Hollywood elites thought viewers would obey — instead, Americans are tuning out

Towards the end of the fifth season of “Stranger Things,” the character of Will Byers gathers his family and friends together. He has good reason. They need to prepare for the final battle against Vecna, a terrifying, skinless monster with a penchant for mass murder and apocalyptic terrorism. But instead, Will comes out as gay.

This is perhaps the most anticlimactic moment in television since Pam woke up to reveal that the entire tenth season of “Dallas” had been a dream. In laborious and earnest tones, Will takes four minutes to tell everyone that he just isn’t into girls. Cue the inevitable chorus of solidarity from his friends and a warm group hug. Given that this series is set in the 1980s, a more realistic approach would have been for them to storm out and declare Will to be more disgusting than Vecna.

This has happened so often in Hollywood that it’s become the norm. A storyline is upended to promote the ideological obsessions of the present. We’ve had a Black Cleopatra, a lesbian kiss in the “Toy Story” spinoff “Lightyear,” empathetic, home-loving orcs in Middle Earth, and a robot in an animated series of “Transformers”declaring its pronouns as “they/them,” as though mechanized killing machines are sensitive about their gender identities.

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A key aspect of storytelling is verisimilitude. Movies can present completely unreal worlds, but unless an audience buys into the internal logic, they quickly lose interest. Consider the recent Netflix series “Ripley,” in which a major male character is played by a female actor who identifies as “nonbinary.” The characters don’t notice that she’s a woman, and we’re expected to play along. It insults our intelligence and completely derails an otherwise brilliant series.

If we want to save the arts, we must return to the universal. We have to remember that we’re meant to be entertainers, not high priests of a new religion that nobody asked for.

The audiences know it, too. The “coming out” episode of “Stranger Things”is currently the lowest-rated episode on IMDb. The recent live-action remake of “Snow White,” with its emphasis on diversity rather than murderous stepmothers and subterranean dwarves, reportedly lost over $115 million for Disney. 

The all-female leads of “The Marvels”might have made a few executives feel good about themselves, until it turned out to be the franchise’s biggest bomb of all time. And after poor test screenings, HBO’s big-budget wokefest “Batgirl” was shelved altogether.

So, while executives pat themselves on the back for their “virtue,” their studios are plunged into debt. According to public filings, as of late 2025, Disney’s debt is roughly $35.3 billion and Warner Bros. Discovery’s debt stands at approximately $33.5 billion. Cinema attendance continues to decline, with annual box office receipts in North America struggling to reach $9 billion. In a world where production and marketing costs have skyrocketed, these numbers represent a dying industry.

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It turns out that audiences prefer to be entertained rather than hectored. If people wanted a sermon, they’d probably just stick to church. I’ll make a prediction right now: if things don’t change, they won’t be making movies on those legendary big studio lots in five years’ time — they’ll be selling them off as prime real estate for luxury condos. You can’t continually patronize and insult your customers and expect to keep the lights on.

Since the rise of the “woke” movement, and its total domination of the creative industries, anyone with a conservative point of view has been punished and even blacklisted. 

Artists are meant to be the most free-thinking people in the world, but the industry demands conformity above all else. Worse still, the woke fixation simply doesn’t tally with the views of the general public, most of whom don’t want their children being indoctrinated by studios smuggling in ideology and propaganda under the guise of entertainment.

Contrary to what the self-identifying, morally superior, adjacent elites want you to believe, the woke ideology has never been popular with the public. It represents the luxury beliefs of the privileged few, those who spend most of their time pontificating about “social justice” and “environmental responsibility” while flying in their private jets and ingesting enough cocaine to keep the cartels of Mexico living like kings.

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The good news is that the American people aren’t waiting for permission from the big studios anymore. We are seeing a massive explosion of alternative media. Whether it’s independent streaming platforms, podcasts or creator-owned networks, a new frontier is being built.

Audiences are migrating to where they can find authenticity and truth. They’re supporting creators who prioritize strong storytelling over “the message.” While the legacy studios are busy building “safe spaces” for their writers, and scolding audiences for not being sufficiently “progressive,” we are building a new industry for the people.

Hollywood used to be about what brought us together. Now, it’s about what divides us. They’ve traded the Dream Factory for an Indoctrination Lab, and the American people are voting with their wallets and their remote controls.

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If we want to save the arts, we must return to the universal. We have to remember that we’re meant to be entertainers, not high priests of a new religion that nobody asked for.

If that doesn’t happen, get ready to see a lot of “For Sale” signs on those studio gates.

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Nancy Pelosi faces online criticism for behavior at Bob Weir tribute event

Former House Speaker and self-proclaimed “Deadhead” Nancy Pelosi drew swift online backlash after appearing at a tribute honoring Grateful Dead co-founder Bob Weir, with some social media users accusing her of bizarre behavior. 

Thousands gathered Saturday at San Francisco’s Civic Center to celebrate the life of Weir, who died earlier this month at age 78. The event drew longtime “Deadheads,” musicians and political figures, including Pelosi, according to FOX 2. 

Pelosi, 85, delivered a speech about Weir and appeared to sing and sway along on stage as musician John Mayer performed the Grateful Dead classic “Ripple.”

During portions of her remarks, Pelosi appeared to stumble over her words while reflecting on Weir’s legacy.

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“Bobby Weir was not just a magician, musician – a magician too – he was a force of nature,” Pelosi said at one point. 

Pelosi also used the moment to deliver a political message, encouraging attendees to vote.

“[Weir] gave me this sign, and I’ll show it today, because I said Bobby really loved democracy, he loved our country,” she said, before holding up a sign reading “vote.” “You know what he wanted everybody to do? Vote!”

Pelosi’s demeanor quickly drew online criticism.

“Is Nancy Pelosi drunk at the Bob Weir Homecoming?” one user wrote on X. 

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Others criticized her wardrobe choice, noting that she wore a bright magenta suit while nearly everyone else on stage appeared to be dressed in all black.

“Nancy Pelosi wearing a very somber magenta on stage at Bob Weir’s funeral,” one user joked on X. 

Some users also questioned why Pelosi, who announced in November that she will retire from Congress when her current term ends in 2027, was included in the event in the first place.

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“Why is [Nancy] Pelosi speaking at this Bob Weir memorial,” one user questioned on X.

“My bingo card today didn’t include Nancy Pelosi singing ‘Ripple’ along with John Mayer at the Bobby Weir send off,” another user wrote.

The public tribute also featured appearances by folk icon Joan Baez and country singer Wynonna Judd, FOX 2 reported.

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Weir died on Jan. 10, a statement from his family on his Instagram page confirmed.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of Bobby Weir. He transitioned peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, after courageously beating cancer as only Bobby could,” the statement said, adding that he succumbed to lung problems.   

Nancy Pelosi could not be immediately reached for comment.

Meghan Markle will only return to the UK with Prince Harry under one condition: experts

There’s only one way Meghan Markle will ever set foot in the U.K. again, royal experts told Fox News Digital.

Prince Harry, who is expected to be in Birmingham, England, for the one-year-to-go celebrations marking the Invictus Games kickoff this summer, hopes to have the Duchess of Sussex by his side, People magazine reported.

No decision has been made on whether the mother of two will travel to the U.K. in July. A spokesperson for Archewell told Fox News Digital, “These reports are entirely speculative.”

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Kinsey Schofield, host of YouTube’s “Kinsey Schofield Unfiltered,” told Fox News Digital that the “Suits” alum will only return to the U.K. if she’s assured of receiving automatic armed security. Prince Harry has previously said he doesn’t feel safe bringing his wife and their two children — Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4 — without sufficient protection.

“If Meghan were to travel to the U.K. under the current RAVEC protocol — which requires 30 days’ notice to assess threat levels — I am confident that both Harry and Meghan would receive armed security for an Invictus appearance,” Schofield said.

“However, the recent surge of headlines suggesting that Meghan will only return if RAVEC reverses its original ruling and grants automatic security appears to be an attempt to influence the committee’s latest threat assessment,” she added.

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“While Prince Harry receives armed protection during most of his U.K. visits, the issue for the couple is the lack of automatic armed security,” Schofield claimed. “They object to having to request protection on a case-by-case basis. This outcome was clearly outlined as a consequence when they chose to step back from their roles as working members of the royal family.”

The decision to deny Harry full-time armed protection while in the U.K. could soon be reversed.

“It’s now a formality. Sources at the Home Office have indicated that security is now nailed on for Harry,” one insider previously told the Mail on Sunday. Sources also told People magazine that “positive” considerations were being made by the governing body regarding the possible reversal.

A review is currently underway.

“I feel talks are underway to open the doors for Harry and Meghan to return to Britain as part of King Charles’ legacy to unite the family while he has the power and strength to do so,” royal expert Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital.

“Meghan will want many assurances, especially about how she is treated and how she can bring her own individuality with her,” he said. “Security is one of the biggest issues. I see encouraging signs that the heated moments of the past have cooled. I also believe Harry has asked King Charles to open the Invictus Games.”

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Meghan, 44, typically accompanies her husband to support his Paralympic-style games and has attended previous countdown events. The couple also attended the one-year-to-go celebration in 2022. 

People reported that Harry wants increased taxpayer-backed security for his family, which they lost after their royal exit.

Harry has been estranged from his family since he and Meghan stepped back as senior royals in 2020 and moved to California. They cited intense media intrusion and a lack of palace support as reasons for their departure.

Since settling in Montecito, California, the couple has aired their grievances in interviews and documentaries. Harry’s 2023 memoir, “Spare,” which revealed intimate details about the House of Windsor, further strained his relationship with the royals.

Sources close to Harry told People magazine that the king wouldn’t respond to his phone calls or letters. Royal experts previously told Fox News Digital that Harry and his older brother Prince William were not on speaking terms. Harry, 41, told the BBC in May that he is ready for reconciliation.

While Charles may welcome a reunion, Schofield claimed Meghan can expect a cold reception from other members of the royal family.

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“I don’t think we would see the working royals even acknowledge their presence,” she said. “The Sussexes’ credibility has been bruised over the last few years, and the royals want to keep their distance…. She felt rejected by Harry’s family and country and wants to focus on her U.S. aspirations.”

“Meghan is typically there to support Harry’s countdown to Invictus, but I have a hard time believing she will show up this time,” said Schofield. “I don’t believe Meghan will travel to the U.K. for this event. I don’t believe she will be there.”

British royals expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital it’s unlikely many Britons will give the American duchess a warm welcome back.

“It’s a risky move,” Fordwich said. “She will be viewed as divisive at best. She is smart and knows she will be entering a frightfully hostile environment…. The royals are also beyond wary.”

“Prince William blames Meghan Markle for escalating their private tensions into a highly public media circus,” Fordwich claimed. “He has no tolerance for reconciliation.”

“The public could be angry and annoyed at Meghan for her treatment of the royal family,” British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital.

“She will not receive a good reception. Meghan and Harry’s [past] behavior is not water under the bridge. If Meghan were to travel to the U.K., I believe the trip would be a purposeful short trip.”

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Schofield said Meghan’s biggest obstacle remains winning over the British public.

“Meghan knows she’s not very popular in the U.K.,” Schofield claimed. “She was audibly booed at one of the last times she visited. She is trying to avoid public humiliation more than anything.” 

“Meghan’s biggest obstacle would be winning over the public unless hell freezes over and working members of the royal family show up to support Harry. In that case, her biggest obstacle would be the humbling curtsy that would be required of her.”

Fordwich agreed.

“I’m rather skeptical Meghan will be there,” she said. “The last time Meghan was in the U.K., she had to endure being booed as she descended the steps of St. Paul’s Cathedral. Her ratings haven’t improved since then. In fact, she’s further plummeted in the polls. Being booed again would be frightfully damaging to her brand with huge reputational risks.”

Meghan was last in the U.K. for the funeral events of Harry’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022. Archie and Lilibet have only been back to Harry’s home country once since the couple left for the late queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June of that year. They are being raised in California.

Harry’s ongoing struggle to reinstate his security has contributed to his estrangement from his father, according to People. Harry believes the monarch could influence the decision. However, Buckingham Palace has repeatedly denied that Charles, 77, has the power to reinstate his security.

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The Duke of Sussex will be in London on Jan. 19 for his ongoing court battle with Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday. Meghan is not expected to join him during the trial.

Iran accused of killing 16,500 in sweeping ‘genocide’ crackdown, report says

Iranian protesters are facing their deadliest days yet as security forces unleash mass killings and executions in a sweeping crackdown some have labeled “genocide,” new reports say.

According to The Sunday Times, a report compiled by doctors entrenched in the region and reviewed by the outlet estimates that security forces have killed at least 16,500 protesters and injured more than 330,000 others.

The report also described the violence as an “utter slaughter,” warning that the true toll may be even higher due to restricted access to hospitals and the near-total shutdown of communications.

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Most of the victims, the report says, are believed to be under the age of 30, underscoring the heavy toll on Iran’s younger generation as the regime intensifies its efforts to crush dissent.

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, acknowledged Sunday that “several thousands” have been killed since protests erupted Dec. 28.

In a televised address, he blamed demonstrators, calling them “foot-soldiers of the U.S.” and falsely claiming protesters were armed with imported live ammunition.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that as of day 22 of the protests, verified figures show 3,919 people killed, with 8,949 additional deaths under investigation, 2,109 severely injured, and 24,669 detainees.

HRANA noted that the true toll is likely far higher due to the internet shutdown.

Professor Amir Parasta, an Iranian-German eye surgeon and medical director of Munich MED, said in The Sunday Times report that doctors across Iran are “shocked and crying,” despite having experience treating war injuries.

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“This is a whole new level of brutality,” Parasta said. He added that Starlink terminals smuggled into Iran have been the only means of communication since authorities cut internet access on Jan. 8.

Eyewitnesses who fled Iran also described snipers targeting protesters’ heads, mass shootings and systematic blinding using pellet guns.

One former Iranian resident said in the report that doctors reported more than 800 eye removals in a single night in the capital alone, with possibly more than 8,000 people blinded nationwide.

“This is genocide under the cover of digital darkness,” Parasta said.

Alongside the street killings, executions have surged dramatically, according to Ali Safavi, a senior official with the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).

Safavi told Fox News Digital that 2,200 people were executed in 2025, while 153 have already been hanged in the first 18 days of January 2026, averaging more than eight executions per day.

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“Ali Khamenei is continuing mass executions in parallel with the killing of young protesters,” Safavi said. “Three executions in the form of hanging are now happening every hour according to our data.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi previously disputed high death tolls reported in an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, claiming fatalities were only in the hundreds and dismissing higher figures as “misinformation.”

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President Donald Trump sharply condemned Khamenei over the weekend, calling him a “sick man” and urging new leadership in Iran.

In an interview with Politico, Trump accused Khamenei of overseeing “the complete destruction of the country” and using “violence at levels never seen before,” adding that Iran’s leadership should “stop killing people.”

California’s hatred for capitalism is killing the goose that laid its golden egg

California didn’t become the world’s fifth-largest economy by accident. Silicon Valley wasn’t built by regulators. Hollywood didn’t turn into a global storytelling powerhouse because of government planning. California was built by entrepreneurs, risk-takers, and innovators who believed in capitalism and the simple American ideology that if you work hard, take risks and build something valuable, you should be rewarded. 

That’s why California’s newly proposed billionaire tax should alarm anyone who still believes capitalism works. This proposal isn’t just another tax hike. It’s a fundamental shift away from the very system that makes Americans prosperous as a nation. 

Under the plan, California would impose a one-time tax on residents with net worth over $1 billion, targeting “wealth” rather than income. That includes unrealized gains, which means stock ownership, private company equity and illiquid assets that exist on paper. Wealth isn’t always in checking accounts. Supporters call it fairness, but it’s a tax on success before success is ever realized. 

Here’s the part most politicians ignore. Billionaires don’t necessarily sit on piles of cash. Their wealth is overwhelmingly tied up in businesses, real estate stock holdings and their private companies. When the government demands a massive check based on paper valuations, the only way to pay it is to sell assets.

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And that’s where the real damage begins for the people who rely on these billionaires to provide jobs for them to become millionaires. 

If you force someone to sell public stock, the markets can absorb it. But when you force the sale of private company stock, you’re often forcing a founder to sell part of their business or all of it earlier than planned. That can mean selling to private equity, taking on leverage, cutting costs or laying off workers to generate liquidity. 

In other words, a tax aimed at “the rich” doesn’t just hit balance sheets. It hits payrolls.

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Capitalism works because it incentivizes innovation and growth. It rewards people for building companies, hiring workers and reinvesting profits. When you start taxing wealth simply for existing rather than income, profits or transactions, you flip that incentive structure upside down. The message becomes clear to entrepreneurs. If you build too much and succeed too much, the government will punish you and possibly dismantle prematurely what you built. 

We’ve already seen how this movie ends for other Californians. 

Take billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, who moved Tesla’s headquarters from California to Texas. Musk didn’t leave because he dislikes sunshine or beaches. He left because regulatory overreach, rising taxes and a growing hostility toward business innovation made it harder to build and scale companies. When the world’s most influential entrepreneur and job creator votes with his feet, policymakers should listen.

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He wasn’t alone. Host Joe Rogan moved his podcast empire out of Los Angeles, citing taxes, governance and quality-of-life concerns. Larry Ellison relocated Oracle’s headquarters out of California. Just look at Sergey Brin and Larry Page and their recent moves to sever ties with California. Even liberal Hollywood elites quietly establish residency in Nevada, Texas or Florida, while keeping second homes in Malibu. 

This isn’t coincidence. It’s cause and effect. 

If you force someone to sell public stock, the markets can absorb it. But when you force the sale of private company stock, you’re often forcing a founder to sell part of their business or all of it earlier than planned. 

Entrepreneurs don’t just create wealth for themselves. They create jobs, supply chains, tax revenue and philanthropy. When government policies force founders to sell companies prematurely just to pay a wealth tax, it’s workers who pay the price long before billionaires do. 

The danger doesn’t stop at California’s borders. Other blue states are watching closely. If California can tax unrealized wealth, what’s stopping New York, Illinois or Massachusetts from doing the same? Today, it’s billionaires. Tomorrow, its founders worth $100 million. Next, it’s family business owners who spent decades building companies only to be taxed on paper valuations they haven’t monetized.

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Supporters argue the tax would only affect a few hundred people. That misses the point. Policies aren’t judged by how many people they hit. They are judged by the incentives they create. 

Capitalism depends on a promise that if you take risks, build something meaningful and create value for others, you can be rewarded with the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

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California once understood that better than almost anywhere else in the world. This billionaire tax suggests the state is forgetting what made it a real Golden State. Since COVID-19, you’ve seen a massive shift of both individuals and businesses, showing that the Golden State may not be so golden anymore. 

The lesson is simple. Money always chases something. When success is treated like a liability, money leaves. And when capitalism is undermined, everyone pays the price and not just the billionaires. 

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Mob storms Minnesota church during worship to target pastor they say has ICE ties

A mob of anti-ICE agitators stormed a church Sunday in St. Paul, Minnesota, interrupting a worship service after protesters claimed a pastor inside was affiliated with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Video shows agitators chanting “Justice for Renee Good” inside the sanctuary at Cities Church as the service began, raising concerns among law enforcement and religious leaders about protesters targeting houses of worship amid escalating anti-ICE demonstrations across the Twin Cities.

In one video circulating online, agitators can be heard chanting, “Justice for Renee Good,” and “Who needs justice, we need justice,” as they stood inside the church during the service.

In another clip, the person filming says demonstrators positioned themselves in the middle of the sanctuary as the pastor was speaking. The person filming then described the disruption as a “clandestine mission” and claimed agitators had just learned one of the pastors at the church was connected to ICE.

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Cities Church lists eight pastors of varying roles, including David Easterwood, who shares the same name as the acting director of ICE’s St. Paul field office.

Fox News Digital has reached out to ICE to verify whether the two individuals are the same person.

ICE shared one of the videos of the protest inside the church that circulated widely on social media Sunday.

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“Agitators aren’t just targeting our officers. Now they’re targeting churches, too,” DHS said in the post. “They’re going from hotel to hotel, church to church, hunting for federal law enforcement who are risking their lives to protect Americans.”

DHS then called out Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, saying they are responsible for “whipping these mobs into a frenzy and then allowing them to run rampant.”

“We won’t be deterred,” DHS said. “ICE isn’t going anywhere.”

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The Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the church protest to determine whether civil rights laws were violated.

“The @CivilRights is investigating the potential violations of the federal FACE Act by these people desecrating a house of worship and interfering with Christian worshippers,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, said.

Attorney General Pam Bondi replied on X, writing: “I have been in constant communication with @AAGDhillon today over these events which @TheJusticeDept is investigating at my direction. Any violation of federal law will be prosecuted.”

The White House also weighed in Sunday, warning that the Trump administration will not tolerate disruptions of religious worship.

“President Trump will not tolerate the intimidation and harassment of Christians in their sacred places of worship,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a post on X. “The Department of Justice has launched a full investigation into the despicable incident that took place earlier today at a church in Minnesota.”

Frey has defended the protests, pushing back on federal officials who have described the demonstrations as dangerous or lawless and rejecting claims that state and local leaders are responsible for fueling unrest.

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Appearing on CBS’ Face the Nation on Sunday, Frey rejected the Trump administration’s characterization of the immigration crackdown in Minnesota, arguing the surge of federal agents has made residents feel targeted rather than protected.

“This is not about safety. What this is about is coming into our city by the thousands and terrorizing people simply because they’re Latino or Somali,” Frey said. “People in Minneapolis are speaking up. They’re speaking up peacefully. They’re standing up for their neighbors. And this is not just about resisting Trump. This is about loving and caring for the people that call this city home. And it’s been inspiring.”

ICE agent confronts agitators interfering with alleged child sex offender arrest in St. Paul

A viral video circulating on social media Sunday appeared to show agitators interfering with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation targeting an alleged child sex offender in Minnesota.

The video, posted to X and viewed more than 750,000 times within hours, shows an ICE agent confronting people in St. Paul who he said were honking their car horns and disrupting federal officers as they attempted to take a suspect into custody.

“We’re here to arrest a child sex offender and you guys are out here honking,” the agent says in the video.

“No, we’re press,” someone off-camera responds. “We’re not honking.”

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The agent then points to a nearby vehicle.

“That vehicle right there is honking and impeding our investigations while we’re trying to arrest a child sex offender. That’s who you guys are protecting. Insane.”

The video then cuts to the agent standing in the snow beside a vehicle repeatedly honking.

“Trust me, I understand,” the agent tells someone inside the car before they slam on the horn.

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In another moment, the agent is seen speaking with occupants of a different vehicle who appear to question the legitimacy of the arrest and attempt to usher him away.

At one point, a woman standing behind the agent’s vehicle can be heard saying, “Just go. They’re lying. Don’t listen to them,” while waving the car onward.

Responding to the video on X, Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin on Sunday praised federal law enforcement officers for continuing their work amid increasing resistance.

“God bless the men & women of [ICE] and [Customs and Border Protection] who risk their lives to arrest these criminals,” McLaughlin wrote.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also weighed in, posting, “God Bless ICE” — a message that was later reposted by the official White House X account.

Elon Musk reacted to the video as well, writing simply, “Crazy.”

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The incident comes amid rising tensions between federal authorities and agitators in the Twin Cities. On Jan. 7, 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good was fatally shot by an ICE officer while allegedly blocking an immigration operation in the city and driving toward the officer.

Agitators across the Twin Cities have followed and harassed federal agents as they carry out operations, with some throwing snowballs or screaming obscenities through bullhorns from just feet away. 

Some clashes have resulted in immigration officers deploying pepper spray and tear gas.

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President Donald Trump’s administration is preparing 1,500 troops for potential deployment to Minnesota, a senior U.S. official confirmed to Fox News Digital.

Couple labeled fake ‘Chip and Joanna Gaines’ admits $5M dream home renovation scam

A Texas couple has pleaded guilty to federal charges after prosecutors revealed they used social media to defraud dozens of homeowners out of nearly $5 million under the guise of custom homes and renovations. 

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, Christopher and Raquelle Judge, a married couple from Fort Worth, admitted to carrying out an elaborate scheme to deceive customers through their home renovation business, Judge DFW LLC, between August 2020 and January 2023. 

The pair billed themselves as a one-stop shop for custom architecture, interior design and construction services, luring customers through social media to advertise their business while falsely claiming Christopher was an experienced architect. 

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“They came out to our house… and really pitched themselves as like this Chip and Joanna Gaines type of vibe,” Lane Simmons, one of the Judges’ clients, told WFAA.

Federal prosecutors revealed the couple would present clients with below-market bids to secure building contracts, before starting projects that were never finished and ultimately left victims with incomplete residences. 

In the town of Runaway Bay, Christopher Judge reportedly was slapped with a total of 424 citations for code enforcement violations, which ultimately led to the FBI taking up the case.

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“There were families whose kids did not get Christmas for a year or two,” Kalie Simmons, another victim of the Judges, told FOX 4. “There were families that filed bankruptcy.” 

Plea documents indicate the Judges defrauded over 40 victims throughout six Texas counties, involving at least 24 different construction projects.

Court documents also showed the pair commingled victims’ payments in their primary business account, often pulling installment payments from individuals to fund unrelated construction projects – amassing a total of around $4.8 million in losses. 

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Federal prosecutors say the pair then spent the money on mortgage payments, living expenses and even plastic surgery while evading questions from their victims regarding delays in construction and incomplete projects.

“You just need to be careful about who you give the money to,” Roper, a former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, told FOX 4. “If it’s too good to be true, it’s probably not true.”

“You gotta wonder what happened to the money,” Roper said.

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Last month, Christopher Judge pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and faces up to 20 years behind bars in federal prison. Raquelle Judge also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which has a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. 

Fox News Digital was unable to immediately locate Christopher Judge’s attorney for comment. Raquelle Judge’s attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

The pair is scheduled to be sentenced separately later this year, according to federal prosecutors. 

Costco quietly sweetens popular perk for its branded credit card holders

Costco has discreetly increased gas rewards for holders of its branded credit card.

Members with the Costco Anywhere Visa Card, issued by Citi, can now expect to earn 5% cash back at Costco gas pumps, up from the previous 4%. 

The higher rewards apply only to gas stations located at the warehouse giant and do not extend to any gas purchases outside the company or electric vehicle (EV) charging.  

However, all other eligible gas purchased outside of Costco and EV charging will earn 4% cash back.  

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Both the 5% and 4% cash back rates apply only to the first $7,000 in a member’s annual purchases, allowing members to earn up to $350 instead of the previous maximum of $280.

After hitting that annual spending cap, the cash back rate drops to 1% for the rest of the year.

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“If you’re a Costco member, you may be able to earn Costco Cash Back Rewards on gas purchases with the Costco Anywhere Visa Card,” Citi said. “It offers great cash back rewards on fuel as well as other purchases, allowing you to save money.”

The move effectively incentivizes Costco’s more than 80 million paid members to upgrade to the co-branded credit card, boosting profitability while fostering even greater loyalty among its already devoted customer base.

Costco has repeatedly emphasized that a top company priority is maintaining a high renewal rate, which has been hovering roughly 90% over the years. 

Other rewards offered by the card remain unchanged. Cardholders will continue to earn 3% cash back on restaurants and eligible travel, including Costco Travel, 2% on purchases at Costco and 1% on all other purchases. 

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The Costco Anywhere Visa Card, which includes perks such as no foreign transaction fees and robust travel protections, carries no annual fee but requires an active Costco membership. 

Rewards are issued once a year as a certificate, typically after the February billing cycle, and are redeemable for cash or merchandise at Costco warehouses. 

FOX Business reached out to Costco for more information.