Maine rep warns of next steps in trans athlete battle after Supreme Court win
Maine state representative Laurel Libby is allowed to vote for her constituents after three months of being censured, thanks to a 7-2 Supreme Court decision Tuesday.
After the state’s Democrat majority voted to strip Libby of her voting rights in February for making a social media post that called out a biologically trans athlete who won a girls’ pole vault competition, she fought a legal battle to overturn it all the way up to the Supreme Court. And it paid off with Tuesday’s decision.
Libby called the battle a ‘civil rights’ case in an interview with Fox News Digital.
“I most certainly do believe this is a civil rights issue for Maine girls and girls across the country who are being sidelines by biological males,” Libby said, later adding that the censure “was political retaliation from start to finish,” over her vocal stance on trans athlete inclusion.
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Libby believes the ruling is essential in order to protect Americans who want to speak out against allowing trans athletes in girls’ and women’s sports while the country is in a pivotal standoff over the issue.
“Thankfully the Supreme Court saw the merits and the high stakes with this case, and really what was on the line not just for just me, my constituents in Maine, but really the entire country if this was upheld… No one should ever be silenced for speaking up on behalf of our girls,” Libby said.
“Now we have a ruling from the Supreme Court that says no one can be silenced for speaking the truth even if it’s an unpopular truth. So I hope we will be seeing more folks speaking up on behalf of women and girls and their rights.”
The main defendant in Libby’s lawsuit, Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, who passed the censure against Libby on Feb. 15, has vowed to restore Libby’s voting rights to comply with the Supreme Court ruling.
“In accordance with the Supreme Court’s injunction pending appeal, Representative Libby’s ability to vote on the floor of the House has been restored until the current appeal process runs its course,” Fecteau told Fox News Digital. “The Clerk of the House, whom the injunction is against, has already complied with this court ruling. We look forward to continuing with the important work Maine people expect of us.”
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that requires states only allow females to compete, but multiple Democrat-run states, including Maine, have defied the order and continued to enable trans inclusion.
The U.S. Department of Justice and Attorney General Pam Bondi have even filed their own separate lawsuit against the state of Maine for continuing to defy the order.
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Libby has been a central figure in the conservative pushback against Democrat policies that enable trans inclusion in girls’ sports in Maine. In addition to her lawsuit against Fecteau, Libby has been repeatedly critical of Mills for her refusal to comply with Trump.
“Ryan Fecteau and Janet Mills have been ruling our state for the last six years with an iron fist regardless of the will of Maine people,” Libby said. “This sends a message that they can not continue to operate outside of the constitution and ignore the will of Maine people any longer.”
A survey by the American Parents Coalition found that out of about 600 registered Maine voters, 63% said that school sports participation should be based on biological sex, and 66% agreed it is “only fair to restrict women’s sports to biological women.”
Many Maine residents have even entire school districts have stood up against Mills’ policies alongside Libby. Maine’s school districts RSU No. 24 and MSAD No. 70 have each passed their own localized resolutions to keep girls’ spots for female students only. There have also been three large-scale protests against the current policies in the state’s capital city Augusta since February.
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And Libby has had the support of the federal government along the way.
Just days before the decision, the DOJ filed an amicus brief on Libby’s behalf to the Supreme Court, and Bondi spoke out in support of the embattled lawmaker to Fox News Digital.
“I am so thankful for Attorney General Pam Bondi’s response,” Libby said.
However, Libby’s legal battle is not done yet.
The Supreme Court decision has granted her back her right to vote on the state house floor, but she still does not have the right to speak. Libby’s case will now go back to the First Circuit Court of Appeals for oral arguments on June 5, as she will look to regain her voting rights.
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Additionally, Libby was not able to vote on several bills in the state legislature in the last three months during her censure. These included the state’s bi-annual budget vote and a bill to codify the Maine Human Rights Act, which protects trans inclusion in girls’ sports, into the state’s constitution.
Libby said she believes the records should be reflected to include her vote on those bills as well, but does not yet know if she will be actively seeking to have those records changed legally yet.
Illegal immigrant in fatal DUI crash arrested by ICE after county ignored detainers
EXCLUSIVE: Immigration and Customs Enforcement captured an Ecuadorian illegal immigrant who is facing vehicular homicide charges in Minnesota on Friday.
The August crash, in which German Adriano Llangari Inga allegedly had a blood alcohol content “twice the legal limit,” killed mother Victoria Eileen Harwell, and hurt her teenage daughter and sister, according to DHS and local media outlets.
“Despite a lack of cooperation from local Minnesota authorities, ICE arrested criminal illegal alien German Llangari Inga. This criminal illegal alien has been evading prosecution for vehicular homicide that resulted in the death of Minnesota mom, Victoria Eileen Harwell,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement on Tuesday.
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He was arrested by Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office on May 10 “on an outstanding warrant,” but then released on May 13 without notifying ICE despite the detainer request placed by the agency on that day, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
There was another detainer placed by ICE in August when the crash occurred, but Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office told Fox News Digital that because of the state Attorney General’s guidance, they “cannot lawfully hold individuals in custody based solely on an administrative detainer issued by the Department of Homeland Security or Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).”
“If a judicially-signed warrant is presented to HCSO, ICE will be notified when it becomes the holding agency. In the absence of such a warrant, individuals must be released once all criminal charges or holds have been resolved. HCSO is committed to working with federal and local partners and honoring the constitutional rights of all individuals,” HCSO’s statement at the time added.
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In August, he was in county jail for two days.
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“Despite Hennepin County refusing to honor this criminal illegal alien’s detainer TWICE, ICE officers tracked him down and removed this criminal from Minnesota’s streets. Tim Walz should be thanking ICE not using despicable rhetoric. Remember sanctuary politicians are fighting for criminal illegal aliens. President Trump and Secretary Noem are fighting for the victims of illegal alien crime, like Eileen Harwell,” McLaughlin continued.
Earlier this month, the Trump White House took aim at Minnesota leaders because the man was still at large. According to ICE, he first came to the United States in June 2016 and “was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, issued an order of expedited removal and placed into removal proceedings.”
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“An illegal immigrant drove drunk, killed an innocent mother, and is now on the run because Democrats didn’t do their most important job: protect their constituents,” Alex Pfeiffer, White House Principal Deputy Communications Director, told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement at the time.
Fox News Digital reached out to Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday.
South Africa’s land policies spark tension ahead of Trump meeting
JOHANNESBURG — President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House on Wednesday for a make-or-break session, despite new accusations from the president this past Friday that South Africa is “out of control” and committing genocide.
Speaking on Air Force One as it returned from the Persian Gulf region, Trump repeated his claim that White Afrikaner South African farmers are being slaughtered and forced off their land. The Afrikaners are descendants of mostly Dutch settlers who first arrived in South Africa in 1652.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio elaborated on these claims Sunday on CBS, saying “all evidence [indicates] the farmers in South Africa are being treated brutally.”
Some 50 Afrikaners were flown to the U.S. as refugees last week. Rubio said there’s “more to come”. South Africa, and its president, denies claims of genocide and harassment.
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Could the Oval Office and the Wednesday meeting be the setting for a Zelenskyy-style dressing down of the South African president? In February, Ukraine’s president was involved in a shouting match with Trump and others, which reportedly led to him being ejected from the White House.
“The meeting is set to occur at a time when the relationship between the two countries has soured to unprecedented lows,” analyst Frans Cronje, Yorktown Foundation for Freedom advisory board member,told Fox News Digital.
Contentious issues:
- South Africa’s ambassador to Washington was thrown out of the U.S. for calling Trump a “White supremacist.”
- South Africa took legal action against U.S. ally Israel, accusing it of genocide in its war in Gaza, at the International Court of Justice.
- Ramaphosa’s ruling party, the ANC, has shown support for the terror group Hamas.
- Trade and military links with Iran and allegedly nuclear co-operation.
- Shown support for the designated terrorist group Hezbollah.
- Military links with Russia.
- The creation of the controversial Land Expropriation Act, which is aimed at seizing land the government wants in certain circumstances without compensation and which reportedly led to Trump’s focus on White Afrikaner families and claims they are being killed.
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South Africa is “hosting Hamas and Hezbollah, doing business with Iran’s IRGC, prosecuting Israel at the ICJ and cozying up to Beijing and Moscow. These choices have consequences,” Max Meizlish, senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital.
Meizlish said South Africa has “attracted the ire of the president and key members of Congress, who play significant roles in shaping the future of U.S.-South African relations. Unfortunately, President Ramaphosa and his colleagues in the ANC do not appear to fully appreciate this fact.President Trump should insist on meaningful change and be ready to back his demands up with tools like targeted sanctions and tariffs.”
But will the White House meeting be icy, feisty, even loud? Not from the South African side, former U.S. diplomat and Daily Maverick Associate Editor J. Brooks Spector told Fox News Digital. “Ramaphosa has a long track record of careful negotiating with adversaries.”
He doesn’t raise his voice, even when others become heated. This reporter has seen this first hand. In a smoke-filled room in 1990 in South Africa’s dusty Free State, I watched Ramaphosa, then a leader of a Black miners’ union, sometimes even smile as he quietly and successfully calmed down [the] often-shouting White miners accused of killing Black colleagues underground and got the murders stopped.
Spector continued, “It is almost certain Ramaphosa and his team have closely studied the way three recent prior meetings with Trump have gone – those with Zelenskyy (Ukraine), Starmer (the United Kingdom) and Carney (Canada) – in an effort to draw lessons about how to present their best face. He will not make neophyte negotiation mistakes.”
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Cronje told Fox News Digital that Ramaphosa and his country badly need the U.S.
“At home, Mr Ramaphosa is presiding over economic stagnation, with South Africa facing a rate of economic growth estimated at just over 1% together with an unemployment rate of over 30%. Mr. Ramaphosa will, therefore, be under great pressure to secure a deal.”
Some 600 U.S. companies operate in South Africa. Ramaphosa has taken four top ministers to Washington hoping to offer new deals, especially reportedly on natural gas, minerals and agricultural product sales to the U.S., and possibly finally the licensing of Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet system in South Africa.
Cronje noted a military perspective the U.S. will also want to consider: “South Africa commands the southern sea route between the Indian and Atlantic oceans, which is an important trade and naval choke point.”
Meizlish added that South Africa “holds vast mineral wealth and could anchor U.S. investment in Africa, but that doesn’t mean we should turn a blind eye to its alignment with America’s enemies.”
South Africa’s chief rabbi, Dr. Warren Goldstein, told Fox News Digital that South Africa could “easily withdraw” its ICJ case against Israel if it wanted to, adding that “opinion polls show that there is very little domestic support for his (Ramaphosa’s) anti-Israel stance, with most holding positive views towards Israel, sharing the same conservative Christian values that deeply resonate with Mr. Trump’s support base in the U.S.”
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Meizlish said, “This visit can’t be about optics or deals that fail to address the root of South Africa’s malign foreign policy. Trump needs to push Ramaphosa to make substantive, structural reforms in his country’s foreign policy while also creating pathways for greater U.S. investment. It can’t just be one or the other.”
As South African politicians swept through Washington on Tuesday on a major lobbying exercise, trying to get traction on the idea of focusing on trade, Rubio told senators during a hearing that a reset in relations might be possible.
“If there’s a willingness on their side to reset relations, obviously [that’s] something we’ll explore, but we do so with eyes wide open to what they’ve done so far,” he said.
Fox News Digital reached out to the South African government for comment but received no response.
Idaho judge will ‘absolutely’ hold officials accountable for Kohberger leak: lawyer
An Idaho-based lawyer said she thinks Judge Steven Hippler will “absolutely” hold prosecutors and law enforcement accountable after sensitive information about the Bryan Kohberger quadruple murder case was leaked.
A TV episode about the murders of four University of Idaho students was aired on May 9 and featured new cellphone records, surveillance video, search records and more. Kohberger is accused of killing Xana Kernodle, 20, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, and Ethan Chapin, 20.
New information about the murders was shared during the May 9 NBC “Dateline” program, which included surveillance video from a nearby house. The surveillance video showed a car similar to Kohberger’s that was in the area of the King Road house several times just before the four students were killed.
The program also claimed that FBI cellphone tower data showed that Kohberger’s cellphone pinged nearly a dozen times to a tower that provides coverage to an area within 100 feet of 1122 King Road, where he allegedly killed the four students.
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Edwina Elcox, a criminal defense attorney in Boise, Idaho, told Fox News Digital she thinks Hippler is taking the leak very seriously.
“I think prosecutors/law enforcement will absolutely be held accountable,” Elcox said, noting she has worked on cases with Hippler as the judge.
Elcox said she “absolutely” thinks it’s possible for evidence presented during the TV episode to be excluded in court.
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“Can you imagine if the remedy for this was all that evidence being excluded?” Elcox said. “I ABSOLUTELY think that is in the realm of remedies.”
“Not only should it never have happened under any circumstances, there was the gag order,” she added.
Hippler said Thursday in an order that the court’s gag order was “likely” violated by someone who, at one point, was associated with either law enforcement or the prosecution team.
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Hippler ordered anyone who worked with either law enforcement or prosecutors on this case to retain all communications and data relating to the murder investigation.
“Such violations not only undermine the rule of law, potentially by persons charged with upholding it, but also significantly impede the ability to seat an impartial jury and will likely substantially increase the cost to be borne by the taxpayers of Latah County to prosecute this case by extending the time it will take to seat a jury and potentially requiring lengthy period of juror sequestration,” Hippler wrote.
Hippler also said he’s open to appointing a special prosecutor who’d investigate where the leak came from, but hasn’t yet made a decision. He gave a seven-day deadline to prosecutors, who were ordered to submit a list, on camera, of all individuals within law enforcement and the prosecuting agencies that have access to the information shared during the episode.
Idaho Statesman Investigative Reporter Kevin Fixler told Fox News’ “America Reports” he was surprised when the “Dateline” episode aired.
“I have been on this case since literally day one, and this was a surprise. A lot of this information that was released just two and a half months before trial. So we’re trying to better understand where that came from,” Fixler said.
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Forensic expert and Jacksonville State University Professor Joseph Scott Morgan told Fox News Digital there’s a risk that the TV episode on Kohberger will taint the jury pool.
“I think the first place you have to look is the tainting of the pool, of the jury pool,” Morgan said. “Progressively, it becomes more and more difficult because people form opinions, they put things out there that are not true, and you still have yet to pick a jury. And it’s not like you’re going to Manhattan. You’re talking about Ada County, Idaho. You have a limited pool of potential jurors there.”
“They need to find out who’s inside that investigative bubble that would release all of this digital data because you’re talking about a copious amount, not just a new video that we’re seeing that had never been seen before,” Morgan added.
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Morgan said the leak might have the biggest impact if Kohberger decides to file an appeal, after a jury hands down a decision.
“Afterwards, if in fact [Kohberger] is found guilty, his attorneys are going to have a field day with stuff like this,” he said.
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Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Neama Rahmani told Fox News Digital he doesn’t think the leak will have much of an impact on the case.
“People should follow court orders, but this is more bluster than anything and I don’t think much will come of it. This is what happens when you have a very broad gag order and it takes 3.5 years to finally get a murder case to trial. It’s not realistic to expect evidence not being leaked to the media for years in the biggest murder trial in the country,” Rahmani said.
Father ‘furious’ after career criminal allegedly kills daughter in random burglary
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The father of a North Carolina college student who was shot in a “random” burglary earlier this month while she was staying with University of South Carolina students for the weekend was “furious” when he learned of the suspect’s lengthy criminal history.
Logan Federico, a 22-year-old aspiring teacher from Waxhaw, was visiting friends at USC in Columbia, South Carolina, and staying at a house on Cypress Street on the evening of May 2 through May 3.
In the early morning hours of May 3, suspect Alexander Dickey, a 30-year-old “career criminal,” entered the home in the early morning, stole several credit and debit cards and fatally shot Logan in what Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook described as a “random” crime during a May 5 press conference.
“She was supposed to go down the night before, and plans got canceled … so she decided to do it on a Friday,” Logan’s father, Stephen Federico, told Fox News Digital. “That’s the thing that’s just gut-wrenching. She wasn’t even supposed to be there. She was supposed to be home Friday.”
NC COLLEGE STUDENT SHOT DEAD BY ‘CAREER CRIMINAL’ IN ‘RANDOM’ SC HOME INVASION: POLICE
On Saturday afternoon, Logan’s mother, Melissa Federico, was at home cooking when two officers showed up at her door to tell her the news that Logan had been shot dead in Columbia. Stephen had been golfing with friends when his wife called.
“Then, I heard … the screams from my wife on the phone and … she didn’t want to tell me that, and I had to kind of pull it out of her,” Stephen recalled. “And she finally said Logan’s gone, and I said, ‘What do you mean gone?’ She said dead. And that moment, I had no reaction. I was in shock.”
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He described his feelings upon learning that Logan had been shot as “a kick in the stomach” and “a panic.”
When he learned through local news that Dickey was a career criminal with nearly 40 prior arrests across different North Carolina counties, he felt “furious.”
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“That was shocking. Absolutely shocking,” he said. “I got a name, but obviously, I didn’t get a lot of information. They were still investigating the whole background. They told me he was a career criminal. We referred him to something else. It is what it is — that’s the way I feel. But yeah, it was a shock that he was actually out on the streets.”
Logan had been studying at Central Piedmont Community College and working two jobs at the time of her death. She had aspirations to attend a four-year college and become a teacher after she developed a love of kids while babysitting her neighbors over the summer.
Federico described her personality as “electric … outgoing, personable, infectious.”
“Huge heart,” he said. “Somebody that cared intensely about people that would go out of her way to make somebody feel included and find the people that felt excluded and make sure she pulled them in.”
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In the early morning hours of May 3, Dickey drove a stolen vehicle into the neighborhood and parked the car on Cypress Street, seemingly at random, according to Columbia police. He allegedly broke into one home and stole the keys to another vehicle and a firearm. He then broke into the home where Federico was staying, police said.
There, Dickey allegedly stole several credit cards, saw Federico sleeping in one of the rooms in the house and fatally shot her with the stolen firearm.
Authorities responded to the residence around 11 a.m., when Federico was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound. Columbia police described Logan as “a true victim and not an intended target.”
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The next day, Dickey went on a “shopping spree” using the stolen credit cards in West Columbia, and the stolen vehicle he was using broke down in Saluda County, police said. He allegedly called a tow truck to have the stolen vehicle transported to a residence in Gaston.
Authorities began tracking Dickey as a person of interest and responded to the residence in Gaston on May 3. He allegedly fled the home when they arrived, and officials spent the remainder of Saturday searching for him.
Around 4 p.m. on May 4, a Gaston resident reported seeing a man, later identified as Dickey, emerge from the woods and steal a car. He wrecked the stolen car and fled on foot to the initial Gaston residence law enforcement had responded to the day before and forced his way inside the home.
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Authorities surrounded the residence and ordered him to emerge, at which point Dickey allegedly tried to set fire to the home. Lexington County Sheriff’s Office deputies detained him at the residence.
“We’re gonna get this guy. I’ll see to it.”
Federico said his daughter’s murder robbed the world of a kind person who loved to help others — and robbed the children who would have been Logan’s future students of a great teacher.
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Last week, Dickey appeared in court for a bond hearing. Federico and other family members attended the hearing. He said it was important to him to show up for Logan, and he will continue to do so until his daughter gets justice.
The grieving father also thanked Columbia police for their quick work in tracking down and arresting Dickey, calling two officers in particular his “friends.”
“These officers down there, wow. Superheros.”
“They’re now my friends. All of them are,” he said. “Just special people. Really special people. They found their calling.”
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Dickey is charged with murder, two counts of first-degree burglary, two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, two counts of grand larceny, grand larceny of a motor vehicle, three counts of financial transaction card theft.
He was given a probation sentence for a burglary charge in 2023, which was reduced for compliance. His next court appearance is scheduled for July 25. He faces life in prison for the charges filed against him in Lexington County.
Dickey’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Neal McDonough breaks on-screen kissing rule for wife in upcoming Western film
Neal McDonough has famously upheld a personal rule against on-screen kissing, but the actor has broken that boundary for his latest project.
The actor had a special, milestone kiss with the love of his life, Ruvé, in the movie “The Last Rodeo.”
McDonough spoke to Fox News Digital about how it felt to get back in the saddle after starring in Western projects, including “Yellowstone,” as well as finally being able to “kiss the girl in the end.”
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“I’ve been riding horses my whole life, so to jump into this saddle is different because I’ve never really been in this type of saddle before,” McDonough said. “I’ve not been the hero of the movie. I’ve never been in the position where I get to kiss the girl in the end because, as everyone knows, I won’t kiss another woman on screen.”
“I’ve never been in the position where I get to kiss the girl in the end because, as everyone knows, I won’t kiss another woman on screen.”
McDonough added it took a bit of persuasion to have Ruvé, who helped produce “The Last Rodeo” and starred as his on-screen wife, on board, especially during their romantic scenes.
WATCH: NEAL MCDONOUGH FINALLY GETS HIS ON-SCREEN KISS IN ‘THE LAST RODEO’
“I convinced my wife, Ruvé. I said, ‘Honey, you have to be in the film because I have to kiss the girl in the end.’ She’s like, ‘I don’t know how to act.’ I’m like, ‘Well, you do now.’”
Directed by his longtime friend and filmmaker Jon Avnet, the moment wasn’t just a cinematic kiss to McDonough, he explained, but the culmination of years of faith and dedication toward his marriage that has withstood the pressures of Hollywood.
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“We did it, and that was one of my favorite moments I’ve ever had on a set. There I am, wearing the hero hat, being directed by my favorite director of all time, Jon Avnet, kissing my wife in a movie, finally doing it the way I’ve always wanted to do it. It’s the greatest feeling,” McDonough said.
Neal and wife Ruvé have been married more than two decades. When Fox News Digital asked what it was like having the spotlight on their romance scenes, he jokingly replied, “Oh, we got it on that day. It was awesome.”
However, filming the kissing scene took a humorous turn when their daughter, London, was on set during her parents’ take.
WATCH: NEAL MCDONOUGH SHARES HOW SYLVESTER STALLONE SUPPORTED HIS FILM ‘THE LAST RODEO’
“Our daughter London was there, and she was like, ‘Dad, can you stop? Because I’m famous for one, maybe two takes — eight or nine takes through. I’m like, ‘Jon, I need one more. I didn’t get that right.’ And there we are, mackin’ again. And there’s London, ‘Oh dad, you’re grossing me out.’”
McDonough explained that he got to show “my love for my wife,” knowing the moment was going to be showcased on an 80-foot screen.
“Watching me love the thing that I love more than anything on this planet … for me, it was the crowning achievement of everything I’ve done in my life.
“Ups and downs, the hard times I went through because of choices I’ve made, now are all in the rearview mirror. And I couldn’t be happier because all of it was directed by one of my greatest friends, my mentor, my big brother, John Avnet, and I wouldn’t be here without you.”
While “The Last Rodeo” focused on themes of faith, family and redemption in the high-adrenaline world of bull riding, director Avnet shared with Fox News Digital how he tied all the subjects together in his latest project and what it was like working alongside his longtime friend, McDonough.
WATCH: ‘THE LAST RODEO’ DIRECTOR COMPARES NEAL MCDONOUGH TO CLINT EASTWOOD
“I really believed in Neil as an actor, and I believed he was a leading man in the model of Clint Eastwood, you know, or John Wayne or Gary Cooper, Jimmy Stewart,” Avnet said.
“He has an ability to express so much by doing seemingly so little, but, in this case, he was emotionally there. … Here’s Neil, no longer a kid. And I think, ‘Wow, he’s got it. He’s got that Western star appeal.'”
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Fox News Digital additionally spoke with McDonough and his wife at a Professional Bull Riders event in Arlington, Texas, where “The Last Rodeo” star shared what his intense training consisted of. He acknowledged being injured while bull riding.
WATCH: ‘THE LAST RODEO’ STAR NEAL MCDONOUGH SAYS HE WAS INJURED WHILE BULL RIDING
“There was a lot of work. … For me, it was mostly mechanical bulls for months and months and months. And that beats the snot out of you. And it was hard, but I just didn’t want anything to not look 100% authentic.”
In “The Last Rodeo,” McDonough portrays a retired rodeo legend who risked it all to save his sick grandson. As he faced his own painful past and the fears of his family, McDonough’s character entered a high-stakes bull riding competition as the oldest contestant ever.
Along the way, he reconciles old wounds with his estranged daughter and proves that true courage is found in the fight for family.
“The Last Rodeo” will be released in theaters May 23.
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Eagles’ Jalen Hurts tells reporters why he didn’t go to White House with teammates
Jalen Hurts said he did not visit the White House last month simply because he couldn’t.
The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, who won the Super Bowl LIX MVP in dethroning the Kansas City Chiefs, was absent from the team’s celebration in Washington, D.C., last month, warranting much speculation.
Days before the event, Hurts was asked whether he planned on visiting, and was mum on the subject.
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“Um,” Hurts said before looking around. He never answered the question as the interviewer thanked him for his time.
Fox News then confirmed at the time that Hurts did not attend due to “scheduling conflicts,” and he’s sticking to that story.
“I wasn’t available. I don’t think that’s pertinent. Everyone who went, and was available. They seemed to enjoy themselves,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
Hurts didn’t give a glowing review of the president’s decision to attend Super Bowl LIX, which saw Philadelphia defeat the Chiefs 40-22.
“He’s welcome to do what he wants,” Hurts said in February.
NFL OWNERS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVE PLAYERS’ PARTICIPATION IN FLAG FOOTBALL AT 2028 OLYMPICS
Meanwhile, running back Saquon Barkley was seen with President Donald Trump at his golf course in New Jersey the day before the visit. He rode back to Washington on Air Force One with the president.
Hurts, though, raised eyebrows again when he attended the Met Gala the following week.
Hurts was not the only Eagles player to skip their White House visit. Star wide receivers A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith were also among players not present.
When the Eagles won the Super Bowl back in 2018, the team decided not to attend the White House. Trump rescinded the invitation to host the Eagles after several players said they would not participate in the visit because of his previous criticisms of national anthem protests.
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The Los Angeles Dodgers visited the White House several weeks before the Eagles did to commemorate their World Series title. Mookie Betts, who skipped a visit in 2019 with the Boston Red Sox, attended this year.
Democrats falter as polls show voters yearn for solutions, not anti-Trump rhetoric
The political drama unfolding in America is a tale of missed opportunities, and the Democrats are the main characters struggling to find their footing. As Trump’s polls falter, many wonder why the Dems aren’t capitalizing on the moment.
Well, it’s no surprise to me. An ABC News-Washington Post-Ipsos poll released last month showed that 69% of people believe the Democratic Party is out of touch with most people’s concerns. Why? Because instead of focusing on people’s concerns, they’re stuck in the same tired routine: pointing fingers, highlighting Trump’s faults, and decrying the chaos and threats to democracy. This strategy is fundamentally flawed.
Recent events underscore this disconnect. Chaos at a detention facility in New Jersey highlights the ongoing immigration crisis, yet Democrats struggle to present a cohesive alternative. They could focus on pragmatic reforms, such as streamlining the asylum process, increasing border security with technology rather than walls, and creating pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants contributing to society.
Meanwhile, internal conflicts within the party, like the fight over David Hogg’s future inside the DNC, reveal a lack of unified vision. Instead of rallying around fresh voices and ideas, the party seems mired in internal disputes, further alienating potential supporters.
DEMOCRATIC VOTERS SLAM THEIR OWN PARTY AS ‘INEPT’ AND ‘USELESS’ IN NY TIMES OPINION INTERVIEW
And that’s saying nothing about the alleged cover-up of former President Joe Biden’s frail health highlighted in Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson’s new book, “Original Sin” and the questions arising from his recent tragic prostate cancer diagnosis. All of this adds another layer of complexity. Instead of addressing these concerns head-on with transparency and a plan for continuity, the party seems to sidestep the issue, leaving voters with more questions than answers.
All of this leads to a HUGE trust problem for the Democrats. Can they be trusted to tell the truth? Can they be trusted to solve our greatest problems? The answer is in plain view with Fox News’ most recent survey where Democrats hit their lowest favorable rating ever, with only 41% viewing them positively.
PRESIDENT TRUMP’S APPROVAL RATINGS SLIDE, BUT DEMOCRATS’ POLL NUMBERS HITTING NEW LOWS
The drop in positivity toward the Democrats comes from within. Last summer, 87% of self-identified Democrats approved of their party, but that’s now down to 77%. Meanwhile, the Republican Party saw a slight improvement among their party faithful, with 85% of self-identified Republicans holding a favorable view. The data is painting a very clear picture of the impact of the Democrats’ missteps.
Winning hearts and minds requires positive messaging, not just shouting about how bad Donald Trump is.
In 2017-2018, Democrats handled things much better. They had a clear narrative approaching the midterms: Trump’s failure in his first term to deliver on healthcare was a tangible issue they could seize. They promised to mend what was broken—offering plans like expanding the Affordable Care Act and reducing prescription drug prices. But now, instead of offering solutions, they’re fixated on Donald Trump’s chaos and “evilness.” The issue? Voters crave more than just a villain; they want a solution.
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Consider the economy. While Democrats criticize Trump’s trade wars and tax cuts for the wealthy, they often fail to articulate a clear economic vision of their own. Instead of merely opposing tariffs, they could propose comprehensive trade policies that protect American jobs while fostering global cooperation. Highlighting plans for infrastructure investment or green energy jobs, while not appealing to those on the right, could provide a positive, forward-looking agenda for many.
Their rhetoric often spirals into extremes—comparing Trump to Hitler or labeling his supporters as Nazis. While this may energize the base, it risks alienating moderates and undecided voters, or even everyday Americans who yearn for practical solutions over apocalyptic rhetoric. By framing the opponent as a boogeyman, they risk turning off the wider electorate.
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The bottom line is that Democrats need to pivot from a reactive, negative strategy to a proactive, solution-oriented approach if they want to win. They should focus on real policies—healthcare reform, economic growth, immigration reform, tariffs—with clear plans to address these issues. Winning hearts and minds requires positive messaging, not just shouting about how bad Trump is. Otherwise, they’ll continue to falter, running against an opponent who has mastered the narrative game and controls the conversation through chaos.
To truly connect with voters, Democrats must offer a vision that resonates with their daily lives. By doing so, they could transform from the party of opposition to the party of solutions, but it doesn’t seem like anyone is willing to step up to the plate to do just that.
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Fifth of 10 escaped New Orleans inmates recaptured, authorities say
The fifth of 10 inmate escapees who fled a New Orleans jail has been recaptured, authorities said Tuesday.
Corey Boyd, who was briefly spotted last Friday hours after the jailbreak, was taken into custody, the Louisiana State Police said.
Boyd, 19, was captured in New Orleans. He is accused of killing Brandon Fees during a car burglary in 2024.
LOUISIANA JAIL WORKER ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY HELPING 10 INMATES ESCAPE ORLEANS PARISH FACILITY
“Boyd will ultimately be transported to a secure state facility outside of the area and booked for Simple Escape,” the state police said in a Facebook post.
Boyd was originally jailed for second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, aggravated battery and threatening a public official.
7 FUGITIVES REMAIN ON THE RUN AFTER NOLA PRISON BREAK; INSIDE JOB SUSPECTED
The 10 inmates escaped the Orleans Parish Correctional Facility on Friday night, which was recorded on the jail’s surveillance footage. Authorities said they crawled through a hole hidden behind a toilet, scaled and then hopped the jail’s barbed wire fence and then ran across the highway into a neighborhood before changing clothes.
Five other inmates are still at large:
- Lenton J. Vanburen Jr., 26, faces charges of illegal carrying of weapons, possession of a firearm or weapon by a felon, obstruction of justice and introducing contraband in prison.
- Jermaine Donald, 42, faces charges of second-degree murder, aggravated battery, possession of a firearm or weapon by a felon and obstruction of justice.
- Antoine Massey, 32, faces charges of domestic abuse involving strangulation, theft of a motor vehicle and a parole violation.
- Derrick Groves, 27, faces three counts of attempted second-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder and battery of a correctional facility employee.
- Leo O. Tate Sr., 31, faces charges of simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling, possession of a firearm or weapon by a felon, illegal carrying of a weapon, motor vehicle theft and multiple drug counts.
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Sterling Williams, 33, a maintenance worker at the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, was arrested Tuesday and charged with 10 counts of principal to simple escape and malfeasance in office, according to Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill’s office.
Williams said an inmate threatened to shank him if he refused to help with the coordinated escape.