Document details steps in Trump’s ‘Comprehensive End of Gaza War’ proposal
A document obtained by Israeli Channel 11 political correspondent Gili Cohen outlines President Donald Trump’s “Comprehensive End of Gaza War” plan, detailing a step-by-step framework to end fighting, withdraw Israeli forces, and secure the release of all hostages within days.
The first step calls for President Donald Trump to announce the end of the war in the Gaza Strip and confirm that all parties have agreed to implement the steps required to conclude it.
According to step two, “The war will immediately end upon the approval of the Israeli government. All military operations, including aerial and artillery bombardment and targeting operations, will be suspended. During the 72-hour period, aerial surveillance will be suspended over the areas which IDF withdraws from.”
The document states that full humanitarian aid and relief operations, as outlined in the proposal and in the January 19, 2025 agreement with Joe Mangano, will commence immediately.
The fourth step states, “IDF will withdraw to lines agreed upon as per map ‘X’ attached herewith, and this will be completed after President Trump’s announcement and within 24 hours of Israeli government approval. The IDF will not return to areas that have been withdrawn from, as long as Hamas fully implements the deal.”
Within 72 hours of the IDF’s withdrawal, “all Israeli hostages, living and deceased, held in Gaza will be released.”
The document then details several subsections related to the release of hostages. For instance, “As soon as IDF completes its withdrawal, Hamas will commence investigating the status of hostages and collect all information pertaining to them. Hamas will compile the results of its findings through the information-sharing mechanism…Israel will provide information on the Palestinian prisoners and detainees from the Gaza Strip held in Israel.”
Within the same 72-hour window, Hamas will release all living hostages, including those held by Palestinian factions, as well as the remains of deceased hostages in its possession and those held by other groups in Gaza. Hamas also agrees to share, within those 72 hours, all information about any remaining hostages or deceased individuals, while Israel will provide details on the remains of deceased Gazans held in the Gaza Strip.
The document concludes by calling for a task force of representatives from the U.S., Qatar, Egypt, Turkey, and other nations to follow up on the implementation and coordination of the peace deal.
The sudden announcement that Israel and Hamas had agreed to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire Wednesday night reignited a once-far-fetched question in world politics: could President Donald Trump win the Nobel Peace Prize?
If the ceasefire holds, it would signify a landmark achievement months in the making for a president who has branded himself a global peacemaker. Trump has long insisted he deserves the prize but doubts the committee would ever give it to him.
“I’m not politicking for it,” Trump said when asked about the prospect during the Aug. 8 signing of a peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan at the White House. “I have a lot of people that are.”
The deadline for this year’s nominations was January 31. Some proposals for Trump came in before then, but many arrived after the cutoff date. If he does not win when the prize is announced Friday, he could be considered again next year.
Read more about Trump’s chances of winning the honorary prize.
This is an excerpt from a story by Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips.
At a Thursday night meeting in Jerusalem, Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to reflect on the negotiations that led to a historic deal to bring home Israeli hostages and end the war with Hamas.
Netanyahu commended Trump and his envoys for their key role in brokering a deal to return all Israeli hostages, living and dead. He said the agreement marked the culmination of two years of conflict, crediting the mix of military and diplomatic pressure — and the courage of Israeli soldiers — for isolating Hamas and making the deal possible.
“We couldn’t have achieved it without the extraordinary help of President Trump and his team, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner,” the prime minister said.
Witkoff, who helped craft the Trump peace framework, said Netanyahu’s resolve and timing were crucial to sealing the ceasefire and hostage release. He said Hamas had been cornered by sustained Israeli pressure, leaving the group with no choice but to agree.
“I don’t think we get to this place without Prime Minister Netanyahu playing it out,” Witkoff said.
Kushner said bringing home the hostages has long been one of President Trump’s top priorities and credited the Israeli Defense Forces for their bravery and success in operations across Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran. He also cited Netanyahu’s discipline during the negotiations, saying his alignment with Trump on the final outcome was key to achieving the deal.
“Between you and President Trump, you had a lot of alignment on what the end stage should be,” Kushner said.
With Israel’s approval of Phase 1 of President Donald Trump’s peace plan, the countdown is underway for the release of hostages.
The Israel Defense Forces have 24 hours to pull back to the agreed line inside Gaza, retaining control of about 53% of the territory until Phase 2 begins.
After the 24-hour period, Hamas will have 72 hours to release all remaining hostages — 20 alive and 28 deceased — meaning all are expected to be freed by Tuesday.
Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.
The U.S. plans utilize up to 200 troops already in the Middle East to help support and monitor the ceasefire deal in Gaza as part of a team involving various nations, a senior official told Fox News.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “Up to 200 U.S. personnel, who are already stationed at CENTCOM, will be tasked with monitoring the peace agreement in Israel, and they will work with other international forces on the ground.”
Centcom Admiral Bradley Cooper will oversee the operation to ensure there are no violations, and the team will likely consist of Egyptian, Qatari and other armed forces in the region.
The officials also wanted to emphasize that none of the U.S. troops are expected to go into Gaza. Instead, the troops are going to be located in Israel to help create a Joint Control Center.
The Israeli cabinet voted on Thursday night to accept the first phase of President Donald Trump’s peace deal.
The deal would mean all Israeli hostages will be released, and fighting between Israel and Hamas will come to a stop.
The Jerusalem Post’s cover on Friday will show a silhouette of President Donald Trump, with the headline, “HE’S BRINGING THEM HOME.”
Within the silhouette, the publication put images of the Israeli hostages that are expected to be released as part of a deal reached overnight that could lead to peace in the Middle East.
Under the image is a quote from former Prime Minister Golda Meir.
“Perhaps it is early yet to say ‘in the aftermath of the war,’ for we are actually living under a cease-fire in a war which has not yet ended,” Meir is quoted as saying on Nov. 13, 1973.
Knesset Speaker MK Amir Ohana lauded President Donald Trump for securing the release of Israeli hostages and brokering a historic regional peace deal, inviting him to deliver an address before Israel’s parliament — the first by a sitting U.S. president in nearly two decades.
“This victory would not have been possible without the sacrifice of our brave soldiers, the resolve of Prime Minister Netanyahu, and the close partnership you have forged with him – and with the one and only Jewish State – throughout your life,” Ohana wrote to Trump. “From recognizing Jerusalem as our eternal capital and moving the American Embassy there, to affirming our sovereignty over the Golan Heights, from creating the historic Abraham Accords to eliminating Iran’s nuclear sites, and now to this momentous day: you have demonstrated that under your leadership, America is not only a military superpower but a moral superpower as well – and that peace comes through strength.
“The people of Israel regard you as the greatest friend and ally of the Jewish nation in modern history,” Ohana continued. “It is therefore my profound honor and privilege to officially invite you to deliver a formal address to the nation before the Knesset.
“Your speech would be the first by a sitting U.S. President since President George W. Bush’s visit in 2008 – a deeply meaningful gesture of our eternal gratitude for your once-in-a-century leadership and for the unbreakable alliance between the State of Israel and the United States of America,” Ohana added. “Israel awaits The Peace President.”
In the days leading up to the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, President Donald Trump combined regional pressure, public messaging, and trusted backchannel diplomacy to turn a faltering negotiation into a breakthrough.
A senior White House official told Fox News that Trump’s good relations with Qataris were a baseline factor in reaching a deal, but the Israeli strikes in Doha generated a lot of pressure on Hamas from Arab States.
Trump’s post on Truth Social on Sunday, giving Hamas a deadline to agree or face devastation was taken seriously and helped turn things around, the official explained. Before the post, the Trump administration was hearing that Hamas would reject the deal and would put efforts back to the 10-yard line, “like we had been so many times.”
Witkoff reportedly said the unrest from the Doha strikes could be used for good because the Arab world did not want the unrest to spill into a regional conflict affecting their countries, nor did they want Iran to get involved.
Trump also reportedly used the strikes to push Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into compliance.
Additionally, Trump used public opinion on Israel and mounting political pressure to demonstrate Israelis want the war to end, telling Netanyahu, “ending the war is a win for you.”
The official noted that having Jared Kushner was a huge benefit because he brought an additional level of trust.
Kushner, the official added, has good credibility with Israelis and the Arab world, dating back to the Abraham Accords. At points during negotiations, Kushner worked with Israel and Hamas to craft statements to ensure things did not go sideways, knowing both sides have to appease their bases but keep an open dialogue.
Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich contributed to this report.
Fighting continues to occur in Gaza, despite Israel and Hamas striking a deal to end the war and have all hostages returned.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported on Thursday evening that its troops struck a Hamas terrorist cell in the northern Gaza Strip that was operating within close proximity to IDF troops.
The IDF said the Hamas terrorists posed an immediate threat to the troops operating in the area.
Palestinian reports say four people were killed and dozens of others are still buried under the rubble.
Fox News’ Yonat Friling contributed to this report.
While a peace deal has been reached to end the Israel-Gaza
conflict and have all the hostages released, it does not appear it will be approved unanimously by lawmakers in Israel.
The Times of Israel reported that Itamar Ben-Gvir, the far-right national security minister said his Otzma Yehudit party will vote against the first phase of the ceasefire deal which stipulates all 48 Israeli hostages held in Gaza will be released in exchange of Palestinian prisoners.
Ben-Gvir also warned that while it has no current plans to leave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, the party will “bring down the government” if Hamas is not dismantled.
Also reportedly opposing the deal is far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich and his Religious Zionism party.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb congratulated President Donald Trump on reaching a peace deal in the Middle East, calling it potentially a “huge deal.”
Trump and Stubb met at the White House when the president of Finland praised the Trump administration’s efforts to reach peace in the Middle East.
“I want to congratulate you for what we have seen in the past 24 hours in Gaza. Thank you. I think it’s a historic deal,” Stubb said. “I went through the 20 points. It’s almost like the best record. You really see all the key elements.
“If someone would have said a few weeks back that you and your team are able to push us to a position where there will be a ceasefire, an exchange of prisoners, hostages, and then a pullback. I would not have believed it,” he added. “But…this is what diplomacy is at its best, and I think that’s a potentially huge deal. So congratulations.”
President Donald Trump’s envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met Thursday evening with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem to discuss an agreement aimed at ending the war with Hamas.
During the meeting, the three men discussed the framework Kushner and Witkoff helped negotiate, which is expected to both end the fighting and secure the release of hostages.
Herzog reportedly expressed his deep appreciation to Trump, Kushner and Witkoff for their pivotal role in bringing the hostages home and advancing Israel’s security. He also praised their efforts to strengthen Israeli well-being and help pave the way toward greater cooperation in the Middle East.
Kushner and Witkoff are also scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday night.
Fox News’ Yonat Friling contributed to this report.
Former President Barack Obama said Thursday that the world should be “encouraged and relieved” that an end to the Israel-Gaza conflict appears near, urging Israelis and Palestinians to seize the moment to rebuild and pursue a lasting peace.
“After two years of unimaginable loss and suffering for Israeli families and the people of Gaza, we should all be encouraged and relieved that an end to the conflict is within sight; that those hostages still being held will be reunited with their families; and that vital aid can start reaching those inside Gaza whose lives have been shattered,” Obama wrote on X.
“More than that, though, it now falls on Israelis and Palestinians, with the support of the U.S. and the entire world community, to begin the hard task of rebuilding Gaza – and to commit to a process that, by recognizing the common humanity and basic rights of both peoples, can achieve a lasting peace,” he added.
Massive projections of the American and Israeli flags were illuminated on the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City in celebration of the Gaza peace deal on Thursday.
Images out of Israel show crowds celebrating the agreement, which entails Hamas releasing all 48 of its remaining hostages in exchange for a ceasefire, a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked President Donald Trump for his assistance in the negotiations earlier Thursday.
President Donald Trump’s peace plan for the Middle East was praised by MSNBC panelists Jon Meacham, a presidential historian, and David Ignatius, a Washington Post columnist, on Thursday.
“As ever, it depends on how the chapter ends. But the beginning of this chapter is remarkable. And one of the things about honesty and citizenship and a sense of, I would say, maturity about what people in a democracy should do is even if someone with whom you disagree about 99 things, does the 100 really well, you should say so, because that’s what intellectual honesty is. And so all credit to President Trump and his, as you say, unconventional team,” Meacham told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
Hamas agreed this week to a peace deal pushed by Trump to end the war in Gaza and return the hostages, two years after the terror group attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Ignatius told the co-hosts that Trump was able to do what former President Joe Biden was not.
“I can remember in the month or so after Oct. 7, an Israeli senior official saying to me, ‘We are so disoriented and traumatized by this war, the United States is going to have to make decisions for us.’ Joe Biden could never do that, and Donald Trump was able to do it — did it at the decisive moment — when he said, essentially, this war must end and Israel cannot annex the West Bank, which many right-wing Israelis wanted,” he said.
Ignatius said Trump’s team, including Steve Witkoff, U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, reached out to the Arabs and developed important relationships.
“What’s interesting about that, Joe and Mika, is that it took ideas from all over the Arab world — from the UAE, from Qatar, from Saudi Arabia, from Tony Blair in Britain — and pulled them all together into a single plan with the U.S. weight of support behind it. That’s how we got here. And in each case, it’s Trump deciding these people, endless combatants, cannot do it on their own. ‘I’m going to intervene forcefully.’ Tragically, that is something that Joe Biden, for all his desire for peace, wasn’t able to do,” he said.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Hanna Panreck
There will be no end to the war in Gaza if Hamas does not hand over all 48 living and deceased hostages and completely disarm per the terms of the agreement finalized overnight between Hamas and Israel, Jerusalem’s ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel Leiter, warned in an interview with Fox News Digital on Thursday.
The Israeli government is expected to approve the peace deal first presented by President Donald Trump late last month, and then agreed to by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanayhu.
But concerns remain over Hamas’ commitment and ability to return all the bodies of the deceased hostages within a 72-hour window beginning Friday night local time, as directed under the terms of the agreement.
“They have an obligation to return everyone in 72 hours. Hopefully we’re going be able to keep everything within that framework,” Leiter said when asked about concerns over Hamas’ ability to immediately hand over all the deceased hostages. “There are some glitches that we have to deal with, and this issue is one of them.
“But we need to see all the bodies back, and I don’t think we’re going to be able to move forward until we do have everyone,” he added.
Leiter said a part of the problem is Hamas did not diligently keep track of where it left the bodies of the deceased, but warned that until every body is returned, Israel will not withdraw its forces from the Gaza Strip.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Amelie Botbol
TEL AVIV: Two years of pain were drowned out by tears of joy at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square on Thursday, as Israelis celebrated President Donald Trump’s announcement of the first phase of a deal aimed at ending the war between Israel and Hamas.
“I am overjoyed, overwhelmed, happy — all the good feelings in the world,” Daniel Lifshitz told Fox News Digital at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square.
Lifshitz’s grandfather, Oded Lifshitz, was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7, 2023, and was later killed in Hamas captivity. His remains were returned to Israel in Feb. 2025 for burial.
“When your loved one is a deceased hostage, your soul can’t rest. You don’t know what to do; you don’t have a place to mourn. You can’t invent a grave and go there,” Lifshitz said.
“There’s the fear that some of the hostages won’t return on their feet, that some of the bodies won’t be found. We will be here until the last one is brought home, but today is a holiday.”
On Wednesday, Trump announced the agreement, writing, “This means that all of the hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their troops to an agreed-upon line as the first steps toward a strong, durable and everlasting peace.”
President Donald Trump says he will attempt to travel to Egypt to participate in the signing of Israel’s peace agreement with Hamas on Thursday.
Trump said he has “tremendous gratitude” toward Qatar, Egypt and Turkey for their assistance in reaching a peace deal in Gaza on Thursday.
He made the statement while speaking to the press during a cabinet meeting. The president says envoys from the three Arab countries were critical to securing an agreement between Israel and Hamas.
“I think it’s going to be a lasting peace, hopefully an everlasting peace,” Trump said.
Following President Donald Trump’s announcement that Israel and Hamas have agreed to phase one of a peace plan on Wednesday, The New York Times’ David E. Sanger argued that his role in securing the deal could be the president’s “pathway to the Nobel Peace Prize.”
“For Mr. Trump, success in this venture is the ultimate test of his self-described goal as a deal maker and a peacemaker — and a pathway to the Nobel Peace Prize he has so openly coveted,” Sanger wrote on Wednesday.
The New York Times White House correspondent maintained that Trump is on the brink of the “biggest diplomatic accomplishment of his second term,” but warned that peace in the region is still far from guaranteed.
“If the peace plan moves forward, Mr. Trump may have as legitimate a claim to that Nobel as the four American presidents who have won the peace prize in the past, though with less bombast and lobbying,” he wrote.
“Much could go wrong in coming days, and in the Middle East it often does,” Sanger cautioned. “The ‘peace’ deal Mr. Trump heralded on Truth Social on Wednesday evening may look more like another temporary pause in a war that started with Israel’s founding in 1948, and has never ended.”
Israeli activist Noa Tishby joined ‘Fox & Friends’ to discuss the Israel-Hamas peace deal on Thursday, saying the agreement has reshaped the Middle East.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office called for President Donald Trump to receive the Nobel Peace Prize on Thursday.
Netanyahu said he thanked Trump for his leadership in securing Israel’s peace deal with Hamas on Thursday morning.
“Give @realDonaldTrump the Nobel Peace Prize – he deserves it!” Netanyahu’s office wrote on X.
House Speaker Mike Johnson praised President Donald Trump for shepherding Israel’s peace agreement with Hamas on Thursday.
Johnson made the remarks during a press conference regarding the government shutdown.
“What President Trump achieved yesterday, was announced last night, is a truly historic foreign policy achievement. I mean, it cannot be understated[sic]. We should give a whole press conference just about that,” Johnson said.
“The deal that he struck between Israel and Hamas will achieve incredible results, not just for that region, but for every peace loving people around the world, everyone around the world. He’s going to return, bring the hostages home. Two years they’ve been in captivity and now finally will be delivered home,” he continued
“He’s going to bring the hostages home. He’s going to bring peace and security back to Israel and truly lay the foundation for a lasting peace in the Middle East,” he added.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar offered new details on Israel’s peace agreement
with Hamas in an interview with Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin on Thursday.
Griffin pressed Sa’ar about Hamas’ role in Gaza moving forward as well as Israel’s plans for a military withdrawal.
Sa’ar said Israel is already moving to withdraw its troops behind the “yellow line,” ceding 53% of Gaza’s territory amid Thursday’s ceasefire. He said further withdrawals will be negotiated in later phases of the peace agreement.
He went on to say that, in the meantime, Gaza will be governed by a council of local Palestinians along with input from President Donald Trump. He said the existing Palestinian Authority may also play a role, but only if it adopts certain reforms.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for Trump to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in the peace deal.
Muslim scholar Dr. Qanta Ahmed joined ‘Fox & Friends’ to discuss President Donald Trump’s Israel-Hamas peace deal that secures the release of the remaining hostages and strengthens ties between Israel and Arab nations.
Ahmed says Trump was in a unique position to negotiate thanks his more trusting relations with Israel’s Arab neighbors.
“President Trump masterfully motivated all the elements,” Ahmed said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a “warm” phone call with President Donald Trump thanking him for his efforts tom secure a peace agreement with Hamas on Thursday.
Netanyahu spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian confirmed the phone call during a Thursday morning press conference, saying Washington and Jerusalem worked hand in hand to negotiate the deal.
Under the agreement, Israel will
release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for all remaining hostages, both living and dead. Israel will also withdraw its troops from most of Gaza, removing themselves behind a “yellow line” during a 24-hour ceasefire that has already begun.
At the end of the ceasefire, a 72-hour clock will begin, during which Hamas must release all remaining hostages.
Bedrosian said this is only the first phase of the peace agreement. Details of later phases have not been announced.
Israel confirmed Thursday that notorious terrorist Marwan Barghouti is not being released as part of its peace deal with Hamas and will remain in Israeli custody.
The peace agreement includes the release of hundreds of prisoners in exchange for Hamas releasing its remaining hostages. Shosh Bedrosian, a spokeswoman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, confirmed that Barghouti is not among that group in a Thursday morning press conference.
Nevertheless, she said many of the prisoners being released were being held on terrorism charges.
“Many of these terrorists who are being released are convicted terrorists who have blood on their hands for murdering innocent Israelis,” Bedrosian said.
She said a full list of the prisoners’ names will be released soon.
President Donald Trump praised U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee for his efforts negotiating the peace deal between Israel and Hamas on Thursday.
Trump called Huckabee a “great man” in a post on social media.
“United States Ambassador Mike Huckabee is AMAZING! He worked so hard, and did so much, to bring about Peace in the Middle East. He has very quickly become a Great Man. Thank you Mike!”
Family members of hostages being held by Hamas celebrated the acceptance of the peace plan pushed by President
Donald Trump by calling him on the phone to thank him for his efforts, which include the release of the remaining 48 hostages.
A group of family members were with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick Wednesday night when they got the president on the phone for a quick conversation, a video from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum (HMFF) showed.
Upon answering the call, Trump was immediately met with positive remarks and cheers from the group.
Multiple people yelled, “Thank you!” while one person said, “You did it!” and another said, “This is amazing.”
One man could be heard thanking the president for everything he has done for Israel and its people over the past few years.
“Mr. President, we believe in you. We know you’ve done so much for us … Since you became the president. Even before that. And we trust you fulfilled the mission until every hostage, every 48 of the hostages, are home,” the man said. “Thank you so much. Blessed be the peacemakers.”
Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, a staunch supporter of Israel, congratulated President Donald Trump on Wednesday shortly after the commander in chief announced in a Truth Social post that Hamas and Israel agreed to phase one of a peace plan.
Fetterman said that he and the president are both unflinchingly committed to the U.S. ally.
“I congratulate @POTUS on this historic peace plan that releases all the hostages. Now, enduring peace in the region is possible. Our parties are different but we have a shared ironclad commitment to Israel and its people,” the senator noted on X while including a screenshot of Trump’s Truth Social post.
Israel launched a war effort in the wake of the heinous Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack in which terrorists committed atrocities including murder, rape and kidnapping.
Trump, who has been brokering a peace deal, declared in a Truth Social post on Wednesday, “I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan. This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace.
President Donald Trump says “the whole world came together” to make Wednesday’s Israel-Hamas peace agreement happen, and leaders across the globe are hailing the event.
“So many countries that you wouldn’t have thought of have come together,” Trump said on “Hannity.” “It’s been so great for Israel, so great for Muslims, for the Arab countries — and so great for the United States of America. This is more than Gaza — this is peace in the Middle East.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog chimed in on X, offering an emphatic endorsement of the deal while thanking Trump, adding that “should he visit us in the coming days, he will be received with immense respect, affection, and gratitude by the people of Israel.”
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the breakthrough and urged swift follow-through.
“I welcome the announcement of an agreement to secure a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza. The United Nations will support full implementation and recovery efforts. This momentous opportunity must not be lost,” Guterres said.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Christina Shaw
Former White House hostage policy team member Alex Plitsas says Hamas likely needed more time to locate the hostages–dead and alive–who remain in their custody ahead of Wednesday’s peace agreement.
Negotiators assessed that 20 hostages remain alive, while 28 are deceased and their bodies have been “scattered across Gaza.”
According to the deal, Hamas has 72 hours to release all the remaining hostages, both dead and alive.
The countdown to return the 48 hostages held by Hamas for more than two years and the end to the brutal war in Gaza will officially commence Thursday morning after the Israeli security cabinet and government convene to approve the deal signed overnight.
Once the government approves the terms of the deal hashed out by Egyptian, Qatari, Turkish and U.S. mediators, Hamas has 72 hours to release the 20 hostages still assessed to be alive, along with the 28 deceased, “in one fell swoop and without public ceremonies,” according to terms cited by Israel press agency TPS-IL.
It remains unclear if Hamas will be able to adhere to this timeframe after it flagged over the weekend the improbability that it will be able to quickly locate all deceased bodies, some of which are allegedly buried under rubble.
Israel Defense Forces, which will begin withdrawing within 24 hours of the government’s approval to a designated line agreed upon with Hamas, will remain in 53% of the Gaza Strip until all the hostages, dead and alive, are released.
Jerusalem will also authorize the release of some 1,700 Gazans arrested after the October 2023 attacks, along with roughly 250 Palestinians serving life sentences, under the first phase of the plan presented by President Donald Trump late last month.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Caitlin McFall.
President Donald Trump invoked scripture in his announcement of a peace agreement between Israel and Hamas on Wednesday.
Writing on Truth Social, he announced that Israel had agreed to withdraw troops from most of Gaza, while Hamas agreed to release “all” remaining hostages.
“I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan. This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace. All Parties will be treated fairly! This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America, and we thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!”
Trump’s statement references Matthew 5:9, from Jesus’ sermon on the mount, which reads, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.”
Top insurance company’s deep ties to communist China exposed in blistering ad
FIRST ON FOX: Consumers’ Research, a leading nonprofit dedicated to consumer information and taking on woke corporations, launched a new campaign Thursday targeting insurance giant Chubb Limited and its CEO Evan Greenberg, alleging “deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).”
The campaign, which is facing pushback from a Chubb official and a pair of renowned China hawks accusing the nonprofit of misrepresenting Greenberg’s view, is part of a seven-figure initiative titled “China Chubb.” The campaign accuses the insurance company and its chief executive of “cozying up to the CCP” and “using their market power and resources to push a woke, political agenda on the American people.”
The effort falls under Consumers’ Research’s Consumers First Initiative, aimed at exposing companies the group claims put politics ahead of consumers. Chubb’s business reaches across 54 countries, including China, territories and all 50 states and employs over 40,000 people worldwide.
Consumers’ Research says the campaign will include a national 30-second television advertisement titled “China Chubb,” which will begin airing across the country following the launch.
TOP INSURANCE COMPANY IN HOT SEAT AS BLISTERING NEW AD CAMPAIGN EXPOSES ‘RADICAL WOKE IDEOLOGY’
The campaign also features a new website, ChinaChubb.com; a mobile billboard that will circulate throughout Washington, D.C., including Capitol Hill and Chubb’s Washington office; and a targeted digital push with sponsored content on social media platforms and online news outlets.
The ad campaign received a sharp rebuke from a Chubb spokesperson, who called it “completely dishonest” in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“Evan has called out China’s authoritarian approach and predatory practices. He has repeatedly called for the U.S. to stand up and defend its interests,” the spokesperson said.
Robert O’Brien, former National Security Advisor to President Donald Trump, also pushed back on the ad in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“I’ve worked with Evan Greenberg for several years now on American relations with China,” O’Brien said. “In my dealings with Evan, he has been a proponent of U.S. interests in the region. Through its operations in China, his company has contributed to shrinking the U.S. trade deficit.”
However, a Fox News Digital review found that Greenberg has personal and professional entanglements with the CCP, including meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and offering public statements praising the CCP’s global vision.
Earlier this year, Greenberg reportedly attended China’s prestigious China Development Forum alongside executives like Blackstone’s Stephen Schwarzman and Mastercard’s Michael Miebach. The annual forum, which includes delegates from all over the world, also includes access to dozens of top CCP officials, according to a list of delegates released earlier this year.
During this same week, Greenberg was pictured in a press release posted by the Chinese government showing him shaking hands with Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, a top CCP position. The press release paraphrased Greenberg saying, “U.S.-China relationship is the most significant bilateral relationship in the world.”
In 2024, Greenberg was photographed not only shaking hands with Xi in Beijing as Chair of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations. He was also offering glowing remarks about China’s “resilience and vitality.”
THINK TANK FOUNDER FACES SCRUTINY OVER CHINA CORPORATE TIES DESPITE DECOUPLING ADVOCACY
“China’s exceptional economic growth and transformation over the past decades speak to its strong resilience and vitality,” Greenberg said.
In November 2023, he introduced Xi at a San Francisco event.
“Like many others in this room, I believe that a strong and prosperous China that supports and invests in the international system can be a force for good in the world,” Greenberg said at that event.
“We are gathered today to gain insight from President Xi into his vision for the future of his country and of the relationship between the United States and China. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in warmly welcoming President Xi Jinping.”
That same month, Evan Greenberg was elected board char of the National Committee on
U.S.-China Relations after having been “an exemplary” board member and officer of the National Committee and “supporting the Committee’s mission.” The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations sold $40,000 tickets to Americans and American businesses to sit at Xi Jinping’s table during the welcome banquet in San Francisco featuring several other senior CCP officials and guests, which got slammed in a scathing letter from the House Select Committee on the CCP.
In 2022, Xi sent personal greetings to a gala honoring Greenberg. Meanwhile, Greenberg sits on the advisory board of Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management, an institution tied directly to China’s national security and defense apparatus. That university operates under a wing of the Chinese government known for defense tech development, a connection that would likely raise red flags for any U.S. executive overseeing sensitive insurance data.
Greenberg is not the only prominent American business leader serving on that board, a group that includes Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Carlyle Group co-founder David Rubenstein and Apple CEO Tim Cook.
Greenberg has also called on the U.S. to “tone down rhetoric about Taiwan” and slammed efforts to contain the CCP as “self-isolating” and doomed to fail. In shareholder letters, he’s warned against treating U.S.-China competition as a “new cold war” and labeled some American trade protections as “wrongheaded” and “unwise.”
Greenberg has acknowledged the complicated nature of the Taiwan situation, however.
“Taiwan presents the most proximate risk of conflict for the U.S.-China relationship,” he said in 2022. “Beijing has made its ambition clear that it wants to pull Taiwan into its orbit and, increasingly, is matching resources to its ambitions. Washington is improving coordination with allies to collectively deter China from using force, while at the same time supporting Taiwan’s efforts to improve its self-defense.”
Also in 2022, Chubb secured Chinese government approval to acquire majority control of Huatai Insurance Group, a Chinese firm with over $10 billion in assets. That stake has since grown to 85.5%. Meanwhile, Greenberg’s father, Hank Greenberg, orchestrated business deals and meetings with CCP officials, including a Xi-endorsed event ahead of a key U.S.-China summit.
That same year, Greenberg’s father led a group of executives meeting with Chinese officials ahead of Xi’s summit with President Biden in Bali. A think tank affiliated with China’s foreign ministry
organized the Chinese delegation.
Additionally, a company owned by Greenberg’s father, C.V. Starr, owns over 90% of a Chinese insurer formerly known as Dazhong.
Greenberg has not exclusively been complimentary of China and has voiced concerns and critiques about China, saying last year, “China has undermined its appeal in many parts of the region through its revanchist efforts to demand acquiescence to its territorial claims and mismanagement of its own economy.”
“Beijing’s dimming domestic performance is reducing its appeal, and its bullying behavior is driving many countries closer to the United States.”
A 2022 Chubb annual report states that the U.S. is seeking an Indo-Pacific region that “remains free from Chinese hegemony.” The insurance company’s 2023 annual report was also critical of China, saying, “China is viewed both as important and as a source of anxiety for many countries around the world. China is a revisionist and revanchist power that is pursuing a large-scale expansion in military capabilities.”
Fox News contributor and China expert Michael Pillsbury told Fox News Digital Greenberg has been playing a role communicating with China to benefit the Trump administration.
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“Over the last few months, before China accepted President Trump’s request to meet with Xi Jinping, Evan Greenberg played a backstage role to get American complaints by bringing together American CEOs to meet Xi Jinping,” Pillsbury said.
“Learning how badly American companies have been treated helps President Trump because he is determined to end outrageous mistreatment of American companies. White House friends of mine tell me Evan Greenberg developed a list of grievances of how badly treated our companies are in China. One CEO even used the term China ‘gangsterizes our companies.’”
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Consumers’ Research Executive Director Will Hild told Fox News Digital Chubb’s leadership has ignored clear national security warnings about China.
“Despite growing warnings from U.S. intelligence about the risks posed by the Chinese Communist Party, Chubb has invested billions of dollars in Chinese companies, and Greenberg continues to treat Chinese President Xi Jinping as a partner and friend, even meeting personally with Xi Jinping and publicly introducing him as a force for good,” Hild said.
“As the saying goes, your friends show who you really are, and Greenberg’s actions have made it clear he is all in on the CCP. Our campaign exposes the uncomfortable truth: When American corporations cozy up to communist dictators and push woke policies at home, they betray not just their country, but their customers,” he added.
Spanberger sidesteps questions on Jay Jones endorsement after violent texts
Democrat Virginia gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger faced repeated questioning during Thursday’s debate over her continued support for attorney general candidate Jay Jones, after text messages surfaced in which he fantasized about putting “two bullets” in the head of then-Republican Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert.
Both the debate moderators and her Republican opponent, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, repeatedly asked Spanberger whether she still endorses Jones, but Spanberger did not say outright that she no longer endorsed him.
Spanberger also would not say when she became aware of the inflammatory text messages, which also included violent rhetoric about Gilbert’s children.
“Jay Jones advocated the murder – Abigail – the murder of a man, a former speaker, as well as his children who were two years and five years old. You have little girls. Would it take him pulling the trigger? Is that what would do it?” Earle-Sears asked. “Please ask him to get out of the race. Have some courage.”
JOE SCARBOROUGH TELLS DEM CANDIDATE JAY JONES TO LEAVE RACE OVER VIOLENT COMMENTS AGAINST GOP LAWMAKER
The text scandal has proven to be a major flashpoint in the race, as concerns about violent political rhetoric have reached new heights following the assassination of Charlie Kirk and two attempted assassinations of President Donald Trump.
“We just want to clarify, what you’re saying is, as of now, you still endorse Jay Jones as attorney general?” the moderator asked Spanberger point-blank.
“I’m saying, as of now, it’s up to every voter to make their own individual decision. I am running for governor, I am accountable for the words that I say, for the acts that I take, for the policies that I have put out,” Spanberger responded. “I am responsible for the policies I put out and the work I will endeavor to do tirelessly for the people.”
LIBERAL MEDIA DOWNPLAYS SCANDAL OF DEM VIRGINIA AG HOPEFUL JAY JONES’ TEXTS FANTASIZING MURDER OF GOP LAWMAKER
Spanberger did repeatedly point out that she condemned the rhetoric the moment she learned of it, and that she will denounce violent rhetoric at every opportunity she gets.
Meanwhile, Spanberger accused Earle-Sears of only condemning violent rhetoric when it is targeting her political party, but not when it targets her opponent’s. She cited an example from Kirk’s memorial service last month, during which Trump reportedly said, “I hate my opponent and I don’t want the best for them.”
“It is important that candidates always denounce violence no matter which side of the aisle … We should always be focused and forceful in our denouncement of it,” Spanberger said as she was peppered with questions on whether she would denounce Jones. “My opponent unfortunately only denounces violence when her side is the target.”
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In response to those accusations, Earle-Sears did not condemn the president’s words, but did say it was something she would not say herself personally.
“As I’ve said before, I would not say that,” Earle-Sears said of the Trump comments.
IRS reveals 2026 tax adjustments with changes from ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on Thursday announced annual inflation adjustments for dozens of tax provisions, along with changes made under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).
The IRS’ announced changes primarily apply to tax year 2026.
The standard deduction, claimed by the majority of taxpayers who don’t itemize their returns, will rise to $16,100 for single taxpayers and $32,200 for married couples filing jointly in tax year 2026. OBBBA also raised the standard deduction for the 2025 tax year to $15,750 for single filers and $31,500 for couples filing jointly.
Adjustments were made to the IRS’ marginal tax brackets, with the income thresholds that apply to various tax rates updated to account for inflation.
BLUE STATES PLAN NEW TAX HIKES ON WEALTHY RESIDENTS IN RESPONSE TO TRUMP’S FEDERAL TAX LEGISLATION
The top tax rate remains at 37% for the 2026 tax year and applies to single taxpayers with incomes over $640,600 or married joint filers earning over $768,700. The other tax brackets and rates apply as follows:
- 35% for incomes over $256,225 for individuals and $512,450 for married filers;
- 32% for incomes over $201,775 for individuals and $403,550 for married filers;
- 24% for incomes over $105,700 for individuals and $211,400 for married filers;
- 22% for incomes over $50,400 for individuals and $100,800 for married filers;
- 12% for incomes over $12,400 for individuals and $24,800 for married filers;
- 10% for incomes of $12,400 or less for individuals or $24,800 for married filers.
Other notable changes made under the OBBBA include the estate tax exclusion, which will be set at $15 million for the estates of decedents who die in 2026. That’s an increase from the $13.99 million exclusion that applies in 2025.
Adoption credits will increase to $17,670 in tax year 2026, up from $17,280 in 2025, while the amount of the credit that’s refundable will be $5,120.
The exemption amount for the alternative minimum tax will be set at $90,100 and begin to phase out at $500,000 for individuals, or for married couples at $140,200 with a phase out starting at $1 million.
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Additionally, the OBBBA increased the maximum amount of the employer-provided childcare tax credit from $150,000 to $500,000 (or $600,000 if the employer is an eligible small business).
Other tax provisions that are changing due to the annual indexing process include the earned income tax credit, which will rise to a maximum credit amount of $8,231 for qualifying taxpayers with three or more children, an increase from $8,046 in tax year 2025.
The limitation for voluntary employee salary reductions for contributions to health flexible spending arrangements will increase to $3,400 in tax year 2026, up $100 from last year. Cafeteria plans that allow unused amounts to carryover would have the maximum carryover at $680, up $20 from 2025.
HOW DOES THE ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ HELP MIDDLE-CLASS TAXPAYERS?
Taxpayers who have self-only coverage in a medical savings account would have to have a deductible of at least $2,900 in tax year 2026, up $50 from this year, but not more than $4,400, which is an increase of $100 from this year. The maximum out-of-pocket expense amount for self-only coverage will increase $150 to $5,850 in 2026.
For family coverage with medical savings accounts, the annual deductible will be between $5,850 to $8,750, while the out-of-pocket expense limit will be $10,700 in tax year 2026.
The monthly limitation for the qualified transportation fringe benefit will rise $15 to $340 in tax year 2026.
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The annual exclusion for gifts will be unchanged for tax year 2026 at $19,000.
Some tax provisions that in the past were indexed for inflation are no longer adjusted. Those include personal exemptions, itemized deductions, and the income measurement used to phase out the lifetime learning credit.
Blue state AG says males in girls’ sports ‘doesn’t harm anyone’ amid Trump feud
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison responded to dozens of school board members who are urging the state to keep biological males out of girls sports by saying the issue “doesn’t harm anyone.”
A letter penned by more than 40 school board members expressing support for policy revisions to enforce Title IX and protect girls sports prompted the response from Ellison this week.
“Letting the very small number of transgender students in Minnesota play on their school sports teams doesn’t harm anyone, but segregating them does,” part of Ellison’s statement read.
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Ellison said this despite the fact that multiple girls high school athletes in his state have spoken out about how the experience of facing trans athletes has impacted them, and some have even filed a lawsuit over the issue.
Three anonymous Minnesota high school girls filed a lawsuit against the state’s education agencies in the spring after having to compete against a transgender softball pitcher.
One of the plaintiffs previously told Fox News Digital about what it was like playing against the trans pitcher.
“This issue has affected me in ways that I never imagined. It’s simply unfair, and I hate that nothing is happening to change that. Boys should not be able to take girls’ spots on teams just because they are capable of doing so. I hope that more girls affected by this issue will stand up against this.” the player said.
Another anonymous player directly called out Ellison for supporting the policies that have allowed the trans pitcher to play against females.
INSIDE GAVIN NEWSOM’S TRANSGENDER VOLLEYBALL CRISIS
“It’s really upsetting to know that [Ellison] isn’t taking rights of girls and women seriously. He is allowing boys to compete with girls, and it is not safe and completely unfair. To know that AG Ellison is in complete support of letting boys and men take advantage of females in sports is absolutely disgusting and wrong,” one anonymous player previously told Fox News Digital.
Former White Bear Lake High School softball player Kendall Kotzmacher previously told Fox News Digital that losing to a trans pitcher in the state tournament left her in tears.
“How do you acknowledge that you lost to a biological male? How do you process those events that happened? And that was something that entire night, I still couldn’t do it. … We lost to a biological male in a female state tournament,” Kotzmacher said.
Minnesota’s education agencies face a deadline Friday from the U.S. Department of Education to change their trans athlete policies. President Donald Trump signed the “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” executive order in February, but Minnesota was one of the first states to openly defy the order.
Ellison then filed a lawsuit against Trump and the Department of Justice over the executive order and appears staunchly opposed to complying with the DOE’s Friday deadline.
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“Exclusion is a violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, which has protected the rights of trans kids to participate in all extracurricular activities for decades,” Ellison’s statement continued.
“I too am concerned about the Trump Administration’s threats to cut education funding for kids across Minnesota, but this matter is before the court right now. The federal government’s threats violate the U.S. Constitution, Minnesota law, and Title IX itself. I’m fighting to prevent these harmful cuts, stop the Administration’s bullying of transgender kids who just want to live their lives in peace, and protect the rights and freedoms of all our students in Minnesota.”
‘Friends’ star reveals painful truth behind childless rumors after decades of silence
Jennifer Aniston is setting the record straight on why she never became a mother.
During a recent interview with Harper’s Bazaar U.K., the 56-year-old “Friends” star opened up about why she chose to write an op-ed for The Huffington Post in 2016, addressing the long-standing rumors regarding why she never had children.
“They didn’t know my story or what I’d been going through over the past 20 years to try to pursue a family because I don’t go out there and tell them my medical woes,” she said about the rumors. “That’s not anybody’s business. But there comes a point when you can’t not hear it — the narrative about how I won’t have a baby, won’t have a family, because I’m selfish, a workaholic. It does affect me. I’m just a human being. We’re all human beings.”
At a certain point, she recalled thinking, “What the hell?” and wrote the op-ed “because I knew a lot of women at the time who were trying to have kids” and were going through the process of IVF. She explained that her decision to write the piece “was not only for myself but for any women who were struggling with the same issue.”
JENNIFER ANISTON WARNS OF HOLLYWOOD SAFETY CONCERNS AFTER MAN RAMMED CAR INTO HER GATE
Rumors of the actress putting her career over starting a family began after her divorce from actor Brad Pitt in 2005, with many speculating he left her because she didn’t want to have a child. In reality, Aniston had privately been trying IVF, which ultimately was unsuccessful.
In the 2016 op-ed, Aniston slammed the media for defining “a woman’s value based on her marital and maternal status,” saying she and her husband at the time, Justin Theroux, were being “harassed by dozens of aggressive photographers staked outside our home” trying to snap a photo of her and “uncover whether or not I am pregnant (for the bajillionth time… but who’s counting).”
“I have grown tired of being part of this narrative. Yes, I may become a mother some day, and since I’m laying it all out there, if I ever do, I will be the first to let you know. But I’m not in pursuit of motherhood because I feel incomplete in some way, as our celebrity news culture would lead us all to believe,” she wrote.
“I resent being made to feel “less than” because my body is changing and/or I had a burger for lunch and was photographed from a weird angle and therefore deemed one of two things: ‘pregnant’ or ‘fat.’”
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The actress discussed her fertility journey in a November 2022 interview with Allure, in which she admitted, “It was a challenging road for me, the baby-making road.”
She further explained that the “years and years and years of speculation” were difficult for her and now that she is past that point in her life, she “actually feel[s] a little relief now because there is no more, ‘Can I? Maybe. Maybe. Maybe.'”
“I was going through IVF, drinking Chinese teas, you name it. I was throwing everything at it. I would’ve given anything if someone had said to me, ‘Freeze your eggs. Do yourself a favor.’ You just don’t think it. So, here I am today. The ship has sailed.”
While she felt it was important to speak her truth at the time, Aniston now says, “The older I get, the less I care about correcting a narrative,” because eventually the truth will come out on its own.
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“The news cycle is so fast, it just goes away. Of course, there are times when I feel that sense of justice – when something has been said that isn’t true, and I need to right the wrong,” she told Harper’s Bazaar U.K. “And then I think, do I really? My family knows my truth, my friends know my truth.”
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Former MLB All-Star loses cancer battle, teammate mourns ‘unbelievable friend’
Mike Greenwell, a two-time All-Star with the Boston Red Sox who played 12 years in the majors, has died after a battle with thyroid cancer, officials in Florida said Thursday.
He was 62.
Lee County officials announced Greenwell’s death in a Facebook post. He had served as county commissioner since 2022.
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“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Commissioner Mike Greenwell, a lifelong Lee County resident. He was a strong advocate for the people and businesses of Lee County and will be remembered for seeking meaningful solutions to the challenges his community faced,” the post read.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and all who were touched by his leadership.”
The Red Sox selected Greenwell in the third round of the 1982 draft straight out of high school. He made his debut during the 1985 season and never played for any other team.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Red Sox Hall of Famer Mike Greenwell,” the Red Sox wrote on X. “’The Gator’ spent his entire career in a Red Sox uniform and was a beloved fixture of Fenway and Fort Myers. He gave so much to Lee County and Sox Nation.
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We send our love to the Greenwell family.”
Greenwell was a part of the 1986 team that won the American League pennant and lost to the New York Mets in seven games.
He earned his first All-Star selection in 1988 and his second in 1989.
In 1988, Greenwell hit 22 home runs, had a career-high 119 RBIs and batted .325. He was the runner-up in the American League MVP voting, finishing behind Oakland Athletics slugger Jose Canseco that season.
He hit .308 in 1989 with 14 home runs and 95 RBIs.
Greenwell, an outfielder, played 1,269 games in his career. He had 130 home runs and 726 RBIs.
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“Mike was an unbelievable teammate and an unbelievable friend,” Greenwell’s former teammate, Ellis Burks, told MLB.com. “He and I were friends from Day 1. That’s a tremendous loss, not only to his family, but for me as well. It’s tough when you have a friend dealing with an illness for a while like that. My condolences go out to his family.”
Your favorite ‘zero sugar’ beverage might be damaging your liver, research warns
Swapping your regular soda for a diet version may not be any healthier for the liver, new research suggests.
A study of UK Biobank data found that both sugary drinks and artificially sweetened ones, even those labeled zero sugar, are linked to a higher risk of liver disease.
Th findings were presented this week at United European Gastroenterology Week in Berlin, Germany.
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The study followed more than 120,000 adults over 10 years. None of them had liver disease when the research began.
Over time, scientists tracked what the participants drank and also assessed their liver health.
People who drank a lot of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) — like soda, sweet tea or energy drinks — had about a 50% higher risk of developing a serious liver condition called metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), also known as fatty liver disease not caused by alcohol.
“SSBs have long been under scrutiny, while their diet alternatives are often seen as the healthier choice,” lead author Lihe Liu, a graduate student in the Department of Gastroenterology at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China, said in a press release.
YOUR DAILY DIET SODA COULD BE AGING YOUR BRAIN FASTER THAN YOU THINK, STUDY FINDS
However, those who drank diet drinks — low- or non-sugar-sweetened beverages (or LNSSBs) — had an even higher risk of liver disease, at around 60%.
That implies that switching from regular to diet soda didn’t protect their livers — and might have made things even worse.
People who regularly drank artificially-sweetened drinks were also more likely to die from liver-related causes, the research suggested.
“Our study shows that LNSSBs were actually linked to a higher risk of MASLD, even at modest intake levels such as a single can per day,” Liu said.
SUGAR IN DRINKS LINKED TO HIGHER DIABETES RISK THAN THAT IN FOOD, NEW RESEARCH FINDS
“These findings challenge the common perception that these drinks are harmless and highlight the need to reconsider their role in diet and liver health,” she added.
As to why zero-sugar might be harmful, scientists think it may have to do with how artificial sweeteners affect the body.
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They have been shown to alter gut bacteria, increase cravings for sweets, and confuse the brain’s hunger and fullness signals, for example.
Some research even suggests they may still trigger insulin spikes, something that is usually blamed on sugar.
Liu said the safest approach is to limit both sugar-sweetened and artificially-sweetened drinks.
Swapping sugary or diet soda for water was shown to reduce liver disease risk by as much as 15%, while substitution between the two types of beverages offered no risk reduction.
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“Water remains the best choice, as it removes the metabolic burden and prevents fat accumulation in the liver, whilst hydrating the body,” the researcher noted.
Liver disease is already one of the fastest-growing health problems worldwide, affecting approximately 4.5 million U.S. adults, according to CDC data.
As the full study had not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal, potential limitations of the study were not available.
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Some experts, however, pointed out that the beverage consumption was self-reported and may have some inaccuracies. The observational study also identifies an association, but does not prove that the beverages caused liver issues.
Fox News Digital reached out to the American Beverage Association and to the study researchers requesting comment.
Woman killed in PetSmart parking lot after dispute over not saying ‘thank you’: officials
A woman in Texas was shot and killed in a PetSmart parking lot after an argument over not saying “thank you” for opening the door, according to police.
Cecilia Simpson, 41, was shot several times outside a PetSmart in Dallas on Tuesday at around 1 p.m., Dallas police told FOX 4. A witness told police that Simpson held the door open for Keona Zachyua Hampton, 22, at a Five Below store, an arrest affidavit states.
Simpson allegedly became irritated that Hampton didn’t thank her for holding the door open, triggering an argument. Simpson and her daughter went to their car and drove to PetSmart, which was in the same plaza.
When Simpson and her daughter entered the PetSmart store, she told employees they were being followed by Hampton. Hampton allegedly walked into the store and began arguing with Simpson’s daughter. Hampton exited the store, but returned a few minutes later, when she allegedly started another argument with Simpson.
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After being asked to leave the store, Hampton allegedly threw a bottle at the vehicle Simpson was driving with her daughter in it. According to police, a physical fight then ensued when Hampton took out a handgun and allegedly shot Simpson three times.
Hampton was arrested on Tuesday night during a traffic stop and admitted she got into an argument with Simpson, but claimed she only took out the gun when the situation became physical.
Hampton was booked into jail on a murder charge. Her bail hasn’t been set.
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An ER nurse who saw the incident told FOX 4 her perspective on what happened.
“The shooter was saying, ‘Come outside. Let’s handle this outside. Let’s fight outside.’ And the mom and daughter were just telling her to like go away,” she said. “The mother and daughter tried to get in the car to de-escalate the situation but the lady wasn’t having it. They started to fight and that’s when the lady pulled out her gun and shot her.”
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The nurse said she performed CPR before paramedics arrived.
“The daughter was next to the mom the whole time. It’s hard, you know, because the screaming of a child for her mother is never easy and it’s never going to leave my head,” she said. “I’ve been trying not to cry, but just like, you know, being in high school, my mom was such an important person in my life and she’s the reason I became a nurse. My whole family is.”