MAHOGANY MYSTERY: A mysterious wooden canoe discovered after Hurricane Ian remains puzzling to experts three years later.SIP AND TIP: The co-founder of a hospitality group reveals why bartenders should be tipped just like restaurant servers.PROBIOTIC PUNCH: A study recently found that kimchi can lower blood pressure and blood sugar levels despite its high sodium content.DECK THE HALLS From Christmas trees to festive dinnerware, it's never too early to grab holiday decor at a discount. Continue readingCALLING ALL CROSSWORD PUZZLE LOVERS! Play our Fox News daily crossword puzzle for free here! And not just one check out the multiple offerings.See the puzzles...FacebookInstagramYouTubeTwitterLinkedInFox News FirstFox News OpinionFox News LifestyleFox News AutosFox News HealthFox BusinessFox WeatherFox SportsTubiFox News GoFox NationInstagramYouTubeTwitterLinkedInFox News FirstFox News OpinionFox News LifestyleFox News AutosFox News HealthFox BusinessFox WeatherFox SportsTubiFox News GoFox Nation

New York Yankees radio voice Suzyn Waldman has once again landed in the crosshairs of a WFAN personality.Boomer Esiason's former radio co-host Craig Carton used to routinely take jabs at Waldman, and this week the former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback appeared to renew the rivalry.Esiason's ribbing comes after a recent lighthearted back-and-forth between Waldman and Dave Sims, the play-by-play voice of the Bronx Bombers. The 2025 season marks the first time Waldman and Sims have worked alongside one another in the Yankees broadcast booth.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXBUSINESS.COMThe exchanges prompted WFAN morning host Gregg Giannotti to question whether Waldman harbored some level of jealousy over any endorsement deals Sims had landed.As part of one of Sims' latest deals, the host shared a promotional post for Dude Wipes. Esiason took notice of the ad and jokingly floated a theory about Waldman.2025 AL, NL PENNANT ODDS: DODGERS, MARINERS FAVORED IN LEAGUE RACES"She could use like, uh, Vagisil daily fresh wipes," Esiason said. "I couldnt even say that with a straight face. I couldnt. I mean, theres all sorts of feminine wipes."Fox News Digital contacted WFAN's parent company, Audacy, for comment but did not immediately receive a response. Waldman's reps could not be reached.This isn't the first time this season Esiason has made headlines for comments related to the Yankees broadcast booth.Esiason also poked fun at Sims after the broadcaster missed a workday during the early portion of the 2025 season.Carton frequently used a long-running and what many viewed as unflattering impression of Waldman during his time on the radio station's morning program.Waldman was able to put differences aside for the 2024 Yankees season when she worked alongside Carton.Meanwhile, the Toronto Blue Jays won Game 4 of the ALDS 5-2 on Wednesday night, eliminating the Yankees from postseason contention.It marks the first time Toronto has advanced to the ALCS since 2016.Follow Fox News Digitals sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

President Donald Trump announced in an exclusive interview with Fox News Sean Hannity on Wednesday night that a "landmark peace deal" between Israel and Hamas has been reached, hailing it as "a historic step toward peace in the Middle East."In the interview, Trump said "the whole world came together" to make the deal happen, crediting both "luck" and "talent.""So many countries that you wouldnt have thought of have come together," he said on "Hannity." "Its been so great for Israel, so great for Muslims, for the Arab countries and so great for the United States of America. This is more than Gaza this is peace in the Middle East."Leaders across the world are welcoming the news and describing it as a potential turning point.HAMAS ACCEPTS TRUMP PEACE PLAN ENDING 2 YEARS OF WAR IN GAZA, RETURNING HOSTAGES"With the approval of the first phase of the plan, all our hostages will be brought home. This is a diplomatic success and a national and moral victory for the State of Israel," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. "From the beginning, I made it clear: we will not rest until all our hostages return and all our goals are achieved."He thanked his "great friend and ally President Trump," saying Israel has "reached this critical turning point."Israeli President Isaac Herzogchimed in on X, offering an emphatic endorsement of the deal while thanking Trump, adding that "should he visit us in the coming days, he will be received with immense respect, affection, and gratitude by the people of Israel.""This agreement will bring moments of indescribable relief to the dear families who have not slept for 733 days. This agreement offers a chance to mend, to heal, and to open a new horizon of hope for our region," the post read. "This is a time to honor the heroes among us: our sons and daughters who fought bravely to bring the hostages home; the bereaved families; the wounded in body and spirit; and all who have paid an unbearable price for this historic and vital moment."TRUMP UNVEILS 20-POINT PLAN TO SECURE PEACE IN GAZA, INCLUDING GRANTING SOME HAMAS MEMBERS 'AMNESTY'At the United Nations, Secretary-General Antnio Guterres welcomed the breakthrough and urged swift follow-through, according to Reuters."I welcome the announcement of an agreement to secure a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza. The United Nations will support full implementation and recovery efforts. This momentous opportunity must not be lost," Guterres said.Under the deal, Hamas is expected to release all 20 living hostages by this weekend, and the Israeli military is expected to begin withdrawing troops from most of Gaza as part of the initial phase.The IDF also released a statement on social media, welcoming "the signing of the agreement for the return of the hostages, which was signed overnight.""This is a great day for peace," Trump said. "Many years they talked about peace in the Middle East now its happening."The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry says more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, a figure that has not been independently verified.

Family members of hostages being held by Hamas celebrated the acceptance of the peace plan pushed by President Donald Trump by calling him on the phone to thank him for his efforts, which include the release of the remaining 48 hostages.A group of family members were with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick Wednesday night when they got the president on the phone for a quick conversation, a video from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum (HMFF) showed.Upon answering the call, Trump was immediately met with positive remarks and cheers from the group.Multiple people yelled, "Thank you!" while one person said, "You did it!" and another said, "This is amazing."HAMAS ACCEPTS TRUMP PEACE PLAN ENDING 2 YEARS OF WAR IN GAZA, RETURNING HOSTAGESOne man could be heard thanking the president for everything he has done for Israel and its people over the past few years."Mr. President, we believe in you. We know you've done so much for us Since you became the president. Even before that. And we trust you fulfilled the mission until every hostage, every 48 of the hostages, are home," the man said. "Thank you so much. Blessed be the peacemakers."Another man chimed in, "God bless you, Mr. President. God bless America."Before ending the phone call, Trump said all hostages would be returned on Monday, which garnered loud cheers from the group.TRUMP THANKS GROUP REPRESENTING FAMILIES OF HOSTAGES FOR NOBEL PEACE PRIZE APPEALThe family members were in Washington, D.C., this week with the HMFF to mark two years since Hamas launched its unprecedented attack on Israel.Trump's peace plan was accepted one day after the Oct. 7 anniversary."Yesterday, we gathered here in the Sukkah of Hope with the Trump administration. And today, President Trump has done it. He announced just now that our loved ones, the hostages are coming home," the organization said in a news release on Wednesday.HMFF assured it will continue fighting until all 48 hostages are returned to their families."We will not stop fighting until we see the last of the 48 return to their family. Those who were murdered in captivity, buried in the land of Israel, those who are still alive, walking through the border and reuniting with us, the families," the organization said.The group thanked Trump for his courage and the administration for "doing everything you can to bring them home.""Let's do it," the statement concluded.

EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., is demanding information from the FBI on whether she has been subjected to additional surveillance, following revelations that former Special Counsel Jack Smith tracked her phone calls, calling the action "one of the most serious infringements on the separation of powers in American history."Fox News Digital first reported Monday that Smith and his "Arctic Frost" team investigating Jan. 6 allegedly monitored the phone calls of Lummis and fellow GOP Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, Dan Sullivan of Alaska, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and GOP Rep. Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania.Fox News Digital exclusively obtained an FBI document stating the names of the lawmakers and that an FBI special agent on Smiths team "conducted preliminary toll analysis" on the toll records associated with them.JACK SMITH TRACKED PRIVATE COMMUNICATIONS, CALLS OF NEARLY A DOZEN GOP SENATORS DURING J6 PROBE, FBI SAYSAn FBI official told Fox News Digital that Smith and his team were able to view which phone numbers the senators called, along with the location each call originated and where it was received.Lummis is now seeking more information on the matter, writing a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel thanking him, President Donald Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi for their "transparency regarding the blatantly unconstitutional surveillance activities conducted on the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives by the Biden Administration during Operation Arctic Frost.""Your willingness to expose these abuses is crucial to getting the FBI and Department of Justice focused back on its core mission of delivering justice for all," she wrote in the letter to Patel, obtained by Fox News Digital.Lummis is now demanding all FBI and DOJ records that identify which members of the Biden administration "authorized or approved the surveillance of my phone records and communications."FBI FIRES AGENTS, DISMANTLES CORRUPTION SQUAD AFTER PROBE UNVEILS MONITORING OF GOP SENATORS, PATEL SAYSLummis is asking for the names of all DOJ officials, FBI officials, and any White House officials involved; the entire data file collected on her, including all phone records and any recordings or transcripts of her private communications; any legal statutes cited to justify the data collection; and any individuals with whom the information was shared.She is also requesting documentation of "any other surveillance conducted by the FBI or DOJ from January 20, 2021, through January 20, 2025, on me related to my official duties as a United States senator.""I believe that the surveillance of sitting United States Senators by the executive branch represents one of the most serious infringements on the separation of powers in American history," she wrote. "It seriously impinges on both my civil rights and my constitutional duties as a legislator, especially since this surveillance was directly connected to core legislative activities protected by the Speech or Debate Clause of the United States Constitution."Lummis added that "the American people deserve to know the truth about how the Biden administration weaponized federal law enforcement against their elected representatives.""Those responsible will be held accountable," she wrote. "Thank you for your prompt attention to these requests, and for restoring integrity to the FBI.""Arctic Frost" was opened inside the bureau on April 13, 2022. Smith was appointed as special counsel to take over the probe in November 2022.An FBI official told Fox News Digital that "Arctic Frost" is a "prohibited case," and that the review required officials to go "above and beyond in order to deliver on this promise of transparency." The discovery is part of a broader, ongoing review."The American people deserve the truth, and under my leadership, they will have it," Patel told Fox News Digital. "We promised accountability for those who weaponized law enforcement, and we will deliver it."HAWLEY RIPS JACK SMITHS BIDENS STASI PROBE, CALLS ALLEGED SPYING ABUSE OF POWER BEYOND WATERGATEPatel added: "Under our watch, the FBI will never again be turned against the American people.""It is a disgrace that I have to stand on Capitol Hill and reveal this that the FBI was onceweaponizedto track the private communications of U.S. lawmakers for political purposes," FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, who briefed senators on the matter, told Fox News Digital. "That era is over."Bongino added: "Under our leadership, the FBI will never again be used as a political weapon against the American people."Meanwhile, the FBI has terminated employees and disbanded the CR-15 squad. Patel announced the actions were taken in response to the revelation of the "baseless monitoring" of U.S. lawmakers."We are cleaning up a diseased temple three decades in the making identifying the rot, removing those who weaponized law enforcement for political purposes and those who do not meet the standards of this mission while restoring integrity to the FBI. I promised reform, and I intend to deliver it," Patel said in a statement to Fox News Digital.Patel also posted about it on X, saying, "Transparency is important, and accountability is critical. We promised both, and this is what promises kept looks like We terminated employees, we abolished the weaponized CR-15 squad, and we initiated an ongoing investigation with more accountability measures ahead."

The sight of President Donald Trump on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George H. W. Bush was a great reminder that no one fears U.S. aircraft carriers more than China.Trump flew onto the carrier, underway in the Atlantic, as part of the Navys 250th Anniversary celebrations. He brought along First Lady Melania Trump, wearing a sleek leather flight jacket and more importantly, closed-toe, low-heel shoes, per Navy regulation for personnel on the flight deck. Together they watched a firepower demonstration from F/A-18EF Superhornets, F-35C fighters and the Aegis destroyers of the strike group in the Navys Atlantic training range.Later, Trump applauded carrier operations, with a speech back at the pier at Norfolk Naval Base, Virginia. "They land screaming jets on pitching decks in the dark of night with no room for error," he said.'ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE': B-2 BOMBER, F-35 ESCORT SET STAGE FOR TRUMP-PUTIN TALKS IN ALASKADespite this praise, Trumps visit actually marks something of a turnaround in the future of aircraft carriers. No question, Trump knows the value of aircraft carriers. In March, Trump paired up two carriers, the USS Harry S. Truman and USS Carl Vinson, to hit over 1,000 Houthi targets in Yemen. Operation Rough Rider "unleashed American fury on the Houthi terrorists in the Red Sea," Trump said Sunday, and included "the single largest airstrike from an American aircraft carrier." Last week, the Navys newest carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, was in the Baltic Sea staring down Russia.However, carriers hit rough seas in the Pentagon reviews carried out after Trumps inauguration. Trumps team was shocked to find shipyard workforce gaps and post-COVID supply chain problems delaying carrier construction. Worse, Pentagon staff raised doubts about the role of aircraft carriers against China.Heres the scoop. Aircraft carriers are lethal. Carriers have a major fighting role in the Pacific, because they are the only mobile air bases.Oh sure, the Chinese want you to think they can find, target, hit and sink a carrier with a handful of their DF-26 or DF-21 missiles. True, Chinas missiles can hit the western Pacific and Guam. And the Chinese military built a life-size mock-up of a fake Nimitz-class aircraft carrier in the Chinese desert for target practice.But Chinas chances of hitting, let alone sinking, a U.S. aircraft carrier are slim.First, finding and hitting a moving target at long range is extremely difficult. Because they run on nuclear power without refueling, American aircraft carriers can move anywhere in a 700-mile area within 30 minutes. Thats a serious targeting problem for Chinese missiles firing at long range. Especially when the U.S. carriers are using deception and electronic warfare tactics to confuse missiles.As Trump saw on Sunday, aircraft carriers with their strike groups are well-protected from missile attack. "I sail with a mini-Golden Dome every day," one aviator recently remarked. U.S. Navy Aegis destroyers carry an array of air defense missiles and can tap satellites to track and hit maneuvering hypersonic missiles. On top of that, the new Ford-class carriers have ample power to carry laser weapons for close-in defense.Plus, aircraft carriers have a double hull and multiple watertight compartments which make them nearly impossible to sink. Want proof? Check out the Full Scale Shock Trials conducted on USS Gerald R. Ford with a 40,000-lb. underwater blast with live ordnance less than 75 yards from the carrier. China would have to fire 30 of its DF-21 missiles to equal that weight.The Chinese will run out of missiles before U.S. aircraft carriers run out of tactics.Upgrades are on the way. Next year, the carrier airwing finally gets "robot gas," courtesy of the MQ-25 Stingray, an unmanned refueling drone that will add 500 miles of range to Navy fighters.Even better, the Navy has a secret, long-range stealth fighter plane for the aircraft carrier ready to unveil. Ten years in the making, this plane the Navy calls "F/A-XX" for future "fighter-attack" has advanced engines to boost range and lethality. Congress has fully funded the plane, so everyone is just waiting on Secretary of War Hegseth, Deputy Secretary Stephen Feinberg and Navy Secretary John Phelan to award that contract.A pair of aircraft carriers in the Pacific loaded with F/A-XXs and MQ-25s can attack targets 24/7 from 1500 miles out.CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINIONThe firepower of carriers cant be beat. No wonder China has three carriers at sea and just started on a fourth carrier: a copy-cat of the Ford-class, including nuclear propulsion and angled decks.You see, high-volume carrier airpower demands an angled deck to launch and recover aircraft. Straight-deck carriers were fine for the propellor aircraft of World War II, but not for the jet age, as the Navy found out the hard way."I landed on a straight-deck carrier," retired naval aviator Captain Ed Grunwald, age 98, U.S. Naval Academy Class of 1950, told me. On one of his missions in the 1950s, "I had landed and was taxiing when my wingmans jet failed to catch a wire, hit the crash barrier, bounced over it and killed six sailors," Grunwald said. Angled decks prevent those accidents because a "bolter" plane whose hook does not trap one of the three deck wires can add power and safely go around.Aircraft carrier agility is more vital than ever and Xi Jinping of China knows it.

Once upon a not-so-distant time,being a millionaire meant youd "made it." Inthelate20th century, a million dollars wasthegold standardofsuccess.Then along camethetech era, and having abillionbecametheaspirationalbenchmark.Butnow especially in todays hyper-accelerated technology world thebillionaires list seems to grow bytheweek. It wontbelongbeforethenew title that mattersistrillionaire. And make no mistake about it,Elon Muskison a trajectory to becomethefirsttrillionaire. Itsnot just possible, its all but inevitable.The$500 Billion Milestone: Halfway HomeIn early October2025, Elon Muskbecamethefirstperson to ever crossthe$500 billion net-worth threshold if only for a short time. Reuters reported hisfortune "briefly hit $500 billion,before settling at $499.1 billion" according toForbess real-time tracking.Investors immediately recognizedthesymbolism as heisnowthefirst"half-trillionaire."Thisenormous sumisequivalent tothegross domestic product (GDP)ofsome countries.That milestoneismore than just optics. It confirms what many have long suspected: Musks vast empireisno accident. Itisbuilt on multiple pillars with each reinforcingtheothers. And with a key new compensation proposal at Tesla pushingtheenvelope,theshift from half-trillion to full trillion maybecloser than skeptics imagine.My prediction? It happensbefore we hit2030.AI MUST BENEFIT EVERYONE, NOT JUST A HANDFUL OF BILLIONAIRESA WebofEmpire:TheMusk PortfolioTo understand whythisisinevitable, you need to consider the structureofMusks holdings, whats happening with AI,thefutureofrobotics and space, and howthey compound.MUSKS DOGE CHANGED THE WAY AMERICA SEES FEDERAL SPENDING WASTEWhatthismeansisthat each companys success doesnt exist inisolation. Gains at Tesla reinforce capitalforhis broader ventures and breakthroughs at SpaceX or AI amplify investment and visibility in Tesla. Thecross-collaterizationoftheMusk companiesisthepure genius that allows him to work his way tobecoming a trillionaire.TheTesla Package: From Pay Deal to Trillionaire AcceleratorHeresthelinchpin: Teslas board has proposed a compensation plan so ambitious it coulditselfelevate Musk intothetrillion-dollar club provided he hits extraordinary goals.Theproposed CEO Performance Award would grant Musk up to 12%ofTeslas stock, contingent on milestones tied to market cap, production, profitability, robotaxis, humanoid robots, and more.To earnthefull package, Tesla would have to grow to a market valueofabout $8.5 trillion overthenext decade. If fully earned, that stock award alone could dwarf his current net worth and push him acrossthetrillion mark.CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINIONMusk himself framesthisnot as personal greed but as a mechanism to preserve influence over Tesla amidtheriseofAI and robotics: "Its not about compensation, but about me having enough influence over Tesla to ensure safety if we build millionsofrobots." In his view, without sufficient control, he couldbeousted by activist shareholders who dont even own Tesla stock.So,thecompensation planisnt just a reward its aforce multiplier that acceleratesthepathway to trillionaire status.TheMomentumIsCompoundingHeresthemathofinevitability: Musk already commands enormous value via equity. Heishalfway to a trillion.Thecompensation structureisengineered to multiply that value if Tesla (and his ecosystem) meets hypergrowth. Meanwhile, his other ventures space, AI, infrastructure act as leveraged options. Should even one scale massively, it adds totheupward spiral.Fromthisvantage point,thequestionisntifhe will reach trillionaire status butwhen. Andthespeed at which policy, taxation, public perception or regulatory hurdles might try to interveneisdwarfed bythemomentum hes already built.Soon enough, Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., andBernie Sanders, I-Vt., wontbeable to use "billionaires" intheir stump speeches.Instead, it will justbea steady doseof "Tax Elon Musk."CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM TED JENKIN

A Utah parent says his sons high school is singling out itsTurning Point USA chapter and making it difficult for the group to be fully recognized on campus.Braeden Stander, father of 17-year-old Fremont High School student Brigham Stander, told Fox News Digital that it has been hard for their Turning Point USA chapter to be recognized as a "curricular club."The "curricular club" status allows groups to receive school sponsorship, participate in assemblies, and have yearbook space, asreported by The Salt Lake Tribune, while "noncurricular club" status prevents groups from receiving school sponsorship."You have the mountain bike group, is allowed to be in the homecoming parade, and then they were allowed to participate in the first assembly," Braeden Stander told Fox News Digital.UTAH GOV MARKS TURNING POINT AS TPUSA RETURNS AFTER CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION"So we start working trying to, you know, fight with the administration saying like, Hey, you're singling this group out because you believe that they're a, you know, right-wing group," Stander said.Stander said that the assassination of Charlie Kirk the 31-year-old founder and CEO of Turning Point USA, who was shot and killed Sept. 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University during his "American Comeback Tour" made his son especially passionate about ensuring his chapter was fully recognized."The whole Charlie Kirk incident happens, and it really lights a fire under these kids,"Stander said. "Like, We're going to fight harder because we're tired of being silenced. And so, my son's the president. We reached out to the state school board. And shared our story with the state school board."Last week, Stander said he appeared before theUtah State Board of Education on Thursday during a public comment period and then before the Law and Licensing Committee on Friday to share concerns about Weber School District policies, where Fremont High School is located."We went before the state's school board and laid out the facts of what was happening to these kids,"Stander said. "And that all of a sudden, now groups weren't going to be allowed to do these things. But for, we've been in the school district, I have a daughter that's 20 years old, and we've been in the school system forever, and they've never had these restrictions. It was just all of a sudden because of this club, we're going to now enforce the district policies."FLORIDA VOWS LEGAL ACTION AGAINST ANY EFFORTS TO BLOCK TPUSA CHAPTERS ON CAMPUSStander said some of the students involved in the Turning Point USA chapter have faced pushback, but he thinks the school district is making an effort to address their concerns."As soon as we went before the school board, everything changed," Stander added. "The school, the legal counsel for the school district, they've 100% changed their approach on how they're dealing with us as a group. They seem to be, you know, inviting them to more things, but we still haven't achieved the change in policy and those things that need to make sure that this doesn't happen to other students of other schools."In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for Weber School District said that "TPUSA was approved to be a group at Fremont High at the end of last school year. Groups have been featured in yearbooks in the past. TPUSA submitting an application at the end of the school year and being approved as a new group would explain why they haven't appeared in past yearbooks."The spokesperson added that their "policy and state law requires all groups be given equal access. Administrators don't decide which group has access, but rather whether any or all groups are afforded equal access to activities and events. Groups that asked to participate in the homecoming activities at the school were allowed to participate. We are not aware of any request by the TPUSA group to be part of those activities. Prior to this, there was a request by TPUSA to participate in back-to-school night. That was denied as no groups were allowed to participate in that event."'THIS IS THE TURNING POINT:' TPUSA SAYS CAMPUS CHAPTER REQUESTS SURGE OVER 120,000 AFTER KIRK'S ASSASSINATION"The district maintains that it has not granted a request to one group while denying it to another group," Weber School District said. "Where groups have been given access to certain things in the past, such access was not simultaneously denied to other groups who have asked."

When the troops dont get paid, the "Schumer shutdown" will cross a red line in the eyes of most normal Americans.The men and women in uniform got their paychecks on October 1 and are scheduled to receive their next check on October 15. Unlike almost everyone else in the federal government currently not getting paid because of the showboating of Chuck Schumer and most of the Senate Democrats, soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and the Coast Guard do not have that option of quitting because they have not been paid.Every other civil servant impacted by the "Schumer shutdown" can simply quit and seek other work. Thats inconvenient and stressful and in some cases probably a crisis for people, but even that unpleasant option is not on the table if you signed up for the military.Our all-volunteer force doesnt get an escape clause that kicks in when the government doesnt fund itself for the purpose of political theater. The troops suffer, and they dont have the freedom to say, "Thats it. Im out of here."MORE LAWMAKERS SAY THEY'RE REJECTING PAYCHECKS AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN DRAGS ONThe youngest, least experienced members of the military dont get a lot of pay to begin with as they make their way up the ranks. An enlisted man or woman with less than 2 years of serviceat the entry level makes $2,319.00a month. An "E-2" receives $2,733 in their first two years. The scale increases by grade and years of service, but the youngest, least experienced men and women in the military are usually living paycheck to paycheck, especially if they have a spouse and kids as many of them do.Senators are not too worried about their friends in Senior Executive Service, or even at the top of the GS scale, say at 14 or 15, not getting paid. The lowest pay for an "SES" member is more than $150,000 a year and their salaries can reach $225,000 annually. A federal employee at the GS-15 level is paid between $123,000 and up to $183,000.No one wants to miss a paycheck, but the more senior employees of the federal government should be able to weather the disruption without losing their cars or having their utilities turned off.But, a young sailor deployed far off in, say, the Pacific, with a spouse and baby or two at home? There are tens of thousands of such men and women, and its time for Schumer to think about them.As every single serious person watching this absurd government shutdown knows, Schumer is keeping the government closed for the purpose of holding off another verbal savaging by his likely primary opponent in 2028: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.)Schumers personal political dilemma should not put even more stress on our military than already exists. They signed up to serve, not to be pawns in electoral politics for absolutely no substantive reason whatsoever.Democrats are down to talking points demanding that Republicans and President Donald Trump "negotiate," which the GOP and the president are prepared to do over a host of issues, and to do so at the same time as "regular order" proceeds for all twelve of the appropriations bills meaning that the House and Senate each pass their versions of those bills and then negotiate in a "conference committee" on the final version of each bill.It is rare that any of the twelve appropriations bills get finished by the end of the fiscal year September 30. It is increasingly the case that the government operates by "continuing resolutions" or "omnibus spending" bills, neither of which serve anyone very well.But this year, real progress has been made and most, if not all, of the appropriations bills will be finished by the time a "clean CR" would lapse in a few weeks. Negotiations over the particulars of those appropriations bills are ongoing.But, the government shutting down doesnt increase Democrats' leverage.CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINIONSchumer has got to have figured out that hes taken his entire party into a political box canyon. It takes 60 votes under the Senates rules to pass the clean CR.So, its up for five more Democrats to join the 52 Republicans and Democratic Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.) and John Fetterman (Pa.) plus independent Sen. Angus King (Maine) in voting for the House-backed Republican stop-gap funding bill.(Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) does not vote for any funding bill that doesnt reduce spending and a "clean CR" doesnt decrease or increase spending. Pauls "no vote" is the actual truth test for the GOPs assertion that the CR cuts not a dollar of spending from existing levels. It doesnt.)When the government reopens negotiations will commence, but wont be a one-way street. If Democrats want subsidies for the preferred constituencies, expect Republicans to have their list of demands as well.Trump won the 2024 election decisively. The GOP won Congress. That the left wing of the Democratic Party feels aggrieved does not mean it is entitled to the power that it lost in a free and fair election.Hugh Hewitt is a Fox News contributor and host of "The Hugh Hewitt Show" heard weekday afternoons from 3 PM to 6 PM ET on the Salem Radio Network, and simulcast on Salem News Channel. Hugh drives Americans home on the East Coast and to lunch on the West Coast on over 400 affiliates nationwide, and on all the streaming platforms where SNC can be seen. He is a frequent guest on the Fox News Channels news roundtable, hosted by Bret Baier weekdays at 6pm ET. A son of Ohio and a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Michigan Law School, Hewitt has been a Professor of Law at Chapman Universitys Fowler School of Law since 1996 where he teaches Constitutional Law. Hewitt launched his eponymous radio show from Los Angeles in 1990. Hewitt has frequently appeared on every major national news television network, hosted television shows for PBS and MSNBC, written for every major American paper, has authored a dozen books and moderated a score of Republican candidate debates, most recently the November 2023 Republican presidential debate in Miami and four Republican presidential debates in the 2015-16 cycle. Hewitt focuses his radio show and his column on the Constitution, national security, American politics and the Cleveland Browns and Guardians. Hewitt has interviewed tens of thousands of guests, from Democrats Hillary Clinton and John Kerry to Republican Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump over his 40 years in broadcasting. This column previews the lead story that will drive his radio/ TV show today.CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM HUGH HEWITT