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The 1960s marked a shift in American cuisine as international dishes gained popularity while the processed and convenience foods of the 1950s remained staples on dinner tables.C. A. Swanson & Sons introduced the frozen TV dinner in 1954, “marketing it as an easy-to-prepare, fun-to-eat meal, with a disposable tray that reduced cleanup time,” the Smithsonian National Museum of American History reported.”The portable TV dinner tapped into middle-class Americans’ excitement over television, allowing families to eat in front of their new sets.”VINTAGE PHOTOS REVEAL WHAT GROCERY SHOPPING LOOKED LIKE IN THE 1960sJulia Child’s first television cooking show, “The French Chef,” debuted in 1963, and with it came a new approach to preparing foreign fare for middle-class home cooks.Do you remember eating the following classic dishes during the midcentury?The Swiss tradition of fondue took America by storm in the 1960s and ‘70s, thanks in part to the Swiss Pavilion serving Swiss cheese fondue at the 1964 New York World’s Fair.Fondue is derived from the French word fondre, which means “to melt.” The dish involves melting cheese, wine and seasonings together in a pot and eating it communally with bread, meat and other items.CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE NEWSFondue sets became a fashionable centerpiece of entertaining during the ’60s and ’70s.As convenience cooking grew in popularity during the mid-century, casseroles incorporating canned and processed products fit the bill.The green bean casserole was created by Campbell’s test kitchen employee Dorcas Reilly in 1955 and was originally called “Green Bean Bake,” according to the company’s website.”To this day, the recipe calls for only six ingredients: canned or fresh green beans, Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup, soy sauce, black pepper, milk and French-fried onions,” the website says.A recipe for tuna, noodle and mushroom soup casserole was included in the 1951 version of “The Joy of Cooking.”CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTERChicken divan, a casserole combining chicken and broccoli in a creamy sauce and often topped with cheese and breadcrumbs, was another popular dish of the era.The exact origins of Chicken Kiev are disputed, but it has connections to French culinary techniques and Eastern European cuisine, reported Tasting Table. It is made by stuffing a chicken breast with cold, garlic-and-herb butter, breading the chicken and frying it.Frozen versions of this item are available in grocery stores today.Lipton’s introduced its dehydrated onion soup in the early 1950s. By the middle of the decade, home cooks were combining it with sour cream to make what became known as California dip, later called French onion dip, a go-to snack item and party food, according to the website Quaint Cooking.TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZThe dip has evolved from the original, two-ingredient recipe. Modern iterations of it involve using Greek yogurt, whipped cottage cheese or cream cheese.Other retro food favorites that baby boomers may remember fondly include Swedish meatballs, Chicken à la king and grasshopper pie.Swedish meatballs are typically made with a meat mixture, breadcrumbs and egg and topped with gravy.Chicken à la king uses chicken, vegetables and a cream sauce and is typically served over toast, rice or noodles.Grasshopper pie is a no-bake dessert that incorporates crème de menthe and crème de cacao in a cookie crust.

Is America doomed to repeat its welfare mistakes?That’s the question on the 30th anniversary of the 1996 welfare reforms, which President Clinton signed on August 22. The law empowered millions of families to move from welfare to work, but it has since been replaced by an even more costly and harmful welfare state. Over $18 trillion in welfare spending later, President Trump championed an even bigger reform in the law he signed last summer. It represents historic progress, yet its success depends on tireless enforcement against states and bureaucrats that want to undermine it. The next welfare reform is already needed — sooner rather than later.Even now, the 1996 welfare reform stands out as one of the most transformative policies in recent history. The law famously targeted the country’s main cash welfare program, which had trapped families in poverty and dependency for decades. It created a new program — Temporary Assistance for Needy Families — that connected mostly single mothers to work. By 2005, TANF caseloads had dropped by nearly 60%, saving taxpayers billions of dollars while improving millions of lives.DR. OZ UNVEILS MEDICAID OVERHAUL, CLAMPS DOWN ON $2B FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND MANDATES WORK FOR ABLE-BODIEDYet the progress with cash welfare was overshadowed by a backward slide in food stamps. While the 1996 law created much-needed work requirements for able-bodied adults, it had Swiss cheese levels of loopholes. State officials and federal bureaucrats conspired to the point that, in 2023, about 95% of able-bodied adults on food stamps were not covered by work requirements. Meanwhile, other welfare programs not touched in 1996 have exploded. ObamaCare and pandemic-era policies expanded Medicaid to previously inconceivable levels of more than 100 million recipients, a huge percentage of them able-bodied men with no disabilities.The painful result: As of last year, federal welfare spending was 2.7 times higher than it was in 1996, even adjusting for inflation. Welfare is more expensive, expansive, and extreme than ever.TRUMP TRIES TO CUT BLUE-STATE MEDICAID FRAUD AND SAVE MORE GREENEnter President Trump. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act enacted unprecedented reforms to both food stamps and Medicaid. The loopholes that states use to avoid food-stamp work requirements have almost all been closed, and Medicaid now has its first-ever work requirements. Most importantly, states are now on the hook for high misspending in both programs. If they tolerate waste, fraud, and abuse, they have to pay a portion of the programs’ costs — a powerful incentive to apply work requirements and shrink welfare rolls. My organization estimates that at least 10 million people could move from welfare to work under the law, far more than under the 1996 reform. Separately, President Trump is allowing local authorities to enact a work requirement in public housing — a major and much-needed move.Yet just like after 1996, states are looking to avoid responsibility and worsen the welfare crisis. The worst loopholes are in Medicaid, where states can let recipients self-attest to their medically frail status. If recipients don’t provide documentation within six months, they’re supposed to be removed from the program. At least 30 states have admitted they plan to use self-attestation, and, based on a court filing, at least 25 states and D.C. have acknowledged they could simply remove these people at the six-month mark, then let them re-enroll for another six months. This never-ending cycle is a recipe for more, not less, abuse of programs meant for truly needy Americans.COALITION OF 25 STATES SUES TRUMP ADMIN OVER MEDICAID WORK RULE DESIGNED TO PREVENT FRAUDThere’s also a food-stamp carve-out that lets states delay financial penalties if their misspending is high enough. The measure was supposed to give the worst offenders more time to design solutions, but bad actors are misspending more so they can delay penalties. Four states and D.C. have cleared that threshold. Several others, like New York, appear set to follow suit. Illinois and Delaware saw massive increases in waste, fraud, and abuse over the last year, and New Mexico openly admitted it’s using this strategy. Ultimately, states want to kill the reform or at least delay penalties, which the current Senate Farm Bill draft unfortunately does. Accountability should be tightened, not loosened, delayed, or eliminated.CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINIONThe Trump administration has just over two years to crack down on gimmicks. It must also police the overwhelmingly liberal federal bureaucracy so the law isn’t gutted from within. Other loopholes and tortured legal interpretations may take years to manifest. Democratic administrations have a history of taking a mile when statutory text only gives them an inch. While the new welfare reforms will help millions of people achieve financial independence and save huge sums of taxpayer money, constant vigilance is required to prevent President Trump’s achievements from being undermined or ignored long-term.Most of all, Congress should already be thinking about the next welfare reform, and it can’t take another 30 years. The welfare state is still growing larger by the year, sapping the American spirit of hard work and personal agency. The next stage is to shrink programs more dramatically, eliminate unnecessary and harmful handouts altogether, and eliminate all loopholes and waivers, period. The 1996 reform was good. President Trump’s reforms are great. The next welfare reform must be exceptional — and imminent.

In 2022, Sophia Maddox received a phone call that upended everything she thought she knew about her family — and sent her searching for answers about one of America’s most notorious criminals.At the time, the 22-year-old aspiring filmmaker and actress was living in Los Angeles, juggling odd jobs to make rent, while her father, Daniel Arguelles, was searching for answers about his own past. Raised by his mother and stepfather, Arguelles had been trying to identify his biological father when he called Maddox with a startling discovery.”He told me he thinks he found out who his father is, and if it’s true, it’s really dark,” Maddox told Fox News Digital. “He wasn’t sure if I was ready to know. And my dad is not a dark person. He never taught me any dark things. So if he says it’s dark, my first thought is it must be famously dark. So I asked him to just get it out of the way.”WOMAN BRANDED ‘FEMALE CHARLES MANSON’ ESCAPED PRISON; PROSECUTOR NOW DOUBTS HER CONVICTION”‘Is it Ted Bundy?'” she recalled. “He said, ‘Bigger. Think of the biggest movie you know and the biggest director you know.’ And I thought of the movie ‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood.’ I was trying to remember the name mentioned in the film. And then I realized who it was: Charles Manson.”Maddox immediately Googled Manson’s name. The resemblance, she said, was uncanny.”I thought to myself, ‘That’s my dad,'” Maddox said. “It was a really devastating day.”Maddox’s journey after learning that Manson was her grandfather is chronicled in the Hulu documentary “My Grandfather Charles Manson.” In it, she meets people who had direct connections to Manson, including some of his former followers, to better understand her family history.”It was cathartic,” Maddox said. “I’m a filmmaker before I found out who my grandfather is. And my life got uprooted from this. I had something to say at that moment, and I couldn’t bottle it up.”Arguelles submitted his DNA to Ancestry in 2015, hoping to identify his father and finally answer a question that had followed him for decades. He had long suspected the man who raised him was not his biological father and confronted his mother about his paternity when he was 21.FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON XYears passed, and Arguelles had nearly given up when he matched with Michael Brunner. DNA testing confirmed they were half-brothers. Brunner is Manson’s son with Mary Brunner, one of Manson’s earliest followers, People magazine reported.Maddox described herself and her father as “normal, working-class citizens.””We have no prior records or anything criminal,” Maddox said. “We grew up as artists. My dad showed me the movies he made and his modeling photos of him photographed by Richard Avedon. So of course, when you learn that someone like Manson is your grandfather, it’s normal to wonder, ‘Am I that too?’ People have asked me, ‘Were you afraid that you inherited evil, that you were evil?’ But my dad and I are very normal, hardworking people.”Manson, who was convicted of orchestrating the 1969 murders of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and six others in Los Angeles, died in 2017. He was 83 and serving a life sentence.A petty criminal who had been in and out of jail since childhood, the charismatic, guru-like Manson surrounded himself in the 1960s with runaways and other lost souls, The Associated Press reported. According to the outlet, he then sent his disciples to butcher some of the rich and famous in what prosecutors said was a bid to trigger a race war — an idea he got from a twisted reading of the Beatles song “Helter Skelter.”Despite the overwhelming evidence against him, Manson maintained that he was innocent and that society itself was guilty.SIGN UP TO GET THE TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTERA horrified Arguelles resisted learning more about his biological father. Maddox wanted to dig deeper into her grandfather’s past. She said she was less interested in the mythology surrounding Manson and more interested in how he became the man America came to fear.Manson was born in 1934 to teenage Kathleen Maddox. His biological father was absent, and his mother married William Manson, whose surname Charles took. After that marriage ended, his mother was sent to prison for her role in a robbery, and Manson went to live with relatives. By his teens, he was stealing, running away and bouncing through juvenile institutions.He eventually was sent to the Indiana Boys School. Manson later said he was beaten and sexually assaulted while locked up as a juvenile. His troubles continued into adulthood, with repeated prison sentences for crimes including theft and forgery.By the time Manson was released from federal prison in 1967 at age 32, he had spent roughly half his life behind bars or in juvenile institutions.In the film, Maddox examined previously unreleased records that shed light on Manson’s troubled childhood.”I heard about my dad’s abuse as a child from a reform school and from his own parents,” she explained. “My dad’s was really bad, but that was the ’70s. Imagine what it was like back in the ’40s or ’50s. It was shocking how bad they treated boys in these reform schools. the juvenile justice expert we spoke to said that Manson’s experience at Indiana was not singular. Manson’s story was not exceptional. That’s how they learned their lessons in survival.”GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB”I think the biggest shock for me was how Manson’s decision-making as an adult in his 30s can really stem from the survival mechanisms he learned from his childhood in these prisons,” she added.Maddox said she was disturbed to learn that Manson, who had been institutionalized for offenses including running away and theft, was housed alongside older juveniles with violent records.”I was shocked to read that he was imprisoned with kids who had murdered people,” Maddox said. “And he was there for running away from home, stealing a bike or stealing a car. But so many boys, older kids with violent records, were placed there. And what does a kid have to do to survive a place like that? It breaks my heart.”Arguelles, born in 1959, learned that he was the result of a brief relationship between his mother, Darlene Arguelles, and Manson, who was using the alias “Charlie Dear” at the time, People magazine reported.But as Maddox dug deeper into the family’s past, the search that initially brought father and daughter together began pulling them apart.Maddox said she and her father had a falling out one week before production on the documentary began. Arguelles had previously sat for an interview and encouraged his daughter to make the film, but she said confronting his biological father’s past ultimately became too painful.SIGN UP TO GET THE LATEST TRUE CRIME NEWS”I have a little more distance from Manson because I am the grandchild, but that’s his father,” Maddox said. “And he’s shared similar experiences in childhood as him. And my dad is a very sensitive person. [But] he was curious. He wanted answers. He wanted me to make this film. But then at the same time, it was all too much.””I don’t know if he’s seen the film,” Maddox said. “He hasn’t reached out. So I’m just sitting back and respecting his wishes until he reaches back out.””I still support Sophia and I’m very proud of her,” Arguelles told Fox News Digital. “I believe the falling out between us came from a difference of opinion on the overall narrative. That’s really all I can say at this point.”The Manson Family slaughtered five of its victims on Aug. 9, 1969, at Tate’s home: the actress, who was 8½ months pregnant, coffee heiress Abigail Folger, celebrity hairdresser Jay Sebring, Polish screenwriter Wojciech (Voityck) Frykowski and Steven Parent, a friend of the estate’s caretaker. Tate’s husband, “Rosemary’s Baby” director Roman Polanski, was out of the country at the time.The next night, a wealthy grocer and his wife, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, were stabbed to death in their home across town.After a trial that lasted nearly a year, Manson and three followers — Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten — were convicted of murder and sentenced to death. Another defendant, Charles “Tex” Watson, was convicted and sentenced to death later. Their sentences were commuted to life in prison after the California Supreme Court struck down the state’s death penalty in 1972.Atkins died of cancer in prison in 2009 at age 61. Van Houten was released on parole in 2023. Krenwinkel and Watson are still behind bars.LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MOREMaddox said she reached out to the victims’ loved ones during filming.”I’m in talks with two relatives at the moment,” Maddox said. “And I’ll just say every experience I’ve had with them has been very lovely. They were very kind to me. They understood why I am telling this story. … I’m not the only person looking for answers.”Maddox said examining the forces that shaped Manson was never about absolving him of his crimes.”My intention is never to apologize or justify for anybody’s actions,” she said. “I know what my grandfather did.”Maddox said understanding Manson’s past wasn’t about excusing his crimes but about understanding what shaped him — and potentially preventing future violence.In the film, Maddox also explained her decision to change her surname.SEND US A TIP”My dad and I were always trying to find a last name that resonated with us,” she said. “I spent a year or two investigating my family and re-looked the name ‘Maddox.’ And when I Googled it, it meant ‘goodness.’ My blood name means goodness. I’m going to own it. That’s mine. I’m giving it new life.”

Parents at a North Carolina elementary school are fighting for the ability to keep their children in public school while opting them out of a music class taught by a transgender teacher, as one father says critics have responded by telling families to homeschool instead.The dispute at Middle Creek Elementary School in Wake County has centered on parents who say they were not given advance notice about the teacher and want an alternative for children whose families object on religious or personal grounds. Parents speaking before the school board this week said children have come home “upset, confused and uncomfortable,” while others said requests for alternatives have been ignored or dismissed and called on the district to provide an opt-out.The controversy spilled into a heated Wake County Board of Education meeting Tuesday, where speakers were sharply divided over whether accommodating those families amounts to protecting parental rights or discriminating against a teacher because of gender identity. One speaker argued that religious and conscientious exemptions effectively amount to parents demanding that their children not encounter people they dislike, while others said families should not have to leave the public-school system to avoid a class they object to.PORTLAND PARENT BANNED FROM SCHOOL EVENTS AFTER OPPOSING GENDER IDENTITY ASSIGNMENT FILES LAWSUITAaron Driver, a father of three children at Middle Creek Elementary and member of Middle Creek Parental Rights, told the board that parents “shouldn’t have to pass an ideological test to participate in public education.””Here’s what our detractors are telling us,” Driver said. “You don’t support school hiring a trans teacher. Maybe public school isn’t for you or your family. Maybe homeschool. Maybe private school.”BRAZIL PARENTS FACE PRISON SENTENCE FOR HOMESCHOOLING AFTER COURT ACCUSES THEM OF ‘INTELLECTUAL NEGLECT'”That’s right,” he continued. “Maybe pay taxes into the school system and then pay again to escape from it.”Later in the meeting, another public commenter, Katrina Day, offered a striking response from the other side of the fight, proposing a free homeschooling curriculum because it would “keep the bigots away from my grandchildren.” She also suggested the district “relocate the children of bigots if needed” or “expel the children of bigots if needed.”The fight at Middle Creek has been building prior to Tuesday’s contentious board meeting.State Rep. Erin Paré, R-Wake, publicly raised concerns in late July after hearing from parents about the possibility of a transgender teacher at their southern Wake County elementary school, floating the possibility of a state law requiring sex-based professional attire for public-school employees, according to WRAL.Parents opposed to the arrangement have framed their objections as a request for advance notice and alternatives rather than a personal attack on the teacher. During Tuesday’s meeting, one speaker said parents should receive “advanced notice and the option to opt out” when a teacher’s presentation conflicts with their religious or personal beliefs, while another said families had requested alternatives and called on the board to “provide reasonable alternatives to families who object.”

As the team behind the 2024 biopic “Reagan” promotes and prepares for the film’s re-release next month, it once again finds itself battling what its producer calls digital gatekeeping.This time, producer Mark Joseph is taking issue with Google’s YouTube after ads promoting interviews with stars and others associated with the film were flagged under the platform’s advertising policies. The interviews are part of Joseph’s podcast special series, “Making REAGAN.”Since the film — which starred Dennis Quaid as the 40th president — was first released in theaters in August 2024, its creators have faced numerous obstacles, including restrictions imposed by Facebook early on related to efforts to boost posts and advertisements for the film. Production on “Reagan” began in 2020.NEW FOX NATION DOCUMENTARY CHRONICLES 20-YEAR JOURNEY BEHIND ‘REAGAN’ FILMIn what Joseph describes as the latest censorship activity by YouTube, an ad promoting the first episode of the series, featuring rock legend Gene Simmons discussing family, his producing endeavors and his appreciation for America, was flagged by the platform for “advertisement for elections” and “shocking content,” despite the noticeably tame conversation.Simmons’ cover of “Stormy Weather” was his contribution to the “Reagan” movie.”For 30 years, Simmons has been branded for outrageous content, and now he’s been deemed outrageous for talking?” Joseph told Fox News Digital.Simmons, the co-founder, co-lead singer and bassist of the legendary rock band KISS, has long been famous for his black-and-white face paint, inordinately long tongue, fire-breathing and blood-spitting stunts and overall stage persona.”The notion that a simple conversation with a rock legend like Gene Simmons is labeled ‘shocking content’ and ‘election advertising’ is ridiculous, as anyone who watches the episode can attest,” Joseph added. “These are normal conversations.”Other episodes whose promotions were flagged for “election advertising” feature Kathie Lee Gifford, who co-wrote the tribute song “I Knew It Would Be You” for the film; actresses Amanda Righetti and Lesley-Anne Down; actors Dan Lauria, Elya Baskin and Trevor Donovan; author Arthur Laffer; singer Tanya Tucker; and screenwriter and filmmaker Howard Klausner.REAGAN SHOOTER CALLS LINK TO WASHINGTON HOTEL ‘SPOOKY’ AFTER ALLEGED TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AT SAME SITEAn Aug. 12 episode in which Joseph sits down with John Hinckley Jr. for an exclusive interview and extensive discussion about his 1981 assassination attempt on President Reagan also had its promotion blocked for “election advertising.””The idea that an information and news-oriented interview with the man who shot Ronald Reagan, John Hinckley, is labeled ‘election advertising’ and blocked from being boosted is equally crazy,” Joseph said.According to Joseph’s team, when this happens, YouTube does not provide an option to appeal the ruling, but only allows them to boost a different episode.RONALD REAGAN TOOK AWAY HIS OWN SON’S FOOTBALL SCHOLARSHIP, ‘REAGAN’ PRODUCER REVEALSJoseph has called on the video-streaming platform to reverse its decision and stop blocking the team’s attempts to promote the episodes, as well as the release of the “Reagan” director’s cut in theaters Sept. 25. The extended version includes 10 additional minutes of footage and returns to roughly 600 theaters on Sept. 25, after limited Independence Day screenings tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary.YouTube responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment with a statement citing that “ads related to the podcast were removed for including profanity,” referring specifically to the episode featuring Simmons.A YouTube representative did note, however, that after review, the ad does not violate their U.S. Election Ads policy, but since it still contains profanity, it can’t be approved to run as an advertisement. Beyond that, it was noted that the creator’s videos are compliant with YouTube’s community guidelines, which apply to organic content.It also said that the platform had reached out to the creator to “help them understand our policies moving forward, and they are welcome to adjust the content in order to promote the video in the future.”NEW ‘REAGAN’ MOVIE MUSEUM PLANNED FOR PRESIDENT’S HOMETOWNYet numerous other episodes were flagged for “election advertising.”YouTube noted its U.S. Election Ads policy, which requires advertisers to have an elections certification to run ads that feature a reference to a current candidate or officeholder for an elected office.Joseph reiterated that many of the episodes weren’t geared towards politics and were just discussions with those who contributed to the “Reagan” film.YouTube then responded, “Following a careful review, we determined that a few of these advertised episodes were out of scope of the Election Ads policy, but others are in scope.”Directed by Sean McNamara and produced by Rawhide Pictures, “Reagan” follows his childhood in Illinois, Hollywood acting career, California governorship and rise to the presidency.Besides the overall challenge the filmmakers say they faced while telling the story of a conservative icon in left-leaning Hollywood, the film’s production encountered many stops and starts.While filming in Guthrie, Okla., the production had to shut down for a month due to COVID.Then, while promoting the film and ahead of its release, Facebook restricted efforts to boost posts and advertisements for the movie. Material featuring Quaid and a Reagan quotation about America’s best days still lying ahead was affected. The film’s official Facebook page also faced temporary suspensions.For its part, Facebook cited automated systems and policies governing content involving politicians before a presidential election as the problem. Although Trump was the Republican on the ballot, not Reagan, Facebook later said that automated systems had mistakenly flagged content about “Reagan” as requiring special authorization under its social-issues and elections rules.”The similarities to Facebook are that both use a nebulous reasoning that the content somehow constitutes electioneering, but with the ‘Making Reagan’ series on YouTube, these are just ordinary conversations with people who were involved with the film or the topic of the film and have nothing to do with advocating for an election,” Joseph said.Other obstacles related to the movie involved the Guinness World Records declining to certify a milestone asserted by the filmmakers: that the movie achieved the widest gap between audience and critic scores on Rotten Tomatoes for any American-made movie.In terms of the YouTube kerfuffle, producer, director and CEO of boutique marketing agency Ribbow Media Group CEO Ash Greyson said he, too, has had ongoing issues when using YouTube’s platform to promote conservative films. But it’s the faith-based films he’s marketed that have faced the greatest hurdles.Greyson helped market and promote the 2023 Christian drama “Jesus Revolution,” among other Christian-based films, including “God’s Not Dead” and “I Still Believe.””It’s been a frustrating and ongoing issue for years, particularly on YouTube, where they will flag anything ‘faith,’” Greyson said, noting that he’s had very few issues regarding films outside those genres. “And it seems to be worse on the Christian stuff.”For Joseph, it’s simply about getting these important stories seen after all the sweat equity involved in making them.”It’s unfortunate because it severely limits the reach,” he said regarding what he sees as obstacles needlessly put up by YouTube. 

FIRST ON FOX: Democratic Senate nominee and former Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, missed nearly one in five votes in the Alaska House of Representatives and more than a third of Bethel City Council meetings during her time in office, records show.Peltola missed 794 of 4,265 state House votes, or 18.6%, during her five terms from 1999 to 2009, according to legislative records, and 22 of 60 city council meetings, or 36.67% from 2011 to 2013, according to city records.Her attendance record is now raising questions about her commitment to public service as she advances to Alaska’s four-candidate general election, a closely watched race that could affect control of the U.S. Senate.”Alaskans deserve an all-the-time workhorse like Dan Sullivan, not someone like Peltola who knifes Alaskans in the back when she even bothers to show up,” Republican National Committee spokesperson Nick Poche said in a statement sent to Fox News Digital.MORNING GLORY: ALASKA’S ‘REAL’ SENATOR DAN SULLIVAN STOOD UP OVER CHALLENGERRecords show Peltola’s highest number of absences came during the 23rd Legislature from 2003 to 2004, when she missed 334 of 1,019 Alaska House votes. She also missed nine of 22 council meetings in 2013 and 11 of 32 council meetings in 2012, according to city records.Peltola has also faced criticism from conservatives for missing votes while serving in the United States Congress from 2022-2024 where she missed 235 of 1,370 roll-call votes, or 17.2%, according to GovTrack data.In addition to missed votes, Peltola’s critics have also pointed to her time in Congress not resulting in any bills or resolutions for which she was the primary sponsor becoming law, compared to Sullivan who has had several bills signed into law.”She couldn’t even get a single bill signed into law,” the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) posted on X in January. “Now, she wants a promotion.”In a statement to Fox News Digital, a Peltola campaign spokesperson defended the absences, saying Peltola, a mother of seven, took maternity leave after giving birth to three of her children while serving in the state House. The spokesperson added that, excluding excused absences, Peltola missed only about 6% of votes and continued to advance bipartisan measures throughout her tenure.”Three of Mary’s children were born during her time in the state legislature and she took maternity leave. That didn’t stop her from working hard for Alaskans, from passing bills to improve public safety in rural Alaska to increasing Alaska energy production,” the Peltola campaign said.The campaign also said Peltola spent summers at fish camp and that some city council absences occurred during fishing months or because of other council priorities.GOP SENATOR, EX-HOUSE DEM EMERGE FROM ALASKA’S ‘JUNGLE PRIMARY’ DESPITE FAR-LEFT MEDDLINGTurning to Sullivan’s attendance record, the spokesperson said he has missed a significant number of votes and committee hearings, calling his absences “an insult to Alaskans” and saying that Sullivan has been “slacking off” missing fisheries subcommittee hearings.Peltola announced her Senate bid in January to represent Alaska and unseat two-term Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, who is backed by President Donald Trump and also advanced to the general election in November. She finished ahead of Sullivan in Tuesday’s primary.FOUR MONTHS TO MIDTERMS: 12 RACES THAT WILL DETERMINE THE SENATE MAJORITYPeltola announced her Senate bid in January to represent Alaska and unseat two-term Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, who is backed by President Donald Trump and also advanced to the general election in November. She finished ahead of Sullivan in Tuesday’s primary.Alaska’s unique election system uses a nonpartisan top-four primary, in which candidates from all parties appear on the same ballot, followed by ranked-choice voting in the general election.

New data cited by the White House revealed that fentanyl-related deaths have dropped over 20 percent in one year as the Trump administration continues cracking down on drug cartels and traffickers.
An exclusive report published Friday by Fox News said that fentanyl-linked deaths were down 22 percent. The White House said the dramatic turnaround is due to its strong border policies and aggressive enforcement tactics.
These figures were shared with Fox News Digital to honor “National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day.”
“Synthetic opioid deaths, which include fentanyl, fell from 48,913 in 2024 to 38,084 in 2025, according to CDC figures cited by the White House — a decline of more than 10,000 deaths,” the article read. “Total drug overdose deaths fell 14 percent during the same period, from 81,313 to 69,973.”
In addition, the White House highlighted a 45 percent drop in nationwide fentanyl seizures in fiscal year 2025, compared to 2024.
FBI Director Kash Patel has recently been recognized for his comprehensive efforts as well, which included the targeting of fentanyl supply chains, specifically Chinese suppliers who provide chemical precursors.

Moreover, the White House reportedly shared information about 11 foreign nationals arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement earlier this year who had previously been convicted of fentanyl-related crimes.
President Donald Trump’s promise to dismantle drug cartels has been a pillar of his second term. On his first day back in office on Jan. 20, 2025, he designated major drug cartels like Tren de Aragua, MS-13, and Sinaloa as foreign terrorist organizations.
Later that year, in December 2025, he also signed an executive order designating fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction.
“Illicit fentanyl is closer to a chemical weapon than a narcotic,” Trump declared. “Two milligrams, an almost undetectable trace amount equivalent to 10 to 15 grains of table salt, constitutes a lethal dose. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have died from fentanyl overdoses.”
“The manufacture and distribution of fentanyl, primarily performed by organized criminal networks, threatens our national security and fuels lawlessness in our hemisphere and at our borders,” the order read.
“The production and sale of fentanyl by Foreign Terrorist Organizations and cartels fund these entities’ operations — which include assassinations, terrorist acts, and insurgencies around the world — and allow these entities to erode our domestic security and the well-being of our Nation.”
In July 2025, the commander in chief signed the HALT Fentanyl Act into law, “permanently classifying fentanyl-related substances as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act.”
He has also taken aggressive action against suspected drug boats by authorizing drone strikes against them in an effort to deter others from trafficking drugs into the United States, and he greenlit a daring raid to capture former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January.
Maduro is now facing drug-related charges of narco-terrorism, with a trial set for 2027.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

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The NTT IndyCar Series is about to hold one of its biggest, most ambitious spectacles ever with the Freedom 250 Grand Prix.If you’re an IndyCar fan, then you know how we got to the point where Pennsylvania Avenue has a pit lane and start-finish straight with a picturesque view of the U.S. Capitol.But if you’re not, here’s a quick rundown.TRUMP TOUTS INDYCAR DRIVERS’ ‘SPECIAL’ ABILITY AT FREEDOM 250 GRAND PRIX SHOWCASE, SEEMINGLY ENDING HOT DEBATEBack in January, President Trump signed an executive order that directed multiple federal agencies to work with the Washington, D.C., mayor’s office to put together a circuit for an IndyCar race.This idea was to make it part of the America 250 celebrations, although oddly enough, the 250-mile race distance wasn’t part of the event until just a few weeks before.Also, when the executive order was signed and the event announcement was made, the IndyCar schedule had been out for quite some time and was only about a month from starting.Of course, for a once-in-a-lifetime event like this, you make it work.INDYCAR STAR ALEX PALOU REFLECTS ON WHITE HOUSE, OVAL OFFICE VISIT WITH TRUMP: ‘INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE’The circuit for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix uses streets around the National Mall and in front of the Capitol building, as well as a section of Pennsylvania Avenue.That portion of Pennsylvania Avenue is also where the pit lane is located.The layout is fairly simple with just seven corners, but don’t equate “simple” with easy.It’s mostly 90-degree or almost-90-degree corners, but take a look at Turn 6. It doesn’t really come through on that map, but it’s a chicane and a pretty narrow one at that.Take a look at an onboard from a Corvette hot lap.The track also has what looks to be a tricky pit lane entrance that sneaks up on drivers immediately after Turn 1.One of the things about an IndyCar race, or really any motorsport event, is that you need a lot of space for teams to park their haulers and prepare their cars.So… where do you do that in the middle of Washington, DC?The answer is pretty simple: teams are stationed along Constitution Ave. NW and 7th Street.That means they can give their cars a quick tow and be on pit lane for all on-track sessions.While IndyCar’s direct feeder series, Indy NXT, did not make the trip to the Nation’s Capital, we will get two International Race of Champions, or IROC, races on Saturday.The series ran from 1973 to 2006, and is now being revived for select events.It pits drivers from different disciplines, all competing in the same machinery, which, in this case, are Pontiac Firebirds used in the original series from 1996 to 2006.The field will include NASCAR greats Jeff Gordon, Bill Elliott, Bobby Labonte, Rusty Wallace and Kurt Busch, as well as IndyCar legends Tony Kanaan, Helio Castroneves and Dario Franchitti.While some premium tickets (and I mean premium) are still available, general tickets were free and were gone in minutes.Race organizers are anticipating as many as 140,000 people on each day of the two-day event.Saturday’s IndyCar practice and qualifying sessions will be on FS1 and FS2, as will Sunday morning’s warm-up session.Pre-race coverage begins at 11:30 a.m. ET on FOX, with the race slated to begin at 1 p.m. ET.

Turkey Issues Arrest Warrant For Netanyahu, Seeks Interpol Red Notice

Turkey has escalated its anti-Israel actions, after months of denunciations connected to its Gaza, Syria, and Iran policies – and is once again taking things to new levels.

The Erdogan government has just issued an international arrest warrant for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as part of an investigation into Israel’s interception of an aid flotilla for Gaza, which happened in mid-May and involved over 50 vessels and nearly 500 international activists.
AFP/Getty Images

Justice Minister Akin Gurlek announced Friday on X that Netanyahu and another top official are wanted for “genocide” related to military actions in Gaza.

“We categorically reject the notion that the Netanyahu administration, which is implementing a genocide policy in Gaza, is untouchable and unaccountable,” Gurlek said.

“We will not allow the crimes committed in Gaza to be covered up or the perpetrators to be shielded by impunity. We will resolutely utilize all possibilities of national and international law,” the Justice Minister added.

 Gurlek vowed that Turkey will continue to support the Palestinian people and won’t halt its pursuit of justice until “those who commit crimes against humanity are held accountable before the law.”

Israeli official Afek Moskovitch has also been named as part of the anti-flotilla crackdown, which Ankara says was a severe violation of international law and maritime norms. Turkey has asked Interpol to issue red notices for the Israeli officials’ arrest.

Israeli media has picked up on the provocation from Turkey, and details the following:

Gurlek said arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Moskovitch were issued on July 14 on a genocide charge, prompting the Justice Ministry to ask the Interior Ministry to pursue the Interpol notices. The case before Istanbul’s 11th High Criminal Court names 35 defendants.

The proceedings concern the interception of activists seeking to deliver aid to Gaza and their subsequent detention. Gurlek said the charges include crimes against humanity, genocide, unlawful deprivation of liberty, torture, intentional injury, property damage, aggravated robbery and hijacking.

This is not the first time that Turkey has issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu. It did so in 2025 related to supporting the International Criminal Court (ICC) case targeting Israeli leaders.

Given years of ratcheting tensions between the two countries, it remains extremely unlikely that Israeli leaders would ever travel to Turkey anyway, but this will continue to also cause problems and create pressures for regular Israeli tourists.

This past week, Israel attacked a northern airbase in Syria, and reports speculate that it was really about pushing back Turkish military forces, and to ensure that no Turkish foothold could be established there. The destroyed base is in Idlib province, and is believed to have been abandoned since Assad’s overthrow.

Tyler Durden
Sat, 08/22/2026 – 07:35

EXCLUSIVE: The New York Liberty refunded a lesbian hip-hop artist after the team attempted to change her paid scoreboard message thanking Jennifer Sey and XX-XY Athletics.Julie Potter claims she purchased 25 tickets for a group attending the Liberty vs Fever game at Barclays Center to support Sophie Cunningham, saying the tickets cost more than $2,000.Potter also paid $100 to display a message on the arena scoreboard during halftime. A receipt shows the payment was processed Aug. 17 for the Liberty’s Aug. 22 game against Indiana.Potter says she submitted the message: “Thank you Jennifer Sey! XX-XY Athletics will Save the Day!!”Potter added that the Liberty initially approved the message and accepted her payment. But the team’s sales department contacted her Friday, one day before the game, and said it had changed the wording.WNBA ADMITS SECURITY IN ATLANTA WAS WRONG TO MAKE FANS COVER SHIRTS AT DREAM-FEVER GAME”Your scoreboard message for 8/[22] has been modified to: ‘Thank you Jennifer Sey, thank you for all you do for XX-XY Athletics,’” an email to Potter from the Liberty’s sales team said. “This will run during halftime.”Potter’s receipt identifies the game of her purchased “scoreboard message” as “August 22 vs. Indiana.” The receipt shows the Liberty charged Potter $100 on Aug. 17 and refunded the payment on Aug. 21. But the Liberty email to Potter referred to Aug. 29.The Liberty have not responded to a request for clarification on the date of Potter’s scoreboard message, but Potter said she believes it was a typo by the Liberty employee.Potter also explained why she objected to the changing of her message and asked the Liberty either to display her original message or return her money, in email exchanges reviewed by Fox News Digital. The team refunded her, and then gave a brief explanation for the attempted change of her message.”Our scoreboard messages are limited to positive, celebratory content, and submissions that may intentionally or unintentionally violate that spirit are not eligible for display,” the Liberty sales team wrote in one email.Potter accused the team of “censorship.””Unfortunately, this is censorship. My message was approved and payment was accepted. You then changed it without giving me any opportunity to revise or respond, and you did so inside your own 48-hour window,” Potter wrote.”Why would I pay to let you speak for me?”The Liberty’s publicly available scoreboard-message form says requests must be submitted at least 48 hours before tipoff. It also says proceeds support the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty Foundation. The form does not publicly list additional content restrictions.Potter acknowledged that her original wording carried a broader message about protecting female sports. She said she intentionally avoided explicitly referencing Cunningham or the “Save Women’s Sports” movement.”I wanna say I purposely didn’t put Sophie’s name in it, ’cause I thought that would trigger, trigger them,” Potter told Fox News Digital.XX-XY Athletics is an apparel company founded by Sey, a former national champion gymnast and former Levi Strauss & Co. brand president. The company advocates for keeping transgender athletes out of female sports categories.WNBA WON’T NAME PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR SECURITY INCIDENT OVER FANS’ SHIRTS, AS DREAM BLAME LEAGUEPotter said the Liberty never identified which words in her message violated the team’s standards.”I don’t know what that means. What did I do wrong? I want a code. I want a violation. I read everything. I read their website. I made sure to follow the rules,” Potter said.”I said nothing derogatory. I didn’t even say, ‘Save women’s sports.’ I just said, ‘Shout out to the CEO of a dope company who’s changing the world from my perspective.’ That’s obviously not their perspective, but is this America? Can we have different perspectives?”Potter and her guests plan to attend a rally supporting Cunningham before Saturday’s game. Similar rallies have followed the Fever during recent road games after Cunningham publicly opposed transgender athletes competing in women’s sports.The controversy has also produced counterprotests and confrontations involving fans wearing XX-XY Athletics clothing. The WNBA recently acknowledged that security personnel should not have asked a mother and daughter to cover their XX-XY shirts during a Fever game in Atlanta.Potter said she still planned to attend Saturday’s game but would no longer purchase tickets from the Liberty. She said she would instead consider attending future Fever games.The Liberty have not provided a response to Potter’s statements.Potter’s connection to the WNBA dates back to its beginning. She said she attended the first two league games played in Los Angeles as an 18-year-old California native.The first was the inaugural WNBA game on June 21, 1997. The New York Liberty defeated the Los Angeles Sparks 67-57 before 14,284 fans at the Great Western Forum. Penny Toler scored the first basket in league history, while Lisa Leslie recorded 16 points and 14 rebounds for the Sparks.Four days later, Potter watched the Sparks earn the first victory in franchise history. Los Angeles defeated the Charlotte Sting 74-54 at the Forum. Leslie led the Sparks with 19 points.”I saw Lisa Leslie. I am a Californian, and I grew up on the Sparks,” Potter told Fox News Digital.Before the scoreboard controversy, she had considered purchasing more tickets if Indiana returned to New York for the playoffs.She said she no longer plans to buy Liberty tickets, but emphasized that she does not dislike the team or its players.”I love the Liberty, though. I got no hate. I think they’re an incredible team. You know, shout out Stewie,” Potter said.Potter also remains willing to spend money on the WNBA. However, she said she will direct that support toward the Fever and organizations that welcome her position on women’s sports.”I’d love to go to a Fever game. They gonna make the playoffs, you know? Yeah, I’m already planning on it. I know they’ve got some great games in September, so yeah, my money shall be directed to where it is welcomed. And if they have a scoreboard, and I can put it up, and Jen gets to roll, I will,” Potter said.Potter said her support follows Cunningham rather than any particular franchise. She credited the Fever guard with giving women like her a reason to attend games and publicly support the league.”I’m a woman loyalist, okay? So I’m there for Sophie. Where Sophie’s going, I’m going where the Fever’s going,” Potter said.Despite her frustration with the Liberty, Potter said the attention surrounding Cunningham and the accompanying rallies can benefit the WNBA by bringing new customers into arenas.”Of course it’s good for the league. We’re women supporting women playing a woman’s sport. How is this not good? Every Fever game is selling out,” Potter said.Potter said she would consider giving the Liberty another opportunity if the team respected her original message. For now, however, she plans to support Cunningham, the Fever and other women’s sports organizations that she believes share her principles.Potter’s experience adds to growing censorship concerns surrounding the WNBA and fans who support Cunningham’s position on women’s sports.Alliance Defending Freedom sent a letter to WNBA leadership Friday addressing recent incidents involving Cunningham supporters in Seattle and Atlanta.”The WNBA claims to stand for female athletes, but we’ve seen recent current events undermine that claim. We have seen just in the past few weeks that there have been two separate incidents where fans have been silenced or berated when they tried to peacefully express their viewpoint,” ADF legal counsel Suzanne Beecher told Fox News Digital.The letter cited the teenage girls who were confronted by Seattle Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton while holding signs supporting Cunningham, along with the mother and daughter who were instructed to cover their XX-XY Athletics shirts in Atlanta. The WNBA suspended Keaton from five Storm home games and later said the Atlanta incident “should not have happened.”Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton also recently told Fox News Digital that he admired Cunningham for speaking publicly despite the criticism she faced. Paxton said the WNBA should protect the ability of fans to peacefully express differing opinions.Paxton expressed a willingness to engage with the league and continue supporting its games. However, he said he would not retreat from his principles regarding women’s sports or the treatment of Cunningham’s supporters. Potter’s rejected scoreboard message now gives critics another incident to cite as they question whether the league treats opposing viewpoints equally.