Olympian-turned-fugitive escorted off plane in cuffs by FBI after Mexico capture
Former Team Canada Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, who is alleged to have run a translation drug ring and orchestrated multiple murders, was seen on video being escorted by law enforcement after being captured by the FBI on Friday.
Wedding was escorted in handcuffs off of a plane as he landed in Southern California at Ontario International Airport in San Bernardino County surrounded by FBI agents. He will face federal charges.
Wedding, 44, surrendered to authorities following a period of negotiations, sources confirmed to Fox News. While the specific terms of that agreement were not known, sources indicated that the one-time Olympian turned himself in after facing mounting pressure that left him unable to continue fleeing from U.S. authorities.
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The FBI has described Wedding as an “extremely violent criminal believed to be responsible for the murder of numerous people abroad.”
Wedding was placed on the FBI Ten Most Wanted list in March 2025 and is accused of running a transnational drug trafficking network that “routinely shipped hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia, through Mexico and Southern California, to Canada and other locations in the United States,” according to the FBI.
He is also accused of orchestrating multiple murders and attempted murder as a part of his drug trafficking operation.
Wedding and 14 other alleged associates were specifically accused of orchestrating the January 2025 murder of a witness who was shot and killed at a restaurant in Colombia. He allegedly placed a bounty on the victim’s head, thinking the victim’s death would lead to the dismissal of charges against him and the drug-trafficking ring he allegedly heads, according to an indictment unsealed in November.
After missing out on the 1998 Winter Olympics, Wedding qualified for his first and only Olympic Games in 2002 in Salt Lake City.
WHO IS RYAN WEDDING? OLYMPIAN TURNED ALLEGED MURDEROUS DRUG KINGPIN
In his only event, the men’s parallel giant slalom, Wedding finished in 24th place. Switzerland’s Philipp Schoch won gold, Sweden’s Richard Rikardsson won silver and Chris Klug of the U.S. took bronze.
After the Olympics, Wedding enrolled at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver.
Wedding was first linked to criminal activity in 2006. He and another competitive snowboarder were named in a search warrant for a house in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, that was investigated for growing large quantities of marijuana, according to The Vancouver Sun.
Police seized 6,800 marijuana plants from that house, but no one was charged.
Wedding was arrested for the first time in 2009 in the U.S. after traveling with two friends from Vancouver to California to allegedly buy 24 kilograms of Colombian cocaine.
When Wedding was tried, he claimed he was volunteering for several cancer agencies, was doing real estate investing and was training for the 2010 Olympics. But the Canadian Snowboard Federation said he had not competed in years, according to The Vancouver Sun.
Wedding served a four-year jail sentence after agreeing to forfeit more than $121,000 seized during an airport sting and agreeing to drop an appeal of his conviction.
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In 2015, he was charged with new drug offenses in Nova Scotia. That time, police never caught him. He was then on the run until Friday.
Wedding is estimated to have transported over $1 billion in cocaine.
Rep. Wesley Hunt misses votes, nearly hands Democrats Venezuela victory
Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, nearly handed Democrats a victory to restrict President Donald Trump’s war powers in Venezuela by initially failing to appear for votes on Thursday.
It’s a continuation of a pattern of absences that’s added instability to a razor-thin Republican majority in the House of Representatives as Hunt spends time in Texas campaigning in a competitive Republican Senate primary.
Hunt had already missed two key votes earlier in the day by the time he rushed into the House chamber 20 minutes late for the Venezuela resolution. His vote was key to killing the bipartisan effort — which nearly succeeded by a one-vote margin.
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If successful, the resolution would have directed Trump to remove U.S. military forces from Venezuela, despite the administration saying there are no boots on the ground as is.
When asked before the vote if he was representing his constituents well, Hunt declined to answer, saying that he had returned to make sure lawmakers and their staff could leave town on schedule.
“I just want to make sure that y’all are OK when the storm hits, because it’s coming, especially here in D.C. It’s gonna hit y’all really, really hard,” Hunt said, referring to a snowstorm forecast to hit the nation’s capital over the weekend.
Having cast his vote, Hunt immediately left the chamber.
DEMOCRAT TAKEOVER FEARS RISE AS GOP CLINGS TO SLIM HOUSE MAJORITY
“Y’all be safe. Y’all be safe. Y’all be safe. This storm is coming,” Hunt said as he got into a car.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters Hunt’s absence did not make his job “any easier” after the Texas Republican missed a separate vote that Republicans narrowly won earlier in the day.
With the recent death of Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif., and the resignation of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., Republicans can only lose two votes to pass legislation without Democratic help. Notably, Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and Tom McClintock, R-Calif., also missed votes on Thursday — although Stefanik arrived to cast a vote for the Venezuela resolution.
But Thursday’s debacle is part of a longer pattern for Hunt this Congress.
In 2025, Hunt missed 87 votes, accounting for 25.1% of all measures in the year. Notably, he was absent for a vote on condemning antisemitism in June, the passage of an anti-deepfake porn bill in April and even some procedural votes to advance President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act in May.
His longest streak of absences last year came in September when he missed 22 votes over a period of two days as the House considered a water and energy spending bill.
So far in 2026, he has only voted on two days.
Fortunately for leadership, Hunt has a pattern of missing votes that are expected to pass on a wide bipartisan basis — considerations that require supermajority support under a process called “suspension.”
Because these bills usually pass without controversy, Hunt’s vote doesn’t usually threaten to make or break the result.
That changed on Thursday when he missed a procedural vote needed to advance spending legislation and avoid a government shutdown. That measure passed by just one vote hours before Hunt’s arrival during the chamber’s consideration of the Venezuela resolution.
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Hunt’s office stressed that the congressman has taken special care to avoid missing critical votes.
“Zero bills, resolutions, or GOP priorities have been delayed or stopped because of Rep. Hunt’s priority to barnstorm Texas to retire John Cornyn,” Hunt’s office said in a statement.
The office also contended that GOP leadership had said Hunt would not be needed in D.C. during the week and that Johnson had called Hunt personally on Thursday afternoon, informing him that the picture had changed.
“In the middle of his campaign to retire a career politician of over 40 years, Hunt left the campaign trail, rushed to Washington and delivered the deciding vote that nuked the radical Democrats’ plan to block President Trump from securing the Western Hemisphere,” Hunt’s office said.
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Hunt is running to unseat Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. In response to Hunt’s absences, Cornyn blasted Hunt’s behavior on Thursday in a post to X.
“Fortunately for Republicans, Hunt’s vote wasn’t needed to ensure the final spending package was approved, but [he] nearly handed Democrats a PR coup and created chaos on the House floor as GOP leaders were forced to hold open a vote on a measure to block U.S. military presence in Venezuela,” Cornyn wrote.
Majority of Americans brace for crippling winter storm, over 10,000 flights upended so far
One of the worst winter storms to hit the United States in years is developing right now. More than a foot of snow is forecast to bury some states, while freezing rain and sleet are expected to grind travel to a halt and knock out power to thousands of people. This colossal winter storm starts its 2,000+ mile journey in the Plains today and will reach America’s East Coast by Sunday. Cities such as New York, Washington, Atlanta, and Dallas are gearing up for what is expected to be an extreme winter storm that will deliver a one-two punch of snow/ice and life-threatening cold air.
FOX Weather meteorologists are growing increasingly concerned that warm air aloft will throw a wrench in the forecast for big cities along I-95 in the Northeast. That warm air sneaking in above the surface of the earth will result in snowflakes melting while falling, but refreezing again before reaching the ground. This is known as sleet and can spell big trouble for snow forecasts.
Forecasters now expect more sleet to mix in with the snow over New York, Long Island, and parts of New Jersey, which will cut down on the snow totals. The FOX Forecast Center is still calling for up to a foot of snow to fall in the five boroughs, the most the city has seen in years.
U.S. airlines are working to get ahead of this weekend’s storm, but that work is not good news for travelers. Data from FlightAware shows airlines have now canceled more than 6,500 U.S. flights through Sunday with another 3,600 delayed.
Flying this weekend? Chances are you’ll be grounded. Data from FlightAware shows airlines have now canceled more than 5,800 U.S. flights through Sunday with another 3,300 delayed. Airports are beginning to restricting the number of planes that can actually takeoff and land because of the wintry weather cranking up. This forces airlines to adjust schedules to meet the restrictions.
With the winter season upon us, winter weather warnings are bound to arise. The primary goal of a weather event warning is to help keep residents safe during a winter storm. The National Weather Service (NWS) has created a set list of criteria for when they issue a Winter Storm Warning.
Dangerously cold air is invading America right now. Cold weather alerts run border-to-border, covering nearly 2,300 miles. A staggering 200 million Americans are feeling the arctic blast with wind chills in the North dipping to near -50°F. This life-threatening cold air will have lasting power, too. The FOX Forecast Center says the bitterly cold temperatures will stick around through the end of January.
It’s plain rain in Dallas-Fort Worth now, but that’s going to change overnight. Already, freezing rain and sleet are falling over West Texas. As temperatures drop in the hours ahead, the rain will transition over to a wintry mix of freezing rain and sleet for the DFW Metroplex where a Winter Storm Warning is in effect.
Today, I signed a disaster declaration for the entire Commonwealth to ensure our agencies have all necessary resources ready to go.
Governor Josh Shapiro has signed a Proclamation of Disaster Emergency, which makes resources available to prepare for and support response efforts for this weekend’s winter storm.
Click here to read the full press release.
The President is being briefed throughout the day and is in close contact with officials. The entire Trump Administration is closely monitoring the anticipated weather and is undertaking a whole-of-government approach to respond as appropriate.
The powerful winter storm is expected to wallop Washington this weekend. More than a half foot of snow and sleet are expected to pile up in the nation’s capital. With dangerous travel conditions anticipated, the United States Senate is postponing any votes that were scheduled on Monday to Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. ET.
I’m also announcing a commercial vehicle travel restriction on interstate highways.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill announced she is declaring a State of Emergency ahead of this weekend’s winter storm.
Out of an abundance of caution all School District of Philadelphia schools (including the District’s Early Childhood Centers) and the Constance E. Clayton Education Center (Central Office) will be closed on Monday, January 26.
With heavy snow predicted for this weekend, Philadelphia Schools are calling off classes early for Monday. The School District of Philadelphia says if schools need to remain closed after Monday due to inclement weather, students will participate in remote learning from home.
Click here to read the full statement.
New data from FlightAware shows the impact the developing winter storm is having on airport operations. More than 6,600 U.S. flights have been delayed or canceled already through Sunday. And digging in deeper, 37% of Dallas-Fort Worth Airport’s (DFW) flights have been canceled over the next two days.
Radar shows freezing rain and sleet beginning to increase in coverage and intensity across West Texas. Conditions are expected to rapidly deteriorate in these areas tonight with a wintry mix across the region.
This weekend’s storm has forced New York Road Runners to cancel Sunday’s NYRR Fred Lebow Half Marathon. NYRR says the safety of all participants, volunteers, and staff is their top priority.
Click here to read more information.
The FOX Forecast Center says new data points to some changes in the forecast for the nation’s capital. Warmer air moving in above the surface of the earth is now expected to result in more sleet mixing in along I-95 in Virginia and Maryland. This sleet will cut down on snow totals from Baltimore to Washington. FOX Weather is still expecting 8-12 inches of snow, down from 12-18″ in previous forecasts.
The FOX Forecast Center is predicting New York’s biggest snowstorm in years will hit this weekend. More than a foot of snow is expected in and around the New York City tri-state area. Some sleet may mix in, especially near the coastline, but the sleet is not expected to cut down snow totals dramatically in the NYC boroughs.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, Boston, and most areas along I-95 in the Northeast. Heavy snow, sleet, and ice are expected to move in Saturday night and continue into early Monday. Final preparations should be underway ahead of the storm arriving.
Dangerously cold air is now charging across the Midwest, headed for the Deep South and East Coast. Actual air temperatures are below zero from Minneapolis to Chicago at this hour, but the wind is the big problem. Wind chill temperatures, or what you actually feel, are down to -35°F in some areas of the Upper Midwest. That cold air will continue moving south and east, which is why 192 million Americans are under cold weather alerts.
FOX Weather is providing LIVE, around-the-clock coverage of the extreme winter storm. With more than 20 crews deploying into the storm, this is the place for the most comprehensive storm coverage. Our team of meteorologists and correspondents will be Weathering It Together with you, reporting on the latest LIVE developments as the storm unfolds.
When the snow starts to fall, airports will go into overdrive to keep runways clear. But even the best crews with the most advanced equipment struggle to keep up with Old Man Winter. Data from Flight Aware shows airlines have now canceled more than 2,500 U.S. flights through Sunday. As the snow piles up, airports will begin restricting the number of planes that can actually takeoff and land, forcing airlines to adjust schedules. So they’re doing it now to give travelers an early heads up.
More than 10 states throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast could see a foot of snow from this weekend’s storm. The latest snow forecast just issued by the FOX Forecast Center shows widespread 12-18″ of snow from near Washington to Philadelphia to New York to Boston.
Time is running out to prepare for this weekend’s colossal winter storm. Snow is starting to fly across the Plains, and it won’t be long before snow and ice slam the South. The National Weather Service in Lake Charles, LA just issued an Ice Storm Warning for parts of Louisiana, including Alexandria, LA. This warning calls for up to a half inch of ice through Sunday, which is expected to make travel impossible and create widespread power outages.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has declared a State of Emergency in advance of the looming winter storm. Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser has also declared a State of Emergency for the nation’s capital.
Click here for more information on New York.
Click here to read the full press release for Washington.
America’s massive winter storm is now underway. The first snowflakes are starting to fly across Kansas with light snow being reported at multiple weather reporting sites. Things only go downhill from here with deteriorating conditions across the Plains into the evening hours.
More than 240 million people across more than 40 states, from Arizona to Maine, are in the path of a potentially historic winter storm that’s expected to extend over 2,300 miles and deliver crippling snow and ice, beginning tonight.
Freezing rain is expected to coat the South in dangerous ice this weekend. The latest power outage forecast from FOX Weather shows outages are possible from Texas to New England. But forecasters are most concerned with an area stretching from North Texas to Virginia where more than half inch of ice is expected to accumulate. That much ice is heavy enough to pull down trees and power lines. And with temperatures expected to remain below freezing into next week, any power outages could last for days.
Chances are if you have a flight this weekend, it’s going to be canceled. U.S. airlines have already canceled 2,000+ flights through Sunday. Additional cancellations are expected, wreaking havoc on weekend travel for thousands of Americans.
Click here to see the latest delays and cancellations from FlightAware.
Winter weather alerts were just expanded across the Southeast. The National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg just issued an Ice Storm Warning for Charlotte, NC. The warning calls for significant icing, with additional impacts from accumulating sleet expected. Total snow and sleet accumulations up to two inches and ice accumulations between four tenths and three quarters of an inch are likely.
The FOX Forecast Center says the big upper-level low that will help fuel this massive winter storm is on its way. Water vapor satellite imagery, which shows how much moisture there is in the atmosphere, shows the big upper low off the coast of Baja California. That low will eject across the Southwest and meet up with another piece of upper-level energy from Canada to produce intense snow and ice later today, lasting through the weekend.
Arctic air currently over the Upper Midwest will charge into the Northeast later today. By Saturday morning, wind chills (feels like temperature) will dip below zero in most major cities across the region.
A massive winter storm is about to unleash incredible amounts of snow across America. The FOX Forecast Center’s newest snow forecast shows no big changes this morning. Significant snow will pile up from the Plains to the Northeast over the next three days. We’ll be posting regional maps of the snow forecast over the next few hours.
There are growing concerns this morning that freezing rain will lead to a catastrophic ice storm across parts of the South. The newest ice forecast from the FOX Forecast Center shows portions of Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi could see more than .75″ of ice. That much ice would make travel impossible and lead to widespread, long-lasting power outages. There’s also considerable concern for major icing from North Georgia to Virginia.
Wind chill temperature is how cold you actually feel when outside. It’s based on the rate of heat loss from exposed skin caused by wind and cold. Our skin is surrounded by a layer of warmth that hugs our body on a normal day. But when we’re exposed to wind, the layer of warm air is carried away. From there, our bodies have to work significantly harder to maintain an adequate temperature.
If the air temperature is 0°F and the wind is blowing at 15 mph, the wind chill is -19°F. Experts say skin can freeze in just 30 minutes at this wind chill. According to the National Weather Service, wind chill temperature uses advances in science, technology, and computer modeling to provide an accurate, understandable, and useful formula for calculating the dangers from winter winds and freezing temperatures.
Looking to calculate it at home? Here’s the equation.
Wind chill (ºF) = 35.74 + 0.6215T – 35.75(V^0.16) + 0.4275T(V^0.16)
T = Air Temperature (F)
V = Wind Speed (mph)
^ = raised to a power (exponential)
Extreme Cold Warnings and Cold Weather Advisories are in effect for 185 million people right now – and it’s easy to see why. Actual air temperatures are below zero from Chicago to Minneapolis, but it’s the wind that is causing all the commotion. Gusty winds from the northwest are pushing wind chills (feels like temperature) as low as -50°F this morning in the Midwest.
FOX Weather’s snow forecast shows the immense size of this winter storm. More than 2,000 miles of snow is expected to fall from Arizona to Maine over the weekend. And it could be enough to make it into the history books. With more than a foot of snow predicted in Oklahoma and across New York, this will be one of the worst snowstorms in years for some spots. And it may be enough to set records – stay tuned.
School districts across several states have told students not to show up today due to the dangerously cold weather and snow expected. Chicago Public Schools, Milwaukee Public Schools, and Des Moines Public Schools have canceled all Friday classes, while Atlanta Public Schools have canceled all weekend events. Hundreds of districts throughout the eastern half of the nation have also canceled classes and/or are rescheduling weekend activities.
It will be unsafe for staff and students to travel to school.
With wind chills expected to reach -35°F today in and around Chicago, school officials aren’t taking any chances. On Thursday, Chicago Public Schools announced all classes were canceled for Friday, and all after-school programming would be canceled, too.
CPS is asking parents to not send students to school today, as there will not be adults to receive them. The statement goes on to say that classes will resume for all students on Monday, January 26.
Click here to read the full press release.
America is facing one of the worst winter storms in years. Snow and ice are expected to hit 40 states through Monday, a massive footprint across America. More than 235 million Americans are facing brutal winter weather conditions as the storm barrels east.
The FOX Forecast Center is busy working on brand new snow and ice forecasts. New computer forecast model data from overnight is going into those forecasts, providing the most accurate look at where the heaviest snow and ice will accumulate. As soon as those maps are ready, we’ll post them here.
America’s massive winter storm is about to start up. We are now just a few hours away from the first snowflakes flying in the nation’s midsection. Snow and a wintry mix of freezing rain, sleet, and snow will start to fall across New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma as the storm develops.
Airports are ready for the expected snow and ice, preparing snow removal equipment and deicing trucks to keep planes moving. But the storm will grind operations at dozens of major hubs from the Midwest to the East Coast to a halt, forcing airlines to adjust schedules and cancel flights. Most major airlines have already issued travel waivers ahead of the storm, eliminating change fees for those affected by flight disruptions.
Data from FlightAware shows airlines were busy late Thursday – canceling nearly 1,800 flights for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. That number is predicted to increase significantly as the snow and ice begin to pile up. If you are traveling this weekend, have a backup plan in case your flight is canceled.
You can go back and see how the forecast for this winter storm has evolved with our live coverage from Thursday.
Click here to see Thursday’s minute-by-minute coverage.
Florida nurse terminated after vulgar comments about pregnant White House official
A Florida hospital has terminated a nurse who said she hoped White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt gets severely injured during childbirth.
“As a labor and delivery nurse, it gives me great joy to wish Karoline Leavitt a fourth-degree tear,” Lexie Lawler, formerly a labor and delivery nurse at Baptist Health Boca Raton Regional Hospital, said in a video posted on TikTok.
“I hope you f—-ing rip from bow to stern and never s— normally again, you c—,” she added.
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In a statement to Fox News Digital on Thursday, Patty Abril, director of media relations and strategic communications at Baptist Health, said Lawler is no longer employed at the hospital.
“The comments made in a social media video by a nurse at one of our facilities do not reflect our values or the standards we expect of healthcare professionals,” Abril said. “Following a prompt review, the individual is no longer employed by our health system.”
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Abril added, “While we respect the right to personal opinions, there is no place in healthcare for language or behavior that calls into question a caregiver’s ability to provide compassionate, unbiased care. We are committed to an environment that promotes trust, professionalism and respect for all.”
In December, Leavitt announced that she and her husband Nick are expecting a baby girl due in May, who will join their first son, Niko, born in July 2024.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment and contacted the hospital to reach Lawler and also attempted to reach her by phone.
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Lawler declined to comment on the matter to Newsweek.
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‘Avatar’ director flees America for ‘sane’ New Zealand after pandemic response
Filmmaker James Cameron said in a new interview that the U.S. rejection of science and vaccines after the COVID-19 pandemic drove him to move to New Zealand.
In an interview on the “In Depth with Graham Bensinger” podcast, Cameron discussed his reason for relocating permanently to New Zealand, where he both lives and spent years working on the “Avatar” movies.
Bensinger noted that the United States is “a fantastic place to live,” prompting Cameron to ask, “Is it?”
“But New Zealand is just stunningly beautiful,” Bensinger said.
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“I’m not there for scenery. I’m there for the sanity,” Cameron replied.
Cameron said the U.S.’ handling of the coronavirus pandemic revealed that many were skeptical of science and lacked unity in a common cause.
“After the pandemic hit … [New Zealand] had eliminated the virus completely,” Cameron said. “They actually eliminated the virus twice. The third time, when it showed up in a mutated form, it broke through.
“But, fortunately, they already had a 98% vaccination rate. This is why I love New Zealand. People there are, for the most part, sane as opposed to the United States, where you had a 62% vaccination rate, and that’s going down — going the wrong direction.”
The coronavirus pandemic struck the world during President Donald Trump’s first term in office in 2020, leading to millions of deaths, including more than 1 million in the U.S.
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“Are you kidding me? Where would you rather live?” Cameron said. “A place that actually believes in science and is sane and where people can work together cohesively to a common goal, or a place where everybody’s at each other’s throats, extremely polarized, turning its back on science and basically would be in utter disarray if another pandemic appears.”
Cameron did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Cameron, best known for directing movies like “The Terminator,” “Titanic” and “Avatar,” has been a frequent Trump critic.
The Oscar-winning director recently criticized the Trump administration’s decision to roll back environmental protections, calling the commander in chief the “most narcissistic a—— in history since f—— Nero.” He argued the White House is helping to send the human race “backwards.”
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Cameron also told New Zealand outlet Stuff in January he found the president’s re-election “horrifying.”
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Lemon’s ex-CNN colleague asks whether he should be considered a journalist
One of Don Lemon’s former colleagues at CNN is questioning whether he should be considered a journalist following his involvement in last Sunday’s protest at a Minnesota church.
Chris Cillizza, CNN’s former editor-at-large who worked with Lemon before both of them were separately dismissed, penned a piece on his Substack with the headline, “Is Don Lemon a Journalist?”
“Are the ‘Pod Save America’ guys journalists? I would say ‘no’ but I am not sure that is the majority view. Is what Ben Shapiro does journalism? Again, I would say ‘no’ — but I am not sure that’s the common take,” Cillizza wrote Thursday. “Don — and others like him that have grown up and found huge success in the independent creator world — are an even tougher call for me.”
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Cillizza, who notes that he and Lemon weren’t close friends at CNN but were “certainly cordial,” stressed that he doesn’t think Lemon should not be charged for his actions at the church. However, he did concede that Lemon has a “VERY clear lean to his work,” citing Lemon’s own Substack headlines like “Donald Trump Is An International JOKE,” “Watch Donald Trump Unravel On Live TV,” and “Donald Trump Embarrasses America at World Summit!”
“He is a partisan. Who also does things that journalists do — interview people, etc. Does that make him a journalist? Is the term ‘partisan journalist’ an oxymoron?” Cillizza asked. “I struggle with that. Truly. Because I DO believe journalism is experiencing a profound series of changes. Who people want information from, how they want to consume that information and where they get it is changing rapidly.”
“At the same time, do Don and I belong in the same basket? Or me and Ben Shapiro? Or me and ‘The Gateway Pundit’?” he continued.
MAGISTRATE JUDGE REJECTS CHARGES AGAINST DON LEMON IN CONNECTION WITH ANTI-ICE CHURCH PROTEST
The former CNN commentator went on to say he’s no “final arbiter” of who should be considered a journalist but insists it’s a critical question given the rise of independent media.
“Is the information/analysis/reporting offered up by anyone calling themselves a journalist to be treated equally? Or is there some way to differentiate between activism masquerading as journalism, partisan journalism and just plain old journalism?” Cillizza wrote. “I truly don’t know the answer to these questions. But I think we to find answers to them as we navigate the decline and fall of the age of mainstream media and the rise of whatever we are currently building to replace it.”
Lemon did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital‘s request for comment.
DON LEMON PUT ‘ON NOTICE’ BY DOJ FOR ROLE IN COVERING PROTEST THAT STORMED CHURCH
The Justice Department has signaled it was targeting Lemon among the protesters who stormed into St. Paul’s Cities Church because of suspicions that its pastor had collaborated with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Lemon, however, remained defiant after a federal magistrate judge rejected the DOJ’s charges against him, though the DOJ may still bring charges through other avenues.
“I stand proud, and I stand tall,” Lemon said on his YouTube show Thursday night. “This is not a victory lap for me, because it’s not over. They’re going to try again, and they’re going to try again. And guess what? Here I am. Keep trying.”
“That’s not going to stop me from being a journalist. You’re not going to diminish my voice. Go ahead. Make me into the new Jimmy Kimmel if you want,” Lemon told the DOJ. “Just do it! Because I’m not going anywhere.”
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Lemon has repeatedly referred to himself as a journalist, which he argues gives him First Amendment protections to cover the unrest that unfolded. He insisted he has “no affiliation to that organization” and “didn’t even know they were going to this church until we followed them there,” although video he posted on YouTube suggested he had been at least somewhat aware of the agitators’ plan. According to the livestream, Lemon entered the church before the agitators arrived. He went on to document the hostile invasion of the church.
“The magistrate’s reported actions confirm the nature of Don’s First Amendment-protected work this weekend in Minnesota as a reporter. It was no different than what he has done for more than 30 years, reporting and covering newsworthy events on the ground and engaging in constitutionally protected activity as a journalist. Should the Department of Justice continue with a stunning and troubling effort to silence and punish a journalist for doing his job, Don will call out their latest attack on the rule of law and fight any charges vigorously and thoroughly in court,” Abbe Lowell, an attorney for Lemon who also represented Hunter Biden, told Fox News Digital.
Jason Aldean’s wife stuns in beach photos as fans praise her bikini style
Brittany Aldean is embracing tan lines and girl time.
The 37-year-old shared a series of photos from her recent beach vacation with a group of girlfriends, which featured more than a few bikini pictures. She captioned the post, “Find us at the tiki bar 🧉.”
One of the photos included in the slideshow showed Brittany dressed in a strapless white bikini top with ruffles, which she paired with high-waisted pink bottoms. She paired the look with sunglasses and dangling earrings, and carried a pink wrap behind her as she smiled at the camera on the sand.
In another photo, the wife of country singer Jason Aldean is seen posing with her girlfriends on a swing set, with all of them sporting different bikinis.
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Brittany showed off a second bikini, posting a photo of herself standing in front of the ocean in a yellow two-piece, which she paired with a pink shawl, sunglasses and a bandanna in her hair.
Fans couldn’t get enough of her look, with one asking in the comments section, “Where did you get that top with the white flowers love it you look so cute.”
“Absolutely LOVE this outfit.❤️❤️,” another fan wrote. A third fan added, “We need the details for that suit please 🌸🌺🤍🤍.”
Brittany and her husband recently partnered together for the first time to release the duet “Easier Gone,” a ballad which describes an unexpected run-in with an ex.
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Before meeting Jason, Brittany auditioned for “American Idol,” making it only a matter of time before she released music with her Grammy-nominated husband.
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“Britt and I have been wanting to do something together for a while, but it’s like with anything, I just think it has to be the right song,” Jason told Nashville Lifestyles in January. “It was weird because she’s never been to the studio or tried to cut a record or anything like that. The first day was her learning how it all goes. Then she went back in, knew what to expect, and just killed it.”
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Father’s dying words of innocence proven true 70 years after electric chair execution
Nearly 70 years after the state of Texas put him to death, Dallas County officials formally exonerated Tommy Lee Walker, a 21-year-old Black man executed two years after being wrongfully convicted of the rape and murder of a White woman.
Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot on Wednesday asked commissioners to sign a resolution acknowledging Walker’s innocence after finding he was coerced into a confession and convicted by an all-White jury.
The case, the oldest assigned to the Dallas County DA’s Conviction Integrity Unit, involved Walker, a 19-year-old accused of raping and murdering Venice Parker, a 31-year-old White woman, on her way home from work in 1953.
On the night of the killing, Walker was visiting his girlfriend, Mary Louise Smith, who was nine months pregnant, according to the Death Penalty Information Center (DPI).
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Though witnesses confirmed he was with Smith, he was prosecuted for the murder, which happened 3 miles across town, FOX 4 Dallas reported.
Walker’s son was born the day after the killing on Oct. 1.
Multiple witnesses testified Parker was unable to speak after the attack due to a gash in her neck. However, one police officer claimed she described her attacker as a Black man, according to the DPI.
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During a review of the case, the district attorney’s office learned hundreds of Black men were questioned about the killing, solely based on their race.
Walker was allegedly interrogated for hours without an attorney, and authorities told him he would face the death penalty unless he confessed, according to the DPI.
Walker signed a confession but almost immediately recanted. There was no other evidence against him.
Officials also said the state allowed misleading evidence during the trial, and the prosecutor took the stand himself as a witness and told the jury Walker was guilty, according to FOX 4.
“I feel that I have been tricked out of my life,” Walker said at his sentencing hearing.
Walker was executed by an electric chair May 12, 1956, at 21 years old.
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“In observance of the constitutional rights afforded to all citizens and in consideration of newly available scientific evidence, the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office could not and would not have prosecuted Tommy Lee Walker for the rape and murder of Venice Lorraine Parker,” Creuzot wrote in a statement.
Creuzot said his office dove into the case with assistance from the Innocence Project after Walker’s son, his only living descendant, brought it to their attention.
Walker’s son, Ted Smith, 72, gave testimony at his father’s posthumous exoneration, noting his mother never recovered after the execution.
“He told my mother and she told me. He said, ‘You give me the chair that belongs to someone else. I am innocent.’ That is the last thing my mother told me,” Ted Smith told FOX 4. “This exoneration means the world to me.”
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The resolution stated the county “deems it a moral obligation to acknowledge the injustice surrounding the conviction of Tommy Lee Walker, confront history, and affirm Dallas County’s commitment to justice for all persons, whether living or deceased. … [J]ustice has no statute of limitations.”
Parker’s son, Joseph Parker, 77, also attended the hearing, hugging Smith and apologizing for the loss of his father.
Tennis star dances for booing crowd after contentious Australian Open win
An Australian Open match quickly turned personal for Yulia Putintseva.
The Kazakh went against Zeynep Sonmez of Turkey, who apparently had the home crowd by her side.
Much of the crowd was filled with Turkish flags for the match, but the fans went home disappointed after Putintseva earned a 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 victory.
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Upon jeers from the crowd following the win, Putintseva cupped her hand to her ear to mock the fans, resulting in loud boos.
After shaking hands with Sonmez, she then danced provocatively near her bench.
“Honestly, it was a really crazy atmosphere here. Look at them (Turkish fans). They’re very passionate about what they’re doing. It’s very great to see, especially against me, because I love this kind of battle.”
While her comments on the fans were in good spirits, she took a shot at the fans off the court after claiming they had been disrespectful.
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“What can I do? It’s just some people have education of tennis and, unfortunately, some of them not,” she told reporters, via the New York Post. “But I’m very happy that I kept my calm, because Yulia last year would probably throw something at them.”
Putintseva’s best world ranking is 20th, which she earned last year. This is the furthest she has advanced at the Australian Open. She has also reached the quarterfinals of both the French Open and the U.S. Open. She has three WTA titles to her name.
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Putintseva will take on American Iva Jovic on Saturday.