Michigan football staffer allegedly linked to Moore got significant salary bump: report
The alleged mistress of former Michigan football head coach Sherrone Moore received a massive pay bump between 2024 and 2025.
The individual allegedly linked to Moore, whose LinkedIn profile lists her as an Executive Assistant to the Head Football Coach at the University of Michigan, earned just over $58,000 in 2023 and 2024, according to public payroll information. In the 2025 fiscal year, though, her salary jumped to $99,000, according to a salary disclosure report from the University of Michigan.
That’s a 70.62 percent increase year-over-year — even higher than the figure circulating social media right now via UMSalary.info.
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As OutKick’s Trey Wallace reported, Moore was fired with cause on Wednesday in his second season as the Wolverines’ head coach. The move came after an investigation surrounding Moore’s alleged “inappropriate relationship” with a staffer.
And it’s hard to imagine the massive salary bump she received didn’t raise some eyebrows within the department.
“U-M head football coach Sherrone Moore has been terminated, with cause, effective immediately,” Michigan Athletic Director Warde Manual announced on Wednesday. “Following a university investigation, credible evidence was found that Coach Moore engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. This conduct constitutes a clear violation of University policy, and U-M maintains zero tolerance for such behavior.”
WHO IS SHERRONE MOORE? NATIONAL CHAMPION COACH’S STUNNING DOWNFALL FROM MICHIGAN ENDS IN JAILING
Less than an hour after his termination, police were called to a residence to detain the former coach under possible assault charges. Moore allegedly threatened to harm himself and others before being taken into custody.
As of Thursday afternoon, Moore is being held at Washtenaw County Jail. No charges have been filed yet, but he is expected to appear in court on Friday to be arraigned, according to Pittsfield Township police department.
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OutKick reached out to the University of Michigan and its athletic department regarding the staffer’s 70 percent pay raise, but they didn’t immediately respond.
Tyler Robinson shows up in court for first time amid secrecy, security concerns
PROVO, Utah – The man accused of assassinating Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk made his first in-person court appearance Thursday, nearly three months after he was taken into custody.
The hearing marks the most significant step in the case so far and comes amid growing concerns from media outlets and from Kirk’s widow about the increasing secrecy surrounding the proceedings.
Tyler Robinson, charged with aggravated murder and multiple related felonies in Kirk’s fatal shooting during a Sept. 10 event at Utah Valley University, has appeared via video or audio from jail in previous court hearings. Since then, much of the case has unfolded behind closed doors, prompting a coalition of media organizations, including Fox News, to demand greater transparency.
ERIKA KIRK PUSHES BACK AT ONLINE CONSPIRACY THEORIES ABOUT HUSBAND’S DEATH
Security measures were increased at the Utah County Court on Thursday ahead of Robinson’s hearing, with only one way in and out for members of the public, and armed security guards were seen throughout the building. The main entrance to the courthouse was zip-tied shut. A Utah County Sheriff’s Office armored SWAT vehicle arrived at the courthouse ahead of the hearing, with several law enforcement vehicles.
Robinson appeared in a dress shirt, tie and slacks. He showed little emotion as the hearing began but was seen smirking at one point. His parents and brother were there as well, his attorney said in the courtroom. When the hearing began, Judge Tony Graf immediately moved the court into closed session and kicked the public out of the room.
After approximately two hours, the court was reopened for the media to return. Graf ruled that removing camera access would be “disproportionate,” and ordered that cameras be positioned away from Robinson following concerns that the suspect’s shackles could be visible.
Prosecutor Christopher Ballard urged the judge to clarify the court’s pretrial publicity order, arguing that its reference to “witnesses” is overly broad and could restrict speech.
Defense attorney Richard Novak countered that the order is neither vague nor unconstitutional, saying it only impacts the conduct of lawyers who already have a duty to identify and advise potential witnesses. Novak said the defense has no trouble complying with the order and asked the court to deny the state’s request for clarification.
Toward the end of the hearing Graf granted the state’s request for clarification, ruling that the term “witness” in the publicity order “applies to all witnesses who are part of the prosecution and defense teams,” including anyone the parties “have a good faith belief will be called to testify,” and said that the order “regulates the behavior of attorneys” on both sides.
As the parties were presenting their cases, Robinson was seen looking down. His father was seen taking notes while sitting in court, with his mother dabbing her eyes.
Next, the court turned to a separate motion from a coalition of news outlets seeking limited intervenor status so they can be notified of future attempts to seal records or close proceedings. That coalition requested that prosecutors and defense attorneys be required to give advance notice whenever they seek to seal filings or restrict public access so that those limits can be challenged before taking effect.
Attorneys for the media argued that Utah law permits access, while the defense urged the judge to define the media’s scope.
We don’t want the chaos that is out in the media, in this courtroom,” defense attorney Staci Visser said. “So whatever this court can do to prevent that is what we’re asking.”
Graf said he will take additional time before deciding what portions of a recent closed hearing can be released to the public, telling the courtroom he must “be narrow in my approach” and would “rather do it right and take more time than to be rash and miss the mark.”
The judge scheduled a virtual hearing for Dec. 29 at 10 a.m. MT for rulings on the publicity order and media intervention, followed by an in-person hearing on Jan. 16 at 1 p.m. MT with Robinson expected to appear. The next major date after that is Feb. 3 at 1 p.m. MT, also in person, with Robinson present.
Ballard asked the court to formally recognize Erika Kirk as the case’s victim representative, saying she had filed the appropriate request and saying that “we don’t have an alleged victim, we have an alleged perpetrator.” Defense attorney Kathy Nester did not object, and Graf granted the request, officially designating Kirk’s widow as the victim’s representative.
This court will recognize Miss Erika Kirk as the designated victim representative in this case.
WATCH: Intense security seen as Tyler Robinson appears in court
Legal analyst and California-based trial attorney Roger Bonakdar said the dramatic shift in transparency has been striking from the start.
“It has been pretty odd that the information tap was at full blast for a little while and now it’s completely shut off,” he said. “It’s really kind of inconsistent with how you see cases move forward typically.”
Bonakdar said authorities were unusually forthcoming early in the investigation, releasing details that prosecutors typically hold back.
ERIKA KIRK REJECTS ARGUMENT GUN VIOLENCE WAS THE ROOT PROBLEM THAT LED TO CHARLIE’S ASSASSINATION
“When they first arrested Tyler Robinson, the information tap was at full blast,” he said. “They told us that they had audio recordings from Tyler Robinson and a purported confession. They told us that there was video footage from a local fast food restaurant. They were very, very almost oversharing in the beginning.”
WATCH: Expert calls secrecy in Charlie Kirk murder case ‘pretty unique’
But he said that openness abruptly ended.
“Now they’ve shut that tap off and they’re saying you can’t even come to court and hear about what we’re doing when most of it’s probably procedural,” he continued.
CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION: LEGAL EXPERT UNPACKS DEFENSE CHALLENGES AND WHY EVIDENCE SECRECY COULD BE CRUCIAL
WATCH: Expert says Tyler Robinson is ‘proud of his handy work’ after his smirk
Because prosecutors proceeded by indictment rather than complaint, he noted, the public will not see a preliminary hearing, and substantive evidence may only emerge if the defense files certain motions months down the road.
The push for transparency intensified after both sides jointly moved to classify the audio and transcript from a closed Oct. 24 hearing as “private.” That session focused on courthouse-security questions and how Robinson should appear in court going forward.
Media organizations argued the public has a right to know when records are being sealed and to challenge those limitations in real time.
ONE MONTH AFTER CHARLIE KIRK’S MURDER, KEY QUESTIONS REMAIN UNANSWERED
WATCH: Erika Kirk sends message to Tyler Robinson ahead of court hearing
Erika Kirk voiced concerns last month about the shrinking visibility around the case. She questioned why the suspect is being shielded from cameras when her husband was killed in front of a crowd.
“There were cameras all over my husband when he was murdered,” she told Fox News’ Jesse Watters in an exclusive interview. “There have been cameras all over my friends and family mourning. There have been cameras all over me, analyzing my every move, analyzing my every smile, my every tear. We deserve to have cameras in there.”
During an appearance on “Will Cain Country” on Thursday, Erika Kirk had a message for Robinson ahead of the hearing.
WATCH: Accused Charlie Kirk killer appears in court
“I have nothing to say to him,” Kirk said. “Do I forget what he did? No. Do I let that absorb and consume me? No. But I have nothing to say to you. You murdered my husband. I have to tell my daughter every day and explain to her why daddy’s not coming home. Why am I going to waste my breath?”
Bonakdar said her reaction is understandable, explaining, “Erika’s sentiments are readily understandable. She’s a grieving widow and, you know, our hearts all go out to her.”
JAIL’S TIGHT LEASH ON CHARLIE KIRK’S ALLEGED ASSASSIN ALL ABOUT ‘SAFETY,’ NOT SILENCING, EXPERT SAYS
At the same time, he said the court is under immense pressure given the political and national significance of the case.
“This process has become complicated because of how significant Charlie was,” he said. “This is a very politically charged case. There are very high emotions in this case. And there’s also issues of tainting the jury pool.”
He explained that judges must balance the First Amendment rights of the media with the need to preserve the integrity of the trial, saying, “Court proceedings are supposed to be open and public… but you do have some real issues with how the public is going to access this information as to the consequences for the integrity of the trial.”
TAXPAYER COST FOR SUSPECTED CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSIN’S DEATH PENALTY CASE PREDICTED BY UTAH COMMISSIONER
The court has imposed strict guidelines on how Robinson was to be shown on Thursday. He could not be photographed or filmed in shackles and was only to be depicted while seated. Images of his family members were prohibited, and reporters were to comply with the court’s decorum order.
These restrictions mirrored earlier rulings, including the postponement of a prior hearing after disputes over whether Robinson could appear in jail attire and how that might influence public perception.
ACCUSED CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSIN WANTS TO DITCH JAIL CLOTHES FOR UPCOMING COURT APPEARANCES
Bonakdar said such concerns are rooted in fairness.
“Courts oftentimes will prohibit the media from depicting the defendant in shackles or in jail clothing because it creates this inference of guilt,” he explained.
Appearing restrained, he said, can lead jurors to view a defendant as dangerous or guilty before any evidence is presented. Still, he noted the restrictions may have limited impact in such a widely covered case.
PROSECUTORS PLAN TO ‘DIRTY UP’ KIRK SUSPECT TYLER ROBINSON TO SWAY JURY TOWARD DEATH PENALTY: FMR US ATTY
“Anybody who does a Google search will know… at some point it may be an exercise in futility. Is the damage already done?”
Robinson’s limited physical appearances have raised questions as well. Bonakdar said the most likely explanation for keeping him on video is security.
“They’re gonna say that Tyler Robinson is a security risk… he’s at risk for being hit by someone who wants to seek revenge,” he said. While he acknowledged the reasoning, he added that it is “very clearly a deviation from the norm.”
ERIKA KIRK RECALLS LAST MOMENTS WITH CHARLIE BEFORE HIS ‘HORROR MOVIE’ MURDER, ADDRESSES ASSASSINATION VIDEO
WATCH: Street clothes at center of Tyler Robinson court case
Despite public frustration with the pace of the case, Bonakdar said the timeline is typical for a homicide case, particularly one in which prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty.
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“The timing of the case is actually very consistent with the severity of the allegation,” he said. Murder cases “move very slowly,” he added, especially when prosecutors proceed by indictment rather than complaint.
Omar’s ex flaunts ‘dirty dandy’ lifestyle as Trump revives marriage claims
Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar’s second husband has emerged online, referring to himself as a “dirty dandy” on Instagram while showing off a fun-loving lifestyle in South Africa, according to reports.
Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, 40, who spent time abroad after leaving the U.S., is now believed to be in Johannesburg, where he has been chronicling his time there, the New York Post reported.
The outlet revealed social media posts showing him wearing a visitor’s badge at the University of the Witwatersrand and enjoying upscale venues as he documents his day-to-day life.
ILHAN OMAR SAYS SHE’S FRUSTRATED SINCE SOMALIS ARE ALSO VICTIMS IN ‘FEEDING OUR FUTURE’ SCAM
Elmi’s reappearance also coincided with President Trump pushing his allegation the Minnesota politician had supposedly married her brother to avoid U.S. immigration laws.
At a Pennsylvania rally Tuesday, Trump repeated his accusation that Omar married her brother for immigration purposes,
“She married her brother in order to get in, right?” he told supporters. “She married her brother. Can you imagine if Donald Trump married his sister? Beautiful. She’s a beautiful person.
“If I married my sister to get my citizenship, do you think I’d last for about two hours or something less than that? She married her brother to get in. Therefore, she’s here illegally. She should get the hell out.”
OMAR ALLIES TIED TO MASSIVE MINNESOTA COVID MEAL FRAUD SCHEME INVOLVING SOMALI COMMUNITY
Trump also expanded on the allegation in an interview with Politico, saying he didn’t “want to see a woman that, you know, marries her brother to get in and then becomes a congressman and does nothing but complain. All she does is complain, complain, complain, and yet her country’s a mess.”
Omar has always denied the accusation while her marital history, particularly her 2009 civil marriage to Elmi, has fueled debate since she entered public office.
ILHAN OMAR SAYS THERE ARE FEW UNDOCUMENTED SOMALI MIGRANTS IN THE COUNTRY
Born in Somalia and naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2000, Omar entered a religious marriage with Ahmed Abdisalan Hirsi in 2002.
In 2009, she legally married Elmi, a British citizen, despite maintaining her religious union with Hirsi and continuing to have children with him.
Omar and Elmi separated in 2011 and did not legally divorce until 2017, according to reports.
ILHAN OMAR PRESSED TO EXPLAIN HOW FRAUD IN MINNESOTA GOT ‘SO OUT OF CONTROL’
She married Hirsi in a civil ceremony before divorcing him and marrying political aide Tim Mynett in 2020.
Meanwhile, Elmi has pursued an academic career in recent years.
According to the University of Bristol’s research directory, he earned a Ph.D. and has served as a research assistant focused on gender studies, queer theory, decolonization and international development.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to Ilhan Omar and Ahmed Nur Said Elmi for comment.
Wild 911 audio released after plane lands on car during emergency landing on freeway
Stunning 911 audio has been released after witnesses shockingly watched a plane crash into a small car while making an emergency landing on a Florida freeway.
The fixed-wing Beechcraft 55 was attempting to make an emergency landing on I-95 in Merritt Island at about 5:45 p.m. Monday after reporting engine trouble, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told Fox News Digital.
During the landing, the plane landed on top of a 2023 Toyota Camry, before skidding in front of the car onto the road, according to a report from affiliate FOX 35 Orlando.
Witnesses described the terrifying scene in 911 call audio recently released by officials.
JETBLUE FLIGHT MAKES EMERGENCY LANDING AT TAMPA AIRPORT AFTER SUDDEN ‘DROP IN ALTITUDE’ INJURES PASSENGERS
“[On] I-95 a plane just came down,” one woman told 911. “The people in the plane are moving around.”
“And you’re saying a plane, correct?” the dispatcher asked. “Out of the sky?”
“A plane hit a car as it landed on I-95,” the woman responded.
CALIFORNIA WOMAN HIT BY SMALL PLANE DURING CRASH LANDING ON SOCCER FIELD
Another woman told dispatchers the sight was “pretty scary,” noting it landed on a car.
“I saw him coming down, and I hit the brakes,” she said. “I was in the far left lane, and it came right beside me and hit the small white car.”
The 27-year-old Orlando pilot and a 27-year-old passenger from Temple Terrace, escaped the aircraft unharmed.
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The Camry, which was being driven by a 57-year-old woman at the time of the crash, was taken to hospital with minor injuries.
Another man who called 911 said the plane put its landing gear out and appeared to be “under control.”
Savannah Chrisley blasts reality star for ‘cheap shot’ at Charlie Kirk’s widow
Savannah Chrisley came to Erika Kirk’s defense after a fellow reality star called out the grieving widow on social media.
“Selling Sunset” star Christine Quinn took umbrage with Erika’s parenting choices in a post shared Wednesday on X.
“Erika Kirk be everywhere but with her kids,” Quinn wrote in a message to her 50,000 followers.
Chrisley, 28, fired back at Quinn and listed myriad ways Erika has advocated for her two children following the September assassination of her husband, Charlie Kirk.
SAVANNAH CHRISLEY SAYS ‘OUR LIVES ARE ON THE LINE’ FOLLOWING CHARLIE KIRK’S DEATH, VOWS TO FIGHT ON
Representatives for Chrisley and Quinn did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
“Wow… this is really disappointing to see from you. I know you’re better than this,” Chrisley posted on X.
ACTRESS AMANDA SEYFRIED SAYS SHE’S ‘NOT F—ING APOLOGIZING’ FOR CHARLIE KIRK POST CALLING HIM HATEFUL
“Erika isn’t ‘everywhere but with her kids’ she’s everywhere fighting FOR them. She’s raising her babies while surviving a level of grief most people would crumble under. Showing up, advocating, building, working… that’s called resilience, not absence.
“Taking a cheap shot at a woman who just lost her husband and is doing everything she can to create stability for her children isn’t the look you think it is.”
The “Chrisley Knows Best” star signed off on her post with a plea for kindness and understanding.
“Erika is one of the strongest, most intentional mothers I’ve ever witnessed and she deserves compassion, not commentary from people who see a post but not her pain,” she wrote.
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“Taking a cheap shot at a woman who just lost her husband and is doing everything she can to create stability for her children isn’t the look you think it is.”
Chrisley was planning to join Charlie Kirk on a college campus tour before his assassination Sept. 10. The Turning Point USA founder was shot during a campus event at Utah Valley University.
She described Charlie’s impact on her life during an appearance on “Fox & Friends” at Charlie’s memorial service.
“I think when this assassin did take Charlie’s life, that was the turning point for him,” Chrisley said. “He thought he was ending Charlie’s life, but he really just created millions and millions of Charlie’s followers to fight. To fight for our freedom, to fight for us to have a voice. For me to watch it, it’s so sad, and it breaks my heart. To see Erika [Charlie’s wife] step in as a woman and take on this role, Charlie knew that if he couldn’t do it, she was the only one that could do it.”
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Chrisley said Kirk “gave [her] a voice in times when she felt she didn’t have one.”
“I was so excited to get to sit next to Charlie and open up to him and get to know him on a more personal level, like a lot of my friends who got to know him,” she said. “But, above all else, Charlie has been a voice for our country.”
The reality TV star said it is remarkable to see how Charlie’s legacy at Turning Point USA has affected young adults, including her brother.
“To watch my 19-year-old brother and watch all these college kids now show up and be loud and not be afraid because, at the end of the day, our lives are on the line,” she said. “2028 is coming up. And Charlie, he wants us to fight. He wants us to be loud. And he said it himself, ‘If you don’t correct evil, if you don’t speak about evil when evil is happening, then that in itself is evil.’ So, it’s my job to stand up, be loud and, really, I don’t care who likes it and who doesn’t.
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“I keep saying that, above all else, Charlie Kirk and his wife Erika are Christians,” she continued. “Isn’t that really the message? I think bringing Christianity back into households is the only thing that’s going to save us as a country. I know for me, my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, I don’t know where I would be today without it.
“And, so, watching Erika, I don’t know how she spoke the word of God after losing her husband. I mean, I was in such awe to know that she is now the leader of Turning Point. I mean, we only go up from here.”
Kirk, 31, was assassinated at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University in Orem Sept. 10..
The political activist had traveled around the country to college campuses, where he conducted question-and-answer sessions with students and discussed key political issues.
Authorities identified the murder suspect as Tyler Robinson, 22, who appeared for the first time Thursday during a hearing in Utah.
Red state shocker: Trump loses pivotal vote on congressional redistricting plan
President Donald Trump suffered a major political setback on Thursday in his push to pass congressional redistricting in red states.
After months of arm-twisting by the president, top allies and aligned groups, the Indiana Senate voted down a new map championed by Trump that would have created two more right-leaning congressional districts in the solidly red Midwestern state, where the GOP controls seven of Indiana’s nine U.S. House seats.
The districts of Democratic Reps. Frank Mrvan and Andre Carson would have been eliminated.
The vote in the chamber was 31-19, with 21 Republicans joining 10 Democrats in voting against the new map.
BIG WIN FOR TRUMP AS SUPREME COURT GREENLIGHTS TEXAS’ NEW CONGRESSIONAL MAP
The showdown in Indiana came a week after the Supreme Court cleared the way for Republican-dominated Texas to use its newly redrawn map, which creates five more right-leaning House seats.
Indiana was the latest battleground in Trump’s aggressive national campaign to reshape congressional districts ahead of the 2026 midterms, when Republicans, as the party in power, will likely face traditional political headwinds as they defend their razor-thin House majority.
And for Trump, who recently emphasized “we must keep the majority at all costs,” the vote was viewed as a key test of his immense clout over the GOP.
Following the vote, Indiana Democratic Party Chair Karen Tallian emphasized in a statement, “The Indiana General Assembly has rules. Redistricting happens every ten years. These rules are not obstacles. They are safety nets. Upholding the rules is not an act of weakness – it is an act of responsibility: maintaining the integrity of the process and preserving the legitimacy and credibility of the institution. Today, that’s what my former colleagues did by rejecting this partisan sideshow.”
The redistricting bill last week passed the Indiana House 57-41, with a dozen GOP lawmakers voting against the measure. But the stakes were much higher in the state Senate, where the GOP also holds a super majority, and Republican leaders in the chamber had resisted Trump’s efforts to draw new congressional maps.
Indiana Senate Republican leader Rodric Bray had repeatedly said there wasn’t enough support in the chamber to move forward with redistricting. The state Senate split 19-19 last month in a proxy vote.
RED STATE MOVES FORWARD ON TRUMP CHAMPIONED CONGRESSIONAL MAPS
Trump repeatedly blasted Bray, warning in a recent social media post, “A RINO State Senator, Rodric Bray, who doesn’t care about keeping the Majority in the House in D.C., is the primary problem. Soon, he will have a Primary Problem, as will any other politician who supports him in this stupidity.”
Changing course, Bray announced last week that the state Senate would reconvene to vote on redistricting, adding, “The issue of redrawing Indiana’s congressional maps mid-cycle has received a lot of attention and is causing strife here in our state.”
Trump kept up the pressure on Bray and others on the fence, highlighting in a social media post this past weekend the nine state Senate Republicans who have yet to announce their position on the new map, saying they “need encouragement to make the right decision.”
And on the eve of the vote in the state Senate, the president, in a lengthy post, once again blasted Bray as “either a bad guy, or a very stupid one!” He also vowed to “do everything within my power” to oust Bray and others who vote against the redistricting bill in GOP primaries next year.
“And you had one gentleman, the head of the Senate, I guess, and Bray or whatever his name is,” President Trump said during an Oval Office press spray Thursday. “I heard he was against it. Probably lose his next primary, whatever that is. I hope he does because he’s done a tremendous disservice—I mean, think of it. It’s a great place. I love the people there. They love me.”
TRUMP TARGETS RED STATE REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS IN PUSH FOR CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING
The latest attacks were part of a months-long effort by Trump to twist elbows in his attempt to make Indiana the latest Republican-controlled state to change congressional maps. The president called state lawmakers, and Vice President JD Vance visited the state twice earlier this autumn to discuss redistricting.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a top Trump ally, also called Indiana lawmakers as part of the full-court press.
Meanwhile, the Trump-aligned conservative political organization, the Club for Growth Action, and other groups dished out big bucks to run ads in Indiana supporting redistricting, and, along with Turning Point Action, pledged to target Republican state lawmakers opposed to the new map.
HOUSE GOP CAMPAIGN CHAIR WANTS TRUMP ‘OUT THERE ON THE TRAIL’ IN MIDTERM BATTLE FOR MAJORITY
By championing rare but not unheard-of mid-decade redistricting, Trump is aiming to prevent what happened during his first term in the White House when Democrats reclaimed the House majority in the 2018 midterm elections.
Texas, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio have drawn new maps as part of the president’s push. State lawmakers in GOP-dominated Florida recently took the first steps toward passing a redistricting measure, and right-leaning Kansas is also mulling redrawing its map.
Two federal judges in Texas last month delivered a blow to Trump and Republicans, ruling the state couldn’t use the newly drawn map in next year’s elections. But the Supreme Court last week gave a big thumbs up to the Lone Star State’s new congressional map.
Democrats are fighting back.
California voters a month ago overwhelmingly passed Proposition 50, a ballot initiative which will temporarily sidetrack the left-leaning state’s nonpartisan redistricting commission and return the power to draw the congressional maps to the Democrat-dominated legislature.
That is expected to result in five more Democratic-leaning congressional districts in California, which would counter the passage earlier this year in Texas of a new map that aims to create up to five right-leaning House seats.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, considered a likely 2028 Democratic presidential contender, steered his state’s push for redistricting.
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Illinois and Maryland, two blue states, and Virginia, where Democrats control the legislature, are also taking steps or seriously considering redistricting.
Opponents of redistricting in Missouri submitted thousands of petition signatures calling for a statewide referendum vote on the new maps.
And in another blow to Republicans, a Utah district judge last month rejected a congressional district map drawn up by the state’s GOP-dominated legislature and instead approved an alternate that will create a Democratic-leaning district ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Former MSNBC host pushes claim that ‘Jingle Bells’ mocked Black Americans
Former MSNBC host Joy Reid took issue with a popular Christmas carol, reposting a video that describes the beloved tune as racist. The now-viral clip has renewed scrutiny of the carol’s past, as the academic whose research the video is based on says that wasn’t her intent.
In the video, a man in festive attire stares at a plaque in Medford, Massachusetts, where James Lord Pierpont is believed to have written what became known as “Jingle Bells.”
The video makes the argument that the song’s early performances were used to “mock” Black people. It goes on to discuss Pierpont’s history using racialized dialect and slurs in other works. The clip also notes that the writer later fought for the Confederate Army in defense of slavery.
“This is where a racist Confederate soldier wrote ‘Jingle Bells’ to make fun of Black people,” reads the first caption on screen.
JOY REID’S ‘FAR-RIGHT’ TAKE ON TRANS WOMEN IN FEMALE LOCKER ROOMS LEAVES CONSERVATIVES STUNNED
The video says that Pierpont was strapped for cash and wrote the original version, “The One Horse Open Sleigh,” for performances where White actors in blackface caricatured Black people “trying to participate in winter activities.”
Reid, who lost her MSNBC show “The ReidOut” earlier this year, reposted the clip to her 1.3 million Instagram followers, writing, “Lord have mercy.” The video cites a 2017 Cambridge University Press paper titled “The Story I Must Tell: ‘Jingle Bells’ in the Minstrel Repertoire.”
“The legacy of ‘Jingle Bells’ is, as we shall see, a prime example of a common misreading of much popular music from the nineteenth century,” writes author Kyna Hamill in the study.
JOY REID WARNS THAT TRUMP COULD TRANSFORM US MEDIA TO ‘NORTH KOREA’-STYLE PROPAGANDA MACHINE
“Its blackface and racist origins have been subtly and systematically removed from its history,” she added.
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However, Hamill has repeatedly said her work is being misrepresented and that she never claimed “Jingle Bells” was written as racist mockery. She maintains her research focuses on the performance history of the song and where it originated, not on Pierpont’s intent in composing it.
“I never said it was racist now,” Hamill told the Boston Herald in 2017, adding that she was not looking to dictate what songs are sung at Christmas.
Princess Sofia’s connection to Jeffrey Epstein revealed in uncovered messages
The Royal Court of Sweden admitted that Princess Sofia met with Jeffrey Epstein “on a few occasions” after newly surfaced emails appeared to connect the royal to the late convicted sex offender.
The former model and reality TV starlet met the disgraced financier through her mentor, Swedish businesswoman Barbro Ehnbom, in 2005, according to emails published by the Swedish outlet Dagens Nyheter and cited by People.
“The recent media reporting regarding Princess Sofia has given rise to speculation about the Princess and her alleged relationship with Jeffrey Epstein,” a spokesperson for the Royal Court of Sweden told Fox News Digital in a statement Wednesday.
SARAH FERGUSON ‘MASSIVELY ON EDGE AND PANICKING’ AFTER EX-PRINCE ANDREW’S ROYAL EVICTION: EXPERT
“The Royal Court has responded to questions from Dagens Nyheter about whether the Princess in her 20s was introduced to Jeffrey Epstein.”
“The Royal Court notes the significant media interest in this matter,” the spokesperson shared. “At the same time, it is important that the reporting remains focused on what is relevant. No one can be expected to remember every person they have encountered throughout their life; however, Princess Sofia recalls meeting Epstein on a few occasions about 20 years ago.”
“We wish to clarify that these meetings took place in social settings, such as at a restaurant and a movie premiere,” the statement continued. “Reports that the Princess received help from Epstein with acting lessons or with a visa to the United States are incorrect.”
WATCH: PRINCE ANDREW STRIPPED OF TITLES, EVICTED FROM ROYAL LODGE
“The Princess has never been dependent on him in any way, nor has she had any contact with him for the past 20 years,” the statement concluded.
Ehnbom reportedly wrote in a December 2005 email, “This is Sofia, an aspiring actress who just arrived in New York. She’s the girl I told you about before I left, who I thought you might like to meet. Maybe we can visit before you go on holiday?” The message included a photo.
Epstein reportedly replied, “I’m in the Caribbean. Does she want to come for a couple of days? I’ll send a ticket.”
It’s believed that Epstein was inviting Sofia to Little Saint James, his privately owned island, where he was accused of sex trafficking minors.
The Swedish Royal Court told the outlet that Sofia was “introduced to the person in question on a few occasions around 2005.” Officials also noted that Sofia, now 41, did not accept the invitation to join Epstein in the Caribbean.
The outlet also published a 2006 email from Epstein’s assistant to Ehnbom that read, “Jeffrey wonders what really happened with Camilla. Did you tell her she has a ticket to New York anytime she wants?”
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“I think he means Sofia, the little beautiful dark-haired girl who had her friend Camilla with her,” Ehnbom reportedly replied. It was noted that Epstein offered both women spots at an acting school, but there were issues with their visas.
Fox News Digital reached out to Ehnbom for comment.
After the news broke, Sofia was absent on Dec. 10 for the Nobel Prize ceremony in Stockholm, an annual outing that’s essential for the royals. Her husband, Prince Carl Philip, attended with his parents and two sisters, Crown Princess Victoria and Princess Madeleine.
In 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida to state charges of procuring a minor for prostitution and solicitation of prostitution. More than a decade later, in 2019, he was indicted on federal sex-trafficking charges involving minors. He died that year at age 66 while awaiting trial.
“In the mid-2000s, Sofia was an aspiring actress and model trying to establish herself in New York,” royal commentator Amanda Matta told Fox News Digital.
“Unfortunately, Jeffrey Epstein’s social web touched nearly every corner of that world. Being introduced to him at that time doesn’t mean she was complicit in, or even aware of, what would later come to light about his crimes. If anything, young women like Sofia may well have been the ones being groomed, not the other way around.”
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“The kind of straightforward response we saw from Sweden is very characteristic of the Scandinavian monarchies,” Matta said. “They tend to favor calm, pragmatic damage control over the defensive or drawn-out approach we often see from the British royals. I doubt Sofia will face any formal repercussions unless more details emerge that shed light on actual misconduct, given how long ago this took place and how firmly she’s distanced herself from it.”
“It could stir up some uncomfortable memories of how the public first viewed her — as a ‘commoner’ and formerly reality TV personality, to put it politely, whom they weren’t sure belonged in royal circles,” Matta warned.
As a model, Sofia famously posed topless with a boa constrictor for the Swedish men’s magazine Slitz. She went on to appear in the reality TV show “Paradise Hotel” in 2005.
According to multiple reports, Sofia met Prince Carl Philip, 46, the only son of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, at a Swedish nightclub through mutual friends in 2009. Their relationship became public in 2010. The couple married in 2015 and went on to welcome four children.
“Over time, Princess Sofia has worked incredibly hard to rewrite the narrative, and her genuine dedication to patronages is only part of the equation,” said Matta.
“The Swedish royal family’s open embrace of her and non-tolerance of media abuse went a long way towards Sofia’s broader acceptance. The public has already seen Sofia weather controversy, so as long as the palace stays transparent, I expect they’ll see this as the unfortunate but explainable episode that it really is.”
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In 2018, Sofia spoke to Sweden’s TV4 about how she was the target of online bullying.
“I was met with an enormous hate storm from people who had opinions about me as a person, about my relationship,” she explained at the time, as quoted by People.
“I was surprised, and it definitely affected me,” the princess admitted. “I didn’t understand that people had such a need to express how badly they felt about me. It was very tough.”
The couple has used the Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia Foundation to raise awareness about the harmful effects of online bullying and hate speech.
Sofia isn’t the only royal to be connected to Epstein.
In October, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles had stripped his brother, the former Prince Andrew, of his royal titles and honors amid renewed scrutiny surrounding his friendship with Epstein.
KING CHARLES KICKED ANDREW OUT BUT CAN’T REMOVE DISGRACED EX-ROYAL FROM LINE OF SUCCESSION: EXPERTS
Andrew, 65, previously stepped back as a senior royal in 2019 after he gave a disastrous interview to the BBC, where he attempted to explain his ties to the pedophile.
Before she died in 2022, Queen Elizabeth II stripped her son of his military titles and patronages after a judge rejected Andrew’s attempt to have a lawsuit against him by his accuser, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, dismissed. He later settled with the American woman out of court for an undisclosed sum. Giuffre, 41, died by suicide in April.
Matta emphasized that Sofia’s situation bears no real resemblance to Andrew’s.
“That’s really an apples-to-oranges comparison,” she said.
Wisconsin student’s cause of death confirmed after vanishing on late-night walk from bar
Officials have announced a cause of death for Wisconsin graduate student Eliotte Heinz, whose body was found floating face down in the Mississippi River days after she vanished during a walk home from a bar in July.
The La Crosse County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled Heinz’s cause of death as drowning and her manner of death as an accident, according to a new autopsy report obtained by Fox News Digital on Thursday morning.
The 22-year-old Viterbo University student vanished around 2:30 a.m. on July 20 while walking home from Broncos Bar in La Crosse, Wisconsin, after a night out with friends.
Her body was found three days later, just before 10:30 a.m. on July 23, by a fisherman in the river near Brownsville, Minnesota — more than a dozen miles from where she was last seen, authorities said.
FISHERMAN FOUND WISCONSIN GRAD STUDENT FACE DOWN MISSISSIPPI RIVER DAYS AFTER MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE
There was “no gross evidence of trauma,” according to the autopsy report, which noted that there were no indications of foul play, physical assault or inflicted harm.
Toxicology tests showed Heinz had no drugs in her system, though she tested positive for alcohol. She had 193 mg/dL of ethanol in her system, according to the report, which is roughly a 0.19% Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC).
According to health experts, a BAC of 0.19% is associated with severe impairment to gross motor skills, speech, vision and reasoning. For comparison, the standard legal limit for driving is 0.08%.
Heinz was last seen walking along the Mississippi River waterfront at about 3:30 a.m. and later spotted on surveillance footage heading toward her apartment, which was less than a mile away.
The owner of a marina bar near the location where Heinz’s body was spotted told Fox News Digital in July that the young fisherman found the body face down and wrapped in duckweed. The body could be seen from the shore.
WISCONSIN STUDENT ELIOTTE HEINZ’S MISSISSIPPI RIVER DEATH REIGNITES SAFETY CONCERNS IN COLLEGE TOWN
Jonathan Strike, who lived in Heinz’s apartment building, told Fox News at the time that Heinz had only moved in a few months ago, but her kindness radiated in the community.
“Very sweet, quiet girl,” Strike said. “[She] always said ‘Hi’ every time she walked by. Ever since she moved in, [she] always made an attempt to be as friendly as she can be, even with my dog jumping all over everybody. It’s just heartbreaking.”
Heinz’s family released a statement to Fox News Digital in July remembering the 22-year-old as a “beautiful person.”
“She was smart, funny, caring, and loved fiercely by us. We don’t know why we were so blessed to have her as a daughter, or why we are unable to keep her,” it read, in part. “She is amazing and would have continued to amaze us. We are devastated that she is no longer with us. Our family will forever have a missing piece.”
“Eliotte’s walk home is finished. Unfortunately, our family’s walk down this new hard path is just beginning. We love you Eliotte,” the statement concluded.
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The University of Wisconsin River Watch, a program started in 2006 to prevent alcohol-related accidental drownings, reported that eight college students drowned in the Mississippi River as a result of excessive drinking between 1997 and 2006.