FIRST ON FOX: Republicans outperformed Democrats on voter registration in four key battleground states between the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections, according to research by the American Associationof Political Consultants (AAPC).The bipartisan political consultant non-profit teamed up with analysts from Data Trust, a conservative organization, and Target Smart, which has aligned with Democrats in past election cycles. Compiling data from the 2020 and 2024 elections in Arizona, North Carolina, Nevada and Pennsylvania, the research suggests a national shift in voter registration toward the Republican Party."We wanted a bipartisan analysis because there are so many conventional wisdoms this election challenged," Larry Huynh of Trilogy Interactive and Democrat AAPC Board President said. "The data was pretty clear that the Democrats were caught off guard with voter registration and turnout efforts and failed to mount a sufficiently compelling counter-effort to compete. We should all learn from this and take a deeper dive into our voter registration and turnout operations."AAPC unveiled the research this week during the 2025 Pollie Awards, a political communications awards program, in Colorado Springs, Colo.FOX NEWS VOTER ANALYSIS: HOW TRUMP REGAINED THE WHITE HOUSE"The Trump campaign and the Republican Party deserve considerable recognition for their voter registration success and turnout efforts and the party should try to build on these successes," Kyle Roberts of AdImpact and the incoming Republican AAPC Board President told Fox News Digital.BIDEN AIDE INTIMIDATED REPORTER INVESTIGATING FORMER PRESIDENT'S MENTAL DECLINE WITH 'TACIT THREAT:' BOOKFrom 2020 to 2024, the bipartisan political analysis found the share of registered Democrat voters dropped in all four battleground states. Meanwhile, the share of registered unaffiliated and Republican voters increased in Arizona, North Carolina, Nevada and Pennsylvania, according to the data compiled by Data Trust and Target Smart.In three out of four of the states analyzed, unaffiliated voters accounted for the largest electoral increase. Democrats saw the largest electoral drop between 2020 and 2024 across the four battleground states, following the same trend as voter registration.Voter turnout across party lines dropped in three out of the four battleground states analyzed, the data revealed. And while Democrat turnout dropped more than Republican turnout in those three states, the difference was less than a percentage point in every state but Arizona.Data Trust and Target Smart also analyzed trends across demographic groups, including Black, Hispanic and rural voters. The overall increase in Republican registration, turnout and electoral growth was consistent across the demographic groups analyzed.President Donald Trump won all seven battleground states in 2024 Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Republicans maintained control of the House of Representatives and won back the Senate.70% of voters believed the country was on the wrong track and wanted change in the 2024 presidential election, according to Fox News Voter Analysis. The economy and immigration were top issues as Trump tied inflation to President Joe Biden's administration and vowed to secure the border on his first day in office.As AAPC seeks to analyze Republicans' inroads with swing state voters in 2024, Democrats are facing their own reckoning this week as a new book reveals the alleged "cover-up" of Biden's cognitive decline.CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Axios political correspondent Alex Thompson's book, "Original Sin: President Bidens Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again," released on Tuesday, paints an unflattering picture of Democrats' losses in 2024.While political commentators focus on what Democrats did wrong in 2024, AAPC's new data reveals what Republicans did right on voter registration and turnout.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPThe Republican National Committee (RNC) opened "Black Americans for Trump" and "Latino Americans for Trump" offices across the battleground states in 2024, seeking to expand their reach among traditionally Democrat voting blocs.Over 160,000 volunteers joined the RNC's "Protect the Vote" efforts on election integrity in 2024, which included more than 100 lawsuits and recruiting poll watchers across the country. Seizing on Republicans' election distrust following Trump's loss in 2020, the RNC built a coalition of supporters across the country that propelled voters to the polls and landed Trump a win in 2024.

NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney will have some chill as he gets locked in and focused on the Coca-Cola 600 Sunday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway.Blaneys No. 12 will feature the Bodyarmor Chill design for the highly anticipated race.Each flavor of Bodyarmor Chill will be featured on the hood of his vehicle, including Frozen Cherry, Frozen Orange and Frozen Berry.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMThe NASCAR star hasnt been with Bodyarmor since 2017, and he told Fox News Digital he was looking forward to having the premium sports drink back on his car again."Its been a fun ride, a fun journey," he said. "Its been fun (to see) both of (us), whether its my career or their company, grow and be successful together. Its pretty awesome when you can be teamed up with a group like that."They work like crazy, and its always fun to do different schemes through the years and multiple ones in the year. Whether were doing SportWater, we have the Bodyarmor Chill car this weekend at the 600, which Im really excited about, Flash I.V. Being able to do all these fun schemes with all the products they have, thats a dream."Blaney said he likes being able to use unique designs and knows the fans enjoy it too.NASCAR fans will pack the speedway for the race, and it will be the first Cup Series points race after the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway.TY DILLON THREATENS FELLOW NASCAR DRIVER AFTER ALL-STAR OPEN RACEThe drivers will travel 600 miles, completing 400 laps in what could be considered one of the most grueling races of the year. Blaney agreed with that notion, mentioning how taxing the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway is each season."Its funny, I remember my first 600 in like 2015, and theyre like, All right, halfway. And Im like, What? Were only halfway in this thing? Like, Im exhausted. So, it just really puts it into perspective of actually how long the night is, how physically draining it is. I think just as physically exhausting as it is, its really mentally draining. Staying in the game for 600 miles is really, really tough."Despite the race's challenges, Blaney said he enjoyed trying to outlast everyone else on the track.Blaney won the 2023 Coca-Cola 600 en route to his first NASCAR Cup Series championship.He will enter this years race fifth in the drivers standings. He has yet to win a race this season but has five top five finishes and six top 10 finishes.Follow Fox News Digitalssports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

An international fugitive wanted for multiple bank robberies has been extradited from Ukraine after nearly three years on the run, according to authorities.Edward Deveaux of Berlin Township, New Jersey, was returned to the U.S. on Friday, wrote the Camden County Prosecutor's Office in a press release.AMERICAN CAR THEFTS SURGE AS TEENAGE BANDITS, INTERNATIONAL CRIME RINGS SHIP STOLEN VEHICLES OVERSEASDeveaux, 30, was taken into custody Feb. 25 in Lviv by the National Guard of Ukraine. Nearly three months later, he was taken to the Polish border and turned over to U.S. Marshals and Polish authorities.His arrest is a "testament to what we can accomplish when law enforcement at all levels works together," Camden County Prosecutor Grace MacAulay said, according to the release."We are grateful for the efforts of the U.S. Marshals Service, FBI, and our international colleagues."Deveaux was wanted in connection with three bank robberies in southern New Jersey, all of which took place between Sept. 22 and Sept. 28, 2022.He stands accused of robbing a Truist Bank in Waterford, a TD Bank in Willingboro and a Republic Bank in Winslow.FEDS TARGET WELL-ORGANIZED CRIME SYNDICATE 'TERRORIZING' AMERICAN NEIGHBORHOODSHe was charged with two counts of second-degree robbery for those reportedly committed in Waterford and Winslow in Camden County on Sept. 30, 2022, two days after the last offense in his alleged crime spree was committed.A third charge, for the Willingboro robbery in nearby Burlington County, was filed three days later.During their investigation into the matter, authorities determined that Deveaux had flown to multiple European countries before finally settling in Ukraine in the days following the final robbery in Winslow.Additional information led them to Lviv, where the suspect was ultimately tracked down."It makes no difference where fugitives run, justice has a long reach," Juan Mattos Jr., U.S. Marshal for the District of New Jersey, said in the release."This arrest is the result of relentless teamwork from our state, county, local, and international partners," he continued. "The U.S. Marshals Service remains committed to ensuring that those who commit violent crimes are held accountable, no matter the borders they cross."A detention hearing was scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday, during which the judge ordered Deveaux to remain detained, the prosecutor's office told Fox News Digital.

The marquee event in the run-up to potentially passing the so-called "big, beautiful bill" began at 3 p.m. ET as House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and members of the Freedom Caucus headed to the White House to meet with President Donald Trump.The White House is really amping up the pressure now on the Freedom Caucus. A White House statement says "The Administration strongly supports passage of H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act." It adds that "President Trump is committed to keeping his promises, and failure to pass this bill would be the ultimate betrayal. If H.R. 1 were presented to the President, he would sign it into law."Fox is told that the House GOP brass would like to pass the bill "today." There is an increasing scenario that "today" means very late tonight, overnight, or the early hours of tomorrow morning. They are banking on the idea that pressure from the president will force the Freedom Caucus to vote "yes." They also need to provide a fig leaf for the Freedom Caucus so they can exit these negotiations with a "win."HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS HEADING TO WHITE HOUSE AFTER DELAY PLAY ON TRUMP'S BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILLThe Freedom Caucus is upset that the SALT Caucus achieved a victory with an increase in the deduction for state and local taxes. So the Freedom Caucus is asking, "where is our deal?"We expect House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to parachute a "managers amendment" or two into the bill at the end. This would be introduced before the House Rules Committee and made a part of the bill. The managers amendment is essentially the final change to the bill. The key is to make sure that it sweetens the measure in a way that it drags the final outstanding votes across the finish line.Heres the dynamic: House GOP leaders are worried about losing members from an attendance perspective tomorrow. So they feel its best to move sooner rather than later. Also, theres the potential of losing votes the longer this sits open. So Republican leaders want to lock this down as soon as possible. Thats why an overnight/early morning scenario is very much in play right now.DEMS WARN HOUSE REPUBLICANS WILL PAY PRICE AT BALLOT BOX FOR PASSING TRUMP'S BIG BEAUTIFUL BILLHere are the concrete steps which must happen to pass the bill: Johnson introduces his managers amendment to tweak the bill and court reluctant Republicans to vote yes. The Rules Committee incorporates that amendment into the bill. The Rules Committee votes on the overall "rule" which sends the "new" version of the bill with the changes via the managers amendment to the floor. The House debates the "rule" to set the table for the actual debate. The House must adopt the "rule" in order to put the bill on the floor. If the Rules Committee fails to send the rule to the floor or if the GOP stumbles in its effort to get it out of the Rules Committee, theyre stuck. So these two procedural steps are crucial. The House then debates the bill on the floor, based on the ground rules approved earlier by the rule. Then the House goes to final passage.Those are a lot of steps. But things can move very fast when they get these things in place in the House. Thats why Republican leaders want the pressure of the president to force the issue in the next 12 to 24 hours.That said, there is a distinct possibility of this unfolding overnight or in the wee hours of the morning on Thursday.There is also a possibility that this stalls, and we are staring at a Thursday night/wee hours of Friday scenario, too.

INDY 500 ON FOX - "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" is almost here. The 2025 Indianapolis 500 is set to take over Memorial Day Weekend once again, and fans can expect a full slate of high-speed action leading up to race day. Here's a complete breakdown of the Indy 500 schedule. Continue readingNEW TWIST Oscar Mayer and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced a new twist for the first-ever "Wienie 500." The famed Oscar Mayer Wienermobiles will participate in Carb Day festivities on Friday. Continue reading 'THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE' IndyCar rookie Robert Shwartzman earned the pole position for the Indianapolis 500. He joined "Fox & Friends" shortly after attaining the top spot in "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing." Continue reading HOPING FOR HISTORY Conor Daly hopes he can cement himself in racing lore for the rest of time at this year's Indianapolis 500. Daly will try to snap an Indiana drought of Indy 500 winners. Continue reading CHIMING IN Former NFL star Brian Urlacher made his stance known on the issue of transgender athletes participating in women's and girls' sports. Continue reading SPEAKING OUT Maine state Rep. Laurel Libby was censured in February after one of her social media posts referenced a transgender high school athlete. The Supreme Court has since made a decision in her favor on the censorship. Libby reflected on her past few months in an interview with Fox News Digital. Continue reading TUSH PUSH SURVIVES After tabling a vote on a proposal to ban the tush push, NFL owners agreed to allow the play to be a part of the game through at least the 2025 season, according to FOX Sports. Continue reading FROM OUTKICK The 49ers have long been bullish on Brock Purdy developing into a franchise quarterback. The Niners' faith in Purdy resulted in a massive five-year contract. OutKick's Armando Salguero dives into how Purdy went from "Mr. Irrelevant" to a top-paid NFL player. Continue reading WATCH NOW The Thunder cruised to a victory over the Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. FOX Sports' Colin Cowherd argues whether the series is effectively over.Continue reading FROM FOX SPORTS The Bills have been selected for the training camp edition of "Hard Knocks," while the NFC East will be the featured division in the in-season version of the show, the NFL revealed.Continue reading FOLLOW FOX NEWS ON SOCIAL MEDIAFacebookInstagramYouTubeTwitterLinkedInFox News FirstFox News OpinionFox News LifestyleFox News HealthFox BusinessFox WeatherFox SportsTubiFox News GoOutKickSign up for OutKick's daily newsletterFox Nation

In a sweeping, pre-dawn raid in Los Angeles on Tuesday, twelve wanted criminals were arrested in a dramatic seven-agency sting led by the Department of Homeland Security.The bust was the culmination of a nearlytwo-year investigation dubbed "Operation Suppers Ready," that targeted dueling transnational gangs that U.S. officials say are exploiting and terrorizing the United States. SANCTUARY POLICIES FUEL LATIN AMERICAN GANGS SMUGGLING DRUGS, ENDANGERING AMERICANS: FORMER DEA AGENTSome of the suspects are charged with attempted murder, kidnapping and fraud. One scheme alone stole $83 million in Amazon goods, according to court documents."What you're seeing now is part of the (Trump) Administration's priorities. We're going after transnational criminal organizations, violent and organized crime, going out into the community and getting the most dangerous folks out of here," said Bill Essayli, the L.A.-based United States Attorney for the Central District of California.The gangs that were targeted are Armenian-led, but theyre ultimately transnational with members born in various countries, including Iran and Azerbaijan. The organized crime syndicates also have ties to the Mexican mafia and, in one instance, hired an assassin from the Sureo gang, who shot two people in a murder-for-hire plot, killing one of them.FEDS BUST MASSIVE ALLEGED GUATEMALAN HUMAN SMUGGLING RING OPERATING OUT OF CALIFORNIA"This has been going on for years, "Essayli said. "This particular gang, these Armenian gangs here, have been terrorizing the community."Fox News got exclusive access with DHS as it carried out a fully armored search-and-arrest of one of the suspects at his home before sunrise in an upscale L.A. area neighborhood. Luxury SUVs were parked out front.Areg Bezik is charged with setting up fake delivery companies that picked up tens of millions of dollars in Amazon goods like appliances and beauty products and then delivered them to his own warehouse to be stored or re-sold. "This particular individual is here on a Visa. He's engaged in a tremendous amount of illegal activity as we lay out in our complaint. If he's convicted, he will be removed from the country," Essayli said.Among those arrested were the alleged leaders of two competinggangs, identified as the "Amiryan Organized Crime Group" and "Artuni Enterprise." Officials say they were in a power struggle across Los Angeles and in Florida, where there was also an operation Tuesday that netted one arrest.UNUSUAL PET SEIZED DURING OPERATION TARGETING GANG MEMBERS IN TEXASThe competinggangsare accused ofterrorizingtheir American neighborhoods, shooting at each other and in one instance kidnapping and torturing another member,capturing the violence on video.The tension between the two was evident at the command center on Tuesday where they were being collectively gathered and processed. At point there, while two of the men were handcuffed and chained at the feet, one of them slammed his body into another, leading to a shouting match and law enforcement separating the two."This is purely an operation that makes the community much safer," said HSI Los Angeles Acting Deputy Special Agent in Charge Dwayne Angebrandt.DHS and the U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles told Fox on site that the ability to make arrests at home and carry out these types of stings has become much easier under the Trump administration."We've been able to go after these criminals much more robustly and able to attack them where they live," Angebrandt said.The U.S. Attorneys Office says approximately $100,000 in cash, three armored vehicles, and 14 firearms were recovered during the bust and one suspect remains at large.If convicted, the defendants could face between 10 years and life in federal prison, as well as deportation."It's a privilege to be here on a visa or other temporary status within our country. So they are visitors, they violate our laws, and they'll be prosecuted, hopefully convicted, and then removed," said Essayli.Law enforcement tells Fox the sting got its name "Operation Supper's Ready" based off a picture depicting some of the suspects enjoying a "mob-style" dinner.

The Illinois town where Pope Leo XIVs boyhood home stands is planning to acquire the residence through eminent domain laws despite it being currently up for sale.The home's current owner is reportedly trying to sell the home, but may have little choice over the matter. Under Illinois law, the village has first choice on the property through eminent domain, according to Attorney Burt Odelson who represents the Village of Dolton, Fox Chicago reported.The city can acquire the home through eminent domain, the government's ability to take private property for public purposes."The village of Dolton intends to purchase this home either through direct purchase or through their eminent domain powers," Odelson told Misha Haghani, the CEO and founder of Paramount Realty USA, in a letter dated Tuesday that was provided to Fox News Digital.PRESIDENT TRUMP CALLS FIRST AMERICAN POPE LEO XIV AN HONOR FOR US, VERY HAPPYThe Village of Dolton has the right to purchase the three-bedroom, three-bathroom home even if another buyer is willing to pay a higher price, the letter states."We will do what the archdiocese thinks is best to preserve the home so that everybody, not just in Dolton or the South suburbs, but worldwide, can come to his home," Odelson told Fox Chicago.Village officials are working with the Chicago Archdiocese to turn the home into a historic site that can be visited by the public, Odelson said in his letter.CARDINAL ROBERT PREVOST ANNOUNCED AS FIRST AMERICAN POPE, TAKING NAME LEO XIVThe house was built in 1949 and measures 1,050 square feet, while the lot on the property is just under 5,000 square feet. The current owner purchased the home for roughly $66,000 Odelson said. The home was renovated this year before going on the market."It was on the market for $199,000 and then Pope Leo was made pope, and he took it off the market. And then there was silence," Odelson explained.The reserve price is $250,000, according to the Paramount Realty USA auction website, where the home is listed for sale."Born Robert Francis Prevost, Pope Leo XIV made history as the first American pope upon his election in May 2025. His childhood home is being offered for sale via private auction," the description of the home states. "Located in a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, this modest brick home was owned by the Prevost family for nearly 50 years and served as the foundation of a life that would lead to the Vatican."Bids will be accepted through June 18, according to the listing. However, Odelson addressed a letter to Misha Haghani, the CEO and founder of Paramount Realty USA that said it could stall the sale before it ever hits the auction block."Please inform any prospective buyers that their purchase may only be temporary since the Village intends to begin the eminent domain process very shortly," he wrote.Fox News Digital has reached out to Paramount Realty USA.

The Bill Belichick-Jordon Hudson saga has added a reality show-like episode.According to multiple reports, Belichick's ex-girlfriend, Linda Holliday, confronted his current girlfriend, Hudson, at a function in Nantucket, Massachusetts, in December.Holliday and Hudson both attended the Dreamland Stroll Party Dec. 6. Holliday's daughters, Ashley and Kat Hess, were DJing the party.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMHolliday, according to People, got "aggressive" with Hudson, and the two reportedly shared an intense moment."Ms. Hudson was a paying guest. No concerns had been raised regarding her behavior nor had any issues been reported up until that point in the evening (the event began at 7pm)," a staffer wrote in an incident report obtained by TMZ."Ms. Holliday felt her presence was inappropriate, since the event was widely advertised as a party headlined by her daughters. She asked that I remove Ms. Hudson from the premises, to which I responded that I would speak with Ms. Hudson after contacting Dreamland executive director Alicia Carney to discuss the matter.""It was very uncomfortable. There was a lot being exchanged between them. It was very aggressive behavior," a source familiar with the situation told People."Jordon never approached anyone, but she was approached the entire night, with people asking, Oh, why are you here?'"Security footage then showed Holliday confronting Hudson in the middle of the dance floor, surrounded by roughly 200 people."I asked Ms. Hudson if she thought it was a good idea to be there considering the clear animosity the above individuals felt towards her," the staffer wrote. "She defended herself by saying she'd done nothing wrong, and it was her first time attending Christmas Stroll and wanted to attend the 'big party' going on that night, which happened to be the one featuring the Hess Twins."She said she was not looking to cause any problems, but just wanted to go out and have fun with her friend."Holliday was apparently irked because it "involve[d] my girls," and her "momma bear" emerged.JALEN HURTS MAINTAINS HE 'WASN'T AVAILABLE' FOR EAGLES' WHITE HOUSE VISITHolliday also reportedly told 2024 Miss Massachusetts USA winner Melissa Sapini to "think twice about who her friends are" if she "valued her current title." Sapini then reportedly cried, and Holliday claimed she "had many powerful friends in the pageant organization."Neither Holliday, Hudson nor the Nantucket Dreamland organization immediately responded to requests for comment.Hudson and Sapini were eventually escorted out by that staffer shortly before the lights came on at the party, TMZ reported.Holliday dated Belichick from 2007 to 2022. Hudson and Belichick, who have a 49-year age gap, made their relationship public last year.Follow Fox News Digitalssports coverage on X,and subscribe tothe Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garners daughter Violet Affleck went into detail this week about how she and her mother argued about the causes of the Los Angeles wildfires that destroyed their Pacific Palisades neighborhood in January."I spent the January fires in Los Angeles arguing with my mother in a hotel room," the 19-year-old wrote in Yales Global Health Review, where she is a student, in a piece published on Sunday titled: "A Chronically Ill Earth: COVID Organizing as a Model Climate Response in LosAngeles."Affleck continued of Garner, "She was shell-shocked, astonished at the scale of destruction in the neighborhood where she raised myself and my siblings. I was surprised at her surprise: as a lifelong Angelena and climate-literate member of generation Z, my question had not beenwhetherthe Palisades would burn butwhen."She wrote that while some people at the hotel saw the wildfires as a "burst of bad luck" that was a combination of high winds and little rain, she knew it was related to the "climate crisis."JENNIFER GARNER SEEN KISSING BOYFRIEND JOHN MILLER AS SHE SPENDS TIME WITH BEN AFFLECK FOR EASTERAlong with Violet, Affleck and Garner, who divorced in 2018, also share Fin,16, and Samuel, 13.Affleck compared people being forced to wear N95 masks because of poor air quality after the fires to the COVID-19 pandemic, writing that, like the health crisis, climate change will "soon become impossible for even societys most insulated to ignore."LIKE WHAT YOURE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSShe wrote about the "promised end to the pandemic has been more a matter of public relations than public health," adding that public health officials were soon forced to grapple with "ongoing waves of infection" even as the country came "out of the pandemic."JENNIFER GARNER, BEN AFFLECK'S DAUGHTER VIOLET'S GRADUATION LEAVES ACTRESS IN TEARSShe also noted that coronavirus can be "a threat to even the healthiest individuals," specifying long COVID as an example.Last summer, the first-year college student, who often still wears masks, appeared at a Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Meeting, speaking out against mask bans after Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said she was looking at the legality of wearing masks at protests.Affleck wrote that despite the effectiveness of wearing masks, more proactive steps need to be taken to lower coronavirus infection risk, just like for climate change. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER"Though widespread N95 masking is indisputably the most effective toolfor individuals to prevent COVID transmission, masking alone is both more resource-intensive and more reactive than collective interventions like paid sick leave for all workers, universal healthcare, and clean air standards requiring HEPA filtration and far-UVC light44to kill airborne virus in public spaces," she argued.BEN AFFLECK SHUTS DOWN TEENAGE SON'S REQUEST FOR $6K SHOES: 'I HAVE THE MONEY, YOURE BROKE'Affleck concluded her essay by saying, "In the same way that COVID-conscious and disabled people celebrate each chain of transmission broken, climate scientists recognize that each degree of warming we avoid will be a victory. Its time for everyone who cares about the latter to engage with the people, the methods, and the political commitments that make the former possible."Last spring, Garner shared several photos on Instagram of herself in tears during and after Violet's high school graduation. Violet is Garner and Affleck's oldest child. "Tell me you have a graduate without telling me you have a graduate," she wrote in the caption, adding in parentheses: "Bless our hearts.""How are we going to make it? What are we going to do?" Garner asked in one video taken on an airplane as she wiped away tears.Garner also told Southern Living in an interview last year that she has striven to raise her children to be humble despite being born into wealth."It's really important for my kids to see that everyone doesn't have the lives they see in Los Angeles," she told the magazine. "That doesn't reflect the rest of the world. I want them to grow up with the Southern values I hadto look at people when they say hello and to stop and smell the roses. If I could do half as good a job as my mom did, I'd be pretty happy."Fox News Digital has reached out to a rep for Garner for comment.

The University of Maryland (UMD) is welcoming an unlikely commencement speaker on Thursday to usher off the class of 2025: a bright-green Muppet.Kermit the Frog, a famous family favorite and self-proclaimed "Amphibitarian," announced the momentous occasion in a YouTube video posted by the university.In the video, the speaker was hailed as an "environmental advocate," "best-selling author," "Peabody Award winner," "international superstar," "friend to all creatures" and "champion of creativity, kindness and believing in the impossible."The camera then sharply panned to the awkward Muppet with a screeching sound as Kermit stood in front of a red curtain and announced, "Uh, I guess it's me."STUDENTS HECKLE COLUMBIA ACTING PRESIDENT AT GRADUATION, SHOUT 'FREE MAHMOUD'Jim Henson, who created the iconic puppet out of one of his mother's turquoise coats and split ping pong ball in 1955, graduated from UMD in 1960 with a degree in home economics. Henson died in 1990 at 53.During his time at Maryland, Henson was involved in various elements of theater production and ran a silk screen printing business out of the student union.It was during a UMD puppetry course that he met his first performing partner and future wife, Jane Nebel, who co-developed their daily puppet show, "Sam and Friends," in Washington, D.C.KAMALA HARRIS TAKES VEILED JABS AT TRUMP, ELON MUSK IN 1ST MAJOR SPEECH SINCE ELECTION DEFEATThe legendary frog visited campus in fall 2024 and sold out the College of Arts and Humanities Deans Lecture Series, according to a statement from the university.He will return from the Muppets Studio, part of the Magic of Disney, to address summer 2024, winter 2024 and spring 2025 graduates."I am thrilled that our graduates and their families will experience the optimism and insight of the world-renowned Kermit the Frog at such a meaningful time in their lives," UMD President Darryll J. Pines wrote in a statement. "Our pride in Jim Henson knows no bounds, and it is an honor to welcome Kermit the Frog to our campus, 65 years after Mr. Henson graduated from the University of Maryland. I sincerely thank The Muppets Studio, Disney and their creative teams for making this possible."COLLEGE COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER TELLS AUDIENCE TO DONATE TO UNRWA INSTEAD OF UNIVERSITYKermit, who is traveling a long way from Sesame Street for the occasion, said nothing could "make these feet happier" than speaking at the university."I just know the class of 2025 is going to leap into the world and make it a better place, so if a few encouraging words from a frog can help, then Ill be there!" Kermit said in a statement.It is unclear if fellow Muppet Miss Piggy or any other members of the fleecy crew will be in attendance.HARRIS DRAWS SOCIAL MEDIA SCORN FOR DIGRESSION ABOUT ELEPHANTS DURING EARTHQUAKEEvery year on Sept. 24, the campus celebrates Henson's contributions to the community.A statue of Henson and Kermit sitting on a red granite bench was placed just a hop away from UMD's Stamp Student Union in 2003.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPThe University of Maryland, the Muppet Company and Disney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.