15-year-old girl identified as killer in deadly Christian school shooting, police say
A 15-year-old girl killed a teacher and teen student in a shooting on Monday at a private Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin, and wounded six others, according to authorities.
Natalie Rupnow was identified as the shooter who opened fire inside a study hall inside Abundant Life Christian School, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said. Responding officers found Rupnow with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. She died on the way to a hospital.
Police were speaking with Rupnow’s father and other family members, who were cooperating, and searching Rupnow’s home, Barnes said. He declined to offer additional details about the shooter, partly out of respect for the family.
“He lost someone as well,” Barnes said of Rupnow’s father. “And so we’re not going to rush the information. We’ll take our time and make sure we do our due diligence.”
SCHOOL SHOOTER’S MOM JENNIFER CRUMBLEY HAD ‘TAINTED’ TRIAL, ATTORNEYS SAY IN REQUEST TO TOSS CONVICTION
Barnes said officers responded just before 11 a.m. to a second-grade student’s 911 call reporting the shooting.
Rupnow used a handgun in the shooting, according to Barnes, though he said police have not yet determined a motive for the attack.
“I don’t know why, and I feel like if we did know why, we could stop these things from happening,” he told reporters.
The teacher and student that were killed in the shooting have not yet been identified.
Barnes said that of the six wounded in the shooting, two were students in critical condition. A teacher and three students were also hospitalized with less serious injuries, and two of them were later released.
FATHER OF GEORGIA HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING SUSPECT PLEADS NOT GUILTY
Barnes said he did not believe that the school, which serves 200 students, according to the school’s website, had a resource officer. It was also revealed that the school did not have metal detectors, but did have cameras and other security protocols.
President Biden spoke with Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway following the shooting, and issued a separate statement calling the event “shocking and unconscionable.”
“We can never accept senseless violence that traumatizes children, their families, and tears entire communities apart,” Biden said.
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The FBI’s Milwaukee bureau says it has deployed agents to the scene to assist in investigating.
Voters call for familiar face to enter gov’s race as top Dem candidate throws curveball
As Democrats hope to retain the governor’s seat in the swing state of Michigan with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer term-limited, a top Democratic figure has launched an independent bid, leading to a search on the left for an alternative standard-bearer.
Three-term Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, viewed for some time as very likely to seek the governor’s office, reportedly surprised the state’s body politic by announcing he will do so as an independent.
“I went to Lansing and built relationships with Democrats and Republicans. We took our neighborhoods out of the darkness of burned-out streetlights and we lit the entire city to the national standard… and reduced Detroit’s unemployment rate to its lowest rate in more than 30 years,” Duggan said in his campaign launch video.
“The current system forces people to choose sides that find solutions. I want to see if I can change that.”
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He struck a similar tone in recent remarks to reporters:
Duggan said in his final year as mayor he wants to “establish a working relationship with the Trump administration,” and noted he had done so with fellow Motor City native HUD Secretary Ben Carson one term prior.
He also told The Associated Press he views many Americans as being “tired of both parties and tired of the system – and so I want to offer people a choice.”
That choice led Democrats to reportedly pivot to a prominent Indiana native who recently moved north to his husband’s home state.
At an event with Detroit autoworkers, one man shouted a question about the Lions – rather than Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s home-state Colts – which the AP illustrated as a potential challenge for the Traverse City newcomer to connect with Michiganders if he decides to run.
Another man at the event praised Buttigieg’s willingness to be “one of the few” politicians to speak to both liberal and conservative media audiences.
Buttigieg has said he won’t make any official political decisions on “how to make myself useful” until after his current boss, President Biden, leaves office, but has been contacted by several Michigan Democrats about entering the race.
Duggan’s announcement, however, was met with derision from Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, another potential Democratic contender.
“In moments like this, we don’t flee from the party, but we stay and fix it,” Benson told FOX-2, which reported she is considering tossing her hat in the ring.
Andrew Feldman, a Democratic strategist in the Great Lakes State, told the AP that people are “shocked and angry” at Duggan for eschewing the Democratic Party label.
“Many view this as a serious situation where Mike Duggan could put the governor’s mansion in the hands of Republicans and roll back years of progress,” he said.
While the left wing is divided between Duggan’s independent run and jockeying to fill the Democratic row on the ballot, the Republican race appears wide open.
“You know what, [20]26 is always in the back of my mind, but right now, we’re focused on [20]24,” conservative media host Tudor Dixon – the 2022 Republican nominee – said just before the presidential election when asked about running again.
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Other names floated in the Michigan press include businessman Perry Johnson – who briefly ran for president on the GOP line in 2024 – businessman Kevin Rinke, and several sitting GOP lawmakers.
Adding to the electoral uncertainty were Michigan’s 2024 split results, as voters there chose both Republican President-elect Trump and Democratic Sen.-elect Elissa Slotkin from the top-tier races.
As for Whitmer, reports have viewed her as a top contender in the 2028 Democratic presidential contest, along with several other governors, like Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro, California’s Gavin Newsom, North Carolina’s Roy Cooper, Maryland’s Wes Moore, Illinois’ JB Pritzker and Minnesota’s Tim Walz.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Michigan GOP, Michigan Democrats and Buttigieg’s office for comment.
Red state reveals plan to purchase auctioned border wall materials to store for Trump
Officials in Texas say they are preparing to buy and store border wall materials being auctioned off by the federal government and keep them in place until the Trump administration takes office in January.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick reacted to reports of continued auctions of border wall materials that have been left near the border after the sudden stop of border wall construction in 2021.
“I will bid on all of that wall, and we will buy it in Texas, and we will give it to Donald Trump,” Patrick said on “The Ingraham Angle.”
“I’ve got a billion dollars in my pocket to do it,” he said.
‘LEGAL AUTHORITY’: SENATE DEMS DEMAND BIDEN EXTEND PROTECTIONS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AHEAD OF TRUMP ADMIN
His comments were supported by Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, who said she is “fully prepared” to help in the effort.
“If you buy it, I have a place to store it — on state land! The [Texas General Land Office] is standing by to help!” she said, calling the auctioning off of border wall materials by the Biden administration “shameful.”
The Biden administration abruptly ended border wall construction in January 2021 after 450 miles had been built in the first Trump administration. While border hawks say a wall is a critical tool to stopping illegal immigration, some Democrats have said a wall project is xenophobic and ineffective.
HOUSE OVERSIGHT REPUBLICANS INVESTIGATING BIDEN ADMIN’S SALE OF BORDER WALL PARTS: ‘WASTE AND ABUSE’
The auctioning off of border wall parts began in 2023 with parts listed for sale on GovPlanet.com, an online auction marketplace. The Defense Department’s logistics agency told media outlets that the excess material had been turned over for disposition by the Army Corps of Engineers and was now for sale.
Those auctions have continued, with officials in Arizona telling Fox News Digital that auctions have been occurring weekly for some time. The practice drew attention last week when The Daily Wire published video showing unused wall parts being transported on flatbed trucks in Arizona, even though the materials could be used in the next Trump administration.
President-elect Donald Trump has promised to restart border wall construction when he enters office next month. He described the selling off of the wall as “almost a criminal act” on Monday and appealed to the administration to stop the selling of the wall parts.
A defense official told Fox News that the Pentagon has been disposing of excess wall construction in accordance with the FY 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, which required the Defense secretary to submit a plan to use, transfer or donate all remaining wall material purchased with Pentagon funds. That plan was submitted in March.
The official said that border states, including Texas, were given preference for materials. Both Texas and California requested and received border materials, they said.
“Through our reutilization, transfer, and donation process, nearly 60% of those materials were transferred to authorized recipients, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the states of Texas and California,” the official said. “The remaining 40% was sold to GOVPLANET under a competitive sales contract process beginning in June 2024. The material currently being sold through GOVPLANET online auctions no longer belongs to the U.S. Government, and DoD has no legal authority to recall the material or stop further resale of material it no longer owns.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS
Texas has already shown it is keen to aid the incoming administration in its efforts to secure the border and engage in a mass deportation campaign.
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Fox News Digital first reported last month that Texas has offered 1,400 acres of land to the incoming administration with which to stage its mass deportation operation. Border czar Thomas Homan said he is already planning on how to use the land effectively.
GOP senator slams Dems’ renewed push for drastic move to change presidential elections
Several Senate Democrats are pushing a constitutional amendment to abolish the Electoral College and replace it with a presidential election system where the winner of the popular vote wins the White House contest.
Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, and Peter Welch, D-Vt., introduced the proposed amendment, according to a press release.
“In 2000, before the general election, I introduced a bipartisan resolution to amend the Constitution and abolish the Electoral College. I still believe today that it is time to retire this 18th century invention that disenfranchises millions of Americans,” Durbin said, according to the release. “The American people deserve to choose all their leaders, and I am proud to support this effort with Senators Schatz and Welch to empower voters.”
WHAT IS THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE? HOW DOES IT WORK?
“In an election, the person who gets the most votes should win. It’s that simple,” Schatz stated. “No one’s vote should count for more based on where they live. The Electoral College is outdated and it’s undemocratic. It’s time to end it.”
Welch claimed that “right now our elections aren’t as representative as they should be because of the outdated and flawed electoral college.”
GOP Sen. Mike Lee of Utah slammed the proposal, calling it “a phenomenally bad idea,” in a post on X. “So naturally, Democrats are pushing it,” he added.
MCCONNELL ISSUES SMACKDOWN OF KENTUCKY DEM GOVERNOR’S CALL TO ABOLISH THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE
Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., responded to the proposal by accusing the Senate Democrats of wanting “to trample the Constitution.”
President-elect Donald Trump trounced Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, winning both the Electoral College and the popular vote.
But there have been elections in U.S. history in which the winner of the Electoral College did not win the popular vote.
TIM WALZ BACKPEDALS STATEMENT THAT THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE ‘NEEDS TO GO’
The most recent example was Trump’s 2016 victory where former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton won the national popular vote but lost the Electoral College.
Legal experts tip their hat to ABC after surprising Trump settlement
ABC News was “smart” to pony up $15 million last week to settle a defamation lawsuit brought by President-elect Donald Trump before tedious depositions and a potentially damaging discovery process, according to legal experts.
Trump sued ABC News and George Stephanopoulos after the anchor repeatedly insisted he was found “liable for rape” during a tense exchange with Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., earlier this year on his Sunday program “This Week.” Stephanopoulos repeated that claim ten times during his spat with Mace, despite the fact that a jury actually determined Trump was liable for “sexual abuse,” which has a distinct definition under New York law.
The surprising settlement was publicly filed on Saturday, revealing that the two parties have come to an agreement and avoided a costly trial. ABC News will pay $15 million as a charitable contribution to a “Presidential foundation and museum to be established by or for Plaintiff, as Presidents of the United States of America have established in the past.” Additionally, the network will pay $1 million in Trump’s attorney fees.
Attorney Danny Karon, a law professor and operator of the legal wellness website Your Lovable Lawyer, believes Disney-owned ABC News made the right decision.
“As dumb as George Stephanopoulos was to lie on air about Trump’s civil verdict, ABC News was that smart to settle,” Karon told Fox News Digital. “Channeled through the elements of a defamation claim, the facts supported a verdict for President Trump. And the longer into a case the parties go, the greater the stakes become, which often results in larger money damages. That ABC News was able to evade a jury verdict for only $15 million is something for this it should thank President Trump.”
“It settled now because Trump and George Stephanopoulos were scheduled to be deposed this week. Whether it’s a function of discomfort, scheduling, or timing, no one likes to be deposed,” Karon continued.
An ex-ABC insider told Fox News Digital the network was wise to settle the suit, saying the Stephanopoulos emails that would emerge in discovery would likely be “very damaging.”
Attorney Andrew Stoltmann said that is exactly why ABC News would reach a settlement.
“They didn’t want to open up the kimono, so to speak, with respect to discovery,” Stoltmann told Fox News Digital.
“There likely would’ve been a tsunami of bad emails and text messages that would’ve been revealed that would’ve fed into the incoming president’s argument that it is biased against him,” Stoltmann added. “Also, President Trump had a very good technical legal argument that he was defamed. There’s a common-sense perception that he was found guilty civilly of rape, but that simply isn’t the case.”
Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley, the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University, noted that the settlement came after U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisette M. Reid ordered depositions.
“That discovery was likely to prove more embarrassing for the network than it would Trump and could have revealed internal messages on the controversy,” Turley wrote.
ABC NEWS’ GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS INACCURATELY SAID TRUMP WAS FOUND ‘LIABLE FOR RAPE’ 10 TIMES, LEGAL GURUS SAY
Attorney Randall M. Kessler, a trial professor at Emory Law School, agrees that ABC News was wise to avoid the discovery process.
“Settlement absolutely prevented disclosure, by each side, of documents, communications, texts, emails, recordings and other evidence that could have been much more damaging to either side than what is already out there,” Kessler told Fox News Digital.
Trump suggested on Monday that he would continue to hold news organizations accountable, including CBS’ “60 Minutes,” the Des Moines Register and the Pulitzer Prize Board, each of which he has specific beefs with, although those potential cases are unlikely to bear financial fruit. But Karon doesn’t believe ABC’s settlement will pave the way for additional defamation claims.
“Defamation claims are so ubiquitous that I don’t think President Trump’s case paved the road for more. If anything, Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard paved the way in making defamation claims relatable and accessible,” Karon said.
“The View,” ABC’s staunchly anti-Trump daytime talk show, has frequently been forced to read legal notes on the air while speculating about Trump’s various legal issues over the years. The former ABC insider suggested the show hosts should tread “very carefully” in the wake of the suit against their colleague.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS DOESN’T MENTION ABC NEWS SETTLEMENT WITH TRUMP’S DEFAMATION LAWSUIT ON HIS SUNDAY SHOW
OWLawyers senior shareholder Michelle O’Neil feels that ABC News actually “saved Stephanopolous’ entire career” by settling the lawsuit.
“Stephanopolous would have been raked over the coals as a sloppy reporter at best, or a liar at worst, through discovery, deposition, trial – and in court of public opinion – if the case had continued down the litigation pipe,” O’Neil told Fox News Digital.
O’Neil said that if the case went forward, Trump’s lawyers would have been able to pursue whether there was actual negative intent on Stephanopoulos’ part.
“Whether he intentionally made the claim of ‘rape’ on purpose knowing that what he said was untrue. If there was evidence of that, the case would have gone way worse for ABC,” she said.
Attorney Parker Stinar, a Founding Partner at Stinar Gould Grieco & Hensley, said the settlement underscores a crucial lesson.
“Words carry significant weight,” Stinar told Fox News Digital.
“The misrepresentation, whether intentional or not, has led to substantial financial repercussions and damaged ABC’s reputation,” Stinar said. “Typically, parties opt for settlements to mitigate the risk of potentially larger jury verdicts, demonstrating that Trump effectively leveraged his position to secure a maximized settlement outcome.”
LIBERALS UNLOAD ON ABC’S SETTLEMENT WITH TRUMP, DEFEND GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: ‘KNEE BENT, RING KISSED’
Media and communications expert Tobe Berkovitz, a Professor Emeritus at Boston University, echoed that ABC clearly didn’t want discovery.
“The last thing ABC wanted was for the American voter viewer to see what Stephanopoulos texts, emails. That I think would have been a debacle, and I think they had to settle rather than have that happen,” Berkovitz told Fox News Digital.
As part of the settlement, Stephanopoulos and ABC News also had to issue statements of “regret” as an editor’s note at the bottom of a March 10, 2024, online article, about comments made earlier this year that prompted Trump to file the defamation lawsuit.
“ABC News and George Stephanopoulos regret statements regarding President Donald J. Trump made during an interview by George Stephanopoulos with Rep. Nancy Mace on ABC’s This Week on March 10, 2024,” the note reads.
ABC News previously said the network was “pleased” to have concluded the case.
“We are pleased that the parties have reached an agreement to dismiss the lawsuit on the terms in the court filing,” an ABC News spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
ABC News did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment.
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Expert makes prediction about where the mysterious drones are likely coming from
The suspicious drones people are spotting across the Northeast in recent weeks may be originating from inside the United States, according to a military expert.
Civilians and lawmakers have reported drone sightings in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Ohio and other states, with local and federal law enforcement offering little information about the aerial activity, most of which has been spotted at night. Some of the drones are as large as 6 feet in diameter, according to New Jersey state Rep. Dawn Fantasia, who was briefed on the matter last week.
“The concern is definitely valid. One thing I do believe, I believe the government knows the source of these drones, and I believe the source of these drones is from inside the U.S., especially the larger drones,” Col. William Dunn, president of Strategic Resilience Group, a government consulting group, told Fox News Digital. “It’s very difficult to fly an airplane the size of a vehicle into the United States without being detected, so I believe the drones originate from inside the U.S.”
Dunn, an attack helicopter pilot who spent 33 years in the Marine Corps, added that “a large drone has got to be refueled,” so the drones flying over New Jersey that are 6 feet in diameter would have to be refueled somewhere within the United States.
MORE THAN 20 DAYS INTO PHENOMENON, PENTAGON STILL HAS NO ANSWERS ABOUT ORIGINS OF MYSTERIOUS NJ DRONES
“We have – especially on the East Coast – I’m very familiar with our air defense identification zone. … It’s very difficult to fly anything into the United States. It’s not impossible, but it’s very difficult,” Dunn said, recalling a time when he was flying a Cobra helicopter on an offshore route that he “forgot to appropriately acknowledge and call the watchers.”
“They found me pretty quickly,” Dunn said.
NJ DRONE INCIDENTS SPUR GOVERNMENT PUSH FOR MORE COUNTER-DRONE POWERS AS CURRENT AUTHORITIES SET TO EXPIRE
Smaller drones are a different story, according to the Marine Corps veteran.
“We’re probably having U.S. drones, as well as some of these smaller drones, that are being flown in to do a specific purpose. Now, the question is, what are those drones doing? My belief is they’re surveilling something,” Dunn said. “They’re looking for something, either a chemical weapon, biological weapon or maybe radiation. … You know, there’s been a lot of talk about having an open southern border and a lot of talk that there’s an imminent terrorist threat.”
“We could be using those drones to pick up communications from terrorists.”
DRONE MYSTERY: NEW JERSEY HOMEOWNERS THREATEN TO TAKE MATTERS INTO THEIR OWN HANDS IF GOVERNMENT DOESN’T ACT
Another issue with the recent drone sightings, Dunn said, is that they are highlighting U.S. defense weaknesses.
“We are telegraphing right now that we do not know where these drones are. We’re telegraphing that we can fly these drones over U.S. bases and we can’t do anything about it. Now, our adversaries hear that, and they see that now they can take a drone and fly over [a] base and do something terrible,” Dunn said, adding later that the “Iranian drone threat” is “enormous.”
DRONE EXPERTS RULE OUT US GOVERNMENT EXPERIMENT, UNSURE OF OTHER NEW JERSEY DRONE PHENOMENON THEORIES
Officials could technically shoot down a suspicious drone, but doing so puts civilians at risk because the remnants of those drones have to fall from the sky. There is, however, a way to neutralize drones by “zapping” them, Dunn said.
“You could zap it with a non-kinetic means,” the government consulting expert said. “It wipes out their electricity. Everything needs … electricity to fly up there. And you can bring it down that way.”
Raj Goyle, CEO of intelligence firm Bodhala and a former Democrat Kansas state representative, told Fox News Digital it is encouraging to see members of both the Democrat and Republican parties come together to try and determine the source of these drones. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., for example, recently called upon the Department of Homeland Security to deploy 360-degree radar systems that can detect drone activity.
“The real issue is we just need more transparency and explanation from the governments involved.”
“We should never let an issue go to waste. … And I think there’s no reason to think otherwise that everything is safe and sound, but let this be a catalyst for having a discussion around that issue raised. Who has jurisdiction? Does local law enforcement? Does the FAA? Does the federal government?” Goyle said. “What are the interstate boundaries on these issues? It’s only going to grow from here.”
He added that “the sooner that the policymaking world figures this out, the better off will all be from a safety perspective and from an economic growth perspective.”
WATCH:
Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., and Rep. Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., urging them to craft counter-unmanned aircraft systems legislation that would give local law enforcement certain permissions to protect their communities from drones.
On Saturday, Biden administration officials hosted a press call regarding concerns surrounding the recent drone citing.
Representatives from the FBI, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the National Security Council, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Defense (DOD) attended the call. An FBI official said his agency has received 5,000 tips since the first mysterious drone was seen flying above the Garden State in November. Of those 5,000 tips, fewer than 100 warranted further investigation, the official said.
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS DOWNPLAY CONCERNS ABOUT DRONE SIGHTINGS: ‘SLIGHT OVERREACTION’
The FBI official added that investigators have found no evidence of large-scale unmanned drone activity despite the recent uptick in drone activity in recent weeks.
“We’re doing our best to find the origin of that specific … those drone activities,” the official said. “But I think there has been a slight overreaction.”
Echoing comments from the FBI representative, a DHS official noted that, while his agency is not dismissing all tips about the drones as non-credible, “the amount of actual drone activity is likely less than what’s being reported.”
A DOD official added that the agency has gathered “no intelligence or observations that would indicate that [the drones] were aligned with a foreign actor or that they had malicious intent.”
“But, you know, just to simply tell you, we don’t know,” the representative said. “We have not been able to locate or identify the operators or the points of origin.”
WATCH: TRUMP ADDRESSES MYSTERIOUS DRONE SIGHTINGS
While the Pentagon maintains that the drones are not foreign, the FBI has admitted it is “concerned” about how little the agency knows about them.
Robert Wheeler, FBI assistant director of the Critical Incident Response Group, told Congress on Dec. 10, “There is nothing that is known that would lead me to say that, but we just don’t know. And that’s the concerning part,” when asked if the drone sightings pose a risk to Americans.
Asked on Thursday if they’d learned anything since then, the FBI suggested to Fox News Digital the phenomenon might not actually be drones.
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“We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus. The FBI, DHS and our federal partners, in close coordination with the New Jersey State Police, continue to deploy personnel and technology to investigate this situation and confirm whether the reported drone flights are actually drones or are instead manned aircraft or otherwise inaccurate sightings,” a spokesperson said.
Lawmakers and experts alike are urging federal officials to release more information about the suspected drone activity to ease Americans’ concerns and quash any unfounded conspiracies.
‘Flying naked’ is the latest travel trend dividing the internet, and it doesn’t mean what you think
Some social media users claim they’re leaving their luggage at home and opting for a care-free way to travel.
Dubbed “flying naked,” it’s the trend that travelers are trying out, but it doesn’t mean exactly how it sounds.
Instead of hopping on a plane with a carry-on or checking your bag at the front, passengers are traveling with the bare minimum.
MYSTERIOUS ‘DING’ SOUNDS HEARD ON AIRPLANES MIGHT NOT MEAN WHAT YOU THINK
The concept behind this trend is not entirely new; in fact, people have been testing the move out for years, and it’s recently been gaining traction.
The idea is that you hop on a train, fully clothed, with nothing but what is already in your pockets, although headphones seem to be one exception.
Some Reddit users joined in on the conversation, with some appearing to appreciate the idea and others finding the concept to be too limiting.
‘SEAT SQUATTERS’ ON PLANES ARE LATEST TRAVEL TREND TAKING OVER SOCIAL MEDIA
This can range from a brief overnight trip to multiple days with people breaking down their “zero bag trips” and sharing how they plan to attempt their travels with limited resources.
One user on TikTok posted a video of themselves walking through the airport, captioning the footage, “Getting on a plane with no carry-on bags is the weirdest feeling. It’s like you’re just hopping on the local bus and a little while later you [are] off in a completely different city.”
Another creator posted a series of travel videos titled “Traveling with No Bags, Just Vibes.”
Another flyer posted a similar video saying, “Woke up and decided to get on a flight with no checked bag or carry on, just vibes.”
THE FOUR ‘DREADED’ LETTERS ON AIRLINE BOARDING PASSES THAT TRAVELERS SAY THEY NEVER WANT TO SEE
While some hopped on the “flying naked” bandwagon, others said they couldn’t grasp the concept.
“I don’t get how come people are on the JFK AirTrain with no bags. Traveling [with] no inventory is insane to me,” another TikTok user said in a video.
There appear to be some beneficial aspects to flying without bags.
There may be less stress that comes with having to find overhead bin space or concern about your checked luggage not making it aboard a connecting flight.
AIRLINE PASSENGERS COULD BE REMOVED FROM FLIGHTS FOR GOING BAREFOOT: ETIQUETTE EXPERT WEIGHS IN
An additional perk could include not having to pay additional fees for checking a bag.
In 2023, airlines made over $33 billion in baggage fees, FOX Business reported.
Some airlines, like Frontier, will even pay personnel an additional fee if they catch someone with a carry-on bag that is too large for the overhead bin space in the cabin as a way of incentivizing employees and passengers to follow the strict baggage policies, Reuters reported.
The “flying naked” trend is in contrast to another packing hack that people attempted while flying, which involved an over-abundance of bags while boarding an airplane.
TRAVELER’S VIRAL FLIGHT BOOKING HACK TO AVOID DREADED MIDDLE SEAT IGNITES DEBATE
Instead of flying with barely anything on you, some passengers have tried to bring additional bags on the plane, aside from their carry-on and personal bags, by hiding them under their clothes.
One TikTok user posted a video of a woman wearing a backpack on the front of her body, before putting on a sweatshirt to give the illusion that she was pregnant.
Others have tried to bring a pillowcase stuffed with additional clothes, a hack that quickly backfired, leading to one passenger getting involved with security, according to several news reports.
While the idea of “flying naked” might seem relaxing at the beginning, the next question is: What do you do when you land?
Some people claim they’ll live off the clothes on their back and continuously wash the items in the shower or sink, according to social media posts.
Others see it as an opportunity to shop or thrift for clothes when they arrive at their destination, but then they have to buy a new bag or suitcase to bring pack all the newly acquired clothing items they have purchased.
Another option would be to ship home the items they purchased, which could result in a payment that costs more than the fees required to check a bag.
Thrillist, a media company that covers travel, food, drink and more, categorized “naked flyers” into three categories: Totally Bare, Pocket People and Delivery Crew.
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Those who go “Totally Bare” only bring the basics, which consist of a phone, charger and wallet. Thrillist noted that these people are in it for the challenge and will not ship luggage.
“Pocket People” are those who will fill up all available pockets with items they might need, including headphones, additional clothes and other toiletries.
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“Cargo pants and zipper pockets are their friends,” the outlet said.
The last group, “Delivery Crew,” is only trying the “flying naked” trend because they want a smooth flying experience, while their luggage will be shipped to their final destination and be waiting for them upon their arrival, Thrillist reported.
Fox News Digital reached out to Frontier Airlines for comment.