Idaho quadruple murder suspect Bryan Kohberger might avoid the death penalty if convicted because of leaked evidence, a former prosecutor suggested.Kohberger is accused of killing Madison Mogen, 21, Ethan Chapin, 20, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, and Xana Kernodle, 20. On May 9, a television episode featured leaked information relating to the case, which Kohberger's attorney has argued will taint the jury pool.Included in NBC's "Dateline" special on the University of Idaho murders was surveillance video from a neighboring house, which caught a car similar to Kohberger's driving in the King Road area several times in the hours and minutes before the four college students were killed.The episode also featured alleged evidence from a nearby FBI cellphone tower, which claimed to show that Kohberger's phone pinged nearly a dozen times near a tower providing coverage to an area within 100 feet of 1122 King Road, where the students were killed. The phone allegedly pinged near the tower on multiple occasions between July 2022 and mid-August 2022.BRYAN KOHBERGER JUDGE COULD SLAP CONTEMPT CHARGES ON LEAKERS: IDAHO-BASED LAWYERFormer Assistant U.S. Attorney Neama Rahmani told Fox News Digital that the leak has the potential to remove the death penalty as a punishment."The media leak could help Bryan Kohberger on appeal or potentially take the death penalty off the table. If the leak results in prejudicial pretrial publicity that taints the jury pool, especially if the leak was of inadmissible evidence, thats a constitutional violation," Rahmani said.Rahmani brought up the Lori Vallow Daybell case, where the judge ruled that prosecutors couldn't seek the death penalty after they didn't comply with discovery rules. Vallow Daybell was found guilty after prosecutors alleged that she worked with Alex Cox, her brother, to murder her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, to receive money from a $1 million life insurance policy.IDAHO MURDER SUSPECT'S LAWYERS DEMAND TRIAL POSTPONEMENT OVER 'PREJUDICIAL' TV SPECIAL"The other basis for appeal or to strike the death penalty would be prosecutorial misconduct or a violation of a judicial order. In a recent high-profile Idaho capital case, Lori Vallow Daybell, the court ruled that prosecutors could no longer seek the death penalty because they failed to comply with their discovery obligations," Rahmani said.On May 15, Judge Steven Hippler said a violation of the gag order was "likely" committed by someone involved in the case. He ordered the prosecution and Kohberger's defense team to preserve all communications and data relating to the case, including law enforcement officers who worked on the case.Hippler said the following pieces of evidence were revealed during the episode:"Such violations not only undermine the rule of law, potentially by persons charged with upholding it, but also significantly impede the ability to seat an impartial jury and will likely substantially increase the cost to be borne by the taxpayers of Latah County to prosecute this case by extending the time it will take to seat a jury and potentially requiring lengthy period of juror sequestration," Hippler wrote.Kohberger's lawyer, Anne Taylor, asked Hippler to delay the trial because the jury pool could be tainted by information aired during the "Dateline" episode, in addition to other reasons.Prosecutors argued in a court filing that the airing of information relating to the case should not be a reason to delay August's trial start date."Like the court in the Vallow-Daybell trial, this Court is well-equipped to select a jury, to handle ongoing media coverage, and to conduct a fair trial in the Ada County courthouse," prosecutors wrote.An amended scheduling order filed in Idahos Fourth Judicial District Court on Thursday indicated that the trial will be pushed back one week. Jury selection will begin on Aug. 4, but opening statements are now expected on Aug. 18, one week later than the previously anticipated start date on Aug. 11.A court spokesperson said the updated timeline was not the result of any attempt by the defense to delay the proceedings, but rather an internal scheduling adjustment by the court.Fox News Digital reached out to Kohberger's lawyer, prosecutors and NBC for comment.Fox News Digital's Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.

Closing arguments in Sean "Diddy" Combs' federal trial began Thursday, more than seven weeks after jurors were seated for the case. While the Bad Boy Records founder was the focus of the government's charges, his former chief of staff, Kristina (KK) Khorram, was brought up throughout witnesses' testimony, though she never testified nor was charged.KK was previously compared to Jeffrey Epstein's righthand woman, Ghislaine Maxwell, in a lawsuit brought against her and Diddy in March 2024. Music producer Rodney "Lil Rod" Jones claimed he witnessed KK ordering sex workers for Diddy. KK also had all the assistants keep drugs ready for Diddy at a moment's notice, according to Jones' allegations."From what weve seen so far, the comparison between Kristina Khorram and Ghislaine Maxwell isnt really a fair one, given that Epsteins victims were underage girls," John J. Perlstein explained to Fox News Digital. "Still, Khorram is an alleged co-conspirator in the Diddy case, so it makes sense that she wouldnt want to testify, as she wouldve likely had to plead the Fifth."DIDDY BLOWS KISS TO FAMILY AFTER PROSECUTION PROMISES TO PUT A STOP TO HIS ALLEGED CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR"While Ghislaine Maxwell was not originally charged in the Jeffrey Epstein case, charges were eventually filed against her," the Los Angeles-based litigator added. "Thats likely what we see happening here with Khorram and the Diddy case. However, the criminal enterprise case against Diddy is extremely weak, and its possible that the case against Khorram would be even weaker."During Diddy's sex trafficking and racketeering trial, prosecutors claimed the music mogul was the leader of the alleged criminal enterprise. His inner circle included his chief of staff, assistants and security.Diddy's ex-girlfriend, Jane, testified KK was the rapper's "righthand woman." The government claimed KK lived in Diddy's home in Miami and knew what he was doing all the time. She even allegedly responded to people from his phones.According to the prosecution, Diddy and his staff were involved in purchasing and distributing drugs. Jane testified that KK helped her transport drugs across state lines. KK was seemingly aware Diddy's assistants were purchasing drugs for the rapper. In texts shown during Brendan Paul's testimony, he asked KK for reimbursement.KK was also allegedly involved in covering up Diddy's attack on Cassie Ventura at the InterContinental Hotel in 2016. According to testimony from a hotel security guard, KK facilitated the sale of the surveillance footage showing the attack.DIDDY PROSECUTION'S MOVE COULD DAMAGE CREDIBILITY WITH JURY, EXPERT WARNSDiddy's former chief of staff was brought up in testimony from Cassie; Diddy's ex, Jane; and each of his former personal assistants. Text messages from KK were also entered into evidence in the trial. However, she never actually took the stand.WATCH: SEAN DIDDY COMBS ASSAULTS CASSIE VENTURA IN 2016 LOS ANGELES HOTEL INCIDENTKK likely wasn't called to testify because her narrative might not match the government's case against Diddy, criminal defense attorney Nicole Blank Becker told Fox News Digital."You never call a witness or ask a question that you don't know," Becker, who worked on R. Kelly's case, told Fox News Digital. "So, in this case, if no one was able to actually have these deep conversations with KK and know exactly what she was going to testify to, she could have actually been a thorn in the government's side."LIKE WHAT YOURE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSTo date, KK has not been charged with any crimes."It's very common in enterprise cases that you're going to want, as the government, to bring in as many witnesses as you can to show that this was, in fact, an organized organization. Now, the question becomes, 'Well, if KK is the one who was responsible for some of the very criminal activities that they're now putting on P. Diddy, why isn't she charged with the same types of crimes?'"From a legal strategy standpoint, the big fish is who you go after," Becker added. "Who's the big fish that the public knows? Who is the hip-hop mogul that we all know of? Well, it's not KK. Who is it? It's the face. And so the government wants to be firm that the face of the enterprise is the individual who gets in trouble."CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTERThe government wanted to show that KK was only responsible for the alleged crimes because Diddy told her to do them, the lawyer noted."P. Diddy was the one in control," Becker said. "He was, for the government, they would like to say, the puppeteer, and that she, although she was the chief of his company, she still had strings that were attached. And those strings didn't move unless Sean Diddy Combs told them to move or had them moved."However, the prosecution not charging KK with any crimes "doesnt mean shes innocent just yet.""The prosecutors might not have enough evidence yet, or she could even be cooperating behind the scenes," New York-based civil attorney Nicole Brenecki explained to Fox News Digital. "These cases usually move slowly and with a specific strategy."

An armed woman sat in a lawn chair in the middle of a busy Texas highway on Thursday, sparking an hours-long standoff with law enforcement that caused traffic to stand still before she eventually surrendered.Harris County Constable Precinct 4 deputies responded Thursday afternoon to a report of an armed woman who was involved in a crash involving an 18-wheeler on I-45 South in Spring, Texas. The woman and the driver of the truck were unharmed in the incident.After the collision, the woman exited her vehicle with a chair and sat down in the middle of the highway. The constables office said the woman, who was armed with a handgun, was refusing to drop the weapon.TEXAS FATHER OF 3 DIES AFTER SUDDEN LIGHTENING STRIKE AT GOLF COURSE"She persistently kept it to her face, her throat, her head, therefore making it very difficult for us to approach her and take the gun away," Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said at a press conference, according to Fox 26.The sheriff said she was expressing suicidal thoughts."It was a very delicate situation throughout the whole ordeal," he said. "She has some mental illnesses that shes dealing with so theres no rationality as far as whats taken place. There is some history of psychosis, so thats to be determined."Traffic was shut down in both directions during the five-hour standoff, backing up traffic as law enforcement attempted to negotiate with the woman.Crisis Intervention Response Team members responded to the scene, and her daughter arrived as well."We allowed her to speak to her daughter to let her know her daughter was safe," Gonzalez said, adding that the woman was "in-and-out" of sorts during the mental health crisis.SMALL TOWN LEFT WITH ZERO COPS AS COUNCIL FIRES FINAL OFFICER AMID MOUNTING DRAMA"That was something that kept her here with us from doing something foolish. Once she realized her daughter was here, she was safe, she was going to be allowed to see her again, it got better at that point," the sheriff said.The woman eventually surrendered and was taken into custody before being transported to a hospital for evaluation.

The Trump administration has privately urged the University of Virginia to remove its president to help resolve a Justice Department probe into the institution's diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, according to a report.The Justice Department has argued that the university's president, James E. Ryan, has not dismantled its diversity, equity and inclusion programs and misrepresented the steps taken to eliminate them, amid the administration's efforts to root out DEI in higher education, The New York Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter.Fox News Digital has reached out to the department, the university and Ryan for comment.HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL ANNOUNCES LAYOFFS AFTER TRUMP CUTS BILLIONS IN FUNDINGThe federal governments moves targeting higher education include pulling billions of dollars from elite universities such as Harvard, which has been the subject of investigations by at least six different federal agencies over issues such as DEI initiatives, admissions practices and alleged antisemitism on campus.But this would be the first time the administration has pressured a university to remove its president.The call for Ryan's removal was made over the past month in several instances to university officials by Gregory Brown, the deputy assistant attorney general for civil rights, according to The New York Times.Brown, a University of Virginia graduate, has been instrumental in the investigation. He told a university representative last week that Ryan needed to go so that an investigation could begin, the outlet reported.The Justice Departments top civil rights lawyer, Harmeet K. Dhillon, who earned her law degree from the University of Virginia at the same time as Ryan, has also been involved in negotiations with the university, according to The Times.Ryan, who was hired as the university's president in 2018, has focused on increasing diversity at the school, bringing in more first-generation students and encouraging community service, The Times noted. These efforts have ruffled the feathers of conservative alumni and Republican board members who argue he is "too woke" and wants to impose his beliefs on students.Before his time as the university's president, Ryan served as the dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he received recognition for his commitment to DEI programs.HARVARD WEIGHS HOW TO STRIKE DEAL WITH TRUMP ADMIN WITHOUT LOOKING LIKE IT CAVED: REPORTConservative groups have lambasted Ryan for what they regard as insufficient steps toward compliance with the administration.America First Legal, a nonprofit launched by Trump advisor Stephen Miller, accused the University of Virginia last month of running rebranded DEI programs to skirt Trump's orders."Rebranding discrimination does not make it legal, and changing a label doesnt change the substance," Megan Redshaw, an attorney at America First Legal, said in a statement at the time. "UVAs use of sanitized language and recycled job titles is a deliberate attempt to sidestep the law."Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment on demands that the university oust Ryan.

Philadelphia Eagles running back AJ Dillon attended an October rally in Wisconsin for Donald Trump when Trump was the Republican nominee for president.Dillon, with the Green Bay Packers at the time, received a special shutout from Trump, who described Dillon as a "Green Bay football phenom.""You may know that name Quadzilla, the Quad Father AJ Dillon. I got to meet him backstage. Get healthy soon AJ, get healthy," Trump told Dillon, who missed the 2024 season with a neck injury.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMDillon reflected on the "cool experience" in a recent interview with Fox News Digital."It was cool. I had never met a president before. Cool experience. I never even met Brett Favre before that," Dillon said. "It was a cool experience. If youre getting called out by a president, regardless who you voted for, whoever it may be, thats just a cool experience in itself."Happy to have been there, been able to meet him, take pictures, stuff like that. I had never been to a rally and got that full experience, but definitely cool, for sure."EAGLES' AJ DILLON EXPLAINS WHY CAITLIN CLARK'S TEAMMATE, SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM, IS HIS 'NEW FAVORITE PLAYER'Dillon's comments echoed those of new teammate Saquon Barkley. Barkley played a round of golf with Trump in April, shortly before the Eagles visited Trump at the White House, and took those who were disappointed in him to task."lol some people are really upset cause I played golfed and flew to the White House with the PRESIDENT," Barkley posted to X shortly after the round. "Maybe I just respect the office, not a hard concept to understand. Just golfed with Obama not too long ago and look forward to finishing my round with Trump ! Now ya get out my mentions with all this politics and have amazing day."Hulk Hogan and Danica Patrick also attended that October rally in Wisconsin, one of the seven swing states Trump had won to become president a second time. Hall of Fame quarterback and Packers legendBrett Favre spoke at the rally, where he likened Trump to his former team as a "winner."Follow Fox News Digitalssports coverage on X,and subscribe tothe Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Former first lady Michelle Obama urged parents to get "tougher" on their kids' social media use during the Wednesday episode of her podcast, "IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson."Obama spoke with social psychologist and author Jonathan Haidt about his 2024 book, "The Anxious Generation," in which Haidt argues that extensive social media and smartphone use have harmful effects on children's brains and well-being. Kids who grew up with a "phone-based childhood" are more likely to encounter anxiety, depression and other mental health issues, he says.During the hour-long discussion, Haidt talked about how social media rewires the brain by stimulating the release of the "reward" brain chemical, dopamine, which fuels an addiction to social media.Obama said that parents need to realize that making tough parenting decisions on things like social media will lead to long-term benefits for their child, even though giving in to their kids' wants, or their own social media fixation, may be tempting in the moment.MICHELLE OBAMA SAYS SHE GREW UP GRATEFUL, BUT KIDS TODAY ARE LESS SO"Parents suffer from this dopamine thing too when it comes to parenting. Because we want instant reward response from our children. We don't want to wait. We don't want to do the longer-haul thing. You know, a lot of times we have to ask ourselves, Are we doing this for our kids, or are we doing this for us? Because we have the screen too," she said."And we're being trained on that instant gratification. Maybe the 90-minute story is a problem for us, because we can't sit still. The bottom line is that we've got to get tougher. We've got to get more resilient for our kids. Because I know time and time again that a lot of parents do what's easy for them, you know, and not necessarily what's best for the kid," she continued.Obama told parents there would be "parental pain" that comes with this tough-love approach."We have to become a little more resilient as parents. We have to become tougher for the sake of our kids It's not fun. All of it is going to be really, really hard, physically, emotionally, one of the toughest things you do," she warned.CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE"You will be disappointing them, and scaring them and making them hurt and arguing with them and doing all the things that you don't want to do with your best friends. But in the end, as parents, we are responsible for securing the safety and the health of the children we bring into this world. And that means, once we know that something isn't good for them we've got to do the hard thing, we've got to take the substance from the addict," she said."And it's not going to be fun," she added.Obama also told parents they shouldn't try to be "friends" with their kids.

Illegal disposable e-cigarettes, also known as vapes, may present a greater danger than traditional cigarettes, according to a study from the University of California (UC) Davis.The research, published in the journal ACS Central Science, found that hazardous levels of several toxic heavy metals in illegal vapes could present a high cancer risk.Researchers used a special instrument to test the puffs from three popular vape brands ELF Bar, Flum Pebble and Esco that are not FDA-authorized for use in the U.S., but are widely sold by retailers.RARE CANCER DIAGNOSES SURGE DRAMATICALLY AMONG MILLENNIALS AND GEN XThree heavy metals lead, nickel and antimony were detected in allheavily flavored and lightly flavored devices that were tested.These metals are classified as carcinogens, potentially leading to various types of cancers, such as skin, lung and kidney, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).All vaporsexceeded the cancer risk limits for nickel, which has been linked to cardiovascular disease, asthma, lung fibrosis and respiratory tract cancer, per NIH.Brett Poulin, senior study author and assistant professor at the UC Davis Department of Environmental Toxicology, told Fox News Digital that he was shocked at the levels of toxic metals."When I analyzed the first samples, the lead concentrations were so high that I genuinely thought the instrument was broken," he said. "The levels far exceeded anything in our past data, or even the published literature."YOUR FAVORITE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE COULD BE LINKED TO DEADLY FORM OF CANCER, STUDY FINDSOne of the brands tested exposes users to as much lead as smoking 19 packs of cigarettes, the researchers discovered.Additionally, most of the disposable e-cigarettes tested in the study were found to contain greater levels of metals and metalloids than older refillable vapes.At one point, Poulin said, he physically opened a device and discovered that it was using leaded copper alloys, which are metals made primarily of copper with small amounts of lead."These materials leached dangerous levels of lead into the e-liquid, even without the device being used," Poulin told Fox News Digital."It remains unclear whether this was an intentional design choice, a cost-cutting measure or a manufacturing oversight."There is no known safe level of lead exposure, according to Poulin."This neurotoxin poses serious health risks, particularly to children and adolescents, who are especially vulnerable."Daniel Sterman, M.D., director of the Pulmonary Oncology Program at the NYU Langone Perlmutter Cancer Center, told Fox News Digital that the study "clearly" demonstrates high concentrations of metal."There are several health risks of vaping that we enumerate for our patients and their family members, [such as] risks of various lung diseases, including asthma, COPD and lung cancer," said Sterman, who was not involved in the study.The doctor noted that while it is challenging to establish a direct link of causation between disposable vapes and cancer, he does see cancerpatients who use the devices."Disposable vapes should be highly regulated by local, state and federal agencies, and restricted to those individuals 21 years or older," Sterman recommends.The doctor also called for the packaging on disposable vapes to clearly outline the many health risks, "particularly to teenagers and young adults."One of the primary limitations of the study was that only three disposable e-cigarette brands were tested out of the hundreds currently on the market.There are distinct differences in the metal leaching and profiles across all three brands, Poulin shared."We still know very little about the metal content in the vast majority of untested disposable e-cigarette products," he said. "This gap in knowledge poses a significant public health concern, especially given the popularity of these devices."A spokesperson for the China-based brand, ELFBAR, told Fox News Digital that they refute the results of the study, claiming that they stopped shipments in May 2023.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTERDue to ongoing trademark litigation, they are unable to market or sell products in the U.S., the company stated."This market void has led to a surge in counterfeits, imitations and illicit variations misusing our brand name," the spokesperson said. "As such, we have every reason to believe the devices tested in this study are not genuine and were not manufactured by ELFBAR."The spokesperson acknowledged that smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease worldwide, noting that the recent study "continues to undermine public understanding of smoking cessation."The other two brands tested in the study did not respond to requests for comment.Electronic cigarette use among adults increased from 4.5% in 2019 to 6.5% in 2023, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Men are more likely to vape than women, while 15.5% of young adults between the ages of 21 and 24 reported using e-cigarettes, the above source states.For more Health articles, visitwww.foxnews.com/healthThe UC Davis study received support from the University of California Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program Grant and the California Agricultural Experiment Station.

The legacy media largely shielded Joe Biden from negative coverage of his health, age and cognitive decline during his presidency, but that all changed on June 27, 2024, when his disastrous debate performance changed the course of history.Biden appeared frail and struggled with a weak voice, delivering rambling answers while frequently appearing to lose his train of thought during the first presidential debate of the 2024 campaign against President Donald Trump in Atlanta. Biden fumbled key answers and famously declared, "We finally beat Medicare," when he apparently meant to say that he beat big pharma.At one point, as the two candidates traded fire over the issue of immigration, Trump pounced after another rambling answer from Biden."I really dont know what he said on this, and I dont think he knows what he said either," Trump said.MEDIA FIGURES SHOCKED AT BIDEN'S 'BAD' DEBATE PERFORMANCE: TOTAL AND COMPLETE DISASTERDePauw University professor and media critic Jeffrey McCall said the infamous on-stage debacle was one of the rare instances that a presidential debate truly impacted thetrajectory of the election."Up until that debate, the establishment mediawere firmly in the Biden campaign camp, covering up evidence that was in plain sight that the president was cognitively and physically in decline. The media shamelessly repeated White House talking points about deep fakes and how vigorous and mentally sharp Biden was," he told Fox News Digital."These narratives were false, of course, but that didn't matter to the mainstream reporters as they felt compelled to cover for Biden, in spite of what citizens could see plainly on the rare occasions when Biden was allowed to speak in public," McCall said."The primary motive of the activist press, of course, was to try to deny Trump any traction in the election season," he continued. "The poor debate performance by Biden ripped the Band-Aid off, forcing the media to turn on a dime and begin the drumbeat to run Biden out of the race because he was too old and incapable."The debate meltdown caused an earthquake across the media landscape, ranging from "dismal" reviews to vocal calls on the left for him to withdraw from the 2024 race.CNN's John King put a spotlight on the "very aggressive panicin the Democratic Party" that began in the early minutes of the debate."This was a game-changing debate in the sense that right now, as we speak, there is a deep, a wide and a very aggressive panic in the Democratic Party," King told viewers. "It involves party strategists, it involves elected officials, it involves fundraisers. And theyre having conversations about the presidents performance, which they think was dismal, which they think will hurt other people down the party in the ticket, and theyre having conversations about what they should do about it."BIDEN DEBATE DEBACLE: 10 EYE-OPENING MEDIA RESPONSES, FROM MSNBC PANIC TO 'THE VIEW' CALLING FOR REPLACEMENTKing's CNN colleague Kasie Hunt similarly wrote on X, "The voice, open-mouthed look, and visual contrast between President Biden and former President Trump all have Democrats I'm talking to nearly beside themselves watching this debate."Then-NBC News pundit Chuck Todd admitted that Biden looked like the "caricature" conservatives have painted of him, specifically over his mental acuity. Bloomberg Opinion editor Tim O'Brien wrote on X, "Biden simply comes across as a somewhat dazed punching bag.""The View" co-host Joy Behar suggested the program was "in mourning" and urged Democrats to pivot away from Biden in order to keep Trump out of the White House."That was quite a turnaround from the reporting templates of previous weeks. But the media finally realized, based on the disastrous debate performance, that Biden's chances of winning the election were fading quickly," McCall said.The debate, which came after a flood of liberal anger towards aWall Street Journal report that raised questions about the president's viability, was essentially the beginning of the end for Bidens time on the ticket.MEDIA CALLS FOR BIDEN TO WITHDRAW FROM 2024 RACE AFTER 'DISASTER' CNN DEBATE PERFORMANCE: ITS OVER'New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, a longtime Biden ally, wrote that the debate "made me weep" and realized Biden should step aside."I cannot remember a more heartbreaking moment in American presidential campaign politics in my lifetime precisely because of what it revealed: Joe Biden, a good man and a good president, has no business running for re-election," Friedman wrote.Fellow Times' columnist Nicholas Kristof wrote on X that he wished "Biden would reflect on this debate performance and then announce his decision to withdraw from the race."CNN commentator Van Jones,who cried for joywhen Biden won the 2020 presidential election, offered an emotional plea for the president to step aside.The Atlantic's Mark Leibovichpenned a piece titled "Time to go, Joe.""Biden needs to step asidefor the sake of his own dignity, for the good of his party, for the future of the country," Leibovich told readers.The aggregate website Drudge Report blared the headline "OPERATION: REPLACE BIDEN.""DEMS SCRAMBLE WITH 130 DAYS TO GO! DEBATE CATASTROPHE," the Drudge Report wrote in all caps. It included a poll question over who would be the best Democrat to replace him out of Hillary Clinton, Gavin Newsom, Gretchen Whitmer, Kamala Harris or "Other."MSNBCs "Morning Joe" host Joe Scarborough suggested Biden might need to step down."If he were CEO, and he turned in a performance like that, would any corporation in America, any Fortune 500 corporation in America keep him on as CEO?" Scarborough asked.BIDEN RIPPED FOR OLD APPEARANCE, WEAK VOICE DURING FIRST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE: DEEPLY ALARMINGBiden stepped aside the following month, suspending his re-election campaign and quickly offered his "full support and endorsement" for then-Vice President Kamala Harris to take over as the party's presidential nominee."The media then quickly got on the Harris bandwagon, with as little scrutiny as they had given Biden in previous months. The media promoted Harris as cool and energetic, and even helped label her as a pop culture brat.The activist media virtually ignored that Harris didn't win any primary votes and was rushed through the nominative convention without having to deal with any opposition," McCall said."Overall, the media's poor performance in covering the Biden administration up to the debate and then the media's abrupt turnaround is perhaps the most shameful and egregious example of journalistic malpractice in American history," he added."This episode showed that the news industry was not interested in reporting reality to help a citizenry understand the situation.Instead, the mainstream media collectively engaged in activism, demonstrating a cynical attempt to herd public sentiment.That effort eventually failed, with the consequence for the media being a further decline in credibility," McCall concluded.Fox News Digitals Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

Every day, more than 45,000 commercial flights operate in U.S. airspace. Its one of the largest, busiest and most complex aviation systems in the world, and we are increasing demands and adding pressure to it every single day.Yet, our airspace is running on antiquated technology and outdated equipment in facilities that are decades-old and deteriorating. Add to all of that, the system needs some 3,000 more certified controllers just to meet todays demand.Unless Congress acts with urgency, the National Airspace System (NAS) is going to fall further behind at a time when we are experiencing increased air travel demand and an increased reliance on air cargo shipments.SEC SEAN DUFFY: 'ONE, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL' IS DOWN PAYMENT ON A NEW, MUCH-NEEDED AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMThe Senate has a pivotal opportunity to be part of the solution and act on provisions included in the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act." The House has already taken an important step by passing the bill, which included $12.5 billion for the FAA.That funding is critical. But from the standpoint of day-to-day operations, and from the perspective of the people who actually keep this system running, its still not enough.Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has called that funding a good "down payment." Last week, at apress conferencein San Diego, he said, "We are going to need a lot more money, but this is the one vehicle we have to start the build right now. Frankly, I hope the Congress finds more money. They have the ability to find extra resources and to put it into this mission."TRUMP ADMIN PROPOSES BRAND NEW AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM TO ENHANCE SAFETY, 'UNLOCK THE FUTURE OF AIR TRAVEL'Earlier in June, he said that he would like lawmakers to allocate $20 billion as an initial step.Much of the FAAs infrastructure hasnt been updated in decades. Some facilities are still running on analog radar, copper wiring, mechanical switches, floppy discs and paper strips that track flights in some air traffic control facilities.Its not uncommon for essential components to be patched together or sourced from eBay. This isnt sustainable.The system is under strain, but it is being held together by the dedication of its workforce.SCOOP: CONGRESS MOVES TO ADDRESS AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER CRISIS AS NEWARK MELTDOWN SPARKS ALARMYet 41%of certified controllers are working six 10-hour days per week due to shortages. Sites such as the New York TRACON, which currently handles the airspace around JFK and LaGuardia airports, have been operating atbarely halftheir authorized staffing levels since 2023.By raising pay for trainees and streamlining the hiring pipeline, the Department of Transportation has already helped refer more than 8,000 candidates to the FAA aptitude exam.That is far more than previous cycles, which retainedless than 10%of applicants and trainees. Duffys team has also taken serious steps to modernize facilities and digitize key systems, replacing World War II-era radar and outdated paper-strip technology with digital alternatives.CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINIONBut none of these reforms can move forward without the U.S. Senate. At his confirmation hearing, FAA nominee Bryan Bedford backed Duffys assessment that the $12.5 billion included in the House bill falls well short of what is needed to stabilize the system.DUFFY BLASTS BIDEN, BUTTIGIEG FOR IGNORING REPORT ABOUT FAILING AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM: 'DID NOTHING!'The Modern Skies coalition, comprised of more than 50 aviation organizations,estimatesit will take at least $31 billion to execute Duffys plan. Without that funding, Bedford warned equipment upgrades will drag on for years, and system breakdowns will grow more frequent.We have an opportunity to change course. If the Senate increases the Houses funding commitment or even closes the gap with a supplemental package we can begin to build a system capable of meeting modern demand.Our controllers are trained professionals. Theyre ready. But no one can do this job without the right tools and support.The $12.5 billion in the House bill is a good first step.As Duffysaid, "This is the most important infrastructure project we've done in decades, and it needs to be fully funded."The Senate needs to finish the job not just for the systems integrity, but for the people who make that system safe every day.

In the aftermath of the recent U.S. military strikes on Iran, one truth stands out above all: language is not just a means of communicationit is the lens through which we interpret, react to, and ultimately shape our world. In moments of crisis, every word matters. The headlines, the statements from leaders, the hashtags trending on social mediathey dont just describe whats happening. They define it. They decide what we fear, what we hope for, and what we demand next.Is This a War? Or Something Else Entirely?The first question we must confront is deceptively simple: what do we call this? Is it a war, a conflict, a targeted operation, or something else? This isnt just semantics. The words we choose set the boundaries of our expectations and anxieties. When Vice President JD Vance says, "Were not at war with Iran, were at war with Irans nuclear program," hes not just splitting hairshes shaping the publics sense of scale and stakes. The rest of Trump administration echoed this, insisting the aim was to destroy Irans nuclear program, not to start a wider war. But every time the word "war" is used, it plants a seed of uncertainty: How long will this last? What are we truly bracing for?Regime Change: The Power of a PhraseLanguage also shapes the perceived scope and intent of military action. The phrase "regime change" is loaded with history and consequences. Even when leaders insist on limited objectives, every mention of regime change conjures memories of endless conflict and nation-building. President Trump, aware of this, tried to put the idea to rest at a recent NATO press conference: "No, I dont want it. Id like to see everything calm down as quickly as possible. Regime change takes chaos. And, ideally, we dont want to see so much chaos." Words dont just describe realitythey create it.'THE MISSION WAS ACCOMPLISHED': SENATE REPUBLICANS PUSH BACK AGAINST LEAKED REPORT ON IRAN STRIKESDivergent Voices: The Republican and Democratic LexiconThe political response in the United States has been a study in contrasts, each side wielding language as both shield and sword. Republican leaders frame the strikes as a necessary response to a clear and present danger, invoking "national security," "imminent threat," and "preventing nuclear proliferation." Sen. Tom Cottons assertion that Iran has "waged a war of terror against the United States" isnt just a statementits a signal, shaping public perception and policy direction.Yet, even within the Republican camp, dissenting voices like Representative Thomas Massie and others use language to question the constitutionality and wisdom of escalation, drawing a line between "warmongers and peacemakers."Democratic leaders, meanwhile, focus on the risks of escalation, the lack of congressional authorization, and the safety of American troops. Words like "misled," "impeachable offense," and "grossly unconstitutional" arent just critiquestheyre calls to action, shaping the debate over legitimacy and consequence.Irans Response: Words as WeaponsIrans leaders, too, understand the power of language. Their vows of "retaliation," warnings of "serious consequences," and statements about being prepared for a conflict that could last "up to two years" are not just rhetoricthey are strategic moves in the information war. Every word is chosen to signal resolve, to deter adversaries, and to rally domestic and international support.TOP DEMOCRATS, MEDIA DECLARE US AT WAR AFTER IRAN STRIKES AS WHITE HOUSE PUSHES BACK ON NARRATIVECeasefire, "Success," and the Unwritten FutureIn the aftermath of the strikes, the language of victory and restraint has taken center stage. The administrations declaration of "spectacular military success" and talk of "total obliteration" are not just boaststhey are meant to signal finality, to draw a line under the crisis. "They wont do it again. I think theyve had it," President Trump asserted, using the language of deterrence and closure. These words are designed to reassure the public and project strength, but they also risk oversimplifying a complex reality.Yet, even as the rhetoric of triumph fills the airwaves, there is a subtle shift toward the language of possibility. "No permanent enemies"a phrase that hints at the potential for a future relationship with Iransuggests that todays adversaries need not be tomorrows. The ceasefire, described as "very much in effect," is framed not as a fragile pause, but as a durable new status quo: "I think we are going to keep it there for a long time." Here, language is used to create a sense of stability, to encourage markets and publics alike to exhale.CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINIONBut beneath these declarations lies an unspoken question: What comes next? The words chosen in this momentabout victory, deterrence, and the possibility of peacewill shape not only how this episode is remembered, but also the contours of whatever comes after. In the end, the language of ceasefire is not just about ending violence; it is about opening the door to new possibilities, and perhaps, to a different kind of future.The Power of a ReframeCritics and leakers are already reframing the conversation. A recently leaked report questions the administrations claims of success, stating that we "only set back Irans nuclear capability by months." This "low confidence" study is now at the center of the debate. Not whether we should have acted. Not if the ceasefire is real. But just how far we set back Iran. That is the power of language and a reframeit changes the debate and how we view the world and the events around us.Wall Street Listens: The Language of MarketsNowhere is the power of language more immediate than in the financial markets. Every mention of the "Strait of Hormuz," every threat of "retaliation," every reference to "nuclear escalation" or "regime change" sends ripples through global markets. Investors parse every statement for clues about escalation or de-escalation, knowing that words can move oil prices, stock indices, and the fate of economies. Conversely, words like "de-escalation," "diplomacy," "restraint," and "dialogue" offer hope for stability and calm. The language of peace is as powerful as the language of warif not more so.The Long View: Why Every Word MattersIn moments of crisis, language is not just a reflection of realityit is a force that shapes it. The words we choose, the narratives we construct, and the labels we apply, determine not just how we understand the present, but how we imagine the future.As we watch events unfold in Iran, let us remember: every word matters. Not just to policymakers and pundits, but to all of uscitizens, investors, and global citizenstrying to make sense of a rapidly changing world. In the end, the language we use will help determine whether we move toward conflict or cooperation, escalation or peace.In a world where every word can tip the balance, let us choose them wisely.CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM LEE HARTLEY CARTER