A Navy sailor may face life in prison after a San Diego jury found him guilty of selling military secrets to China on Thursday.Prosecutors said Jinchao "Patrick" Wei, 25, used his position as a machinists mateon the amphibious assault ship USS Essex at Naval Base San Diego to collect sensitive information and offer it to a Chinese intelligence officer who recruited him in February 2022. Wei held a security clearance and had access to information about the weapons systems aboard the Essex.In exchange, the officer paid Wei $12,000 over a year and a half.A jury convicted Wei on six of seven charges: espionage, conspiracy to commit espionage, conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act and three counts of violating the Arms Export Control Act.CHINESE CITIZEN ADMITS STEALING US TRADE SECRETS FOR NEXT-GENERATION NATIONAL SECURITY TECHThe espionage-related charges carry life sentences and a $250,000 fine.Conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act and each count of violating the act carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.The Chinese intelligence officer approached Weiand posed as a naval enthusiast working for the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, a state-run yard.Wei suspected the officer of being linked to Chinese intelligence."Wei told his friend that he is no idiot and that this is quite obviously f***ing espionage," according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).Still, Wei began spying for the officer, sending pictures of the Essex and describing the vulnerabilities of ships at the San Diego Naval Base.An attorney for Wei did not deny that his actions were wrong but characterized him as young and naive, arguing he "never intended to harm the United States.""It was never disputed that Jinchao made numerous errors in judgment. He was young and naive and regrettably agreed to share some very low-level information in exchange for easy money," attorney Sean Jones said in a statement Thursday.From March 2022 to August 2023, when Wei was arrested, he sent photos, offered the locations of various Navy ships and described the defense weapons on the Essex, the DOJ stated.TWO CHINESE NATIONALS ARRESTED FOR SPYING ON US NAVY PERSONNEL AND BASESHe sent the Chinese agent "thousands of pages of technical and operational information about U.S. Navy surface warfare ships like the Essex that he took from restricted U.S. Navy computer systems."U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon said Wei's actions showed an "egregious betrayal of the trust placed in him as a member of the U.S. military.""By trading military secrets to the Peoples Republic of China for cash, he jeopardized not only the lives of his fellow sailors but also the security of the entire nation and our allies," Gordon said. "The jurys verdict serves as a crucial reminder that the Department of Justice will vigorously prosecute traitors."Wei is scheduled to be sentenced on December 1."If there is only one thing I can make clear, it is that Jinchao loves America. He has no allegiance to China," his attorney said. "He made a stupid decision to make some easy money by selling outdated maintenance manuals to a broken and obsolete steam-powered ship. I firmly believe his actions had absolutely no effect on national security.Multiple Chinese nationals have been arrested for spying on U.S. military bases. Just last month, two were detained in Houston for allegedly trying to collect intelligence about U.S. Navy service members and bases and recruiting other military members to carry out tasks for the countrys main foreign intelligence service, the Ministry of State Security (MSS).

EXCLUSIVE: The Department of Homeland Security announced that $12 billion in savings have been made as a result of a contract review process and other cuts over the past two hundred days.DHS says Secretary Kristi Noem is personally reviewing and signing off on or declining any contract over $100,000, resulting in a $10.7 billion reduction, the department says. Shes reviewed over 5,000 contracts and DHS says decisions are made within a day."It is stunning that for years, career bureaucrats were unilaterally signing off on hundred-million-dollar contracts leading to massive waste, fraud, and abuse of U.S. taxpayer dollars," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated.DHS SAYS NOEM IS TEMPORARILY STAYING IN MILITARY HOUSING AFTER FACING 'VICIOUS DOXXING,' DEATH THREATS"While lobbyists and special interests are fighting for government contracts, Secretary Noem is fighting for the American taxpayer. In less than seven months, shes saved the U.S. taxpayer $12 billion--thats more than $50 million a DAY since she took office," Noem continued.In addition, the move of "eliminating career bureaucrats" resulted in $1.3 billion in cuts, without taking out roles that had a public safety element, according to DHS. Another notable cut was scrapping Air Force reheatable coffee cups with a price tag of nearly $1,300 each, according to the Air Force Times.$94 MILLION IN GRANTS AWARDED TO JEWISH FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO PREVENT VIOLENCE AND TERRORISM: DHSWhen it comes to money coming into the department, the recent passage of the Trump-backed reconciliation bill, dubbed the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," included $165 billion toward DHS, including $46.5 billion for the southern border wall, $14.4 billion to for removing people from the U.S., $12 billion to pay back states that had to foot the bill for the border crisis, and funding for new ICE and Border Patrol agents.CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE"President Trumps signing the One Big Beautiful Bill is a win for law and order and the safety and security of the American people," Noem said in a July 4 press release."This $165 billion in funding will help the Department of Homeland Security and our brave law enforcement further deliver on President Trumps mandate to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens and MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN!" she continued.NOEM UNCOVERS AND KILLS MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR, BIDEN-ERA DEI, LGBTQ PROGRAMAs spending cuts were happening across the federal government earlier in the Trump administration under the Department of Government Efficiency, many Democrats were critical of the efforts."Since hijacking the U.S. Digital Service to establish DOGE, Elon Musks unqualified staff have fanned out across the Federal government. They have embedded themselves within departments and agencies, including DHS, to seize sensitive data, purge civil servants, and gut programs with no regard to the critical services they provide everyday Americans," Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said in a March 20 statement.

EXCLUSIVE: A CNN segment on "NewsNight with Abby Phillip" about the Trump administration's review of the Smithsonian erupted into a heated debate over slavery when fitness trainer and media personality Jillian Michaels said President Donald Trump is not "whitewashing" history.Speaking exclusively to Fox News Digital about the now-viral segment, Michaels accused Phillip of lying and then verbally attacking her after she argued that White people do not bear all the blame for slavery."There was no moment where I defended slavery," Michaels clarified. "I would never. I just said it's evil, but you can't lay it all at the feet of one race. There was no moment where I tried to litigate who benefited from slavery in America, and I said specifically this has been going on for thousands of years."Michaels said Democratic strategist Julie Roginsky started the debate when she referred to Trump as "Dear Leader" a jab evoking the authoritarian title used for North Koreas Kim Jong Il and said, "Slavery was a bad thing, and we should talk about it."CBS HOST DEFENDS TRUMP'S EFFORTS TO DE-WOKIFY THE SMITHSONIAN'S PRESENTATION OF US HISTORY"He's not whitewashing slavery," Michaels responded, triggering crosstalk on the panel and Michaels' viral moment.The Huffington Post published an article after the segment aired, accusing Michaels of a "stunning meltdown." In a social media video, Phillip explained the viral debate from her perspective, accusing Michaels of trying to "minimiz[e] the impact of racism and slavery on American history."JILLIAN MICHAELS SLAMS 'BIGGEST LOSER' DOCUMENTARY, PUTS CO-STAR BOB HARPER ON BLAST FOR FRIENDSHIP DEMISE"If I could tell you literally the lies that Abby Phillip and CNN and the Huffington Post have perpetuated after that interview, it's staggering how they've mischaracterized and manipulated and lied about everything," Michaels said.And the CNN host said Trump followed Michaels' lead in a Truth Social post, calling the Smithsonian "WOKE" and "OUT OF CONTROL."Michaels maintained to Fox News Digital that she had no intention of "trying to relitigate who benefited from slavery in America," as Phillip claimed."Slavery and imperialism and racism have been practiced by every single human race, and everybody of every skin color throughout history has worn both the chains and the whip, and I think if we don't start talking about this, it's going to tear apart the fabric of our society," Michaels said.She questioned how it's racist to "tell both sides of this story." White House officials told Fox News Digital that the new Smithsonian guidance seeks to "support a broader vision of excellence that highlights historically accurate, uplifting, and inclusive portrayals of Americas heritage.""This ultra-woke narrative that tells only one side of history and that paints an entire, just one, race, with all the evils of slavery, imperialism, racism this younger generation is choking on [it], and they're vomiting it back up," the former "The Biggest Loser" trainer said.Michaels argued that cancel culture "is a lever of power." While politicians campaign on "culture wars" with "race baiting," she said "nobody's paying attention to the greater evils."She said someone commented, "Little Nazi," on a photo her son posted on Instagram with conservative media personality, Charlie Kirk, while others made comments about her having a Black daughter."I will sign up for any difficult conversation," Michaels said. "I want to have it. I embrace it. I think it's necessary, but when you see people attack your family, your kids, your spouse, your parents, the people that you work with, and their livelihoods get threatened, you can see why people are afraid to say anything."The "Keeping It Real" podcast host said that cancel culture is intentionally used as a means to maintain racial division and uphold the status quo. But she's no stranger to the public's ire.After admitting she voted for Trump in 2024 and going all in on the Make American Health Again (MAHA) movement, the public said, "Shes lost it, shes MAGA, shes alt-right," she said.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPAs Michaels faces a slew of criticism in light of a new Netflix docuseries, "Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser," she said, "It's like The Biggest Loser all over again because the Left is manipulating narratives and smearing [me]."Fox News Digital reached out to CNN and the Huffington Post, but the outlets did not immediately provide comment.

Republicans in the state of Ohio, and across the country, have been rallying around freshman Sen. Jon Husted this week after Democrat Sherrod Brown, who represented Ohio in the Senate for almost 20 years before being unseated last year, announced he is running for Husteds seat."Sherrod Browns recent announcement means Ohioans will face a clear choice in 2026," Jon Husted for Senate Communications Director Tyson Shepard told Fox News Digital."For 30 years, he has imposed Washingtons problems on Ohio, pushing radical liberal policies that have left a lasting burden on the next generation. Jon Husted offers the opposite approach, applying Ohios values and solutions to fix a broken Washington. The challenges our nation faces are the same ones Husted has helped our state confront and overcome, championing the values he learned growing up in northwest Ohio: hard work, personal responsibility, family, faith, freedom and patriotism."Republicans across the Buckeye State have echoed similar sentiments this week expressing optimism that Husted, who was appointed to the Senate earlier this year by Ohios Republican Gov. Mike DeWine to fill the seat vacated when J.D. Vance left the Senate to become vice president, will defeat Brown next year.GOP SENATOR REVEALS WHY TRUMP'S 'COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT' WILL BE CRUCIAL FOR HIS MIDTERM RACEOhio Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno, who defeated Brown last year despite entering the race as an underdog in the polls,said on X this week, "After 50 years of living off the tax payer, losing an election by a wide margin with $300 million in out of state money, abandoning working Ohioans to be Chuck Schumers lap dog, and sucking up to coastal elites, its time for @SherrodBrown to just go away.""Ohio is lucky to have@SenJonHusted in the Senate!," Ohio Republican Congressman Jim Jordanposted on X after Browns announcement.DeWine has commented on the race as well, calling Brown a "formidable" candidate but saying that he believes Husted "will win."Ohio Republican Congressman Max Millertold AM 1420 The Answer this week that he has "no idea what Brown is thinking getting back into this race" adding, "Men in women's sports, open borders, selling out to China? Ohioans don't like that."Republican leaders outside the state of Ohio are lining up behind Husted as well, including Senator and National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Tim Scott, whosaid about Brown on X, "We beat him once. Well beat him again."TRUMP URGES TEXAS REPUBLICANS TO SWIFTLY PASS REDISTRICTING MAPS WHILE NEWSOM, CALIFORNIA DEMS COUNTERSupport for Husted has also come from some corners of Ohio that historically would have been fond of Brown, who has championed himself as a candidate of the working class over the past 20 years, as evidenced by endorsements he has received this week from thesheriff of Browns home county and an endorsement from the Northwest Ohio Building & Construction Trades Council (NWOBCTC), which represents 18 affiliated local unions and thousands of skilled workers across eight Ohio counties."More momentum for@JonHusted," Ohio Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who ran in the Republican primary to unseat Brown last year,posted on X in response to the Northwest Ohio Building & Construction Trades Council endorsement."While Sherrod Brown talks a big game his record tells a different story. He has toed the line for coastal elites focusing on their radical leftist agenda and ignoring the needs of Ohios working families. Jon actually fights for Ohio workers and this is a well earned endorsement!"Brown, who spent over three decades representing Ohio in the House and later the Senate, was highly recruited by top national Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who made two trips to the Buckeye state to try and convince Brown to run again.4 KEY SENATE SEATS REPUBLICANS AIM TO FLIP IN 2026 MIDTERMS TO EXPAND THEIR MAJORITYHusted, who has served as Ohio's Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of State, has Trump's endorsement as he runs next year to fill the final two years of Vance's six-year term."I didnt plan to run for office again, but when I see whats going on, I know I can do something about it for Ohio," Brown, who served as chair of the Senate Banking Committee during his tenure in D.C., said in a campaign launch video.Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), argued in a statement that "no one fights harder for Ohio than Sherrod Brown. From securing Ohioans retirement and Social Security benefits to cracking down on fentanyl from China and Mexico, Sherrod will always do whats right for Ohioans."CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPThe X account belonging to the DSCC has been actively touting Brown's announcement, labeling Brown as a candidate who is "looking out for Ohio workers' and accusing Husted of "selling out Ohioans" with his support for Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill."Ohio was once a top general election battleground state, but has turned increasingly red over the past decade. Trump carried the state by 11 points over then-Vice President Kamala Harris. But Brown outperformed the top of the ticket, losing to Moreno by less than four points.The party not holding the White House typically experiences strong turnout in midterm elections and Democrats are optimistic about a strong showing with Trump not on the ballot to boost Republican turnout but Republican Vivek Ramaswamy running for governor of Ohio in 2026 could help alleviate that issue along with lingering negative attitudes toward the Biden administration."Having Sherrod on the ticket and asking Ohio voters who were strongly supportive of President Trump and the mission of our party, whether they want to go backwards, thatll be a strong turnout argument for us with our party faithful in Ohio," Ohio Republican Party Chair Alex Triantafilou told Spectrum News. "Because we cannot return to the days of Sherrod Brown and Joe Biden and Kamala Harris."Brown is the second top recruit Senate Democrats have landed this year, in addition to Gov. Roy Cooper in North Carolina, as they work to try and win back the chamber's majority next year. The GOP currently holds a 53-47 majority in the Senate.

The FBI launched a raid Friday morning into the home and office of John Bolton President Donald Trumps national security advisor from in 2018 and 2019 months after Trump yanked Boltons security clearance in January upon taking office.The two men have a long history of trading barbs following Boltons exit from Trump's first administration all of which escalated after Bolton sought to publish a memoir in 2020 that included some unflattering details about his time in the White House.While Trump has labeled Bolton a "wacko" and a "dope," Bolton has had his fair share of harsh words for the president."I dont think hes fit for office. I dont think he has the competence to carry out the job," Bolton said in an interview with ABC News in June 2020, ahead of his memoirs release.JOHN BOLTON'S HOME AND OFFICE RAIDED BY FEDERAL AGENTS"There really isnt any guiding principle that I was able to discern other than whats good for Donald Trumps reelection," Bolton said at the time. "I think he was so focused on the reelection that longer-term considerations fell by the wayside."Bolton also characterized Trump as lacking focus on policy, while being very fixated on himself to the detriment of national security matters."His policymaking is so incoherent, so unfocused, so unstructured, so wrapped around his own personal political fortunes, that mistakes are being made that will have grave consequences for the national security of the United States," Bolton also said in an ABC interview in June 2020.The first Trump administration sought to block the release of Boltons memoir, "The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir," and asserted it contained classified material.The book alleged that Trump "pleaded" Chinese President Xi Jinping to support Trumps reelection campaign, and called the president "stunningly uninformed."BIDEN DOJ DROPS LAWSUIT AGAINST JOHN BOLTON OVER 2020 BOOK RELEASEWhile the Justice Department attempted to prevent its publication on the grounds that the book disclosed classified matters pertaining to U.S. intelligence sources and methods, a federal judge signed off on the publication of the book, which ultimately was published June 23, 2020.Meanwhile, Trump discredited Boltons assertions included in the book, and hurled his own insults back at Bolton."Many of the ridiculous statements he attributes to me were never made, pure fiction," Trump said in a social media post June 18, 2020. "Just trying to get even for firing him like the sick puppy he is!"TRUMP REVOKES JOHN BOLTON'S SECRET SERVICE DETAIL AMID IRANIAN DEATH THREATS: FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR"Wacko John Boltons exceedingly tedious(New York Times) book is made up of lies & fake stories. Said all good about me, in print, until the day I fired him," Trump said in a separate social media post on June 18, 2020. "A disgruntled boring fool who only wanted to go to war. Never had a clue, was ostracized & happily dumped. What a dope!"Bolton departed his post at the White House in September 2019. While Bolton said that he left due to his own volition, Trump claimed that he fired Bolton.Bolton was not arrested or taken into custody following the raid on his home and office Friday.Trump told reporters Friday that he had no knowledge of the raid and learned about it watching TV."He's a, not a smart guy," Trump said Friday. "But he could be a very unpatriotic. I mean, we're going to find out. I know nothing about it. I just saw it this morning. They did a raid."

Moscow police have released heavily redacted bodycam video from the initial response to the University of Idaho student murders crime scene at 1122 King Road.Victim Madison Mogen's mother sought to block the release of crime scene images and video in court, and the parents of fellow victim Ethan Chapin both sent declarations to the judge in support of her motion for a temporary restraining order. A hearing originally scheduled for Thursday was postponed until next week.Around noon on Nov. 13, 2022, police arrived to find horror inside an off-campus house rented by a group of undergrads.Responding officers quickly swept the house and found four victims dead. The victims' remains and even glimpses into the rooms where they were found were all redacted in the nearly hour-long video first obtained by Law & Crime.MOSCOW POLICE CHIEF CHALLENGES CLAIMS BRYAN KOHBERGER MENTIONED KAYLEE GONCALVES BY NAME DURING ATTACKFaces of surviving witnesses and non-police first responders were blurred.Dylan Mortensen, a surviving roommate who came face-to-face with killer Bryan Kohberger before he left out the rear sliding door, was one of the first to speak with police after they secured the crime scene.Her story changed over time. In an apparent state of shock and wearing a T-shirt and no shoes outside in the November cold, she said she heard a scream from roommate Kaylee Goncalves, 21, who she said then ran down the stairs.COURT BLOCKS IDAHO POLICE FROM RELEASING MORE MURDER VICTIM BEDROOM FOOTAGE AND MATERIALS"I kept calling her name and she wouldn't answer," she said, her voice breaking into tears. "And then I saw the guy."Goncalves likely never made it to those stairs. She was killed in her sleep in an upstairs bedroom next to her best friend, Madison Mogen, also 21.The victims were Goncalves, Mogen, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20.Kernodle suffered extensive defensive wounds in the attack and was likely the person Mortensen heard struggling against Kohberger.IDAHO MURDER DOCUMENTS REVEAL VICTIM'S STALKING FEARS AND KOHBERGER'S 'INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR' AT SCHOOL"I heard someone in the bathroom, and I heard her crying, and I heard some guy saying that you're gonna be OK, I'm gonna help you," she said. "And I kept calling her name, but she wasn't answering."Then she described Kohberger."I saw this guy, and he was not insanely tall, but he was wearing all black and like this mask, which was covering his forehead and his mouth," she said.She described him as a little bit taller than she is, and he didn't say anything before she believed he left out the sliding door.She later added that when she heard the male voice say he was going to help, "It wasn't in a nice way.""It was like a weird way, like a weird tone," she said.Officers were audibly shocked by what they saw inside.Kohberger pleaded guilty last month and has been sentenced to four consecutive life prison terms with no possibility of parole, plus another 10 years.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested the brother of Harjinder Singh the illegal immigrant who allegedly killed three people on Floridas Turnpike in St. Lucie County while using a median cut prescribed for emergency vehicles to illicitly make a U-Turn.On Friday, ICE confirmed they had arrested Singhs brother, Harneet Singh, 25, who was a passenger in Harjinders rig at the time of the crash. Officials said he is also in the U.S. illegally and was first detained on Monday.Harjinder Singh later fled to California, where Lt. Gov. Jay Collins traveled to oversee his extradition."Three innocent people were killed in Florida because Gavin Newsoms California Department of Motor Vehicles issued an illegal alien a Commercial Drivers Licensethis state of governance is asinine,"DHSAssistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.DESANTIS: STATE LINE WON'T PROTECT CRIMINAL ILLEGALS; SENDS 'CHUCK NORRIS' DEPUTY TO NAB FUGITIVE TRUCKER"How many more innocent people must die before Gavin Newsom stops playing games with the safety of the American public?" McLaughlin said."We pray for the victims and their families. Secretary Noem and DHS are working around the clock to protect the public and get these criminal illegal aliens out of America."Newsoms office has strongly rejected any claims of culpability in the Singhs incident, claiming it was Florida who "let a murder suspect walk.""California police had to step in and arrest him, and now Floridas new LG is staging a photo op to pick him up," Newsoms office said in a statement.ILLEGAL TRUCKER DEPORTED HIMSELF TO CA,' LAWMAKER SAYS, WHILE REVEALING SYSTEMIC CRISIS IN TRANSPORTATIONHarjinder Singh who was originally denied a work permit by the first Trump administration has since been charged with three counts of vehicular homicide.In comments to Fox News Digital, Newsom spokeswoman Diana Crofts-Pelayo defended the governor, after Collins expressed sentiments similar to McLaughlin on Thursday.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP"So, lets get this straight: Florida let a murder suspect walk, California police had to step in and arrest him and now Floridas new LG is staging a photo op to pick him up?" Crofts-Pelayo told Fox News Digital.Harjinder Singhs reported English illiteracy was also raised as a concern by authorities after reports surfaced he only answered three of 12 verbal questions on his driver test and could only identify one street sign of four displayed.

Three people were shot to death in separate shootings in Chicago overnight, marking the latest string of violence in the Democratic-led city.The first incident occurred just after 10 p.m. when an individual approached two 38-year-old men while they were standing outside and began shooting, FOX 32 reported. Both men were shot in the side and were transported to local hospitals, where they died from their injuries.WOMAN KILLED IN BLUE CITY ROBBERY AS THREAT OF TRUMP TAKEOVER LOOMS WITH THIEVES TERRORIZING PUBLICLess than one hour later, a 27-year-old woman and a 26-year-old man were shot several times after an individual approached them on foot and began firing in their direction, the outlet reported.The pair were subsequently taken to a nearby hospital, where the woman was pronounced dead, and the man was listed in stable condition.Chicago police have not made any arrests in either shooting, and the Cook County medical examiners office has not identified the identities of the victims, according to FOX 32.WOMAN GUNNED DOWN IN 'SAFE' DC NEIGHBORHOOD AS TRUMP LAUNCHES FEDERAL POLICE TAKEOVERThe violence comes on the same day President Donald Trump threatened to expand his rollout of federal authorities in crime-ridden cities while visiting the U.S. Park Police Anacostia operations facility in Washington, D.C."Everybody's safe now, everybody feels safe," Trump said. "It's our capital and I guess it used to be many years ago, say, but it's certainly not had a very good run. And you've got to be strong. You've got to be tough. You've got to do your job."During his visit, Trump teased the possibility of expanding the deployment of federal law enforcement into additional cities throughout the country as the administration tries to tamp down crime rates.CHICAGO DRIVE-BY SHOOTING LEAVES AT LEAST 4 DEAD, 14 WOUNDED"We're going to make it safe, and we're going to then go on to other places, but were going to stay here for a while," Trump said. "We want to make this absolutely perfect."The Chicago Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digitals request for comment.

CBS is pushing back on a report that its news division is losing a staggering $50 million annually, insisting the unit remains profitable."A published report that CBS News is losing 'around$50 million a year' is inaccurate. In fact, the division is currently profitable," a CBS spokesperson told Fox News Digital.Puck News reported on Wednesday that CBS News is losing "around $50 million a year," citing "two sources familiar with the news divisions finances." The claim came just weeks after reports that CBS "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" was losing $40 million a year amid its announced cancellation.However, Pucks Dylan Byers took to social media on Thursday with an update, noting CBS pushed back and suggesting the discrepancy stems from "nuances in the accounting that deserve further exploration."EX-PARAMOUNT CHIEF HOPED TRUMP LAWSUIT WOULD FORCE CBS TO BE MORE BALANCED ON ISRAELCBS' parent company, Paramount, merged with Skydance Media in an $8 billion transaction earlier this month. The company's new owner, David Ellison, made CBS News his first stop once he was handed the keys to Paramount, a sign CBS News staffers interpreted as him prioritizing the house that Walter Cronkite built despite potential budget cuts.CBS and Paramount did not immediately respond when asked about a report that the $50 million figure was leaked to justify possible cuts. New Paramount president Jeff Shell has said upcoming layoffs will be "painful," but promised they'd be done swiftly to avoid staggered quarterly cuts.CBS News president and executive editor Tom Cibrowski, who joined the company in March, has a lot on his plate. Both of the network's marquee news programs, "CBS Mornings" and "CBS Evening News," routinely finish in third place behind ABC and NBC rivals in the ratings.Guy Campanile, a longtime "60 Minutes" producer who was moved to "CBS Evening News," is returning to "60 Minutes" after the revamped nightly newscast with co-anchors John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois failed to boost ratings.SHARI REDSTONE BREAKS SILENCE ON 'NO-BRAINER' $16M TRUMP SETTLEMENT THAT PRECEDED PARAMOUNT-SKYDANCE MERGER"CBS Evening News" averaged 3.8 million viewers during the week of Aug. 11, while ABCs "World News Tonight" averaged over 7 million viewers and "NBC Nightly News" drew 5.7 million.The network has had a tumultuous year, much of it involving President Donald Trump's massive lawsuit against CBS and Paramount. Trump accused CBS News of "election interference" over the network's handling of its "60 Minutes" interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, which aired the month before the 2024 election.Shari Redstone, Paramount's former controlling shareholder before the Skydance merger, voiced her stance in favor of settling Trump's lawsuit, hoping it would clear the path for the multi-billion-dollar sale, which could have been halted by Trump's FCC. The FCC approved the transaction shortly after Paramount settled Trump's lawsuit last month.PARAMOUNT, SKYDANCE COMPLETE $8 BILLION MERGER AS FCC CONTINUES CBS PROBEThe settlement caused consternation among CBS staffers. Tensions further escalated after CBS announced it was pulling the plug on Colbert's progressive late-night show, calling it a purely financial decision.The cancellation outraged liberal critics, who accused CBS of bending the knee to Trump, but Puck News later reported that "The Late Show" was losing more than $40 million a year for CBS and had a budget of more than $100 million per season. The show will go off the air next May.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPLongtime "60 Minutes" executive producer Bill Owens and CBS News CEO Wendy McMahon both exited the company earlier this year ahead of the merger. Tanya Simon, a 25-year veteran of "60 Minutes,"will serve as the new executive producer of the program.

Denise Richards isnt hiding behind the Hollywood facade anymore.The reality television star, 54, opened up in an emotional Instagram video on Thursday, breaking her silence on her split from estranged husband Aaron Phypers."I was just checking in to see how your summers been going," Richards said. "Mines been wonderful. Its actually been s-----, but Im going to pretend like its all good."DENISE RICHARDS SHOWS UP AT EX'S HOME AFTER HE ALLEGEDLY 'PUT DOWN' HER DOG WITHOUT PERMISSION: REPORTThe "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" alum revealed shes been quietly battling through heartbreak behind the scenes, despite keeping up appearances online."Ive actually been posting on Instagram like nothing is going on in my life, and I cant do that anymore because theres something obviously going on."Richards and Phypers split in July after six years of marriage. Richards didnt name him directly in her social media video.APP USERS CLICK HERE TO VIEW POST"I see all of your messages, I cant comment because itll be taken out and put in the press," she said. "But I just wanted to, in all seriousness, say that this has been a very, very, very difficult time. Its so hard to go through a divorce."Richards, who went through a high-profile split from Charlie Sheen in 2006, admitted she never thought shed be here again."Many of you have gone through that. This isnt my first one this is my second one," she continued. "I never thought Id get divorced again. This is why I always say, never say never."DENISE RICHARDS' HUSBAND FILES FOR DIVORCE, MONTHS AFTER SHE REVEALED HE HELPS RUN HER ONLYFANS ACCOUNTThe "Denise Richards & Her Wild Things" star thanked fans for their outpouring of support and teased that theres more to the story."There are circumstances around my divorce that are difficult to talk about which one day I will talk about it when the time is right."She added, "I want to process everything and get through this It has not been easy, so your messages mean a lot."LIKE WHAT YOURE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSRichards also addressed recent speculation about her health, as she confirmed she underwent multiple surgeries."During this time, some of you may know because it was put out there that I was having reconstructive surgery," she explained. "I was open and honest about having surgery for a TV show that I did. And then I had another surgery and I do want to post about that, but I didnt want to post about it during this and look inappropriate have it seem insensitive to what Im dealing with."CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTERShe went on to share with her 1.6 million followers that shell continue to post life updates."I also want to live my life and share my life, so thats what Im going to do and continue doing."Richards concluded her video and said, "It makes me want to cry seeing your messages because this is a very difficult time and you guys are all helping me through it Thank you. Lots of love."Phypers filed for divorce from Richards on July 7, citing their separation date as July 4. He cited irreconcilable differences and is seeking spousal support from the "Real Housewives" star. The two tied the knot in 2018 and do not share children.