| Fox News - Latest Headlines | | | | Nearly every major fact-checker has completely ignored Karine Jean-Pierre since taking over for Psaki | | Sep 13, 2022 | | White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has remained largely unscathed from the fact-checking crowd since taking over the podium for Jen Psaki, with nearly every major fact-checker largely ignoring the new face of the Biden administration. Since starting her position on May 13, Jean Pierre has received no fact-checks from Factcheck.org, Reuters, The Associated Press, The Washington Post’s Glenn Kessler, and CNN’s Daniel Dale, according to a review by Fox News Digital. None of the sites or individuals responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Snopes and PolitiFact stood alone in their sparse fact-checking regarding the new White House press secretary. PolitiFact has fact-checked Jean-Pierre twice, awarding her two "false" ratings, while Snopes fact-checked a claim about a past comment by her. WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY GRILLED ON TWEET CALLING 2016 ELECTION 'STOLEN' Yet, Jean-Pierre has made a number of dubious claims during her first four months at the podium. In late August, Jean-Pierre claimed that illegal immigrants aren’t just "walking across" the southern border, although many have. During a press briefing, Fox News’ Peter Doocy noted that thousands of migrants are pouring into the country without being vaccinated or proving their vaccination status. "But that's not how it works," Jean-Pierre responded. "That's what's happening," Doocy fired back. "I know that's not what you guys want to happen. But that is what is happening." "But that's not, it's not like somebody walks over and-" Jean-Pierre replied. "That’s exactly what’s happening," Doocy repeated. WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY KARINE JEAN-PIERRE DEFENDS BIDEN'S 'SEMI-FASCISM' CLAIM ABOUT 'MAGA REPUBLICANS' Not a single fact-checking website has made mention of Jean-Pierre’s comments about migrants entering the U.S. illegally. The White House press secretary also came under fire in July after she claimed the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade was in fact an "unconstitutional action." "From day one, when the Supreme Court made this extreme decision to take away a constitutional right, it was an unconstitutional action by them," she said. Only PolitiFact made note of the false statement. Just a month later, Jean-Pierre faced backlash for denying claims that the U.S. is in a recession, or a "pre-recession," despite two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth. WAPO CHIEF ‘FACT-CHECKER’ SAVAGED FOR TACKLING TRUMP’S CLAIM THAT WINDMILLS KILL BIRDS: ‘CATS’ KILL MORE Typically, two quarters of negative GDP growth indicate the United States is in a recession. This is the metric traditionally used as a red line to determine whether a recession exists. At the time Jean-Pierre said this: "So, if you look at the economic indicators as the president was laying out, if you look at the labor market, right now, we are seeing historic unemployment. If you look at low unemployment at 3.6, if you look at the average amount of jobs that have been created, it's about 400 [thousand] per month. Those indicators do not show that we are in a recession or even a pre-recession." No prominent fact-checking sites or individuals called out this particular claim. Fox News’ Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report. | | | | | Portlanders are taking precautions to avoid being attacked in response to rising crime | | Sep 13, 2022 | | Portland residents fear being assaulted or encountering people experiencing a mental health crisis while walking around town, according to a recent survey, but those Fox News spoke with had mixed opinions about safety in the city. "I walk around all the time and during the day I feel fine," said Amber, who recently moved to Portland from California. "I still keep my wits about me and I'm cautious, but I don't feel like I'm really in any danger." But Brenda disagreed. "I’m worried about being physically attacked," she told Fox News. "It's not safe. It's just flat not safe." MAN, 20, SHOT DEAD AT PORTLAND ILLEGAL STREET RACING TAKEOVER Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler commissioned the survey from local firm DHM Research. Nearly half (48%) of the 500 Portlanders who responded felt unsafe walking alone at night in their own neighborhood. Of those who felt unsafe, 78% told researchers they were afraid of being physically assaulted. "I'm not going to live in fear, but we're a lot more aware of our surroundings," Meredith said. "I won't walk alone as often. I used to just walk all over, no thought about it, at night. I think twice now." There were 5,960 reported crimes in July, the most recent month for which police statistics are available. That's up slightly from 5,618 the same month last year. Theft, vandalism and assault were the most common offenses reported. MAN BAILED OUT OF JAIL BY LIBERAL PORTLAND FREEDOM FUND CHARGED WITH MURDER ONE WEEK LATER People living on the city’s east side were more likely to fear being physically attacked than those in west Portland, according to the survey. Of female respondents who felt unsafe, 81% said they feared being assaulted compared to 74% of males. "I'm sure a lot of people don't feel safe," said Jon, who was visiting from Seattle. "I do, but I'm not a 120-pound woman walking by herself at night." Shane agreed that there is a gender divide. "My partner is physically smaller than I am … she feels completely uncomfortable being out and about downtown," he said. "She started carrying pepper spray with her." As a "tall guy," Shane said he thinks he’s less of a target. "Also, I don’t really look like I have a lot of money," he said, laughing. Amber said she gets nervous at night or in neighborhoods perceived as more dangerous. She said she has been yelled at and followed by strangers and makes sure to stay alert. "It is the people who have mental health issues because you don't really know how they're going to react," she said. "I don't listen to anything in my headphones. I always have my pepper spray on my keychain. OREGON MAN CHARGED AFTER FENTANYL OVERDOSE DEATH OF PORTLAND TEEN She added that she constantly looks over her shoulder, "so I'm not oblivious to my surroundings." Concerns about interacting with people experiencing mental health crises or drug intoxication are front and center on many Portlanders’ minds, according to the survey and residents Fox News spoke with. "Taking our granddaughters for walks and finding syringes on the ground and things like that, it’s disheartening," Meredith said. The Portland Police Bureau has suffered from staffing shortages since 2020 and currently has more than 100 sworn police vacancies, according to the bureau. As anti-police protests rocked the city in 2020, the city council voted to cut the department's budget by $15 million, though activists had demanded cuts of $50 million. Many officers have retired or left to work in other cities, citing dissatisfaction with city leadership and poor morale during the months of nightly protests. "I think we need more police," Brenda said. She can understand why people don’t want to become officers, but the city isn’t doing enough to promote safety, she said. More than half of the survey respondents told researchers they did not think police would respond quickly to an emergency, according to the results, which were obtained by Fox News. "With the police force, overburdened people think they can do anything now," Carol told Fox News. "I feel like it won't always be like this, but right now we're in the midst of … lawlessness." Portland has seen a sharper increase in violent crime than many other major cities. Homicides in the city increased 83% from 2019 to 2020, while nationally killings increased by an average of about 30%. There were 90 homicides in the city last year, breaking the city's previous record of 66 in 1987, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported. "They show a lot of stuff I know on the news about the shootings … and I'm sure they're up," Dave said. "But up over what? There used to be very little." "I think the news has definitely made this area out to be a lot more chaotic," Shane said. | | | | | Democrat-run tourist town in North Carolina sees violent crime spike as police dwindle: 'Perfect storm' | | Sep 13, 2022 | | Asheville, North Carolina — Multiple local law enforcement sources who spoke to Fox News Digital laid partial blame for the deteriorating condition of a North Carolina tourist town on the city's liberal political leadership and on left-wing activists who undermine police. "I think what you're seeing in Asheville right now is a culmination of the last several years of pulling police back and not letting them do their jobs like they're able to do," former Buncombe County Sheriff Van Duncan told Fox News Digital in a phone interview. Asheville, a city of approximately 90,000 people nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Buncombe County, North Carolina, has seen a 31% surge in violent crime during the past five years, according to statistics released in the spring. Asheville's growth in violent crime is nearly double that of the national average and ranks among the highest in North Carolina, where violent crime has increased 13% statewide in the past half-decade. Asheville has so far seen 11 homicides in 2022, setting it on pace to surpass the homicide rate of 2021 and 2020. Rates of homelessness have increased 21% since 2021, according to data released in May. There is also evidence of increased Mexican drug cartel activity in the area, according to multiple law enforcement sources who spoke to Fox News Digital. NORTH CAROLINA PREGNANCY CENTER DEFIANT AFTER PRO-ABORTION VANDALISM: ‘SPIRITUAL WARFARE’ Both the Asheville Police Department (APD) and the Buncombe County Sheriff's Department have been hemorrhaging officers in recent years, with many retiring early or simply quitting. APD made international headlines in June 2021 when they announced they would no longer respond in-person to 911 calls about theft, fraud or trespassing after losing a third of their force. ‘Downhill quickly’ Duncan, who was a longtime registered Democrat, retired as sheriff and became politically unaffiliated in 2018, citing "an anti-law enforcement sentiment in the Democratic Party right now," according to the Asheville Citizen-Times. He told Fox News Digital that police who do wrong must be held accountable, but also said officers both locally and around the country have become hesitant to do their jobs "because they can be right, but it can be the wrong set of facts, and they can still wind up in trouble." Duncan further noted that when he was serving as county sheriff, "left-wing activists" from outside the community would sweep in to disrupt community meetings. "They would really try to get into it with the police, and a lot of times, they would try to shout down things," he said. "And the first people who quit coming to those meetings were the people within the community. They really didn't get to speak, and they really didn't get anything done." "Personally, I think that is the agenda of the Left: for law enforcement not to be able to do anything that's effective and makes the community safer," he added. An officer currently with the Buncombe County Sheriff's Department who spoke to Fox News Digital on condition of anonymity attributed the exodus of officers to policy changes that hamstring them. The officer also cited an overall lack of leadership and the "liberal agenda" of some county commissioners and members of city council. Neither the Asheville City Council nor the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners responded to Fox News Digital's request for comment. HOMICIDES DOWN BUT VIOLENT CRIME UP IN MAJOR US CITIES AS MIDTERMS APPROACH The officer laid particular blame on Buncombe County District Attorney Todd Williams, a Democrat whose office did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. The officer claimed Williams' office often doesn't charge criminals at all or reduces felony charges to misdemeanors. "Crime will continue to rise when there is no accountability for subjects of a crime," the officer said. "Officers overlook so many things because they know that it will go nowhere in court." The officer predicted the situation in the Asheville area is headed "downhill quickly" without a change in leadership. ‘Evil is real’ APD Chief David Zack told Fox News Digital that the reasons behind the steady flood of resignations in his department are complicated and multi-faceted. Zack said the APD has lost more than 100 sworn officers since May 2020, which he noted is roughly equivalent to 600 years of experience walking out the door. He pinpointed family pressures, a lack of community support and low pay in the expensive city as major factors pushing police to throw in the towel, but explained that APD has been working with the city to make salaries more competitive. He also said that "officers are very, very frustrated" with low bail. Placing Asheville's situation within the context of trends present in police departments across the U.S., he said the loss of officers accelerated following the protests that took place in the wake of George Floyd's death in 2020. The protests that roiled Asheville that summer were especially tense, with APD officers decked out in riot gear engaging in an hours-long standoff with protesters on a bridge leading into the city. "There certainly have been questions about support [for police] from elected officials, from the president of the United States right on down, so it's not just local leaders," he said. "It's just been like a perfect storm of events and circumstances that are driving officers out of the profession who have a significant amount of time and experience invested." Zack also noted that fewer people even want to become police officers anymore, leading to what he described as "a hamster wheel of losing people and trying to replace them at the same time." ENTIRE NORTH CAROLINA POLICE DEPARTMENT RESIGNS AFTER NEW TOWN MANAGER IS HIRED "I certainly think that with the losses that we have, our ability to be proactive and also our ability to be visible are partly causing some of the increases," the chief said of rising violent crime. "Because we've lost so many officers, and we're operating at almost 42% down every single day, officer presence and officer visibility are not what they were." Zack also said fentanyl in the region has gotten "out of control," and that the amount they have been taking off the street is "alarming." He recounted that county police recently made the biggest fentanyl bust in Buncombe County history until APD made a bigger bust weeks later. When Justin Wilson, who served a decade as an APD community resource officer, resigned in August 2020 to begin a new career, he sent a letter to the community he served, apologizing to them and explaining that the job had "taken a toll on my personal life." His letter was published on the front page of the local newspaper. Writing how he had come to believe that police were tasked beyond their capacity with "stopping societal issues and disorder," Wilson concluded that law enforcement solutions are merely "a Band-Aid" on such profound problems and that "strong communities are the real remedy." "After 10 years at APD, I can say confidently that APD officers are good people with good hearts," he wrote. "Evil is real. Evil exists in Asheville, officers are surrounded by it, and they do their best with what they have. Please remember that." ‘Hub of Antifa’ Chad Nesbitt, the former chair of the Buncombe County GOP who now works as a local investigative journalist, attributed some of the city's problems to Antifa's presence in Asheville, which he described as "the hub of Antifa" in the region. "It's devastating what they've done here in town and the Asheville area," Nesbitt said of Antifa, whose activity he has followed closely ever since he was nearly killed during protests downtown following the verdict in the Breonna Taylor case in 2020. Activists also dropped off a coffin filled with dirt and animal manure in front of APD headquarters at the time. Nesbitt said local Antifa have used Floyd's death "as an excuse to bring anarchy to this city," and pinpointed Firestorm Bookstore Co-op in West Asheville as the nexus of their activity. The bookstore did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Nesbitt said Antifa activists from other major cities throughout North Carolina congregate in Asheville, and that the members of the organization who believe in political violence "will try to instigate some of the dumbest people to do something very stupid." Asheville drew national attention this summer when Mountain Area Pregnancy Services, a local faith-based crisis pregnancy center, was among several similar pro-life establishments nationwide that were vandalized in June by the radical, Antifa-affiliated pro-abortion group "Jane's Revenge." On July 4, a day after receiving a threatening email signed "ANTIFA," the APD arrested two suspects for allegedly attempting to bomb the former site of the Vance Monument, an obelisk dedicated to North Carolina's Civil War-time governor. The monument stood in the center of downtown Asheville for 123 years before the city dismantled it in 2021. Nesbitt maintained that local Antifa has worked its way into universities throughout western North Carolina, and that figures sympathetic to Antifa have risen to positions of power on the city council, which did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on his allegation. Joey Reece, who is now retired after serving 12 years as a state trooper and another 22 years as an agent with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in the area, reflected sadly to Fox News Digital how Asheville has declined since he grew up there. "You're going to have to literally go back to some old 1990s-style law enforcement, and people have to be put in jail who commit crimes," he said. "Or Asheville will soon become a non-entity. Asheville will not be a vacation destination. It won't be a retirement destination. We're already in the top 10% of violent cities in America." Asheville was rated among the top 10 U.S. travel destinations according to Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards in 2016, and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority recently spent $1.3 million in local tax dollars to advertise at the 2022 U.S. Open. "There's no stopping it unless you change what you're doing," Reece added. "And to do that, you have to have community resolve. And I think the community that is there now doesn't have that resolve. I think they're more of an enabling community, and I don't see it getting any better." | | | | | Border Patrol chief says memo clearing migrant release into US after Title 42 end is unprecedented | | Sep 13, 2022 | | EXCLUSIVE: The head of the Border Patrol stated that an internal U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) guidance memo from May clearing border agents to release illegal migrants into the interior of the U.S. — in anticipation of a surge at the border if Title 42 is officially terminated — is unprecedented in the 31 years he's been with the agency. Ortiz made the comments under oath during a recorded July 28 deposition, first obtained by Fox News Digital, as part of discovery in a lawsuit by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody against the Department of Homeland Security and other border agencies. Ortiz is seen on video responding to a series of questions on "Exhibit 3," an internal Border Patrol emergency memo that the chief signed on May 19, 2022, titled "Noncitizen releases from U.S. Border Patrol Custody." The emergency memo predicts that border agents would not be able to process and transport large numbers of illegal aliens who would cross the southern border into the U.S. if the Title 42 public health order, which is currently stuck in limbo in court, is repealed. "This guidance is for situations where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)/Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) are unable to accept custody of noncitizens due to lack of bed space, such that noncitizens must be released directly from USBP custody to avoid overcrowding and excessive time in custody," the May 19 memo states. Counselors for the office of the Florida attorney general asked Ortiz to describe the memo, to which he replied: "It's a memorandum that I signed on May 19th, 2022, and it discusses the non-citizen releases from our custody." BORDER PATROL CHIEF SAYS BORDER CRISIS A RESULT OF BIDEN'S 'NO CONSEQUENCES' POLICY FOR ILLEGAL MIGRANTS The Florida lawyer continued, asking, "In your experience 31 years with the Border Patrol, have you ever seen a document—or have you ever seen a memorandum like Exhibit 3 before?" Ortiz replied, "No." "Would you agree with me that Exhibit 3 deals with the possible rescission of Title 42?" probed the lawyer. "Yes," replied Ortiz. "And if ICE were either unwilling or unable to accept transfer of aliens, this memo authorizes the sectors to release aliens into the interior of the United States?" continued the attorney. Ortiz responded: "Well, it authorizes them to release them into the communities that they were apprehended in." "And does Exhibit 3 authorize the release of aliens that would otherwise be inadmissible into the United States?" continued the lawyer. Ortiz replied in the affirmative, "Yes." The CBP previously told Fox News Digital, "As a matter of policy, U.S. Customs and Border Protection generally does not comment on pending litigation." FLORIDA AG MOODY RELEASES INTERNAL DHS DOCUMENT SHE SAYS CONTRADICTS MAYORKAS TESTIMONY ON BORDER CRISIS Florida's attorney general is accusing the Biden administration of having only one solution for an increase in mass migration after Title 42 ends – mass releases of illegal migrants into the interior of the U.S. Moody told Fox News Digital: "The Biden administration’s failed immigration policies are disastrous. Expecting to be overrun, Biden’s Border Patrol drafted a plan to hunker down and allow inadmissible immigrants to flood into the country. But for the efforts of our office and other responsibly minded, public-safety oriented attorneys general, Title 42 would have been repealed and Biden would have released untold thousands of additional immigrants into the interior of our country—outrageous!" The Department of Homeland Security has said that it has developed a plan for the end of Title 42, while conceding the surge will "substantially strain" resources at the border. "When the Title 42 public health order is lifted, we anticipate migration levels will increase, as smugglers will seek to take advantage of and profit from vulnerable migrants," DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a memo outlining the agency’s "plan for Southwest Border Security and Preparedness" from April. The memo outlines what it calls a "whole-of-government plan to prepare for and manage increased encounters of noncitizens at our Southwest Border." More than 2 million migrants have been encountered at the southern border this fiscal year, which ends on Sept. 30. Also during the deposition, Ortiz was also asked "What is a broken arrow?" He replied: "Typically, in the context of operations, it is unsustainable operational circumstances. We still had processes in place, and we still expected a majority of the encounters that we were experiencing on the southwest border would be facilitated from us to NGOs, but we also recognize that in a couple locations, that we were going to experience some challenges." During the same deposition, Ortiz said President Biden's border policies have "no consequences" for illegal migrants traveling into the U.S. and are to blame for the unprecedented surge at the border and release of hundreds of thousands into the interior of the country. | | | | | Biden's proposed Title IX re-write fails the test | | Sep 13, 2022 | | The Biden administration’s proposed re-write of Title IX has generated a record-setting 215,000-plus public comments, many of which forcefully reject what’s being proposed. It’s for good reason. A well-constructed piece of public policy, whether a law or a regulation, should be clear for all those who have to live under it. Biden’s proposed rule is not. In fact, the only thing about the proposal that is clear is the intention to advance an extreme political agenda over doing what’s right for survivors and all students. While the failings in this regard are legion, allow me to highlight two that make this rule untenable. First, the proposal undermines due process—a quintessential hallmark of justice—at every turn. It strains to find any rationale conceivable to justify its extreme positions and is transparent in its attempt to overturn every single due process element of the 2020 regulation I finalized as secretary of education. Look no further than how it eliminates cross-examination. ANGELA MORABITO: BIDEN'S TITLE IX RULE COULD MEAN YOUR DAUGHTER'S COLLEGE ROMMATE WILL BE A MAN The proposed regulation details at great length the significant case law that supports the irreplaceable value cross-examination holds in uncovering the truth. To wit, the rule acknowledges that schools located within the Sixth Circuit’s jurisdiction will have to continue to require cross-examination, as that court deemed it essential in Baum. In fact, at least 38 separate court decisions involving Title IX have affirmed the value of cross-examination in Title IX proceedings. But instead of following clear legal precedent, the proposed rule cites a few psychological studies that allege cross-examination—though widely regarded as the best fact-finding method ever invented—just can’t work in cases of sexual misconduct. This argument ignores the obvious: every court in America that hears a sexual misconduct case requires cross-examination. The lack of clarity for students and schools is remarkable. The proposed rule would require cross-examination in some states, but not in others. It discredits the value of information gleaned from cross-examination, but meanwhile acknowledges the courts are likely to uphold a need for cross-examination. Schools would be left between a proverbial rock and a hard place: require cross-examination and invite an investigation from the Office for Civil Rights, or bar cross-examination and face a likely deluge of legal challenges. A well-conceived rule should provide clarity, not a Hobson’s choice. Compounding the problem, the proposal’s attack on fundamental fairness goes well beyond cross-examination. The proposal would eliminate other procedural protections, allowing schools to conceal evidence used against a student, to lower the burden of proof to the lowest possible bar (known as preponderance of the evidence, or merely "more likely than not"), and to make adjudications in secret instead of a live forum. It would do all of this damage while also allowing for a single individual to serve as detective, prosecutor, judge, and jury. One need not be a lawyer to see the countless opportunities for bias and maleficence that could introduce to a proceeding that almost irrevocably decides the fate and future of young lives. Worse still, the proposal banishes an existing requirement that schools apply the same standard for adjudicating sexual misconduct on the part of faculty as that of students. The reason? Some union collective bargaining agreements provide protections for faculty that a school may not want to extend to students. Once again, a political agenda—not what's right for students—seems to be the underlying motivation for many of these proposed changes to the law. The proposal also requires a scenario that seems almost unfathomable: if both the accused and supposed victim agree that no offense was committed, it still isn’t enough to stop a school from initiating a full-blown Title IX proceeding, so long as anyone else—even someone who isn’t a student at that school—thinks an offense occurred. How can anyone be expected to be treated fairly in the pursuit of an offense that no one actually involved believes occurred? Another area where the lack of enforceable clarity becomes obvious is concerning sports, the issue with which Title IX is most synonymous. The notice for this proposed rule suggests that a yet-unreleased rule will address the interactions between this rule’s definition of sex as "gender identity" and "students’ eligibility to participate on a particular male or female athletics team. However, this administration has made its position on this topic abundantly clear. At his confirmation hearing, Secretary Miguel Cardona stated it is the "legal responsibility of schools to provide opportunities for students to participate in activities, and this includes students who are transgender." On day one, President Joe Biden issued an executive order stating "Children should be able to learn without worrying about whether they will be denied access to the restroom, the locker room, or school sports." In June 2021, the Department issued a notice of interpretation stating that "Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any education program or activity offered by a recipient of federal financial assistance." CLICK HERE TO GET THE OPINION NEWSLETTER This very proposal states "A recipient’s education program or activity would also include all of its academic and other classes, extracurricular activities, athletics programs, and other aspects of the recipient’s education program or activity…" (emphasis mine). Are schools to follow the repeated and clear direction of the Biden administration at every turn? Or instead await a potentially forthcoming rule that might, but more likely will not, acknowledge the very real biological differences between males and females? And how many more female athletes may be harmed in the meantime? The whole thing is an exercise is weaponizing Title IX to undercut the progress Title IX was passed to ensure. The American people, countless courts, and common sense all affirm the administration’s proposed rule is misguided, damaging to students, and upends the rule of law in this country. The real question that remains is whether the Biden administration will care. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM BETSY DEVOS | | | | | Prince Harry, Meghan's harsh comments and bombshell claims about the royal family: Do they have royal regrets? | | Sep 13, 2022 | | Meghan Markle and Prince Harry recently reunited with Prince William, Prince of Wales and Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales. The "fab four’s" reunion comes after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, who died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland at 96. Although the brothers and their spouses have reunited, it is unclear how their relationship will unfold. Oprah Winfrey recently shared at the Toronto Film Festival that Queen Elizabeth II's death could be an "opportunity for peacemaking" among the royal family. Harry and Markle have been outspoken in the past about their feelings toward the royal family. In March 2021, the couple sat down with Winfrey and Markle shared that she felt racism from the British media and members in the family. She has taken to her podcast "Archetypes" in several episodes to discuss the struggles of marrying into the royal family and all it came with. Here’s a look at some of the comments Markle and Harry have made about the royal family and beyond. In March 2021, Harry and Markle held a bombshell sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey where alarming allegations were made about the royal family being racist towards Markle and their firstborn son, Archie. HARRY, IF YOU REALLY WANT TO HONOR YOUR DAD, NIX YOUR SALACIOUS TELL-ALL AND REIN IN YOUR ROYALS-THRASHING WIFE Markle shared that there was a conversation with a member of the family and Harry around "how dark their baby was going to be." "They didn’t want him to be a prince, or princess, depending on what the gender would be," Markle said of her son Archie before his birth. "He wasn’t going to receive security." Harry kept certain things private in the interview and said that he was not going to share a question he was asked pertaining to his child or who asked him the question. "That conversation I am never going to share," Harry said. "At the time it was a bit awkward, I was shocked." Harry and Markle disclosed their reasoning on why they chose to leave their roles in the royal family. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex officially stepped back from their royal roles in 2020. Winfrey spoke at the Toronto Film Festival recently and noted that Queen Elizabeth II’s death could be an "opportunity for peacemaking" among the royal family. PRINCE WILLIAM, PRINCE HARRY, KATE MIDDLETON AND MEGHAN MARKLE: THE FAB FOUR'S ROCKY RECENT HISTORY "Well, this is what I think, I think in all families – you know, my father passed recently, this summer, and when all families come together for a common ceremony, the ritual of, you know, burying your dead, there's an opportunity for peacemaking. And hopefully, there will be that," she told Extra while promoting her upcoming documentary about Sidney Poitier. In Apple TV+’s mental health docuseries, Prince Harry sat down with Oprah Winfrey and said he received "total silence and total neglect" from the royal family in response to Meghan Markle’s difficulty adjusting. In the series, which aired in May, Harry shared that he turned to drugs and alcohol to cope with his mother, Princess Diana’s tragic passing and how he feared his wife’s life might end due to the same paparazzi and media frenzy. During the five-episode series, Harry said he regrets not calling out racism in the media sooner and referred to his mother’s relationship at the time of her death. "History was repeating itself, my mother was chased to her death while she was in a relationship with someone that wasn’t white. And now look what’s happened. You want to talk about history repeating itself. They are not going to stop until she dies," Harry said. Harry shared the advice he received from his father, King Charles III. KING CHARLES III LEADS QUEEN ELIZABETH II'S COFFIN PROCESSION IN SCOTLAND "My father used to say to me when I was younger, he used to say to both William and I, ‘Well it was like that for me. It’s going to be like that for you.’ That doesn’t make sense," he said. "Just because you suffered that doesn’t mean that your kids have to suffer. In fact, quite the opposite." On Markle’s struggles with her mental health, Harry said, "I thought my family would help, but every single ask, request, warning, whatever it is, just got met with total silence, total neglect." "We spent four years trying to make it work," he continued. "We did everything that we possibly could to stay there and carry on doing the role and doing the job. But Meghan was struggling." Markle was six-months pregnant with their son Archie when she had suicidal thoughts just before the couple was set to appear at a charity event at the Royal Albert Hall in south-west London. "The thing that stopped her from seeing it through was how unfair it would be on me after everything that had happened to my mum, and now to be put in the position of losing another woman in my life with a baby inside of her, our baby," Harry said of her suicidal thoughts. PRINCE HARRY JOINS ROYAL FAMILY IN SCOTLAND FOLLOWING ANNOUNCEMENT OF QUEEN ELIZABETH II'S DEATH "I was ashamed that it had got this bad. I was ashamed to go to my family, because to be honest with you, like a lot of other people my age can probably relate to, I know that I’m not going to get from my family what I need," he added. In the docuseries, Harry addressed the Winfrey interview and said that the response they received caused Markle to cry herself to sleep. "Because of their headlines and that combined effort of the firm and the media to smear her, I was woken up in the middle of the night to her crying in her pillow ... That’s heartbreaking. I held her. We talked. She cried and she cried and she cried," he said. And addressing the racism allegation made by his wife, Harry said, "I like to think that we were able to speak truth in the most compassionate way possible, therefore leaving it open for reconciliation and healing." "The interview was about being real, being authentic and hopefully sharing an experience that we know is incredibly relatable to a lot of people around the world despite our unique privileged position," he continued. In an interview with Allison Davis from "The Cut," Markle shared that she and Harry were almost not able to afford their current home in Montecito, California. "We were looking in this area and this house kept popping up online in searches," Meghan recalled. "We didn’t have jobs, so we just were not going to come and see this house." Now, according to the outlet, due to Markle’s multi-million dollar Spotify and Netflix deals, the couple had the means to purchase the $14.65 million dollar home. She said the feeling upon entering their home was "calming" and she felt "free," which is why they had to make the purchase. Throughout the interview, there were subtle jabs at the royal family. Harry shared that he and his wife work on projects together, including their charity Archewell, which he said members of his family are not capable of. "Most people that I know and many of my family, they aren’t able to work and live together," Harry said. Markle commented on the fallout with the family and said, "It was bittersweet, you know? Knowing none of it had to be this way." On the topic of family, Markle touched on her relationship with her father, Thomas Markle, and the tabloid circus that strained their relationship in 2017. "Harry said to me, 'I lost my dad in this process.' It doesn’t have to be the same for them as it was for me, but that’s his decision," she said. "I think forgiveness is really important. It takes a lot more energy to not forgive." Markle added: "But it takes a lot of effort to forgive. I’ve really made an active effort, especially knowing that I can say anything." Markle brought Davis along with her to pick up Archie from school when they stopped to give a homeless man a backpack full of supplies on their way back home. "At a stoplight, [Meghan] reaches into the trunk and produces a brand-new black backpack and hands it to her security detail to give to an unhoused man on the corner," Davis wrote. "They are teaching Archie that some people live in big houses, some in small, and that some are in between homes." She added: "They made kits to pass out with water and peanut-butter crackers and granola bars." Markle shared that she’s chosen to not divulge too much during her interviews because she is "still healing." The Netflix deal that has been discussed is reportedly a docuseries about Harry and Markle’s life post-royal. "For example, an At Home With Meghan and Harry–type docuseries that reportedly has an attached director, Liz Garbus, and footage shot by teams of cameramen, who have been spotted following the couple around — are met with half-answers shrouded in winks, codes, and redirection," Davis wrote, which Markle seemed to agree with. "The piece of my life I haven’t been able to share, that people haven’t been able to see, is our love story," she said. Meghan Markle welcomed Grammy-winning singer, Mariah Carey, on an episode of her podcast "Archetypes" in August. PRINCE WILLIAM AND KATE MIDDLETON MAKE SURPRISE APPEARANCE WITH PRINCE HARRY AND MEGHAN MARKLE During their conversation, Markle – who has a Black mother and a White father – and Carey shared a commonality on struggling with being interracial. The Duchess of Sussex shared that she was never identified as a "Black woman" until she began dating Prince Harry. "If there’s any time in my life that it’s been more focused on my race, it’s only once I started dating my husband," she said. "Then I started to understand what it was like to be treated like a Black woman. Because up until then, I had been treated like a mixed woman." Markle shared how actress Halle Berry has been outspoken on how she’s been perceived as a mixed woman, but said their experiences differ due to their skin tones. "Her response was her saying, ‘Well, your experience through the world is how people view you.’ So she said because she was darker in color, she was being treated as a Black woman, not as a mixed woman," she said. "And I think for us, it’s very different because we’re light-skinned. You’re not treated as a Black woman. You’re not treated as a White woman. You sort of fit in between." Meghan Markle hosted "The Office" star Mindy Kaling on an episode of her podcast "Archetypes" in September. During their conversation, Markle shared that she was constantly told how "lucky" she was that Prince Harry chose her to marry. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER "When I started dating my husband, we became engaged and everyone was just like, 'Oh my god, you're so lucky! He chose you!'" she said. "And at a certain point, after you hear it a million times over, you're like, 'Well, I chose him too.'" She continued: "But thankfully, I have a partner who was countering that narrative for me and going, 'They've got it all wrong. I'm the lucky one, 'cause you chose me.'" Markle noted that those comments continued to have an effect on her. "It's gendered and it's archetyped and it's stereotyped… 'You're so lucky,'" she said. "And it just feeds into this idea that you're waiting for someone to tell you that you're good enough, as opposed to knowing that you're good enough on your own." Markle and Harry began dating in July 2016 and became engaged November 2017. They tied the knot at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in a fairy-tale wedding in May 2018. They now share two children: Archie, 3 and Lilibet, 1. | | | | | Oregon boy, 5, celebrates 'superhero heart' after he was born with 'Swiss cheese' defect | | Sep 13, 2022 | | A little boy who was expected to need a heart transplant received a much better gift instead: his own heart, repaired and now free of defects. Maverick Waler, 5, of Redmond, Oregon, was born with more than a dozen holes in his heart, a condition known as "Swiss cheese" heart. Most children born with Swiss cheese heart undergo several surgeries earlier in life and then typically receive heart transplants in their late teens to early 20s, according to New York-Presbyterian Hospital, where Maverick underwent surgery. OHIO 4-YEAR-OLD GETS NEW HEART FOR HIS BIRTHDAY: ‘ETERNALLY GRATEFUL’ Little Maverick, on the other hand, was able to undergo a different kind of procedure. In December 2021, doctors patched the holes in Maverick’s heart. Now, Maverick isn't expected to need any other procedures except for some regular tests. "Now he has his new heart, or his ‘Iron Man heart,’ because he loves Iron Man," Maverick’s dad, Brad Waler, told Fox News Digital in an interview. "He has a superhero heart and he has tons of strength," he added. Brad Waler and his wife Ellyn Waler learned of their son's heart condition while Ellyn was still pregnant, the family shared with Fox News Digital. During a normal growth ultrasound at around 20 weeks, the technician saw something he didn’t like, Brad Waler said. Ellyn Waler was referred to a pediatric cardiologist in Bend, Oregon, where doctors did another ultrasound. They noticed heart defects in the Walers' unborn child. "At that point, we no longer were going to have a ‘normal delivery,’" Brad Waler said. "[Maverick] would need to be born in Portland and he would likely need immediate intervention." Brad Waler said it was "heartbreaking" to know that his son – the couple's first child – would be born with a serious medical issue. "Everything is so new that you don’t really know how to process it any differently than what’s in front of you," Brad Waler said. NEVADA GIRL WHO WAS HIT BY A CAR AT AGE 3 DEFIES ODDS AS HER MOM LEANS INTO FAITH Maverick was born on June 13, 2017. What had been a scheduled C-section for the Walers' baby turned into an emergency C-section when Maverick’s heart rate dropped suddenly. Once Maverick was delivered, Brad Waler said he got to spend a few precious moments with his son before he was taken to the NICU to recover for two weeks. "Things got really tough really fast," Brad Waler said. "He needed heart surgery and you couldn't have that unless he was well enough for it." Maverick had his first heart surgery at just 2 weeks old. He spent two more weeks in the pediatric ICU recovering from the procedure. OHIO TEEN WITH SPINAL CANCER EARNS TITLE OF HONORARY MARINE: ‘AMAZING YOUNG MAN’ When the Walers brought Maverick home after his procedure, they noticed that the incision on his chest looked red and infected, so after just 24 hours, they drove three hours back to Portland and spent another week and a half in the hospital, Brad Waler said. "That was kind of a nightmare," he added. After his recovery, the Walers were finally able to bring Maverick home. At the time, he had a nasogastric (NG) tube, through which the Walers fed Maverick and gave him his medications. They also had to administer blood thinner injections, Brad Waler said. "He had a lot of medical needs, of course," Brad Waler said. "But it was nice to finally get him home and finally do 'normal baby' things." Through all of Maverick's health challenges, Brad Waler and his wife relied on the support of their family and each other, Brad Waler said. "Our relationship is really strong and we've always been there for each other," he said. "I think we make a really good team when we're in a situation such as this. We're both there for Maverick completely. And we do what needs to be done for him." NY MAN GIVES KIDNEY TO STRANGER, CLIMBS MT KILIMANJARO: ‘A WONDERFUL THING’ Over the last four years, as Maverick has grown, the Walers have taken him for regular checkups with his cardiologist. "Everyone kind of thought that he would need surgery again after a year, maybe two years," Brad Waler said. "But he continued to do really, really well. All his blood oxygen numbers were really good." Added Waler, "He was doing so well, there was no reason to do surgery. And they wanted him to be as old as possible before having another surgery." About a year ago, the Walers noticed that Maverick’s blood oxygen levels started to dip, which caused his lips and fingers to start to turn blue, Brad Waler said. As a result, Maverick would experience nausea. "It got to be a real interruption in his quality of life at that point," Brad Waler said. Despite the difficulty of seeing their son struggle, Brad and Ellyn Waler were somewhat prepared because they knew he was going to need another heart surgery, the dad said. What they didn’t expect is that the surgery would take them to New York City. Brad Waler said Maverick's local cardiologist asked the Walers if he could send Maverick's charts to Dr. Emile Bacha, director of congenital pediatric cardiac surgery at New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital. The Walers agreed because, as Brad Waler said, "The more eyes on this, the better." CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER Though Maverick was expected to undergo a Fontan procedure – and would eventually need more surgeries and a heart transplant – Bacha had developed a different kind of procedure. Instead of making temporary fixes to Maverick’s heart, Bacha's procedure would be able to close the holes in Maverick’s heart. Closing the holes, rather than doing a Fontan procedure, is "always the best option because the end result is a normal heart," Bacha told Fox News Digital. "Any time you have a chance to actually fix a heart in an anatomically correct way, that’s definitely the better way to go forward," Bacha added. Though Bacha has used his procedure in about 20 cases of children with Swiss cheese heart in his career, he said Maverick's condition was one of the worst he had seen. "The number of holes that he had was really, really extreme," Bacha said. "Normally, you get maybe five, six, seven and then you try to close them all. But he had 12." Bacha said that despite the challenge, he believed he could close all the holes in Maverick's heart. In December 2021, the Walers traveled to New York City. Maverick underwent the procedure, done by Bacha and Dr. Christopher Petit, the chief of the pediatric cardiology service at New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, on Dec. 13, 2021. The surgery lasted more than six hours, Brad Waler said. "It was definitely nerve-racking," Brad Waler said. "But Dr. Bacha just kind of busted into the waiting area and he looked like he had a positive look on his face." Brad Waler said hearing from Bacha that he was able to patch all the holes in Maverick’s heart was "a huge relief." "I felt like I wanted to like hug him or shake his hand, but… you're in a hospital, there's COVID protocols. So I resisted the urge to show my appreciation," Brad Waler said, laughing. Maverick isn't expected to need any future heart surgeries, Bacha said. Since the procedure, Maverick has been doing really well, Brad Waler said. "It’s a huge change," Brad Waler said. "He's got way more stamina. He acts like a kid his age. Before, it was like, he's a cardiac kid. He's only going to have 50% to 70% of the energy another kid his age is going to have." "He would get tired. He'd want to stop and take breaks," Brad Waler continued. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS "And now he can run and go on and on and play at the water park and do whatever he wants to do." "It just feels amazing, as a parent, to watch your kid thrive," added Brad Waler. | | | | | Minnesota squirrel causes power outage for more than 9,000 residents | | Sep 13, 2022 | | A squirrel in Minneapolis, Minnesota, disrupted a power transmission on Sunday, leaving around 9,500 people in the dark. The outage lasted about an hour before crews were able to restore most of the power, according to energy provider Xcel. "What happened is that a squirrel came into contact with some of our equipment that caused the outage," Xcel spokesperson Lacey Nygard told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. It's unclear what happened to the squirrel. MINNESOTA DEMOCRAT WANTS ALL NEWLY ELECTED MEMBERS TO DO LAW ENFORCEMENT RIDE-ALONGS Animals are the leading cause of power outages in the U.S., according to the American Public Power Association. And the issue is worse in areas where overheated transmission lines run among the trees. The animals will accidentally cause a short while running along the lines, and electrocute themselves in the process. Sunday's outage in Minnesota was just the most recent U.S. blackout caused by a squirrel in recent days. On Wednesday, 10,000 Virginia Beach residents and two schools suffered power outages after a squirrel made its way into a substation. That power outage lasted about 90 minutes. DRIVERS IN MINNESOTA STOP TO RESCUE FAMILY TRAPPED IN VEHICLE UNDERWATER "The squirrel got between a circuit breaker and a transformer, causing a power surge that made the transformer fail," Dominion Energy spokesperson Bonita Billingsley Harris told WVEC at the time. | | | | | |
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