American icon and legendary actor known for role in ‘Walker, Texas Ranger’ Chuck Norris dead at 86
Iconic actor and martial artist Chuck Norris died on Thursday morning, according to a family statement posted on his Instagram account on Friday morning.
“It is with heavy hearts that our family shares the sudden passing of our beloved Chuck Norris yesterday morning. While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace,” the post reads.
“To the world, he was a martial artist, actor, and a symbol of strength. To us, he was a devoted husband, a loving father and grandfather, an incredible brother, and the heart of our family. He lived his life with faith, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to the people he loved. Through his work, discipline, and kindness, he inspired millions around the world and left a lasting impact on so many lives.”
STARS WE’VE LOST IN 2026
The statement continued, “While our hearts are broken, we are deeply grateful for the life he lived and for the unforgettable moments we were blessed to share with him. The love and support he received from fans around the world meant so much to him, and our family is truly thankful for it. To him, you were not just fans, you were his friends. We know many of you had heard about his recent hospitalization, and we are truly grateful for the prayers and support you sent his way. As we grieve this loss, we kindly ask for privacy for our family during this time. Thank you for loving him with us.”
Schumer and Warnock mistakenly make the case for the very bill they’re trying to kill
In trying to downplay its seriousness and scope, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., tacitly acknowledged the existence of a problem they’ve argued is immaterial: that illegal immigrants may be able to unlawfully participate in federal elections.
“The evidence is that almost no illegal aliens vote,” Schumer said in remarks on the Senate floor.
Warnock similarly acknowledged the issue while listing statistics about voting records in his home state.
“8.2 million people are registered to vote in Georgia. The Republican secretary of state found 20 instances of noncitizens who were registered, and only nine had ever attempted to vote,” Warnock said.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT’S TWO DECADES OF UNLAWFUL VOTES EXPOSE THE REAL ‘THREAT’ TO DEMOCRACY: EXPERTS
Their comments came as the pair of Democrats argued against passage of the SAVE America Act — legislation that would impose citizenship requirements for voter registration.
Democrats have fiercely opposed the Republican-led bill, citing concerns that its voter integrity measures are overly heavy-handed and could inadvertently burden communities that may struggle to provide documented proof of citizenship.
“This is a solution in search of a problem that does not exist,” Warnock said.
DAVID MARCUS: SENATE GOP SHOULD TAKE FETTERMAN’S DEAL ON VOTER ID
Under the bill, voters could use a REAL ID, a birth certificate or a passport to satisfy the requirements, according to the bill’s text.
Republicans, who argue that lax identity requirements may have already allowed an unknown number of noncitizens onto voter rolls, have launched a marathon standoff over the bill on the Senate floor.
Republicans cannot pass the bill without the 60 votes needed to end debate. They hold 53 seats in the chamber, making passage impossible without support from at least seven Democrats.
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, the sponsor of the SAVE America Act, argued that the scope of the problem remains unknown.
“Democrats argue that federal law prohibits noncitizen voting and insist that it is not just rare but exceedingly rare — so rare that we shouldn’t even consider it cognizable in this chamber,” Lee said Tuesday.
REPUBLICAN SENATORS BLAST DEMOCRATS FOR ‘FEAR-MONGERING’ OVER ELECTION SECURITY SAVE ACT
Lee said the lack of documented cases does not rule out future risk.
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“It remains unknown — and in many instances, unknowable. How many illegal votes are being counted in federal elections? How many illegal votes cast by noncitizens might be cast in any future federal election?” Lee said.
The standoff, which began Tuesday, appears unlikely to advance the bill.
Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of Schumer and Warnock.
New York’s ‘teddy bear test’ tracks wealthy residents fleeing the state
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul became the latest blue-state leader to lament the flight of wealthy tax-paying residents to Republican-led tax havens like Florida, Alaska, Wyoming and Tennessee, calling millionaires who stayed in the Empire State to fund its massive social services net “patriotic.”
With Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declaring his jurisdiction a “free state” for transplants wishing to leave liberal policies and taxation behind, blue states like New York, Illinois and California are squeezing and at times pursuing natives who emigrate to financially greener pastures — while at the same time, some governors are blasting conservative voters as inauthentic neighbors and driving them out in the first place.
Fox News Digital took a look back at taxing authorities and top officials in blue states that have pursued or criticized the very people they are trying to retain for taxation purposes – and those who aren’t simply urging them to return are finding ways to force continued collection.
BRING THEM BACK FROM PALM BEACH
Hochul, speaking during a Politico event this month, said “high-net-worth” people need to stay in New York to support the “generous social programs we want to have in our state.”
“There are some patriotic millionaires who stepped up. OK, cut me the checks. If you want to be supportive — but maybe the first step should be [to] go down to Palm Beach and see who you can bring back home, because our tax has been eroded.”
GRADUALLY, THEN SUDDENLY, BLUE STATE AMERICA IS HEADING FOR FINANCIAL DISASTER
‘JUMP ON A BUS’
Hochul has often criticized the most prominent New Yorker to flee to Palm Beach: President Donald Trump.
At a 2022 rally for Rep. Pat Ryan, a moderate Democrat from Ulster County, Hochul trashed Republican-voting New Yorkers and urged them to do what she now wants to see reversed.
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“And we are here to say that the era of Trump, and Zeldin and Molinaro, just jump on a bus and head down to Florida where you belong, OK?”
“Get out of town. Because you do not represent our values. You are not New Yorkers,” Hochul said, while facing off with now-EPA chief Lee Zeldin and criticizing Ryan’s opponent, then-Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro whom Trump recently appointed as head of the FTA.
THE ‘TEDDY BEAR’ TAX TEST
Revenue agencies in states like New York have established multitiered tests to enforce residency liabilities for people who split their time between or try to claim other states as their primary home.
In Albany’s lengthy guide to determining whether a taxpayer must consider themselves a New Yorker, a five-part review includes what some attorneys have called the “Teddy Bear Test” – in that it all depends on where you lay your head at night.
A “Near and Dear” factor asks taxpayers to consider the “location of items which the individual holds ‘near and dear’ to his or her heart, or those items which have significant sentimental value” – such as teddy bears.
MORE AMERICANS LEAVE BIG CITIES FOR RURAL STATES AS MIGRATION PATTERNS SHIFT IN 2026
“This analysis of ‘Near and Dear’ items can help to solidify the intent of the taxpayer concerning the location of his domicile,” the document read.
Another aspect is whether a person uses or maintains his New York residence at the same level as his out-of-state residence, as it and other states have a 183-day threshold for determining tax liability.
The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance conducted 3,000 nonresidency audits between 2010 and 2017, encompassing part of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s term, and collected about $1 billion from those who fled the state.
Cuomo, however, appeared to have what pundits called a political “epiphany” when he voiced concern about the state’s lurch to the left on tax policies.
In 2019, The Wall Street Journal quoted Cuomo on realizing what Democratic policy had done to New York’s tax base:
“Tax the rich, tax the rich, tax the rich. We did that. God forbid the rich leave.”
The top 1% of taxpayers foot 46% of personal income tax in New York, which is not alone in trying to keep people in.
REVERSE GOLD RUSH
In 1849, when gold was discovered at John Sutter’s mill not far from Sacramento, people from across the country rushed in to make a buck.
Today, people are reversing flow and trying to escape Sacramento’s reach.
“California … they don’t particularly like when people that were large taxpayers … leave,” Marc Minker, lead managing director at accounting provider and consulting firm CBIZ MHM, previously told FOX Business. “The state becomes very aggressive with respect to making you prove that you essentially changed your domicile.”
While California does not have an explicit “Exit Tax,” the term is thrown around to describe the complex hierarchy of levies and policies Sacramento enforces on people who leave or now only spend part of their year in the state.
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Gov. Gavin Newsom opposed a 2023-24 iteration of an “exit tax” – that would have applied to the wealthiest Californians who leave for the first four years of nonresidency.
If the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) determines a taxpayer to be a nonresident, their California-based income sources, like rental homes, can still be taxed.
The recent Super Bowl in Santa Clara brought the state’s “jock tax” back to the fore, as Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold’s tax liability following his win led to a net financial loss for him.
The FTB also regularly conducts residency audits similar to New York’s, with residency requirements remain more complex than other states’ calculation of number-of-days-spent.
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FTB considers a resident someone who is “present in California for other than a temporary or transitory purpose” or “domiciled in California, but outside California for a temporary or transitory purpose,” according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Several factors, including voter registration, bank accounts, doctors and memberships, are examined by the state.
LEAVING THE LAND OF LINCOLN
In one Illinois tax tribunal case, Rothman v. Illinois Dept. of Revenue (IDOR), a couple objected to Springfield’s levies as they claimed to be Florida residents. In that case, cell phone records and subpoenas to Uber and Seamless were used to determine whether the couple was from Illinois or Florida, according to a document.
The Chicago accounting firm FGMK wrote on their website that IDOR has a series of factors they use to determine residency including utility usage, relocation of immediate family, school enrollment, homestead exemption status and library card usage.
A bill that had been floated in the state legislature in 2023 would have also assessed unrealized gains of millionaires in any tax year that they attempt to leave the state, called the Extremely High Wealth Mark-to-Market Tax Act.
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Fox News Digital reached out to Hochul for comment on her recent remarks.
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Ohio governor hopeful erupts at NFL fans over COVID rules in old posts
While it seems like a distant, all but forgotten memory, politicians and top public health officials were outrageously, prolifically ridiculous throughout the COVID lockdown era of 2020.
They were relentless in lecturing the public, demanding compliance with absurd mandates, often while refusing to comply with those mandates themselves, and ignoring when science and data proved them wrong. There was a concerted effort to demonize anyone who refused to panic and continue with their daily lives and maintain a semblance of normalcy.
Those who correctly assessed that masks did not work were labeled “grandma killers.” People who pushed for the return of sports were considered “irresponsible” and “selfish.” Those who complained about their freedoms and liberties being infringed upon were dismissively referred to as “free-dumb lovers.”
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In a sane world, those who engaged in such embarrassing, humiliating, discrediting anti-science behavior, and prolific disregard for reality would have no possibility of somehow being promoted. But if you need more proof we do not live in a sane world, look no further than Dr. Amy Acton, the former top public health official in Ohio and current Democratic Party Gubernatorial candidate in the state. Because she perfectly exemplifies the disastrous failure of our politicians and “experts” in the COVID era.
Old Posts From Amy Acton Being A COVID Lunatic Surface
OutKickexclusively obtained a series of social media posts that appear to be made by Dr. Acton’s Twitter account in May 2020, engaging primarily with fans of the Cleveland Browns. These posts, which have since been deleted, highlight Acton’s comical level of commitment to pointless COVID restrictions.
In one example, she responded to a Browns fan posting a Kermit meme about their hopes for the team to make the playoffs by saying, “Please social distance.” In another, a Browns fan posted about Baker Mayfield as the team’s quarterback, only for Acton to respond with “Please follow CDC guidelines.” That fan then responded with a photo, to which she added, “We should be discussing ways to prevent covid.”
Incredible stuff, considering there is no way to “prevent COVID.”
Another post was simply a photo of the Browns punter lifting a log, to which she added, again, “Please social distance.” One fan responded to that Browns Twitter was the only “fun part of quarantine.” This was apparently too much for Acton, who responded with “Please stop.” Some other fan discussion was interrupted with Acton adding “We are in a pandemic.”
In a continuation of another thread, she responded to a meme by saying, “Grow up #StayAtHome.” One fan posted about their hopes for the team to make the Super Bowl, and Acton incredibly added, “No. Too many people.” Amazing. For some reason, she also interjected herself into a conversation by saying, “We need masks and ppe, not jerseys.”
Spoiler alert: we did not need masks.
BROWNS’ NFL RULE PROPOSAL ON FUTURE DRAFT PICKS IN TRADES DRAWS SCRUTINY
These posts are, like so much of Acton’s public health “guidance,” utterly disqualifying. They’re also extremely bizarre. Why was Acton even inserting herself into conversations about the Cleveland Browns? Causing economic destruction with ridiculous lockdowns, ruining lives and livelihoods…that wasn’t enough? She had to target people who were trying to find some semblance of normalcy, looking for positives and distractions through sports, with pointless hectoring and bizarre criticism? That’s what she was spending her time on, while ironically chastising others for looking for positives while “in a pandemic?”
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OutKick reached out to Acton to ask why she made these posts, to explain her “thinking” and rationale. As of time of publishing, we had not received a response.
The fact Acton has the support she does indicates that there will never be accountability for those who made these decisions, who put their political ideology ahead of facts, science, data and evidence. There should be.
US airlifts nuclear microreactor and shows the power of possibilities
In February, the United States airlifted a nuclear microreactor for the first time. It was more than a technical achievement – it was a symbol of transformation, akin to the launch of the first steam-powered sailing ships that reshaped global commerce. And just as we couldn’t build the progress of the 20th century on the back of wind-powered ships, we can’t power the 21st-century economy with unreliable, weather-dependent energy sources. America’s future prosperity requires abundant, affordable and reliable power to complement America’s vast reserves of fossil fuels. The solution is clear: a new generation of advanced nuclear reactors.
America is entering a new era of industrial revival, powered by a surge in domestic manufacturing and the rise of artificial intelligence. This surge is creating an unprecedented thirst for electricity. After a decade of flat demand, America’s industries are roaring back to life. But grid operators are warning of a looming “reliability crisis” as reliable power plants are retired far faster than they are replaced.
Meanwhile, the demand from AI, electrification and resurgent manufacturing is projected to add as much as 166 gigawatts (15 times what New York City requires) of new peak load by the end of the decade – an unprecedented surge that will strain existing infrastructure.
For decades, nuclear power has stood as an unassuming giant in the power sector, providing nearly 20% of America’s electricity with unparalleled reliability. Today, a new generation of advanced reactors – small modular reactors (SMRs) and microreactors – is poised to expand nuclear energy’s role. These reactors are designed to be built in factories and assembled on-site, dramatically reducing construction times and costs.
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Their smaller size allows them to be deployed in more places, including at retiring coal plants to reuse existing grid infrastructure and skilled workforces. A single SMR module can power a large data-center campus or a cluster of factories.
Beyond electricity, these advanced reactors can provide high-temperature heat needed to make steel and fertilizer, a crucial industrial input that solar and wind cannot meet. SMRs can even power desalination plants to turn arid landscapes into thriving communities. Microreactors are already being developed to provide secure, resilient power to remote military bases like Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, freeing them from dependence on the grid.
The primary obstacle to this promising future isn’t physics or engineering; it’s a half-century of suffocating government bureaucracy. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) licensing framework was designed for the large reactors of the 1970s and is inadequate for today’s advanced designs.
TRUMP ADMIN’S ENERGY AGENDA HAILED FOR CRUCIAL ‘WINS’ AS GREEN ACTIVISTS LASH OUT
Congress ordered the NRC to create a modern, streamlined process, known as Part 53. But instead of a clear path forward, the draft rule is becoming another layer of complex, burdensome requirements that could delay innovation rather than enable it. This moves us further from, rather than closer to, the energy dominance agenda. Instead, we should end local bans on nuclear power and lower barriers to startups seeking to increase competition and innovation.
We must also reject outdated fears about nuclear energy. Today’s advanced reactors are not our grandparents’ power plants. They possess inherent safety features that make accidents exceedingly unlikely, if not physically impossible.
They also help us steward our environment responsibly: they produce immense quantities of energy from a tiny amount of fuel, with a minimal physical footprint, and no air pollution. This stands in stark contrast to solar and wind, which require vast tracts of land and large-scale mining for their construction and deployment.
Public perceptions must also evolve. There are some that still raise concerns about nuclear safety and waste. But the entire amount of used fuel from America’s nuclear industry over 60 years could fit on a single football field.
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This material, far from a crisis, is a manageable byproduct and can even be reprocessed to yield valuable minerals and re-usable uranium. The far greater crisis is a lack of energy, which consigns billions of people to poverty globally and threatens the stability of our own economy.
Beyond electricity, these advanced reactors can provide high-temperature heat needed to make steel and fertilizer, a crucial industrial input that solar and wind cannot meet.
This is not just an economic issue – it is a national security imperative. While America’s nuclear industry is tangled in red tape, Russia and China are aggressively moving to export their own reactors across the globe, using state-backed financing to create decades-long dependencies.
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Every market we concede to them is a loss for American influence and security, and every time an American SMR developer is stalled by bureaucracy, it is a victory for Moscow and Beijing. We can either lead the world in setting the gold standard for safety and non-proliferation, or we can cede the future of global energy to authoritarian regimes.
America has always thrived when it embraced bold technologies and rejected complacency. So now is the time to be bold. The AI boom and the return of manufacturing represent a historic opportunity. But to seize it, we must have the energy to power it. The servers processing complex algorithms and the factories forging new products all depend on a simple input: energy that is always powered on.
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Dems dismiss concerns about ties to radical imam after inquiry sparks photo purge
FIRST ON FOX: Legacy Democrats and a slew of Michigan Democratic Party lawmakers dismissed concerns over their connections to a radical Imam who eulogized the death of Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei by “the most wretched hands on Earth” and works at a mosque known for being a purveyor of Iranian propaganda.
Dearborn Heights, Michigan, Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi’s social media pages were a who’s who of Michigan Democratic Party politicos and also included a slew of photos of him with legacy Democrats and Democratic Party officials from other states, before they were deleted. The photos, many of which come from various political and religious-oriented events, were removed from the Imam’s social media after Fox News Digital reached out to him and his Michigan-based Islamic House of Wisdom (IHW).
However, screenshots retained by Fox News Digital and other photos that remain publicly available on the Imam’s social media sites show him posing alongside legacy Democrats like former President Bill Clinton, former Vice President Kamala Harris and former Secretary of State John Kerry.
Other Democrats the Imam was pictured with on his social media pages included current candidates for office in Michigan and some of the state’s highest-ranking leaders, such as Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, whose 2023 inauguration included a Muslim prayer tribute from Ali Elahi, Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, and Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich. One post on his socials included a flyer highlighting an event the IHW helped sponsor that was headlined by Dr. Anthony Fauci, while others included photos of the Imam interacting with out-of-state Democrats, such as Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga.
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In addition to the public photos of Ali Elahi, with a slew of various Democrats, he has also donated to several of these same lawmakers as well, including candidates running for office this year in his state of Michigan, according to Michigan’s campaign finance database. Current Michigan U.S. Senate candidate, Abdul El-Sayed, featured in at least one of the Imam’s photos, received over $800 from him in 2017. Gilchrest, pictured numerous times with the Imam on his social media pages, received over $1,000.
Meanwhile, Mike Duggan, the former Mayor of Detroit now running an Independent bid for governor who is seen eating dinner with the Imam, received $500, according to state records. Ali Elahi has also, for years, made many small-dollar donations through Act Blue to various Democrats and Democrat institutions.
“The unwillingness of public officials to distance themselves from someone so controversial would be troubling enough under normal circumstances, but doubly so during a time of conflict when Americans’ lives hang in the balance and voters expect their leaders to rally around the flag,” said GOP strategist Colin Reed. “For nearly 40 years, the leaders of the Iranian regime have pushed ‘death to America’ and exported terror around the world. It shouldn’t be a close call to want to put daylight between someone so sympathetic to their cause.”
When asked, following Ali Elahi and IHW’s Khamenei tribute, if any of the Democratic Party figures regretted attending events alongside the Iranian-born Imam living in Michigan, or whether they planned to reconsider interactions with him going forward, those Democrats seen with him in photos at various events either did not respond or downplayed their ties to the Imam. A staffer for Michigan gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson initially got in touch after Fox News Digital reached out, but then ignored Fox News Digital’s inquiries after they were told the story was not only about Benson.
Khamenei, who was killed by an Israeli airstrike last month, has repeatedly attacked the United States and Israel on social media, including saying, “Death to America.”
“Yes, it will happen. Death to America will happen,” Khamenei declared in 2022, the Middle East Media Research Institute reported at the time. “Some people say: By chanting ‘Death to America,’ you bring America’s animosity upon yourself. I say that this is not true. When America began its hostility towards Iran, nobody had been chanting ‘Death to America.’”
“Senator Peters routinely attends events with his constituents across Michigan. Peters has long said that Iran and its leaders, like Ayatollah Khamenei, are bad actors, and he strongly believes that we must ensure Iran never has nuclear weapons,” a spokesperson for the Michigan senator said.
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“Georgians are concerned about an illegal war that’s costing taxpayers $1 billion a day and spiking gas prices,” a Warnock spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “The Senator believes Ayatollah Khamenei was a brutal dictator, and this President should be focused on problems at home instead of entangling our country and service members in another endless war.”
“It was 60 seconds of social niceties at a funeral. Shaking someone’s hand isn’t a connection or an endorsement,” said a Clinton spokesperson. “They don’t know each other.”
“The press corps often sprints after Republicans in office to ask them about why someone took a picture with them and how quickly will they distance themselves from that individual, but that same level of scrutiny is not remotely applied to Democrats,” lamented Republican strategist Mark Bednar. “For the good of the country, elected Democrats and candidates must explain to their constituents and to the media where exactly do they stand regarding cheerleaders of the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism.”
Duggan, who initially told local Michigan news outlet, The Michigan Enjoyer, that he “had no recollection” of photos they shared of him with the Imam, told Fox News Digital that the candidate for governor did not know Ali Elahi personally when asked if he planned to reconsider interacting with him in the future. Fox News Digital uncovered multiple photos of Duggan attending events alongside Ali Elahi that were on the Imam’s Facebook page, including one where the two are seen embracing each other.
“In his 12-year tenure, Mayor Duggan constantly reached out to congregations of all faiths, visiting 40-50 churches, mosques, and synagogues each year,” a spokesperson for Duggan’s gubernatorial campaign said. “He attended close to 1,000 political events in that time and greeted and took photos with people at each of them. The Mayor does not know Imam Elahi any more than the many others across the political spectrum he encountered over the years.”
As recently as September, Ali Elahi was seen pictured with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian at the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
The gathering was also attended by the co-founder of the left-wing activist group CODEPINK, which has been accused of having close ties to China, and former U.S. intelligence official and U.N. weapons inspector Scott Ritter, whose house was raided by the FBI for what Ritter himself described as violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
The Imam similarly met with Pezeshkian at the U.N. Assembly in 2024, a photo on the Imam’s Facebook and Instagram shows, which also includes a caption praising the regime leader and slamming Israel and the media. Ali Elahi has photos of himself meeting with antisemite Louis Farrakhan, who infamously compared Jews to termites in one of his sermons.
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“The numerous photographs of Elahi with high-level Iranian politicians and religious leaders that he regularly publishes on his social media networks speak to his ties to the Islamic Republic,” a report from George Washington University’s Program on Extremism states. The same report points out that Ali Elahi served as the head of the Iranian Navy’s “political ideological office” in 1982, an allegation the Imam addressed but did not deny in a 2023 speech.
Meanwhile, U.S. lawmakers have accused Ali Elahi’s mosque of being “a significant purveyor of extremist propaganda, in line with the Iranian regime’s views,” in a 2023 letter to then-U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, calling on him to investigate various Iranian regime-backed mosques in the United States. As recently as 2023, Ali Elahi traveled to Iran, sharing photos and video of his trip in 2023 on social media.
William and Kate offer lesson for Harry and Meghan after Netflix deal ends: expert
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry may have miscalculated their royal impact on Hollywood.
Six months after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex extended their Netflix partnership with a multiyear, first-look deal for film and television projects through Archewell Productions, the streaming giant decided to part ways with Markle’s “As ever” lifestyle brand.
The sudden end to a Markle project raised “serious questions” about Meghan’s credibility, and also opened the doors for further skepticism about any chance of a royal reconciliation, experts say.
MEGHAN MARKLE SLAMMED FOR SKY-HIGH PRICE OF LUXURY RETREAT IN AUSTRALIA
“High-value partnerships are built on execution, not just vision or vibes,” Kinsey Schofield told Fox News Digital. “A deal of that magnitude requires consistent delivery across formats, especially in a competitive streaming environment.”
PRINCE HARRY AND MEGHAN MARKLE MAKE SUNDANCE DEBUT AS THEY PREMIERE GIRL SCOUT DOCUMENTARY
Schofield added, “Hollywood is ultimately results-driven. Initial curiosity and goodwill can open doors, but longevity depends on consistent, bankable output. Without that, even the most high-profile names begin to lose leverage in a crowded content marketplace.
“There’s a difference between infamy and influence and I think Harry and Meghan fall under infamous.”
Representatives for Archewell did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
“There’s a difference between infamy and influence and I think Harry and Meghan fall under infamous.”
Harry and Meghan first partnered with Netflix in 2020 with a reported $100 million deal, going on to work together on the 2022 series, “Harry & Meghan,” “Live to Lead,” “Heart of Invictus” in 2023, and “Polo” in 2024, before announcing in July 2025 that they would not be renewing their deal, but instead opting for a “first look” partnership.
“Meghan’s passion for elevating everyday moments in beautiful yet simple ways inspired the creation of the As ever brand, and we are glad to have played a role in bringing that vision to life,” a spokesperson for Netflix told Fox News Digital last week.
“As it was always intended, Meghan will continue growing the brand and take it into its next chapter independently, and we look forward to celebrating how she continues to bring joy to households around the world.”
In their own statement, Markle’s brand, As ever, told People that they are “grateful for Netflix’s partnership through launch and our first year.”
PRINCE HARRY, MEGHAN MARKLE COMPARED TO OBAMAS AS NEW NETFLIX DEAL SIGNALS THEY’VE TAKEN A ‘BAD HIT’
“We have experienced meaningful and rapid growth, and As ever is now ready to stand on its own. We have an exciting year ahead and can’t wait to share more.”
Royal expert Hilary Fordwich explained that the public has grown “weary and leery of their grievance-driven royal content.”
“Now they are viewed as, which they are, separated from all things royal,” Fordwich told Fox News Digital. “Their track record of a failed brand is as bad as their plummeting poll numbers and dreadful viewership of each of their underwhelming failed ventures.”
MEGHAN MARKLE’S HOLLYWOOD DREAM CRUMBLES AS VIEWERS TUNE OUT ‘INAUTHENTIC’ SERIES: EXPERTS
As ever launched in 2025 as a lifestyle and home goods line, launching its first products in April, just one month after the premiere of her Netflix show, “With Love, Meghan,” which featured Markle’s celebrity friends visiting as she shared cooking, gardening and hosting tips.
Some items sold by the brand include jams and honey, tea and wine, candles, chocolate and other similar products. Following its first product launch, the brand sold out of stock in less than an hour, despite what some considered to be high prices.
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Two seasons of “With Love, Meghan” were released on Netflix in March and August 2025 respectively, as well as a holiday special in December, and while it has not officially been canceled, there has been no news surrounding a third season of the show.
Fordwich noted that the lifestyle and home goods area is “a crowded space,” and As ever was “received as disingenuous at best.”
“Harry is viewed as commercially oriented, any trust in him at all is lacking,” Fordwich explained. “Yet another loss of such a contract narrows further any options he has, so any outreaches to the family are viewed with even more skepticism. He needs the selling proposition and the family knows it.”
John McDermott, co-founder of Caloroga Shark Media and creator of the “Palace Intrigue” podcast, noted that the former royals could take a page from the Prince and Princess of Wales when it comes to press.
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“If anything, there’s a bit of a lesson in how William and Catherine handle things,” McDermott said. “They feed the media just enough with a quick photo op of them pulling pints, throwing darts, petting a puppy, etc., and then they disappear again. It keeps the coverage positive without overexposing them.
“For Harry and Meghan, there may be something in that. Show up, look good, keep it positive. Sometimes less really is more.”
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Early March Madness shockwaves leave nearly 36 million brackets in ruins
March Madness fans took an early hit in this year’s tournament as nearly 36 million brackets were busted on Thursday following a string of early upsets in the first round.
The NCAA reported Friday that of the more than 36 million brackets filled out across major online sports platforms, roughly 14,000 perfect brackets remain through the first 16 games of the men’s tournament.
At the very least, that’s around 35,986,000 busted brackets.
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The biggest bracket buster was No. 9 seed TCU’s narrow 66-64 victory over No. 8 seed Ohio State, which left just 14.5 million perfect brackets intact. Nebraska’s first-ever NCAA Tournament win over Troy, which was a brutal 76-47 beatdown, eliminated another 2.5 million brackets.
But it was the upsets that brought that figure down to over 14,000.
High Point’s improbable 83-82 win over No. 5 Wisconsin as the No. 12 seed did the most damage, bringing down the total number of flawless predictions to just 2.3 million, and that figure was cut in half again when Louisville survived USF, 83-79.
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As the day went on, that number dipped below the million mark. But TCU’s historic comeback victory over UNC left a little more than 300,000 perfect brackets.
Saint Louis’ dominant win over Georgia and Gonzaga’s expected victory over Kennesaw State rounded out the day for just over 14,000 brackets intact, leaving only 0.039% of the original brackets flawless.
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According to the NCAA, last year’s figure after the first day was 36,000. The lowest in recent memory was in 2021 when only 121 perfect brackets remained.
No foul play suspected in death of Alabama student found in Barcelona waters: police
Spanish authorities say they’ve ruled out foul play in the death of Jimmy Gracey, a 20-year-old University of Alabama junior, who vanished during a spring break trip to Barcelona after partying at the city’s famed Shoko nightclub on the Mediterranean shore early Tuesday morning.
On Thursday, they recovered his body from the water in a marina just 500 feet away.
Local police said Friday that an autopsy had been performed and declined to confirm local reports that investigators had obtained video showing Gracey falling into the water. While they say they believe it’s an accident, they’ve given few details and no official ruling.
“Everything points to an accidental death, although we are not disclosing details regarding how the events unfolded,” a spokesperson for the Mossos d’Esquadra, the regional Catalan police, told Fox News Digital.
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA STUDENT JAMES GRACEY DISAPPEARS IN BARCELONA AFTER VISITING FRIENDS STUDYING ABROAD
According to a report in El Pais, a major Spanish newspaper, police sources said they’ve obtained footage from the area showing Gracey walking alone towards the dock at Port Olimpic before falling into the water.
“We will not comment on other reports that may have appeared in the media,” the spokesperson said.
Gracey, a college junior standing 6 feet, 1 inch tall, and a group of friends from the Alabama chapter of the Theta Chi fraternity flew to Europe for a spring break trip, with plans to visit friends in Barcelona who are studying abroad.
On Monday evening, they went to Shoko, which is on the Barcelona waterfront next to Port Olimpic, a marina on the Mediterranean Sea. The final known photo of him alive shows him inside the club, with curly brown hair and wearing his signature gold chain, with a rhinestone cross.
Most of the group left around 3 a.m. Tuesday, but Gracey stayed behind. He was seen talking to an American woman with brown hair, according to local reports.
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Police have not confirmed Gracey’s movements after he was last seen outside the club.
By the time his friends awoke later that morning, he had failed to return to the group’s Airbnb along Ronda de Sant Pere, a central avenue in the city about 1.5 miles from Shoko.
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Friends notified his family and local police, who opened an investigation, according to Mossos d’Esquadra, the regional police force in Catalonia, which includes Barcelona.
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Police recovered Gracey’s phone during the arrest of a third-party individual sometime after his disappearance, though authorities have not specified exactly when. Authorities began analyzing Gracey’s recovered phone to get his location data, conducting interviews and reviewing surveillance video from Shoko and nearby businesses.
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Authorities have declined to discuss details about that arrest and it remains unclear whether the individual’s possession of the phone is connected to Gracey’s disappearance.
The case made international headlines after Gracey’s mother, Therese Gracey, posted about his disappearance in a Facebook group for expats in Barcelona, and his father, Taras Gracey, flew to Spain to take part in the search effort.
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On Thursday, Mossos ‘dEsquadra deployed dive teams along the Mediterranean beach.
Around 6:30 p.m., a worker at the marina was seen running out and flagging down officers. He pointed in the direction he had come from, and police soon cordoned off the area, with investigators focused on something inside.
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Despite low visibility — just under 16 inches — they recovered Gracey’s remains around 7:15 p.m.
“Our family is heartbroken as we confirm that Jimmy’s body has been recovered in Barcelona,” the Gracey family said in a statement. “Jimmy was a deeply loved son, grandson, brother, nephew, cousin, and friend, and our family is struggling to come to terms with this unimaginable loss.”