27, 2017, and before Jan. 1, 2023.

Minzoni told FOX Business that the company has seen a steady increase in demand for charters throughout the second and third quarters, and expects that demand to continue.

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“Overall, we are seeing a lift across all demand. It’s a good year to be a part of private aviation,” she added.

However, Sanford Michelman, founder of private aviation company FlyHouse, doesn’t think Honeywell’s forecast captures the full picture of how strong demand is. 

 Michelman said the company believes new deliveries are even higher than projected in the report, “based on the rising demand for charters that we’re seeing.” 

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Michelman said FlyHouse has a wider lens on charter demand because it intersects with multiple verticals in the category and has access to a deep amount of data to predict market needs.

In the last month alone, Michelman said the company has seen double the demand for its charters.