Don Lemon taken into custody over Minnesota church protest involvement

Former CNN host Don Lemon was taken into custody by federal authorities on Friday over his involvement in the viral protest by anti-ICE agitators at a Minnesota church.

Earlier this month, Lemon livestreamed left-wing agitators who stormed St. Paul’s Cities Church under the suspicion that its pastor had collaborated with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Lemon told viewers that “the freedom to protest” is what the First Amendment is all about, but Justice Department officials have been working to hold the participants accountable. 

Attorney General Pamela Bondi wrote on X, “At my direction, early this morning federal agents arrested Don Lemon, Trahern Jeen Crews, Georgia Fort, and Jamael Lydell Lundy, in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.”

The specific charges against Lemon have not been announced. DOJ officials have previously suggested the former CNN star and the other anti-ICE agitators had violated the FACE Act and the Ku Klux Klan Act, among other crimes. 

Lemon, who would make his first court appearance as early as Friday, was apprehended in Los Angeles while covering the Grammy Awards, according to his attorney, Abbe Lowell. 

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE DOJ THREATS AGAINST DON LEMON AFTER HE FOLLOWED ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS IN ST. PAUL CHURCH

“Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done,” Lowell said in a statement. “The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable.  There is no more important time for people like Don to be doing this work.” 

Lowell continued, “Instead of investigating the federal agents who killed two peaceful Minnesota protesters, the Trump Justice Department is devoting its time, attention and resources to this arrest, and that is the real indictment of wrongdoing in this case. This unprecedented attack on the First Amendment and transparent attempt to distract attention from the many crises facing this administration will not stand. Don will fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court.”

A federal magistrate judge previously rejected the Justice Department’s initial attempt to bring charges against Lemon.

Far-left agitator Nekima Levy Armstrong, who was one of the organizers of the church protest, was among the people arrested in connection with the incident. She appeared in Lemon’s footage. 

“Listen loud and clear: WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP,” Bondi wrote on X. 

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Lemon, however, remained defiant, daring the DOJ to make him “into the new Jimmy Kimmel.”

“I stand proud, and I stand tall,” Lemon said on his YouTube show last week. “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.”

Lemon has 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 was at least somewhat aware of the agitators’ plan.

“We don’t know what’s happening. We kind of do, but we don’t know how it’s going to play out … we’ll get to see what happens after this, sort of surprise,” Lemon told viewers from a car while driving to the church.

“We just found out about this this morning,” Lemon continued. “I’m just trying to figure out if it’s best for me to go inside so I can tell what happened.”

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Once Lemon arrived at the church, he told his crew he planned to “go inside and give the rundown on what’s going on,” but instructed his driver and cameraman not to go on the church’s property.  

“I’m just gonna walk in, see what’s happening,” Lemon said as he entered the church.

Lemon appeared to enter before the agitators, as the pastor could be heard on Lemon’s audio feed before the service was interrupted by shouting. Lemon then told viewers that protesters had entered the church as complete chaos was heard. Lemon’s cameraman then entered the building to livestream the ordeal.

“I’m a journalist,” Lemon told a churchgoer amid the chaos.

Lemon went on to document the hostile invasion of the church, which he called a “clandestine mission.”

“You have to be willing to go into places and disrupt and make people uncomfortable. That’s what this country is about,” Lemon said.

DON LEMON RESPONDS TO TRUMP DOJ’S THREAT, STANDS BY COVERAGE OF ANTI-ICE PROTEST AT MINNESOTA CHURCH

Harmeet Dhillon, the Justice Department’s assistant attorney general for civil rights, previously suggested Lemon could face significant consequences for allegedly partaking in the storming of the church.

Dhillon said Lemon had a presumption of innocence, but his role as a journalist wasn’t necessarily a “shield” for him being a potential party to a crime.

“Don Lemon himself has come out and said he knew exactly what was going to happen inside that facility. He went into the facility, and then he began ‘committing journalism,’ as if that’s sort of a shield from being a part, an embedded part of a criminal conspiracy,” Dhillon said in an interview with Benny Johnson.

“It isn’t and so we’re getting our ducks in a row, putting the facts together, and this is a very serious matter,” she continued. “Come next Sunday, nobody should think in the United States that they’re going to be able to get away with this. Everyone in the protest community needs to know that the fullest force of the federal government is going to come down and prevent this from happening and put people away for a long, long time.” 

Lemon previously told Fox News Digital that he stands by his reporting and has faced online threats as a result. 

“It’s notable that I’ve been cast as the face of a protest I was covering as a journalist — especially since I wasn’t the only reporter there. That framing is telling. What’s even more telling is the barrage of violent threats, along with homophobic and racist slurs, directed at me online by MAGA supporters and amplified by parts of the right-wing press,” Lemon said in a statement.

“If this much time and energy is going to be spent manufacturing outrage, it would be far better used investigating the tragic death of Renee Nicole Good — the very issue that brought people into the streets in the first place,” Lemon continued. “I stand by my reporting.”

The Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) blasted the arrest.

“Two federal courts flatly rejected prosecuting Lemon because the evidence for these vindictive and unconstitutional charges was insufficient, and Lemon has every right to document news and inform the public. Instead of accepting that humiliating defeat, the government has now doubled down,” FPF Chief of Advocacy Seth Stern said. 

“The unmistakable message is that journalists must tread cautiously because the government is looking for any way to target them,” he continued. “The answer to this outrageous attack is not fear or self-censorship. It’s an even stronger commitment to journalism, the truth, and the First Amendment.”

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The FACE Act makes it a federal crime, with potentially steep fines and jail time, to use or threaten to use force to “injure, intimidate, or interfere” with a person seeking reproductive health services, or with a person lawfully trying to exercise the First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship. It also prohibits intentional property damage to a facility providing reproductive health services or a place of religious worship. The Ku Klux Klan Act makes it a federal crime for individuals to deny citizens their civil rights.

Southern state isn’t just booming, it has America’s fastest-growing economy

Everything’s bigger in Texas — including its economy. And it’s not just because more people are moving there.

Strip out population growth and Texas is generating thousands of dollars more per resident than it did just three years ago.

That kind of growth matters politically. It signals rising living standards, a stronger tax base and greater leverage to fund infrastructure, education and other priorities without raising taxes. Texas’ success story gives Republicans a clear example to argue that low taxes, light regulation and strong energy production deliver real economic advantages, not just population churn.

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Those gains show up clearly in the data. The Lone Star State saw a 10.1% increase in economic output on a per-capita basis from 2021 to 2024, based on calculations using Bureau of Economic Analysis and U.S. Census figures.

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In dollar terms, Texas boosted economic output per resident from roughly $64,000 to nearly $71,000. Even states with far larger economies, including California, didn’t see the same growth per person, with California’s rising far more modestly, from about $80,000 to $84,000.

Looking at growth for residents helps distinguish economies that are truly getting stronger from those that are simply getting bigger. Texas falls firmly in the former camp, undercutting the argument that its rise is merely a demographic mirage.

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Even within the fast-growing Sun Belt, Texas outpaces peers like Florida and Arizona, which also benefit from migration but posted smaller per-resident gains. 

That distinction carries political weight heading into 2026.

With the midterm election cycle approaching, Texas’ per-resident gains give Republicans a concrete way to argue that their policy mix delivers stronger growth as Democrats push for a larger federal role.

Everything may be bigger in Texas — but the data suggest its economy is also getting stronger.

China-based millionaire accused of bankrolling far-left unrest in Minneapolis

As agitators and federal law enforcement continue to clash in Minneapolis, the funding behind the groups fueling the anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) unrest is beginning to come to light.

One of the alleged financial backers of these agitators is a Chinese Communist Party advocate traced to a multitude of dark money organizations known to fuel far-left, CCP-influenced extremism in the U.S. and across the globe.

Earlier this week, a Fox News Digital investigation found several organizations are acting as lead voices in physically mobilizing agitators in Minneapolis, as well as communicating through multiple channels to encourage agitators to take to the streets in Minnesota and other cities. The Party for Socialism and Liberation and The People’s Forum are two of the core groups who allegedly have been behind facilitating and pushing agitators to organize on multiple occasions.

Both organizations are largely subsidized by American former tech mogul Neville Roy Singham, according to reports and congressional probes. Despite Singham facing federal investigations stretching back decades, a former federal prosecutor tells Fox News Digital that the multi-millionaire’s move to China essentially shields him from being subpoenaed by U.S. authorities.

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Singham, therefore, remains virtually untouchable as his dark money networks continue to wreak havoc on U.S. soil, the former prosecutor added.

Singham sold his IT consulting company in 2017 for $785 million and moved to Shanghai was the focus of a 2023 New York Times exposé that unveiled his alleged connections to the CCP and his determination to finance extremist groups to embolden his radical ideology. The Times reported that Singham has funneled over a quarter-billion dollars to dark money organizations in the U.S. with little to no footprints, and some of these organizations are vaguely named with office addresses under suspicious locations like general UPS mailboxes. 

The 71-year-old U.S. citizen turned Shanghai resident reportedly shares office space with the Maku Group, a Chinese media company that is funded by Singham and is associated with pro-CCP propaganda, including a mission to “tell China’s story well.”

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Singham’s first run-in with federal investigations dates back to 1974, when the FBI investigated him for potentially being “engaged in activities inimical to U.S. interests.”

Fast-forward several decades to 2025, when Singham and the organizations he funded face a slew of congressional investigations from multiple committees in both the House and the Senate. Committee chairs also sent multiple letters to top administration officials under the Biden and Trump administrations pushing for further examination of Singham’s dark money network.

Last June, the House Oversight Committee, led by Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., launched an investigation into Singham for his alleged involvement in funding the anti-ICE riots that took place in Los Angeles last summer.

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“Mr. Singham, who resides in the People’s Republic of China, has a long track-record of assisting far-left entities, such as Code Pink, that oppose U.S. interests and support U.S. adversaries,” committee lawmakers wrote in a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi.

The Oversight Committee noted that the Party for Socialism and Liberation, one of the organizations behind the current riots in Minneapolis, “has organized and is affiliated with a series of destructive protests and civil unrest,” and pointed to Singham’s involvement with the group.

The Party for Socialism and Liberation did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

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Last April, the House Ways and Means Committee, led by Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., sent a letter to then-IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel, inquiring about “specific tax-exempt organizations that promote CCP propaganda and related initiatives,” including The People’s Forum, another organization that has allegedly been organizing agitators in Minneapolis. 

“Mr. Singham is actively fueling CCP propaganda and financing indoctrination efforts abroad by providing hundreds of millions of dollars to groups that mix progressive advocacy with CCP talking points,” the letter read. “Despite this foreign activity and engagement with CCP-tied organizations across the world, Mr. Singham’s American-based nonprofit organizations continue to do business as usual, supporting political activity and pro-CCP propaganda.”

In July 2024, then-Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who now serves as President Donald Trump’s secretary of state, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., wrote a letter to then-Attorney General Merrick Garland requesting information regarding any investigations into organizations Singham is associated with, including The People’s Forum.

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The People’s Forum did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

While there have been numerous investigations launched by lawmakers, Singham’s residence in China has built a barrier between him and any subpoena that would bring him before Congress for questioning. 

“A subpoena can’t be enforced essentially outside of our borders,” former federal prosecutor Andrew Cherkasky told Fox News Digital. “It is very difficult to get somebody who is overseas to sit in front of Congress or in some cases to participate in criminal proceedings.”

AGITATORS SWARM TIM WALZ’S OFFICE IN MINNESOTA CAPITOL TO DEMAND IMMIGRATION JUSTICE

“That said, if you’re an American citizen, hold an American passport, [then] the State Department does have certain capabilities to essentially force you back to the homeland,” Cherkasky added. “If there’s a criminal prosecution, an indictment, an arrest warrant, it can cause all sorts of extradition and return to the United States.”

Cherkasky, a former Air Force JAG, also said there is no question that demonstrations taking place in Minneapolis are without organized, targeted support. 

“It’s undeniable that the protests that are going on in Minneapolis are supported by organizations or groups of people that are essentially collaborating to get these folks out there and engage in what turns out to be repeated acts of criminal misconduct,” Cherkasky added.

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One of the key questions surrounding Singham’s alleged ties to the CCP and involvement in American agitators and riots is that the Shanghai resident is not registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). 

Nearly all the senators and representatives who have called for further investigation into Singham’s alleged vast dark money network noted his lack of FARA registration is a cause for concern. 

In a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the House Oversight Committee said they are “investigating CCP influence operations that may fall within the purview of [FARA] 22 U.S.C. § 611 et seq and other federal laws.”

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Cherkasky told Fox News Digital that Singham’s lack of registration could have serious implications, but that it’s difficult to prove Singham’s string of donations and funding due to ambiguity and lack of reporting requirements from organizations like The Party for Socialism and Liberation and The People’s Forum.

“When it comes to 501(c)(3)s, the influx of that money isn’t reportable,” Cherkasky said. “In the same way, when you donate to a charity, those charities don’t have to keep a list of the people who are donating, and so they set up these charities that are really not doing anything specific, it seems.”

“The people who are funding those organizations try to distance themselves from the actual conduct of the organizations because they’re just giving money,” Cherkasky added. “They don’t know what the end goal is, and they try to claim clean hands in that.”

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Individuals on the ground are typically tight-lipped about whether they are being paid by an outside organization to be in attendance, despite groups like The Party for Socialism and Liberation and The People’s Forum allegedly facilitating the actual events.

Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, while on the ground in Minneapolis, questioned a woman who was shouting at her. Ingraham asked if the agitator had a job.

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“I’m getting paid right now,” the woman answered.

Singham did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

US ski star airlifted from course after terrifying crash puts Olympic comeback in jeopardy

American ski star Lindsey Vonn was airlifted from a World Cup race in Switzerland on Friday after a terrifying crash during her final run, putting her Olympic comeback in jeopardy just one week before the Milan Cortina Games are scheduled to begin.

Vonn, who made a stunning comeback to the sport last season after nearly six years away from ski racing, appeared to lose control while attempting to land a jump in her final run in the World Cup race in Crans-Montana. 

The 40-year-old Olympic gold medalist, a favorite in this month’s Games, grabbed at her left knee and grimaced in pain. She limped into a medical tent for evaluation before being airlifted off the course in a harness. 

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“Lindsey Vonn fell in the Crans Montana downhill and is being evaluated,” the U.S. Ski Team said in its lone update on Vonn.

 International Ski and Snowboard Federation CEO Urs Lehmann told reporters at the race that Vonn “hurt her knee,” but he would not speculate on the extent of the injury and what it could mean for her participation in the Olympics. 

“I don’t know if it’s really heavy and (if) she won’t miss the Olympics. Let’s wait for what the doctors are saying.”

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Vonn’s coach, Aksel Lund Svindal, told Reuters that Vonn was being evaluated at a hospital. 

“She has some pain so it’s better to have some checks, the physio did some checks they seemed OK but there were things he was not 100% sure so it was good to have it checked (at the hospital).”

Several competitors also crashed amid what they called difficult conditions. Nina Ortlieb of Austria and Marte Monsen of Norway crashed before Vonn took her run. France’s Romane Miradoli said, “you can’t see,” and added that the course was “bumpy everywhere.” 

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Vonn is scheduled for her first Olympic event in the women’s downhill on Feb. 8. She is also slated to compete in the super-G and the new team combined event.

Quick-thinking bystander stops TSA breach suspect in split second takedown

Newly released surveillance footage has captured the tense moment a suspect breached a TSA checkpoint at an Atlanta airport last year, only to be swiftly tackled by a bystander and subdued within seconds.

Police released the footage through an open public records request, showing the incident unfolding on the morning of Oct. 30 at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Fox 5 Atlanta reported Thursday.

The suspect was identified as 40-year-old Fabian Leon, who was later charged with simple battery and avoiding security measures, the outlet said.

In the footage, Leon appears to rush through the airport before attempting to enter the TSA checkpoint.

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As he approached the initial screening area, Leon appeared to aggressively push past an agent, knocking the officer to the ground and stumbling over him in the process.

A TSA officer then reacted and reportedly yelled “breach,” prompting bystander Mark Thomas to turn around without hesitation.

Thomas then appeared to quickly lunge at Leon, swiftly grabbing and lifting him up before body slamming the suspect to the ground.

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“I saw him knock over the first dude and then a TSA agent tried to grab him, and once he was going to get past me, I was just like, okay, I’ll just take over if I can,” Thomas said, according to Fox 5.  

Immediately after the incident, the bystander recalled Leon acting oddly calm and “detached” from the situation, even appearing “soft-spoken” as he repeatedly told everyone he was okay and asked to be let up.

“He was very soft-spoken. He just kept saying, ‘Oh, I’m okay, I’m okay, let me up, let me up, I’m okay’,” Thomas said. “It’s like, kind of clear, that he was sort of detached from the entire situation.”

Police said Leon later told officers that he had consumed alcohol and taken drugs shortly before the incident, the outlet reported.

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Authorities ultimately secured Leon by detaining him in a chair at the scene, according to the footage. 

During the scuffle, police said three of their officers were also assaulted.

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While Thomas said he would step in again if needed, the airport could benefit from additional police presence.

“I think more police presence should have probably been there, it shouldn’t have taken me to take him down,” Thomas said, according to Fox 5. “I don’t know how many checkpoints or people he got passed before that.”

Michigan family says county ‘stole’ family home over tiny tax, taking fight to Supreme Court

A Michigan family says a minor tax dispute cost them their home, and now they are taking their property-rights fight all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The estate of Scott Pung argues Isabella County, Mich., officials committed unconstitutional “home equity theft” by seizing a nearly $200,000 house to satisfy a debt that grew from a $1,600 tax dispute to $2,242 with interest and penalties.

“Somehow we lost the house. I still don’t quite understand it,” Tia Pung told Fox News Digital. “The taxes had been paid. Never missed a payment. Never late. And when that $1,600 wasn’t paid, they filed for foreclosure.”

“It’s simply mind-boggling,” she added.

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The legal saga began more than a decade ago when Tia and Marc Pung inherited a 3,000-square-foot home in suburban Michigan that had belonged to Marc’s father, Scott. Despite a history of timely tax payments, a local county assessor retroactively revoked the family’s Principal Residence Exemption (PRE) — a tax credit for primary homeowners — because Scott’s estate did not resubmit an affidavit declaring the home as a primary residence.

Though a tax tribunal later ruled the family was entitled to the exemption for earlier years, the county assessor again denied the exemption for the 2012 tax year, the filings say.

Michael Pung, representing his brother’s estate, attempted to pay the bill he believed was due, according to the family’s petition to the Supreme Court. However, he was told the amount was insufficient because of the revoked exemption and additional, previously unbilled penalties. The county then moved to foreclose on the home to recover the unpaid tax.

“Marc and I were remodeling the house, tore down walls… thinking that there’s not a chance in hell that they can actually take this house for this reason,” Tia Pung said. “Well, naively, ignorantly, we were wrong.”

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In 2019, Isabella County auctioned the home for $76,008 despite an assessed value of $194,400. An investor bought the property and flipped it about 18 months later for $195,000.

The county kept the remainder of the auction proceeds after paying the roughly $2,000 debt. While a lower court eventually forced the county to return the surplus proceeds from the home’s auction, the family argues they are still being deprived of more than $118,000 in earned equity, based on the home’s assessed value.

“Destroying over $118,000 in equity to collect a $2,242 disputed tax bill is a punitive forfeiture,” the court petition reads.

“Instead of placing a lien on their property or finding other ways to collect, they foreclosed and auctioned it away,” Larry Salzman, an attorney with the Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF), who is representing the Pung estate in court, told Fox News Digital. “All the equity that the family had built up in that home was destroyed.”

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In its response to the court petition, Isabella County argues that it did not concede the home’s fair market value was $194,400 and “regardless, assessed values do not accurately reflect fair market value.”

The Pung estate brings constitutional questions about the Fifth Amendment and the Eighth Amendment before the court.

“The dispute now going to the Supreme Court of the United States is when the government takes more than they’re owed, they seize property, they take more than they’re owed. How much do they have to return to the family they took it from?” Salzman explained.

The case follows the Supreme Court’s unanimous 2023 decision in Tyler v. Hennepin County, which ruled that governments cannot keep the surplus profit from tax foreclosures. However, the Pung case seeks to go further, arguing that “just compensation” must be based on the home’s true value, not a low-ball auction price.

For Tia Pung, the loss wasn’t just about money.

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“The loss of our home had a deep financial, emotional, and mental impact,” she said. “It took away the feeling of stability, peace of mind, and certainly our trust in local government.”

She noted that the local community in their small town has been “outraged” by the situation.

“They, too, cannot understand how this could happen… they have shared prayers and words of support,” she said.

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Isabella County argues that the U.S. Supreme Court should reject Pung’s “fair-market-value theory,” asserting it has “no foothold in history or precedent.”

The county maintains that “just compensation” under the Fifth Amendment is satisfied when the government returns the “surplus proceeds” realized from a public auction — the difference between the sale price and the tax debt — rather than a property’s purported market value.

“As personal representative for the estate of his late nephew, Michael Pung had a duty to follow established Michigan law, file an affidavit and pay property taxes on the home in Isabella County,” Matthew T. Nelson, a partner at Warner Norcross + Judd LLP and an attorney for Isabella County, told Fox News Digital. “He received repeated reminders of his obligation over the course of seven years. Mr. Pung had repeated opportunities to pay the property taxes, file an affidavit or file an appeal, yet he failed to take any of these steps.”

Nelson noted the county returned a surplus of over $73,000 to Pung following the auction, but Pung still demanded fair market value. 

“But that’s not how the law works,” Nelson said. “Mr. Pung had ample time and opportunity to avoid this foreclosure and sale. He decided not to pay the taxes due on the property even when he knew that would mean his nephew’s family’s home would be foreclosed.”

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in Pung v. Isabella County on Feb. 25.

Second Hall of Fame voter shares reasons for leaving Bill Belichick off latest ballot

Another Pro Football Hall of Fame voter who didn’t check off Bill Belichick’s name for the Class of 2026 has come forward explaining his choice.

He chose New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft over Belichick, too.

FOX59/CBS4 Sports reporter Mike Chappell, who covered the Indianapolis Colts for over 40 years, was the second voter to come forward explaining his decision on why he didn’t vote for Belichick in a column posted this week. 

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Kansas City Star’s Vahe Gregorian was the first to do so, also penning a column.

Like Gregorian, Chappell noted that being forced to choose up to three names from the five-man group with Belichick, Kraft and three senior members made it hard. Chappell chose two of the senior candidates, believing it was their final chance of making it into the hallowed halls of Canton.

Thus, Kraft and Belichick were left. He chose the former.

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“As one of 50 selectors, I voted FOR Robert Kraft, the long-time and accomplished New England Patriots owner,” Chappell wrote in his column. “I did not vote AGAINST Bill Belichick, the long-time and accomplished head coach of that dynasty. I realize that’s a difference without a distinction, but I’m comfortable with my decision.”

Chappell went on to explain why he believed Kraft was deserving of this year’s class over Belichick.

“Kraft’s role in building the Patriots’ dynasty beginning in 1994 AND his undeniable role in helping negotiate the end of the 100-play-day work stoppage in 2011 — while his wife was gravely ill — that has resulted in long-standing labor peace,” Chappell wrote. “He’s also been involved behind the scenes in bolstering the NFL’s ever-increasing TV revenue.”

It was reported that Belichick being involved with the Patriots during the infamous Spygate and Deflategate scandals impacted him not being a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

For Chappell, Spygate was involved in his decision.

“There’s no erasing the stain of Spygate from his bio,” he wrote. “This wasn’t alleged behavior. The NFL fined Belichick $500,000 — the maximum allowed — along with docking the Patriots $250,000 and a first-round draft pick for illegally videotaping New York Jets signals in 2007.”

Chappell believes Belichick will be a Hall of Famer, but he was left with a tough choice in his eyes.

“This year’s decision in no way insinuates Belichick isn’t Hall of Fame-worthy,” Chappell wrote. “Of course he is. I believe he makes it next year. Will that mean his gold jacket isn’t as bold had he been selected in his first year of eligibility? Of course not.”

To Chappell’s last point, others have commented otherwise, saying the integrity of the Hall of Fame has diminished because Belichick, who owns the second-most wins by a head coach all-time with six Super Bowls and two while a coordinator with the New York Giants, has a first-ballot resume.

Former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky even went as far as to say the Hall of Fame should rectify its decision.

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“There is not one person who has come out that’s made a justifiable reason for Coach Belichick to not be a first-ballot Hall of Famer,” Orlosky said on ESPN’s “First Take” on Thursday, per Awful Announcing. “This is obviously a big deal. Unless someone does, why can’t the Hall of Fame take a step back and be like, ‘You know what? We reevaluated. Everyone makes a lot of good points. The process is a flawed process. Let’s make sure that we do this the right way.’ Because the right thing is to have him in as a first-ballot Hall of Famer. I understand that everyone’s in this uproar like, ‘No, you can’t go back. The vote.’ Why not? Why can’t the Hall of Fame do the right thing and realize the egregious mistake that has happened.”

Others like Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, J.J. Watt, and Kraft, who called Belichick the “greatest coach of all time,” shared their displeasure with what happened.

Parents sound the alarm over a viral children’s star’s turn toward politics

For millions of American parents and grandparents, “Ms. Rachel” is not just a celebrity or social media influencer, but a daily presence in their living rooms. Her voice plays on TVs, tablets and phones during a child’s earliest years as part of her educational programming for toddlers.

Her real name is Rachel Griffin Accurso, the face behind the viral YouTube series “Songs for Littles.” Over the past six years, Accurso has grown the brand from homemade videos into a multimillion-dollar children’s entertainment operation focused on early language development for babies and toddlers.

As her audience and influence have grown, Accurso has increasingly drawn criticism from some parents over her public political and social activism, leading some families to question whether the content remains strictly educational.

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Her content is delivered primarily through YouTube, where she has amassed more than 18.7 million subscribers. Her videos regularly receive millions of views, with her most-watched clip surpassing 1.8 billion views. She can also be seen on Netflix and has her own line of books, toys and branded clothing.

The @MsRachel account launched in February 2019 after Accurso’s son was born. She has said she created the series after he experienced significant speech delays. The “Ms. Rachel” website states she holds two master’s degrees in education — one in early-childhood development and one in music education.

That authority and the expectation that the content would remain focused solely on early education set the stage for the first major backlash surrounding the brand.

One of the first controversies emerged in 2023, when some parents began to question the inclusion of Jules Hoffman in the videos. Hoffman, a musician who identifies as nonbinary, has previously spoken publicly about their gender transition.

While “Songs for Littles” has not included explicit discussions of pronouns, critics argued the inclusion of a nonbinary performer blurred boundaries in content aimed at toddlers.

Amid the backlash, Accurso announced a mental health break from TikTok in February 2023, citing “hurtful videos and comments.” She returned in March 2023 in a video about social media boundaries with the caption “Love > fear.”

Hoffman has since launched a children’s education brand and has been outspoken politically online. Earlier this month, Hoffman posted a song criticizing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, saying they “pretend to be good guys” and telling people to “protect our neighbors with our bodies.”

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After the start of the Israel-Hamas war, criticism of the “Ms. Rachel” brand increased from some conservatives. In May 2024, Accurso expanded her advocacy regarding the conflict in the Middle East. She started a fundraiser for the nonprofit Save the Children, aiming to help children in several conflict zones, including Gaza.

She offered to create personalized recorded videos with all proceeds donated to the emergency fund. The decision was met with claims it was one-sided humanitarianism. One pro-Israel group accused her of overlooking Israeli children killed or kidnapped by the terror group Hamas on Oct. 7.

Accurso posted a tearful video on TikTok, writing, “I care deeply for all children. Palestinian children, Israeli children, children in the U.S. — Muslim, Jewish, Christian children — all children, in every country. Not one is excluded.”

Accurso wrote a similar post on Instagram in December, saying she was a Christian and her faith in Jesus informed her belief that all are welcome in her class.

“Just so you know, you are welcome in Ms Rachel’s classroom [and] I love you. People who are trans, gay, nonbinary, people who are Somali, people who are any religion – Muslim, Jewish, Christian or not religious, people who use food stamps, Democrats, Republicans, people who are undocumented, people who hate me,” she wrote.

“Also I’m Christian and I feel in my soul and my prayers (and Jesus’s example) no one is to be excluded,” she added in a comment.

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Her support for children in Gaza later expanded to work with the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. She also hosted a 3-year-old double amputee from Gaza, Rahaf, who had been brought to the U.S. for treatment.

Accurso told Democracy Now! the pain of receiving criticism will “never compare to the pain of not speaking out during a genocide.” She also posted on Threads in July 2025, stating that she is “not comfortable working with anyone who hasn’t spoken out about Gaza.”

She also sat for an interview with anti-Israel journalist Mehdi Hasan for an interview to explain why she was speaking out about Gazan children. She said she was “horrified by October 7” and said it was false to suggest that caring about children in an emergency situation meant she cared less about others.

Last week, Accurso posted an apology video after liking an antisemitic comment on Instagram that read, “Free America from the Jews.” She said the comment was accidentally liked while she was trying to delete it and noted she’s a human who “makes mistakes.”

Accurso added in a statement to Fox News Digital, “[On Wednesday], I accidentally liked a hateful comment on my social media while trying to delete it. I have always been completely clear on this; I do not support language that targets or harms the Jewish community or any community. Antisemitism and hate of any kind have no place in my life or my work. Everything I do is rooted in kindness, inclusion, and care for all humanity. Those values guide me every day, and I remain firmly committed to them.”

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Accurso became more directly involved in politics after being named to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s inaugural committee in December. Mamdani, who has described himself as a democratic socialist, has been an outspoken critic of Israel. Earlier this month, the two appeared together in a video discussing his proposals for universal childcare and free bus service.

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Despite past boycotts of “Ms. Rachel” by a number of concerned parents, Accurso struck a deal with Netflix. It added several of her interactive lessons to the streaming platform, which also streams the long-running children’s show “Sesame Street.”

Representatives for Accurso declined additional comment to Fox News Digital.

Death penalty off the table for Luigi Mangione after judge agrees to dismiss federal murder charge

A federal judge in New York has agreed to dismiss federal murder charges against Luigi Mangione. This takes the potential death penalty off the table.

Lawyers for accused assassin Luigi Mangione had continued to bolster their legal arguments to have the most serious charges against him thrown out

The ruling came shortly before the 27-year-old was due back in court Friday morning for a status conference.

Although oral arguments already took place, the defense has aggressively argued in subsequent filings that prosecutors have failed to allege an underlying “crime of violence” necessary for the top charge of murder through use of a firearm. That is the only charge Mangione faces that carries the potential death penalty.

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Prosecutors countered in an opposition filing that the defense is relying on irrelevant precedent.

“Here, by contrast, no court has interpreted the ‘conduct that places [the victim] in reasonable fear of death or serious bodily injury’ element,” federal prosecutors wrote.

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A separate motion to suppress evidence alleging police violated Mangione’s constitutional rights with the search of his backpack was denied. According to investigators, the suspected murder weapon and a manifesto were in the bag.

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In order to charge Mangione with the federal charge of murder through use of a firearm, prosecutors need an underlying crime of violence. They have alleged that crime to be stalking. However, according to legal analysts, if stalking can be done without violence, even if it wasn’t in the case alleged, the charge could fall apart.

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Mangione is accused of stalking UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson before shooting him in the back outside a New York City hotel on the morning of a planned business conference.

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“It’s like a series of dominos — the only way that the federal government can get to a death penalty charge in their case is if the murder was committed during the course of a violent felony,” Joshua Ritter, a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney, previously told Fox News Digital. “And the reason that they need that is because they need what’s called a federal hook to get them federal jurisdiction.”

Thompson, a 50-year-old father of two from Minnesota, had come to the Big Apple to meet with Wall Street investors.

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Surveillance cameras recorded the slaying. Video shows Thompson walking down the sidewalk outside the hotel when a man approaches from behind and opens fire.

Thompson suffered multiple gunshot wounds and collapsed to the ground. The gunman fled and was later spotted making his way uptown on a bicycle. There was at least one eyewitness, who appeared to be unharmed.

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Police arrested Mangione five days later at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, where customers and staff said they recognized him from a wanted poster released in connection with Thompson’s murder.

Mangione’s defense has a separate motion pending that would have evidence taken from his backpack during his arrest thrown out.

Police said they found the suspected murder weapon and handwritten notes that were critical of the health insurance industry and may indicate Mangione’s alleged planning and a motive.

Judge Margaret Garnett has not yet ruled on either motion and is expected to address the next steps in the case at Friday’s hearing.

Jury selection is scheduled for Sept. 8, with a trial to follow in either October or January, depending on how she rules on the top charges.

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Separately, Manhattan prosecutors have requested a July 1 start date for Mangione’s state trial, which his lawyers have objected to as “unrealistic.”

In a letter to New York Judge Gregory Carro Wednesday, Assistant Manhattan DA Joel Seidemann wrote that the state has an interest, protected by federal law, in taking Mangione to trial first.