A Colorado park ranger who claimed to have been attacked and stabbed has been arrested after investigators determined his story was allegedly part of a hoax that prompted authorities to launch a search and lockdown several schools.Callum Heskett, 26, was taken into custody on Thursday and charged with attempting to influence a public servant, tampering with evidence, both felonies. He also faces misdemeanor charges of false reporting to authorities, reckless endangerment, obstructing government operations and second-degree official misconduct.Investigators said inconsistencies in his story began to emerge during a probe of the incident.MAN ARRESTED ON SUSPICION OF MURDER AFTER WOMANS BODY FOUND AT REMOTE CALIFORNIA CAMPSITE"As the investigation progressed, inconsistencies in Hesketts statements emerged," according to the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office. "That, along with other conflicting and questionable evidence, further raised concerns about the validity of his allegations."Heskett, a Colorado Parks and Wildlife seasonal ranger at Staunton State Park, radioed at 9 a.m. Tuesday saying he'd been attacked and stabbed. He told authorities that the assailant fled on foot, the sheriff's office said.While speaking with investigators, Heskett gave a detailed description of his attacker, authorities said. In response, authorities launched a search for the suspect that included the use of drones, and the county issued a Lookout Alert to 8,600 residents in the immediate area, warning of the potential danger.INNOCENT HIKER MISTAKEN FOR FUGITIVE DAD ACCUSED OF KILLING HIS THREE DAUGHTERSSeveral schools were placed on lockdown as a precaution and residents were asked to stay indoors.Heskett was airlifted to a hospital while the search for the alleged suspect continued for several hours. During that time, two people of interest were detained, interviewed, and released after investigators determined they weren't involved in the attack."After investigators conducted their first interview with Heskett, it became even more clear that his story was flawed and erroneous," the sheriff's office said.Heskett remains in a hospital and will be transferred to the Jefferson County Jail upon his release, authorities said.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP"CPW appreciates the county sheriffs professionalism and partnership in investigating this incident and will share additional information as this matter develops," CPWs Assistant Director of Law Enforcement Ty Petersburg said.

Deion Sanders third season as the head coach of Colorado Buffaloes football comes with a new guideline every player must follow."Coach Prime" has set a classroom dress code for his players, and thats not just referring to time working in the meeting rooms. Its the actual classrooms for the players studies.Sanders has set the rule that slides, hoodies, and headphones are banned in the classroom. But thats not all.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMColorado football players also must not sit in the back row of classes. And if the class is online, shirts must be worn and there is no "walking around" while logged into virtual lectures.DEION SANDERS CALLS FOR UNIFORM CRACKDOWN IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL"If I see you in slides on campus, were going to have a problem," Sanders said in a video posted by his son, Deion Sanders Jr. "If I see you with a hoodie on in class, with headphones on in class, its going to be a problem. If I see you sitting in the back of the classroom, its going to be a problem."Sanders has long been one to preach how he is molding the lives of young men on and off the field, and accountability remains a key pillar of that plan as head coach.Some college football fans were questioning Sanders about the hoodie comment considering he was wearing one. But others interpreted him to mean wearing the hood on the players heads during class instead of letting it hang on their backs.Others are enjoying Sanders setting the precedent."Deion isnt just molding these players to be better football players," one X user wrote. "Hes molding them to be better men. Slides, hoodie w/ headphones just signals laziness. It signals that I am here for football only and going through the motions during class. Come ready on the field and life."Another user added: "The best coaches expect excellence in all aspects of life. Great coaches are a gift. Grateful for the ones I had."With this new dress code set, Sanders is hoping that discipline can ultimately lead to some on the field. The Buffaloes are hoping to improve on their 9-4 record from 2024, though Heisman winner Travis Hunter and Sanders son, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, are both in the NFL.Other key pieces from the 2024 class, including Jimmy Horn Jr., are also finding their way into the league. Follow Fox News Digitalssports coverage on X, and subscribe tothe Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Former The White Stripes frontman Jack White scorned the Trump administration on Wednesday after the White House called him a "washed-up loser."In a lengthy Instagram post, White retaliated against White House communications director Steven Cheung calling him a "has-been" with an anti-Trump screed that questioned President Donald Trumps humanity, and called him a "conman," as well as a "low life fascist.""No intelligent person can defend this low life fascist. This bankrupter of casinos. This failed seller of trump steaks, trump vodka, trump water, etc.," he wrote. "This man and his goon squad have failed upwards for decades and have fleeced the American people over and over."TRUMP INSTALLS MASSIVE NEW US FLAGS AT THE WHITE HOUSE AND THEY DON'T COST TAXPAYERS A PENNYThe "Seven Nation Army" singers post came after Cheung slammed him for mocking Trumps new Oval Office decorations in a statement to The Daily Beast earlier this week."Jack White is a washed-up, has-been loser posting drivel on social media because he clearly has ample time on his hands due to his stalled career," Cheung said Tuesday.He added, "Its apparent hes been masquerading as a real artist, because he fails to appreciate, and quite frankly disrespects, the splendor and significance of the Oval Office inside of The Peoples House."Cheung was responding to White, who began the tit-for-tat with a Monday Instagram post trashing the new gold decorations in the Oval Office."Look at how disgusting trump has transformed the historic White House. It's now a vulgar, gold leafed and gaudy, professional wrestler's dressing room," the musician said."Can't wait for the UFC match on the front lawn too, he's almost fully achieved the movie Idiocracy," he added, mentioning Trumps ambitions to host a UFC fight in front of the White House next year as part of Americas 250th birthday celebrations.SMITHSONIAN TEMPORARILY REMOVES TRUMP IMPEACHMENT REFERENCES FROM HISTORY MUSEUM, DRAWING LIBERAL IREThough White started the feud with the administration, his response to Cheung accused the Trump team of being thin-skinned."How petty and pathetic and thin skinned could this administration get? Masquerading as a real artist? Thank you for giving me my tombstone engraving! Well heres my opinion, trump is masquerading as a human being."The artist continued with a full second page of text slamming the U.S. leader."Hes masquerading as a Christian, as a leader, as a person with actual empathy," he said, elsewhere blasting Trumps officials, Cheung and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt."His staff of professional liar toadies like Steven Cheung and Karoline Leavitt have been covering up and masking his fascism as patriotism and fomenting hatred and division in this country on a daily basis," he said.In addition to two full pages of gripes against Trump in the social media post, White included a lengthy caption."I don't always state publicly my political opinions, and like anyone I don't always know all of the facts, but when it comes to this man and this administration. I'm not going to be like one of the silent minority of 1930's Germany. This man is a danger to not just America but the entire world and that's not an exaggeration, he's dismantling democracy and endangering the planet on a daily basis, and we. all. know. it." he said.Cheung responded to White's Instagram post, telling Fox News Digital, "Trump Deranged liberals like him are so predictable and easily triggered. Im glad we live rent free in his rotted, pea-sized brain."

Erik Menendez, one of the two brothers convicted in the 1989 shotgun slaying of their parents in Beverly Hills, has been denied parole by a California review board, officials confirmed.The California Board of Parole Hearings denial of parole marks a significant development in the decades-long case that drew international attention, with the brothers televised trial becoming one of the most infamous of the 1990s. Erik, now 54, has spent more than 30 years behind bars.MENENDEZ BROTHERS' JUNE HEARING CONVERTED FROM CLEMENCY TO PAROLE AS DECISION LOOMS FOR GOV. NEWSOMThis is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he wants a "strong reaction" from the U.S. government if Russian President Vladimir Putin does not sit down with him for a bilateral meeting.This comes as U.S. President Donald Trump is seeking to broker a peace agreement between the two countries that have been at war since Moscow's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, although Trump has conceded that Putin may not be prepared to make a deal.Zelenskyy has said he has already agreed to a proposed meeting with Putin.TRUMPS PUSH FOR PUTIN-ZELENSKYY TALKS HINGES ON KREMLIN'S CONDITIONS"I responded immediately to the proposal for a bilateral meeting: we are ready. But what if the Russians are not ready?" Zelenskiy said at a news briefing in Kyiv on Wednesday."If the Russians are not ready, we would like to see a strong reaction from the United States," he added.Trump separately met with both leaders in the past week, with Zelenskyy visiting the White House along with other European leaders earlier this week and the U.S. president meeting Putin in Alaska last week.The White House has said Putin was willing to meet with his Ukrainian foe after a phone call this week with Trump."President Trump spoke with President Putin by phone, and he agreed to begin the next phase of the peace process, a meeting between President Putin and President Zelenskyy, which would be followed, if necessary, by a trilateral meeting between President Putin, President Zelensky and President Trump," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday.The path toward peace between the two sides remains uncertain despite U.S. efforts for diplomacy, as the U.S. government and its allies attempt to work out potential security guarantees for Ukraine.TRUMP CALLS WHITE HOUSE TALKS 'VERY GOOD, EARLY STEP' TOWARD RUSSIA-UKRAINE PEACE: HERE'S WHAT'S NEXTZelenskyy said it was unclear what concessions about territory Russia was willing to make to end the conflict. Trump has previously said Kyiv and Moscow would both need to cede territory."To discuss what Ukraine is willing to do, let's first hear what Russia is willing to do," Zelenskyy said. "We do not know that."Reuters contributed to this report.

The Democratic Party and California Gov. Gavin Newsoms press office's X accounts joined the backlash against Cracker Barrel after it released its new text-only logo earlier this week.The company unveiled the new logo on Tuesday as part of its new branding campaign for the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store restaurants. The campaign eliminated the iconic image of a man resting on a barrel in favor of a text-only logo for the first time since 1977.While conservative critics have piled on the new redesign, both the Democratic Party and the liberal governors media team put out tweets on Thursday calling out the Tennessee-based restaurant chain for the change.CRACKER BARREL'S NEW TEXT-ONLY LOGO IS 'HOW YOU DESTROY A BRAND,' CRITICS CLAIM"WHAT IS WRONG WITH CRACKER BARREL?? KEEP YOUR BEAUTIFUL LOGO!!! THE NEW ONE LOOKS LIKE CHEAP VELVEETA "CHEESE" FROM WALMART, THE PLACE FOR GROCERIES (AN OLD FASHIONED TERM)!!! FIX IT ASAP! WOKE IS DEAD!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. GCN," Newsoms press office wrote, mimicking President Donald Trumps caps-heavy writing style."We think the Cracker Barrel rebrand sucks too," The Democratic Party wrote.CRACKER BARREL FAN'S VIRAL TIKTOK SPARKS BACKLASH OVER RESTAURANT MAKEOVERA representative for Cracker Barrel told Fox News Digital in a statement about the new logo that the company's values had not changed."Our values haven't changed, and the heart and soul of Cracker Barrel havent changed," the company said. "And Uncle Herschel remains front and center in our restaurants and on our menu. He is the face of The Herschel Way, the foundation of how our 70,000-plus employees provide the country hospitality for which we are known."The statement continued, "Cracker Barrel has been a destination for comfort and community for more than half a century, and this fifth evolution of the brands logo, which works across digital platforms as well as billboards and roadside signs, is a call-back to the original and rooted even more in the iconic barrel shape and word mark that started it all back in 1969."CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPCracker Barrel chief marketing officer Sarah Moore previously told Fox News Digital that the chain's ongoing transformation incorporated not only customer feedback but also employee input.She said Cracker Barrel is "listening to what the guests ask for and examples of what the guests asked for are things like spaces that feel brighter, that feel less cluttered, more booth seating, more seating options, so our guests are more comfortable while they're dining with us."

Punches were thrown, and one player was ejected from the Green Bay Packers-Seattle Seahawks joint practice on Thursday that was filled with tension boiling over.Its normal for these joint practices to have heated competition work its way into skirmishes, but ESPN reported "roughly a dozen" broke out with some of them escalating to full-blown fights.Packers right tackle Zack Tom was the player who got kicked out of practice after throwing punches at Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV and cornerback Devon Witherspoon.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMIt was so physical that Packers quarterback Jordan Love believed it was one of the bigger fights hes seen since entering the league."I think when you get both sidelines clearing, its tough," Love said, per ESPN. "Try your best to break it up and things like that, but its going to happen, man. I dont know. Theres no answer for that."PATRIOTS COACH MIKE VRABEL GETS KNOCKED TO THE GROUND BREAKING UP FIGHT DURING JOINT PRACTICE WITH VIKINGSTom told his side of the fight, where he said Jones entered the Packers huddle and tried to go after a Packers player following some words on the previous play.Tom took exception and paid the price, as his day ended prematurely."Its already disrespectful that theyre in our huddle, and then somebody gets hit while were in the huddle, got to have some pride, you know?" Tom said.Tom admitted he could "have better control" when asked if he deserved to be kicked out of practice."I can only control what I can control," he added.But when it was time for the Seahawks and quarterback Sam Darnold to hit the field against the Packers defense, punches were thrown again. An unnamed Packers player took a swing at Seahawks guard Anthony Bradford during a play, while multiple altercations broke out during 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 drills.And while things cooled down toward the end of practice, the heat only turned up again when both teams were seen jawing back and forth in the middle of the field."I didnt appreciate in general them coming to our sideline while practice was over," Seahawks star lineman Leonard Williams said. "Weve already broke the huddle, guys are on our side, their guys are on their side, and people are coming over. Its hard with these joint practices because stuff like that always happens. You dont want it to happen, but it happens. We try to avoid it as much as possible, but I didnt appreciate it."Players are always going to do whatever it takes to make an NFL roster, and in the final week of preseason play before roster cuts, the heat of competition can escalate to extracurricular activity.But now coaches want to see players get hurt after the whistle, which is why Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald likes things to be somewhere in the middle."You want your guys to defend their [teammates]. Theres a line," he said, per ESPN. "Whether we go past the line, I dont think we did, which is good."Follow Fox News Digitalssports coverage on X, and subscribe tothe Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

The Trump administration scored a major victory at the Supreme Court Thursday as the justices, in a 5-4 order, cleared his administration to slash more than $783 million in National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grants tied to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, LGBTQ issues and other hot-button areas.The unsigned majority order said NIH "may proceed with terminating existing grants" while leaving in place a partial block on issuing new directives.The move delivers a political win for Trumps broader push to roll back DEI programs across the federal government.TRUMP-APPOINTED JUDGE STRIKES DOWN ANTI-DEI MEASURES FROM EDUCATION DEPARTMENTThe decision overturns rulings by lower courts that had blocked the cuts. In June, U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley of Massachusetts called the administrations actions "arbitrary and capricious" and said NIH had "failed to provide a reasoned explanation" for cutting grants midstream. The First Circuit upheld her injunction in July, setting up Trumps emergency appeal to the Supreme Court.The Justice Department argued in its July 24 filing that leaving the injunction in place "forces NIH to continue funding projects inconsistent with agency priorities" and warned the order "intrudes on NIHs core discretion to decide how best to allocate limited research funds."Opponents framed the cuts as ideological. The American Public Health Association warned that "halting these grants would devastate biomedical research across the country, disrupting clinical trials and delaying urgently needed discoveries" and said "the administration has offered no scientific basis for these cancellations only ideology."FEDERAL JUDGE SLAPS TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER ON MISSISSIPPI DEI BANA coalition of Democrat-led states led by Massachusetts argued that "patients should not be collateral damage in a political fight."News outlets stressed the stakes of Thursday's decision. The Associated Press described the ruling as the Court letting Trump cut $783 million in research funding "in an anti-DEI push." Reuters reported that "the Supreme Court in a 54 order cleared the way for the Trump administration to cut diversity-related NIH grants, though it left in place part of the ruling blocking new restrictions."Research groups warned of the cuts' fallout. The Association of American Universities said the cuts "risk chilling scientific inquiry by discouraging researchers from pursuing politically sensitive topics."CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPScientists cautioned the decision could derail progress on diseases such as cancer and Alzheimers, even as the broader legal fight continues in the First Circuit and may return to the Supreme Court.The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Last week, Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel's comments raised some eyebrows. Gabriel spoke to a reporter during halftime of this past Saturday's Browns-Eagles preseason game and noted that "there are entertainers and there are competitors."He also described himself as a competitor. After the game, Gabriel was asked if the contrast he mentioned was connected to his teammate and fellow rookie Sheduer Sanders. Gabriel then clarified his remarks, saying he was describing the media as entertainers, and he considered everyone on the Browns roster a competitor.As the saga dragged on, Sanders offered his perspective.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM"Words or anything, it can't do anything to me," Sanders responded when asked about Gabriel's hotly debated "entertainers" line. "I know that God put the ability and the power in me to not even care about peoples' comments. It is what it is. I spoke with him. He [Gabriel] told me on the plane that wasnt at you. I see how they're trying to spin it.' I'm not tripping, regardless of whatever it was. Nobody's words or anything affects me."A reporter followed up by asking whether Sanders believed Gabriel.BROWNS' SHEDEUR SANDERS WILL PLAY IN FINAL PRESEASON GAME AFTER RETURN FROM INJURY, COACH SAYS"Did I believe him?" Sanders asked. "I mean, I feel like youre trying to start stuff now. I feel like youre trying to start stuff. I mean, [the reporters] doing his job hes supposed to. Do I feel like he did? I dont know. And thats not on me to sit here and be like, Oh he did, he did it. Thats not going to change my life in any way."Sanders handled the starting quarterback duties in Cleveland's preseason opener. He finished his preseason debut with two touchdowns. Sanders was sidelined with an oblique injury during the Browns' second exhibition game.Gabriel finished the Week 2 preseason contest with 143 passing yards. But, he also threw a pick-six.Super Bowl winner Joe Flacco, 40, was named the starter for the Browns' regular season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals.Sanders, Gabriel, Kenny Pickett, and Tyler Huntley make up the rest of Cleveland's crowded quarterback room.Follow Fox News Digitals sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction on Thursday blocking Florida from further expanding the "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration detention center built in the middle of the Florida Everglades.U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams' injunction formalized the temporary halt she had ordered two weeks ago.Witnesses continued to testify over multiple days in a hearing to determine whether construction of the facility should stop until the case is decided.Advocates have argued that the expansion of the facility violated environmental laws.Williams said she expected the number of detainees in the facility to dip within 60 days through transfers to other facilities, and that fencing, lighting and generators should then be removed. She said the state and federal defendants cannot bring anyone other than current detainees at the facility onto the property.The order does not halt modifications or repairs to existing facilities, which the judge said are "solely for the purpose of increasing safety or mitigating environmental or other risks at the site."The preliminary injunction includes "those who are in active concert or participation with" the state of Florida or federal defendants or their officers, agents or employees, she wrote.State officials failed to sufficiently explain why the facility needed to be in the middle of the Florida Everglades."What is apparent, however, is that in their haste to construct the detention camp, the State did not consider alternative locations," Williams said.Florida officials criticized the ruling on Thursday."Just this week, a judge in the same district as Judge Williams refused to hear a case because the Southern District of Florida was the improper venue for suits about Alligator Alcatraz," Jeremy Redfern, a spokesperson for the Florida attorney general's office, said in a statement to Fox News. "Once again, she oversteps her authority, and we will appeal this unlawful decision."The Associated Press contributed to this report.