Bitter rift emerges within conservative movement at TPUSA’s AmericaFest 2025

A rift within the MAGA movement came to a head at Turning Point USA‘s (TPUSA) AmericaFest this week, with conservative personalities like Ben Shapiro and Tucker Carlson engaging in a war of words during their time on stage.

Shapiro, co-founder of The Daily Wire, took the stage at AmericaFest on Thursday, where he launched into a blistering condemnation of Carlson and others he described as charlatans and grifters who “traffic in conspiracism and dishonesty.”

One of the main criticisms Shapiro levied against Carlson was his platforming of individuals like White nationalist Nick Fuentes, among others. 

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He asserted that hosts are “indeed responsible for the guests they choose and the questions they ask those guests” and tore into Carlson’s interview with Fuentes, someone he noted late TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk opposed.

“There is a reason that Charlie Kirk despised Nick Fuentes and, indeed, even chided Dinesh D’Souza for debating him. He knew that Nick Fuentes is an evil troll and that building him up is an act of moral imbecility. And that is precisely what Tucker Carlson did,” he contended, adding that Carlson “ought to take responsibility” for doing so.

Approximately an hour after Shapiro delivered his speech, Carlson took the stage and seemed to mock Shapiro’s attempt to “deplatform and denounce” people who disagree with him. 

“I just got here, and I feel like I missed the first part of the program. Hope I didn’t miss anything meaningful. But I just want to say I don’t think I did,” Carlson quipped. “No, I’m just kidding. I watched it. I laughed.”

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He added that he “laughed that kind of bitter sardonic laugh that emerges from you and, like, upside-down world arrives. When your dog starts doing your taxes, and you’re like, ‘Wait, it’s not supposed to work this way.'”

While he didn’t mention Shapiro by name, Carlson seemed to take multiple jabs at Shapiro’s speech, saying it was “hilarious” to hear “calls for, like, deplatforming and denouncing people at a Charlie Kirk event.”

“Charlie stood firm in his often-stated and deeply held belief that people should be able to debate, and if you have something valid to say, if you’re telling the truth, you ought to be able to explain it calmly and in detail to people who don’t agree with you, and that you shouldn’t immediately resort to, ‘Shut up racist,’” he railed.

Carlson also spent some of his time on stage defending himself against Shapiro’s allegations of antisemitism. 

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“Antisemitism is immoral. In my religion, it is immoral to hate people for how they were born. Period,” Carlson asserted.

After Shapiro’s speech highlighted the infighting taking place within the MAGA movement, Carlson denied its existence, maintaining the coalition built by President Donald Trump is still holding together.

“The Trump coalition, and the supposed civil war going on within that group, I don’t think it’s real,” he told the audience. “I think it’s fake. I think it’s totally fake.”

The following day, conservative commentator Megyn Kelly took the stage for a conversation with TPUSA contributor Jack Posobiec, and she tore into Shapiro for acting as a gatekeeper of the conservative movement.

“[Shapiro] thinks he’s in a position to decide who must say what to whom and when,” Kelly said. “So, I don’t think we are friends anymore. I’ve been a very good friend to Ben.”

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During his speech the day before, Shapiro noted that, despite their recent disagreements, Kelly was still “a person I consider a friend.”

Kelly recalled inviting the Daily Wire co-founder to speak during her “Megyn Kelly Live” tour last month, noting that their “mix-up” stemmed from Carlson, not disagreements over Israel.

“He just recently came on my tour, as did you, and I gave him the most kind introduction I could possibly give him because I know that he’s losing subscribers — a lot. And, so, I tried to do something nice for him by giving him a long 10-minute intro and personally vouching for him. And we mixed it up on Israel out on stage,” she recounted.

“It wasn’t Israel because we’re on the same place on Israel. We mixed it up over whether Tucker Carlson should be excommunicated from the conservative movement, which I do not believe.”

According to Kelly, the two hugged and said goodbye after Shapiro’s appearance on her tour and even shared a “nice text exchange a couple of days later, saying our friendship was important to us.”

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“And the next thing I saw was him attacking me on stage last night as a coward,” she told Posobiec. “That’s not friendship. And I think that’s fine with me.”

Vivek Ramaswamy, who is running for Ohio’s Republican gubernatorial nomination, took aim at what he called pockets of the “online right” during his address Friday night at AmericaFest that fixated on heritage and lineage rather than American ideals. He specifically called out Fuentes as unwelcome in the conservative movement.

“I think the idea of a heritage American is about as loony as anything the woke left has actually put up,” he said. “There is no American who is more American than somebody else. … It is binary. Either you’re an American or you’re not.”

This emerging fracture within the conservative movement was touched upon by Erika Kirk at the outset of the event.

She recalled her husband being a “peacemaker” and a “coalition builder” and that, after his assassination in September, “we saw infighting. We’ve seen fractures. We’ve seen bridges being burned that shouldn’t be burnt. We saw a lot on full display.

“And what I knew as a wife — and I’m the same exact way as him — If you are trying to put up fight or flight mode, we’re always fight mode. We don’t retreat,” she added.

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Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet did not immediately return Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Millions raised for man who tackled gunman during deadly Bondi Beach shooting

More than $2.6 million has been raised for the man who disarmed one of the attackers during a mass shooting targeting a Hanukkah event on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, last weekend.

After the attack – which took place on Dec. 14 and left at least 15 people dead – a GoFundMe page was launched for Ahmed al Ahmed, who was deemed a hero after video showed him tackling and disarming one of the alleged gunmen.

As of Sunday morning, $2.64 million had been raised through nearly 45,000 donations for al Ahmed, a Syrian-born Australian Muslim, who was one of dozens wounded during the attack when a second gunman fired on him.

“In a moment of chaos and danger, Ahmed al-Ahmed stepped forward without hesitation,” the fundraiser states. “His actions were selfless, instinctive, and undeniably heroic, taken without regard for his own safety. Early reports indicate he was shot twice in the process while protecting others.”

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The organizers added that the campaign was created to show gratitude and support for someone who demonstrated “incredible courage when it mattered most.”

Footage from the scene shows al Ahmed, a father of two young daughters, ages 5 and 6, sneaking up behind the attacker as shots are fired off camera. He is then seen tackling the gunman and wrestling the weapon away from him, before turning the weapon on the attacker and holding him at gunpoint.

One of the fundraiser’s organizers, social media influencer Zachery Dereniowski, visited al Ahmed at a Sydney hospital on Friday to present him with a check for $2.5 million, the amount raised at that time.

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In a video shared on social media, al Ahmed appeared overwhelmed by the gesture.

Sitting in his hospital bed, al Ahmed asked, “I deserve it?”

Dereniowski replied, “Every penny.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited al Ahmed earlier this week, hailing him as an “Australian hero.”

“You put yourself at risk to save others, running towards danger on Bondi Beach and disarming a terrorist,” he wrote on X. “In the worst of times, we see the best of Australians. And that’s exactly what we saw on Sunday night. On behalf of every Australian, I say thank you.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised al Ahmed’s actions as “brave,” and Chris Minns, the premier of Australia’s New South Wales, stated that his “incredible bravery no doubt saved countless lives.”

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The Australian government is investigating the shooting as a terror attack targeting the Jewish community.

A 24-year-old man who allegedly perpetrated the terror attack with his 50-year-old father was slapped with murder charges. The father “died at the scene,” police said.

Late-game brawl breaks out during Eagles game prompting three ejections

An intense brawl broke out during the Eagles-Commanders game in the fourth quarter Saturday night, resulting in three ejections.

The fight began after Philadelphia’s Saquon Barkley scored on a 2-point conversion to boost his team’s lead to 19 points with less than five minutes left. 

Washington’s Javon Kinlaw and Quan Martin and Eagles offensive lineman Tyler Steen were disqualified after being flagged for unnecessary roughness.

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There was some pushing and shoving and a lot of jawing, and officials threw six flags as the chaos ensued.

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Eventually, order was restored, and Barkley, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner spoke to each other.

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The Eagles won the game, 29-18, to clinch their second straight division title, becoming the first team to win back-to-back NFC East titles since the 2004 Eagles did it. 

Misunderstood illness leaves millions exhausted, with most cases undiagnosed

Fatigue can stem from a variety of illnesses and life stressors, but when that exhaustion lasts for months — often following an infection — it may indicate a condition called chronic fatigue syndrome.

Approximately 3.3 million people in the United States currently have the syndrome, with about one in four people confined to their bed at some point during the illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Despite its prevalence, experts say it’s a poorly understood condition that physicians frequently miss, with past research suggesting that only about 15% of those affected are diagnosed correctly.

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What is chronic fatigue syndrome?

Formally known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a chronic disease that causes fatigue so severe that it impairs the ability to perform daily activities.

The National Academy of Medicine defines the syndrome as having the following three symptoms that last at least six months.

• Severe fatigue that is 1) new and 2) decreases the ability to perform activities that you did normally prior to illness
• “Malaise” that worsens after physical or mental effort that previously was well-tolerated
• Unrestful sleep

People may also experience trouble with thinking and memory (often called “brain fog”) or lightheadedness when standing up. 

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There are no tests to confirm chronic fatigue, so doctors diagnose it by talking to their patients, examining them and excluding other disorders, like hypothyroidism and depression, that often share the same symptoms.

“CFS, fibromyalgia and long COVID are all related conditions with different names,” Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, author of “From Fatigued to Fantasticwhose research focuses on chronic fatigue syndrome — told Fox News Digital. “What these illnesses have in common is that they are immune disorders, and immune disorders predominantly affect women.”

Many genes related to immune disorders are on the X chromosome, suggesting a genetic component, the doctor added.

Causes of chronic fatigue

Chronic fatigue syndrome may be triggered by infection or other physiologic stressors, but its causes and symptoms can vary widely from person to person, according to Dr. Julia Oh, a professor in dermatology, molecular genetics and microbiology, and integrative immunobiology at the Duke University School of Medicine in North Carolina.

Teitelbaum compared the condition to a “severe energy crisis” in the body. When energy drops low enough, the “control center” in the brain — the hypothalamus, which regulates sleep, hormones, blood pressure and pulse — may not work as well.

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Although hypothalamic dysfunction can trigger dozens of other symptoms, the hallmark signs are insomnia (despite exhaustion), brain fog and widespread pain, the doctor said.

Anything that causes severe energy depletion can trigger the syndrome, including chronic life stressors, nutritional deficiencies, thyroid and stress hormone imbalances, and sleep problems.

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These triggers are usually associated with a gradual onset of CFS, but sudden onset can be caused by certain infections, with two classic ones being COVID and mononucleosis, past research has shown.

Head and neck trauma and sudden hormonal shifts after pregnancy can also trigger chronic fatigue, Teitelbaum warned.

There aren’t currently any blood tests to uniformly diagnose the syndrome, but Dr. Oh said she is hopeful that will change in the future.

Her research team developed an experimental artificial intelligence-based tool, BioMapAI, that has been shown to identify the condition with high accuracy by analyzing stool, blood and other common lab tests, according to early research published in July in the journal Nature Medicine.

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“Instead of finding one smoking gun for the disease, our AI model uncovered a distinct biological fingerprint that was dysregulated in the patients, which spanned changes in gut bacteria, hyperactive immune cells and disrupted metabolism,” Oh told Fox News Digital.

Treatments and therapies

Given how differently chronic fatigue syndrome can affect people, there is no universally effective therapy, according to Oh.

The CDC recommends that patients with CFS work with their doctors to create a management plan based on the symptoms that most affect quality of life.

There are no tests to confirm chronic fatigue, so doctors diagnose it by evaluating symptoms and excluding other disorders.

Treatments generally include a combination of lifestyle changes, therapies and medications. Patients and their physicians should weigh the potential benefits and risks of any approach.

There are some alternative therapies that have shown to be effective for some. Teitelbaum developed a protocol called SHINE, which focuses on sleep, hormones and hypotension, infections, nutrition and exercise. Some research has shown that this approach can help to improve the quality of life for people with CFS and fibromyalgia.

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Others may find alternative treatments, like physiotherapy (physical therapy) to be helpful.

Those who experience persistent fatigue that hinders their ability to participate in regular activities or impacts their quality of life should speak with a doctor.

Epstein accuser gains validation as her long-hidden complaint is released in DOJ files

A woman whose concerns about Jeffrey Epstein were brushed off by the FBI three decades ago was vindicated Friday after the Department of Justice finally made her complaint public.

Maria Farmer’s complaint was buried in the thousands of files related to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex trafficking cases that the DOJ published as part of its obligations under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

The document was dated Sept. 3, 1996, more than 10 years before Epstein first faced prosecution for sex crimes involving girls. In it, Farmer accused Epstein of stealing and selling photos of her young sisters. Farmer worked as an artist for Epstein and has long been outspoken about what she said was his abusive behavior.

Farmer has said the photos of her sisters cited in the 1996 complaint included nudity, and the complaint is labeled as a possible “child pornography” case.

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Names on the complaint were redacted, but The New York Times confirmed with Farmer that she was the person who filed it. Farmer told the outlet she felt “vindicated.” 

“I’ve waited 30 years. … I can’t believe it. They can’t call me a liar anymore,” she said.

The complaint noted that Farmer was a professional artist whose work included the images of her sisters, who were 12 and 16 at the time. 

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“Epstein stole the photos and negatives and is believed to have sold the pictures to potential buyers,” the complaint stated. “Epstein at one time requested [redacted] to take pictures of young girls at swimming pools. Epstein is now threatening [redacted] that if she tells anyone about the photos he will burn her house down.”

Farmer and her sister Annie brought separate lawsuits in 2019 alleging Epstein and Maxwell sexually assaulted them, but the suits were dropped as part of a settlement involving accepting compensation from Epstein’s estate.

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Farmer also sued the DOJ in July, alleging the Clinton administration FBI “chose to do absolutely nothing” with her complaint in 1996 and that, in the years since, Epstein was able to victimize more women. Farmer said she also complained again to the FBI in 2006 during the Bush administration.

Farmer’s complaint was among the tens of thousands of documents related to Epstein and Maxwell that the DOJ released on Friday, the transparency bill’s deadline. Other accusers, such as Marina Lacerda, have spoken out about their dissatisfaction with the file release, observing that it was incomplete and contained heavy redactions. The department has said more files are coming within the next two weeks.

Travel experts reveal the $1 item that could save your trip from delays and disaster

For problems ranging from dealing with long immigration lines to dead phones, a simple, lightweight item might be the most overlooked airport essential, according to travel experts.

It’s not a charger, neck pillow or noise-canceling headphones, just a simple pen with blue or black ink.

Travelers who assume pens will be available at the airport risk unnecessary delays and frustration because many destinations still require paper immigration and customs forms, and writing utensils can be in short supply, Travel + Leisure recently reported.

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One travel expert learned that lesson the hard way while arriving in Tanzania after a red-eye flight.

“I landed in Dar es Salaam after a red-eye, [with the] immigration hall packed and buzzing, all of us funneling off the plane, and by the time I reached the counter, every pen was gone — dry, vanished, even the chained-up one,” Georgia Fowkes, a Pennsylvania travel adviser for tour operator Altezza Travel, told Travel + Leisure.

“There I was, holding up the line, with the rest of the no-pen folks, waiting for my turn to borrow one,” Fowkes added. “Not my finest travel moment.”

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She noted that late-night arrivals can be especially challenging since there are fewer travelers around to borrow a pen from.

“Pull a spare pen out of your pocket at 35,000 feet, and people look at you like you’ve just invented fire,” Fowkes said. “In that moment, a pen is social currency.”

Even as some countries move toward digital systems, travelers may still be required to complete paper forms, sometimes before the plane even lands.

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“Depending on your country of citizenship or origin, you might still be required to fill out a paper form when arriving,” Eric Rosen, a Los Angeles-based director of content at The Points Guy, told Reader’s Digest in October.

Rosen said he travels with several pens so he can fill out paperwork on board or while waiting in line, saving time and stress.

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Experts say pen choice matters too. Basic, nonmetal ballpoint or gel pens with blue or black ink are best because fountain pens and rollerballs can leak due to cabin pressure, and travelers who fill out forms in unconventional ink colors may be asked to redo them.

Beyond immigration, a pen can also come in handy when technology fails.

Erin Carey, founder of travel public relations agency Roam Generation in Australia, told Travel + Leisure she always carries a pen in case her phone dies.

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“What if your phone goes flat, and you need to jot down an address or a phone number, or you meet someone you’d like to reach out to again, and you need to get their email address?” Carey said. “Maybe you need to have something written in a local language to show a taxi driver, or you lose your luggage and want to fill out a form for that.”

A pen can also come in handy when technology fails.

The low-tech travel tip even has celebrity support.

Kelly Ripa recently revealed that she never travels without multiple pens, admitting she often takes them from hotel rooms.

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“I travel with an armada of pens,” Ripa said on a November episode of “Live with Kelly and Mark,” according to People. “There’s 800 people making a mad dash to the three chained pens” at the customs desk, she said.

Ripa added that pens also double as in-flight entertainment when in-flight Wi-Fi fails, allowing her to write, work or doodle without relying on screens.

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Other small, unexpected items, including duct tape and binder clips, can be travel lifesavers, according to travel blogs and reports. They can help fix cracked suitcases, prevent leaks, secure snacks, block out hotel room lights and keep cords organized on the go.

Massive python lurking near homes puts families on edge during Christmas season

It was one Christmas visitor that didn’t overstay its welcome.

A Burmese python that had been spotted in a Miami-Dade neighborhood was removed just days before Christmas after a resident out for a walk located the snake hiding inside an areca palm next to a home and contacted a local snake wrangler.

The snake’s removal came after neighbors grew increasingly concerned about its proximity to homes, pets and children as the holidays approached.

Video from the scene captured stunned reactions from nearby residents as the python was pulled from the palm tree.

“Oh gosh, oh my gosh,” an unidentified woman can be heard gasping as the snake emerged.

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Michael Ronquillo of Humane Iguana Control identified the snake on camera as a Burmese python and explained how it likely made its way into the residential area.

“So this is a Burmese python that was invading this neighborhood. It most likely came by one of the local canals. So we’re happy we were able to catch him,” Ronquillo said.

While residents appeared alarmed by the snake’s size, Ronquillo remained calm as he handled it.

“Yeah, I thought it would be bigger,” he said while wrangling the reptile.

Ronquillo said the python’s location made the situation especially dangerous because it was concealed deep inside an areca palm that sat directly next to a home.

“It was so deep into this areca palm that it could easily snatch someone’s pet or attack a human. Luckily a neighbor walking kept an eye on it to see where it hid,” Ronquillo said.

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“The areca palm was actually right next to the house, so it was pretty dangerous,” he added.

The python measured “roughly 6½ feet long and weighed about 30 pounds,” according to Ronquillo.

Residents were particularly worried about the potential danger to their families if the snake remained in the neighborhood.

“Since it’s not a very common occurrence, they were pretty shocked to see such a large snake in their neighborhood. They were mostly worried about pets and small children,” Ronquillo said. “They were also worried if it were to lay eggs it could have been much worse.”

Ronquillo explained that removing the snake was risky because of its position inside the palm.

“The position where I was hiding it was pretty dangerous since it was hard to determine where the head was with so many palm stocks that the areca has,” he said.

Despite the danger, Ronquillo said experience makes a difference.

“Doing iguana removal and python removals regularly, you just get used to handling them. It’s a thrill for us,” he said.

If the python had remained in the area, Ronquillo said it could have posed a serious threat to pets and wildlife.

“It would begin to consume cats and native animals such as possums and raccoons,” he said.

Ronquillo said python sightings in urban areas are becoming more common.

“It’s becoming to be pretty common, there’s been at least one to two removals every month in urban areas,” he said. “Roughly five months ago, we had removed another python in Doral which was causing panic as well.”

He warned residents not to attempt to handle a python on their own.

“They have roughly 100 very sharp teeth oriented backwards [to] lock their prey,” Ronquillo said. “Getting [a] bite can be difficult to remove or deadly if the python is very big,” he added.

If residents spot a python, Ronquillo said they should avoid interfering.

“They should keep an eye on it and not harass it so it doesn’t scurry off,” he said. “And again [do] not attempt to capture if you don’t have the experience.”

Ronquillo said trained professionals are best equipped to handle invasive snakes safely.

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“Trained python removal companies like ourselves have the knowledge and expertise to get the job done correctly and safely,” he said.

“Being an invasive species, it’s also important to euthanize it humanely, as it states on FWC [Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission] website,” he added.

NFL team flight suffers mechanical issue mid-flight and is forced to make landing

The Minnesota Vikings‘ team plane was forced to turn around during the team’s flight to New Jersey for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants. 

Their team plane experienced mechanical issues shortly after departing Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport while en route to Newark Liberty International Airport, according to a team spokesperson. 

The Vikings were expected to arrive in Newark later Saturday night after boarding a second plane. 

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“Shortly after departing, the team plane experienced mechanical issues that required a return to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. The team will board a second plane momentarily and is now expected to arrive at Newark International Airport later tonight,” the team said in a statement. 

Vikings cornerback Isaiah Rodgers commented on an Instagram post of the news, writing, “We’re ok.” 

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The Vikings are eliminated from playoff contention but are coming off a signature win over the Dallas Cowboys Sunday night. Second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy had arguably his best game as a pro, throwing for a career-high 250 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. 

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They play a Giants team that has the worst record in the NFL at 2-12, tied with the Tennessee Titans and Las Vegas Raiders.