Sheriff deputy’s son allegedly used her weapon to carry out deadly Florida State rampage
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Two people were killed, and six others were injured, in a shooting at Florida State University (FSU) on Thursday in Tallahassee, authorities said.
The shooting began at around 11:50 a.m. During a press conference later that afternoon, authorities identified the suspected shooter as 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, a student at the school.
Ikner was taken to an area hospital after being “neutralized” by authorities. Police also said his mother is a sheriff’s deputy with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, and said Ikner used his mother’s weapon in the killing.
The suspect’s mother, Jessica Ikner, has been an officer for over 18 years and authorities said she has done a “tremendous job” in her position.
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“Her service to this community has been exceptional,” Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil said at the press conference. “Unfortunately, her son had access to one of her weapons and that was one of the weapons that was found at the scene. And we are continuing that investigation into how that weapon was used.”
The two people who were killed were not FSU students, according to authorities.The area is still considered an active crime scene, and authorities believe that the suspect acted alone.
“There is no further threat to our community at this point,” Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell said.
Fox News Digital was at FSU on Thursday evening when a group of students held a vigil for those injured and killed during the attack.
Pictures show several students kneeling at the scene of the shooting, which is still covered with yellow tape as authorities continue their extensive investigation.
Dozens of flower bouquets were left at the vigil, in addition to several candles and heart-shaped balloons.
FSU student William Schatz spoke to Fox News Digital on Thursday night about the incident, which unfolded while he was in the library.
Schatz said he was preparing for a presentation with a group of fellow students, which was scheduled to take place at 1:20 p.m.
“Some people stayed in the library…but my instinct was, I see people running, I’m gonna run with them,” the FSU senior said.
Schatz also credited first responders for taking control of the situation quickly.
The FBI was able to dispatch agents from its Tallahassee field office to the scene quickly, as they are located close to FSU’s campus. The ATF’s Tampa office also confirmed that they are on the scene assisting law enforcement, and the FBI’s Jacksonville office is seeking information about the shooting and asked for tips form the public.
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FSU has canceled all classes through Friday and said athletic events in Tallahassee were canceled through the weekend. FSU President Richard McCullough issued a statement on X, calling the shooting “a tragic and senseless act of violence.”
“There will be more updates in the days ahead, and more time to reflect and heal. But now, we mourn together,” the president said. “We lean on one another. And we remember who we are. We are Florida State. We are family. And we stand together.”
Ben Veytsman, a sophomore studying management information systems at FSU, had just finished a therapy appointment on campus when he heard shots and was rushed away.
Veytsman told Fox News Digital that the therapy appointment was held at the campus’s Thagard Building, near the student union. After leaving, he heard a popping noise while walking on campus.
“I was walking home and then this one guy was like chasing another guy,” the college student recalled. “It looked like but they’re both just like running…and I thought they had an altercation between themselves.
“And then the guy in front was like, ‘Yo, there’s some school shooting. Everyone get inside,’ because we were right near the library. And then I could tell he wasn’t joking. And then that’s when me and a bunch of neighboring students just like start running in.”
The sophomore said he took shelter in the staff lounge before being escorted to another place and, finally, allowed to walk home.
“It didn’t feel real to me. It felt like I was like enacting a school shooter drill.”
FSU student Cole Summers, who was in the student union, spoke to Fox News Digital about his experience.
“I was getting food at the Panera and heard a group of girls saying something about a gun, right after I heard the shots and immediately started running. I ran out the back of the union and as I was running I heard more shots coming from the entrance of the union,” he said.
Another student, Christopher Malave, told Fox News Digital that he was in the student union when the shooting began.
“Thanks to the Lord, I did get home safely,” the meteorology student said. “I’ve just been trying to recuperate, collect my thoughts these past couple hours.”
“I truly do believe that God protected me today, and I’m really just blessed that, all things considered, I’m all in one piece. My friends are safe, I’m safe, and I’m just super blessed all things considered.”
Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., said that her office was in touch with FSU leadership about the situation.
“I am praying for the safety of the students, faculty and all first responders involved,” Moody wrote.
Additionally, Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said he was praying for the safety of all those at FSU and instructed students to follow school officials’ directions.
President Donald Trump has been briefed on the situation and made a brief comment in the Oval Office. He said it was “horrible that things like this take place.”
“The [FBI] is on the scene at Florida State and we are in communication with agents on the ground. Our priority is the safety of everyone involved. We will keep updating as we learn more. Praying for all,” Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote.
FBI Director Kash Patel said he was briefed on the situation, and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino confirmed that the bureau was on the scene at FSU.
“The FBI is on the scene at FSU. I am en route back to DC from our LA office but we are getting updates on the situation on the plane. We will update you as we learn more,” Bongino wrote in a post on X.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., wrote on the social media platform X that, “Our prayers are with our FSU family and state law enforcement is actively responding.”
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FSU’s Tallahassee campus sits on 485.7 acres and the university has 403 buildings in total. The student body is more than 44,300 strong and the university has more than 16,000 employees, according to the school’s website.
Press conference for murder suspect devolves into chaos after victim’s dad shows up
Chaos unfolded during a press conference in Dallas Thursday afternoon as the spokesman for Karmelo Anthony’s family took jabs at Austin Metcalf’s father, who was escorted from the site of the event before it began.
Anthony is accused of fatally stabbing fellow 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at an April 2 high school track meet in Frisco, Texas.
Jeff Metcalf, Austin’s father, attempted to attend the news conference Thursday led by Dominique Alexander, the head of the Next Generation Action Network, an activist group speaking on Anthony’s behalf.
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Metcalf confirmed to Fox News Digital he was escorted from the event under the threat of criminal trespass charges.
“The preliminary investigation determined that one person was asked to leave the location and did so without incident,” the Dallas Police Department told Fox News Digital. “No offense was reported.”
Anthony is facing first-degree murder charges for allegedly stabbing Metcalf to death during a dispute under a tent at a track meet.
He was released from the Collin County Jail after his bond was reduced from $1 million to $250,000.
The news conference addressed more than $450,000 in GiveSendGo funds that have been donated to the Anthony family after his arrest and rumors the money was being spent improperly. The second focus was supposed to be Anthony’s mother, Kayla Hayes, who read a statement on behalf of the family that was prepared by attorneys.
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But the event devolved into accusations of racism and bigotry, along with Alexander’s admonishment of Jeff Metcalf before either topic was even discussed.
“What we’ve seen at the beginning of this press conference, of the father being at this press conference, these are my words — don’t quote anybody — is a disrespect to the dignity of his son,” Alexander said.
“Next Generation Action Network from the beginning has respected the loss of life, no matter our opinion of it. We have kept our opinion close,” he said. “We have not attacked. We have not shared the information that was shared with us about Austin Metcalf because we respect the dignity of life and loss.
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“That was disrespectful and just shows you all the character,” Alexander said. “He was not invited. He knows that it’s inappropriate to be near this family, but he did it. So, I say to people, actions speak louder than words.”
Alexander said Jeff Metcalf wanted to focus on politics and bigotry.
“What he has felled [sic] into is the political operatives that want to make this thing a political thing of hate and yet bigotry and yet racism,” he said. “We have conservative operatives that have been posting nonstop about this case.”
He then moved onto the issue of the online fundraiser.
Alexander said none of the money from the GiveSendGo has been spent, and any suggestion otherwise is “intentional disinformation.”
“Let’s be clear,” he said. “The family has not received one dime.”
Alexander then ranted about the Frisco Independent School District’s plans to expel Anthony a month before graduation. He noted that Anthony has a 3.7 GPA, and that even if he didn’t go to class for the rest of the year, he would still be able to graduate.
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He also appeared to subtly shift blame for Metcalf’s death from Anthony to the school district, intimating that the school should have canceled the April 2 track meet in the first place because of inclement weather.
“Because as a person who is the administrator of yet children, you are responsible for the safety of the children,” he said. “And so it seems as if Frisco ISD is trying to push this off by making [the decision to expel Anthony] that they do not have to make.”
“While Frisco ISD cannot comment on an individual student’s disciplinary record due to student privacy law, we can provide general information about district protocol and relevant law,” a spokesperson for the district told Fox News Digital.
“If the school recommends expulsion, which means the student is removed from school, the student is not allowed to go on any Frisco ISD property while the decision is being made,” the spokesperson said. “A meeting will be held where the student can share their side of the story and show any evidence. After the meeting, the district will decide whether to go through with the expulsion and will let the student and parents know.”
Before finally turning the conference over to Hayes, Alexander commented on Judge Angela Tucker, a Black Republican presiding over the case.
“But the ugly attacks on her just shows Black America that no matter what you pick in the ballot box — and that is your constitutional right — it’s people out here reminding us of the Black struggle in America.”
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An emotional Hayes spoke only briefly.
“Our family has been under attack,” she said. “Whatever you think, what happened between Karmelo and the Metcalf boy, my three younger children, my husband and I didn’t do anything to deserve to be threatened, harassed and lied about.”
She said such lies have put her family in danger, along with the community and those involved in the investigation.
“Our address and my husband’s previous employer’s address has been put on all social media platforms,” she said. “My husband had to take a leave of absence because he’s afraid of what may happen to our family.”
She said her husband’s mental health is deteriorating, and her daughter is afraid to sleep in her own bed.
Hayes echoed Alexander’s sentiment that the GiveSendGo funds have not been used by the family at all.
After Hayes spoke, Alexander returned to the issue of race.
“Because these racist bigots try to prevent us from standing up for our baby, our boy, he should be afforded the same rights that Kyle Rittenhouse had, Daniel Penny and all the people who have claimed whatever their defense was – he should be afforded the same right,” Alexander said.
“Nobody in the public media has one video, but we got the video of Kyle Rittenhouse with an AK-47 shooting three people in the back,” he said. “We got that, and he raised more than $2 million publicly, and nobody said anything about that.”
Jeff Metcalf previously told Fox News, “I want to clarify something right off to start because I’ve already heard some rumors and gossip. This was not a race thing. This is not a political thing.
“Do not politicize this. It’s not … this is a human being thing. This person made a bad choice and affected both his family and my family forever.”
Metcalf added that “Austin was the light of my life.”
He said on “America Reports” that Austin died in the arms of his twin brother, Hunter, who desperately tried to stop the bleeding.
“They were so tight. They had the best bond. They were best friends,” Metcalf said of the pair. “And now I have to focus on taking care of Hunter.”
Metcalf also mentioned forgiveness.
“People ask me, how can you forgive this other person? I said I forgive the other person because the forgiveness is not for him. The forgiveness is for me so I can have peace,” he said. “His life is destroyed. My life is destroyed.”
Metcalf was killed after an altercation under a Memorial High School tent at the track meet. The arrest report from the incident said Anthony “grabbed his bag, opened it and reached inside it” and told Metcalf, “Touch me and see what happens.”
In the next moment, a witness told police, Anthony “reached into his bag and the male took a knife out of the bag and stabbed Austin.”
The witness told the officer Anthony fled after the stabbing. Metcalf died in his twin brother’s arms.
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Anthony told the responding school resource officer, who cuffed him upon arrival, he was protecting himself. The officer also noted blood on Anthony’s left middle finger.
One responding officer referred to Anthony as the alleged suspect. Anthony made a “spontaneous statement,” according to the report, saying, “I’m not alleged, I did it.”
Anthony also asked the officers if Metcalf was “going to be OK” and asked if what happened could be considered “self-defense,” the report said.
Mark Cuban admits support for Trump executive order: ‘Gotta be honest’
Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban on Wednesday expressed support for President Donald Trump’s executive order on healthcare and drug pricing despite his longstanding opposition to many of the president’s policies.
“Shark Tank” star Mark Cuban, who founded pharmaceutical firm Cost Plus Drugs in 2022 as a public benefit corporation to lower prices for generic drugs, said that the Trump administration executive order released earlier in the week could result in significant savings on prescription drug costs.
“Gotta be honest. The @realDonaldTrump EO on healthcare and in particular, drug pricing could save hundreds of billions,” Cuban wrote in a post on X.
He outlined six policies that he thinks will lead to those savings by changing how drugmakers, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and pharmacies interact to save consumers money on their drugs.
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Cuban said that divorcing formularies from PBMs and requiring independent groups without an economic incentive from the formulary to develop them would end rebates and allow for net pricing of prescription drugs.
He also said that PBMs should be required to provide claims data to employers, states and manufacturers, as it would save manufacturers from having to pay for them and allow them to reduce retail pricing.
Cuban called for ending the specialty tier of drugs and the requirement to buy from a specified pharmacy, saying there’s “nothing special about specialty drugs” and that designation is mainly used to “jack up the price.”
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Additionally, Cuban suggested that all pharmacies should be fully reimbursed for brand drugs and that the generic cost ratio should be eliminated because it “allows distributors to jack up pricing on generics with the threat of chargebacks and more.”
The other policies Cuban advocated for were the removal of confidentiality clauses that prevent companies from talking to manufacturers, which he thinks will lead to better prices and wellness plans for patients, as well as ending biosimilar substitution calls to ensure consumers get the lowest-cost option without PBMs substituting a more expensive version.
“Put me in coach,” Cuban’s post concluded, “I’m here to help.”
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The Trump administration’s executive order directed federal agencies to develop a variety of regulations and reports related to healthcare and prescription drugs, including revisions to the drug price negotiation program under the Inflation Reduction Act and stabilizing Medicare Part D premiums.
It also directed the development of regulations aimed at reducing prices of high-cost drugs for seniors under Medicare, including drugs that aren’t part of the price negotiation program; revising the Medicaid drug payment program; and making life-saving drugs like insulin or injectable epinephrine more affordable.
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The executive order calls for reports reevaluating the role of middlemen in the pharmaceutical value chain to boost competition and lower drug prices, making high-cost prescription drugs more competitive, and boosting imports of prescription drugs to lower prices “without sacrificing safety or quality.”
Liberal justice denies illegal migrants’ request to halt deportation
Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan on Wednesday denied an emergency appeal by four Mexican nationals facing deportation. The request asked the court to temporarily block their removal so they could file a formal petition for review.
Kagan denied the application without comment and did not refer the matter to her colleagues.
The petitioners, Fabian Lagunas Espinoza, Maria Angelica Flores Ulloa and their two sons, were ordered to report to immigration officials on Thursday. Their legal team argued they face cartel violence if returned to Mexico.
According to their court filing, the family fled Guerrero, Mexico, in 2021, after being threatened by the Los Rojos drug cartel. The petition stated that cartel members demanded the family vacate their home within 24 hours or be killed.
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It also included details of past violence against extended family members, including beatings and threats following refusals to cooperate with the cartel.
The family entered the U.S. unlawfully and sought asylum and an immigration judge denied their claims.
That ruling was upheld by the Board of Immigration Appeals in November 2023, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the decision in February 2025. A temporary stay of removal was lifted April 7.
The emergency appeal to Justice Kagan argued that the lower courts and immigration authorities failed to consider credible evidence and due process claims.
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Under Supreme Court procedures, each justice handles emergency appeals from a specific circuit. As the justice assigned to the Ninth Circuit, Kagan had the authority to act alone or refer the case to the full court.
She denied the application without referring to it further.
In their filing, the petitioners’ attorney, LeRoy George Siddell, wrote: “Petitioners face imminent removal and have been directed to report to immigration office on 4/17/2025, despite credible and detailed testimony and documentary evidence showing they are targets of cartel violence due to their family ties and refusal to comply with extortion demands.”
There was no response from the Department of Justice to the application before Kagan issued her decision.
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As of Thursday morning, the petitioners were required to report to U.S. immigration authorities. Their disposition remains to be determined.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Expert says New York AG’s long-running vendetta against Trump is blowing up in her face
The Trump administration’s criminal referral targeting New York Attorney General Letitia James for reported mortgage fraud likely never would have unfolded if not for the Democrat’s years of targeting the president in court, a New York City real estate attorney and expert told Fox News Digital.
“To be perfectly frank, this is a retaliatory case brought by the president for what the attorney general did to him over the last several years,” New York City attorney Pierre Debbas, partner and founding member of real estate law firm Romer Debbas, told Fox News Digital in a Zoom interview Thursday morning. “Both cases, quite honestly, are very weak cases.
“The attorney general’s case that was brought against Donald Trump was honestly a pure manipulation of the legal system, and it was laughable,” he continued, referring to the civil fraud case she brought against Trump. “Something that’s never taken place in the history of New York that was isolated at one particular person for a politically driven purpose.
“Now, on the flip side, this serves the same purpose, right? This is the president’s way of seeking retaliation against the attorney general for something that, in reality, is, while it’s considered mortgage fraud, it’s not criminal,” he continued. “And it’s not something that would have been brought upon had the attorney general not pursued a similar case with low merit against the president a few years back.”
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The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), an independent federal agency that oversees Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Bank System, sent a criminal referral to the Department of Justice Monday arguing the attorney general appeared to have falsified mortgage records to obtain more favorable loans.
At the heart of the case is a Norfolk, Virginia, home James purchased in 2023, which she identified on mortgage documents and a Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac form as a property that would serve as her primary residence, according to the FHFA letter dated Monday. James is legally required to live in New York as a statewide elected official in the Empire State, the letter adds.
Identifying a home as a primary residence versus a secondary home or vacation home comes with financial incentives, Debbas explained, because banks will offer lower interest rates to primary residences, with homeowners less likely to default on such loans compared to a second home.
“As a real estate attorney, we represent every major lending institution in the country,” he said. “And a common underwriting requirement for banks is to solidify what the use of the property is going to be, meaning, is it a primary residence, second home or investment property.
“And the reason banks do that is that clearly there’s a higher rate of default when it comes to investment properties and second homes as opposed to primary residences.”
“The reason being is people, you know, don’t want to leave their homes,” he said. “Now, a second home investment property, you may be a little more inclined to throw the keys to the bank.”
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The bank then requires the borrower to sign an affidavit confirming that the home being acquired will be used as a primary residence, he explained.
“Now, if that is not the intent or that is in fact inaccurate, and you sign that agreement, you are in fact committing mortgage fraud,” he said. “And the bank relies on that agreement in giving you the loan. Now, would they have given you a loan if it were a second home? Potentially, but the difference is the interest rate would be significantly higher.”
The bank’s recourse when discovering such mortgage fraud related to misidentifying a property as a primary residence to obtain more favorable loan terms is “simply to call the loan,” he said.
“They would call the loan, force you to pay it off by a certain date,” he said. “If you’re unable to sell the property or take other liquidity that you have to pay off the loan, they have the right to pursue a foreclosure action. They’d be legally granted this right. It would be very difficult to contest under those circumstances because, technically speaking, this is a default and this is fraud.”
The New York City real estate attorney added that this type of fraud is common.
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“What extent is it fraud? To be quite honest with you, this is a very common thing that does take place in the real estate market,” he said. “I’m not saying it’s right. I’m not saying Letitia James … the full extent of the law shouldn’t be applied to her. But it is something that takes place. Because if the loan is current, the bank hasn’t really suffered any detriment, but it’s still mortgage fraud. So that doesn’t take away the fraud component to this.”
Debbas argued this type of fraud does not rise to the level of criminal activity because the bank can call the loan,take back the property or force it to be liquidated.
James’ office told The New York Times that a separate loan application for the 2023 Norfolk, Virginia, home purchase reportedly indicated she would not live at the property full time, and that her mortgage agreement did not require her to occupy the property as her primary residence.
James is a longtime political foe of Trump’s who campaigned for the attorney general job in 2018 by vowing to aggressively pursue legal charges against Trump if elected, adding she’d expose the “con man” after her win that year.
Her office leveled nearly 100 legal challenges against the first Trump administration and added after his second presidential win in 2024 that she would continue challenging him in the courts to “defend the rights of New Yorkers and the rule of law.”
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Most notably, James pursued a civil fraud case against Trump and the Trump Organization for inflating the values of properties to obtain more favorable loans, insurance coverage and tax deductions, which resulted in a $454 million judgment in 2024.
A spokesperson for James’ office told Fox Digital Thursday that “multiple times during the attorney general’s trial against President Trump and the Trump Organization for years of financial fraud, President Trump’s attorneys repeatedly made the argument that the attorney general’s lawsuit was politically motivated.
“Every single time, the judge rejected that argument and even sanctioned the attorneys for making it,” the spokesperson added. “Attorney General James won her lawsuit, and the judgment against President Trump now exceeds half a billion dollars.”
Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley noted the irony of Trump’s criminal referral over allegations of James fudging numbers to obtain more favorable loans after pursing Trump for something similar.
“This is a person who prosecuted Trump for everything short of ripping a label off a mattress, and among the charges that were brought in New York, in not just the civil but the criminal case, was making false or misleading statements to financial institutions,” the legal scholar said on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle” Tuesday. “As for James, if we apply the Letitia James standard that she created, there’d be little question here. This seems pretty straightforward.”
The administration is looking into the allegations put forth by the FHFA while underscoring that “no one is above the law,” White House spokesman Harrison Fields said on Newsmax Wednesday.
“With the Democratic Party, they love to throw stones in glass homes when they realize that they’re committing the crimes that they’re actually trying to go against,” Fields said.
“So, this is now a criminal referral that the Department of Justice under Attorney General Pam Bondi will have to look at,” he added. “The allegations from the FHFA are very serious. We’re going to look at them, and no one is above the law. And Tish James, she’d like to say that about the president, but she should look in the mirror and realize that if you have skeletons in your closets about abusing the law and doing illegal things, maybe you shouldn’t be purveying around like some justice queen, because you’re not.”
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The criminal referral also cited past reported issues with James’ properties, including a 2001 purchase of a Brooklyn property. The certificate of occupancy lists the property as a five-unit residence, while James’ mortgages list the property as four units.
Debbas explained that five-unit properties are identified as commercial properties, which would require a commercial loan that has higher interest rates than a residential loan. However, the banks carry the burden of confirming whether a building is commercial or residential.
“If the borrower has the ability to tell the bank or convince the bank that it’s actually four units, it’s to their financial benefit,” he said. “Now, when you look at a certificate of occupancy, certificate of the occupancy is issued by the Department of Buildings, which tells you the legal use of the building.
“This is a five-family dwelling,” he said. “Now, this is unequivocally a commercial property. The burden was on the bank to confirm this, but if the borrower did, in fact, have concrete knowledge … an argument can be made that mortgage fraud did take place in the application of this law.”
James’ office told The New York Times a rider attached to the Brooklyn mortgage stated the building was four units, not five.
Debbas added that before the 2008 market crash, there was a lot of “shadiness” in the world of mortgages.
“As an elected official … there should be a heightened standard for honesty and obliging by your legal requirements not falsifying documents or committing fraud,” Debbas said.
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While reflecting specifically on the Virginia home alleged mortgage fraud, he added, “Now, how would this impact her seating as attorney general of the state of New York? At the end of the day, that’s going to be determined largely based on how many enemies she’s created. But from a purely mortgage standpoint, it is certainly mortgage fraud, but, in my opinion, it does not warrant any criminal activity.”
A spokesperson for James’ office said Wednesday morning she has been “focused every single day on protecting New Yorkers, especially as this administration weaponizes the federal government against the rule of law and the Constitution. She will not be intimidated by bullies — no matter who they are,” Fox Digital previously reported.
Former sen’s wife braces for verdict as prosecutors expose alleged string of misconduct
Prosecutors and defense attorneys delivered closing arguments today in the bribery trial of Nadine Menendez, wife of former Sen. Bob Menendez, D-M.J., who is accused of helping broker deals that sold the senator’s influence in exchange for gold bars, envelopes of cash, and a Mercedes-Benz convertible.
The former senator—who was not present and was sentenced in a separate trial to 11 years in prison on bribery, acting as a foreign agent, and obstruction charges—was repeatedly referenced during the government’s summation. Nadine Menendez, who faces similar charges, sat quietly in the courtroom between her two attorneys, wearing a pink face mask.
Prosecutor Paul Monteleoni delivered the government’s closing argument over several hours, calling Bob Menendez his wife’s “partner in crime.” He walked the jury through all 18 charges against Nadine Menendez, alleging that she acted as a broker, selling her husband’s political power in a series of schemes.
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Prosecutors said the misconduct included helping a New Jersey-based Halal certifier pursue a monopoly, interfering in a state-level criminal case, and ghostwriting a letter for the Egyptian government to help maintain U.S. aid.
In return, Monteleoni told jurors, Nadine Menendez received envelopes of cash, 1-kilogram gold bars, a high-paying job, and a luxury convertible.
“She did it so she could get a convertible,” Monteleoni said. In closing, he added, “The defendant is guilty on every count.”
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Barry Coburn, representing the defense, argued that the government had applied overly broad definitions of “official acts” and “quid pro quo.” He claimed most of what was alleged involved routine political behavior. “Menendez must and should not be found guilty of any of them,” Coburn told the jury.
He specifically pushed back on the claim that a meeting between former Sen. Menendez and New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal amounted to an official act.
“These things are unproven in this case,” Coburn said, adding: “The rule of law mandates acquittal on those counts.”
The defense also questioned the credibility of Jose Uribe, a cooperating government witness, saying much of his testimony lacked corroboration. Coburn pointed to a dinner where Uribe claimed the former senator told him, “I saved your ass, not once but twice.” Coburn argued that such statements were unverified and unreliable.
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Judge Sidney H. Stein is scheduled to deliver jury instructions on Friday morning at 9:30 a.m., after which deliberations will begin.
Wendy’s refuses to apologize for taking dig at Katy Perry after backlash
Katy Perry just touched the edge of space. Wendy’s just touched a nerve.
In one of the strangest brand vs. celebrity moments of the year, Wendy’s fast food chain lobbed a spicy shot at pop star Katy Perry shortly after she completed her Blue Origin suborbital space flight — and when asked to apologize, the restaurant brand doubled down.
The drama kicked off Monday, when Perry landed back on Earth after an 11-minute journey to the stars aboard a Blue Origin flight alongside Lauren Sánchez, Gayle King and three other women.
BLUE ORIGIN LAUNCHES KATY PERRY, ALL-FEMALE CREW INTO SPACE, COMPLETES SAFE LANDING
The milestone moment went viral on social media. Then came Wendy’s.
Under a post from Pop Crave celebrating Perry’s return, Wendy’s X account quipped:
“Can we send her back[?]”
The post hit like a frosty slap, and they didn’t stop coming.
In a twist on Perry’s breakout hit, “I Kissed a Girl,” Wendy’s X account mocked the singer for kissing the earth upon the earthbound return of the Blue Origin vessel.
Backlash wasn’t far behind. Fans were quick to call out the burger giant for punching down, and not in the way it usually roasts rival chains.
BLUE ORIGIN AND ITS ALL-FEMALE MISSION: FAST FACTS
By Thursday, People magazine reported that Wendy’s had been given the chance to walk it back. Instead, the brand took the scenic route around an apology.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WEN | THE WENDY’S CO. | 12.68 | +0.14 | +1.12% |
“We always bring a little spice to our socials,” a spokesperson told People, “but Wendy’s has a ton of respect for Katy Perry and her out-of-this-world-talent.”
But not everyone was loving the heat. A source close to the situation told People that the post crossed a line from cheeky to cheap.
“Wendy’s didn’t make a joke — they made a choice,” the source said.
“This wasn’t harmless banter, this was a billion-dollar brand using its platform to publicly demean a woman… when billion-dollar brands join in, it’s irresponsible.”
Even Perry’s fellow space traveler, Sánchez, weighed in, making it clear she wasn’t impressed by the trolling.
She told People she’d gladly give Wendy’s a behind-the-scenes look at Blue Origin to show them just how serious and meaningful the mission was.
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“I would love to have them come to Blue Origin and see the thousands of employees that don’t just work here, but they put their heart and soul into this vehicle,” Sánchez said. “Come with me. I’ll show you what this is about, and it’s really eye-opening.”
Wendy’s hasn’t tweeted anything further on the issue.
Wendy’s media relations team did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for inquiry.
Researchers discover unexpected link between smartphone use and dementia
The first generation that has been exposed consistently to digital technology has reached the age where symptoms of dementia tend to emerge.
Some have claimed that digital technology could negatively impact cognitive abilities, but researchers from Baylor University have discovered just the opposite.
“You can flip on the news on just about any day and you’ll see people talking about how technologies are harming us,” said study co-author Michael Scullin in a press release.
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“People often use the terms ‘brain drain’ and ‘brain rot,’ and now ‘digital dementia’ is an emerging phrase. As researchers, we wanted to know if this was true,” Scullin said.
The researchers analyzed past studies to determine the impact of technology on mental aging. Their findings, which were published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, suggest that digital technologies can actually preserve cognitive abilities.
AMERICA’S SENIORS ARE VULNERABLE TO THESE DIGITAL THREATS, EXPERTS WARN
For the meta-review, researchers analyzed more than 136 studies that included 400,000 adults, with an average of six years of follow-up data.
The team concluded that the use of digital technology correlates with a 58% lower risk of cognitive impairment, even after adjusting for gender, age and education level.
One contributing factor, according to Scullin, could be the cognitive challenges that older adults face when interacting with technology.
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“One of the first things that middle-aged and older adults were saying is that ‘I’m so frustrated by this computer. This is hard to learn,'” he said in the release.
“That’s actually a reflection of the cognitive challenge, which may be beneficial for the brain even if it doesn’t feel great in the moment.”
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Technology can be cognitively challenging because it is always changing, forcing users to learn and adapt, the researchers noted. This “exercises” the brain and helps keep it sharp.
Dementia diagnoses often involve loss of ability to independently perform daily tasks, such as taking pills, keeping track of appointments and navigating directions, per the Alzheimer’s Research UK website.
Digital tools like web calendars, phone reminders and navigation apps can allow for greater independence in older adults.
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The study found that “digital scaffolding” – the process of using these tools to perform daily tasks – “facilitates better functional outcomes in older adults while general cognitive functioning declines.”
One highly debated aspect of digital technology’s effect on our brains is the use of social media, but according to the researchers, it’s not all bad.
Another benefit of digital technology, according to experts, is the ability for aging adults to maintain social connections, which has been linked to a decreased dementia risk.
“Now you can connect with families across generations,” Scullin said.
“You can not only talk to them, you can see them. You can share pictures. You can exchange emails — and it’s all within a second or less. So that means there’s a greater opportunity for decreasing loneliness.”