Trump shooter’s online accounts reveal ‘bizarre’ link to Kirk’s alleged assassin
The digital trail of President Donald Trump’s would-be assassin Thomas Crooks tells “quite a different story” than the FBI’s congressional statements about the 20-year-old, New York Post columnist Miranda Devine told “America Reports” Monday.
“We were sort of led to believe that Thomas Crooks was really a ghost, that there was no motive that could be ascertained from his online accounts,” Devine discussed. “And yet a source has provided us with a lot of information from 17 different online accounts that Thomas Crook had.”
In an op-ed Monday, Devine demanded a “better explanation” from the FBI and Secret Service about what led Crooks to attempt to assassinate Trump over a year ago in Butler, Pa.
On July 13, 2024, Crooks fired off eight shots from a rooftop at Trump during his rally, killing 50-year-old firefighter Corey Comparatore and hitting Trump in the ear. He also injured two rally attendees.
FBI SOURCE PUSHES BACK ON REPORT OF INTERNAL RIFT OVER CHARLIE KIRK CASE FILES
Devine credited a source for several online findings about Crooks, adding fresh scrutiny to the FBI’s statements about the investigation.
The columnist described a commonality between Crooks and Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin Tyler Robinson, who is charged with the murder of the late conservative activist.
“[Crooks’ accounts] range from, you know, Google Play to that site…called DeviantArt, which is probably the biggest, or one of the biggest hubs online for this sexual fetish called Furries, where people dress up or fantasize about animal characters, cartoon characters that are sort of humanized,” Devine told Fox News anchor Sandra Smith.
CHARLIE KIRK’S ASSASSINATION LEAVES UNANSWERED QUESTIONS AS INVESTIGATORS PIECE TOGETHER GAPS IN CASE
She continued, “And so it’s very bizarre, but we also saw that with Charlie Kirk’s killer, alleged killer, Tyler Robinson, who was also involved in this bizarre furry culture.”
Crooks allegedly used they/them pronouns on the platform, Devine added. The columnist also sounded the alarm on Crooks appearing to “flip 180 degrees” in his political ideology in January 2020.
“His online comments from — he was very young, I mean 15, 16, 17 — show us about how he became increasingly violent and sort of radicalized against Democrats. He was pro-Trump,” Devine explained. “Something happened to make him become rabidly anti-Trump. And again, his rhetoric took more and more of a violent turn. He started brushing up against, there was a neo-Nazi by the name, fake name probably, William Teppers, who started encouraging Crooks in more and more violent rhetoric. And then suddenly something happened in August of 2020, and he just disappeared online.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Although former FBI Deputy Director Paul Abatte told Congress in July 2024 that Crooks’ comments “appear to reflect anti-Semitic and anti-immigration themes to espouse political violence” and “are described as extreme in nature,” he did not trace a change in Crooks’ political views.
“We see now from the exposure from our source of this online presence that there is a lot of other information that the FBI either chose not to look at or is somehow keeping it under wraps,” Devine asserted.
Mayor declares emergency after out-of-town protesters turn violent near ICE site
Mayor Katrina Thompson of Broadview, Illinois declared a “civil emergency” Monday, citing “serious and credible bomb and death threats” and warnings of attempts to disrupt village government after out-of-town protesters threatened to storm Village Hall and “shut down” the local board meeting.
Village officials told Fox News the meeting, originally scheduled in person, was moved online after law enforcement warned of possible disruptions tied to Friday’s unrest outside the federal immigration processing center in Broadview.
Officials said the FBI has been notified and is investigating multiple threats against the mayor and her staff.
“I will not allow threats of violence or intimidation to disrupt the essential functions of our government,” Thompson said. “I will not allow our staff or residents to be placed in harm’s way.”
CHICAGO-AREA MAYOR INSISTS ‘WE DON’T NEED’ GUARD TROOPS DESPITE REPEATED ANTI-ICE CLASHES
In a statement released Monday, the village said the emergency order followed a series of escalating threats — including a September 4 telephone bomb threat targeting Village Hall and an October 13 death threat against Thompson.
The situation intensified Friday when a group of non-resident protesters tried to storm Village Hall and vowed to disrupt Monday’s Board of Trustees meeting, according to Broadview Police.
TRUMP OFFICIALS SLAM BLUE STATE GOVERNOR FOR IGNORING CHAOTIC ANTI-ICE ‘RIOTERS’ DISRUPTING OPERATION
During the same day’s protests near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility, officials said 21 people were arrested after demonstrators clashed with Broadview Police, Illinois State Police, and Cook County Sheriff’s deputies. Two Broadview officers were injured, along with a state trooper and a sheriff’s deputy.
“The order is designed to preserve the continuity of governance in light of imminent threats against the lives of village officials and public property,” Thompson said in the village’s statement.
JUDGE WHO ORDERED RELEASE OF 600 CHICAGO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS SLAMMED BY DHS AS ACTIVIST PUTTING LIVES AT RISK
The emergency declaration allows Thompson to move public meetings online and take security measures without board approval. Written public comments for Monday’s meeting were being accepted by Village Clerk Kevin McGrier and read into the record.
Tensions have grown since Thompson signed an executive order last month restricting where and when demonstrations can occur near the ICE facility — limiting protests to a designated area between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Civil-liberties groups, including the ACLU of Illinois, have criticized the order as unconstitutional.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“The safety of our officers and residents has to come first,” Broadview Police Chief Thomas Mills said. “We respect the right to demonstrate, but violence and threats cross the line.”
The civil emergency will remain in effect until Thompson determines that the threats to officials and property have subsided.
Raspy-voiced Trump reveals reason he ‘blew my stack’ in heated discussion
President Donald Trump blamed his hoarse voice on a tense discussion with a foreign nation who attempted to renegotiate the terms of their trade deal.
Trump sported a raspy voice during a meeting with the White House’s task force on the FIFA World Cup 2026, prompting a reporter to ask if he felt alright.
“I feel great. I was shouting at people because they were stupid about something having to do with trade and a country, and I straightened it out, but I blew my stack at these people,” Trump told reporters Monday.
When pressed about which country, Trump did not specify which nation sparked his ire and only said that he wasn’t pleased.
TRUMP, XI MEET IN EFFORT TO RESOLVE TRADE TENSIONS SPARKED BY US TARIFFS
“A country wanted to try and renegotiate the terms of their trade deal,” Trump said. “And I wasn’t happy about it.”
When asked again which country, Trump said: “Why would I say that to you?”
The U.S. has engaged in trade talks with a number of countries in recent months, including Japan, Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia. Additionally, Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea in October, where the two hammered out some negotiations on trade between the two countries.
TRUMP SAYS CHINA WILL WORK WITH HIM TO STOP FENTANYL TRAFFICKING
For example, Trump said he agreed to cut tariffs on Chinese imports by 10% — bring down the rate from 57% to 47% — because China said it would work with the U.S. on addressing the fentanyl crisis.
Likewise, Trump said that he would not impose an additional 100% tariff on Chinese goods that were expected to kick in Nov. 1. Trump threatened the steep hike after China announced in October it would impose export controls on rare-earth magnets, which he said China had agreed to postpone by a year.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Afterward, Trump said that a broader trade deal between the two countries would be signed in the near future.
“Zero, to 10, with 10 being the best, I’d say the meeting was a 12,” Trump told reporters after meeting with Xi. “A lot of decisions were made … and we’ve come to a conclusion on very many important points.”
Americans to receive tariff-dividend payments beginning mid-2026, Trump says
President Donald Trump said Monday that Americans could see payment checks funded by tariff revenues as soon as next year, promising that “hundreds of millions of dollars in tariff money” would be distributed as dividends by mid-2026.
“We’ve taken in hundreds of millions of dollars in tariff money. We’re going to be issuing dividends probably by the middle of next year, maybe a little bit later than that,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
The president first floated the idea last week, saying he would use tariff revenue to send $2,000 payments to low- and middle-income Americans, with any remaining funds directed toward paying down the nation’s soaring debt.
TRUMP CALLS TARIFF OPPONENTS ‘FOOLS,’ PROMISES $2K DIVIDEND PAYMENTS FOR AMERICANS
With the nation’s debt hovering just north of $38 trillion, revenue from tariffs amount to little more than a rounding error: billions collected against trillions owed.
The proposal comes at a pivotal moment, with tariff receipts climbing and the Supreme Court reviewing the legality of Trump’s trade measures.
Since Trump announced his “Liberation Day” tariffs in April, tariff revenues have climbed sharply from $23.9 billion in May to $28 billion in June and $29 billion in July.
Total duty revenue reached $215.2 billion in fiscal year 2025, which ended Sept. 30, according to the Treasury Department’s Customs and Certain Excise Taxes report.
TRUMP DEFENDS TARIFFS, SAYS US HAS BEEN ‘THE KING OF BEING SCREWED’ BY TRADE IMBALANCE
So far in fiscal year 2026, which began on Oct. 1, the U.S. has collected $37.5 billion, according to the latest numbers published by the Treasury Department.
And while tariff collections have soared under Trump, they remain a modest contributor to federal coffers.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
By contrast, individual income taxes generated more than $2.6 trillion in fiscal 2025, compared with $195 billion from tariffs and $452 billion from corporate income taxes, Treasury figures show.
The nation’s highest court is still in the process of deciding the fate of Trump’s trade agenda and the tariffs in question.
Eddie Murphy paid for celebrity burials after finding stars had ‘no money’ for funerals
Eddie Murphy is pulling back the curtain on the darker side of Hollywood.
In Netflix’s documentary, “Being Eddie,” the actor and comedian, 64, opened up about his decision to financially cover the funeral costs and one tombstone for celebrity friends including musician Rick James, comedian Redd Foxx, and William Thomas Jr., who famously played Buckwheat in “The Little Rascals” film series.
“When Redd kicked out, I had to bury Redd. I had to bury Redd. I had to bury Rick. I bought Buckwheat a tombstone. Buckwheat didn’t have no tombstone,” Murphy said in the film. “I’m always burying these people.”
EDDIE MURPHY CLAIMS YUL BRYNNER MADE SEXUAL PROPOSITION AT HIS 21ST BIRTHDAY PARTY AT STUDIO 54
“It tripped me out, these people you… show business and all that, and then when they pass away, there’s not even the money to bury these people?” he added. “Where are their families? Where are these people? It’s a lot of people like that.”
Redd Foxx, best known for his role as Fred Sanford in “Sanford and Son” in the 1970s, died of a heart attack on Oct. 11, 1991. He was 68.
EDDIE MURPHY SOUNDS OFF ON ‘FAKE’ HOLLYWOOD AND WHY HE THINKS HE’S BEEN OVERLOOKED BY THE OSCARS
“Redd was just funny effortlessly. I love Redd,” Murphy, who starred alongside Foxx in “Harlem Nights,” said in the documentary. “To work with somebody you idolize… On the outside, I’m unflappable. On the inside, I was like… ‘Ahh!’ When we were doing ‘Harlem Nights,’ I wanted to do a movie with some of my old heroes.”
EDDIE MURPHY TURNED DOWN DRUGS WITH ROBIN WILLIAMS AND JOHN BELUSHI: ‘GOD WAS LOOKING OVER ME’
James, who collaborated with Murphy on his 1985 single, “Party All the Time,” died of heart failure in 2004. Thomas died of a heart attack in 1980.
“I’ve paid for a lot of funerals, but I don’t go to funerals,” Murphy recently told USA Today, Murphy said, The only funerals Murphy has been to are the ones for his biological father, Charles Edward Murphy, and his stepfather, Vernon Lynch.
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
“When I kick out, I’m not having no funeral and be laying up there and people coming and looking at me, lowering me in the ground,” he says. “I am to be cremated immediately. And there’s no funeral, and there’s no memorial or none of that s—. Just keep it rolling. None of that trauma. … It’s way too f—— much, a funeral.”
“I don’t give a f— what they do with [my ashes],” he continued. “Just as long as you don’t have people standing around with my ashes. … I’m not trying to be in the urn while everybody’s crying. I don’t want to have that moment.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“Crying is allowed,” he added. “I’m just talking about the whole ritual of a funeral is just too much for me.”
Thieves score $175K in ATM ‘jackpotting’ scheme as police warn of rising trend
Authorities are searching for a group of suspects after police say they walked away with $175,000 in cash from a Virginia ATM in a rising crime trend nicknamed “jackpotting.”
Jackpotting is defined as a cyber-physical crime in which thieves gain access to an ATM by installing malware or a physical “black box” device within the system, according to the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD). Criminals will then access the machine either through a physical connection or remotely to override the installed security system, causing the ATM to rapidly dispense large amounts of cash on demand.
The crime spree began on Oct. 3, when an unknown man approached an Apple Federal Credit Union drive-thru ATM in Fair Oaks, a suburb located inside of Fairfax, at around 10:20 p.m., FCPD said in a statement. Police say the individual then used a key to access the ATM, though authorities do not know what actions were taken once the machine was opened.
ATM JUGGING SCAM ON THE RISE AS THIEVES TARGET VICTIMS
At around 12:30 a.m. the following day, the same individual reportedly arrived at the ATM while driving a blue Jeep and opened the same ATM again, according to police.
Surveillance video captured the suspect returning to the ATM just 45 minutes later in the same vehicle, but with a second individual, police said. The pair spent about 15 minutes accessing the machine as they filmed their actions on their phones, according to police.
By 2 a.m., an unmasked suspect driving the same Jeep arrived at the ATM and began withdrawing cash without inserting a card or touching the machine, all while holding his phone near the device, according to authorities.
VIDEO SHOWS MASKED TRIO IN HALLOWEEN COSTUMES TERRORIZE FAMILY IN ATTEMPTED HOME INVASION
The individual briefly left, but returned nine minutes later and stayed until 2:44 a.m. as withdrawals continued, police said.
The Fairfax County Police Department is now asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspects, who allegedly made off with $175,000 in cash from the ATM.
The incident is not the first to make national headlines in recent years.
GHOST-TAPPING SCAM TARGETS TAP-TO-PAY USERS
In 2024, six Venezuelan nationals were indicted in federal court after prosecutors say they stole over $400,000 in cash from four separate ATMs throughout New York, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of New York.
Similarly, authorities in Georgia asked for the public’s help as they searched for two suspects wanted in connection with a jackpotting scheme targeting two standalone ATMs at separate gas stations last year. The suspects allegedly made off with thousands of dollars in profits after using malware to trick the machine’s security system, FOX 5 reported.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The Fairfax County Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Common blood pressure medication could dramatically slow cancer growth, study finds
Scientists studying an existing blood pressure drug called hydralazine accidentally discovered that it could potentially fight cancer.
Hydralazine has been used to treat high blood pressure since the 1950s, but until now it’s been unclear exactly how it works.
“It came from a ‘pre-target’ era of drug discovery, when researchers relied on what they saw in patients first and only later tried to explain the biology behind it,” Kyosuke Shishikura, a physician-scientist at the University of Pennsylvania who was involved in the study, said in a press release from the university.
ALZHEIMER’S PILL COULD REDUCE BRAIN DECLINE IN SOME HIGH-RISK PATIENTS, TRIAL SUGGESTS
Shishikura and a wider research team uncovered that hydralazine directly targets a small but crucial enzyme called 2-aminoethanethiol dioxygenase (ADO).
This enzyme acts like a cellular oxygen sensor, helping cells survive when oxygen levels are low. This can help enable fast-growing tumors like glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer that resists treatment and almost always comes back.
In fast-growing cancers like glioblastoma, the tumor cells multiply so quickly that their blood supply can’t keep up. That means parts of the tumor don’t get enough oxygen.
Typical cells die in low-oxygen environments, but tumor cells switch on special survival systems that help them keep dividing even when oxygen is scarce. One of those systems involves the ADO enzyme, studies show.
NEW VITAMIN COMPOUND SHOWS PROMISE FOR REVERSING ALZHEIMER’S DAMAGE TO THE BRAIN
“ADO is like an alarm bell that rings the moment oxygen starts to fall,” Megan Matthews, an assistant professor in Penn’s Department of Chemistry and a researcher in the study, stated in the same press release.
The team used several advanced techniques — including X-ray crystallography, which analyzes the structure of molecules — to determine how hydralazine binds to ADO.
They discovered that hydralazine silences that alarm by binding to ADO and making it stop working. This shuts down the cell’s oxygen response system — and, in the case of cancer cells, forces them to stop dividing.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
To test this discovery, the team treated human glioblastoma cells with hydralazine in the lab. After three days, they discovered that the cells had stopped multiplying and became larger and flatter. The cells had entered a kind of permanent “sleep mode” known as “senescence,” the researchers noted.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
While the drug didn’t kill the cells outright, it took away their ability to grow and spread.
That’s a huge step forward in controlling cancers like glioblastoma, which are extremely difficult to treat and often return even after surgery and chemotherapy, according to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Because hydralazine is already FDA-approved, researchers hope it could be repurposed for cancer therapy much faster than a brand-new drug.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
The experiments so far have only been done with cell cultures, not yet in animals or humans, the researchers noted. The next step will be to test whether ADO can be blocked safely and effectively in living systems.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
The press release emphasizes that the discovery is only a starting point for drug repurposing, not yet a clinical treatment.
As Matthews said, “Understanding how hydralazine works at the molecular level offers a path toward safer, more selective treatments.”
Fired Penn State football coach lands new job after program’s massive investment
James Franklin has already found a new team to coach in college football following his firing by Penn State.
Franklin and Virginia Tech have reportedly finalized a deal to make him the next Hokies head football coach, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Over the weekend, a report surfaced stating Franklin and Virginia Tech were “engaged in the early stages of talks” about the role.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Franklin was fired by Penn State following the Nittany Lions’ loss to Northwestern, the program’s third straight defeat and another shocking result after a loss to UCLA the previous week. The Nittany Lions are now 4-6 on the season and 1-6 in Big Ten play.
Franklin will replace Brent Pry, his former defensive coordinator, after Pry was fired in September. The Hokies went 0-3 to start the year, and Pry had a 16-24 record through four seasons with the program.
JAMES FRANKLIN IN ‘EARLY TALKS’ ‘TO BECOME VIRGINIA TECH’S NEXT HEAD COACH: REPORT
It’s been a lackluster few seasons for Virginia Tech under Pry and his predecessor, Justin Fuente. However, Franklin’s adaptive approach to the modern college football landscape could turn things around quickly in Blacksburg.
Franklin would be the most accomplished head coach for the program since Frank Beamer retired in 2015 after 29 seasons leading the Hokies. Franklin, who previously coached at Vanderbilt before joining Penn State, went 128-60 over his 15 seasons as a head coach.
Despite this season’s struggles, Franklin was coming off a 2024 campaign that included a College Football Playoff semifinal appearance and a 2016 Big Ten Championship.
With Virginia Tech’s Board of Visitors approving a plan to add $229 million to its athletics budget over the next four years, hiring someone like Franklin – with his recruiting acumen – could make the Hokies an attractive destination for top talent nationwide.
Franklin was never expected to be available for hire, as the Nittany Lions opened the year ranked No. 3 in the country. But after three straight blowout wins to open the season, a double-overtime loss to No. 6 Oregon sent Penn State into a spiral. That may now benefit the Hokies as they look to get the program back on track in an ACC that lacks a true powerhouse.
Franklin never saw his Nittany Lions lift a national championship trophy, as the team went 4-21 against AP Top 10 opponents during his tenure in State College.
The Hokies last won double-digit games in a season in 2016. Franklin achieved that mark six times, including three straight campaigns from 2022 to 2024.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Virginia Tech will hope Franklin can bring one next season—and many more after that.
A once-vanished steakhouse is quietly plotting its return to the American table
Steakhouse chain Sizzler is making a comeback with a new refreshed look even as the quick-service restaurant sector continues to face a challenging environment that has prompted countless closures.
Creative agency Tavern, tasked with helping the brand reinvent itself, said the steakhouse had been a pop culture icon in the 1980s and 1990s on the West Coast, but “over the years the brand faced an identity crisis and lost its way.” Today, the agency said, “most Californians don’t even know where the nearest Sizzler is (if they even know the brand is still in business).”
The company is trying to change that, announcing its plans to refresh the brand last year. The company said in a 2024 press release that it’s tapping “into the sentimental value associated with the brand” and plans to “compete with fast-food giants like McDonald’s and offer a more appealing alternative for parents seeking a dining experience that evokes comfort and familiarity.”
MCDONALD’S CEO WARNS RISING BEEF PRICES REMAIN A CHALLENGE AS INFLATION STAYS ‘STICKY’
Chief Growth Officer Robert Clark told QSR last month that the company is seeing sales in the updated restaurants lift 47%. One of them saw sales lift 100%. The company currently has 80 stores and completed nine renovations in the last two years. The company is also looking to make a plan for franchise owners to adopt, and most of them are agreeing to it, according to the outlet.
In its heyday, Sizzler operated more than 700 restaurants nationwide, according to several reports.
Fast-food companies are already facing margin pressures from supply-chain disruptions and rising labor costs, while industry-wide traffic remains subdued. Lower foot traffic has forced many restaurants to roll out more promotions and even pursue rebranding efforts to attract their core customers, who have been pulling back on discretionary spending.
MCDONALD’S BRINGS BACK MONOPOLY AFTER NEARLY A DECADE WITH $1M CASH PRIZE UP FOR GRABS
Sasha Shennikov, vice president of marketing, told QSR the brand is popping up “all over” Los Angeles with radio ads and billboard space.
Tavern is focusing on the brand’s history and modernizing its assets.
MCDONALD’S CEO WARNS OF ‘TWO-TIERED ECONOMY’
“Instead of throwing away decades of heritage in the logo, we built upon it by stripping it back, slanting it and stamping it into place as a literal cattle brand,” Tavern previously wrote.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
It used a rich maroon color as the hero of the identity’s palette and also reused the “ZZ” design from the logo (and the word “sizzle”) as fun, secondary design elements that make the brand’s tone more playful and distinctive.