Judge’s waterfront mansion destroyed in possible targeted arson attack
South Carolina authorities are investigating a possible arson attack on a state judge’s house Saturday, which left the million-dollar waterfront mansion burned to the ground, according to authorities and local reports.
While authorities did not immediately release the homeowners’ names, the Post and Courier identified them as Circuit Court Judge Diane Schafer Goodstein, 69, and her husband, Arnold Goodstein, 81, a former member of both houses of the state legislature.
He once served as the commissioner of the South Carolina Department of Transportation and before that was wounded in the Tet offensive in the Vietnam War. He received a Bronze Star for heroism in action, twice, according to his state legislature bio.
CALIFORNIANS CONFRONT MAN ACCUSED OF STARTING LA FIRE UNTIL POLICE MAKE ARREST
Firefighters from St. Paul Fire District assisted the Edisto Beach Fire Department extinguishing the blaze on Edisto Island, a waterfront community about an hour’s drive southwest of Charleston.
“This area is located on a barrier island with significant challenges such as limited water supply and tight areas,” St. Paul officials said in a Facebook post. As a result, first responders used kayaks to rescue the occupants from their backyard as the house went up in flames.
COUPLE FOUND TIED UP AND BURNED TO DEATH IN HOME NEAR FAMOUS RACETRACK AS POLICE HUNT FOR SUSPECT
Arnold Goodstein suffered injuries after jumping out of a window facing the backyard to escape the flames, the Post and Courier reported. The judge was walking their dogs at the time.
Three people were reportedly injured in the blaze. The couple have two adult children.
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Authorities released a photo showing the towering waterfront home dwarfed by flames and clouds of black smoke.
A spokesperson for the State Law Enforcement Division, which is said to be investigating arson as a potential cause for the blaze, did not immediately respond to emailed questions.
Youngkin blasts Dem candidate who wished death on rival’s children: ‘Beyond belief’
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin doubled down Monday on his call for Democrat Jay Jones to exit the Virginia attorney general race, telling Fox News the resurfaced 2022 texts where Jones wished death on a rival and his children are “beyond belief.”
“This is beyond disqualifying,” Youngkin said on “Fox & Friends.”
“And that’s why the Democrats have to come together and figure out where their moral compass is, because they don’t have one right now… this is a ticket that, in fact, is allowing someone to stay on the ticket who wants children to die, and I can’t believe Virginians for a second will allow this to happen.”
Jones, running against Republican incumbent Jason Miyares in the bellwether race, made violent remarks in a 2022 text exchange with GOP House Delegate Carrie Coyner about shooting former Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert.
‘CONSUMED WITH HATE’: WINSOME SEARS, JASON MIYARES UNLOAD ON DEMOCRAT JAY JONES OVER VIOLENT TEXTS
“Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, Hitler and Pol Pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head,” Jones wrote in part.
“Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time,” he added.
Jones eventually made remarks suggesting violence toward Gilbert’s young children, which Coyner called out in their exchange.
“You were talking about hopping [sic] Jennifer Gilbert’s children would die,” she said.
Jones replied, “Yes. I’ve told you this before. Only when people feel pain personally do they move on policy.”
WINSOME EARLE-SEARS RELEASES AD LINKING ABIGAIL SPANBERGER TO JAY JONES AFTER VIOLENT TEXTS RESURFACE
The development drew bipartisan condemnation, including from Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger, who is vying to fill Youngkin’s seat after his term expires.
“I spoke frankly with Jay about my disgust with what he said and texted,” Spanberger said in a statement. “I made clear to Jay that he must take full responsibility for his words… I will always condemn violent language in our politics.”
Youngkin, however, argued Spanberger didn’t go far enough, urging Democrats to call on Jones to “step down” from the race “in disgrace.”
When reached by Fox News Digital, Jones also did not deny the messages were his and blamed his opponent for allegedly planting stories.
“Like all people, I’ve sent text messages that I regret, and I believe that violent rhetoric has no place in our politics,” he said.
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“Let’s be clear about what is happening in the attorney general race right now: Jason Miyares is dropping smears through Trump-controlled media organizations to assault my character and rescue his desperate campaign.
“This is a strategy that ensures Jason Miyares will continue to be accountable to Donald Trump, not the people of Virginia. This race is about whether Trump can control Virginia or Virginians control Virginia.”
Jones has since apologized, saying he is “embarrassed” and “ashamed” of the remarks. He also said he had reached out personally to Gilbert and his family.
Miller slams Democrat for blaming ‘extreme right’ for fire at judge’s house
White House deputy chief of staff for policy and Homeland Security advisor Stephen Miller lambasted Democratic Rep. Daniel Goldman of New York after the congressman blamed a fire at a South Carolina Circuit Court judge’s property on the political right.
Goldman blamed “the extreme right” for the inferno at the home of Judge Diane Schafer Goodstein, asserting that it was an act of arson.
“Trump, @StephenM and MAGA-world have been doxxing and threatening judges who rule against Trump, including Judge Goodstein. Today, someone committed arson on the Judge’s home, severely injuring her husband and son. Will Trump speak out against the extreme right that did this??” Goldman said in a post on X.
Miller fired back, excoriating the Democratic lawmaker in a scathing rebuke.
STEPHEN MILLER: THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS A ‘DOMESTIC, EXTREMIST ORGANIZATION’
“You are vile. Deeply warped and vile. While the Trump Administration has launched the first-ever government-wide effort to combat and prosecute illegal doxing, sinister threats and political violence you continue to push despicable lies, demented smears, malicious defamation and foment unrest. Despicable,” Miller declared.
“Meanwhile, the Democrat AG nominee in Virginia is fantasizing about murdering his opponents and a Biden federal judge is showing radical leniency to a monster who tried to assassinate a Supreme Court Justice. While you post your libelous madness, we will keep focused on delivering public safety and fighting domestic terror,” he concluded.
SOUTH CAROLINA AG DEMANDS DEATH PENALTY AGAINST CAREER CRIMINAL CHARGED IN COLLEGE STUDENT’S MURDER
Goldman shot back at Miller.
“Now try answering my question. If you are trying to combat political violence, why don’t you condemn the political violence against a judge who ruled against you and your admin? It’s pretty simple: do you condemn all political violence or only that against your supporters?” the lawmaker wrote.
SOUTH CAROLINA COURT MOVES FORWARD EXECUTION OF COP KILLER WHO SAYS MOST LAWS ARE UNCONSTITUTIONAL
The fire took place Saturday, destroying the home that the Post and Courier reported is owned by Judge Diane Schafer Goodstein and her husband, former South Carolina state lawmaker Arnold Goodstein,. Footage of the blaze showed a massive plume of smoke billowing from the home, which was engulfed in flames.
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FITSNews reported that South Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice John Kittredge wrote in a message that “Judge Goodstein was walking on the beach when the fire started,” but that “Her husband, Arnie, was in the house with children and perhaps grandchildren. The family had to escape by jumping from a window or balcony. I’m told there were injuries from the fall, such as broken legs.”
“Arnie’s injuries may have been the most serious, for he was airlifted to the hospital,” Kittredge communicated, according to the outlet.
Netanyahu sends top officials to Egypt as Hamas signals openness to peace blueprint
Chief negotiators from Israel and Hamas convened in Egypt on Monday to hash out details on President Donald Trump’s peace plan to end the years-long war and return the 48 hostages still held.
The talks come one day ahead of the 2nd anniversary of the Hamas attacks on Israel, when some 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were dragged into the Gaza Strip, where dozens of dead and alive remain hostage.
Egypt announced on Saturday that the high-level negotiations would occur Monday in the coast resort city of Sharm El Sheikh, located in the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, after Hamas leadership appeared to accept part of the 20-point blueprint.
TRUMP WARNS OF ‘MASSIVE BLOODSHED’ IF HAMAS FAILS TO AGREE TO PEACE DEAL: ‘MOVE FAST’
Trump over the weekend urged the negotiators involved in the indirect talks to “move fast,” but he signaled that he viewed Hamas’ response as positive and called on Israel to “immediately stop the bombing of Gaza.”
Israel’s military operations were reported to have been reduced over the weekend, though a Reuters report citing medics said that 36 people, including children, were killed in a series of strikes across the enclave that hit residential buildings.
Reports have suggested that Hamas remains skeptical over the demand that it completely disarm, and lacks confidence that Israel will cease its military ambitions in the Gaza Strip following the return of all hostages.
The plan’s call to have all hostages returned within a three-day period has also apparently been flagged by Hamas as unrealistic, particularly when it comes to returning the bodies of the deceased, as some are believed to be buried under rubble.
TRUMP ANNOUNCES ISRAEL AGREES TO GAZA ‘INITIAL WITHDRAWAL LINE’ AS ‘3,000 YEAR CATASTROPHE’ NEARS END
Despite the uncertainty that surrounds the return of the hostages and how quickly this could happen, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum wrote a letter to the Nobel Peace Prize Committee on Monday, nominating the president for his involvement in attempting to end the war and return the hostages.
The U.S.’s 20-point plan, championed by Western and Arab leaders and agreed to last week by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, would not only end the war, but would require the return of all hostages, dead and alive, within 72-hours of Hamas also agreeing to the deal.
The blueprint calls for the military withdrawal of Israeli forces and the complete disarmament of Hamas.
Members of the terrorist group will also be granted amnesty in exchange for their disarmament and a path to leave Gaza for a third-party nation who is willing to accept them.
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Officials from Israel’s spy agencies Mossad and Shin Bet, Netanyahu’s foreign policy adviser Ophir Falk and hostages coordinator Gal Hirsch, were dispatched to attend the Monday meetings.
Hamas’ delegation was led by group leader Khalil Al-Hayya, who survived an Israeli airstrike in Doha, Qatar last month which targeted top Hamas officials, reported Reuters.
Suspected Charlie Kirk assassin placed on campus without cell records, source says
EXCLUSIVE DETAILS: OREM, Utah — Tyler Robinson’s suspected path shows him entering and exiting campus at different points before he “made contact” with a police officer standing guard after the assassination of Charlie Kirk on Sept. 10, in an encounter that places him at Utah Valley University without relying on cellphone records, according to court documents, scene video and interviews with law enforcement sources.
Robinson arrived on campus wearing black around 11:51 a.m., entering through a tunnel under Campus Drive after parking his gray Dodge Challenger nearby and walking by the Utah Valley Institute of Religion on his way toward the Losee Center at the heart of campus.
Investigators retraced his movements with the help of the campus security camera network, a law enforcement source said.
He is believed to have scouted the area hours before the shooting before returning in a new set of clothes and armed with a .30-06 Mauser rifle — the suspected murder weapon.
CHARLIE KIRK’S ACCUSED ASSASSIN ENCOUNTERED BY POLICE DURING RETURN TO CRIME SCENE: LAW ENFORCEMENT SOURCES
Robinson allegedly used the rooftop above the Losee Center as a sniper’s perch and fired a single shot, which struck Kirk in the neck around 12:20 p.m. Prosecutors have said campus police found marks left behind on the gravel rooftop moments after the shooting “consistent with a sniper having lain [there] — impressions in the gravel potentially left by the elbows, knees and feet of a person in a prone shooting position.”
They also found impressions at the alleged sniper’s perch and muddy Converse footprints along his expected escape route, a source told Fox News Digital. Surveillance images previously released by the FBI appear to show the suspect wearing similar sneakers.
As the crowd below panicked, Robinson allegedly ran north across the rooftop, dropped to the ground and sprinted across Campus Drive, where he narrowly avoided being struck by a passing van, the source said.
Police later found the alleged murder weapon wrapped in a towel and hidden in a small patch of woods just a few feet from where he is believed to have crossed the street.
EX-FBI AGENT TURNED UVU PROFESSOR BREAKS DOWN THE EVIDENCE TRAIL TYLER ROBINSON LEFT FOR DETECTIVES
Prosecutors released excerpts from a text message conversation they say Robinson had with his roommate and romantic partner, Lance Twiggs, that occurred at an unspecified time on the evening of Sept. 10, in which Robinson allegedly discussed wanting to retrieve a rifle before returning home from Orem, which is about a four-hour drive from where he lived in Washington County.
Twiggs is cooperating with investigators and has not been charged with a crime.
While law enforcement searched the area, Robinson texted Twiggs, telling him to “look under my keyboard,” according to court documents.
The roommate found and photographed a note there that read, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I’m going to take it.” Twiggs later shared the image with detectives.
EX-FBI AGENT TURNED UVU PROFESSOR BREAKS DOWN THE EVIDENCE TRAIL TYLER ROBINSON LEFT FOR DETECTIVES
In another message, Robinson allegedly wrote he was “stuck in Orem for a little while longer yet. Shouldn’t be long until I can come home, but I gotta grab my rifle still. To be honest I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you.”
“You weren’t the one who did it right????” the roommate texted back.
“I am, I’m sorry,” Robinson allegedly replied.
WHO IS TYLER ROBINSON? WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT CHARLIE KIRK’S SUSPECTED ASSASSIN
“I thought they caught the person?” Twiggs wrote, according to court documents.
“No, they grabbed some crazy old dude, then interrogated someone in similar clothing,” came another alleged reply from Robinson. “I had planned to grab my rifle from my drop point shortly after, but most of that side of town got locked down. Its (sic) quiet, almost enough to get out, but theres (sic) one vehicle lingering.”
Later in the conversation, he allegedly reiterated that he was looking for a chance to grab the rifle: “There is a squad car parked right by it. I think they already swept that spot, but I don’t wanna chance it.”
TIMELINE OF CHARLIE KIRK’S ALLEGED ASSASSIN FROM CAMPUS SHOOTING TO SHERIFF’S OFFICE SURRENDER
Eventually, he allegedly wrote that, “I’m wishing I had circled back and grabbed it as soon as I got to my vehicle… I’m worried what my old man would do if I didn’t bring back grandpas (sic) rifle.”
Hours after the shooting, an officer standing watch over the perimeter “made contact” with Robinson nearby. He allegedly told the officer he needed to get something from near the garage, according to the source.
That wasn’t deemed suspicious at the time because hundreds of people had fled in a panic after the shooting, and many of them left belongings behind. But the officer did a routine check on Robinson’s plate, which investigators saw in the system later, once they had identified him as a potential suspect, placing him in the area, the source said.
Prosecutors sent the gun to a crime lab for testing, and allegedly found DNA consistent with Robinson’s on the gun, on the towel it was wrapped in, and on three of the four rounds inside.
Robinson faces charges including aggravated murder, which carries the potential death penalty if convicted, felony discharge of a firearm, witness tampering and obstruction.
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Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was speaking at an event as part of a national speaking tour and sponsored by the campus chapter of the organization, which promotes conservative principles among students across the country.
He was a married father of two.
Experienced skydiving instructor dies after separating from student
A Tennessee skydiving instructor died after a tandem jump went wrong over the weekend.
Local media outlets identified the instructor as 35-year-old Justin Fuller. His body was found “in the clearing of a wooded area off Ashland City Highway,” the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said Saturday evening on X.
The student Fuller was jumping with was “lodged in a tree with an open parachute” and is expected to be okay after being rescued by fire crews, police said.
“This skydiver became separated at the plane from a tandem rig with an instructor,” an X post said. “Three other skydivers who jumped moments earlier landed safely. The plane landed safely at Tune Airport.”
DOG-WALKING MAN STUMBLES ON SUSPECTED DEBRIS FROM REAGAN NATIONAL PLANE CRASH 7 MONTHS LATER
Fuller, whose nickname was “Spidey,” according to local FOX 17, had reportedly accomplished more than 5,000 jumps and trained military personnel.
The local TV station reported that sources said the harness equipment found with the surviving student was not faulty or broken.
EXPERIENCED SKYDIVER DELIBERATELY PLUNGED TO DEATH ONE DAY AFTER RELATIONSHIP WITH BOYFRIEND ENDED
The jump was coordinated by Go Skydive Nashville, according to reports. Its website states that its tandem instructors “are highly trained and USPA-certified professionals” who “must undergo extensive training and certification before even attempting a tandem skydive with a real student.”
The website does say that the instructor “wears two parachutes, a big, stable main parachute and a reserve parachute,” while the student wears “a specially-designed tandem skydiving harness that securely attaches you to your instructor.”
“The Nashville Fire Department commends the outstanding work, ingenuity, and strategy displayed by our personnel during yesterday’s complex high-angle rescue,” the fire department said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Faced with extraordinary circumstances, our teams worked seamlessly and creatively to reach and free the suspended parachutist, who was able to walk away with only minimal, non-life-threatening injuries after being stranded for several hours.”
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The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident, police said. The agency told Fox News Digital via email that it has “limited communications” due to the government shutdown.
Supreme Court makes choice on Ghislaine Maxwell sex trafficking appeal
The Supreme Court declined to take up Ghislaine Maxwell’s appeal in her sex trafficking case, quashing the last hope the former girlfriend and associate of Jeffrey Epstein had of fighting her 2021 conviction.
The high court revealed in an order list on Monday that it would not hear her case this term, leaving in place a denial by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit.
Maxwell, 63, was convicted by a jury in New York of five counts involving sex trafficking of a minor and conspiracy. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
BONDI UNDER SIEGE AFTER DOJ REVEALS NO EPSTEIN CLIENT LIST
In her appeal, Maxwell argued her conviction should be tossed out for several reasons, including that a plea deal Epstein reached with the federal government in 2007 immunized her and that statutes of limitations had run out.
In the deal in question, Epstein pleaded guilty to charges in Florida of soliciting prostitution from a minor, and he registered as a sex offender as part of the agreement. Epstein later faced federal charges but died before he could stand trial. Authorities have said he died by suicide.
The plea deal included a clause about co-conspirators, which Maxwell argued protected her from prosecution. The 2nd Circuit disagreed, and that finding will now remain in place.
The Supreme Court’s denial comes as the Epstein case continues to roil the Trump administration. The DOJ has faced pressure from MAGA loyalists to publish new information about the matter after Trump and top officials at the DOJ, prior to them taking office, had promoted the idea that the government was hiding undisclosed information about sexual predators tied to Epstein.
EPSTEIN DOCUMENTS RELEASED BY HOUSE DEMOCRATS NAME ELON MUSK, STEVE BANNON AND PETER THIEL
The president has brushed off the Epstein case files as unimportant, angering a faction of his base, while the DOJ has made futile attempts to release more information on Epstein.
Maxwell, for her part, has been serving out her sentence in a federal prison in Tallahassee, Florida, but was transferred to an all-women minimum-security facility in Bryan, Texas, days after meeting with DOJ Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. Blanche had interviewed Maxwell as part of the department’s broader attempt to extract more information about Epstein from untapped sources. The DOJ has denied extending Maxwell any preferential treatment.
Maxwell’s legal team has also expressed hope of receiving a presidential pardon. Over the summer, her attorney said she had not asked Trump for one but would welcome any relief. Asked in July about pardoning Maxwell, Trump said it was not on his radar.
“I’m allowed to do it, but it’s something I have not thought about,” Trump said.
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In a statement provided to Fox News Digital, Maxwell’s attorney, David Markus, suggested his client still has other options to fight her conviction.
“We’re, of course, deeply disappointed that the Supreme Court declined to hear Ghislaine Maxwell’s case,” Markus said. “But this fight isn’t over. Serious legal and factual issues remain, and we will continue to pursue every avenue available to ensure that justice is done.”
NFL broadcast booth erupts as controversial flags fly during Eagles’ loss
Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo had the attention of NFL fans on Sunday when he criticized the officiating during the Denver Broncos’ win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
There were at least two plays that stood out to Romo as he served as the color commentator for the CBS broadcasted game.
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With 8:41 left in the game, Broncos quarterback found tight end Evan Engram for a completion short of the first-down marker. A flag was thrown on the play and Engram was called for offensive pass interference.
“This is going to be a pick that I don’t think is correct,” Romo said almost immediately after the flag was thrown. “I really don’t think this was actually a pick play. This is actually accidental because he runs a hitch route and they random run into each other. I would pick this one up if it was me. But if I’m an Eagles fan, I would say it’s 100% (right).”
Even with the penalty, Denver would march down the field and score a touchdown and take the lead with the 2-point conversion.
DRAKE MAYE LEADS PATRIOTS TO UPSET VICTORY OVER PREVIOUSLY UNDEFEATED BILLS
The Broncos got the ball back with 3:37 remaining in the game. Nix dropped back to pass and was immediately pressured by the Eagles’ defense. He threw the ball away with tight end Adam Trautman in the area, which wouldn’t have warranted an intentional grounding penalty call – or so fans thought.
The officiating crew decided to throw a flag for intentional grounding after all. As Romo, Jim Nantz and officiating analyst Gene Steratore debated the call, the officials picked up the flag thanks to replay assist. The call was changed to an incomplete pass.
“Just don’t tell us?” Romo said of the officials’ silence. “Not that big of a deal – just a huge deal.”
It was those two calls that Romo appeared to be upset about. NFL fans turned their attention to the penultimate play of the game in which it appeared Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert was interfered with while trying to make a catch on a throw from Jalen Hurts.
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There was no flag thrown and the Broncos escaped with the victory.
Members of Congress make symbolic gesture with salaries as shutdown battle rages on
A growing number of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have declared they’re forgoing their paychecks as the government shutdown drags on.
The federal government has been shut down for nearly a week after Senate Democrats rejected Republicans’ plan to fund agencies through Nov. 21 multiple times.
Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, Tom Barrett, R-Mich., Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, and Rob Bresnahan, R-Pa., are among the Republicans who wrote to the Chief Administrative Officer of the U.S. House of Representatives asking for their pay to be withheld during a shutdown.
SHUTDOWN EXPLAINED: WHO WORKS, WHO DOESN’T AND HOW MUCH IT COSTS
Democrats like Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and Lou Correa, D-Calif., have requested the same.
But lawmakers requesting their pay be withheld cannot forgo it altogether, because federal law requires them to be paid.
Article I of the Constitution states, “The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States.”
Further, the 27th Amendment prevents any changes to congressional pay until after the next election.
GOP ACCUSES DEMS OF RISKING SHUTDOWN TO RESTORE ‘ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT HEALTHCARE’
Most House and Senate lawmakers are paid $174,000 yearly — a figure that has not changed since 2009 — while members of congressional leadership can earn more.
A source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital that members of Congress can elect to have their pay withheld until a shutdown is over, but they must receive that as backpay when the government is funded again.
Meanwhile, Rep. Joe Morelle, D-N.Y., the top Democrat on the Committee for House Administration, told Bloomberg Government last week that those checks can go into an account separate from lawmakers’ usual salaries. He told the outlet, “It’s an administrative way of withholding pay for people who choose to.”
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Congressional staffers, meanwhile, automatically miss paychecks if their pay period falls during a government shutdown — but that is also backpaid when the shutdown ends.
Some lawmakers, like Sens. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., have announced they would donate their paychecks for the duration of the shutdown.
“Each day the government remains closed, I will be donating my salary to the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, which provides help to vulnerable populations who may be impacted by this reckless choice,” Moody said in a statement last week.