"Real Housewives of Dallas" alum Kameron Westcott is breaking her silence on the bitter five-year legal battle between her family and Katy Perry over the sale of a $15 million Montecito mansion.In 2020, Kameron's father-in-law, Carl Westcott a U.S. Army veteran and the founder of 1-800-Flowers filed a lawsuit against Perry's business manager, Bernie Gudvi (who represented Perry in the July 2020 sale of the Santa Barbara-area mansion), after attempting to rescind the deal he made to sell his 8.9-acre estate to Perry for $15 million.At the time, Carl sought a rescission of contract after claiming he "lacked capacity" to sign the transaction due to a recent surgery and brain disorder.KATY PERRY EARNS LEGAL VICTORY IN YEARS-LONG BATTLE FOR $15 MILLION MONTECITO HOMEAfter a five-year feud, Perry will take the stand later this month, and testify about the claim that she lost out on years of rental income due to the litigation. Kameron and the rest of the Westcott family will also be in attendance."We never, ever, ever even wanted to have to go to court," Kameron said, who is married to Carl's son, Court. "I mean, to be honest, we all always wanted to settle with her, and we never wanted to be in this position. Especially when my father-in-law has Huntington's disease and dementia. This is the last thing we want to do and deal with."NEWLY SINGLE KATY PERRY ENJOYS INTIMATE DINNER WITH FORMER CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER DURING WORLD TOUR BREAK"It's extremely hard on everyone. My husband has to take care of everything now with his brother and my father-in-law can't speak for himself at all because of his condition," she added. "And now the family has inherited this horrible situation, and it's just so heartbreaking that we have to deal with this while my father-in-law is in memory care and bed, so we're in this horrible lawsuit that's been going on for five years. My poor father-in-law is sitting in bed and can't even get out, can't even hold a glass of water or feed himself or can't even talk. So it's just awful dealing with all this at once."In November 2023, Judge Joseph Lipner ruled that Gudvi was entitled to the sale of the Montecito home purchased on Perry's behalf in 2020. At the time, Lipner explained that the court did not find Wescott's psychiatrist expert credible, in his ruling obtained by Fox News Digital.LIKE WHAT YOURE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS"Wescott's primary trial evidence on lack of capacity was the analysis and testimony of his retained expert, which the Court did not find credible or persuasive," Lipner wrote in the court docs."On the other hand, significant evidence showed that Wescott had capacity to enter into the contract. This evidence includes the testimony of percipient witnesses who interacted with Westcott during the days he negotiated and signed the contract; Westcott's written communications during those same days, showing him to be coherent, engaged, lucid, and rational; and the medical reports of Westcott's doctors, none of whom found he lacked capacity to engage in any action before the sales contract or for over a year afterwards."The trial was split into two parts by the judge. The damages phase took place last year and the penalty phase is scheduled for later this month.While Perry has been ordered to take the stand, the Westcott family is also pushing for the singer's ex, Orlando Bloom, to testify.APP USERS CLICK HERE TO VIEW POST"He said to our property manager at the estate sale that he was 'in charge of repairs.' That makes him a fact witness," Chart Westcott, the veteran's son, claimed to Fox News Digital. "If she's claiming damages for repairs she had to do, and he was in charge of repairs, that sure makes him fact witness," Chart added, "If you look on Daisy Dove B, the LLC that owns the house, he's listed as a manager of that entity. She's not."Bloom, who split from Perry earlier this year, was served a subpoena and named in the joint witness list.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTERChart believes the "best case scenario" for his family is if "the judge tells her to pound sand, and she doesn't get any damages, and she shouldn't because she's made out of this like a bandit.""It's really not about the money," he insisted. "It's about whether celebrities play by the same rules as the rest of us. The rules shouldn't bend just because you're famous."According to the Daily Mail, the judge said that he only needed the testimony of the contractors and questioned how Bloom's testimony would benefit."Why do we need Mr. Bloom to (give testimony), other than making this a celebrity circus?" the judge said during Friday's hearing.Perry, however, was ordered to appear at the six-day, non-jury trial, which is set to begin Aug. 21."I don't think they have empathy at all. I think this is all about material items for them," Kameron said of Bloom and Perry. "They have absolutely no empathy for other people, because if they did, they would try to settle and close this and move on, but they don't have empathy for other people, and they don't care about their elders.""I hope this never happens to any of their family members," she continued. "I truly don't. I don't wish any harm on any of their family and I just hope one day they realize that they need to have empathy for other people and this can happen to their parents too."APP USERS CLICK HERE TO VIEW POST"It's exhausting. It's like, just be done with this. Why do people do this? It's just upsetting and disturbing to me. There's so many more things in this world we could be doing with our money and time."At the end of the day, Kameron said she and her family are ready to put this behind them in hopes of giving Carl some peace."We just want to be done with this, and we want to move on, and we want my father-in-law to have peace and to not have to deal with this and to let him rest in peace," she said. "I honestly think he's holding on his last few days just to try to be a part of this, and he's fighting.""He is a fighter, let me tell you that. He is hanging on for his dear life, but it's time for him to rest and pass away and not have to worry about what we're going through to fight for him."Representatives for Perry and Bloom did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

An Illinois substitute teacher pleaded guilty to having sex with her11-year-old student during what was described as "play dates" at her home, reports said.Former Decatur Public Schools employee Alley Bardfield, 34, is now set to be sentenced in September after admitting to predatory criminal sexual assault, according to WCIA.The station, citing a lawsuit filed by the victims parents, said the student visited Bardfields home in Mt. Zion for multiple "play dates" in 2023 and 2024."The victims mother reported noticing her son acting differently after a visit to Bardfields house. As a result, she checked her sons phone and social media. In a follow up discussion with her son, he disclosed having had a sexual encounter with Bardfield while a guest at her Mt. Zion residence on March 29, 2024," Mt. Zion police said in a statement last year.FORMER PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER, 33, CHARGED AFTER 'PROLONGED PATTERN OF ABUSE' WITH TEEN BOY"These allegations are shocking, especially when the alleged perpetrator is a person in a position of trust," the department added. "The Mt. Zion Police Department is fully committed working with victims and their families as they deal with the trauma that results from these incidents."The boys mother discovered messages between him and Bardfield on his phone and $700 sent to him through CashApp, WCIA reported. The boy was a student in Bardfields class at the Hope Academy in Decatur, the station added.ILLINOIS TEACHER INDICTED ON 52 ADDITIONAL CHARGES IN STUDENT SEXUAL ABUSE CASE"The victim is a 6th grade student with DPS District 61.Alley Bardfield was a long-term substitute teacher assigned to his 6th grade class," Mt. Zion police said.Bardfield reportedly was let go from her position following her arrest. She also admitted in police interviews to having sex with the student, giving him money in CashApp and sending him nude photos on SnapChat, according to WCIA.Bardfield faces up to 40 years in prison, reports said.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott will be back under center for the team after missing about half of the 2024 season with an injury, leading to a 7-10 year for the potential Super Bowl contenders.Prescott was on the sideline for the teams first preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams. He briefly met with Rams team owner Stan Kroenke and delivered a bold message to him.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM"We'll meet y'all in the NFC Championship," he told Kroenke, via WFAA-TV.Getting to the Super Bowl and winning the championship is the goal for the Cowboys each season. Unfortunately for their fans, it seems like, for nearly three decades or so, theres some kind of calamity that has prevented the team from seizing on its dream.Prescotts injury was just one of a multitude of issues Dallas suffered in 2024. From 2021 to 2023, Dallas was 12-5 and won the NFC East division two out of those three seasons. However, the team never made it further than the divisional round, which has been the main obstacle since last winning the Super Bowl in 1995.The Cowboys have failed to secure even a bid for the NFC Championship despite putting together some terrific seasons over the last 29 years.EX-NBA PLAYER MAKES SHEDEUR SANDERS-LEBRON JAMES COMPARISON AFTER QB'S PRESEASON DEBUTThe Rams won a Super Bowl in 2021 behind Matthew Stafford and a defense led by Aaron Donald. Theyve made the playoffs in two of the last three seasons but have not made it back to the NFC Championship.This season, the obstacle for Dallas could be who is not out on the field, as linebacker Micah Parsons and the team have come to an impasse in contract negotiations. Parsons has since requested a trade and is working out just not at training camp.Its unclear whether the two sides will come to an agreement. For Dallas to get back to its top 10 standing among NFL defenses, having Parsons on the team will be key.Follow Fox News Digitalssports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

The man suspected of fatally shooting a police officer and unleashing a barrage of bullets on the U.S.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) headquarters in Atlanta on Friday had been fixated on the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the suspects father.PatrickJosephWhite, 30, blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for making him depressed and suicidal, a law enforcement official told the Associated Press on Saturday.The official said White's father had contacted police and identified his son as the possible shooter, telling law enforcement that White had been upset over the death of his dog and had become heavily focused on the COVID-19 vaccine.White also spoke about his distrust of COVID-19 vaccines in unrelated conversations, a neighbor of Whites told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.DEATH PENALTY POSSIBLE AFTER RANDOM HIKING MURDERS LEFT CHILDREN WITHOUT MOM AND DAD: FORMER PROSECUTOR"He was very unsettled, and he very deeply believed that vaccines hurt him and were hurting other people," Nancy Hoalst told the newspaper. "He emphatically believed that."Hoalst said that White "seemed like a good guy" and never believed he would become violent and target the CDC.The law enforcement official told the AP that White was armed with five guns, including at least one long gun, when the attack unfolded.Bullets hit at least four CDC buildings during the incident, Director Susan Monarez said in a post on X. Images shared by employees showed multiple agency buildings with bullet-pocked windows, underscoring the breadth of the damage to a site where thousands of scientists and staff work on critical disease research.White is also suspected of killing DeKalb County Police Department Officer David Rose, 33, shortly before 5 p.m., the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) said.MASS SHOOTING IN BALTIMORE LEAVES 6 PEOPLE WOUNDED, INCLUDING 5-YEAR-OLD: POLICEOther officers found Rose critically wounded at the scene. Rose was rushed to Emory University Hospital where he died from his injuries.Rose, who previously served as a Marine in Afghanistan, graduated from the police academy in March. He is survived by his pregnant wife and two children.The responding officers who found Rose mortally wounded also heard additional gunfire coming from a nearby CVS pharmacy.Officers entered a nearby pharmacy and located the shooter on the second floor with at least one gunshot wound.Atlanta Police ChiefDarin Schierbaum said it was not clear if the wound came from police gunfire or if it was self-inflicted.The GBI said the crime scene was "complex" and the investigation would take "an extended period of time."Fox News Digitals Michael Dorgan and Landon Mion, along with the Associated Press, contributed to this report.

Ex-Washington Post fact-checker Glenn Kessler offered a warning to his ex-bosses in their efforts to court conservatives, something he suggested could alienate their liberal readership.In his Substack piece about what led him to leave The Post after 27 years, Kessler recalled an April 2024 meeting he had with the paper's new CEO and publisher Will Lewis, who had just assumed the role earlier in the year."It was strange for me to have an hour-long meeting with the publisher of the newspaper," Kessler told Fox News Digital in an interview. "I've never had such a long period of time with the publisher of the newspaper."WASHINGTON POST BOMBARDED WITH CAKE PARTIES FOR DEPARTING STAFFERSBut what irked Kessler at the meeting was the question Lewis asked him: "What should The Post do to appeal more to Fox News viewers?""He kind of, I felt, was crossing a bit of a business-newsroom line where he was asking my advice on how to make the newspaper appeal to different audience," Kessler said. "As I write in the piece, frankly, the audience of The Washington Post is mostly liberal. I mean, this is based on my anecdotal evidence based on if I wrote fact checks that gave Pinocchios to Democrats, I got lots of angry emails. If I gave fact checks that gave Pinocchios to Republicans, I didn't get that many emails. And so it was an indication of where his thinking was.""And as I said, it would be a good idea to broaden the readership base of the Washington Post to bring in more conservatives," he continued. "But the question is, how do you do that without losing your liberal readers?"WASHINGTON POST REELING FROM BUYOUT EXODUS AS BOSSES HOPE TO TURN THE PAGE AT EMBATTLED PAPERKessler went on to cite the "real-life experiment" that put the question to the test, pointing to billionaire owner Jeff Bezos' decision to halt the planned endorsement of then-Vice President Kamala Harris just days before the presidential election, followed by the launch of his new mission in February for the editorial pages to promote "personal liberties and free markets."Both instances, which on their surface appeared to be overt gestures to appeal to non-liberals, sparked rebellion among the paper's liberal readers, leading to the cancellation of hundreds of thousands of subscriptions."So that shows the difficulty," Kessler said. "It's literally like trying to change engines on an airplane mid-flight."LONGTIME WASHINGTON POST FACT CHECKER TAKES BUYOUT, SAYS PAPER HAS YET TO FIND REPLACEMENT BEFORE EXITKessler recalled telling Lewis that The Post had to "remain true" to its journalistic principles and "provide compelling, interesting news reporting.""You can make sure that the news reports themselves don't have any particular edge or bias that might be viewed as kind of a liberal lens versus a conservative lens," Kessler told Fox News Digital. "But like I said, it's a very tricky thing to do when probably 75, 80% of your readers are liberal."The former Post fact-checker went on to criticize Bezos' editorial mission, which the owner said explicitly would not publish pieces that go against the principles of personal liberties and free markets. The directive caused consternation within The Post, so much so that multiple staffers resigned in protest."I don't understand the idea of eliminating liberal voices from the editorial page because a traditional newspaper editorial page has a lot of debate," Kessler said before pointing to conservative columnists that have appeared on The Post's opinion pages, namely Marc Thiessen and the late Charles Krauthammer."And I've always advised college students when they start reading newspapers or setting up their Twitter feeds, I always say, follow people or read people you disagree with because you're going to learn much more from people you disagree with than people you agree with," he continued. "And there's some columnists I never bother to read because they're always saying the same thing, and it's not interesting, and I prefer to be challenged and prefer to have my thinking, you know, shocked into, 'Oh, I'm looking at this wrong.' So the idea that you're going to just have kind of a one-sided debate is a strange way to run a newspaper."A spokesperson for The Washington Post told Fox News Digital, "The Washington Post is committed to producing high-quality journalism and riveting storytelling to reach all audiences. The Post is dedicated to delivering world-class news experiences to serve all of America."Fox News' Annie McCuen contributed to this report.

Its open season in the California gubernatorial primary after former Vice President Kamala Harris said she will not pursue a 2026 bid to be Gov. Gavin Newsoms successor.On July 30, Harris said in a statement that she would not seek elected office "for now.""In recent months, I have given serious thought to asking the people of California for the privilege to serve as their Governor. I love this state, its people, and its promise. It is my home. But after deep reflection, Ive decided that I will not run for Governor in this election," she wrote, just a day before announcing her memoir "107 Days."CALIFORNIA DEMOCRAT DROPS OUT OF GOVERNOR'S RACE TO RUN FOR A DIFFERENT ROLESince the announcement, there have been many major developments in the race, including Lt. Gov Eleni Kounalakis dropping out to run for treasurer instead."This decision was not made lightly," Kounalakis stated on Friday. "At this moment, I believe I can make the greatest impact by focusing on Californias financial future."Kounalakis is a longtime friend of Harris, and she appeared to have gotten the backing of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi before her exit."We have many great candidates, one in particular,Eleni Tsakopoulos, whom I support," Pelosi said in a recent CNN interview, calling the Lt. Gov. by her maiden name.KAMALA HARRIS TO PUBLISH BEHIND-THE-SCENES ACCOUNT OF FAILED 2024 CAMPAIGNHer decision to drop out triggered a response from Rick Caruso, a Los Angeles real estate mogul who ran against Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass in 2022. Caruso is considered a potential candidate to enter the gubernatorial race."Eleni Kounalakis embodies the ingenuity, creativity, and drive that make California great," Caruso posted to X on Friday. "A widely respected business leader, she has created countless jobs for working families in our state. Her service in public office has been exemplary. I look forward to her next outstanding contribution to our great state."Meanwhile, the field still has a large pool of candidates, including former Rep. Katie Porter, Biden-era Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.KAMALA HARRIS DECISION NOT TO RUN IN 2026 OPENS DOOR TO POSSIBLE SECOND PRESIDENTIAL RUN IN 2028Porter previously ran for Senate and came in third in the primary behind Sen. Adam Schiff and former Dodgers star Steve Garvey, a Republican.On the Republican side, Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco are running for a spot in the top-two open primary system.Neither Harris nor Newsom has publicly made endorsements in the race, and the two are also considered possible contenders in the 2028 presidential election.The primary election is on June 2, 2026.

Bread has been getting a bad "wrap."Blamed for inflammation, blood sugar spikes, weight gain, type 2 diabetes and even poor mental health, bread has been left behind by many people. But experts say there can be room for it in our diets and that it can even be beneficial.ARCHEOLOGISTS UNEARTH ANCIENT BREAD THAT SURVIVED UNDERGROUND FOR 5,000 YEARS"You can enjoy a sandwich and still be in great shape," Jacob Zemer, a performance coach and wellness expert from Westchester, New York, told Fox News Digital.Thanks to today's food science, bread products including tortillas, bagels and English muffins can be surprisingly nutritious and don't have to be given up, according to Zemer."One of the most important things that you can do from a nutrition standpoint is get fiber in your diet, and a lot of breads these days are high in fiber," he said.Fiber helps lower bad cholesterol, reduces blood sugar spikes, promotes gut health and digestion and keeps you full.It's also linked to lower mortality, research has found.HOW TO MAKE ARTISAN BREAD IF SOURDOUGH IS TOO MUCH OF A COMMITMENTTen extra grams can cut the risk of major diseases like heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers by about 10%, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).Zemer said he looks for breads with at least 4 grams of fiber per slice that are low in calories and sugar.Women and men should aim for 25 and 38 grams of fiber per day, respectively. But most Americans get only about half of what they need daily, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).As for seed oils the reason many people disavow processed breads Zemer said that if most of your diet is made up of whole foods, the small amount in a piece of bread is inconsequential.BREAKFAST KEY TO MEETING DAILY FIBER NEEDS AMID AMERICAN 'HEALTH CRISIS'Below are some of his favorites and how he recommends preparing them.One of these whole wheat tortillas has 45 calories, 6 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein.One of these wraps has 70 calories, 17 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein.Each slice of bread has 45 calories, 11 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein.One slice of this white bread has 40 calories, 8 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein.For more Lifestyle articles, visit foxnews.com/lifestyleThe flatbread contains 60 calories, 2 grams of fiber, 6 grams of protein and no sugar.A slice of the original white bread has 40 calories, 8 grams of fiber and 2 grams of protein.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTEROne slice of the 30-calorie bread has 11 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein.One bagel has 160 calories, 20 grams of fiber and 8 grams of protein.Each muffin has 100 calories, 8 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein.Zemer said he likes to load up the bread items with egg whites and veggies in the morning, tuna salad at lunch and grilled chicken for fajitas or a hot honey sandwich at dinner.The key, he said, is enjoying it."It's really, really important that you enjoy what you eat," he said. "That's the only way it's sustainable."

ANACONDA, MT: One of two violent fugitives has been caught and another is still on the run. Both are former members of the U.S. military, with one suspected of carrying out a deadly attack on a Montana bar and the other allegedly against his three young children.Michael Paul Brown, 45, was on the run after allegedly shooting four people in the Anaconda, Montana, Owl Bar on Friday morning. Thirty-three-year-old Travis Decker has been a fugitive in Washington state after he allegedly murdered his three young daughters on May 30.In both cases, local and federal law enforcement teamed up to deploy helicopters and ground teams to track the suspects across mountainous terrain.To better understand the tactical and psychological elements at play, Fox News Digital spoke with retired U.S. Army Special Forces officer Mykel Hawke, a survival expert known for his television work."Sooner or later, youre going to leave a footprint that somebody can find," he said.MONTANA FUGITIVE'S BROTHER SERVING LIFE SENTENCE FOR SEPARATE MURDER CONVICTION IN SAME TOWNAlthough both Decker and Brown served in combat zones, Hawke emphasized the distinction between basic military training and elite-level survival instruction."Neither of these guys have that SERE school or our special operations school," he said, referencing the militarys intensive Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape training," he said. "That tells me a bit of the limitations of their military survival background."Decker attempted to become an Army Ranger and completed jump school, deploying to Afghanistan with a Ranger battalion. However, he never earned a Ranger tab."That says something went wrong," Hawke said. "Somewhere along the line, somebody decided hes not quite right to be a Ranger."MONTANA MANHUNT EXPANDS FOR EX-SOLDIER SUSPECT SEEN WITH STOLEN SURVIVAL GEAR AFTER BAR MASSACREAfter his deployment, Decker shifted into the National Guard and pursued a military track outside of the infantry, focusing on communications and civil affairs.That pivot, Hawke explained, further limited Deckers access to tactical survival training, such as the Armys elite SERE course.Brown served as an armored crewman, with Hawke saying: "They dont spend a lot of time on the ground. Theyre not digging foxholes and sleeping in hammocks like the infantry guys.""As an armor guy, they just don't spend a lot [of] time in their whole military experience on the ground," he said.The Army said Brown was an armor crewman from January 2001 to May 2005 and was in the Montana National Guard from April 2006 to March 2009. He was deployed to Iraq from February 2004 to March 2005 and left the Army with the rank of sergeant."This is an unstable individual who walked in and murdered four people in cold blood for no reason whatsoever," Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen said Sunday. "So there absolutely is concern for the public."According to Hawke, surviving in the wilderness, especially while evading an active manhunt, requires more than basic military experience."Everybody needs food," Hawke said, explaining that without a pre-packed supply, a fugitive would have to rely on hunting and foraging.He noted that setting traps and snares typically requires staying "static."Water, too, is a constant concern."They're going to need water. If they don't have a water source, they're going to have to treat that water," he said.The most common method boiling demands fire, which creates smoke and scent, he said. Without fire, fugitives are forced to rely on chemical purification like iodine tablets or risk drinking untreated water.MONTANA BAR SHOOTING SUSPECT COULD RETURN TO TOWN, STATE AG SAYS, CITING 'CONCERN FOR THE PUBLIC'Shelter is another necessity."The nights will still get cold up there," Hawke said, emphasizing that unless they brought proper gear, they'd have to build or find natural cover.Navigating remote terrain presents additional challenges. Hawke believes they likely wouldnt use GPS devices out of fear of being tracked, meaning theyd need to rely on maps, compasses or local knowledge."I doubt they're relying on a GPS, because that would ping them," he said.WATCH:Ultimately, survival comes down to strategy: whether to stay hidden or keep moving."You're either hiding or you're running," said Hawke. "And hiding means, sooner or later, you're going to leave a footprint. If you're running, you're going to make all kinds of mistakes and there is a higher likelihood of getting caught.""It is almost impossible for a human to survive for any period of time without leaving a sign," he said.A $10,000 reward was available for information leading to Browns capture. A reward of up to $20,000 is being offered for information leading directly to Deckers arrest. Officials say he is considered to be armed and dangerous.

House GOP fiscal hawks have requested tens of millions of federal dollars for projects in their home districts for fiscal year 2026, an analysis by Fox News Digital has found.It's common practice for congressional lawmakers to request funding for specific community initiatives for the people they represent measures called "earmarks." Critics of such funding have often referred to it as "pork," however.This coming fiscal year, beginning on Oct. 1, is no different both Republicans and Democrats have requests totaling over a billion dollars in earmarks so far.That includes conservatives in the House of Representatives who have been known to criticize what they describe as excessive or bloated government spending.GOP LAWMAKERS CLASH OVER STRATEGY TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CRISISHouse Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris, R-Md., for instance, has been approved for more than $55 million in federal funding for projects in his district.The figure includes $9 million for the Middle River Fire Company to make improvements and upgrades to its facilities, and $1 million for the development of a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.The majority of Harris' requests are aimed at rural development in his district and the Army Corps of Engineers. Three earmarks were requested for clean water initiatives.Harris told Fox News Digital when reached for comment on the funds, "These awards are certified to directly benefit taxpayers in the districtdrawing from existing grant programs that are funded annually. Its far better for elected members of Congress to designate where that money goes than to leave those decisions to unelected federal bureaucrats. There are no additional funds appropriated for Community Project Funding - they all fall within the agencys appropriation."Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., a self-described deficit hawk, was approved for just over $10 million so far. That includes over $4 million for Flexible Neutron Source, a research tool at the University of Tennessee, and $2 million for veterans housing in Knox County.LONGTIME BIDEN AIDE SAYS HE STOOD TO EARN UP TO $8M HAD PRESIDENT WON RE-ELECTIONHouse Freedom Caucus member Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., was approved for more than $18 million in earmarks with the largest request being $4,200,000 for the Silicon Bayou Semiconductor Technology Center at the University of Louisiana, Lafayette.Higgins' total sum also includes funding for Army Corps of Engineers projects, as well as rural hospital, law enforcement and clean water initiatives.He also submitted a joint request with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., for $131,500,000 toward a levee and floodgate system, called the Morganza to the Gulf of Mexico Project, aimed at storm damage prevention.Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., another member of the House Freedom Caucus, got nearly $15 million in community funding projects approved, chiefly aimed at clean water programs and highway infrastructure.Boebert was vehemently against earmarks when she first came to Congress. Her opinion has changed since then, however, due to Republican-led changes to the process which she explained in a 2023 op-ed in the Aspen Times.She made a similar argument to Fox News Digital when reached for this story: "I fought for real reforms to the appropriations process in 2023 to make sure my constituents' tax dollars go to necessary infrastructure projects, not the wasteful and corrupt spending schemes that took place under Nancy Pelosi.""My district's roads are crumbling, and our water keeps getting sent to California, where it's wasted, because Colorado's politicians won't invest in water storage or infrastructure investments. My constituents pay federal taxes just like everyone else, and they should see their dollars benefit their communities instead of being sent to sanctuary cities like Denver," Boebert said.Conservative libertarian Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., also got some community funding, though only totaling $5 million approved so far. Massie's requests so far are all focused on construction and rehabilitation for Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.Massie told Fox News Digital of the funding, "I serve on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee because I believe the federal government has a legitimate role in transportation infrastructure, and the legislature has the constitutional authority to direct the funding of those projects.""In fact, I have voted in the GOP conference more than once to restore congressionally directed spending in the context of transportation infrastructure," Massie said.And Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., chair of the subcommittee for Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE), got nearly $10 million in earmarks approved for her rural-suburban Georgia district.Those funding requests are largely comprised of infrastructure initiatives, clean water programs, and law enforcement-related projects for Floyd County and other areas.148 DEMOCRATS BACK NONCITIZEN VOTING IN DC AS GOP RAISES ALARM ABOUT FOREIGN AGENTSWhile known as a fiscal hawk, it's worth noting that the majority of Greene's criticism of government spending is directed at foreign aid.Greene said she was glad to be able to provide for her district when reached for comment by Fox News Digital."Im proud to bring federal tax dollars back home to Northwest Georgia where they belong. My constituents work hard, and for far too long, Washington has sent their money to fund foreign wars, foreign governments and globalist pet projects. When I first got to Congress, I opposed the earmark process because I believed it was a tool of the Swamp. But after seeing how it works today, Ive realized that if we dont fight to bring money back to our districts, the money goes elsewhere," Greene said."Ill never support billions for Ukraine or other endless wars, but I will absolutely fight to secure critical investments in Northwest Georgia, from water systems and sewer expansions to public safety equipment, roads and broadband."The aforementioned lawmakers' spending requests are far from an exhaustive total list across the entire House, but fiscal conservatives' earmark proposals show just how widespread the practice is within Congress on both sides of the aisle.Republicans have made some changes to the process as of FY2025, however, to narrow what's allowed.In an effort to block out funding requests for "woke" or socially progressive policies, GOP appropriators have barred earmarks for most nonprofit organizations.That move likely saved hundreds of millions of dollars in annual spending, but Democrats decried it as a block on federal funding for LGBT initiatives.Fox News Digital reached out to spokespeople for Burchett and Higgins for comment but did not receive a response.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his security cabinet's plan to take over Gaza is more expansive than previously announced, arguing on Monday that Israel "has no choice but to finish the job and complete the defeat of Hamas."Netanyahu's office originally announced the takeover on Friday, but he now says the operations will include not only Gaza City but also in the "central camps" and Muwasi. The latter areas are home to well over 500,000 people. The Israeli prime minister says he has spoken with President Donald Trump about the plan and says he thanked him for America's "steadfast support.""Our goal is not to occupy Gaza, our goal is to free Gaza," Netanyahu said Monday. His office says the goals behind the takeover are to fully root out Hamas everywhere in Gaza before stabilizing the region and eventually handing leadership off to friendly Arab forces opposed to Hamas.The Security Cabinet's Friday announcement said it adopted, by vote, five principles for concluding the war which include: the disarming of Hamas, the return of all hostages living and deceased the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip, Israeli security control in the Gaza Strip, and the establishment of an alternative civil administration that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority.ISRAEL SECURITY CABINET APPROVES PLAN TO OCCUPY GAZA CITYThe plan gives the green light to Defense Minister Israel Katz to call up over 400,000 military reservists to carry out the operation until November 30.News of the operation comes as many of Israel's longtime allies have announced plans to recognize a Palestinian state. France announced such willingness earlier this year, while the United Kingdom and Canada followed over the past two weeks. Australia was the latest country to do so on Sunday.RECOGNIZING A PALESTINIAN STATE NOW WILL COMPLICATE FUTURE PEACE EFFORTS, EXPERTS WARN"Australia will recognize the right of the Palestinian people to a state of their own, predicated on the commitments Australia has received from the Palestinian Authority," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, referring to the governing entity of the Palestinian areas of the West Bank.Those commitments, he said, included the demilitarization of Gaza and the holding of elections with no role for Hamas in a Palestinian government. Australia has designated Hamas a terrorist entity and Albanese repeated Monday his government's calls for the group to return Israeli hostages held since the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre."A two-state solution is humanitys best hope to break the cycle of violence in the Middle East and to bring an end to the conflict, suffering and starvation in Gaza," Albanese said.CANADA PLANS TO RECOGNIZE PALESTINIAN STATE IN SEPTEMBER, PM CARNEY SAYSThe prime minister said the situation there "has gone beyond the worlds worst fears." He accused the Israeli government of continuing "to defy international law and deny sufficient aid, food and water to desperate people, including children."Meanwhile, the U.S. has continued to defend Israel against accusations of genocide at the United Nations. Other rival nations on the U.N. Security Council have been all too willing to criticize Israel, however, with China condemning the situation in Gaza as alleged "collective punishment," and Russia calling it a "reckless intensification of hostilities" at a security meeting on Sunday.Fox News' Bradford Betz and the Associated Press contributed to this report