Republican Rep. Mike Collins on Monday announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate in Georgia, in a crucial race for the GOP as the party aims to expand its Senate majority in next year's midterm elections.Collins is aiming to challenge Democrat Sen. Jon Ossoff, who is running for re-election in the key southeastern battleground state that President Donald Trump narrowly carried in last year's election. And Republicans view Ossoff as the most vulnerable Senate Democrat incumbent on the ballot in 2026."Jon Ossoff does not represent Georgias values and has attacked our state's best interests at every opportunity. Hes voted to raise taxes on Georgia families, supercharge inflation, open our Southern Border, and allow men to play womens sports," Collins argued in a statement as he launched his campaign.Collins highlighted that "this is Georgias moment. This is the peoples time to take back control of this Senate seat, deliver on President Trumps America First agenda, and kick Jon Ossoff to the curband together, thats exactly what we will do next November."FIRST ON FOX: TRUMP ALLY TO LAUNCH SENATE CAMPAIGN IN KEY BATTLEGROUNDThe announcement by Collins came as no surprise. Fox News Digital learned on Friday that the congressman would launch his Senate campaign early this week.Collins, a businessman who founded a trucking company, is in his second term representing Georgia's 10th Congressional District, which includes a large swath of urban, suburban, and rural areas between Atlanta and Augusta.The conservative lawmaker, who's the son of the late Republican Rep. Mac Collins of Georgia, has been moving closer to launching a Senate campaign for weeks.TRUMP TEAM PISSED OFF WITH REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE SENATE NOMINATION RACE"Tires kicked. Fueling up," Collis wrote Monday in a social media post that was accompanied by a video where he showcased his ties to President Donald Trump."Congressman Mike Collins, he loves this state," Trump said in a clip in the video.And Collins' launch video, which he posted on social media on Monday morning, also includes a clip of the president praising the congressman, as well as visuals of Collins and Trump standing together.Collins was an early backer of the president, supporting him as Trump first ran for the Republican presidential nomination in the 2016 cycle.In the 2024 presidential campaign, when Trump won back the White House, Collins traveled on behalf of Trump to the crucial early-voting primary and caucus states of Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.He also appeared at multiple Trump rallies during the 2024 cycle and opened three Trump campaign offices in Georgia.POPULAR GOP GOVERNOR PASSES ON SENATE BID IN 2026And Collins, not facing a difficult re-election in his solidly red House seat, campaigned in ten congressional districts across the country to help elect Trump-aligned candidates as the GOP defended its razor-thin majority in the chamber.Collins at the beginning of this year reintroduced the Laken Riley Act, which mandates that undocumented immigrants charged with burglary or theft be detained. It's named after a Georgia nursing student killed by a man who had illegally entered the U.S. The case grabbed national attention.The bill, which quickly passed the Republican-controlled House and Senate, became the first legislation signed into law by Trump as he started his second tour of duty in the White House.A Republican source said that Collins has a "great relationship" with the president and his political team.And a Georgia-based Republican consultant told Fox News that "the lane that Mike is going to run in is the America First fighter who's been with President Trump."Trump, who is the ultimate kingmaker in GOP politics and whose endorsements in Republican primaries are extremely powerful, has yet to weigh in on whom he may back in Georgia's burgeoning Senate race.National Republicans were hoping to recruit popular two-term GOP Gov. Brian Kemp to take on Ossoff. But Kemp, who is term-limited, announced earlier this year that he would pass on a 2026 Senate run.Republican Rep. Buddy Carter, who for a decade has represented a district in coastal Georgia, launched a Senate campaign in the spring. Carter is also courting a Trump endorsement in the GOP primary.Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King was also running for the Republican nomination, but ended his bid on Thursday.Former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley, who is the son of former longtime University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley, is also considering a Senate bid. The younger Dooley is close with Kemp, who's a longtime friend.Sources in Trump's political orbit and Republican sources in Georgia confirmed to Fox News on Friday that there was an agreement between the presidents political operation and Kemps political team that they would work together to find a candidate that they could all unify behind to take on Ossoff in the Senate race.Those sources also confirmed that Kemp and Trump met a couple of weeks ago to discuss the Senate race in Georgia.But when the governor floated Dooley's name, a source close to the president's political team said "they were told to stand down."And when Kemp and his team did move forward with Dooley, it upset Trumps advisers, who, according to sources, were "already pretty annoyed" that Kemp had passed earlier this year on taking on Ossoff in the Senate race."We had a deal to work together,"a top political source in the Trump orbit told Fox News on Friday."Kemp went out on his own which has frustrated and pissed off Trump orbit."But a source close to the governor told Fox News that it's factually not true that they were told to stand down on Dooley.And the source added that Kemp meant what he said that he wants to work with the president and his team and remains that way.A campaign announcement by Dooley could come as early as this week.

Attorneys for Luigi Mangione are accusing the federal government of providing "barebones, vague allegations" in their death penalty case against the accused UnitedHealthcare CEO killer.In a new court filing, the defense is asking a federal judge to require the prosecution to hand over information surrounding allegations intended to be proven at the sentencing phase of Mangiones death penalty trial.The defense claims prosecutors information about various factors such as the alleged threat to individuals other than the victim and the impact on the victims loved ones "contain only barebones, vague allegations, lacking any information about the facts upon which the government intends to rely," according to the document.LUIGI MANGIONE'S TEAM ASKS COURT TO REMOVE 'SHACKLES,' BULLETPROOF VEST ON UNITEDHEALTHCARE CEO MURDER SUSPECTMangiones legal team is arguing that the lack of details prevents them from preparing to defend their client against the allegations during the trials sentencing phase and is in violation of the Federal Death Penalty Act.The document suggests an "informational outline" should be provided to the defense by Oct. 24 90 days from its filing."The need for sufficient time to conduct such an investigation is particularly acute in this case, because the government announced its intention to seek the death penalty even before the defense had an opportunity to conduct a mitigation investigation and make a detailed factual mitigation presentation to the Department of Justice," the document reads."[T]oo much is left to guesswork," Mangione's team wrote. "Notice means notice. It does not mean a scavenger hunt for clues in discovery."LUIGI MANGIONE ARGUES DOUBLE JEOPARDY IN BID TO DROP MURDER CASE, SUPPRESS EVIDENCEMangione is accused of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan on Dec. 4, 2024 before fleeing to Pennsylvania.Federal prosecutors allege Mangione used a homemade ghost gun to shoot Thompson twice in the back, with authorities believing the killing was ideologically motivated due to the words "deny," "delay" and "depose" written on the ammunition found at the crime scene.The Manhattan District Attorneys office previously referred to the shooting as an act intended to "violently broadcast a social and political message to the public at large."LUIGI MANGIONE PROSECUTORS FIRE BACK ON EAVESDROPPING CLAIMThe prosecution also points to journal entries and a note addressed to the FBI by Mangione, in which he allegedly rails against the U.S. healthcare system, adding that "these parasites simply had it coming."Mangione faces several federal charges, including alleged murder through use of a firearm and stalking. Additionally, he is facing state charges in a case that is expected to proceed ahead of his federal trial.Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all charges.The Department of Justice and Mangiones legal team did not immediately respond to Fox News Digitals request for comment.

The FBI is investigating a death onboard the Carnival Dream cruise ship.A spokesperson for the FBIs Houston Office told Fox News Digital that an incident happened around Wednesday, July 23, on board the ship. At the time, the Dream was in the area of Belize City during a 6-day Western Caribbean voyage. It returned to Galveston, Texas, on Saturday."An FBI maritime liaison agent, based out of the Texas City resident agency, is coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, and the cruise line regarding this incident," the spokesperson added, stating that they could not provide more information because of "the ongoing nature of the investigation."A Carnival spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital on Monday that a death had occurred, noting that "It is standard practice for the FBI to review deaths that occur on cruise ships."GIRL ON DISNEY CRUISE FELL THROUGH PORTHOLE AS DAD JUMPED TO SAVE HER IN 20-MINUTE FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL: POLICE"This routine protocol ensures transparency. It does not automatically imply suspicious circumstances, and the facts of this matter do not suggest any such activity. We extend our heartfelt sympathy to our guest's family and loved ones in this difficult time," the spokesperson added.The FBI spokesperson also said "the FBI is the primary federal agency authorized to investigate potential crimes on the high seas."CRUISE SHIP CRIME REACHES 2-YEAR HIGH, CASTING DARK CLOUD FOR TRAVELERS: EXPERTPassengers told KHOU that on the day of the incident, they were awoken around 3 or 4 a.m. to sirens, with one traveler claiming to have heard an announcement requesting medical assistance on the adults-only Serenity Deck.The ship can carry up to 3,646 guests and also made two stops in Mexico during the trip during which the incident happened.The Carnival Dream is scheduled to dock in Key West, Florida, on Monday as a stop on a trip to the Bahamas, according to the website Cruisemapper.com.

Auburn Tigers mens basketball coach Bruce Pearl criticized President Barack Obama over the statement he made on the hunger situation in Gaza.Obama suggested aid must flow to Palestinians regardless of whether Israel can secure a hostage deal.Pearl, who is the chair of the U.S. Israel Education Association, criticized the former president on Monday for failing to demand that Hamas return the hostages it has held since the Oct. 7, 2023 terror attacks.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM"You gave billions to Iran and Hamas creating this mess and not one word from you calling for THEM to release the hostages, surrender and end the War! Tell Hamas to 1) Quit stealing and reselling aid 2) Stop attacking GHF workers who are feeding Gazans. 3) Leave and end suffering," Pearl wrote on X.Obama made the statement on social media on Sunday in reference to reporting from the New York Times stating that "Gazans are dying of starvation." Israel, which blocked aid to Gaza earlier this year, has recently begun to airdrop aid resources into the region, and its leaders argue reports of starvation are a false campaign promoted by Hamas.Reporting from Fox News' Trey Yingst has indicated that hunger is indeed spreading across the region, however."While a lasting resolution to the crisis in Gazamust involve a return of all hostages and a cessation of Israelsmilitary operations, these articles underscore the immediate need foraction to be taken to prevent the travesty of innocent people dying of preventable starvation," Obama wrote on X, providing a link tothe Times.AUBURN'S BRUCE PEARL PUMPS BRAKES ON US SENATE RUMORS"Aid must be permitted to reach people in Gaza. There is no justification for keeping food and water away from civilian families," he added.PresidentDonald Trumptouted U.S. efforts to provide aid to Gaza when asked about the situation on Sunday. While meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the time, he stated that Europe has not provided aid to Gaza. He also said that Hamas is stealing much of the aid being sent to Palestinians, a claim Israel has put forward repeatedly."When I see the children and when I see, especially over the last couple of weeks people are stealing the food, theyre stealing the money, theyre stealing the money for the food. Theyre stealing weapons, theyre stealing everything," Trump told reporters."Its a mess, that whole place is a mess. The Gaza Strip, you know it was given many years ago so they could have peace. That didnt work out too well," he added.Pearl, who is Jewish, has been more outspoken against Hamas terrorists and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East since the terror attacks.He explained on the"Being Jewish Podcast"in June about why he speaks out."Heres the deal. One of the reasons why I do it, its really simple. What is your Middle Eastern studies course teaching you in high school? Oh, you dont have one? Oh, so then lets go on social media and lets read the lies and the propaganda," Pearl explained."In the back of their minds its, Maybe they are right. Maybe the Jews did steal the land. Maybe they did run them out of their home. I dont know. Well, thats because youve never been taught. So youre listening to the loudest voices, [which is] a very, very loud minority."Fox News Andres Hagstrom contributed to this report.Follow Fox News Digitalssports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

An intra-GOP battle is already brewing over how to avert a government shutdown before the next fiscal year begins on Oct. 1.House and Senate lawmakers will need to strike a deal on funding the federal government by then and while that deadline is still weeks away, Congress August recess means that they have just 14 legislative days with both chambers in session to come to an agreement.That will be no easy feat, considering both House and Senate Republicans are working with three-seat majorities.Meanwhile, theres already divisions being sown over the viability of a short-term extension of fiscal year 2025 (FY2025) government funding levels, known as a continuing resolution (CR).148 DEMOCRATS BACK NONCITIZEN VOTING IN DC AS GOP RAISES ALARM ABOUT FOREIGN AGENTSSome fiscal conservatives in the House have suggested they could get behind a full-year CR, an idea that mainstream Republicans and defense hawks have balked at."I think we ought to start planning for a full-year CR," House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., told reporters last week. "A funding freeze in a setting of 2.7% inflation actually is a real cut in the size of the scope of government."Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., a member of the conservative group, told Fox News Digital, "I would be open to that." He added, however, "But really, a CR is kind of a surrender."Others, like Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., said, "I never like CRs, but well see how it plays out."But one House GOP lawmaker who spoke with Fox News Digital under the condition of anonymity argued it could have dangerous effects on military funding."Its absolutely ridiculous," the lawmaker said. "That destroys our defense. I mean, if its a CR encompassing everything, thatscontrary to everything theyve ever said before. But when has that stopped the Freedom Caucus?"The idea of extending the previous years government funding levels has traditionally been anathema to Republicans, particularly in the House, where lawmakers have tried for several years to pass 12 individual, single-subject spending bills.Its not something thats been accomplished in years, however. And with Republicans having spent months working on President Donald Trumps "big, beautiful" policy bill, GOP lawmakers have acknowledged theyve been left with precious little time.Many of those lawmakers suggested some sort of short-term CR could be likely to give appropriators more time to reach a deal while avoiding a temporary shutdown."I mean, we seem to be having trouble getting the appropriations bills moved through, and so were going to have to do something," Rep. Lloyd Smucker, R-Pa., told Fox News Digital. "And I think if were doing a CR that keeps funding levels close to where they are now, a lot of members of the conference would support that."THOM TILLIS ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT FROM SENATE AFTER CLASH WITH TRUMPOne source close to the House Appropriations Committee told Fox News Digital they believe a short-term CR is a likely scenario, but did not mention the prospects of a year."I don't know that were there yet, but if thats the option available, we certainly cant afford any type of government shutdown especially under full control by Republicans," another member, Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., told Fox News Digital.Meanwhile, a small group of conservatives is warning theyre dedicated to opposing any form of CR."Im not voting for a September 30th CR. That is totally unacceptable," Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., wrote on X last week. "Im giving everyone adequate notice."Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., pointed out FY2025 levels were set under the Biden administration."Why would we want to do the Biden policies and budget?" Biggs asked.And many Senate Republicans scoffed at the idea of doing another government funding extension, let alone a year-long CR. Most want to actually give the appropriations process a shot rather than continue the status quo of last-minute government funding."I have no interest in a year-long CR," Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., told Fox News Digital. "I think Congress needs to actually take the responsibility for looking at spending. I don't think having a CR, which is basically a continuation of a Biden era, is appropriate."Rounds and other appropriators want to see the process through, something that hasnt been accomplished since the late 1990s. But time is running thin for lawmakers, given that the House is already on recess and the upper chamber may stick around for a portion of August.Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, argued that the appropriations process, which has been largely sidelined for years because of CRs, could still work, but warned that it could be undermined by another government funding extension or more rescissions packages from the White House."We're going to have an opportunity to be on the floor with an appropriations bill before we go on break for August," she said. "So I refuse to say appropriations is pretty broken."So far, the Senate Appropriations Committee has finished work on six funding bills, and moved through a key hurdle for the Houses funding bill for military construction and the VA last week. The House of Representatives has passed two of 12 individual appropriations bills, though the two already make up roughly half the discretionary funding Congress must lay out.Other Republicans similarly do not want to see another funding extension, and would rather focus on passing Trumps roughly $1.7 trillion budget that he submitted to lawmakers earlier this year."Hopefully we don't have to go get to a CR, but if we get to a CR, what I don't want is, I don't want some blowout spending bill, which is what we have done since I've been here," Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fl., told Fox News Digital.Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., also preferred to tackle Trumps budget, but believed that lawmakers were already "late to the ball.""I would like to go through a regular order where we consider all 12 of these buckets within the appropriations bill, all 2,400 line items, piece by piece on the floor, and make everybody defend their bridges to nowhere," Marshall said. "I think that'll cut out a lot of the nonsense."

Thailand and Cambodia reached a ceasefire deal "through trade," President Donald Trump announced Monday, ending a burgeoning conflict that displaced 260,000 people.The declaration from Trump comes after he said over the weekend that he had spoken to the leaders of Cambodia and Thailand, urging a ceasefire, adding the U.S. would not get back to the "trading table" with the southeast Asian countries until fighting stops.The fighting began Thursday after a land mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers. Both sides blamed each other for starting the clashes that have killed at least 35 people and displaced more than 260,000 people on both sides."Numerous people were killed and I was dealing with two countries that we get along with very well, very different countries from certain standpoints. They've been fighting for 500 years intermittently. And, we solved that war ... we solved it through trade," Trump told reporters during his trip to Scotland.MULTIPLE PEOPLE KILLED IN MASS SHOOTING INCIDENT AT BANGKOK MARKET: POLICE"I said, 'I don't want to trade with anybody that's killing each other.' So we just got that one solved. And I'm going to call the two prime ministers who I got along with very, very well and speak to them right after this meeting and congratulate them. But it was an honor to be involved in that. That was going to be a very nasty war. Those wars have been very, very nasty," Trump also said."By ending this War, we have saved thousands of lives. I have instructed my Trade Team to restart negotiations on Trade. I have now ended many Wars in just six months I am proud to be the President of PEACE!" Trump added in a post on Truth Social.As part of the ceasefire deal, military commanders from both sides will begin to hold talks Tuesday to defuse tensions while Cambodia will host a border committee meeting on Aug. 4, according to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.He added that the foreign and defense ministers of Malaysia, Cambodia and Thailand have also been instructed to "develop a detailed mechanism" to implement and monitor the ceasefire to ensure sustained peace.TRUMP CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE BETWEEN CAMBODIA AND THAILAND AMID ESCALATING VIOLENCEIt is "time to start rebuilding trust, confidence and cooperation going forward between Thailand and Cambodia," Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said during a press conference in Malaysia alongside Thai Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai.Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X that the U.S. "applauds the ceasefire declaration between Cambodia and Thailand announced today in Kuala Lumpur.""President Trump made this happen. Give him the Nobel Peace Prize!" added White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.Fox News Brie Stimson and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

More than 200 child sex offenders have been arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the Houston area in the last six months.The 214 illegal immigrants arrested for immigration offenses by ICE "have been charged or convicted of a sex offense involving a minor," according to a media release.The number tops the 211 arrested "during the entire 2024 fiscal year."ICE says the rise in arrests "is a direct result of a whole-of-government approach implemented under the current administration that led to the establishment of multiagency targeting teams in each area of responsibility.""Bringing together the resources and expertise of the entire federal law enforcement community to confront the overwhelming surge of illegal immigration that we saw over the past four years has resulted in the arrest and removal of historic numbers of violent criminal aliens, transnational gang members and child sex offenders," ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston acting Field Office Director Paul McBride said in a statement.WORST OF THE WORST SNARED: ICE NABS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CONVICTED OF HORRIFIC CRIMESOf the 214, ICE highlighted five arrests of individuals who had been previously deported:ICE REMOVES AIRPLANE HIJACKER AMONG 1,361 VIOLENT CRIMINALS IN HOUSTON SWEEPJorge Zebra, 48, was arrested on March 21. The Mexican national "has been convicted of two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a minor and sexual indecency with a minor," ICE said. He was sent back to Mexico on March 24.Jesus Gutierrez Mireles, 67, was arrested on March 28. The Mexican national "has been convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child and driving while intoxicated," ICE said. Mireles has been deported three times and was sent back to Mexico from the U.S. on April 4.Jose Guadalupe Meza, 40, was arrested on June 24 and "has been convicted of theft and sexual assault of a child," ICE said. He has been deported four times, and was sent back to Mexico on June 25.Sergio Rolando Galvan Guerrero, 45, was arrested on July 12 "and has been convicted of DWI and aggravated sexual assault of a child," ICE said. He has been deported three times, and sent back to Mexico on July 14.Manuel Antonio Castro-Juarez, 37, was arrested on July 18 "and has been convicted of sexual assault of a minor and twice for illegal reentry," ICE said. He has been deported twice before and "remains in ICE custody pending his third removal to El Salvador."CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP"While we still have a long way to go to truly get this crisis under control, the strides we have made in just six months to make our local communities safer are substantial, and our officers continue to work tirelessly every day to get the worst of the worst criminal aliens out of Southeast Texas to return our communities to places we can all enjoy," McBride said.Fox News' Brooke Taylor contributed to this report.

Former NBA player Marcus Morris was arrested on Sunday on a fraud charge, according to online arrest records in Florida.He was arrested at an airport and was hit with a fraud writing a check with insufficient funds charge. The Broward County arrest record showed that the case was related to an issue in another state, and he was being held in jail without bond.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMMarkieff Morris, Marcus twin brother who also played in the NBA, wrote about the situation in a post on social media."The wording is crazy. Damn for that amount of money theyll embarrass you in the airport with your family," Markieff Morris wrote on X later Sunday. "They got yall really thinking bro did some fraud s---. They could have came to the crib for all that."When yall hear the real story on this s--- man. All I can say is Lesson learned. Bro will tell yall tomorrow. This weird s--- gave me a headache. Cant stop nothin!"Its not Marcus Morris first time in trouble with the law.2025 NBA OFFSEASON BUZZ: LEBRON JAMES CURIOUS ABOUT JOINING THE MAVS?He entered a diversion program in 2012 after he was charged with battery over an incident in Kansas. He and Markieff were also charged with aggravated assault over an incident in 2015. The brothers were found not guilty.Marcus Morris was a first-round draft pick in 2011, starting his career with the Houston Rockets. He was in Houston for one full season before he was traded to the Phoenix Suns in the middle of the 2012-13 season.He also played with the Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers and finally the Cleveland Cavaliers.He stepped away from the NBA after the 2023-24 season.Follow Fox News Digitalssports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Bryan Kohberger, the killer of four University of Idaho students, remained calm during his first police interview, speaking at length about his Ph.D. program before abruptly shifting focus to his parents, his dog, and his constitutional right to an attorney.According to a newly released police summary from the Moscow Police Department, Kohberger, 30, acknowledged receiving a crime alert from Washington State University (WSU) and admitted, "of course" he knew about the killings but invoked his Fifth Amendment rights when pressed for details.Moscow Police Cpl. Brett Payne and Idaho State Police Det. Darren Gilberton spoke to Kohberger at the Pennsylvania State Police barracks in Stroudsburg. When Payne introduced himself, Kohberger said, "you do look familiar," according to a report from Moscow police.Kohberger said "the only thing he heard of from Moscow was an alert that came to his phone," according to that report.BRYAN KOHBERGER PLEADED GUILTY TO IDAHO STUDENT MURDERS, BUT THESE KEY QUESTIONS REMAIN UNANSWEREDIn Kohbergers first interview with police following the murders of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, and Xana Kernodle, the students killer openly talked about his decision to pursue a Ph.D. in criminology."Knowledge was far more important to him than money," police said, adding that Kohberger said he "loved being in college."He described applying only to WSU and UC Irvine because they didnt require the GRE, and said he had recently returned home to Pennsylvania after driving across the country with his father.Kohberger added WSU had a good program to study under and then said "you guys know all about this more than likely," police documents said.The conversation shifted from small talk, including talking about WSU football and sports, to Kohberger saying he "would appreciate it if we [police] would explain to him what he was doing there," according to the report.Kohberger deflected when asked why he thought the police were there, telling Gilbertson hed rather have them tell him."Det. Gilbertson said we were there because of what occurred in Moscow but did not provide any further detail," the report said.IDAHO VICTIMS' FAMILIES TO ADDRESS KILLER DIRECTLY AT KOHBERGER SENTENCINGGilbertson asked Kohberger if he watched the news. Kohberger said, "I watch the news."Kohberger then asked where his parents were and where his dog was.READ THE POLICE INTERVIEW WITH KOHBERGER APP USERS, CLICK HEREThe interview, which took place around 2 a.m., shifted to Kohbergers recent drive back to Pennsylvania.Kohberger said he drove across the country and wanted the challenge of that and experience it with his father.He shared that he took a different route back home with his father for Christmas Break to avoid snow.BRYAN KOHBERGER PLEADS GUILTY TO IDAHO MURDERSPolice said that he began to speak about the beauty of the environment and its relationship to God and a higher power."We spoke about this for some time and Kohberger said he was raised Christian but was always a skeptic except when confronted with the beauty of the natural world," the police document said.When asked if his father and he had made any stops on their lengthy road trip back to Pennsylvania, Kohberger said that their "main goal was just [to] drive.""Kohberger then told a story about seeing an unmarked police car near Kansas City speed up behind him, catch up to another vehicle, turn on its emergency lights, then drive away."Kohberger thought this was strange and was unsure why it occurred," the document said.When the police told Kohberger that the attack on the Idaho students was why they were there and asked him if he wanted to talk about that, Kohberger replied: "I think I would need a lawyer."

Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Ken Martin isn't sugar-coating his party's problems."We do have a brand problem," the DNC chair said in a recent Fox News Digital interview.And in what's starting to sound like a broken record, the Democratic Party hit another historic low in a national poll this past weekend.Only a third of those questioned in a Wall Street Journal survey said they held a favorable view of the party, with 63% holding an unfavorable opinion of the Democrats.WHAT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIR TOLD FOX NEWS DIGITALThat's the highest unfavorable rating for the party in a Wall Street Journal poll dating back 35 years.While the favorable ratings for President Donald Trump (45%-52%) and the Republican Party (43%-54%) in the poll were nothing to brag about, they weren't as deeply underwater as the Democrats' favorability."The Democratic brand is so bad that they don't have the credibility to be a critic of Trump or the Republican Party," said longtime Democrat pollster John Anzalone, who conducts Wall Street Journal polling along with veteran Republican pollster Tony Fabrizio.POLL POSITION: DEMOCRATIC PARTY'S NUMBERS SINK TO NEW LOWSThe Wall Street Journal survey, which was conducted July 16-20, is the latest this month to indicate the plunge in Democratic Party polling.Just 28% of Americans viewed the party favorably, according to a CNN poll conducted July 10-13. That's the lowest mark for Democrats in the entire history of CNN polling, going back over 30 years.And just 19% of voters questioned in a Quinnipiac University national poll in the field July 10-14 gave Democrats in Congress a thumbs up on how they're handling their duties, with 72% disapproving.That's an all-time low since Quinnipiac University first began asking congressional approval questions in their surveys 16 years ago.The Democratic Party has been in the political wilderness since last year's elections. Not only did the party lose control of the White House and Senate and failed to win back the House majority, but Republicans made gains among Black, Hispanic and younger voters, all traditional members of the Democratic Party's base.Since Trump's return to power earlier this year, an increasingly energized base of Democrats is urging party leaders to take a stronger stand in pushing back against the president's sweeping and controversial second-term agenda. Their anger is directed not only at Republicans, but at Democrats they feel aren't vocal enough in their opposition to Trump.RNC CHAIR SAYS BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL KEY TO GOP'S MESSAGING EFFORT HEADED INTO MIDTERMSThat has fueled a plunge in the Democratic Party's favorable ratings, which have hit historic lows in several surveys this year."When you hit rock bottom, there's only one direction to go, and that's up, and that's what we're doing," Martin said last week in his Fox News Digital interview.Martin said "people have bought into this idea that Donald Trump and the Republicans best represent their interests for the future."And that's reflected in the Wall Street Journal poll. Even though Trump's overall approval ratings and his numbers specifically on how he's handling the economy are in negative territory, the survey indicates voters still trust Republicans over Democrats on the economy by 10 points.But there is a silver lining in the poll for Democrats.By a 46%-43% margin, voters questioned in the survey said they would back a Democrat for Congress over a Republican.Democrats are aiming to win back the House and Senate majorities in next year's midterm elections.In Wall Street Journal polling eight years ago, Democrats held an eight-point advantage, a year ahead of a blue wave that swept the party back into power as they grabbed the House majority in the 2018 midterms during the first Trump administration.