Residents take action to stop new Obama monument from pushing them out of homes

Chicago residents in rent-controlled housing near a site being constructed to honor former President Barack Obama have reportedly unionized in response to the controversial project.

Residents of a longtime Woodlawn apartment building organized to resist possible displacement and rent increases they say are being driven by development pressure surrounding the Obama Presidential Center. 

Tenants at the Chaney Braggs Apartments rallied earlier this month outside their building near 65th Street and Stony Island Avenue, saying a potential sale of the property could upend the lives of families who have lived there for decades, FOX 32 Chicago reported.

A California-based investor is seeking to buy the building and might either renovate or demolish it, according to residents. Tenants say they have been offered $2,000 per household to move out, a proposal they say falls far short of what families would need to relocate in a rapidly changing neighborhood.

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Many residents currently pay between $700 and $800 a month in rent. Some say they have lived in the building for 30 or 40 years and fear they will not be able to find comparable housing in Woodlawn if rents rise or the property is redeveloped.

In response, residents have formed a tenant union to push back against the threat of displacement and preserve affordability in the building. They say the union first came together after the previous landlord abandoned the property about two years ago, forcing tenants to organize around maintenance issues and basic services.

Now, residents say that same network is being used to confront a larger challenge: staying in their homes as investment tied to the Obama Presidential Center reshapes the surrounding neighborhood.

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The apartment building, tenants said, was once owned by a nonprofit committed to affordable housing and community stability. But with those protections no longer in place, residents say they are increasingly vulnerable to market pressures that have intensified as construction on the presidential center continues nearby.

No sale has been finalized, and the identity of the prospective buyer had not been publicly confirmed as of Thursday. Residents say they have contacted city and state officials for assistance but have not yet received a response.

The standoff underscores broader anxieties in Woodlawn, where the Obama Presidential Center has brought promises of jobs and investment alongside fears of gentrification and displacement. For tenants at Chaney Braggs Apartments, those concerns have become immediate and personal.

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Residents say they plan to continue organizing while awaiting more information about the building’s future, possible rent increases and whether city officials will step in.

The Obama Presidential Center, set to open in Chicago’s South Side on June 18, is a 19.3-acre campus in Jackson Park featuring a 225-foot museum tower, library and community forum.

Obama, the first American Black president, is celebrating the grand opening of the over-budget building — called an eyesore by critics — on the eve of Juneteenth.

Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and informed enslaved Black Americans there that they were free — more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

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The holiday has been observed as a celebration of Black freedom, resilience and community, and in recent years has taken on broader national significance as both a commemoration of liberation and a reminder of the long struggle for racial justice in the United States.

Obama had once described the center as a “gift” to Chicago. It is a gift that keeps on costing.

A Fox News Digital investigation in February found taxpayers are absorbing hundreds of millions of dollars in related public infrastructure costs tied to the project. Those expenses include road redesigns, stormwater systems and utility relocations needed to support the 19.3-acre campus in Jackson Park. No government agency has provided a full accounting of the total public cost despite months of inquiries and Freedom of Information Act requests.

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Initial projections put public infrastructure spending at about $350 million to be shared by the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois. Critics now argue those obligations have grown into a major public burden as the project has faced delays and mounting costs.

Paying guests outraged as buffet crashers walk in and eat for free without being stopped

A complimentary breakfast buffet may be a favorite perk at many hotel chains nationwide — but these days, not everyone in the buffet line may be a paying guest.

Viral videos making the rounds show buffet crashers strolling into hotel dining rooms, piling up plates with food and heading out — no payment in sight. 

The buffet configurations can make it difficult for hotels to monitor who belongs in the breakfast area, according to Kenneth Free, Connecticut-based hospitality expert and president of Straightline Hospitality.

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“Because most complimentary breakfasts are in smaller, limited-service properties, they usually don’t have the personnel resources to aggressively police whether breakfast patrons are truly guests of the hotel,” Free told Fox News Digital. 

Complimentary breakfast is a common offering at many hotel chains, including brands like Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Residence Inn, where self-service buffets are often included with overnight stays.

Since the meals are often self-serve, some non-guests are able to blend in without drawing attention, said Free.

“In most cases, the best a hotel can do in these circumstances is to ask all staff members to be alert [about] suspicious activity, such as ‘guests’ entering from the outside, as opposed to coming from the in-house guest room elevator bank,” he said. 

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Free said unauthorized use of hotel amenities can greatly impact the guests who did and do pay.

When “breakfast shoplifters succeed in pilfering breakfasts… additional financial pressure is applied to the hotel, causing it to investigate cost-savings measures.”

In turn, the quality of the breakfast offerings may go down, he said. Free believes hotels might even consider increasing nightly rates for guest rooms.

Many travelers online expressed dismay about the breakfast bandits — with some hotel employees even unofficially confirming the scam is definitely a trend.

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“Literally anyone can walk in, go upstairs and eat all the breakfast they want. No one checks,” said one commenter on Instagram who claimed to work at a major brand. 

Another commenter said, “I hope everyone knows that this is equivalent to walking into a restaurant or gas station and helping yourself. It’s theft.”

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California-based hospitality expert Sarah Dandashy, a travel media personality and creator of the Ask a Concierge brand, told Fox News Digital that while hotels do have systems in place, enforcement can vary.

“Complimentary hotel breakfast is meant for registered guests,” she said. 

“So most hotels have some kind of process in place. Usually that means a room number check, sometimes a guest name, sometimes a voucher, sometimes key-card access. It really depends on the hotel.”

“You do not want guests feeling like they are being interrogated before coffee.”

Dandashy said the level of oversight depends on how the property is designed and how busy the breakfast area is.

“Some hotels are pretty relaxed. Others are more structured, especially if breakfast is included and the space gets busy fast,” she said. “Either way, staff is usually keeping an eye on things.”

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She added that hotels like to find a balance between monitoring access and maintaining a welcoming environment.

“You do not want guests feeling like they are being interrogated before coffee,” Dandashy said. 

“At the same time, if anyone can walk in, it creates crowding, extra cost and a worse experience for the actual guests.”

Fox News Digital reached out to several hotel chains for comment. 

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Meanwhile, in one recent viral clip, a woman declared, “They make it so easy to get the free hotel breakfast when you’re not staying at a hotel.” The video shows the creator eating eggs, sausage and other buffet items at an unnamed location. 

A person on Reddit shared a “hack” a couple of years ago. “The trick is to not go for the upscale resorts… Common hotels with bland, generic breakfast are a dime a dozen and super easy to walk into,” the person wrote. “I’ve literally jogged into them like I’m getting BACK from a morning run, eaten breakfast and walked out.”

Photos emerge of country star’s childhood home as parents list property for $1.59M

Miranda Lambert is saying goodbye to her childhood home.

The 42-year-old country singer’s home in Lindale, Texas, has been placed on the market for $1.59 million by her parents, Rick and Beverly, in partnership with listing agent Lee Trowbridge of Compass.

“Until their transition out of the home about a year ago, the property served as the Lambert family home,” Trowbridge told Mansion Global. “During their time living there, the property was a home to many, including those who needed a helping hand, or a place to land.”

According to the outlet, Lambert lived in the home from the age of 14 to 21, and later purchased the pink house on the property, “after she signed her record deal when she was 21.” The country star still owns the pink house.

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Originally built in 1923, the 4,643-square-foot home includes four bedrooms and five bathrooms across two floors, with the perfect mix of modern and vintage details.

In addition, the home also boasts 2,500 square feet of outdoor living space with a brick courtyard, an outdoor kitchen, a covered patio and access to a private dock along the pond.

A metal warehouse and a shop with an additional bathroom and living area can also be found on the property, as well as a designated 100-yard shooting range.

“This property’s biggest draw is its blend of country music history and its massive 2,500 square feet of outdoor living space,” Trowbridge said. “Between the vintage interior character and the practical additions like the shop and shooting range, the property offers a rare mix of cool factor and functional country living.” 

MIRANDA LAMBERT SAYS SHE’S ‘ADDICTED’ TO SHOOTING GUNS ON HORSEBACK IN NEW WILD WEST HOBBY

While Lambert didn’t write her 2009 hit song, “The House That Built Me,” she has said in many interviews the song resonated with her and was similar to her real life.

The song tells the story of an adult returning to their childhood home and asking the current homeowners if she could walk around inside, in order to relive the happy times from when she was younger.

“It was a run-down farmhouse that my mom somehow made into a beautiful home little by little. That’s why that song was so special when I heard it, because I lived it,” she told Southern Living’s podcast, “Biscuits and Jam” in May 2023.

“That was when we had kind of lost everything, and my parents were starting over,” she added. “We had to start over a little bit and move to a different town, and my dad and my mom just rebuilt. I mean, they literally were like, ‘We’re gonna start over and rebuild our lives and get back on our feet.'”

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She added that when they moved into the farmhouse, her “dad decided that his family would never be hungry” and that they “would live off the land,” noting “that’s exactly what happened.”

The “Tin Man” singer recalled her dad hunting for their food and setting up a “garden and compost pile,” adding they also “raised rabbits” and her mom would can everything.

Lambert broke into the music industry in 2003 after she placed third on “Nashville Star,” which ultimately led to her landing a record deal. She released her first studio album, “Kerosene,” in 2005, which went platinum, immediately cementing her place in the country music world.

Since then, she has released seven additional studio albums, two of which won the Grammy Award for best country album, and holds the record for the most awarded artist at the Academy of Country Music Awards, with 35 wins, including nine consecutive female vocalist of the year wins.

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Most recently, Lambert collaborated with Kacey Musgraves for a song on Musgraves’ latest album, after the two were rumored to have been feuding. Lambert recorded “Mama’s Broken Heart” for her 2013 album, after it was pitched to her without Musgraves’ knowledge, despite the fact that she had planned to release it as her first single.

“And ultimately, I’m really glad that I did, because it forced me to write ‘Merry Go Round,’ which ended up making way more sense for me anyways, aesthetically and lyrically, to kick my whole thing off, versus ‘Mama’s Broken Heart,'” Musgraves told NPR in March. “And that ended up going No. 1 for her. So in the end, everyone won because I was able to let go of something.”

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Governor’s wife rakes in cash selling ‘toxic masculinity’ films to California schools

The far-left mocked, belittled, and, in Hollywood productions (from Archie Bunker to Al Bundy to Charlie Sheen’s character Charlie Harper in “Two and a Half Men”) parodied manliness into a thin cultural stereotype. With this accomplished, they began to blame masculinity (what they denounce as “toxic masculinity”) for everything they’ve done to men, and/or, especially, to boys.

The left next conveniently spun this into a political and marketing scheme: They defined the enemy as knuckle-dragging Neanderthals on the right, and presented themselves as the ones who could solve the now well-established crisis with boys.

This is a clever political scheme, as manly men don’t tend to vote for Democrats — those men are too self-reliant for the left’s government-empowering, cradle-to-grave entitlement programs — so weakening men, via attacks on strong, caring, protective and chivalrous masculine men, is, to a left-wing political activist, smart politics.

Also, there is an angle here that gives the left a social issue in which they are cast as offering maternal care — this might impress unmarried women and single mothers who are more likely to vote for Democrats.

I’VE BEEN A PASTOR FOR 40 YEARS. YOUNG MEN ARE STRUGGLING AND I THINK I KNOW WHY

Now, though it is an inconvenient fact to the far-left that the so-called “manosphere,” a term that includes a lot of new voices — some beneficial to young men and some that are not — is clearly a countermovement to the left’s attacks on masculinity, they can talk this away by claiming toxic masculinity is to blame for all that is negatively impacting young men.

The left can even pretend they are virtuous as they rip down statues of America’s Founding Fathers and all but erase boys’ heroes from school textbooks — a tragedy I am pushing back against with my forthcoming book “Cool Heroes for Boys” — as they frame this as an effort to protect young, impressionable men from historically imperfect men (as if any of us are perfect).

With this all done, some on the left can even use this as a marketing opportunity.

HOW FEMINISM HIJACKED THE CONVERSATION ON MASCULINITY

A current example is Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s — the wife of California Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom — documentary “The Mask You Live In” (2015). This is a propaganda film on “toxic masculinity” that claims the phrase “be a man” is one of the “most destructive phrases in this society” and asserts that manliness is simply a social construct (no biology involved whatsoever). This film, along with curricula and educational materials, has been marketed to schools, universities and other institutions, many of which are in California, which have paid Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s nonprofit.

Now enter the left’s Elmer Fudd and former nominee for vice president of the United States, Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, who actually said on a recent podcast with Gov. Newsom: “I think I scare them a little bit [on masculinity].… My identity is not hunting. My identity is not football coaching. My identity is not, you know, a beard and a truck.”

Actually, those are all stereotypes perpetuated by the left. Manliness is not a guy with bulging biceps either; any reasonable person, after all, would say that if there is, say, a car accident, and some scrawny man saves a life as a muscled jock panics and so is no good to anyone, then the unimpressive-looking guy is manly and the jock is not.

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Clearly, actually being manly is about character, not brawn. It is about competency, not uselessness. It is about actual compassion for others, not feigned virtue signaling. It is about selflessly being willing and able to be a hero even if no one is recording it on their phone. In sum, being a real hero is about deeper things. It is not, and has never been, misogynistic.

The left next conveniently spun this into a political and marketing scheme: They defined the enemy as knuckle-dragging Neanderthals on the right, and presented themselves as the ones who can solve the now well-established crisis with boys.

An interesting aside is that our teens feel the lack of depth in the left’s attacks on actual manliness; for example, a recent “Teens & Screens” survey from the Center for Scholars & Storyteller at UCLA found that teens want to see more good fathers in television shows and movies.

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The study’s results are interesting, if obvious to any good father.

These UCLA researchers concluded: “Gen Alpha and Gen Z are signaling a profound cultural pivot. They are not asking for the absence of strength, they are asking for a broader definition of it, one that includes the courage to care, the wisdom to ask for help, and the joy found in domestic life.”

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Exactly, being a good man is a complicated thing, but he is not toxic. He is the opposite of toxic. He is a role model who, though certainly not perfect, is nevertheless heroically trying to be the best he can be to and for the rest of us.

The real reasons you’re still exhausted after 8 hours of sleep, according to an expert

Getting a full eight hours of sleep and still feeling drowsy? Sleep experts say it’s not just about how much shuteye you get.

Dr. Wendy Troxel, a licensed clinical psychologist and senior behavioral scientist at RAND based in Utah, emphasized the “really important distinction” between quantity and quality of sleep.

SLEEP PATTERNS COULD PREDICT RISK FOR DEMENTIA, CANCER AND STROKE, STUDY SUGGESTS

“Many people will say, ‘Man, I’m sleeping enough, I got seven to eight hours of sleep, but I still wake up feeling groggy and not refreshed,’” she told Fox News Digital during an in-studio interview. “About one in three adults has non-restorative sleep quality.”

“There are many factors that can contribute to poor sleep quality, regardless of how many hours you slept,” Troxel noted.

These include drinking alcohol — a “major contributor” to poor quality or disrupted sleep — and consuming caffeine late in the day.

Being stressed or feeling worried about something can also contribute to fragmented sleep, as can phone use at bedtime.

CHANGE TO NIGHTLY EATING HABITS MAY HELP PROTECT YOUR HEART, STUDY SUGGESTS

Troxel addressed the belief that women need more sleep than men, noting that research does support it — though only slightly, by about 10 to 15 extra minutes per night.

“What we absolutely know is that women’s sleep quality often suffers more than men’s,” she said. “They may be getting more non-restorative sleep quality, therefore needing slightly more sleep.”

Women are also twice as likely to have insomnia compared to men, and their risk for sleep disturbances “skyrockets” during the menopausal transition.

For those who claim they sleep better with fewer hours of sleep — and feel sleepier when they get the recommended seven to nine hours — Troxel said this is not an indicator that they actually require less shuteye. “It’s simply that their body is not used to it,” she said. 

Laboratory studies have shown that sleep deprivation causes impairments in judgment, according to the expert. “That means someone who thinks they’re fine with only four hours of sleep per night likely isn’t aware of the impact sleep deprivation has on their cognition and performance.”

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For those getting less than the recommended amount, Troxel recommends taking small steps toward sleeping longer. That might mean adding about 15 minutes each night to see how it impacts the body, eventually getting into a healthier circadian rhythm.

“You will likely see benefits when you increase your sleep in small increments,” she said.

Tips for better quality sleep

Quality sleep hinges on following a healthy lifestyle and a consistent sleep-wake schedule, according to experts.

INSUFFICIENT SLEEP LINKED TO MAJOR HIDDEN HEALTH RISK, STUDY REVEALS

Eating a nutritious diet free of foods that cause upset stomach or indigestion, especially in the late evening hours, can help improve sleep quality, Troxel shared.

“You don’t want to be starving at bedtime, but you also don’t want to be trying to fall asleep on a full stomach while your body’s still actively digesting,” she said.

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Exercise helps to promote quality sleep, just as sleep also improves exercise quality. However, it’s best to avoid vigorous physical activity too close to bedtime, Troxel advised.

“Exercise is very stimulating, particularly if it’s in a social environment, and that can disrupt sleep,” she said. “Exercising earlier in the day is better.”

That doesn’t have to mean working out first thing in the morning, Troxel noted, as not everyone’s circadian rhythm supports early wake-ups for exercise.

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“Those who are natural morning people are more likely to benefit from exercising earlier,” she said. “If you’re a night owl, don’t expect to love doing a workout first thing in the morning. That might not be consistent with your circadian rhythm.”

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Troxel added that people should not be “sleep-shamed” for adhering to their own internal clocks.

“These cultural trends have these subtle, or not-so-subtle, ways of undermining people’s sleep-wake biology, which is largely out of our control,” she said.

JONATHAN TURLEY: Afroman turned mockery into a major First Amendment win

When singer Joseph E. Foreman took the stand recently in Ohio, his message, like his lyrics, was hardly subtle. Indeed, counsel may have been unsure whether to examine or to hoist him. The rapper, known as “Afroman,” appeared in a suit modeled after an American flag with matching flag-patterned sunglasses. He lashed out at the seven police officers who raided his home and then sued him for publicly mocking them. He insisted that he was the virtual embodiment of the First Amendment in all of its glory.

The jury agreed, at least insofar as finding him protected in his parody and public portrayal of the officers.

Almost three years ago, I wrote about the case and expressed deep skepticism about the legal viability of the case in light of free speech protections for filming and criticizing public officials.

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Foreman, 51, became famous for a humorous rap song, “Because I Got High.” Later, he became even more famous after the released security camera footage of officers breaking down the door to his home with drawn weapons. While the warrant was granted to look for evidence of kidnapping, marijuana and drug paraphernalia, they found nothing.

Foreman then decided to go on the offensive with videos showing the raid and rap songs using his signature style to mock the officers (including one who seemed to stop in the midst of the raid to look at a fresh lemon pound cake on the counter). He told NPR, “I asked myself, as a powerless Black man in America, what can I do to the cops that kicked my door in, tried to kill me in front of my kids, stole my money, and disconnected my cameras? And the only thing I could come up with was make a funny rap song about them… use the money to pay for the damages they did and move on.”

In “Will You Help Me Repair My Door?” he taunted the officers: “Did you find what you were looking for?/Will you help me repair my gate and door/Would you like a slice of my lemon pound cake?/You can take as much as you want to take/There must be a big mistake.”

The humor highlighted what he viewed as an absurdly broad warrant: “The warrant said ‘Narcotics and kidnapping’/The warrant said “Narcotics and kidnapping”/Are you kidding? I make my money, rapping/Why does the warrant say ‘Narcotics?’ (Well, I know narcotics)/But why kidnapping?”

THE US GOVERNMENT TARGETED ME FOR MY POLITICAL SPEECH. IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU, TOO

That was followed up by an even more popular video titled “Lemon Pound Cake”: “The Adams County Sheriff kicked down my door/Then I heard the glass break/They found no kidnapping victims/Just some lemon pound cake… Mama’s lemon pound cake/It tastes so nice/It made the sheriff wanna put down his gun/And cut him a slice (of what? Of what?).”

It became an instant hit.

Some of the images from Foreman’s security cameras were also used to sell commercial products, including promotional videos.  In an Instagram post, he wore a shirt with the surveillance images and thanked one of the officers for helping him get 5.4 million views on TikTok.

In a social media posting, he wrote, “Congratulations again you’re famous for all the wrong reasons.”

The six officers and one detective were obviously irate at the public abuse and ridicule that followed. In their complaint, they alleged that their families were traumatized and harmed.

The mockery continued during the trial.

Foreman’s appearance in his flag suit captured his style and his strategy. He was there to make an unmistakable point and the flag outfit was part of the effort to attract maximal attention. 

While controversial for some, his fashion choice followed other famous free speech advocates.  Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flint, in 1983, wore a flag diaper to court. (He was then charged with desecrating the flag — a charge later dropped by prosecutors.)

Likewise, in 1968, activist Abbie Hoffman wore a shirt resembling an American flag to a House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) hearing, protesting the Vietnam War. When he was arrested, he declared, “I regret that I have but one shirt to give for my country.” (His conviction was later overturned.)

Foreman attacked Adams County Deputy Sheriff Lisa Phillips in an expletive-laden music clip posted on Instagram just hours after she gave tearful testimony in court: “Where was these tears when she was standing in my yard with a loaded AR-15 ready to Swiss cheese me?”

Foreman was equally unapologetic on the stand: “All of this is their fault. If they hadn’t wrongly raided my house, there would be no lawsuit, I would not know their names, they wouldn’t be on my home surveillance system and there would be no songs.”

My skepticism about the lawsuit stemmed from the obvious opinion and political content of his posting. Courts have also ruled that citizens may film officers in public despite repeated efforts to criminalize such filming.

The claims of defamation, misappropriation of names or likeness, and false light all ran into the same First Amendment protections.

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Foreman is an artist expressing his criticism of the police in the raid on his home. Foreman had a right to object to the raid that he viewed as unjustified and even racially motivated. 

Foreman clearly used his celebrity status to exact a measure of revenge. However, any liability for showing officers during a raid would have had a chilling effect on political speech, including when such speech is part of creative work.

Since the founding of the Republic, parody and songs have been used to criticize government officials and policies.

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Foreman celebrated after the verdict, proclaiming, “It’s not only for artists. It’s for Americans. “We have freedom of speech. They… did me wrong and sued me because I was talking about it.”

Yes, Foreman is over the top in every respect. Yet, there was a method to the madness. Strip away the flag suit, the over-the-top lyrics, he had a point. Add the suit and the rap, he had an audience.

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Missing FBI agent took unauthorized CIA mission to Iranian island before vanishing

Nearly two decades after former FBI agent Robert Levinson disappeared in Iran, the FBI is renewing its appeal for information as colleagues and family members continue pushing for answers about one of the longest-running hostage cases involving an American.

FBI Director Kash Patel last week marked the anniversary of Levinson’s disappearance while recognizing Hostage and Wrongful Detainees Day, saying the bureau remains committed to finding out what happened to him.

“Even almost 20 years later, Bob is on our minds as much as ever before,” Patel said in a statement posted on social media. The FBI continues to offer up to $5 million for information leading to Levinson’s recovery, location or return, in addition to a State Department reward.

Levinson, a former FBI agent and Drug Enforcement Administration investigator, disappeared on March 9, 2007, while visiting Iran’s Kish Island in the Persian Gulf. Levinson was the longest-held hostage in U.S. history, and his family had fought for over a decade for his safe return, blaming the Iranian regime for his capture and imprisonment.

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In 2020, U.S. officials said they believed Levinson likely died in Iranian custody, though his remains have never been recovered.

For former FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker, who worked alongside Levinson years earlier, the case remains personal.

“I met Bobby Levinson when I was transferred to Miami in 1987,” Swecker told Fox News Digital. “He was kind of the iconic agent on the squad because he was prolific in developing cooperating cartel members and informants.”

Swecker said Levinson had built a reputation within the bureau for his ability to cultivate sources inside criminal organizations.

“He was a craftsman, a journeyman-level agent who knew what he was doing and was good at what he was doing,” Swecker said.

Levinson worked for the DEA before joining the FBI. Colleagues remembered him as a seasoned field investigator who preferred working cases rather than moving into management roles.

Swecker described the 6-foot-3 agent as both serious about his work and deeply devoted to his family.

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Levinson was 58 when he traveled to Kish Island, Iran, in 2007 working as a private investigator. He reportedly was taking part in an unauthorized CIA mission.

Upon his arrival, Levinson was said to have met with an American fugitive – Dawud Salahuddin – targeted by the CIA for recruitment, a source close to the Levinson case told Fox News in 2016.

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Salahuddin was wanted by the CIA for allegedly murdering an Iranian diplomat in Maryland in 1980, and Levinson hoped the mission to deliver him to the agency would secure him full-time employment with the CIA, the source told Fox News at the time.

Shortly afterward, Levinson disappeared, but Iran repeatedly denied capturing him or knowing of his whereabouts.

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“I eventually read that he had been hired on contract with the agency,” he said. “Just such a risk to go to the island of Kish with his background.”

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Iran has long denied responsibility for Levinson’s disappearance, though U.S. officials say evidence shows Iranian authorities detained him.

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The U.S. Treasury Department in 2020 sanctioned two Iranian intelligence officials accused of involvement in Levinson’s disappearance and cover-up.

Tom Brady, 48, shows no rust in long-awaited return to football field

Even three years removed from the game, Tom Brady looks like he could drop back and sling the pigskin for an NFL team.

Brady highlighted the first-ever Fanatics Flag Football Classic on Saturday at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, and not just because he was back on a football field for the first time since he officially retired.

The 48-year-old was throwing darts.

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Brady, surrounded by current and former NFL players, as well as the U.S. national flag football squad, threw for 85 total yards on the small field with two touchdowns over his two games played in the inaugural event.

Brady’s co-captain, Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl LIX MVP Jalen Hurts, started for their Founders FFC crew, throwing for 224 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. Brady came in after Hurts, and it was like old times as he was throwing all over the field.

BRADY, GRONK, HURTS, BURROW: FANATICS FLAG FOOTBALL CLASSIC DRAFT RESULTS

Of course, Brady couldn’t go without finding his trusty tight end, Rob Gronkowski, who secured a two-point conversion after a touchdown. Gronkowski, though, went out early in the contest due to a hamstring injury.

While Brady performed well, his squad was blown out by Team USA Football, 43-16, in that game. Brady and Founders FFC would have a chance at revenge in the championship game, but the U.S. team, which knew exactly how to take advantage with flag football rules, beat them again, 24-14.

Brady’s competitive edge was in full bloom, saying “my heart is really hurting right now,” between his losses.

But he said before the contests that he felt “great” about stepping on the field and running some plays before the big games on Saturday.

“Fortunately, as an athlete, your body is your asset over a period of time and you learn how to take care of it,” Brady said during practice this week. “Even when you retire, I felt like I still wanted to do the same things after football when I was playing. I still want to be active. I want to be outside. I want to continue to live a healthy, active lifestyle.”

For those thinking Brady could take over at quarterback for an NFL squad, he has shown no wish to walk back his retirement for the second time in his future Hall of Fame career.

Brady is a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, which has played a large role in precluding a return. He is invested in seeing the rebuild of the team. At the same time, he has enjoyed being part of the FOX Sports broadcast team during the NFL season alongside Kevin Burkhardt.

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But who knows when 2028 rolls around what Brady may be doing, when flag football joins the list of the Summer Games in Los Angeles? Team USA, though, proved on Saturday just how different this style of football can be, even for current NFL stars.

A monthly bill Americans can’t sidestep is becoming a midterm flashpoint

For millions of Americans, higher electricity bills are becoming a monthly frustration and a growing force in the midterm elections.

Unlike more volatile costs such as gasoline, electricity is a steady, unavoidable expense tied directly to basic needs — keeping the lights on, heating and cooling homes and powering everyday life. That makes it especially politically sensitive at a time when many households are still feeling squeezed by broader inflation and high housing costs.

AMERICANS HIT WITH SOARING ELECTRICITY BILLS AS PRICE HIKES OUTPACE INFLATION NATIONWIDE

The issue is giving both parties fresh campaign ammunition, with Republicans casting higher bills as evidence of failed energy policies, regulatory overreach and a shift away from fossil fuels, while Democrats point to bill assistance programs, grid investments and clean energy incentives aimed at easing pressure on household budgets over time.

The fight is unfolding amid sharp regional divides in electricity prices. Federal energy data shows residential power costs vary widely across the country, illustrating how affordability pressures differ not just by income, but by geography, infrastructure and energy mix.

The latest figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration put the national average at 17.24 cents per kilowatt-hour, up 6% from a year earlier — a jump that outpaces wage growth for many households and adds to cumulative cost pressures from rent, insurance and groceries.

North Dakota has the lowest average residential electricity rate in the country at 11.02 cents per kilowatt-hour, while Hawaii — an outlier shaped in part by geographic isolation and reliance on imported fuel — has the highest, at 41.62 cents per kWh.

Nebraska, Idaho, Oklahoma and Arkansas also rank among the cheapest states, while California, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New York join Hawaii among the most expensive. Many of the higher-cost states are also pursuing aggressive clean energy transitions or maintaining older, more complex grid systems — factors that can raise near-term costs even as they aim to stabilize prices in the long run.

Several of the cheapest states are deep-red, a pattern Republicans are likely to seize on to reinforce broader arguments about energy policy and cost of living — even though power prices are shaped as much by geography, fuel availability, regulatory structures and long-term infrastructure investments as by partisan control.

THE STATES WHERE AMERICANS PAY THE MOST — AND LEAST — FOR ELECTRICITY

Cheap electricity, however, does not always mean affordable energy. Weather extremes, household consumption patterns, housing efficiency, aging infrastructure and state-level utility decisions all affect what families ultimately pay. In hotter or colder regions, for instance, even low rates can translate into high monthly bills due to heavy air conditioning or heating use.

Utilities are also seeking rate increases in many states to cover grid modernization, wildfire mitigation, storm hardening and the expansion of renewable energy — costs that are often passed on to consumers gradually but steadily.

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Even so, the partisan pattern may prove politically useful in a campaign season shaped by anxiety over household expenses and economic uncertainty.

Gas prices may grab more headlines, but electricity bills can be more politically durable: they arrive every month, are harder to cut quickly and are often tied to local utilities and regulators. That gives candidates a direct way to connect national energy debates to a tangible, recurring household cost and to voter frustration that is felt not at the pump, but at the kitchen table.