Vice President JD Vance sent a message to Americans about the Trump administrations federal takeover of Washington, D.C.s police in an exclusive interview with "The Ingraham Angle" on Wednesday."If you've got the political will to enforce the law, you can make even cities like D.C. safe again," Vance told Fox News host Laura Ingraham. "And that's what we're demonstrating."FORMER VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE DEFENDS TRUMP'S CRIME CRACKDOWN IN DCPROGRAMMING ALERT: TO CATCH VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE'S ENTIRE INTERVIEW ON THE INGRAHAM ANGLE, TUNE IN TO FOX NEWS CHANNEL TONIGHT AT 7 PM ETOn Aug. 11, Trump declared a "crime emergency" in the nations capital, federalizing the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and deploying D.C.s National Guard to crack down on crime.Since then, violent crime in D.C. has dropped 35%, Vance touted, adding robberies have dropped 55%.HUNDREDS ARRESTED AS TRUMPS WASHINGTON, DC, CRIME CRACKDOWN HITS FULL STRIDEVance went on to impart the "important lesson" he hopes Americans take away from the administrations crackdown, despite other cities not sharing D.C.s federal status."I hope the American people just recognize that you don't have to live with lawlessness," he said."You don't have to live with third world murder rates. If you just take control of these cities, you can make them safe places to live again.The vice presidents comments come moments after he and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited National Guard troops in D.C.s Union Station Wednesday. Despite their visit being unannounced, hundreds of protesters greeted them, shouting "free D.C."Vance fired back at the display in front of cameras, calling it "kind of bizarre.""You have these people outside screaming free D.C.," Vance told reporters. "Lets free D.C. from lawlessness. Lets free Washington, D.C. from one of the highest murder rates in the entire worldthats what were trying to free D.C. from."RADICAL DC OFFICIALS TREATED OFFICERS LIKE CRAP, POLICE LEADER SAYS 7 ATTACKS THAT LED TO TRUMP TAKEOVERHe continued, "Its kind of bizarre that we have a bunch of old, primarily White people who are out there protesting the policies that keep people safe when theyve never felt danger in their entire lives."Vance also recalled a moment in Union Station that "scared the hell out of" his kids before thanking guardsmen for bringing "some law and order" back to D.C."A couple years ago, when I brought my kids here, they were being screamed at by violent vagrants, and it was scaring the hell out of my kids," he recalled.To extend Trumps federal takeover past 30 days, Congress would have to pass a joint resolution upon both chambers return from August recess.

INDIANA JONES Daniel Jones is back in the captains seat after the Indianapolis Colts announced Tuesday that the former Giants quarterback will be the teams starter this season.Continue reading QUESTIONABLE CALL Anthony Richardsons agent needled the Colts organization over its decision to name Jones the starting quarterback over the 2023 first-rounder, calling their trust level in the team "questionable."Continue reading SOUND THE ALARM Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., weighed in on the conversation around the Minnesota Vikings hiring male cheerleaders, warning the NFL that fans may stop buying tickets because of the "narrative theyre trying to push."Continue reading SAFETY NET The wife of Cleveland Browns punter Corey Bojorquez recently revealed why she listed the organizations security team as her daughters emergency school contact.Continue reading BOXER WANTED Nearly two months after losing a bout against Jake Paul, boxer Julio Csar Chvez Jr. has been deported to Mexico over alleged cartel ties, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Tuesday.Continue reading ROUND OF APPLAUSE ESPN host Stephen A. Smith praised President Donald Trump for the recent negotiations with Russia and Ukraine to end the ongoing war during an appearance on "Hannity" Tuesday.Continue reading INJURY BUG Indiana guard Sophie Cunningham was the latest Fever player to have their season cut short due to injury. She was ruled out with an MCL injury in her right knee on Tuesday and will sit out the remainder of the year.Continue reading THATS WHATS UP Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy was flattered when Taylor Swift revealed on the "New Heights" podcast that she was excited about the team selecting Worthy out of Texas in the 2024 draft.Continue reading GAME-TIME DECISION Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning clarified statements his legendary grandfather made about his NFL draft status for 2026 as he nears his first start of the 2025 season.Continue reading FROM FOX SPORTS New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said this week that theres no timetable on Aaron Judges return to the lineup after he was activated from the injured list earlier this month as a designated hitter.Continue reading FROM OUTKICK World Boxing announced that it is following in the footsteps of World Athletics by instituting a sex-testing policy for athletes who wish to compete in the women's category.Continue reading WATCH NOW Former NFL quarterback Carson Palmer joins FOX Sports Colin Cowherd to discuss whether the Cincinnati Bengals are doing enough to support Joe Burrow, if Caleb Williams can continue his strong preseason form, and if Matthew Staffords back injury will impact the Los Angeles Rams.Watch here FOLLOW FOX NEWS ON SOCIAL MEDIAFacebookInstagramYouTubeTwitterLinkedInFox News FirstFox News OpinionFox News LifestyleFox News HealthFox BusinessFox WeatherFox SportsTubiFox News GoOutKickSign up for OutKick's daily newsletterFox Nation

Its "third times the charm" for Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham, as she revealed the WNBA fined her again for criticizing officiating on her podcast.Cunningham, who was ruled out for the remainder of the 2025 WNBA season after tearing her MCL in Sundays game against the Connecticut Sun, told her "Show Me Something" co-host, reality star and Complex journalist West Wilson, that she got fined for comments regarding Dallas Wings star guard Paige Bueckers."I love Paige to death, dont get me wrong," Cunningham said in her podcast episode from Aug. 13. "I think shes a hell of a player and would love to play with her one day, but those refs were giving her every frickin whistle last night. Like you literally couldnt touch her. Thats just so annoying to me."CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMThe WNBA fined Cunningham an undisclosed amount."Im officially 3-for-3 on being fined by the WNBA," Cunningham said in the most recent podcast episode."For this? For the pod?" Wilson questioned.FEVER STAR SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM'S SISTER RIPS WNBA REFS AFTER GUARD SUFFERS DEVASTATING KNEE INJURY"They didnt like my comment on Paige BueckersI didnt even say anything bad," Cunningham responded.Cunningham was first hit with a fine worth $500 from the league for posting a TikTok where she captioned it "some officials" with lip-synced words from Sabrina Carpenters hit song, "Manchild," which were, "Stupid. Or is it slow? Maybe its useless."Then, after comments about officiating in the podcasts debut episode, Cunningham was slapped with a $1,500 fine."If I was a ref, I know I would mess up all the time. Like, Im not saying that your job is easy, but when it is a simple call right in front of your face multiple times, what are you doing? What are you doing?" Cunningham began in the debut episode."Theyre just so inconsistent, like thats one thing. If youre on the other team, and youre going to be fouling the s--- out of me, cool. But let me do it to you I think players across the league, and new fans across the country are like, What is going on with the refs? And Im like, I dont know. And you fining me $500 is not going to do s---."Cunningham was in the midst of her first season with the Fever. Her popularity skyrocketed early this season in a game against the Sun where she protected Clark after the superstar guard was poked in the eye.Cunningham was ejected from the game for a scuffle underneath the Suns hoop, and from there, her social media presence has grown exponentially.Cunningham was playing on a one-year, $100,000 contract with the Fever, rendering her a free agent at the end of this season.She finished the season averaging 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game over 30 contests (13 starts).Follow Fox News Digitalssports coverage on X, and subscribe tothe Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

The teaser for the upcoming episode of "South Park" revealed on Tuesday that the adult cartoon series will be taking aim at President Donald Trumps crime crackdown in Washington, D.C.The short, 20-second trailer for Wednesdays episode, titled "Sickofancy," featured recurring character "Towelie" traveling to the nation's capital and seeing it swarming with U.S. National Guard troops."This seems like a perfect place for a towel," the cartoon character said as he watched a tank drive between him and the White House.'SOUTH PARK' CREATORS RIP SKYDANCE-PARAMOUNT MERGER AS A 'S---SHOW', BLAME DEAL FOR DELAYING NEW SEASONOther shots from the trailer showed U.S. military personnel and vehicles patrolling near the U.S. Supreme Court as Towelie marveled at the scene.Trump seized federal control of D.C.s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) on Aug. 11 under emergency powers in the Home Rule Act, which allows the president to federalize MPD for up to 30 days, unless Congress extends the duration.The president also ordered 800 National Guard troops to be deployed in the nations capital as part of his effort to reduce crime and homelessness in the city.Local police and federal law enforcement officers in the city have made more than 550 arrests since Trump launched the "Making D.C. Safe and Beautiful" task force on Aug. 7, including the apprehensions of three known gang members, one of whom was an MS-13 member, according to White House data provided Wednesday to Fox News Digital.TRUMP INSTALLS MASSIVE NEW US FLAGS AT THE WHITE HOUSE AND THEY DON'T COST TAXPAYERS A PENNY"South Park" has focused its 27th season so far on mocking the Trump administration and its recent initiatives.During the season 27 premiere in late July, the show depicted the president in bed with Satan while talking about his alleged Jeffrey Epstein cover-up, and took shots at his recent settlement with CBS and parent company Paramount Global. Both scenes included crude depictions of his genitalia.The White House responded to the episode, with spokesperson Taylor Rogers slamming the series in a statement to Fox News Digital."This show hasnt been relevant for over 20 years and is hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention," he said.CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURENew episodes have also mocked Vice President JD Vance, depicting him as a tiny, groveling servant to the president. They have also depicted U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem as a trigger-happy government official who shoots and kills dogs.The dig against Noem was a reference to an anecdote from her 2024 memoir where she described having to shoot a misbehaving dog on her ranch in the past.The Trump administration has not backed down from skewering "South Park" in return, either. The official DHS X account posted an image of a recent "South Park" depiction of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, along with a link where users could apply for ICE jobs."South Parks" account replied in a repost, "Wait, so we ARE relevant? #eatabagofd----."The White House did not immediately reply to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

It seems that all of the conventional opinion of Americas chattering class is condensed and printed once a week in the pages of the New Yorker. In normal times, this process yields some good writing and reporting. In certain periods, the magazine has produced some magnificent work. But we have not lived in normal times for the past decade. The conventional opinions of the chattering classes have ranged from delusional idealism to racialist fever dreams, and worse.The most recent illustration of this trend is an essay by New Yorker staff writer Doreen St. Felix, who penned a screed about the blonde starlet Sydney Sweeney. Sweeney, St. Felix mused, represents a fantasy "Aryan princess" to some of her fans, with her much-discussed breasts placed in dark contrast with "the Black mans hunger for ass."This is not the New Yorker of the past; it is something different. What is it, exactly? Beginning a decade ago, the New Yorker, like many of its peers, jumped on the "diversity and inclusion" bandwagon and declared itself an "anti-racist" institution. The magazine, owned by Cond Nast, set explicit racial quotas in hiring and pledged to "talk about racism" at every opportunity.NEW YORKER WRITER WHO TRASHED SYDNEY SWEENEY, DELETES SOCIAL MEDIA AFTER ANTI-WHITE POSTS RESURFACEThe magazine was capitulating to critical race ideologies. It snapped up writers, like St. Felix, who is Black, to provide "representation" not only of favored demographic groups but also of a certain flavor of opinion.After St. Felixs Sweeney essay, a colleague sent me a link to one of her posts on X. "I hate white men," the post read in part. Out of curiosity, I searched her history for the phrases "white men" and "white people," and discovered a cesspool of bigotry: "Whiteness fills me with a lot of hate"; "Whiteness must be abolished"; "We lived in perfect harmony w/ the earth pre whiteness"; "White terrorism is a redundant phrase"; "White people[s] . . . lack of hygiene literally started the bubonic plague, lice, syphilis"; "Its tricknological, when white people invoke the holocaust"; "White people bring up the holocaust or 9/11 to affect a fake racial psychic burden." And so on.AMERICAN EAGLE FIRES BACK AT CRITICS AFTER SYDNEY SWEENEY CAMPAIGN SPARKS ONLINE BACKLASHMost of these posts were written a decade ago, after St. Felix had graduated from Brown University and a few years before the New Yorker hired her as a writer. They are indicative of a fashionable ideology that, for the entire Black Lives Matter era, was seen as a credential for ascension into the cultural elite. For St. Felix, the credential seemingly worked.I published screenshots of St. Felixs stream-of-hatred writing, sparking a media firestorm, with headlines in the Daily Mail, New York Post, and other international outlets. Within hours, St. Felix had deleted her X account and the New Yorker had blocked me from engaging with its posts on the same platforma rare move from a national publication.The St. Felix affair raises an important question, summarized with characteristic acuity by the social critic Wesley Yang: "Should there be a single standard of civility, decency, and honesty that excludes this kind of poisonous racial vitriol and defamation from public life or will we continue to give license to it so long as it is directed at white people?"CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINIONIndeed. Publications like the New Yorker have long worn the halo of "antiracism." But "antiracism" has always had an exception, which can no longer be denied, for Whites and Jewsthe "tricknological" oppressors who, in the minds of people like St. Felix, apparently deserve a steady stream of racialist vituperation. After all, the very term "tricknological" was coined by the Nation of Islam, whose leader, Louis Farrakhan, never concealed his hatreds in euphemism or intellectualization.Some writers have called for St. Felix to make a public apology, or even for the New Yorker to fire their "star writer." My preferred outcome to the Doreen St. Felix affair would be silence. Rather than engage in Kabuki theater, we should simply accept the fact that the entire premise of the BLM era was never about "antiracism." It was always a fraud, from top to bottom. If the New Yorker simply moves on without comment, none of us will have to pretend anymore, or delegate our moral conscience to magazines, DEI manifestos, and the rest of the rotten edifice. It is better to accept reality than to continue to live in the delusion.The "racial reckoning" that produced writers such as St. Felix was not about helping minorities. It was about punishing the majority. All of the preening over the past decade was empty. It helped no one except grifters and hustlers who used it to vent their spleens and line their pockets.For making this reality so plain, Doreen St. Felix deserves not our condemnation, but our gratitude. She revealed the truth for all of us to see.This column first appeared in City Journal and also on the authors Substack.CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM CHRISTOPHER RUFO

A total of five people have now died amid an outbreak of bacterial pneumonia, which has infected dozens of people in New York City, according to health officials.As of Aug. 19, there have been 108 confirmed cases of Legionnaires disease, a type of pneumonia caused by the bacteria Legionella.Fourteen people are currently hospitalized, according to NYC Health.DEATHS REPORTED AFTER LEGIONNAIRES' DISEASE OUTBREAK AT SENIOR LIVING FACILITYThe cluster of cases is concentrated in Central Harlem and bordering communities (zip codes 10027, 10030, 10035, 10037 and 10039)."Anyone in these zip codes with flu-like symptoms should contact a healthcare provider as soon as possible," saidActing Health Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse in the health departments previous alert.Legionnaires is usually found in lakes, streams and other freshwater environments.However, it can grow and spread indoors via shower heads, sink faucets, hot tubs, water features/fountains, plumbing systems and other water systems where conditions are favorable for the Legionella bacteria to grow, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS DISEASE SURGES IN SOME US STATES AMID REPORT OF POSSIBLE FATAL CASEWhen people swallow or breathe in droplets of water that contain Legionella, they can potentially become ill with Legionnaires disease.The disease is not typically spread from person to person, per the CDC.In the case of the New York City outbreak, the health department directed the state to perform remediation for 11 cooling towers that tested positive for the bacteria."Legionnaires disease can be effectively treated if diagnosed early, but New Yorkers at higher risk, like adults aged 50 and older and those who smoke or have chronic lung conditions, should be especially mindful of their symptoms and seek care as soon as symptoms begin," Morse added.Symptoms of Legionnaires disease usually show up between two and 14 days after exposure.The condition usually causes flu-like symptoms, including cough, chills, muscle aches, fever or difficulty breathing.Some patients may also experience nausea, diarrhea and confusion, the CDC noted."The nature of the symptoms is not necessarily what differentiates Legionella from other causes, but history of exposure from human-made reservoirs, though this may be hard to discern early on in infection and/or in an outbreak," said Goodyear.Those who have any of these symptoms shouldseek medical attention immediately, the CDC advises.Groups at highest risk include smokers, people 50 and older, those with chronic lung disease and people who are immunocompromised, according to health officials."Other risk factors include advancing age,cardiovascular disease, obesity and compromised immune systems," Dr. Nathan Goodyear, an integrative medicine physician at the Williams Cancer Institute in California, previously told Fox News Digital.Diagnosis of Legionnaires disease is made via chest X-ray, urine test and lab analysis of a phlegm sample.Most people with the disease will recover with a course of antibiotics.In some patients, however, serious illness can lead to lung failure or death, per the CDC.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTERAround 10% of people who contract Legionnaires disease will die from those complications and the mortality risk rises to 25% for those who get Legionnaires while staying in a healthcare facility."Treatment needs to be early and aggressive," Goodyear told Fox News Digital. "Legionella infection is an intracellular infection that requiresantibiotic treatment."Antibiotics that are appropriate for Legionella infection include Levofloxacin and Azithromycin."Therapy can be prescribed orally in healthy individuals but intravenous antibiotics often prove to be the initial option for treatment secondary to the pathogenicity of the disease," Goodyear said.Currently, there are no vaccines for Legionnaires disease.The best strategy to prevent infection is to reduce the growth and spread of the Legionella bacteria.For more Health articles, visitwww.foxnews.com/healthThe CDC recommends that building owners and managers use a water management program to reduce the risk.To prevent serious illness from Legionnaires, Goodyear recommends that allsmokers kick the habit, and also emphasizes the need to "aggressively support" chronic pulmonary disease.

The Minnesota Vikings' employment of male cheerleaders for the 2025 season has prompted growing controversy, and now a former player is weighing in.The team's new male cheerleaders, Blaize Shiek and Louie Conn, have been the topic of fierce social media debate after speaking out against critics, as the team has even put out a statement in defense of the two men on the cheer squad.Former Vikings player and current conservative activist Jack Brewer told Fox News Digital he is "disgusted and embarrassed" about the new cheerleaders.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM"As a former Viking team captain who grew up a Viking fanmy dads been a Viking fan since 1972Ive never been so disgusted and embarrassed to even have any association with the Minnesota Vikings brand. I think I speak for a lot of other former players and Viking fans when I say that this does not represent this great franchise," Brewer said."Now were being represented with men with pom-poms on the sideline. Its sickening. No man needs to ever have a pom-pom in their hand."Brewer added that he believes the inclusion of men on the cheerleading squad is an attempt to "manipulate children.""This is purely an attempt to manipulate young children, to overtake the minds of young children with this spiritual evilness," Brewer said. "The influence on kids is manipulating the mind of the children. They are teaching young boys that its okay to have pom-poms and cheer and act like women."Brewer believes that this will particularly impact "minority" boys."This is directly preying on the vulnerable particularly of minority families, the vast majority of them live with their mamas. They dont live with their dad, the majority live with their mamas. So you take these kids that are already living with their mama, aint got no masculinity around them, and then you war in their mind in what has been known to the world as the most masculine sport, the most masculine team sport in the world, and youre starting to feminize that in front of these children," Brewer said.The Vikings are not the first team to employ male cheerleaders. The Los Angeles Rams were the first organization to have male cheerleaders in 2018. The Baltimore Ravens also featured several men on their cheerleading squad.Meanwhile, the Carolina Panthers had the first transgender cheerleader on its squad until this year.However, the Vikings' situation has become a conversation of national debate amid Sheik and Conn's recent social media posts. The team has stood by the two men, affirming the team is "proud" to have them on the sidelines for this upcoming season."Male cheerleaders have been part of previous Vikings teams and have long been associated with collegiate and professional cheerleading," the Vikings told NBC News. "We support all our cheerleaders and are proud of the role they play as ambassadors of the organization."ANTHONY RICHARDSON'S AGENT NEEDLES COLTS OVER QB1 DECISION, QUESTIONS 'TRUST'Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., weighed in on the controversy during an interview on OutKicks "Hot Mic" on Tuesday."I would like to ask the ownership of the NFL and the commissioner, what the hell are you doing?" he said. "Youve got the No. 1 sport on planet Earth in terms of people watching it. Your business is growing, its getting better and better. Theres some ways youve tried to attack it over the last 10-15 years but youve been able to withstand that."But if youre going to be woke and youre gonna try to take the men out of mens sports, which is what youre doing. Theyre trying to take gender and say, OK, were going to make it more about gender than we are about masculinity. Then, youre going to have a huge problem. Its coming."Tuberville warned that fans may stop buying tickets to games if male cheerleaders become more prevalent."People will actually quit buying tickets because this is the narrative theyre trying to push. This is not just about a couple of people being men cheerleaders," Tuberville said. "It is about pushing a narrative that you want to put gender into sports and let everyone know were trying to show, Hey, were going to take the masculinity out of it a little bit."Brewer praised Tuberville for his recent statements."Thank God for Tommy Tuberville, who came out with a strong statement standing up against thatone of the greatest college football coaches in the history of the gamebecause he knows he has a voice. Hes trying to speak out, not just for his perspective, but for the perspective of the vast majority of coaches, players, and even fans. This is not supported by the fans. What do you think a fan comes to an NFL game to watch?" Brewer said. "Do you think they come to watch men with pom-poms, or do they come to watch hard-nosed football played at a high level with sportsmanship, great plays, great athletes, and actual skillful female cheerleaders on the sideline with some male cheerleaders who are there to pick them up and throw them, catch them, but not to wave pom-poms?"It is Sheiks first year as a Vikings cheerleader. He shared a post back in May, celebrating his rookie season. Conn was a part of the Iowa State Cyclones dance team before he joined the Vikings this season.Follow Fox News Digitalssports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

The Trump administrations Department of Transportation is raising standards for applicants seeking to become air traffic controllers, a move officials say will reduce the professions high washout rate.Meanwhile, the department argued that the Biden administration's decision during his first term to lower standards for applicants contributed to the higher attrition rate, while inflating the numbers of candidates entering the profession."By eliminating the Best Qualified category and lowering the standard for how top scorers were defined, Biden and Buttigieg juiced the numbers to make it seem like they were making a dent in the air traffic controller shortage," a Department of Transportation spokesperson told Fox News Digital.INSIDE THE FAAS RACE TO TRAIN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS: 'ITS GOING TO TAKE TIME'According to the DOT source, the Biden administration scrapped the "Best Qualified" tier for candidates who scored 85% or better on their Air Traffic Skills Assessment (ATSA) exam. That standard was replaced with a broader "Well Qualified" category that included candidates who scored at least 80%, according to an internal agency PowerPoint from 2023, shared with Fox News Digital."They lowered the standard from 85% to 80% to be best qualified to get these young people into the academy," Trump Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told the New York Post's Miranda Devine, referring to the Federal Aviation Training Center located in Oklahoma City.Under the second Trump administration, air traffic controller academy standards reverted to the four-tier system that includes "Best Qualified" for scores of 90% or above, "Well-Qualified" for scores between 85% and 89%, "Qualified" for scores between 70% and 84% and "Not Referred" for scores below 70%.AIR FORCE TIGHTENS RULES ON TRANSGENDER AIRMEN; SUPPORTERS SAY IT PRIORITIZES READINESS: REPORT A DOT official said distinguishing top performers and allowing those with the highest scores to get first pick at training assignments makes it more likely candidates will complete the academy. Different airspaces require different training regimens, the source noted.The official cited a Transportation Department report from before Trump's return to office that warned, "Although the lower score selection may assist with increasing the number of applicable candidates to support the FAA's hiring goals, there is a possibility that it may not contribute to better graduation and program success rates."[The Biden administration] made it harder to identify the best and brightest and exacerbated the washout rate," the spokesperson said. "Secretary Duffys No. 1 priority is safety, which is why hes restored the proper standards and prioritized the best and brightest for placement at the academy as part of his supercharge initiative."Earlier this year, Pete Buttigieg, the former transportation secretary under Biden, said on social media that "we did not change the rigorous standard for becoming a certified air traffic controller," calling those who were saying as much "mistaken or lying.""We did increase funding & training, and grew the ATC workforce after years of declining numbers, including under Trump," Buttigieg added.Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Buttigieg said in response to criticism about weaker standards that the pre-admission Air Traffic Skills Assessment (ATSA) exam "has nothing to do with the standards of becoming a certified ATC.""There is still a minimum standard of qualification, and that line hasn't changed. And you still have totake a test. And that test hasn't changed," the spokesperson said.Buttigieg's spokesperson also described the accusations from the Trump administration as "a desperate attempt to deflect" questions about whether the air traffic controller shortage is getting worse under Trump. "The fact is,certified controller staffing fell during Trumps first term," the spokesperson said. "But under Secretary Buttigiegs watch, the FAA reversed years of staffing declines, meeting an aggressive hiring goal last year and creating the momentum to meet an even more aggressive hiring goal for this year."

In the midst of the Trump administrations effort to rein in crime in Washington, D.C., a vandal targeted a local church, hurling rocks through its stained-glass windows in broad daylight.The Metropolitan Police Department told Fox News Digital that just before 6:30 p.m. on Monday, officers responded to Mt. Olive Baptist Church on 6th Street Northeast and found rocks had been thrown through the church's windows.A nearby vehicle also had damage to the front window, back window, and both mirrors.By the time officers arrived, the suspect was gone, MPD said.CAPITOL HILL STAFFER STABBED IN HEAD, CHEST WELCOMES TRUMP'S WASHINGTON, DC CRIME CRACKDOWNThe church is in the Capitol Hill area of Washington, D.C., just steps from Lincoln Park and a few blocks east of the Capitol building.It is situated between Pennsylvania Avenue NE and H Street NE, an area that struggled to recover after being damaged during the 1969 riots related to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., according to the city's website.The investigation remains ongoing, according to police.HUNDREDS ARRESTED AS TRUMPS WASHINGTON, DC, CRIME CRACKDOWN HITS FULL STRIDEFBI Director Kash Patel announced on Wednesday that federal partners have made more than 550 arrests in D.C. since President Donald Trump deployed federal agents to patrol the city on Aug. 8.On Tuesday night alone, federal agents made 66 arrests, according to Patel.The FBI joined partners in 41 of the arrests, recovering six illegal guns with eight drug seizures, he added."Saving lives every day," he wrote in an X post. "Thanks to the men and women in the field."WOMAN GUNNED DOWN IN 'SAFE' DC NEIGHBORHOOD AS TRUMP LAUNCHES FEDERAL POLICE TAKEOVERIn addition to the citywide 11 p.m. curfew for minors under the age of 17, MPD announced on Wednesday it was establishing a "juvenile curfew zone" in the U Street corridor, which is about three miles northwest of Capitol Hill.Within the juvenile curfew zone, children under the age of 17 are prohibited from gathering in a group of nine or more in any public place or on the premises of any establishment unless engaged in certain exempted activities, according to police.The curfew zone will be in effect from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. through the weekend."The Juvenile Curfew Emergency Amendment Act of 2025 gives the Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department the authority to order a Juvenile Curfew Zone in an area where large groups of youths are gathering or intend to gather in a manner that poses a risk of substantial harm to public safety," MPD wrote in a statement.Mt. Olive Baptist Church did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

A military vehicle belonging to the D.C. National Guard crashed into a civilian car in Washingtons Capitol Hill neighborhood Wednesday morning, Fox News Digital has learned.The crash comes amid President Donald Trumps crackdown on crime in Washington. The president announced plans Aug. 11 to deploy troops from the D.C. National Guard and to federalize the Metropolitan Police Department to address crime in the nations capital.Washingtons fire department confirmed that a military vehicle collided with a civilian car and that one person was treated for minor injuries as a result of the crash.400 NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERS DESCEND UPON DC; EXPANDED CRIME CRACKDOWN EXPECTED WEDNESDAY NIGHT"One of the two vehicles involved was a military vehicle," DC Fire spokesperson Vito Maggiolo said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "One person had to be extricated as a result of the crash and was transported to a hospital with minor injuries. The crash took place at 8th Street and North Carolina Ave SE."The D.C. National Guard confirmed that one of its mine-resistant ambush protected all-terrain vehicles (MATV) was involved in the crash at approximately 6:14 a.m. local time and that the matter is under investigation."The five-vehicle convoy and a D.C. Metropolitan Police cruiser stopped and rendered aid to the civilian, who was transported via" emergency medical services, the D.C. National Guard said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "This is currently undergoing an investigation. The D.C. National Guard and (Joint Task Force-DC) remains committed to the safety of our service members and the public."DEFENSE SECRETARY PETE HEGSETH VOWS TO BE 'FORCE MULTIPLIERS' OF DC POLICETrump has mobilized 800 D.C. National Guard troops as part of his effort to reduce crime in Washington.Likewise, other states have pledged to send their own National Guard troops to assist with the Trump administrations effort to curb crime. National Guard troops from Ohio, West Virginia, South Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee have been tapped to join the Trump administrations crackdown in Washington, and approximately 1,300 already have arrived in the nations capital.The White House said that National Guard troops will protect federal assets, provide a "safe environment" for law enforcement officials and "provide a visible presence to deter crime."TRUMP ACTIVATES NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS TO ADDRESS TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL CRIME IN WASHINGTON"President Trump appreciates and welcomes additional assistance from local and state officials that want to join the operation to protect our cherished capital from dangerous criminals," a White House official said in a statement to Fox News Digital Tuesday. "As part of President Trumps ongoing effort to make DC safe and beautiful, additional National Guard troops may be called in to Washington, D.C. the National Guards role has not changed."